I have no idea if you can get these in Cedar Rapids, but in Ames I just re-scanned for digital broadcast channels while my TV is hooked up to my wall jack (which comes from mediacom, not an antenna) and I got 100 digital channels detected.
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Yeah, that makes sense to me! But when I called mediacom support the person I talked to said mediacom is not broadcasting all these digital channels I am getting, and I don't understand how that is possible. I was hoping someone here would know what exactly is going on, and if mediacom isn't broadcasting the 100 digital channels I am getting (even though most are only 480i SD over a digital channel) who is?
Rule #1 about low level tech support at any major company, they don't know anything more than you do.
I just ran a scan on my TV and came up with 0 channels period. Something must be set-up wrong, but it all works through my HDMI.
HBO is free this weekend (fri-mon)so that's probably why you get it. If it's there tomorrow still then you can celebrate.
If you are in an apartment complex, it could have something to do with the filter on the building, or lack thereof, as to why you are receiving 100+ digital channels. Typically they stop or block the signal at the box with some sort of filter so most homeowners never have the opportunity to receive those channels (even though their tv might decode them). However, at larger apartment complexes, with so many units, they sometimes get removed and/or have a difficult time blocking the signal to some units who don't pay for cable or premium channels from those who do.
I just plugged my new portable digital tv into my cable just to see what it would get, and it "detected" over 250 channels when I scanned. The first 50 or so were pretty much what I expected based on expanded basic cable. Then there were a bunch of repeats that followed the same order as the beginning of my HD tier on my digital cable box downstairs- HD network stations, then TBSHD, TNTHD, etc. Then there were more repeat channels and a bunch of channels that didn't display anything. I don't think I'm actually getting anything "extra" at all except for the extra broadcast channels- KCCI weather, etc. There will be a lot of fat to trim away from this autoscan once I get this tv mounted under the cabinets in my kitchen and get a cable line run in there...
HBO and a few other channels disappeared today. I talked to someone and I think I know now what all the repeat channels are that are broadcast over digital broadcast channels at 480i SD. They are what the set-top boxes from mediacom use to tune in digital channels. Normally these channels are encrypted and you can't tune them in, but for some reason right now they are unencrypted.