Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C in Chicago

Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C in Chicago http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r14535645 en Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:35:17 EDT Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:35:17 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14841824 schja01 :

said by Jan Janowski

:

...What would your plan be, spend more $$$$ ????

I'm pretty happy with the grandfathered plan I have and 2 DVRs thanks.
J
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14841824 Sat, 19 Nov 2005 17:41:31 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14841743 Jan Janowski :

said by schja01

:

What's going to happen to your git-up when Comcast goes all digital?
J

Depends if there are any more NTSC transmitters still operating... If there are, I drop comcast (Wife is already considering dropping Showtime once 6 months are up)...
If there is no more Analog transmissions, I can still record HDTV via my outside antenna (FOR FREE -- at better picture quality than via cable, by the way!!) onto my LG-3410a DVR (which is paid for, no monthly fee, and already hacked with a hard drive 3 times bigger than what was delivered with it).
We could use the single box we have to do timed channel changes, and use the Box's downconverter and/or the Channel 4 modulator to continue on time shifting via the SVHS Decks in the house...

Lord knows I won't toss any more $$ comcast's way!!! :)!

What would your plan be, spend more $$$$ ????
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14841743 Sat, 19 Nov 2005 17:27:52 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14840676 kcazzie :

said by Suchaknight

:

I was thinking about getting cable, but after reading this thread I'm not sure it would be worth the trouble.:huh:

I have to agree with schja01

... I have had Comcast digital for a while and a DVR for about six months and there were some problems with the DVR in the beginning but as a whole Comcast has kept up with what it said it would do for me... It is expensive but I pay it, so that's my problem I guess...;)...

Jan, On Demand was out for one night around Nov. 8 or 9th...And you be getting that Meta 6 message...It may have been out again maybe...I did called in and they said they were working on it, again that was ~ Nov. 8/9... ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14840676 Sat, 19 Nov 2005 14:18:10 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14839573 schja01 : What's going to happen to your git-up when Comcast goes all digital?
J
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14839573 Sat, 19 Nov 2005 10:46:18 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14839392 Jan Janowski : here's the change!

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14839392 Sat, 19 Nov 2005 10:07:49 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14839366 Jan Janowski : RF system revised somewhat...

Needing more CH4 removal on cable system (comcast Channel 4 bleeding into MY Channel 4) a 12DB pad was put on cable feed into CH4 Notch/Combiner.

The Single RF amp and passive RF Splitter after CH4 combiner was changed out for a 4 output Active RF Splitter with gain.

Noticeable Cable improvement, greater CH4 removal from Cable system.

Hmmmm... Now let's work on CH3 !!!!!
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14839366 Sat, 19 Nov 2005 10:04:07 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14706085 anon : Thank you!

Why couldn't Comcast have included a Moto guide(!)

best,
Pedro]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14706085 Tue, 01 Nov 2005 10:03:34 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14688152 Jan Janowski : And here's the DCT6200/6208 manual!
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle

dct6200-6208.ZIP 1,294,923 bytes

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14688152 Sat, 29 Oct 2005 20:30:18 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14687818 schja01 : Here is the 6412 DVR Manual for those who might want one.
--
"Have I said something amiss?"

DCT6412_User···uide.zip 1,378,228 bytes
6412 DVR Manual
(DCT6412_UserGuide.pdf)

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14687818 Sat, 29 Oct 2005 19:37:23 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14687715 Jan Janowski : Here's information on the 4x3 Override from the DCT6200/6208 manual:

Setting Description
4:3 Override Selects the DVI or YPbPr (Component video) output format of
the DCT* when it is tuned to 4:3 standard definition programs.
Defaults to 480i.
Options are OFF, 480i or 480p. If the DVI/YPbPr Output is set
to 480i, this setting becomes redundant and defaults to OFF.
This setting provides the ability to specify how 4:3 pictures are
to be displayed on your TV. Most TV programming is 4:3
aspect ratio (square).
Selecting OFF will display regular TV programs that are 4:3
aspect ratio in widescreen format. If you have a widescreen
TV, black bars will be placed on the left and right of the picture
to fit your screen. Selecting OFF when you have a 4:3 TV
Type may result in a small picture with black bars on all four
sides of the screen.
Selecting 480i will transmit TV programs that are not high
definition in their original 480i format. Some TVs cannot
display 480i format on their component video inputs (Y Pb Pr).
Check your TV User Guide for more information.
Selecting 480p will convert TV programs that are not high
definition to a higher quality 480p format. Some TVs cannot
display 480p format on their component video inputs
(Y Pb Pr). Check your TV User Guide for more information.
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14687715 Sat, 29 Oct 2005 19:21:28 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14669840 anon : Sorry, it was the META-6 error code which we were regularly receiving. I noticed it more between the hours of 5-6pm.

It would be nice if they actually were familiar with their system, eh? ;)

cheers,
P

quote:
Pepe777 Which error message was it that they said was system overload? Comm error, or Meta 6?

I've been checking each morning and every evening multiple times, and since I believe since Monday PM it has been solid. (Knock on wood!)

Not knowing what the 'overload' message is -- is a real bummer. I asked support this, and the said they didn't know what message-- if any -- would be received at my end. All this does is cause more confusion for the 'end users' and probably leads to un-necessary service calls, as possibly was the case in my instance. (I'm waiting till tomorrow morning before canceling the service call for Saturday, to replace the box that now works fine..... ??? )

Man! This whole senerio screams for better training and information for the end users!!!!

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14669840 Thu, 27 Oct 2005 11:01:01 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14669825 anon : Thanks for replying.

I'll pop over to AVSForum to see if anyone knows more about the USB driver issues.

I'm currently only using an older SONY Trinitron so I was hoping to simply keep one of my compact flash card readers next to the new Comcast box for quick slideshows. I can still patch them in directly from the camera luckily.

It's really a shame Comcast drop the football entirely regarding both documentation, and consistent information from their employees. It reminds me a lot of dealing with Cingular Wireless(!)

-Pedro]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14669825 Thu, 27 Oct 2005 10:58:49 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14669200 Jan Janowski : Pepe777 Which error message was it that they said was system overload? Comm error, or Meta 6?

I've been checking each morning and every evening multiple times, and since I believe since Monday PM it has been solid. (Knock on wood!)

Not knowing what the 'overload' message is -- is a real bummer. I asked support this, and the said they didn't know what message-- if any -- would be received at my end. All this does is cause more confusion for the 'end users' and probably leads to un-necessary service calls, as possibly was the case in my instance. (I'm waiting till tomorrow morning before canceling the service call for Saturday, to replace the box that now works fine..... ??? )

Man! This whole senerio screams for better training and information for the end users!!!!

My system is really simple "to the box". After the box it gets convoluted, but that part has never, ever, given any problems. The only problems I've encountered are from the box and before.

Biggest problem I've encountered is no documentation, either via text on a sheet, or over the phone with support.... If I had been given docs, or, had support had answers, I'll bet most of the operational problems (for example, the 4x3 override fiasco of yesterday) may very well have been avoided.

At present, all is fine, (Which is fine by me!)
I've got the output of the box modulated on CH4, and re-inserted back into cable feed for distribution to display, DVR, and multiple SVHS decks. Using a remote extender off ebay, I've extended the remote control to the bedroom, where I can watch any channel the box receives on CH4, nearly 80 feet & 3 rooms from the "Box". Menus are visible on YUV at display, and any location on CH4.
I've one more cable feed available, and a CH3 mixer, too, for expansion later, should the need arise.
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14669200 Thu, 27 Oct 2005 09:13:56 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14668805 schja01 :

said by Pepe777 :

-Will the Video outputs in back allow me to output what I record on the DVR to either an external DVD recorder or other device(?) How about the SPDF/digital coaxial audio output?

I have the Composite Video output connected to my VCR and I am able to record programs from the DVR to the VCR without issue.

All digital outputs are enabled and functional eg. DVI, SPDIF coax and optical.

There are lengthy discussions over on the AVSForum about utilizing the USB and Firewire ports. They are active but obtaining the drivers seems convoluted.
Unfortunately for you they seem to be output ports for offloading programming to PCs etc. I could be wrong about that though. Needless to say Comcast provides ZERO information on that.

As far as viewing slideshows from a flash memory device, a lot of TVs come with that functionality now.

J
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14668805 Thu, 27 Oct 2005 07:35:17 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14666749 anon : Hi Jan-

I'm a couple suburbs north of you along the Edens Expwy. That's the same On Demand error message I was receiving on an intermittent basis on my Comcast box. On Demand would typically come back after an hour or so- sometimes earlier. The techs told me twice over the phone that it was likely caused by system overload. It sounds like my overall setup is a lot simpler than yours though- only one TV has a cable box. I don't have so much spaghetti running through my house ;). Just a small Home Theater in a walkout basement.

Today the tech just installed a new dual tuner/DVR box. The only questions I still have regarding this piece of hardware:

-Has anyone gotten any of the USB or Firewire ports to work yet? I am wondering if Comcast will ever permit this device to fully function as it could. I would love to have the simple ability to remove a compact flash card from my Canon and view the shots on my TV w/ a USB card reader. I suppose w/ CC this is asking too much(!)

-Will the Video outputs in back allow me to output what I record on the DVR to either an external DVD recorder or other device(?) How about the SPDF/digital coaxial audio output?

cheers,
Pedro

quote:
Today, monday... Tried On Demand... No work-ee. Worked last night... META-6 is the error message today.

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14666749 Wed, 26 Oct 2005 22:04:18 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14665888 Jan Janowski : No, I'm not disappointed! But considering what I've gone through... Now it works, now it doesn't, no manuals...
Ask support questions, they don't know.... So I stumble along trying to make sense out of something that has no documentation....

Nothing surprises me on this thread any more!

--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14665888 Wed, 26 Oct 2005 20:25:24 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14665758 Suchaknight :

said by Jan Janowski

:

P.S. to all this... On Demand is still working!

You almost sound disappointed!;)
--
Light a fire for a man and you keep him warm a few hours. Set a man on fire and you keep him warm for the rest of his life.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14665758 Wed, 26 Oct 2005 20:09:12 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14664997 Jan Janowski : I STAND CORRECTED!!!! You were right!
480i override is NOT affecting HD programs on YUV output.
I WAS WRONG, WRONG!!!
I'm going to guess what I thought was a HD program was really a 2.21:1 Cinemascope picture on SD chanel.

Either way, I was WRONG!...

P.S. to all this... On Demand is still working!

--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14664997 Wed, 26 Oct 2005 18:30:39 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14664966 Jan Janowski : Another wrong post by me....]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14664966 Wed, 26 Oct 2005 18:26:10 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14664585 schja01 :

said by Jan Janowski

:

Disagree with your approach... Why downsample a HD program to 480i and then have TV upsample it to 720P???? But you haven't approached the scanrate converter issue....

Because the 480i override only comes into play with a 480i program. If the program is HD then the 480i override does nothing.
480i override does NOT downsample anything. It can pass the signal through unchanged (Override = 480i) or upsample to one of the ED/HD resolutions (Override = anything but 480i).
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14664585 Wed, 26 Oct 2005 17:35:05 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14664320 andyross : I think there is some confusion on the 4:3 override setting. This setting ONLY affects SD (480i) programming.

Setting it to 480i means that SD is passed through unaltered. This lets your TV do any upconversion.

Setting it to 480p means that SD is upconverted to 480p.

Setting it to OFF or (6412 only) STRETCH will upconvert to whatever your YPbPr setting is.

If your YPbPr is set to 480i, then 4:3 override is disabled, as you are already locked to 480i!

If you have 4:3 override set to anything other than 480i, then the composite/S-Video outputs will NEVER have on-screen graphics. If set to 480i, then composite/S-Video will have graphics for SD programming ONLY.

The above also affects the user setting (hitting MENU when off) and diagnostics menus. The menus usually use whatever the last format was. If you were viewing HD material, they will be in HD (and not visible on composite/S-Video), otherwise they will be 480i.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14664320 Wed, 26 Oct 2005 17:04:34 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14663999 Jan Janowski : Whatever I was drinking last night wasn't documented, and while I try and determine what it was that I was drinking, Let's just say I'm deleting this because it was wrong... See below!!!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14663999 Wed, 26 Oct 2005 16:25:08 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14663777 schja01 : I know EXACTLY what you meant and I don't think it makes a hill of beans difference.
Setting the 480i override only affects 480i programming.
So now it's just a matter of who upsamples the 480i to whatever the TV wants.
If you leave 480i override off (like I do) my TV will make the best out of the measly 480i and upsample it to my TVs native resolution.
If you set 480i override to anything other than OFF (like you with it set to 720p) you are leaving it up to the crappy Comcast STB to convert the SAME 480i signal to 720p and then your TV will convert that to its native resolution.
So it's just a matter of which device does a better job with the 480i signal.
Personally I'd let the 480i pass untouched to your Component Video and let your TV convert it. You keep your menus and end up with a better picture assuming your TV doesn't have a crappier upsampler than that $50 Comcast box.
Make sense?
J
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14663777 Wed, 26 Oct 2005 15:57:15 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14663698 Jan Janowski : I'm editing post to show how it works... If you saw the origional post, it was incorrect, and being changed to refelect what is in fact occurring with these settings:
(In other words, this post as it was first posted, was inaccurate!)

With 4x3 Override set to "OFF" I get 720P out the YUV outputs (Because I programmed it that way in the power off menu), YUV at 720P has menus & diagnostics, and 480i is output Svideo ouput, with no menus or diagnostics.

By switching 4x3 Override ON, I still get 480i out the Svideo output, but now it has menus & diagnostics.
On the YUV outputs, 480i programs come out 480i, and HD programs come out at the setting of the YUV setting (in my case 720P). Menus and diagnostics also appear at this ouput.

This part of what I posted is still correct, but un-necessary for 4x3 override, cause the settings are working as setups are programmed.

As in any video system, avoiding un-necessary scan conversions is important, to avoid artifacts of the conversion & interpolation from the zooming.
Oh Yes.... I must comment that I'd check my manuals, but I wasn't given any!!!!

--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14663698 Wed, 26 Oct 2005 15:46:40 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14663588 schja01 :

said by Jan Janowski

said by schja01

said by Jan Janowski

:

Thinking that I'd just go the Channel 4 anywhere in house to see the settings, so I could post it tonight.... But no.... Those settings are not visible on SVideo ouput, just YUV.... So it will have to wait till tomorrow.....

Well, you can if you set the 4:3 Override to 480i. You get to that menu via Power Off -> Menu .

An update on 4:3 Override... The "Override" brings menus/diags to the 480i (Svideo ouput), but also overrides the YUV settings. Brings YUV down to 480i as well... even if you have YUV set for higher resolution setting (720P in my case), and 720P still remains in the YUV settings, it just gets over-ridden by the Override setting.
Be aware that this happens.

So what. It's a 480i signal in reality and either your TV is going to upsample it or you can let the set top box do it and loose your menus for 480i material.
Personally my Plasma has a fancy dancy upsampler circuit that will run rings around anything a cable box can do in upsampling.
So leave the 4:3i override set to 480i and your set will dutifully upsample to it's native resolution just fine.
Remember for a 480i signal anything you end up that is higher 480p/720p/1080i is all smoke and mirrors it's just a matter of who has the better smoke and better mirrors.
J
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14663588 Wed, 26 Oct 2005 15:32:01 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14663368 Jan Janowski : Last of the edits....
Multiple posts with wrong information, starting from this post, downward.

From here on, posts have been edited so as to show CORRECT information.... ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14663368 Wed, 26 Oct 2005 14:59:00 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14660966 Jan Janowski : Checked Wed AM at 6AM. On Demand is still working...

There have been no changes at my end so.......

(He said beginning to sound like the comcast version of a Verison Commercial: "Is On-Demand working???? --- GOOD!!")
;)
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14660966 Wed, 26 Oct 2005 08:56:48 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14657252 Jan Janowski : One Amp (Motorola Broadband Drop Amp) and one 3 way splitter feeding two items. (3rd split unused--presently terminated with a 75 ohm RF Terminator.) See the single line I posted back aways..... (terminator not drawn in but it's there!)

Now just to confuse the issue, last night after talking to comcast On Demand Suddenly worked. This morning at 6AM it worked.. When I got home, On Demand worked.
I just checked before entering this, On Demand worked.
Postings of d04, d07 & d14 last night was with it inoperative... Tonight,
Do4 reports (previous channel 550) Carrier lock yes, Data yes, SNR 35.2Db Good, AGC 47% Good, and no errors...
D07 is same as last night... BUT
D14 is much different!
Socket port stat
0 5555 Ready/Receiving
1 1024 Ready
2,3,4 unused..

SO, just to keep me on my toes, it's working fine!
Was it a fluke, or did the data finally trickle down??

Keep watching!!! At this point, it's the thread that won't DIE!!! (But I do so hope it will!!! :) )
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14657252 Tue, 25 Oct 2005 19:40:15 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14656116 andyross : The 0.0db uplink seems to imply it was unable to talk back to the network. How many splitters or amps are there between the box and the main feed from Comcast?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14656116 Tue, 25 Oct 2005 17:05:23 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14653443 schja01 :

said by Jan Janowski

:

...Logic would tell me that I should get a prompt like: "All nodes are full" or "un-able to process request at this time"...

Comcast and Logic are mutually exclusive terms.
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14653443 Tue, 25 Oct 2005 10:09:14 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14653097 Jan Janowski : As a follow up to the On Demand posts...
30 min after they tell me they will swap box this weekend, it starts working! I checked again before leaving for work this morning... On Demand Still works.... Nothing has changed on my end since the install.

I've heard rumours that only a finite number of On Demand requests can be processed at a time...

Anybody know what the message you'll get (On Screen) when there is no services available?

(I'd check my instructions, but I wasn't given any)!

I have seen two different prompts: META-6 and Communications Error, no error message.

Logic would tell me that I should get a prompt like: "All nodes are full" or "un-able to process request at this time"
I've asked this question to the support folks, but they indicate that they don't know......

What an experience!!!
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14653097 Tue, 25 Oct 2005 09:05:39 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14652686 schja01 :

said by Suchaknight

:

I was thinking about getting cable, but after reading this thread I'm not sure it would be worth the trouble.:huh:

I'm not sure Jan's situation is typical. I probably have a more mainstream cable environment and don't have issues. I am sure there tens of thousands of folks with cable (and satellite) that don't post here do not have problems.
That's one trouble with message boards. People don't post messages unless they have problems.
J
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14652686 Tue, 25 Oct 2005 07:09:03 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14652391 Suchaknight : I was thinking about getting cable, but after reading this thread I'm not sure it would be worth the trouble.:huh:]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14652391 Tue, 25 Oct 2005 03:59:04 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14649439 Jan Janowski : Looks like this box is going to be swapped out.
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14649439 Mon, 24 Oct 2005 19:36:39 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14649245 Jan Janowski : Today, monday... Tried On Demand... No work-ee. Worked last night... META-6 is the error message today.

OK Diags:
do7
CF 9.056 Mc
Requested Power 0.0Db
Actual Power 0.0Db
Report back address 0x12f57c
Last Report Back attempt 0000000000

d14
IP 10.16.47.191
UPM 01242492
Upstream ID 10327
Downstream ID 0026
State Wait_So_Ack
MAC Abort Ctrl 0000
and 4 socket ports at Unused

do4
Mode 64 QAM
Carrier Lock YES
Data YES
SNR 35.3 GOOD
AGC 47% GOOD
5 second error count
Un-correctable 0000
Correctable 0000

How does this look compared to others?????
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14649245 Mon, 24 Oct 2005 19:10:26 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14644961 Jan Janowski : Finally got to box for a few minutes... Scrolled through d07 & d14, and IP and other stuff there, (at work now, don't have notes)...
However, on exit of that menu, tried On Demand and it worked!

Is there any written informatin on what is contained in the diagnostics screens that I would be interested in knowing about.... ?????
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14644961 Mon, 24 Oct 2005 08:49:09 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14642562 schja01 :

said by Jan Janowski

Well, you can if you set the 4:3 Override to 480i. You get to that menu via Power Off -> Menu .
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14642562 Sun, 23 Oct 2005 21:25:28 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14642372 Jan Janowski : Thinking that I'd just go the Channel 4 anywhere in house to see the settings, so I could post it tonight.... But no.... Those settings are not visible on SVideo ouput, just YUV.... So it will have to wait till tomorrow.....
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14642372 Sun, 23 Oct 2005 20:59:10 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14642240 Jan Janowski : I'll get that information once I gain access to it again...
(GRIN!)
By the way, today during my (Daily) call to comcast about this issue, lady told me that the problem is probably not my end, as they have been having problems with On Demand for a week now...

We did use On Demand twice, a couple weeks ago...

Hopefully I'll take some readings tomorrow night... and post them here... If there is any settings other than d07 and d14 you want, holler!!!

Jan
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14642240 Sun, 23 Oct 2005 20:43:04 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14638685 andyross : To get to the diagnostics menu, turn off the box, then within 1-2 seconds, hit OK/Select. Use the arrow keys to move around. Just hit Power or select E-Exit to get out of it.

For OnDemand issues, you want to check d07 - Upstream Modem, and d14 - Interactive status (look to see if it has an IP address and ID's assigned.) Be aware OnDemand does have a limit on the number of concurrent users. Some issues could be simply because it was at capacity.

d04 - Inband status will give you the signal strength of your last-tuned channel (EXCEPT OnDemand, which doesn't have a real channel.) d06 - Current channel status will give the frequency, whether it's encrypted or not, and other information. (For the dual-tuner 6412, use the up-down keys to see the information for each tuner.)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14638685 Sun, 23 Oct 2005 09:25:47 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14636957 Jan Janowski : Glad to hear a re-program worked... Mits has sent me 4 firmware upgrades (actually 3, they sent the same version twice)... Actually improved pix a bit and fixed an audio problem...

OOB Signal numbers? HUH? Do you mean like signal strength? How do I check for them? Remember, you're talking to a guy that doesn't have a manual to refer to...

Honestly, if there is some tests you want me to do, please spoon feed me the keystrokes, and I'll try anything....
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14636957 Sat, 22 Oct 2005 22:49:01 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14634940 schja01 :

said by Jan Janowski

:

Yesterday and Today, On Demand stopped working. TV Guide, all channels I pay for, and messages work fine.
3 calls to support, 3 different types of resets. I'm at the "Dispatch will reload code" mode.... now.

At this point, I'm just posting for posting's sake... Hopefully someone at comcast will see this thread.....

Seriously, how does your OOB signal numbers look? My knee jerk reaction would be there is a return path signal issue. Can you order a PPV event? Don't actually order one but can you even get up to the point where you verify? If not that's another indication of a return signal issue.
J
--
"Have I said something amiss?"
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14634940 Sat, 22 Oct 2005 16:56:49 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14634924 schja01 :

said by Jan Janowski

It's sun spots. I know it.
My Panasonic Plasma stopped working on 480i (analog and digital). I figured the upsampling circuit got fried. Abt came out today and did (of all things) a firmware upgrade right in the living room.
Viola, Pani is back in business.
Sun spots I tell you, sun spots.
:)
J
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14634924 Sat, 22 Oct 2005 16:54:51 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14633662 Jan Janowski : Yesterday and Today, On Demand stopped working. TV Guide, all channels I pay for, and messages work fine.
3 calls to support, 3 different types of resets. I'm at the "Dispatch will reload code" mode.... now.

At this point, I'm just posting for posting's sake... Hopefully someone at comcast will see this thread.....
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14633662 Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:24:57 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14593043 Sales1234 : There are tutorials on the website. Since I live in a Charter area, I went through those tutorials to learn about the equipment and try to help customers. This is why I search out forums on Chicago Comcast. We're a third party company and given a sales manual and prices. I can't afford an HDTV or DVR from my cable company, and hate sounding stupid when someone asks detailed questions. All calls are recorded and a CSR can be fired at any time, regardless of what the customer says to him or her. We don't hang up on a customer. The customer is always right. He or she might be having a bad day also. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14593043 Sun, 16 Oct 2005 21:01:31 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14592780 Jan Janowski : Salesguy Don't take what I say hard. As you can see from this thread, about anything that could go wrong, did go wrong, and in some cases, multiple times...

As a technical person, I see a 'self install' on Cable TV no different than a 'self install' for DSL. Started out needing a technician, but it's not entirely necessary....

The one 'strange' thing about the Entire situation on my 'upgrade' is.... After MULTIPE communications with comcast, Local office on either visit, Servicemen (Plural) Never was any manuals given on the hardware that was given to me.
From the local office (who gave me a choice of two boxes, one of which was held together with plastic shipping tape), to the knowledgeable service guy who swapped it with an HD box (in order for me to get YUV outputs), nor the Service Guy who was sent out because phone support couldn't answer my questions when a picture was finally output out of the box.
I'm not banging the individuals! I've talked to and met multiple people who seem to care about providing a good service! Perfect example was the Tech sent out by phone support, when phone support couldn't answer my questions. Tech was so embarrassed by my photocopy of channel line-ups being over 1.5 years newer than what he had in his truck), that he scrambled through his truck looking for any manuals or flyers for me! He showed incentive! So did the service guy who confirmed the first beat up box was DOA. So has one person who has IM'd me on various subjects.... To provide HELP!

As I'm believeing you were trying to do, to.... and I jumped you... Sorry...

Look elsewhere in this forum for a thread I started on DCT6200 features... I got this information off of a newsgroup!! I also got the operations manual from someone on a newsgroup!! WHY IS IT that I'm getting nearly 100% of my information from newsgroups?

Is it that comcast doesn't give it's employees or customers manuals as a cost savings action?

Sorry I snapped at you... Knee Jerk Reaction
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14592780 Sun, 16 Oct 2005 20:17:11 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14592471 Sales1234 : Thanks for your kind remarks. I go to school full time and this job helps pay the bills. It doesn't mean I'm a jerk.

I'll ask supervisor tomorrow about the box pick up.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14592471 Sun, 16 Oct 2005 19:12:59 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14592394 Jan Janowski :

said by Sales1234

:

I sell Chicago area Comcast cable and internet - digital upgrades are always scheduled with a tech install. We were told by main office that analog customers cannot just pick up a box for an upgrade because the digital service needs to be ordered and billed, the tech sets up the box and make sure it works. The box is pre-registered to your account along with whatever digital package you choose. I rarely need to send hits when it has been installed by a tech.

Even more surprising is the tech giving you an HD box.

You must not be getting 'current' information, cause that is exactly what happened in our case...

Quite frankly, you (comcast) folks are not qualified to install (alone) in our house. I'll assist you, but you'd never be able to understand what's going on (how it is cabled) here.

Not bragging..... Just informing!!!!
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14592394 Sun, 16 Oct 2005 18:59:07 EDT thanks http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14592260 Sales1234 : There's no delete button but I get the picture.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14592260 Sun, 16 Oct 2005 18:34:52 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14591157 hdtvtechno :

said by schja01

:

I came across this article (should be free):
»www.consumerreports.org/main/det···02802547
What I found interesting is it says Dish-TV and Direct-TV are both going to MPEG-4 next year so they can transmit more HD programming.
Question to RD, will going to MPEG-4 potentially increase/decrease picture quality? Which one?
J

FYI
MPEG4 transmission started today for directv local HD channels in Detriot
--
»www.hdtvtechno.com]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14591157 Sun, 16 Oct 2005 15:26:42 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14589746 andyross :

said by Jan Janowski

:

That's a function of the box.... No bandwidth savings in pixcrop. Still has to transmit the crops....If crops are at transmitting end.

So far, I've only noticed it on SOME digital channels. I think there would still be some saving as you are transmitting larger amounts of solid black, which should compress rather well.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14589746 Sun, 16 Oct 2005 10:58:42 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14583881 Jan Janowski :

said by andyross

:

Another bandwidth reducing tactic I've been seeing is cropping the picture. I've noticed on more and more digital channels (SciFi for one) that there appears to be a black border at about 3-4% overscan. Since this is in the overscan of most TV's, and usually not visible, they can get away with it.

That's a function of the box.... No bandwidth savings in pixcrop. Still has to transmit the crops....If crops are at transmitting end.

Overscan (From TV Manufacturer's standpoint) is a holdover from poor power supply regulation in the 50's. Overscan in film is normal, due to various gates that could go in the film camera, and projector so as to not display that on the screen. SMPTE finally settled on a 5% overscan for TV's (that no manufacturer follows, for fear of complaint calls during brownouts-- poor Power supply regulation).

Most TV's I've measured have between 9-15% overscan.
I gotta tell you, I once had to go to a TV Manufacturer's Plant due to a complaint.... The text in the commercial we made was crowding the edge of the TV. Along with another tape of the commercials, I took recordings of various Safe Title-Safe Action test patterns from SMPTE, and one I created: Safe Title--Safe Action--5% Overscan Eschucheon pattern........ I showed the company that their set didn't match SMPTE standards... Phones rang, Manager's were summoned, and the whole group of us ended up in their lab, where I heard, firsthand, that the reasoning for this was to prevent phone calls on sweep problems during brownouts... (We re-edited the commercial, shrinking back the text).... :D!

Flat screen displays I believe (not 100% positive) use something like 2% overscan.
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14583881 Sat, 15 Oct 2005 11:08:07 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14583522 schja01 :

said by schja01

said by andyross

--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14583522 Sat, 15 Oct 2005 09:54:40 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14583504 schja01 :

said by andyross

I don't see that but I'm using the DVI output. I suspect overscan does not exist with a truly digital signal. Yes? I know there are NO settings for verticle/horizontal size/position for a monitor using digital input signals.
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14583504 Sat, 15 Oct 2005 09:53:08 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14583326 andyross : Another bandwidth reducing tactic I've been seeing is cropping the picture. I've noticed on more and more digital channels (SciFi for one) that there appears to be a black border at about 3-4% overscan. Since this is in the overscan of most TV's, and usually not visible, they can get away with it.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14583326 Sat, 15 Oct 2005 09:04:44 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14583065 schja01 : Great job Jan.
Thanks,
J]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14583065 Sat, 15 Oct 2005 07:06:35 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14580499 Jan Janowski : Does Comcast use MPEG-4? Jan?
J
Actually, I haven't a clue. Mpeg settings are like chocolates, there are so many different ones, good, bad, & average, etc. Kind of depends what your final output and bandwidth will be... If you set aside next to no bandwidth, you get a program that looks like it, or had better be static shots that don't change much.
The more motion including cuts from one shot to the next, and detail you want in your end product, the greater bandwidth you'll need for that channel. Look at PAX for example. Sqeezing 6 programs into one stream. Now look carefully at it.. It depends on the person who set up the encoder. If pressure is exerted from 'upstairs' to squeeze more channels in to existing space, you increase the compression on all of them (which degrades the overall image after a certain point, but frees up bandwidth for use somewhere else), or degrade all with respect to luminance or chroma sample reductions, to make bandwidth (from the resulting data harvesting) available for the extra signals you want to add. Or both and other 'tricks'.
Digital video has been doing that for years.... For example, take a video signal, and INTENTIONALLY roll off the HF Detail. Does two things... Decreases the bandwidth necessary to move the picture, because there is less high frequency detail to resolve... Via something called a Nyquist Curve (Maybe spelled wrong) you can calculate the clock frequency needed to move bandwidth. For example, Broadcast Digital video is 6Mc wide bandwidth. 6*2.25=13.5Mc You'll need a minimum of a 13.5Mc clock to move that bandwidth.. So, if you only needed 4Mc bandwidth of video 4*2.25=9Mc Clock. Fewer clock cycles means fewer samples to move, less bandwidth...
Another trick.... Throw half the chroma samples away. The eye can't tell without critical examination that you've done this... and you have 1/2 the chroma data to move. All this affects tape writing speed on a VTR, or any video stream. Or, you can Reduce the framerate of the video from 29.97fps to something less, freeing up data bandwidth to be used elsewhere, if you have the cabablility of doing that... Perfect example of this is the home recording DV standard.
High end video is 4:2:2 @6Mc bandwidth (13.5Mc clock) (4 samples of luminance and two samples each of r/y & b/y, the color difference signals.)
On home digital video gear, it records 4:1:1, and I think the overall video bandwidth is reduced slightly (so as to need less compression, not clock cycles), in order to easily be manufactured for NTSC or PAL formats (another reason to use 13.5Mc clocks!
By the way: The first Professional Digital HD recording format both time compressed each horizontal line of video, Plus recorded only 33:11:11, which kind-of equates to 3:1:1. There was too much data for the VTR Heads to put to tape, so those were the compromises that were made, and that was HD!!!!

I've done many tests with a variable compression engine on video capturing... At the time (years ago) the card could do anything from 75:1 to 3:1 (Though my computer/drives couldn't keep up any faster than about 6:1, or it would drop frames). 10:1 was about VHS quality, no matter what you put into it. 7.5:1 SVHS quality, 6:1 Analog Betacam quality -- looked real good, but used much more hard drive space (Bandwidth). The less the compression, the higher the bandwidth needed. The more compression, the greater degredation to the video. So that kind of describes compression...

Another limiting factor: There is a limit to the bandwidth that can be put on tape (Or hard drives, for that matter). The limiting factor is the maximum frequency the video heads can resolve. The smaller the head, the higher the frequency it can resolve, and therefore the bandwidth, at the expense of head life. If you have a 30Mb stream going to heads that can only resolve 18Mb, your in trouble! So, you compress the 30Mb stream to something more manageable... say 10Mb (~3:1 compression). We're ignoring tape writing speed during this example, which is another way you can improve bandwidth: speed up tape speed=Greater Bandwidth with same head (cause tape moves past heads faster), but this reduces tape run time per cassette. (This is why heads spin in the opposite direction as tape movement, to increase tape writing speed). If You increase the size of the head, you increase head life, but the maximum frequency it can resolve is reduced forcing you to increase tape speed, which increases bandwidth at the expense of recording time..... (That's HD right now!)

Enough Variables for you?

Tape writing speed, TV, DVD Creation, or maximum channels on a cable, it's all inter-related... You add something, you have to take from something else!

That's why there is such efforts going on to create a better compression and MPEG algorithms!!! END!

said by schja01

said by RadioDoc

said by schja01

:

Question to RD, will going to MPEG-4 potentially increase/decrease picture quality? Which one?
J

I defer to Jan on this one. He works with video every day. I'm an RF guy.

Yea but you've bitched about Comcast video compression on more than one occasion so you became my candidate.
Does Comcast use MPEG-4? Jan?
J

--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14580499 Fri, 14 Oct 2005 20:33:42 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14579114 RadioDoc : I bitched about it because Comcast's "digital cable" picture quality is very often crap by any standard, not because I'm an expert at the science behind it.
--
Don't kill 'em, just bill 'em.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14579114 Fri, 14 Oct 2005 17:00:32 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14579002 schja01 :

said by RadioDoc

said by schja01

:

Question to RD, will going to MPEG-4 potentially increase/decrease picture quality? Which one?
J

I defer to Jan on this one. He works with video every day. I'm an RF guy.

Yea but you've bitched about Comcast video compression on more than one occasion so you became my candidate.
Does Comcast use MPEG-4? Jan?
J
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14579002 Fri, 14 Oct 2005 16:46:32 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14578964 RadioDoc :

said by schja01

:

Question to RD, will going to MPEG-4 potentially increase/decrease picture quality? Which one?
J

I defer to Jan on this one. He works with video every day. I'm an RF guy.
--
Don't kill 'em, just bill 'em.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14578964 Fri, 14 Oct 2005 16:41:37 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14578851 Jan Janowski : MP4 is a more robust encoding. Bandwidth should shrink with greater (but more efficient--with less artifacts) encoding.

Less bandwidth means more channels needing less bandwidth...
OR.....
Hopefully techs will understand a higher quality pix (increasing the frequence of the brute force Low Pass Filter
an give each channel a bit more resolution [bandwidth].... )
I can tell the difference between a channel on Analog Cable (More detail in shallow ramps [i.e. flesh, and solid backgrounds]).... Analog Cable looks better.
Time will tell.....
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14578851 Fri, 14 Oct 2005 16:26:37 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14576584 schja01 : I came across this article (should be free):
»www.consumerreports.org/main/det···02802547
What I found interesting is it says Dish-TV and Direct-TV are both going to MPEG-4 next year so they can transmit more HD programming.
Question to RD, will going to MPEG-4 potentially increase/decrease picture quality? Which one?
J
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14576584 Fri, 14 Oct 2005 11:18:57 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14573502 schja01 :

said by Jan Janowski

:

It's my understanding that I spent about $48.00 for the 'upgrade' I did on my system at home.... One amp, one modulator, two channel inserter's (one I've yet to use).

Now compare that against the monthly 'upgrade' I had to purchase.... $5.00 for the box (Just because I need YUV, I have to spend $5 a month). Digital upgrade (lost track of that price) HBO (Lost track of that price too). Showtime upgrade on top of HBO and Digital == $10.00.

I haven't received my first bill yet, so I don't know what the cost will be compared to before. (Anybody wanna make bet that they'll screw that up, too????)

I'll tell you this: Had I bought a box for every device needed to equate "Before", at $5 per box, that would have been 6 extra boxes, assumeing I can feed one vcr and a TV at a time... $30.00 extra (just for extra boxes) a month....

Explain to me Again in great detail why my $48.00 investment isn't cost effective...

Oh yes, I hadn't posted this before, but after trading emails with people who have various level's of success with comcast cablecards to insert in their HDTV Sets, and listened to their tale of woe (including one who had a comcast computer guy and troubleshooter at his house for hours to determine why the cablecard 'won't work') I decided not to even try the cablecard..... even though (depending on who you talk to), it is free....

I did a little RF balancing, and I must say, the picture quality is pretty darn good on modulator.

Now I've got to find out how to extend the IR connection about 80 feet, so that I can remotely mount a IR Pickup on the DCT 6200 in the bedroom, so I can change channels there on the box rooms away!!! :D!

Cablecards are not free. There is a OTC but not sure about a monthly after that. My TV accepts a Cablecard but I'd loose the cable guide, On Demand, PPV capabilities. I would gain PIP but would never use that so I hung a DVR off the HDTV.
J
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14573502 Thu, 13 Oct 2005 21:57:22 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14572639 Jan Janowski : For those of you who are interested, here's a drawing of what I did.....
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14572639 Thu, 13 Oct 2005 19:56:00 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14572543 Jan Janowski : It's my understanding that I spent about $48.00 for the 'upgrade' I did on my system at home.... One amp, one modulator, two channel inserter's (one I've yet to use).

Now compare that against the monthly 'upgrade' I had to purchase.... $5.00 for the box (Just because I need YUV, I have to spend $5 a month). Digital upgrade (lost track of that price) HBO (Lost track of that price too). Showtime upgrade on top of HBO and Digital == $10.00.

I haven't received my first bill yet, so I don't know what the cost will be compared to before. (Anybody wanna make bet that they'll screw that up, too????)

I'll tell you this: Had I bought a box for every device needed to equate "Before", at $5 per box, that would have been 6 extra boxes, assumeing I can feed one vcr and a TV at a time... $30.00 extra (just for extra boxes) a month....

Explain to me Again in great detail why my $48.00 investment isn't cost effective...

Oh yes, I hadn't posted this before, but after trading emails with people who have various level's of success with comcast cablecards to insert in their HDTV Sets, and listened to their tale of woe (including one who had a comcast computer guy and troubleshooter at his house for hours to determine why the cablecard 'won't work') I decided not to even try the cablecard..... even though (depending on who you talk to), it is free....

I did a little RF balancing, and I must say, the picture quality is pretty darn good on modulator.

Now I've got to find out how to extend the IR connection about 80 feet, so that I can remotely mount a IR Pickup on the DCT 6200 in the bedroom, so I can change channels there on the box rooms away!!! :D!
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14572543 Thu, 13 Oct 2005 19:43:33 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14569250 RadioDoc : So I hear. The Canadians seem so happy.
--
Don't kill 'em, just bill 'em.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14569250 Thu, 13 Oct 2005 12:15:41 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14569058 schja01 :

said by RadioDoc

:

You like Comcast. Good for you. In my area they are a joke.

Isn't it great to live in America?
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14569058 Thu, 13 Oct 2005 11:45:55 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14568940 RadioDoc :

said by schja01

:

I wonder if Comcast is REALLY that expensive?

Cost is not the only factor. You are forgetting that before these horses asses started pressuring long-time existing customers to cough up more money in STB rental, these channels were received without ANY additional equipment other than a TV. Your boss and mom would loathe the current trend towards digital STBs at every reception device, not to mention the lossy encoding/compression/transcoding/decoding/recoding/conversion going on just to get it to them.

The loss of PIP functionality, the inability to use existing devices without additional (read: rented) equipment, the marginal performance of said equipment and it's technical support, and the general attitude of Comcast is a much bigger "cost" than the $50 or so it takes to add a channel to an existing home video distribution system. That $50 has a rate of return of well under 1 year's rental for just one cable box, a cost I should not have been forced into in the first place.

You like Comcast. Good for you. In my area they are a joke.
--
Don't kill 'em, just bill 'em.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14568940 Thu, 13 Oct 2005 11:31:16 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14568397 schja01 :

said by Jan Janowski

said by schja01

Please note that I: Wouldn't Have To Have Re-Invented The Wheel...... IF comcast Would Have Let Well Enough Alone!

All I Did Was To Emulate The System I Had Before comcast Started SCREWING AROUND By Removing Established Channels From Analog Cable!!!
Thinking out loud here ...
Based on the price difference Comcast would charge to give you your channels back eg. from going HBO+Analog to HBO+BasicDigital versys the cost of the hardware solutions you and Doc are implementing I wonder if Comcast is REALLY that expensive?
One of the reasons I like Comcast is I don't have to make any long term hardware investments. Not true with other broadband systems. As Hardware evolves I just call Comcast, they send out a truck with the latest and greatest and take back the old technology device(s). Now, in my younger years when I was active in HAM radio I might have enjoyed hacking together an alternative solution but now time is $$ to me and Comcast is a reasonable solution. Not the absolute best but certainly more than adequate for my needs.
J
--
"Have I said something amiss?"
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14568397 Thu, 13 Oct 2005 09:49:32 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14568213 Jan Janowski :

said by schja01

:

As my boss use to say "Why do something simple when you can make it wonderful and complex?".
Or as my mother use to say "As the number of components in a system approaches infinity the mean time to failure approaches zero".
J

Please note that I: Wouldn't Have To Have Re-Invented The Wheel...... IF comcast Would Have Let Well Enough Alone!

All I Did Was To Emulate The System I Had Before comcast Started SCREWING AROUND By Removing Established Channels From Analog Cable!!!
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14568213 Thu, 13 Oct 2005 09:13:48 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14567777 schja01 :

said by lev

:

I'm not trying to be a troll here... just pointing out DIRECTV install experience at my place, my mom's, and two friends.

Installers come in. They connect the dish, and try to run the cable the shortest path possible. They'll go through outside walls when they can to save time, and don't want to fish. That's the downside.

Upside? They connect the box, they make a call, and boom. Immediate service.

I or someone else wants to make a change? Just a few minutes to talk to a rep, and boom! Change made.

It is so refreshing after dealing with Comcast.

As my boss use to say "Why do something simple when you can make it wonderful and complex?".
Or as my mother use to say "As the number of components in a system approaches infinity the mean time to failure approaches zero".
J
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14567777 Thu, 13 Oct 2005 07:12:02 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14566593 lev : I'm not trying to be a troll here... just pointing out DIRECTV install experience at my place, my mom's, and two friends.

Installers come in. They connect the dish, and try to run the cable the shortest path possible. They'll go through outside walls when they can to save time, and don't want to fish. That's the downside.

Upside? They connect the box, they make a call, and boom. Immediate service.

I or someone else wants to make a change? Just a few minutes to talk to a rep, and boom! Change made.

It is so refreshing after dealing with Comcast.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14566593 Wed, 12 Oct 2005 23:56:46 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14563775 andyross : www.smarthome.com also carries some. I have a single-channel mono one. (Mine has phono jacks, not the 1/8 mini-jack in the picture for the sound.)
»www.smarthome.com/7715A.HTML

I don't have a channel block. I just found an open channel that had no interference, which just happened to be 80.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14563775 Wed, 12 Oct 2005 18:16:24 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14560643 RadioDoc : Here's the four channel version. I can't seem to find the singles at the moment: »cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi···18077222
--
Don't kill 'em, just bill 'em.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14560643 Wed, 12 Oct 2005 11:36:55 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14559680 Jan Janowski : Got a link to them?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14559680 Wed, 12 Oct 2005 08:57:18 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14557299 RadioDoc : eBay. $50 each. NTSC Stereo w/surround support too. Life is good.

I tried the channel 3/4 thing but at the time Fox was on 3 so I could only use ch. 4. Then I got one of these modulators and it worked so well I decided to rethink the setup. Comcast has nothing useful above 80 so I just hacked it off and am using that space for my stuff.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14557299 Tue, 11 Oct 2005 22:12:34 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14557280 Jan Janowski : I've a CH3 and CH4 notch/combiner... Only CH4 is in use, cause the CH3 steps heavily on CH2... I think notch/combiner is set for CH3/4 normal, and not with the Cable +.5Mc 'shift'. If I end up needing the CH3 unit, I think I'll open it and tweak the coils... If I get it, fine, if not... I'm out a few dollars...
The channel 4 unit was pretty easily setup... even surprised me!

With those high fq modulators, you obviously paid far more that I did, or they were a gift!! :)

I think one more amp for the VHS feeds is necessary...
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14557280 Tue, 11 Oct 2005 22:09:51 EDT Re: Transition to Quasi Digital Cable Complete! http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14557200 RadioDoc : Welcome to my world. :)

I've got six of those little bastards running on 82, 86, 88, 90, 92 and 94. That and a channel 80 cutoff low pass filter and everything in the house is everywhere in the house. :D
--
Don't kill 'em, just bill 'em.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14557200 Tue, 11 Oct 2005 22:00:01 EDT Transition to Quasi Digital Cable Complete! http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14556928 Jan Janowski : Cable box feeding YUV direct to display, SVideo of same box to a CH4 modulator, and audio multed between display and modulator. No Hum in audio.

Cable feed is amplified (Motorola) and split 3 ways: Test point, to Cablebox, and a third which goes to a CH 4 Notch/combiner. CH4 from modulator also goes to CH4 Notch/combiner. In Notch/combiner CH4 on Cable is notched out, Local CH4 inserted into cable. After a bit of balancing, Resultant RF is amplified (Another Motorola) and distributed through whole house to TV's & VHS decks.

Whatever is received on Cable box is distributed to the whole house on CH4 along with the cable channels....

Took a bit of doing, and have to trim up gains in a couple rooms, but it's looking quite nice!!!
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14556928 Tue, 11 Oct 2005 21:25:24 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14548317 Jan Janowski : I'm all set to complain about mis-adjusted levels on the 6200 box (Low Y on YUV), and even sent an IM to someone..... Then decided I had better re-seat connections..... And of course I found the Y connector not fully seated!

Actually this only took 5 minutes to fix.
4 minutes to examine, and complain... 30 seonds to write an IM.... and 30 seconds to fix and verify it's OK!!!

(and I didn't have to have 13 other people type in commands on remote pc's!!!)

I'm BAD!!!
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14548317 Mon, 10 Oct 2005 19:19:28 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14539644 schja01 : There is NO way to order channels in the Comcast lineup.
I suppose you COULD define all the channels you want as FAVORITES. You can display all/only the favorites from the main menu bar. I do not know if there is a limit to how many favorites you can define. I only have a handfull.
I was out of town and the B&B we stayed at had Dish-TV and the channel guide and remote blows chunks compared to Comcast.
No way I would drop Comcast for Dish-TV.
The ugly ass dish antenna doesn't do anything for the 1890 Victorian Mansion it was hung off either.
J
--
"Have I said something amiss?" ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14539644 Sun, 09 Oct 2005 15:47:36 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14539448 RadioDoc :

said by Jan Janowski

:

I guess "Ignorance is Bliss" when it comes to comcast......

No, Ignorance is Comcast.
--
Let me see you make decisions, without your television.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14539448 Sun, 09 Oct 2005 15:13:08 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14539352 Jan Janowski : Got a call from comcast... Asking me if all was still good.
Checked, it seems so, but I had some questions regarding my service and TV Guide.
In my surfing, it's not exactly clear what channels I do and don't get. Where is the listing of channels per my service? So I can see what I do, and don't get?
Lady on phone doesn't know.
On my LG DVR, I can change the TV Guide around such that it displays only what channels I want it do, and I've got it configured for my favorites at the top, and suff I don't care about at the bottom... This prevents confusion on program selection... Want to do the same on the TV Guide on the comcast box... To move channels that I don't get to bottom, to avoid confusion... How do I do that?
Lady on phone doesn't know.... But says she'll send a service guy.... OK.

Service guy gets here, and we check system.. Seems ok, So I ask him where there is a list of what channels I get, and don't get.
There really isn't a list for you, you just see what works and doesn't work!
I show him the photostat I was given last Wednesday, and compare it against his. My Photostat is dated 6/1/05...
Copies he has are dated 12/21/03. So much for updated information....

He plays kitten on the keys, looking for channels soas to make a 'map' for me, and while he does that I went into the TV Guide question.

I'm trying to setup TV Guide like my LG DVR so that I won't in-advertantly select channels that aren't turned on...... "No way to do that"

I'm on a roll now.... "I've got some more questions, but each involve manuals regarding the unit I was given... I'll bet that if I had manuals on this gear, I wouldn't be bothering Phone support or you....

"I don't have any more manuals than you do..."
(He did eventually find a simple DCR4200 manual in his truck, along with other handouts).

I guess "Ignorance is Bliss" when it comes to comcast......
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14539352 Sun, 09 Oct 2005 15:00:50 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14537943 Jan Janowski : Another comcast Soap Opera Update!!!

When I got home last night, checked , and premium channels had not been upgraded, so I called comcast again.....

They say they have NO RECORD of the premium channels I'm requesting on our records.
So, I pick up my copy of the repair guy's printout for service yesterday, and read off the information regaring the premium channels that are indicated on our service.

What I read off, and what the lady is looking at on her computer are two different things...

I asked how it is that at 1:30PM the person I spoke to saw the premium channels, and now at 10PM there is no record of premium channels I'm asking for on their records????

She doesn't understand, but claims that the channels I'm asking for are not scheduled for our service, (according to comcast). Again I read off the numbers on our service sheet indicating the services we ordered on Wednesday. She says the codes I'm describing exist, but not on our servcie.

I blew up.... Explained step by step how this 'simple' install starting Wednesday PM has turned into a fiasco....

So, she & I went over our 'service' records, and verified the services that we did, and did not want. She then sent more codes, and as of 11:30PM, the services that we had contacted for last Wednesday, were finally operational....

That was Saturday (last) night at 11:30PM.

No, I haven't turned the box on today to find out what works, and doesn't work!!!!

(Almost afraid to! :( )

I can't wait to see how badly the first billing gets screwed up!!!!
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14537943 Sun, 09 Oct 2005 11:15:01 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14536513 The WalL : It happened to me recently with my HSI account when I moved. When I tried to connect from my new location using my username and password, the lady at the other end of the phone was like, 'oh that belongs to someone else, you'll have to choose a diff account'. It took a full 5 mins before she understood that the 'someone else' was infact me who was simply trying to transfer the account to a new location!!!

I was actually thinking of signing up for digital cable since it has BBC America included for the lowest level of programming package they have. Now after your issue, I'm having second thoughts.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14536513 Sun, 09 Oct 2005 01:50:59 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14536114 hdtvtechno : I suggest Directv

Authorization signal comes in instantelly :)
--
»www.hdtvtechno.com]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14536114 Sun, 09 Oct 2005 00:15:44 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14535645 ceboos : May I suggest Dish Network or Direct TV?

Super customer service. I have had Dish for close to ten years, my daughter just installed Direct.

Charles]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14535645 Sat, 08 Oct 2005 22:56:59 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14534177 RadioDoc : It happened to me two years ago. It took them four tries to get me a STB which worked for more than an hour.

All of them (including the one they finally got to work) looked like they had been rattling around loose inside a truck for a week.
--
Let me see you make decisions, without your television.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14534177 Sat, 08 Oct 2005 18:47:24 EDT Re: My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital C http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14534142 bshelly : Wow, this sounds almost exactly like my experience at the Schaumburg office on Friday morning. The Phase III 6412 Box I picked up looked like it was tossed around the back of a technicians truck and never made it anywhere but back to the customer service center. I took that box because the woman was a real PITA and didn't seem to want to do her job let alone get out of her chair and bend over to get me a nice looking 6412 out of the cabinet. I haven't had time to call a second time, but I am still receiving the "Subscription Service" message. They were supposed to reset the box last night, but it never came through.

I really think this is just crappy service. Now I'm worried they will blame me for beating up the equipment.

Anyone else have experiences with banged up equipment given to new digital customers?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14534142 Sat, 08 Oct 2005 18:42:34 EDT My transition from Comcast Analog to Digital Cable http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14533083 Jan Janowski : If this wasn't so funny, it would be pathetic.....

Wednesday Wife & I went to Comcast, Skokie, to pick up one digial box so as to replace the HBO & Showtime we lost off our analog cable.

Fellow brought out two boxes, one held together with clear shipping tape, other banged & bruised. "That's all we have". (I had asked for a box with YUV video output, I'll take composite video or nothing!)...
We took the least damaged box, and headed home. Partway home we realized we didn't have a remote. Go Back, get remote.. Ask... No instructions, nothing printed (except a bill).
When home, I hooked RF up to it, and video and audio out to the TV system. On power up, it said "Program would be available shortly". Couple minutes later, it found correct time, later channel information, later, program information notes, then a red LED indicating messages (about a new cable channel). All this, but no picture or audio. I called comcast 20 min later, only to find out that their computer system is down, call back later. 4 hours later, their system is up, and they remotely power cycled & reset 'box', and when that didn't work, had me pull power for a minute, followed by more resets. Still no picture. They then decided box was bad, and scheduled Service on Saturday. (Fine by me, wanted YUV video, not composite anyway).

Good Service guy shows up today. I pull no punches, tell him how cable system changed inside the house (distribution system)... Doesn't phase him, and he takes a signal strength reading and pronounces that the feed going to the box is 7Db better than normal -- Great.

He goes and gets a newer box (which is HD ready if I ever want it, but I've an outside antenna that works great)....
I reconfigure the Mits display from composite to YUV on that input, and Picture & Sound seen within a minute of power up!!! He calls in new code, indicating premium channels will be updated in 20 minutes.. I thank him profusely, and he's off!! Gee maybe this isn't going to be as painful as I thought it would!

Now you just know this isn't the end of the story!!!

20 minutes later, box reboots and displays: "Program will be available shortly"..... On all channels, and it never displays program video & audio after that.
Back on phone with comcast. They send reset codes, doesn't help... Had me pull power.. still no program picture or audio, just a reminder that it will be available "Shortly".
So they tell me they will see if the service guy could come back. "We'll call back to tell you when"....

Hour later, no call, still no work, (though I saw them issue a reset once or twice). So I called them... This person looks at the account, says Service guy didn't file data correctly. I'll issue codes... Call back in 30 minutes if not better.

Not Better... Called again. Spoke with someone different who says they know what's wrong. Billing system codes wern't entered properly.... Aparantly even if the box turns on and passes video & audio, Billing can remotely turn the box off, and that is what happened here....
(I'm not making this up --- Just reporting what I've been told...)
So she does whatever she needs to do to get the billing side correct.... and then says it will take 77 minutes for the codes to get to my box (Probably Billing system is busy turning things on and off!).... Sit back and wait...

So I go off on the computer, and later wife says "The Box is re-booting!"... I approach the remote control with cautious optimism.... Swith display to 'box' (as it has been lovingly named!) and I see a picture and sound, too!!

So show wife the channels we have, and immediately run into
"Subscription Service" prompt, instead of picture and sound as expected... Even went so far as to look at receipt that service guy left, indicating that the channels I'm trying to receive, are part of my 'package'.
Yeah, their on the bill!!

So, I AGAIN pick up the phone and call comcast.... Get put on hold while they verify my comments.... Yeah... Someone forgot to type something, somewhere, in I'm not certain which Big Brother system, but they confirmed that I should get Picture and Sound on the channels I tried.... Of course, now there is a 2+ hour "Que" for data to be sent to our 'box' (probably billing system connecting & disconnecting people, and can't be bothered with fixing things....)
Let's see: I was on the phone off & on Wednesday for 3 hours. and Today, from 10:50AM to 2PM.
I'm taking a 2 hour 'breather' to have lunch, post this, and in general mutter to myself "No way to run a Cable system".....

And I still don't know if it will be successful!!!

Analog Cable was never this bad...

(I'm clicking 'I'm Feeling Lucky' but I really DON'T!!!)
--
Looking for 1939 Indian Motocycle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14533083 Sat, 08 Oct 2005 15:21:28 EDT