Atlanta, GA - Charter

Can you summarize what HD channels Charter offers in the Atlanta area? I'll add this thread to the list of official threads.

Re: your post, you may want to pose the question in the Atlanta, GA - Comcast thread (assuming Comcast does not offer ABC-HD either)

Does anyone know if the DVI is activated on the Charter HD boxes? I want to make sure before I go and buy a DVI - HDMI cable.

Thanks.

Cool. I may have to go buy a DVI->HMDI cable today!

OK, I went and bought a Radio Shack Gold DVI -> HDMI 12ft cable and hooked up my cable box to my Panny 42PX20.

I compared the HD component to the HDMI and the component looked better! The blacks were deeper and the picture was sharper. Even after making adjustments to the settings.

Did anyone else have this problem?

I have the box set to 1080i. My TV (Panny 42PX20U) doesn't accept 720p.

Anyone here have a CableCard with Charter?

I just keep having problem after problem with them.

If it wasn't so cheap ($110~ after taxes for internet, cable, hd, all movie channels, 2 CCs, extended basic), I'd leave these morons in a heartbeat.

I've had every single problem you can possibly have with a cable company I never once had with Comcast.

- Over-priced bill (they removed me from the package deal TWICE, upping my bill 40 bucks)
- Idiot techs (First one to install service left all the wall jacks unscrewed, second one for CC install brought an HD box, third one brought CC but didn't know how to install it, fourth one couldn't get CC to work, fifth one got 1st cable card working, but the other card couldn't work either, now my original CC is dead again and the tech just left without resolving it, blaming signal problems, digger coming out monday)
- Service screw ups (charging me for services I never signed up for and removing the services I did want)
- Head-end problems (removing certain channels from my service, de-activating one of my CCs)

I've had more problems in one week of Charter cable than I had in 9 years of Comcast.

The latest problem is my original CC, which worked fine, decided not to work on digital channels anymore. Tech comes, sees both cards work fine in the TV downstairs, checks the signals, and says the signals, which were fine 48 hours ago on both TVs, are now not fine, and are what's causing the artifacting on the TV downstairs and no digital channels on the one upstairs.

My package deal ends in April. You can guarantee that's when my contract does, too.

Any word on Charter adding ESPN2-HD?

Any word on Charter adding Discovery HD?

Any word on Charter offering an HD DVR?

Any word on Charter offering any new HD channels at all?

While this isn't an HD channel, they did add the NFL Network to the Digital Sports Tier the other day. It wasn't even on the channel lineup they sent in this months' bill, but I found it while channelsurfing this weekend.

I see nobody has any word on anything. I guess there's no word to have.

Meanwhile, Comcast added ABC-HD today. Charter CSR says they have no idea.

Does Charter offer an HD-DVR right now?

What do they charge for a regular DVR?

No. The technician I spoke to last week said it would be over six months before it's ready here.

Six months? They're advertising it here in Michigan already saying, "Coming Soon." I hope soon isn't six months.

Well, I was told back in June that it would be here "in a few weeks." Now I'm being told six months. Who knows, it no longer matters. I am waiting for the installer to arrive any moment now, I'm switching to D* today. I'll be getting 16 HD channels rather than the 6 Charter supplies, and I'll have my Tivo today, not in six months.

I really can't say anything good about Charter. Not a thing.

I have a Tivo standalone also, it doesn't do HD. After having had a Tivo, I don't see how anyone can go back to watching TV without it, but that's the way it has to be done when you're on Charter.

And my initial review now of D* is that it is AWESOME. I have all the extra HD channels, the new Tivo picks up everything OTA with the Silver Sensor in one location, whereas with my Zenith receiver I had to move it around to get different channels. I am getting four or five channels that aren't even on the D* channel listing, looks like they added them since I printed out that list in December. There's simply no comparison.

As far as you living 50 miles out, over in the Macon, GA thread there are people saying they put up antennas and are getting the Atlanta stations OTA--some are in Warner Robins and Perry, even, so those folks are 85+ miles out from the Atlanta transmitters. You should be able to do OTA also. Digital signals seem to do a lot better that analog at those distances. No snow--with digital, you either get the channel, or you don't.

Check out http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/ahdtv/
There are a lot of folks there, from all around Atlanta that have tried several things. It seems that the consensus is the ChannelMaster 4228 as the ultimate antenna. I haven't tried it, my Silver Sensor is amazing for its size.

As far as receiver, my Zenith HDV420 is now for sale, I used it to get ABC, but don't need it now that the TiVo does the same job. There's a few on ebay that have sold for $188 including the exorbitant shipping being charged. I would let mine go for $175. It did the job, the only issue is that I could get all stations except ABC with the Silver Sensor sitting on top of the TV, but to get ABC, I had to build a shelf two feet higher to bring it in--and the other stations wouldn't come in at that location. I figure a bigger antenna (the Silver Sensor is less than a foot long) would take care of that too. I live 25 miles away from the transmitters.

My opinion is that you definitely can get HD OTA where you are, the question is how much antenna will you really need.

Also check out www.antennaweb.org --that's a great resource, but actually I am doing better with less antenna than it indicates I should expect.

If you do get OTA running strong, you could potentially drop the HD package from Charter and save some money. You would lose ESPN, HDNet, and HBO and Showtime if you have those. But you would pick up ABC, UPN, WB, and PBS, and when TBS is the station assigned to do the Braves game at home (as opposed to Turner South or whoever) that is broadcast in HD OTA also.

I just tried to get a cc install on my new Tosh and after much pain and suffering they tell me thay don't have any cc's and they don't know when the manufacturer (motorolla) will be sending any more out.

Has anybody had a cc installed recently in the Atlanta area?

Well, looks like I'll be moving up to Suwanee, GA in about 5-7 months where Charter is the cable provider. Currently I have Comcast HD with a DVR. I'm hoping the DVR is available when I am ready to move and that they have a few more HD channels available, but I'm happy with their current lineup because it's the same amount of HD I'm getting from Comcast.

This post is for anyone who understands the technical side of cable distribution systems.

HD recently became available in my area. I have the Motorola DVR set top box. I am pleased with the picture quality (when it is working). The problem is that periodically, the HD channels (and internet before I switched to DSL a few weeks before I got HD service) will deteriorate and sometimes even drop out. SD channels work OK. This happens typically in the evenings, but might happen anytime. The frequency is such that it would be very unusual to be able to watch any single program without getting at least some disruptions.

Friday, a tecnician checked the signal in my house, and said it was marginally high and might be increasing above specification in the evenings due to the temperatures falling. He said the high signal would cause the type of problem I am having. They are supposed to have a maintenance technician check the signal at the street and adjust accordingly. However, they seem to be in no great hurry to complete this and I am getting very frustrated.

Please let me know if the above sounds correct; and if anyone has any suggestions that might be useful to pass along to Charter. Thank you.

Thanks Coatie, they apparently adjusted the signal yesterday and last night it was much improved. However, there were still several disruptions. I will stay with this approach and see if they can get it completely cured. I agree with you about ABCHD. Also, I wonder why they do not have Discovery HD Theater and several other channels that others have. I will be glad to do whatever I can to prod them along...

I will send them both a request for information regarding the lack of available HD programming. Unfortunately the poor reception issue I am having has reverted to the same level as it was before. I am quickly losing my patience and might have to give up Charter and go with an alternative provider. I wonder if the upcoming DirecTV systems (mpeg-4)will require two cables from the Dish to the receiver or just one. Anyone know?