TWC and HDTV

[neomaxi]

Anyone have HBO HDTV on timewarner?
Im getting it on monday. Do all the 14 HBO channels carry HDTV or just the HBO HDTV channel?  Also, do you know when TWC will be offering more channels with HDTV???
Thanks!

[Tom Snyder]

Had it for few days. HBO and Showtime East are the only National HD feeds. They also carry Channel 10's digital feed. No Channel 4, 58 or 6 digital yet until enough people complain.

I chose to go back to DirecTV for a few reasons:

1.) same HBO and Showtime AND HDNet
2.) I also noticed a huge difference in the picture quality of the non HD channels, especially the locals.

Of course an HD converter was necessary to get the above and all the HD Over the air channels. HD Cable from TW box was free, but an extra $400 bucks for the HD Satellite box was worth it.

[This message has been edited by Tom Snyder (edited 09-12-2002).]

[tschinner]

I spoke with Time Warner the other day.  (They actually called me back!).  I am led to believe they will have WTMJ-DT and WDJT-DT on the air some time in October.  They were going to follow up on WISN and WVTV and get back to me.

I'll keep everyone updated if I here more...

Here is a copy of the email that got a response from them.

"In a letter from Robert Sachs (President & CEO of NCTA) to the chairman of
the FCC dated May 1, 2002 AOL-Time Warner along with other cable providers
pledged to carry up to 5 digital commercial or public television stations
(at no cost to cable operators or broadcasters) and or cable networks by
January 1, 2003. A copy of this letter can be found on the FCC website at http://www.fcc.gov/dtv/industryletters.pdf

I am disappointed that Time Warner WI has not made any progress towards this
goal. WTMJ, WDJT, and WITI are all broadcasting digitally already. WISN
plans to begin broadcasting in mid October.

What are Time Warner WI plans regarding offering these channels to your
digital subscribers?

Sincerely,

Thomas A. Schinner"

[albans]

I have Time Warner and get mostly great pics. Good that it will carry more digital but it already has many digital channels but only Showtime and HBO--1 chanell each in HD plus the PBS HD which never seems to have much of interest. Will the extra digital slots be HD?

[neomaxi]

Yeah, Im thinking of going with Direct TV, but I think I'll wait and see what time warner does since the box is free.  But if Direct TV or Locals start broadcasting Packer Games, I'll be first in line to buy my box!!!!  :-)

[ReesR]

Ok, help me out.

Isn't the high def signal still going to be better over the air than on cable?  Isn't cable going to compress it further and make it more susceptible to more artifacts and smaller bandwidth issues?

------------------
Rees Roberts
Racine, WI
reesr@wi.net

HDTV Receiver:  Sony KD-34XBR2
Bi-directional Yagi Antenna at 30 feet

[SugarRay]

TSCHINNER - do you remember who you talked to at TWC?  I would like to contact TWC again about the HD issues.  Thanks!

[gparris]

Regarding TWC carrying lesser-quality HD pictures the FCC maintains that cable companies must "maintain picture quality" -no "down-rezing" to get the HD out to your set in its QAM setups. Cox Cable systems, as well as other TWC systems, use  a new technology-if I remember my previous memo to this website-that increases the ability to carry up to 50% more capacity using special algorithms in the QAM scheme. IF TWC gets its southeastern Wisconsin act together soon and- on time - the 5 channels in the 700 area 710,etc are for the local HD digital stations and then the locals will be even clearer than they are now on DIRECTV. Lets all cross our fingers-the TWC I have witnessed in Houston,TX with its 9 channels of HD is impressive (see website twchouston).

[ReesR]

I just looked at the fcc.gov site and could not see any reference to cable and hdtv picture quality issues.  Could you please find the reference which details that cable should not down rez high def?  Thanks.

I am merely being very careful about references because so many are saying things which are just not true.

[borghe]

Hmm.. Got to nab.org or tvinsite.com. I too have read a number of articles regarding cable not being allowed to compress the DTV quality any further. Basically the way carriage is looking right now is:

a) Cable will not be required to carry digital and analog stations simultaneously.
b) Cable will not be able to degrade the picture quality of a DTV signal.
c) It is undetermined right now if cable will be required to carry a stations non-primary digital signal (10-2, 10-3, 58-2, etc).

Hope that helps a little.

[This message has been edited by borghe (edited 09-13-2002).]

[ReesR]

Maybe I was looking for something to prove something isn't there.  Kinda hard to find something that doesn't exist.

Thanks for the links.  I will take a peek.

[tschinner]

SugarRay,

I don't have my notes with me but I think her name was Celeste.  She works in the PR department and she clued me in the the TMJ announcement.

I'll double check the name when I get back in the office on Monday.

[Fireball]

OK, where did you come in? (*:

 

Originally posted by ReesR:
Ok, help me out.

Isn't the high def signal still going to be better over the air than on cable?  Isn't cable going to compress it further and make it more susceptible to more artifacts and smaller bandwidth issues?

No. The true high def feed to TWC is sent out on a 256QAM using a full 19Mbs. No grooming is done on this signal.

Firebell