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Colorado Springs, CO - HDTV - Page 221

post #6601 of 6801
12/9/10 at 5:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Satcom15 View Post

Apparently there was a cable outage last night in parts of NE Colo Spgs that started around 9PM and lasted for about an hour and half. It affected TV, phone, and internet. I have had 3 outages of at least 10 min in N. Colo Spgs in a week. According to Comcast the first two were repair activities associated with problems associated with last summer's digital roll out. The third was "unplanned".

Why would anyone use them for their phone service? I know people that do and the audio can be poor on upstream side (not enough bandwidth allocated). Sometimes its so bad I can only hear 1/4 of their part of the conversation (amazing how the brain works to fill in the gaps though). For being an essential service, that's unacceptable. How many times does Qwest go out? Technically, POTS by the phone company is superior by a mile, its the management/cost side that drives me nuts. LOL.

Anyway I brought up the outage because Comcast had 2 major regional outages (eastern seaboard and midwest) that affected several states recently. Makes me wonder how stable their network really is.

Ask to have your service routed through their billing network and I'm sure it'll be rock solid.
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post #6602 of 6801
12/13/10 at 9:50am
I also had those outages. And since I have an ADT alarm system going through the phone, everytime Comcast does that when my alarm is active, it goes off! One time a few months ago it woke us up in the middle of the night (like 3am) and had me thinking that somebody was breaking into my house.

I'm also very concerned about the Comcast reliability but just can't find any alternatives for TV+Internet+Phone that is close to their price. Qwest never had outages when I used to have them, but they were a lot more expensive for phone services (especially with my 2 phone lines). None of the other VOIP-like phone services support alarm systems except for Comcast (as far as I know).

While there are many options for TV (satellite, etc), I haven't found any Internet alternatives. I need a reliable high-speed connection for my home business. Comcast seems to be it. Isn't that a local-monopoly?
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post #6603 of 6801
12/13/10 at 6:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeP View Post

I also had those outages. And since I have an ADT alarm system going through the phone, everytime Comcast does that when my alarm is active, it goes off! One time a few months ago it woke us up in the middle of the night (like 3am) and had me thinking that somebody was breaking into my house.

I'm also very concerned about the Comcast reliability but just can't find any alternatives for TV+Internet+Phone that is close to their price. Qwest never had outages when I used to have them, but they were a lot more expensive for phone services (especially with my 2 phone lines). None of the other VOIP-like phone services support alarm systems except for Comcast (as far as I know).

While there are many options for TV (satellite, etc), I haven't found any Internet alternatives. I need a reliable high-speed connection for my home business. Comcast seems to be it. Isn't that a local-monopoly?

Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of options for HS internet: Qwest and Comcast. Wish we had FiOS, but don't think that's going to happen any time soon. Wish I had the $$$, I'd install a private fiber connection from the home to the local internet POP.
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post #6604 of 6801
12/16/10 at 9:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Satcom15 View Post

Does anyone know when or if KRDO will transition from 720p to 1080i like the other big boys in town?

KRDO will most likely not upgrade until ABC network does.....FOX and ABC both broadcast on a 720p system. CBS and NBC do 1080i. ABC and FOX argue that the 720p system is better at live action sports because it's a progressive scan. (ESPN, DISNEY & ABC cable channels are also in 720P, despite what your TV may say).
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post #6605 of 6801
12/16/10 at 10:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PO BUG View Post

KRDO will most likely not upgrade until ABC network does.....FOX and ABC both broadcast on a 720p system. CBS and NBC do 1080i. ABC and FOX argue that the 720p system is better at live action sports because it's a progressive scan. (ESPN, DISNEY & ABC cable channels are also in 720P, despite what your TV may say).

Lot of truth to that. I've noticed the pq on CBS Sec football games is poor when not on the fixed cameras - gets blurry with movement. Never seen the problem on either ABC or Fox. The CBS NFL games are OK though, so it could be they are using compression on the SEC games. In fact, the overall PQ on ABC and Fox is better than CBS IMHO.

I'm more concerned about KRDO getting Dolby like all the other stations. They were supposed to have it last fall.
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post #6606 of 6801
12/17/10 at 6:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lsilvest View Post

....I'm more concerned about KRDO getting Dolby like all the other stations. They were supposed to have it last fall.

Count me as a +1 to this. I thought I read somewhere in this thread the equipment was at KRDO, and it was a matter of weeks for the sound upgrade. That was several months ago...
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post #6607 of 6801
12/19/10 at 8:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bnwrx View Post

Count me as a +1 to this. I thought I read somewhere in this thread the equipment was at KRDO, and it was a matter of weeks for the sound upgrade. That was several months ago...

you know, in my smaller town our local ABC went to Dolby a few weeks ago and it was terrible with a buzz and humming...the station took the Dolby off the air and I think they're trying to get it back...maybe the Dolby equipment is having sound "ingestion" and can't swallow ABC's signal?
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post #6608 of 6801
12/19/10 at 9:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PO BUG View Post

you know, in my smaller town our local ABC went to Dolby a few weeks ago and it was terrible with a buzz and humming...the station took the Dolby off the air and I think they're trying to get it back...maybe the Dolby equipment is having sound "ingestion" and can't swallow ABC's signal?

Does the Denver market have Dolby on ABC? If so, how does it perform there?
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post #6609 of 6801
12/20/10 at 9:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Satcom15 View Post

Does the Denver market have Dolby on ABC? If so, how does it perform there?

Yes. Works fine. I get Denver locals via Dish and COS locals via OTA.
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post #6610 of 6801
12/20/10 at 11:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jkozlow3 View Post

Yes. Works fine. I get Denver locals via Dish and COS locals via OTA.

How did you manage to talk DISH into giving you Denver locals?...
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post #6611 of 6801
12/20/10 at 11:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bnwrx View Post

How did you manage to talk DISH into giving you Denver locals?...

You can "Move" to another location and get locals from anywhere that are on your particular satellites.
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post #6612 of 6801
12/20/10 at 12:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lsilvest View Post

You can "Move" to another location and get locals from anywhere that are on your particular satellites.

So...you tell them you now live in Denver, but you actually live in Pueblo? Does this affect your billing address? ..
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post #6613 of 6801
12/20/10 at 1:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bnwrx View Post

So...you tell them you now live in Denver, but you actually live in Pueblo? Does this affect your billing address? ..

I think you just need to be on autopay or elelectronic billing. If you want more details, go to satelliteguys.com. There are a lot of them there that use a different location for various reasons - some are just in between market. Basically, it's just a game they play to get around regulations.
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post #6614 of 6801
12/20/10 at 1:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bnwrx View Post
How did you manage to talk DISH into giving you Denver locals?...
As mentioned, I just "moved" to the address of an apartment building in Denver and gave them an apartment number that was completely made up (i.e. 12345a). I also made sure they only updated my service address and not my billing address since I have 2 homes as far as they're concerned. Of course, it didn't really matter since I'm on Autopay anyway, but I didn't want stuff being sent to my fake address.

I did all this a couple of years back after getting tired of weather crawls affecting my HD viewing in the evenings.

This only works within reason, as the Denver locals are broadcast in a spot beam that can only be picked up within a certain geographical area (i.e. 100 mile radius). Not sure quite how large the area is, but it seems to work fine throughout most of COS (I'm in Monument however).
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post #6615 of 6801
12/20/10 at 2:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jkozlow3 View Post
As mentioned, I just "moved" to the address of an apartment building in Denver and gave them an apartment number that was completely made up (i.e. 12345a). I also made sure they only updated my service address and not my billing address since I have 2 homes as far as they're concerned. Of course, it didn't really matter since I'm on Autopay anyway, but I didn't want stuff being sent to my fake address.

I did all this a couple of years back after getting tired of weather crawls affecting my HD viewing in the evenings.

This only works within reason, as the Denver locals are broadcast in a spot beam that can only be picked up within a certain geographical area (i.e. 100 mile radius). Not sure quite how large the area is, but it seems to work fine throughout most of COS (I'm in Monument however).
Thanks for the info. I am with Directv and in Woodland Park. Don't know if I'll try it or not. Don't have autopay,but billing is bundled with Qwest so they don't actually send me a bill.
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post #6616 of 6801
12/21/10 at 7:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bnwrx View Post

Thanks for the info. I am with Directv and in Woodland Park. Don't know if I'll try it or not. Don't have autopay,but billing is bundled with Qwest so they don't actually send me a bill.

I know it works for someone here using DirecTV in Briargate, so it should work fine in Woodland Park. If for some reason it doesn't just call back and change your service address back.
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post #6617 of 6801
12/22/10 at 3:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bnwrx View Post

Thanks for the info. I am with Directv and in Woodland Park. Don't know if I'll try it or not. Don't have autopay,but billing is bundled with Qwest so they don't actually send me a bill.

I "live" in northern NJ and I'm bundled with Qwest. With DirecTV this gets me the NYC networks (they're not on spot beams) and I pull in COS over-the-air. One issue to consider is that if DirecTV ever ships you any equipment, i.e. a new receiver or access card, they will only send it to your service address, not your billing address, so you need to "move" back first.

BTW, being bundled with Qwest counts as autopay. What this means for you is that you should be able to call and get a $10/mo HD credit for 2 years. I did and do.
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post #6618 of 6801
12/23/10 at 5:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by smahon View Post

I "live" in northern NJ and I'm bundled with Qwest. With DirecTV this gets me the NYC networks (they're not on spot beams) and I pull in COS over-the-air. One issue to consider is that if DirecTV ever ships you any equipment, i.e. a new receiver or access card, they will only send it to your service address, not your billing address, so you need to "move" back first.

BTW, being bundled with Qwest counts as autopay. What this means for you is that you should be able to call and get a $10/mo HD credit for 2 years. I did and do.

If you have Verizon Wireless, Qwest will bundled that into billing for another $5/mo off.
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post #6619 of 6801
12/24/10 at 5:49pm
Somebody over at KKTV doesn't know what they're doing, or doesn't clearly label recordings. The episode of Jeopardy! played today is a repeat of one from earlier this week. I knew they screwed up when I recognized the categories. The same thing happened Tuesday with Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, when they showed an ep from last year's celebrity run.
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post #6620 of 6801
12/24/10 at 6:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rockinricky View Post

Somebody over at KKTV doesn't know what they're doing, or doesn't clearly label recordings. The episode of Jeopardy! played today is a repeat of one from earlier this week. I knew they screwed up when I recognized the categories. The same thing happened Tuesday with Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, when they showed an ep from last year's celebrity run.

RMPBS has far more guide problems than KKTV does. That's not an excuse, but it does get worse.
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post #6621 of 6801
12/26/10 at 10:13am
Here's a question, perhaps someone knows the answer. I noticed that The Weather Channel HD on Comcast here in Colorado Springs (Ch 756) does not carry the local weather conditions/forecasts ("Local on the 8s"). Instead it shows the US regional summaries (e.g. NE US, SE US, midwest, etc.) like you would see on a DirecTV satellite broadcast during that period. However, on the SD version of The Weather Channel (Ch 61), they show the local forecast. Anyone know why this would be?
Thanks.
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post #6622 of 6801
12/26/10 at 9:24pm
I am thinking of building a HTPC with one of the quad-tuner Ceton cards. (not in the short term with the backorders ) Does anyone here have any experience with cablecard tuners: specifically, how well they work with our local Comcast? Do they allow decoding of premium / hd channels? Has anyone tried to use an M-stream card for more than 2 tuners locally? I am currently using a Tivo HD, but when I got connected up, they didn't have any M-cards available, so they just put in two single stream cards.
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post #6623 of 6801
12/27/10 at 4:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by slowsaurus View Post

I am thinking of building a HTPC with one of the quad-tuner Ceton cards. (not in the short term with the backorders ) Does anyone here have any experience with cablecard tuners: specifically, how well they work with our local Comcast? Do they allow decoding of premium / hd channels? Has anyone tried to use an M-stream card for more than 2 tuners locally? I am currently using a Tivo HD, but when I got connected up, they didn't have any M-cards available, so they just put in two single stream cards.

You'll most likely need to contact Comcast to find out if their cards here will work with the Ceton since it's so new. I understand that even within Comcast it varies from one market to another. I've never seen any discussion on this thread about cablecard tuners let alone the Cetons. I suggest trying one of the other threads in the forum that deals specifically with that card.
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post #6624 of 6801
12/27/10 at 6:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lsilvest View Post

You'll most likely need to contact Comcast to find out if their cards here will work with the Ceton since it's so new. I understand that even within Comcast it varies from one market to another. I've never seen any discussion on this thread about cablecard tuners let alone the Cetons. I suggest trying one of the other threads in the forum that deals specifically with that card.

As far as I know there are only two US approved CableCard tuners and they just released recently. I would expect very few people to have working knowledge of them. You may be the first in the region to try using one.

Scott
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post #6625 of 6801
12/28/10 at 9:03pm
Well, its nice to know some things don't change. Was watching RMPBS HD, KTSC Ch 708 on Comcast and noticed intermittent digital noise artifacts (audio dropouts, pixilation, frozen frames, blacked out frames, etc.).

I've not watched PBS for a while and was surprised to see they still had these artifacts. When will they fix their problems? I like Gato vejas solution: satellite reception of the national feed. Maybe I'll look into it. Besides better image quality, maybe I can dump some of the RMPBS local origination programming.
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post #6626 of 6801
12/29/10 at 4:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Satcom15 View Post

Well, its nice to know some things don't change. Was watching RMPBS HD, KTSC Ch 708 on Comcast and noticed intermittent digital noise artifacts (audio dropouts, pixilation, frozen frames, blacked out frames, etc.).

I've not watched PBS for a while and was surprised to see they still had these artifacts. When will they fix their problems? I like Gato vejas solution: satellite reception of the national feed. Maybe I'll look into it. Besides better image quality, maybe I can dump some of the RMPBS local origination programming.

I don't know how Comcast pulls RMPBS but if you get it OTA there is a relay tower on the Front Range somewhere between here and Denver. The broadcast is actually up in Denver. When that relay tower went dead about a year ago we started to recognize many of our quality problems are caused by that relay tower and not the original broadcast.

When you figure out how to pull it off the satellite let us know, I might do it as well.

Scott
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post #6627 of 6801
12/30/10 at 7:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by scottlindner View Post

When you figure out how to pull it off the satellite let us know, I might do it as well.

Scott

Here is what I am using. You can probably get by with a 32" dish. Support for this tuner is included in recent linux kernels. Windows probably works too but I have no experience with that.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...0#post18040150
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post #6628 of 6801
12/30/10 at 7:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GatoViejo View Post

Here is what I am using. You can probably get by with a 32" dish. Support for this tuner is included in recent linux kernels. Windows probably works too but I have no experience with that.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...0#post18040150

It lists Windows under the system requirements but not Linux, so I'm guessing Windows is supported just fine.
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post #6629 of 6801
12/30/10 at 6:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by scottlindner View Post

It lists Windows under the system requirements but not Linux, so I'm guessing Windows is supported just fine.

Another alternative might be a traditional satellite receiver with DVR and use one of the TV (or A/V receiver) HDMI inputs However, I haven't seen one that records HD signals. But I haven't looked all that much yet. It would appear that satellite systems are pretty cheap. $200-300. The problem with the PC theater route - my computer is in the other room and I'm not too keen on running a long wire (and how long can HDMI cable runs be?) to the TV. It would be at least 50 feet.
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post #6630 of 6801
12/30/10 at 6:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Satcom15 View Post

The problem with the PC theater route - my computer is in the other room and I'm not too keen on running a long wire (and how long can HDMI cable runs be?) to the TV. It would be at least 50 feet.

I've got a 40' run with no problem. HDMI can generally handle long runs.
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