TV PARTY TONIGHT!!!

[captain_slinky]

ought a set of Rabit Ear Antenae for our TV at a garage sale today, we get 3 channels VERY well and 2 other channels *kinda*. Four, Five, Seven (kinda), Nine, Eleven and Thirteen (kinda). Or for those outside of the Greate Seatle Area, that's ABC, NBC, CBS (kinda), PBS, The CW and FOX.

Other channels I *should* be able to get with just a bit of fiddling around would be Two (CBUT from Canada), Six (Local station KONG, Semi-affiliated with NBC but only just barely), Fifteen (PBS Station out of Tacoma) and Twenty-Two (Another local station, no idea if they have an affiliation with any network). Oh, and there's SUPPOSEDLY a PAX affiliate in Bellevue that' broadcasting, but I have no idea what channel it is.

Only three channels I'l miss by not having cable; Food Network, Comedy Central and Sci-Fi. I'd also miss Cartoon Network, but everything that's on there that I have an interest in will be available on their website if I *really* want to see it.

ut watching TV like this is just so... OLD SKOOL! I have to watch the commercials, i have to watch whatever they want me to watch at the time that they want me to watch it, I have to flip channels to find out what's on another channel... it's CRAZY! It's like I'm back in 1986 before Cale ever hit my rural part of Anacortes! THIS IS SO COOL!!!

Comments

[schizoauthoress.livejournal.com]

You believe that now...wait a few months...

Also, I only know the attenae-jacking methods that apply in Tacoma, but I will check my teen-range channels to see if there's a PAX somewhere there.

[bjorker.livejournal.com]

Can I ask you a very selfish question? Relating to Comcast and television channels? If I remember correctly, your specialty is the Comcast internets, but perhaps I am mistaken.

It's probably hard to answer my question if I can ask you a selfish question without much context, I know, but if the answer is "no, you selfish biatch", then ignore the following. :P

We just landed ourselves a free 51" digital HDTV. Long, painful story about how that happened. I didn't really even want it, but maybe I'm just ungrateful. :P

Anyway. We have basic cable, which used to get us until about channel 30, and a few other oddballs, like HGTV on channel 68, and the Canadian station on 99. Now with this digital TV thingy, we seem to have some other seriously random channels, some of which have decimals. Clearly I don't really know what I'm talking about here, but an easy example would be that channel 4.1 (I think it is) is the HDTV version of KOMO. But some of them I can't even figure out what they are, like channel 121.31 is some weird movie channel, or something like that (I made up the #, but I'm sure it's close). I can't figure out what the heck this is about. The Comcast website is quite unhelpful. Maybe I should just call them and ask, but my ignorance is a little embarassing. More than anything, I'd just like to find a list of these channels. They're at such odd numbers (I don't know if that's specific to my TV, or not?), and don't often identify what channels they are. I'm confused. Did I mention that? Confused.

So there's my selfish question. If you want to come over and watch my weird tv channels, you are more than welcome, by the way. But we don't have the Food Network, Comedy Central or Sci Fi, either. So I guess that's not much help. :\

With this tv, I am a little tempted to just get the dang digital cable package already, but then I'd be REALLY tempted to sit in front of the tv all day. Which is a big reason why we got basic cable to begin with. And, well, digital cable is 'spensive.

Okay. I'll be quiet now. :X

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

No problem at all! I like being The Comcast Guy even if I'm no longer "The Comcast Guy" :)

The weird numbering is indeed a function of your TV and not of Comcast. You're using the TV's internal HD receiver instead of a Comcast External one (a cable box) and your TV is doing all it can to make sense of the signals and put them in the right place.

Your "Channel 4.1" is usually broadcast on channel 104 through a Cable Box. Besides channel 4, you should also be ale to find HD simulcasts of channels 5 (KING), 6 (KONG), 7 (KIRO), 9 (KCTS), 11 (KSTW) and 13 (KCPQ). Then come the ODDBALL channels that you should be getting. No idea where you'd find them on YOUR TV, but through a Comcast Cable Box you would also get an HD version of The Discovery Channel on 663 and the two "HD Content" channels (probably the weird-ass Movie Channel you were talking about) on channels 660 an 661. And then if you were to UPGRADE to the $33-a-month Cable Service with all the channels and whatnot, the EXTRA HD Channels you'd get would be TNT HD, MOJO/FSN HD, VERSUS/GOLF CHANNEL HD, ESPN and ESPN2 HD. Plus all the other channels that fall between 2-and-99 (non-HD) and the On-Demand service which is what REALLY makes it al worth while :)

[bjorker.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, thank-you, that is very helpful. :) Would the $33 month be permanent, or just an intro charge? We also have cable internet, at least for now, if that matters. I'm still not sure I'd want to get it, but something to consider, I suppose.

Thanks again! :D

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

It's $33 a month for your first 6 months, then $45 a month after that. You should be able to have them jut mail you a cal box so you don't have to pay for installation, and there's no contract so you can cancel at any time with no repercussions :)

[lynna12000.livejournal.com]

If you want, i can make a copy of The Dresden Files for you. I dvr'd it off sci fi earlier this year & finally tranferred it to dvd. My copy is currently on loan, but when i get it back, i'll get it to you.

I'm also planning on dvring Eureka when it comes back in 2 weeks. Want a copy?

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, thank you! Yes please!

[lynna12000.livejournal.com]

Which one? or both? I also have a copy of Life on Mars, Series One from BBCAmerica. This too was copied from the dvr. So no commentaries, but still it's pretty good. Series Two is due to be released (hopefully) towards the end of July.

Let me know if there is anything coming up you want a copy of. I'll do my my best to accomodate you.

[teegin.livejournal.com]

Hey dude I have one of those powered antennas which might help your tv reception. Would you like to use it?

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

No thanks, this one is working just fine :)

[lavicka.livejournal.com]

I would like to state, for the record, as someone who lived in Anacortes well before 1986....

Those in town proper had cable (consisting of about 13 channels) well before 1986. In fact, if memory serves, I believe we got cable around 1975. It was only those like you and I that lived out in the boonies who didn't get cable til much later.

Of course, if you're talking about cable like everyone has now, complete with things such as MTV, then you are correct. We didn't get that in town until the early 80's. '83/'84 I believe.

Of course, we did have satellite down at Latitude 48, complete with MTV, much earlier than that. Something like 1982. I remember it very well because it was the ONLY place in town to see MTV and I was mesmerized. I also remember the whole city being up in arms over the fact that "that music show" was available to the youth of their society. It was almost as bad as when we got a McDonald's or, before that, the 7-Eleven.

Damn, I'm old...

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Don't get your shawl in a knot, Granny... think it's ime to cut-down on the Geritol :P

GOOD OLD LATITUDE 48! Pool tables, Video Games and the MTV! How id a place like that ever go out of business?

[lavicka.livejournal.com]

No idea. But I do know the city was NOT happy with it being in business. Actually, if memory serves, I believe they were shut down for running drugs out the back room.

Yeah, good old Anacortes... How'd a place like that not make more of a mark??