cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
| Service Electric Cablevision - Breaking News My buddy just moved and transfered his service with SECV in Birdsboro, PA.
Now he already had his Motorola 6412 Phase 3 DVR with him, but while the guy was there installing in his new townhouse he upgraded his bedroom to a HD box, which happens to be a PACE box. So far he loves the Pace box.
The Cable guy said by the end of May this year, they plan to be all digital and launch 40 new high definition channels! That's right, 40 HD channels on top of the 30 they already have! If this cable guy is right (hopefully he is, that will put Service Electric up to 70 HD channels! Eat that Comcrap! Never underestimate the little cable operators!
You know the other thing that makes me want to believe the tech was that an article in our local Reading Eagle newspaper stated that Service Electric will be migrating to an ALL DIGITAL service, where every TV will require a set top box. You know how much bandwidth this frees??? Well they have about 77 Analog channels now, and they are a 750 MHz network pushing stuff past that to Ch 120. Talk about the little operator that could! | |
|
 zed260
join:2007-09-30
Cleveland, TN | Re: Service Electric Cablevision - Breaking News if they add sdv and move to mpeg4 encoding its possible they could add over 200 | |
|
MadMANN
Premium
join:2005-08-19 | I confirmed that the same is happening in the Sunbury systems as well. However, their system is 860mhz. | |
|
 |
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
2 edits | Re: Service Electric Cablevision - Breaking News Reporting from my PDA at my buddies house...
WOW the PACE DVR is awesome! It still runs iguide v74, box firmware is 9.59. It does native HD pass through unlike the crappy motorola. The eSATA port actually works and there's no remote command queing issue either. Levels on Science channel HD are 36 SNR and return path is only 36 after 2 two way splitters. It has a cable card installed in it, but has a metal cover over it so you can't take it out without removing the screws on the external cover.
OK, signing out... | |
|
| 
JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
 ·Verizon FIOS
| MadMANN-
That's cool news about the Sunbury system. My parents and brother will get to enjoy that. I never knew that was an 860 system - but makes sense.
Any time table on that happening???
--
"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" | |
|
| |
MadMANN
Premium
join:2005-08-19 | Re: Service Electric Cablevision - Breaking News Well, as a former insider, I know that they always push their deadlines ahead, so even if I had a tentative, it probably wouldn't stick. | |
|
| | | rody_44
Premium
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA
1 edit | Re: Service Electric Cablevision - Breaking News im pretty sure the tentative date is now 2012 for analogs to go away. thats what im being told. | |
|
| | | |
JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE | SECV - New Website WOW!
Check out their new website!
www.secv.com
Channel lineups are finally updated - pretty impressive layout!
--
"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" | |
|
stevelion
join:2007-09-10
Fleetwood, PA
 ·Teleblend
1 edit | I called SECV Birdsboro to discuss what would happen when they went all digital. I didn't feel that the CSR had the correct information so I finally spoke to a technician. He told me that they would simulcast some channels in both analog wand digital for quite some time. This is good news for me as I do not want converter boxes for all of my TVs for both aesthetic and cost reasons.
He confirmed that they are currently rolling out all channels in digital and that the updates should be available on Monday evenings. If using a QAM tuner, scan for changes on Mondays to get the updates. If using an analog/digital set-top-box, you don't need to do anything as the analog channel will just be replaced by the digital version when available. | |
|
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
| They are getting ready for a brand reimage campagign maybe....
With a ton of new HD channels on the horizon for 2008, perhaps they are modernizing their look and feel. I saw a SECV High Speed Internet billboard driving one day. The marketing on the billboard is really modern and hip. | |
|
Thermo1223
join:2001-12-20
Allentown, PA
| Yet they still don't give a flying F about the Allentown and to some extent the Whitehall area.
They still are much worse than RCN I don't care how many HD channels they have.
Step number one to improving would be to drop Penn Tele Data off the face of the planet.
Numerous tech calls, numerous service visits, same crap different day. 
Waiting for Verizon to get back to me and then I am dropping them. Already went Directv, much better than SECTV could ever be and cheaper. | |
|
|
MadMANN
Premium
join:2005-08-19
 ·Comcast
| Re: Service Electric Cablevision - Breaking News said by Thermo1223  :Yet they still don't give a flying F about the Allentown and to some extent the Whitehall area. They still are much worse than RCN I don't care how many HD channels they have. Step number one to improving would be to drop Penn Tele Data off the face of the planet. Numerous tech calls, numerous service visits, same crap different day. Waiting for Verizon to get back to me and then I am dropping them. Already went Directv, much better than SECTV could ever be and cheaper. You are talking about a different company. There is SECTV and there is SECV, which is what this thread is about. | |
|
| |
JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Service Electric Cablevision - Breaking News Exactly MadMANN!
Besides, PTD just re-did their entire network within PA from what I understand. I can ping my mom's computer on PTD in Central PA from my house on FIOS in DE in only 20ms.
--
"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" | |
|
Thermo1223
join:2001-12-20
Allentown, PA | It is the same company...
They just changed the name for your specific locale. | |
|
|
JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
·Verizon FIOS
| Digital Phone My mom just signed up to get SECV's digital phone service on 4/4 (she needed a day when she could be home for the install).
It will save her ~$20/mo over her Verizon phone bill - and she'll have unlimited long distance. Plus, now she'll only have 1 bill to pay to SECV.
It's always fun to see though how a smaller town company works. She had to physically go into the Sunbury office with a copy of her phone bill and to sign paperwork to port the VZ number over.
Man, w/ Comcast all you did was call in, do the verification prompt, and you were set. Must be the reason it used to take 30 days to get a modem install up there. 
--
"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" | |
|
| |
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
| Re: Digital Phone Cool. Let me know how they like the phone service.
Does it include:
Caller ID/ Call waiting caller id?
Unlimited long distance in the US?
Voice mail?
Outside voice mail access?
Let me know what kind of eMTA they use. Will it power both HSI and Phone?
I'm just curious how the smaller MSO's will compare to the big boys (Comcast and TWC). | |
|
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
3 edits | I stayed over at a friends house with SECV Birdsboro, and I was the fist one up in the morning. I was flipping through the channels and it looks like they are almost done with all digital simulcast. The only channels without a DD symbol were 3,4,5,6, and 10. Everything else had that digital look to it.
Wonder why they didn't start with some of the lower channels. The lower you go the more analog fuzz. 3,4,5,and 6 would really benefit from ADS. The bulletin board on Ch 2 is digital though.
Anyway the digital quality was pretty good. I spot checked a few channel frequencies and levels and most of the ADS lineup was in the lower to middle 700 MHz range. All SNR's (even music choice on 93 MHz) were between 36.1 and 37.3 dB on tuner 1. Tuner 2 was about a 1 dB less.
I checked the NBA League pass preview channel on 340, and it even has a strong 37 dB SNR at 771 MHz. No errors what so ever. That's amazing for a 750 MHz system! I wonder how much higher they can push?
This was tested on a Motorola DCT-6416 Phase 3.
Firmware 16.42
I Guide 74.53 -3321
There is an HDMI audio issue with his box. If you turn on the TV AFTER the box, and switch from an SD channel to an HD channel with 5.1 audio, you get no sound. You have to soft power cycle the Motorola DCT. What's nice with SECV is that when you power off and on the box, the set top is on the last channel you were previously on. This makes power cycling so much faster. With the Comcast box, it always changes to channel 5 (CN8 Here) with a power cycle. This was with a Phillips 50" Plasma.
I did see his cable card Pace HD-DVR in the bedroom the night before, and I was pretty sure that the Pace box stretches the I-Guide to fill the screen, even on HD channels. I know my Motorola "Centers" the guide in the middle of the screen. With every channel change on the pace box though, the TV resync'd the video mode to the native resolution, which is a nice feature. IE) the TV said 720p when switching to National Geographic HD, and 1080i when switching to CBS HD. Overall the Pace box felt a little slower than his 6416 phase 3, but on par with my 6412 phase 2 on Comcast. | |
|
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
1 edit | I was at my Dad's house today and I noticed that his street is all marked up with orange lines on sides of the roads lining up with the pedestals. There's a huge spool of black underground cable at the front and back of his street. There's also a parked truck with equipment that says fiber optic services or something like that on there.
I asked my Dad what that was all about and he says it's Service Electric. I wonder what they are doing? They already have a 750 MHz plant there, with a 39 dB SNR on their modem. Are they upgrading to 1 Gig?
His street's not that long, and it's a no outlet. I've seen Cable Services out and about around as well. Seems like SECV is doing some plant construction here and there. | |
|
| |
| |
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
1 edit | Re: Digital Phone Wow a third drop! At that rate wouldn't some area's run out of tap ports??!!
Well in the Ped at my dad's house, theres an 8 port. It only feeds his house (I think). Two ports run to his house. Not sure where the third line goes. The neighbors appear to have their own peds. They just put all new peds in on the opposite side of the street as well. There's still marks on the ground from pa one call, but they are done. | |
|
| | | |
| | | |
JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
·Verizon FIOS
2 edits | Re: Digital Phone New speed tier- at my mom's house...(unfortunately i'm home for my grandmother's funeral)
Download Speed: 10401 kbps (1300.1 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 919 kbps (114.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
They bumped her to the new 10/1 tier as part of the phone install. And gave 1st month free - and free installation.
--
"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" | |
|
| | | | |
JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
·Verizon FIOS
1 edit | 20 new HD's Also,
They had an insert in their May bill- 20 new HD's coming.
The first ones will be
NHL Network
A&E
History
Weather Channel
CNN
Hallmark Movie
After checking the latest batch, it looks like the newest ones, Discovey, Animal Planet - are going to the highest frequencies since Sunbury is an 860 system. AP HD was on 801 frequency.
--
"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" | |
|
| | | | | |
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
| Re: 20 new HD's Wow 20 new HD's on top of the 30 something they already have? Sheesh, I wish I had SECV again!
There's another development around here in Exeter township where all of the streets are dug up. They are adding more cables underground and replacing pedestals. I wonder if they are doing a bandwidth expansion down here. I know they are at least a 750 MHz system already, as they have the NBA Barker channel on 771 Mhz. | |
|
| | | | | | |
JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
·Verizon FIOS
| SECV Digital Phone Anyone out there know how to set the # of rings for voicemail?? I was visiting home again this weekend - it's set by default to NINE rings before picking up (which is absurd) - but there are no options in any of the VM menus to adjust it.
Not sure if i'll get a response or not.
Also, in a weird twist, on the Sunbury system - they are showing CN8 (Yes, Comcast's channel) part-time on Channel 97. My brother told me they had the Phils game on the other night. Figured it was interesting stuff.
--
"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" | |
|
| | | | | | | | 
dssbss
@verizon.net | HD Anyone know if SECV (Birdsboro--Berks County) will be getting additional HD channels soon? | |
|
| | | | | | | | |
JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
·Verizon FIOS
| Re: HD More HD's are listed in the channel lineups "effective May 2008", so it should be shortly. See my post above for the 1st batch of new channels.
Also,
Emailed SECV, apparently THEY set the parameter for # of rings before voicemail pickup. A little odd that's something that would be set at the office.
--
"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" | |
|
| | | | | | | | |
dssbss
@verizon.net | Re: HD The channel lineup for my area doesn't say anything about the HD upgrades. Where are you finding this. I checked www.secv.com and typed in my zip. No coming in may there under the channel lineup | |
|
dssbss
@verizon.net | I RECEIVED THE NEW LINEUP IN THE MAIL TODAY.
20 new hd channels coming in the near future and about 6 more right away....CNN, Hallmark, NHL, A&E, History, Weather...SWEET! | |
|
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
4 edits | Looks like the Birdsboro system IS being upgraded to 860 or better!
QAM goes up to 128 now. Not sure how high they can push it (Perhaps 136 (864 MHz) or 159 (998 MHz)). The Amps and LE's look like the same Magnavox line gear, but there are after market 'drop in' upgrades available for pre-existing housings, so what's on the inside could be different than what you see on the outside.
Although they've also been pushing fiber deeper and upgrading to better quality hardline, so perhaps a 1 GHz node can push out to Node+2 750 to around 830 Mhz or so. (One amp, one L.E.) if the levels are tilted enough on the higher end. I know on my Dad's street, there's extra pedistals, and one new long vented type, which houses a node or amplifier. Plus each house now has it's own Ped, instead of long runs to a few common pedestals. In My dad's ped, there are three drops.
»www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/li···de=19606
123.5508 - WHYY PBS 12
123.5509 - WLVT PBS 39
128.1 - Black Screen
128.2 - Time and text "No Video Input"
Also the Birdsboro lineup shows 6 new HD channels, stuff like NHL HD, CNN HD, Weather HD, USA HD, etc.. Although these are not mapped to the boxes yet. | |
|
|
dssbss
@antietamsd.org | Well,
It's may 2 and the new HD channels aren't up yet. But my rates are. | |
|
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs: | I see they moved the cable modem data channel from 273 MHz to 609 MHz, going from 40 dB SNR +0dBmV power level to 37 db SNR -5 dBmV power level at my Dad's house.
Speed tests were about 6890 kbps down and 491 kbps up. | |
|
|
JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE | Re: Service Electric Cablevision - Breaking News I know at my mom's and brother's on the Sunbury system, modem was always 543 (or which ever one right around there)
--
"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" | |
|
dssbss
@omcastbusiness.net | New HD channels are now up!
Sweet!
Can't wait to get more. | |
|
|
See 7 replies to this post |
|
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
| Did some spot checking on the new HD's and there are two at 789 MHz. The quality is great on these new channels, I wouldn't mind having Service Electric. The only thing Comcast has over them is VOD library size and HD-VOD. SECV has a better lineup, the latest firmware, PACE boxes are available for native HD resolution / eSATA DVR expansion, and they now have triple play. Sure the internet only goes to 10mbps, but thats fine. | |
|
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
| Service Electric Cablevision and Weintraub Telecomm LLC (WeiTel) have partnered to complete annual FCC-mandated Proof of Performance Testing for Service Electric and perform on-going preventive maintenance on the operator’s power supplies throughout Pennsylvania.
The partnership will create more reliable systems for Service Electric and its customers, as well as identifying any problematic areas so that the operator can meet FCC regulations in a timely manner.
WeiTel won the contract to provide the PoP testing in the Birdsboro, Hazleton and Sunbury, Pa. systems. The testing will be performed twice a year and is required by the FCC to ensure that all the systems are in compliance with current regulations. The testing will include both headend and outside plant areas.
“WeiTel provides cable system operators with solutions that not only support preventive maintenance, but are targeted to enhance bottom-line operational performance,” said Bruce Weintraub, president and CEO of WeiTel. “By ensuring that equipment is running properly throughout the year, many problems such as outages or equipment failures can be prevented. This minimizes the customer service activity, service calls, or unplanned system maintenance, all of which have very high costs to the operator.”
Service Electric has also awarded WeiTel a two-year contract to provide power supply maintenance to upward of 1,100 power supplies throughout the Birdsboro, Hazleton and Sunbury, Pa. systems. This contract requires visiting each power supply twice a year to ensure that power will be supplied to the network in event of an emergency. The contract also includes installation and verification of the status monitoring system that provides real-time feedback on the condition of the power supplies and their batteries.
from: »www.cedmagazine.com/Service-Elec···nce.aspx
Your already reliable systems, are about to get more reliable (power wise). | |
|
|
JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE | Re: Service Electric, WeiTel team on testing, power supply maint Any hints on when SECV is releasing the other 12 HD channels? (In May it said they'd be adding 20, with 8 in so far.)
--
"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" | |
|
|
|
JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE | 4 More New HD's Looks like the Sunbury system received 4 more new HD's as of 8/11
Versus/Golf HD
Disney HD
ABC Family HD
Planet Green HD
Service Electric keeps chugging along....
--
"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" | |
|
| |
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
1 edit | Re: 4 More New HD's Birdsboro also added those channels.
They were ahead of Comcast in the area, and now they are even further along. Must be nice to send Cable Services techs out all day for the past year running fiber deep.
And rody_44, that may explain why they all share the same logo.
They also started rolling out the slim line PACE ASPEN MPEG4 DVR's in this area. Yes, eSATA expansion works like a dream. So does native HD resolution pass through. So not only do they have a good channel lineup, they have better customer presence equipment as well. | |
|
| | | rody_44
Premium
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA | Re: 4 More New HD's i know how much you guys like them pace boxes but i think they suck on both comcasts and service electric systems. very problematic on comcast and service systems. service still buys them but i think comcast gave up hope on them. | |
|
|
rody_44
Premium
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA | FWIW all the service electrics are related. it was once one company and the father broke it up and gave it to the sons with one brother being a coke head. | |
|
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
| Finally got to check out the new channels. Quality is excellent. Planet Green HD looks better than I thought. I think that's at 813 MHz. Must be nice to be able to upgrade the system to 870 MHz like that. Comcast needs to get a clue.
Anyway they are on firmware 16.42 for the HD Motorola boxes. Didn't see any HD-VOD yet, but that's ok considering they have a lot of channels. The Motorola 6200 HD box I used was so much faster in operation with F/W 16.42, TV-GOS 74.53 than my Motorola 6412p2 with F/W 16.35, Same TV-Guide. | |
|
|
dssbss
@verizon.net | Re: Service Electric Cablevision - Breaking News There's actually another channel on the lineup that isn't active yet. it is called PALLA....any ideas? | |
|
| | 
jmoz2989
join:2008-02-01
Moscow, PA | Re: Service Electric Cablevision - Breaking News That would be Palladia, which is the reincarnation of MHD. | |
|
| | |
dssbss
@verizon.net | Re: Service Electric Cablevision - Breaking News Looks to make sense.....MHD was worthless. I wish we would get SCIFI HD, USA...ones that show good programming. GreenHD is worthless and so is Wealth and HGTV. I wonder when and if WFMZHD will be added for Birdsboro. | |
|
| | | |
cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs: | Re: Service Electric Cablevision - Breaking News I believe all of that is on the adgenda. The bandwidth is available. Cable Services is still out there running more fiber and feeder lines. The system must be getting built up pretty nicely. | |
|
| | | | |
dssbss
@verizon.net
| Re: Service Electric Cablevision - Breaking News Don't get me wrong..I'm not complaining about SECV. I feel I get much more for my dollar than with comcast. Just some of the channels aren't very appealing to me personally. Which other HD channels are available out there? Is there a FOX News HD? | |
|
|
|
|
