Comcast OnDemand HD
 

As a Comcast subscriber who enjoys my new HD TV and Comcast's HD
lineup, I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this hitch in the
OnDemand HD lineup. OnDemand has both free and for $ HD programming.
The New Release content under the HD heading costs $2 more than the SD
version ($5.95 vs $3.95). When I watch ANY OnDemand HD content, it is
displayed in 480i and is reported as such by my TV's status function.
Calls to Comcast for an explanation range from fruitless to ridiculous
e.g. "We transmit OnDemand HD in 480i which IS High Definition". One
poster in Comcast's Help Forums suggested setting the "stretch"
property in the STB (Motorola XXXX) so that the HD content is
extracted from the 480i transmission. Sheeesh!!! Anybody know
anything useful about this or am I expecting too much?

Comcast OnDemand HD
 

On Jan 14, 11:36*am, wrote:
As a Comcast subscriber who enjoys my new HD TV and Comcast's HD
lineup, I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this hitch in the
OnDemand HD lineup. *OnDemand has both free and for $ HD programming.
The New Release content under the HD heading costs $2 more than the SD
version ($5.95 vs $3.95). *When I watch ANY OnDemand HD content, it is
displayed in 480i and is reported as such by my TV's status function.
Calls to Comcast for an explanation range from fruitless to ridiculous
e.g. "We transmit OnDemand HD in 480i which IS High Definition". *One
poster in Comcast's Help Forums suggested setting the "stretch"
property in the STB (Motorola XXXX) so that the HD content is
extracted from the 480i transmission. *Sheeesh!!! *Anybody know
anything useful about this or am I expecting too much?

I probably have the same Motorola HD/STB with DVR, the indicator on
the box shows 1080i whenever the picture is obviously HD and in a wide
video 1.85 or cinema format 1.35, IOW the indicator is correct. I'm
thinking of making my own chart of Comcasts choices in the free HD on-
demand area and what the pictures really look like and what the signal
indicator says, etc. I think something seems fishy here too. Merely
stretching wont work as I dont stretch anything. Calling Comcast on
the phone is futile of course. Some sports have been in 16x9 but the
image is shrunk and there are logos of ESPN/HD on the side bars, I
think these are cases where they are giving you the content for free
in 16x9 aspect, but not in HD resolution which costs more. Maybe that
is what is happening, but if you found it in HD ondemand it should be
HD, but not sure about aspect ratios always being wide.

I will post back my findings to this thread this week, its all very
confusing.

Comcast OnDemand HD
 

Unless you can actually talk to a technician at the "Head End" you will hear
all kinds of tripe regarding their handling of digital and HD Programming.
Having a conversation with one of their "CSR" 'Consumer Support personel'
will only drive you to total confusion, fustration, ending up with no
resolution to your problems.
IMHO!

"RickH" wrote in message
...
On Jan 14, 11:36 am, wrote:
As a Comcast subscriber who enjoys my new HD TV and Comcast's HD
lineup, I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this hitch in the
OnDemand HD lineup. OnDemand has both free and for $ HD programming.
The New Release content under the HD heading costs $2 more than the SD
version ($5.95 vs $3.95). When I watch ANY OnDemand HD content, it is
displayed in 480i and is reported as such by my TV's status function.
Calls to Comcast for an explanation range from fruitless to ridiculous
e.g. "We transmit OnDemand HD in 480i which IS High Definition". One
poster in Comcast's Help Forums suggested setting the "stretch"
property in the STB (Motorola XXXX) so that the HD content is
extracted from the 480i transmission. Sheeesh!!! Anybody know
anything useful about this or am I expecting too much?

I probably have the same Motorola HD/STB with DVR, the indicator on
the box shows 1080i whenever the picture is obviously HD and in a wide
video 1.85 or cinema format 1.35, IOW the indicator is correct. I'm
thinking of making my own chart of Comcasts choices in the free HD on-
demand area and what the pictures really look like and what the signal
indicator says, etc. I think something seems fishy here too. Merely
stretching wont work as I dont stretch anything. Calling Comcast on
the phone is futile of course. Some sports have been in 16x9 but the
image is shrunk and there are logos of ESPN/HD on the side bars, I
think these are cases where they are giving you the content for free
in 16x9 aspect, but not in HD resolution which costs more. Maybe that
is what is happening, but if you found it in HD ondemand it should be
HD, but not sure about aspect ratios always being wide.

I will post back my findings to this thread this week, its all very
confusing.

Comcast OnDemand HD
 

On Jan 14, 11:36*am, wrote:
As a Comcast subscriber who enjoys my new HD TV and Comcast's HD
lineup, I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this hitch in the
OnDemand HD lineup. *OnDemand has both free and for $ HD programming.
The New Release content under the HD heading costs $2 more than the SD
version ($5.95 vs $3.95). *When I watch ANY OnDemand HD content, it is
displayed in 480i and is reported as such by my TV's status function.
Calls to Comcast for an explanation range from fruitless to ridiculous
e.g. "We transmit OnDemand HD in 480i which IS High Definition". *One
poster in Comcast's Help Forums suggested setting the "stretch"
property in the STB (Motorola XXXX) so that the HD content is
extracted from the 480i transmission. *Sheeesh!!! *Anybody know
anything useful about this or am I expecting too much?

OK I did do a cursory scan of HD on demand last night, here is what I
found. All of the content in HD On Demand IS 1080i however it is not
always wide screen, and commercials often drop to 480i of course. The
movies were always wide and 1080i, some of the network on demand shows
like Desperate Housewives were also always wide and 1080, other
network shows were 1080 but in 4:3 format.

But on my system if it was found in HD On Demand it was indeed always
1080i.

In the regular on demand area (non HD) the shows and movies were 480i.

From the guide all stations that touted themselves as HD were in fact
HD with the excepton of commercials. But I did find wide variations
in aspect ratios, sometimes it was 16:9 format that did not fill my
screen, PBS Frontline for example on local PBS station WTTW-HD looked
great but not filling screen completely. While CNN-HD was simply
incredibly perfect and stunning, I wish there was a FOX news channel
HD after seeing how nice CNN-HD looks. Even the smallest fly-away
blonde hair of Anderson Cooper was apparent.

I think one just needs to develop an "eye" for things on Comcast.
After watching 4:3 analog for the past 10 years... Having a digital
STB now makes me feel like I'm reading a ransom note when I channel
surf as various resolutions and aspect ratios flip by. (I will never
use stretch mode as that just makes all the people look like midgets
without necks.) Eventually it will become intuitive. But Comcast is
not mis-representing items, as anything declared HD was in fact
1080i. As for the offerings on my basic (no premiums) subscription,
well thats another story....

Comcast OnDemand HD
 

On Jan 14, 11:36*am, wrote:
As a Comcast subscriber who enjoys my new HD TV and Comcast's HD
lineup, I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this hitch in the
OnDemand HD lineup. *OnDemand has both free and for $ HD programming.
The New Release content under the HD heading costs $2 more than the SD
version ($5.95 vs $3.95). *When I watch ANY OnDemand HD content, it is
displayed in 480i and is reported as such by my TV's status function.
Calls to Comcast for an explanation range from fruitless to ridiculous
e.g. "We transmit OnDemand HD in 480i which IS High Definition". *One
poster in Comcast's Help Forums suggested setting the "stretch"
property in the STB (Motorola XXXX) so that the HD content is
extracted from the 480i transmission. *Sheeesh!!! *Anybody know
anything useful about this or am I expecting too much?

It sounds like you dont have the HD Motorola box to me. To get 1080i
you have to get the box with the HDMI output, the older boxes will
only show 480i, and they ask you about HD specifically when you go
pick up the box at the office to confirm. On my box all the HD
advertised content is indeed 1080i, but aspect ratios still vary from
show to show.