MLapointe
09-27-2002, 06:56 AM
I talked with Time Warner Cable yesterday. I called them before and asked if they would be offering a picture size adjustment in their cable box to get rid of the black bars on my widescreen and they just called me back. They informed me that they would be offering the SA Explorer 8000 PVR set-tops shortly. They put me on the list to be an in-home customer beta tester and I would have them in the first quarter of next year (Jan-Mar of 2003). They told me that these boxes would have a picture size adjustment feature available on them. They told me they couldn't do a software update because they needed a special decoder chip "with" the picture size adjustment setting under the general settings menu. (press settings twice). I would be able to select whether I have a 16x9 or a 4x3 TV and when using the component video inputs the 8000 box would do the scretching where every channel they offer would fill the whole screen. They also told me that the problem with the picture quality of non HDTV programming being very bad using component inputs is corrected. they told me this was corrected by added more memory to the decorder. Since the box upconverts all non HDTV programming it needed more memory to display a quality image than what was needed to display an HDTV image unchanged without any upconversion. They couldn't tell me whether I can record HDTV programming on these boxes hard drives. They also told me since they added more memory to the boxes they won't have a black screen when you press info and guide and you will be able to watch HDTV programming in the picture in picture windows of the box and the guide where it is black now. The boxes have two decoders that can display analog, digital and HDTV programming and both tuners have more memory but each tuner has the same amount of memory. This sounds very promissing. I don't know if this is entirely accurate because I'm just taking TWCs word for it because I can't find out from Scientific Atlanta (crazy isn't it).
If any of you have or have had the SA Explorer 8000 PVR set-tops can you provide some feedback on what I said TWC told me and whether it is accurate in part or in full or not at all.
Thanks for any information you provide. When I do get them in Q1 of 2003 the first day I use them I will come straight here and give my thoughts of these boxes and if there good which I think they will be since TWC spent over 2 weeks finding this information I would suggest bugging you cable provider to death for these boxes assuming they as good as TWC said they are. Just a note I have local feeds of ABC and Fox and will be getting CBS, NBC, UPN44, PBS and WB38 at the first of the year too. They are also looking into getting HDNet too since the owner of this channel is creating several different channels with pretty much the same programming to offer to cable providers and the such. But as far as what HDTV programming I have seen it is great. My friend has DirecTV and his HBO HD looks just as good as mine. The only problems I have had is with the black bars on the sides (the cable box not TWC) and while watching some HDTV shows on ABC the first 10 minutes are not HDTV and then ABC hits the switch and all the sudden there's HDTV. This is also not TWCs fault. As far as TWC end there's no problems at all and it has great great picture quality. You would never think cable could provide that great of a picture to 8 simple rules for dating me teenage daughter on ABC and Drew Carey is great also.
If any of you have or have had the SA Explorer 8000 PVR set-tops can you provide some feedback on what I said TWC told me and whether it is accurate in part or in full or not at all.
Thanks for any information you provide. When I do get them in Q1 of 2003 the first day I use them I will come straight here and give my thoughts of these boxes and if there good which I think they will be since TWC spent over 2 weeks finding this information I would suggest bugging you cable provider to death for these boxes assuming they as good as TWC said they are. Just a note I have local feeds of ABC and Fox and will be getting CBS, NBC, UPN44, PBS and WB38 at the first of the year too. They are also looking into getting HDNet too since the owner of this channel is creating several different channels with pretty much the same programming to offer to cable providers and the such. But as far as what HDTV programming I have seen it is great. My friend has DirecTV and his HBO HD looks just as good as mine. The only problems I have had is with the black bars on the sides (the cable box not TWC) and while watching some HDTV shows on ABC the first 10 minutes are not HDTV and then ABC hits the switch and all the sudden there's HDTV. This is also not TWCs fault. As far as TWC end there's no problems at all and it has great great picture quality. You would never think cable could provide that great of a picture to 8 simple rules for dating me teenage daughter on ABC and Drew Carey is great also.
