In the post above I described the new channel on 22-3 called V-Me as a Spanish children's channel. I would like to correct that after a few days of watching, it appears to be PBS type programming in Spanish. They have children's shows in the day, but also science, history and information shows in the evening. Although my college Spanish from 35 years ago only allows me to understand occasional words I have even enjoyed watching this new channel for a while. Those of you who are fully fluent in Spanish and enjoy PBS shows would like this channel.
To see if reception is possible in your area, I would suggest turning your current UHF antenna toward Las Cruces. If you can get a good signal (above 70% on most signal quality meters) then the options would be to put a rotor on your current antenna or set up a separate UHF antenna as I have done with a RF (antenna) switch. Radio Shack has both manual and remote control switches as do other on-line vendors.
It is not very often we get a new channel around here so enjoy!

Clock problem on PBS seems to be fixed although never received an e-mail reply. Hope they have it solved for return to standard time sunday. Tired of changing the vcr's etc. They do not keep good time in manual mode.

have you seen the new Univision ads? they are letting people know about the Feb '09 deadline for DTV, I hope they also begin transmitting some HD shows, Pasion is coming to Univision, I hope they get the HD one.

On their announcements they are claiming clearer pictures, if they do SD it's pretty much the same as a strong signal analog, I hope they don't dissapoint the viewers.

KTSM has had more than a few problems. I have given up on seeing the Nightly News in HD. I emailed both the engineer and programming departments but have received no reply. For two weeks in a row the second half of "Journeyman" has been in SD as they fail to throw the switch after the 30 minute break to promote their local news and commercials. This is the kind of problems KDBC were having two years ago.

Today KTSM showed the NBC Nightly News in HD. So if you didn't see it today you may wanna watch tomorrow. I've also noticed the problems with Journeyman. I think they may have fixed something, because they've been running a crawly on the bottom of the screen that said something like "we're going to turn off the transmitter at 11 PM to fix something, you won't be able to watch the analog channel, this won't affect digital channel 9-1 or the cable channel" for the last 2 nights.

It was good to see the news in HD again. I hope KTSM can be consistant. I had switched to ABC for awhile. Actually I am surprised that ABC and CBS have not gone to HD evening news yet. AS for "Journeyman", maybe I will catch up when the re-runs start, which usually is all throughout the Holiday Season. Actually I have been a bit disappointed in that the story focuses so much on his family problems rather than the science fiction aspect of time travel.

I recently bought the Phillips powered antenna from C. City and get CBS, FOX, PBS, NBC, KVIA, KCOS in HD OTA. The unit was 44$. It also picks up several more channels like CW and a few Spanish stations. It also doesn't drop NBC on 9-1. KDBC is 4-1, MyNet is 4-2,KVIA is 7-1, CW is 7-2, LATV is 7-4,KTSM is 9-1, KCOS is 13-1, KFOX is 14-1. The less expensive unpowered unit doesn't work very well.

It depends where you live, if your close to the transmiters a rabbit's ear antenna should pick up most channels (they are using these for stores' demos). A regular unpowered roof antenna picks up all channels, I have one and I live in south Juarez, very far from the transmitters, i only had problems with Channel 4-1 but some re-orienting helped.

Shame on Channel 7, they lost the digital signal in primetime Sunday!, it was about 20 maybe 30 mins, I changed the channel to see the season finale of the Housewives, big black screen, tried their 7-2, 7-3 and 7-4 with same result, I had to watch a part in analog, I kept trying until maybe at 8:20 it came back.

I noticed the problems with channel 7 too. It kept happening later on too. I tuned into the CW at midnight, when they show Stargate Atlantis, and the channel was gone again. It would come back for about 3 minutes and then it would go back to the black screen. I think that as someone said a while ago, " they're stretching themselves too thin with the 4 channels".

I noticed the problems with channel 7 too. It kept happening later on too. I tuned into the CW at midnight, when they show Stargate Atlantis, and the channel was gone again. It would come back for about 3 minutes and then it would go back to the black screen. I think that as someone said a while ago, " they're stretching themselves too thin with the 4 channels".

Just think how bad it is going to be when the analog signal is gone and they take days to fix problems because they don't have spare equipment on hand and no engineer is available on weekends and the idiot kids they have working forget to throw the switch.

A quick note, I stood on one of the top of the lines in Downtown Chigago, guess what? they have HDTVs on all rooms a 42" LG LCD HDTV, but, all the channels ara analog! even on the bar in the atrium, what a dissapointment, then I went just around the corner to a restaurant and they do have HDTV signal just fine.

I wanted to disconnect that TV Commander thingy they have in the rooms, and just try to grab the OTA channels, but I was afraid they kick me out for messing with their TVs.

first time posting in this thread. Have you guys/gals seen the nature and sports shows they play in the mexican hd channels that we get in el paso? sometimes i lower the volume and just look at the amazing picture they broadcast, its pretty sad that we can't get the same quality out of the us channels.

It is a great channel, I wish it had SAP enabled to listen to it. However, I find myself watching those Natures shows often. Only other channel that somewhat delivers on the quality is KCOS-HD PBS

Anyways, heres hoping for better channels in the future for El Paso.

I completely lost Channel 4-1 and channel 4-2, Univision 26 came back a bit and I lost it again (both 0% signal strength). Also analog 4 looks awful, are they having problems? Couldn't see the nfl games last sunday.

DrLar, yeah, the who HD signal thing in El Paso is horrible. I can't stand KVIA with their 4 channels, all of them look horrible. I would rather have CW and ABC both in HD capable modes.

As for KDBC 4, I'm shocked to see they don't go off the air more often, they have the poorest network in El Paso. All I can say is cross your fingers when your watching TV anywhere in El Paso when its HD signals over the air because sometimes its a nightmare with these techs taking so long to fix issues.

On the 24th, ABC featured "The Santa Clause" the entire more the audio was cutting out on the digital channel HD. I had to just pop in a movie instead.

No luck with Channel 4-1, did a re-scan (just in case they changed band), re-oriented the antenna and nothing.

Channel 26 came back on it's own yesterday, still the horrible SD, they are still showing the legend on the info "Univision-HD", yeah right, we believe you!.

I was looking yesterday at 11-1 some beautiful HD soap opera at night around 8:00 pm, I watch that "novela" because of the HD not really the content (except for some beautiful women there). Televisa should learn

And yeah, the CW and the LATV channels look horrendous! ghastly! real eyesores! better not to watch them at all IMO.

Yeah the Mexican HD Channel, 20-1 shows great HD, but they buy most of it from American Cable channels. They show Planet Earth which is from Discovery HD Theater, and other shows, and they also show movies. It would be great if they added SAP, lots of the Mexican analog channels already have SAP, like analog 20, and analog 56. Channel 20 shows, Lost, Everybody Hates Chris, and other shows in English, if you turn on the SAP. Channel 56 shows some of the movies, in English if you push SAP. What ticks me of as well about channel 7 is that KVIA HD doesn't have Spanish if you push SAP, it just has louder English, which I think is Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.

As for the CW and LATV, they don't seem to look that bad to me, but it could be becuase I only have a 32 inch HDTV. NBC weather plus looks worse than those channels most of the time.

DrLar the novela on 11-1 is "Se Busca un Hombre", and it start at around 7:30 PM. Like I said at the Mexican HDTV thread, I think it looks so good, because they bought some really expensive HD Cameras. It seems to be boring most of the time though, to the point where it's only worth watching for the women. I've noticed a pattern though, it's boring for about 2 to 3 weeks, and then they add something interesting for about a week, and then they go back to boring again for another 2 or 3 weeks.

No luck with Channel 4-1, did a re-scan (just in case they changed band), re-oriented the antenna and nothing.


Must be 4's antenae orientation or something. Up in Las Cruces, 4-1 is my strongest channel (signal of 95-100). I;ve been getting great pictures all week.

I changed yesterday to a roof top antenae (Terk) and it boosted my signal strengths by 10-20 points on all channels; my worst channel 7-1 increased from 65 to 85 and stopped its pixilation.

I live on the west end of University Avenue out near Zia Middle school and haven't purchased a ASCT receiver or DVD recorder with tuner as of yet. I have a RS VR-120 antenna mounted on a 30' mast on top of a roof crest of about 30'. So I am basically 60' about ground. I think I should get a fairly strong signal. Analog channel 4 is my poorest signal other than KRWG-TV which is on the side lobe of the antenna. I was waiting for after Christmas sales on the DVD machines.

I live on the west end of University Avenue out near Zia Middle school and haven't purchased a ASCT receiver or DVD recorder with tuner as of yet. I have a RS VR-120 antenna mounted on a 30' mast on top of a roof crest of about 30'. So I am basically 60' about ground. I think I should get a fairly strong signal. Analog channel 4 is my poorest signal other than KRWG-TV which is on the side lobe of the antenna. I was waiting for after Christmas sales on the DVD machines.

I'm in Picacho so I have a good line of sight to the Franklins.

I can't belive I can pick up Las Cruces Channels better than an El Paso Channel, (4), something must be interfiering with that antenna, being the lowest one in the mountain, maybe some building but I can see it so line of sight is not a problem, but I'm not buying a stonger antenna just to see one channel. I hope they get their stuff together and maybe transmit a bit stronger signal.

I am finally getting a hdtv and plan to use OTA antenna. I am wondering if the antenna I have been using in the attic will be sufficient. I have been looking at some Turk models. I live in Mesa Hills and very close to the transmitters. Sometimes, I have wondered if I am too close as the signal goes over us. Any comments?

I think you will probably be pretty good with anything you have, although you may want to try playing with the orientation.

I use rabbit ears right off Sean Haggerty (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Sean+Haggerty+Dr+%26+Rogers+Hornsby+St,+El+Paso,+El+P aso,+Texas+79924).
I have two OTA setups:
Sony XBR1 TV - rabbit ears oriented East-West
Accurian STB tuner - $10 rabbit-ear / UHF loop oriented North-South

I get: 4-1 CBS KDBC-DT
4-2 MyNet
7-1 ABC KVIA-DT
7-2 CW (NOT ON SONY)
7-3 KVIAWHX
7-4 LATV (NOT ON ACCURIAN)
9-1 NBC KTSM-DT
9-2 KTSM-WX
11-1 XHCJE 3 (NOT ON SONY)
13-1 PBS KCOS-DT
13-2 KCOS-D2
13-3 KCOS-D3 <blank>
13-4 KCOS-D4 <blank>
14-1 FOX KFOX-DT
14-2 KFOX-WX
20-1 XHCJH 3 (NOT ON SONY)
26-1 <UNIVISION sometimes 25-1>
32-1 XEPM HD (NOT ON SONY)
32-2 XEPM SD (NOT ON SONY)
38-1 KSCE-DT
39-1 <carrier, no signal on ACCURIAN)
51-1 <spanish, no callsign>
To tune some of these channels on the Accurian, I need to move the VHF antenna elements up into a V or make them flat ---o---.

I have no idea what is going on with KVIA. I expected to get some channel differences because the antennas are oriented differently, but I would have guessed that I would either get all the KVIA channels or none of them... I can tune the Sony directly and get 7.2 CW, but no way to directly tune a sub-channel on the Accurian...

I was in the RV Park off Ellerthorpe right up near the mountain where I had to turn OFF the amplifier built into the Silver Sensor II antenna mounted on the trailer. And I had to turn the antenna to change channels...

The closer you are, the more you have to move a directional antenna to get a signal off the different transmitting antennas.

v/r,
C-F

Thanks, C-F, right now, I have an antenna in the attic( the wind blows SO hard up here that I would probably find it in an arroyo if I tried to put it on the roof, <jk>. Therefore, it is sort of hard to adjust at a whim. I will figure out something. I get SDTV from KRWG very well. Hope that continues as I like to alternate between KCOS and KRWG.

If you go to www.antennaweb.org and put in your zip code, it will tell you where to point your antenna.

I wouldn't waste your money buying another antenna, If you get a station now with analog you should also get a digital, you may even get a clear digital on a poor analog signal since it doesn't take much to get a perfect picture on digital. You either get it or don't and it is either perfect or nothing.

In my case is nothing with channel 4, I caught a glimpse of some signal last Monday, it went and came back, from 0% to 35%, I didn't touch my antenna at all and it wasn't moving with the wind, I still don't understand I have to do something because NFL playoffs are coming and I want to watch them in HD, is either a bar or some friend's house at the moment.

Anyone know when will Telemundo will carry its digital channel on full power
I dont get it, also anyone that gets it is the digital channel better than the analog, or has the digital channel worst picture quality than the analog like Channel 26 Univision

Also is channel 42 a ghost channel only on cable and Directv and no one in El Paso can get it

Thanks

I was watching channel 20-1 this past saturday night and they were playing a show called bikini destinations and a hawaiian tropics show in HD... I was glued to that tv!!!! It was in spanish but I was still awesome!! the picture of course...

Channel 42 is analog only at 2.45 KW on the west mesa of Las Cruces. I have seen a glimpse of it here in Montana Vista but it may be available on the West Side.
According to the FCC, digital 47 is only .15KW (thats 150 watts) on the Franklin Mountains and also 1.09 KW on top of the bank building in Las Cruces. It used to come from a tall tower in Chaparral and was the first digital station that I ever saw back in 2003, but I have not seen it for years.

I'm getting zero signal from those two in Juarez...

BTW channel 4 signal seems better now, it's fluctuating between 35 and 50%, enough to display it, again I didn't move my antenna or anything..

Still don't get it if they are using channel 18, I think they have potency issues..

how do you guys come up with potency percentage????

how do you guys come up with potency percentage????

It differs from TV to TV, in an LG you go to the setup menu and scroll down to the signal strenght part it tells you if it is bad/good/excellent.

My HDTV tuner card on my PC tells the percentaje of the signal.

Most of the stations I get are above 70% which is good.

DrLar, I really feel your problem with KDBC must be interference. KDBC is one of the strongest signals for me here in far east El Paso County and as well for the recent poster in Las Cruces. Their tower is in the center of the antenna sites between those of channels 13 and 7.
The most likely candidate for interference on channel 18 would be analog 20. Since you are in Mexico maybe you could call or find out where their broadcast tower is located. If it if close by that would certainly indicate the problem.
Another thing I always try is to actually reduce the signal when having problems. I am not sure if Radio Shack still makes a variable attenuator, I just did a search on their web site and it does not show one, but they are available at www.antennasdirect.com Look under the products heading. When all of the local digital channels first came on and were at very low power I actually had to reduce the signal with an attenuator to get KVIA on channel 17 as they were not as strong as neighboring channels 16 and 18 which would over-run KVIA's signal. By reducing the signal for all it brought them down to a level field.
The FCC site shows that KDBC has a construction permit to move their tower up to the site where KVIA and KTSM are located but at a reduced power. This could either help or harm your situation, but they are staying on channel 18 after the February 2009 shutdown.

Did anyone watch the lingerie bowl on mexican channel 20-1 hd. WOW, that is now my favorite channel. it sometimes looked blury but overall great transmission.

It didn't ocurr to me getting a lower signal, I will switch off the amplfier then and try again or hook up the internal antenna to the tv and pur in a window to see if it picks up channel 4-1 (18-1).

If it gets worse then is some kind of interference.. If they move up the antenna it could solve our problem.

Hey all,

I will be moving to Alamogordo, NM in the next couple of weeks. I was wondering what I can expect for OTA HD or what I can get with a Clear QAM tuner?

Thanks!

I used to live in Alamogordo, back in the all analog days but reception problems would still be the same. It is possible to pick up the El Paso stations in the southern and western parts of Alamogordo as well as the higher elevation areas near the mountains. There are pockets of town however where picking up the El Paso stations is very difficult.
There are analog translator stations for all of the major El Paso and Albuquerque stations on the mountain that re-broadcast on UHF. It is my understanding that in 2009 these will have to switch to digital however there is no requirement that they be High Definition.
I have no idea what the cable company is doing there now.

You may have to go Direct TV or Dish... enter the zip code on antennaweb to see if FTA is going to work..

Man, channel 14 DT really let me down yesterday, both Prison Break and Terminator the Sarah Connor Chronicles were broadcasted in SD, do they have antenna problems again? or what was it this time?

Noticed also when watching terminator. Will peak at idol tonight just to see if it is in HD. If not will try to e-mail them

I don't watch Idol even if it was 1080p....

I guess lots of the outside of the studio takes are in SD with some color or graphic side bar to cover...

Fox is always having problems. I watched Idol last night and of course it was in SD and it went blurry before they went to break each time.

As I post this I'm watching idol in SD mode again. So, not expecting anything from Fox.

As I just completed this last post, Fox kicked in the HD finally. They reading these posts? lol

So they turn on the HD in the middle of the show?

I insist that the local repeaters have an HD switch and it's manual completely, the programmer turns it off for local stuff like news and commercials.

Perhaps they had problems with the HD equipment, althoug I don't care about FOX this month except for Terminator and Prison Break. I hope next Monday they will be OK.

I saw a few minutes of idol last night and it looked great i think it was in 720!!!!

Never heard anything back from them on the e-mail I sent so don't know what the problem was. I don't watch Idol, did sneak a peak to see if it was in HD. I forgot last night. I think all the stations have problems with control room people asleep at the switch.

Today around 5:00PM the news on KVIA was on and I swear they were about to go HD in the news room. The side screens that stay black because of the 4:3 SD were red and the screen looked so much better. Thought they would go full HD since their always boasting about being the first in everything.

Today around 5:00PM the news on KVIA was on and I swear they were about to go HD in the news room. The side screens that stay black because of the 4:3 SD were red and the screen looked so much better. Thought they would go full HD since their always boasting about being the first in everything.

KVIA - Where News comes first - Where HD news comes first?
KTSM - First, live, local - First HD live local transmission?

they spend all their HD equipment dollars on commercials boasting about themselves !!

I'm extremely upset that on Saturday Night both CBS and ABC have amazing movies on and neither being show in beautiful HD. Not sure why they put a lot of stuff that is crud in HD but not The Terminal and Runaway Jury which are great movies.

BTW: Both movies are listed for HD but of course like everything else our local stations are morons.

I agree with Frank43, the stations are SO busy promoting themselves rather than improving their transmission.

KVIA takes the lead this a.m. in the most amateurish broadcast station. They must be hiring elementary students (hey, that's not fair to elementary students) now.
This a.m. they broadcast 20 minutes of the PowerRangers instead of their news, came on appoligized for "technical problems" then someone threw a switch and back to PowerRangers we go, then back to the news. Commercial break came and off we went to blank screen then 3 more 1-2 seconds of something, then they found the commercials.
At 7am, they went straight to the live NY network feed for a couple of minutes before they figured out they were supposed to showing the 2 hour tape delay of GMA.

I'm thinking, 1) they don't watch their own channels to not notice they are broadcasting the wrong stuff, and 2) all the EP stations ought to give us the phone numbers of their "engineers" so we can call them to wake them up and to do their jobs!

Well loved FOX HD yesterday, not as much as CBS' because I still have problems with channel 4, I'm at 35% - 55% signal strenght, sometimes I got the "no signal", in that case I had to switch over to 20-1 to watch some awful SD to HD conversion. (I don't blame TV azteca, they weren't getting the HD feed).

Hopefully they will on the Superbowl and we'll have a backup.

I could not pick up 4.1 nor 20.1 yesterday. I don't know what is wrong. Could it be that I have an antenna that was purchased at the dollar store? LOL.. Well this weekend I went to target and purchased a 20dlls amplified antenna and the reception was worse that that with the dollar one so I went back to target to return it. Could it be that it didn't work or has this happed to anyone else? I have seen the websites posted about antenna but this whole thing is very complicated...(I guess i'm just venting, sorry)

here an answer I got back from KDBC on WHeel of Fortune.

Hi Frank,

Happy New Year. Well, Jeopardy and Wheel are now delivered to us in an HD format. I thought by the time they started doing this we would have our new equipment installed. Unfortunately that is not the case. The CBS network programming is in HD because they have supplied us with an HD server to run the programs through, but they do not allow us to run other syndicated programming through it.

The current owner of KDBC has all 27 of his TV stations up for sale. He is retiring and getting out of the business. My hopes are that new ownership will put some of the additional equipment in place that is so badly needed. I know it's a long answer to your question, but I wanted you to know what is going on.

Send me some good energy and some good thoughts as I am trying to put my own local group together to purchase the station! Stay in touch and have a great week.

Bram


>> Hi Bram,
>>
>> Happy New Year!
>>
>> Well it is a new year and still no Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy in HD!
>> What is the problem? I want to see Vanna in HD.
>>
>> Thanks, Frank

I could not pick up 4.1 nor 20.1 yesterday. I don't know what is wrong. Could it be that I have an antenna that was purchased at the dollar store? LOL.. Well this weekend I went to target and purchased a 20dlls amplified antenna and the reception was worse that that with the dollar one so I went back to target to return it. Could it be that it didn't work or has this happed to anyone else? I have seen the websites posted about antenna but this whole thing is very complicated...(I guess i'm just venting, sorry)

Don't know where you live, but, if you can pick up the locals in analog you should be able to pick them up in digital. even a weak analog signal should give you enough for a digital signal.

Can you see all the antennas on the mountain? if so you should have no problem. All I have is a small uhf antenna about 16 inchs long up in my attic and I get between 8 and 10 on KDBC KVIA KTSM KFOX AND KCOS and a host of spanish stations which i don't watch.

If you have a HDTV witha built in tuner try connecting the antenna directly to the TV and see what you get.

I have a simple antenna that I bought from Wal-Mart for $10.00 and I pick up all the channels quite easily. I get around 85-95% on each of them every single night. I don't have a mounded roof antenna, but I do live in the Lower Valley near Riverside High. Once in a while I lose signal to some of the Spanish stations but it comes back in not to long of a time.

here an answer I got back from KDBC on WHeel of Fortune.

Hi Frank,

Happy New Year. Well, Jeopardy and Wheel are now delivered to us in an HD format. I thought by the time they started doing this we would have our new equipment installed. Unfortunately that is not the case. The CBS network programming is in HD because they have supplied us with an HD server to run the programs through, but they do not allow us to run other syndicated programming through it.

The current owner of KDBC has all 27 of his TV stations up for sale. He is retiring and getting out of the business. My hopes are that new ownership will put some of the additional equipment in place that is so badly needed. I know it's a long answer to your question, but I wanted you to know what is going on.

Send me some good energy and some good thoughts as I am trying to put my own local group together to purchase the station! Stay in touch and have a great week.

Bram




While they're at it, buy more power.... LOL

It also explains a lot of things.... awful analog and digital reception (for a lot of people). They are surely going to reply: "buy a $500 OTA antenna"

man, I hate ota channels in el paso!! channel 4.1 and 7.1 are gone! Is it me or is everyone not getting those channels?

I'm getting 4 and 7, so I think you should check your antenna.

I'm getting 4 and 7, so I think you should check your antenna.

you are right! I just moved the antenna about an inch and got those channels back... pixelating but I got them....thanks.:mad:

Finally got my HDTV and still using my old attic antenna. I am about ready to get another better one, as suggested by DrLar. Old one works pretty well except for KCOS. I don't get it at all. KRWG is okay but not very clear. KFOX is okay. Others are better, 4 and 7 are the best as has been stated here.

you are right! I just moved the antenna about an inch and got those channels back... pixelating but I got them....thanks.:mad:

Getting 7 at about 50%, not getting 4 at all. Tried moving the antenna, but considering the distance from my antenna to El Paso, it shouldn't have that much of an effect. Couldn't get 4 anyway.

Good thing CBS doesn't have anything worth watching what with the writers' strike and football over.

Something happened to channel 4 this weekend. Signal dropped from the mid 90s to 65-70. On my BR tv, can't pickup the signal at all now.

Hi, I just moved to Las Cruces (East Mesa area) and can only get channels 14 (KFOX) and 22 (KRWG) using rabbit ears. If I install an antenna on my roof will I be able to get other channels? I went to Antenna Web and they only list the above two stations for my zip code. Thanks! Kevin

If you are getting KFOX with rabit ears I would try a outside antenna a UHF VHF combo. Get at Radio Shack You can always take it back if you can't pick el paso

I bought an antenna at Radio Shack on Mesa St. two weeks ago, set it up in attic and found it didn't produce any better pic than old antenna ( RS RV antenna which is 20 years old). They were very nice and took it back. Make sure you don't destroy anything and save all packing materials.

I would like to thank those who have given me advice about antennas here in Mesa Hills. I ordered the Channel Master Stealthtenna #3010 and it's amplifier #3080. I hooked it up pointed toward the transmitters and it worked beautifully. I didn't even have to have wife help me point it. It is working great on all stations including KRWG. The only thing I am having to do is go to Home Depot to get a plug in socket for my light up in the attic so that I can plug the amp in up in the attic and not have a cord going up there.

F en Fox yesterday. Took them till halfway through the Daytona 500 to switch to HD. I called the news department since that was the only phone being answered and about an hour later they switched. Don't know if news people told the control room or somebody finally woke up.

Daytona 500 Issue I think it was nationwide (according to the Daytona 500 thread), I didn't knew because I saw 1/2 race and beyond.

Excellent coverage on FOX yesterday on PB and TSCC

I am wondering if the rest of you are having less of a signal from KDBC 4 as my new antenna picks up all other stations beautifully but 4 is lousy. Channel 2 Juarez is a little pitzallated and 5 is not real great but 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 22 and 38. Other Spanish stations are good. I just wonder why 4 is so lousy? BTW, I don't watch much on 4 except 60 minutes and Sunday Morning.

I know I might be posting this in the wrong section of the forum but I just put this list together for myself and I thought others might find it useful. Please move it to the correct part of the forum if this is wrong :)

I sometimes use an antenna to pick up local hd, as it sometimes looks better than the version shown on cable. My tv also has a qam tuner built in so I sometimes just watch the hd version so on cable.

The following are the channels my Sharp LC-32D43U can pick up on Time Warner Digital cable unencrypted in El Paso, TX as of Feb 22, 2008. At my house we pay for digital cable as well as the HD package so we have several HD digital boxes in the house, but the room in which this TV is in has the cable connected directly to the TV. Your results may vary but I thought others might find this list useful.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Several channels are listed as digital channel 0 - Pentagon channel, Public/Government Access, XEW (Televista) spanish, Txcn, Metrosports Southwest, Soap Net, Galavison spanish, Fox Sports en espanol, ION, ESPN, KSCE (Christian channel), SiTV, FSN, KCOS HD (PBS) --- OTA channel 13.1, Mojo HD

79.1 – 79.3 Intermittent and seems to fluctuate for some reason between PBS Kids Sprout and VH1 – Actually this seems to be picking up a VOD broadcast that someone is watching as it is fast forwarding and such.


84.1 - KINT Univision (Spanish)
84.2 - KVIA (ABC)
84.3 - KFOX (FOX)
84.4 – Azteca America (Spanish)
84.5 - KVIA (NBC)
84.6 - Telemundo (Spanish)
84.7 - KCOS (PBS)
84.8 – Educational Access
84.9 - KDBC (CBS)
84.10 – TWTV
84.11 - TNT HD
85.1 – HDNET
85.3 - Discovery HD Theater
86.11 - MTV U
88.1 – Scifi Channel
88.2 – Comedy Central
88.4 – TruTV
88.5 - TCM
88.6 – FX
88.7 – AMC
88.8 – A&E
88.9 – Lifetime
88.10 – Bravo
88.11 – oh! Oxygen
88.12 – QVC
88.13 – HGTV
88.14 – CW --- OTA channel 7.2
90.1 – Christian Channel
90.2 – MTV
90.3 – Vh1
90.4 – Spike TV
90.6 – GAC
90.9 – Food Network
90.10 - Travel Channel
90.11 - LMN
90.13 – tu canal (Spanish)
90.14 – We
92.5 – CSTV
92.12 – KINT Univison (Spanish)
94.12 – ESPN Deportes
100.3 – ESPN HD
100.4 – KTSM NBC HD --- OTA channel 9.1
101.1 – CNBC
101.2 – FSN Southwest
101.3 - Golf Channel
101.4 – Style Network
101.5 – Weather Channel
101.6 - CNN
101.7 – Headline News
101.8 - MSNBC
101.9 – FOX News ☹
101.10 - C-Span
101.11- C-Span 2
101.12 – USA
101.13 – TBS
101.14 – TNT
103.10 - ???
103.12 – Universal HD
106.11 - KDBC CBS HD --- OTA channel 4.1
106.12 – KVIA ABC Weather channel --- OTA channel 7.3
107.5 – Discovery Health
108.3 – ESPN 2 HD
108.4 – KRWG PBS
110.5 – Disney Channel
110.8 – Disney Channel – Different from previous channel
111.5 – Hallmark Channel
111.12 – ESPN U
113.6 – Noggin – Very poor reception
113.9 – Vh1 Classic – Very poor reception
114.1 – CMT
114.5 – The N
114.6 – Nicktoons Network
114.7 – MTV hits
114.10 - VS
114.11 - LOGO
114.12 – LATN --- OTA channel 7.4
115.1 - KFOX FOX HD --- OTA channel 14.1
115.2 - NBC Weather --- OTA channel 9.2
115.3 - KVIA ABC HD --- OTA channel 7.1
115.5 - KCOS (PBS) Duplicate
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cable HD channels (Unencrypted)
Again several channels are listed as digital channel 0.
0 - KCOS HD (PBS) --- OTA channel 13.1
0 - Mojo HD
84.11 - TNT HD
85.1 – HDNET
85.3 - Discovery HD Theater
100.3 – ESPN HD
100.4 – KTSM NBC HD --- OTA channel 9.1
103.12 – Universal HD
106.11 - KDBC CBS HD --- OTA channel 4.1
108.3 – ESPN 2 HD
115.1 - KFOX FOX HD --- OTA channel 14.1
115.3 - KVIA ABC HD --- OTA channel 7.1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks. Putting [ Code ] ... [ /Code ] blocks around them will allow a fixed-width font so you can line the lists up...

I tried clear QAM, but we were getting the Showtime free offier, plus I thought I would need a converter and HD Tier subscription to see HDNet UHD and Mo, so I got the CableCard.

Maybe I will pull the card and see if I can still get the HDNet stuff. I already pay for it on the DVR anyway.

v/r,
C-F

KVIA 7 was off the air for a while several days ago and last night around 6PM went off again and as of 1:15 PM feb 26 is still off. I hope they are putting in new equipment but I doubt it since you would think they would pu up a crawler so everyone would know they are going off.

Thanks for that list. I'm moving to El Paso this weekend and planning to subscribe to TW with HD. Now, I've got to figure out how to get the best deal as a new customer. The apartment complex I'm moving into pays for the basic, cable so that's a savings of a couple of dollars. I'm thinking that I remember seeing subscription packages via internet for first time customers that offer a significiant savings.

I know I might be posting this in the wrong section of the forum but I just put this list together for myself and I thought others might find it useful. Please move it to the correct part of the forum if this is wrong :)

I sometimes use an antenna to pick up local hd, as it sometimes looks better than the version shown on cable. My tv also has a qam tuner built in so I sometimes just watch the hd version so on cable.

The following are the channels my Sharp LC-32D43U can pick up on Time Warner Digital cable unencrypted in El Paso, TX as of Feb 22, 2008. At my house we pay for digital cable as well as the HD package so we have several HD digital boxes in the house, but the room in which this TV is in has the cable connected directly to the TV. Your results may vary but I thought others might find this list useful.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Several channels are listed as digital channel 0 - Pentagon channel, Public/Government Access, XEW (Televista) spanish, Txcn, Metrosports Southwest, Soap Net, Galavison spanish, Fox Sports en espanol, ION, ESPN, KSCE (Christian channel), SiTV, FSN, KCOS HD (PBS) --- OTA channel 13.1, Mojo HD

79.1 – 79.3 Intermittent and seems to fluctuate for some reason between PBS Kids Sprout and VH1 – Actually this seems to be picking up a VOD broadcast that someone is watching as it is fast forwarding and such.


84.1 - KINT Univision (Spanish)
84.2 - KVIA (ABC)
84.3 - KFOX (FOX)
84.4 – Azteca America (Spanish)
84.5 - KVIA (NBC)
84.6 - Telemundo (Spanish)
84.7 - KCOS (PBS)
84.8 – Educational Access
84.9 - KDBC (CBS)
84.10 – TWTV
84.11 - TNT HD
85.1 – HDNET
85.3 - Discovery HD Theater
86.11 - MTV U
88.1 – Scifi Channel
88.2 – Comedy Central
88.4 – TruTV
88.5 - TCM
88.6 – FX
88.7 – AMC
88.8 – A&E
88.9 – Lifetime
88.10 – Bravo
88.11 – oh! Oxygen
88.12 – QVC
88.13 – HGTV
88.14 – CW --- OTA channel 7.2
90.1 – Christian Channel
90.2 – MTV
90.3 – Vh1
90.4 – Spike TV
90.6 – GAC
90.9 – Food Network
90.10 - Travel Channel
90.11 - LMN
90.13 – tu canal (Spanish)
90.14 – We
92.5 – CSTV
92.12 – KINT Univison (Spanish)
94.12 – ESPN Deportes
100.3 – ESPN HD
100.4 – KTSM NBC HD --- OTA channel 9.1
101.1 – CNBC
101.2 – FSN Southwest
101.3 - Golf Channel
101.4 – Style Network
101.5 – Weather Channel
101.6 - CNN
101.7 – Headline News
101.8 - MSNBC
101.9 – FOX News ☹
101.10 - C-Span
101.11- C-Span 2
101.12 – USA
101.13 – TBS
101.14 – TNT
103.10 - ???
103.12 – Universal HD
106.11 - KDBC CBS HD --- OTA channel 4.1
106.12 – KVIA ABC Weather channel --- OTA channel 7.3
107.5 – Discovery Health
108.3 – ESPN 2 HD
108.4 – KRWG PBS
110.5 – Disney Channel
110.8 – Disney Channel – Different from previous channel
111.5 – Hallmark Channel
111.12 – ESPN U
113.6 – Noggin – Very poor reception
113.9 – Vh1 Classic – Very poor reception
114.1 – CMT
114.5 – The N
114.6 – Nicktoons Network
114.7 – MTV hits
114.10 - VS
114.11 - LOGO
114.12 – LATN --- OTA channel 7.4
115.1 - KFOX FOX HD --- OTA channel 14.1
115.2 - NBC Weather --- OTA channel 9.2
115.3 - KVIA ABC HD --- OTA channel 7.1
115.5 - KCOS (PBS) Duplicate
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cable HD channels (Unencrypted)
Again several channels are listed as digital channel 0.
0 - KCOS HD (PBS) --- OTA channel 13.1
0 - Mojo HD
84.11 - TNT HD
85.1 – HDNET
85.3 - Discovery HD Theater
100.3 – ESPN HD
100.4 – KTSM NBC HD --- OTA channel 9.1
103.12 – Universal HD
106.11 - KDBC CBS HD --- OTA channel 4.1
108.3 – ESPN 2 HD
115.1 - KFOX FOX HD --- OTA channel 14.1
115.3 - KVIA ABC HD --- OTA channel 7.1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I recently purchased a AVerMedia AVerTVHD Volar. The device uses the USB 2.0 port to receive ATSC signals and the pushes the HDTV video through the computer video card. I am amazed with the results. Using the included very short antenna I am able to receive ATSC signals from Channels 4,7,9,14 and of course NMSU PBS channel 22. All of the sub-channels are also displayed. I purchased the USB tuner from Egg-Head. Today as the winds blow all of the trees around I've noticed the signal strength jumping and also pausing in the video presentation. During the WAC games the HDTV video from channel 4 was absolutely amazing. My computer monitor has a 1440 X 900 resolution and is 720p HD ready. I live within a 1/4 mile of Zia Middle School on East University Ave. I have my coupons on order to receive my converters from WalMart. There's an RCA and Magnavox. Does anyone have experience with either of these two converters?

There are many discussions on this subject under the forum for HDTV Reception Hardware (use the forum jump at the top of the page). As far as Walmart most seem to prefer the RCA over the Magnavox.

well here is the latest from TWC:

Mr. *****,
Thank you for your email. I've forwarded your concerns to our Customer Advocate who will be following up via phone.

In the interim, I wanted to respond to your request for more HD programming... To make the best programming decisions we continually work to balance the capacity of our cable plant with the availability of programming options, including HD programming. We are negotiating agreements for carriage of additional HD programming and will be adding HD Showcase on Demand, a 100% High Definition mix of drama, music and action sports, by the end of this month.

Should you have further concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again.

Paula Smith
Director of Communications
Time Warner Cable - Southwest Division
300 Parker Square, Suite 210
Flower Mound, TX 75028
P. 972-899-7311 F. 972-899-8500 C. 972-951-1027
paula.smith@twcable.com

I ran a coax from the back bedroom TV outlet to the ATSC/USB device on my computer. Wow much better signal strength and excellent picture. I can't seem to receive KCOS Ch 13 out of El Paso. According the field strength diagrams from TV fool I am in a "green" signal area. Also their NTSC signal is one of the best I receive. The frequency listed for their ASTC transmitter is 393,000. I can enter that frequency manually but still don't have any signal. Comments please?

My diagnostics screen shows KCOS digital as 569,000 MHZ which is indeed in the band considered as channel UHF 30. There have been other reports from Las Cruces of the inability to receive KCOS digital due to a religious station broadcasting from the large hill at the intersection of Interstate 25 and highway 70 on analog channel 30. It is not possible to receive both an analog and digital channel on the same frequency, the stronger will win out. I can weakly get analog 30 here in far east El Paso County in the morning before KCOS signs on and then it is blocked out by the digital signal. I am surprised the FCC has allowed this however next year KCOS will revert to VHF channel 13 and should solve that problem.

Interesting that the "TV Fool" site shows the frequency as 393 MHz? I just looked at analog UHF channel 30 and their signal is really weak, as compared to KCOS analog channel 13. I'll try entering the 569 KHz directly into the USB device and see what happens!

I'm wondering if anyone is having this issue. I have an HDTV and of course built in digital rec. Well KVIA 7.1 has been coming in since Thursday in full widescreen mode. Commercials, newcasts, programming, anything non-HD is being forced widescreen.

I'm of course aware of my button to zoom the picture, however, on KVIA I only have the option to Zoom even more, cinema, widescreen, no one options lets me return the picture to the normal 4:3.

I contacted ABC on Saturday to complain about this because The 10 Commandments was coming in very horrible in that format. They said they couldn't do anything because the engineers don't work the weekends.

So I called just right now Monday Morning, they tell me they did it on purpose because they felt it would look better... I don't know how they would think forcing a show to widescreen when it was meant for 4:3 would look better, everything is all deformed on the screen, the people are being shortened and it just looks really bad.

My Tuner gets both channel 13-1 and Channel 30-1, I delete the 30 but it self programmes again (my TV seems to find new channels on it own every now and then).

Changing subject a bit...

Would any of you willing to donate some DTV coupons for users in Juarez, we are the ones that will pay full price for the converter boxes and we will lose many channels, I won't have a problem since I have an HDTV but many people I know will be left dry next year... and HDTVs in this side of the border still quite more expensive than the same ones in El Paso..

Or I hope those converter boxes will be more cheap in the next few months...

elprhs, channel 7 is a crap shoot, especially on the weekends. They went stretch-a-vision this weekend until sometime monday morning, when the regular crew showed up or you called. The weekend crew never throws the switch to show GMA in HD on the weekend (ditto, sometimes on weekdays, though they are more consistent now). On sundays, they show the PowerRangers instead of their local news, show network programming at the wrong times, etc. The best I can figure is on weekends they go down to day laborers and hire who ever is standing on the corner.

elprhs, channel 7 is a crap shoot, especially on the weekends. They went stretch-a-vision this weekend until sometime monday morning, when the regular crew showed up or you called. The weekend crew never throws the switch to show GMA in HD on the weekend (ditto, sometimes on weekdays, though they are more consistent now). On sundays, they show the PowerRangers instead of their local news, show network programming at the wrong times, etc. The best I can figure is on weekends they go down to day laborers and hire who ever is standing on the corner.

Your so right, tcutty, Monkeys could do a better job in their control room. If I was running that business, they all would have been fired long ago.

Did anyone try to watch the Miners play yesterday on Dish Network? Never made the switch to reginal game, which was us. Direct TV and cable both had the game. I was so POed but by 9PM the game looked lost and I switched to NBC and just looked occasionally to see the scores. Same way in their first game, some genius decided we would rather watch another game.

You know, KVIA actually told me they switched to that "Upscale mode" because the engineers felt it was better.

I said sure... but problem is you don't have a 42inch HDTV and being forced to watch a widescreen program when it wasn't meant for widescreen. They told me that I was the only person to complain LOL!

I know thats a complete lie.

I understand about the Good Morning America, I often wake up with it not broadcasting in HD until the very last bit of it or after several commercial breaks. I agree fully that the people working at KVIA control room are complete morons, oddly enough the one station I hardly see HD problems is KDBC (not to say anything is HD, but the national shows always show up on time in HD, can't say much about their newscasts lol.)

I just change channels, instead of calling them to complain. Their on-air personnel would probably be the ones to complain - that stretch-o-vision made Amber look like she gained 50 pounds.

Wow I just complete installion of my old UHF corner reflector antenna. It has seven directors and an active dipole element. The antenna is about 11 feet above ground just clearing the patio roof. I am using approximately 75 ft of RG-6 of feed line into my computer room and the signal to my USB port ASTC is just great. get channels 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 22, 26, 38, and 47. However I can't find KCOS channel 13 PBS. Is 13 PBS on the air with a digital signal?

If analog channel 30 can be seen that is probably enough to block digital channel 30 which is what KCOS will use until next February when they as well as KVIA and KTSM switch back to their VHF frequencies.

Most interesting! If KVIA and KTSM along with KCOS drop back to their VHF frequencies then my corner reflector UHF antenna will no longer receive their signal. Crazy, does anyone know what the FCC is really doing? Another government agency in disarray?

What's wrong with channel 14, KFOX. Their digital channel has been gone since about yeterday. Is anyone else missing this channel?

What's wrong with channel 14, KFOX. Their digital channel has been gone since about yeterday. Is anyone else missing this channel?

Of course they are off the digital OTA , There is a big NASCAR race on tomorrow and they want to scare the sh** out of everyone. LOL

I just checked and they are still off.

Well it's Monday morning at 10:22 and channel 14 OTA digital is still off the air!

Just e-mailed the GM. See if I get an answer back! LOL

Just go a reply! to bad they can't fix problems that fast. I feaqr this is going to be a long term digital problem. Nobody has spares and as fast as the technology changes I don't thing they will for many years. When they go down they stay down for a while.

Frank,
We are working on the problem; the new part is scheduled to arrive
Tuesday morning.

Thank you

John Witte
Vice-President/General Manager

That's what I love about you guys, as soon as I realize there's a problem (I travel a lot), I know I can jump on here and you folks will already have an answer.:)

KFOX isn't back up yet, but hopefully it will be soon.

KFOX digital is back.

well here is the latest from TWC:

Mr. *****,
Thank you for your email. I've forwarded your concerns to our Customer Advocate who will be following up via phone.

In the interim, I wanted to respond to your request for more HD programming... To make the best programming decisions we continually work to balance the capacity of our cable plant with the availability of programming options, including HD programming. We are negotiating agreements for carriage of additional HD programming and will be adding HD Showcase on Demand, a 100% High Definition mix of drama, music and action sports, by the end of this month.

Should you have further concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again.

Paula Smith
Director of Communications
Time Warner Cable - Southwest Division
300 Parker Square, Suite 210
Flower Mound, TX 75028
P. 972-899-7311 F. 972-899-8500 C. 972-951-1027
paula.smith@twcable.com

Who else out there is calling/emailing TWC for more HD channels??? Am I the only one? somebody help me!!!

Yesterday, at about 5 PM I noticed that KCOS added channel 13-3. during that time they seemed to be airing the same shows as PBS HD but in Letterboxed 480i. Earlier today they were airing the same cartoons as 13-2, but they also seemed to be airing different shows at times. I'm wondering if this is the PBS Schedule X I've heard about. I'm also hoping this is a temporary schedule while they add V-me.

Since it came on the air about a year and a half ago the America One Network on channel 4-2 only had sound out of the right speaker. MyNetwork shows have been in stereo. I noticed yesterday that now the audio comes out of both the left and right speakers, it may not be stereo but is a big improvement. I actually watch this channel quite a bit as I am OTA only and they have a wide variety of programming from European Soccer to Hard Rock Videos. I like to record the Classic Movies that show about 4 in the morning.

As of Saturday Morning 13-3 does indeed seem to be the PBS-X Feed as confirmed by checking tvguide.com. I have also seen this channel on my Ku-band satellite from AMC3 at 87 degrees west and they appear to have the same style of station breaks.
I am also assuming that this is just easily accessible programming for a test period. It does not seem that it would be worthwhile to add a sub-channel which carries programming that is mostly currently available on 13-2. Also, during their fund raising drives, KCOS is always quoting how much each program costs and it does not seem that they could just put up an entirely different schedule that does include a few shows not seen on 13-2 or the HD channel.
About the time that KCOS moved to the campus of El Paso Community College I was speaking with their engineer about a technical problem I was having and asked if they were ever going to do anything with 13-3 or 13-4. He stated that there was some discussion of adding the Community College Channel that can now be seen on cable channel 14. I personally would like to see that as I am OTA only and as a retired teacher interested in educational TV. Also the PBS channel called Create would be of interest as it is all home improvement and cooking type shows.
They may very well add V-Me which would be good for the Spanish speaking population, however it is available on channel 23-3 from Las Cruces for those who have a line of sight to "A" mountain near NMSU. I have seen in the Los Angeles area that the 4 PBS stations do not replicate sub-channels for the benefit of those who can receive from more than one transmitter.
For anyone who really is interested in getting V-Me as well as about 7 feeds of PBS they are all available for free from the AMC3 satellite however it is a bit weak and requires a one meter dish and a stereo that can decode Dolby Digital.

I completely lost Digital OTA channel 14 on Monday, did it went down again? missed Bones and House (in HD), had to settle for 4:3 analog..

I didn't tuned in yesterday, I know there's high winds in the area, but my antenna was OK (I was getting pretty good channel 4 reception, I did watch CSI Miami in HD).

[QUOTE=DrLar;13813757]I completely lost Digital OTA channel 14 on Monday, did it went down again? missed Bones and House (in HD), had to settle for 4:3 analog..

I didn't tuned in yesterday, I know there's high winds in the area, but my antenna was OK (I was getting pretty good channel 4 reception, I did watch CSI Miami in HD).[/QUOT

KFOX 14.1 was down Monday night. They were back up Wednesday morning when I checked. Just think what it is going to be like when therre is no analog to switch to!!

yeah, they better get their act together, because they have less than 10 months, or they could declare themselves "not full power" so they don't have to switch! LOL.

So not even AI was on HD? it seems like a victory, because I don't like the show LOL.

I couldn't find 4-1 or 4-2 yesterday, it was zero signal, is it me again? I even went up the roof to re-orient the antenna and nothing... Channel 14 was up just fine..

Could this be related to the signal problem? (comes from the HDTV programming forum)

Pappas Telecasting files for Ch.11 Bankruptcy protection, blames (in a separate Reuters story) The CW's low ratings for dragging down the value/revenue of its stations: http://www.elpasotimes.com/business/ci_9218877.

Still no channel 4-1, or 4.2, re-adjusted my antenna went to neighbor that has HDTV he can't also see the channel, is like their power is not at 100%, it covers El Paso and maybe northern Juarez, but not reaches my House, analog seems fine to me. It coincides from the last weeks strong winds, maybe damaged something..

I recently purchased an RCA DTC 800B. I also have a AVerMedia ATSC USB tuner which I use on my computer. Interestingly, I can receive the weather channel sub-channel 7.3on my computer but not on my RCA 800B. I receive all the other sub-channels on the RCA 800B. I've rescanned the channels on the RCA 800B several times to no avail!

According to the Service Contour Map KDBC does reach in to Juarez.

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT1146356.html

So I guess it could be possible they're operating at reduced power.

Yes, the analog looks just fine, just a bit of light snow, but viewable. I missed the season finale of CSI Miami, at least in HD, had to settle with analog.

We have an HDTV at work and also can't view it, it's like 5-6 miles from the border, closer than my home, no luck.. there are not any visible physical obstacles that could interfiere with the signal I can see the mountain clear and all the antennas in it.

I'm going to do a re-scan, perhaps they changed the numbering or something..

But I'm not worrying now until the Fall, when Football comes around..

I lost channels 4-1 and 4-2 today sometime around 3 PM.

DrLar, must be a power issue. In LC, i'm getting 4-1 at a signal strength of 68, instead of the normal 90-95.

I also have difficulty receiving Weather 7-3 on my Tivo Series 3 recorder although it will tune in directly on the TV or my Winegard HD tuner. I e-mailed the head engineer at KVIA a couple of months ago and he did some adjustments to the PSIP information. I now find that I can often receive 7-3 if I first go to 7-4 (which I had deleted due to no interest in the programming) then directly enter 7-3. Hopefully this will be resolved next February when KVIA digital moves to VHF channel 7.

DrLar, must be a power issue. In LC, i'm getting 4-1 at a signal strength of 68, instead of the normal 90-95.

Weird you are way farther than I am to the antenna by maybe 30 miles and you get a singal... Mine's at zero..., or do LC has a repeater antenna?

I show only 70% on my dish power meter, I normally show 100%. I am less than 10 miles line of site. I think they are trying to save power since the parent company has filed for bankrupsy and is looking to sell the station.

Channels 4-1 and 4-2 came back for me today. My signal level is around 70%.

Haven't checked Ch 4, since there's nothing to watch anymore.... (I'm even tempted to delete it off the channel list LOL)..

My signal strength is back to 100% on my Dish receiver and 100% on my HD TV tuner box.

I got 15-20% signal yesterday... so that's a 20% improvement, but I need at least 50% to get a viewable image..

Anyone else mad at Channel 7 yesterday? They showed the last Indy 500 laps in SD!!! they should fire the HD flipping guy... seriously...

I got 15-20% signal yesterday... so that's a 20% improvement, but I need at least 50% to get a viewable image..

Anyone else mad at Channel 7 yesterday? They showed the last Indy 500 laps in SD!!! they should fire the HD flipping guy... seriously...

YA, I was so pissed off. They have the worst control room people of all the networks. We all have been complaining and emailing but it doesn't make any difference. 7 just doesn't listen. contrary to what they say.

Yeah I saw that too, and it pissed me off, but since I'm not that into racing, I just changed the channel to TV Azteca HD and saw the Semifinal game of the Mexican Soccer Championship between Santos and Monterrey in HD. It Also ticks me off that they don't show "This week" in HD on Sunday.

Anyone else mad at Channel 7 yesterday? They showed the last Indy 500 laps in SD!!! they should fire the HD flipping guy... seriously...

They just don;t care, it's obvious the station manager doesn't watch his own station. They miss going to HD all the time, especially on weekends.
I would like to start writing ABC network in New York, if anyone knows which department there might care. I can't imagine that ABC goes to the trouble and expense to produce and broadcast HD programming only to have some unqualified yahoo at the locals not to broadcast it in HD!

They just don;t care, it's obvious the station manager doesn't watch his own station. They miss going to HD all the time, especially on weekends.
I would like to start writing ABC network in New York, if anyone knows which department there might care. I can't imagine that ABC goes to the trouble and expense to produce and broadcast HD programming only to have some unqualified yahoo at the locals not to broadcast it in HD!

Ya, If anyone can get an e-mail address to the right person at ABC we could all write and complain. Good Morning American weekends is also in HD but KVIA never shows it in HD

I was browsing thru the channels yesterday, ch. 4 is now 30-40%, I get some images but it cuts too much, still unwatchable... (my antenna still in the same position so they must have done something)..

Last night when I was watching Conan, I saw a commercial for News channel 9 Weather in HD. It was a commercial that said something like "trust Debroder". I think I may have seen this commercial before in widescreen SD letterboxed. Could they just have cropped it and upconverted it to HD? or are they getting ready to do HD News?

Last night when I was watching Conan, I saw a commercial for News channel 9 Weather in HD. It was a commercial that said something like "trust Debroder". I think I may have seen this commercial before in widescreen SD letterboxed. Could they just have cropped it and upconverted it to HD? or are they getting ready to do HD News?

Yeah I saw it on Fear Itself, I was with my jaw hitting the floor, it looked better than 16:9 SD IMO, I was on the TV so I couldn't take a screenshot, we need to check the channel's page, maybe they will mention something.

Anyone notice that the CBS and ABC Logos are almost in the middle of the screen and no longer indicate HD? What's up with that it looks terrible.

It would be nice if all the stations went to local HD news. I have a feeling the techs just forgot to switch to the black bars.

I recommend you check out these 2 threads, they talk about the 4:3 safe bugs.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1032217

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1035156

Apparently Next year when they cut off the analog the networks plan on letting the cable and satellite companies center cut the HD Feed for the SD Channels.

I saw the channel 9 news for a while yesterday, and they were still doing regular SD News. Could this mean that they have HD Cameras, but they still need other Equipment, to do HD News. Also I remember seeing the National weather service warnings crawlies filling the entire 16:9 screen.

Is anyone else missing channel 7 digital?

Also I saw the HD commercial again today when I was channel surfing at about 6:30 PM, let's see if I can record it during Conan.

During Conan KTSM Showed 2 HD Commercials.

First the News Channel 9 Weather Commercial in HD.

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/8610/20080607003825kp3.th.jpg (http://img515.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20080607003825kp3.jpg)

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/1316/20080607003849qo6.th.jpg (http://img515.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20080607003849qo6.jpg)

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/8287/20080607003910aq0.th.jpg (http://img515.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20080607003910aq0.jpg)

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/503/20080607003946wn5.th.jpg (http://img515.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20080607003946wn5.jpg)

Then they showed an HD Commercial that Said something like Visit Carlsbad.

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/5810/20080607004048qh2.th.jpg (http://img515.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20080607004048qh2.jpg)

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/7900/20080607004130xb6.th.jpg (http://img515.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20080607004130xb6.jpg)

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/3650/20080607003745rd0.th.jpg (http://img515.imageshack.us/my.php?image=20080607003745rd0.jpg)

Is anyone else missing channel 7 digital?


This morning 7-1 was missing. For the Belmont race it was the SD feed in strech-o-vision, terrible picture. ABC should find a new affiliiate, KVIA is the most amateurish channel i've ever watched.

Right No Their Showing Finding Nemo in 480i Stretch-O-Vision! :mad::mad::mad: Good thing i've already seen it on DVD, otherwise I'd be even more ticked.

I believe KVIA is operating on a back-up transmitter. They are only in 480i with no sub-channels much like when they first signed on to digital channel 17. Although unfortunate this is not as troubling as thinking they just could not "hit the button" for HD on the weekend.

And an NBA final game is on Sunday night so it won't be in HD either.

As far as picture quality goes, Have you ever watched NBC? it is always terrible and pixilates a lot. The French open this morning was hard to watch. There engineers say they know they have a problem but even the network can't find it, this has been the answere for a couple of years. I think they are alocating to much band width to the sub channels.

Like I have mentioned before, these stations don't want to carry backup equipement I suppose it is because the equipment is constantly changing and they don't want to waste the money.

Well that's kind of weird seeing as how KTSM HD has the highest bitrate of all the channels in this area. Most of the channels average 12Mbps or less, and KTSM averages about 15Mbps. I guess the problem could be with NBC New York.

Well, channel 4 went off the air Sunday night during "60 Minutes". Granted, they were showing reruns. I am wondering if they will go into bankruptcy as that Pappas station did in Washington state.

Right No Their Showing Finding Nemo in 480i Stretch-O-Vision! :mad::mad::mad: Good thing i've already seen it on DVD, otherwise I'd be even more ticked.

Yeap, it look way better on my regular analog tube TV than my HDTV (cause you can see the pixels in there), my little girl preferred to watch it in the regular tube..

I took a screen shot that time (coming later).

Now I expect that NBA finals will remain in HD, for their sake..

And I also saw Ch 4 go completely off the air a couple of times, both analog and digital, no more antenna kicking, I know they are at fault LOL.

Just checked and they are still in "stretch o vision" Hope they get Hd running for the next NBA game. What a joke this station is.

on Saturday I Used the contact us form at Kvia.com and sent this message
> -----Original Message-----
> Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2008 2:00 PM
> Comments from KVIA.com: WTF Happened, why is Channel 7-1 in 480i
> Stretch-O-Vision. I want to see finding Nemo in HD.

I got this reply today.

Jose:

Unfortunately, KVIA's digital microwave systems failed on Friday and our digital signal went off the air. We are putting 100% of our engineering attention toward correcting this problem and restoring our HD service and CW, Weather Channel, and LATV programing. At this point it looks like we will not be able the get the necessary parts until Tuesday morning (6-10-08). We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused our viewers and will restore the service as soon as possible. Thank you for your letter and viewership.

Chris Swann
Operations Mgr.
KVIA TV

Any response from Channel 4? it's completely off the air, make several passes yesterday, I was like the little girl in "Poltergeist" trying to see something in the static..
LOL.

(nothing relevant airing on CBS, just curious of why they are off the air these days)

I can smell the response, maybe something like "having problems with transmitter" or "we didn't pay our FCC dues, so our license to air was revoked"

Here's a link to a story on EngadgetHD that says Comcast is bringing Discovery Hd, and Science HD to Las Cruces.
http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/10/comcast-brings-discovery-hd-science-hd-to-las-cruces-nm/

Maybe we need to have Comcast here in El Paso.

on Saturday I Used the contact us form at Kvia.com and sent this message
> -----Original Message-----
> Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2008 2:00 PM
> Comments from KVIA.com: WTF Happened, why is Channel 7-1 in 480i
> Stretch-O-Vision. I want to see finding Nemo in HD.

I got this reply today.

Jose:

Unfortunately, KVIA's digital microwave systems failed on Friday and our digital signal went off the air. We are putting 100% of our engineering attention toward correcting this problem and restoring our HD service and CW, Weather Channel, and LATV programing. At this point it looks like we will not be able the get the necessary parts until Tuesday morning (6-10-08). We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused our viewers and will restore the service as soon as possible. Thank you for your letter and viewership.

Chris Swann
Operations Mgr.
KVIA TV

At least you got a reply. I gave up long ago. Chris Swann used to monitor this forum a year or more ago. I guess he stopped because back then he would have posted a answer about thier problem with out being emailed.

Maybe you could contact him again and suggest he monitor the forum again to read all the complaints about KVIA.

I havn't noticed a problem with KDBC lately! but I don't watcvh them 24/7

It was weird KDBC down, in primetime, analog and digital, if it was maybe my location, at least I could see feint images on the analog channel with some snow, but no, it's all blank! (I don't have a VCR or someting that could be using ch-4 hooked up).

Well Kvia is back in HD Now, and the subchannels are back too. I also remember Chris swan posting here too, his last post was was on 3-3-2006.

It was weird KDBC down, in primetime, analog and digital, if it was maybe my location, at least I could see feint images on the analog channel with some snow, but no, it's all blank! (I don't have a VCR or someting that could be using ch-4 hooked up).

Ch4-1 is ok in LC all week (i watched in HD for 2 hours Monday nite-the sitcoms) and is on this morning, though at a slightly lower level (around an 83 signal).

Yeah, I saw that KDBC was on yesterday, even the digital feed.

Also KVIA managed to fix their transmitter on time for the game (or get reprimended by the network LOL).

Is anyone else missing 4-2 MyNet. Did KDBC accidentally turn off this channel, or are they getting rid of it, because of the Pappas bankruptcy. Also lately I've noticing KTSM is airing more local commercials in HD. Could this mean they now have the ability to air syndicated shows in HD?

Yes 4-2 is still off. I would be surprised if this is a permanent situation as I have been seeing promotions for a new version of "Twilight Zone" which are shown on channel 4-1 but state the show will be on MyNetwork 4-2. This is actually the first time I have seen any promotion of 4-2 in any way. KVIA promotes the CW on 7-2 all of the time but the only way anyone would know about 4-2 is if they just did a channel scan.

Lost 4-1 and 4-2 again, at home and at work, in both places have a nice antenna and still can't pick it up, the analog is looking more snowy nowadays.

And at work we upgraged the antenna for a better one, with remote control rotator, can't get any better image from that channel. I pick up the rest just fine, heck channel 40 analog looks better and it's a low power station..

I just got D*HD and I was wondering what antenna is the best for the HD locals?

I just got D*HD and I was wondering what antenna is the best for the HD locals?

I have a 20 year old Radio Shack 4 UHF element on my roof and it works great. 100 percent signal strength. I also have Dish Network and use the antenna for the locals in HD. No sence paying Dish for free locals and right now Dish is not transmitting locals in HD. I would buy a UHF/VHF antenna because I believe that when the Anolog signal is shut down in February the stations will resume broadcasting on their original UHF or VHF. Presently they are all on VHF. I am planning to put mine in the crawl space in the fall.

Channels 7,9 and 13 will return to their VHF frequencies. KDBC will stay on channel 18 as well as KFOX will stay on 15. The other UHF's will also not move. There are some new high band VHF/UHF antennas which are an attractive option here as they do not include the longest rods which are needed for channels 2 through 6.

Chanel fours audio has been terrible lately. Very low when in Sd and booms in when they switch to HD. I think they need a new audio engineer and or someone listening to the volume

Got this from KDBC moments ago.

CBS had a satellite burn up on them that sends us their primary programming, news, etc. We are working with them as is every affiliate in the country to just keep programming on at this point. It is going to get pretty dicey over the next 24 to 48 hours. Hopefully we will be able to stabilize everything today.

The sale can't happen fast enough! A buyer will be confirmed sometime in Q3 and probably take over in early 2009. Hope you are having a great summer. Be well.

^^^ and for God's sake buy a stronger transmitter!!!, they are in a streak:

- Going Bankrupt
- CBS Programming
- Weak Signal
- Satellite burn up

Luckilly for us there isn't much to watch on CBS these days.. heck I say there's NOTHING on! (I don't even like Letterman)

New poster with two questions that may have been asked but I can't find an answer.
I live in upper North Hills, what would be the best antenna for the area? I've been to antennaweb and only was only more confused with the blue, yellow, red, etc... color code. I would prefer an indoor antenna but am willing to install an outdoor antenna. Just got rid of timewarner due to crappy customer sevice and now have Dish, who of course doesn't have HD locals.
Next question is after the FEB 09 conversion will the locals received by Dish and others be HD?

Can you see the antennas of the stations from you roof? They are all basically on the mountain across from Beaumont Hospital. ABC and NBC are the two tallest and right next to each other on ranger peak. I would first go to Walmart and get a UHF/VHF indoor antenna and see what you pick up. You can always return it. If you can't pick up CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX and PBS, check Radio Shack, I think they still sell outdoor antennas. You don't need a long range one just 3 or four rods. see post #904. You could try putting it in your attic or crawl space. I have dish also, the VIP 722 has a antenna input that you can output to other rooms and watch in the main room. Why pay $5 a month for dish HD locals when they finally get them when the picture is even better over Antenna and will serve as a backup if Dish goes out.

Sorry left that info out. I can not see the broadcast antennas from my house. I know all about line of site and stuff that's why I was hoping some one in the area would post what's working for them. That's what I get for buying a house with a great view of the mountains!

It won't cost anything to try an in or out door antenna. Just take it back if it doesn't work for you.

Her are two forums to keep up to date with Dish.

http://www.highdefforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=19

http://www.dbstalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=11

Dont forget Directv (http://www.dbstalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=12)

Reply from KTSM

Hello Frank;
We had an equipment failure and had to wait for NBC to send in a
replacement unit. It was fixed about noon today.

Ernie Hartt


On Tuesday, July 22, 2008 2:12 PM, Frank & Angie Hoegler wrote:
> >
> >Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:12:23 -0600
> >From: Frank & Angie Hoegler
> >To: Ernie Hartt <ehartt@ktsm.com>
> >Subject: HD
> >
> >Hi,
> >
> >What has happened to your HD OTA broadcast? It has been out since
> >partway through Mondays Today Show.
> >

I wonder why the equipment is failing so much.... ol' analog didn't went out like the new HD, are they made in China or what?

Oh talking about China, I hope they have spare parts at hand I don't want to miss the Olympics in HD

Just got the letter about Switched Digital Video (SDV) channels.

We are evidently in the Time Warner Cable Southwest Division.

Here are the channels moving to SDV.

Edit: Scheduled implementation date: August 15, 2008

SCI-FI Channel
Eastern Feeds of Encore, HBO, Showtime, and StarZ
Cinemax East (Conspicuously absent: MoreMAX, ActionMAX, ThrillerMAX, WMAX, @MAX, 5StarMAX, OuterMAX -- I guess lots of folks watch the eastern feeds of these???)

No idea how the analog and digital channels work here, do I lose Sci-Fi on the old analog sets as well?

ABC FAMILY G4 QVC
AMC GAC SCIENNCE (sic) CHANNEL
BBC AMERICA GALAVISION SCI-FI CHANNEL
BET GAME SHOW NETWORK SHOWTIME 1 EAST
BLOOMBERG TV GOLF CHANNEL SHOWTIME 2 EAST
BOOMERANG GRANDES DOCUMENTALES SHOWTIME 3 EAST
BOOMERANG EN ESPANOL HBO EAST SHOWTIME BEYOND EAST
BRAVO HBO FAMILY EAST SHOWTIME FAMILY EAST
CANAL SUR HBO HD EAST SHOWTIME HD EAST
CARTOON NETWORK HBO LATINO EAST SHOWTIME NEXT EAST
CINE LATINO HBO PLUS EAST SHOWTIME WOMEN EAST
CINEMAX EAST HBO SIGNATURE EAST SHOWTIME X EAST
CMT HBO ZONE EAST SLEUTH
CNBC HGTV SOAPNET
CNN EN ESPANOL HISTORY SORPRESA
DAYSTAR HISTORY INTERNATIONAL SPEED CHANNEL
DISCOVERY ESPANOL HTV MUSICA SPIKE
DISCOVERY HEALTH INFINITO SPORTSMAN CHANNEL
DIY ION STARZ EAST
E! LA FAMILIA STARZ CINEMA EAST
ENCORE EAST LIFETIME STARZ INBLACK EAST
ENCORE ACTION EAST LOGO STARZ KIDS&FAMILY EAST
ENCORE LOVE EAST MILITARY CHANNEL STARZ THEATRE EAST
ENCORE MYSTERY EAST MOD BARKER STYLE
ENCORE TRUE STORIES EAST MSNBC TENNIS
ENCORE WAM EAST MTV3 TLC
ENCORE WESTERN EAST MUN2 TOON DISNEY ESP
ESPN CLASSIC NBA LEAGUE PASS TRAVEL CHANNEL
ESPN DEPORTES NBA PC TRUTV (COURT TV)
ESPN PPV NHL CTRICE/MLB EXTINGS TV LAND
ESPNU NOGGIN TVE INTERNATIONAL
EWTN EN ESP OUTDOOR CHANNEL UTILISMA
FINE LIVING OVATION VERSUS
FIT TV OXYGEN VH1
FOX SPORTS ESP PLAYBOY ESP VIDEO ROLA
FUEL PPV BARKER WE
FUSE . .
FX . .

v/r,
C-F

I have a new Panasonic DMR-EZ27 recorder. I appears to work really great except on digital channels 9.1 & 9.2. The color signal keeps dropping in and out, all of the other channels are fine and the signal strength on channel 9 is running 96 to 97 percent! I've tried both the S video and composite video with the same results. The thing that bothers me is that using my RCA DTC 800B converter box the channel 9.1 color signal is solid. I would think something is wrong on the DMR-EZ27 recorder except it's fine on all the other El Paso and Mexican stations! Has anyone else experienced any issues with channel 9.1?

On another note, I can remember when the AVerTV USB port receiver would receive channel 7.3 weather channel on my computer and my RCA 800-B Converter would not receive it on my TV. Then one day the DTC began receiving channel 7.3 and still does. It would display "no signal" on 7.3 yet worked fine on 7.1, 7.2, and 7.4! Ah, the wonderful mysteries of electromagnetic radiation. Since I use separate antenna's for the TV and computer maybe it was space diversity at work! :)

I have a new Panasonic DMR-EZ27 recorder. I appears to work really great except on digital channels 9.1 & 9.2. The color signal keeps dropping in and out, all of the other channels are fine and the signal strength on channel 9 is running 96 to 97 percent! I've tried both the S video and composite video with the same results. The thing that bothers me is that using my RCA DTC 800B converter box the channel 9.1 color signal is solid. I would think something is wrong on the DMR-EZ27 recorder except it's fine on all the other El Paso and Mexican stations! Has anyone else experienced any issues with channel 9.1?

I assume your have a analog TV since you are using a converter box. I have a Toshiba HD tube monitor and a Samsung HD tuner. KTSM has always had a pixilation problem. Very noticeable during sports and The today show when the camera pans the crowd. I mentioned this to the engineer and he blamed it on the network, this was 4 years ago. Thing someone would have fixed by now. I think they are using to much bandwidth on their weather Plus station. Maybe it will clear up some when the analog is turned off. They have been having some drop out problems the last few weaks. see above posts. I have the same problems with 9.1 on my Dish Satellite tuner.

Thanks for the response! Are the problems on the satellite signal color switching off and on or pixelation? Yes I have a 32 inch JVC and am using the S video inputs. No pixelation problems just the color drops in and out. It's like a threshold point is sitting right on the edge. At first I though it might be a temperature related issue but it has the same problems when it's cool first thing in the morning!

I am using an antenna for the local HD Stations. It sounds like a converter box problem that you are having. Take it back and exchange it. Or buy a new digital TV. You are missing a lot if you don't have a of HD TV. By your handle it looks like you are a Ham Operator so a antenna for the locals wouldn't be too bad and then you have free OTA Locals.

You guessed correctly, I have my ham radio licence! The converter box is fine now... for a while it wouldn't receive channel 7.3 their weather channel, while my computer could receive it... I feel the problem was at the station! I really believe that digital channel 9 has a very marginal color problem --- which is why it pops in and out of color. All the other DVD recorder channels are fine! I have a high gain log periodic roof top antenna located atop of 30 foot mast and live out by Mesilla, therefore no mountain shadows. I show great signal strength on all the channels. Since I have a 21 inch 720p 5ms monitor on my computer using the AVerTV6 USB receiver input gives me equivalent of HDTV.

for some reason lately I cannot see channel 7-1 7-2 7-3 7-4 at all, my antenna is on the roof clear shot to the mountain....help?????

Upcoming Directv HD Local Market Launches:

November: Des Moines-Ames, Iowa; El Paso, Texas; Fort Wayne, Ind.; La Crosse-Eau Claire, Wis.; Peoria-Bloomington, Ill.; Rockford, Ill.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Traverse City-Cadillac (http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/moreInfoText.jsp?assetId=1620002)

I Saw that story too.

What the heck is up with KDBC not showing the CBS News in HD Today?!?! :mad::mad::mad:

Right now they're showing Criminal minds in HD. Doesn't CBS Send them the HD Feed? Are they actually so stupid, that they don't know it's in HD. Did they have Equipment problems.

Regarding some recent posts on the El Paso thread. I do not know why anyone would not be receiving the KVIA digital stations. I am getting a quality reading of 90 here in the far east county. The reason that some tuners would not get 7-3 is that the Video PID was wrong from the time they started that weather service. Some receivers could search for the correct PID and others could not. I e-mailed the engineer and he fixed it.
The National News on all 3 networks has to be recorded as it comes out at 6:30 eastern time. After all of these months KTSM still forgets to record the HD version sometimes, especially on weekends. Only time will tell if KDBC will bother to record the news in HD at all or on a regular basis. I prefer NBC anyway but of course choice is preferable. I hear that ABC News will be HD in September.

As long as "News Channel 9" is up I will be a happy camper... at least the next 3 weeks. But wait after the Olympics the fall season comes by... Yay!

Yesterday KDBC showed the CBS News in HD. :) Lets hope they keep showing it in HD.

Also I remember reading a while ago, a record on the FCC site that said Telemundo is building a digital channel for El Paso on 47, and they're supposed to be finished soon. Unfortunately, they're supposed to be done by the end of August, just after the Olympics end. :mad: Hopefully they'll hurry up, and finish in time to show some of the Olympics.

Someone deleted the entire posts about KVIA. So I'll start them again. KVIA is claiming they are in HD, however, they a producing a Digital Stretch. No one is responding to email or calls about the issue.

I guess KVIA doesn't care about its viewers like it always promotes.

Apparently this forum is sucking again. Read this announcement.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/announcement.php?f=45&a=123

They say they lost data, and they had to go back to August 2nd. This has happened before, but they only lost one day of data.

Some of you may not know this, but you can download a thread. I suggest that hen ever something as import as this is going on at least one person downloads the thread, so we can restore it.

Instructions on how to download the thread coming, but I have to post first.

OK here's how to download the Thread

1. Go to the top of the page.
2. click on Thread tools
3 look for download thread
4 click download thread

KTSM Started Doing HD News on 8-3-2008

Ben swann in HD
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/3638/snapshot20080804200441fl1.th.jpg (http://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=snapshot20080804200441fl1.jpg)

The Sidebars
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/6761/snapshot20080804202400ae4.th.jpg (http://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=snapshot20080804202400ae4.jpg)

The new HD Graphics
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/7936/snapshot20080804202502ceh7.th.jpg (http://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=snapshot20080804202502ceh7.jpg)

The Weather
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/8131/snapshot20080804202713cjm7.th.jpg (http://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=snapshot20080804202713cjm7.jpg)

Someone deleted the entire posts about KVIA.

Read the announcement They lost data. I doubt anyone at AVS would do that even for money they have a reputation to maintain, this forum has a 1,000,000 users now. If anything like this were possible, Televisa would have deleted the entire Mexican HDTV Thread a long time ago I've said really bad things about them there.

I'm going to be posting, a lot lately to try to restore as much of the thread as I can remember.

This what chris Swann just sent to my E-mail this morning:

WARNING HE INSULTS ME AND EVERYONE ON THIS FORUM, AND CLAIMS THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS STRETCH-O-VISION!!! NO WONDER KVIA THINKS THEY ARE BROADCASTING THEIR NEWS IN HD WHEN THE GUY IN CHARGE OF TECHNOLOGY AT THE STATION DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT STRETCH-O-VISION IS!!! http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/mad/mad0228.gif (http://www.mysmiley.net)http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/mad/mad0228.gif (http://www.mysmiley.net)http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/mad/mad0228.gif (http://www.mysmiley.net)

HE SHOULD BE EMBARRASED TO WORK THERE, I COULD DO A BETTER JOB AND I DON'T HAVE A FANCY DEGREE LIKE HE DOES!!!! WELL MAYBE HE THOUGHT I WOULD GET FRUSTRATED BY ALL HIS TECH TALK, AND STOP READING BUT I ACTUALLY UNDERSTOOD EVERYTHING HE SAID. IF YOUR READING THIS CHRIS, YOU NEED MORE THAT HD CAMERAS TO ACTUALLY BROADCAST HD NEWS.

Go to this article on Engadget HD and read it, or just look at the pictures, that's what you need to do HD NEWS. Note: Chris I swear I'm not insulting you by telling you to look at the pictures, you really can understand the article by looking at the pictures.

http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/08/30/what-it-takes-to-produce-an-hd-newscast/

It is rare to find a man of true passion, but I seem to have stumbled upon one in you. I am in receipt of your many e-mails to KVIA as well as your numerous web blogs. For a man who is as obsessed with the High Definition broadcasting as you are, I would suggest you educate yourself. Don't worry, I am about to save you a trip to Google.
There is no such thing as "stretch-o-vision". That is a cute term, but in the broadcast world, it does not exist. KVIA is indeed broadcasting in 720p HD. Check your tuner and you will find this to be accurate. We have purchased 3 new HD cameras, check out the panasonic website and search for "AK-HC1500G". We have purchased 10 Sony xd-hd cameras for field recording. We are doing a fair amount of up-conversion to deal with 4:3 sources around the station to meld everything together. It is not perfect, but we are working on it, and as you have certainly noted, we have experienced a variety of technical issues over the past few days, but they are being corrected. We are also making aspect ratio adjustments on both the analog and digital side and those will go on for a few more days. We are making this entire conversion process with only local engineering talent. We have not out sourced any of the work.
I would recommend you find another outlet for your angst. There is a drug war in Juarez, an energy crises affecting the entire nation, and Russia is invading Georgia (not the one with Atlanta). I am sure you can find other things to be irate about. Or just forward this e-mail to your cyber-nerd blog buddies. It will give you guys hours of angry chat. I hear that is a good way to kill time. You're welcome.

Chris Swann
Operations Mgr.
KVIA TV

WOW Cube, I guess I'll e-mail 7, do you have swanns direct email address? I notice he didn't give it. He should look at there out going picture and then decide about it's quality of HD. They should have "perfected" ther HD broadcast before they put this trash on the air. KTSM didn't have a problem, Maybe they spent the money on outside help. What an insult to their viewers and ex viewers. OH by the way avsforum did loose data on all there forums and i belong to several of them.

I think KVIA may actually be doing, what I said a while ago here or somewhere else. They are connecting their HD Cameras, to their SD Equipment, and expecting it output HD. That's why the video is being stretched to fit the 16:9 aspect ratio.

Yes I do, but the AVS People say not to put it here because they'll get Spam, but I'm sure they have good spam filters, and if they get spam too bad. :p

Chris Swann
swannchris@hotmail.com

I have no idea who this is, but I found it on the Kvia website.
chrisb@kvia.com
http://api.oscar.aol.com/presence/icon?k=sr1DFCvn2e83VRmK&emailLookup=1&notFound=1&t=adrianm%40kvia.com (http://webmail.aol.com/38159/aim/en-us/suite.aspx#)
I have no idea who this is, but I found it on the Kvia website.
adrianm@kvia.com

The owner
kevinlovell@kvia.com

There's also this E-mail
kvia@kvia.com

Also it's seems to me like he's frustrated by all of this, but that E-mail was extremely unprofessional, maybe he didn't expect me to actually have the balls to post it on the Internet. I wonder if his job is hanging by a thread.

^^^

Perhaps they do see HD in THEIR monitors but haven't seen the real picture that is being broadcasted live in home TVs. Also what a hot-headed "operations manager", perhaps you went over the age to make him that angry? I completely agree with Cube and the rest of the "bloggers" or should we say forum members? (blog and forum are not the same).

And yes, if he refers to us forum posters I was also insulted by his comments.

Did you comment about the awful PQ of "The CW" and the ghastling eye-killing PQ of LATV?, if only they could match the SD quality of THIRD WORLD country stations..

He's also part of a libel suit brought on by Robert Bettes:
http://elpasotimes.typepad.com/mediabuzz/2008/08/libel-lawsuit-e.html

Bad day? Regardless, that e-mail was extremely unprofessional.

Chris Swann
swannchris@hotmail.com


OMG he doesn't even have a kvia.com email address? perhaps he used hotmail so he doesn't get caught by corporate email screeners or something..

Edit: I would have sent that nasty email from Chris to the media, so they will publish it and get it out in the open, many experts would debunk him right there..

OMG he doesn't even have a kvia.com email address? perhaps he used hotmail so he doesn't get caught by corporate email screeners or something..

Edit: I would have sent that nasty email from Chris to the media, so they will publish it and get it out in the open, many experts would debunk him right there..

Actually I threated to report them to the FCC for False advertising. I Even sent them a picture of the form I was going to send, without the personal information. Maybe he read that email too, but I made it very clear that I would much prefer not to send it to the FCC. Even thought I really want to send it, I would much prefer that they fix this, even If it means they have to go back to 4:3, or start doing Widescreen News. I'm sure someone there must know how to turn on widescreen. Also I would hate to have El Paso known nationally, for this scandal. :o

I also believe they could be seeing the HD At The station, but they're not broadcasting it. That's why some station that have started HD News have had an Experimental Phase where they test the HD, and Encourage viewers to tell them if they see any bugs in the HD Newscast. I remember that when I was in Houston, the NBC Station KPRC did just that. They waited a whole week before they said "Our News is in HD".

I laugh everytime KTSM is doing they announcement that they are in HD, but the announcement itself is sometimes in SD, they forget to flick the switch! LOL
Yeah I know in the middle of a lot of SD commercials is hard to keep up.

You could reply to Chris (before he blocks your e-mail address) that why he isn't using his KVIA.com address, too much to hide? I think with that legal problem he has his email box is being monitored very closely..

I just sent an email to Kevin Lovell at the address Cube gave above and so far it hasn't come back but let see if he answers.

I sent an email on Sunday and also got a reply from Swann, this is his reply to me, almost word for word from Cube's email:

KVIA is indeed broadcasting in 720p HD. Check your tuner and you will find this to be accurate. We have purchased 3 new HD cameras, panasonic AK-HC1500G units. We have also purchased 10 Sony xd-hd cameras for field recording. We are doing a fair amount of up-conversion to deal with 4:3 sources around the station to meld everything together. It is not perfect, but we are working on it, and as you have certainly noted, we have experienced a variety of technical issues over the past few days, but they are being corrected. We are also making aspect ratio adjustments on both the analog and digital side and those will go on for a few more days. This is the problem you are noting with the squeezed and stretched looking anchors. I am fairly confident we will have that corrected today.
We still have a lot of work to do, but we should have most problems resolved in the next couple of days. This is a big conversion and there will be some hiccups along the way. Thank you for you patience during this conversion process.

Chris Swann
Operations Mgr.
KVIA TV


These fools don't realize that they can broadcast an HD signal but still not produce an HD picture. Even Judge Judy is in 720, but still in Digital Definition, which is what KVIA is doing a Digital Stretch or in tech terms Stretch-O-Vision.

Lovell needs to re-consider the employment of Swann after his court case now in the works and the way he treats his emails.

Also, no one at KVIA produces an @kvia.com in return emails. Anytime I've ever sent emails I've always been replied to from a @yahoo.com or @hotmail.com Brenda de Anda is ANDkvia@yahoo.com and Rick Cabrera is rickcabrera@yahoo.com

I hope that helps a little, but they don't issue outbound return addy's at KVIA.

^^^

Perhaps they do see HD in THEIR monitors but haven't seen the real picture that is being broadcasted live in home TVs. Also what a hot-headed "operations manager", perhaps you went over the age to make him that angry? I completely agree with Cube and the rest of the "bloggers" or should we say forum members? (blog and forum are not the same).

And yes, if he refers to us forum posters I was also insulted by his comments.

Did you comment about the awful PQ of "The CW" and the ghastling eye-killing PQ of LATV?, if only they could match the SD quality of THIRD WORLD country stations..

DrLar:

I'm sure they see an HD picture on their cheap HD televisions on set, if they have more then 1 from what I've ever seen. As far as their PQ on CW and LATV yes these are some of the worst picture known to man... I never touch CW in my HD and rather use my DirecTV signal which is much cleaner then KVIA's local feed and LATV... they just need to get rid of that crud and give an HD signal to CW or at least improve the quality as well as their weather channel, just complete junk, it never works to begin with.

Not to mention KVIA on DirecTV, my goodness... KVIA is the only station on DirecTV with any type of issues in PQ, its always blurry and fading and Rick Cabrera actually had an ABC Listens segment from his house announcing it was finally fixed 1 year later... (It took 1 year to fix an issue they knew about) and now since that segment the signal has degraded 2 times and remains poor.

KVIA needs much better engineers and not waste your money on a weekend weather anchor... <coughs>

Stretched Story, I know I Checked the analog channel and it looked exactly the same.
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/5597/snapshot20080809092042cg6.th.jpg (http://img413.imageshack.us/my.php?image=snapshot20080809092042cg6.jpg)


I Don't know what Happened here, but this wasn't stretched, it was native 4:3. I Didn't check the Analog Channel, so I Don't know if it shown that way there.
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/3682/snapshot20080809091931xl1.th.png (http://img413.imageshack.us/my.php?image=snapshot20080809091931xl1.png)


More Stretched video sent by Kvia.
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/5402/snapshot20080809092005nw9.th.jpg (http://img413.imageshack.us/my.php?image=snapshot20080809092005nw9.jpg) http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/6904/snapshot20080809091440ceh2.th.jpg (http://img413.imageshack.us/my.php?image=snapshot20080809091440ceh2.jpg)

Chris If your still here post, but be nice, we know what we've seen, your news is being broadcast stretched to 16:9. If you don't post here or don't want to post fine, but send some of the people at the Station that Article. This is making your station look very bad, and if you can, tell the News anchors to stop saying the News is HD until you fix this. also while it's not as good as HD You could go widescreen.

Does he has an account here? He should see the screen caps, and compare them with KTSM ones, no brainer there. I just hope he doesn't accuse you of modifying the images, I could cap some on my PC and post them here...

As far as their PQ on CW and LATV yes these are some of the worst picture known to man... I never touch CW in my HD and rather use my DirecTV signal which is much cleaner then KVIA's local feed and LATV... they just need to get rid of that crud and give an HD signal to CW or at least improve the quality as well as their weather channel, just complete junk, it never works to begin with.

I've never noticed many Issues with the Subchannels. Maybe it's the size of my HDTV, 32 inches, or it's because I rarely watch them. Or you could be exaggerating. Also My HDTV in my opinion looks better in the Night mode. When ever I've set the TV to Day Mode, I've been able to notice more defects. LATV and the Weather channel have compression problems some times. I think whenever the Weather channel pixalizes to point where I can barely read the letters, maybe done by the Encoder stealing bits for the HD Channel. As for having the CW In HD I'd prefer they don't do that, if they're going to leave ABC HD. A better choice, and probably the way TV Is headed eventually, would be to get the CW HD Feed and downconvert it to 480i widescreen. If they did this, they would have to increase the bandwidth on the Channel.

Does he has an account here? He should see the screen caps, and compare them with KTSM ones, no brainer there. I just hope he doesn't accuse you of modifying the images, I could cap some on my PC and post them here...

Yes he does I the Username is Kvia Engineering, and he used to post here sometime in 2006. I think he stopped, because people were asking him too many questions. Also someone could take a picture of their HDTV of the news on the Digital Channel, and they could also take a picture of the analog channel to prove that it's the same video, just stretched. I'd take them myself, but I don't have a digital camera, just a camera phone and the pictures from it look like crap.

Also reading the Email more carefully, it looks Chris is trying to imply, without actually saying it(maybe KVIA doesn't let him) that KVIA knows about the Stretch-o-Vision problem, and is trying to fix it.

Well It Seems like KVIA Finally fixed their Stretch-o-Vision News Problem. I'm almost certain its not HD Thought, but it is ZOOMED. I guess they maybe doing this while they go HD. By putting the Analog Channel I can see more on the bottom and top of the screen, but the weird thing is that when I put the HD Channel, I can also see a little bit more on the Sides.

It seems like if this is going to last a long time, they are going to have to adjust the graphics to show all the letters, and zoom out more with the cameras, to show as much of the person as possible.

Also they maybe getting desperate about KTSM going HD and they are not, if they have the equipment, the cameras, etc, only some technical glitches are keeping them from going HD also. They could certainly use some help from some experts in the AVS forum.

Also Ch. 4 is still 4:3 all the way (understandibly due to bankruptcy), KINT I don't see when they would switch from SOV to HD, not until corporate Univision starts it's HD broadcasting (I give 'em 18 months). KCOS HD is in full swing (ant it's a public station), KFOX I also don't see them switch the news unless FOX sponsors them.

Yeah Cube, right now all they did was hit the zoom button on their broadcast. They didn't fix anything though, the screen is still in stretch-o-vision, but the zoom makes it seem they fixed the issue.

Just a cosmetic change to shut us up, if they think we don't notice or are idiots then their mistaken. Yes they do have the HD cameras working, but man... they really need to get rolling. Who the heck told them to just start doing this right from day one when the new camera got it, this requires training on equipment, new graphics, layouts, 4:3 black bars when video is fed 4:3 like KTSM does.

They are really behind and never never never should have put their foot into this without being fully prepared. Plus who's the idiot keeping it in widescreen even in commercials, just lazy maybe? Comeon, fix the problems already... or at least move back to the 4:3 until you can produce a full HD 16:9 video broadcast with the complete graphics package and practice on the controls (including the horrific camera work)

Actually the Zoom looks ok, and better that before except that sometimes people look a little too tall. I think that in order to not cut off the letters, they aren't actually zooming to 16:9. I think it probably closer to 16:10 or 32:21. Yeah the Zoomed commercials tick me of too, it wouldn't surprise me if the person in the control room is responsible for this, and possibly The Stretch-o-Vision problem. This person need to be fired, or moved to something else. Also during the news stories they need to turn off the zoom and let it be aired in Native 4:3. After the story is over they can go back to the zoom for the Studio. Also They need to apologize, or at least mention that they screwed up when they said they were in HD. This could actually get them in trouble with the FCC if someone reports it, and get them fined, but how much could the fine be. Who know if The FCC does come here they could just feel so bad for them that they would let them of with a warning to not say they are airing HD News until they actually are.

To recap my posts that were deleted:
To report that the KVIA 4pm news was in stretch-o-vision and they were falsely advertising they were in HD (and their on-screen personalities appeared to have gained 50 pounds).
Issued cudos to KTSM for going true-HD, stating i would switch to channel 9 from channel 7 in the morning and at 5pm (may not be the best newscast, but the most watchable in HD).
Also complained that channel 7 never is capable on weekend mornings to broadcast the HD network feed. Adding that often they show live network feed, catch it (realizing it is on an hour tape delay) then switching to other programming.

This morning I gave KVIA a 5 minute trial, they have a new format. They may have one HD camera, straight on newdesk, that is HD - Amber's coffee mug is in the frame, she must think its off screen.
Otherwise, they are using a format that takes the 4:3 screen, shows it regular in the center and then stretches it towards the outer frame into a 16:9 screensize. For example, when Hillary is shown off center (to allow graphics add) her left shoulder is normal and her right shoulder is twice as big. Ditto for when Amber wanders around the screen to show her graphics (she grows twice as big when she goes wide in the shot.
They are also using this for all their field shots - including the traffic cams. You can see the cars elongating as they approach the edge of the screen.
This new format hurts my eyes and stomach. Back to KTSM, hey Melanie looks good and the pix are certainly nice quality to watch.

Dear KVIA, go to Wal Mart, buy a $30 antenae, bring it back to the station, stick it in a window and hook it up to a HDTV (hopefully you have one). Now watch your news for 5 minutes, then KTSM for 5 minutes. See the difference.
Credibility is the #1 asset for a news show. Sadly, KVIA is losing all credibility over this.
Sincerely, Your former viewer.

^^^ That's the "panoramic" mode that you can set on several HDTVs and DVD players, it streches on the sides but the center remains "intact" which doesn' t look good by any means, they should strectch everything at the same time..

Perhaps the correct term for SOV is "upconverted SD 4:3 to 16:9" or something like that, for them the term SOV doesn't exist.

tcutty, I know what you mean about it hurting. My eyes were wobbling around after watching the news yesterday. Didn't hurt my stomach but did mess with my vision and it looks horrible.

Don't know whats going on there, but they need to fix that ASAP.

Sadly the night news are delayed until the Olympics finish or there's no action for 1/2 hour, but NBC usually fills that hour with stories of the athletes (mostly Phelps). I now prefer either to wait for Ch. 9 news or get them ealier on KFOX, KVIA sayonara.

I have my HD tv monitor hooked up to antenna and HD tuner and if I switch back and forth the only difference is the digital is stretched about 1 inch top and bottom and the side is pushed (stretched) to the left and right. No additional left and right picture. So KVIA you are not in True HD. The digital picture is also not very good, kinda fuzzy. Not much better than analog. Also still no reply to my e-mail to KL.

"There is no such thing as "stretch-o-vision"".
Chris Swann
Operations Mgr.
KVIA TV
Thanks Chris. Please educate us ignorants. What is the term for stretch o vision that you use when you explain to your on-air personalities that they are suddenly 50 pounds fatter because of your technical genius?

Oh well, it must be hard on you. If only you had smarter viewers to appreciate your talent.

This is one dumb viewer that will switch to watch the pretty pictures over on channel 9.

Ben Swann must laugh at his brother after reading this.... weird you have family members on oppossing TV Stations....

Kevin Lovell - kevinl@kvia.com - is the General Manager, not owner.
From his bio: "is notorious for being a penny-pincher"
http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=902126&nav=menu193_7_2
http://www.enewsbuilder.net/texasbroadcasters/e_article001100242.cfm?x=b11,0,w

KVIA-TV is owned by the News-Press & Gazette Company. The News Press & Gazette Company (NPG) is a media company based in St. Joseph, Missouri, wholly owned and operated by the Bradley family, and presided by David R. Bradley and Hank Bradley. http://www.npgco.com/npgco/ ; NPG Contact page: http://npg-inc.com/npgco/index.php?page=contact-us
John Kueneke is the NPG President of the Broadcast Division (over KVIA apparently).

Also for the more tech minded, you may want to review the Wikipedia's entry for the term Stretch-o-Vision - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stretch-o-Vision - as it is up for discussion as to whether to delete the term.

Kevin Lovell - kevinl@kvia.com - is the General Manager, not owner.
From his bio: "is notorious for being a penny-pincher"
http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=902126&nav=menu193_7_2
http://www.enewsbuilder.net/texasbroadcasters/e_article001100242.cfm?x=b11,0,wOopsy, I screwed up.

KVIA-TV is owned by the News-Press & Gazette Company. The News Press & Gazette Company (NPG) is a media company based in St. Joseph, Missouri, wholly owned and operated by the Bradley family, and presided by David R. Bradley and Hank Bradley. http://www.npgco.com/npgco/ ; NPG Contact page: http://npg-inc.com/npgco/index.php?page=contact-us
John Kueneke is the NPG President of the Broadcast Division (over KVIA apparently). I wonder what they would think if they knew about the recent problems at KVIA. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be pleased.

Also for the more tech minded, you may want to review the Wikipedia's entry for the term Stretch-o-Vision - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stretch-o-Vision - as it is up for discussion as to whether to delete the term.No need to read it I created it, and have been watching the changes ever since. Also it seems that many people are voting to keep it. I would appreciate it if the people here voted to keep it.

^^^ Wanna guess who's voting to delete it? "CS" (from now on)

I'm not sure what kind of tech issues their having, mostly the aspect ratio is completely skewed. They hear us complain and zoom their broadcast picture to make it seem like they fixed it and of course that doesn't work because the side bars elongate the picture.

Then after that, they return to a stretch screen which fattens and shortens its on-air talent. Now, I don't think there is anything sinister going on with KVIA as Cube your making things out.

I think KVIA has very poor engineers and not sourcing this work to professionals in HD equipment and installation has been a bad mistake since day one. Chris Swann mentioned this in his email, which means KTSM did, and it paid off.

KVIA is not and has not done anything to really push itself into the right ratio, it means having to center a 4:3 layout, graphics need to be center, the lower 2/3 graphics need to be fixed, their automated cameras need to setup better angles.


1. Hire HD experts and not do in house work on going HD.
2. Begin work on a new graphic package, purchase one if you need to, everyone does, and KVIA's graphics have always been in-house and they're horrible, always have been.
3. Get some new lighting! My goodness... its really bad, there are live internet shows that broadcast with less and produce much higher quality (TWiT Live).
4. Design a new set. This set is about 10 years old I think? Not including the side editions like the GMEP set, they need a much better set to go with the lighting and nearly 60K of in house cameras.

I got 3 theories as to what is going on. Here they are numbered from what I think is most likely, to what is least likely:

1. The person at the control room pushed the stretch button instead of the zoom button.

2. They actually listened to the the ignorant morons who didn't understand why they were seeing more of the video on the analog channel.

3. They got a new part at the worst possible time(sometime before the news at noon started), and they had to install it during the newscast.

Anyway I just can't stand this anymore, I may just contact NPG about this! Hopefully they can send and HD News expert over to fix this, because this is making them look bad too. I read in Wikipedia that one of the NPG Station already has HD News, KRDO in Colorado, maybe they can send whoever was responsible for that to fix this.

Also something else I don't understand is why didn't KVIA ask any of their employees if they had HD Capture cards, so they could record the news before they went HD. That way they would have recorded it, and seen that it was Stretch-o-Vision, and they would have never said it was HD.

^^^ Just send HIS BROTHER over there! LOL
and or forward Chris' email to him..

I have a new nickname for him:

"Crisis" Swann...

Cube, no offense, but you need to chill out on all these threats. I'm with you on this, but please you keep saying "someone should report KVIA." Well, if you keep saying someone should, you should report them.

Look, I'm on your side, but really man, just chill out on the threat things. On the news at 5 and 10, Estella commented about the problems at the station, "Bare with us as we push towards HD."

That pretty much means they recanted their earlier reports of being in HD. The truth is, KVIA is indeed in HD. However, that only means at this point that they are sending a 720P signal. However, they have yet to produce the HD PQ.

Cube, I'm 100% sure they know they have problems, what angers me now is that they keep that stretch on, knowing it looks horrible. Truth is, they don't need to care about us, because you and I and anyone else knows that 99% of anyone in El Paso with an HDTV and watching KVIA will say, "ehhh it looks weird, but its alright it fills the screen, better then before."

I know that angers us because we are all spoiled to good HD PQ with our Blu-Ray players and HD-DVD players.

So I am upset because they should go back to 4:3 until they fix the problem with the HD PQ and at least produce web content on what is going on and what they are doing to make it happen.

I'm in no way taking their side, but just tired of seeing you put threats on how someone should report them. Reporting them would get us no where as KVIA is not promoting HD in commercials and you know KVIA loves to self promote and would do so if they could with HD.

That is why KTSM is loving this because all the free commercials their getting and besting KVIA with being the first and only at something, which usually belongs to KVIA, so lets just chill out and watch KTSM until KVIA learns to read the manual and finally caves into hiring real engineers.

All right point taken elprhs!!

On the news at 5 and 10, Estella commented about the problems at the station, "Bare with us as we push towards HD."really i didn't see that!!! I didn't watch the whole newscast though.


they know they have problems, what angers me now is that they keep that stretch on, knowing it looks horrible.I know it seems lately, that what ever it is that controls that aspect ratio and the Zoom is broken, or connected wrong. The 4 o clock news started in 4:3 switched to stretch mode and then zoomed. When they turned on the zoom, the picture started to break up, and then the zoom turned off. they had to keep turning on the zoom over and over again.



So I am upset because they should go back to 4:3 until they fix the problem with the HD PQ and at least produce web content on what is going on and what they are doing to make it happen.They should go back to 4:3.


That is why KTSM is loving this because all the free commercials their getting and besting KVIA with being the first and only at something, which usually belongs to KVIA, so lets just chill out and watch KTSM until KVIA learns to read the manual and finally caves into hiring real engineers.I'm sure they are loving it. I also agree with what someone here said that they should air those commercials in HD. They're still forgetting to do it at times. I would love to watch KTSM's news in HD, and I do sometimes, but the problem is that because of the Olympics, it's not on at the regularly scheduled time.

It's sad nobody watches the NBC new HD local newscast, unless they stay up untill 2am...

Couldn't KSTM opt to get the Central Time feed that's live? I mean we are the ONLY freaking county on Texas in the Mountain time zone. (I always been bother with this, most live events are delayed 2 hours).

It's sad nobody watches the NBC new HD local newscast, unless they stay up untill 2am...

Couldn't KSTM opt to get the Central Time feed that's live? I mean we are the ONLY freaking county on Texas in the Mountain time zone. (I always been bother with this, most live events are delayed 2 hours).

I watch the KTSM HD news at 6am, 5pm & sometimes 6pm. I've also switched from ABC World News to NBC Nightly News. I never watch the 10pm news regardless of when its on - though I've stayed up past my bed time some days to watch the Olympics. I watch KFOX at 9 (hopefully they will go HD someday too) and TIVO the Daly Show and Colbert (to get the real news anyway).

It's sad nobody watches the NBC new HD local newscast, unless they stay up untill 2am....

Actually I've seen the KTSM HD News at some time between 11-12 PM. It depends on when the Olympic coverage takes a break, for local news. And It is in HD at that time.

OMG just peeked at KVIA noon news and guess what they have a new weather system and it looks just like KTSM's maybe they will start borrowing KTSM's staff too LOL

OMG just peeked at KVIA noon news and guess what they have a new weather system and it looks just like KTSM's maybe they will start borrowing KTSM's staff too LOL

Yeah I saw that too. They could have just bought the same system. Isn't that original. :rolleyes: I don't know about borrowing KTSM's staff, but they could find out who was responsible for KTSM's HD News conversion and hire them.

Not sure if anyone saw, but on KVIA at 4:00 PM news today, they started the news in full HD, the perfect ratio, PQ was great, then they went to commercial, when they returned they were back to the digital stretch, I don't know what their doing, its shocking really.

Not sure if anyone saw, but on KVIA at 4:00 PM news today, they started the news in full HD, the perfect ratio, PQ was great, then they went to commercial, when they returned they were back to the digital stretch, I don't know what their doing, its shocking really.

Are you sure it was HD, because all I've seen is that they're zooming to 16:9 now, since it looks like they fixed the graphics. Also Celina Avila has an HD camera on her when she anchors the 4 PM News. I've seen that when they show her it doesn't look like an Upconvert. When I put the Analog channel though, I can see that KVIA is just zooming to 16:9. I can see the bottom and top part of the video from the Camera they use on her.

Also KVIA is doing a DTV Test over the weekend. It's going to be on Sunday during the 10 PM News. Let's hope they don't push the wrong button and turn off the Digital Channel instead of the analog one. ;)

It was complete full HD from 4:00 to 4:14. It was very nice, but right after the commercials at that moment it went back to stretch. They eventually will need to fix this issue.

Their DTV test lol, their just going to push the red button that says "Don't Press". Just hope that they don't turn off the power to the antenna entirely, I'm pretty sure they don't know what that red button does, but here's hoping lol.

^^^ Wanna guess who's voting to delete it? "CS" (from now on)
It may be your boy, but the article referenced TNT as the origin of the term along with:However, senior vise[sic] president of Broadcast Engineering at TNT, Clyde D. Smith, was against pillarboxing for several reasons.v/r,
C-F

It may be your boy, but the article referenced TNT as the origin of the term along with:v/r,
C-F

Actaully they never creted the term. They did it because people complianed that pillar boxes were causing burn in on plasma TVs. After they started to stretch the image the Viewers started to call it Stretch-o-Vision. At least that's what I understood from the Article in TV Week.

@Elprhs

Did you record the 4PM News on the HD Channel?

If you did you should post pictures.

I was watching the news at about that time and it didn't seem HD. KVIA didn't just adjust the graphics, they are also changing what part of the video they zoom in to. During the Weather they zoom in to the top of the video. When the News starts they zoom in to the bottom of the video.

I just noticed something weird while channel surfing, on channel 14-1 KFOX. Right now they're showing the Cowboys game in 1080I. I don't know if this is a temporary glitch, or if it's been happening all game, because I don't like that sport. Also this isn't the first time they have switched to 1080I, I've seen them do it about 2 other times, and I think both times they showed Cowboys games.

Also I've been scanning for digital channels a lot lately hoping that the Mexican channel 56 launched an HD Channel. So Far I haven't found that channel, but KSCE 38 added 2 subchannels. Neither of them is broadcasting yet, they say coming soon. I don't watch that channel, but I mention it just in case anyone is interested.

It's normal for KFOX to provide a 1080i on all football games or any other sports, nothing out of the norm.


BTW: I didn't record, but it was fully in HD, the images of course were still messed up, but it was in HD PQ.

Well that's weird. I wonder if this a KFOX thing, or a FOX thing. It seems like someone forgot to switch back to 720p, because they're still at 1080I. Also I watch Baseball games on KFOX sometimes, and those are in 720p.

Actaully[sic] they never creted[sic] the term. They did it because people complianed[sic] that pillar boxes were causing burn in on plasma TVs. After they started to stretch the image the Viewers started to call it Stretch-o-Vision. At least that's what I understood from the Article in TV Week. ...Exactly, the source of the term was TNT's actions and specifically Clyde Smith's decision...

v/r,
C-F

The 1080I maybe be because the preseason games aren't from FOX Sports the are from the Cowboys own Blue Star Network.

Did anyone watch the ABC7 Xtra on DTV? OMG.... I'm pretty sure the fools still confused about DTV before the show are now more confused about DTV.

This best buy guy is clueless! He didn't help out one bit, Darren Hunt didn't have a single clue about what he was talking about and admitted it at one point.

Now what really irks me is that they ran that stupid Digital test tonight and knowing full well that problems with the test would make it pointless they ran it regardless.

Comcast Users failed, DirecTV customers reported poor signal, Dish Network, failed. It's shocking that knowing this would happen they still went with the stupid test. Now people who thought they shouldn't have problems (Comcast, DirecTV, Dish Network) are all worried they need a digital box....

Darren then explains why people failed the test even though they shouldn't. KVIA did much more harm then good tonight, shame on their staff and engineers, now people are even more clueless. But what do I expect from a station that thinks stretching a 4:3 to 16:9 is HD.

Well I just finished watching, Xtra on Kvia, and as was said in one of the lost Post, "What an unprofessional show". I could barely sit through it. If it hadn't been about the DTV Transition, I would have given in to the urge to change the Channel!!!

The whole show was pretty much an advertisement for Best Buy anyway. Also while I know alot about the DTV transition, there were times when the Best Buy guy even confused me. I wonder how confused people who knew very little about the transition were. He either seemed to think, or was told to say that VCRs won't work after the transition. That's not true. They will still work, if you connect the converter Box to them, and they will still record the Digital channels jut in SD. I wonder how many people who saw the show thought Their VCRs wont record After the Transition. Also the Best Buy guy seemed to know very little about the subject, He would start talking alot before he actually answered the Question, Like he didn't know the Answer right away.

Also Darren Hunt screwed up big time when he talked about the FCC Auction he said the bidding was at 19 Million Dollars. :confused: http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/animated/anim_59.gif (http://www.mysmiley.net) http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/animated/anim_59.gif (http://www.mysmiley.net) I doubt the FCC would sell parts of the digital spectrum for that little, I think he was supposed to say 19 Billion dollars. One thing that Made me LMAO was When The Best Buy Guy Said "We've had people come in to buy HDTVs that were also going to Buy the Converter Boxes" http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/animated/anim_59.gif (http://www.mysmiley.net)http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/animated/anim_59.gif (http://www.mysmiley.net)http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/animated/anim_59.gif (http://www.mysmiley.net)

Edit: Someone already posted about this I guess we started to post at same time.
I Recorded the DTV Test, and the report before it. I was also surprised when Darren hunt, said people with Satellite and Cable failed the test.

^^^ OMG I missed that! could have been laughing for hours about it!

I'm still laughing about Univision's "better picture quality" ads for DTV, they still look horrible... perhaps next year they will flick the switch...

Wouldn't they know it is physically impossible for a tube TV to get better quality? and if the bitrate isn't good enough they would look even worse with the converter box..

I Recorded the DTV Test, and the report before it. I was also surprised when Darren hunt, said people with Satellite and Cable failed the test.

You know Cube, the sad part about that is, they knew that the test would fail for these users and yet still went with the test with no warning. This only makes the problem worse. Now people who thought they were safe and didn't need a box now think that they need the box for them to keep a picture.

Hunt on Xtra explained why people failed the test, but its to late, 90% of the audience left from 10PM and he didn't get that message out to enough people. So we got people worried because KVIA is running tests knowing it was not going to help and rather hurt this problem even more.

You know Cube, the sad part about that is, they knew that the test would fail for these users and yet still went with the test with no warning. This only makes the problem worse. Now people who thought they were safe and didn't need a box now think that they need the box for them to keep a picture.

Hunt on Xtra explained why people failed the test, but its to late, 90% of the audience left from 10PM and he didn't get that message out to enough people. So we got people worried because KVIA is running tests knowing it was not going to help and rather hurt this problem even more.

I think they did it yesterday, because it was 6 months to DTV Day. If they did suspect that people would fail the test, who shouldn't, they should have waited. They could have done it when it was 5 months until DTV Day. Let's hope that when KTSM does something like this they do it right. KTSM Still has to do a DTV Educational Show, becuase I think the FCC requires that every TV Station does at least one of those shows.

^^^ OMG I missed that! could have been laughing for hours about it!

I'm still laughing about Univision's "better picture quality" ads for DTV, they still look horrible... perhaps next year they will flick the switch...

Wouldn't they know it is physically impossible for a tube TV to get better quality? and if the bitrate isn't good enough they would look even worse with the converter box..

I also watched Xtra last week, hoping someone would at least call to tell them about the Stretch-o-Vision.

No one called, but Elprhs posted here and said something like:

"They said Utah was the 51st state, now I Study history at UTEP and I think I would know if we had added another state."

Unfortunately that post was lost with the crash, but I still remember it, because it made me laugh.

Also A Tube TV can show HD, but Only if it was built that way. They used to sell them about a year or 2 ago. A normal old Tube TV will still look like Univision does on Cable, or with good analog Reception. In El Paso thought Univision's digital channel actually looks worse than the Analog channel. The digital channel has a Terrible Bitrate. Also I don't know why, but when Univision's digital channel has problems they last for days or even weeks. Could it be that no one watches it. I mean the religious channel fixes it's problems faster.

Ya, how stupid was it for them to run the test knowing that satellite was using the analog signal here. I only watched the news cast to see if they might surprise us and go full HD but they didn't. I think it wa just a gimmic to pull people from KTSM

Another point about VCR recording is that to record you will have to set the box to the channel you want to record and leave it on and then program a time on the VCR. Gone will be the function of recording multiple channels and turning off the vcr and forgetting about it. better off buying a DVD recorder with an ATSC tuner,

Yes, there WERE HD Tube TVs which didn't sell, widescreen, 720p and all, but people went for the slim LCDs and Plasmas instead, even though they were more expensive.

I hope Telemundo gets their HD channel in El Paso soon, I'm already missing some Olympic events (in HD?), I have to settle for the analog signal which is stronger than some channels like 4, 7, 2, 5. I don't know why they didn't install a good DTV/ATSC signal in El Paso...

I have a question, which frequency is Channel 32 from Televisa exactly? because of my problems with ATI MMC I had to install WatchHDTV, I enter 29.1 and it won't detect it.

My other TV says 29.3 and 29.4, since WatchHDTV won't accept subchannels I'm lost of how to add it..

It makes sense to me that Tube HDTVs didn't sell, I say it was because they were really heavy. The LCD and Plasma HDTVs were not as heavy as the Tube HDTVs. I was able to carry my 32 inch LCD TV all by myself. I Would have needed 2 people to carry a tube TV that size.

I Know what you mean when you say your missing the Olympics in HD. You wouldn't be talking about TV Azteca Would you? If you are I'm also :mad: at them. Everytime they show the Olympics in Stretch-o-Vision, or in Native 4:3 with the sidebars, I fell like going to The TV Azteca HD Channel in Juarez, and yelling at that guy. :mad::mad: I though I would never say that About TV Azteca, I usually say it about Televisa. Boy have things changed recently though, now TV Azteca Has HD problems and Televisa Doesn't. A couple of months ago it used to be the other way around.

I Want Telemundo HD in El Paso too, but I doubt we'll get that channel in HD soon in El Paso. I Think the next market to get Telemundo HD will be one of the DMAs that is in the top 10 like New York, Chicago, Houston, ETC.....

Since El Paso is one of the Top Hispanic DMAs though, I think we will get get it sooner than other DMAs.

Televisa HD is on Real Channel 29 and it gets remapped on my TV to 32-1. Since you live in Juarez it should get remapped on your TV too, since you're closer to the Transmitter. That makes me think, that you could be too close to the transmitter, and you get too strong a signal. I know that when I watch KFox sometimes I lose the signal for as much as minute. KFOX is the Channel I get with the Strongest signal, about 95%. You should check the signal for Televisa HD, to see if it is too strong. If It is to strong and you use an amplifier you should disconnect it. Also you could buy an Attenuator, or move the Antenna.

You should try to use something else that Isn't WatchHDTV, I tried to use it once and it didn't seem to work very well. I think I remember not getting channels also. You Should download TSReaderLite it's free and works better. When you say ATI MMC do you mean Catalyst Media Center, because I have that software, and it works great!! Maybe you have a driver problem. You should post about your TV Card problems in the HTPC Forum, they could help you better.

WatchHDTV works great, except for that Televisa channel, weird, it gets 95% signal strenght but no picture or sound, weird, but I use the ATI MMC and I can get it, It just annoying that MMC is so unstable (at version 9.11), it sometime freezes or crashes and changing channels it's so frustrating (takes like 5-10 seconds to stabilize).

I've seen a Telemundo Office here in Juarez, it's near the country club, but I think it's just and office and not a repeater.

I say why not just hang the DTV transmiter right next to the analog transmiter? Too expensive? LOL

I've seen a Telemundo Office here in Juarez, it's near the country club, but I think it's just and office and not a repeater.

I say why not just hang the DTV transmiter right next to the analog transmiter? Too expensive? LOL

Are you referring to KTDO? They want to operate two transmitters, one on the same ridge in El Paso that all the other stations use, and a separate transmitter in Las Cruces. They're waiting on FCC action before they can do it as they want to.

If that gets denied, then they want to put their transmitter on from the ridge in El Paso at high enough power to cover Las Cruces as well.

- Trip

Yes he is referring to KTDO. I Thought they already had a Transmitter here in El Paso:confused:. I Can Get the Analog Channel with really good reception most of the time. Maybe you mean a Digital Transmitter. Also Maybe I'm confusing Transmitter with booster. I'm almost certain they have a Booster here, and I think the callsign is KTYO.

Yes he is referring to KTDO. I Thought they already had a Transmitter here in El Paso:confused:. I Can Get the Analog Channel with really good reception most of the time. Maybe you mean a Digital Transmitter. Also Maybe I'm confusing Transmitter with booster. I'm almost certain they have a Booster here, and I think the callsign is KTYO.

Alright, here's what the FCC site indicates:

Analog, KTDO is operating two transmitters. This one is the licensed KTDO-TV 48:

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=TV671529.html

And this is K48IK, the analog transmitter in El Paso:

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=TX976923.html

Digital KTDO is also operating two transmitters, and has asked for a third one. I can only find the two that are currently in operation:

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DS982274.html

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DS1114912.html

If denied, KTDO wants this pattern (and has a construction permit for it) instead:

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT1249853.html

Hope that helps clarify things...

- Trip

Yes, yes... I hope they get approved... one more option for El Paso..

Well a brand new replacement Panasonic DMR-EZ27 and still have color problems only on channel 9.1 and 9.2. Here's my letter to the KTSM station engineer.

Ernie,

Well, my replacement Panasonic DVD recorder Model DMR –EZ27K arrived today! I anxiously removed the packing materials and installed it into my video system. After going through the setup I was extremely disappointed to continue with the same color “popping in and out” that was exhibited on the previous machine. This is a brand new machine not a repaired device. As a retired engineer with over 40 years of progressive experience I definitely understand start up problems and truly believe it’s a color threshold level problem that the Panasonic DVD tuner is sensitive to. Interestingly, the problem is only on KTSM 9.1 and 9.2, why do none of the other ASTC stations exhibit this problem. Other than the intermittent color your video is excellent. As I said earlier there are no pixilation issues and the signal strength is over 96% on the S meter. Since KRWG moved their antenna to “A” mountain I receive them on the side lobe of my roof top mounted log periodic antenna. Their analog sign is almost indistinguishable with extreme multiple ghosting etc, yet their digital signal is excellent and solid as a rock with no pixilation. Since I am retired if I can be of any assistance with your diagnostic procedure please let me know! Oh, I purchased the Panasonic DVD recorder Model DMR –EZ27K because it is one of the few machines that supports DVD RAM disc.

Thanks for you assistance and concern,

Well a brand new replacement Panasonic DMR-EZ27 and still have color problems only on channel 9.1 and 9.2. Here's my letter to the KTSM station engineer.


I'm in Picacho hills and have excellent pix and color on 9.1. Been watching the olympics and their news for the past 2 weeks.
I run a Terk roof antenae through a Dish HD receiver.