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Las Vegas, NV - HDTV - Page 97

post #2881 of 8916
12/30/05 at 7:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Word Maestro View Post

Have you forgotten that their are both contrast and brightness controls on your TV (and remote)? Overcoming such problems is what they are there for.

Simply make note of their settings before any applied correction. When the "dark" program is concluded return them to their original settings. Doesn't seem very complex to me.

Dude if the black isnt black enough for instanse u cant make it blacker, etc..
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post #2882 of 8916
12/30/05 at 10:33pm
Is WB on Cox or just OTA? If so, what channel (QAM)?
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post #2883 of 8916
12/31/05 at 9:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Word Maestro View Post

Have you forgotten that their are both contrast and brightness controls on your TV (and remote)? Overcoming such problems is what they are there for.

Simply make note of their settings before any applied correction. When the "dark" program is concluded return them to their original settings. Doesn't seem very complex to me.

Cool! I didn't know "their" was a way to turn night into day by just adjusting the brightness.
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post #2884 of 8916
12/31/05 at 10:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by doormat View Post

Is WB on Cox or just OTA? If so, what channel (QAM)?

WB SD is on Cox channel 12. The HDlite channel is OTA only.
The semi-short story is that this channel is owned by Sinclair and they want a fee from EVERY Cox subscriber (since they are included in the BASIC package) to carry the HD feed, even though they do not offer full bitrate HD. They sold a large chunk of their spectrum to USDTV the OTA cable service that leeches off local channels DTV signals, leaving them with a much lower bitrate. They are also asking for their entire DTV signal to be broadcast, including all the subchannels used by USDTV and will not seperate the signals between the two.
In the past, there have been a lot of problems with the stability of this channel, but it now appears that it's starting to at least have a stable signal. Now, if they actually had more hours of HD programming, they might get a few viewers. I think they are up to 6 - 8 hours of HD programming per week now.

vegggas
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post #2885 of 8916
12/31/05 at 6:51pm
vegggas, sorry if this has been asked before, but do you work for Cox or are you close to someone who does? You sure seem to have a lot of information on the inner goings ons there.
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post #2886 of 8916
12/31/05 at 11:07pm
I have 2 VOOM boxs for sale if anyone is interested you can contact me at DarkCarnivalle@aol.com
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post #2887 of 8916
1/1/06 at 10:53am
Happy New Year to all. I thought I would post my thoughts on the local and national New Years Eve shows that I saw. I watched ABC HD pre show stuff and thought it looked pretty good. Then, back to stretch-vision for the Vegas show. The coverage was good but of course the picture sucked. Channel 8 had a much nicer 4:3 picture and cleaner audio, but I did not care for the music selections, but then to each their own on that one. Then I went back to 13 for the ABC show and they botched that one by forgetting to switch to the HD feed. So, what looked great earlier was destroyed by fuzzy stretch-o-vision that could have looked beautiful. Way to go channel 13.
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post #2888 of 8916
1/1/06 at 11:09am
Even their news sucks. 8 is way better in every respect.

What I really hate is 13's news bias, they always have to have their liitle minute gestures and voice inflections when reporting religious or political news.

Not to mention the stupidest news and weather anchors. Lets not even talk about rusted 33 now!
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post #2889 of 8916
1/1/06 at 2:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeLV View Post

vegggas, sorry if this has been asked before, but do you work for Cox or are you close to someone who does? You sure seem to have a lot of information on the inner goings ons there.

I do PPV, VOD and in-room services in hotel gaming markets in Las Vegas and around the country, and focus mostly on digital and HD technologies. These affiliations include Cox (Las Vegas market), Comcast, Time Warner, and DirecTV, etc. to fill in the needed free to the guest content and other High speed data services and anything else the customer wants.
I also have many contacts with many different display manufacturers and test compatibility between displays, STB's and VOD systems, etc. Some of these contacts are through current events and some are through past jobs and careers involved with consumer electronics and home theater design and engineering.
I TRY and attempt to be unbiased as much as possible, but with a close affiliation to Cox in my home market and over 75% of my business, I tend to lean more in that direction. I have also personally given up other technologies (DirecTV, Tivo, Replay, HTPC, etc.) in favor of the products available locally through Cox that just make it much more simple to get what I want.

vegggas
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post #2890 of 8916
1/1/06 at 2:10pm
vegggas, cool. If only the casinos would hire you to get all those zillion hdtvs they have on the casino bars/sports book to actually have the games in hd.
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post #2891 of 8916
1/1/06 at 4:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeLV View Post

vegggas, cool. If only the casinos would hire you to get all those zillion hdtvs they have on the casino bars/sports book to actually have the games in hd.

Those are seperate contracts with seperate rules and regulations. For the same reasons (and others), we can't show the sportsbook feeds in rooms either. Actually many bars are external of the hotel property management and are seperate entities too.
I forgot to mention that since the current cabling plant model in a hotel is similar to a small city, we have many things in common with cable companies. We share many of the same problems and solutions to overcome some of the issues. Everyone is looking forward to advances in technology to make a better presentation.

vegggas
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post #2892 of 8916
1/2/06 at 9:58pm
Hello everyone. this is my first post. If i do/say anything stupid please put me in my place.

im in NW Vegas near the 95 and Durango. I want to get Direct tv asap but i have a few questions.

1. HD Tivo is a priority. can it work with no active phone lines in the house?

2. Is now a bad time to buy/start a contract with new mpeg 4 boxes out or comming out soon?

3. is there a date or guarantee when Dtv will add all the locals to our market? for now i have a winegard square shooter. SS-1000 i think or SS-2000. its the non amplified one.

4. Since hd locals via OTA are important for now, should i use my Square shooter? or i heard for 50$ dtv wil supply/install some kind of wavy looking off air antenna.

thanks in advance for any help i may get
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post #2893 of 8916
1/2/06 at 11:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Turd View Post

Hello everyone. this is my first post. If i do/say anything stupid please put me in my place.

Well... You did name yourself TURD... Welcome to the forum, we could always use some turds around here... This type of post could go on and on and on...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Turd View Post

im in NW Vegas near the 95 and Durango. I want to get Direct tv asap but i have a few questions.

1. HD Tivo is a priority. can it work with no active phone lines in the house?

2. Is now a bad time to buy/start a contract with new mpeg 4 boxes out or comming out soon?

3. is there a date or guarantee when Dtv will add all the locals to our market? for now i have a winegard square shooter. SS-1000 i think or SS-2000. its the non amplified one.

4. Since hd locals via OTA are important for now, should i use my Square shooter? or i heard for 50$ dtv wil supply/install some kind of wavy looking off air antenna.

thanks in advance for any help i may get

AFAIK, Vegas HD locals are not slated for launch timeframes yet, but rumor says it's possible near the end of 2006. Hopefully CES announcements will tell us more.
I would check antennaweb.org for antenna selection and details. In the NorthWest, you may have trouble getting some channels, due to the distance/antenna/tuner selections. Compare your zipcode to one in Henderson, Like 89014 to see the difference.
My opinion is to wait a few days if you need to purchase hardware. CES will flood these forums with announcements and advice. A few days wait could save you a lot of Money. After that, re-evaluate your plans.
There are a few others here that specifically live near you and can give better advice for antennas. There are also others that are specifically watching what D* and E* are doing in the short and long term. There are also alternatives to sat, namely Cox, where you can get most of the locals with a basic subscription if you have a QAM tuner.

vegggas
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post #2894 of 8916
1/3/06 at 4:26am
hey thanks for the quick reply.

AFAIK ? whats that mean?

whats the deal with D* ? is there a reason for the secret code?

im not sure what E* is..?

and lastly im not quite sure what a QAM tuner is...

Cox cable really isnt an option, by the time i get all the channels i want and a hd tivo, would be more expensive.
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post #2895 of 8916
1/3/06 at 8:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Turd View Post

hey thanks for the quick reply.

AFAIK ? whats that mean?

As Far As I Know, AFAIK means As Far As I Know...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Turd View Post

whats the deal with D* ? is there a reason for the secret code?
im not sure what E* is..?

D* and E* are nearly universal shortnames for DirecTV and DishNetwork's Echostar system. D* is often used to not confuse shortend names like DTV, which could mean over the air Digital TV, or DirecTV, etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Turd View Post

and lastly im not quite sure what a QAM tuner is...

QAM tuners are installed with ATSC tuners in new TV's. QAM is the modulation scheme used by cable companies for digital cable. With an HDTV with a QAM tuner, you can get basic cable service (~$8.00/month) and tune in all the local HD channels for free on every HDTV you have, instead of using an antenna.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Turd View Post

Cox cable really isnt an option, by the time i get all the channels i want and a hd tivo, would be more expensive.

Forget the brainwashing. Do your own comparisons.
The local Cox cable has, IMO (In My Opinion) overall better quality and value than anything else available (subject to criticism from others, of course). This includes HD service without additional charges (unlike D*'s $10 package), locals (D* may get the "big 4" before the end of 2006), and Dual tuner HD-DVR's for $10/mo (with expandable external storage through eSATA port) that are future proofed because you don't have to buy them and can upgrade as technology changes. Also I'm not forced into, what is now, a two year contract with a Sat provider. From Cox, you could also add High Speed cable modem service, Digital Telephone service, and your cable and DVR service on your compatible Sprint cell phone by the end of summer.
Do some research before buying anything, and please don't just take my advice or anyone else as gospel. Form your own opinion, by doing your own research. Feel free to ask OPINIONS here in this forum, they are as wild and varying as you will get anywhere else, but these are your neighbors, in your community, who went through the same things.

vegggas
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post #2896 of 8916
1/3/06 at 11:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Turd View Post

Cox cable really isnt an option, by the time i get all the channels i want and a hd tivo, would be more expensive.

Unless you must have WB HD, ESPN2HD, or Sunday Ticket, Cox looks like the best deal at the moment. It won't hurt to wait until the CES is over to see if DirecTV makes some crazy announcements (on the level of since we're in Las Vegas for CES we decided to put their HD locals up, the mpeg4 hd dvr is available tomorrow, or DirecTV 10 and 11 are twleve months ahead of schedule and will launch next Tuesday), but realistically I'd schedule a Cox install if they're available to you.
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post #2897 of 8916
1/3/06 at 5:09pm
Yep, I want to echo the sentiment that Cox is not that bad an option. A friend of mine has the D* HD Tivo and I would rather use the Cox PVR. It is a much simpler and easier interface. Also, the HD Tivo can bog down when (I assume) the disc drive gets full. I was trying to get a "Season Pass" on my friend's Tivo and it took about 30-60 seconds for Tivo to process the command. This also happens on another friend's Tivo. IMO (In my opinion) unless you need the NFL Sunday Ticket (I have friends for that!), then Cox is a better choice.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Turd View Post

Cox cable really isnt an option, by the time i get all the channels i want and a hd tivo, would be more expensive.
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post #2898 of 8916
1/3/06 at 7:07pm
From the DirecTV news tidbits today, it sounds like only the top 36 markets are getting HD locals this time around. When they start the second group of HD locals, at a slower pace, they will re-evaluate markets and decide on a case by case basis. I think Las Vegas is ranked as DMA 48??
The HD-DVR was announced to not be available until mid-2006. If past performance is any indicator, look for it during the winter holidays of 2006.

more tomorrow

vegggas
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post #2899 of 8916
1/3/06 at 7:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vegggas View Post

From the DirecTV news tidbits today, it sounds like only the top 36 markets are getting HD locals this time around. When they start the second group of HD locals, at a slower pace, they will re-evaluate markets and decide on a case by case basis. I think Las Vegas is ranked as DMA 48??
The HD-DVR was announced to not be available until mid-2006. If past performance is any indicator, look for it during the winter holidays of 2006.

more tomorrow

vegggas


You have a PM. Thanks Steve
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post #2900 of 8916
1/3/06 at 7:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vegggas View Post

As Far As I Know, AFAIK means As Far As I Know...


D* and E* are nearly universal shortnames for DirecTV and DishNetwork's Echostar system. D* is often used to not confuse shortend names like DTV, which could mean over the air Digital TV, or DirecTV, etc.


QAM tuners are installed with ATSC tuners in new TV's. QAM is the modulation scheme used by cable companies for digital cable. With an HDTV with a QAM tuner, you can get basic cable service (~$8.00/month) and tune in all the local HD channels for free on every HDTV you have, instead of using an antenna.


Forget the brainwashing. Do your own comparisons.
The local Cox cable has, IMO (In My Opinion) overall better quality and value than anything else available (subject to criticism from others, of course). This includes HD service without additional charges (unlike D*'s $10 package), locals (D* may get the "big 4" before the end of 2006), and Dual tuner HD-DVR's for $10/mo (with expandable external storage through eSATA port) that are future proofed because you don't have to buy them and can upgrade as technology changes. Also I'm not forced into, what is now, a two year contract with a Sat provider. From Cox, you could also add High Speed cable modem service, Digital Telephone service, and your cable and DVR service on your compatible Sprint cell phone by the end of summer.
Do some research before buying anything, and please don't just take my advice or anyone else as gospel. Form your own opinion, by doing your own research. Feel free to ask OPINIONS here in this forum, they are as wild and varying as you will get anywhere else, but these are your neighbors, in your community, who went through the same things.

vegggas

Come on now. There are fees to get HD from Cox. Every television provider charges tons of fees for this that and the other (even for an access card). As far as I can tell the fees are very close if you want digital everywhere. If you like the TiVo interface go ahead and get the HD TiVo. It sounds like it will be at least a year before they get the vegas locals on the sat so your have to use an antenna for those. Then when the time comes Directv will replace the box with one that will work (maybe not all the features of the TiVo) who knows.

I personally hate Cox because I have had many outages with them (for some reason the connector from the street to my house always fails after we get a good rain) and rude customer support. If I could get hi speed internet from anyone else I would.
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post #2901 of 8916
1/3/06 at 8:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lvthunder View Post

Come on now. There are fees to get HD from Cox. Every television provider charges tons of fees for this that and the other (even for an access card). As far as I can tell the fees are very close if you want digital everywhere.

Not Exactly,
If you have a QAM HD tuner intergrated in your TV you'll get local HD channels at no additional charge. I hooked up an HDTV for a friend with just the coax from the wall and it found all the local digital/HD channels. He only had expanded basic at the time. Of course if you want Premium HD there are minimal charges for a CableCard.

Lon
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post #2902 of 8916
1/3/06 at 9:15pm
I was refering to vegggas' comment about HD costing extra on Directv, but not on Cox. Not only do you need a cablecard and a box but you also need the digital gateway to get HD (other then local channels).

My main point is there are $5 fees everywhere you look from every provider.
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post #2903 of 8916
1/3/06 at 9:30pm
Way Off Topic:

I sent a PM to everyone that posted in this thread in the last 30 days or so but in the interest of wider distribution, I'll repost here:

The free AVS CES party is Friday Night, January 6th, 7:00 pm at the Sahara. Fellow local AVS'er "Gergg" and I were hoping to get interested Las Vegas/Henderson HT enthusiasts together for a low key "meet and greet" at 6:30 pm that night at the Sahara's Casbar Lounge. A chance to meet others here that enjoy audio, video and all things music and movies. Our goal is to perhaps start a series of casual meetings at member's homes if so inclined. If you are interested, PM me here or email me at f1stserve@yahoo.com - or just show up Friday night! Regards,

John

BTW - Don't get confused on the date. My first PM said Thursday, Jan 5th - WRONG!!! The party is Friday, January 6th, info here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=623261
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post #2904 of 8916
1/4/06 at 11:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lvthunder View Post

I was refering to vegggas' comment about HD costing extra on Directv, but not on Cox. Not only do you need a cablecard and a box but you also need the digital gateway to get HD (other then local channels).

My main point is there are $5 fees everywhere you look from every provider.

My point is there are no additional fees associated with HD channels as there ARE with an HD tier that you have to pay $10 a month EXTRA for on DirecTV.
You HAVE to be a DirecTV subscriber AND HAVE to OWN the Correct Hardware, and HAVE to PAY an extra $10 per month no matter what choice of programming you already have to get HD channels.
An already existing Cox customer can recieve HD channels with NO ADDITIONAL fees. Simply tune in the channels. You HAVE to be a cable subscriber, just like DirecTV, and at least the HD locals are there in the clear to be viewed. There is no $10 a month fee to watch HD channels on top of what you already have. If you are a DIGITAL subscriber, that means you have digital service and digital STB, or Cable Card, then all other HD channels, like UHD, TNT, INHD, etc are included at NO extra charge. Again, there is NO $10 dollar fee on top of existing services.
Two customers with Identical DirecTV packages and equipment - One who WANTS HD channels HAS to pay an additional $10 to view the HD channels.
Two customers with Identical Cox Digital packages and equipment - One who WANTS HD channels DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY ANY ADDITIONAL FEE to view the HD channels - Period.
If you already own your QAM tuner, you can just pay the ~$8.91 BASIC service and tune in all local HD channels, which come across free and in the clear to any QAM tuner.

vegggas
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post #2905 of 8916
1/4/06 at 3:54pm
Yes, the deal for HD is better with Cox than with DTV. But if you want to watch digital channels on multiple TV's, the deal is with DTV. Cox charges way too much to duplicate the channels on extra sets. Thats the only reason I might switch back to DTV or E if Cox does not get their act together with the MR system or fix the record to VCR feature.

The record to VCR feature was cool. I just recorded everything the kids watched and piped it to another TV. Now the quality of the picture sucks so bad I had to rent and pay for another box and outlet
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post #2906 of 8916
1/4/06 at 7:24pm
If you're a Dish Network customer don't plan on getting local HD from them. They've posted their city list and Las Vegas didn't make the cut. (Suprisingly DMA #61 Tulsa? WTF did) http://www.satelliteguys.us/photopos...oto/56/cat/502
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post #2907 of 8916
1/5/06 at 11:39am
Any word out of CES on new gadgets that would be nice to have? Does SA have a booth set up showing their Entertainment system "network thingee" (term of art).
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post #2908 of 8916
1/5/06 at 5:33pm
I wonder if KVBC has/will be getting in the equipment to show Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune in HD.
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post #2909 of 8916
1/5/06 at 6:10pm
I's rather see Merideth in HDTV! She is a Meridith I'd like to FunWith!
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post #2910 of 8916
1/5/06 at 7:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeLV View Post

I wonder if KVBC has/will be getting in the equipment to show Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune in HD.

Jeopardy and WOF are in HD format? That's news to me. Cool.
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