Hi-tech-tv.com: Television technology news & answers

Question: I just moved in an apartment with my fiance and I got cable installed Saturday for a Phillips 42in 1080p. The channels work fine but for some reason for the hd channels I have to manually change the width of the screen for me to have the whole screen HD. I had to do that with all the football games on Sunday. Isn’t it supposed to be automatic? This is my first Flat screen so I’m not sure…Do I need to buy another wire?

I set the settings for the actual tv for automatic but for the hd football games it came up widescreen and i had to manually expand the screen.

Answer 1: Yeah you can change the settings to automatic. You can call cablevision and they will talk you through it.

Answer 2: When setup is right, your digital cable box should read (left to right) 1080i, hdtv, auto. Time and channel should appear in a larger font below the info.

Answer 3: HDMI cables really help. What you need to do is adjust the box settings. Go into the box menu by hitting settings button on remote twice. Go to Video Input and change if from fixed to auto dvi/hdmi.

You also need to run the HD wizard on the box to set it up. To do this you turn the cable box off, and then hit the info and settings button on the box itself. The program will come up on your tv and just follow the on screen instructions.

I work for cable as a tech so this should have been done for you, but sometimes guys dont do shit the right way.

On a side note, it can also be your TV so make sure you have it on wide screen setting if avail. Also make sure you take your cable box of the stretch setting if its turned on by hitting the settings button on remote once and going to it.

So I’m going to buy my first HDTV this July 4th (when the sales begin). I already know what model and size TV I want but I have questions about other things:

1) I live in a cablevision home but I bought Direct TV for the YES Network/NFL pckage a few years back. What box offers better channels? How much does it cost to upgrade to an HD cable/direct box?

2) Besides the HDTV adaptor, what else do I need?

Answer 1: Direct TV is ~$10 more a month for HDTV. You also have to have a different type satellite installed, and also purchase a new convertor box (~$100.) You can get a HD/DVR Direct TV convertor box for ~$250. It’s a freaking pain but it’s worth it.

Answer 2: You will need to get HDMI cables. What about the existing cables? For the HD signal can you use the existing coax cable from the dish to the receiver? I understand you need an HDMI cable from the receiver to the TV.

Answer 3: If you have cablevision and you get a TV with a QAM tuner, you should be able to just plug the cablewire into the wall to get the network HD channels (fox, cbs, nbc, pbs, abc). Also, if you get a cablecard ready TV you can rent a cablecard from cablevision instead of a cable box (cablecard is only $1.95/month) you can get the fully io HD lineup. You can’t get on-demand stuff with the cablecard though.

Answer 4: The RG-6 you already have is what they use for HD installs. If you upgrade to HD, Directv will upgrade the dish and run any additional cabling for you. You need component or hdmi cables to connect HD to your new tv. Go to monoprice.com to buy these for a few bucks. DO NOT waste money on so-called “high-end” cables.

Yes — you can run on coax, component or S-video just fine until you pick up your HDMI’s.

Answer 5: Well if you are going the satellite way, they will need to install a new HD satellite on your roof and will wire it up to the box for you. I’m getting DirectTV satellite. I am trying to avoid any more holes drilled into the house so I want to know if they can use the existing RG6 coax which is already buried in the walls.

Verizon Fios: Should I get it? Does it come with YES Network, or is that part of the sports package? Does FIOS charge extra for HD channels, and does it carry SNY HD? I have a choice to make between Fios and Patriot Cable at the new house – anyone tried both? Any compelling reason to choose one over the other?

Answer #1: I am having it installed next week. It comes with YES, the Mets Station, NFL Netowrk, etc. And the HD channels are free.

Answer #2: From what I have heard the Fios is much cleareer due to the fibwer optics. Also, the internet speeds are higher, and they are running a Triple Play for Phone, TV, and Internet. ALso, if you have Verizon Cell phones, you can get everything on 1 bill and you get like a five dollar discount off of the cell bill.

Answer #3: HD is free. The hd receiver is like 9.99/ HD DVR is 12.99. BTW, I love Fios. I got TV/Internet for 120 and thats with HBO/Cinemax, 2 dvr’s, 2 hd’s and one regular box.

Answer #4: I will be paying ~$240.00 for Home Phone with unlimited US calling, two cell phones, Internet, (20 mbps down/5 up), 3 regular boxes, 1 HD box, HBO, and the Movies package. I will be saving almost 50 bucks a month over what I was paying to Verizon and cablevision, and I am getting about 15 or 20 more channels, and the On Demand for HBO, Showtime, TMC, Starz, and Sundance is free. I live in Northern NJ. A town called Cedar Grove. They will be installing it on the 12th.

Answer #5: Fios is pretty good. There’s some functionality with the guide that I don’t like too much. But I can see it being way better than comcast. Customer Service is MUCH better than Comcast.

Answer #6: I have the triple play. Phone,TV & net Fios. No HBO/MAX,etc. Standard comes with quite a few HD channels. I have 1 standard box,1 HD DVR. Total is under $115/ month for all three.

Answer #7: Verizon has called me a couple of time asking me to come back (I now have Time Warner all in one ). I asked if they had an all in one package as I have Verizon wireless. Of course the person on the phone said sure but she didn’t have the info on the cable part. Sooooo, after calling another Verizon rep I’m told that I can’t get the FIOS in my area but they have a TV package via dish. However, I’m told that in my area I can’t get network programing since if I put up an antenna I’m in the broadcast area of Binghamton and Elmira. Sooooo, I guess I wait for FIOS. And just for the record .. Time Warner’s phone service is pretty poor.

Answer #8: Go Fios because HD channels are free (including YES, SNY, ESPN and ESPN2, and NFL network), and the internet is much faster than cable. I have it and love it.

Question: Cablevision has screwed me so I need legal advice. Sorry but I need to vent…my wife, daugther and i moved into our new place in december and i decided to get the triple package through cablevision (internet, tv, phone). However, when they came to install everything, they said the line going from outside to our place did not work and they would have to come back and replace it.

Well, a couple weeks past and no one showed up. I called them three times and each time they said a tech would call me. But none did. So I decided not to wait and went with DirecTV.

Well today, I receive a call from Cablevision and the Customer Service rep informs me that I have yet to pay any of my bill (said I owe like $300+) and wanted to let me know they were going to turn off my service until I pay. I told them I do not have cablevision and explained to them what took place when I tried to get it. They said the only way I would not have to pay the bill is if I go to a local cablevision office and show them my Social and a picture ID. Otherwise they will continue to bill me and every late payment will effect my credit score.

I told them if they want proof they can bring their (rears) to my house. A buddy of mine told me I should take legal action against this. I was wondering if anyone thinks it would be worth me doing something like that. I never received any bill in the mail so had no clue they were even charging me to begin with.

Answer #1: They actually used your credit score as a threat? WTF kind of business practice is that? I’m guessing you already went over the phone person’s head & talked to a supervisor. You should go down to the office to get the charges stopped & should probably get some sort of legal consult on the whole matter as well.

Answer #2: You definitely need to get this resolved. The CSR on the phone is a peon. Go up the ladder when talking to the company until you get to someone who can and will solve your problem. Be civil and level headed, but be firm. If they won’t take care of this to your complete satisfaction, then it’s time to enlist the aid of the lawyers, the Attorney General’s office, and the media.

Answer #3: They are problems. I know folks who cablevision has tried to sue for 30K. They think because you might by electronic equipment from a vendor that you might be stealing cable. They are bullies hands down. Myself, I am with DirecTV love it, yeah they don’t have the great savings, but its better then giving money to James Dolan, the Knicks and the Rangers. Good luck.

Answer #4: Just go to the office and get it done and over with. All this legal matter crap for $300 bucks is not worth the time and hassle.

My cable keeps like skipping, kind of like a CD, the picture reloads and the sound skips. It’s really annoying. Has anyone faced anything like this? I have comcast digital cable.

Answer #1: Call your cable company and see if they can reset the box from their office.

Answer #2: Unplug your cable box, wait a few moments, then plug it back in. It will reset itself.

Answer #3: Sounds stupid but simply un-plugging and then plugging in my cable box solves most of the problems I have with my service. It’s how you “reboot” the box. It can help.

Answer #4: Sometimes taking out the cable card works. *shrug* Atleast you don’t have cablevision.

Answer #5: I had the same problem for the last few weeks in HD. Called Insight cable and they had no idea what I was talking about. Theye rebooted my box, and so far it has worked fine. I suggest calling and having them reboot. If that doesn’t work, you do it yourself by unplugging, etc…

Answer #6: Do Yourself a favor, get rid of cable and get a Dish.

Answer #7: You can also reboot by holding in the power button but the unplug the box is a better reboot. Fact is with Time Warner digital cable there are always problems off & on…but if they are constant then I’d recommend the reboot. You could also call them & they may be able to do something with your signal feed. I know when I had a problem with Dish Network they did something like boost my feed (they said something like that) and it helped.