Journal Sentinal Sunday December 8

[bigcheeshead]

Check out JS article about HDTV this morning. Although there were some gross misconceptions, overall the article is not bad and seems to promote HDTV pioneers.
 http://www.jsonline.com/Enter/tvradio/dec02/101327.asp

[Joseph S]

And here's part two:

link

He went for the cable and magically made it to the top of the list. My guess is that in part three he'll complain about the annoying pops on 504, 512, and PBS.   No dropouts on the Sopranos tonight whatsoever. Seems the problem is a TW Milwaukee production issue.

There's a mention of Fox' inadequate signal in about the most positive light around.

Update for those watching at home:
Patriots:27
Bills:17
Alias: Not on the air  

[bigcheeshead]

Hmmm, cool, that must be tomorrow's article. I was looking for flaws at part two and surprisingly haven't seen any. First time a reporter has actually done his homework. I wonder if he actually visited this site?
   I was surprised that only 2,000 out of 450,000+ TW subscribers own a high def. That comes out to less then .025% That can't be right, can it?

[Kevin Arnold]

Many people buy the HD set and only hook it up to DVD and standard cable, figuring that's HD. As the word slowly spreads, especially after these articles, many will realize they need to take the next step. And then they'll find out the HD boxes are on back order.....

[kjnorman]

 

Originally posted by Joseph S:
And here's part two:

link

He went for the cable and magically made it to the top of the list. My guess is that in part three he'll complain about the annoying pops on 504, 512, and PBS.   No dropouts on the Sopranos tonight whatsoever. Seems the problem is a TW Milwaukee production issue.

There's a mention of Fox' inadequate signal in about the most positive light around.

Update for those watching at home:
Patriots:27
Bills:17
Alias: Not on the air  

The pops should hopefully be fixed tomorrow morning.  The TW headend engineer found that there is a software fix from Scientific Atlanta for a digital audio prodlem that was on the box.  This is being applied on Tuesday morning.  There is a thread on the technical forum regarding this.

Kerry

[kjnorman]

For an article intended for the Joe-six-packs out there, I think this is a pretty well written article.

Kerry

[Pat]

I agree it was a good job.  I am amazed at how well he's done -- he's obviously good at his job.  Writing thousands of words in a clear and understandable way is no mean feat.

He is recommending a cable solution.  I agree with his reasoning, but it pi$$es me off anyway because TWC is so big, arrogant, and deceptive.  Somebody here mentioned a good example: their ad for i-control (I guess) shows 16:9 TVs exclusively, but it almost certainly won't support HDTV, the only source for 16:9.  (Does anybody know?)

They also routinely plug their digital service deceptively, implying it is  the same as HDTV; using the phrase "digital quality" as if its wonderful, when all along they know they compress it so much that its a worse than a good analog signal, and is offered only on some channels.  The real reason they offer it is to offer more PPV options.

I hate to support them.

[Tom Snyder]

A year or two ago, they ran an ad that had the crust to claim:

"Why spend all that money on those expensive new   Hi Defintion TV sets, when you can get digital quality on your current set with Time Warner digital cable?"

I almost drove off the road. Someone must have complained, because I only heard it that one time...

[kjnorman]

I may be a TW cable customer, but I am certainly no supporter of their service.

[mr_yeti]

Agreed. They are the most cost-effective means to attain an HD signal right now, and until a reasonably priced next-generation DirecTV HD box exists, I will stick with Time Warner. I have occasional pangs of guilt when I consider the huge, homogenizing corporation I am supporting with my subscription, but for now, they are, for me, the way to go.

[mcq]

 

Originally posted by kjnorman:
For an article intended for the Joe-six-packs out there, I think this is a pretty well written article.

Kerry

Part two is especially good. (My only quibble is that I hate cable, and hate even worse the prospect of getting it for local channels. I am sure that we will not see HDTV locals on satellite!?)

I musta missed the sidebar marking our site. I apologize to Tim for missing this sidebar. I felt really goood about his commentary.(This local site is the hangout for the techno-pioneers who were the first to buy into the new technology. Its forum offers a great place to get online help from hobbyists who know their HDTV.) It appears very sincere and complimentary!

[brewtownska]

Kerry,

Earlier in this thread you mentioned that the head engineer at Time Warner found that there is a software upgrade for the ScientificAtlanta box.  What I didn't quite understand from your post is if that upgrade is something they do on THEIR equipment, or if it's meant for the boxes in our homes.  If it's for the boxes in our homes, do they know yet if the upgrade can happen over the cable system, or if we need to order a service call?  I looked for the post you said you put in the Technical problems forum, but didn't see it, hence why I'm asking here.

Mike

------------------
**********
TWC 3100HD box on both
50" Toshiba 4:3 HDTV &
Sony 1272Q CRT Projector

[Gregg Lengling]

The upgrade is with the OS (operating system) for their cable system...it is not a box problem...it is a system problem.


------------------
Gregg R. Lengling
RCA P61310 61" 16x9
(Built in DTC100 w/Directv)
HiDTV Pro 2 computer reciever card
glengling@ameritech.net

[Joseph S]

Anxiously awaiting the system upgrade, however I definitely don't find HD Locals on TW all that appealing other than as a second STB. The quality of OTA picture is superior to the Cable and costs are equalled after 6mths and then Cable just keeps charging.

I wish TW would offer an HD only package. More than likely I'll drop it again until Season 5 of the Sopranos. There is too high a cost for the 400+ stations I don't ever watch. Give me the low tier w/ESPN add HBOHD, ShowtimeHD, and the other HDs for $30 a month. I don't need any analog, any of the butchered P&S HBO and Showtime, PPV, Analog stations, Music Only, etc. There's too much fluff I don't want to pay for. I'd pay $10 more for what I want if I didn't have to pay $25 more for all that I don't want.

Getting a HiPix or MyHD is clearly the best option for HDTV now. You get timeshifting options, a STB, and no re-occurring fees plus superior quality. It may cost $850 including the PC and VGA->Component transcoder, but you can use the machine for other purposes if you choose. Mine is for Multi-region DVD, rare PC-specific madated apps, and HiPix.

[Kevin Arnold]

Getting the HD signal via cable rankels me too. It takes a long time for TW to get these signals on the system (where is fox 6) and you pay the premium. With the STB and antenna its a one time charge and you get it as soon as its up and running.