Well, the cure was going to be HD locals from D* at the end of last year.

Then it was going to be HD locals at the end of this month.

Now, the last time I called, the CSR said, they will be offering them "in the near future".

Peter-
I hear ya on the D* never ending shallow promises

The D* ads I now see sounds like Enron accounting. They claim they "will" offer 150 National HD channels, more than any cable company "currently" has.

My rule- Never buy tomorrow's technology with today's dollars!

Peter-
I hear ya on the D* never ending shallow promises

The D* ads I now see sounds like Enron accounting. They claim they "will" offer 150 National HD channels, more than any cable company "currently" has.

My rule- Never buy tomorrow's technology with today's dollars!

I must have missed something....I thought there was a suit going on where the cable companies were claiming that D* couldn't support the "three times the capacity of cable"...yet I just saw the "Back to the Future" ad last night.

I think D* ad dept has gone desparate. Even the 150 HD National channels was a faked number since they couldn't even list that many when asked who they would be. Plus, they were caught replicating some channels in the small list they did try to state. This happened at CES in a Press conference Q&A session with reporters.

I must have missed something....I thought there was a suit going on where the cable companies were claiming that D* couldn't support the "three times the capacity of cable"...yet I just saw the "Back to the Future" ad last night.

The lawsuit I remember hearing about was brought by TWC against the D* claim that their HD quality was better than cable. The judge in that case said D* couldn't make that assertion since TWC's PQ was at least equal to D*. I believe D* was ordered to stop those advertisements.

Was there another lawsuit regarding HD capacity? I guess I had always believed D* could make the claim that they would have capacity for 150 HD channels even if they couldn't actually deliver that many. A little misleading but not outright wrong. Of course, with the possible delay of the satellite launch, who knows when that supposed 150 channel capacity will occur. IIRC, the Back To the Future ad says "soon" or something like that.

Check your settings in the HR20 to make sure it is set to output Dolby Digital, and also that you have the HR20 connected via an optical cable. As long as you are viewing OTA 30-1 via the HR20 and not the D* channel 30, you should be getting exactly the same audio as your TV's tuner (which I am assuming you were using before switching to the HR20).

Don is correct, unfortunately. Only Fox and an occasional PBS program are carried in Dolby Digital surround.


Peter...

I don't know if it makes a difference, but I have H20s not HR20s...I will check the audio output settings to see if there is an issue...

TIA...

Spectrumsp

Peter...

I don't know if it makes a difference, but I have H20s not HR20s...I will check the audio output settings to see if there is an issue...

TIA...

Spectrumsp

I wouldn't think it would as long as the H20 has an optical output, it is set to output Dolby Digital and it is going to an optical in on the receiver.

The lawsuit I remember hearing about was brought by TWC against the D* claim that their HD quality was better than cable. The judge in that case said D* couldn't make that assertion since TWC's PQ was at least equal to D*. I believe D* was ordered to stop those advertisements.

Was there another lawsuit regarding HD capacity? I guess I had always believed D* could make the claim that they would have capacity for 150 HD channels even if they couldn't actually deliver that many. A little misleading but not outright wrong. Of course, with the possible delay of the satellite launch, who knows when that supposed 150 channel capacity will occur. IIRC, the Back To the Future ad says "soon" or something like that.

This is the one I was thinking of:

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6414919.html

Interesting. Of course, who's to say how much HD capacity D* or cable for that matter can squeeze out of their existing and future bandwidth if enough downrezzing, recompression, etc. occurs. It's probably naive, but I still hope that D* will improve their HD quality to go along with the increased quantity when the new satellites go up. If so, I'm ready to jump back on board.

I've yet to see what MPEG4 looks like, so I can only go on what others have reported who have HD locals, and that is that the PQ is comparable to OTA. Assuming that to be true, then the national channels, all things being equal, should look good.

I know I must be missing something in my understanding of the business model, but I don't get who the audience is for most of the existing 185 or so SD channels. This horse has been beaten enough I know, but surely we could lose half of them and have some spectacular looking images with the freed-up bandwidth.

I've yet to see what MPEG4 looks like, so I can only go on what others have reported who have HD locals, and that is that the PQ is comparable to OTA. Assuming that to be true, then the national channels, all things being equal, should look good.

I know I must be missing something in my understanding of the business model, but I don't get who the audience is for most of the existing 185 or so SD channels. This horse has been beaten enough I know, but surely we could lose half of them and have some spectacular looking images with the freed-up bandwidth.

I have the MPEG 4 locals from Directv up here in Raleigh-Durham and I have my OTA antenna connected to the HR20 and the MPEG4 locals looks the same as the OTA hd locals to me. The SD channels also look much better than they did on my HR10-250. My dad there in Jacksonville also has the HR20 and he commented on that the SD channels looked much better than they did on the Samsung Directv HD receiver he had.

I haven't seen any MPEG4 sports stations from Directv b/c they don't offer them here in NC.

I have the MPEG 4 locals from Directv up here in Raleigh-Durham and I have my OTA antenna connected to the HR20 and the MPEG4 locals looks the same as the OTA hd locals to me. The SD channels also look much better than they did on my HR10-250. My dad there in Jacksonville also has the HR20 and he commented on that the SD channels looked much better than they did on the Samsung Directv HD receiver he had.

I haven't seen any MPEG4 sports stations from Directv b/c they don't offer them here in NC.

Thanks for the report Antonio---at least some information from someone we actually know!

I'll be curious to see how MPEG 4 handles fast motion (e.g. sports). It is good to hear many overall positive comments and comparisions to OTA though.

I've never understood how there could be much of an audience for most of the existing SD channels. As far as 150 national HD channels - I only need about 25, as long as they are the 25 I want. ;)

I just moved to Jacksonville and I was curious if anyone could tell me what type of Antenna I should get. I live in Bartram Springs which is just down the road from Jullington Creek.

Thanks

I just moved to Jacksonville and I was curious if anyone could tell me what type of Antenna I should get. I live in Bartram Springs which is just down the road from Jullington Creek.

Thanks

I put a Radio Shack $39 one in the attic and I can get all of them. Now, an attic mount decreases the antenna's gain by as much as 50%, but given how close you are that shouldn't be an issue.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103084&cp=&sr=1&origkw=outdoor+antenna&kw=outdoor+antenna&parentPage=search

Would something like this work?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7322587&st=OTA+Antenna&type=product&id=1118844608800

I would rather not have to climb into the attic or mount anything if I can avoid it. Of course if it means I have to do that to get a strong consistent signal to all the local stations I will.

Would something like this work?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7322587&st=OTA+Antenna&type=product&id=1118844608800

I would rather not have to climb into the attic or mount anything if I can avoid it. Of course if it means I have to do that to get a strong consistent signal to all the local stations I will.

As it turns out, I happen to have one of those sitting in the garage.

It does very well with the UHF stations. However, it is unreliable with the two VHF ones, channel NBC 12-1 (actually 13-1) and ABC 25-1 (actually 10-1).

Why an indoor and an attic antenna for me? Well, for one I don't want to climb on the roof or pay someone to put up one, even though that would give the best results. The one in the attic works well most of the time, but there are occasions when I just can't get in WAWS 30-1 for some reason. At those times, I have an A/B switch and connect to the Terk in the garage. It is a ridiculous arrangement, but it works.

As it turns out, I happen to have one of those sitting in the garage.

It does very well with the UHF stations. However, it is unreliable with the two VHF ones, channel NBC 12-1 (actually 13-1) and ABC 25-1 (actually 10-1).

Why an indoor and an attic antenna for me? Well, for one I don't want to climb on the roof or pay someone to put up one, even though that would give the best results. The one in the attic works well most of the time, but there are occasions when I just can't get in WAWS 30-1 for some reason. At those times, I have an A/B switch and connect to the Terk in the garage. It is a ridiculous arrangement, but it works.

Thank you very much for the info. This will be my first attempt at getting the local channels in HD. "A friend of mine" is currently using DTV and told them his service address is in NYC so that he can get the NYC locals in HD ;) I would rather not have to go that route.

I recently got a Panasonic TH-50PX6U and had problems with ABC and NBC HD channels. I finally was able to get NBC - 12 by manually selecting channel 104. The set will go to snow for a second or two then channel 12 - HD will pop in and work great. No luck with ABC though. I assume that the tuner is searching the subchannels until it finds 104-1, but I cannot tune it directly. Not sure what will happen on other brands.

I just moved to Jacksonville and I was curious if anyone could tell me what type of Antenna I should get. I live in Bartram Springs which is just down the road from Jullington Creek.

Thanks

Hey jaymetz,

Fellow Bartram Spring'er here. I'm over on Ginnie Springs Rd. I have one of these -
http://www.antennasdirect.com/DB4_HDTV_antenna.html

in my attic, above my garage. It was very difficult to position the antenna where I could pick up all the major networks, thanks to ABC being on the VHF band. As petergaryr said, the roofing material cuts down the strength quite a bit, so putting one of these outside should get you stronger signals. I did not want to put mine outside because it would be an eyesore.

Later,
pjdavep

Hey jaymetz,

Fellow Bartram Spring'er here. I'm over on Ginnie Springs Rd. I have one of these -
http://www.antennasdirect.com/DB4_HDTV_antenna.html

in my attic, above my garage. It was very difficult to position the antenna where I could pick up all the major networks, thanks to ABC being on the VHF band. As petergaryr said, the roofing material cuts down the strength quite a bit, so putting one of these outside should get you stronger signals. I did not want to put mine outside because it would be an eyesore.

Later,
pjdavep

I am sure it's probably against HOA too right?

I am sure it's probably against HOA too right?

I wouldn't say against, but I would suggest that when you send in the request to put up the dish that you include the antenna placement as well. I don't see them turning that down unless your antenna was hulking and hideous :)

Later,
pjdavep

I recently got a Panasonic TH-50PX6U and had problems with ABC and NBC HD channels. I finally was able to get NBC - 12 by manually selecting channel 104. The set will go to snow for a second or two then channel 12 - HD will pop in and work great. No luck with ABC though. I assume that the tuner is searching the subchannels until it finds 104-1, but I cannot tune it directly. Not sure what will happen on other brands.

True, if you have Comcast cable, and an HDTV with a QAM tuner in it, 104.1 is the QAM channel for ABC. 104.2 is NBC.

Thank you very much for the info. This will be my first attempt at getting the local channels in HD. "A friend of mine" is currently using DTV and told them his service address is in NYC so that he can get the NYC locals in HD ;) I would rather not have to go that route.

As you've seen if you've read back through this thread, the end of this month was supposed to be when D* was getting us the HD locals. :(

I am sure it's probably against HOA too right?

There are FCC rules related to HOA and the restrictions they may try to place on the installation of a satellite or antenna. The rules are called OTARD (Over-the-air reception device rule). Here is the link to the FCC pages: FCC OTARD Rules (http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html)

You can read the page for yourself, it isn't too long but the gist is that it "prohibits restrictions that impair the installation, maintenance or use of antennas used to receive video programming. The rule applies to video antennas including direct-to-home satellite dishes that are less than one meter (39.37") in diameter (or of any size in Alaska), TV antennas, and wireless cable antennas. The rule prohibits most restrictions that: (1) unreasonably delay or prevent installation, maintenance or use; (2) unreasonably increase the cost of installation, maintenance or use; or (3) preclude reception of an acceptable quality signal".

True, if you have Comcast cable, and an HDTV with a QAM tuner in it, 104.1 is the QAM channel for ABC. 104.2 is NBC.


I am unable to get these 2 channels. I thought they had been moved or scrambled. I have extended basic and get all the digital channels except these two. I have a Panny TH-50PX60U and use to have a Vizio LCD and was unable to get them 2 channels with either set???

When are DirecTV locals gonna be available? I have my HR20 and I am ready. :D

Must be something about the QAM tuners in those two sets. I have a Sony KDF-50E2000 and get them both.

The D* HD locals are "coming sometime in the future". The CSRs have stopped even giving a date anymore.

Just noticed today (maybe its been there awhile) a secondary channel on channel 30 (30-2) . It has alot of info programs, atv's, travel etc....

I wouldn't think it would as long as the H20 has an optical output, it is set to output Dolby Digital and it is going to an optical in on the receiver.

Appearently there is a difference in the audio output betweeen the H20 and HR20...last evening I ensured my H20 was set to DD audio output and started watching Amer Idol...audio output was stereo...I switched to OTA and had DD...
Oh well...I now wonder if the HR20 MPEG 4 signal for Jax will be able to handle the DD signal from channel 30.1...do we have any word from other areas if the HR20 MPEG 4 is including DD where available?

This is a little off the current subject, but I'm hoping for some suggestions to help me get WTLV-DT. Antennaweb has me @ 50.0 miles from their tower and I know it's VHF and low power compared to 30 and 47 (no problem with them), just want to try everything reasonably possible. Emailed WTLV to double check the info I found listing their ERP @ 25kw and this is part of the reply from their engineers:
"About power levels (ERP) - ERP's were assigned along with physical channel assignments for the DTV channels by the FCC to replicate the coverage of the existing NTSC (analog) facility. All the stations in Jacksonville were assigned UHF DTV physical channels except WTLV-DT and WJXX-DT which got high VHF channels. For a given receive signal strength and distance, far more power (ERP) is required on UHF channels than on VHF. Many of us in the engineering community disagreed with the FCC's method of determining the ERP for replication, but were over-ridden by other interests."
My equipment - Channelmaster 3020 @ 25 feet, rotor, cm7777 pre-amp. Planning to go to 40 feet, don't know if it's worth the effort. Any suggestions? Sorry for the long post....

Your antenna equipment seems to be right for the channel and distance you need to cover. But there are two issues you should investigate-
1. The transmission pattern for the station in relationship to your location. What the engineer told you is basically correct assuming you are in a major lobe of the antenna. If you are not and located in a null of the pattern it may be impossible or with great difficulty and you'll need to resort to a bigger oversized antenna plus more height.
2. The next thing you should consider is the height. What you suggest is hardly worthwhile unless your existing 25 ft is blocked or close to other obstructions, such as-- at 25 ft you are aiming into a building while 40 ft will put you over the top of it. We always had a general rule of thumb for VHF antennas of proper design. 1 ft for each mile over 20 miles. That would put your rule of thumb at 50 ft. again, assuming it is in the clear and you are not in a pattern null.

I hope these suggestions have given you some areas to investigate.

IF all else fails, you still have satellite locals, which presently will not get you HD for Jacksonville.

Your antenna equipment seems to be right for the channel and distance you need to cover. But there are two issues you should investigate-
1. The transmission pattern for the station in relationship to your location. What the engineer told you is basically correct assuming you are in a major lobe of the antenna. If you are not and located in a null of the pattern it may be impossible or with great difficulty and you'll need to resort to a bigger oversized antenna plus more height.
2. The next thing you should consider is the height. What you suggest is hardly worthwhile unless your existing 25 ft is blocked or close to other obstructions, such as-- at 25 ft you are aiming into a building while 40 ft will put you over the top of it. We always had a general rule of thumb for VHF antennas of proper design. 1 ft for each mile over 20 miles. That would put your rule of thumb at 50 ft. again, assuming it is in the clear and you are not in a pattern null.

I hope these suggestions have given you some areas to investigate.

IF all else fails, you still have satellite locals, which presently will not get you HD for Jacksonville.

Thanks for the info Don, forgive my ignorance, 1. but how can I determine if I'm in a major lobe or not? 2. I'm aimed at a large cedar tree at 25 ft., 40 ft. will top it. I've seen WTLV a couple of times for a few seconds, only when the clouds were thick. BTW, satellite locals aren't available for me from DTV, I'm about 3 miles too far south just inside Alachua county. :mad:

Anyone besides me get audio dropouts during American Idol last night? I was viewing via Comcast cable. I had about 5 separate dropouts. I know they replaced some equipment not too long ago. I don't have this issue on other channels.

Anyone besides me get audio dropouts during American Idol last night? I was viewing via Comcast cable. I had about 5 separate dropouts. I know they replaced some equipment not too long ago. I don't have this issue on other channels.

"A friend of mine" has DTV with the New York local HD feeds and he also had a few audio dropouts.

I was playing with my QAM tuner today and discovered that I can get two additional HD Channels.

71-2 Discovery HD Theater
75-1 TNTHD

I am really surprised that these are now unencrypted. Maybe this is temporary.

Joe

waldogatr-

I know those polar plot patterns exist on the web but don't have the link at the top of my head. Maybe someone else has the links and can post them. They may be in this thread but who wants to search through 130 pages to find them.

Today I had to go to Belleview for a project and while driving through Waldo I took note of the antennas being used in your area. Discounting most of the obviously unusable rusted falling apart antennas on old mobile homes, the better ones were all about 50-80 feet and about equal proportion were aimed at Jax, Gainesville, Tampa and Orlando. You should have quite a variety of choices in your area with the right height and rotator.

Don, thanks again, I'll search for those plots. Seems like I have seen something showing the pattern of a variety of antennas in one of these threads...just didn't know how to apply it to a map. If anyone happens to know where to look please post it, I really hate to erect a tower in an attempt to lock in one network (NBC). If only the digital signal was as easy to receive as analog, I do get analog signals from all around north and central Florida...
I did find a coverage map, but it's just a circle showing projected reception coverage - http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=WTLV - under "service contour map"

Anyone besides me get audio dropouts during American Idol last night? I was viewing via Comcast cable. I had about 5 separate dropouts. I know they replaced some equipment not too long ago. I don't have this issue on other channels.
We're on Comcast and had the problem.

waldogatr-

You should have quite a variety of choices in your area with the right height and rotator.
Thought I'd do some testing over the weekend when the clouds were thick and low, rotated towards Jax and did a rescan. Locked in 12.1 & 2 in addition to two pairs of stations from Savannah! Unfortunately when the sky cleared Sunday so did those signals (as expected). But it did give me hope that more elevation might help. :D

They are in the low 400 range. Still no sign of HGTV-HD or NGC-HD.

COMCAST Adds A&E HD, and UHD
They are in the low 400 range. Still no sign of HGTV-HD or NGC-HD.

Any word on the QAM channel #'s?

On a side note... I spoke to D** tech support today and they said HD locals will be available in mid-April. :mad:

Forgive me if this isn't the correct forum for this but I am trying to find a good person to come in and calibrate an old Hitachi HDTV that I have. Can any of you point me in the right direction? I am located in Jax.

Thanks

Any word on the QAM channel #'s?

On a side note... I spoke to D** tech support today and they said HD locals will be available in mid-April. :mad:

Was this the same rep how said December, 2006, then February, 2007????

AFIK, April is the latest date (but I have come to believe that we will actually have gotten them when I turn on the TV and they are there).

Any word on the QAM channel #'s?

On a side note... I spoke to D** tech support today and they said HD locals will be available in mid-April. :mad:


UHD is 69-1
A&E HD is 69-2

Any word on the QAM channel #'s?

On a side note... I spoke to D** tech support today and they said HD locals will be available in mid-April. :mad:

UHD 69-1
A&EHD 69-2

They seem to be fading in and out. I watched both of them this morning. Now they are saying weak or scrambled signal.

Was this the same rep how said December, 2006, then February, 2007????

AFIK, April is the latest date (but I have come to believe that we will actually have gotten them when I turn on the TV and they are there).


Ditto.

UHD 69-1
A&EHD 69-2

They seem to be fading in and out. I watched both of them this morning. Now they are saying weak or scrambled signal.

Right. I get them on my Pioneer tv QAM but not on my Sony DVRs' QAM. Think they'll come in stronger soon?

Got home tonight and found that off-air CBS-HD was gone from my 622 Dish Network receiver. It has great signal strength but no lock (red bar). I turned on my backup USDTV ATSC receiver fed from the same RF antenna and the picture was perfect. I'm assuming something has gone wrong with their PSIP stream as the 622 requires that from what I've been told. Anyone else on Dish network w/ the 622 have the same problem tonight?

Got home tonight and found that off-air CBS-HD was gone from my 622 Dish Network receiver. It has great signal strength but no lock (red bar). I turned on my backup USDTV ATSC receiver fed from the same RF antenna and the picture was perfect. I'm assuming something has gone wrong with their PSIP stream as the 622 requires that from what I've been told. Anyone else on Dish network w/ the 622 have the same problem tonight?


I am getting the same thing. Full signal but failed to receive broadcast message

UHD is 69-1
A&E HD is 69-2

Doing the happy dance! A&E HD, UHD, and Nat. Geo. HD coming to Comcast April 10th. Finally get to see Battlestar Galactica in glorious HD.

For those that haven't seen the ad in the T-U, Comcast also adds SunSports HD, HD On Demand and Music HD On Demand, although I assume the latter two are just being moved from the On Demand menu to their own separate channel. Other channels added include MyNetworkTV and SoapNet.

Must have been some weird atmospherics the last couple of days, Thursday night I couldnt pick up one JAX station (40 miles s.of antenna farm), but I picked up Savannah, Albany GA, Spartansburg SC and Atlanta all on HD while still aimed at the Antenna farm.

I apologize if this has already been answered. Does anyone out there use a Winegard Sensar? I live in Mandarin, off San Jose, just north of Julington Creek. Any other suggestions for an off air antenna that can integrate with D*?

Doing the happy dance! A&E HD, UHD, and Nat. Geo. HD coming to Comcast April 10th. Finally get to see Battlestar Galactica in glorious HD.

For those that haven't seen the ad in the T-U, Comcast also adds SunSports HD, HD On Demand and Music HD On Demand, although I assume the latter two are just being moved from the On Demand menu to their own separate channel. Other channels added include MyNetworkTV and SoapNet.


Awesome news! I didn't see the ad but any new channels that aren't HD sports channels are good news, I loved UHD during the olympics and I've been enjoying the NGHD on-demand programming.

Awesome news! I didn't see the ad but any new channels that aren't HD sports channels are good news, I loved UHD during the olympics and I've been enjoying the NGHD on-demand programming.

I'm surprised Comcast placed an ad in the paper but hasn't put a message on the cables boxes yet, although maybe I shouldn't be. The STB messages are usually worthless, yet the important news (new or relocated channels) either never make it, or they appear a day or two before (or after) the event happens.

I'm definitely looking forward to NGHD also.

So - has the list for Comast been updated on the first page? -- I have 8 months left in my contract with D* and I am hoping Comcast will give them a run on content - just waiting and waiting to see what is going to happen with content and pricing.

Must have been some weird atmospherics the last couple of days, Thursday night I couldnt pick up one JAX station (40 miles s.of antenna farm), but I picked up Savannah, Albany GA, Spartansburg SC and Atlanta all on HD while still aimed at the Antenna farm.

Whatever it was, it ended by noon Sat. for me. I usually can't pick up WTLV but get all the other Jax stations, from Thursday to Saturday I got WTLV along with a couple of Savannah stations, Tallahassee/Thomasville, etc. Turned south and found a number of Orlando and Daytona stations. All signals disappeared at about the same time. :confused: I know it's the weather, but it didn't seem that cloudy.

Hey scolumbo, Do your happy dance now. Like butlerj2000 said earlier, the channels are already out there == UHD is 69-1, A&E HD is 69-2. I've been watching them for a week.

However, does anyone have an idea of NatGeo HD's QAM number?

And please, update the 1st post of channel listings.

My 3416 HD DVR had a problem with American idol tonight on Comcast HD. Not the whole show, but on certain segments, (Gina for one) the sound dropped in and out, also the HD went to SD. Was this a Fox problem, or my equipment?

My 3416 HD DVR had a problem with American idol tonight on Comcast HD. Not the whole show, but on certain segments, (Gina for one) the sound dropped in and out, also the HD went to SD. Was this a Fox problem, or my equipment?

I also had stuttering video and dropping audio on Comcast cable 168 for Fox. This happened to me at 8:35-8:50pm and again at 9:05pm. It did clear up. It was very bad. We switched over to the yucky SD side for a while. I'm sure it's our local Fox that has an equipment issue. They had replaced something not too long ago and have had a problem ever since. I do not have problems on other channels.

To make sure it wasn't just the Comcast DVR, I viewed the same channel on our bedroom tv's QAM tuner 105.1. It also had the same problems.

I had the same issues with AI last night, pretty much all of Gina and Sanjaya's performances were unwatchable...but of course, even if the reception was good Sanjaya's performance may have been unwatchable. Anyway, this has been happening since the beginning of AI's season, and I noticed that it is ONLY AI that I have this issue with. I DVR 24 and House, and never get the audio drop/freeze frame issue. I have comcast and work with someone who has satellite (not sure which one, but I think it's DishNetwork) and he has the same issues, and we've discussed when it happens, and it's at the same times/performers that we get the issues, so that tells me it's the Fox30 HD feed that is bad. What I don't understand is why it's only on AI, and not the other Fox shows I DVR. You would think that they'd get it right for the highest rated show on TV. Other than recording the SD feed, I'm not sure anything can be done. If you have any tips, I'd be happy to hear them. :confused:

Hey all,

Haven't posted in a while, but figured I would give a quick antenna review:

I decided to gamble on a small antenna for outdoor use at my house just north of Middleburg.

Picked up a GE Futura HDTV Outdoor Antenna.
I have a cable (cheap RG6) run to the peak of my roof.

I installed the outdoor antenna at the peak of my roof with a clear view to antenna farms. (I am about 22 miles away).


Reception Strength:
4.1 & 4.2 = 95%
7.1-7.6 = 98%
12.1 & 12.2 = 85%
17.1 & 17.2 = 89%
25.1 = 82%
30.1 = 75%
47.1 = 82%

Other than 30.1, Im pretty happy. I haven't really even tweaked it yet, Im hesitant to with 17.1 coming in that strong.

The funny thing: I can get 36.1 (wuft) @ 75% as well.
At night, I can get 28.1, 28.2 and 20.1 (gainesville) occasionally with this little antenna. (around 45-50 miles from their antenna, and Im looking the other way)


VIP 211 from Dish.

I had the same issues with AI last night, pretty much all of Gina and Sanjaya's performances were unwatchable...but of course, even if the reception was good Sanjaya's performance may have been unwatchable. Anyway, this has been happening since the beginning of AI's season, and I noticed that it is ONLY AI that I have this issue with. I DVR 24 and House, and never get the audio drop/freeze frame issue. I have comcast and work with someone who has satellite (not sure which one, but I think it's DishNetwork) and he has the same issues, and we've discussed when it happens, and it's at the same times/performers that we get the issues, so that tells me it's the Fox30 HD feed that is bad. What I don't understand is why it's only on AI, and not the other Fox shows I DVR. You would think that they'd get it right for the highest rated show on TV. Other than recording the SD feed, I'm not sure anything can be done. If you have any tips, I'd be happy to hear them. :confused:

Maybe it's because AI is the only LIVE show? Just a guess.

Maybe it's because AI is the only LIVE show? Just a guess.
I thought that may be the case as well, but it was doing it during the taped auditions as well, in fact, one show was so bad the entire show was unwatchable.

same thing here, never happened before for me

Has anyone else noticed that the new QAM channels, UHD 69.1 and AE HD 69.2 are no longer coming in?

Have they been mapped to somewhere else?

I can no longer pick up 69-1 or 69-2. They must have scrambled them. I can now pick up 1-1 FOX-HD, 1-4 CW-HD and 1-5 VTv. I guess comcast is remapping some channels. I have never been able to pick up NBC-HD or ABC-HD with my Samsung DTB-H260F external QAM tuner.

Joe

I can no longer pick up 69-1 or 69-2. They must have scrambled them. I can now pick up 1-1 FOX-HD, 1-4 CW-HD and 1-5 VTv. I guess comcast is remapping some channels. I have never been able to pick up NBC-HD or ABC-HD with my Samsung DTB-H260F external QAM tuner.

Joe

is this all through QAM? or can I get this OTA>?

QAM only - they are talking about Comcast channels only, I think.

Comcast randomly changes the QAM assignments. If you rent their box, you aren't affected. As of yesterday:

SCANNING: 495000000 (us-cable:69, us-irc:69)
LOCK: qam256 (ss=97 snq=100 seq=100)
PROGRAM: 1: 0.0 (encrypted)
PROGRAM: 2: 0.0 (encrypted)

SCANNING: 501000000 (us-cable:70, us-irc:70)
LOCK: qam256 (ss=95 snq=100 seq=100)
PROGRAM: 1: 1.1 WAWS
PROGRAM: 4: 1.4 WCWJ
PROGRAM: 5: 1.5 VTv

My mitishibushi TV has built in ATSC/QAM tuners. What do I have to select in order for it pick up the QAM signal from Comcast? I have basic cable only because I want the cheaper price for HSI.

My mitishibushi TV has built in ATSC/QAM tuners. What do I have to select in order for it pick up the QAM signal from Comcast? I have basic cable only because I want the cheaper price for HSI.

Select your cable input and let it do a scan for channels. It should pick up any of the unlocked QAM stations.

You'll still need one of Comcast's converter boxes to unscramble the channels above 125, or whatever the top end of analog is. This includes all of the high def channels.

The built-in HD tuner only helps with over the air signals, I believe.

Correct. The ATSC tuner is for OTA.

As an aside, even though I have D*, I also subscribe to the $9.95 a month HD package from Comcast (requires at a minimum subscription to basic analog cable). That gets me all the local HD stations (for those times when OTA is acting up), as well as INHD, MHD, and now apparently ESPNHD, TNT HD and Discovery HD.

Peter- Can you clarify--- Do you get the MHD and INHD from D* or Comcast. I have D* too but reduced my package considerably since they don't supply HD in HD quality anymore. Too soft. If it's D* I need to take a look at them again. I mostly watch E* HD channels these days. I don't get Comcast cable TV anymore as I have separated my Business broadband wiring and had to disconnect it from the Kitchen TV. IT is now wired to the VIP622 for better quality as well.

INHD, MHD, TNT HD, Discovery HD and ESPN HD, as well as all the local station network HD feeds are coming from the Comcast package ($9.95 for basic analog plus basic HD package plus converter box for $9.95). So, for $20 a month I have access to the HD stations I need.

Of course, since I also have D*, the TNT, Discovery and ESPN are duplicate, but the PQ is better on Comcast. I'm sticking with D* because UHD as well as HDnet and HDnet movies are nice to have as well.

I'm also connected via OTA for the local stations, so I'm pretty much set no matter what the conditions are: cable out, rain fade, OTA reception problems.

peter...I also have the comcast basic & the HD converter box, but they just went up to about $24 for the service & converter box.

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/2095/castgl9.th.jpg (http://img159.imageshack.us/my.php?image=castgl9.jpg)

I cant find discoveryHD on the box, but I do get it on 71-2 QAM. What channel is DiscHD on the box & can ESPNHD be received on QAM. I noticed alot of remmaping of the comcast QAM lineup in the last week or so. Most HD's are 1-1, 1-2,1-3. etc..

PBS & FOX both list as 1-1 on my Panny so I cant set FOX as a favorite...it just goes to PBS and then I must hit channel up.

Has anyone seen an updated QAM channel list?

Dont forget, only 10 more days until D** local HD's. :D

Edit- I found DiscHD on 167. That channel was previously scrambled, I'm sure. But hey, I'm not complaining/ :)

INHD, MHD, TNT HD, Discovery HD and ESPN HD, as well as all the local station network HD feeds are coming from the Comcast package ($9.95 for basic analog plus basic HD package plus converter box for $9.95). So, for $20 a month I have access to the HD stations I need.

Of course, since I also have D*, the TNT, Discovery and ESPN are duplicate, but the PQ is better on Comcast. I'm sticking with D* because UHD as well as HDnet and HDnet movies are nice to have as well.

I'm also connected via OTA for the local stations, so I'm pretty much set no matter what the conditions are: cable out, rain fade, OTA reception problems.

peter...I also have the comcast basic & the HD converter box, but they just went up to about $24 for the service & converter box.

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/2095/castgl9.th.jpg (http://img159.imageshack.us/my.php?image=castgl9.jpg)

I cant find discoveryHD on the box, but I do get it on 71-2 QAM. What channel is DiscHD on the box & can ESPNHD be received on QAM. I noticed alot of remmaping of the comcast QAM lineup in the last week or so. Most HD's are 1-1, 1-2,1-3. etc..

PBS & FOX both list as 1-1 on my Panny so I cant set FOX as a favorite...it just goes to PBS and then I must hit channel up.

Has anyone seen an updated QAM channel list?

Dont forget, only 10 more days until D** local HD's. :D

Edit- I found DiscHD on 167. That channel was previously scrambled, I'm sure. But hey, I'm not complaining/ :)

Just checked my bill (that's the problem with autopay...I didn't notice the $4 increase...still a bargin considering the discount on the HSI).

I don't believe Comcast is going to be done with the channel re-mapping until April, so at this point it probably isn't any use to try and make sense out of it.

What I will do once things "settle down", is just do what I did previously: switch to the cable input of the Sony KDF50E2000 and let it do a channel scan for all digital channels. That's what got me "everything" the last time.

Comcast seems to be encrypting WAWS-DT 105-1 now. Is this the future, or something to do with channel remapping?

For those of you on the $24 plan, can you substitute their DVR for the converter box?

I am watching the WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS-CA CHAMPIONSHIP on Camcast 405 in HD. 405 has Golf Channel programming most of the time. It has also shown NHL games in HD at night.

Comcast seems to be encrypting WAWS-DT 105-1 now. Is this the future, or something to do with channel remapping?

For those of you on the $24 plan, can you substitute their DVR for the converter box?

No. I asked. You have to subscribe to their basic DIGITAL service to get the DVR. In my case, that would be silly since I already have the D* HR20-700, but I would have liked to be able to record Comcast channels as well.

I am watching the WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS-CA CHAMPIONSHIP on Camcast 405 in HD. 405 has Golf Channel programming most of the time. It has also shown NHL games in HD at night.

Not really most of the time. 12PM-7PM Monday-Wednesday and Sunday and 12PM-9PM on Saturday. 12PM-12AM Thursday and Friday. The rest of the time it is VS (which sucks for me because there's nothing on it that I care about).

It is a great addition and what kept me from switching to D*. I would love to see it be 24/7 as Golf Channel gets ~60% of my TV viewing though. I realize that this is not common though and so I'm not surprised it is shared.

any new HD channels for comcast? I get 405 and 411 but UHD and A&EHD is not showing

Must be something about the QAM tuners in those two sets. I have a Sony KDF-50E2000 and get them both.

The D* HD locals are "coming sometime in the future". The CSRs have stopped even giving a date anymore.

I saw this on the dbstalk forum today:

New Dates from Directv:

What I found out today.

Albuquerque, NM - Apr 4, 2007
Buffalo - Apr 4, 2007
Greenville, SC - Mar 28, 2007
Harrisburg, PA -Mar 28, 2007
Jacksonville, FL -Mar 28, 2007
New Orleans -Apr 4, 2007
Spokane, WA -Mar 28, 2007
Tulsa, OK - Apr 4, 2007

I will believe it on Mar 28. It would be great to have it on to see the Final Four.
:)
Joe

I saw this on the dbstalk forum today:

New Dates from Directv:

What I found out today.

Albuquerque, NM - Apr 4, 2007
Buffalo - Apr 4, 2007
Greenville, SC - Mar 28, 2007
Harrisburg, PA -Mar 28, 2007
Jacksonville, FL -Mar 28, 2007
New Orleans -Apr 4, 2007
Spokane, WA -Mar 28, 2007
Tulsa, OK - Apr 4, 2007

I will believe it on Mar 28. It would be great to have it on to see the Final Four.
:)
Joe

What are you talking about? We got HD locals in December, 2006 as promised. Oh, wait, no we didn't. That's right, it was in February, 2007. No, that's not right. March. Yeah, March was when they came. March 28th.

I remember this story from when I was a kid about a boy and a wolf and.....

Seriously, I'm with you. Will believe it when I see it.

I will be quite pleased to try out this new mgeg4 decoder sitting in my HR20-700. On the 28th. This year. :D

Comcast seems to be encrypting WAWS-DT 105-1 now. Is this the future, or something to do with channel remapping?

For those of you on the $24 plan, can you substitute their DVR for the converter box?


Seems 105-1 is now 1-1 Fox HD
105-4 is now 1-4 WB HD
Some new are
1-5 Variety
75-1 TNT HD
108-7 Fox Sports Spanish

Guys, what is UP with the all the pixelation and intermittent signal w/ Fox Sports in HD? Trying to watch NASCAR on Sunday was grueling. Is this a Fox HD thing, or is it Comcast?

Seems 105-1 is now 1-1 Fox HD
105-4 is now 1-4 WB HD
Some new are
1-5 Variety
75-1 TNT HD
108-7 Fox Sports Spanish

Wait, so what is the new Fox HD and WB HD over QAM?

1.1 is Fox?

My parents use QAM (trying to push them to get the Comcast HD DVR.. they're lazy) and now they're all freaking out cause Fox HD disappeared.

I told them to try 1.1 and they said nothing happened.

Help me out!

Fox on 105-1 has disappeared. I've tried keying in 1-1 on my Sony KDF50E2000, and there is nothing. In fact, when I look at the station list, no 1- anything is there.

Maybe I'll try a full re-scan for digital stations, once the mapping is complete in April.

I have a Sony KDF60XS955 and through the menus did a "Digital Channel Add". You know, the one that takes about an hour, Sunday afternoon right after being annoyed not getting the NASCAR race, just to see if I could find FOXHD anywhere.

The new channels I found were:

1.1 is FOX HD WAWS
1.4 is CW HD WJWB (was WB)
1.5 is Variety FOX (cable 206)
71.2 is Discovery HD
75.1 is TNT HD
108.7 is FOX Sports Spanish

Wait, so what is the new Fox HD and WB HD over QAM?

1.1 is Fox?

My parents use QAM (trying to push them to get the Comcast HD DVR.. they're lazy) and now they're all freaking out cause Fox HD disappeared.

I told them to try 1.1 and they said nothing happened.

Help me out!

I'm a parent and I have digital w/DVR and I would love to stop paying for this package. My main problem is I cannot get Fox news without a add on package nor can I receive NBC in HD.

I'm a parent and I have digital w/DVR and I would love to stop paying for this package. My main problem is I cannot get Fox news without a add on package nor can I receive NBC in HD.

You have Comcast HD with DVR and you dont get NBC in HD? how is that possible?

NBC Nightly news converted to HD tonight nationally. It doesn't appear the feed is coming though here in Jacksonville.

You have Comcast HD with DVR and you dont get NBC in HD? how is that possible?

If I get rid of the HD cable, I can't get NBC HD on Basic cable. Apparently I can't get it on HD cable tonight. NBC news looked the same as usual.

Fox HD is on 70.1

This whole QAM thing is bogus. Comcast should be forced to keep their customers informed about channel changes on QAM. Why do they move channels around on QAM anyway? Why do we have QAM tuners if we can't use them easily? We are paying for a service and we should be aware of what we are capable of getting with that service.

I checked out UHD on comcast ch410. Lots of pixelization and the bitrate was only 9Mbps.

Let's hope comcast doesn't move to HD-lite on all their HD.

According to the DTV Local Channel listing for 32218. HD locals are now available. I'm not at home to confirm this though. Maybe the wait is finally over.

According to the DTV Local Channel listing for 32218. HD locals are now available. I'm not at home to confirm this though. Maybe the wait is finally over.

I called my dad about 6:30am this morning and I had him check to see if the HD locals were coming in down there and he did confirm that the big 4 are coming in. The CW is the only thing that Directv didn't add but I believe it was posted here at AVS or over at DBSTalk that they said they'll come back to markets where they haven't added the CW and add it at a later date. I haven't asked my dad how the channels looked but since Directv is using the new encoders the channels should do pretty well. Maybe Peter can post his thoughts later.

Just checked to confirm and yes, CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC are lit up. The Today show and Good Morning America looked as good as the OTA versions. The MPEG4 decoder in the HR20-700 does a nice job, at least as far as I can tell with such a short look. Can't wait for Lost tonight to see how it looks!

They actually did it!

Help, Not only do i not have HD locals I have lost all my locals.

Help, Not only do i not have HD locals I have lost all my locals.

Looks like they did a flush of the stations. Go into your setup menu and make sure you put a tick mark on "favorites" for stations you receive that you want to view (depends on the equipment you are using).

On the D* HR20-700, when I look at my channel lists I how have 3 entries for the "big 4" stations, such as 12 NBC, 12 Directv and 12-1 NBC. The 12 NBC and 12-1 NBC are the HD D* 12 and the HD OTA respectively.

Remember, to receive the HD locals via D*, you need the HR20-700 with the MPEG4 decoder.

On an HR10-250, you will still get the locals, only they will be the standard version. Note: on the HR10-250 I have, I didn't have to re-select any stations. The SD locals were still there.

Looks like they did a flush of the stations. Go into your setup menu and make sure you put a tick mark on "favorites" for stations you receive that you want to view (depends on the equipment you are using).

On the D* HR20-700, when I look at my channel lists I how have 3 entries for the "big 4" stations, such as 12 NBC, 12 Directv and 12-1 NBC. The 12 NBC and 12-1 NBC are the HD D* 12 and the HD OTA respectively.

Remember, to receive the HD locals via D*, you need the HR20-700 with the MPEG4 decoder.

On an HR10-250, you will still get the locals, only they will be the standard version. Note: on the HR10-250 I have, I didn't have to re-select any stations. The SD locals were still there.

Thanks I will try that but it looks like when I got my HR-20 700 in January the f*** installer installed the three LNB dish instead of the 5 after assuming I had the 5 all along.

Well I guess I will have to wait one more day.

Thanks I will try that but it looks like when I got my HR-20 700 in January the f*** installer installed the three LNB dish instead of the 5 after assuming I had the 5 all along.

Well I guess I will have to wait one more day.

Oh, yeah, you do need the 5 LNB.

Oh, yeah, you do need the 5 LNB.

Thanks Petergaryr I got the guide back and know see the HDlocals and regular locals again (an hour with directv could not get me that far). However I am a bit upset that they installed the wrong dish.

I wish I could remember the name of the company that installed it in the first place.

Thanks Petergaryr I got the guide back and know see the HDlocals and regular locals again (an hour with directv could not get me that far). However I am a bit upset that they installed the wrong dish.

If you are getting the HD Locals, then you do indeed have a five lnb dish. At a glance, it kinda looks like a 3 lnb. I cant imagine any company installing a 3 lnb dish with a HR-20 700 recently.

If you are getting the HD Locals, then you do indeed have a five lnb dish. At a glance, it kinda looks like a 3 lnb. I cant imagine any company installing a 3 lnb dish with a HR-20 700 recently.

They are on the guide I am not getting them. I was told it was 5 but I am now positive it is not.

Three white caps.

I take all my bad thoughts back I climbed on the roof it is an AU9 which is 5LNB.

Any ideas why I cant get satellite 99 and 103?

What are you talking about? We got HD locals in December, 2006 as promised. Oh, wait, no we didn't. That's right, it was in February, 2007. No, that's not right. March. Yeah, March was when they came. March 28th.

I remember this story from when I was a kid about a boy and a wolf and.....

Seriously, I'm with you. Will believe it when I see it.

I will be quite pleased to try out this new mgeg4 decoder sitting in my HR20-700. On the 28th. This year. :D

Looks like this time they got it right. The MPEG4 channels look great. I guess only the large DMA's get the CW network. Do you know if we will get the HD feeds on the regional sports networks?

Joe :)

I take all my bad thoughts back I climbed on the roof it is an AU9 which is 5LNB.

Any ideas why I cant get satellite 99 and 103?

You can go into Setup and make sure that the zip code and everything is correct. The only thing that I can think of is that your dish may not be aligned correctly b/c the KA signals require precise aiming. You can go into Setup and look at the signal strength for Sat 103. That's where the Jax HD locals are located. If you ain't getting no signal strength on those transponders or the signal strengths are low, then it's your alignment.

Looks like this time they got it right. The MPEG4 channels look great. I guess only the large DMA's get the CW network. Do you know if we will get the HD feeds on the regional sports networks?

Joe :)

While anything is possible, they aren't listed here:

http://www.dbstalk.com/hr20/html/DIRECTV_lil_list.html

Looks like this time they got it right. The MPEG4 channels look great. I guess only the large DMA's get the CW network. Do you know if we will get the HD feeds on the regional sports networks?

Joe :)

There are only 6 DMAs out of the 53 DMAs that get HD locals from Directv that actually have the CW. Directv has stated that they will come back and add CW to the markets that don't have it. Just don't when they'll come back. My guess would be sometime later this year.

The HD RSNs for Florida are part time and when they are on its channel 96 or 97. What that means is that if there is a sporting event being broadcast in HD for Florida FSN or Sun, then it will appear on 96 or 97. Directv only carries five RSNs full time and those just happen to be in the New York, Chicago, Washington and Boston markets. All of the other markets are part time on channel 96 or 97.

I saw an ad while watching the news this morning.

www.wewanttvchoicefl.com

Looks like the senate will be voting to bring competition in to help reduce rates and improve services and options.

Hello! It's my first post to the Jacksonville forum and I'm hoping you can help.

After many years with a TIVO Series 2 and 32" CRT TV & DirectTV, I've finally took the plunge into HDTV and bought a Panasonic 50" Plasma TH50PX60U last week. I live in the southside area and can see the Hogan Road antennas from my back yard. I hooked up some old rabbit ears and was able to get all the local HD channels. I've also hooked up the comcast cable (I have cable for internet) and was able to get various QAM channels.

We really miss our TIVO functions. We had the TIVO series 2 for many years and rarely watch anything live. It's so nice to skip commercials. Now that we have the plasma I'm trying to decide between getting a DirecTV HD DVR or one from comcast. I realize that the TIVO Series 3 exists but I'm not paying $650 for it and then have to pay a monthly fee too. Plus it won't work with Directv.

We normally Tivo shows from the Big 3 networks, Food, Travel, Comedy, Scifi. We watch movies but normally they're on DVDs. We don't subscribe to any premium channels.

What would you do?
1. Go with Comcast HD DVR -
Pros - No up front costs. Small monthly fee for it
Cons - The analog channels look horrible, the cable is above ground and is not as reliable as directv in my neighborhood.
2. Get Directv HR20.
Pros - All channels are digital, more reliable signal, more HD channels coming online this year
Cons - $300 up front cost, I read neg comments on cnet but I doubt the comcast box is any better.

I'm leaning towards the Directv option.

Oh by the way, YES, I am properly breaking in my plasma for the first 100 hours.

http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/2992/welcomeac2.gif

You are correct that the HR20-700 had some initial problems (I've had one since last year). However, D* has been very good at issuing software updates, and given the last one, I'd put the box on a par with the Tivo based HR10-250 I also have.

The interface is a bit different, and there aren't dual live buffers (but you can get around that by just hitting the record button on both shows if you need to toggle between them). At this point, I'd say I could recommend it.

We just had the 4 major networks light up in HD this week on D*, so that is also a plus.

Now, I also have the very basic Comcast HD package (for those rain fade days!). I've read others saying that D* has a compromised picture over Comcast cable, but I am not seeing it. D* service has been consistently good, and in all fairness, Comcast has been getting better.

Enjoy your new set, and welcome to the forum.

This is the pdf file documenting the changes for Comcast channels starting on April 10, 2007: http://www.comcast.com/MediaLibrary/1/2/CM/VanityURL/documents/jax/ChannelChangeAd3-9-07.pdf

Kellyr, I'm surprised your analog channels look horrible. They look really good here. I assume you have yelled at Comcast to fix it to no avail.

I think the "con" for cable is the awful software on their Motorola DVRs. Painful to operate compared to every other DVR out there. But the picture is excellent.

Sunsports HD coming on the 10th? Does this mean we could get Breakfast with the Gators in HD? Perhaps a HD re-run of the Championship game at some point?

Hello! It's my first post to the Jacksonville forum and I'm hoping you can help.

After many years with a TIVO Series 2 and 32" CRT TV & DirectTV, I've finally took the plunge into HDTV and bought a Panasonic 50" Plasma TH50PX60U last week. I live in the southside area and can see the Hogan Road antennas from my back yard. I hooked up some old rabbit ears and was able to get all the local HD channels. I've also hooked up the comcast cable (I have cable for internet) and was able to get various QAM channels.

We really miss our TIVO functions. We had the TIVO series 2 for many years and rarely watch anything live. It's so nice to skip commercials. Now that we have the plasma I'm trying to decide between getting a DirecTV HD DVR or one from comcast. I realize that the TIVO Series 3 exists but I'm not paying $650 for it and then have to pay a monthly fee too. Plus it won't work with Directv.

We normally Tivo shows from the Big 3 networks, Food, Travel, Comedy, Scifi. We watch movies but normally they're on DVDs. We don't subscribe to any premium channels.

What would you do?
1. Go with Comcast HD DVR -
Pros - No up front costs. Small monthly fee for it
Cons - The analog channels look horrible, the cable is above ground and is not as reliable as directv in my neighborhood.
2. Get Directv HR20.
Pros - All channels are digital, more reliable signal, more HD channels coming online this year
Cons - $300 up front cost, I read neg comments on cnet but I doubt the comcast box is any better.

I'm leaning towards the Directv option.

Oh by the way, YES, I am properly breaking in my plasma for the first 100 hours.

Hey, I feel your pain. I have two Replay's and have had Basic cable for years. Got a HD TV two years ago and now find it very difficult to watch SD TV. Picked up a 3416 DVR from Comcast last December and my cable bill went from $25.00 to $83.00+ a month. I have a outdoor antenna in the attic and could get along with the locals in HD but would miss Fox news. I have considered Direct and Dish but the cost comes out about the same for one or two TV's. I have seven. My solution may be a Media Center PC when they improve their abilities. For now I'm stuck with Comcast. At least the DVR has a great picture.

Thanks everybody for their input. From what I have read from here and other places the Directv HR20 is a better DVR than what Comcast provides. I've had cable in the house since 1990 and service has definently improved since then. My main problem with cable is that a picture problem will crop up and I'll call to get it fixed. They'll set up an appointment for a week later. I've got to be home to meet them. When they show up half the time they can't fix the problem. On the other hand, I've had Directv for 3 years and had no problems at all. It really has to be a bad storm to experience any rain fade. In Comcast's defense, the digital channels look great.

grittree - By analog, I mean the 2-77 channels. Especially channel 10. The cable company has tried to fix it several times. I've got 4 TVs. I think I keep basic cable on 3 of them (we rarely watch them) and go with Directv on the plasma. The nice thing about the plasma is that it has a built in digital tuner so I can get over the air and digital cable signals if something went wrong with the satellite dish.

bogie3 - I considered building a PC and getting an HD card in it. It sounded like more work than it was worth to setup and keep running.

petergaryr - I'm glad to hear that you think your directv channels look as good as comcast. I've been happy with directv except for the jacksonville locals standard def which are so compressed I can see the pixelation on 25" tv.

The poor service from Comcast is was drove me to satellite in the first place. I still keep basic cable with them so I can get the discount on their high speed internet.

Unfortunately I've run though that scenario you described with HSI. When it is down, the routine typically is they send a tech to check the inside equipment (even though I tell them it is a bloc synch problem and is due to something outside). The inside guy comes and says he can't do anything (surprise). Then maintenance comes and fixes the outside problem (or doesn't). We repeated this sequence twice one week. It is that type of experience that tells me they still have issues.

D* on the other hand has been trouble free except for 1 time when I was having problems with 1 HD station. The tech came, replaced a cracked LNB and re-did the cabling. Showed up when scheduled, did a good job, then was gone. Painless.

DirecTV just got my locals up running. I have heard the issues with hr-20 but i have hardly had any. When I do which is rare a simple reset takes care of it.

When the new SATS come on line cable will have a hard time competing.

The poor service from Comcast is was drove me to satellite in the first place. I still keep basic cable with them so I can get the discount on their high speed internet.


I do the same but have not hooked it up since I went HD any benefit in doing so?

Something else to consider is the Tivo interface that Comcast will offer as an option for their DVR's in the (hopefully) near future. The Tivo software is supposedly rolling out to different markets in late spring/early summer, although I wouldn't count on Jacksonville being an early market. There is some speculation that many areas won't receive it until late 2007.

While the Motorola 3412/3416 DVR from Comcast is buggy, the PQ for HD has been far superior to DirecTV IMO. I am anxious to see for myself how the new DirecTV local HD channels compare. Unfortunately, the national HD channels from DirecTV still suffer from over-compression and reduced resolution.

Of course, the new national HD channels expected from DirecTV later this year could change the entire landscape. It will be interesting to see how, or if, Comcast can compete with the number of HD channels that DirecTV will offer.

As far as customer service, as a subscriber to both Comcast and DirecTV at various times, I can attest that neither has a monopoly on poor service. In fact, it was poor customer service and rain fade issues that brought me back to Comcast several years ago.

Something else to consider is the Tivo interface that Comcast will offer as an option for their DVR's in the (hopefully) near future. The Tivo software is supposedly rolling out to different markets in late spring/early summer, although I wouldn't count on Jacksonville being an early market. There is some speculation that many areas won't receive it until late 2007.

While the Motorola 3412/3416 DVR from Comcast is buggy, the PQ for HD has been far superior to DirecTV IMO. I am anxious to see for myself how the new DirecTV local HD channels compare. Unfortunately, the national HD channels from DirecTV still suffer from over-compression and reduced resolution.

Of course, the new national HD channels expected from DirecTV later this year could change the entire landscape. It will be interesting to see how, or if, Comcast can compete with the number of HD channels that DirecTV will offer.

As far as customer service, as a subscriber to both Comcast and DirecTV at various times, I can attest that neither has a monopoly on poor service. In fact, it was poor customer service and rain fade issues that brought me back to Comcast several years ago.

I had heard about Tivo & comcast but I didn't know it was a definent thing.

Your picture quality comment has me considered. I just spent big chunk of change on a plasma that is rated as having one of the best pictures so obviously I want to feed it the best signal possible.

Now I'm wondering if I should give Comcast a try. I wouldn't have anything to loose since you don't have to buy the box. Uggh! this is tough. It took me two years of shopping to finally buy a HDTV and now I'm not sure which service to use with it! :confused:

Well, I'm not trying to sell anyone on Comcast. One advantage though is you don't have to sign a contract or buy anything to try Comcast. You can always switch later to DirecTV without a lot of hassle. Switching from DirecTV to another provider after you sign a contract and buy their equipment is possible, but more costly.

For me, I intend to wait to see what the new national HD channels will be offered by DirecTV later this year before I consider going back. Another factor for me is I would have to buy 2 DVR's to replace the 2 I have from Comcast.


edit: In rereading your earlier posts, with the Comcast DVR, you get all of their SD channels digitally (the analog channels are simulcast in digital), so you really should have improved PQ on the SD channels over analog. When Comcast began digital simulcast, the PQ on the SD channels improved significantly for me, although it's still hard to watch SD channels when you are used to HD.

Well, I'm not trying to sell anyone on Comcast. One advantage though is you don't have to sign a contract or buy anything to try Comcast. You can always switch later to DirecTV without a lot of hassle. Switching from DirecTV to another provider after you sign a contract and buy their equipment is possible, but more costly.

For me, I intend to wait to see what the new national HD channels will be offered by DirecTV later this year before I consider going back. Another factor for me is I would have to buy 2 DVR's to replace the 2 I have from Comcast.


Well my game plan has changed slightly. I think I'll give the comcast dvr a shot. If I don't like it, I can return it without any major cost and go to directv.

Today I compared the picture quality between the digital QAM channels from comcast and the Directv standard def. Specifically I looked at USA, ABC Family, SCIFI, & CMT. Directv looked slightly better to me. I wish I could compare HD between the two but since I don't have a HD Directv receiver I can't. The HD stations that I get from comcast via the QAM tuner built into my Panasonic Plasma look great. I'm currently receiving MUSIC HD, INHD, TNT HD, Discover HD Theater, CBS, and FOX. From what I've read, most people are giving the edge to cable on PQ for HD channels.

I do the same but have not hooked it up since I went HD any benefit in doing so?

If your TV has a QAM tuner, you'll be able to receive their unencrypted digital channels since you are paying for them anyway.

Well my game plan has changed slightly. I think I'll give the comcast dvr a shot. If I don't like it, I can return it without any major cost and go to directv.


Just be ready for the "quirks" of the Comcast DVR. One thing many of us have learned is if you get a particularly "quirky" DVR, you can always take it down to the Southside service center and exchange it for another one at no cost. I have one DVR that I've not had any problems with, and one that I've exchanged twice. So far, this newest one is mostly problem-free, except for a tendency for the 30-second skip to lag from time to time. There have been firmware updates that have corrected some of the problems in the past.

You can also exchange the DVR anytime there is a newer version that comes out. In the last couple of of years, I've gone from the 6208 (single tuner, 80 GB HD) to the 6412/Phase I (dual tuner, 120 GB HD, no HDMI), to the 6412/Phase III (with HDMI), to the 3412 (digital only) to the 3416 (160 GB HD). Comcast has a couple of newer DVR's that are in development that should be an improvement over the current 3416. Also, there is hope that the Tivo software may smooth out some of the issues when it is implemented.

edit: corrected Motorola model nos. The Motorola 3416 is the latest available from Comcast.

I called comcast today. I'm going to stop by the southside office today and pick up a DVR. Comcast said that they need to do something at the poll in order to allow it to record and so they'll be out tomorrow to do that. We'll see how it goes! Thanks for the info on the DVRs.

I called comcast today. I'm going to stop by the southside office today and pick up a DVR. Comcast said that they need to do something at the poll in order to allow it to record and so they'll be out tomorrow to do that. We'll see how it goes! Thanks for the info on the DVRs.

They may have to poll your neighbors to allow you to record. Hope you haven't done anything bad to your neighbors.

They may have to poll your neighbors to allow you to record. Hope you haven't done anything bad to your neighbors.

My neighbors love me :D

I was surprised when the Comcast guy I talked to said that the recording features wouldn't work until they did something outside the house to turn it on. The HD receiver functions should work though.

Slightly off topic, but has anyone been to one of the theaters around town with the new digital projectors? If so, did you just ask which movies were being shown using the digital projector or how did you know in advance before you bought a ticket? I know Meet the Robinsons is being used to showcase these new projectors but I assume there are other movies being shown also.

I hooked up the DVR yesterday. I think it's a 3416. The channels look great and the DVR functions are working. The comcast guy I talked to on the phone said the DVR wouldn't work until they did some work outside the house. Once again, I'm right, they're wrong.

Anybody know if I can cancell or suspend directv online without having to talk to a rep on the phone?

I hooked up the DVR yesterday. I think it's a 3416. The channels look great and the DVR functions are working. The comcast guy I talked to on the phone said the DVR wouldn't work until they did some work outside the house. Once again, I'm right, they're wrong.
Somehow that doesn't surprise me.


Anybody know if I can cancell or suspend directv online without having to talk to a rep on the phone?
I may be wrong, but I believe you will have to go through customer retention on the phone where they will offer free Showtime and possibly other inducements to stay.

Slightly off topic, but has anyone been to one of the theaters around town with the new digital projectors? If so, did you just ask which movies were being shown using the digital projector or how did you know in advance before you bought a ticket? I know Meet the Robinsons is being used to showcase these new projectors but I assume there are other movies being shown also.

Which theaters have them?

Which theaters have them?


AMC Regency and Orange Park, Cinemark Tinseltown, and Regal Avenues have at least one digital projector.

Here is the link to a newspaper article about it:

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/032807/lif_8891787.shtml l

Somehow that doesn't surprise me.



I may be wrong, but I believe you will have to go through customer retention on the phone where they will offer free Showtime and possibly other inducements to stay.

I'm afraid you're right. I also had ordered a HD DVR from directv recently. The terms & agreement said I could cancel the order at any time up to the time they actually installed it. The FAQ says to call them to cancel the order.

For some reason I thought there was a way to "suspend service" with directv. It would be nice to quickly be able to resume service if for some reason cable was unavailable for a long time (hurricane).

AMC Regency and Orange Park, Cinemark Tinseltown, and Regal Avenues have at least one digital projector.

Here is the link to a newspaper article about it:

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/032807/lif_8891787.shtml l

Great. Thank you. I have yet to see ANY digital presentation in a theater.

Great. Thank you. I have yet to see ANY digital presentation in a theater.

Me either. I'd like to try it out, although I haven't been to a theater in quite a while other than the IMAX at World Golf Village.

The last few times I've been to a regular theater, usually at Tinseltown, were not positive with people talking, cell phones, and the last time the movie stopped midway for about 10 minutes. The films have also not been very good quality with out-of-focus blurriness, scratches, skipping, out-of-synch sound, etc. leading me to believe my home theater was a better experience. Maybe the digital projectors can at least improve on those issues.

Funny you say that. I find myself thinking many of the same things. With rips, tears, patches on the screens, I come out with less concern about the silk screen effect on my Sony KDFE2000!

For some reason I thought there was a way to "suspend service" with directv. It would be nice to quickly be able to resume service if for some reason cable was unavailable for a long time (hurricane).

If we have a hurricane that knocks out cable, watching TV on DirectTV is going to be the least of your concerns. :eek:

Me either. I'd like to try it out, although I haven't been to a theater in quite a while other than the IMAX at World Golf Village.

The last few times I've been to a regular theater, usually at Tinseltown, were not positive with people talking, cell phones, and the last time the movie stopped midway for about 10 minutes. The films have also not been very good quality with out-of-focus blurriness, scratches, skipping, out-of-synch sound, etc. leading me to believe my home theater was a better experience. Maybe the digital projectors can at least improve on those issues.

My wife and I used to go out to the movies at least once a week. Three months ago we subscribed to Netflix and have been watching at home. Now that we have a plasma we probably won't be going to the theaters anytime soon. We do have annual passes to the World Golf Village Imax and enjoy it.

There are so many things annoying about the theaters. There is always the guy with the cell phone, the people behind you running their mouths the whole movie, people who bring hyper toddlers to rated R movies, bad sound that seems to go from surround to mono every 30 seconds, $5 for a coke, movies out of focus. AMC Regency has 3 different areas that sell concessions but only one is ever open and it is usually a 15 minute wait for stale popcorn. Digital projectors won't fix most of these problems. I've got some stories to tell about rude people at the movies..

If we have a hurricane that knocks out cable, watching TV on DirectTV is going to be the least of your concerns. :eek:

No, I'm prepared for a hurricane. Generator, food, water, concrete block house. When a tree falls across the power and cable lines I'll still have air conditioning and directv. :D

No, I'm prepared for a hurricane. Generator, food, water, concrete block house. When a tree falls across the power and cable lines I'll still have air conditioning and directv. :D

Me too. I installed a standby generator last year that will power the hot water heater, stove, refrigerator, one of the a/c units, and the office/home theater room (I have my priorities). Now if the cable goes out, I guess we're screwed, except that we'll have our DVD and blu-ray discs to keep us entertained.

No, I'm prepared for a hurricane. Generator, food, water, concrete block house. When a tree falls across the power and cable lines I'll still have air conditioning and directv.

Me too. I installed a standby generator last year that will power the hot water heater, stove, refrigerator, one of the a/c units, and the office/home theater room (I have my priorities). Now if the cable goes out, I guess we're screwed, except that we'll have our DVD and blu-ray discs to keep us entertained.

I'm set up the same way too, generator, transfer switch at the breaker box, food, water, electricity in the "Esential" parts of the house, etc. I'm just saying that there will more than likely be other things that will need to get done before cranking up the TV/Home Theater. Things like cleaning up, repairs, debris removal.

I guess it depends on how direct a hit we get. If it's like Frances or Jeanne, I'm set. If we get the big one or the big one gets close enough, then you're right.

I have a friend who went through 2 hurricanes near Ft. Lauderdale a couple of years ago and he didn't have a roof after the first one so he wasn't sipping martinis watching his big screen after the storms.

The 1st round of the Masters is on today at 4pm. UHD is carrying the HD portion on Comcast, I think the channel is 410. In case anyone is interested. I'm recording it for later.


Edit to correct channel number.

Has anyone rented a cablecard ? If so how much do they charge you ?
Comcast rep told me it was $12/month but their website states otherwise:


FAQs / Product Information / Comcast Cable / CableCARD
How much will I be charged to use a CableCARD?

There is no charge for the first CableCARD that you use as it is already included in the primary outlet fee. If you have a multi-card device on the same outlet (i.e. TiVo Series 3 or two Digital Cable Tuners connected to the same personal computer), you will be charged an additional regulated fee of up to $1.91 for the second CableCARD.

http://www.comcast.com/customers/faq/FaqDetails.ashx?Id=2651

I tried the cable card after I got my Toshiba HDTV and couldn't get it to work. Comcast blamed Toshiba. Toshiba blamed Comcast and around we went. Finally I took it back and got a STB. It was only two weeks away from Superbowl and I wanted to be ready. :D

I may try it again after the big channel remap on the 10th.

By the way, there is no incentive to make cable cards work on Comcasts part. Because it is only one way, that eliminates On Demand and that potential revinue stream. :(

I've had a cablecard for 2 1/2 years because we don't use On Demand and the other 2 way offerings. The best part for us is not having a STB and extra remote.

jagfan,
How much do they charge you per month ? any installation fee ?

anyones comcasts' ch. 167, 168, 174 messing up?

anyones comcasts' ch. 167, 168, 174 messing up?

Our 167 pixelates. We havent had 168 for 1 1/2 weeks, so have been using the OTA antenna until the remap, then it may be a non issue.

when would this remap take place?

when would this remap take place?

Last I heard it was Tuesday the 10th.

Hello All,

I just moved back to jax. I just bought a panasonic 42px600 and I did the scan for hd channels but I don't get abc or nbc. Does any one know why? I do get dis-hd,mhd,mojo,cbs,pbs and fox. i think thats it.I also noticed that I'm getting other peoples on demand channels, I was watching a movie then it just started fast forwarding. I'm gonna upgrade my cable to the hd package but I'm not sure I need to except to get abc and nbc.

Are you using a UHF antenna? NBC and ABC HD channels are on VHF freq. NBC is 13.1 and ABC is 10.1.

Are you using a UHF antenna? NBC and ABC HD channels are on VHF freq. NBC is 13.1 and ABC is 10.1.

I'm using the decoder built into the tv

You are hooked up to cable. Others have reported not getting ABC/NBC (ch 104-1/104-2). Some TVs have better QAM tuners than others.

You are hooked up to cable. Others have reported not getting ABC/NBC (ch 104-1/104-2). Some TVs have better QAM tuners than others.

that stinks.This tv's reviews were very good but not the tuner I guess.
Here is what I currently get:
1-1 Fox
1-4 CW17
71-2 Dis-HD
75-1 TNT-HD
103-1 INHD
106-3 MHD
114-1 PBS- HD
114-2 Cbs-HD

Also I saw a few questions about cable card's but no answers. what is the price?

that stinks.This tv's reviews were very good but not the tuner I guess.
Here is what I currently get:
1-1 Fox
1-4 CW17
71-2 Dis-HD
75-1 TNT-HD
103-1 INHD
106-3 MHD
114-1 PBS- HD
114-2 Cbs-HD

Also I saw a few questions about cable card's but no answers. what is the price?

Try a re-scan on Tuesday after the channel re-mapping by Comcast is completed.

Try a re-scan on Tuesday after the channel re-mapping by Comcast is completed.

will do

jagfan,
How much do they charge you per month ? any installation fee ?

84.40 / month for HDTV Preferred-h (used to be called Digital Silver). I can't recall whether there was installation fee or not. There's not much to the install. Insert card and make a call to Comcast.

Are you using a UHF antenna? NBC and ABC HD channels are on VHF freq. NBC is 13.1 and ABC is 10.1.

All digital HD transmitters are UHF.

All digital HD transmitters are UHF.

Um, no.

See this link:

http://www.antennasdirect.com/faqs.html#faq1

In Jacksonville, NBC is broadcasting on 13.1 and ABC on 10.1, both in the VHF range which is why people who have bought just a UHF antenna for OTA cannot receive them.

Good news for those using QAM. There were zero changes in frequencies.

I've been out of town and won't return until next week. Can anyone confirm for me that Comcast made the switch over today with the channel remapping? I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my DVR's will pick up the new channel numbers and record my shows this week.

Good news for those using QAM. There were zero changes in frequencies.

I must have been typing as you posted this. So the transition has already occurred?

I must have been typing as you posted this. So the transition has already occurred?

Yes. I did have to go into "My Favorites" and re-set them, however.

The first post has been changed to show the new HD channel lineup.

I am using SageTV, and during the last guide update I lost all of my local HD channels. Does anyone know if the lineup providers are having trouble with the lineup changes? Even the TvPlanner on the Comcast website isn't listing the HD channels anymore, and there are only two lineups listed: Analog and Digital, that's it.

The first post has been changed to show the new HD channel lineup.
Hey - What happened to the QAM channel numbers in the list?

Has anyone in the JAX area recently had a DirecTV HR20-100 installed? If so, was it a black one?

Thanks,
pjdavep

Hey - What happened to the QAM channel numbers in the list?

sh__! I assume they all have been changed and erased them. Can someone give me a list and I will post them?

sh__! I assume they all have been changed and erased them. Can someone give me a list and I will post them?

Here are a few (Mixture of HD and SD---may need re-verification):


1.1 Fox HD
1.4 CW HD
69.1 UHD (scrambled)
69-2 A&E (scrambled)
71-2 DSCHD
73.6 USA
73.8 Sci Fi
75.1 TNT HD
77.2 TBS
77.4 FX
102.1 ESPN HD
103.1 INHD (Mojo)
103.2 M-HD
103.3 NFL
104.1 ABC HD
104.2 NBC HD
104.3 Weather
106.2 TNT SD
110.1 CNN
110.2 HLN
110.3 APL
110.8 WE
110.9 Hallmark
111.6 Food
111.7 LIF
111.9 Spike
114.1 PBS HD
114.2 CBS HD
115.5 ESPN

petergaryr. thanks.

I'll admit I'm new to HDTV but I need to know if it's my setup or what...

I've had the Comcast DVR (motorola 3416) for a week. I just watched the 4/9 "Dancing with the Stars" show in beautiful high def and 16:9 aspect ratio. Tonigh 4/10 I watched the "Dancing with the Stars" results show. It looked to be hi def but the aspect ratio was 4:3. Did ABC do this on purpose or did our local ABC station screw up? Or maybe it's a comcast problem?

I'll admit I'm new to HDTV but I need to know if it's my setup or what...

I've had the Comcast DVR (motorola 3416) for a week. I just watched the 4/9 "Dancing with the Stars" show in beautiful high def and 16:9 aspect ratio. Tonigh 4/10 I watched the "Dancing with the Stars" results show. It looked to be hi def but the aspect ratio was 4:3. Did ABC do this on purpose or did our local ABC station screw up? Or maybe it's a comcast problem?

It was a national problem with ABC:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=832485

any1 here have a list of the new HD lineup for comcast? also Im still having problems picking up Discovery HD and fox HD, any1 else have this problem?

any1 here have a list of the new HD lineup for comcast? also Im still having problems picking up Discovery HD and fox HD, any1 else have this problem?
Both channels, FoxHD (1-1) and DiscoveryHD (71-2), come in pretty clear on my TV and my HDHR.

any1 here have a list of the new HD lineup for comcast? also Im still having problems picking up Discovery HD and fox HD, any1 else have this problem?

1.1 FOX
1.4 CW
71-2 DSCHD
75-1 TNT HD
102.1 ESPN HD
103.1 INHD
103.2. HD PPV
104.1 ABC
104.2 NBC
104.3 Weather
106.3 MHD
114.1 PBS
114.2 CBS

with my QAM tuner, FOX HD is on 70.1 and CW is on 70.4

Here are the SD QAM:

1.5 VTv
73.1 Discovery
73.2 TLC
73.3 Nickelodeon
73.4 Cartoon Network
73.5 AMC
73.6 USA
73.7 Comedy
73.8 SciFi
73.9 VH-1
73.10 BET
73.11 MTV
74.1 HGTV
74.2 Disney
74.4 ESPN Classic
74.6 CMT
74.8 History
74.9 E!
77.1 Weather
77.2 TBS
77.3 Fox News
77.4 FX
77.5 TNT
77.6 ABC Family
77.7 TV Guide
77.8 Sun Sports
77.9 Weatherscan
77.11 EWTN
77.12 CNBC
78.22 WUFT
78.23 WGN
94.10 History
94.11 Bravo
104.3 Weather Plus
110.1 CNN
110.2 HLN
110.3 Animal Planet
110.4 C-Span 2
110.7 GAC
110.8 WE
110.9 Hallmark
111.1 CourtTV
111.2 C-Span
111.3 ESPN2
111.6 Food
111.7 Lifetime
111.8 A&E
111.9 Spike
111.10 TV Land
111.11 Bravo
111.12 QVC

with my QAM tuner, FOX HD is on 70.1 and CW is on 70.4

I suppose anything is possible with QAM. My listings are based on the tuner in a Sony KDF50E2000. But, yes, those two stations are also coming in on the channels you mention.

As has been said before on this forum, not all QAM tuners are created equal. In my case, I have 4 different QAM tuners and they all pick up different channels.

My Vizio and Westinghouse HDTV's cannot pick up 104.1 ABC HD or 104.2 NBC HD, while my LG LST-3100A receiver and FusionHDTV card have no problem with them.

A month or so ago, after FOX HD moved from 105.1, my Vizio and FusionHDTV picked it up at 1-1, while the LG receiver picked it up at 70.1. I believe this difference is due to the PSIP info now being passed with FOX HD. Same is true for CW HD. I think for a brief time CBS HD and PBS HD were both in the 1-? range, but that mapping didn't last too long, and they are now back at 114.1 and 114.2.

After a few weeks, the Vizio and FusionHDTV stopped picking up FOX HD and CW HD and the LG would have periodic dropouts. I have since replaced a splitter and now the Vizio can pick them up, but the FusionHDTV has a hard time. The signal seems to be very weak for those two.

I only have the Comcast limited basic channels, could the filter they put on for that be the reason for a weak signal? Does anyone else see a weak signal for them?

I was hoping the latest remapping would solve my problems, but it hasn't.

Also, ESPN HD 102.1 is encrypted for me, are you positive it's in the clear for you?

I suppose anything is possible with QAM. My listings are based on the tuner in a Sony KDF50E2000. But, yes, those two stations are also coming in on the channels you mention.

I have 2 Mitsubishi HD tv's with QAM tuners. Both see Fox on 70.1 now and neither can pick up any signal on 1.1.

As for ESPN on 102.1, I think it is encrypted. We did have it for a long time, but we can no longer view that channel.

I couldn't directly tune 1.1 or 1.4 directly until I let the tuner do a physical re-scan of the available channels. Once I did that, it picked them up. You are right about 102.1. It must be encrypted now.

1.1 and 1.4 are virtual channels. Comcast sends QAM256 on frequencies from ch69-114.

74.7 used to be the QAM SD Speed Channel, has anyone pinpointed its new location yet?

1.1 FOX
1.4 CW
71-2 DSCHD
75-1 TNT HD
102.1 ESPN HD
103.1 INHD
103.2. HD PPV
104.1 ABC
104.2 NBC
104.3 Weather
106.3 MHD
114.1 PBS
114.2 CBS

im actually subcribe to comcasts' HD package..i do not have QAM

I am moving to Jax soon and wondered about the difference in the basic cable and digital cable selections offered by comcast. I have LCD w/ a QAM tuner - can I get the HD locals (ABC,CBS,NBC,FOX) and ESPN w/ the basic cable or do I need to get digital cable to recieve them? I am not really interested in any other HD channels at this time. Thanks so much for the help

You will not get ESPN-HD or ESPN2-HD.
You probably will get CBS.
You likely will get the other 3, but some TV's QAM tuners don't get ch 70 and ch104.

Looks like fox/cbs are off the air. Antenna blown over by the winds? Analog fox on cable is working.

I am getting it on Directv but nothing on my antenna. Strangely I was getting a signal of 88 to 90. If I remember right cbs and fox on same antenna? Fox on directv only but not cbs.

on my indoor antenna. must be the wind. usually get em bright and clear. i lost wcwj yesterday too.

No CBS or FOX OTA here, either. Well, [expletive]. I had things set to record the premiere of Drive, too.

There is a crawl on Fox30 saying the high definition service is under emergency repair due to storm damage. No estimate when service will resume. The analog feeds from DirecTV are working.

I just re-set a recording to do Cold Case and Without A Trace from the SD feed.

Hopefully they will get them fixed as good as new, they were two of the best signals down here 45 miles south of the antennas.

Some kind soul has posted a 720p capture of Drive.

Drive_S1E01_The_Starting_Line
File Size Processed: 4.50 GB, Play Time: 00h:43m:48s
1280 x 720, 59.94 fps, 25.00 Mbps (13.81 Mbps Average)

I sent an email to fox 30 to ask about the damage and an ETA for repairs.

Things seem to be back online now.

Great I will check mine when I get back home.

Here is the reply I got to my email:

I am very sorry for the inconvenience. You are correct -- that crazy weather caused some major problems yesterday. Circuits were tripped, transmitters went off, fiber lines failed. Our analog signals were back up last night, but HD took overnight to correct. I was told HD was back up this morning. If you still do not receive HD tonight, please let me know. If you continue to have issues, it would also help to know how you receive the signal (antenna, cable).

Deb

Debbie Knight
Director of Programming
WTEV CBS47 & WAWS FOX30 &
MyNetwork/VTV (30.2)
11700 Central Parkway
Jacksonville, FL 32224
Direct: 904.996.0419

Some kind soul has posted a 720p capture of Drive.

Drive_S1E01_The_Starting_Line
File Size Processed: 4.50 GB, Play Time: 00h:43m:48s
1280 x 720, 59.94 fps, 25.00 Mbps (13.81 Mbps Average)

But WHERE is this posted? :(

Not a big deal right now, but among all the Comcast lineup changes, I don't see NFL-HD anymore.

Maybe my memory is flawed and it was removed prior to this, but I thought they had a channel placeholder for it even during the offseason. Does anyone know if they will bring it back for football season?

Also, has anyone seen any programming on SUNHD yet?

Not a big deal right now, but among all the Comcast lineup changes, I don't see NFL-HD anymore.

Maybe my memory is flawed and it was removed prior to this, but I thought they had a channel placeholder for it even during the offseason. Does anyone know if they will bring it back for football season?

Also, has anyone seen any programming on SUNHD yet?

i get the NFL network 74-10(no cable box) but with no sound. It's the only channel like that but it's probally my tuner b/c I don't get abc or nbc hd either.

i get the NFL network 74-10(no cable box) but with no sound. It's the only channel like that but it's probally my tuner b/c I don't get abc or nbc hd either.

yeah, I get the regular NFL Network channel in SD, just not the HD channel. I also don't see it listed anywhere on Comcast's channel lineup.

Previously, it didn't have any programming except during the football season. It only really becomes important (to me at least) when certain games are shown only on the NFL Network.

Was 17.1 out tonight or is it just me? All other locals working fine.

Stars Hollow Skanks @ 8:00pm recorded OK on the cable box.

Was 17.1 out tonight or is it just me? All other locals working fine.


I have also had issues with CW-DT OTA since this weekend - no picture, but signal strength in high 80s to 90s.

Yeah, that's what happened last night. DVR said the signal strength was fine but just no picture.

Interesting news about CBS/Fox - Clear Channel selling stations. I wonder what impact this will have on the consumer.


http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/042007/bus_clearchannel.shtml

Interesting news about CBS/Fox - Clear Channel selling stations. I wonder what impact this will have on the consumer.


http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/042007/bus_clearchannel.shtml

I'm sure it will mean that the new owners will immediately invest in the necessary equipment to bring us full 5.1 surround for CBS and for the sake of ultimate HD quality, immediately drop the Variety sub-channel on Fox (though it will probably disappoint the 3 people who actually watch it). :D

tried to watch the marlins game in hd tonight, but there was so much break up in the broadcast it turned out to be a big disappointment. i kept hoping the reception on comcast would improve as the game went on, but it didn't. sure hope they do better on monday.

Does anyone know if there is a plan to boost the power on digital OTA 12 and 25? I would think being they are VHF they would try to have the highest power.

i wonder how long it will take comcast to get all the channels up that are supposed to be working now that they have taken over "officially" from time warner.

some of the hd channels are listed as "not authorized".

titantv does not even have comcast in saint augustine yet.

zap2it now has the correct digital line-up.

I bought a cheapie Philips antenna at Wally World the other night. It has UHF and VHF capability. I've hooked it up to my Insignia 32" LCD HD panel, which has a built-in ATSC/NTSC tuner. So far, I'm only able to get the mulitude of WJCT and WJEB channels, WAWS and WTEV. I can't get the local ABC or NBC, though, not even the analog versions, and I can only get WJXT when I lower the ears considerably. Is it just the signal for these channels, or do I need to tweak my antenna ears quite a bit? Thoughts?

Tweak that antenna -- how far are you away and what direction are you from the antenna farm on Hogan Rd?

What he said.

The biggest problem with rabbit ears is that there usually isn't one "set and forget" position for the elements.

ABC and NBC especially, since they broadcast on the VHF band (10.1 and 13.1) can be tricky. You may find the need to extend, shorten, raise and/or lower the elements when attempting to tune these in. That 's what I was finding, and what eventually led me to putting an antenna in the attic (you lose 50% of the gain, but in some installations it is enough).

I'm in Mandarin, just less than 2 miles South of I-295, off St. Augustine Rd. According to Antennaweb.org, I'm less than 9 miles from the Antenna Farm.

abc works when i put my antenna on top of my 3 ft cd storage rack (which my wife doesn't like me to do), but doesn't work when i put it on top of my 5 ft tall computer desk next to it. glad i have the storage rack :) pretty fllukey i'd say. i'm new to the area so i don"t even know where the antenna farm is located.

jax beach

The antenna farm is located just south of Beach Blvd, off Southside Blvd. Welcome to Jacksonville!

I'm in Mandarin, just less than 2 miles South of I-295, off St. Augustine Rd. According to Antennaweb.org, I'm less than 9 miles from the Antenna Farm.Pretty much the same here. I'm using the same setup with a cheap set of rabbit ears, and I can pick up all of the channels. Well, on a good day. Recently, it's been getting a bit dodgy, but it works with a bit of tweaking.

I'm still pondering an attic antenna, though. For consistency.

it's hard to see the antenna farm through all the smoke:)

thank you for the welcome eric and the location of the antennas.

richard

I keep seeing these antenna problems in the thread and thought I would interject.

I have a non-HD powered Terk antenna.
I live near Beach Blvd. and San Pablo and have the antenna sitting just behind my TV on
the stand. I plugged it in and have never had to adjust it.

I get every local station that broadcasts in Jax. If you're anywhere near the distance I am, just try this antenna. You can always return it!

Here's a link to the antenna at Target, but I purchased mine at CC 5 years ago.
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-1/qid=1178018742******sr_1_1/602-5179478-5076655?ie=UTF8&asin=B000069106

hello all,

So today I go get a stb and a cable card. The stb works fine but I can't get the card to work. My screen says receiving channel inputs but it's been doing that for over half an hour. Is this normal? just want to make sure before i look like an idiot with the comcast csr.

hello all,

So today I go get a stb and a cable card. The stb works fine but I can't get the card to work. My screen says receiving channel inputs but it's been doing that for over half an hour. Is this normal? just want to make sure before i look like an idiot with the comcast csr.

A half hour is a long time, but not necessarily too long. It took a little more than that amount of time when my Sony was searching for the QAM channels.

hello all,

So today I go get a stb and a cable card. The stb works fine but I can't get the card to work. My screen says receiving channel inputs but it's been doing that for over half an hour. Is this normal? just want to make sure before i look like an idiot with the comcast csr.

I was on the phone with Comcast over an hour last Saturday trying to get the Cable Card to work. It was 2 1/2 hours before I gave up and hooked the STB back up. Gonna try it again in a day or two. :mad:

So today I go get a stb and a cable card. The stb works fine but I can't get the card to work. My screen says receiving channel inputs but it's been doing that for over half an hour. Is this normal? just want to make sure before i look like an idiot with the comcast csr.

I was on the phone with Comcast over an hour last Saturday trying to get the Cable Card to work. It was 2 1/2 hours before I gave up and hooked the STB back up. Gonna try it again in a day or two. :mad:

Update:Last Saturday, I was on the phone for over an hour with Roy at Comcast. After 2 1/2 hours I gave up and went back to the STB. Yesterday I called Comcast again and talked with Lucrecia (sp?). She had my cable card up and running in less than 10 minutes. :)

Redhot,
Did you pick up the cablecard yourself from the southside office ? How much do they charge you for it monthly ? and what's the model of your STB ?

Well, the pre-Kentucky Derby PQ in HD was pretty good (at least those shots actually using HD camera). I couldn't believe our local switched to SD for the actual race!!!!!! What a disappointment. :(

Redhot,
Did you pick up the cablecard yourself from the southside office ? How much do they charge you for it monthly ? and what's the model of your STB ?

Yes, you can pick it up at the Southside office.

It is about $11.00 month, however you will return your STB as you will no longer need it, unless you want On Demand and PPV. When you return your STB, they no longer charge you for the "Extra" device and the $11.00 per month charge goes away.

The STB is a Motorola DCT6200.

Bones last night and Smallville tonight apparently both had macrovision flags on thier broadcast that caused the programs to be deleted from my Series 3 Tivo at 10:30. Last night it wasn't a problem with Bones, tonight I apparently did not get home early enough to catch the beginning of Smallville. If you have a Series 3 Tivo I suggest you check your recordings on Fox and CW.

Anybody getting the "Players" in HD on golfHD qam??

What channel?

I was up in ohio last weekend and noticed that the local news was in HD. I was wondering if anyone had any info on if/ when any of our local news' would be in HD?

I was up in ohio last weekend and noticed that the local news was in HD. I was wondering if anyone had any info on if/ when any of our local news' would be in HD?

I've seen only one locally generated HD program. It was last year and a special on hurricanes. That was it as far as I know. Haven't heard any buzz on anything else.

Had the HR20-700 installed yesterday. At first the hdmi didnt work, had to use component, but this morning hdmi works. Echoing what Peter said earlier on, the mpeg 4 locals look just as good as OTA. (minus the dropouts since I am on the fringe at 45 miles away from the ant farm). Now I am ready for some new satelittes!

Had the HR20-700 installed yesterday. At first the hdmi didnt work, had to use component, but this morning hdmi works. Echoing what Peter said earlier on, the mpeg 4 locals look just as good as OTA. (minus the dropouts since I am on the fringe at 45 miles away from the ant farm). Now I am ready for some new satelittes!

At last check, the D* satellite launch will be in June. Assuming everythings goes right, we should be seeing new HD national channels by 4th quarter.

I read somewhere right after labor day....

I've seen only one locally generated HD program. It was last year and a special on hurricanes. That was it as far as I know. Haven't heard any buzz on anything else.

Yeah, IIRC, First Coast News did the first local HD program about a year ago called Stormtrack 2006 or something like that, using borrowed equipment. I sure thought we would have seen more by now.

But then again, if we can't even get our local stations to pass 5.1 audio, there's probably not much hope for local HD.

But then again, if we can't even get our local stations to pass 5.1 audio, there's probably not much hope for local HD.
This may answer a question I have had... I recently reconfigured my system, I use an HDHR with SageTV software, and am now passing AC3 through to my receiver. I rarely get anything other than Dolby Stereo, regardless of what the HD show "says" they are broadcasting.

So... Does your comment mean that the local stations are just not sending the 5.1 signal?

FOX and occasionally PBS sends out 5.1 surround. None of our other local stations pass the 5.1 signal.

Don Landis, who posts here frequently, and others have said the equipment needed to pass the 5.1 audio signal from the networks is relatively cheap (several thousand dollars if I remember correctly).

Unfortunately, the local stations haven't deemed it worthy to spend such a relatively small amount when most major markets have installed the equipment long ago. I guess Tim Deegan's salary demands come first. :rolleyes:

Anybody having trouble with WAWSDT and WCWJDT (1.1 and 1.4)? I am using HDHR with Sage, and I just noticed for the last few days at least, nothing is being recorded from these channels.

WTLV forgot to flip the HD switch for over half of the hour-long season finale of The Office. :mad:

Unfortunately, the local stations haven't deemed it worthy to spend such a relatively small amount when most major markets have installed the equipment long ago. I guess Tim Deegan's salary demands come first. :rolleyes:

It may be more that the corporate parent (Gannett - USA Today) won't budget the money to allow them to upgrade. :(

Ok Glad I found this thread I have severaL question which I hope one of you can point me in the right direction

My set up is Comcast Basic extended cable at UNF. I am using an Optoma HD70 DLP projector with hdmi input.

1. Is there a set top box I could use to get cable on the projector and work with my basic cable set up?
2. How does the cable card system work you pay monthly insert card and you have your programing.
3. Is it a good idea to rent a box vs buy one off FrEbay? I will use the box back in south florida as well when I move in August for Comcast cable as well Basic I believe.
thanks (just a little bit confused when it comes to cable)

I did a quick lookup of the Optoma HD70 DLP on Audioholics to see its specs.

Since, in addition to hdmi, it also has component inputs, you should be fine with the Motorola box that Comcast is offering. Last time I checked, the Southpoint location was the only place they were distributing them.

Since it appears to be a straight projector, I didn't see any slot for a cablecard (unless I missed it somewhere).

Given that Comcast occasionally upgrades the equipment, I wouldn't buy a box, but rather rent one from them. If all UNF offers is the analog cable service, you will be limited in what HD stations you can get. If you are thinking about a DVR, you will need their digital cable package for that.

Don't buy a cable box. Those will only work in Canada.

yes the hd70 is just a projector desktop or front projection. I just need it as a tuner to get the cable to run through the PJ. I am using a VGA analog converter to run cable now but it doesnt get HD and quality is poor. Avermedia box 9