Time Warner SA3100HD box and decoding

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Mike Lipin" <mlipin@troyst.edu> wrote in message
news:170ee246.0408180408.18bc7590@posting.google.com...
> I'm pretty sure the box Comcast uses decodes the signal back to analog
> when you hook it up to regular TV. I wanted to watch the HD coverage
> of the Olympics(didn't care about the picture, wanted to see little
> different coverage) so I went to Time Warner and exchanged my SA2100
> for SA3100HD, hooked it up to my regular TV(no HDTV yet..) and blah...
> it doesn't decode.
> So...
> Does it have such a capability or?

I have the SA3100HD from Comcast and it doesn't down convert the HD Signals.
It uses only the Component Out at a fixed 1080i for HD Signals. No S-Video
(or composite) out for the HD Signals. I have been too lazy to go and swap
for a 3250HD which I am told does downconvert (but haven't verified).

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Dennis Mayer <Polaris1@execpc.com> wrote in message news:<412353EB.6D014663@execpc.com>...
> Mike Lipin wrote:
> >
> > I'm pretty sure the box Comcast uses decodes the signal back to analog
> > when you hook it up to regular TV. I wanted to watch the HD coverage
> > of the Olympics(didn't care about the picture, wanted to see little
> > different coverage) so I went to Time Warner and exchanged my SA2100
> > for SA3100HD, hooked it up to my regular TV(no HDTV yet..) and blah...
> > it doesn't decode.
> > So...
> > Does it have such a capability or?
>
> I think the SA3250HD Cable Box is better than a
>
> SA3100HD....
>
> A regular TV requires 'Analog HD inputs' generally
>
> from the Set Top Boxes hardware S-Video out port...
>
> to the back of the regular analog TV...
>
> You may have to set the TV set via remote to
>
> Video 1 or Video 2 in...
>
> This should be a 480i out TV signal.

Nope, unfortunately S-video has no HD output.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Mike Lipin wrote:
>
> Dennis Mayer <Polaris1@execpc.com> wrote in message news:<412353EB.6D014663@execpc.com>...
> > Mike Lipin wrote:
> > >
> > > I'm pretty sure the box Comcast uses decodes the signal back to analog
> > > when you hook it up to regular TV. I wanted to watch the HD coverage
> > > of the Olympics(didn't care about the picture, wanted to see little
> > > different coverage) so I went to Time Warner and exchanged my SA2100
> > > for SA3100HD, hooked it up to my regular TV(no HDTV yet..) and blah...
> > > it doesn't decode.
> > > So...
> > > Does it have such a capability or?
> >
> > I think the SA3250HD Cable Box is better than a
> >
> > SA3100HD....
> >
> > A regular TV requires 'Analog HD inputs' generally
> >
> > from the Set Top Boxes hardware S-Video out port...
> >
> > to the back of the regular analog TV...
> >
> > You may have to set the TV set via remote to
> >
> > Video 1 or Video 2 in...
> >
> > This should be a 480i out TV signal.
>
> Nope, unfortunately S-video has no HD output.
> On the side note, does anyone sell a converter?


Mike here is the HD 'signal' experiment I just ran at home...

I have Time Warner Cable with 11 HD Channels... plus Analog stuff.

I have a SA3250HD Cable box with DVI, Component, &
S-Video out...

I have a Sony 34HS510 HDTV with DVI, Component, or
S-Video In...

I disconnected DVI Out from Cable Box and ran the S-Video Cable
between the Time Warner 3250HD Box to the TV via S-Video..

The result was a very darn GOOD 480i (superb) TV picture of
the Time Warner HD Cable content........
in 16:9 with black bars or no black bars...

No, the Picture was not HD quality..... (Superb for wide480i)
but the picture in 480i contained HD program content...

In summary... IF you have an analog TV and
a Cable Box that passes HD signal(s)...
you can view the HD content at a nice 480i resolution
on an Analog TV set.... using an S-Video Cable.
NOTE: Your TV need an S-Video port In...

And the Audio requires red/white cable to TV pair....
or Dolby Digital coax/optical IF you use
an A/V receiver & speakers for sound...