The SD channels are still available. They'll just have different channel numbers.
But isn't the entire point of Rogers doing this is that if you are on an SD channel, it automatically takes you to an HD feed?

I think the idea is no matter whether you have a HD or SD STB, you can use the same channel number. If you want the SD channel on a HD STB, you can still select it on a higher channel number. This is all explained in the Rogers Auto HD FAQ.

Yes, but only on channels 2-99. So if you want to record the SD version of a station you still can, but you need to select the SD version fo the station in the 100+ up instead of the 2-99 range.

EXAMPLE: CFTO (CTV Toronto) is Channel 8 and has Conan on at midnight. Previously, if I wanted to record it before in SD, I could just plug in channel 8 or channel 108 and vola. If I wanted to record in HD I could just type in 518 and vola. Now with Auto-HD, if I want to record Conan in SD I need to tune to channel 108. If I want the HD feed I type in 8 or 518.

This is a feature that many of the US companies have added, so there must be a market for it, especially for people who are only used to the 2-99 range and haven't been trained to go to the 500 range. I often see my mother watching her soaps in the 2-99 in non-HD and then I tell her to change the channel to try and teach her. There really is no problem with this feature in the end.

alebowgm: thanks - very helpful

I've got some adjustments to be made on scheduled programming.

I wonder if part of the reason for this is to free up channel numbers for all the HD stations that will be coming next year. Right now I can watch several SD channels from across the country, but HD only from Toronto and Vancouver. Will Rogers be carrying HD from Calgary, Winnipeg, etc.?

Because my HD draws close to 350 Watts I tend to watch my HD set only when something pretty special is on, otherwise I'll watch it on an SD set.

I now have AutoHD and it makes sense for me that I no longer have to strain my feable mind to remember which 500 series channels equate to 3, 6, or 8 and whether or not my program is available in HD or not.

My wife would NEVER look for an HD equivalent but I would insist on disturbing her program to find it in HD for her. I never scored points for this! But I won't thank Rogers until they drag themselves further out of the 19th Century.

Do not see Richmond Hill listed.....good news ;)
Getting it now in Thornhill.

Just got the phone notification that it's being rolled out here in Waterloo. Frankly, I think this is a whole lot of hullabaloo over nothing. It's just a channel map change for a subset of settop boxes.

As far as I'm concerned, for once this is good thing that Rogers is doing and I applaud them for it.

The web page says "Available to all Rogers Cable TV HD customers in the Ontario region". Is "Ontario region" not the same as "Ontario"? It's certainly not here, in Ottawa.

What I find interesting in all this, and it hasn't been discussed, is not all channels in the 2-99 range are going to have this enabled. Example, Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, Pacific and One will all have this feature, as will The Score, but for reasons that make no sense TSN and TSN2 isn't included in this... Raptors NBA TV will have AutoHD but Leafs TV won't... very odd...

but for reasons that make no sense TSN and TSN2 isn't included in this...
I think they only enable AutoHD for SD/HD channel sets that are in the same package -- TSN and TSNHD are in different packages.

Ok but how would that explain Leafs TV? Leafs TV in the immediate GTA is included for free in SD and HD. Wouldn't that mean it should have auto remap in the Toronto zone?

Leafs TV HD only broadcasts live games shown on Leaf TV. The channel is blacked out at any other time. Auto tuning to Leafs TV HD would be senseless. What would make sense is that Leafs TV broadcasts full-time in HD but that is a different issue.

Ok fair point about Leafs TV... so lets take a different channel then... how about The Shopping Channel... where is the sense of not having Auto Tune for that station since it is in HD for free for all subs and its a basic station....?

In Ottawa at least, "585 SHOP" is standard definition.

The web page says "Available to all Rogers Cable TV HD customers in the Ontario region". Is "Ontario region" not the same as "Ontario"? It's certainly not here, in Ottawa.


I'm not sure when? this will come to Otawa(hope it never does :mad: ) , but does this "Auto-HD" only effect the 8300 series boxes or does it effect all HD boxes 8642,3200, etc?

^^^^
It also affects my 4250HDs.

I think we got this late last week in Woodbridge. Personally I love this new feature as I've always cringed every time I caught the wife watching CityTV on channel 7. :) We have the 8300HD btw.

Lobo

I'm actually liking the feature because I can never remember the correct channel numbers in the 500 range for stuff I like, so this suits me fine. I hardly watch anything that is not HD, guess I've become spoiled.

This morning my non-PVR HD box was stuck at the SA logo screen. It may have just rebooted when the kids turned it on, but after a couple of minutes I just pulled the plug and re-started it. When it came up, some of lower-numbered channels not only didn't ahve any info (typical after a re-boot, while the guide data is being populated), but also had no video (solid green).

Is it possible that this is how it looks when the re-mapping starts to happen? I didn't have time to check it more thoroughly, or check the 8300 downstairs. And I haven't been home since (and won't be for another couple of hours).