New York, NY - Cablevision - Page 118

So if all digital systems (like mine) have plenty of bandwidth, why are they compressing HD channels to the point of degrading picture quality? If it's to add more HD channels--- what are they waiting for ?

Couldn't have said it better myself, which I didn't LOL.

I guess it depends on where the compression takes place. If the compression is coming from the individual systems head end then they shouldn't need to overly compress on the full digital systems. If they are getting the signals at one central point, compressing them, then sending them via fiber to each head end then I guess we are all subject to what's needed to be done for the weakest system. I'm not sure how they are set up.

All recent HD channel additions have been for all systems. So while the Bronx, Brooklyn and some parts of NJ have capacity from being all digital, I guess they would rather wait until they can give them to everyone.

What NJ system are you on? I would assume Newark is all digital but I don't know what other NJ systems are 100% digital.

Many complaints are about hockey and golf on Versus and tonight's game was inexcusably blurry (somewhere between SD and ED quality rather than HD) - the same as MLB and NFL broadcasts are on FOX (whereas their studio pre- and post-game shows are perfect). However, the top and bottom graphics were more pristine than the action so the compression problem might be originating from the networks rather than CV.

Well FOX is a whole other situation. When they have multiple events being sent regionally (NFL & MLB) their splicer system limits the bits each feed gets as opposed to a single feed that can get the full bit rate.

is anybody experiencing problems with equator HD?

Other than content, no.

Yeah, it intermittently keeps blinking at various intervals for at least the past 2 days. Don't think anyone at CV has an idea of it though, short of a lot of calls to them, which I doubt is happening. I'm in Brooklyn so don't know as usual if its local or system wide. This should be fixed by summer

As for Versus, compression, soft HD, I've gotten tired of complaining about CV, I'm just beaten down with the various issues and don't really care any longer. I know one thing the moment I leave my apartment I will not retain their services when I move. I stay now because it is my only current option, talk about having you by the M&M's.

I am on the Raritan Valley system in Central NJ.

Thanks. I'm out in Suffolk. Out here it the same thing, "it intermittently keeps blinking at various intervals" plus audio dropout too. I thought I was the only one having problems with this channel.

This is exactly what I see also, especially on ESPN HD during a basketball game. I see a lot of macroblocking around the individual players and the faces in the crowd are all washed out; however, their "Bottom Line" scores and graphics look very sharp.

How can you tell which CV system you're hooked up to? I live in Rockaway Township, Morris County (just outside of Dover) in northern NJ.

Thanks

http://www.optimum.com/channel_lineups.jsp

I would have never expected that system to be 100% digital. It's usually the ones with lots of apartment buildings or where cable theft is high.

So without a box you get no channels?

That's good...Has anyone heard if we are getting SciFi HD soon? The BSG premiere is rapidly approaching...

Its true. I got it yesterday. I have a TivoHD with 2 cards. VOOM overall is pretty weak but I still would perfer not losing 15 HD channels.

I'm on the Raritan Valley system. It is NOT 100% digital. I have Family Cable w/o a box. I used to get GSN and Speed on Family before they moved them off analog a few years ago, but there's still plenty of channels in analog at this point. How long that will last is anyone's guess.

At least TIVO is coming out with a fix for the 2 way issue so eventually the TIVO will work with SDV. I don't have a cable card, but if I did, I would gladly trade the VOOM channels for some of the current HD channels we don't have, that we will soon hopefully get, because if this move.

still having problems here

Any wild speculation on when this fix will be real?

I might be one of the few who doesn't think that the overall programming on VOOM is that bad.

It's great to catch foreign classics like Mon Oncle d'Amerique, Carol's Journey, Young Girls of Rochefort, Mission Cleopatra, etc., dramas, fun (and sometimes campy) monster, horror and martial arts films in HD quality. There are also international sporting events (doesn't matter if old when one does not know the result), operas and concerts, travelogues, old shows like Thunderbirds and UFO plus quick news headlines. Even enjoy watching some of the video games. The downside is that many of these programs are repeated over and over.

TIVO said 2nd quarter of 2008, but they did miss the mark on TIVO for Comcast by several months.

I do get channels on one TV that doesn't have a box... channels 2-77. My assumption was that we were already all-digital as I believe we received a notice from Cablevision quite a while ago... but I could be mistaken. Is there a way to comfirm this or do I have to call cablevision?

I think it is somewhat of a mixed bag and I wouldn't "...throw the baby out with the bath water. " But I agree the same stuff does get repeated an awful lot...

If you can get Family Cable channels without a digital cable box or cable card then your system is not 100% digital.

Cablevision Kicks Voom HD To Switched Tier
Offers CableCard Customers One Year Free Use of HD Set-Top
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News
3/18/2008 3:26:00 PM

Cablevision Systems will soon start delivering Voom HD Networks' 15 high-definition channels using switched digital video, and as part of the change is offering subscribers with CableCard-based systems free use of an HD set-top for one year.

The operator earlier this month mailed postcards to customers who use CableCards with non-Cablevision supplied equipment - such as TiVo digital video recorders - informing them of the offer. A Cablevision customer posted a copy on user-discussion Web site dslreports.com on March 15.

Switched digital video allows operators to free up bandwidth, by delivering linear TV channels only when subscribers in a service group request them.

Currently, however, one-way cable-ready consumer electronics that use CableCards to access cable programminglike TiVo DVRscan't tune to switched digital video channels. With a Cablevision HD set-top, TiVo users would be able to receive the Voom networks and other SDV channels.

Jim Maiella, Cablevision's vice president of media relations, confirmed that the postcard was authentic, and added that the Voom channels will be moved in April and May. According to the postcard, the offer to CableCard customers expires June 30 and is limited to one HD digital cable box per household.

Cablevision had 14,462 CableCard customers as of Dec. 11, 2007, according to a National Cable & Telecommunications Association filing with the Federal Communications Commission.

The operator began offering the Voom lineup - from its Rainbow Media Holdings subsidiary - in June 2007. The 15 Voom HD channels are Animania HD, Equator HD, Family Room HD, Film Fest HD, Gallery HD, GamePlay HD, HDNews, Kung Fu HD, Monsters HD, Rave, HD, Rush HD, Treasure HD, Ultra HD, WorldCinema HD and WorldSport HD.

Cablevision currently offers 45 HD channels to its 2.6 million digital cable subscribers for no additional charge. The company claims it has the ability to offer up to 500 HD channels.

Separately, CableLabs has developed a "tuning resolver" to let TiVos and other one-way cable-ready consumer electronics access switched digital video channels. The NCTA said major cable operators plan to offer the SDV tuning resolvers to customers in the second quarter of 2008.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/...?q=Cablevision

Because our system is already all-digital we get some but not all channels between 2 and 77 without a cablebox along with some of those above 100.

I agree...I love gallery, monsters and the video game channel (what can be more mindless than playing a videogame...watching someone else do it in HD)

We do need the full suite of movie channels in HD and also Sci Fi

YES HD is moving to 753 soon, I believe at the end of the month. Anyone know what, if anything, is being added to cause this? I know ESPN is adding ESPNews HD..wonder if that will be it?

Where did you hear that from? They just combined all the RSN's between 715 and 718, that makes no sense.