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Topics - LoadStar

#1
My tuning adapter on my TiVo stopped responding today, so I rebooted it. When it came back, the channel map that Spectrum (Time Warner Cable) is currently sending to it includes an epic amount of new HD channels. Now, keep in mind that none of these appear to actually be active at this time - they're only in the channel map, not actually live channels.

1105 - Teen Nick HD
1108 - Sprout HD
1110 - Disney Jr HD
1137 - AHC HD
1176 - HSN HD
1179 - QVC Plus HD
1210 - Ovation HD
1218 - WGN America HD
1226 - FamilyNet HD
1227 - Logo HD
1229 - RFD HD
1230 - POP HD
1251 - MTV2 HD
1255 - GAC HD
1256 - Centric HD
1257 - UP HD
1266 - AXS HD
1275 - REELZ HD
1279 - FXM HD
1285 - HDNet
1287 - Indieplex
1288 - Retroplex HD
1314 - SPECSHD (not sure what this is)
1315 - TVG HD
1328 - Fox Sports 2
1334 - Big 10 2 HD
1345 - Pac 12 HD
1356 - Bloomberg HD
1359 - CSPAN HD
1360 - CSPAN 2 HD
1361 - CSPAN 3 HD
1362 - BBC World HD
1385 - EWTN HD
1387 - INSP HD
1389 - Daystar HD
1393 - Pac 12 LA HD
1394 - Pac 12 AZ HD
1395 - Pac 12 WA HD
1396 - Pac 12 OR HD
1397 - Pac 12 Mountain HD
1398 - Pac 12 Bay Area HD
1608 - HBO Zone HD
1609 - HBO Latino HD
1625 - ThrillerMAX HD
1626 - OuterMAX HD
1627 - MAXLatino HD
1628 - 5StarMAX HD
1629 - MovieMAX HD
1646 - Showtime Beyond HD
1647 - ShoNEXT HD
1648 - ShoWOMEN HD
1663 - The Movie Channel Xtra HD
1706 - Playboy TV HD
#2
Since the topic came up in another thread, I thought I'd provide my experiences with DTAs, or Digital Transport Adapters. This doesn't directly relate to HDTV, but may be of interest.

I have a couple of TVs in my house that do not have digital cable boxes. As a result, just plugging the TV into the wall results in reception of channels up to 66. That leaves out a ton of channels normally included in the "Standard TV" package.  The solution is a DTA or Digital Transport Adapter. I picked up a pair of these today and though I'd share my experience.

A digital transport adapter is a limited purpose box; they tune channels, and that's all. They have no on-screen channel guide, and no ability to receive switched digital channels or on-demand programming. They measure about 4.5" by 3.5", so they are rather unobtrusive already. If even a box that small won't fit in well into your setup, the package includes an infrared extender cable, allowing you to hide the box completely out of sight.

The ports on the back of the box are power, infrared (via 1/8" phone connector), cable in, and coax out. There is also an HDMI port, and the boxes are technically capable of receiving and displaying HD channels, although at this time the only HD channels they receive are the over-the-air broadcast channels. As a bit of a surprise, the package even includes a free HDMI cable.

Hooking the boxes up should be very easy. Connect the power, cable in, and either coax or HDMI out, turn on your TV, then call in and activate the box. For me, it wasn't as straightforward; on one of the boxes, it wasn't coded right, and therefore was missing a bunch of the channels. They also didn't receive the activation signal on first try, and I had to call in a second time to get that done.

If you have Time Warner and any televisions hooked directly up to the wall, you definitely want to get one of these boxes. You'll get the full set of channels you're already paying for, and also get them in clearer digital quality.

Edit: for those just joining this thread, even though the website lists a monthly cost of $0.00, they seem to be charging $0.99/mo for the DTAs.
#3
Testing Area / test
Sunday Jul 14, 2013, 09:21:08 AM
This is a test. This is only a test.
#4
Looks like TWC is in the process of re-shuffling the channel lineups across the board:
http://www.timewarnercable.com/content/twc/en/residential-home/tv/my-channels.html
Based on this page and what I've seen from other regions, what they will be doing is "merging" the SD and HD channels together.

For example, right now, Discovery SD is 130 and Discovery HD is 1130.  After the channel lineup shuffle, you'll just tune to 130 (or whatever it ends up being) and if you have an SD receiver, you'll get the SD channel, and the HD channel on an HD receiver.

The page above just shows "coming soon;" the changes are being already implemented in other regions.
#5
Looks like I have a significant frequency band that is giving me grief. Looks like approximately channels 3-11 in the analog band, and 994-1004 and 1006 on digital. Anyone else seeing the same thing?
#6
Looks like we may be in for a game of brinkmanship between Time Warner Cable and Hearst Television, parent company of WISN-TV. Hearst's contract with Time Warner expires on June 30.

This evening, I noticed WISN is running a "scroller" during the evening news talking about the contract. The message there simply states "WISN TV's Parent Company, Hearst Television, is currently negotiating a renewal of its carriage agreement with Time Warner Cable. Please go to WISN-TV's website at //WWW.WISN.COM for further information."

If you go to the website, there is definitely talk about blacking out the station on Time Warner. Apparently, there is some dispute about how long retransmission rights run; Hearst says they expire on June 30, while they suggest Time Warner believes they run until July 25.

Time Warner's page, on the other hand, simply states that they are in negotiations.
#7
Latest News / Time Warner Cable rate card (Effective 11/2010)
Wednesday Oct 20, 2010, 09:04:56 AM
I thought that this might be of some value, since Time Warner doesn't publish this information on their website. This is the rate card for Time Warner Cable Wisconsin, which I received in the mail just yesterday.

(Yes, this should also be available from any Time Warner office, but this makes it easier to do research without having to go into Time Warner.)

http://www.mediafire.com/?1wtpf1afxpsfu88

Note that this does not list any bundle/package pricing; this is all the "standard" pricing for each service. This also does not list any discounts you may be able to receive.
#8
Milwaukee HDTV Programming / 5/13 5:00 WISN aspect ratio
Thursday May 13, 2010, 05:20:04 PM
What is going on with WISN's aspect ratio for the 5:00 p.m. news today, 5/13? They have been intermittently turning on letterboxing on the HD broadcast to matte it out to a wider aspect ratio (1.85:1?). Very odd. They turned it off for commercials and for the weather, but turned it back on for the main anchor shot.
#9
I just tuned into the Brewers game on TWC channel 531, and noticed that it is upconverted 4:3 SD resolution. Normally when not broadcasting in HD, 531 is off-the-air.

Anyone know if this game is supposed to be in HD?
#10
On/Off Topic Chit-Chat / Live video production advice
Friday Apr 10, 2009, 08:46:42 PM
I work for a local university in the IT department. I've been asked to "broadcast" video from the commencement exercises to 5 or 6 different locations, all on campus. One of these locations is the "overflow seating" area.

I have nearly no budget, aside from spare parts. If there were something I absolutely needed, I might be able to get it, as long as it weren't very expensive.

1) What I've done in the past is used Windows Media Encoder and webcast it over the network. Given that WME is getting a bit long in the tooth, I might switch now to Expression Encoder. Is this the best course of action, or is there some better idea or technology out there for distributing video on campus? (note: does not have to be strictly webcasting - if there's some better idea out there other than webcasting, I'd love to hear)

2) If we stick with webcasting, given that the public will be watching this, the webcast must be absolutely rock solid, and must be of a sufficient quality that it is watchable on a large projected image. Any tips on accomplishing this?

3) Finally, after all is said and done, we will probably want to record it to DVD, so we must also record at a high enough quality to handle this as well. Any tips for doing this? (We're using Canon GL2 cameras, which use MiniDV tapes - and those are way too short to capture the entire commencement exercises.)

Any and all advice is gladly accepted! If there's somewhere out there that I should be looking for more assistance, please point me in that direction. Thanks!
#11
Milwaukee HDTV Equipment / New software dropped on 8300HDC
Wednesday Mar 18, 2009, 08:34:40 AM
Got a new version of the software last night on my 8300HDC.

Initial observations:
- Darker color scheme. It was immediately obvious that something was different.
- "Timeline" (there a better term for that?) info bar is smaller, probably half the height of the previous one.
- New features under Settings - Display:
  • "Interactive Pop-Ups" (lets you turn off the boxes that let you access Start Over and other features)
  • "Nearest Tune" - "if OFF, entering an invalid channel number does not tune"
- New features in series recording options:
  • "Set Priority" - finally!
  • "Save at most" - now allows only one episode. Previously that was a minimum of 3 episodes.
  • "Adjust Start Time" - start 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 15, 30 min. early, as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 15 minutes late
  • "Adjust End Time - end 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 15, 30, 60, 120 min late, as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 15 minutes early
  • Unfortunately, still no option to tell it to "keep until I delete"...

Unrelated to the new software, how long have they had "Primetime On Demand," channel 1103? They have primetime shows from NBC, USA, CBS, and FX. Unfortunately, no FOX or ABC, and not HD, but still potentially very useful if you forget to set a recording for a show.
#12
Milwaukee HDTV Programming / Saturday weather on TMJ4
Saturday Feb 21, 2009, 03:17:29 PM
I tuned in to the gymnastics coverage on NBC, just to see what WTMJ would do with their new equipment.

On the good note, their new equipment allows them to stay in HD and supply the weather. Definite improvement there.

However, there are major problems yet to be fixed...

1) Is it seriously necessary to have a scroller that large? I mean, the thing is gigantic.
2) Is it necessary to leave it up all the time? If you aren't scrolling something on it, it just takes up space.
3) Is it really necessary to scroll every 30 seconds? I mean, come on, people. It's snowing. I can TELL it's snowing, you know how? I can LOOK OUT A DANG WINDOW!!! I don't need to be told every 30 seconds on my TV that it's snowing! Put it up every 5 minutes, that's fine (though less would be better still) but 30 seconds? Come on. If I want THAT frequent of a weather update, I'll flip to 4.2.

Yeesh. Now that I think about it, I'm NOT too sure that this is an improvement after all.
#13
Heh - I'm watching this "nightlight" programming on WCGV and WVTV analog. While it is informative and helpful for those who haven't gotten their converter boxes... does anyone else get a sort of apocalyptic, "we left this message for those of you still alive" sort of vibe to it?

Also - what is the point to the sign language when the program is open captioned in English and Spanish?
#14
Following the passage of the DTV Delay Act, 491 stations across the country applied to the FCC to terminate analog service on the original cutoff date of 2/17. Today, the FCC announced that 368 will be permitted to move forward with these plans. However, the remaining 123 have been denied, because terminating their analog service "poses a significant risk of public harm."

The Milwaukee stations that have chosen to terminate analog service on 2/17, which include Sinclair Broadcasting-owned channels 18 and 24, and VCY America-owned channel 30, are among the 368 allowed to proceed forward.

Across the state, all 4 of the major network affiliates in the Madison area have been denied, as have 5 stations in the LaCrosse-Eau Claire broadcast area and 5 in the Wausau-Rhinelander area.

The FCC has said that they will re-evaluate these 123 stations, if they certify that they meet eight new conditions. The primary focus of many of these conditions is on "enhanced nightlight" analog service, which must offer (in English and Spanish, as well as being captioned for the hearing impaired) information on what areas are losing analog service, and how to obtain and hook up a converter and an appropriate antenna. The stations must also jointly or independently operate a call center to assist customers, as well as a walk-in center where consumers can request assistance in applying for a coupon or where others can donate their unneeded converters or coupons.

FCC Public Notice
List of denied stations
#15
Milwaukee HDTV Programming / WDJT-58 Digital on satellite?
Wednesday Feb 04, 2009, 08:42:12 PM
Ok, I don't have satellite, so correct me if I'm wrong... but I thought that WDJT had yet to sign a retransmission agreement with the satellite companies for the digital signal... no?

If they haven't... then what is with this page?
http://www.cbs58.com/dtv09/satellite.php
QuoteYou can find the following stations in the following locations.
:confused:
#16
Latest News / WITI [apparently] sticking with 2/17 cutoff
Friday Jan 30, 2009, 09:11:25 PM
According to a scroller during the 9:00 news this evening:

QuoteOn February 17, WITI (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), intends to cease analog broadcasting. Viewers who rely on over-the-air service will lose reception of our programming unless they use a DTV receiver or converter box. Converter boxes can be purchased from electronics retailers and online. If you subscribe to cable or satellite service, you should not lose reception. For more information, please go to //www.dtv2009.gov or contact WITI at [9001 North Green Bay Road, Milwaukee, WI 53209], [Fox6News@FOX6NOW.COM], or [(414) 355-6666].

Sure sounds like they intend to move forward, regardless if the date is pushed to June... and the current bills pending in Congress allow the station that right.

Yet another example of how messed up this will get if the bill is passed... instead of everyone switching off on 2/17, you'll have a mishmash of some switching off on Feb 17, then the rest sort of eventually switching off sometime between February and June. Yeesh.
#17
I noticed on my 8300HDC, every one of the Amber Alerts that was sent through stopped suddenly after about 5 seconds or so... and just now the "scroller" was activated without any alert tone or audio at all.

Anyone else see the same thing? Buggy routine in Mystro to handle alerts?
#18
I'm watching WCGV this evening at 8:00 p.m., and I'm seeing an odd horizontal stripe that is severely resolution degraded. On my 26" LCD, it's about a half inch from the bottom of the TV, and is slightly more than an inch high.

I'm not seeing the issue on any other channel. I am seeing it on commercials, but so far I haven't seen any local commercials (they all seem to be network run commercials).

Is anyone else seeing this?
#19
Isn't Fox NFL Pregame normally broadcast widescreen? WITI is carrying it in 4:3... I'm not as worried about FOX Pregame, as the fact that I hope they correct this before the game...
#20
WITI-DT seems to have forgotten to drop from network programming after prime time tonight. As of 9:08 p.m., they're showing "Fox Networks" widescreen bars and tone. The analog station is showing the news as expected.

Edit: apparently I jumped to conclusions. It was a part that they were replacing that required taking the station off the air. My apologies to WITI engineers who were hard at work fixing the problem!