Primecast

Television

Is DIRECTV available at my property?

Primecast has partnered with DIRECTV to deliver extensive, high-quality digital programming to our subscribers. Unfortunately, this service is not available at all properties. While DIRECTV is Primecast's primary provider of digital television service, some Primecast properties are serviced by other satellite or digital providers. If you currently receive television service through a different provider, you likely live at one these properties and will not be able to receive programming from DIRECTV.

What are the requirements to view the High Definition Television (HDTV) Channels available within my bulk community association line-up?

The High Definition channels provided within your bulk community association line-up require either an HD-Ready television in conjunction with a separate HD-Tuner Set Top Box or an HD television with a built-in HDTV tuner. If you have an HD-Ready television there are two options for obtaining the required the HD-Tuner Set Top Box:

1. Purchase an HD-Tuner Set Top Box with an ATSC tuner from your local electronics retailer
2. Sign up for a digital upgrade and one of the HD packages along with an HD Set Top Box

If you are using an HDTV with a built in tuner, some brands of HDTV only require 1 coax input on the TV to be installed to view both analog and HD content. Some HDTV sets require two coax inputs on the HDTV to be installed along with a 2 way splitter from our video outlet. From the output of the 2 way splitter, a coax cable will be installed to each of the two coax inputs on the TV. This process will give your TV access to local HD channels and to the analog channels. Typically an HDTV that requires 2 coax inputs has one input for the analog content and one for the HD content, and the television set will not allow you to view both the HD channels and the analog channels without switching between the video inputs.

Who decides the channel line-up?

A standard line-up is created by Primecast based on television viewing habits and demographics in your community. In addition to the standard line-up, more channel options are available through the various digital packages offered by Primecast. To find out more about the available choices, contact the call center today at 866.671.1117

What are the movie and sports upgrade packages?

Please refer to your product and pricing guide for information on these and other premium upgrades. If you have any additional questions or for pricing information specific to your property contact the call center at 866.671.1117.

Why is the volume on some channels lower than others?

This can result from any combination of problems with three components: your television, the actual signal being received and a modulator box that regulates the signal for particular channels.

Newer television sets have audio options that allow you to choose among three types of audio signals: Mono, Stereo and Separate Audio Program (SAP). SAP allows broadcasters to send audio signals in different languages for viewers to select. Many channels, however, do not feature programs with a language option. When these channels are set to receive SAP audio signals, the program is received at a lower volume. You can fix this problem by setting the channel back to a Mono audio signal. Consult your television owner's manual for instructions on how to adjust audio signals.

Sometimes the variance is caused by the difference in volume from one program or commercial to another combined to make up the signal being delivered to your television. While Primecast always strives to provide you with the highest quality signal available, they (like all providers) are limited by the quality of programming and commercials delivered to them from content providers. This issue is unavoidable and is dependant on the creators of the content being delivered through our signal.

Finally the sound you experience may be affected by modulator boxes employed to provide a wider variety of sounds for particular channels. While these normally enable more variety in sound options, they sometimes need to be adjusted for optimal delivery.

Why does my HDTV television picture look so distorted?

Your digital television receives analog signals at a lower resolution than digital programming. Many people make a large investment in a digital or HDTV set and then automatically expect to get a beautiful picture over a service that wasn't designed to deliver a high-quality, digital images (i.e., an analog signal). If your property only offers an analog channel line-up in its bulk package, your picture will appear distorted because in order to accommodate for that signal, your television will "stretch" the pixels to fit the resolution of your screen. In order for your television to receive the full benefit of the investment you have made, you will need to subscribe to either digital or high-definition programming. Primecast offers several digital packages. Contact us today at 866.671.1117 to learn more reaching the full potential of your television's capabilities.

Why do I see gray vertical bars on the sides of my HDTV channels?

Not all HD channels deliver HD programming 100% of the time. If you are watching a show and see the gray bars displayed on the sides, this does not usually indicate that anything is wrong with your television or the signal you are receiving. Rather that particular show is simply being broadcast in standard definition format. Even if you are watching a program being broadcast in HD, the commercials could be delivered in standard definition format and the gray bars will appear for the duration of the commercials. These gray bars can be removed by updating the picture type settings on your HDTV or HD Set Top Receiver.

Can I boost the quality of the signal coming into my house without a converter box?

All signals entering your home are designed to be delivered within specific required standards. However, if you experience a low-quality television picture, please contact Primecast at 866.671.1117 and we will dispatch a technician to verify. Boosting a signal outside the acceptable range may interfere with the quality of the signal and/or damage your television set.

Why do I have to rescan for channels or switch the video input on my HD TV in order to view HD channels instead of analog channels?

Some televisions have two built-in tuners: one to receive an analog signal and the other to receive a digital signal. In order to view digital channels, you may have to switch to the digital tuner, which in turn will require a rescan for the available digital channels and vice versa when you want to return to viewing analog channels you must rescan on the analog tuner. Consult your television owner's manual for more information regarding the built-in tuners.

How will the transition from analog to digital signal delivery in February 2009 affect my services?

This transition will in no way affect the television service that Primecast provides to any TV set connected to our service (through our fiber/coax facilities). Only older model (analog) TV sets that receive broadcasts "over the air" will be affected and will require a digital to analog converter in order start receiving a digital signal. For complete information regarding the transition, please refer to dtv.gov.