Staten Island dropped analog. All digital now. They have the bandwidth.

Has anyone else had issues with audio on OTA ABC the past few weeks? We missed most of Ugly Betty last week, and there was a good portion of Desparate Housewives last week that was unwatchable. Both times, it just sounds like a repeating sound, almost like a record scratch.

Is this is a problem just with our receiver or is this something going on?

Has anyone else had issues with audio on OTA ABC the past few weeks? We missed most of Ugly Betty last week, and there was a good portion of Desperate Housewives last week that was unwatchable. Both times, it just sounds like a repeating sound, almost like a record scratch.

Is this is a problem just with our receiver or is this something going on?

Wolo-Dt has audio problems. Perhaps they will get the problem permanently corrected.

Staten Island dropped analog. All digital now. They have the bandwidth.


Exactly

Wolo-Dt has audio problems. Perhaps they will get the problem permanently corrected.

So either live with SD video or f-ed up audio.

Hrmmm.....

So either live with SD video or f-ed up audio.

Hrmmm.....

WOLO has the most consistent HD in Columbia..and we seldom miss passing the HD, and have had no audio problems until recently.

For the record, we changed a setup in the ABC receiver to see if that corrected the intermittent issue we have been seeing and it seemed to have. However, the ABC computer didn't like that being changed..and put it back, and the problem reappeared. I have since worked around it. Should be ok now.

Hi Bob,

Thanks you and ABC for working on it till you got it right. Sometime I think these other stations just don't give a S**T any more. Feb. 09 is going to be a sad sight when the only siginal they broadcast is HD if they can't get better than this. I might have to get a class action together for network wavers.:p

What makes you think that the HD channel will be the only one they broadcast? A digital 4.3 sd duplicate channel will most likely be a long side the HD channel. HD viewers will most likely the minority for quite sometime to come.

What makes you think that the HD channel will be the only one they broadcast? .

Actually, in WCCB-WOLO's case, that will be true. All SD will be derived from the HD. This SD will be fed to TWC & AT&T Uverse by fiber. TWC will still take our HD via OTA, where AT&T will take HD by fiber.

DirecTv andDish are in process nationwide of taking the OTA HD feed and using it to feed their SD subscribers. Charlotte and Myrtle Beach were supposed to already have been converted. As of yesterday, Charlotte had not.

So, we all kinda need to get it together right freaking NOW.:eek:

No, I didn't see that,but last weeks episode of "er" contained a solid black bar slightly up from the bottom for at least 30 minutes.

I've noticed that solid black bar on WIS-DT will stay on the bottom of the screen throughout the weekends alot of times. Very annoying. It's as if no one is at the helm or something.

The master control at WIS is terrible. Slack would be a complement to them! They even screw up their SD "Money Maker" often!:mad:

I've noticed that solid black bar on WIS-DT will stay on the bottom of the screen throughout the weekends alot of times. Very annoying. It's as if no one is at the helm or something.

I've also noticed the black bar. It comes from their EAS scroll for weather alerts and such. On the HD side it seems to have issues clearing the black bar where the text goes. It almost seems like they have 2 different systems working together and they aren't communicating correctly. Perhaps the master control operator has to manually clear the black box and when they're not paying attention, it just doesn't get cleared.

I am probably the only one who had a problem with this, as I doubt anyone tried to DVR this but I figured I would toss it out there to see if anyone knows of what the issue might be.

I tried to DVR the UEFA (soccer) Final on ESPN2 HD on Wednesday afternoon. When I got home by DVR had taped only 4 minutes and I could not even play that. Now I know crazy things like this have happened before, but I have tried to tape other UEFA games on ESPN2 and they never recorded. Seems strange like it is not allowed to or something. I know it is not my box because everything else records without any problems.

I am probably the only one who had a problem with this, as I doubt anyone tried to DVR this but I figured I would toss it out there to see if anyone knows of what the issue might be.

I tried to DVR the UEFA (soccer) Final on ESPN2 HD on Wednesday afternoon. When I got home by DVR had taped only 4 minutes and I could not even play that. Now I know crazy things like this have happened before, but I have tried to tape other UEFA games on ESPN2 and they never recorded. Seems strange like it is not allowed to or something. I know it is not my box because everything else records without any problems.

ESPN2HD, is a SDV channel. (unreliable)

I'm about fed up with TWCSC "Smoke and Mirrors HD"

ESPN2HD, is a SDV channel. (unreliable)

I'm about fed up with TWCSC "Smoke and Mirrors HD"

are some SDV channels more reliable than others? i routinely record the HBO and SHO west coast feeds which are SDV and haven't had any problems so far.

ESPN2HD, is a SDV channel. (unreliable)

They're in process of rolling it out here. We'll see..

are some SDV channels more reliable than others? i routinely record the HBO and SHO west coast feeds which are SDV and haven't had any problems so far.


Premium SDV HD channels appear to be more reliable, probably because there are fewer viewers. (SHO WEST, STARZ-HD,TMC-HD are switched.) I do not think that the HBO-HD WEST is switched.

I find most of the "free" SDV HD channel hit or miss. I miss numerous recordings. During prime time seems to be the least reliable time. I absolutely hate it. Turning off the analog would be a much better solution. SDV isn't the answer in my opinion, at least in my Lexington area.:rolleyes:

SDV? What is that. Does that explain why it did not record?

SDV? What is that. Does that explain why it did not record?


Yes, Switched Digital Video (cable companies idea of adding HD ,without taking away their analog bandwidth)

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

Premium SDV HD channels appear to be more reliable, probably because there are fewer viewers.

One would think just the opposite - fewer viewers equal more likely the channel is in "switched out" status. Anyway no SDV problems here.

When I got home by DVR had taped only 4 minutes

Tape is so last century.

I too have missed many recordings due to SDV HD channels not recording. So many in fact that I have taken to recording both the HD and SD channels just to make sure that I can watch the show no matter what happens with the SDV junk.

Anyone on here able to get me a good deal on Direct TV?

Looks like no HD for the Coke 600, thanks WACH.

NasCrap in HD is fine here.Sure glad I don't have to work racin' anymore.

When i checked Kevin it was in HD for me...

yep, just checked it again (@7:31PM), definitely in HD. Is it still in SD for you kevin?

Hadn't checked in this thread in awhile. No problems on 57-1 for me either, OTA fed into a D* HR20-700. All HD the whole time.

No problems with the UEFA match on ESPN2 either Player2 via D* . Looked pretty good of course a little nasty b/c of the rain but the game was worth it!

Premium SDV HD channels appear to be more reliable, probably because there are fewer viewers. (SHO WEST, STARZ-HD,TMC-HD are switched.) I do not think that the HBO-HD WEST is switched.

I find most of the "free" SDV HD channel hit or miss. I miss numerous recordings. During prime time seems to be the least reliable time. I absolutely hate it. Turning off the analog would be a much better solution. SDV isn't the answer in my opinion, at least in my Lexington area.:rolleyes:

HBO-HD West is definitely switched.

i could be wrong but i suspect the hub that does the switching for your neighborhood needs a tune-up.

Wach-DT broadcasted a black screen from 5:00 pm to 5:32 pm ota and via twc yesterday. I have TWC ,but have ota on both monitors with built in tuners.

And it was just SD after that? I watched the jets fly over & DW babble etc... all in FF up until they turned the lights off on the pace car. I didn't catch it live; had it DVR'd but I FF'd through ALOT of pre-race and every drop was HD.

(I watched the F1 race then the Indy 500 and then the 600 so it was a full day of cars for me! :o )

So what causes things on an SDV signal to not record? Would I be correct in assuming that if I was watching this channel while I was attempting to record that it would have just been a blank screen?

When you manually tune to a SDV delivered channel, if no one else on your node is already watching it, the headend has to set up a "new" channel for you and then tell your STB where to "find" it. That can often be noticed as there will be a lag of a second or two for the SDV link to be set up.

If you are watching a show live and decide to DVR it by punching the Record button, all should be fine because the link is already established. I think the problem issue is for scheduled recordings, which in theory should work the same way, but for some reason the STB request for an SDV assignment doesn't get a new link established, so, yes, you get no recording or a blank one... as I understand it. Ours here work fine.

SDV is a pretty well-proven service but your neighborhood node may need attention. I'd suggest calling Tech Service and report problems recording SDV channels.

SDV is a pretty well-proven service but your neighborhood node may need attention. I'd suggest calling Tech Service and report problems recording SDV channels.
Proven, perhaps, but it would be better if some sort of message was there that explained why you aren't seeing the show you expected. While it may not be free to have the SDV switcher put up a message on every converter that fails to get in before the limit is reached, it'd be nice. Even nicer: eventually attach the DVR to the show once a few current viewers change channels...

Proven, perhaps, but it would be better if some sort of message was there that explained why you aren't seeing the show you expected. While it may not be free to have the SDV switcher put up a message on every converter that fails to get in before the limit is reached, it'd be nice. Even nicer: eventually attach the DVR to the show once a few current viewers change channels...

i think the chances are pretty small that the reason some people are having SDV trouble is because a limit is being reached.

the way it works is that every channel goes out from the headend to the hubs. it is at the hubs that service each neighborhood that switching is being done. that is why some of us don't see the SDV problems others do.

the most frustrating thing about TWC is that their service script troubleshoots problems from the customer's end back. i'm sure that this is true in a lot of cases where Fido likes to chew on the cable, or Fluffy thinks the top of a warm DVR is an excellent place to sleep. but it seems like it takes quite a few calls until a problem is referred from the techs who come to your house to the line guys, especially if it's intermittent.

as far as recording vs watching live, i haven't noticed any decreased reliability in recording SDV channels.

I assume these change mentioned in the Sun News (http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/business/story/465493.html) would be statewide.

"Time Warner also plans to add a handful of other channels, including high-definition Disney, ABC Family and ESPNews channels. The channels will be added June 24."

Disney Channel HD, ABC Family HD and ESPNEWS HD will be available at no additional cost to Digital Cable customers, starting June 24th. Disney Channel HD will be on channel 847, ABC Family HD on 850 and ESPNEWS HD on 953.

I would much prefer to get the CW in HD.

CW has to offer it in HD first in Columbia, which they don't ;).

Not TWC's or Dish's or DirecTV's problem at this point.

I'm on Directv, and get my locals OTA. Wis 10-1 has disappeared from the guide, leaving only 10-2 and 10-3, and the lil version. When I go to add it back in under antenna set up, it's no longer there.

Anyone else having issues?

tgr - reset your receiver, then reset your OTA channels.

I had the same problem.

If you notice, channel 10-3 IS 10-1...for some reason it gets changed to that...do the above and it should clear it up.

Thanks NCXC. I had rebooted the box, but I hadn't reset the OTA. That did the trick!

David

no problem man. That weirded me out as well when it happened. But, it was fixable so all is good :)

ncxcstud,

Check your series links for NBC. After the mysterious disappearance of 10-1, all of my links were mapped to 10-3. I noticed after missing Nightly News the last few nights. The links in question had to manually be rebuilt.

Not a biggie now, as the season winds down, but don't want to miss any premieres in the fall.

David

Pretty good chance that your locals will be available via D* mpeg-4 HD local passage in the fall.

Pretty good chance that your locals will be available via D* mpeg-4 HD local passage in the fall.

Yep..and you too can pay good money for something that can be had for free.:D

I understand U-Verse should be available around that time as well.

Pretty good chance that your locals will be available via D* mpeg-4 HD local passage in the fall.

I'm looking forward to it! My antenna can't get Fox, and my WLTX signal is reflected and breaks up when it's windy. :)

David

Yep..and you too can pay good money for something that can be had for free.:D

I understand U-Verse should be available around that time as well.

Local HD on D* does not cost extra, so what is your point?

U-verse in Columbia?

Local HD on D* does not cost extra, so what is your point?


Tell D* all you want from them is the free HD locals.

Tell TWC all you all you want is the free HD locals. Thanks!

Never said you could. Just seemed like Bob's point was over your head you didn't get Bob's point. ;)

I, for one, will welcome our new Mpeg-4 HD local providing, fee charging overlords.

I can't wait till the HD locals are green lighted and turned on. Then I can finally close my blinds in my window, lol.

I can't wait till the HD locals are green lighted and turned on. Then I can finally close my blinds in my window, lol.


The only thing that keeps me from getting D* is the lack of local channels in HD.

TWC is absolutely horrible.

The only thing that keeps me from getting D* is the $400 upfront cost for two leased DVRs.

Discovery's new channel Planet Green was launched this evening at 6 pm Eastern. We have the SD version on Time Warner Channel 115. Time Warner is adding the HD version to their NY lineup on June 11.

Hopefully we will get the HD broadcast down the road.

The only thing that keeps me from getting D* is the $400 upfront cost for two leased DVRs.

yeah that kind of sucks but hey they are giving you a $100 credit towards that so you are only coming out of pocket for $298.

What happens when there is a new model? Do you just trade like for TWC leased DVRs?

Just because a new model comes out, doesn't mean you have to get it. The only people at this point who actually 'need' to upgrade soon are the ones with HD boxes that don't do MPEG4 compression. There isn't a timeline either as to when those legacy HD channels are going to switch to MPEG4 either. And, I believe they are offering free or drastically reduced trade-ins for those with older boxes.

It's not like TWC where you WANT the next model because the box you have now is terrible. I'm still so happy I don't have to use that SA8300 anymore, good lord :). I love the DirecTV HD Box. It's grrrrreat!

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=931226( not a stellar read )

My neighbor and my brother in law D* HD dvr have taken a dump quite a few times.:rolleyes:

I guess the D* box is better but I set the 8300 to record, it records, I watch. Done!

Gary - Everyone is different.

I've NEVER had a problem with my D* DVR.

I set it to record, it records, I enjoy it later.

I've never had a problem. Sucks for the people that have. But the same can be said with the SA8300. I'm sure there are plenty of people that have had problems with it.

The 8000 and 8300 DVR's that I had (and I had many) were all junk. They'd refuse to boot, forget to record, one of them erased every single recording I had, and another decided that it wouldn't output HD anymore. On top of all that, the guide was slow, clunky, and a general aggravation to use. TWC and other cable companies should be embarrassed for foisting these on their customers. These two boxes are the single reason I left TWC for Dish almost two years ago.

i agree that the 8000 was a nightmare, but i've had the same 8300 since they first came out and it's worked well for me. i don't think any DVR is 100% reliable--i've had TiVos that occasionally forgot to record The Daily Show and ReplayTVs that occasionally froze up requiring a reboot. the 8300 doesn't have the interface or bells and whistles the others do but it hasn't been any less reliable for me.

but hey, let's talk about something we can all agree on. the other night i took a look at Swingtown to see what all the fuss was about and the most offensive thing about it was that WLTX 5.1 audio still sucks.

no surprise there, WLTX has a long proud history of screwing the audio. back in the old analog audio days of last century their L-R channels were crossed, so that if someone slammed a door on the right of the screen, you heard it out of the left speaker. or if a car peeled out to the left, you heard it go to the right.

I set mine to record two HD shows last night. I also have a Tivo and set my Tivo up to record them too just so I wouldn't miss them. Guess what, the DVR didn't record the two shows and when I looked at the Tivo copies they were all black screen. So the DVR turned itself off and decided not to record anything during that time. It must have turned itself back on because when I woke up this morning the DVR box was on. This is just POOR and unacceptable. A unit that doesn't even do the core thing it was meant to do.

U-Verse, huh? This could be interesting.

What kind of DVR do they use?

H

U-Verse, huh? This could be interesting.

What kind of DVR do they use?

unless it's changed recently, you can only watch or record 1 HD channel at a time.

Now back to the problem I had with ESPN 2 not recording on my DVR due to that SDV problem.

Now that the Euro 2008 is being aired I really want to record these games in HD.

If I were to leave my box on ESPN2 all day when I am gone should this open up the HD channel so it records?

Thanks

On or off. Doesn't matter.

U-Verse, huh? This could be interesting.
What kind of DVR do they use?H

Yessir.:) Don;t know about the DVR, don't have one yet.

On or off. Doesn't matter.

Well the problem has been in the past when my box has been off ESPN2HD has not recorded. I asked about this earlier and was told it had to do with SDV.

I think I will try just leaving the box on all day...

I would not bet against operator error, disk full, etc.

I would not bet against operator error, disk full, etc.

It is not operator error as everything else records fine. I have maybe 3 things on the DVR now.

...and lets be honest...if I did not know how to use a DVR do you think I would know to come to AVS Forums?

...and lets be honest...if I did not know how to use a DVR do you think I would know to come to AVS Forums?

Nothing personal Player2,and not directed to you.. but I can show you many,many posts here at AVS that contradict that statement.

You can really tell school is out for summer.:rolleyes:

It would go a long way to prove your point if you set up a test like set ten SDV records of a few minutes each and check the results.

Is History HD an SDV channel? I had one of my 8300 HD DVRs set to record the new Ice Road Truckers last night and walked in to find it NOT recording and the channel was showing not available. I went to the channel multiple times and it never did come available. I then manually recorded the SD channel with no problems and set up an auto record (which it did record) of the HD re air later that night.

I think the 8300HDC models they hand out now are lame. The front room one has been replaced two times now and STILL refuses to always play backwards on demand. We don't think Jeopardy has a flag set to prevent this, so we blame the DVRs.

And now that my old 8300HD went to the Bad Hard Disk Graveyard, the 8300HDC I had to settle for failed to record several programs Saturday night through early Sunday. I don't recall finding it rebooted but even if an update was pushed through I'd expect it to remember it had a job to do.

So if anyone wants to call the current crop of HD DVRs bad names, I won't argue...

OK, one small point: they should fix the cable system so that if a channel is out the DVR picks up the blank channel so we know the DVR worked. Even that "Channel unavailable" thing would be OK to find the next day. Then it's easier to focus on the no-reverse issues...

I will wait and see if leaving the box on and tuned to ESPN2HD solved the problem. Hopefully it will.

Is History HD an SDV channel? I had one of my 8300 HD DVRs set to record the new Ice Road Truckers last night and walked in to find it NOT recording and the channel was showing not available. I went to the channel multiple times and it never did come available. I then manually recorded the SD channel with no problems and set up an auto record (which it did record) of the HD re air later that night.

NT, I had the same problem the other night with IRT. Black screen during the episode. I happened to catch it while it was happening, but I was recording a second program on another channel and could not reboot the box to see if that would fix it. If I remember correctly I think I setup another recording for later that night and it worked ok.

Yes, I'm pretty sure History HD is SDV. I'm searching for a list of all of them out there now for Columbia. If I can't find one, I'm going to create one. I'm in the market for an HD TiVo or some sort of solution other than Time Warner's box and I want to be prepared for the channels that I might have to give up if I decide to take the plunge.

It is not operator error as everything else records fine. I have maybe 3 things on the DVR now.

This is one of the MANY complaints that I have about the 8300's. On my TiVo when it doesn't record, all I have to do is go to my Recording history and it will tell me exactly why it didn't record something. With the 8300, it's anyone's guess. I don't have a TiVo HD yet which is why I am still torturing myself with this pitiful excuse for a DVR.

HD tiVo is a lost cause using TWCSC.

Yes, I'm pretty sure History HD is SDV. I'm searching for a list of all of them out there now for Columbia. If I can't find one, I'm going to create one. I'm in the market for an HD TiVo or some sort of solution other than Time Warner's box and I want to be prepared for the channels that I might have to give up if I decide to take the plunge.

So the solution to missing a SDV recording some of the time is to miss SDV recordings all of the time?

Anyone else not getting any signal at all from WACH 57-1 from OTA? All of my other OTA digital channels are coming in just fine.

--Scott

I'm getting a perfect signal OTA from fox at the moment. Granted, i'm replying almost an hour and a half later for you.

So the solution to missing a SDV recording some of the time is to miss SDV recordings all of the time?

No, not a solution. It was two separate thoughts.

I'm hoping they'll have a tuning adapter out next quarter that will allow TiVo and like devices to tune in SDV channels. That will be a suitable solution in the meantime until they can develop a Tru2Way TiVo box that will be able to tune in SDV's natively as well as handle OnDemand type stuff, but I imagine that's still some time off. The tuning adapters are currently undergoing CableLabs testing, I believe.

Anyone else noticing that ALL of WLTX's channels have been black on TWC for going on about 2 hours now? This includes the analog (9), HD (810), the radar (811), and weather channel (812). WOLO's doppler radar channel (816) is also down.

WOLO's doppler radar channel (816) is also down.

It's supposed to be.. moving the computer..:)

NT, I had the same problem the other night with IRT. Black screen during the episode. I happened to catch it while it was happening, but I was recording a second program on another channel and could not reboot the box to see if that would fix it. If I remember correctly I think I setup another recording for later that night and it worked ok.

Yes, I'm pretty sure History HD is SDV. I'm searching for a list of all of them out there now for Columbia. If I can't find one, I'm going to create one. I'm in the market for an HD TiVo or some sort of solution other than Time Warner's box and I want to be prepared for the channels that I might have to give up if I decide to take the plunge.

I didn't have just a black screen I actually had the This channel is not currently available message when I tried to tune that channel. I get that error message alot with my HD channels. ESPN2HD and History HD the 2 most recent ones.

I'm searching for a list of all of them out there now for Columbia. If I can't find one, I'm going to create one. I'm in the market for an HD TiVo or some sort of solution other than Time Warner's box and I want to be prepared for the channels that I might have to give up if I decide to take the plunge.

if you have an 8300HD you can find out which channels are switched by going to the diagnostic pages. the easiest way is to press the pause button on the remote and hold it until the envelope icon light on the dvr starts flashing. then press the page up/down button to go through the diagnostic pages. the last page is the sdv status page and it will show whether the channel is switched or broadcast. it will update as you change channels to show the status of the current selected channel. you might also want to scan through the SD digital channels, quite a few of those are switched also. press exit to get out of diagnostics.

On my TiVo when it doesn't record, all I have to do is go to my Recording history and it will tell me exactly why it didn't record something.

unless it's "internal error 4" ;)

if you have an 8300HD you can find out which channels are switched by going to the diagnostic pages. the easiest way is to press the pause button on the remote and hold it until the envelope icon light on the dvr starts flashing. then press the page up/down button to go through the diagnostic pages. the last page is the sdv status page and it will show whether the channel is switched or broadcast. it will update as you change channels to show the status of the current selected channel. you might also want to scan through the SD digital channels, quite a few of those are switched also. press exit to get out of diagnostics.

Thanks for the tip. I will have to give this a try when I get home.

This should be easier. These are the only HD channels that I can get with a cablecard with my Tivo S3.

801-WRLK
805-WIS
810-WLTX
815-WOLO
820-WACH
840-TNT
845-HD THEATER
930-HD NET
931-HD NET MOVIES
940-MOJO
940-ESPN

I think I can get the locals sub channels too for weather, but I don't have them programmed in.
I also believe the east coast feeds of the premium channels are un-switched.

As you can see, not a huge list, everything else is SDV. I can't wait for the tuning adapter to come out.

Well I missed yet another SDV recording last night. So I will be calling Directv sometime this week to set up an installation. Should I do it online through Directv's website or is there a local installer that anyone recommends.

Anyone know what happened with WIS (10-1) yesterday afternoon? Worked fine via OTA in the morning, disappeared in the afternoon.

Well I missed yet another SDV recording last night. So I will be calling Directv sometime this week to set up an installation. Should I do it online through Directv's website or is there a local installer that anyone recommends.

I ordered from their website when I did it. The installer was Mastec, I think. They guy did everything I asked and did it neatly. Of course I was there looking over his shoulder the entire time.

Major problems with WIS-HD last night during American Gladiators. After the first commercial break we were treated to the HD test screen for several minutes, and then the show reverted back to SD until the next commercial break. Afterwards, same thing, a loooong period of the Test Screen until the show finally came back on but this time it was some kind of NBC Nightly News Segment (????) for a long period of time...then finally reverting back to the show again (in SD) for the remainder.

We probably missed at least a third of the content in total, with 75% of that being in SD instead of HD. I checked the American Gladiator thread and saw no complaints there, so this is a major screwup on the locals part.

2 nice pieces of news today.

1 - TWC is adding Disney Channel HD, ABC Family HD, and ESPNEWS HD to the system on June 24th. I don't watch any of these channels, but at least it's something
2 - Raycom will be broadcasting all SEC football games in HD this year. So the only question is... will WIS pass through the HD signal? I've got an email out to them to find out.

2 - Raycom will be broadcasting all SEC football games in HD this year. So the only question is... will WIS pass through the HD signal? I've got an email out to them to find out.

That's pretty surprising news indeed. Of course, that surprise is tempered by a sneaking suspicion that WIS won't pass the HD-feed, and even if they do, it will be plagued by problems like I posted above.

I emailed Rick Henry yesterday because I couldn't find anyone technical with an email address up on WIS's website. He forwarded it on to someone (Ken Thayer), who sent me this reply.

I just got word yesterday that there is a very good chance we will be airing the SEC games in HD. Stay tuned!

Ken

I ordered from their website when I did it. The installer was Mastec, I think. They guy did everything I asked and did it neatly. Of course I was there looking over his shoulder the entire time.

Well I called Directv and made my order. THe installer is supposed to be out on Friday afternoon. About how long did it take for your installer to put the dish and receivers in Mark? I know that it will vary depending on scope of the job but I was just wondering approx how long it would take.

Also anyone got any tips or things to watch for as he is installing the system just to make sure everything works properly afterward?

Well I called Directv and made my order. THe installer is supposed to be out on Friday afternoon. About how long did it take for your installer to put the dish and receivers in Mark? I know that it will vary depending on scope of the job but I was just wondering approx how long it would take.

I had a morning appointment and I think he finished up between 1 and 2. Keep in mind that I wanted my dish pole mounted so he had to dig a hole, mix cement, wait for it to dry, etc. Either way, I would allow for 4 hours, maybe a little more if the installer has to run new wires through your house. Check out www.dbstalk.com for tons of helpful info on satellite TV.

Also anyone got any tips or things to watch for as he is installing the system just to make sure everything works properly afterward?

Check the signal strength after he gets the receivers going. Most transponders should be at least in the upper 80's to mid 90's.

as far as I have been told they will be installing mine on my roof. He will have to run me a line to my HD DVR upstairs.

as far as I have been told they will be installing mine on my roof. He will have to run me a line to my HD DVR upstairs.

Just so you know Nuke -

The following channels are still MPEG2 and will NOT look as nice as TWCs... However, they are in the process of switching them over to the new satellite and in the MPEG4 format...

Universal HD
HDNET
HDNET Movies
ESPN
ESPN2
(Discovery)HD Theater
HBO1
Showtime1
One more, I just can't think of what it is...

Those 8 or 9 channels won't look nearly as good as what you have or what you will get on the other channels on DirecTV. But, as I said, they are planning to move them off the MPEG2 and to MPEG4 so they will look identical to what cable offers and what the other DirecTV channels look like.

Hey, whats up guys? I havent been in here in ages. As I was flipping back reading some of the older posts, I noticed a lot of complaints dealing with SDV. I completely agree its extremely frustrating and bordering on being a ripoff. I'm paying a little over $100/month (that doesnt include my RR Turbo) and sometimes when I want to watch something that channel just doesnt come in. What a bunch of baloney. I understand why they are doing it; to squeeze more out of their system without having to invest any capital in it (basically being cheap because they have a monopoly and can get away with it). But when I signed up for cable if they would have told me "well sometimes some channels just wont be available and we cant tell you when, its just a crapshoot" I would have laughed and walked out of the building. Unfortunately satellite is not an option for me at this point because of where I live and giant trees and exposure to the sky. But dealing with TWC is seriously making me think about moving just so I can get sat.

I understand why they are doing it; to squeeze more out of their system without having to invest any capital in it

Firstly, there is capital investment in SDV. Secondly, why would that be a bad idea once they get the bugs out?

any of you guys with SDV problems ever schedule a service call with TWC?

Firstly, there is capital investment in SDV. Secondly, why would that be a bad idea once they get the bugs out?

Well you are correct. I should have stated much, much less capital investment going to SDV than going from a 760 Mhz system to a 1000 Mhz system. There that better for ya?

Well the problem is, when I want to watch ESPN2HD(or any channel that they list in their lineup and I pay good money for) I think it should be available. If I want to record something on ESPN2HD (or any channel that they list in their lineup and I pay good money for) I should be able to. And with SDV it doesnt work that way. Thats why its a bad idea. Some channels are about an 80/20 split on whether or not I get the dreaded "Channel not Available" message. Thats unacceptable in my book. They charge premium rates, we should get premium service as consumers. But since they basically have a monopoly what can we do?

**Edit**
But I didnt come here to rail on TWC, I was simply making a statement that I agree with many other users in here that have said the same thing and have the same problems. TWC needs a new solution and SDV is NOT it. Just turn off the crappy analog channels all the way. Thats more than enough bandwidth gained right there.

any of you guys with SDV problems ever schedule a service call with TWC?

Yes, too many times to count. The techs come out and hook the meter to the cable line coming in at the rear of the building, "oh everything looks good" if you have trouble again call us. I cant keep missing work once or twice a week to meet those yahoos out there for them to do absolutely nothing.

SDV is a "Smoke and Mirrors" solution. I'm fed up to the point that I will be switching to another provider in the near future. TWC is a absolute joke in my Lexington area.

TWC needs a new solution and SDV is NOT it. Just turn off the crappy analog channels all the way. Thats more than enough bandwidth gained right there.

I wonder how many analog TVs are connected to analog cable? Maybe hundreds of times more than the OTA TVs than now need converter boxes? Brilliant.

BTW there is hardly any mention of these SDV problems in the TWC national thread. As soon as TWCSC gets the problem sorted out all the whining will stop switch to something else.

TWC is a absolute joke in my Lexington area.

Amen!

I too have had multiple service calls for SDV problems with no resolution. I have more cable problems per month than I did in 2 years with Cox cable out in the midwest. I get tired of losing my cable when it gets above 90 to 95 degrees outside or below 40 degrees. Setting up a game to record on ESPN2HD or a show to record on HIstoryHD or any of the other SDV HD channels and find that they never recorded.


So yes TWCSC is a complete f'ing joke.

Hi Guys
I am in the trying to save some money and dropped DTV and been watching OTA with a Silver Sensor Ant. I want to take the DTV Ant off my roof and replace it with OTA Ant. Can one of you guys recommend one to me? I am in Columbia SC in the SandHills area.

I'm a channel master fan for OTA antennas. Lowe's has them in my area. www.antennaweb.org is a good resource to visit as well.

My father lives in the sandhills area as well and uses this antenna (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2131034&cp=2032057.2032187.2032189.2032204&parentPage=family)

When you're only 8-10 miles from the towers, you don't need much, but that does the job for him.

Nevermind, you want an outdoor OTA antenna, lol.

I too have had multiple service calls for SDV problems with no resolution. I have more cable problems per month than I did in 2 years with Cox cable out in the midwest. I get tired of losing my cable when it gets above 90 to 95 degrees outside or below 40 degrees.
When I complained about that heat thing last year concerning lost Internet service, they swapped out my cable modem and it did clear up the problem. I guess the older modem couldn't see the weakened signal well but the new one could.

When they can pull off fixes like this, replacing the bad line equipment gets delayed until it completely fails. I'm not aware of a cable box fix though...

When I complained about that heat thing last year concerning lost Internet service, they swapped out my cable modem and it did clear up the problem. I guess the older modem couldn't see the weakened signal well but the new one could.

When they can pull off fixes like this, replacing the bad line equipment gets delayed until it completely fails. I'm not aware of a cable box fix though...


I haven't had any problems at all with my internet going out so I am keeping TWC for the internet but the cable has been atrocious.

DirecTV is supposed to be out to my place today to perform the installation. I will let everyone know how that goes and what my initial impressions are.

Anybody tune in any of the new HD channels?

I keep forgetting myself...

Anybody tune in any of the new HD channels?

I keep forgetting myself...


24th is when they are supposed to be up.

Sorry, I thought it was the 22nd...

For all you guys having problems with TWC, I feel your pain..
I gave them a try for 12 months up until last June and couldn't take it anymore.
I have been so much happier with Dish Network it isn't even funny.
I kick myself for even going the though the hassle of even giving them that 12month trial.

Anybody tune in any of the new HD channels?

they're on now and--big surprise--switched, so i guess i'll be the only one around here able to tune them in.

they're on now and--big surprise--switched, so i guess i'll be the only one around here able to tune them in.

I have rarely had any issues with the switched channels. New ones are working fine. I had noticed if I leave my DVR on a switched channel when I go to work, often I return to a blue screen. Channel off and back restores the picture. A very rare "Channel Not Available" but in almost every case if I channel off and back, it pops in.

I have had a few recordings of switched channels not work. I found if I set the recording then turn the DVR off, I have a 100% success rate unless I am trying to record 2 switched channels. I only ever get 1 recording when I try 2 switched at the same time. 1 switched with 1 analog, digital or regular HD works fine but any 2 switched at the same time will not work for me.

they're on now and--big surprise--switched, so i guess i'll be the only one around here able to tune them in.

I just tuned them in and ESPNewsHD is the only one that seems to be running any HD content. Both of the others are showing 4:3.

I wonder how many analog TVs are connected to analog cable? Maybe hundreds of times more than the OTA TVs than now need converter boxes? Brilliant.

BTW there is hardly any mention of these SDV problems in the TWC national thread. As soon as TWCSC gets the problem sorted out all the whining will stop switch to something else.

Well, that time is coming, and fast. Comcast is turning off the analog in something like 20% of their networks by first quarter '09. Frankly I'd love to see this happen. The analog channels look bad and completely waste bandwidth. 10 digital channels (non-HD) can fit in the same bandwidth as one analog.

I was under the impression that the Columbia, SC market was one of the very first in the country to start using SDV. So why is there so many problems here and none in the rest of the country (since you are judging by the lack of complaints in the national thread as evidence there are no problems). I'd offer a guess that still most of the country doesnt use SDV yet, hence very few complaints.

But frankly I completely agree with Kevin, its smoke and mirrors or what I call a robbing peter to pay paul scenario. Its the cheapest method for them to keep the same old system and try to push it forward into the future.

SDV is a very flawed system. Lots of times channels are unavailable to watch yet we are paying for them. DVR's seem very incompatible with it, yet we are paying extra for that feature/service. Will TWCSC give us refunds if channels are unavailable when we want to watch them? Heck no! Just another TWC rip off. Thats not what they are meaning it to be, but what it has turned out to be.

I'd be much happier if they'd just rearrange what channels are switched and which ones arent. HDTV's are big business right now(you have to look hard to even find a tv that isnt at least 720p), along with HD-DVR's, so why have almost every HD channel be switched? Put all the crappy shopping networks and obscure movie channels and the latin channels and garbage like that as switched channels. And why are ESPN-HD and ESPN2-HD switched. The ESPN family of networks is by far the most popular and most expensive channels on cable.

I was under the impression that the Columbia, SC market was one of the very first in the country to start using SDV. So why is there so many problems here and none in the rest of the country (since you are judging by the lack of complaints in the national thread as evidence there are no problems). I'd offer a guess that still most of the country doesnt use SDV yet, hence very few complaints.


Judging from the national thread most of the country does have SDV. In fact quite a few have more HD channels than we do now. I just noticed the first complaint of a SDV channel not recording in upstate NY.

Interesting about Comcast. Do you have a reference for it? 20% is a lot of TVs that are going to need boxes. The only TWC I know of that cut off analog are parts of NYC where buildings with centralized systems made it more practical.

SDV is a very flawed system.

You do realize that's what U-Verse will use when it rolls out later this year?
It'll be a different transport layer, but same general idea.

And..Cellphones are basically SDA, or "switched digital audio"..

ESPN-HD is not switched.

Just to add to the apparent inaccuracies -

"At the Merrill Lynch Fall Media Preview in Los Angeles Sept. 17, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said the company’s systems, typically with about 85 analog channels, might shed a few.

“If we need to, and I’m sure we will, we will migrate a few of the analog channels to digital, and free up some of that 85 and maybe reduce it to 80, maybe someday reduce it to 75,” said Roberts."

But frankly I completely agree with Kevin, its smoke and mirrors or what I call a robbing peter to pay paul scenario. Its the cheapest method for them to keep the same old system and try to push it forward into the future.

SDV is a very flawed system. Lots of times channels are unavailable to watch yet we are paying for them. DVR's seem very incompatible with it, yet we are paying extra for that feature/service. Will TWCSC give us refunds if channels are unavailable when we want to watch them? Heck no! Just another TWC rip off. Thats not what they are meaning it to be, but what it has turned out to be.

seems like the cheapest method would be to just dump the analog channels and go all digital requiring everybody to lease some type of STB.

i don't think SDV is inherently flawed. i do think that TWCSC service is very flawed. when people have problems with SDV it's very likely that the problem is not located at their house, and it can be extremely difficult to get it referred to the line techs who can actually fix it.

fwiw, almost every time i've had a service problem i've been told to call the office and i could get credit for the interruption. i've never done it because i figured once they prorated it it wouldn't really be worth my time to do it. but if you report a problem you should be able to get a credit.

You do realize that's what U-Verse will use when it rolls out later this year?
It'll be a different transport layer, but same general idea.

And..Cellphones are basically SDA, or "switched digital audio"..


U-Verse is NOT a player in the Columbia DMA.

seems like the cheapest method would be to just dump the analog channels and go all digital requiring everybody to lease some type of STB.


Cheapest for whom? I have 5 analog cables on 5 analog TVs and 4 more in a vacation home. Maybe you are just looking out for TWC's interests.

U-Verse is NOT a player in the Columbia DMA.

U-Verse WILL be a player in the Columbia DMA (as well as many others) in the very near future. VERY near.:)

Cheapest for whom? I have 5 analog cables on 5 analog TVs and 4 more in a vacation home. Maybe you are just looking out for TWC's interests.

read the quote i was replying to.

U-Verse WILL be a player in the Columbia DMA (as well as many others) in the very near future. VERY near.:)

You are correct.......VERY near ;)

Okay, guys...spill the beans on U-Verse since you obviously know something...

The only thing they want you to know is that they know something. :)

The only thing they want you to know is that they know something. :)


Yep, and that I'm not at liberty to speak for AT&T. But I do know the projected launch dates. And we have met and spoken quite a few times with their engineers. :)

AT&T sent out a press release last summer stating that it was coming.

have they gotten past not being able to watch or record more than 1 HD program at a time?

Well, U-Verse will not be a player here in Lexington, SC. We have Windstream ,and PBT(which offers fiber, and cable tv, but not in my immediate area).



4 HD sets ,and 0 analog sets.

Well, U-Verse will not be a player here in Lexington, SC. We have Windstream ,and PBT(which offers fiber, and cable tv, but not in my immediate area).


why not? cable franchises are now statewide.

why not? cable franchises are now statewide.

I think the technical plants are now commonly centralized statewide for a variety of technical reasons, but at least in our area, local franchise authority is very much alive and well.

Here in Georgetown County we have the Big Dog (TWC-SC) and a local home CATV grown provider (Southern Coastal Cable) to choose from pretty much countywide. Both offer essentially identical services and program lineups, but SCCC is slightly cheaper. Recently a third provider (Horry Telephone Co-op, a very progressive and tech-savy area telco) asked to overbuild much of the county for CATV/internet/IP phone service as well. They were initially turned down but I don't think thay have given up yet. I suspect they envision a Fios-like fiber-to-the-side-of-the-house distriubution design as they already are using that type hardware in neighboring Horry County.

I'm rooting for HTC as I love having good healthy competition for a "utility" service!

Georgetown County is Verizon territory too.

I think the technical plants are now commonly centralized statewide for a variety of technical reasons, but at least in our area, local franchise authority is very much alive and well.

only until current terms expire.

http://www.scsos.com/franchise.htm

http://www.scstatehouse.net/sess116_2005-2006/bills/4428.htm

An update on the DVR not recording issue: I noticed that he new FAM-HD channel wasn't recording as planned, and when I tuned to it the message said that the channel wasn't available and recording would begin when the channel became available again.

Honestly, I'd prefer to find some message like that the next day rather than no recording at all, but someone decided we didn't need to know when a channel wasn't available. Makes me wonder if this is why some past recordings have been in multiple pieces.

So it's not always the DVR's fault when nothing shows up, and I'll try to be more kind...

multiple pieces is a 8300HDC issue. I have never had it on my other 8300HD . FWIW: I haven't had any issues at all for over week.

Just to throw a little more grease on the U-VERSE fire, I saw an AT&T truck setup at Langford & Trading Post Rd in Blythewood last week. They were working in a ditch and had a sign up saying something to the effect of "We're working hard now so that in the very near future we can bring you faster DSL speeds and competition to your local cable company."

I took that to mean they were setting up U-VERSE.

But, for me, I'm finally bowing out of the Time Warner Cable game. Tuesday I signed up for DishHD Absolute. I'm cutting my cable cost from about $105 to $48 with DISH.

Just to throw a little more grease on the U-VERSE fire, I saw an AT&T truck setup at Langford & Trading Post Rd in Blythewood last week. They were working in a ditch and had a sign up saying something to the effect of "We're working hard now so that in the very near future we can bring you faster DSL speeds and competition to your local cable company.".

Same things going on up here. In fact, spoke with 2 guys digging in my back yard today who were wearing the AT&T logo.:)

Did you ask them if U-Verse is coming?

Did you ask them if U-Verse is coming?

No, It didn't come up. ;)

Been watching the Olympic trials in HD. Oh man, awesomely awesome! Can't wait for next month. Track & Field, Swimming & Diving, Gymnastics, all in HD! Gonna be so cool.

Harold

I truly enjoyed watching all the olympic trials (Swimming and T&F). Though, I'm saddened that my guy, Alan Webb, failed to qualify for the team. But, at least I got to watch an EXCITING 800 meter run. one of the BEST races I've ever seen.

An update on the DVR not recording issue: I noticed that he new FAM-HD channel wasn't recording as planned, and when I tuned to it the message said that the channel wasn't available and recording would begin when the channel became available again.

Honestly, I'd prefer to find some message like that the next day rather than no recording at all, but someone decided we didn't need to know when a channel wasn't available. Makes me wonder if this is why some past recordings have been in multiple pieces.

So it's not always the DVR's fault when nothing shows up, and I'll try to be more kind...

Not the DVRs fault but still TWCs fault as that means that the SDV FAM-HD is getting switched on so that your DVR can record it.

Oh btw I finally got DirecTV installed and it is well worth the money compared to TWC.

Oh btw I finally got DirecTV installed and it is well worth the money compared to TWC.

How did your install go?

Has there been an upgrade since Scientific Atlanta 8300HDC?

hmmm...no complaints from TWC customers after the two huge storms that have passed through the area this week? That's good news for y'all!

Also, it seems the DirecTV is (hopefully) getting closer and closer to green lighting those local channels. Their new satellite is pretty much parked in position. The new sat (DirecTV 11) will give them more capacity to offer local HD channels... I'm getting signal readings between 89-94 (as of last night) on it.

Has there been an upgrade since Scientific Atlanta 8300HDC?
Not as of yet. Cisco does have an 84xx/85xxHDC series in the wings, but it doesn't appear to be coming out anytime soon.

Channel not available


I get this very often. It will come and go. I understand it has something to do with SDV problems but for what I pay it should not be a problem!!

Last night, for example, most of the baseball package channels had the message. It did come and go but that does make it hard to watch a game.

The night before most of the HD channels above 820 had the message.

I also see it once in a while on just random channels.

Anyone else have this and/or solved it?

Thanks

Channel not available


I get this very often. It will come and go. I understand it has something to do with SDV problems but for what I pay it should not be a problem!!

Last night, for example, most of the baseball package channels had the message. It did come and go but that does make it hard to watch a game.

The night before most of the HD channels above 820 had the message.

I also see it once in a while on just random channels.

Anyone else have this and/or solved it?

Thanks

Last week or so it has been prevalent.

There was a time earlier this year when it occurred frequently but for the past couple of months it had become noticeably less frequent. Now it's back worse than ever.

I agree, we're paying for channels we can't watch. Typical TWC.

Is there a solution to this problem available to the paying customer?

Channel not available


I get this very often. It will come and go. I understand it has something to do with SDV problems but for what I pay it should not be a problem!!

Last night, for example, most of the baseball package channels had the message. It did come and go but that does make it hard to watch a game.

The night before most of the HD channels above 820 had the message.

I also see it once in a while on just random channels.

Anyone else have this and/or solved it?

some have solved it by ditching TWC for satellite.

me, i had it last fall and i solved it by scheduling a service call. not everyone has been so lucky with service calls, but in a few days it was fixed and i've not had the problem since. <knocks wood>

I have not had any sdv issues for over a month, but I am however in the process of finding a new provider.

I have not had any sdv issues for over a month, but I am however in the process of finding a new provider.

I suspect you will not be passed to TWC's retention dept. ;)

Anyway I have found on the rare occasion it happens switching to another channel and back seems to get it in switched on status,

Channel not available

worse than ever this afternoon. I called TW service(sic) and she said they have been having a problem! Most of the baseball package channels were are gone. The only one not affected seems to be the HD package channel.

Channel not available

worse than ever this afternoon. I called TW service(sic) and she said they have been having a problem! Most of the baseball package channels were are gone. The only one not affected seems to be the HD package channel.

Does TWC only have one hd MLB channel? Just wondering.

btw - kevinivey, DirecTV may be a viable option for you after wednesday this week (maybe!). The legacy MPEG2 channels are rumored to be switching to MPEG4 so they'll look just as good as TWC's versions of those channels (namely ESPN and ESPN2). Plus, with the new satellite in the sky, those Columbia HD locals are getting closer and closer by the week.

Not HD, but one problem I've been having lately is the IFC and Encore movie channels are "locking up" quite a bit to the point that they're unwatchable. By locking up, I mean that the video image freezes while the audio continues to play. Changing the channel frees up the image but within moments it freezes again. Anybody else get this problem?

I'm wondering if it has something with the heat lately, as I remember other posters on this thread complaining about that in the past.

Does TWC only have one hd MLB channel? Just wondering

There are 14 baseball channels in the package and one is HD. There is usually a game on the HD channel each night but not always. The hockey package sets up the same way.

AND!!!! channel not available was really bad last night!

Does TWC only have one hd MLB channel? Just wondering.

btw - kevinivey, DirecTV may be a viable option for you after wednesday this week (maybe!). The legacy MPEG2 channels are rumored to be switching to MPEG4 so they'll look just as good as TWC's versions of those channels (namely ESPN and ESPN2). Plus, with the new satellite in the sky, those Columbia HD locals are getting closer and closer by the week.

No HD love for Columbia from DirecTV:

http://dtv.client.shareholder.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=324647

Guess I'll keep rockin' with my little attic antenna.

No HD love for Columbia from DirecTV:

http://dtv.client.shareholder.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=324647

Guess I'll keep rockin' with my little attic antenna.

Yeah, I saw that too. I was pretty peeved about it...but, like I said in my post, it's getting closer and closer by the week...didn't say that they were coming this week... Hopefully it won't be too much longer...maybe (hopefully) in time for the new TV seasons...

and to kjpjr - That stinks... on D* i can get pretty much every HD game that's aired. Usually, as long as the game is shown in HD, I get the HD game. Last year we had the 'one' HD channel thing... Now there are about 12-15 HD games a night.

No HD love for Columbia from DirecTV:

They tell me November. :(

They tell me November. :(

If so, lots of people will be pissed... They've been saying ' the next two to three months' for about 2-3 years now.

Due to parts failure in the the WOLO-DT transmitter, we will be off air digitally for an undetermined amount of time. We will have to get the parts delivered from Europe in order to effect major repairs.

We're in the process of installing a new digital transmitter to provide redundancy, however that transmitter is not yet ready for air.

Since TWC has not seen the need for a fiber feed for the DT from us, we won't be available there either. FWIW, no fiber for DT to TWC here at WCCB either.
(We do have fiber for analog for both stations tho..)

I wonder if TWCSC is going to do this -

07/29/2008




2008 BEIJING SUMMER OLYMPICS COVERAGE AVAILABLE ON FOUR HIGH DEFINITION CHANNELS FOR FREE


USA HD, CNBC HD, Basketball HD and Soccer HD Included



New York, NY -



Digital customers in Time Warner Cable’s New York City Region can view 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics programming in High Definition at no additional charge from August 6th to August 24th on USA HD (Channel 195), CNBC HD (Channel 196), Basketball HD (Channel 197) and Soccer HD (Channel 198).

Working with TWC to establish a fiber link for the digital, hopefully will have that working today sometime.

Thanks for the update.

Noticed yesterday that my ABC-HD recordings weren't happening so I pulled up the Guide on my TWC DVR and sure enough, they were all blank. I then remembered that the HD feed was dead but didn't realize that the Guide would go blank too.

WOLO-DT has been restored to TWC's customers via fiberlink.

No HD love for Columbia from DirecTV:

http://dtv.client.shareholder.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=324647

Guess I'll keep rockin' with my little attic antenna.
I saw that list, too. Interesting that Augusta, GA (DMA 115), Charleston, SC (DMA 100), and Myrtle Beach/Florence (DMA 103), beat out Columbia (DMA 81). Are there re-transmission agreement problems with the Columbia affiliates that are holding it up?

I've been wondering when DirecTV starts doing PBS in HD re-transmissions if they will just use WRLK's signal in Columbia and send that to all the SC DMAs instead of installing equipment for receiving the same signal (from different transmitters) all across the state. They could also save some transponder room with some creative channel mapping, if there's a spotbeam that covers all of SC's DMAs.

I saw that list, too. Interesting that Augusta, GA (DMA 115), Charleston, SC (DMA 100), and Myrtle Beach/Florence (DMA 103), beat out Columbia (DMA 81).

It goes by the best looking population.

It goes by the best looking population.

Agreed.

As in "save the best for last."

They tell me November. :(

Are you saying Columbia is supposed to get HD Locals on D* in November? If so why aren't we even on the list? Just wondering.

I've been so upset about this that I have been thinking about switching to Dish.

Thanks

I've been so upset about this

Have you considered a visit with your healthcare professional?:eek:

I saw that list, too. Interesting that Augusta, GA (DMA 115), Charleston, SC (DMA 100), and Myrtle Beach/Florence (DMA 103), beat out Columbia (DMA 81). Are there re-transmission agreement problems with the Columbia affiliates that are holding it up?

I've been wondering when DirecTV starts doing PBS in HD re-transmissions if they will just use WRLK's signal in Columbia and send that to all the SC DMAs instead of installing equipment for receiving the same signal (from different transmitters) all across the state. They could also save some transponder room with some creative channel mapping, if there's a spotbeam that covers all of SC's DMAs.

It appears on that list that those DMAs that get their locals from another dish are getting their HD locals on August 14th (putting them on the 99degree sat which will only require the use of ONE dish in your yard instead of two). Most of the DMAs that get their locals with two dishes in the yard are about covered now. Hopefully since DirecTV now has that new satellite up and so much more room, we'll see a regular update of new DMAs about every week (that's my hope at least).

It makes sense that they are trying to phase in the DMAs that currently require the 72.5 degree dish to the new satellite now that the bandwidth is available (probably a pretty serious cost savings and the DMAs with locals on 99 can use the new Slimline 3 dish).

Anybody have any issues with WIS-DT over the weekend? In Orangeburg TWC had only the analog feed from WIS. . .WIS-HD was a black screen. All weekend :(. Before AVS crashed I reviewed the forum posts and saw no mention of an issue so I'm assuming WIS was broadcasting OK and the issue was within TWC, local to Orangeburg. I feel the need to assign blame.

thanks
pat g.

I watched WIS-HD OTA last night during NBC Nightly News and the first few moments of the Olympic coverage afterwards. The news was properly in HD but for some reason they started the Olympics in upconverted SD. After a few minutes I got tired of waiting for WIS to flip the switch, so I turned to WCNC in Charlotte for the rest of the evening.

Anybody have any issues with WIS-DT over the weekend? In Orangeburg TWC had only the analog feed from WIS. . .WIS-HD was a black screen. All weekend :(. Before AVS crashed I reviewed the forum posts and saw no mention of an issue so I'm assuming WIS was broadcasting OK and the issue was within TWC, local to Orangeburg. I feel the need to assign blame.

thanks
pat g.

ncxcstud had mentioned issues over the weekend with WIS. He might be able to provide more info.

I emailed WIS about their HD switching problems and they told me that someone was making a 'logo' or something and had to take the HD broadcast down...that was the apparent problem over the weekend (at least Saturday morning).

I really didn't have any problems last night on WIS...will find out tonight if there is still a switching problem.

I really didn't have any problems last night on WIS...will find out tonight if there is still a switching problem.

it seemed okay during primetime but it was still happening after the late news sunday night.

What is SDV I see mentioned ????

What is SDV I see mentioned ????


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

Thx Kevin !!!

it hasn't really hampered critical events, but every now and then video on WIS freezes yet the audio continues. Usually lasts for about 1-5 seconds and then it fixes itself...still annoying, but livable.

Thx Kevin !!!

No doubt... and thanks Cain for asking! I have made always ass/u/med that SDV was "Standard Definition Video" although it didn't make sense in context sometimes - so the Wiki article taught me something new.

We have been having the same "Channel not Available" issues off and on for a while here in the Irmo area. It won't be an too much of an issue until the football doesn't work next month :eek:

Heath

ESPN-HD2 is the only switched sports station.

Since our local CW station doesn't broadcast in HD, is there any alternative for us Columbia folks (we're gearing up for the 90210 launch!)

(yes, my wife and I are dorks, but 90210 is our childhood!)

Sorry, local CW station want be digital until January, 2009 and their press release doesn't say anything about High Def video quality so even then we still could be waiting for HD!:(

http://www.cw47columbia.com/news/21501254.html

WYCW in Greenville-Spartanburg has a DT channel 62-1 but I don't know if they are HD. I doubt you could pick them up without a real kickin' "Anttenna of the Gods" setup anyway.;)

http://www.carolinascw.com/


I like Supernatural and Everybody Hates Chris on CW.:D

I'll be surprised if WZRB ends up showing HD material when they go digital next year. Of Roberts Communications' four stations, two are currently transmitting digitally, and neither of those is in HD.

Unless, of course, they plan to upgrade all their stations at one shot.

- Trip

WYCW-DT in Greenville is broadcasting in High Def (including their late evening local news provided by the WSPA team). However, their transmitter is located along the South Carolina/North Carolina border near Hwy 25, so it would likely require an extremely strong antenna setup to receive the station at all in the Columbia market.

Hi everyone,

I am mostly a lurker but I am getting ticked by WIS putting the center channel info on the surround channels.

I have read this complaint on this forum before but I am going to try to complain as well.

Does anyone know who to contact at WIS or any other info you may have to help me.

Thanks a lot for any info and thanks to those who help out in general on this forum.

Al

Haven't noticed it on WIS. WLTX is usually the worst offender in this department.

ESPNU goes HD this coming Thursday, 8/28. TWC already carries the SD version, but does anybody know if they will also be carrying the HD broadcast?

Haven't noticed it on WIS. WLTX is usually the worst offender in this department.


Agreed. WLTX is the station that puts the center channel in all the speakers. They've been doing it for over a year now...

I was told by a customer rep that the BTN will show up on TW in our area very soon. They are working on what channels to put it on. It sounds like it might be on by this weekend.

Hopefully, as a displaced BT fan, he knew what he was talking about!:)

Wltx has audio issues, not Wis. ESPNU-HD deal is done, should launch when channel launches. But, remember that the channel my not be available , and you might want to try again later.


FWIW: wltx's chief engineer is not forth coming to their audio issues.

Wltx has audio issues, not Wis. ESPNU-HD deal is done, should launch when channel launches. But, remember that the channel my not be available , and you might want to try again later.


FWIW: wltx's chief engineer is not forth coming to their audio issues.

Yeah, I think he still believes kevin and I are the only ones that have the problem...

Just got Time Warner installed again today and I forgot how to set the box so when i change from HD to SD that it will automatically change the picture size. Can anyone help me out.

Haven't noticed it on WIS. WLTX is usually the worst offender in this department.

Sorry, I meant to say Wltx

I sent an email to WLTX engineering.

Lets see what happens.

Thanks for the info.

ESPNU-HD deal is done, should launch when channel launches.

Awesome news. Thanks for sharing.

I don't know how one can assume that. There are a lot of done deals TWCSC does not carry.

I guess we'll know tomorrow (8/28) when ESPNU-HD goes live.

I do not see a placeholder for it in the Guide although there is an unused number 952 between ESPN2 and ESPN News.

I'm a bit skeptical that TWC would just add a channel without some sort of fanfare (newspaper blurb at least) about it in advance.

Am I the only one that noticed the TWC 15xx HD channels that were available during the Olympics - I was recording Burn Notice, Psych, and Monk in HD on USAHD channel 1501 - now the Olymics are over and the 15xx channels are gone and so is my ability to get those shows in HD. Bummer, Big Time!

Does anyone know if TWC plans to give us USA in HD again, anytime soon???

I'd have to check my program guide, but for some reason I thought USA-HD was already there in the 800 block.

And it seems like one of those 15xx channels was just a repeat of Universal-HD, a 9xx channel. At least it was every time I tuned it in.

USA-HD and CNBC-HD are not being carried anymore. Not carried on TWC anywhere.

Is the local FOX OTA channel out in Columbia?

Is the local FOX OTA channel out in Columbia?


Yes

I guess we'll know tomorrow (8/28) when ESPNU-HD goes live.

I am waiting on a answer from TWCSC.

But it is a "done deal". It seems that post is deleted though.


:eek::mad::rolleyes::p;):o:(

Gary, why not go to your own area thread? For someone that is as old as you are, you sure act like a child.

Wltx has audio issues, not Wis. ESPNU-HD deal is done, should launch when channel launches. But, remember that the channel my not be available , and you might want to try again later.


FWIW: wltx's chief engineer is not forth coming to their audio issues.


It wasn't deleted.

It wasn't deleted.

"ESPNU-HD deal is done, should launch when channel launches."

You know perfectly well what I am saying. Childish indeed.

Did anybody check ch 952 (or whatever it's supposed to be) last night? I was at the game and didn't think to check when I got home or this morning...

Is anyone else here having problems w/the HBO and MAX HD channels last few days? I get the "not available" msg on them, even after a reboot. Also CNNHD a lot these last few days.

Thanks,
Harold

Can some kind soul tell me EXACTLY which HD Channels are available on TWC in Columbia, and any new ones scheduled to come on-line in the near future ??

Thanks in advance !!

Is anyone else here having problems w/the HBO and MAX HD channels last few days? I get the "not available" msg on them, even after a reboot. Also CNNHD a lot these last few days.

Thanks,
Harold

Yes....just last night I was getting it a lot.

Can some kind soul tell me EXACTLY which HD Channels are available on TWC in Columbia, and any new ones scheduled to come on-line in the near future ??

Thanks in advance !!

Here (http://www.timewarnercable.com/SouthCarolina/products/HDTVAvailableChannels.html)and here (http://www.twcsc.com/AllHosted/ProgrammingInfo/ChannelLineups.asp). Anything else is speculation.

Thx Gary..

**The WACH digital transmitter was hit by a lightning strike Tuesday, August 26. We’re actively working to fix the problem and hope to restore the signal as soon as possible.**
-WACH FOX 57 Engineering Staff.

I was told by a customer rep that the BTN will show up on TW in our area very soon. They are working on what channels to put it on. It sounds like it might be on by this weekend.

Hopefully, as a displaced BT fan, he knew what he was talking about!:)

That's good news! I sure hope he knew what he was talking too. I saw that an agreement was finally reached btwn the BTN and TWC recently, but I feared that it would only be offered in the Big10 viewing area. I checked the TWCSC site for info, but didn't see anything. Hopefully it will be added soon... I know there are quite a few Big10 fans in the area.

If you hear anything further would you please keep us updated? Thanks! :)

If you are concerned as I am about the BTN showing up, call 866-892-7201 and tell TW to get 'er done:p.

We have already missed one week of football! I call or email every day! I can be a pest.

I am just checking to see if anyone in columbia/irmo area receive TV via QAM? I currently use an antenna to get my locals in HD I just want to see what QAM can get. I do hope it has ESPN to watch the gamecocks play. Thanks in advance.
-steve

Yes....just last night I was getting it a lot.

Ok, thanks, good to know. I was worried my box might be screwy and I've got a lot of recordings so I'd hate to lose them if I needed a new one.

H

Does anyone know when TWC will actually get off their duffs and put ESPNUHD on the line-up?

There are several other cities throughout the country that already have it. Why is SC the last to get everything?

lol mcwups1, you should be happy with what ya'll have down there. I miss TWCSC. Sometime when you have a chance, take a gander at TWC Mid-Ohio and look at Waterville's lineup. It sucks. I'm about two weeks from switching to D*. D* is getting Toledo, Ohio local HD's starting this month. When that happens, I'm dumping this sub par service TWC MidOhio supplies.

I am hoping they will add it tomorrow, it seems like they usually add hd channels on tuesday for some reason.

Does anyone know when TWC will actually get off their duffs and put ESPNUHD on the line-up?


The Shadow knows. And possibly TWCSC but they're not saying.

Any idea when WACH is going to get their digital transmitter fixed?
the fall season on FOX Started tonight..

I was told by a person on the TW phone that they will not be adding the BTN in South Carolina because they don't want to offer it! TW is the most ****ed up company in the world!

So now I have gone from we will add it in just a few days to never!

FYI-ABC World News with Charles Gibson M-F 6:30pm and ABC Nightline M-F 11:35pm are now in HD.
20/20 to be HD eff. 9/19/08.
ABC Weekend News in HD coming later in Sept.

Any idea when WACH is going to get their digital transmitter fixed?
the fall season on FOX Started tonight..


How would you get WACH-DT OTA in Pawley's Island?

FWIW: Wach-DT has stayed on TWC through their issues.

I am in lexington, not Pawley's.
And I on Dish, so I get WACH OTA..

I am in lexington, not Pawley's.
And I on Dish, so I get WACH OTA..

You're ok then. Otherwise you're not allowed to be here. :p

I was told by a person on the TW phone that they will not be adding the BTN in South Carolina because they don't want to offer it! TW is the most ****ed up company in the world!

So now I have gone from we will add it in just a few days to never!

I've been contacting them daily about it (by email) and their response is always that they don't have any update yet. I haven't heard the response you've heard (yet), but it wouldn't surprise me if they decided not to. TWC is the last to add anything to their lineup!

TWC is the last to add anything to their lineup!

I remember when the ESPN HD deal was done it was up in two hours.

I was told by a person on the TW phone that they will not be adding the BTN in South Carolina because they don't want to offer it! TW is the most ****ed up company in the world!

So now I have gone from we will add it in just a few days to never!

you mean to tell me that calling every day to tell them 'get 'er done' does not actually get 'er done? i'm shocked...

i wouldn't take too much stock in whatever answer a TW CSR gives with regards to carriage, i doubt they are any more in the loop than anyone else.

I remember when the ESPN HD deal was done it was up in two hours.

How long does it take them normally to add channels to the lineup? Your example is certainly not the norm. BTN has been in existence for more than a year, and TWC just now has signed an agreement with them. Great, so where is it in the lineup?

How long does it take them normally to add channels to the lineup? Your example is certainly not the norm.

Your're getting the idea. There is no norm.

Your're getting the idea. There is no norm.

My point was that TWC is typically (as in more often than not) the last major provider to add any given station to their lineup.


Anyways, the response I got from TWCSC yesterday is that they keep track of the number of inquiries they receive about a station to determine whether they'll be carrying it. If anyone is interested in them carrying the BTN then let them know. The agreement's in place, we just need to convince them we want it shown in our area.

I will say it worked when they had an agreement for the Versus/Golf HD channel. Some of us started an email campaign and it was added a few days later. Personally if they are going to add a limited amount of channels I would rather see ESPNU HD and a few others. This is SEC/ACC country. :p

Any chance that Fox gets their digital transmitter fixed by Sunday's NFL games?