Cuprisin: 12, 4 on TWC for a microscopic audience

[Tom Snyder]

 

Tom,

What is your setup like?

Our subdivision is fairly new, and had been wired for digital cable. Brand new house so all new cable all the way out to the box at the lot line and throughout the house. I had actually been a DirecTV subscriber at my old place, and I was pretty happy with it, and the fact that my RCA DTC-100 got me the locals (just 4 and 10 at the time) so I didn't need TW Digital Cable for HD. But I needed RoadRunner, and I had so I figured I'd give the TW HD box a try. My above observations were based on on the trial.. which only last about 2 days.

My set is only a Toshiba 40inch 16:9 RPTV, and if the non-hd picture quality was that awful on a msaller set, I could only imagine what it would be like on larger set!

[beirnead]

I currently have the TW HD box hooked up to my Toshiba 50" 16x9 Cinema Series.  One of my biggest concerns with getting this type of television was the picture quality with a non digital cable source.  I must say that the non digital and non HD cable looks quite good on the TV.

Like Tom, I also live in a new subdivision with all new wiring, so that may have something to do with the good signal.

I also have received DD5.1 from TW through this box.  I mostly remember it coming on during certain movies on HBO and Cinemax.

[mr_yeti]

I have heard some pretty widely varied opinions on digital cable displayed on televisions designed to display much higher resolutions. I personally have a 47" Panasonic RPTV, and I just plug the coax right into the back of it, and I'm OK with the picture quality on most of the channels. Not thrilled, mind you, just OK with it. So I imagine if I can live with that now, the TWC route might be a good way to go for me. Maybe I'm the only one who has experienced this   but my significant other is none too thrilled at the prospect of spending $350+ on an STB just to, as she puts it "Watch the Super Bowl."

I understand that the box rental, in time, will cost far more than buying a box now, but I think she is more willing to accept what she would see as a "slow bleed" for now, as compared to the "massive hemmorage" of dropping that money all at once. Plus, I can always terminate the cable and buy a DirecTV box when that becomes a little more cost-neutral.

I'll shut up now.

[This message has been edited by mr_yeti (edited 11-13-2002).]

[kjnorman]

Mr Yeti,

You will have to supply your own toslink cable - TW only supply component leads.  As to if it does have optical I will double check when I get home tonight.

 

..on my telly (a nod to my new friend from the isles)

Ahhh, that reminds me of the old homeland.  Funny, my wife talked me out of using the term telly (used to use it all the time) as she said no one over here would understand it.  

I find the analog picture is watchable but it is not great.  I am watching on a toshiba 50HX81, which when I bought it have one of the strongest scalers and picture quality out there.  It does a good job with analog pictures (like Beirnead).  When I feed the telly a good standard def digital picture (like HBO) then the PQ looks very good.  

However this is all relative, as the digital standard definition widescreen PAL TV I used to get in the UK before I moved here (in 2000), though by no means HDTV, would still serious embarrass any non HD digital picture I currently get.  Also I compromise my signal a bit by feeding most stuff throught a TiVo which rolls of some of the noise (resolution?) in the picture.  Anyway I am drifting off topic....

 

Maybe I'm the only one who has experienced this  but my significant other is none too thrilled at the prospect of spending $350+ on an STB just to, as she puts it "Watch the Super Bowl."
I understand that the box rental, in time, will cost far more than buying a box now, but I think she is more willing to accept what she would see as a "slow bleed" for now, as compared to the "massive hemmorage" of dropping that money all at once. Plus, I can always terminate the cable and buy a DirecTV box when that becomes a little more cost-neutral.

I am in the same boat!  The only way I have go HDTV now is by "sneaking" it in with digital cable.  Personally I am not thrilled with cable and would love to change, but technology is still not mature enough for me to have confidence to go out and spend big bucks on new euipment - plus my wife will not let me.  

As I said, we are a Tivo household, and so we will not buy any new hardward until we can record HDTV.  Currently it looks like I may be renting a box until mid 2003 when the Dish PVR921 may come out, or a rival PVR - say the TivoHD PVR which is now rumoured for early 2004.  I guess six to 12 months rental is something I can live with until the technology I want comes out...

Kerry

[mr_yeti]

Yes, digital cable makes for excellent subterfuge when trying to get the OK on HD from the wife/girlfriend. I placed my order with Time Warner today -- the woman I spoke with told me I'd be receiving 16 HBO channels with that package. I humoured (Aha! I was hoping the opportunity to include the surruptitious "u" would arise!) her, even though I knew that those likely included the HBO en espanol. And, since the only foreign language I speak involves the minor differences between our American English and the Queens', that does me little good. Still, I'm quite excited about the prospect of watching HDTV in the comfort of my own home. The install date is next Wednesday. I'm taking a half day of work for the occasion, as I'll be snookered if I'm going to have some cable installer mess around with my setup with only my ladyfriend present. Give me the box and kindly leave, please. I'll have to stock up on the cables I'll need. A Toslink, an S-Video, and some longer RCA composite cables, and I'll be all set. I am willing to rent until the cost of owning becomes more reasonable (as least as my checking account balance would define it). It's a compromise, but a small one, and I think I'll be happy with it.

I'll post results as they become available. Also, I jumped the gun and bought an RS double-bowtie off eBay for about $20. If I decide to stick with TWC, I'd definitely be willing to part with it for a like amount if anyone here would be interested. Aesthetically, I'll kind of miss it, but I will be alone in that.

[JoeK]

Just double checked the back of my cable box.  There is no optical audio out.  There is a digital (RCA plug) and a left and right analog audio out. The analog and digital sound issue is a bit of a bother.  The HD picture is very nice. Looking forward to the additional channels.  Sunday football is acceptable, but varies depending on the feed.  Mondays games was quite good.  I have a 106" screen with a HD projector.

I guess this thread got a bit off topic, but at least it got me my 15th post.  Sorry.    

[This message has been edited by JoeK (edited 11-13-2002).]

[kjnorman]

Yep, double checked mine tonight and alas there is no optical connection; just the coaxial.  Hopefully you will still be able to connect all this up.

Mr Yeti, so you are going to get this installed on Wed 27th?  Thats perfect timing as on Thursday 28, on HBO HD is Shrek at 8pm.  Now you have to watch this.  Shrek is probably the best picture I have ever seen.  Utterly stupendous!

Anyway, this thread has gone way off topic so I will stop here.

Kerry

[mr_yeti]

Yes, this has become quite tangental. I think that's probably my fault, but it did turn into a good discussion. I'll start a thread in a more appropriate venue regarding issues related to this.

Kerry:

I cannot watch Shrek on Thursday night. I have too many hobbies, and one of them (musical pursuits) takes place on Thursdays. Oh well, I'm sure there will be many more movies to watch in the coming weeks and months.

[P a u l]

I just traded in my old digital cable box for the Scientific Atlanta box. NO PICTURE!!!!! I hear the sound at about 6dB lower than the analog channels. I have the S-Video out of the new box into my TV and nothing!!! I called TW and they say I need an HD monitor. So it looks like I wont get to see the fruits of my and my colleagues labor for a while. Kerry the digital audio out on the new box is RCA. For those who are getting surround do you have an RCA digital in on your receivers? I'm going to dig out the manual to see how I select the S-Video input on my TV since I have never used that input before. Mr. Yeti, ABC sends 5.1 only during scheduled HD shows, check our website www.wisn.com  and look under the entertainment section for a list of current shows. I still think Push is still listed, I havent checked the site in a few weeks, but if it is I will as for it to be removed on Monday from the list.

[kjnorman]

PAUL, you CAN NOT see a HD channel downconverted to NTSC via the 3100HD or any other TW digital box.

You can only see it via the component outputs plugged into a HDTV capable TV.

For the sound, you need to plug both the analog RCAs and the digital RCA to an amp and leave the amp on auto detect mode.  If you're on an analog channel the amp will pick up the analog sound.  If you're on a digital channel, you will get the digital sound from the digital rca connection.

Kerry

[gyoung]

Let me get this straight:

When I watch 504 or 512 and the show is not being broadcast in HD I see the picture with black bars at the top and black bars on the side.  Can my Sony WEGA 36XBR display these shows full screen or not?

I currently have the TWC box's component video out to the TV video input 6.  The DVD player's component video goes to the TV video input 5.  The TWC box's s-video goes to the TVs video input 1.

When I am watching all channels except TWC's 504 (NBC), 512 (ABC), 710 (PBS), and 721 (HBO), I change the video input to 6 to get the Digital video input from the component video of the cable box.  For all other channels I use video input 1.

[Pat]

Since nobody has answered you, I'll pipe up.  Don't know about your specific Sony, but most sets will not allow you to "resize" an HD signal.  The question is, is the signal always HD (1080i) from those outputs -- I would guess yes.  So, unless your Sony can do the resize thing, you'll have to switch to another input and watch the analog channel or live with the black bars all around.

FWIW, this doesn't happen with OTA signals, so I don't see why it would from cable.

[This message has been edited by Pat (edited 11-19-2002).]

[kjnorman]

To follow up on this, yes the component outputs on the 3100HD only output 1080i.  There is no setting (at least in my knowledge) that will allow you to output resolutions other than 1080i, nor is there any aspect ratio control in the box.

I do not know if your set has any ratio control on its 1080i input as I have no experience of 4:3 HDTV sets.  I suspect what is happening is that you tv detects the 1080i signal which the set "knows" is a 16:9 ratio picture.  It therefore compresses your vertical resolution to produce a 16:9 image.  Its this that gives you the black surround.

On a normal 16:9 set, the 4:3 image only has the black bars at the sides.

My advise is to check the manual to see if you can "zoom" a HDTV image to allow you to see 4:3 in 4:3.

Kerry

[Joseph S]

Does anyone else notice glitches in HD Cable only on 504, 512, and 710?

I'm wondering if a new box would solve the issue. I don't have any problems with HBO or Showtime, but I consistently have intermittent Audio or Video glitches on the above named stations. Is it my 3100HD Box or a TW specific issue? The glitches on 504 and 512 are far more frequent than those on OTA. Shutting the box off and turning it back on solve the problem sometimes, but not always.

For those that cannot use the coax(std RCA plug) digital audio from the TW box, there are converters to convert the signal into optical for $17 at partsexpress.com .(and the reverse) There are more expensive ones available as well for under $75 from AudioAuthority and others.

[kjnorman]

 

Originally posted by Joseph S:
Does anyone else notice glitches in HD Cable only on 504, 512, and 710?

I'm wondering if a new box would solve the issue. I don't have any problems with HBO or Showtime, but I consistently have intermittent Audio or Video glitches on the above named stations. Is it my 3100HD Box or a TW specific issue?

I think this is a time warner issue.  I have already switched my box, but I still get exactly the same intermittant crackle/popping sound through the digital out.

With regard to the video, I find WTMJ better since they went to a fiber feed, but again I occassionally (perhaps a couple of times in an evening) get a momentary black screen, as if the video feed lost it.

The video "pops" happen on 504 and 512 but not generally 710.  The sound issues are on 504 and 710 but no generally 512.

I have no problem at all on HBO HD or Showtime HD.

Its gotta be TW.  

Kerry