Milwaukee HDTV User Group

As reported a while back about CBS58 building a new set ..

Dudek wrote today:

WDJT-TV (Channel 58) is getting a new news set and is going HD, if the Facebook page of new morning anchor Tom Durian is to be believed. On June 17, he wrote that "we have a complete new HD studio being built . . . next door we should be on next month." And on July 5, he wrote that "complete HD transition is scheduled for September."

When TWC increased their rates, my bill hit $141 a month .. that's just too damn much.

I have Digital Variety Package $71, DVR service $10, HDTV Box $7.65, RR for $40, $12 in taxes = $141/month.

I called them up today and pushed option "downgrade my service" .. just told them $141 was too high, couldn't afford that.   Their first offer was to reduce my RR bill by $5/month.   Saving $60 a year wasn't what I was looking for.

Then she offered me a package .. exactly the same thing I am getting now, for $112 plus $10 in tax = New Bill of $122/month.

The 4 minute phone call saved me $228/year on my bill. -- Or you could say I rolled my prices back to 2007 levels.  :bang:

Either way, not bad.  If you have TWC .. give it a try.  

I think she said this was a "current deal" or something, so it might be expiring soon, give it a try.  Worst they can do is say no.

This morning, my TWC 8300HDC has developed an odd glitch with remote functions.

The remote (a new one that's been working fine for a month) is working fine EXCEPT .. the volume key no longer works on Cable mode, although if you set TV mode, it will work on the TV.  Oh, and the volume + and - no longer work on the BOX itself.

Another oddity, as you fast forward, you USED to be able (yesterday) to press and hold the play button, and it would ONLY play once you lifted your finger off the play button.  Today?  It plays immediately upon the depress.

I tried cycling the power .. same results.

So .. it's either a broken DVR, or my person thought is .. a DVR software update gone terribly wrong -- in which case, others would have the same issue.

Anyone?

This is good news, although I suppose it will take the better part of a decade to trickle down to TWC.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/10/cox-plus-package-brings-advanced-trio-ui-500gb-multiroom-dvr/

I got a recorded call last night from TWC saying my box would download new software updates and need to reboot (twice) during the night.   Haven't been able to figure out what's new on my 8300HDC.

Anyone else get the call, figure it out?

(Milwaukee area)

I've always wondered, maybe someone knows ..

I have an 8300HDC, Time Warner .. when I hit "List" on the DVR, the saved shows are displayed.  Some have a green and white "plus" sign next to the show.

What does it mean?

(In the old firmware, there was an icon for "do not delete" or whatever.  This is not that, since that functionality is gone.)

Question for you tech guys:

I have a TV that's attached to cable without a set-top box, so get channels 1-99 in the clear.

Most of the locals, 4/6/10/12, (especially 4) have terrible ghosting.  My assumption is that .. there's a signal leak, and my TV picks up Channel 4 via cable, but also via OTA waves, so I get bad PQ.   We live within a few miles of all those transmitters.  Sometimes 4 is unwatchable.

I just realized .. when the analog signals shut off, and DTV is all that's out there .. I think that ghosting will go away.

Right?

Unbelievable.  MPTV put the inauguration on their SD channel, saving their precious HD channel for @?#!#@$% Dragon Tales!!!

When will they learn.  HD content goes on HD channels.  Yes, they are committed to children's programming .. but come on.  Children should have been watching this.

Just moronic.

I know this is a terrible thing to say .. but .. does anyone else find Carole Meekins (Channel 4 anchor) .. really scary looking?   She changed something, I dunno, her hair or makeup .. and looks god awful now.   :eek:

Am I alone with that?

Today, I noticed Channel 516 was flipped on TWC.  I can tune it, but it was dark this morning.  It's the 36.1 PBS channel in Milwaukee.

As far as I know .. 36.1 is NOT HD.  One wonders why TWC put it in the 500-550 range, all of which are HD.    

Plus, 550-559 are all PBS's feeds.  Why they wouldn't stick 36.1 in the middle there (there are openings) is beyond me.

I'm new to the HD world, just bought a new HDTV ten days ago, so am still learning.  I have HD thru TWC.

I was surprised to see that none of the local newscasts are in HD, 4, 6, 12, 58.  Zip.   I'm not sure the technical description .. the news is on the digital HD channels (500 series on TWC) .. it may be a touch sharper than the regular SD channel, but it's 4:3, so it does nothing for me.

But to my surprise, PBS has their local "Interchange" show .. which is in full HD.

So my question is .. if little old public donation funded local PBS station can afford the HD infrastructure, why can't the local NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox affiliates for their all-important cash-cow local newscasts?  

I'm also surprised there isn't a race to start a HD local news.  Last figure I saw, 25% of households have HD TVs now.   I can't speak for everyone, but I'm addicted.  The channels I frequent has gone from 100 down to the few dozen that are HD.  --  If ANY local newscast went HD, I would instantly become their viewer.    I'd guess doing a HD local newscast would bump any station up 10% in the ratings very quickly, as all the HD starved folks would tune in.

You'd think that'd be worth the cash.  The PBS station came up with the $$ to do it, and they are relatively "poor".

Additionally, I'd love to know what kind of investment we're talking to do HD, since .. crap, consumer HD cameras are sub-$1000 now.    I realize pro cameras are far more spendy, but the prices have had to have dropped for that segment, too.

Thanks in advance for any informative thoughts!