Fort Myers, FL - HDTV - Page 26

I sent an email to HDTV@water.net to highlight their problems switching between local SD and NBC HD during the Today show last week.

Not surprisingly, I got absoutely no response. I guess since they have a monopoly on NBC content, they can ignore their viewers.

As Basil Fawlty noted- "If it weren't for these blasted customers, we could run a proper hotel."

I was wondering when they would resume the rollout. That's good news, but beware. It may be inacurrate. CSRs don't always get their facts right.

If it happens, make sure you posts the results. Not sure if you have OTA HD locals, but I'd love to hear about an A/B comparison and w/ my HDTivo, I won't be able to do one myself.

You'll need the big dish (5LNB) if you don't yet have one to get the HD locals via D*.

Peace,

DM

I have a new Samsung plasma with QAM tuner. I'm in Naples and have Comcast. I was just wondering if TNT HD or ESPN HD are unencrypted? I found Discovery HD theater through my QAM tuner and of course the locals.

The Comcast execs will be using these contracts as toilet paper as soon as Crist signs the Consumer Choice Act:
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs....D=200770508004

I found TNT HD on 92-2! Now still just looking for ESPN HD? any chance I'm getting it?

Just wanted this back to the top to see if anyone is getting ESPN HD with a QAM tuner.

No luck on ESPN HD for me.
I'm just outside of Cape Coral, in North Ft. Myers. I had Roadrunner that was recently turned over to Comcast. I have a Elgato EyeTV tuner for Mac and a new Samsung DLP. I wish I knew the actual frequency in Mhz because the Elgato EyeTV doesn't let you call up knew channels by punching them in like the TV does. In case someone else needs it, here's what I've got via QAM:

Discovery HD 19-10
TNT HD 92-2
WINK CBS 205-108
WGCU SD 210-108 (PBS)
PBS HD 203-108
MOJO 115-2
WFTX Fox 115-3
WZVN ABC 207-107
WBBH NBC 202-107
MHD 106-3 Music Video HD
WFKN 211-108
Fishing? 106-1

I have to get CW over the air at 46-1

Well, I guess he really did sign it: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/st...2007,+08:56+AM

BTW, Marshal Criser was the President of UF when I was ther and shook my hand at graduation. I'm glad he was taken care of after leaving Gainesville.

Same as me.

So does this mean I'll be gettin' Verizon FIOS service in Lehigh next week?

I can dream can't I.

Peace,

DM

I'm not holding my breath. Last time I checked Embarq (Bonita/Naples) was offering something like 768K DSL for $35 - $45/mo. A complete joke.

Probably been a year or more since I checked. They used to require a phone line voice service to go with the DSL, and you couldn't get a basic "lifeline" phone package to satisfy that requirement. You had to get the bells & whistles voice service. I wonder if they've changed that policy.

FWIW, AT&T (in Ohio) now offers "naked DSL" without a voice package.

My Dad has Comcast in Ft. Myers. I have Directv in Raleigh and he just visited me and said my local picture quality is much better than his. Now that Directv has locals in Ft. Myers what is your opinion of Directv quality vs. Comcast?

FYI - I also get a $10 discount on my Comcast cable internet since I am a Comcast cable tv subscriber.

Is DSL still a lot slower than cable? When I first moved to town about five years ago, my DSL was pretty slow. I switched to cable and found it a lot faster. Comcast has only increased bandwith since then. I also still have DSL at work and find it slower than at home.

I know the thought is out there that since cable is shared among many, the published bandwith is not accurate. Personally, I never found that to be the case. Perhaps it is just my neighborhood?

I am happy to pay the extra $20 or so bucks a month to get the extra bandwith. I could not imagine going back to dial up.

Mike

I pay for the slowest DSL speed from Embarq, and never get to 1 mb much less 1.5 mb. Go in with your eyes open.

Peace,

DM

Funny. I just now ran two different speed tests: Cnet says I'm running 1.8 Mb and Toast says I'm running 2.2 Mb. My wife informs me that we are paying for the mid-level service which is labled by Embarq as "Up to 3.0 Mb."

Anyway, let's stay on topic. Back to hearing all of you rant about the Comcast service I dumped two years ago.

Peace,

DM

Recent Directv press release says local HDs now available in Ft. Myers. Have any forum members with D* HD services compared the picture quality of the HD locals via D* to cable or over-the-air?

With DSL the effective speed decreases as the distance from the phone company's switching center increases. Max distance from the center to the customer is 18,000 ft (about 3.5 miles) for getting DSL. Actual speed with both DSL and cable modem internet service will vary widely, by location. My Comcast 'up to 15 Mbps' cable modem service in Ft. Myers clocks at about 2.5 Mbps in speed tests and my 'up to 3 Mbps' DLS via Verizon in WV clocks at an actual 750Kbps (at near the max. 18,000 ft. limit for DSL).

Re Ft Myers HD locals-

Since I have HD + locals, but only 3 LNB Dish, will D* contact me for an upgrade?

I have 2x H10, HR10-250 + multiswitch.

DrOrb

The HR10 cannot receive the local HD's via D* nor the national HD's being added later this year (all of these new channels, incl. HD locals use MPEG 4 encoding and the HR10 only supports MPEG 2). You need to call D* and see what kind of deal they will offer for replacing your HR10 with a new HR20-700 DVR plus the 5 LNB dish. You may get it for free or for some nominal charge. The HR20 normally sells for $299 and the upgrade to the 5 LNB dish is free. However D* usually will make a deal if you are already using the HR10.

Ron Jones

Is there some reason D* left out HD Ft Myers PBS, and CW?

DrOrb

Am I the sole Comcast holdout around here?

I looked into switching over to Directtv a couple of months ago. Their HD lineup was pretty small. With Comcast, I get all premium channels in HD, the major networks, ESPN 1 and 2, and then a lot of other channels I don't regularly watch. I think the Directtv lineup was about half of the size I have now, and the only premiums in HD were HBO and Showtime.

What I really want is the NFL Direct Ticket. I almost got Directtv just for that. So far, I have not splurged on that yet. I would also love to have a reason to buy a real TiVo (although I have not had many problems with my SA boxes).

What am I missing? Is it the price? Directtv didn't appear that much cheaper (if at all). Picture quality? I have seen posts both ways. Please someone convince me I am wrong (seriously). I would love a reason to switch so I could get my NFL Direct Ticket.

How is directtv in the summer when the thunderstorms come in? Is it a problem at all? How often? What do you do to supplement? OTA? Basic cable?

Mike

IMO, the tide is going to turn against Dish when DirecTV gets the new satellites up this summer. Their MPEG4 HD quality is excellent, and they've said they will have 100 new HD channels (in the MPEG4 format) by the end of the year. If D* does manage to deliver on the promise, Comcast and Dish should be very concerned. D* could very well go from worst to first by 2008.

I have D*'s HR20 HD DVR and it's better than my SA8300HD, but not as intuitive as a Tivo. If Comcast goes to switched video distribution in order to pack more HD channels in, that could really screw the Tivo S3 users. Decisions, decisions...