Denver, CO - Comcast - Page 124

In south Jeffco (near Littleton):
52.1 = 9.1 (NBC)
52.2 = 31.1 (FOX)
52.3 = 9.2 (Weather)
52.4 = 9.4 (Universal Sports)

All channels are in the clear.

Thanks, but no, I tried those already. Nothing there. Just did another scan and still nothing.

It's a few days old now, but I ran across this while searching for analog shut-off info:

http://www.coloradodaily.com/ci_1475...#axzz0jWf0jyei

Regarding CableCARD installations/re-pairings - since there is now a "Digital Self-Install Kit" listed in the Products and Services price list, doesn't that imply that you can/should be able to do a CableCARD self-install?

I'm going to try and get some existing cards re-paired over the phone over the next few days for some new Tivo Premieres. Hopefully, it'll be a lot easier than it was three years ago.

Up in Longmont here, we have had many channels switched over to digital (completely removed from analog broadcast). I've been able to locate most channels with my TV's auto-scan feature, but seemed to have lost cartoon network. Perhaps it went to a scrambled transmsission, can someone confirm this?

I am also looking for information on what channels should be tuneable with a QAM tuner after the digital switch happens.

My wife has several TVs at her office and Comcast has been pestering her that she must put converter boxes on ALL of them. Most of the TVs are less than 2 years old and have QAM digital tuning.

The TVs are installed in difficult locations and putting cable boxes on them will be a huge hassle.

Right now, there are 77 clear QAM channels in Erie. This number is up from 55 just a month ago. Regardless of what channels are available today, there is no guarantee that anything beyond the local channels will be available in a month or two from now when Comcast has completed its digital "enhancement" process. Comcast can't even get its printed or website channel lists to match what is actually being delivered, so there is no reason to believe that what we end up seeing as clear QAM will make any real sense. When the conversion is over, you'll be able to receive the locals for sure, but beyond that who knows, maybe not even Comcast. Over the years, I have often received an extra channel or two not listed for my package, but there is no certainty that will continue in the future. Comcast is NOT obligated to provide anything but the locals in clear QAM. You will probably see all the "Basic" package channels in clear QAM, but that may be it. Only time will tell.

Thanks for the info. Looks like I will have her rescan her TVs after they make the switch and maybe periodically afterwards until something she really needs is no longer available.

The only digital channels guaranteed to remain in the clear are those in the limited basic package, including local channels (SD and HD). Anything in a higher package - expanded basic, digital starter, etc. - is subject to encryption (channels above digital starter will always be encrypted). There are 20 or so channels in expanded basic that recently went in the clear, but I doubt they will stay that way (I suspect someone may have made a mistake configuring those channels).

We have several TV's that need to be addressed (by the end of May according to the notice we received yesterday). Since we subscribe to both cable and satellite, we may decide to move cable boxes out of rooms already set up for satellite and place them in rooms with only analog cable at present. Even then, the need is still there for digital adapters. We have quite a few old, but still working TV's scattered throughout the house for the convenience of watching something in (nearly) any room. We'd like to keep that convenience, but it may be too costly.

The 105.x and 106.x clear QAM channels are now encrypted again (except for 105.4, Discovery Channel). That's not exactly a big surprise. One channel has been added at 57.1 (Channel 897), which will be used to provide 3D/HD service, starting with the Masters on 4/7. We now have 53 clear QAM channels, most of which are likely to remain available. ABC Family HD is at channel 63.2 for now, but for how long?

I received Comcast's "death notice" and now wonder if my dvr will become useless. I have bypassed the cable box in the past in order to record programs while I was watching others.

Since the dvr doesn't have an IR blaster to control the box, the only way to change channels was by using the built-in NTSC/Qam tuner. Pretty much everything is going to be encrypted now so this means I am screwed.

If you have the Comcast Motorola DCT700 standard definition set-top box, you CAN program the box to turn on and change to the proper channel for recording. The option is available on the Program Guide. You can even adjust the start and end times if necessary. I feed the composite output of my DCT700 to my VCR and then program the VCR to record the Line Input at the appropriate time. I am now using this process to record two shows on Wednesday night (USA & COM) and one on Friday night (Syfy) on a weekly basis. All of your local network shows on ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, MyN and NBC can still be recorded directly from the cable without using the set-top box. The RF input of my VCR is used for local network recording from the normal Comast analog channels: 7, 4, 2, 13, 3 & 9

Can someone who has made the Comcast forced digital switch tell me if the "free" Comcast digital cable box provided has an HDMI output? If not, what is the highest level of output connection available on that "free" box?

The free box only has an RF output, channel 3 or 4. To get component video or HDMI, you will have to pay for a typical set top box rental.

Today, magically, all my QAM HD channels (7.1, 9.1, 31.1, etc.) still claim to be 720p, but are formatted as 4:3 rather than 16:9.

Anyone else notice this?

Thanks for the quick response. That kind of negates the plan I had to keep the RF input for Clear QAM to get the locals in HD and to have the Comcast digital box for Enhanced Basic Cable channels. It's my M-I-L's TV and cable and she can't afford any more charges on her cable bill.

I haven't tried this myself, but you should be able to use an RF splitter, run one half to an A/B RF switch, the other half to the new upgrade box, from that ch 3 or 4 output to the other half of the A/B RF switch, then simply switch between the direct cable service feed vs. the modulated ch 3 or 4 feed. You would have to alternate between the antenna and QAM settings in the TV for the RF input. This would get you both types of signals with a minimum of fiddling.

Got my DTAs installed today. Can Comcast get rid of the analogs now?

I don't understand why you can't receive Create on the DTA. V-Me and the NBC sub-channels are available.

You should receive Create, V-me and the NBC sub-channels if you are paying for the Digital Starter package or above. My DTAs receive the following channels:

2-48,53-4,58-9,61-2,64-69,71-8,95,98-9,104,119,128-9,135-6,163-5,169-71,183,230,236-39,243,245,247-250,275-6,477,484,504

Even if you are paying for a higher package (like Digital Preferred), the DTA does NOT provide the additional channels above the Digital Starter level. Also, it does NOT provide the Digital Music channels either.

You list some channels that aren't listed on Comcast's site for digital starter. Either their site is wrong (which may very well be the case) or the DTA's are tuning some channels they probably shouldn't.

Do the DTA's respond to the same remote codes as full-service cable boxes, or do they have their own code set? In one room we have two analog TV's on opposite ends, so if the boxes use the same remote codes, it might make things a little tricky in that room.

The channels I listed are more or less (except for the recent channel shuffle) the channels that Comcast listed on their January billing (mine was dated 12/18/09) that you received in December. Other than that, almost all of the Comcast lists seem to be incorrect in one way or another. The Comcast website list for Starter Cable does NOT list some of the channels that were on the January Billing list. Comcast seems incapable of producing a list that is current, accurate and actually matches the channels they are delivering in a given area. Sometimes additional channels that are NOT listed are actually delivered. Comcast has listed Channel 55 (Goverment Access) on the Basic Cable list for a number of years, but there NEVER has been anything on that channel in my area. In the end, you get what you get at the whim of Comcast. If they list a channel for your package that you are not getting (with the exception of Channel 55), they probably can be made to provide it to you.

Hmm of the over 99 channels I get 104, 119, 128, 129, 136, 163, 165, 169, 170, 171, 183, 222, 230, 236, 237, 238, 239, 243, 245, 247, 249, 250, 275, 276, and 504. No Create on 248, not that I really care but it would be nice to have. You also get a few more that I don't including 135, 477, and 484.

It would appear that the DTA available channels are not consistent throughout the metro area. That makes no particular sense, but then much of what Comcast does seems to fall into that category. So, you are missing 135, 164, 248, 477 and 484, and I am missing 222. For my area, channel 222 is on the Basic list, which is not even possible without a set-top box, which certainly is not consistent with the Basic Package principal. I marvel at the complete lack of organization on Comcast's part when it comes to what channels are listed in what packages and what channels are actually delivered via analog, clear QAM, scrambled QAM, DTA and full set-top boxes. The only rule appears to be that there are no rules.

Channel 222 is Fit TV, what used to be at channel 59 until the recent channel switch.

Speaking of channel switches, KTVD My20 (SD) is moving from 3 to 5 next Tuesday. CET is switching to Digital Classic (which means DTA's won't get it, if I'm understanding all this) and will move from 5 to 105. On May 4, KCDO 3 (out of Sterling) will be added on channel 3. (DirecTV added KCDO about a year ago. When I looked at the schedule at the time, it was almost all paid programming. Don't know what's on the channel now.)

http://www.denvergov.org/Default.asp...ov.org/Telecom

There is no longer a Comcast package called Digital Classic, so CET on Channel 105 should remain available in the Digital Starter Package and via the DTA. The Comcast package above Digital Starter is called Digital Preferred. Over the last year, Comcast has reduced the number of package options available.

For some reason, Comcast does not appear to be in any hurry to provide KTFD (14.1) or KCEC (50.1) in high definition. Both are now broadcasting in 1080i. Since Comcast is already mapping the channels to 14.1 and 50.1, I wonder why they are waiting?

Has anyone been out to http://www.tvguide.com/listings for the Denver area lately? I dont know if I am doing something wrong, its a mistake, or a sign of something to come? HD channels remapped, added and starting at 702?

I got a postcard late last week from Comcast saying that on the 12th, I'd be getting 70-something new HD channels, and listing all of the new channels and mappings. Over the weekend, a lot of the new channels showed up, and overnight last night, the existing channels mapped to their new places. I kind of like the new mappings... Seems like a lot of channels have their same two digits, just with a 7 in front of them... 9 -> 709, 16 -> 716, etc.

OK, that is what is showing up on the tvguide.com website. I like the new schema for channels, the only thing better would be to map HD channel 9 to channel 9 on an HD cablebox.

Where are you located?

When were your analogs shut off? Did all of Denver metro get the new channels, or only certain areas?

Thanks