232 replies to this topic

[cypherstream]

We already went 64 qam upstream. They're waiting for the rest of the eq to be set in the headend and we'll begin bonding the downstreams.. They claim we're going to launch 150meg down and 98meg up.. I'll wait for that to happen. Our FTTH overbuilder here offers 10 meg down and 10 meg up. We offer 20 meg down and 2 meg up. Customers seem to harp on the upload speed. We plan to deliver..

Wow 98 up! How many bonded upstreams do you need for that? I'm not in the engineering side of things, but I do know you can only fit so many upstream channels reliably in that return path! What about existing DOCSIS 2.0 eMTA's, they can tune a 64QAM upstream channel for both voice and data right?

Edit: Forgot to ask, are you using pathtrak to monitor your return? We have it and it's great.

Edited by cypherstream, 25 February 2010 - 12:47 PM.

[System Tech Senior]

I don't know the exact number they're doing, but can ask the headend sup.. We still run the 16 qam carrier also. TDMA or docsis 1 devices see that and use it. ATDMA uses the 64 qam upstream. We have combined our mta's and they can be used as modems as well. 1 box 2 functions. We actually suggested this when we were releasing phone, but they said no. Now they want to converge all the homes that have both services if possible. Just created more work for the service guys and installers. Yulp, we use pathtrack. I can look at it anytime I need from my company laptop on VPN.

[Dak]

Ok put in a new router (Netgear Wireless N). Had an old Linksys WRT-54g. Now this is more like it! Upload's a little taxed with another application running, but even with that going, it's still good!

edited to add modem page:

When do you think you will start bonding the upstream? That will bring the speed up for sure.

Dak

[cypherstream]

Ok put in a new router (Netgear Wireless N). Had an old Linksys WRT-54g. Now this is more like it! Upload's a little taxed with another application running, but even with that going, it's still good!

edited to add modem page:

When do you think you will start bonding the upstream? That will bring the speed up for sure.

Dak

In a few months they say. Right now the fastest tier is 50/10, but I know they eventually want to do 100 something, not sure when or what not.

For the big business accounts were running fiber to them. The big push right now is strengthening our business relationship. A lot more fiber is going up this year for that. Regular business class and of course residential are DOCSIS 2 / 3.0. DOCSIS 1.0 modems won't work anymore as of the end of 2009.

[Kimbo]

Ok put in a new router (Netgear Wireless N). Had an old Linksys WRT-54g. Now this is more like it! Upload's a little taxed with another application running, but even with that going, it's still good!

edited to add modem page:

When do you think you will start bonding the upstream? That will bring the speed up for sure.

Dak

In a few months they say. Right now the fastest tier is 50/10, but I know they eventually want to do 100 something, not sure when or what not.

For the big business accounts were running fiber to them. The big push right now is strengthening our business relationship. A lot more fiber is going up this year for that. Regular business class and of course residential are DOCSIS 2 / 3.0. DOCSIS 1.0 modems won't work anymore as of the end of 2009.

We are phasing out the docsis 1 modems company wide by EOY 2010 in preparation for docsis 3.

[olo131]

Found this bit of reading material on the trilithic web site

olo131


DOCSIS 3.0 Testing in HFC Networks

Nearly four years ago, the benefits of DOCSIS 3.0 were first introduced to the cable television industry. In the highly competitive cable television market, providers have been looking for ways to offer better services. In this market, quality of service and additional broadband features are the defining features that customers’ decisions are based on. As such, many cable providers are migrating to DOCSIS 3.0; with its higher data rates, additional subscriber capability, better bandwidth utilization, high-quality IP video, and the ability to carry IPv6 addresses, it is hard to ignore the benefits of D3.

As cable providers begin to implement DOCSIS 3.0 in their systems, the need to service these enhanced systems became an apparent and immediate demand.

Trilithic was among the first to anticipate this demand and has responded with a built-in CableLabs® certified D3 modem for the 860 DSPi multifunction cable analyzer. The inclusion of the D3 modem enables a full compliment of tests on DOCSIS 3.0 signals, including complete statistical information about each of the bonded signals, including individual downstream receive levels and upstream transmit levels, downstream MER and pre- and post-FEC BER. Additionally, a full range of throughput tests can be performed.

https://www.trilithi...ry/Feature.html

[cypherstream]

We use the JDSU DSAM family for testing.
http://www.jdsu.com/...-list/dsam.html

A few months ago they were upgraded with the DOCSIS 3 support.

[4port20]

yea we are going to a full 64 right now we are at a mix. We are getting ready for faster upload speed's and impulse cable. Have any of you messed with impulse. When you go to 64 your plant has to be tight tight.

You stick around We may need you. Haven't heard Impulse in years we had Impulse PPV boxes no need for return Subs would call in to get PPV movies. Miss the good old days......NOT!!!!

I may be wrong with the name but from what I have been told which is very little, is that when you go to an channel you would always have some type of memory there to rewind maybe 5 to 10 min like a DVR but on all channels. So if you miss the start of a show you would have the chance to rewind to watch it.

That's called Start Over. Time Warner and Brighthouse are big supporters of it. Mainly software and a rack full of content ingest servers caching stuff to disk. It works like VOD technology, except the content ingest servers are running pretty much live to a seperate storage area network for the feature.

There's also SDV (Switched Digital Video) which Time Warner and Brighthouse are big proponents of. I'm in a Comcast area and we don't believe in SDV. Instead were getting our bandwidth back from removing analog. SDV is a great idea where a set of frequencies are set aside for switched programming (like VOD). With newer edgeQAM's you can share channels for VOD and TV. The Session Resource Manager talks to the carosel server and it all talks to software in the set top to build or tear down a video session. Thing is if someone else in the node is watching that channel and you tune in, you visit that same stream, thanks to the SRM. So unlike VOD it's shared if more than one person is utilizing it. You'll see lesser viewed channels rarely 'switched in' on the plant, thus saving bandwidth. The upstream at the stb must be really clean in order for it's request messages to hit the headend. Comcast doesn't want to go this route since it breaks cablecards in one way TV's and Tivo's, unless there is a 'tuning resolver' (USB device that plugs into the cable line and the tivo).

We still use 26 value taps. The system was rebuilt in 1997-98 and they cut in SA 9" Stretch taps since it was a retro fit rebuild. The tap right out of an LE is always 26. Actually the tap that feeds me is a 26 value 4-way. Drop comes into my home and into an unbalanced 3-way. -3.5 leg goes to a 2-way and feeds a DCX3400 DVR and a TV's QAM tuner. Back at the 3-way the -7 leg goes to the bedroom (DCX700) and the other -7 goes to a Motorola SBV5220 eMTA. The eMTA reports downstream level of 0dB, 36 SNR, upstream is at 48. The return on the set tops are in the high 50's... I know not ideal but they have no issues, and I don't always trust the reading in the Motorola diagnostics, as opposed to an SLM. Plus the return on the STB's are at 8.096 MHz QPSK vs. the eMTA talks back in 16QAM at 24 MHz.

I'd rather the system not use 26 value taps. I think the migration to DOCSIS 3.0 would be helped with migrating those tap plates to 23 value or 20. Can't wait to see what 64QAM levels look like!

We are launching switched video in the near future...(couple of months i believe) which means trouble calls throught the roof for a couple of weeks after.. Hopefully non responders are not a major issue,

Edited by 4port20, 03 March 2010 - 06:57 PM.

[motorola870]

yea we are going to a full 64 right now we are at a mix. We are getting ready for faster upload speed's and impulse cable. Have any of you messed with impulse. When you go to 64 your plant has to be tight tight.

You stick around We may need you. Haven't heard Impulse in years we had Impulse PPV boxes no need for return Subs would call in to get PPV movies. Miss the good old days......NOT!!!!

I may be wrong with the name but from what I have been told which is very little, is that when you go to an channel you would always have some type of memory there to rewind maybe 5 to 10 min like a DVR but on all channels. So if you miss the start of a show you would have the chance to rewind to watch it.

That's called Start Over. Time Warner and Brighthouse are big supporters of it. Mainly software and a rack full of content ingest servers caching stuff to disk. It works like VOD technology, except the content ingest servers are running pretty much live to a seperate storage area network for the feature.

There's also SDV (Switched Digital Video) which Time Warner and Brighthouse are big proponents of. I'm in a Comcast area and we don't believe in SDV. Instead were getting our bandwidth back from removing analog. SDV is a great idea where a set of frequencies are set aside for switched programming (like VOD). With newer edgeQAM's you can share channels for VOD and TV. The Session Resource Manager talks to the carosel server and it all talks to software in the set top to build or tear down a video session. Thing is if someone else in the node is watching that channel and you tune in, you visit that same stream, thanks to the SRM. So unlike VOD it's shared if more than one person is utilizing it. You'll see lesser viewed channels rarely 'switched in' on the plant, thus saving bandwidth. The upstream at the stb must be really clean in order for it's request messages to hit the headend. Comcast doesn't want to go this route since it breaks cablecards in one way TV's and Tivo's, unless there is a 'tuning resolver' (USB device that plugs into the cable line and the tivo).

We still use 26 value taps. The system was rebuilt in 1997-98 and they cut in SA 9" Stretch taps since it was a retro fit rebuild. The tap right out of an LE is always 26. Actually the tap that feeds me is a 26 value 4-way. Drop comes into my home and into an unbalanced 3-way. -3.5 leg goes to a 2-way and feeds a DCX3400 DVR and a TV's QAM tuner. Back at the 3-way the -7 leg goes to the bedroom (DCX700) and the other -7 goes to a Motorola SBV5220 eMTA. The eMTA reports downstream level of 0dB, 36 SNR, upstream is at 48. The return on the set tops are in the high 50's... I know not ideal but they have no issues, and I don't always trust the reading in the Motorola diagnostics, as opposed to an SLM. Plus the return on the STB's are at 8.096 MHz QPSK vs. the eMTA talks back in 16QAM at 24 MHz.

I'd rather the system not use 26 value taps. I think the migration to DOCSIS 3.0 would be helped with migrating those tap plates to 23 value or 20. Can't wait to see what 64QAM levels look like!

We are launching switched video in the near future...(couple of months i believe) which means trouble calls throught the roof for a couple of weeks after.. Hopefully non responders are not a major issue,

TWC dallas is 860MHz with digital QAMs starting at 77 currently with 47,50,61,63,73 just opened up in december for future digital use. they are reserving room 4-5 QAMs for DOCSIS 3.0(one or more are in use for docsis load balancing already) and moved 5 analogs to digital so they can shuffle some qams around to make room for SDV when it does launch.

Rhoady can you verify my hypothesis?

4port20 what system do you work for?

[System Tech Senior]

4port20 is a Service Tech here where I work..

[System Tech Senior]

Non responders will be the killer of Switched.. If it ain't responding, it ain't working.

[cypherstream]

Well if you have any interesting SDV stories, feel free to start a thread on it. I'm quite curious on the tech itself. Were not going that route, at least not this year or next. By the end of May there will only be about 23 analogs left on the system. That will leave plenty of room for the new advanced services.

[System Tech Senior]

I'm sure we'll have some real soon for ya.. We had a horrible time when they released 64qam upstream here. If the upstream SNR was below 25 you could hang it up.. Most of the problems were bad drops, connectors or inside wiring, but we did have a few line issues. We've pretty much got all that worked out. Now on to SDV..

[motorola870]

I'm sure we'll have some real soon for ya.. We had a horrible time when they released 64qam upstream here. If the upstream SNR was below 25 you could hang it up.. Most of the problems were bad drops, connectors or inside wiring, but we did have a few line issues. We've pretty much got all that worked out. Now on to SDV..

waiting for SDV here in north texas when they do launch it we should reach the 100+ HD mark and maybe they will add more spanish channels that TWC has contracts for.

They have deployed these in north texas
55 HD
VOD (comcast deployed this)
Digital simulcast added in 2008 added concurrently with the 860MHz upgrade.
more digital channels starting in 2006.
860MHz upgrade from 750MHz single line/550MHz dual line areas.
DCX series settops with 320GB harddrives in the DCX3400s
have added 15/2 internet residential and business varys
added powerboost
digital phone

The major HD(national) that TWC has contracts we are missing is
1)AMC HD
2)FUSE HD
3)IFC HD
HBO multiplex HD (x6)
Cinemax multiplex HD(x3)
SHO multiplex HD(x3)
STARZ HD Multiplex (x3)
TMC HD and TMC XTRA HD
19) KUVN HD(local)
20) KSTR HD(local)
21)MLB HD
22)BIG 10 HD (we have sd)
23)CMT HD
24)BET HD
25)NICK HD
26)MTV HD
27)PALLADIA
28)COMEDY CENTRAL HD
29)HALLMARK HD
30)GOSPEL MUSIC HD
31)VH1 HD
32)HLN HD
33)CARTOON NETWORK HD
34)truTV HD
35)TCM HD
36)INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY HD
37)HISTORY INTERNATION HD
38)WGN HD
39)CRIME and INVESTIGATION HD
40)MSNBC HD
41)QVC HD
42)HSN HD
43)OUTDOOR CHANNEL HD
44)TENNIS CHANNEL HD
45)GAME HD
46)GAME 2 HD
47)TEAM HD
48)BBC AMERICA HD
49)TV ONE HD
50)E! HD
51)G4 HD
52)STYLE HD
53)RFD HD
54)FOX Business Network HD
55)encore HD
56)NHL NETWORK HD and SD
57)NBA TV HD
58)KXTX HD (local)

and hopefully docsis 3.0 comes soon to TWC dallas



this is not including 4 HD cinemax feeds we dont have in SD.

[olo131]

MAN!!! I feel like I work for a mom and pop now. I think we only have 36 HD and who knows when we will get 3.0.

olo131

[motorola870]

MAN!!! I feel like I work for a mom and pop now. I think we only have 36 HD and who knows when we will get 3.0.

olo131

there was a press release where knology was debating SDV,1GHz upgrades,and analog reclaim and the konology represenative was leaning toward analog reclaim it would be nice they did all three and move ethnic tiers,and lower viewed channels to SDV when needed as upgrading to 1GHz and dropping analog expanded basic would give a lot of bandwidth use and no need for SDV until all of that is used up and most of todays cable boxes cannot tune above 135 except for the tru2way capable boxes from motorola,cisco,samsung, and pace.

just going from 750MHz to 870MHz give enough bandwidth to add 36 HD into the new space using 12 3:1 HD QAMs and reserving the rest for docsis 3.0 and more services such as digital simulcast. This is what TWC dallas has done.

[cypherstream]

MAN!!! I feel like I work for a mom and pop now. I think we only have 36 HD and who knows when we will get 3.0.

olo131

The system that buts up against ours (and in some places you could get either) is a small Mom & Pop called Service Electric Cablevision. They upgraded their Magnavox Diamondmax 750 to CCOR 870 gear. They were able to reuse a lot of the same housings because CCOR bought the Diamondmax line. They have about 50 or 55 HD's. I noticed their HSI jumps around a lot too (My Dad has them). One day it's like on Ch 92, another time it's on 90. I wonder if they do a DCC and load balance the modems or something. One thing about that mom and pop is they have TONS of fiber. It's like Node > amp > TAP. They have so many nodes it's crazy.

They are a great little mom & pop, except they don't have HD-VOD, but they do have HD-PPV so you can order the fights in HD live. I'm with Comcast and we don't have HD-PPV yet. HD will come to our system in the next few months as part of the analog reclamation project 'Calvary'. At least I have 50mbps internet!

Edited by cypherstream, 04 March 2010 - 05:23 PM.

[motorola870]

update from yesterday big changes coming to TWC dallas DOCSIS 3.0 coming advertised speed of 30/5 and 50/5 when it does launch later this month subject to change.

Also SDV starts April 5th moving all HD except for locals, HBO HD,SHOW HD,and HDPPV to SDV no SD channels are going to be switched at this time they are making 14 HD QAMs SDV QAMs and they have 5 open QAM right now.

So im expecting A28 by the end of the month.

[Dak]

update from yesterday big changes coming to TWC dallas DOCSIS 3.0 coming advertised speed of 30/5 and 50/5 when it does launch later this month subject to change.

I just received my new D3 modem from provider. They are mailing one out to every CM subscriber in any D3 area. We have been instructed to recylcle the old D2 unit.

Her's a picture of the new one.The top one is a UBEE and is the new one. The old is on the bottom and was some kind of generic Ambit.


 D3dotO.JPG   1.64MB   35 downloads


Here is a couple of pics of it installed.


 Mech1.JPG   1.51MB   44 downloads  Mech3.JPG   1.43MB   39 downloads

There are currently three channels bonded in the downstream.

 Cable_Modem_Configuration__DS.pdf   19K   20 downloads

Here's the current upstream:

 Cable_Modem_Configuration_US.pdf   18.71K   15 downloads

Blazing now eh?

Dak

Edited by Dak, 06 March 2010 - 03:32 PM.

[System Tech Senior]

Nice set up Dak, looks clean. Cool pics too. Is that in your house?? We used to use the bottom Ambit also. We started using Ubee's, but it's a little different than the one in the picture.