yea, i went jumping around my house too - i was about to drop $400 on a Samsung receiver [and piss off my wife]. Now I can sleep in the bed again and still watch the Super Bowl in HD!

I had an install scheduled for 3:00 today...just found out they canceled it due to it not being available in the area....but i have pipline installed. What gives? With the game being on, this really hacks me off

Is there a reason you didn't get it installed before now?

Anyway, I know a buddy of mine in Maryville called DirecTV earlier this week and he already has HD and the antenna setup. I was surprised with the speed considering it is Super Bowl week.

I wouldn't be surprised Charter is cancelling appointments this week though. With the Super Bowl and the weather . . .

Kmov has the official announcement on their website KMOV.Com

St. Louis (KMOV) – News 4 viewers and Charter Cable subscribers will have the opportunity to see the Super Bowl on television better than ever before.

In addition to KMOV-TV’s regular over the air digital channel, KMOV is joining Charter Cable to make arrangements so that if you are a subscriber to Charter’s digital high definition service, you will be able to see Channel 4's telecast of the Super Bowl in true high definition.

Tune to channel 784 on Sunday and see what all the excitement is about.


Wait, does that mean that after the Super Bowl that they will turn off CBS-HD?? Tell me thats not the case..... Somebody call Charter.

DirecTV has a press release that the CBS HD feed goes live on channel 80 on Jan 30 (today) in O&O markets.

KMOV is not O&O by CBS/Viacom; they are owned by a company called Belo. The change happened years ago. For those that don't remember KMOV used to be KMOX and KSD used to be KSDK when they were owned by their networks.

Have to agree witrh Dave on KMOV, especially since channel 80 gives me nothing but "call customer service ext. 721" :(

not sure what your point is, but Charter is showing CBS-HD right now....

not sure what your point is, but Charter is showing CBS-HD right now....
But will they flip the switch off after the Super Bowl or is this a permanent deal? That's what our point is. I don't think it's a stupid question.

BTW;
here's an article from the St. Louis Business Journal. Unfortunately no more info from it.
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2004/01/26/daily84.html?f=et82

That was MY question about 4 posts ago....


Wait, does that mean that after the Super Bowl that they will turn off CBS-HD?? Tell me thats not the case..... Somebody call Charter.

Relax. It is permanent.

The Superbowl was the back breaker..
Both sides wanted to get it done before the big game.

Trust me... ;)

4113

Originally posted by DroptheRemote
4113,

I've been wondering for a while now if you're a Charter employee who is formally (or informally) monitoring discussions here relevant to Charter.

If so, I think that's a positive development and your help and assistance is both welcome and appreciated. However, if you are from Charter, I'd suggest that you (your company) need to become much more proactive in building some positive PR with potential (high dollar) HDTV customers here. Some explanation of why there hasn't been any expansion of the HD package -- either locals or others (ESPN, Discovery) -- would be a great place to start mending the fences. Better yet, would be some indication about future HD programming additions and some rough timetable.

On the other hand, if you just happen to know a lot about Charter without actually having an official role there, your willingness to help and assist posters with Charter issues is still a good thing.

Doug,

Thank you for your warm welcome. I have enjoyed lurking for a long time. And look forward to participating more.

I am with Charter but I am participating as an HD enthusiast, not as a Charter employee. Charter frowns on any unofficial release of information via discussions boards or any other media. You can see other employees following the same guidelines on other boards such as Broadband Reports.com.

I agree with your opinion on PR. Customer relations is always important and is always a priority. Your point of view regarding "high dollar" HDTV Customers is interesting because HD Subscribers pay the same rates throughout the area. I do not agree with discrimination in service/relations based on a high dollar theory. A customer with a 30 year old console television is just as important to me as a customer with a $15,000 Projector and home theatre.

As far as an explanation of HD and its expansion, although I enjoy participating, I will steer clear of any questions regarding confidential information. It is not worth losing employment over a discussion board.

It's gets very frustrating reading the occasional inaccurate comment and the speculation about Charter, but I have to bite my tongue. In my opinion, because the business changes quickly from one day to the next, there is not one person that can speculate on programming and similar issues. Nothing is official until it is deemed official...a press release for example.

Just know that Charter is working to get more locals. There is no "foot dragging" or lack of interest in HDTV.

The employees at Charter are very aware of what customers want. Remember, we are television fans too!

In the mean time, I would enjoy participating in technical discussions with my fellow HD enthusiasts.

4113

4113,

Please relay my gratitude to your fellow Charter employees on getting CBS-HD up and running.

On a related note (for all non Charter employees ;) )... I wonder why Charter has not decided to go after the small stations like WB, UPN and PBS? I know some of these guys are not really broadcasting in HD but I would think getting them set up with an HD channel now would prevent an ABC/CBS type fiasco in the future.

Thanks abcward...

I came home today to a message on my machine from Charter. CBSHD is live in Western MA on channel 783.

4113, I have my share of issues as a Charter HD early adopter, but your people deserve the props for calling me at home. That's unheard of.

If you know of any way for me to get a Charter-approved HD decoder that will pass closed captions, my two deaf children would greatly appreciate it. PM me if you can help.

Chris

Originally posted by shovelhd
Thanks abcward...

I came home today to a message on my machine from Charter. CBSHD is live in Western MA on channel 783.

4113, I have my share of issues as a Charter HD early adopter, but your people deserve the props for calling me at home. That's unheard of.

If you know of any way for me to get a Charter-approved HD decoder that will pass closed captions, my two deaf children would greatly appreciate it. PM me if you can help.

Chris

Chris,

If you have a DCT-5100/6200 series box, the CC is built in.

1) Power the DCT on
2) Press <POWER> <MENU>
3) Navigate to the fourth line and press the right curser to enable CC
4) There are many option below from font style and color to opacity.
5) Press <POWER> <POWER>

If you need any further assistance, PM me.

4113

Originally posted by 4113
Doug,

Just know that Charter is working to get more locals. There is no "foot dragging" or lack of interest in HDTV.

The employees at Charter are very aware of what customers want. Remember, we are television fans too!

4113


Welcome it is good to hear that all our complaints have not fallen on deaf ears. Now if you could only speed up the process. :)

I watched JAG on KMOV tonight. I was stunned by the picture and 5.1 sound. Thanks Charter. I have a new found appreciation for network programming. :)

I have been thinking about adding a preamp to my OTA. I have the antenna split with one feed going into my dish 811 and the other into my Mitsu WS-55613.

According to my 811 the signal strength coming in is

2-Fox= 89%
5-NBC= 85%
9.1-.3- PBS= 85%
11-WB= 84%
31- ABC= 89%
46-UPN= 49%
56- CBS- 90%

I can not see UPN on channel 46 on the 811 b/c the signal strength is too low for the 811, but I can see it on my Mitsu and it looks good. I know UPN is not HD, but I like some of the programming on that channel

If I place a preamp on my OTA, what are the chances that I would make the other signals too hot or would I be able to regulate the pre amp to keep that from happening. Also, how much more visible would the PQ increase if I took a signal from 89% to 99%

Finally, can anyone recommend a good preamp. I live out in Wentzville, so I am about 40-45 miles from the towers I believe and my antenna is in the attic. It's one of those square UHF antennas

4113,

We appreciate your help here. Thanks for participating and keep up the great work.

One vague question for you: If you had to guess, which HD channels would you say are the closest to being online for us HD Nuts?

Bruce subliminally chants "ESPN, ESPN, ESPN"

Originally posted by abcward
4113,

We appreciate your help here. Thanks for participating and keep up the great work.

One vague question for you: If you had to guess, which HD channels would you say are the closest to being online for us HD Nuts?

Bruce subliminally chants "ESPN, ESPN, ESPN"

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I'll repeat from an earlier post:

As far as an explanation of HD and its expansion, although I enjoy participating, I will steer clear of any questions regarding confidential information. It is not worth losing employment over a discussion board. In the mean time, I would enjoy participating in technical discussions with my fellow HD enthusiasts. In my opinion, because the business changes quickly from one day to the next, there is not one person that can speculate on programming and similar issues. Nothing is official until it is deemed official...a press release for example.

If I knew, it would be insane to discuss it on a public discussion board if/when both sides are negotiating.

In addition, Charter has been flooded with calls in the past after speculation on its services on a discussion board. I do not want to generate unnecessary calls.

4113

sorry for asking.... i didnt want you to risk your job....just curious about your opinion.

4113,

Again, I just want to say that it's good to have you here, not just because you're a Charter employee, but because you're a Charter employee who is also an HD enthusiast. I'm sure my fellow forum dwellers here would agree that Charter needs more guys (or gals) like you.

No doubt it will be difficult from time to time, but I'll do my best to respect your desire and your need to keep certain cards close to your vest. However, I do believe that Charter is making a grievous mistake by not having a more meaningful, proactive dialogue with its customers. While it's true that DirecTV takes a similar approach on upcoming product enhancements or releases, I think a cable company -- by virtue of it operating as a localized (or in our case, regionalized) monopoly -- has a greater obligation to engage with and communicate with customers who may have no other choice for a subscription television service.

I do agree with you about the way high-dollar and low-dollar customers are treated by your company, or for that matter, any other company. Once you're paying the tab -- regardless of the amount involved -- you're entitled to expect the delivery of a quality product and that any shortcomings will be addressed in a prompt, professional and even-handed way.

On the other hand, I absolutely believe that Charter should be putting much greater emphasis on understanding the needs and expectations of its potential high-dollar customers (and I think it would be relatively easy to find Wall Street analysts and Charter shareholders holding the same opinion). After all, who's more likely to be mailing a $100 cheque to Charter each month, the 30-year-old console TV owner or the owner (or future owner) of a home theater system?

Also, as you've been lurking here for a while, you no doubt appreciate that feelings about Charter do run at fever-pitch from time to time. I think that's true about cable companies nationwide, but it's particularly true here, as we're enthusiasts about all the possibilities that home theater and HDTV potentially offer.

Too often, I think, Charter is an obstacle to realizing those possibilities, and I think that's the number one reason why some of us periodically go "off the rails." Granted, Charter isn't the only source of this frustration -- TV manufacturers, Hollywood lawyers, mass-market consumer electronics retailers, broadcasters and other programmers, and incompetent service companies all carry their share of the blame for the significant gap between the reality and the potential for high-quality in-home entertainment.

Finally, I want to say that even though I'm not a Charter subscriber, I do appreciate the effort you guys made to deliver the Super Bowl. To me, it's the first meaningful sign that Charter really cares about delivering a credible HD service. I sincerely hope that development will be the foundation for regular, ongoing progress on that front.

Charter tech just left after installing the HD....wonder when the boxes came in. Got to see the end of the hockey game on HDnet. Absolutely amazing.

I do have a few questions though. On NBCHD the picture is boxed on all four sides and on CBSHD the picture is zoomed and I can't see the bottom half of the scores from the BBall game. Is something messed up or is it just because they aren't HD programs.

Thanks

Hi tcfila,

Your second guess is correct. On nonHD material, channel 5 windowboxes the 4x3 picture inside the 16x9 widescreen transmission, while channel 4 zooms the 4x3 picture to fill 14x9 (almost but not quite the whole 16x9) transmission thereby cutting off the top and bottom of the picture.

I greatly prefer the channel 5 approach myself. Channel 30 uses this method also. Channel 11 used to do it this way, but switched to the 14x9 zoom a few weeks back (boo, hiss).

Doug, I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments a few posts above. You pretty much nailed it on the head!

Anybody else having issues with CBS today? I moved my receiver downstaris and moved my antenny. I was getting bad signal so I wrote it off to that. Now I moved the antenna again and get great strength on everything EXCEPT CBS.

Now I get absolutely ZERO on CBS. Anybody else or anybody know what is going on? Are they messing around trying to get it to feed Charter too for the SB tomorrow?

NM. It's back on.

bpape,

I'm in the same boat ever since I got my DirectTV HD package installed along with OTA antenna. Get everything fine except CBS. Been too damn cold/frozen to get up on the roof to mess with the antenna. This really puts a burr under my saddle...

Hi Guys,

I am looking into selling my Zenith 420 OTA reciever and my silver sensor with the recent addition of KMOV to charter. What would be a fair asking price for the two? The reciever is less than a year old and I have the paperwork and box.

Thanks

The 420 isn't even in the blue book that I can find. You might get a couple hundred for the pair if you are lucky. Cable is going to make that tough.

DJ - There is a VERY narrow range that I seem to get it well. I am assuming you are using your own OTA antenna and not trying to use the one that clips over the dish. You'll never get CBS that way OTA. What kind of antenna are you using?

I think it is great that Charter has added and is in the process of adding HDTV Channels. They are making it very tempting to switch.
There are three reasons I won't:
NFL Sunday Ticket
HD TiVo
SBC DSL

SBC DSL? Why would you not switch because of that? I used DSL for years and was fairly satisfied, but I have used Charter Cable for a year now. Cable internet is VASTLY superior in speeds [2x as fast] at a very similar price.

bpape,

I'm using a Winegard Sensar II GS200A. That's what the fella from Premier (for DirectTV) installed. Thing that really bites is seeing others on here twice as far as I am away from the towers getting great reception with in attics and even Silver Sensors. I'm not sure it truly is the location where I live (Ballwin) as the installer told me, or if it's the antenna.

DJ,

I don't know a lot about the antenna your installer used, but based on what I was able to find out about it on the web, I think there are at least two issues with it:

* First, it is a combination VHF/UHF antenna, and that almost always means a compromise in UHF reception sensitivity. I can't really quantify the difference between a UHF-only and a combo VHF/UHF, but maybe someone here with more antenna experience can give you a ballpark idea of what the sacrifice is.

* Second, this antenna appears to be one of those increasingly common antennas that appears to be working overtime in an effort not to look like an antenna. While that might make your neighbors a little bit happier in terms of the neighborhood eyesore factor, I've never heard or seen one of these modern antenna designs that worked better, or even as good as, a conventional, butt-ugly antenna.

Again, I can't quantify this, but I've been down this road myself a few years ago with two different "streamlined" TERK antennas and neither were worth a damn.

I'd at least give the Silver Sensor a tryout, and return it if it doesn't work for you.

Question on HDNet Movies...What is the benefit of showing an older movie (i.e. Strange Brew) in HD. Is it just upconverting a SD program to 1080i? Just always wondered

For that Zenith 420, I'd suggest typing "Zenith 420" into an eBay search and seeing what comes up. I was pretty happy to see Sony HD100's are still fetching $400-$500.

I'll be selling my HD100 soon, not for switching to Charter but to help afford the HD DirecTivo's when they come out in late March!

Thanks, I did a google search before posting the previous message and saw that they were still going for 350-400 so I figured about half of that would be fair being it's used.

Thanks

The Superbowl pregame show has been pixelating and cutting out all afternoon on my new Charter channel 784. Is this only happening to me?

Hi all,
I have an OTA projector HD.. and the digital sound from CBS keeps cutting out. It picked up the president fine in his interview with the Houston announcers, but the announcer was silent.

auuggghhhhhhhhhh

I also have a charter digital box that i could hook up,... and saw they arefinally broadcasting cbs,, but I can't get channel 784.. the box keeps skipping by it.... auughhh

and of course.. i am hosting a big super bowl party..
any ideas or help????????

/thanks in advance,

Joe h

everything but the houston announcers comes in fine..

ads,
ets..
but houston keeps dying...

help!!!!!

Joe H

by using the analog audio output of the RCA DTC100. I never did get the digital mix to work correctly.
Joe H

Originally posted by redwine
The Superbowl pregame show has been pixelating and cutting out all afternoon on my new Charter channel 784. Is this only happening to me?

Redwine I had the same problems. In addition at times had sound only coming through the left speaker. Anyone else have problems?

I picked up the SB on CBS just fine all afternoon, with no sound dropouts like you mentioned. It was Dolby Digital 5.1 during the entire broadcase, which sounded very nice! Except the sound level was MUCH louder during the 5.1 encoded material than the analog-to-digital in some commercials, so I had to switch to pro-logic mode. It was driving my guests crazy!

I also noticed during the halftime "show", the sound would pop and scratch every now and then, which was annoying. It did it on both the analog and digital sound streams.

And then, during the 4th quarter, there started to appear horizontal line corruptions, dropped frames, sound drops, etc. It's like the technicians got tired and started letting things slip ;-)

At least the sound was synced to the video, which ABC struggled with all year.:rolleyes:

I'll take my turn and start it off this month.

Link to January 2004 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=345429)

Link to February 2004 Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=360899)

So I watched the SuperBowl OTA in HD with a Samsung SIRTS160. While the audio was fine (other than some commercials being very loud), I experienced a lot of video pixelation...very annoying. My signal strength was 91-100%.

Anyone else. I wish broadcasts would get consistent with good quality.

Dean

I watched the SB in OTA HD with a Sony HD-200. I did have some minimal pixelation during the game and a couple of spots with some choppy audio. And yes, some of the commercials were very loud...it was almost ridiculous.

My HD100 had video dropouts just before and just after the halftime show (but not during halftime for some reason), and the choppy audio every once in a while, too.

In hindsight, I wish it had just dropped out for the entire halftime show. :D

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3309652#post3309652

St Louis Tower Maps

For anyone doing the initial install of an OTA antenna, or anyone looking to fine-tune the positioning of their existing antenna, the attached ZIP file contains two maps showing the tower location for each digital station in St. Louis.


Your Right to Erect an Antenna and/or Satellite Dish

As more and more consumers purchase high-definition displays, there's increasing interest in arranging for receipt of HD programming via an over-the-air antenna or through a satellite dish.

Unfortunately with the proliferation of cable television in the 1980s and 1990s, many communities, property developers and homeowner/condo owner associations tried to undo the visual blight of antennas (and later, satellite dishes) from their local skylines. While these laws, rules or convenants were well-intended -- after all, it would be difficult to argue for the cosmetic benefits of a yagi antenna -- these actions are not legally enforceable.

The FCC has ruled -- with only a few very narrow exceptions -- that you have the right to receive over-the-air television and radio broadcasts and as a result you have a right to erect an antenna to receive these signals. This ruling also encompasses the erection of small satellite dishes.

Even if you have previously signed a lease or homeower association convenant that requires you to forego the right to erect an antenna or satellite dishes, the FCC has ruled that these types of provisions are unenforceable.

In general, there are only a few notable exceptions to this rule:

* First, the location of the antenna or dish must be an "exclusive use" area. As a homeowner or condominium owner, this would mean any part of the property over which you have control. For renters, this would also apply to balconies or patios that are intended solely for your use. The sort of rental property area that would not be covered would be general use areas, such as common passageways or rooftop areas that are clearly intended for the shared use of all residents.

* Second, the antenna or dish cannot be erected in areas that would create a legitimate safety issue, for example one that is dangling off a balcony or placed too close to electrical wiring.

* Third, there may be restrictions if you are located in a designated historical (or prehistorical) district, in which case a permit may be required.

The other major limitation is that these devices cannot exceed 1 meter (39.37 inches) in diameter.

The burden of proof in contesting your right to mount a dish and/or antenna rests with the landlord, homeowner association, city council, etc. Strictly speaking, you do not need to seek prior permission or provide prior notice, so long as the device is to be situated in an area under your control and there is no obvious safety issue.

However, before taking on the expense and effort of such an installation, you should read and review in its entirety the following summary of the FCC ruling on consumer rights to mount over-the-air devices:

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html


More Information about Antennas and DTV

The Consumer Electronics Association antenna mapping program at AntennaWeb.org can help you determine the proper antenna to use, based on your own location and the distance from the local digital broadcast towers.

http://antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx


Feedback to St. Louis Stations

Is there something that you're unhappy about concerning the digital broadcasts by local St. Louis stations?

Weird-looking presentation of standard-definition programming? Multiple channel bugs cluttering up those beautiful images? Somebody at the station forgot to "flip the switch" before or during the middle of your favorite HD program?

Or better yet, maybe you'd just like to send your thanks and encouragement to your favorite local station for the effort they've made so far in providing us with more and better HD programming. The cost and effort in providing digital and HD programming is significant, and it's important for the station owners and management to know that we're watching.

Well, here's the place where you can find the online addresses where you can send your comments and feedback.

KTVI Channel 2 contact:
ktvitech@fox2ktvi.com

KMOV Channel 4 contact:
programs@kmov.com
WNichol@kmov.com

KSDK Channel 5 contact:
jheskett@ksdk.gannett.com
kcreamer@ksdk.gannett.com

KETC Channel 9 contact:
letters@ketc.org

KPLR Channel 11 contact:
whatson@wb11tv.com
technical@wb11tv.com

KDNL Channel 30 contact:
jwright@kdnl.sbgnet.com

WRBU Channel 46 contact:
[no email, no web site, no HD programming]

We experienced the same issues with SB on Charter HD on 784. Many dropouts, audio would go out for a second here or there, and commercials would be annoying loud at times. These glitches were pretty disappointing for us that hosted parties and bragged about the "HD Experience" to our friends all week.

abc,

I can appreciate your disappointment with the problems that have been reported about the Super Bowl on Charter here. At the risk of sounding like a softie now that there's a Charter employee active here, I still think it's fair to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.

Yes, in an ideal world, the CBS feed would have been up on Charter's HD service months ago and all the bugs and gremlins worked out. But in fact, Charter apparently made the extra effort to deliver the goods and it was a sprint to the finish line to do so. As a result, there wasn't time to work out all the wrinkles.

Look at it this way: If word had gotten out that Charter had reached agreement late last week with KMOV but then withheld the feed until after the Super Bowl in order to deal with setup and exhaustive testing, that would have been (rightfully) viewed very negatively here.

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I think this is an area where Charter should publicly engage with their HD customers (on this forum and elsewhere) by explaining what went wrong and how it's going to be addressed.

Charter might even have acknowledged that the initial provision of KMOV wasn't completely tested and that there might be some unavoidable teething problems. In view of the situation, I think that might have been received favorably.

Doug,

I didnt mean to come off in the way you took my post. I was disappointed in the quality, as were a few of my party-attenders. However I am greatly appreciative that Charter bucked up and got CBS-HD online for us. I also greatly appreciate their obvious efforts to get us more HD content as well.

They will obviously get the kinks out, but I am sure if we both could sit in the Charter office today and listen to some of their management that they too would obviously be disappointed with the glitches from last night. No one should apologize for wanting top shelf quality. Isnt that why we all like HD in the first place?

__________________

NOTE- I am vastly disappointed by Charter's total lack of communication with its customers. I have sent various simple emails to Charter and have NEVER received a reply back. Not even a 'we are not sure, but will work on getting an answer". Not do they attempt to ever share any information on their website or any other avenue like Dish's "charlie chat". Keeping their customers 'in the loop' is NOT a bad thing...
__________________

Thanks again for everything you do Doug!

At Charter HQ this morning I imagine theres a lot of finger pointing back and forth across the table between the business side and technical side.

For most of the game, audio dropouts and flicker were occasional on my set.
At about seven and a half minutes to game end, the video flicker became frequent and severe.

I switched back and forth between charter and OTA and found the same in both cases.

My conclusion is that whereever the problem was, it wasn't charter.

Bill

abc,

I didn't really see your message as a rant -- more of an expression of disappointment. I only thought it worth trying to frame the Super Bowl experience by presenting the extenuating circumstances that were in play.

I really believe that proactive communication is a key for Charter going forward in this market. Personally, I'd prefer to see them do that here (since there's already a built-in, active group), but it wouldn't require rocket science for Charter to set up their own local forum/discussion areas on their web site.

I'd happily include a link to such a forum in the monthly resource note here.

As I've noted here previously, I'm not a big football fan. While I did tune in the Super Bowl, I didn't watch it intently -- and even switched over to see (standard-definition) Sex in the City and Curb Your Enthusiasm during the second half.

(FWIW, both of these were great episodes. Oddly there were a number of complete video dropouts during these shows last night and I almost never see that from DirecTV.)

However, I did watch the last 5 minutes of the game and saw no major issues at that point. There had been some earlier minor incidences of pixellation and audio dropouts, but these were very infrequent based on my own somewhat casual viewing.

I watched the game on KRCG, channel 13 out of Jefferson City with no issues, other than a choppiness in the audio occaisionally during halftime show. KRCG broadcast in DD 2.0, not 5.1. It seems that KMOV broadcast power is less than it used to be, as I have dropouts galore with them now, but did not as recently as a few months ago.

Originally posted by HiDefFan
My conclusion is that whereever the problem was, it wasn't charter.

Bill

Exactly right. The problem was the source, not Charter, or KMOV.

Everywhere across the country were reports of audio dropouts, pixelation, poor PQ, too many SD cameras, etc etc...

I flipped back and forth on KMOV-DT from my OTA source and Charter HD, and saw no difference at all (in video or audio quality, or lack thereof).

The problem here is that for many HDTV newbies in St. Louis, this was the first HD NFL game that they have seen (assuming they did not have an OTA receiver or couldn't get a signal to it all season for ABC/CBS HD football) and those people were expecting alot more (and probably weren't expecting alot of SD shots from the onfield wireless cameras (according to the main SB thread in the HD programming forum and the CBS insider posting there, there is only one HD wireless camera in the world right now, and it was there.. the rest had to be filled in with SD cameras).

I experienced the things everyone else did, and still enjoyed the game. I guess the real question is what was CBS doing wrong? They had a HD game every week of the regular season and then they blow it on the biggest game of the year?

Really confusing.

Also, as mentioned it wasn't charter....I flipped back and forth b/w charter and the OTA with similar results. I am glad atleast Charter is starting to add more channels, espcially since they are raising our rates, AGAIN.

um....rate change? Any details would be appreciated... since of course, their website never shows any pricing details.

I called Dishnetwork today, wondering if they had any promo's going.
I was told you could pre order a 811 for $99 with HD package.
Has anyone heard of any promos coming up?
thanks

Yes rate change, heard about it a few days ago on KMOX. It's going up almost 5 bucks a month for what they said was to cover fees dealing with the analog channels. Not really sure what that means, I just heard the tail end a few times.

Charter's rate increase was in Sunday's P-D in the metro section I believe, they are raising rates for expanded basic customers only. I think the new monthly charge before taxes and fees will be $47.99, basic and digital rates will not change.

Also in Sunday's P-D dish had an ad for a free 811 receiver $49.99 initial charge which will be credited on first month bill, disclaimer was that supplies are EXTREMELY limited so call soon.

Thanks for clearing that up wilkemp.

Just an update to all on my quest for the SB in HD. I re-ran my search for OTA channels Sunday morning (right after getting back from Church, hmmm...), and I was able to pull the CBS local in. I was so stoked! Didn't have the best signal strenght (36%), and did encounter a lot of problems as others have mentioned with the broadcast. But, when it was coming in and you looked at the standard feed I had going into a 32" Wega, the difference was amazing.

What HD local channel do you think Charter will add next?

I still don't understand the delay in the premium channel HD offerings. We pay for those.

I think that's anyone's guess, maybe someone has some info though. As for the pay channels, I understand your point but we pay for all of the channels.

Would you all recommend using the DVI from Charters STB? Will it be a vast upgrade from the component?

tcfila,

If you have a digital display (plasma, DLP, LCD) it would likely result in a better picture. If you have a traditional CRT (either direct-view or projector), it's unlikely to make a big difference, but some believe it's at least worth the cost of the cable.

Originally posted by tcfila
Would you all recommend using the DVI from Charters STB? Will it be a vast upgrade from the component?

DVI is not necessarily better. Use what looks best to you.

I have a Sammy D* STB and a Sammy DLP, and used the DVI connection for a year. I recently discovered that -- despite having a digital display -- the quailty is better (much better with standard def.) using a high quality component cable. That's what I use now. My DVI cable is no longer connected.

I get the feeling a lot of people believe DVI is better because they think it's supposed to be better, because "it's digital." I'm not convinced.

Dean

Thanks for the help. I have a 55" Samsung Rear Proj. I think I'll save the money and stick with the component.

The game feed overall was pretty outstanding.

my observations where (most/all already posted)

1) Half-time show had severe audio click/pop problem. Strangely it seemed to be in time with the music, so I'm guessing it had to do with a compressor/limiter / noise reduction that was either set incorrectly or had problems.

2) Rare dropouts/pixelation for first quarter+, 2nd quarter I we started seeing more - although still acceptable.

3) DD 5.1 was awesome. Been way too long. I could tweak the announcer volume vs. stadium sound vs. field sounds. It was just what this sound dr. ordered.

4) After half-time show, dropouts became frequent and for more than 1-2 seconds. My 30 guests started complaining about the audio/video drop outs. I kept with it.

5) 4th quarter it became unbearable. it went out for over 40 seconds before I switched to standard feed from Dishnet (which was not having problems.) I left the HD feed in a PIP to monitor if it would come back. After 10 minutes or so I gave up.

The whole time I thought it was due to my new antenna setup; I'm actually relieved to hear it was a feed from the game.

-CoCoKola

Originally posted by tcfila
Would you all recommend using the DVI from Charters STB? Will it be a vast upgrade from the component?

I just hooked up the Charter DVI for a comparison. I use the DVI on my Panny 50 LCD RP for the Samsung 931 DVD player. Unfortunately as with most current displays there is only one DVI input.

I could go either way. It seems I get better color control with the DVI but better sharpness control with component. In fact there is no sharpness adjustment with the DVI input. I ran the output at 720P which is native for my display.

I believe the DVI will make a difference with digital displays with a much higher resolution. Maybe I can afford one of those displays some day soon. A 60" flat plasma display would sure look good over my fireplace.

:p

On my set, I lose the aspect ratio function when using component. Would that also apply on the DVI?

Originally posted by tcfila
On my set, I lose the aspect ratio function when using component. Would that also apply on the DVI?

On my TV I lose the TV aspect fucntion when using DVI and get it back using Component. One advantage is that I can un-stretch ESPN HD when they show SD content. Otherwise, I don't use it (I have a DLP so burn-in is a non-issue).

Dean

CoCoKola,

I still think you have an antenna problem...

While I did have some minor glitches and they were more pronounced in the 4th quarter- I never lost signal- I had some breakups and pixillation- but nothing that would cause me to switch to the analog feed.

Unfortunately for all of us antennas are more of an art than a science. You have to find a magic spot and hope for the best. I can attest to that since some days my signal is at 100% and other days it fluctuates between 50%-70%. Just a couple of days before the SuperBowl my CBS wasn't coming in at all- then all of a sudden I started getting it perfectly. I've heard stories of next door neighbors where one gets all the HD channels and the other gets nothing. Until cable and dbs get their bandwidth problems figured out we're stuck with trying to tinker and pray that our HD works whenever we have a big event planned. I will say that once you get it working good enough, no one will complain about a minor breakup or dropout.

good luck- hope you find an antenna that suits your needs.

Depends on the source and how things are calibrated/adjusted. I have the same setup as you, and a HTPC really brings out the quality of DVI.

Originally posted by dwette
DVI is not necessarily better. Use what looks best to you.

I have a Sammy D* STB and a Sammy DLP, and used the DVI connection for a year. I recently discovered that -- despite having a digital display -- the quailty is better (much better with standard def.) using a high quality component cable. That's what I use now. My DVI cable is no longer connected.

I get the feeling a lot of people believe DVI is better because they think it's supposed to be better, because "it's digital." I'm not convinced.

Originally posted by redwine
What HD local channel do you think Charter will add next?

KDNL-DT (ABC)

Did anyone see the comment in the Post Dispatch this morning wherein Tivo said the "wardrobe malfunction" in the SB halftime show was the most replayed incident they had ever experienced? I don't use the technology, but wouldn't this imply that they have the ability to determine what you watch and when you watch it? Is that part of the service agreement? Seems like they might as well peek through your viewing room window!

My hope is that Channel 11 is added before baseball season.... Although, would there be any possibility that the Cards games would be HD?

They have been releasing statistics like this for years. It has been beaten to death in the AVS Tivo forum. If it helps them stay viable by being able to make money from advertisers and networks, etc. by releasing statistics that are not personally identifiable (which is the only thing they do), then more power to them. I think you can opt out anyway.

The types of statistics they gather may even save a TV show you like someday . . .

Originally posted by okc329
Did anyone see the comment in the Post Dispatch this morning wherein Tivo said the "wardrobe malfunction" in the SB halftime show was the most replayed incident they had ever experienced? I don't use the technology, but wouldn't this imply that they have the ability to determine what you watch and when you watch it? Is that part of the service agreement? Seems like they might as well peek through your viewing room window!

Not this coming year according to KPLR. Everybody is hoping since Tribune bought them it might happen eventually since they are are going to be showing Cubs games in HD.

Originally posted by abcward
Although, would there be any possibility that the Cards games would be HD?

OFF TOPIC...

Anyone in the STL area interested (or know anybody) in buying a good used subwoofer? I've got an 8" Energy S8.2 sub that I'm upgrading to SVS. I just thought I'd let you guys know first (I'd rather not deal with shipping a sub). Little over a year old- great condition- never abused. Originally it was $300, I'm selling it for $150. It's a great little sub that would be great for someone who has a wimpy sub that came with a HTIB or who is just starting to assemble a small surround system.

If interested pm me.

now back to local HD discussions.

Frankly I wish somebody would find a way to add what we watch on our ReplayTV's and Tivo's into the official Nielsen ratings! Maybe then my favorite shows would last a little longer!

How do you know that they are not releasing your viewing habits, by name, to other entities? How would that be so different than a magazine selling its subscriber list?

I believe that with Nielson (sp?) they at least come in and put a box on your TV. This seems almost like electronic eavesdropping to me, but I have not read a user agreement.

Although, would there be any possibility that the Cards games would be HD?
I have absolutely no inside information and could be talking out of my backside. But my feeling is that we won't get a lot of HD Cardinal baseball until they get into the new stadium. I doubt someone would want to spend money wiring up Busch for HD for only two seaons and hopefully the new place will be prewired for HD.

Not sure if you all seen this...pretty funny

http://www.channel3000.com/news/2749545/detail.html

4113

Charter's Chief lays out battle plan (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/0/1C08716D11A73BAA86256E2C00125823?OpenDocument&Headline=Charter[/url)

4113

Charter News

http://www.digeo.com/newsroom/news.jsp

4113

Is it just me or does that interactive icon on some of the charter channels irritate you as much as it does me? Does anyone know how to get rid of that thing?

Charter Communications (CHTR) is preparing to launch a new digital video recorder By Ellen Sheng
January 7, 2004

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Charter Communications (CHTR) is preparing to launch a new digital video recorder in the next two months.

The St. Louis-based cable operator has been working with Digeo Inc., a media software and interactive TV provider started by Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) co-founder Paul Allen. Charter, which is also controlled by Allen, will be deploying Digeo's Moxi platform.

The TiVo-like boxes, which allow viewers to record programs, pause and replay live TV, are currently being tested in Rochester, Mich.

Tom Cullen, senior vice president of advanced services and business development who spoke at a Smith Barney Citigroup conference earlier Wednesday, projected the new DVR boxes will be launched in 12
systems this year.

Charter's cable systems are evenly split between technology offered by Scientific-Atlanta and Motorola (MOT). Systems running Scientific-Atlanta's technology can't work with Motorola and vice versa. For its Scientific-Atlanta systems, Charter launched the popular Explorer 8000 DVR box in four California systems late last year. Cullen said the Explorer box will be launched in four more markets before the end of the month, and 14 systems during the year. Cullen declined to list what markets, citing competitive reasons.

"We are big believers in personal video recorders," he said.




Wonder how long it will be before St. Louis sees this? We seem to be the last market to get things like this.

Between interactive television and telephone service via cable, I have a difficult time deciding which idea is more brain dead.

And when the Charter chief executive says that people expect "nearly perfect" performance from their telephone service, that's another strong indication that cable companies really don't "get it" and should stick to what they do know.

I would have thought that the one lesson that every business executive learned after the dotcom meltdown is this: Just because something is technically possible, doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good business idea.

As for HD games via KPLR this year, maybe there's a chance that the Tribune connection could mean that we'll see some Cards-Cubs games on KPLR in HD next year, courtesy of a WGN video feed.

Granted, that might be limited to just the Cards-Cubs games in Wrigley Field, but that would be a great start and a good way to set the table for some sort of independent local HD schedule in 2005 or 2006.

Also, some of the other FOX Sports nets around the country are rolling out HD services this year, so there might be something to look forward to there (FOX Sports Midwest) in a year or two.

Originally posted by DroptheRemote
Between interactive television and telephone service via cable, I have a difficult time deciding which idea is more brain dead.


I read an interesting article yesterday in Fortune magazine about telephone service over the internet. It focused on the kazaa-owners who are providing this service free of charge, but also detailed how all telephone/cable companies are getting into this new technology.

Bottom line, in the not too distant future we WILL be getting all our phone service via the internet. Those companies that drag their heals will miss out on this inevitable change and the profits that come with it.

For those who want to check out the free LEGAL pc-to-pc telephone service provided by Kazaa people, visit http://www.skype.com



Bruce

Originally posted by StLouG
Is it just me or does that interactive icon on some of the charter channels irritate you as much as it does me? Does anyone know how to get rid of that thing?

Yes, you can have them remove the interactive services from your account and you won't see that annoyance anymore. I forget what the magic word was that you had to tell them though (so they'd understand what you're after). I believe it was discussed in the December thread, maybe last month's though.

Bruce,

I'm not necessarily resistant to new telephone technology, though I'll admit that it's far, far down the list of new services or gadgets that I find compelling.

I see local telephone service as a commodity business, and it's a market that is probably going to get smaller, or grow very little in the future. At the same time, there are things like the IP phone services you noted becoming more viable, not to mention the fledgling but growing trend toward customers completely dumping local service in favor of wireless.

I also think there's a strong, general resistance to consumers writing bigger cheques to their cable companies. Cable has a bad household rep in terms of cost, technology and reliability, and I think local telephone companies, which rarely make an appearance on the most-admired business lists, have at least a 2-1 edge in those three categories.

I think cable telephony will be a much, much harder sell than the cable guys expect. To my mind, they're going to need to massively reduce the price in order to get people to seriously consider it as an alternative, and even then I think it's a very tough sale.

The fact that there will be more competition in local telephone service is almost certainly a long-term benefit for consumers, but I think it will be a big negative for the shareholders of the cable companies with designs on this market.

There's also an issue of wasted bandwidth that could be better used to preserve/restore picture quality and add the sort of HD programming we've been expecting for more than a year now (he says, scrambling to get back on topic). :)

Originally posted by StLouG
Is it just me or does that interactive icon on some of the charter channels irritate you as much as it does me? Does anyone know how to get rid of that thing?

The "I" icon only appears on certain channels with interactive content only appears after the box receives and processes the data stream (usually about 30 seconds). It will go away if the viewer does not press the OK button. You channel surfers won't see it.

Don't forget, there is more to it then the "I" icon. Explore your menu for "interactive channels" under the "I-TV" category. You can find news, sports, weather, money, poker, blackjack, even movie titles and show times at local theatres, all free.

If you do not prefer this service, just call and ask to "opt out of ITV."

For those who do not know what we are talking about, this service is currently launched in the original Charter areas and will be coming to the old TCI/AT&T areas VERY soon.

Originally posted by Dave Beebe
Wonder how long it will be before St. Louis sees this? We seem to be the last market to get things like this.

You will not have to wait too long...

Charter Communications (CHTR) is preparing to launch a new digital video recorder in the next two months.

I have to admit that I have been lured into a few hours of ITV Poker.... my redish eyes paid the price for that mindnumbing few hours.


Quick Question: We all know of the channels that are currently offering HD: ESPN, Discovery, HBO, SHOW, etc. Would anyone care to guess which non-HD channels will be offering HD soon? Starz? Cinemax? TLC? HGTV? TechTV? etc.

Originally posted by 4113
You will not have to wait too long...

St. Louis is actually one of the first markets to test and launch new services. This is one of the few that didn't launch here first.

abcward,

Starz and Cinemax already have HD channels. I believe they are only available on a few cable systems- no D* or E* yet. Also Bravo has an HD channel.

If I were to guess, I would say that MTV, Fox Sports, and National Geographic might be the next big name channels to do HD. I know Fox Sports has done some trials on the East coast and I believe NG has done some HD production.

Originally posted by DroptheRemote
And when the Charter chief executive says that people expect "nearly perfect" performance from their telephone service, that's another strong indication that cable companies really don't "get it" and should stick to what they do know.

This is a reference to the vaunted "five nines" (99.999 percent up time) reliability so often attributed to regional Bell operating companies.

BTW, this is nothing new guys. This is the same dial tone that you receive now, the difference is the "the last mile" and it costs much, much less. Its been alive and well in the St. Charles/St. Peters area for several years now.

Sorry to take us so far off topic, but previous posts indicate that this forum is hungry for information.

4113, just wanted to say thanks again for contributing to this forum. We Charter subscribers are very hungry for information and your participation is greatly appreciated.

Thanks 4113. I was this close to getting a Tivo but will wait a few weeks more if your less than 2 month estimate is right.

Originally posted by Dave Beebe
Thanks 4113. I was this close to getting a Tivo but will wait a few weeks more if your less than 2 month estimate is right.

Seriously, I would wait.

If you want to study up...look up the BMC series STB from Motorola.

Originally posted by Dave Beebe
Thanks 4113. I was this close to getting a Tivo but will wait a few weeks more if your less than 2 month estimate is right.

This was a press release from Digeo...not my estimate. ;)

could u provide us a link to that story on Digeo?

I have a question about the Motorola DCT5100 set-top used by Charter: Does it have a facility for outputting RGB video instead of component video?

The online setup manual indicates that it only does YPbPr, but one of my potential customers indicated that there's a 15-pin connector that would allow an RGB connection.

Appreciate if anyone can clarify this.

If the 5100 doesn't do RGB, is there an alternate box that can provide it?

Wow !

See the link for the Motorola BMC series STB that Charter may soon be offering

http://broadband.motorola.com/noflash/bmc.html

Originally posted by abcward

Quick Question: We all know of the channels that are currently offering HD: ESPN, Discovery, HBO, SHOW, etc. Would anyone care to guess which non-HD channels will be offering HD soon? Starz? Cinemax? TLC? HGTV? TechTV? etc.

Don't forget about the new NFL Network channel (which we got a brief free-preview of this weekend). They have HD programming, but we only have the SD version of the channel available right now. If Charter adds the HD version of the channel, I'll be all over it (assuming NFL Network is part of the sports tier now?)

Originally posted by DroptheRemote
I have a question about the Motorola DCT5100 set-top used by Charter: Does it have a facility for outputting RGB video instead of component video?

The online setup manual indicates that it only does YPbPr, but one of my potential customers indicated that there's a 15-pin connector that would allow an RGB connection.

Appreciate if anyone can clarify this.

If the 5100 doesn't do RGB, is there an alternate box that can provide it?


Sorry, there are no boxes available that support RGB.

Originally posted by abcward
could u provide us a link to that story on Digeo?



http://www.digeo.com/newsroom/news.jsp

http://www.digeo.com

Originally posted by jdiehl
Don't forget about the new NFL Network channel (which we got a brief free-preview of this weekend). They have HD programming, but we only have the SD version of the channel available right now. If Charter adds the HD version of the channel, I'll be all over it (assuming NFL Network is part of the sports tier now?)

From the St. Louis Business Journal:

Charter plans to begin a digital rollout of the service in February, with plans to launch a separate high-definition simulcast feed starting with the 2004 NFL season. In addition, Charter will offer a customized video-on-demand package that will include access to the NFL Films library and extended highlights of each NFL regular-season game. The NFL Network will also provide Charter with exclusive out-of-market NFL preseason games.

Mack said the service would be available to Charter's digital customers who have chosen the sports tier.

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2004/01/05/daily62.html

Just curious if anyone uses OTA near Ofallon/St. Peters area. If they do could you post on your current antenna used and the quality of the picture, etc. I am getting E* and doing some research on which antenna to purchase. Appreciate any input given.

Thanks,
Shawn
sdd110@charter.net

hcarter said:

Wow !

See the link for the Motorola BMC series STB that Charter may soon be offering

http://broadband.motorola.com/noflash/bmc.html

Boy that's what I hope we could be getting!

I wonder how much more $$ per month that DVR service will cost us Charter people...

I wonder how much more $$ per month that DVR service will cost us Charter people...
According to the FAQ in the following link it will be $9.99/month more.

http://www.charter.com/service/faqs/dvr_faqs.asp

Wonder how good the interface is. While I know we won't get Tivo level features (Tivo is $12.99/month) I hope it's worth the $9.99/month.

When will Charter DVR be available in my area?
Charter Communications is launching Charter DVR today. Please call your local Charter office for dates on availability or check back to Charter.com/DVR for the latest availability.


What???

EDIT: I just called up and got a clueless CSR. "what is DVR?" she asked me. When I explain it to her she says "Oh, that will probably be available sometime this year". Ok, thanks...

Originally posted by 4113
This is a reference to the vaunted "five nines" (99.999 percent up time) reliability so often attributed to regional Bell operating companies.

BTW, this is nothing new guys. This is the same dial tone that you receive now, the difference is the "the last mile" and it costs much, much less. Its been alive and well in the St. Charles/St. Peters area for several years now.

Sorry to take us so far off topic, but previous posts indicate that this forum is hungry for information.

I have been living with Charter's phone service for about a year. "Five nines"? I would say about three nines so far. There is a battery backup system in my garage required to keep up the voltage when my power goes out. I got the service because the phone company here keeps changing ownership and does not offer good high speed internet. I figure it is better to deal with one company. I still can change.....My long distance is a cell phone.

Thought I would post this on this thread as it is most relevant to St. Louis area HT enthusiasts. I was at my local NHT dealer this past weekend and he informed me that he will be brinigng on Mirage speakers over the next couple of weeks. I had a chance to listen to some Mirage Omnistats, and those little guys are amazing! Plan on getting some to go with my plasma. They are planning on carrying pretty much the full line (OM, Omni, Omnistat, etc.). I'm not sure if it is against forum rules to post the store, so if someone knows off the top of their head, let me know. If it is, just PM me. They are located in Eureka, MO.

Does anyone know for sure if the DVI is enabled? I really want to spring for the cable, but I just spoke to a CSR (don't laugh) and he said they aren't enabled and will not be enabled. 4113, do you have any idea?

Thanks guys

Originally posted by tcfila
Does anyone know for sure if the DVI is enabled? I really want to spring for the cable, but I just spoke to a CSR (don't laugh) and he said they aren't enabled and will not be enabled. 4113, do you have any idea?

Thanks guys

Mine is working.

some of those people are morons...How about the firewire?

Thanks

Can't test firewire but bet it is not enabled.

Originally posted by abcward
What???

EDIT: I just called up and got a clueless CSR. "what is DVR?" she asked me. When I explain it to her she says "Oh, that will probably be available sometime this year". Ok, thanks...


Dont call... Just be patient.
This is why you should wait for an official announcment.

Originally posted by tcfila
Does anyone know for sure if the DVI is enabled? I really want to spring for the cable, but I just spoke to a CSR (don't laugh) and he said they aren't enabled and will not be enabled. 4113, do you have any idea?

Thanks guys

DVI is enabled on ALL boxes with DVI hardware installed due to the 12.18 & 14.18 update

No firewire

Originally posted by 4113
Dont call... Just be patient.
This is why you should wait for an official announcment.

I called because Charter's website said to do just that:


When will Charter DVR be available in my area?
Charter Communications is launching Charter DVR today. Please call your local Charter office for dates on availability or check back to Charter.com/DVR for the latest availability.

4113, Do you have any info as to when St Louis City will finally be upgraded I live about 3 blocks west of the Dome.

Hello! I'm new here although I've been lurking awhile. I've searched the St. Louis HDTV forum and learned ALOT, but have some questions that I can't seem to find answers to. The most helpful and gracious Doug at Clearly Resolved Image & Sound encouraged me to ask the group about my situation.

I'm interested in installing an outdoor OTA antenna, currently for analog (VHF/UHF/FM) reception but with an eye towards HDTV in the near future. I live on the bottom floor of a two flat (which I own) in University City. Indoor antennas around here produce massive ghosting, and, somewhat surprisingly, snowy signals, perhaps due to all the tall buildings around me.

According to antennaweb.org, all of the stations I'm interested in receiving (analog 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 30) are between 177 and 203 azimuth degrees from my house, and are within 14 miles. It says I need a "medium directional (red)" antenna, probably because I told it there are tall buildings and trees which I understand produce ghosts on a non-directional antenna.

I currently am getting my roof replaced, and the roofer has told me he'll be happy to put an antenna up there for me that I provide him with. This is great news for me, as I am disabled (use a motorized wheelchair for mobility) and certainly can't get up to the roof myself.

So, some questions:

Am I right in assuming I won't need a rotor because of the relatively narrow range in direction of all the stations I want to receive? Not having a rotor would, I believe, greatly simplify things.

Any recommendations on "medium directional (red)" antennas? The Channel Master 3016 looks inexpensive (and available locally at Lowes). Anyone with good or bad experiences with this or other brands? Preferably available locally as my roofer wants it as soon as possible.

Any recommendations on mounting hardware? I have a clay tile roof. Can the antenna be strapped to the chimney or is it better to use a separate mount at the roof peak? I ask because I don't want the wind to pull the antenna AND chimney down together.

Any ideas on lead-in particulars? I understand quad shielded RG-6 is best, where can I buy less than 500 feet locally? How does one get the lead-in into the house (old brick). Ideally I want the lead-in to come into both my living room and bedroom sets, so I believe I need a splitter. Where could I find this locally?

Should I just hire a professional installer (since I don't really know what I'm doing), and if so, does anyone recommend a good local one?

I hope this wasn't too off-topic as it's not strictly HDTV related, but I understand many of the reception-type issues are common to both analog and HDTV, and really appreciate being able to "tap into" the vast deposit of knowledge and help on this forum.

Sincerely,

Earl Higgins
University City MO

The following report, from SkyREPORT e-news, provides a bit more information about recent issues about finding sources for DISH equipment:

__________________________________________

SkyRETAILER: DISH Equipment Shortages?

Today, SkyRETAILER reports on possible equipment shortages at DISH Network, and what could be behind the challenges for EchoStar's hardware side.

Retailers have said EchoStar and some of its distributors are reporting there is nothing available, from high-definition equipment to DISH Quad LNBs. Part of the situation could be DISH's involvement with phone company SBC Communications, and its effort to sell the satellite TV service.

Said John Hill of Soundview Technology Group, "Recent channel checks suggest that DISH still is experiencing sporadic inventory problems, with both new and existing products. This suggests two things. First, if there were little demand, there would be no inventory problems. Second, the company might be attempting to build inventory for the SBC rollout."

For more on the SkyRETAILER story, go to: http://www.skyretailer.com.

__________________________________________

Earl,

A good place to source splitters and even antennae is Skywalker Communications in O'Fallon. Prices are lower than retail, particularly if you don't mind driving there to pick up what you need. However, they do deliver on a next day basis if you don't want to hassle with it.

You can call Skywalker at (636) 272-8025.

Also, they might be able to answer some of your questions. Come to think of it, they have a (physical) bulletin board in the equipment pick-up area where various installers post about their services. You might ask them for a recommendation for someone in U. City.

Nice to see you here. Try to let us know how things worked out once you're up and running.

What exactly is this marriage that Dish/SBC are getting into? Not sure what one company has to do with the other...

This was first reported back in July 2003. More details available here:

http://www.skyreport.com/viewskyreport.cfm?ReleaseID=1170#Story1

The main reason, imo, for the SBC-Dish marraige is broadband - if you are a Charter cable customer, you are theoretically more likely to purchase their cable modem service than if you are not a cable customer. And since DSL is a big part of SBC's future plans, anything they can do to keep you away from Charter (and with SBC DSL), is something they are going to pursue. If they can offer you television, phone, and broadband in one shot - you'll never have a reason to go with Charter (again, thats the theory, anyways).

In fact, the DISH/SBC approach makes more sense to me, as you'd be dealing with proven players for each service (SBC for phone and broadband, DISH for television).

This a major flaw in the cable approach, compounded by the fact that if one thing fails, then they probably all fail. It's sort of like buying one of those multi-function office devices that combine printer, phone/answering machine, fax and scanner into a single chassis -- your chances of a complete outage are much greater than if you spread the workload among specialized devices designed for each task. Of course, if the price is right you may be prepared to take that risk on.

In particular, I think the SBC approach makes a lot more sense if you're looking at a small office or home-based business where a television subscription is needed or desired.

Because I've had a Tivo since 2000 and long ago quit worrying about it. No I don't have links handy but it is all documented in the Tivo AVS forum and on Tivo's website. If you find anything worth worrying about (you won't), let me know.

You really think as visible as Tivo is they could get away with it any other way?

Originally posted by okc329
How do you know that they are not releasing your viewing habits, by name, to other entities? How would that be so different than a magazine selling its subscriber list?

I've had Charter phone service in St. Peters almost since the day it became available here, and have to admit it hasn't failed yet -- which is a lot more than I can say for the previous "proven" carrier, GTE. Charter's about $20 cheaper per month for the same service, too.

For my TV though, I'm keeping the dish. I've disconnected my HD100 from DirecTV service (still using it for OTA in the meantime) long enough to pay off the programming balance on it. Once I've paid the bill and it's no longer considered part of my account, I'll be putting it up on eBay. The proceeds will help me buy one of those new HD DirecTivo's coming out in early April.

Originally posted by Robert Simandl
Charter's about $20 cheaper per month for the same service, too.


I have CenturyTel...the old GTE and their price is cheaper than charters

LOCAL SERVICE IN ADVANCE FROM JAN 10 TO FEB 10
SIMPLE CHOICE METRO WITH VOICE MAIL 34.95
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Granted I dont need most of the extras but they are thrown in.

How does that compare, because when I called for phone, it was more.

Sorry for going off Topic

Tim

to put my 2 cents in....

I had DSL with SBC for years until I moved to Wildwood a year ago. I was told then that I was too far away to get the 1.5mb speed that I wanted so I was 'forced' to turn to Charter Internet.

Honestly I would never go back now. My broadband is literally twice as fast as DSL. I know this from countless tests that I have run [tech nerd sickness!].

abcward,

I appreciate your view about the speed of cable, and I use Pipeline as well. I went through an extremely bad patch in terms of downtime last spring and summer (the better part of 6 months, with some service interuptions of more than 24 hours), but it has been better since September with virtually no outages since then. FWIW, I found the Pipeline techs to be pretty useless -- everytime I called they blamed the problem on my router, which most claimed was prohibited equipment.

Given a choice between cable and DSL, I would probably go with cable. Like you, I'm outside of the DSL coverage area, so cable is my only real broadband alternative. In view of all the problems, I probably would have switched last summer, but I see no reason to make a switch now.

It's the cable telephony that makes no sense to me -- like interactive television, it's a solution in search of a problem.

NFL Network only is producing 1 hour of HD programming a week, and that is only during the season. They did do as much as 4 hours a week during the playoffs. It looks like more than that because of all the repeats. If Charter doesn't have a "special events" channel like DirecTV, I doubt you see this.

Originally posted by jdiehl
Don't forget about the new NFL Network channel (which we got a brief free-preview of this weekend). They have HD programming, but we only have the SD version of the channel available right now. If Charter adds the HD version of the channel, I'll be all over it (assuming NFL Network is part of the sports tier now?)

Originally posted by DroptheRemote
Earl,

A good place to source splitters and even antennae is Skywalker Communications in O'Fallon. Prices are lower than retail, particularly if you don't mind driving there to pick up what you need. However, they do deliver on a next day basis if you don't want to hassle with it.

You can call Skywalker at (636) 272-8025.
I can second that. I went though www.a1components.com to order my parts and picked it up at Skywalker Communications in O'fallon, MO. They said they didn't offer retail sales, and I had to use www.a1components.com.

Originally posted by Robert Simandl
Frankly I wish somebody would find a way to add what we watch on our ReplayTV's and Tivo's into the official Nielsen ratings! Maybe then my favorite shows would last a little longer! You got it:
http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040204/tech_tivo_nielsen_3.html

Why is ER cropped on all 4 sides? Isn't it supposed to be widescreen?

It wasn't cropped on all four sides for me...but rather only the left and right sides. I suspect it was this way so they could quickly cut in and show us school closures.

Originally posted by earlthenut
I'm interested in installing an outdoor OTA antenna ... in University City. ... Any recommendations on "medium directional (red)" antennas? ... Any ideas on lead-in particulars? I understand quad shielded RG-6 is best...

Sincerely,

Earl Higgins
University City MO

Ok thanks for the advice so far, everybody! Next question:

Right now, there's a functioning (but soon to be unused) DirecTV satellite dish up on the roof, complete with lead-in to all installations. It would greatly simplify things if I could just reuse this lead-in for my OTA antenna instead. Will this work or do I need to run my own lead-in?

Sincerely,

Earl Higgins
University City MO

Last Night's ER broadcast was STD Def.

So, for those of us with 16:9 HD displays we see:

A 16:9 widescreen presentation, inside a 4:3 SDTV screen, which is displayed inside our 16:9 screens.

If your set can Zoom HD feeds, then you can watch it fairly close to full 16:9 screen.

There's more information in the HDTV programming forum.

Cheers,

The problem with over the air is that it can depend on so many things.

That said, up until 6 months ago I was using a RS double bowtie set top antenna and I was off Bryan Rd, I didn't have any reception issues.

Now I live in Wentzville and I moved my double bowtie to the attic with some success, but prior to the superbowl connected an old med range RS yagi. I have trouble with PBS, and I still get dropouts occasionally on CBS, but I'm not done adjusting. So I still have hope to clear that up.

As for you, who knows, if you have trouble it won't be because you are too far away though, it will be buildings, trees, hills, etc.



Originally posted by sdd110
Just curious if anyone uses OTA near Ofallon/St. Peters area. If they do could you post on your current antenna used and the quality of the picture, etc. I am getting E* and doing some research on which antenna to purchase. Appreciate any input given.

Thanks,
Shawn
sdd110@charter.net

I've got a question on Charter pricing -- What should Basic Cable and Pipeline cost?

I'm looking at a bill for $58.81, which includes $10.86 for Basic Cable, $42.95 for Pipeline (768K/128K), and a $5 modem rental charge.

I thought that I read here that the modem rental was going to be dropped, but maybe I imagined that. I also thought the Pipeline charges were going to be reduced in January.

Thanks in advance for any help on this.

Doug, Charter tends to not give you any promotional deals on pricing unless you call up and ask for it. They do not just automatically change a current customers pricing. [at least they never have with me]

2mb download is only $39.95. You are highly overpaying for your internet...

With Charter, it is a good idea to call them every two months or so and review your bill. Explicitly ask if there is a promotion you should be getting. My wife did this twice and both times it lowered my bill. Once on Pipeline and once on HDTV.

Well finally got HDTV. Cant really watch yet due to fact that I dont have transcoder yet, but can still at least see picture. I live in Ofallon, MO area, set up a silver sensor antenna and did a quick scan, got all channels except cbs and all were in the 70-80 str range, this is without even aiming the antenna in the correct direction. I think im gonna be a happy camper:)

Originally posted by redwine
With Charter, it is a good idea to call them every two months or so and review your bill. Explicitly ask if there is a promotion you should be getting. My wife did this twice and both times it lowered my bill. Once on Pipeline and once on HDTV.

Charter has lowered their HDTV pricing? I got HDTV service the week it first came out and the price was free until January.

Originally posted by sdd110
Just curious if anyone uses OTA near Ofallon/St. Peters area. If they do could you post on your current antenna used and the quality of the picture, etc. I am getting E* and doing some research on which antenna to purchase. Appreciate any input given.

Thanks,
Shawn
[
EMAIL=sdd110@charter.net]sdd110@charter.net[/EMAIL]

I live in O'fallon and use a Terk TV32 in the attic with perfect results all the time.

Scott

Spurs/Kings game on ESPN/HD via Directv. I have never seen such a freaked out picture. The pic was studder-steppin' all over the place like watching a film with every other frame missing.

Anybody else experience it?

Scott

Originally posted by Scott Tucker
Spurs/Kings game on ESPN/HD via Directv. I have never seen such a freaked out picture. The pic was studder-steppin' all over the place like watching a film with every other frame missing.

Anybody else experience it?

Scott

What reciever do you have? If it's a panasonic, there is a known issue with 720p getting upconverted to 1080i when the bitrate is too low. A low bitrate wouldn't suprise me with Directv.
Dug

I saw the same problem earlier in the evening during the first NBA (non-HD) game on ESPN. It looked like the video was skipping every second or third frame.

However, I took a look later on during the Spurs-Kings (end of third quarter) and everything looked good.

My STB is the RCA DTC-100.

Originally posted by abcward
Charter has lowered their HDTV pricing? I got HDTV service the week it first came out and the price was free until January.

My wife got some sort of deal on the HD STB rental since we already were Pipeline and telephone customers. I'll post it when the bill comes this month.

Anybody know why the NHL All-Star game isn't in HD here in St. Louis?

Over in the hd programming forum, it looks like several affiliates are having problems. This SUCKS! Looks like it might be a network feed problem though as some people are reporting HD!

Anyone have the Number for the St Louis abc engineers?

From R. Boyce in the HD programming forum:

"Flyersfan: FYI

The following is a communication from ABC to local stations sent multiple times months ago. It may apply to the problem you are seeing. Even if a station made the suggested change back then the problem can return if the station uploads a configuration file to their Flexicoder that contains the old setting.


Attention HDTV Affiliates with Harris Flexicoders:
ABC was made aware of a "frame de-focus" problem in last night's NBA basketball game.

After some investigation and troubleshooting, we have discovered that a simple Prefilter Setting change from 0 to 2 in the Harris Flexicoder should resolve the problem.

The encoder uses a prefilter to keep the buffers from overflowing. Normally, the HD prefilter is set to "0", which is "adaptive", meaning that the encoder tries to find a good setting by itself, causing the dynamic defocusing. Setting the prefilter to "2" selects a steady number and stops the encoder from dynamically changing.

The encoder command in the terminal program is as follows:

Prov vid (board location) prefilt 2
*****In addition, remember to save the changes (save context) after making the change.*****
Please note that this problem has only been reported by stations with Harris Flexicoders. "

Originally posted by Mr_Bester
What reciever do you have? If it's a panasonic, there is a known issue with 720p getting upconverted to 1080i when the bitrate is too low. A low bitrate wouldn't suprise me with Directv.
Dug

I have the Zenith HD-SAT520, but have never seen anything like that happen before. Just curious if anyone else experienced it.

Scott

Hey Budshark,

Wasn't it last year's Grammy's where we noticed a trend of the person who just got done performing winning the next award? Looks like Beyonce's starting that trend all over again!

The show LOOKS awesome...

Update/edit: Anyone else noticing audio dropouts?

Agreed, the grammy's look and sound stunning. I expereinced some dropouts the first few minutes but everything seems to be ok now.

My jaw hit the ground when it first started, one of the best HD simulcast I have seen ( so far ).

Dropouts are continuing :(

And what's Christina Aguilera doing with all her clothes on? I'm not used to seeing her perform that way :D

Is it just me or do the dropout seem just to happen at the start of each segment, then get fixed witihin the first few minutes.

Yea, I was suprised to see Christina fully dresse....and a bit dissapointed as well :)

Justin Timberlake got the best pop vocal perfomance over George Harrison and Sting????????? Oh puh-leeeeeeeeeeez........

Now THAT'S more the type of clothing I expect from Christina Aguilera :D

Oh Josh, you might want to stumble over to the Grammy thread on the HD Programming forum. Lots and lots of running commentary....

The NHL All-Star was on our schedule to be in HD, but due to an employee brain fade, it was missed. We are installing new equipment that should help with over looked HD feeds. It had nothing to do with Harris equipment... we use another brand of encoder.

Right you are! Didn't watch last night... got enthralled in a game of CIVIII and completely turned the TV off for a night. Sometimes you need a little more interactivity. Besides, now that I have a daughter I've decided the whole music industry is something I don't want to support ... :)

Chris

Originally posted by Robert Simandl
Hey Budshark,

Wasn't it last year's Grammy's where we noticed a trend of the person who just got done performing winning the next award? Looks like Beyonce's starting that trend all over again!

The show LOOKS awesome...

Update/edit: Anyone else noticing audio dropouts?

I hope possibilities like this are taken into serious account when the requests for waivers to be able to receive distant networks start coming in as DirecTV adds more HD feeds. Its just nice to have a backup--if I get decent OTA with DD5.1 I'm going to choose it over the most-likely-over-compressed DirecTV feed anyway.

I'm saying this to all the St. Louis affiliates that come here--not just ABC :)

Originally posted by WRacer
The NHL All-Star was on our schedule to be in HD, but due to an employee brain fade, it was missed. We are installing new equipment that should help with over looked HD feeds. It had nothing to do with Harris equipment... we use another brand of encoder.

I have noticed for the last week or two that FOX Channel 2 is horribly wavy on my non-HD digital cable box. No other channel is this an issue. And this channel looks just fine on my other tv that has HD Charter box.

I hate to call up Charter and get a service call for something so relatively minor, but I do expect clear reception on every channel.

Anyone else see this type of issue?


Thanks
Bruce

CBS/HD on Directv not in 5.1, but CBS from local antenna is. Why? Anyone else notice this?

Scott

got enthralled in a game of CIVIII

Budshark,

That brings back memories. I haven't played that game in years. It sure is easy to get wrapped up in that game. Hopefully, I'll have most of my bigger home and car projects behind me when Doom 3 finally ships.



And to keep this somewhat on topic. In case anyone didn't notice, the national feed of Las Vegas was SD. Last night I figured it was a local problem, but I just checked the HDTV Programming thread and discovered otherwise :(

Do you guys know if this will be on? I don't know how the blackout works with HD.

Thanks,
Tim

I have noticed for the last week or two that FOX Channel 2 is horribly wavy on my non-HD digital cable box. No other channel is this an issue. And this channel looks just fine on my other tv that has HD Charter box.

I hate to call up Charter and get a service call for something so relatively minor, but I do expect clear reception on every channel.

Anyone else see this type of issue

I have the same problem on 4, 5, and 60 (Turner Classic Movies). It comes and goes and I can't find a pattern.

Do you guys know if this will be on? I don't know how the blackout works with HD
I sure hope this doesn't get blacked out, but that would be par. I think this will be the first opportunity this season to watch a Blues game in HD. Yet, the Columbus Blue Jackets have already had 3-5 games in HD. Why do the Blues always get the shaft from the league? :mad:

Whew! I'm off my soapbox now.

The Blues are scheduled to be on HDNet three times in March - they better not black them out....

The Blues are scheduled to be on HDNet three times in March - they better not black them out....

The way they're playing right now, I think I would prefer them being blacked out.

KMOV HD has been added to Charter for about 10 days now. I like this channel since it has 5.1 sound and a large line up of programs in HD. Is it me or do they have problems broadcasting? I still have pixelation and sound drop offs every day which only happens on this HD channel.

Do you guys who use OTA experience the same conditions/degredation?

Originally posted by redwine
KMOV HD has been added to Charter for about 10 days now. I like this channel since it has 5.1 sound and a large line up of programs in HD. Is it me or do they have problems broadcasting? I still have pixelation and sound drop offs every day which only happens on this HD channel.

Do you guys who use OTA experience the same conditions/degredation?

OTA reception is inconsistent across the board. Sometimes the stations just forget to switch to HD when they get a HD network feed and it comes on after the first or second set of commercials. Sometimes it's just plain flakey with artifacts and audio dropout/mis-sync problems, and sometimes it's great. I think the broadcast stations are just going through growing pangs we'll all have to put up with for awhile.

On average 4, 5, and 30 are pretty good. Still waiting for Fox to join the 21st century, and I never watch 11, but hope they do Cardinals games in HD in the not-so-distant future. I have consistent problems getting a good signal for PBS 9.

FYI: I'm using a Sammy TS160.

Dean

Did anyone watch KSD last night during prime time? I had 83% signal OTA with Dish 6000u but the drop outs were so bad I couldn't watch Will & Grace or scrubs. Just terrible. All other OTA's were fine with no drop outs and weaker signals.

Anyone know what's up?

Originally posted by SheerLuck_Homes
Did anyone watch KSD last night during prime time? I had 83% signal OTA with Dish 6000u but the drop outs were so bad I couldn't watch Will & Grace or scrubs. Just terrible. All other OTA's were fine with no drop outs and weaker signals.

Anyone know what's up?

Yes, we too had the same issue with KSDK....real irritating....

KSDK-DT also failed to flip the switch for Leno last night -- so much for Norah Jones in HD...

Originally posted by DroptheRemote
KSDK-DT also failed to flip the switch for Leno last night -- so much for Norah Jones in HD... They must have had issues last night because Law & Order wasn't in HD last night either.

I noticed several times during the local news that KSDK had some pixelation and some sound interrupts. When Leno cam on there was a split second when it was HD but it went right back to SD and stayed that way.

If I were a local station I would broadcast my news programs in HD. Is it that expensive? I would want to be the first station to do it and advertise the heck out of it. The future is coming so join it now!

well--I'm not too excited about seeing the news in hd. not too many pretty faces to begin with. hd does not improve the situation.

On the other hand, if Fox News Channel went HD and I could look at Patti Ann Browne, Laurie Dhue, and Kiran Chetrey in 1080i, I'd never leave the house!

(/pervert mode back off now) :D

Dont forget about E.D. Hill

I agree on the lack of interest in HD local news -- local TV news is pitiful at the best of times (if it bleeds, it leads) and irrelevant most of the remainder. Case in point, did anyone notice the recent "special report" on teens who cut themselves?

We're talking sensationalism with a capital S...

I'm also permanently annoyed by the local news "teasers," where the newsreader tells you that something mightily important has happened but that I have to tune in at 10 o'clock to find out what it is. If it's important and really is news, by definition they should tell me right now, not at the completion of "CSI" or "Law and Order."

To me, local TV news is pretty much the LAST thing that I care about seeing in HD. I'd slot it in right after the HD Fish Tank channel, which gets the nod not only for content but also aesthetics...

DroptheRemote,
I couldn't agree more!!!

Can I get that HS Fish Tank on Voom?;)
Dug

I just hooked up my HDTV through D*. Have the Samsung TS160, Hitachi 65S500. Connected through Component. OTA is Supplied via a DB4 antenna in the attic. I'm getting awesome signals from the major networks. 90+%. Question is, several of the stations are displaying in 16:9, but they have a small (1-2 inch wide) bar along the side of the monitor while watching OTA HD broadcasts. It doesn't happen with HD or SD on D* or SD via OTA. Curious if this an equipment issue or a broadcast issue.

BTW I'm in Granite City, IL

The worst was the stupid promo for the interview with Mike Martz's wife. Who really cares, anc why did they have to put the promo on during every commercial break.

I am just looking for the day when HD is the norm and not the exception. Airing the local news in HD would be relatively inexpensive and a good step towards making the "norm" an everyday HD experience. I think it would be good publicity for the local stations that had the guts to do it first.

Robert is right...oh those Fox babes...not many locals like that..

Hello everybody, I have an HD tv and was wonder which service is best for my situation. I will be moving to an apartment that will be a 1-bedroom townhome with a patio. I have heard that Dish network has the best deals. I am basically interested in receiving more HD channels (charter cable isn't cutting it for me now). I want the ESPN and Discovery, so I believe I can get that with Dish Network. I move in May. What are your recommendations?

The apartment is off of watson road (area code 63123).

All your help is appreciated. I am a new guy to this so please be kind. :)

-Chris

KB,

I think at the moment the DISH vs. DirecTV decision is a toss-up, as there's not a lot of difference between the two services in terms of HD content. On the other hand, it does seem like DISH has been extremely aggressive on the overall pricing front during the past few months.

I think it's also difficult to figure out which company is going to be more aggressive about HD in the next year or two. DISH had the early leadership, but DirecTV has recently eliminated any meaningful gap; for example, DTV was actually a few months ahead of DISH in adding HDNet Movies and ESPN.

Also, it's true that Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp now owns DirecTV, gets (and probably has earned) a bad rap for not supporting HD more proactively. However, if you've paid attention to the development of any of Murdoch's various businesses in the past, you'd see that that he'll do whatever it takes to make those businesses successful. In addition, I don't think there's any question that a Murdoch organization is more likely than most of his competitors to push the corner of the envelope, whether it's pricing, packaging, content or technology.

In other words, if Murdoch decides HD is a money-maker, DirecTV will lead the charge. For what it's worth, I think the fact that FOX (also Murdoch-owned) has decided to embrace HD next fall is a sign that philosophy is taking a back seat to the bottom line in terms of HD commitment.

Full disclosure: I am a long-time DirecTV subscriber, so it is possible that some of the preceding may be "wishful thinking."

And as for acquiring the OTA locals, here's a recent post here that should get you started:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3156848#post3156848

Great synopsis DTR!
I just want to add one comment...
DirecTV offers NFL Sunday Ticket, a must have for the seriuos HD Sports enthusiast.

What about the pricing of the two? Is it cheaper than digital HD Cable? What type of equipement do I need? Is it okay to put the satelite on a patio fence?

Thanks for all your help.

KB,

I think your best bet in terms of price comparisons is to call DISH and DirecTV by phone and get an idea of what sort of prices the various packages cost and then to specifically ask about any special promotions they currently are offering for new subscribers.

Also, be sure to ask about any promotions that they are providing themselves, as well as those of their partners, such as Radio Shack, Best Buy, Circuit City, Ultimate Electronics or others. It's also a good idea to check the Sunday newspaper ads for the big box stores, as they typically include some DirecTV and DISH promos.

I know that both DISH and DirecTV have recently been offering three-room systems including an HD receiver at very attractive prices that include installation. However, trying to keep track of these specials is a moving target, so best to track these down yourself.

In my opinion, satellite is marginally cheaper than digital cable, but it's sometimes difficult to come up with an apples-to-apples comparison. For additional rooms, satellite requires an additional receiver (one-time cost) and charges for programming in that room (around $5 monthly). In many cases, cable might be cheaper in additional rooms, particularly if you opt for non-digital cable in the secondary rooms, as that would avoid the need for hardware rental or programming fees.

But do bear in mind that going analog cable in those extra rooms won't get you any of the digital cable channels, such as HBO. That's why it's not a strictly equitable comparison.

As for mounting your dish on a patio fence, this might work, so long as the fence is rock solid and isn't likely to move during wind gusts. Your installer could determine whether that's a workable option or not.

Thanks a lot guys, you have been really helpful. I hope you don't mind if I ask more questions when they come to mind. I'm glad you guys understand that I don't know a lot about this stuff, and that you are actually willing to help.

Thanks again.

Anybody else watch the Daytona 500 on NBC? I thought it looked pretty sharp, but probaby could've been a little better. Guess I've been spoiled by some of the HD feeds for national events from CBS. 5.1 would've been nice as well, but, hey, I'm by no means complaining.

I thought Daytona 500 looked great, but the sound wasn't all that good. Is it our local affiliate that doesn't put HD with 5.1 or is it nationally? Hockey on HDNet and CBS sounds so much better than NBC

Tim

Hi, team!
Been over at the DVD-Recorder forum the last few weeks. Really cool but of course only 480-interlaced standard definition so I came back . . .

Hope folks have been praising ch. 5 for joining ch. 30 and giving us Standard-Def pictures in their native 4:3 format.

Meanwhile, I would like to nominate ch. 11 for the "dumbest St. Louis station" award given their practice of s t r e t c h i n g all standard-def 4:3 pictures to fill our 16:9 rasters. Magnification (as used by ch. 4) is bad enough, but ch. 11's practice is deeply stupid.

Replies solicited! (maybe ch. 11 is reading).

Bill (St. Charles with rooftop antenna)

Interesting story on the stonewalling between cable operators and local stations for carriage of HD/digital locals.

http://www.tvweek.com/technology/021604hdtv.html

While I can appreciate the position of the local broadcasters in that they have had to invest millions of dollars in new equipment for the digital transition, it was, after all, the broadcasters and their Washington lobbyists (The National Association of Broadcasters) who begged Congress and the FCC to pave the way for this new product in the form of additional free broadcasting spectrum. If the dollars and cents are so important and they don't seem to add up, why wasn't that understood before writing cheques to lobbyists? I think that like the Magnificent Carnac, they knew the answer before the question was ever asked.

And, of course, there's our friendly local cable providers. As someone who has closely watched the digital transition from the start in 1998, it seems to me that the only thing cable can be counted on since that time is finding new and creative ways to drag its feet. As a group, they're slower than Pete Rose in a search for remorse (or, if you prefer, O.J. in his efforts to find the real killer).

Bottom line: I'm fed up with this BS and I sincerely dislike being the pawn in the middle of their pointless game.

My advice for anyone waiting around for local HD channels via cable -- buy an antenna -- and maybe shares in ChannelMaster, Winegard, etc.

Hey Doug,

Let's not diss OJ now.... he was seen just yesterday searching for the killer. Apparently received a hot tip that the killer's been frequenting Florida golf courses.... :D

Oh, and to keep this post marginally on topic, HD Tivo's will be arriving late March or early April. Suggested retail $1000. I don't have the link handy, but there's a place called Value Electronics that's offering a $100 discount to folks who put up a $100 deposit.

I currently have my Sony HD100 up on eBay to help pay for it (I'll be without HD between now and then). I won't spam the forum here about it but anyone who's interested feel free to PM or e-mail me.

Originally posted by Robert Simandl

Oh, and to keep this post marginally on topic, HD Tivo's will be arriving late March or early April. Suggested retail $1000. I don't have the link handy, but there's a place called Value Electronics that's offering a $100 discount to folks who put up a $100 deposit.


Charter DVR is right around the corner also...

• No equipment to buy
• Analog, Digital and HD
• Dual tuner
• $9.99/month (service and BMC-9000 equipment lease)

Stay tuned...No need to flood the call centers

Re: Cable operators and HD

I just want Charter to offer all my available premium channels in HD. Only HBO and Showtime are available today. Even pay-per-view is not offered in HD. I pay for all the premium channels and watch them more than local channels. What is the delay to offer HD for Cinemax and Starz and Movie Channel and Discover? When I pay more I want more.

I used to have Direct TV and an antenna before I moved to my current house last year. The previous owner left a Dish dish on my roof with all the wiring. I am about ready to buy the HD receiver(s) and antenna instead of waiting for Charter and the local channels to decide who gets richer. Charter offering a HD DVR doesn't make up for lack of HD programming.

It disappeared from my scanned channels and I could not get it back, regardless of what I did. Did anybody else notice this and if so, what do you think the problem was?

I don't know about the 500, because I wasn't home. But we are definitely in a DD5.1 challenged market.

30 doesn't do it at all yet (I know Jim is working on it).
4 leaves it 5.1 when it should only be 2.0
2 doesn't seem to do it, and their techs and webmaster can't even be bothered to pay any attention to full e-mailboxes that prevent commenting on it
And don't forget 5 that probably would forget to switch to HD if it was DD5.1

Oh, and thanks KMOV for declining my waiver request even though I'm grade B and if I didn't have a 40 foot tower I would have no chance of receiving them.

And what is with KPLR doing 16x9 stretch now? You have 5 moving to 4x3 and 11 moving to 16x9. Its goofy seeing all the different attempts in one market.

Originally posted by tcfila
I thought Daytona 500 looked great, but the sound wasn't all that good. Is it our local affiliate that doesn't put HD with 5.1 or is it nationally? Hockey on HDNet and CBS sounds so much better than NBC

But all you DirecTV/Charter fence sitters, please do flood DirecTV's call center with complaints about the $999 retail of their box.

Originally posted by 4113
Stay tuned...No need to flood the call centers

Personally, I'm less concerned about the cost of the box (though it would be nice if it was lower) than I am about what sort of monthly charge DirecTV might impose for the use of the box.

Does anyone know if there will be a monthly charge? Is there a monthly charge for the existing DirecTiVo service?

I actually paid around $1500 for my original 30-hour ReplayTV box (recently upgraded to around 90 hours) and never regretted it, so by comparison (and only by comparison) the HD TiVo seems a bargain...

I read your post after my last post. For some reason KMOV likes to show a lot of programming with the 5.1 flag on when it really should only be 2.0. I know with about 99% certainty that there is no way they are getting 5.1 from CBS on most of their programming that isn't live.

If you don't mind me asking, how are you getting CBS HD on DirecTV? As I just complained about, they denied my waiver request and I'm a lot further from the tower than you are I would guess.

Originally posted by Scott Tucker
CBS/HD on Directv not in 5.1, but CBS from local antenna is. Why? Anyone else notice this?


See above. I think CBS is one of the weaker stations I get, but I blame most issues like you describe on equipment at the network or affiliate, not the reception.

Like I said, don't be fooled by the faux 5.1. Check and see if there is anything coming out of your rear speakers. Thanks for ruining the matrixed surround, KMOV!

Originally posted by redwine
KMOV HD has been added to Charter for about 10 days now. I like this channel since it has 5.1 sound and a large line up of programs in HD. Is it me or do they have problems broadcasting? I still have pixelation and sound drop offs every day which only happens on this HD channel.

Do you guys who use OTA experience the same conditions/degredation?

Originally posted by DroptheRemote
Does anyone know if there will be a monthly charge? Is there a monthly charge for the existing DirecTiVo service?


Not if you keep the premium package. I have had a DTivo since 2000 that I bought with a lifetime subscription, so I hope no matter what package I'm on I never have to pay another dime in monthlies, but with the new HD product line coming out, I'm sure there is no guarantee in writing of that.

I don't think they offer the lifetime package anymore. It was originally $200 (or at least it was when I got it), and then it went up to $250.

Doug, I thought the same until DirecTV started giving away the box I paid $600 for a little over a year ago for $99 or less (many times including a OTA install AND a triple LNB dish). I'm expecting them to do a similar discount for me if I wait past early adopter stage. (Although I'm not exactly sure how I was still an early adopter at the end of 2002 when they had had HD since, what, 1999 or earlier?).

Originally posted by DroptheRemote
I actually paid around $1500 for my original 30-hour ReplayTV box (recently upgraded to around 90 hours) and never regretted it, so by comparison (and only by comparison) the HD TiVo seems a bargain...

Originally posted by turls
Not if you keep the premium package. I have had a DTivo since 2000 that I bought with a lifetime subscription, so I hope no matter what package I'm on I never have to pay another dime in monthlies, but with the new HD product line coming out, I'm sure there is no guarantee in writing of that.

I don't think they offer the lifetime package anymore. It was originally $200 (or at least it was when I got it), and then it went up to $250.

On all Tivos, the so-called lifetime subscription applies to the box itself. Buy a new box and you're screwed. You have to do it again. So it's really not a very good deal unless you keep that Tivo for several years, beyond the break even point.

That's what I like about D*. The Tivo subscription is $5/month period, whether or not you add/change boxes.

Dean

Well, in my case it worked out fine, and seeing that the series 1 boxes are much more hackable and bug free than anything since, both my series 1 boxes will probably not be retired for a long time even when I get new boxes.

I think it is a little different with DirecTivo's anyway, there was a time when it was tied to the account if it isn't still. Its a moot point now anyway since they have changed it. And of course 1 lifetime fee covered all DirecTivos on the account, which is completely different than the standalone boxes.

Of course, then there is the dreaded mirroring fee.

Originally posted by dwette
On all Tivos, the so-called lifetime subscription applies to the box itself. Buy a new box and you're screwed. You have to do it again. So it's really not a very good deal unless you keep that Tivo for several years, beyond the break even point.

That's what I like about D*. The Tivo subscription is $5/month period, whether or not you add/change boxes.

The TiVo/DirecTV combo looks to be a great setup from when I've messed with it at friend's houses. Plus it's got dual tuners and yes the $5 price is a lot more tolerable. That's why I'm looking forward to the Moxy box from Charter. Hopefully Charter will have plenty of the DVR boxes in stock when they hit the St. Louis market. I'll be among the first in line.

Originally posted by Dave Beebe
Hopefully Charter will have plenty of the DVR boxes in stock when they hit the St. Louis market. I'll be among the first in line.

Can I camp out in front of a Charter office yet for these??

Originally posted by abcward
Can I camp out in front of a Charter office yet for these??

Count me in too, If these boxes come with the optional HD tuner w/recording.

Here is the pdf for the box
http://www.digeo.com/assets/motorola/BMC9000.pdf

Originally posted by turls
I read your post after my last post. For some reason KMOV likes to show a lot of programming with the 5.1 flag on when it really should only be 2.0. I know with about 99% certainty that there is no way they are getting 5.1 from CBS on most of their programming that isn't live.

Like I said, don't be fooled by the faux 5.1. Check and see if there is anything coming out of your rear speakers. Thanks for ruining the matrixed surround, KMOV!


I was beginning to wonder if anyone besides me was going to start bitching about this! THANK YOU!!!!

Robert,

I've been bitching to the station directly. It hasn't helped much.

Does anybody have a contact for the ABC affiliate so we can start bitching about the 720p --> 1080i transcode?


:D

Originally posted by marlowsa
Count me in too, If these boxes come with the optional HD tuner w/recording.

Here is the pdf for the box
http://www.digeo.com/assets/motorola/BMC9000.pdf

Sorry guys, my earlier post only indicated the series number of the box.
The actual box for 80% of the country will be the BMC-9012.

BMC-9012 Pic (http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/util_get_image/5/0,3363,sz=1&i=51217,00.jpg)

The following is a press release from the Digeo/Moxi website:




Motorola and Digeo enable Charter Communications to become the first broadband cable operator to deploy two-tuner PVR, HDTV media centers

HORSHAM, Pa., KIRKLAND, Wa., and ST. LOUIS - July 16, 2003
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) Broadband Communications Sector and Digeo, Inc., today announced that Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR) committed to purchase 100,000 units of the new Motorola Broadband Media Centers (BMCs) powered by Digeo's Moxi? Service. The announcement marks the first introduction, order, and widescale deployment by a cable operator of a digital cable media center with advanced features such as dual-tuner "watch and record" personal video recording (PVR), high-definition television (HDTV), and a progressive-scan DVD player.

Delivering Added Value and ROI
Charter views the Motorola BMC as a key platform for providing the very best in entertainment services to its existing digital cable customers - as well as for attracting new customers who want a richer, more compelling experience. Additionally, through advanced features like multi-TV PVR and HDTV, Charter can increase digital revenue by further extending its reach throughout the home - all while leveraging its existing digital cable investment.

"By placing a significant order for the new Motorola BMCs with the Moxi Service, we're sending a clear message to our customers," said Carl Vogel, president and CEO of Charter. "If you want the best that broadband entertainment has to offer, you want Charter Digital Cable. With this offering, we're providing a whole new level of choice, convenience and control to consumers. And, we're setting the bar for the delivery of multi-channel services well above the reach of satellite providers."

Motorola Broadband Media Center Family Ushers in New Era of Cable Innovation
The BMC platform with the Moxi Service is part of Motorola's "connected home" strategy, which provides fully integrated combinations of compelling features and functions to enhance a consumer's broadband experience. Charter will deploy the Motorola BMC9012 single-TV and BMC9022D multi-TV gateways, both which provide a seamless way for consumers to store, manage and share all types of media (television programming, movies, music, photos, games, etc.) throughout their home.

With the Motorola BMC family of gateways, MSOs will be able to offer features such as dual-tuner PVR, HDTV, DVD, video-on-demand (VOD) and pay-per-view (PPV) through one integrated gateway with one consistent interface. Models in the Motorola BMC family include:

BMC9012: The first integrated dual-tuner PVR and HDTV media center designed for single-TV support.
BMC9022D: The first integrated dual-tuner PVR and HDTV integrated media center, with a built-in DVD player, designed to directly support two TVs simultaneously.
"We are excited to once again lead the market with innovative products that feature today's most advanced technology, such as multi-room broadband services, through our integrated, easy-to-use media centers," said Carl McGrath, Motorola corporate vice president and general manager, digital core gateways. "Motorola's mission is to help broadband cable operators like Charter keep consumers entertained, informed, and connected. The BMC family of products will enable operators to differentiate their service offerings from competitors, generate new revenue streams and enhance customer satisfaction."

"This new Charter order is a significant industry milestone, and Digeo is proud to collaborate with industry leader Motorola to bring this powerful entertainment experience into living rooms later this year," said Digeo Chief Executive Jim Billmaier.
"Based on the overwhelming enthusiasm from trial participants and on our recent market research, it is clear that consumers are hungry for a better way to enjoy the entertainment content coming into their homes."

Charter plans to begin commercial rollout in the Rochester, Minnesota area during Q4 of 2003. The Rochester market currently serves 55,000 households.

About Charter Communications
Charter Communications, A Wired World Company,? is the nation's third-largest broadband communications company. Charter provides a full range of advanced broadband services to the home, including cable television on an advanced digital video programming platform via the Charter Digital Cable? brand and high-speed Internet access marketed under the Charter Pipeline? brand. Commercial high-speed data, video and Internet solutions are provided under the Charter Business Networks? brand. Advertising sales and production services are sold under the Charter Media? brand. More information about Charter can be found at www.charter.com.

About Motorola Broadband Communications Sector
The Motorola Broadband Communications Sector provides a scalable, integrated end-to-end system for the delivery of broadband services that keeps consumers informed, entertained and connected. Its technology enables network operators and retailers to create and execute on new business opportunities by providing innovative products and services to the home. Customer-responsive design and manufacturing expertise further contribute to the company's position as the world's leading supplier of digital cable set-tops and cable modems. For more information about the Motorola Broadband Communications Sector, visit broadband.motorola.com.

About Motorola
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) is a global leader in wireless, automotive and broadband communications. Sales in 2002 were $27.3 billion. Motorola is a global corporate citizen dedicated to ethical business practices and pioneering important innovations that make things smarter and life better, honored traditions that began when the company was founded 75 years ago this year. For more information, please visit www.motorola.com.

About Digeo, Inc.
Digeo's media center products and services transform cable TV into the ultimate home entertainment experience.

Digeo's Moxi? service puts digital cable at the heart of home entertainment by providing consumers with easy access to popular features such as personal video recording and high-definition TV, as well as music jukebox, photos, and games - all available from any room in the house using a fun and easy on-screen menu.

Digeo also delivers the most widely deployed cable iTV service in North America. The Digeo? iTV service, a set of eight interactive channels that are now available to over 700,000 Charter customers nationwide, offers on-demand weather updates, sports statistics, news stories, games and more.

Digeo is backed by Paul Allen's Vulcan Inc., as well as Mayfield Partners, Cisco Systems and AOL Time Warner. The company has offices in Kirkland, Wash., Palo Alto, Calif. and Longmont, Colo. For more information, please visit www.digeo.com.

BMC-9012 Moxi Menu Pic (http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/util_get_image/5/0,3363,sz=1&i=51219,00.jpg)

Originally posted by John Kotches
Robert,
Does anybody have a contact for the ABC affiliate so we can start bitching about the 720p --> 1080i transcode?
:D

John-- Do you mean that our local channel 30 (actually DT-31) is changing the ABC Network's 720P into 1080i before sending it out over the air?

I'm very unforgiving about picture quality flaws (it's part of the fun), but find DT-31's High Def from my rooftop antenna is consistently on par with the best I've ever seen on my direct-view Sony (full 1980 x 1080 pixel resolution). The Disney Movie each Saturday night has been spectacular (especially Lion King two weeks ago). In fact, most of my over-the-air HD picture quality is near-flawless when local stations relay network offerings, with exception of ch 11 (DT-26) and channel 9 (DT-39) which both have very noticeable motion artifacts. The reason for channel 9's flaws may be bandwidth-stealing to support the two additional SD channels which ride along with their 1080i offering. I don't know why the WB-Network from ch 11 is less than great, but wish it were better.

Back to topic, if DTV-31 didn't transcode my television would, as the Sony Direct-Views only offer 480P and 1080i as native formats. What is your take on DT-31 PQ?

Bill (St. Charles)

Looks nice, but only a 40GB HD and no firewire output.

Will the USB ports be enabled a launch?

Any news if firewire is to be added in the future?

Ouch... the 40GB has to be a misprint.

250GB = 25/30 hours of recorded HD.

40GB = 4/5 hours of recorded HD???? You've got to be kidding me.

Chris

Have a missed a link somewhere? The link for the BMC9000 shows an 80 gb HD. Someone fill me in!

Have a missed a link somewhere? The link for the BMC9000 shows an 80 gb HD. Someone fill me in!

According to this (http://broadband.motorola.com/noflash/bmc.html) link the BMC9012 has the following: 40GB Hard disk drive with expansion via USB2.0 port and the BMC9022D has the following: 80GB Hard disk drive with expansion via USB2.0 port.

abcward,
According to an earlier post by 4113, the box that is likely to be used is the BMC9012, not the BMC9000 or BMC9022D.

If it can be expanded via USB 2.0 at release, that would be better, but not great. With the cost of HDs, 40GB is hard to take. 80GBs is bad, but doable.

My concern is that with a short pause buffer (say 30 mins), you are left with probably 3.5 hrs of record time (I'm guessing 3.5 due to assumption that Charter is not compressing HD like DirecTV). That would be only about an evenings worth of timeshifting.

Oh yeah... since I'm a security guy... DOCSIS 1.0??? EEK! Unencrypted open cable IP traffic in 2004? Who came up with that idea? :) OK, off my soapbox now.

Chris

WRacer. He posts here frequently. He was at the KPLR get together. His contact info might be in with the info Doug posts at least every month here.

If he is doing this, I trust he has good reason to. He's working with cobbled together equipment so it might be an encoding issue. If you look at the history of these threads he's toyed with a lot of things, including subchannels at 480i I believe.

Originally posted by John Kotches
Does anybody have a contact for the ABC affiliate so we can start bitching about the 720p --> 1080i transcode?

Its like the old days where affiliates picked and chose whether to do MTS stereo or not (KMOV I think was the last St. Louis station to do it, over 10 years after KSDK and KPLR). If they aren't going to give me the whole signal (or the correct signal), then don't deny my ability to get the station elsewhere.

Originally posted by John Kotches
I've been bitching to the station directly. It hasn't helped much.

Originally posted by turls
Its like the old days where affiliates picked and chose whether to do MTS stereo or not (KMOV I think was the last St. Louis station to do it, over 10 years after KSDK and KPLR). If they aren't going to give me the whole signal (or the correct signal), then don't deny my ability to get the station elsewhere.

Oh man, does THAT ever bring back memories... mainly of watching Star Trek The Next Generation when KMOV had it first-run... the Dolby Surround logo during the end credits was really aggravating after having to listen to the show in MONO for the last hour.

It was especially annoying a few years later when channel 30 picked up the reruns in Dolby Surround... and the first-run episodes on channel 4 were STILL mono!!!!

:mad:

Got a quick response from Walt Nichol (WNichol@kmov.com) at KMOV-DT--he has been very responsive to my e-mails as far back at 3 1/2 years ago. I won't quote the whole thing because I didn't ask permission.

It had been a while since I e-mailed him, I guess the whole waiver denial thing got me in the e-mail mood again (after the silly experience I had with KTVI's e-mail).

On the "always on" DD5.1 flag:

"I will have the 5.1 flag problem looked at next week"

Does that mean this was already scheduled or did he not know about it?

On 14x9 upconvert, a change is still being considered but get this:

he says KSDK has received "a flurry of complaints" about the switch to 4x3.

:mad: :confused:

I don't know who these silly people are, obviously people with too much overscan on their TV's if 14x9 does anything for them, but it might be a real great time to contact KSDK and support the decision before it is too late.

jheskett@ksdk.gannett.com
kcreamer@ksdk.gannett.com

turls,

Thanks for the "heads up" on the rumblings about the changed format at KSDK. I'll definitely send a follow-up eMail.

Warning: Long Rant Follows.

But I really think the major piece of the problem here is that the broadcasters should be doing more to educate their viewers about how to get the most from their product. To me, there is huge upside in broadcasters making this effort, but I see nothing but the same old/same old thinking from the guys and gals who run these businesses.

Broadcasters have been losing viewers to cable and satellite for 2 decades and the situation is only getting more grave as time goes on. They've effectively had a 5-year head start on digital and HD broadcasting, and they've really done precious little to figure out how to make that work to their benefit.

I find this absolutely dumbfounding. Can anyone think of another industry where a new, potentially transforming technology was introduced and so little followthrough effort was made to leverage it and showcase it?

While it clearly would be completely alien to their 1960s three-networks-and-a-low-watt-independent mindset, broadcasters should be promoting their bright and shiny new product and explain to their viewers how it's different and what sort of benefits it provides to them.

ESPN has done more of this than every other programmer/broadcaster combined, and even there I think their effort has been pretty modest.

If I were managing one of these stations, I would develop a series of 30-second spots that highlight how their programming is changing and explain some of the things that customers might not understand or care for to start with. Aspect ratio would be at the top of the list, but it would also include the difference between upconversions and real HD programming and why not everything is or can be in HD in the near term.

Of course, one reason for not doing this is that it would take away from advertising slots. I'm sure that's true to some extent, but has anyone else noticed how many advertising slots are going unfilled, especially during Leno? It seems like public service spots and in-house promos make up a very noticeable chunk of the late-night local advertising fare.

Likewise, I think broadcasters could help customers make the most of the new technology by giving some hints on how to adjust the picture at home. Including some clever spots that show how to properly set brightness and contrast levels would not only help Joe Sixpack, it might also provide some legal protection from customers who may claim later that their expensive sets have been damaged by the station's static images or black bars.

On the one hand, I guess it is a good thing that the broadcasters are responding to viewer complaints about black bars, but I think that simply reacting without any effort to educate about what is happening is as mindless as it is ultimately ineffective.

End of Today's Rant... :rolleyes:

multi-channel news is reporting that Charter has signed deal for ESPN HD.

what??? ESPN-HD ?!

multi-channel news is a pay site or I would post the article. Fantastic news though!!

From CNN.com Business - lookup Charter stock...

BRISTOL, Conn. & ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 19, 2004--ESPN, Inc. and Charter Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:CHTR) today announced long-term distribution agreements for multiple ESPN networks and services, including the continued distribution of ESPN and ESPN2 on expanded basic cable, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, and the launch of ESPN Broadband, ESPN Deportes and ESPN HD.

Any clue on WHEN we'll see ESPN-HD on our menu grid?

Same ESPN news from the St. Louis Business Journal:
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2004/02/16/daily65.html?f=et82

4113 where are you?:D

Can anyone (4113) say for sure wether the current locals are on Encrypted QAM or UnEncrypted QAM. If they're not encrypted I may splurge for the new LG PVR and drop my Dish setup. This would help me get around the smallish HD and non-firewire PVR's that are to be distributed.

Glad I didn't preorder a 921, but I still haven't ruled it out.

Also, I need to decide on my DSL by the end of March. They are willing to keep it at 29.95/mo. What is the lowest you can get Pipeline for? Do they still require a basic package or is that negotiable?

Thanks
Dave

Excellent news on ESPN-HD. Only one more channel (ABC-HD) to be added, and I'm a happy camper. Discovery Theater HD is nice, but I wouldn't pay a premium for it unless it's part of a HD channel package deal.

PBS-DT and KPLR-DT will be nice too, but not the end of the world if we don't get them for a while.

I'll bet ESPN-HD will cost us more money on Charter either through an enhanced sports package or a new HD package fee. The prices for ESPN programming are going up rapidly. Don't expect a free add on.

Just my opinion....

Does Dishnet or DirecTV charge more for ESPN-HD? Or is it included in some sort of expanded sports package?

Originally posted by abcward
Does Dishnet or DirecTV charge more for ESPN-HD? Or is it included in some sort of expanded sports package?

It is included in DirecTV's HD package.

Ditto for dish's HD package.

so hopefully that means that Charter will follow suit...

Personally, I'd be surprised if Charter were looking to raise its fee for an HD package that is still incomplete.

Granted, they're making good progress, but I think the benefit in raising prices now is simply too small to justify the inevitable early adopter ill will such a decision would have.

There'll be plenty of opportunities to goose HD package rates once there's a competitive package and more HD subscribers are on board.