We just bought a new Sony XBR TV and got the High Def digital cable box from Comcast. The High Def channels are great but many other channels appear snowy. Is there anything I can do about this?
tvdude
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Which channels are snowy? The regular analog channels? If you disconnect the cable box and connect the cable directly to your TV, is it still snowy? If it is, you have just a plain cable reception problem, nothing to do with HD. What is the size of your TV? Any problems with cable on your previous TV?
Still learning
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Digital cable is not ever snowy. If you see snow then you are watching an analog signal that is weak and degraded. I'm hearing that not all cable companies are offering true digital cable. Rather the HD channels are the only true digital signals riding in the analog stream. Your cable provider, by law, must provide a strong clear analog signal for all channels. Some cable operators digitize all the analog channels at the source for transmission through the field to your home. Then the set top box converts the digitized signals back to analog for the short trip to your set. The picture quality is excellent. They owe you a clean picture no matter what method they use. Call them!
The channels that were coming through snowy were the analog channels. We had the cable tech out and he said that the combination of the size of the TV, 70 inches, and the analog channels is what made the picture appear "grainy". The HD is fine and the digital channels are fine. Just the analog stinks. Thanks for your replies.
The channels that were coming through snowy were the analog channels. We had the cable tech out and he said that the combination of the size of the TV, 70 inches, and the analog channels is what made the picture appear "grainy". The HD is fine and the digital channels are fine. Just the analog stinks. Thanks for your replies.
Still Learning
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I'll say it again! They owe you a clear signal, period. If they can't deliver it they don't deserve your money. Get Direct TV! You won't be disappointed. No grain or snow, period. Good promotional offers right now. Free HD for six months. Three room set-up free, but only with regular receivers. You only need one HD receiver for that big set. To hell with cable!
duffer
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The proble with the snowy channels is not with ComCast, its with the Motorola DT 6400 series H/D set top boxes. The box has the built in DVR and the regular cable channels go through the DVR (that how you can pause a show you are watching) You can find some information on this on the Morotola's web site. They are working on a fix but no time fram given. There is a very easy way to caheck the signal quality at your house. Simply connect the cable directly to you TV and tune to one of the reqular channels. You will see a great improvement in the picture quality. When you hook the cable back to the cable box you will see the difference. One thing you can do is install a splitter before you cable box and watch the regular channels through your reqular TV and the H/D channels and pay channels through the cable box. I have the same problem so I know what you are going through. By the way the D/D channels look great. I wish the strech feature would work on the Motorola boxes.
Thunderstruck
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duffer,
I am having the same problem on a 36 in sony tv. Are u telling me that there is no solution to this. The comcast tech guy is coming over friday. I assumed they can do something about it. The regular channels are so crappy... i dont even feel like watching anything. And comcast dont have Fox on HD. And super bowl is on fox. We gotta watch superbowl on that crappy reception. Oh please say it aint so... please...
Thunderstruck
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Posted on
John,
You said "only analog channels stink". What are these analog channels that you are talking about? I dont have digital classic package (just had standard extended basic earlier, now upgraded it to HD), Does switching to digital classic package make any difference? I watch a lot of stuff on TNT , fox sports net, espn2 etc. All these channels are snowy on my system. Are all these analog channels?
On my Comcast channel lineup I think every channel up to 100 is analog. Pretty sure the digital channels are 100 and up. So if the channels you're talking about are single or double digits I'm pretty sure they're analog. Those are the channels that are snowy for me.
Thunderstruck
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Thanks John. Ok. Those the ones that I am talking about. its snowy and bad.
So there is no solution to the problem. For one comcast guys dont have fox hd. Superbowl is on fox (channel 2) and so does it mean i am watching superbowl on that crappy channel? Say it aint so....
Please tell me there is a solution to this problem...
BeatThe9ers
Unregistered guest
Posted on
I spoke to a Comcast person yesterday about a different issue but in the course of our conversation she mentioned that even though they do not have Fox HD in Michigan(?) (becasue they don't currently have a contract?) they are getting access to it for the Super Bowl. I am not in Michigan, so I have Fox HD. Are you in Michigan? I would call Comcast and find out what is going on. Threaten to cancel if you don't get the SB, even if you know you wont cancel. It's the Super Bowl for God's sake and watching it in HD is your right an a citizen of this world. Stand up!!!
BeatThe9ers
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Additionally, you are correct 1-100 are analog. They are also unwatchable through the HD box, you must split the signal and get a direct connect.
Of course, this means that you can't use your DVR to record anything on channels 1-100, which is about 90% of the available content. This is insane!!! I just got this yesterday and will be contacting Comcast continually about it until they make it right. I have my phone and internet with them, all told I pay them about $170 a month. This is unacceptable poor quality on their part. They say it's the box. Then get me a different one! If a good one doesn't exist yet, then don't sell me the service until one does!!
I was having the same problem with SD signals, even though I upgraded to the digital package from Charter cable. Whether I ran the cable through the STB or straight to the TV, regular stations were pretty bad. HD was beautiful. I started fiddling around with the STB and enabled it to send 1080i signals to the t.v. Inexplicably, the SD stations looked very good (almost as good as they were on my CRT t.v.) I have a Toshiba 46hm84, which has a native resolution of 720p.
