Yeah, the breakup is obnoxious. I get it often on NGC.

Hi Gang: Tim Schall here. I program and operate all of the encoding and transmission systems for KCTS. The extremly frustrating problem with the audio dropouts appears to be caused by the Motorola set top boxes. Specifically the 'firmware' contained in them for the Dolby Digital decoding. If the signal from us begins to 'pop' like that and you remove the box from the line and go directly to the T.V. I'll bet my last dollar that the popping is gone.

KCTS uses 'next generation' Harmonic MV500 encoders for high definition and MV100 encoders for standard definition. We had to to even stand a chance at getting a third S.D. into the mux with our H.D. We push the technology harder than pretty much anyone else in town and sometimes you run into problems when you do that.

We are working with Harmonic, Motorola and several of the cable companies regarding a solution. KCTS certainly appreciates your patience. It would be helpful to know if any other types of DVR devices besides the Motorlas are having this issue. Personally, I use OTA and satellite and neither my MythTV system nor my Windows Media Center system seem to have this issue although it is reproducable on both the DVR and nonDVR set top Motorlas at the station.

Hi Gang: Tim Schall here. I program and operate all of the encoding and transmission systems for KCTS. The extremly frustrating problem with the audio dropouts appears to be caused by the Motorola set top boxes. Specifically the 'firmware' contained in them for the Dolby Digital decoding. If the signal from us begins to 'pop' like that and you remove the box from the line and go directly to the T.V. I'll bet my last dollar that the popping is gone.

KCTS uses 'next generation' Harmonic MV500 encoders for high definition and MV100 encoders for standard definition. We had to to even stand a chance at getting a third S.D. into the mux with our H.D. We push the technology harder than pretty much anyone else in town and sometimes you run into problems when you do that.

We are working with Harmonic, Motorola and several of the cable companies regarding a solution. KCTS certainly appreciates your patience. It would be helpful to know if any other types of DVR devices besides the Motorlas are having this issue. Personally, I use OTA and satellite and neither my MythTV system nor my Windows Media Center system seem to have this issue although it is reproducable on both the DVR and nonDVR set top Motorlas at the station.

I have not noticed the problems described above by others. I have a Tivo S3. Unfortunatley, I do have one problem: the volume on your HD channel is much quieter than other hd or regular hd channels. This makes it very unlikely that I will stop on your HD channel while channel flipping, even if I see something that looks like it is worth watching.

Hi Gang: Tim Schall here. I program and operate all of the encoding and transmission systems for KCTS.
...


Thanks for taking the time to post here, Tim. With my DCT3416 I don't hear popping -- just periodic brief periods of silence.

Have others asked Comcast whether they could carry CBUT's HD CBC feed?

Will Seattle-area Comcast be booting more channels "upstairs" from analog to digital? A few analog-cable friends were surprised that C-SPAN2 (channel 25) was booted to digital without warning - especially as the Presidential primary season was starting. Anyone else notice this?

Comcast likely intends to boot more analogs to digital to conserve bandwidth, but they really should be more consistent in how they implement their internal transition so clients aren't PO'd.

Have others asked Comcast whether they could carry CBUT's HD CBC feed?

That would be nice. I'll put that on my wish list right after Speed-HD. And I'm willing to give up any and all of these to get them:

KONG
MYQ2
MHD

(Plus several others, but that should do it.)

Hi Gang: Tim Schall here. I program and operate all of the encoding and transmission systems for KCTS. The extremly frustrating problem with the audio dropouts appears to be caused by the Motorola set top boxes. Specifically the 'firmware' contained in them for the Dolby Digital decoding. If the signal from us begins to 'pop' like that and you remove the box from the line and go directly to the T.V. I'll bet my last dollar that the popping is gone.

KCTS uses 'next generation' Harmonic MV500 encoders for high definition and MV100 encoders for standard definition. We had to to even stand a chance at getting a third S.D. into the mux with our H.D. We push the technology harder than pretty much anyone else in town and sometimes you run into problems when you do that.

We are working with Harmonic, Motorola and several of the cable companies regarding a solution. KCTS certainly appreciates your patience. It would be helpful to know if any other types of DVR devices besides the Motorlas are having this issue. Personally, I use OTA and satellite and neither my MythTV system nor my Windows Media Center system seem to have this issue although it is reproducable on both the DVR and nonDVR set top Motorlas at the station.It sounds like it's actually the combination of your "push the technology harder", "next-generation" encoding plus the flaw in the Moto firmware. As I posted previously, Shaw cable viewers in B.C. reported problems with the KCTS feed, but not the Spokane PBS feed. Presumably the Spokane PBS station doesn't push things to the limit like KCTS does.

Have others asked Comcast whether they could carry CBUT's HD CBC feed?
I've asked a couple of times, but the feedback I got from Comcast left me with the impression that they haven't really discussed it too seriously internally. I would love to see CBC-HD in time for the Stanley Cup playoffs (ain't gonna happen), but as a minimum it would be nice to get CBC before the Beijing Olympics.

In one of my emails to Comcast, I pointed out that every time the Olympics come around, Comcast puts ads in the paper about how you can see Olympic events carried live on CBC (as opposed to tape-delayed on U.S. networks). Seeing as Comcast uses CBC as a discriminator between themselves and OTA or satellite, it would be nice to get the digital signal.

I can think of 90 channels I'd give up tomorrow to get Speed HD but Comcast won't budge on even giving a hint or a suggestion of when they may consider adding Speed HD.

Direct is looking mighty tasty right about now....

I wouldn't call five Sonics games between now and the end of March "a lot of games":

http://msn.foxsports.com/name/HD#FSNwest

Once the M's start play, it might be worth considering a full-time slot. Even then, as long as I can see the games in HD, it doesn't bother me much if Comcast has to disrupt Mojo to give me the game.Well, it certainly bothers me that the games shown on 664 don't even appear in the guide with a TiVoHD. I watch every just about every game Comcast puts on 664, but it sure is a hassle to not even know about it unless I look at the guide on the Comcast DVR. A dedicated channel would make that a non-issue.

I'm pretty new to our TiVoHDs - What do you other users do regarding knowing what's showing when?

As for SpeedHD & CBC-HD - yes, yes, yes. Who do I call to cast my vote?

Hi Gang: Tim Schall here. I program and operate all of the encoding and transmission systems for KCTS. The extremly frustrating problem with the audio dropouts appears to be caused by the Motorola set top boxes. Specifically the 'firmware' contained in them for the Dolby Digital decoding.

Hi Tim, thanks for the info. I would alert you to one issue I've noticed with KCTS. On my 19" Philips 19PFL5422D LCD TV, the internal QAM tuner hates the KCTS HD 9.5 feed on Comcast (although I don't have an off-air connection handy to test with, it could behave the same). It's probably a limitation of the chipset used in the TV, but what I get is jerky video similar to a streaming download over a bandwidth starved connection. Every second or two the video freezes a beat, then plays, then freezes, etc etc etc. I assume it is due to the high compression used on the HD feed to allow for the other KCTS subchannels, and my TV's processor just can't keep up. It makes viewing impossible for all but the most static images.

-Mike

I can think of 90 channels I'd give up tomorrow to get Speed HD

Amen to that brother...

Well, it certainly bothers me that the games shown on 664 don't even appear in the guide with a TiVoHD. I watch every just about every game Comcast puts on 664, but it sure is a hassle to not even know about it unless I look at the guide on the Comcast DVR. A dedicated channel would make that a non-issue.

I'm pretty new to our TiVoHDs - What do you other users do regarding knowing what's showing when?

As for SpeedHD & CBC-HD - yes, yes, yes. Who do I call to cast my vote?

I dont think you can know what is showing when on the FSN/MOJO switch over.

Have others asked Comcast whether they could carry CBUT's HD CBC feed?

Apparently, there's demand. Wave Broadband's added it out on the peninsula:

http://www.wavebroadband.com/art.php?id=westChannelsHD

I'd love to see it on Comcast, and have called in to request it.

I'm in the Bothell / Mill Creek area using the QAM tuner on my panny. Has anyone else had Kiro, 10, and 11 completely drop off? Been at least a week if not two+ for me that I've had no Kiro. Just says channel unavailable. Tried taking it off, then adding it back on but no luck. One night I had SD and HD, and they were both working, but showing different programming?? Although I was kind of stoked cuz the SD feed was showing A-Team!

Any thoughts?

edit: I think I happened to go to the right page by virtue of luck and found the updated QAM lineup...

Thanks for taking the time to post here, Tim. With my DCT3416 I don't hear popping -- just periodic brief periods of silence.
Same here...2-3 seconds of no audio

Perhaps the variations between popping and silence relate to the individual versions of audio processing, within an HDTV, in an A/V receiver, etc., even if the root cause is consistent.

My version happens to be the sporadic brief silent periods. During those, I see no disruption of video. I get the same problem on channel 9.5 watching via OTA and via cable (QAM tuner integrated into HDTV--I don't have or use a cable STB).

Perhaps the variations between popping and silence relate to the individual versions of audio processing, within an HDTV, in an A/V receiver, etc., even if the root cause is consistent.

My version happens to be the sporadic brief silent periods. During those, I see no disruption of video. I get the same problem on channel 9.5 watching via OTA and via cable (QAM tuner integrated into HDTV--I don't have or use a cable STB).
I have a QAM and set top box...I was wondering if the qam would alleviate this problem of audio dropout but apparently not...

I have a QAM and set top box...I was wondering if the qam would alleviate this problem of audio dropout but apparently not...

Actually, I have not checked 9.5 on my QAM-equipped HDTV for a while, since I usually use OTA 9.5 with my DirecTV HD TiVo.

When I get a chance, I will try my QAM tuner with 9.5 and see if the problem is still there. I rarely watch live TV, but at least PBS has no commercials, making it tolerable.

Usually I wouldn't worry about this kind of thing, but Comcast Seattle doesn't have the best track record with getting us local games, especially in HD (though not always their fault). I read today that Comcast is offering the Pac-10 tourney in HD on Comcast Sportsnet, a channel I am not familiar with. A quick google search shows that this channel is available in Oregon but not in Seattle. Are we going to have to rely on Comcast Seattle switching over MOJO at the right time? Or are we not going to get it at all? Either way, I can see College Basketball fans, all over Seattle, starting to sweat as an episode of "Bet You" ends, hoping that we can see those beautiful color bars that indicate upcoming HD basketball.

we might get ABC and Disney hd tomorrow....

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/03/02/comcast-bringing-abc-family-hd-disney-channel-hd-to-seattle-ma/

we might get ABC and Disney hd tomorrow....

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/03/02/comcast-bringing-abc-family-hd-disney-channel-hd-to-seattle-ma/


I'd be surprised if they did. I posted a few pages back that on a mailer I recieved from COMCAST last week stating the new channels and their channels # that we are getting on March 4th, it said at the bottom of that mailer that those channels are comming soon. You'd think that if they were coming with the 6 mentioned in the mailer, they wouldn't say coming soon.

I'd be surprised if they did. I posted a few pages back that on a mailer I recieved from COMCAST last week stating the new channels and their channels # that we are getting on March 4th, it said at the bottom of that mailer that those channels are comming soon. You'd think that if they were coming with the 6 mentioned in the mailer, they wouldn't say coming soon.

Comcast spokeswoman confirmed it:

http://www.tvpredictions.com/comcastadd030308.htm

AMC question - I have an ASTC tuner and can view a number of Comcast digital channels with the tuner. I can't find AMC. Is it available in SD? If so, where?

AMC must be encrypted, since it doesn't show up on the list of QAM channels.

How many shows on Sci Fi Channel are actually shot in HD besides BSG? Discovery HD will probably be my most watched channel for a good while, as the SD version is already.

Has anyone gotten schedule data yet? I am updating my Tivo's S3 now to check.

Comcast spokeswoman confirmed it:

http://www.tvpredictions.com/comcastadd030308.htm

Wow, I'm totally stunned. Comcast has never done something this cool. Usually coming soon means in a few months. I figured we'd see those channels in June or later in the year.

Looking forward to tomorrow's update.

How many shows on Sci Fi Channel are actually shot in HD besides BSG? Discovery HD will probably be my most watched channel for a good while, as the SD version is already.

We'll get to watch the season finale of Stargate Atlantis. And on ABC Family, Kyle XY!:)

We'll get to watch the season finale of Stargate Atlantis.

Not to mention the 164th showing of Sasquatch Mountain! :D;)

As always, we'll see what turns up tomorrow, but this would be the first time ever that Seattle got a channel before anyone else did.

Has anyone gotten schedule data yet? I am updating my Tivo's S3 now to check.

Ok, I forced the update and now have the schedule info as follows:

667 APLHD
668 DSCHD
669 TLCHD
674 HGTVD
675 FoodHD
676 SciFiHD
697 HDDM
698 FreeMDM
699 MushDDM
79 LOORO79

I someone posted most of this lineup above, and 697 through 699 look like On-Demand. Hopefully, Trinity just needs to update for DisneyHD and ABC FamilyHD.

Maybe they'll put Disney on 666.

Did anyone else's cable box show EAS on the screen? I noticed it this evening around 7pm. It messed up my recordings. I was watching a show that was being recorded and it stopped and turned on to channel 7 which later, after the news went to commercial, showed an Emergency Alert Screen for a few seconds. At least it didn't play that annoying tone from the old EBS tests.

My NGCHD has really low signal strength. Is this typical of the channel or do I need Comcast to come out and investigate? It jumps from 80 to 0, then drops the signal.

Ok, I forced the update and now have the schedule info as follows:

667 APLHD
668 DSCHD
669 TLCHD
674 HGTVD
675 FoodHD
676 SciFiHD
697 HDDM
698 FreeMDM
699 MushDDM
79 LOORO79

I someone posted most of this lineup above, and 697 through 699 look like On-Demand. Hopefully, Trinity just needs to update for DisneyHD and ABC FamilyHD.

How do you do a "forced" update?

How do you do a "forced" update?

Go to Messages and Settings->Phone and Network->Connect to TiVo Service

Ok, I forced the update and now have the schedule info as follows:

667 APLHD
668 DSCHD
669 TLCHD
674 HGTVD
675 FoodHD
676 SciFiHD
697 HDDM
698 FreeMDM
699 MushDDM
79 LOORO79

I someone posted most of this lineup above, and 697 through 699 look like On-Demand. Hopefully, Trinity just needs to update for DisneyHD and ABC FamilyHD.


I just checked, the channels are live here in South Everett.

Can I update my moto 3416 I?

I just got done watching a movie and noticed that the new channels are live here in Issaquah (98027).

My NGCHD has really low signal strength. Is this typical of the channel or do I need Comcast to come out and investigate? It jumps from 80 to 0, then drops the signal.


How do you check signal strength?

The channels have been turned on. Disney and ABC Family are missing from the new channels. They could still turn them on tomorrow or later tonight, but I doubt it.

Noticed the new channels being pushed tonight. Has anyone else tried setting a series recording for ghosthunters on scifiHD? The little series record icon doesn't show up, but when I try setting record series again, it acts like the record has already been set. I did the same w/ destination truth and it shows it's set to record just fine. grrr... oh well, at least we have it now!
And animal planet HD? seriously? So many channels yet nothing is ever on :P

Maybe they'll put Disney on 666.

LOL . . . though its hard to say if anyone if you and I think think this is funny.

Hmmm - the channels were listed in the channel guide of our TiVoHD's before they appeared in the Comcast DVR guides when I checked this morning, but the only ones that are actually "on" right now are Animal Planet-HD and The Learning Channel-HD. Maybe the others will come "on" at midnight since the announced date for turning them on was tomorrow.

Hmmm - the channels were listed in the channel guide of our TiVoHD's before they appeared in the Comcast DVR guides when I checked this morning, but the only ones that are actually "on" right now are Animal Planet-HD and The Learning Channel-HD. Maybe the others will come "on" at midnight since the announced date for turning them on was tomorrow.


I am getting the same thing, with the same channels and I have a TivoHD. I hope they work tomorrow and dont have to get someone to come out with a new card or something. I am in Bothell.

Four of the channels are on as of tonight, but Discovery HD and Sci-Fi are not working as of tonight. Looks like they're all using stretch-o-vision for the non-HD stuff.

For me Discovery, Food, HGTV aren't working. I get a message please wait while channel comes up shortly. Anybody else having same problem? For Disney and ABC the spokewoman said comcast will turn on the channels this week but don't know when.

My TivoHD is now showing the channels, though there is no channel info as of yet.

I just hope we don't have to wait a few weeks for the channel info for these to be added like we did for the last set. :mad:

Discovery HD and Sci-Fi HD are still not working as of this morning, but Food HD has been working all along for me.

My TivoHD is now showing the channels, though there is no channel info as of yet.

I just hope we don't have to wait a few weeks for the channel info for these to be added like we did for the last set. :mad:

I have the info, but only 2 of the channels...........

Discovery HD and Sci-Fi HD are still not working as of this morning, but Food HD has been working all along for me.

"all along" - meaning since when? what channel, and has it been located on QAM also?

For me Discovery, Food, HGTV aren't working. I get a message please wait while channel comes up shortly. Anybody else having same problem? For Disney and ABC the spokewoman said comcast will turn on the channels this week but don't know when.

I'm getting the same thing. Last night the channels went live except for Disc, Food, Home and Sci-fi. I only get Animal planet and TLC. I figured I'd have the rest this morning, but same thing today. I get the channel will be available shortly message, and I'm only getting 2 of the 6 new channels. I'm about to call to see what the problem is.

I'm getting the same thing. Last night the channels went live except for Disc, Food, Home and Sci-fi. I only get Animal planet and TLC. I figured I'd have the rest this morning, but same thing. I'm only getting 2 of the 6. I'm about to call to see what the problem is.

Are you guys on a tivo or a comcast box?

I live off 164th in Lynnwood and have had all six working perfect since around 10PM last night. Looking forward to Disney because my 5 year old loves it but I hated the SD transmission. Hopefully it comes this week. I talked with a Comcast rep and was told to expect new channels every couple of months throughout the year. Sounds good to me.

boy....nothing special here - but more HD is a good thing....sc-fi channel!!! about time...I remember the program chief saying years ago that they dont see themselves going hi-def because it's a waste...

Are you guys on a tivo or a comcast box?



2 Comcast boxes, A DCH3416 and a older 3416, both have the same problem. APHD and TLC-HD work fine, the other 4 say will be available shortly but they never come on. All the guide data is there for all channels.

I called my parents who live in Bothell, they get all 6 channels perfectly. I called Comcast and was told something like, They are probably rolling out the channels one at a time to be safe and if I don't have all the channels by this time tomorrow to call them back.:rolleyes:

I tried unplugging the box and rebooting it, still no go. Any ideas?

I have a comcast motorola dct or dch3416 I- I cant remember which one as I am at work now. But I had them all working great last night and this morning around 5 I checked and they did as well. No Disney yet

Sounds like a lot of people are having signal strength issues.

2 Comcast boxes, A DCH3416 and a older 3416, both have the same problem. APHD and TLC-HD work fine, the other 4 say will be available shortly but they never come on. All the guide data is there for all channels.

I called my parents who live in Bothell, they get all 6 channels perfectly. I called Comcast and was told something like, They are probably rolling out the channels one at a time to be safe and if I don't have all the channels by this time tomorrow to call them back.:rolleyes:

I tried unplugging the box and rebooting it, still no go. Any ideas?

Huh, I live in bothell too, but only getting those 2 channels.

All channels live here in Lakewood with Guide data! WooHoo! Bring on BSG!

No problem setting up a recording on the SciFI channel. Watching MythBusters and they're using the lite version of stretch-o-matic. Kinda like the the lite version.

The signal strength in lynnwood is good. HGTV, DISHD, and APLHD look fantastic-the others were playing old content when I checked-but HGTV popped beautifully. Looks like I wont mind watching with my wife as much anymore

Huh, I live in bothell too, but only getting those 2 channels.

hmmm, must be were we live. I'm in Woodinville close to the Bothell border, but my parents have a Bothell address but actually live out closer to Mill Creek. Maybe they have a better signal strength out there... I hope they can solve this issue soon, I was looking forward to checking these channels out tonight.

Here in Wallingford, the channels are up except for FoodHD. I had to tell my TiVoHD twice to force an update before it would show the channels in the guide but even now they have no program information which is irritating. Maybe a third refresh would do it.

Here in Wallingford, the channels are up except for FoodHD. I had to tell my TiVoHD twice to force an update before it would show the channels in the guide but even now they have no program information which is irritating. Maybe a third refresh would do it.

In Bellevue, I have all schedule info and all channels, except FoodHD. Hopefully, I won't have to call Comcast to zap my cable cards on my Tivo.

I get everything except Food-HD with the DCT3416 in Bellevue. (Not that there's anything worthwhile on any of them.)

Could be the internal cabling in your structure. Try to remove as many splitters as possible.

Could be the internal cabling in your structure. Try to remove as many splitters as possible.

If it were Speed-HD then I would. As it is, I'll never notice it.

I'm in Seattle (Greenlake) and all the new channels are working, except for Food HD. I get the "This channel should be available shorty" message.

Could be the internal cabling in your structure. Try to remove as many splitters as possible.

You sound like a CSR. They once dispatched a tech to my house, only to have him confirm that there was nothing wrong at my end. He called the headend to have them do some magic, and the channel showed up and started working. That was way back when we were awaiting Cinemax HD. Everybody else on the system had it except me, seemingly.

You sound like a CSR. They once dispatched a tech to my house, only to have him confirm that there was nothing wrong at my end. He called the headend to have them do some magic, and the channel showed up and started working. That was way back when we were awaiting Cinemax HD. Everybody else on the system had it except me, seemingly.

Just hitting on all the basics. I had many issues with Comcast when I was a sub. The major issued turned out to be a problem in the signal strength tables after headend work had been done in my area. They would never believe, but after having the same tech out 4 times in a single day because of Cable modem and Digital cable drop outs, they finally found the problem.

Much rather see somebody test the splitters in their house and resolve an issue before having to deal with Comcast support and beating their head into a brick wall.

can someone post the locations of these new channels?

...
Much rather see somebody test the splitters in their house and resolve an issue before having to deal with Comcast support and beating their head into a brick wall.

Well, it isn't my wiring. I tuned #1 to 674 and #2 to 675. Signal strength is 36.5 on 1 and all "N/A" across the board on 2. I then tuned 1 to 675 and 2 to 674, and 2 has 36.0 and 1 is all
"N/A".

Are you guys on a tivo or a comcast box?We're currently using two TiVoHD's with M-stream CableCARDs, a DCT-3416 and a DCH-3416 Comcast DVR, and the CableCARD tuner in one of the TVs. As of 7:30 this morning we were still only getting APHD and TLCHD on all the devices.

Sounds like a lot of people are having signal strength issues.We have a number of splitters in place, but they were each installed by Comcast and over the years they've installed two line amps in strategic locations to ensure we have the proper signal strength everywhere. I really don't believe signal strength is the issue.

I'm thinking it probably has most to do with location. We're right in the middle of the triangle formed by Kirkland, Bothell, and Woodinville. If the other channels aren't up by tonight I'll give Comcast a call.

We're currently using two TiVoHD's with M-stream CableCARDs, a DCT-3416 and a DCH-3416 Comcast DVR, and the CableCARD tuner in one of the TVs. As of 7:30 this morning we were still only getting APHD and TLCHD on all the devices.

We have a number of splitters in place, but they were each installed by Comcast and over the years they've installed two line amps in strategic locations to ensure we have the proper signal strength everywhere. I really don't believe signal strength is the issue.

I'm thinking it probably has most to do with location. We're right in the middle of the triangle formed by Kirkland, Bothell, and Woodinville. If the other channels aren't up by tonight I'll give Comcast a call.

Sounds near with the same issue. I am at 227th st and the 405 area.

I don't think it has anything to do with signal strength. When my wife and I bought our house back in October, we had Comcast come out to set us up. The tech said that we had an extremely strong signal throughout the house.

Does anyone in Seattle have a properly working FoodHD?

I have five of the new HD channels but I'm getting the "One Moment Please" message for FoodHD, channel 675. I'm in the Madison Park Area of Seattle. I won't call in since this seems to be a common issue. Is anyone in Seattle getting this channel?

We're currently using two TiVoHD's with M-stream CableCARDs, a DCT-3416 and a DCH-3416 Comcast DVR, and the CableCARD tuner in one of the TVs. As of 7:30 this morning we were still only getting APHD and TLCHD on all the devices.

We have a number of splitters in place, but they were each installed by Comcast and over the years they've installed two line amps in strategic locations to ensure we have the proper signal strength everywhere. I really don't believe signal strength is the issue.
I'm thinking it probably has most to do with location. We're right in the middle of the triangle formed by Kirkland, Bothell, and Woodinville. If the other channels aren't up by tonight I'll give Comcast a call.

I'm not certain it's a signal strength issue either, at least not to my house...

A while back I posted on here that I wasn't getting MyQ-HD 110 anymore. I don't know how long it had stopped working because I rarely if ever watch that channel; however, I know for a fact it was working before but suddenly stopped working one day. I just got the "channel will be available shortly" message.

I called Comcast and they came out and said the cable was damaged from the street box to my house causing signal strength to be low, so about a month ago they replaced the entire line so I would have full signal strength. This fixed the problem for MYQ, and so I'm pretty sure I should have a good signal at my end.

Sounds like this is some other issue. I got a Comcast guy coming out between 12-4 to look at it. I will let him know others in this area are experiencing the same thing.

As of right now, here in Woodinville I still only get APHD, and TLC-HD. All others are not working. Once again my parents in North Bothell area get all 6 coming in perfectly.

I have five of the new HD channels but I'm getting the "One Moment Please" message for FoodD, channel 675. I'm in the Madison Park Area of Seattle. I won't call in since this seems to be a common issue. Is anyone in Seattle getting this channel?

On the eastside, I get all except FoodHD, so must be a Comcast issue

I've been using Comcast in Seattle on and off for years... I recently experienced MAJOR disruption in service that in the end had absolutely NOTHING to do with wiring or gear inside my residence. In fact, one of the 2 issues was 4 blocks away and affecting other customers.
I was hit with 2 $19.99 truck roll charges. I seem to remember a policy that basically stated problem inside your house, you pay. Outside, we pay... Well, I called them today to inquire about the charges and was basically told to avoid charges like this in the future, I need to purchase an extended service protection plan. WTF!? I became absolutely livid (sorry again to the nice gal on the other end, I know it's not you, but your lame-o company). I Collected myself and politely asked if she agreed with my anger.
Why do we pay them so much per month if they won't maintain their portion of the network to pipe us the goods without charging us for problems out of our control? As an example, the problems turned out to be squirrel/rodent damage on one pole and water damage on another. The CSR said "well, those problems were not caused by us". Well, they weren't caused by me either, and in fact were blocks away from my residence. The techs never even had to come inside my house... In the end she waived the fees out of courtesy and said she's sending the "fine print" and info about the extended protection.

I guess this is more of a rant than a question, but when did Comcast become so lame that they seem fit to charge extra to maintain their lines and portion of the network beyond the customer's control?

I'm home sick from work today, so I did some detective work. I spoke with my parents in Auburn, and FoodHD is working down south.

All channels now working here in Woodinville.

Now that food looks even better in HD-we need sensory tv now:)

Everything, including Food, now working in Bellevue.

I've been using Comcast in Seattle on and off for years... I recently experienced MAJOR disruption in service that in the end had absolutely NOTHING to do with wiring or gear inside my residence. In fact, one of the 2 issues was 4 blocks away and affecting other customers.
I was hit with 2 $19.99 truck roll charges. I seem to remember a policy that basically stated problem inside your house, you pay. Outside, we pay... Well, I called them today to inquire about the charges and was basically told to avoid charges like this in the future, I need to purchase an extended service protection plan. WTF!? I became absolutely livid (sorry again to the nice gal on the other end, I know it's not you, but your lame-o company). I Collected myself and politely asked if she agreed with my anger.
Why do we pay them so much per month if they won't maintain their portion of the network to pipe us the goods without charging us for problems out of our control? As an example, the problems turned out to be squirrel/rodent damage on one pole and water damage on another. The CSR said "well, those problems were not caused by us". Well, they weren't caused by me either, and in fact were blocks away from my residence. The techs never even had to come inside my house... In the end she waived the fees out of courtesy and said she's sending the "fine print" and info about the extended protection.

I guess this is more of a rant than a question, but when did Comcast become so lame that they seem fit to charge extra to maintain their lines and portion of the network beyond the customer's control?

I think the city and county could or better business bureau could get involved in this. They are obligated to maintain the hardware that is outside your house. That's the price of doing business at a utility. Those kinds of expenses should be split among all consumers. This sounds more like a scam to me. That can't just charge the first person that reports the problem or charge everybody $20 for sending out a truck. I wouldn't put it past them! I'm glad they refunded the charges.

I am also in Wallingford and get everything but Food....

Tukwila/Southcenter area is getting all new HD channels now. Last night, Sci-Fi and Discovery were missing. Love to see ABC Family & Disney soon in HD...

--
Sang

I am also in Wallingford and get everything but Food....

Yup, FoodHD still isn't working here in Greenlake.

...
I got a Comcast guy coming out between 12-4 to look at it. I will let him know others in this area are experiencing the same thing.

As of right now, here in Woodinville I still only get APHD, and TLC-HD. All others are not working. Once again my parents in North Bothell area get all 6 coming in perfectly.

All channels now working here in Woodinville.Was this before or after the Comcast tech came for a visit?

FoodHD is up here in the Greenlake neighborhood of Seattle!

AMC must be encrypted, since it doesn't show up on the list of QAM channels.
Where can I get a list of QAM channels?

Where can I get a list of QAM channels?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12931093#post12931093

I don't think anything's changed other than the deletion of the west-coast national feed of Univision. I'll update it when I have time, regardless.

AMC -- and everything in standard basic -- is encrypted. Only limited basic, its HD and DT-multicast equivalents, FM radio, and a couple of inexplicable things (MoviePlex, WeatherScan, etc.) are clear QAM.

Still no SciFi, Food, or Discovery in West Seattle. Also just noticed that National Geographic and Universal HD are not working now, either. Hmm.

Got them all working here in unincorporated snohomish county (in between mill creek, snohomish, and everett)

Was this before or after the Comcast tech came for a visit?

Getting all the channels, had nothing to do with the Comcast guy coming over. They coincidentally came on one by one, when the Comcast guy was here checking it out LOL.

At first I only had APHD and TLCHD, then when the Comcast guy came, suddenly Food-HD was working when I turned on the TV, but the other 3 where still not. During the time the Comcast guy was at my place, he tested my signal and said it was good. I just had a new line put in from the street to the house and all connections were good as well. He did nothing to fix the channels, but was puzzled as to why the ones that didn't work had different frequencies on the different boxes. Suddenly, one by one they all came on while he was there, the last was HGTV which took about 15 mins after the others came on. The Comcast guy said he had no idea why they were not working and that he did nothing to fix them, they just happen to come on when he was here.

All are still working in my area.

They're all working in Des Moines.

Everything, including Food, now working in Bellevue.

Yep, I get it now too . . . and was not this morning.

tv predictions said a comcast spokesperson said disney and abcfam hd are coming "this week" lets keep eachother posted when we get it or if you hear any new news.

tv predictions said a comcast spokesperson said disney and abcfam hd are coming "this week" lets keep eachother posted when we get it or if you hear any new news.

Here is the link:

http://www.tvpredictions.com/comcastadd030308.htm

Here's an update of the QAM List. Changes since January:

* Univision deleted from 91-4
* Leased Access added to 115-14 (Ch. 79)
* PSETV deleted from 117-1060 (Ch. 26) - Likely still there in South King County
* Puget Sound Access deleted from 117-1065 (Ch. 77) - Likely still there in South King County

I called TiVo tech support tonight to complain that we weren't getting guide data for the 6 new HD channels. The tech suggested redoing a guided setup with setting the ZIP to 98177 and selecting just "Comcast" as the provider. Voila, now I have guide data for all 6 new channels.

At least I won't be waiting 3 weeks or more for guide data, like we did in December...

all new hd channels are working in Redmond now.

Here's an update of the QAM List. Changes since January:

* Univision deleted from 91-4
* Leased Access added to 115-14 (Ch. 79)
* PSETV deleted from 117-1060 (Ch. 26) - Likely still there in South King County
* Puget Sound Access deleted from 117-1065 (Ch. 77) - Likely still there in South King County

I am a newbiw when it comes to HDTV. Can anyone help me with this info. My panny plasma has a QAM tuner-can I access all these channels on the list with an antenna? Any recommendations on a certain type of antenna-will just a cox into the antenna jack on the tv work? thanks

Just plug your cable coax into your TV RF input, set the RF input type to Cable, and then scan for channels. You should be able to pick up all analog channels, as well as all unencrypted digital channels (aka QAM channels).

Make sure you have splitters that pass through the entire range (1GHz), and does not cut off at 400MHz like an old splitter might do.

In added these new HD channels, did Comcast increase the "compression" used on existing HD channels? I was watching "The Marine" on HBO HD (ch549) last night, and there was very obvious macro-blocking during the fast motion sequences! :(
I prefer quality over quantity...

what do you mean by using a splitter? I have the cable from the wall jack going into the comcast dvr then I have an HDMI into the tv. I have an RF tv input for antenna/cable that is unused. Can I just use a loose cable cord and attach it to the input with nothing at the other end because I am already using a two way splitter off the cable jack for my comcast internet modem. I could get a three way but would that give me poor tv reception? If so I am fine with my current set up- I get all the locals I need on the comcast feed. I just didnt know if the QAM OTA channels were better.

In added these new HD channels, did Comcast increase the "compression" used on existing HD channels? I was watching "The Marine" on HBO HD (ch549) last night, and there was very obvious macro-blocking during the fast motion sequences! :(
I prefer quality over quantity...

Ive always noticed minor pixelation during fast action on Comcast-never happens on bluray so I know its not my TV limitations, but rather comcast.

I spoke with a tech from Comcast and they do not extra compress when adding channels. He said for every analog they remove they get enough space for up to 6 HD channels. So they only add when they take away first. Or so he says.

I have basic analog cable, but fortunately, my 1 TV with a free cablecard allows me to view all these new channels. have not found them on other TV with QAM tuner yet...not sure if that means they are scrambled, or that I just haven't looked for them...

While flipping thru the new channels last night, it appeared that Animal planet was the only one that was showing the same programming on SD and HD versions of the channel? so that means discovery HD and Food HD, etc, are actually new channels, not just HD versions of the regualr channel?

I have basic analog cable, but fortunately, my 1 TV with a free cablecard allows me to view all these new channels. have not found them on other TV with QAM tuner yet...not sure if that means they are scrambled, or that I just haven't looked for them...

While flipping thru the new channels last night, it appeared that Animal planet was the only one that was showing the same programming on SD and HD versions of the channel? so that means discovery HD and Food HD, etc, are actually new channels, not just HD versions of the regualr channel?

The new channels are encrypted so you will need a STB or a cable card to view them. Seems odd to me you can get them with your cable card and I wouldn't think they'd be part of a basic cable subscription, but I don't know the packages very well...

As for the channels, They are probably east coast feeds (3 hours ahead for nonlive programming). I've only watched ScifiHD and it is an east coast feed, IRIC TNTHD, and USAHD are too...

The new channels are nice, but i still find it rediculous that we do not have a full time FSN HD channel. Every other majore market does. Heck, i believe California has 2.

All channels now working here in Woodinville.I set a couple programs to record on my TiVoHDs via the web as soon as you mentioned this, and the four channels that had not been working at first recorded just fine. The HGTVHD channel seemed to have the timeslot shifted, however, as "Trading Spaces" played in the "My First Home" timeslot.

I'm sure disappointed that some of these new channels took precedence over a dedicated channel for FSN-HD, however.

I know it isn't high on many other people's lists, but I sure would like to have the Tennis channel :). I'd Like FSN-HD too.

I set a couple programs to record on my TiVoHDs via the web as soon as you mentioned this, and the four channels that had not been working at first recorded just fine. The HGTVHD channel seemed to have the timeslot shifted, however, as "Trading Spaces" played in the "My First Home" timeslot.

I'm sure disappointed that some of these new channels took precedence over a dedicated channel for FSN-HD, however.

Glad to hear you got the channels. Comcast actually called me this morning to ask if everything was working for me.... hmmm, wonder if Fios TV is coming in my area soon or something.... don't know why they are being so nice.

Yeah I'm a bit dissapointed in HGTVHD, hopefully it will get better in the future. This channel doesn't play the same shows as on the analog one, and boy do they repeat! I just happen to be remodeling my kitchen and doing some landscaping, so lately I've had an interest in watching this channel at times. Although it's really cool to see it in HD, you can watch this channel for a couple hours, and it seems like you've seen all it has to offer.

The new channels are nice, but i still find it rediculous that we do not have a full time FSN HD channel. Every other majore market does. Heck, i believe California has 2.

Historically, we have had a bad baseball team, a bad NBA team that is likely leaving town, and a bad UW team in the past three years or so. They typically do not broadcast at the same time, so where is the justifcation for a dedicated FSN channel? Nobody has been watching any of them.

Now the baseball team is improving, and going full time HD, and the college team may be approaching mediocrity, but nothing is going to save the NBA team for the remainder of its time here. But there still isn't enough to justify dedicating an HD channel full time to the local sports scene.

I spoke with a tech from Comcast and they do not extra compress when adding channels. He said for every analog they remove they get enough space for up to 6 HD channels. So they only add when they take away first. Or so he says.

Not according to the rep I spoke with last week. Much like other markets, Seattle's now squeezing 3 channels into 1 QAM for HD which requires extra compression. USA HD and SciFi HD seem to suffer the worse from this. I get lots of blocking, stuttering, and break-up when watching anything with lots of action. WWE programming looks terrible on those channels now. Plan to call again to complain this week. More HD is great, but only if it's watchable.

Historically, we have had a bad baseball team, a bad NBA team that is likely leaving town, and a bad UW team in the past three years or so. They typically do not broadcast at the same time, so where is the justifcation for a dedicated FSN channel? Nobody has been watching any of them.

Now the baseball team is improving, and going full time HD, and the college team may be approaching mediocrity, but nothing is going to save the NBA team for the remainder of its time here. But there still isn't enough to justify dedicating an HD channel full time to the local sports scene.

I can't see much justification for some of the channels we have now.
It's interesting to look at the HD listings by channel:
Menu/HD/HD Programs by Channel

Some of the channels have very few HD offerings:
106, 110, 667, 669
VSGLF (665) doesn't even have a single HD program listed. Probably seasonal, but still a waste.

Speed-HD has plenty. But of course we don't have that.

Still seeing problems in West Seattle. I called and talked to a CSR. He says that other people have been having problems with losing National Geographic and Universal HD in the last couple days. But I haven't seen any other mention of it here. He said to wait a couple days to see if they turn themselves back on.

In addition to National Geographic and Universal disappearing, I'm still not getting SciFi, Food, or Discovery. Anyone else in West Seattle having similar problems?

The Golf Channel has been showing Thursday and Friday PGA Golf rounds in HD, so that more than justifies that channel.

Still seeing problems in West Seattle. I called and talked to a CSR. He says that other people have been having problems with losing National Geographic and Universal HD in the last couple days. But I haven't seen any other mention of it here. He said to wait a couple days to see if they turn themselves back on.

In addition to National Geographic and Universal disappearing, I'm still not getting SciFi, Food, or Discovery. Anyone else in West Seattle having similar problems?

I'm in West Seattle and having that same problem too. Well, least this morning before I left for work I had those channels not coming up. Though yesterday morning I did out of curiousity's sake record Everyday Italian and while the channel wasn't coming in live, I later checked my DVR recordings and there they were, picture and sound and all. I did notice some bits of the picture stalling as if maybe it wasn't getting the full signal or something.

But yeah, I'm in West Seattle too and those channels you mentioned haven't been showing up for and I get that message that it will be coming up soon.

Story of our lives with Comcast Seattle, eh?

The Golf Channel has been showing Thursday and Friday PGA Golf rounds in HD, so that more than justifies that channel.

Almost all of these new channels have large chunks of non HD programming. So they give us useless channels instead of being able to schedule a game on a tivo or be able to watch a full game without a cutoff if it runs late. I think that at least justifies the channel as much as early round golf.

I hear people asking for FSN HD, Speed HD, CBC HD, etc.

Not once has someone asked for TLC hd...................come on Comcast. I hope directTV is stomping you. Bring on FIOS........Maybe then they will get with it.

Not once has someone asked for TLC hd...................come on Comcast. I hope directTV is stomping you. Bring on FIOS........Maybe then they will get with it.

Different strokes for different folks. The latest batch of channels is the first time I am excited about the HD lineup from Comcast. No one in our household cares about Golf, MTV, MOJO et al regardless of whether they are in HD or not. More HD channels would be nice, but I don't expect much more until Comcast brings SDV to the Seattle area.

Different strokes for different folks. The latest batch of channels is the first time I am excited about the HD lineup from Comcast. No one in our household cares about Golf, MTV, MOJO et al regardless of whether they are in HD or not. More HD channels would be nice, but I don't expect much more until Comcast brings SDV to the Seattle area.

Don't get me wrong I enjoy the new channels. I wasnt saying they aren't important as well. I was just mentioning that the channels that get brought up constantly in this thread are not added. It is my opinion this is because a FSN HD channel is more expensive for Comcast to broadcast that other channels.

By the Way, is there an AMC HD channel out there? because Breaking Bad seems like it is shot in HD. I know you can watch it on demand, but alas I have no comcast box, which is a good thing.

While flipping thru the new channels last night, it appeared that Animal planet was the only one that was showing the same programming on SD and HD versions of the channel? so that means discovery HD and Food HD, etc, are actually new channels, not just HD versions of the regualr channel?

Food Network HD is pretty clearly not a simulcast of the regular Food Network. Emeril Live and Rachael Ray do not appear anywhere on the HD channel, nor does Iron Chef America. Hopefully, future Rachael Ray stuff will be in HD and be on the channel. I don't know why Iron Chef America isn't on there - it is probably one of their more popular programs.

TiVo still don't have the channels up for the online schedule (can't check my actual box 'til I get home)
http://www3.tivo.com/tivo-tco/search.do?tsn=&dispatch=advancedsearch&searchTitle=battlestar&searchDesc=&searchCastCrew=&searchCategory=&searchGenre=&searchWhen=14&advanced_button.x=45&advanced_button.y=12
which is super annoying since I pre-empted the launch and gave them a 2-3 week headsup with channel numbers and names (as supplied by C/Cast about a month ago!)

They claim 5-7 days to process, so I sent a nudge reminder last week. Hopefully schedule info soon....

TiVo still don't have the channels up for the online schedule (can't check my actual box 'til I get home)
http://www3.tivo.com/tivo-tco/search.do?tsn=&dispatch=advancedsearch&searchTitle=battlestar&searchDesc=&searchCastCrew=&searchCategory=&searchGenre=&searchWhen=14&advanced_button.x=45&advanced_button.y=12
which is super annoying since I pre-empted the launch and gave them a 2-3 week headsup with channel numbers and names (as supplied by C/Cast about a month ago!)

They claim 5-7 days to process, so I sent a nudge reminder last week. Hopefully schedule info soon....

If it helps you could use my zip code 98021 I have them. And then in a few weeks switch back. Shouldnt be any difference.

I just got off the phone with TiVo and let them know that the 98125 zip code had the 6 new HD channels, but "to be announced"... standard replay of 5-7 days.
Meanwhile I'm going to try 98021.

Swanni quotes the Comcast spokesperson as us getting Disney and ABCFamily this week. Who thinks we will. I guess "this week" is from the 4th to the 11th?

Also, Swanni said NO HD of the Mariners on MOJO this year. So without FSNHD we are stuck. The broadcasts on CW of the Mariners were subpar last year-while MOJO's were stunningly gorgeous-even if the Mariners were losing. But hey I grew up near Anaheim California so you know where my allegiances are.

I called TiVo tech support tonight to complain that we weren't getting guide data for the 6 new HD channels. The tech suggested redoing a guided setup with setting the ZIP to 98177 and selecting just "Comcast" as the provider. Voila, now I have guide data for all 6 new channels.

It worked for me, as well (my actual ZIP is 98004). :)

Also, Swanni said NO HD of the Mariners on MOJO this year. So without FSNHD we are stuck. The broadcasts on CW of the Mariners were subpar last year-while MOJO's were stunningly gorgeous-even if the Mariners were losing. But hey I grew up near Anaheim California so you know where my allegiances are.
Can you provide a source for your Swanni quote? I checked Swanni's website (http://www.tvpredictions.com/) and can't find anything that suggests that Comcast plans to stop showing FSN-HD broadcasts in Mojo's slot.

I wonder if Comcast will ever notice that channels 32 and 174 are both designated as "ESPN2" and that 174 isn't included in listings of HD channels. I provided feedback to them about this when the new guide first appeared, but of course there's little chance anyone even read that.

In added these new HD channels, did Comcast increase the "compression" used on existing HD channels? I was watching "The Marine" on HBO HD (ch549) last night, and there was very obvious macro-blocking during the fast motion sequences! :(
I prefer quality over quantity...
In this case, it's HBO doing the compression. HD movies on HBO have have always been bandwidth-starved, typically no more than 10 or 12 Mbps (full broadcast HDTV is 19.2 Mbps). AFAIK, Comcast's policy is the same as it's always been - they just pass thru whatever bits they receive from the source network or local affiliate.

Ive always noticed minor pixelation during fast action on Comcast-never happens on bluray so I know its not my TV limitations, but rather comcast.

I spoke with a tech from Comcast and they do not extra compress when adding channels. He said for every analog they remove they get enough space for up to 6 HD channels. So they only add when they take away first. Or so he says.Comcast's bandwidth limit is generally 19.2 Mbps per channel, the same as broadcast HDTV. Like broadcast, Comcast also uses the older MPEG2 codec for compression. But in practice, few channels even reach Comcast's limit since they're compressed at the source (like HBO-HD, or in our local case KIRO-HD which siphons off some of its 19.2 Mbps bandwidth for its "Retro TV" sub-channel.)

Bluray & HDDVD movies should be *much* better than cable or broadcast. They can handle bandwidth beyond broadcast or cable (20-25 Mbps), plus they use newer codecs (H.264 or VC-1) which are almost twice as efficient as MPEG2.

So yes - I believe Comcast when they say they don't add any extra compression. But they're not in the same league as BD or HDDVD when in comes to HD pq, so you can't use that as a comparison.

Food Network HD is pretty clearly not a simulcast of the regular Food Network. Emeril Live and Rachael Ray do not appear anywhere on the HD channel, nor does Iron Chef America. Hopefully, future Rachael Ray stuff will be in HD and be on the channel. I don't know why Iron Chef America isn't on there - it is probably one of their more popular programs.

Neither Food HD nor HGTV HD is a simulcast of their respective SD channel, but all the programming on their HD channels is in HD.

Can you provide a source for your Swanni quote? I checked Swanni's website (http://www.tvpredictions.com/) and can't find anything that suggests that Comcast plans to stop showing FSN-HD broadcasts in Mojo's slot.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/mojo030408.htm

Although you may be correct in that it is MOJO itself that will not have baseball. But if MOJO is being preempted and FSNHD is merely using MOJO's channel space then this article in meaningless. Lets hope its the latter.

As of last night in downtown Seattle, not getting channels 663 or 667. Used to get 663, it disappeared a couple weeks ago. Looks like the others (668-676) are coming thru ok...

Still seeing problems in West Seattle. I called and talked to a CSR. <snip> He said to wait a couple days to see if they turn themselves back on.


Wow, customer service at its best. When I hear grinding metal in my car's transmission, I hope the mechanic doesn't say "just keep driving it for a couple days to see if it goes away".

I wonder if Comcast will ever notice that channels 32 and 174 are both designated as "ESPN2" and that 174 isn't included in listings of HD channels. I provided feedback to them about this when the new guide first appeared, but of course there's little chance anyone even read that.

Maybe that's why my DVR series recordings on channel 174 automatically switch over to channel 32 within 2 days.

I bet this has been addressed befoe...but I will ask anyway.
anyone have any idea why HBO On Demand no longer carries the HBO HD content?

Maybe that's why my DVR series recordings on channel 174 automatically switch over to channel 32 within 2 days.

Probably. The only reason I haven't noticed any problem must be because I don't have any series recordings on that channel.

I watch FoodTV occasionally (big Alton Brown fan) but wasn't that excited about it coming in HD. I was wrong, it made a big difference especially on the Tyler show, the colors of the food was amazing.

I'd like to see Speed and Outdoor Channel in HD ...

I'd like to see Speed and Outdoor Channel in HD ...

As would we all (well, Speed anyway :) )

I encourage all Comcast customers to post a request here:
http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Customers/Contactus/Feedback.html?lid=10CustomersWebSiteFeedback&pos=Nav

Standard answer when you call them: they don't give an idea of when they'll add it, but hundreds (thousands!! smile ) of feedback requests can only help push it up the priority queue!

Mention that DirecTV are carrying it already. In fact, see this thread over at Speed to see who all *are* carrying it already:
http://www.speedtv.com/forums/viewthread/193272/#3974983

Can you provide a source for your Swanni quote? I checked Swanni's website (http://www.tvpredictions.com/) and can't find anything that suggests that Comcast plans to stop showing FSN-HD broadcasts in Mojo's slot.

I just received a flyer in the mail from Comcast touting FSN HD Mariner games on 664. It didn't even mention Mojo -- it just referred to FSN HD on Channel 664.

I just received a flyer in the mail from Comcast touting FSN HD Mariner games on 664. It didn't even mention Mojo -- it just referred to FSN HD on Channel 664.I'm guessing that means it's going to continue on as preemptive programming over the top of MOJO programming just like it's been this past fall and winter. Doesn't bode well for those of us needing a dedicated channel, I'm afraid. :(

I watch FoodTV occasionally (big Alton Brown fan) but wasn't that excited about it coming in HD. I was wrong, it made a big difference especially on the Tyler show, the colors of the food was amazing.

I'd like to see Speed and Outdoor Channel in HD ...

I admit to being a bit blase about this set of channels before they came on the system, but now it feels like I've been reunited with some old friends I haven't seen in a long time.

Mythbusters is a program I've never seen because it was never on the HD Theater channel, but I think it will be a regular for me now on Discovery HD. Food Network HD looks like it will get a lot of time on my screen, as well. Even Animal Planet, a channel I've never watched, looks pretty good, as it is the only one that doesn't go to infomercials at midnight.

it is nice to have more HD channels. I am hoping CNN HD gets in on the next round of additions.
does anyone know why HDNet is not on with Comcast?

it is nice to have more HD channels. I am hoping CNN HD gets in on the next round of additions.
does anyone know why HDNet is not on with Comcast?

Something about Mark Cuban and Comcast not getting along? I am sure others have more specific info.

While I am happy to see more HD channels, I wonder about the people who program them. SciFi showed Stargate (the movie) as a postage stamp tonight. The HD channel was nothing more than an upconverted version of the film formatted to be shown letterboxed on a 4:3 screen. The end result was a huge black frame surrounding a picture that wouldn't even fill an old 27" CRT. The video quality was awful, too. What a waste.

While I am happy to see more HD channels, I wonder about the people who program them. SciFi showed Stargate (the movie) as a postage stamp tonight. The HD channel was nothing more than an upconverted version of the film formatted to be shown letterboxed on a 4:3 screen. The end result was a huge black frame surrounding a picture that wouldn't even fill an old 27" CRT. The video quality was awful, too. What a waste.

Lol, you're talking about a network that airs how many 'f grade' killer [bug, lizard, disaster] movies per week. They don't want to spend the money to air an HD version of Stargate. Sci-Fi is a network that doesn't do it right, it does it cheap.

Swanni quotes the Comcast spokesperson as us getting Disney and ABCFamily this week. Who thinks we will. I guess "this week" is from the 4th to the 11th?

Also, Swanni said NO HD of the Mariners on MOJO this year. So without FSNHD we are stuck. The broadcasts on CW of the Mariners were subpar last year-while MOJO's were stunningly gorgeous-even if the Mariners were losing. But hey I grew up near Anaheim California so you know where my allegiances are.

Not sure if the HD Mariners games will still be on Mojo, but we should still be able to watch the HD M's games. Not only that - they used to telecast only the home games in HD. Now it seems like over 150 games in the '08 season will be in HD.

Umm...wouldn't let me post URL's until I have 3 posts.

.......

http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080208&content_id=2368708&vkey=news_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea

While I am happy to see more HD channels, I wonder about the people who program them. SciFi showed Stargate (the movie) as a postage stamp tonight. The HD channel was nothing more than an upconverted version of the film formatted to be shown letterboxed on a 4:3 screen. The end result was a huge black frame surrounding a picture that wouldn't even fill an old 27" CRT. The video quality was awful, too. What a waste.

I give them credit for at least showing the movies letterboxed, but I agree it would be nice if they bothered to at least expand it to 16:9 480p.

Of course, I wonder how many of these channels even film in HD, much less broadcast it. Even current shows like THC's "The Universe" are just "stretched" SD broadcasts. At least "Dogfights" looks awesome. :cool:

Something about Mark Cuban and Comcast not getting along? I am sure others have more specific info.

It's exactly that reason. Cuban and Brian Roberts (CEO of Comcast) don't get along. Probably because Cuban wouldn't go to prom with Roberts.

I encourage all Comcast customers to post a request here:
http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Customers/Contactus/Feedback.html?lid=10CustomersWebSiteFeedback&pos=Nav


Your comments may fall on deaf ears:

"The comment form below is intended only for comments about our web site."

Your comments may fall on deaf ears:

"The comment form below is intended only for comments about our web site."

One of the category options is "Suggestions for channel additions" - hopefully someone will listen.

AFAIK, Comcast's policy is the same as it's always been - they just pass thru whatever bits they receive from the source network or local affiliate.

Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the policy anymore.

Had a visit from a service tech today (at Comcast's suggestion) to take a look at the tiling problems I've been seeing primarily on USA HD and SciFi HD. As I suspected, my signal is strong and doesn't appear to be the issue. The tech was previously unaware we were getting 3 HD channels to a single QAM here in Seattle now. But he was able to confirm that is in fact the case as of a few weeks ago in order to add the new HD.

We're getting the popular bundling of SciFi HD / USA HD / Discovery HD on 1 QAM. The results seem to be similar in other markets. The additional compression used to fit 3 channels on a single QAM work alright for some groupings of channels, but not this one. Most of the programming is relatively unaffected, but anything with fast motion seems to have issues with the extra compression used.

Unfortunately, nothing a service tech can do about this problem. So the only option is to keep complaining to Comcast about it. Seattle's not the only market affected, so hopefully enough people nationally will do the same until they figure out a way to give us these channels without the compression issues.

I do not watch USA HD (when they canceled "The 4400", I canceled watching them), but both SciFi HD ("Stargate Atlantis") and Discovery HD ("Smash Lab") looked fine this week on my Toshiba 35" CRT and they both had quick motion (especially "Smash Lab").

I've noticed a lot of pixellation on History-HD.

I've noticed a lot of pixellation on History-HD.

Oddly, I haven't. I watch "Shockwave", "Dogfights", and "The Universe" mostly.

Tivo guide data just showed up in 98133 (Shoreline)

TiVo data is up in 98103, as well.

Oddly, I haven't. I watch "Shockwave", "Dogfights", and "The Universe" mostly.

I was surprised to see "Dogfights" having a lot of trouble yesterday -- even freezing. It's mostly simulation and talking heads.

Tivo data for 98056 just showed up about 30 minutes ago.

I was surprised to see "Dogfights" having a lot of trouble yesterday -- even freezing. It's mostly simulation and talking heads.

I have yet to watch my recording of last night's show, so I will keep an eye out when I do.

I was surprised to see "Dogfights" having a lot of trouble yesterday -- even freezing. It's mostly simulation and talking heads.

It was having hiccups even on the SD channel.

whats up with the "this week" guarantee of Disney HD and ABCFamily HD by the Comcast Spokeslady. I doubt it will happen. Who thinks we will get it within a week-which would be this Tuesday.

Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the policy anymore.

Had a visit from a service tech today (at Comcast's suggestion) to take a look at the tiling problems I've been seeing primarily on USA HD and SciFi HD. As I suspected, my signal is strong and doesn't appear to be the issue. The tech was previously unaware we were getting 3 HD channels to a single QAM here in Seattle now. But he was able to confirm that is in fact the case as of a few weeks ago in order to add the new HD.

We're getting the popular bundling of SciFi HD / USA HD / Discovery HD on 1 QAM. The results seem to be similar in other markets. The additional compression used to fit 3 channels on a single QAM work alright for some groupings of channels, but not this one. Most of the programming is relatively unaffected, but anything with fast motion seems to have issues with the extra compression used.

Unfortunately, nothing a service tech can do about this problem. So the only option is to keep complaining to Comcast about it. Seattle's not the only market affected, so hopefully enough people nationally will do the same until they figure out a way to give us these channels without the compression issues.Yep, you're right - looks like this has recently changed, at least for those HD channels distributed from Comcast's central production facilities -- see this article (http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6510864.html). Those channels not centrally-distributed by Comcast - mainly locals - appear to be full-bandwidth still.

I was surprised to see "Dogfights" having a lot of trouble yesterday -- even freezing. It's mostly simulation and talking heads.

Just watched it and "Battle 360" and while the audio was fine, there was indeed a great deal of video freezing in both recordings.

And "Monster Quest" this morning is also suffering from the same issues.

At this rate, I might have to go back to History SD. :eek: :mad:

The problems reported here are quite disconcerting. However, in Lakewood I have not had ANY problems with the new channels. SCI, HistHD, DISCHD, etc all work great for me. Wonder why it's so bad up north?

The only problem I have is with 108 KCTS. I get periodic audio dropouts (no pop) on my DCH3216 but that's already been discussed.

The problems reported here are quite disconcerting. However, in Lakewood I have not had ANY problems with the new channels. SCI, HistHD, DISCHD, etc all work great for me. Wonder why it's so bad up north?

History was fine until they added SciFI and Discovery to the same QAM on the 3rd. SciFi and Discovery looked fine, while History is averaging 30-45 freezes per hour - even on still pictures with minimal movement.

I wonder if Comcast is "starving" History's bandwidth on the QAM to feed SciFi and Discovery a higher bitrate?

History was fine until they added SciFI and Discovery to the same QAM on the 3rd. SciFi and Discovery looked fine, while History is averaging 30-45 freezes per hour - even on still pictures with minimal movement.

I wonder if Comcast is "starving" History's bandwidth on the QAM to feed SciFi and Discovery a higher bitrate?

That would certainly appear to be the case.

Originally Posted by Nausicaa
History was fine until they added SciFI and Discovery to the same QAM on the 3rd. SciFi and Discovery looked fine, while History is averaging 30-45 freezes per hour - even on still pictures with minimal movement.

I wonder if Comcast is "starving" History's bandwidth on the QAM to feed SciFi and Discovery a higher bitrate?
That would certainly appear to be the case.The technology Comcast is using (link to article) (http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6510864.html) to squeeze 3 HDs into the space of 2 seems to be designed for one "fast action" channel, one "static talking head" channel, and one channel in-between. Depending on what shows are on - their current channel combinations don't seem to be working well.

Getting tiling/macroblocking on HistoryHD (during UFO Hunters) here in North Kitsap. Also getting "channel available shortly" on UHD and NGCHD (sometimes channel comes in quickly, other times -like last night- it never becomes available.).

I think Comcast in its attempt to live up to its marketing hype of "the most HD" is now giving us the "most crappy HD". :mad:

The technology Comcast is using (link to article) (http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6510864.html) to squeeze 3 HDs into the space of 2 seems to be designed for one "fast action" channel, one "static talking head" channel, and one channel in-between. Depending on what shows are on - their current channel combinations don't seem to be working well.

Interesting article. It also says the compression/multiplexing is being done prior to uplink, so even if the local comcast plant had available bandwidth to distribute the channels at the normal 2 per QAM channel, the damage has already been done.

Their method of picking 3 complementary bit rate channels is a nice idea in theory, but unrealistic in practice. There is no way to avoid the instances where all 3 channels demand high bitrates.

The quote at the end of the article that says "you can have your cake and eat it too" sums up nicely how out of touch they are. I suppose they expect the customer to just ignore the quality hits whenever the theoretical cake conflicts with the reality cake.

Perhaps we should pay comcast with theoretical money.

hi there -

i'm in the process of configuring a home video system using sagetv as my central server / repository. i just bought an hauppauge hvr-1600 card, which is able to capture clear qam in addition to analog tv. when i go through the configuration process in sagetv (namely, the channel scan), i get a bunch of digital channels that are received including the hd versions of each of the major network channels -- except kiro. sagetv is reporting signal strength for each of those other channels in the 85% range so it doesn't seem like signal strength is a problem. and i also tried removing all of the splitters i could to see if that made any difference, which it didn't.

does anyone know why there would be problems with kiro hd but not with any of the other local network channels?

thanks!
tu

...
does anyone know why there would be problems with kiro hd but not with any of the other local network channels?
...


It's at 110-2. What do you see there?

It's at 110-2. What do you see there?

awesome, thanks. when it auto-scanned, that particular channel/location was not detected. but i added it manually (at 110-2) and it shows up just fine. :) is there a list available of the clear qam channels available through comcast, along with their channel/location numbers? now i'm curious which other ones may not have been auto-detected but that are available if manually added.

thanks again,
tu

awesome, thanks. when it auto-scanned, that particular channel/location was not detected. but i added it manually (at 110-2) and it shows up just fine. :) is there a list available of the clear qam channels available through comcast, along with their channel/location numbers? now i'm curious which other ones may not have been auto-detected but that are available if manually added.

thanks again,
tu

Pastiche keeps us updated on the QAM status:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13296715#post13296715

I've noticed a lot of pixellation on History-HD.
I started watching a recording of "How the Earth Was Made" from Saturday night on History HD. Lots of pixelization!:mad:
Is this an example of what we have to look forward to?:confused:

I prefer Quality over Quantity!

Disney HD-maybe with ESPNews late this month.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/comcast031008.htm

Disney HD-maybe with ESPNews late this month.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/comcast031008.htm

I wouldn't mind waiting if these three get launched by end of next month.

I was home one day last week when a Comcast Rep came to the door saying he just wanted to stop by to tell me how much they appreciate my business and want to keep me as a customer in the future. Jokingly I said, Why is FiosTV service coming or something? and he said yes, and we'd like to keep you as a customer, etc. etc....

Not sure when FiosTV is coming, last year I heard this fall, but Comcast has sure been nice to me lately, they gave me some free pay per view movies, they called me back to make sure I was getting the new HD channels ok after they were not working in the morning of the 4th, also having a tech guy come out right away to check my connections, and offering a great deal on internet service after my Fios contract expires this summer.

Maybe this is the reason for the sudden increase in HD channels? Portland Oregon got Fios in December, so maybe it will be here soon.

btw, he said a new firmware update is coming in about a month

I went on Comcast.com today and wrote a lengthy email to them about all the recent problems with new HD channels. I suggest you all do the same. I'm tired of pixelations and dropouts - this was why I quit using an antenna! Also, anyone notice that NFL-HD has been dead for days? I've checked every few hours since Saturday noon and all I get is "...available shortly." what BS! $100 a month for crap!

I went on Comcast.com today and wrote a lengthy email to them about all the recent problems with new HD channels. I suggest you all do the same. I'm tired of pixelations and dropouts - this was why I quit using an antenna! Also, anyone notice that NFL-HD has been dead for days? I've checked every few hours since Saturday noon and all I get is "...available shortly." what BS! $100 a month for crap!

Glad I live in Lakewood. No problems here. NFLHD on 418 is fine. as is ESPNHD. So are all the rest of the HD channels. Not trying to rub it in. Just hoping this helps because not all areas are bad. I am in a digitial rebuild area. They upgraded everything about 4 years ago. Wonder if that has anything to it. Sorry for everyone else though. For me, Comcast is working great. Hope they work it out for y'all.

No, I do not work for Comcast. :)

I am in a digitial rebuild area. They upgraded everything about 4 years ago. Wonder if that has anything to it.

They upgraded my area (Bellevue - intersection of I-405 and SR-520) about the same time, yet History HD is now in flames since the 3rd.

I was home one day last week when a Comcast Rep came to the door saying he just wanted to stop by to tell me how much they appreciate my business and want to keep me as a customer in the future. Jokingly I said, Why is FiosTV service coming or something? and he said yes, and we'd like to keep you as a customer, etc. etc....

Not sure when FiosTV is coming, last year I heard this fall, but Comcast has sure been nice to me lately, they gave me some free pay per view movies, they called me back to make sure I was getting the new HD channels ok after they were not working in the morning of the 4th, also having a tech guy come out right away to check my connections, and offering a great deal on internet service after my Fios contract expires this summer.

Maybe this is the reason for the sudden increase in HD channels? Portland Oregon got Fios in December, so maybe it will be here soon.

btw, he said a new firmware update is coming in about a month


After reading in Comsumer Reports about FIOS being the top rated cable/satellite company and Comcast was #10 out of 12, I am now seriously looking into switching, when offered a choice. I also live in Woodinville and do not have FIOS service in my neighborhood. What I found out when talking to Verizon is that they expect to have cable service by the end of the year and are now providing Internet service in the Seattle area. They couldn't give me a date for installation in my neighborhood. I'm fed up with Comcast's rate structure, their one year offers, the software revisions that made things more difficult to control, their endless triple/double play advertisements, and their poor customer service. Now we see the problems with the new HD channels. I enjoy the HD broadcasts, but at what cost? There's got to be a better way. No one from Comcast has shown up at my door. Maybe because FIOS isn't in my neighborhood yet....

I was home one day last week when a Comcast Rep came to the door saying he just wanted to stop by to tell me how much they appreciate my business and want to keep me as a customer in the future. Jokingly I said, Why is FiosTV service coming or something? and he said yes, and we'd like to keep you as a customer, etc. etc....
btw, he said a new firmware update is coming in about a month


My condo community is getting Fios installed right now... can't wait to get on Fios internet and Tv service in future.

I'll wait for others to get FIOS in my neighborhood (TV and internet). Not that I am a big comcast fan, but for Internet they allow the ports I need to be open and for TV they have the locals in unencrypted QAM HD, which my MythTV dvr system relies on. I've heard FIOS in some places doesn't have any channels unencrypted over QAM, and I don't know about their ports and Internet service. So I will wait for someone I my area to confirm... (As these things for some reason are often region to region) before switching.

I also use the firewire port on my DVR box - would hope that FIOS in my neighborhood offered boxes with firewire enabled...

...I said Why, is FiosTV service coming or something? and he said yes, and we'd like to keep you as a customer, etc. etc...Hopefully, the added competition will lead to better pricing/quality, etc.
btw, he said a new firmware update is coming in about a month. They must be trained to say that, LOL.
I also use the firewire port on my DVR box - would hope that FIOS in my neighborhood offered boxes with firewire enabled...As do I, but since getting the TiVoHD's and putting 750GB drives in them combined with using TiVo Desktop, the firewire is hardly used anymore. Have you considered that alternative?

It's pretty cool that the only channels that Comcast gives us with CCI set to 0x02 (can't firewire NBC-HD, FOX-HD, PBS-HD, etc. to a PC) can be timeshifted and room-shared using TiVo's OTA-capable tuners (providing you can get them OTA).

...
As do I, but since getting the TiVoHD's and putting 750GB drives in them combined with using TiVo Desktop, the firewire is hardly used anymore. Have you considered that alternative?

It's pretty cool that the only channels that Comcast gives us with CCI set to 0x02 (can't firewire NBC-HD, FOX-HD, PBS-HD, etc. to a PC) can be timeshifted and room-shared using TiVo's OTA-capable tuners (providing you can get them OTA).
I don't want to actually buy new DVR hardware, as I already have my multi-room DVR solution setup (MythTV in 4 rooms and a laptop mostly on various PCs I put together with new and used parts). Replicating 4 frontends with TivoHD would be too pricey for me. When I built all this MRV and the other features I wanted weren't yet enabled, or I *might* have gone that route. But I love my Myth system for various other features...

I actually can firewire NBC-HD, and all the locals. They aren't set to 0x02 on my box. I used to be able to do every channel (including premium HDs - I miss being able to record HD movies off of HBO and Showtime to my Mythboxes) but now I don't get premium HDs anymore but I do get most other stations. for the HD locals I just use the QAM stations with Myth, which is 90% of my recording. I only use firewire for a few programs.

But true, if I had a TivoHD, I wouldn't use firewire at all...

tluxon,

Can you elaborate on the TivoToGo feature and what you are able to record and not record with the Broadcast flag getting in the way? It was my understanding, that All Premiums were flagged regardless of content and other tiers IE History-HD, Discovery HD, MOJO, were hit or miss as to whether or not the flag in implemented for that program...I am considering the TivoHD Box instead of my Comcast DVR, but if I can offload content to a PC, IPOD, or PSP, then I think it is a wash...Would that be accurate? If my memory serves me right, does the CCI 0x02 mean "Record Once" and that is the reason why the content can't be transferred to another device?

Thanks!

tluxon,

Can you elaborate on the TivoToGo feature and what you are able to record and not record with the Broadcast flag getting in the way? It was my understanding, that All Premiums were flagged regardless of content and other tiers IE History-HD, Discovery HD, MOJO, were hit or miss as to whether or not the flag in implemented for that program...I am considering the TivoHD Box instead of my Comcast DVR, but if I can offload content to a PC, IPOD, or PSP, then I think it is a wash...Would that be accurate? If my memory serves me right, does the CCI 0x02 mean "Record Once" and that is the reason why the content can't be transferred to another device?

Thanks!
I think he's referring to OTA recordings only. I have a TiVo HD and I can NOT transfer shows recorded from HBO.
MTV HD, PBS HD, UHD are OK.
BTW, MTV HD uses extreme bandwidth!

Still seeing problems in West Seattle. I called and talked to a CSR. He says that other people have been having problems with losing National Geographic and Universal HD in the last couple days. But I haven't seen any other mention of it here. He said to wait a couple days to see if they turn themselves back on.

In addition to National Geographic and Universal disappearing, I'm still not getting SciFi, Food, or Discovery. Anyone else in West Seattle having similar problems?

I'm in West Seattle getting SciFi, Food, and Discovery, but I am seeing problems now on other stations, like 111 and 113 with the dreaded "one moment please" and when they do show up pixelation galore. 660 too....

"Ancient Discoveries" on THC-HD seemed to be okay, so maybe Comcast is tweaking the settings to try and get them all happy.

I'm in West Seattle getting SciFi, Food, and Discovery, but I am seeing problems now on other stations, like 111 and 113 with the dreaded "one moment please" and when they do show up pixelation galore. 660 too....

Since the HD update I've had similar problems but on 110 and 418. I don't watch 110 much at all but 418 is NFL-HD and even outside the NFL season it has some classic games that are fun to watch. Seems like every time Comcast tries to "upgrade" they end up downgrading the rest of their system. I'm switching to DirecTV in a few months (cheaper + better = no brainer). I'm waiting to see if they will cut the price on the HD DVR's again. Right now I'm looking at $400+ to make the switch with about a 3-year payback, at which time I'm retiring and won't need 1 DVR. What do you do with their DVR if you don't need it?

I think he's referring to OTA recordings only. I have a TiVo HD and I can NOT transfer shows recorded from HBO.

Not even to a standalone DVD recorder?

Not even to a standalone DVD recorder?
He was talking about transferring via TiVo Desktop (digitally). I keep my Sony RDR-GX300 connected to the S-Video output (and analog left/right audio) of my TiVo HD expressly for transferring programs recorded from HBO.:)

I don't know if I had anything to do with this or not, but when that Comcast Rep came by to talk the other day, I complained about a number of things like macroblocking, recording problems etc. etc. I also mentioned that ESPN2-HD doesn't show up in the HD channel guide. When I mentioned that he wrote it down on a piece of paper... and finally, I noticed last night that ESPN2-HD now shows up in the HD menu selection.

tluxon,

Can you elaborate on the TivoToGo feature and what you are able to record and not record with the Broadcast flag getting in the way? It was my understanding, that All Premiums were flagged regardless of content and other tiers IE History-HD, Discovery HD, MOJO, were hit or miss as to whether or not the flag in implemented for that program...I am considering the TivoHD Box instead of my Comcast DVR, but if I can offload content to a PC, IPOD, or PSP, then I think it is a wash...Would that be accurate? If my memory serves me right, does the CCI 0x02 mean "Record Once" and that is the reason why the content can't be transferred to another device?

Thanks!Yes, a CCI of 0x02 means that the content can only be copied bit-for-bit to a DTCP device such as DVHS VCRs. OTA broadcast locals are not supposed to be restricted in this manner, but Comcast does not comply with that standard. Many of the locals are given to us by Comcast with the CCI flag set to 0x02. Recording OTA (like with the TiVoHD) bypasses that inconvenience altogether because no locals are broadcast with the restriction. As far as non-locals such as ESPN-HD, TNT-HD, MHD, MOJO-HD, etc., I've yet to run into any of the non-premiums ("premium" meaning HBO, Cinemax, Showtime) with CCI restrictions.

I think he's referring to OTA recordings only. I have a TiVo HD and I can NOT transfer shows recorded from HBO.
MTV HD, PBS HD, UHD are OK.
BTW, MTV HD uses extreme bandwidth!The premiums (ie, HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, Cinemax-HD) are the only ones that I can't archive or share with another device bit-for-bit. The other non-local HiDefs have always been CCI=0x00 since Comcast first rolled out the DCT-6412. That doesn't mean people have never had a problem capturing from them.

I don't know if I had anything to do with this or not, but when that Comcast Rep came by to talk the other day, I complained about a number of things like macroblocking, recording problems etc. etc. I also mentioned that ESPN2-HD doesn't show up in the HD channel guide. When I mentioned that he wrote it down on a piece of paper... and finally, I noticed last night that ESPN2-HD now shows up in the HD menu selection.

What!?!?! They know how to write? Next you'll be telling me they can drive! :D

You get the daily gold star for the guide fix.

Yes, a CCI of 0x02 means that the content can only be copied bit-for-bit to a DTCP device such as DVHS VCRs.

This copy stuff has always been confusing to me. Seems to be no problem copying to a standalone DVD recorder, even on premium channels that specifically say copying is blocked.

What!?!?! They know how to write? Next you'll be telling me they can drive! :D


Come to think of it, I didn't see a car anywhere, so maybe you have that right about the driving part. He seemed to be walking door to door to every house in my neighborhood with a Verizon Fiber optics utility box attached to the side;)

This copy stuff has always been confusing to me. Seems to be no problem copying to a standalone DVD recorder, even on premium channels that specifically say copying is blocked.

What method are you using to copy from your set top box to your dvd recorder? The content protection doesn't apply to analog transfer. DTCP applies to firewire transfer. You can always copy VCR style to DVD recorders, VCRs, and digital capture cards, but that downconverts all HD stations to standard definition.

The content protection doesn't apply to analog transfer.

Thanks, that explains it. This exception is never mentioned in the Tivo warnings.

Well I am pleased to note that all of my recent History Channel HD content has looked good and played well, so hopefully Comcast has corrected whatever was causing the problems last week. :cool:

I also see SPEED seems to be broadcasting the HD feed of "Inside Grand Prix" in SD as I can see faint "SPEED" logos on each side (as you see on ESPN-HD when they broadcast non-16:9 content), it is "letterboxed" all the way around (my TivoHD is set to show all content at the proper aspect ratio so it shows 4:3 with the side bars), and the actual content is squeezed. Fortunately, the actual Formula One race broadcast was fine.

I wish the F-1 race had been letterboxed on Speed, so that I could've expanded it to full screen 16x9. Any word from DirecTV viewers as to how the HD coverage was handled?

It looks like KIRO went HD for news. All new graphics, including weather. Field material appears to be 16:9 SD. There's HD branding in the opens and on the KIRO 7 bug. But, they haven't said anything about the switch on the air and there's nothing posted on their website either.

It looks like KIRO went HD for news. All new graphics, including weather. Field material appears to be 16:9 SD. There's HD branding in the opens and on the KIRO 7 bug. But, they haven't said anything about the switch on the air and there's nothing posted on their website either.


probably too embarassed it took them so long for a major Seattle player to be so late in coming to the present.

probably too embarassed it took them so long for a major Seattle player to be so late in coming to the present.Perhaps. But, they are actually just the second of four local stations doing news in HD. KING switched last year. KOMO is still only 16:9 SD, despite the popular opinion they are doing HD. And KCPQ is still upconverting its 4:3 analog output.

It looks like KIRO went HD for news. All new graphics, including weather. Field material appears to be 16:9 SD. There's HD branding in the opens and on the KIRO 7 bug. But, they haven't said anything about the switch on the air and there's nothing posted on their website either.The set makeover for HD was mentioned on the 11 o'clock news last night.

FYI - if you are having trouble with only a few Comcast channels on a regular basis like I was with 110 and 418, you might consider rewiring your main feed coming into your house. This is what I did over the weekend and now 110 and 418 come in fine. What got me started was checking the signal-to-noise ratio in the status menu (power off and hit OK/Select). You should tune both tuners to your "problem stations" before doing this since the status page won't let you change channels. My SNR was so bad on 110 and 418 the tuners could not even lock on a signal for more than a few seconds. I remembered that corrosion on high-frequency cable connections can cause starnge effects like blockage of certain frequencies. So I replaced the main feed cable just outside my cable outlet with a short piece of RG6 quad-shielded cable. Now my signals are all in the "good" range and no more dropouts.

My Comcast cable box forces SD programs to go widescreen on my plasma. any idea on how to disable that? sometimes I do not want the picture to fill the whole screen. It makes everyone look so fat.

My Comcast cable box forces SD programs to go widescreen on my plasma. any idea on how to disable that? sometimes I do not want the picture to fill the whole screen. It makes everyone look so fat.

Are you sure that is a function of your cable box? For me I can change this on my TV for output that is trully 4x3 (i.e. not stuff transmitted with black bars as part of the 16:9 picture - which really annoys me.) You should be able to select a non stretch viewing mode for SD content.

i have tried and tried to undo the stretch on my TV. does not work. The Comast box is automatically filling up the screen when i go to SD channels.

I have a HD-DVR from Comcast that does this. The HD non-DVR in the other room does not do this. It is actually the opposite. It does not allow SD channels to fill the screen even when i want it to. And I have gone through all the settings on my TV for it.
That cable box allows you to change the format from 720p, to 480p or 1080.
weird

This is set top controlled- not cable box. Look for ASPECT or ASPECT RATIO on your remote control

trust me...i have done that. The cable box widens 4:3 content when the TV is set to 4:3 or 16:9.

I assume you've done this, but you can go to the serivie menu by first turning off power with the power button then briefly pushing the menu button. The settings you want are:

TV Type 16:9
HDMI/YPbPr Output 1080I
4:3 Override OFF

I am ssuming your using HDMI, else the above will be slightly different.

Options for 4:3 override are 480I, 480P, STRETCH, and OFF. OFF produces the best SD picture and is IMO how every box should be set for HD Televisions.

I assume you've done this, but you can go to the serivie menu by first turning off power with the power button then briefly pushing the menu button. The settings you want are:

TV Type 16:9
HDMI/YPbPr Output 1080I
4:3 Override OFF

I am ssuming your using HDMI, else the above will be slightly different.

Options for 4:3 override are 480I, 480P, STRETCH, and OFF. OFF produces the best SD picture and is IMO how every box should be set for HD Televisions.

Yes, I had forgotten I had done this to my boxes a while back. This must explain why my box doesn't automatically stretch 4:3 content. I remember playing with these settings a bit to get the best picture for my set and the content I normally watch.

Has anyone heard if Comcast will be simulcasting the KIRO 7.2 signal in HD, or SD for that matter? I live in the shadow of Queen Anne and I cannot get an OTA signal to save my life. Please Comcast send us that glorious second channel of basketball goodness.

Has anyone heard if Comcast will be simulcasting the KIRO 7.2 signal in HD, or SD for that matter? I live in the shadow of Queen Anne and I cannot get an OTA signal to save my life. Please Comcast send us that glorious second channel of basketball goodness.
Comcast already carries KIRO-DT2 on channel 117. It's an SD channel.

Comcast already carries KIRO-DT2 on channel 117. It's an SD channel.
Thanks, never saw that before

Thanks, never saw that before

Just recently added, I believe.

Is anybody else having problems with KOMOHD (104)? It is breaking up so bad it is unwatchable. Comcast support pretty much blamed this on the source saying they have had many issues with this channel. I'm in North Seattle (Fremont).

KOMO has been bad for me in the past, I haven't watched much TV lately though. Hopefully Lost will be watchable tonight...

Side note: is anyone else having audio dropout during madness on CBS?

I assume you've done this, but you can go to the serivie menu by first turning off power with the power button then briefly pushing the menu button. The settings you want are:

TV Type 16:9
HDMI/YPbPr Output 1080I
4:3 Override OFF

I am ssuming your using HDMI, else the above will be slightly different.

Options for 4:3 override are 480I, 480P, STRETCH, and OFF. OFF produces the best SD picture and is IMO how every box should be set for HD Televisions.

perfect! that was the trick. Thanks for the help.

This is a really interesting post about Comcast compressing HD channels to fit more at the sacrifice of quality:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1008271

Since the last round of channel additions I've definitely noticed a drop in the HD picture quality. I know CBS HD is generally pretty weak, but the basketball on this weekend looked pretty poor. Shows on Mojo and TLC and Food also seem to have a lot more noise in them.

Anyone else seeing this? Any hope that Comcast will address the issue by lopping off any of the dozens of useless analog stations? I enjoy getting more HD networks, but I'm not sure where the line is in the tradeoff of quality vs. quantity.

This is a really interesting post about Comcast compressing HD channels to fit more at the sacrifice of quality:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1008271

Since the last round of channel additions I've definitely noticed a drop in the HD picture quality. I know CBS HD is generally pretty weak, but the basketball on this weekend looked pretty poor. Shows on Mojo and TLC and Food also seem to have a lot more noise in them.

Anyone else seeing this? Any hope that Comcast will address the issue by lopping off any of the dozens of useless analog stations? I enjoy getting more HD networks, but I'm not sure where the line is in the tradeoff of quality vs. quantity.From all the recent articles it doesn't appear that Comcast is compressing local HD channels - just those national channels that originate from their central distribution facility. KIRO-HD's well-known macroblocking issues with sports is largely due to KIRO's re-compressing the CBS feed to make room for their KIRO DT2 sub-channel.

Is anybody else having problems with KOMOHD (104)? It is breaking up so bad it is unwatchable. Comcast support pretty much blamed this on the source saying they have had many issues with this channel. I'm in North Seattle (Fremont).

I have had problems with ABC HD for as long as Ive had my TV. CBS and NBC are usually OK, but ABC and FOX give me a lot of pixel blocks and skipped audio. Drives me crazy. Also in Fremont.

perfect! that was the trick. Thanks for the help. :) Glad I could be of help.

I noticed that my DCT3412 got a software update, which totally F's the screen up. There's now a green strip on the right side, and a strip of shifted pixels on the left. When I put my kuro into 'full' mode it gets hidden by the overscan, thankfully. Anyone else notice this? I'm in Belltown (I've heard of other's having the same problem and they live north of me).

I'm having some signal issues with Comcast since the latest round of HD additions earlier this month. Food HD & NGCHD don't come in for me 75% of the time (Tivo say searching for cable signal) and they often cut out frequently when they are tuned in.

I tried a GE signal amplifier from Home Depot and that just made the signal worse (all noisy and grainy on my analog set and didn't come in at all on my Tivo S3.)

My house is newly wired with RG6 cable and the cable drop from the curb is less than 3 years old. I have my cable split 4 ways - 3 TVs and 1 line to Internet/VOIP phone modem and my house is rather small with a 1300 sq ft. footprint on a main level and basement (2600 sq. ft. total).

Almost all channels come in at over 90 signal strength but a few like Food HD, NGC HD TLC HD and MSNBC all have signal strength of 50-60. Any ideas as to what's wrong here and how I can address this issue?

Thanks in advance.

Dave

I'm having some signal issues with Comcast since the latest round of HD additions earlier this month. Food HD & NGCHD don't come in for me 75% of the time (Tivo say searching for cable signal) and they often cut out frequently when they are tuned in.

I tried a GE signal amplifier from Home Depot and that just made the signal worse (all noisy and grainy on my analog set and didn't come in at all on my Tivo S3.)

My house is newly wired with RG6 cable and the cable drop from the curb is less than 3 years old. I have my cable split 4 ways - 3 TVs and 1 line to Internet/VOIP phone modem and my house is rather small with a 1300 sq ft. footprint on a main level and basement (2600 sq. ft. total).

Almost all channels come in at over 90 signal strength but a few like Food HD, NGC HD TLC HD and MSNBC all have signal strength of 50-60. Any ideas as to what's wrong here and how I can address this issue?

Thanks in advance.

Dave

Make sure all of your splitters are 1200MHz (I think its that) or above. I can say for a fact that 900mhz splitters will not cut it. That said, even though everyone seems to like to bash Comcast, I have found them to be quite helpful and they have helped me rewire some stuff when I had poor signal strength even when it was in my home. They replaced splitters and put on new connectors and now all channels come in great, including the new HD channels.

Make sure all of your splitters are 1200MHz (I think its that) or above. I can say for a fact that 900mhz splitters will not cut it. That said, even though everyone seems to like to bash Comcast, I have found them to be quite helpful and they have helped me rewire some stuff when I had poor signal strength even when it was in my home. They replaced splitters and put on new connectors and now all channels come in great, including the new HD channels.

My one splitter is rated up to 2.3 GHz. Moreover, I'm 90% confident that it's not an issue inside my house. Why would almost all of my channels have 90+ signal strength and a handful of them poor if the overall signal/wiring is degradated, right?

My one splitter is rated up to 2.3 GHz. Moreover, I'm 90% confident that it's not an issue inside my house. Why would almost all of my channels have 90+ signal strength and a handful of them poor if the overall signal/wiring is degradated, right?

Maybe you got a bad connector that is letting in some ingress signal that may be causing enough interference on those channels to mess them up. It would be a pain, but you could drag a receiver and small tv (if you got one) down to the cable entry point on your house and hook up directly to the drop from the street to see if the problem goes away. If yes, problem is in your house wiring. If problem remains, the trouble is on the Comcast side. That would be the first thing a tech is going to do if they roll out to your house (except they'll use a signal meter instead of receiver and tv of course).

I'm having some signal issues with Comcast since the latest round of HD additions earlier this month. Food HD & NGCHD don't come in for me 75% of the time (Tivo say searching for cable signal) and they often cut out frequently when they are tuned in.

I tried a GE signal amplifier from Home Depot and that just made the signal worse (all noisy and grainy on my analog set and didn't come in at all on my Tivo S3.)

My house is newly wired with RG6 cable and the cable drop from the curb is less than 3 years old. I have my cable split 4 ways - 3 TVs and 1 line to Internet/VOIP phone modem and my house is rather small with a 1300 sq ft. footprint on a main level and basement (2600 sq. ft. total).

Almost all channels come in at over 90 signal strength but a few like Food HD, NGC HD TLC HD and MSNBC all have signal strength of 50-60. Any ideas as to what's wrong here and how I can address this issue?

Thanks in advance.

Dave

You may want to either take the amp out all together, or depending on how many ways you're splitting the signal, replace the amp with a broadband amp. Unfortunately the GE amp you're using is only flat maybe to 450Mhz. You need a amp flat out to 2Ghz. The good amps are pricey, but with the digital QAM channels, the equalization needs to be VERY flat at frequencies above 500 Mhz. Channel Master makes a pretty good amp used for apartment building distribution. Place the amp before all splitters, as close to where the cable comes from the street as possible. Do not amplify after splitters.

Another problem I've seem with using amps, is the quality of coax used. If the coax is poorly shielded, the amp will do nothing more than amplify the noise leaking through the shield. Remember, not all RG6 is created equal. Stay away from Radio Shack coax cable. Belden or West Penn is your best bet.

Oh and one last suggestion, make sure any unused splitter spigot is terminated with a 75 ohm termination connector. Having unterminated splitter ports can alter the impedance and loss of the splitter.

Good luck!

My one splitter is rated up to 2.3 GHz. Moreover, I'm 90% confident that it's not an issue inside my house. Why would almost all of my channels have 90+ signal strength and a handful of them poor if the overall signal/wiring is degradated, right?

I know, doesn't make sense but the posts above are spot on. Some really good suggestions. In my case, I too got good signal strength on most channels but a few were awful. Comcast came in and rewired some stuff for me, removed a spiltter, all inside my house, and the signal strength went up on the few that were creating problems. Problem was solved.

BTW: An analog example. I used to have analog running to a TV in my kitchen. All channels came in great except channel 13. All other sets on analog were fine with 13. Go figure. :confused:

I'll vouch for Comcast coming into the home and troubleshooting this type of problem.

I did not believe a Comcast technician when he arrived at a relative's condo and suggested the reason she was not receiving higher frequency QAM channels was likely a bad or very old splitter.

He actually found two splitters, both behind room outlets (inside the wall), one tapping the living room off of the single feed and the second further downstream feeding the two bedrooms. He replaced both splitters and replaced a couple of cheap "wall to TV" coax cables and all has been perfect since.

He did mention that the signal levels to her unit (on his tunable meter) were a bit low, but still within working range after the last splitter.

He was the best qualified Comcast tech I had ever seen and he had the right test equipment to confirm and isolate the problem.

I had thought the 30-year-old RG-59 wiring would be suspect, but he said that undisturbed RG-59, placed correctly (no kinks, etc.) works fine most of the time. He said most problems occur with poor terminations/connectors and inadequate (some old, some new) splitters.

The last couple times I've had a Comcast service tech out, they've given me business cards with their cell numbers for direct contact in case the problem wasn't solved. Both times, the problem wasn't solved. Both times, I called the cell number and left a message. You know where this is going...

Great news...

On Tuesday, April 9th and Wednesday, April 23rd, Comcast will make several channel changes across the Washington market. These changes include adding 5 new channels, Disney Channel HD, ABC Family HD and Science Channel HD, mun2 and Telemundo!

Great news...

On Tuesday, April 9th and Wednesday, April 23rd, Comcast will make several channel changes across the Washington market. These changes include adding 5 new channels, Disney Channel HD, ABC Family HD and Science Channel HD, mun2 and Telemundo!

April 9 is Wednesday. What is a "mun2"? I assume the last two aren't HD. What is the split between April 9 and April 23?

Great news...

On Tuesday, April 9th and Wednesday, April 23rd, Comcast will make several channel changes across the Washington market. These changes include adding 5 new channels, Disney Channel HD, ABC Family HD and Science Channel HD, mun2 and Telemundo!

Great news...I would rather have ESPNews HD instead but i won't complain as more hd is always good.

Great news...I would rather have ESPNews HD instead but i won't complain as more hd is always good.

Speed-HD.

April 9 is Wednesday. What is a "mun2"? I assume the last two aren't HD. What is the split between April 9 and April 23?

mun2 is Telemundo's second network. AFAIK, the only HD that Telemundo does is on the local affiliate of their main network in Los Angeles.

Is Verizon FIOS being offered in the Seattle area? Which neighbourhoods? Any news on their expansion plans in south King County to give Comcast some competition?

Is Verizon FIOS being offered in the Seattle area? Which neighbourhoods? Any news on their expansion plans in south King County to give Comcast some competition?

Only in some area's where Verizon has telephone service. South King County and Seattle are served by Qwest. The Eastside from 520 and north I believe is Verizon territory. Correct me if I am wrong.

Great news...

On Tuesday, April 9th and Wednesday, April 23rd, Comcast will make several channel changes across the Washington market. These changes include adding 5 new channels, Disney Channel HD, ABC Family HD and Science Channel HD, mun2 and Telemundo!

That mean more stretchy squeezy channel compression?