Los Angeles, CA - TWC - Page 271

I did look up channels before I went to the office (Eagle Rock) and saw what you posted. So I was surprised when the rep said broadcast only included channels "up to 38." But I assumed I had either misread the website or the policy had changed.

My set up with the DVR included a split line directly to my TV, so I was familiar with what channels were available that way. But, after what the rep said, I thought that must have been the result of having hidef service.

Thanks for the info. Maybe I'll try again (and print out the channel list to take with me). I'd like to know for sure, though, before I fork over that $39.

has startover been enabled on the iGuide boxes yet? Here in North Texas TWC just upped the number of VOD QAMs to 8 up from 4 that we have had since VOD became available under comcast.

I've suspected for some time now that TWC throttles Roadrunner speed and it has gotten worse. Where it used to be only occasionally at night, for the past several months every day from 5-6pm or so until after midnight (earlier on weekends), speeds are *exactly* half what they should be with Turbo (and what I see in the mornings): ~7.5-8.0 Mbps. Like clockwork. At first I tried to believe if was Net traffic, but it's been too regular.

So I decided I'd had enough of throwing $$ at TWC for this and downgraded from Turbo to Standard. Gee, guess what? During those same hours, my speed is *exactly* half what it should be: ~4.7 - 5.2 Mbps. Hmmm.

I don't rely on speedtest sites, as they are ridiculously inaccurate. But the speeds shown on my newsreader coupled with the size of the files I download are a good indicator, I think, since a lot of those downloads are from East Coast and/or European servers.

Anyone else seeing similar results? I'm in Los Feliz (Eagle Rock).

I don't think it is throttling it is most likely capacity issues. Are you running on a DOCSIS 2.0 modem? if so likely the channel you are on is maxing out at 5pm when everyone gets on.

It is. It's hard to believe, though, everyone is on at exactly the same time even on Saturday and Sunday. This is the only modem I've had with TWC for the past 8 years or so. This started occurring regularly (and becoming more so) in the past year.

You're probably right. But it seems to me more like a scheduled change to accommodate a potential increase in traffic than a dynamic one reflecting such. Not only because you can set your watch to it, but because the slowdown is *always* by half, regardless if I have Turbo or Standard.

How would you suggest we test the speed?

I do not subscribe to any news provider or even do much usenet nowadays. Now that you mention it, speeds to me do not seem that great even though it is supposed to be faster than when I previously had dsl.

Do you think the reduction of speed applies to everybody, or do you think TW throttles people after they use a certain amount of data?

I would go out and buy a Surf Board 6121 or some other DOCSIS 3.0 modem and see if that fixes your issue. I would assume that adding 3 more channels available on your modem it would allow you to get full speeds as it spreads the data over 4 channels.

That occurred to me at first, since I do a lot of downloading. But I couldn't see any overall pattern that would suggest cause and effect, whereas the nightly slowdown has become routine. As for monitoring speed, the only effective way I have is with my newsreader, since you can see over the course of several minutes (or hours) how a large download is handled. There's this FAQ at broadbandreports.com that suggest an alternate method (it appears the 64meg link is broken though).

I find this blog entry that's interesting, not for the entry itself, but for some of the comments (especially the "Smoking Gun" one).


But, if I can get full speeds at certain times of the day, wouldn't that suggest the modem is not at fault? At any rate, would this be a simple plug-n-play situation? Would my neighborhood have to already support this, or is that not a factor since we're not talking about really high bandwidth here?

Hello.

I will be moving in a few months (summer) to a house, in La Habra Heights (90631), that cannot get OTA due to the giant hill/small mountain blocking the view. So it is either cable TV (TWC) or satellite TV service (Dish [already have a dish on the roof and coax cables connected]. I am definitely getting TWC's cable Internet service since Verizon DSL is too slow (1 Mb/sec max. download) or unavailable, no FIOS, etc.

My family and I are only interested in the local broadcast channels and possibly Chinese channels. We currently have old four CRT TVs, DTV Pal DVR (OTA only), a computer with very old two HDTV OTA tuners cards, and VCRs. We will replace the very old CRT SDTVs with HDTVs after the move (they die or start dying). I will have to get a hardware DVR (lease it or get my own?) for sure.

From my researches with TWC (http://www.timewarnerla.com/pricingg...08_PL-0112.pdf , web site, and e-mails) and comparing with other services, TWC's TV prices seems to cost more compared to satellite. Is that correct? Here is what I have down in my notes:
--

TWC (one bill and company, but most expensive and worst HD picture quality for TV service):

$52.99 (regular Internet package)
$24.50 (local analog broadcast TV channels + extras [mostly music])
$19.99 (whole house HD (backward compatible with 4 CRT TVs) DVR rental)
$44 (DVR service; 4 * $11 for each TV)
$49.99 for installation charge

Total per month = $141.48 without taxes and Chinese packages ($88.49 per month for TV service)
Notes: Prices are confusing from various sources. Also, ask for promotions that fit these when ordering.

--

DISH (house already has a Dish and coax cables from its previous owners; cheapest for SD four our old CRT TVs; $100 Amazon gift card):

Cheapest Packages (SD and HD packages):
Welcome (no free installation and no 24 Month Digital Home Advantage (DHA 24) contract like Family Pack) -- http://www.dish.com/entertainment/packages/welcome/
America's Top 120 -- http://www.dish.com/entertainment/pa...ricas-top-120/

$14.99 (Welcome -- non-HD local broadcast channels + 40 extras; not shown when online ordering [have to ask for it and its difference would be credited with an active account on phone])
OR
$44.99 (America's Top 120 -- HD requires its addon; local broadcast channels + 120 extra; orderable online)

$14 = Two more receivers for the other TVs without DVRs
$6 = DVR Service (one DVR)

Total = $34.99 (SD)/$64.99 (HD) per month after promotion prices

Additionals If Needed:
$6 per month = Protection Plan (warranty)
$99 one time fee OR $10 per month = HD addon for future HDTVs with America's Top Pack
$10 - $27.99 per month = Chinese -- http://www.dish.com/entertainment/pa...international/

http://www.dish.com/redirects/partners/amazon/ for a $100 Amazon gift card (expires on 5/20/2012). 04AMZN for the code.
http://www.mydish.com/programmingGuides/

--

DirecTV (two years contract; cheapest for HD):

Entertainment Package (140+ HD channels) -- http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/new_cu...-1&lpos=header :
$54.99 regular price per month after its $29.99 promotion.
$5.99 protection plan
Includes free 1 HD DVR + 3 HD receivers (advanced receiver service; $99 for another if needed), and 4,000+ VoD access.
Free installation.
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/conten...ional/overview for international channels ($19.99 to $39.99)

$120 ($10 credit per month for the year) off the service if calling in to mention an employee currently works at DirecTV) by 7/18/2012.
OR
$120 Costco Cash Card (expires on 7/18/2012): http://cw.directv.com/DTVAPP/index.j...EC-Costco-1000

Total = $60.98 per month after promotion and referrals, and without Chinese.

--

Also, does TWC's basic TV service using "clear" QAM digital signals? According to two people, from los.support@twcable.com's e-mail replies, they say it does have unencrypted digital clear QAM digital signals for both SD and HD local broadcast channels. Is this true?

Thank you in advance.

P.S. I never had cable and satellte TV services, so I could be wrong with all this.

Come over to http://www.dslreports.com/forum/cable,rr ... Have you tried pings and traceroutes yet?

With just Broadcast Basic, can you even get these?

-$19.99 (whole house HD (backward compatible with 4 CRT TVs) DVR rental
-$43 ($10 + $33 ($11 extra for each additional) = 4 HD Box Receivers for 4
-TVs-Chinese packages (various): $11.95 - $29.99 per month

I assume so unless their los.support@twcable.com's e-mail people and http://www.timewarnerla.com/pricingg...08_PL-0112.pdf are wrong? I missed one according to the latest e-mail from TWC. I updated it. Yikes, now it is really expensive.

I have done traceroutes in the past wrt news providers, not TWC per se. Not sure what that would tell me.

My understanding, btw, with the $19.99 Broadcast level is that it does *not* include any HD channels. This was told to me by two different reps, but we all know how seriously misinformed they can be.

Can you show us your traceroutes?

Hmm, I thought local broadcast did come with HD. Hmm!

I noticed last night that the L.A. County government access channel has been added in analog to previously-blank channel 97* on the City of Los Angeles lineup, and that former PBS station KCET has returned to the analog tier on channel 6 on that same lineup. (It had been available digital-only since soon after it disaffiliated from PBS over a year ago).

*For some weird reason, the L.A. County government access channel is only available in analog, meaning it cannot be viewed with a digital box. Weird, huh?

BTW, anyone on the City of Los Angeles lineup notice that the Public Access channel on 98 is also analog-only (again, does not show up on a digital box)? This has been the case for a few months now, anyone know what's up with that?

I think that for the growing number of subscribers upgrading to digital cable, they should make both these channels available in both analog and digital formats.

I asked again through e-mail about HD in broadcast. Hannah, the random replier, told me:

"Please click on the link below in order to view the available channels in High Definition for your area:

http://www.timewarnercable.com/SoCal...ByPackage=true

Also, please check the Sort By Package box under the Display tab and then uncheck the box All at the bottom. Then check the HD tier/ HD Channels box under the Package Filter tab and you will be able to view the available channels for HD tier/ HD Channels..."


So, I unchecked all and only checked broadcast. I saw all the local channels in HD. Sweet.

HOWEVER, Dana (another replier) said: "... Broadcast and basic cable are not digital services. Both are analog services. If you want to go for digital services, you will need to add digital cable box (monthly rental is $10.00). Digital cable includes basic,
broadcast and one digital tier of your choice ($8.00 per month for a single tier)..."

I am SO confused. Don't I need digital to use its DVR to four TVs, HD, etc.?

Yep, this is what I did also before I went into the local office to exchange my DVR for a regular hidel box. I asked the rep if I even needed a STB if all I wanted was Broadcast. She said "No, but you will only get channels 1 - 38." She also said I would have to schedule a service call for the guy to "flip a switch" in my box" (@ $40). So I said forget it.

Later on, when I was having problems figuring out the new software on this box, the rep on the phone basically confirmed what the office rep had said -- Broadcast means no hidef, only analog. So I guess that's what "flipping a switch" accomplishes. I didn't think to ask (but maybe I will after the NBA finals) if I continue to lease the STB if I can order just Broadcast for a total of $19.99 + $10/mo for the box. That would suit me if I could get local channels in hidef as well as CNN, as it says online. But I don't know if you can do "a la carte" like this.


I would assume so.

Ugh, TWC is so confusing. Now, a latest reply said this is what I will pay for? "You can use the whole house DVR for broadcast HD channels." as well.

$52.99 (regular Internet package)
$24.50 (local analog broadcast TV channels + extras [mostly music])
$19.99 (whole house HD (backward compatible with 4 CRT TVs) DVR rental)
$44 (DVR service; 4 $11 for each TV)
$49.99 for installation charge

Total = $141.48 ($88.49 for its TV service) per month

I updated my original post with the latest finds.

Just entered the HDTV era after my 27" CRT boat anchor died. I'm noticing some real annoyances:

- Most (all?) SD widescreen content is letterboxed, probably at the source. I can understand why OTA providers did this in the analog days, but converters and cableco STBs have long been able to do this internally. C'mon providers, move that logo bug out of the crappy black border and give us our widescreen back!

- Some of my fav channels use the f***** East Coast feed for HD! No watching new shows after 9-11pm - we night owls are SOL.

I checked on analog. There is nothing on channel 97 or 6.

For Broadcast Basic, it appears that TW is saying that you cannot get dvr service from them. I think that Whole House thingy might be an exclusive to SignatureHome anyway. Most likely, you cannot get premium channels either.

For those with Broadcast Basic, can you get anything with a qam tuner? For basic analog cable and above, channels like Animal Planet, Disney XD, WGN, and ESPN2 were previously in the clear (have not checked recently). Does TW block those if you only subscribe to Broadcast?

@WackyPacks: What lineup do you have?

SD is 480i, which is 4:3 (640x480).

The fact that it is "letterboxed" into a 4:3 area inside of a 16:9 screen is simply the way a 16:9 image will be presented when you only have a 4:3 area to present it in, which is what 4:3 SD looks like when you show it in OAR (as opposed to ZOOM or stretch-o-vision or something else intended to fill your 16:9 screen).

In fact, the letterboxed image is the true original 16:9 image (when the HD channel is viewed on a 16:9 screen, thus filling the entire area available with the 16:9 picture), but it's simply been reduced (i.e. "letterboxed") so that it can be viewed on a conventional [e.g. kitchen] 4:3 CRT set. You're seeing the 16:9 HD channel picture, presented on your 4:3 set.

The fact that you choose to watch an SD channel on your 16:9 set is your choice. If the HD channel version is available, you should be tuned to that HD version of the channel and not the SD version of the channel. If it's an SD-only channel (4:3 480i 640x480) and you want to watch it on your 16:9 set, you'll have to "zoom" it using the TV's controls... else you'll see "postage stamp", which is letterboxed in a 4:3 area of 16:9 screen, meaning black bars all around.



It must be that these channels have no West Coast feed (e.g. E!) which are usually identified by a "P" (Pacific) at the end.

Your DVR (if you have one) should make it trivial for you to deal with this issue, and also to avoid commercials. Why watch "live" anyway?

Some stuff wrong there. I would never accept any charge for the initial installation. I have always had that waved and never heard of anyone paying that. Also, you do not have the DVR rental which is $10 each.

Please compare apples to apples (best that can be done). You seem to be comparing Dish "new customer specials" to TWC regular rates. TWC has New Customer pricing too. Since you are only looking for Internet+TV (no phone) compare "two-play" here:
http://www.timewarnercable.com/SoCal...customers.html
$90/mo for one DVR. This is for new people so I assume installed. No talk about installation (free or otherwise). I have a digital TV hooked directly to the cable line and get local HD + analog 2-99 (and maybe a couple other HD channels). You can add digital boxes (non-DVR) at $10/each to other TVs. This is not "whole home" so if one DVR can only watch on that TV.

/Dan

I am already a TWC Internet subscriber, but I don't use its other services (e.g., TV and phone). Does TWC let me transfer and have the new customer pricings? Also, I am looking at the non-promotion prices since I know the promotion ones are cheap (will be expensive after the promotions end). I have to think of the future before I look at the promotions.

@DSperber, I think you missed the point - technically I should have used the obscure term 'EDTV' which includes 480p/NTSC at 16:9 or 4:3. Of course I'm not including the 'broadcast basic' channels below 99 which are still transmitted in analog.

Aside from bandwidth issues, there should be nothing requiring letterboxing on a digital channel.

What channel(s) are you specifically talking about? This would eliminate the ambiguity in our conversation.

It is only the channels in the 400-500 range (approximately) that are true TWC/LA 16x9 HD channels (720p or 1080i, making use of full-screen 16x9), although obviously other channels outside this range might still be called "digital".

Though they may be digital, those other channels are still broadcast in 640x480 480i (which IS a digital format, albeit SD digital 4:3) which requires that any 16:9 image be letterboxed for presentation if you're not going to cut off the left and right sides to at least fill the center 4:3 OAR area of the 16:9 screen.

I'm not trying to defend TWC/LA. I'm simply saying that only channels 400-500 are broadcast in 720p/1080i HD digital. Other channels are 480i SD digital which is 640x480, and that's why we see what we see on these other channels when presenting a 16:9 image

Ok, missed that you already had internet. I would try for the pricing anyway. Tell them you are thinking of adding TV and whether you can get the listed "new subscriber" price. I have gotten close even renewing what I already have had for years. I would think to add you can get at least the TV discount (maybe they will fight some on the internet reduction). There is a reduction just bundling from the list prices. Also, the Dish/etc. prices will go up and they have equipment costs up front (they mostly don't rent and replace when breaks). Definitely assume you will not pay for any installation. All you need to do is after you get a price, you just wrap it up with "now there is no installation fees, right?". Again, I have never heard anyone pay the installation fee. I have installed two houses and brother and parents and in-laws have not paid any. /Dan

According to http://www.timewarnerla.com/pricingg...08_PL-0112.pdf , there is an installation fee. TWC's 12/24/2011 e-mail reply said "... You can share the same cable TV feed with other TVs but there will be an installation charge of $49.99. This charge is a onetime charge..."

Mastaclocksetta: I am in City of Los Angeles.

Anyway, how does Time Warner handle unencrypted digital channels?

Do they filter them based on what package you have. For instance if you just have internet or broadcast basic, are some in-the-clear channels missing? Reason for asking is that there seems to be a number of them avaiable. However, the channels sometimes move so it would seem like it would be too much of a hassle for Time Warner to block the unencrypted digital channels.

If the channel is sent in the clear via QAM then they cannot by definition have conditional access control over that channel. In order to prevent a subscriber from receiving a certain channel it must be "encrypted" to allow conditional access. They can block certain bandwidths from reaching a home by using a physical trap in the cable drop. That could remove a portion of or just one channel from the home. This is how pay-tv and tiering was done before addressable set-top boxes came into being.