TWC Coming to install HDTV on Friday

[Dean La Grange]

Greetings,

This site is awesome. Anyway, on Friday TWC is coming to install my HDTV box between 4-7PM. Based on threads found on this web site, I have requested that the tech bring out a Pioneer box. What are the chances I will get a Pioneer 3510HD? Are they still installing the SA3100 boxes?

I have Road Runner with very good upload/download speeds, but this morning I noticed that HBO Comedy (Ch 322) was digitally tileing. I believe this normally happens when there is low signal strength. I am having TWC come out on Thursday morning to check my signal strength.

My fear is the tech comes out on Friday, tries to install the HDTV box and says the signal strength is too low. Is there a way with the non-HDTV cable boxes to determine signal strength?

I have recently installed a Dell 3200MP projector which supports HDTV. I have installed a Home Theater in my basement and have a 120" diaganal screen. My Progressive/Superbit DVD's look awesome. Some regular cable channels are OK and some are downright poor. I can only dream what real a HTDV 1080i picture will look like. I am like a kid who can't wait to open up his present.

My fear is Friday will come and there will be some technical problem that will not allow the HDTV box to work. Any words of wisdom/experience that someone could share with me.

My projector is about 19 feet back from the screen. Instead of running Monster cable (approx 35 feet due to walls and slack), I had Flanners Video make me four RG-6 quad coaxial cables with RCA connectors on each end for the 3 Component Video and 1 Composite Video runs. Total cost was around $125 for the four cables for a savings on $175 over Monster cable. Picture quality is excellent.

I hope my tech knows what he/she is doing on Friday. Any comments or suggestions before they get to me would be appreciated.

Thanks
Dean La Grange
Grafton, Wisconsin

Dell 3200 MP
Sony/Polk 6.1 DTS Sound
120" screen

[Mike Sura]

If TW has received new Pioneer boxes you might get one, otherwise I think they stopped using them until they get new ones. I have 3 cable boxes (only one HD) and road runner. I did self install on all the equipment but have had TW out many times because of signal strength. The first thing they did was replace the splitters where the cable entered the house. I have two splitters. The first one is the cable in, out to road runner, out to HD box and out to next splitter. When I hooked up the last box recently, TW replaced the first splitter with a "hotter" splitter. I don't know what that means but it worked. The tech was very happy he didn't have to use an amp. I got the impression that the amp causes more problems than it solves. The Pioneer box uses two way communication as soon as you plug it in and the SA box only receives. One good test of the cable (especially if you get the SA box) are the in-demand channels. Tune in any of the free ones and see if they work. It doesn't have anything to do with picture quality but have the tech make sure they work, everthing has to be right for them to work. Do you use a VCR or other recording device where the HD box will go? If you get the Pioneer box there is no RF output. I have a seperate cable from the splitters to my tv for PIP and the VCR. You might be able to get the tech to run a line or split the line. Tune in 510 the pbs HD channel while the tech is there to check the picture, the other local channels won't be sending an HD signal from 4-7pm

[FreQi]

This may seem like a paranoid act, but after you get the HD box installed, do like Mike says and tune into a HD station and let it sit for a while.  Try to stall the tech for a good couple mins.  The first HD box I had installed at my house died only 10mins after the tech left, and we went without a replacement for quite a while.  It was able to tune all the analod and digital stations, but the HD ones displayed sound but no picture.  Probably just a fluke, but if you can avoid it, you may as well.