Originally posted by capecodguy
Got HD MAx and Starz last night here on the Cape....

I receive 301, 302, 303, 304, and 307, but 305 and 306 won't tune in. I get a message reading "this channel should be available shortly". Also, i couldn't get Showtime at all, although Starz works. He blamed the older RG59 cable used in my house.

According to my DCT 5100. Channels 301, 302, 303 and 307 are on a higher frequency (747 MHz) than 305 & 306 (741 MHz) and Showtime (735 MHz) If excessive signal loss using the RG 59 cable is the problem, then I would think channel 301 would be the first to go. Can you move the box to the end of the RG 6 cable? Have you tried to change the splitters?

What does "RG" stand for anyways?

Starz HD and Cinemax HD are now working for me, along with all
the rest!

larry

noreastr0,
LOL! I typed "what does rg mean" into google and got:
http://bwcecom.belden.com/college/prodfaq/faqprg.htm

I was curious too.

larry

Originally posted by PooperScooper
Starz HD and Cinemax HD are now working for me, along with all
the rest!

larry finally same here.

Originally posted by toots


The DVI port on the Motorola box is disabled, not because they don't have hardware/software, but because of licensing issues. Good luck getting an estimated date, because who the heck knows how long it'll take them to iron out any differences.


I can tell you that the launch of DVI is NOT being caused by Licensing issues.

Originally posted by PooperScooper
capecodguy,
The RG59 could be the problem. My installer said that short runs
are sometime ok, but RG6 should be used. RG6 is a must for a cable
modem and a must for Satellite. RG6 is 75ohm and has less signal
loss than RG59. That's the extent of what I know of the difference.

larry

As a general rule of thumb, RG6 should be used whenever possible. But RG59 is OK and technically isn't a MUST for any specific system (SAT, CBL, ANT, ect.) RG59 is still 75ohm cable it just has more loss at higher frequencies than it RG6 counterpart. But as long as the integrity of the cable, connectors, splitters is OK it can/will work. I would think that SAT would be the first system that would have problems with RG59 because of the much higher freq. it uses. But CATV would be a close second.

Sorry for the "coax cable" rant. When its all said and done RG6 is better than RG59, in general.

If you want, download the excel form below to see the difference in signal loss between RG11, RG6 & RG59.

Originally posted by noreaster0
According to my DCT 5100. Channels 301, 302, 303 and 307 are on a higher frequency (747 MHz) than 305 & 306 (741 MHz) and Showtime (735 MHz) If excessive signal loss using the RG 59 cable is the problem, then I would think channel 301 would be the first to go. Can you move the box to the end of the RG 6 cable? Have you tried to change the splitters?

What does "RG" stand for anyways?

Its probably not directly related to the excessive signal loss of the RG59, but the signal loss & integrity of most RG59 (its probably been there awhile), and the variances in signal thoughout the CATV bandwidth. The difference in actual Signal loss between 747MHZ & 741MHZ is probably about 1/10th of a DB or less. So you can't even use that as a factor in this problem. My guess is that there is a response problem due to the older RG59 & it integrity, causing a dip in the signal at that frequency. So basically try replacing the cable and see if that works. Good Luck.

Here's what I found on a 35 foot run of RG6 vs RG59.. I recently was having problems with some HD channels so I checked out the signal strength before I started messing around. The problem ended up being too many splitters, but I ended up replacing the RG59 with RG6. Signal strength really didn't change, but AGC (I believe that's it.. something to do with error rates) went from poor -> good.

My guess is much over 30 feet and you'd probably start having problems with too many errors in the signal. I don't know the tech documents or anything, but that's a guess.

Chris

Originally posted by noreaster0
According to my DCT 5100. Channels 301, 302, 303 and 307 are on a higher frequency (747 MHz) than 305 & 306 (741 MHz) and Showtime (735 MHz) If excessive signal loss using the RG 59 cable is the problem, then I would think channel 301 would be the first to go. Can you move the box to the end of the RG 6 cable? Have you tried to change the splitters?


How do you check signal strength with the DCT51000 ?

Anybody else experience signal drop from WHDH -DT (807) when they transition from HD to SD commercial . I am also seeing it when they shift from a "national" program to a local one (ie local news/weather segements during the TODAY show this am). I just had HDTV installed yesterday (DCT-6200). Everything seems fine on all the other channels. Is anyone else having this problem or should I put in a service call????

Thanks

--Kevin

kevin yes i've noiticed it only on 807. and since when are 6200's being used? are these any better with PQ on non-HD channels? the new "chip" was supposed to improve that. i wonder if comcast will swapt it for the 5100?

Originally posted by avic
kevin yes i've noticed it only on 807. and since when are 6200's being used? are these any better with PQ on non-HD channels? the new "chip" was supposed to improve that. i wonder if comcast will swapt it for the 5100?

Thats good to hear at least it is not my set/box....Comcast was "out of HD boxes" last week so they rescheduled me for the first day they had availability which was yesterday and they put in a 6200 so I guess it is very recent. I can't really judge the PQ improvement as I was upgrading from a DCT-2244 (L-Series) box and it is a whole lot better than that was.....

Also after reading some other threads, it appears that the OTA and SAT users are also having similar problems with WHDH (807)....

--Kevin

Any chance of Comcast adding FSN HD (http://www.foxsports.com/content/view?contentId=1528357) (Fox Sport Net in HD) ? They are broadcasting NHL, NBA and MLB in 720p :)

Originally posted by dozens
How do you check signal strength with the DCT5100 ?

I don't think the DCT can check the signal strength of the QAM channel. Although it would be a great option, it would probably add cost to the box. I've only seen signal to noise ratio in the menu.

RG=radio guide. Another acronym bites the dust.
Thanks pooperscooper.

RG6 is good for up to 200ft max. I've been having all sorts of problems for years and Comcast just rewired me for RG11. My condo had the longest RG6 run in the building, 200+ft. New wiring has fixed lots of problems, but then again what was there before must have been squirrel food.:D

I hope Strz does a free preview. Only way I'm going to see it.

Hey, I just tried out Cartoon Network VOD and it had no artifacting at all. Most of them look compressed as hell- CN was pretty much perfect. Even better than the broadcast digital channels.

dozens,
I believe FSN is a regional thing. We get Sox and Bruins via NESN and
INHD. Who does the Celts? (It's been quite a while since I watched
them play). :) So, FSN-HD may not be a high prio for Comcast here.

larry

FSN broadcasts the (urp) Celts....

It would be so nice if FSN would rent NESN's HD cameras for the Celtics games. It can't be that difficult to set up since they broadcast all the Bruin's games in HD...

Originally posted by tjb
It would be so nice if FSN would rent NESN's HD cameras for the Celtics games. It can't be that difficult to set up since they broadcast all the Bruin's games in HD...

It never seems to work that way, in real life. I think you need more than just the cameras as well. You need uplinks and distribution, which I'm guessing FSNE doesn't have yet.

Plenty of events in Madison Square Garden aren't broadcast in HD, which is similarly wired, probably for the same reasons.

I'm getting INHD on SZHDE and INHD2 on MAXHD so I called and asked to have my box reset. Same thing after that and csr says I'm not subscribed to those channels so I said why don't I just get the 'not authorized' screen and he said 'that's just the way it works on the hi-def side'. So I said I'll pay the $13/mo and add the channels. He said it will take a few minutes but it's been 2 hours and still the same. I've power cycled a few times. Just wanted some input before I call back. Thanks

Originally posted by EricTh
I'm getting INHD on SZHDE and INHD2 on MAXHD so I called and asked to have my box reset. Same thing after that and csr says I'm not subscribed to those channels so I said why don't I just get the 'not authorized' screen and he said 'that's just the way it works on the hi-def side'. So I said I'll pay the $13/mo and add the channels. He said it will take a few minutes but it's been 2 hours and still the same. I've power cycled a few times. Just wanted some input before I call back. Thanks
You want input? This is about when you should expect Rod Sterling to step out from behind the curtain in your living room. You have just entered Comcast's Twilight Zone. Best of luck. We will pray for you.

Mickey

Originally posted by EricTh
I'm getting INHD on SZHDE and INHD2 on MAXHD so I called and asked to have my box reset. Same thing after that and csr says I'm not subscribed to those channels so I said why don't I just get the 'not authorized' screen and he said 'that's just the way it works on the hi-def side'. So I said I'll pay the $13/mo and add the channels. He said it will take a few minutes but it's been 2 hours and still the same. I've power cycled a few times. Just wanted some input before I call back. Thanks

I had a similar problem when I first got my HD box - basically ABC was on both the ABC and HBO high def channels. The problem ended up being something wrong at the headend...

Hey everyone,

To let everyone know, I am a Comcast employee but I am not personally speaking on behalf of Comcast. But if your first try to the call center does not resolve the issue you are having, please send me a private message and I will take a look into it. There is a few other reps on the floor with extensive HDTV training.

You should not be paying an additional $13 a month to receive the Starz and Cinemax HD channels unless you are upgrading from Digital Gold with HBO and Showtime to Platnium (every premium channel). If you are subscribed to either Starz or Cinemax now, you should be getting the HD channels. If not, this requires a call and your box to be updated. At no time should a representative tell you "'that's just the way it works on the hi-def side'" because if it a system problem that rep should open a ticket on it and not give you that attitude. I can open tickets and look into things.

I personally value everyone here being a Comcast customer and am going to try to use this message board to find system problems and also to learn from those who have much knowledge with HD. I've been coming here for a few months and learned more here then from our own trainers.

Thank you. Your efforts really are much appreciated.

And, since you're listening, I'll say this about Comcast:

I originally signed up with MediaOne, before it was bought by AT&T. I actually went out of my way to move to a town with MediaOne. I was somewhat happy with their service. I was somewhat happy with AT&T, in that they didn't seem to screw anything up (even if nothing changed).

I was hugely negative on the idea of Comcast buying AT&T's cable operations. Since then, Comcast has almost completely won me over.

Good service and frequent (useful) updates to the service. I can't say I'm real happy about having my rates raised every six months, but then again MediaOne and AT&T did that to me, too. At least with Comcast, I can see something new.

Thanks for your encouraging remarks. The Roberts family who own Comcast has allowed us to act as almost a seperate company in the New England region. ATT Broadband did not. Hopefully, this will lead to a better turn around with HD channels and VOD programming.

As far as the bill increase, it will be once a year. Last increase was on 1/1/03.

Can you post the most recent pricing packages for me? I tossed the note and wanted to see if I could just get Basic (17 channels), digital classic, etc. Too bad you can't do ala cart. That would be nice. I'd need about 20 channels. :)

Chris

Originally posted by therob006
I personally value everyone here being a Comcast customer and am going to try to use this message board to find system problems and also to learn from those who have much knowledge with HD. I've been coming here for a few months and learned more here then from our own trainers.
therob006,

We truly value your input on this thread, and appreciate your help. Hopefully, you will understand the frustration when people call Comcast in need of help and get either bad information or no information. I am not sure why the CSR's do not say: "please hold while I check with a supervisor on your question". If there is no supervisor or if the supervisor doesn't know, then the problem is bigger than I thought. Fortunately, there are forums such as this where people can share information and their experiences. A support group, if you will. So thanks for your contribution to that support.

Mickey

Can you post the most recent pricing packages for me? I tossed the note and wanted to see if I could just get Basic (17 channels), digital classic, etc. Too bad you can't do ala cart. That would be nice. I'd need about 20 channels. Prices vary from town to town, but it's all there on Comcast's website.

You can order premium channels a la carte', but since they jacked up the rates it costs the same or more as a whole package- you're better off just purchasing Digital Gold or Platinum.

RE: Its all there on the Comcast web site

I spent almost an hour on the phone with comcast tonight and then found this thread. It is not all there on the web site. The CSR's couldn't get me to the place I latter found included my town. It didn't tell me what I needed to know,anyway, and that's WHAT YOU GET FOR WHAT YOU PAY. The only place I found within my town's area said something that conflicts with this site and the csr. At least for Dover, MA, the web says "You must select an option for Standard Cable Television if you wish to order a Digital Cable package." Checking the box saying "I do not wish to order Standard Cable" is not accepted. So, its $50+ out of the gate "on the Comcast web site".
try it:
htp:/ww.comcast-ne.com/customize.php (fix, I don't have 5 posts)

Even if channels vary from town to town, Comcast should ALWAYS have readily accessible information available to their csr's, web site and especially the people who want to GIVE them money. Otherwise, they can keep obscuring what the charges are going to be and keep losing business.

Chris
-no cable, 9 years and running.

They never show you the $9 option... I just don't know what channels I get for the $9. I'm thinking of canning the extra $33 for extended basic because with digital classic I'll get ESPN HD which is the only real channel I watch...

Chris

Therob006 - nice to have you around. Thanks!

Re: $9 "super basic". Way back when D* finally got locals, I switched
to the $9 a month package. It's usually very limited, but it's controlled
by the cable box. I told the installer I did not want an extra box
that I didn't need. He called "home" and then said "ok, I'll take
the box". So for the $9 I got all unscrambled analog cable. However,
I only wanted the Weather Channel and an occasional other channel
not on satellite. This was cable- "never heard of new england"-vision days. :)

larry

Originally posted by Schlotkins
They never show you the $9 option... I just don't know what channels I get for the $9. I'm thinking of canning the extra $33 for extended basic because with digital classic I'll get ESPN HD which is the only real channel I watch...

Chris

The website has incomplete information; get the rate card from the payment office or email comcast and ask for information about their digital packages or HDTV packages.

Three things you can't do from the Comcast website:

1) Order $8-12/mo "basic" service
2) Order digital packages without expanded basic
3) Order digital classic

I saw Discovery HD at a local Tweeter store. It looked real good on their HDTV. Any rumors if Comcast may be close to adding Discovery HD?

A couple questions, since this seems a much better place to ask:

Does it make sence to go buy an HDTV cable decoder instead of paying the $7.25 a month indefinitely (I'm assuming they are available like the OTA ones)? What are the prices? I've seen OTA "mits" receivers on ebay for around $250.

RE: ESPN HD on Digital Classic. Would this be part of the package that costs $19 on top of the box rental?

My biggest beef w/cable is limited use. Can't see paying perhaps even $40 a month for something I don't really watch. If there is a FAQ like sheet on the Boston thread, I'd be interested in getting a hold of it. I've only been through about 12 of the 77 pages.

Thanks much,
Chris

Digital classic is only $5/mo on top of basic service and box rental.

I have a Zenith HDV420 OTA tuner, which I like a great deal, but it won't do cable. It's much more user friendly than the awful Motorola 5100. People have reported good open box deals on these at Circuit city for less than $300.

The never version the LG 3100, will do unscrambed cable as well and should get you the local channels on Comcast. You'd also be able to pull in the digital stations (UPN, WB, PBS-multicast) that aren't on comcast if you hook up an antenna.

Yes, just go for Basic Cable, Digital Classic and HD box. That should cost ~$20/mo. Worth it just for ESPN and INHD.

There's no guarantee as to what Comcast will or will not encrypt in the future. They will eventually carry all the HD locals and maybe a few other things. When the time comes you can buy into their cable PVR for $10/mo more.

Just thought I'd mention this - so far I'm totally underwhelmed
with StarzHD. Out of the 5 or 6 times I've sat down to watch
TV, only once was it playing a HD movie. "Reign of Fire" was on
this morning in 4:3, what a friggin' shame!

larry

They should call it StarzSD! I did a search for the month and found only about 10% of programming is in HD. Didn't someone say they were dragged into it? An HD slot waste, we'd be MUCH better off with HDNet or HDNet Movies.

HDnet Movies would be nice, but does any cable company carry them?

larry

Was anyone getting audio drop outs on 804 during the game yesterday? There were maybe 5 of them. I may still have weak signal or something...

Chris

I think the quick audio drops and the minor pixelation issues were CBS feed problems or problems between CBS and Comcast. Fortunately, CBS did a much better job for this game than the "eskimo up" game, except for the 1 field level camera that had a foggy lense...

There were a few shots in HD that IMO justify ponying up the $$ now rather than wait. I couldn't have picked a better year to make the jump. Now the Bruins and Sox need to go deep into the playoffs and Fox needs to finally ditch the cheesy 480 WS and broadcast in true HD (which I heard was this fall - just in time for the ML playoffs!)

WOO HOO PATS SUPERBOWL IN HD!!

I did also have just a couple pixelations, but yes, the game was MUCH better.. hopefully the SB is perfect!

And yes, WOOO HOOO is right! :)

Thanks,
Chris

Problems were all CBS. OTA had same issues. Just like last week.
There weren't very many. NBD. The biggest goof they made was
when they didn't get back to get game fast enough and missed a play.

larry

I had hundreds of very short audio dropouts, where my audio receiver would drop out of dolby digital for seemingly milliseconds. I saw this on the signal source light. Maybe every 2 or 3 seconds average, but still random not periodic.

It was annoying enough to cause me to go off HDTV for a while. It was very frustrating.

Didn't you other people see this problem too?

Originally posted by flyin-w-hdtv
I had hundreds of very short audio dropouts, where my audio receiver would drop out of dolby digital for seemingly milliseconds. I saw this on the signal source light. Maybe every 2 or 3 seconds average, but still random not periodic.

It was annoying enough to cause me to go off HDTV for a while. It was very frustrating.

Didn't you other people see this problem too?

This was my experience as well.

audio wasn't a problem for us. worse is the continued use of an SD camera for some shots, they should go all-HD.

Actually, come to think of it, I didn't have the receiver on this
week for audio so I wouldn't have noticed the audio issues.

larry

There was a message that Comcast was dropping the Digital channels for Bravo, History Channel, and Comedy Central. Is this enough bandwidth to add another HD channel? Those channels will still be on the analog service.

There was a message that Comcast was dropping the Digital channels for Bravo, History Channel, and Comedy Central. Is this enough bandwidth to add another HD channel? Those channels will still be on the analog service.

If they're dropping 3 digital channels, that's not enough for any HD channels.

If they're dropping 3 analog channels, that's enough for 6 HD channels.

Originally posted by mgpt6
There was a message that Comcast was dropping the Digital channels for Bravo, History Channel, and Comedy Central. Is this enough bandwidth to add another HD channel? Those channels will still be on the analog service.

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, dropping the digital channels and keeping the analog channels? I haven't seen the message, and that seems really counter to Comcast's recent strategy of moving towards (and heavily pushing) an all-digital system.

Not to mention the fact that I just decided to drop the extended basic coverage because I only watched one or two channels from it. Man, I'll be pissed if they ditch the digital version of Comedy Central and Bravo.

Nathan

CONFIRMED.

I read the message this morning. It said to the effect that they would be keeping the 2-digit channels and dropping the duplicates.

Well, crap. I was hoping that mgpt6 had misread the message. I don't get it, but I don't imagine Comcast cares much about that.

Nathan

I wish they would stop sending messages. Every time I see that light I think they are going to tell me they activated DVI or they are going to upgrade my 5100 to a 6200.....:O(

They aren't dropping "digital" anything. They're just dropping the duplicate channels. The format stays the same.

For me only History is digital, the other two are analog- the same on both channels.

Yeah, what DaveFi said. If you tuned to those 3-digit History, Comedy, and Bravo channels and then dropped to the diagnostics screen and did Current Channel Status, you would see that History is a digital channel, while Comedy and Bravo are just analog channels. So Comedy and Bravo were probably just duplicated on the display to show up in two places.

Bummer. I clearly misunderstood the Comcast channel lineup. Ah, well. I guess I'll have to go without my nightly Daily Show fix for a while. Thanks for clarifying, guys.

Nathan

What? All the channels are still there. They only occur once instead of twice as before.

I live in a large (60 units) building on Commonwealth Avenue in the Back Bay. The building is wired for both RCN and Comcast. Since moving here in July 2003, they have both been promising HD, but no one has delivered. Today I was on the Comcast website, and HD was shown as available for my address. I could not believe it, so I called Comcast and they confirmed it was available. Installation is scheduled for next Wednesday, in time for the Super Bowl. I am still scared that they will show up and tell me it is really not available, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Anyway, a quick question: Does Comcast supply cables, or do I need to have my own? If so, which does the Morotola 5100 work best with? For Video is DVI enabled, or will I need standard Component Cables. For audio, is it Optical or Coax output, and which sounds best?

Thanks for the help...

Comcast brings component cables.

Optical or coax should sound equally good.

DVI is not enabled yet.

therob006-

If you are still out there, another request for WB HD... they are adding more and more programming.

Chris

I will look into that for the next HD channel.

As far as the duplicate channels, I found out my the message on the cable box. I still have not seen anything from above to tell us that those duplicate channels are being pulled off. I think they were duplicated because they were part of an old a la carte package with Media One.

Originally posted by Gabatta
Anyway, a quick question: Does Comcast supply cables, or do I need to have my own? If so, which does the Morotola 5100 work best with? For Video is DVI enabled, or will I need standard Component Cables. For audio, is it Optical or Coax output, and which sounds best?
[/B]
They usually will bring Component cables for you, but I have heard others say that they didn't show up with them. One safe approach would be buy a set of Component cables and leave them in the box/package and keep the receipt so that you can return them if necessary. I vote for Optical for the audio.

Originally posted by Gabatta
Anyway, a quick question: Does Comcast supply cables, or do I need to have my own? If so, which does the Morotola 5100 work best with? For Video is DVI enabled, or will I need standard Component Cables. For audio, is it Optical or Coax output, and which sounds best?
[/B]

I was installed last week so.... probably you will get a 6200 which is NOT DVI enabled. They will supply standard componant cables and RCA audio cables. The box has optical and coxial ouputs but they supply neither cable. I am using my own optical cable....

I'm live! Comcast installed the HD receiver in my house yesterday! No more OTA bull with my indoor OTA antenna! The installer was there for about an hour because he tried to call in to make sure my box was active and got a problem. I had told him when he came that I have been having cable and internet problems since around Thanksgiving since Comcast put a trap on my line (since I only had basic).

Anyway when whoever he was talking to said they could not connect, he asked if my cable modem was out. I checked and it was. I reminded him of the issue of my signal dropping due to the trap. He went to the pole and did something and fixed everything!

When he came back, he said "I don't know where you heard about the trap, but that was the problem." I told him, on the internet at avsforum.com! He said he may have to check the site out!

Anyway, picture looks great. The installer even told me that it was one of the best pictures he's seen, and all I have is a 36 inch Sony Wega (KV-36HS510)! I liked hearing that! My picture should look good after all the tweaking I did with Sound and Vision Magazine's Home Theater dvd.

I spent several hours just wanting the various INHD programming. The one titled "Space" with views of Earth from the space shuttle in HD, was awesome!

sheakt - what firmware is your 6200? A post on the HDTV recorders forum indicated that the 6200s currently being installed in certain areas have firmware 7.07 which, among other things, enables firewire.

Originally posted by johnovox
sheakt - what firmware is your 6200? A post on the HDTV recorders forum indicated that the 6200s currently being installed in certain areas have firmware 7.07 which, among other things, enables firewire.

5.03 - not DVI enabled......

anyone else have a significant increase in audio dropouts and frequent unavailable channels (Fox last night during the OC) on the 800 channels in the past 3 days? ESPNHD is the biggest offender but NBC and ABC also had issues. I'm running coaxial digital audio out of the moto, should I switch to optical?


thanks,

adam

It's happening with Analog out right now as well. I don't support digital on my reciever yet.

Yeah, it looks like comcast is buying everyone these days. A friend of mine lives in the Philadelphia suburb area and they acquired Adelphia. I believe they also acquired part of AT&T in CT.

What can you say, they are a growing company.

What's the status on the PVR? We should have something by April, correct?

At the least the 6200 w/Firewire will be available by April because pf the agreement Comcast signed.

Originally posted by agacek
anyone else have a significant increase in audio dropouts and frequent unavailable channels (Fox last night during the OC) on the 800 channels in the past 3 days?

Yesterday was only my second day with Comcast HD, but I did have the channel freezing problem when I tried to switch to 825 to watch the OC from any other channel.

WFXT-DT was down last night, both OTA and on cable.

I think they're back up now.

I have a friend in the Boston area that is interested in HD. He currently has Comcast digital cable. Can anyone give me a summary of what's available so I don't have to read through 79 pages?

PBS, ABC,NBC,CBS,FOX (480p widescreen only)

ESPN, INHD, INHD2 if you have basic digital cable, someone check me on ESPN, you may get that without having to get digital?

HBO, SHOWTIME, CINEMAX, STARZ available as premium channels.

tell your friend to go to comcast.com for plenty of info like:

Comcast currently offers the following [HDTV] channels in the Boston Metro area - WGBH(PBS), WBZ(CBS), WCVB(ABC), WHDH(NBC), WFXT(Fox Widescreen), ESPN, INHD, INHD2, HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Starz, plus select Red Sox and Bruins home games from NESN.

What's the deal with DVI? I hear other cities have new firmware enableing DVi output. When's Boston area receiving it?

Thanks for the info, guys. Now I'm jealous.

Here's a question for you all! Can somebody have cable tv from two different companies? A friend of mine just bought a HD ready television and wants HD programming. They live in Braintree, MA and had BELD (Braintree Electric) as their cable company. They called BELD and were told that BELD would have HD in April. However, I informed them that you have no guarantee what channels they will have when they first start out.

Anyway, they want to keep BELD because it's cheap, and it's also their internet provider. I told them that maybe they can keep BELD on their 3 other tv's and just add Comcast to the HD ready tv...figure the basic cable and Digital Classic package to give them most of the HD programming. It would only cost them about $20 more a month, maybe a little more if the go for the package that gives them HBO also.

Any insight would be helpful!

BELD is the only catv provider in Braintree that I am aware of.

Last I knew Comcast was in Braintree but had crap for a foothold due to the price point BELD enters the market with, about $20 cheaper for similar channels.

hi guys, i have my new sammy dlp coming this week and the week after comcast coming to install HDTV....i am psyched. question, does anyone know if they will be adding to their already impressive list of 10 HDTV channels? I was hoping discovery HD would be available but i don't see it listed on their website.

anyway the woman i spoke with at comcast claims it will only cost me $2 more a month for the hdtv package, since we already subscribe to hbo!

Originally posted by joeinma
Here's a question for you all! Can somebody have cable tv from two different companies? A friend of mine just bought a HD ready television and wants HD programming. They live in Braintree, MA and had BELD (Braintree Electric) as their cable company. They called BELD and were told that BELD would have HD in April. However, I informed them that you have no guarantee what channels they will have when they first start out.

I'm not positive if this is the case in Braintree, but usually the cable company owns the lines going to your house, therefore you couldn't have two at the same time unless Comcast has different lines already in the neighborhood.

Their best bet would probably be an antenna to receive over-the-air (OTA) signals from the Needham towers. Once they've bought the equipment...it's free!!

Someone I know told me that Comcast is telling newbies you have to wait two months for an HD cable box out here in the burbs. I don't know if that is true. Has anyone else heard or experienced this locally? If true, it is one indicator that demand is taking off.

MickeyGee,
I wouldn't believe anything unless you talked to Comcast or somebody
reports here who really did talk to Comcast. I wouldn't think the HD
box would the problem. It may be BELD's problem....

re: BELD and Braintree: Sounds like Shrewsbury, MA. Local cable
company is only game in town.

macd23, it's 12 HD channels via Comcast cable. :)

larry

larry,

you're right it is 12, i forgot starz and showtime, which i don't subscribe to. i think 12 is pretty impressive given what i have been seeing here in various other markets and over satellite, but i hope they add more standard stuff like discovery and fox sports new england (celtics) going forward.

It's a good bet that Discovery HD is in the running. Don't know about
FSNE - takes $$$ for HD gear.

larry

Anyone else see a lot of video and audio drops on ch 804 tonight?

If it's CBS, I hope they get their feed working for Sunday....

well, didn't the fleetcenter get wired for HD for bruins games? forgive my ignorance on what is needed, but i would think they are pretty much ready to hook up the celtics on fox sports pending contractual stuff.

macd23,

My impression of 'wired' for HD is similat to 'wired' for 110 volts; it is there to plug your stuff in to. It doesn't mean the facility provides HD cameras or production equipment.

NESN is a direct competitor to FSNE. Often the B's and the C's are on head to head. I don't think NESN would want to give away any advantage they have (HD B's vs. SD C's).

Dave

true dave, i hope they work something out by next season, if only to offer us more HD programming. as long as the sox are in HD i am more than happy though!

how do the sox games look?

Originally posted by macd23
true dave, i hope they work something out by next season, if only to offer us more HD programming. as long as the sox are in HD i am more than happy though!

how do the sox games look? Awesome!!! But would have looked better with AROD in the picture.

Hey everyone. I'm a Comcast employee so let me set a few things straight.

1) Fleetcenter is wired for HD but Fox Sports Net studios is not. Also, Celtics and Bruins for the most part alternate games so to minimize competition. Comcast does own part of NESN.

2) Comcast is a pretty strong hold on Braintree. Not only are we offering cable, on-demand, internet and HD service, but also telephone. Its only one of two former Cablevision towns this has happened.

3) Turn around time for an HD box varies from town to town regardless. I've seen as far out as two weeks. Two months is not realistic. You may be able to get one tomorrow.

Hope that takes care of any issues or questions out there.

therob006,

Is Comcast getting ready to acquire Charter Communications, and save me from my HD hell? :)

There have been many rumours so far.

therob, any new HD channels planned for the next 12 months?

Originally posted by MickeyGee
Someone I know told me that Comcast is telling newbies you have to wait two months for an HD cable box out here in the burbs. I don't know if that is true. Has anyone else heard or experienced this locally? If true, it is one indicator that demand is taking off.

I believe this is true. When my installer came last week, he told me he almost did not have a box for me. He actually complained about his own company saying it's not right to be making a push to sell HD boxes without actually having them in stock.

I think here in the Boston area, between the recent addition of Channel 4 to the HD lineup, the many purchases of HD tv's at Christmas, and the Pats being in the Super Bowl in HD, must have put demand sky high.

The only thing I heard about Comcast and Charter was swapping properties. I think Comcast was giving up property in Texas to aquire more in Massachusetts.

I have seen the turn around for an HD box from next day to two weeks. All depends on where you are. The demand for HD is actually from the customers. Tweeter has done alot of advertising on WEEI about HDTV too. Feel bad for the techs but thats why there is 6200s getting out there.

As far as any more HD channels, that is always a big secret. If I heard, I;d let everyone know.

I called last week to schedule an install in bridgewater, ma. i am having them come sat feb 7 to install the box. they said they had plenty on the south shore, but the demand had been so high on the north shore, they were low or out of hd boxes in many towns. said they were restocking.

On Saturday I went to a friend's new house in Charlestown, MA to set up his surround sound system. Comcast came and hooked up HD via the Moto 6200, he had made the appointment that week. The picture looked great on his new Samsung DLP TV. The Bruins game on NESN was eye-popping, as was Behind Enemy Lines on HBO HD!!

My appointment is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully Comcast will arrive with box in hand. I will keep you posted.

Originally posted by therob006

I have seen the turn around for an HD box from next day to two weeks. All depends on where you are. The demand for HD is actually from the customers. Tweeter has done alot of advertising on WEEI about HDTV too. Feel bad for the techs but thats why there is 6200s getting out there.


Is it possible to swap a 5100 for 6200 ? Does the 6200 have the newer firmware to activate dvi ?

how is the picture via the component out on the 5100 box?

therob, or anyone else, any idea when/if comcast will be enabling the DVI output on their boxes?

I'm pretty happy with the HD component outputs on my 5100. Then again, it's feeding an (analog) RPTV, so I wouldn't really see much benefit from DVI.

I've heard that the DVI, DB9 and IEEE 1394 firewire ports will be activated in Boston areas of Comcast by February 15th, if not before.

This is for the Motorola DCT 5100 and 6200 series boxes.

what is the db9 port for?

Thanks for the update. Maybe it will be time to pick up a DVHS recorder soon.

The DB9 on the DCT2100 is used for changing channels, that's how I have my Tivo connected. ;) I would assumed the same is true for the other Motorola models.

The DB9 serial port can be used for direct connection to a TIVO or Replay stand-alone external unit.

Right now, some of the TIVO users are using an IR blaster to make that connection.

Slightly OT (sorry), but has anybody ordered a widescreen movie through OnDemand? Is it anamorphic / widescreen enhanced? Don't have a 16:9 TV yet, but I'm wondering. Thanks!

Firewire might be activated on the 6200, but as other people say, the current firmware revision is unusable.

Come April everyone who asks for a Firewire enabled box will get one, so I will do that. I'll probably wait for the dual-tuner PVR before I upgrade to their PVR (if they even offer it with a single tuner).

DB9 is not going to be activated. FireWire should be activated by this April. DVI port is not going to be activated because there is some issues with transfering the TV Guide info from the box to the TV through the DVI connection.

Originally posted by therob006
DB9 is not going to be activated. FireWire should be activated by this April. DVI port is not going to be activated because there is some issues with transfering the TV Guide info from the box to the TV through the DVI connection.

If this has been covered, I haven't seen it, how exactly is the firewire going to work? Here is my best understanding:

1. PVR capability will be enabled on the box through some sort of firmware update.
2. I can then go buy a firewire-connected, hard drive from Best Buy/CompUsa/etc. and plug it in.
3. The capacity of the drive I buy dictates the amount (of shows) I can store.

Is there more to it?

Final question, does this then allow for HD recording of HD material on the 5100?

Thanks.

therob, is dvi going to be enabled eventually?

Eventually, DVI will be enabled. PVR is not a software upgrade. Its a different box.

Originally posted by therob006
Eventually, DVI will be enabled. PVR is not a software upgrade. Its a different box. Is the 6200 the PVR box?

therobb006 - see PM please

Is anybody else having issues with dropouts on WBZ? they have become rather freqent, no matter the programming lately (CSI: Miami last night).

Tim

Originally posted by tcable
Is anybody else having issues with dropouts on WBZ? they have become rather freqent, no matter the programming lately (CSI: Miami last night).

Tim

I've been having the same issues. Other channels are fine, so I'm guessing it's a WBZ thing...

The 6200 is not a DVR capable box. The 6208 is. I really do not see the difference between the 6200 and the 5100 but I'm going through the installation guides of the motorola boxes this morning to see what it is.

Well I had a 6200 installed a couple days ago and I had to wait close to 3 weeks.
I live in the Brockton (comcast) area.
They had told me it was going to be the 5100 when I ordered it, I even asked them if they knew when the 6200 series was coming and they said no........ go figure, customer service has no idea it seems.
I have it hooked up to component 1 and the picture matches that of the built in tuner ( In DTV/Ant C port).
I have not attempted to hookup firewire(my tv has it) yet, and I don't know what firmware it has( I am not going to read 79 pages to find out how), if anyone wants me to check I would be glad to, let me know how, as the box does alot of things, and I am trying to figure out all the functions....
I really like the digital information/TV guide that you can advance to anytime you want, and/or setup to view whatever type of broadcasting you want.
On Demand is a pretty awesome feature as well... I need to learn how to program favorites though.
Edit: I figured out how to access the service/main menu of cable box...... I have FW version 5.03 , and the software was 51.22(?), which says it is from 2002 ( way to keep up to date.... hope they update it)

I know I wasn't much help, I just wanted to jump in and let folks know what it took me, and my intial impressions.

Originally posted by DaveFi
Firewire might be activated on the 6200, but as other people say, the current firmware revision is unusable.

Come April everyone who asks for a Firewire enabled box will get one, so I will do that. I'll probably wait for the dual-tuner PVR before I upgrade to their PVR (if they even offer it with a single tuner).

Dual-tuner PVR? Is that in the works from Comcast? It's one of the main reasons keeping me from even considering switching back to Comcast from DTV, as I have DTivo now. I'm torn between the two worlds, having Comcast for HD and DTV for everything else and for recording programs.

The dual tuner version is the 6408. I've read some other threads speculating that Comcast is holding off on the PVR rollout in some areas because they are waiting for the 6408. I have no idea if that holds true for us or not. ;) I agree with DaveFi, it would probably be worth waiting for.

I have a DVHS, so I can use that for timeshifting and archiving.
A dual tuner PVR would be more usefull because there is just so much on cable TV at any given time.

As to whether the firewire will ever work with external harddrives, who knows? It has to work with DVHS because of the way the agreement was worded.

A thread on the HDTV recorders forum indicates that many areas upgraded to firmware 7.07 today. Anybody in Mass. have the new firmware on their 6200?

DVI and firmware upgrade for Comcast is expected in the Boston area the week of 2-9-04.

Anyone having trouble with WBZ's sound cutting out/static every 30 secs or so?

the q,

I hear DVI will be launched the following week of the 9th

therob who says he works for comcast is saying no dvi for awhile... whats the story? i have comcast coming to install a hdtv box sat feb 7, so i will ask them then.

Just because therob says he works for Comcast, doesn't mean he knows everything. Think about how many times you've called customer service and they aren't always up to date on what is coming when. Given the fact that we have seen DVI come and then go away again, perhaps its just being kept under the hat until they are sure of the date/time and that they aren't going to need to back out again.

i have only seen hdtv through comcast component was pretty impressed.....is dvi that much better?

ScoopsHD is right. I do not know everything. There has been a huge breakdown in communications between the frontline and corporate. If you were to call into the call center now and ask for a DCT6200, you will have a rep on the phone saying that we do not carry the box. We all now that is not true. Until I can reach higher up and get a better source of information, you have to deal with the best I can get, which may not be the most accurate.

However, I am good at getting things done and taking care of the here and now. Such as channel problems and pricing issues. I came to the forum because of my love for high technology and also to keep some things straight. Do not take my word as gospel but if I find a better source to get information on, I'll pass it along. I do not like to feed rumors. I like to deal with facts. I will find out tomorrow if I can get a better feed on communications and get those 6200s out to those here who requested them.

therob006,

While everyone is looking forward to new boxes, dvi output being active and pvr's, I bet the vast majority would prefer that Comcast focus its attention on the CBS audio dropout issue to ensure that all of Boston enjoys the super bowl in 5.1. New technology and updates will come when they come, perfecting what we already have is more important IMO.

Thanks,

Adam

Originally posted by DaveFi
Anyone having trouble with WBZ's sound cutting out/static every 30 secs or so?

Yes, I get WBZ OTA and there was definitely something strange going on with the sound.

Agacek -

From the davefarias post it sounds like (no pun intended) it is WBZ that will need to focus on the audio problems mentioned with OTA and hence sending along that signal to Comcast customers.

Garbage out, garbage in.

I doubt that WBZ will let Comcast into their facility to help them get it fixed. And I am sure that WBZ has very competent engineers who are aware of the problems and are working to fix it pre-Superbowl.

Or you could call them. 617-787-7000

In regards to CBS audio drop out. IS everyone going from the DCT to the TV or is the sound going through your stereo with either coax or optical audio?

I spoke to several reps in the HD cue and no one has heard of this proble, It has been posted in this forum for a few weeks. If you would like to get this resolved, please PM me so I know who is having the problem and can have some one from the HD cue call you.

Thanks

OK, I thought it was just me. If it's posted in the "Tower" thread it should be adressed as WBZ engineers lurk there.

Does this mean that only those with the 6200 box will get DVI enabled? How about those who have the 5100?

DVI and firmware upgrade for Comcast is expected in the Boston area the week of 2-9-04.

I assume this includes enabling firewire.

capecodguy and johnovox -

yes to firewire

yes to both the 5100 and the 6200

Hey everyone,

As everyone here knows, the audio problem with WBZ is, at the WBZ studios. I'm trying to get some accounts to send to our operations team so they can call and complain to WBZ. If you would like to complain about it, either PM me and I'll do all the dirty work or call into the call center and talk to an HD rep. Chances are, you will get an HD rep right away.

Thanks

Go Pats!!!

UPDATE

If your 5100 has a DVI port and/or IEEE 1394 firewire port, then it will be activated. Some of the earlier 5100's may not have both or either of these ports.

If you don't have the port, then it can't be activated....

Good Morning all,

I just spoke to an engineer and WBZ and ESPN HD channels should be all set for the audio problems. Let me know if you still have issues.

Originally posted by therob006
Good Morning all,

I just spoke to an engineer and WBZ and ESPN HD channels should be all set for the audio problems. Let me know if you still have issues.

Good to know...the audio dropouts during the Bruins game on ESPNHD were driving me batty last night!:)

therob006 - or anyone,

Any thoughts on getting an older 5100 w/o DVI or 1394 ports swapped for something with them once they are active? Wthere be a charge or any other issue that you are aware of? I'd really like to free up one of my component inputs :)

Thanks.

Once active, you would have to call in and ask for one. At first, it may be hard to get because we are giving them out now to new installs. But eventually, you should be able to just go down to the walk-in center and swap out a box. Its hard to say because that was the problem with the DCT2000 and DCT2000 "L" which has the S-Video output and optical audio.

Would the video out of the firewire be full resolution?

Thanks,
Chris

I am currently evaluating the many options available in the HDTV world. I currently don't have any HDTV capability, and have analog cable.
therob, do you have any idea when Comcast is going to start supporting cable-ready HDTV's? I know there are some Mitsubishi models available, but there are still so few. From what I've read, the cable company will need to supply you with a DirectTV-like smart card, which is specific to their network.
I have Tivo now, and ideally, would SOMEDAY like a TV with PVR and cable-ready HDTV tuner built-in. They are coming...

therob006- Come April Comcast will have to offer a Firewire active box.

That said, I hope they don't force HD users to pay for a service call to exchange it. Last year they forced people to have a service call to install the HD box.

I think most of us on this forum are more than capable of swapping out the boxes for ourselves.

My DVHS deck is waiting.:D

Originally posted by deathstroke
I am currently evaluating the many options available in the HDTV world. I currently don't have any HDTV capability, and have analog cable.
therob, do you have any idea when Comcast is going to start supporting cable-ready HDTV's? I know there are some Mitsubishi models available, but there are still so few. From what I've read, the cable company will need to supply you with a DirectTV-like smart card, which is specific to their network.
I have Tivo now, and ideally, would SOMEDAY like a TV with PVR and cable-ready HDTV tuner built-in. They are coming...

I think the smart card agreement goes into effect this spring or summer, at which point Comcast will offer the smart cards so you can use your own receiver or TV if it is properly equipped to accept such a card. The only disadvantage of this approach will be the lack of two way services, such as ordering PPV from your remote, or the OnDemand (Video on demand w/stop fast, forward, etc) features. For me this wouldn't be a problem, as I never use either of these features.

The current Mitsubishi sets will only be able to deal with unscrambled cable, which I believe is limited in most areas to the broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS).

Dave,

Unfortunately, some people charge for that. I do not know why. We shouldn't. And when it comes to box swapping, I agree. We should not be charging for that either. Everyone has the right to upgrade their boxes.

As far as self-install, I agree that everyone here is good enough to do it. However, we are trying to pick up any problems with the HD boxes now so we do not have to inconvience our customers. Also we get a chance to test the channels and check signal strength. It should change soon.

Originally posted by therob006
Dave,

Unfortunately, some people charge for that. I do not know why. We shouldn't. And when it comes to box swapping, I agree. We should not be charging for that either. Everyone has the right to upgrade their boxes.

As far as self-install, I agree that everyone here is good enough to do it. However, we are trying to pick up any problems with the HD boxes now so we do not have to inconvience our customers. Also we get a chance to test the channels and check signal strength. It should change soon.

FYI - I got my box in November and had to pay a installation fee. When I order the service over the phone the rep said it was not possible to do a self-install.

Originally posted by jckessler
I think the smart card agreement goes into effect this spring or summer, at which point Comcast will offer the smart cards so you can use your own receiver or TV if it is properly equipped to accept such a card. The only disadvantage of this approach will be the lack of two way services, such as ordering PPV from your remote, or the OnDemand (Video on demand w/stop fast, forward, etc) features. For me this wouldn't be a problem, as I never use either of these features.

The current Mitsubishi sets will only be able to deal with unscrambled cable, which I believe is limited in most areas to the broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS).

Sounds good. At this point, I am not interested in PPV or OnDemand, but who knows about the future. I am really waiting for the LCoS Intel chipset that is supposed to drop the 40-50 inch screens to under 2k by the end of the year.

OnDemand is pretty cool. HD OnDemand is inevitable. I thought CableCard fuctionality was supposed to enable all those features?

If the built in tuners won't allow that, then there must be a some STB's coming with all those features, correct? The whole point of CableCard was to allow consumers to purchase their own equipment.

... speaking of OnDemand, has anybody ordered a widescreen movie on that yet? If so, is it enhanced for 16x9, or merely letterboxed? I asked this somewhere else (maybe even above), but got no answers.

In our area there is no HD/widescreen OnDemand. It's all 4:3.

There is some widescreen content available on OnDemand... but it is letterboxed, not HD.

As for the CableCard... its only function was to allow customers to buy an STB with a built in QAM tuner capable of accepting and handling a CableCard. As far as I've seen available on the market now, only Panasonic has TVs that can handle the CableCard.

There is some widescreen content available on OnDemand... but it is letterboxed, not HD.

Not to pick nits, but it could be widescreen-enhanced, without being HD, couldn't it? Or am I confused (wouldn't be the first time!)?

Letterbox is when it is widescreen but without the digital enhancement like DVDs and HD channels. Personally, I prefer to watch movies with the letterbox format because you actually see more of the movie. Same goes for ESPNHD, INHD2 (NESN) and CBSHD. (Another shameless plug from that Comcast rep).

Letterbox is when it is widescreen but without the digital enhancement like DVDs and HD channels.

So the OnDemand widescreen movies aren't 480 lines of MOVIE (like an anamorphic enhanced DVD), but 480 lines of SCREEN (like a non-anamorphic DVD).... do I have that right?

Personally, I prefer to watch movies with the letterbox format because you actually see more of the movie. Same goes for ESPNHD, INHD2 (NESN) and CBSHD. (Another shameless plug from that Comcast rep).

Nothing wrong with a shameless plug... especially from a fellow Comcaster! :D

I hadn't seen anything posted up here about this but as an FYI RCN has started broadcasting WBZ-DT as of late Wednesday- Thursday just in time for the SuperBowl. They even had a automated recording call the house to announce it. It was great to see CSI in HDTV again last night.

Yeah the widescreen content is 16:9 aspect ratio standard definition content. Same thing you get on your SD HBO and such channels. Its 480 interlaced lines, not 480 progressive like you get with some DVD players.

Originally posted by hibricc
Not to pick nits, but it could be widescreen-enhanced, without being HD, couldn't it? Or am I confused (wouldn't be the first time!)?
comcast can call it "widescreen" but it's really "letterbox" which is useless, in my opinion, if you have a 16:9 tv. you end up with "black bars" at top and bottom and also on the sides resulting in the "postage stamp" effect.

since the picture is not compressed horizontally, like on an anamorphic DVD, stretching it wont reveal more info you'll just see it well, stretched. i can deal with watching shows or news this way but it would ruin a movie. of course u can always view it in 4:3 mode but then what's the point of having a ws tv? so for now blockbuster will keep my business until the day when i can sit back and order hd or at least anamorphic movies from the box. therobb: ad that to the wishlist!

Hey guys I need your help desperately, I have many friends that have HDTV and Comcast. It seems that the few that have Samsungs have been experienceing weird problems. On one, the box screen goes yellow when on 4:3 content HD comes on and is normal for everything else (analog,digital & 16: hd). I have tried different component cables, a 5100 and 2 6200 motorola boxes and different component inputs. I have tried shutting off 4:3 override and 480p in the secret menu. When going RF the tv doesn't display any problems only when going through compent inputs. Another friend has the same problem except it is a Samsung DLP and goes green when going from analog to any HD content and the box freeze's and needs to be rebooted when it lock's up. Please help. They are both Samsung's so I didn't know if that has something to do with it

Originally posted by the q
UPDATE

If your 5100 has a DVI port and/or IEEE 1394 firewire port, then it will be activated. Some of the earlier 5100's may not have both or either of these ports.

If you don't have the port, then it can't be activated....

How many hardware version of the 5100 are there :) Mine has a DVI and it looks like two USB connectors. I am not exactly sure what a firewire port looks like, are they similar to USB ?

Hey guys I need your help desperately, I have many friends that have HDTV and Comcast. It seems that the few that have Samsungs have been experienceing weird problems. On one, the box screen goes yellow when on 4:3 content HD comes on and is normal for everything else (analog,digital & 16: hd). I have tried different component cables, a 5100 and 2 6200 motorola boxes and different component inputs. I have tried shutting off 4:3 override and 480p in the secret menu. When going RF the tv doesn't display any problems only when going through compent inputs. Another friend has the same problem except it is a Samsung DLP and goes green when going from analog to any HD content and the box freeze's and needs to be rebooted when it lock's up. Please help. They are both Samsung's so I didn't know if that has something to do with it


Could you specify a model for that samsung please? It seems that model HCL652W just to name one has some calibration issues coming out of the box. I am not passing this off as a definate television issue, however I am not ruling it out either. As for the box freezing and needing to reboot, does this happen even when swapping the box out, or have you tried that approach yet? Just starting from the basics.

Originally posted by dozens
FYI - I got my box in November and had to pay a installation fee. When I order the service over the phone the rep said it was not possible to do a self-install.

Comcasts current promotions is what decides on the possibility of a installation fee for the HDTV converter. As for self installs , they are not allowed at this time. The technicians bring in all the needed cabling and knowledge needed for this. As theRob had stated , of course most of the individuals posting here are quite capable of installing them. However we are not the "average" cable viewer, now are we? When I call into to comcast for changes to my service, they have no way of knowing my skill level or whether I need a technician to do an install such as this.

The one that goes yellow is the SAM HCN4226W. The one that freezes and goes green is SAM HLN507W. I have swapped boxes 3 times they all do the same.

in regards to the HCN4226W

please check out the following review it seems the user lists some setting suggestions for best picture. After swapping the converters 3 times I would lean away from the converter being the cause. Still looking into the other television issues.

add the www before the following link since it will not allow me to post a link with me having under 5 posts. Also remove the spaces.

digitalhomecanada.com /forums /viewtopic.php?t=9731

Most of the people calling into the call center now are ordering HDTV because it is the in thing to do. They have no clue what the difference is between component and S-video or SPDIF and optical. All they know is that it looks pretty. I like talking to and dealing with people on this forum because you are not the average cable viewer. I hold a higher appriciation with everyone here then I do with average Joe who just bought a HDTV at Best Buy and has no idea why.

The only reason why everyone should be getting free installs on HD upgrades is because the boxes are not available at service centers. But that is my theory and why I just credit the charge.

Also, I am getting word that there will be delays with the commercials when CBS switches from the game to the commercial and back. Anyone know if that is possible? My knowledge of that side of cable is somewhat limited.

Originally posted by ddean1968
Comcasts current promotions is what decides on the possibility of a installation fee for the HDTV converter. As for self installs , they are not allowed at this time. The technicians bring in all the needed cabling and knowledge needed for this. As theRob had stated , of course most of the individuals posting here are quite capable of installing them. However we are not the "average" cable viewer, now are we? When I call into to comcast for changes to my service, they have no way of knowing my skill level or whether I need a technician to do an install such as this.

Well my installation tech never seen a DLP front projector before and left without getting any of the high definition channels working. It turned out that my projector's only HD inputs were DVI and bnc component. She said that DVI wold be turned on in a couple days. I will go out on a limb and say the tech wasn't much of a value add here :)

Originally posted by therob006

Also, I am getting word that there will be delays with the commercials when CBS switches from the game to the commercial and back. Anyone know if that is possible? My knowledge of that side of cable is somewhat limited.

I thought for sure we would see high def commercials during the Superbowl.

Originally posted by therob006
Also, I am getting word that there will be delays with the commercials when CBS switches from the game to the commercial and back. Anyone know if that is possible? My knowledge of that side of cable is somewhat limited.

What would be unique about the Super Bowl here? I haven't seen any HD commercials anywhere but INHD, so why would there be any difference with a "normal" HD broadcast on CBS?

Well my installation tech never seen a DLP front projector before and left without getting any of the high definition channels working. It turned out that my projector's only HD inputs were DVI and bnc component. She said that DVI wold be turned on in a couple days. I will go out on a limb and say the tech wasn't much of a value add here
Your BNC component input is Y,Pr,Pb correct? Unless it's RGB, you should be OK as long as you have BNC to RCA converters (like $.50/ea), but you know that already?

I wouldn't hold my breath on DVI being available "in a couple days".

As for 5100s with Firewire, I didn't think there was any. My box was new OOTB, and only has a DVI port.

I know the game, like all HD broadcasts are delayed by 5 seconds. So what I think management is assuming is the game will be on the 5 second delay but the commercials will not be. So when CBS switches from the game to a commercial break, it will cut 5 seconds into the commercial and then have a black screen for 5 seconds or vice versa. I haven't seen this on ESPN or INHD. So I am wondering if anyone out there knows if CBS will have the commercials on a delay or not.

Originally posted by therob006
I know the game, like all HD broadcasts are delayed by 5 seconds. So what I think management is assuming is the game will be on the 5 second delay but the commercials will not be. So when CBS switches from the game to a commercial break, it will cut 5 seconds into the commercial and then have a black screen for 5 seconds or vice versa. I haven't seen this on ESPN or INHD. So I am wondering if anyone out there knows if CBS will have the commercials on a delay or not.

I haven't noticed a delay with commercials while watching all the other Pat's games on CBS in HD, so I can't see why there would be such a delay for the Superbowl. The game does have slight delay from the from the SD broadcast, but the commercials have been in synch with that delay.

Originally posted by therob006
I know the game, like all HD broadcasts are delayed by 5 seconds. So what I think management is assuming is the game will be on the 5 second delay but the commercials will not be. So when CBS switches from the game to a commercial break, it will cut 5 seconds into the commercial and then have a black screen for 5 seconds or vice versa. I haven't seen this on ESPN or INHD. So I am wondering if anyone out there knows if CBS will have the commercials on a delay or not.

I think the only issue might be local commercial switching. I won't be too unhappy missing 5 seconds of a Bernie and Phyls ad myself.

I've never seen a systematic problem with national ads, only the local WBZ ads during national HD programming.

re: 5100 and firewire
The 5100 manual on the Motorola site shows a firewire option
and connector and no DVI. My guess is that fireware was first
and then along came copy protection, so DVI/HDCP was added.
Buying 5100s with both probably didn't make much business sense
for Comcast wrt cost. Does anybody have a 5100 with both?

larry

My 5100 box has DVI but no FireWire.

No one has cleared up the issue with firewire, If the tv guide software with recording not built in what good does firewire do? Or does the new firmware/Software have the new functions?

Originally posted by dozens
I thought for sure we would see high def commercials during the Superbowl.

The preview for the new Tom Hanks movie was. ;)

As were many other movies. I had some sound dropouts and pixelation too - especially at the end of the game. But who cares at this particular moment. :)

awesome game!!! as far as the HD broadcast, my main complaint goes to CBS: if you're gonna broadcast in HD then go all the way, especially for the Superbowl! get rid of the SD cameras! the back and forth was annoying and looked awful. also, a few too many audio dropouts.

in general, sound levels were all over the place, but can't really control that i suppose. and not that it matters to me, but i only saw one commercial in HD, one of the car ones. movie trailers were cool, except for Troy which passed on HD.

aside from it all, it was great to have gotten WBZDT, or should i say CBS-4, in time for playoffs and superbowl. for a while there we thought comcast wouldn't add it in time. already looking forward to the sox in HD @home! this is the year!!! :D

Originally posted by avic
awesome game!!! as far as the HD broadcast, my main complaint goes to CBS: if you're gonna broadcast in HD then go all the way, especially for the Superbowl! get rid of the SD cameras! the back and forth was annoying and looked awful. also, a few too many audio dropouts.


I second that comment... I invite people over to my house for the HD super bowl and then have to explain that CBS can't get their act together and purchase all HD cameras... This was a time for CBS to shine and show how HDTV can look, instead they botch it up. I was furious...

Reminds me of what Dave Letterman says about CBS...

"CBS....we're not even trying...."

Seems so true when it comes to live HD on CBS..

-t

Sound was the most annoying part for me... seemed like we only had voices at normal volume for 1/2 the game. I don't think I had a signal strength problem, but did anyone else have pixelations near the end of the game? The first 3 quarters were good.

Oh and an INHD movie question - are those censored? I didn't check the last time I watched.... just curious.

Chris

sound was definitely the low point. some pixelation and a total drop on a key Troy Brown reception in the 4th were a bummer too. but in general it was a great experience... 8 out of 10 (IMO). i probably would have rated it lower if the pats lost... ;-)

I thoroughly enjoyed the game and broadcast. I thought CBS did a good job, people on these boards need to be realistic. 5.1 sound was excellent, I only had a few breif dropouts, and they were during commercials and the halftime show. The bass effect when graphics disappeared off the screen got a bit tiresome, but I can live with it. The picture looked incredible. Some shots are too quick moving to be captured with the current SD cameras and the cameramen are not accustomed to how steady the camera must be held. The 360 eye view was never meant to be in HD. If I had felt the need to "explain" the poor quality to any of my guests, I would have booted them out to watch at their own home. For me, it is hard to find anything negative in last night!

So is there any chance that Comcast will reach an agreement with WB and UPN by this fall, so we can see Enterprise and Smallville in HD?

don't get me wrong - we were all blown away by the picture quality - at 110" no less! i just pointed out the few low points. there was no complaining at my home whatsoever. the spl difference between the game, commercials and the intro graphic (when they came back from commercials) was what i was talking about. i had to keep my finger on the volume to keep from blowing away people in the cheap seats (up front).

My 5100 box does have a firewire port on it. Obvioulsy, the firmware makes it inactive.

I had mine installed before HD was even advertised as avaialble (the soft launch)

Tim

gabatta: welcome to the forum. there is no reason to hold CBS at a lower standard, on the contrary. they remind us constantly about how great they are so they should have done a better job.

this is 2004, certainly not the first HD broadcast of the superbowl so it's 'realistic' to expect improvements. SD cameras were used for non-play action shots like sideline reporting and during the performances. if it had been just the 360 eye view in SD i would not have had as much of an issue but the SD shots were used way too much. and it's not unreasonable to expect better audio.

this is the HDTV with Comcast forum, we're not commenting on the game itself. but as far as the HD aspect, if you don't have the same standards as others then that's fine but the "people on these boards" are entitled to their opinion which is part of why we are here.

Tim, DVI output also on 5100 ?

All you CBS bashers: What would you have been watching if Comcast didn't get CBS
soon enough??? Did you all have OTA HDTV?

larry

some pixelation and a total drop on a key Troy Brown reception in the 4th were a bummer too. but in general it was a great experience... 8 out of 10 (IMO).

Good to hear that... that was exactly where I had some pixelation.

I'm not bashing comcast at all... I was VERY happy with the broadcast - just saying something could be better. And those problems weren't from comcast I believe. I did have the OTA setup ready to go if necessary, but it wasn't so I had it running on a TV upstairs so people wouldn't miss anything when getting food/drinks. :)

Any more word on the firewire firmware? Really would like to be able to record some of this stuff.

Chris

Originally posted by PooperScooper
All you CBS bashers: What would you have been watching if Comcast didn't get CBS
soon enough??? Did you all have OTA HDTV?

larry what does that have to do with anything? bashers?! wow, for someone with 1700 posts, your comments are surprising. i would have had the same complaints with OTA larry. get rid of SD cameras and improve the audio! moving on...

Do you think they used some SD cameras because they wanted to or created
audio problems? Think about what it takes to do mobile HD broadcasts
and have it transmitted perfectly. Sorry if you took it personally avic, but
at this point in time you should be grateful for the HD programming
you do receive and can enjoy. It's not like it's been regressing from
something better.

larry

larry, i don't subscribe to your "take it how you can get it and shut up" attitude. others and i will continue to express the things we'd like to see improve; that's how they do. so let's agree to disagree and your apology for the name-calling accepted.

that said, to their credit, CBS has made improvements. audio problems will happen, i just would have liked them to have taken less shots with the SD cameras. check out this article, goes into some depth on the CBS Superbowl HD broadcast.

CBS Primed for Super Bowl in HD (http://www.tvtechnology.com/features/news/n_CBS_Primed_for_Super.shtml)

Originally posted by deathstroke
So is there any chance that Comcast will reach an agreement with WB and UPN by this fall, so we can see Enterprise and Smallville in HD?

bump

Originally posted by dlp_steve
bump

There've been no announcements as of yet. The agreement with Viacom should cover the UPN stations, but I don't think the amount of HD on UPN justifies carriage yet, in Comcast's mind.

Yes, I guess since one of the two HD shows on UPN was cancelled (Jake 2.0), they figure we can whip out the rabbit ears to watch Enterprise for now. Hopefully there will be more programs in HD on UPN next season and Comcast will come around!!
Same story on WB? Not enough content?

Chicken and the egg. If Comcast picked up UPN's digital feed it would probably encourage them to produce more HD programming.

Originally posted by deathstroke
Yes, I guess since one of the two HD shows on UPN was cancelled (Jake 2.0), they figure we can whip out the rabbit ears to watch Enterprise for now. Hopefully there will be more programs in HD on UPN next season and Comcast will come around!!
Same story on WB? Not enough content?

Ok, i'm a newbie here. Sorry if I sound uninformed, but are you saying that I can put an antenna on my DLP and pick up channel 56 in Boston in HD??

Thanks,
Steve

Unfortunately those of us that live in the Avalon at Prudential cannot get Comcast HD programming as there appears to be some dispute between the building owner and Comcast. Does anyone know what I can/should do to get HD programming outside of D*? Being that I just moved into the Prudential Center area, am I right in thinking I can pick up OTA HD broadcasts if I buy an HD Rec & OTA HD antenna?

My apologies if my quesions are below the intelligence level of the board. As you most likely can tell, I'm very new at this stuff and I'm swimming in it a bit as I think I've actually read too much (if that's possible!).

Kind regards,
Dan

At least UPN and WB have HD programming, Fox(825) has none. While ED is better, it's certainly not HD. Now dead last in adopting it, they finally agreed on 720p for their fall lineup.

Which pretty much begs the question as to why Comcast is carrying Fox HD, but not UPN or WB.

Although, I'm sure Fox gets higher ratings overall than the other two, and that since they're just ED, the bandwidth requirements are probably a lot less than a real HD station.

I asked about the WB a couple of weeks ago and I think therob006 was going to look into it. I'm not sure if they are out of bandwidth or not, so I don't know how soon they could do it. There was another thread and it APPEARS that all the WB stations are independently owned... ? So maybe that's a problem for comcast to negogiate (sp).

In any case, this is the channel that's MOST important for me at this point. It's the one the wife watches and if we can get that in HD, can you say bedroom TV upgrade???? :)

Chris

EDIT: I actually just emailed the Boston WB station to see if they had any info/talks with comcast..... I'll let you know if I hear anything.

Originally posted by toots
Which pretty much begs the question as to why Comcast is carrying Fox HD, but not UPN or WB.


Football...

Originally posted by oilcandan
Unfortunately those of us that live in the Avalon at Prudential cannot get Comcast HD programming as there appears to be some dispute between the building owner and Comcast. Does anyone know what I can/should do to get HD programming outside of D*? Being that I just moved into the Prudential Center area, am I right in thinking I can pick up OTA HD broadcasts if I buy an HD Rec & OTA HD antenna?

My apologies if my quesions are below the intelligence level of the board. As you most likely can tell, I'm very new at this stuff and I'm swimming in it a bit as I think I've actually read too much (if that's possible!).

Kind regards,
Dan

You can do just that. If you're up at high above the other buildings, I doubt you'll have any trouble picking up the HD broadcasts. If you're a bit lower down, reception might be iffy, but you may want to try anyway. I'd pick up one of the Zenith or LG tuners, since they're reported to have to best tuners, the Silver Sensor antenna, and give it a try.

For example:

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=90113670&loc=111&sp=1 is one place you can get this antenna

http://www.jandr.com/JRProductPage.process?RestartFlow=t&Section_Id=1&Product_Id=3954284 is a good tuner.

Originally posted by avic
At least UPN and WB have HD programming, Fox(825) has none. While ED is better, it's certainly not HD. Now dead last in adopting it, they finally agreed on 720p for their fall lineup.

So is it 100% certain that Fox will finally be at HD by the fall?

That would be huge, especially since I heard that Fox will have the Superbowl next year and I think the MLB Playoffs...

Originally posted by wackymann
Football...

An extremely compelling reason to carry Fox, and one which I obviously overlooked (since I don't normally watch football).

Thanks. The world now makes a tiny bit more sense.

Fox will be HD eventually, sometime in the next year or so.

Anyone have a 6200 w/Firewire enabled yet? I'm chomping at the bit here.

Boy, the prospect of getting one of those would even convince me to buy an HD VCR.

VCR. How quaint.

How long d'ya s'pose it's gonna be before HD PVRs are a viable reality?

As soon as I hear of a 620x w/1394 working it is bye bye D*.

Dave

Originally posted by D_Doherty
As soon as I hear of a 620x w/1394 working it is bye bye D*.

Dave

What is D* ?

D* = DirecTV
E* = Echostar (Dish)

toots- Not sure what you mean. The 6200 is the non- harddrive equipped version of the 6208. Comcast will offer the full HD-PVR enabled 6208 sometime soon for $10/mo. Since I already have a DVHS deck, I'm planning to upgrade to a 6200 (no extra charge) and use that to record untill a dual tuner PVR is available.

If you're talking about purchasing our own cable HD-PVRs I don't think anyone really knows what's going on there. The CableCard standard should allow these kind of boxes to come into existance, but so far I haven't heard of any.

WBZ sound and pic breaking up again. Not on my end because my box shows 0000 errors, and good snr/agc.

Is anybody else having problems with NBC (Channel 7) HD broadcast? For the last couple of weeks as I'm surfing the 800 channels, I've noticed shows like Vegas and Law and Order coming in 4:3 rather than WS HD broadcast. I called Comcast three times over last two weeks and was told that is how NBC is broadcasting. I did not hear anything on the forum here and wondering if it is my box and not NBC. Any feedback would be appreciated!

Almost all of those types of problems are originating at the station. Comcast only passes the signal; I don't think they alter it at all.

Originally posted by DaveFi
Fox will be HD eventually, sometime in the next year or so.
DaveFi you must have sources deep within to get that detailed info! ;) Here's a littte more scoop:

Fox does HDTV turnaround (http://bth.broadcastengineering.com/ar/broadcasting_fox_hdtv_turnaround/)

jckessler - thank you very much for that information. I seriously appreciate that.

Originally posted by DaveFi
toots- Not sure what you mean. The 6200 is the non- harddrive equipped version of the 6208. Comcast will offer the full HD-PVR enabled 6208 sometime soon for $10/mo. Since I already have a DVHS deck, I'm planning to upgrade to a 6200 (no extra charge) and use that to record untill a dual tuner PVR is available.

If you're talking about purchasing our own cable HD-PVRs I don't think anyone really knows what's going on there. The CableCard standard should allow these kind of boxes to come into existance, but so far I haven't heard of any.

WBZ sound and pic breaking up again. Not on my end because my box shows 0000 errors, and good snr/agc.

Any of those would be fine.

I mean, I keep hearing about the 6208, and you know I'll be on the phone asking for one as soon as Comcast offers them, but it's still just an empty promise until they actually deliver.

As far as HD PVRs with the cablecard - that'd be nice, too. I'll just believe it when I see it.

Until then, seems like we wait for Firewire to be enabled on the 6200, then try to use an HD VHS deck?

And, yeah, I was getting LOTS of audio dropouts on WBZ tonight.

I never get audio dropouts on any other channel, be it analog, digital SD or HD. Always, it's with WBZ.

rumor around the call centers is DVI will be available on 2/9 through a firmware update.

that's what "the q" said a week a go. hope DVI doesn't have the same PQ issues some are reporting in other markets. wont be any use for me with an analog rptv. i suppose those with fixed pixel will see a benefit, for the rest, you'll definitely be pleasing the MPA.

I just want firewire. Only 2mos more at most.

I just want firewire. Only 2mos more at most.

Agreed. Hopefully it is in the same upgrade as DVI.

Originally posted by therob006
rumor around the call centers is DVI will be available on 2/9 through a firmware update.

Stupid question: is a firmware update done remotely? or do I have to have someone come out?:confused:

remotely, the box will display a dl, don't interrupt it until it's done.

Originally posted by avic
remotely, the box will display a dl, don't interrupt it until it's done.

Thanks, avic. Just had a 6200 installed last Saturday, and I'm frankly wondering how DVI could possibly make HD look any better! ;)

Will the update before the 5100 boxes as well? I just found out the Daytona 500 is in HD and I don't think I'll be home... hopefully I can record it off NBC!

Originally posted by Schlotkins
Will the update before the 5100 boxes as well? I just found out the Daytona 500 is in HD and I don't think I'll be home... hopefully I can record it off NBC! You can't record HD off of DVI...only firewire.

Anybody else getting audio drops? I had them last night on WCVB-DT (805) during letterman via Optical. Leno was fine.

It was my understanding DVI/Firewire were coming at the same time. Other people in the country have active firewire now... all be it with some problems.

Chris

argh. ER was not broadcast in HD tonight. This has happened before. Who is responsible for this? WHDH or NBC?

Sometimes, I get the impression that HD on WHDH is "On Demand." By that, I mean that it won't be HD unless someone who knows the magic phone number calls up and asks them to flip the switch.

Originally posted by hibricc
Stupid question: is a firmware update done remotely? or do I have to have someone come out?:confused:

It will download automatically. My tech said the second week in Feb and a phone rep said within 4 months.

Steve

Originally posted by avic
argh. ER was not broadcast in HD tonight. This has happened before. Who is responsible for this? WHDH or NBC?

Is that why ER showed up in a frame on my screen? Try as I might, I could not get it to fill up the whole 16:9 screen, even though it was in the shape of 16:9. It had a big border all th way around, although the picture in the middle looked better than SDTV broadcasts. I suppose I might call the size 12: 7 instead of 16:9. (sorry; I'm new to this, and I don't know the right terminology).

Using the same "measurements", the commercials on WHDH were in something like 14:9, which is how most of WHDH looks to me.

g35,

I didn't watch WHDH last night but from past experience:

1. everything WHDH outputs on their digital channel is 1080i
2. sometimes they don't have the right input but it gets upconverted and goes out as 1080i.
3. sometimes the problem with the input is at WHDH and sometimes it is at NBC
4. most TVs can only stretch 480 input, if it comes to you as 1080i it cannot be stretched

Dave

Originally posted by D_Doherty
g35,

I didn't watch WHDH last night but from past experience:

1. everything WHDH outputs on their digital channel is 1080i
2. sometimes they don't have the right input but it gets upconverted and goes out as 1080i.
3. sometimes the problem with the input is at WHDH and sometimes it is at NBC
4. most TVs can only stretch 480 input, if it comes to you as 1080i it cannot be stretched

Dave

Right now, I have my cable box (Magnavox 6200 from Comcast) set at 720p, because I have a DLP television (the Gateway 56), and I'm pretty sure (not positive) that 720p is its native resolution. I figured that it didn't make sense for the box to deliver a signal that my TV would have to convert again.

If I think that I'm getting 1080i from a particular station (as in WHDH) should I just tell the box to deliver 1080i to my set? Last night, as I was watching WHDH, I changed the resolution coming out of the box a few times, going through all the possibilities, 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i. I can't remember if any of them changed anything on my screen, but I do remember that none of them caused ER to fill the entire screen. The best I got in 16:9 was the picture frame look. So, I just went back to the 720p that I started with.

Was that the right setting, or should I change things? I think that the Comcast installer was going to set up the box as 1080i, but I had him do 720p, for the reasons previously stated.

Thanks, and sorry for all the Newbie questions!

ER was not transmitted in HD last night. The fault originated at NBC nationally. Last night you might have been able to get ER to fill your screen by outputting at at 480p or 480i and using the stretch/zoom modes on your TV, but it still wouldn't have made a non-HD broadcast HD.

I think if you have a DLP leaving your cable box set to 720p is a reasonable thing to do. You could compare to see if letting the cable box convert 1080i to 720p looked different than the TV, but the end result should be very similar. The main disadvantage of setting your cable box to something other than 720p is that most formats will have to go through two conversions: for example if you output at 1080i both 720p and 480p will converted to 1080i by the cable box and then 720p by the set, which probably won't help picture quality.

Is it possible that the ER nonHD airing was a result of the reported last-minute editing due to the SuperBowl flap?

Originally posted by hibricc
Is it possible that the ER nonHD airing was a result of the reported last-minute editing due to the SuperBowl flap? Seems that is the case, can anyone explain why they couldn't edit in HD?

apparently the good folks over at NBC felt they needed to protect us from the threat of seeing an old woman's breast while being defibrillated yet they have no prob showing people eating pig uteri for $$$ :rolleyes:

Originally posted by avic
Seems that is the case, can anyone explain why they couldn't edit in HD?

apparently the good folks over at NBC felt they needed to protect us from the threat of seeing an old woman's breast while being defibrillated yet they have no prob showing people eating pig uteri for $$$ :rolleyes:

I bet it has everything to do with audience demographics: older viewers (who watch ER) are more easily offended :mad:; younger viewers (who watch FF) think it's way cool.:cool:

40 old?:eek:

really, was she 40?! well had the episode aired in HD and without censorship i could have guessed her age better! ;) but i still would like to get my hands on a phone number i could call because this happened last fall on one episode and then there was the "internet explorer" logo incident. i have visions of 'charlie' in master control or wherever taking a long bathroom break and forgetting about us.

I hope this firmware is more recent than the other one out there... there seems to be problems with NBC/INHD/ESPN recordings........ (see HD recording forum)

Chris

Originally posted by g35
Right now, I have my cable box (Magnavox 6200 from Comcast) set at 720p, because I have a DLP television (the Gateway 56), and I'm pretty sure (not positive) that 720p is its native resolution. I figured that it didn't make sense for the box to deliver a signal that my TV would have to convert again.

If I think that I'm getting 1080i from a particular station (as in WHDH) should I just tell the box to deliver 1080i to my set? Last night, as I was watching WHDH, I changed the resolution coming out of the box a few times, going through all the possibilities, 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i. I can't remember if any of them changed anything on my screen, but I do remember that none of them caused ER to fill the entire screen. The best I got in 16:9 was the picture frame look. So, I just went back to the 720p that I started with.

Was that the right setting, or should I change things? I think that the Comcast installer was going to set up the box as 1080i, but I had him do 720p, for the reasons previously stated.

Thanks, and sorry for all the Newbie questions!

Yes, the tv is 730p Native. I just got mine yesterday and I love it so far.
I was excited to watch ER in HD, and I got the same thing as everyone else.

Schlotkins, Did you receive the firmware? I was still under the impression it launches feb 9th through 11th

Couple more days until the new firmware. So no he does not have that update yet.

Some other areas do have DVI and firewire active... they were reporting the recording problems.

Chris

whats up guys. i just got my hdtv cable box installed today. i have a samsung DLP set.

i set the moto 5100 cable box to 720p and 4:3 override turned off. the hd looks great but it seems most hd stations arent broadcasting hd stuff this early in the day. all i am getting is pbs and the inhd1 and inhd2 stations. espnhd is stretched but looks like SD right now. i assume during prime time i will see more stuff. i am hoping hbo shows some movies in HD this afternoon.

anyway, i noticed that when i go back to regular abc (channel 05) it looks like **** on component 3. it looks better if i go to the hdtv channel 805, which is SD at this time of day but looks better. "antenna mode" on y tv also looks better for the SD stuff, but its a pain to have to switch to it.

questions:

is wfxt (fox 25) in true HD yet? and is espnhd broadcasting everything in hd or just major stuff and stuff in primetime? it looks like espn is stretched SD..... is DVI enabled yet? (the installer didn't know)

Originally posted by macd23
whats up guys. i just got my hdtv cable box installed today. i have a samsung DLP set.

i set the moto 5100 cable box to 720p and 4:3 override turned off. the hd looks great but it seems most hd stations arent broadcasting hd stuff this early in the day. all i am getting is pbs and the inhd1 and inhd2 stations. espnhd is stretched but looks like SD right now. i assume during prime time i will see more stuff. i am hoping hbo shows some movies in HD this afternoon.

anyway, i noticed that when i go back to regular abc (channel 05) it looks like **** on component 3. it looks better if i go to the hdtv channel 805, which is SD at this time of day but looks better. "antenna mode" on y tv also looks better for the SD stuff, but its a pain to have to switch to it.

questions:

is wfxt (fox 25) in true HD yet? and is espnhd broadcasting everything in hd or just major stuff and stuff in primetime? it looks like espn is stretched SD..... is DVI enabled yet? (the installer didn't know)

No Fox stations are broadcasting in HD yet, later this year. ESPN HD has mostly stretched SD except for specific HD broadcasts. Go to this link to see the HD schedule:

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tvlistings/espnhd/index

Can't answer your other question, not my market.

ESPN only broadcasts a few events in HD, averaging about one every other day or so.

The schedule is here: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tvlistings/espnhd/index

There are lots of complaints about ESPN's SD stretch in the programming forum.

FOX is only doing widescreen SD right now; they will be doing true HD in the fall.

thanks jckessler. i assume fox is doing widescreen SD when they broadcast their "hd" stuff.....right now i see black bars on the left and right on fox.

espn stretched has a pretty decent picture, but i can tell its not HD. i hope they increase their hd broadcasts, it would be awesome to have that station in 24 hr high def...

other than that everything looks excellent, slight audio synch issue, noticeable on hbo but i assume i am SOL with regards to that....its hardly noticeable anyway....