cbyrd
Where's The Any Key?
join:2001-07-11
Murfreesboro, NC
clubs:
| reply to MacLeech
Re: Digital Cable not getting some channels
Mac,
I have this problem CONSTANTLY. Only mine don't display any error message at all...just a black screen. It's the same 3 channels every single time too. Everytime I call they end up sending a tech out who says "yup, same problem we've been having for months, not sure why they sent me out here, but I'll call Elizabeth City..."
sigh...
--
Powerlink, your reason for dialup |
|
MacLeech
The one and only
Premium
join:2001-07-14
SoCal
| said by cbyrd  :
Mac,
I have this problem CONSTANTLY. Only mine don't display any error message at all...just a black screen. It's the same 3 channels every single time too.
I think your suffering from a different issue if only the same three channels keep going out and the tech sent wonders why they were sent in the first place.
In fact if the tech wants to call Elizabeth City which is the headend upstream from the headend in Murfreesboro, it almost sounds as if the problem is occuring with some piece of equipment in EC and its a known issue.
The Digital Cable boxes have similar (with subtle differences) responses (black or tiling picture) to a wide range of problems. The subtle difference between the symptoms (what message, which channel, tiling pattern, diagnostic screens, etc) make all the difference in the world in troubleshooting the problems and I could spend a week typing it all out.
--
Check out Hobgoblin's cable modem tech links. |
|
cbyrd
Where's The Any Key?
join:2001-07-11
Murfreesboro, NC
clubs:
| I figured as much. While on the subject, what causes the artifacting I'm seeing, especially in dark scenes? Could it be related to the same "known problem"? I wish a tv tuner or vid capture card so I could show you just how bad it looks. It's like really bad vcd's...
The last time I called about it, they sent a tech but I wasn't home so he left a call tag. I called...then they tell me they'll have someone call me to schedule. Well, E-City calls me and says they're not sending anyone out, it's a known problem....
Unfortunately, like all the other known problems here, they never seem to be able to fix them.
--
Powerlink, your reason for dialup
[text was edited by author 2002-10-02 23:37:38] |
|
MacLeech
The one and only
Premium
join:2001-07-14
SoCal
| said by cbyrd :
I figured as much. While on the subject, what causes the artifacting I'm seeing, especially in dark scenes?
My guess is that the artifacting is most likely a side effect of the compression method used to digitize the original analog signal. I get similar effects if I digitize the analog signal my video camera puts out and I pick too high of a compression rate. Its kinda of like what happens when you pick a higher compression when you save a JPEG pic.
The software or equipment used in the compression selects a larger range of similar colors (either because of a lower sampling rate or a smaller range of possible final colors) the higher the compression rate you pick. So instead of getting smooth gradients in subtly shaded areas, you get a stepping type effect where one black area is next to a dark grey area with little blending in between.
But then again I'm not a headend tech nor do I have direct experience working with the equipment that does the A/D conversion in the headends so that's just my guess from personal experience, conversations I've had with headend techs, and the assorted papers I've read on the subject.
--
Check out Hobgoblin's cable modem tech links. |
|
