New York, NY - Cablevision - Page 113

If you get a newer box it should have both optical and coax. The older SA4200HD boxes only have coax but both the SA8300HD (DVR) and SA4250HD have optical. I have my 8300 hooked to my HT with optical. If you don't want the DVR then make sure you get the 4250 as it also has HDMI while the 4200 only has DVI.

SA4200HD box http://optimum.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...i=&p_topview=1
SA4250HD box http://optimum.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...i=&p_topview=1
SA8300HD DVR http://optimum.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...i=&p_topview=1

i have the io/dvr and it has an optical port.

Yeah they are different. I am talking about the Discovery HD Family. Discovery HD, TLC HD, History HD, Science Channel HD, etc.

I want them

I will be trading in my cable box to cablevision for a HD box, will I be able to hook it up to my receiver with an optical audio cable?

I have an SA8300HD DVR and it connects to my receiver with an optical audio cable. Make sure you have the cable box setting set to "Dolby Ditigal" if you want 5.1 sound from your receiver.

It took me a little while to realize that my setup needed to be adjusted depending on whether I was using the receiver or the TV as the audio output (my TV alone does not decode 5.1).

If you run red and white RCA audio cables from the cable box to the TV you can leave the box set at DD and you will still get stereo sound through the TV when the receiver is off.

I run an HDMI from the cable box to the TV and an optical audio cable from the box to the receiver. Now I have the option of using either with only the small hassle of changing the audio output setting on the cable box to Dolby Ditigal when I want 5.1 from the cable box out of the receiver.

For some reason the HDMI setting on the cable box does not send a 5.1 signal.

I too have the same audio set-up (HDMI from the DVR-HD to the monitor and optical wire to receiver) but still need to switch the audio output settings between HDMI and Dolby Digital and the audio range between wide or narrow. This is because I dub lots of movies from the DVR and there is a dramatic decrease in decible level when Dolby Digital signals in the wide position are downconverted to 2.0 (reducing audio quality going out to the DVD recorder). Unfortunately, audio settings do affect the "out to VCR" function.

When watching a broadcast with Dolby Digital, the audio range should be set to "wide" to enjoy the full dynamic range of the 5.1 experience. Keeping the range in the "narrow" position greatly deteriates from home theater effect.

Those who do not make recordings do not need to switch between settings (just hook up a separate set of audio cables to the TV along with the HDMI). But those of us who record onto DVD (or even VHS) will always need to.

BTW - DVD recorders can be connected to the DVR's S-Video output to make better recordings (while not mentioned in the user's guide, the S-Video output also works with the "out to VCR" function).

- Joe

Does anyone know if Cablevision is using their DSV technology yet? I've been holding back on complaining, but now I think I can say that their picture quality is progressively getting worse and worse evertime I try to watch something.
And how are they going to handle more HD channels when they can't even do the present line-up in high quality HD?

They have been using Switched Digital Video (SDV) for over a year now on the International channels and more recently the league sports packages. They have said they will expand on that to offer more HD in the future.

It's a simple solution... they wont give us more HD channels.

Did Tivo users get the fix to help with SDV yet? I sure wish I had it for their DVR.

On a somewhat related note, does anyone know why NHL Center Ice has 14 channels even though they only use 10? I wish they would delete the 4 and give us the HD channel with it.

I am a CV customer in Northern NJ (Rockaway Twp) and I've also witnessed how great the PQ is on some HD channels (i.e. CBSHD, MSGHD, etc.) and I've also seen some awful HD PQ content (i.e. TNTHD). It amazes me how much the PQ differs between channels from the same cable service provider. The question I have is who controls the bandwidth for each station? Is CV compressing CinemaxHD (5MB/sec) more than MSGHD (17MB/sec) for some reason or is Cinemax sending CV a lesser bit rate signal and CV is simply passing (the crappy) HD picture to its customers?

Also, how did you come up with these bit rate (bandwidth) measurements and where can I find the bit rate measurements for all the SD/HD channels that CV is sending to its customers?

That is supposed to be available shortly.


When baseball season starts they'll use the extras since baseball and hockey share the same channels. I'm surprised they haven't added the GameHD and TeamHD channels yet since according to INDemand they would use the bandwith the current HDPPV channel is using.

Anyone having a problem with Video On Demand?

I've been trying to watch a movie for the past 2 hours and it keeps telling me that the video is not available and to try again later. I called Optimum and they got it working... but about 1 minute into the movie, it stalled... then started again... then stalled from there on out about every 30 seconds.... then cut out again and told me the video wasn't available.

This is pure B.S.. I've spent more time on the phone with Optimum than I have trying to watch the movie.

Hey now! Welcome to CableVision!

Does anyone know when CV is going to offer any better cable boxes? I'm so sick of the SA boxes.

In other words nemoid, I've had it happen more than a few times...

Buy a Tivo S3 or Tivo HD. I have an Tivo S3 with cablevision. Love it!

no problems with vod here

Isn't the Tivo HD just an accessory for the cablebox and not a replacement?

The Tivo HD takes Cable Cards so it is a replacement. Soon Tivo will have a fix to allow it to be 2 way so that it can handle switched digital video.

Has anyone had trouble getting stations above ch.13 without a box? I called CV and was told that analog was shut off..Have family cable with 1 cable box.. Other tv has no box

Give me history and TLC in HD

TVs without digital tuners are now unable to receive much above WNET without a box. And, after the mandatory turnover to digital, analog sets will be obsolete unless connected to a cable box or digital to analog converter for OTA transmissions (for what I heard these will sell for approximately $80 with the Federal Government providing $40 rebates to those purchasing the converter).

So where's the rest of my HD channels?? We're going into March now and there's been nothing new. I'm sick of looking at the same channels that have the same repeats over and over and over and over and I don't mean the networks! The Voom package has become completely worthless. I was so psyched for MonstersHD and it's become a pathetic joke. I cancelled all my movie channels not only for showing the same crap but the motion blur was nauseating and my bill was sky high. Thank god for my Blu Ray! I still would like to have more channels in HD because I can't stand watching the regular channels anymore. Satellite has over 70 channels in HD and I would switch in a second except my apartment doesn't allow it. C'mon Cablevision, just because you're the big bully in the schoolyard, do you have to keep kicking us when we're down? Get your S*** together!! WHEW! Sorry for the rant but i feel better now.

I have no box and still get channels 67-70 and some above that on my old CRT.

I'm in the town of Brookhaven and I still get all of the analog channels. I'm curious as to where the OP of this topic is located.

I find it interesting that Cablevision told him that analog was shut off.

My TV's that don't have a cable box or digital tuners are still receiving channels above 13 out here in Rockaway Twp., NJ.

I don't know if this is the appropriate thread to ask this question, but I'm looking to purchase the MLB Extra Innings Package from CV this year. Does anyone have any personal reviews about this package? I heard it's about $160 for the entire season, so I want to make sure it's worth it. Where there many games broadcasted in HD last year? Any information will be much appreciated!

No games from the league packages are curently shown in HD on Cablevision. MLBEI, like all of the other league packages, are sent via Switched Digital Video and therefore require a SA digital cable box. http://www.optimum.com/io/sports/sports.jsp Some people on the Yahoo forum http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/cablevision_digital/ have reported problems with NHLCI in certain service areas. MLBEI is sent on those same channels.

My guess is that not all areas have become totally digital - my brother is in Muncie and his turnover was less than two years ago while mine had been digital long before that.