MemphisPCGuy
Senior Systems Engineer
Premium
join:2004-05-09
Memphis, TN
 ·Comcast
| reply to banditws6
Re: Absolutely
How much more "Extra" do we need to be paying for HDTV. When does it become "standard"? Feb 2009? Will the HD surcharges ever be removed from my bill 
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Computer Repair & Networking Services
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imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI
·WOW Internet and C..
| said by MemphisPCGuy  : When does it become "standard"? Feb 2009? HD isn't becoming a "standard" in Feb of 2009. |
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MemphisPCGuy
Senior Systems Engineer
Premium
join:2004-05-09
Memphis, TN
·Comcast
| I simply meant to imply the fact that in Feb 2009, OTA channels will be Digital, as "HD" as any Cable HD Channel ... and Free ... why should cable continue charging additional HD Tier and STB prices.
Not like I expect them to stop, mind you
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banditws6
Shrinking Time and Distance
join:2001-08-18
Naples, FL
·Comcast
| reply to MemphisPCGuy
said by MemphisPCGuy :How much more "Extra" do we need to be paying for HDTV. When does it become "standard"? Feb 2009? Will the HD surcharges ever be removed from my bill Yeah, I get what you're saying. Eventually everything will be HD and thus any extra fees for HD should be rendered moot, but that's a long way off.
When I said "pay extra," what I really meant was increased cable rates, if they should become necessary to support the infrastructure that Comcast would need to invest in to deliver a real quality service. Not another HD package charge.
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"I'll follow the law until it's just stupid." -Ted Nugent |
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Boogeyman
Drive it like you stole it
Premium
join:2002-12-17
Huntsville, AL
·Comcast
| reply to MemphisPCGuy
Are you trying to imply that OTA Standard Definition Digital is as good of quality as cable's digital HD? Or are you misinformed in thinking that the Feb '09 digital switch means that all signals will be HD?
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Im Your Boogeyman, Thats What I Am |
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MemphisPCGuy
Senior Systems Engineer
Premium
join:2004-05-09
Memphis, TN
·Comcast
| I think what I'm trying to say is at what point will there cease to be a HD and NON-HD version of a channel. Once everyone is forced to accept digital media, why have Sci-Fi and Sci-fi HD for example?
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| reply to MemphisPCGuy
"Digital" and "HD" are two different things and shouldn't be confused with each other.
The switch on the OTA side is from analog to digital only. Some stations actually do not broadcast in HD while they do broadcast in digital.
As for HD surcharges, many do charge for it as a premium, and I think that's wrong. Dish, DirecTV, Charter, and others treat it as a way to get an extra $10 a month. Comcast doesn't, in the majority of it's systems, charge for an HD tier. You get what comes with your tier of programming. They DO rent an HD converter, but that fee is for the equipment itself. Considering you'd need to purchase a box on your own for a few hundred, the $5 rental fee isn't too bad. |
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EPS
join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA | reply to MemphisPCGuy
You're absolutely wrong. There is SD Digital and HD Digital, and both types of signals will remain after the transition. The analog OTA signals (which are only in SD) will disappear. |
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MemphisPCGuy
Senior Systems Engineer
Premium
join:2004-05-09
Memphis, TN
·Comcast
| said by EPS :You're absolutely wrong. There is SD Digital and HD Digital, and both types of signals will remain after the transition. The analog OTA signals (which are only in SD) will disappear. That's what I'm asking, why would they transmit them seperately... except to charge me more? The "HD" Channels are mixed original 480i content and newer HD 720+ content, the OTA broadcasters are doing the same. What's the point?
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MemphisPCGuy
Senior Systems Engineer
Premium
join:2004-05-09
Memphis, TN
·Comcast
| reply to Boogeyman
said by Boogeyman :Are you trying to imply that OTA Standard Definition Digital is as good of quality as cable's digital HD? Is there a difference between OTA 720/1080 and Cable HD 720/1080 programming?
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Drex
Beer..It's What's For Dinner
Premium
join:2000-02-24
La Place, LA
 ·AT&T Southeast
| reply to MemphisPCGuy
said by MemphisPCGuy :I think what I'm trying to say is at what point will there cease to be a HD and NON-HD version of a channel. When everyone has an HD TV?
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I gave up drinking and eating bad food. And in 14 days, I had lost 2 weeks. |
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MemphisPCGuy
Senior Systems Engineer
Premium
join:2004-05-09
Memphis, TN
·Comcast
| Cable Boxes scale to your highest (or lowest) resolution. Since OTA channels now broadcast the Tonight show in 16:9 1080i resolutions are people not going to be able to watch it if they don't get a HDTV? I assume the Digital Converter boxes are going to scale the output and is what justifies the $40-80+ cost.
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evilotto
@comcast.net
| reply to fiberguy
said by fiberguy :They DO rent an HD converter, but that fee is for the equipment itself. Considering you'd need to purchase a box on your own for a few hundred, the $5 rental fee isn't too bad. I don't know what Comcrap's prices are in your area, but where I live the HD equipment fee is $6 for digital customers and $10 for non-digital customers PLUS the fee for the SD box. They waive the fee for the first box, so if you had 3 HDTVs it would be $6 + $12.95 + $12.95 = $31.90 for digital customers and $10 + $16.95 + $16.95 = $43.90 for non-digital customers. $382.80/$526.80 per year is not exactly good IMO. |
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Corehhi
join:2002-01-28
Bluffton, SC
| reply to MemphisPCGuy
I'll have to pay for digital channels after 2009. The cable companies standard tier is analog and they will convert digital to analog unless you pay for the DTV. HD package is extra on top of that.
I have no choice in cable companies either. It's Sat or Hargray. |
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Boogeyman
Drive it like you stole it
Premium
join:2002-12-17
Huntsville, AL
·Comcast
| reply to MemphisPCGuy
said by MemphisPCGuy :said by Boogeyman :Are you trying to imply that OTA Standard Definition Digital is as good of quality as cable's digital HD? Is there a difference between OTA 720/1080 and Cable HD 720/1080 programming? No. Well, in my experience OVA HD is better than cable HD. I had said OVA SD compaired to cable HD.
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Im Your Boogeyman, Thats What I Am |
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MemphisPCGuy
Senior Systems Engineer
Premium
join:2004-05-09
Memphis, TN
·Comcast
| said by Boogeyman :said by MemphisPCGuy :No. Well, in my experience OVA HD is better than cable HD. I had said OVA SD compaired to cable HD. Exactly my point, I've never seen SD Digital unless you count Perry Mason upscaled to 1080i by my local affiliate. Is it because I have a HDTV and a $5 set of Rabbit ears?
I guess my question boils down to this. After Feb 2009, if I turn on the HDTV I have in my spare bedroom, that currently just has a Cable plugged into it, getting whatever analog is available... what resolution are the Digital channels going to be in? Will I get a picture at all? Will I have to finally call and add that TV to the "system"? Will the cable company scale down all DTV channels to be 4:3 480i or 16:9 480p regardless of the format they were produced in?
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Boogeyman
Drive it like you stole it
Premium
join:2002-12-17
Huntsville, AL
·Comcast
| Digital SD and analog SD are both ~480i, IIRC. And most of the tv I've seen lately in SD is still 4:3.
I dont remember where I read this, but it was somewhere around only 30% of the tv viewing public has a widescreen HDTV. So until it gets over 50%, I doubt you'll see a migration from SD to HD in broadcast/cable.
The HDTV you have plugged into analog cable will still receive the same analog signal its getting now from your cable company. Until your cable company decides to go all digital or you switch your service to the digital offering, you will still get the analog signal. Remember, Only Full Power OVA broadcasters have to switch to digital on Feb 2009. Smaller stations dont have to make the switch and can still use analog if they want, for a time. And cable/satellite isnt affected at all on Feb 2009.
When I said "No. Well, in my experience OVA HD is better than cable HD. I had said OVA SD compaired to cable HD." I was asking if you meant compairing OVA SD to cable HD service. Which it seems you are. So my answer to that is its not the same. SD is still SD and HD is still HD, no matter how its piped to your house. If you have a cable box that upscales (I've never heard of one, but I havent heard of a lot of things) its still SD being upscaled and not true HD.
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Im Your Boogeyman, Thats What I Am |
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MemphisPCGuy
Senior Systems Engineer
Premium
join:2004-05-09
Memphis, TN
·Comcast
edit:
July 9th, @01:58PM
| While I understand Comcast does not have to make the switch, they are working on it per this news snippet;
Add Comcast to the list of providers getting very serious about dumping all those bandwidth hogging analog channels and plans to go all digital in 20% of its markets by year's end, and all by 2010. Of course it will have to provide free digital adapters for analog customers per the FCC, but by dropping ~70 analog channels, it'll free up enough space for about 150 HD channels Thanks for taking the time to reply to my questions. I am really just curious and had not meant for this to be a lengthy drawn out discussion, just some things that occured to me and figgered this was a good a place as any to ask
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Computer Repair & Networking Services
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| reply to evilotto
ComCAST's price in my area are about the same.. and I still find it a good deal. I'd go out and price an HD box on your own, to purchase, and see how much the trade off is. (Hint: The cost of an HD box, to an MSO that buys them by the truck load, is about $500 or more, each)
Also, consider the fact that they do break, the hassle of having to have them serviced, be with out, and when new technology comes out, you'd have to buy new ones.. again, the rental isn't that bad.
For the record, I have 6 televisions in the house and they are all HD. I know it costs, but, we're still in the early adopting stage. Most homes still only have just one HDTV in the house, and few have more than one.
Value, I suppose, if going to depend on WHO is the one asking that question. |
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