This has happened to me on SNL and Earl. They are both NBC.
ABC, CBS, FOX have not shown this problem yet.

Anyone know if the SDV is available yet for the Bay Area?

Nope, not yet. Comcast has only rolled it out to a handful of test markets. If history dictates anything, we'll be one of the last to get it....

It seems MOJO HD is going to be discontinued. I hope they replaced for some good channels.
If they do what they do in Oregon, it looks like they are replacing MOJO and GOLFVS with dedicated Golf Channel HD and Versus HD.

-- Don

Since the last firmware upgrade that brought the new menu system I have noticed that occasionally when I am fast forwarding or rewinding it will suddenly go all the way to the end of the show or all the way back to the beginning. Has anyone else noticed this?Yes! I thought I was going crazy though and had hit another button. Happened to me twice.

me three: my 30 forward skip remote hack still works as intended, but the 15 second "replay" button now jumps back more like 4 or 5 minutes.

anyone know a fix?

meanwhile i will cross-post over in the 6412 discussion ( http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=464986 ) and report back anything i find out...

I can't tell if it was the FW update or something I did, but I can no longer record from the Firewire port when viewing programs from the DVR. I built a new computer for the HTPC, and after wrangling with the drivers finally got it to work, but it will only record from live programs. If I try to record a DVR program the picture and sound drops outm (from the HDMI output) and while it does actually record, but only the video, no audio track in the resulting files.

This is with a DCT-3412. My area does have the new DCH models (my friend has one) does anyone know if it works better with those models?

same problem for me since the firmware update.The 3416 is still working fine, but not my 3412.

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/10/06/the-first-tuning-adapter-is-unleashed-by-comcast/



Very nice. Looks like Comcast will be giving SDV adapters away for free to subscribers who use Tivo Series3, HD, or XL.....for now at least...

http://www.slashgear.com/first-sdv-tuning-adapter-is-out-to-comcast-subscribers-0718546/

Guess I'm gonna have to hunt me down a DCH-3416 then.

me three: my 30 forward skip remote hack still works as intended, but the 15 second "replay" button now jumps back more like 4 or 5 minutes.

anyone know a fix?

meanwhile i will cross-post over in the 6412 discussion ( http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=464986 ) and report back anything i find out...

ok, i was referred to the famous wikibooks article (http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR/Programming_the_Remote) that talks about programming the remotes for comcast motorola STB's generally.

apparently the same procedure that is used for the 30-second-forward-skip hack can be adapted for the 15-second-rewind button if you know the code.

here's what i was told:
The Wikibooks article lists the EFCs for all the commands. 15 second rewind is 179, versus 173 for 30 second advance. Just do the learn procedure as described using 179.

i am relaying this information in advance of having tested it personally - of course you should proceed at your own risk.

Is it just me or do you have the same problem when you try to review your bill online? I've only been able to see the invoice a couple of times, but most of the time the browser will just time out after a long wait for their server to respond. Their web page qualifies for the world's worst 25 web site list...

Is it just me or do you have the same problem when you try to review your bill online? I've only been able to see the invoice a couple of times, but most of the time the browser will just time out after a long wait for their server to respond. Their web page qualifies for the world's worst 25 web site list...
I've always been able to view my bill, but yes, Comcast's website is ridiculously slow.

One explanation could be that maybe their billing system has been off-loaded to a third party operation which is running some slow connections and/or servers, and the fact that it appears to take a rather circuitous route to the Pennsylvania location.




Tracing route to www.comcast.com [68.87.60.144]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 * * * Request timed out.
2 9 ms 12 ms 12 ms ge-3-43-ur01.rohnertpr.ca.sfba.comcast.net [68.85.190.69]
3 11 ms 11 ms 9 ms te-0-5-0-4-ar01.sfsutro.ca.sfba.comcast.net [68.86.72.86]
4 13 ms 11 ms 11 ms te-4-1-cr01.sanjose.ca.cbone.comcast.net [68.86.72.85]
5 24 ms 25 ms 24 ms te-1-1-cr01.losangeles.ca.cbone.comcast.net [68.86.68.74]
6 43 ms 40 ms 40 ms te-1-1-cr01.santateresa.tx.cbone.comcast.net [68.86.68.82]
7 49 ms 55 ms 67 ms te-9-3-cr01.stratford.tx.cbone.comcast.net [68.86.68.90]
8 56 ms 59 ms 59 ms te-1-1-cr01.dallas.tx.cbone.comcast.net [68.86.68.94]
9 73 ms 73 ms 74 ms te-1-1-cr01.nashville.tn.cbone.comcast.net [68.86.68.98]
10 79 ms 79 ms 81 ms te-1-1-cr01.atlanta.ga.cbone.comcast.net [68.86.68.102]
11 85 ms 85 ms 84 ms te-1-1-cr01.charlotte.nc.cbone.comcast.net [68.86.68.106]
12 92 ms 105 ms 93 ms te-1-1-cr01.richmond.va.cbone.comcast.net [68.86.68.110]
13 96 ms 95 ms 95 ms te-1-1-cr01.mclean.va.cbone.comcast.net [68.86.68.114]
14 101 ms 103 ms 100 ms te-4-2-ar01.newcastle.de.bo.comcast.net [68.86.72.162]
15 102 ms 100 ms 105 ms te-1-1-ar02.ndceast.pa.bo.comcast.net [68.86.228.102]
16 103 ms 103 ms 103 ms te-4-1-ur02.ndceast.pa.bo.comcast.net [68.86.134.49]
17 101 ms 105 ms 105 ms 68.87.98.12
18 101 ms 100 ms 100 ms eloa.comcast.com [68.87.60.144]

Trace complete.

So I'm finally thinking of going sat. after this latest price hike but I don't know if I'm really saving any money.

To get about the same channels I have now on DirectTV is about $75/mo. That's about $35 less than I pay for cable now ($110) BUT...

Add $24 for basic cable for local channels (and I lose DVR function on those, tuning them with TV's built in tuner) which is about $24/mo right?

PLUS I have to buy the 2nd HD receiver (they have a rebate for the 1st one) for $99.

So instead of $110/mo for cable it's $24/mo for cable + $75/mo for sat = $100/mo, plus $99 one time, if you factor that in for say 2 years it's about $5/mo... so now we're up to $105... vs $110. Ok less if you factor in the $99 cost over 5 years or something, but it's still a couple bucks.

Though you have to consider if the quality is better - I mean we KNOW the DVR is better and SOME of the channels the picture is better, right?

Then again I lose DVR function on local channels...

:confused:

walk, I go through the same motions at least twice a year and come to the same conclusions. We have 3 HD DVRs in our house (2 comcast, one tivo) and to replace them all would be ~$400 after the rebates. With only $5 or $10 savings per month, it would take a long, long time to recoup those costs.

Actually I guess they do have local channels. But not all in HD, it's missing KQED and KICU in HD (big 'who cares' here).

So then if I get rid of CATV I only have to pay the $14 surcharge for HSI. That works out a bit better, saving $20/month.

I have to say, a year ago I was paying about $20/month less on Comcast. Way to price yourself out of a customer.

Actually it's another $23/mo less for the 12 months promo, so that will more than pay for the $99 HD receiver.

Also, chances are, you can get rebates for the programming if you're a new customer.

Especially if you add premium channels. If nothing else, they will give you a rebate or credit on the HD Access package, which is $10 a month.

When I price locals, 2 DVRs and HBO and Showtime, Comcast always ends up more. They tried to hide the regular price the last time I checked, only talking about the promo price.

HD access is free with the package I chose, I guess... ? (CHOICE XTRA / PLUS DVR / PLUS HD DVR)

The only charges are $72.99 for the package, and $4.99 for "lease fee" I guess that's for the dish?

That's it. $78/mo and that's AFTER the 1st year. For the first 12 months there's a $23 credit, so $52/mo. Also you get HBO, Showtime and Starz free for 3 months. Showtime has like 5 HD channels too...

Since channel 11 in Fairfield is vacant, do you think they'll eventually put NBC11 in it's place? It used to be the TV Guide Channel.

ok, first i did a search for this but it is a general problem i guess.

When i fast forward or rewind it jumps to the end or begging, i have seen a couple posts that seem to elude to the same or similar problem, but no known solutions, so i wanted to ask if anyone knows a solution. The phone tech sent a signal to the box and it rebooted it and it seemed to work, but now two days later it is doing the same thing, basically making the dvr service pointless for me. any idea would be appreciated since i know more than the people on the tech phone lines do, i have talked to 5 people and 4 have suggested exchanging the box, this being my second box.

it is the Motorola 3416 with comcast in livermore,ca. thanks in advance.

And yet more good news from everyone's favorite cable provider. My bill just went up by more than $10.00. The Digital Premier package is up $3.00, Standard Cable is up by $3.96 and, incredulously, the HD DVR is up by $2.00.
It went up here as well, but it's $4 more for standard ($56 to $60) and $1 more for Digital Preferred ($15 to $16).

-- Don

So I'm finally thinking of going sat. after this latest price hike but I don't know if I'm really saving any money.

:confused:

Have you looked at Dish Network? I have 50 HD channels, the ViP-622 DVR that can record three programs at once, has an OTA tuner and can feed an HD set and another TV with an SD signal, plus 20 local SD channels and 4 HD channels and my bill is only $47 a month.

I think the HD only packages start at $24.95 if you want to pay for fewer channels.

Why do you need any cable?

Larry
SF

Since channel 11 in Fairfield is vacant, do you think they'll eventually put NBC11 in it's place? It used to be the TV Guide Channel.

It may not be vacant. At least here in Cupertino, RF channel 11 is hosting some digital channels. You can tell by looking at the "snow" - if it's strongly grainy, it's probably a digital transmission.

Have you looked at Dish Network? I have 50 HD channels, the ViP-622 DVR that can record three programs at once, has an OTA tuner and can feed an HD set and another TV with an SD signal, plus 20 local SD channels and 4 HD channels and my bill is only $47 a month.

I think the HD only packages start at $24.95 if you want to pay for fewer channels.

Why do you need any cable?

Larry
SF

Ditto. I have been quite happy with my switch from cable to Dish HD AND I pay way less for more-course in my neck of the woods I have to get locals HD OTA but it was worth the hassle of installing everything now.

Hi Guys,

I was wondering what the exact breakdown in monthly fees is between Comcast's DCH34xx DVR and Tivo. I'm currently charged:
- DVR Service with HDTV 13.95
- Digital Starter Package 56.99

It looks like the price of the DVR will go up by $2 soon too. I know for Tivo to get one year of service costs $129, or $10.75/month (I'm aware of the other options as well, but that's the one I would choose). So obviously Tivo is cheaper per month (I'm not concerned with the upfront hardware cost), but are there other fees that would get added if I started using Tivo?

Does the Digital Starter Package include HD access? Is there a monthly fee for only one M-Card?

Thanks in advance,
Nick

It may not be vacant. At least here in Cupertino, RF channel 11 is hosting some digital channels. You can tell by looking at the "snow" - if it's strongly grainy, it's probably a digital transmission.

Fairfield doesnt get all of the SF Bay area channels. Just certain 1's. & it's not a digital transmission. Like I said channel 11 for us used to be the TV Guide Channel but they took it away almost 2 years ago & nothing has been there since. That's why I was asking if eventually they'll put NBC11 there.

Since channel 11 in Fairfield is vacant, do you think they'll eventually put NBC11 in it's place? It used to be the TV Guide Channel.

Isn't it already on channel 3?

Have you looked at Dish Network?No but I will check it out. I was under the impression that DTV had better HD, though I know that changes monthly/weekly... Is the VIP better than the HD20 that DTV uses?

Isn't it already on channel 3?

No. Channel 3 for us is KCRA in Sacramento. Fairfield Comcast gets both SF & Sacramento locals since we're in between both cities.

Is the VIP better than the HD20 that DTV uses?

I don't know anything about the HD20, but the Vip 622 and 722 are great machines. They're the same, except the 722 has a bigger hard drive. CNet voted them best DVR, better than TiVo. I've had no problems with mine since I got it two or three years ago. It's simple to use, and it's reliable. I don't think you even have to pay anything for it except the monthly DVR fee.

Larry
SF

Dish only has 4 local HD channels?

No WB (44), no KRON HD yet?

Do they have Comcast Sports Bay Area?

I see a Comcast Sports California but is that for the Bay ARea or LA?

Do they have Comcast Sports Bay Area?

I see a Comcast Sports California but is that for the Bay ARea or LA?

Yes, Dish has CS Bay area, in both SD and HD. The HD is turned on only during HD events. CS California was CS West until last week and is the Sacramento Area sports channel. It has the same criteria as CS Bay.

Comcast experts,

I've recently reconfigured my A/V down to just one HDTV home theater system. As a result, I basically only watch the Comcast HD channels available in the Digital Classic package and occasionally a few SD digital channels like FSN+ and Comcast Sportsnet West. I do have a Comcast DVR which I plan to keep, and I use OnDemand from time to time. I no longer want or need access to *any* of the analog channels (and frankly to most of the SD digital channels). I also don't want or need premium subscription channels like HBO, Showtime, etc. So here's my question:

In terms of Comcast services, do any of you know of some way to provision and pay a lower rate for something sort of like an "HD-only" service? I have called Comcast and they insist that one must have Standard Cable (Limited Basic + Expanded Basic) as the basic service level to start building digital and HD services on top of. Does anyone have expereience with this? Any suggestions for a different set of Comcast services that would get me what I need without paying for Standard Cable?

For reference, I am in Sunnyvale and currently (that is, pre-October-price-increase) paying $55.99 for Standard Cable, + $13.95 for DVR, + $14.95 for Digital Classic. I also have HSI but have no plans to add Digital Voice/Triple Play.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

As a result, I basically only watch the Comcast HD channels available in the Digital Classic package and occasionally a few SD digital channels like FSN+ and Comcast Sportsnet West.
I'd be surprised if you mostly watched the HD channels in the Digital Classic option. I don't think it was clearly explained to you by Comcast that Digital Classic only includes something like 2-3 HD channels depending on your location.

The bulk of the HD channels are part of Digital Starter, which is basically limited basic (analog + ADS + HD) + expanded basic (analog + ADS + HD) + 1 or 2 digital SD channels.

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/10/06/the-first-tuning-adapter-is-unleashed-by-comcast/
How can they still call that thing an "adapter"? :)

It's a stripped down USB-controlled cable box.

sfhub,

I just checked my bill again and it definitely shows that I have Standard Cable + Digital Classic + DVR as my service options, as noted in my original message. I've had these service levels for about 2 years, so this set-up is nothing new, and I definitely have the full complement of Comcast HD channels -- all the local HD's plus about 20 national network HD's (USA, FoodTV, Discovery, HDT, ESPN, etc.). And of course I also have all the analog channels in Basic and Expanded Basic (none of which I watch), as well as a bunch of SD's, and a bunch of music channels.

What does the acronym ADS mean?

So back to my original question -- Does anyone know of any service level or combination of service levels that can get me *only* (or mostly) just the HD channels that are offered in my current package, at a lower price? Or is Comcast correct that they will not allow an HD/digital package that doesn't include "Standard Cable" as the baseline?

Thanks.

BTW, further clarification -- My bill specifically says that I have Standard Cable ($55.99) + Digital Classic ($14.95) + "DVR Service with HDTV" ($13.95). The comcast.com website actually appears to no longer offer Digital Classic as a service tier -- they seem to have substituted Digital Starter -- so perhaps my service is a legacy package, which may be why sfhub thought I do not have the full complement of HD channels.

You'll save a few bucks by switching to Digital Starter. I believe it's $59, and includes all of the non-premium HD channels except Science and NG. You still have to pay for the DVR at $13.95, or whatever it is now.

Our DCH3614 will record NBC (HD ch 703 - Palo Alto), but any time I try to use FF it skips to the end of the recording. This has been true for the past three Sunday Night football games, and one college game. The FF works on all other channels.

If anyone has any ideas that would explain this problem I'm all ears. :D

Interesting that you mention problems using FF on NBC. We over in the TivoCommunity forum have noticed problems using FF on NBC and were discussing it here (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=401213) although we haven't reached a conclusion either. Potentially noteworthy is that people were noticing this from different providers and different regions, so perhaps it's a national NBC thing.

The symptom is slightly different for me using a TiVo S3 - the 1xFF speed is actually slower than real-time, but 2xFF or 3xFF are actually fast-forward. I suppose this is better than FF turning into skip-to-the-end, but it is annoying. My workaround has been to use Tivo's 30-second-skip which is ok for most NFL teams/situations, but not when someone runs the no-huddle/hurry-up offense.

I had noted this on the two previous weeks' SNF games, as well as a test I did with Saturday Night Live from 10/4. I didn't catch last night's game. I hadn't noticed this behavior on other channels, just NBC.

Interesting that you mention problems using FF on NBC. We over in the TivoCommunity forum have noticed problems using FF on NBC and were discussing it here (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=401213) although we haven't reached a conclusion either. Potentially noteworthy is that people were noticing this from different providers and different regions, so perhaps it's a national NBC thing.I don't know how NBC might implement it in their broadcast stream, but given your input, I'm suspicious that it might be an attempt to defeat skipping commercials. :eek:

Hack your remote with the code for 30-sec skip. Use that instead (and the 15-sec rewind). FF/REW have always been completely un-useable on my DVR... never use them.

FWIW I have "standard cable" $56ish and "digital classic" $15ish? I dunno used to be $9.95... plus DVR for $15ish. That's the minimum you need to get all HD channels w/DVR. About $90/mo.

I get all HD channels except premiums (HBO, etc) and NFL-HD (in the "sports tier").

Of course they may have changed around the packages, I've had that since 4-5 years.

Hack your remote with the code for 30-sec skip. Use that instead (and the 15-sec rewind). FF/REW have always been completely un-useable on my DVR... never use them.It doesn't seem to me that your comments relate to the Motorola DCH3416 that Comcast is using in our area. Also, FF works for every HD channel except NBC. I've only tried to use FF on NBC for Sunday Night Football and one college game.

As far as I know, the 3416 doesn't have a 15 or 30 second skip feature, and I don't know how to hack it.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR

subsection
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR/Programming_the_Remote
Add 30-Second Skip
The following technique can be used to map an unused or unneeded button on the "silver" remote to the 30-second skip command. Current versions of the i-Guide software will skip forward 30 seconds into a recording when this command is sent. A good choice is the 'A / Lock' button since many users don't need that function; you can feel both the '15-second-back' and '30-second-skip' buttons with one finger and move between them without looking. Another option is to reprogram the '15-second back' button, since PgDn already provides that functionality.

Press the "Cable" button at the top of the remote to put it into Cable Box control mode.
Press and hold the "Setup" button until the "Cable" button blinks twice.
Type in the code 994. The "Cable" button will blink twice.
Press (do not hold) the "Setup" button.
Type in the code 00173.
Press whatever button you want to map the 30-second skip command to (ex: A / Lock). The "Cable" button will blink twice if successful.
Note: This did not work on boxes with the Microsoft TV Foundation Interface (previously used in Washington State, but now converted back to the i-Guide software). As of firmware version 12.22 Insight Cable disabled this feature, but has been re-enabled in firmware version 16.35. Comcast software Version 73.44 disabled this feature, but the latest software, Version 74.53-3321, re-enables it (this has been confirmed on the 3416 w/ 16.20 firmware). See software for more info.

Note: As of software A25.2-2, the Page Up key is removed from some operators and others have programmed it as a 5 min skip.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR

subsection
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR/Programming_the_RemoteThanks for the information. I'll give it a try.

I don't watch sports so can't comment on skips with NBC sports programs but other programs on NBC such as Heroes the 30-second skip works with my 3416.

Sorry if this has been brought up before, but why does Entertainment Tonight in "HD" not in HD (On KRON 4).

Sorry if this has been brought up before, but why does Entertainment Tonight in "HD" not in HD (On KRON 4).

Because KRON doesn't care... I believe they're looking for a buyer again. It's a shame it was a solid network station when it was with NBC.

fitprod

Does it require more money or just making a configuration change that takes less than an hour or so?

Because KRON doesn't care... I believe they're looking for a buyer again. It's a shame it was a solid network station when it was with NBC.

fitprod

Grumble grumble.

I managed to avoid any news of Sunday's Sharks/Kings game (away, in LA) all yesterday, so we could watch it last night. According to the guide data on the TiVo, it was available in HD on CSN-BA HD - so my TiVo dutifully recorded that channel the higher-priority season pass. Lo and behold, we got the pleasure of seeing a pristine recording of the "HD SPORTS" logo on a blue background for the entire time, instead of an actual hockey game. :mad:

So a warning to Sharks fans (at least with TiVo's guide data, not sure about the guide on the Comcast DVRs) - check the "real" Sharks schedule to find out which games are actually on the HD channel, and which are "only" on CSN-BA or CSN-BA+. Many (but not all) away games seem to be in SD only, and most (but not all) home games are on the HD channel. I have the magnetic schedule from the home opener that was accurate for Sunday's game, and there's a schedule online at the Sharks' website here (http://sharks.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=SubseasonSchedule).

Edit: Reposted to the OTA forum. Thanks for letting me know.

Hi all.

I am in Hayward. I just got an HD antenna and got all of the local channels without issue except channel 14 which is what my wife watches 90% of the time any one know if channel 14 is broadcasting their digital signal? or know why I might not be picking it up?

This would probably be better answered in the Bay Area OTA forum: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=369015

Moving from San Francisco to Alameda soon and trying to figure out which cable company to use. We currently have Comcast in San Francisco. Ideally, we'd like to have the same HD offerings at our new place in Alameda. The listing of HD channels offered by Alameda Power & Telecom is relatively weak.

My questions: Does anyone know if Comcast has the same HD offerings in Alameda as they do in SF? Does anyone have an opinion on AP&T's service? Not sure if I want to deal with installing a dish, but DTV may be an option too.

Thanks!

Hi All,

I recently bought a Panasonic plamsma hdtv and started reading up on HD contents. My service with Comcast at zip 94547 is just limited basic, about 30ish channels. I hooked up my tv and did a digital scan and was able to see all local channels in HD, like KVTU, NBC, ABC, and a few others. If I were to rent an HD box, will there be more HD channels without ordering any digital package? If yes, what would be available? Thanks.

newb

No...

limited basic will only get you the locals in HD

Moving from San Francisco to Alameda soon and trying to figure out which cable company to use. We currently have Comcast in San Francisco. Ideally, we'd like to have the same HD offerings at our new place in Alameda. The listing of HD channels offered by Alameda Power & Telecom is relatively weak.

My questions: Does anyone know if Comcast has the same HD offerings in Alameda as they do in SF? Does anyone have an opinion on AP&T's service? Not sure if I want to deal with installing a dish, but DTV may be an option too.

Thanks!

Yes the HD channel line up is exactly the same in Alameda. So, If you stick with Comcast and just do a transfer of service you'll get the exact same HD line up you had in the City.

You can't rent a HD box without a digital package, period.

I thought you couldnt rent a HD-DVR without Digital, but you could get a non-DVR?...but anyway He's got a built in tuner that can get the HD Locals...so the only need for the box would be to get more HD channels (which would require digital subscription anyway since he'd have to pay for anything beyond local HD)

You can't rent a HD box without a digital package, period.

Yes, you can. It's specified on the pricing sheet, $8 without digital service, instead of $7 with digital service.

Pretty sure I had one with just Limited Basic before the DVR was available, a 5100 I think it was.

The DVR Guide is now pitching (in the dreaded advertising box at the bottom) "anyroom" technology. Does anyone know which boxes Comcast uses to support the technology? There is a webpage for it

http://www.comcast.com/anyroom

but when I click through that page, I end up getting into a general menu of Comcast services.

most likely any box that supports On-Demand...This looks like just the ability to pause an OnDemand movie you are watching in one room and start watching that same movie from where you paused it in another room...Doesnt look like it allows you to share anything you have recorded yourself.

most likely any box that supports On-Demand...This looks like just the ability to pause an OnDemand movie you are watching in one room and start watching that same movie from where you paused it in another room...Doesnt look like it allows you to share anything you have recorded yourself.

Davisdog is right, this has to do with the ability to pause an OnDemand movie and watch it on another tv. This is not the " Whole House Dvr " that AT&T is now making available in their system. Comcast is going to release that same function later this year ( or in Comcast lingo, Coming soon to an area near you ). There are a couple of things that are going to happen first but I would hazard a guess that it will be.......in my lifetime, maybe :p ( I have been given a tentative time frame but I'm not able to say when, but when he tells me I can I will let you know ).

Laters,
Mikef5

Thanks, Mikef5 and Davisdog, if that's all it is, it is of very limited interest. But your explanation make sense. Tom

Any one have any idea why we are not getting the UEFA Champion's League in HD on ESPN2-HD ? I remember last year only the final was in HD and I thought it would continue but guess not :\ I know the game today (Man United - Celtic) was shown in HD throughout Europe, so what's the problem for us?

There should be a thread about this in Programming, but my guess is that ESPN didn't buy the rights for HD.

I notice new HD channels listed in Yahoo tv directory. Anyone know know when well get them?

Which ones??

731 Speed
745 QVC
749 Hallmark
753 E!
755 Travel
760 FNCHD
761 FBNHD
762 CNBCH
766 Toon
775 ENCH1

731 Speed
745 QVC
749 Hallmark
753 E!
755 Travel
760 FNCHD
761 FBNHD
762 CNBCH
766 Toon
775 ENCH1

Nice! I wonder what the time table for this is....

How many of these channels broadcast actual HD content?

E! and Travel are two that Direct TV doesn't have.

Travel in HD would be cool.

still no FXHD??

we have comcast Moto DVR 6412 III box. I am getting voice fallout and picture pix-studdering-occasional . It happens mostly with the show HOUSE - is this a box issue? or is it coming from the cable? We haven't swapped out this box three years.
Suggestions?

still no FXHD??

YahooTV is listed FXHD as 741...can't wait for these channels...

So...are we getting Docsis 3.0 by the end of the year?

http://www.dailytech.com/Comcast+Rolls+out+DOCSIS+30+Offers+50+Mbps+to+Premium+Subscr ibers/article13270.htm

The deployment starts with a handful of markets – New England, Philadelphia, and New Jersey – but should be available in the top 10 markets nationwide by the end of the year.

If they mean media markets, SF Bay Area is #7, definitely in the top 10. I'd love to get that 50/10 service, even if it's $140/month. I hear on dslreports if you get this, even for residential, no cap. Can't beat that.

Yeah, that read was interesting.

I wonder if I'll receive half that speed since I'm already paying ~62 (minus the discounts). 25/5 is not bad.

Oh, and one important note from that article, you'll have to upgrade your modem to be able to use DOCSIS 3.0

Does anyone know when we will get 50Mbps down/10Mbps up speed for $139.95/month? Comcast already started rolling this out in the New England/East Coast area with their DOCSIS 3.0 service.

http://gizmodo.com/5067311/comcast-offering-new-22mbps-and-50mbps-speed-tiers-upgrading-existing-service

So you get to pay almost 3 times as much so that you can hit the cap faster?

Comcast has had the reputation of being Ogre of the Internet lately. However, I'm sure they will change the monthly download limit to be reasonable when these speeds are available for the average user.

So you get to pay almost 3 times as much so that you can hit the cap faster?

They are not supposed to limit at all.

And, what is the point of all that speed, when you can't use it for what it is intended, such as video down/uploads, IP video-telephony, etc.

731 - SPEED HD
741 - FX HD
745 - QVC HD
749 - HALLMARK HD
753 - E! HD
755 - TRAVEL HD
760 - FOX NEWS HD
761 - FOX BUSINESS HD
762 - CNBC HD
766 - CARTOON HD
775 - ENCORE HD

I wonder if Mikef5 can confirm these new additions are coming soon... :D

So you get to pay almost 3 times as much so that you can hit the cap faster?

The dslreports Comcast HSI DOCSIS 3.0 has some discussion that this plan for both residential and business would not be capped. If it's no cap, it's not bad. Sure FIOS is cheaper, but we'll NEVER see it here. Paxio is cheaper for a lot more bandwidth, but it doesn't seem like we'll ever see a full scale SF Bay Area (let alone Silicon Valley) rollout of that. It'll be limited to Pulte Home Developments only.

Check it

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081022-comcast-broadens-reach-of-docsis-3-0-50mbps-connections.html

but a reader at Broadband Reports (which was tipped off about the announcement earlier this week) found what a web page that may shed light on Comcast's DOCSIS 3.0 deployment plans. Titled "Beta Speed Test Trial," the page contains a list of 12 markets that will presumably have provisioned 50Mbps-plus downstream speeds.

Now that page, Beta Speed Test Trial, http://speedtest.comcast.net/, lists San Jose, CA for these beta tests. Seems like we will have 22/5 and 50/10 here by year's end. That's a GREAT Christmas present indeed!

Another interesting quote from the arstechnica article:
It's exciting to see DOCSIS 3.0 slowly moving out of cable labs and into neighborhoods. With this round of DOCSIS 3.0 deployments, Comcast appears to be targeting markets where Verizon has a significant FiOS presence.

They don't seem to realize that Silicon Valley/Bay Area will never ever get FIOS, but yet Comcast is now all of a sudden aggressive on pushing DOCSIS 3.0. As I've said numerous times, I bet this is because they make tons of money from the bandwidth-hungry wealthy techies here, and I bet Comcast has made a killing offering Blast here. I hope the money being made by Comcast on this ticks off Verizon because Verizon missed out on a great opportunity in an OBVIOUS area for widespread FIOS. Now Comcast will solidify its position as offering the fastest internet in the SF Bay Area to the largest number of people, and Verizon will definitely never come here and never get to reap profits.

I noticed that OnDemand HD has the Smithsonian now. It has some very good programs. We watched one on the national monuments in Washington DC last night and really enjoyed it.

^^
Maybe that's one of the channels we'll be getting soon, in addition to some of those mentioned a few days ago. Personally, I don't mind more educational/documentary programming. Give me this channel over E! HD any day.

I got an email back from KTVU engineering and they are rebuilding their master control center and when that is finished they hope to keep a better ride on sound levels using Dialnorm. That way we won't be blasted out of our chairs when we go from network programming to the news which on my system is 6 db louder.

Check it

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081022-comcast-broadens-reach-of-docsis-3-0-50mbps-connections.html



That article also says we will have the 250gb cap on the DOCSIS 3.0 tiers ... so complete bs, comcast yet again does a hard sell :\

I agree they should probably increase the cap for 50Mb speed, especially for the price (about $140 expected) but let's be honest, 250GB is way more than most people will use in 1 month, even heavy downloaders. Where would you even store 250GB every month?

Better question, what would you even be *legally* downloading at 250GB/mo?

People with Direct TV can download VOD over their Internet connection.

You can also buy movies from iTunes, Amazon, Netflix, etc.

Well you can get a business account for 50/10 with no cap, but that brings your monthly comcast bill to $189.99 I think.

I'm not letting the cap bother me. I'd rather be capped with 50/10 then get AT&T's 10mbps down service (or another DSL service, which may have caps too). Sorry but speed is king, but that's just me. Yes I want FIOS or Paxio, but that's not realistic for most of us in the Bay Area.

Hell I'm already capped with my 16/2 service, why would I care if now I am shelling out more money for 50/10? For a few days I might go crazy, but after that my usage will come back to normal. The only thing for t-o-r-r-e-n-t-e-r-s is to limit the upload speed. With 10mbps upload, if you seed t-o-r-r-e-n-t-s at full speed, you will hit that limit fast (recall the cap is total transferring, not just download).

(I do agree with others though that 50/10 should have no cap because it's huge profits to Comcast and there is no reason to cap your big money makers)

What is the current 2-tuner HD recorder being offered by Comcast in the bay area?

My housemate has a unit that's maybe 3 years old, but it's screwing up more and more....we've noticed that on some HD programs (particularly from NBC - 703) that if you try to fast forward through commercials you often end up suddenly at the END of the program, after which you have to start over again and go through what you've already watched AND the rest of the program without fast-forwarding...

My housemate has a unit that's maybe 3 years old, but it's screwing up more and more....we've noticed that on some HD programs (particularly from NBC - 703) that if you try to fast forward through commercials you often end up suddenly at the END of the program, after which you have to start over again and go through what you've already watched AND the rest of the program without fast-forwarding...

That's a known issue with Motorola HD-DVR's (even the most recent boxes out there). The counter I have found for this is to only fast forward at this speed ">>>" or slower

">>>>" and ">>>>>" leave you open to this glitch where you end up at the end.

have you seen this actually advertised in the bay area yet?
according to their web page 50/5 is "coming soon" to my zip code.
called the business service reps and they dont even have a ballpark
date when "soon" is. :(

no price was mentioned on the web page though.
Well you can get a business account for 50/10 with no cap, but that brings your monthly comcast bill to $189.99 I think.

I'm not letting the cap bother me. I'd rather be capped with 50/10 then get AT&T's 10mbps down service (or another DSL service, which may have caps too). Sorry but speed is king, but that's just me. Yes I want FIOS or Paxio, but that's not realistic for most of us in the Bay Area.

Hell I'm already capped with my 16/2 service, why would I care if now I am shelling out more money for 50/10? For a few days I might go crazy, but after that my usage will come back to normal. The only thing for t-o-r-r-e-n-t-e-r-s is to limit the upload speed. With 10mbps upload, if you seed t-o-r-r-e-n-t-s at full speed, you will hit that limit fast (recall the cap is total transferring, not just download).

(I do agree with others though that 50/10 should have no cap because it's huge profits to Comcast and there is no reason to cap your big money makers)

I wouldn't expect it all that soon, there's no Verizon here, AT&T's rollout of U-Verse is basically negligible, in other words, there's really no competition offering those kinds of speeds that Comcast needs to compete with. They already offer the fastest speed available for the overwhelming majority of the population.

It would be nice, but I can't imagine what you would use it for, how many websites can actually deliver content at those speeds?

A good portion of people who are willing to pay double/triple what they pay now for that kind of speeds would most likely take advantage of the gained upstream speed (ie accessing files, videos, etc from work), not so much the download speed; since a stable 15mbit/sec. is already comfortably fast.



It would be nice, but I can't imagine what you would use it for, how many websites can actually deliver content at those speeds?

People with Direct TV can download VOD over their Internet connection.

You can also buy movies from iTunes, Amazon, Netflix, etc.

Sure but... you can download about 200 standard-def movies in 250GB.

Even with HD movies (which Itunes, Netflix don't have, only Xbox or PS3 has those yet) at 8GB each that's over 31 movies - and at $6 a pop, almost $200...

You really going to watch more than 1 HD movie a day for a cost of nearly $200... every month? Do they even release 30 new HD movies every month?

(If so I suggest a Blu-ray player and Netflix, for $15/mo...)

I wouldn't expect it all that soon, there's no Verizon here, AT&T's rollout of U-Verse is basically negligible, in other words, there's really no competition offering those kinds of speeds that Comcast needs to compete with. They already offer the fastest speed available for the overwhelming majority of the population.

It would be nice, but I can't imagine what you would use it for, how many websites can actually deliver content at those speeds?

But as the articles and links show, Comcast is already beta testing it here (SF Bay area) and Comcast said the top 10 markets would get it by years end. That means it's coming here in December.

have you seen this actually advertised in the bay area yet?
according to their web page 50/5 is "coming soon" to my zip code.
called the business service reps and they dont even have a ballpark
date when "soon" is. :(

no price was mentioned on the web page though.

No advertising, but one of those articles has a link showing that it's being beta tested here and the other article said those top 10 markets listed on the beta testing website will have it by years end.

But as the articles and links show, Comcast is already beta testing it here (SF Bay area) and Comcast said the top 10 markets would get it by years end. That means it's coming here in December.

Which link shows that it's being beta tested in SF?

speedtest.comcast.net (http://speedtest.comcast.net) shows a San Jose link but that's about all the "evidence" I've seen.

That's a known issue with Motorola HD-DVR's (even the most recent boxes out there). The counter I have found for this is to only fast forward at this speed ">>>" or slower

">>>>" and ">>>>>" leave you open to this glitch where you end up at the end.
with our unit, it often jumps to the end if you use ">>>", and lots of times, if you even use ">>" it hangs there if you try to go back to >...(after a while it accepts the return)...both of these problems are really irritating...

speedtest.comcast.net (http://speedtest.comcast.net) shows a San Jose link but that's about all the "evidence" I've seen.

And that's been there for quite awhile. If they say Top 10, that would include us, but I really don't see why they would. Maybe some Silicon Valley area customers, who knows...

yeah and
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Site-Hints-At-DOCSIS-30-Launch-Markets-98565
I spoke with Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas, who says the cities listed are simply speed test locations and may not be the real launch cities for Comcast's 2008 DOCSIS 3.0 goal. So which markets are ready to go live? Comcast so far isn't saying. How soon is "soon"? At least one source insists that several could be upgraded by the end of next week. October 30 seems to be a date that comes up consistently in conversations with employees.

yeah and
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Site-Hints-At-DOCSIS-30-Launch-Markets-98565

So Walk, here's something to think about.

Why would Comcast setup test sites in areas that are not ready or are going to be ready for DOCSIS 3.0 ??? How could you test DOCSIS 3.0 speeds and equipment on systems that are only setup for DOCSIS 2.0 ??? I'm sure 3.0 equipment is downward compatible with 2.0 systems but what would you gain by testing your new equipment in those areas ?? It would seem to me that you would want to test your new equipment and system in areas that are upgraded ( my favorite word :) ) and able to fully test the equipment and system. If I was in charge of a company that was deploying a new system and equipment I would want the testing to be in areas that are ready to fully test that system and equipment and not waste my time in areas that are not ready.

One other thing. You may say why would Mr. Douglas say that these are only test sites and not the real launch sites ??? Well, that would be like shouting to your competition ( AT&T and the Satco's ) " Here's where we are upgrading and launching our new and faster system so why don't you go there too and under cut our efforts in those areas ?? " Not a smart thing to do if you're trying to best your competition and get a foot up on them.... No ????

Now what Comcast may be doing is giving out a lot of possible sites to confuse their competition on where they are really going to deploy and only a couple of those sites will actually be the real areas of the initial rollout of the new system.

Of course that is just my take on it and may be way off the mark.... but I don't think so.... ;)

Laters,
Mikef5

He did say "may not be", so that does leave the door open.

The only hitch I can see to them rolling it out here soon is that they want to do it first in areas that have megaband competition (Verizon FIOS, etc). I don't know about San Jose/Silicon Valley but most of the Bay Area does not have FIOS/etc. Why compete with yourself in other words? It would be like if Microsoft made Windows better :)

He did say "may not be", so that does leave the door open.

The only hitch I can see to them rolling it out here soon is that they want to do it first in areas that have megaband competition (Verizon FIOS, etc). I don't know about San Jose/Silicon Valley but most of the Bay Area does not have FIOS/etc. Why compete with yourself in other words? It would be like if Microsoft made Windows better :)

Hi Walk,

The reason they might pick the Bay Area as a test site is because the Bay Area is a big market, bigger than most and to keep the competition out of your prime areas you make it harder for them to penetrate that market. In other words protect what you have before you go after the competitions areas that you want. Also, this DOCSIS upgrade does more than just make for faster internet speeds, you'll also be able to give better digital phone service ( an area Comcast really wants to become more dominate in ) and it'll help with bandwidth usage for their cable tv system.

So will the Bay Area be one of those test areas ?? I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of them..... ;);)

Laters,
Mikef5

So will the Bay Area be one of those test areas ?? I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of them..... ;);)

Laters,
Mikef5
If we are, that would certainly be a change from past practice where we're usually the last to see anything new. :p

How's it going to help with cable TV bandwidth? DOCSIS 3.0 uses more BW, not less.

I don't need to read more. Mikef5 has already spoken. :p

Hello 25/5 !!! :D

Hi Walk,

The reason they might pick the Bay Area as a test site is because the Bay Area is a big market, bigger than most and to keep the competition out of your prime areas you make it harder for them to penetrate that market. In other words protect what you have before you go after the competitions areas that you want. Also, this DOCSIS upgrade does more than just make for faster internet speeds, you'll also be able to give better digital phone service ( an area Comcast really wants to become more dominate in ) and it'll help with bandwidth usage for their cable tv system.

So will the Bay Area be one of those test areas ?? I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of them..... ;);)

Laters,
Mikef5

Thanks Mike. You are the closest here to inside info and it is appreciated.

Mike's comments are what I've been saying for a long time. The SF Bay Area is one of the biggest markets to have nothing close to widespread FTTP service. Paxio is it and they are only in a few select subdivisions, that's it. BUT we all know this is a market ripe for FTTP type services because of the wealth and tech saviness here.

So it makes perfect sense, especially in light of what I expect to be great numbers on Comcast's BLAST service, to bring us DOCSIS 3.0 relatively early. By doing so, you could basically stop Paxio from getting any traction and definitely keep FIOS out.

And far as competing with FIOS markets, they are doing it. They are going live soon (if not already) in several FIOS markets, including Massachusetts, Philly, etc. But they said (supposedly) they wanted to go to the top 10 markets by the end of the year, and that would definitely include us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_television_stations_in_North_America_by_media_market

We may be the largest market that Comcast has near complete cable control over. The only outliers are a few parts of SF and of course where U-Verse competes, but U-Verse sucks and is not a threat to Comcast whatsoever. Makes sense that they would want to keep the competition out.

So..hello 50/10!!

But that's the point, they have almost no competition here, so there is little incentive to improve service. They may do it anyway, they did say "top 10 markets", I was just pointing out that fact.

By the way, I got a flyer for Uverse yesterday ... The HD channel lineup and HSI are pretty weak ($55/mo for 10mb service or so).

Still thinking about switching to DirecTV too. Would keep basic cable and HSI though.

But that's the point, they have almost no competition here, so there is little incentive to improve service. They may do it anyway, they did say "top 10 markets", I was just pointing out that fact.

Yup, you're pointing out that some decisions that Comcasts makes at different levels don't necessarily make sense...but we already knew that ;)
and this one we probably shouldnt bash them on....:D

ps...Pappy, I wouldnt completely discount u-verse like that...I would consider them a threat to comcast out here...not for everybody but they are targeting a significant amount of comcasts current customer base, marketing and discounting heavily to make their targets (1M subscribers) by the end of the year.

Yup, you're pointing out that some decisions that Comcasts makes at different levels don't necessarily make sense...but we already knew that ;)
and this one we probably shouldnt bash them on....:D

ps...Pappy, I wouldnt completely discount u-verse like that...I would consider them a threat to comcast out here...not for everybody but they are targeting a significant amount of comcasts current customer base, marketing and discounting heavily to make their targets (1M subscribers) by the end of the year.

They need to expand the areas they cover, they simply are not in enough areas to have any impact on Comcast. My guess would be they are in less than 5% of the bay area.

I saw two Comcast trucks a block down from my apartment in downtown SJ installing stuff into the place where they have their equipment for this neighborhood(don't know the jargon for what that would be called). Anyway, it didn't look like they were repairing anything. More like installing hardware. The trucks were different than the usual service vehicle.

Wow, looks like DTA's have really hit the West Coast and are ready to be deployed ......... http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=166950&site=cdn&f_src=lightreading_sitedefault
Looks like things are moving a lot faster than I thought, maybe I will still be alive to see analog channels finally get dumped :p

Laters,
Mikef5

Wow, looks like DTA's have really hit the West Coast and are ready to be deployed ......... http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=166950&site=cdn&f_src=lightreading_sitedefault


Cool to see the local company in the fold - Cisco products, nee Scientific Atlanta.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/themarbleintheoatmeal/smilies/zipper.gif

Has anyone else had trouble with the dialogue being muffled mostly on channel 705? If I run it through my stereo the center channel is almost completely cut off. If I go through the TV I can hear the dialogue but it seems muffled and the background music is louder. This only seems to happen on certain programs. Not sure if this is an equipment problem or wiring problem or comcast problem. Thanks for any help

But that's the point, they have almost no competition here, so there is little incentive to improve service. They may do it anyway, they did say "top 10 markets", I was just pointing out that fact.


And I'm just pointing out that this is a market ripe for ultra high speed internet because of wealth and tech saviness here, and thus it makes sense for Comcast to implement DOCSIS 3.0, rake in the huge profits, and keep any of the FTTP guys (Verizon, Paxio, etc) from even thinking about trying to come into this market. That means (near) total control for Comcast over a top 10 market. Can they say that anywhere else? That's their incentive for bringing DOCSIS 3.0 here by year's end.

I get the feeling that people here don't seem to understand my point, which is why I am trying to clarify.

ps...Pappy, I wouldnt completely discount u-verse like that...I would consider them a threat to comcast out here...not for everybody but they are targeting a significant amount of comcasts current customer base, marketing and discounting heavily to make their targets (1M subscribers) by the end of the year.

Why NOT discount u-verse?

Let's see:

TV: Only one HD stream at a time? Are you kidding me? Dealbreaker. I'm sorry that AT&T can't accept the fact that I might want to DVR two shows in HD that are on at the same time.

Internet: What's the most I get, 10Mbps down? What's the up, less than 1Mbps? Laughable.

Now AT&T is going FTTP in Dallas. If they changed their ways and did that here and would give us the "last mile," they could compete with Comcast in TV and internet.

Until then, Comcast is king in a wealthy tech-savvy market. DOCSIS 3.0 will make sure they stay king and keep out the competition. That's precisely why we'll get DOCSIS 3.0. To keep people like me from trying to mount efforts to lobby Paxio/Verizon to come here and then somehow Paxio/Verizon change their mind and start building here. DOCSIS 3.0 keeps all the profits from this wealthy tech-savvy area all to Comcast. Props to them for hooking us up. Paxio, Verizon, and AT&T (And anyone else who won't give us widespread FTTP) are the ones crapping on the Bay Area.

Why NOT discount u-verse?

Let's see:

TV: Only one HD stream at a time? Are you kidding me? Dealbreaker. I'm sorry that AT&T can't accept the fact that I might want to DVR two shows in HD that are on at the same time.

Internet: What's the most I get, 10Mbps down? What's the up, less than 1Mbps? Laughable.



Hmmm...maybe Uverse has already listened to us tech-savvy folks (but you didnt read the memo :)...They upgraded the system to support 2 Simultaneous HD Streams a long time ago

and the top end is 10Mb Up/1.5Mb Down (with no cap ;)

The overall market (even in 'wealthy' silicon valley...oops I think you missed the paper the last few weeks or so ;) is much larger for the $25-$50 price range for pretty darn fast speeds as compared to $140/Month for blazing fast.

Not to say Uverse is any better than Comcast, but it's going to keep them on their toes...We won't see FIOS or FTTP anytime soon unless you want to move to Palo Alto where the city is talking about trying it again

I know this taking things totally off topic but does anyone know what happens if you try to access one or more HD streams with U-verse? In other words, what happens if I'm recording two HD streams downstairs and my wife wants to record an HD stream upstairs? Does it just not record? Does it revert to SD?

I know this taking things totally off topic but does anyone know what happens if you try to access one or more HD streams with U-verse? In other words, what happens if I'm recording two HD streams downstairs and my wife wants to record an HD stream upstairs? Does it just not record? Does it revert to SD?

I think I read somewhere that if you try to select a 3rd HD show to watch/record in Realtime that it prompts you to switch one of them to an SD Stream (I think the current limit is 4 different Live channels at a time...2 HD and 2 SD streamed). I figure they have some prioritization scheme also but dont have it myself to confirm. You can watch a different prerecorded HD show on each TV at the same time in addition to recording/watching 2 new HD shows (using their centralized DVR)

No more newsgroup access

Not sure if anyone noticed or mentioned here, Comcast no longer provides free newsgroup access. newsgroup.comcast.net is dead.

If Uverse had better HD service it would be real competition. For example, for what I currently pay Comcast ($156) I can get "comparable" service from Uverse for $139.

The internet is faster too, Uverse's "Max" internet is 10/1.5 for $45/mo. (It's shown as $55 but if you add it to your cart with "U300" tv package you'll see you get a $10 discount). That's better than Comcast's 6/1 for $45.

They also offer cheaper internet packages, the $35 one is exactly equivilant to Comcast's $45 plan.

It's just too bad the HD service is so gimped.

So I have Limited Basic Cable ($14) + HD ($8) from Comcast in Mountain View. I've had this for a few years now.

Using their cable box I get the network channels + CSNHD, ESPNHD, ESPN2HD, MOJO, and Discovery HD Theater

I recently bought a Series 3 Tivo and got a Cable Card for it, using the Tivo I can't access the channels listed above, only the network channels. (but through the cable box I can still get them)

One of the main reasons I grabbed the Series 3 Tivo was so I could record Sharks games in HD!

I thought a CableCard is supposed to provide the same service as their box? Are they allowed to provide different channels to you based on whether you use their equipment or not?

So I have Limited Basic Cable ($14) + HD ($8) from Comcast in Mountain View. I've had this for a few years now.

Using their cable box I get the network channels + CSNHD, ESPNHD, ESPN2HD, MOJO, and Discovery HD Theater

I recently bought a Series 3 Tivo and got a Cable Card for it, using the Tivo I can't access the channels listed above, only the network channels. (but through the cable box I can still get them)

One of the main reasons I grabbed the Series 3 Tivo was so I could record Sharks games in HD!

I thought a CableCard is supposed to provide the same service as their box? Are they allowed to provide different channels to you based on whether you use their equipment or not?

It appears the card has not been authorized to pass those other HD channels. That's the same lineup I have with just Limited Basic as well on an S3. I'm not sure how you would go about getting them "turned on" without them trying to sell you something else, but I know it can be done since I have the same lineup.

Did some research on the "Conditional Access" diagnostic and it was saying that my authorization was MP (not No or Yes). I determined that the encrypted channels were the ones I wasn't getting. Called Comcast, after 15 mins of Musak I got a tech. He tried sending a new signal, nothing. He then tried sending a strong signal - my tivo popped up the screen saying my service was interrupted.

I went to live TV, still blank, changed a few channels and tada my CSNHD, ESPNHD, etc... were coming though!

It's funny, I received a channel listing in my last bill and their "Limited Basic HD" listing does not include any of the encrypted channels, yet I've always gotten that small subset. It lists them in the "Starter HD" tier (which has a lot of additional channels that they added and I don't recieve). Although when I signed up for HD originally, there were no tiers and HD was the network channels plus those - so maybe they give them to us as a "grandfathered" service since we had them before they set up the tiers (I'm sure people would have gone ballistic if they took them away and you had to fork over $50 more to get them back).

Same thing goes for regular cable "Limited Basic", they list Oxygen, HGTV, CMT, Versus, and the Golf Channel in "Expanded Basic" yet I get them.

So I have Limited Basic Cable ($14) + HD ($8) from Comcast in Mountain View. I've had this for a few years now.

Using their cable box I get the network channels + CSNHD, ESPNHD, ESPN2HD, MOJO, and Discovery HD Theater

I recently bought a Series 3 Tivo and got a Cable Card for it, using the Tivo I can't access the channels listed above, only the network channels. (but through the cable box I can still get them)

One of the main reasons I grabbed the Series 3 Tivo was so I could record Sharks games in HD!

I thought a CableCard is supposed to provide the same service as their box? Are they allowed to provide different channels to you based on whether you use their equipment or not?

I have the same setup as you and our account has been grandfathered in to allow special access to those channel that you mentioned. Those channel are encrypted, I think that you can get to the channel status by powering off the box and pressing "menu" while looking at one of those channel.

To get access to those channel you would need to get a cable card and get the one of digital xxx subscription. And I don't think they will add any exceptions for any new device.

You only get clear QAM HD on channels 702-712.

For those of us that hate download limits and I include myself in this group, here's what Cox is giving their customers....... http://www.cox.com/policy/limitations.asp
"Your friend in the Digital Age" ??? Give me a break :rolleyes:

While I still hate any limits, no matter who it comes from, at least Comcast is being half way realistic in their limits. Thank the Great Pumpkin that you're not in Cox country..:eek:

Laters,
Mikef5

Did some research on the "Conditional Access" diagnostic and it was saying that my authorization was MP (not No or Yes). I determined that the encrypted channels were the ones I wasn't getting. Called Comcast, after 15 mins of Musak I got a tech. He tried sending a new signal, nothing. He then tried sending a strong signal - my tivo popped up the screen saying my service was interrupted.

I went to live TV, still blank, changed a few channels and tada my CSNHD, ESPNHD, etc... were coming though!

It's funny, I received a channel listing in my last bill and their "Limited Basic HD" listing does not include any of the encrypted channels, yet I've always gotten that small subset. It lists them in the "Starter HD" tier (which has a lot of additional channels that they added and I don't recieve). Although when I signed up for HD originally, there were no tiers and HD was the network channels plus those - so maybe they give them to us as a "grandfathered" service since we had them before they set up the tiers (I'm sure people would have gone ballistic if they took them away and you had to fork over $50 more to get them back).

Same thing goes for regular cable "Limited Basic", they list Oxygen, HGTV, CMT, Versus, and the Golf Channel in "Expanded Basic" yet I get them.

Yes, it's weird, I think I get some of those Expanded Basic channels as well but never watch them so I can't be sure. This is why I've been very reluctant to change the service I get. All the local HD, plus CSNHD, ESPNHD, ESPN2HD, MOJO, and Discovery HD Theater for only $18.05 is a deal that can't be beat. Although, I'm not sure if MOJO is still being broadcast, I heard that it was going away. Add in 16/2 HSI for a total of $73.66 and I really don't have much to complain about with Comcast.

Does anyone know what might be causing both my cable boxes to start showing intermittent pixelization/dropouts of audio/video on many of my premium channels and On Demand? This started happening about a couple of weeks ago. My cable boxes are connected directly to the cable drop tied into the side of my house. My PC shows that my signal strength and quality near 99-100%. Nothing changed inside my house in the past couple of weeks.

I am using DCT5100 cable boxes. Is it possible something changed in the signal that only newer cable boxes can handle better?

I'm scared to call Comcast since the people they sent to investigate are dumber than me.

Nice...
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h283/mkanet/nice.jpg

About 18 months ago I had similar issues with my second box. The HD box was fine, but the 5100 had pixelation issues and occasional total blackout issues with just a couple of the digital channels.

The problem was solved, but only with the help of several Comcast techs. The problem was a slightly weak signal caused by an old cable inside the house and an insulation tear in the underground cable between the distribution box and my house.

good luck.

Thanks. I actually hooked up my box directly to the point of entry in my house. Same thing. There's no inside wiring in the way. I called 1-800-COMCAST today, I get an automated prompt saying there's an issue in my area and they are aware of it, and trying to fix the problem. I however can't speak to a live person.. I get to listen to hold music for about 30 or so minutes then get disconnected while listening to it. This happens every time I tried calling today.

About 18 months ago I had similar issues with my second box. The HD box was fine, but the 5100 had pixelation issues and occasional total blackout issues with just a couple of the digital channels.

The problem was solved, but only with the help of several Comcast techs. The problem was a slightly weak signal caused by an old cable inside the house and an insulation tear in the underground cable between the distribution box and my house.

good luck.

Thanks. I actually hooked up my box directly to the point of entry in my house. Same thing. There's no inside wiring in the way. I called 1-800-COMCAST today, I get an automated prompt saying there's an issue in my area and they are aware of it, and trying to fix the problem. I however can't speak to a live person.. I get to listen to hold music for about 30 or so minutes then get disconnected while listening to it. This happens every time I tried calling today.

MKANET,

Try going to the Comcast website and try the live chat option, it's not the best solution but it's harder for them to disconnect you... :). Usually they are just as good as directly talking to a CSR and you get the bonus of not having to listen to their terrible Muzak.

Laters,
Mikef5

Remote control code for Motorola DCH-3200 HD tuner?


I posted this on the Samsung 71 series LCD thread, but I would try here also. Does anyone have the Samsung 61/65/69/71/81 TV remote control code for the Motorola DCH-3200 HD tuner box? In the Samsung user manual, they have an STB entry for Motorola, but that did not work. Surprisingly, they have no CABLE BOX entry for Motorola. Not sure whether the Motorola tuner box is a Cable Box or a STB according to Samsung.

Also, there is a huge IR interference issue between the Samsung 71 series LCD TV and the Motorola tuner box: the box would not respond to its remote control when the TV is on. I tried various placements of the tuner box, and finally have to place it on a shelf behind and above the TV to have to be controllable by its remote.

CLau--

I have similar interference problems from my Sammy LCD TV. I find that putting several layers of white masking tape over the other unit's IR receiver window usually helps to reduce the interference.

Remote control code for Motorola DCH-3200 HD tuner?


I posted this on the Samsung 71 series LCD thread, but I would try here also. Does anyone have the Samsung 61/65/69/71/81 TV remote control code for the Motorola DCH-3200 HD tuner box? In the Samsung user manual, they have an STB entry for Motorola, but that did not work. Surprisingly, they have no CABLE BOX entry for Motorola. Not sure whether the Motorola tuner box is a Cable Box or a STB according to Samsung.

Also, there is a huge IR interference issue between the Samsung 71 series LCD TV and the Motorola tuner box: the box would not respond to its remote control when the TV is on. I tried various placements of the tuner box, and finally have to place it on a shelf behind and above the TV to have to be controllable by its remote.

Clau,

Try this site, they have codes for just about everything http://www.remotecentral.com/

Laters,
Mikef5

Clau
Is there a remote code for General Instrument?

They made the box before Moto bought the company.

Are there any known Pixelation issues with the Comcast boxes?

I tried reading thru some of this thread and I havn't really got an answer. Whenever I try and view SD or HD content via OnDemand, the sound skips so bad, i cant even watch it, and also there is really bad pixelation in the feed. It is in shapes of "squares" and is usually the bottom half of the screen. Like its overcompressed or something. It does it during normal viewing also.

Anyone else have this problem? Did a new box fix it?

Thanks in advance.

Which Comcast box do you have? Just recently, I started having this exact problem on both of my motorola DCT 5100 boxes. Pixelization, drop out of video/audio. I even had this problem when connecting one of my boxes directly to the point of entry at my house where the cable ties in.

PS: Where do you live? I live in Vallejo.


Are there any known Pixelation issues with the Comcast boxes?

I tried reading thru some of this thread and I havn't really got an answer. Whenever I try and view SD or HD content via OnDemand, the sound skips so bad, i cant even watch it, and also there is really bad pixelation in the feed. It is in shapes of "squares" and is usually the bottom half of the screen. Like its overcompressed or something. It does it during normal viewing also.

Anyone else have this problem? Did a new box fix it?

Thanks in advance.

^ I also have the DCT5100. It has done this before, but now, I just tried to watch an episode of Entourage OnDemand, and I couldnt even do it. I could only hear about half the audio. I wanna throw the POS out of the window.

I live in Walnut Creek.

The symptoms you are because of a low quality signal that the box cant tune correctly. How long has this been happening? Was it working correctly before? Its too much of a coincidence to ignore that we both started complaining about the same thing around the same time.

If you dont mind, send me PM, I have a feeling we both will need to do the same thing to resolve the issue. However, I'm convinced the problem is not because of our boxes, since it's been working fine for me for the last 2 years.

^ I also have the DCT5100. It has done this before, but now, I just tried to watch an episode of Entourage OnDemand, and I couldnt even do it. I could only hear about half the audio. I wanna throw the POS out of the window.

I live in Walnut Creek.

^ I will let you know. I am going to take the box to Comcast and get another on Wednesday. I cant stand this. Now its happening to locad HD content, and even SD content thats not OnDemand. I f**king HATE Comcast. i have had so many problems with them. I also tried changing from the DVI output to the Component output, and it still does it. Sigh......

Anyways, I'll let you know if it solves it.

Looks like AT&T will be following other providers with their own bandwidth caps, see link...
http://www.dailytech.com/ATT+Experiments+with+Bandwidth+Caps/article13355.htm

Seems they are using the same argument that another famous cable provider used, "customers who use a “disproportionately large amount” of its bandwidth capacity" is their reason for their implementing the cap .

So what's next ?? Paying per bytes used ?? Taxing internet purchases ??

Here's some "free" advice for all providers " DON'T KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGGS " it's going to come back and bite you in the a##.

I'm all for making a business profitable but this is going into a direction that will in the end have disastrous consequences for the future of the internet and your bottom line.

Ok, I'm off the soapbox..... for now.... ;)

Laters,
Mikef5

Look at it this way. It's a shared connection, if your neighbor is hogging the line your service is degraded. You wouldn't want that, I know I don't want that.

The thing is, Comcast has always had caps, only recently have they gone public with them, which I think we can all agree is a better policy than keeping them secret. As long as the caps are reasonable (and 250GB is much more than reasonable - that's 1 HD movie download from Netflix/Xbox Live/PSN/etc PER DAY, every day for the entire month) I don't mind if they police their network in the name of quality control.

On a more positive note, it's seems Comcast is giving more information on the status of their shift to an all digital provider ( ie, the fate of analog ). See link....
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=167256&site=cdn&f_src=lightreading_sitedefault

It looks like for those people in the Basic and Extended Basic tier the DTA boxes will be free, OMG, actually free :p. 2 DTA's and one basic interactive box ( I assume they mean a non-dvr box, but they will be able to get VOD and such ) and $1.99 for anymore DTA's above that. That seems fair, you can still use your old analog tv's and cable can reclaim about 40 channels for adding more content and add DOCSIS 3.0. I can't believe they are still going to leave 20 analog channels on the system but hey at least it's a start.

Laters,
Mikef5

So has anyone found a way to monitor their usage?

How about making Comcast.com useful and showing how much you've used for the month?

Or do they want people to go over and incur penalties?

Look at it this way. It's a shared connection, if your neighbor is hogging the line your service is degraded. You wouldn't want that, I know I don't want that.

The thing is, Comcast has always had caps, only recently have they gone public with them, which I think we can all agree is a better policy than keeping them secret. As long as the caps are reasonable (and 250GB is much more than reasonable - that's 1 HD movie download from Netflix/Xbox Live/PSN/etc PER DAY, every day for the entire month) I don't mind if they police their network in the name of quality control.

Yes Walk, I understand the cap has always been there, just not enforced and IMHO Comcast's 250 GB is sufficient......for now !! but look to the future. I will guarantee that in the future there will be products that will suck up that cap in a heart beat. It's just the nature of the beast, it evolves faster and faster as time go on . I can remember when 16 MBs, yes MBs, was more memory that your computer would ever need, now programs are bigger than that :eek:. So for now, all is fine but mark my words this topic will be revisited and sooner than you think.

Laters,
Mikef5

So has anyone found a way to monitor their usage?

How about making Comcast.com useful and showing how much you've used for the month?

Or do they want people to go over and incur penalties?
The best one I've found is BWMeter because it breaks out LAN usage from internet usage. Most just track what ever moves over the NIC which includes any LAN traffic.

http://desksoft.com/BWMeter.htm

Another one that's supposed to be good, but I haven't tried, is Netlimiter.

http://www.netlimiter.com/

But those tools won't necessarily produce the same numbers as Comcast though, right?

Especially if you have more than one computer.

Also if you use consoles to play online or download games, or have portable Wifi devices like the iPhone.

But those tools won't necessarily produce the same numbers as Comcast though, right?

Especially if you have more than one computer.

Also if you use consoles to play online or download games, or have portable Wifi devices like the iPhone.

No, of course not. I don't play games and DL very little(practically nothing) via DVRs/PS3's and such so it works for me to get a pretty close approximation of how much I've used.

I agree that with Comcast implementing caps they should provide the ability to see how much you've used. The problem with that is, you'll have people who use next to nothing seeing that they're paying the same rates as someone who's using 100 times as much. Given that, I wouldn't expect to see a usage meter from Comcast anytime soon.

The whole problem stems from the fact that the infrastructure needs to be upgraded instead of implementing usage caps. The very idea that caps are needed means that there is a sufficient number of subs out there that use that much, so either charge them more and/or increase the capacity of the network. A bandwidth cap is basically a band-aid/symptom of a larger problem, that problem being more and more people want more and more BW and Comcast can't support it at the present time(at least that's what they're saying anyways).


An article of interest seems to indicate that Comcast is resigning itself to the idea that P2P traffic is here to stay and will only get bigger. They have been working on designing a new protocol to make P2P traffic more efficient.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081103-comcastic-p4p-trial-shows-80-speed-boost-for-p2p-downloads.html

I don't download video files but another source is going to be the D* HR2x DVR and D* On Demand content.

I don't download video files but another source is going to be the D* HR2x DVR and D* On Demand content.

Yes, and that sort of stuff is just going to increase which means either the cap will get raised, they'll charge more, or a combination of both. A 250GB cap is definitely not the end of this story.

There's already evidence that they have raised the caps from 100GB a few years ago
(people who got TOS letters used bandwidth monitors to figure out they used a bit over 100GB in a month). So yes of course they could raise it in the future.

There may be a lot of things to hate on Comcast about but I don't think a more-than reasonable cap on a shared connection is one of them.

They can upgrade their infastructure all they want but in the end you still share bandwidth with your neighbors and they will still need a way to prevent one user from degrading the service of a couple dozen others. That's just how it is with cable internet.

I agree, a 250GB cap is very reasonable today, but looking down the road, it will likely have to be raised.

And then there's this,

FCC opens free 'white space' spectrum
http://news.cnet.com/8300-1035_3-94.html?tag=rb_content;overviewHead

Hi All,

I, like apparently many on here, am in one of my "should I switch to Directv" moments. My problem isn't cost, though of course that's an issue, but rather picture quality. I'm very demanding in my HD pic quality, and it seems to me that Comcast's has gotten significantly worse in the last few months, particularly on live sports, one of the main reasons I have HD. But, there could be a few different reasons other than Comcast - my TV is 3 years old (but Blu Ray looks great still), my Motorola Box is 3 years old, etc. But, my mom just got Directv and it unquestionably looks MUCH better than my setup. Are other people noticing problems in Comcast HD pic quality? Not dropouts, just poor quality such as pixellation on motion, loss of detail (particularly during football right before a play starts, the line of scrimmage looks like it's in clouds), etc. I'll jump if it's really a Comcast issue, but would hate to make the switch and then realize it was the TV or the box. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

I switched to dtv from comcast in may. still have comcast internet
though. but as for picture quality its fabulous with dtv, it was
terrible from comcast when I left. I pay a lot more with dtv
by choice then comcast but I suspect the "typical" bills are about
the same. I have been very happy. I do only have a 720p tv
and setup so if you are going for 1080 I cant comment.

Hi All,

I, like apparently many on here, am in one of my "should I switch to Directv" moments. My problem isn't cost, though of course that's an issue, but rather picture quality. I'm very demanding in my HD pic quality, and it seems to me that Comcast's has gotten significantly worse in the last few months, particularly on live sports, one of the main reasons I have HD. But, there could be a few different reasons other than Comcast - my TV is 3 years old (but Blu Ray looks great still), my Motorola Box is 3 years old, etc. But, my mom just got Directv and it unquestionably looks MUCH better than my setup. Are other people noticing problems in Comcast HD pic quality? Not dropouts, just poor quality such as pixellation on motion, loss of detail (particularly during football right before a play starts, the line of scrimmage looks like it's in clouds), etc. I'll jump if it's really a Comcast issue, but would hate to make the switch and then realize it was the TV or the box. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Thanks, that's very helpful! I too have a 720p TV. And, I plan to keep Comcast for internet, it's the best provider I've had thus far for that. I had good pricing on a bundle but I'm so aggravated by my picture quality it's worth the extra money to be happy when I watch TV again.

Anyone else concur on that experience?

Thanks again!

Alex

Is anyone watching the Shark's game in HD? If so are you having issues with your volume? I am watching and the volume won't stay at a consistent level. I don't have this problem on other channels.

I too have noticed a significant doecrease in Comcast HD pic quality over the past month or so. It looks great with certain channels, like MOJO, Discovery, FoodTV (certain shows), and some others. But HD locals and some others are having major pixellation problems, and also the pic during sports on locals just looks terrible IMHO. Its still HD, but it looks "grainy"....


Hi All,

I, like apparently many on here, am in one of my "should I switch to Directv" moments. My problem isn't cost, though of course that's an issue, but rather picture quality. I'm very demanding in my HD pic quality, and it seems to me that Comcast's has gotten significantly worse in the last few months, particularly on live sports, one of the main reasons I have HD. But, there could be a few different reasons other than Comcast - my TV is 3 years old (but Blu Ray looks great still), my Motorola Box is 3 years old, etc. But, my mom just got Directv and it unquestionably looks MUCH better than my setup. Are other people noticing problems in Comcast HD pic quality? Not dropouts, just poor quality such as pixellation on motion, loss of detail (particularly during football right before a play starts, the line of scrimmage looks like it's in clouds), etc. I'll jump if it's really a Comcast issue, but would hate to make the switch and then realize it was the TV or the box. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Well it's funny you mention live sports because this is probably the one area where Comcast has a PQ advantage.
They do not re-compress any of these channels
702 KTVU/FOX (NFL)
703 KNTV/NBC (NFL, some Giants)
705 CBS (NFL)
707 ABC
709 KQED
720 Comcast SportsNet (Sharks Warriors A's Giants etc)

ESPN1/2 I believe is the only one they DO re-compress but the loss seem minimal, it is a 720p channel which helps slightly.

On the other side, DTV recompresses ALL of their channels, every single one. When they use MPEG4 the results seem to be much better than when Comcast uses MPEG2 on the same channel, but DTV still also uses MPEG2 on many channels (how many or which ones, I'm not sure).

When Comcast started "3-packing" early this year PQ definitely took a hit on the channels that they have to re-compress but I've not noticed it getting any worse over time, perhaps it's even gotten better.

I'm considering switching to DTV for more HD channels, better PQ on some, MUCH lower prices (especially for the 1st year, it's pretty ridiculous, I'd be saving about $50/month) and let's not forget A MUCH MUCH BETTER DVR (though one drawback is they don't have firewire output I don't think)

That's interesting. I see a really large difference in football and hockey on my mom's vs. my setup. But, again, it could be the TV or the receiver as well. I'm not sure which models she has but both are new within the last 3 months.

My TV is a Sony Grand Wega KDF-E42A10 and reciever is a Motorola DCT 6412 III. The frustrating thing is I know my PQ used to be better, I'm 100% certain.

Did anyone watch the Sharks game last night in HD and notice pixellation and screen door effect? Or the football game Sunday night and notice extreme pixellation?

I have a 2 week window before I start a new job and am trying to figure out if I should switch while I have the opportunity to be home for an install.

Thanks,
Alex

Did anyone watch the Sharks game last night in HD and notice pixellation and screen door effect?

i thought screen door effect was something that did not depend on the material being viewed: either you are close enough to see dark lines between the individual pixels or you are not: it is a feature of the display, not the content.

you may be thinking of "macroblocking" (8-pixel block boundaries in rapidly changing content) which has been discussed to death all over the internet and i will not even touch.

Well it's funny you mention live sports because this is probably the one area where Comcast has a PQ advantage.
They do not re-compress any of these channels
702 KTVU/FOX (NFL)
703 KNTV/NBC (NFL, some Giants)
705 CBS (NFL)
707 ABC
709 KQED
720 Comcast SportsNet (Sharks Warriors A's Giants etc)

ESPN1/2 I believe is the only one they DO re-compress but the loss seem minimal, it is a 720p channel which helps slightly.

On the other side, DTV recompresses ALL of their channels, every single one. When they use MPEG4 the results seem to be much better than when Comcast uses MPEG2 on the same channel, but DTV still also uses MPEG2 on many channels (how many or which ones, I'm not sure).

When Comcast started "3-packing" early this year PQ definitely took a hit on the channels that they have to re-compress but I've not noticed it getting any worse over time, perhaps it's even gotten better.

I'm considering switching to DTV for more HD channels, better PQ on some, MUCH lower prices (especially for the 1st year, it's pretty ridiculous, I'd be saving about $50/month) and let's not forget A MUCH MUCH BETTER DVR (though one drawback is they don't have firewire output I don't think)

I know it's not the same as firewire, which I assume you want to be able to archive, but DirecTV has released their DTV2PC app for PCs. It works much like TiVo's TiVoToGo where you can view recordings on your PC/network. Personally I don't think it's ready for public as it requires some pretty heavy computing power. On my AMD 3800+/3GB RAM/Nvidia 8600GTS, I can play 720p channels, but it stutters badly on 1080i channels. It has promise though.

Sorry, my mistake, in reading more it isn't screen door effect but rather silk screen effect. The whites looked dusty or shimmery.

I would have your signal checked and maybe trade in the box for a newer one. I watched Sunday Night Football and it looked fine. There is always some macroblocking on fast-motion, a bit moreso on 1080i channels, but as I said Comcast doesn't recompress NBC/KNTV so you're seeing exactly what the network feeds to them.

I know it's not the same as firewire, which I assume you want to be able to archive, but DirecTV has released their DTV2PC app for PCs. It works much like TiVo's TiVoToGo where you can view recordings on your PC/network. Personally I don't think it's ready for public as it requires some pretty heavy computing power. On my AMD 3800+/3GB RAM/Nvidia 8600GTS, I can play 720p channels, but it stutters badly on 1080i channels. It has promise though.My PC is 3 feet from the cable box and TV, I only use it to record programs from the DVR. I can then play them back on the PC, or even better, from the PS3. Of course even that isn't working right now since Comcast broke firewire output from the DVR. Right now if I want to record a program (to the PC) I have to do it live. Kinda defeats the purpose of a DVR. But apparently that's a glitch with the DCT boxes since DCH users report it still works - I just have to find time to swap my box..

The alternative, and I assume would work for a satellite box too, is buy a HD capture card that records from component. They apparently exist now, though aren't cheap ($200) though last time I looked into something like that I only found professional gear costing $1000s.

My PC is 3 feet from the cable box and TV, I only use it to record programs from the DVR. I can then play them back on the PC, or even better, from the PS3. Of course even that isn't working right now since Comcast broke firewire output from the DVR. Right now if I want to record a program (to the PC) I have to do it live. Kinda defeats the purpose of a DVR. But apparently that's a glitch with the DCT boxes since DCH users report it still works - I just have to find time to swap my box..

The alternative, and I assume would work for a satellite box too, is buy a HD capture card that records from component. They apparently exist now, though aren't cheap ($200) though last time I looked into something like that I only found professional gear costing $1000s.

It sounds like the DTV2PC thing would work if you're only watching them and not archiving them for long term storage. What's nice about it, just like TiVoToGo, you can view all the channels you subscribe to, even the encrypted one's that you can't do with a normal clear-QAM tuner on Comcast. But, like I said, it seems to require some heavy duty computing, and it's streaming content which is unlike TiVoToGo, that part I don't like.

These must be AVCHD streams which DO require heavy computing power as compared to MPEG-4 Simple Profile. This has been a big problem with the new HD camcorders (even the cheap hybrid ones) that produce AVCHD streams. Most computers can't keep up with the stream and many computer players are actually dropping frames to keep up. However these streams on some Blu-Ray players like my Sony work fine as the hardware was made for that.

These must be AVCHD streams which DO require heavy computing power as compared to MPEG-4 Simple Profile. This has been a big problem with the new HD camcorders (even the cheap hybrid ones) that produce AVCHD streams. Most computers can't keep up with the stream and many computer players are actually dropping frames to keep up. However these streams on some Blu-Ray players like my Sony work fine as the hardware was made for that.

Getting slightly OT but H.264 as encoded by broadcasters requires some serious grunt to decode as folks have noticed. But with the right software and the right graphics card in your machine (like a ATN 2600+ or better or Nividia 8600 or better) most of the decoding can be offloaded to the GPU in the cards which can reduce overall CPU requirements down to 5-10-%

Getting slightly OT but H.264 as encoded by broadcasters requires some serious grunt to decode as folks have noticed. But with the right software and the right graphics card in your machine (like a ATN 2600+ or better or Nividia 8600 or better) most of the decoding can be offloaded to the GPU in the cards which can reduce overall CPU requirements down to 5-10-%
The software is a CyberLink program with a DirecTV UI on it and I'm not sure it's actually doing that off-loading for those vid/cards that can do it. A look at the DirectShow manager shows that all the installed codecs(?) are set to do not use. Not sure if it's supposed to be that way or not, but in the D* forums it seems it really needs some heavy computing power to operate smoothly. The D* acolytes say it's fine of course, although they never mention most people can't use the program without spending $500-1000 to upgrade their machine. It's a nice program, but not that nice.

Does anyone know what might be causing both my cable boxes to start showing intermittent pixelization/dropouts of audio/video on many of my premium channels and On Demand?[/IMG]

I've been running into problem with the same symptoms since I got my Comcast service. It took 4 tech visits, a strongly worded complaint-o-gram to Comcast HQ in Philly, and a mysterious non-visit from network engineering to get the problem to be much less frequent than before. It still happens to me daily, but the damage is tolerable now.

If it's the same cause, it's because you're seeing intermittent signal dropouts/weakness on certain frequencies. There's a wealth of info you can use on the Motorola boxes to help you debug this, but even the best Comcast tech they sent me looked at me like a space alien when I tried to explain the problem with the data from the box.

Let me know if you want details on what I did. It might help you get answers, but it might not get you far with Comcast...

^ I had problems with the same thing. I just returned my older box (had only a DVI output) and got and upgraded box with the HDMI. I currently have it hooked up via a 6' HDMI Monoprice cable, and have yet to have any issues. Hopefully it solved it. I'll know more after more watching. I just hooked it up about an hour ago. Once the info downloads to it, we'll see, and I'll try some OnDemand content and see if the problem is still there. Seems to be resolved at the moment.

I think all that means is the newer boxes is more tolerant to decoding crappy QAM256 signal; if indeed the problem went away. It doesnt really fix the problem, just circumvents it. Anyway, let us know if it's solid without any issues at all on all channels; particularly the highest HD channels and HD On Demand.

I'm going to approach the problem differently and have them fix it on their end, since nothing changed on mine.

BTW, as far as QAM signals go I used my computer to record the Masterpiece Contemporary mini-series "The Last Enemy" and noticed how grainy it was. Most of the streams were around 10 mbps. This due to KQED making space for its numerous substreams.

Yup, you're all supposed to be all good little consumers and go buy new computers (even though you bought one two years ago) just so you can decode h.264.

A lot of us do ;)

BTW, as far as QAM signals go I used my computer to record the Masterpiece Contemporary mini-series "The Last Enemy" and noticed how grainy it was. Most of the streams were around 10 mbps. This due to KQED making space for its numerous substreams.

Yup, you're all supposed to be all good little consumers and go buy new computers (even though you bought one two years ago) just so you can decode h.264.

2 years is about right for replacing computers. Bit long really for folks in IT.

This thing you're talking about, it lets you record programs on the PC? Or does it just stream them from the DTV box, because I'd have zero use for that.

I have both QAM tuners builtin to the PC and streaming from the DTV boxes. It depends on your needs. With a PC you can save your HD videos, put them on your iphone, put them on blu-ray, save HD music video collection, etc. Without a PC you cant do any of that.. just a closed box.

2 years is about right for replacing computers. Bit long really for folks in IT.

This thing you're talking about, it lets you record programs on the PC? Or does it just stream them from the DTV box, because I'd have zero use for that.

Is anyone watching the Shark's game in HD? If so are you having issues with your volume? I am watching and the volume won't stay at a consistent level. I don't have this problem on other channels.

Sorry that you didn't get a response, perhaps we have some hockey haters here. :confused:

Problem with CSN-BA HD sports broadcasts is that their 5.1 isn't mixed properly. I know this because when I have a true 5.1 mix, I can kill the center channel on sports and only hear background noise and the like, as if I was at the game. If you do that on a CSN-BA HD broadcast, you still hear the commentators, meaning they don't mix the DD 5.1 properly.

2 years is about right for replacing computers. Bit long really for folks in IT.

This thing you're talking about, it lets you record programs on the PC? Or does it just stream them from the DTV box, because I'd have zero use for that.

Much to the pleasure of the CE industry. :D I wind up building my own but my XP Pro installation probably won't allow for another motherboard upgrade to dual core so I will be a new machine for me. But I'll wait until the cash flow is a little better as the prices on better units go down (but who knows in this economic climate -- they could go up) and maybe even there will be more software that can take advantage of 64-bit processors. My last few computers were laptops and even my low end dual core Vista laptop can encode video faster than my "video" desktop machine running XP Pro.

Now for streams I use the HDHomeRun box and actually use this Linux machine with Ubuntu for it. The HDHomeRun works over the network and has two tuners. It mainly comes in handy if there are more shows to record than the two Comcast DVR tuners can handle.

The jump from SD to HD camcorders using h.264 is sparking a need among users to upgrade their systems. Most of the NLE software for AVCHD requires more computing power and even video cards that can decode it. Early generation AVCHD editing programs seemed to only get it implemented and future versions will optimize it's encoding with seems pathetically slow at the moment. But being a programmer I know how that goes.

A new problem with new systems is that the software producers have jumped into the frey and now much of the video software has "single computer" licenses whereas they previously had "single user" licenses (allowing you to put it legally on any machine you owned). So you may also have to purchase the software again. :(

Thanks for your reply Pappy. I don't know if it is a mixing issue or something else. The problem seems to have been fixed. I don't recall hearing it on Thursday's game and tonight the volume level seems to be pretty stable.

Thanks for your reply Pappy. I don't know if it is a mixing issue or something else. The problem seems to have been fixed. I don't recall hearing it on Thursday's game and tonight the volume level seems to be pretty stable.

Sounds like you got Saturday's Sharks game (vs Dallas) on CSNBA-HD. Which I believe answers the question I was going to pose, which was "did anyone have problems receiving the Dallas game on CSNBA-HD?"

I came home Sunday evening to my TiVo S3 not having the game, and when I dug into the recording history I saw the CSNBA-HD channel did not record despite being scheduled, with a semi-cryptic message about the device not being authorized to receive the channel (exact working forgotten, sorry). So naturally I tuned it immediately to see if my CableCards got horked - it tuned in just fine, presenting me with a glorious "HD SPORTS" logo instead of a black screen.

The irony is that I've recently taken to also recording the SD version too, mostly because the guide data has been claiming some games (mostly away) on the HD channel when they are in fact only on the SD channel. But alas I neglected to do so this time since I "knew" this one was in HD. Grumble grumble.

I don't recall a volume issue on the earlier games, but that doesn't necesarily mean there wasn't one :o

Digital Preferred?

Pardon me if this has been asked already. The CSR I chatted with offered me a 6 month promotional rate for Digital Preferred of $43/mo. I am currently paying $59.95 for Digital Starter. It seems like the number of channels offered is not that different between the two plans, and that the bigger difference is On Demand? With Digital Preferred, I would have access to On Demand, and a lot of OD programming is free, correct? Does that mean that I have access to a lot of free movies if I subscribe to Digital Preferred? What can I access via On Demand on the Digital Starter package? I cannot access On Demand with CableCard, right? TIA.

Please pardon me if I'm missing something...Or if simply doesn't exist...But:

Where can I find a current list of digital channels broadcast (via QAM or otherwise) over Comcast's lines in San Francisco? I'm preparing to purchase an HDHomeRun w/ EyeTV software for the Mac and I'm trying to do my homework before the purchase (I imagine I'll be manually mapping channels to guide listings).

Thanks so much!

Nathan

There's a lot of clear-QAM channels but most of them are standard-def, the digital versions of the analog channels (ADS).

The only clear-QAM high-def channels are
702 KTVU/FOX
703 KNTV/NBC
704 KRON
705 KPIX/CBS
706 KICU "Channel 36"
707 KGO/ABC
709 KQED/PBS
712 KBHK/"the CW" or whatever, channel 44.

The actually channel #s (if present at all) and the RF frequencies vary by location, and change often, and without notice.

Sounds like fun!

So...Is Comcast sending all analog stations down the pipe in digital now (ADS)? If that's the case, then it sounds like I could get away with an HDHomeRun and nothing else (no need to purchase an analog tuner)...Remapping channels whenever a change is made.

Thanks for the reply. I greatly appreciate it!

Nathan

Nathan--

The best list that I know of is here (http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/channels).

awesome link.

seems mostly to cover OTA or otherwise publicly available programming. but ESPN (for instance) is not mentioned.

is there a summary of which channels in the local *comcast* lineup are transmitted in which HD formats?

we all know ESPN is 720p. but what is (for instance) comcast sports net (HD)? where is such a list?

i only ask because of the crappy motorola STB they give us that forces us to choose either 720 or 1080 out for all channels instead of passing through the native format...

awesome link.

seems mostly to cover OTA or otherwise publicly available programming. but ESPN (for instance) is not mentioned. That's because the OP was about what can be tuned via HD Homerun (e.g.) and for most folks that does not include the likes of ESPN because the content is encrypted.

yes- sorry. not meant as a criticism- i was sort of moving on to a new topic.

so:

does anyone know where i could look up the native HD format of encrypted comcast channels in this area?

I have tolerated Comcast's cableTV HD as long as I can handle it since April this year.

1) First, they started over-compressing their HD premium channel content to look closer to old fashioned DVD video starting April. On a high-end 60" TV, its very obvious.

2) Now, they somehow managed to messup the HD signal going to my house; where all my HD premium channels pixelate, drop out video/audio; incuding On Demand; even when connected my boxes directly to the Point of Entry at my home. I have already talked to 8 different Comcast customer service reps and technicians; which are no better than trained monkeys.... I can completely imagine a staff full of chimps at their central office dressed in bussiness clothes screaming and banging at their equipment with hammers and wrenches.

DirecTV has a deparment dedicated to customer retention as well as quality assurance of the service they provide.

All I can say is if you have Comcast HD cable that works, with a small older TV, you should be fine. But definitely not suitable for watching real HD on a big screen deinterlaced to 1080p

Sounds like fun!

So...Is Comcast sending all analog stations down the pipe in digital now (ADS)? If that's the case, then it sounds like I could get away with an HDHomeRun and nothing else (no need to purchase an analog tuner)...Remapping channels whenever a change is made.

Thanks for the reply. I greatly appreciate it!

Nathan

Those SD channels have been available in digital for at least two years. People have posted listing of the channels on this topic (you may need to go into archives) and they may be slightly different in different areas and Comcast may move them around. But all the Basic channels were there digital. The Extended ones were probably also there but those are encrypted. Also all the "music" stations too. I can tune in those with my Fusion card.

anyone hear if and when a newer and bigger hard drive box comcast will be issuing?

still have an old moto 6412...

Got the Guide message stating that MojoHD will go dark December 1st.
They're actually *removing* a HD channel??? Is there a new replacement?

does anyone know where i could look up the native HD format of encrypted comcast channels in this area?

I don't know of any site that lists for this area, but usually the format does not differ between different areas. e.g. ESPN would be 720P on Comcast through out the country.

If you want to know about any specific channels, I am sure someone here will know.

I don't know of any site that lists for this area, but usually the format does not differ between different areas. e.g. ESPN would be 720P on Comcast through out the country.

If you want to know about any specific channels, I am sure someone here will know.
It's on the very first page of this thread (though I guess it's a little dated by now).

Got the Guide message stating that MojoHD will go dark December 1st.
They're actually *removing* a HD channel??? Is there a new replacement?

there is a rumor we're getting new HD channels soon, at least it frees up space?

there is a rumor we're getting new HD channels soon, at least it frees up space?

Keenan started that rumor 5 years ago ;)

MOJO is going out of business, already removed in other areas. Hope there will be a replacement, HDnet would be nice. Still alot of chans we don't have.

When the hell are we getting Speed HD??? :mad:

Looks like they're adding speed but not in my area (Berkeley) :mad:

Keenan started that rumor 5 years ago ;)

That's just a rumor about me starting that rumor. :D

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6615591.html

Parts of Comcast Corp.'s San Francisco Bay Area cluster will add 12 new high-definition channels to their lineups beginning Nov. 25.

The added channels include HD versions of Bravo, Cartoon Network, CNBC, E!, Encore, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, FX, Hallmark Movie Channel, QVC, Speed and the Travel Channel.

All those channels, plus TBS HD, will launch Dec. 8 in select central California markets, including Chico, Calaveras, Corning, Davis, Grass Valley, Modesto, Oroville, Patterson, Placerville, Roseville and Tracy.

With these channels and other video-on-demand offerings, these systems now offer consumers more than 1,000 HD choices, according to the operator.

QVC.. awesome.

All this stuff is still coming 3-pak style isn't it? How's the quality been lately on those channels?

Hi,
Sorry if this is a newbie question, I did look around the forum before posting.

So - I just upgraded my TV from a plain old CRT to a Toshiba LCD. I have comcast in the Bay Area and /no cable box/ (but tivo and DVDs aplenty). On my old TV I had probably ~60 channels from 2 through ~85, just by plugging the coex from the wall straight into the TV.
Now, with my new TV I see something very different.
- I see a bunch of channels twice, which I'm guessing is the analog and digital version of the same channel. The analog is on the channel number i'd expect and the digital up in the 100s (like discovery) or part of a virtual channel (see below).
- I see some HD channels :)
- I see some "two-part" channels, where rather than seeing channels 34,35,36 etc. when i push "channel up" I now see 7-1,7-2,7-3 which appear to be all ABC or NBC but are either SD/HD versions or even completely different shows. (I'll call them virtual channels).
- I hear radio shows on virtual channels in the low 90s.

the questions then are:
1) How do I map 7-1,7-2,7-3 etc and to what comcast publishes as its program guide (online, I don't have EPG)
2) I do see a "rolling" PG on a station around 120 (that used to be on ch11 a couple of years ago) - I guess i need some more hardware to get a real EPG?
3) How do i figure out, really, where the Discovery channel is I know the analog is on 15 but i want to watch the digital version - the comcast channel listing shows it on 15, not at 118 or whereever i found it.
4) the $1M question - How does comcast control what i (can) watch if I'm not using a cable box? I'm probably paying $60/month (all in) right now, but I can't help thinking if i reduced my subscription to basic cable there's nothing that would change from the comcast perspective?

thanks,
Richard

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6615591.html

Parts of Comcast Corp.'s San Francisco Bay Area cluster will add 12 new high-definition channels to their lineups beginning Nov. 25.

The added channels include HD versions of Bravo, Cartoon Network, CNBC, E!, Encore, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, FX, Hallmark Movie Channel, QVC, Speed and the Travel Channel.

All those channels, plus TBS HD, will launch Dec. 8 in select central California markets, including Chico, Calaveras, Corning, Davis, Grass Valley, Modesto, Oroville, Patterson, Placerville, Roseville and Tracy.

With these channels and other video-on-demand offerings, these systems now offer consumers more than 1,000 HD choices, according to the operator.

Brilliant. They're adding FXHD right *after* the series conclusion of The Shield...

There's no way to tell really what frequencies/channels they are using for the DTV channels, other than trial by error, and they can and do change the frequencies all the time.

If you reduce your service to "basic" (ie $16/mo) they will put a trap on your line which will filter out the analog channels and god knows what else will go with it that shares the same RF frequency space. You may end up only getting 2-3 HD channels, or none at all.

I don't know of any site that lists for this area, but usually the format does not differ between different areas. e.g. ESPN would be 720P on Comcast through out the country.

If you want to know about any specific channels, I am sure someone here will know.
well in the specific case of comcast sports net it turns out this could be any of 10 different networks they bought and re-branded over time. so presumably the CSN HD format does vary by region. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comcast_SportsNet )

in the case of CSN Bay Area, it has been through many incarnations since 1990, and you would think since at least part of its life it was under the umbrella of Fox sports, which loves 720p, that this network would be provided in 720p.

turns out it's not. i finally broke down and emailed someone at comcast whose name i happened to find in a press release announcing the new CSN channel in march 2008. they replied promptly and unambiguously: 1080i

i was only asking the general question because of the idiotic motorola 6412 STB that forces you to choose one format for all programming. on a sufficiently large screen, choosing 720p when the original program was 1080i (or vice versa) hurts picture quality.

of course on my TV (which is not *all* that big) the basic rule still applies : if i can't *tell* which setting is obviously right just by comparing them then it must not be a terribly crucial setting...

still i'm surpised this has been so hard to research on avsforum or even using google.

C'mon, walk, down with the FUD! The local HD channels are all handled outside of the band-stop filter, so that basic subs (like me) can tune them.

With HDHomeRun you get a listing of the channels and whether they are encrypted or not. I think when a uses sends these in to Silicon Dust they strip out the encrypted channels to reduce clutter. Here is part of the output for channel 115 in my area:

SCANNING: 741000000 (us-cable:115, us-irc:115)
LOCK: qam256 (ss=59 snq=34 seq=100)
PROGRAM: 1: 0.0
PROGRAM: 2: 0.0 (encrypted)
PROGRAM: 3: 0.0
PROGRAM: 4: 0.0
PROGRAM: 5: 0.0
PROGRAM: 6: 0.0
PROGRAM: 7: 0.0
PROGRAM: 8: 0.0
PROGRAM: 9: 0.0
PROGRAM: 10: 0.0
PROGRAM: 11: 0.0 (encrypted)

These may or may not be TV channels. Currently I'm using a script on Linux that culls the more extensive database for the Open QAM channels mainly with ones that have PSIP.

As for possible forthcoming new channels. The bigger game is what package will they fall into and will any of the CSR's actually know that information? :D

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6615591.html

Parts of Comcast Corp.'s San Francisco Bay Area cluster will add 12 new high-definition channels to their lineups beginning Nov. 25.

The added channels include HD versions of Bravo, Cartoon Network, CNBC, E!, Encore, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, FX, Hallmark Movie Channel, QVC, Speed and the Travel Channel.

All those channels, plus TBS HD, will launch Dec. 8 in select central California markets, including Chico, Calaveras, Corning, Davis, Grass Valley, Modesto, Oroville, Patterson, Placerville, Roseville and Tracy.

With these channels and other video-on-demand offerings, these systems now offer consumers more than 1,000 HD choices, according to the operator.

EDIT: I now notice the PR says "Parts of" - maybe they are finally doing something different in the 860 Mhz markets compared with 750 Mhz...

Interesting. Where did they find the spectrum to deploy these? Or are these being done with SDV?

EDIT: I now notice the PR says "Parts of" - maybe they are finally doing something different in the 860 Mhz markets compared with 750 Mhz...

Interesting. Where did they find the spectrum to deploy these? Or are these being done with SDV?

How many 550MHz areas are left?

Maybe they're 6-pakkin' 'em. :p

There's no way to tell really what frequencies/channels they are using for the DTV channels, other than trial by error, and they can and do change the frequencies all the time.

If you reduce your service to "basic" (ie $16/mo) they will put a trap on your line which will filter out the analog channels and god knows what else will go with it that shares the same RF frequency space. You may end up only getting 2-3 HD channels, or none at all.

The trap, at least the one on my line, actually lets through more than it should rather than less. I get several Expanded Basic channels I shouldn't be getting. The local HD has always been in clear for as long as I can remember.

EDIT: I now notice the PR says "Parts of" - maybe they are finally doing something different in the 860 Mhz markets compared with 750 Mhz...

Interesting. Where did they find the spectrum to deploy these? Or are these being done with SDV?

http://comcastnorcal.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=253 lists a bunch of areas that won't be getting the channels; I'm betting it's all the 750 MHz areas.

http://comcastnorcal.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=253 lists a bunch of areas that won't be getting the channels; I'm betting it's all the 750 MHz areas.

I know both Rohnert Park and Petaluma are both 750, not sure about the others
The new HD networks will appear on the following channels:

*Not available in:

Alameda,
Belmont,
Berkeley,
Cupertino,
Dublin,
Fairfield,
Foster City,
Fremont,
Half Moon Bay,
Hercules,
Hillsborough,
Isleton,
Livermore,
Millbrae,
Mountain View,
Novato,
Petaluma,
Pinole,
Redwood City,
Rohnert Park,
Rossmoor,
San Carlos,
San Jose,
portions of San Leandro,
San Mateo,
San Mateo County,
San Ramon,
San Rafael,
Santa Clara,
Santa Cruz,
South San Francisco,
Sunol,
Travis AFB
Tower Park

I know both Rohnert Park and Petaluma are both 750, not sure about the others

I know Fremont is also. I wonder if Comcast is planning to upgrade the 750 MHz areas one of these years, now that they're using bandwidth that we don't have...

http://comcastnorcal.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=253 lists a bunch of areas that won't be getting the channels; I'm betting it's all the 750 MHz areas.

This makes no sense to me. Redwood City and San Mateo County are 860 plant and have a ton of extra room (I know, I did a QAM scan just the other day).

Maybe this is being done via SDV and the gear isn't being installed in those headends.

But if that's true, why not light up the 860 areas which have capacity?

Someone should call up Andrew Johnson and get to the bottom of this.

I know Fremont is also. I wonder if Comcast is planning to upgrade the 750 MHz areas one of these years, now that they're using bandwidth that we don't have...

I think the plan has always been to get all areas on equal footing - there's currently 1GHz, 860MHz, 750MHz systems, and I'm not sure if there's any 550MHz systems left - but in this economy who knows what will happen.

Those 1GHz systems are essentially 860MHz right now as they haven't done(deployed) anything as far as equipment to tune those frequencies yet as far as I know.

This makes no sense to me. Redwood City and San Mateo County are 860 plant and have a ton of extra room (I know, I did a QAM scan just the other day).

Maybe this is being done via SDV and the gear isn't being installed in those headends.

But if that's true, why not light up the 860 areas which have capacity?

Someone should call up Andrew Johnson and get to the bottom of this.

It does seem odd, there's an awful lot of cities in that list.

I think the plan has always been to get all areas on equal footing - there's currently 1GHz, 860MHz, 750MHz systems, and I'm not sure if there's any 550MHz systems left - but in this economy who knows what will happen.

Those 1GHz systems are essentially 860MHz right now as they haven't done(deployed) anything as far as equipment to tune those frequencies yet as far as I know.

Well, some of the new DOCSIS modems can go higher, as is true for voip gateways, so those carriers can be moved above 860 so the STB's can use the lower frequencies for video.

Very odd distribution pattern of who doesn't get it - I bet it's SDV being deployed. Too bad for Tivo users if so!

Well, some of the new DOCSIS modems can go higher, as is true for voip gateways, so those carriers can be moved above 860 so the STB's can use the lower frequencies for video.

Very odd distribution pattern of who doesn't get it - I bet it's SDV being deployed. Too bad for Tivo users if so!

All we need is the adapter, I think the TiVo software is already set up for it, pretty sure I saw an entry in the menu for it.

All we need is the adapter, I think the TiVo software is already set up for it, pretty sure I saw an entry in the menu for it.

It's not in production yet. The MSO's have stuff on their side to implement as well.

It's not in production yet. The MSO's have stuff on their side to implement as well.

Yeah, I haven't really paid that close attention to it lately, I'm quite happy with my HD locals and the extra HD channels I get for $18. I supplement that with DirecTV for the rest of the HD channels.

C'mon, walk, down with the FUD! The local HD channels are all handled outside of the band-stop filter, so that basic subs (like me) can tune them.On your head-end maybe. Every head-end is different. Many of them use the lower frequencies for DTV channels. That's why I use words like "may" and "might".

If that's true and we aren't getting those new HD channels, it's probably the last straw for me to switch to DirecTV at the end of Nov.

Not only would I get more channels, most in better quality, a much better DVR, but would also save about $40/month (for the first year, then about $15/mo after that.)

Wow, I think they've finally made it a no-brainer.

How interesting, the 760Mhz areas are going to be the new 550 systems. I feel for folks in these areas as the new HD channels/services may not be readily available. I was on a 550 system in San Lorenzo for a long time and didn't get all the extra channels as they were announced. We finally got upgraded to the new 1GHz system earlier this year.

WTF Comcast? First of all my bill goes up by $7, then on Dec. 1st I get to lose my "Mojo". Then, to add insult to injury, San Jose doesn't get the new channels.

Hi,
Sorry if this is a newbie question, I did look around the forum before posting.

So - I just upgraded my TV from a plain old CRT to a Toshiba LCD. I have comcast in the Bay Area and /no cable box/ (but tivo and DVDs aplenty). On my old TV I had probably ~60 channels from 2 through ~85, just by plugging the coex from the wall straight into the TV.
Now, with my new TV I see something very different.
- I see a bunch of channels twice, which I'm guessing is the analog and digital version of the same channel. The analog is on the channel number i'd expect and the digital up in the 100s (like discovery) or part of a virtual channel (see below).
- I see some HD channels :)
- I see some "two-part" channels, where rather than seeing channels 34,35,36 etc. when i push "channel up" I now see 7-1,7-2,7-3 which appear to be all ABC or NBC but are either SD/HD versions or even completely different shows. (I'll call them virtual channels).
- I hear radio shows on virtual channels in the low 90s.

the questions then are:
1) How do I map 7-1,7-2,7-3 etc and to what comcast publishes as its program guide (online, I don't have EPG)
2) I do see a "rolling" PG on a station around 120 (that used to be on ch11 a couple of years ago) - I guess i need some more hardware to get a real EPG?
3) How do i figure out, really, where the Discovery channel is I know the analog is on 15 but i want to watch the digital version - the comcast channel listing shows it on 15, not at 118 or whereever i found it.
4) the $1M question - How does comcast control what i (can) watch if I'm not using a cable box? I'm probably paying $60/month (all in) right now, but I can't help thinking if i reduced my subscription to basic cable there's nothing that would change from the comcast perspective?

thanks,
RichardTry putting in your zip code here:
http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/channels

It should at least be a good start. However, if you don't have a digital cable box or CableCARD, you are at Comcasts whim - they can change the physical channel as they please.

- Mike

well in the specific case of comcast sports net it turns out this could be any of 10 different networks they bought and re-branded over time. so presumably the CSN HD format does vary by region. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comcast_SportsNet )

in the case of CSN Bay Area, it has been through many incarnations since 1990, and you would think since at least part of its life it was under the umbrella of Fox sports, which loves 720p, that this network would be provided in 720p.

turns out it's not. i finally broke down and emailed someone at comcast whose name i happened to find in a press release announcing the new CSN channel in march 2008. they replied promptly and unambiguously: 1080i

i was only asking the general question because of the idiotic motorola 6412 STB that forces you to choose one format for all programming. on a sufficiently large screen, choosing 720p when the original program was 1080i (or vice versa) hurts picture quality.

of course on my TV (which is not *all* that big) the basic rule still applies : if i can't *tell* which setting is obviously right just by comparing them then it must not be a terribly crucial setting...

still i'm surpised this has been so hard to research on avsforum or even using google.

Funny you say that considering it's been well known here that CSN-BA HD and previously FSN-BA HD was broadcast in 1080i because of prior ownership by Rainbow Media (I think). It's been discussed here many times.

As to resolution, why don't you have a Motorola 3412? With that you can easily set up a button that allows you change output resolution on the fly. I did that and change resolution output from my Motorola STB all the time.

Ok... I've been out of the loop the past few months, since I've been living in LA...

When Comcast upgraded and added the new wave of channels, in old 550 Mhz systems such as Bay Point, did they jump straight to 860Mhz?

BTW for proof that money talks and BS walks... Comcast adding QVC HD, and not ESPNews HD or ESPNU HD.

Well, it could be worse for you guys. You could have Time Warner as your service provider like I have in Tarzana... They make Comcast look like Direct TV.

fitprod

On your head-end maybe. Every head-end is different. Many of them use the lower frequencies for DTV channels. That's why I use words like "may" and "might".

The local HD channels are part of the Limited Basic HD line-up. Nothing "may" or "might" about them.

As to resolution, why don't you have a Motorola 3412? With that you can easily set up a button that allows you change output resolution on the fly. I did that and change resolution output from my Motorola STB all the time.

Please share how you do that. I have not been able to find a way other than turning off the STB and going into the menu.

So who is getting all the new channels? San Francisco, San Lorenzo and... Santa Rosa!!!!???
I guess I'll listen to my wife now and move up there! :eek:

Funny you say that considering it's been well known here that CSN-BA HD and previously FSN-BA HD was broadcast in 1080i because of prior ownership by Rainbow Media (I think). It's been discussed here many times.

yeah i knew i had run across that discussion somewhere (maybe even here) but for whatever reason i couldn't do an effective search query (try searching this site for 'comcast sports net 1080i' and you only get one post, yours, asking if CSN would be converted to 720p, which i suppose would *imply* that it was already 1080i but still wasn't quite conclusive) and i just couldn't bring myself to read 3 years of old posts to get a more definitive answer - sometimes just asking the same question over again is a defensible strategy.

If that's true and we aren't getting those new HD channels, it's probably the last straw for me to switch to DirecTV at the end of Nov.

Not only would I get more channels, most in better quality, a much better DVR, but would also save about $40/month (for the first year, then about $15/mo after that.)

Wow, I think they've finally made it a no-brainer.The only thing keeping me from ordering Dish Networks HD Gold package right now is I'm waiting for them to release their new DVR with built-in Sling functionality. Once that comes out, I'm gone. Comcast will only see a Gary-shaped cloud of smoke where my account used to be.

So let's see now.....
Comcast has: Degraded HD PQ with three-packing.
Made me wait over a year for a fully-functional DVR.
Unacceptable customer service that always assumes any problem is on my end when it never has been.
Misleading, deceptive advertising, especially when it comes to HD offerings.
Just raised my rates.....again.
Announced 15 new HD channels that I will not receive, even though I live in the most populous city in the Bay Area!

I'm not bending over and taking it from these guys after this year.

Seriously.....why would any of you stay with Comcast at this point?

The only thing I like about comcast is their high speed internet... which still has a monthly cap.

So let's see now.....
Comcast has: Degraded HD PQ with three-packing.
Made me wait over a year for a fully-functional DVR.
Unacceptable customer service that always assumes any problem is on my end when it never has been.
Misleading, deceptive advertising, especially when it comes to HD offerings.
Just raised my rates.....again.
Announced 15 new HD channels that I will not receive, even though I live in the most populous city in the entire state.

I'm not bending over and taking it from these guys after this year.

Seriously.....why would any of you stay with Comcast at this point?

The only thing I like about comcast is their high speed internet... which still has a monthly cap.

Same here....that's the only reason I've stayed with them this long......my Internet rate would increase significantly if I dropped the Digital/HDTV service.

But that's not enough anymore.

.
Announced 15 new HD channels that I will not receive, even though I live in the most populous city in the entire state.

Do you live in Los Angeles? :confused:

As of July 2007:

San Jose: 939,899
Los Angeles: 3,834,340

I think he meant "most populous city in the BAY AREA"...

As of July 2007:

San Jose: 939,899
Los Angeles: 3,834,340

I think he meant "most populous city in the BAY AREA"...

Yeah, sorry.....
that's what happens to me when I get upset :o

Not available in Alameda, Belmont, Berkeley, Cupertino, Dublin, Fairfield, Foster City, Fremont, Half Moon Bay, Hercules, Hillsborough, Isleton, Livermore, Millbrae, Mountain View, Novato, Petaluma, Pinole, Redwood City, Rohnert Park, Rossmoor, San Carlos, San Jose, portions of San Leandro, San Mateo, San Mateo County, San Ramon, San Rafael, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, South San Francisco, Sunol, Travis AFB and Tower Park)List of exceptions is longer than the list of towns getting the new channels isn't it? Any ETA on when some of these towns will get the new Nov. 25 channels, or what it'll take? Have to lobby to have more analog channels turned off first? Wait for uverse competition?

List of exceptions is longer than the list of towns getting the new channels isn't it? Any ETA on when some of these towns will get the new Nov. 25 channels, or what it'll take? Have to lobby to have more analog channels turned off first? Wait for uverse competition?

That's what I was thinking too.

List of exceptions is longer than the list of towns getting the new channels isn't it? Any ETA on when some of these towns will get the new Nov. 25 channels, or what it'll take? Have to lobby to have more analog channels turned off first? Wait for uverse competition?

That's why I call it misleading, deceptive advertising.
The announcement says Bay Area.
Hardly.

(I guess the old "550" guys finally get their sweet revenge :-)

Seriously.....why would any of you stay with Comcast at this point?

I like my Tivo HD, and have another 1.5 years on the 3 year contract...

Seriously.....why would any of you stay with Comcast at this point?

Limited basic with CableCards for <$20/month. Can't get signal off the air.

Seriously.....why would any of you stay with Comcast at this point?

Steady paycheck.:D

Anyone going to CES?

Steady paycheck.:D


......and you can sleep at night??? ;)

So.. Provide huge exception list and no information? When the exceptions equate to more customers than those gettin the new chans, why were we not given any information about upgrades for us? 'Good' marketing, bad customer service? Throw us a f*$&'n bone =[

Steady paycheck.:D

Anyone going to CES?

Dave, can you explain the rationale as to which markets are getting the channels vs which aren't? Is it plant capacity or SDV or what? A little info here would soothe a lot of irritation.