Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD - HDTV - Page 277  

Cox Northern VA Details Question

I was wondering the following for cox cable Northern VA.

1) QAM modulation (64,128,...0)?
2) Symbol Rate?
3) Channel to Frequency List?

The reason I ask is I just purchased a TechniSat card and I am trying to get reception VIA tsReader. I figured this would be good technical information for this group also.

Thanks Again

Update: Received a nice call from Fairfax Antenna this morning and a tech is coming out next Monday. Seems there was a mix-up on my messages but in any event, should have my antenna up on Monday.

Thanks again for the help here...

Rodsman - I also have a positive experience with FA. You'll probably be pleased with the results.

Who from FA is doing the install? I had Dave do mine (back in November) and I am VERY happy.

Let us know how it goes.

Why do they need to drop analog? I played with Comcast's DCT6200 STB a while ago and found that they can put up to 10 digital SD channels into one single 6Mhz analog band(using QAM64/QAM256 modulation). So they will just need a few spare channels to do the simulcast thing(probably in 80~94, 101~125 range), I think they still have plenty of unused channels.

Watching analog CNN, Fox News etc on HDTV is painful, especially if you have some splitters and old cable run, the analog signal is affected by such thing greatly but digital singal is almost immune to it.

Besides, Comcast STB still has an old bug, HD channels' volume is much lower than SD channels, I have to turn down my receiver's volume a lot when I change from HD to SD, it's really annoying. Have they fixed that? I'm currently using DISH Network's 811 HD receiver and I like it a lot although DISH doesn't have too many HD channels, but I get all the OTA HD through antenna.

I fully support the digital simulcast of the entire Comcast line-up and it is my understanding that the Montgomery Co. system, like most of Comcast's 750 MHz systems, have the bandwidth to do the simulcast. My only assertion is that the shutdown of the analog channels is a bit of a way off. Between the franchise agreement obligations and the fact that a large number of customers don't get digital cable, Comcast will have to maintain the analog feeds for some time.

With the launch of the simulcast, the remaining available bandwidth will be quite limited and soon they will have to reclaim bandwidth from the analog channels to launch more services (such as additional HD channels).

Anyone hear a timetable for the launch of the simulcast on the local systems?

Yes ... certainly total analog shutdown is a long, long, long way off ... but each time you move one analog channel over to digital ... you free up a huge amount of space. I wouldn't expect any sudden drop of analog channels ... just the same thing the cable companies have been doing for years ... slowly phasing over ...

"Starting next month, the Golf channel will no longer be available to Expanded Analog subscribers. It will be moved to our digital sports tier. In addition we are adding Golf2, the WPGA channel, and Golf-On-Demand" etc.

Couple links of interest:
Interesting interview with a Comcast exec on digital simulcast (among other things):
http://www.broadbandgear.net/whoswho...iew010505.html

Fairfax County (Restom) Comcast Franchise Renewal:
http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/cccp/tel...st_renewal.htm

I find the following very interesting:
http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/cccp/tel...nse/30_VIa.pdf
Taking the PEGs all digital would seem to free up quite a bit of space for a digital simulcast ...

Absolutely, but in the recent past when the local Comcast system moved a channel to digital, it replaced the analog channel with just another analog channel. Thus, it did not free up any bandwidth. The one article you included noted that many of the systems do not expect to see the benefit of reclaiming bandwidth for a long time to come.

In any case, the digital simulcast will be a nice step forward. Not only will the 80 or so channels now in analog look a lot better, but also the Comcast DVR stores programs recorded in digital SD more efficiently--thus increasing the capacity of the DVR greatly. I look forward to seeing it...

From FCC Form 382 filings:

The following elected to return to their old channel assignments at the end of the transition:

7, 9, 11, 13, 20, 24, 45, 50

The following elected to keep their transition DTV channel assignments:

4, 5, 14, 22, 26, 53, 54, 62, 67

The following declined to keep either of their current channels and will make a selection in the next round:

2, 66

For the following no file was found:

32, 56

The preceding are the first round choices of the stations themselves, which may or may not be approved by the FCC.

Note that all post-transition channels must be in the 2-51 range.

joblo

Does this mean that those channels that have elected to return to their old channel assignments at the end of the transition will be broadcasting their DT signals over VHF frequencies after the transition?? I realize this is subject to the FCC's approval.

IIRC, uhf is 13 (edit: 14) and up, so only 7, 9, and 11 (edit: and 13) would be vhf.

No real big surprises in Joblo's post. Manassas Pax (analog 66, digital 43) is presently difficult for me to separate from WMPT digital 42 in Arlington master antenna headends, so maybe they see something better opening up.

Channel 2 ABC, which I believe is DTV 52, of course can't keep its 52 and its channel 2 is a disaster, so it may take channel 24's transition channel (is that 40 or 41?).

I'd like to see 38 digital allocated to Washington. If it is, then it could co-locate with 39 and be a good channel assignment for someone.

Elected channels ....Yes
"Post-transiton channel assignments" ... not quite yet.

I can't believe we're headed to a UHF/VHF mix (and separate antennas) for the major networks in a top-10 TV market! What is this Peoria? No offense, Peoria...;)

I'm actually quite happy with the status quo since my two UHF antennas pull-in digital locals from DC, Baltimore, Richmond and Charlottesville. It's a good thing I/we won't have to worry about this for quite sometime.

It was pretty nice to see the show information (PSIP) while watching CBS yesterday. Im sure it must have been mentioned in this thread earlier but I was not aware. Saw the same on NBC, Fox as well. But all the info was not right..such as CC, HD/SD, 16:9/4:3, etc. Nonetheless, step in the right direction!
Only thing I did not like is that CBS switches from DD the moment Without a Trace starts. Yesterday they changed from DD to sorround five min into the show. Wish they kept the DD.

Thank you, JOBLO!

Riley9208: My StealthTenna picks up VHF & UHF quite well in Burke. It might work for you, too, so only one antenna would be needed.

riffjim4069: Read the article on the opening page of AVS- End of 2006 or soon thereafter is not unlikely.

Does anyone here have Montgomery County Comcast cable service? I have their digital service and a Motorola cablecard. I get all the digital and HD channels I should get, but am unable to record them using the firewire on my Mitsubishi DLP and Mitsubishi DVCR. I know the TV and VCR are both 5C compliant and do work just fine for OTA digital stations. I am trying to figure out whether or not Comcast has set up their 5C flags on their system properly. If they have not, then that would explain the issues I have. I have tried without a cablecard and it seems that they are broadcasting local digital stations unencrypted. However, I am unable to record those as well. Again, OTA works just fine as it should. Up until now, I was struggling with them to give me a fully working cablecard that was programmed for all the channels I should get. I finally got one and am now trying to work this issue out.

Thanks for any advice!

Is there anyway we can make sure WRC knows that the primetime SNL lookback special on Sunday is in HD?

Looks as though I'm not alone in not being able to pickup WDCA-DT, based on my search thru this forum. I'm out in Warrenton with an attic-mounted CM4248 Yagi. I can pickup some Maryland Public TV Stations as well as WDCA Analog, but not a thing for WDCA-DT. I would have thought that if I could get the analog channel, I would get the DT channel.... Is this due to a transmit power level that I've seen mentioned here? I assume that the analog channel broadcasts at a much higher power than the DT until the new transmitter is online in July of 05?

That would be correct.

That would would not be correct. Some folks use tuning in analog stations as a barometer to figure out if they are going to be able to pick up digital stations. I don't believe it is very reliable as you have found out.

Digital transmissions are line of sight, travel shorter distances and use higher power levels than analog. In general analog signals can travel further distances at lower power levels. WDCA is at a very low power level at the present.

The new transmitter in July 05 rumor hopefully is correct.

Steeler, Thanks for the confirmations. I was contemplating getting a CM4228 to test in my attic to see if I would get better reception for WDCA and maybe even pickup the Baltimore stations. I've heard pretty good things about the 4228. What antenna do you use where you are at?

riffjim4069, Please tell me what your antenna setup is that allows you do get all the markets you mention. Thanks

The 4228 is an eight bay bowtie antenna that is extremely popular and an excellent choice. I use the CM 4221 a 4 bay bowtie antenna. I doubt you will be able to pull in any B'more stations and doubt very much if you will be able to pull in WDCA from an attic mount at your location. If you mount a 4228 on your roof with a pre-amp you should have significantly better results but probably still no WDCA. Anyway WDCA doesn't have much or any HD at the present. There are several posters from your area who will probably chime in their 2 cents.

Steeler, Where can I purchase a CM4228 in the DC area? I've found that Lowes carries CM gear, but apparently not the 4228. Found them online for as cheap as $50.... Thinking about possibly getting 2 and stacking...

So are analog transmissions. UHF is UHF. The differences between analog TV and digital TV are in WHAT is transmitted, not how. ;)

You will have to order the 4228 from Lowes. It usually takes about two weeks. I would order on-line, Warren or Stark Electronics. I have had good experiences with Warren.

http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/507...h10002-med.jpg

Larry, you are correct. I just assumed that with all the digital stations in the area broadcasting in UHF that most people would understand what I might.

Looks like you are ready for anything......I will just have to pull out my old Radio Shack UHF/VHF antenna if things change.

I dont know if WDCA has changed anything recently, but I have been able to get a decent signal pretty regularly now. ST:Enterprise looked great. And even the ACC basketball games (which are SD upconverts, I am assuming) look pretty good (at least compared to DCA on DirecTV). I am using the CM4221 (4 bay bowtie) without any pre-amp and am about 5 miles from the tower.

Anyone else able to get WDCA-DT now?