TWC HD

[mcneguy]

Is anyone using the HD box from Time Warner?

[RickNeff]

Yes, I'm using the Scientific Altlanta Explorer 2000HD cable box from Time-Warner. I'll admit that the HDTV stuff that viewed is exceptional (the PBS Demo and HBO) but the regular cable portion obviously isn't any different than the regular cable box.

It's rather annoying that WTMJ 4 isn't available yet on the box in HDTV since it would have been rather cool to see the Olympics in HDTV.

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Richard Neff
Proud Toshiba 56x81 owner!

[Tom Snyder]

I used it for one day and sent it back.

The HD channels (HBO and Showtime) were great, but the rest of channels were just awful (compared to DirecTV). I asked TW if I could just get the HD channels and they said no. I couldn't justify $75 to TW and another $70 to DirecTV, so I delivered my box to their customer service.

[mcneguy]

I only asked because I have one and while HD is terriffic the lower numbered channels (3-72) are worse than with the digital cable box, they are worse than an antennae. I called TWC about this and they dispatched one of their morons (I mean it too, this guy was so dopey). He told me that is just a problem with these new boxes and they are working on it. I also asked him when they are going to provide some actual HD programming and he said that if the network broadcasts it in HD this box will pick it up. Where do they get these people?

[Tom Snyder]

The Explorer 2000HD is a jerry-rigged regular digital box, I'm guessing it is just out there because they needed *something,* and are using the reports and complaints to properly engineer the next generation box that Scientific Atlanta is currently are working on (the 3100HD).

When TW Milwaukee gets one of those, I'll try it again, but until then, it's Satellite all the way for me.

[mcneguy]

The 3100HD is currently in use in Tampa so it is out. I hope that TWC here gets some replacements soon.

[RickNeff]

I have to agree about the techs that are sent out -- I pretty much had to guide the tech they sent out to hook up my system.

As far as the non-HDTV signals looking bad -- They looked bad with the original digital cable box, so I certainly can't say they looked any worse than before. We used to have a Dish network dish before moving and the picture was a bit better than what we have with TWC.

If I had a choice (which unfortunately I don't since I'm in an apartment that won't allow a dish) I think that a dish would be the ideal way to go over TWC. Since you can't get WTMJ 4 with TWC, I missed out on the HDTV feed of the Olympics. (Of course, other than the "Tonight Show" and some other show I can't recall are the only HDTV stuff that NBC does to my knowledge. So, normally this wouldn't have been a major loss.)

My biggest concern is TWC being extremely slow to pick up HDTV as other stations in the area start broadcasting. Not to sound like I'm bashing Milwaukee, but it's rather disappointing that other major cities have a much larger selection of HDTV channels, even on cable, than we do.


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Richard Neff
Proud Toshiba 56x81 owner!

[Tom Snyder]

Keep in mind that the top 30 cities had an earlier deadline for Digital... Milwaukee is #32 or so, so our stations don't have to be digital till May of this year... although I believe you'll see some waiver requests, I think all the major network affiliates here will be Digital by the end of this year.

The other issue is that Time Warner is in no hurry to aggressively embrace HiDef.. they've got too many other wolves at their doors.. Tom Sharrard is retiring, they're building a 24 hour news channel, converting over entire neighborhoods and cities to fibre optic to accomodate the tons of Road Runner subscribers, and trying to hire a developer to upgrade their Customer Service intranet knowledge base...

With all of that on their plate is it any surprise they don't care all that much about investing a bunch of money to buy a cranky, condescending, tech-support heavy market segment like us? http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/ubb/wink.gif

[RickNeff]

Agreed. I don't blame TWC for being more focused on RoadRunner. Truthfully, it's one of the few services that they offer that really outshines competition. Although, I have DSL for technical (ie: cabling reasons) here, most of the people I know use RoadRunner.

It's just a shame is all I'm saying. It's actually hard for me to stare at the poor "regular" picture especially after looking at the PBS "demo" channel. Fortunately, I primarily watch the History channel and my wife likes to watch TVLand when we watch TV, so HDTV really wouldn't help either.

For me it's a matter of remembering why I bought this set in the first place: to watch DVDs. The fact that HDTV is even available is really more icing on the cake. But, now that I've seen the HDTV picture in my living room obviously makes me want more!

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Richard Neff
Proud Toshiba 56x81 owner!

[mcneguy]

I agree. Probably the worst thing that could have happened to me with this is for TWC to come out with an HD box. I was in no hurry to buy my own HD STB. I bought the television so I could watch movies in the correct aspect ratio in 480p so maybe I should just shut up and quit complaining. I'll keep dreaming of watching the NFL in HD next fall though.

[Tom Snyder]

NFL Football? Sounds like a new thread in the programming forum....


[This message has been edited by Tom Snyder (edited 02-21-2002).]

[sarusk]

I'm new here and its great to see something like this.
I'll agree that the box TWC is horrible for the non-HD channels. I just dumped Dish Network in favor of TWC because of the free box, local channels and the promise of local channels as soon as available OTA. Well after reading the posts it looks like I shouldn't expect the channels soon unless I get an antenna.
I cannot find any info about the box they provide (2000HD). It has a digital audio out, but is it Dobly Digital? My non-HD Pioneer box actually says DD on the front but this one doesn't. I will be buying a new receiver soon and wonder what audio capabilities to expect...

[This message has been edited by sarusk (edited 02-23-2002).]

[JoeK]

I have the TWC HD box and subscribe to HBO. It appears to me that not everything HD is 5.1 and some non-HD is 5.1. The HBO programing site I had bookmarked indicated what was available, but for the moment at least, it's all screwed up. It doesn't even indicate if it's HD. When everything is right the picture and sound is awesome.

Our challenge is to find a way to convince the local Time Warner group that it is in their interest to step up the HD broadcasting. They have to be convinced they will lose out to OTA and Sat if they don't pickup the local channels.

Joe

[RickNeff]

I'm not sure what you mean by "loose out" to OTA or Sat, since only 1 local station other than PBS actually does do HDTV broadcasts. Granted, it obviously would have been nice for them to have had WTMJ 4 for the Olympic HD broadcasts, but NBC doesn't really offer that much HD content, regardless if the affliate does.

Time Warner, truthfully, really isn't to blame here, but rather the local stations themselves. I do think TWC subscribers should continue to complain that the local NBC station isn't on cable in HD and probably about the rather poor non-HD picture in general.

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Richard Neff
Proud Toshiba 56x81 owner!

[mcneguy]

Can anyone confirm if you are getting DD through the digital out on the TWC HD box when the programming is DD?

If you want a quick laugh, call TWC customer service and ask them this one.

[JoeK]

Rick,

What I mean is HD programing is HBO, Showtime, HDNet and the networks. I'm convinced the local affiliates are going to be offering HD in the not too distant future. If one needs to buy a set top box to receive Network HD then a satilite dish for HBO, Showtime and HDnet is the way to go. TWC has a big advantage with their HD cable box, but only if they offer the programing. That's my proposed "story".

Joe

[RickNeff]

Joe, I understand now. TWC probably will never get HDNet since that's DirectTV's own product. As the OTA networks come online, I would hope TWC would bring them on HD cable as well. (But one never knows with TWC.) Right now, TWC is on par with what other services are offering in this area. Unfortunately, this area doesn't really offer all that much.

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Richard Neff
Proud Toshiba 56x81 owner!

[RickNeff]

MCNE Guy, no I can't confirm I've gotten anything. However, I haven't been watching too much on HBO HD lately (really hasn't been much on) to really know. I'll post if I do get something however.

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Richard Neff
Proud Toshiba 56x81 owner!

[RickNeff]

MCNEGuy, I am getting 5.1 from the digital output on the TWC box. I just tested it with HBO HD today. Some movie (I think it was Terminal Velocity or something) did work properly. It displayed as such on my receiver and I checked that sound did indeed make its way to my center and surround speakers.

It appears that "regular" programs just end up as stereo using just the right/left front speakers. But only in the HD programming range (700 series channels.) The other channels don't have any sound at all through the digital connection.

Don't know if that's what you're getting, but that's what I got.


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Richard Neff
Proud Toshiba 56x81 owner!

[SteveClemetson]

I'll add my 2 cents on the 2000HD box.

1st - HBO definitely is in 5.1 when the programming is broadcast in 5.1. I can't say about the other channels being in 5.1, as I haven't paid that much attention.

2nd - The coaxial digital out is always "on", however channels below 100 only use the analog audio. This means that if your A/V receiver is autoswitching, it will always take the digital input -- even when there's no sound coming through it (which would be all channels below 100).

3rd - Anything other than HD really looks pretty poor coming through the component outs on the 2000HD. S-Video looks better.

Net result, if you want a nice smooth A/V experience, you'll need to program some macros into your universal remote to switch to S-Video for anything other than HD, analog audio for channels under 100, and digital for channels over 100. While channels over 100 can be either analog or digital, digital sounds better (or at least louder).

This box really strikes me as a jerry-rigged solution until the 3000HDs are distributed. Out on the Scientific Atlanta web site, they have the specs for 3000HD and it looks fairly slick. I think it said that TWC had ordered 50,000 of them nationwide.

In any event, I'll be quite pleased if TWC picks up the local HD channels promptly as they go live. It will save me a chunk of coin versus buying a set top box.

[mcneguy]

Rick,

I haven't tried it as all I have are Toslink cables but now that I know you're getting something I'll run out and buy a coaxial cable. Thanks

[Kortjester]

Hey guys, first time post here. Seems like an excellent chance to ham it up with some locals boys!!

This is just an FYI. It has been brought to my attention that TWC and the cable industry as a whole will be suffering from the same problems found with satellite in broadcasting local HD channels. They will be stuck with having the ability to do just about all channels in HD minus the local broadcasts. These will still require the use of a good ol' antenna. This is to include any all the variations of the local digital realm.


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Half of the people in the world are below average.

[RickNeff]

I'm not sure what you mean by your FYI exactly...There are already cable companies that broadcast local channels in HDTV. For example,

"Comcast, for example, recently announced that it will offer its 1.3 million customers in the New Jersey and Delaware region HDTV content from ABC, CBS, NBC, HBO and Showtime." (http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/highdeftv020107.html)

and

"Time Warner Cable now has CBS and NBC high definition signals on their cable system in Huntington Beach, Ca. All you have to do to receive the signals is to connect the Time Warner cable line to "antenna in" on the HDTV receiver. CBS is on channel 35, NBC on channel 36. ..." (http://ilovehdtv.com/hdtvforum/articles/2002/January/6dHDI2.html)

I don't live in those areas, so I don't know if these are incorrect, but I've seen a lot of others on various HDTV boards also mention local channels via cable.

So, I'm curious as to what sort of restriction there is in this area.

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Richard Neff
Proud Toshiba 56x81 owner!

[mcneguy]

Time Warner in Houston has an HDTV Package, for around $6 additional per month gets you all the local HD channels..NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX.

[sarusk]

I understand TW will be getting some of the 3100HD boxes in the 'near future' and that they will only offer them to employees at first to test, to see what/if any bugs there are. We may want to ask if a group of us could 'pilot' them when they are released.

[kjnorman]

Would the 3100HD do OTA as well as cable? If it did I would happily test a 3100HD box for TW.

I am currently on a losing run with my wife in my attempt to get a HD STB. However I could swing the cable box but only if it did OTA as well - especially as TW will not dual carry.

Kerry

[SugarRay]

Based on a conservation that I had with TW (someone from the main office, not a CSR), it sounds like maybe by mid summer they will have something new out. The gentleman did mention a new box was in the works. I guess we can only hope (or get and OTA HD box)

[mcneguy]

Well, I got sick of my guide being out again and the constant crappy quality of the 2-70 channels that I called TWC today and politely asked when they are getting the new boxes in. She put me on hold for about 10 minutes and she said that the warehouse just got some new ones in, I am scheduled for Wednesday morning for installation. Hopefully it's the new version, I cannot imagine them getting more of the ones that suck but then again, I wouldn't put it past TWC.

[SugarRay]

mcneguy - keep us posted regarding the new boxes from TWC. If they work out OK and can get OTA, I might consider......

[mcneguy]

OK, here is the update you all asked for. TWC shows up at my door with a digital cable box, explaining that they don't have any of the HD boxes because they all suck and they're getting new ones. I told the dumbass that their representative verified that they had the new ones, he said that he didn't know, called his supervisor and again told me that they didn't have any HD boxes. I'm on the phone right now with a "supervisor" who tells me that there were probably some available on Monday when I called but they may have run out before today. I have never heard anything so stupid in my life. She has put me on hold to call the warehouse to see if they really have some or not. She probably put me on hold to have a cigarette then she'll be back on to tell me that they don't have any. She's back and they found one...I'm sure it's one of the crappy ones that still sucks otherwise the "technician" (or should I say simian like, monosyllabic, mouth breather) would have found one when he called his supervisor unless the supervisor in question was too busy making love to his Krispy Kreme to actually do anything. I refused to let their people in my house and I am picking up the "new" box tomorrow at one of their locations....Tune in tomorrow for another riveting installment of this sad tale of woe.

[Tom Snyder]

Their last attempt to get me set up went pretty much the same way, as did their first attempt a year and a half ago...

Some things never change. http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/ubb/wink.gif

[Matt Heebner]

(Gets Homer Simpson-like daze on his face, with drool dripping out of one corner of his mouth).....Mmmmmm, making love to a Krispy Kreme......UUUuhhHHHhhhhh......

http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/ubb/biggrin.gif
Matt