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Re: ABB Altoona PA - HD ChannelsI have a "trap" question for the areas that have gone digital.
Comcast and others smile they don't have to use traps since digital.
But ABB keeps Limited Basic/locals in analog in Uniontown and other areas they converted.
How does ABB handle Internet only customers then?
JTown has Internet only block anything before 76 or locals + Internet block 23-75. |
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to redpenguin
WHVL's a weird beast. It's owned by the parent company of small cable provider Nittany Media in Lewistown, part of the Harrisburg DMA. Because of the weird nature of the Altoona/Johnstown/State College market, they have no interest in covering the western part of the market.
The Comcast system for Cambria County has pretty much all the Pittsburgh channels but WPXI (since it and WJAC were previously sister stations) and WPGH.
I've only briefly seen WHVL on TV while in State College. Comcast Lewistown doesn't carry it, Nittany Media does. I have DirecTV here in Lewistown, so I get all Harrisburg local channels. Comcast Lewistown carries WTAJ and WJAC, along with WPSU. For many years, WWCP was the preferred FOX station but WPMT of York forced their hands on that one. |
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to JimmyK814
Just an update.
Two agents have told me that our market is supposed to get more HD channels this year.
Though it was stated that it was not decided which exact channels yet.
I have a feeling it will at least be NickToons HD and AMC HD. I say NickToons HD as it seems to be added to many markets now. |
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Psu85
join:2013-11-19
Duncansville, PA |
Psu85
Member
2015-Mar-22 7:28 pm
Hopefully AMC HD, as this is long overdue. I have another question for those of you that have switched to the Tivo HD boxes from the older HD boxes. Are you happy you switched? Is the HD picture as good? |
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to JimmyK814
I'm beginning to wonder if ABB has made some sort of major changes to the JTown system.
An agent told me that had to make changes to free up bandwidth for more channels.
Yet the only areas left in the 750MHZ are Physical Channel 2 (soon to be 97) & Channel 112. Also some room on Ch 63.
They are talking about adding Antenna TV, GRIT, and HDs. That's only really room for like 4 or 5 HDs and the two locals.
I'm beginning to wonder if they mean they will kill more analog soon or if they actually will upgrade our area from 750MHZ, but would ABB actually go through all that just to keep analog?
Unless they will actually go through with their original plans of having SDV in the area. Maybe that explains the control channels on Ch 114. |
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I think they would almost have to kill analog to add any sizable amount of channels, aside from just a few.
Most of the TV's you buy today don't even come with an analog tuner now. Eventually, analog will be viewed less and less.
It's sad that the digital version of the Value tier is encrypted now. If/when analog does go away, that will take away the convenience of not needing a separate box.
It's also too bad that QAM channels aren't assigned a virtual channel number like they do for OTA. That would make things much simpler than having channel 710 on a set top box and then have 85.7 or whatever it is, on a digital TV. |
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| JimmyK814 |
to Psu85
It's actually better. It seems like the TiVO boxes have a better more crisp output. I suspect there is a better up-conversion chipset for SD channels as well.
My old Scientific Atlanta boxes had a stuttering problem on some channels every few minutes where the sound and sometimes the picture would glitch, but I don't notice it now. |
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to JimmyK814
I totally agree with you on the QAM.
What is sad is, MeTV, This, PBS World, Insp, CSPAN2, Evine/ShopHQ, and probably soon Antenna TV and GRIT are all digital and even though Limited Basic and Value Customers are paying for them according to the channel lineup, I know so many people who have no clue they are "on the line".
Most folks just use an analog TV thinking, "What do you mean I'm not getting all the channels I pay for?"
As far as I can tell ABB really does nothing to remind analog users these channels exist. |
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redpenguin
1 edit |
to JimmyK814
Channel 97 has been officially moved to Channel 2 about an hour or so ago.
Not sure why I was told March 31st last Wednesday, but whatever.....
Anyway, wonder if they will actually add Antenna TV and maybe GRIT soon.
I will keep a look out.
This should allow ABB to move quicker at adding some HD channels to the area. |
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In altoona, it's on both 2 and 97 now. |
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I think they are doing like they did when they moved WJAC.
Leave 97 map to 2 for maybe a week or two so digital users can find it and then remove the link leaving only Ch 2.
EDIT: NVM, I see you mean the analog is on both channels. It's the same situation here. |
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Probably temporary. Did you ever notice QVCHD (711) is the same as QVC (11) and not really an HD feed? There's also no real point to WKBS (705) that's the same as 5 in SD. That station doesn't have an HD feed at all.
You have to wonder who is responsible for their channel mapping at times. |
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I've noticed those a while back along with another person on AVSForum. I personally verified with my buddy's HDHR PRIME and noticed those two channels do not exist in a scan.
It's as if somebody tried to go "Let's act like we have more HD's than we really do!"
LoL |
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to JimmyK814
The content provider (QVC) has paid for access to the HD neighborhood, so they can get more people to see them, even if the actual feed isn't in HD. QVC does this on a few providers.
Considering there's been an actual QVC HD feed available, and there has been for years, it's hard to say why ABB doesn't offer it. I know they do in some markets. I know it's not really HD in Cumberland on channel 714 either, even though it says this on their website. |
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What you are stating sounds right.
My buddy's HDHR PRIME states 11 and 711 point to the exact same freq/program #.
Exact same thing with 5 and 705.
Maybe WKBS also paid like QVC did.
Thing I find odd is, both channels in question have free online HD streams anyway. |
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Os
Member
2015-Mar-24 9:22 pm
Religious programmers pay for access just like the shopping channels. |
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1 edit |
to JimmyK814
Wow ABB must add new channels very slowly.
Antenna TV and I believe GRIT, were said to have an April launch date on ABB and in the blink of an eye almost it will be Apr 1, the "due date" for Antenna TV at least.
I wouldn't think it would take so long when they probably are already getting ATV from the same feed they are receiving WATM and This from.
I can see if it was a brand-new local station that fiber to ABB needed to be installed or something......
Also we are in the 3rd day of two WHVLs, 2 and 97. |
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| redpenguin |
to JimmyK814
Does anybody know the best way to reach ABB for upcoming changes to the channel lineup?
It seems talking to individual customer service agents usually brings tons of confusion as one agent can say one thing, one say another, and then yet another say another thing.
It appears that ABB Corporate is supposedly the division that handles channel changes but they don't answer "info@atlanticbb.net"
I just wonder if there is an easier way to contact ABB and get the "real scoop" or just have to deal with the confusion? |
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Been trying to find that out for years. I'm convinced they just want to keep it confidential until they appear in the guide one day. |
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to JimmyK814
ABB doesn't have any formal notification mechanism for letting people know of new channels and channel changes. Outside of things being dropped, new additions don't often appear in billing statements, and when they do, are months after the fact (This happened with Cumberland's first 12 HD channel addition on Christmas Eve 2011).
The only way I ever found anything during my time as an ABB customer was generally going through the guide and noticing new things.
Asking the CSR's anything, as you've documented, will only result in confusion. They don't always know what's going on, and many times, you're talking to people who work in some of the other offices. I know many Cumberland calls get routed to Uniontown and Johnstown, and vice versa. |
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Os what you have stated clears so much up.
I knew ABB had to be BSin me when they stated changes will appear on your billing statement. (I even had friends look at their statements.) Just like you said only drops.
Also CSRs not being in my area makes so much sense as to why like 2 agents told me of channels being added yet other agents acted like I was insane and not sure why other agents stated such info. |
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Hopefully the people who told you about the internet weren't from SC.  |
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LoL I sure hope so I did specify the exact area I of Johnstown though. |
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redpenguin
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to JimmyK814
WHVL has told me that Ch 2 and Ch 97 will be mirrored until Apr 14 as part of the migration process.
I thought you could just literally move a channel, I never knew that a month long mirroring process was required.
At least when it's a digital channel ABB moves it in the blink of an eye sometimes.
But I thought ABB was bad letting customers know when channels will be added, but WATM is even waiting for an answer for when Antenna TV will be added.
EDIT: WHVL has stated to me on Facebook, they were not told of any plans for ABB to add WHVL to the HD Tier but will inform viewers if that changes. |
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redpenguin
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I figured out a really good way to "directly" talk to ABB. Turns out if you talk to them on @AtlanticBBInc on Twitter (or Tweeter for older people). It seems to help if you add in @cogecohelps (ABB's Parent Company in Canada's help Twitter) or @cogeco. They seem to give way better answers than normal CSRs. Like even though some CSRs kept telling me new stations are not coming, ABB on Twitter confirmed it for me. I think Twitter must help with companies because the public can see the issue you are having so your question can't be politely ignored or something LoL. |
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I can't say I'm thrilled to have a confirmation that nothing is coming.... But not surprised. |
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Yea I know what you mean. They claim we are to get new HD channels besides the two SD locals, but they have not gone in to details as to what though.
EDIT: Here is the up to date "game plan": WHVL's Ch 97 is killed on Apr 14th and GRIT is already confirmed to be added the same day with Antenna TV having to be the same day also. GRIT will get (logical) Ch 112 and I assume 113 for Antenna TV. (Guess they are skipping this week due to the holiday). |
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| redpenguin |
to JimmyK814
I know it's not an HD channel but GRIT TV has been up since late Tue night on Ch 85.9.
For some reason ABB has no assigned it the channel num/name of 112 GRIT yet even though it's already showing in STB guides and Internet guides. (You can only watch it with a ClearQAM device at the moment.)
It also is not listed on ABB's own website either.
Maybe once they get past adding these channels, they will finally add the HDs they keep seeming to hint to but they need to kill 97, it's just sitting there as an analog mirror making it so 3 HDs can't go there. |
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| redpenguin |
to JimmyK814
GRIT is finally completed at Ch 112/85.9 with a 16:9 vs 4:3 aspect ratio. Also closed captioning now.
Ch 97 has finally been shut off.
So hopefully ABB will put in some much needed HDs in the Ch 97 space.
ABB on Twitter stated:
"Hi there, we hope to have an accurate launch timeline soon. Sorry for delay; we are working through multiple channel launches!"
So I'm hoping that means JTown is getting more channels like they have been hinting, otherwise the WHVL moved made no sense. |
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redpenguin
1 edit |
to JimmyK814
JimmyK814, you may be finally getting your HD channels soon like Customer Service claimed.
For some reason yesterday ABB killed Ch 76 which was a control channel numbered 63251 which simply means it was a "mini-carrousel".
That means Ch 97, Ch 76, Ch 112 are all free and can probably take 3 HDs each and Ch 63 can probably take 1 or two more.
I mean we obviously don't know yet, but it seems like ABB keeps "freeing" up space as one agent told me, but no idea what we would get.
I thought the area was going to get SDV, but I don't see how when they killed Ch 76. That 63251 is required in SDV. |
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