Columbia, SC - HDTV - Page 319

Hey U-Verse has to be an alternative by now, right?

Speaking of U-Verse, the salesman came to the door this last week. I told him I had heard the quality of HD was not up to even the levels of TWC. Is that what others have heard??

no one has ever posted here about having their services.
http://www.thetruthaboutuverse.com/i...v-really-hdtv/

The U-Verse guy that came by a month or two ago said *dedicated* 16Mbps Internet was available at a cost, but now I wonder what the HD picture would be like while I was using it. 25Mbps split all ways per that link doesn't sound like it's enough. Now I'll have to go back and look for Verizon's specs and quality complaints to see if not being able to get them is a big loss...

Any new word on HD locals on DirecTV? Yes I know their website still doesn't have us listed but others on here were citing sources that said June 09.

Anyone here running an external HD DVR expander with a 8300HDC Box ??

I'm getting mixed reviews of whether or not an external eSata Drive will work with the 8300HDC.

TIA

It will work. I used one for several years, but I now use it with a TiVo HD. The HDC has cable cards, and works exactly the same with the esata external drive. The regular 8300HD is being phased out.

Both myself and one of my friends are currently running eSata drives off our 8300 boxes. He's in Irmo, I'm in Lexington.

Have two HD DVRs using eSata drive and they work great. If you need any help getting started let me know.

Anyone else notice that we lost HDnet and HDnet movies?

They appear to be replaced by "Smithsonian HD" and some other similar HD channel.

That's a bummer, HDnet movies sometimes had something on worth watching, and HDnet had lots of late night garbage programming (Bikini Destinations, Art Mann, etc).

Looks like the HDNet wikipedia page shows that TimeWarner dropped both of these channels nationwide on 5/31/09. I guess I was out of the loop:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDNet

The message boards here have been buzzing about the drops and add mentioned here. I believe it's been on the radar screen for at least the past few weeks on the Charlotte, Raleigh and Greenville, NC Message Boards.

hi to everyone!

new to this thread and also time warner, its been about 3 weeks with it and am wondering whether i should switch to dish network. TWC hd lineup seems really weak, and when i called customer service to ask about upcoming hd channels, they said they have no idea but they said they are trying to add a few hd channels every 6 months....i tried asking about specific channels and they just said "some more requested channels are first on their list" here are the channels i asked about...

cartoon network
disney xd
comedy central
mtv
vh1
bet
nick
CW
g4
(these are the channels i was most interested in and are available in HD on satellite)

i was just doing a little comparison....but i am not sure what other channels could be more requested.....hmmmm

i also have an external hard drive and asked her whether i would be able to export shows onto that hard drive, since the storage on this thing is horrible, and she said there is no way.

i cannot get all my channels in my bedroom without paying for another box so i am stuck with basic in there.....

alot of these things dont really bother me too much, but it is still bothersome considering how little there is to look forward to, not to mention it seems i would get more for the same $$$ with satellite.

i do like on demand channels......and hbo and showtime seem to be cheaper on TWC. not sure interested in your opinions, i will be paying close attention to your own experiences.....

Do the channels you listed actually broadcast anything in HD ?

There ya go kevinivey

yea i agree mtv and vh1 are not must watch channels for me either, but it is just frustrating that they are available but i dont receive them, like i said these arent huge drawbacks for me but they are irritating.

even looking at the packages makes me wonder because cstv and nfl network are not included and i dont think that even if i were to sign up for that package that i would be get them in hd.

what is the deal with hbo anyway? y are they so out of sync with other providers?

Here's what I can tell you about Time Warner Carolinas.

First the bad news. And I should say that I am absolutely livid at the service provided here since coming from Time Warner New York City over a year ago. They are just so far behind down here, it's not even funny. Not to mention, I'm paying more each month here than my brother, who has Time Warner New York City and Time Warner in New York offers ~15 more channels in HD than down here, not including their local sports networks (MSG HD, MSG-Plus HD, YES HD, SNY HD). Doesn't sound like there are any plans down here to provide SportsSouth or FSN South in HD anytime soon. It's a joke.

Also, the user interface software on the digital boxes is what I had when digital was first available in New York almost 10 years ago. It's outdated and doesn't have all the user interface and features that other cable outlets (including Time Warner) in modernized areas of the country have.

Now the good news.

I can tell you though that TWC Carolinas did respond to my e-mails via a phone call last week and I was told the following:

The following three channels are supposed to be rolling out "very shortly." I got the impression within the next 2-3 weeks:

Tennis Channel HD
Fox News HD
Fox Business News HD

The following are scheduled for "before end of summer:"

E! HD
Cartoon Network HD
Weather Channel HD
NHL Network HD

They are on a schedule for launch of these channels, but he couldn't give me exact dates in case there are issues with the roll out, which knowing how snail-paced it is in South Carolina, I'm sure there will be.

The best thing to do is continue e-mailing, calling, etc. complaining at how slow their HD rollout is, considering that Time Warner outlets and other cable outlets all over the country are miles ahead of Time Warner South Carolina. Their prices are a complete scam down here, considering the service. Even when they do have comparable service to New York (which they don't), we should not be paying NY prices.

Hey we like snail-paced down here. How do they fit in all the HD in NYC? Less or no analogs? More compression? There are going to be people who say they have to have this or that channel but there really are not too many we are missing that can not be considered "fringe" channels, IMO.

Welcome to Columbia.. as some of the locals say "One Screen Door Away From Hell" ..

Yeah, wait till you hit that week-long (at least) stretch of 100°+ temperatures that usually comes in late July or in August!

Back to topic, I see all the local stations that still have analog channels have gotten their act together and are going to pull the plug together at 12:30 PM on Friday.

I'm looking forward to finally getting good reception on WUNF-DT (UNC-TV PBS in Asheville) on channel 25. They've been carrying the Metropolitan Opera's HD broadcasts this year, unlike SCETV which hasn't. I tried recording it last night but it didn't work out. Next week should be better!

Tropospheric conditions were really good toward the southeast late last night. I was able to pick up not only WRJA in Sumter (which isn't too unusual for me), but also WWMB and (for the first time ever) WPDE in Myrtle Beach.

I'm not sure how they fit all the HD in NYC, but I do know that they do.

Don't get me wrong, I love living in South Carolina and I moved down here for a reason. I absolutely love the weather, the beaches and the friendly people and quality of life. That being said, I have every right to be disgusted at my cable offering and wish I wasn't feeling like the only one holding TWC to 2009 standards. Don't be content with what they're offering. TWC Carolinas is very far behind.

Don't believe me that Time Warner NYC offers significantly more in HD? Take a look at the TWC channel guide offered there at twcnyc.com and compare to what is offered in Carolinas.

How do you say that there aren't too many channels we are missing. Not too many we are missing? Please .... Although I'll admit a handful are "fringe channels," once again TWC Carolinas is clearly behind the times in HD rollout.

Again, these are channels that TWC NYC offers that are finally on TWC Carolinas radar but that they still don't offer. Personally, I don't consider any of these "fringe channels."

Tennis Channel HD
Fox News HD
Fox Business News HD
E! HD
Cartoon Network HD
Weather Channel HD
NHL Network HD

How about the ones that NYC does offer that aren't even on the TWC Carolinas radar yet that I didn't mention in my previous post:

CBS College Sports HD
CW HD
Encore HD
Crime and Investigation HD
Live Well HD
Style HD
fuse HD
HBO 2 HD
HBO Signature HD
HBO Family HD
HBO Comedy HD
HBO Zone HD
HBO Latino HD
More Max HD
ActionMAX HD
ThrillerMAX HD
@ Max HD
Five Star Max HD
Outer Max HD
Showtime HD
SHO 2 HD
Showcase HD
SHO Extreme HD
TMC HD
TMC Xtra HD
Starz Edge HD
Starz Kids & Family HD
Starz Comedy HD
Planet Green HD
IFC HD
Live Well HD

Look at all those channels available that we don't have access to (and won't anytime soon) but that TWC has somehow rolled out in other areas long ago. And why is it that I have the same exact package offering as my family in NYC, and yet am offered over a dozen LESS HD channels and am somehow paying nearly $10 more monthly.

Again, don't be content just because it's easier to be. If the lack of channels bothers you as it does me, make a stink about it. Otherwise, TWC Carolinas will be in no rush to put the pedal to the metal. You're paying over $1,000 annually for their service.

Have at it. I only watch a fraction of what I get now but yeah, can't wait for Style HD! Besides like our crack engineer says you'll have the option of U-Verse "real soon now".

main channels i am waiting for are cartoon network,cw, nick, and all the hbos in hd. however it worries me that once they start adding more channels the quality of each channel will suffer since they will have to cram it all through the same line we are receiving channels on now.

Doesn't the CW have to offer HD in columbia first before TWC or DirecTV or Dish Network can offer it?

is anyone else's nbc hd not working?

Mine is working. So is my shift key.

Neverthesleep - remember, a huge rainstorm went through the area around the time you asked...I'm sure that played a part in messing with your reception to NBCHD

Speaking of WIS - Will they be moving from UHF to VHF tomorrow at the big switch?


Also, thank God the switch is tomorrow, so we can all stop seeing those darn red bar reminders throughout primetime!!

I was home at lunch today and had to do a "rescan" in order to pick up WIS, so it looks like they switched from UHF to VHF.

Now that WIS has moved its digital signal from ch 41 to 10, my reception is much better than it's been on 41 lately, whew. And they're supposed to raise their power from 9.7 kW to 57.0 kW at some point soon. That's more than WOLO, which I usually get very well. Except when my wife runs the bread-making machine.

Added: From the WIS web site:

Rarely do I find things I don't like about DirecTV compared to other providers
in town, but today was a new one.

Since the DirecTV STB's don't really "scan", they just get their local channel
info from DirecTV, WIS isn't working anymore. Even when you reset and then
do the inital antenna setup again, it uses your Zip Code to determine what
locals you should have and it still thinks we should have 10-1, not 41-1.

Guess I'm going to have run the cable to my TV to scan for tonight's Game 7
on NBC - no time shifting but that's not a big deal for sports I guess. Go Wings!