QAM Tuner
Free Digital Programming!
With SMU Cable TV and a QAM Tuner TV, You Can Enjoy Limited Digital Programming At No Charge
Are you interested in receiving Digital Programming WITHOUT the need for a cable box? SMU Cable makes that possible IF you have the correct type of television!
Most new DIGITAL TV’s have an integrated QAM tuner. A QAM tuner allows the TV to tune into the special cable channels that SMU uses to send out unscrambled signals from local TV stations.
A QAM tuner will only tune to channels that are unscrambled, like the TV stations. Other scrambled (or encrypted) digital cable channels require a subscription to SMU Digital or HD Cable and a box.
If you can’t find the QAM channels you normally watch, you may need to rescan the channels on your television in order to get all of the QAM channels available.
What You Can Watch With A QAM Tuner?
Here is a current list of the digital channels available with a QAM tuner from SMU (some are in HD)
| QAM Ch. | Station/Network | FREE with Cable Package: |
|---|---|---|
| 4.11 | KTIV (NBC) | Basic |
| 4.12 | Siouxland CW | Basic |
| 4.13 | MeTV | Basic |
| 4.14 | Court TV | Basic |
| 4.15 | ion | Basic |
| 9.1 | KCAU (ABC) | Basic |
| 9.2 | Escape | Basic |
| 9.3 | Laff | Basic |
| 9.4 | Bounce | Basic |
| 14.11 | Dabl | Basic |
| 14.12 | Charge | Basic |
| 14.13 | Comet | Basic |
| 14.14 | Stadium | Basic |
| 20.3 | Public Access | Basic |
| 20.4 | The Spencer Channel 3 | Basic |
| 20.5 | SMU Weather | Basic |
| 20.6 | The Weather Channel | Basic |
| 20.7 | Iowa PBS Kids | Basic |
| 20.8 | CW | Basic |
| 21.1 | Iowa PBS | Basic |
| 21.2 | Iowa PBS Kids | Basic |
| 21.3 | Iowa PBS Kids HD | Basic |
| 21.4 | Iowa PBS Create | Basic |
| 44.1 | KPTH (FOX) | Basic |
| 44.2 | MyNet/TBD | Basic |
| 44.3 | KPTH (CBS) | Basic |
| 77.1 | Big Ten | Basic Plus |
| 77.2 | CNN | Basic Plus |
| 77.4 | Food Network | Basic Plus |
| 77.5 | Discovery | Basic Plus |
| 77.6 | Lifetime | Basic Plus |
| 77.7 | HLN | Basic Plus |
| 77.8 | Cartoon Network | Basic Plus |
| 78.1 | Fox News | Basic Plus |
| 78.2 | BTN | Basic Plus |
| 78.3 | ESPN2 | Basic Plus |
| 78.4 | TNT | Basic Plus |
| 78.5 | TBS | Basic Plus |
| 78.6 | USA | Basic Plus |
| 78.7 | HGTV | Basic Plus |
| 78.8 | ESPN | Basic Plus |
On some TV’s, the “.” may be substituted for a “-”
Most QAM tuner TV’s have a “channel search” or “auto program” function that will automatically scan the incoming signals and detect the ones that are available. It may be necessary to do a channel search before your TV will allow you to tune to that channel.
How Do I Know If My TV Has A QAM Tuner?
Check your TV’s owners manual, or talk to the store where you purchased it. Another hint: if your TV remote control has a (.) or (-) button on it, it probably means that the TV has a QAM tuner because you need to use the (.) or (-) to tune to the digital channels.
