Hey! Some great news. First off. I've been meaning to reply since last week about KEYT. Just to clarify, Bob Grissom hasn't been GM there since last November- very shortly after the station changed hands. I was frustrated too with no communication, but the stories about no $$ and no progress were true.

I had a great conversation with Dave Edelman (Dir Public Affairs, Cox Communications) about the situation. Of course he indicated that Cox was totally ready, had 703 reserved for KEYT, and had even offered to use the ABC national HD feed with KEYT commercial insertion ( which they do all the time for other channels). In fact I think they had even offered to help with equipment too. But nothing was happening. Honestly I think Cox gets more heat about no ABC HD than KEYT does.... He was glad to hear about additional pressure being put on KEYT through our efforts - and even recommended letters to the Newspress...

Anyhow. On to todays news! Verbatim from the Newspress:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cox may air game in high definition
Barney Brantingham
January 20, 2006 7:12 AM

(EDITED for brevity: Dang! ucsbgaucho beat me to it while I was typing! see his post above for text! WooHoo!)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS - this is the first time I have seen any HD subscriber #s for our area. Only 4500 of us? I really need to invite more people to my house to get inspired!

Can someone tell me, if you have both the D* national feeds from LA and Cox to compare the network HD signals, which one is better quality? Are the local stations sending out the signal to Cox at a high bitrate, and are they multicasting yet?

I probably soon will have both, just curious which is better quality at this time.

Hmmm... which "San Luis Obispo residents" get Comcast? Charter rules SLO and they're last to get everything. I'm just glad we got NBC in time for the Olympics.

matt

Just to clarify, Bob Grissom hasn't been GM there since last November- very shortly after the station changed hands. I was frustrated too with no communication, but the stories about no $$ and no progress were true.

I have been attempting to communicate with Grissom since July 3, so his leaving in Nov. doesn't matter and is not an excuse. Besides, whoever took over should have changed their customer relations operandi, and there has been no evidence of that until possibly this week.

PS - this is the first time I have seen any HD subscriber #s for our area. Only 4500 of us? I really need to invite more people to my house to get inspired!

I have no idea how Barney would know how many SBers have HD. I have two, but nobody ever asked me. I suspect the 4500 number is way low. I have 3 friends who bought HD after seeing mine, and nobody ever asked them either. That may be a Cox supplied estimate, based on their own clientile. Dish and Directv are probably excluded.

This is great newsabout KEYT, but why so long to get any action? SB missed 5 bowl games, 2 NFL Playoff Games, and a whole season of Mon. Nite FB. It took Barney to buy an HD set and find out what he was missing? I guess so. Hats off to Barney!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob

I have been attempting to communicate with Grissom since July 3, so his leaving in Nov. doesn't matter and is not an excuse. Besides, whoever took over should have changed their customer relations operandi, and there has been no evidence of that until possibly this week.

Bobzoila- Just to clarify for the record - Grissom has been gone since Nov. 2004 (BTW he works for Cox now). KEYT spent most of 2005 looking for a new GM. Barney's column indicated that the New GM that was canned had only been there a few months...

Either way - I'm happy that progress is being made. Funny, my non-HD friends can't understand why I'm so torqued about the situation. The analogy I give them that they can relate to is this: suppose KEYT was broadcasting in black & white an everyone else was in color. Would you complain then? The answer is usually yes.

Hey guys-

Just activated HD service on Charter in San Luis, have a few questions for you...

I opted not to get the DVR from Charter, mostly because I want to build my own HTPC to act as a DVR / Media server and stuff... So I have a SA 3250 HD set-top box. I've been reading a lot about QAM encryption and stuff, and I'm wondering which channels people in the SLO /SB area on Charter are able to receive on any hardware other than the provided stuff.

Also, if the signals are in fact encrypted, is there any way that Charter would authorize my capture card to be on their network? I'm still paying for the full digital package + HD, so I would hope that they would accept another device instead of their provided 3250HD.

Finally, if any of you are using HTPCs, what capture cards / OS are you using? I am about to build my system, and as of now plan to use a pcHDTV HD-3000 capture card running in MythTV. Reccommendations or suggestions?

Thanks guys, cool to see that there's a dedicated HDTV community in the area.

Scottwal,

You need a cable (QAM) not an OTA (8VSB) capture card.

As far as I know, these do not exist yet. You will have to wait until Windows Vista comes out for this support. Then, we can have some fun.

Thanks for the reply LesMoss - the card that I'm looking at is QAM compliant, at least for unencrypted streams...

--From the pcHDTV FAQ
Is Cale/QAM supported?
The pcHDTV HD-3000 cards support the three major types of cable transmissions-- 8VSB, QAM64 and QAM256. It is possible however for cable companies to encrypt channels and render the card unable to record some or all channels. Success will depend on each cable company and how they distribute cable to each neighborhood.

And the HTPC software that I'll be installing is a specialized Linux build that is pretty much designed around this card. So all I'm really wondering is whether the Charter signals here are encrypted or not. Any ideas?

I am pretty sure everything HD is encrypted except the local networks.

Does the pcHDTV HD-3000 support a Cable Card? That would solve your problem.

KSBY, KKFX, and KCOY all come in "free and clear" (unencrypted) on charter. 781, 782, and 786 if my memory serves.

matt

Thanks for the info wormzer...

I think i'm going to go ahead and build a HTPC in the next few weeks... I'll keep you guys posted as to how it works with out local cable.

I was heartened by ucsbgaucho's post regarding the possibility of Comcast getting a HD feed for the superbowl. Anyone have any info as to the progress? Talking to Comcast is like talking to the wall -- although they do provide a good signal once they finally get their act together....

BTW, gaucho, what did you have to do to get all the HD feeds on D* from LA? I thought you couldn't get waviers from KEYT or the others around here. HDTV starved minds want to know!

bis spaeter,

"Here I am -- the only HD boy in Lompoc...."

Oh this is great news for us! Can it be true? It should be true! Unfortunately unless they put up a miracle tower in SLO this weekend . . . I doubt it will benifit me. I'm going to give KEYT a call and see what they have to say about it. D* isn't adding any new channels unless they're mpeg-4 and the catch-22 is that they don't SELL a mpeg-4 dvr yet! So again . . . we get fu**ed at the drive-through!

I'm going to call them just to see if they can give me an update on progress. Maybe thier website will have something? BRB.

Okay here's what they said:

They'll know what's going on Monday 30th. She said they are working on getting it up but they won't know (or provide) a status until then. They are not granting ANY waivers until they know for sure. GRRRRRR. We'll see if that changes when I'm in their lobby!

I would like everyone who can hear my voice to call KEYT between now and monday just to make them aware of how many people in this area WANT HDTV. I know they're making a push but they're a bit tardy in my opinion and they should make every effort to accomodate thier neighbors somehow.

KEYT: (805) 882-3933
Get details: Who are they trying to provide access for? OTA Santa Barbra? OTA SLO? Comcast? Cox? Directv? One-time feed? Resolution? Get the smackdown going guys! Good luck to us all.

I got my waivers in the fall of 2004, when I moved back into the area from Monterey. It took a couple weeks, but I had no trouble getting all 4 waivers, didnt even have to contact the individual stations. Luckily, I guess the waivers stay attached to your account and not your address you had when you got them, because I moved once within SB since getting the waivers and still have them.

By the way, any ideas or rumors on when Cox will add ESPN2HD? And for those of you who have had experience with both HDNet and InHD, are they pretty much the same as far as type of content you see on there?

I just moved again, and not so sure I'm in a location that will be able to receive D*, I'm on the westside now and directly under the KEYT studios, and that huge hill, so I've got the D* installer coming out tomorrow morning, I'm crossing my fingers that I can see the birds. If not, I've gotta switch to Cox, which I'd really rather not do.

Interesting, Gaucho. I thought the waviers started from scratch when moving to a different DMA. I have had Dish for a long time and so I'm "grandfathered" in on East/West NBC,Fox,ABC. I've kept Dish hoping that if they ever get the other networks my waviers would get me the HD. They're supposed to roll out MPEG-4 receivers first of the month, just in time for superbowl and olympics. My sources tell me that Dish network will probably never add the locals in our DMA. Anyone know about DirecTV? They have been promising locals for some time.

Seems the logical solution would be to offer the SuperBowl as a PPV event, with KEYT being the beneficiary for this region. I'm sure the money would be helpful in their HD conversion efforts.

As to InHD, I have enjoyed their programming ( get it on Comcast ) a lot -- quite a variety of sports, concerts, movies, etc. Check out INHD.com for schedules. Picture quality is superb.

I will begin pestering KEYT in earnest early next week -- good luck to all of us in our efforts. Nobody should be denied the Superbowl in HD.


Bis spaeter,

"Here I am, the only HD boy in Lompoc...."

I've posted this before, but I'll do it again for new readers. To get HD nets from DirecTV you need an LA service address and a local billing address. You can get all the big four networks in HD out of LA, and up until a few months ago NY. Costco has the HDTivo for $549 and a $200 rebate right now. You will be able to get MPEG2 HD as long as the Conus feeds are up, several years the least.

Do a search for the word "moving" on the forum. Good luck, but that is good news about KEYT, hopefully there will be a viable cable option if I choose to leave Direct.

I received my bill from Cox today. As exciting as that sounds alone (anyone care to donate to my HD fees???), I was hoping for a note announcing that ABC HD would begin on ch 703 on Feb 3 or something like that (as was done for MTVHD and FOXHD, etc.). No note. However, there was a general HDTV add on page 2 of the bill. Included in the list group of logos representing the HD lineup was the ABC HD logo. Anyone else notice this?

Lompoc, actually I didnt get the waivers until I moved down from Monterey. When I got my service hooked up here, I called to ask for waivers, and within a few weeks had them all activated. I've only moved within SB since then, which I assume is why I've been able to keep the waivers active.

I've got the D* installer coming out in a couple hours, and just got great news that my new 61" 1080p tv will be delivered around noon today, I was originally expecting it to come tomorrow, so I'll be a very happy camper this afternoon if I've got my TV set up with D* HD!]

And Mute, that's the way people without D* waivers can get by with LA HD local channels now, since they've changed the waiver rules, but for me, I've always had my actual local address listed and I get the LA channels as well. I just got in before the rules changed.

Good news from the Newspress today:

"KEYT is high-def for Super Bowl

The buzz around town is that KEYT definitely plans to air the Feb. 5 Super Bowl on super-sharp high-definition TV.

Until last week the ABC affiliate was able to broadcast only its regular analog picture, but then new management swung into action and ordered the necessary HD equipment.

The word is that all will be in place by kickoff time, if not before. Installing HD capability involves a heavy expense for Boston Ventures, which bought a controlling interest in the Smith family group of TV stations in 2004.

This means that Cox's 4,500 customers with HD-capable boxes, as well as Comcast customers in the North County, San Luis Obispo County viewers and satellite subscribers, will be able to receive KEYT's HD signal as well as the analog picture."

Nothing about us poor losers with charter though?

This means that Cox's 4,500 customers with HD-capable boxes, as well as Comcast customers in the North County, San Luis Obispo County viewers and satellite subscribers, will be able to receive KEYT's HD signal.

Not true. KEYT has no plans to add Directv or Dish to their super bowl endeavors, and Directv will not be bringing MPEG4 to SB for several years, which would add the new HD locals. One chance would be for KEYT to start approving waivers for satelite, but I doubt it, and certainly it won't be possible to acheive by Super Bowl time. KEYT has a trauma with allowing local viewers to see HD from LA 7. A big boon for Cox, and Grissom will be very happy. But, at least we are moving in the right direction now in SB.

Not true. KEYT has no plans to add Directv or Dish to their super bowl endeavors, and Directv will not be bringing MPEG4 to SB for several years, which would add the new HD locals. One chance would be for KEYT to start approving waivers for satelite, but I doubt it, and certainly it won't be possible to acheive by Super Bowl time. KEYT has a trauma with allowing local viewers to see HD from LA 7. A big boon for Cox, and Grissom will be very happy. But, at least we are moving in the right direction now in SB.
Wouldn't satellite viewers be able to see KEYT OTA.

Wouldn't satellite viewers be able to see KEYT OTA.

Certainly not the majority of Santa Barbara County satelite viewers, because of OTA limitations. Anybody with a good local KEYT signal could, but that has nothing to do with satelite viewers. I doubt if many local residents have OTA antennas installed. Would be worth trying, though.

I had an OTA antenna installed for free with my Voom subscription, it's still up there. I can pull in KEYT, it's 10.7 miles from my 93111 location according to Antennaweb.com

I'll post and let you know if I can pull in the digital signal next week (after I find the wire leading down from my roof for the antenna). And I thought I would never get to use the OTA tuner on my HD Tivo.

You should have no problem in that location. I have a Terk TV 55 never installed, and with my Sat. 6X8 Coaxial Sw., it should work also. I am 11 miles from the KEYT hill. I'll try it before the S Bowl.

I am no expert with satellite.. But I thought all HD sat. receivers had OTA ATSC tuners. Maybe I am wrong.

Most do, but that has nothing to do with being able to pick up an OTA signal from KEYT. The antenna website will tell you what antenna type you will need, based on your location distance.

Just noticed Comcast has added KSBY-HD! Watching Leno -- looks great!
3 down and 1 to go. Hope they can get KEYT-HD for the big game!!!

Hello, I just noticed this forum because I'm trying to figure out if it's even possible to get a HD signal from KEYT for the Super Bowl. I live in Santa Maria about two miles north of the airport. I don't have any large trees or buildings anywhere close to me. I can even receive 2 sometimes 3 HD channels with my Terk indoor antenna, but I'm willing to spend much more money if need be. According to antennaweb, it's possible with a large directional antenna that is amplified. Can anyone tell me a good antenna to buy?

Thanks,

Also, antennaweb said I'm 41 miles from the source. I checked out the Terk HDTVS antenna on Circuit city and I'm hopeful it will work.

Hello, I just noticed this forum because I'm trying to figure out if it's even possible to get a HD signal from KEYT for the Super Bowl. I live in Santa Maria about two miles north of the airport. I don't have any large trees or buildings anywhere close to me. I can even receive 2 sometimes 3 HD channels with my Terk indoor antenna, but I'm willing to spend much more money if need be. According to antennaweb, it's possible with a large directional antenna that is amplified. Can anyone tell me a good antenna to buy?

Thanks,

It is my understanding KEYT's digital signal is still low power, so it may be hard to get 40 miles away. Be sure you can take back an antenna that does not meet your needs and good luck.

Thanks for the info. I just got back from Circuit City and they have the one I spoke of earlier. But antennaweb told me to look for the pie chart. That antenna only covered down to the red and I need the purple. Does anyone know where I could get an antenna like that?

Thanks again.

Radio Shack

As an example here's a link to the Winegard site for the antenna I would recommend.

http://www.winegard.com/offair/pdf/pr-9032.pdf

First of all note that this antenna is UHF only. If any of your stations are VHF you will need to choose a VHF or VHF/UHF combo antenna. Note also that it has ~16dB of gain. That's about as much as any on the market. You can buy this antenna locally for around $40. I would also use a Radioshack amplifier. (The ~$60 one with a first stage at the top of the mast and a second stage at the bottom.) Be aware that an amplifier is mainly to overcome signal loss that takes place when the signal has to run through a long cable. It is not to pull a super weak signal out of the clutter. I beleive the typical loss down a high quality RG-6 coax (be sure to use RG-6) is a few dB per 100ft. If you have a 100ft run from the top of the mast to the TV, the amp is important.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

I would recommend a Channel Master 4228. We have a lot of large trees surrounding our house. In fact, there is a large oak tree right in font of the house that the antenna shoots thru. I pick up OTA HD on KCOY (strongest),KSBY and some other Spanish stations (even one out of Fresno). I pick up KEYT digital signal as well (not as strong). I will probably make an adjustment for KEYT before next weekend.

I have D* and have received waviers from KSBY, KEYT and KKFX.

CH MSTR 4228 another good one. Gain, however is less. See this gain chart(wouldn't copy)-

GAIN CHART FOR CHANNEL MASTER UHF TV ANTENNAS shows 12.1 DB for channel 27-35. Might be enough.

Radio Shack
So, just because my blood pressure was low, I went to my local RadioShack to ask what antenna's get used in South SLO County and the kid did not know. As I was getting ready to go he tried to tell me that I should not get an antenna to pull in local HD TV, but get Dish Network as they already had HD locals in this area. When I asked him if he ever saw this, he admitted he had not, but heard it at a sales presentation. I had to leave then before I said something to hurt his feelings.

back to the KEYT on Cox topic for a moment. I really really sincerely hope that KEYT gets everything ready to go before Thursday even. I want to be able to DVR the Super Bowl on Sunday, but I'm leaving home on Friday night.

...go Cox, don't fail me now!!

So I went to pick up a second HD reciever from Cox today (added another HD TV in the bedroom). I asked the salesperson about KEYT-HD and she said "not sure, but I know you'll have the Superbowl in HD.." I didn't inquire any further. Her word is probably not the best one to rely on, but I took that to mean that management is telling them that such is the case. :) :cool:

I also talked to Cox(San Diego handles SB questions), and gal was unaware of what's happening. She asked around and the concensus was you will be able to get it on CH703 but not before Sunday morning. She said she would call back in an hour to confirm that, but never did. She said they were working 24hrs/day to finish installation. I do believe that, but s__t happens. Crossing my fingers.

If they DONT get it in HD, you're more than welcome to rent my D* HDTivo to watch the game next week! :) Prices TBD hehe

I was not suggesting Radio Shack as a good source of advice. Just that they carry antennas.

Try http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103088&cp=&kw=uhf+antenna&parentPage=search

Note the find it near you button.


So, just because my blood pressure was low, I went to my local RadioShack to ask what antenna's get used in South SLO County and the kid did not know. As I was getting ready to go he tried to tell me that I should not get an antenna to pull in local HD TV, but get Dish Network as they already had HD locals in this area. When I asked him if he ever saw this, he admitted he had not, but heard it at a sales presentation. I had to leave then before I said something to hurt his feelings.

Thanks UCSB Gaucho, but we are invited to a SuperBowl Party in Thos. Oaks, and will also have my two HD TIVO's connected to my Terk 55 attic antenna for KEYT.
Haven't tried it yet, but should work.
I really wonder if KEYT will actually start approving satelite waivers under their new management, but I personally think they are too paranoid.

Thank you to everyone. This information gives me a good idea of my chances. Since there is someone in Arroyo Grande (further away from the station) that is getting even a weak signal, it's certainly worth me going through the hassle. I looked at both antennas that were suggested and I may end up going with the shorter of the two only because I do live in a neighborhood that might give some strange looks towards having an antenna that large up there. I'll give it a shot. If it doesn't work, I guess I'll have to suck it up in 480i.

Thanks again for the help and info.

Kevin

Great thread gang.

Check out KEYT's website.

"Superbowl XL in High Definition
The Superbowl will be available in HD. The feed is on 703 only available exclusively through Cox. Channel 3 will be airing the game but in analog. Please contact Cox for more information. "

Things are happening and it looks like progress is finally being made at KEYT.

Charter info... I'm in San Luis Obispo and I just had my Moxi box replaced (god those are awful). The tech that came out was great, really helpful and down to earth. I asked him about the Superbowl in HD and he contacted his supervisor who specifically stated that *John Doe* was trying very hard to get a satellite feed for Sunday only but the odds were "not that great". Atleast we know Charter is trying.... granted it's not the same as seeing XL in HD but atleast we know they are not sitting on their hands. I don't want to use the real name... I'm not sure if I was supposed to hear the conversation or not. Anyways, us Charter folks need to keep our fingers crossed and congratulations to the Cox subscribers.

-tbivo

So I tuned directly into ch. 703 (Cox) this afternoon just to check and there it was....

Granted it was Oprah, but it looked to be an actual feed...

I am keeping my fingers crossed that tonights rerun of "Lost" will be in glorious HD.


***Update

At 4 o'clock the KABC news came on so it is a clearly a feed from Los Angeles. I hope this isn't just a 15 minute test...

Great thread gang.

Check out KEYT's website.

"Superbowl XL in High Definition
The Superbowl will be available in HD. The feed is on 703 only available exclusively through Cox. Channel 3 will be airing the game but in analog. Please contact Cox for more information. "

-tbivo

I'm trying to understand what it is you said here. KEYT is airing the game in digital over the air right? I'm going out tonight or tomorrow to buy the antenna that was suggested in this forum but if it's not going to be aired in digital, I'm not going to waste my time.

Thanks again,

Flipped over to 703 just for grins when LOST started-- Hey!!!
Now we are in business! LOST in HD. Almost as good as the superbowl (at least for tonight)

Check out KEYT's website.

"Superbowl XL in High Definition
The Superbowl will be available in HD. The feed is on 703 only available exclusively through Cox. Channel 3 will be airing the game but in analog. Please contact Cox for more information. "

I'm trying to understand what it is you said here. KEYT is airing the game in digital over the air right? I'm going out tonight or tomorrow to buy the antenna that was suggested in this forum but if it's not going to be aired in digital, I'm not going to waste my time.

Thanks again,

Now look at how the article describes the HD broadcast:
"The Superbowl will be available in HD. The feed is on 703 on Cox. Channel 3 will be airing the game but in analog. "

Notice it no longer says exclusive? Perhaps there is hope for Charter or maybe it's just wishful thinking...

moserkm:
From my understanding from KEYT's website and the previously mentioned article from the SB newspaper... Cox will be providing the game on 703 in HD (Not sure if it's being handed off by KEYT or if Cox is retransmitting it from a national source... I'm still learning how cable systems work).

KEYT does not have the capability to broadcast the game in HD over the air. The article specifically says analog but previous folks in this thread have said they do receive a digital signal. Remember, digital does not necessarily mean HD. A digital picture will look better than a normal OTA analog signal as you won't have the interference, better sound etc. But... you're not going to be able to pick up the game in HD over the air... Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here but purchasing a digital receiver will not do you much good if you already get standard def KEYT through cable or satellite.

-tbivo

OK- a little after midnight. 703 still up and running. It is the KABC-HD feed - no local insertions. No program guide info. Coming in at 720P. A few glitches -- once in a while (they did get recorded), but not bad overall.

Boy the KABC 11pm news video (and production) quality just blows away anything else currently available on COX cable. I really wish there was a way we could get this news like we get KNBC.

Something else interesting. THe HD content is full screen 16:9, but the SD content is showing somewhere between 4:3 and 16:9. The sidebars are about half "usual size". Anyone know why? I'll have to dig around and find out.

Progress! Thanks Cox & KEYT!

PS: I just bumped up to a 300GB External SATA box for my SA8300HD. Love it. My 3 month old 160GB setup (complete with cable) is sitting here unused, if anyone is interested...

Hola, KABC has done this for a long time... they stretch their SD content just slightly so that on a widescreen people who aren't the wiser will think that its either a) HD or b) at least widescreen.... I noticed that when I first started watching them a couple years ago with D* and it fooled me until I found out what they were doing. It's nothing specific, just they want to appear a widescreen station I guess, when they really arent.

What's cool about KABC is they have an HD helicopter, although most of the time its only SD because I assume when they are up in the SG valley or out near San Bernardino the HD signal cant travel that far... but I've seen a few shots of wildfires in HD and they look pretty cool!

And yes, after watching KEYT's production quality on their newscasts, and then watching LA news, its amazing that somewhere, somehow, high school kids aren't getting class credit for producing KEYT's news.

and yes, Lost is probably the best-looking HD show on TV today... the colors of the ocean and green jungle are just amazing... its hard to think everyone in SB with Cox has been missing out on this!! :)

Now that we now finally have ABC HD, I still think FOX HD looks the best with my setup on Cox.

I emailed Cox a few months back and they said external SATA is not supported. I am guessing since holazola uses it they must not know what they are talking about.

Does anyone know when the programming guide info for ABC is coming?

I emailed Cox a few months back and they said external SATA is not supported. I am guessing since holazola uses it they must not know what they are talking about.



I'm assuming they don't want you to do it. I did a search on the AVS forum and found this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=516559&perpage=20&pagenumber=1)

I wasn't aware you could hack this box. It's good to know it's an option if I ever part ways with my upgraded HD Tivo (60 hours).

OK, 6pm. Just got home. Program Guide info is up!

Also, got an automated phone message from COX at 4pm telling me to check to see if 703 was working. I guess they don't want to spend the whole weekend fielding "my HD isn't working" calls before the superbowl.

And Yes, the external SATA works perfectly here in Santa Barbara. Plug and Play.

Hmmm, now that Cox finally has all 4 networks available in HD this makes the Tivo Series 3 much more attractive. Does Cox in Santa Barbara support Cable Cards? If so 2.0? After losing my east coast HD feeds a couple of months ago I'm less inclined to stay with DirecTV. For me it's all about HD quality, quantity and a Tivo interface, I don't care who is my provider.

. Does Cox in Santa Barbara support Cable Cards? If so 2.0?

Cox does install cable cards. They charge $60, which I told them is a big ripoff.
They will have 2.0 in a few months, because they want you to be able to order PPV on your onscreen menus. When 2.0 is available, he thought the installation charge would be reduced.

That is a lot of money. The Tivo Series 3 will support dual tuners with either 2 1.0 Cable Cards or 1 2.0 Cable Card. I've used the Cox DVR and it's pretty bad, Moxi isn't much better. It would be great if Cox had a deal with Tivo like Comcast to create new software, we'll see.

Anyone know what channel Charter will use for KEYT HD? I'm assuming 783....

I talked to my local Charter office in Paso Robles the other day, he said that Charter was ready just as soon as KEYT could get it together. Since it's already up on Cox, maybe he was just blowing smoke :(

I can't find anything on KEYT's website about HD....anyone got a link?



JC

Anyone have any info on Comcast? The latest word I got was they were doing their best to deliver it by game time.....There is a mysterious ch 260 with "to be announced" in the program guide. Perhaps??? :confused: Keeping the faith!

bis spaeter,

"Here I am -- the only HD boy in Lompoc"

Well, we did what we could, but KEYT could only deliver an MPEG stream with MPEG2 audio which is incompatible with many HD sets and Moxi so we couldn't open it up for our customers in SLO - we require an AC3 audio stream for compatibility. We did not want to drive 5000 calls to our call center about low or no audio for the Superbowl.

Somehow the HE tech at Comcast did some magic and got it on. His Moto boxes also can't handle MPEG2 audio. I suspect that he is encoding the audio to AC3 using a seperate device and recombining the audio and video streams in a Cherry Picker - that would explain the 2 second sync difference between the two.

The good news is that the infrastructure is now inplace to get this going for good. KCOY's DS3 microwave that feeds our equipment at Cuesta Peak is now equiped to carry KEYT as of yesterday morning.

-SLOCableTech

EDIT

It's worse than I thought on Comcast. It's the audio from KEYT and the HD Video from the LA affiliate. Audio from one commercial and video from another. I was quite confused at first glance.

Hey, SLOCableTech, just turn on the video without audio if you can't convert it.

If I need audio, I can get audio from the radio!

Well, we did what we could, but KEYT could only deliver an MPEG stream with MPEG2 audio which is incompatible with many HD sets and Moxi so we couldn't open it up for our customers in SLO - we require an AC3 audio stream for compatibility. We did not want to drive 5000 calls to our call center about low or no audio for the Superbowl.


This little bit of communication to us customers goes a long way in my book. Thanks for your efforts! Granted, I'm still disappointed we won't get it in HD but at least you guys tried. Without some heads up and info on your efforts from Charter we're left to assume the worst. That was not the case so thanks again and hopefully we'll be watching Lost in HD here in SLO soon.

-tbivo
PS. Any recommendations for a good sports bar in Santa Maria with HD?

SLOCableTech,

I will second TBivo's comments. We do appreciate hearing what is going on and your efforts to get us more HD.

Can we hope for Universal HD in time for the Olympics (next week)?

Hey, SLOCableTech, just turn on the video without audio if you can't convert it.

If I need audio, I can get audio from the radio!


Please imagine the thousands of customers who didn't read my post and would call our call center. The call center would schedule hundreds of truck rolls and I wouldn't be able to work on this problem, because I would be looking for a job!

Please imagine the thousands of customers who didn't read my post and would call our call center. The call center would schedule hundreds of truck rolls and I wouldn't be able to work on this problem, because I would be looking for a job!

I do want you to keep your job. Especially now that you are posting here.

You could record the following announcement:

"The audio for this program is not available due to a technical problem. We are presenting the HD video for those who wish to view it without the audio. The regular presentation is available on channel 3."

Then put that loop as the audio. I don't think anyone would call. They would just mute the sound.

I also understand you could not do that without management approval. And they are probably all at home getting ready to watch the Super Bowl in HD on DirectTV.

I do want you to keep your job. Especially now that you are posting here.

You could record the following announcement:

"The audio for this program is not available due to a technical problem. We are presenting the HD video for those who wish to view it without the audio. The regular presentation is available on channel 3."

Then put that loop as the audio. I don't think anyone would call. They would just mute the sound.

I also understand you could not do that without management approval. And they are probably all at home getting ready to watch the Super Bowl in HD on DirectTV.

Technical issue there - I don't have an AC3 encoder just laying around to hook up to a loop to. I think that If I was given more than 72 hours notice, I could have done something creative.

So.... no comments about how the game looked and sounded via KEYT-HD? I was in LA, and would have watched the KABC feed anyway here with Directv, but just curious if there were any glitches in the broadcast.

Was kinda cool to see KABC is now doing their newscasts in HD too starting last night!

72 hours notice is all they gave you? Gee, anyone with a calender would have known that the superbowl was happening this month. I could've given you at least a week's notice! I know it's not your fault since you don't control KEYT (do you?). I wish they would've tried a little sooner. Thanks for your effort!

I've got to throw a shout out to the Directv dude that saved my bacon last week. I emailed them 10 days ago complaining about not getting ABC in HD. They responded with the canned email stating that they would have someone call me. I waited two days and called them. In my email I threatened to cancel . . . I had to do something to get them moving. I called and told the gal I wanted to cancel. I expected her to beg and plead and offer me a zoomy package to stay with them (since I spend over $160 a month). Well, she cancelled me! She called my bluff!!!! So at the end I backed out and started begging her for more HD. She was not fazed at all by my sobbing. Two days later a customer service guy responded to my email. I explained the issue and he said "NO PROBLEM." Since I had received the SD ABC waiver last year, he said it was their practice to just transfer that to the HD feed as well. Somehow no one else in the company had ever heard of this before last week, but who cares?! Within minutes I was tied in to the LA HD feed and damn happy!!!!!

So the last chapter of this novel reads "they all lived happily ever after, with the Super Bowl in HD" I had the party. Everyone was impressed.

The Seahawks got robbed, but that's another story.

Life is good! Now I want TNT HD ;)

It looked like HD should look. Nice and colorful.

You could tell it was a touchdown, too. Sorry Seahawks.

Cox did insert KEYT commercials.

Oh and I liked how most of the commercials were in HD too.

Many thanks to Comcast for overcoming the difficulties described earlier in this thread. My guests enjoyed an absolutely perfect picture ( KABC-HD, Los Angeles ) -- most of them had never seen real Hi-Def before -- may have a convert or two. The sound was out of sync by anywhere from zero to two seconds, but by midway through the 2nd qtr they got it right ( except for when switching to local commercials it was out of sync -- but who cares! ) My only real complaint was the quality of the sound -- definitely not dolby digital, I doubt it was even stereo! Couldn't hear the dialog well when the crowd got loud. Still, it was fun to finally see the big game in all its glory! :)

I'm hoping KEYT will be able to supply us folks up north with a usable signal soon -- will be great to have all 4 networks!

Bis spaeter,

"... here I am -- the only HD boy in Lompoc ..."

Directv just announced they'll be airing TNT HD on Feb 17th. WoooooHooooooo!

That's great news hdtv_starved. Has anyone heard any news for us Charter folks regarding Universal HD, MTV HD, TNT HD, or any other new HD content coming our way? It looks like some other Charter markets currently have Universal... Thanks.

-tbivo

That's great news hdtv_starved. Has anyone heard any news for us Charter folks regarding Universal HD, MTV HD, TNT HD, or any other new HD content coming our way? It looks like some other Charter markets currently have Universal... Thanks.

-tbivo

Haven't looked into MTV HD yet. For the other two, all I can say is stay tuned ;)

Ummm.....can you say how long we'll have to 'stay tuned'? :D

I understand there will be a lot of Olympic programming on Universal HD.

Directv just announced they'll be airing TNT HD on Feb 17th. WoooooHooooooo!

I can't find that info anywhere. Can you give me a link for that?

Sorry, I should have provided that link in my first post.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060208/clw513.html?.v=21

72 hours notice is all they gave you? Gee, anyone with a calender would have known that the superbowl was happening this month.


Missed that. 72 hours notice on nonstandard audio format.

Anybody with Comcast notice channel 208 has appeared labeled "UHD" -- however, it comes up as "not authorized" Called Comcast, I got the standard Sgt Schultz reply ( I know nothing ). Anyone know anything about it? Shouldn't be a pay channel. It would be a great addition. Thanks.

I understand there will be a lot of Olympic programming on Universal HD.

Has your management mentioned to you that the Olympics have already started?

I am staying tuned.

I can't find that info anywhere. Can you give me a link for that?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=642101

With that, DirecTV and Dish will both have TNT, Universal and ESPN2 in HD. Were is Charter?

Hey guys. I'm new to this forum. Cool topic, lots O info. Saw it and had to join.

Anyone know when keyt is coming to Charter?? I need lost in HD.

I just noticed that I finally get ksby in HD. Sweet!!!

Ayone know what other channels Charter is going to get anytime soon???

Thanks.

Oh, and SLOCableTech your awesome.

TNT-HD is supposedly up on D*TV. A few other boards are complaining about it's picture quality though. I'll have to wait until tonight before sampling it myself. Would have been nice to have it yesterday for the Gatorade Duels. But beggers can't be choosers. I'm glad it's there and I'm eager for MORE.

Question: I have Basic cable hooked up just to get KCAL9 Laker games. I've noticed that I also get the three local Hi-Def channels for free with Basic (ch 780ish). Will I also get the free preview of Nascar In-Demand this weekend without having a cable box? My tv has a digital tuner so I should be able to split screen the FOX feed (Satalite) and the In-Car (Cable). I'm biting my nails over here!

Has anyone else had a "no audio" problem when tuning KEVT-HD Channel 107.3 Channel on Cox Cable in Santa Barbara on a QAM tuner device (not the Cox provided Cable box)?

I am using an LG 3410 and get all the major HD network channels "in the clear" off Cox except KEVT-HD Channel 107.3 has no audio.

I assume you mean KEYT ch 703.

This may be related to the fact that KEYT uses an "MPEG2" audio stream which is incompatible with some HDTVs and Charter's Moxi. See post by SLOCableTech on 2/5/06. You may be out of luck at least until KEYT switches to a more common audio stream format. Or, maybe you can get a software update to your LG box.

I assume you mean KEYT ch 703.

This may be related to the fact that KEYT uses an "MPEG2" audio stream which is incompatible with some HDTVs and Charter's Moxi. See post by SLOCableTech on 2/5/06. You may be out of luck at least until KEYT switches to a more common audio stream format. Or, maybe you can get a software update to your LG box.

I am able to tune both audio and video on the other three HD locals from Cox using my LG 3410, so, why not KEYT ch 703?

Can someone list the QAM in the clear channels for Cox cable?

So far

107.3 = ABC

Can someone list the QAM in the clear channels for Cox cable?

So far

107.3 = ABC

Do you get proper audio from Cox 107.3 = ABC?

What tuner are you using?

Cox cable QAM in the clear channels

84.11 = Fox
83.4 = CBS
83.2 = NBC

Do you get proper audio from Cox 107.3 = ABC?

What tuner are you using?

Cox cable QAM in the clear channels

84.11 = Fox
83.4 = CBS
83.2 = NBC

Are you able to get Universal or TNT-HD? I have a Fusion HDTV tuner and used to be able to tune those channels. I can't seem to anymore.

Just prior to the Super Bowl, COX wised up, and discontinued their transmission of free TNT, Univ., CBS, NBC and Fox. I had been getting them for a year, but no more. Great that DirectTV now has added TNT, so I can still get it. Love the Thursday NBA HD telecasts, and Las Vegas reruns. Some great movies too.

So....another month has gone by, and apparently KEYT still hasn't gotten it together for Charter :mad: :mad: :mad:

Maybe by the next Super Bowl.....

So....another month has gone by, and apparently KEYT still hasn't gotten it together for Charter :mad: :mad: :mad:

Maybe by the next Super Bowl.....

Yes, looks like we will miss the Oscars tomorrow.

But, why do you blame KEYT? They are on other cable systems in the area.

SLOCableTech himself said that all he needed was an audio conversion box. And this only because Charter's Moxi boxes were not compatible with the audio format used by ABC. Charter is still missing UniversalHD, TNTHD and ESPN2HD. These are available on DirectTV, Dish and most cable systems. Do you blame those networks as well?

Yes, looks like we will miss the Oscars tomorrow.

But, why do you blame KEYT? They are on other cable systems in the area.

SLOCableTech himself said that all he needed was an audio conversion box. And this only because Charter's Moxi boxes were not compatible with the audio format used by ABC. Charter is still missing UniversalHD, TNTHD and ESPN2HD. These are available on DirectTV, Dish and most cable systems. Do you blame those networks as well?


KEYT could only deliver an MPEG stream with MPEG2 audio which is incompatible with many HD sets and Moxi so we couldn't open it up for our customers in SLO - we require an AC3 audio stream for compatibility.


I translate that as "KEYT did not have the proper equipment in place."

Plus, I'm fairly certain you've read other posts here about how KEYT has dragged their feet on HD.

As far as those other networks, no, I blame Charter for not having them...I've asked them specifically about ESPN2HD, but got no response.

Anybody else with a Moxi on Charter in SLO having a problem with 781, KKFX? It shows up under channels, but not on the HD guide. Plus, if you record a show, it gets cut off early, like 40 minutes into an hour show. I had Charter tech out, and he didn't think it was the box; he thought it was something upstream somewhere. He was going to submit a ticket. I've been having this problem for over two weeks. Anybody else experiencing this?

Thanks - Jevid

Anybody else with a Moxi on Charter in SLO having a problem with 781, KKFX?

You are not alone. I'm in SLO and have been experiencing the same thing for a few weeks...

I had a problem with KKFX on Tuesday. American Idol was blacked out.

I am on Cox here.

Have you contacted Charter? I'm probably going to call in again and see what the status is.

Thanks - Jevid

You are not alone. I'm in SLO and have been experiencing the same thing for a few weeks...

Does Charter in SLO simulcast in digital for the channels below 100?

Thanks,
JPEG

I just noticed that ABC HD on Cox is now in Dolby 5.1.

The audio is coming and going during the Lakers game.

Does Charter in SLO simulcast in digital for the channels below 100?


No

I just noticed that ABC HD on Cox is now in Dolby 5.1.

Good news. That should be the last obstacle for Charter to bring it up in SLO.

I was gone over the weekend and noticed that the shows that recorded Saturday night were pixelated and lots of data losses. This is the first time I have seen reception problems this serious and I guess it is due to the weather on Saturday night.
Anybody else has seen this?
BTW, Last night ABC HD from LA was also bad even though it was not raining in SB.

So I go to college in SLO and I just bought an HDTV. I plan on using an over-the-air antenna mounted on top of my rental house. What channels will I be able to receive or should I just get the Charter HD set top box. Are the Charter HD channels unencrypted so I can use my own QAM ATSC tuner on my new set? I'd also like to know which channels from Charter or OTA broadcast in Dolby 5.1.

So I go to college in SLO and I just bought an HDTV. I plan on using an over-the-air antenna mounted on top of my rental house. What channels will I be able to receive or should I just get the Charter HD set top box. Are the Charter HD channels unencrypted so I can use my own QAM ATSC tuner on my new set? I'd also like to know which channels from Charter or OTA broadcast in Dolby 5.1.

I live in SLO too and can only get NBC (KSBY) over the air but I've heard some folks with a better antenna and in the Southern part of town can pick up CBS (KCOY). I'd definitely recommend Charter or satellite to get more HD content since you already ponied up for an HD set. Until then, do yourself a favor, and plug some cheap antenna into your TV and scan for channels... watch the Tonight Show and Conan in HD & DD5.1 tonight and you'll thank me tomorrow. =)

As I write this I'm watching Sleeper Cell in glorious HD using a freshly installed CableCARD on my 32" Sony Bravia =) It's a thing of beauty.

Yes, you can watch FOX, NBC, and CBS using your QAM tuner with Charter. The rest are encrypted so you'll need an STB or CableCARD for those.

And with Charter, the CableCard is not cheap -- $4.50 a month for locals, $11.50 for basic cable.

matt

And with Charter, the CableCard is not cheap -- $4.50 a month for locals, $11.50 for basic cable.


I don't understand what you are saying.

You don't need a cable card for locals (including HD locals). You also don't need one for "basic cable" (What Charter calls "expanded basic"). Those are analog. You only need a cable card for premium digitals (like HD Net, ESPN-HD etc).

Charter's price sheet (2/1/2006) says a cable card is $1.50 per month.

Well having 3 of the 4 major networks from Charter ain't bad! It sounds like I'll be setting up my tv with just the regular basic cable hooked up and trying out my QAM capable tuner first. Then I might try and get a CableCARD from Charter to see how digital cable and the other HD channels look. I'm not in SLO until the 25th of March so I can't wait to try it out!

I thought somebody here mentioned you could get the SA 8300 for Charter in SLO. My Moxi still can't get Fox HD and Charter is offering to swap it out, but for a SA 8000.

A couple of questions for SLO Charter HD DVR users. If you have either the 8000 or the 8300, does either have the "only record new episodes on this channel" option? Also, if you have an 8300, is it enabled to use an external SATA drive?

Thanks - Jevid

My 8300 has the "only record new episodes on this channel" option. I haven't used it enough to know how well it works.

Don't know if external SATA drive works. The software is SARA version 1.87.32.1. Give that to the experts on the DVR thread and they should be able to tell you.

I just hooked up the Comcast cable directly to the QAM tuner of my new HDTV. Autoscanning said it picked up 248 channels, but in actuality only about 10 were real (others were blank or music stations). The channels were also all scattered throughout randomly.

Could someone please post the QAM channels for Comcast in the North County? I thought there were a few that my TV did not pick up. I can post what I have when I get home..

Will Cox be able to get ESPN2HD before the start of baseball season? I want to see some opening day action, if possible. What would the holdup be for this channel?

Do we (those with Cox in Santa Barbara) have an explaination as to the horrible quality of CBS broadcasts? The NFL looked bad. Now the Final Four. When there is the majority of the screen moving, everything is pixelated and just terrible looking. Nothing has changed in months.

Do we (those with Cox in Santa Barbara) have an explaination as to the horrible quality of CBS broadcasts? The NFL looked bad. Now the Final Four. When there is the majority of the screen moving, everything is pixelated and just terrible looking. Nothing has changed in months.

Its the same here in SLO on Charter. I think its CBS over compressing the feed trying to save money on the video links from the various sites. They do the same with SD golf feeds.

Its the same here in SLO on Charter. I think its CBS over compressing the feed trying to save money on the video links from the various sites. They do the same with SD golf feeds.
And it is not great OTA either. It has been said before, it is partly because they multi-cast a FOX SD signal on 12.2. It did not look that bad before they started to multi-cast. Last year in watching the Masters, when they were following a flight of a ball down from the camera behind a green, the whole screen would break up as the ball hit the green.

Re: Charter San Luis Obispo, CA channel 781, KKFX FOX HD

After over a month of dealing with this, I had a second Charter tech come to the house to swap out the box. The first tech that came out did not think it was the box: he thought it was programming on their end. I placed two subsequent calls to Charter tech support and they both thought it was the box, had me perform all kinds of resets, program guide downloads, etc. No go. Fox HD (KKFX) wich is channel 781 would not show up on the HD guide, and the MOXI thought it was an SD channel so all the recording got cut off early.

I finally just called last week and asked for a new box. Another very nice tech came out, swapped out the box and surprise surprise, the same thing: KKFX was not showing up on the HD guide. He called his dispatch center and had them try on a Moxi & TV they had there. They saw the exact same thing. So, I had him swap my old box back in so I wouldn't lose my recordings. He said he was going to see if he could get the ball rolling to fix this.

I'm glad we ruled out the box and confirmed that it was happening elsewhere. Maybe now it will get fixed? I have to say, I really like my Moxi, but I am starting to think about getting an SA 8300, mostly because of the HD recording issues.

Although I am a bit late to the party, here is what I can add to the discussion (I hope).

I have really flip flopped with my HD options in the past year or so. I started with a TiVo and analog cable going straight into it. Then I had a 8000, which didn't have the "record only new" so it was essentially useless to me. I droppd back down to analog cable, then got a note about the MOXI box, so I tried that out. I really loved it, but it couldn't handle 2 HD streams at once. So I went back to the TiVo with analog only. I then setup my windows media center edition machine to record OTA HD witha small indoor amplified antenna. That worked well, however KCOY / KKFX are doing something a bit odd in their broadcast, where both CBS and FOX are transmitted on both subchannels. An example, if I record 12.1 it gets 12.1 and 12.1, if I record 12.2, it get 12.1 and 12.2 as well. This really confused media center, and as a result will not tune to those stations. The KKFX feed is not HD, which is odd, becuase Charter in SLO carries it in HD. I am not sure how FOX and CBS would feel about their signals being simulcast together :)

Well, now I am going to get the MOXI again, tomorrow, Charter threw me an offer that was too good to pass up. The thing I find odd, for the short time I had the MOXI, it received KKFX HD just fine, but I reading about people having issues with it. If people want I can keep them posted on the hardware / issues.

Does anyone have any insight on when KCOY is going to go HD on Charter in SLO? I can't find any information on their website, although I see they are broadcast a DT feed. Would be great to get Lost in HD :)

Well the MOXI is all hooked up and running well.

2 issues - can't record 2 HD channels at once. Even if only one tuner is recording, if the other one is on a HD channel the HD recording is nothing but pixels. Other issue, anything recorded on FOX in HD (711) will only record 40 minutes and cut off. It seems others are having this issue, does anyone know why this problem is occuring and if there is a fix for it? Bums me out I have to revert to the analog feed for FOX.

Anyone noticed that we have MLBHD on Charter on channel 799? I'm watching the Giants vs. Dodgers in glorious HD and am hoping that we'll get this channel all season. Are we being teased with a preview or did we actually get a new HD channel? :)

I do not have Charter but I do have Directv and cannot find the game in HD on their system.
I was wondering if the game is being pushed out in HD.
I am located in Santa Clarita/LA market.

Anyone noticed that we have MLBHD on Charter on channel 799? I'm watching the Giants vs. Dodgers in glorious HD and am hoping that we'll get this channel all season. Are we being teased with a preview or did we actually get a new HD channel? :)


Yeah, I noticed the channel was there for about a week now, but I hadn't seen anything on it yet.

I'm still waiting for KEYT-HD.....I guess Charter and KEYT need more than TWO MONTHS NOW to sort out the audio incompatibilites :mad: :mad: :mad:

Anyone noticed that we have MLBHD on Charter on channel 799? I'm watching the Giants vs. Dodgers in glorious HD and am hoping that we'll get this channel all season. Are we being teased with a preview or did we actually get a new HD channel? :)

That channel showed up about 2 weeks ago about the same time they added the MLB Extra Innings SD channels. I assumed it was the HD part of MLB EI. I saw a Dodger game on 799 about a week ago when MLB EI was in free preview. Since the free preview is over I stopped checking 799.

Thanks for the heads up. I will check it in the future. Was there any guide info showing last night?

I'm still waiting for KEYT-HD.....I guess Charter and KEYT need more than TWO MONTHS NOW to sort out the audio incompatibilites :mad: :mad: :mad:

The list of missing stations is growing. KEYT, KCET, ESPN2, TNT, Universal. When Dish adds their next round of HDs, I may have to reactivate my Dish subscription.

That channel showed up about 2 weeks ago about the same time they added the MLB Extra Innings SD channels. I assumed it was the HD part of MLB EI. I saw a Dodger game on 799 about a week ago when MLB EI was in free preview. Since the free preview is over I stopped checking 799.

Thanks for the heads up. I will check it in the future. Was there any guide info showing last night?


There wasn't any guide info shown. I haven't seen anything else there except for the neato color bars. Wouldn't it be nice to see the NBA Playoffs on ABC or TNT in HD? :rolleyes:

I'm wondering if Santa Barbara has OTA HDTV, and if so which channels? I know Cox cable has some hdtv channels, but are there any free OTA hdtv channels? Thanks, Andre

Anyone?

Andre - There is only one digital television signal generally available in the Santa Barbara area, KEYT-DT, but it is not yet HD. You can check antennaweb.org to see what other signals are available depending on your location.

Dodger game is on Charter 799 in HD now. (I check the color bars every now and then to see whats going on.)

Dodger game is on Charter 799 in HD now. (I check the color bars every now and then to see whats going on.)
Also on D* in this area. Must be because it's a FSNPrimeTicket or whatever it is now called production.

Does anyone know the status of KEYT-HD? Was holding out hope for the 500 and NBA finals. Comcast knows nothing (except they have the bandwidth ) -- any inside info would be appreciated!

Have a safe holiday.

Bis spaeter,
" Here I am, the only HD boy in Lompoc "

The folks at Charter don't have a clue.
I asked them about adding KEYT-HD, and in particular for live sports, and this is the answer I got:

"Live sports cannot be broadcaster in HDTV due to the fact that it is a live broadcast and The HDTV has to recorded and compressed to get the HD image"

That answer tell you how close Charter is too adding this channel to the HD lineup.

LOL HDJ! That reply shows the IQ of those that should know of what they speak in the HDTV industry!

NEWS FLASH: A slot for channel 203 has opened up on the Comcast box. I remember that is the slot reserved for KEYT if and when they get their act together. Anyone know of any developments? Asking Comcast is about as effective as barking at the moon. Perhaps there is hope for a game or two of the NBA finals??? Hopefully it won't be a repeat of the KKFX situation last fall -- when HD became available 5 days after the World Series ended! Will hope for the best. Once KEYT comes online, maybe they'll find some bandwidth and give us the rest of the HD programming ( ESPN2, UHD, HDNet, and HDNet movies ) we are entitled to. Dish would be the way to go if one could get waviers. It seems the cable companies and local affiliates, with improper language in the SHVERA act, are working in concert to maintain a monopoly on what people can purchase. Perhaps the Sherman Act needs to be amended to reflect some of these issues that did not exist when it was enacted way back when... but I digress. If anyone hears about KEYT-HD status, please post!

Bis spaeter,

"... Here I am, the only HD boy in Lompoc"

Anyone from Nipomo on here? I've got a DB2 antenna in my attic, and I can get KCOY-DT and KEYT-DT, but not KSBY-DT, at least not in the direction I have my antenna pointed. Looking at antennaweb.org, it looks like KSBY is almost in the opposite direction from those other two (makes sense since one is in SLO and the others are in SM and SB).

Anyone in Nipomo getting all 3, and if so, what kind of setup?

I'm using Dish Network for TV, so I have SD locals, but it would be nice to get all HD locals as well. KCOY appears to have lots of HD, but KEYT doesn't appear to have any, and since I can't get KSBY yet, I have no idea what's going on there...

Anyone from Nipomo on here? I've got a DB2 antenna in my attic, and I can get KCOY-DT and KEYT-DT, but not KSBY-DT, at least not in the direction I have my antenna pointed. Looking at antennaweb.org, it looks like KSBY is almost in the opposite direction from those other two (makes sense since one is in SLO and the others are in SM and SB).

Anyone in Nipomo getting all 3, and if so, what kind of setup?

I'm using Dish Network for TV, so I have SD locals, but it would be nice to get all HD locals as well. KCOY appears to have lots of HD, but KEYT doesn't appear to have any, and since I can't get KSBY yet, I have no idea what's going on there...

I am in Oceano, sorta close. I get KSBY and KCOY with rabbit ears in my attic. KSBY has a full slate of NBC HD programming, but the sound is just stero, not DD5.1, I have not tried to get KEYT as I heard they don't broadcast HD on the digital channel yet, but I also would be interested in a setup in this part of SLO county that got all three.
Mike

Anyone know if we're getting new stations for the fall on COX? The CW, Cinemax HD, Starz HD?

Hey everyone.

I'll be living on campus at UCSB in the fall. Cox Cable provides the basic cable which is given to each student in the residential halls. I've contacted them, and they've said I can get HD service for about $12 a month.

However, I was wondering if anybody has been able to get local channels in HD via a QAM tuner while staying on campus? I'm interesting in purchasing an HDTV with one built in, and it would be great if I could avoid the extra fee and receive local channels in HD via QAM. Anybody had luck with this?

Sorry, but there are no local stations broadcasting HD in Santa Barbara. KEYT, the ABC affiliate, does have HD, but not for over the air broadcasts, only over COX cable, and the NBC and CBS affialites are too far away to receive locally. Cox HD is good but expensive. The SA HD DVR, which is really a must, will add another $15/mo. to your cox bill. Good luck. :(

KSBY now broadcasts it's HD on 6.1 instead of 6.2
They are still multi-casting, they have the CW network in SD on 6.2
I think this has been going on a week or two, maybe more. I looked on their web site
but did not see any announcement.
Mike

KSBY now broadcasts it's HD on 6.1 instead of 6.2
They are still multi-casting, they have the CW network in SD on 6.2
I think this has been going on a week or two, maybe more. I looked on their web site
but did not see any announcement.
Mike

I noticed it during the first Sunday night football broadcast, I had to double check the channel to make sure it was HD. I'm happy they finally started to send the HD OTA and I'll check out the CW as well (I just saw the first season of Veronica Mars on DVD and liked it so even if it is in SD I'll probably tune in).

Neo - I have a QAM tuner on my computer and can get 3 HD channels off Cox even though I'm not paying for HD - I have just the expanded basic tier which is non-digital. I'm not on campus but I'd imagine the same thing would be true there. I get Fox, NBC and CBS. I don't know why I don't get ABC - too bad, they say Lost is great in HD.

NEO,

My Qualia QAM tuner will receive ch. 703(ABC) and 711(Fox) only, from Cox in Santa Barbara. I believe that falls under the FCC local channel must provide rule.
At one time about 1 year ago, I got all the HD channels free on QAM, but they then scrambled all but these two.

Bob

So....Any update on Charter and KEYT in HD?? So many good shows on now and my regular abc feed has been fuzzy from charter now for like a week.

Thanks

I was in the Charter office the other day, she claimed that they were waiting on KEYT.

Beats me, but I'd sure like them to get it together so I can watch Desperate Housewives in HD :)

My channel 3 has been fuzzy for as long as I can remember. :mad:



JC

The entire KEYT issue is just getting ridiculous. Since they can't get their act together and get HD going on Charter in San Luis Obispo, I have essentially stopped watching them.

Download a nice HD version of LOST? Or watch the crappy KEYT feed that is washed out, terrible sound and has a lot of serious issues. Its a tough decision.

What is this show called Lost that you guys are talking about?

Oh wait, it must be on one of those non HD channels like KEYT that I never watch.

DirectTV just today announced the "Santa Barbara" DMA will get HD local channels by year end. If that includes KEYT, its bye bye Charter. (I already switched to ATT DSL becase of poor Charter Internet performance.)

Good News!!! Just talked to Eric at KEYT (ABC Santa Barbara). They have been receiving their HD equipment and it is being installed. Scheduled to go hot OTA within 2 months. They are also going to broadcast a second network.

It is about time! Hopefully they will broadcast at a reasonable signal strength, unlike most HD channels around here. I have Cox, but only use it for analog cable since I use Windows Media Center which doesn't yet support QAM, so having the networks OTA in HD would be nice.

They have kept their OTA digital signal strength down to about 30% to save on electricity, for more than a year that I know of. I base this on a call to their tech about 14 months ago. I received no picture or a badly broken up digital picture here in Solvang. At that time, the technician cranked up the power at my request and I got a good digital, (not HD, of course) picture. There was no need to keep the power up due to the lack of HD and the the fact that local cable and Dtv were getting the digital signal for delivery to their customers. The people in the area with neither cable or Sat just didn't justify the cost of the electricity, I guess.
ANYWAY, I was assured Friday that the power would be cranked up when they go HD !!! What area are you in... I asssume on the ocean side of the mountains due to being a COX customer. I am supprised that you can't pick up the digital signal, atleast during the daytime. Hope the ridgeline of the mountain doesn't block your signal.
JIM

Good News!!! Just talked to Eric at KEYT (ABC Santa Barbara). They have been receiving their HD equipment and it is being installed. Scheduled to go hot OTA within 2 months. They are also going to broadcast a second network.

Good news and bad news. A second network means reduced quality for both.

What is the "second network"?

The second network is "MyNetworkTv". I'm not an expert, but I believe it may not necessarily reduce the quality. Depends how it's done and what equipment is used. Also, waiting this long for OTA HD from KEYT may be a benefit as the equipment could be newer generation and forgo some of the problems I've read about. Unless, of course, they picked up some used, surplus stuff...... Jim

After reading the comments on this thread (and realizing that Cox was providing HD for free!), I bought a KWorld ATSC-110 tuner (from Newegg) to use with Linux and MythTV. Supposedly the Windows drivers do not support QAM, but Linux drives it just fine.

On Cox here in Isla Vista, my scan picked up 4 QAM channels: Fox, ABC (KABC from LA), NBC, and CBS. However, the CBS(KCOY) and NBC(KSBY) channels are not being broadcast with PSIP info, so their names were not detected automatically. This is probably why people are detecting some QAM channels but not others. My channel numbers match up with post #341 from this thread. and I can send out my channels.conf if anyone wants it.

I haven't watched much TV (just KABC's HD news), but the picture quality looks great. I've got to clear some disk space too, since I've read that HD takes ~9GB per hour to record.

Jim,
If KEYT broadcasts a second network OTA, the bandwidth it uses has to be taken from the main channel. That being said, I noticed that even though KSBY is broadcasting the CW as a secondary channel, their OTA HD signal looks good. So, we can all hope.

I am in SLO getting all the stations I want off the air, instead of using cable/satellite. I receive KSBY, CW, KCOY, KKFX on digital and KEYT (on Ch. 57, the SLO relay station) and PBS on analog, along with many spanish language stations (digital and analog). P.S. I have an SDTV which works fine for me, since I cannot afford an HDTV set. Anyway...

The only bad station is KEYT which is slightly snowy, so I'd like to get it digitally from Channel 27 off the air. I've been trying to determine why I cannot get it, when I can get KEYT Channel 3 from Santa Barbara (a bit more snowy than Ch. 57).

Does anyone know how many kilowatts KEYT currently uses to broadcast Ch. 27? And, when they plan to increase it? I should be able to get it in if they broadcast at a high enough power. I receive Santa Barbara's digital Channel 21 (UNI and Telefutura), which is broadcast at 1000kW and 60 miles from me. I get KCOY which broadcasts at only 130kW and 30 miles from me. Both Ch. 21 and KCOY come in with a strong signal, so I figure 250 to 500kW from KEYT Santa Barbara Digital will do.

@deestore

Are you on a hill somewhere in SLO? And/or do you have a large antenna?

I can only get KBSY OTA...and that signal is not very good. But I am basically at the foot of a 1500-ft hill.

-JPEG

JPEG - I live near 101 and LOVR - not on a hill. I'm using a Channel Master 4 bay for UHF and their Stealthtenna for VHF. I use a Channel Master 7777 amp (gain is 23 dB for UHF, 26 dB for VHF). My signal strength is super strong for the SLO and SM stations. It's also super strong for Ch. 21 (1000kW broadcast) out of Santa Barbara. I got the equipment (plus a 39" J-mount and 5' extension pole) online at solidsignal for about $150. The antenna's about 8' above the roofline. It sure beats $50/month for Charter's basic cable! (P.S. the antennas are small, but rated well)

I was at the local charter cable office the other day, and I asked about any future expansion in the hd package. the csr I spoke to said that possibly by early next year, we could see a dramatic increase in the amount of hd channels available. The csr said they needed to complete some sort of system upgrade or something. I guess hope springs eternal, I'll have to wait and see what happens before switching to another provider.

I asked the folks at KSBY if they had a start date for D* to start HD locals, was told they did not have an exact start date. I also asked if they would be providing the CW in HD to D*, was told no plans for doing that at this time.

I'm in downtown SB and I just picked up a Philips HD antenna. I pick up 3.1,3.2, and a two Univision DTV stations as well.

Can I expect that sometime in the near future the 3.1 KEYT station will be in HD? Also, the picture isn't really as clear as I would like. I get about 40-50% signal strength according to my TV. Would a new antenna change this?

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I just got a new Surround Sound receiver and I've been enjoying 5.1 surround on movies. But with OTA stations it has been disappointing.

CBS Sports is supposed to broadcast HD games in 5.1, but here, KCOY uses a bizarre pseudo 3.0 surround. The indicators show 2f/1sb? two fronts and one surround channel in the back...

Channel 6, KSBY doesn't do anything in 5.1, but I know for a fact that Sunday Night Football should be in 5.1 . Apparently they too are too cheap to get a 5.1 encoder.

Channels 711 and 703 on Cox have been perfect! Great surround 5.1 on sports and other programs.

Cable nets have been perfect as well. I was pleasantly surprised to see ESPN broadcasting 5.1

Just dropped Dish and picked up Charter. The non digital stuff is terrible. KEYT takes me back 30 years. This may be short lived.
Spoke to an engineer at KEYT today. They are in process and should have the hd up by the end of the year. It is set to be complete Dec 1, but you know how that goes.
Went to charter in SLO assuming that the terrible KEYT picture had something to do with singnal loss and a poor install. I learned better when I turned the TV on display in the office to that channel. The CSR at the front desk said they are working on it, and have been for 2 years. They had no clue of the pending KEYT HD.
Spoke to Direct today also. They show HDTV locals in the Santa Barbare-SLO DMA in the first week of December. All available will go up.

On Cox here in Goleta, the free QAM channel marked as "KEYTH" (107.3 i think) just broadcasts KABC-HD from LA, including their HD news. Charter doesn't do this?

I've got Cox cable and I don't get KABC-HD on my QAM tuner bulit into my LG HDTV. I do get the local NBC, CBS, and Fox channels though. Am I not tuning in correctly, or do different QAM tuners pick up different stations?

Just a heads up for Charter subs: The FSN HD channel guide does not always list everything that is showing. Case in point, the USC game on Saturday was shown in HD even though the guide said "Off Air".

If you want to see what might show up there, use http://www.hdsportsguide.com/

Edit - ... And sometimes the show is not there, even when it is in the guide AND hdsportsguide. Case in point the UCLA game on 11/18. Probably Charter just forgot to flip a switch.

Waiting for DirectTV to get HD locals in our area.

I've got Cox cable and I don't get KABC-HD on my QAM tuner bulit into my LG HDTV. I do get the local NBC, CBS, and Fox channels though. Am I not tuning in correctly, or do different QAM tuners pick up different stations?

Strange dod2004. It sounds like you are using your Cox tuner/descrambler or DVR, not your QAM tuner. You shouldn't be getting NBC and CBS on your QAM if you are located in Santa Barbara.

Strange dod2004. It sounds like you are using your Cox tuner/descrambler or DVR, not your QAM tuner. You shouldn't be getting NBC and CBS on your QAM if you are located in Santa Barbara.
I get all 4 channels on my TV with the QAM tuner. Two of them are mapped to the same place as the DVR (7xx). Two of them are like 78.9 and 101.5 or something like that. I can't remember right now.

Strange dod2004. It sounds like you are using your Cox tuner/descrambler or DVR, not your QAM tuner. You shouldn't be getting NBC and CBS on your QAM if you are located in Santa Barbara.

bobzoila,

I'm located in Santa Barbara and get NBC on 83-2, CBS on 83-3 (they're from San Luis and Santa Maria--don't know which from where), and Fox on channel 711. This HDTV is connected directly to the cable coming out of the wall--no cable box or DVR. How are the others getting KABC-HD in Santa Barbara on their QAM tuners?

Joe

On my QAM tuner (a Kworld ATSC-110 that I use under Linux), KABC is on channel 114 (thats 735000000 if the frequency is useful)). The PSIP info broadcasts as 'KEYTH', but its really KABC.

Does anyone know when (if) Cox will be offering the NFL channel? I caught a preview of it on Wednesday morning when I was channel surfing. It was on my TV QAM channel 83.7 (connected right from the wall--no box). I tried tuning it in later but channel 83.7 had disappeared.

Cox now has the NFL Network on channel 257.

dod2004, I don't know about the others. What channels you get on your QAM seems to correspond to where you live in Santa Barbara. I think COX is using witchcraft for certain areas.

Cox now has the NFL Network on channel 257.

And NFLHD on 733.

It seems as though NFLHD [733] is only going to be broadcasting during the 8 Thursday/Saturday games. The channel runs through PPV ads during the day.

Tried tuning NFLHD on Ch. 733 just now for the Thursday night Bengals/Ravens game but there's nothing there (the channel is listed on the Cox menu but there's a blank screen). The game is on Ch. 257 in SD. What gives with HD broadcast? Does it require an added cost to get in HD?

I too have nothing but a black screen on 733. My friend said he gets it fine. Any ideas why this is happening?

I posted this on the L.A. OTA thread, not getting any answers...since it's specific to the area between Ventura-Santa Barbara, thought I'd try starting an area-specific thread. Based on the distance from, and, in Ojai-Santa Barbara, the absence of any clear line-of-sight to L.A., I do not know if antenna-based OTA HD is even possible. I am already getting some clear HD through my QAM tuner (see below).

1 On what channel #s will I find the local HDTV broadcasts (for ABC, NBC, CBS, any others). If this is already listed elsewhere, please give me the link, thanks

2 Will I need an external HD antenna to pick 'em up? I have a new Panasonic plasma that has a built in HD tuner, which has one Antenna (RF) input, and already, on the QAM frequencies I'm picking up at least one full 1080 HD station (KCET - glorious!) and a few networks in 720. I can tell cause these look so much better than the same ABC, NBC broadcasts in the normal range, where I have regular cable but not an HD package.
Are those QAM versions the best I can get, or can I get full HD for networks, etc., on other channel numbers, if I get an external VHF/UHF antenna and run another Antenna Auto Scan? Note: I'm in the Ojai Valley, downtown, with no great line-of-sight to L.A. or other parts of So.CA, if that's important

You are doing well to receive any HD at all OTA.
According to http://www.antennaweb.org/ there is no HD content available in Ojai.
Generally, I have found a good UHF antenna to work well for picking up most digital signals.

According to antennawebthere is no HD content available in Ojai.

Yeah, I saw that. I assume you're aware of the network HD broadcasts that are available thru the QAM tuner, if you're TV has one.

Generally, I have found a good UHF antenna to work well for picking up most digital signals

By "digital signals", do you mean picking up the same channels you'd get from TimeWarner's standard "digital" package, i.e., channels 2-78? I didn't think there was any way to pick those up except cable or satelite. I already get those thru my basic cable package, albeit in SD. Would a UHF antenna bring them in, in higher quality? And work in Ojai?

I just looked at my Cox statement and it said ESPN2 HD is coming on December 31.

Anyone here have any news on KEYT HD?

Yeah, I saw that. I assume you're aware of the network HD broadcasts that are available thru the QAM tuner, if you're TV has one.



By "digital signals", do you mean picking up the same channels you'd get from TimeWarner's standard "digital" package, i.e., channels 2-78? I didn't think there was any way to pick those up except cable or satelite. I already get those thru my basic cable package, albeit in SD. Would a UHF antenna bring them in, in higher quality? And work in Ojai?

The digital signals available over the air are generally the same stations which broadcast an analog signal, such as local network channels. As required by Federal law, stations are now required to broadcast a digital signal (and most continue to broadcast the analog signal as well). These stations are not to be confused with cable stations which are not broadcast over the air (ESPN, CNN, etc.).

The digital signal is usually available on a UHF frequency and may or may not be in HD format.

Any one else lose KCOY 12-1 OTA? I can get 12-2 the Fox Multicast channel but the main CBS programming on 12-1 just gives me a scrolling "Loss of Input Signal" message. I am assuming it is a problem on their end (mostly because I don't want to have to track down what may be wrong on my end :cool: . I still get NBC's 6-1 fine OTA so I don't think it is my antenna.

Any one else lose KCOY 12-1 OTA? I can get 12-2 the Fox Multicast channel but the main CBS programming on 12-1 just gives me a scrolling "Loss of Input Signal" message. I am assuming it is a problem on their end (mostly because I don't want to have to track down what may be wrong on my end :cool: . I still get NBC's 6-1 fine OTA so I don't think it is my antenna.
It's them, not you. I found the HD signal on 19-3. Sometimes KCOY forgets to send the header info that tells it to be 12-1. I looked on their web site to see who the email but they took off the engineer's address.

Any one else lose KCOY 12-1 OTA? I can get 12-2 the Fox Multicast channel but the main CBS programming on 12-1 just gives me a scrolling "Loss of Input Signal" message. I am assuming it is a problem on their end (mostly because I don't want to have to track down what may be wrong on my end :cool: . I still get NBC's 6-1 fine OTA so I don't think it is my antenna.

Lost it Saturday Night, at about the same time as the power went out partially in San Luis Obispo. Partial signal has returned as of this evening, Monday, but HD content not appearing on the KCOY feed as of yet

Lost it Saturday Night, at about the same time as the power went out partially in San Luis Obispo. Partial signal has returned as of this evening, Monday, but HD content not appearing on the KCOY feed as of yet

Per KCOY Engineer, received this message this am. The KCOY digital transmitter is on channel 19 with a virtual channel mapping to 12. The device that does the mapping failed after the power outage Saturday night. With out channel mapping your HD TV will see it at channel 19. This device was back in service Monday but that afternoon we had failure of the HD up converter. Me have new unit in shipment at this time and should be back in HD tonight or tomorrow.

I finally got a picture on NFLHD and on ESPN2HD. However, the picture was intermittent and would lose audio and have stuttering picture/compression errors. Seems like cox doesn't have the bandwidth to send out the new HD channels. Anyone else have the same problems? Comments?

Tried tuning in HDNFL (Ch. 733) tonight for the Packers/Vikings game--still blank. Ch. 257 does come in but the COX bill says I should be getting them both. The bill also says ESPN2 doesn't start until Dec. 31 so is it already active?

Yes, I saw a part of the basketball game tonight. It wasn't in HD, so I don't know that matters, but it had the 'espn' HD grey side bars. (ch 721)

I think nflhd works when they are not showing hd stuff. need to check more.

We all want the best picture and sound possible when it comes to HD.

As a Charter Cable subscriber, I have the following observations regarding the picture quality of HD:

HDNet and Discovery are exceptional.
Our local NBC and FOX are okay
Local CBS needs improvement. In other TV markets across the country, CBS is known for having the best PQ so this must be KCOY or Charter issue.

I am curious what others have found comparing the quality of Charter vs DirecTV or DishNetwork. I am also anxious to see what the PQ of the locals from DirecTV looks like once they come on line (which should be soon?). I also would like to hear from those picking up KCOY-DT over the air and the quality of that picture.

Thanks.

After about 6 yrs as a Dish subsciber and an early user of DVRs I was about to loose my distant networks, so I started looking at options.
I went to Charter HD with the Moxi box. I returned it within 5 days. The box was pretty nice. The HD was fine, not the best but this seemed to often be a result of the broadcaster and not charter. The digital channels did not match up to the sats. After that things get really bad. The extended cable is garbage, all digital sats rule over this. The worst is KEYT SD feed. This was something from 30 years ago. After reading the boards and calling both KEYT and Charter engineers, this is an ongoing issue that neither one really cares to solve.
Charter had the worst customer service of any utility I have ever dealt with.
That was when I went to Direct with a HD DVR, 100% digital, more channels, less money, better quality, way better customer service, HD locals coming in the next few months (hopefully). In the mean time, HD OTA. Still waiting for KEYT to get the HD powered up.

Hello everyone,

Thought I would post with some good info for the New Year. It looks like some channels have turned on ahead of schedule.

Charter in San Luis Obispo has added the following channels as of 1/2/2007:

MAXHD 779
TNTHD 792

According to the flyer, the final HD channel lineup effective 1/8/2007 then finalized 2/1/2007 will be as follows:

Universal HD on channel 793
Wealth Channel on 776 is being moved to SD on channel 137 (About time!)

Still no news on ABC HD in the letter or from the customer service reps.

I will post any updates as I see changes.

Hope this helps.

-Frank

That's good news, thanks :)

I was really hoping for ESPN2HD this year.....

Great news.

I did not see the flyer about the new channels.
MaxHD looks good, but still waiting on ABC and ESPN2.

This might be enought to keep me until DirecTV gets local network HDs.

I currently have Charter cable in SLO. I have the expanded analog package. Just recently I discovered QAM and read up on that. It turns out my Sony TV comes with QAM so I set it loose to discover channels. It says it "found" 176 and "shown" 5. My guess is the remaining 171 are encrypted and/or digital music. Anyway, the 5 channels are as follows:

Ch. 781 - FOXHD
Ch. 782 - CBSHD
Ch. 786 - NBCHD
Ch. 799 - FSNHD
Ch. 800 - PREVU

FSNHD (Fox Sports Network) is currently just showing the standard test signal. I don't know if this channel broadcasts real content.

Anyway, if you have a digital TV with a QAM tuner, and if you have Charter's analog package, do yourself a favor and add these channels to your lineup. You get these channels for free, even if you don't pay for Charter's digital and/or HD packages. I hope this helps someone.

Universal HD is up on Charter now....but after looking through the program guide, I fail to see its value.

I used to have cable but I've cut that off (I've given Charter enough money over the years). So I bought an antenna and set that up. Here are the details on my setup and what I get. Hopefully this will help someone decide if they want a similar setup. Obviously I can't guarantee you'll get what I get, it varies greatly even just a few miles away.

I bought a CM4221 4-bay bow-tie. I aimed it directly at the antenna complex on Cuesta ridge (I have unobstructed line of sight from my house). I get the following (these are the channels I watch, so I've omitted the tons of non-English stations, TBN, etc.):

NBC 6.1 (digital - HD) - perfect signal, 98%+ strength
CW 6.2 (digitial - SD) - perfect signal, 98%+ strength
CBS 12.1 (digital - HD) - great signal, ~80%, a few drop-ons when windy
Fox 12.2 (digital - SD) - great signal, ~80%, a few drop-ons when windy
PBS 16 (analog) - perfect signal
ABC 57 (analog) - the slightest amount of snow

In addition to the digital channels above, I get their analog equivalents:
NBC 6 (analog) - fuzzy
CBS 12 (analog) - snowy, but better than any of my friends using rabbit ears
Fox 24 (analog) - perfect signal

The interesting thing is the antenna is a UHF only antenna, yet it picks up CBS 12 great and a decent job on NBC 6. Of course, I don't watch the analog versions since I have an HDTV.

One last thing, I bought a CM7775 pre-amp to use, but I apparently didn't need it. It didn't improve signal one bit. In fact, the pre-amp increased the snow for ABC 57 and completely blocked NBC 6 and CBS 12. So I'm not using the pre-amp. I think the pre-amp is not neccassry for me because I spent the extra money for RG6 Quad Shielding cables. The nicer cable wasn't cheap, but it was worth it!

What a coincidence -- I have been working on the same project over the last couple weeks and just called charter Saturday to cancel service. Oh what a feeling! I am on the south end of SLO near the airport. I have a clear line of sight to the TV towers on cuesta ridge and a very clear southern view towards Santa Maria and Santa Barbara.

My ultimate goal was to pick up KEYT ABC-DT out of Santa Barbara along with all of the stations you listed above.

I have gone with a two-antenna solution. My first antenna is the 91xg http://www.antennasdirect.com/91XG_HDTV_antenna.html which I have pointed directly at Santa Barbara. I've also added on a CM7777 pre-amp. With these together I get a 75% signal for KEYT-DT (almost 65 miles away!) and the performance is mostly stable. I still have to play with this some to see how it works over time since I've just barely gotten into testing it.

I have a second antenna pointed at cuesta ridge, and this is a cheapo Radio Shack unit, their U-75R. It works ok for pulling in NBC-DT (100%) and I use it for PBS 16. I'm getting some ghosting on PBS and I'm guessing it's bouncing off madonna mountain and getting some multipath. I might try another antenna in the place of this 75R and see if that improves. I get a good fox-24 signal and analog nbc-6 off the cuesta ridge towers with the 75-R (also a UHF-only antenna)

So my system is working well enough, and I still have some tweaking ahead of me to optimize my setup.

I've been looking around SLO and there are ZERO antennas in town, at least in my area, and I'm not sure why. I do notice that with all the surrounding hills, there are many places that are less optimal for access to the weak signals coming from cuesta ridge. But if I have my way, I'm going to be converting more than a few of my friends and neighbors over to OTA.

Just a note -- some of my reading about pre-amps seemed to say that they are often best used for distant signals and will not work well for weak-but-close-by signals. I don't know the science but it would explain your situation. It is definitely necessary for picking up KEYT-DT from Santa Barbara. I get 0% without the pre-amp, 75% with...

matt

The interesting thing is the antenna is a UHF only antenna, yet it picks up CBS 12 great and a decent job on NBC 6.

Those channels are UHF. KSBY DT is on 15 and KCOY-DT is on 19. The digital TV signal carries a "false" channel number.

It is possible that KSBY and KCOY will switch back to their old analog VHF channels after the digital transition (Feb 2009).

He's actually talking about the analog stations I bet -- That's my experience. I get analog 6 and 12 just fine with my UHF only setup. These UHF antennas get some reception in the VHF range, especially the high range.

matt

He's actually talking about the analog stations I bet -- That's my experience. I get analog 6 and 12 just fine with my UHF only setup. These UHF antennas get some reception in the VHF range, especially the high range.

You're right, I was referring to the analog stations. That's why I said NBC 6 instead of NBC 6.1. A minor difference that's easy to overlook, sorry if my first statement was ambiguous.

I have a new setup now and am getting some pretty good results with KEYT-DT. I have set up two downleads from my two antennas to my equipment. I have separate analog and digital coax in (I’m using an HTPC to record/watch tv). So, the 91XG which I have pointed at Santa Barbara is connected through my CM7777 preamp to my digital antenna input. Then I have a separate coax connecting my 75R to my analog input. The 75R is pointed at the towers on cuesta ridge.

With this setup I’m getting 80% signal from KEYT-DT, 100% KCOY-DT and 100% KSBY-DT. All from the 91xg. This leaves only PBS 16 to come in from the 75R/analog setup. I’m pretty happy with this setup.

matt

Does anybody know if Comcast broadcasts QAM local channels in-the-clear? I can pick up some things like Discovery HD, UHD, TNTHD, ESPN HD, but I haven't been able to find any of the locals. (In Lompoc/Vandenberg Village here).

I am so sick of charter for many reasons and I am thinking of switching to DishNetwork. What I am curious about is what kind of local HD channels Dish has. It is obvious that they don't have KEYT in HD, but do they have the rest? Also, if they don't have locals in HD, do you at least get a non-local HD feed for those channels?

Oh..one more thing....if Dish doesn't have HD local channels does Directv? If not...does anyone know when either of those two companies are going to get them? thanks.

No HD Locals or Distants for us from D* or E*. Best hope is D* in the near future. (They said locals by year end 2006 previously, buy obviously missed.)

We are stuck with Charter.

Does anybody know if Comcast broadcasts QAM local channels in-the-clear? I can pick up some things like Discovery HD, UHD, TNTHD, ESPN HD, but I haven't been able to find any of the locals. (In Lompoc/Vandenberg Village here).

Well I've mapped out most of the digital channels I've been able to receive:

83-49 NBA TV
89-8 HBO Signature
92-5 ?
94-13 ?
100-6 Fox HD (KKFX-DT)
102-1 InHD
102-2 ESPN2HD
105-1 ESPN HD
105-2 Music HD
108-1 Discovery Theater HD
109-1 TNT HD
109-2 Golf Channel HD
116-5 Universal HD

Since I can get KKFX-DT, I would think I'd be able to get at the very least KCOY-HD also. Anybody have any ideas? The superbowl is coming up and it looks like this will be the only way to get it in HD. :(

Well I've mapped out most of the digital channels I've been able to receive:

83-49 NBA TV
89-8 HBO Signature
92-5 ?
94-13 ?
100-6 Fox HD (KKFX-DT)
102-1 InHD
102-2 ESPN2HD
105-1 ESPN HD
105-2 Music HD
108-1 Discovery Theater HD
109-1 TNT HD
109-2 Golf Channel HD
116-5 Universal HD

Since I can get KKFX-DT, I would think I'd be able to get at the very least KCOY-HD also. Anybody have any ideas? The superbowl is coming up and it looks like this will be the only way to get it in HD. :(

No super bowl in HD. Thanks a lot KCOY! :mad:

Any word out there as to the possibility of someday getting KEYT-HD from Charter?

We are new to HDTV. We bought a 46" Samsung LCD for the family room in late December and a 32" Vizio for the bedroom 2 weeks ago.

Early in January we dropped std Comcast for DirectTV. I asked them to install the $50 antenna for local HD OTA then, but they didn't, saying it didn't work with the HR-20 receiver. I asked them again and they said it would only pick up KCOY, nothing else.

I enjoy some of the new HD channels, but I mostly watch programs on the major networks, so having an HDTV has been pretty disappointing.

What kind of antennas are you guys using to pick up KCOY, KEYT, and KSBY (and PBS?) in HD? Where do you buy them? Where do you mount them and how are they connected to the TVs? :confused:

We are new to HDTV. We bought a 46" Samsung LCD for the family room in late December and a 32" Vizio for the bedroom 2 weeks ago.

Early in January we dropped std Comcast for DirectTV. I asked them to install the $50 antenna for local HD OTA then, but they didn't, saying it didn't work with the HR-20 receiver. I asked them again and they said it would only pick up KCOY, nothing else.

I enjoy some of the new HD channels, but I mostly watch programs on the major networks, so having an HDTV has been pretty disappointing.

What kind of antennas are you guys using to pick up KCOY, KEYT, and KSBY (and PBS?) in HD? Where do you buy them? Where do you mount them and how are they connected to the TVs? :confused:

Go to http://www.antennaweb.org, where you can enter your address and the site will tell you what type of antenna you'll need to receive the channels you want. Then you can get an antenna from any good electronics store (Best Buy and Circuit City carry them locally). There are a variety of types - indoor, outdoor, etc. Obviously an outdoor roof-mounted antenna should give you the best reception.

To receive HD signals from an OTA antenna, you'll need an ATSC tuner. The HR20 does include an ATSC tuner, so it should work. Check out this forum for a lot of information on the HR20:
http://www.dbstalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=112

The other option is to connect the antenna directly to your TV. If your Samsung LCD is the LN-S4692D, the LN-S4695D, or the LN-S4696, it has a built in ATSC tuner. Your Vizio might also; the L32HDTV does. The disadvantage of connecting directly to the TV is that you'll have to switch input modes on the TV to go between satellite and off-the-air programming, instead of having the OTA programming integrated in the satellite receiver's channel guide.

Hello.. Well, KEYT is finally broadcasting HD over the air. I noticed it yesterday. Looks pretty good and it seems that they have cranked up the power a bit as I have not noticed any drop outs or pixelation, which I had while they were testing. Of course much of their programing is still analog, as is their in house stuff such as news, etc.
You may soon see it available via COX and Comcast, I'll belt. It has been a long wait.
JIM

Well if this is true then yes it has been a long wait for some HD content on KEYT. Does anybody know when Charter might pick up this feed here in SLO? Do you think I can get it OTA with an indoor HD antenna? I've been waiting a long time to get LOST and Grey's Anatomy in HD. I live in an apartment complex so a roof mounted antenna isn't a possibility :mad: What did you mean when you said most of their programing is analog...does that include the prime time shows? Also, can anybody in SLO actually pick up KEYT OTA?

Hello.. Well, KEYT is finally broadcasting HD over the air. I noticed it yesterday. Looks pretty good and it seems that they have cranked up the power a bit as I have not noticed any drop outs or pixelation, which I had while they were testing. Of course much of their programing is still analog, as is their in house stuff such as news, etc.
You may soon see it available via COX and Comcast, I'll belt. It has been a long wait.
JIM

It's good that everyone should soon be getting KEYT in HD, although as a Cox customer in Goleta, I think I'd rather stick with the current arrangement (getting KABC-HD instead). Their news in HD is pretty cool, and far more watchable than anything more local. Also, showing syndicated shows in HD (like Jeopardy and Wheel) needs HD recording and playback capabilities that KEYT probably doesn't have.

Hello.. Well, KEYT is finally broadcasting HD over the air. I noticed it yesterday. Looks pretty good and it seems that they have cranked up the power a bit as I have not noticed any drop outs or pixelation, which I had while they were testing. Of course much of their programing is still analog, as is their in house stuff such as news, etc.
You may soon see it available via COX and Comcast, I'll belt. It has been a long wait.
JIM

Well, that's better than nothing. At the moment the only local I'm able to get in HD is KKFX - hopefully KEYT will be available on Comcast QAM soon.

Well if this is true then yes it has been a long wait for some HD content on KEYT. Does anybody know when Charter might pick up this feed here in SLO? Do you think I can get it OTA with an indoor HD antenna? I've been waiting a long time to get LOST and Grey's Anatomy in HD. I live in an apartment complex so a roof mounted antenna isn't a possibility :mad: What did you mean when you said most of their programing is analog...does that include the prime time shows? Also, can anybody in SLO actually pick up KEYT OTA?

To clarify, in the past, KEYT's digital transmission was their regular analog 4:3 signal visually stretched to a wide screen format. It was low res, but a little better than what I was getting via D*.
Very recently, they have been transmitting an unstretched HD version from the ABC network. It has the "ABC HD" icon in the bottom right coroner. In the past they did not have this feed. It is not stretched to fit as before. It looks pretty good, but not as good as say, NBC's Jay Leno via D*.
That all said, if it is a HD program it looks good, if it is not HD but sourced via the digital NBC feed, it looks much better than KEYT's old analog signal. If it is sourced locally, say via KEYT's own cameras, it looks as poor as before. I assume that that will change very soon as they buy some cameras, etc.
They are still testing or adjusting through the day as sometimes the stretch mode comes back for a few minutes. They are also adjusting the audio volume, which has gotten better also.
SLO??? I don't think so, unless you live on top of Cuesta or somewhere that gives you line of sight with Santa Ynez Peak. Even then, you would need a high gain antenna outdoors.
Hang in there, the reason KEYT hasn't been available on cable is that it didn't have the HD feed to pass on. It does now, so it should be on cable soon and on D* as soon as D* gets its act together... If that is even possible.
Hope this helps, JIM

Thanks for clarifying. So the stretch you are seeing at times during testing is the HD Stretched out to full screen correct? Also, this may sound stupid, but what does d* stand for? dish?




To clarify, in the past, KEYT's digital transmission was their regular analog 4:3 signal visually stretched to a wide screen format. It was low res, but a little better than what I was getting via D*.
Very recently, they have been transmitting an unstretched HD version from the ABC network. It has the "ABC HD" icon in the bottom right coroner. In the past they did not have this feed. It is not stretched to fit as before. It looks pretty good, but not as good as say, NBC's Jay Leno via D*.
That all said, if it is a HD program it looks good, if it is not HD but sourced via the digital NBC feed, it looks much better than KEYT's old analog signal. If it is sourced locally, say via KEYT's own cameras, it looks as poor as before. I assume that that will change very soon as they buy some cameras, etc.
They are still testing or adjusting through the day as sometimes the stretch mode comes back for a few minutes. They are also adjusting the audio volume, which has gotten better also.
SLO??? I don't think so, unless you live on top of Cuesta or somewhere that gives you line of sight with Santa Ynez Peak. Even then, you would need a high gain antenna outdoors.
Hang in there, the reason KEYT hasn't been available on cable is that it didn't have the HD feed to pass on. It does now, so it should be on cable soon and on D* as soon as D* gets its act together... If that is even possible.
Hope this helps, JIM

Thanks for clarifying. So the stretch you are seeing at times during testing is the HD Stretched out to full screen correct? Also, this may sound stupid, but what does d* stand for? dish?


Nope, the stretch I refered to is analog 4:3 square tv screen stretched out to wide screen which makes everything look very wide. The HD is perfect, full wide screen. D* is Directv for me.
I just watched "LOST" in HD. They have it together, it looked great.
JIM

That is great news, I can't wait until Charter gets the feed. I wonder if I should call them and let them know about this. Can't wait for HD ABC shows as I they have some of the better programming on TV, and it really bites watching the analog feed on my new Samsung LCD.

KEYT still has occasional glitches, but I think it is something on their side, not lack of signal strength. There are far more near commercial breaks, so I think they are having some issues still switching between HD network programming and commercials and the local non-HD commercials. They are broadcasting in 1280x720x60p, so it will never be quite as sharp as NBC which uses 1920x1080x60i (though in some ways the lower res is preferable since it isn't interlaced).

KEYT still has occasional glitches, but I think it is something on their side, not lack of signal strength. There are far more near commercial breaks, so I think they are having some issues still switching between HD network programming and commercials and the local non-HD commercials. They are broadcasting in 1280x720x60p, so it will never be quite as sharp as NBC which uses 1920x1080x60i (though in some ways the lower res is preferable since it isn't interlaced).


I don't care what it is as long as it is better than the junk that is coming through on Channel 3 on charter right now. I checked the KEYT website for contact information to ask about the lead time for feeds to cable companies, but only came up with a phone number, no email info. Does anyone have any contact info for any of the techs there at KEYT?

I've tried calling them several times...gotten thru to the receptionist...then transfered to somebodies voicemail. It's been a different voicemail each time and I have never received a call back. It sure seems like they don't give a damn.

That is good news about KEYT-HD. After all these years, it seems they are finally getting their act together. Looking forward to receiving their HD feed via Comcast. Although they probably have the weakest lineup, ABC does have a few good shows which should look great in HD. Currently receiving Ch 3 via cable and NOTHING could be worse! Keep the faith guys! We should have a contest -- who will get it first, *d or Comcast? I'll put my $$ on Comcast.

Bis spaeter,

"Here I am...
The only HD boy in Lompoc"

I've tried calling them several times...gotten thru to the receptionist...then transfered to somebodies voicemail. It's been a different voicemail each time and I have never received a call back. It sure seems like they don't give a damn.


Well I'm sure someone will post once they find out something. I'm sending an email through to Charter to see if I get a response (I never have). I'm sure Comcast and Charter would go online simultaneously.

Also, aren't the Academy Awards on ABC this Sunday? What better of a way could you debut HD than to do it in time for the awards right?

Anyone with a QAM tuner in Santa Barbara (Cox) try searching for channels? I seem to only find two:

83-1 : KSBY-HD
84-4 : FOX-HD

If you have a QAM tuner in this area, please list your results. Thanks!

Living in SLO by the airport I installed MANT950 from Circuit City 5' above my roof and had nothing but problems locking in a signal pointed at Santa Maria Tower (KCOT 12-1) 35 miles away. KSBY 6-1 at 7 miles away was always strong at 90%. The MANT950 is not a Mid. or Long range antenna. After a lot of time up and down a ladder adjusting the MANT950 and reading the AVS Forums I finally realized I had made a mistake.
I then found solidsignalcom. At this site, up in the upper right corner is a red button Called (Antenna Help). After clicking on it and filling in all the info there Tech Support recommended a CM7777 preamp and a DB-4 antenna. Last Weekend I installed both and I’m getting, 92% KCOY-DT and 90% KSBY-DT, both rock solid.
You may ask why a person goes through all of this. The answer is I left Charter, DirecTV has no HD Locals in the SLO area and Santa Barbara blocks all alternate feed from L.A. This may change in 2008 but as for right now I’m locked in for two years. I will say that OTA has not been as free as I would like but NBC and CBS HD is way COOL and my HD10-250 loves it.

Are the (4) network HDTV "Locals" ABC, NBC, CBS & FOX (some actually retransmitted from L.A. by contractural agreement) that Cox Cable Santa Barbara makes available in HDTV with their addressable Set-Top-Boxes, also available/viewable with an Unencrypted "In the Clear" QAM Tuner such as those built into many HDTV's W/O a CableCard?

I upgraded my software and now I get:

50: MSNBC
83-1: KSBY-HD (NBC)
83-2: KCOY-HD (CBS)
84-4: FOX-HD

Still no ABC or PBS..

phpguru

Here in IV/Goleta I get KSBY, KCOY, KKFX, and KABC (yeah, the LA ABC). The program ID for KABC changes constantly (at least once every two weeks or so), and the last time it changed, I saw that they weren't broadcasting PSIP info (no channel name). I'm on Linux and don't really know about the channel numbers you are referring to, but I think KABC falls around channel 114-115 (freq is 735000000). Unfortunately, no digital PBS that I can find.

Here in IV/Goleta I get KSBY, KCOY, KKFX, and KABC (yeah, the LA ABC). The program ID for KABC changes constantly (at least once every two weeks or so), and the last time it changed, I saw that they weren't broadcasting PSIP info (no channel name). I'm on Linux and don't really know about the channel numbers you are referring to, but I think KABC falls around channel 114-115 (freq is 735000000). Unfortunately, no digital PBS that I can find.

Is this with Cox Cable service using a seperate QAM In-the-Clear tuner and not their set-top-box/DVR?

If so, is the signal full 720P/1080i HD or is it downrezed to 16:9 480i?

Is this with Cox Cable service using a seperate QAM In-the-Clear tuner and not their set-top-box/DVR?

If so, is the signal full 720P/1080i HD or is it downrezed to 16:9 480i?

I'm using a QAM tuner inside my PC, and no set-top box or anything similar. Each channel is at its native resolution and looks great: 720p for FOX and ABC, and 1080i for NBC and CBS.

I'm using a QAM tuner inside my PC, and no set-top box or anything similar. Each channel is at its native resolution and looks great: 720p for FOX and ABC, and 1080i for NBC and CBS.

Is this with Cox Cable service in Santa Barbara/Goleta?

Yeah, Cox Cable here in Isla Vista/Goleta. Are you having trouble getting QAM channels?

Yeah, Cox Cable here in Isla Vista/Goleta. Are you having trouble getting QAM channels?

Yes and no.

My LG LST-3410A ios getting all (4) HD channels but outputting them as 480i over component video while the OSD reports them as 720P/1080i.

I have not been able to locate the "Option" in the LG LST-3410A to change that.

I actually thought that Cox was being "clever" and delivering DTV but not HDTV "In-the-Clear" QAM.

I'll try my My-HD 130 or my Fusion Gold cards to compare.

Thanks!

I upgraded my software and now I get:

50: MSNBC
83-1: KSBY-HD (NBC)
83-2: KCOY-HD (CBS)
84-4: FOX-HD

Still no ABC or PBS..

phpguru

:eek: I didn't know I could get HDTV from basic cable!!! I was depressed cause I dropped my HDTV "service" (with HD DVR) from Cox several months ago... I have an HLS5688W (has a builtin QAM tuner). Tried those channels, and they worked!!

I didn't knew I got them because my "auto channel program" feature didn't pick up the digital channels for some reason...

Mine currenly is:
83-2: KSBY-HD
83-3: KCOY-HD
83-9: ? (currently lists as 480i)

My TV skipped over 84-4... Don't know why (went from 84-2 to 84-9)..


This is great!

Does anyone know a time frame of when Dish Network will get KSBY, KEYT, KKFX and KCOY in HD??

:) My wife hated Directv , so like the good guy we now have Charter Basic AGAIN and Directv. I gave my QAM tuner on my new LCD TV a try and found 5 channels :

Ch. 781 - FOXHD
Ch. 782 - CBSHD
Ch. 786 - NBCHD
Ch. 799 - FSNHD
Ch. 800 - PREVU

FSNHD (Fox Sports Network) is currently just showing the standard test signal.
The worst part was deleting out 150 channels that didn't work.

I did come across one problem with Fox,CBS & NBC. The HD picture lightly Pixelates and breaks up, very simulate to OTA weak signal. TV is in the back of house, two splitters and one Cable Amp provided by Charter.

I've got a friend starting his 2nd year at Cal Poly, SLO and he'll be moving into an apartment off-campus.

What cable company serves the area, and are the HD channels in the clear with basic cable?

Thanks.

<edit> Nevermind, the post right above mine has the answers. :p

Question, you show channel numbers in the 700's, those aren't the channel numbers you're QAM tuner finds them on are they?

Is anyone on Cox getting the digital FOX (KKFX) feed right now? It's been down at least all day, and I don't want to have to watch 24 in SD tomorrow night!

Charter Comm. has there fingers into about everything in this area. Since my last post I now realise I have the Charter Basic Expanded Package, with no cable box. My QAM Tunner found the four main channels and Renamed to match Charters Numbers.

FOXH 781 - 103-1
CBSH 782 - 103-2
NBCH 786 - 104-1
FSNH 799 - 105-1

Hope this helps.

Charter Comm. has there fingers into about everything in this area. Since my last post I now realise I have the Charter Basic Expanded Package, with no cable box. My QAM Tunner found the four main channels and Renamed to match Charters Numbers.

FOXH 781 - 103-1
CBSH 782 - 103-2
NBCH 786 - 104-1
FSNH 799 - 105-1

Hope this helps.
Yes it does, much thanks. :)

Anyone watching NCAA on CBS today? I have a rare Thursday and was hoping to see some good HD action -- but, alas, SD same as last year. Anyone watching other than Comcast ( I don't think it's Comcast's problem )? Tried to call KCOY -- got the standard brush off (I'll let them know...) -- anyone know anything about KCOY's inability to deliver NCAA in HD? Inquiring minds want to know.


Bis Spaeter,

"Here I am -- the only HD boy in Lompoc"

Today Charter SLO was not carrying the NCAA basketball tournament in HD on CBS (782).

Anyone else observe this?

-JPEG

This is routine for KCOY and KSBY too. You need to call them (use the news hotline) and tell them they forgot to throw the switch. I can't understand why this has not been automated by now.

OK, I got this somewhat cryptic message from the engineer at KCOY:


Thank you for your email about CBS NCAA coverage. Because of the number HD transponder that CBS has available they are use what they have for what is called Flex feeds. At Flex feed can change from one game to another with out notice. The are a constant station and must upconvert the game.



Thanks

Jimmy Sprague
Chief Engineer

KCOY CBS KKFX FOX
1211 West McCoy Lane
Santa Maria, CA 93455
Tel 805.361.5636
Cell 805.714.4767
Fax 805.922.9830
Jimmysprague@clearchannel.com
www.kcoy.com www.kkfx.com


Not sure what this means, but it sounds like we're not going to get any NCAA HD.

UNBELIEVABLE!

That is a pretty terrible explanation--the top of this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=819927) has some better info. And it's not just Comcast--Oral Roberts v. Washington State is in SD on Cox right now.

WHOA: I'm watching, and the game just switched to Belmont and Georgetown. That means we're in a flex region (as we should be--no local teams), so we should be in HD. Argh...

EDIT: There are maps linked from that thread, which show that we are in flex right now--all of California is flex at the moment (although all of the stations north of us were constant on Louisville and Stanford). This afternoon, we will be constant for the UCLA game. Maybe after that, they'll switch back to the right flex feed and we can get HD.

Thanks pip11... didn't know there was such a thing -- assumed CBS sent out a ready-to-use HD feed for each of its marketing regions. (there are at most only 4 games going on at the same time ) seems CBS could do better, seeing they have a stranglehold on who gets to see what. D* is starting to look better all the time -- you can get the whole thing ( don't know if it's in HD though )

Has anyone seen an increase in OTA signal straight of ABC (KEYT). Last night was the first night I have ever have seen ABC HD on 3-1 on Frequency #27. My HR10-250 uses two tunners, one was locked at 90% and the second 65 to 75%. This is very good for 63 miles away.