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Sacramento, CA - Comcast - Page 137

post #4081 of 4156
12/13/10 at 6:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrweirdo View Post

Sounds like maybe a splitter going bad to me. I think the HD locals are pretty high up in the frequency range(near 700mhz) so its possible you were loosing the top end.

Anyways hopefully you used a good quality replacement to avoid any future problems. The Stuff Comcast usually gives out like SVI (Signal Vision International) beats the hell out of the gold plated chinese crap most retail stores sell these days. Not sure I would go amped though unless you have a ton of televisions/devices in the house(5+)? if not you might need a tech out to adjust the signal levels at the street or the drop coming in from the street to entry point itself could have issues.

I think they did some work on the street and my signal must have been affected. I just didn't know it until I tried to tune in KOVR.

I installed a Channel Master 3414 (4way ampl splitter). I have 3 Tv tuners, 1 htpc tuner, 1 STD cable box, 1 cable modem, and I am planning on adding a few more.
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post #4082 of 4156
1/1/11 at 1:23am
Anyone have the Anyroom DVR set up? Is it any good?
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post #4083 of 4156
1/12/11 at 4:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RecalcitrantRon View Post

Anyone have the Anyroom DVR set up? Is it any good?

I just new plasma VT25 3d. I currently have a directv. But since we are moving i was wondering how the SD and HD video are on Comcast compared with Directv. Is there any benefits going to Comcast?
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post #4084 of 4156
1/13/11 at 4:56am
RecalcitrantRon, I have the AnyRoom DVR down here in the East Bay. It works pretty decent aside from some minor glitches. The only problem is that you can't schedule recordings from other cable boxes besides the DVR. You can definitely schedule recordings online though.

cosmos, Comcast HD is pretty decent overall. Local channels are great quality, while the rest is comparable to DirecTV.. but I'd say that DirecTV has a very slight edge over Comcast, although Comcast has the largest On Demand library. I haven't compared SD quality between the two.
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post #4085 of 4156
1/15/11 at 2:27pm
I get clear QAM local HD channels when I hook the cable directly to my TV, but the Tivo HD only sees analog channels in the guide.
I read that I need to get a cablecard to get guide data for digital channels. However, don't you also have to upgrade to one of the more expensive digital cable packages to get a cablecard?
Can you just get a cablecard with the economy basic so I can record HD local high def channels like KCRA, KOVR etc, using the channel guide?

If you can just add the cable card to Economy Basic, what does it cost to get the cable card hardware, installation to the Tivo and then any extra monthly rental fees for the cable card?
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post #4086 of 4156
1/15/11 at 8:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by web1b View Post

I get clear QAM local HD channels when I hook the cable directly to my TV, but the Tivo HD only sees analog channels in the guide.
I read that I need to get a cablecard to get guide data for digital channels. However, don't you also have to upgrade to one of the more expensive digital cable packages to get a cablecard?
Can you just get a cablecard with the economy basic so I can record HD local high def channels like KCRA, KOVR etc, using the channel guide?

If you can just add the cable card to Economy Basic, what does it cost to get the cable card hardware, installation to the Tivo and then any extra monthly rental fees for the cable card?

I'm not sure about the economy basic, but my guess will be you will need to get at least the Starter package to get a cable card.

I currently have the Starter package and was looking into getting a cable card. Online representatives says it's free for a single-stream cable card but it's $2.50 for a multi-stream cable card. They said there was no additional fee or a need to upgrade. I haven't got the cable card but that's what I was told.
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post #4087 of 4156
1/15/11 at 9:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by web1b View Post

I get clear QAM local HD channels when I hook the cable directly to my TV, but the Tivo HD only sees analog channels in the guide.
I read that I need to get a cablecard to get guide data for digital channels. However, don't you also have to upgrade to one of the more expensive digital cable packages to get a cablecard?
Can you just get a cablecard with the economy basic so I can record HD local high def channels like KCRA, KOVR etc, using the channel guide?

If you can just add the cable card to Economy Basic, what does it cost to get the cable card hardware, installation to the Tivo and then any extra monthly rental fees for the cable card?

Yes, you need a cablecard in order to utilize the guide, named and scheduled recording with your TiVo. Call the Comcast 800 number, chat with them online or just go into your local office and pickup a cablecard to install yourself. Worst is they'll charge you about $2 for a change of service charge, but it's a lot cheaper than a truck-roll used to be to install the cablecard. They should have self-install cablecards at your local office, call the 800# first to make sure if you need to. The monthly rental for a cablecard varies throughout their territories from $0 to about $5/mo. You should have no problem getting one even if you only have limited basic.
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post #4088 of 4156
1/16/11 at 9:14am
Does anyone know what the cablecard fee is supposed to be in Sacramento? Is the card itself free to pick up and is there a recurring monthly fee in Sacramento for renting the card or for using the card or for them enabling cablecard service on your account etc.?
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post #4089 of 4156
1/18/11 at 7:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by web1b View Post

Does anyone know what the cablecard fee is supposed to be in Sacramento? Is the card itself free to pick up and is there a recurring monthly fee in Sacramento for renting the card or for using the card or for them enabling cablecard service on your account etc.?

The fee is for using the card(s). Since you have an older CableCARD enabled TiVo (series 3 generation) you'll need two single-stream cards (S-Cards) or two M-Cards in single-stream mode. Series 3 TiVo's cannot utilize the multiple streams from a single M-Card.
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post #4090 of 4156
1/22/11 at 7:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpHeRe31459 View Post

The fee is for using the card(s). Since you have an older CableCARD enabled TiVo (series 3 generation) you'll need two single-stream cards (S-Cards) or two M-Cards in single-stream mode. Series 3 TiVo's cannot utilize the multiple streams from a single M-Card.

The TiVo HD takes two S cards or one M card and can then tune to two cable channels at a time.
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post #4091 of 4156
1/22/11 at 10:29pm
I have a Tivo HD.
I can get locals OTA and the cable TV package I have is basically a free throw-in with the cable internet service, it doesn't offer much of any channels I want to see that I can't get with an antenna. Since it offers little benefit to me and a less sharp picture than from antenna, I'm not willing to pay much in cable card fees just to get the HD locals listed in the guide on Tivo.
What does Comcast charge in Sacramento monthly for 1 M card with Limited Basic tv service?
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post #4092 of 4156
1/22/11 at 11:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by web1b View Post

I have a Tivo HD.
I can get locals OTA and the cable TV package I have is basically a free throw-in with the cable internet service, it doesn't offer much of any channels I want to see that I can't get with an antenna. Since it offers little benefit to me and a less sharp picture than from antenna, I'm not willing to pay much in cable card fees just to get the HD locals listed in the guide on Tivo.
What does Comcast charge in Sacramento monthly for 1 M card with Limited Basic tv service?

Should be around $2 per month per card, maybe less, I pay $1.50 here in Santa Rosa.
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post #4093 of 4156
1/26/11 at 1:18pm
Got a phenomenon that has me a little stumped. I'm hoping someone has seen this before and has a clue.

My elderly mom has Comcast basic cable (no box) in her apartment. Her TV is a Sharp 32 inch LCD HD set with ATSC, NTSC, and QAM tuners.

She gets the Sacramento area channels, including both the analog and QAM versions of KCRA (3), KVIE (6), KXTV (10), and KOVR (13). She also gets the analog (only) versions of KQCA (4), KTXL (8), and KMAX (12).

For the past two days, audio has been missing on some but not all of the analog channels. Specifically, analog 3, 4, 5, 9, and 12 are normal. The 4 QAM channels listed above are normal. But audio is absent on analog 6, 7, 8 (see note), 10, 11, and 13.

Note: Channel 8 (KTXL, 40 over the air) is a special case. Audio is present on commercials, station IDs, and promotions. It disappears on programs. Every time. This weirdness may also exist on other channels, but I only observed it on KTXL-8-analog.

I tried a double rescan for cable channels, which didn't change anything.

In summary, Mom is mostly okay because she gets 3.1, 6.1, 10.1, and 13.1 nicely in HD with no problem. But she's missing Fox (KTXL-8) as explained above.

I can't see any particular correlation among the analog channels that are normal or among those with missing audio.

I checked her set's audio sub-menu for oddities like CC or Text enabled on selected channels, and there is none of that. The parameters on a problem channel are no different than those on a good one.

Anyone have a guess? Thanks in advance.

--Ron
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post #4094 of 4156
1/26/11 at 6:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KG7OR View Post

Got a phenomenon that has me a little stumped. I'm hoping someone has seen this before and has a clue.

My elderly mom has Comcast basic cable (no box) in her apartment. Her TV is a Sharp 32 inch LCD HD set with ATSC, NTSC, and QAM tuners.

She gets the Sacramento area channels, including both the analog and QAM versions of KCRA (3), KVIE (6), KXTV (10), and KOVR (13). She also gets the analog (only) versions of KQCA (4), KTXL (8), and KMAX (12).

For the past two days, audio has been missing on some but not all of the analog channels. Specifically, analog 3, 4, 5, 9, and 12 are normal. The 4 QAM channels listed above are normal. But audio is absent on analog 6, 7, 8 (see note), 10, 11, and 13.

Note: Channel 8 (KTXL, 40 over the air) is a special case. Audio is present on commercials, station IDs, and promotions. It disappears on programs. Every time. This weirdness may also exist on other channels, but I only observed it on KTXL-8-analog.

I tried a double rescan for cable channels, which didn't change anything.

In summary, Mom is mostly okay because she gets 3.1, 6.1, 10.1, and 13.1 nicely in HD with no problem. But she's missing Fox (KTXL-8) as explained above.

I can't see any particular correlation among the analog channels that are normal or among those with missing audio.

I checked her set's audio sub-menu for oddities like CC or Text enabled on selected channels, and there is none of that. The parameters on a problem channel are no different than those on a good one.

Anyone have a guess? Thanks in advance.

--Ron

She's not using a Comcast DTA, correct? She should not have to. Nor a cablecard.

I didn't know Comcast was still sending ANYTHING (sound or picture) in analog format. I think your Mom should be getting, in digital form, all the Basic Cable channels, including all those you have mentioned and more.

By the way, they may or may not come in on the same channel numbers you expect. What you call 8 may come in as 40, and the HD version of that as 40.1 or 40.2 instead of 708, I don't remember. I'm not sure about this because I use a cablecard on one TV and a cable box on the other, and subscribe to a higher tier than Basic.

I'm in Sacramento, not Lodi.
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post #4095 of 4156
1/26/11 at 6:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KG7OR View Post

Got a phenomenon that has me a little stumped. I'm hoping someone has seen this before and has a clue.

My elderly mom has Comcast basic cable (no box) in her apartment. Her TV is a Sharp 32 inch LCD HD set with ATSC, NTSC, and QAM tuners.

She gets the Sacramento area channels, including both the analog and QAM versions of KCRA (3), KVIE (6), KXTV (10), and KOVR (13). She also gets the analog (only) versions of KQCA (4), KTXL (8), and KMAX (12).

For the past two days, audio has been missing on some but not all of the analog channels. Specifically, analog 3, 4, 5, 9, and 12 are normal. The 4 QAM channels listed above are normal. But audio is absent on analog 6, 7, 8 (see note), 10, 11, and 13.

Note: Channel 8 (KTXL, 40 over the air) is a special case. Audio is present on commercials, station IDs, and promotions. It disappears on programs. Every time. This weirdness may also exist on other channels, but I only observed it on KTXL-8-analog.

I tried a double rescan for cable channels, which didn't change anything.

In summary, Mom is mostly okay because she gets 3.1, 6.1, 10.1, and 13.1 nicely in HD with no problem. But she's missing Fox (KTXL-8) as explained above.

I can't see any particular correlation among the analog channels that are normal or among those with missing audio.

I checked her set's audio sub-menu for oddities like CC or Text enabled on selected channels, and there is none of that. The parameters on a problem channel are no different than those on a good one.

Anyone have a guess? Thanks in advance.

--Ron

From time to time I notice similar problems like you. I have no clue what it is. My guess is that Comcast is doing something, just wait it out or complain to them.

This past weekend during the football game, FOXHD was horrible, I didn't get a good signal, all the other HD channels was ok.

I have a similar setup, Sharp TV with QAM and a QAM tv tuner, and I don't use a box. I have the Starter package and the other TVs in the house uses a box.

My own phenomenon is that my tv tuner combine KCRAHD and KMAXHD together some how. It seems like them are on the same channel. Some time I see KCRAHD and then KMAXHD. I have to delete one of the channel too see it all the time.
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post #4096 of 4156
1/26/11 at 7:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KG7OR View Post

Got a phenomenon that has me a little stumped. I'm hoping someone has seen this before and has a clue.

My elderly mom has Comcast basic cable (no box) in her apartment. Her TV is a Sharp 32 inch LCD HD set with ATSC, NTSC, and QAM tuners.

She gets the Sacramento area channels, including both the analog and QAM versions of KCRA (3), KVIE (6), KXTV (10), and KOVR (13). She also gets the analog (only) versions of KQCA (4), KTXL (8), and KMAX (12).

For the past two days, audio has been missing on some but not all of the analog channels. Specifically, analog 3, 4, 5, 9, and 12 are normal. The 4 QAM channels listed above are normal. But audio is absent on analog 6, 7, 8 (see note), 10, 11, and 13.

Note: Channel 8 (KTXL, 40 over the air) is a special case. Audio is present on commercials, station IDs, and promotions. It disappears on programs. Every time. This weirdness may also exist on other channels, but I only observed it on KTXL-8-analog.

I tried a double rescan for cable channels, which didn't change anything.

In summary, Mom is mostly okay because she gets 3.1, 6.1, 10.1, and 13.1 nicely in HD with no problem. But she's missing Fox (KTXL-8) as explained above.

I can't see any particular correlation among the analog channels that are normal or among those with missing audio.

I checked her set's audio sub-menu for oddities like CC or Text enabled on selected channels, and there is none of that. The parameters on a problem channel are no different than those on a good one.

Anyone have a guess? Thanks in advance.

--Ron

Check to make sure that her set is NOT set to listen to SAP audio. Here in the Sacramento area some stations have normal audio on the Comcast analog channel SAP audio channels but others have nothing.
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post #4097 of 4156
1/26/11 at 7:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rory Boyce View Post
Check to make sure that her set is NOT set to listen to SAP audio. Here in the Sacramento area some stations have normal audio on the Comcast analog channel SAP audio channels but others have nothing.
Rory, I think you may be close to the answer but I'm still puzzled. I notice when I display "info" on any of the problem channels, I see AUDIO: SAP(ST).

The problem is, I see the same thing on some of the channels on which the audio is fine. But FWIW, every one of the problem channels is showing this.

I searched in her audio sub-menu for a way to change it, with no luck. Any ideas?

Tks,
--Ron
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post #4098 of 4156
1/26/11 at 11:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by web1b View Post
I have a Tivo HD.
I can get locals OTA and the cable TV package I have is basically a free throw-in with the cable internet service, it doesn't offer much of any channels I want to see that I can't get with an antenna. Since it offers little benefit to me and a less sharp picture than from antenna, I'm not willing to pay much in cable card fees just to get the HD locals listed in the guide on Tivo.
What does Comcast charge in Sacramento monthly for 1 M card with Limited Basic tv service?
Limited Basic 16.14/mo, M-CableCard 1.50/mo.
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post #4099 of 4156
1/27/11 at 10:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rory Boyce View Post

Check to make sure that her set is NOT set to listen to SAP audio. Here in the Sacramento area some stations have normal audio on the Comcast analog channel SAP audio channels but others have nothing.

That was exactly it. Her remote has an obscure "Audio" button that we've previously ignored. Unfortunately, it's right next to Mute. Anyway, she pressed Audio by mistake and enabled SAP instead of Mono or Stereo. Those channels with nothing on the SAP channel exhibited the problem, while those simulcasting program audio on all available paths were apparently okay.

Another DTV mystery solved. Remember the good ol' days when a TV had a volume control, an on/off switch, and a tuner?

--Ron
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post #4100 of 4156
1/29/11 at 3:28pm
I just got a HD-DVR and have it connected via component cables.

Is all the HD channels only in 1080i.
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post #4101 of 4156
2/4/11 at 1:32am
layziethug; Yep, except for the ones transmitted in 720p. Today that's the only HD formats on cable.
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post #4102 of 4156
2/12/11 at 3:16pm
Anyone here able to use the usb/esata ports to expand the hard drive capacity? A chat analyst said all ports was disabled.

I have a DCH3416, 160gb is not enough.
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post #4103 of 4156
3/22/11 at 11:17am
Is it jus me or is Comcast HD startin 2 look real crappy? When I was watching the NCAA Tournament games over the last week, the picture looked real soft & kinda outta focus. No pop to it.
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post #4104 of 4156
5/20/11 at 3:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by layziethug View Post

Anyone here able to use the usb/esata ports to expand the hard drive capacity? A chat analyst said all ports was disabled.

I have a DCH3416, 160gb is not enough.

yup Comcast disables those ports on their DVRs. If your lucky you might be able to upgrade to the newer black DCX3400 as some of those come with 500GB internal drives.
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post #4105 of 4156
6/12/11 at 2:30pm
Important news: unless you have digital converter box, a digital television adapter box provided by Comcast, or a DVR (TiVo or Moxi) with a Comcast-provided CableCARD installed, you will no longer be able to see any channels on your Comcast system in Sacramento, CA as of early August 2011. In short, the analog tuning adapters on your TV or old VCR will no longer work in just under two months.
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post #4106 of 4156
6/12/11 at 2:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RayChuang View Post

Important news: unless you have digital converter box, a digital television adapter box provided by Comcast, or a DVR (TiVo or Moxi) with a Comcast-provided CableCARD installed, you will no longer be able to see any channels on your Comcast system in Sacramento, CA as of early August 2011. In short, the analog tuning adapters on your TV or old VCR will no longer work in just under two months.

Can you give a little more detail on this? Are you saying Comcast is going to encrypt everything, including the local HD channels?
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post #4107 of 4156
6/12/11 at 3:44pm
I got the same notice and assume that there will no longer be any analog channels on Comcast in this area as of August. The last bill also came with an insert about yet another rate increase for both internet and TV as of next month.
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post #4108 of 4156
6/12/11 at 4:26pm
No more analog makes sense(wish they would do that in the bay), I know of no Comcast system that encrypts the local stations, those should still be viewable with just a digital cable tuner, no Comcast equipment needed.
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post #4109 of 4156
6/13/11 at 10:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rory Boyce View Post
I got the same notice and assume that there will no longer be any analog channels on Comcast in this area as of August. The last bill also came with an insert about yet another rate increase for both internet and TV as of next month.
With the elimination of the analogs and rate increase better come more HD channels...

Other areas are slowly getting HDNet and BBC America HD rolled out so that would be nice.... though I'm not holding my breath...
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post #4110 of 4156
6/22/11 at 9:00pm
I think turning off all the analog signals has the advantage that Comcast can now offer more channels--especially in HD. BBC America HD and Fox Soccer Channel HD are probably the most likely requested channels, in my humble opinion.
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