HDTV through cable company (1 Viewer)

[Jim Can]

Can anyone who has this give me some info on this. It will be offered to my area next month and the rep said that there is a box that connects to your existing cable box and that's all you need. Does this sound right? How is the picture quality? I have AT&T who is merging with Comcast from what I have heard. I also have a Motorola digital cable box that I guess the new component would connect to.
Any info would help, Thanks. I am also considering the Mitsubishi 55411 to make this all possible, any feedback on that tv would be great too.

 

[Matt Wallace]

Hey Jim,
Go to www.cox.com/Future/hdtv.asp and check it out. It's not your cable company, but it's a pretty good primer with some in depth advice on HDTV via cable. I went there hoping to find good news for my 55311 and came away with nodda for my area! Hope you have better luck!
Matt

 

[Mike I]

Most cable companies are using the Scientific Atlantic HD3100 Cable box for HD..It is the only cable box you need...
Hd Picture quality on the cable systems I have seen look great...

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Comcast made an announcement a couple of months ago committing to the rollout of HDTV over their cable networks. The Detroit area and a couple of other major metropolitan regions were supposed to be by 1/03. They are doing their rollout on the East Coast (Jersey, Philly) now. I do not think anyplace in Indiana was mentioned specifically. You can try calling customer service, but the chances of getting a representative who actually knows anything about HDTV is pretty remote. They will probably think that their "digital cable" product is what you are asking about. Digital cable has nothing to do with HDTV.

 

[Scott_G]

I've had HDTV from Time Warner in Raleigh for going on two years. Just upgraded from the Scientific Atlantic HD2100 to the Scientific Atlantic HD3100.

Mine replaces the converter box and has SVideo and component outputs. You must use the componate outputs but you will get 1080i output. It will upconvert regular channels, but for extended viewing I use the Svideo. The upconvert is not that great.

Audio is 5.1 from a single coax outlet.

HBO-HD and ShowtimeHD have many programs that are HDTV and 5.1. The local PBS has a wonderful loop and we have about 5 or so other channels.

 

[Evan Hartnett]

How much extra does the HD feed cost? I have AT&T in NH, so I really doubt it will be here any time soon, but I'm just wondering.
Also, Scott is exactly right. I called AT&T to ask them if they would be offering HD any time soon and they told me they already did. I got excited and asked how much it would cost to upgrade and the woman said (in the most "you are a dumbass" tone imaginable) that I already had it :rolleyes. After I talked to her and tried to explain the difference she passed me along to a "senior tech". He tried telling me the same thing, that digital cable was HDTV, when I tried to explain the difference to him he hung up on me. I called back and talked to his manager who had much more input on the situation, according to him if I want to view any HD material there's something I can buy at Best Buy. When I asked him what he meant he told me he didn't know, that was what he had been told to tell people . I love AT&T.

 

[Sheldon C]

Isn't it their f'n jobs to know this kind of thing? I know they don't get paid much, but you would think they would get themselves informed so they don't look like complete *sses when customers call them.

I've come to realize that if you answer phones for a living, then you are a dumb*ss.

 

[Todd Hochard]

I have TWC here in Central FL, and their HD effort is impressive. EIGHT channels- HBO, SHO, NBC, CBS, ABC, WB, FOX, PBS. Discovery HD was there for 3 days, and then poof! I suspect they were testing. Too bad.
Anyway, I use the SciAtl 3100HD box (upgraded six months ago from the 2000HD), and the picture is fantastic. The content- well, you know how TV is. Yeah, it's really cool in HD for a while, then you realize it's the same crappy programming. HBO and SHO are good, as is PBS. Fox is 480p only (nationwide), because they just don't "get it."
The signal feed that TWC provides is EXACTLY what they get. No decoding/re-encoding at a lower rate. They simply take the signal, and put in on their line in 256QAM (cable-speak) form.
Todd