Newbie Questions

[jhmiii]

Hello,

Please excuse these obvious questions, but I am new to the whole digital/HDTV scene and I have some pretty basic questions. I hope you can help me or at least point me in the direction to get help.

I just bought a Samsung 56" Rear Projection DLP TV (HL-T5676S). I am over here in Cambridge, also Time Warner land and currently just subscribe to broadcast basic/expanded basic. The first thing I noticed is that there ARE some (actually quite a few) digital channels available, which was surprising to me. Even more surprising was when a few of them moved last night, but from reading some other posts, I guess that may be normal.

Next issue for me is just what does getting a digital package get me. I see there a lot more channels, but it still gets back to "...1000 channels and still nothing to watch..." :) OK, I guess my real question here is, with the TV I have, do I have to get a box from the TW or do I just need to sign up for the service? I thought that, because I had a digital tuner, I would not need their box. But when I look at the channels, well, that is why I am asking the question.

Final question for this post is relates to HD. I am guessing that I need their box for this, but are their options?

Again, thanks for understanding that I am new to this. I will catch on and, like I said, please feel free to point me to a good basic tutorial, specifically if it has TW roots. - John

[nicholc2]

If you want to actually view HD programming on your HDTV, then you'll need to get the set top box with the HD package. To get that, you'll need to get the digital package which I believe is required with the set top box and HD package.

[csujjhoov]

A lot of us who have Time Warner subscribe to Digital Cable and have one of either their HD boxes or HD DVR boxes. These give you access to not only the channels you get in basic/expanded basic, but access to about 70 other channels, On-Demand, Premium (by subscription), and the 700 channel range which is where TW has their HD channels located.

We currently have Roadrunner, TW Digital Cable, DVR service, and HD Gold package (gets a few more hd channels), plus Showtime and HBO and pay around 100$ per month. TW tends to have more deals when you have more than 1 of their services, Such as Digital Cable, Digital Phone, or RoadRunner.

Your best bet is to go to www.twcmidohio.com and look at what they have available channel wise for your city. In my humble opinion having a DVR is one of the best pieces of technology available and I would recommend getting it. Grant it the box only gives you 30-40 hrs of HD recording, but if you get the 8300HD cable box you can expand the storage (see post thread HERE (http://www.hdcolumbus.net/vb-hdtv/showthread.php?t=3223))

It in the end is all about what you want, and what you value it to be at. I think I'm getting a fair price especially since they upped RoadRunner speeds to 7meg down from 5. And they gradually are adding new hd channels, not as fast as satellite, but not many networks broadcast HD anyway, most just up convert and stretch their 4x3 programming to "HD". Prime example TNT only a few of their shows are actually in HD like "The Closer". The rest are stretched.

[MeleeDave]

Final question for this post is relates to HD. I am guessing that I need their box for this, but are their options?


For the easiest setup, just get their HD box (DVR or set top). Another option is to get a Tivo HD (third party box) and then rent the CableCards from TW. You'll still need the same programming from TW. But instead of renting the HD box from TW, you'll pay Tivo for their guide data. Even though I have an HD Tivo, and LOVE it, I have to warn you that it may be a bit more of a hassle. When something is not working, TW tends to blame the Tivo since it is not their hardware, even though in every case (with me thus far) the problem was with the TW feed. That being said, I've also heard that many people are having issues with the new TW HD DVR not recording properly (see this thread HERE (http://hdcolumbus.net/vb-hdtv/showthread.php?t=3253)).

--Dave

[csujjhoov]

I agree that the TW box tends to be buggy, a majority of issues it has are with the new Guide system TW is rolling out/going to be rolling out. New boxes that they put out have to deploy must have a multistream cable card "separable security", most of these new boxes have the new guide.

Given time they will work the bugs out, hey my Passport Guide box that I currently have has its share of quirks. Recently it's been recording 1 minute of a program and stops it does this at complete random, only 1 of my neighbors has the same problem though. I called TW and they know about the bug, but can't fix it because they don't have control of the code for the Passport Software. That is one of the ancillary reasons for in the future deploying their new guide software.

It's all up to personal preference, I like TIVO, but if the box goes bad I have to buy a new one. I ended up going with the TW box because if it ever goes bad, which it did once about a year and a half ago, I take it to TW, they give me a new one no questions asked. Same goes for remotes, my wife dropped ours into the sink by accident, TW replaced it free.