Chicago, IL - WOW - Page 14

Pixelation gone on House... Thanks Foamy!

I don't know for sure if it was my call, but I am glad it has gotten better. Per his instructions, yesterday I e-mailed Bill a list of questions and concerns. Just a summary...

First off, the blackout of the NFL Network games is definite, confirmed via e-mail by Leslie. That in mind, I asked him to note on the channel listings that the games are not included, as I feel it is deceptive. I also requested they drop the channel from the HD pak and add something of more value, either ESPN2 or Universal.

I also asked when the Big Ten Network HD would be added to the Chicago feeds. I asked why Columbus would get a channel that the others don't.

I asked for specifics on WOW's HD plans. I said their silence on the issue is going to drive customers to Satellite or Comcast, as they are focusing on adding HD to remain competitive.

I also asked if Multistream Cable Cards were coming and if they have any plans for SDV.

I will post his responses if and when I receive them. If I don't hear back, I will let you know and give out his e-mail via PM. I did not want to go that route, but I will if need be.

Thanks for the feedback Foamy - am sure we all appreciate hearing anything - you are right - the silence is far too painful!

I'm pretty sure it was your call. Since many of us were complaining and you called and told them that, they fixed the issue. If you had not told them about us then he would assume it was just you and we would be stuck with this issue most likely, so we appreciate your efforts here. Maybe WOW should hire you as a customer service rep?

Dropping NFL Network from the HD lineup would make sense to make room for another channel if they do not have room. If they do have room, however, and its just a matter of money to get other HD channels then by all means they should keep the channel.

I also don't understand where Evansville Indiana gets Universal HD and ESPN2 HD. We get neither of those in Chicago. We also do not get Big Ten Network. So, I hope WOW takes foamy's e-mail very seriously. He is speaking not only for himself, but for the rest of us as well.

I have a feeling WOW is going to start looking at me more like a union organizer/rabble rouser...

I got Bill's reply late in the day at work and his point by point response is below...

Always a pleasure to hear from you. I am glad to hear everything is working well in your area. I will do my best to answer your concerns in the order you sent them:

NFL Network - There should be some information posted , in the next few days, regarding the 8 NFL games. I am very sorry you feel conned, since it was not disclosed. At the time, we were still in negotiations with the NFL Network. The channel change that you suggested is being taken under consideration but no definite answers have been given.

Big Ten Network - The other markets do not have plans, at this time, to put up the Big Ten Network in HD. Unfortunately,

we have not received a substantial number of request for it in the regions. Since available bandwidth is at a premium, we will not be launching it. (my emphasis)

HD Channels - The suggestions are being reviewed, regarding the HD channels you requested. Since deal negotiations are constantly updating, I really can not comment on what will be released and when.

Multi-stream Cable Cards - At this time, I do not have any updates for this product.

Switched Digital Video - This product is under review but we do not have any immediate plans for launch. I almost feel like he's thrown down the gauntlet. Maybe they have not had a lot of requests for Big Ten HD before, but I hope that all of you can change that. I believe I got my original response from Bill because of the note that I sent to Colleen Abdoulah through their contact form. She has been copied on a couple of e-mails so definitely start with her. Initially, I think we should try to use the channels they give us. That way, if they do not respond, we can escalate our tactics. At that point, we can work with real e-mail, letters, and what not.

Be sure to use your real names, e-mails, and account numbers. I think if they get a slew of requests that look fake, they will ignore it. Real customers with valid points are harder to ignore. Be realistic in your requests, and maybe keep this initial wave to the Big Ten HD. Once we get their attention, then maybe we can move on.

Even if you only subscribe to analog basic, make the point that more HD channels, such as BigTenHD would make you consider upgrading.

On a related note, thanks to grantsa4 over at DSL Reports (and here, I see), I read on my latest bill that "Effective Jan 2, 2008, TNT HD and ESPNHD will become part of WOW! HD Basic. HD Pak customers will continue to view TNT HD and ESPNHD programming on WOW! Cable channels 209 and 211, respectively.

To me that sounds like they will become part of Digital Basic, although I have not seen the term HD Basic before. I would hope they would then add more channels to the HD Pak, because if it shrinks to only seven channels, one being NFL Networthless, I will probably drop it.

Anyway, again, sorry for the length, go hit those contact forms and Viva la revolucion!

^ Thanks for the info once again foamy. It sounds like they do not have any serious motivation for HD channels. They tell you partly of what you want to hear and thats it. Also, if they are moving TNT and ESPN to HD basic, then they should add 2 more HD channels to the HD Pak, because if they don't, then were paying for the HD Pak at the same price, but with 2 fewer channels.

Thanks for the update Foamy and thanks for the shout out - So, what are the HD channels that everyone is emailing them for then? Big Ten HD? CNN HD? ESPN2 HD? Discovery HD? TLC HD?

What are the main channels that people are requesting so we can all push those channels - hopefully every day

Yeah if they add ESPN HD & TNT HD into basic , I'd be delighted! ... but what would be the point for HD Pak users to keep that lineup.

Foamy, Thanks for taking care of this, it's great that you have been on the top of that, and I second that, I think it's thanks to you that they fixed Fox HD.

I'll send an email to my WoW Friends to ask for Big Ten HD.

-H

It wouldn't make much sense to keep the HD Pak. The only channel I would really care about out of the HD Pak is HD Theater. HDNet Movies I don't really care about. HDNet is sometimes ok. Wealth channel is lame most of the time. NFL Network is a huge bust. Sometimes Food Network and HGTV have some interesting stuff on. The only 2 channels I really like in the HD Pak are ESPN and HD Theater.

I requested quite a few. Every once in a while (once every week or two) I e-mail them requests. I requested NBATV HD, Discovery Channel HD, National Geographic HD, ESPN2 HD, Big Ten Network HD, MHD, Science Channel HD and channels such as those. Oh, and MTV just went high definition. I think only DirecTV has that right now in HD.

Even though HD Theater is a pretty neat channel, and ESPN HD is decent, they really need to figure out how to add another regular HD channel or two (like SciFi and TBS). I mean for $5 more, you can get a premium movie add-on (HBO, Cinemax, Showtime) which does add an HD channel for that addition.

I think I would rather get 2 of those and drop the HD Pak to be honest. Thats if they are not going to be adding anymore HD channels. You would have to imagine they would add 2 more HD channels to the HD Pak. Lets say your a newcomer to WOW and for the HD Pak you see 7 HD channels. That won't look too appealing. 9 channels looks better.

I just signed up for WOW and it was installed this past weekend. I signed up for the WOW Digital Basic Package w/ Non-HD DVR + Internet. The cable guy installed the SA 8300 HD DVR, even though I didn't sign up or any HD service. I didn’t say anything though at time of install.

I have an HDTV with QAM tuner though. I was figuring on just getting the basic network HD channels over the QAM. However, I have tried and tried with no luck to get the OTA HD channels. I disconnected the box and scanned the TV straight from the wall and that worked. So I know I can get OTA HD with the QAM, but not the way I want it. I attempted to use a splitter in several different ways from the box but that doesn’t seem to work and I have rescanned with each attempt. Right now the only way for me to view HD is to disconnect the box and go straight from the wall. Any way for me to get OTA HD channels even though I have a set top box?

By the way, with the HD DVR, I can view the network HD channels (200-206) through the box but they are not in HD.

Any help is appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Did you try splitting the cable between the wall and the box?
I don't know exactly how the cable box works, but if it goes:
wall - (coax) - box - (coax) - TV, then you should be able to split the cable between the wall and the box and feed that to your TV and get the local HDs that way.
In other words:
wall - (coax) - splitter - (coax) - TV
|
- (coax) - box - (coax) - TV

Oh, but I guess that would mean your TV needs two cable-cable coax inputs.
Hmmm. Can the box feed the TV any other way? Such as HDMI or component?

Just some ramblings and thoughts off the top of my head ....


Mitch

Thanks for the reply. You're right, everything I've tried seems to lead to me needing 2 cable inputs, which I don't have. I have 1 cable input, 1 UHF/VHF input and 1 hdmi input. The box has a hdmi slot as well. So, how would I set it up with the hdmi?

With HDMI? Its been a while since I set everything up, but just get an HDMI cable, unplug everything and then plug in the HDMI from the HD DVR to the TV and power everything on. There may be some setup instructions for settings when you turn the HD DVR on. I think there is options for 490/720/1080. You will want to select the settings you want I guess. Of course, you will want 720p and/or 1080i. Let us know if you need any further help.

Oh, and get the cable from monoprice.com to save some money.
Or, in a pinch, Tiger Direct in naperville has a 3 foot cable for $13.
(Definitely don't go and pay a bunch of money for a Monster cable from Best Buy.)

So, once you have the box connected to the TV via HDMI, split the signal before the box and feed that directly to the TV. Then you'll just have to choose the given input on the TV to watch the cable feed or the box feed.


Mitch

Thats what most people do. I would never buy a Monster HDMI cable. Places like Best Buy try to get you to buy them and say they are the best. I got myself a middle to upper range HDMI cable. I have 2 Acoustic Research HDMI's and they work great, but for most people a cheap one for $10-20 will do.

Don't remember where I read the info, but I do remember it was reputable source.....As of about a year ago, there were only 3 manufacturers WORLDWIDE that made HDMI cable. All of them overseas, with one new company starting up in the US. These companies are contracted by Monster and others to slap their brand on the connector ends, and then sold for whatever price. The key factor, though, was that there was negligible difference in production quality between the 3 manufactures, though I do remember the US company was supposedly to create a much better cable with improved conductors, shielding, etc.

There are audiophiles that spend like hundreds if not thousands of dollars on cables... a co-worker of mine showed me catalog containing shielded audio/video cables going for upwards thousands of dollars

... of course, do you need $30 HDMI cable ? probably not and can get away with the Cable2Go and such products from Tiger.

Just ordered a 3 ft hdmi cable from Monoprice. With shipping it was $7.10, great deal. I'll give this a shot when it comes in and will post if there is success or not. Thanks for the help.

The Monster cables are good cables, but I think its a bit overboard with the prices. The 1000 series are $149 I think. They have a 600 series which is the cable that Best Buy tried to get us to buy one time, but we opted for the Acoustic Research HDMI cable which we have been very pleased with thus far. They have the shielding and what not as well.

I like this page review:

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/hdmi-cabl...t-2-268788.php

I just checked on Amazon and the 1000 Monster HDMI cables from Monster are around $71. Thats not that bad for a Monster cable. I might get myself one of those if I get a PS3 for Christmas. For my SA HD DVR box I have an Acoustic Research HDMI cable, as I stated above and they work good. I am to scared to buy a cheap HDMI cable for $10-20.

I just got one of those Amazon Monster 1000HD's. They are very high quality and $71 is a pretty good deal.

It really just depends on what your TV is capable of (i.e. for x.v.Color, Deep Color, 120hz, and all the HD audio formats, you need a very high-bandwidth cable).

Once again, the myth is perpetuated that expensive cables are necessary for high-quality components. HDMI, like all digital cables, either work or they don't. Assuming that the cables are of acceptable build quality (and Monoprice's are definitely acceptable; I have used several with absolutely no problems), spending more than $20-30 for a 3m HDMI is a waste of money.

I am not Monster-bashing; I am simply saying that you do not need to spend $71 for a good HDMI cable.

That might be true for some less expensive TVs, but after buying a Sony 52" XBR5, I couldn't get my old Belkin cable to work. The Monster 1000HD worked right off the bat for me. I think it's just an issue of the extreme amount of band-width that the XBR5 requires.

I have a 55" Sony SXRD myself, and the HDMI cable supplied with my Oppo DVD player worked fine. Monster makes good cables; they are just overpriced.

^ Very true. Monster cables are overpriced. I don't own any of them, but I do believe that if you have a really nice TV that you have to fork out a few extra bucks for a good HDMI cable. Sure, any HDMI cable will work, but a $10 HDMI cable might be too cheap. Anyway, lets get back on topic. lol! I blame myself for taking this thread into a HDMI cable discussion.

Is anyone else having a weak signal on WPWR 50 HD in Naperville? I was watching the 8A football game last night and I would lose the signal or pixelate.