"WCBD picture on DirectTv is high def, 1080i"

Local programs, mostly news, are Standard DTV UPSCALED to 1080i and therefore technically yes, "HD" in the final delivery. But they are not created with HD equipment. One can skip a whole lot of technical explanation to know the difference. Simply view the local news on WCBD and then on WCSC. The only way you won't have a very noticeable difference is if you do not have an HD TV.

BTW, most programming on most networks is still standard digital UPSCALED to HD but this is changing fast. You Can tell the difference when a program was Created in true HD. :)

I didn't have time to explore Comcast last night. Does anyone know if the new HD channels went live yesterday? I did not see a message on my TiVo about new channels being added.

Max,

We do have some new channels on the way

we just launched the digital feed of:

WCSC Live 5 digital (a second channel for WCSC) on Channel 212

Coming March 1st

BET HD
CMT HD
The Weather Channel HD
TruTV HD
HLN HD
Turner Classic Movies HD

I didn't have time to explore Comcast last night. Does anyone know if the new HD channels went live yesterday? I did not see a message on my TiVo about new channels being added.

They are there. I asked a peer, as I have not had time to check. I suspect TIVO lags on updating their stuff. The channels are definitely up.

We have the Comcast Digital Starter package on a Sony tv with QAM. We don't have a Comcast box hooked up because we don't want to have to deal with the box and don't like the remote it comes with. Since the recent changes we aren't able to get NBC (2.1) or CBS anymore and maybe it's my imagination but the channels in the higher range, i.e. NBC 112.5 Channels, when showing an HD 1080i show, aren't as sharp. It's good but doesn't seem "wow" like it used to be. Is that possible? Will the lower number channels come back?

Thanks

The stations I have in the 112 range have always been 4:3 DTV feeds for me. Right now all channels through Comcast QAM are finally mapped right again. NBC at 2-1, ABC at 4-1 and 4-2, CBS at 5-1 and 5-2, PBS at 7-1, 7-2, and 7-3, FOX at 24-1, and CW or whatever that is at 36-1. Odd ball stuff tends to come in the 110-116 range on occasion. Right now I have 2 of the same stations that just shows the inlay box of the On Demand channel.

I can't seem to pick up WTATDT on my HTPC. My TVs are picking up all of the changes correctly with CBS on 5.1, ABC on 4.1, NBC on 2.1, FOX on 24.1 and CW? on 36.1 and the HTPC is picking up CBS on 116.3, ABC on 116.1, and NBC on 112.5 like before but not FOX on 86.4 like it used to.

Anyone know any other possible channels that it could be mapped as?

locally OTA, FOX 24.1 is WTAT-DT CW is 2.2 WCBD-DT2 and 36.1 is WMMP-DT

I am OTA only but for cable ch help others will need to know which cable provider you have. Also in this thread it helps to know your approximate loacation. :)

locally OTA, FOX 24.1 is WTAT-DT CW is 2.2 WCBD-DT2 and 36.1 is WMMP-DT

I am OTA only but for cable ch help others will need to know which cable provider you have. Also in this thread it helps to know your approximate loacation. :)

I'm in West Ashley using Comcast.

At Comcast in Charleston we recently we changed some of our QAMS. A simple re-scan will be required.

Thanks

Andrews

When did I miss the cable increase from Comcast that sent the HD DVR up to $16/month? Last I remember it was $10 max.

When did I miss the cable increase from Comcast that sent the HD DVR up to $16/month? Last I remember it was $10 max.

I think it has been that way for over a year. I don't have Comcast anymore but I think it has been a while. Maybe 2 years ago.

I think it has been that way for over a year. I don't have Comcast anymore but I think it has been a while. Maybe 2 years ago.

Wow, I guess I really pay attention. At that rate I should be able to buy it in a year and half.

It's nice having the Weather Channel in HD on Comcast but I'm sort of miffed that it doesn't show your local weather.

Can someone with Comcast tell me if they will be adding the local weather? Is it an equipment issue?

Thanks!!

Can you tell your buddies at Comcast to stop running local commercials over Braves at-bats?

Also, any chance we get the SportsSouth HD games on the CSS HD channel like we do with the PeachTree TV games?

Can you tell your buddies at Comcast to stop running local commercials over Braves at-bats?

Seriously. This is bush league ****. Stop already.

We don't insert locally on the commercials for the braves games that is all done out of Atlanta. We don't have any control locally over the insertion. My understanding (but this not something I have a tremendous knowledge of) is that has more to do with the company producing the games and not us. I'll ask around about the HD feed.

Andrews

Comcast

man this thread has died. what has happened to everybody?

We are trying to figure out where our channels are and with our love of navigator we are very busy! If you believe that send me a pm about some land in FL I would like to sell you:eek:

anyone experiencing problems with watching dvr'd fox programs? live is fine, but dvr'd shows are almost unwatchable because audio goes mute every few seconds. it only happens on fox.

anyone experiencing problems with watching dvr'd fox programs? live is fine, but dvr'd shows are almost unwatchable because audio goes mute every few seconds. it only happens on fox.

Same happens to me also, this is with Comcast

We are trying to figure out where our channels are and with our love of navigator we are very busy! If you believe that send me a pm about some land in FL I would like to sell you:eek:

yeah well come on over to sat tv. pm me if you want a referral.

Wish I could -- we live in a condo with no exclusive use area so no dish:(

I have Directv and my local FOX is a train wreck with audio dropouts. Don't know if it's just dvr or live since i only watch dvr.

Well, I got WCSC yesterday afternoon for the first time.

We don't insert locally on the commercials for the braves games that is all done out of Atlanta. We don't have any control locally over the insertion. My understanding (but this not something I have a tremendous knowledge of) is that has more to do with the company producing the games and not us. I'll ask around about the HD feed.

Andrews

Comcast

Do they really insert Charleston, SC commercials in Atlanta, GA? The insertion appears to be local.

Any news about Braves HD. Braves games are the ONLY reason we pay for HD and we can't get HD when the broadcasters say it is available in HD (Sports South).

Fletch69

Wish I could -- we live in a condo with no exclusive use area so no dish:(

you don't have a balcony?

I have digital starter + HD and HBO, I currently pay $75+ a month. Is comcast really this expensive? I've got 2 cable cards in a Tivo series 3 and after researching on the web, I found that they were charging me $15+ a month for the first card and a few bucks for the second. According to the comcast website the first card should be free so I called and complained. The lady was nice and agreed on the price, changed the monthly charge and credited me for 6 months of the $15. Fast forward a few months. I added HBO in order to get The Pacific. Then a few days later I lost HBO. I call to complain and the guy on the phone tells me that when the lady removed the charge for the first cable card, she removed my access to the digital tier (channels in the 100s). I hadn't noticed because I don't watch those. Then he tells me that in order to get HD and HBO, he'd have to add the $15 back because "that's how we set it up" even though it comes across as a charge for a cable card.

All I want is the <100 channels, HD and HBO. How much is that? I see directv commercials for $40 a month and can't believe I'm paying over $75.

No balcony, no porch. There is a way to put a dish inside but you need special glass and the sight line for a window that would work would put the dish in our TV viewing area and it would almost have to lie flat like a big bowl. It just will not work until the FCC changes the rules and that is not likely to happen.

I have digital starter + HD and HBO, I currently pay $75+ a month. Is comcast really this expensive? I've got 2 cable cards in a Tivo series 3 and after researching on the web, I found that they were charging me $15+ a month for the first card and a few bucks for the second. According to the comcast website the first card should be free so I called and complained. The lady was nice and agreed on the price, changed the monthly charge and credited me for 6 months of the $15. Fast forward a few months. I added HBO in order to get The Pacific. Then a few days later I lost HBO. I call to complain and the guy on the phone tells me that when the lady removed the charge for the first cable card, she removed my access to the digital tier (channels in the 100s). I hadn't noticed because I don't watch those. Then he tells me that in order to get HD and HBO, he'd have to add the $15 back because "that's how we set it up" even though it comes across as a charge for a cable card.

All I want is the <100 channels, HD and HBO. How much is that? I see directv commercials for $40 a month and can't believe I'm paying over $75.

Well I am pretty sure you can save money with but the only problem Is the TiVo. The 15 dollars is ridiculous and I wouldn't let them get away with that. Directv is coming out with their multi-room DVR and it is awesome. I have been testing it and I can't do without it.

Ok so will the digital preferred with hd service added get me pretty much all the channels except the premiums in hd? I am so confused because they don't offer a bundled hd package except the tripple play and I just need the double play.

D* and FOX have made some recent changes to their equipment. If anyone watching FOX HD on D* could send me some feedback on whether or not the audio issues are still happening it would be appreciated.

Thanks
Mike

Anyone locally using MCE 2005 and suddenly unable to download the EPG for TWC? Error 13 showing for over a week.

I'm a comcast subscriber in James Island, SC and i've lost Fox HD which was on my HDTV Channel 24-1. A rescan didn't find it either, It found it in SD on channel 102-2 but no HD version. Comcast customer service was no help and told me I shouldn't be getting those without a digital box. It works with my Digital Box in my den but not in my bedroom where the TV is directly connected to the cable.

Any tips welcome.

I'm a comcast subscriber in James Island, SC and i've lost Fox HD which was on my HDTV Channel 24-1. A rescan didn't find it either, It found it in SD on channel 102-2 but no HD version. Comcast customer service was no help and told me I shouldn't be getting those without a digital box. It works with my Digital Box in my den but not in my bedroom where the TV is directly connected to the cable.

Any tips welcome.


Try 86-4

Any update on reduced sized converter boxes so I can get more HD stations (besides free QAM locals) on my Kitchen TV and not have a huge cable box somewhere?

Any new stations on the horizon?

Any update on reduced sized converter boxes so I can get more HD stations (besides free QAM locals) on my Kitchen TV and not have a huge cable box somewhere?

Any new stations on the horizon?

One of my neighbors have a small converter and it had HD I believe.

Sorry for the delay I was on vacation last week.

We have several changes happening at Comcast. I'll try and cover them below:

New boxes:

We have a couple new Cisco boxes (FYI: Cisco bought SA and rebranded all new boxes Cisco). The HD only box is a little smaller than previous versions. The guide is the same. The boxes are very similar to what we have today. The box models are the RNG 100 (SD digital box), RNG 150 (HD only),and RNG 200 (HD DVR).


3D TV in Charleston:

Prior to the World Cup we launched ESPN 3D (it is really cool if you see it in person)
On July 3rd with TNT and Nascar we are broadcasting the Nascar race in 3D.

To get 3D you will need a few things:

3D TV set
3D glasses
A Comcast RNG DVR
HDMI cable


Channel Launches
Happening on July 15, 2010

New on Digital Premium
Showtime Family: Channel 336

New on Digital Starter
The Word: Channel 247

New on Digital Preferred
Bloomberg: Channel 250

New on Digital Starter HD
Lifetime Movie Network HD: Channel 455

New on Digital Preferred HD
Biography HD: Channel 464
Planet Green HD: Channel 466

New on Digital Preferred HD & SET (Sports and Entertainment Tier) HD
NBA TV HD: Channel 478

New on Sports and Entertainment
Crime & Investigation: Channel 717
Military History Channel: Channel 718

Channel Moves
Happening on July 15, 2010

Moving From Preferred Basic to Digital Starter
Cartoon: Old Channel 51 New Channel 124
History Channel: Old Channel 48 New Channel 126

I'm a comcast subscriber in James Island, SC and i've lost Fox HD which was on my HDTV Channel 24-1. A rescan didn't find it either, It found it in SD on channel 102-2 but no HD version. Comcast customer service was no help and told me I shouldn't be getting those without a digital box. It works with my Digital Box in my den but not in my bedroom where the TV is directly connected to the cable.

Any tips welcome.

I just happened to check this weekend and as soon as I punched in 24-1 it disappeared and after a scan it was no where to be found. Way back when I had similar issues where Cgking was getting QAM stations in Mt. P that I wasn't getting on JI. Brought my TV to his place and came in fine. I believe it is a signal strength issue, but not 100% positive. I'll keep checking if it comes back, let me know the same.

One of my neighbors have a small converter and it had HD I believe.

I'd be curious to know more. Ask him if you could. Thanks.

I just happened to check this weekend and as soon as I punched in 24-1 it disappeared and after a scan it was no where to be found. Way back when I had similar issues where Cgking was getting QAM stations in Mt. P that I wasn't getting on JI. Brought my TV to his place and came in fine. I believe it is a signal strength issue, but not 100% positive. I'll keep checking if it comes back, let me know the same.



I'd be curious to know more. Ask him if you could. Thanks.


I am getting 24-1 on 86-4 now.

I am getting 24-1 on 86-4 now.

I'll check again tonight, but it was nowhere to be found over the weekend with a scan. Maybe I'll trying forcing in the 86-4 and see what happens.


EDIT: No luck last night. Tried punching in directly and also did another scan. No luck on the HD version. SD version is 108 something with ABC, NBC, and CBS. Must be a signal strength issue if your getting it and we're not.

Sorry for the delay I was on vacation last week.

We have several changes happening at Comcast. I'll try and cover them below:

New boxes:

We have a couple new Cisco boxes (FYI: Cisco bought SA and rebranded all new boxes Cisco). The HD only box is a little smaller than previous versions. The guide is the same. The boxes are very similar to what we have today. The box models are the RNG 100 (SD digital box), RNG 150 (HD only),and RNG 200 (HD DVR).




I see on Cisco's webpage it talks about networking abilities. Are these options available or locked out? What if anything would it allow you to do?

I see on Cisco's webpage it talks about networking abilities. Are these options available or locked out? What if anything would it allow you to do?

At this point I can not comment on future use options. I am not sure what they are going to do and that really is not my part of the Comcast world.

One more nail in the Comcast coffin. Have to have a box now to watch the History Channel, which means more money. Already too expensive and I HATE the remote and having to deal with the 1 box we have. I had already disconnected it. One more reason I want to find another solution. Certainly going to check out DirectTV or something else.

One more nail in the coffin. Have to have a box now to watch the History Channel, which means more money. Already too expensive and I HATE the remote and having to deal with the 1 box we have. I had already disconnected it. One more reason I want to find another solution. Certainly going to check out DirectTV or something else.
Yeah, well certainly you won't need a box with DirectV!

Or a remote!

And the History Channel is free!

Or a remote!

And the History Channel is free!

And in HD

And a pizza pan!

I am getting 24-1 on 86-4 now.

No luck :( it just redirects me to 7-1 which I believe is the Educational Channel.

Whats even more annoying now is that channel 51 Cartoon Network/Adult Swim has disappeared and moved to channel 124 on the Box but is no longer available without the box.

Any other ideas welcome, or is my solution $7 on top of my already $145 bill for another HD Box.

No luck :( it just redirects me to 7-1 which I believe is the Educational Channel.

Whats even more annoying now is that channel 51 Cartoon Network/Adult Swim has disappeared and moved to channel 124 on the Box but is no longer available without the box.

Any other ideas welcome, or is my solution $7 on top of my already $145 bill for another HD Box.

It definitely sounds like a signal strength issue.

Trying to raise this from the dead. What the heck has happened to our little thread?

Probably most have adjusted to the change and these days not much new stuff being purchased.

Trying to raise this from the dead. What the heck has happened to our little thread?

I think you might be too late. I think it's on life support.

Well I hear that U-Verse will be available in Charleston in October. That's something.

For D* subscribers, GolTV and Fox Soccer Channel went HD last week. I, for one, am happy.

Not to up on U-Verse.

Off topic, but any high speed internet coming to town? AT&T/Comcast is it. My buddy in Columbia pays $10 less than me and gets 12MBPS. I'm between 3-6.

For D* subscribers, GolTV and Fox Soccer Channel went HD last week. I, for one, am happy.

Not to up on U-Verse.

Off topic, but any high speed internet coming to town? AT&T/Comcast is it. My buddy in Columbia pays $10 less than me and gets 12MBPS. I'm between 3-6.

Well with U-Verse coming, we should see some faster speeds from AT&T in areas that get the initial rollout.

Using Comcast in Charleston, SC. What channel number is Fox HD on when your TV is connected directly to the cable (no box, no HD subscription)? I used to get all the local channels in HD, but lost Fox a while ago. No big deal until football season gets here .....

Thanks.

Using Comcast in Charleston, SC. What channel number is Fox HD on when your TV is connected directly to the cable (no box, no HD subscription)? I used to get all the local channels in HD, but lost Fox a while ago. No big deal until football season gets here .....

Thanks.


I get it on 86-4.

When will Comcast boxes in our area be capable of utilizing the program MyDVR to schedule recordings online?

This is available in all of NC and SC except the Charleston area. TWC has no idea when we will get it or why we don't have it yet. TW really -- ok no more -- .

This is a service similar to the Red Zone for pro football Goal Line is for college football.

Oh wait, none of us TWC people get the NFL Network! TWC really does ****

All of my QAM in the clear local stations scan on my TV except there is not picture on any of them that are HD. I get the SD digital copies in the 102's. Nothing on 2-1, 4-1, 5-1, 7's,, 24-1, and 36-1. This is on Comcast.

I haven't seen any posts about AT&T UVerse but it is available in my area (West Ashley). They installed the equipment almost 6 months ago. Not sure if I will switch from Comcast but it is nice having another competitor (Comcast, Knology and AT&T UVerse).

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/att-u-verse-arrives-in-charleston-103256964.html

Is anyone OTA seeing signals on 29 and 31? If so, what's on them?

- Trip

For D* subscribers, GolTV and Fox Soccer Channel went HD last week. I, for one, am happy.

Not to up on U-Verse.

Off topic, but any high speed internet coming to town? AT&T/Comcast is it. My buddy in Columbia pays $10 less than me and gets 12MBPS. I'm between 3-6.

I probably already know the answer to this, but will ask anyway.....
Will Comcast ever get GolTV and FSC in HD????? Also, any info on the FSC Plus channel. I would be willing to pay a couple of extra bucks on my Sports Tier to see FSC and GolTV in HD. Some English Premier League games are broadcast on one of the ESPN HD channels, but none of the 3 live games every Saturday.

This was part of the Disney/twc settlement. It is a channel like Red Zone only for college football. It appears that all areas of twc across the country are able to get this channel except the Charleston DMA -- anyone know why? No one at twc has any idea. It is on 1540 and you need sports pass to get it but in the Charleston DMA it does not even show up. A friend of ours living in Socestee gets it, but that is in the Myrtle Beach DMA

If anyone is interested in what a transmission tower looks like on top here is a video I came across:

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/8244494/21915033

Has anyone been able to get the channel line up for our area on U-verse? I'm able to get it to recognize service is available at my house by only using my phone number. Street address won't register, so when it comes to the lineup it is driven by zip code which craps out.

I'd be curious of anyone's thoughts if it is a better service/comparably priced to Comcast. I've just started looking at it, but noticed that on the 300 channel package you still need to pay $10 more for HD. Does it work without cable boxes or is like satellite where every TV requires a box?

Does anyone here have Uverse TV yet? If so, what are your impressions?

The moral of the story is legal weather is the way to go!

The moral of the story is weather to belive the lies TWC says that "getting OTA signal from an antenna not legal" but who to call to report them. The FCC I guess, maybe the tv station or the better bussiness bueara. That is the way to go.

I would go all the way to Iron Man.

The Charleston DMA is the only TW area that does not get Goal Line. It deals with WMMB putting a block on TW carrying Goal Line because they carry SEC football. So who is worse TW or WMMB take your pick they both suck! And while we are at it so does SEC football.:mad:

Got a Tivo Premiere for $95 during a combo deal. Got cablecard from Comcast. After a couple of days of playing with the Tivo ... returned the Comcast DVR (RNG200).

Tivo Premiere absolutely trounces the Cisco box in all aspects.

I wish I had figured this route earlier.

U-verse is live in Mt. P!!!

U-verse is live in Mt. P!!!

Where?? What part?

Definitely Dunes West area. Not sure where else.

Definitely Dunes West area. Not sure where else.

I am in dunes west and I haven't heard anything about it

i got an email from them. Originally asked them to email me when my address was available.

Getting U-verse in Dunes West in 1.5 weeks.

Getting U-verse in Dunes West in 1.5 weeks.

What part do you live if you don't mind me asking?

I did some messing with my attic antenna and am able to get 18.1, 18.2, and 18.3 now. I live in Mt P off 41 and was not able to get that station previously. It comes in with a 47 - 55 on the TiVo Signal Strength Meter and is pretty consistent.
Current OTA Stations:

Channel Call Sign Notes Signal Strength
2-1 WCBDDT NBC 95%
2-2 WCBDDT2 CW 95%
4-1 WCIV ABC 100%
4-2 WCIV2 Accuweather 100%
5-1 WCSC CBS 90%
5-2 WCSC-2 Independent 91%
7-1 WITVDT1 ETV - PBS 100%
7-2 WITVDT2 ETV - PBS 100%
7-3 WITVDT3 ETV - PBS 100%
18-1 WLCND Independent 52%
18-2 WLCND2 Independent 50%
18-3 WLCND3 Untamed Sports TV 50%
24-1 WTAT-1 Fox 93%
24-2 WTAT-2 Black Screen 94%
36-1 WMMPDT My TV Charleston 100%
36-2 WMMPDT2 Music Videos 100%
36-3 WMMP-TC Country TV 100%
40-1 WTAT-FO Black Screen 92%

You might have just explained why ch 36 has become almost unwatchable OTA for me. Did not know they started doing -2 & -3 Whenever a station uses all 3 sub channels like PBS they overload the freq and become trash much of the time.

You might have just explained why ch 36 has become almost unwatchable OTA for me. Did not know they started doing -2 & -3 Whenever a station uses all 3 sub channels like PBS they overload the freq and become trash much of the time.

A few weeks ago I was trying to enjoy "Ribbons of Sand" on PBS-HD and was appalled at the excessive compression. So I decided to email PBS. Here is the entire thread. The first one from me to ETV ... the other two are from their engineers.

---------
I have been a long time contributor to the ETV fund drive (phone
number for proof - 843-xxx-xxxx). I have been in Columbia / Charleston
area for the last 23 years.

I am at wits end now with the shoddy quality of your HD feed. This has
gone too long. When the compression artifact issues were raised with
your office several years ago, I was assured that it was only a matter
of time before technology advancement would make that problem a thing
of the past. Well, that has not happened with your feed.

Last night ... I was watching the HD broadcast of Ribbons of Sand
(narrated by Meryl Streep) using a large over-the-air antenna... and I
was absolutely dismayed at how the compression (during fast motion)
totally ruined the experience. I eventually switched channels.

No .. the problem is not at my end. I am a techie geek and so are
several of my friends. We have all experienced this problem with your
HD feed (regardless of the transport: cable, OTA, satellite, etc.).
This happens all the time. All you have to do to verify my claim ...
is to sit down in front of an HDTV set during prime-time and watch
your channel. Yes, that simple !

I would like this problem resolved since my family and friends are
avid nature&art lovers. Its an insult to compress and ruin a wonderful
show... for one .. to the cinematographer who painstakingly captured
all those wonderful moments.

If ETV & PBS think your viewers are NOT critical about the quality of
your HD feed ... think again ... before you lose more viewers. //

Max
----------------------------------------------------------


---------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for your communication of concern to us regarding our HD signal quality.

We apologize for the problem you are seeing with digital artifacts on our ETV HD service. I was the one who responded to your initial concerns the last time, and we are very concerned about pleasing our viewers and listeners to the very best of our ability with the very highest quality of service we are able to provide.

The SC ETV HD service is 1 of 3 full-time services we broadcast over-the-air: Service 1: ETV HD; Service: 2: SCC (SD); Service 3: ETV World (SD), & therein lies the problem you describe.

Virtually all commercials stations only run two services, with the second service being a rather static weather service in SD, & the very latest in MPEG-2 digital transport encoders. And sometimes they are not running their HD service at all. Our 3 services are all full motion video & we are packing it all into one 19.9 Mb/sec bitstream with a first generation MPEG-2 digital transport encoder.

Without going into further detail, I am asking Hap G., P. E., our VP for Engineering & Chief Engineer, to respond to your concerns in more detail, including any updates regarding planned signal improvement.

We sincerely appreciate your support over the years & we hope we are able to allay your concerns somewhat when Mr. Griffin responds to you.

Regards,


Campbell C F.
--------------------------------------------------------


------------------------------------------------------
Campbell is correct in that it has been our plan for some time to upgrade our DTV encoder system to a more modern unit that uses the increases in encoding efficiency that have come about since we first went on the air digitally over 10 years ago (January 2000 at WRLK in Columbia). However, since that time, we have taken one state budget cut after another, with 42% of our budget having been taken since 2008 alone resulting in heavy personnel loses for our agency. Be that as it may, we have strived to adjust the system to provide the best encoding efficiency possible with an encoder of that vintage, and in fact, often receive reports from viewers that we have the best looking HD in the Columbia market. As Campbell also noted, our mandate to provide the citizens of South Carolina with programming choices other than simply the national PBS schedule demands that the limited amount of bandwidth in a single TV channel be shared among the PBS HD programming and the two standard definition channels broadcast alongside it. If we had the ability to dedicate the entire channel bandwidth to the HD programming, the images would be even better.

So, the bottom line is that we are pinched between using an encoder now more than a decade old along with the requirement to provide three separate program streams within the channel bandwidth. I believe that we are at the optimal settings for picture quality within the limits we have to operate.

Thank you for your report, and I do hope that we can upgrade sometime in the foreseeable future.

Hap G.
--------------------------------------------

Thanks, very interesting. Hope ch 36 pays attention here. I looked and BOTH -2 and -3 were music video which admitidly I care zero about. Since most people have cable and there are nunerous alternatives for this It would seem ch 36 would give greater consideration to the quality of their main broadcast. At least PBS is offering genuine alternative broadcasts on the sub channels though I would still rather see a better quality and give up at least one sub channel. We are not picking knits here about number of pixels but the constant loss of sound and picture freeze up it is maddning enough many times to just give up completely. DVR recordings do give up when it gets so bad.

Still waiting on opinions from anyone who has U-verse yet. Luv, you mentioned that U-verse was coming to Dunes West. Did you get it? What part of Dunes West was it coming to. I am in Richmond Cove. Is it coming anytime soon there, do you know?

Still waiting on opinions from anyone who has U-verse yet. Luv, you mentioned that U-verse was coming to Dunes West. Did you get it? What part of Dunes West was it coming to. I am in Richmond Cove. Is it coming anytime soon there, do you know?

I just got U-verse installed about a week ago (I'm in Belle Hall in Mt. P). I had Comcast before. I went with an internet/tv package, the U200 with 18Mbps Internet. You can see the channel lineup for the packages here, https://uma.att.com/general/201-AMSS-X-DMA2-POPUP.html.

Here are my impressions --

+ Menu and guide layout are really nicely done and feel like they were actually created in the 2000's as opposed to Comcast's dated looking guide.

+ Channels switch almost instantly like in the tv days of old.

+ Receiver boxes are smaller than what I had with Comcast.

+ The price is cheaper right now but I'm sure it will be fairly comparable for me when all the discounts run out.

+ Depending on how far you are from the VRAD you can get up to 3 HD streams at once and 1 SD stream. So I can record 3 HD shows at once which is nice on the rare occasion 3 are on at the same time. They are also adding 1 stream to each package soon so I will have the ability to record 4 HD streams at once.

+ I LOVE being able to watch my recorded shows in the bedroom.

+ The Iphone app is really nice if you are out and want to record something, just fire it up and pick the show you want to record.

+ You can also manage recordings, etc, online.

- The picture quality on my 52" is dissapointing. Sports or fast moving scenes especially exhibit pixelation way more than I ever had with Comcast. This is due to how they compress their video. I think they allow 5.7Mbps per stream and use MPEG4 which is supposedly better than MPEG2 but 5.7 is VERY low and you can definitely tell. Channel quality varies widely it seems too so hopefully they work on fixing this as ESPNU looked great the other night while ESPN looked like garbage. It just depends but my CBS feed watching NFL right now is poor.

- I am not getting anywhere near 18Mbps speed on internet. Before I switched I ran speed test on comcast and got 15 Mbps. I am averaging about 6-10Mbps now which isn't bad, but NOT what I am paying for. They are supposedly looking into it but I'm not confident they will figure it out.


Let me know if anyone has any more questions about U-verse! If they can get my internet speed closer to what I'm paying for and hopefully fix their compression schemes on some HD content then I'd be very satisfied. Right now, I'll give it a B.

I just got U-verse installed about a week ago (I'm in Belle Hall in Mt. P). I had Comcast before. I went with an internet/tv package, the U200 with 18Mbps Internet. You can see the channel lineup for the packages here, https://uma.att.com/general/201-AMSS-X-DMA2-POPUP.html.

Here are my impressions --

+ Menu and guide layout are really nicely done and feel like they were actually created in the 2000's as opposed to Comcast's dated looking guide.

+ Channels switch almost instantly like in the tv days of old.

+ Receiver boxes are smaller than what I had with Comcast.

+ The price is cheaper right now but I'm sure it will be fairly comparable for me when all the discounts run out.

+ Depending on how far you are from the VRAD you can get up to 3 HD streams at once and 1 SD stream. So I can record 3 HD shows at once which is nice on the rare occasion 3 are on at the same time. They are also adding 1 stream to each package soon so I will have the ability to record 4 HD streams at once.

+ I LOVE being able to watch my recorded shows in the bedroom.

+ The Iphone app is really nice if you are out and want to record something, just fire it up and pick the show you want to record.

+ You can also manage recordings, etc, online.

- The picture quality on my 52" is dissapointing. Sports or fast moving scenes especially exhibit pixelation way more than I ever had with Comcast. This is due to how they compress their video. I think they allow 5.7Mbps per stream and use MPEG4 which is supposedly better than MPEG2 but 5.7 is VERY low and you can definitely tell. Channel quality varies widely it seems too so hopefully they work on fixing this as ESPNU looked great the other night while ESPN looked like garbage. It just depends but my CBS feed watching NFL right now is poor.

- I am not getting anywhere near 18Mbps speed on internet. Before I switched I ran speed test on comcast and got 15 Mbps. I am averaging about 6-10Mbps now which isn't bad, but NOT what I am paying for. They are supposedly looking into it but I'm not confident they will figure it out.


Let me know if anyone has any more questions about U-verse! If they can get my internet speed closer to what I'm paying for and hopefully fix their compression schemes on some HD content then I'd be very satisfied. Right now, I'll give it a B.

Thanks. I may not get the Uverse TV, but I am definitely needing the internet. I am getting only 1.5mps and i need more speed.

I just got U-verse installed about a week ago (I'm in Belle Hall in Mt. P). I had Comcast before. <...clipped...>

Nice. I am in Belle Hall as well ... using Comcast. Knology came knocking and offered a 3fer for $99.00. But Comcast is giving me a great deal ($106 for Showtime + all HD + cablecard + HS Internet + Voice). Knology internet speeds are lower.

I might be interested in UVerse if I can get my Tivo box to work with it. However, I am concerned about the pixelization issues. I tend to be overly picky about video and audio quality (avsforum membership requirement?).

AT&T UVerse will not work with TiVo. I think they use IP technology to select / change channels which will not work with TiVo.

I just got U-verse installed about a week ago (I'm in Belle Hall in Mt. P). I had Comcast before. I went with an internet/tv package, the U200 with 18Mbps Internet. You can see the channel lineup for the packages here, https://uma.att.com/general/201-AMSS-X-DMA2-POPUP.html.

Here are my impressions --

+ Menu and guide layout are really nicely done and feel like they were actually created in the 2000's as opposed to Comcast's dated looking guide.

+ Channels switch almost instantly like in the tv days of old.

+ Receiver boxes are smaller than what I had with Comcast.

+ The price is cheaper right now but I'm sure it will be fairly comparable for me when all the discounts run out.

+ Depending on how far you are from the VRAD you can get up to 3 HD streams at once and 1 SD stream. So I can record 3 HD shows at once which is nice on the rare occasion 3 are on at the same time. They are also adding 1 stream to each package soon so I will have the ability to record 4 HD streams at once.

+ I LOVE being able to watch my recorded shows in the bedroom.

+ The Iphone app is really nice if you are out and want to record something, just fire it up and pick the show you want to record.

+ You can also manage recordings, etc, online.

- The picture quality on my 52" is dissapointing. Sports or fast moving scenes especially exhibit pixelation way more than I ever had with Comcast. This is due to how they compress their video. I think they allow 5.7Mbps per stream and use MPEG4 which is supposedly better than MPEG2 but 5.7 is VERY low and you can definitely tell. Channel quality varies widely it seems too so hopefully they work on fixing this as ESPNU looked great the other night while ESPN looked like garbage. It just depends but my CBS feed watching NFL right now is poor.

- I am not getting anywhere near 18Mbps speed on internet. Before I switched I ran speed test on comcast and got 15 Mbps. I am averaging about 6-10Mbps now which isn't bad, but NOT what I am paying for. They are supposedly looking into it but I'm not confident they will figure it out.


Let me know if anyone has any more questions about U-verse! If they can get my internet speed closer to what I'm paying for and hopefully fix their compression schemes on some HD content then I'd be very satisfied. Right now, I'll give it a B.
Thanks for the write-up. I just went online and did a line-by-line comparison of the offerings and switching would save me $60 (not including initial discounts). By combining from Vonage, DirecTV and Comcast, I could be happy paying less. But if I buy the UltraMax Internet (24Mbps) and can't meet or exceed current Comcast speeds (21up/3dn), that hurts the value. And UVerse doesn't appear to have Fox Soccer in HD (this hurts) or even offer Fox Soccer Plus (another ding), but they do have pretty much all the sports channels I "need".

I have no real problems with D*, Vonage, or Comcast, aside from the savings of monthly expense. So I don't want to fix it if it ain't broke. I would love to hear some more reports (good and bad) about local UVerse service before deciding. Thanks for any input/feedback!

And Merry Christmas everyone! :)

Still waiting on opinions from anyone who has U-verse yet. Luv, you mentioned that U-verse was coming to Dunes West. Did you get it? What part of Dunes West was it coming to. I am in Richmond Cove. Is it coming anytime soon there, do you know?

Sorry I haven't kept up with the forum...I live in Cypress Pointe at Dunes West. They recently installed a VRAD at the end of the street so I should be less than 1000 ft from the VRAD.
I got the 18Mbps and the U200 service and voice. My only "issue" in the limit of having only two HD channels being watched live or recorded at a time. Not really any different that D* which I previously had, just a little annoyance. No real issues at all, no rains fades and don't have to pay $200 to "lease" an HD DVR like D* wanted.
Not going back to D* anytime.:D

I pay for 18 and can get it if I have multiple connections open at he same time (read Torrents) I get my 18mbps through torrents. If I do a speed test to Atlanta I can get 16-18, but other locations are lower.
I've heard it's basically AT&T's network that is just overloaded and speeds will be crappy until they increase their capacity. My link speed for the internet is 36mbps (it's really DSL and I can see the link speed in the 2wire box) In the last month or so I've seen the Atlanta speed go up from about 8 to about 16-18.

I just got U-verse installed about a week ago (I'm in Belle Hall in Mt. P). I had Comcast before. I went with an internet/tv package, the U200 with 18Mbps Internet. You can see the channel lineup for the packages here, https://uma.att.com/general/201-AMSS-X-DMA2-POPUP.html.

Here are my impressions --

+ Menu and guide layout are really nicely done and feel like they were actually created in the 2000's as opposed to Comcast's dated looking guide.

+ Channels switch almost instantly like in the tv days of old.

+ Receiver boxes are smaller than what I had with Comcast.

+ The price is cheaper right now but I'm sure it will be fairly comparable for me when all the discounts run out.

+ Depending on how far you are from the VRAD you can get up to 3 HD streams at once and 1 SD stream. So I can record 3 HD shows at once which is nice on the rare occasion 3 are on at the same time. They are also adding 1 stream to each package soon so I will have the ability to record 4 HD streams at once.

+ I LOVE being able to watch my recorded shows in the bedroom.

+ The Iphone app is really nice if you are out and want to record something, just fire it up and pick the show you want to record.

+ You can also manage recordings, etc, online.

- The picture quality on my 52" is dissapointing. Sports or fast moving scenes especially exhibit pixelation way more than I ever had with Comcast. This is due to how they compress their video. I think they allow 5.7Mbps per stream and use MPEG4 which is supposedly better than MPEG2 but 5.7 is VERY low and you can definitely tell. Channel quality varies widely it seems too so hopefully they work on fixing this as ESPNU looked great the other night while ESPN looked like garbage. It just depends but my CBS feed watching NFL right now is poor.

- I am not getting anywhere near 18Mbps speed on internet. Before I switched I ran speed test on comcast and got 15 Mbps. I am averaging about 6-10Mbps now which isn't bad, but NOT what I am paying for. They are supposedly looking into it but I'm not confident they will figure it out.


Let me know if anyone has any more questions about U-verse! If they can get my internet speed closer to what I'm paying for and hopefully fix their compression schemes on some HD content then I'd be very satisfied. Right now, I'll give it a B.

I pay for 18 and can get it if I have multiple connections open at he same time (read Torrents) I get my 18mbps through torrents. If I do a speed test to Atlanta I can get 16-18, but other locations are lower.
I've heard it's basically AT&T's network that is just overloaded and speeds will be crappy until they increase their capacity. My link speed for the internet is 36mbps (it's really DSL and I can see the link speed in the 2wire box) In the last month or so I've seen the Atlanta speed go up from about 8 to about 16-18.

Thanks for the write-up. I just went online and did a line-by-line comparison of the offerings and switching would save me $60 (not including initial discounts). By combining from Vonage, DirecTV and Comcast, I could be happy paying less. But if I buy the UltraMax Internet (24Mbps) and can't meet or exceed current Comcast speeds (21up/3dn), that hurts the value. And UVerse doesn't appear to have Fox Soccer in HD (this hurts) or even offer Fox Soccer Plus (another ding), but they do have pretty much all the sports channels I "need".

I have no real problems with D*, Vonage, or Comcast, aside from the savings of monthly expense. So I don't want to fix it if it ain't broke. I would love to hear some more reports (good and bad) about local UVerse service before deciding. Thanks for any input/feedback!

And Merry Christmas everyone! :)

Yes, no Fox Soccer or Gol in HD, no way. I just got that for D*. For me, it's not much cheaper to switch. I have D*, HD, DVR, sports pack, Showtime. ATT DSL and no home phone. Not any cheaper after initial discounts.

Comcast ... when are we getting MSNBC in HD in Charleston. MSNBC started broadcasting in HD close to two years ago !!!

Yes, no Fox Soccer or Gol in HD, no way. I just got that for D*. For me, it's not much cheaper to switch. I have D*, HD, DVR, sports pack, Showtime. ATT DSL and no home phone. Not any cheaper after initial discounts.

Thanks for confirmation and feedback. The issue of saving money is nice, but not at the expense of losing what I watch on a daily basis.

http://cmhomer.home.comcast.net/~cmhomer/uploads/Comcast_digital_adapter.png
Image above only shows if logged in.

This is a humorous diagram on the Comcast website under the Comcast Digital Migration link on the comcast.com website. So it appears to me if you want to watch In the Clear local HD broadcast when this service rolls out you will need to have a A/B switch. It nicely appears that Comcast will provide these, but I assume one needs to manually flip the switch.

Wow, I feel like I'm stepping back in time when you had to flip the A/B switch to play your video gaming console. Oh, and that was sarcasm as who enjoy having to flip a switch to change the channel. Try explaining that to a 4 year old.

And apparently the controlling of the DVR from online that I keep seeing commercials about, isn't available here either. Stop showing the darn commercial here then. Don't dangle a carrot in front of me if you aren't going to ever let me get it.

Wow. When is this effective?

Thanks for confirmation and feedback. The issue of saving money is nice, but not at the expense of losing what I watch on a daily basis.

Oh and I googled ATT Uverse reviews. Not good!!!! I won't be switching just yet.

Wow. When is this effective?

Can't answer that. At the rate we get our upgrades in our area it could be years, didn't other Comcast areas get new boxes with better software a year or so ago and we are still dealing with the crappy interface?

Can't answer that. At the rate we get our upgrades in our area it could be years, didn't other Comcast areas get new boxes with better software a year or so ago and we are still dealing with the crappy interface?

It won't be years. I cannot say much more than that.

In the mean time check out xfinitytv.com. It is free with your video subscription. you will need your Comcast email id. I use it a fair amount when I travel.

Andrews from Comcast

Can't answer that. At the rate we get our upgrades in our area it could be years, didn't other Comcast areas get new boxes with better software a year or so ago and we are still dealing with the crappy interface?

Years would be great. That is terrible if Comcast has to go to an A/B switch to get locals in HD

TW has sent me 2 mails about ESPN Buzzer Beater, if you live in the Charleston DMA you cannot have this channel and no one at TW or ESPN knows why. Anyone know anything? I have the right stuff to get it. Some friends of ours live in Horry County and they get it. It is supposed to be part of the Disney settlement last fall. It was Goal Line in the fall and dealt with college football, Buzzer Beater deals with college basketball

It won't be years. I cannot say much more than that.

In the mean time check out xfinitytv.com. It is free with your video subscription. you will need your Comcast email id. I use it a fair amount when I travel.

Andrews from Comcast

I took a quick look at the xfinitytv.com and wasn't impressed with the quality. Is it suppose to be real compressed? Looks okay on the small image, but as soon as I blew it up to fullscreen it was very blurry.

What's the deal with searching the On-demand from that site? I would think it would show all that is currently available to be viewed on my cable box. There are a bunch of surfing clips on Havoc TV under sports, but when searching here it barely showed any and there was no detail to anything. One of the big problems with On-demand is not being able to search. Even if you did know something was there you wanted to watch, you have to figure out where it is buried in the submenus. Also, back on the surfing clips, they are only 4 minutes long or so and having to scroll all the way back through the menus is annoying. Same issue with watching music videos.

These types of issues ever going to get resolved or are we stuck with the "be happy we offer it" mentality? It otherwise could be a great thing. Off course if I decide to go the route of HTPC and cable cards, I'd lose out on On-demand, so could be a mute point for me, but sure others would like to see improvement.

A few weeks ago I was trying to enjoy "Ribbons of Sand" on PBS-HD and was appalled at the excessive compression. So I decided to email PBS. Here is the entire thread. The first one from me to ETV ... the other two are from their engineers.

---------
I have been a long time contributor to the ETV fund drive (phone
number for proof - 843-xxx-xxxx). I have been in Columbia / Charleston
area for the last 23 years.

I am at wits end now with the shoddy quality of your HD feed. This has
gone too long. When the compression artifact issues were raised with
your office several years ago, I was assured that it was only a matter
of time before technology advancement would make that problem a thing
of the past. Well, that has not happened with your feed.

Last night ... I was watching the HD broadcast of Ribbons of Sand
(narrated by Meryl Streep) using a large over-the-air antenna... and I
was absolutely dismayed at how the compression (during fast motion)
totally ruined the experience. I eventually switched channels.

No .. the problem is not at my end. I am a techie geek and so are
several of my friends. We have all experienced this problem with your
HD feed (regardless of the transport: cable, OTA, satellite, etc.).
This happens all the time. All you have to do to verify my claim ...
is to sit down in front of an HDTV set during prime-time and watch
your channel. Yes, that simple !

I would like this problem resolved since my family and friends are
avid nature&art lovers. Its an insult to compress and ruin a wonderful
show... for one .. to the cinematographer who painstakingly captured
all those wonderful moments.

If ETV & PBS think your viewers are NOT critical about the quality of
your HD feed ... think again ... before you lose more viewers. //

Max
----------------------------------------------------------


---------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for your communication of concern to us regarding our HD signal quality.

We apologize for the problem you are seeing with digital artifacts on our ETV HD service. I was the one who responded to your initial concerns the last time, and we are very concerned about pleasing our viewers and listeners to the very best of our ability with the very highest quality of service we are able to provide.

The SC ETV HD service is 1 of 3 full-time services we broadcast over-the-air: Service 1: ETV HD; Service: 2: SCC (SD); Service 3: ETV World (SD), & therein lies the problem you describe.

Virtually all commercials stations only run two services, with the second service being a rather static weather service in SD, & the very latest in MPEG-2 digital transport encoders. And sometimes they are not running their HD service at all. Our 3 services are all full motion video & we are packing it all into one 19.9 Mb/sec bitstream with a first generation MPEG-2 digital transport encoder.

Without going into further detail, I am asking Hap G., P. E., our VP for Engineering & Chief Engineer, to respond to your concerns in more detail, including any updates regarding planned signal improvement.

We sincerely appreciate your support over the years & we hope we are able to allay your concerns somewhat when Mr. Griffin responds to you.

Regards,


Campbell C F.
--------------------------------------------------------


------------------------------------------------------
Campbell is correct in that it has been our plan for some time to upgrade our DTV encoder system to a more modern unit that uses the increases in encoding efficiency that have come about since we first went on the air digitally over 10 years ago (January 2000 at WRLK in Columbia). However, since that time, we have taken one state budget cut after another, with 42% of our budget having been taken since 2008 alone resulting in heavy personnel loses for our agency. Be that as it may, we have strived to adjust the system to provide the best encoding efficiency possible with an encoder of that vintage, and in fact, often receive reports from viewers that we have the best looking HD in the Columbia market. As Campbell also noted, our mandate to provide the citizens of South Carolina with programming choices other than simply the national PBS schedule demands that the limited amount of bandwidth in a single TV channel be shared among the PBS HD programming and the two standard definition channels broadcast alongside it. If we had the ability to dedicate the entire channel bandwidth to the HD programming, the images would be even better.

So, the bottom line is that we are pinched between using an encoder now more than a decade old along with the requirement to provide three separate program streams within the channel bandwidth. I believe that we are at the optimal settings for picture quality within the limits we have to operate.

Thank you for your report, and I do hope that we can upgrade sometime in the foreseeable future.

Hap G.
--------------------------------------------

ETV hasn't looked right for years. The This Old House programs have an overall dark presentation.
The pQ in HD just clearly is not there. Not sharp.
The budget cuts that ETV has been experiencing goes back to Gov. Hodges.
A relative of mine ran SCETV and it showed a profit until Gov. Hodges was elected.
The other thing that really goads me about ETV is the fund raising. I like to watch TOH and it seems that is preempted ALL of the time. I can't get into the habit of watching because it is more often not on than on saturday at 9AM.
About 20 years ago I called them to complained and the lady said that I could donate money to help fund the network. i told her I could write her a check for $100K and they will still have fundraisers and still preempt it.
Why not have fundraisers but still show TOH? That's a novel approach, huh?
All I got was silence.

What is the newest HD DVR they have?

Any guess what WCSC's WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) is all about?

I saw something interesting last night when I picked up WTAT. My TV said the audio was "Mono". I have never seen that before displayed when I turn to a station. The sound was coming from the center speaker though, much like a couple of stations I get in North Carolina.

Any guess what WCSC's WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) is all about?

I think it is a promotion from Lennar. What You See Is What You Get.

I saw something interesting last night when I picked up WTAT. My TV said the audio was "Mono". I have never seen that before displayed when I turn to a station. The sound was coming from the center speaker though, much like a couple of stations I get in North Carolina.

Yes same here. Wtat 24 transmission quality audio and video has gone to he!!. My MCE dvr will record it but it is unwatchable as it constantly has so much error MCE just stops on playback. I can press play and it will continue for maybe 1 - 2 minutes and then stop again. I quit bothering with them because of it but it is a shame as I recorded many movies and old sitcoms from there which I enjoy :mad:. Chan 36has been almost as bad. If they get their act back together hope someone will post here.

I was wondering if anyone knows if something has changed with Comcast access to the National Geographic HD and Science Channel HD? We have HD Digital preferred and used to get those two channels on 413 and 446 respectively. I can't get them any longer and according to Comcast's tv lineup I should.

I may need to call but was wondering if anyone else is seeing the same thing before I do.

Also, someone from Comcast told me recently that as of April 1 we would have to have a box to receive digital channels (unless your tv has a tuner).

word is that WCIV (Channel 4) is making its move towards high definition newscasts in the coming months. HD wings already show up on their local broadcasts.:)

I was wondering if anyone knows if something has changed with Comcast access to the National Geographic HD and Science Channel HD? We have HD Digital preferred and used to get those two channels on 413 and 446 respectively. I can't get them any longer and according to Comcast's tv lineup I should.

I may need to call but was wondering if anyone else is seeing the same thing before I do.

Also, someone from Comcast told me recently that as of April 1 we would have to have a box to receive digital channels (unless your tv has a tuner).

I'll check and see if they changed the tier mask that would effect Science and Nat Geo HD. I still have them at the house and have the same tier.

Everyone in Charleston will see a Guide Change on March 3 2011. Details below.

What’s new?
• Color-coded TV Grid
• New Faster On Demand Menu
• More Program Information
• Convenient Quick Menu
http://www.comcast.net/meetyourguide/

Customer Notifications:

Beginning on 02/14 customers will see the following Bill Message printed on their monthly statements:
On 03/03/2011 your On-Screen Program Guide is being traded in for a brand-new, faster Guide. For more information on the new navigation and menus, and the benefits of the new Guide, visit comcast.net/meetyourguide

As for the box comment please let me seek clarity as to what I can say. I will say that in Charleston we are going to see A BUNCH of positive changes to our products this year.

Thanks

Andrews

I'll check and see if they changed the tier mask that would effect Science and Nat Geo HD. I still have them at the house and have the same tier.

Everyone in Charleston will see a Guide Change on March 3 2011. Details below.

What’s new?
• Color-coded TV Grid
• New Faster On Demand Menu
• More Program Information
• Convenient Quick Menu
http://www.comcast.net/meetyourguide/

Customer Notifications:

Beginning on 02/14 customers will see the following Bill Message printed on their monthly statements:
On 03/03/2011 your On-Screen Program Guide is being traded in for a brand-new, faster Guide. For more information on the new navigation and menus, and the benefits of the new Guide, visit comcast.net/meetyourguide

As for the box comment please let me seek clarity as to what I can say. I will say that in Charleston we are going to see A BUNCH of positive changes to our products this year.

Thanks

Andrews

Andrews,

Thanks for being our link to the folks behind the curtain.

Since I have a TIVO premiere ... the guide does not benefit me.

What I would like to know is about new HD channels. I was expecting us to get MSNBC-HD by now. They have been broadcasting in HD since 2009. I was on travel last week to the NorthEast and they have MSNBC in HD. Its about time we had it.

Also, Bloomberg should be available in the basic tier ... similar to CNBC.

Thanks for checking. It's working now, had to have the codes (if that's the right way to say it) resent to the box. We were missing all kinds of channels.

Thanks, also, for the heads up on the upcoming changes!

I'll check and see if they changed the tier mask that would effect Science and Nat Geo HD. I still have them at the house and have the same tier.

Everyone in Charleston will see a Guide Change on March 3 2011. Details below.

What’s new?
• Color-coded TV Grid
• New Faster On Demand Menu
• More Program Information
• Convenient Quick Menu
http://www.comcast.net/meetyourguide/

Customer Notifications:

Beginning on 02/14 customers will see the following Bill Message printed on their monthly statements:
On 03/03/2011 your On-Screen Program Guide is being traded in for a brand-new, faster Guide. For more information on the new navigation and menus, and the benefits of the new Guide, visit comcast.net/meetyourguide

As for the box comment please let me seek clarity as to what I can say. I will say that in Charleston we are going to see A BUNCH of positive changes to our products this year.

Thanks

Andrews

New Comcast guide is much better, well I haven't really checked the guide out yet, but the On Demand is a heck of a lot better. Actually drops you back in the same menu you were at when you finish watching a show. Really good for those short clips.

When will Comcast get FuelTV?

Wow, this update to the guide is horrible. An ad I have to skip over as I scroll through the guide. Recordings just stop in the middle. It can no longer tell what's a new show and what's a rerun so it records them all. About half of the scheduled recordings are no longer set. You can't turn off the box while it is recording???!!

I'll give it credit that the OnDemand is better, but I'm quite disappointed in the rest.

Wow, this update to the guide is horrible. An ad I have to skip over as I scroll through the guide. Recordings just stop in the middle. It can no longer tell what's a new show and what's a rerun so it records them all. About half of the scheduled recordings are no longer set. You can't turn off the box while it is recording???!!

I'll give it credit that the OnDemand is better, but I'm quite disappointed in the rest.
Weezer,

Sorry you don't care for the new guide. There are certainly some differences from the last one. The good news is this is the beginning and not the end. This is not the last guide update you will get from Comcast. I suspect the next changes will be more subtle and make certain features better.

We had to move to this platform to be able to deploy advanced services and guide improvements in the future.

Thanks

Andrews

Wow, this update to the guide is horrible. An ad I have to skip over as I scroll through the guide. Recordings just stop in the middle. It can no longer tell what's a new show and what's a rerun so it records them all. About half of the scheduled recordings are no longer set. You can't turn off the box while it is recording???!!

I'll give it credit that the OnDemand is better, but I'm quite disappointed in the rest.

I agree. Having to leave the box on while recording is ridiculous. The ads are BS, we get enough adds while watching shows, why do we need one more ad? Luckily I have experienced recording issues, but I'm not liking the new guide. Especially when I haven't turned it on yet and rather than display the time (even though the settings has it set to display time) it says "rec".

Not being able to have the DVR show oldest shows first is just plain stupid. I should be able to arrange how they are displayed as one would think you'd watch the oldest shows first.

Once again I am extremely pleased with the improvements in the OnDemand, but the guide is far from being desired.

Andrews, I hope your are right and changes come. I'm all for change, but when it truly is a step back, that's never good. Please relay our concerns.

I like the new on-demand functions. I think once we learn the new guidelines and recording issues, the ability to watch remotely will far exceed these minor nuances.
Heck, I still remember when all we had was a few videos on HD Net and no other HD content or channels. So we are moving in the right direction.

20 year continuous Comcast customer. (I think they bought somebody out in 97.)
Original HD Set-Box Beta Tester.

Looking forward to watching my CHS local stations while traveling via internet in the near future.

I'm confused why the new Comcast software makes turning it on that much slower. I keep thinking it didn't get the signal from the remote, but it has, just takes longer to turn on. Also, the issue with not being able to turn it off while recording, I figured it would turn off after, not the case. Found the thing still on in the morning.

WSAV, WCBD's sister station in Savannah went HD this week only with their studio cameras. Their reporters are still using SD cameras.

I understand there are changes to guide that not everyone cares for. The reality is to launch advance products we had move to the new platform. There will be a lot more features on the new guide that were not possible on the old guide.

Starting next month we are beginning to deploy Digital Transport Adapter (DTA) devices in small pockets of Charleston. I can’t say where yet, but we would rather try a few small places first to make sure it goes smooth. The immediate benefit of moving to an all digital platform is the launch of more channels so that Comcast will offer over 100 HD channels. It is good stuff.

We will be doing parts of towns at different times. Several factors go into which order we go in. The dates are very fluid and I cannot share them until we get pretty close.
For those of you who are not familiar with DTA. A DTA is a small device that is not a box but instead a device that converts digital signal back to analog for older sets. Customers who currently have digital equipment will be able to get to 2 DTA’s for no charge. Anymore than 2 DTA’s; will be provided at a cost of $1.99 per device per month. It includes an IR cable so you can hide box. In my personal house I will probably Velcro them to the back of my TV’s. They fit perfect on the back of a flat panel.

On another geek note I am ordered my Ipad 2 friday. A couple weeks back we enabled on demand streaming on the Ipad via the Xfinity app. We have not cut on all the features yet (no remote schedule the DVR yet). The app is still pretty cool. If you have an IPAD the app is free if you have TV and internet with us. I can watch tons of content (I think over 20,000 titles on demand) like Boardwalk Empire on HBO.

Regards,

Andrews

andrews_mcilwain@cable.comcast.com

There will be a lot more features on the new guide that were not possible on the old guide.


Like putting ads at the bottom that you actually have to scroll over while scrolling up or down the guide? Is that considered a feature? I'm excited to see what other features will be added.

Do you really think one small ad at the bottom is what we consider feature?

There are a bunch of the features I can't talk about yet. I can tell you at somepoint we will do the remote schedule on the DVR and put the hooks into the IPAD and Android APP so there is cross platform integration.

While I have a different perspective than several members on the board I am similar in that I have 5 flat TVS in my house and am a bit of a geek. I try a ton of different gadgets (and my wife tolerates it). I have a gigabit network at the house.

I am on the forum to help the Comcast folks locally and have to be cautious as to what I say. This is not what I do.

I will say I have been with Comcast a while we had 40,000 cable modem customers nationwide when I started. Charleston was the first DOCSIS cable modem market in the country for our company.

I look at where we are today and think it is cool. I look where we are heading in terms of the platforms and get very excited. It is very cool stuff.

Andrews

Do you really think one small ad at the bottom is what we consider feature?

There are a bunch of the features I can't talk about yet. I can tell you at somepoint we will do the remote schedule on the DVR and put the hooks into the IPAD and Android APP so there is cross platform integration.

While I have a different perspective than several members on the board I am similar in that I have 5 flat TVS in my house and am a bit of a geek. I try a ton of different gadgets (and my wife tolerates it). I have a gigabit network at the house.

I am on the forum to help the Comcast folks locally and have to be cautious as to what I say. This is not what I do.

I will say I have been with Comcast a while we had 40,000 cable modem customers nationwide when I started. Charleston was the first DOCSIS cable modem market in the country for our company.

I look at where we are today and think it is cool. I look where we are heading in terms of the platforms and get very excited. It is very cool stuff.

Andrews


Andrews,

We do appreciate what you do for this forum. Being a Directv customer, I am always looking at what the others are doing in order to make a informed decision when the time comes to look at other options.

I am also a Directv customer and am always looking at other options. My parents have Comcast in Charleston, so it's easy to compare and decide.

Coming from an all soccer family, I can tell you that my father wants to switch because Fox Soccer Channel and Gol TV are not in HD. After researching, I have found it is only available in Albaquerque, NM???? And Philly next month? weird.

Anyway, thanks for keeping us posted.

For those of you who are not familiar with DTA. A DTA is a small device that is not a box but instead a device that converts digital signal back to analog for older sets.
I am not very savvy in the digital/analog stuff, so I'm hoping you can clarify a little for me.
We have the digital/hd basic package. One tv has the box connected to it, the other doesn't have any type of box - where the Comcast cable connects to the tv it says dtv/tv.

Will I have DTAs?

Thanks for all of your help Andrews, you are much appreciated!

Okay, anyone figure out the rhyme or reason behind which shows got dropped from recording and which didn't on the Comcast upgrade. Seemed like last week was recording fine, this week I've found many shows not scheduled.

Scarborv,

Reading Andrews post and what I've read before on it, all TV's will require this box. Probably has to do with being able to lock channels out with the box and not being able to do it with different TV's. I thought I read on Comcasts site when I made the post about the A/B switch was that 3 would be provided to each house, but Andrews is saying 2.

On another geek note I am ordered my Ipad 2 friday. A couple weeks back we enabled on demand streaming on the Ipad via the Xfinity app. We have not cut on all the features yet (no remote schedule the DVR yet). The app is still pretty cool. If you have an IPAD the app is free if you have TV and internet with us. I can watch tons of content (I think over 20,000 titles on demand) like Boardwalk Empire on HBO.

Regards,

Andrews

andrews_mcilwain@cable.comcast.com

Andrews ... I got my ipad 2 on Friday as well. Perhaps we were standing on the same line :)

Ok .. so earlier today (prior to visiting this forum today) I noticed the Xfinity TV app while browsing the AppStore on my ipad. I read somewhere that one could watch some channels LIVE. Well I downloaded the app and its really cool. I can watch a ton of movies during work hours (before getting fired). But no LIVE TV :(

Perhaps the news channels like CNN / FOX / MSNBC can be broadcast live via the app ??

Let me know where you all stand on that.

Also ... looking forward to more HD channels ... not much activity lately on that front. May I suggest MSNBC HD and Starz West Coast feed ?

Do you have Time Warner as a choice? We get 32 live channels on the TWC iPad app.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5212/5530549226_b9f800e233.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/32252569@N02/5530549226/)

Do you have Time Warner as a choice? We get 32 live channels on the TWC iPad app.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5212/5530549226_b9f800e233.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/32252569@N02/5530549226/)

Darn ! fire at that plant again. Thanks ... since my Comcast ipad app does not give access to live channels ... you should post screen captures from your TW live app every few minutes :)

That was from sometime last week when the TWC iPad app came out.

Anyone else in Mount Pleasant having a Comcast outage right now? Got no Internet and every tv channel says, "One Moment Please - This channel should be available shortly."

Nevermind. Despite the Network Status page on Comcast's web site's statements to the contrary, there is an outage in the area.

Comcast and the IPAD app.

We don't have live content yet. It is a licensing issue. We announced at CES we will have some content live later this year. The cool thing is our content is available anywhere wi-fi is and does not require you to be in your house.

As for TW and their IPAD app search the web about it. I would rather not comment about their stuff. Below is an interesting article.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20046193-17.html?tag=cnetRiver

As for TW and their IPAD app search the web about it. I would rather not comment about their stuff. Below is an interesting article.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20046193-17.html?tag=cnetRiver

I don't need to search the web because I have it and it's awesome. You would do well to end up with exactly the same thing. Don't know about licensing issues but it came out with 32 live, popular channels and that is what it has now.

This new software is just awful. I'm about to dump Comcast over it and go back to D*.

I can't even switch between SD and HD channels at times without the box just kicking the bucket. I get stuck with a blue screen that persists through several power cycles. I've got it to come back a few times, but there's no rhyme or reason to it.

My favorite part is the help page I found online that asks me to make sure it's on channel 3 or 4, like it was 1998 or something.

If anyone lives in the Oakbrook area of Summerville and has any idea why there is a HTC Bluewave truck on Bacons Bridge Road and some equipment laying lines underground, I would LOVE to know.

I don't need to search the web because I have it and it's awesome. You would do well to end up with exactly the same thing. Don't know about licensing issues but it came out with 32 live, popular channels and that is what it has now.

I am on Comcast. But I have no need for something like the TW iPAD app. You can only watch it when you are home. Thats kinda dorky. Why would I want to watch live TV through my iPad when I have a killer HDTV sitting a few feet away ! I want an iPad app that allows me to watch TV on the iPad when I am away from home.

Also ... "popular channels" usually suggests "below average" ..

A case in point ...

This youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2LRROpph0) has 88Million hits !

... while this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUQofFirOfU) only has 24000 hits.

Can you guess which one is "popular" and which one is "the beast" (as my son would say)?

Why would I want to watch live TV through my iPad

Because you can easily carry a "TV" wherever you are around the house for one reason. If you can't think of others you're not thinking.

Total channels now over 50. :)

Why can't I turn off this Comcast box while it is recording an episode? If it is off when a recording starts I don't wake up in the morning to find it on, so why does it not shut itself off when it is done recording. This needs to be fixed ASAP. What a waste of energy. If I don't remember to shut it off in the morning, it stays on all day.

The HD PBS channels (7-1, 7-2, 7-3) have disappeared for me on Comcast. I still have 2-1, 4-1, 5-1, and 24-1. Anyone know why the PBS channels disappeared? My son misses the cartoons on 7-3.

Sorry, I meant to say my PBS QAM channels.

Well, the time has come. I have scheduled for Comcast to be my total carrier beginning May 18th. Dropping Vonage...dropping DirecTV...I will save about $100/month. I will lose some HD, but this is not the end of the world. With both BluRay players networked to NetFlix, Amazon On Demand, Hulu, etc, I have ways of filling the gaps. My biggest cause for delay in switching has been the soccer coverage. I am giving FoxSoccer.tv a chance to cover the gap. The cost for that stand-alone subscription is exactly what it cost me for the Setanta/FoxSoccerPlus add-on with DirecTV, so it's a wash. They claim HD-quality video on-demand and live footage. Of course this will also free up some space on the DVR's...my wife will like that. :)

Major bummer that Comcast DVR's can't talk to each other to share recordings. Gonna miss that...A LOT!

All in all, I am curious to see how this plays out. Aside form saving $1000/yr, this could be a big step towards going to a more streamlined, OnDemand way of life. A true a-la-carte TV viewing future.

So any recent converts from D* to Comcast care to share their happiness/dread? Any pitfalls I may have overlooked? Any unknown advantages I might expect?

On TV's without a box on Comcast my channels above 14 or so appear to be digital and not coming through clear. Basically sections of the picture are scrambled with digital blocks. Anyone else notice this?

On TV's without a box on Comcast my channels above 14 or so appear to be digital and not coming through clear. Basically sections of the picture are scrambled with digital blocks. Anyone else notice this?

Yes, they sent a notice out a month ago. you need a box.

Yes, they sent a notice out a month ago. you need a box.

Must have sent it with those annoying adds trying to get me to sign up for the digital phone. Knew it was coming, guess I didn't know when. Best is I need 4 boxes and I think it was only 2 or 3 they are giving for free, correct?

Must have sent it with those annoying adds trying to get me to sign up for the digital phone. Knew it was coming, guess I didn't know when. Best is I need 4 boxes and I think it was only 2 or 3 they are giving for free, correct?

Doubt it. I'm guessing first box free and then each additional box is their monthly lease charge...$7/month I think. Total ripoff!!!

Hey guys, quick question. I am in Charleston, SC and had DirecTV. I am now switching back to Comcast. I was wondering if there are HD channels for Sports South and FSN South. I like to watch Braves games in HD and was hoping they would have those on Comcast.

Anybody??

Hey guys, quick question. I am in Charleston, SC and had DirecTV. I am now switching back to Comcast. I was wondering if there are HD channels for Sports South and FSN South. I like to watch Braves games in HD and was hoping they would have those on Comcast.

I have Directv too but I do believe you can get all the Braves games in HD on Comcast. Someone will correct me if I am wrong.

I have Directv too but I do believe you can get all the Braves games in HD on Comcast. Someone will correct me if I am wrong.

I can confirm FSN South is in HD. Haven't had a chance to check to see if Sports South is in HD yet. If not, looks like I'll be switching back to DTV.

I can confirm FSN South is in HD. Haven't had a chance to check to see if Sports South is in HD yet. If not, looks like I'll be switching back to DTV.

SportsSouthHD is on channel 408

SportsSouthHD is on channel 408
No channel 408 available on my HD/DVR box in Mt Pleasant

No channel 408 available on my HD/DVR box in Mt Pleasant

Funny I am in Mt. Pleasant and it is showing up on mine. It is something you have to subscribe to the Sports and Entertainment package though, I believe.

I called Comcast and they told me channel 408 is not available in my area of Mt Pleasant yet. I do have the sports package. Doesn't make sense to me, but then again, nothing Comcast does makes sense.

I called Comcast and they told me channel 408 is not available in my area of Mt Pleasant yet. I do have the sports package. Doesn't make sense to me, but then again, nothing Comcast does makes sense.

Yeah that is weird. I have to say that I recently tried Comcast out last week. I have to say that the picture quality has improved alot since the all digital upgrade in my area, but the new guide stinks. Now I know that they probably will improve it over time, but the lack of features right now convinced me to stick with Directv.

Does anyone else have specific issues with ESPNU HD. I had an RNG 150 at my old house on my roommate's cable, and ESPNU HD always gave me the "One Moment Please - This Channel Will Load Shortly" screen. Now that I have my own cable at a new place, I still have the same issue with a completely different piece of hardware. It'd be crazy for it to be something with my TV, right? Maybe the package? I think I have Digital Preferred. Is that the right one to get ESPNU HD?

Does anyone else have specific issues with ESPNU HD. I had an RNG 150 at my old house on my roommate's cable, and ESPNU HD always gave me the "One Moment Please - This Channel Will Load Shortly" screen. Now that I have my own cable at a new place, I still have the same issue with a completely different piece of hardware. It'd be crazy for it to be something with my TV, right? Maybe the package? I think I have Digital Preferred. Is that the right one to get ESPNU HD?

I had the same problem. Another reason I am sticking with Directv.

Anyone watch the Players Championship today and like how WCBD put their logo right over the hole on KJ Choi's put on 18 during regulation. Earlier in the telecast they had their VIPR logo stuck in the bottom right for some time, just cracks me up when it gets thrown up in horrible spots at the wrong time.

They ran a storm WATCH all afternoon Saturday across the bottom of the screen so whenever NBC showed all the scores you could not see them They do that crap all the time. I can understand a warning message maybe but a continual watch message is just plain junk. No other station was doing that,not even the weather channel.

Running a weather warn for a county about 150 from where I live so you cannot see the golf scores!

I talked to the station manger and he basically told me "nicely" that's too bad that is the way it is. We do not have an alternate NBC station to watch. Too bad!

I'm moving to Summerville in 3 weeks, and am looking into my TV options. I'm moving to Waterside Landing subdivision, and the local cable provider is Time Warner.

Is anyone here familiar with my area and can tell me how the OTA HD reception is? Will I need to mount an antenna, or can I pickup the locals with a good indoor antenna?

With Time Warner, do they encrypt their HD channels requiring one to rent an HD converter box? What about the local HD channels, are they broadcasted in the clear that I can tune in with my TV's QAM tuner?

Thanks!

Hmm, this forum seems pretty dormant. I went ahead and ordered TW cable since they offered me their Internet/catv special. I guess I'll find out the answers to my questions once I move.

I doubt you will be able to get anything over the air in summerville without a good antenna but I could be wrong. Both time warner and comcast open up a few HD locals that you can pickup with a normal QAM tuner. I don't have much TW experience but if you want HD, rent the box. These days i tell people to go Direct TV and be done but the package specials are hard to turn down. Welcome to the area.

Andrews,

Any ideas when some changes are coming to the Comcast box? The fact I can't turn it off if it is recording is extremely annoying. Also, the old firmware would have the myDVR at a blank screen so if you happen to be recording 2 shows and want to watch a recording you don't catch parts of one of your shows while searching through the recordings.

Thanks.

Yeah, we seem to have taken one step forward with the new EPG, and one step back. Having the box switch itself off is important as I like to record shows when I'm away.

Yeah, we seem to have taken one step forward with the new EPG, and one step back. Having the box switch itself off is important as I like to record shows when I'm away.

Guys,

I cannot say a ton on the forum. I can tell you that the guide in it's current iteration is not the last version we will have. Cool stuff in the product pipeline I promise.


Andrews

from Comcast

Does anyone know if (or when) we'll get Universal Sports in Charleston?
I noticed that the Rugby World Cup will be broadcast on that channel.

I emailed Comcast about the possibility of getting Universal Sports and got a long (almost groveling) email giving me absolutely no new information! It wasn't like I was rude, I just asked about if and when we'd get Universal Sports!

Comcast makes me miss Time Warner Cable.

When is the all digital lineup coming to Mt. Pleasant ? I am told that would bring along a host of new HD channels.

I know I don't have the upgrade yet ... because I have an analog TV in our guest room that still receives the first 99 channels.

Picking up WMMP tonight, plus channel 2 and 24 Forgive the cruelty of the photo. I just managed to catch this before it went away from the ID.

Anyone on Comcast have FOX at 86-4 or is my Vizio just not mapping it to 24-1 properly? All other stations fine except PBS, that moved some time ago to the 86's from the 7's.

Anyone on Comcast have FOX at 86-4 or is my Vizio just not mapping it to 24-1 properly? All other stations fine except PBS, that moved some time ago to the 86's from the 7's.

We have a small digital set does the same thing.

Anyone else experiencing slow remote response on Direct TV DVR boxes?

Anyone else experiencing slow remote response on Direct TV DVR boxes?

Everyday....

24/7, started about 4-5 days ago. All other digital boxes fine, just DVR.

I doubt you will be able to get anything over the air in summerville without a good antenna but I could be wrong. Both time warner and comcast open up a few HD locals that you can pickup with a normal QAM tuner. I don't have much TW experience but if you want HD, rent the box. These days i tell people to go Direct TV and be done but the package specials are hard to turn down. Welcome to the area.

I ended up getting TW Cable, am able to get just the local HD channels unencrypted, with the remaining only with their STB.

After tweaking my indoor Silver Sensor, running through a digital amp from Radio Shack, connected to my ATI HDTV Wonder and AverMedia ATSC tuner cards, I'm getting solid reception on all the major local channels. This is setup on my MCE 2005 HTPC in my bedroom on the 2nd floor, so being on a 2nd story probably helps with the reception.

Anyone know much about signal levels? This is what I'm getting on ESPNU HD (which absolutely refuses to tune in):

Tuner 1: 99.000 MHz -1 dBmV 0/Sec (avg)
FDC: 74.000 MHz -8 dBmV 0/Sec (avg)
RDC: 23.000 MHz 41 dBmV 0 uSec

Channel always says it'll be available shortly and never comes up.

Andrews (@hfc676) - Any chance we might be getting Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) in HD anytime soon? And Fox Soccer Plus would be a plus, too, but maybe we can start with the basics. Now that the EPL has started, I am jonesin' for some better quality coverage. Any updates would be great, but action would be better. ;)

By the way, thanks for the personal responses Andrews. Very excited about the new channels coming this week.

By the way, thanks for the personal responses Andrews. Very excited about the new channels coming this week.

Can I also take a look at the new channels coming this week please?

But bear in mind, apparently our new channels were part of a staggered roll-out. Your results/active dates may vary.

My guess is that, living in downtown Charleston, I will have to wait even longer.

Is there a timetable for when the new channels are due for my area?

New channels would be nice, but getting the 8300HD box to turn off while recording on the S25 software would be a huge plus. It screws up my whole logitech harmony automation.

Hi all.
We live about halfway between Goose Creek and Moncks Corner, off Hwy 52.
Our provider is Home Telco.
Can anyone tell me what OTA reception of local channels in HD is like?
I'm looking to make changes here. Home Telco is pricey for what they give us, and performance isn't the best to say the least.
I'm considering several options, one of which is an antenna for OTA HD channels.
What channels would we get here with a roof antenna, quality, etc.
Thanks in advance!
Jack

I live in Crowfield and I have since taken down my antenna with a complete switch to Comcast, but when I did use it, I received all local channels with great clarity. I had them ported into my DirecTV DVR, so I am not sure what they might appear as if you tie directly into your TV or any other STB. But basically I was getting 2-1, 2-2, 4-1, 4-2, 5-1, 5-2, (was there a 5-3?), 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 24-1, 36-1. I think I was also getting another lesser network but can't remember the call sign. But with the right antenna, probably mounted outside, as high as possible, and you should be golden.

I live in Crowfield and I have since taken down my antenna with a complete switch to Comcast, but when I did use it, I received all local channels with great clarity. I had them ported into my DirecTV DVR, so I am not sure what they might appear as if you tie directly into your TV or any other STB. But basically I was getting 2-1, 2-2, 4-1, 4-2, 5-1, 5-2, (was there a 5-3?), 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 24-1, 36-1. I think I was also getting another lesser network but can't remember the call sign. But with the right antenna, probably mounted outside, as high as possible, and you should be golden.

Thanks atp.

Hi all.
We live about halfway between Goose Creek and Moncks Corner, off Hwy 52.
Our provider is Home Telco.
Can anyone tell me what OTA reception of local channels in HD is like?
I'm looking to make changes here. Home Telco is pricey for what they give us, and performance isn't the best to say the least.
I'm considering several options, one of which is an antenna for OTA HD channels.
What channels would we get here with a roof antenna, quality, etc.
Thanks in advance!
Jack

PIMLICO, OTA only, reception very good, outdoor ant in attic, USE RG6 cable, towers are near Awendaw

A quick FYI to anyone thinking about KNOLOGY.

I have been on Comcast for over 5 years and decided to take advantage of Knology's triple-play pricing ... $79 for 1-year. It sounded really good. More so because their HD lineup included HDNet, MSNBC, Encore and a few others that Comcast does not bother to carry.

There were quite a few hiccups on installation day. But they finally managed to get my Internet, Phone and Cable up (I have TIVO Premiere). The internet was much faster than Comcast. The phone was bad (the dialtone was low and audio was scratchy ... even though the only change was the cable and the modem). The Cable TV was what did it in ... it was HORRIBLE. The compression was so bad on my 37-inch TV that it would be sacrilege to call it HD. The channel I was really looking forward to ... HDNET ... looked really really bad. I asked the installer to verify the cable signal strength and he said it was all very good.

After the five-hour project (yes, it took that long to get everything talking) ... I told the installer to pull it all down and connect Comcast back to the house setup.

I am back on Comcast ... for now.

Comcast too has compression which is noticeable when video pans across the scene ... it drives me nuts. But sadly ... Knology was worse.

I wonder how good DirecTV or Dish is ... I HATE VIDEO ARTIFACTS that are a result of compression.

On a separate note ... this past Saturday morning (after I switched back to Comcast) ... I was channel surfing through the HD lineup and noticed that 90% of the HD channels was Infomercials. A recent study showed that most HD channels have very little new programming. Its either Repeats or Infomercials !!

These cable operators and channel programmers must really have a very low opinion of the general public ... they have realized that we have already drunk the cool-aid and are too tipsy to complain.

Comcast too has compression which is noticeable when video pans across the scene ... it drives me nuts. But sadly ... Knology was worse.



Artifacts in pans are mostly motion judder inherent in the camera. If you are seeing much "blocking" that is a compression artifact.

A quick FYI to anyone thinking about KNOLOGY.

I have been on Comcast for over 5 years and decided to take advantage of Knology's triple-play pricing ... $79 for 1-year. It sounded really good. More so because their HD lineup included HDNet, MSNBC, Encore and a few others that Comcast does not bother to carry.

There were quite a few hiccups on installation day. But they finally managed to get my Internet, Phone and Cable up (I have TIVO Premiere). The internet was much faster than Comcast. The phone was bad (the dialtone was low and audio was scratchy ... even though the only change was the cable and the modem). The Cable TV was what did it in ... it was HORRIBLE. The compression was so bad on my 37-inch TV that it would be sacrilege to call it HD. The channel I was really looking forward to ... HDNET ... looked really really bad. I asked the installer to verify the cable signal strength and he said it was all very good.

After the five-hour project (yes, it took that long to get everything talking) ... I told the installer to pull it all down and connect Comcast back to the house setup.

I am back on Comcast ... for now.

Comcast too has compression which is noticeable when video pans across the scene ... it drives me nuts. But sadly ... Knology was worse.

I wonder how good DirecTV or Dish is ... I HATE VIDEO ARTIFACTS that are a result of compression.

On a separate note ... this past Saturday morning (after I switched back to Comcast) ... I was channel surfing through the HD lineup and noticed that 90% of the HD channels was Infomercials. A recent study showed that most HD channels have very little new programming. Its either Repeats or Infomercials !!

These cable operators and channel programmers must really have a very low opinion of the general public ... they have realized that we have already drunk the cool-aid and are too tipsy to complain.

I don't know if you are in an area where Comcast has gone all digital, but i tried them for a while and their picture was really good. The DVR software was what I couldn't stand. I have Directv and can say that I have very little compression artifacts.

Artifacts in pans are mostly motion judder inherent in the camera. If you are seeing much "blocking" that is a compression artifact.

Something like this (not my capture) ...

http://blog.charcoalphile.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/screenshot-2.png

That looks really bit starved. Are they not using Switched Digital Video? Maybe the crack engineer guy can comment on how many channels they must be stuffing into each slot.

That looks really bit starved. Are they not using Switched Digital Video? Maybe the crack engineer guy can comment on how many channels they must be stuffing into each slot.
Not sure how many channels we are putting in each slot. We are not using switched digital. To my knowledge we are not compressing our stuff.

I have 4 HD sets and none of them look or "block" close to this. I use the same equipment. Blocking is usually the first indicator marginal signal or ingress.

Maybe it is still a city-by-city issue, but my Comcast feed includes HDNET and MSNBCHD...and many other new channels.

Maybe it is still a city-by-city issue, but my Comcast feed includes HDNET and MSNBCHD...and many other new channels.

I was curious what new channels were added. I saw a post a few weeks back about new Comcast channels, but really didn't notice anything new that stood out.

I can't specifically post them all, but ask Andrews and he can send you a placard. It's a good lineup now...very happy. And here in Crowfield the picture quality is plenty good enough for me. (*your results may vary)

You have these stations now? Looking at Comcast.com there is no difference in channel line up from Goose Creek to JI.

Yes. MSNBCHD is channel 399 and my other new favorite is Fox Soccer Channel on 517. I think I misspoke before...I was looking at HDTheater and think HDNet. Looking at my copy of the lineup I don't see HDNet.

I will also comment that it is a little frustrating that there is only an HD version of the flagship movie channels. So only one HD HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz. Might be nice to have additional HD offerings on those sub-channels in the future. Not a deal breaker for me, but you might think differently.

By my rough count, I see about 140 HD channels, not counting on demand and pro sport package channels.

You are lucky, here in downtown Charleston where there appears to be no competition we don't have nearly as many HD channels.

I wish I could say our recent expansion was solely based on competition in our area, but here in Crowfield, there is no competition to speak of. I can't choose Knology or Time Warner. Perhaps there are other factors in play that are delaying your expansion.

Not sure how many channels we are putting in each slot. We are not using switched digital. To my knowledge we are not compressing our stuff.

I have 4 HD sets and none of them look or "block" close to this. I use the same equipment. Blocking is usually the first indicator marginal signal or ingress.

At my home in Mt. Pleasant ... the tech has confirmed that the signal is really strong (and my Tivo box signal meter confirms it).

Having said that, I often see significant macroblocking at the tail end of a pan. This happens on network shows. For instant the show "America's Got Talent" ... looks great via OTA. But on Comcast HD ... there is macroblocking when they pan from a wide view to a single subject. Once it steadies .. you can see the macroblock dissappear ... all this happens in the span of a half a second. Its easily noticeable.

I am tempted to get a USB HD tuner and record the MPEG stream from OTA and from Tivo and putting it out for others to see.

Additionally, my Tivo Premiere allows you to offload any HD shows (except Premium Channels). I can clearly see that the bitrate for certain channels are high (HBO) ... and for others very low (TravelHD).

My daughter lives in a condo in Mt. Pleasant, and the only television available is Comcast cable. There are 2 modern LCD flat panel sets which include a QAM tuner (I'm unsure of brand/model).

Comcast either very recently has or will switch to 100% digital. She has small boxes (cigarette box size) with power and 2 "F" ports. She told me that she tried what some others suggested as well and connected directly to the TV and scanned. She says she receives nothing.

I _SUSPECT_ she scanned incorrectly, but ... as of mid-September, is there clear QAM on the line? Does switched digital, if that is what the small box accomplishes, communicate "outside" and only have one (selected) signal on the coax?

Thanks!

George

Alright, Comcast software is killing me on the DVR. If you are recording a show and go into DVR to start it from the beginning and you finally catch up, it just stops as it creates 2 recordings. If you go to the show via the channel and rewind it, you get the old pop back to live when it finishes recording no matter if you're finished or not.

When is the first round of corrections coming to this software?

So WCSC is going to kill their picture quality by throwing another sub channel into their frequency. How lovely of them. Is this going to be a sign of things to come? Every station will be broadcasting 2 or more sub channels.

So WCSC is going to kill their picture quality by throwing another sub channel into their frequency. How lovely of them. Is this going to be a sign of things to come? Every station will be broadcasting 2 or more sub channels.

Haven't heard about that. It is a shame. Some signal loss for me now and then BUT when it comes in right it has the absolute best pic and 5.1 surround sound of all. With sound through a good amp it is a real pleasure for those shows with 5.1.

This DVR software is such hot garbage. I constantly lose pieces of shows from either the DVR stopping or from the DVR popping out of the recording of one thing while another is recording. Please tell me this crap is ending soon. The old stuff never worked like this, and no DVR I've ever had has been this unintelligent.

This DVR software is such hot garbage. I constantly lose pieces of shows from either the DVR stopping or from the DVR popping out of the recording of one thing while another is recording. Please tell me this crap is ending soon. The old stuff never worked like this, and no DVR I've ever had has been this unintelligent.

I hear you. I currently have 2 recordings a day of 2 1/2 Men even though it is set to only record new shows. Guide doesn't show the 4:30 and 7:30 shows as being new, but still wants to record.

I'm exhausted with missing the end of a show when I'm watching delayed and the show ends real time and not being able to turn the power off during a recording which gets all messed up with my Logitech remote.

Come on Comcast, get this crap fixed or go back to the old software.

EDIT: Oh yeah, how about the annoying message that your recording has ended. Thanks for the notification blocking the picture until I find the remote to hit exit.

The "your recording has ended" message is important since it lets you know when you're allowed to turn off your DVR. ;)

The "your recording has ended" message is important since it lets you know when you're allowed to turn off your DVR. ;)

That's great. Thanks for the laugh.

WCIV has finally installed local-originated HD capability, on air as of this weekend. Looks good via TWC (4.1 as QAM or 1105 on their STB) here in G'Town. Only subchannel carried on TWC here is 4-2 Weather. Are they carrying any others OTA?

At last someone other than WCSC has local news in HD!

Mike

PS: Just noticed they are not protecting for 4:3 on the SD version carried on channel 4 on TWC The weather gfx spanned the full 16:9 frame and were cut off on the 4:3 SD version. Don't know how TWC derives the SD channel, but WCIV sgould assume that any 4:3 would be center cut and lay out gfx accordingly.

Does anyone else need to restart their comcast cable box before watching on demand? If I don't, I get a message every time. Highly annoying.

Does anyone else need to restart their comcast cable box before watching on demand? If I don't, I get a message every time. Highly annoying.
In my experience the On Demand service is really flaky. It used to crash our box regularly before the EPG 'upgrade'. Now, we just cross our fingers and hope it works. Usually we can watch 1 or 2 shows before it crashes.

I live in Goose Creek and subscribe to Comcast. My TiVo now picks up about a dozen new channels, but the DVR does not yet have programming data for them yet. It doesn't appear as if the new channels have launched officially yet in my area, but I am pretty pleased to be able to at least manually record shows in HD that I have only had in SD!

Thanks to Andrews, I now have the guide data for the new HD channels. Simple fix, just changed the zip code on my TiVo to a Charleston number......

Yesterday my box Comcast DVR froze then rebooted. Wondering if that was a crash or if maybe some new software or channels were pushed to the box or something? I hear there are changes on the way...

Thank you WCIV Ch 4 for the ME TV on 4-2. All oldies Bonanza, Rifleman, Lucy, etc. :D

Yesterday my box Comcast DVR froze then rebooted. Wondering if that was a crash or if maybe some new software or channels were pushed to the box or something? I hear there are changes on the way...

Hopefully new software. Had 2 recordings scheduled yesterday. Switched to one of the channels that was going to be on the upcoming recording and when the time came the software jumped me to the other channel being recorded and gave an error to cancel the recording.

Also, when I was watching the recording it seemed to skip at the end and lose a couple of seconds while it gave me the "recording finished" message.

The only other flaky software worse than this is on my EVO Shift phone.

Is Mt. Pleasant still scheduled to get the new HD lineup on Nov 18th ?

Also ... any new 3D channels? I am currently only getting ESPN3D. My TIVO cannot get to the OnDemand ones.

Thanks !

Is Mt. Pleasant still scheduled to get the new HD lineup on Nov 18th ?

Also ... any new 3D channels? I am currently only getting ESPN3D. My TIVO cannot get to the OnDemand ones.

Thanks !

You're missing out. The 3D On demand section is decent. If you're an HBO subscriber you can watch Avatar and How to train your dragon and more. There are also PPV and some free movies. IMAX type documentaries. All looks pretty good.

Is there any news on whether downtown Charleston will ever get more HD channels?

Okay now that channel 4 has made the leap to HD news, when is channel 2 going to do it? It's a shame.

Amen to that!

So I wonder who at Comcast I send my electric bill to for the amount of times my cable box remains on because it can't be powered off when I go to bed because it is recording?

On another note, those who have had the switch at Comcast to all digital, how are the local QAM stations being handled? Is it not coming through and you have to use an A/B switch like the diagram I posted way back when? I'm not going to like that if it is the case, so I'd have to go the back of the TV to switch when I want to watch local HD stations and then back again to watch the remaining 80 or so stations.

Okay now that channel 4 has made the leap to HD news, when is channel 2 going to do it? It's a shame.

WCBD's sister station WSAV in Savannah did the leap about a year ago. I hoped they would have soon followed. I'm in Beaufort and can pull WCBD in OTA.

Can someone who has already been upgraded in the Charleston area tell me what the channel lineup looks like on a QAM tuner? I just ordered a digital adapter for the one set that doesn't have a set-top box but does have QAM. I know what it looks like right now (Fox on 86.4, PBS on 86.1-3, etc.). Plus, does anyone know a schedule for James Island? The letter said to order by 1/4, and my parent's letter in Mt. Pleasant had an earlier date. Since I have to support them too (and they just bought new QAM sets), is there something like a schedule? Thanks in advance.

So I wonder who at Comcast I send my electric bill to for the amount of times my cable box remains on because it can't be powered off when I go to bed because it is recording?

On another note, those who have had the switch at Comcast to all digital, how are the local QAM stations being handled? Is it not coming through and you have to use an A/B switch like the diagram I posted way back when? I'm not going to like that if it is the case, so I'd have to go the back of the TV to switch when I want to watch local HD stations and then back again to watch the remaining 80 or so stations.

Well here is my update of what happens to your QAM tuner with these DTA's...it no longer works. What an epic fail these DTA's are. Where was the FCC, or whatever government agency watches over these companies, to stand up for us when these things were made? I seriously need to buy an archaic A/B switch to watch HD locals? I have to get up, reach behind my TV and flick a switch, might as well bring back B&W TV's. WTF was anyone thinking here? Andrews I know you sent me a PM on the future, but please bring our comments up to whoever you can in your company.

Hopefully I can get my venture into a HTPC and the Ceton InfiniTV cablecard tuner working to share to my other TV's in the house because these devices are close to getting thrown in the trash and my area hasn't been switched yet.

EDIT: Oh yeah, the remote sucks. Unfortunately I have a low end TV in the kitchen where I hooked this up and it doesn't have the ability to control multiple devices, so I need to have 2 remotes on the counter to do all the options the Comcast won't if I go the switch route.

Judging by the flyer I got in the mail, Comcast on James Island should be going live with switched digital on 1/10/12. Can't wait for increased HD offerings, especially now that I have my HTPC up and going.

I think us in downtown Charleston will be upgraded on the 16th (if I remember correctly)! Woohoo! Soon I'll be getting about half the number of HD channels I used to get in NY 2 years ago! I wonder when my cable box will be able to switch itself off? (yeah, so far I'm utterly unimpressed with the level of Comcast service here in Charleston)

Hopefully I can get my venture into a HTPC and the Ceton InfiniTV cablecard tuner working to share to my other TV's in the house because these devices are close to getting thrown in the trash and my area hasn't been switched yet.



I plan to do the same thing - I guess now we just need to get the SDV adapter(s) from Comcast as well. If you think of it post how that works out for you (I'm probably 2 months away from buying the Ceton but do use the HTPC setup). If you don't already know about this, you can install some programs on your HTPC to automatically remove commercials - works unbelievably well - that is one of the many advantage of having an HTPC as the hub of your system. You couldn't pay me to use a Comcast DVR.

I plan to do the same thing - I guess now we just need to get the SDV adapter(s) from Comcast as well. If you think of it post how that works out for you (I'm probably 2 months away from buying the Ceton but do use the HTPC setup). If you don't already know about this, you can install some programs on your HTPC to automatically remove commercials - works unbelievably well - that is one of the many advantage of having an HTPC as the hub of your system. You couldn't pay me to use a Comcast DVR.

Ceton isn't to bad. Has its downsides with sharing, but other than that I have all the channels in the kitchen as I do the living room so that is great. PM me if you want some more info.

I think us in downtown Charleston will be upgraded on the 16th (if I remember correctly)! Woohoo! Soon I'll be getting about half the number of HD channels I used to get in NY 2 years ago! I wonder when my cable box will be able to switch itself off? (yeah, so far I'm utterly unimpressed with the level of Comcast service here in Charleston)

Had nothing yet this morning. Maybe some point today they do it or maybe I misread what the last flyer said, but I swore it said make sure you have your equipment for 1/10.

If you go to the Comcast forums you'll see a few other posts about the power issue and of course someone saying it isn't on while on or some sort of junk. My thinking in if it is on, it is buffering on the HD and therefore wasting more energy than idle.

EDIT: Still no new channels as of this evening. Maybe it's tomorrow, or maybe it doesn't happen until the new Feb. 1 rate increases hit. I know another Comcast rate hike, you're probably thinking I'm lying to you ;)

Can anyone with a cable card device on Comcast let me know what fees they have associated?

Just received my 1st bill after activating my cable card and I have:

Basic Cable (Standard Cable) $59.95
Cablecard $17.95
Digital Cable (digital preferred w/On Demand) $17.95
HD DVR (1st DVR) $15.95
Cablecard $0
HD Technology Fee $8.50

Looking in the HTPC forum there is a post about the HD Technology Fee and it looks like some get it and others don't, but why am I being charged this additional $17.95 Cablecard line?

According to my apt complex, today was supposed to be the cutover day for all-digital. Just got a voicemail from Comcast though that makes it sound like it's gonna be another week. I'm in Mt. Pleasant.

Can anyone with a cable card device on Comcast let me know what fees they have associated?

Just received my 1st bill after activating my cable card and I have:

Basic Cable (Standard Cable) $59.95
Cablecard $17.95
Digital Cable (digital preferred w/On Demand) $17.95
HD DVR (1st DVR) $15.95
Cablecard $0
HD Technology Fee $8.50

Looking in the HTPC forum there is a post about the HD Technology Fee and it looks like some get it and others don't, but why am I being charged this additional $17.95 Cablecard line?

I have the HD Preferred Plus XF bundle and the pricing is not really broken out. But I just looked online at the price changes coming in Feb, and according to the breakout, CableCard is free for the first and $1.50 for 2nd device. I have 2 Tivo's and no Comcast equipment. I see that I was "charged" for the first one, but the second is not listed. This could be an error in my favor, or it could be that with my bundle I am credited for both cards. I don't know...there are some many different charge codes for all the different variables. Anyone who is not trained could get lost or go insane trying to make sense of all these numbers. But the description for the HD Preferred Plus XF does specifically list the HD Technology Fee in the included features, but not the value.

Still waiting for the change to all-digital in downtown Charleston.

Still waiting for the change to all-digital in downtown Charleston.

Yeah, I heard there was a delay for some reason. No idea of the date though. Did the Mt. P change happen yet?

Yeah, I heard there was a delay for some reason. No idea of the date though. Did the Mt. P change happen yet?
Still nothing noticeable in Mt Pleasant as of right now, although I haven't attempted to plug in straight to the line to see if the box is now required. Do the channel additions immediately follow the cutover or does that come later? Anyone know?

New HD channels are live in Mount Pleasant now.

Nothing yet in JI.

Gotta love todays article in the Post and Courier. Change has been ongoing, but once it hits Mt. P it makes 1st page of the local section. Wow, never knew Mt. P was the only city in the Lowcountry, well at least to the P&C.

Now you know!

Yes, new channels have been turned on. However, Comcast has compressed MPEG streams even further. Especially the new channels. Any motion in the scene kills the resolution. Extremely frustrating that cable/sat providers are willing to sacrifice quality to generate more revenue.

I wonder why the FCC does not have any regulation to prevent this sort of greed.

I'm really rocking this 2.0 stereo from WCBD for the Super Bowl!! Is this 1992? Pathetic.

I'm really rocking this 2.0 stereo from WCBD for the Super Bowl!! Is this 1992? Pathetic.

Yeah, thinking the same thing myself earlier. Screwed around with my receiver and found a Pro-logic setting that is giving me surround.

I'm really rocking this 2.0 stereo from WCBD for the Super Bowl!! Is this 1992? Pathetic.

I would say worse then pathetic. Still being STD for local programming is not good but not that big of a deal to me. But, it really !@$#$% me off to not have DD on the prime network shows. Also a shame that the CW network will not have HD or DD as long as it is a 480i sub channel locally. NBC and CW have some pretty good programming and it would seem that they would have higher requirements for local stations representing them.:mad:

I know the guy who mixes SNF for NBC and his 5.1 mix is one of the best in the business. Stinks that I've never been able to hear his mix at home. Good game yesterday anyway. I found a surround mode that kinda worked ok.

I'm really rocking this 2.0 stereo from WCBD for the Super Bowl!! Is this 1992? Pathetic.

Man I thought this was just me, I was ticked off when all I could get is stereo on my U-Verse HD of the game. I mean really even my kids cartoons come in with 5.1. Ridiculous, truly.

Steve

Still no Comcast switch on JI. Any ideas when it is suppose to happen?

Still nothing in downtown Charleston (I'm assuming having Fox Soccer HD on channel 517 will be the indicator). I haven't received any updates from Comcast either. I'll keep checking.