I got an HDTV on Black Friday and I love the thing so far. But I’ve become very annoyed by some of my HD channels that I get through my cable company. While the HD versions of cable channels like HBO and TNT are crystal clear, the HD versions of the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and I presume CW, but I haven’t checked that last one yet) are constantly locking up, getting all garbled and pixelated, and are generally unwatchable at times.
My first instinct was to blame the cable company since, well, they’re the cable company (RCN, to be specific). Not to mention, 30 of my basic cable channels are inexplicably missing. But if it’s the cable company’s fault, why would HBO and TNT be fine but the other channels not be OK?
Does that mean it’s the fault of the actual local station’s? Or is it more likely the cable company’s fault? Anyone have any experience with this?
Also, do any DC dopers have any experience with Comcast’s HD? Does it have similar problems?
Not to belabor the obvious, but do you have an HDTV receiver from the cable company? A lot of people buy an HDTV set, but don’t change out the set-top box, then wonder why HDTV doesn’t look any better than their old set.
Call your cable company. It’s not your TV, since HBO & TNT are fine. It may be the cable company not transmitting to you successfully, or it may be the feed from the local station to the cable company, but either way, it’s the cable company’s responsibility to deliver content to you. They can’t claim it’s the local ABC affiliate’s fault and walk away.
I have Comcast in Northern Va and I’m getting the same thing ever since I got the service about a year ago. The HD channels are crystal clear, but every now and then the signal gets garbled and/or the sound cuts out. I did ask a technician when he was at our house for another matter, and he said it shouldn’t be happening (but offered no further help, and of course it didn’t happen when I tried to show him). I never did schedule another appt because Comcast makes it pretty painful, and the channels are still watchable, so I’m pretty much resigned to my fate. I’ll be interested to see if anything comes out of this thread, though.
Funny you should mention that, flyboy88. There was a particularly bad instance of this while I was watching a football game yesterday, so I quickly thought to hit the record button on the DVR so I’ll have something to show the cable guy if it doesn’t show up on live TV when he’s there (he’s coming over regarding the 30 missing channels). I’m definitely going to ask him about this – in fact, it concerns me a great deal more than the missing channels (the only ones my girlfriend and I really care about are Food Network, Bravo and the Weather Channel).
And to answer FatBaldGuy, I called the cable company to get the HD box installed a few hours after I brought the TV home. One of my biggest pet peeves is when a bar has widescreen TVs all over the place but then has them hooked up to a crappy SD cable feed, so the picture quality sucks and everything’s all stretched out.