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Making sense ofdigital transition: Comcast answers the simple ? and not so simple ? questions about digital switchover
[April 29, 2009]

Making sense ofdigital transition: Comcast answers the simple ? and not so simple ? questions about digital switchover


Apr 29, 2009 (Palo Alto Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Comcast is in the process of converting a number of its channels from analog to digital in California -- a move the company says will give some customers better picture and sound quality, as well as more programming.



The switchover, which is unrelated to the federally mandated analogtodigital transition, has already begun in Santa Clara, South San Francisco and other Bay Area cities. It will affect channels 35 to 82 only for those residents who subscribe to the company's expanded basic cable.

Some Peninsula and Silicon Valley customers have written to the Daily News to express concern that the new settop boxes and digitaltransport adapters, or DTAs, won't work with their home recording systems. We submitted a series of questions to Comcast spokesman Andrew Johnson to shed some light on some ofthe issues Bay Area customers may experience as technicians perform neighborhood byneighborhood conversions through the end of 2009.


Some customers have complained that their TiVos and other DVRs don't work well with the new system. What does Comcast recommend that is compatible and allows recording from multiple channels without having to manually change the channels? In a typical installation, customers would not be able to watch and record when using a DTA or settop box. However, if customers have a device with two RF inputs, they could use asplitter on the incoming cable feed, with one output from the splitter going through the set top or DTA and then into the first input on the device, and the second output from the splitter going directly into the second input on the device. This would allow them to watch or record all channels offered on the DTA or set topthat are part of their package on the first input, and allow watch or record functionality for the limited basic channels only on the second input ( because the limited basic channels are still available in analog).

This is the same for TiVo series 2 DVR.

Series 1 only have one tuner. Series 3 have multistream cable cards and require no DTAs ( they are the same as a settop box). TiVo hasset up a special site to walk customers through this setup at: www. tivo. com/ alldigital.

Customers with a Media Center PC with an analog tuner would need to use a DTA toconvert the signal to analog to then feed into the PC TV card. However, the PC is then no longer the tuner, which means the DVR software can no longer change the channel on the PC. The solution would be for the customer to get an IR blaster (a remote controllike device that allows a DVR to control the cable box) in addition to the IR input the customer alreadyhas on the Media Center PC. The MicrosoftDVR software has the ability to learn new IR codes to control external devices through a process of trial and error. The customer will go though the device setup process that exists on the Media Center setup screens. At the endof this process the PC will be able to pass IRcommands to the DTA to tune a specific channel at specific times for DVR functionality.

Please note that customers would face the same issues in trying to use their media center PC as a DVR with another pay TV provider, because they all require equipment for the service that acts as the tuner for the channels -- i. e., they don't offer analog channels. Theonly reason it has never been an issue with the other pay TV providers is because they have never offered an analog service. With that said, customers could still use their media center PCas a DVR for all of our Limited Basic channels ( 234), since we will continue to offer those channels in an analog format.

What are the options for customers with VCRs? Option One: Hook up your VCR to the dual tuner settop box. The customer gets one of these boxes at no additional charge. This box allows you full functionality of the VCR.

You can record any program while watching another or record multiple programs on differ-ent channels while you are away. Since most people probably will use a VCR with theirprimary set, this option probably will work for most customers.

Option Two: Hook up one DTA to the VCR using a splitter. In this option, the cable would go from the wall to the main connection on the splitter. Then one cable would go fromthe splitter to the DTA and another from the splitter to the VCR. A second connection on the VCR would go to the TV so you can watch what you've recorded. Finally, the second con-nection on the DTA would go to the cable input on the back of the TV. This option allows you to watch all of your channels, but only allowsyou to record the channels we carry in analog-- Limited Basicchannels 234.

You also couldonly automatically record one program at a time.

OptionThree: Hook uptwo DTAs to the VCR using onesplitter. In this option, the cable goes from the wall to the main end of the splitter, with the splitter feeding the two DTAs.

One line fromone DTA goes to the TV, while another line fromthe other DTA goes to the VCR.

This option allows you to record and watch programs on all stations.

However, you won't be able to record programs on different stations while you are away, since the DTA lacks a dual tuner and can't automatically switch between channels.

How will quadrature amplitude modulation, or QAM, tuners work with the newsystem? Generally, television sets with QAM tuners do not need a DTA ( a QAM tuner lets a television set receive digital cable without a traditional cable box). We have come across some makes/ models that are unable to process the digital signal we send down our network. I've heard of a couple of sets that for some reason are unable to successfully process channels in very specific frequency ranges.

Can customers use their universal remote controls with the new boxes? The Comcast remotes we provide with the DTAs can control the television sets once the specific code for the set has been entered on to it. Universal remotes do not control the Com-cast boxes.

How will the migration affect HD on the main television ( with the box) and on othersets in the household ( with the DTA)? The migration does not impact any existingset top boxes or services that might be coming to the main TVs or additional ones that thecustomers currently have.

Comcast customers with expanded basiccable plans can request a free cable box or upto two complimentary digital transport adapters by calling 8776344434 or visiting comcast.

com/ digitalnow/. Additional adapters cost $ 1.99 a month each.

Email Jessica Bernstein Wax at jbernstein@ dailynewsgroup. com.

Comcastcustomers with expanded basic cable plans can request a free cable box or up to two complimentary digital transport adapters bycalling 877 6 344434 orvisiting comcast.

com/ digitalnow/.

To see more of Palo Alto Daily News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.paloaltodailynews.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Palo Alto Daily News, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

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