Digital headend problems
It seems that Adelphia Comcast is upgrading their cable head end to use digital tuners for some of the local broadcast channels. One of them is screwed up big time. During the NBC primetime most of NBC’s shows are shown in wide screen, but their tuner decided it wants to show it as full screen instead of letter box. This has been going on for a month or more now. I finally called Adelphia Comcast last night and waited on hold for over 30 minutes until I could talk to some one and the conversation sort of went like this:
ME: I would like to report a problem with one of the channels on the local cable system.
Comcast: Ok, what is your zip code and what channel
ME: My zip code is XXXXX and the channel is 11 WPXI out of Pittsburgh PA.
Comcast: Ok what is wrong with it?
ME: It seems that the tuner you guys use is not setup right and it is changing all wide screen pictures to full screen.
Comcast: Oh I see
ME: This is also a problem on your side because I have asked multiple people in my area and they all have the same problem.
Comcast: Ok, do you have a cable box?
ME: Yes, and it does it with and without the cable box.
Comcast: Oh really?
ME: Yes, and it is getting pretty annoying as it is cutting about 1/4 of the picture from each side off.
Comcast: Ok, let me run down through the list of questions here… Well it looks like most of these don’t apply to you. Well it looks like we have 2 options here, the first is we can send some one out to your house to look at your cable.
ME: Well that won’t really be a good idea as they would have to visit everyone in my town. Like I said earlier this is a problem at your head end.. (I have an engineering degree, and cable headend and television transmission is sort of a hobby of mine)
Comcast: Well ok, I see your point. I will just send your local office an email to have them look at the system. Some one should contact you in the next 24 to 48 hours.
ME: ok.
So fast forward to today, have not heard anything from them. But I have been watching the station all night. When I first turned it on it was in Widescreen, and I was thinking, great they fixed it. But in less than a couple of minutes it was backed to the zoomed in look. I also noticed that the picture has been flickering in and out all night and you can see the digital artifects. What I believe is going on is since most of the major pittsburgh stations have HDTV channels now, they are using one of the subcarriers to supply the analog channel to the cable system (to avoid the RF interference and ghosting that can happen with the analog rf signal from the station). So it makes the picture clearer, but they are having problems with their tuners. Hopefully they will get it fixed soon, as the other NBC channel on the local cable reminds me of my high school in house tv station.
