You do not need to do anything if your HDTV set is equipped with a set-top converter or CableCard. Otherwise, starting on Wednesday, June 3,

Perform an Auto Program or Channel Scan on your QAM tuner TV set. The amount of time required will vary depending on your TV set. It may take 20 minutes or more.
Tune Standard Definition networks using your remote control by entering “2-“ followed by the traditional channel number. For example, enter 2-24 for TNT. You should be able to use the channel up and down function to change channels and, depending on your TV set, see a list of channels on screen.
Tune High Definition networks using your remote control by entering the network’s broadcast channel number followed by “-1). For example, enter 3.1 for WKYC-HD.
Click here for Stark County or click here for Wayne County for a list of QAM tuner channels.

Massillon Cable TV/Clear Picture cannot guarantee that all QAM tuner TV sets will operate as described in this information. That’s because different TV manufacturers have included different features and capabilities into their equipment. The function, design and features of TV sets are beyond our control. This wide variety of TV sets and QAM tuners makes it impossible to know how every TV set or tuner will respond now or in the future. We will endeavor to make this system work for the widest possible range of QAM tuners, but may not be able to make it work for all. YOU, AS THE PURCHASER, HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE MANUFACTURER OR SALES PERSON REGARDING ITS COMPATIBILITY WITH YOUR DESIRED USE.

Modern technology often brings decisions and trade-offs. New HDTV sets are no different. Most new HDTV sets include a new type of tuner called a QAM tuner. A QAM tuner can receive digital cable TV signals without the use of a set-top converter box. That has both benefits and drawbacks.

The benefits include:

Simplified installation – Typically, only one cable TV input is needed.
One remote control – The manufacturer’s remote control will provide all the functions.

The drawbacks include:

Limited program choices – About 80 TV networks (10 of them HD networks) are available to QAM tuners. More than 200 entertainment choices (including almost 80 HD networks and advanced features like, Interactive Program Guides, Digital Video Recorders and Video On Demand) are available with set-top converters. You need a set-top converter (or CableCard1) to receive them all because the networks are encrypted (scrambled). A QAM tuner will not receive these scrambled signals unless the set is equipped with a CableCard.
No channel map – The lack of a channel map means the program networks will not appear on the same channel on all TV sets.

Many people struggle with their new QAM tuner TV sets. A recent study showed that 44% of new TV owners continue to use analog signals instead of using the new digital and HDTV signals that are available to them. Click Here for the US News & World Report.

---

1A CableCard is capable of receiving one-way signals. Interactive Program Guide functions vary depending on the TV set. Video On Demand, Digital Video Recording and other advanced features are not available with a CableCard.

It is impossible for us to know if you have a TV set with a QAM tuner. There are times when technical changes we make will impact your ability to tune program networks with your QAM tuner. We want to keep you informed when we make these types of changes. So, we have created a registry for QAM tuner owners. If you provide your email address, we will send you email messages alerting you to these changes. These may include the addition of new channels, the need to run the Auto Program function on your QAM tuner or other alerts. It will not be used for marketing and the number of messages will be limited to information you need as a QAM tuner owner to receive all of your services. Click here to add yourself to the QAM Owner Registry. You will need your Massillon Cable TV/Clear Picture account number to do this.

Digital signals are numbered differently than analog signals. An analog "channel" holds only one program network. However, in the digital world, the same "channel" can hold a dozen networks. So, a numbering method was created. A QAM channel has two parts. The first part is the frequency. The second part is called the stream. They are separated by a decimal point (.) or a dash (-) on your screen and remote. For example, on frequency 79, we transmit the following Standard Definition networks. To tune directly to TV Land using a QAM tuner, you would press 79-51 on your remote control.


The networks don’t appear in the same sequence with QAM tuners as they do with set-top converters. This leads to confusion when moving from one TV set to another. Click here to learn more about the number sequence.

As noted above, different manufacturers have built varying levels of sophistication into their QAM tuner TV sets. We cannot control this.

Some QAM tuners will display a completely random set of numbers such as 68-56, with neither 68 nor 56 corresponding to any frequency or stream.
Other sets will recognize the frequency we set, but not the stream numbers. Instead, the TV set assigns its own stream numbers. In these cases, our QAM 79 becomes 79-1, 79-2, 79-3 and so forth.
Some sets will recognize both the frequency and stream and display them as expected.
Still other sets allow the owner to rearrange the order in which the networks appear, apply labels (like channel names) and set lists of favorites to the QAM channels received.
Some sets will ignore scrambled networks. Others will include them in the channel list even though tuning to them results in a black screen.

We cannot change the capability of QAM tuner TV sets. Most consumers don’t know to ask about these capabilities. Most sales people probably don’t know about these differences either.

PSIP stands for Program and System Information Protocol. It is a system for navigating digital television signals. It was designed for the broadcast TV industry. Among other things, the PSIP data found in a digital TV signal can include Service Identification, called SI Data. This SI Data includes information that associates each program network with specific numbers and a label for the network. While PSIP data was designed for the broadcast TV industry, Massillon Cable TV/Clear Picture has worked to adapt it for use with QAM tuners connected to a cable TV system. In other words, we found a way to make PSIP work for you; to make it easier for you to use your QAM tuner.

PSIP works by including information with the digital signal. You have seen this work if you have tuned to WKYC-HD on your QAM tuner. You will notice that it appears as 3-1 and probably includes a label for WKYC-HD. We transmit WKYC as 112-1 (frequency 112 and stream 1). However, your QAM tuner receives the SI Data included in WKYC’s signal and uses that for tuning the network and displaying the information. Most QAM tuners could also tune to 112-1, but it is much more difficult to remember.

Until now, this data was restricted to broadcast TV signals. We have added SI Data to all the signals available to QAM tuner users. This will make finding all the Lifeline and Basic cable networks much easier.

A QAM tuner (without a set-top converter or CableCard) can only receive the Lifeline and Basic cable networks (a set-top converter is required for all other channels). Click here for Stark County or click here for Wayne County for a list of QAM tuner channels. These networks include both High Definition (HD) and Standard Definition (SD) networks. Your QAM tuner should be able to receive all of the networks on this list provided you subscribe to these levels of service.

SI Data uses a system that includes two numbers separated by a decimal point (.) or a dash (-). The first number is called the “major.” The second is called the “minor.” This sounds very similar to the frequency-stream system, but is actually different. As noted above, QAM tuners are not consistent in the way they handle the frequency-stream data, but virtually all QAM tuners will accept and use SI Data. When SI Data is provided, most QAM tuners can use either the SI Data (major-minor) or the frequency-stream number. For example, WKYC-HD can be tuned by either pressing 3-1 or 112-1. Either will work, but 3-1 is much easier to use.

Since we must use two numbers, we have established the following pattern for Si Data.

Standard Definition Networks will all start with “2-“ and be followed by the number traditionally used on converters. So, Standard Definition networks become
2-2 – WNEO
2-3 – WKYC
2-4 – WOIO
and so forth.

Thus, the SI Data creates consistency between set-top converter channels and QAM tuner channels. TNT is converter channel 24 and QAM tuner channel 2-24. This number pattern will help eliminate confusion since all of the Standard Definition networks will appear in the same order on set-top converters and QAM tuners.

High Definition Networks on Lifeline service are primarily broadcast TV stations. We are required to use the SI Data provided by these broadcast TV stations. We can’t change it. Therefore, QAM tuner owners must use the SI Data provided by the station. The broadcast HD networks available on QAM tuners are:
3-1 - WKYC
5-1 - WEWS
8-1 - WJW
19-1 - WOIO
25-1 – WVIZ – coming soon
43-1 - WUAB
45-1 - WNEO
55-1 – WBNX – coming soon

Other High Definition Networks are available on Lifeline service. We can assign the SI Data for HD cable networks, so they can be tuned using the Standard Definition channel number followed by “-1.” These networks include:
12.1 – WGN
15.1 – QVC

Most QAM tuners will only “see” the SI Data after the Auto Program function has been run. During the Auto Program, the QAM tuner will recognize new SI Data. They should then be available for use when tuning. Depending on your TV set, the name of the network may begin to appear on screen and in a channel list. These functions vary greatly among TV sets, so please consult your Owner’s Manual for details.

A channel map is an index. It tells a set-top converter or CableCard which network to display based on the numbers entered on the remote control. For example, entering “51” on a converter tells the converter to tune to frequency 79 and stream 51. Thus, TV Land is displayed on the TV screen. We can change the channel map of a set-top converter to keep the channels where they are expected.

We can’t set a channel map for QAM tuners. However, the SI Data we have begun to transmit will provide QAM tuners with a type of channel map. For example, entering 2.51 will tell your QAM tuner to tune to frequency 79 and stream 51.

In the future, we may change the location of various networks to new frequencies or streams. We also may add new networks. We can tell set-top converters and CableCards to tune to these new networks. We can’t tell your QAM tuner to do that. You must perform an Auto Program to find them. Joining the QAM Owner Registry will ensure that you are notified when these changes take place.