Thanks for the answer guys. I will stay with Comcast. Does anyone know if you can negotiate with them on pricing? I have the basic digital at $50 per month, and I don’t watch a lot of TV.

Rose Bowl not in hd! The digital picture looks mediocere. The sd channel lookd just Bad.

I think KING has been having alot of issues on there end, I know Comcast had planned on launching them earlier than they did and in fact had the signal out there for quite some time unmapped due to the fact that KING was having so many dificulty's maintaining a watchable signal transmitting over the fiber link.

BTW checked all the guides there was no HD football at all for today 1/1/04 crazy!

Originally posted by tluxon
I am extremely disappointed! For some reason the Tournament of Roses Parade is in HD on Comcast's carriage of KTWB, but I can't get it off the air. The OTA signal is blacked out with a statement that says,

Anybody know what the deal is?
Tim
I got it fine OTA HD from 22-1. I believe the deal is that they have to take down the second subchannel in order to broadcast in HD. So you have to get it from their original tower, not the repeater on 13-2. I bet they will be back to normal duplication of signals by Friday or Saturday.

I agree with Tivolicious on all counts.

The defining feature for me, as well as my parents, brother and sister, has been the season pass. Keyword search for a show, tell the PVR to record it (first-run only? all episodes?), and tell it how many to keep (5? All, until space needed?).

Tivo and ReplayTV have had this kind of functionality for at least four years. In addition, I'm quite sure that many of the PC PVR software packages have similar functionality.

Is there a patent issue? I can't think of another reason (that doesn't mean much, though...) that we are stuck with such a basic UI for the 6208, which along with its 5200 ancestor, has been in development for years.

On the point of conflict resolution, I've had both a single-tuner, stand-alone Tivo and (now) a pair of dual-tuner DirecTivos. Yes, conflict resolution is not as critical on a dual-tuner unit. Guess what, the 6208 isn't a dual-tuner device. Yes, the 6408 is coming out, sometime in the future, but waiting for it to become available seems like a piss-poor alternative to a simple conflict resolution feature.

Both of these issues bring us back around to traditional cable people "not getting it."

--Mike

Originally posted by jimre
I think you're simply asking for the box to offer an anamorphic output mode. A reasonable and common feature request. But as far as I can tell, one that's not on Comcast/Moto's radar screen.

Motorola and General Instrument before them were never a fast acting company. Nobody's breathing down their neck about to steal their lunch. Comcast has been a far better cable company than AT&T and Viacom before them but they are hamstrung by the snails pace at which Motorola deploys products. Plus Motorola seems to enjoy inflicting the "osbourne syndrome" on themselves by hyping products years before they are ever deployed, like the DCT5K /w PVR ability they were pimping years ago. It never showed. Then it morphed into the DCT6K. Which is now out but lacks PVR. Then the 6K with PVR was anounced as a dual tuner, but now it's a single tuner with the dual tuner comming later, if ever.

I saw a demo of the MSFT powered DCT2k over two years ago. It made that box do things the hacks at Gemstar probably didn't even know was possible. I am truely shocked that we are still stuck with the Gemstar/TVGuide software today when The Evil Empire has an awesome platform solution.

And I concur with the previous poster who compared these current DCT against first gen DirecTV boxes. I'd say that while the DCT5K is faster than my ancient RCA D* box, it's not better.

Advice to Motorola: Quit working with Gemstar. They suck. Take your hardware and SDK and give it to TiVO and Replay and say "make your dope-ass software run on this box." And then give me the option of selecting which one I want to rent.

Originally posted by Llamas
I agree with Tivolicious on all counts.

The defining feature for me, as well as my parents, brother and sister, has been the season pass. ..

Tivo and ReplayTV have had this kind of functionality for at least four years. In addition, I'm quite sure that many of the PC PVR software packages have similar functionality.

Both of these issues bring us back around to traditional cable people "not getting it."

--Mike

I agree. I use a ReplayTV AND a WindowsXP Media Center machine. The MCE box is ALMOST caught up with the Replay. Not quite but CLOSE and the video quality via DVI to my projector is excellent. And it does first run -vs- repeat recording as well as a rich conflict resolution and space managemnet features.

It may be a while but I suspect Replay, Tivo and even MSFT will do opencable solutions. When that day comes I think Motorola will find them selves blown out of the cable box market. Some folks who don't know better or can't afford better may stick with their stuff, but the rest of us will be running a 3rd party box from some vendor that "gets it."

Originally posted by tluxon
miatasm,
In reference to http://www.cjhengineering.com/DCTsetup.htm: This is a very informative page but misses the comparison between the 480i output to the 1080i output.

What we need a SD DVR to be able to do is "see" the full widescreen picture as depicted on a 16:9 HDTV. All that would be required is for the downconversion to be done as if it were going to display 480i (NOT to be confused with 4:3) on a widescreen SD television, exactly like a DVD would do. I'll do a screen capture of the difference between what my Hughes HIRD-E86 does and what the DCT-5100 does on their respective 480i outputs.

Tim
Okay, here's a picture that illustrates how the HIRD-E86 converts HD to 480i vs. how the DCT-5100 does it. I grabbed a frame of the US Open Final that came from the HIRD-E86 and placed it on the right and I grabbed a frame from this morning's Rose Parade that came from the DCT-5100 on the right. Both of them are from the s-video 480i output of those respective boxes as they were recorded on the ReplayTV and I've scaled the image down to fit within the 640x640 pixel limitation of the forum's "attach file" feature.

I've had similar results when recording on a VCR - with less quality of course - so I assume that ANY DVR/VCR/? that records this input is going to store a LOT better information from the picture on the left. This is why I'm begging for a better output from the Comcast box or I don't know if I'll EVER be able to give up my OTA box. As a matter of fact, for time-shifting purposes, I'm getting BETTER results with the non-HD broadcasts than I am with the very poor downconversion of HD broadcasts (i.e. Ch 4 vs. Ch 104) from the 5100.

Tim

[edit]I think I'll just add the pictures here to show them better. The first one is from the HIRD-E86 and the second one is from the DCT-5100. Sorry if they're a little large, but I wanted to show them actual size as they came off the Replay.
http://mysite.verizon.net/tb.luxon/pics/Tennis_HIRD-E86_480i.jpg
http://mysite.verizon.net/tb.luxon/pics/Parade_DCT5100_480i.jpg

BTW, does anybody know if there's anyone at Motorola we can contact to raise this "letterboxing" issue? It sure doesn't seem that it would be that big a problem to have the option of downconverting or setting the s-video to a 16:9 format.

Thanks,

Tim

Is anybody suffering from pixelation on HD broadcasts? It occurs on all HD channels even if the broadcast is in SD. Is it Comcast or is it my connection?

Is anybody suffering from pixelation on HD broadcasts? It occurs on all HD channels even if the broadcast is in SD. Is it Comcast or is it my connection?

Is anybody suffering from pixelation on HD broadcasts? It occurs on all HD channels even if the broadcast is in SD. Is it Comcast or is it my connection?

Not me. Not me. :D

Seriously, you may have a bad connection. How often does it occur? I sometimes see pixelation, but it is rare, very rare.

BTW: I have a home run back to the distribution box without any splitters. Coax only.

So it looks like the E86 is doing a 1080i -> 480i anamorphic conversion? That is quite cool.

So, what we should be able to do is tell the DCT we have a 16:9 display and any time it encouters 1080i, 720p or 480p wide material have it do and anamorphic squeeze on it for the 480i output.

However, this would require a scaler of some sort and who knows if the chipset in the DCT can spew both HD on the HD output and do the squeeze/downcovert on the SD outputs.

Regardless, that would be VERY welcome. My Replay5K does a decent job recording given a clean signal. Being able to timeshift HD stuff as 16:9 anamorphic video would be the optimal use of the device until we get a robust HD/Sd pvr solution sometime down the road.

I've had Directv HD for a couple of years. I was pretty happy with it, but got tired of never having any hope of getting HD network TV so I made the switch to cable. On Directv I had three HD channels: HDNet, HDNet Movies, and Discovery HD. I don't count ESPN because I never saw any HD on it!

I thought I would be awash in HD, but I'm underwhelmed by Comcast:

1. The three channels I had on Directiv were good, but none of them are on Comcast.

2. There is no CBS HD and it has a lot of good programming. Why can't Comcast just buy a freakin' OTA STB and rebroadcast channel 7!?

3. The networks only have a handful of shows on at night that are in true HD. You'll be watching a lot of stuff that is 4:3 SD windowboxed. I have to admit that the SD shows look damn good when transmitted on the HD channels, though.

4. The Comcast analog channels (100 and under) look awful. They look like poor reception OTA and have some interference. I always had perfect PQ, except for the occasional storm, with the non HD stuff on Directv.

5. My daughter's favorite channel, PBS Kids (110) inexplicibly turns to a black screen for hours at a time when the TV Guide says it should be showing content.

6. I pay about the same I paid for Directv but I DON'T get Tech TV. I guess I have to pay more to get this "premium" channel...

7. I ordered three HD cable boxes for my three HD TVs. The guy showed up with one HD STB and the rest SD. I called and complained and they said that because of high demand they only allow one per household.

8. Like other people have reported, I'm having horrible breakups with King 5. It's pretty much unwatchable.

9. Oh, and ya, just like everybody said, the user interface for Directv is much, much better the the TV Guide crap.

Anyway, it's not my intention to pick on Comcast. I know that HD cable in Seattle is fairly new and they are doing the best they can. My point is, they have a lot of bugs to iron out so don't be in a hurry to get Comcast for just for the HD. Once they get CBS HD and Discovery HD online; and rollout that PVR, I'll be a happy camper.

I would imagine that once Directv figures out how they can broadcast the networks in HD, they will take a lot of customers from Comcast.

I have DirecTV and have Comcast coming on Monday to give cable a try for the first time in several years. One of the things I was hoping for is that the analog channels would actually be better than the overcompressed DirecTV channels which can look pretty nasty sometimes. I guess that will depend a lot on my location. I'll report back after Monday when I can take screenshots of both and see how they compare.

I'm also looking forward to the much larger selection of HD content, and even the SD content on the HD channels should look much better than the overcompressed stuff on DirecTV.

The UI on my DirecTivo box is definitely a lot better than what I've seen of the Motorola boxes, but cable does lend itself better to using PVR software on my HTPC since it's easier to tune the cable directly on the PC than try to remotely-control a DirecTV receiver. I also think that Comcast will be able to improve the UI situation sooner than DirecTV will be able to solve their bandwidth issues. Long-term, cable should have the advantage.

--
Steve

I may use cable to get just the HD channels - Comcast seems to have a $6/mo. deal for that, which seems pretty reasonable.

Today is "go dig in the crawlspace and find that old cable line" day ;)

Conor

Originally posted by chris5977
2. There is no CBS HD and it has a lot of good programming. Why can't Comcast just buy a freakin' OTA STB and rebroadcast channel 7!?Um... because it's not theirs, and they'd be thrown in jail for stealing it? Comcast is happily showing local CBS-HD affiliates in many markets - so I place the blame for this one squarely on KIRO and their owner Cox Communications for dragging out the negotiations witn Comcast.
4. The Comcast analog channels (100 and under) look awful. They look like poor reception OTA and have some interference. I always had perfect PQ, except for the occasional storm, with the non HD stuff on Directv.Well, that's digital for you. It's either perfect, or non-existent. Maybe you need to check your analog signal levels. My analog PQ on Comcast isn't as good as digital - but it's not bad. I had to add a couple signal amps to my distribution system to improve my analog PQ.
5. My daughter's favorite channel, PBS Kids (110) inexplicibly turns to a black screen for hours at a time when the TV Guide says it should be showing content.Well, ch. 110 isn't really PBSKids channel. It's a part-time channel aired by the local PBS affiliate - "KCTS for Kids". They only broadcast 7a - 5p. After 5p they use the bandwidth to air their HD channel (108 on Comcast). I don't know why their guide data is so far off, but the Comcast guide is mostly useless anyway. The actual schedule for this channel can be found here (http://www.kcts.org/tvschedule/kids.asp). 7. I ordered three HD cable boxes for my three HD TVs. The guy showed up with one HD STB and the rest SD. I called and complained and they said that because of high demand they only allow one per household.That's just BS. I ordered two HD boxes and they happily installed both of them, no questions asked.

i hate saying it but "me too",

i also join Comcast in the past two weeks, mostly on the promise of the HD channels.

following the discussion groups, i cant say i am surprised by anything. i got what i expected with the exception of king 5 which sill shows up with vertical bars on my TV even when the show is in HD.

other then that i would agree almost on every point with chris5977

Comcast is doing itself a great service with HD, moving many customers away from Dish/Direct under the promise of of HD but those of us who were there and have seen what Seattleite providers has to offer both on quality of set top box as well as signal quality on non HD channels, knows that TV experience can be much better then the one currently offered.

i agree with Tivolicious from an earlier thread, i don't believe he i asking for the skies, just for some 3-4 years old technology.

i will give the credit to Comcast for the effort to innovate and hopefully the new PVR services will match those of Dish or Direct.

one thing is for sure, the next few month are going to be very interesting ...

Originally posted by r_e_l
i got what i expected with the exception of king 5 which sill shows up with vertical bars on my TV even when the show is in HD. If you are still referring to Evening Magazine - I too, noticed this week their show is in SD, not HD as usual. Probably something to do with the show originating from Japan this week. Otherwise, HD shows on King5 display in HD as expected.

I believe that recently they have been limiting box's per household for the time being as demand has been through the roof for the HD service here in Seattle.

I thought the ABC wildcard game was in HD today?

Anybody know the phone number of KOMO to get this game turned on in HDTV?

This kind of problem seems to be a recurring theme in the Seattle area for non-regular east coast HDTV programming (I'm thinking of many of the SEC games that CBS did'nt "flip the switch" on the past two seasons).

Here's KOMOs list of phone numbers.

http://www.komotv.com/contact/

You might also want to try emailing programming@komotv.com.

Tim

[edit]
Nevermind - they just flipped the switch at the last commercial break (2:00 pm).

Finally, someone threw the switch.

Originally posted by Jeremyfr
I believe that recently they have been limiting box's per household for the time being as demand has been through the roof for the HD service here in Seattle.

In my case they didn't have a problem giving me more then one box but before doing so - the tech asked to see the TV's in person to ensure they are HD ready. "demand is too high" - he said. they need to check they are being used right.

sounds fair ....

I'm trying to understand my ever increasing bill sine I moved here in July...
A few months ago I had to fight w/ a service rep because they automatically gave me extended basic for $35 a month when I ordered the Digital Gold package with 2 HD STB's and 1 SD STB. I don't use the analog cable signal so after pushing the Cust rep they downgraded me to Basic analog for $12.30 a month. Why do I have to pay for Analog?
Now, it appears from my bill that I pay for additional digital outlets besides the STB's? So, each outlet/box combo is approx $10 a month? ($5 outlet/$5 STB)


Monthly Charge(s)
01/03 - 02/02 Gold Package 37.99
Includes: Digital Classic, Digital Plus, Multiple Channels Of HBO, Showtime and 1 Standard Digital Set-top Receiver and remote.

01/03 - 02/02 Limited Cable Service 12.30

01/03 - 02/02 Digital Cable 10.10
Additional Outlet with Advanced Set-top Receiver

01/03 - 02/02 Advanced Set-top 5.00
Receiver Upgrade

01/03 - 02/02 High-speed Internet 42.95
01/03 - 02/02 Set-top Converter And 10.20
Remote Control for Additional Outlet

I haven't been able to find anything in the fine-print on their web site or bills that say I have have to pay per outlet for digital? There is no analog outlet charge!

-Stu

I just got my Comcast bill for January and it is $10+ higher than the December bill for the exact same service. The Digital Bronze package has gone from $50.02 to $54.97 and they are now charging a $5 premium for the "advanced" set-top. That means that I am paying $65 per month including taxes and fees for cable TV using a clunky STB on one set with no movie channels. :mad:

Does any of you here know the remote code for the Comcast HD box? I'm trying to set up my TV remote to control the cable box since it's more ergonomic to operate then the black one I got from Comcast.

I believe the Comcast box I have is Motorola DCT 5100.

Thx!
Daniel

Originally posted by drewba
I just got my Comcast bill for January and it is $10+ higher than the December bill for the exact same service. The Digital Bronze package has gone from $50.02 to $54.97 and they are now charging a $5 premium for the "advanced" set-top. That means that I am paying $65 per month including taxes and fees for cable TV using a clunky STB on one set with no movie channels. :mad:

I gotta say -- that's pretty impressive!

Ditto on the charges... I'm dumping digital this week. I'm paying $70/month for basic digital on two sets and I am not even getting HDTV from them. Not worth it!

-Lance

Originally posted by Tivolicious
I gotta say -- that's pretty impressive!

Impressive or depressing? :D

<---pays 10.00/month and gets it all, what are you all complaining about!?!?!? j/k

Originally posted by Danyel
Does any of you here know the remote code for the Comcast HD box? I'm trying to set up my TV remote to control the cable box since it's more ergonomic to operate then the black one I got from Comcast.

I believe the Comcast box I have is Motorola DCT 5100.

Thx!
Daniel

Try 0276 or 0476

I'm seriously considering dumping Comcast and going back to the dish! They messed up my account and I can't even get INHD back until 1/25! And I always can get my locals in HD OTA anyway. The idiots on the phones make it too stressful to bother with cable anymore.

If you don't want HBO/SHO in HD, and you can get HD OTA, I'd go to/stay with satellite. I know I would, but I've got a mountain in the way.

If had OTA reception, I'd be keeping my DTivos, and setting up an HTPC with an HD recording card. It sounds like the UI would be better than what's coming from Comcast. (I hope I'm wrong, though)

If you want HBO/SHO, you can determine whether or not the upcoming Dish 921 or HD DirecTivo are worth the coin. Or, if you don't care about recording, decide if one of the HD sat tuners is worth it to you.

--Mike

The big advantage that Comcast has right now is that they will rent the tuner for a reasonable price. $5 or $10 per month is very good for moving technology compared to purchasing a basic HDTV OTA or Satellite tuner for $400 or more.

If the HD DirecTivo existed and cost under $500 and I could get channels OTA (hard to know without purchasing a tuner and trying) it would be very tempting. The first two aren't true.

If the 5100 output a 16:9 anamorphic signal on the s-video ports I probably wouldn't even be considering switching to another service. Anamorphic 480i 16:9 isn't HD, but it is much better than analog SD and would make me happy until HD PVRs become more widely available and affordable.

alex

Since I can get all the major channels OTA, I am likely to go to DirecTV once the HD DirecTiVo is released. While it is going to cost me a fair amount out of pocket, that can be largely offset by selling my SD TiVo with lifetime and Zenith OTA tuner. Unfortunately, doing so means that I will lose the multi-product high speed Internet discount.

I'm actually considering dropping digital cable altogether for the time being now that football season is over on ESPN. I don't watch much else HD on Comcast.

Originally posted by stuarts
...
Now, it appears from my bill that I pay for additional digital outlets besides the STB's? So, each outlet/box combo is approx $10 a month? ($5 outlet/$5 STB)


Monthly Charge(s)
01/03 - 02/02 Gold Package 37.99
Includes: Digital Classic, Digital Plus, Multiple Channels Of HBO, Showtime and 1 Standard Digital Set-top Receiver and remote.

01/03 - 02/02 Limited Cable Service 12.30

01/03 - 02/02 Digital Cable 10.10
Additional Outlet with Advanced Set-top Receiver

01/03 - 02/02 Advanced Set-top 5.00
Receiver Upgrade

01/03 - 02/02 High-speed Internet 42.95
01/03 - 02/02 Set-top Converter And 10.20
Remote Control for Additional Outlet



Looks like they are charging you for 2 HD Boxes and 2 Standard boxes.

where do you get HD programing list? i didn't see it on the main programing guides, i only found it on the individual networks websites. is there a better way of getting the listing?

thanks
Ariel

titantv.com is one place to quickly see what's being shown on HD on various networks for any given day.

Buy a ReplayTV, they have a much better and more accurate listing guide. ;)

Originally posted by Alex Wetmore
...If the 5100 output a 16:9 anamorphic signal on the s-video ports I probably wouldn't even be considering switching to another service. Anamorphic 480i 16:9 isn't HD, but it is much better than analog SD and would make me happy until HD PVRs become more widely available and affordable.

alex
This is my biggest complaint as well. Other than getting CBS, the lack of anamorphic 480i 16:9 downconversion of the Motorola STB is the primary reason I'll probably be keeping my Hughes HIRD-E86 for a long time.

Originally posted by drewba
...I'm actually considering dropping digital cable altogether for the time being now that football season is over on ESPN. I don't watch much else HD on Comcast.
I'm in the same boat. The offerings on INHD have been a lot slimmer than I was hoping for and timeshifting the 480i 16:9 out of my DTV/OTA receiver with a ReplayTV is a lot better anyway. With the escalating price of Comcast, I'm not sure that it's cheaper than DirecTV anymore. When is the HD-DirecTiVo due out, anyway?

Tim

Originally posted by jameskollar
Buy a ReplayTV, they have a much better and more accurate listing guide. ;) I use the Replay guide myself - except they don't tell you which shows are actually in HD. For that, I check the titantv web site.

Originally posted by r_e-l
where do you get HD programing list? i didn't see it on the main programing guides, i only found it on the individual networks websites. is there a better way of getting the listing?

thanks
Ariel
I use a combination of TitanTV, HDTVGalaxy, and the individual networks for HD information and STILL don't always have it right until actual broadcast.
Originally posted by jameskollar
Buy a ReplayTV, they have a much better and more accurate listing guide. ;)
I have 3 Replays and have been using them for over 2 years. I believe they get their listings from zap2it.com. However, they don't show which programs will be in HD and which won't.

Tim

Originally posted by tluxon
With the escalating price of Comcast, I'm not sure that it's cheaper than DirecTV anymore. When is the HD-DirecTiVo due out, anyway?


DirecTV is $51 per month for Total Choice Plus with Locals and the HD package. Comcast is about $60 for the basic digital package (including taxes and fees) and another $5 to rent the STB. Thus, DirecTV is definitely cheaper per month, but you do have to buy the equipment up front.

The HDTiVo is rumored to be out March 1st. Both TiVo and DirecTV have news conferences scheduled for Thursday at CES, so we should know more then.

Tim,

My bad. I read Ariel post as asking for listings on HD channels, not for whether a particular show was in HD or not. My mistake. I guess I have tunnel vision in regards to channel listings because I use my Replay to go through the guide to find something of interest, then if it is in high def, I use the Replay to change channels then switch over to the HD feed. I really hate Comcasts guide. I haven't used it since I bought my first Replay 3000 unit.

BTW: I haven't looked at Comcasts guide for a while, but have you noticed that the INHD guides on Comcast are not correct and that Replays are? Kinda funny that the cable company can't even get their own gude correct.

_____________________________________________________

I love snow days!

Originally posted by bpdp379
Try 0276 or 0476


I tried them. No luck.
Can it be a problem with my remote? Or the way I program it? It's the one that comes with Sony KV-40XBR800 TV. I was able to program the AV1 and DVD codes, but not the one for Cable/Sattelite on top of the remote. Since the manaul did not contain how to program that butto, I followed the description Sony CSR gave (hold Sat/Cable and press CodeSet, enter 3 digit code and hit Enter) when I called them.

Does any of you have the 40" XBR and has it programmed to control DCT 5100?

I had horrible luck trying to get these boxes programmed to usable universal remotes. Finally ended up getting the MX-500 learning remote. Very fun toy, and works anything.

I bought a factory refurbished Phillips Pronto remote on Ebay for $90. What a fun toy!

Ron

Originally posted by jameskollar
...I use my Replay to go through the guide to find something of interest, then if it is in high def, I use the Replay to change channels then switch over to the HD feed. I really hate Comcasts guide. I haven't used it since I bought my first Replay 3000 unit.

BTW: I haven't looked at Comcasts guide for a while, but have you noticed that the INHD guides on Comcast are not correct and that Replays are? Kinda funny that the cable company can't even get their own gude correct.
I can't believe how difficult and cumbersome it is to navigate the Comcast guide. Thank goodness we have the Replay guide to use where 3/4 of the page isn't covered by ads. Also, I find it incredibly useful to be able to jump 12 hours at a time with the FF and REW keys. It's amazing to me that Comcast INHD listings are rarely right, while the Replay guide is. You'd think Comcast could get their guide information from the same place.

Enjoy the snow! I've still got to make it home tonight.

Tim

Buying a learning remote is the next step. But I'm finally getting a receiver (Yamaha RX-V1400) and it comes with some learning remote. I hope it'll work better in this situation.

Haven't seen anything on KIRO recently. Are we officially not getting the superbowl on HDTV w/ Comcast this year? If so, unbelievable...

Originally posted by Danyel
I tried them. No luck.
, I followed the description Sony CSR gave (hold Sat/Cable and press CodeSet, enter 3 digit code and hit Enter) when I called them.

?

Just to cover the obvious, but are you dropping the first 0?

Comcast is setting up HDTV service this weekend for me, but my HDTV projector requires an adapter cable for component video. It needs a 15 pin d-sub VGA to component video cable. I don't want to mail order it, since I need it by Saturday, but haven't had much luck finding it local. Does anyone have any suggestions of stores that might have it in the Seattle area, besides Fry's, Best Buy, Circuit City, Magnolia Hi-Fi, Video Only, and CompUSA?

Give Redmond Cable a call.

For what its worth, (Not much I bet) I managed to get one through Magnolia, but it did take awhile.

If it's just a VGA 15-pin to 3xRCA component breakout cable - try Pacific Cable down in Auburn:

http://www.pacificcable.com/VideoAndAudio.htm

They have them in 6- to 50-foot lengths (or custom).

Originally posted by bpdp379
Just to cover the obvious, but are you dropping the first 0?

Yes. I tried all combinations: 267, 467, 0267, 0467.
But again the Sony's User's Guide did not have the procedure to set the Sat/Cable button, so I'm relying on CSR's advise, which may be wrong.

Can any of you post the procedure that worked for setting a code for the cable/sat button? Thx.

Originally posted by ardethan
Haven't seen anything on KIRO recently. Are we officially not getting the superbowl on HDTV w/ Comcast this year? If so, unbelievable...

You have a better chance of winning the lottery and buying a front row seat for yourself.

Did hell freeze over, pigs fly'n, Comcast push'n the lastest firmware/software (been over a year), deployment of fully functional STB (DVI on DCT5100), VOD, new Microsoft TV Guide, HSI 3MB(down)/256K(up) ... more?!?

To top things off ... I'M STUCK WITH COMCAST:eek:
The HOA will not let me attach a Dish to the complex:mad:
I hope I win a big lottery jackpot and/or find a rich sugar mommy ...

[Wakes Up from day dream'n & wipes drool from mouth]
No! Hell didn't freeze. No signs of fly'n pigs. etc.

with directv announcing today that they'll be carrying the national cbs-hd by superbowl time, anyone think Kiro will be kind enough to grant waivers? :D

Last year, the Greater Seattle ATTBI/Comcast Area was denied the Superbowl in High Definition!!!

Should I/we make Superbowl Party plans at a place with Comcast or other?!?

Who do we ask at Comcast?!?:confused:

This is absolutely illegal. You can tell the HOA to go #$#% themselves. There is a specific federal regulation which denies the right for a HOA to prohibit the placement of a dish. From the FCC I believe.


The HOA will not let me attach a Dish to the complex

Let's not let this turn into a HOA vs. Antenna thread.

Do a search, and read through the large amount of info on the subject. It's been done to death.

But, an HOA can deny you if it's a condo complex and the antenna location is not on your individual property (ie roof vs balcony).

--Mike

"The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has a rule that generally forbids local governments and homeowners associations from preventing installation of DBS dishes one meter or smaller in size."

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html

Anyone notice that Fox (KCPQ-DT Ch 113) was not passing a digital signal last night? I was looking forward to watching 24 in 480p widescreen, but it was an analog signal. I called KCPQ last night around 7:45pm when I noticed it--I spoke to a woman in the newsroom, and she said that the engineers were aware of it, and trying to fix it.

Originally posted by Andy Anderson
Anyone notice that Fox (KCPQ-DT Ch 113) was not passing a digital signal last night? I was looking forward to watching 24 in 480p widescreen, but it was an analog signal. I called KCPQ last night around 7:45pm when I noticed it--I spoke to a woman in the newsroom, and she said that the engineers were aware of it, and trying to fix it.

I was about the ask the same question. I was really disappointed. What's up with that?

I also noticed that 24 was not in EDTV widescreen. I didn't realize the signal was analog - I assumed that the signal KCPQ was simply passing digital SD instead of EDTV. Given that this was the first 24 episode to air since we got Q13 digital, it was a huge disappointment to get the SD signal instead of EDTV.

Hopefully KING will pass an HD signal for West Wing tonight.

No HD from KOMO last night either, except for the news.

Originally posted by r0bErT4u
Last year, the Greater Seattle ATTBI/Comcast Area was denied the Superbowl in High Definition!!!

Should I/we make Superbowl Party plans at a place with Comcast or other?!?

Who do we ask at Comcast?!?:confused:

Forget Comcast, there's no way they'll have CBS by Super Bowl time.

I'm glad I get it OTA (sorry).

-Lance

Originally posted by Andy Anderson
Anyone notice that Fox (KCPQ-DT Ch 113) was not passing a digital signal last night?

Weird... I was watching it on CH 113 and it was full widescreen for me on my Toshiba 34HDX82. SD material always displays with black bars on the side (or all the way around for widescreen SD). I admit it didn't look overly "sharp", but then the show is so dark to begin with...

Originally posted by Nausicaa
Weird... I was watching it on CH 113 and it was full widescreen for me on my Toshiba 34HDX82. SD material always displays with black bars on the side (or all the way around for widescreen SD). I admit it didn't look overly "sharp", but then the show is so dark to begin with...

Regularly Digital 4:3 material is displayed with black bars on the side. This time there were no black bars, because the signal was not digital and TV was able to stretch it as it does with the analog signal. With digital signal I am not able to change the stretch modes on TV, last time I could.

Weirdly CH 113 was still a little clearer than CH 13.

Originally posted by Nausicaa
Weird... I was watching it on CH 113 and it was full widescreen for me on my Toshiba 34HDX82. SD material always displays with black bars on the side (or all the way around for widescreen SD). I admit it didn't look overly "sharp", but then the show is so dark to begin with...
You didn't notice it was stretched? Everything on 113 was stretched yesterday, like ESPN. Definitely wasn't showing "FOX Widescreen" which would figure considering we got Q13 the day after 24 was last on. Soon as it comes back they have problems. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Jeremyfr
<---pays 10.00/month and gets it all, what are you all complaining about!?!?!? j/k

They make you PAY??!?!?!

total injustice!!!

;)

I've been having my DCT5100 reset (completely powers off and no display) daily for at least the past two weeks. I read a few pages back about someone else having the same problem and attributed it to some firmware upgrades or such and expected the problem to stop. I'm now wondering if I'm having some type of box problem or whether others are also having this continue to happen? Any feedback is appreciated.

They make you PAY??!?!?!

total injustice!!!

Yeah I have to pay for the equipment, and yes I have to pay the $5 HD box fee as well, I was pretty ticked to see that I had to pay it. :) hehe oh well life cant be perfect right.

My box has been powering off frequently also. Sometimes it loses the guide info, sometimes it doesn't. Weird.

Since receiving the 6200 box I've experienced no "power offs".
On another note, I talked to a KOMO tech about CC and he told me it was being supplied to Comcast for HD transmission - who or why is it not getting through. KCPQ got CC on a few days ago. Sorry, this is just my after holiday downside talking.

My 5100 has been losing the guide for a week or two - and has powered off and on a couple of times.

Have to unplug it for a minute to get it to reload the guide.

fwiw, I'm in Shoreline.

I just called Comcast to report an outage in my area (Comcast supplies me cable, telephone, and internet - so an outage is more than just a nuisance).

While I had a CSR on the line, I couldn't help but ask about KIRO-7 HDTV and the Super Bowl. Much to my surprise, the rep knew what I was talking about and told me that negotiations are in their final stages and that "it's looking really good for getting KIRO-7 in time for the Super Bowl." I said "does looking good mean a better than 50-50 chance?" and I was told "much better."

I obviously have no idea whether or not this info is accurate, but this CSR seemed fairly well informed. Cross your fingers!!!

what time of day are you experiencing these power offs??? Theres what's called house cleaning that is done each day in the early morning hours that will clear the guide and refresh everything on the box.

Also I have not heard anything regarding KIRO coming soon and anything to do with negotiations would not be let out to any CSR untill they were complete.

I will of course look into this more but there has not been anything said and no talk of it that I've heard.

I got a message from the KOMO tech and he said that if I had the Moto 6100 I should get CC. I'm sure he meant the 6200, but it doesn't give CC - does anyone out there with the 6200 receive 'closed caption' from KOMO?? I will call him back tomorrow, hopefully I will have heard from someone else by then. Thanks, Gordon

Originally posted by scorpi0
This time there were no black bars, because the signal was not digital and TV was able to stretch it as it does with the analog signal. With digital signal I am not able to change the stretch modes on TV, last time I could.

Yeah, I didn't notice the TV was in Widescreen 1 being fed an analog signal as I just assumed it was getting a digital signal.

Just checked "Friends" on 113 and it's still an analog signal. Grr...

Regarding the power recycling in the Motorola 5100. I had the same problem and I thought it was just the updates that Comcast performs late at night. However, this power thing happened every half hour sometimes during the daytime. I called Comcast and I they finally replaced my receiver with a new one. I haven't had any problems over the past month.

what time of day are you experiencing these power offs???

In my case the power cycling seems to be primarily happening between 5:30 and 7:30 in the evening, although it has happened earlier in the afternoon and later in the evening a couple times and sometimes multiple times in one day.

Originally posted by Danyel
Yes. I tried all combinations: 267, 467, 0267, 0467.
But again the Sony's User's Guide did not have the procedure to set the Sat/Cable button, so I'm relying on CSR's advise, which may be wrong.

Can any of you post the procedure that worked for setting a code for the cable/sat button? Thx.

Try Remote Central (http://www.remotecentral.com)

Originally posted by Jeremyfr
what time of day are you experiencing these power offs Hi Jeremy,

It has been in the evening. Likewise the loss of guide data.

What is the current firmware for the Shoreline area? Mine still says 1078 etc. Am I having problems with a firmware upgrade?

Jim

NO! You are not the only one. Our area hasn't seen a firmware/software update since this time last year (feels like almost 2-years), and it looks like we will be denied the Superbowl in High Definition again this year as well :mad:

Originally posted by JasG
Am I having problems with a firmware upgrade?

I had to unplug my ReplayTV from the cablebox because it would interrupt the recordings so often. Mine seems to power cycle on a daily basis. Now I make sure to keep nothing on top of it in case it was a heat problem. Not sure if that will help.

Jasg:

No the only area that's been firmware upgraded is Everett, and parts of Sno County as the firmware upgrades the box to VOD capabilities.

As your area gets closer to VOD launch you'll see the firmware upgrade hit your box.

Podmon: "... a 15 pin d-sub VGA to component video cable ..."

I can't help much with buying local versus mail-order, but if what you're needing is a component video signal (from the Comcast box) -> VGA (your projector / TV), then you need a component->VGA transcoder for good results. Cable-only solution will result in colors being significantly off (can't remember details - pinkish hues?). Component signals are different than VGA.

I ordered my transcoder from Digital Connection, who I've done business with before. I ended up buying the newest and most expensive transcoder - Key Digital KD-CTCA3, around $280 on the street. The CTCA3 (and similar high-quality transcoders) handle VGA synch signals a little better, resulting in a little more performance (since lower quality transcoders mix some synch information into the RGB signals). My guess is it's only noticeable on front projector CRTs or higher-end TVs, but I like having the best signal I can going in to my projector.

I think there's some transcoders that probably do a decent job for under $100 - Audio Authority, etc.

Hope this helps,

Cliff

?!? What firmware/software versions did Comcast push ?!?

Are we getting the latest greatest versions?

Per miatasm as of 12/14/03, "The Latest Version is SW Ver. 51.22 – 2002 & Firmware of 5.03 - (Philadelphia Region). This enabled the "480 Override" function discussed earlier in this FAQ, and includes the first couple of the analog PQ fixes, plus some other minor tweaks to the Guide & Menu system, of which most are unnoticeable."

Originally posted by Jeremyfr
Jasg:

No the only area that's been firmware upgraded is Everett, and parts of Sno County as the firmware upgrades the box to VOD capabilities.

As your area gets closer to VOD launch you'll see the firmware upgrade hit your box.

n/m read below post

Good news guys I just heard that they're loading new software to all HD box's for the very problem you're all speaking of, it should be loaded to all western Washington in the few weeks. And it will be the 51.22 - 2002 5.03 so quit complaining now! hehe :) :)

Thank you very much!
If you don't mind, I'll keep complaining.
That's your job security;)

Originally posted by Jeremyfr
Good news guys I just heard that they're loading new software to all HD box's for the very problem you're all speaking of, it should be loaded to all western Washington in the few weeks. And it will be the 51.22 - 2002 5.03 so quit complaining now! hehe :) :)

If you don't mind, I'll keep complaining.
That's your job security

Hehe not a problem.

Well looks like the chowderheads at KCPQ kicked on the HD feed midway through "Tru Calling". I think it's been analog since Tuesday, at least. :)

But they don't have their upconvert/aspect control stuff working becuase instead of anamophic fake HD we now have fake HD + stretcho-o-vision for the the SD stuff.

Originally posted by ianken
But they don't have their upconvert/aspect control stuff working becuase instead of anamophic fake HD we now have fake HD + stretcho-o-vision for the the SD stuff.

Before they turned on the HD feed of "Tru Calling", I noticed I had to be in "Full" mode on my Toshiba 34HDX82 to "unsqueeze" them, so they must have been transmitting in anamorphic SD since it did fill the screen...

Once the HD feed kicked in, the TV took over and everything was swell. :)

Jeremyfr,

So you are basically tell us that our area of Comcast will be denied the Superbowl in High Definition. That will make it the 2nd year, now!!! :mad:

Robert

Originally posted by Jeremyfr
Also I have not heard anything regarding KIRO coming soon and anything to do with negotiations would not be let out to any CSR untill they were complete.

I will of course look into this more but there has not been anything said and no talk of it that I've heard.

Looks like KING cleared up for me last night. Seems for the past week or so it had a lot of glitches and was at its worst on Wednesday night during Ed and The West Wing. No problems for me during ER.

Originally posted by r0bErT4u
Jeremyfr,

So you are basically tell us that our area of Comcast will be denied the Superbowl in High Definition. That will make it the 2nd year, now!!! :mad:

Robert

No, he's telling you a CSR having as much information as previously stated is highly unlikely.

The CSR I talked to probably confused Sammamish with Spokane. She probably thought I was asking about KREM-TV, a Belo-owned CBS affiliate that is supposedly coming on-line soon in Spokane! Who knows???

A subscriber is recording onto DVD+R, and Comcast's system has one of their many outages/glitches ...

Does Comcast owe the customer a new DVD+R to replace the ruined DVD (ie. coaster)?!?

Originally posted by r0bErT4u
A subscriber is recording onto DVD+R, and Comcast's system has one of their many outages/glitches ...

Does Comcast owe the customer a new DVD+R to replace the ruined DVD (ie. coaster)?!? You don't know? Didn't you read the contract fine print before signing up for Comcast?

If your cable is out for 48+ hours after an ice storm, will they give you a break in the billing if you contact support? This isn't the longest outage I've ever had, but it is the longest in years.

yes Al they will always give you credit even if its out for 5 minutes

I've had Comcast HD for 3 hours now! But I think I already hate the service. I was excited to get cable again as I haven't had service since 1997.

Now, why do I hate it so far?

First, the HD services Pixelize like crazy (except the INHD channels). The installer told me to expect that as it is a common problem and the engineers have no idea how to fix it. Great, why pay extra for this???

Second, the on-screen program is AWFUL/PAINFUL. I do regularly use my brother's Dishnetwork service and the on-screen service is great - showing several hours at one time (vs. Comcast's 1/2 hour). On Dish, the IPG defaults to the channel you're currently viewing (vs. Comcasts' default of Ch. 2). The Dish DOESN'T have ads. When you select INFO, the entire program is blocked out - again, the Dish does not do this.

Third, NO KOMO-ABC in HD.

Fourth, NO KCTS-PBS in HD.

Fifth, NO KSTW-UPN or KIRO-CBS in HD. (This I expected as I've read that negotiations are uderway).

Sixth, the analog channels are fuzzy.

Currently, these are the channels I get: 105, 106, 113, 114, 549, 574, 664, 665. I thought there were more.

Ok, what do I like about it? The channels change superfast when compared to Dish (except from SD to HD - which I think is a function of my TV not the box).

Thanks for listening to my rants...

Originally posted by mwnorman
I've had Comcast HD for 3 hours now! But I think I already hate the service. I was excited to get cable again as I haven't had service since 1997.

Now, why do I hate it so far?

First, the HD services Pixelize like crazy (except the INHD channels). The installer told me to expect that as it is a common problem and the engineers have no idea how to fix it. Great, why pay extra for this???

Second, the on-screen program is AWFUL/PAINFUL.
Sixth, the analog channels are fuzzy.

Thanks for listening to my rants...

As far as pixelization is concerned you should not have to accept that. Several things to check. First, if you have a splitter before the box, try to remove that if possible. Second, if you have the cable going into a surge protector before going into the box, take that out and go straight into the box if possible. Third, go to one of your problem channels and press Power, then OK within 2 seconds. Go to the Inbound Status screen and observe the settings. If you see Fair or Poor SNR/AGC readings or if the uncorrectable error counts are high (1k plus) then you are having a signal strength issue. Call Comcast for a service visit and stay on top of them as you should not put up with that. The installer likely doesn't know much about HD or didn't want to deal with it.

I agree about the guide, it really sucks unfortunately. Can't believe that TV Guide has its name associated with such crap. However, you should check out the On Demand freebie stuff, as that is pretty nice if you have it in your area.

Good luck.

Originally posted by mwnorman
First, the HD services Pixelize like crazy (except the INHD channels). The installer told me to expect that as it is a common problem and the engineers have no idea how to fix it. Great, why pay extra for this???


You should call for another service call (with a different technician) - this is not "expected". I had this problem and it was determined the signal was to weak to my cable box. A no-charge amplifier was added and no more pixelation on HD. It sounds like you got a rookie installer. The technician who fixed my problem was very knowledgeable about all things HD.

On a different subject, what's the deal with KCPQ giving us a stretched image on their digital channel? We need to have the display changed back to OAR (IMHO).

Why the hell did 113 switch to the stretch crap! Isn't the NFC game today in fox widescreen - 480p? The seahawks game last week looked fiine to me? The pic is better than 13 but the stretch is bogus. I HATE it. WHY>??

Third, NO KOMO-ABC in HD.

Fourth, NO KCTS-PBS in HD.


Do you mean that they aren't in the guide or they just don't come in? Unless Keyport is different you should have 104, 108, 109, 110? (never watch 110, its a PBS kids channel I think). If they're listed but not coming in, then you definitely have a signal problem. And yes, the guide sucks and if you're used to dish, the analog signals look awful. Course, I'm used to analog and I think the dish highly compressed signals for the same channels look awful.

Originally posted by mwnorman
Third, NO KOMO-ABC in HD.

Fourth, NO KCTS-PBS in HD.

I don't understand why you wouldn't be getting KOMO-HD on ch 104. This was one of the first local HD channels that Comcast added. Works great, except for the occasional audio/video sync issue.

As for KCTS-HD (ch 108), that station only broadcasts from 5p - 11p every day. That's a KCTS thing, not a Comcast thing.

You are right...it must be a low signal problem. HBO/KCPQ - SNR is fair at 31.2. But AGC is good at 52. It looks like it doesn't take much to make it significantly better - INHD SNR is 32.4 but fair and AGC is good at 52 but no Pixelization.

There is one splitter splitting the cable TV and cable modem outside of the house. I've had the cable modem for years so I suspect the installer must have placed the splitter there today when he connected cable television.

If I pull the splitter out of the loop, I'll have no cable modem.

I'll call to see if I can get a 'no cost' amplifier installed...

Thanks!

No we do not get KOMO or KCTS.

Channels 104, 108, 109, 110.

They are neither in the guide or available when I key in the channels directly.

when i called comcast today i asked about dvr status and the CSR said it was launching in Everett now... i asked again to clarify and was told VOD was launching in Everett now... so, i asked a third time and was told that VOD & DVR were the same - i.e., VOD was using the DVR box...

I believe earlier that JeremyFr said the 6200 was being VOD-enabled, so you don't need the 6208 (the DVR box).

Jeremy - can you clarify DVR status here in WA?

Jeremy,

Any clue whether or not Comcast is going to meet the July 1, 2004 OpenCard mandate?

Cheers,
Steve

Mwnorman, please let me know if you find a way to resolve the KOMO/KCPQ issue. Comcast dropped off a 5100 yesterday, and I hooked up in the evening. Digital channels are good except no KOMO and no KCPQ-same as you, I can't direct key or channel up/down to either.

I doubt it's signal strength in my case- previous check by a tech showed excellent signal strength, I use a distribution amp, and all other channels are perfect.

Must be a Kitsap thing- I'm in Vinland area.

Go to comcast's website, they have a page where you punch in your zip and it tells which channels you should be getting (including HD).

drbenson - You and I are served out of the same headend in Bremerton. Since we are both not seeing KOMO or KCTS (I assume you meant that instead of KCPQ), then it looks like Kitsap County doesn't have the channel. And I find that strange as KOMO is one of the first HD channels offered by Comcast. In addition, it contradicts what the CSR says I should get and the website (checked that per ChuckSc's suggestion).

If it is a cable box programming error, they should have been able to fix that on the phone...the CSR lady reset the box once. No change.

Ok, now that you say you have a 5100...I have a 6200. I'm still confused about the differences...can someone point me to a link that explains the difference.

I agree it looks like a Bremerton headend problem- the CSR I talked with before ordering the box specifically said we're supposed to get KOMO and (yes) KCTS. PBS was the big deal to me- I loved their HD content when I could get OTA HDTV. So I asked pointedly.

From what I've seen on Miatasm's Motorola FAQ site, the 5100 / 6200 differences are minimal. The 6200 has a firewire port, but it's not enabled. I checked the bottom of my new box and it turns out to be a 6200 also- didn't notice- they're that similar. What I'm anxiously awaiting is HDTV recording capability; I believe the number for that box is 6208, or even better the dual tuner 6408. I'll probably be dreaming for some time.

By the way, the Comcast website does not list ANY of the HD channels for our area code- I had to print out that list from this forum!

Originally posted by Tivolicious
Jeremy,

Any clue whether or not Comcast is going to meet the July 1, 2004 OpenCard mandate?

Cheers,
Steve

I would be blown away if they did. But while we tend to give Comcast a lot of flack, they are way better than AT&T ever was.

I'm really looking forward to open cable, I think that is really the only hope for cool set top units. But I bet we have to wait until 05 before we get killer units from good vendors.

Couple of things. Anyone else catch the Seatlle/New York game on INHD? It was not blacked out this time. The other thing is, I saw a commericial for Comcast stating Startz HD was coming soon. Last time they had a commercial for a new HD channel (PBS) it was about a month later that it luanced. So Jeremyfr could be right on for a mid 1st quarter luanch of a new HD channel.

Jeremy is usually right on these things.

I still want UPN and CBS just for the sake of completeness.

And I wish Ch 13 would defuxor their feed. That is downright annoying.

Alama.....New York/Seattle?? Whud you talkin bout willis?

Oops, sorry bout that. It was the Lakers, not Seattle.

sorry guys was away for the weekend, as for VOD/DVR they are two completely different things. VOD is video on demand meaning that there is tons of content (well into the thousands) that is stored at the Comcast end on computers that cost as much as a small arena. The cable box uses the IP protocol to talk these computers which stream real time MPEG2 streams to the Cable box giving you functionality of play,rewind,ffwd,pause,etc over the show just like a DVR would work but instead of it being stored locally on the cable box its fed via servers at the Comcast Headend.

DVR of course as well all know stores a finite amount of shows that you choose to record locally on its own harddrive allowing you to time shift etc.

Both offer the same great things, not being bound to the TV schedule, being able to control them just as you would a DVD or VCR etc. VOD yes is launching in Everett this next week and it supposed to be launched in most areas by end of summer.

Next, as for KOMO/KCTS in Kitsap County there was a bandwidth issue that did not allow them to initially add these channels when they launched HD in that area. That issues has been since resolved and they should be available shortly though I dont have a date when.

Lastly yes Starz and Cinemax HD are coming in the very near future but I have yet to hear a date for these at all.

jeremy - any update on dvr status?

Thanks Jeremy! I was hoping to catch Alias in HD tonight here in Kitsap. But I'll do without...again :(

It is nice to know that the bandwidth issue has been resolved and we should see these channels soon...hopefully MUCH SOONER than later.

In the meantime, we have been enjoying the INHD channels as they don't pixelize like the other channels. They're quite spectacular!

I do have a service tech coming this next Saturday to look over my lines to determine why I have such poor signal quality...as the run is less than a year old, it will be interesting to see how he/she fixes it.

mwnorman,

It sounds like your confusing pixellating HD signal, with watching an upconvert/SD over HD...much of NBC (KING) programming is simply upconverted SDTV, which is very pixellated. KCTS HDTV sometimes pixellates, however, as KCTS is into sharing it's HD bandwidth with other DTV programming.

Cheers,

Rich

I think there are at least three kinds of pixellation:

* Upconverted SD material, which makes the picture fuzzier all the time (but the pixels are still small enough that I'm not sure this qualifies as "pixellated")

* Dropouts, which gives you a brief glitch with very large pixels.

* Insufficient bandwidth, where the picture becomes pixellated during a fast-moving scene where there isn't enough bandwidth to transmit all the information so the compression process has to throw out a lot of the picture detail.

I've seen the last kind of pixellation on Jay Leno, for example, where the picture looks excellent when it's not moving much but I see major pixellation when the camera is moving really fast (e.g. flying through the audience during the opening of the show).

--
Steve

Good post Steve,

I guess my point was that Comcast is not necessarily to blame for the pixellation seen on some channels...the network/local providers are, or the HD content just isn't there.

Rich

boykster -

No, I am not "confusing pixellating HD signal, with watching an upconvert/SD over HD."

I know the difference between HD and SD transmitted over an HD path (up-converted). I am also not talking about clarity issues or low bit rate issues (compression)...I am talking plain old quality of signal issues that cause major drop outs in the picture and sound - pixelization is one of the symptoms.

It is frustrating, to be certain. And I hope that the service tech can resolve the cause. Others have mentioned the same cause with a relatively simple solution - an amp located at the beginning of the drop.

I've seen the last kind of pixellation on Jay Leno, for example, where the picture looks excellent when it's not moving much but I see major pixellation when the camera is moving really fast (e.g. flying through the audience during the opening of the show).

kanefsky-

I've seen the above mentioned pixellation on OTA on my Hughes box last year when I lived in the Greenlake area (I can't get OTA in my new location, so I'm on Comcast.) I always figured it was a Tonight Show/NBC problem. It's only at the beginning when they do those way annoying drunken pans around the set and audience before the monologue. I was wondering if it was a result of using 1080i instead of 720p. Hmm...

Andy

Originally posted by Andy Anderson

I've seen the above mentioned pixellation on OTA on my Hughes box last year when I lived in the Greenlake area (I can't get OTA in my new location, so I'm on Comcast.) I always figured it was a Tonight Show/NBC problem. It's only at the beginning when they do those way annoying drunken pans around the set and audience before the monologue. I was wondering if it was a result of using 1080i instead of 720p. Hmm...

Andy

It's because the mpeg2 compression depends on relatively small differences between one frame and the next in order to compress the data to fit in the available bandwidth. If the image is moving too fast and the changes between consecutive frames are too large, then it has to drastically cut the resolution to keep up. It's also harder to encode in real-time for TV versus an offline encoder for DVD that can make multiple passes and spend lots of time computing the most efficient encoding. DVDs also let you have bursts of very high bitrate data as long as the overall bitrate averages out so it fits on the disc.

--
Steve

CC info please...

I really need to know if anyone in our area receives CC on KOMO or KONG. I've had a tech out to my place, he tried a new box which I didn't expect to fix the problem. I do receive CC on KING, HBO, KCPQ so its not my Sammy causing the problem. I really need CC and if you can give me any info I would really appreciate it. I have asked KOMO and they say it is being given to Comcast. Anyway, thanks for your time, Gordon S.

I'd like to know how to get *rid* of the CC data :-) On my 4:3 VGA monitor, I get annoying flashing white lines at the top of the 16:9 picture area which I assume is CC data. It mostly shows with SD content on HD channels, but sometimes it's visible on HD content as well. It also varies depending on the channel and program being shown.

--
Steve

Count me in on wanting a solution to get rid of the CC info too. Most front PJ screen show all the TV unsafe area and some of the Comcast upconverted signals on local channels put that info waaaay low in the unsafe area (top 5% of the image).

Would be really nice to have a workaround for that.

-eric

AFAIK digital CC is delivered digitally. The white goobers at the top is an artifact of up-conversion, or something else. I could be wrong. I never see it on actual HD content.

The white flickering bars are CC data its just that when SD is upconverted to HD you can see this area of the raster image thats normally contained in the overscan area of the image but since upconversion shows the total scan area of the SD image you will get the cc data appearing at top of the image.

Occasionally I see this with HD content as well as I'm watching it on a 4:3 direct view set right now. But I'm sure that it once again would not be apparent on a 16:9 set since that area would be part of overscan.

Jeremy

Thanks for the help. As Comcast doesn't and wont submit CC on KOMO, KONG or KCTW you, I assume, are not bothered with the annoying white lines. Pretty dumb of me to want CC when so many are bothered by the annoying flicker of unused closed caption. I envy you all who don't need CC, treat your ears well so you don't damage the God given gift of good hearing. Take care, GS

nodrog2,

Sorry for my bad choice of words back there, but what I really want them (Comcast and/or the local channels) to do is fix the problem of actually seeing the data, not getting rid of it altogether.

Besides, if Ian up above is right about the CC data being transferred digitally (ie: not in the video stream), then we're looking at a different problem, and CC are a non-issue here.

I'm fairly sure that this can be resolved so that CC are available and the video data isn't affected. But they need to know about the problem in the first place for them to work on it. I thought I was alone to see those lines and it was a PJ issue, but I'm relieved to hear that I'm not alone and that maybe someday, somebody will fix it.

At the least, I'm glad I don't have a TV that has a burn-in problem. Those white lines must do a killing on analog RPTVs and Plasma TVs right now, as they look like pure white over black. Hopefully, none of us are using those types of technology. Anybody else worrying about this, or am wrong in my assumptions?

-eric

In conversation with Comcast I was informed that CC on HD as offered by KOMO would be too expensive to translate for their transmission. KOMO must offer CC in a different manner than KING or HBO as they don't have a problem. I was told that I should view KOMO on the analog channel as CC is fine there. Whoopee, so much for the great picture on HD.
Wow, I'd better stop as I feel a real rant coming on. GS

Who told you that nodrog??? Sounds to me like someone didn't know what they were talking about.

So, Jeremy- Who do we bug in Bremerton / Kitsap to get KOMO and KCTS in HD? Anyone local we can email or call, since it seems to be a local problem?

Theres no problem DrBenson launch will take place here in the near future though I dont have any dates.

Hello Jeremyfr (aka. HDTV Guru),

Would you kindly give me a definitive answer about getting the Superbowl in High Definition on our area of Comcast? I'll be kinda bent if we'll be missing it for a 2nd year in a row. A simple YES! MAKE PARTY PLANS, or NOT A CHANCE! Go party elsewhere ... would be appreciated. You may elaborate if need be.

Thanks in advance,

Robert

Hey Jeremy: It was a supeervisor at Comcast who said she had talked to the technician at the head end. Apparently she checked the set in house and found what I said was true - CC on analog but not on HD. She said it would be too costly to translate the CC and since it was on analog recommended that I watch KOMO there. I'm at a dead end on this topic so I won't belabor the point anymore. Incidentally the CSR's and the super were all very polite, no complaints in that direction. Tnx, GS

r0bErT4u: I honestly wish I had something concrete either way but I dont in my heart I'd say go party somewhere else. I'm not too happy about this myself but hey the Seahawks didn't make it so I dont care much neways.

nodrog2: I'm really sorry I will talk to some people and see if I can find anything out regarding the situation.

Our area of cable lazy f'tards has put their subscribers even more behind on updates (***Over a year since last update***)

Originally posted at http://www.dslreports.com/forum/catv
DVI output on Moto 5100 is active in Jersey City NJ the new firmware is version 7.07 ... Yes, its 7.07 and its working. It must have been deployed over the last 5-7 days since I've been checking on this pretty often. Remember that ver 6.04 code was probably a beta and was removed shortly after it was accidently deployed. Anyway, its connected to my Sony KP51ws500 and it looks great. A DVI cable MUST be connected to the STB before you see the option in the setup menu, (no menu changes are required) and both component and DVI work simultaneously (so you can easily do picture comparisons). I have an overly strong signal where I live which caused some really bad breakup but a 6db inline attenuator took care of that problem, and its now working flawlessly.

FYI, I just got the On Demand pamphlet and letter in the mail yesterday, saying it would be available in the next 30 days.

-Lance

Originally posted by lkinley
FYI, I just got the On Demand pamphlet and letter in the mail yesterday, saying it would be available in the next 30 days.

-Lance
Good news! Not that I care about OnDemand a whole lot, but getting it out of the way might help us get DVRs with DVI so we can record KIRO someday ;)

I was checking out the online stuff at Comcast. Their website is perfectly willing to let me add the $5.95 HD option to my limited cable package. I called and of course they said "no how, no way".

I was wondering if anyone else had tried this. With them getting CBS soon, I'd be perfectly willing to pay a bit more to get the local HD channels. Since I have satellite and don't plan to change that anytime soon, I'd love to get HD locals from cable. They told me I'd have to upgrade to basic cable(~$39.95) , add a basic digital package (+ ~$11.00) and HD (+ ~5.10). $56 seems ridiculous. Surely they understand there is a market for this.

Originally posted by eldub1999
I was checking out the online stuff at Comcast. Their website is perfectly willing to let me add the $5.95 HD option to my limited cable package. I called and of course they said "no how, no way".

I was wondering if anyone else had tried this. With them getting CBS soon, I'd be perfectly willing to pay a bit more to get the local HD channels. Since I have satellite and don't plan to change that anytime soon, I'd love to get HD locals from cable. They told me I'd have to upgrade to basic cable(~$39.95) , add a basic digital package (+ ~$11.00) and HD (+ ~5.10). $56 seems ridiculous. Surely they understand there is a market for this.

Not only is there a market, I think that they are required to serve it.

-Steve

p.s. That's what I do. Lifeline cable + HD -- the bill is 18ish a month.

Originally posted by Tivolicious
Not only is there a market, I think that they are required to serve it.

-Steve

p.s. That's what I do. Lifeline cable + HD -- the bill is 18ish a month.

So after your response I called a few times until I finally got a rep (Patrick) who told me it would be no problem. I'm getting HD locals added to my limited cable package for the $5.10 a month.

4 calls to get a rep who knew this was possible.

BTW, you get a $10 discount for "multiple products" from Comcast. That's why I kept limited cable (+$2 after the discount). Adding $5 for HD means I pay $7 more a month for locals with HD than I would have for just Internet. I might have to retract some of my old nasty comments abount Comcast :-)

-Laudon

Called comcast tonight and asked when the the 6204 drv would be available. The rep seemed knowledgable but said not until the 3rd quarter.
I also askedabout video on demand. Everett now(as we know) and Seattle metro area in about a month.

KCPQ DT has been really screwing up with their widescreen/stretchvision switch.

Today, they had the stretchvision on when Tru Calling started, switched to widescreen for the start of the program, and then switched back to stretchvision before the end of the teaser segment. They never did switch back to widescreen for the program, and I switched over to the SD channel after the first act.

Just leave the switch in the OAR position, because there is nobody watching that channel except for people who care about OAR. Nobody watching KCPQ DT wants the picture stretched, and viewers will tune out if it is.

It sounds like the aspect ratio issues at KCPQ should be a short term thing. Check out this thread for details:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=352122

?!? Who at Comcast decides which subscribers get to test new equipment & features ?!? I'm asking because a number of those people don't even know how to program a vcr, wouldn't even use extra features beyond channel changing, volume & power. That been said, how does one get to be a beta tester?

?!? Why is our area of Comcast so behind in hardware & software/firmware updates, in comparison to the east coast ?!? Are there other knowledgable Comcast contacts that can honestly answer questions? The phone reps seem to be following some sort of scripts, and get confused when the questions fall outside those scripts.

?!? Why did Comcast squash your website, and do you need Comcast approval prior to posting ?!?

?!? I'm tech savy, and would like to purchase & mod my own Motorola DCT6408. Who does one contact at Comcast to use their own digital cable box, and fully enable the features ?!?

Thanks in advance,

Robert

?!? Who at Comcast decides which subscribers get to test new equipment & features ?!? I'm asking because a number of those people don't even know how to program a vcr, wouldn't even use extra features beyond channel changing, volume & power. That been said, how does one get to be a beta tester?

In this market employees are the only people to "beta" test any new products.

?!? Why is our area of Comcast so behind in hardware & software/firmware updates, in comparison to the east coast ?!? Are there other knowledgable Comcast contacts that can honestly answer questions? The phone reps seem to be following some sort of scripts, and get confused when the questions fall outside those scripts.

We have AT&T Broadband to thank for that. On the bright side of things we should see more things happening more quickly as Comcast has finished all the major upgrades this state needed a full year early. Also the East Coast are all "classic" Comcast systems so they've had a lot more upgrades etc done than we have. They already have VOD over there. They already have 3.0 Mbps etc all because Comcast was always way ahead of AT&T so we get to play catch up here.

BTW we were one of the very markets to start deploying the 6200's, and as for firmware yes they do test updates in some area's on the east coast but on a nationaly level everyone is still at 51.42 - 2002, if you do not have this firmware yet you will very soon. As I stated in an earlier thread.

?!? Why did Comcast squash your website, and do you need Comcast approval prior to posting ?!?

They never "squashed" my site, concerns were brought up and in good faith I chose to take it down to avoid further issues, no I do not need permission to post.

?!? I'm tech savy, and would like to purchase & mod my own Motorola DCT6408. Who does one contact at Comcast to use their own digital cable box, and fully enable the features ?!?

At this time Comcast does not support in any way customer owned equipment as they do not sell equipment. I'm sure as Cable Card and Open Cable start coming out more full flegded is when we'll of course see support for this kind of stuff.

Hope this answer's your questions. I can understand how frustrating it gets but at the same time if you saw where Comcast was a year ago when they took over AT&T in this area and where they are now you'd be quite impressed which how quickly things have and are changing here.

I’ve been lurking here the past three or four months and now want to thank everyone for all the useful information you have provided over the past year.
I now own a Sony direct view HDTV and have Comcast HD cable. The tech had no idea… ;) I was able to tell him what to do and “we” got everything working OK.
Once again a big THANKS to you all!
:)

Hi all,

I was just wondering if there is any information on Fox Sports NW broadcasting Mariners games in HD this year. I really enjoyed it last year and would love to see more of Safeco in HD...without having to pay $7 for a beer :p

Thanks,
Nick

My expectation is that local HD sports broadcasts such as the Mariners would be carried on INHD2, because that channel is specifically designated for being locally preemptable for HD sports. That way, bandwidth is not allocated for six months for a channel that is rarely used.

One example of this would be the NBA All-Star Game. Last year, they had to set up a special channel for this. This year, it will be on INHD.

MLB has a contract with INHD for broadcasting MLB games in HD, so we should be seeing many more baseball games in HD this summer. If Fox gets its act together, the World Series might even be in HD, since they are supposed to be true HD by Fall 2004.

"One example of this would be the NBA All-Star Game. Last year, they had to set up a special channel for this. This year, it will be on INHD."

And guess what Al.........it's gonna be blacked out I'd assuem like this ENTIRE season of HD ball for the second year in a row!

Received my new Comcast bill today with the $5 charge for the "Advanced set top receiver upgrade". Also enclosed in the envelope was the new Products and services price list effective Jan 1, 2004. No where in the rate sheet could I find the $5 charge. I called customer service and they also could not find the rate on the price sheet but it does show it in the computer.
The Digital Silver package which I was on states it includes "1 standard Digital set top receiver and remote" which I do not have. I have the 5100stb. Listed on the price list ar equipment and options. It lists a Standard digital stb at $4.80 per month and the remote at $.30 per month. The Advanced digital stb at $6.45 per month.
I have no idea how they come up with the $5 charge for the advanced receiver.
Other ala carte listings are the Digital lite and Digital extra pack. Anyone know what these are?

The NBA All-Star Game is being put on by TNT, not NBA TV, so Comcast shouldn't be blacking it out like the regular NBA TV games.

The Digital Silver package says it includes 1 standard Digital STB because you used to be able to have two boxes included with the package. Now the first box is included, and the second box is $5.10. Then the Advanced set-top is for having an HD box, and is $5.00.

Originally posted by Al Shing
KCPQ DT has been really screwing up with their widescreen/stretchvision switch.

KCPQ has got to have the most inept HD presentations EVER, I get a chuckle when it just switches back and forth in the middle of a show.

I give second place to KINGs news cast and it's one HD camera.

The sad thing is, KCPQ probably won't have this fixed in time for the NFC Championship Game. This combined with not having CBS in time for the Super Bowl means we get screwed out of widescreen and HD playoff football for another year.

Sorry if any of this is re-hashing old information, but I'm new and mucking my way through 84 pages of this thread was getting tedious. :-)

Right now, I receive most of my analogue television from Comcast (standard basic cable), except for CKVU and KVOS which I receive by antenna. I also receive the following digital television by antenna: 4-1 KOMO, 5-1 KING, 7-1 KIRO, 9-1 KCTS, 9-2 Kids, 9-3 Learns, 9-5 HD, 11-1 KSTW, 13-1 KCPQ, 13-2 [Ad for WB22], 16-1 KONG, 22-1 KTWB, 22-2 [Ad for Q13], 28-1 KBTC, 28-2 PBS You, 28-3 Annenberg, and 33-1 KWPX. Except for channels 28-* and 33-1 (which are 480i), all of these are widescreen (480p, 720p, or 1080i). I can't receive KVOS's digital feed.

So, long story short (or is it too late for that?), my question is this: having little interest in the HD movie or sports channels, would subscribing to Comcast's HD offering get me anything worth watching that I don't have now?

Thanks for any input, and, again, apologies if this question's been answered in the past.

If you already get all the channels OTA with an antenna, the only thing that I can think of that might interest you on Comcast is InHD and InHD2. They carry a mix of programming including sports, movie trailers, documentaries, music, movies and nature shows. You can check out their programming at http://www.inhd.com .

Is anyone else having problems with their 5100 being un-responsive over the last ffew days? I'll go to hit a button and the box will react like 60 seconds later and do everything I hit super fast. Then it's fine for maybe an hour or so....same problem. VERY annoying when stuck trying to get back to "the game"..

biz I used to have the same problem when I had my 5100 and I found that it wen't away by just unplugging the box and letting it sit for about 30 seconds then plugging it back in. also if you dont have 51.42 - 2002 5.03 you'll be getting it soon and this is supposed to help the problem as well.

Does anyone have any luck getting channel 186 to show CBS HD on comcast in Seattle? Some people have reported that they started to on the 15th. Others had it for a few days but now its off. Does anyone have any word from comcast whether they are ready to start relaying KIRO HD before the superbowl?

If Comcast was to show CBS here in Seattle I'd count on seeing it mapped to chl 107 given there mapping choices for all the other locals.

whos said they've seen it on here in Seattle???? sounds like pipe dreams to me.

Originally posted by biz_qwik
Is anyone else having problems with their 5100 being un-responsive over the last ffew days? I'll go to hit a button and the box will react like 60 seconds later and do everything I hit super fast. Then it's fine for maybe an hour or so....same problem. VERY annoying when stuck trying to get back to "the game".. Been a recurring problem for almost a year now. Been discussed here several times. I'm guessing it's a memory leak in the software somewhere. Power-cycling your box (unplug, then re-plug) always fixes it, at least temporarily. The latest firmware update (any day now?) is supposed to fix this.

So is there any official (or unofficial) word on when DVI output will be enabled? I am tempted to go for Dish Network if Comcast doesn't activate their DVI.

Jeremy, the info about CBS on comcast comes from the following link:

www dot furrygoat dot com/archives/000859.html

[Less than 5 posts and so I can't post the above as a URL]

interesting considering I'd have known about this, looks like I'll need to do some snooping tomorow.

Take it from me though even if this guy is correct I would not expect to see the channel up in time for SB.

Speaking of CBS I remember somone in here as an LG box with QAM capabilities that was getting KING before it launched and was mapped to normal box's.

I dont remember who it was but can you see if you're in fact receiving a CBS feed and let us know. Thanks

Originally posted by Jeremyfr
Speaking of CBS I remember somone in here as an LG box with QAM capabilities that was getting KING before it launched and was mapped to normal box's.

I dont remember who it was but can you see if you're in fact receiving a CBS feed and let us know. Thanks

That was me... I'll check it out tonight when I get home from work.

-Lance

Thanks for advice all. I've read about everyone elses problems in the past but have never had even one glitch or hang up till Friday. It keeps getting stuck then saying Menu not available with a phone number to call then it's fine 60 seconds later for an hour. I'll check my firmware tonight.

Has anyone in the city of Seattle received a firmware upgrade recently? I'm still at 50.00 / 08. I thought Western Washington was supposed to be getting the upgraded firmware around a month ago??

Jeremy, I'd like to hear your line on these odds:

How likely is it that we'll have HD record capability in time for the Summer Olympics? The last Winter Olympics were what pushed me over the edge and into HDTV, but since I have to work for a living, the events are near impossible to follow without timeshifting. Hope springs eternal!

BTW, still no KOMO or KCTS in Kitsap- real soon now??

I thought NBC was providing the HD feed through BravoHD+? It is certainly unlikely that Comcast will have BravoHD+ by then I'm afraid, so you odds would be very low.

Will NBC be showing HD Olympic coverage?

Rich N.

Originally posted by mgm
Does anyone have any luck getting channel 186 to show CBS HD on comcast in Seattle? Some people have reported that they started to on the 15th. Others had it for a few days but now its off. Does anyone have any word from comcast whether they are ready to start relaying KIRO HD before the superbowl?

You must have gotten this confused with another thread. If CBS were to show up in Seattle on Comcast, I'd expect this to be one of the first places to say anything about it. It also would be channel 107 as was said.

Hmm- I'm getting NBC HDTV right now on 105- West Wing and such.

Raidbuck, are you saying that NBC will be providing HD Olympics coverage only on BravoHD+? Where does that come from? They're certainly starting to tout their Olympics coverage on the NBC feed I'm getting now!

Anyone know if the DVI port on the back of the 6000 series box is active? Want to know before I go buy a cable and then have to take it back.

Also for people whose 5200 boxes are freezing up. Just call comcast and tell them your problem and that you want it replaced, and ask for the newest box available. Just did it this weekend and I have had no problems since. VoD starting on like Sat for me (in Everett), its cool so far , lots of choices but would be nice if some HD content was offered. Its cool there are choices between widescreen and 4:3 on some movies that are offered. Most are in Dolby Digital too. Free content seems to be a mixed bag, if you have HBO or any premium its really nice, if not theres shows from stuff like E!, CNN, Anime Network, Outdoor Channel ect ect that are ok. Some channels like comedy channel that should have south park and the man show to pick from, dont have those and only have like 2 of their shows and only 3 episodes each of those shows.

Mike

Hey calypse welcome to the thread glad your liking the On Demand stuff, Currently DVI is not active in Washington. It seems Comcast/Motorola have been beta testing firmware's on the east coast and some areas currently over there have a firmware of 7.07 that activated DVI and Firewire outputs. I'm hopeing that this firmware becomes a final release so they will release everywhere.


Lkinley - Thanks for checking on that for me. I'm anxious to hear what you find.

jspeton - Firmware upgrades are currently taking place throughout western Washington. I'd expect them to be complete by mid to end of February.

I need to get a conscensus of who is able to get Closed Captioning on 104 and who is not.

I am able to get CC on all my channels but others have shared with me that they are not able to get CC on 104 and some other channels so I'd like to get a consensus of who can & who cannot. To keep clutter down just PM you're response please. And I'd appreciate it if as many of you as possible can reply.

Thanks in advance!

Oh, on the HD olypics...

The winter olympics were done by HDNET and NBC...not BravoHD...this time, who knows? (not me)

Rich

So is VOD available now in the Seattle area ?? If so how do you access it ???

Im not sure which areas have VoD but you can tell if you have it by hitting the menu button. If you see the normal menu you dont have it yet. If you see a new 1/4 page menu with selections like Main Menu, On Demand, Exit ect then you do have it, just pick the On Demand option.

Mike

VOD is only active in Everett at the moment but it will launching in other area's soon.

It was just my understanding that BravoHD would be carrying a lot of Olympics in HD and Comcast may not get it. I haven't heard even any rumors about Comcast getting it.

Did NBC (I don't watch a lot of commercial TV) say in its advertising that it would be available in HD?

Of course, I may be wrong.

Rich N.

<--- did some snooping and found nothing to get anyone's hopes up of seeing KIRO in HD by superbowl.

Yeah, I'm not sure what the dude at the end of the "furrygoat" link may be watching, but it sure isn't KIRO on Comcast. There is no Ch 186--just checked. The box won't tune to it.

What possible motivation could there be for Comcast, CBS, or KIRO to drag their feet on giving customers access to this last major network/cable HDTV holdout? I don't think it's KIRO, since it seems to be the same situation elsewhere in the country. Given any sort of reasonable explanation and gameplan, it would be a lot easier to take this crap. Inquiring minds want to know.

KIRO is owned by COX Broadcasting, which in turn owns COX Cable. As an aside, as of last month, COX-owned affiliates in San Francisco (FOX), Atlanta (ABC), and Pittsburg (NBC) are also not carried in HD on their local Comcast systems.

Conspiracy theorists would say that this is why KIRO is not in HD on Comcast in Seattle. ;)

Yep, I'd say KIRO being owned by a rival cable company would give them plenty of motivation to screw Comcast & their subscribers.

Jeremy,

Did the scan on my LG, nothing new to report. No new channels since I last scanned a couple of weeks ago.

-Lance

lkinley: Thanks one more rumor we can sadly put to rest.

At this stage, I don't really care if Cox is withholding from Comcast or otherwise - I hold KIRO responsible if this area misses out on the Super Bowl in HD on cable for the second year in a row. This is because every other station except UPN is on cable, so Comcast is not the problem.

All,
New to AVS. Have been reading post from this forum for quite a while. Thanks for all the greate info, it was what led me to get HD from comcast. Had my HD tv for sometime, but didn't realize Comcast offered HD broadcast till coming here. Also found out about the PVR coming soon and can not wait to get it. Seems Jeremyfr is the Comcast sorce here, just wanted to drop a note that I called Comcast this morning, because I called them about a month ago about PVR and was told that it would be out here in Portland/Vancouver area around Feb. The CSR I spoke to set that they were still set to launch in Feb. but no for sure date. Was wondering if Jeremyfr could confirm this. Coming to the Seattle thread casue the Portland one isn't that great for info. Thanks and look forward to talking some more.

JJ

A CSR I talked with last week had an interesting take on why no CBS HD through Comcast. It appears that CBS cut a deal with one of the satellite companies to offer CBS HD, and that it's exclusive for some period of time- I've been seeing the sat co ads.

Doesn't take much of a conspiracy theorist to imagine that the 'exclusive period' would extend through the Super Bowl so they can sell more dishes and HD boxes!

I'm not sure about the information the CSR told you. Most Comcast already has had CBS-HD for several weeks, including us in Baltimore. Only those CBS stations not owned-and-operated have to have special agreements with Comcast.

Rich N.

I was intrigued by the "furrygoat" link, so I tracked back to the source (a blog at shahinedotcom/omar). Turns out Omar is in San Francisco, where the HD stations on Comcast are listed as:

ESPN - Channel 173

KGO (ABC) - Channel 184

KNTV (NBC) - Channel 185

KQED (PBS) - Channel 188

HBO - Channel 197

Showtime - Channel 198

Apparently he was reporting the addition of CBS on 186, and someone else picked it up and misinterpreted it as Seattle.

Nice detective work :)

West coast... both start with "S"... lots of hills... near the water... it's easy to see how someone confused the two. :-)

Is there a way to get ESPNHD and/or the INHD channels without paying for the Digital Classic package?

I really want these channels but it seems wasteful since I don't care about any of the other digital cable channels. What I really want is basic cable plus the local HD and ESPNHD/INHD 1 and 2.

My head is spinning trying to figure out what I should do here!! Any help?

Is there a way to get ESPNHD and/or the INHD channels without paying for the Digital Classic package?


Yes you do have to have Digi Classic to receive ESPN,INHD,INHD2

So is CBS not coming to COMCAST at all? Or are we going to get it eventually?

BTW, I'm still waiting for my cable hookup. They said 6-10 weeks to get the permits to dig up my neighbours yard. Hopefully I'll be HD enabled soon.

Originally posted by jsmbluecar
So is CBS not coming to COMCAST at all? Or are we going to get it eventually?

IMHO we will see it this year, and I think before summer.

Eventaully they will have no choice so it will happens sometime, and I think sooner rather than later.

[Rant Mode On]
Forgive me, but I'm still angry that we'll be missing the superbowl in high definition for the 2nd year in a row. In addition, we continue to be behind our eastcoast counterparts. It's been over a year since the last firmware/software update.

I'm tired & frustrated hearing about the rebuild done in our corner of Comcast country. Whenever I asked about firmware/software updates, Comcast kept giving me crap about the rebuild. Now, it's over a year later and I'm now hearing variations rebuild crap. The last few times that I've called Comcast, I'm being told that the reuild is done a year early ... blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda.

ALL THAT REBUILD MUMBO JUMBO RESULTED IN:
* NO SUPERBOWL IN HD FOR THE 2ND YEAR IN A ROW
* OVER A YEAR BEHIND ON FIRMWARE/SOFTWARE UPDATES
* DEPLOYMENT OF LABOTOMIZED DIGITAL CABLE BOXES (DVI, MODEM, PVR)
* 3MB(down)/256KB(up) UPGRADE PAST DUE

A few more things to mention, but ...

[/Rant Mode Off]

ALL THAT REBUILD MUMBO JUMBO RESULTED IN:
* NO SUPERBOWL IN HD FOR THE 2ND YEAR IN A ROW
* OVER A YEAR BEHIND ON FIRMWARE/SOFTWARE UPDATES
* DEPLOYMENT OF LABOTOMIZED DIGITAL CABLE BOXES (DVI, MODEM, PVR)
* 3MB(down)/256KB(up) UPGRADE PAST DUE


[rebutal mode on]

No Superbowl is not due to rebuild but due to local CBS affiliate being owned by competing cable company trying to screw Comcast Customer's.

Comcast is not over a year behind updates.

Any area that has not received 5.03 yet will get it within the coming weeks.

The higher firmwares you hear of on the east coast are for beta testing features etc and as we've all seen only last a few weeks before they all end up back to good ol 5.03 east coast markets like Philly & NJ get these beta firmwares as they're home markets for Comcast. Seattle is still finishing its infrastructure improvements.

As for cable box's you're going to get a "labotomized" box anywhere with Comcast or any other cable co. They're called Future Proof box's. Sure theres all kinds of junk on them simply so they dont have to release a new box everytime they wanna do something new.

3mb down is in no way past due, many many areas have not received this upgrade yet guess what almost all of them are old AT&T markets. Things take time

[rebuttal mode off]

Jeremy, believe me, we're much better off with Comcast running the show than we ever were with AT&T.

Folks in Spokane have CBS so I definitely think this KIRO's fault. This is my only major gripe with my cable because CBS has a lot of good HD content.

So who do we harass at KIRO to get the ball rolling? Does anybody have the station manager's email adress? I'm a firm believer in "the squeaky wheel get's the grease." Besides, KIRO, is only hurting themselves if they do this, I WILL NOT watch TV unless it is HD.

Originally posted by Jeremyfr
[rebutal mode on]
3mb down is in no way past due, many many areas have not received this upgrade yet guess what almost all of them are old AT&T markets. Things take time
[rebuttal mode off]

I have 3mbps in Redmond. All I had to do ws call and ask for their "Pro" option. It's twice as fast and twice as expensive. I'm not sure it's worth it.

I agree that the changes Comcast has made since buying out AT&T have been positive. We're seeing a modernization of the cable infrastructure in this area unlike anything seen since it was first deployed.

My analog cable picture, for the first time EVER looks acceptable. As good as my big dish? Of course not, but good for day to day viewing? Certainly. No ghosting, no ingress, just a bit lower res and a bit of grain. I also perfer it over my now defucnt DirecTV box. The BOX from DirecTV was superior, but the signal was not. I'll take a bit of grain in my analog over a disolved mess of mpeg2 goop any day.

The quality of Comcasts SD digital feeds could be better, particularly the premiums. Many of these premium feeds originate as digital now (HBO, Showtime, Starz, more) in the SAME format used by these cable boxes: digicipher2. I get these on my big dish and they look clearly superior to the versions on Comcast. Comcast needs to stop recompressing the digital feeds.

Now the non premium feeds in digital look worse, but they look pretty bad on the big dish too. If the first generation signal blows I'd prefer Comcast just pass it on through and not degrade it further.

The amount of money comcast has spent cleaning up the mess left behind by AT&T is truly mind boggling, but there are things they can do to improve the experience for customers.

Jeremyfr,

Thanks for quickly posting in defense of Comcast (formerly AT&T Broadband) I'm stuck with Cable, due to the location of my condo unit & my HOA. I appreciate the chance to vent.

Robert

[counter mode on]

Bottomline: NO Superbowl in HD for 2nd year in a row:mad: I still don't see Cox cable is ALL to blame. Comcast had plenty of time to negotiate and reach a deal. Was Cox to blame for last year too?!?

You're funny. I can't believe we're argue'n over how behind our corner of Comcast country is. Let's see. The last update was around the end of Jan 2003. In a few days, it will be over a year. >>>--> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,5798724~root=attbi~mode=flat

Whoopiddydoo, firmware 5.03 is coming ... a year later. Why didn't the slackers push the prior firmware/software updates? Those patches/updates fixed/addressed several problems & picture quality.

"Seattle is still finishing its infrastructure improvements." ... sounds like more mumbo jumbo to me, and still doesn't explain why NO UPDATES for soon to be a year.

If I knew I was going to be getting a labotomized DCT5100, I would've kept my DCT2000-L w/ HDD200 sidecar. At least with that setup, I was able to plug other video sources (ie. camcorder, vcr, computer ... more) and it would convert up the signal to my plasma. I can't do that with the DCT5100:mad:

The 3mb "non pro" upgrade was promised by the end of 2003, then pushed back to end of Jan '04, then pushed back end of March '04 ... I powercycle my modem every morning hoping to see the new config file.

Speaking of the "PRO" package ... my co-worker in Federal Way has the "PRO" package and has already been upgraded to 4300/384.

I signed up with @HOME, and are current/future speeds are still slower for more money:mad:

[counter mode off]

Frankly, I doubt KIRO or any other station thinks of the Super Bowl as any sort of urgent deadline for getting HD up and running on cable. After all, they fumbled away the entire NFL regular season and the playoffs. Why would the Super Bowl be any different.

Last year, ABC tried to make the SB available to cable, and nobody was able to pick it up because of local station inertia. This year, CBS has done its part with getting the O&O's online, and the national CBS feed on satellite. All that's left are local station issues.

If KIRO wants to be known as the station that singlehandedly denied Seattle Comcast viewers the Super Bowl in HD, then so be it. We will remember this when it counts. Send those cards and letters to the FCC at license renewal time.

Although I do have HD OTA, my little X1 will not handle daylight (not until I get the cash together to install my dedicated HT!), so I'm stuck watching the Super Bowl like other Comcast clients...unless I can get the wife talked into an HD TV for the bedroom. Doubtful, but a guy can dream, can't he?

Originally posted by Malcolm_B
Although I do have HD OTA, my little X1 will not handle daylight (not until I get the cash together to install my dedicated HT!), so I'm stuck watching the Super Bowl like other Comcast clients...unless I can get the wife talked into an HD TV for the bedroom. Doubtful, but a guy can dream, can't he? What's wrong with a few giant black tarps hung over your living room windows? :)

The wife BARELY allows all my HT stuff in the living room as is, hanging tarp will be a fast track to sleeping on the sofa for awhile! LOL!

Originally posted by Jeremyfr
No Superbowl is not due to rebuild but due to local CBS affiliate being owned by competing cable company trying to screw Comcast Customer's.
This unfortunately does appear to be the case. I speak because the "competing cable company" (Cox) which owns KIRO also owns our Fox affiliate (KTVU) and there is no indication its digital signal will be carried on any Bay Area Comcast system any time soon.

The height of irony is that Cox Cable (to be exact, Cox Communications, Inc.) is in a negotiating dispute with Emmis about the CBS affiliate in Omaha, Nebraska. Cox Cable refuses to compensate Emmis (with anything extra above what is given for the analog signal, if anything) for the Omaha station's digital/HD signal. I would totally agree with with Cox's position if Cox would retransmit the digital signal unencrypted (like Comcast does)-- but I understand that is not the case as Cox is encrypting the HD locals' signals to force HD locals subscribers into a digital cable package.

Cox Television (which operates KIRO and KTVU, as well as the ABC station in Atlanta and the NBC station in Pittsburgh among others, and is a division of subsidiary Cox Broadcasting, Inc.), however, is seeking compensation for its stations' digital signals beyond what it is already receiving for the analog signals (if anything).

So Cox Cable is taking the diametrically opposed position to that taken by Cox Television when both are simply subsidiaries ultimately controlled by one corporation, Cox Enterprises, Inc. Talk about hypocrisy ...

Originally posted by SonomaSearcher
This unfortunately does appear to be the case. I speak because the "competing cable company" (Cox) which owns KIRO also owns our Fox affiliate (KTVU) and there is no indication its digital signal will be carried on any Bay Area Comcast system any time soon.



We have to put up with the same crap from the Cox owned ABC station in Atlanta which is broadcasting in digital but which is not carried by Comcast or Charter for the HD version. I have suspected all along that the roadblock was the fact that Cox owned this station and this discussion does nothing to make me think otherwise. The other irony about this is that Cox does not even offer cable service in this area. While nobody can (or will) confirm that the Cox ownership is the reason that we don't have Comcast HD carriage of that station I have suspected this to be the case for some time.

Originally posted by chris5977
So who do we harass at KIRO to get the ball rolling? Does anybody have the station manager's email adress? I'm a firm believer in "the squeaky wheel get's the grease." Besides, KIRO, is only hurting themselves if they do this, I WILL NOT watch TV unless it is HD.

All the negotations between Cox and Comcast are handled by Cox's corporate headquarters in Atlanta. The various station managers really have no say in the matter (although they will of course parrot the "party line" to remain in good stead with their bosses). So the way to go is to contact Cox's corporate people.

See the following links, which include a general "contact" email address. Hopefully an email would be forwarded and you would get a response from someone in the know at Cox-- then share it with us and we can all email him or her.

http://www.coxenterprises.com/corp/operating_companies/television.htm

http://www.coxenterprises.com/corp/contactus.htm

Email: contactus@coxenterprises.com

http://www.coxenterprises.com/corp/presscenter/mediacontact.htm?Vermenu=presscenter&Hormenu=mediacontact

http://www.coxenterprises.com/corp/presscenter/managementeam.htm?Vermenu=presscenter&Hormenu=managementeam#AndrewSFisher

Originally posted by Malcolm_B
Although I do have HD OTA, my little X1 will not handle daylight (not until I get the cash together to install my dedicated HT!), so I'm stuck watching the Super Bowl like other Comcast clients...unless I can get the wife talked into an HD TV for the bedroom. Doubtful, but a guy can dream, can't he?

Don't you have any drapes or blinds? :confused: Even if they still let some light through, turn presentation mode on and enjoy. I've done that several times with the X1 and the sun shining right in. Besides, what are the odds it's going to be that bright outside?

Our house is one of those with a huge open space living room that leads out to the front doors with a huge window about 20 feet up. In other words, it ain't worth the trouble. What time does the actual game itself start, as I might be able to watch the 2nd half if it runs past 4:30.

Kickoff isn't until 3:25, so 4:30 probably won't even be halftime.

Oh, excellent! So I'll be able to watch at least the 2nd half on the projector! Thanks for the info, drewba.

oh man, that's depressing that the super bowl isn't going to be in HD.. oh well :(

Jeremy,

I see message on my 5100 announcing 3mb internet speed for 29.99 introductry. I go to COmcast site and it only speaks to 1.5 mb. Anything new here?

Do what I did last year. Go to Best Buy and buy an OTA receiver and nice indoor antenna. Watch the SuperBowl in HD and promptly return the equipment the next day.

Nuff said.......at least for those who could get a signal indoors.

adee6.. that's a great idea.. does 98031/kent get those OTA signals? what indoor antenna/OTA Reciver do you suggest?

Originally posted by adee6
Do what I did last year. Go to Best Buy and buy an OTA receiver and nice indoor antenna. Watch the SuperBowl in HD and promptly return the equipment the next day.

Nuff said.......at least for those who could get a signal indoors. Great idea. Can you run a really long wire to my house out here in North Bend? Oh wait - that's what cable TV was supposed to provide...

Does anybody that is using Comcast Digital get an actual HD signal in 16X9 aspect ratio?

The CSR at Comcast said that they are only broadcasting in 4X3.

Originally posted by steve@barrleonard.com
Does anybody that is using Comcast Digital get an actual HD signal in 16X9 aspect ratio?

With the occasional exception of KCPQ (FOX) forgetting to transmit in 16x9, so far all my HD content is 16x9 and looks anywhere from excellent (film) to incredible (HD camera).

What hardware are you using?

I have a Toshiba 57H81, I am connected using the HD1 color screen. To view the HD broadcast like, KING 5 news only when they are using the HD set, to get a full screen 16X9 pricture, I have to use Picture size 2.

When I had Dish, the HD into the color stream was full size with no ablity to change the picture size.

Originally posted by steve@barrleonard.com
Does anybody that is using Comcast Digital get an actual HD signal in 16X9 aspect ratio?

The CSR at Comcast said that they are only broadcasting in 4X3. If it's not 16 x 9 then it's not an actual HD signal. Yes, all the HD programming is in 16x9. Even when a program contains mixed HD and SD material - like KING5 news switching back & forth between HD & SD cameras - the overall frame is 16x9 HD, with the SD material shown in a 4x3 "window" within the 16x9 area.

Is their any special programing in the HD box that I need to change?

There was no manual for the cable box.

Is their something that Comcast has to turn on at their end for HD?

Do I have a devective box?

Assuming you have the Motorola DCT-5100 or DCT-6200, you can change the settings from the main menu to 16:9. Turn the power off, press and hold the menu button and turn the power back on. This will allow you to set the aspect ratio for use with your TV.

Originally posted by Babula

I see message on my 5100 announcing 3mb internet speed for 29.99 introductry. I go to COmcast site and it only speaks to 1.5 mb. Anything new here?

I have the same message regarding $29.99 offering through June but no mention of 3mb.

Roo_man, thanks, that did the trick. The box was set up at 480I 16X9. It looks great now.

Slightly OT - but since KIRO & Comcast ain't gonna give us the Superbowl in HD, here goes:

Anyone in Seattle area have any luck getting DirecTV to say you're eligible to receive their new CBS-HD feed? In the past, out here in North Bend we've been eligible for CBS "distant network feed", according to this web site:
http://directvdnseligibility.decisionmark.com/app/AddressEntry.asp

But on the phone, DirecTV says we don't qualify for CBS-HD - why the difference? If anything, it should be *easier* to qualify for distant HD feeds.

Originally posted by Babula
Jeremy,

I see message on my 5100 announcing 3mb internet speed for 29.99 introductry. I go to COmcast site and it only speaks to 1.5 mb. Anything new here?

this is typical comcast these days. promising, but not yet delivering...

comcast is in the stages of moving the 'standard' cable internet speeds up to 3.0mbps down/256kbps up. however, they're not there yet. last tech I spoke with said around mid-february, but don't believe it 'til you see it...

comcast still has yet to deliver promised HD like starzhd here, although they've been advertising it since early december...

see a pattern?

jimre,

I have waivers from several years ago and get east and west coast feeds of CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX but the key (as I understand it) to getting CBS HD on D* is wether the local (KIRO) CBS station is CBS owned. If it is not, I understand all the waivers don't matter.

brente,
I must say however that I checked my speed using Cnet site and it is 2.5 or above, so perhaps I really have it already. The 29.99 is to entice newbies probably.