Fox 6 Digital on TWC

[Tom Snyder]

I got my box. Didn't realize they stiill gave you your choice between the SA and the Pioneer...

My receiver doesn't have enough component video ins.. It has two, and I need three. But I did stop by Radio Shack and got a remote-controllable component cable switcher so I can run the DTC, the Pioneer box and my DVD through the same cable.... Now I just need to program  the macros in my Remote to do all the switching with a single key stroke.

BTW, Gregg... I may take you up on the cable swap offer...  right now I have two ten footers hooked together to make the run. If nothing else, a single cable would look neater (although the run is actually hanging under the rafters in the basement).

And no, I don't have Total Choice Plus. And after tonight, I won't have DirecTV Locals, either.  

[mhz40]

...or you could try TW as your single source for content.  Based on the thread, I figure you're in for around $54/month with the angle you are taking...($34directTV + $6conveter + $13cable).  If you can live with the analog channels at the savings of not having $34 total choice package, maybe it would be cheaper and easirer with just one source.
No date yet but things are moving on the iNHD launch, followed at some time by HD-VOD and the (drum roll...)HD-PVR.  If it doesn't work out you can run your extra set of cables later.
I'm currently demoing an HD set top that has all kinds of pass-thru connections for stuff like composite, component, S-video and AC-3 (optical and coaxial).  If it passes the mustard, that may be an option for you in the future as well...
Will the GBP/TBB game be in widescreen Nov 16?  It's the late game that week...
MHz

[Joseph S]

...or you could try TW as your single source for content.

At the expense of no HDNET, ESPNHD...

Don't do it.

[gparris]

Quote from mhz40:
"I'm currently demoing an HD set top that has all kinds of pass-thru connections for stuff like composite, component, S-video and AC-3 (optical and coaxial). If it passes the mustard, that may be an option for you in the future as well..."
 
You must be "demoing" that SA8000HD PVR...TWC employees always get to demo the new upcoming products BEFORE that customer gets them so as to clean up any potential bugs in the product, right, mhz40?  
That unit, according to my understanding has BOTH optical and coaxial connections as well as the other ones you mention (see my thread on SA8000HD for SA's website on it).

All I can say is "I want in". When TWC first tried the Road Runner service in this area, I got in on the action with the testing as trials went out. No one in my area got it, but due my extensive computer savy, got the right to trial it for bugs and all, not at all that long ago. :cool:

Honestly-Am I right?
I have 4 boxes - only want 2-not due to the cost-but sanity.

I too, can hardly wait for iN HD ( to record it in HD also)!!!:bow:

[Tom Snyder]

Finally got it all hooked up.

I'll tell you why I will never use TW as my single source for content. The picture quality still sucks.  I'm switching back and forth between every channel (DirecTV/OTA-HD and TWC)...  

I've done this before with the mid-tier digital cable channels, and TWC was only slightly worse. But the non-digital cable channels (CNN, MSNBC, Fox, etc) all are just grainy and crappy. Unwatchable... but nothing new here.

But the local HD channels are stunning in their disparity. On TW local digital channels I'm actually getting ghosting! Fox 6 enhanced widescreen isn't as good as DirecTV local 6.

I'll putz around with it for a few days and see if it's something I'm doing...  Is there a PQ difference between the various digital cable boxes (SA vs Pioneer)?

[StarvingForHDTV]

Originally posted by Tom Snyder
Fox 6 enhanced widescreen isn't as good as DirecTV local 6.

Well, I'm no fan of their "enhanced" widescreen.  I also realize that our local Fox is making matters worse with their low refresh rate effect.   But I find your comment hard to believe.  What show were you watching in Widescreen?  It should look similar to buying a $49 DVD player and playing a DVD with it (just a guess).  Maybe add some flickering at certain times to the equation.

Starving

[Tom Snyder]

I was watching that god-awful Norm MacDonald show, and the OC after it.  

In fairness to all parties involved, I am going to shorten my component cable run this weekend just to see if it's a line-loss or a switcher issue.

[borghe]

yeah, I would check it out.. I don't know about 506, but 24 on 6-1 was heads and shoulders above ML6 on directv.. we are talking a noticeable difference.

[Gregg Lengling]

Originally posted by borghe
yeah, I would check it out.. I don't know about 506, but 24 on 6-1 was heads and shoulders above ML6 on directv.. we are talking a noticeable difference.

You are mixing apples and oranges here......6-1 is a pure 480p signal...whereas ML6 is a 480i program converted to 480p for the satellite.

[borghe]

no, it was in reference to Tom saying 506 didn't look as good as ML6 on DirecTV... I was saying that 6-1 to me in general looks much better than ML6.

[mhz40]

Originally posted by Tom Snyder
But the local HD channels are stunning in their disparity. On TW local digital channels I'm actually getting ghosting! Fox 6 enhanced widescreen isn't as good as DirecTV local 6.

Ghosting on digital? Check your component cables, cuz ghosting just can't happen in the digital domain. Period.  If it were a cable issue, you would have no picture at all due to the bit error rate of the signal at the tuner input.
Fox 6 enhanced wide screen on TW is exactly what you get OTH. If it's worse than satellite's SD, the problem is most likely on their end, so Contact 6...  (pun intended).
I have never noticed any discernable difference in PQ of either HD set top, although the Pioneer has a few more bells & whistles. Good luck in your investigation. If you continue to have problems, leave me a private message & I'll try to make some time to investigate for you.

MHz

[mhz40]

Originally posted by gparris
You must be "demoing" that SA8000HD PVR...TWC employees always get to demo the new upcoming products BEFORE that customer gets them so as to clean up any potential bugs in the product, right, mhz40?  

No, not the HD-PVR.  Nothing available on that yet.... not even a beta test date. I'm just checking out a new HD capable set top.

[Tom Snyder]

Check your component cables, cuz ghosting just can't happen in the digital domain.

Yeah.. I found that extremely odd.  I've started mucking around and it turns out that the switcher I bought is degrading the signal.  So I removed it and put my old mechanical switcher back in, and the difference is like night and day. While the PQ for the mid tier cable channels is still slighty worse than DTV, I see no difference at all on the local digital channels.

So that solves the picture problem... but now I need to find a good quality 3-input remote-controllable component switcher.

[Gregg Lengling]

That'll teach you to buy something without checking the bandwidth specs and doing a search on all the boards to find all the bitching about a product.  I've also learned the hard way, now when I buy something I investigate it all and even though everything has a problem...I know what they are and what the limitations are before I spend my good money.....

And remember I don't have a JOB, so every penny counts.


:rofl:

[Tom Snyder]

yeah, yeah...

I had a new cable box and only a few minutes left before I had to get back to work (some of us have to do that y'know!)

I'll do my homework now...