HDTV over cable

[Saulbadguy]

Do they offer HDTV via Cable in your area? If so , tell me where youre at, and how you like it, and some details (how many channels are in HD, picture quality, etc) So far, they have not released HDTV over cable here (Topeka, KS) and I just want to HEAR about it..ya know? TIA!

 

[conjur]

Getting ready to order it here (Louisville) from Insight.

For about $40/mo. total (basic cable + digital cable box + HD cable box + HD pack)

We get the locals in HD (NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS) and the HD Pack has Discovery, ESPN, HDNet, HDNet Movies and they're working on getting Bravo HD. I could add on the Showtime and HBO movie packs and get their HD offerings, too.

One thing sucks, though. They *require* the digital cable box and basic cable and it's not even needed. :frown:   Otherwise, I could get it for $10/mo! (plus tax/FCC fees)

 

[jemcam]

Thanks for the reminder. I checked with my local cable company a couple weeks ago to find out costs, channels, etc., and they weren't ready yet. Right now, I can get it, but they only offer a local station, ESPN, and Discovery in HD for $10 per month. I don't think I'm gonna go for that. Maybe add another 5 or 10 channels at least, and I'll think about it.

 

[Mutilator]

Raleigh area TWC
ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, FOX (sometimes true HD - ex: Hurricanes hockey), HBO, SHO, Discovery HD.
My local news WRAL-TV is in HD so I get to see true HD every day. I think TWC is working on getting ESPN HD and InDemand HD sometime soon.
How do I feel about HDTV? Well 1 emoticon sums it up.
:heart:

 

[Karsten]

Douglasville GA (Atlanta Burb) Comcast
ESPN
HBO E
HBO W
Showtime
ABC
NBC
FOX

When the show is in HD the quality is awesome. Football games are great, so are some sitcoms like CSI Miami.
Quality is basically like a DVD and darn pretty on a 55" Mitsubishi!

Extra cost is an additional 10$ on top of the premium channel charge.

 

[Amused]

Insight Communications in Champaign, IL.

They offer HBO and Showtime. They are in negotiations to offer HDNet, HDNet Movies, ESPN and Discovery HD.

They are also negotiating with the only local here that is broadcasting HD: ABC.

I told them that as soon as they offer as many HD channels as DirecTV AND offer all channels in digital, I'd switch.

 

[jemcam]

Originally posted by: Amused
Insight Communications in Champaign, IL.

They offer HBO and Showtime. They are in negotiations to offer HDNet, HDNet Movies, ESPN and Discovery HD.

They are also negotiating with the only local here that is broadcasting HD: ABC.

I told them that as soon as they offer as many HD channels as DirecTV AND offer all channels in digital, I'd switch.

I'm in Bloomington, and yes, they do offer HBO and Showtime, but I'm not interested in that. I'm pretty happy with the overall quality of my cable, but on the upper channels it's kind of snowy. What could cause that?

I've got a brand new 51" Hitachi that I'm thrilled with.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: jemcam

Originally posted by: Amused
Insight Communications in Champaign, IL.

They offer HBO and Showtime. They are in negotiations to offer HDNet, HDNet Movies, ESPN and Discovery HD.

They are also negotiating with the only local here that is broadcasting HD: ABC.

I told them that as soon as they offer as many HD channels as DirecTV AND offer all channels in digital, I'd switch.

I'm in Bloomington, and yes, they do offer HBO and Showtime, but I'm not interested in that. I'm pretty happy with the overall quality of my cable, but on the upper channels it's kind of snowy. What could cause that?

I've got a brand new 51" Hitachi that I'm thrilled with.

Upper channels? Channels over 100, or channels below 100?

 

[Saulbadguy]

I just emailed my cable company threatining to switch to satellite if they don't give me an answer to "when?" "how much" and "what channels?". Every other time I ask when, they say they do not have a timeframe, but they "are working on it". Maybe my threat will escalate it to someone who knows something...I hope.

 

[jemcam]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: jemcam

Originally posted by: Amused
Insight Communications in Champaign, IL.

They offer HBO and Showtime. They are in negotiations to offer HDNet, HDNet Movies, ESPN and Discovery HD.

They are also negotiating with the only local here that is broadcasting HD: ABC.

I told them that as soon as they offer as many HD channels as DirecTV AND offer all channels in digital, I'd switch.

I'm in Bloomington, and yes, they do offer HBO and Showtime, but I'm not interested in that. I'm pretty happy with the overall quality of my cable, but on the upper channels it's kind of snowy. What could cause that?

I've got a brand new 51" Hitachi that I'm thrilled with.

Upper channels? Channels over 100, or channels below 100?

No, my channels only go up to about 65 or so. Above 50, the reception is kinda snowy and it's a noticeable difference

 

[Saulbadguy]

Thank you for your inquiry. Cox is committed to providing the best
customer service possible.

A "specific" date has not been set as to the launch, however training
on the product has begun and it should be early Fall (as in September
probably). Unfortunately, I do not have any further specific
information. The following link may be able to answer more of your
questions regarding the service:

http://www.cox.com/Future/hdtv.asp

We hope that we have been able to provide you with the information you
requested. If we have not, or if we can be of any additional service
to you, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Regards,
Kassia
The E-Care Team
Cox Communications, Kansas


God I hate my cable company.

 

[conjur]

Move.

 

[kaizersose]

Originally posted by: Karsten
Douglasville GA (Atlanta Burb) Comcast
...Quality is basically like a DVD and darn pretty on a 55" Mitsubishi! .

hdtv is better than that of a dvd. all dvd's have 480 lines of resolution (some have progressive scan which "doubles" the res). hdtv has 1080. thats why they are trying to make higher capacity dvd's--for hd dvd movies.

 

[Praetor]

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy
Thank you for your inquiry. Cox is committed to providing the best
customer service possible.

A "specific" date has not been set as to the launch, however training
on the product has begun and it should be early Fall (as in September
probably). Unfortunately, I do not have any further specific
information. The following link may be able to answer more of your
questions regarding the service:

http://www.cox.com/Future/hdtv.asp

We hope that we have been able to provide you with the information you
requested. If we have not, or if we can be of any additional service
to you, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Regards,
Kassia
The E-Care Team
Cox Communications, Kansas


God I hate my cable company.

And your cable company hates you.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: jemcam

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: jemcam

Originally posted by: Amused
Insight Communications in Champaign, IL.

They offer HBO and Showtime. They are in negotiations to offer HDNet, HDNet Movies, ESPN and Discovery HD.

They are also negotiating with the only local here that is broadcasting HD: ABC.

I told them that as soon as they offer as many HD channels as DirecTV AND offer all channels in digital, I'd switch.

I'm in Bloomington, and yes, they do offer HBO and Showtime, but I'm not interested in that. I'm pretty happy with the overall quality of my cable, but on the upper channels it's kind of snowy. What could cause that?

I've got a brand new 51" Hitachi that I'm thrilled with.

Upper channels? Channels over 100, or channels below 100?

No, my channels only go up to about 65 or so. Above 50, the reception is kinda snowy and it's a noticeable difference

Yeah, those are more than likely anolog channels and the problem is a signal strength problem. Digital cable channels are almost always above 100 and will not suffer from snow, but digital compression artifacts.

Call them and complain about the snowy channels. Tell them you want a discount on your bill until they get it fixed.

 

[Michael]

I have HDTV via cable - East Bay area of San Francisco.

The pictuire quality on the HDTV stations is amazing - ABC, NBC and PBS loop + HBO and Showtime. They're negotiating with CBS and I expect others will be added.

I don't liek the picture quality on many of the digital channels - I can see "boxes" -> MPEG artifacts all the time.

Every once and a while the HDTV picture has the same problem - usually with fire effects or when the picture is very bight and there's a sudden motion or change in camera location (where the camera moved a bunch to do an effect).

Makes me wonder if the decoder box is not quite fast enough or if the signal is a little marginal.

Michael

ps - HDTV via cable uses a different encoding system than OTA/DTV does so you need their box. You don't have to get digital cable, just the box.

 

[richardycc]

HDTV via comcast, western MA, only 3 channels available, HBO, showtime and ESPN, the cable box is $7.50/month. They are still in talk with local NBC, CBS, etc, I am getting rid of it, since I can get all the local channels with my OTA HDTV tuner, and just got a dish, and I hardly watch hbo, showtime or espn.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Michael
I have HDTV via cable - East Bay area of San Francisco.

The pictuire quality on the HDTV stations is amazing - ABC, NBC and PBS loop + HBO and Showtime. They're negotiating with CBS and I expect others will be added.

I don't liek the picture quality on many of the digital channels - I can see "boxes" -> MPEG artifacts all the time.

Every once and a while the HDTV picture has the same problem - usually with fire effects or when the picture is very bight and there's a sudden motion or change in camera location (where the camera moved a bunch to do an effect).

Makes me wonder if the decoder box is not quite fast enough or if the signal is a little marginal.

Michael

ps - HDTV via cable uses a different encoding system than OTA/DTV does so you need their box. You don't have to get digital cable, just the box.

They are compressing the signal. DirecTV used to send HDTV at 19 mb/s. Now it's at 12-14 mb/s and sharing transponders with another HDTV signal. The difference IS noticable.

They tried compressing it further and it REALLY showed during the HBO premier of SW EP2. The action scenes broke up into a bunch of blocks. Also, a concert on HDNet had, at the end, a bunch of confetti dropped while lights were flashing. That, too broke up into a blocky mess.

But the compression has other effects as well. It has ruined the "looking through a window" effect HDTV used to have. A bit of the detail, even on slow moving scenes is gone. Why? To combat how blocky the compressed signals look they have filtered the picture to soften it.

DirecTV did this very thing on their SD channels through the 90s. At first, DirecTV's channels were crystal clear. Then they started compressing the channels so they could fit more local channels for so many cities. To stop the picture from being so blocky looking and posturized, they softened the picture through filters. Now all the channels look soft and undefined.

Compression is the future of HDTV. And it's very sad, indeed.

 

[spidey07]

Insight in Louisville, KY

Motorola 5100 box.

HBO, showtime, abc, nbc, cbs, 4 channels of public TV, espn-hd, disc-hd, hdnet, hdnet-movies. And more coming it seems.

 

[bigman234]

just got it installed!! comcast hdtv san jose, ca

NBC, ABC, PBS, HBO, SHOW, ESPN

$60 /month includes motorola box rental

 

[Saulbadguy]

Do you guys pay a rental fee for the cable box? My cable company informed me that I HAD to buy the box (motorola dct-5100). They also said it would be around $500..and they don't sell it, only a small company here in town sells them..which seems to be a fly by night business, that I don't quite trust. What a bunch of BS.

 

[hdeck]

they do in austin (through time warner) but i get free cable and don't want to pay for an upgrade.

 

[conjur]

Insight charges an extra $2/mo. for rental of the HD cable box. And, apparently, this fall an HD PVR unit is coming out!

Getting mine installed on Fri!!

 

[rh71]

I've been contemplating this the last 2 days. Since work is compensating for my cable modem, I will have a $45 cheaper cable bill every month. Should I upgrade to digital cable ?!?!? I'm think for an additional $20, yes... but you know... digital means I get only what I actually pay for (heh, you get the idea)... but on the other hand, I can finally use my HDTV with HD ! What a concept...

Tough decisions...

 

[conjur]

Go for it!!



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