Cedar Rapids Gazette: Iowa AG Tom Miller petitions FCC on Sinclair/Mediacom dispute

Miller calls on commission to grant Mediacom "interim carriage rights" until it can hear the cable company's complaint against Sinclair Broadcast Group:

http://gazetteonline.com/breaking-news/2009/12/30/iowa-attorney-general-to-fcc-don%e2%80%99t-let-sinclair-yank-its-stations

Going back and forth between WOI off antenna and NFL Network on DirecTV checking out the Insight Bowl. WOI PQ is awful. NFLN looking sharp and crisp, no artifacts, no pixelation, no dancing grass. WOI looks over-saturated and kind of washed out in comparison. Resembles taking the sharpness level on the TV to max setting. Scoreboard on WOI looks very pixelated as well.

Looks alright to me via Mediacom.

This reminds me.... how about Mediacom passes on Sinclair and picks up Red Zone? :)

Checked MediaCrap over my QAM Tuner as well... You can tell WOI is passing an inferior product over the NFLN feed of D*. But then again, even ABC/ESPN CFB on WOI has looked like crap all season anyway.

It's not really fair to compare bit-starved MPEG 2 OTA to high bitrate MPEG-4.

Plus, NFL Network broadcasts in 1080i and WOI broadcasts in 720p.

I'm not at all surprised that the WOI feed looked much worse.

Look, KDSM... I sympathize with your situation with Mediacom, I really do. But could you please leave us alone during the game?

No kidding

How come sometimes I can receive 209 but not 72, aren't they the same?

KDSM (Sinclair)& Mediacom reach agreement. (Or better stated perhaps, "Sinclair has granted Mediacom a one time" one-year "extension"...)
http://www.kcci.com/money/22171057/detail.html
Well, as long as it ends the bothersome scrolls, and constant HD/SD switching and audio gaps...

Has WOI been having problems the past day and a half? I just put up a VHF antenna (antennacraft cs600) on Tuesday to get in channel 5 here in Nevada. I was getting a solid 90% signal tuesday, wednesday, and most of thursday, but when the storm came through, the signal dropped out and I can barely maintain a signal. The signal strength really seems to be bouncing around.

All of my other VHF signals are coming in great (8, 11, 13).

I have an antennacraft cs600 and a DB4 combined (no preamps), going to a channel master CM 3414 distribution amplifier. I've tried it with and without the amplifier, and the signal seems same with or without it.

Since I just put the antenna up, I'm trying to figure out if this is my problem or if there is a problem with the WOI tower. I'm guessing it is on my end, but don't want to spend all day troubleshooting if it isn't me.

I'm actually hitting 68%. usually it is around 62 and let's just say I don't have the tolerance to watch it break up all the time. not sure about the day(s) you were having issues..


Has WOI been having problems the past day and a half? I just put up a VHF antenna (antennacraft cs600) on Tuesday to get in channel 5 here in Nevada. I was getting a solid 90% signal tuesday, wednesday, and most of thursday, but when the storm came through, the signal dropped out and I can barely maintain a signal. The signal strength really seems to be bouncing around.

All of my other VHF signals are coming in great (8, 11, 13).

I have an antennacraft cs600 and a DB4 combined (no preamps), going to a channel master CM 3414 distribution amplifier. I've tried it with and without the amplifier, and the signal seems same with or without it.

Since I just put the antenna up, I'm trying to figure out if this is my problem or if there is a problem with the WOI tower. I'm guessing it is on my end, but don't want to spend all day troubleshooting if it isn't me.

I noticed that the TV GUIDE logo has appeared in the electronic program guide of my DTVPAL DVR. This logo is supposed to indicate that we are receiving the TVGOS program guide datastream now instead of or in addition to the normal PSIP guide data.

As I understand it this service is mostly transmitted by CBS affiliates. Can anyone in the know confirm if this has been or is going to be broadcast by KCCI? I suppose I might have picked it but from CR but its unlikely.

I don't really know the inner workings of it at all, but I've had TVGOS since I bought my Pioneer 4360 in December of 2006. I live in Urbandale. :)

I don't really know the inner workings of it at all, but I've had TVGOS since I bought my Pioneer 4360 in December of 2006. I live in Urbandale. :)

Interesting. Does the Pioneer receive the TVGOS from an analog or digital source?

Interesting. Does the Pioneer receive the TVGOS from an analog or digital source?

I believe it is a digital signal. I've heard that this is a PBS signal, but I really don't know. :confused:

I have this site in my bookmarks . . .
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-EaLXs6bbBOq/learn/learningcenter/home/dvrs_tvgos2.html

I'm using a Sony HD DVR w/TVGOS. Anyone have any luck getting it to add 19, 23, or 56 to the digital grid? It lists every other local channel except for these. I hate not being able to get listings.

Does anyone know... now that I've seen the spot on 13 touting that they'll be going full HD with the news in the spring...

1. Is Mega-Doppler HD capable? I seem to recall when they first started using it, that it was on an HD monitor behind Ed Wilson... But I don't remember if it looked like it was stretched or not. How come they dont' stretch out their weather graphics anyway?

2. How fast will this get the higher-ups over at KCCI to switch to full HD? As the leading newscast in this market... surely they won't want to spend a lot of time being one-upped by the 'HO.

I personally am a fan of the KCCI newscast overall (except for the sports department)... but I don't mind one bit switching over to WHO for my news until KCCI upgrades completely. As much as I like the widescreen newscasts... It's getting old seeing the soft picture of the anchors... especially when John McLaughlin is imposed over the weather graphics on the green screen looking extremely blurry in contrast to the graphics.

Expect KCCI to act quickly. Typically, when either WHO or KCCI get a new toy, the other suddenly finds the money to have a similar toy (13's helicopter being the exception). Actually, I believe KCCI had already budgeted a move to HD for 2010 anyway.

WHO has been making several moves in this direction recently. They're regularly playing local HD commercials now and have done some news promos in HD, as well as a mixture of HD and anamorphic widescreen. Their newscast has been expanding its use of HD and anamorphic widescreen field reporting without fanfare as well.

Still, I think WHO would have gotten more bang for their buck if they'd gone HD in time for the Olympics instead of running teaser promos. This only gives people who are watching because of the Olympics time to forget...and KCCI time to react.

OK, I'm getting tired of the picture freezes and breakups on my HD channels via Mediacom that have been occurring over the last week while they continue to roll trucks and can't figure it out. So I decided to get the indoor antenna setup to at least pick up the local channels I watch OTA. I realize that OTA reception has many variables, the least of which is the fact that my family room is in the basement (only place that could best fit the tv, surround system, and entertainment devices), and I don't know the details of things but I was wondering if anyone could give me their opinion, and advice if any, on what I've got so far and what I'd like.

I've managed through trial and error with my TiVo HD's signal meter to get 8-1 at 68, 13.1 at 75, 17-1 at 80, and 23-1 at 72. The only other channel I really want is 5.1 but it and 11.1 (which I don't really care about) I can't pick up with the antenna set this way. 5-1 is around 40 at best but it jumps around a lot between 0 and that 40. 11.1 jumps between nothing and the 20s/30s.

I'm in the Johnston/Grimes area.

Ever since WOI-DT switched back to its VHF channel, I haven't been able to tune it in.

I recently bought a couple of HDHomeRun tuners from SiliconDust which came with some great software with signal quality meters. I am getting 97%-100% signal strength and 0% signal quality on channel 5 at 48 miles away with a rooftop Winegard MS2000. My research leads me to believe that I need an attenuator or trap, however I have no idea where to start.

Could someone offer a suggestion on whether or not I'm on the right track and where to go from here? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Ever since WOI-DT switched back to its VHF channel, I haven't been able to tune it in.

I recently bought a couple of HDHomeRun tuners from SiliconDust which came with some great software with signal quality meters. I am getting 97%-100% signal strength and 0% signal quality on channel 5 at 48 miles away with a rooftop Winegard MS2000. My research leads me to believe that I need an attenuator or trap, however I have no idea where to start.

Could someone offer a suggestion on whether or not I'm on the right track and where to go from here? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

It might actually be something different that is causing your problem. The antenna you have is somewhat omni-directional and very susceptible to multipath. If you have a multipath problem it can show the phenomenon you have described where there is plenty of signal at the frequency of interest but nothing that can be made sense of due to the overlapping multipath. It is also possible that you have saturated the input of the tuner. If you have the MS2000 with preamp, you could try taking the power away from the preamp to see what changes. You could also make a quick attenuator by grabbing a splitter and putting it inline before your silicondust tuner. Make sure you try to terminate the unused ports of the splitter for best results (75 ohm terminators are available or you could use a TV or VCR that isn't powered on). Lastly, you could have an issue with transport stream ID not being correct to watch through a PC. This has been a problem for various reasons n the past, but most users aren't having any issues. If you want to check this out you would need to describe your computer setup (software, tuner settings, etc). Good luck

Thank for your reply. I tried unplugging the preamp and the signal strength dropped to 37-40% so I plugged it back in. I put a 3-way splitter inline and plugged an old tuner card into the unused ports. On the 3.5dB port signal strength was 84-88% and the 7dB port it was 80-85% all while the signal quality remained 0%.

I'm not sure about this being a computer problem. It's been the same on a few different setups. I've been running Win 7 Media Center since RTM on a homebuilt P4 3.46 EE and Intel D925XECV2LK Desktop mobo. The tuners I used then were a pair of AVerMedia Combo PCIe and one A180 tuner. Then I bought the two HDHomeRun units which didn't work on that setup either. I got rid of the homebuilt (350W power hog) and replaced it with an ASUS EB1501 nettop. All other channels in the area are received very well.

What else should I try? Do you suppose the problem could be with the antenna? Thanks for your support!

Ever since WOI-DT switched back to its VHF channel, I haven't been able to tune it in.

I recently bought a couple of HDHomeRun tuners from SiliconDust which came with some great software with signal quality meters. I am getting 97%-100% signal strength and 0% signal quality on channel 5 at 48 miles away with a rooftop Winegard MS2000. My research leads me to believe that I need an attenuator or trap, however I have no idea where to start.

Could someone offer a suggestion on whether or not I'm on the right track and where to go from here? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Well if you would be able to get an ATSC TV to check it's ability to tune it would help quite a bit. The reason I think it could still be a computer issue is that you mention that you are using HDHomerun tuners, and there are several things people have had trouble with when using them. Inability to tune channels could be a network issue, but I am not sure how that would effect the signal level meter. It could also still be multipath, but if an ATSC TV could tune with your antenna setup I would think most antenna issues are out of the equation. In case you're wondering, I am still using media center 7 here in Ames, but I haven't used ATSC in a few months. My MS2000 antenna was able to receive it just fine in my attic when I did use it, but that was back in July last year.

I guess I should have mentioned that I haven't been able to tune it on my TV either. It's a Sony KDL-46S2010.

I guess I should have mentioned that I haven't been able to tune it on my TV either. It's a Sony KDL-46S2010.

Does the TV have a signal meter, and if so does it also say there is a good signal on RF channel 5? If so, then I think you need to consider trying a different antenna.

No signal meter on the TV. I think I'll pick up a different antenna and see what happens. I'm taking off for the weekend so I won't post a reply until next week. Thanks for the help!

Hello all, I am new here and don't have the time to sort through 135 pages of history in this forum.

I live in Ankeny and receive the following channels:
5-1
5-2
8-1
8-2
11-1
11-2
11-3
13-1
13-2
17-1
17-2
19-1
23-1

Are there any channels I am missing? I just have simple rabbit ears. I am looking for an antenna for less than $50. Any suggestions?

Directv users looks like we could be losing ABC 5 at the end of March.

Always something :mad:

http://www.myabc5.com/global/Story.asp?s=12196053

Directv users looks like we could be losing ABC 5 at the end of March.

Always something :mad:

http://www.myabc5.com/global/Story.asp?s=12196053


DIRECTV Statement on Citadel Broadcasting Dispute in Iowa

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Mar 24, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- DIRECTV released the following statement today from Derek Chang, executive vice president of Programming for DIRECTV:

"DIRECTV's contract with the Citadel-owned ABC station in Des Moines, Iowa, and the CBS station in Davenport, Iowa, is expiring on March 31. We have been negotiating in good faith to try and reach a resolution and will continue to do so. If an agreement is not reached by the deadline, we intend to continue to provide the stations as we have for many years, unless Citadel demands that we take them away from our customers. If the stations come down after the deadline, make no mistake, it will be solely and completely the station owner's (Citadel's) decision to take the channels away from our customers."

Not saying Directv doesn't have any fault in this matter but this Citadel Broadcasting always seems like they are a pain in the butt to deal with. My guess is they are trying to get unrealistic rates for the last place station in each of the Des Moines and Davenport markets.

Hello all, I am new here and don't have the time to sort through 135 pages of history in this forum.

I live in Ankeny and receive the following channels:
5-1
5-2
8-1
8-2
11-1
11-2
11-3
13-1
13-2
17-1
17-2
19-1
23-1

Are there any channels I am missing? I just have simple rabbit ears. I am looking for an antenna for less than $50. Any suggestions?

You have everything except 39 (ion tv). Their tower is near Colfax currently, and you may be able to get it if you reposition your antenna. All of the other stations transmit from the big towers to your north.

If you're not having performance issues, a simple set of rabbit ears may just be the best thing. You don't need anything with an amp as close as you are to the towers...an amplified antenna may cause problems.

Not saying Directv doesn't have any fault in this matter but this Citadel Broadcasting always seems like they are a pain in the butt to deal with. My guess is they are trying to get unrealistic rates for the last place station in each of the Des Moines and Davenport markets.
Yeah, my first reaction was "Lose channel 5? Who cares."

(The answer..."Lost" fans. And ONLY "Lost" fans.)

Yeah, my first reaction was "Lose channel 5? Who cares."

(The answer..."Lost" fans. And ONLY "Lost" fans.)

My exact thought. Although the wife would try to plead a case for Dancing With the Stars :rolleyes:

Yeah, my first reaction was "Lose channel 5? Who cares."

(The answer..."Lost" fans. And ONLY "Lost" fans.)

Only thing I care about since they don't carry RTN5 on D* is College Football.
Not a big loss.
Love how they spell out so boldly in the bottom how E* is an option... just like Sinclair's lovefest with D* during the disputes.

Oh well, if I really really have to watch, I have Mediacom also... so sorry Citidel... Don't really give a rat's patoot on this one.

If you go to the WOI-TV website, there is a statement about DirecTV with an email address of an executive Ray Cole with WOI-TV. I encourage you to email him. His argument is that WOI has many times more viewers (Nielsen ratings) than other cable channels and the cable channels get much more money per viewer than them. He makes this argument while at the same time giving his content away to anyone with an antenna. What kind of logic is that?

He also complains about watching things like the BCS Bowl Games, and other big time events move over to ESPN and other networks. My comment is "WHO CARES." I could care less about whether WOI survives or not. The CONTENT will survive and someone else will deliver the content. Why do I give a dang if WOI or ESPN gets the BCS Bowl Games? Does he really think in this day and age that viewers have loyalty to corporate owned conglomerates?

Ultimately, it is WOI that will make the decision to pull their content or not. When they do, they will do so because they've made a business decision that penalizing their viewers gives them leverage. Any company that takes advantage of their customers that way and uses them as pawns deserves everything they get in my opinion.

Citadel Communications Company has said no to DirecTV's suggestion that the two parties settle their retransmission consent differences through a third-party arbiter, saying there's still time for the sides to work in good faith toward an agreement.

The parties are set to meet at 1:30 Central time today.

At stake are the signals for Citadel Communications' ABC affiliate WOI Des Moines, ABC affiliate KLKN Lincoln (Neb.) and CBS affiliate WHBF Davenport (Iowa), which will presumably go dark for DirecTV subscribers at midnight on March 31 if an agreement for carriage is not worked out.

Citadel Communications President/COO Ray Cole says he's available 24/7 to get the deal done. "There's plenty of time to successfully complete negotiations," says Cole.

"We think it's outrageous that Citadel is asking for over a 100% increase in rate," countered DirecTV government affairs chief Susan Eid late afternoon Friday. "They're refusing to keep their signal up while we negotiate and refusing to discuss this with a third party. None of that suggests good faith on their part to me."

A key element of any retrans spat is the attempt by both sides to win public opinion. Citadel has been running on-air crawls and "special advisories" on its station sites informing viewers of the matter, and has half-page ads in various local newspapers today.

DirecTV issued a statement earlier this week, saying it has been negotiating "in good faith to try and reach a resolution and will continue to do so."

Cole said the broadcaster and satellite operator had a better chance of working out a deal before deadline without third parties' involvement, as arbitration is time-consuming and, he felt, can make matters more complicated.

DirecTV says the Citadel stations are demanding a 100% rate increase. Cole says the stations' request for payment from DirecTV is "wholly consistent with the going market rate" for retransmission consent.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/450767-Citadel_Communications_Declines_Arbitration_in_Retrans_Row.p hp

Ugh. In my eyes, Citadel is losing the public opinion battle here... so far their only counter has been "that's the going market rate," while D* has shown lots of willingness to work with them and even keep them on the air while they work through negotiations, which it appears Citadel is not going to allow them to do.

He also complains about watching things like the BCS Bowl Games, and other big time events move over to ESPN and other networks. My comment is "WHO CARES." I could care less about whether WOI survives or not. The CONTENT will survive and someone else will deliver the content. Why do I give a dang if WOI or ESPN gets the BCS Bowl Games? Does he really think in this day and age that viewers have loyalty to corporate owned conglomerates?Interesting you should mention that.

Through cable, Big Sports has the potential to reach so far into your pocket that ... well, I'm not going to say it. The money to pay off the old Iowa coach and offer the new guy a million-plus bucks a year before he's even coached a single game at Carver Hawkeye has to come from somewhere. If this guy's a loser (and I hope he isn't), the next loser will cost even more. Not to mention all the other overpaid coaches out there. Just make the check out to your cable or satellite provider.

At least with ABC5 you have a free way of getting them.

http://www.chicks-dig-scars.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Caring_Continuum.jpg

WHO (http://www.whotv.com/about/station/who-feb2010ratings-033010,0,5215217.story?track=rss) has a press release up touting the station's February news ratings and noting they're "within weeks" of going to HD news.

A side note of interest in the charts is WOI's 25-54 rating at 10pm. OUCH.

Broadcasting & Cable: Citadel/DirecTV talks extended to 1 pm CDT Thursday

Citadel's Ray Cole "hopeful" that issues may be resolved by then, keeping WOI on D*.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/450923-UPDATED_Citadel_DirecTV_Extend_Retrans_Talks.php

Free? Not through DirecTV. WOI wants money from DirecTV, which will ultimately come back to me through my monthly bill at some point, someday. Same deal with the none-locals as well except I already get them now.

That is why I could care less you wins this fight and why I think the locals, who find themselves in a tired, old business model, ought to man up and figure out a new way to survive that doesn't involve holding their customers hostage.

Interesting you should mention that.

Through cable, Big Sports has the potential to reach so far into your pocket that ... well, I'm not going to say it. The money to pay off the old Iowa coach and offer the new guy a million-plus bucks a year before he's even coached a single game at Carver Hawkeye has to come from somewhere. If this guy's a loser (and I hope he isn't), the next loser will cost even more. Not to mention all the other overpaid coaches out there. Just make the check out to your cable or satellite provider.

At least with ABC5 you have a free way of getting them.

Well I for one am not thrilled about any of these disputes, but I do appreciate stations like WOI who do carry content that would otherwise be more expensive through ESPN and others. If they can't keep up to the current market by getting paid appropriately from the satellite and cable companies then they most certainly could go under. This would actually be a bigger deal than many people are letting on. The fact that they also broadcast the same material for free OTA is the big difference with stations such as them, and I appreciate that difference quite a bit. If one dish company killed and ate the other the amount of quality programming one could get for "free" would be one of the only things keeping satellite pricing in-line with reason. Of course cable companies could also take part in this free market supply and demand relationship, but they seem happy just to charge higher rates any time they can find an excuse, IMO.

A new agreement was reached Thursday afternoon without any outage.

So, WHO was "within weeks" of going HD and it still hasn't happened. Any update? I can definitely tell they've been upgrading cameras, but it seems the actual signal chain is still 480i.

Yes, it's still 480i, but you can see improvements being worked in periodically.

Their news promos are nearly all HD now though, and look really good.

I'm pretty sure they expected to be there by now, given the HDTV giveaway that started this morning.

It takes a lot to switch the entire place over to HD. WHO is doing a great job of attempting to bring as much HD to the table as possible. Everything is pretty much in place, its just a matter of getting our toes wet so we can avoid the disaster of other stations' HD launch.

After a crash of our old video server last week, we were forced to switch to our HD video editing system. You won't see HD video yet, but you should notice an improvement in quality starting right away. The big switch, however, should happen later this month.

It takes a lot to switch the entire place over to HD. WHO is doing a great job of attempting to bring as much HD to the table as possible. Everything is pretty much in place, its just a matter of getting our toes wet so we can avoid the disaster of other stations' HD launch.

After a crash of our old video server last week, we were forced to switch to our HD video editing system. You won't see HD video yet, but you should notice an improvement in quality starting right away. The big switch, however, should happen later this month.

Awesome. Thanks for the update!

I didn't mean to make it sound like I was complaining, I just find this stuff interesting. :)

After not getting WOI most of the winter, I'm suddenly getting both 5.1 and 5.2 perfectly again with no adjustments. Just happened to look and there they were.

That is all. Go back to your naps.

It takes a lot to switch the entire place over to HD. WHO is doing a great job of attempting to bring as much HD to the table as possible. Everything is pretty much in place, its just a matter of getting our toes wet so we can avoid the disaster of other stations' HD launch.

After a crash of our old video server last week, we were forced to switch to our HD video editing system. You won't see HD video yet, but you should notice an improvement in quality starting right away. The big switch, however, should happen later this month.

Someone playing with the switches tonight during the news, or am I the only one that saw that? :D

Ok, I bit... I had to check out the two stations newscasts tonight. 13's video and in-studio shots are MUCH crisper now then the fuzzy mess they've been. Except for my gripe that the weather isn't full widescreen yet, I'm very impressed how good this looks for an SD production.
Although overall I'm still a loyal KCCI viewer yet for my news... I still find their overall presentation and staff are the best*. (With the exception of Keith Murphy - I still have some video tapes of "Murphy's Law" back when he worked Channel 5 with the likes of Dennis Douda, Gale Nye, Don Novak, Pam Daale, Jeff Grummel, and Rod Bodholdt)

Murphy's Sound-Off promo for Sunday refers to it as "the final standard definition" edition.

So I guess WHO-HD is coming next week sometime.

tomorrow might be a good day to watch channel 13. especially around the noon hour....or more officially at 5pm

Wow! It looks SO good! They're even doing HD remotes. And the new HD weather segment is amazing! Great job, WHO!

I agree... looks very good.
OK, KCCI. As is heard many times during the NFL Draft... You are on the clock.

I'm sorry, but WHO's news set has GOT to go. It just looks ridiculous.

The faux paint effect is actually hurting the image. An HD set should have a nice desk, some nice trim, and lots of solid NEUTRAL color that doesn't make the image bit-heavy. They can enhance that with graphic overlays the way NBC Nightly News does. The current set is just a mess.

And the uneven lighting...YIKES.

And is it just me, or are they softening the image on specific on-air talent?

Graphics and the new weather look are great, though.

It may all converge okay on an LCD, but on my 61" DLP, there's some serious work to do here.

How ironic was it that Wheel aired in SD right after the 6:00 news?

(I know...it can only get better, right?)

Perhaps Bachman has wrinkles to hide and there's just not enough make-up around. Maybe it's in his contract to be HD friendly with him so we're not subjected to HD liverspots like Ted Koppel and Stan Blather have treated us too.
So, did anyone else think when Keith Murphy did the sports at 6 that it looked more like a green-screen shot than a physical wall behind him?
And yes, I got a laugh out of the fact something went wrong and Wheel was in SD again. Not to mention they still have trouble with it in places where the playback is choppy, slows down, then speeds up like 4x speed to recover.

It may all converge okay on an LCD, but on my 61" DLP, there's some serious work to do here.

Are you suggesting that your DLP RPTV shows more detail than a modern LCD? LOL :D

Anyway.. yes, I do agree there were a couple of kinks that need to be worked out. But overall, after dealing with SD news broadcasts for so long, it's so nice to finally have something local in HD.

OK.. something that needs to change: The cheesy sound effect that plays when the story headline comes on the screen during the anchor shots. The first few times I heard it, I kept thinking it was some sort of glitch. Then I realized what it was. It's more annoying than anything. Just my two cents!

OK.. something that needs to change: The cheesy sound effect that plays when the story headline comes on the screen during the anchor shots. The first few times I heard it, I kept thinking it was some sort of glitch. Then I realized what it was. It's more annoying than anything. Just my two cents!
Yes. It sounds like a power surge protector alarm is going off. Who in the WORLD felt THAT was necessary?

I also question why they're still airing a standard definition 4:3 promo tag that says "The following program is brought to you in HIGH DEFINITION" (for example, in front of 'Wheel' tonight).

Come on. That's just sad.

Anyone having trouble bringing in KCCI tonight? I am getting about 20-30% signal where 13, 5, 17, 11, etc are all 90-100%. Made me miss NCIS :mad:

NCIS came in perfectly for for me...save for brief disruptions during a couple of nearby lightning strikes.

OK, so KWWL was the first newscast in the state to go HD. WHO looks like they set the bar higher with most of their remotes being in HD too (KWWL's aren't in HD, yet, nor does KWWL show syndicated content in HD).

KCRG is supposed to be going online with their HD newscast in June, so where is KCCI at? Everyone has always assumed that KCCI will be right behind WHO since it's a cat-and-mouse game, but I haven't heard anything firm on KCCI's plans yet.

There's been no sign of KCCI making any moves toward HD. At this point, they can't even show syndicated programming in HD that I know of, though they're doing the SD anamorphic widescreen thing with some of their shows.

It's gotta be driving their programming staff nuts. Even WOI can punch in an HD Entertainment Tonight.

TAt this point, they can't even show syndicated programming in HD that I know of, though they're doing the SD anamorphic widescreen thing with some of their shows.
Actually Dr. Phil and Oprah both air in HD when it's available.

WHO TV is beeping off too much durring their new HD broadcasts. Noticed the high pitch beep every few minutes, and yesterday too. Hope they don't go blind.

KCCI's new HD weather crawl looks good. I like the enhanced county maps they're using that show the name of the county seat but still show the areas of the minor cities as well. I really like how the "StormWarn8" and "kcci.com" fill in the dead areas outside of the 4x3 safe area too.
--- Edit
Must be having some troubles with it though, because they just switched back to the older SD one now. Must say though, advantage to the old one for not blocking off as much of the screen with a solid boarder.

OK...so....

13's news is in HD now (why isn't 13 on Fox at 9) and Channel 8 is still stretchy-vision, but they at least have HD weather bugs and crawls.

What the heck is the deal with Channel 5? They go to SD during the commercials of the NBA playoffs to scroll weather? Their news is horrible, blurry and unwatchable. Are they ever going to do anything to make themselves better?

HDA

What the heck is the deal with Channel 5? They go to SD during the commercials of the NBA playoffs to scroll weather? Their news is horrible, blurry and unwatchable. Are they ever going to do anything to make themselves better?

Short of going off the air? Probably not. Citadel hasn't really improved much of anything there in the time they've owned the station... Broadcasting a viewable signal seems like a waste of money to them.

From the Des Moines Register:

"Officials at KCCI and WOI have said they plan to make similar switches to HD in the coming year."

It's the very last sentence in this online story, which is otherwise about the results of the May sweeps:
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/06/23/who-kcci-both-claim-victories-in-may-tv-ratings/

OK...so....

13's news is in HD now (why isn't 13 on Fox at 9) and Channel 8 is still stretchy-vision, but they at least have HD weather bugs and crawls.

What the heck is the deal with Channel 5? They go to SD during the commercials of the NBA playoffs to scroll weather? Their news is horrible, blurry and unwatchable. Are they ever going to do anything to make themselves better?

HDAI don't claim to know much about "13 News at 9 on 17" (or whatever it's called now), but while it may be produced at WHO's studio it still must be transmitted down Fleur Drive to KDSM and still has to go through KDSM's plant to get on the air. So KDSM's plant may need an upgrade (last I checked, they didn't do HD beyond what's on Fox; is that still true?), and that's up to a completely different station owner, Sinclair.

I wouldn't call what KCCI does "stretchy-vision"; I reserve that term for what KDSM used to do: take a 4:3 picture and stretch it to 16:9 making everything fatter. KCCI news is more like SD resolution in widescreen -- not HD (yet), but it doesn't look horrendous.

Media com has me kind of PO'd at them right now because of increased charges and poor service fixing outages for me. I am considering switching from them for internet and cable TV to DirecTV and Qwest DSL.

I like to watch TV in HD and want good picture quality. In general I go for all the premium movie channels (HBO, Showtime, Cinemax) and not the premium sports. I do make heavy use of the DVR, and my motorola DVR from mediacom does seem tweaky at times. I also like my high speed internet.

Does anyone out there have experience about the differences in quality of picture, quality of DVR, service and internet speed?

Thanks in advance,
Mike

Media com has me kind of PO'd at them right now because of increased charges and poor service fixing outages for me. I am considering switching from them for internet and cable TV to DirecTV and Qwest DSL.

I like to watch TV in HD and want good picture quality. In general I go for all the premium movie channels (HBO, Showtime, Cinemax) and not the premium sports. I do make heavy use of the DVR, and my motorola DVR from mediacom does seem tweaky at times. I also like my high speed internet.

Does anyone out there have experience about the differences in quality of picture, quality of DVR, service and internet speed?

Thanks in advance,
Mike

DirecTV's picture quality is superior since they use the MPEG-4 format instead of Mediacom's MPEG-2 format. They also have far more HD channels than Mediacom, particularly in the area of the premium movie channels. (Mediacom has what, four total?) MPEG-4 allows you to deliver a channel at a lower bitrate than MPEG-2, but deliver superior quality. Just looking at Mediacom's HD today, it certainly looks bit-starved (insufficient bitrate) compared to DirecTV.

Mediacom's HD selection has SIGNIFICANTLY improved, but still lags behind DirecTV's.

I also find the DirecTV DVR superior. Greater capacity for storage, and it just seems more responsive and reliable.

However, I will definitely say that I found Mediacom's internet offering far superior to Qwest's. My DSL connection with Qwest was nothing compared to what Mediacom offers.

Mediacom's HD and DVR offerings just aren't that good compared to the competition. Their Interenet, on the other hand, is very competitive, given the lack of solid competition out there.

Also, on a completely different note...

I was watching WHO-TV in Des Moines today and they ran a bumper that stated, 'WHO is the FIRST and ONLY station in Iowa broadcasting the news in HIGH DEFINITION."

I even DVRed it to make sure I heard it correctly. I figured they would've qualified it with "Central Iowa" but no, it said straight up IOWA.

I am sure that statement is news to KWWL out of Waterloo. Their HD broadcast was several months before of WHO's.

WHO's comment is probably based on being a pretty much complete HD newscast, whereas it's my understanding that KWWL's HD newscast didn't include field reporting in HD...at least initially...making it no more fraudulent than KCCI's ridiculous "Live Super Doppler HD" positioning statement.

It's all a bunch of marketing weasels thinking they can make any wild claim they want and their target audience will buy it.

I don't think KCCI's "Super Doppler HD" was ever meant to be related to HDTV, but rather a claimed higher weather resolving power in the radar.

WHO's comment is probably based on being a pretty much complete HD newscast, whereas it's my understanding that KWWL's HD newscast didn't include field reporting in HD...at least initially...making it no more fraudulent than KCCI's ridiculous "Live Super Doppler HD" positioning statement.

It's all a bunch of marketing weasels thinking they can make any wild claim they want and their target audience will buy it.

Usually even marketing goons remember to include some sort of caveat / qualification if necessary. I was expecting something like, "The only COMPLETELY HD newscast in Iowa", but they didn't say that either.

Field reports in HD would be nice, but having the studio shots, and particularly, the weather maps and graphics in HD would constitute enough HD to make the claim legitimate to me. KWWL's newscast is nicely done. WHO's has more HD, sure, but crapping all over KWWL's newscast like that because it's in a different market is disingenuous by WHO.

see my comment on the CR thread

Point of interest from the CR thread...

WHO's gives their HD story on their website (http://www.whotv.com/about/station/who-fullhdconversionrelease-052010,0,4990200.story).

They say first local news story in HD on Feb 2008.

Saying the "ONLY" is not fair to KWWL. Possibly WHO's claims to "total HD" may have more merit.

What's the deal with WOI reception? During the morning the station keeps cutting in and out. I only watch WOI at 10AM for "The View" so not sure how it does during the rest of the morning and afternoon. At night it comes in. When it was raining almost everyday the reception wasn't the best but yesterday and today it is sunny and no storms (yet) anywhere in Iowa. It is so frustrating. Since all the other channels come in (except 39) my husband says it can't be the antenna. We live in Osceola and after the switch to digital WOI has been our biggest problem. This happened last year in July and Aug after the switch.

It could be the antenna. If you have a typical outdoor VHF-UHF yagi antenna, there are separate elements for low-band VHF (channels 2-6), high-band VHF (channels 7-13) and UHF (14-50). There could be damage to the low-band elements that would kill reception of 5 while leaving the rest OK. The low-band elements are longer than the others and more susceptible to wind damage.

Some new-fangled antenna designs don't even include coverage for low-band VHF. There are very few DTV stations operating in the low VHF band. The reason why is the low-band is more greatly affected by electrical interference and atmospheric issues (which may explain why your WOI reception is better at night).

I've noticed WOI being more sporadic than usual the past week up here in Cedar Falls. I records Nightline at 10:35 since my local (KCRG) delays it until 11:05 -- last night I got all of 60 seconds out of the 32 minutes. Perhaps just atmospherics... VHF Mid Band isn't so great in the Summertime (which again is why I'm shocked that WOI didn't migrate to UHF post-transition - there are only a dozen-ish broadcasters left in the US on channels 4,5 and 6).

While I have respect for the channel 5 news team, the owners of channel 5 haven't a clue. If Pappas hadn't hit the rocks, maybe the brainiacs at ABC could conclude that "2" and "3" equals "how to ditch 5."

That's an evil thought I've never considered. I wonder, had Pappas been financially healthy and had ABC offered to them, what kind of news presence would they have had, if any?

I am trying to find a good indoor TV antenna that will pick up all of the OTA local stations. Right now, I have a simple bowtie antenna that gets everything except 39. I have tried buying a few antennae from various stores, but I get even fewer channels than with the bowtie. (Usually 5 and 11 and sometimes 17 disappear with the new antenna).

I've been reading reviews online, and it seems that everything is both "the best" and "useless", depending on the reviewer.

I want to know what works for people in the Des Moines Area. I live in Ankeny

I would love to use an outdoor antenna, but I don't have a ladder to reach the second story of my house and no one to borrow from.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!!!

I am trying to find a good indoor TV antenna that will pick up all of the OTA local stations. Right now, I have a simple bowtie antenna that gets everything except 39. I have tried buying a few antennae from various stores, but I get even fewer channels than with the bowtie. (Usually 5 and 11 and sometimes 17 disappear with the new antenna).

I've been reading reviews online, and it seems that everything is both "the best" and "useless", depending on the reviewer.

I want to know what works for people in the Des Moines Area. I live in Ankeny

I would love to use an outdoor antenna, but I don't have a ladder to reach the second story of my house and no one to borrow from.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!!!

I'm in SE Ankeny, and strangely enough, I've had great luck with the simple RCA antenna that Target sells. Have had zero problem pulling them all in.

I wonder how many months we'll have to endure the nasty ground loop buzz (or whatever it is) on anything produced at KCCI's Ames office.

Well, low and behold, Channel 5 is slated to go to HD news this fall. I heard sometime before Nov 1st, but nothing confirmed.

Interesting that they ran a quick 10-second blurb about it just before the Iowa-Iowa State game this afternoon.

I've noticed things heading that way with both WOI and KCCI. KCCI has a morning show promo airing with studio shots produced in HD, and WOI had extended HD promos for ABC's new shows in last night's 10 at 10 newscast, as well as a sort of bizarre HD/non-HD hybrid promo for one of their syndicated shows (the parts showing WOI's logo were HD).

Even better...WOI's late night syndicated airing of Desperate Housewives after their newscast, and KCCI's late night syndicated airing of Criminal Minds after their newscast, both aired in HD. I'm REALLY happy to see that kind of thing.

Side note: Who was directing WHO's newscast last night? That was a complete disaster.

I wish NBC had been able to do that with their weekend syndication... though now they've stopped showing House.

KCCI is showing the US Open Men's Final on 8.2 so they don't dare move their syndicated programming (Dr Phil and Oprah) off 8.1.

If anyone wonders why all sports programming is moving to cable, this is a PERFECT EXAMPLE WHY.

Can't wait to see KCCI's programming director whine to the Des Moines Register in a few years when yet another sporting events chooses to sign with cable over broadcast TV.

So, I'm having problems getting 5.1 in my antenna in my basement with the exact same angles as the antenna in my bedroom. Any thing I can do to make it better? I thought WOI was putting up a "booster" tower in DSM. Is that not happening now?

Why does WOI always have to be the last to the party and use the cheapest version of the technology...

WOI is operating a low-power translator on channel 50. This probably won't do you any good unless you have an outdoor antenna aimed at the Financial Center.

Rabbit ears in a Waukee basement may be too much for channel 5. If you can get an antenna into a north-facing window you might have a chance.

Your best bet is an outdoor antenna (an antenna in the attic would probably work, too). Make sure it's designed to receive VHF and UHF, including low-band VHF (channels 2-6)...ignore the "HD" hype on the box. A modest yagi-style antenna could be split between the basement TV and the upstairs. Aim it at Alleman, and you should have good signal for every station including 39.

Well, it turns out that ABC has some decent shows as the new prime time season starts again. Here we are in week 1 of the new fall season and once again we've got audio/video sync problems on WOI on DirecTV. It isn't as bad as some of the problems last season, but still enough to notice it while watching.

Seriously, how hard can this be? I haven't seen audio/video sync issues on any other channel for quite some time.

ABC5 will be doing several highlights on Friday Night Blitz in HD tonight -- hopefully. Let's tune in and see how they do.

Wait.. So ABC5 is saying "You're watching ABC5 news in high definition"... But it's clearly 16:9 SD?

Apparently they had some issues this morning.

I was in Ames and just happened to tune in for the midday news at about 11:20 am but saw Entertainment Tonight instead. At first I thought they might have been running a package from ET during the news, but a couple of minutes later I realized it clearly wasn't.

Then they dipped to black and came back up on anchor Stephanie Angleson, who promptly apologized and said they had just gone HD.

I just turned on Ten at Ten and the first thing I see is Amanda and Whatshername staring at the anchor desk while some guy is talking. Eventually, Amanda looks up...and waves. Then they switch to the weather guy.

(Tonight on Train Wreck at Ten...)

Oh...and how do they pull off that "dead for a couple of days" zombie skin tone color on the anchors?

Is anyone else missing nearly all their off-air HD signals? I'm only getting 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, 17-1 and 17-2. I unplugged everything and restarted and still no dice. Re-scanned and only find those 5 channels. Anyone else? I am in Johnston and have always gotten a 100 signal strength on 13 and 8.

Dave in Des Moines

I have both 8 & 13 @ 6.53p. Still trying to tune in the elusive 5, though. I haven't been able to pull him in since moving back from MN.

Thanks kc0bsn. That confirmation got me to look a bit closer back behind the set. It seems that I am able to pull in 11 and 17 with no antenna whatsoever. My little rabbit ears had come off (I blame the cat). Back at 100!

Thanks again,
Dave

Anyone else watched the new music video channel broadcasting on 17-2 yet? "The Cool TV". Reminds me of "The Tube" from a few years back, only this has actual commercials.
Or, if I'm way behind the times coming across this... when did it launch on KDSM anyway?

Anyone else watched the new music video channel broadcasting on 17-2 yet? "The Cool TV". Reminds me of "The Tube" from a few years back, only this has actual commercials.
Or, if I'm way behind the times coming across this... when did it launch on KDSM anyway?

Yeah, last week 17.2 was blank then early this week the new music video channel appeared. A definite step up, they show a nice variety of videos. I prefer the classic 80s selections, and they show some recent live performances of older musicians still doing their thing. Since one mans favorite video is another mans garbage, I guess variety is the spice for a music video channel trying to please a wide audience.

Noticed 8.2 weather channel switches to other programming once in a while. The usually rock solid reliable 13.2 weather channel flaked out this week and was stuck for a day or so with wednesday mornings temps and wind speeds for local cities. Still don't think they are updating the locals every 15 minutes or so like they used to. Even now they are showing this past wednesday in local cities 5 day forecast, even tho it's friday morning now. Current temps, wind speed and direction are nice to know when deciding which bike trail to ride for any given time. Hope 13.2 keeps it updated, if I can't trust the data I won't watch it.

Oh, and it's good to see Fat Albert back on the air again on saturday mornings, 8AM on 5.2

I'm not sure how much of this is my half-a** setup or something tower-side. I recently installed an "intermediate" UHF only antenna about 20' off the ground, north side of boone. Just wanted to get the wiring run while I save up for either a regular V/UHF antenna or a "7-up" model.

Amazingly, I am able to tune 5.1, 5.2 as well as 8.1 and 8.2, and 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, but can only sporadically pick up 13.1 and 13.2.

My old pair of rabbit ears could pick up only 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 13.1, 13.2, and sometimes 17.1, 17.2. WOI and KCCI were just plain too weak.

Now with the new antenna, the UHF stations are working fine, 17.1, 17.2, 19.1, 23.1 all have fairly good signal, even at only 20' off the ground.

I kinda figured that the UHF-only rig would help *a little* with the VHF stations, but I am suprised that 13 is the channel having trouble as opposed to WOI (which everybody seems to have trouble picking up).

Now I'm wondering if I can get by with just a 7-up antenna (which is my preference), since I only want 5.2 for RTV (love the old shows).

Any of you out there have experiences with 13 having probs lately? Or any opinions on a full blown VHF-UHF antenna vs a 7-up? As stated earlier, life on the north side of Boone "on the level", no hills up here one way or the other... I would have clear LOS if I could get above the neighbors trees (not likely).

Last I knew, WHO is operating normally, as are all the other stations. The UHF-only antenna is messing things up, even though you're getting lucky with the lower VHF stations.

I've always steered away from amplified antennas because they will also amplify interference and increase chances for signal overload to the TV, which will also cause reception problems.

A mid-range VHF-UHF yagi antenna should cost about $60. If you used RG-6 for your cable, this should work for you, even if you split between a couple of TV sets.

I have been having problems with 13 lately, but it was with QAM on cable. I'm not sure if they receive that signal from antenna or they get it by other means. Of course this could also be a problem with my system and the QAM channel mappings as well. In any case, I would suggest that if you are getting the stations that you have now you may indeed have some particular problem with your setup that prevents 13 from coming in. Obviously the location of your antenna is right to get the other stations and 13 is broadcasting from the same location. Is it possible you can get the tuner into a signal meter mode and try 13's frequency to see what shows up? Perhaps you have too much loss at that frequency and a preamp would help. FWIW, I don't avoid amplified antennas, but I do avoid cheap amplified antennas. Winegard is a good Iowa brand to try. I have had good luck with thier Metrostar here in Ames. It might not work at your distance (probably wouldn't...), but they sell many different levels of antenna.

New subchannel coming to WHO?

It is, according to this link published on NorthPine.com (http://www.northpine.com/broadcast/index.html):

http://antennatv.tv/shows/antenna/affiliates/

Shows listed for AntennaTV:
Three's Company
Married...With Children
All in the Family
Sanford & Son
Too Close for Comfort
Good Times
The Partridge Family
Maude
The Nanny
The Three Stooges
The Benny Hill Show

Antenna TV is scheduled to begin broadcasting January 1, 2011. Nice to have, but I hate losing 24-hour weather on at least one channel.

Is that the plan? Are they turning off the weather to offer the antennatv lineup, or are they squeezing it in on 3 channels?

God I hope they won't try to squeeze 3 channels together. 13-1 already looks bad enough.

Is that the plan? Are they turning off the weather to offer the antennatv lineup, or are they squeezing it in on 3 channels?

Sorry, my bad. I just assumed they were giving Weather Plus the heave-ho. According to this website, WHO will keep Weather Plus and Antenna TV will occupy 13.3. You may have to click the WHO-DT link to expand the information. We'll see for sure come January.

http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?mktid=89

And for that matter, the same page says that Fox 17 is/will offer The Country Network (All Country Videos. All Day Long) on 17.3.

I don't know for sure either. I just listed it there because I wanted to list it without deleting the Weather listing.

- Trip

i am from omaha and we have 2 stations owned by TV45 inc.

and was wondering what is the story with their des moines area owned stations

K45KD-D channel 45 and K46EY

are either of them still on the air or are digital or are they dead like the 2 TV45 inc. owned stations in omaha

I have been having problems with 13 lately, but it was with QAM on cable. I'm not sure if they receive that signal from antenna or they get it by other means.

Mediacom converts most, if not all Des Moines stations' signals to IP at each station and puts it on fiber to their head-end, so it could be Mediacom's fault.


FWIW, I don't avoid amplified antennas, but I do avoid cheap amplified antennas. Winegard is a good Iowa brand to try.

Good point about cheap. Winegard's stuff holds up pretty well. We have some Winegard booster amps at work that are still getting the job done after almost 30 years in service.

...13-1 already looks bad enough.

Compared to what? :)

All the stations have compression artifacts...take a 1.5 gigbit-per-second HD signal and cram it into a 18 megabit pipe, and something's gotta give (if a .2 is running, the .1 program bit rate is probably down to 15 or 16MB.) Run it into yet another pipe (cable or sat) and it gets a little worse.

Problem is, WHO doesn't fully utilize their available ATSC bandwidth. For example, Thursday's airing of "The Office" was broadcast at about 12.5mbit.

Problem is, WHO doesn't fully utilize their available ATSC bandwidth. For example, Thursday's airing of "The Office" was broadcast at about 12.5mbit.

What are you using to read bandwidth usage...TS Reader?

I use mpeg2repair post-capture to analyze bitrate and errors, but yeah, basically the same thing.

Using TS Reader, I measured 14.8MB during WHO's 5pm news, with 2.7MB for 13.2. Other stations were pretty comparable. Looks like 11 and 39 are ranging from 10 to 11MB for their .1's, so I suppose 13.1 will use similar bandwidth if/when they add a .3.

i am from omaha and we have 2 stations owned by TV45 inc.

and was wondering what is the story with their des moines area owned stations

K45KD-D channel 45 and K46EY

are either of them still on the air or are digital or are they dead like the 2 TV45 inc. owned stations in omahaNorthPine.com recently reported that the FCC is weeding out silent analog LPs -- and they mentioned one in Omaha, which was cancelled at TV-45's request -- but the post didn't mention any in Des Moines.

At this point K45KD-D is listed as "CP OFF AIR" and K46EY is still listed as "licensed."

Cool TV would be alot more cool if we could receive it in stereo. Curious if MTV produced videos in stereo before 1986 ?

Come on man, you're talking about KDSM here -- what makes you think you'll ever get it in stereo? Ha

Dear KCCI,

There is absolutely no reason for your Storm Warn 8 scroll to have an empty blue space two times the height of the actual scroll taking up screen space.

There is also no reason to cut off part of the top of the picture AND fatten the image to boot to fill the screen.

This is simply broadcasting done wrong.

Dear KCCI,

There is absolutely no reason for your Storm Warn 8 scroll to have an empty blue space two times the height of the actual scroll taking up screen space.

There is also no reason to cut off part of the top of the picture AND fatten the image to boot to fill the screen.

This is simply broadcasting done wrong.

I agree with this statement.

However, I will give KCCI credit for using the old Storm Warn system on 8.2 to keep watch/warning info current since they don't bother to update the local weather spots much.

So here we go again with another corporate retrans dispute that holds customers hostage to the corporate interests of what is marketed as "local TV." This time it is KCCI and DirecTV, with a 12-31-2010 deadline. I am not much for government regulation, but I for one think that the FCC should consider this garbage of KCCI (Hearst) posting "consumer information" stories and TV crawls about "losing KCCI...contact DirecTV" as an automatic "negotiation in bad faith." While they are negotiating they ought to be doing it behind closed doors with both side's mouth's shut.

KCCI has a "new story" on their website now about this, with a quote attributed to Fredericksen @ KCCI. If you Google that quote, you will find that it is a news story template for every single one of Hearst stations around the Country with the exact same quote attributed to every single station manager.

KCCI has also turned off comment capabilities on that particular story only - something that I could not find another example of in the posts that I looked at.

It is this kind of propaganda that I personally think will drive people further and further to streaming media like Hulu, Netflix, the network's websites, ESPN3 and other online media
options. Hollywood wants their content viewed. In the end, they could care less, I think, if there is a KCCI in the picture or not.

It seems like a real losing strategy long term to use your customers as pawns. Make no mistake, if KCCI goes dark on DirecTV it will be KCCI that pulls it.

Well said.

Though I will argue until my dying day that satellite retransmission of locals is a complete needless waste to begin with.

Though I will argue until my dying day that satellite retransmission of locals is a complete needless waste to begin with.

Maybe in Iowa. In the mountainous rural areas, it's the only way to get locals.

- Trip

And these idiots (corporate TV execs in general) wonder why they keep losing numbers, and why more and more people are just using things like Hulu to watch shows.

The general TV viewer DOES NOT CARE who's right and who's wrong in these situations. All they care about is being able to watch their shows. When this type of stuff happens, neither side wins.

Is anyone seeing K41DD-D on the air? It's not carrying anything but home shopping, so nothing to go hunting for; I'm just curious if someone can confirm it's operating.

- Trip

Cool TV would be alot more cool if we could receive it in stereo. Curious if MTV produced videos in stereo before 1986 ?MTV was available in stereo even before stereo became part of the TV signal.

In the early 80s, many cable companies -- including the then-Heritage system in central Iowa -- had a cable FM service for your stereo system. When MTV first came on, a stereo simulcast of it was offered as part of the FM service, and MTV actively promoted that option.

(I remember those "if you're not getting MTV in stereo, you're only getting half the picture" promos, which kind of dates me a little.)

Here's a Broadcasting & Cable web piece on the KCCI/Hearst situation.

The piece also notes that a one-year extension between Sinclair and Time Warner is about to run out. I haven't heard any rumblings about the one-year extension between Sinclair (KDSM owner) and Mediacom yet, and I live in a market with a Sinclair "virtual duopoly."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/461023-Hearst_TV_Advises_Viewers_of_Possible_DirecTV_Fallout.php

Channel 13 news on Fox 17 is in HD tonight! 'Bout damn time - it looks much better and the scroll across the bottom is easier to read.

Is anyone else having reception problems with KCCI 8.1? It has been terrible for me. Very weak if I can get a signal at all. Many times it is just black. Very frustrating!

Channel 13 news on Fox 17 is in HD tonight! 'Bout damn time - it looks much better and the scroll across the bottom is easier to read.
And yet, the sound is still mono.

Mind boggling.

Is anyone else having reception problems with KCCI 8.1? It has been terrible for me. Very weak if I can get a signal at all. Many times it is just black. Very frustrating!
What kind of setup do you have? I haven't heard of any reception problems lately, and we also haven't had transmitter problems.

And yet, the sound is still mono.

Mind boggling.

I'm pretty certain the link between WHO and KDSM is set up for 2-channel audio.

Wouldn't matter anyway...most news content is gathered in a way that makes mono audio the norm. On a camera with two audio channels, typically one track is used for the shotgun mic on the camera to gather "nat"(ural) sound, and the other track is used for the reporter's mic. The tracks will be mixed down to a single track in editing. Stereo techniques are sometimes used for special stories, but it's not necessary for day-to-day stuff.

What kind of setup do you have? I haven't heard of any reception problems lately, and we also haven't had transmitter problems.

A lady I know in Ankeny just got a converter box, and mentioned she couldn't get 5 or 8. I asked her what kind of antenna she had. She sheepishly replied "none". I suggested a properly-deployed set of rabbit-ears should work for her top-floor apartment location.

What kind of setup do you have? I haven't heard of any reception problems lately, and we also haven't had transmitter problems.

Rooftop Winegard (I think) antenna connected to my TV. Just a basic setup and I get HD off the air. I quite often have problems getting 8 to come in.

Rooftop Winegard (I think) antenna connected to my TV. Just a basic setup and I get HD off the air. I quite often have problems getting 8 to come in.

Is it a "yagi" antenna (with a bunch of long horizontal rods)? Do you have any amps in the system?

If you look back several pages, you'll find we ask lots of questions.:D Antenna design is a big factor in getting in the VHF channels well...some of the new-fangled antenna designs have poor VHF performance. Older antennas could perform poorly if they have missing antenna rods. Since you're so close to the transmitter sites, having amps in the system could cause overload problems, so we ask about that as well.

Is it a "yagi" antenna (with a bunch of long horizontal rods)? Do you have any amps in the system?

If you look back several pages, you'll find we ask lots of questions.:D Antenna design is a big factor in getting in the VHF channels well...some of the new-fangled antenna designs have poor VHF performance. Older antennas could perform poorly if they have missing antenna rods. Since you're so close to the transmitter sites, having amps in the system could cause overload problems, so we ask about that as well.

It is about 18 inches square plastic with no amp that I am aware of.

Do you have any other TVs in the house? Do they all have the same issues? Being in Ankeny, sometimes it almost becomes a problem of too much signal rather than not enough...

I'd be tempted to slap a set of rabbit-ears on the TV in question and see if it performs better (make sure the long rods are pulled out and fanned out). If your problem is only with VHF channels you might want to replace the square antenna outside with something else. Winegard has several models that should be fine for close-in VHF/UHF reception.

I'd be tempted to slap a set of rabbit-ears on the TV in question and see if it performs better (make sure the long rods are pulled out and fanned out). If your problem is only with VHF channels you might want to replace the square antenna outside with something else. Winegard has several models that should be fine for close-in VHF/UHF reception.

...which brings us to...

Now that it's been about 1-1/2 years since the transition, how would you grade the Des Moines market? It's one of the more interesting ones since all of the majors are on VHF (including WOI on the notorious low-V band).

Like Dallas-Ft. Worth, Des Moines is around 20% for OTA so antenna reception is more of a factor both there and here than in places such as Boston.

Broadcasting & Cable: Looks like KDSM is safe on Mediacom for at least two more years:

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/461470-Mediacom_Sinclair_in_Two_Year_Retrans_Deal.php

Just the one that's HD. The other is standard with satellite.

...which brings us to...

Now that it's been about 1-1/2 years since the transition, how would you grade the Des Moines market? It's one of the more interesting ones since all of the majors are on VHF (including WOI on the notorious low-V band).

Like Dallas-Ft. Worth, Des Moines is around 20% for OTA so antenna reception is more of a factor both there and here than in places such as Boston.

I'd say the DSM market is in good shape now. I watch OTA only and have been since the HD-UHF days. Early on after the VHF transition, FOX was especially flakey and ABC was sketchy at times too. But now, I'd say all my OTA is rock solid with just a basic/passive VHF antenna in the attic.

With the exception of 39, I agree. I have amplified rabbit ears and pull 5, 8, 11, 13, 17, and 19/23 in just fine from Waukee.

Of course, I'll never consider this market complete until I can see Slumberland commercials in HD on 8 and 13. That's my endgame.

Just the one that's HD. The other is standard with satellite.If possible, I'd say maybe try grig's idea with rabbit ears. If you get 8.1/2 better with the weaker antenna then it would be an indication your tv is just getting overloaded with too much signal. If you don't have rabbit ears, but your main antenna is on a rotor, you could also try slightly off-tuning it from what you think it should be pointed to attenuate the signal.

MTV was available in stereo even before stereo became part of the TV signal.

In the early 80s, many cable companies -- including the then-Heritage system in central Iowa -- had a cable FM service for your stereo system. When MTV first came on, a stereo simulcast of it was offered as part of the FM service, and MTV actively promoted that option.

(I remember those "if you're not getting MTV in stereo, you're only getting half the picture" promos, which kind of dates me a little.)

Thanks, I was around back then but forgot about the "you're only getting half the picture" spots, now I remember. Wish all the networks would make better use of the stereo effect (those that have that capability) for all programming. Even prime time shows seem to use it sparingly, but I dont have dolby or sony5 or anything other than good separation with a 2 speaker setup. Any channel with a music format should try to get it out in stereo if possible, stereo is to music like color was to a black and white picture.

I doubt COOL TV is sending it out in stereo to begin with, or even know if any sub channels in any markets are broadcasting in stereo. Also wonder if they want to put out quality stereo videos, for fear that people will record and share them.

That's not really a concern. Logo-free DVD rips of (almost) every music video in existence are already out there.

KCCI, Hearst Television reach deal with DirecTV:

http://www.kcci.com/news/26099509/detail.html

Can anyone confirm if 13.3 is on the air? Thanks Mike

Just did a scan on two different devices, not getting anything on 13.3

Thanks for the reply mofford. According to the Antenna TV website they went on air Jan. 1st. The WHO site does not have much info. At one time I thought I saw Jan. 3rd as a date. , just cant seem to find much info on their site. Mike

All I could find is that WHO will launch Antenna TV network sometime in early January. Looks like we missed out on Benny Hill this weekend. Was just looking over their programming schedule, surprised "The Jeffersons" is missing from their lineup, need some Mr. Bentley back-tracks to honor his passing a couple years back. Here's the Antenna TV site with schedule contained within.

http://www.antennatv.tv/about/antv-what-is-antenna-tv-120710,0,433552.story

Thanks for the link---thats more info than I found. I can't believe they would have a little more on the WHO site though. Mike

Meant to say wouldn't have more info on the WHO site. Anyone notice a power increase from KCCI? Coming in better than normal in Marshall county, with an indoor antenna. Mike

I've also noticed a huge reception improvement from KCCI here in Ames.

WHO is running an on-air teaser promo for Antenna TV, but I can't remember if it has a specific date on it or not.

My Phillips LCD, which periodically turns itself on and auto-scans for new channels, hasn't added 13.3 yet.

Mediacom shows it starting Jan 6 http://mediacomtoday-lineup.com/lineup/76/altoona_ankeny_bondurant_carlisle_clive_des_m.aspx
Joe

I called WHO TV and was told that Antenna TV on the 13.3 channel will begin sometime in February. She wasn't able to give a specific date but said they were shooting for February.

Thanks for that information everyone. I wonder why the hold up and conflicting dates? I was really looking forward to it starting! Mike

bravo, cnbc, and toon have been added to the hd lineup on mediacom.

Looks like Mediacom is moving forward with plans to get rid of analog channels.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette is reporting (http://thegazette.com/2011/01/19/mediacom-moving-to-primarily-digital-cable/) that the cable company is eliminating all analog channels above 22 in a nine-county area of eastern Iowa, beginning in March.

Although I haven't seen anything about this in Des Moines media yet, I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

Just moved to a 5th floor apartment in downtown Des Moines with a south-facing window. I get ABC, and channel 5.2 crystal clear but nothing else. I have a Terk indoor UHFVHF combo antennae Model # HD-TVA. Anyone have any advice? Thank you.

Just moved to a 5th floor apartment in downtown Des Moines with a south-facing window. I get ABC, and channel 5.2 crystal clear but nothing else. I have a Terk indoor UHFVHF combo antennae Model # HD-TVA. Anyone have any advice? Thank you.

Ouch...that south-facing apartment is not going to help much. The only signal you're getting is from WOI's channel 50 repeater on the Financial Center roof.

Your best option may be to play with the antenna's position...make sure it's pointing out that south window (or ANY window) and see if you can catch a signal bouncing off a nearby building. Try several different angles.

I suppose another idea would be to see if you could get someone to install a TV antenna for you on the roof...if the apartment management has a policy for installing DirectTV or Dish Network dishes up there, I don't see why that same policy couldn't be extended to OTA antennas. You would also have the chance to install an antenna physically large enough to pull in VHF channels well.

From WHO's Facebook feed...

Antenna TV Update: We have been overwhelmed with excitement about our new channel. Unfortunately, we are awaiting one critical piece of equipment to make Antenna TV "legal" in the FCC's eyes. Probably looking now at a February launch. Our apologies. We will make a BIG deal out of it when we're finally ready to hit the "on" switch! Thank you for your patience and for watching.

Interesting.

On an unrelated note, did anyone else notice how WHO was having tech issues last night? They weren't showing any commercials at 10:00, just dead air. I have Mediacom, but I don't think that was the issue. It was kinda weird.

I have recently had trouble with WHO's 13.1 signal when they're broadcasting local or syndicated programming. I'm not a Wheel of Fortune fan, but sometimes it ends up on that program and my one-year-old likes it. A few times this month, it would stutter and break up badly enough that I was forced to tune my TiVo to Mediacom's analog 13 instead of the usual 13.1 over the air signal. Once, it crippled the TiVo badly enough that I had to reboot it. It has never done this during NBC-fed programming. Problem or coincidence, I don't know.

It was WHO's issue. They acknowledged that in a Facebook posting as well.

Apparently it's related to another technology upgrade that they're putting in now, which they would not elaborate on, but seem to think we'll notice and consider it to be super neato.

I'm hoping for smell-o-vision.

I called WHO TV and was told that Antenna TV on the 13.3 channel will begin sometime in February. She wasn't able to give a specific date but said they were shooting for February.

I hope u gets get it soon. antenna tv I know is working on getting here in Omaha where I am.

http://www.whotv.com/entertainment/antennatv/

is the who site on antenna tv. aka channel 13.3

I'm watching the Super Bowl on KDSM @ 720p. Is that the best KDSM can do?

All Fox programming is in 720p and has been since 2004.

- Trip

Thanks Trip, I have a new TV that shows the resolution. My old RPTV HDTV didn't have that feature.

Antenna TV is up. 13-3. Rescan now so you can watch Three's Company. :D

Official notice (courtesy WHO's Facebook feed, which implies Mediacon isn't up and running just yet...):

Good News! The long-awaited launch of Antenna TV is here! We're now transmitting on WHO-HD Channel 13.3. To receive our new channel over-the-air, go the the "Channel Set-Up" screen of your HD television and select "Scan for Channels". If you're a Mediacom digital subscriber, you'll soon see Antenna TV on channel 114. Take a fun trip down memory lane with Antenna TV.

Official notice (courtesy WHO's Facebook feed, which implies Mediacon isn't up and running just yet...):

Mediacom 114 should be up by next week. Huxley Communications 815 should be up by next week as well.

Is anyone seeing K41DD-D on the air? It's not carrying anything but home shopping, so nothing to go hunting for; I'm just curious if someone can confirm it's operating.

Yes it is. Noticed while re-scanning tonight.

Yes it is. Noticed while re-scanning tonight.
Too lazy to look...is that one of the old LP's converted to digital? Yay.:D

Too lazy to look...is that one of the old LP's converted to digital? Yay.:D

u guys are luckier than omaha. our 2 LP tv stations left we got in omaha

koha 47.1 aka channel 48 and k61ga are dragging their feet to convert to digital.


we lost channels 24/57/53/54/67 all hear in last year or two.

Antenna TV is now hot on Mediacom 114 in Central Iowa.

I've also noticed a huge reception improvement from KCCI here in Ames.
Would love to say KCCI has been authorized to raise power, but afraid it's the same old 28.3kw it's been since June 2009. Now the political battle has become so much about keeping the broadcast spectrum, period, that discussion of revisiting VHF-band power allocations at the FCC seems to be out the window.

Antenna TV is now hot on Mediacom 114 in Central Iowa.

We watched a little yesterday. It was kinda choppy at times. Not sure who's to blame there.

i'm a young pup but I enjoyed it. :cool:

We watched a little yesterday. It was kinda choppy at times. Not sure who's to blame there.

i'm a young pup but I enjoyed it. :cool:

As a young pup you are probably shocked that your parents dressed like those people on the TV shows and thought they looked good. :p I always wore jeans and t-shirts back then...I'm still unfashionable today.

I've seen it choppy on a digital cable box, too, but rock-solid on a DTV with a QAM tuner.

Somebody I know wasn't getting 114 on their cable box (tuner skips from 113 to 118), and the Mediacom CSR told them they had no listing for 114 in Des Moines. I know their call center is in a far-away place, but :confused:. I told them to power-cycle their cable box.

At home, I watch it OTA, and it's fine.

...Now the political battle has become so much about keeping the broadcast spectrum, period, that discussion of revisiting VHF-band power allocations at the FCC seems to be out the window.

Amazing to see how little butt-kissing power the National Association of Broadcasters has now, compared to the Consumer Electronics Association and the cell companies. Are we going to kill OTA TV and hand out broadband/sat/cable vouchers to the poor? OTA is the only way many cash-strapped people get TV.

I know a lot of viewers have trouble getting WOI (Ch 5), it being a lower-end VHF station, etc. I've always been lucky: except during heavy weather (thuner/snow storms) I can get it pretty well. Occasional, very minor pixelation, but mostly totally watchable.

But for the last couple weeks, the signal's been breaking up into the unwatchable. Anybody else having this who wasn't before, say, mid-January?

I'm out east toward Baxter-Newton way.

No problems with 5 here in Waukee (or at least 5.2). And I'm using rabbit ears.

Would love to say KCCI has been authorized to raise power, but afraid it's the same old 28.3kw it's been since June 2009. Now the political battle has become so much about keeping the broadcast spectrum, period, that discussion of revisiting VHF-band power allocations at the FCC seems to be out the window.The articles I've been reading suggest they're aware of the VHF issues and will be looking for ways to make the band more workable, especially if they're going to lop 20 channels off the top of UHF and repack. I'm not sure what you would do with a channel like 5, though.

Is anybody using a directtv tuner to receive 13-3?

I am using directtv hd dvr receiver and am getting all off air channels except 13-3. I have rescanned several times to no avail. I do get 13-3 with my TV's tuner but I can't dvr anything from 13-3 which is why I want to be able to get it through directtv's receiver.

Directtv tech is trying to tell me that it is a "bandwith" issue and that nobody can receive 13-3 from the Des Moines area. Is that true?

I don't understand how it could be a bandwith issue, a money issue sure but not a bandwith issue.

Thanks,
Bryan

Just noticed the new OTA channel, "Country Network" is up on 17.3

Directtv tech is trying to tell me that it is a "bandwith" issue and that nobody can receive 13-3 from the Des Moines area. Is that true?

I don't understand how it could be a bandwith issue, a money issue sure but not a bandwith issue.


He doesn't understand what you're trying to do. He's trying to explain that DirecTV doesn't have the bandwidth to carry sub-channels in every local market, and thus DirecTV doesn't uplink sub-channels to their satellites. This is true.

This of course, has absolutely nothing to do with what you're trying to do -- which is receive WHO 13.3 over the air.

Do you have an HD-DVR? I believe there is an issue with those boxes where you can't really "scan" for anything -- you're just reliant on if and or when 13.3 is added to the guide data. I believe only the non-DVR HD boxes can actually do a scan and pick up OTA channels without them being added to the guide.

Basically, you can't do anything to get 13.3 until DirecTV's guide data supplier adds it on their end.

He doesn't understand what you're trying to do. He's trying to explain that DirecTV doesn't have the bandwidth to carry sub-channels in every local market, and thus DirecTV doesn't uplink sub-channels to their satellites. This is true.

This of course, has absolutely nothing to do with what you're trying to do -- which is receive WHO 13.3 over the air.

Do you have an HD-DVR? I believe there is an issue with those boxes where you can't really "scan" for anything -- you're just reliant on if and or when 13.3 is added to the guide data. I believe only the non-DVR HD boxes can actually do a scan and pick up OTA channels without them being added to the guide.

Basically, you can't do anything to get 13.3 until DirecTV's guide data supplier adds it on their end.

They know I am wanting to receive the off air subchannels through the antenna and I don't expect all the subchannels from the satellite. So they understand what I want but they claim they can't deliver it because they don't have the bandwith. Yeah I know it is just an excuse to get rid of me.

The way I see it the HD dvr should pass through whatever the antenna delivers to it. I don't really care if there is no guide data I can look online to find out the schedule and just do a manual record.

How do I find out directtv's guide data supplier and request they add all the subchannels for the Des Moines area locals?

Thanks,
Bryan

They know I am wanting to receive the off air subchannels through the antenna and I don't expect all the subchannels from the satellite. So they understand what I want but they claim they can't deliver it because they don't have the bandwith. Yeah I know it is just an excuse to get rid of me.

The way I see it the HD dvr should pass through whatever the antenna delivers to it. I don't really care if there is no guide data I can look online to find out the schedule and just do a manual record.

How do I find out directtv's guide data supplier and request they add all the subchannels for the Des Moines area locals?

Thanks,
Bryan

Bryan,

I'd go ask this question on DBSTalk.com. They should be able to explain this issue better than me.

As I understand it, the DirecTV HD Receivers (non-DVRs) can do a normal OTA scan, find all available channels and display them... just like a normal HDTV can, digital converter box, etc.

However, DirecTV's HD DVRs can't actually do this. There's no way to do an OTA scan on an HD DVR and have those channels added as something tuneable. Instead, you have to wait for the box to receive updated guide data that says, "Yes, there is a 13.3. It's available on RF channel 13." You can't just scan and go find it. Not sure why this limitation is still in place, as it's been an issue on HD-DVRs through DirecTV dating back a few years.

The reason I remember this to begin with was when IPTV (11) re-shuffled their sub-channels a few years back... everyone on HD-DVRs through DirecTV that got their channels OTA were screwed up until they finally got DirecTV's guide data subscriber to submit an updated sub-channel listing.

Thanks Brew,

I shot another email asking directv who supplies their guide data so that I can contact them to see about adding all the subchannels.
I was unaware my receiver lacked the ability to scan the off air channels.

Bryan

I got my directv hd dvr to tune to channel 13-3. Of course the guide data is all wrong but at least I can manually record now.

How did I do it? I searched for tv stations broadcasting on a 13-3 subchannel and entered that zipcode as the secondary market. Indianapolis in this case worked. 46202

So directv's excuse that they don't have the bandwidth is total bs.
I just need to find a zipcode that has channel 17.3 and a 13.3 to get all the subchannels.

Now I can record those great All in the Family episodes.


Bryan

KCCI is now advertising 4/26/11 as the date they will start HD newscasts.

Hey guys,

I just grabbed an AntennaDirect Micron. I can get everything but woi (5.1).I get nothing here. Any ideas on why this would be (antennaweb says short range, yellow). I notice that there were others have some issues with WOI.

Thanks,
Jim

WOI transmits simultaneously on VHF-5 (which the Micron probably will never receive since its designed for UHF reception) from a tower midway between Ames and Des Moines and on UHF-50 from a 600' tower (at only 3.2 kW) located at Grand and 9th in Des Moines.

You will need to try one of the following:

Locate the Micron so it can best see the UHF signal from downtown on 50. Rescan to see what you get and see where you have to place the antenna so as to get the best compromise of reception for it and the rest of the channels.

Try a simple loop and rabbit ears. Adjust the rabbit ears as long as possible since WOI's VHF-5 signal needs an REALLY BIG (wide) antenna for efficient reception.

I started noticing this during the NCAA Tournament and am seeing it again now during the NBA Playoffs on TNT viewed on Mediacom.

I'm seeing this on both my TVs: a Sony KDS-55A2000 and a Sony KDL-55EX710 using two different Mediacom HD receivers.

Whenever there's a period of fast-motion during a basketball broadcast on TNT (I also saw this on TruTV's NCAA broadcasts), the frame rate will seem to dip and things will get "choppy".

You can notice this very easily when the camera swings from left-to-right or right-to-left as a team takes the ball upcourt (more noticeable on a fast break, too). Another time I see a lot of it is whenever they do an Iso cam on one player as he runs up court to get back on defense. Anytime there's intense fast motion, it almost feels like an encoder or decoder can't keep up and things get weird.

Has anyone else noticed this too? It was very noticeable during the NCAA Tournament as I'd see it on TNT and TruTV, but not so much on TBS and definitely not on KCCI/CBS.

KCCI is now advertising 4/26/11 as the date they will start HD newscasts.

Watching the 6 PM newscast tonight. Studio shots definitely appear to be HD now. Still looks like a lot of the remotes are VERY soft -- they have to be 480p.

Super Doppler HD looks pretty awful scaled up to HD resolution, but the rest of the weather charts look very nice.

It's the same graphics package they've been using since they went to the 16:9 480p broadcast a few years ago.

Overall, it seems like the only thing that's new is the studio shots in HD, the better weather graphics, and Super Doppler HD output is sharper and clearer. Remotes still soft, same graphics package, same studio. Ho hum. Color me surprised, I expected more than just studio shots in HD for being the last to launch.

I was a KCCI devotee for years, but WHO's newscast is just so professionally done with a slick graphics package, great weather graphics, and all remotes in HD. WHO's newscast looks like something you'd expect to see in a Top 10 market. KCCI's looks like they put in just enough effort to say "See guys, we're in HD now."

KWWL went HD a year ago in the Cedar Rapids market for studio shots, but at least they revamped their set, revamped their graphics, and revamped the weather graphics. Remotes were still 4:3 SD, but with as much effort as was put into the rest of the HD upgrade, I'd argue KWWL did a lot more to get ready for HD than it appears KCCI has, so far.

I wouldn't be so harsh on KCCI, but with as good as their ratings are, and being "Iowa's News Leader" in Iowa's largest market, this HD launch is overshadowed by many other stations in this state, including WHO, KWWL, KWQC, heck, even WOI.

I think the new KCCI HD newcast looks real good, but sounds real bad. Is that sound coming out of an empty can of Del Monte peaches or what ?? Reminds me of some of those 96 kbs mp3's I used to download and delete because they sounded so crappy.

You both pretty well summed up my thoughts. Even when the audio is clear, it sounds like their studio is a big steel garage.

I don't know why they bothered with HD at all. They've long since proven their viewers either don't care or notice the difference.

I will never understand how they generate the ratings they do.

It's the same graphics package they've been using since they went to the 16:9 480p broadcast a few years ago.


The weather graphics are quite different now than they were just a week or two ago. The news graphics are a bit different as well, it seems. They put these into use a few days ahead of the official HD switch.

A few weeks ago, they went to an eight-day forecast, but the little forecast thumbnail (http://images.ibsys.com/des/images/weather/auto/extended_320x240.jpg) I have my computer update on my desktop each day still pulled a five-day forecast from them. As of Monday, that same URL now pulls the eight-day, and it bears the new graphics look. (WHO's is here (http://whotviowa.whotv.com/wximages/wsi/sevenday250x155.jpg).)

I think the new KCCI HD newcast looks real good, but sounds real bad. Is that sound coming out of an empty can of Del Monte peaches or what ?? Reminds me of some of those 96 kbs mp3's I used to download and delete because they sounded so crappy.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed the poor sound quality. It was tinny on both my HDTV and SDTV, using over the air signal or Mediacom analog cable signal, respectively. Not as bad as those OnStar commercials with the terrible tinny recordings of emergency calls, though.

The SDTV is in my bedroom, where I tend to listen through earbuds so as not to disturb my wife. The tinny quality was quite noticeable. The commercials sounded normal.

I didn't notice if the Ames "Live Link" content still had its usual ground loop hum in it, like it has for many months.

This evenings KCCI news was an improvment, the sound was much better, about as good as you could expect. WHO had sound problems at the beginning of their HD broadcasts as well, with the little beeps every couple minutes. I still prefer WHO news with Bachman. I especially think WHO has the better saturday and sunday morning news broadcasts. KCCI has always been the weaker in sports coverage, and still is with WHO having strong sports personalities that are more fun to watch. Bachman comes off as more professional to me as well, with his "insiders with john bachman" on Sun mornings.

WHO had sound problems at the beginning of their HD broadcasts as well, with the little beeps every couple minutes.

Those "beeps" weren't problems, they were an intended effect to go with a graphic change.

They, thankfully, got rid of it eventually.

The weather graphics are quite different now than they were just a week or two ago. The news graphics are a bit different as well, it seems. They put these into use a few days ahead of the official HD switch.

A few weeks ago, they went to an eight-day forecast, but the little forecast thumbnail (http://images.ibsys.com/des/images/weather/auto/extended_320x240.jpg) I have my computer update on my desktop each day still pulled a five-day forecast from them. As of Monday, that same URL now pulls the eight-day, and it bears the new graphics look. (WHO's is here (http://whotviowa.whotv.com/wximages/wsi/sevenday250x155.jpg).).

I did go on to say that the weather graphics are different, and they do look nice. I was more referring to the news graphics, which to my eyes still look like the ones they changed to when they went to the 16x9 broadcast.

And again, these are all nit-picky things that most stations would get the benefit of the doubt on. KCCI just doesn't get the benefit of the doubt because they're a DISTANT 3rd in their market to go HD and they're far and away a ratings juggernaut. I expected more out of KCCI because I felt like they had more time and more resources.

Other stations in smaller markets (KWWL and KWQC) had much more dramatic HD overhauls, and even stations with poor ratings (WOI) seem to have done more in their HD conversions.

And again, WHO set the bar so high for an HD conversion in one fell swoop that it's almost unfair to compare anyone to them. I still say WHO's newscast looks and feels like a Top 10 market's newscast. It's so slick and professional and the HD throughout just looks great.

Anyone else hearing 'popping' sounds on ABC5 w/ DirecTV? Specifically, during Shark Tank.

I'm trying to gather info on what HDTV OTA receivers can pick up the IPTV XX.99 subchannel.

If you have a rig that pulls in IPTV from an antenna, could you see if your tuner can pick up one of the XX.99 subchannels below? It should be audio only, probably sometime before noon daily.

I do know that my TiVo HD, Channel Master CM 7000 and Zenith DTT901 digital to analog converter boxes do not decode the audio.

The following tuners have been reported to work. If yours is not listed, and works, please post it here.

DigitalStream DTX9950 digital-to-analog converter box
Accurian handheld DTV
LG TV

Channel 11.99 - Des Moines
Channel 12.99 - Iowa City
Channel 21.99 - Fort Dodge
Channel 24.99 - Mason City
Channel 27.99 - Sioux City
Channel 32.99 - Waterloo
Channel 32.99 - Council Bluffs
Channel 36.99 - Red Oak
Channel 36.99 - Davenport

Thanks! :)

On 11.99 (Des Moines IPTV), my Sony KDL-55EX710 (LED HDTV's built in decoder) picked up the signal and decoded it just fine.

This is the Reading Service for the Blind, right?

Thanks Brew! Yes, it's called IRIS and they usually read articles for the blind before noon every day.

Good to know your TV decodes it.

Here's the boxes they distribute to decode it (I just found this out today)

http://www.rrs1100.com/

A lot of Samsung TV's will decode it, too. I have one at work that does, but I don't remember the model offhand.

I can get 11.99 on two DigitalStream converters: models DTX9950 and DTX9900D. Also on a Panasonic DVD Recorder DMR-EZ17.

Thanks tanglecord for verifying this!

Anybody else having problems with 5 tonight?

I've completely lost OTA. Not that big a deal as I have it on DirecTV, but figured I'd ask.

KCCI has a video on its website about this. It doesn't mention a date ("soon"), but it says MeTV will be on 8.2 (no word on the fate of Weather Now).

http://www.kcci.com/video/28156641/detail.html

A June 10th posting on MeTV's Facebook page (posted by MeTV) claims that it will begin on July 1, and affirms the 8.2 assignment.

(no word on the fate of Weather Now).


The latest teaser they ran this morning listed that MeTV will also feature "Weather every hour". Everyone is welcome to draw their own conclusions... and I'm thinking this will be the end for Weather Now. Not that KCCI's weather team really updated the local forecast segments that much anyway...

I think OTA TV just got a whole lot better with ME-TV. The original Hawaii Five-o, Bob Newhart, MTM, MASH and Marshall Dillon too ? Leaving the house just got a whole lot harder.

OH MY GOD.......they are showing 2 back to back episodes of TAXI tonight at 9PM on ME-TV. I have never seen such a fine array of classic TV shows, better than TV Land ever was. They have Cheers, Perry Mason and Twilight Zone too, and just about every good TV show there ever was except for the original Star Trek and the Jeffersons. It's not even fall yet, and I am starting to build a cocoon around me and my TV set.

What? It's on?

*checks*

Oh. Yes it is.

Any word of any of the DSM locals getting Mobile DTV up and going? Its basically a lower bit rate of the digital channels, however they can work in a car at speeds of up to 100mph with a 60 mile range. More info can be found here:
http://www.ezdigitaltv.com/Mobile_Digital_TV.html

Can anybody relate their experiences with WOI OTA reception using a "7-up" antenna? I'm in the Boone area and have an opportunity to pick one of these up, wasn't sure if it was worth it... Other option would be to pony up for a red zone full-on antenna twice the size (but is designed to handle lo-VHF).

I realize the rig isn't designed for 5.x, and I only watch RTV 5.2 for the old shows anyway. Just trying to see if it is worth putting up on my roof to replace the 30-year old rig that came with the house (used twinlead, it's not hooked up to the TV at all).

Being in north Boone, I'm in the Light Green/Red zone when it comes to WOI reception, so I wasn't sure if this would be worth my time and effort. Two story house with no easy access to the roof save a big ladder (which I'd have to borrow/rent).

I have never seen such a fine array of classic TV shows, better than TV Land ever was. They have ... just about every good TV show there ever was except for the original Star Trek and the Jeffersons. It's not even fall yet, and I am starting to build a cocoon around me and my TV set.

That MeTv promo with the Lucy gang singing "Y'all come" includes a clip of Kirk being stopped by a force field. Star Trek is coming to MeTV this fall (no definite dates given). Along with several other classic series, including some that had been airing on RTV.

http://metvnetwork.com/fall.php

But which shows will be knocked off the schedule to make room for the new ones?

As for The Jeffersons, that's a Sony property and if it were to air, it'd be on Antenna TV. For the time being, you can see minisodes of The Jeffersons (episodes edited down to four or five minutes) on the Sony site, Crackle.

http://www.crackle.com/c/The_Jeffersons_Minisode#id=2153693&ml=o%3D12%26fpl%3D1160910%26fx%3D

That MeTv promo with the Lucy gang singing "Y'all come" includes a clip of Kirk being stopped by a force field. Star Trek is coming to MeTV this fall (no definite dates given). Along with several other classic series, including some that had been airing on RTV.

http://metvnetwork.com/fall.php

But which shows will be knocked off the schedule to make room for the new ones?

As for The Jeffersons, that's a Sony property and if it were to air, it'd be on Antenna TV. For the time being, you can see minisodes of The Jeffersons (episodes edited down to four or five minutes) on the Sony site, Crackle.

http://www.crackle.com/c/The_Jeffersons_Minisode#id=2153693&ml=o%3D12%26fpl%3D1160910%26fx%3D

Will be happy to see Star Trek added to the lineup, and perhaps Lost in Space, but the other shows they are adding do not excite me much. I'm sure they will bump off something I like better, hope it's not anything in their weekday prime time lineup up to and including Cheers, or TAXI on sunday nights. Hope they keep Dobie Gillis and Gomer Pyle USMC late sunday nights and Twilight Zone and Marshall Dillon later on weekday late evening. Surprised Gilligan's Island isnt on after Dobie Gillis for late sunday nights.

Ive been watching the old gunsmokes from the 50's for the first time and hope they keep "Marshall Dillon" in the lineup. I think Dennis Weaver did a great job with the Chester character.

The new schedule starts Monday, September 26.

http://metvnetwork.com/metv_national.pdf

Don't forget to subtract an hour for Central Time.
I can't be certain, but it looks like MeTV will be showing the 4th season hour-long episodes of The Twilight Zone on Sunday nights.
For those who like Lost in Space, don't miss the first episode (I assume Me will broadcast them in order), where Dr. Smith, instead of a comical coward, was an evil saboteur.

The new schedule starts Monday, September 26.

http://metvnetwork.com/metv_national.pdf

Don't forget to subtract an hour for Central Time.
I can't be certain, but it looks like MeTV will be showing the 4th season hour-long episodes of The Twilight Zone on Sunday nights.
For those who like Lost in Space, don't miss the first episode (I assume Me will broadcast them in order), where Dr. Smith, instead of a comical coward, was an evil saboteur.


Yes, kudos for the hour long Twilight Zones AND putting Columbo in the 7PM slot for sunday nights, RIP Peter Falk. Good that they moved TAXI to weeknights, more TAXI is a good thing. The original Star Trek and Lost in Space is a great addition. ME-TV is cool, book 'em Danno.

Many old shows and cartoons come to mind that could make classic TV even better. Like sat or sun mormings run Davey and Goliath, Scooby, Flintstones, Superfriends, Herculoids, GI Joe, Johnny Quest, Land of the Lost. Bullwinkle is OK but they need to show Fractured Fairytales, Commander McBragg, Klondike Cat, Mr. Peabody and Sherm, Go Go Gophers, Tennessee Tux, Underdog, and mix it all up in an hour long time slot and call it Bullwinkle & Company, or Underwinkle.

Maybe sometime in the afternoons they could show some classic gameshows like Match Game, Price is Right, Card Sharks, Jokers Wild, Tic Tac Dough, Password or Pyramid. Some other shows I havent seen forever that might make good filler.......WKRP, One Day at a time, Welcome Back Kotter, Eight is Enough, perhaps the late 70s drama series "Family" or maybe Facts of Life or Little House on the Prairie. Would like to see METV, Antenna TV, and RTV pick up some of these shows.

And let us not forget the very hot nurse Rankoozie, and a young doctor named Gates that lived in the hospital parking lot, in a rusty RV named "The Titanic". I'm talking of course about Trapper John MD. Great show, much more watchable than Daniel Boone or 3 hours of Lucy, in my opinion.

Ive been watching the old gunsmokes from the 50's for the first time and hope they keep "Marshall Dillon" in the lineup. I think Dennis Weaver did a great job with the Chester character.

MeTV will be yanking Rawhide and "Marshall Dillon" (but not Gunsmoke) from their schedule this month. Here's a notice from their website.

Attention Me-TV viewers, because of an exclusive pay cable window, both Rawhide and Marshal Dillon will be leaving the Me-TV schedule on November 28. We are sorry to see them go and hope to add them back to the schedule in a couple of years.

You may have noticed that since last December we aired each episode of the series multiple times so that Me-TV viewers would have the opportunity to see each episode in various daytime and late night time periods. While these two western classics are leaving the schedule, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and all our other westerns will be with us a long time. In addition, Wagon Train, The Rebel, and Have Gun-Will Travel will all join our memorable western programming in the coming months and years.

What do you mean by "but not Gunsmoke"? Isn't Marshall Dillon just the rerun title for Gunsmoke?

Me-TV's notice treats them as two separate shows. Marshall Dillon is the title for the half-hour program and Gunsmoke is the hour-long show. Marshall Dillon (the show, not the character) will be leaving Me-TV, but Gunsmoke will remain on their schedule.

Have not noticed many signal problems with any of the OTA digital channels this year. No more dropouts on PBS or RTN, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune looking good, new channels added without major technical difficulty in 2011. The long road from analog to digital has led us to the point we had hoped for, I should think. Not that there isn't room for improvment, still want more power for 39 in Newton so it can cover the entire DSM metro area, and Cool TV needs audio upgrade to stereo.

Now back to ME-TV......they did a good job making it fun to watch with the promo's they do durring the commercial breaks. Like getting Ed Asner to say "meow"......and taking cuts out of shows and pasting them together......"You keep thinking about ME ".......You better think about that......and think about it hard.....lol. TV-land used to do that alot. Oh, and speaking of Ed Asner, hope they pick up the Lou Grant show someday, was a good show about the newspaper business, serious content, no laughtrack. Think Ed and CBS should kiss and makeup someday, they ought to give him Andy Rooney's old spot on 60 minutes.

Also was curious if they plan to show all the Columbo episodes on Sun nights. Noticed they have been showing the 2 hour episodes in no particular order, but there are many other episodes that have strange run times of an hour and a half, or less. Hope they can get around the scheduling problems to show those shorter episodes as well.

Really think "Combat" deserves a spot in the late morning/afternoon, rather than in the wee hours of the morning.

Have not noticed many signal problems with any of the OTA digital channels this year. No more dropouts on PBS or RTN, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune looking good, new channels added without major technical difficulty in 2011. The long road from analog to digital has led us to the point we had hoped for, I should think. Not that there isn't room for improvment

I think this is a really good point and we should sit back for a second and realize this.

We went through the biggest transition in the history of television, and there were bumps along the way, but we made it. Over-the-air television is certainly better as a result.

All three news organizations in Des Moines do HD newscasts and have now for eight months. All three news organizations in the Quad Cities are HD now too for the past three months. Cedar Rapids market still has only one channel broadcasting local news in HD -- KWWL, and they were the first in the state to do so. (WHO came second, but their HD broadcast is more complete -- KWWL still uses a lot of SD shots for remotes.)

We're even to the point now where FOX is broadcasting sports that are shot and composed with 16:9 in mind and are shown in a letterbox format for 4:3 viewers. The widescreen HD broadcast is considering first and foremost on FOX Sports broadcast, instead of pandering to 4:3 viewers where 16:9 viewer get mostly "useless" information in the wings.

It's been a tremendous transition and there have been many bumps -- but it's kinda weird to sit back and truly realize that the digital OTA transition, the HD transition, the 16:9 transition is well on its way. We've come so far.

I'm surprised the Quad Cities are ahead of Cedar Rapids with respect to HD news broadcasts. Cedar Rapids is a bigger market than Quad Cities, they should be farther along than that.........only one channel in HD ?

All three news organizations in Des Moines do HD newscasts and have now for eight months. All three news organizations in the Quad Cities are HD now too for the past three months. Cedar Rapids market still has only one channel broadcasting local news in HD -- KWWL, and they were the first in the state to do so. (WHO came second, but their HD broadcast is more complete -- KWWL still uses a lot of SD shots for remotes.)

Not to mention KDSM can actually broadcast syndicated HD shows and commercials and, for the first time ever, can broadcast stereo sound now.

I honestly never thought we'd see the day.

Just got my antenna up and working at the new house. Or actually, just used the existing equipment and awful wiring that was already here. Earlier in the week I had everything dialed in and finally got channel 5 in the 40-50 range which is pretty decent. Channel 17 was in the mid seventies signal range all week, rock solid. Now I try to watch some football and it keeps dropping to less than 20 from 70 something. Is this pretty normal for Fox? Every other channel is running great at the moment, and of course the first time this week that I actually want to watch tv, it isn't working :mad:.

Just got my antenna up and working at the new house. Or actually, just used the existing equipment and awful wiring that was already here. Earlier in the week I had everything dialed in and finally got channel 5 in the 40-50 range which is pretty decent. Channel 17 was in the mid seventies signal range all week, rock solid. Now I try to watch some football and it keeps dropping to less than 20 from 70 something. Is this pretty normal for Fox? Every other channel is running great at the moment, and of course the first time this week that I actually want to watch tv, it isn't working :mad:.

Tonight I am getting the strongest signals from 23, 19, and 17, all booming in the 80s for signal strength, can't get zip tonight out of 39, can usually get close to a threshold signal of 17% but nothing now on 39. The lower VHF channels are all there, 70's from channel 8 is the best one, followed by 5 at close to 60%, then 13 is hovering around the upper 40's and low 50%, followed by 11 which is usually the lowest, now at 30%. My setup is over 15 years old with elements breaking off and wires to the combiner corroding away, getting time for a new antenna next summer.

If you have separate VHF/UHF on the roof, check the wires from each one that go to your VHF/UHF signal combiner box. That might be the problem, especially if your 23 and 19 are weak then you might have a bad combiner.

jake the ssnake
Member

Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Iowa
Posts: 30
Just got my antenna up and working at the new house. Or actually, just used the existing equipment and awful wiring that was already here. Earlier in the week I had everything dialed in and finally got channel 5 in the 40-50 range which is pretty decent. Channel 17 was in the mid seventies signal range all week, rock solid. Now I try to watch some football and it keeps dropping to less than 20 from 70 something. Is this pretty normal for Fox? Every other channel is running great at the moment, and of course the first time this week that I actually want to watch tv, it isn't working .



Jake, I have always had great luck in DSM with OTA. What part of town are you in, and what is the awful wiring you used? For that matter, what is the antenna?

I'm new to this forum, so feel free to email with questions if that is possible.

I am now in IC/CR and know how much I took for granted DSMs wonderful broadcasters.

I'm a good ways north of DM, i think antennaweb puts me around 60 miles from the towers, iirc. I think it's a yagi style antenna. The wiring is just 2 wires into a coax adapter, and it's really old and brittle. The antenna is just laying on the rafters in my attic. There are many variables that could easily be fixed, but this is only temporary. It only seems to be an issue with Fox, and only during the day, so i was just wondering if anybody else was having issues.

Next spring I'll probably put a new antenna up where my satellite is and use that cable since I know it's good. That will give me a good mounting spot with a good run of cable plus actually being outside. I'm about 30 miles South of my old house that I got great reception at, so I dont think I'll have any problems. I just need to make it through the winter with my cobbled together setup :lol:

Anyone see this on kcci.com?

http://www.kcci.com/news/30005008/detail.html

As of this posting, they list 14 cable companies where they're still negotiating retrans rights. Mediacom is on that list. December 31 is the deadline.

Hopefully they'll work something out.

Anyone see this on kcci.com?

http://www.kcci.com/news/30005008/detail.html

As of this posting, they list 14 cable companies where they're still negotiating retrans rights. Mediacom is on that list. December 31 is the deadline.

Hopefully they'll work something out.Perfect timing, I'm supposed to get Webster Calhoun Co-op Telephone installed his week. That would be a spiffy welcome package :mad:

Jake.

IF it aint broke, no need to fix it. A new antenna will not necessarily do anything yours does not. The lifespan of an indoor antenna is arguably infinite. A couple of things occur to me. The twin lead that comes from the two wingnuts on the antenna that converts to coax is called a balun- it converts the 300Ohm signal of the twin feed to the 75ohm feed of coax. Twin is fine, and a case could be made it is superior but your example where it becomes brittle and difficult to work with is common and one of the reasons coax is so popular. A balun could be purchased online for $5ish.

Often times there will be a 'Y' on the front (smaller) end, and make sure it is not pointing down. Slightly up is better than slightly down.

Antennaweb offered you an azimuth to point the antenna. Put a tv on channel 16 (17) and find the signal meter for that channel and align for that channel, and the rest should be fine. Look to see if there is a pair of 'yagi' that are not opened up all the way. Some of the CM and Winegard products have that set where the wingnut attaches. VERY important they are open.

Something to think about. Elevation is key in signal reception. If your dish mast is not substantially higher than where it lays on the rafters I would not expect substantial improvement to your reception. An outdoor installation should last about 10 years, but in your neck of the woods i think it gets pretty windy? If you are anywhere near Ft Dodge I know I have had to do a LOT of dish realignments just from straight winds up there. Damage on an outside antenna would be higher up there and if an indoor installation were possible if it were up to me.

Best luck!

I'm surprised the Quad Cities are ahead of Cedar Rapids with respect to HD news broadcasts. Cedar Rapids is a bigger market than Quad Cities, they should be farther along than that.........only one channel in HD ?

Cedar Rapids' CBS affiliate (KGAN) is a Sinclair station. Enough said there.

KCRG is far and away the highest rated station and is locally owned by The Cedar Rapids Gazette so there's not a huge corporation backing them. It's also kind of like KCCI here in Des Moines where even without HD newscasts, they're still the ratings leader. KCCI was a distant third to HD here in DSM and it barely touched their ratings. HD doesn't seem to affect the general public's viewing habits for local news.

That's why KCRG has dragged their feet so much on the HD upgrade.

I personally *DID* change my viewing habits for news. When WHO was the first to HD, I started watching their newscast instead of KCCI, and I've had zero desire to switch back, even though KCCI finally started doing HD. I think WHO has far and away the best picture quality and they seemed to put the most work into their HD conversion and I respect that a lot.

Regarding the locals going to HD for newscasts, even though KCRG is a privately owned company, they have been putting the infrastructure in place for many months to start broadcasting news in HD. The last target date I heard about was sometime in January 2012.

From rumors I've heard, this is a full upgrade, not just a studio camera update. If it pans out, I think the ENG, studio and control room will be all updated to HD equipment.

I'm in the Urbandale area, and have Mediacom digital cable. We've been in this house for 6 months now. Here lately I've been noticed audio drop in the evenings. Usually a second or so. Last night had probably 8 - 10 seconds. I went and rearranged my splitter situation went from a 3-way to a 2-way followed by 3-way. This TV is coming off the 2-way now. But still noticed some drops

I got a new TV a few months ago and now run my audio through an optical audio cable to my surround sounds. I'm trying to decide if that is my problem or maybe my cable box

Any thoughts? Am I experiencing the woes of a taxed cable network?