[TexasCap]

I'm using the Scientific Atlanta Explorer cable box for Time Warner Digital Cable in Austin, TX. When I switch channels, I get a temporary blue screen that says "no video signal available". It lasts less than a second. There's about a 2 second delay from the time I "request" a channel to the time it's tuned in. I know I can customize sttings by selecting Zones from the IR code menu, but I don't know what setting to choose.


1) What do all the options in the special menu mean?

2) Anyone know what the best settings are for my box?

3) Is there a way to speed up the time it takes to change channels?

 

[DrJoe]

Quote:

Originally posted by jg: As DrJoe explained at http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/Forum13/HTML/001871.html and elsewhere (please correct me if I'm wrong DrJoe):

Thanks for the citation, jg -- you are correct about the settings -- It's nice to be noticed! *grin* and I use Time Warner digital service in Austin too...


Everything jg said is right...


Additionally, there are several outputs on the digital box -- you can use them ALL at the same time


Video Outputs:

a)Composite Video

b)S-video

c)RF


Audio Outputs

a)Analog Composite

b)Dolby Digital ac3 (Only DD 2.0; Only for the "upper" digital channels)

c)RF


You can split the RF cable between the cable box and the Replay -- On the Replay use the "Cable Ready TV" lineup for the RF and "Austin Time Warner Digital" lineup for the cable box on line 2;


From the digital box, you can send the s-video to the Replay, and the composite video to an A/V receiver or your TV -- split the composite audio with a 'Y' cable into the two sound inputs; you can also send the dolby digital AC3 sound to the receiver if you have a DD ready one -- Then you can:


a)Record off an analog RF channel while watching a digital channel through your receiver (with or without digital sound)


b)Record off the digital box while watching the box through your A/V receiver (for instance for movies where you want to see higher non-recorded resolution/better sound than you get with the Replay)


c)If you REALLY go overboard you can split the RF 3-ways and also send it to your cable-ready TV's RF input and then you can watch the lower analog cable while recording a digital channel


You need to make sure your signal is strong before you leave it split three-ways though!


Note: it is also better to listen to the digital music channelswith your box-to-A/V receiver connection and NOT through the Replay -- when the Replay passes video/sound through, it compresses it -- even in LIVE mode -- and I'm pretty well convinced the music sound suffers.



VERY flexible set-up



Have fun; drop me an email if you have problems with it


Ciao


Joe




[This message has been edited by DrJoe (edited 11-10-2000).]

 

[uncleblaine]

Quote:

Originally posted by Bowhunter: I'am open to other sugestions.

Here are the settings I use with my SA Explorer 2000 and it works like a charm. I would have posted a link to the thread but wasn't sure how to do it. Sorry.

Quote:

Originally posted by Uncleblaine: Here are the settings that work best for me: Enable Fine Tuning: Yes Codeset: 8477 Send Enter: Yes Minimum digits to send: 3 Inter-action delay: 0060 ms Response delay: 750 ms Pre-command delay: 0000 ms Inter-Command delay: 0100 ms I noticed while tweaking the Response delay that above 750 still eliminated blue screen it delayed the whole action unnecessarily (at least it seemed) but below 750 I still got blue screens. Strangely enough though, it seemed to happen more often going to a lower channel than to a higher channel. Go figure. At the above settings I am not getting any blue screen.

 

[uncleblaine]

Doh! Cut and paste??? http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

 

[uncleblaine]

You're welcome! Just passing on what others so graciously passed on to me.

 

[DrJoe]

uncleblaine/TexasCaps/bowhunter:


If you look at earlier threads we discussed this -- and as jg pointed out:

Quote:

This is a little short for the lower (analog) channels, and a little long for the upper (digital) channels.

you can look at my previous posts and find I've gone through it a a fewtimes --


Digital Cable isn't ALL digital.


The channels that you get in analog service are STILL analog -- that's why you don't get AC3 audio for them. The Scientific Atlanta box works as a regular analog tuner for these "lower" channels, and it takes longer to tune them in than it takes to tune in the "upper", digital channels.


So you are faced with a choice:


(a)set the black screen LONG. 750ms. Long enough to not get any blue. But then, the black screen is 10 times as long as you need for the upper digital channels, delaying surfing over the whole range.


(b)set it SHORT. Short enough you don't have to wait for the black screen on the digital channels. Then you get LOTS of blue screen down on the analog channels.


(c)COMPROMISE. Set it for about 250ms -- then it is a little long on the upper channels -- you get a little extra black-screen; a little short on the lower channels (you usually get a moment of blue screen).


I recommend (c).


In the end, make the "black screen" (the response delay) as SHORT as you can stand on the lower channels. I make it long enough that it knocks out 25-50% or so of the blue screen -- 250ms.


Ciao



Joe


[This message has been edited by DrJoe (edited 11-11-2000).]

 

[DrJoe]

Quote:

Originally posted by Skeptic: Sounds like 3.1 needs to make a special provision for this widely experienced anomoly. The tweak screen could have: Tuner switch at channel z Tuning Delay 1=n for channels <z Tuning Delay 2=x for channels >=z (not the best wording, but you get the idea.)

Not a bad idea in general -- would make things qualitatively better for us digital cable folks -- but there would still be some mess because when I say "lower" and "upper" I am speaking in loose terms...


On my system, channels

1= digital ("analog" showtime);

2-13= analog (basic cable);

14= digital ("analog" cinemax);

15-22= analog (more basic);

23-27= digital ("analog" disney, sci-fi, history, etc)

28-70= analog (standard cable)

71= digital (IFC)

72-74= analog (oddyssey, home shopping)

76-79= digital ("analog" HBO)

84-1000= digital


Note: you can tell which is which by checking to see if there is an AC3 sound output for each particular channel). There is AC3 sound ONLY for digital channels.


So when I say "lower" are analog and "upper" are digital, it is REALLY a little more complicated than that. In practice -- most people don't have all of HBO/Cinemax/Showtime/Disney (I have noe of them) so the only lower channels that are digital are the subscriuption channels you DO have and the encore block at 24-27,71.


Ciao


Joe



[This message has been edited by DrJoe (edited 11-11-2000).]

 

[Skeptic]

Wow. What a kludge!


Sounds like the next set-top box generation needs to convert the analog audio to digital so All channels come out the DD output.


Hard to believe they would make something like that. (They are the cable company, so I guess it's not THAT hard to believe http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/wink.gif .


Thanks for laying out the realities instead of the hype.



------------------

Skeptic

 

[DrJoe]

Quote:

Originally posted by Skeptic: Wow. What a kludge! Sounds like the next set-top box generation needs to convert the analog audio to digital so All channels come out the DD output. Hard to believe they would make something like that. (They are the cable company, so I guess it's not THAT hard to believe http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/wink.gif . Thanks for laying out the realities instead of the hype.

LOL


It isn't SO bad -- although it was a SHOCK to me to learn that "cd quality sound" was nod DVD quality, and that "digital cable" wasn't really digital.


I think they decided that they already have the analog channels on the line, so why resend them as digital? They only send the channels they HAVE to send...


The reason the "analog" subscription movie channels are "digital" is because they send them AGAIN as digital -- in other words, the Showtime on channel 1 is identical to the Showtime on channel 230, the HBO on channels 77-79 are the same as those on channels 200-202, and so on with Cinemax and Disney... rather than give you one of them analog/one of them digital, they dump the analog and send the digital to both channels


As to converting the analog to digital, the setboxes obviously aren't equiped to do this -- you would need an additional A-D processor in it. The boxes AREN'T made by the Cable company -- there are a small handfull of companies that make them, and I believe, only 3 that make digital boxes (go to a Cablebox sales site like www.covertelectronics.com; they have lists of the major cable boxes)... Why they don't do an A-D conversion on Time Warner's end, I don't know... Might be that there are synching problems when they send an RF video signal and a digital audio signal.


Aditionally, my A/V receiver will support ONE input or another -- if you input the AC3 output AND the composite audio output into the same line input, you have to get up and press a button on the unit to tell it which one to use. I found it easier to send the video direct to the TV and the AC3 to one line input and the composite audio to another -- at least then I could switch between them with my remote.


I've been meaning to write a "mini-FAQ" on digital cable, and on dolby digital audio because there are LOTS of questions about it -- just haven't gotten around to it yet....


Ciao


Joe

 

[DrJoe]

between this post and http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/Forum13/HTML/002448.html on dolby digital and cable boxes --


I don't want to give the impression that digital cable is not a good substitute for satellite and analog TV...


If you get past the myths, to what it really is, it turns out to be acceptable.


1)you get some if not all of the features you get with satellite, without a dish


2)you get all your service (cable TV, cable modem) from one company (and a discount on the cablemodem monthly fee)


3)you get locals that you don't get with satellite


4)cost isn't too much over analog cable -- and you get a lot more services


5)OUR ppv channels have listings, satellite's don't



The folks who market digital cable just aren't clear about(I think in most cases they don't know) WHAT it is that they are marketing!


Ciao


Joe

 

[TexasCap]

What do each of these do?


Inter-action delay

Response delay

Pre-command delay

Inter-Command delay

 

[DrJoe]

Quote:

Originally posted by TexasCap: What do each of these do? Inter-action delay Response delay Pre-command delay Inter-Command delay

I'm not certian exactly, -- the replay folks caution you not to make changes unnecessarily (although if you write down the old settings you can go back);


The "response delay" sets the length of the "black screen" -- the amount of time between sending the signal to your cable box, and when the box is tuned.


The other delays have to do with how much time there is between IR commands: Interaction is probably between two commands (volume up *delay* volume up; Precommand and intercommand probably have to do with the time between digits (1 delay 2 delay 3 delay enter to get to channel 133 and possibly the length of the IR pulses... Read the posts on the General Instruments DCT 1/2000 boxes -- they go into this in MUCH greater detail because their boxes are MUCH MUCH MUCH flakier than the Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000


I wouldn't fool around with any of them; the Explore 2000 settings are OKI as long as you lengthen the response delay and set it to send 3 digits and "return"



Joe

 

[Skeptic]

Sounds like 3.1 needs to make a special provision for this widely experienced anomoly. The tweak screen could have:


Tuner switch at channel z

Tuning Delay 1=n for channels <z

Tuning Delay 2=x for channels >=z


(not the best wording, but you get the idea.)



------------------

Skeptic

 

[TexasCap]

Dr Joe...


I have my cable split so that the RF is direct, and the cable-box s-video combination goes to line 2. I only need the cable box for a handful of the channels I like. It would make sense to get most of my channels through the RF feed on the "normal" channel numbers, but this setup leaves me with the reverse. For example, channel 2 is listed as 1002 for the RF version. I'd prefer to get as much as possible through RF to cut down on tuning time. Any suggestions?

 

[DrJoe]

Quote:

Originally posted by TexasCap: Dr Joe... I have my cable split so that the RF is direct, and the cable-box s-video combination goes to line 2. I only need the cable box for a handful of the channels I like. It would make sense to get most of my channels through the RF feed on the "normal" channel numbers, but this setup leaves me with the reverse. For example, channel 2 is listed as 1002 for the RF version. I'd prefer to get as much as possible through RF to cut down on tuning time. Any suggestions?

I'm assuming you are using the "Time Warner Digital" lineup on line 2 and the "Cable Ready TV" lineup on the RF input.


By definition, the feed with the most real channels is listed first in the program guide.


So, unfortunately you are stuck with the RF feed above 1000 and the cable box below.


The best (only?) way to go is to go to the channel guide setup and delete all of the duplicate channels -- and any "garbage" digital channels from the guide below 1000. Then delete any of the analog channels above 1000 you don't want.


When you set up show based Replay channels, you get to specify the channel anyway (i.e. record Iron Chef on Friday and Saturday at 9:00 PM from channel 067 or channel 1067); if you have deleted the digital channel 067 from the guide and you set up a "theme" on Iron Chef, it will record it from the only available source (1067)...


You WILL need to remember to keep your cable box on for times when themes catch shows broadcast on the digital channels, and you will have to get used to using the offset ('1000' + 'channel number').


Maybe that's a fix for ReplayMike to look at -- consolidating duplicate lineups into one consecutively numbered list...


ciao


Joe