Good - I'm glad it's not just me. I'd like to have the guide inormation, though....

I tried the rescan on some Westinghouse lcds i have at work and no luck - they lost the digital HD channels in the 89-90 range and don't see the 0-652 range either. Maybe the Vizio has a better QAM tuner -- but I'll try to play around some more today.
Anyone else try a rescan lately??

I checked last night and confirmed I get the program/channel information now as well. I'm still able to go to the 'old' channels and then the channel display refreshes to show 0.65x. I'm using a Sharp D92.

I did a rescan last week, and still have my 89-90 channels. It is time consuming to delete the blank ones, so I'm not sure if I'll do another rescan for a while. I tried to select 0- channels tonight and got nothing.

I am in Denver and I found 0-247 today along with the 0-65x ones. I also lost all of my Spanish digital and music channels (Now I can't learn espanol from the tv :( )

The 89.x and 90.x channels still exist though...

I am in Denver and I found 0-247 today along with the 0-65x ones. I also lost all of my Spanish digital and music channels (Now I can't learn espanol from the tv :( )

The 89.x and 90.x channels still exist though...Did you re-scan or just input the channel numbers? I don't think my TV will ever process a 0-XXX input - it will accept it, but immediately go back to the previous channel, where if I input a non-existent channel with a different leading number (e.g., 5-432) it will take a few seconds before returning to the previous channel, as if it's actually checking to see if something is there.
Does anyone know anything about the QAM "standard", if there is one?

gakon: Actually, I rescanned. If I manually entered the numbers my Sony XBR would not display the channel (it DID appear to GO to the channel though, but nothing was displayed). After I rescanned, not only did it display the channel, but it also named it automatically (none of the other channels exhibit this behavior)

I don't post on here often, but I figure I'd share my experience. I live in Golden and I also lost the local channels at 89.1, etc. It happened at the same time it did for many of you. I have done several rescans but have had no luck in finding the channels again. I've also tried manually tuning to some of the channel numbers listed here and still haven't been able to find them.

I'm using a pretty low end Toshiba DLP HDTV so perhaps my QAM tuner isn't advanced enough to find the channels now. I don't really know what to do at this point.

Call Comcast. Aren't they required to provide the digital channels via QAM? See if they know what the channel numbers are.

You may have already done this, but have you gone through all of your digital channels to see if your TV may have re-mapped the "new" channels to something else?

Still nothing new in HR for me. I still have the 89- and 90- channels, and several rescans showed no obvious new channels. I'm waiting a few days before I take the time to delete the empty channels - I called Comcast yesterday and they were supposed to let me know when this reformatting was supposed to happen - we'll see if they get back to me.

Call Comcast. Aren't they required to provide the digital channels via QAM? See if they know what the channel numbers are.

You may have already done this, but have you gone through all of your digital channels to see if your TV may have re-mapped the "new" channels to something else?

Still nothing new in HR for me. I still have the 89- and 90- channels, and several rescans showed no obvious new channels. I'm waiting a few days before I take the time to delete the empty channels - I called Comcast yesterday and they were supposed to let me know when this reformatting was supposed to happen - we'll see if they get back to me.
I think there is a grey area of regulation that some says the local channels should not be encrypted. I don't think they have to be advertised, supported, and so forth to people who are not digital customers. The world may change in the future when the entire cable service is digital only.

I noticed CBS is now showing up as channel 4.1. When I try tuning to it with either of the old channel numbers, it instantly switches to 4.1 (instead of showing the interim 0.65x channel). Hopefully they will remap all of them to be their 'regular' channel numbers instead of using the 80s-100s or the 650+ numbers.

I saw a discussion on this earlier but it didn't look like anyone knew the answer so I'll bring it up again.

Anyone have any ideas if we will get the FSN Rocky Mountain HD before opening day? If not, anytime during the Rockies season?

I doubt there's a totally new channel just for 63 Rockies games. FSN-RM will probably make the games available to distributors, and Comcast may put them on the InHD channel as it does for Altitude - if there's no conflict. I wonder if any of the KTVD broadcasts will be in HD.

Did you see a schedule that showed which games were going to be in HD?

I just heard this on the radio.
The ESPN announced that the Rockies----because of their great ownership commitment---will have their games televised on ESPN HD this year.
Also, in recognition of the unbridled loyalty of the Rockies fan base, hot-dogs and beer prices will be reduced closer to normal street prices.
Asked how they would be able to justify the lowering of prices, Rockies management responded: “We think we made quite a bundle from dumb Rockies fans. We’ll give them a break this year.”

NOT!

OK - i rescanned my channels with my westinghouse lcds at work... they found KCNC-HD at 4-1 (I'm guessing a remapped 89-2) so if they are finally getting the PSIP (not sure if QAM uses this) correct - we should see the rest of the channels remapped next week. The channel had the correct call letters and guide info as well.

Rescan tonight in HR showed no changes. No response from my call to Comcast, either. Funny, I was holding my breath for that....

Ok, let me know if other's have noticed recently since Comcast changed up a few of the HD channels (i.e. added the channels to go quickly to On Demand stuff) -- that the compression is much higher.

I know that pixalation will occur but even Discovery HD is now starting to look worse than before. HBO is really bad sometimes -- I watched just a bit of War or Worlds last night and paused the DVR a few times during really blocky scenes -- its almost as though Comcast is compressing any fast or darker scenes even more than usual. Kind of defeats the purpose of having HD if it looks like crap.

Even the 9 News only looks good while the camera is on the news casters -- when the logo and graphics start moving around its like we went back to Atari level graphics. I know this has to be Comcast since just a few months back everything was much better. I have a Sony 40" V2500 that shows every flaw granted in a source.

Is it just me or has everyone else seen a drop in quality of signal recently from Comcast in the Denver/Aurora area?

I haven't noticed anything except the constant out-of-sync audio on TNT-HD. I'm not sure I can blame that on Comcast since all of the other channels appear fine. Next time I'm watching something with fast motion on a local channel I'll try to compare with the OTA broadcast.

Someone mentioned a while ago that whenever 9News switches cameras back to a "real" HD shot (either between HD cameras or from an SD shot back to an HD shot), the picture looks soft for a second, then sharpens. I continue to notice this, but I don't think it's the same thing you're describing.

I haven't noticed any problems with PQ lately. In fact, late last night I caught a bit of Alien Insect: Praying Mantis on DHDT and I was reminded of the amazing quality that HDTV can have. That is still the best HD I've ever seen.

BTW, does anybody know what the deal is with these "links" to On-Demand programming? When I first saw it a couple of weeks ago, I was hoping that it was a placeholder for a new channel. Now, I'm thinking it must be a way to gain some visibility for the On-Demand stuff. I never watch it because I always forget its there, but also because I can't stand how slow the system is. If the response time was like normal menus and channels, I'd check it out a lot more often.

Rescanned the channels - and only KCNC is remapping... Still hopeful though.

just got a new 37" LCD and went up to the comcast front to get a second box, this one not DVR like my primary one. as the not so kind woman at the counter unappologetically told me the additional box would be 4.95 plus a 6.00 HD signal fee, thus 11.00$ more per month.

when my current promo runs out in june, my bill will be thru the roof. tempted by a 7mbit dsl for 35$/month with quest i saw and then getting DirecTV. i really hate the way current hd-lite looks on D* (at least what little ive seen of it). i am praying that the mpeg4 conus signals will look closer to cable, then i'll jump ship. I think its more of a bitrate than downres issue. typical corporate stinginess

just got a new 37" LCD and went up to the comcast front to get a second box, this one not DVR like my primary one. as the not so kind woman at the counter unappologetically told me the additional box would be 4.95 plus a 6.00 HD signal fee, thus 11.00$ more per month.

when my current promo runs out in june, my bill will be thru the roof. tempted by a 7mbit dsl for 35$/month with quest i saw and then getting DirecTV. i really hate the way current hd-lite looks on D* (at least what little ive seen of it). i am praying that the mpeg4 conus signals will look closer to cable, then i'll jump ship. I think its more of a bitrate than downres issue. typical corporate stinginess

$6 HD fee? I think she was charging you wrong. I rent an HDTV receiver for ~$6.50 a month and there's just the one fee, not $4.95+$6.00.

$6 HD fee? I think she was charging you wrong. I rent an HDTV receiver for ~$6.50 a month and there's just the one fee, not $4.95+$6.00.
Not quite true. For a second box they charge you a fee for a second "digital outlet" which includes a non-HD box, plus a fee for the upgrade to the HD box. Last year these were $6.95 and $5.00, respectively, in Boulder. I think they went up but I don't recall the new rate. I went the cable-card route for my second TV, so I only paid the second "digital outlet" fee, since I don't have a box. But I don't have a program guide, and on-demand, etc.

Ah...well I don't have the digital package, just the lifeline package which adds like $3 to my internet bill. Of course the lifeline package includes the digital and HD feeds for locals (with no bogus 'HD fee'). That must be why I only have to pay $6.50 or $6.95 for the receiver. Fortunately, my other TVs have QAM tuners and I can watch the digital channels, HD channels and onDemand on them without any additional fees.


Fluffhead,

Does your new LCD have a QAM tuner? If so (and you don't need to have every digital channel on it), try just hooking it up directly to the cable. You'll have access to dozens of channels (analog, digital and HD) and won't have to pay ANY monthly fees. For onDemand stuff, you can start them on your other HD receiver and then view them on the LCD.

Anyone see MLB EI in the Denver area yet?

fluffhead,

I didn't know this but if you’re in Dish buy back promo check your bill.
My bill said 2 digital boxes.

I had only one HDDVR so I went in and got second SD box for free.

Anyone see MLB EI in the Denver area yet?
If you want MLB EI then you better get DirecTV. I called Comcast yesterday and was told that Comcast did not renew the contract. I seem to recall from reading elsewhere that DirecTV has what is essentially an exclusive deal with MLB at this point.

[Update]: Over on the programming thread it said that InDemand and MLB had reached a deal yesterday, so maybe it will be coming soon.

[Update 2]: I called Comcast and they said MLB EI would be available to order on Saturday. Don't know if the free preview will start before then.

My contact at Comcast said that the Rockies games are being broadcasted on INHD and watched them the other night on ch. 664. I was watching the SD on Fox Sports but didn't think to check INHD. However, I do know it was not listed on the guide as I would have seen it for sure. Did any one check this out? I'm assuming this will be for Home games only though.

My contact at Comcast said that the Rockies games are being broadcasted on INHD and watched them the other night on ch. 664. I was watching the SD on Fox Sports but didn't think to check INHD. However, I do know it was not listed on the guide as I would have seen it for sure. Did any one check this out? I'm assuming this will be for Home games only though.
The INHD channel was dead for me on Tuesday night. Perhaps related to an attempt to pass through the game. I didn't dwell on it at the time.

[Update]: My problem is a cable card authorization issue; I get 664 fine on the DVR in the other room, so if the game was one the other night I wouldn't have a clue.

My contact at Comcast said that the Rockies games are being broadcasted on INHD and watched them the other night on ch. 664. I was watching the SD on Fox Sports but didn't think to check INHD. However, I do know it was not listed on the guide as I would have seen it for sure. Did any one check this out? I'm assuming this will be for Home games only though.

True. I caught part of the game on INHD. It overrided the regular programming, which I rembember I was vaguely interested in. Game looked good.

So QAM is still only remapping 4-1... Does anyone know somewone inside Comcast to find out if they are going to remap all the local HDs???

Does anybody besides me have trouble getting 664 (INHD) with cable card? I get it just fine on the DVR but not with the CableCard.

KCNC-DT is no longer on 4.1, at least not for me. It's back at 89.2 (where it started). Other HD locals (save KTVD-DT) are still in the 0.65x range, and 0.247 also remains valid for KMGH's news channel.

I'm now getting strange behavior with respect to KCNCDT as well. Initially it had remapped to 0-654 and then to 4-1. Now neither of my TVs can pick it up anywhere. The strange thing is the tuner card in my htpc does pick it up at 89-2. But that number doesn't show up in the channel managers of either my Samsung or LG televisions. If I manually enter "89-2" my tuners automatically switch over to 0-652, which is KMGHDT.

Not sure what to make of this, fortunately I don't watch CBS much. Pretty irritating, though. Anybody else experiencing this?

Thanks,
Derek

CBS-HD is missing from my line up as well, even after a complete rescan, used to be at 4-1, not anymore, can't find it anywhere.
Bummer, wonder what the deal is.

CBS-HD is missing from my line up as well, even after a complete rescan, used to be at 4-1, not anymore, can't find it anywhere.
Bummer, wonder what the deal is.
I can get it on 89.2 on my Sony but it doesn't show up in my normal channel up/down sequence after I rescanned.

My contact at Comcast said that the Rockies games are being broadcasted on INHD and watched them the other night on ch. 664. I was watching the SD on Fox Sports but didn't think to check INHD. However, I do know it was not listed on the guide as I would have seen it for sure. Did any one check this out? I'm assuming this will be for Home games only though.

No game on INHD (664) last night, 4/17/07. ESPN had HD highlights from FSN Bay Area so the cameras are there. Get with it Comcast!

No game on INHD (664) last night, 4/17/07. ESPN had HD highlights from FSN Bay Area so the cameras are there. Get with it Comcast!
The FSN sport page has a schedule of April HD games on FSRM. There were only two: 4/2 and 4/30. If FSN doesn't provide it Comcast isn't going to have it. I guess we'll see on the 30th. I'm not sure I believe the 63 game claim in the press release; it would have to pick up dramatically in May.

Might as well post this; spent a ridiculous amount of time on it! The April 30th game at SF is listed on the guide. It must cost FSN some money to bring the signal back to Comcast here, but I'm glad they're doing it. On the other hand FSN HD Coors Field games are going back to the West Coast and elsewhere and not being shown here in HD. Go figure.

Bill

Check the official Rockies schedule:

http://mlb.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=col

You can see all games scheduled to be in HD on FSN Rocky Mountain. Though there are only two in April, the HD coverage picks up dramatically in May (11 games if I counted right).

Super! Thanks dvdmth. Didn't see the FSN HD's the last time I looked.

I'm now getting strange behavior with respect to KCNCDT as well. Initially it had remapped to 0-654 and then to 4-1. Now neither of my TVs can pick it up anywhere. The strange thing is the tuner card in my htpc does pick it up at 89-2. But that number doesn't show up in the channel managers of either my Samsung or LG televisions. If I manually enter "89-2" my tuners automatically switch over to 0-652, which is KMGHDT.

Not sure what to make of this, fortunately I don't watch CBS much. Pretty irritating, though. Anybody else experiencing this?

Thanks,
Derek

i'm seeing pretty much the same thing. i've got 3 hdtv's - the toshiba and samsung behave like you described above. i don't understand why my sony still tunes the old 89.2 type channels but not the 0-653 type. at least i can still tune KCNCDT with the sony.
can anyone explain this behavior? thanks.

.....chris

i'm seeing pretty much the same thing. i've got 3 hdtv's - the toshiba and samsung behave like you described above. i don't understand why my sony still tunes the old 89.2 type channels but not the 0-653 type. at least i can still tune KCNCDT with the sony.
can anyone explain this behavior? thanks.

.....chris
I can't explain it, but I would like to know in what general area you live. Also, do you get guide information on the 0-6XX channels on the Sammy and Toshiba? What about on the 89/90.X channels on the Sony?

unfortunately - it look like my old westinghouse lcds with the built in dvd player can't handle the 0-65x remapping... so I've lost all of my HD channels on these sets. I was really hoping the remapping to actual channel numbers was what we were headed for. I guess I have to wait and see what happens.

Louisville Comcast still has no KCNCDT (CBS-HD) I'm calling them today.

Comcast told me KCNCDT / CBS-HD should be on 0x654, no issues on there end.
The rep sent for a tech to come out to check your signal strength tomorrow.

I can't explain it, but I would like to know in what general area you live. Also, do you get guide information on the 0-6XX channels on the Sammy and Toshiba? What about on the 89/90.X channels on the Sony?

I'm in Longmont. By guide information, do you mean the TVGOS data? I don't have a cable box - this is all on the standard cable package.

I'm in Longmont. By guide information, do you mean the TVGOS data? I don't have a cable box - this is all on the standard cable package.
I think that's what I mean - I don't get that on my Samsung down here in HR, nor do I get the 0-6XX channels. This TV does not have a cable box (straight from the wall).

I can't explain it, but I would like to know in what general area you live. Also, do you get guide information on the 0-6XX channels on the Sammy and Toshiba? What about on the 89/90.X channels on the Sony?

The guide information comes through fine on Sharps. Also, both the 89/90.x and 0.6xx channels work. The 4.1 channel redirect stopped a week or so back.

Comcast told me KCNCDT / CBS-HD should be on 0x654, no issues on there end.
The rep sent for a tech to come out to check your signal strength tomorrow.

Can you tune to the other 0.xxx channels successfully? A week or so back, 0.654 was being shown as 4.1 on my Sharp...but now it stays at 0.654

Can you tune to the other 0.xxx channels successfully? A week or so back, 0.654 was being shown as 4.1 on my Sharp...but now it stays at 0.654

i can tune the other 0.6xx channels just fine. 0.654 displays nothing on the samsung and toshiba.

Just did a rescan last night.
Other 0.65x channels are fine, just no 0.654 or 4-1 any more.
Basic cable, no Set top Box.

I currently get the locals at the following channels:

KMGH-DT: 89.1 OR 0.652 (cable box: 652)
KCNC-DT: 89.2 only (cable box: 654)
KDVR-DT: 90.1 OR 0.655 (cable box: 655)
KUSA-DT: 90.2 OR 0.653 (cable box: 653)
KWGN-DT: 116.1 OR 0.656 (cable box: 656)
KRMA-DT: 116.2 OR 0.658 (cable box: 658)
KTVD-DT: 117.2 only (cable box: 657)

KMGH News: 105.1 OR 0.247 (cable box: 247)
KWGN Music: 100.2 only (cable box: 248)
KUSA Weather: 112.12 only (cable box: 249)

All 0.xxx channels show a channel name and (sometimes) a program title as well. Channels that don't have 0.xxx equivalents (including KCNC-DT) have no channel name, nor any program information.

My TV doesn't entirely like 0.xxx channels. It will tune to them and channel-up through them, but it won't channel-down (pressing channel down while on a 0.xxx channel sends the TV to either channel 99 or channel 78, for some crazy reason). Also, the channel number tends to flash at the upper-right corner during the tuning, as if the TV weren't exactly sure whether or not to accept the remapped channel number.

I remember once reading that if a digital channel is remapped to a virtual channel number, the major channel number (the one before the decimal point or dash) should be in the range 1 through 99, with the minor channel number (after the decimal point or dash) being in the range 1 through 1024. Apparently Comcast is using a major channel number of zero for these local channels. I guess that some TVs are better equipped to handle this condition than others.

Comcast tech came to our house yesterday, he verified we were not getting KCNC-DT on any digital channel (0-654, 4-1, or 89-2), he did not want to check the signal, since all the other digital channels were OK.
He had no resolution for me, he'll have to pass this info to his supervisor, we'll see what Happens next.

Comcast tech came to our house yesterday, he verified we were not getting KCNC-DT on any digital channel (0-654, 4-1, or 89-2), he did not want to check the signal, since all the other digital channels were OK.
He had no resolution for me, he'll have to pass this info to his supervisor, we'll see what Happens next.

I had a similar problem last year (but with a rented tuner, not the QAM tuner I'm using now). It was weird because nothing had changed hardware-wise and I'd been receiving the NBC HD station fine for two years. One day it disappeared a message appeared saying the channel would appear in a few minutes. I waited a few days and it never showed up. I called a couple times and they tried sending the signal to reauthorize the channel but nothing worked. Finally, they sent a tech out. The tech replaced all the connectors on my cables throughout the house and miraculously, that solved my problem. I guess there was a bad connector somewhere that was only preventing the signal from that one channel from coming through successfully. I guess it was at just the 'right' frequency to prevent the signal from that one channel from showing up.

So, try connecting your TV directly to the line coming to the house and skipping any splitters you might have. If that works, have them swap out the splitters or the connectors in the wall outlets and see if you can get the channel again.

I'm in Boulder, have Comcast basic and a Vizio 47" LCD.
I used to get 90.1, 89.2, 89.1, but after a rescan, those channel disappeared.
Now I have some 0.xxx channels that even work with the guide an provide programming
info.
But, I'm missing CBS HD now.
When I try to manually enter 90.1 (9 0 ENTER 1), it doesn't change the channel.
And, I can't manually go to the 0.xxx channels. I have to go to channel 2, then channel down to get to 0.xxx. Weird.

It's just not clear to me what HD and digital channels intends to provide via
Basic, and what just sort of works...

A call to Comcast says "You need an HDTV box." OK, sure, but what's supposed to work
with the QAM/ASTC tuner in my TV? Hard to know...

I currently get the locals at the following channels:

KMGH-DT: 89.1 OR 0.652 (cable box: 652)
KCNC-DT: 89.2 only (cable box: 654)
KDVR-DT: 90.1 OR 0.655 (cable box: 655)
KUSA-DT: 90.2 OR 0.653 (cable box: 653)
KWGN-DT: 116.1 OR 0.656 (cable box: 656)
KRMA-DT: 116.2 OR 0.658 (cable box: 658)
KTVD-DT: 117.2 only (cable box: 657)

KMGH News: 105.1 OR 0.247 (cable box: 247)
KWGN Music: 100.2 only (cable box: 248)
KUSA Weather: 112.12 only (cable box: 249)

All 0.xxx channels show a channel name and (sometimes) a program title as well. Channels that don't have 0.xxx equivalents (including KCNC-DT) have no channel name, nor any program information.

My TV doesn't entirely like 0.xxx channels. It will tune to them and channel-up through them, but it won't channel-down (pressing channel down while on a 0.xxx channel sends the TV to either channel 99 or channel 78, for some crazy reason). Also, the channel number tends to flash at the upper-right corner during the tuning, as if the TV weren't exactly sure whether or not to accept the remapped channel number.

I remember once reading that if a digital channel is remapped to a virtual channel number, the major channel number (the one before the decimal point or dash) should be in the range 1 through 99, with the minor channel number (after the decimal point or dash) being in the range 1 through 1024. Apparently Comcast is using a major channel number of zero for these local channels. I guess that some TVs are better equipped to handle this condition than others.Thank you for providing that list of local channels. I just downgraded to Basic cable, did a rescan with my TV's QAM tuner and had a hard time tracking some of this down.

Does anyone have a list of the national channels that you can get with Comcast Basic here in Denver? I'm especially looking for ESPN!

Thanks in advance.

~Mike

You can't get ESPN HD with Basic - you need to get a cable box or Cable Card.

I noticed today that the Nuggets game on Monday is scheduled on INHD, replacing the Rockies game at San Francisco. However, the Rockies game on Wednesday, previously not scheduled to be in HD, is now listed on INHD. It appears FSN must have changed which game would be telecast in HD in order to make way for the Nuggets. (This change is not reflected on the Rockies schedule page, at least not as of now.)

I noticed today that the Nuggets game on Monday is scheduled on INHD, replacing the Rockies game at San Francisco. However, the Rockies game on Wednesday, previously not scheduled to be in HD, is now listed on INHD. It appears FSN must have changed which game would be telecast in HD in order to make way for the Nuggets. (This change is not reflected on the Rockies schedule page, at least not as of now.)
On the broadcast they said it was moved to Wednesday because the HD truck that would have been used was diverted to cover a San Jose Sharks playoff game in HD instead.

On the broadcast they said it was moved to Wednesday because the HD truck that would have been used was diverted to cover a San Jose Sharks playoff game in HD instead.
It was on Comcast tonight, but they were about 45min late in throwing the switch. Picture was great, once it started. Game; well not a great outcome.

Has anyone received a new cable box, something better than the Moto Phase III? Just curious as there were rumors at one time of something better coming along.

Longmont Council to vote on Comcast contract
Here is the article:

http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?ID=16222

Does anyone know the outcome of the vote?

# Matt

Council approves Comcast contract

The Daily Times-Call

LONGMONT — Members of the Longmont City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved a two-year contract extension with cable provider Comcast but asked the company to address complaints about the number of trucks parking on city streets near its offices.

The council was asked to approve the two-year deal rather than a longer agreement to give officials the opportunity to revisit it and ensure Comcast makes promised improvements to its high-definition service.

Has anyone received a new cable box, something better than the Moto Phase III? Just curious as there were rumors at one time of something better coming along.
I have a DCT3416, which is a newer, all-digital version of the 6416 Phase III. I have had no major issues with it (except for one time when I had to reboot the box by pulling the plug, but that was way back in November when they were using firmware 12.31 instead of the currently deployed 16.20 firmware).

As of July 1st, Comcast (and all other cable companies) can no longer deploy the Motorola DCT series of cable boxes, due to a regulation prohibiting integrated security. At that time, Comcast will be deploying the Motorola DCH series boxes instead, which is basically the same as the current DCT series, but with CableCARD slots (for removable security, thus complying with the regulation). It remains to be seen how the DCH series will fare when compared against the current DCT models.

Comcast is also supposed to deploy a DVR made by Pace, which works very similar to the Motorola DVR but has a functional eSATA port, allowing for external HDD storage. The Pace boxes are already deployed by other companies, but as far as I know Comcast hasn't deployed any yet. Pace does have CableCARD-capable versions of their boxes, so there isn't an issue with the July 1st deadline.

I thought that there were some new boxes by Panasonic that were coming this year. Aren't they supposed to have three tuners, or something? Also, I thought that I saw that Samsung has a deal to supply Comcast with boxes later this year.

Here's the Samsung press release: Samsung Cable Boxes (http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/PressRelease/PressRelease.asp?seq=20060107_0000223794)

Here is the Panasonic announcement from last year: Panasonic Cable Boxes (http://www.cmcsk.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=147565&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=800562)

I thought that there were some new boxes by Panasonic that were coming this year. Aren't they supposed to have three tuners, or something? Also, I thought that I saw that Samsung has a deal to supply Comcast with boxes later this year.
Yeah, I forgot to mention the Panasonic DVR. It is my understanding that the Panasonic has only two "live" tuners (the third tuner is for recorded playback, which means that for all intents and purposes it works just like the current DVRs). In any case, I believe the Pace boxes are supposed to come out first, with the Panasonic boxes coming later (possibly not until next year, given how slow Comcast tends to operate).

I don't know about the Samsung boxes (this is the first time I heard about that).

If you're interested in the upcoming TiVo upgrade (which may come out this summer, though it keeps getting delayed so I wouldn't hold my breath), you'll want to stick with the Motorola DVR, even if another comes out. Right now, the TiVo software is only being ported to the Motorola boxes. Other DVR boxes will eventually get the software, but last I heard they haven't even started working on coding for them (I'd say it'll be at least a year, probably longer, before other DVR models see the TiVo upgrade).

If you're interested in the upcoming TiVo upgrade (which may come out this summer, though it keeps getting delayed so I wouldn't hold my breath), you'll want to stick with the Motorola DVR, even if another comes out. Right now, the TiVo software is only being ported to the Motorola boxes. Other DVR boxes will eventually get the software, but last I heard they haven't even started working on coding for them (I'd say it'll be at least a year, probably longer, before other DVR models see the TiVo upgrade).

I used to be interested in the TiVo software, but I think I heard the price several months ago. I don't recall how much it was, but I do remember thinking that it was too much. As much as I used to love my TiVo, I now think that the 6412's software is sufficient. I'm much more interested in having a more responsive box with a bigger (much) hard drive.

I used to be interested in the TiVo software, but I think I heard the price several months ago. I don't recall how much it was, but I do remember thinking that it was too much. As much as I used to love my TiVo, I now think that the 6412's software is sufficient. I'm much more interested in having a more responsive box with a bigger (much) hard drive.
The price of the TiVo software has never been set. If you heard a price, it was most likely speculation.

According to someone at Comcast, they are trying to get the eSATA port on the Motorola boxes working (he said they can get the box to format an external drive and to record to it, but the recording won't play back with the current firmware). If they ever do fix the code, a subsequent firmware update would enable eSATA and allow an external hard drive to be attached. Unfortunately, Motorola has not been exactly quick-moving when it comes to fixing bugs (I'm being very generous here), so I don't blame you at all if you're seeking another DVR with either a larger built-in HDD (like the Panasonic) or a working eSATA port for external storage (like the Pace).

Did anyone else get card in the mail to get more free digital boxes and or DVR today ?

For those of you using a Series 3 TIVO in Denver (I want to drop E*)

1. Are you able to get any cable HD channels "in the clear" with just basic (analog) cable? If so which ones?
2. Is guide info for local OTA digital channels free or does it require a subscription?
3. The main channel I don't want to lose when I leave E* is DiscoveryHD. What would be the least expensive way to keep this channel with Comcast? (I am already a Comcast Braodband subscriber and have basic analog cable to get the discount on broadband).

Thanks. I tried searching for this specific information but was not very successful.

For those of you using a Series 3 TIVO in Denver (I want to drop E*)

1. Are you able to get any cable HD channels "in the clear" with just basic (analog) cable? If so which ones?
2. Is guide info for local OTA digital channels free or does it require a subscription?
3. The main channel I don't want to lose when I leave E* is DiscoveryHD. What would be the least expensive way to keep this channel with Comcast? (I am already a Comcast Braodband subscriber and have basic analog cable to get the discount on broadband).

Thanks. I tried searching for this specific information but was not very successful.
I don't have a TiVo, but I'll try to answer:

1. Yes. All HD locals are available in the clear. However, some people here are reporting that they cannot get KCNC-DT (CBS-4), apparently due to some screwup in the QAM mapping. The channel numbers are as follows (they may vary depending on the tuner):

KMGH-DT: 89.1 or 0.652 (cable box 652)
KCNC-DT: 89.2 only (cable box 654)
KDVR-DT: 90.1 or 0.655 (cable box 655)
KUSA-DT: 90.2 or 0.653 (cable box 653)
KWGN-DT: 116.1 or 0.656 (cable box 656)
KRMA-DT: 116.2 or 0.658 (cable box 658 )
KTVD-DT: 117.2 only (cable box 657)

2. I'm not sure. My TV doesn't have guide features, although it does sometimes show the name of the current program (only on the 0.65x channels, though).

3. Discovery SD is in the basic package, but Discovery HD is not. You will need to subscribe to whatever package includes HD channels (I'm not up to speed on what packages are available), and you will need either a CableCARD or an HD cable box.

For those of you using a Series 3 TIVO in Denver (I want to drop E*)

1. Are you able to get any cable HD channels "in the clear" with just basic (analog) cable? If so which ones?
2. Is guide info for local OTA digital channels free or does it require a subscription?
3. The main channel I don't want to lose when I leave E* is DiscoveryHD. What would be the least expensive way to keep this channel with Comcast? (I am already a Comcast Braodband subscriber and have basic analog cable to get the discount on broadband).

Thanks. I tried searching for this specific information but was not very successful.
I don't have Comcast, so all I can answer is #2:

Guide data is part of the TiVo service, which is required for a Series 3 to do anything at all. $12.95/month if it's your first TiVo on your account, $6.95/month if it's an addition to your TiVo family.

How about the cost for Tivo if you had it before Directv took over do I still get the $6.95 price :)

Guide data is part of the TiVo service, which is required for a Series 3 to do anything at all. $12.95/month if it's your first TiVo...
Dang, I was hoping to buy one and just hook it up to my OTA antenna. Looks as though no one provides guide data free any longer. My old E* 811 receiver had free OTA guide data forever until a few months back when they removed if via FW update. More like a FW downgrade if you ask me :mad:

How about the cost for Tivo if you had it before Directv took over do I still get the $6.95 price :)
I'm assuming the smiley mean you know the answer, but just to be sure...

No, DirecTiVos are serviced by DirecTV, so if that's all you have, you won't have a TiVo account and your first TiVo will cost you $12.95/month.

jetlag - I know it's a drag to have to pay for the service, but at least TiVo does continually provide software updates for their product, so IMHO it's not completely unreasonable. A good chunk of that monthly fee, btw, goes directly to Tribune (the source of the guide data). There ain't no such thing as "free" guide data. (The cablecos and satellite companies build that cost into their monthly fee)

Thanks dr_mal. I am quite tired of E*, having them take back the PCIP data was the final straw although another biggie was loosing my NY CBS feed grrrrrr! I'm just evaluating my options and trying to find the least expensive/most reliable way to record OTA HD sans HTPC. I'm thinking Comcast may now be the better way to go plus a series 3 Tivo. Will look around a bit more first though.

A TiVo Series 3 is definitely NOT the cheapest way to go ($600+ up front *cough*) but it'll be one of the most reliable. It'll also work with Comcast analog/digital cable so you've got options beyond plain old OTA.

If you're looking for cheapest, the Comcast DVR is likely your best bet. I've had people here in the office who have switched from TiVo to Comcast's DVR and are OK with the experience. For your best bang for your buck, get whichever model it is that is apparently capable of getting the TiVo firmware/software added to it later this year.

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but it looks like ALL of the previously analog channels (2-78) are now being transmitted digitally. Before it was just the local stations in digital. My Moto box is receiving the digital versions now. I live in Arvada.

With the change, I'm now getting a not authorized message on some of them...

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but it looks like ALL of the previously analog channels (2-78) are now being transmitted digitally. Before it was just the local stations in digital. My Moto box is receiving the digital versions now. I live in Arvada.

With the change, I'm now getting a not authorized message on some of them...
Welcome to the club. All channels went digital here some time last year (Columbine area). When we got a DVR back in November, we were given a DCT-3416, which is all-digital.

Does anyone know if channel 5 from wy is on cable? Eagles hockey game is going to be on Saturday and I haven't heard if comcast is going to carry this signal.

I also noticed that the northern colo thread is gone.....

Does anyone know if channel 5 from wy is on cable? Eagles hockey game is going to be on Saturday and I haven't heard if comcast is going to carry this signal.

I also noticed that the northern colo thread is gone.....

Have not ever seen Channel 5 on Comcast. The Northern Colorado thread is here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=199726).

With a rooftop antenna, 5 comes in pretty well here in south Ft. Collins.

A TiVo Series 3 is definitely NOT the cheapest way to go ($600+ up front *cough*) but it'll be one of the most reliable. It'll also work with Comcast analog/digital cable so you've got options beyond plain old OTA.


Just an addition ... there is a $200 rebate on S3 TiVo due to begin on May 27.

Check out: http://www.dvrupgrade.com/dvr/stores/1/series3_rebate.cfm

Or the thread at: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=352577

# Matt

I lost CW HD and PBS HD around the time that .6xx channel appeared. I read a few pages back that it's at 0.656 and 0.658. I tried to tune to those channel by using the remote but it say there's no signal at those channels. Do I need to do a rescan to get those channels?

Now my own story with regard to CBS. It's all over the place on the Sony. It's always on 89.2 but some time it's also on 4.1 and 0.654. If I tune to 4.1 and 0.654 and there's no signal, I can tune to another channel then back to it repeatedly and it'll acquire a signal. This trick also seem to have a better chance of success with 0.654 than with 4.1. This is one of the reason why I've hesitate to do a rescan. I'm afraid that I'll lose CBS for good like some of the other people here.

Looks like as of today, comcast has removed MSNBC, CSPAN2 and TV Guide Channel from their analog channels here in the Arvada area. There is a slate on each channel saying the channel is now on their Digital Cable line-up and to call them to upgrade.

I called to find out how to get the channels back and was told I would have to pay $20 more per month for an upgraded digital package; I only get the standard 2-78 analog package and locals in HD right now on our main TV. They said I would also have to pay a $49 install fee and pay a rental fee for each new box for each TV I have.

Does this sound right or was I a victim of an untrained CSR?

Looks like as of today, comcast has removed MSNBC, CSPAN2 and TV Guide Channel from their analog channels here in the Arvada area. There is a slate on each channel saying the channel is now on their Digital Cable line-up and to call them to upgrade.

Sorry about not having an answer to your CSR question, but I do believe that these channels going digital is indicative of Comcast making room for more HD channels in the Denver area. I have heard that removing 1 analog channel creates room for 2 HD channels, thus giving us 6 possible new HD channels. This isn't that surprising as other Comcast areas have several HD channels we currently don't get in Denver, such as Food Network, HGTV, A&E, and National Geographic. Don't be surprised to see these channels pop up soon...

I would rather have the HD channels anyway so hopefully that's what they are doing. It would be nice to HDNET too!

I called back and I think I got a bad CSR the first time. I was told there is no extra charge except for the boxes.

I would rather have the HD channels anyway so hopefully that's what they are doing. It would be nice to HDNET too!

I called back and I think I got a bad CSR the first time. I was told there is no extra charge except for the boxes.
There's currently a special going on where you can get 2 digital boxes free for a year. This special (I believe) is aimed at clearing out their inventory of non-CableCARD boxes in anticipation of the July 1 deadline imposed by the FCC for separable security.

If your TV has a QAM tuner, you can still get the TV Guide Channel and C-SPAN2, at least right now (they are unencrypted). My TV finds TVGC at 82.8 and C-SPAN2 at 84.2, though I'm pretty sure these mappings vary from location to location. MSNBC's digital stream is encrypted, so a QAM tuner isn't enough to get that channel.

Anyone know if we can get a balegard card now for our QAM enabled TV's. I have tried the DVR for the second time and it is going back still to buggy.

Anyone know if we can get a balegard card now for our QAM enabled TV's. I have tried the DVR for the second time and it is going back still to buggy.
You can get one; my experience with it was mixed. When it worked it worked great but there were occasionally times when one particular channel would come in fine on the DVR unit but not on my other TV with the card. At some point they told me that to get the channel I was missing at the time (which was 664 which I wanted for the Rockies on FSN-HD) I would have to substitute the cable card for a box, for no charge. But then they hit my account with an additional $5.00/mo. So I complained and they gave me the second box free for a year, so I don't pay the $6.95 charge right now but do pay the $5 HD charge. I will go back to cable card some time before my 12 months is up. The support will have to be much better if all boxes will truly be using them for authorization.

You can get one; my experience with it was mixed. When it worked it worked great but there were occasionally times when one particular channel would come in fine on the DVR unit but not on my other TV with the card. At some point they told me that to get the channel I was missing at the time (which was 664 which I wanted for the Rockies on FSN-HD) I would have to substitute the cable card for a box, for no charge. But then they hit my account with an additional $5.00/mo. So I complained and they gave me the second box free for a year, so I don't pay the $6.95 charge right now but do pay the $5 HD charge. I will go back to cable card some time before my 12 months is up. The support will have to be much better if all boxes will truly be using them for authorization.
I think part of the reason for the FCC mandate is to avoid precisely this situation. There's no reason why anyone should ever need a cable box from the cable company to get any cable TV service - that's the whole point behind the CableCARDs in the first place. (Even VOD shouldn't require a box from the cable company, but that's another story.)

I lost CW HD and PBS HD around the time that .6xx channel appeared. I read a few pages back that it's at 0.656 and 0.658. I tried to tune to those channel by using the remote but it say there's no signal at those channels. Do I need to do a rescan to get those channels?

Now my own story with regard to CBS. It's all over the place on the Sony. It's always on 89.2 but some time it's also on 4.1 and 0.654. If I tune to 4.1 and 0.654 and there's no signal, I can tune to another channel then back to it repeatedly and it'll acquire a signal. This trick also seem to have a better chance of success with 0.654 than with 4.1. This is one of the reason why I've hesitate to do a rescan. I'm afraid that I'll lose CBS for good like some of the other people here.

Did anyone find out where CW HD went?

Did anyone find out where CW HD went?
My TV continues to find CW HD at 116.1 and at 0.656 (although others have had different results). I think what's confusing some TVs into not picking up some of the channels is the fact that the virtual "remapped" channel number starts with a zero.

Comcast has moved a couple of channels around at about the time MSNBC, TV Guide, and C-SPAN2 went digital only (and C-SPAN3 was added to the digital lineup BTW). However, this did not affect any HD channels - it only affected a small number of digital SD channels. Specifically, some channels that were at 83.x are now at 82.x and 118.x, thus leaving room at 83 for possibly (hopefully) a new HD channel.

... MSNBC, TV Guide, and C-SPAN2 went digital only (and C-SPAN3 was added to the digital lineup BTW).
Speaking of...where is C-SPAN2? I can't find it anywhere on my box. Do other Denverites have it? I have 1 and 3, but I just can't find 2.

Speaking of...where is C-SPAN2? I can't find it anywhere on my box. Do other Denverites have it? I have 1 and 3, but I just can't find 2.
Check on one of the 84.x channels.

Speaking of...where is C-SPAN2? I can't find it anywhere on my box. Do other Denverites have it? I have 1 and 3, but I just can't find 2.
If your box can't find C-SPAN2, it probably missed a signal or something that would've told the box where the channel is. You may want to call Comcast and see about getting a signal sent to the box to fix the problem.

If your box can't find C-SPAN2, it probably missed a signal or something that would've told the box where the channel is. You may want to call Comcast and see about getting a signal sent to the box to fix the problem.
Perhaps I misread the question, since I presumed a search for the QAM channel. I think it is on channel 62 if you have a box or cable card.

Perhaps I misread the question, since I presumed a search for the QAM channel. I think it is on channel 62 if you have a box or cable card.
My box has C-SPAN on 98 and C-SPAN2 on 96. My TV finds (analog) C-SPAN on both 57 and 98. Before it was removed, analog C-SPAN2 was on 96. The TV's QAM tuner gets C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 at 84.1 and 84.2, respectively.

The exact location of C-SPAN (and possibly S-CPAN2) can vary depending on where you live in the Denver area. If you go to Zap2It (or any other online TV listings site), you can choose between two Comcast lineups in the Denver area (one marked "Denver" and one marked "Suburbs"). For me, the "Suburbs" lineup best fits where the channels are located, but it's not 100% correct.

I am moving to Denver by the end of summer. I am used to TWC here in So Calif. Couple questions if you don't mind.
1) Which HD-DVR should I request? I am used to 2 tuners recording while being able to playback a previously recorded show.
2) Do all DVRs have HDMI outputs?
3) Any experience with Comcast vs DirectTV. I like having phone, internet and cable all in one. Plus I don't want HDlite.
4) Any promotions I should now about?

Thanks

I am moving to Denver by the end of summer. I am used to TWC here in So Calif. Couple questions if you don't mind.

3) Any experience with Comcast vs DirectTV. I like having phone, internet and cable all in one. Plus I don't want HDlite.


Thanks

Qwest (local phone company) has a resell agreement with DirectTV so you have an option that way to get phone, Internet, and cable all on one bill. Haven't checked, but may be more cost effective overall than Comca$h.

Welcome to the Front Range!

I am moving to Denver by the end of summer. I am used to TWC here in So Calif. Couple questions if you don't mind.
1) Which HD-DVR should I request? I am used to 2 tuners recording while being able to playback a previously recorded show.
2) Do all DVRs have HDMI outputs?
3) Any experience with Comcast vs DirectTV. I like having phone, internet and cable all in one. Plus I don't want HDlite.
4) Any promotions I should now about?

Thanks
1) Right now Comcast only offers the Motorola DVR; apparently the new ones are all digital. At some point there is alledged to be TIVO on it. There were rumored to be Panasonic and Samsung boxes on the way but I don't think they are here yet.
2) The one I have has DVI but not HDMI; I cannot speak for the newer ones.
3) You can get phone, Internet, and Cable from Comcast in most areas. The promo price is $99 for all three ($33 for each), but I don't know what cable package you get for the $33. Adding HD/DVR would no doubt be more. I don't know what you pay when the promo is over. I pay more than that just for cable and Internet without the promo (Internet is $42.95, TV is $80 something plus lots of taxes and fees.
4) They usually have promos that change frequently. Call ahead when it is closer to move time.

Thanks Mr HDJello.

Any word on Food HD, Natl Geo HD, HGTV-HD and A&E HD???? Seems like we're always last.

dave1216,

If you move into the Highlands Ranch/Lone Tree area south of Denver, you also have Qwest Choice VDSL TV available through the phone line. Go to http://www.qwest.com/vdsl/denver/TVpricing.html for info.

The newer Motorola DVR's have HDMI. My box is almost a year old & it has it.

If you move into the Highlands Ranch/Lone Tree area south of Denver, you also have Qwest Choice VDSL TV available through the phone line. Go to http://www.qwest.com/vdsl/denver/TVpricing.html for info.
Does Qwest Choice VDSL actually have any HD channels?

At any rate, it is a shame Qwest has not expanded that service into other parts of the Denver metro area. I wonder if they ever will.

4) Any promotions I should now about?
Although it may change by the time you get here, I think the current promotion is $24.99/month per service. HD and DVR probably extra.

Also, in reference to HDJello's response, it does not appear that Qwest VDSL has either HD or a DVR.

I sent you a PM as well.

http://tvlistings4.zap2it.com/partners/grid.asp?partner_id=qwestd

HD channels appear to start at #303, although I don't trust that guide. Qwest Choice TV does carry HD channels, there website sucks at updating so you will probably have to call them to get details about price and what channels they offer.

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,16007584

This website - www.qwest.com/residential/products/tv/DENVERchannels.pdf - is the latest listing of the current channels on Qwest VDSL. The listing for HD channels does not include KCNC so, as cjh404 said, the listing is probably not up to date. While some of my neighbors have VDSL, I have E* but I do use the VDSL for my internet connection. The advantage is that it is a separate line and no filters are needed on your land line phone.

Posted by HDJello:
At any rate, it is a shame Qwest has not expanded that service into other parts of the Denver metro area. I wonder if they ever will.

To the best of my knowledge, Qwest is only expanding the VDSL service in new construction residential areas, which appears to be limited to the burbs in and near Highlands Ranch/Lonetree. I don't believe they have any intention in the short term of adding it to any existing neighborhoods. I believe they notify potential new customers via mail when service is expanded. At least that's the info I've received in their bills. Their VDSL is in place in most of metro Phoenix and some of metro Omaha (if you consider Omaha a metro area!).

Thanks for all the info guys. In researching this before, it did seem Comcast was more expensive and a step behind TWC in channels and equipment. Just for comparison, I pay $150 total on my bill here. That includes Cable with HD package (ESPN , etc. plus HDNET which I don't think you get), HBO, DVR (with HDMI) , Phone (with long distance across the country) and internet

I will move to Denver no later than Sept 1. Please try to keep the cold away for awhile for this So Calif boy.

Dave

I noticed today that KRMA-DT moved from 0.658 to 6.1 on my TV's QAM tuner. Also, KRMA-DT2 is now at channel 245 on my cable box and at channel 116.3 on my TV.

I'm new to AVS forum and am glad it's here. For ten years we've had a problem with FX Network (channel 27). It is not in stereo, even though it is transmitted from FX in stereo. I'm hoping a tech prowls the group and knows the details about this. How do we finally get this in stereo? By going to Dish Network? I don't want to do that because I like On Demand. Anyway, thanks folks.

I noticed today that KRMA-DT moved from 0.658 to 6.1 on my TV's QAM tuner. Also, KRMA-DT2 is now at channel 245 on my cable box and at channel 116.3 on my TV.
On a similar note, I noticed that the Discovery channel moved from 11 to 16 on my 6412 DVR. I wonder if these moves mean that something is up. BTW, I would have thought that they would have sent a message about Discovery moving. That's a very popular channel.

On a similar note, I noticed that the Discovery channel moved from 11 to 16 on my 6412 DVR. I wonder if these moves mean that something is up. BTW, I would have thought that they would have sent a message about Discovery moving. That's a very popular channel.
I have absolutely no idea why they did that. All they did was move 11 to 16, 16 to 20, and 20 to 11, with no announcements or anything.

I have absolutely no idea why they did that. All they did was move 11 to 16, 16 to 20, and 20 to 11, with no announcements or anything.
They may be making a migration of the local broadcast chennels to the lower numbers (2-13) so they can offer a "lifeline" tier that requires no cable box and no QAM tuner, and start to go digital-only on the national cable channels. But it is a wild ass guess on my part.

I have been experiencing periodic picture and sound breakups lately and thought it was probably due to line problems. It was happening both on the 6412 and on my TV's QAM tuner. It was pretty much unwatchable because the breakups were coming every minute or less.

The first thing that I did was to remove the splitter and try the box by itself. Same problem. So, I called Comcast and scheduled a service call for tomorrow (Monday) afternoon. Last night, I thought that maybe the box was overheating, so I gave it considerably more room to breathe. Today, I haven't been seeing any breakups. I haven't checked the QAM tuner, but it is really odd that I was getting breakups on it (not going though the box). Maybe they did a repair for somebody else and it fixed my problem.

I want to cancel the service call, but I'd also like to know if these breakups were likely due to overheating? I hate to cancel only to have the breakups return in a day or two. On the other hand, it would be quite a coincidence.

The same thing has been happening here too. I've been thinking it was the box but now I think it's on the comcast side somewhere.

Major pixlization on just about all the ch's. The only channels that don't have it is the local digital ch's.

Timing is varied.

Thanks Couch. I couldn't get through to cancel the appointment, and that turns out to have been a good thing. The breakups are back. Not as bad as a few days ago, but still not good. I'll keep the appointment and see what they say.

I did check the box diagnostics screen, and it seems that my SNR is on the border of fair and poor.

Edit: The cable guy came out and found the problem. Somehow, the old Comcast Digital Phone box (which I haven't used for years) was causing the signal loss. He took that away and rewired and now everything is fine.

The same thing has been happening here too. I've been thinking it was the box but now I think it's on the comcast side somewhere.

Major pixlization on just about all the ch's. The only channels that don't have it is the local digital ch's.

Timing is varied.
Couch,

I had Comcast out again today because the breakup problems were back. They checked everything and there were no problems. Finally, they turned it over to a line tech who found a bad amp that was affecting a pretty good chunk of southwest Denver and (I think) neighboring Lakewood. If you are anywhere near Wadsworth and Hampden, then I hope this fixed your problem as well.

Nope, still having problems as of right now.

Funny thing was I thought I had found the problem with mine anyway. I noticed that when my audio rec. was on, it was causing the breakups & blockyness. As soon as I turned it off it would clearup. Turn it back on & it would come back. This was last night.

But today it's breaking up without the rec. on so I have no clues.:(


Oh, and I checked the SNR & signal strength & they are fine on both tuners.

Update: the breakups have pretty much gone now. Maybe a hickup now & then.


Also, there is a new mess. We have are supposed to have the NGC & A&E HD on 674 & 675.

I can't find them though.:(

I haven't had the TV on today, but I guess that A&E HD and NGC HD additions must be what the red light means today. New HD channels are always good news.

I read in some post that History Channel HD has shown up in On Demand in Baltimore. I meant to check last night to see if we have that yet. I watch a fair bit of History channel, so I'd like to see that have its own regular channel soon.

Glad to hear that your problem has been fixed.

I called Comcast and A&E and National Geo aren't coming until the 17th.

Thanks!

I called Comcast and A&E and National Geo aren't coming until the 17th.
Great, thanks for letting us know. BTW, both of those channels and The History Channel are currently available On Demand. Just a few items, but they are there. I watched a 6-minute piece of Dogfights in HD and it was incredible. Most of it was CGI, but even the interview with the pilot was stunningly good PQ.

I called Comcast and A&E and National Geo aren't coming until the 17th.

Guess my prediction was true. (Not that it was a stretch). Given that we lost 3 analog channels, more HD had to be on route. I only wish FoodHD was in this latest round instead of A&E, as it's a 24 hour HD lineup, IIRC. Hopefully it shows up soon!

You'd think that they would have put the dates in the message on the box. The last time we had a message the channel showed within the day. Not two weeks later!

Guess my prediction was true. (Not that it was a stretch). Given that we lost 3 analog channels, more HD had to be on route. I only wish FoodHD was in this latest round instead of A&E, as it's a 24 hour HD lineup, IIRC. Hopefully it shows up soon!

You'd think that they would have put the dates in the message on the box. The last time we had a message the channel showed within the day. Not two weeks later!
I'd like to see Food HD as well.

Sometimes in the past Comcast has added channels with no notification at all, or notification several weeks after the channel was added. This time it was bizarre.

Any word on the Panasonic version of the DVR. My 6412 is dying a slow, sad death this week, and I really don't want to use a 3412. It was a far worse machine than the 6412. ]

My machine is telling me it's 100% full when there are only 3-4 programs on the HD, most of which are SD. Any ideas for a fix in the meantime?

Any word on the Panasonic version of the DVR. My 6412 is dying a slow, sad death this week, and I really don't want to use a 3412. It was a far worse machine than the 6412. ]

My machine is telling me it's 100% full when there are only 3-4 programs on the HD, most of which are SD. Any ideas for a fix in the meantime?


Watch one of the shows & then delete it. Of if you don't care about somehing just delete it.

It should be OK then & not showw 100% full. Then record something for about 5 minutes. Keep that to delete the next time it happens.

Any word on the Panasonic version of the DVR. My 6412 is dying a slow, sad death this week, and I really don't want to use a 3412. It was a far worse machine than the 6412. ]

My machine is telling me it's 100% full when there are only 3-4 programs on the HD, most of which are SD. Any ideas for a fix in the meantime?

I've had this happen to me before. The solution was to delete one program. Once I did that, it recalculated accurately. Also, unplugging for a minute or so has cleared up other types of hard drive space issues I've had. Hope you find some relief.

Any word on the Panasonic version of the DVR. My 6412 is dying a slow, sad death this week, and I really don't want to use a 3412. It was a far worse machine than the 6412.
No word that I've heard. The tech that was at my house last week said he hadn't heard anything about new boxes. On the other hand, when I mentioned my QAM tuner he said, "What's QAM?" He was also convinced that my box needed to be replaced even though it turned out to be a problem with an amplifier quite a ways away. So, I think he isn't terribly conscientious about his job.

I live in Thornton, off of !-25 and 136th. Comcast was out digging in my back yard prior to the 4th. Didn't get the details as I was headed out for vacation, but they said couple of people in the neighborhood were having problems. The week before they were two houses up the street. Two weeks before that they were three houses up the road. Not sure whats going on but figured I'd put in on the record.

I'm currently subscribed to the analog "Expanded Basic" package, which allows my DVRs to get TV Guide data (TVGOS) from PBS channel 6 in Longmont. Comcast recently sent me an letter suggesting I upgrade to the digital "Starter" package for 1$ per month more than I pay now. They will also provide 2 digital receivers at no additional cost. Now this seems like a good idea, going from analog to digital, but I have a couple of questions.

1. will the TV Guide data still be available? I know that guide data is provided by Comcast, but it's not integrated with my TVs and DVRs like the TV Guide On Screen system is. It would be a big loss to me to lose the TVGOS signal. Perhaps Comcast still provides this analog signal along with the digital data? Does have experience with TVGOS on a digital package?

2. I can currently tune the local HD channels with my QAM TVs and DVR. Are the HD channels still available as unscrambled QAM channels as part of the digital lineup? Comcast doesn't make any reference to those channels in their lineup listings, probably because they want us to purchase the HD package.

Thanks!

Comcast recently sent me an letter suggesting I upgrade to the digital "Starter" package for 1$ per month more than I pay now. They will also provide 2 digital receivers at no additional cost.

I don't know the answer to your questions, but make sure you read the fine print closely before taking Comcast up on the upgrade.

I received a postcard offering free additional receivers, but buried in the fine print, there was a statement that the additional boxes were only free for 6 months, and would be billed at regular rates after that.

Heavens to Mergatroid!

My DVR 6412 problem, with the hard disk showing 100% full with ONE SD program saved, got worse as the week went on. So, yesterday I traded it for a 3416.

Oh Lord! Things went from bad to worse. The optical stereo input was cracked and wouldn't hold my cable. And the picture quality, without a digital hookup between DVR and TV, is dark and faint. Even with a digital connection (HDMI or 1394 IEEE), the image is dark compared with the 6412.

So, Comcast is coming out this afternoon to replace this box. I also see the old problem with picture jitters is still present in the full digital box, where movement is not fluid and moving images pop around the screen.

This makes me wonder. Do you think when we turn in our boxes, rather than servicing them, they simply send them right back out with the next sap who shows up at the office to swap boxes? I mean, the clerk never asked why I was returning my old box. How can they possibly repair the box if they don't know what's wrong?

What a poor business model. I hope they're not teaching this in MBA school.

I'm currently subscribed to the analog "Expanded Basic" package, which allows my DVRs to get TV Guide data (TVGOS) from PBS channel 6 in Longmont. Comcast recently sent me an letter suggesting I upgrade to the digital "Starter" package for 1$ per month more than I pay now. They will also provide 2 digital receivers at no additional cost. Now this seems like a good idea, going from analog to digital, but I have a couple of questions.

1. will the TV Guide data still be available? I know that guide data is provided by Comcast, but it's not integrated with my TVs and DVRs like the TV Guide On Screen system is. It would be a big loss to me to lose the TVGOS signal. Perhaps Comcast still provides this analog signal along with the digital data? Does have experience with TVGOS on a digital package?


Not sure about this one.


2. I can currently tune the local HD channels with my QAM TVs and DVR. Are the HD channels still available as unscrambled QAM channels as part of the digital lineup? Comcast doesn't make any reference to those channels in their lineup listings, probably because they want us to purchase the HD package.

Thanks!x


As of two months ago they were. Thats the last time I used my TVs QAM tuner and I was getting HD local as well as some unscrambled premium content.

Heavens to Mergatroid!Oh Lord! Things went from bad to worse. The optical stereo input was cracked and wouldn't hold my cable. And the picture quality, without a digital hookup between DVR and TV, is dark and faint. Even with a digital connection (HDMI or 1394 IEEE), the image is dark compared with the 6412.
This makes me wonder. Do you think when we turn in our boxes, rather than servicing them, they simply send them right back out with the next sap who shows up at the office to swap boxes? I mean, the clerk never asked why I was returning my old box. How can they possibly repair the box if they don't know what's wrong?
This is exactly why I got upset when they wanted to replace my box last week. The tech insisted that they try a new box, so he had to de-authorize my box. Supposedly, that meant that I couldn't get the old one back. I made them figure out a way because I didn't want to swap a box that I know is working (for now) for one that I don't know about.

Anyway, he said that the reason that I couldn't swap back was because once a box is de-authorized it goes to the shop for a check, and then back in the pool. So, apparently, they are supposed to be checked/fixed. I'm sure that they shortcut that process sometimes.

I don't know the answer to your questions, but make sure you read the fine print closely before taking Comcast up on the upgrade.

I received a postcard offering free additional receivers, but buried in the fine print, there was a statement that the additional boxes were only free for 6 months, and would be billed at regular rates after that.

Well, I looked at the fine print as you suggested, and you are correct. It says that regular equipment charges for each receiver apply after 1 year. The way they phrase it in the offer letter is misleading and seems a bit unethical.

After 24 years, between Jones Intercable, AT&T cable, and now Comcast, I give up. I threw in the towel yesterday and got DirecTV. They come out Sunday to install.

Here's my deal, for those interested. 250 channels (includes ALL the movie channels) + HD DVR + 3 SD boxes + Installation for $99.96/month. After all the discounts are gone in a year, it will coast $119.96. I will own the DVR. I will own all the equipment. And if I want OnDemand, I will simply subscribe to Netflix.

Sorry Comcast. But after using 20 DVR boxes in the last five years (that's right), you finally drove me away!

I will own the DVR. I will own all the equipment.
I thought D* had gone to an equipment lease model such that you no longer "owned" the receivers, etc.

My own biggest fear with D* is the HDlite service. I'm not sure I could tell on my current sets (a 1080i CRT that doesn't have more than the 1280 or so vertical lines anyway and a 720p LCD) but my next set will be at least 1080p and 120HZ so that may be more vulnerable.

Good luck.

My own biggest fear with D* is the HDlite service. I'm not sure I could tell on my current sets (a 1080i CRT that doesn't have more than the 1280 or so vertical lines anyway and a 720p LCD) but my next set will be at least 1080p and 120HZ so that may be more vulnerable.

You'll likely be able to tell on any set, not so much because of the resolution, but because of the pixellation on their MPEG-2 channels that comes from lower bandwidth. This may improve as they bring the new sats on line. If it does, Comcast and other cable providers will have something to worry about.

Endgadget has interesting information about the HDlite situation.

First, DirecTV is being sued for false advertising. It is a class action suit.

Second, DirecTV has sued Comcast alleging a libel of D*'s PQ. DirecTV is now MPEG4 technology. They just flew a new satellite in late May that is set to debut at the end of August, and will make 50 additional HD channels available to subscribers.

Third, they did an interesting interview with D*'s Chief Technology Officer in January. He says their MPEG4 1280 looks as good as the 1980. Time will tell.

I'm calling D* today to raise the issue. They don't install until Sunday. I will ask for a money back guarantee/get out of D* free card if I don't like the comparative PQ. If they are not willing to offer this, I am cancelling altogether.

I wish I could post the links, but apparently AVSforum does not allow that until one has posted at least five articles. I'm sure you all know about endgadget, and that's where to look for them.

Even so, it's an issue of a completely unstable cable tv DVR versus a bit less resolution. And I have an indoor UHF antenna, so local TV is still in pristine full-res.

Take it easy!


You'll likely be able to tell on any set, not so much because of the resolution, but because of the pixellation on their MPEG-2 channels that comes from lower bandwidth. This may improve as they bring the new sats on line. If it does, Comcast and other cable providers will have something to worry about.

Comcast Denver removed MSNBC from its analog line-up and moved it to digital only. Does anyone know what it's QAM channel assignment is? I've done a channel search to no avail. Is it possible they have it scrambled?

Thanks in advance

Comcast Denver removed MSNBC from its analog line-up and moved it to digital only. Does anyone know what it's QAM channel assignment is? I've done a channel search to no avail. Is it possible they have it scrambled?

Thanks in advance
I think it is on 103 (don't know the subchannel) and scrambled.

Hi,
I am in Lafayette/Louisville area. I swapped comcast Digital STB with their HDTV
STB (Without the DVR- ugly Moto one). But, the HDTV channels are not showing
up on Panasonic Plasma (PX series) as 720p or 1080i. When I check Picture
settings on my TV it is showing up as 480i for all HDTV channels.

My guess is that the TV is not getting digital feed. The STB comes with only
component video cable connection. So I used that to connect to my TV.


Can someone shed some light on what and where could be the problem ?

I want to try to solve this problem before I schedule a service call and dole
out a service charge for comcast.

Thanks,
MG

Your box must be set to output the right resolution. Press the power button on the front of the box to power it off. Then press the menu button on the box. Your TV should be on. You should get an on-screen menu that lists all the box configuration settings. Use the up/down/left/right arrow pad on the front of the box to navigate the settings options. The resolution options available to you will be 480i/480p/720p/1080i. You will use the left/right arrow buttons to toggle through the various resolutions.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

Thanks and I appreciate the help. I am not selecting the correct resolution and
also the correct input option on the TV side.

Thanks,
MG

Your box must be set to output the right resolution. Press the power button on the front of the box to power it off. Then press the menu button on the box. Your TV should be on. You should get an on-screen menu that lists all the box configuration settings. Use the up/down/left/right arrow pad on the front of the box to navigate the settings options. The resolution options available to you will be 480i/480p/720p/1080i. You will use the left/right arrow buttons to toggle through the various resolutions.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

Thanks and I appreciate the help. I am not selecting the correct resolution and
also the correct input option on the TV side.

Thanks,
MG
GeorgeAB's advice should have fixed the problem, I think. One other thing you should do is to set the 480 Override to off. I can't recall what that does, but you should do it. Oh, also make sure the box is set to output a 16:9 picture. I don't have mine on, but I think there is also an aspect ratio setting.

The component cables are fine for HD. It may be (as it was on my previous Samsung DLP) that you have one or more component connections on the TV that don't work above 480p. Look closely at the TV connectors to see if they are labeled in a way that indicates the resolutions that they will accept.

BTW, you said that the TV is saying the resolution is 480i. I assume that also means you are seeing a 4:3 image instead of 16:9, right?

National Geographic HD and A&E HD are up and running! They are on channels 674 and 675 just like expected.

Hello,

I am in the Parker area using comcast cable. I just purchased a sharp lc32d62u tv. I am also a comcast digital cable subscriber. Is there a listing for the digital channels I am now receiving, like 80.3 or whatever, and will I be able to receive broadcast hd signals like nbc and cbs in hd without a cable box?

Thanks

I don't believe there is an official channel listing. It may even vary by area. Some locations (downtown and further north) seem to be getting channels similar to 0-653 (653 is the cable box channel for KUSA HD), but I don't seem to get those in HR (my TV won't handle 0-### as a valid channel). Unfortunately for me, those channels appear to get program information (title, time remaining, etc.). The listing I've attached does not include those channels since I don't receive them.

You will be able to get all of the local HD channels via QAM - mostly 89 and 90, but some higher up. I have not checked this in a while, so there may be some errors.

Thanks a ton for the list. Guess i just have to spend some time and crawl through the listing to see if they work for me. Also, happen to know the channel for hd - max (cinemax?) ? I get it free from cable box for some reason.

Interesting thing this morning in loveland is that 0.XXX channels went away....hmm

Hello,

I am in the Parker area using comcast cable. I just purchased a sharp lc32d62u tv. I am also a comcast digital cable subscriber. Is there a listing for the digital channels I am now receiving, like 80.3 or whatever, and will I be able to receive broadcast hd signals like nbc and cbs in hd without a cable box?

Thanks

If you look earlier in this thread, there's a PDF of the listings. Things have changed slightly since then but for the most part, it's accurate.

Be sure you tune to the HD versions of the local channels. Your tuner will also find the analog and SD digital versions. When I first got my D92, I was unimpressed with the picture...but the next day I found the HD channels. :-)

You should get about 20 music channels, 20 cable channels and ~40 onDemand/PPV channels.

Has anyone had problems with the digital channels pixelating (blocking) when it is hot outside? I'm in Thornton and it seems that around 10am to 9pm all of my digital channels are unwatchable due to this. It was not a problem during the winter months. My broadband internet also seems to slow at the same time.

Just go back one page.

Has anyone had problems with the digital channels pixelating (blocking) when it is hot outside? I'm in Thornton and it seems that around 10am to 9pm all of my digital channels are unwatchable due to this. It was not a problem during the winter months. My broadband internet also seems to slow at the same time.

I haven't had this problem here but I did when I was in LA. Every summer the picture had a lot of snow (things were more analog back then). The problem is that heat expands the shield of the 'F' connector on the coax allowing electric interference to get into the coax and screws up the signal.
When the sun goes down and it cools off, the metal contracts, tightening the connection and improving reception. I would have the cable company come out every summer and replace the connectors at each end of the drop - at the pole and at the house. The fix would last about a year, then the expansion/contraction of the metal would finally make the connectors fail and they would be replaced again the next year.

I think Comcast today has better connectors but yours may be old and just may need replacing.
Have them come out and replace them. Don't take 'no' for an answer.

One important fact to remember is heat causes signal attenuation on wires. This means the hotter the cables are the less signal you will see at your box. Digital cable has a much tighter low/high window then analog signals do. If your cable was installed in the winter on a very cold day, and the signal (generic term since each frequency can be slightly different signal strength) was just barely above the low level, then when it gets hotter the signal may dip enough to start dropping your digital connection. Also the techs meters vary and some of them cannot test every frequency and this may mean that some of the bandwidth has good signal strength and some doesn't.

The other posters are correct to look for physical issues like loose connectors, or poorly spliced lines. If this doesn't fix it, wait for a very hot day and schedule a call, if you are lucky they will spot the problem in the signal and fix it by boosting the line. The only issue with that solution is if they boost it for high temps, you may get to "hot" a signal when the weather turns cold. Some people add a unneeded splitter to thier cables in winter to reduce the signal level, and remove it in summer to boost the signal level.


What to try:
1. Look for loose connections.
2. Remove any splitters in your house to see if that improves the problem.
3. Swap cables with other TV to see if that helps
4. Get them to test your lines on a hot day.

if #2 fixes the problem then you need your signal boosted.

Benzyl

Thanks a ton for the list. Guess i just have to spend some time and crawl through the listing to see if they work for me. Also, happen to know the channel for hd - max (cinemax?) ? I get it free from cable box for some reason.
I get MAXe for free too and I have Basic service. It's on 109.2 for me.

One important fact to remember is heat causes signal attenuation on wires. This means the hotter the cables are the less signal you will see at your box. Digital cable has a much tighter low/high window then analog signals do. If your cable was installed in the winter on a very cold day, and the signal (generic term since each frequency can be slightly different signal strength) was just barely above the low level, then when it gets hotter the signal may dip enough to start dropping your digital connection. Also the techs meters vary and some of them cannot test every frequency and this may mean that some of the bandwidth has good signal strength and some doesn't.

The other posters are correct to look for physical issues like loose connectors, or poorly spliced lines. If this doesn't fix it, wait for a very hot day and schedule a call, if you are lucky they will spot the problem in the signal and fix it by boosting the line. The only issue with that solution is if they boost it for high temps, you may get to "hot" a signal when the weather turns cold. Some people add a unneeded splitter to thier cables in winter to reduce the signal level, and remove it in summer to boost the signal level.


What to try:
1. Look for loose connections.
2. Remove any splitters in your house to see if that improves the problem.
3. Swap cables with other TV to see if that helps
4. Get them to test your lines on a hot day.

if #2 fixes the problem then you need your signal boosted.

Benzyl


How does go about finding their signal info and then requesting a boost if necessary. I have pretty much read this whole thread, so if I have missed that info I apologize for the repeat

Thanks

How does go about finding their signal info and then requesting a boost if necessary. I have pretty much read this whole thread, so if I have missed that info I apologize for the repeat

Thanks
The best way is to have a Comcast technician investigate the problem. They can install an in-line amplifier if necessary or have a line tech resolve an upstream problem. I had an amplifier at the apartment I just moved from because the building was wired with RG58 internally, so there was too much loss on the high frequencies. Or maybe you could just have an old splitter that cuts off below 1000 MHz.

You can get some idea by turning off the Motorola box with the remote and then hitting the 'OK/Select' button. You then get a diagnostics screen. Scroll down to d0-4 Inband Status, and you see displays for Tuner 1 and Tuner 2 (Tuner 2 will be Not available if you don't have a DVR). The key thing here is SNR, which is Signal to Noise Ratio. It is a number (in dB) and a descriptive word. Mine is currently 35.9 dB / GOOD, on 654 (KCNC-DT). The lower the number the worse it is. I don't remember what my bad numbers were before, but I think it was like below 31 dB. If you have a bad signal you should call Comcast. Maybe they'll fix it on the 3rd or 4th visit :eek:.

National Geographic HD and A&E HD are up and running! They are on channels 674 and 675 just like expected.

niice!

How does go about finding their signal info and then requesting a boost if necessary. I have pretty much read this whole thread, so if I have missed that info I apologize for the repeat

Thanks


The only way to be confident in the signal strength is to get a meter on your line. That basically means getting Comcast out on a service call. I do not know the signal ranges for these boxes, but if you can get that information and can find someone with the correct meter (not a common item) you could test it yourself.

HDJello is right you can get an idea about the signal strength from the box, but I have no idea what frequency that signal refers to or if it is just overall strength. This number might be perfectly fine, but the specific signal you need for the digital feed may not be as good.

Benzyl

Interesting thing this morning in loveland is that 0.XXX channels went away....hmm
I'm in Boulder, and the 0.xxx HD channels went away here, too.
Now, I can seem to find the NBC, ABC, CBS HD channels on my Vizio 47" LCD tuner.

Is there an "official" story from Comcast about which HD channels are included in
basic cable, tunable without a Comcast set-top box?
-Wayne

Yep I have tried almost everyday to get the 0.xxx back to no avail.

What I can't understand is my Mits TV has this problem but my sony dvr in another room does not.....go figure......maybe a signal level problem.

HDJello is right you can get an idea about the signal strength from the box, but I have no idea what frequency that signal refers to or if it is just overall strength. This number might be perfectly fine, but the specific signal you need for the digital feed may not be as good.
Benzyl

The frequency is for the currently-tuned channel. When I had the problem when I went into the channels with the higher analog frequencies the SNR went down. Back in the days when KCNC-DT was on 18.1 I never had a problem with it because the older cable passed the lower frequencies through without substantial loss.

Anyway, it is still only an indication and a tech with a meter is the right way to go.

The frequency is for the currently-tuned channel.
Interesting. According to the tech that was at my house recently, the worst digital channels are a couple of HBO's (I think 550 and 551). Those, he said, are usually the first to show problems with low signals. So, if you get HBO, those would be the channels to set the tuners on before going to the diagnostic menu.

I'm in Boulder, and the 0.xxx HD channels went away here, too.
Now, I can seem to find the NBC, ABC, CBS HD channels on my Vizio 47" LCD tuner.

Is there an "official" story from Comcast about which HD channels are included in
basic cable, tunable without a Comcast set-top box?
-Wayne

I'm in Boulder as well, but still have the five 0-xxx QAM channels (ABC, NBC, FOX, PBS, CW) on the Samsung and the LG, plus MYNetwork at 117-1. My htpc tuner still reads the 0-xxx channels as their original numbers (don't remember what they are off the top of my head).

I still can't get CBS-HD on either TV, but my htpc tuner picks it up at its original number. 89-2 or 91-2 I think?

My recollection with respect to Comcast is that very few people there will acknowledge the existence of QAM, much less tell you how to use it.

Derek

Edit: The CW vanished last night from my TVs, not sure about the htpc. Strange.

I've been looking at building a new system to handle HD content (250 hauppauge with BeyondTV now). It sounds like Comcast puts out several channels in Clear QAM. What is the tuner of choice for these / recording software?

It seems like the 1600 series will do it, but only with the bundled (crappy) software. The silicon dust seems to handle it better?

Can I rent the Comcast set top box tuner and use a firewire (1394) port to capture the streams? I read this was possible in the past, but the posts I found seemed to end around 2006.

Thanks!

--eric in North Boulder

Can I rent the Comcast set top box tuner and use a firewire (1394) port to capture the streams? I read this was possible in the past, but the posts I found seemed to end around 2006.

Thanks!

--eric in North Boulder

Last time I tried was ~6 months ago and it worked fine. IIRC, it is a requirement that the firewire port work.

Firewire streams live well. But when playing back recorded programs, the sound gets ahead of the image in the data stream. When I called to complain, Comcast said they don't support this connector on the box. It's a shame, because it easily delivers the clearest, sharpest, most vivid picture to my TV.

On Zdnet, I saw a free piece of software the other day that deletes (http://content.zdnet.com/2346-12691_22-95490-9.html) crapware. It might be worth a try.





I've been looking at building a new system to handle HD content (250 hauppauge with BeyondTV now). It sounds like Comcast puts out several channels in Clear QAM. What is the tuner of choice for these / recording software?

It seems like the 1600 series will do it, but only with the bundled (crappy) software. The silicon dust seems to handle it better?

Can I rent the Comcast set top box tuner and use a firewire (1394) port to capture the streams? I read this was possible in the past, but the posts I found seemed to end around 2006.

Thanks!

--eric in North Boulder

Sorry if this has been discussed already, but I haven't had a chance to read through all 90 pages of this thread. I just got Comcast's HD lineup, however the HD channels show up letterboxed on my widescreen HD monitor. I tried the HD Zoom button on the remote, but it does nothing. Does Comcast broadcast their HD channels compressed without using the full screen? I have to zoom my TV like I've been doing with letterboxed widescreen programs on non-HD programs. Is this the same as everyone gets? It's so bad that I couldn't even read some Jeapordy answers in zoomed HD channel 653 since the print was so small! I went back the non-HD channel 7 and was able to make out the answers.

Anybody know if all the local OTA ATSC HD channels broadcast using the entire sreen of a widescreen TV?

Sorry if this has been discussed already, but I haven't had a chance to read through all 90 pages of this thread. I just got Comcast's HD lineup, however the HD channels show up letterboxed on my widescreen HD monitor. I tried the HD Zoom button on the remote, but it does nothing. Does Comcast broadcast their HD channels compressed without using the full screen? I have to zoom my TV like I've been doing with letterboxed widescreen programs on non-HD programs. Is this the same as everyone gets? It's so bad that I couldn't even read some Jeapordy answers in zoomed HD channel 653 since the print was so small! I went back the non-HD channel 7 and was able to make out the answers.

Anybody know if all the local OTA ATSC HD channels broadcast using the entire sreen of a widescreen TV?

I would check your tv settings and make sure what screen settings you are using. For example, my tv has Theater Wide 1, 2, & 3 and then full, etc. You shouldn't have to zoom the cable box (at least I don't.....). For SD programs I use Theater Wide 1 which zooms full but not so the pic is squatty, but makes it 16x9 rather than 4x3. For HD programs it defaults to full.

Your cable box must not be set to output the right aspect ratio. Press the power button on the front of the box to power it off. Then press the menu button on the box. Your TV needs to be on. You should get an on-screen box menu that lists all the configuration settings. Use the up/down/left/right arrow pad on the front of the box to navigate the settings options. The TV type or screen aspect ratio is one of the options. You will use the left/right arrow buttons to toggle between the choices under each option.

My HD DVR will revert back to 4:3 and 480i settings on its own some times, requiring me to re-configure the settings. I would rather put up with this and keep my saved programs on the hard drive than swap it for another box.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

Peers,

I copy non-encrypted programs for archiving nearly every week to hard disks using the firewire port. I have had 2 6412's and a 6416. The first 6412 which I got in Nov '06 and exchanged after several problems a couple of months ago copied ok about 60% of the time -- only way to be sure was copy and then check. I have only copied recorded programs, nothing live. The newer 6412 and the 6416 have never failed (yet). Check out this thread which is updated periodically:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=403695&perpage=20&pagenumber=1

Good luck.

Bill

Your cable box must not be set to output the right aspect ratio. Press the power button on the front of the box to power it off. Then press the menu button on the box. Your TV needs to be on. You should get an on-screen box menu that lists all the configuration settings. Use the up/down/left/right arrow pad on the front of the box to navigate the settings options. The TV type or screen aspect ratio is one of the options. You will use the left/right arrow buttons to toggle between the choices under each option.


I did the above and it is properly set to 16:9. By the way, you can use the menu button and the arrow buttons on the remote to change the configurations with the power off.

Well, I've noticed that whenever my cable box is off, I have a faint snow 4:3 with black bars to the side. So I started thinking - the cable box is routed via coax to my VCR, then to the TV. So I thought, maybe the VCR is forcing it to 4:3, and cabled it directly from box to TV, bypassing the VCR, but no luck - same problem. I even tried all the different coax inputs on my TV without luck. Then I noticed the 2 rows of Y/Pb/Pr/L/R marked for "HD/DVD IN", of which one is hooked up to my DVD player. So I disconnected the cables from my DVD and connected them to the cable box, and bingo, I now get full screen HD! Plus the sound is no longer so attenuated with coax. Now I just need to buy another Y/Pb/Pr cable for my DVD player, although I rarely watch DVDs. The one from my DVD player (which was actually a cheapo non-progressive scan Comcast freebee for suscribing to digital cable years ago), is actually a 3-in-1 video (yellow) + L/R (white/red) combo cable that I figured out I could use with the Y/Pb/Pr and another set of audio cables for better picture quality from my DVD. Are there supposed to be special cables for Y/Pb/Pr, or can one simply use regular RCA cables as I've done? The other thing is that my DVD player component outputs are labelled Y/U/V instead of Y/Pb/Pr, but I figured out the correspondence between the two and the picture seems to be ok. Is there any difference between Y/U/V and Y/Pb/Pr?

Comcast should have given you a set of component cables with your box.

I got a set with my box.

And no, RCA cables are not like component.

Gee, it didn't occur to me that you didn't even know how to connect the box properly to your HDTV! Did you ever read your TV manual for the connection instructions? It would have instructed you to use an HD compatible interconnection method from an HD cable box.

RCA is not a cable type. It's a plug and jack type. You need 75 Ohm cables for carrying video properly. Audio cables are not usually 75 Ohm. Don't use the ultra skinny, yellow-tipped, video cables that come with devices from some manufacturers. Use true component video cables, or three 75 Ohm (yellow RCA plugs) composite video cables.

National Geographic HD and A&E HD are up and running! They are on channels 674 and 675 just like expected.Does anyone know what the QAM channel is for these?

Those will not be available on QAM. Comcast only passes the locals in HD via QAM; not TNT, DISC, ESPN, or any of the other "cable" channels, premium or not. I could be wrong (in fact, I'd like it if I were), but previous scans on my Samsung LNS4096 have never turned up anything but the locals.

You may occasionally find an On-Demand channel in HD, but that's a random occurrence.

I just got a new HDTV with a QAM tuner. My initial digital scan gets me about 50 digital video channels. These include mostly channels I already get, the local HD broadcast stations, Cinemax HD, plus I get about 20 digital music channels. I only subscribe to the analog cable service.

Can anyone tell me if PSIP data is included with unscrambled local QAM channels on Comcast? I want to buy a TiVo HD, and would rather not get cable cards from Comcast or pay for digital cable at all. The TiVo can find QAM channels if they include PSIP program information.

Just the local HD channels are good enough for me. I called Comcast and for me to watch local HD channels they say I should upgrade to a digital package and pay for cable cards or for their crappy DVR. They aren't exactly a willing partner to help me figure this out.

In Boulder you might be able to get PSIP data. I don't know if it's supposed to be included on QAM channels, but some people seem to be getting the guide info, especially in areas north of Denver. See post 2664 on the previous page.

Thanks - I read that post but all it says is that the channels are available - does this configuration imply that the PSIP guide info is available as well? Lack of PSIP data would make the TiVo HD unable to search for future programs, which is a key advantage of the TiVo.

Thanks - I read that post but all it says is that the channels are available - does this configuration imply that the PSIP guide info is available as well? Lack of PSIP data would make the TiVo HD unable to search for future programs, which is a key advantage of the TiVo.

The PSIP information is available on some of the HD locals but not all of them. There are dozens of other non-HD QAM channels that you can get which don't have any PSIP information (onDemand, music channels, etc.).

The PSIP information is available on some of the HD locals but not all of them. There are dozens of other non-HD QAM channels that you can get which don't have any PSIP information (onDemand, music channels, etc.).
Ok thanks for the information! Can you be more specific? Which HD QAM channels do have PSIP information? Mostly I'm interested in the HD locals, so I'm very interested in which ones Comcast propagates PSIP information for and which it doesn't. Also, do the HD locals get included with your cable regardless of what package you subscribe to? Only if you have some digital service like internet or digital cable? Thanks....

Eric,

If all you want is local HD and have ATSC/QAM built into your TV, you don't need Comcast or a satellite service at all. Televisions can still receive signals over the air. Hopefully I'm not talking down to you, but people have received TV through cable for so long that some are genuinely not aware of this.

You can pretty much buy an indoor UHF antenna for less than $20. I've seen them everywhere, in places like Radio Shack and Wal Mart. Some are the simple loop antenna. Some are more directional, and resemble a rooftop antenna. You may even have an old pair of rabbit ears/loop antenna somewhere in storage. That will work, too.

In any event, all you need to do is connect the antenna to your TV and follow the instructions in your TV manual for setting it up to receive OTA. You'll be running it in no time. For maximum effect, if it's a directional antenna, be sure to aim it towards downtown.

The big drawback is there is no way to record programs OTA without something like a TIVO Series 3. I still don't understand why we don't have OTA recorders, yet. It is nonsense to keep paying (soon to be $15) each month to record programs on a DVR.


Can anyone tell me if PSIP data is included with unscrambled local QAM channels on Comcast? I want to buy a TiVo HD, and would rather not get cable cards from Comcast or pay for digital cable at all. The TiVo can find QAM channels if they include PSIP program information.

Just the local HD channels are good enough for me. I called Comcast and for me to watch local HD channels they say I should upgrade to a digital package and pay for cable cards or for their crappy DVR. They aren't exactly a willing partner to help me figure this out.

Eric,

If all you want is local HD and have ATSC/QAM built into your TV, you don't need Comcast or a satellite service at all. Televisions can still receive signals over the air. Hopefully I'm not talking down to you, but people have received TV through cable for so long that some are genuinely not aware of this.

You can pretty much buy an indoor UHF antenna for less than $20. I've seen them everywhere, in places like Radio Shack and Wal Mart. Some are the simple loop antenna. Some are more directional, and resemble a rooftop antenna. You may even have an old pair of rabbit ears/loop antenna somewhere in storage. That will work, too.

In any event, all you need to do is connect the antenna to your TV and follow the instructions in your TV manual for setting it up to receive OTA. You'll be running it in no time. For maximum effect, if it's a directional antenna, be sure to aim it towards downtown.



Some of us live in the mountains and are lucky/unlucky enough to not have a view of downtown or the towers on Lookout Mountain.

The lifeline cable service available with my internet connection is a lot cheaper than the 300+ foot tower I'd have to build to put that $20 antenna on. :p

Eric,

If all you want is local HD and have ATSC/QAM built into your TV, you don't need Comcast or a satellite service at all. Televisions can still receive signals over the air. Hopefully I'm not talking down to you, but people have received TV through cable for so long that some are genuinely not aware of this.
I do realize that QAM HD (and for now analog locals) is available over the air. My TV does not decode QAM HD however. So in addition to the antenna I need a box to decode it. The TiVo HD I'm interested in does that function (and I'm a TiVo guy and would much rather have one of those than any other box I've read about). I already own a cheap HD antenna (still in the box, unused), but it's indoor directional and I've read that Fox broadcasts (and possibly other local HD QAM) are not coming from the same location as the other free HD broadcasts. There isn't physically much space for me to be futzing around with the direction of an antenna near the TV and besides that reduces the usefulness of the TiVo which will record things I'm interested in while I'm not around.

Anyway, this all makes me think that if the additional signal I want (HD locals) is already included with my Comcast service I would much rather make use of that than use OTA.

I'm still very interested in which local HD QAM channels supplied by Comcast do have PSIP information and whether the HD locals get included with all Comcast packages. Right now I have Expanded Basic (no digital package).

eric74,
I'm not sure what you saying in your last post, but QAM is a modulation used by cable companies only. QAM signals are not transmitted over the air (OTA). If your TV has an ATSC tuner, it can receive the HD signals OTA without the need for an additional box. Just plug the antenna into the back of the TV and do a channel scan. But, from your location, you probably will only receive channels 2 and 31 with an indoor antenna.

I'm still very interested in which local HD QAM channels supplied by Comcast do have PSIP information and whether the HD locals get included with all Comcast packages. Right now I have Expanded Basic (no digital package).
Comcast provides all of the HD locals they provide on the cable in QAM unencrypted. So with Expanded basic or even "life line" they would be there. However, they are not officially supported in a sense, so that if you have problems they many not come out and help you. And they tend to move them around on the frequency spectrum from time to time without warning, so you might temporarily lose them.

I do not know what PSIP information (and I gather you are mostly interested in program guide data) is available and don't know how to find out with equipment I have.

eric74,
I'm not sure what you saying in your last post, but QAM is a modulation used by cable companies only. QAM signals are not transmitted over the air (OTA). If your TV has an ATSC tuner, it can receive the HD signals OTA without the need for an additional box. Just plug the antenna into the back of the TV and do a channel scan. But, from your location, you probably will only receive channels 2 and 31 with an indoor antenna.
I guess I got my terminology wrong. My TV does not have an ATSC tuner (Samsung HLP4674W). The PSIP information within the QAM HD channels is necessary for the TiVo to "remap" them on top of the analog locals. The TiVo is able to record unencrypted QAM HD channels without PSIP, but only acting as a VCR (record by time/date/channel) instead of planning to record in advance based on guide data.

I am pretty sure that cable carries the locals because to get a franchise license in a particular city they will be there for no extra charge. I agree that the part of low support is correct. You talk to them and they think you must have their box no matter what.

Have you guys noticed that Comcast's digital cable, HD, and analog are all on different delays? I just got their HD package and HD tuner/DVR installed in my living room and added a 2nd analog box for my non-HD TV in my bedroom. Sometimes when I have the HDTV on in the living room but am upstairs doing something, I turn on the bedroom TV so that I won't miss something (like the local weather). For example, I hear the news go to weather and go over to the bedroom TV (channel 7) to watch it, however, it will be a couple of seconds ahead of the digital cable channel 7 on my living room set that I can hear from the stereo downstairs. If the living room TV is tuned into channel 652 (7News HD), it is actually 5-10 seconds ahead of the analog cable channel 7 upstairs!

Hi,

Has anyone else noticed that QAM 116.2 (KRMA) has recently disappeared? Do you know if it got moved to another channel? Thanks

Hi,

Has anyone else noticed that QAM 116.2 (KRMA) has recently disappeared? Do you know if it got moved to another channel? Thanks
My Comcast box still says it is on 747 MHz, which is channel 116.

The HT Guys mentioned on their podcast today, that Comcast is carrying NFL Network HD starting this weekend.

Aonyone confirm this???

Some markets already have NFL-HD (mainly back east....) but yes they are starting to bring it out nation wide. I think you will have to still fork out the extra $5 a month for the "sports tier" though to get it. I'm sure we'll get it after football season in Feb08.

Yeah I just forked it over....I only do it during football season. I am going to call comcast denver tonight on the way home

I just hooked up my parents comcast dvr with Hd...
Showtime and the local channels are coming in but not tnt and others...

I am a directv subscriber so I don't know as much about this...

do they have to activate something or what? and will it cost them anything?

I just hooked up my parents comcast dvr with Hd...
Showtime and the local channels are coming in but not tnt and others...

I am a directv subscriber so I don't know as much about this...

do they have to activate something or what? and will it cost them anything?
As long as they subscribe to a Digital package (which is pretty much required for Showtime and the DVR I think) they should work. Call comcast and they can "hit" the box.

Hi,

Has anyone else noticed that QAM 116.2 (KRMA) has recently disappeared? Do you know if it got moved to another channel? Thanks

It still technically comes in at 116-2, but (for me at least, in Boulder) Comcast remaps it to 6-1. You might look there for it.

Has anyone here installed the new HDTiVo using Comcast cablecards here in the Denver market? I'd love to get your impressions of the service and PQ compared to the 6412.

I had a DirecTiVo several years ago and I loved it, but had to leave it behind when I upgraded to HighDef. The Motorola 6412 has been OK for us, but I miss the TiVo. I wasn't willing to fork out $800 for a Series 3, but I can pick up a HDTiVo for $260, plus I have a $150 gift card burning a hole in my pocket.

If the HDTiVo isn't a huge improvement, I'll probably get an AppleTV this year.

Hi,
I have Comcast cable right now and feel like I am paying too much. I wonder if anyone has had success in dropping their bill by switching to a tivo s3 or tivo hd? Is it possible to get comcast to sell you basic analog cable ($15) and the hd package ($7) without having to shell out an extra $30 for the same basic channels in their digital forms?

thanks,
Jake

yes, I have done that, I think it was two years ago. I have a QAM tuner downstairs which works great with the Denver locals, and I do have the Motorola box also on another set-up. Yes, you do not have to have the digital package to get the Denver HD channels from COMCAST.

Sorry, I should have been more specific and point out that I would like to get the Comcast HD channels like Discovery and ESPN, but not the digital channels between like 25 and 150.

Fellows....I am just getting into HD tv and am currently with Comcast. My question is, (sorry I did not do a search on this) will the HD cable box have HDMI and optical port outputs for cabling? TIA, Steve

Fellows....I am just getting into HD tv and am currently with Comcast. My question is, (sorry I did not do a search on this) will the HD cable box have HDMI and optical port outputs for cabling? TIA, Steve

If you get the HD cable box with the built in DVR, it comes with a HDMI connection. You will have to purchase your own HDMI cable though. It also has a component connection and Comcast will provide the component cables for you.
The HD cable box without the DVR only has the component connections. I think the HD cable box without DVR is $7 to rent. The one with DVR is $11 to rent.

Thanks T..sounds like HD DVR is the way way for me....wife always wanted the DVR portion...Oprah, you know

Has anyone here installed the new HDTiVo using Comcast cablecards here in the Denver market? I'd love to get your impressions of the service and PQ compared to the 6412.

I had a DirecTiVo several years ago and I loved it, but had to leave it behind when I upgraded to HighDef. The Motorola 6412 has been OK for us, but I miss the TiVo. I wasn't willing to fork out $800 for a Series 3, but I can pick up a HDTiVo for $260, plus I have a $150 gift card burning a hole in my pocket.

If the HDTiVo isn't a huge improvement, I'll probably get an AppleTV this year.

Been a while since I had the 6412, but I'm in the Denver area and love my new Tivo HD, especially with a Multistream cable card.

Been a while since I had the 6412, but I'm in the Denver area and love my new Tivo HD, especially with a Multistream cable card.
Good to hear. I'm still thinking about this solution, but am also considering an HDHomeRun to record clear QAM channels (most of our viewing is network TV). We'll see if I get the new job or not!

Gee, it didn't occur to me that you didn't even know how to connect the box properly to your HDTV! Did you ever read your TV manual for the connection instructions? It would have instructed you to use an HD compatible interconnection method from an HD cable box.

RCA is not a cable type. It's a plug and jack type. You need 75 Ohm cables for carrying video properly. Audio cables are not usually 75 Ohm. Don't use the ultra skinny, yellow-tipped, video cables that come with devices from some manufacturers. Use true component video cables, or three 75 Ohm (yellow RCA plugs) composite video cables.

The Comcast installer hooked up the box to my HDTV. I had no idea he hooked it up wrong until I checked my TV manual while troubleshooting the picture problem. I called Comcrap and will pick up a set of component cables as soon as I can. You'd think with their service and their hardware (HD-DVR/cable box), they'd install it correctly.

Anyway, I think paying an extra $83+/month just to receive and record local HD is crap. I'm planning on buying an HDTivo and record OTA and whatever unencrypted QAM there is in addition to OTA. Do you guys have a listing of what unencrypted QAM is available? I'm dissappointed in Comcast's limited HD offerings - they don't even carry the 2 local PBS HD channels, and except for HD ESPN and HD ESPN2, offer no worthwhile HD channels that I can't get OTA.

I'm dissappointed in Comcast's limited HD offerings - they don't even carry the 2 local PBS HD channels, and except for HD ESPN and HD ESPN2, offer no worthwhile HD channels that I can't get OTA.

Comcast's "limited HD offering" is actually fairly extensive. They are the only service that offers all of the OTA stations, including the only local PBS HD channel, KRMA-DT, on 658 (the other PBS affiliate, KBDI, is not available but they do not transmit HD. Comcast provides 4 premium movie channels in HD, HBO, Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax. In addition to the two ESPN channels you mention they provide Mojo+ (which is mostly crap), Discovery HD, TNT-HD, MHD, UHD, National Geographic HD, and A&E HD. In addition they provide the FSN-RM and Altitude HD feeds on the Mojo+ channel when there is a game there. The only thing they will likely "never" offer is HDnet, which is due to family feuds between Roberts and Cuban.

If there is nothing in there you want and can receive the stations OTA then HD-Tivo is probably a good choice for you.

There are new services coming out, and Comcast Denver is very slow to add them even when the Comcast national has a contract to carry them. This they blame on bandwidth limitations. This is my biggest complaint.

The top cable companies, Comcast included, are working on a new technology to overcome the bandwidth limitations. I forget the acronym, but it essentially allows them to partition their programming to each individual user in real time. In other words, when you select a certain channel to watch, they send you just what you've selected instantaneously. This is in lieu of all the channels all the time to each user. Therefore, you only get the bandwidth you're using at the moment. Pretty neat! They are also looking at MPEG4, but that would mean new hardware in every home.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

Comcast's "limited HD offering" is actually fairly extensive. They are the only service that offers all of the OTA stations, including the only local PBS HD channel, KRMA-DT, on 658 (the other PBS affiliate, KBDI, is not available but they do not transmit HD. Comcast provides 4 premium movie channels in HD, HBO, Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax. In addition to the two ESPN channels you mention they provide Mojo+ (which is mostly crap), Discovery HD, TNT-HD, MHD, UHD, National Geographic HD, and A&E HD. In addition they provide the FSN-RM and Altitude HD feeds on the Mojo+ channel when there is a game there. The only thing they will likely "never" offer is HDnet, which is due to family feuds between Roberts and Cuban.

If there is nothing in there you want and can receive the stations OTA then HD-Tivo is probably a good choice for you.

There are new services coming out, and Comcast Denver is very slow to add them even when the Comcast national has a contract to carry them. This they blame on bandwidth limitations. This is my biggest complaint.

Thanks for replying with this. I was going to but didn't have the time when I first saw the post. Comcast, although a bit pricey, is a very good HD provider for both locals, including PBS, and nationals. Too bad there's not enough real, quality HD programming to fill the schedules of many of the available channels.

Comcast's "limited HD offering" is actually fairly extensive. They are the only service that offers all of the OTA stations, including the only local PBS HD channel, KRMA-DT, on 658 (the other PBS affiliate, KBDI, is not available but they do not transmit HD. Comcast provides 4 premium movie channels in HD, HBO, Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax. In addition to the two ESPN channels you mention they provide Mojo+ (which is mostly crap), Discovery HD, TNT-HD, MHD, UHD, National Geographic HD, and A&E HD.

If there is nothing in there you want and can receive the stations OTA then HD-Tivo is probably a good choice for you.


I thought the KRMA-DT is a national PBS feed since it has different programming than KRMA-analog. I was expecting to see HD broadcast of their analog channel. I didn't know KBDI wasn't transmitting OTA HD. Premium channels are not included in my package and I don't have any intention of paying for them as I never did with analog. The other HD channels I rarely watch. Mainly I timeshift (rarely watch anything live) network prime time, SpeedTV (except NASCRAP), and watch live local news.

[QUOTE=HDJello;11179302]Comcast provides all of the HD locals they provide on the cable in QAM unencrypted. So with Expanded basic or even "life line" they would be there.

I've found some HD content including the national networks on my QAM tuner @ the beginning of the year but now see that many of the channels have changed. I still can't find CBS and consequently missed the Broncoss/Browns game in HD. (My TV takes forever to search for channels.) I've spent nearly an hour searching for some resource that lists the QAM channels for Comcast Denver and perused this thread with no success. Anybody have a current list of the channels? TIA.

In Loveland at least the channels moved in to the 68.2 range for CBS then 69.1 for NBC

I've found some HD content including the national networks on my QAM tuner @ the beginning of the year but now see that many of the channels have changed. I still can't find CBS and consequently missed the Broncoss/Browns game in HD. (My TV takes forever to search for channels.) I've spent nearly an hour searching for some resource that lists the QAM channels for Comcast Denver and perused this thread with no success. Anybody have a current list of the channels? TIA.


This was my listing for Highlands Ranch a few months ago. I know that KWGN (116-1) has moved - I haven't bothered to look for it yet. Also, KRMA (116-2) is now remapping to 6-1. There were discussions about some areas being able to get 0-XXX channels where the XXX corresponded to the number on the Comcast cable box (653 for KUSA, for example). I never saw anything like that here in HR, and I'm not sure my TV would accept a 0- channel anyway.

Hi Alan (or is it George? Sorry if I have that wrong),

I must say I love this idea. It occurs to me this is essentially live OnDemand. I wonder how they'll solve the problem of recording multiple channels at the same time? For example, my father will record and watch two sports programs at a time, let's say the Rockies and the Broncos, and then swap back and forth between programs, picking up where he left off. Pretty sophisticated button pushing for a 76-year old. Not sure I could keep track of it all, myself. :o

I'm really looking forward to that technology, if it comes to fruition. Of course at CES last year, Brian Roberts promised us a new Panasonic three-tuner DVR-like machine by this year. Now, nobody at Comcast has a clue about it.

Ch-ch-ch-changes! Turn and face the strain!
Bob

The top cable companies, Comcast included, are working on a new technology to overcome the bandwidth limitations.

The top cable companies, Comcast included, are working on a new technology to overcome the bandwidth limitations. I forget the acronym, but it essentially allows them to partition their programming to each individual user in real time. In other words, when you select a certain channel to watch, they send you just what you've selected instantaneously. This is in lieu of all the channels all the time to each user. Therefore, you only get the bandwidth you're using at the moment. Pretty neat!
It's called SDV (Switched Digital Video). Neat technology, but it renders the HD TiVo boxes (as well as any other 3rd party cable tuner) useless. Which was what the cable companies are supposed to NOT be doing. Anyway, I read on Slashdot today that the cable companies are working on a solution (usb dongle?) to allow 3rd party boxes to tune on SDV systems. Maybe they'll have that figured out by the time Comcast moves to SDV in Denver.

This was my listing for Highlands Ranch a few months ago. I know that KWGN (116-1) has moved - I haven't bothered to look for it yet. Also, KRMA (116-2) is now remapping to 6-1. There were discussions about some areas being able to get 0-XXX channels where the XXX corresponded to the number on the Comcast cable box (653 for KUSA, for example). I never saw anything like that here in HR, and I'm not sure my TV would accept a 0- channel anyway.


Thanks for your effort. :) This list seems to mirror my Jan. list but is not 100% applicable any longer.:( Especially for the CBS HD. I should contact some hdtv retailer( Best Buy, CC, etc.) and see if any of the salesman are savvy.

Thanks for your effort. :) This list seems to mirror my Jan. list but is not 100% applicable any longer.:( Especially for the CBS HD. I should contact some hdtv retailer( Best Buy, CC, etc.) and see if any of the salesman are savvy.

See if the salesmen are savvy? You're kidding, right?

I'll bet less than 5% even know what QAM signals are, much less how to tune them. I'll bet the standard answer is "you have to subscribe to digital cable to get the HD stations"

See if the salesmen are savvy? You're kidding, right?

I'll bet less than 5% even know what QAM signals are, much less how to tune them. I'll bet the standard answer is "you have to subscribe to digital cable to get the HD stations"



:):):)

It's called SDV (Switched Digital Video). Neat technology, but it renders the HD TiVo boxes (as well as any other 3rd party cable tuner) useless. Which was what the cable companies are supposed to NOT be doing. Anyway, I read on Slashdot today that the cable companies are working on a solution (usb dongle?) to allow 3rd party boxes to tune on SDV systems. Maybe they'll have that figured out by the time Comcast moves to SDV in Denver.


If we can buy the dongles, great. If they want to rent them to us, boo! I don't want to have to pay for every set I have hooked up. All of my TVs have digital tuners. Lifeline cable is fine for me. :-)

Well I lost my HD locals again....talking to cable people is pretty much a useless exercise because they assume that everyone has their box...

Has, anyone had problems with UHD breaking up? For the last couple of weeks when ever I have tunned to it, It's breaking up every five or so seconds. Ch's above & below are just fine.

Has, anyone had problems with UHD breaking up? For the last couple of weeks when ever I have tunned to it, It's breaking up every five or so seconds. Ch's above & below are just fine.

I've had problems with a lot of channels recently, but it seems to vary. On my cable box, one or two (usually in the DHD - UHD range) will disappear, with the message "This channel should be available shortly". On my LCD, which has QAM, I get a lot of breakups on 90-2 (KUSA). Techs have been over twice, and it could be a problem with a distributor amp in the basement that came with the house. But that amp provides some other features I want, so I'm not ready to part with it yet.

I was having beakup problems with a lot of channels early on in the summer but they went away.

This is JUST UHD. Every other HD ch. is just fine.

Techs have been over twice, and it could be a problem with a distributor amp in the basement that came with the house. But that amp provides some other features I want, so I'm not ready to part with it yet.
gakon, what is that distribution amp? I would have thought that it is basically a splitter that amplifies the cable signal. But then you said that it provides other features that make it so that you don't want to part with it. Just curious, but what are those other features?

It's made by OnQ. The amp allows external inputs to be added to the cable stream. I have exterior cameras on the house. The cameras have boxes that allow you to select an empty analog channel. May be old fashioned in this age of internet cameras, but I have more TV's than computers. The amp hasn't given me problems before, but it could be getting old (5 years).

I'm new to Denver and have the standard Comcast cable package. I let my tv search for the digital channels Comcast offers free, and found alot. However, I cannot find CBS HD. I find a digital version of cbs, but its not HD.

My tv found nbc, abc, fox, pbs, etc fine, just not CBS. I want CBS because I want to be able to get the Broncos games in HD.

Can anyone help me out?

CBS HD should be at 89.2, but not all TV's are picking it up for some reason. My TV (Sharp) picks it up just fine, but others here are having problems getting the channel.

Can anyone help me out? No, but you might be able to help us. In what area of town do you live? If you read back a page or two you will find others with the same issue. I live south of Denver, in Highlands Ranch, and have no trouble with any of the locals coming across via QAM. I'm not sure if someone had isolated this problem to a particular head end or if it was spread throughout the area. I'm not sure there's anything we can do about it. You might try calling Comcast and asking for a CSR who is knowledgeable about QAM tuners, but Comcast is not under any obligation to provide HD versions of local channels - just the digital version, which you already found.

If your TV has a QAM tuner, it must also have an ATSC tuner. Again, this varies greatly by location, but you might try hooking up an indoor antenna to see what you can get. Most of the locals are broadcasting from downtown (Republic Plaza). If you're a good distance away KCNC might be tough to receive because it's channel 35 OTA and the higher frequencies don't carry as far.

Much thanks for all your help. I was able to find CBS HD when I punch in 89.2 directly, but my TV does not find it when it searches for some reason. I re-ran the channel search and it found all the same channels as before, just not 89.2 again.

Thanks for all the help, i was able to watch the Broncos pull out a win in HD without having to use an antenna for OTA

Comcast's "limited HD offering" is actually fairly extensive. They are the only service that offers all of the OTA stations, including the only local PBS HD channel, KRMA-DT, on 658 (the other PBS affiliate, KBDI, is not available but they do not transmit HD.

Up until recently, I used to receive 3 PBS channels: KRMA SD, KBDI SD and KBDI HD. I noticed my HDHomerun is not longer able to pick up KBDI HD. Anyone else notice this change?

Up until recently, I used to receive 3 PBS channels: KRMA SD, KBDI SD and KBDI HD. I noticed my HDHomerun is not longer able to pick up KBDI HD. Anyone else notice this change?

I assume you mean KRMA HD (I don't think KBDI broadcasts in HD). My TV currently finds KRMA HD at 6.1 (was at 116.2 a while ago).

Does anyone know about CBS HD in the Greeley area?

would it be the same as 89.2 if anyone knows? I have a built in QAM tuner in my Panny TH42PZ700U and get a few other HD channels (NBC/PBS/KDVR/KMGH) but haven't been able to locate CBS yet...and with the looming Broncos game I would hope to find it before sunday.

I do have the choice of getting it via broadcast out of Cheyenne but I get bad macroblocking due to their stupid sub channel.

Does anyone know about CBS HD in the Greeley area?

would it be the same as 89.2 if anyone knows? I have a built in QAM tuner in my Panny TH42PZ700U and get a few other HD channels (NBC/PBS/KDVR/KMGH) but haven't been able to locate CBS yet...and with the looming Broncos game I would hope to find it before sunday.

I do have the choice of getting it via broadcast out of Cheyenne but I get bad macroblocking due to their stupid sub channel.

Did you try just entering 89.2, as dubbledxu did, above? Other than that, I don't have a suggestion.

I have a similar problem here in the southern suburbs, although with KWGN. It used to be at 116-1, but my TV no longer finds it in a scan, nor does it find anything if I enter the channel directly. It seems to have disappeared about the same time that 116-2 started remapping to 6-1. If anyone else has found KWGN's HD channel via QAM, please let me know where it is. Thanks.

I wonder if any of this is a limitation of my (our ) TV's.

Did you try just entering 89.2, as dubbledxu did, above? Other than that, I don't have a suggestion.

I have a similar problem here in the southern suburbs, although with KWGN. It used to be at 116-1, but my TV no longer finds it in a scan, nor does it find anything if I enter the channel directly. It seems to have disappeared about the same time that 116-2 started remapping to 6-1.

I wonder if any of this is a limitation of my (our ) TV's.

Im going to give it a whirl when I get home(89.2). A friend of mine says he can get HBO HD sometimes too but the channel moves around a lot.

I haven't ever found KWGN either. I'll mess with it again tonight.

Im going to give it a whirl when I get home(89.2). A friend of mine says he can get HBO HD sometimes too but the channel moves around a lot. I've never seen HBO HD. I have seen On Demand channels in the 101-102 range and 113-114 range, including HBO occasionally (some HD, some SD). Those channels always float around, because it's whatever someone else is watching. I just wish they would stop fast forwarding - sometimes there really is a plot, not just a "money shot". :D

I assume you mean KRMA HD (I don't think KBDI broadcasts in HD). My TV currently finds KRMA HD at 6.1 (was at 116.2 a while ago).

Yeah, I think you are right. I just remembered I had 3 PBS channels and one was HD. I'll check there. Thanks.

I found National Geographic but not CBS yet.

I stopped at howard stern for a few.

I found National Geographic but not CBS yet.

I stopped at howard stern for a few.Where'd you find NG?

Im going to give it a whirl when I get home(89.2). A friend of mine says he can get HBO HD sometimes too but the channel moves around a lot.

I haven't ever found KWGN either. I'll mess with it again tonight.

I'm in Ft. Collins, and haven't been able to find CBS HD for a long time. It's not at 89.2, like some here have posted. Last I found it, it was at 4.1, but that was back in April or May. I also lost KWGN HD as well, but I can't remember where it used to be. My 116.1 and 116.2 are both no signal.

If anyone can find those two channels, I would sure appreciate it.

Well in loveland (outside actually) the networks now are 68.1, 68.2, 69.1 and 69.2

Give them a try...

I'm in Ft. Collins, and haven't been able to find CBS HD for a long time. It's not at 89.2, like some here have posted. Last I found it, it was at 4.1, but that was back in April or May. I also lost KWGN HD as well, but I can't remember where it used to be. My 116.1 and 116.2 are both no signal.

If anyone can find those two channels, I would sure appreciate it.


I get CBS-HD on 87.2 and KWGN on 0-656 which is probably a weirdness of my TV.

Well I have tried all the above listed channels to try and get CBSHD. I may just have to try to get it OTA instead.

Also NationGeographic HD has moved from the channel it was (90-somthing). I'll rescan this afternoon one last time.

Also my TV does for example 113-3 not 113.3, not sure if it makes a difference. I assume a - and a . are treated the same.

I get CBS-HD on 87.2 and KWGN on 0-656 which is probably a weirdness of my TV.

And that's using Ft. Collins Comcast? I tried those, and all I get is the automatic re-direction to channel 71 (24 hours of 9News).

I also tried 68.1, 68.2, 69.1 and 69.2 with no signal at all on those.

Here's my mapping:

0-652 redirects to 87, which is ABC HD
0-653 redirects to 85, which is NBC HD
0-655 redirects to 85, which is FOX HD (very strange - 85 shows up as both NBC and FOX!)
6-1 is PBS HD
94-1 is My20 HD (KTVD)

Every other 0-xxx channel I try manually just redirects to 71 (including 0-656).

This "redirection" may be just a Panasonic thing (my TV is a Panny 37-inch Plasma, purchases last November), or a QAM thing, I don't know.

In my channel setup menu, the above 0-65x show up just fine, and CBS used to be at 0-654, but not any more.

Every other 0-xxx channel I try manually just redirects to 71 (including 0-656).

This "redirection" may be just a Panasonic thing (my TV is a Panny 37-inch Plasma, purchases last November), or a QAM thing, I don't know.

In my channel setup menu, the above 0-65x show up just fine, and CBS used to be at 0-654, but not any more.

My Samsung won't even accept a 0-### channel, so if Comcast puts something there, I'll never find it.