About pdhenry

@Rustyben wrote: @asndad wrote: I get HD on the Android app, on the Windows application, and on my cable box. My local channels only broadcast in HD, as required by the FCC. Yet, the Roku app only has SD, except for HBO. Also, Comcast's SD dose not "fill" the screen, another issue. I had it fixed after a three hour call to tech, then after they updated the app, boom, HD gone again. Another three hour tech call, and they tell me the Roku app will only alow HD for those paying for HD or showing an HD feed, yet many people do not have that on their bill due to agreement with Comcast, such as myself. I believe it is a programming issue. They need to get the programmer to fix it, but that person is too busy to help out customers. I understand how much Comcast dislikes their customers, hence they always have such a bad reputation. when you see a program in SD that is 'postage stamped' (curtains all around) notice if the channel icon and captions (if turned on) appear within that 'stamp' frame. If so, the SD channel is broadcasting with AFD (automatic Format Descriptor) metadata that the broadcaster (if local) honors (processes the instructions) or ignores (postage stamp or even a square).   Comcast as well as other cable providers will probably process this data properly in the future during the recoding process as equipment is upgraded. If you google the AFD term there are many articles explaining it. TVLand has completed conversion but Comcast is not passing the AFD instruction to the x1 set top boxes nor to any streaming apps recoding process.   the purpose of AFD is to give you wide near-full screen images for older 4:3 (using pan and scan) and actual full screen for content originally in 16:9. The same SD channel showing an original movie in 2:39:1 format will appear full screen horizontally with a small top and bottom curtain even though it is in SD format. look at MeTV or Movies! or Antenna TV (usually local broadcast) to see AFD properly processed screens. You're deflecting.   What we're saying is that we can watch  HD on our home sets, on the Xfinity mobile apps and in OnDemand programming but not on the Roku and you give us technical detail unrelated to the fact that the Roku app doesn't tune HD channels for us. ... View more

@ComcastDan wrote: If anyone who lost access to HD channels in the Roku app can send me a private message with a screenshot of their bill showing "HD Technology fee" listed as part of their service, I would be happy to have someone investigate.  The rate code in the billing system is what drives the availability of HD channels in the Roku app. If you don't have this fee listed and would like access to HD channels, please contact our customer service specialists at 800-XFINITY.   For example, the image below from my bill shows the fee listed within the "TV" section.                               Hi, ComcastDan. I've seen you say many times that the Roku app looks for evidence of the HD technology fee on a subscriber's bill to activate the option for the app to transmit HD programming, so I guess it's true that that's how the app is programmed.   The problem from my perspective is that doesn't capture all of the Comcast customers who are legitimately receiving HD programming on their in-home devices. I have CableCards in TiVos and they receive HD programming as defined in my cable lineup (I believe the FCC requires the CableCards in the customer-owned devices to tune all channels in the subscriber's lineup) without a separate HD programming fee on my bill. As further evidence, in the TiVo's Xfinity OnDemand menus I can select to watch SD or HD versions of OnDemand programming.   So it appears that the Roku requiring the additional fee is inconsistent with how other customer-owned equipment is handled. It seems to me that if I can tune to an HD channel and watch an HD OnDemand program on my TiVo I should be able to do the same on my Roku with the Xfinity app. But right now I can only watch SD programming through the Roku. ... View more

Any chance you guys are Cable Card only, i.e., no Xfinity set top box in your home?   I only have Cable Cards in TiVos and like you I only can tune to SD channels and receive SD OnDemand programs through the app. There's no Format option in the the Settings menu. ... View more