Toledo, OH - HDTV - Page 49

I have friends @ BCS...Here is what I know.
If these parent networks would stop trying to tie in additional contract talks with channels that already are in Toledo, there would be 4-6 additional HD channels from each network. In order to get HD channels x,y,& z... You need to re-sign an unpopular channel. Then they want to say where that channel will live, basic, digital, etc. Sounds like holding channels hostage to me. That additional channel requirements cause other issues (conflict with previous contract or other channel contracts). So BCS is trying...their hands just seem to be tied a bit.
VidEditor

You would be surprised how many QVC watchers there are!!!

Always enjoyed the way they try and sell TV's...on TV. "Just look at the picture..it's spectacular!!!" Could there be any worse way to shop for a TV?

Well I think I'm gonna leave Buckeye and give Time Warner a try. I'll only be losing CW in HD and will gain about 8 others. Plus they recently reorganized everything to be more spread out [like D*/E*]. For the first year I could have 2 HD-DVRs and 15MB internet and it will still be $30 less than Buckeye.

I don't blame you. I think what makes me so angry about buckeye is the fact they charge you for the boxes.


Here is the thing....we are paying more money towards a cable company who has a monopoly is this market than most are paying in cities like Cinci, Cleveland, and Columbus. As much as I do like the personal attention, I don't need all the crappy channels that I get for the cost of them. Do I care about QVC? No. Do I care about the other channels coming in? No. I really wish that since they are a small market company that they would specialize towards me. I want to only pay for the channels that I watch. I don't want to pay for the analog stations anymore. The only one I care about is CBC during hockey season and that is gone next year. I only want to pay for high definition. High definition should not be 45$ + 17$ for a DVR that I do not even use.

Internet connection is terribly over priced too. There is no reason someone should have to pay 45$ for 8mb. This is a monopoly and they should pay.

OK... Tired of the monopoly talk...there are plenty of options, more now than ever. Paying for individual custom channel setups will never happen. It's been proven that the cost will be outrageous. Not to mention the networks would never go for that. They want to re-negotiate ALL channels in their family every time a cable co. wants to add just one channel.
I agree with you on the HD only choice though. That would be a great option for a second or third HDTV setup.
VidEditor

With all due respect VidEditor, in Toledo proper, what other CABLE options are there? You are correct about a la carte options - it will never happen - regardless of the chest pounding by politicians looking for your vote(s). But, now that HDTV is the "norm", it simply should not cost what it does. Anything more than the basic HDTV channels and you are looking at a $13/month high def box for every HDTV in your home.

I know...it will never work....

But these boxes are just plain ridiculous in cost. I don't get to use one of my TV's to the fullest extent because I don't want to pay another 204$ a year for HD on a bedroom TV.

If things don't start changing, buckeye better watch out. The first thing people cut is the fat off their cable bill. This will allow other companies to move in as people will be looking for cheaper rates.

There are plenty of other options in this city right now for cable? Please direct me. I live in zip code 43612 and would love to see some of these other options that are available to me.

Hey Guys...I never said "cable only"...Not so sure other non-satellite co. will move in anytime soon though. Look how long it's taken U-Verse to move in.
Problem is that any of us here...high-end techo nerds (if you will)... are unique. We want top-end video/audio now. But until the SD digital channels start going away in clusters, HD will have to co-exist. HD is really not the norm yet, just Digital transmission.
Have any of you written into the local stations, asking where their HD programming is? Not necessary local news, that will take some cash, owners are trying to pay out the transmission bills first. But what about some of the syndicated programs that are avail in HD. Wheel, Jepordey, Oprah. The infa-structure should be there or close since DTV has come & gone.
Frankly, there are channels I'd like to see, but until the majority of programming on those are HD. I am ok. Of course I sit in front of monitors editing all day anyway, and on weekends in a HDTV sports truck. Guess I watch less TV @ home than you all.
I have had HD editing capability for two years now and no local stations will insert HD spots. Actually BCS is getting closer to local HD insertion than the broadcast stations.
So I recommend you send just as many letters or e-mails to all the national networks you'd like to see here in Toledo. Tell them to stop adding "pork-barrels" (is that the political term?) to all their HD contracts.
Sorry for the long winded hot air... Hope I am not that far out of context!
VE

Not at all. Good points, good info. I do find it hard to believe that such popular shows as Wheel and Jeopardy are not presented in HD locally.

We do understand where you are coming from Videditor. And like most here, I am pretty happy with Buckeye. I just feel that when the cable bill becomes my most expensive bill, that I have to look at my own fat and say is it worth it? Why are we still charged a premium price if we don't watch premium TV.

I am not sure why lots of shows like Wheel of Fortune are not in HD. 1080/720p are going to be the industry standard for the next 20 years.

They are. Lots of syndicated programs are available in HD:

-Jeopardy
-Two And A Half Men
-Wheel of Fortune
-Everybody Loves Raymond
-Seinfeld (TBS HD and local DTV stations)
-Ellen DeGeneres Show
-Oprah
-Dr. Phil
-Entertainment Tonight
-The Insider
-CSI: NY
-CSI: Miami
-Lost
-Tyler Perry's House of Payne
-Desperate Housewives
-Stargate Atlantis
-Legend of the Seeker (First Run)
-Boston Legal
-Live With Regis and Kelly
-Byron Allen's Comics Unleashed
-The King Of Queens
-Storm Stories

With more coming this fall, Rachael Ray, Dr. Oz, Inside Edition, etc.

The issue is with local stations having the ability to provide them in HD. In Detroit, we are lucky to have 4 local stations capable of syndicated HD. It will come to Toledo, I would expect relatively soon, maybe this fall.

Does anyone know if Buckeye has new HD boxes available? I'm on my 5th one (been a subscriber since 2003), and it's REALLY loud. I can hear its hard drives or whatever is spinning inside over most shows unless the volume is way up. It mght be the loudest one I've had so far.

I think it's a pace... all black on the outside, and a little smaller than the grey motorola's I've had previously.

First post updated.

National HD channels removed from provider listings.

I'm not sure if they have anything new. I have a Pace TDC 778, it's actually pretty quiet and is far less buggy than the Moto boxes. I also have an external HDD and I can't hear either of them.

Oh man. That's the box I was trying to get when I turned mine in last year. I was helping a neighbor hookup his system, and noticed the new box, which had a blue lcd as opposed to the amber color of the moto boxes.

I went into the Southwyck office to turn mine in, and they told me all they had was the crummy black box I have now.... that's super loud. I'll give 'em a call to see if they have more of these 778s. It has to be quieter.

Boy this thread is quiet....we should find something to talk about...here goes..What HD channels do you wish Buckeye carried?

I'll go first..

Discovery HD
BBC HD
Bravo
AMC

We've got Discovery HD (ch 691) already. Think that was one of the original 4 (CBS, Fox, HDNET & Discovery) way back when they started.

I was happy when they added Nat Geo HD, History HD, and HGTV HD, but I wouldn't mind seeing TLC HD, Travel HD, and MTV/MTV2 HD - whichever one plays more videos.

We have Discovery HD Theater....it's not the same programming as The Discovery Channel (ch 23). We miss out on many great shows.. The Deadliest Catch for instance.

Hey guys, need a little bit of help. I'm currently living on UT's campus for the year, and after scanning for channels on my Samsung LN32A330, I couldn't find any OTA HD channels. I found plenty of DTV channels being broadcasted in 480i, but nothing in 720P or 1080i. Any idea if this is something on UT's end? In my house in Whitehouse, OH I am able to pick up the four major stations' HD channels.

I'm stumped.

...so all I know is what's listed by the ever-reliable RabbitEars.info website. According to this source, WTOL-11, WNWO-24, WBGU-27 and WGTE-30 should all be broadcasting in 1080i, while WTVG-13 and WUPW-37 should be in 720p. Besides the sub-channels of these stations, the only station that's listed as purely 480i is WLMB-40.

But actual viewers in the Toledo area will be better witnesses about what is REALLY going on in your market.

Yeah I know that, but the problem is that I'm not getting them whatsoever.

You mention living on the UT campus, and wondered earlier if UT had something to do with this -- so are you actually watching OTA, or some kind of cable feed provided by UT?

The cable is supplied through the university.

Or they could read the first post of this topic.

How were you getting the local HD channels at home? With an antenna or from cable? Are you using the same HDTV (or STB) to get the channels at UT?

Using the same Samsung TV I had in Whitehouse and in Cleveland. Both got HD channels without a hitch. To be honest, I'm not sure how the whole "picking up HD channels" work, but I always just autoprogrammed the TV's Cable option and it picked up all the regular channels, the local stations' 1080i/720P channels, and then the Music Choice channels as well.

Both cable providers in Whitehouse and Cleveland were/are Time Warner, if that means anything.

...and yeah, it does give an updated list of all Toledo stations and HD offerings of your area cable systems -- but honestly, few people who just moved into Toledo and started reading this thread are gonna read 1400+ messages, you know?

Not that it's a BAD IDEA, of course...there's plenty of good info in this thread!

You don't quite get it do you? Let me try again.

Not all 1400, just the first one. It's always been noted here as the reference post.

...and I completely acknowledge your earlier (and VERY accurate) information. My apologies if any offense is taken -- none intended. I really DO "get it".

(Reference post? I certainly now know what you mean, but how is one supposed to know this exists? I've never seen any guidance back to a "reference post". But then, this isn't one of my usual threads -- and all I tried to do was give the same info using RabbitEars.info information...so it goes!)