TWC Testing SDV

[kevbeck122]

I stumbled upon some SDV test channels on TWC... channels 1875 through 1899.  They are hidden from the guide, so you will have to manually go to them.  It looks like a bunch of them are from channels 2-99... so maybe we'll see them transition the channels to digital in the near future.  The only channels I could actually see video on were 1876 and 1886... the rest said they were unavailable, or not subscribed.

[Jack 1000]

I stumbled upon some SDV test channels on TWC... channels 1875 through 1899.  They are hidden from the guide, so you will have to manually go to them.  It looks like a bunch of them are from channels 2-99... so maybe we'll see them transition the channels to digital in the near future.  The only channels I could actually see video on were 1876 and 1886... the rest said they were unavailable, or not subscribed.

There are a few that show up on the Search Screens, duplicating themselves in search listings, (but not in the Time Guide Grid.)  So far, from what I have seen, they are in the 1800-1900 range and include TV Land, Food Network, TCM, and Lifetime.  What does this actually mean, when SDV goes through?  Will these channels be On Demand?  Will they be dropped from the analog tier with only the 1000x channel number taking there place?  It's fine for TWC to test those channels, but they shouldn't be in search listings.  People who don't know what this is about are going to tune to those channels, see that there might be nothing there, call TWC, and the dolt CSR's will just send someone out to replace a box or DVR that needs no replacing.

Jack

[LoadStar]

I stumbled upon some SDV test channels on TWC... channels 1875 through 1899.  They are hidden from the guide, so you will have to manually go to them.  It looks like a bunch of them are from channels 2-99... so maybe we'll see them transition the channels to digital in the near future.  The only channels I could actually see video on were 1876 and 1886... the rest said they were unavailable, or not subscribed.

On mine, channels I found that work include 1881, listed as "Test 2" with no guide data, and 1896, listed as FAMILY with matching guide data. All the rest from 1875 on up show up as various channels from the analog tier but all show "not available" messages.

[LoadStar]

There are a few that show up on the Search Screens, duplicating themselves in search listings, (but not in the Time Guide Grid.)  So far, from what I have seen, they are in the 1800-1900 range and include TV Land, Food Network, TCM, and Lifetime.  What does this actually mean, when SDV goes through?  Will these channels be On Demand?  Will they be dropped from the analog tier with only the 1000x channel number taking there place?  It's fine for TWC to test those channels, but they shouldn't be in search listings.  People who don't know what this is about are going to tune to those channels, see that there might be nothing there, call TWC, and the dolt CSR's will just send someone out to replace a box or DVR that needs no replacing.

Jack

Ah-HAH! This is probably related to SDV, but it's really in preparation for "Digital Simulcast." To paraphrase and summarize, Digital Simulcast has TWC broadcasting both an analog and digital version of all of the analog tier; when you tune to the old analog channel number, the cable box tunes to the digital version of the channel.

Here's more information: http://www.timewarnercable.com/Wisconsin/site.faqs/Cable/DigitalSim

According to that page, they're hoping to have DigitalSim in all areas by the end of the year.

[nick3092]

Ah-HAH! This is probably related to SDV, but it's really in preparation for "Digital Simulcast." To paraphrase and summarize, Digital Simulcast has TWC broadcasting both an analog and digital version of all of the analog tier; when you tune to the old analog channel number, the cable box tunes to the digital version of the channel.

Here's more information: http://www.timewarnercable.com/Wisconsin/site.faqs/Cable/DigitalSim

According to that page, they're hoping to have DigitalSim in all areas by the end of the year.

Neat.  Digital Simulcast sounds like a great idea.  Its no substitute for the HD equivalent of the channel, but the picture quality is so much better.  I was flipping back and forth between the analog Family channel, and the SDV family, and the picture was so much cleaner.

[tencom]

It should be noted that going to digital video, as implied by TWC in there claim that digital video/audio should be of improved quality may not hold true.  In there present digtal video channel line-up most digital video has a pixel-rate of only 480 x 480 Pixels which is far from the broadcast Standard definition standard of 720 x 480 pixels which results in a less then Ideal  picture quality and may only result in an improved signal to noise ratio in digital video when compared to analog video channels, which have an inferior signal to noise ratio because of TWC's low technical standards and digital does not respond  to poor signal to noise ratio unless it's below a certain  threshold level which would result in no video being received. If the present TWC Digital video standards, are carried over to SDV many veiwers would probably perfer the analog version,  over the digital version with the exception the analog version being more grainy then the less detailed digital version.