Comcast Digital vs Digital HD
 

bit the bullet and sprung for an HD boc (Motorola) hooked it up but had
problems... NO manual or instructions from Comcast. I had to call tech
support to get the Closed Captioning off the screen on the HD channels.. it
is on by default. otherwise It seems to be working.
"Tam/WB2TT" wrote in message
...

"Sam Soltan" samsoltan_48323atyahoodotcom wrote in message
...
`I am using an Olevia 42" LCD TV and have been happy (pretty much) with
the results of plain Comcast cable.

I was able to get the (for lack of a better term) some the sub carrier
channels including the local channels ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox etc... in HD
when they were broadcast in HD as well as the local channels in SD on the
standard channel numbers, for example sd NBC 9, digital NBC including
High Def broadcasts 4_1.

I recently upgraded to getting a digital cable box and while I can get
other programs on the On Demand channels ... lo and behold all the
subcarrier channels that I was able to get, in HD, before have been
"stripped off."


I was told by Comcast I would have to get an "HD Cable Box"


Is there a way of putting two antenna switches together to bypass the
cable box and go directly into the set? Is there a device already out
there that will do this?

cable output
|
switch
^
/ \
by pass digital cable box
switch
v
|
TV Input


This doesn't make sense. It imp[lies you are running RF from the cable box
to the TV. If so, your box is not giving you HD. Not even digital SD. I
think you have a very low end box that is meant to be used with an analog
TV. You need the HD cable box. Also, you can probably just use a splitter
to divide the signal between the box and the TV. The box should have at
least component output.

Tam

Tam

Comcast Digital vs Digital HD
 

On Tue, 3 Jul 2007 01:15:03 -0400 Sam Soltan samsoltan_48323atyahoodotcom wrote:

| `I am using an Olevia 42" LCD TV and have been happy (pretty much) with the
| results of plain Comcast cable.
|
| I was able to get the (for lack of a better term) some the sub carrier
| channels including the local channels ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox etc... in HD when
| they were broadcast in HD as well as the local channels in SD on the
| standard channel numbers, for example sd NBC 9, digital NBC including High
| Def broadcasts 4_1.

You mean the SUB channels, like 9.2 and 9.3? The cable company would have to
be carrying the original ATSC transport stream (in QAM?) or maybe you getting
off-air leakage and watching that?


| I recently upgraded to getting a digital cable box and while I can get other
| programs on the On Demand channels ... lo and behold all the subcarrier
| channels that I was able to get, in HD, before have been "stripped off."

Can you provide a complete list so I can get an accurate picture of what you
were getting. For each station/channel/program you are missing on the cable
box, but could get with the coax connected directly, could you make a list,
and describe how the TV showed the channel number, and what programming it
was?


| I was told by Comcast I would have to get an "HD Cable Box"

If we are talking about subchannels, it is probably false. However they are
encoding it, in theory any digital box can decode it and downconvert it to SD
if it isn't SD already. But of course they could be playing games and
restricting some channels from the non-HD box, even if they are not HD,
just to drive up HD box rental revenues.

Tell them you can get them all over the air with an antenna, and only need to
add a satellite service to end up with more channels than cable, for less,
with the option of picking up 100+ international channels.


| Is there a way of putting two antenna switches together to bypass the cable
| box and go directly into the set? Is there a device already out there that
| will do this?

Sure, 2 switches should be able to do that.

--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|

Comcast Digital vs Digital HD
 

"Sam Soltan" samsoltan_48323atyahoodotcom wrote in message
. ..
bit the bullet and sprung for an HD boc (Motorola) hooked it up but had
problems... NO manual or instructions from Comcast. I had to call tech
support to get the Closed Captioning off the screen on the HD channels..
it is on by default. otherwise It seems to be working.


Go to www.motorola.com , and download the manuals. I had to do the same for
the SA box from Comcast. For the remote control unit, you may have to
download that from the Comcast site, since it is probably a proprietary
Comcast unit, not made by Moto. Comcast may have the Moto manuals also.

Tam
"Tam/WB2TT" wrote in message
...

"Sam Soltan" samsoltan_48323atyahoodotcom wrote in message
...
`I am using an Olevia 42" LCD TV and have been happy (pretty much) with
the results of plain Comcast cable.

I was able to get the (for lack of a better term) some the sub carrier
channels including the local channels ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox etc... in HD
when they were broadcast in HD as well as the local channels in SD on
the standard channel numbers, for example sd NBC 9, digital NBC
including High Def broadcasts 4_1.

I recently upgraded to getting a digital cable box and while I can get
other programs on the On Demand channels ... lo and behold all the
subcarrier channels that I was able to get, in HD, before have been
"stripped off."


I was told by Comcast I would have to get an "HD Cable Box"


Is there a way of putting two antenna switches together to bypass the
cable box and go directly into the set? Is there a device already out
there that will do this?

cable output
|
switch
^
/ \
by pass digital cable box
switch
v
|
TV Input


This doesn't make sense. It imp[lies you are running RF from the cable
box to the TV. If so, your box is not giving you HD. Not even digital
SD. I think you have a very low end box that is meant to be used with an
analog TV. You need the HD cable box. Also, you can probably just use a
splitter to divide the signal between the box and the TV. The box should
have at least component output.

Tam

Tam

Comcast Digital vs Digital HD
 

"Fred C. Dobbs" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 12:48:31 -0500, ValveJob wrote:

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:42:52 -0800, Fred C. Dobbs
wrote:

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:07:22 -0500, Steve Cutchen
wrote:

In article , Sam Soltan
wrote:

`I am using an Olevia 42" LCD TV and have been happy (pretty much)
with the
results of plain Comcast cable.

I was able to get the (for lack of a better term) some the sub carrier
channels including the local channels ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox etc... in HD
when
they were broadcast in HD as well as the local channels in SD on the
standard channel numbers, for example sd NBC 9, digital NBC including
High
Def broadcasts 4_1.

I recently upgraded to getting a digital cable box and while I can get
other
programs on the On Demand channels ... lo and behold all the
subcarrier
channels that I was able to get, in HD, before have been "stripped
off."


I was told by Comcast I would have to get an "HD Cable Box"


Is there a way of putting two antenna switches together to bypass the
cable
box and go directly into the set? Is there a device already out there
that
will do this?

cable output
|
switch
^
/ \
by pass digital cable box
switch
v
|
TV Input


Come out of the wall to a 1=2 cable splitter. From there to the
antenna input to your TV and to the antenna input of your cable box.

Then connect from your cable box to your TV with either HDMI, Component
or Composite cables.

Select Antenna to watch cable like you used to. Select the HDMI... to
get the cable box.

(The splitter will cut your signal strength. Depending on how many
splitters ou have between it and the cable service, you might need an
amplifier. But try it first.)

If you have two antenna inputs to your TV, you might want to get a
small UHF indor antenna to hook to the other one. This should get you
Over The Air access to your local HD channels by selcting between
Antenna A and B when on Antenna... unless you're in the boonies in
which case you'll need a more substantial antenna. I just use an old
UHF hoop antenna from on old TV.

Make sure you use a high bandwith coax or you signal will be degraded.
I have Comcast and I have been doing this with my Olevia 32 inch LCD
HDTV and it works great. I even get Local stations from from nearby
cities out of my local range

Not true, Fred.


Which part is not true? I know what did not work and what did work
for me. If I used standard old 75 ohm coax from the splitter at the
point where comacast installed it, I suffered many drop outs on my
high def and digital channels. Switched to a higher grade coax , end
of problem.

You probably fixed the problem because you installed new connectors.

Tam



As far as the channel situation goes lets just say that I get two NBC
channels on my digital tuner in my Olevia. One is the Local affiliate
and one is from 75 miles away. I just live in the part of Comcast's
area where about 8 to 10 mile east of me is considered the other NBC
affiliates viewership area. Those subscibers get a different set of
Local channels.

Comcast Digital vs Digital HD
 

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:43:46 -0800 Fred C. Dobbs wrote:

| The HDMI out is available on the HDTV Box from Comcast.

Which is the box he wanted to avoid getting.

--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|

Comcast Digital vs Digital HD
 

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 13:08:58 -0400 Tom Stiller wrote:

| In article ,
| "Sam Soltan" samsoltan_48323atyahoodotcom wrote:
|
| there is NO hdmi output from the cable box... only cable in, cable out,
| composite out, l & R audio out.
|
| If the box doesn't have HDMI or component outputs, it's just a digital
| TV box, not HD.

That's what he said it was.

--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|

Comcast Digital vs Digital HD
 

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:37:59 -0800 Fred C. Dobbs wrote:

| Which part is not true? I know what did not work and what did work
| for me. If I used standard old 75 ohm coax from the splitter at the
| point where comacast installed it, I suffered many drop outs on my
| high def and digital channels. Switched to a higher grade coax , end
| of problem.
| As far as the channel situation goes lets just say that I get two NBC
| channels on my digital tuner in my Olevia. One is the Local affiliate
| and one is from 75 miles away. I just live in the part of Comcast's
| area where about 8 to 10 mile east of me is considered the other NBC
| affiliates viewership area. Those subscibers get a different set of
| Local channels.

Don't ya just love those nutty DMAs. I live in one DMA, but I can't get
the locals of my own DMA at all. I can get the locals of the next DMA
over to the east. That's analog. When I get digital, that may change.

--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|

Comcast Digital vs Digital HD
 

On Tue, 3 Jul 2007 13:05:35 -0400 Tam/WB2TT wrote:

| This doesn't make sense. It imp[lies you are running RF from the cable box
| to the TV. If so, your box is not giving you HD. Not even digital SD. I
| think you have a very low end box that is meant to be used with an analog
| TV. You need the HD cable box. Also, you can probably just use a splitter to
| divide the signal between the box and the TV. The box should have at least
| component output.

But at least it's digital from the headend to his house. And that's the
part of the path cable companies tend to have all screwed up so much.

If he's happy with the quality composite or S-video gives him, he doesn't
need an HD box. He just wants the subchannels, which tend to be SD only.

--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|

Comcast Digital vs Digital HD
 

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:37:59 -0800, Fred C. Dobbs
wrote:

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 12:48:31 -0500, ValveJob wrote:

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:42:52 -0800, Fred C. Dobbs
wrote:

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:07:22 -0500, Steve Cutchen
wrote:

In article , Sam Soltan
wrote:

`I am using an Olevia 42" LCD TV and have been happy (pretty much) with the
results of plain Comcast cable.

I was able to get the (for lack of a better term) some the sub carrier
channels including the local channels ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox etc... in HD when
they were broadcast in HD as well as the local channels in SD on the
standard channel numbers, for example sd NBC 9, digital NBC including High
Def broadcasts 4_1.

I recently upgraded to getting a digital cable box and while I can get other
programs on the On Demand channels ... lo and behold all the subcarrier
channels that I was able to get, in HD, before have been "stripped off."


I was told by Comcast I would have to get an "HD Cable Box"


Is there a way of putting two antenna switches together to bypass the cable
box and go directly into the set? Is there a device already out there that
will do this?

cable output
|
switch
^
/ \
by pass digital cable box
switch
v
|
TV Input


Come out of the wall to a 1=2 cable splitter. From there to the
antenna input to your TV and to the antenna input of your cable box.

Then connect from your cable box to your TV with either HDMI, Component
or Composite cables.

Select Antenna to watch cable like you used to. Select the HDMI... to
get the cable box.

(The splitter will cut your signal strength. Depending on how many
splitters ou have between it and the cable service, you might need an
amplifier. But try it first.)

If you have two antenna inputs to your TV, you might want to get a
small UHF indor antenna to hook to the other one. This should get you
Over The Air access to your local HD channels by selcting between
Antenna A and B when on Antenna... unless you're in the boonies in
which case you'll need a more substantial antenna. I just use an old
UHF hoop antenna from on old TV.

Make sure you use a high bandwith coax or you signal will be degraded.
I have Comcast and I have been doing this with my Olevia 32 inch LCD
HDTV and it works great. I even get Local stations from from nearby
cities out of my local range

Not true, Fred.


Which part is not true?

You can use the crappiest, cheapest 6 ft coax ever made and if it not
shorted or open, then you will get the signal and will never in a
million years be able to tell it wasn't the $120 gold connector 6 foot
coax cable.

I'll go one better, it doesn't even have to be coax. In fact, the
monoprice cheapo cables are NOT coax and they work great.

The post above is right. You just fixed a bad connector when you
replaced the coax. There was a short or open in your first cable.




I know what did not work and what did work
for me. If I used standard old 75 ohm coax from the splitter at the
point where comacast installed it, I suffered many drop outs on my
high def and digital channels. Switched to a higher grade coax , end
of problem.
As far as the channel situation goes lets just say that I get two NBC
channels on my digital tuner in my Olevia. One is the Local affiliate
and one is from 75 miles away. I just live in the part of Comcast's
area where about 8 to 10 mile east of me is considered the other NBC
affiliates viewership area. Those subscibers get a different set of
Local channels.

Comcast Digital vs Digital HD
 

On Wed, 4 Jul 2007 00:01:48 -0400, "Tam/WB2TT"
wrote:


"Fred C. Dobbs" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 12:48:31 -0500, ValveJob wrote:

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:42:52 -0800, Fred C. Dobbs
wrote:

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:07:22 -0500, Steve Cutchen
wrote:

In article , Sam Soltan
wrote:

`I am using an Olevia 42" LCD TV and have been happy (pretty much)
with the
results of plain Comcast cable.

I was able to get the (for lack of a better term) some the sub carrier
channels including the local channels ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox etc... in HD
when
they were broadcast in HD as well as the local channels in SD on the
standard channel numbers, for example sd NBC 9, digital NBC including
High
Def broadcasts 4_1.

I recently upgraded to getting a digital cable box and while I can get
other
programs on the On Demand channels ... lo and behold all the
subcarrier
channels that I was able to get, in HD, before have been "stripped
off."


I was told by Comcast I would have to get an "HD Cable Box"


Is there a way of putting two antenna switches together to bypass the
cable
box and go directly into the set? Is there a device already out there
that
will do this?

cable output
|
switch
^
/ \
by pass digital cable box
switch
v
|
TV Input


Come out of the wall to a 1=2 cable splitter. From there to the
antenna input to your TV and to the antenna input of your cable box.

Then connect from your cable box to your TV with either HDMI, Component
or Composite cables.

Select Antenna to watch cable like you used to. Select the HDMI... to
get the cable box.

(The splitter will cut your signal strength. Depending on how many
splitters ou have between it and the cable service, you might need an
amplifier. But try it first.)

If you have two antenna inputs to your TV, you might want to get a
small UHF indor antenna to hook to the other one. This should get you
Over The Air access to your local HD channels by selcting between
Antenna A and B when on Antenna... unless you're in the boonies in
which case you'll need a more substantial antenna. I just use an old
UHF hoop antenna from on old TV.

Make sure you use a high bandwith coax or you signal will be degraded.
I have Comcast and I have been doing this with my Olevia 32 inch LCD
HDTV and it works great. I even get Local stations from from nearby
cities out of my local range

Not true, Fred.


Which part is not true? I know what did not work and what did work
for me. If I used standard old 75 ohm coax from the splitter at the
point where comacast installed it, I suffered many drop outs on my
high def and digital channels. Switched to a higher grade coax , end
of problem.

You probably fixed the problem because you installed new connectors.

Tam



As far as the channel situation goes lets just say that I get two NBC
channels on my digital tuner in my Olevia. One is the Local affiliate
and one is from 75 miles away. I just live in the part of Comcast's
area where about 8 to 10 mile east of me is considered the other NBC
affiliates viewership area. Those subscibers get a different set of
Local channels.



Both Sets of connecters were new.