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Traverse City, MI - HDTV - Page 54

post #1591 of 1743
6/23/10 at 7:02pm
I know this is a HD forum, but my earlier post stated that I was locked into a "digital box" (non-HD) while temporarily living in Charlevoix.

So, if anyone can help it would be appreciated. It goes via Cable >Box RF in > HDTV via RF out. Box has no provisions for a component or HDMI output. So the way I see it, I am receiving a digital source which is then converted to an analog signal in order to go to RF in on the TV. If so, that seems like such a waste. Yes, there are some channels only available on "digital" but that only seems like a marketing thing.

I tried using the Red/White/Yellow composite connection, but it did not seem to make any difference.

So, my question is do I have any other alternatives? Should Charter have hooked me up via composite instead of the RF connections. Are there any other box brands/models available from Charter?

Also on a separte note, if I turn off the box but not the TV the audio continues to play through the TV. This is the second box and both did it. I do not think I will try a third. The CSR told me I had to reprogram my remote! Was is up with this?
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post #1592 of 1743
6/30/10 at 6:29am
The DCT2244 is a digital cable box that outputs an analog signal. Much like the 'Government' subsidized digital OTA tuners. They are digital OTA tuners but only output in analog. Having the box simply bypasses your TV's tuner and uses the cable box to decode and tune in your channels. It also adds a channel guide and possibly other features that aren't available without the box such as, reminders, timers, sleep functions, account access, etc. Your box probably doesn't do all of these things but the point is that the cable box does add some more advanced features that you don't get using your TV's cable tuner.

The Red/White/Yellow connection is also analog. In theory it should offer a slightly better picture that the coax but wouldn't give you HD or otherwise change anything.

If you want HD then you'll need an HD cable box with component, DVI or HDMI outputs. However, since you have an HD TV you could try to eliminate the cable box and use your TV's QAM tuner and see if you get any HD channels. You'll likely get your locals in HD and maybe a few other select channels. I don't know first hand because I have Dish.

As for the audio issues I am unsure. Maybe you have a ghost in there. Does the audio play indefinitely or does in eventually stop? I doubt the remote has anything to do with it.
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post #1593 of 1743
6/30/10 at 9:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by knightc2 View Post

The DCT2244 is a digital cable box that outputs an analog signal. Much like the 'Government' subsidized digital OTA tuners. They are digital OTA tuners but only output in analog. Having the box simply bypasses your TV's tuner and uses the cable box to decode and tune in your channels. It also adds a channel guide and possibly other features that aren't available without the box such as, reminders, timers, sleep functions, account access, etc. Your box probably doesn't do all of these things but the point is that the cable box does add some more advanced features that you don't get using your TV's cable tuner.

The Red/White/Yellow connection is also analog. In theory it should offer a slightly better picture that the coax but wouldn't give you HD or otherwise change anything.

If you want HD then you'll need an HD cable box with component, DVI or HDMI outputs. However, since you have an HD TV you could try to eliminate the cable box and use your TV's QAM tuner and see if you get any HD channels. You'll likely get your locals in HD and maybe a few other select channels. I don't know first hand because I have Dish.

As for the audio issues I am unsure. Maybe you have a ghost in there. Does the audio play indefinitely or does in eventually stop? I doubt the remote has anything to do with it.

Yes, I am aware of all of the above, thanks. The continued sound baffles me, but the CSR is of zero help. They do not know much techincal infor.
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post #1594 of 1743
8/5/10 at 1:38am
Satellite guys says this morning that Traverse City/Cadillac HD Locals on DISH will launch August 18!
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post #1595 of 1743
8/5/10 at 12:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SonyLCD View Post

Satellite guys says this morning that Traverse City/Cadillac HD Locals on DISH will launch August 18!

Will we need a new dish?
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post #1596 of 1743
8/6/10 at 2:43am
They were uplinked yesterday to 61.5w. So if you are currently picking up that sat., you should be ok.
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post #1597 of 1743
8/12/10 at 12:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by budone View Post

With the cable directly connected to the TV, try looking in the 105.1-108.5 channel range for local HD channels, That is where they are in TC and W. MI.

Just dropped my Charter down to basic TV service. I still receive the following 'HDTV' channels in the clear with my QAM LG CADTV tuner.

7-1 WFQX Fox
7-2 WGTU ABC
107-1 WPBN NBC *
107-3 WWTV CBS *

These two, on the 107 channel, have issues - sometimes come on with no signal for awhile and cut out at times. I will be checking the coax run to the set for signal integrity.

What I still have been unable to find is WCMV PBS on CADTV from Charter. I am assuming they should be required to carry it in the clear?

Also, I puzzle over the charter head office guy stating that different HD sets will have different channel number designations for the HD QAM in the clear channels - is there no standard/uniformity with this? If not then the cable and TV local broadcast companies could hide behind issue. Then they would as they always do try to sell you their HD package/box for the not in the clear mandated channels since the consumer has difficulty tuning in the channels.

For instance - 107-3 WWTV CBS will pop up faster than the 107-1 WPBN NBC channel on my set - it took almost 10 seconds before NBC appeared. I almost thought it had been moved.

I look forward to the day/week/month/year (hopefully) when ala-cart subscription happens and they simply broadcast all channels in HD with the scrambling/encryption.

In the meantime I will need to move my OTA antenna from the 2nd floor into the attic next - maybe then I will find WWTV CBS OTA. I am north of the TC country club behind a hill. Guess the Cedar Lake translator still is not online?
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post #1598 of 1743
8/16/10 at 8:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thetau View Post

Just dropped my Charter down to basic TV service. I still receive the following 'HDTV' channels in the clear with my QAM LG CADTV tuner.

7-1 WFQX Fox
7-2 WGTU ABC
107-1 WPBN NBC *
107-3 WWTV CBS *

These two, on the 107 channel, have issues - sometimes come on with no signal for awhile and cut out at times. I will be checking the coax run to the set for signal integrity.

What I still have been unable to find is WCMV PBS on CADTV from Charter. I am assuming they should be required to carry it in the clear?

Also, I puzzle over the charter head office guy stating that different HD sets will have different channel number designations for the HD QAM in the clear channels - is there no standard/uniformity with this? If not then the cable and TV local broadcast companies could hide behind issue. Then they would as they always do try to sell you their HD package/box for the not in the clear mandated channels since the consumer has difficulty tuning in the channels.

For instance - 107-3 WWTV CBS will pop up faster than the 107-1 WPBN NBC channel on my set - it took almost 10 seconds before NBC appeared. I almost thought it had been moved.

I look forward to the day/week/month/year (hopefully) when ala-cart subscription happens and they simply broadcast all channels in HD with the scrambling/encryption.

In the meantime I will need to move my OTA antenna from the 2nd floor into the attic next - maybe then I will find WWTV CBS OTA. I am north of the TC country club behind a hill. Guess the Cedar Lake translator still is not online?

Can you receive channel 45 CBS/Fox OTA at your location?
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post #1599 of 1743
8/16/10 at 8:59pm
No OTA signal on my DTV tuner for channel 45. I still need to move the antenna higher I guess. OTA channels currently received at my spot are:
WPBN NBC
WCMV PBS
WGTU ABC

No fox or cbs.
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post #1600 of 1743
8/17/10 at 2:45am
It will be very difficult to impossible to get Fox or CBS over the air with an indoor antenna at your location. You need to get that thing outside. Digital VHF simply does not penetrate walls very well.
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post #1601 of 1743
8/17/10 at 4:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SonyLCD View Post

It will be very difficult to impossible to get Fox or CBS over the air with an indoor antenna at your location. You need to get that thing outside. Digital VHF simply does not penetrate walls very well.

He'd have a better chance receiving 45 (UHF) out of Vanderbilt with a higher or better UHF antenna. I do agree trying to get 9 from Cadillac with an indoor VHF antenna will be very difficult from TC.
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post #1602 of 1743
8/17/10 at 7:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thetau View Post

Guess the Cedar Lake translator still is not online?

9 & 10 hold a license for the translator on Cedar Run Road, but no immediate plans to implement it.
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post #1603 of 1743
8/18/10 at 12:25pm
I recently did a channel search on my LCD (just hooked up to cable, no box) and I noticed that some of the previous HD channels that I had been able to get are now gone. 107-2, 108-1, 108-2, 114-1 are no longer there. Where did they go?

Thanks.
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post #1604 of 1743
8/20/10 at 1:10am
They are up in Northern Michigan on Conus 61.5 west. Problem is, not many of us have the set up to pick up that bird. I contacted DISH yesterday. They said I'd need a new dish, which would be $15 plus a new two year committment. Since I get all 4 of my locals off air with an antenna and integrate them into my DVR, I think I'll pass.
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post #1605 of 1743
8/20/10 at 5:07am
Due to my location at the bottom of an obstucting hill, I am unable to use an antenna to bring in any local stations. So I can only rely on "straight" cable/no box for my LCD. Again, with Charter, where are those missing channels?
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post #1606 of 1743
8/21/10 at 8:11pm
Anyone watch the Lions game on FOX via Directv tonight and experience the audio being a good two seconds ahead of the video?
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post #1607 of 1743
8/21/10 at 8:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by guffy1 View Post

Anyone watch the Lions game on FOX via Directv tonight and experience the audio being a good two seconds ahead of the video?

I'm watching WFQX 32 OTA and audio is synced, but there doesn't seem to be much out of the surround speakers.
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post #1608 of 1743
8/22/10 at 5:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by guffy1 View Post

Anyone watch the Lions game on FOX via Directv tonight and experience the audio being a good two seconds ahead of the video?

Yes, the sync was way off on DirecTV.....the only bright spot was that you knew there was a score before you saw it
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post #1609 of 1743
8/23/10 at 8:14am
Got the new Dish TC/Cadillac HD locals this weekend. In order not to lose some HD channels (BBC America, Epix, AMC and others) I had to get the Dish 1000.4.
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post #1610 of 1743
8/23/10 at 8:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by larkor View Post

Got the new Dish TC/Cadillac HD locals this weekend. In order not to lose some HD channels (BBC America, Epix, AMC and others) I had to get the Dish 1000.4.

I have to have that same thing done--did they charge you to come out or was it free?
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post #1611 of 1743
8/23/10 at 10:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bscripps View Post

I have to have that same thing done--did they charge you to come out or was it free?

It was going to be about $95 so I signed up for the service plan.
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post #1612 of 1743
9/1/10 at 10:28am
any body know why 7/4,9/10,32/29 continue to broadcast news in 4/3 format? All GrandRapids Kalamazoo channels broadcast in 16/9.. It is the digital age isn't.
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post #1613 of 1743
9/1/10 at 10:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rich67 View Post

any body know why 7/4,9/10,32/29 continue to broadcast news in 4/3 format? All GrandRapids Kalamazoo channels broadcast in 16/9.. It is the digital age isn't.

Because it's very expensive to convert a local news studio to HD. The smaller the market, the less money they have to spend.
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post #1614 of 1743
9/1/10 at 8:52pm
why is it that they can run LOCAL commercials in 16/9. I don't buy the millions of dollars to convert to 16/9. How do the rest of the broadcasters in Michigan do it .but not these people in this market.
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post #1615 of 1743
9/2/10 at 5:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rich67 View Post

why is it that they can run LOCAL commercials in 16/9. I don't buy the millions of dollars to convert to 16/9. How do the rest of the broadcasters in Michigan do it .but not these people in this market.

A 30 second commercial shot on an HD Sony Handycam is completely different than producing a 30 minute news program on multiple studio quality HD cameras. As Ken noted above, it takes money and the two local broadcasters that have news programs don't have it.
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post #1616 of 1743
9/3/10 at 8:10am
I thought 7 & 4/29 & 8 just built a new studio west of TC to address this issue a year or so ago?
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post #1617 of 1743
9/3/10 at 9:34am
They should use a couple of those mickey mouse HD cameras because their local newsreaders are a mickey mouse act anyway.
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post #1618 of 1743
9/4/10 at 6:26pm
What ever happened to 5.1 on 7&4 and 29&8? I know it has been a few months now since they went back to 2.0, but I never saw any explanation as to why, or really any discussion about it altogether. I get my locals through DirecTV but I'm guessing it's the same story for OTA and cable. I emailed the station a month or so ago about this but never got a response.
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post #1619 of 1743
9/4/10 at 6:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sandman989 View Post

What ever happened to 5.1 on 7&4 and 29&8? I know it has been a few months now since they went back to 2.0, but I never saw any explanation as to why, or really any discussion about it altogether. I get my locals through DirecTV but I'm guessing it's the same story for OTA and cable. I emailed the station a month or so ago about this but never got a response.

Dolby 5.1 went away when they started broadcasting two 720p HD (lite) channels (7.1 & 7.2). Coincidence? I say no. Back in the day when 7.1 was 1080i and 7.2 & 7.3 were 480i, we got SNF in Dolby 5.1.
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post #1620 of 1743
9/4/10 at 9:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rich67 View Post

They should use a couple of those mickey mouse HD cameras because their local newsreaders are a mickey mouse act anyway.

Looks like they have mickey mouse viewers too, at least one....
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