St. Louis, MO - Charter - Page 2

I just wanted to see if anyone had a recommendation on a compact outdoor antenna. I want to be ready if Charter looses any more local channels. Is anyone out there having success with a small outdoor antenna in the Hazelwood area?

I am using an antennea's direct DB4 in the west county area.

Hey John,

I am not ...Contributing Editor & Surround Music Review Widescreen Reviewer I am just a 4 eyed nontech guy with horrible SD and fair HD via cable. OTA-HD is looking quite good from my vantage point, even with the subchannel.

My mom got her latest bill and Charter had incresed her monthly bill for basic and expanded basic (channel 2-99) with internet to $84.00. She is on a fixed income and this seemed outrageous to me. I called the retention line, mentioned DSl and they reduced it to $67.40.....I said nope.....you gotta do better..........a few minutes of confiring and oh yeah we can let her have it for $57.40 (which I think is giving her the internet for $19.99. They guaranteed that for 1 year so Momma's happy for awhile. It's like pulling teeth but the squeeky wheel does get the grease.

Nice work!

I have 5MB. The advertised upload speed is 500k. I just did a speed test at speakeasy and got 479k which, I understand is about what to expect.

I had no problem getting them to reduce my 3mb service from $43.99 to $19.99. They are pretty negotiable if you threaten to cancel.

1. Not sure
2. No charge here
3. Yes. Directly to the TV
4. I called and they were at my door the next day....(during a snowstorm!!)

I am trying to connect a LCD to Moxi via the DVI port and am having some issues. My TV is stating that it is not recieving any digital signal. Two questions...
1. Is the DVI port on the Moxi active? I thought it was...
2. The LCD is not HDCP compliant...does Moxi require it to be?

I may try a standard HD box and see if that fixes the issue. Any help is appreciated!

Try this link. It answers your questions.

http://splmoxifaq.googlepages.com/FAQ.htm

Does anyone know if the Charter standard HD box (non-DVR) needs a HDCP compatible DVI input on a display like the Moxi does? I may have to switch out the Moxi for one. Also, how does one connect a Charter Moxi or non-DVR HD box to a media center? Thanks.

Dow Jones & Company, Inc. .

When it comes to innovation, the cable TV industry has been long on talk but slow on action. For years, cable executives have promised viewers they'd soon be using remotes to shop, play games, interact with advertisers and vote contestants off the island. But these and many other features, for the most part, haven't been delivered.

Meanwhile, innovations appear daily on the Internet. Some prognosticators predict the Internet eventually will beat cable in the battle for the living room, with most of the entertainment Americans consume piped over the Web to television sets. That would leave cable operators with the unglamorous and less lucrative job of providing the pipes.

But now something is happening that may tilt the playing field more to the cable guys' advantage. After more than six years of development by CableLabs, the industry's research and development arm, cable operators are rolling out technology that could facilitate new applications and help cable TV maintain its dominant position in home entertainment.

The technology addresses an age-old problem at the root of the cable industry. Because the industry grew up as thousands of separate systems, there was little consistency in the technology used, making service upgrades difficult. This remained true even though many systems were consolidated by giants such as Comcast and Time Warner. Just to add a feature like a news ticker on the bottom of the screen, for example, software has to be modified many times to fit different set-top boxes and network gear in a multitude of systems.

The new technology, with the cumbersome name of OCAP, for Open Cable Application Platform, is software that behaves like an operating system that runs on digital cable set-top boxes and other devices. OCAP, then, is to set-top boxes what Microsoft Windows is to computers. Adding a new feature, like the ticker, is an easy task regardless of the cable system. That ease is expected to spark a flurry of creativity among software companies, as new applications will no longer have to be tailored to fit separate cable systems.

Even better, manufacturers such as Panasonic, Samsung and LG already have designed OCAP TV sets that will eliminate the need for set-top boxes, the scourge of many a home-entertainment center. With OCAP TVs, scheduled to be available as early as this year, users just have to attach a cable and the set will get video-on-demand, advanced program guides and other interactive features from cable.

OCAP also enables manufacturers to design a unit combining DVD players, digital video recorders and other devices within a set-top box. So, cable subscribers won't need to lease boxes from their operators -- income hardly worth the capital outlay -- to get all of the interactive features. Any OCAP device they buy from an electronics retailer will do the trick, as long as the cable system has been upgraded for it.

Some manufacturers predict a slew of new devices to follow, such as one that could pipe in cable TV while grabbing photos, music and videos off home computers. Some see OCAP even helping to solve that other curse: multiple remotes.

But be patient. Like any new technology, OCAP still faces significant obstacles and uncertainty. It will have an impact only if it's used in enough cable systems to attract the attention of software companies and device makers who need to sell in large volumes.

The good news is that a few of the largest cable operators are moving quickly to deploy OCAP, hoping to head off growing competition from phone companies, satellite TV and the Internet. Time Warner plans to install its first OCAP set-top boxes in subscribers' homes in May, and is scheduled to have all of its systems OCAP-ready by July. Time Warner Cable subscribers will first see the benefit of this later this year, when the company uses OCAP to enhance its program guide.

Other cable operators aren't far behind. Comcast, the largest cable company with more than 23 million subscribers, plans to deploy OCAP in two markets before year's end. Cox Communications, another large operator, hopes to be able to begin trials for OCAP devices in a half- dozen markets this year.

But no matter how fast cable operators move, their progress in deploying OCAP is going to be limited by the tens of millions of digital cable boxes already in place. Most of those boxes don't have the memory or the processing power to run OCAP. For OCAP to reach critical mass, cable operators must offer enough advanced features -- at a good price -- to convince consumers to order the new devices.

Cable companies don't have a luxury of time. While some consumer- electronics companies are working with OCAP, others -- like Sony, Hewlett-Packard and Apple -- are developing devices that bypass cable operators altogether by routing movies, TV shows and other content from the Internet to the TV.

The race is on.

---

Is it just me or is the other St Louis forum like a soap opera? It is just constant bickering in there.

No, I think it is frustrated people (like us) who have
paid for an HDTV, paid for cable/satellite and/or over the air HD and then get frustrated when it does not work up to the level we are paying for. It is a rare night that EVERYTHING works as it is supposed to. Either the TV has an issue, the transmitting provider has an issue or the broadcasting station has an issue. Iguess that is the price all HDTV customers pay for being on the "bleeding edge" of technology--sometimes it doesn't work and that is frustrating.

FireWire ports on Moxi are active. They can only be used for connection to a TV or a Digital VHS recorder. They cannot be used for transferring files from Moxi to a PC or Mac. FireWire outputs the TV program only; it does not deliver the Moxi interface, so it works well for archiving, but is not recommended as the primary connection to a TV.

DVI port is also active on Moxi.

After 10+ years with DirecTV I'm looking at othrt options.
It is difficult to find Charter's pricing for various programming/hardware elements from their website. I want to hook up 3 HD TVs as follows; the Main HD TV with a HD DVR, and two additional HD TV's, each with a cable card. I would like a programming package that is roughly equivalent to the DirecTV Plus HD package (185 channels with HD and HD DVR / $69.99 per month).
What Charter programming package do I need and what is the approximate price (non-promotion) for programming and hardware (HD DVR + 2 cable cards)? Also where do I find the brand/model/specs on the current Charter HD DVR?
Also has Charter announced any plans for new HD programing?

Thanks in advance for your input,
-Mike

My bill for the cable portion is right at $90 for one HD box and regular cable for two other TV's. In addition to HD channels I have HD HBO, SHOW, and CINEMAX. I have just been looking at DIRECTV and believe they would be cheaper for an equivalent to my set up. I don't have DVR or multiple HD TV's.

I am curious why you would leave DIRECTV ? You are aware that Charter does not carry HD CBS or ABC? THey have no announced plan for additional HD channels, having graced us with the addition of an HD MTV channel most recently-wow, I am under whelmed. If DIRECTV adds additional HD channels this year I would think they would be the thing to do with. Have you had service or picture quality issues?

I currently own my equipment and it needs upgrading to receive the new MPEG-4 HD channels. This requires a new HD DVR/receivers and 5Lnb dish. DirecTV now only leases equipment and requires a 2 year commitment plus $ upfront. I don't like the 2 year commitment, also I have some large trees that may block one of the satellites I need for HD. The picture quality is not good on some of the SD channels. I'm not sure when DirecTV will have more HD channels that I'm intersted in. A lot is riding on the successful launch of 2 satellites.

Currently I watch the locals through the TV's HD OTA tuners. I like the idea of the cable card and no tuner box. I'm also considering Dish (no commitment)as they currently have more HD programming than DirecTV and the Dish HD DVR seems to have less issues than the DirecTV DVR.

Do you know if Dish is going to have Fox Sports Midwest in HD this year for Cardinal games? This is my sole reason for sticking with Charter.

If I recall corectly someone on the main STL HD thread had said there were no plans for DISH to have Fox Midwest. You might check that thread from two or three weeks ago.

Yeah 18 last year. 30 would be a good number this year, plus the 20 on KSDK, and ??? on CW 11. I think only KSDK has released their number of games.

Thanks for the response though, I like the Charter thread also.

On another note, I think I am going to make my own antenna. I just rigged one up using a converter from a 1985 RCA 19", and some old curtain rods mounted in the basement. To my suprise i got some HD channels but they break up a lot.

Looks like from the drawing posted earlier, you need reflector booms and active booms.

Any one ever tried this before, besides the DIY attic one with foil that is floating around the net?

Later

[quote=Kris Staff]Yeah 18 last year. 30 would be a good number this year, plus the 20 on KSDK, and ??? on CW 11. I think only KSDK has released their number of games.

I believe since KSDK has the Cardinals this means CW11 lost the contract.

I found on ESPN's web site that the opener is on ESPN2. I guess that means no HD for Charter customers.

Charter 4Q Loss Widens
Wednesday February 28, 6:14 pm ET
By Christopher Leonard, AP Business Writer
Charter 4th-Quarter Loss Widens Despite Sharp Rise in Revenue, Customer Rolls


ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Charter Communications Inc., the cable operator controlled by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, said Wednesday its fourth-quarter loss widened, even as overall revenue rose 10 percent.

The company said profits were hurt by a $54 million hike in interest payments and tax costs.

Chief Executive Neil Smit said current losses will be offset in the future as Charter is laying the foundation for growth by investing in "bundled" services that offer customers television, Internet and phone services through their cable line.

"Bundling is the key to driving growth and the addition of phone (service) is the key to bundling success," Smit told investors during a conference call Wednesday.

Charter reported a loss after paying preferred dividends of $396 million, or $1.08 per share, in the October-December quarter, compared with a year-ago loss of $336 million, or $1.06 per share.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected a loss of 80 cents per share. Those estimates typically exclude one-time items.

Charter's stock price fell 1 cent, or less than 1 percent, to close at $3.01 a share Wednesday on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Revenue rose 10 percent to $1.41 billion from $1.29 billion a year ago, in line with analysts' estimates. Demand for high-speed Internet and telephone services drove the revenue gain.

Smit pointed out that Charter was boosting its customer base through a targeted marketing plan. The company finished the year with 445,850 telephone customers, up 30 percent from the end of September.

But rising costs took a bite out of profits, with expenses rising 13 percent to $910 million on a pro forma basis during the quarter.

Smit said in the future, bundling services will not only help Charter win more customers, but will deliver higher profit margins on new accounts.

Cable companies that offer television, Internet and phone have been able to increase customer rolls in recent periods, poaching subscribers from satellite broadcasters or single-play telecommunications companies.

For the year, Charter's loss widened to $1.37 billion, or $4.13 per share, from a loss of $967 million, or $3.13 a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 9 percent to $5.5 billion from $5.03 billion.

Charter Communications: http://www.charter.com

Can anyone who had the Moxi and now has the 6416 tell me if the SD PQ is significantly improved? I like the Moxi, but who cares about 4.1 if the picture is meh?

AP
Report Says Blockbuster Wants Movielink
Thursday March 1, 6:08 pm ET
By David Koenig, AP Business Writer
Blockbuster Trying to Buy Movielink


DALLAS (AP) -- Blockbuster Inc. is in advanced talks to buy Movielink LLC as a way to speed its entry into the online movie-downloading business, according to people familiar with the situation.
Movie-rental giant Blockbuster would pay less than $50 million in cash and stock for Movielink, which is owned by five major studios, according to one of those who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal is not final.


The companies said they wouldn't comment on takeover speculation.

Movielink has offered movie downloads since 2002. Recent competitors include Apple Inc.'s iTunes and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

John Antioco, Blockbuster's chairman and chief executive, has been hinting that the company would get into the digital-download business in 2007. Rival Netflix Inc. launched a movie-download service in January.

Netflix got a big head start on Blockbuster in the online rental of DVDs that are delivered by mail, and Dallas-based Blockbuster hopes to avoid chasing its rival in the young download business.

On Tuesday, when Blockbuster announced its latest quarterly financial results, officials said they expected to make an announcement soon about a video-downloading deal.

Antioco told investors recently that the company needed to be in the download business. But Blockbuster, which spent heavily to launch an online service in 2004 and to drop most late fees in early 2005, didn't want to build a download offering from scratch.

"We think we need to be in this business. We don't see the digital downloading, the electronic sell-through or the pay-per-view piece becoming a huge business in the next year to two, but clearly it will become a $1 billion-plus business five years out," said Antioco, when he was addressing investors at a Citibank conference in January. "Plus, we do not want to be at a competitive disadvantage to anybody."

Movielink is based in Santa Monica, Calif., and owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios and Warner Bros. Studios. It offers downloads of movies from the vaults of those studios plus Walt Disney Pictures, Miramax and others.

The management and technical staff of Movielink are expected to remain in place.

Blockbuster shares rose 17 cents to close at $6.75 in trading on the New York Stock Exchange.