HDTV Setup, is Cox cable qam encrypted??

[Ericft]

I have been perusing these forums for quite some time now, attempting to get HD local channels on my sage server. I have a HVr-1600 that I have tried about 6 OTA antennas on with no success in getting stable, stutter free local channels. i usually get about 1-3 okay, then have to continually move the indoor antenna around...too frustrating.
I next found out, after a month or so of trying, that there is a possibility that several of the qam channels on cox cable are encrypted. that is what the cox rep stated, however i am able to get nbc/abc/cww via qam and sage, but not any of the other local channels.
I then figured out that maybe i could try getting a digital set top box and connecting that to the hvr 1600 to try and get decrypted hd signals, but so far to no avail.
I have used HDTV wtih qam tuner in the past(wasn't allowed to keep it) and i remember it getting the local channels via the same non-digital service cable that i have now.
My question is whether I have any other options: i don't want to get the cox HD HVR (the local rep says that's the only way to get HD channels), can't put a rooftop antenna on my apartment.
Would HDhomerun be an option, maybe a better qam tuner than the HVR 1600? i getting tired of not having these HD channels and my significant other is worried about my time spent with "sage" my other girlfriend...i would like to put this to bed asap...any thoughts??
ps i have changed out my splitters to monster cable ones, running RG-6 to the vital areas..

[carlgar]

It is unlikely that the Homerun would find any more clear qam channels but possible. You should go to http://www.silicondust.com/wiki/hdhomerun/channels and see if it shows any channels you are not currently getting.

[ke6guj]

Pretty much assume that most of the cable company's channels are encrypted QAM. They are only required (and that is debatable) to send out the digital local channels open QAM. You may see a couple other digital channels sent out open as well, but probably not the "good stuff".

Hooking up the STB to the HVR to get it to decrypt the QAM signal won't work. The only thing you can do with that is record from the STB via s-video/composite in SD analog, no HD. There is no practical way to record via the STB's HD component/DVI/HDMI ports in HD or without using massive amounts of storage space (upwards of 50-100gigs per hour).

If you can get QAM via the 1600, I wouldn't expect you to see the HDHR getting a lot more QAM channels. Now, if you have a poor signal with a lot of loss, one tuner may be more sensitive and be able to tune in more of the open QAM channels. But it sounds like you've got a handle on minimizing signal loss. yOu could try an amplifier to see if that helped.

As for the cox rep saying you cna only get HD with an HD box, wrong. He is wrong since you can tune in the open QAM channels (that is, if there isn't a filter on your line, but that is rare now a days), but if you want to tune in scrambled QAM channels, then yes, you do need a box. Now, to make it more complicated, if you want to be able to record the digital content in digital format, you need to either record off hte STB via firewire (may or may not work, entire different type of encryption with firewire capture) or modifying an STB with the R5000-HD mod. R5000 would give you ALL channels that you pay for, but does cost $$$ to get done.

[azmouse]

Im in Phoenix, AZ and I probably get close to 20 QAM channels from Cox using the HD Homerun. Pretty much takes care of all mo locals, only one "studders", although I am not too sure why....I have not had the time to troubleshoot it.

[Ericft]

I just temporarily purchased a vizio QAM TV and was able to get all local channels ?(abc/nbc/cbs/fox/cww/wgbh) all in HD!!!. in addition, when i connected the HDTV antennas that I unsuccessfully used with my HVR-1600 to the Vizio TV, GOT ALL THE HD LOCAL CHANNELS WITH NO PROBLEMS!!!!

CONCLUSION: HVR-1600 IS NOT A GOOD ATSC OR QAM TUNER..AT LEAST NOT MY PARTICULAR VERSION (WHICH IS CONFIRMED TO BE THE RIGHT MODEL NUMBER)

Now i guess i'm headed to HDHOMERUN to get HD incorporated into sagetv with my regular SDTV...