Most modern high definition televisions include tuners for both ATSC and QAM modulation types – the former for receiving digital signals from an antenna, and the latter for digital signals from cable. Yes, this does mean you can actually receive digital cable channels without the use of a rental digital cable box. However, Canada is still running behind the USA in regards to allowing consumers to make use of these tuners. While many American cable companies provide local channels in both SD and HD as unencrypted QAM, in Canada there is no such policy and providers are allowed to actively encrypt all channels, where they need to be or not, requiring you to rent or purchase a cable box for reception.

Rogers used to offer a modicum of Clear QAM channels consisting mostly of local Canadian channels, but in 2007 the company switched to encrypting essentially everything. So, for now, here’s a list of everything that remains, primarily made up of radio channels. This should be accurate for Rogers Cable in the Greater Toronto Area, but may not reflect Rogers digital offerings in other areas.

Please note: the base channel (for example, 71.##) may be different in your particular area, or may have changed since this list was last updated. However the subchannel numbering and general order of stations should remain the same.

If you'd like to comment on this list, please see its official post in our forum.

Here are a few tips for working with QAM channels:

• QAM channels will scan in ##.## format, such as 83.2 or 119.431. The first number represents the original broadcast channel, and the second is the subchannel.
• QAM channels will not match the channel number assignments as you would see on an official Rogers cable box – thus the existence of this list.
• Some QAM tuners will renumber the subchannels, for example if it scans in 82.17 and 82.18, it may display them as 82.1 and 82.2.
• Some regions may use a different broadcast channel, however the subchannel structure typically remains the same. For example, you may find the group of channels shown here on 71.## moved to 84.## in your area – however the order of the channels should remain the same.
• If you do not subscribe to cable TV, or if you only subscribe to basic cable and there is a filter on your line, you will most likely not be able to tune any of these channels.
• QAM tuners in HDTVs are fully capable of receiving unencrypted high definition channels, however there are none available on Rogers.
• In the US there is a product called a “Cable Card” that can be installed in compatible devices and enables reception of encrypted pay-TV channels, proper channel number reassignment and so forth. Cable Cards are not supported by any Canadian cable company, although there is no technical reason for this to be the case. However support for 1-way Cable Cards has been almost completely dropped by hardware vendors, in favor of the new (and not yet common) “Tru2Way” standard, which is essentially the same but with 2-way communications to allow for VOD, PPV purchases and so forth. Once again, there has been no announced Canadian support for this standard.