New TWC Channel 1111

[gb4fan92]

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HD is not the mainstream
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HD is the future!!!

[mhz40]

Originally posted by gb4fan92
HD is the future!!!

I agree.  But the economies of scale simply aren't quite there yet... just like when CD's came out many many moons ago.  It's the same chicken & egg thing now...   In addition, as the fox engineer put it... there are only so many HD capable trucks out there right now.
I know the group is frustrated, but don't sweat the HD isues... I expect channel counts to be in the 14 - 18 range in the next 12-16 months.
I don't know for sure and don't have any inside scoop, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the iNHD's  launch before Turkey-day.  I just expect that to be the next iron pulled from the fire.

[foxeng]

Originally posted by mhz40
TW spent nearly $250 million upgrading their system --- and that's just locally.  When you invest that much, you have to be creative on how you manage it.  Like it or not, group; HD is not the mainstream.  As more units are sold, more programming will be there...just as more production trucks to produce the content will.

OH, BE CAREFUL! You are starting to sound like the broadcasters!

What you said is my point.

If company A has to spend X amount of dollars to be competative over company B, then company A has to be creative. Broadcasters have been saying the same thing about DTV for 10 years. (and getting our heads bashed in for it too, I might add) I guess this is just trickle down to the other parts of the industry  who have to rely on digital signals. The light is starting to come on. If you spend it, you have to get a return of some type. That is free enterprise. (and THANK GOD for it!)

All I can say mhz40 is if you keep this line, you too will become a pariah of the digial age to start with. (at least you will be in good company with the rest of us and you will be welcomed in with open arms!)

[The Law]

First off - I never said anything was an 80% waste of anything - don't put words in my mouth!  Though I feel certain programming is a waste of bandwidth this would be in the "non technical" definition of the word "bandwidth" - in the same vein someone may say a car salesman is an "oxygen theif".  Yes, there maybe plenty of O2 to go around but the point should be taken, nonetheless.

2nd - I never knocked VOD.  Though, if you want me to tell you that it works quite well, I won't - since last week the screen says "Call Your Cable Subscriber" - it won't allow me to do any VOD - free or otherwise - typicall of the sporadic behaviour.  I'm sure a call to the helpdesk will set things right - it usually does.

3rd - If you read the post, you'd clearly see references that indicate i'm knocking the useless waste of "Pomp and Circumstance" - or, if you will "Shock and Awe" - that surrounded to what amounts to fairly mediocre programming (with respects to the advertising/marketing surrounding it)

You will see that I do mention that if the product was quietly introduced, no worries - however - we get the trumpets, ticker tape and giddy intros.  Note the reference to the despicable attempt at local news media to entice us to watch their entertainment news.  The satire lies within the Stop Sign analogy and the Camera shots of people standing in the middle of a snow storm issuing BGO (Blinding Glimpses of the Obvious).  

Finally, the Elton/Harley reference - a great (re: Legendary)performer no doubt, but a bit of a marketing/hype blunder which resulted in a disappointment

Now, I'm sure the culprit who "misunderstood" me wants to be true-to-his-school, so to speak, which is commendable, however, he may wish to read a little furthur into my "rant" - then again, he may not - after all, I may be a waste of disk space on the RAID Array that archives these posts...

ps...sorry for the delay on this counter-post - I was lurking a bit

[mhz40]

Originally posted by The Law
[clip]First off - I never said anything was an 80% waste of anything [/clip]

You're right... it was a comment from kjnorman.  Sorry.

Originally posted by The Law
[clip]2nd - I never knocked VOD. Though, if you want me to tell you that it works quite well, I won't - since last week the screen says "Call Your Cable Subscriber" - it won't allow me to do any VOD - free or otherwise - typicall of the sporadic behaviour. I'm sure a call to the helpdesk will set things right - it usually does. [/clip]

I think the message is more like... "Call your Cable Company".  I do want you to tell me it works well, because it does.  Sometimes a set top gets in a weird state and a reboot works, but you also may have a chronic return problem.  In the latter case, a service call may be needed.

[kjnorman]

Yep, I was the one that said most stuff on cable is a waste of time.  The 80% reference was just a view on my experience watching TV.  There was nothing scientific about it.

I should also point out that I would think that the majority of Satellite is also a waste of space; I was not targeting just cable with my comments.

Now let me clarify my thoughts.  I say that most TV is a waste.  Why?  Well though there always seems to be a push for more channels, we do not actually get more content.  Many programs are broadcast over many channels and are repeated many, many times.  It often makes it difficult to find first run shows through all the repeats, not helped by that fact that broadcasters do not use the first run/rerun flags in the program guide properly.

Some may argue that the reason for this is to give viewers a greater choice of what to watch, when they want to watch it.  For me this does not work, it only means that I am likely to see the same show.  I used to like Discovery channel but got bored with it after finding the same shows popping up every few months.

Someone mentioned earlier that VOD was the future.  I could see this being the case, but I do not think the current VOD model will succeed.  More like a combination of Video streaming and DVR functionality - i.e. the user calls up the show/film they want to see, and the program is then streamed to the users DVR where the user would then have full control of playing, pausing, rewinding the material.  This would minimize cable bandwidth and would also work as a VOD model for satellite.

Ultimately I think that DVRs are the way of the future.  I got a Tivo in 2000, and now I can honestly say that if the program is not on the Tivo's now playing list (i.e. already recorded) then we do not watch it.  I can not remember the last time my wife and I watched live TV.

I would be happy with fewer channels, but still showing the same content (of course with less repeats) and more bandwidth allocated to each channel for better picture quality.  

As I think VOD/DVRs are the way of the future I would not criticize TW for their VOD rollout or the DVR strategy, regardless of how lame they currently are.  They have to start somewhere.

Where I would criticize them, is for the poor quality of their analog channels and of the over compressed mess that is their digital channels, due to the push to always squeeze in more channels (but not content).  Is it not about time to dump analog and go purely digital in delivery with a minimum bandwidth of 4mbs per SD channel and the full 19.3Mbs for HD?

Kerry

[mhz40]

Originally posted by kjnorman
[clip]Someone mentioned earlier that VOD was the future.  I could see this being the case, but I do not think the current VOD model will succeed.  More like a combination of Video streaming and DVR functionality - i.e. the user calls up the show/film they want to see, and the program is then streamed to the users DVR where the user would then have full control of playing, pausing, rewinding the material.  This would minimize cable bandwidth and would also work as a VOD model for satellite.
[clip]
As I think VOD/DVRs are the way of the future I would not criticize TW for their VOD rollout or the DVR strategy, regardless of how lame they currently are.  They have to start somewhere.
Where I would criticize them, is for the poor quality of their analog channels and of the over compressed mess that is their digital channels, due to the push to always squeeze in more channels (but not content).  Is it not about time to dump analog and go purely digital in delivery with a minimum bandwidth of 4mbs per SD channel and the full 19.3Mbs for HD?

Kerry [/clip]

All good points---had to clip the few I wanted to reply to...

To clarify, you already have DVR functionality on VOD...Stop-Pause-Rew-FF.  In the case of Movies On Demand, you can watch the purchased event as much or as little as you want during a 24 hour rental period.  No need to force a DVR on everybody... that's what we have video servers for.  Besides, our servers and cable plant are much more robust than any drive system in a set top.
Comparing digital to analog will cause some to consider analog 'poor'.  Well... they are analog.  There is no comparison.  Apples & oranges.  Peanuts & pears.  I see tons of artifacts on digital that I never see on analog.  Does that make it poor?  No...  It kind of goes with the territory.  Analog (as well as SD digital) was never designed for 55" screens.  Looks OK on 27-32" sets though.
With regard to compression, TW does not compress any digital satellite feeds.  I know because... uh... err...  I know.  Can't say much more, but bank on it.
It's not about time to dump analog.  Many many more subs now enjoy the direct-connect approach to their gear than own HDTV's.  Besides; for someone only wanting the analog tier, its much more costly to put in a digital set top and let them enjoy the functions and remote their hard-earned $ paid for at the local electronics store.

[AndrewP]

Analog TV should STOP here.:mad:
This is HDTV FORUM.

Andrew:)

[Tom Snyder]

Actually this particular forum is a NON-HD forum. :wave:

[Todd Wiedemann]

Analog TV should STOP here.
This is HDTV FORUM.

[/SIZE] Well, this is the Non-HDTV section of the forum ... :rolleyes:

[AndrewP]

Sorry,

I ment the promotion of ANALOG TV should STOP.
It does not make sense to tell us how great ANALOG signal is.
IT IS BAD ALL THE TIME.

Andrew:)

[mhz40]

Originally posted by AndrewP
Sorry,

I ment the promotion of ANALOG TV should STOP.
It does not make sense to tell us how great ANALOG signal is.
IT IS BAD ALL THE TIME.

Andrew:)

lol  There are 400,000+ that may disagree. (Well. at least there's me...)  I think that should read: IMHO, IT IS BAD ALL THE TIME.

[gparris]

Originally posted by mhz40

I know the group is frustrated, but don't sweat the HD isues... I expect channel counts to be in the 14 - 18 range in the next 12-16 months.
I don't know for sure and don't have any inside scoop, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the iNHD's  launch before Turkey-day.  I just expect that to be the next iron pulled from the fire.

And this from TWC website "Customer Care":

"Starting this fall, Fox Sports Net will begin to produce live HD game telecasts of many Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League teams within local communities.

Also this fall, INHD will be available to HD customers. INHD will offer several hundred hours of feature films, professional sports and college sports--including a college football game of the week, general interest programming like "Family-Fare" plus award winning mini-series. Prices and launch dates have not been determined."

(Like WHEN?)

When is "fall" - for TWC???


Well-it is just about a month left for "fall" and the TWC customer care site still says we're getting more HD channels in the "fall".

So what about it? ARE we getting more soon-in the fall?

 Do us TWC subscribers have to quote them on it and call ? :rolleyes:

mhz40: "Turkey-day" is just a couple of weeks away!!!:(

Well....?:bang:

[mhz40]

Originally posted by gparris


mhz40: "Turkey-day" is just a couple of weeks away!!!:(

Well....?:bang:

Yup, it's just around the corner now.   Anyone gonna invite me over for some baked ham and yams?
MHz40

[gparris]

Originally posted by mhz40
Yup, it's just around the corner now.   Anyone gonna invite me over for some baked ham and yams?
MHz40

Ham and yams is ALL you'll get-because the real  "turkey" is TWC----for "murky" information...

Yeah, I know technically, "fall" isn't over yet.!:mad:
(and I know you can't say anything without endangering your job position):eek:

This was just a reminder from a "sub" who is watching and waiting for information given to come true and on some sort of "schedule"!:D