From Fredfa's "Hot Off The Press" thread:

Cable Notes
Cable Association Steps Into Viacom-TWC Dispute,
Orders Crawl Stopped
By Jon Lafayette, TV Week - December 31, 2008

The American Cable Association demanded that Viacom stop the crawl running during its programming that tells cable subscribers that they might lose networks such as Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon at midnight.

The crawl was being televised to all cable subscribers, but Viacom is in a dispute only with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, which represent only 16 million of the nation’s 98 million cable subscribers.

“Viacom has shown reprehensible judgment today while engaging in what amounts to a national misinformation campaign against thousands of cable operators and millions of subscribers,” said Steve Friedman, American Cable Association chairman and chief operating officer of Wave Broadband.

“It is … beyond the norm and completely unacceptable that they would erroneously and imprudently alarm 82.9 million subscribers around the country that have nothing to do with that mess and are now concerned their service will soon be disrupted,” said Steve Polka, ACA president and CEO. “The crawl maliciously and unnecessarily interferes with our members’ ability to serve their customers and must be pulled.”

A Viacom spokesman said the crawls had already stopped running this afternoon, and it had not planned to air them this evening.

According to the ACA, the crawl says: “Alert! Alert! Alert! Attention Time Warner Cable and Bright House Network customers, starting tonight, you will lose 19 channels from your TV including MTV, VH1, Spike, Comedy Central, TV Land, Nickelodeon and Noggin. Don’t miss out on your favorite shows. You can stop this! Time Warner Cable customers call 1-800-762 3786 Bright House Networks customers call 1-866-309-3279 and demand they keep these channels! Must be at least 18 years old to call.”

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/12/cable_association_steps_into_v.php

The American Cable Association demanded that Viacom stop the crawl running during its programming that tells cable subscribers that they might lose networks such as Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon at midnight.

“Viacom has shown reprehensible judgment today while engaging in what amounts to a national misinformation campaign against thousands of cable operators and millions of subscribers,” said Steve Friedman, American Cable Association chairman and chief operating officer of Wave Broadband.

“It is … beyond the norm and completely unacceptable that they would erroneously and imprudently alarm 82.9 million subscribers around the country that have nothing to do with that mess and are now concerned their service will soon be disrupted,” said Steve Polka, ACA president and CEO. “The crawl maliciously and unnecessarily interferes with our members’ ability to serve their customers and must be pulled.”


LOL, either way we are stuck in the middle and may be the victims regardless who's at fault...

I'll gladly watch Colbert and Jon Stewart via the internet rather than pay an increased fee to watch them on TV. Now if Viacom would drop commercials from their cable shows then I'd understand that they must earn their income via the cable companies. But since they use a commercial approach, similar to the broadcast notworks, they should be glad that the cable networks carry them at all.

(Except for the two programs I mentioned I personally wouldn't care if they disappeared altogether.)

Now Viacom wants to block TWC IP's on their sites.

If they do that, I hope TWC sues them. Net content has NOTHING to do with retrans.

Now Viacom wants to block TWC IP's on their sites.

Link?

If they do that, I hope TWC sues them. Net content has NOTHING to do with retrans.

What does that have to do with anything? Blocking ComedyCentral.com from TWC IPs would be no different than what ESPN does with ESPN360.com.

Remember? All that net neutrality legislation is dead.

Latest News


Viacom Threatens To Pull Content Offline
While Time Warner tells us customers will see refunds...
06:04PM Wednesday Dec 31 2008 by Karl Bode

This morning we noted how a feud between Time Warner Cable and Viacom could result in Time Warner Cable and BrightHouse customers losing Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and 16 other channels. The fight has gotten consistently more ugly as the day has progressed, with Viacom blasting the screens of both BrightHouse and TWC customers warning them that not only will customers lose access to Viacom channels on cable, but that they'll lose access to online content.


It's not exactly clear how Viacom plans to seriously enforce that threat. There's a multitude of broadband-delivery alternatives for customers who need their Daily Show or South Park fix, and it's obviously highly unlikely Viacom could or would ban Roadrunner and Bright House IPs from accessing them.

Time Warner Cable seems to be taking the threat seriously, Twittering that they internally believe Viacom will attempt to "block our customers from the same full Web experience that they provide everyone else for free." "They're going to take all their video content off the Web and ruin it for everybody," insists the company. The company repeated this sentiment when we contacted them for comment.

"They can block IP addresses, or ranges of IP addresses," insists a Time Warner Cable spokesman. "Of course, we are talking about a company that prepares a multimillion dollar media blitz to hammer us publicly while claiming to negotiate in 'good faith,'" he says.

so does losing 19 channels mean more bandwidth for HD channels and less compression?

No, Time Warner will use placeholder as the channels will be back after the pissing match is complete. They aren't going to restructure their line up because of the interruption. In all honesty, I wish they would just drop them along with other providers to punish Viacom and the other content providers.

Even if this does happen an agreement will made by the end of tomorrow I hope.

Viacom Threatens To Pull Content Offline
While Time Warner tells us customers will see refunds...
06:04PM Wednesday Dec 31 2008 by Karl Bode

This morning we noted how a feud between Time Warner Cable and Viacom could result in Time Warner Cable and BrightHouse customers losing Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and 16 other channels. The fight has gotten consistently more ugly as the day has progressed, with Viacom blasting the screens of both BrightHouse and TWC customers warning them that not only will customers lose access to Viacom channels on cable, but that they'll lose access to online content.

Here's a link to the story: http://www.dslreports.com/r0/download/1385394~cc6d51f5b840af1f511b36656e6f892d/Viacom.jpg

so does losing 19 channels mean more bandwidth for HD channels and less compression?

Hopefully Time Warner will replace the channels with something actually worth watching. When LIN tried the same stunt in October, TWC replaced the local NBC affiliate with Starz and customers were happy to have something actually worth watching. In fact, more customers complained when Starz was pulled and replaced with the local NBC affiliate after LIN realized TWC wasn't going to cave in before sweeps.

I'm all for Viacom pulling the plug for me less mindless entertainment, and a lighter bill may improve the quality of a new channel line up to fill the vacant slots. I hope TWC stand their ground and let Viacom shoot themselves in the arteries. What would be nice is if TWC just said you know what we withdraw the previous offer and have signed with two new affiliates to fill your slots we are in the process of refunding some of the gains you have unexpectedly created for our customers.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it Viacom HAPPY NEW YEAR!:o

What would be nice is if TWC just said you know what we withdraw the previous offer and have signed with two new affiliates to fill your slots we are in the process of refunding some of the gains you have unexpectedly created for our customers.

What would be nice is if TWC decided that since we are now losing channels that the $15 price hike that arrives at midnight will come with a refund for a lesser service?

Do you think that will happen?

TWC aren't standing up for consumers. They are just as happy to rape the public for more money as anyone else. The only reason they are fighting with Viacom is because it affects their revenue. How it effects the consumer bill is irrelevant. TWC would raise prices even if they lost half their channel agreements. It's what they do. And they do it every year.

Actually, in my division the TWC spokesman already came out and stated that there will be credits given on bills as long as these stations are off the air as well as filling the line up with other content. However, he didn't say what credit will be.

http://www.twcfacts.com/

TWC are really pushing the limit with fact and fiction here. I am fine having my bill increase a whopping 23 cents per month.

What would be nice is if TWC decided that since we are now losing channels that the $15 price hike that arrives at midnight will come with a refund for a lesser service?

Do you think that will happen?

TWC aren't standing up for consumers. They are just as happy to rape the public for more money as anyone else. The only reason they are fighting with Viacom is because it affects their revenue. How it effects the consumer bill is irrelevant. TWC would raise prices even if they lost half their channel agreements. It's what they do. And they do it every year.

Isn't this for the roadrunner service? I didn't see anything related to my cable bill. I understand your fury with the cable co's I too don't like the price hikes the crappy feeds with poor audio. As I mentioned I'm on the verge of dumping cable for MPG 4.

Isn't this for the roadrunner service? I didn't see anything related to my cable bill.

That's because you aren't in one of the markets where TWC is substantially raising their cable rates at midnight tonight. It's easy for them to do when they have no direct competition from Verizon or other fiber services yet.

That's because you aren't in one of the markets where TWC is substantially raising their cable rates at midnight tonight. It's easy for them to do when they have no direct competition from Verizon or other fiber services yet.

Ah I see...:mad: Totally not fair.

That's because you aren't in one of the markets where TWC is substantially raising their cable rates at midnight tonight. It's easy for them to do when they have no direct competition from Verizon or other fiber services yet.

Substantially? My bill will go up $7 from $186 to $193. Not sure that counts as 'substantial'.... 3.75% Perhaps YMMV.

Here in WLA Los Angeles (Former Adelphia) we pay for basic cable and I rent one HD box DCT6200. We are not 5c'd here as I can still record all of the HD feeds for 58.00 a month using the PC. Blessed with outdated equipment on Adelphia's part I guess and the new FW they snuck in a while back had no effect for recording via firewire while it disabled a lot of other boxes. I don't know if the newest FW enabled that feature as I haven't paid attention to the threads.

I don't blame you for being pissed but were also unfortunate that we cannot get OTA total dead zone here. If I could get OTA I'd dump cable and any other paid programming in a in a New York moment. TV just isn't that important to me I'm happy with PBS HD feeds along with local broadcasting if I could get it for free that's where I would be today. Yes we are shackled by paid programming here in WLA.

Substantially? My bill will go up $7 from $186 to $193. Not sure that counts as 'substantial'.... 3.75% Perhaps YMMV.

Well in TWC math your bill is increasing by about $60 million a month since they are equating 23 cents to "millions".

Ok TWC, I tell you what, I'll trade you all those Viacom channels for SciFi-HD, USA-HD, FX-HD, and ***.

For SCIFI, USA and F/X, YES!! Dumping that Viacom crap(like VH1 Classic, MTV Jams, CMT, Logo, etc) would probably clear up enough bandwidth to add one of those channels. Losing a few analog tier channels really opens up the bandwidth. :D

Viacom threatening to cut online access doesn't sound like a monopoly at all, does it?

I'm sorry, I don't defend Time Warner, as they're bleeding their customers dry and make heafty profits, but that doesn't justify Viacom holding TW hostage for more money than they deserve to get. It will set a precedent to other mega-conglomerates to use the same tactics. In the long run, that hurts the consumer.

The rate at which technology is increasing means that eventually all this junk will stop. Instead of one mega corporation negoating with another, it will be the consumer directly buying the product they want, thereby making it a direct supply and demand scenario.

It's 12:01 ET and Nick is still up and running.

12:04AM in NYC (Happy New Year everybody! :)) and all Viacom channels are still running.

12:04AM in NYC (Happy New Year everybody! :)) and all Viacom channels are still running.

Well that is good then maybe they reached a deal.

12:09AM on the East coast, still up! On the local 11PM news, they said that the local TWC office supposidly has 18 engineers on hand ready to "pull the plug" if the dispute is not resolved, lol.

Hmmm, MTV2 is on all Viacom channels in Columbus, Ohio.

Someone pussed out. Or TWC forgot to flip the switch. :D

Hmmm, MTV2 is on all Viacom channels in Columbus, Ohio.

Apparently that got fixed but Palladia was showing MTV2.

Apparently that got fixed but Palladia was showing MTV2.

Not fixed yet. There are rappers on Noggin and Nick.

All is normal here in upstate NY on TWC at 12:26AM as I go to bed.

All fixed in Columbus.

All fixed in Columbus.

Same here. :)

From Fredfa's "Hot Off The Press" thread:

The Business of Television
Time Warner Cable and Viacom reach deal
By Ryan Nakashima, Associated Press - January 1, 2009

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Time Warner Cable Inc. says it has reached a deal with Viacom Inc. on carriage fees, avoiding a blackout of 19 cable channels including MTV and Comedy Central.

The two sides, citing disagreement over fee hikes, had threatened a damaging blackout at midnight that would have cut off shows such as "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "The Colbert Report" to about 15.7 million subscribers.

Shortly after agreeing to extend a midnight deadline by an hour, Time Warner Cable spokesman Alex Dudley said the sides agreed on a new contract.

Details of the deal were not immediately available.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gmeKcfi6sWhsSN9SOcnD9eR3hjsAD95E5EIG1

nice ... now add USA HD an SciFi HD , an w/e u got =)

Boo. I was rooting for blackout :)

(From the "Hot Off The Press" thread)

The Business of Television
Viacom, Time Warner Cable settle contract dispute
Viacom had threatened to pull 19 of its cable channels, including Nickelodeon, MTV, VH-1 and Comedy Central, from the cable firm's systems.
By Meg James, Los Angeles Times staff writer, January 1, 2009

Facing a backlash from TV viewers furious at the prospect of losing "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "Dora the Explorer," two media giants reached a new programming agreement that keeps those popular cartoon characters on the channels of the country's second-largest cable operator.

Viacom Inc. had threatened to pull 19 of its cable channels, including Nickelodeon, MTV, VH-1 and Comedy Central, from the Time Warner Cable Inc. systems at midnight Wednesday when their previous two-year contract expired.

At midnight in New York, minutes into the new year, Viacom granted an extension that allowed the two sides to keep talking. They then clinched a deal. The New Year's Day accord avoided a blackout of Viacom's programming in 13.3 million homes in the U.S. served by Time Warner Cable Inc., including nearly 2 million in the Los Angeles area.

Details of the new contract were not immediately available.

The resolution came after a long day of squabbling as each side accused the other of greed, and irate customers jammed Time Warner Cable's call centers, saying they wanted their MTV and Nickelodeon. The reaction from viewers was stoked by Viacom's costly media campaign in print and on television, much of it targeted at kids.

"Demanding that our customers pay so much more for these few networks would be unreasonable in any economy, but it is particularly outrageous given the current economic conditions," Time Warner Cable Chief Executive Glenn Britt said early Wednesday. "Huge price increases like what Viacom is demanding threaten the ultimate value of cable TV."

Viacom had purchased newspaper advertisements, featuring a tearful Dora the Explorer, and placed an on-screen crawl on its channels to alert viewers to the impending programming blackout. The ads encouraged viewers to complain to Time Warner Cable.

The tactic worked -- parents reported having to soothe children who were upset over the prospect of not being able to watch their favorite shows on Nickelodeon, including "SpongeBob SquarePants."

"Our family will cancel Time Warner if a suitable agreement is not reached," threatened Debra Cooper, a mother of two who lives in San Diego. "I admit SpongeBob's laugh drives me nuts, but he is part of our family, as is George Lopez, 'Home Improvement,' 'i-Carly,' and all the rest."

Cooper said she called Time Warner Cable twice Wednesday to lobby for the channel. The company was inundated with calls, and executives from both companies put their holiday plans on hold to return to the negotiations.

Neither side had much to gain if Viacom had withheld its programming. One media analyst described the potential scenario as "mutually assured destruction" that could lead to Viacom losing advertising revenue and Time Warner losing subscribers.

"Viacom's cable networks are among the most popular on cable television," Michael Nathanson of Bernstein Research wrote in a research report Wednesday. He said about 25% of all cable viewers tuned in to Viacom channels throughout the day.

Nathanson said that the affiliate fees paid to Viacom by cable operators, including Time Warner, were "underpriced" when compared with those paid for other channels.

According to research firm SNL Kagan, Viacom's MTV receives about 32 cents per subscriber a month from cable operators, while Nickelodeon receives an average of 45 cents a month. Operators pay 86 cents a month per subscriber for the Disney Channel, which commands a higher fee because it runs commercial-free.

In contrast, sports channel ESPN receives an average of nearly $4 per subscriber a month. Viacom said it was seeking a modest increase of about 23 cents a month per subscriber.

That adds up to a rate hike of about 12% for the package of Viacom cable channels. Time Warner estimated that amount would increase its payments by $39 million a year.

"We are not asking for unreasonable increases," Philippe Dauman, chief executive of Viacom, said before the post-midnight breakthrough was reached. "All of our networks put together cost less than the regional sports networks that they provide."

Time Warner pays Viacom about $300 million a year for its programming, Nathanson estimated in his report. He said Viacom payments represented 7.9% of Time Warner Cable's video programming costs.

On Wednesday, investors cheered Viacom's tough stand, driving up the media company's stock 85 cents to $19.06 a share. Time Warner Cable's stock fell 31 cents to $21.45.

The dispute underscored how important cable affiliate fees have become to cable programmers, such as Viacom, particularly during an economic recession and a downturn in advertising revenue.

"A 12% increase on a multiyear deal doesn't seem that significant," said Derek Baine, an analyst with SNL Kagan. "But the challenge is we are in a difficult economic climate and it's getting harder for the cable operators to pass these costs along to consumers."

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-viacom1-2009jan01,0,6819319,print.story

Hopefully this also means we'll be seeing these channels in HD on Time Warner systems very soon.

Good to hear. I tuned in to Comedy Central just before midnight Pacific time and programming was still on. (Ditto for VH1, and Nick Toons).

OK, the whole TWC vs. Viacom is now a dead issue.

Back to our regular bitching and moaning agenda. :D

They got my hopes up I was hoping for a blackout.:mad:

OK, the whole TWC vs. Viacom is now a dead issue.

Back to our regular bitching and moaning agenda. :D

When did it stop?

They got my hopes up I was hoping for a blackout.:mad:

Me too. Now that Viacom successfully got Time Warner to pay their inflated prices, they will go after the other cable and satellite providers and pull similar stunts. It will be LIN all over again.

I hope TWC didn't pay them one more red cent. Viacom faced the cutoff of the distribution system upon which their advertising sales depend.

It is truly amazing, however, how loudly we can wail whenever we face the slightest inconvenience, such as the loss of a couple of television programs that we favor. We will pay any cost, bear any burden in order to lay back and watch television. What a country!

It appears MLB HD has launched in Los Angeles (there is a channel spot for it but since I don't get the sports pack I can't tell if it's active). The TWC website never even mentioned it as a possible addition.

It appears MLB HD has launched in Los Angeles (there is a channel spot for it but since I don't get the sports pack I can't tell if it's active). The TWC website never even mentioned it as a possible addition.

I believe MLB Network will be on all TWC systems, HD where capacity available (not here in Cleveland). It's not blocked for me, and I think it is not considered in the Sports Pack. I don't subscribe to the Sports tier.

TWC is one of a number of cable companies (plus DirecTV) with an ownership stake in MLBN.

It appears MLB HD has launched in Los Angeles (there is a channel spot for it but since I don't get the sports pack I can't tell if it's active). The TWC website never even mentioned it as a possible addition.

San Diego has MLB HD and MLB SD.

I just finished watching the first 4 hours of MLB Network programming on TWC San Diego, channel 789 (HD).

They started right on time (3:00 PM Pacific Time) and had a cute countdown - the last 30 or so numbers were the uniform numbers of players (of course they used Tony Gwynn for number 19).

I watched about 1/2 hour of 'Hot Stove Live', but what I wanted to see was the kinescope of the Don Larsen perfect game from the 1956 World Series.

Hosted by Bob Costas, with help from both battery mates, Don Larsen and Yogi Berra.

It started during the top of the second inning, with one out (the rest was lost or not available). They showed it, with commercials of the time - all of which were for Gillette. Imagine - razor+blades+pocket-size baseball encyclopedia (value $5.95) all for $1.00.

What a difference - no graphics, no center field camera, only one person on the microphone (Mel Allen for the first 4 1/2 innings, Vin Sculley for the remainder), no off-topic banter. It looked primitive (by our standards today), but it drew you in. We knew the outcome, but it was fascinating to watch.

I just finished watching the first 4 hours of MLB Network programming on TWC San Diego, channel 789 (HD).Do you pay for it?

Is it in "Sports Tier" (and do you subscribe to it?), or is it some other for-pay tier, or is it in "Digital Package" and available to everyone.

Here in TWC/LA it is 470 but shows as "not authorized" for me. And their channel lineup web page doesn't show it AT ALL! NOWHWERE!

I'm confused. I don't currently subscribe to Sports Tier but thought it would be freely available to all subscribers.

Do you pay for it?

Is it in "Sports Tier" (and do you subscribe to it?), or is it some other for-pay tier, or is it in "Digital Package" and available to everyone.

Here in TWC/LA it is 470 but shows as "not authorized" for me. And their channel lineup web page doesn't show it AT ALL! NOWHWERE!

I'm confused. I don't currently subscribe to Sports Tier but thought it would be freely available to all subscribers.

its supposed to be some digital standard level for all (not on a sports tier)

They showed it, with commercials of the time - all of which were for Gillette. Imagine - razor+blades+pocket-size baseball encyclopedia (value $5.95) all for $1.00.

Almost all were Gillette which surprised me as I was expecting plenty of Cigarette commercials (I'm assuming those weren't cut out). There was one non Gillette ad I remember for a Papermate Piggy-backed ballpoint pen ($1.95??) with Joe E. Brown the legendary comic. There may have been more, but I can't recall another.

i have TWC in LA (eagle rock) and MLB network HD was working right from the get-go.

Just heard from my source at TWC, who's cleared this up.

MLB (SD/HD) is provided as part of Variety Tier (not Sports Tier or HD Tier).

If you already subscribed to Variety Tier, that's why you have access to the channel. Me, I didn't, hence "not authorized".

The Channel Lineup and Programming Alerts web pages will be updated in the very near future to reflect this.

Time Warner Still Pretending Core, Last Mile Fiber The Same

It's certainly cheaper than broadly deploying DOCSIS 3.0

10:03AM Wednesday Dec 31 2008 by Karl Bode

Instead of quickly deploying DOCSIS 3.0 technology like Comcast, Time Warner Cable decided to fight off Verizon FiOS with a new campaign that intentionally confuses consumers by blurring the line between last mile and core network fiber. Their latest website informs consumers that Time Warner Cable "gives you fiber optics without the hassle," but avoids the fact that last mile fiber offers much faster speeds than TWC's current DOCSIS 2.0 network.

My market (TWC-NYC) has fiber to a node which is half a block from me (typically serving about 500 installations). Does DOCSIS 3 NEED fiber into the home?? My speculation is that it does not.

We now have 10Mb/512k IP connectivity. We also have "power boost" or some other moniker that will boost down close to 20Mb for certain connections/downloads. The issue is the up part... 512k is way, way slow if you need to transfer files somewhere OR are into online gaming.

Maybe you're right. Here is what UVerse is advertising here in one area of South Carolina. -

Their combo deal.


Here is the breakdown of their speeds and prices (these are not in the bundles, but separately. All of their bundles have the express listed in the price).

Max 18 - Up to 18.0 Mbps downstream and up to 1.5 Mbps upstream Starting at $65/month

Max - Up to 10.0 Mbps downstream and up to 1.5 Mbps upstream Starting at $55/month

Elite - Up to 6.0 Mbps downstream and up to 1 Mbps upstream Starting at $43/month

Pro - Up to 3.0 Mbps downstream and up to 1 Mbps upstream Starting at $38/month

Express - Up to 1.5 Mbps downstream and up to 1 Mbps upstream Starting at $33/month

Here is the pricing for the television without a bundle involved. The U200 and above include the DVR, the others just a receiver. Also, HD service is $10 more for each. This again is for a la carte and not in a bundle.

U400 Starting at $99/month up to 350 channels including HBO®, Cinemax®, the Sports Package, and the Movie Package

U300 Starting at $79/month up to 290 channels including the Movie Package

U200 Starting at $59/month up to 220 channels with sports, entertainment, and more

U100 Starting at $44/month up to 120 of the most viewed channels

U-family Starting at $44/month up to 70 channels of family focused programming

That's because you aren't in one of the markets where TWC is substantially raising their cable rates at midnight tonight. It's easy for them to do when they have no direct competition from Verizon or other fiber services yet.

FWIW, in my market we have had not one but 2 rate increases in 2008, one on 1/1/08 and one on 9/1/08.

They have also shown that they can have less content and charge the same... witness HDXtra, a 5 buck/month extra (if one already pays for DVR service). When I first signed on it had 5 HD channels, that got whittled to 2 (I think we just got one new HD on HDXtra, MGM HD which SEEMS to be part of the HDXtra service with another one promised (NHL HD) that they SAID would be delivered, but which still isn't).

FWIW, in my market we have had not one but 2 rate increases in 2008, one on 1/1/08 and one on 9/1/08.

They have also shown that they can have less content and charge the same... witness HDXtra, a 5 buck/month extra (if one already pays for DVR service). When I first signed on it had 5 HD channels, that got whittled to 2 (I think we just got one new HD on HDXtra, MGM HD which SEEMS to be part of the HDXtra service with another one promised (NHL HD) that they SAID would be delivered, but which still isn't).

Dude - its not just 3 HD channels - TWC NY also includes the sports HD package with HDXtra - CBS College Sports HD, Tennis HD, Big Ten HD, and NHL Network HD (if they ever get it straightened out...). It will also include the other sports HD channels when they are added (nbatvhd, etc)

Dude - its not just 3 HD channels - TWC NY also includes the sports HD package with HDXtra - CBS College Sports HD, Tennis HD, Big Ten HD, and NHL Network HD (if they ever get it straightened out...). It will also include the other sports HD channels when they are added (nbatvhd, etc)

Whoops, you are correct, BUT until 12/17 we did lose HD channels without a rate decrease. I DO very much discount the fact they added some SD sports channels, what we paid for was a HD tier... tossing in some SD to me in no way justified dropping HD channels from a HD speciality tier.

That being said, HDNet I find an outstanding channel... almost worth a 5 buck surcharge as a Premium.

That being said, HDNet I find an outstanding channel... almost worth a 5 buck surcharge as a Premium.

Agree. And MGM HD too has started out strong. It's like these new HD nets, because they don't have access to the newest and latest movies (which are spread all over the Starz and Cinemax premium channels), are making a virtue out of the necessity of showing older, lesser-known movies. MGM HD just had a couple of Rob Lowe and 'Ninja New Year' marathons. While none of the flicks involved could be considered a classic or must see I appreciate the effort of digging up older movies, converting them to HD Masters and showing them with their original aspect ratios. There's something appealing about seeing an old movie that's both dated (in the hairstyles, fashions, vehicles and pop-culture references) and shiny-new (most of the HD transfers make the movie look like it was just shot a couple of years ago, not 20-30-40-50 years ago). I subscribe to HBO and Showtime but HDNet and now MGM-HD are my go-to channels for HD movie watching. :)

All is normal here in upstate NY on TWC at 12:26AM as I go to bed.

Yes, all is normal here too in western NY (TWC "central New York), only had HDTV for a week and was panicked when i saw the crawler about losing Palladia :eek:

I called the TWC number the crawl begged people to call. TWC said they could not accept calls due to " technical difficulties " :)

I see Starz is in the clear this weekend on TWC's standard channels but not on their HD tier, it is normal for them to not offer the freebie weekends in HD?

I'm new to HDTV and am amused by the fact that TWC carry Disney HD but 75% pf their programs are in SD, seems like a waste of a HD channel but given corporate links, I guess it is to be expected.:)

Regarding the availability of the new MLB/MLBHD channels, and whether they are really supposed to be (a) in the "digital package" which everyone has and doesn't pay extra for which was thought (by some?) to be the terms of the MLB agreement, or (b) in the Variety Tier where they've apparently been placed for no obvious reason, or (c) in the Sports Tier where all the other "sports" channels are located and if I subscribed to it but not Variety Tier I'd be plenty p***'ed now, here's an interesting quote from a blog entry on the new channels for San Diego TWC (http://gadgetress.freedomblogging.com/2009/01/01/batter-up-time-warner-cable-directv-debut-mlb-channel/7386/):

"For Time Warner Customers, the channel is included free for those who have the ‘Variety Tier’ of digital TV service."

How's that for tangled wording: if you already pay us $5 for the Variety Tier, we'll add this new channel "for free" to that tier. So you can get it "for free" if you pay us $5.

Anyway, I suspect there's going to be much discussion on this packaging method.

I see Starz is in the clear this weekend on TWC's standard channels but not on their HD tier, it is normal for them to not offer the freebie weekends in HD?

I'm new to HDTV and am amused by the fact that TWC carry Disney HD but 75% pf their programs are in SD, seems like a waste of a HD channel but given corporate links, I guess it is to be expected.:)

The Cartoons are in HD. Even Nickelodeon HD has more HD than Disney HD. Their new shows are supposedly in HD. Don't think the nicktoons are in HD though.

Regarding the availability of the new MLB/MLBHD channels, and whether they are really supposed to be (a) in the "digital package" which everyone has and doesn't pay extra for which was thought (by some?) to be the terms of the MLB agreement, or (b) in the Variety Tier where they've apparently been placed for no obvious reason, or (c) in the Sports Tier where all the other "sports" channels are located and if I subscribed to it but not Variety Tier I'd be plenty p***'ed now, here's an interesting quote from a blog entry on the new channels for San Diego TWC (http://gadgetress.freedomblogging.com/2009/01/01/batter-up-time-warner-cable-directv-debut-mlb-channel/7386/):

"For Time Warner Customers, the channel is included free for those who have the ‘Variety Tier’ of digital TV service."

How's that for tangled wording: if you already pay us $5 for the Variety Tier, we'll add this new channel "for free" to that tier. So you can get it "for free" if you pay us $5.

Anyway, I suspect there's going to be much discussion on this packaging method.

If there is discussion I hope it moves to the local forums, rather than this national forum. The "tiers" vary by region. For instance we have no such thing as a "variety tier".

In NE Ohio, along with the Digital Basic($5.00), we have Choice Tier, Movie Tier and Sports Tier, each for $5.00 on top of the price of the Digital Tier. Personally, I think this system is bulls...! When TWC realigned our channels earlier in 2008, they started this system. When they did this, they actually took channels AWAY that used to be in just the digital tier. A few new channels were added, only to be put in these various tiers. Channels like DIY, Fine Living, Boomerang, NBA TV were moved into various tiers. It's bull, and it's another way TWC is nickel and diming, or in this case, $5.00-ing us to death on the bill. The bill w/o any of these tiers is expensive enough. This stuff should be included.

http://www.twclineup.com/lineups0208/TWNEO5935SuburbanCleveland3MigrationLU022008.pdf

STARZ is free this weekend?

If there is discussion I hope it moves to the local forums, rather than this national forum. The "tiers" vary by region. For instance we have no such thing as a "variety tier".

Bernie, this national thread is how we learn of things in which we might be interested at the local level. Unfortunately, it is necessary to process much of the same information twice in order to make full use of it.

TW in Dayton, OH is clueless about the MLB Network. Even after I explain it to her twice, the Customer No Service Rep quoted me a price for MLB Extra Innings. Even after she "spoke with her supervisor", she didn't have any idea. She said to call back in a couple of days. :rolleyes:

Yea, we just got MLB Network. Woooo, Big Whoop! Where are the actual HD networks we were supposed to get a month ago!!!! TWC needs to get it's act together and fast.

Or what?

Or what?

Ill hold my breath :eek:

:D

Or what?Well, personally, if FIOS were actually available in my area I would be gone from TWC Tripleplay in an instant.

As I understand things (though not from firsthand experience, just from reading) FIOS uses Motorola DVR boxes, which have a functioning firewire port... for archiving to DVHS, which is a deal-breaker or deal-maker for me.

I'm still on TWC because in my area they also use Motorola equipment (first DCT-6416 and now DCH-3416), which I "require" to support archiving to DVHS. I wouldn't change providers without a working firewire port in the deal.

Second plus... much faster Internet connection speeds available.

Unfortunately, FIOS is not available to me as an option... at least not yet. Maybe someday.

And it would appear from the actual MLB Press Release of 12/28/08 (http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20081228&content_id=3729349&vkey=pr_mlb&fext=.jsp) that the MLB/MLBHD channels are supposed to be provided FOR FREE ON DIGITAL BASIC, OR ITS EQUIVALENT... not on any kind of tier or service level which costs extra. That includes Sports Tier, Variety Tier, or any tier.

"When MLB Network launches on Jan. 1 in more than 50 million homes, it will be carried by most major cable and telco systems as well as on DirecTV on expanded basic or digital basic.

Consumers will not have to pay extra for MLB Network."I've taken my first action step, contacting MLB in NYC by phone.

They gave me the name of the head of MLB Network over in New Jersey and I've called him. Got to speak to his assistant. She listened to all I related about how TWC had packaged MLB Channel SD/HD in their "Variety Tier" (in LA, anyway, but I've been told this was a TWC Corporate decision), which is one of their six optional digital tiers available to digital subscribers for an additional charge of $5/month over and above the fundamental basic monthly charge for "digital cable package".

In other words, along with a choice of one freely included optional digital tier, the "digital cable package" includes "basic cable" (e.g. CNN, MSNBC, etc.) and thus covers 100% of digital subscribers. This is what would be considered "digital basic" for TWC, insofar as the MLB Agreement is concerned.

In contrast, "Variety Tier", while possibly the most popular optional digital tier (and which might therefore be most often selected as the one free/included digital tier that's part of "digital cable package"), is just that... optional, and an extra $5 (unless you happened to have already selected it as the one "free/included" digital tier you can choose when you sign up for "digital cable package" service).

Thus the genuinely free "basic cable" cluster, available to 100% of digital subscribers, is where MLB belonged... not in the optional/$5 "Variety Tier". And thus TWC's corporate decision to place MLB in a non-free optional channel cluster (no matter how popular) was contrary to the terms and intent of the MLB Carriage Agreement which says "consumers will not have to pay extra for MLB".

She understood my argument completely, and said she would see that someone got back to me after some research into the matter. She listened patiently, and was very reasonable.

Let's see what happens.

She listened patiently, and was very reasonable.


While playing Jelly Car on her iPod.

DSperber,

You are going to get MLB removed from Time Warner. See NFL Network.

She understood my argument completely, and said she would see that someone got back to me after some research into the matter. She listened patiently, and was very reasonable.

Let's see what happens.Ok... someone got back to me. It was the man who negotiated with all of the cable systems. "The Man".

[Surprisingly] He was actually unaware that TWC/SoCal packaged their channels "in unique and singular non-overlapping horizontally configured tiers", very different than what is done, say, in NY with IO Cablevision, where the service levels are "vertical" and build on each other as you continue to pay more money each month for more and more channels.

In other words, he was unaware that it was possible to be a TWC/LA "digital cable package" subscriber (meaning you are really paying for ANY ONE of the six available optional "digital tiers" as part of your monthly service, but you must pick one of them to define you as a "digital subscriber" instead of an "analog subscriber") and NOT have selected Variety Tier.

TWC had told him that by putting MLB in Variety Tier they would reach 85% of LA, which was the kind of penetration MLB was looking for. But he thought that was sort of like IO Cablevision's "IO Package", which is one step above "Family Cable" (which includes "Broadcast Basic") and which is available with your current "analog" package for an additional $10.95/month. This is the minimal Cablevision subscriber level that represents "digital basic" (and that MLB was looking for), as opposed to all of the analog channels in "Family Cable" which have been around for 20 years. And MLB/MLBHD is in this "IO Package" on Cablevision.

But TWC doesn't have such a "digital channel" add-on price defining you as a "digital basic" subscriber. He didn't realize that, or perhaps didn't appreciate it fully.

And it wasn't clear to him (before I explained it) that with TWC/LA even as a "digital cable package" subscriber you would not be receiving MLB because you'd opted not to subscribe to Variety tier, but had instead opted to subscribe to any one or more of their other optional digital tiers. Yes, Variety Tier was popular, but any other tier could have been selected just as easily and I would still be a "digital cable package" subscriber.

There was no tying of "Variety Tier" to service as the definition of "digital basic" for TWC, although it might well be the most popular tier selected by subscribers and may well reach 85% of LA. However I could be paying for four other tiers and not Variety, and should definitely still be considered a "digital subscriber" and should have thus been allowed to receive MLB/MLBHD per their agreement.

In other words, I proposed that for a horizontal tier-divided product plan as with TWC/LA it should have been implemented that MLB/MLBHD would be available if the subscriber had subscribed to ANY of those digital tiers, not just ONE in particular (i.e. Variety). By simply including MLB/MLBHD in EACH of the six optional digital tiers, not just one, MLB would accomplish its stated goal of making themselves available only to "digital basic" subscribers for the tier-based TWC system. MLB/MLBHD presence in ALL SIX DIGITAL TIERS would thus be equivalent to placement in Cablevision's IO Package (which is on top of all other channel packages).

He thought that was actually quite reasonable, now that he understood more clearly how channels are offered by TWC/LA as non-exclusive individually offered channel clusters, and that there is no such thing as a "digital basic" level of service but rather a "digital cable package" collection of channel clusters which must include at least one optional digital tier.

He insisted that their goal was to ensure MLB would be available to "digital subscribers" and not "analog subscribers", which for Cablevision meant as part of the IO Package which includes digital-only channels and requires payment of $10.95/month extra... because of that ever-increasing and more inclusive "vertical" channel packaging approach of Cablevision.

He agreed, however, that with the "horizontal" tier-based channel packaging of TWC/LA the consequences of placing MLB/MLBHD in only one tier (even one as popular as Variety Tier) prevented those "digital cable package" who should have been allowed to receive it from doing so without paying more money for the additional one Variety Tier if they didn't already subscribe to it. This wasn't what MLB really intended.

He will discuss this tomorrow with others, and get back to me.

Progress. Next update when it arrives.

Agree. And MGM HD too has started out strong. It's like these new HD nets, because they don't have access to the newest and latest movies (which are spread all over the Starz and Cinemax premium channels), are making a virtue out of the necessity of showing older, lesser-known movies. MGM HD just had a couple of Rob Lowe and 'Ninja New Year' marathons. While none of the flicks involved could be considered a classic or must see I appreciate the effort of digging up older movies, converting them to HD Masters and showing them with their original aspect ratios. There's something appealing about seeing an old movie that's both dated (in the hairstyles, fashions, vehicles and pop-culture references) and shiny-new (most of the HD transfers make the movie look like it was just shot a couple of years ago, not 20-30-40-50 years ago). I subscribe to HBO and Showtime but HDNet and now MGM-HD are my go-to channels for HD movie watching. :)

Yeah, forgot to mention MGM a part of the HDXtra package (called that in my market). Last year, HDNet did a full restore and digitized to HD for West Side Story and Breakfast at Tiffanys... and did a fabulous job with it.

Of course, now we need TCM HD!!

Ok... someone got back to me. It was the man who negotiated with all of the cable systems. "The Man".

[Surprisingly] He was actually unaware that TWC/SoCal packaged their channels "in unique and singular non-overlapping horizontally configured tiers", very different than what is done, say, in NY with IO Cablevision, where the service levels are "vertical" and build on each other as you continue to pay more money each month for more and more channels.

In other words, he was unaware that it was possible to be a TWC/LA "digital cable package" subscriber (meaning you are really paying for ANY ONE of the six available optional "digital tiers" as part of your monthly service, but you must pick one of them to define you as a "digital subscriber" instead of an "analog subscriber") and NOT have selected Variety Tier.

TWC had told him that by putting MLB in Variety Tier they would reach 85% of LA, which was the kind of penetration MLB was looking for. But he thought that was sort of like IO Cablevision's "IO Package", which is one step above "Family Cable" (which includes "Broadcast Basic") and which is available with your current "analog" package for an additional $10.95/month. This is the minimal Cablevision subscriber level that represents "digital basic" (and that MLB was looking for), as opposed to all of the analog channels in "Family Cable" which have been around for 20 years. And MLB/MLBHD is in this "IO Package" on Cablevision.

But TWC doesn't have such a "digital channel" add-on price defining you as a "digital basic" subscriber. He didn't realize that, or perhaps didn't appreciate it fully.

And it wasn't clear to him (before I explained it) that with TWC/LA even as a "digital cable package" subscriber you would not be receiving MLB because you'd opted not to subscribe to Variety tier, but had instead opted to subscribe to any one or more of their other optional digital tiers. Yes, Variety Tier was popular, but any other tier could have been selected just as easily and I would still be a "digital cable package" subscriber.

There was no tying of "Variety Tier" to service as the definition of "digital basic" for TWC, although it might well be the most popular tier selected by subscribers and may well reach 85% of LA. However I could be paying for four other tiers and not Variety, and should definitely still be considered a "digital subscriber" and should have thus been allowed to receive MLB/MLBHD per their agreement.

In other words, I proposed that for a horizontal tier-divided product plan as with TWC/LA it should have been implemented that MLB/MLBHD would be available if the subscriber had subscribed to ANY of those digital tiers, not just ONE in particular (i.e. Variety). By simply including MLB/MLBHD in EACH of the six optional digital tiers, not just one, MLB would accomplish its stated goal of making themselves available only to "digital basic" subscribers for the tier-based TWC system. MLB/MLBHD presence in ALL SIX DIGITAL TIERS would thus be equivalent to placement in Cablevision's IO Package (which is on top of all other channel packages).

He thought that was actually quite reasonable, now that he understood more clearly how channels are offered by TWC/LA as non-exclusive individually offered channel clusters, and that there is no such thing as a "digital basic" level of service but rather a "digital cable package" collection of channel clusters which must include at least one optional digital tier.

He insisted that their goal was to ensure MLB would be available to "digital subscribers" and not "analog subscribers", which for Cablevision meant as part of the IO Package which includes digital-only channels and requires payment of $10.95/month extra... because of that ever-increasing and more inclusive "vertical" channel packaging approach of Cablevision.

He agreed, however, that with the "horizontal" tier-based channel packaging of TWC/LA the consequences of placing MLB/MLBHD in only one tier (even one as popular as Variety Tier) prevented those "digital cable package" who should have been allowed to receive it from doing so without paying more money for the additional one Variety Tier if they didn't already subscribe to it. This wasn't what MLB really intended.

He will discuss this tomorrow with others, and get back to me.

Progress. Next update when it arrives.

This is beginning to sound like nuclear physics to me!

Yeah, forgot to mention MGM a part of the HDXtra package (called that in my market). Last year, HDNet did a full restore and digitized to HD for West Side Story and Breakfast at Tiffanys... and did a fabulous job with it.

Of course, now we need TCM HD!!

If we are already getting TCM, Bravo, E!, etc and there are also HD channels for each one, why are TWC subscribers not getting all of the available HD channels? And what about HBO, Showtime, etc, On Demand channels. Where are the HD offerings for these as well?

If we are already getting TCM, Bravo, E!, etc and there are also HD channels for each one, why are TWC subscribers not getting all of the available HD channels? And what about HBO, Showtime, etc, On Demand channels. Where are the HD offerings for these as well?

My point too ! I'm new to HD and am surprised that on TWC...

1. The "start over" feature is not available on any HD channel

2. There is HBO HD but not HBO On-Demand HD

3. Some HD channels have less that 2-3 hours per day of HD content.

4. Starz was in the clear for a weekend but NOT Starz HD.

Are any TWC subscribers getting premium channel HD On Demand? Friends of mine with comcast have had that for over a year.

Also, in my area they're planning sometime this year to add the East feed of the main premium HD channels. Some people nearby already have them. However, why would I care for Starz HD East, for example, when I have Starz HD West? I would much rather have one of the other Starz channels in HD.

Are any TWC subscribers getting premium channel HD On Demand? Friends of mine with comcast have had that for over a year.

Also, in my area they're planning sometime this year to add the East feed of the main premium HD channels. Some people nearby already have them. However, why would I care for Starz HD East, for example, when I have Starz HD West? I would much rather have one of the other Starz channels in HD.

We have NEVER had Starz SD POD despite the fact that we essentially pay for it. We just had a BIG expansion of HD channels and got some of the premium services HD sub channels, but no HD POD at all.

As Starz has little or no originally programming, I'm thinking about dropping them for a Netflix subscription.

TW in Dayton, OH is clueless about the MLB Network. Even after I explain it to her twice, the Customer No Service Rep quoted me a price for MLB Extra Innings. Even after she "spoke with her supervisor", she didn't have any idea. She said to call back in a couple of days. :rolleyes:

The MLB Network is live on TWC in my part of Dayton now. I talked to another CSR yesterday who had no idea that the network even exists, let alone that TWC is carrying it. "It's not on my channel listing. I guess I'll have to ask about it at the next meeting." :rolleyes:

I recently noticed some duplicate channels down in the 1900's. These channels seem to change relatively often as well. I even think I saw a couple HD channels duplicated down there at one point. For my area, the 800's are the HD channels and the channels before the 800's are the SD channels. So my question is, does anyone know what these duplicate channels are for? Are they test channels? Maybe they are testing the bandwidth when adding new channels? My hope is, that this could mean some of the new HD channels that other areas have gotten recently(SciFi-HD,USA-HD,etc.) will be added to my area soon.

After the negotiations why doesn't Time Warner have MTV Hits? That channel is pretty good.

Also, Are they really thinking about another $5 hike in Feb?

After the negotiations why doesn't Time Warner have MTV Hits? That channel is pretty good.

Also, Are they really thinking about another $5 hike in Feb?

We got word here $4-$6 depending on package.

We got word here $4-$6 depending on package.

Thanks, that makes my plain DVR service over $85.
Anyhow, they are just pushing people with these hikes. Let's see what happens.

Well, if they add some decent HD content and get us Navigator then I'm alright with a little hike. However, if we keep the same garbage I have now, then DirecTV is looking better and better. Give me something to justify the rate hike instead of the same old crap about programming costs. The "Free HD" thing isn't going to go very far now if my bill jumps $5 and I have the same tire HD line up.

After the negotiations why doesn't Time Warner have MTV Hits? That channel is pretty good.

Also, Are they really thinking about another $5 hike in Feb?

We've had MTV Hits on Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville NC system for a long time. Well over a year (maybe over 2 years, can't remember)

Free HD, never has been, never will be.
I compared the pricing for a long time, I posted here as well as some other forums.
DirecTV charges for HD, but it still brings the price at same or similar levels as TWC. So eventhough HD is not free, it is not any more expensive then TWC. Potato, Patato.

Another reason I did not go for DirecTV, and the biggest marketing tool TWC could be using is the availability of real ON DEMAND, not crappy online service DirecTV has. With DTV you would have to buy an equipment, pay additional money per month, and on top of it you have to have broadband to have anything O.D.

So, instead of HD they should use on demand to sell. However, DTV's DVR and equipment is much better as far as I know, with ability to program off-site, and much more customization with [TiVo] features.

I recently noticed some duplicate channels down in the 1900's. These channels seem to change relatively often as well. I even think I saw a couple HD channels duplicated down there at one point. For my area, the 800's are the HD channels and the channels before the 800's are the SD channels. So my question is, does anyone know what these duplicate channels are for? Are they test channels? Maybe they are testing the bandwidth when adding new channels? My hope is, that this could mean some of the new HD channels that other areas have gotten recently(SciFi-HD,USA-HD,etc.) will be added to my area soon.
Don't know your area, but these are usually for other "packages" like Family Plan, Spanish Plan, etc. Groups those plans together. The channel is not sent more than once to your house, but is referenced to multiple channels so when the box is turned on it limits to channels it is authorized to. /Dan

TWC North Texas has had MTV HITS for years now (as well as MTV JAMS, MTV2 and MTV3). Would be nice if I could see the first season of THE REAL WORLD to be aired in HD in HD. But I've heard that TWC is going to go all-digital in North Texas so that likely means more HD channels (I hope).

TWC-MidOhio HD Lineup (as of 01/14/09):
700 HBO HDTV (Premium)
701 Showtime HD (Premium)
702 Cinemax HD (Premium)
703 Starz HD (Premium)
704 WCMH HD (NBC)
706 WSYX HD (ABC)
707 WOSU HD (PBS)
708 WTTE HD (Fox)
710 WBNS HD (CBS)
713 WWHO HD (CW)
714 CNN HD
715 Fox News Channel HD
717 CNBC HD
722 ESPN News HD
723 ESPNU HD
725 MLB Network HD
740 Travel Channel HD
743 BIO HD
744 Bravo HD
747 FX HD
748 Hallmark Movie Channel HD
749 LifetimeMovieNet HD
750 HD Theater
751 TNT in HD
752 Sports Time Ohio HD
753 FSN Ohio HD
754 Versus HD
755 FSN Ohio HD Alternate
756 SPEED HD
757 Big Ten Network HD
758 The Golf Channel HD
759 TBS in HD
760 USA HD
761 National Geographic HD
762 Discovery Channel HD
763 Science Channel HD
764 Animal Planet HD
765 TLC HD
766 A&E HD
767 History HD
768 HGTV HD
769 Food Network HD
770 Disney HD
771 Disney XD HD
772 ABC Family HD
773 Sci Fi HD
774 Palladia HD
775 MGM HD (Gold pkg)
777 HDNet (Gold pkg)
778 HDNET Movies (Gold pkg)
780 Universal HD (Gold pkg)
785 ESPN-HD
786 ESPN2-HD
795 HD Showcase On Demand
796 Big Ten Network HD On Demand
799 HD Movies On Demand
322 iN Demand Event 1 HD
401 Adult On Demand HD

Is there anybody whose system has SDV and has been having horrible transmission problems? TWC San Diego has had horrible macroblocking issues making many of the HD channels unwatchable (HDNet, HDNet Movies, SciFi HD, etc.).

I'm just trying to see if this issue is local to us or is it happening on other systems.

TWC-MidOhio HD Lineup (as of 01/14/09):
700 HBO HDTV (Premium)
701 Showtime HD (Premium)
702 Cinemax HD (Premium)
703 Starz HD (Premium)
704 WCMH HD (NBC)
706 WSYX HD (ABC)
707 WOSU HD (PBS)
708 WTTE HD (Fox)
710 WBNS HD (CBS)
713 WWHO HD (CW)
714 CNN HD
715 Fox News Channel HD
717 CNBC HD
722 ESPN News HD
723 ESPNU HD
725 MLB Network HD
740 Travel Channel HD
743 BIO HD
744 Bravo HD
747 FX HD
748 Hallmark Movie Channel HD
749 LifetimeMovieNet HD
750 HD Theater
751 TNT in HD
752 Sports Time Ohio HD
753 FSN Ohio HD
754 Versus HD
755 FSN Ohio HD Alternate
756 SPEED HD
757 Big Ten Network HD
758 The Golf Channel HD
759 TBS in HD
760 USA HD
761 National Geographic HD
762 Discovery Channel HD
763 Science Channel HD
764 Animal Planet HD
765 TLC HD
766 A&E HD
767 History HD
768 HGTV HD
769 Food Network HD
770 Disney HD
771 Disney XD HD
772 ABC Family HD
773 Sci Fi HD
774 Palladia HD
775 MGM HD (Gold pkg)
777 HDNet (Gold pkg)
778 HDNET Movies (Gold pkg)
780 Universal HD (Gold pkg)
785 ESPN-HD
786 ESPN2-HD
795 HD Showcase On Demand
796 Big Ten Network HD On Demand
799 HD Movies On Demand
322 iN Demand Event 1 HD
401 Adult On Demand HD

If we had Navigator on new equipment and this HD lineup, I wouldn't even be conidering DirecTV.

Is there anybody whose system has SDV and has been having horrible transmission problems? TWC San Diego has had horrible macroblocking issues making many of the HD channels unwatchable (HDNet, HDNet Movies, SciFi HD, etc.).

I'm just trying to see if this issue is local to us or is it happening on other systems.

No problems like that here in Austin with SDV - assuming that you have a good S/N ratio.

xnappo

Nice lineup for Mid-Ohio...wish we had the same in NE Ohio (however, we do get a choice between Cleveland and Youngstown OTA channels, which sometimes comes in handy).
Apparently not much extra bandwidth (or incentive?) here to add more channels.

Is there anybody whose system has SDV and has been having horrible transmission problems? TWC San Diego has had horrible macroblocking issues making many of the HD channels unwatchable (HDNet, HDNet Movies, SciFi HD, etc.).

I'm just trying to see if this issue is local to us or is it happening on other systems.

What I believe to be SDV problems in the southwestern Ohio area as well. Horrible macroblocking, picture freezing and total picture/audio dropouts on the recently added HD channels. MGM-HD and Palladia are unwatchable. Customer "service" rebooted my box and when the problems immediately returned told me to "have a good day".

If it wasn't for Roadrunner I would have already switched to D*. I am now researching my options for high speed internet so I can dump TW totally.

What I believe to be SDV problems in the southwestern Ohio area as well. Horrible macroblocking, picture freezing and total picture/audio dropouts on the recently added HD channels. MGM-HD and Palladia are unwatchable. Customer "service" rebooted my box and when the problems immediately returned told me to "have a good day".

If it wasn't for Roadrunner I would have already switched to D*. I am now researching my options for high speed internet so I can dump TW totally.

Why not just keep Roadrunner and dump the Video Package? That's what I plan on doing if there isn't a significant improvement by the time Spring comes and the weather breaks. I plan on keeping my RoadRunner and possibly my digital phone because those two services have performed flawlessly for the last 3+ years. Now, it's going to cost about $20 more a month to it this way, but DirecTV is making continuous strides with it's service while Time Warner stagnates or moves backwards. If I have to, I could switch to Vonage and save some money on the phone.

Problem is Time Warner has software that was outdated in 1984 and hardware that just can't compete. These couples with the lack of high demand HD channels is just pushing me further and further away.

If we had Navigator on new equipment and this HD lineup, I wouldn't even be considering DirecTV.
Ben, be sure you take a good look at DishNetwork before you jump to DirectTV. I tried out DirecTV last week and was not impressed with their DVR, guide, and remote control, so I canceled it a day after installation. Personally, I think Dish has far better equipment and software. Direct currently does have a few more HD channels than Dish, but only a few major ones (be sure to compare their lineups and packages based on your own preferences). Direct has some great offers for new customers, but Dish has some even greater new customer offers coming 2/1/09 (announced at CES, with details coming soon).

Nice lineup for Mid-Ohio...wish we had the same in NE Ohio (however, we do get a choice between Cleveland and Youngstown OTA channels, which sometimes comes in handy).
Apparently not much extra bandwidth (or incentive?) here to add more channels.
Columbus has a little more direct competition than many cities. In addition to Dish and Direct, and AT&T uVerse, there's also WOW cable overlapping TWC service areas. Wherever there's competition, I'm sure you'll see more HD from TWC sooner rather than later.

Thanks for posting the channel list over here in this forum, Nicholc2. I handn't yet had a chance. For anyone who wants to see the rest of the original post that the list came from, it's over in the Columbus, OH HDTV thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15552826


My Equipment:
Philips 42" LCD HDTV (model 42PF9831D/37)
Time Warner Cable SA8300HD-DVR connected via component cables (MDN Navigator 2.4.1-108)
Dish Network ViP722 HD-DVR connected via HDMI cable (TurboHD-only Silver-Package)

I have extensively compared the two. I concur that Dish smokes Direct with equipment and software. However, Dish has a crappy VOD lineup, no online programming/setup/DVR options and significant install issues for my app. (IE: multiple drops, backfeeding, etc. whereas D* has SWM one wire solutions). The bottom line however is programming. Right now, D* lacks only TravelHD for me and I'm sure they will have it soon enough. I'm giving Time Warner a bit to see what they do, but I'm far from optimistic at this point.

I just moved up from standard cable to TW Austin's digital package. I received my first bill today and it's much higher than I was led to believe. TW doesn't seem able to explain the discrepancy so maybe someone here understands the billing.

According to the TW Austin website, unbundled digital cable is supposed to cost $51.99/mo. There is also some sort of "Digital Service" pkg listed ("149 channels") that is an additional $6.99. A CableCARD (which I have in lieu of a set top box) is $2.99/mo. So, I'm thinking that my bill should be $51.99 + $2.99 = $54.98 (plus taxes/fees). Instead, the Digital service is shown as $63.02 and neither the chat folks or a call to TW can explain this discrepancy. Before I pull the plug & go back to standard service (I can't get some HD channels like FX, Bravo, and USA that I really want anyway) perhaps someone else has dealt w/ this and understands the digital cable pricing.

I just moved up from standard cable to TW Austin's digital package. I received my first bill today and it's much higher than I was led to believe. TW doesn't seem able to explain the discrepancy so maybe someone here understands the billing.

According to the TW Austin website, unbundled digital cable is supposed to cost $51.99/mo. There is also some sort of "Digital Service" pkg listed ("149 channels") that is an additional $6.99. A CableCARD (which I have in lieu of a set top box) is $2.99/mo. So, I'm thinking that my bill should be $51.99 + $2.99 = $54.98 (plus taxes/fees). Instead, the Digital service is shown as $63.02 and neither the chat folks or a call to TW can explain this discrepancy. Before I pull the plug & go back to standard service (I can't get some HD channels like FX, Bravo, and USA that I really want anyway) perhaps someone else has dealt w/ this and understands the digital cable pricing.

The numbers you gave add up to $61.97, not $54.98 (I think you omitted the $6.99). Customer support, and the internet channel guide, should be able to show you what is included in the extra $6.99 package.

Sorry, I didn't state the case/problem well enough. The price I expected to pay was $51.99 + $2.99 for a total of $54.98. Instead, I'm charged $63.01 + $2.99 for CableCARD (forgot that in the original post) which doesn't seem to be related to anything. If you throw in the $6.99 package (whatever that is for - I guess it may be the digital channels beyond 2-78), you still only get to $61.97 (as you pointed out) plus another $2.99 for CableCARD. On standard analog service I was paying $40 and didn't need a CableCARD. Granted I'm not getting the digital channels but there's little that I watch on those anyway. I wanted to get HD for more than just the local channels but now notice that I can't get USA, Bravo, FX, and others in HD anyway.

Anyway, I'll wait and see if someone @ TW can figure out my billing.

The numbers you gave add up to $61.97, not $54.98 (I think you omitted the $6.99). Customer support, and the internet channel guide, should be able to show you what is included in the extra $6.99 package.

Figuring out a TWC cable bill, especially if you're bundling in other services like Internet access or phone, actually is rocket science. In fact, I have a friend who's an actual rocket scientist and he's just as confused as the rest of us. :p :(

If it wasn't for Roadrunner I would have already switched to D*. I am now researching my options for high speed internet so I can dump TW totally.

Ah, that's a major run for many in going satellite. One can stay with RR, but expect to pay close to 60/mo (for those paying 45, there a 15 buck jump if it the ONLY service from TWC). For most of us, the only other option is DSL... but that's a 3 Mb/s down service, which is considerably slower than RR (at 10 Mb/s, or up to 20 with turbo boost).

Ah, that's a major run for many in going satellite. One can stay with RR, but expect to pay close to 60/mo (for those paying 45, there a 15 buck jump if it the ONLY service from TWC). For most of us, the only other option is DSL... but that's a 3 Mb/s down service, which is considerably slower than RR (at 10 Mb/s, or up to 20 with turbo boost).

It is crazy that broadband service at cable-modem speeds is so expensive here in the U.S., birthplace of the Internet, than anywhere else in the modern world. Europe, Japan, Korea...heck, probably Australia too, have much faster speeds at much less cost. It's these local monopolies they give as payback for the infrastructure investment that account for these high fees, with no real competition, that we're forced to pay to access the Internet.

Know what I'd like to see with the bailout money if we didn't need to bailout anybody? Or as part of a New Deal like stimulus package? A nationwide effort to lay buried fiber-optic lines everywhere the density would allow it. Then, companies could offer real competition and rates would fall drastically. I believe there will be a correlation in the future of countries who have their populations tied together with cheap and reliable broadband and success in the new information-age economies, versus those who don't - a technological access gap, if you will. I hate to think we'll be on the wrong end of that equation, but it seems inevitable under the present model.

Sorry, I didn't state the case/problem well enough. The price I expected to pay was $51.99 + $2.99 for a total of $54.98. Instead, I'm charged $63.01 + $2.99 for CableCARD (forgot that in the original post) which doesn't seem to be related to anything. If you throw in the $6.99 package (whatever that is for - I guess it may be the digital channels beyond 2-78), you still only get to $61.97 (as you pointed out) plus another $2.99 for CableCARD. On standard analog service I was paying $40 and didn't need a CableCARD. Granted I'm not getting the digital channels but there's little that I watch on those anyway. I wanted to get HD for more than just the local channels but now notice that I can't get USA, Bravo, FX, and others in HD anyway.

Anyway, I'll wait and see if someone @ TW can figure out my billing.

Did you consider all the taxes and franchise fees in your original estimate of $54.98 total, or are they excluded from both the estimated and actual bill? Also, does your first bill include just one month of service, or are there any pro-rated days added to the bill based on the billing date versus the billing term? If you changed your service level in the middle of a billing term, the various adjustments on the first bill after the changes normally includes pro-rated adjustements. You should see a simpler bill the following month.

What I believe to be SDV problems in the southwestern Ohio area as well. Horrible macroblocking, picture freezing and total picture/audio dropouts on the recently added HD channels. MGM-HD and Palladia are unwatchable. Customer "service" rebooted my box and when the problems immediately returned told me to "have a good day".

If it wasn't for Roadrunner I would have already switched to D*. I am now researching my options for high speed internet so I can dump TW totally.


I had the same problem when they added some HD channels last year in Columbus, OH. After several calls and three visits by TWC techs, I got someone who knew what to do. He cleaned and redid the cable ends at the box out in my yard, where the cable comes into my house and at my settop box. He also checked all my other connections including splitters to make sure they were correct. PQ has been pretty good since then including the recent update of all the new HD channels added the last two months.

Don't know if this helps but might be worth a try.

Also, does your first bill include just one month of service, or are there any pro-rated days added to the bill based on the billing date versus the billing term? If you changed your service level in the middle of a billing term, the various adjustments on the first bill after the changes normally includes pro-rated adjustements. You should see a simpler bill the following month. This is a good point. Remember they charge in advance, so there may have been some correction (additions) to last month + the new future month's rate. /Dan

edit: I see by your pricing chart that the $51.99 does include digital services, so you do not figure in the $6.99. Before taxes/fees a regular month should be $51.99 + $2.99 since you are not renting a box nor have DVR service.

The figures I quoted for both before and after prices where w/o taxes & fees and also were not part of the pro-rated portion of the bill (I actually understood the pro-rating they did)!

I have since determined that $51.99 is the charge for the digital equiv of standard analog cable, i.e. channels 2-76. There is then an additional charge (aka "Digital Service" or "Digital Tier") of $6.99 to get the ~149 digital channels from 101 on up which includes the HD content. Of course, $51.99 + $6.99 = $58.98, not $63.01 so they still can't tell me where that extra $4.03 comes from.

Anyway, I've decided to drop back to my previous analog "standard" package which was at a special rate of $40/mo. TW Austin doesn't yet have Bravo HD, USA HD, FX HD, and several others and so it's not worth > $20/mo. more to get a lot of duplicate digital channels and some additional HD content which often isn't really in HD.

BTW, so much for "Free HD" since to get the HD channels you have to pay the $6.99 for the Digital Tier which means that HDTV costs $58.98 plus a CableCARD or DVR or digital set top box fee. That's pretty much the same as U-verse's U200 package at $59 + $10 for HD and that includes a DVR and the HD channels I'm missing on TW. (It's not clear whether you have to sign up for an Internet package or not as it lets me initially price it w/o Internet.)

This is a good point. Remember they charge in advance, so there may have been some correction (additions) to last month + the new future month's rate. /Dan

edit: I see by your pricing chart that the $51.99 does include digital services, so you do not figure in the $6.99. Before taxes/fees a regular month should be $51.99 + $2.99 since you are not renting a box nor have DVR service.

I'm going to check with Time Warner on this one anyway, but figured I'd ask here so I'm armed with some knowledge. I have an HDTV/digital converter box through Time Warner (basic digital + HD package). How much extra does an HD DVR cost? I know it varies from market to market, but do you pay an additional $7.99 or $9.99 or whatever on top of your current bill, or does that per month charge replace whatever you're currently paying per month for the digital/HD/box service (say, $5.99)?

I'm going to check with Time Warner on this one anyway, but figured I'd ask here so I'm armed with some knowledge. I have an HDTV/digital converter box through Time Warner (basic digital + HD package). How much extra does an HD DVR cost? I know it varies from market to market, but do you pay an additional $7.99 or $9.99 or whatever on top of your current bill, or does that per month charge replace whatever you're currently paying per month for the digital/HD/box service (say, $5.99)?

Yes you will pay more. I rent an HD STB and a HD DVR from TWC and the lease fees are identical. But, you will also be charged a DVR Service fee, which on my bill is $10/month.

I received the following response from TW. Apparently they do not keep their website prices current w/ what they are actually charging as basic digital service is now $56.02 rather than the $51.99 listed on the website. That brings the price to $63.01 which is what I was billed for. I wonder if this stealth price increase has anything to do w/ their recent settlements w/LIN and Viacom.

They also bumped by Earthlink Internet access from $39.95 to $44.95 w/o notice even though Earthlink says the price is now $41.95.

"With many of our operating costs escalating, we must adjust the prices of some of our services.
Programming costs continue to be the largest contributor to rate increases. We pay fees to
programmers so that we can offer their programming on our system, and those fees have been rising
dramatically every year, especially for sports and broadcast programming. Like all businesses, we
also are experiencing higher costs associated with doing business.

Below is the price for your Digital service:
BASIC 14.95
NEW STANDARD 41.07
DIGITAL 6.99
CABLECARD 2.99

We value you as a customer."

The figures I quoted for both before and after prices where w/o taxes & fees and also were not part of the pro-rated portion of the bill (I actually understood the pro-rating they did)!

I have since determined that $51.99 is the charge for the digital equiv of standard analog cable, i.e. channels 2-76. There is then an additional charge (aka "Digital Service" or "Digital Tier") of $6.99 to get the ~149 digital channels from 101 on up which includes the HD content. Of course, $51.99 + $6.99 = $58.98, not $63.01 so they still can't tell me where that extra $4.03 comes from.

Anyway, I've decided to drop back to my previous analog "standard" package which was at a special rate of $40/mo. TW Austin doesn't yet have Bravo HD, USA HD, FX HD, and several others and so it's not worth > $20/mo. more to get a lot of duplicate digital channels and some additional HD content which often isn't really in HD.

BTW, so much for "Free HD" since to get the HD channels you have to pay the $6.99 for the Digital Tier which means that HDTV costs $58.98 plus a CableCARD or DVR or digital set top box fee. That's pretty much the same as U-verse's U200 package at $59 + $10 for HD and that includes a DVR and the HD channels I'm missing on TW. (It's not clear whether you have to sign up for an Internet package or not as it lets me initially price it w/o Internet.)

I posted my bill here:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/343/satellitecomparisonwb5.gif

They also bumped by Earthlink Internet access from $39.95 to $44.95 w/o notice even though Earthlink says the price is now $41.95.


On the local (to me) TWC Carolinas site, they indicate that the normal price for Earthlink is $49.95.

On the local (to me) TWC Carolinas site, they indicate that the normal price for Earthlink is $49.95.

Mine is 41.95 TWC Carolinas.

Monthly Service Charges
12/22-01/21 HD DVR PACKAGE 19.90
12/22-01/21 HD DVR PACKAGE 19.90
12/22-01/21 HD TIER 6.95
12/22-01/21 EARTHLINK HIGH SPEED INT 41.95
88.70
Taxes and Fees
FRANCHISE FEE 1.40
SALES TAX 2.89
4.29

Here is mine from TWC Cary

$114.90 Digipic 1000 - Includes 1 Digital Box + Roadrunner
$39.95 Digital Phone with RR and Digital Cable
$6.95 HD Suite

$8.98 1 Additional Digital Boxes @ $7.55 + $1.43 Digital Tier = $8.98
$10.95 1 Upgrade Digital Box to DVR @ $10.95
$11.79 3 Cablecards @ $2.50 + $1.43 Digital Tier
__________
$193.52 PRETAX $6.98 Raise from December

Mine is in Greensboro. The box rental is $7.00 + some remote fee (< 50 cents) + $9.95 for DVR service.

I wonder if any two of us are actually paying the same price for cable service. TW Austin lists ala carte pricing in at least two places and they are very different.
http://www.timewarnercable.com/centraltx/Products/pricing/austin.html is what you see from the main page if you want to price unbundled services. However, the prices listed on page 2 of the Channel Lineup document at
http://www.timewarnercentral.com/austin.pdf
are entirely different.

TWC San Diego's legal notice has changed. Just 1 more HD channel and thats E! HD. That will probably go SDV. The MDN diag screen shows some analogs as possible SDV frequencies. It looks like TWC San Diego will reduce the analogs in order to add more HD channels. KUSI HD and XHDTV-DT/TDT will probably be added as future HD channels.

I'm going to check with Time Warner on this one anyway, but figured I'd ask here so I'm armed with some knowledge. I have an HDTV/digital converter box through Time Warner (basic digital + HD package). How much extra does an HD DVR cost? I know it varies from market to market, but do you pay an additional $7.99 or $9.99 or whatever on top of your current bill, or does that per month charge replace whatever you're currently paying per month for the digital/HD/box service (say, $5.99)?

The equipment rental costs are absurd with TWC. They advertise as being better than satellite because you don't have expensive equipment to buy, but we have 2 HD DVR's and pay nearly $40/month just in box/DVR fees. We had a third, but it was on a tv that we didn't watch that much so I dropped it. I was a forced convert to TWC (too many trees in the new house to get sat) and this is one of the things that drives me crazy.

The equipment rental costs are absurd with TWC. They advertise as being better than satellite because you don't have expensive equipment to buy, but we have 2 HD DVR's and pay nearly $40/month just in box/DVR fees. We had a third, but it was on a tv that we didn't watch that much so I dropped it. I was a forced convert to TWC (too many trees in the new house to get sat) and this is one of the things that drives me crazy.

I certainly don't disagree with this (and it would appear hear in Greensboro we may be luckier than many other markets), but one of the things that REALLY irks me about D* is that even though you are BUYING your own equipment they still charge a lease fee on every box after your first. Yes it's lower than TWC's fees, but WHAT?! If I OWN the box, what am I leasing?!

I certainly don't disagree with this (and it would appear hear in Greensboro we may be luckier than many other markets), but one of the things that REALLY irks me about D* is that even though you are BUYING your own equipment they still charge a lease fee on every box after your first. Yes it's lower than TWC's fees, but WHAT?! If I OWN the box, what am I leasing?!

you do not get to own boxes from D* anymore. you are paying a low cost lease fee on every box , even if there was no upfront cost. the cost is low if you sign up a long term lease. you will pay more if you do not sign up for a term ,but you never own their boxes anymore. If you stop their service , you then have to return the stb to them.

FWIW: TWC marketing is outdated ,and just as misleading as D*.

I think TWC's $9.99 per month charge for the box and the service of DVR is just. On the old passport software which was just good as TiVo previous generation, $10 is a piece of cake. With tivo you would have to pay $300 upfront for a similar box and $13 per month for same service. Plus if the box is messed up you can always return and get a new one from TWC.

I certainly don't disagree with this (and it would appear hear in Greensboro we may be luckier than many other markets), but one of the things that REALLY irks me about D* is that even though you are BUYING your own equipment they still charge a lease fee on every box after your first. Yes it's lower than TWC's fees, but WHAT?! If I OWN the box, what am I leasing?!

The "lease" fee from D* is only charged on additional receivers and is identical ($4.99) in price to what you would pay for the "additional receiver fee" on an owned receiver, they just call it different things. I would take the new box from D* over a previously used box from a shelf in a TWC office, but as of right now I don't really have a choice :p

I paid $99 upfront to DirecTV at the time of my original install for a set-top box upgrade (HR20). The HD-DVR box was $199. The box was used and I had to turn it in when I disconnected.

Call it what you want, but it smells like an equipment rental fee to me.

It's incredibly difficult to price compare cable TV rates... mostly because of the various bundle deals. Just one example... in my market, getting the HDNet channels (which are way worthwhile IMO) means a $9/mo fee. BUT if you pay $10/mo for a DVR, the additional cost is just 5 bucks ($15/mo).

Another complication is that it's true in my market and I assume elsewhere, there ARE "special" deals that do NOT involve the rate card. One gets them for a variety of reasons, I think for me it's that the few times I've complained to the franchising authority, I've done a through, well reasoned and written "complaint" that apparently got much better results than an angry, profanity strewn complaint might get.

Charlotte area is getting the NBC-Universal channels in HD on Feb. 13. I have really wanted USA in HD.

Now we just need the CBS/Viacom channels in HD and that's a solid lineup.

Charlotte area is getting the NBC-Universal channels in HD on Feb. 13. I have really wanted USA in HD.

Now we just need the CBS/Viacom channels in HD and that's a solid lineup.

CBS spun off Viacom. They are now two separate entities. The only thing common between the two are their majority shareholder, Summer Redstone.

As for any Viacom HD channels, the one Viacom HD channel that is offered in my DMA, the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville DMA, by my local Time Warner Cable division, is Palladia. We could use more.

CBS spun off Viacom. They are now two separate entities. The only thing common between the two are their majority shareholder, Summer Redstone.

As for any Viacom HD channels, the one Viacom HD channel that is offered in my DMA, the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville DMA, by my local Time Warner Cable division, is Palladia. We could use more.

Im told that Spike HD should be coming soon.

Im told that Spike HD should be coming soon.

Don't hold your breath too long... we were promised it on 12/17... then it was sometime in January, now it's not even on any actual schedule (I think they said it was "postponed until a future date")..

Charlotte area is getting the NBC-Universal channels in HD on Feb. 13. I have really wanted USA in HD.

Now we just need the CBS/Viacom channels in HD and that's a solid lineup.

Not quite. We still need FX-HD, where so many great original series reside, and that hasn't been announced. Not sure what the holdup is there since TWC has carried the NewsCorp channels since day 1.

Well, don't feel bad guys. TWC announced here that we'd be getting Fx, Fox News, Fox Business, and Speed HD back in November and nothing still!

These are the premium movie channels offered by TWC in KC...
1300 HBO East HD
1302 HBO 2 HD
1304 HBO Signature HD
1320 Cinemax HD East
1322 More Max HD
1340 Showtime HD
1342 Showtime 2 HD
1360 Starz HD East
1363 Starz Kids and Family HD
1390 TMC HD

Does any market have other premium sub-channels? Would like to see the other HBO/Max/Showtime themed channels, like HBO Zone HD.

Does any market have other premium sub-channels? Would like to see the other HBO/Max/Showtime themed channels, like HBO Zone HD.
Albany TWC premium HD channels:

1880 HBO East HD
1882 HBO West HD
1883 Cinemax East HD
1884 Cinemax West HD
1885 Showtime HD
1886 Showtime West HD
1887 Showtime 2 HD
1888 TMC HD
1890 Starz HD
1891 Starz West HD
1892 Starz Comedy HD
1893 Starz Kids and Family HD
1894 Starz Edge HD

I guess here's my take on the whole situation STB rentals.
Yes, it does suck paying for an extra fee to watch the channels you already get. However I think the pros outweigh the cons.
A)there is no upfront cost to lease the STB
B)if the STB breaks down, you can take the broken STB back to the cable company and switch it for free, also if there's a better STB that the cable company has down the line, that can also be swapped out at no extra fee.
C)with SDV coming down the line, the cable co's STB would already be ready to handle tru2way technology. Cable cards which TIVOs require can only handle unidirectional technology (I think thats whats its called).

With TIVO you'd would have to pay an upfront fee for the equipment, and if it breaks down (without a warranty or warranty contract) you're on the hook for a new TIVO.

I guess here's my take on the whole situation STB rentals.
Yes, it does suck paying for an extra fee to watch the channels you already get. However I think the pros outweigh the cons.
A)there is no upfront cost to lease the STB
B)if the STB breaks down, you can take the broken STB back to the cable company and switch it for free, also if there's a better STB that the cable company has down the line, that can also be swapped out at no extra fee.
C)with SDV coming down the line, the cable co's STB would already be ready to handle tru2way technology. Cable cards which TIVOs require can only handle unidirectional technology (I think thats whats its called).

With TIVO you'd would have to pay an upfront fee for the equipment, and if it breaks down (without a warranty or warranty contract) you're on the hook for a new TIVO.

According to a CableLabs CableCARD specification (http://www.cablelabs.com/specifications/OC-SP-CCIF2.0-I16-081114.pdf) I found, all CableCARDs are capable of two-way operation. What determines whether or not a device is one-way or two-way is the presence or absence of both a reverse transmitter in the host that the CableCARD can drive to handle cable plants that use a legacy two-way protocol, and a DOCSIS cable modem to handle cable plants that use DOCSIS Set-top Gateway.

The TiVo is capable of only unidirectional operation because it lacks a legacy transmitter and a DOCSIS cable modem. Why include them in a TiVo if it can not load the software that allows it to communicate with the cable plant (which would invariably overwrite the TiVo software with the cable plant's software and defeat the purpose of the TiVo software in the first place)?

You are just lucky that the Sherman Antitrust Act could have been used against Cisco, Motorola, and the cable companies if they did not develop tuning adaptors for unidirectional hosts to handle SDV. What allows tuning adaptors to work is that the cable company can load its software on them to allow them to do the communication with the cable plant on behalf of the TiVo or HTPC.

According to a CableLabs CableCARD specification (http://www.cablelabs.com/specifications/OC-SP-CCIF2.0-I16-081114.pdf) I found, all CableCARDs are capable of two-way operation. What determines whether or not a device is one-way or two-way is the presence or absence of both a reverse transmitter in the host that the CableCARD can drive to handle cable plants that use a legacy two-way protocol, and a DOCSIS cable modem to handle cable plants that use DOCSIS Set-top Gateway.

The TiVo is capable of only unidirectional operation because it lacks a legacy transmitter and a DOCSIS cable modem. Why include them in a TiVo if it can not load the software that allows it to communicate with the cable plant (which would invariably overwrite the TiVo software with the cable plant's software and defeat the purpose of the TiVo software in the first place)?

You are just lucky that the Sherman Antitrust Act could have been used against Cisco, Motorola, and the cable companies if they did not develop tuning adaptors for unidirectional hosts to handle SDV. What allows tuning adaptors to work is that the cable company can load its software on them to allow them to do the communication with the cable plant on behalf of the TiVo or HTPC.

Here is another nice resource on cablecards which also addresses the 'two way' situation.

http://www.opencable.com/primer/cablecard_primer.html

I believe that the Tuning Adapter was made possible by a 'deal' made between TiVo and the MSO's with TiVo defecting from the CEA position for DCR+ to the MSO's side in favor of <true2way> (with the modifications which provide for a TiVo mode of operation.. i.e. MSO doesnt control the UI).

My two TiVo's are ready for their TA's... hopefully very soon...

On Wednesday of this week, I came home to an anonymous, and unexpected box, sitting next to my garage with my name on it. I brought it inside, opened it up, and found inside a SDV adapter box (SA) compliments of TWC, as previously requested online, and in subsequent calls for service on my cablecards. I haven't hooked it up yet, as I don't have a Tivo, rather I have the Sony 500GB DVR. Will try to get it going this weekend, but I have a feeling its not gonna work with the Sony to see the SDV HD channels. Anyone else get one yet?

On Wednesday of this week, I came home to an anonymous, and unexpected box, sitting next to my garage with my name on it. I brought it inside, opened it up, and found inside a SDV adapter box (SA) compliments of TWC, as previously requested online, and in subsequent calls for service on my cablecards. I haven't hooked it up yet, as I don't have a Tivo, rather I have the Sony 500GB DVR. Will try to get it going this weekend, but I have a feeling its not gonna work with the Sony to see the SDV HD channels. Anyone else get one yet?

After searching online I saw that a number of other people in upstate NY (Syracuse area specifically), got these SDV adapters. It makes me wonder if maybe the reason TWC have not been adding more HD channels here is because they want to wait until these adpapters are passed out to their customers so they can receive new HD channels. Probably just wishful thinking, but I'm hoping more HD channels are on the way once the adapters are circulated. I just can't think of any other reason for TWC not to add more HD channels, when SDV is up and running and deals with the channels have been reached. I'm specifically waiting for USA-HD, SciFi-HD, FX-HD, and FoxNews-HD.

HD Showcase on Demand finally showed up on TWC San Diego, channel 777.

Any idea if TW will have a new HD box out anytime in the near future? That Slingbox 1TB Dish HD box is looking pretty sweet. The software on my 8240HDC is soooo sluggish, and it's annoying that I can't set a series to record at a certain time, only "new or record all". There are several shows that show up new on the tv guide but in reality are not, so I get the same show recorded 10 times a week wasting disk space. If I know a show I want to watch is on every Monday night at 9, why can't I tell it to record ONLY that viewing?!?!?!? :confused::mad:

Any idea if TW will have a new HD box out anytime in the near future? That Slingbox 1TB Dish HD box is looking pretty sweet. The software on my 8240HDC is soooo sluggish, and it's annoying that I can't set a series to record at a certain time, only "new or record all". There are several shows that show up new on the tv guide but in reality are not, so I get the same show recorded 10 times a week wasting disk space. If I know a show I want to watch is on every Monday night at 9, why can't I tell it to record ONLY that viewing?!?!?!? :confused::mad:

What software is on your HDC? My ODN 3.1.0.11 box does offers specific time slots to record, although it doesn't differentiate between Wednsday at 4pm and Thursday at 4pm. It apparently looks through its known schedule and lists all time slots, letting you pick one or all. I use it to record only the "live" 4:30p showing of NFL Live and not all the other "not-so-live" showings that repeat through the day.

Any idea if TW will have a new HD box out anytime in the near future? That Slingbox 1TB Dish HD box is looking pretty sweet. The software on my 8240HDC is soooo sluggish, and it's annoying that I can't set a series to record at a certain time, only "new or record all". There are several shows that show up new on the tv guide but in reality are not, so I get the same show recorded 10 times a week wasting disk space. If I know a show I want to watch is on every Monday night at 9, why can't I tell it to record ONLY that viewing?!?!?!? :confused::mad:
Can't you tell it to record a specific channel at a specific time on a specific day? And to repeat that recording weekly? That is what we do on the Motorola box when necessary.

Can't you tell it to record a specific channel at a specific time on a specific day? And to repeat that recording weekly? That is what we do on the Motorola box when necessary.

Nope... not with Navigator software, anyway. No manual recording setup at all. If you can't pick it out of the guide you ain't gonna record it. However, as I noted above, the latest versions of Navigator do allow specific time-slot selection.

If you're looking for a new HD DVR, the Samsung 3090 series is most likely in your future. TWC has an agreement to deploy those boxes in the future (instead of the Cisco/SA 855x series).

They support H.264 (MPEG-4) and can do widescreen IPG menus. If you're lucky, you'll get one with the bigger (320GB vs. 160GB) hard drive.

Of course, if you really want things your way, you'll most likely opt for the latest and greatest TiVo box that is out there.

Regarding the likely delay in the digital transition ...

The Senate has approved the bill delaying the mandatory transition. The House of Representatives has not yet voted on the bill. The President has already expressed his support and is sure to sign the bill if it comes to his desk.

The bill, however, simply delays the mandatory termination of analog TV broadcasts from February to June. It does not, however, prevent a broadcaster from sticking to the original February 17th schedule if they so desire. Broadcasters will not be REQUIRED to continue to transmit analog signals. The bill simply ALLOWS broadcasters to delay four months.

As for the impact on Cable TV subscribers - - nil. Cable TV providers have already promised to continue to provide analog versions of digital broadcasts for (I believe) three years after February 17th. There will NOT be any additional cable bandwith available by reason of the broadcast transition, as cable providers will still continue to provide subscribers with duplicate channels in both formats.

If you're looking for a new HD DVR, the Samsung 3090 series is most likely in your future. TWC has an agreement to deploy those boxes in the future (instead of the Cisco/SA 855x series).

They support H.264 (MPEG-4) and can do widescreen IPG menus. If you're lucky, you'll get one with the bigger (320GB vs. 160GB) hard drive.

Of course, if you really want things your way, you'll most likely opt for the latest and greatest TiVo box that is out there.

I wonder if the new Samsung boxes will have active firewire ports? (I know, who am I kidding? :rolleyes: ) Or, a working SATA port, like the SA8300's? What would really be great is if the new boxes would recognize and accept an expansion drive created on an 8300. Otherwise, I'm afraid they'll have to pry my 8300 from my cold, dead fingers.

I wonder if the new Samsung boxes will have active firewire ports? (I know, who am I kidding? :rolleyes: ) Or, a working SATA port, like the SA8300's? What would really be great is if the new boxes would recognize and accept an expansion drive created on an 8300. Otherwise, I'm afraid they'll have to pry my 8300 from my cold, dead fingers.

No matter what the hardware, the MSO can order them as they want... there sure could be ports on the box that either aren't supported in the software or they order them sans the boards (a 8300 I has a while ago had a punch out and a label for a FW port, but TWC bought them without the accompanying board, so the hole was blank).

I wonder if the new Samsung boxes will have active firewire ports? (I know, who am I kidding? :rolleyes: ) Or, a working SATA port, like the SA8300's? What would really be great is if the new boxes would recognize and accept an expansion drive created on an 8300. Otherwise, I'm afraid they'll have to pry my 8300 from my cold, dead fingers.

Spec sheet for Samsung SMT-H3090: http://www.samsung.com/us/system/consumer/product/2008/05/09/smt_h3090twc/SMT-H3090_080205.pdf

Unit is spec'd with 1394 and expansion drive capabilities. Whether TW orders them that way and/or activates them... that's another question.

Also shows an ethernet port for content sharing... not holding my breath waiting for TW to authorize that functionality.

Capabilities aside, I'd really just like to see the fugly silver monstrosity disappear from my equipment shelves, lol.

At the very minimum, I expect TWC to provide stable, functional, intuitive, and user-friendly hardware and software. Period.

What I want TWC to provide is a 'multi-room'/'whole-house' DVR with at least 3 HD tuners (preferrably 4 HD tuners) and a 500GB internal hard drive (preferrably 1TB) that's also removable and transferreable to a new box (so our recordings are not lost when the box fails or is replaced with a newer model.)

** I want to have DVR access in every room with a digital cable box, but I shouldn't have to pay additional DVR service fees for each additional room.

** I want to have plenty of storage space for many HD recordings without having to deal with an un-supported external hard drive. And, I don't want to lose my recordings when swapping out bad boxes or upgrading to newer equipment.

** I want to be able to record up to 3 or 4 different programs airing at the same time, since the networks always seem to put their best shows on against each other.

I know these improvements would add to the cost of the equipment, but I think TWC would find many customers like me that would be willing to pay a reasonable upgrade fee to get a box with more capacities than their standard boxes.

Guys this is going off topic. This thread is for HD programming and lineups in TWC markets, not for hardware. Box talk should be in the hardware forum.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=42

Guys this is going off topic. This thread is for HD programming and lineups in TWC markets, not for hardware. Box talk should be in the hardware forum.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=42

Thank you!

The House of Representatives has rejected the bill that would have delayed the digital broadcast transition. It appears the transition will happen on February 17, 2009, as previously scheduled.

The House of Representatives has rejected the bill that would have delayed the digital broadcast transition. It appears the transition will happen on February 17, 2009, as previously scheduled.

It's only on again until it isn't. :rolleyes:

The House will surely sqaubble a little while and then vote again. The Senate passed the bill unanimously. The House needed 2/3rds to pass it and came pretty close at 258 yays to 168 nays.

The House of Representatives has rejected the bill that would have delayed the digital broadcast transition. It appears the transition will happen on February 17, 2009, as previously scheduled.
The House defeated a motion to suspend the rules which would have allowed the delay to come to a vote without going through Committee first. The Committee can now make a recommendation and then the bill itself only requires a majority vote, not 2/3. Could happen pretty quickly.

But many stations will proceed on schedule anyway.

This whole thing is stupid. Its not gonna change anything really because stations aren't REQUIRED to continue the analog broadcasts. Most if not all will switch over cause of the cost of keeping both signals running and people still unprepared will still have no tv for four months.

Rob,

TWC did sign up for MoCA. The Samsung SMT-H3090 can be ordered with a 320 GB HDD and MoCA. MoCA would allow for a multi room DVR. It even supports DTCP and DLNA. All shows on the DVR are tied to that unit which is why you lose your shows when swapping a box. Even the shows on the eSATA drive is tied to that unit.

Rob,

TWC did sign up for MoCA. The Samsung SMT-H3090 can be ordered with a 320 GB HDD and MoCA. MoCA would allow for a multi room DVR. It even supports DTCP and DLNA. All shows on the DVR are tied to that unit which is why you lose your shows when swapping a box. Even the shows on the eSATA drive is tied to that unit.

So it's not sounding like I'm going to be getting what I want from TWC any time soon... color me surprised! :rolleyes:

The reason Congress might, still, postpone the mandated analog turn-off date is so that television stations and not Congress, must be blamed if somebody's tv set goes to "snow" on February 17th. ........... Neat, huh? ............ Does anyone doubt that a last minute postponment was planned a long time ago?

Just out of curiousity I looked it up.

Time Warner (and other cable operators) are required by the FCC to continue to provide analog versions of must-carry broadcast stations until 2012, when the FCC will again review the matter to determine if such carriage is necessary.

So ... for the next 3 years (at least) we will continue to have each local station carried in native digital HDTV, digital SDTV and analog SDTV. (By "SD" I mean "standard definition," not "switched digital.") This seems mighty wasteful to me.

It seems there may be a sudden wave of new HD channels the day the FCC lets TWC dump all analog and digital SD simulcasting. By 2012 there should be tons of new HD channels available to fill in the freed up bandwidth.

Just out of curiousity I looked it up.

Time Warner (and other cable operators) are required by the FCC to continue to provide analog versions of must-carry broadcast stations until 2012, when the FCC will again review the matter to determine if such carriage is necessary.

So ... for the next 3 years (at least) we will continue to have each local station carried in native digital HDTV, digital SDTV and analog SDTV. (By "SD" I mean "standard definition," not "switched digital.") This seems mighty wasteful to me.

It seems there may be a sudden wave of new HD channels the day the FCC lets TWC dump all analog and digital SD simulcasting. By 2012 there should be tons of new HD channels available to fill in the freed up bandwidth.

It depends on the market, but many cable systems see it as a distinct competitive edge to be able to continue to feed all of those legacy analog TV's out there without the need for any STB.

Customer's think twice before pulling the plug on cable if they know they would have to buy/lease some form of STB for all their TV's beyond the primary and maybe one more set.

I know I don't want to rent a cable box or a satellite STB for all of the 12 TV's I have in my house. I have only one STB in the whole house... all the other's are "just" 78 channels of analog.

Just out of curiousity I looked it up.

Time Warner (and other cable operators) are required by the FCC to continue to provide analog versions of must-carry broadcast stations until 2012, when the FCC will again review the matter to determine if such carriage is necessary.

So ... for the next 3 years (at least) we will continue to have each local station carried in native digital HDTV, digital SDTV and analog SDTV. (By "SD" I mean "standard definition," not "switched digital.") This seems mighty wasteful to me.

It seems there may be a sudden wave of new HD channels the day the FCC lets TWC dump all analog and digital SD simulcasting. By 2012 there should be tons of new HD channels available to fill in the freed up bandwidth.

That's about 10-12 channels at the most. Some smaller markets have even less OTA "must carry" services.

This is no excuse for having 60 some channels in the analog tier. On TWC NEO, we have MTV/MTV2, VH1/VH1 Classic, The Science Channel(from Discovery), Lifetime AND Lifetime Movies, QVC AND Jewelry Television AND HSN. It's ridiculous that now there would be multi-cast channels like this on analog only. And its new. Originally, MTV2, VH1CL, Science Channel, LMN used to be on the new digital tier when digital cable was new. We didn't have this many channels before Digital Cable, and many have existed for years. There's no reason viewers who won't fork over the $$ for a settop box should get the VIP treatment with 60+ channels, ON TOP OF must carry.

That's about 10-12 channels at the most. Some smaller markets have even less OTA "must carry" services.

This is no excuse for having 60 some channels in the analog tier. On TWC NEO, we have MTV/MTV2, VH1/VH1 Classic, The Science Channel(from Discovery), Lifetime AND Lifetime Movies, QVC AND Jewelry Television AND HSN. It's ridiculous that now there would be multi-cast channels like this on analog only. And its new. Originally, MTV2, VH1CL, Science Channel, LMN used to be on the new digital tier when digital cable was new. We didn't have this many channels before Digital Cable, and many have existed for years. There's no reason viewers who won't fork over the $$ for a settop box should get the VIP treatment with 60+ channels, ON TOP OF must carry.

Anybody who has followed the OTA digital transition has to realize what a colossal nightmare it would be for the cable ops to pull the plug on the analog cable connections, of which there are more of than any other kind of cable hookup.

Cable ops have endured the pain of going all digital in markets like NYC, but only because the pain caused by theft-of-service in those markets was even worse. More people were unhappy with needing boxes on all their outlets than were impressed with all the bandwidth available for more digital channels.

The cable ops have to balance the needs of all of their subscribers. You will see the analog/digital balance shift toward more digital as time progresses... as analog TVs go to the grave and tru2way devices roll into the market. But pulling the analogs cold turkey will not happen anytime soon in most markets.

This whole thing is stupid. Its not gonna change anything really because stations aren't REQUIRED to continue the analog broadcasts. Most if not all will switch over cause of the cost of keeping both signals running and people still unprepared will still have no tv for four months.

This has been 10 years in the making. I have no sympathy for those who are not ready. Are we suppose to wait until the very last person in the US is ready? There will always be a small percentage that will wait until the very last minute and then complain. Let their sets go to snow...

Just out of curiousity I looked it up.

Time Warner (and other cable operators) are required by the FCC to continue to provide analog versions of must-carry broadcast stations until 2012, when the FCC will again review the matter to determine if such carriage is necessary.

So ... for the next 3 years (at least) we will continue to have each local station carried in native digital HDTV, digital SDTV and analog SDTV. (By "SD" I mean "standard definition," not "switched digital.") This seems mighty wasteful to me.

It seems there may be a sudden wave of new HD channels the day the FCC lets TWC dump all analog and digital SD simulcasting. By 2012 there should be tons of new HD channels available to fill in the freed up bandwidth.

BUT: if a cable op changes EVERYTHING else to digital, they can drop the analog locals provided they provide the customer with a STB for those local channels. Comcast has already done this in several markets

This has been 10 years in the making. I have no sympathy for those who are not ready. Are we suppose to wait until the very last person in the US is ready? There will always be a small percentage that will wait until the very last minute and then complain. Let their sets go to snow...

IF I remember correctly, it was 1996 that congress approved the switch to digital, so it more like 12-13 years

Anybody who has followed the OTA digital transition has to realize what a colossal nightmare it would be for the cable ops to pull the plug on the analog cable connections, of which there are more of than any other kind of cable hookup.



There's no need to pull the plug on every analog channel. It should be a phased thing where unnecessary cable channels are removed, until 2012 when they may no longer be required to carry locals in analog.

There is no need for 60 some channels, along with the locals. Maybe cut that in half to 30 channels.

I wish they would do a full digital conversion like Bresnan did. Customers got one free converter and each additional one was only $.99 for their other analog sets. These were not full on digital set tops, but some inline basic analog converter.

There's no need to pull the plug on every analog channel. It should be a phased thing where unnecessary cable channels are removed, until 2012 when they may no longer be required to carry locals in analog.

There is no need for 60 some channels, along with the locals. Maybe cut that in half to 30 channels.

There's no need for anything but HD channels, a STB could convert them to low-def 4x3, a TV with a QAM tuner can do the same.

I completely agree that there should only be HD versions carried of all digital channels that are available as HD feeds. Duplicate carriage of digital channels is an even more egregious waste of bandwidth than duplicate analog carriage. Even though analogs use more bandwidth, at least they provide a unique benefit to a still large portion of the cable op's customers. An STB is required to carry any digital network, SD or HD, so there is no inconvenience to the customer to issue only HD boxes delivering HD programs to both SD and HD televisions.

Here in Charlotte, there are at least 31 networks carried in both SD & HD digital versions. On average, dropping those 31 digital SD dups would allow 10 more HDs without inconveniencing anyone.

I agree. I also think that channels that are required to exist in analog (ie LOCALS) should NOT be simulcast in SD digital. That's wasting some bandwidth, although they're usually packed in.

Right now, things are taking a step in the right direction as a consequence of the OTA DTV conversion. Since analog OTA channels are being killed on 2/17/09, cable systems have to use the HD/digital channels as the source. We already have this on a few channels(with the rest to follow soon). The picture on FOX and the CW looks better than it ever did as an analog source feed. The same thing has happened to PBS.

Cable networks need to follow a similar route. Like USA only sends USA HD to the cable operator, where it is downconverted for SDTV in house. Plus, the use of center-cutting makes stretchovision impossible, since it would make no sense to cut the sides off a stretched 4x3 picture.

Guys...

Right now Time Warner NYC has cleared out many analog channels (we still have about 30 locals (OTA networks + local government + cable access) plus some randoms like Food Network).

With the current setup, we have over 90 HD channels and plenty of room for more. There is no need to worry about 'wasted space' for the leftover SD channels being carried in both analog and digital format, nor is it an issue that HD and SD digital channels both exist.
(unless they want to go to 2 HD channels per QAM freq instead of 3.... which would improve quality of a bunch of the HD channels somewhat)


EDIT: I should also mention - no SDV here

Understood, but the impetus behind that move was primarily the staggering levels of theft of service they were experiencing, and it was not particularly well received when implemented. TW made the best they could of it by publicizing the crap out of the huge HD rollout and you luckily got to enjoy it... but that will not happen in the same way industry-wide anytime soon.

For the time being, the competitive advantage of feeding millions and millions of analog TVs without a box still has a large value to the cable ops. As long as they can supply a reasonable amount of HD programming (and TW has a distinct advantage over other cable ops in this regard due to SDV), analog basic packages aren't going away the same way they did in NYC.

100 HD channels sounds good, but after 50 or so the level of demand for those channels diminishes. I have 28 - and will soon have 32 - "basic" HD channels here. Adding two or three more basic networks (FX, Science and Weather) plus the secondary HBO channels would pretty much cover all of my HD needs. This is on a cable system with a very large number of triplicated networks (almost all of the analog channels are duplicated in digital SD for those with digital STBs), that also carries virtually all of the local broadcast secondary feeds (which they are not required to carry). They actually have a pretty good balance of satisfying a broad range of customer needs.

Understood, but the impetus behind that move was primarily the staggering levels of theft of service they were experiencing, and it was not particularly well received when implemented. TW made the best they could of it by publicizing the crap out of the huge HD rollout and you luckily got to enjoy it... but that will not happen in the same way industry-wide anytime soon.

For the time being, the competitive advantage of feeding millions and millions of analog TVs without a box still has a large value to the cable ops. As long as they can supply a reasonable amount of HD programming (and TW has a distinct advantage over other cable ops in this regard due to SDV), analog basic packages aren't going away the same way they did in NYC.

100 HD channels sounds good, but after 50 or so the level of demand for those channels diminishes. I have 28 - and will soon have 32 - "basic" HD channels here. Adding two or three more basic networks (FX, Science and Weather) plus the secondary HBO channels would pretty much cover all of my HD needs. This is on a cable system with a very large number of triplicated networks (almost all of the analog channels are duplicated in digital SD for those with digital STBs), that also carries virtually all of the local broadcast secondary feeds (which they are not required to carry). They actually have a pretty good balance of satisfying a broad range of customer needs.

28 channels? I feel so sorry for you!!:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

If you lived where I live, you'd want to go on a "bashing analog TV sets with a baseball bat" mission. We have 10 national HD channels + the HDTV Tier + HBO/Cinemax/Showtime/STARZ = for a grand total of 18 national channels.

That's why I have no pity for the "analog freeloaders", who get to enjoy 60+ basic cable channels for a low monthly cost(without a box). While those of us who give a crap about our TVs and pay close to or above 100 a month get next to nothing.

What is totally Bass Ackwards about TWC is that, if they want more customers and money, they could make digital boxes cost $1.50 a month, and make everyone get one for each TV they want cable on. HELL, they could make them just $1 each, and they'd make more money than they are now. I think the only objection to multiple boxes is the fact they cost $7.65 each.

Luckily, SDV is being worked on as we speak, and there's a target date of late February/March for it to be deployed across the entire system. TWC has even updated their website stating that new HD channels are coming and there is promotional information about "Start Over". Although I "Start Over" won't be implemented until the entire area has Navigator(which is required for Start Over) since some areas still have SARA.

28 channels? I feel so sorry for you!!:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

If you lived where I live, you'd want to go on a "bashing analog TV sets with a baseball bat" mission. We have 10 national HD channels + the HDTV Tier + HBO/Cinemax/Showtime/STARZ = for a grand total of 18 national channels.

That's why I have no pity for the "analog freeloaders", who get to enjoy 60+ basic cable channels for a low monthly cost(without a box). While those of us who give a crap about our TVs and pay close to or above 100 a month get next to nothing.

What is totally Bass Ackwards about TWC is that, if they want more customers and money, they could make digital boxes cost $1.50 a month, and make everyone get one for each TV they want cable on. HELL, they could make them just $1 each, and they'd make more money than they are now. I think the only objection to multiple boxes is the fact they cost $7.65 each.

Luckily, SDV is being worked on as we speak, and there's a target date of late February/March for it to be deployed across the entire system. TWC has even updated their website stating that new HD channels are coming and there is promotional information about "Start Over". Although I "Start Over" won't be implemented until the entire area has Navigator(which is required for Start Over) since some areas still have SARA.

SARA does support Start Over. San Diego has about 55 HD channels which is nice. If they add XHDTV HD, KUSI and E! HD then they would be close to 60 HD channels.

28 channels? I feel so sorry for you!!:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

If you lived where I live, you'd want to go on a "bashing analog TV sets with a baseball bat" mission. We have 10 national HD channels + the HDTV Tier + HBO/Cinemax/Showtime/STARZ = for a grand total of 18 national channels.

That's why I have no pity for the "analog freeloaders", who get to enjoy 60+ basic cable channels for a low monthly cost(without a box). While those of us who give a crap about our TVs and pay close to or above 100 a month get next to nothing.

What is totally Bass Ackwards about TWC is that, if they want more customers and money, they could make digital boxes cost $1.50 a month, and make everyone get one for each TV they want cable on. HELL, they could make them just $1 each, and they'd make more money than they are now. I think the only objection to multiple boxes is the fact they cost $7.65 each.

Luckily, SDV is being worked on as we speak, and there's a target date of late February/March for it to be deployed across the entire system. TWC has even updated their website stating that new HD channels are coming and there is promotional information about "Start Over". Although I "Start Over" won't be implemented until the entire area has Navigator(which is required for Start Over) since some areas still have SARA.

You ARE justified in bitching about your HD lineup, lol. Of course, my father and his neighbors just north of Charlotte have only NINE basic HDs (only 4 of 9 local OTA HDs, plus a mere 5 HD cable networks) in a municipally run system. The local gov't there "interceded" in the TW takeover of Adelphia and decided that they could do a better job than TW :rolleyes:. What's worse is that they charge their customers essentially the same amount as TW does. So... you could be MUCH worse off, lol. BTW, it appears that TW has done a reasonable job of bringing the rest of the Adelphia-acquired areas around here up to the standards set for the rest of the Charlotte market.

My point was that dropping analogs is not the only way to get a reasonable number of HD channels - a decent channel lineup of both can continue to coexist for a while. My other point (mostly in an earlier post) is that if they force everybody to take boxes for every outlet, they lose a very important distinction they have from satellite or Uverse. It does no good for a cable op to get an extra 2% of revenue from their analog-only customers if they lose 10% of their overall customer base because they removed one of the biggest reasons there is for an "average" customer not to jump ship.

Going back to my father's situation, I told him recently "I'm an old cable guy, but I would jump to satellite in a heartbeat if I was you with this crappy cable service." His answer... "No way... I don't want to deal with boxes on all the extra outlets." He's also getting ready to hang a 42" plasma down in the game room and he is fighting me tooth and nail when I tell him he will "need" an HD cable box. He insists that his crappy analog SD direct to the TV will be just fine. Whether folks like us like it or not, his attitude - not ours - is closer to the average person's.

I don't doubt that momentum will shift over time but, right now (and at least for the next five years), there will be no mass extinction of analog cable channels.

BTW, not many folks forking over ~$55/mo for analog service would consider themselves "freeloaders".

I don't know how many people on this thread are from my area, but I finally got a straight answer from TWC about new HD channels coming soon (Syracuse,NY). First, I received a flyer in the mail listing the following HD channels coming soon:

- Speed-HD
- USA-HD
- SciFi-HD
- FX-HD
- FoxNews-HD
- FoxBusiness-HD

I'm missing a couple here, but the flyer also said 10+ HD channels coming this Spring. I don't know if the listed channels are part of the 10+. So I called TWC to ask about these channels and they said they are waiting for the Digital Transition, before adding these channels. They said look for them in early March.

I'm thrilled to be getting these channels finally! I't been a long wait.

I don't know how many people on this thread are from my area, but I finally got a straight answer from TWC about new HD channels coming soon (Syracuse,NY). First, I received a flyer in the mail listing the following HD channels coming soon:

- Speed-HD
- USA-HD
- SciFi-HD
- FX-HD
- FoxNews-HD
- FoxBusiness-HD

I'm missing a couple here, but the flyer also said 10+ HD channels coming this Spring. I don't know if the listed channels are part of the 10+. So I called TWC to ask about these channels and they said they are waiting for the Digital Transition, before adding these channels. They said look for them in early March.

I'm thrilled to be getting these channels finally! I't been a long wait.

Dack, we have ongoing discussions about this HERE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15719553#post15719553)if you want to follow. I also have posted information on the upgrades TWC is making to our program guide software and other features. I won't reiterate everything here, but come join us.

Who confirmed this for after the transition? The digital transition has nothing to do with this. Did you talk to someone in the know or just a regular CSR?

Not sure what thread to post this in but the backlighting for my SA8300hdc remote control sometimes switches off if I accidentally put my laptop or something heavy on it. A month later, put something heavy on it and it switched on again. Happened again and now the backlighting is off.

Any idea what key sequence turns on/off backlighting for SA8300hdc remote control?

Nevermind, found the answer here..
http://www.urcsupport.com/images/uploaded_images/Atlas_OCAP_M1056.pdf

You press the Setup key twice to turn backlight off/on.

Hope this helps someone else out...

I don't know how many people on this thread are from my area, but I finally got a straight answer from TWC about new HD channels coming soon (Syracuse,NY). First, I received a flyer in the mail listing the following HD channels coming soon:

- Speed-HD
- USA-HD
- SciFi-HD
- FX-HD
- FoxNews-HD
- FoxBusiness-HD

I'm missing a couple here, but the flyer also said 10+ HD channels coming this Spring. I don't know if the listed channels are part of the 10+. So I called TWC to ask about these channels and they said they are waiting for the Digital Transition, before adding these channels. They said look for them in early March.

I'm thrilled to be getting these channels finally! I't been a long wait.


We're not getting the FOX channels when they finally add USA and SciFI HD's here in Charlotte on Feb 13th. I wonder why? FX-HD is a "must have" since they have so many outstanding original series. If they're rolling out the NBC Universal channels all over the country, why are they holding off on the FOX channels in those same markets, but adding them selectively?

We're not getting the FOX channels when they finally add USA and SciFI HD's here in Charlotte on Feb 13th. I wonder why? FX-HD is a "must have" since they have so many outstanding original series. If they're rolling out the NBC Universal channels all over the country, why are they holding off on the FOX channels in those same markets, but adding them selectively?

I'd like FX, too, but at least we've had SPEED (also a Fox network) for some time and upstate NY is just getting it now.

It appears that TW is adding channels in unison across all NC systems, so that may have something to do with it. Limitations in one system may possibly hold others back. We'll just have to keep looking at the upcoming changes web-page to see what's next. With what's been added over the past 6-7 months I can't complain too much. (But if I were to complain, I'd complain about Science Channel before FX, lol.)

I am also interested to see if high-viewership networks like USA and FX end up as SDV channels or if they relegate another (currently broadcast-mode) channel with lower viewership to SDV and put USA-HD and FX-HD on as full-time broadcast-mode channels. If somebody is always watching those networks there's not much to gain and a lot of SDV bandwidth to lose by putting such highly viewed networks on SDV. Of course, even if they moved the Tiddly-Winks channel to SDV somebody out there with a TIVO would start biotching, lol. I have noticed that many SD digital channels that pre-dated the SDV rollout have been since switched to SDV.

I'd like FX, too, but at least we've had SPEED (also a Fox network) for some time and upstate NY is just getting it now.

It appears that TW is adding channels in unison across all NC systems, so that may have something to do with it. Limitations in one system may possibly hold others back. We'll just have to keep looking at the upcoming changes web-page to see what's next. With what's been added over the past 6-7 months I can't complain too much. (But if I were to complain, I'd complain about Science Channel before FX, lol.)

I am also interested to see if high-viewership networks like USA and FX end up as SDV channels or if they relegate another (currently broadcast-mode) channel with lower viewership to SDV and put USA-HD and FX-HD on as full-time broadcast-mode channels. If somebody is always watching those networks there's not much to gain and a lot of SDV bandwidth to lose by putting such highly viewed networks on SDV. Of course, even if they moved the Tiddly-Winks channel to SDV somebody out there with a TIVO would start biotching, lol. I have noticed that many SD digital channels that pre-dated the SDV rollout have been since switched to SDV.

Cable systems are usually regulated at the city/county level. But recently (last year or so) NC passed legislation moving the regulation to the state level. ie- if you have a complaint you talk to Raleigh. Maybe this has something to do with the state wide rollouts.

Charlotte's programming is now run from the Greensboro "head end" now. This is why Charlotte, which was woefully behind the rest of the state in HD channels is now caught up (with the other NC markets I mean). Source (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15547162#post15547162) There has been a general "unification" of all TWC channel lineups in the state over the past few months. We may be in sync with South Carolina as well.

USA, SciFi, Bravo, CNBC HD will all be SDV channels in Greensboro/Charlotte per the TWC page which says:
The new services listed below cannot be accessed on CableCARD-equipped Unidirectional Digital Cable Products purchased at retail without additional, two-way capable equipment

TWC NYC just added:

IFC-HD
AMC-HD
WE-HD

TWC NYC now officially has 100 HD channels.

^^^Thanks for the HD list within the NYC TWC thread. Someone in the NYC RCN thread alphabetized all the channels and posted a one-pager listing them all. Printout comes in handy; (get both TWC/RCN, temporarily). Wonder if your NYC TWC Excel spreadsheet can be sorted similarly? Haven't scanned for IFC-HD in S. Manhattan yet...suppose we'll have to wait again. [Just checked, got IFC afterall!] -- John

Dack, we have ongoing discussions about this HERE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15719553#post15719553)if you want to follow. I also have posted information on the upgrades TWC is making to our program guide software and other features. I won't reiterate everything here, but come join us.

Who confirmed this for after the transition? The digital transition has nothing to do with this. Did you talk to someone in the know or just a regular CSR?

Thanks for the link BenJF. I talked to a regular CSR, but they didn't actually answer my question. They put me on hold to go find out the answer. I too was suprised when they stated the digital transition as the reason for waiting. I agree with you that it should have nothing to do with adding HD channels. My only guess would be that maybe they are concerned about getting a bunch of phone calls during that time, in case there are problems with the transition and if SDV has tech problems after adding the channels. That seems like a stretch though.

Thanks for the link BenJF. I talked to a regular CSR, but they didn't actually answer my question. They put me on hold to go find out the answer. I too was suprised when they stated the digital transition as the reason for waiting. I agree with you that it should have nothing to do with adding HD channels. My only guess would be that maybe they are concerned about getting a bunch of phone calls during that time, in case there are problems with the transition and if SDV has tech problems after adding the channels. That seems like a stretch though.
If I were the cable company I wouldn't make a change near the time of the digital cutover date. So many people are going to be confused enough with one change happening, even if it doesn't affect them, that there call volumes are likely to increase for a while. Second, they may get an increase in orders for new service or for adding more outlets, boxes or DVR's following the cutover.

As posted in the local TWCNYC thread by psychmon...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15746979#post15746979

Time Warner Cable to expand trial of Internet caps

NEW YORK - Time Warner Cable Inc. last year became the first major U.S. Internet service provider to charge customers extra if they exceeded a certain amount of data traffic every month. That trial run apparently went well, because the company said Wednesday that it will expand the test to other cities.

Many ISPs have imposed caps on how much their subscribers can download each month. Time Warner Cable broke from the pack by setting relatively low limits — for instance, 5 gigabytes for subscribers paying $30 a month — and then charging $1 for each gigabyte over that limit.

It takes thousands of e-mails and Web pages to reach a gigabyte of usage, but video and software downloads consume much more data. A DVD-quality movie is roughly 1.5 gigabytes.

Consumer advocates have criticized the caps, saying they could discourage people from using the Internet and could stifle online video as a competitor to cable TV.

Time Warner Cable spokesman Alex Dudley said his company's trial, in Beaumont, Texas, had shown that the system is capable of metering and billing accurately. It will soon be expanded to four more markets, for now undisclosed, to give the company a better understanding of how the system works.

The intent behind charging by the gigabyte is to have subscribers who use the Internet more pay for the upgrades necessary for the company to keep up with increasing traffic, Dudley said.

"It's clear to us that customers want online video, which requires substantial investment in the network," Dudley said. "We're willing to make that, and we're trying to find an equitable way to distribute the cost of that investment."

Dudley said a "small but vocal percentage" of users in Beaumont were unhappy with the amount of data they could use (the top tier is 40 gigabytes per month). The company plans to address that by introducing plans with larger monthly "buckets" of data, as well as cheaper ones for casual users.

Time Warner Cable is the third-largest ISP in the country, with 8.7 million subscribers. AT&T Inc., the largest ISP, late last year started experimenting with bandwidth caps of 60 to 150 gigabytes per month in Reno, Nev.
Comcast Corp, the second-largest ISP, has capped use at 250 gigabytes for everyone.

Among the top four ISPs, only Verizon Communications Inc. has no caps on its wireline broadband.

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090204/ap_on_hi_te/tec_techbit_internet_caps_1

I'm waiting for TWC to get more HD channels in Maine, we haven't seen any new ones in a long time.

Spike HD and Speed HD are the 2 I'm wanting more then any others.


Does anyone know the difference between the Explorer 8300HD and the 8300HDC?

I had to swap my old box (8300HD) in today and they gave me a new one which is the 8300HDC.........and now I'm just curious what the difference is between them.

Steve

Does anyone know the difference between the Explorer 8300HD and the 8300HDC?

I had to swap my old box (8300HD) in today and they gave me a new one which is the 8300HDC.........and now I'm just curious what the difference is between them.

SteveI would imagine that they are regional specific... but in my area, NYC, we have the 8300HD operating on Passport software. The 8300HDC utilizes the Mystro / Navigator crap.:rolleyes:

I prefer the Passport version.

The HDC gives you the ability to order HD movies On Demand (about 5 bucks per) and a couple of other useless interactive functions such as Start Up which allows you to start a show from the beginning-- but with no fast forwarding capabilities. The big disadvantages with the HDC box is that you don’t have a buffer on both tuners so you can’t bop back and forth between shows... Also... The box’s functions are brutally slow. The search function and guide are inferior too. This is just a quick comparison.:cool:

Does anyone know the difference between the Explorer 8300HD and the 8300HDC?

I had to swap my old box (8300HD) in today and they gave me a new one which is the 8300HDC.........and now I'm just curious what the difference is between them.

Steve

The 8300HD is the older of the two. The 8300 HDC is the same box with a CableCard. Most reports show the 8300HD to be the more stable of the two.


I would imagine that they are regional specific... but in my area, NYC, we have the 8300HD operating on Passport software. The 8300HDC utilizes the Mystro / Navigator crap.:rolleyes:

I prefer the Passport version.

The HDC gives you the ability to order HD movies On Demand (about 5 bucks per) and a couple of other useless interactive functions such as Start Up which allows you to start a show from the beginning-- but with no fast forwarding capabilities. The big disadvantages with the HDC box is that you don’t have a buffer on both tuners so you can’t bop back and forth between shows... Also... The box’s functions are brutally slow. The search function and guide are inferior too. This is just a quick comparison.:cool:


Not so, both boxes can perform the exact same functions regarding On Demand, Start Over, PPV, etc. The software (SARA, Passport, Navigator) is also not dependent on the box. While different version numbers might be required for the software, it is still downloaded or pre-installed by the cable company and will have similar functionality. Bottom line is they are both crap.

No they are not Tivo but neither do you have to buy them or buy upgrades to them. They are better than the HD8000 I swapped out a few years ago.

Charlotte's programming is now run from the Greensboro "head end" now. This is why Charlotte, which was woefully behind the rest of the state in HD channels is now caught up (with the other NC markets I mean). Source (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15547162#post15547162) There has been a general "unification" of all TWC channel lineups in the state over the past few months. We may be in sync with South Carolina as well.

USA, SciFi, Bravo, CNBC HD will all be SDV channels in Greensboro/Charlotte per the TWC page which says:

Your close with Greensboro, but it's actually the Raleigh Head-End. DWDM feed on Bigband networks gear.

Not so, both boxes can perform the exact same functions regarding .;) Gotcha, as I said, I would imagine that they are regional specific. The “new” features only function with the HDC box in the NYC market. I actually am comfortable with my 8300 Passport box. I handle the two tuners like an old west gunslinger. The only necessary improvement would be to increase the hard drive. :)

Losses Hit TW Cable

Basic Subs Dip, RGU Adds Slow: Layoffs Coming

by Mike Farrell -- Multichannel News, 2/9/2009 12:00:00 AM MT

In reporting third-quarter results last November, Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt warned that his company, the second-largest U.S. cable operator, was starting to see a “significant slowdown” in subscriber additions.

How significant? Time Warner Cable reported last Wednesday (Feb. 4) that it lost a net 119,000 basic-video customers in the fourth quarter, more than double the 50,000 shed in the same period in 2007. Even with Britt's warning, analysts had been expecting something in the range of 50,000 basic losses. TWC ended the year with about 14.6 million customers taking at least one service.

Britt's company also joined the roster of firms cutting back jobs amid the worst economic environment in decades. TWC said it planned to cut 1,250 employees in coming weeks to pare costs, a reduction of about 2.7% of the 46,000 employees it has overall, according to its corporate Web site.

Britt told analysts during a conference call that the company hopes any further cuts beyond those would come via normal job attrition, adding the company would monitor the situation closely.

Analysts had expected declines in subscriber growth as the recession gathers steam, and the fourth quarter was the first period to include the full impact of the stock market slide and resulting economic turmoil since September.

TWC's overall financial results were in line with most analysts' expectations, but in growth areas like digital telephone and high-speed Internet service, the company fell short of even the most conservative estimates. That could be read as a signal that cable might not weather the economic downturn as well as some had hoped — an outcome that will be watched as other big cable operators report results. Comcast, for example, is scheduled to report earnings on Feb. 18.

Time Warner added 175,000 revenue-generating units — combined voice, video and data subscribers — in the fourth quarter, one of its lowest tallies in years.

Citigroup cable analyst Jason Bazinet said in a note last week TWC's RGU growth missed his estimates by 64% and “raised questions.”

Bazinet said that despite Britt's earlier warning, “the sheer magnitude of the net add miss caught us by surprise. The actual net adds missed our estimates by a wide margin in every category: analog, digital, data and voice.”

Despite the fourth-quarter falloff, chief financial officer Rob Marcus said TWC actually lost fewer basic customers in 2008 (104,000) than in 2007 (144,000) and that there were indications of improvement. December, for example, was better than November, he said.

“As we have ramped [up] our marketing efforts, we are seeing continued improvement in the New Year and that is particularly true over the last several weeks,” Marcus said on the call. “To be sure, net adds are still dramatically below last year's levels but we are somewhat encouraged by the recent trends.”

Britt blamed the decline in subscribers partly on people who sever their cable connections and watch programming online for free.

Britt has been a vocal opponent of programmers that make their shows available online at no cost, yet charge cable operators a fee for running the same content on a cable system. That's a self-defeating system, he said.

“In other words, free wins,” Britt said. “If we don't have a customer, then the programmers don't get paid for the customer that we don't have anymore.”

Pali Research media analyst Richard Greenfield wasn't buying Britt's argument.

“Time Warner Cable's fundamental mistake has been milking ARPU for all it is worth, rather than capturing as many triple-play subscribers as they could have,” Greenfield wrote, referring to average revenue per unit. “Time Warner Cable never took the offensive, they waited for competition to arrive, then altered their marketing (greater discounts) and programming tactics (HD channel increases) to fend off the competition.”

Verizon Communications' major push into the New York City market — TWC's second-largest — could have been a contributing factor to the subscriber declines. The telco said last month it added 303,000 FiOS TV customers in the fourth quarter.

Actually, though, TWC has more exposure to AT&T and its U-verse video offering, which also is growing. TWC did not break out specific markets, but said telco video is now available in about 21% of its footprint, up from 18% at the end of the third quarter and 6% at the end of 2007. Chief operating officer Landel Hobbs said AT&T U-verse is “available to more than twice as many customers as Verizon,” adding “they have had a more significant impact.”

Hobbs said TWC has been responding aggressively where it needs to. He said TWC on average has about 57 HD channels available in its systems across the country. In New York City, where it faces a FiOS TV HD onslaught, it has about 100 HD channels available.

In 2009, TWC will add more HD, as well as focus on expanding Hispanic channel offerings, Hobbs said. He said TWC has made a best-of English and Spanish language digital package (Paquetazo) available in New York, Los Angeles and Texas, helping TWC grow its Hispanic subscribers in those areas by one-third.

It's also begun marketing campaigns in those key Hispanic markets and significantly increased TWC's brand awareness among Latinos in those areas.

Greenfield, though, said that reliance on Hispanic growth could cost TWC in retransmission-consent talks with Univision, particularly over local-news content from stations in key Hispanic markets. He downgraded TWC to “sell” from “neutral” on Feb. 5.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/173762-Losses_Hit_TW_Cable.php

Bravo HD is getting a statewide rollout in North Carolina on Time Warner Cable Friday (Feb. 13).

http://www.multichannel.com/article/174007-Time_Warner_Launches_Bravo_HD_In_N_C_.php

It's been running since the end of last week in test mode, along with SciFi HD, USA HD, & CNBC HD - at least here in Charlotte. Channels 1001-1004.

anyway i can see the channels in test mode?

anyway i can see the channels in test mode?

Not unless you are a TW Employee. They get the test channels authorized (at some do) for "internal testing". We have had about 6 "test" channels up for the past three weeks. The VP of Public relations said they should go live by March 1st. What they are remains to be seen, but I'm on a time table now because I might switch to DirecTV earlier than expected simply because I will lock in at the lower rate for one year.

anyway i can see the channels in test mode?

In Charlotte, when they put them up in "test mode" you won't find them just by scanning channels. You either have to know the channel and direct enter it or look through your favorite channel setup screen and they show up there (we typically have about a dozen channels that show up in the favorites list that don't show up anywhere else... some are active, some are not). If you add them as favorites then you can get to them as a favorite channel scan also. No guarantee that that they even have them up in your system, but take a peak at the favorites setup and see if they are listed there.

They do not show up in the guide, either, when in "test mode", but if you search for a program by keyboard search they will show up there... e.g. if I search for Burn Notice I'll get the same showing listed twice... once on 28 (regular USA SD channel) and then again on 1001 (USA HD test channel). You can also record the test programs when accessed this way even though they are not in the regular guide.

Happy Hunting! YMMV, lol.

Our test channels show right up in the guide but have no program information or channel designation. The call letters show up as test or tst with a number after it. IE: tst19. We don't have a viable search option so I can try looking that way.

hey jc, I tried both (punching the # in) and looking in favorites. Its still not there. Oh well. :(

hey jc, I tried both (punching the # in) and looking in favorites. Its still not there. Oh well. :(

Guess not in your system... it was worth a try.

Are they going to be SDV?

In NE Ohio, they're beginning SDV (supposed to be complete system wide by March) and last month there were many channels in the 800s and 900s range that were hidden from the guide, but showed up in searches(how I found them). From the diagnostics screen, they showed up as "ChannelName + SDV". Finally, they were moved to the normal locations and the non-SDV versions were deleted.

Also, the HDTV Tier went SDV, so they moved those to the 800s and even left one there. HD Net Movies was on 843 only until recently

Not unless you are a TW Employee. They get the test channels authorized (at some do) for "internal testing". We have had about 6 "test" channels up for the past three weeks. The VP of Public relations said they should go live by March 1st. What they are remains to be seen, but I'm on a time table now because I might switch to DirecTV earlier than expected simply because I will lock in at the lower rate for one year.

So you are still leaning towards DirectTV Ben? Once the new HD channels show up in March (USA-HD,FX-HD,SciFi-HD,FoxNews-HD,etc.) I will finally be satisfied with TWC's HD lineup. Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect. I have plenty of other reasons to complain about TWC, but the last time I checked DirectTv was quite a bit more expensive for an equivalent setup as TWC. Not to mention, the drop-outs during bad weather. I know DirectTv fans will say it's not that often, but I've been very lucky with TWC. I VERY rarely have any type of drop-put at all with TWC. Plus, can you image watching a big football game, knowing bad weather is rolling in, and worrying about the singnal cutting off? I just couldn't live with that.

Don't forget owning/paying for equipment. Same reason I won't go with Tivo.

So about SDV, when they start adding channels, they "test" them first? How long before they are permanently added do they test the channels? I'll have to keep my eyes open. Maybe I'll get lucky.

Don't forget owning/paying for equipment. Same reason I won't go with Tivo.

So about SDV, when they start adding channels, they "test" them first? How long before they are permanently added do they test the channels? I'll have to keep my eyes open. Maybe I'll get lucky.

In Charlotte, they put up the test channels a week, give or take a day, before going live. As discussed earlier in this thread, the test channels aren't listed in the channel guide and have to be accessed manually by punching in the channel numbers to your remote control.

;) I actually am comfortable with my 8300 Passport box. I handle the two tuners like an old west gunslinger. The only necessary improvement would be to increase the hard drive. :)

Dude, you haven't done that yet? :eek::confused: I've got nearly a terabyte now, and even that's halfway filled up. :p

In Charlotte, they put up the test channels a week, give or take a day, before going live. As discussed earlier in this thread, the test channels aren't listed in the channel guide and have to be accessed manually by punching in the channel numbers to your remote control.

Good to know. I've been checking up there every few days, since there were some channels there for a long time(since SDV was new). Now it appears our area has all the SDV channels in the original announcement on SDV, even HD channels are on SDV now. The only thing we're waiting for is a former Adelphia area to be upgraded to SDV.

I have a question about that: If anyone is on a former Adelphia now TWC system using SARA, did you get switched to Navigator before going SDV or did they activate SDV on SARA? I know the existing TWC system that was Passport already has Navigator(since Passport version didn't support SDV), but SARA supports SDV. The way it currently looks, almost all the Navigator areas across NE Ohio have SDV, but the SARA areas show no signs of SDV.

I was wondering about that because a TWC suit said that SDV "is supposed to be complete sometime in March". I know, statements from TWC need to be taken with a grain of salt, but that was a bold statement, as TWC is usually very very closed up about any changes---until they are about to happen.

I actually am comfortable with my 8300 Passport box. I handle the two tuners like an old west gunslinger. The only necessary improvement would be to increase the hard drive. :)

Enjoy it while it lasts. Very soon it's gonna be an 8300 Navigator box. It happened to us last year. :( But at least it opens the door for SDV, so I guess that's OK! :)

Are there any confirmed HD additions coming to TWC in New England?

Spike and Speed are the 2 I want, but nothing seems to be happening with them.

Steve

Enjoy it while it lasts. Very soon it's gonna be an 8300 Navigator box. It happened to us last year. :( But at least it opens the door for SDV, so I guess that's OK! :)The NY market has both systems, the Passport 8300 HD and the Crap-agtor 8300HDC. I have two of each (it’s a long story). I can’t stand the HDC.

Dude, you haven't done that yet? :eek::confused: I've got nearly a terabyte now, and even that's halfway filled up. :pI know, :o I guess I’m waiting for a more user-friendly system. Something like a recordable BluRay player that I could safely archive discs. I would hate to imagine having a situation where I have a terabyte or so of programming vanish for whatever bad luck reason that would inevitably befall me. :p

In Wilmington, the channels are: USA HD, 979; Bravo HD, 980; CNBC HD, 981; SciFi HD, 982.
But when you try them, you get the blue "is currently unavailable" screen.
I hope they come live on Friday -- I'd love to see Battlestar Galactica in hi-def.
I'm particularly glad to see Sci-Fi and USA coming.
Now if we could just get FX HD and AMC HD...

New channels coming - what happened to the link? Ever since the updated the website (to something that is far less efficient than it used to be), I can no longer find the programming information for channels on the horizon.

I'm in Greensboro, NC and remember seeing that a couple of new channels were scheduled to come online soon. One of them, Primetime on Demand, I couldn't find any information about. Now I can't even find the link to see if new channels have been added to the scheduled rollouts.

I have a question about that: If anyone is on a former Adelphia now TWC system using SARA, did you get switched to Navigator before going SDV or did they activate SDV on SARA? I know the existing TWC system that was Passport already has Navigator(since Passport version didn't support SDV), but SARA supports SDV. The way it currently looks, almost all the Navigator areas across NE Ohio have SDV, but the SARA areas show no signs of SDV.

I was wondering about that because a TWC suit said that SDV "is supposed to be complete sometime in March". I know, statements from TWC need to be taken with a grain of salt, but that was a bold statement, as TWC is usually very very closed up about any changes---until they are about to happen.



doesn't answer your specific question but we have SARA on time warner in hawaii and we have had SDV for a while now.

New channels coming - what happened to the link? Ever since the updated the website (to something that is far less efficient than it used to be), I can no longer find the programming information for channels on the horizon.

I'm in Greensboro, NC and remember seeing that a couple of new channels were scheduled to come online soon. One of them, Primetime on Demand, I couldn't find any information about. Now I can't even find the link to see if new channels have been added to the scheduled rollouts.

Here is the link for our area:
http://www.timewarnercable.com/centraltx/support/policies/channelchange.html

Perhaps yours is similar.

xnappo

New channels coming - what happened to the link? Ever since the updated the website (to something that is far less efficient than it used to be), I can no longer find the programming information for channels on the horizon.

I'm in Greensboro, NC and remember seeing that a couple of new channels were scheduled to come online soon. One of them, Primetime on Demand, I couldn't find any information about. Now I can't even find the link to see if new channels have been added to the scheduled rollouts.

If your website is anything similar to the Raleigh-Durham site, you will find it using this method.

On a JavaScript-enabled browser, make the mouse hover over the big "SUPPORT" button on the top. A menu will appear. Click on "Digital Cable" in that menu. After that, click on "Channel Change Information" below the "What's On TV" heading.

Thank you! I've been using Google Chrome for awhile now and it seems that some things simply don't work. I guess it isn't the TW website but my browser application I should've been complaining about. Using IE, I was able to get a menu when hovering over Support. With Chrome, I got nothing.

New channels coming - what happened to the link? Ever since the updated the website (to something that is far less efficient than it used to be), I can no longer find the programming information for channels on the horizon.

I'm in Greensboro, NC and remember seeing that a couple of new channels were scheduled to come online soon. One of them, Primetime on Demand, I couldn't find any information about. Now I can't even find the link to see if new channels have been added to the scheduled rollouts.
Our link to new programming also went completely away from the menus. I found it by searching our TWC website for "Programming Alerts" and it pops up top of the list. I am afraind since it is not in the support section or in any other location that it won't be maintained. /Dan

on a semi-related topic, I was told today TW here in SWohio is shipping me a settop box to replace my in set cable card since it won't pick up all the HD channels. I thought they had to offer CCard by law? Did I miss something?

I am trying to troubleshoot issues with certain HD channels for a friend in coastal Maine.
Time Warner customer. Problem is certain HD channels he subscribes are intermittently unavailable. I know someone else who had this problem solved by a box swap. A called a good friend - customer AV installer further north in Maine in TWC's service area who suggested checking signal strength in the setup menu. When I did this the signal strength varied depending on the channel. Analog channels were in the -6 to -9 range. Digital channels were in the -10 to -13 range. The "Channel Temporarily Unavailable" digital channels (like the Golf Channel) were all -12 to -13. This seems marginal to me for signal strength. The box has already been swapped once. Today the "cable guy" came when Pat was not home. He removed a Tripplite surge unit from the cable line and claimed this was the problem. Pat was not there to verify that this actually "solved" the problem. Previously I tested this by connecting the cable feed direct to the box and checking signal strength vs signal strength when looped thru the Tripplite (BTW I use this same unit on a digital cable system without problem) and the signal strength readings were identical and the presence or absence of the Tripplite in the cable signal path had no impact on the problem. My buddy the AV installer in central Maine claims that signal strength in the -12 to -13 range can result in macro blocking, pixelization, loss of channels and other quality of service issues. Any thoughts?

On March 15, 2009 TWC Northeast Ohio is adding USA HD, SCIFI HD, Discovery HD, Disney HD and Palladia HD.

On March 15, 2009 TWC Northeast Ohio is adding USA HD, SCIFI HD, Discovery HD, Disney HD and Palladia HD.

TWC SCIFI HD is nothing to get excited about....watching Serenity tonight - San Diego TWC....yukky macro blocking :(

Anyone know when Austin TWC is going to get more HD channels?

I am trying to troubleshoot issues with certain HD channels for a friend in coastal Maine.
Time Warner customer. Problem is certain HD channels he subscribes are intermittently unavailable. I know someone else who had this problem solved by a box swap. A called a good friend - customer AV installer further north in Maine in TWC's service area who suggested checking signal strength in the setup menu. When I did this the signal strength varied depending on the channel. Analog channels were in the -6 to -9 range. Digital channels were in the -10 to -13 range. The "Channel Temporarily Unavailable" digital channels (like the Golf Channel) were all -12 to -13. This seems marginal to me for signal strength. The box has already been swapped once. Today the "cable guy" came when Pat was not home. He removed a Tripplite surge unit from the cable line and claimed this was the problem. Pat was not there to verify that this actually "solved" the problem. Previously I tested this by connecting the cable feed direct to the box and checking signal strength vs signal strength when looped thru the Tripplite (BTW I use this same unit on a digital cable system without problem) and the signal strength readings were identical and the presence or absence of the Tripplite in the cable signal path had no impact on the problem. My buddy the AV installer in central Maine claims that signal strength in the -12 to -13 range can result in macro blocking, pixelization, loss of channels and other quality of service issues. Any thoughts?

Your signal levels are terrible. For reference: 0db is ideal (no loss/no gain) and acceptable range is generally considered to be within -7 to +7.

My questions are as follows:

1) What is the signal level at the demarc point where the cable comes into the house? If it's fine, then the issue is inside. If it's bad then something is wrong outside. A good tech would have checked this first and foremost then worked from there.

2) Assuming the signal to the house is fine:
-How many drops do you have?
-How many splitters?
-What is the frequency range of the splitters?
-Is the cable RG-6?

These are all things that will severely impact signal levels and cause channels not to switch properly.

Check those items and give an inventory of what you find.

So you are still leaning towards DirectTV Ben? Once the new HD channels show up in March (USA-HD,FX-HD,SciFi-HD,FoxNews-HD,etc.) I will finally be satisfied with TWC's HD lineup. Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect. I have plenty of other reasons to complain about TWC, but the last time I checked DirectTv was quite a bit more expensive for an equivalent setup as TWC. Not to mention, the drop-outs during bad weather. I know DirectTv fans will say it's not that often, but I've been very lucky with TWC. I VERY rarely have any type of drop-put at all with TWC. Plus, can you image watching a big football game, knowing bad weather is rolling in, and worrying about the singnal cutting off? I just couldn't live with that.

Sorry, I missed your post earlier. Yes, I'm leaning hard toward DirecTV because I basically got confirmation that we won't be seeing any major improvements other than a few HD channels. No new hardware and even though our website shows Navigator and touts it's wonders, we are not scheduled to get it. Getting a more functional guide would have weighed heavily into my decision, but at the same time I'd like hardware that plays better with HD sets (IE: gives a full 16x9 guide all the time) and works with HDMI. The recent screen caps I saw of Navigator look crisp and better than DirecTV's guide. The only addition missing from Navigator is the ability to customize the channel line up. Hell, I'd settle for and be happy with a "Show HD Only" when available option like DirecTV has.

I might decide and make a move as soon as the end of the month to lock in a lower rate because D* is raising rates March 1st. However, I still have to wire my OTA and run my network. The saga continues.

On March 15, 2009 TWC Northeast Ohio is adding USA HD, SCIFI HD, Discovery HD, Disney HD and Palladia HD.

What! Oh man, that is excellent news. I hope my local Time Warner division does the switch over. I have been dying for SCI-FI HD for a LONG time!!!!!

Got Sci-Fi HD this morning. No time to check it out. Can't wait to watch tonight. They can take Bravo back though. :D

Got Sci-Fi HD this morning. No time to check it out. Can't wait to watch tonight. They can take Bravo back though. :D

Don't get too excited, sci-fi barely shows any hd content other than commercials :(

Don't get too excited, sci-fi barely shows any hd content other than commercials :(

We also got USA HD and from what I can see they both show more commercials than programming.

And we got CNBC so I can see how much I'm losing every day in HD.

Sorry, I missed your post earlier. Yes, I'm leaning hard toward DirecTV because I basically got confirmation that we won't be seeing any major improvements other than a few HD channels.

I might decide and make a move as soon as the end of the month to lock in a lower rate because D* is raising rates March 1st. However, I still have to wire my OTA and run my network. The saga continues.

Why do you need OTA? According to D*s website, Syracuse, NY is available in HD. I just switched 3 weeks ago, and I am so happy with D* compared to our TWC here in northwest Ohio.

For folks in the triad area, this direct link has updates about what is going on at Time Warner with the new channels :

http://www.timewarnercable.com/Carolinas/support/policies/channelchange.html

Thank you! I've been using Google Chrome for awhile now and it seems that some things simply don't work. I guess it isn't the TW website but my browser application I should've been complaining about. Using IE, I was able to get a menu when hovering over Support. With Chrome, I got nothing.

FYI the problem most of the time is the originating site sniffs for specific browsers even when the ones they refuse to allow functionality actually do work.

That being said, there are still many sites that ONLY allow IE to function... even though things like Java and JavaScript function in other environments. This being TWC, this may very well be the case.

Getting a more functional guide would have weighed heavily into my decision, but at the same time I'd like hardware that plays better with HD sets (IE: gives a full 16x9 guide all the time) and works with HDMI. The recent screen caps I saw of Navigator look crisp and better than DirecTV's guide. The only addition missing from Navigator is the ability to customize the channel line up. Hell, I'd settle for and be happy with a "Show HD Only" when available option like DirecTV has.

I might decide and make a move as soon as the end of the month to lock in a lower rate because D* is raising rates March 1st. However, I still have to wire my OTA and run my network. The saga continues.

I don't much care about the freakin Guide but with TWC now getting most of the HD channels that are in demand the competition will once again soon turn to image quality where I think TWC wins. Combine that with ease of multiple hook-ups, locals and no need for a pizza pan I think cable stays in the game.

I agree there. I had DirectTV for around 9 months and came back to TWC for better PQ. Almost every channel on DiectTV was softer and the locals were horrible with pixelation especially in the blacks.

I agree there. I had DirectTV for around 9 months and came back to TWC for better PQ. Almost every channel on DiectTV was softer and the locals were horrible with pixelation especially in the blacks.

Either you had some kind of a connection problem with your Directv service, or TWC in your area is FAR superior to TWC out here in central Ohio because I recently sampled TWC. In my opinion TWC out here was a noticeable step down in PQ from Directv. There was a lot of pixellation and the picture seemed fuzzy. Not to mention I had a problem where sometimes I'd go to a HD channel and would only get a black screen.

Either you had some kind of a connection problem with your Directv service, or TWC in your area is FAR superior to TWC out here in central Ohio because I recently sampled TWC. In my opinion TWC out here was a noticeable step down in PQ from Directv. There was a lot of pixellation and the picture seemed fuzzy. Not to mention I had a problem where sometimes I'd go to a HD channel and would only get a black screen.

TWC is much better in the Carolinas than the crap they try to serve us here in Ohio. (But the Carolinas TWC isn't any better than D*). I was initially happy when I found out I could have TWC when I moved from South Carolina to Ohio, but after 3 years of TWC, I decided to switch to D* and I'm never going back, no matter the cost.

What I believe to be SDV problems in the southwestern Ohio area as well. Horrible macroblocking, picture freezing and total picture/audio dropouts on the recently added HD channels. MGM-HD and Palladia are unwatchable. Customer "service" rebooted my box and when the problems immediately returned told me to "have a good day".

If it wasn't for Roadrunner I would have already switched to D*. I am now researching my options for high speed internet so I can dump TW totally.

I am more bothered by the fact that On-Demand access has varied a lot over the last several months. Specifically, on my SA8300 (non-OCAP), I often get Error 32 when I try to watch On-Demand content. On the SA8300HDC, these show up as Error 105 most times. The weird part is that once I get a On-Demand session started it it totally stable unless I let it pause so that it goes back to the On-Demand menus. I can rewind it and it will play for hours. However at the same time that On-Demand session is functional, I might find that the other box to incapable of connecting to On-Demand sessions. This is really annoying since we are paying for functionality that TWC is incapable of delivering in a consistent manner.

twc dallas is adding:

KPXD: ION HD channel 459

Chiller is now live here in DFW on ch. 265.

FiOS Tops Pay-TV Satisfaction Survey
Time Warner Cable Most Vulnerable to Churn: Strategy Analytics
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, February 19, 2009

Verizon FiOS TV customers are happier with their service than subscribers of six other major U.S. cable, satellite and telco TV providers, according to a survey by analyst firm Strategy Analytics.

Cable customers surveyed had the lowest satisfaction levels, with Time Warner Cable subscribers the most likely to switch providers if they were offered a compelling price discount, said Strategy Analytics analyst Ben Piper.

"Telco TV providers had the highest loyalty - their customers were least likely to churn," he said.

The survey of 842 consumers, conducted in the second half of 2008, evaluated seven TV providers: AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, DirecTV and Dish Network.

Of the FiOS TV customers surveyed, 89% were "somewhat" or "very" satisfied with their service, according to the survey, while just 1% said they were "somewhat" or "very" dissatisfied.

About 80% of AT&T U-verse TV, Dish and DirecTV customers were "somewhat" or "very" satisfied, while 72% of Comcast, 67% of Cox and 65% of Time Warner Cable customers fell into the same bucket.

The survey polled subscribers on the "three pillars" of customer churn: customer satisfaction levels, propensity to churn and perceived obstacles to defecting.

According to Piper, while satisfaction was relatively high among U.S. pay-TV subscribers, about two-thirds of those surveyed said they would be willing to switch if they were offered a 20% price break.

The research firm fielded the Web survey from August to September 2008. Only respondents self-identifying as "Decision Makers" were selected to complete the entire survey; respondents below the age of 20 were excluded.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/174497-FiOS_Tops_Pay_TV_Satisfaction_Survey.php

Chiller is now live here in DFW on ch. 265.

Chiller HD???

Chiller HD???

No its not in HD unfortunately.