Thanks, do you know if a Comcast sub has to get the FSN package to get the games on ch. 720? Or do you get them with the minimum digital package?
Not sure what they do in WA, but in the bay area I believe all you need is Digital Classic, or the lowest priced digital tier, whatever they call it....

oh yeah, and a "good" address...12-15% of us in the bay area don't have the "right" address to get the INHDs...it must be some sort of profiling thing, like insurance rates...

( :p that ought to rile some folks up... :D )

How's the remote stuttering going? I'm still getting it, so I don't know if I didn't get the new software, or if the new software didn't fix it.

I've seen it once since we received the update which is still much better then it was before. I know I got the new software because they fixed that annoying bug where if you were watching delayed TV, when you press the 'Info' button the screen would say something like "No information available" or "TBD" or something like that. Now it shows the appropriate show title and description.

How's the remote stuttering going? I'm still getting it, so I don't know if I didn't get the new software, or if the new software didn't fix it.


I'm out in the Livermore area and I am still getting the ever so P.I.T.A pause/ stutter in the remote. I thought this was suppose to be a maintenance relase update to correct this problem along with a couple other fixes. :confused:
V V Ver very aaa an annoy annoying. :mad:

What happened to the Oakland game on INHD2 (720)? The guide says baseball, but they're showin something about the Coast Guard. They gotta stop teasing us like this!!! :(

That annoyed me. Set it to record the game so I could watch it later in the evening when i got back. No game! Next time, to play safe, will set the DVR to record both SD and HD versions.
I'll watch Monday's game in HD with no problem - with my own two eyes in person.
I can guarantee no rain out.

...mike

How's the remote stuttering going? I'm still getting it, so I don't know if I didn't get the new software, or if the new software didn't fix it.

My stuttering seems worse than ever on the Oakland Comcast system.
What is the latest software ver. number?

...mike

They just upgraded the guide and menus and it is beautiful considering it is an older box.

Yah, I noticed the new guide and menus Friday night and spent some time messing around with them. A great improvement over the previous menu/guide system. We still have the Motorola DCT-5100, so we may have been among the last to finally see this upgrade.

-Steve

Wow, you're up there and you were getting KNTV when they were in Loma Prieta..?!?! You must be in just the right spot...very lucky. You really should put the antenna on the roof as Larry suggested in the other thread, if the neighbors say anything just tell them they are technologically ignorant and should get with the program.. :D

I updated my situation on the other forum, but in a nutshell, with my old UHF/VHF antenna in the attic I now am picking up KNTV quite well.

I'm not ready to give up my Comcast HD box just yet though. I really need backup when football season is on. :D

That's amazing, congrats. :)

FWIW, the current state of 64 QAM> 256 QAM in Santa Rosa is as follows,

15 of 57 digital channels still 64 QAM
26 of 32 music channels still 64 QAM
6 of 6 PPV/Adult channels still 64 QAM

Nothing has happened since the last time I posted about this, about a month or two ago..?

Anyone know when Comcast is going to finish coverting the Pittburg/Bay point area... I'm tired of missing FSN Bay Area programing.

Hey the new guide is neat. Took a while to get used to it, but it's worlds better than before, espeically the grid.

One thing that's still missing though which I've complained about with all cable boxes since digital came out, is the ability to "hide" channels that you don't subscribe to. I mean, tell me again why I need to see what's on the 17 Encore channels, Showtime, Cinemax, the 830 foreign language channels, etc....

One thing that's still missing though which I've complained about with all cable boxes since digital came out, is the ability to "hide" channels that you don't subscribe to. I mean, tell me again why I need to see what's on the 17 Encore channels, Showtime, Cinemax, the 830 foreign language channels, etc....


They want you to be able to see what you are missing (in hopes that you will decide that you need to subscribe to one of those channels and send them more $$$)

:(

Zoro,

This is my first post as I just joined this forum today.
I just picked up my new DCT-6412 Phase III yesterday. It's so new that the Customer Service Rep had to go to the warehouse in Richmond (CA) to pick it up for me. She told me that they were still under beta testing and was still a week or two away from being available for the general public. She especially reserved one for me because I was originally supposed to pick this unit up from Concord, but Concord does not supply the units for my region which is in Hercules (West Contra Costa County) and I was sent to the incorrect office. To compensate me for the wasted time and effort, se personally picked one up from the warehouse and had one waiting for me to pick up at the Richmond branch.

Anyway, about the unit itself. I've only used it for about an hour and noticed that the analog channels are no longer grainy, but instead smoothed out. I guess their software that's built into the 6412 PIII smooths out the grainy texture of the picture. Better, but nothing to oogle over since it looks blurry from 4 feet away. HD picture quality is still top notch as with the older 6412 unit. I'll let you know more info as I play with it more.

Regards,

Andy

Anyone in the Bay Area with the new DCT-6412 Phase III HD DVR:
What's your opinion on it?

I have a Phase III. I picked it up 2 weeks ago. Generally I don't see a lot of difference in it from the Phase II. My eyes might be decieving me but I think my analogs look slightly better. I am using component outs, not DVI or HDMI. It does have a small fan in it that apparently keeps the HDD cooler. It is whisper quiet.

I picked mine up yesterday. I agree with your conclusion on the analog PQ. I noticed it looked a little smoother, less grainy. A little on the blurry side for my tastes but better... I guess. I have it hooked up with a DVI to HDMI adapter since my TV only accepts DVI. Any other changes that you've noticed in actual performance?

The only reason I would want a Phase 3 box is if the SATA port works. I watch my analog stuff on sat which smokes the cable feed.

Not sure what they do in WA, but in the bay area I believe all you need is Digital Classic, or the lowest priced digital tier, whatever they call it....

oh yeah, and a "good" address...12-15% of us in the bay area don't have the "right" address to get the INHDs...it must be some sort of profiling thing, like insurance rates...

( :p that ought to rile some folks up... :D )

Thanks, do you know if Livermore is a "good" address? And if I ordered the minimum package would I need a cable card or can I just run the feed straight into my Sammy HLR that has a built in decoder?

Thanks, do you know if Livermore is a "good" address? And if I ordered the minimum package would I need a cable card or can I just run the feed straight into my Sammy HLR that has a built in decoder?
I believe it is, hopefully a member here in that area will verify that.

If you order just basic cable you will get the local HD channels along with the 30-40 channel analog lineup. Plus the digital sub-channels of KNTV, KGO and KQED. The display should decode the local HD with just the cable fed to the display. CableCARD is only needed if you sub to a digital channel package. It will decrypt the digital channels and whatever premium digital channels you get. Note that CableCARD is a one-way device meaning there is no PG or PPV purchases possible when using it. CC can provide a somewhat better picture though than the Motorola STB.

I am confused. Is there supposed to be a new guide for those of us using the 6412? Nothing seems different on either the Bkly. or Oakland system either.
Also still having major "stutter" problems w. remote commands. I assume I don't need the box in the "off" position to get new sortware upgrades. What ver. number should I have?

Thanks.

...mike

Sorry, off topic, but... CSR tells me that Digital FM starts on 9/28 and will be no extra charge. Is that correct?

Sorry, off topic, but... CSR tells me that Digital FM starts on 9/28 and will be no extra charge. Is that correct?


If you already have a digital receiver it will be free. Otherwise, you will be required to pay $5 a month for a box. I had a message on my receivers yesterday regrding the addition on 9-28.

Of course Keenan will be left out in the dark again.... :D

http://democrats.senate.ca.gov/templates/SDCTemplate.asp?a=3135&z=123&cp=NewsArticle&pg=article&fpg=sennews&sln=Migden&sdn=03

Of course Keenan will be left out in the dark again.... :D


It's a chronic condition up here..setting aside HD, PPV and music channels(does anyone listen to these channels?) we have more analog than we do digital channels...

The cable signal went dead for about 4 hours yesterday due to the lightning storm. Makes one wonder how comcast survices in the midwest where lightning strorms are an almost daily occurance. All I can say is, they better not lose the signal for "Lost" tonight!!!

On a side note, the power flickered off for just a few seconds at the same time the cable signal went dead. That reset the DVR (nothing else in my house got reset, btw, since the power went off for maybe 1/2 sec), and made the 'my DVR" function unavailable, so it was impossible even to watch recorded shows. There was no way to access the menu until the cable signal was available again (4 hours later). That's a pretty stupid design bug, if you ask me.. : :mad:

Got a dvr question (I just got it replacing a 6200). I run the component outputs (box set to output 1080i) through a transcoder to my mits 73908 (rgbhv inputs). I see the guide on this input. I also have the s-video box output inputting 480i to the display on another input. On this input there is not guide (OSD) info shown. The manual says that if the component output is set to 720p or 1080i, then you'll get no OSD on 480i outputs. Is this really correct (my testing says yes)? If so this makes recording and watching SD content painful since I have to:
1) switch to the HD input to select the recording and start it.
2) then switch back to the s-video input and watch it

repeat 1) and 2) if I want to change what I'm playing back. This "feature" makes no sense to me.

thanks for any tips.

jeff

P.S. pq with the 6412 is MUCH softer than with the 6200. Maybe it's the transition, but direct analog feed is still king in my house.

I am confused. Is there supposed to be a new guide for those of us using the 6412? Nothing seems different on either the Bkly. or Oakland system either.

No change on my box in Oakland either. I still get the remote stutter. Either the update hasn't gone to all customers, or it doesn't actually fix the problem. My box has also developed a couple of bad habits in the past few weeks as well, including locking up whenever I delete a season recording, and a blank recording that I can't delete.

-B

The 6412 already had the new guide I believe. The update was for pre-6412 (6200, 5100 etc), they still used the old old (think 1980s hotel room CCTV) ugly "TVGuide" menu.

The OSD does not show on the 480i outputs, that is correct. If your transcoder doesn't accept 480i signals I guess what you need to do is set the "480 bypass" to "off" (in the service menu, turn the box off and press SETUP quickly afterward) - that will upconvert all signals to HD (1080i or 720p) on the component/DVI outputs.

problem solved by setting 4:3 override to 480i. I tried this, but was tricked by the fact that there's no OSD when viewing SD upconverted by the box on my HD input. s-video input and HD content both display OSD.
Best,
jeff

OK, OK, I had a brain fart and said San Bruno Mountain was in Dublin instead of Daly City. I have hiked around the place and seen all the TV and radio transmitters. There's lots of wildflowers and some rare butterflies up there as well. Also an abandonned concrete bunker that used to have some Nike missles in it, interesting place and you can see Sutro tower from one spot.

Gary

I'm a newbie and would really appreciate any advice you could give me on my problem. I've had my Samsung HLR-5667w with cable card (from Comcast) for a couple of weeks. The problem is that I get lines of pixilation across the screen and the picture occasionally freezes momentarily. This happens mostly on Discovery HD, and to a lesser extent, ESPNHD and NBC HD. I've had the tech out twice and have been told the signal is strong and the ingress is minimal. I've tried a different cable card and swapped the coax running from the wall to the tv with no luck. Any ideas on how to resolve this issue? Thanks.

OK, OK, I had a brain fart and said San Bruno Mountain was in Dublin instead of Daly City. I have hiked around the place and seen all the TV and radio transmitters. There's lots of wildflowers and some rare butterflies up there as well. Also an abandonned concrete bunker that used to have some Nike missles in it, interesting place and you can see Sutro tower from one spot.

Gary

Well gosh, Mt. San Bruno is accessed via Brisbane rather than Daly City, maybe it oughta be called Mt. Brisbane.... :p

I'm a newbie and would really appreciate any advice you could give me on my problem. I've had my Samsung HLR-5667w with cable card (from Comcast) for a couple of weeks. The problem is that I get lines of pixilation across the screen and the picture occasionally freezes momentarily. This happens mostly on Discovery HD, and to a lesser extent, ESPNHD and NBC HD. I've had the tech out twice and have been told the signal is strong and the ingress is minimal. I've tried a different cable card and swapped the coax running from the wall to the tv with no luck. Any ideas on how to resolve this issue? Thanks.

Can you receive any of the HD channels without the cable card? If so, does the pixelation still occur? By "ingress" I assume you mean uncorrectable errors. What does the SNR look like? Sometimes too strong a signal can cause pixelation.

Ingress is when signal is the leaking into the cable system. It is normally OTA signals leaking in and causing ghosts on the locals or banding on some of the common channels.

It also knocks out INHD for anyone close to the Telemundo DT-49. Ingress is the bane of a lot of overhead cable plants.

kevini-thanks for the explanation of ingress. I feel like it's going to be a long educational process for me.

fender4645- I can't receive DiscoveryHD and ESPNHD without the cable card, but NBCHD still has problems without the card. I'm sorry, but I don't know what SNR means. The SD channels always look fine and the signal strength as indicated by my tv appears equally strong across all the HD channels. If the signal is too strong, then would a simple attenuator solve my problem? Thanks again.

I can't receive DiscoveryHD and ESPNHD without the cable card, but NBCHD still has problems without the card. I'm sorry, but I don't know what SNR means. The SD channels always look fine and the signal strength as indicated by my tv appears equally strong across all the HD channels. If the signal is too strong, then would a simple attenuator solve my problem? Thanks again.

SNR is the Signal to Noise Ratio -- it basically determines your signal strength. You can find this by going into the box's diagnostics menu. With the box on, press the power button and then immediately press the OK/Select buttion.

Comcast freed up enough bandwidth in saramilgatos by converting all of the digital channels to 256QAM (from 64QAM)....They are also doing the same in S'vale, but I'm not sure if its along the same timeline or lagging a little. Sept 7th is the big day for saramilgatos...perhaps you'll see it in S'vale also (or hopefully not too long after that, my parents are also in the 550Mhz area of S'vale). If not, hopefully we can get an update from Mr Johnson on the timeline for Sunnyvale.

Does anyone know anything new about the status of the 256QAM conversion in Sunnyvale, and/or anything about us getting anything new in HD-land there? I've got renewed interest in this as the NHL season is starting and the sharks' tv schedule page lists several of the games as being on FSN-HD.

Of course this assumes that 1) FSN-HD actually does the games in HD, 2) Sunnyvale completes the 256QAM conversion and they add INHD1/2, and 3) that FSN-HD comes on INHD2 when a game is on - which is how I understand it works in the systems that have InHD2. But this hockey fan can hope...

I don't know anything about any new HD....but I did get the new Comcast magazine in the mail yesterday....

Oh, and another flyer about all the things I still don't get in this area...

Does anyone know anything new about the status of the 256QAM conversion in Sunnyvale, and/or anything about us getting anything new in HD-land there? I've got renewed interest in this as the NHL season is starting and the sharks' tv schedule page lists several of the games as being on FSN-HD.

Of course this assumes that 1) FSN-HD actually does the games in HD, 2) Sunnyvale completes the 256QAM conversion and they add INHD1/2, and 3) that FSN-HD comes on INHD2 when a game is on - which is how I understand it works in the systems that have InHD2. But this hockey fan can hope...

I believe FSN-HD will be doing 25 sharks games in HD this season (cant remember where I read that though)...and yes, Comcasts prempts InHD2 when FSN has HD simulcasts.

as far as S'Vale...I'm guessing the completion of the 256QAM conversion is not far off...They just completed it on the other 550Mhz systems that share the SantaClara Headend with S'vale (Saratoga etc...). Unfortunately I havent seen a date

I believe FSN-HD will be doing 25 sharks games in HD this season (cant remember where I read that though)...and yes, Comcasts prempts InHD2 when FSN has HD simulcasts.



Here are all of the HD games... (http://www.fsnbayarea.com/sharks/skeds/sharkshdsked.php)

Here are all of the HD games... (http://www.fsnbayarea.com/sharks/skeds/sharkshdsked.php)


Thanks...

...and you can also see the Warriors HD Schedule here (also about 25 HD games)

http://www.fsnbayarea.com/hd/

Hi all,

All of a sudden, I'm not getting any of the unencrypted hd channels through comcast and their extended basic programming with my tuner in my samsung 5067. Anyone know if something changed with comcast in the bay area?

The only channels I've seen consistently unencrypted are the locals, abc, nbc, cbs, fox, pbs. The other ones change from time to time depending on your area.

hmm, its wierd. i just hope i get them back before football on sunday.

All of a sudden, I'm not getting any of the unencrypted hd channels through comcast and their extended basic programming with my tuner in my samsung 5067. Anyone know if something changed with comcast in the bay area?

Some of us in the RPTV Samsung 1080p owner's thread reported the same thing a few days ago. In my case, whatever it was knocked out the OTA tuner, too. Very strange. (My wild guess is that it has something to do with KNTV's (NBC) change of transmitter locations.)

Anyway, what I did to restore it was to enter and exit the Service Menu. I had to rescan to find KNTV again and it showed up at 116-1 instead of 11-1. Another user reported that a rescan couldn't find KNTV.

Wouldn't you know it? I'm going on a week-long trip, so I was programming the DVR this morning to record several shows during the week. In the middle of programming, the box got a hit from Comcast and reset itself! At 8 AM! When it came back to life, all the program data was gone.

This will really screw things up, since I will have to leave in about two hours and the program data will not fill in by then. I'm really starting to think that renting a box from someone who has controls over the box is a bad idea.

Three questions:
* Did anyone else in the Palo Alto area get this reset this morning? (check your program data)
* When the box gets a hard reset, does it remember which shows it was supposed to record?
* If the program data for the week does not fill in by the time I leave, can I set up manual recordings for the shows I am interested in?

This has happened many times to me.

Take a look at the scheduled recordings under the dvr menu , you should see that the scheduled recordings are still programed just without program info.but rather by time slot

and it doesnt take that long to come back a few hours usually


thats my experience

I had to rescan to find KNTV again and it showed up at 116-1 instead of 11-1. Another user reported that a rescan couldn't find KNTV.
KNTV has been at 116.1 for a long time for me. It just got PSIP'd to 11.1 but the base RF has been 116.1.

Hi All
I'm sure that a lot of member of this forums has this kind setup. If so how many HD channels do you get over the QAM ? (Right now I have basic cable with Comcast) Please share.
Thanks a lot in advance.
DLe6 :o

I just got the DVR finally working after the 3rd visit by Comcast. Do analog channels look like crap or what? They look worse going through the box VS straight to the TV. The guy said all the boxes do that. Am I getting had here? I was like ... how can that be?

I'm using the component outs.

I just recently switched to Comcast cable TV service and subscribed to HDTV as well. Though I'm happy/excited to finally get HD, I'm disappointed to see that Hayward is far behind in the number of HD channels that we get! San Francisco, even Oakland has a lot more channels such as INHD, INHD2, FSNHD, etc. Why is comcast so slow in upgrading the service for the people in the Hayward service area? Every neighboring city (Oakland, S.F. and San Jose) all have a greater selection of available HD channels.

Hi All
I'm sure that a lot of member of this forums has this kind setup. If so how many HD channels do you get over the QAM ? (Right now I have basic cable with Comcast) Please share.
Thanks a lot in advance.
DLe6 :o

Look about 6 posts up from yours (SFHub talks about it)

I just got the DVR finally working after the 3rd visit by Comcast. Do analog channels look like crap or what? They look worse going through the box VS straight to the TV. The guy said all the boxes do that. Am I getting had here? I was like ... how can that be?

I'm using the component outs.

Your TV has a built in Analog tuner...The DVR is purely digital and has to do an Analog to Digital conversion to display the analog channels (which results in the Analog channels looking like Crap through the DVR).

Comcast is in the process of creating digital versions of all of the analog channels...that will help the quality (your TV tuner will still get the analog signal, but your DVR will use the digital signal). This is called Digital Simulcasting..

I just recently switched to Comcast cable TV service and subscribed to HDTV as well. Though I'm happy/excited to finally get HD, I'm disappointed to see that Hayward is far behind in the number of HD channels that we get! San Francisco, even Oakland has a lot more channels such as INHD, INHD2, FSNHD, etc. Why is comcast so slow in upgrading the service for the people in the Hayward service area? Every neighboring city (Oakland, S.F. and San Jose) all have a greater selection of available HD channels.

Comcast is made up of a bunch of individual systems..each in different states of upgrade (or disrepair)...Parts of Hayward are in pretty bad shape (although parts of hayward are feed by Castro Valley's system which is much better).

Welcome to the world of the have nots (santa rosa, alameda are in the same boat)...saratoga, milpitas, los gatos and parts of Sunnyvale are not much better.

I cant remember if the Hayward City government is at odds with Comcast...that slows it all down also

Your TV has a built in Analog tuner...The DVR is purely digital and has to do an Analog to Digital conversion to display the analog channels (which results in the Analog channels looking like Crap through the DVR).

Comcast is in the process of creating digital versions of all of the analog channels...that will help the quality (your TV tuner will still get the analog signal, but your DVR will use the digital signal). This is called Digital Simulcasting..
Oh ok. The Comcast guy told me this too. So hopefully it'll be better in January.

I have a Phase III.
<snip>
It does have a small fan in it that apparently keeps the HDD cooler. It is whisper quiet.
Is the whole box "whisper quiet," or are you just referring to the fan? The hard disk clicking in my current box is slowly driving me insane. If they've switched to a better hard drive, I'm suddenly very interested.

I hardly hear the box at all. I have it in a cabinet with doors. I've been leaving the doors open however. It seems the remote sensor is a little weaker on this model and I have to push the buttons a few times with the doors closed. I sit about 12 feet from the installation. I don't hear it at all from there. When I get close to it, I hear a mild hum.

I had to rescan to find KNTV again and it showed up at 116-1 instead of 11-1. Another user reported that a rescan couldn't find KNTV.

And another. It was fine on Friday, then started acting strange on Saturday (I could only tune it in on my JVC 52G885 if I went to 11.2 and then pressed the channel-down button). I did a rescan, and now it is gone.

I'm glad to hear that it isn't a problem with my TV.

Will Comcast be adding TNT HD in time for the start of the NBA season? Has anyone heard anything definitive?

Will Comcast be adding TNT HD in time for the start of the NBA season? Has anyone heard anything definitive?


There is nothing definitive...

Comcast is made up of a bunch of individual systems..each in different states of upgrade (or disrepair)...Parts of Hayward are in pretty bad shape (although parts of hayward are feed by Castro Valley's system which is much better).

Welcome to the world of the have nots (santa rosa, alameda are in the same boat)...saratoga, milpitas, los gatos and parts of Sunnyvale are not much better.

I cant remember if the Hayward City government is at odds with Comcast...that slows it all down also

I live in San Leandro, I wished we were in the Oakland service area instead. Oh well, atleast I'm receiving most all the major network HD channels. But from reading the other posts about Comcast, it'll probably be a while longer before I get any more HD channels - but hell-of-a-lot better than Dish. Dish may have a lot of other HD channels, but they don't carry the networks like FOX, CBS, etc. and I don't want to use an OTA antenna to receive those stations. Plus Dish HD DVR costs something like $500, even for existing Dish customers - totally not worth it - the reason for switching to Comcast.

Dish may have a lot of other HD channels, but they don't carry the networks like FOX, CBS, etc. and I don't want to use an OTA antenna to receive those stations.
Dish has DNS HD feeds of all four networks in test mode right now on 129.

DirecTV is testing local HD in Detroit as well, with the top 12 markets due in Nov.

Comcast is loosing the edge they have slowly but surely, I think they will have to make some moves soon or risk further sub loss. Especially in the "poverty cable" areas like Santa Rosa and others where there is a low budget channel and services offering...

Also regarding cable, those "free" local/network may not be free anymore which could raise the cost of doing business for cable. The satcos already pay for everything.

Competition is great isn't.. :D

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=584738
Will Cable Pay for Local Stations? - AVS Forum

I'm currently an analog only comcast customer who is also using OTA for HDTV programming. I'd really like to try the HD DVR comcast is offering and wanted to hear users in my area (Cupertino) like comcasts digital offering (HD and non-HD broadcasts).

Threads merged.

I know most of these subjects have already been covered, but I thought I would throw my experiences in the mix as it is nice to have a different perspective from time to time.

Specifically, I moved from D* to Comcast this past weekend as I have been hooked on DVRs since the initial rollout of the Tivo and I couldn't take the wait for Hi Def one that actually captured all of the locals (nor did I want to pay for it w/ the conversion to MP4 @ D*). Btw, I am in Walnut Creek (the Comcast upgraded section) and I only received CBS and ABC -- no chance of Fox or NBC on D*.

In any event, I went the Dish Buy Back route (~$50 /mth for Digital Silver w/ no commitment so I could swap back should Comcast not be to my liking). As an aside, I made it painfully clear that I was not going to give them my D* equipment and they agreed that all they needed was a bill. I also made it clear on the agreement that I would not be providing the equipment. It was a non-issue. Should they wake up and force the issue, I do have an old box I could give them, but that is neither here nor there.

So, Comcast provided me with the 6412 (not Phase III) and it seems like a pretty nice product. I found the most striking thing to be the PQ of HDTV. Ummm . . . wow! I had HD on D* and my friends D*is no HD ;) I have my Tosh DLP connected via DVI and the picture is nothing short of stunning.

Now on the other end of the scale is analogue -- is that really how analogue looks on Comcast? I thought I had been transported back to my youth in the early 80's? It is BAD -- pure and simple! I think I will just surf in the 700's and call it quits.

Also, I would say that VOD is pretty darn cool. I think it mostly shines when you get a Premium service like HBO. It's very cool to be able to go to a given series and watch the last 10-15 episodes. I also thought the quality of VOD (at least HBO) was quite nice.

I would say the 6412 is servicable. Not nearly as slick as the D* Tivo boxes, but it works. I can't believe how small the hard drive is, but with one downstairs and one upstairs I think I will get along fine.

In any event, I would suggest that other D* folks who are not able to get their networks (for various reasons) and are not wanting to put up an antenna and NEED (ok, want) a HD DVR I would certainly suggest Comcast. The price is right, there are no commitments and when D* gets their HD-DVR box up an running, it will make sense to reassess at that time whether Comcast makes sense.

Teamills

Hey everyone. I haven't checked this thread in a long time because I moved out the bay area several months ago, but I still have relatives that live in the North Bay and one is now looking at HD.

How has CableCard come along in Comcast bay area? Last time I checked this forum (many pages ago) someone who works for Comcast and posts here was showing them off in photos but they weren't giving them out. Has anything progressed on that front?

I am planning to exchange my 6200 to the new DVRs and add $4.95 per month. How do I know that I will be getting the Phase III model? Do they always (the service people) bring the new models? Thanks.

Do Comcast DVRs make a bit of noise? I find mine to be a somewhat irritating. I'm thinking of going to get a replacement.

I am planning to exchange my 6200 to the new DVRs and add $4.95 per month. How do I know that I will be getting the Phase III model? Do they always (the service people) bring the new models? Thanks.
A Phase III model will have HDMI instead of DVI output.

Do Comcast DVRs make a bit of noise? I find mine to be a somewhat irritating. I'm thinking of going to get a replacement.
They can and do make noise, but if it's noisy, return it and get another one, I can't hear mine until I get within a few inches of it.

Hey everyone. I haven't checked this thread in a long time because I moved out the bay area several months ago, but I still have relatives that live in the North Bay and one is now looking at HD.

How has CableCard come along in Comcast bay area? Last time I checked this forum (many pages ago) someone who works for Comcast and posts here was showing them off in photos but they weren't giving them out. Has anything progressed on that front?
As far as I know, CC works fine in the bay area. I know others here have them as well as myself, and it works exactly as it's supposed to. Comcast in the bay area does not seem to be prone to the head-end issues that some other cable systems have had, possibly the only issue in the bay area would be a display that may need current or updated firmware.

For the first time in months I went to KQED-HD 117-2 (I believe) after 8pm with my LG 4200a QAM tuner and it worked normally. I can now tune off the 117 channel and then go back there without any issue. Comcast must have fixed something, but it's now pretty irrelevant for me since I now watch most HD OTA rather than via Comcast.

peter

Thanks, Plumeria. Before getting the LG box I had an antenna, so yes, I am forced to watch KQEDHD OTA, but that's okay. I am gonna go read the rest of the postings on this topic. I was glad to know I wasn't the only one having this problem; it seems to me that DTv in Europe is less complicated, but alas, we're in the US.

same here! Thank goodness it's fixed!

For the first time in months I went to KQED-HD 117-2 (I believe) after 8pm with my LG 4200a QAM tuner and it worked normally. I can now tune off the 117 channel and then go back there without any issue. Comcast must have fixed something, but it's now pretty irrelevant for me since I now watch most HD OTA rather than via Comcast.

peter

A Phase III model will have HDMI instead of DVI output.

Thank you keenan...at least I know what to look for.

does anyone know if comcast bay area carry the WB in HD? if so, what channel would it be?

does anyone know if comcast bay area carry the WB in HD? if so, what channel would it be?

no, they don't (and I havent seen any plans as to when they will)

I noticed that Comcast San Jose is adding Sprout and Logo. IIRC, they've added other new channels recently. Does anyone have a list of the specific channels added in the last 60 days or so? I can't remember specifically.

(I sure wish they'd add Universal-HD. Any inside info on plans for that one? How about any of the Voom Originals?)

We already have Logo in San Jose, and Sprout is going to start in Oct. 5.

They also added Current TV (the Al Gore channel) recently.

They have also changed (removed/added) international channels recently but I guess you are not interested on them.

They have also changed (removed/added) international channels recently but I guess you are not interested on them.Why not? I would like to know all additions/removals/changes, if possible. (For instance, I also recently noticed AZN for Asian-Americans. I never noticed that one before. Is it new?)

I am planning to exchange my 6200 to the new DVRs and add $4.95 per month. How do I know that I will be getting the Phase III model? Do they always (the service people) bring the new models? Thanks.

I'm getting a second HDTV, so exchanged my old non-HD box for a second HD-DVR today in Vallejo (I went into the Comcast location, no service person came out). I was given a choice of receiving either the old or new (phase III) 6412, and I took the new one as my new TV has an HDMI input.

To answer another question, I put my ear right down on that new unit and can barely hear the fan even when that close...!

I am a HD Comcast subscriber. I would like to get the phase III 6412 box and utilize its HDMI connection. However, my TV only has one HDMI connection that I am already using for my Panasonic S77. How can I use HDMI for HD cable and my DVD player?

So...has anyone made any headway on the following issue.

i'm probably one of the few cheap guys out there who is currently subscribed to limited basic cable + HD service. for 12+ bucks and 5 for the HD, my bill is under $19 a month after taxes.

i have been contemplating getting a 2nd HDTV in our house, so i called Comcast this morning to confirm the cost of the 2nd box. i was told by the rep that it will cost an extra $11.95 (!) : $6.95 for the 2nd box rental and $5 for the HD service.

what the #$#$#@?

the rep agreed that the pricing was strange, but there was now way for the system to allow him to order for me another HD service at $5. additionally, he seemed to agree that "at most," i should pay $6.95 for the 2nd set, but the system didn't allow this.

sigh...i have an email in to Comcast CS, but i'm not confident i'm going to make much headway.

anyone out there with more than on HDTV in their home. what are you guys paying for the "privelege of a 2nd set"?

thanks for any thoughts/recommendations (on perhaps how to avoid this ridiculous fee to add the 2nd box*)

*ps. i know, in the grand scheme $11.95 is comparable to the fees the satellite providers charge for HD service, but compared with $5 for the first box, i'm a bit befuddled and disappointed.

You could get a 2nd HDTV with QAM (cable) tuner and avoid the box completely.
Since you don't subscribe to digital you wouldn't be missing any channels anyway.
You just won't be able to get PPV or VOD on the 2nd HDTV...

I'm afraid the pricing isn't likely to change. Total of $30/mo isn't bad for 5-6 HD channels and 2 HDTV boxes is it?

I am a HD Comcast subscriber. I would like to get the phase III 6412 box and utilize its HDMI connection. However, my TV only has one HDMI connection that I am already using for my Panasonic S77. How can I use HDMI for HD cable and my DVD player?

http://store1.yimg.com/I/bettercablesdotcom_1863_25352
Unfortunately not cheap: $270
http://www.bettercables.com/hd2x1sw.html

thanks walk. i'm a slow learner, but was realizing that as i searched this thread over the past hour.

i'm pretty much committed (if i do this) to pick up the 32" Sharp Aquos at Costco* for $1499 that doesn't have a built in tuner. your idea is a good one. assuming that Comcast keeps 702-723 unencrypted into the foreseeable future, paying $250 for a QAM tuner box would pay for itself fairly quickly (less than 2 years).

What is the likelihood of Comcast encrypting 702-723 stations in the near future?

[* just in case someone else out there is familiar with the Costco models currently being sold...i realize that they have a Phillips for the same price with built in QAM, but it doesn't support PC connection nearly as well and one primary reason i'm thinking about this flat panel is i want the DVI input which is removed in the new model that was just released.

I just got my first HDTV and it has a built in Digital Tuner (Sharp Aquos lc37d5u). I only subscribe to standard analog cable right now but I hooked up the cable to the digital tuner and I seem to get about a dozen or so digital broadcasts (including several music channels, only get sound, no picture), and a few are even in HD.

I'm slated to get a cablecard installed soon and my question is for other Bay Area Comcast cablecard users, what other channels can I expect to get? Currently I have HDNet, ESPNHD, PBSHD, CBSHD (when it is broadcasting), and ABCHD, this is all without cablecard. Is it worth the hassle to get a cablecard? Should I just get a STB? Note, that the cablecard is completely free while the STB is $5/mo.

EDIT: Please note, I'm only really interested in the HD digital channels.

Well, the local broadcast channels will almost certainly never be encrypted.

Those are 702-709.

719+ (INHD, ESPN, etc) are "digital tier" channels and may or may not be encrypted on any given day, or in the future...

I just got my first HDTV and it has a built in Digital Tuner (Sharp Aquos lc37d5u). I only subscribe to standard analog cable right now but I hooked up the cable to the digital tuner and I seem to get about a dozen or so digital broadcasts (including several music channels, only get sound, no picture), and a few are even in HD.

I'm slated to get a cablecard installed soon and my question is for other Bay Area Comcast cablecard users, what other channels can I expect to get? Currently I have HDNet, ESPNHD, PBSHD, CBSHD (when it is broadcasting), and ABCHD, this is all without cablecard. Is it worth the hassle to get a cablecard? Should I just get a STB? Note, that the cablecard is completely free while the STB is $5/mo.

EDIT: Please note, I'm only really interested in the HD digital channels.


The Cablecard is only needed if you want to subscribe to premium channels that are encrypted (Such as InHD, Discovery HD which are part of Digital Classic ($10/mth) or HBO-HD etc...)...Dont bother with the Cablecard unless you are going to pay the extra to subscribe to those premium channels.

and by the way..what you are calling HD-NET...is really local channel 4 (KRON) that plays a bunch of old HDNet tapes (from 1yr+ ago) to fill its digital channel...you are not getting real HDNet (which is not available on comcast)

Originally Posted by pdp76
I just got my first HDTV and it has a built in Digital Tuner (Sharp Aquos lc37d5u). I only subscribe to standard analog cable right now but I hooked up the cable to the digital tuner and I seem to get about a dozen or so digital broadcasts (including several music channels, only get sound, no picture), and a few are even in HD.

I'm slated to get a cablecard installed soon and my question is for other Bay Area Comcast cablecard users, what other channels can I expect to get? Currently I have HDNet, ESPNHD, PBSHD, CBSHD (when it is broadcasting), and ABCHD, this is all without cablecard. Is it worth the hassle to get a cablecard? Should I just get a STB? Note, that the cablecard is completely free while the STB is $5/mo.

EDIT: Please note, I'm only really interested in the HD digital channels.

The Cablecard is only needed if you want to subscribe to premium channels that are encrypted (Such as InHD, Discovery HD which are part of Digital Classic ($10/mth) or HBO-HD etc...)...Dont bother with the Cablecard unless you are going to pay the extra to subscribe to those premium channels.

and by the way..what you are calling HD-NET...is really local channel 4 (KRON) that plays a bunch of old HDNet tapes (from 1yr+ ago) to fill its digital channel...you are not getting real HDNet (which is not available on comcast)

If pdp76 is getting ESPN-HD with just analog basic then he might be getting Discovery-HD was well and may not know it.

pdp76, have you checked every single channel and sub-channel that your display's tuner gets? You might find Discovery-HD in there somewhere.

If you put your location in your profile that shows up when you post it would help narrow things down and folks from your area can respond with info specific to your area.

davisdog, thanks for the info. That is what I kind of suspected re: the CableCard. So I guess I'll just cancel my appointment to get it installed. I think I'll be happy with the standard channels for now, maybe I'll get it later if I want those premium HD channels.

keenan, with my QAM tuner, ESPNHD is on channel 116.3. Am I not supposed to get ESPNHD unencrypted? Is this like what davisdog said about HDNET and that it's really just a replay of a previously recorded HD broadcast?

Anyway, a couple more questions, and I appologize if ithey've been answered already (but 253 pages of posts is quite a bit to sift through).

1. Does comcast change the frequencies of the digital broadcasts occasionally? I had to redo the channel setup on my TV and the 2nd time I did it, it seemed to not find some previously found digital channels. Is there a list somewhere in this long thread of all the QAM channels/frequencies of the unencrypted digital (namely HD) channels for comcast in Fremont?

2. On some of those digital music channels, I get a video signal, on and off, that shows the title, artist, etc... of the song currently playing. Why is this?

keenan, with my QAM tuner, ESPNHD is on channel 116.3. Am I not supposed to get ESPNHD unencrypted? Is this like what davisdog said about HDNET and that it's really just a replay of a previously recorded HD broadcast?
No, the ESPN-HD that you're getting is the real deal. If you look around channel 74-76 you might find Discovery-HD as well.

1. Does comcast change the frequencies of the digital broadcasts occasionally? I had to redo the channel setup on my TV and the 2nd time I did it, it seemed to not find some previously found digital channels. Is there a list somewhere in this long thread of all the QAM channels/frequencies of the unencrypted digital (namely HD) channels for comcast in Fremont?
Yes they do change them on occasion, as far as a QAM channel list you might try a search by putting in +QAM+channel+list in the search box, you should get a listing of some posts containing info on channel numbers.

2. On some of those digital music channels, I get a video signal, on and off, that shows the title, artist, etc... of the song currently playing. Why is this?
I don't now much about those music channels, the banner is there I suppose to give you info about the song, possibly so you could go out and buy it..

2. On some of those digital music channels, I get a video signal, on and off, that shows the title, artist, etc... of the song currently playing. Why is this?

Comcast has 3 levels of digital music. First, they have the standard digital channels, Music Choice. These are the ones you see video on. Next, they have DMX Spanish digital channels. You get no video on these. Finally, just yesterday, they turned on 30 local FM stations. They are all digital. There is no video with these.

So, you get video with Music Choice but not the others.

Comcast has 3 levels of digital music. First, they have the standard digital channels, Music Choice. These are the ones you see video on. Next, they have DMX Spanish digital channels. You get no video on these. Finally, just yesterday, they turned on 30 local FM stations. They are all digital. There is no video with these.

So, you get video with Music Choice but not the others.

I noticed that they added the digital FM stations down here in the SaraMilgatos area also, just what we needed... :rolleyes:

But the only reason that I noticed it was, about a week ago I had to have one of my 6412's replaced, well last night ( during the Giants game ) the replacement box fried it's hard drive, not a pleasant smell. So I fired up my LG 4200 to catch the rest of the game, wish I hadn't... :( , that's when I noticed the new FM channels. Now I did get the message that they would be adding the channels to some areas but it's not something real high on my priority list and it's just a waste of bandwidth IMHO, others may disagree.

Well, I guess it's another trip to the Milpitas office to change out my box, hopefully this time the will have a Phase III box that I can pick up.

Laters,
Mikef5

I noticed that they added the digital FM stations down here in the SaraMilgatos area also, just what we needed... :rolleyes:

But the only reason that I noticed it was, about a week ago I had to have one of my 6412's replaced, well last night ( during the Giants game ) the replacement box fried it's hard drive, not a pleasant smell. So I fired up my LG 4200 to catch the rest of the game, wish I hadn't... :( , that's when I noticed the new FM channels. Now I did get the message that they would be adding the channels to some areas but it's not something real high on my priority list and it's just a waste of bandwidth IMHO, others may disagree.

Well, I guess it's another trip to the Milpitas office to change out my box, hopefully this time the will have a Phase III box that I can pick up.

Laters,
Mikef5

Mike,

Probably not related to your box blowing up at the same time, but comcast did something to reset my box around 8:30-9pm last night...cant remember the exact time...it had to reload the guide and everything (I havent had any stability issues with this one so I'm assuming it was something sent on the system through the headend)

ps...let me know if they have PIII their, it may be worth a trip (work is about 10min from that office)

-Steve

Mike,

Probably not related to your box blowing up at the same time, but comcast did something to reset my box around 8:30-9pm last night...cant remember the exact time...it had to reload the guide and everything (I havent had any stability issues with this one so I'm assuming it was something sent on the system through the headend)

ps...let me know if they have PIII their, it may be worth a trip (work is about 10min from that office)

-Steve

Just got back from the Milpitas office and they said that they have them at the warehouse but that they didn't have any there at the office, told me to check back next week...... right.. :rolleyes:

Davisdog,
I got the reset before the hard drive fired so it's not related, trust me after 20 years in the Navy as an electrican I know when electrical equipment fries itself :D
I've done it many times...... :)


Laters,
Mikef5

I noticed that they added the digital FM stations down here in the SaraMilgatos area also, just what we needed... :rolleyes:


Where are you guys seeing these FM stations?
TIA!

Where are you guys seeing these FM stations?
TIA!

They are not on the guide for the Motorola boxes yet, as far as I know. I see them on my LG-4200 external tuner, which will allow me to watch all the unencrypted channels on Comcast. Again, I see no reason for these channels, I do not listen to music on my Tv and if I want to listen to music on my stereo, I have a FM antenna that picks up the signals just fine. I can't imagine any where in the South Bay that you can't get FM signals but then again.....

Laters,
Mikef5

They are not on the guide for the Motorola boxes yet, as far as I know. I see them on my LG-4200 external tuner, which will allow me to watch all the unencrypted channels on Comcast. Again, I see no reason for these channels, I do not listen to music on my Tv and if I want to listen to music on my stereo, I have a FM antenna that picks up the signals just fine. I can't imagine any where in the South Bay that you can't get FM signals but then again.....

Laters,
Mikef5
In Fremont they are on the Guide, channel 960 and up.

Kevin

In Fremont they are on the Guide, channel 960 and up.

Kevin

Kevin,

You are right, my bad. I just got a new box and it was still updating the guide, I just checked it and they are there, channels 960 to 989. A poor use of bandwidth for an area, ( SaraMilgatos ), that can't even get Video On Demand Yet...... :rolleyes:

Laters,
Mikef5

With audio only, it probably takes up very little bandwidth at all, including all 30 stations. That said, the folks in Marin County got this started when Comcast took away the FM stations a while back. Those folks get no radio at all in many places. Comcast agreed to add them back in as a digital service. I'm sure their thinking was, if they were going to add it in Marin, to add it everywhere because everywhere else was gonna bitch if they didn't get it too.

They are not on the guide for the Motorola boxes yet, as far as I know. I see them on my LG-4200 external tuner, which will allow me to watch all the unencrypted channels on Comcast. Again, I see no reason for these channels, I do not listen to music on my Tv and if I want to listen to music on my stereo, I have a FM antenna that picks up the signals just fine. I can't imagine any where in the South Bay that you can't get FM signals but then again.....
Laters,
Mikef5


Goes to show how varied we all are :o
I am unable to get several FM stations in my area (without dealing with an external antenna) and would really like to be able to get some of these Comcast FM stations through my stereo system. But since I have the Moto 6412 DVR and may not be able to see these channels, how would I find them?

Note: I see now that you're finding them at 960 and above. I'll check my system when I get home tonight. Thanks!

Just got back from the Milpitas office and they said that they have them at the warehouse but that they didn't have any there at the office, told me to check back next week...... right.. :rolleyes:

Laters,
Mikef5

Time for DCTDictator to send a special shipment from the warehouse :)...or visit him with some pizza/beer in SJ :D

With audio only, it probably takes up very little bandwidth at all, including all 30 stations. That said, the folks in Marin County got this started when Comcast took away the FM stations a while back. Those folks get no radio at all in many places. Comcast agreed to add them back in as a digital service. I'm sure their thinking was, if they were going to add it in Marin, to add it everywhere because everywhere else was gonna bitch if they didn't get it too.

Bob,
You're probably right that it doesn't take up much bandwidth but I'm in a 550 MHz system that is bandwidth starved, and there is no way they are going to update. So any wasted bandwidth is not acceptable when you don't get the same things that the rest of the areas do now. VOD is being pushed really big by Comcast I think that should be a priority before they start with the nice to have FM stations. They haven't even started the digital simulcasting which is going to take up alot of bandwidth to accomplish in our area. You just can't waste bandwidth on the little stuff until the big stuff is done.

Laters,
Mikef5

The digital FM channels certainly use less b/w now than they did when they were analog...

i'm probably one of the few cheap guys out there who is currently subscribed to limited basic cable + HD service. for 12+ bucks and 5 for the HD, my bill is under $19 a month after taxes.

i have been contemplating getting a 2nd HDTV in our house, so i called Comcast this morning to confirm the cost of the 2nd box. i was told by the rep that it will cost an extra $11.95 (!) : $6.95 for the 2nd box rental and $5 for the HD service.


I have a 2nd non-HD box and it costs $6.95/month. The HD boxes cost more, so it figures that they charge more.

I have a 2nd non-HD box and it costs $6.95/month. The HD boxes cost more, so it figures that they charge more.

yeah, i guess you're right. i shouldn't complain really. the $5/mo for the first box is the bargain of the century. bargains like that spoil me! :)

Hi guys,
I've had the DVR (6412) for about 2 weeks. Last night when watching the recording of Alias (HD 707), I noticed 1-2 second freezes about every couple of minutes. With about 10min left, I got the "NPLAY" error (the playback blanked and then gave a call comcast window with this code). I re-played the recording, starting at the beginning or course, and did get to watch the last 10 min, but with some pixelation and longer freeze-ups.

I did some searching in the DVR forums and it seems that this is a symptom of a bad box. Note that I had recorded other show in HD and watched them (Prison Break, Lost) without issue. I'm guessing one of the tuners is having issues. My SNR and AGC are all fine (I had some issues last dec./Jan. that we resolved by adding a drop-amp.

I exchanged the box today. What are the odds that I'll get another bad box, out of curiosity? Should I have insisted on a Phase III box (I only need component and s-video out)? Would my odds have been better with it?

thanks,
jeff

Sorry if this question seems stupid. I really want to know how to get my hand on a Phase III box but I'm not sure how to go about it. I'd rather just get it right the first time.

So basically, who should I call and what should I say? Will CSRs actually know what I'm talking about if I say "phase III"?

I want it because the DVI-->HDMI cable I'm forced to use to connect to my plasma seems to mess up the blacks and make everything grey and dull. I'm hoping the "real" HDMI out will be properly calibrated. h

Can not help you with the D* part.

I am in San Jose (95112) on limited basic.

My tuner is Samsung SIR-T451.

I get the fellowing HD channel

KPIX(CBS) (78.1)
KTVU(Fox) (78.2)
Very bad PQ and sound, YMMV.

INHD1 (105.2)
InHDSE (105.3) Never any programing when I tune in.
INHD2 (105.4)

some unlabeled sports channel in 112.1

DiscoveryHD(115.3)
EspnHD(116.1)
KNTV(NBC)(116.2)
KGO(ABC) (117.1)
KQED(PBS) (117.5)

For those who are tracking. This tuner also have problem with the 8pm switchover of KQED. To get KGO HD, I need to tune in 117.1 before 8 pm, and stay there. Once I change channel, I can not go back til the next day.

For SD channel, I didn't keep track. But mostly 2nd tier channels. I can only remember BBC America at 85.2 and SciFi at 86.16. I also remember seeing TVland, ESPN classic, TCM, Noggin, EWTN, GSN, etc. I am sure they will change those lineup or encrypt them anytime they choose.

Personally, as long as I can get good quality on local HDTV channels plus InHDs, I am content.
I just got the same tuner as you and was wondering if you still get those channels. Also, does KGO still act funny?

At my local office (Livermore), they had p3 boxes available.

jeff

With audio only, it probably takes up very little bandwidth at all, including all 30 stations.
In my area, it looks like Comcast was able to squeeze all 30 FM channels onto a single 6Mhz channel (105.1-105.30, 93Mhz) using QAM64. So basically it uses up bandwidth for 2 HD channels. For 750/860 systems it's actually pretty nice to have crystal clear FM channels. Obviously 550 systems are bandwidth starved to start, so one would question why digital FM.

I had to rescan to find KNTV again and it showed up at 116-1 instead of 11-1. Another user reported that a rescan couldn't find KNTV.
KNTV has been at 116.1 for a long time for me. It just got PSIP'd to 11.1 but the base RF has been 116.1.
So after looking into this closer it looks like (for my area) ESPN-HD moved to 116.1 pushing NBC-HD to 116.2 (from 116.1). Also NBC-HD lost its PSIP data, so it no longer gets virtually mapped to 11.1/11.2. Apparently some TV tuners handle these types of changes more transparently than others. Worst case you need to rescan. In my case the changes got picked up automatically w/o need for rescan.
Before:
Mhz psip cbl qam
747 703 116.1 KNTV-DT NBC HD
747 11.1 186 116.2 KNTV-W NBC Weather
747 11.2 723 116.3 ESPN-HD ESPN HD

After:
Mhz psip cbl qam
747 723 116.1 ESPN-HD ESPN HD
747 703 116.2 KNTV-DT NBC HD
747 186 116.3 KNTV-W NBC Weather

FM is up on the Motorola guide, high 900's.

Sounds good, except for one or two that have poor FM reception!

I'm glad to have it even just for 1 station, KPFA which we don't get up here. Or KFOG...

But I agree I'd rather have 1-2 more HDTV channels instead. :/

After getting my new JVC 52G886, I watched analog Comcast and DVDs for a couple of weeks. I was surprised that the SD channels looked better than I was expecting (I could view up to about 82, I think). DVDs looked great, of course (very happy with the set, by the way). So I called Comcast & ordered the Digital Siver + HD and HBO. The stooges arrived 7 hours late, brought the 6412 with DVI (grrr- oh, well) and connected with component cables. I asked about digital connections and they just looked at me like I was from Jupiter. Here are my observations & questions:
1.) The HD channels are awesome; no complaints.
2.) The SD channels are TERRIBLE! (I have kids, so anything HD has to compete with Disney Channel- sad but true!) The analog feed on these channels looked WAY better, maybe a bit softer, but without the pixely edges and digital artifacts. I switched the connection to a DVI to HDMI cable, and it's no better. (If anything, it might be a bit worse- how is that possible?)

Can I just split the feed into the 6412 and into my TV so the kids can watch SD channels analog and switch to Digital Input for HD? What's going on, is it just massive compression? Would the Phase III be any better?

Oh, another thing. I picked Comcast over DirecTV because of the International Channels, and thought the Silver package would include them, but I get a "Not Authorized" screen. My package is NOT cheap, I'm shocked. Does this sound right?

Thanks for any help or comments!

[QUOT
Can I just split the feed into the 6412 and into my TV so the kids can watch SD channels analog and switch to Digital Input for HD? What's going on, is it just massive compression? Would the Phase III be any better?

Oh, another thing. I picked Comcast over DirecTV because of the International Channels, and thought the Silver package would include them, but I get a "Not Authorized" screen. My package is NOT cheap, I'm shocked. Does this sound right?

Thanks for any help or comments![/QUOTE]

There is no reason you can't split the cable and feed one leg directly into your TV for the analog channels (assuming your TV has a cable input and tuner) and the other leg into the 6412 which would feed into either a component input or a DVI (or HDMI) input on the TV.

I haven't broken it down - but it seems like our D* service is a LOT cheaper than cable for roughly the same stuff. I got Comcast for their HD PVR a few months ago while waiting for the HDPVR to come out for our BEV (Canadian) service. BEV has the most HD of anyone - unless you count DISH's "VOOM" channels. Comcast doesn't have all the networks (no UPN or WB) no Universal, no TNT etc. Am waiting to see, also, what D* comes out w. in HD by the end of the year. Our D* is SD service. Our BEV service is HD - but not an HD-PVR box.

...mike

The SD channels are expected to be bad (I wouldn't call them terrible, though). The 6412 encodes all analog signals in MPEG-2, writes them to the hard drive, reads the MPEG-2 off the hard drive, decodes the MPEG-2, and passes the resulting signal to the TV. This is done in order to allow the viewer to pause/rewind the "live" TV broadcast. The MPEG encoding/decoding reduces the signal quality for analog channels. This is not a problem for digital channels since the signal is already in the digital domain.

This is true of all DVRs, by the way (TiVo, Replay, etc). Not only the 6412.

Yes, you can split the signal and use the TV's tuner for analog channels.

Are there any locations locally where one can buy PC based QAM turner? (Like Fusion or Myhd)

Did anyone else experience picture problems during last night's Saturday Night Live HD broadcast on 703? The color was off and there were analog-looking reflections all over the picture. The SD picture on the analog channel 3 was OK.

Did anyone else experience picture problems during last night's Saturday Night Live HD broadcast on 703? The color was off and there were analog-looking reflections all over the picture. The SD picture on the analog channel 3 was OK.
Yes, it's been happening since Friday. It's something local with KNTV as KNBC from LA was fine. 703 looks okay now although there is no HD being broadcast right now. The NASCAR race earlier today was really bad.

Now that the Giants season is over, expect to see FSN-HD in Santa Rosa tomorrow, just to piss me off.

I know I can look through all of the endless threads in the HTPC forum however I thought I'd ask you guys first. I have a neighbor who's wanting to view, record, and sometimes edit both SD and HD content on her computer. She has a Sony HDTV w/ built-in QAM tuner which she currently uses to view HDTV (she's not using a cable box). Anyone have any suggestions on PCI or USB cards that will allow her to this with Comcast cable? I know there's the MyHD card but I'm not sure if that does QAM conversion. Thanks, and sorry for the OT.

Did anyone else experience picture problems during last night's Saturday Night Live HD broadcast on 703? The color was off and there were analog-looking reflections all over the picture. The SD picture on the analog channel 3 was OK.

i saw all sorts of problems with 703 on Saturday night when i was just "surfing" to enjoy my new Aquos. last night while watching the West Wing, i thought the colors were off (not the strange effect from saturday) and during one stretch (between commercials), there was a ticking sound coming over the audio (not over SD version on Ch 3). anyone else notice this?

Get a splitter and split the cable directly into your tv's antenna input. Yes it will make the analog channels look a lot better. Just make sure you use a 1Ghz bi-directional splitter.

Comcast doesn't provide digital cables, you'll need to get your own DVI/HDMI cable. They do provide a pretty decent component cable and an optical (TOSlink) digital audio cable... so... count your blessings.. I guess?

Not sure if this is the right place, but I'll start here. Been having a problem with the 6412 for a couple of days now. Can't seem to watch any of my recorded programs. Supposedly, it's still recording (program titles are showing up in the list of recorded programs) but when I go to play a program, and it doesn't matter which one, the same thing always happens:

The display on the box reads PLA for about 3-4 seconds. The image on the screen doesn't change, so whatever program I've been watching remains on, and the blue bar at the bottom of the screen comes up with the time indicator nearly at the end (all the way to the right). The channel indicated just above the blue bar is always INHD2 720. I've got an appointment set up with a tech for Saturday, but thought I might be able to get some help here on resolving this as my hard drive is almost full and I would like to get some programs watched and erased before the weekend rolls around.

TIA,

Mike

Not sure if this is the right place, but I'll start here. Been having a problem with the 6412 for a couple of days now. Can't seem to watch any of my recorded programs. Supposedly, it's still recording (program titles are showing up in the list of recorded programs) but when I go to play a program, and it doesn't matter which one, the same thing always happens:

The display on the box reads PLA for about 3-4 seconds. The image on the screen doesn't change, so whatever program I've been watching remains on, and the blue bar at the bottom of the screen comes up with the time indicator nearly at the end (all the way to the right). The channel indicated just above the blue bar is always INHD2 720. I've got an appointment set up with a tech for Saturday, but thought I might be able to get some help here on resolving this as my hard drive is almost full and I would like to get some programs watched and erased before the weekend rolls around.

TIA,

Mike
I had the same problem with along with the infamous 12/31/1989 recordings. Try unplugging your cable box for a few minutes and then replug it back in - that worked for me.

I had the same problem with along with the infamous 12/31/1989 recordings. Try unplugging your cable box for a few minutes and then replug it back in - that worked for me.

Ahhh yes... I failed to mention that I have a mysterious 12/31/89 recording that I can't erase, and whenever I try to erase it, the whole system locks up and I can't watch anything - just get a black screen. Gotta power the box off and back on. I'll try the unplug thing tonight. Will it solve the 12/31/89 problem too? Apologize if this has been re-hashed.

Now that the Giants season is over, expect to see FSN-HD in Santa Rosa tomorrow, just to piss me off.

Good luck! :rolleyes:
And whatever happened to the NFL Network "Game of the Week" in HD???
I had it last year.......haven't seen it at all this year......

Well, I picked up a new Phase 3 box at the Milpitas office, so it looks like they are starting to surface all around the Bay. Anyway, this box handles the analog channels much better than the old boxes did. I have it hooked up via the component cables until I can get to BB and pick up a HDMI cable but even with component cables it looks much better on all the channels, it will be interesting to see how it looks with the HDMI cable. I've heard other people have trouble with the handshaking protocols with some sets. I think I know what causes the problem but I won't know for sure until I get the HDMI cable but I'll let you know if it's what I think the problem is.

Laters,
Mikef5

Good luck! :rolleyes:
And whatever happened to the NFL Network "Game of the Week" in HD???
I had it last year.......haven't seen it at all this year......


It begins this Thur. 10/6 on channel 725, and every Wed. and Thur. after that.
Check the program guide.

Hi. I just had my 6412 swapped out yesterday due to a hard drive issue. I'm now seeing a horizontal line wth white blocks at the very top of my screen when I send s-video out to my analog PC capture card. This occurs regardless of how I set the 4:3 override. I'm thinking that it may be a firmware issue. What is the latest firmware for the 6412 in the Bay Area?

Hi Mikef5,
Any idea what's different in the p3 boxes other than the hdmi connector that would account for analog looking better. I assume you're comparing it to another 6412? Since I had a chance at getting a p3 box when I swapped my first 6412, did I make a mistake, not taking it (note that I don't need hdmi).

Best,
jeff

Well, I picked up a new Phase 3 box at the Milpitas office, so it looks like they are starting to surface all around the Bay. Anyway, this box handles the analog channels much better than the old boxes did. I have it hooked up via the component cables until I can get to BB and pick up a HDMI cable but even with component cables it looks much better on all the channels, it will be interesting to see how it looks with the HDMI cable. I've heard other people have trouble with the handshaking protocols with some sets. I think I know what causes the problem but I won't know for sure until I get the HDMI cable but I'll let you know if it's what I think the problem is.

Laters,
Mikef5

I had the same problem with along with the infamous 12/31/1989 recordings. Try unplugging your cable box for a few minutes and then replug it back in - that worked for me.
Thanks for the tip. Unplug solved the problem - I can watch my recorded programs once again and it got rid of the 12/31/1989 recording. Unfortunately, for some strange reason, one of my recordings was erased, and it happened to be the season premiere of Alias, which I hadn't gotten around to watching yet. :(

Well, I picked up a new Phase 3 box at the Milpitas office, so it looks like they are starting to surface all around the Bay. Is the RF output hot?

Well, I picked up a new Phase 3 box at the Milpitas office, so it looks like they are starting to surface all around the Bay. Anyway, this box handles the analog channels much better than the old boxes did. I have it hooked up via the component cables until I can get to BB and pick up a HDMI cable but even with component cables it looks much better on all the channels, it will be interesting to see how it looks with the HDMI cable. I've heard other people have trouble with the handshaking protocols with some sets. I think I know what causes the problem but I won't know for sure until I get the HDMI cable but I'll let you know if it's what I think the problem is.

Laters,
Mikef5

Mikef5: Don't waste your money on an over-priced Monster Cable at BB...go to svideo.com and get a 2 meter HDMI cable for $10 with free shipping! (Disclaimer: I have no monetary interest in this company...just got a good cable at a low cost, and I think Monster Cable is a rip-off, but that's a whole 'nother discussion group!)!)

RF out - active.
HDMI - most wanted feature.
DVI - gone.
New, larger fan on bottom.
SATA ports - inactive.
New circuitry.
Everything else same - inactive USB, IR, Ethernet ports, etc.

New, larger fan on bottom.


Does that mean the unit is louder?

Does that mean the unit is louder?

Actually the one I have is alot quieter than the old box but then again that one ate it's hard drive :D

Laters,
Mikef5

Can someone give me a pointer as to who to call to get a Phase III 6412 box? I just "upgraded" to plasma (Panasonic TH-42px50u) and digital comcast cable, from the old analog + TiVO. HDV looks nice, digital cable looks OK, my DVDs look awesome, but the analog cable channels (which is what my daughter wants to watch, sesame st, etc) look like crap, as you all know. Way worse than the analog cable + Tivo box over S-video. I received the "6412/2005" model DVR when Comcast brought the box last weekend. I did not know about the Phase III at the time.

Is there a Comcast office anywhere near Palo Alto? Should I call 1-888-comcast, or does anybody have any hints/tips here?

Thanks a bunch!
Jason

Can someone give me a pointer as to who to call to get a Phase III 6412 box? I just "upgraded" to plasma (Panasonic TH-42px50u) and digital comcast cable, from the old analog + TiVO. HDV looks nice, digital cable looks OK, my DVDs look awesome, but the analog cable channels (which is what my daughter wants to watch, sesame st, etc) look like crap, as you all know. Way worse than the analog cable + Tivo box over S-video. I received the "6412/2005" model DVR when Comcast brought the box last weekend. I did not know about the Phase III at the time.

Is there a Comcast office anywhere near Palo Alto? Should I call 1-888-comcast, or does anybody have any hints/tips here?

Thanks a bunch!
Jason

If you call and have a tech come out and bring you one, they might charge for the visit. And there's no guarantee you'll get it. I would just go to the local Comcast office...at least you'll be able to see what you're getting. According to Comcast's web site, there's an office in Mountain View (1400 Terra Bella Ave) and Foster City (999 Edgewater Blvd Suite E).

If you call and have a tech come out and bring you one, they might charge for the visit. And there's no guarantee you'll get it. I would just go to the local Comcast office...at least you'll be able to see what you're getting. According to Comcast's web site, there's an office in Mountain View (1400 Terra Bella Ave) and Foster City (999 Edgewater Blvd Suite E).

Thanks for the info. Do you think I can call Comcast and get connected to this office, or should I just try to drive down there with my boxes in tow and plead for new ones? :)

Jason

Thanks for the tip. Unplug solved the problem - I can watch my recorded programs once again and it got rid of the 12/31/1989 recording. Unfortunately, for some strange reason, one of my recordings was erased, and it happened to be the season premiere of Alias, which I hadn't gotten around to watching yet. :(
I realized that the phantom recording is merely a phantom reference to an actual recording. If you delete it, you end up deleting one of the recorded shows. I have one of those on my 6412 now. If I start playing it, it starts playing the ER from last week (which is one of the shows on the machine). Before you attempt to erase the phantom pointer, make sure you watch the real show it points to.

What really baffles me is that these boxes have been around since last November and Motorola has not been able to solve this problem yet. Either that, or they don't care.

Thanks for the info. Do you think I can call Comcast and get connected to this office, or should I just try to drive down there with my boxes in tow and plead for new ones? :)

Jason

No, I don't think they will connect you -- you'll have to go down there with boxes in hand. These centers are primarily set up to a) pay your bill, and b) to return equipment if your moving/leaving Comcast. They're not equipped or staffed to accept a bunch of incoming calls.

Hi. I just had my 6412 swapped out yesterday due to a hard drive issue. I'm now seeing a horizontal line wth white blocks at the very top of my screen when I send s-video out to my analog PC capture card. This occurs regardless of how I set the 4:3 override. I'm thinking that it may be a firmware issue. What is the latest firmware for the 6412 in the Bay Area?

That is the encoded closed captioning data. My Samsung shows it via HDMI because there is no overscan to hide it. That should be what is going on with you as well. You either deal with it or adjust the overscan on your display to hide it....

Seriously thinking about upgrading our 5100 to a 6412. I know that the 6412 has a few quirks and a couple of things that should be avoided like powering it off, but I was hoping to avoid reading through the past year's worth of posts to find them all. Is there a 6412 FAQ anywhere?

-Steve

Can someone give me a pointer as to who to call to get a Phase III 6412 box? I just "upgraded" to plasma (Panasonic TH-42px50u) and digital comcast cable, from the old analog + TiVO. HDV looks nice, digital cable looks OK, my DVDs look awesome, but the analog cable channels (which is what my daughter wants to watch, sesame st, etc) look like crap, as you all know. Way worse than the analog cable + Tivo box over S-video. I received the "6412/2005" model DVR when Comcast brought the box last weekend. I did not know about the Phase III at the time.

Is there a Comcast office anywhere near Palo Alto? Should I call 1-888-comcast, or does anybody have any hints/tips here?

Thanks a bunch!
Jason

jse75 – your Comcast Office should be indicated on top of your monthly bill. If you call the number though, it will not connect you to that local office. You have to go to them personally to exchange your box.

Calibrating the set yourself by either using the avia or digital video essentials may improve the sd channels. Check the internet for prices, and if it is reasonable to you, you can at least try.

I have the 42” x25model for over a year now, using a cable card. Like you, I find the sd channels bad, but after patiently adjusting (not only once) I find the sd channels acceptable now.

I use two settings, one for watching HDTV and another for SD Channels.

It is strange though that my Sony LCD S model did an excellent job for the SD channels right out the box. I did not even calibrate it yet, but the SD PQ is almost the same as my old CRT which is nice. Maybe because of the size 26”, I really don’t know.. but you are right most of the new buyers are disappointed with the SD channels after they bring home their new Plasma TV.

Anyway, this box handles the analog channels much better than the old boxes did. I have it hooked up via the component cables until I can get to BB and pick up a HDMI cable but even with component cables it looks much better on all the channels, it will be interesting to see how it looks with the HDMI cable. Mike - by "handles analog channels much better", are you saying the picture quality is much better? Were you using the component output on your previous 6412? Is the output resolution set the same as your old box? I'm just trying to get an apples-to-apples idea.

SATA ports - inactive.

I wonder why, lack of space is THE major problem with these boxes. Comcast systems that use Scientific Atlanta equipment have the SATA port active, maybe Comcast Bay Area will switch from Motorola for us... :rolleyes: :D

Mike - by "handles analog channels much better", are you saying the picture quality is much better? Were you using the component output on your previous 6412? Is the output resolution set the same as your old box? I'm just trying to get an apples-to-apples idea.

The old box was at first connected by a DVI to HDMI cable, tv is a Sony 42we655, but it had issues with handshaking so I switched to component. With it hooked up like that the analog channels looked grainy, not bad but it looked like snow. When I switched out the box to a Phase 3 I hooked it up with the same component cables as before and the graininess was very much reduced, not as good as digital but acceptable. I'm hoping that the HDMI cable will reduce it even more but I'll have to wait until I can get a hold of a HDMI cable to check it out with and to see if the handshaking problem is there with the HDMI cable connected. Hope that's a little clearer for you.

Laters,
Mikef5

Thanks for the info. Do you think I can call Comcast and get connected to this office, or should I just try to drive down there with my boxes in tow and plead for new ones? :)

Jason

You could just drive down to the office to see if they have any Phase III boxes on hand. I went through an upgrade this week from limited basic to Digital Silver w/HD-DVR and the phone rep advised me to go ahead with just the upgrade to Digital Silver since I would get an earlier install date, then right after the install, drive to the store and swap the box out with the HD-DVR box. I went to the Richmond store, where they had a few Phase III boxes sitting right behind the counter ;)

It really depends on the office location as to whether or not the store has a lot of Phase III boxes on hand. My local office also serves as an East Bay regional office, so the building itself is actually larger than most of the strip mall locations.

You could just drive down to the office to see if they have any Phase III boxes on hand. I went through an upgrade this week from limited basic to Digital Silver w/HD-DVR and the phone rep advised me to go ahead with just the upgrade to Digital Silver since I would get an earlier install date, then right after the install, drive to the store and swap the box out with the HD-DVR box. I went to the Richmond store, where they had a few Phase III boxes sitting right behind the counter ;)

It really depends on the office location as to whether or not the store has a lot of Phase III boxes on hand. My local office also serves as an East Bay regional office, so the building itself is actually larger than most of the strip mall locations.

I guess I'll try that. I called Comcast and they would not connect me to the Mountain View location to check whether they have any of the Phase III boxes. It's weird, on the receipt my installer left me, it says "Comcast Menlo Park" but I can't find any evidence anywhere that an office exists there. On my bill online it says Mountain View. I guess I'll have to drive down there (when, I dunno ;)

I'll let you guys know if the Phase III box improved my analog channels on the plasma screen.

Jason

The old box was at first connected by a DVI to HDMI cable, tv is a Sony 42we655, but it had issues with handshaking so I switched to component. With it hooked up like that the analog channels looked grainy, not bad but it looked like snow. When I switched out the box to a Phase 3 I hooked it up with the same component cables as before and the graininess was very much reduced, not as good as digital but acceptable. I'm hoping that the HDMI cable will reduce it even more but I'll have to wait until I can get a hold of a HDMI cable to check it out with and to see if the handshaking problem is there with the HDMI cable connected. Hope that's a little clearer for you.

Laters,
Mikef5

Mike

The Analog channels should look better, the phase III uses a brand new MPEG-2 encoder. One of the people who works on the encoder team posted to the 6412 topic when people were complimenting on the improved picture quality.

Apparently the scaler has been improved too, I have not seen it myself, just heard about it.

Kevin

Is the RF output hot?

I turned the RF bypass on and was able to get programming through the RF cable on my phase III, but it would only show the channel the 6412 was set to, and the TV needed to be set on channel 3 to receive the picture. I was experimenting, hoping that "RF Bypass" meant that the complete cable signal would be passed out this port, thereby eliminating the need for a splitter to provide an analog input into the TV...

There is an up coming PPV that I want to watch and I was wondering:

1. What digital box will they give me (Local office is on 10th ST in San Jose) as I only have basic now?

RF bypass is disabled on most (all?) of these units. By disabled it means, it will only show the currently tuned channel (say, 550) on rf channel 3 (you have to set your TV on channel 3).

You can tell if the RF bypass is active if the unit does NOT have another box hanging off the back of the RF section. If it only has 1 input and 1 output, located on another box that sort of piggy-backs on the back of the unit (covering the RF outputs) then RF bypass will NOT work.

I think the "basic" as in non-HD digital box is model DCT-5100. ?

I think the "basic" as in non-HD digital box is model DCT-5100. ?
DCT-5100 is an HD box.

I think the "basic" as in non-HD digital box is model DCT-5100. ?

The DCT-5100 is an HD capable box, and you can get HD with basic. However, I don't think you can get PPV without having a digital cable package.

-Steve

edit: sfhub beat me to it!

Oh. I have the 6200 HD box.
What's the black one, the non-HD "digital" cable box?

Oh. I have the 6200 HD box.
What's the black one, the non-HD "digital" cable box?

DCT2000 - Could be 12.5 x 17 or 10 x 17. Black buttons and clock display.

DCT1800 - all 10 x 17, no display, no buttons.

DCT2500 all are 10 x 15, Silver buttons and clock display

DCT5100 - first HD box. 12.5 x 17. No 1394

DCT6200 - 2nd HD box 12.5 x 17, 1394 port.

Oh. I have the 6200 HD box.
What's the black one, the non-HD "digital" cable box?


DCT 2244, at least that's the one I have.....

I guess I'll try that. I called Comcast and they would not connect me to the Mountain View location to check whether they have any of the Phase III boxes.

Chances of getting a P3 are better at the larger locations - box support is on-site rather than delivered every 3 days at the 'conveniance locaitons'.

Sorry to ask because I'm sure this has been answered before, but how can you tell if it's a Phase III box?

-Steve

I am on my fourth phase 3 box. The first box would not download my premium channels (HBO silver pack). The second box made a random chirping sound, which I assume was the hard drive. The third box was dead out of the box with no hard drive activity at all. The fourth box was just installed and seems to be fine, but only time will tell. I am a little concerned about Motorola's quality control, though the Comcast Techs that I talked to and visited my home were all very professional. Hopefully I won't have to see them again!

By the way the phase 3 box has DCT6412 lll on the front panel.

I am on my fourth phase 3 box. The first box would not download my premium channels (HBO silver pack). The second box made a random chirping sound, which I assume was the hard drive. The third box was dead out of the box with no hard drive activity at all. The fourth box was just installed and seems to be fine, but only time will tell. I am a little concerned about Motorola's quality control, though the Comcast Techs that I talked to and visited my home were all very professional. Hopefully I won't have to see them again!

By the way the phase 3 box has DCT6412 lll on the front panel.

Where are you guys getting these? Is there any chance my oakland office(the eastmont mall one I think is my official office) has one? I really want the HDMI support and better analog for my plasma. Do I just unplug my box and bring it with me? Do I need to bring any cables? I want to get this done tomorrow but don't want to just run in circles.

Also, when you move, can you take your box with you? Or do you have to get a whole new one?

question here too as i'm joining in late.

is the upgrade to the scalar, MPEG-2 only for the DVR boxes, or did they upgrade the "basic HD" boxes? i've had mine since late 2004 and would love to see an improvement to my SD channels.

question here too as i'm joining in late.

is the upgrade to the scalar, MPEG-2 only for the DVR boxes, or did they upgrade the "basic HD" boxes? i've had mine since late 2004 and would love to see an improvement to my SD channels.

It is only for the Phase III 6412 DVR boxes, not the basic HD boxes.

kevini. Thanks for the info.

guess i should really consider splitting my signal and routing SD directly into my flat panel as i think they look better without the box.

I just got this email from Mr. Johnson about some problems that are going to happen with the cable systems for the next couple of weeks. I will post this verbatim as I received it.
____________________________________________________________ __________

You may post this information on the Forum.

From the scientific literature I just finished reading we could experience brief disruptions in service from today to Oct. 20th due to the seasonal solar occurrence known as a "sun outage."

Each outage could last up to 15 minutes, although the length of the outage will vary. Land-based services such as fiber optics and microwave are not affected by sun outages.

If a cable TV outage occurs, viewers will notice a slow degradation of picture for up to 10 minutes, followed by several minutes of total disruption. The picture then slowly clears.

These semi-annual interruptions, called sun outages or transits, affect all satellite-based communications and occur when the sun is located directly behind the satellite and in line with the antenna on the ground. At that point, the noise energy from the sun is often greater than the communication signal level and may result in loss of signal.

Background: Solar disturbance periods, or “sun outages", will soon occur throughout North America, possibly affecting cable television and satellite viewers in the Bay Area.

Overview: Twice each year, approximately at the time of the spring and fall equinox, the sun is positioned directly behind the geostationary satellites used to deliver cable programming services, which includes the HITS signals we use to deliver programming to our customers.

When an IRT or MPS digital receiver loses its input signal, the DCT set top converter displays “One Moment Please” on the affected channel(s).

This condition will be present for several minutes each day during the sun outage period, which lasts for several days. Because HITS receives some of the programming used in the HITS lineup via satellite, some HITS programming services will be lost twice (each day) during this period as HITS experiences receive outages. Additionally, the data stream which delivers addressable commands to set tops from the billing system, may be affected during the sun outage period.

This interference is an inherent part of satellite technology and occurs about this time every year, as well as for about two weeks in April. We cannot prevent solar outages, but we can predict them.



What Causes Solar Outages?
Solar interference occurs when the positions of the sun and satellites line up as they revolve around the earth. Satellite dishes on earth -like those at our headends that receive network programming -receive signals from both. But the sun is far more powerful and subdues the satellite signal when both are aligned. The result is a degradation of picture quality or a complete loss of picture and sound.



What time will the outages occur?
Solar outages will occur between 9:00a.m. and 2:00p.m each day, affecting individual satellites and satellite-delivered networks for 5 to 20 minutes each day. Fortunately, they do not affect local broadcast stations, which are delivered to Comcast through direct fiber feeds from their studios.



What will customer’s notice?
From October 1st to October 20th , when the solar activity will be at its highest here in the Bay Area, customers could notice severe “snow or dots ” on analog delivered satellite channels and severe tiling or a complete loss of channels (One Moment Please) on digitally delivered satellite channels lasting up to ten minutes. Because Comcast receives signals from several different satellites, and because only one satellite is affected at a time, cable TV viewers may not be affected at all, depending on which channels they are watching. They may be affected more than once if they change channels between 9:00a.m. and 2:00p.m

____________________________________________________________ _________

I guess this is a heads up on possible upcoming problems that Comcast has no control over. I noticed I've been losing ESPN-HD on and off today, so I guess that might be the cause, good thing the Giants are through for the season.... :)

Laters,
Mikef5

Land-based services such as fiber optics and microwave are not affected by sun outages.


The above would include 3 of the 4 major nets and probably not affect KNTV either.

Speaking of baseball, when is Comcast going to get ESPN2-HD, the Bosox/Chisox game looks great on DirecTV, nothing like watching Ortiz and Ramirez go bam-bam, scored tied in 2 swings.... :)

Speaking of baseball, when is Comcast going to get ESPN2-HD, the Bosox/Chisox game looks great on DirecTV, nothing like watching Ortiz and Ramirez go bam-bam, scored tied in 2 swings.... :)

Uhhhh......probably about the same time that they add TNT-HD, which was announced last April. :mad:
With no new HD channels added here since FOX-HD, Comcast is gonna have trouble hanging on to their slogan "The Leader in HDTV Programming"!

Uhhhh......probably about the same time that they add TNT-HD, which was announced last April. :mad:
With no new HD channels added here since FOX-HD, Comcast is gonna have trouble hanging on to their slogan "The Leader in HDTV Programming"!
Comcast isn't "The Leader in HDTV Programming" right now, DirecTV has more HD than Comcast, at least in my area.

They both have ABC-CBS-NBC-FOX-ESPN-DISC-HBO-SHO

Comcast has Cinemax and Starz and PBS-HD, and some areas have INHD and INHD2

Directv has ESPN2-HDNet-HDNet Movies-UniversalHD.

I'll take the HDNets any day over the INHDs.

DirecTV also has 9 HD football games every Sunday, and HD baseball from various SportsNets from around the country, I've seen 10 Yankees games in HD for every Giants and A's games combined that I've seen from Comcast this year.

Comcast IS NOT "The Leader in HDTV Programming".

I haven't seen anyone raise this issue so it may not be a Comcast problem but.

I have recently started to notice that the audio reception for my High Def programs is flaky. I have a 6412. With my receiver set to Dolby Digital ,when a program goes to a commercial sometimes the audio cuts out completely or gets severely muted. If I switch to Stereo I get full audio. I have also noticed that on some of the High Def stations , when watching a program in DD the center channel seems to be fine but the front left and front right are muted (any music on the soound track is muted) but if I switch to Stereo I get the full sound track.For example last night during Alias, the audio was fine but at the end when they jumped to previews of next week's show, the audio cut out in DD but it was fine in Stereo. Any one have any idea why this is happening?

If other people are hearing the same thing then it is probably on Comcast side, otherwise it is probably something on your receiver. I haven't notice any difference recently, but I haven't been paying particular attention. Was there a specific channel/show that you found this especially bad?

Not all programs are 5.1, some are 2.0. Sometimes they actually switch during commercials. Depends about how you have your reciever setup for Dolby 2.0 (pro logic, etc)

I use the analog sound outputs for stereo--either to the television or to my stereo system. I hear sound dropouts on a regular basis. I've never assigned it to a particular station. I've just learned to live with it , but its not really excellent.

Hi all have a new Toshiba 46HM94, and cant find my local hd via built in tuner,?
I did find the following:
ESPN HD 116.1
NBC 116.2
DIscovery 115.3
INHD 105.1
INHD 105.2
INHD 105.3
KRON 112.3?
but i really want the big 3 ABC/FOX/CBS. i am located in San jose 95116. Have cable direct from wall , digital cable i think. we used to have the HD box , got rid w/my last tv, so i had basic digial to analog tv for a while. so am getting back in to HD w/ new tv. They also do not show up on my guide. Had to go physically find them via channel surfing.? :confused:

A few questions about the new Motorola 6412 III (phase III):

For those upgrading from an earlier version of the 6412, is the HDMI video output better, the same, or worst than DVI output on earlier versions? Does the unit send audio out over the HDMI connection allowing me to only have to have a single cable connection to my TV? If I am sending audio over the HDMI connection, can I still get DD 5.1 audio out via the optical output simultaneously? Is there an estimate when the SATA port will be enabled for external storage?

I have the 6412 is there any down side to upgrading to the 6412 III?

Hi all have a new Toshiba 46HM94, and cant find my local hd via built in tuner,?
I did find the following:
ESPN HD 116.1
NBC 116.2
DIscovery 115.3
INHD 105.1
INHD 105.2
INHD 105.3
KRON 112.3?
but i really want the big 3 ABC/FOX/CBS. i am located in San jose 95116. Have cable direct from wall , digital cable i think. we used to have the HD box , got rid w/my last tv, so i had basic digial to analog tv for a while. so am getting back in to HD w/ new tv. They also do not show up on my guide. Had to go physically find them via channel surfing.? :confused:

Is there any place on the internet where you can find a complete listing of the channel addresses for Comcast by area? I don't know if it is feasible, but if SonomaSearcher could add the channel addresses to the HD channel listings in POST #1 that would be really great. How often does Comcast move the HD channel addresses around?

Hello,

Just got my Comcast DVR today. So far its working great. I do have two questions that I searched for but couldn't find here. Any help would be great.

1) Since its a dual tuner, I know I can record two shows at the same time. Can I still watch or flip through channels while recording two shows?

2)Is it possible to record a recording from the DVR to a pc or laptop? If yes, do I use the usb or rca's in the front panel or does it have to be the one in the back panel?

Hello,

Just got my Comcast DVR today. So far its working great. I do have two questions that I searched for but couldn't find here. Any help would be great.

1) Since its a dual tuner, I know I can record two shows at the same time. Can I still watch or flip through channels while recording two shows?
No ... both tuners are in use. But, you can play a previously recorded show.

2)Is it possible to record a recording from the DVR to a pc or laptop? If yes, do I use the usb or rca's in the front panel or does it have to be the one in the back panel?

Hi all have a new Toshiba 46HM94, and cant find my local hd via built in tuner,?
I did find the following:
ESPN HD 116.1
NBC 116.2
DIscovery 115.3
INHD 105.1
INHD 105.2
INHD 105.3
KRON 112.3?
but i really want the big 3 ABC/FOX/CBS. i am located in San jose 95116. Have cable direct from wall , digital cable i think. we used to have the HD box , got rid w/my last tv, so i had basic digial to analog tv for a while. so am getting back in to HD w/ new tv. They also do not show up on my guide. Had to go physically find them via channel surfing.? :confused:
I live in Fremont, but all the channel numbers you described above match my area. I get FOX, CBS, and ABC on 2.1, 5.1, and 7.1 respectively.

Comcast isn't "The Leader in HDTV Programming" right now, DirecTV has more HD than Comcast, at least in my area.........
Comcast IS NOT "The Leader in HDTV Programming".

I know! That's Comcast's slogan; not mine, and I agree with you.
So, how can they get away with apparent false advertising???

Help - Six months ago Comcast rented me a second converter box for HDTV for $5 a month. Suddenly they have decided that the second box should be $6.95/mo for the box plus $5 more for the HDTV channels.
Is this correct? ( I only have Basic cable service).
Thanks,
Confused in Sunnyvale

I live in Fremont, but all the channel numbers you described above match my area. I get FOX, CBS, and ABC on 2.1, 5.1, and 7.1 respectively.

Hi thanks for the info, do you have the cable box? I am using tv integrated qam tuner?

hermangerman- i feel your pain! i recently inquired about getting a 2nd HD box with the purchase of our new set and was told the same thing! i'm still on the fence on whether to get the 2nd box (i put the current, and only box) on our new set. i can only guess our original steal of a deal for $5 for the first box (and what you had going for a while) was a glitch in their price scheme. everyone else who does digital cable is paying i believe $6.95 for their box and $5 for the HD service.

it seems to me, nevertheless, that they should just charge $6.95 for the 2nd box since you've already paid for HD once.

in any case, i tried phone calls and emails to Comcast without much luck. $11.95/mo is about what the satellite providers charge for HD on a new set, so i guess it isn't unreasonable. but as you note, after paying only $5, the bump to $11.95 is quite the leap.

Help - Six months ago Comcast rented me a second converter box for HDTV for $5 a month. Suddenly they have decided that the second box should be $6.95/mo for the box plus $5 more for the HDTV channels.
Is this correct? ( I only have Basic cable service).
Thanks,
Confused in Sunnyvale

Sounds right to me ... HD was always a separate $5 charge, plus equipment.

When you say 5.00 more for the HD channels are you refering to the HD locals?

When you say 5.00 more for the HD channels are you refering to the HD locals?

If you have a TV with a tuner, the local HD channels are not scrambled and can be found.

So...with Comcast wanting to charge me $11.95/mo for a 2nd HDTV box, i'm seriously considering buying a third party STB with a QAM tuner. the first candidate seemed like the Samsung 451, but i saw above that someone had problems with picture quality on a few stations.

are there any other alternatives for $250 or less out there?

This would be used with a 32" Sharp Aquos LCD likely via component cabling...

ps. i do recognize that i won't get on-demand or PPV features...

It's a 6.95 rental fee for each additional "Regular" Digital Box...

If you want to get the fancy "HD" Compatible box (which costs Comcast more) then you pay an additional $5/mth to upgrade to that premium box.

You arent really paying for the HD Channels...just an uplift for the more expensive box.

So...with Comcast wanting to charge me $11.95/mo for a 2nd HDTV box, i'm seriously considering buying a third party STB with a QAM tuner. the first candidate seemed like the Samsung 451, but i saw above that someone had problems with picture quality on a few stations.

are there any other alternatives for $250 or less out there?

This would be used with a 32" Sharp Aquos LCD likely via component cabling...

ps. i do recognize that i won't get on-demand or PPV features...

If you are already paying the initial $5 for HD, I don't think that they should be charging you an additional $5 for the second box. Just the 6.95.

If you are already paying the initial $5 for HD, I don't think that they should be charging you an additional $5 for the second box. Just the 6.95.

Unless Comcast thinks you want the DVR as well...

Does Comcast still give out the 6200 for people who don't want a DVR or do they give out the 6412 and just not turn on the DVR feature?

If you are already paying the initial $5 for HD, I don't think that they should be charging you an additional $5 for the second box. Just the 6.95.No, I went round and round with them on this and the billing computer will charge $11.95 because there is a $5.00 HD charge for each HD STB. It's weird that they don't charge for the 1st HD STB, just $5 for HD service.

hiker, i'm with you. but i've decided not to coplain too loud, lest they start charging $11.95 for the first box!

Let me try this, feel free to correct me...

Included with digital cable is one free basic box. If you want HD, there is a $5 charge. Not for the HD service, but for the more expensive box. If you want a second box, you have a choice of a basic box for $6.95 or an HD box for $11.95. The confusion is Comcast's billing system, which makes the CSR's enter a basic box for $6.95, then a $5 HD upgrade charge.

Let me try this, feel free to correct me...

Included with digital cable is one free basic box. If you want HD, there is a $5 charge. Not for the HD service, but for the more expensive box. If you want a second box, you have a choice of a basic box for $6.95 or an HD box for $11.95. The confusion is Comcast's billing system, which makes the CSR's enter a basic box for $6.95, then a $5 HD upgrade charge.
The $6.95 is for an additional digital connection/outlet. The cost of the HD STB equipment it $5.00. The first digital connection is included in the price of the subscription. So for one connection all you would add is the $5.00 for the HD STB. Each additional connection would be $6.95 plus whatever equipment you want.

A CableCARD is included in the $6.95 price for the additional digital outlet as it can be used without having HD or any additional HD equipment from Comcast..

I know! That's Comcast's slogan; not mine, and I agree with you.
So, how can they get away with apparent false advertising???
I understood what you were saying.. :D

As far as I can tell, most advertising is a fantasy twisted load of bull for almost everything...(no offense to the ad execs out there) :D

Without any qualifiers, companies can essentially claim to be anything they want, only they know how it's being determined. They are the leader in HD in my neighbors house, but they aren't in my house, it can be a simple as that and still be true.. :rolleyes:

The $6.95 is for an additional digital connection/outlet. The cost of the HD STB equipment it $5.00. The first digital connection is included in the price of the subscription. So for one connection all you would add is the $5.00 for the HD STB. Each additional connection would be $6.95 plus whatever equipment you want.

A CableCARD is included in the $6.95 price for the additional digital outlet as it can be used without having HD or any additional HD equipment from Comcast..

I have Comcast Digital Plus with a Motorola 6412 DVR on my Samsung DLP. I called up to add a CableCard to the same TV (to improve SD PQ) and was told that I needed to pay $6.95. If the $6.95 was for the single connection, it should have been free. Needless to say, I was pretty upset to be paying $6.95 to use the tuners in my TV after all of the other charges. I put the project on hold.

I have Comcast Digital Plus with a Motorola 6412 DVR on my Samsung DLP. I called up to add a CableCard to the same TV (to improve SD PQ) and was told that I needed to pay $6.95. If the $6.95 was for the single connection, it should have been free. Needless to say, I was pretty upset to be paying $6.95 to use the tuners in my TV after all of the other charges. I put the project on hold.
This is correct, the $6.95 is for each additional digital connection after the first, or initial hookup, which is "free" (included in sub).

You arent really paying for the HD Channels...just an uplift for the more expensive box.
BTW I don't mean to single you out, just happened to be a convenient quote.

I think we should just leave it as $6.95 for basic box and $5 extra for box that can do HD.

w/r/t "just an uplift for the more expensive box", we've already discussed that those amounts don't necessarily correlate to the cost of the equipment you are getting or the pricing would be different for CableCARDs. These are basically the prices Comcast has decided to charge you, for whatever reason, be it cost of equipment, what they feel they can charge, what you are willing to pay, what the competition does, discouraging CableCARD use, etc.

NFL Game of the Week?

Are we going to start getting this?

Last week when the guide said it was supposed to be on (HDSE channel) it was not.

Any reason for this or just Comcast engineers asleep at the wheel again?

NFL Game of the Week?
Are we going to start getting this?
Last week when the guide said it was supposed to be on (HDSE channel) it was not.
Any reason for this or just Comcast engineers asleep at the wheel again?


I *did* see the HD "Game of the Week" last Thursday for the first time this year.
On my system (San Jose), it was on channel 725 (HDSE), but the guide still listed
it as "To Be Announced". Over time, I've found that you need to actually go to 725
to see if anything is on since the guide has never listed any programming titles.
I've stumbled across HD movies, etc. there in the past.

Do the non-poverty Comcast systems in the bay area get NBATV-HD? There is almost a game a day season long on the schedule...or is NBATV-HD just another channel Comcast has an agreement with that they don't provide out here, like TNT-HD?

It would be nice to have up here as another pro sports season is starting and we still don't have any INHD, which means no HD for locals teams, again..

From a poster on the EAST Coast (Baltimore):

I have:
ABC
NBC
CBS
FOX
WB
PBS
Discovery
INHD
INHD2
TNT
CSN
ESPN
HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz are also available. That's 16. Plus HD-SE for PPV boxing.

They have WB, TNT & CSN (regional).....three more HD channels than we do (860Mhz systems)
Why is the West Coast being short-changed? Ya know, this is really beginning to piss me off.......

Ya know, this is really beginning to piss me off.......
Just "beginning to"?...I've been pissed for over a year..enough to chop my bill to less than half from a previous $128 a month.. :D

Do the non-poverty Comcast systems in the bay area get NBATV-HD?

Not that I've ever seen before, but I'm not positive (860Mhz system).
And if so, wouldn't that require an additional sports package subscription?

Just "beginning to"?...I've been pissed for over a year..enough to chop my bill to less than half from a previous $128 a month.. :D

Yeah, you guys that are stuck with the "poverty" system *really* have something to be pissed off about! I don't know that I'd even still be with Comcast.....

NBA-HD games are shown on INHD in my area.

The HD guide listed on the NBA site is incorrect. According to their press releases, 46 games will be shown in HD. The listed schedule as of today is actually the complete NBA TV schedule.

Yeah, you guys that are stuck with the "poverty" system *really* have something to be pissed off about! I don't know that I'd even still be with Comcast.....
Yes, I really have just been hanging on hoping things would change because the fact is with Dish and DirecTV for about $110-130 a month the only thing I'm missing is KQED-HD and Cinemax(which I never watch anyways) while getting everything else Comcast provides plus more..

NFL Game of the Week?

Are we going to start getting this?

Last week when the guide said it was supposed to be on (HDSE channel) it was not.

Any reason for this or just Comcast engineers asleep at the wheel again?

Last Thursday or Friday I saw it on HDSE.

NBA-HD games are shown on INHD in my area.

The HD guide listed on the NBA site is incorrect. According to their press releases, 46 games will be shown in HD. The listed schedule as of today is actually the complete NBA TV schedule.
INHD shows all these games? Or just the local teams..?

Tue, Oct 11 Houston @ Philadelphia
Preseason 7:00 pm
Fri, Oct 14 Memphis @ Miami
Preseason 8:30 pm
Sat, Nov 5 Philadelphia @ Indiana 8:00 pm
Minnesota @ L.A. Clippers 10:30 pm
Sun, Nov 6 Denver @ L.A. Lakers 9:30 pm
Mon, Nov 7 New Jersey @ Miami 7:30 pm
Tue, Nov 8 Detroit @ Sacramento 10:00 pm
Sat, Nov 12 San Antonio @ Washington 7:00 pm
Sun, Nov 13 Houston @ Boston 6:00 pm
Mon, Nov 14 Chicago @ Golden State 10:30 pm
Tue, Nov 15 Denver @ Dallas 8:30 pm
Sat, Nov 19 Phoenix @ San Antonio 8:30 pm
Sun, Nov 20 Chicago @ L.A. Lakers 9:30 pm
Mon, Nov 21 New Orleans/Okla Cty @ Philadelphia 7:00 pm
Tue, Nov 22 Houston @ Dallas 8:30 pm
Sat, Nov 26 Minnesota @ Cleveland 7:30 pm
Sun, Nov 27 Indiana @ L.A. Clippers 3:30 pm
Mon, Nov 28 New York @ Miami 7:30 pm
Tue, Nov 29 L.A. Lakers @ San Antonio 8:30 pm
Wed, Nov 30 Sacramento @ Golden State 10:30 pm
Sat, Dec 3 Detroit @ Chicago 8:30 pm
Sun, Dec 4 Boston @ New York 1:00 pm
Mon, Dec 5 Minnesota @ Utah 9:00 pm
Tue, Dec 6 Dallas @ Indiana 7:00 pm
Sat, Dec 10 Chicago @ Washington 7:00 pm
Sun, Dec 11 Houston @ Portland 9:00 pm
Mon, Dec 12 Minnesota @ Philadelphia 7:00 pm
Tue, Dec 13 New Jersey @ Washington 7:00 pm
Sat, Dec 17 Indiana @ New York 7:30 pm
Sun, Dec 18 Houston @ L.A. Lakers 9:30 pm
Mon, Dec 19 Toronto @ Orlando 7:00 pm
Tue, Dec 20 Seattle @ Phoenix 9:00 pm
Mon, Dec 26 Chicago @ Cleveland 7:00 pm
Denver @ Golden State 10:30 pm
Tue, Dec 27 Charlotte @ Atlanta 7:00 pm
Wed, Dec 28 Philadelphia @ Portland 10:00 pm
Sat, Dec 31 Detroit @ Cleveland 1:30 pm
Sun, Jan 1 Minnesota @ Miami 6:00 pm
Mon, Jan 2 Phoenix @ New York 7:30 pm
Tue, Jan 3 Houston @ Washington 7:00 pm
Wed, Jan 4 Dallas @ Minnesota 8:00 pm
Sat, Jan 7 San Antonio @ Phoenix 9:00 pm
Sun, Jan 8 Denver @ Houston 8:30 pm
Mon, Jan 9 Seattle @ Philadelphia 7:00 pm
Tue, Jan 10 New Jersey @ San Antonio 8:30 pm
Sat, Jan 14 Indiana @ Chicago 8:30 pm
Sun, Jan 15 Cleveland @ Portland 9:00 pm
Mon, Jan 16 Boston @ Detroit 3:30 pm
Tue, Jan 17 Phoenix @ Sacramento 10:00 pm
Sat, Jan 21 Boston @ New Jersey 8:00 pm
Sun, Jan 22 Sacramento @ Miami 6:00 pm
Mon, Jan 23 Toronto @ Denver 9:00 pm
Tue, Jan 24 Sacramento @ Philadelphia 7:00 pm
Sat, Jan 28 Minnesota @ San Antonio 8:30 pm
Mon, Jan 30 Portland @ Seattle 10:00 pm
Tue, Jan 31 L.A. Lakers @ New York 7:30 pm
Sat, Feb 4 Detroit @ Indiana 8:00 pm
Mon, Feb 6 Minnesota @ Phoenix 9:00 pm
Tue, Feb 7 L.A. Lakers @ Dallas 8:30 pm
Sat, Feb 11 Golden State @ Cleveland 7:30 pm
Sun, Feb 12 Denver @ Seattle 9:00 pm
Mon, Feb 13 Memphis @ Golden State 10:30 pm
Tue, Feb 14 Orlando @ Miami 7:30 pm
Tue, Feb 21 Portland @ L.A. Lakers 10:30 pm
Sat, Feb 25 New York @ Washington 7:00 pm
Mon, Feb 27 Phoenix @ Houston 8:30 pm
Tue, Feb 28 Minnesota @ Chicago 8:30 pm
Sat, Mar 4 Detroit @ L.A. Lakers 10:30 pm
Mon, Mar 6 Memphis @ Denver 9:00 pm
Tue, Mar 7 New Jersey @ Chicago 8:30 pm
Wed, Mar 8 Washington @ Miami 7:30 pm
Fri, Mar 10 Milwaukee @ Boston 7:30 pm
Memphis @ Sacramento 10:00 pm
Sat, Mar 11 L.A. Clippers @ Milwaukee 8:30 pm
Sun, Mar 12 Dallas @ Sacramento 9:00 pm
Mon, Mar 13 New Jersey @ Houston 8:30 pm
Tue, Mar 14 Cleveland @ Dallas 8:30 pm
Fri, Mar 17 Detroit @ New York 7:30 pm
Philadelphia @ L.A. Clippers 10:30 pm
Sat, Mar 18 San Antonio @ Houston 8:30 pm
Mon, Mar 20 L.A. Lakers @ Boston 7:30 pm
Thu, Mar 23 Golden State @ Dallas 8:30 pm
Fri, Mar 24 Boston @ Cleveland 7:30 pm
Sat, Mar 25 Denver @ Phoenix 9:00 pm
Mon, Mar 27 Indiana @ Miami 7:30 pm
Tue, Mar 28 Dallas @ Detroit 7:30 pm
Sat, Apr 1 Boston @ Chicago 8:30 pm
Sun, Apr 2 Miami @ New Jersey 6:00 pm
Tue, Apr 4 Philadelphia @ Cleveland 7:00 pm
Sat, Apr 8 Miami @ Washington 7:00 pm
Sun, Apr 9 Memphis @ San Antonio 7:00 pm
Mon, Apr 10 New York @ Indiana 7:00 pm
Tue, Apr 11 Seattle @ San Antonio 8:30 pm
Sat, Apr 15 Sacramento @ Denver 9:00 pm
Sun, Apr 16 New York @ Detroit 6:00 pm
Mon, Apr 17 Cleveland @ Boston 7:30 pm
Tue, Apr 18 New Jersey @ Philadelphia 7:00 pm
Seattle @ Sacramento 10:00 pm

Last Saturday I ordered the PPV boxing and had to watch it in SD in channel 801 or something like that.

In some other areas there's a channel dedicated to HD PPV, like boxing. Do you know if Comcast in this area provides that? I tried 725 to see if I could see the match there, but no luck.

INHD shows all these games? Or just the local teams..?

That is the entire NBA-TV schedule; a subset--46 was the number announced--of those games will be shown on INHD as well. At this point, no HD schedule has been released.

I don't see today's game, Houston @ Philadelphia, on my guide.

The 2 pre-season games were removed from the schedule after I posted that list earlier. The first game is now set for Sat Nov 5.

That list is for all games in HD on the NBATV-HD channel, there are apparently agreements for carriage of the channel with a number of providers including Comcast, but to date there isn't any info from any of the providers.

http://www.nba.com/nba_tv/NBA_TV_in_HD-133312-466.html
NBA.com: NBA TV TO GO FULL-TIME HD IN FALL 2005 THROUGH FACILITIES OF TURNER BROADCASTING

Unless Comcast thinks you want the DVR as well...

Does Comcast still give out the 6200 for people who don't want a DVR or do they give out the 6412 and just not turn on the DVR feature?


Neutered 6412's? No, not yet at least.

well, I've had my DVR for a day now and I can totally tell that the picture quality of the analog channels are a lot worse than when I had the basic HD box. I think that's pretty crappy considering you would think that the DVR box would be a better box than the satndard HD box.

http://www.nba.com/nba_tv/NBA_TV_in_HD-133312-466.html
NBA.com: NBA TV TO GO FULL-TIME HD IN FALL 2005 THROUGH FACILITIES OF TURNER BROADCASTING

I hope this comes to pass; this referenced article was posted on the NBA site in February.

On August 8th, this article was posted:
http://www.nba.com/nba_tv/nbatv_050808.html

with the above title comment:
More Than Half of the NBA TV Games Televised in High Definition

Which to believe?

From a poster on the EAST Coast (Baltimore):



They have WB, TNT & CSN (regional).....three more HD channels than we do (860Mhz systems)
Why is the West Coast being short-changed? Ya know, this is really beginning to piss me off.......

Not all systems carry WB-HD yet. Those that do seem to have some other HD programming of interest, like sports. You should be getting FSN-HD for the Warriors games as I recall. As for CSN-HD, you are most likely out of the King's territory and wouldn't be receiving the local King's games on your cable system. We dont' get the Warriors games in Sacramento.

The only major thing missing is TNT which, for some reason, isn't carried on any west coast systems yet. I've heard theories about Sacramento, which would hold true for parts of the bay area, but not the 860 systems.

http://www.nba.com/nba_tv/NBA_TV_in_HD-133312-466.html
NBA.com: NBA TV TO GO FULL-TIME HD IN FALL 2005 THROUGH FACILITIES OF TURNER BROADCASTING

I hope this comes to pass; this referenced article was posted on the NBA site in February.

On August 8th, this article was posted:
http://www.nba.com/nba_tv/nbatv_050808.html

with the above title comment:
More Than Half of the NBA TV Games Televised in High Definition

Which to believe?
Interesting, maybe the earlier article refers to broadcasts other than just games themselves...time will tell I guess.

...the only thing I'm missing is KQED-HD and Cinemax(which I never watch anyways) while getting everything else Comcast provides plus more..

What about the local channels in Hi-Def, or do you use an OTA antenna for those? I understand that DirecTV will soon have locals in Hi-Def with their MPEG-4 conversion, or something like that...

Here is a message from Comcast about all the channels on their systems and what is going to happen to them tomorrow.
____________________________________________________________ _____________

You may post this information on the Forum

HD Channels to be encrypted on October 13th at 4:00am

Overview: Comcast will be encrypting our digital tier HD channels (ESPN HD, Discovery HD, INHD1, INHD2 and HDSE), wherever they are carried, so that new customers will only be able to view those channels if they subscribe to the appropriate level of service.

Existing HDTV customers will be “grandfathered” and WILL NOT be impacted by this change.

Customers who subscribed to HDTV service prior to 10/13/05 will be considered "grandfathered" and will not have their HD channel encrypted, regardless of their level of service.

If “grandfathered” HD customers move across town they will be able to transfer their HD service authorizations to their new location. Should they move outside of the Bay Area, to another state, for example, you will not be able to retain these services.

Customers Affected: This will affect new customers who receive an HD or DVR box, CableCARD customers, or digital television with a 256 QAM tuner and do not subscribe to the necessary minimum level of service.

Why This Is Happening: Digital tier HD channels are currently available, in error, to any customer who has an HD or DVR box, CableCARD television, or digital television with a 256 QAM tuner in it hooked up to cable. These HD channels are considered “satellite" HD channels and should have been viewable only to people with Digital Classic or higher.

(Please see additional explanation and definition of “satellite” channels, etc. below).

There are three (3) different types of HDTV Channels. The HD channels a customer receives are dependant upon the level of service a customer subscribes to. The three (3) types of channels are:

· Broadcast - The HD Format channels of broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, & PBS.
· Premium - The HD Format channels of premium networks, like HBO & Showtime.
· “Satellite”
o The HD Format channels of other networks, like ESPN HD or Discovery HD

OR

o The HD Format channels not tied to a specific network, like INHD1 & INHD2.

There are three (3) levels of service associated with the three (3) different Channel Types. The following levels of service apply to the above listed HDTV Channel types.

· Broadcast – Level of Service: Customers must lease an HDTV box to access these channels. They do not need to subscribe to Digital Cable.

· Premium – Level of Service: Customers must lease an HDTV box, and subscribe to the Digital Premium Channel which they want to receive.

· Satellite – Level of Service: Customers must lease an HDTV box, and subscribe to a minimum of Digital Classic in order to receive these channels.

Here is a chart that outlines the details discussed above.



Customer Receives Customer Subscribes to Basic Cable and HDTV Customer Subscribes to Standard Cable and HDTV Customer Subscribes to Digital Cable and HDTV
Local HD Broadcast Channels – ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS Yes Yes Yes
National (Satellite) HD Content – ESPN HD, Discovery HD, INHD, INHD2, HDSE No No Yes
HD Pay (Premium) Channels – HBO, Showtime, Starz and Cinemax Yes* Yes* Yes*


Remember, customers only receive the HD Pay Channel if they currently subscribe to the corresponding pay Channel – e.g., only HBO subscribers will receive HBO in HD.
____________________________________________________________ __

Call or write to your local Comcast provider to express your views on this matter. This effectively makes all intergrated tuners on tvs useless or external boxes like the LG 4200 useless. Cable cards are still one way and you would lose their cable guide, VOD and other services that require two way communications.
I am not a happy camper :(
Again this is a national thing from Comcast and not a local thing and not Mr. J's idea but Comcast's idea.

So Directv, Dish and now Comcast all require you to have their box to view their programming.... not good.

Laters,
Mikef5

What about the local channels in Hi-Def, or do you use an OTA antenna for those? I understand that DirecTV will soon have locals in Hi-Def with their MPEG-4 conversion, or something like that...
I get the four major nets from LA in HD. DirecTV is adding the locals in HD in the coming months, I would guess by Jan for this area, the equipment is set to be deployed starting in Nov.

There are three (3) levels of service associated with the three (3) different Channel Types. The following levels of service apply to the above listed HDTV Channel types.

· Broadcast – Level of Service: Customers must lease an HDTV box to access these channels. They do not need to subscribe to Digital Cable.


I'm confused about this part. In the first part of the post it talks about the digital tier channels being encrypted, no surprise there, I'm amazed that they haven't been for so long, but this part about requiring a STB for broadcast HD locals is confusing. Are they or are they not going to encrypt the local HD? I didn't think this was allowed per the FCC..?

Surely Comcast is not rendering all QAM tuners in 3rd party equipment useless..?

I'm confused about this part. In the first part of the post it talks about the digital tier channels being encrypted, no surprise there, I'm amazed that they haven't been for so long, but this part about requiring a STB for broadcast HD locals is confusing. Are they or are they not going to encrypt the local HD? I didn't think this was allowed per the FCC..?

Surely Comcast is not rendering all QAM tuners in 3rd party equipment useless..?
The way I'm reading it is that the Local stations will still be unencrypted just everything else will be encrypted . Now if the cable cards were two way this would not be a big problem but they are one way and you lose the guide, VOD and other stuff that requires two way communications. So your tv's tuner will get the local HD channels but nothing else except the analog channels, you need their box to view the encrypted channels.
I've got a call into Mr. J to try and get a clarification on this.

Laters,
Mikef5

The way I'm reading it is that the Local stations will still be unencrypted just everything else will be encrypted . Now if the cable cards were two way this would not be a big problem but they are one way and you lose the guide, VOD and other stuff that requires two way communications. So your tv's tuner will get the local HD channels but nothing else except the analog channels, you need their box to view the encrypted channels.
I've got a call into Mr. J to try and get a clarification on this.

Laters,
Mikef5
CableCARD never has had the program guide or VOD, I would be shocked though if they encrypted the locals, there would be no point in selling displays with QAM tuners anymore, at least in Comcast areas.

I don't really believe they are going to encrypt the locals either, but the way that statement reads, you're required to have an STB...? Maybe a little bit of dis-information to pick-up some rental fees..? :p

Awaiting Mr. J's response..

Why do I find it entertaining that the "top" tier of service in my cable system is called satellite? Seems like the PR department was out to lunch here...

I don't have a satellite service, but can I order the cable level there?


Sign me, Confused :rolleyes: :o

CableCARD never has had the program guide or VOD, I would be shocked though if they encrypted the locals, there would be no point in selling displays with QAM tuners anymore, at least in Comcast areas.

I don't really believe they are going to encrypt the locals either, but the way that statement reads, you're required to have an STB...? Maybe a little bit of dis-information to pick-up some rental fees..? :p

Awaiting Mr. J's response..

Ok, just spoke with Mr. J. The local HD channels are not going to be encrypted or the analog channels. You will need to have a Comcast box to view the rest of the premium channels. It's just that we've been getting them in the clear for so long and now they are going away. So, you need a box for the premium channels, like you should've all along, but the local stuff will remain untouched. So in a nut shell, what your are getting right now, using the Motorola box, is what you will get as long as you are with Comcast and don't move out of the area, nothing will change. New customers will only get what the package says they are to get and nothing else, no more freebies. An example, if you are paying for digital classic but are getting INHD 1 & 2, you will still get INHD 1 & 2 even though you are not paying for it, you are grandfathered so don't move. :)

Keenan, you are right the cable cards right now don't do guide or VOD but the new 2 way cable cards will do this. Something the electronics people should have done from the get go instead of the one way cards that they now use. Really bad planning and is going to anger customers in the future who bought into the one way cable card Tv's and when the new 2 way cards come out they won't be able to use them.

I spoke to Mr. J for quite a while and he explained what was happening and it made sense, you get what you pay for. We spoke about other things that I was concerned about but that I can't talk about, I like my gonads where they are right now :D But if you have ideas or concerns let Comcast know, they do read this thread and do try an impliment what they can.

Laters,
Mikef5

Ok, just spoke with Mr. J. The local HD channels are not going to be encrypted or the analog channels. You will need to have a Comcast box to view the rest of the premium channels. It's just that we've been getting them in the clear for so long and now they are going away. So, you need a box for the premium channels, like you should've all along, but the local stuff will remain untouched. So in a nut shell, what your are getting right now, using the Motorola box, is what you will get as long as you are with Comcast and don't move out of the area, nothing will change. New customers will only get what the package says they are to get and nothing else, no more freebies. An example, if you are paying for digital classic but are getting INHD 1 & 2, you will still get INHD 1 & 2 even though you are not paying for it, you are grandfathered so don't move. :)

Keenan, you are right the cable cards right now don't do guide or VOD but the new 2 way cable cards will do this. Something the electronics people should have done from the get go instead of the one way cards that they now use. Really bad planning and is going to anger customers in the future who bought into the one way cable card Tv's and when the new 2 way cards come out they won't be able to use them.

I spoke to Mr. J for quite a while and he explained what was happening and it made sense, you get what you pay for. We spoke about other things that I was concerned about but that I can't talk about, I like my gonads where they are right now :D But if you have ideas or concerns let Comcast know, they do read this thread and do try an impliment what they can.

Laters,
Mikef5
So if local channels are not going to be encrypted, why, in your intial post #7722, did it say to view local broadcast channels we MUST LEASE a cable box? Won't TVs with digital QAM tuners, still be able to get them without the cable box?

EDIT: Oops, I just realized I'm asking the same question keenan did. But you never said if Mr. J directly confirmed this issue or not.... If it's just a small ploy to get more STB rental fees. :)

So if local channels are not going to be encrypted, why, in your intial post #7722, did it say to view local broadcast channels we MUST LEASE a cable box? Won't TVs with digital QAM tuners, still be able to get them without the cable box?

EDIT: Oops, I just realized I'm asking the same question keenan did. But you never said if Mr. J directly confirmed this issue or not.... If it's just a small ploy to get more STB rental fees. :)

It was my impression when I talked to Mr. J that the local HD channels will not be encrypted, but at 4 am tomorrow morning we will find out for sure what's encrypted and what's not :rolleyes:

Laters,
Mikef5

Regarding tonight's baseball games, it was greedy enough that Fox ended up with both playoff games, and an act of major stupidity to play them at the same time, but this is not Comcast's doing.

But as of about 8:00 this morning, the Comcast guide only had the game on Fox (channels 2 and 702) on my system, but not the game on FX. Why, with both games available in HD wasn't the second game moved to FSNBA+? And why, for the second time in a few days, did I have to use the manual record setting to record both games. And when I get home this evening, what are the chances that I will be recording both games?

I think that a cable company should be able to keep its channel guide updated, but apparently that is too much to expect. The fact that the NLCS will not be in HD may simply reflect the long-term inability of Comcast and Fox to work together, or then again, it may suggest that Comcast just doesn't have its act together. Does Comcast hate baseball?

Thanks for the heads-up Mikef5.

the info they gave you couldn't have been more confusing. On a line with 5 items, they only list 3 answers, e.g.
National (Satellite) HD Content – ESPN HD, Discovery HD, INHD, INHD2, HDSE No No Yes

I could 5 channels and only 3 answers. Awhile ago i added the digital tier so that I'd be protected from losing INHD, INHD2, DSCVHD and ESPNHD. I have 2 HD boxes, 1 6412 and 1 6200. Since I did a self install and they "hit" my boxes, I don't think I'm getting anything I'm not supposed (which has not always been the case ;-)).

On re-reading your post, I think I see. the key is the first line:
Customer Receives Customer Subscribes to Basic Cable and HDTV Customer Subscribes to Standard Cable and HDTV Customer Subscribes to Digital Cable and HDTV.

the answers are to these questions. re-puncuating it:
Customer Receives; Customer Subscribes to Basic Cable and HDTV; Customer Subscribes to Standard Cable and HDTV Customer Subscribes to Digital Cable and HDTV

Voila, there are 3 questions. so I subscribe to digital and HDTV (if leasing an HD box constitutes HDTV subscription), so I'm in column 3 and should continue to get what I am. We'll see tomorrow.

Thanks again for the great info,
jeff

It was my impression when I talked to Mr. J that the local HD channels will not be encrypted, but at 4 am tomorrow morning we will find out for sure what's encrypted and what's not :rolleyes:

Laters,
Mikef5
If I read the post right, it would only be for new customers, so we might not know for awhile.

Why do I find it entertaining that the "top" tier of service in my cable system is called satellite? Seems like the PR department was out to lunch here...

I don't have a satellite service, but can I order the cable level there?


Sign me, Confused :rolleyes: :o
The satellite reference is to HITS, or "Headend In The Sky", which is where the national cable channels come from.

It's interesting to note that while INHD is considered a "satellite" channel, the cablcos that carry the channel claim that it is a terrestrial signal, which gives them an out when it comes to negotiations with DBS companies regarding carriage. There is also some funny stuff with the term "digital subs" that cablecos are hiding behind when it comes to DBS carriage as well, but that a whole 'nother story..

Regarding tonight's baseball games, it was greedy enough that Fox ended up with both playoff games, and an act of major stupidity to play them at the same time, but this is not Comcast's doing.

But as of about 8:00 this morning, the Comcast guide only had the game on Fox (channels 2 and 702) on my system, but not the game on FX. Why, with both games available in HD wasn't the second game moved to FSNBA+? And why, for the second time in a few days, did I have to use the manual record setting to record both games. And when I get home this evening, what are the chances that I will be recording both games?

I think that a cable company should be able to keep its channel guide updated, but apparently that is too much to expect. The fact that the NLCS will not be in HD may simply reflect the long-term inability of Comcast and Fox to work together, or then again, it may suggest that Comcast just doesn't have its act together. Does Comcast hate baseball?

FSNBA is not a national channel, FX has far, far more viewers and is owned directly by FOX. As far as the guide, it wasn't decided what cities would get what until yesterday, so Comcast really cannot be blamed for the lack of info in the guide. And it has nothing to do with FOX and Comcast not playing nice together, blame FOX and MLB.

FWIW, the SF market will see the Angels/White Sox game in HD on FOX and the Astros/Cards on FX.

Thanks for the heads-up Mikef5.

the info they gave you couldn't have been more confusing. On a line with 5 items, they only list 3 answers, e.g.
National (Satellite) HD Content – ESPN HD, Discovery HD, INHD, INHD2, HDSE No No Yes

I could 5 channels and only 3 answers. Awhile ago i added the digital tier so that I'd be protected from losing INHD, INHD2, DSCVHD and ESPNHD. I have 2 HD boxes, 1 6412 and 1 6200. Since I did a self install and they "hit" my boxes, I don't think I'm getting anything I'm not supposed (which has not always been the case ;-)).

On re-reading your post, I think I see. the key is the first line:
Customer Receives Customer Subscribes to Basic Cable and HDTV Customer Subscribes to Standard Cable and HDTV Customer Subscribes to Digital Cable and HDTV.

the answers are to these questions. re-puncuating it:
Customer Receives; Customer Subscribes to Basic Cable and HDTV; Customer Subscribes to Standard Cable and HDTV Customer Subscribes to Digital Cable and HDTV

Voila, there are 3 questions. so I subscribe to digital and HDTV (if leasing an HD box constitutes HDTV subscription), so I'm in column 3 and should continue to get what I am. We'll see tomorrow.

Thanks again for the great info,
jeff

Glad it was clear for you :)

That is a cut and paste from the email that I got from Mr. J. I want to make sure that it is verbatim so there is no confusion on what was said or how it was said. Sometimes you lose the formatting when you cut and paste and that's what seems to have happened there.

My only problem is that the Motorola boxes are not so good at conversion of the signals, so when I can I use my LG 4200 to watch the programs, it just does a better job. Now, it's only good for the local HD, analog channels and OTA but I can't blame Comcast for wanting to encrypt their channels I just wished they would have left well enough alone.

Laters,
Mikef5

as usual, this forum is a fountain of information.

from a personal stand point, i'm glad they are grandfathering in us few folks who are doing basic cable (the limited basic) and allowing us to still get Discovery, INHD1/2, ESPNHD. i actually am surprised DiscoveryHD isn't a given too since Discovery channel (SD) is available as part of limited basic as well.

of course, i'm now wondering what happens should i decide to get a 2nd HD box at $11.95/mo. will it be grandfathered in like my first box or will it not have the permissions to get the "extra channels" beyond the locals. we shall see...

ps. i'm also glad i held off on he idea of getting a 3rd party QAM for our second TV as i would have been upset to see that some of those channels disappeared presumably using it.

New customers will only get what the package says they are to get and nothing else, no more freebies. An example, if you are paying for digital classic but are getting INHD 1 & 2, you will still get INHD 1 & 2 even though you are not paying for it, you are grandfathered so don't move. :)
..and what if you are on your third mortgage just to cover your cable bill and still don't have INHD 1 & 2...are we still grandfathered in when/if they are ever provided on the poverty systems...?



But if you have ideas or concerns let Comcast know, they do read this thread and do try an impliment what they can.

Laters,
Mikef5
I think my concerns have been voiced ad nauseam here.. P.S. See above... :p :D

If I read the post right, it would only be for new customers, so we might not know for awhile.
The way I read it, the encryption will affect all customers starting 4am and the grandfathered boxes will get authorization to decrypt. So if you are grandfathered customer using internal QAM tuner w/o CableCARD on some of your displays, you will be affected. This doesn't apply to HD locals, which won't be encrypted.

The way I read it, the encryption will affect all customers starting 4am and the grandfathered boxes will get authorization to decrypt. So if you are grandfathered customer using internal QAM tuner w/o CableCARD on some of your displays, you will be affected. This doesn't apply to HD locals, which won't be encrypted.
Could be, but it says existing customers would not be impacted, I read that as saying nothing will change for them/us..?

IOW, you should still get everything you get today with QAM w/o CableCARD tomorrow..?

as usual, this forum is a fountain of information.

from a personal stand point, i'm glad they are grandfathering in us few folks who are doing basic cable (the limited basic) and allowing us to still get Discovery, INHD1/2, ESPNHD. i actually am surprised DiscoveryHD isn't a given too since Discovery channel (SD) is available as part of limited basic as well.

I would be amazed if this were the case... INHD1/2 for $12 a month - I doubt it ;-)

My question therefore is what is the cheapest option to receive (without any DVR)
1) INHD 1 and 2
2) INHD 1, 2 and Discovery HD

My guess is :
limited basic = $12 / month (where I live)
+
HD service = $5 / month
+
digital classical = $56 / month (though $40 / month for first 3 months)

TOTAL = $73 / month, plus loads of taxes which would be about $1K/year
(not sure if this also gets you Discovery HD)

Any help on the costings appreciated

Thanks

Peter

........But if you have ideas or concerns let Comcast know, they do read this thread and do try an impliment what they can.
Laters,
Mikef5

You're kidding, right? ;)
How many times have so many posters asked about why the Bay Area is
not getting any new HD channels, such as TNT-HD (which was announced
back in April)??? We've yet to hear anything official regarding this. If you're
really reading this thread, Comcast, please give us an explanation.

Thanks for all the other info, Mikef5!

I would be amazed if this were the case... INHD1/2 for $12 a month - I doubt it ;-)

My question therefore is what is the cheapest option to receive (without any DVR)
1) INHD 1 and 2
2) INHD 1, 2 and Discovery HD

My guess is :
limited basic = $12 / month (where I live)
+
HD service = $5 / month
+
digital classical = $56 / month (though $40 / month for first 3 months)

TOTAL = $73 / month, plus loads of taxes which would be about $1K/year
(not sure if this also gets you Discovery HD)

Any help on the costings appreciated

Thanks

Peter

Peter

It is not as bad as that, you can add the digital classic "tier" to basic cable so it comes out to

Basic cable $12
HDTV box $5
Digital classic $10

Total: $27

Only the DVR requires you have standard (expanded) cable which pushes up the monthly.

Kevin

I've been making it a point to call regularly (couple times per month) to ask for TNT-HD...

We'll see what tomorrow brings!
jeff

I would be amazed if this were the case... INHD1/2 for $12 a month - I doubt it ;-)

My question therefore is what is the cheapest option to receive (without any DVR)
1) INHD 1 and 2
2) INHD 1, 2 and Discovery HD

My guess is :
limited basic = $12 / month (where I live)
+
HD service = $5 / month
+
digital classical = $56 / month (though $40 / month for first 3 months)

TOTAL = $73 / month, plus loads of taxes which would be about $1K/year
(not sure if this also gets you Discovery HD)

Any help on the costings appreciated

Thanks

Peter


The $56 digital classic package includes standard (basic+expanded) cable. I heard that you can add the digital tier for ~$10 to basic cable without subscribing to expanded cable (analog channels >34). The $5 HDTV fee is for the box rental, so it is not necesary if you have a tuner that supports CableCARD. But you have to order a CableCARD (with a one-time installation fee) to watch the encrypted channels (INHD, INHD2, ESPNHD, DISC HD) of course.

FSNBA is not a national channel, FX has far, far more viewers and is owned directly by FOX. As far as the guide, it wasn't decided what cities would get what until yesterday, so Comcast really cannot be blamed for the lack of info in the guide. And it has nothing to do with FOX and Comcast not playing nice together, blame FOX and MLB.

FWIW, the SF market will see the Angels/White Sox game in HD on FOX and the Astros/Cards on FX.

With all due respect, this is BS. My 8-year old ReplayTV dialed in at 2:00am and got the correct schedule for the two baseball play-off games, while Comcast still did not have the story straight at gametime. Maybe Comcast should go on ebay and buy an old Replay if it wants to know what is showing when.

And if Fox is not irritating enough when it isn't showing sports, it showed the real-time score of the Houston-St. Louis game while it was showing the Angels-White Sox, and vice versa, thereby ruining the suspense for anyone who recorded either of the games.

The $5 HDTV fee is for the box rental, so it is not necesary if you have a tuner that supports CableCARD. But you have to order a CableCARD (with a one-time installation fee) to watch the encrypted channels (INHD, INHD2, ESPNHD, DISC HD) of course.
Since when is CableCARD available for one-time installation fee in Bay Area?

Since when is CableCARD available for one-time installation fee in Bay Area?

Guess I interpreted the Comcast website CableCARD FAQ incorrectly. How much does it cost btw?

From comcast.com/Support/Corp1/FAQ/FaqDetail_2651.html

What is the cost for CableCARD service?

There is no additional charge for CableCARD service above what you currently pay for Digital Cable service (NOTE: additional outlet charges for programming may apply).

Guess I interpreted the Comcast website CableCARD FAQ incorrectly. How much does it cost btw?

From comcast.com/Support/Corp1/FAQ/FaqDetail_2651.html

What is the cost for CableCARD service?

There is no additional charge for CableCARD service above what you currently pay for Digital Cable service (NOTE: additional outlet charges for programming may apply).
I was charged $15.95 for the installation of CableCARD.

There is no fee for the card per se, just an Additional Digital Outlet charge of $6.95 per month if it is the second or more outlet.

If it is the only hookup, the cost is rolled into the digital sub package price.

Peter

It is not as bad as that, you can add the digital classic "tier" to basic cable so it comes out to

Basic cable $12
HDTV box $5
Digital classic $10

Total: $27

Only the DVR requires you have standard (expanded) cable which pushes up the monthly.

Kevin

Thanks Kevin

Does this include Discovery HD as well as INHD 1 and 2... I really like some of the programs they are shoiwng including Corwin's Quest, and might be willing to pony up that extra $15 / month.

The setup will get a little complicated as I will continue to use my LG 4200A tuner for OTA stuff

regards

Peter

I was charged $15.95 for the installation of CableCARD.

There is no fee for the card per se, just an Additional Digital Outlet charge of $6.95 per month if it is the second or more outlet.

If it is the only hookup, the cost is rolled into the digital sub package price.
Yes, this is the constantly confusing part.

Any equipment (STB, HD STB, CableCARD, DVR) you get from Comcast in our area costs minimum $6.95. In addition HD STB costs $5 extra per month. DVR costs $9.95 extra per month.

As part of your digital cable package, you get $6.95 credit bundled in towards the equipment of your choice.

If you choose 1 CableCARD as your *only* equipment, then it is "free" in the same sense as your STB would have been "free" if you had chosen that.

Your *2nd* equipment is when you really start feeling the fees. The 2nd CableCARD or STB is $6.95 per month. The 2nd HD STB is $11.95 per month. The 2nd DVR is $16.90 per month.

It doesn't matter whether they call the $6.95 a digital "outlet" fee or an "equipment" fee, the effect is the same, it is an equipment fee.

If this has changed, then someone please speak up. I would love to hear I am mistaken and Comcast has changed their policies on this.

I had setup to record the Sharks Game tonight on channel 720 FSNHD and for some reason it did not record. Anyone else have the same problem?