Cleveland, OH - TWC - Page 40

Can someone tell me if they have and sound problems when watching digital cable? I live in Medina have Armstrong cable, Have HD DVR Motorola 6400 box. Have ESPNHD, HDNET, HDNET MOVIES. PBS, and Locals. When watching digital local channels mostly but have heard it also on HD channels the sound goes up and down like crazy, It will go to a whisper almost than back to normal. I talk to Armstrong and they said its not there problem that it comes like that from the stations. is this true or is there a problem at Armstrong or could cable box be bad? Other people in my neighborhood have same problem including a Armstrong employee. Do any others having Adelphia, Comcast, Time warner etc have this problem? Sure would like to get this fixed. Any help that I could pass on to Armstrong would be appreciated.

You Adelphia guys got me jealous so I got the SA8000HD via Wide Open West on Saturday. Running SARA v1.82.12.a5

So far, so good. This is an improvement over the 3250HD in that I now have the "#" button on the remote to do instant wide/zoom/normal mode. Previously I had to go into the 3250HD setting button to do that.

Initial impressions - very impressive! I've never played with a DVR before, and I'm pretty happy with it. Recording SD and HD seems fine, the dual tuner PIP feature is a great improvement.

I asked the install tech about when firewire and DVI would be enabled, he said "in a couple months" FWIW. He said that when that software rev is available the whole box would have to be swapped out? No software upgrade over the wire? Sounds odd to me....

-- Paul

Adelphia gets software updates over the wire, so I suspect he's mistaken. Our first HD boxes had the same basic software as these first HD DVRs and eventually updated without the user having to do anything.

Sounds like an Armstrong or Moto box problem to me. I do notice a difference in volume level going from the HD stations to the regular stations (on Wide Open West on the SA3250HD and SA8000HD), but I don't notice any fluctuations within individual channels. On the SA boxes there's a "wide/narrow" dynamic range setting on the audio that people have reported may help with the problem you describe - maybe you want to see if the Motorola box has such a setting?

-- Paul

Don't know if this is possible - but are you sure the SA8000 is set up correctly to output in 720p or 1080i mode? Because I don't really see a difference between DVI and components, and I think I'm pretty picky about PQ...

The reason I say that is I got a Hughes HTL-HD on D* last week and was checking out the HD channels (no I did not read any directions ) and although it looked "pretty good" something did not seem right... When I read the directions, I discovered the box was outputting 480p at all times instead of going "native" depending on the input signal... Once I pressed the "format" button to correctly pass thru the signals, what a difference, LOL...

-- Paul

You *should* be able to do this, as the SA8000HD has a set of "VCR archive" jacks (composite video, and L/R audio). There was a thread on how to do this yesterday, but I can't find it now. How you do it changes slightly depending on the software rev in the STB.

Update: I just tried this, and it worked. In your list of recorded items, there is a "copy to VCR" option. Cool feature - while the box is playing the archived item out the composite jack for "VCR archive" connection, you can continue to watch TV!

Note: I crashed the box hard trying to play back an HDNet recording while I was recording tonight's ESPNHD baseball game - I guess such is the nature of this "beta" STB software we're playing with, LOL...

-- Paul

Adelphia's combo box is using SARA v. 182.8.1

Did anyone catch Fox testing the HD system last night? I recorded the North Shore on my HD TiVo and they had Super Bowl 36 on which looked fantastic.

It's good to see that they are ready to go.

I am out here in Avon and I am thinking about switching from Direct TV to adelphia primarily for the HD DVR and I have few questions.

1. Is the HD DVR box out, customer service says no, but a quick glance from this forum seems to indicate that it is. If it is, how is it? How many hours does it record and does it have a DVI output?

2. Is ESPN HD currently available, again a disagreement between Customer service and there own web page.

3. Is the hd service through adelphia reliable?

Thanks

John

Yes, the HD DVR is out. It works well, and can hold about 20 hours of HD. It has a DVI output, but DVI is not active yet on it. A firmware update will be sent by Adelphia to the box sometime this fall to activate it.

Yes, ESPN HD is available on channel 752. It's part of the HD Plus package. Don't expect much HD content on it, though - much of what they broadcast is still SD.

Based on my experience of the last week or so, the HD service is not particularly reliable. I've had many major dropouts causing the screen to lock up or go blank for minutes at a time. In one case, the DVR simply stopped recording a show right in the middle of it because the signal vanished. I don't know whether or not others are having this problem - I intend to call Adelphia to set a service person to take a look at it. Interestingly, though, this problem has only been occuring for the last week or so. There's been no change here that might have triggered it, but two new neighbors have moved in recently, so there may have been some cable activity in the area.

DVI not active? how is the quality of the HD without a DVI? The HD DVR records 20 hours of HD, how many hours of SD then? Will the dvr allow me to add an external antenna input? Thanks for all your help.

Regards,

John

So which PBS station is broadcasting HD? Is this a Cleveland local? Wondering if someone has the equipment just not the broadcasting capability yet.

I've never noted any difference between DVI and component. The component outputs of the SA8000HD look fine to me. When they get the DVI working, I'll give it a try, but for now I'm getting an excellent picture.

I think I remember 90 being cited as the number of hours of SD, but don't hold me to that.

No, there's no input for an antenna. It wouldn't be very useful anyway, since this is a QAM tuner and OTA signals are broadcast in 8VSB. I agree that I'd like the ability to capture shows over the air as well as over cable, but it would take a lot more than just an additional input to do that.

At the risk of being flamed, there is no perceptible difference between component and DVI (at least on my 42" plasma). I wouldn't let that stop you from getting the unit...

SA website says with 80GB HD, you get 30 to 50 hrs of SD recording, and these 8000HD boxes have 160GB drives, so I guess you should be in the 60 - 100 hour range with SD.

This is a good thread on the SA8000HD, especially the first couple messages describing the features:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...ghlight=8000hd

There's no external antenna input. Here's a link to the setup guide with all the hookups:
http://www.scientificatlanta.com/exp...d/4001025B.pdf


-- Paul

Thanks to all, your info has been great. How do others who have the service view those local station that are broadcast in HD but not yet on adephia. Imparticularly cbs and the soon to be hd fox.

Regards,

John

If you only have cable you don't watch the HD channels of CBS and Fox. Otherwise, you can get an over the air HD receiver.

In my case, I have Directv and Adelphia so I get ABC, CBS, Fox & UPN via over the air and NBC via Adelphia.

I think someone said that Fox HD is in the works for Adelphia when they go live in Sept.

ZManCartFan,
The local PBS stations that are currently broadcasting digitally are WNEO channel 46 in Alliance and WEAO channel 50 in Akron. Titantv.com is an excellent resource to see what stations are broadcasting and what they are broadcasting. Antennaweb.org can give you the station's transmitter compass direction and distance from your location.
Steve

...unless you have cable via Wide Open West

Very good point!

A lot of people said no difference or marginal difference. To me there is a lot of difference, especially SD, compared to Adelphia HD box (no DVR). I set it 1080i for HD channels and 480i for SD. If 720p for HD, picture is stretched. HD-DVR is not automatically convert signals, whereas regular HD box with DVI connection is automatically converting.
Since I'm a novice in this area, I'll accept any other opinions and different set up ideas.
Thanks.

I agree with the others that the current picture quality through component (talking Adelphia here) is excellent. I was somewhat skeptical at what might be the result of having the costly ISF calibration on my set (a GWII) but the results coupled with cable HD (true HD) stations is oustandingly sharp and colorful. It will be difficult to achieve improvement, in my opinion, when DVI is activated.

I also have to admit, while it was a long wait, the current HD offerings and cost from Adelphia are quite attractive. I am less skeptical now on how long it will be before the remaining HD channels will arrive on cable and look forward to this additional programming.

While I have complained a lot in the past, facing a potential move to an area with limited cable/OA HD offerings, I must admit I am likely to miss what is currently available in the Cleveland area (never thought I would say that!)

Speaking of calibration, anybody getting it done anytime soon? I know there's at least one local person who is ISF certified, but I don't know anything about him. I don't think there are any out-of-town visitors coming through...

Thanks to everyone for there replies, Adelphia offered me free installation with no commitment so what the heck sounds like nothing to loose, so I think I will give it a go.

Regards to all!!!

John

If WEAO digital is on the air, I can't pick it up in Medina. I get WDLI from Canton just fine (RF channel 39), and it's farther away and supposedly has about the same ERP.

WVIZ-DT has special temporary authorization to broadcast at 1kW from their Brookpark studio location, but that won't get very far, if they're even on the air at that.

FWIW, I can't get any of them either in Medina. The antennas for WEAO and WVIZ are listed as being in the same general direction as (most of) the other Cleveland stations. I can't get WDLI at all, but I've got the antenna aimed more toward Cleveland. That's why I asked what Armstrong was broadcasting. Wonder if it's a national feed?

WRAP TV Cleveland ????

I was watching "tvo" (television Ontario, PBS I guess) channel 32 when I noticed a pretty strong beat on it and moved the antenna from 330 degrees to 350 degrees and found a station that plays an endless steam of info-mercials
that ID'ed with a crawler across the top of the screen that said "WRAP Cleveland". I guess its legal. Anyone else notice this robotic piece of trash
on the air?

Dan

http://www.tvo.org/

Sounds more like WcRAP.

Looks like it's legal, though hard to google any good info on it.

WRAP-CA (Channel 32; CLEVELAND, OH; Owner: COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING CORP.)

"CA" means "Class A" television service which looks like a classification somewhat above Low Power television service. Here's some info:
http://www.wcsr.com/FSL5CS/telecommu...nmemos1145.asp

Another google search found "infomercials" as their primary programming type...

> WRAP TV Cleveland ????

They were associated with WAOH TV-29 Akron (also LPTV)... Same company that owns WNIR-FM, WJMP-AM Kent

> If WEAO digital is on the air, I can't pick it up in Medina.

I've been told the digital STL is up and power has been applied to the DTV50 transmitter... should be soon...

Ed...

Channel 1 on Adelphia is announcing a special HD channel (Channel 710) for the NBC HD olympics coverage. There is discussion of the specific programming here:

NBC HD Olympic Coverage