OK, I know this is OT, but I'm going crazy surfing google trying to
find a straight answer, and I figure someone in this NG probably knows
the answer.

I'm shopping for an LCD TV. It will be fed via my local cable system. I
do not currently subscribe to digital cable, just the normal analog
stuff on the normal "cable ready" frequencies. I understand that all
analog TV will be going away in a few years so obviously I should buy a
TV that already has built-in digital signal reception capability via
cable input. Some of the TVs on the market have different combinations
of NTSC tuners and/or ATSC tuners and/or QAM tuners. I know ATSC is for
off-the-antenna analog channels, but which built-in tuner(s) must my TV
have to receive the current analog cable channels, the upcoming digital
signals from local stations (presumably available via cable), and any
digital cable channels?

Help!

Somebody Somewhere wrote:
I'm shopping for an LCD TV. It will be fed via my local cable system. I
do not currently subscribe to digital cable, just the normal analog
stuff on the normal "cable ready" frequencies. I understand that all
analog TV will be going away in a few years so obviously I should buy a
TV that already has built-in digital signal reception capability via
cable input. Some of the TVs on the market have different combinations
of NTSC tuners and/or ATSC tuners and/or QAM tuners. I know ATSC is for
off-the-antenna analog channels, but which built-in tuner(s) must my TV
have to receive the current analog cable channels, the upcoming digital
signals from local stations (presumably available via cable), and any
digital cable channels?

The fcc mandate digital mandate only applies to ota (over the air). What
your local cable company may or may not do varies.

QAM or cablecard tuners allow you to load a card into your tv and avoid
having to use a set-top box for decoding/decrypting digital tv over
cable. Its not a bad thing to have, don't have to mess with a second
remote or trying to hookup a set-top box.

ATSC tuners, are for digital ota broadcasts like you said. NTSC is the
video format we use. I would assume they are just talking about normal
analog ota reception.

The majority of cable companies that provide hd channels downsample the
hell out of the video and compress them. If you have a good signal, you
are really better off watching ota digital. Any lcd tv these days should
have support for HD/digital (atsc) for ota reception. The question is,
do you want a cablecard slot or stick with the set-top box.

Somebody Somewhere wrote:
cable input. Some of the TVs on the market have different combinations
of NTSC tuners and/or ATSC tuners and/or QAM tuners. I know ATSC is for
off-the-antenna analog channels, but which built-in tuner(s) must my TV
have to receive the current analog cable channels, the upcoming digital
signals from local stations (presumably available via cable), and any
digital cable channels?

ATSC: off-the-antenna *digital* channels. Also works on *some* digital
cable systems.

NTSC: off-the-antenna *analog* channels. Also works with analog cable.
(but not scrambled/premium channels)

QAM: for many (most?) digital cable systems.

If you get a cable box from the cable company then the tuner is
irrelevant - the cable box *is* the tuner. You connect it to the TV
with component or HDMI cables and bypass the TV's tuners altogether.
Likewise for satellite. Though if you have a decent antenna available
you might be able to use off-the-antenna ATSC digital reception for your
locals for better picture quality and to save a few $$$. (you might
also get a few channels that way that aren't on cable)

The end-of-analog mandate applies only to off-the-antenna broadcasts;
cable systems are not required to force all their customers to digital.
I'm sure a NTSC-only TV will work with cable for a long time to come.

ATSC tuners are required by law in newer TVs above a certain screen
size. The mandate is gradually phased in. Eventually *all* new TVs
will be required to have ATSC tuners.

--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com