Cleveland, OH - TWC - Page 97

Hi all! I've been MIA for a while on this board. Directv has just increased the NFL Sunday ticket to $320 per year, which includes the HD games. I'm really not happy about this and I'm considering a move back to Adelphia. Not sure this is the right move, but I hope you guys might be able to help me with my decision.

I'd like to know how Adelphia has been lately...In terms of PQ of SD channels as well as PQ of the HD channels. I would also like to know what HD DVR is being offered and what do I need to know about this box? I've looked through the thread, but I was unable to really understand what's going on with Adelphia version upgrades.

If someone could be kind enough to write a short paragraph about the HD DVR's and HD channels. I would greatly appreciate the help!

Thanks,

JP

I have used Adelphia HD since its introduction. I am satisfied with the overall picture quality. I also think their offerings are great (only missing TNT and Universal (formerly Bravo). I would like to see a PPV channel, but that's a small quibble.

The HD DVR I have is the SA 8300. As far as I know, this is the only HD DVR they currently have available. I find it easy to use, but doesn't offer the features of TiVo (as far as I know, none of the HD boxes come close to TiVo).

Adelphia has a HD PPV channel (799), but as far as I know, it's only been used once...for a boxing match a few weeks or so ago.

Adelphia at least at one time offered the SA 8000...it's the unit I still have today. It's no TiVo, to be sure. It has basically been fairly solid for me, though it did punt once when I had two shows scheduled in a time slot and a third show showed up there from a previous "record all" setting...it didn't record any of the three shows! Other than that, it's gotten everything. You kinda have to keep a better eye on the SA DVRs vs. TiVo...TiVo takes care of its own problems and conflicts better.

PQ of the SD channels is moderate to not bad, though the 8000 records SD channels in worse quality than live (the 8300 is supposed to fix this problem). Adelphia DID something pretty good recently with the SD channels...they are doing the local OTA network affiliates in digital quality (SD) on the lower channels (3, 4/19, 5, 6/43, 8). But all of those except for 43 are available in HD on Adelphia, so it may not matter much to you with an HD box.

The non-digitally delivered SD channels, below 100, still look a bit fuzzy to me. Maybe I'm just too spoiled by the digital and HD channel quality.

This is long-term, but Adelphia will eventually become Time Warner Cable locally, in the next year or so. TWC generally has a decent reputation down here (Akron/Canton/Youngstown).

I mean a PPV channel with movie offerings. Of course I know about the events channel (it was used for a Mike Tyson HD fight over a year ago).

While you may not have been able to get a watchable signal from either distant channel 10 before WOIO-DT went on the air, there still may be artifacts of these analog signals affecting WOIO-DT.

Thanks for the information about "The New Network" becoming the A channel. I have been tempted to "go grey" (i.e. get a fake Canadian address in order to subscribe to a Canadian DBS service). If the Canadian digital OTA's ever get on the air I may be able to grab some of them. I can get a snowy ch-16 which is a New Network station "The New WI" as in CHWI. It's almost 100% the same programming as CFPL except for the local news. WHat I really want is a good feed of the CBC (which is what CFPL used to be). I get CBC on 40 sometimes - but usualy there is another 40 from Pittsburg (Cornerstone). I have Sky Angel so I can flip to SA to identify which ch 40 I'm getting.

BTW: for those of you "aiming at Parma" I live in the antenna farm (Seven Hills for now, moving soon to Parma in the shadow of WJW's tower). I use an omni which works fine for the close stations but gives me squat for WEAO and the rest of the Akron/Canton stations. I bought a Silver Sensor and found a spot where I can get a lock for two stations from A/K (the other one is WDLI with it's 4 subchannels). There is about 200' of terrain between Seven Hills and A/K that I believe is blocking the signal (I never had a decent picture on any of the analogs except for 67 which is Shop-at-Home (big deal). I wish PAX-23 would have moved their stick to where 67 is (Brimfield or Suffield, just South of Kent IIRC). PAX used to own 67 and moved the stick before selling the station to SAH.

Anyone have any news on when PAX and WBNX are going to sign on their DT's?

" interference issues in Canada" ? How about interference issues with WGTE in Toledo? I don't know about any ch 30's in "near-by" Canada, the closest one would be ch 31 which is a repeater of CITY-TV (and another 31 in Ann Arbor, MI). Since WJW has been on 31 for some time now I don't see how WBNX's signal would affect Canada. I was wondering about WBNX & WJW being adjacent channels.

There is another Canadian station near-by on 29 which is a Global repeater. Again a DT signal on 30 should not affect either adjacent ananlog station.

WBNX re-submitted an application that corrects the interference issues, but the FCC has been VERY slow with it. I don't know what the deal is, but WBNX should be working very closely with the Canadian officials and the FCC to get this done. Cleveland is a Top 20 market, and it is one of the only stations not broadcasting digitally. Hell even the Univision affiliate is digital, pathetic.

Based on DX reception I received prior to any DT signals signing on or the knowledge of a station in a neighboring market, here is my critique of the Cleveland DT assignments:

WKYC-DT 2: Ch 2 has a high tendency to "skip" like short-wave radio. I once picked up WPBT-2 from Miami and KPRC-2 Houston back in the 80's. Closer to home you have WJBK-2 Detroit (I wonder what channel 2 looks like in Sandusky in either analog or digital), KDKA-2 Pittsburg (ditto my comments about Sandusky, just change the recetion location to points south of Canton).

WEWS-DT 15: The only DT assignment that has no nearby analog station. The closest is Parkersburg, WV which is way beyond the 110 mile limit for any point within the Cleveland DMA. There is something called "land mobile" associated with ch 15. But I've never seen any data regarding the effects of land mobile on DT signals.

WJW-DT: a CITY-TV repeater somewhere in SW Ontario and WPXD-31 Ann Arbor - potential problems anywhere along the south shores of Lake Erie. I've DX'ed both of these on numerous occasions in Euclid.

WOIO-DT 10: CFPL-10 London Ontario used to be viewable as strong as some local channels. The farther you travel northeast along the south shore of Lake Erie the stronger CFPL comes in. I presume similar problems in Ashland and Mansfield with WBNS-10 out of Columbus.

WVPX-DT 59: Not on the air yet. But if/when they do go on the air, 59 is one of the frequencies that the FCC wants to auction off for non TV use. BTW I never DX'ed anything on 59, so the auxction aside, it is otherwise a good channel to use.

WVIZ-DT: There is a 26 in Springfield/Columbus WBDT. Less likely to cause probelms in the southern most regions of the Cleveland DMA due to Springfield being a little bit farther south. So 26 would not be so bad for Cleveland. If only WVIZ could get the full power on the tall tower.

WUAB-DT: WTTE-28 in Columbus might affect the southern region. I once DX'ed this one from Downtown Cleveland.

WBNX-DT: WGTE-30 in Toledo probably would cause the western region problems.

WQHS-DT: WOSU-34 another Columbus analog with potential problems for the southern region of the DMA.

Then there is the reverse problems such as Pittsburg's KDKA-DT's assignment on 25! That one has been reported on other forums as causing problems in a wide area both inside and outside the Pittsburg DMA.

Bottom line the majority of DT assignments are poorly chosen, resulting in the DT transmitters being run on less than full power to try and mitigate interference with nearby DMA's, and leaving the "outskirts" out-of-luck for anything OTA (digital or analog).

This completes my rant. I apologize if this has been addressed before. I did not read all 144 pages of this thread so please forgive this newbie. I hope the information will help some who can't get a lock on some of the Cleveland stations and/or will loose some stations intermittantly as the summer "skip" season approaches. Living "downwind" from the transmitters helps me, however most of you don't live that close.

By the way, the problem station for WBNX-DT is not analog WGTE/30 out of Toledo, but a digital allocation for Paris, Ontario (between Hamilton and London) on 30 itself. I believe this is the digital side of the Global network station on analog 6, which at least one website claims is the original home of Toronto-based CIII-TV (now analog 41 in Toronto itself, I believe).

The Canadians have been dragging their feet getting OTA DT up. Let them move an allocation for once!

I have DX'ed the Paris Global staton several times, sometimes on my car radio! I used to cruise listeneing to 87.7 FM, if audio is heard chances the skip is up. One time I heard ESPN's audio!?! It turned out to be a bad Cable TV installation in an apartment building on W.130th St. Back in my Euclid days I used to get WUAB on channel 4 by aiming my rotor at the Americana (too bad they didn't put Showtime on ch 4).

Speaking of the WB, if you are able aim your antenna at Youngstown and try to get a lock on 20. If successful you will receive WFMJ-DT with an HD NBC plus an SD WB! I once got the PSIP data into my guide but the signal was never strong enough to give a picture.

I know it's only SD, but it is digital (one step closer than what we have now).

Getting the Youngstown signals is a good thing, especially when our locals decide not to show the network programing. WEWS is the worst offender ofthis followed by WKYC. But the true joy of getting the Youngstown stations is during the NFL regular season. Once in a while they will carry a different game than WOIO (forget FOX, that station, WYFX, is LP in Y-town). I hope that WKBN will do a subchanel of WYFX when they finally get their DT running on 41 (I have seen an unlockable signal on 41 from time to time).

We talk about the Youngstown DTV stations here from time to time. One of our regulars, who lives down in Springfield Twp. in Summit County, can pick up WFMJ-DT fine. I'm over on the other side of the Akron area, and doubt I could get it even with a rooftop antenna.

WFMJ's engineer posts occasionally on the Youngstown thread, and I think has even shown up here once or twice. I asked him about future power increases, and he noted I could expect an increase out of WFMJ-DT...in July 2006, when they're legally mandated to do so. No idea on the status of WKBN-DT.

I have some digital screencaps from the market, when I drove over there one day...

FYI - those looking for the PBS HD feed via WVIZ-DT 26 this weekend will be disappointed.

If you're one of the 100 or so people who can pick up their OTA digital signal, or if you get WVIZ-DT via Adelphia cable, they're simulcasting their analog channel most of this weekend to carry the annual WVIZ Auction:

http://www.wviz.org/auction/index.shtml

The auction will repeat next Friday through Sunday.

Those of us in the Akron area can still get PBS HD via WEAO-DT 50.1 Akron.

I only saw a few seconds of WVIZ-DT, and that was a subchannel called OhioLink. I can get 50.1 & 50.2 by aiming my Silver Sensor out my front window.

I can hardly wait to see what I get when I move into Parma. The new house is 100' higher than where I am now (and I'm failly high up already at 1061'). That is why I have been getting 2 of the 3 Youngstown analog statons full time using only an indoor bow-tie.

Thanks for the Y-town pics! If anybody is interested, there is an HD DX page where WFMJ-DT was picked up in Indiana! They even show a "WBCB coming soon" slate as the pic from WFMJ!

Is 21 & 33 the only Y-town stations your friend can get? I was wondering if WKBN is live yet. I see a signal on 41 but it never locks. They could jut be in test mode for now.

I believe that "OhioLink" thing is the subchannel they use to carry the radio reading service. It's the same service you can hear now on the SAP channel of analog 25.

As far as Y-Town's DT situation, if WKBN-DT is up, it's only testing. I don't believe they have program material up, and I wasn't aware they were even doing anything with the signal...

When I aim my Silver Sensor to the ESE and try for 41, I get a "tease" signal on my 921 that fluctuates from 70 to 0 and back. Same thing happens on 20 and 36.

Michael,
I'm the guy down in Springfield Township. I get a very strong signal on 20 and a much weaker signal on 36. 36 does not freeze or pixelate but the picture has a tendency to continually jump ahead as if someone removed several frames. Even stranger, the sound never skips. I've never seen anything like it on any other digital channel. I talked to their head engineer and he thinks I'm just too far away. I wish I could get a better signal since they broadcast in DD 5.1 while WEWS does not. Have you ever had a problem like this while watching something in HD on 36? I've never gotten any signal on 41. I'll try again tonight.
Steve

I can lock in 21 and 33 on rear occasions. 27 I have not got it to lock in either.

whatever, you're a steeler fan. you're hdtv is probably black and gold. you're not welcome in this forum!

Mike_Stuewe your tone is all wrong

Anyone got a phone # to call?

Edit:
Whoops, no HD tonight...
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...06#post5650006

Folks in Medina if you do not know Armstrong has gotten CBS HD now. channel 104. It sure took them long enough.

That's just how those Browns fans are, You KNOW that. What's are SOLJA anyway? What's a Brown for that matter?!

Anyone else with Adelphia have sound problems on the HD channels, only? I had it from about 5 tonight...the sound died entirely, but worked on the analog channels.

After I came back home and still found the sound gone on the HD channels, I rebooted the SA8000 and now I have sound again. It must be a glitch that got triggered in the box or something.

Well, since I don't watch anything live other then news I can't help.

As mentioned, it's OK now, after a reboot.

But...it wasn't just live. Anything that got recorded in that time frame from the HD channels was also soundless.

I was just wondering if this was a "known bug" with the SA8000, and if I have to worry about it happening in the future...

Supposedly the last update was to deal with sound glitches, and while they haven't disappeared completely it does seem to me on the 8300 that sound problems are less frequent.

Inundated, what's keeping you from going to the 8300?

FWIW, I received a form letter in the mail from Adelphia basically saying that the deal with Comcast and Time Warner is done and my cable service is one of the ones to be affected by it. It did not specify which provider, though common sense tells me its TW.

It also mentioned no changes for at least a year.

Hey gang, newbie here; I hope I'm not rehashing old subjects, but I'm finally making the plunge into hdtv..my beat up old 27" magnavox is acting funny so it's time to get a new tv. Anyway, I have to get either digital cable or a dish..I'm in Mentor and see I have some neighbors on avs...anyone have any advice on which is better to get between the dish or digital comcast cable?

I wish picking a new tv was as easy as the dish/cable decision LOL..thanks again for any advice.

Steve

Steve,
If you go the dish route, the only way to get the HD local channels(ABC, CBS, etc) is with an antenna(no dish company yet offers local HD channels via the dish). If you have no problem with that then it's just a matter of comparing price and channels offered. The only other issue is that the dish companies slightly reduce the resolution of the 1080i HD channels(HBO, Discovery, etc) to save bandwidth. Cable does not do that. On the other hand most average people probably would not know the difference or care.
Steve