I just received my new HDTV. I hooked up regular analog cable to the antenna, then connected my digital cable using s-video. When I toggle between the digital and analog signal the analog is much crisper (Global and CNBC are really apparent). Of course I certainly notice a difference when I am actually on one of the digital stations (National Geo, TMN, etc), these look great.

Anyone else see this or is it just me?

Try using composite video out from your digital terminal. Your TV has a much better comb filter than the terminal has.

Thanks for the advice but unfortunately that didn't workout. I call Rogers, they said the it was a problem with the set top box and would have to fix it. Get this they can't though because they are out of them! Not only are they out of HDTV set top boxes but regular digital ones too! So now I am out of luck until mid next week.

On 2002-01-23 13:13, Systine wrote:
Thanks for the advice but unfortunately that didn't workout. I call Rogers, they said the it was a problem with the set top box and would have to fix it. Get this they can't though because they are out of them! Not only are they out of HDTV set top boxes but regular digital ones too! So now I am out of luck until mid next week.


holy cow. sounds like rogers is at least doing a bisk business in the digital/hdtv market...

what boxes do they use for just digital?

Rogers is using Scientific Atlanta for all their boxes.

For HD, it is the 2000HD.

For normal Digital Cable, they have the 2000 and 3100.

The 3100HD is expected very soon.

thanks.

another question (i should make another thread, bad me)... what is the menu like on the rogers system?

does it compare to the new BEV menu?

i hate shaw's menu. it is ugly and 8-bit looking (if you know what i mean). shaw is using Motorolla boxes now. i have no idea what the model is... but they are actually proud of thier new system. i think that satellite runs circles around it IMHO.

I personally consider the Rogers IPG to be the most superior of all the other provders. Its lightning fast and you can browse a week in advance with Picture in Guide. You can also set your colors for the guides appearance. Its a nifty little feature.

On 2002-01-23 18:22, doktersteve wrote:
thanks.

another question (i should make another thread, bad me)... what is the menu like on the rogers system?

does it compare to the new BEV menu?

i hate shaw's menu. it is ugly and 8-bit looking (if you know what i mean). shaw is using Motorolla boxes now. i have no idea what the model is... but they are actually proud of thier new system. i think that satellite runs circles around it IMHO.


Yes, the Rogers IPG is better than what you'll find elsewhere. I'm on Rogers at home and the cablesystem I work for uses Motorola boxes, and I find the S-A box to be a superior product.

My biggest pet peeve about the EPG on Rogers is that it takes a month to scroll the guide from 282 to 3! On Star Choice, when the EPG is on-screen, you can key in a channel number and the guide will reposition itself to begin at that point - makes perfect sense! With Rogers, doing the same thing will change channels - makes no sense!

My biggest pet peeve about the EPG on Rogers is that it takes a month to scroll the guide from 282 to 3! On Star Choice, when the EPG is on-screen, you can key in a channel number and the guide will reposition itself to begin at that point - makes perfect sense! With Rogers, doing the same thing will change channels - makes no sense!
Videotron has same S-A boxes as Rogers but the IPG works as IPG on Star Choice

On 2002-01-24 12:00, JohnnyG wrote:
My biggest pet peeve about the EPG on Rogers is that it takes a month to scroll the guide from 282 to 3! On Star Choice, when the EPG is on-screen, you can key in a channel number and the guide will reposition itself to begin at that point - makes perfect sense! With Rogers, doing the same thing will change channels - makes no sense!



Just use the page up/down button... Hold it down. Should get you there soon enough.

The way the guide works is just a function of software. Maybe another version of software in the future will allow you to jump ahead in the guide without the channel changing with it.

travisc, I do this, but it's still way too slow!

On 2002-01-24 18:59, JohnnyG wrote:
travisc, I do this, but it's still way too slow!


Well, nobody seems to be able to get the IPG quite right. Rogers is close to being real nice, so I can live with it :smile:

There are now some post going up on alt.tv.tech.hdtv of others with Toshiba's complaining of the quality of not only digital cable but satillite compared to regular cable.

Anyone else here with a Toshiba notice this???

Well, the Rogers service guy just left my house and as soon as I told him my concern will the quality of the analog signal through the digital box he stated "absolutely". All analog stations look terrible through the set top box, much worse that just regular cable! Apparently there is a feature on the set top box called "bypass" (I was wondering what that was on the remote) which was for this exact problem. Unfortunately it actually made the channels in the 20 - 30 range even worse.

I asked him if the HDTV boxes handled the analog signal any better, but he had not experience with them :sad:

It is really ridiculous that you have to pay that much a month just to pay more for the movie stations and be teased with an IPG that you can't really take advantage of.

On 2002-01-29 17:45, Systine wrote:
Well, the Rogers service guy just left my house and as soon as I told him my concern will the quality of the analog signal through the digital box he stated "absolutely". All analog stations look terrible through the set top box, much worse that just regular cable! Apparently there is a feature on the set top box called "bypass" (I was wondering what that was on the remote) which was for this exact problem. Unfortunately it actually made the channels in the 20 - 30 range even worse.


Hmm, the analogue channels through my digital box are a similiar quality to what I get through my TV; perhaps slightly better ... In fact, for the channels in the 70's, it is much better through the digital box. But much better through my VCR ... probably a failing in the tuner of my almost 10-year old TV.

I assume Rogers is coming back to fix the problem? Presumably this happens on all TVs, and not just yours ... (they should have tried their own test TV off your cable and box ...

Nick

On 2002-01-29 18:55, nfitz wrote:
I assume Rogers is coming back to fix the problem? Presumably this happens on all TVs, and not just yours ... (they should have tried their own test TV off your cable and box ...

Nick


Nope, they are not coming back as they claim there is no problem. Rogers states that the digital decoder adds noise to analog signals. They tested my line just to be sure but it was fine. The service guy said that I just didn't notice it with my old TV, but with the better picture and larger screen size the noise is just more noticable.

A few questions for you:

Do you have a Digital TV? (HDTV or close)
Which box do you have?

I noticed that with the 2000 model, the picture quality wasn't very good with the s-video connector. It was better with composite. The 3100 model was a LOT better than the 2000 model. The tech will tell you that there is no difference between the models, and that you only need the 3100 if you are going to use webtv. This is not exactly correct.

Call Rogers back and request an "in house tech" that way hopefully, they will send you a Rogers person, not a contractor. If you get a contractor, call up again, get a supervisor to come down. Don't just accept the line "that's the way it is".

Now, that said, they are short on boxes. From your initial question, it sounds like you are interested in the HD boxes. I've heard that the 3100HD should be out in a few weeks.

Try the composite cable for now though.

I have a Toshiba 42H81 with the 3100 set-top box (recently upgraded from the 2000).

I did have a house call last night from Rogers (non-contractor). He said that they (the techs) have been complaining about that problem since digital cable was released, Rogers sales just doesn't seem to care. I am on the waiting list for the HDTV box.

The composite video signal is even worse, but thanks.