Charlotte, NC - TWC [Text View] - Page 29

jcalabria

06-16-11, 11:38 AM

About a month ago I had exchanged my old SA 8300HDC for a new Samsung SMT-H3272.

Talk about disappointment. We've had nothing but headaches with this box. When we turn the volume down, sometimes it changes to channel 8. Totally random.

The remote sucks too. Compared to the old SA 8300 remotes, the buttons are in different places.

Has anyone else had issues with this DVR? I'm going to TWC and request a new box.

Any recommendations?

The issues you describe are not typical for this box. It should be (and is) a major upgrade from your 8300HDC - significantly faster and more than triple the storage capacity. The only significant downgrade is the lack of PiP in the 327x. The common issue with them is that they have finicky HDMI handshaking (they work much better if they are the last device powered up in your HDMI chain - which is the correct order, anyway).

There is no remote specific to this box... the same remote from your 8300HDC would have also worked perfectly on the Samsung - they have identical command and IR code sets. What remote do you have now? I have received nothing but Synergy V remotes for TWC boxes over the past few years. Although I rarely use them (I have programmable remotes at all four systems that have TWC DVR/STBs), they have always worked fine when I have. Most of your complaints seem to be centered around the remote, not the box...perhaps you received a bad remote.

You mentioned that you have a 3272 - that is a whole-house version of the 3270. Do you have whole-house DVR, or did they just issue it as a regular DVR? The 3272 has a 500GB drive and a MoCA modem to support whole-house. The only direct (whole-house compatible) alternative to the 3272 is the Cisco 8642HDC (there is also a Motorola whole-house model that, AFAIK, has not been introduced here).

If you don't have whole house and want to go for a different box, I wouldn't recommend going backwards to any 8240/8300 series box. The Samsung 3270 and the Cisco 8640HDC (a newer version of your 8300HDC) are the current top models. If you can find one, a slightly older Samsung 3090 is probably the best of them all, but they have been issued with both 160 & 320GB drives, while the 3270 and 8640 all have 320GB drives. Personally, other than losing PiP, I would be ecstatic if I was issued a 3272 and its 500GB of storage. The extra storage is great and my 8640 is a slug compared to any of the the Samsungs.

Take a look HERE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=20476001&postcount=6985) for some more info.

ke4pym

06-17-11, 06:40 PM

Engadget thinks so.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/17/time-warner-cable-internal-docs-reveal-twcable-tv-ipad-app-dvr/

jrs

06-24-11, 07:30 AM

Engadget thinks so.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/17/time-warner-cable-internal-docs-reveal-twcable-tv-ipad-app-dvr/

I hope that one of the "goodies" is that the DVR actually records the series that it is programmed to, rather than simply deciding not to...

stannc

06-27-11, 12:20 AM

I received a letter that Sports Pass is going from $2.25/month to $3.95/month, now that they added all of the Spanish language soccer channels.

ejb1980

06-27-11, 09:07 AM

I also received that letter. I think they added the wrong "football" - why Gol TV HD? Although, from what I have seen, 819 is Spanish and 1819 is often dubbed in English. Dont forget Sportman or whatever animal killing channel 515 is. A very tiny part of me hopes the NFL lockout will end and TWC will pick up the NFL Network. I realize that there's a 0.01% chance of that happening, but a man can dream...

jrs

07-04-11, 08:00 AM

Anyone know what happened to the "Local on the 8's" on the weather channel?

For the past several days it has only been the national feed here...

bdfox18doe

07-04-11, 09:39 AM

Anyone know what happened to the "Local on the 8's" on the weather channel?

For the past several days it has only been the national feed here...

Well, since our local TWC guru can no longer post here.. I guess we'll only have to suspect equipment failure with the local Weather gear. :(

jrs

07-04-11, 09:44 AM

Well, since our local TWC guru can no longer post here.. I guess we'll only have to suspect equipment failure with the local Weather gear. :(

I ended up calling Time Warner, and they didn't know. I did find a help/FAQ on weather.com, and let them know that it wasn't working...

rdgcss

07-08-11, 06:41 PM

The update to the iPad app finally showed up today. Over 100 channels to watch live. Online schedule with filter such as HD only. You can schedule recording by tapping a time slot. You can tap the channel ID and it will change the channel on the tv. You can edit the scheduled recordings on any DVR in the house. Much faster than the web version on a PC.

stannc

07-14-11, 02:04 AM

July 20: the following channels will no longer be available in Huntersville, Mooresville and Statesville: Hot Choice channel 790 and iN DEMAND Pay-Per-View channels 774-777.

August 1st:

1321 Basic Cable Lifetime HD
642 Encore WAM changes to Encore Family
640 Encore Mystery changes to Encore Suspense

August 18th:

147 Digital Broadcast WJZY D2 Antenna TV

August 20th Mandarin Passport package
851 CCTV-4
852 CTI Zhong Tian
853 Phoenix Infonews
854 Phoenix NA

Hindi Passport Package
871 Zee TV
872 Sony Asia
873 TV Asia

Filipino Pass Plus Package
860 GMA Pinoy
861 GMA Life
862 DWLS
863 DZBB
864 The Filipino Channel

Russian Passport
885 C1R Worldwide
886 RTVi
887 RTN
888 TV 1000 Russia Kino

International premium channels
890 ART
868 TV Japan
898 Bollywood On Demand Channel

SBTN channel will move from 875 to channel 866
TV5 Channel will move from 873 to 881
Lo Mejor on Demand will move from channel 890 to channel 895. International Movies On Demand will move from channel 891 to channel 896. Espanol On Demand will move from 892 to 897.

August 23rd, TV Shows On Demand will be dropped from On Demand.

August 30th,
1305 E! HD Basic Cable
1320 Oxygen HD Basic Cable
1259 OWN HD Basic Cable
1330 TV One HD Digital Tier
1254 Nat Geo Wild HD Digital Tier
1268 Crime & Investigation HD HD Plus Tier

August 31st,
411 Answers On Demand will change to TWCable How To On Demand.

ejb1980

07-14-11, 02:24 PM

stannc,
Thank you for that update. I hope it's not just the Charlotte area getting more HD, even though most of it is, well, Lifetimeish. I read somewhere that additional Encore channels will be in HD around the same time as the name changes. Do you know if there is a discussion for their addition to TWC?

bdfox18doe

07-14-11, 06:12 PM

July 20: the following channels .

I'm sure that will help TWC with their image..

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/07/14/2452336/most-hated-firms-in-the-us.html

kevin120

07-14-11, 08:12 PM

rcase13

07-15-11, 02:27 PM

Engadget thinks so.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/17/time-warner-cable-internal-docs-reveal-twcable-tv-ipad-app-dvr/

Does anyone have any more information on when this might be rolled out in the Charlotte area?

rdgcss

07-15-11, 05:22 PM

Does anyone have any more information on when this might be rolled out in the Charlotte area?

Available now for the IPad, have it on this iPad that I'm typing on

rcase13

07-15-11, 05:37 PM

I was actually talking about the DVR updates. REALLY looking forward to being able to delete shows from any box. And yes we all know this can be done with Direct-TV...

archiguy

07-20-11, 05:51 PM

ke4pym

07-20-11, 08:12 PM

And yes we all know this can be done with Direct-TV...

Speaking of DTV!! :)

About 6 weeks ago, my external 1TB HD went belly up. Lost about 100 hours of recordings. I realized something was up when playback started to stutter on the DVR the drive was attached too. Then the stuttering followed to any other playback client. Then finally, live TV. Then, come home one day and the receiver was frozen solid. That reboot solidified that the drive was dead.

Being the data retention person that I am, I should have known better. Oh well, live and learn.

And learn I did. I picked up a Newer Tech Guardian Maximus drive cabinet sporting RAID1. See here: http://www.newertech.com/products/gmax.php

Bought it from OWC and saved a few bucks.

Installed a pair of Samsung 2TB green drives and let the fun begin. When I attached it to the DVR, it refused to see it. A couple of days of head scratching went on to me formatting it in Windows and then plugging it back into the DVR. Success! The DVR saw it. Formatted it and I'm on my way.

While this application was for a DTV box, I see no reason why it wouldn't work on an older 8300. The nice part about this little box is that it is all self contained. A drive fails, replace it and the box will rebuild the other drive.

In theory.

I have no relation to any of these companies. Just found success and thought I'd share.

archiguy

07-21-11, 07:41 AM

rcase13

07-21-11, 08:23 AM

Anybody have any idea why an SA8300HD running ancient MDN would suddenly stop outputting HDMI video? I've still got component, but it's noticibly softer on my LED/LCD TV. When I try to connect with HDMI, the TV says "no signal" and when I switch to component and get a picture back, there's a Navigator warning screen that says "Your TV does not allow display of this program through the DVI input source. Please choose another TV input source."

This just happened last night out of the blue. Anyone have any ideas?

This happened to a friend of mine just recently. The boxes had to be replaced. He said it was an update that caused the issue. He had different boxes so probably not your exact issue but the timing of his problem is the same as yours...

ke4pym

07-21-11, 08:47 AM

Is there any way to move data off an expansion drive and onto another one that a new 8300HD would recognize, or get a new DVR to recognize the old expansion drive? Why do I ask? See my post above. No HDMI is no good.

Moving the data to a new/bigger drive is pretty easy if you have access to the Gnome partition editor. Unfortunately, that data is encrypted with a key generated by the DVR, tying the data to that DVR.

In my particular case, when I press the little red button on the front of my DVR, it causes the DVR to regenerate the key (d'oh). You don't want to know how I found that one out the hard way. :)

archiguy

07-21-11, 09:14 AM

This happened to a friend of mine just recently. The boxes had to be replaced. He said it was an update that caused the issue. He had different boxes so probably not your exact issue but the timing of his problem is the same as yours...

Hmmm... If it was an update (to MDN?) that disabled the HDMI port, then that action could be reversed, no? Or at least fixed from the software end, I should think. It's not like the port just up & broke or anything. Of course, their default "solution" is always to replace the box. Not an option for me.

There have to still be a significant number of older 8300HD's running MDN in service aren't there? Many of them are using HDMI I would think. Certainly enough to warrant allocating some resources to fix the problem - shouldn't be that difficult or time consuming. Or else just upload the previous version while working on a code fix. Hopefully, there have been a sufficient number of complaints to provide motivation.

You know, every once in awhile they push through one of these updates and a critical function goes away. A few years ago, before the age of HD-DVR's, I was able to archive and time-shift HD programming via the now extinct D-VHS tape deck. It used the 1394 firewire port on the 8300HD to dump HD content to S-VHS tape. Then, one dark day, TWC pushed through a Navigator update and *poof* there went firewire. I ranted, I raved, I begged, I pleaded - for two years it went on - but they never lifted a finger to restore firewire functionality. So it's not like they have a track record of helping a brother (or customer) out when something like this happens.

archiguy

07-25-11, 11:03 AM

rcase13

07-25-11, 12:27 PM

I haven't had the need for an expansion drive since converting to Signature Home. I found the expansion drive to be a poor archival method. I just had too many problems and the drive being tied to one particular DVR box was a deal breaker for me. I use a HTPC for movie archival and the two DVRs from Signature Home have been more than enough for any shows I wanted to keep long term.

I don't have much trust in the DVRs. I've had too many fail in the past and lost everything. This goes for both cable and satellite. The HTPC I have control over and can make non proprietary backups any time I want.

archiguy

07-25-11, 12:50 PM

I don't have much trust in the DVRs. I've had too many fail in the past and lost everything. This goes for both cable and satellite. The HTPC I have control over and can make non proprietary backups any time I want.

How do you transfer 1080i HD content to an HTPC? The firewire ports - which are necessary to dump HD content to another device - are inactive in all TWC STB's, are they not?

rcase13

07-25-11, 01:20 PM

I don't transfer anything from the DVR box to the HTPC. I use the HTPC for archiving movies I purchase. Any shows I want to keep I just keep on one of the DVRs. If it's really important I buy it. For a long time I was storing recorded concerts on to the DVR. I got frustrated that I couldn't watch the concerts on all my devices so I bought the DVDs/Blu-Rays. Now I can watch them anywhere.

If you want to keep recorded shows on the HTPC you will need a tuner card. I don't have one yet so I can't really comment on how that works. Maybe for Christmas...;)

ke4pym

07-25-11, 01:32 PM

Speaking of, am I really the only guy in the local TWC group here on AVS (besides ke4ypm - are you seeing this?) that's using an expansion drive with their TWC-issued DVR? Really...?? I thought this was a tech-savvy group. ;)

I see ya! But, I'm no longer a TWC video customer. They really pissed me off when I signed up for Sig. Home last August. They assured me the 8640's would accept an external drive. Several times. So I give up my beloved 8300HD and find out the 8640's couldn't.

When it came time to crap or get off the pot, they had no answer for external drives. So I told them to take all of it back and I went to DirecTV (who, on their web site, has instructions for attaching external storage) and haven't regretted it one bit.

I now have 2TB on my primary DVR in a RAID1 configuration and L O V E it.

TWC is entirely too busy trying to cater to the iPad that I don't think they have much time to do anything else but the iPad. They need to focus on getting rid of SDV, going to MPEG 4, and getting better end user hardware.

I have a Sig Home manager contact if you're interested. I don't think you're going to get very far.

archiguy

07-25-11, 04:09 PM

ke4pym

07-25-11, 04:50 PM

If they can't fix this - and it would seem to be an easy fix; just re-load the firmware they replaced last week or de-bug the new version - then I may have to defect to DTV. Problem is, I signed one of those 2 year contracts a few months ago in order to reduce my monthly bill. They'll cream me if I leave. But then, they haven't lived up to their end of the bargain by disabling part of my service, have they?

Give them a call and rant and rave (but be nice). Tell them they've reduced the quality of your service and you're not happy. Tell them you think they've not lived up to their end of the contract. Can the 8300 do 3D? If so, it can't do it through component. Use that as an excuse.

rdgcss

07-25-11, 05:11 PM

If they can't fix this - and it would seem to be an easy fix; just re-load the firmware they replaced last week or de-bug the new version - then I may have to defect to DTV. Problem is, I signed one of those 2 year contracts a few months ago in order to reduce my monthly bill. They'll cream me if I leave. But then, they haven't lived up to their end of the bargain by disabling part of my service, have they?

You should never depend on a DVR to archive shows. It's eventually going to fail and you are going to loose everything. With an external drive you're just going to loose more.

TWC's opinion is that the purpose of a DVR is to time shift programs. If you time shift you watch more tv, if you watch more tv you subscribe to more services, if you subscribe to more services TWC make more money.

archiguy

07-25-11, 06:19 PM

You should never depend on a DVR to archive shows.

I know. I used to use a D-VHS deck to archive shows, and they yanked that away from me 5 years ago. And likely broke the law (the famed FCC firewire mandate) while doing it.

Regardless of whether or not I "should" be doing this, I'm doing it because that's what the expansion drive enables me to do, and modern drives are extremely dependable. The DVR itself has been going strong for many years now. Nothing changes the fact that they've now screwed me twice by disabling ports I was using in the way I wanted to use them. And I pay them money, lots of it, for the right to use it the way I want. They've now taken some of that capability away for a second time and given me nothing in return. My bill hasn't changed, but my service sure has. And there's likely nothing I can do about it but break my contract and let them screw me a third time.

This is why monopolies are bad, kiddies.

rdgcss

07-25-11, 07:03 PM

I know. I used to use a D-VHS deck to archive shows, and they yanked that away from me 5 years ago. And likely broke the law (the famed FCC firewire mandate) while doing it.

Regardless of whether or not I "should" be doing this, I'm doing it because that's what the expansion drive enables me to do, and modern drives are extremely dependable. The DVR itself has been going strong for many years now. Nothing changes the fact that they've now screwed me twice by disabling ports I was using in the way I wanted to use them. And I pay them money, lots of it, for the right to use it the way I want. They've now taken some of that capability away for a second time and given me nothing in return. My bill hasn't changed, but my service sure has. And there's likely nothing I can do about it but break my contract and let them screw me a third time.

This is why monopolies are bad, kiddies.

I had the hard drive fail in 2 8300's and 1 8300hd over a period of 5 years, you've been lucky or I've been unlucky

archiguy

07-25-11, 07:57 PM

I had the hard drive fail in 2 8300's and 1 8300hd over a period of 5 years, you've been lucky or I've been unlucky

With that many drive failures, I'd say the latter. That's extremely unusual.

ke4pym

07-25-11, 08:01 PM

With that many drive failures, I'd say the latter. That's extremely unusual.

I went through 4 or 5 8300's in a very short period of time. The 8300 I'd given up I had had for 3 or 4 years. And it was still going strong. You get a good one, you hang on to it. Forever. Heh.

bdfox18doe

07-26-11, 04:49 PM

Anyone here have the ubee modem ? if so..pm me if you would.

cratch

07-26-11, 11:14 PM

rcase13

07-27-11, 06:20 AM

Hey guys-

I recently noticed that my SA 8640HDC randomly loses video (goes black) while the audio works.

It happens for 3-5 seconds.

I also noticed that there is a green border/bar on the right side and bottom of the picture when- watching 1110 ABCHD.

Anyone else notice this?

I have this same DVR and have not experienced these problems. It sounds like a handshaking problem. I occasionally have handshaking problems with my setup upstairs. I don't know which device is the actual culprit. It's either the TV, Denon or the 8640. Turning the TV off and then back on resolves the problem.

Check your firmware levels on all components in the chain. I know when I first got my TV it had issues that were repaired with a firmware upgrade. Also my Denon 4310 has had a host of problems. Most were fixed with firmware upgrades... Had so many problems with my Denon I've considered switching receiver brands. Been a die-hard Denon fan for over a decade.

ejb1980

07-27-11, 07:54 AM

archiguy

07-27-11, 10:30 AM

In addition to my recent HDMI problem, I've had occasional stuttering and freezing problems for a long time now. The programming will be interrupted by these artifacts for 10 or 15 minutes, then normal behavior will resume. I'm connecting directly with HDMI to the TV. It's really annoying because you then have to try to find the program you've missed On Demand, or pay for it (again) from Amazon, Hulu, etc. They've sent techs out a few times to check signal gain levels and they assure me they're normal. I haven't noticed yet if these problems occur through component as well.

I'm wondering now if maybe these two issues (HDMI and freeze-ups) are somehow related?

rcase13

07-27-11, 02:08 PM

I have similar problems. My cable box (non DVR HD box) is connected to a Denon receiver then to my TV, both connections are HDMI. It sometimes flashes black, or a weird "static" looking screen, always with audio. It's ANNOYING!!! It never happens with the blu-ray player (also HDMI), so I blame the TWC box. A semi-quick reboot fixes it, but it's still annoying.

I find comfort in knowing someone else knows my pain! :(

This is exactly my issue. It only does it when connected to the TWC input. It never happens on any other input.

Have you messed with the order you turn on components? I have not but have been meaning to. Since rebooting the TV seems to fix it I assume it should be the last to power on? It's first in my setup.

ejb1980

07-27-11, 03:43 PM

No, rcase, I haven't. I would test things now, but the other half is engaged with some lame movie. Usually I press TV then power, then AUD then power. The cable box sometimes turns on by itself when the others come on, other times I have to turn it on manually.

I have the Denon set to start on the cable input, and it displays such when it first comes on, then as the other devices finish their turn-on procedures, something (I assume the TV and all the HDMI handshake stuff) forces the Denon to the "TV" input, no matter what is going on. If I manually change it to Cable within 15 to 20 seconds, it will change back to TV. I have found ways to change it back to "Cable" without seeking the Denon remote -
1. Press "AUD" and then the number "4". (So random!)
2. Press "TV" and then scroll through all the inputs, (antenna, dvd, VCR - don't laugh, it works and it's free as opposed to TWC DVRs, etc) until I get to HDMI - AV Receiver. The Denon then magically switches itself to Cable input - unless the last thing watched on the Denon was Blu-ray, then only the first method works.

I have spent way too much time trying to make this set up user friendly. If I turn off the HDMI CEC or whatever it's called, then it turns on with Cable, but I have to manually shut everything off. We have decided to have all the fiddling happen when we turn stuff on, rather than when shutting it off.

bdfox18doe

07-29-11, 12:09 PM

http://www.cable360.net/ct/47498.html

:)

jspENC

07-29-11, 12:11 PM

http://www.cable360.net/ct/47498.html

:)

I can see Directv getting a LOT of new subscribers.:D

ybsane

07-29-11, 12:33 PM

I can see Directv getting a LOT of new subscribers.:D

Not True....:rolleyes: There is a lot of wasted bandwidth in using analog, when the all digital upgrade goes through there will be a lot less compression artifacts in the MPEG and the quality and amount of channels to be offered will rival the Dish competition.

Either way with Satellite or Cable you will need a set-top, plus TWC Service is free and we work 7/24 365 in Charlotte. Let's see Direct Tv come out on a Christmas Saturday or Sunday to fix your service for free....:eek:

Rob

bdfox18doe

07-29-11, 12:58 PM

Not True....:rolleyes: ...when the all digital upgrade goes through there will be a lot less compression artifacts in the MPEG and the quality and amount of channels to be offered will rival the Dish competition.
Rob

Uh-huh..yea.. Right..but it sure needs to in order to compete.
But as long as I can still get QAM's 130-132-134.. I will be happy. :D

hdtvfan2005

07-29-11, 02:41 PM

rdgcss

07-29-11, 05:03 PM

mfogarty5

07-29-11, 08:01 PM

http://www.cable360.net/ct/47498.html

:)

I like to read the transcript of each TWC quarterly earnings call at seeking alpha.com to see if any new products are mentioned and in yesterday's call it was noted that the all digital transition will take 5 years to complete.

I hope charlotte is one of the next markets, but I don't think it is coincidence that they picked a smaller city with no competition for video from a phone company.

I also hope ybsane is right and TWC uses the bandwidth gained from reclaiming the analog channels to reduce compression, but I will believe it when I see it.

On a positive note, I got a notice from TWC that my introductory rate on the signature home product will be extended another year which was nice because I think it is $20 more a month now.

ybsane

07-30-11, 07:40 AM

I'm sure TWC will eventually encrypt everything but the locals, as ClearQAM makes it easy for pirates to remove the trap and get free cable. Traps can help, but it's expensive and difficult to work with. Encryption is much more effective and it's a lot easier for TWC.

TWC is not using ClearQAM traps, too expensive like you mentioned and not worth the head-ache,truck rolls,etc. Apartment theft is pretty common everywhere and there is no real stop to that. Theft of Cable Television has been going on since the inception. Biggest theft I hear is Power Meter theft, as triple'd in the last 2-years or so i am told by the Utility guys.

rdgcss

07-30-11, 02:07 PM

TWC is not using ClearQAM traps, too expensive like you mentioned and not worth the head-ache,truck rolls,etc. Apartment theft is pretty common everywhere and there is no real stop to that. Theft of Cable Television has been going on since the inception. Biggest theft I hear is Power Meter theft, as triple'd in the last 2-years or so i am told by the Utility guys.

From my "you might be a redneck" calendar: "if your cable provider is your next door neighbor"

stannc

08-01-11, 04:43 PM

rdgcss

08-01-11, 04:54 PM

Speaking of eliminating ClearQAM:

On or about August 16th, Time Warner Cable will be making technical changes to our cable system that may disrupt your ability to view the following unencrypted (“in-the-clear”) channels on a digital television or other device that includes a QAM tuner (a “ClearQAM device”): WCCB, WCCB HD, WCCB Me TV D2.

What's that about, and is it temporary?

Hopefully just moving them to a different physical channel/frequency

ybsane

08-02-11, 01:37 PM

Hopefully just moving them to a different physical channel/frequency

CH.83 (CF - 579)
256 QAM CLEAR QAM

Dsply Service
1125 WCCB HD
126 ME TV
1146 WJZY HD

5 174 WTVI Encoded
4 110 WSOC Encoded

Still on the Same QAM Ch.83. Just doing a couple of things to grease the squeaky wheel and make him ...happy....:)

Rob

Satch Man

08-07-11, 09:05 PM

Just to update my post above....

Had a tech out here today who got on the phone with someone in their "Level 3 Tech Support" who confirmed a software update pushed out last week disabled the HDMI ports on legacy SA8300HD boxes running MDN. The mystery caller then said there was nothing they could do about it. Of course, that's a lie. They don't care about MDN anyway, why not just re-load the previous version? There appeared to be no benefit to this "upgrade"; it only took something away. The tech thinks they're just trying to push people out of those boxes, and I - being one of the only, if not the only person using the HD box with an expansion drive - am basically collateral damage. I hate to say it, but he's probably right.

If there was a way to off-load my HD content from the expansion drive, it wouldn't be so bad. But the drive is tied to this particular DVR with a proprietary encryption key, as ke4pym mentions above.

This is exactly what happened to me back in August of '06 when an upgrade flushed the firewire ports, as I described above. I guess the eSATA port I use with the expansion drive is next.

Speaking of, am I really the only guy in the local TWC group here on AVS (besides ke4ypm - are you seeing this?) that's using an expansion drive with their TWC-issued DVR? Really...?? I thought this was a tech-savvy group. ;)

Anybody have any idea what I can do or who I can speak with that might be able to help? They've erected an impenetrable firewall between the customer and anyone in engineering where the solution to this problem lies.

Sup Archguy?

I frequent the TWC Navigator forum and other divisions frequently to keep on track of Navigator's updates and developments for the last five years. Are you saying that your HDMI cable does not work since the update, or that your DVR Expander does not work since the update? Did a cold reboot of the box, (turn off box for 30 seconds, plug back in and reconnect,) solve your problem? Yes, it certainly is a lie that nothing can be done. Yes, TWC could go back to the previous version, but we know that they won't!

MDN has always been faster, and my cousin has had an MDN box for five years, or more with no problems. HDMI is the standard, and several divisions have or will soon be getting the MDN 3.0 update.

What is the status of your box at this time, and this issue. Post in the Navigator forum, if you might want even more specific help with this here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=723830&page=1&pp=30&highlight=journal

Good luck!

Jack

nojstevens

08-14-11, 07:53 AM

Hello,

I am a Huntersville resident and I currently have TWC with the basic packaged and tune my channels with a HDHomeRun into MythTV which works great. I am interested in upgrading to the HDHomeRun Prime to get cable card encrypted programming. I can see on the SiliconDust forums that this works well and with the next release of MythTV it will work even better.

My question is regarding TWC Charlotte and the copy freely flag - the MythTV setup will only work with channels that are flagged as copy freely, but I read that TWC marks all channels as copy once, which would make buying a HDHomeRun Prime a waste of money.

Could anyone confirm which, if any, channels are copy freely on TWC? I'm especially interested to hear from anyone trying or planning to do the same setup as me

Thanks

Jon

bdfox18doe

08-16-11, 07:51 AM

Speaking of eliminating ClearQAM:

On or about August 16th, Time Warner Cable will be making technical changes to our cable system that may disrupt your ability to view the following unencrypted (“in-the-clear”) channels on a digital television or other device that includes a QAM tuner (a “ClearQAM device”): WCCB, WCCB HD, WCCB Me TV D2. What's that about, and is it temporary?

At WCCB's request..TWC has changed the CVCT for our channels..which affects the channel a TV displays..but no changes to the actual QAM frequency. The changes are as follows:

11 WCCB Analog
11-0 WCCB Digital SD
11-1 WCCB-HD
11-2 WCCB-Me

jcalabria

08-16-11, 11:08 AM

At WCCB's request..TWC has changed the CVCT for our channels..which affects the channel a TV displays..but no changes to the actual QAM frequency. The changes are as follows:

11 WCCB Analog
11-0 WCCB Digital SD
11-1 WCCB-HD
11-2 WCCB-Me

Now if they (TWC) would just do something about the compression artifacts... it's not as bad as WBTV was a few months ago but it is pretty bad recently. The game was horrible the other night and even the local studio news can look pretty grungy on pans, zooms and fades.

Looks like I'm going to have to fix the antenna in the attic before the regular season starts.

bdfox18doe

08-16-11, 11:36 AM

Now if they (TWC) would just do something about the compression artifacts... it's not as bad as WBTV was a few months ago but it is pretty bad recently. The game was horrible the other night and even the local studio news can look pretty grungy on pans, zooms and fades.

Looks like I'm going to have to fix the antenna in the attic before the regular season starts.

Yea, I agree..TWC looked like Fresh Dawg Poo on my 65"..much better off-air from what I and others report to me...However, I unfortunately just had to watch the game via the distro feed @ 38 mb/s on my big dish. :o (;)) of course, that was purely to make sure that all my old friends at Raycom are giving us the best quality signal.:)

jcalabria

08-16-11, 11:44 AM

Yea, I agree..TWC looked like Fresh Dawg Poo on my 65"..much better off-air from what I and others report to me...However, I unfortunately just had to watch the game via the distro feed @ 38 mb/s on my big dish. :o (;)) of course, that was purely to make sure that all my old friends at Raycom are giving us the best quality signal.:)

Just like how I used to have to "monitor" all of the PPV feeds at my house.:)

archiguy

08-22-11, 02:41 PM

Sup Archguy?

I frequent the TWC Navigator forum and other divisions frequently to keep on track of Navigator's updates and developments for the last five years. Are you saying that your HDMI cable does not work since the update, or that your DVR Expander does not work since the update? Did a cold reboot of the box, (turn off box for 30 seconds, plug back in and reconnect,) solve your problem? Yes, it certainly is a lie that nothing can be done. Yes, TWC could go back to the previous version, but we know that they won't!

MDN has always been faster, and my cousin has had an MDN box for five years, or more with no problems. HDMI is the standard, and several divisions have or will soon be getting the MDN 3.0 update.

What is the status of your box at this time, and this issue. Post in the Navigator forum, if you might want even more specific help with this here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=723830&page=1&pp=30&highlight=journal

Good luck!

Jack

Just checking in. Haven't got my SA8300HD box back yet (two and a half weeks now). The Cisco 8642 box they left me is running ODN and it is remarkably slow compared to my 8300 running MDN, as you mention. That surprised me. I thought MDN was on its way out and only running on those old legacy boxes now. But if ODN is supposed to be an "improvement" to Navigator, the only advantage I can see is more than 2 truncated lines of information in the program guide. In every other respect, especially the speed of command response and smooth operation of the transport buttons, it's relatively slow and balky. All the more reason (along with expansion drive capability) to hang onto my 8300HD as long as I can. Provided I ever get it back, of course.

Do you think our division will be one of those getting the MDN 3.0 update?

jcalabria

08-26-11, 01:57 AM

The new channels are up and running... but they are not in the guide and CH Up/Dn skips over them. You have to direct access them or add them as favorites and scan them with the FAV button.

chuckf1

08-26-11, 05:34 AM

The new channels are up and running... but they are not in the guide and CH Up/Dn skips over them. You have to direct access them or add them as favorites and scan them with the FAV button.

Sounds like someone couldn't wait any longer to watch Oxygen HD! :)

Thank you for the heads up. Most appreciated.

bdfox18doe

08-26-11, 06:46 AM

The new channels are up and running..

Anything anybody actually wants to watch? I'd rather have the ones we have look good over more that look like poo-ooo...:rolleyes:

jcalabria

08-26-11, 02:37 PM

Sounds like someone couldn't wait any longer to watch Oxygen HD! :)

Thank you for the heads up. Most appreciated.

Anything anybody actually wants to watch? I'd rather have the ones we have look good over more that look like poo-ooo...:rolleyes:

Actually, I found them by accident when I mis-entered 1268 instead of 1260 for Science Channel. It popped up to the CI Channel and a message to call to order. I had no idea what CI was so I hit the guide button and it wasn't listed. From there I went to the Favorite setup menu and saw a bunch of new channels had been added. All of the "basic HD" channels were running... CI is Crime & Investigation and is on the HD Plus tier, which I do not have and is why I got the barker message.

Here's the notification and list of channels:On or about August 30th, E! HD is a planned addition to Basic Cable on channel 1305, Oxygen HD is a planned addition to Basic Cable on channel 1320. OWN HD is a planned addition to Basic Cable on channel 1259. TV One HD is a planned addition to the Digital Tier on channel 1330. Nat Geo Wild HD is a planned addition to the Digital Tier on channel 1254. Crime & Investigation HD is a planned addition to the HD Plus Tier on channel 1268. Also, on this date: Special Events 3 will be launched on Sports Pass.
Nat Geo Wild is probably the only one of interest to me.

bdfox18doe

08-26-11, 04:12 PM

Nat Geo Wild is probably the only one of interest to me.

They have some good stuff on..was watching that last night in fact.

bdfox18doe

08-28-11, 08:08 AM

IMHO, this is some sharp thinking on someone's part to get around the greedy programmers..:)

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/08/28/2556756/time-warner-to-rebate-for-streaming.html

jcalabria

08-29-11, 08:32 AM

ke4pym

08-30-11, 08:10 PM

IMHO, this is some sharp thinking on someone's part to get around the greedy programmers..:)

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/08/28/2556756/time-warner-to-rebate-for-streaming.html

Why limit it to the 50/5 package when the 30/5 package has the same amount of capacity with regards to using the Slingbox?

Maybe offer $150 instead to those on the 30/5.

Wonder if you have to be a video subscriber to cash in... ;) That's the only neat thing Dish network has going for it. Slingbox built in to the STB.

rrainwater

08-31-11, 04:22 PM

Why limit it to the 50/5 package when the 30/5 package has the same amount of capacity with regards to using the Slingbox?

Because the 50/5 package cost more (and has fewer potential customers). Since it is a trial run in NY, it makes sense to limit it.

bdfox18doe

08-31-11, 05:16 PM

Because the 50/5 package cost more (and has fewer potential customers). .

Doesn't cost TWC more..as it is the same equipment..the increased cost is only to the customer..

rrainwater

08-31-11, 05:45 PM

Doesn't cost TWC more..as it is the same equipment..the increased cost is only to the customer..

Exactly. Why would they offer incentives to go after the lower tiered package? It makes sense they would want new customers signing up for the more expensive one if they want a Slingbox.

ke4pym

09-01-11, 02:56 PM

Exactly. Why would they offer incentives to go after the lower tiered package? It makes sense they would want new customers signing up for the more expensive one if they want a Slingbox.

Slingbox needs upstream bandwidth. The 30 and 50 down packages both have the same 5 meg up. So why would I want an extra 20 down when I need up for the Sling?

I could see if the 30 meg package was, say, 1 or 2 up. Or some such.

rrainwater

09-01-11, 03:23 PM

Slingbox needs upstream bandwidth. The 30 and 50 down packages both have the same 5 meg up. So why would I want an extra 20 down when I need up for the Sling?

I could see if the 30 meg package was, say, 1 or 2 up. Or some such.

The point is they are only offering it for the most expensive package to entice users to go with that package. Of course it will not make a difference when streaming outside the network since the upload speed is the same. I never said you needed the most expensive package. I'm just offering up why TW only offers it on that way. My guess is a lot more people are on the 30/5 package anyways so it would probably cost them a lot more to give Slingboxes to those people.

sccofer

09-02-11, 09:50 AM

Doesn't cost TWC more..as it is the same equipment..the increased cost is only to the customer..

There are definitely incremental costs to TWC between the two. If your entire neighborhood signed up for the 50/5 service TWC would need to do somethings so service didn't suffer....

bdfox18doe

09-02-11, 04:05 PM

There are definitely incremental costs to TWC between the two. If your entire neighborhood signed up for the 50/5 service TWC would need to do somethings so service didn't suffer....

Your assuming they actually WOULD? Tho I happen to know I am one of the few on my node..Since I have access to someone who knows what is in use.:cool:

ybsane

09-02-11, 07:09 PM

There are definitely incremental costs to TWC between the two. If your entire neighborhood signed up for the 50/5 service TWC would need to do somethings so service didn't suffer....

Not all, plenty of practice on Utillization issues with the UNCC Campus. 150 home neighborhood is easy...:)

Rob

chuckf1

09-15-11, 05:34 PM

This from TWC:

NY1 is now available on Digital Broadcast channel 115 and HD channel 1115.

And we in Charlotte, care about New York City news, why? :rolleyes:

e137811

09-15-11, 06:50 PM

If I had to guess it was put on all TWC areas for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It will probably be gone shortly.

kevin120

09-16-11, 04:58 AM

If I had to guess it was put on all TWC areas for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It will probably be gone shortly.

not likely to be removed looks to be permanent as Bright house a sister company to TWC added it to their Florida systems and it was a permanent add for them.

jcalabria

09-16-11, 08:32 AM

Whether temporary or permanent, I appreciate having it... but I cannot fathom why, it being a news channel, it was placed in the 1100's and not the 1400 block of news channels. Why have a newly minted theme-based channel lineup and then muck it up? Knuckleheads!

Bookworm

09-17-11, 04:36 PM

I hate the fact that it makes it so that I can't see the ABC, CBS and NBC channels at the same time in the guide. I also agree that it belongs in the news block.

ybsane

09-17-11, 05:42 PM

I hate the fact that it makes it so that I can't see the ABC, CBS and NBC channels at the same time in the guide. I also agree that it belongs in the news block.

We could get a dozen or so people off this Forum and sit in a round table discussion over the guide and channel line up. The end result would be 99.9% of the customer's would be extremely happy, instead there is 99% of the customers not happy with the current set up go figure...:rolleyes:

Rob

rcase13

09-18-11, 02:44 PM

Make it the same as the Sat companies and 100% would be happy because they let you configure it the way you want.

At the very least let me hide all standard resolution channels that have a corresponding HD channel.

rdgcss

09-18-11, 05:03 PM

gjlp

09-21-11, 01:41 PM

Hooray... lots of channel changes (including additions). Finally getting The Weather Channel HD. Now if only Time Warner would provide a way to manage all these channels :(

NY1 is now available on Digital Broadcast channel 115 and HD channel 1115.

On or about September 19th, American Life TV will change to Youtoo.

On or about September 26th, History International will change to H2. Also on this date, WBTV (Bounce TV) will replace This TV.

On or about October 4th, HD Theater will change to Velocity.

On or about October 5th, ESPN News, ESPN News HD and CNN en Espanol will be added to the Business Class News Tier.

On or about October 13th, Events On Demand Channels 796 and 1020 and International Movies On Demand Channels 896 and 1017 will no longer be available as standalone channels and its programming will move to Movies On Demand Channels 600,1000, and 1600.

On or about October 13th, Movies On Demand Thrillers Channels 606 and 1012 will no longer be available as a standalone channel and its programming will move to Movies On Demand Hits Channels 604 and 1010.

On or about October 13th, Movies On Demand Previews channel 603 will no longer be available.

On or about October 27th, HD Movies On Demand Channel 1001 will no longer be available as a standalone channel and its programming will move to Movies On Demand channels 600, 1000 and 1600.

On or about October 27th, Movie Pass HD On Demand channel 1027 will no longer be available as a standalone channel and its programming will move to Movie Pass On Demand channels 650, 1026 and 1650.

On or about November 3rd, HD Showcase On Demand channels 1046 and 1339 will no longer be available as standalone channels and its programming will move to various On Demand channels. Also on this date, Primetime HD On Demand channel 1041 will no longer be available as a standalone channel and its programming will move to Primetime On Demand channels 195, 1040 and 1195. Kids Pre-School On Demand channels 231 and 1056 will no longer be available as a standalone channel and its programming will move to Kids On Demand channels 230 and 1057. Cutting Edge On Demand channels 341 and 1053 will no longer be available as standalone channels and its programming will move to Entertainment On Demand channels 340 and 1050.

On or about November 3rd, Big Ten Network On Demand channels 549, 1073 and 1549 will change to Sports Pass On Demand. Also on this date, Big Ten Network HD On Demand channel 1074 will no longer be available as a standalone channel and its programming will move to Sports Pass On Demand channels 549, 1073 and 1549. Showtime HD on Demand channel 1035 will no longer be available as a standalone channel and its programming will move to Showtime On Demand channels 762, 1034 and 1762. Nature & Knowledge On Demand will move from channel 425 to channel 276.

On or about November 3rd, The Weather Channel HD will be added to Basic Cable on channel 1418. Also on this date, the following channels will be added to the Digital Tier: G4 HD channel 1311, Cooking Channel HD channel 1353 and DIY HD channel 1356.

On or about November 3rd, FEARnet HD will be added to Movie Pass on channel 1644 and FEARnet HD On Demand programming will be added to Movie Pass On Demand channels 650, 1026 and 1650.

On or about November 3rd, HBO HD On Demand programming will be added to HBO On Demand channels 760, 1030 and 1760.

stannc

09-30-11, 10:00 PM

More on demand cleanup, I guess. Do these channels take up more bandwidth if they're spread out on their own channel numbers? If that's the case, I don't understand the reason for duplicating the on demand channels in the in the 3-digit range, the 10xx range, AND the 1+3-digit range.

blackcap93

10-06-11, 03:33 PM

A nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System will be conducted at 2:00pm Eastern Time on November 9, 2011, which will interrupt all broadcast, satellite and cable TV programming for a period of at least 2 minutes to around 3 minutes.

http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/emergency-alert-system-nationwide-test

ke4pym

10-06-11, 03:58 PM

Grateful11

10-11-11, 12:12 AM

They're doing a CableCARD Firmware Upgrade right now. Tunedrfreq : 555000Khz Blocks (508)

I have SA 8300 HD box and I don't have a Cable Card that I know of unless inside the box.

Well it's finished and rebooting the box.

Grateful11

10-11-11, 12:16 AM

Is anyone else having trouble with the volume going up and down randomly on on CBS HD?

jcalabria

10-11-11, 07:34 AM

stannc

10-11-11, 01:48 PM

It looks like we're having a fire drill on channels 76-78. While the destination channels were removed from analog (23 ShopNBC, 62 Oxygen, and 71 CSPAN2 in Charlotte), they're still in those spots on the digital boxes.

On or about November 10th, the following channel changes will occur:

In Albemarle, Gastonia, Concord, Salisbury and Shelby, Hallmark Channel will move from channel 76 to channel 62.

In Charlotte, Clover, Monroe, Rockingham and Wadesboro, Hallmark Channel will move from channel 76 to channel 23.

In Charlotte and Monroe, EWTN will move from channel 77 to channel 62.

In Rockingham and Wadesboro, TBN will move from channel 77 to channel 62.

In Albemarle, Charlotte, Gastonia, Concord, Rockingham, Salisbury and Wadesboro, INSP will move from channel 78 to channel 71.

In Clover, INSP will move from channel 78 to channel 62.

In Monroe, TBN will move from channel 78 to channel 71.

In Mooresville, Huntersville and Statesville, Bravo will move from channel 76 to channel 33, The Golf Channel will move from channel 77 to channel 71 and Versus will move from channel 78 to channel 72.

jcalabria

10-11-11, 02:30 PM

kevin120

10-11-11, 04:30 PM

It would seem that the moves are intended to consolidate the QAM carriers that currently are scattered across 23, 62 & 71 at 76-77-78 so that they are contiguous with the balance of the digital carriers currently at 79 and up.

I wonder if TWC is planning on moving things around in the systems in your area to free up more space for more SDV QAMs?

TWC recently moved a lot of channels to SDV 148 SD channels to exact and they added 8 more SDV QAMs for a total of 24 SDV QAMs here where I live

these were added to SDV in North Texas:

687MHz
693MHz
699MHz
705MHz
711MHz
717MHz
723MHz
729MHz

Also we already had these for SDV:

735MHz
741MHz
747MHz
753MHz
759MHz
765MHz
771MHz
777MHz
819MHz
825MHz
831MHz
837MHz
843MHz
849MHz
855MHz
861MHz

Hey jcalabria what are SDV frequencies in Charlotte and how many are there?

jcalabria

10-11-11, 04:41 PM

I wonder if TWC is planning on moving things around in the systems in your area to free up more space for more SDV QAMs?

TWC recently moved a lot of channels to SDV 148 SD channels to exact and they added 8 more SDV QAMs for a total of 24 SDV QAMs here where I live

these were added to SDV in North Texas:

687MHz
693MHz
699MHz
705MHz
711MHz
717MHz
723MHz
729MHz

Also we already had these for SDV:

735MHz
741MHz
747MHz
753MHz
759MHz
765MHz
771MHz
777MHz
819MHz
825MHz
831MHz
837MHz
843MHz
849MHz
855MHz
861MHz

Hey jcalabria what are SDV frequencies in Charlotte and how many are there?

It's been a while since I took inventory, but I do know that (OTA rebroadcasts aside) virtually 100% of our HDs and the vast majority of our SD channels are SDV. I actually stopped paying much attention to it because SDV has worked so well here that I really don't care much what is and isn't running on SDV.

bdfox18doe

10-11-11, 05:10 PM

Hey jcalabria what are SDV frequencies in Charlotte and how many are there?

Most of the TWC system hers tops out at 750mhz..ybsane needs to get on the ball and get that fixed..:)

rdgcss

10-11-11, 05:35 PM

ODN updated from 4.0.2_4 to 4.1.0_7 last night on my 8640.

4X FF & can delete shows on 2nd DVR from 1st DVR

jcalabria

10-11-11, 05:45 PM

4X FF & can delete shows on 2nd DVR from 1st DVR

Only the ritzy folks with Signature Home would know that. :D

stannc

10-11-11, 07:17 PM

4X FF & can delete shows on 2nd DVR from 1st DVR

So I wonder why my 4250 took a 30 minute outage for a "Cable Card download" last night. I didn't get much.

jrs

10-11-11, 07:58 PM

4X FF & can delete shows on 2nd DVR from 1st DVR

I just noticed the remote delete. FINALLY!:D

ybsane

10-12-11, 05:44 AM

kevin120

10-12-11, 02:11 PM

Channels 88 (609-Mhz) through Channel 112 ( 723-Mhz) are all SDV in Charlotte. 84-87 are Docsis downstreams. and clear QAM is scattered.
111-117 Mhz and also at 561/573/579 Mhz.

Currently the highest QAM is centered at 765 Mhz with no anticipation to go any higher at this time, looks more like a wait and see how Maine does with the all Digital sitch over and there could be a chance of that happening here in the future.

Rob

Well where I live in North Texas used to be 750MHz until 2008 when there was a module swap through out all of the motorola actives, amps, nodes, to 860MHz motorola line gear and they also added 1GHz Aurora networks NC4000 nodes for node splits there are a lot of these in place now where there was a motorola MB amp in place before 2008.

Our Clear QAMs are on:

111MHz
129MHz
243MHz
249MHz
567MHz
657MHz
663MHz
675MHz
681MHz

DOCSIS Carriers:
783MHz
789MHz
795MHz
801MHz

VOD carriers:
579MHz
585MHz
591MHz
597MHz

These are open:
85MHz No carrier present
93MHz No carrier present (might not be usable due to noise)
99MHz No carrier present (might not be usable due to noise)
105MHz No carrier present
135MHz Test bars
153MHz No carrier present
381MHz QAM present with nothing on it
447MHz QAM present with nothing on it
519MHz QAM present with nothing on it
603MHz QAM present with nothing on it
609MHz QAM present with nothing on it
621MHz No carrier present

this was gathered from my QAM tuner TV as it shows digital signals on:
381MHz
447MHz
519MHz
603MHz
609MHz

you wouldnt happen to know if charlotte is using the ARRIS D5 QAMs would you?

rrainwater

10-13-11, 08:31 PM

Currently the highest QAM is centered at 765 Mhz with no anticipation to go any higher at this time, looks more like a wait and see how Maine does with the all Digital sitch over and there could be a chance of that happening here in the future.

I wonder if SDV will be needed after going digital?

bdfox18doe

10-14-11, 06:31 AM

I wonder if SDV will be needed after going digital?

Well of course..how else will they fit all of the home shopping channels in? :D

rcase13

10-14-11, 11:08 AM

jcalabria

10-14-11, 11:27 AM

I'm surprised more people aren't talking about the awesome update we all just got. Delete shows from any box! Man I have been waiting on this one for a long time. And yes I know DirecTV has had this feature all along... x4 FFWD awesome!

Now we just need a true wide screen menu. Yes I know DirecTV has this as well...

Oh and a channel lineup that we can customize. And yes I know DirecTV has that too.

I think I covered everything concerning DirecTV so hopefully we can avoid a bunch of "DirecTV is better replies". :):D:)

I think the percentage of whole-house DVR customers is relatively low (although probably higher here than in the genpop), so that's likely why no comments on the remote delete capabilities.

4x FF is nice but I still haven't found the right combination of DVR compensation (user controlled amount of rollback after FF/REW operations was also added in this update) and relearning my own reactions to get just the right amount of rollback.

Another nice but not immediately obvious feature is that you can now rewind back into a recorded show after you hit the end and get the Save/Delete/Restart menu.

I also have not lost an audio stream or seen the box output the wrong format ever since the update, and it was occurring several times a day with 4.0.

Unfortunately, PQ (compression related) still sucks on too many (most) channels... DVR features won't fix that.

FYI - Areas of Central New York recently got a different update that added full keyword search (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=21056176#post21056176) to ODN.

Stacey Wood

10-15-11, 11:15 AM

I had to swap out my DVR due to a hard drive issue. I think I had a SA8300HD and I was given a SA8300HDC (used of course...sucks because my previous box was new when I got it).

I'm not liking the 8300HDC. It doesn't always respond to inputs from my remote, changes stations slowly, the guide is painfully slow to scroll through, etc.

Is this true for all 8300HDC's?

What are our choices for DVR's here in Charlotte?? Pro and con's of each?

Thanks.

stannc

10-16-11, 03:12 AM

JCalabria's most recent run down of boxes available from TWC CLT:

For non-whole-house installations, the Samsung 3090, Samsung 3270 or Cisco 8640 are the top dogs.

The Samsung 3090 seems to be scarce these days, but is probably the "king of the hill". Biggest downside if you can get one is that you run the risk of getting one with a 160GB HDD (they have been issued with both 160 and 320GB drives).
The Samsung 3270 comes only with 320GB drives and is just as fast as the 3090, but is somewhat de-contented (no PiP, no coax SPDIF out, no s-video out). The 3270 can also be a little more finicky about HDMI handshakes than any of the other models.
The Cisco 8640HDC is as full-featured as the 3090 but runs ODN 4 a bit more slowly than the Samsungs. It's faster than its predecessor 8240/8300HDC, but noticeably slower than the Samsungs for some operations, especially if you have a large number of series recordings set up. All 8640s have 320GB drives.

If you have multi-room DVR (i.e., Signature Home), the whole-house versions of the 3270 and 8640 are the 3272 and the 8642. These have 500GB drives and MoCA modems installed but are otherwise identical to the 3270 and 8640. I haven't heard of it happening here, but some systems around the country have been issuing 3272 or 8642 MoCA boxes for installations that do not have MR-DVR. Chief advantage in that case is the 500GB HDD. There is no multi-room version of the 3090 available.

Older generation boxes still out there include:

S-A/Cisco 8240/8300HDC - forerunner to the 8640... similar feature set but even slower. 160GB drives only. Silver spaceship styling. For all intents and purposes the 8240HDC and 8300HDC are identical. The 8240HDC lacks an analog tuner, which is not used here on the 8300HDC, either, because we have 100% digital simulcasts of the analog tier.
S-A/Cisco 8300HD - Even older version of the 8300HDC (looks nearly identical), but it runs a different version of Navigator (MDN, versus ODN on all of the other boxes) that is not as taxing on hardware, so it actually runs faster. 160GB drive only, but reliably supports external hard drives (all the other boxes are hit or mostly miss on external drive support).

ke4pym

10-16-11, 08:13 PM

4X FF & can delete shows on 2nd DVR from 1st DVR

About freakin' time. Only 14 months after they released whole home (and 12 months after I switched to DTv). Better late than never, I suppose. Can you add external storage yet?

rrainwater

10-17-11, 11:26 AM

Well of course..how else will they fit all of the home shopping channels in? :D

It seems like removing all analogs will provide plenty of bandwidth to not need SDV would it not?

bdfox18doe

10-17-11, 11:37 AM

It seems like removing all analogs will provide plenty of bandwidth to not need SDV would it not?

I take it you don't get sarcasm very well..:)

jcalabria

10-17-11, 11:41 AM

It seems like removing all analogs will provide plenty of bandwidth to not need SDV would it not?

It COULD be used that way, but why would they? Reclaimed bandwidth will most likely be used (or reserved) for new services that can add incremental revenue.

When properly executed there is not much downside to SDV from a customer's perspective. At least for me I really don't know (OK, I DO know, lol) or care (I really don't care because it's a completely invisible process to me) what is SDV vs linear. They are not going to go unencrypted, so what difference does SDV make? Gonna need a box either way.

The best we can likely hope for is a few channels being thrown into the pool to reduce both compression issues and SDV loading factors... an by far the compression-related PQ issues are a significantly larger problem than anything SDV related.

rdgcss

10-17-11, 05:31 PM

About freakin' time. Only 14 months after they released whole home (and 12 months after I switched to DTv). Better late than never, I suppose. Can you add external storage yet?

Don't need the extra storage. 2 500gb hard drives = a terabyte of storage

ke4pym

10-17-11, 07:15 PM

Don't need the extra storage. 2 500gb hard drives = a terabyte of storage

Psssshaw. Maybe you don't. :)

I've got 1 500GB DVR that sits around 80% full. All the time.

Now, the 2TB RAID 1 array on the other DVR? I can't seem to scratch it. Best I've done on it is 5%.

rcase13

10-17-11, 08:27 PM

Don't need the extra storage. 2 500gb hard drives = a terabyte of storage

I'm with you the 1TB is more than enough for me.

I have a media server for storing favorite movies. I want the flexibility to take it with me should the need arise. Keeping movies on the DVR just wasn't flexible enough for me. My media server is a laptop with HDMI out and a big hard drive that is backed up to a NAS. I can watch my videos anytime anywhere.

The only problem I have with this solution is the non clear QAM channels. I haven't figured out a way to deal with that.

ke4pym

10-18-11, 05:47 PM

I'm with you the 1TB is more than enough for me.

I have a media server for storing favorite movies. I want the flexibility to take it with me should the need arise. Keeping movies on the DVR just wasn't flexible enough for me. My media server is a laptop with HDMI out and a big hard drive that is backed up to a NAS. I can watch my videos anytime anywhere.

The only problem I have with this solution is the non clear QAM channels. I haven't figured out a way to deal with that.

Stop using your laptop as a media server and setup a proper PC so you can use a Ceton card! Then you'd be set (well, after you get a cable card and a pair of SDV adapters).

I use Plex media server for all things movies/music. It'll even transcode and stream to your i*/Droid device.

DTV's Nomad device looks interesting. But I'd rather see it have more Sling like functionality.

mfogarty5

10-21-11, 08:42 PM

I'm surprised more people aren't talking about the awesome update we all just got. Delete shows from any box! Man I have been waiting on this one for a long time. And yes I know DirecTV has had this feature all along... x4 FFWD awesome!

Yes, the delete shows from any box feature is great. In addition, the latest update fixed the latency issues that occured when pressing the remote for shows on the remote DVR.

There are two features I would like TWC to add. The first is folders for recorded shows or something like they already implemented when searching for a show. For example, if you search the guide for "College Football" there is one listing. Only once you hit the Select button do all the individual games appear.

The second is a widescreen guide, but at least the website provides a good substitute with its 3 hour guide.

Now pull those analogs and reduce the compression!

I must give TWC credit. They were the only provider in the country that had the Wake vs Virginia Tech football game on. It was broadcast on ESPN3 which is over the internet, but TWC showed the game on channel 519.

bdfox18doe

10-22-11, 07:36 AM

Now pull those analogs and reduce the compression!.

Rumor has it the first part will start happening soon..now whether the IT boys in Raleigh that watch tv on 19" PC monitors will use that to reduce the over- compression is another story...:mad:

ybsane

10-22-11, 08:23 AM

Rumor has it the first part will start happening soon..now whether the IT boys in Raleigh that watch tv on 19" PC monitors will use that to reduce the over- compression is another story...:mad:

Correct..The first part of it happens Nov.10 and than we will see the analogs slowly disappear from channel 75 on down a little at a time.

Rob

ke4pym

10-22-11, 08:32 AM

About time! The analogs will not be missed. Well, maybe by a few.

Now, if TWC will switch to MPEG4, turn the compression knob down to about 2, get a faster DVR with HD guide, internet access, ability to play on network DNLA content, add external storage and do my laundry at a preset time of the week, I might switch back! ;)

Oh, and "folderize" shows when you have more than one recorded... Or did that get fixed in this last update?

bdfox18doe

10-22-11, 08:36 AM

Now, if TWC will switch to MPEG4,

Already in place for a few select channels..:)

jcalabria

10-22-11, 08:56 AM

Already in place for a few select channels..:)

HD simulcasts of season pass sports packages. Need a newer MPEG 4 capable box (42xx/82xx/83xx will not work).

bdfox18doe

10-22-11, 09:06 AM

HD simulcasts of season pass sports packages. Need a newer MPEG 4 capable box (42xx/82xx/83xx will not work).

That's one way NOT to support Clear Qam's.. :D

ke4pym

10-22-11, 06:36 PM

Already in place for a few select channels..:)

Awesome! How's the PQ?

bdfox18doe

10-22-11, 07:15 PM

Awesome! How's the PQ?

Don't know don't have them..Ask Joe or ybsane (not)!:)

jcalabria

10-22-11, 07:28 PM

Don't know don't have them..Ask Joe or ybsane (not)!:)

Don't have them, either.

ybsane

10-22-11, 07:52 PM

Don't know don't have them..Ask Joe or ybsane (not)!:)

I have only got to look at hockey so far and in my opinion with the fast action of hockey you will notice artifacts right away. There is a big improvement, but can be better. This is through my Samsung 3272

Rob

clthoma2

10-24-11, 12:25 PM

ybsane

10-24-11, 12:37 PM

bdfox18doe

10-24-11, 12:58 PM

I have 2 TVs that I am using their built-in QAM / ATSC tuners to receive the HD locals that TWC offers. During the Panthers games and other FOX NFL games, I receive the stadium background audio (i.e. fans, qb calling plays at the line, etc.) but I don't get the audio from the announcers? Is this normal? I tested this on both TVs. Anyone know if the announcers audio is available with an OTA antenna?

Thanks,

CT

Sorry you are having an issue CT..FOX supplies audio that way for NFL games on the SAP (secondary audio program). This indicates you have the SAP audio selected in both TV's. Suggest consulting your owners manual for further instructions. For OTA, we set it up differently so this problem does not occur. TWC chooses NOT to carry the channel in the proper manner as we do for OTA despite our request for them to do so..therefore viewers like you have this issue at times. it will only get worse as the FCC has mandated most channels add SAP-DVS channel and support it.

jrs

11-01-11, 09:22 AM

It looks like the Weather Channel HD (1418) is working now. Since it is basic cable, will it be available on free QAM?

bdfox18doe

11-01-11, 02:07 PM

It looks like the Weather Channel HD (1418) is working now. Since it is basic cable, will it be available on free QAM?

I'm pretty sure it's a SDV channel..So no..:mad:

rrainwater

11-01-11, 03:40 PM

G4, Cooking, and DIY HD channels are live now as well.

Hiatt66

11-01-11, 06:39 PM

LOL...My TWC HD is showing the Tennis Channel. The info bar shows it's TWC HD. The other are mapped fine. Strange. This is in Goldsboro.

kevin120

11-01-11, 09:47 PM

Time Warner Cable’s agreements with programmers and broadcasters to carry their services and stations routinely expire from time to time. We are usually able to obtain renewals or extensions of such agreements, but in order to comply with applicable regulations, we must inform you when an agreement is about to expire. The following agreements are due to expire soon, and we may be required to cease carriage of one or more of these services/stations in the near future:

Encore, Encore Action, Encore Love, Encore Mystery, Encore Drama, Encore WAM, Encore Westerns, Starz!, Starz Cinema, Starz Comedy, Starz Edge, Starz HD, Starz InBlack, Starz Kids & Family, Starz On Demand, BBC America, BBC America HD, BBC On Demand, Erotic Networks, E!, Style, TruTV, TruTV HD, Zee TV, Bandamax, De Pelicula, De Pelicula Classico, Fuse, Fuse HD,Golf Channel,Golf Channel HD,Sprout, Encore HD, Youtoo, Starz Edge HD, Starz Kids and Family HD, Starz Comedy HD, NHL Center Ice, NHL Network, and NHL Network HD.

In addition, from time to time we make certain changes in the services that we offer in order to better serve our customers. The following changes are planned:

On or about November 3rd, Kids Pre-School On Demand channels 231 and 1056 will no longer be available as a standalone channel and its programming will move to Kids On Demand channels 230 and 1057. Cutting Edge On Demand channels 341 and 1053 will no longer be available as standalone channels and its programming will move to Entertainment On Demand channels 340 and 1050. Big Ten Network On Demand channels 549, 1073 and 1549 will change to Sports Pass On Demand. Nature & Knowledge On Demand will move from channel 425 to channel 276.

On or about November 3rd, The Weather Channel HD will be added to Basic Cable on channel 1418. Also on this date, the following channels will be added to the Digital Tier: G4 HD channel 1311, Cooking Channel HD channel 1353 and DIY HD channel 1356.

On or about November 3rd, FEARnet HD will be added to Movie Pass on channel 1644 and FEARnet HD On Demand programming will be added to Movie Pass On Demand channels 650, 1026 and 1650. On or about November 3rd, NHL Center Ice/MLB Extra Innings duplicated channels 569 and 1569 will move to channel 1555 and duplicated channels 570 and 1570 will move to channel 1556. Also on this date, NBA League Pass duplicated channels 581 and 1581 will move to channel 1571.

On or about November 10th, the following channel changes will occur: In Albemarle, Gastonia, Concord, Salisbury and Shelby, Hallmark Channel will move from channel 76 to channel 62. In Charlotte, Clover, Monroe, Rockingham and Wadesboro, Hallmark Channel will move from channel 76 to channel 23. In Charlotte and Monroe, EWTN will move from channel 77 to channel 62. In Rockingham and Wadesboro, TBN will move from channel 77 to channel 62. In Albemarle, Charlotte, Gastonia, Concord, Rockingham, Salisbury and Wadesboro, INSP will move from channel 78 to channel 71. In Clover, INSP will move from channel 78 to channel 62. In Monroe, TBN will move from channel 78 to channel 71. In Mooresville, Huntersville and Statesville, Bravo will move from channel 76 to channel 33, The Golf Channel will move from channel 77 to channel 71 and Versus will move from channel 78 to channel 72.

On or about November 17th, Discovery Fit & Health will move from channel 521 to channel 523.

On or about November 22nd, the following addition is planned for Basic Cable: Special Events on digital channels 521 and 522.

On or about December 1st, the following channel changes are planned: Pay-Per-View Preview channel 770 will no longer be available. Adult On Demand will move from channel 792 to channel 775. TEN will move from channel 785 to channel 789. SexSee will move from channel 786 to channel 790. Vavoom will move from channel 788 to channel 792. Outrageous On Demand will move from channel 798 to channel 799. Playboy will no longer be offered as a pay-per-view service on channel 780. Playboy, as a monthly premium subscription, will move from channel 782 to channel 780. Playboy en Espanol will available with a monthly subscription to Playboy on channel 781. Playboy On Demand will be available with a monthly subscription to Playboy on channel 782. Penthouse and Penthouse On Demand will be available with a monthly subscription to Penthouse on channels 783 and 784. TEN and TEN On Demand will be available with a monthly subscription to TEN on channels 785 and 786. REAL and REAL On Demand will be available with a monthly subscription to REAL on channels 787 and 788. Penthouse Pay-Per-View will be available on channel 791. In the Huntersville, Mooresville and Statesville lineups, Club Jenna channel 789 and Fresh channel 791 will no longer be available.

On or about December 7th, the following additions are planned for the Digital Tier: TV Guide Nework channel 331, Gospel Music Channel HD ch 1283, GSN HD channel 1317, Ovation HD channel 1326, Style HD channel 1357, Fox Soccer Channel HD ch 1511 and Sundance HD channel 1628 (will also be available with Movie Pass).

The new services listed below cannot be accessed on CableCARD-equipped Unidirectional Digital Cable Products purchased at retail without additional, two-way capable equipment:

The Weather Channel HD, G4 HD, Cooking Channel HD, DIY HD, FEARnet HD, Special Event channels, Playboy On Demand, Playboy en Espanol, Penthouse, Penthouse On Demand, TEN, TEN On Demand, REAL, REAL On Demand, Penthouse Pay-Per-View, TV Guide Network, Gospel Music Channel HD, GSN HD, Ovation HD, Style HD, Fox Soccer Channel HD, Sundance HD.

HDOrlando

11-01-11, 10:36 PM

I'm happy you guys are getting Weather Channel HD and Sundance HD.

Wish we with BHN Orlando got them in our notice yesterday.

bdfox18doe

11-08-11, 08:57 AM

Just got a 4640HDC box..emailed TWC first thing this am and the box was here before 10am. Anyone have experience with this one?

jcalabria

11-08-11, 09:54 AM

Just got a 4640HDC box..emailed TWC first thing this am and the box was here before 10am. Anyone have experience with this one?

That's the non-DVR version of the 8640HDC I've had for some time now. The only issue I've had with the 8640 (ever since ODN 4.0 was launched, and continuing now with 4.1 - it never occurred with ODN 3.2) is that occasionally the Dolby Digital output stream quits when the input stream is interrupted - as in a channel change or DVR operation (not an issue with the 4640). It is easily fixed by changing channels again or hitting Pause/Play to re-sync the stream. This has not been a widespread issue but has been reported by others besides me.

The 4640 should definitely be better/faster than its predecessor, the 4250HDC. The main current-model alternative to the 4640 would be the Samsung 3260, which is faster in menu navigation and such but has a pretty flaky HDCP implementation.

jcalabria

11-16-11, 07:31 AM

Woke up to all four boxes updated from 4.1.0_7 to 5.0.0_6. No discernible differences on the face of things.

Only update issue was that the 8640 did not re-establish connection to the SDV server after the update (confirmed in diagnostics) and needed to be rebooted, after which the connection to the SDV server was restored almost instantly. Before I rebooted, most SDV channels (which is just about all of them here) were off-line except those in the carousel, despite having been running post-update for almost three hours. The two 3260s and the 4250 had updated and reconnected to SDV server with no issues.

jcalabria

11-16-11, 09:06 AM

Bob's sense of humor at work???

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d142/jcalabria/Capture.jpg

(The <10 Mbps bitrate needs a much more sarcastic comment!)

bdfox18doe

11-16-11, 11:36 AM

:D Ha!..someone finally noticed it! Tho I have been complaining quite often and loudly about the rate and PQ for some time now. Especially since they have ~5 mb of null stuffing being wasted.

That also allows me to know whether they are on the fiber feed or the antenna...:)

bdfox18doe

11-16-11, 11:48 AM

Woke up to all four boxes updated .

I noticed a video input alarm on my QAM modulator this am is how I knew something had changed. Mine came back with no video only audio on Nooz14,
and had power it off/on to restore.

rdgcss

11-16-11, 06:46 PM

stannc

11-16-11, 09:39 PM

When I turned on the bedroom 8642 this morning it came up on channel 1, always a sign that something was updated.

The more recent channel guides look like they're trying to quietly re-map Channel 1 to Channel 100.

jmccurrytech

11-17-11, 12:40 AM

Just switched from Dish Network back to TWC, hadn't planned on keeping cable for anything but Internet, but they offered me that WinBack promo to switch from Dish. I got Triple play plus HD DVR and HD Box for $79.99 a month for 2 years. I upgraded to Road Runner Extreme for $20 extra, so my total is $99.99/month. They even waived all installation fees, couldn't pass that up! Been a while since I've had TWC, but the compression is up and the boxes are still slow. But I love my 30Mbps internet :D They had to come to my house twice, the first time they didn't have enough fittings, but they were 2hrs late both times so I got two $20 On Time Guarantee credits.

rcase13

11-17-11, 08:03 PM

jmccurrytech

11-17-11, 08:07 PM

How long were you on Dish? I am paying $225 and in this economy I can't justify it. Just wondering how long I would have to be on Dish before I could qualify for the WinBack?

I'm doing 2 year flip flops between Dish, DirecTV and TWC. Also, my bill generated today, they actually got it right! I was so worried about them fudging it up. By the looks of the way they billed it you could have just one box on the deal for $67.71, but I don't know how that works, I'm happy with the deal I got.

MONTHLY CHARGES
11/30-12/29 Digital Cable, Road Runner and Digital Home Phone Unlimited
Nationwide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67.71
Includes unlimited local and long distance calling within
the United States, and U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
11/30-12/29 Digital Cable (1 additional TVs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.35
11/30-12/29 DVR Service (1 TVs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.93
11/30-12/29 Movie Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.95
11/30-12/29 Sports Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.95
11/30-12/29 RR Extreme 30x5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.00
$109.89

rcase13

11-18-11, 06:47 AM

I think my neighbor does this switch as well. It seems like I see a different vendor in his drive way everyday.

My wife would never let us go back to Sat so I am stuck with cable.

Right now we only have one problem. Our recordings end about 1 to 2 minutes early. If I tell it to record over by 5 minutes it causes a conflict if the next hour has both tuners tied up. What can we do to fix this? We end up watching the end of shows at the start of another show. If nothing is recording in the next hour we miss the last few minutes of a favorite show.

Grateful11

11-22-11, 12:16 AM

What happened to HBO HD On Demand?

ke4pym

11-28-11, 08:32 PM

http://www.multichannel.com/article/477203-NCTA_to_FCC_Let_All_Digital_MSOs_Encrypt_Basic_Tier.php

jmccurrytech

11-28-11, 08:51 PM

On or about December 7th, the following additions are planned for the Digital Tier: TV Guide Network ch 331, Ovation HD ch 1326, Style HD ch 1357, Fox Soccer Channel HD ch 1511 and Sundance HD ch 1628 (will also be available with Movie Pass).

Game Show Network HD and Gospel Music Channel HD have been omitted

kevin120

11-29-11, 12:00 AM

Gedd

11-29-11, 08:07 AM

http://www.multichannel.com/article/477203-NCTA_to_FCC_Let_All_Digital_MSOs_Encrypt_Basic_Tier.php

So Clear QAM would be gone and everyone would need a set-top box? If that's the case, it might just be the final straw that makes me cancel my cable service completely and invest in a good antenna.

jcalabria

11-29-11, 08:54 AM

So Clear QAM would be gone and everyone would need a set-top box? If that's the case, it might just be the final straw that makes me cancel my cable service completely and invest in a good antenna.

There essentially is no ClearQAM now except for broadcast channels - that is unlikely to change. It's the analogs that would be gone.

I do, however, agree with your conclusion... forcing STBs for secondary outlets will negate one of the competitive advantages cable has historically held over other multichannel providers. With that edge gone, it's sure not the picture quality that will keep subs in the cable fold, at least not what it's degraded to here in Charlotte over the past 9 months or so.

Every day it seems to get easier and easier for me to realistically consider jumping to DirecTV after having Vision Cable/TWC service since 1977. The biggest obstacle is no longer TV-related... it's high-speed internet service... and I think TWC is aware of that "edge" and is counting on it.

ke4pym

11-29-11, 11:22 AM

There essentially is no ClearQAM now except for broadcast channels - that is unlikely to change. It's the analogs that would be gone.

I do, however, agree with your conclusion... forcing STBs for secondary outlets will negate one of the competitive advantages cable has historically held over other multichannel providers. With that edge gone, it's sure not the picture quality that will keep subs in the cable fold, at least not what it's degraded to here in Charlotte over the past 9 months or so.

Every day it seems to get easier and easier for me to realistically consider jumping to DirecTV after having Vision Cable/TWC service since 1977. The biggest obstacle is no longer TV-related... it's high-speed internet service... and I think TWC is aware of that "edge" and is counting on it.

Has the PQ really gotten that bad?

As far as TWC counting on HSD to save their hides, I think, by the numbers, they see people leaving video and keeping internet. I'd have to go pull the numbers, but the last report I saw on Broadbandreports.com was that it is pretty obvious what some people are doing now.

Until such time as the cable operators in general give up on analog, increase their plants to +1GHz, kill SDV, and embrace MPEG4 things won't get better. But they won't do those things. Because it costs too much money. Well, except for perhaps getting rid of analog. That'll save them money.

jcalabria

11-29-11, 01:50 PM

Has the PQ really gotten that bad?

As far as TWC counting on HSD to save their hides, I think, by the numbers, they see people leaving video and keeping internet. I'd have to go pull the numbers, but the last report I saw on Broadbandreports.com was that it is pretty obvious what some people are doing now.

Until such time as the cable operators in general give up on analog, increase their plants to +1GHz, kill SDV, and embrace MPEG4 things won't get better. But they won't do those things. Because it costs too much money. Well, except for perhaps getting rid of analog. That'll save them money.

It is as far as I'm concerned... but I may be more sensitive/critical than the average customer is. I know this because I will make note of things I see and other folks I'm with will not have noticed them previously (but do see them once I point them out).

By far, WTVI is the worst (as bad or worse than WBTV was earlier this year before they fixed it), but WCCB, Showtime, WSOC, Discovery and a few others are particularly bad. I see artifacts on virtually every camera pan or scene cut - hell, even fades to black block up much of the time. On WTVI and WCCB (worse on WTVI), I can see relatively static shots start to block up until the next full frame is transmitted... ends up looking like the picture is pulsing. I see it on all of my TVs, with or without STBs, and I see it at friends houses throughout Charlotte. I have good signal level and S/N, and bit error counts as reported in the STB diagnostics are virtually always zero. It is bit-starvation introduced at the headend, pure and simple... and it was not happening to anywhere near this extent prior to the beginning of this year.

I still record my full complement of series as a backup, but I watch what I can "On-Demand" because the compression artifacts are better there than it is on the regular channel. Hell... Hulu+ 720P streaming has less compression artifacts than the above channels have.

Regarding your comment about killing SDV... SDV has no direct effect on PQ - bit rate allocations and clamping points can be set for those just as they can on a linear channel. All else being equal, SDV should, in fact, help PQ because even the low bit-rate allocations we have now would not be possible if all channels were running concurrently. For sure SDV can introduce command and control issues (which I, for one, virtually never see), but whether a channel is delivered on a linear or switched basis has no direct connection to PQ.

bdfox18doe

11-29-11, 01:53 PM

It is as far as I'm concerned... but WCCB, Showtime, WSOC, Discovery and a few others are particularly bad. .

I have complained quite often and loudly about the quality on WCCB on TWC..tho it has gotten better of late..it still is NOT where I think it should be.

Also.. be advised..performing software and firmware updates in our +60 encoders and +20 multiplexors for our 7 stations that are controlled out of here in the next few days..so you may see a disruption or two with WCCB..

ybsane

11-29-11, 04:23 PM

It is as far as I'm concerned... but I may be more sensitive/critical than the average customer is. I know this because I will make note of things I see and other folks I'm with will not have noticed them previously (but do see them once I point them out).

By far, WTVI is the worst (as bad or worse than WBTV was earlier this year before they fixed it), but WCCB, Showtime, WSOC, Discovery and a few others are particularly bad. I see artifacts on virtually every camera pan or scene cut - hell, even fades to black block up much of the time. On WTVI and WCCB (worse on WTVI), I can see relatively static shots start to block up until the next full frame is transmitted... ends up looking like the picture is pulsing. I see it on all of my TVs, with or without STBs, and I see it at friends houses throughout Charlotte. I have good signal level and S/N, and bit error counts as reported in the STB diagnostics are virtually always zero. It is bit-starvation introduced at the headend, pure and simple... and it was not happening to anywhere near this extent prior to the beginning of this year.

I still record my full complement of series as a backup, but I watch what I can "On-Demand" because the compression artifacts are better there than it is on the regular channel. Hell... Hulu+ 720P streaming has less compression artifacts than the above channels have.

Regarding your comment about killing SDV... SDV has no direct effect on PQ - bit rate allocations and clamping points can be set for those just as they can on a linear channel. All else being equal, SDV should, in fact, help PQ because even the low bit-rate allocations we have now would not be possible if all channels were running concurrently. For sure SDV can introduce command and control issues (which I, for one, virtually never see), but whether a channel is delivered on a linear or switched basis has no direct connection to PQ.

In regard to SDV I will respond to yes and no in regard to picture quality. Let's talk some basic math here. 90+ HDTV channels and 200+ SDTV channels into 20 SDV channels= a tuner count per sub of X amount service groups.

A DVR counts as 2-tuners and if you go on the low side of how many tuners in a service group, it could be acceptable in terms of picture quality. Go on the Accounting side of how tuners in a service group you can push to, not so good picture quality.

Also keep in mind that Edge QAM's cost $$ and that is how SDV is distributed. Depending on the manufacture and cost it will determine how a SDV service group is built in a Head-End/Hub site.

Everything in theory on this forum sounds good, until the math is layed out on paper it all falls apart with some simple calculations.

Rob

jcalabria

11-29-11, 05:09 PM

ybsane

11-29-11, 05:11 PM

Agree... but... bit rates assigned are still an operators choice to be made regardless of whether its SDV or not.

Not if the number of channels you put out exceeds your bandwidth...;)

bdfox18doe

11-29-11, 05:14 PM

Not if the number of channels you put out exceeds your bandwidth...;)

Then maybe it's time to take out all those Ch-7 traps and reclaim that 6 mhz being wasted.. :)

jmccurrytech

11-29-11, 06:21 PM

Then maybe it's time to take out all those Ch-7 traps and reclaim that 6 mhz being wasted.. :)

in Gaston County ours is channel 5

rdgcss

11-29-11, 08:25 PM

My biggest complaint with WCCB is overscan. I turn overscan off on my TV (primarily for BluRay). Since all my video sources are connected to my AVR, I have only 1 HDMI input to the TV. So I can't control it by input. Usually the overscan shows up on 4x3 commercials but lately it been showing on 16x9 non-commerials HD content.

stannc

11-29-11, 09:47 PM

What happened to HBO HD On Demand?

They're allocating that bandwidth to "Manhandle on Demand". :eek:

stannc

12-04-11, 01:41 AM

Service From To
Broadcast Cable........................$ 14.86................$ 16.15
Cable Programming Tier .............$ 49.13................$ 52.34
Basic Cable..............................$ 63.99................$ 68.49
Basic Cable when bundled with Road Runner Broadband and/or
Digital Home Phone Unlimited Nationwide .......$ 63.99................$ 67.99
Digital Cable includes Basic Cable, Digital Tier,
digital equipment and Navigator interactive guide...$ 80.99................$ 85.49
Digital Cable when bundled with Road Runner Broadband and/or
Digital Home Phone Unlimited Nationwide ......$ 77.99................$ 82.49
Nuestra Tele Package includes Broadcast Cable
digital equipment and Nuestra Tele tier ........$ 26.95................$ 28.95
El Paquetazo Package includes Broadcast Cable
digital equipment, Nuestra Tele tier and El Paquetazo tier...$ 39.95................$ 41.95
Digital box ..............................................$ 6.84...............$ 6.46
Digital remote ..........................................$ .34................$ .36
Cable Card ..............................................$ 2.50...............$ 2.00
Navigator interactive guide.........................$ 4.66................$ 5.52
DVR Service, per outlet..............................$ 11.95..............$ 12.95
Road Runner Broadband, bundled with Broadcast Cable or Basic Cable .......................$ 52.95................$ 55.95
Road Runner Broadband, bundled with Digital Cable.....................................................$ 47.95................$ 50.45
Earthlink, bundled with Broadcast Cable or Basic Cable.................................................$ 52.95................$ 55.95
Earthlink, bundled with Digital Cable.........$ 47.95................$ 50.45
Private Listing......................................$ 3.29................$ 3.50
* All services not available in all areas
that will be in effect with the
7606 0000 NO DO 02 12022011 0006127 004

kevin120

12-04-11, 10:11 PM

In regard to SDV I will respond to yes and no in regard to picture quality. Let's talk some basic math here. 90+ HDTV channels and 200+ SDTV channels into 20 SDV channels= a tuner count per sub of X amount service groups.

A DVR counts as 2-tuners and if you go on the low side of how many tuners in a service group, it could be acceptable in terms of picture quality. Go on the Accounting side of how tuners in a service group you can push to, not so good picture quality.

Also keep in mind that Edge QAM's cost $$ and that is how SDV is distributed. Depending on the manufacture and cost it will determine how a SDV service group is built in a Head-End/Hub site.

Everything in theory on this forum sounds good, until the math is layed out on paper it all falls apart with some simple calculations.

Rob

Also doesn't cable plant design factor into how the SDV service groups go such as when was the system upgraded to 750MHz/860MHz and how many amps you have after the node such as node+2 or node+6 also does the amount of QAM space go into how many SDV QAMs there are going to be for instance in my TWC system they recently (in october) have added another 8 SDV QAMs to the 16 SDV QAMs that were activated when SDV launched. Here they rebuilt the system from 750MHz to 860MHz in 2008 which means were likely node+2 or node+3. I do know that there a lot NC4000SG Aurora 1GHz nodes deployed here where motorola amps used to be in addition to a lot of SG2000 860MHz motorola nodes.

We have 2 continuous groups for SDV QAMs:
687MHz
693MHz
699MHz
705MHz
711MHz
717MHz
723MHz
729MHz
735MHz
741MHz
747MHz
753MHz
759MHz
765MHz
771MHz
777MHz

819MHz
825MHz
831MHz
837MHz
843MHz
849MHz
855MHz
861MHz

We got these wednesday:
Hub HD
E! HD
Style HD
OWN HD
Oxygen HD
Showtime Extreme HD
Showtime Beyond HD
Showtime Next HD
Showtime Women HD
TMC Xtra HD
ThrillerMax HD
MoreMax HD

Still to come likely before the end of the year:
Sportsman Channel HD
Ovation HD
Reelz Channel HD
Bloomberg HD
Fox Deportes HD
Halogen HD
IFC HD
GSN HD
Game 2 HD

TWC North Texas right now has 125 HD channels and will have 134 HD channels when the above mentioned channels are added.

also SDV does not mean infinite channel adds. there is probrably a limit as to how many channels can be switched and not have have a tuning failure before there has to be more channels moved into the SDV pool to dedicate more QAMs to SDV and this probrably varies by market.

archiguy

12-09-11, 10:32 AM

TWC here in Charlotte pushed an MDN update out a few days ago. At first, it looked pretty innocuous - some cosmetic changes to the delete/save banner. Then I noticed the biggie:

1 hour buffers on the two tuners have been cut in half to 30 minutes. :eek:

We've been gradually losing DVR functionality over the years. The buffers used to honor a pause if you swapped between them. That was sweet - you could watch 2 programs essentially at once. When one of them went to commercial, you could hit pause, then switch to the other tuner and watch that channel until it went to commercial. You could then swap back to the first one and it would still be paused at the point you left, enabling you to pick up from that point. You could then swap back and forth at will. Now the buffers reset every time you change channels or swap tuners. That was bad enough.

Then they mirrored the "jump-back" feature on the FF button, where it actually is useful, to the REW button causing it to "jump-forward", which usually necessitates another couple of button presses to get back to the point you're trying to rewind to. People don't use a DVR that way and indeed, no other provider's DVR works that way. Many of us have complained about that for years, yet they continue to link FF and REW in this inconvenient manner.

But this is far worse. Cutting the buffers in half? Why?? My SA8300HD worked fine with an hour buffer. I can see no advantage to TWC for reducing its functionality in this manner.

I was surprised to pop in here this morning and not see any mention of this. Has anyone else noticed it? Did they cripple the ODN platform's buffers as well?

jmccurrytech

12-09-11, 08:18 PM

The buffer thing does suck, but this version is a LOT faster. I can actually put in a channel number and it's almost instant.

rrainwater

12-11-11, 08:16 PM

Then they mirrored the "jump-back" feature on the FF button, where it actually is useful, to the REW button causing it to "jump-forward", which usually necessitates another couple of button presses to get back to the point you're trying to rewind to. People don't use a DVR that way and indeed, no other provider's DVR works that way.

TiVo's have done this since the inception of the company. It is due to a the reflex time of users hitting the button so it auto corrects. It makes perfect sense to me and i can't imagine using a DVR that doesn't (I wouldn't touch a TW DVR with a ten foot pole so I can't comment on how much it adjusts).

naz4viper

12-13-11, 09:54 AM

jcalabria

12-13-11, 10:25 AM

hi Charlotte TWC folks :)

I'm looking to start service with TWC cable (internet + TV) sometime in near future, but I dont want to spend any more then is absolutely necessary ;)

my tv is the Samsung PN50B650 50" plasma which apparently has built in Clear QAM digital tuner. I dont think my TV is CableCard compatible.

My question is this:
-what service do I need to ask for in order to utilize my TV's tuner instead of paying an additional $11/month for HD/Digital set-top box ? If I can utilize my TV tuner and pick up most (if not all) my channels in HD that I would normally get from the set-top, i would much rather go this route and save the money. I dont mind losing features like on-screen guide or Start Over, etc..

- what are other down sides to using built in QAM tuner instead of set-top box?

Thanks!!

You will only get the local broadcast stations (main and most subchannels) in clear QAM. A few other SD channels are consistently available, such as the local TWC news channel. There are no clear QAM HD cable services at all. Virtually all cable services are both encrypted and SDV (switched digital video - services are carried only when someone is actually watching and physical channel cab vary from session to session).

For more or less "full service", the only real alternative to renting a box from TWC is to rent a cable card from them and plug it into a third party cable card tuner that is compatible with SDV, such as units available from Ceton or SiliconDust. The necessary SDV tuning adapters are "free" from TWC.

rdgcss

12-13-11, 06:09 PM

hi Charlotte TWC folks :)

I'm looking to start service with TWC cable (internet + TV) sometime in near future, but I dont want to spend any more then is absolutely necessary ;)

my tv is the Samsung PN50B650 50" plasma which apparently has built in Clear QAM digital tuner. I dont think my TV is CableCard compatible.

My question is this:
-what service do I need to ask for in order to utilize my TV's tuner instead of paying an additional $11/month for HD/Digital set-top box ? If I can utilize my TV tuner and pick up most (if not all) my channels in HD that I would normally get from the set-top, i would much rather go this route and save the money. I dont mind losing features like on-screen guide or Start Over, etc..

- what are other down sides to using built in QAM tuner instead of set-top box?

Thanks!!

With any of the TV sevices from the lowest to highest you can get the local OTA HD channels (those that you can get with an antenna). Everything else will be analog SD. The other Digital & HD stuff will be encrypted. If all you want is HD, save some money & get an antenna, Samsung TV's have good ATSC tunners.

stannc

12-16-11, 01:59 AM

01/02/12: Versus 74, 514, 1514 rebrands to NBC Sports Network

01/04/12: Manhandle 797, Manhandle on Demand 798

01/18/12:

HD Movies on Demand 1001 moves to Movies On Demand 600, 1000, 1600
HD Movie Pass on Demand 1027 moves to Movie Pass On Demand 650, 1026, 1650
Primetime HD On Demand 1041 moves to Primetime On Demand 195, 1040, 1195
Showtime HD On Demand 1035 moves to Showtime On Demand 762, 1034, 1762.
Big Ten Network HD On Demand 1074 moves to Sports Pass On Demand 549, 1073, 1549
HBO HD On Demand content will be added to HBO On Demand channels 760, 1030, 1760.

01/30/12:

Music Choice On Demand 481 and 1066 will become MC On Demand
The following addition is planned: 3D Pay-Per-View Channel

02/01/12:
Hustler TV channel 778, Hustler HD channel 1778 and Hustler On Demand.

archiguy

12-27-11, 10:56 AM

Posted about this issue a few weeks back and nobody really addressed it. To reiterate:

I'm using an SA8300HD DVR running MDN software. They pushed out an update about 3 weeks back that cut my buffer time from 1 hour back to 30 minutes. It's always been an hour, in every DVR TWC has ever offered. It's what God wants. In a word, this sucks. Has nobody else noticed it or am I the sole target of a diabolical TWC plot? Dang, I was only late on my bill once.

Another issue is that the box doesn't seem to be recording scheduled programming when it's turned off (i.e. in the "off" state but still powered on). Used to be, it didn't matter whether the box was "off" or "on" to record something. Nasty of them to spring that on us and ruin my chance to see Dr. Who's latest X-mas special after returning home from visiting my dear sweet Mom. She's got Cox Cable in Fairfax. Her DVR is running Passport, which TWC used to use in the good ol' days. I was so green with envy that I didn't eat any of her Special Holiday Fruitcake.

So, is this stuff a TWC Navigator thing, just an MDN thing (you ODN guys feel free to chime in anytime...), or an archiguy-only thing? I've already had to replace my last box that blew the HDMI board and lost 700GB of programming on the expansion drive, now this? Oh, the humanity.

jrs

01-11-12, 07:05 AM

cozilla

01-12-12, 08:46 AM

I have recently moved into a new home and got the whole home dvr package. When the guy came out to install he had to run a feed from the pole to the house. He also added two more outlets in the spare bedrooms. The main room which already had a jack is where the main DVR is. My complaint is that some of the HD channels are black or are high pixelated but the downstairs client box can view all the channels just fine. Also if I go to the non HD version of the same channel, I can view it just fine. What can be done for me to get those channels in the main room without having to get the run around from TWC? I have tried to reboot and sometimes that works but not usually.

Thanks,

Colin

jrs

01-12-12, 01:49 PM

What can be done for me to get those channels in the main room without having to get the run around from TWC? I have tried to reboot and sometimes that works but not usually.

Thanks,

Colin

I am a little confused- how many dvrs do you have? Is there one in each room that we are talking about? Is the multi-room working at all?

If you aren't getting a good picture, just call them, and they will at least check the signal.

This might sound dumb but make sure that the output resolutions are set right on the cable box (by "right", I mean something that the TV can handle)
EDIT- Also make sure that you are connected via component or hdmi :) when selecting HD channels

I had a problem VERY early on in my MRV, and I did something like this to isolate the problem:

Find a channel/show that looks good on one tv and bad on another, and record it on each. Then try playing back both locally and streamed, this might help you figure out if it is the LOCAl box that is the problem. This might give you something to show the TWC guy when he comes out, also.

My problem was specifically with USA-hd- it simply would NOT stream. They did fix that though ;)

Another thought would be to try swapping the boxes room-to-room, to see if the problems stay with the box, or with the jack.

cozilla

01-12-12, 02:02 PM

Find a channel/show that looks good on one tv and bad on another, and record it on each. Then try playing back both locally and streamed, this might help you figure out if it is the LOCAl box that is the problem. This might give you something to show the TWC guy when he comes out, also.

My problem was specifically with USA-hd- it simply would NOT stream. They did fix that though ;)

Another thought would be to try swapping the boxes room-to-room, to see if the problems stay with the box, or with the jack.

All the resolution and all is correctly set. Its funny because when I switch to say the Food NetworkHD it will be black. But when I hit to the Select button on the remote and select start over, I can watch the show just fine but its the recorded and not "live".

I called them when this initially happened and they sent a signal and did all that jazz and it worked fine. I flipped through a few channels with them on the phone, then as soon as I hang up, I flip to a channel its black.

I suppose Ill try and swap boxes out tonight and see what happens.

Thanks,

Colin

jrs

01-12-12, 02:18 PM

All the resolution and all is correctly set. Its funny because when I switch to say the Food NetworkHD it will be black. But when I hit to the Select button on the remote and select start over, I can watch the show just fine but its the recorded and not "live".

I called them when this initially happened and they sent a signal and did all that jazz and it worked fine. I flipped through a few channels with them on the phone, then as soon as I hang up, I flip to a channel its black.

I suppose Ill try and swap boxes out tonight and see what happens.

Thanks,

Colin

Not that this is a solution, but what happens if you just "jump" back a little bit, rather than starting over?

cozilla

01-12-12, 02:39 PM

Not that this is a solution, but what happens if you just "jump" back a little bit, rather than starting over?

Not sure will have to try that this evening when I get home from work. I will report back.

archiguy

01-12-12, 04:44 PM

I never noticed the buffer time on mine, and all three DVRs record when off (that is, except for when they get confused and just decide they don't want to record certain shows at all).

Checking the buffer time is real easy. After a channel - any channel - has been playing for an hour or more, hit "info" and see how much buffer you have recorded. Or, simply start backing up and see where it runs out - at the 30 minute mark or the 60 minute mark. It's been 60 minutes since they introduced DVR service, and cutting it in half is a big reduction in functionality for no decernable reason. Ditto the whole thing about not recording when in the "off" state. Why? I'm pretty pissed about it.

How do I know if I am running passport or MDN?

TWC no longer uses the excellent Passport software. A few years back they decided they could save money by bringing their DVR software development in house. Thus was born the demon spawn "Navigator". There are two versions of Navigator, ODN and MDN. They want to phase out MDN, so I'm wondering if this is another way of crippling that program to "persuade" their customers to move to another DVR running ODN.

If you have an SA8300HD (not HDC, mind you) you're running MDN. If so, you have the bonus of being able to add an external expansion drive via the eSATA port, thereby giving you virtually unlimited programming storage. Any other model of DVR, and it's running ODN. That version doesn't support expansion drives, and it's slower as well.

cozilla

01-12-12, 05:17 PM

Not that this is a solution, but what happens if you just "jump" back a little bit, rather than starting over?

When the channel is black, I cannot do anything. Rewind, jump back or anything.

rdgcss

01-12-12, 06:51 PM

Checking the buffer time is real easy. After a channel - any channel - has been playing for an hour or more, hit "info" and see how much buffer you have recorded. Or, simply start backing up and see where it runs out - at the 30 minute mark or the 60 minute mark. It's been 60 minutes since they introduced DVR service, and cutting it in half is a big reduction in functionality for no decernable reason. Ditto the whole thing about not recording when in the "off" state. Why? I'm pretty pissed about it.

TWC no longer uses the excellent Passport software. A few years back they decided they could save money by bringing their DVR software development in house. Thus was born the demon spawn "Navigator". There are two versions of Navigator, ODN and MDN. They want to phase out MDN, so I'm wondering if this is another way of crippling that program to "persuade" their customers to move to another DVR running ODN.

If you have an SA8300HD (not HDC, mind you) you're running MDN. If so, you have the bonus of being able to add an external expansion drive via the eSATA port, thereby giving you virtually unlimited programming storage. Any other model of DVR, and it's running ODN. That version doesn't support expansion drives, and it's slower as well.

Passport is never coming back!!!! So everyone please quit bitching about loosing it!
,

jrs

01-13-12, 09:16 AM

bdfox18doe

01-13-12, 09:23 AM

Passport is never coming back!!!! So everyone please quit bitching about loosing it!,

Aww.. Party Pooper! :)

ke4pym

01-13-12, 01:08 PM

Passport is never coming back!!!! So everyone please quit bitching about loosing it!
,

Oh, I did. Switched to Directv. Have I mentioned I've got Pandora and Youtube on my DVR's now? ;)

jrs

01-13-12, 01:49 PM

Oh, I did. Switched to Directv. Have I mentioned I've got Pandora and Youtube on my DVR's now? ;)

But do you get news14 ;) ?

ke4pym

01-13-12, 03:52 PM

But do you get news14 ;) ?

No. It is a bit redundant. What with local stations running 4a-9a, 11a-1p and 4p-7:30p. Then, 10p-10:30p and 11p-11:30p.

I think that's enough news for one person to consume. :)

ejb1980

01-13-12, 04:03 PM

No. It is a bit redundant. What with local stations running 4a-9a, 11a-1p and 4p-7:30p. Then, 10p-10:30p and 11p-11:30p.

I think that's enough news for one person to consume. :)

News14 Carolina is QAM ch 117.2 so those of us with Directv can still not watch it.

ke4pym

01-27-12, 04:48 PM

TWC comes to see you about a price increase and they are whining about retransmission agreements....

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/NAB-Takes-Pot-Shot-at-Time-Warner-Cable-Earnings-118095

Earnings up 44%. This past quarter.

rcase13

01-28-12, 10:38 AM

ke4pym

01-28-12, 10:59 AM

ke4pym you must work for Direct TV!

LOL I don't really care who you go with they are all a rip off. They have what you want. It's like crack cocaine and they know they got you hooked.

My neighbor has it down. He switches from TW to DTV to Dish every 2 years. He gets the low intro rates and when they jack the rates up he cancels and moves on.

LOL I'd do the same but the SAT companies don't offer dishes that see through trees and rain. The woods end right at my house. My neighbor has no obstructions. I could put it towards the front of the house but the wifey says no way in he!!. I also have 8 HD TVs and neither of the SAT companies have a decent solution for that.

And then there is the 50mps internet... I am telling you it's like crack! Once you had 50mps you will never go back!!

So I will have to go and get the KY and let TW have at it!!

For the record, I don't work for DirecTV (but I do own TWC stock) and I was rocking 50/5 in August of 2010. I was one of the first to get Signature home in town.

Also, for the record, my dish has no problem "seeing" through the rain. Though, I take the time to peak my ODU on my own until I have 100% signal strength and have yet to have any breakup due to weather. Though, in fairness, we've yet to have a good ice storm lately. Those always seem to knock it out. But, my dish is right out back and I can hit it with some warm water.

While not quite to 8, the new HR34 is bangin' with 5 tuners and can RDU to 3 sets at the same time. So, no set top boxes if your TV's have the RDU functionality built in.

The point of the post was that, despite all of TWC's whining, they can't really blame price hikes (that much) on the demands of cable broadcasters.

sccofer

01-30-12, 10:22 AM

The point of the post was that, despite all of TWC's whining, they can't really blame price hikes (that much) on the demands of cable broadcasters.

Don't think I agree with that statement...Programmers are killing cable/dish providers slowly...Revenue is up because of the TWC expansion into business class telecomm. services. Programmers hold all the cards and until there is some parity in what the over the top providers have to pay, video subs will continue to decline as the technology to utilize those services becomes easier to utilize to joe average...

mjh

02-04-12, 09:16 AM

jrs

02-04-12, 09:38 PM

A friend of mine recently dropped dish network in favor of TWC's "broadcast" lineup for $14/mo. He's got a TiVo Premiere to use as his DVR.

Now, I know a few things:

The channel lineup that he subscribed to includes all local HD broadcasts
He can easily receive the analog stations.

My question is this: Given the lineup he's subscribed to, in order to properly receive the HD broadcasts channels, does he need a cablecard, a tuning adapter, or both?

Thanks in advance.

I doubt that he can get those things without a digital cable package. IF he can, he needs a multi-card that can decode multiple streams at once...

With digital cable, the tuning adapter is free- but the card costs a few dollars a month.

mjh

02-05-12, 01:12 PM

I doubt that he can get those things without a digital cable package. IF he can, he needs a multi-card that can decode multiple streams at once...Well, according to this (http://www.timewarnercable.com/east/support/clu/clu.ashx?CLUID=188&Image1=&Zip=28078) TWC offers the HD feeds on their broadcast package. And honestly I thought all cable companies are required to include *all* local broadcast feeds in all of their packages. But I dont know.
With digital cable, the tuning adapter is free- but the card costs a few dollars a month.
My question is more directed at whether or not a tuning adapter is required for the specific broadcast package. The TWC installer said it wasn't, but I don't know whether to believe him. He also said that a cablecard isn't required to get the package, but demonstrably, my friend can't get the HD feeds he's paying for w/o the cablecard.

ybsane

02-05-12, 03:23 PM

All local HDTV channels are available on Clear QAM, so no tuning adapter is needed for them.

Zaxcom

02-05-12, 05:50 PM

Anyone seeing a black band at the top of the pic on the SuperBowl? My set is set to full scan and I have a 3/4" wide black band. Commercials look fine, local insert looks fine. Game only has the problem.

bdfox18doe

02-05-12, 06:04 PM

Here ya go..

mfogarty5

02-05-12, 07:24 PM

Hey guys. After pressing the Guide button I pressed B to search and the search screen looked completely different. There were shows with cover art like on TiVo.

I don't search that often. Does anyone else have this? Is this the new cloud based search functionality?

ybsane

02-05-12, 07:25 PM

chuckf1

02-05-12, 08:02 PM

mjh

02-05-12, 11:27 PM

All local HDTV channels are available on Clear QAM, so no tuning adapter is needed for them.
Really? My friend can't see those channels. The TiVo shows them as having no signal. I assumed the reason was that he didn't have a cablecard.

When I contacted TiVo, they said that he needs a cablecard and TA. But I don't think they know anything about how the local TWC is allocating their bandwidth.

Update: This (http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/298) seems like it might be related...?

jrs

02-06-12, 06:41 PM

jrs

02-06-12, 06:43 PM

OK, at first I thought that I was crazy.

Has anyone else noticed that, when there are multiple copies of a show on multiple DVRs, deleting one actually deletes it from multiple DVRs?

rdgcss

02-07-12, 06:27 PM

OK, at first I thought that I was crazy.

Has anyone else noticed that, when there are multiple copies of a show on multiple DVRs, deleting one actually deletes it from multiple DVRs?

Had it happen once right after TWC added the ability to delete a show on a remote DVR, haven't seen it since.

mvc753

02-22-12, 08:05 AM

Has anyone in the Charlotte area received one of the Cisco 4742 WH DVR client boxes yet? I'd like to get one, but I don't know if they're available in the area yet.

flogman

02-25-12, 12:21 PM

Has anyone in the Charlotte area received one of the Cisco 4742 WH DVR client boxes yet? I'd like to get one, but I don't know if they're available in the area yet.

They are in the feild now.

jrs

02-25-12, 07:01 PM

What are they?

jcalabria

02-25-12, 08:47 PM

What are they?

The latest and greatest non-DVR STB.

rcase13

02-26-12, 06:32 AM

Will Time Warner be getting BBC 2 anytime soon? I miss my Top Gear UK shows.

makeway

02-26-12, 07:36 PM

Any help and/or suggestions here would be very appreciated ...

I've had the Cisco 8742HDC for a few weeks now, and I can report a lot more good than bad. The contractor that brought it over, told me that they've finally shifted over to Internet Protocol video. Maybe true, maybe not. What do I know? Other than this thing is VERY fast in nearly all aspects.

In fact, the only thing that slows it down even slightly, is when changing between channels with differing resolution. Perfectly understandable. And still very quick.

However, for the first time ... never seen this before ... My 1080i channels (CBS, HBO, and suchlike) have a very dirty habit of displaying as interlaced on my 1080progressive scan HDTV. Sometimes, a few flips between channels will remedy the vibrating horizontal lines ... but sometimes it's a real struggle.

Any idears why, and maybe how to fix it? I know this hardware is relatively new, but I'm happy to try even the wildest of educated guesses.

Thanks for your time!

ke4pym

02-27-12, 11:27 AM

Will Time Warner be getting BBC 2 anytime soon? I miss my Top Gear UK shows.

You should be able to see them on BBCA.

Season 18 starts 4/16 @ 8p.

mvc753

02-29-12, 12:44 PM

bdfox18doe

03-01-12, 04:34 PM

Anyone else here in Charlotte on TWC who uses this tuner? :)

http://cetoncorp.com/products/infinitv-4-usb/

rdgcss

03-01-12, 05:53 PM

Anyone else here in Charlotte on TWC who uses this tuner? :)

http://cetoncorp.com/products/infinitv-4-usb/

I would be interested in that info too.

jcalabria

03-05-12, 04:48 PM

Been having significant amounts of SDV issues since last Thursday night, which is very atypical for me. Signal levels are good both in-band and out of band (forward and return). Issues were occurring with all boxes (8640, 2x 3260 and a 4250)... strange thing was that there would be times when all four boxes were having SDV issues but the WMC7/HDHR Prime (with CableCard and SDV adaptor) combo was still working.

This afternoon I left the office for some lunch and the kitchen 3260 was refusing to tune any SDV channels at all... some with channel not available messages, some with just black screens. Out of frustration I pulled the power on the box... after rebooting it was working absolutely fine.

e137811

03-05-12, 04:55 PM

mvc753

03-07-12, 08:59 AM

All of my ESPN HD channels looked horrible yesterday. Haven't checked today. Terrible blocking and just overall pixelation/compression. I rebooted the box to no avail. Anyone else seeing this?

jcalabria

03-07-12, 09:18 AM

All of my ESPN HD channels looked horrible yesterday. Haven't checked today. Terrible blocking and just overall pixelation/compression. I rebooted the box to no avail. Anyone else seeing this?

YES! It was awful both Monday and Tuesday nights on NFL32.

mvc753

03-07-12, 02:41 PM

YES! It was awful both Monday and Tuesday nights on NFL32.

Mine seems to be fixed today. Yours?

jcalabria

03-07-12, 05:21 PM

Mine seems to be fixed today. Yours?

Looks decent right now.

Jim_it

03-15-12, 04:43 PM

Anyone else here in Charlotte on TWC who uses this tuner? :)

http://cetoncorp.com/products/infinitv-4-usb/

I've been using one since Aug 2010.

There are over 200 paired InfiniTV4 cards in the Carolinas.

Jim

ybsane

03-15-12, 07:23 PM

I've been using one since Aug 2010.

There are over 200 paired InfiniTV4 cards in the Carolinas.

Jim

I call BS, even if you had access to ICOMS there is now way you would know.

Jim_it

03-15-12, 07:50 PM

I call BS, even if you had access to ICOMS there is now way you would know.

LOL, I was the main contributor to the InfiniTV4 configuration guide. When there's a problem with ICOMS, they come to me.

Jim_it

03-15-12, 08:00 PM

Anyone else here in Charlotte on TWC who uses this tuner? :)

http://cetoncorp.com/products/infinitv-4-usb/

And Sorry Bob, I just noticed you asked about the usb model. I have the PCI-e version. The Green Button would be the best place to ask.

Jim

ybsane

03-15-12, 08:02 PM

LOL, I was the main contributor to the InfiniTV4 configuration guide. When there's a problem with ICOMS, they come to me.

I know who is good with cable cards and who is not...;)

bdfox18doe

03-15-12, 08:02 PM

I've been using one since Aug 2010.

There are over 200 paired InfiniTV4 cards in the Carolinas.

Jim

So how many are paired with the HDHR3-6CC-3x2?

Which..unlike the CETON, will not even scan without a card...grrr....

bdfox18doe

03-15-12, 08:07 PM

And Sorry Bob, I just noticed you asked about the usb model. I have the PCI-e version. The Green Button would be the best place to ask.

Jim

Ok, but you should update your profile..I.E. CableCard M IT Expert Raleigh NC. :D.Unless TWC policy prohibits that! :eek:

Jim_it

03-15-12, 08:20 PM

So how many are paired with the HDHR3-6CC-3x2?

Which..unlike the CETON, will not even scan without a card...grrr....

Slightly less. Which is surprising, considering how short a time it has been on the market., but can't tell if they are 3 Tuners or 1/2 a 6 Tuner.

I'm waiting for the Ceton Q & Echo or one of our un-named DVR's coming. Let's see who has better addons.

Ok, but you should update your profile..I.E. CableCard M IT Expert Raleigh NC. :D.Unless TWC policy prohibits that! :eek:

I'm not sure the tag line is long enough for all the roles I play. Guru, I guess covers it.

Jim

ybsane

03-15-12, 08:21 PM

Slightly less. Which is surprising, considering how short a time it has been on the market.

I'm waiting for the Ceton Q & Echo or one of our un-named DVR's coming. Let's see who has better addons.

I'm not sure the tag line is long enough for all the roles I play. Guru, I guess covers it.

Jim

Wrong gender for Charlotte go to person...:)

bdfox18doe

03-15-12, 08:31 PM

can't tell if they are 3 Tuners or 1/2 a 6 Tuner. Jim

It's 2 pcb's / cards with 3 tuners each..requires 2 M cards..and 2 SDV adapters..has an ID per card and a MAC per card.. :( Hope to get cards tomorrow and pair it up for test. :confused:

jcalabria

03-15-12, 10:30 PM

It's 2 pcb's / cards with 3 tuners each..requires 2 M cards..and 2 SDV adapters..has an ID per card and a MAC per card.. :( Hope to get cards tomorrow and pair it up for test. :confused:

When I went to the Matthews TWC store they had a CableCard but no SDV adaptors... they sent me all the way over to Arrowood for the tuning adaptor. Then I got it all home, hooked it up then waited on hold over an hour for someone to take my call at the TW CableCard Activation Center. Fortunately, it's worked unbelievably well once that was all squared away. It's worked so well that I seriously am considering turning in the 8640 DVR for a plain STB in the family room (to maintain access to VOD).

Now I have to get my old HDHR set up for OTA and merge the lineups so that the OTA tuner gets used first... PQ is much better OTA but I hardly ever watch live TV - with that setup I'll be able to DVR the OTA in HD but still have the TW feeds as backup for conflicts.

My son is now happy with his as well, but TWC Raleigh was a little more problematic on the activation. First, they handed him a CableCard that the person in line in front of him had just turned in... without any testing. Of course, it did not work. TWC sent a tech out to him next day... confirmed bad CC, but had no replacement. My son was then told that there were no more cards available... that he'd have to wait until someone turned one in. Waited over two weeks before they called him that they had a card for him and sent out another tech with the card. Everything fired right up with the new card. No problems since for him either.

Darksaber

03-18-12, 06:02 AM

Yep, I've just got my Ceton and cable card working too. The first CC I got was defective, but the replacement worked like a charm. I too am considering letting 2 whole house DVRs and a playback device go - as I have Xboxes at all three places that I can use as extenders - plus the forthcoming Ceton extender looks interesting too.

By the way, don't call the CableCard activation team at TW on Saturdays - it's their busiest day and there are loooong wait times

jcalabria

03-20-12, 07:51 AM

My boxes were updated to ODN 5.1.0_4 last night. No obvious changes from previous version 5.0.0_6.

bdfox18doe

03-20-12, 08:17 AM

By the way, don't call the CableCard activation team at TW on Saturdays - it's their busiest day and there are loooong wait times

I got mine done on Friday afternoon in just minutes..That Kimberly with TWC is something else! :)

archiguy

03-21-12, 11:00 AM

jcalabria

03-21-12, 12:19 PM

Among the other little "gifts" the MDN update back in December gave us, including cutting the DVR buffer times in half, is how my 8300HD keeps switching its output to 480p from the two HD formats. I'm looking at the picture, it's fuzzy, and then I notice "oops, it did it again". It simply won't keep a lock on the output setting you set it on. And it's happening every day now, which means either it's getting worse, or they snuck in another "update" recently. We seem to lose some functionality we previously had with each one of those now. That must be how they grade so highly on those customer satisfacton surveys.

Oh TWC, how I love thee. :rolleyes:

So far so good on this ODN update... everything recorded last night and no strange bugs/issues noted. Actually, if I hadn't noticed that the boxes had rebooted I might not have noticed the update at all. I've noticed no behavior, appearance or feature changes at all.

I don't have any MDN boxes, but from what has been posted in the Navigator thread, the issues you noted seem to all be pretty common with the last MDN update.

It seems unfathomable to me that these issues never get detected in the lab or in employee pre-release testing.... and then take so long to correct afterwards.

bdfox18doe

03-21-12, 12:33 PM

It seems unfathomable to me that these issues never get detected in the lab or in employee pre-release testing.... and then take so long to correct afterwards.

Sorry, But that is not on the product's "roadmap"..:rolleyes::rolleyes:

jcalabria

03-21-12, 12:55 PM

Sorry, But that is not on the product's "roadmap"..:rolleyes::rolleyes:

The problem with "roadmaps" is they're out-of-date the minute they're printed. They need GPS with real-time traffic monitoring to keep up with all the wrecks out there!;)

rdgcss

03-21-12, 06:30 PM

The problem with "roadmaps" is they're out-of-date the minute they're printed. They need GPS with real-time traffic monitoring to keep up with all the wrecks out there!;)

"we reserve the right to change our minds at any given point in time"

jcb3716

04-02-12, 08:52 PM

I'm getting terrible break-ups on the National Championship game on CBS. Very poor showing for TWC. :mad:

ejb1980

04-02-12, 09:07 PM

I'm getting terrible break-ups on the National Championship game on CBS. Very poor showing for TWC. :mad:

Crystal clear on Directv!

clthoma2

04-03-12, 02:15 PM

Could someone give me the latest and greatest Time Warner HD boxes (Both DVR and Non-DVR boxes)? I am trying to build out an AV rack and I haven't ordered my boxes yet. I need to figure out the height of my rack. This is probably somewhere in the previous 250 pages but hopefully someone will spare me the pain of trying to find it.

Thanks a ton.

ybsane

04-03-12, 07:39 PM

ke4pym

04-04-12, 06:42 PM

Is it me, or is myservices down, again? Been down for a couple days.

rdgcss

04-04-12, 07:50 PM

Is it me, or is myservices down, again? Been down for a couple days.

Mine too

chuckf1

04-13-12, 04:51 PM

jcalabria

04-13-12, 05:01 PM

I've got the Samsung SMT-H3272 HD-DVR, version V 4.7.6.2. Up until a few days ago, when I hit the "Menu" button on my remote it would default to the "Show List" of recorded shows.

Then a few days ago, I hitting the "Menu" button results in a "Live TV HD" menu and then I have to maneuver over to the "Help" screen and then access the "DVR" choice in order to get to the "Show List".

Is it just me or the result of a recent update?

There's always the
[List] button. ;)

I don't think I ever saw [Menu] bring up the DVR show list directly, but it does go to a different place than it used to... that doesn't seem useful for much of anything. I've always just used the
[list], [Settings] and [B/Search] buttons so I didn't even notice the change until you mentioned it.

On the other hand, I have noticed a very positive change... Series manipulations are MUCH faster than they ever have been on the 8640... adding or deleting a series now occurs as fast or faster than it did on the Samsung 3090. The 8640 used to take 30-60 seconds to complete a series change, but now returns control almost instantly.