The NBA rules are possibly a bit different than the NHL. If you are more than 75 miles outside of the core market, then although the team can claim your area, providers have to pay extra $$ to bring you their games. This wasn't an issue when we got the Bobcats games on channel 40, but became an issue with the move to FSN last year.

Yes, I know. This is exactly why we don't have the Bobcats games on FSN. That is why I said Charter isn't going to pay the fee because they don't have a good history when it comes to caring about local issues. Unfortunately, it seems everyone else (the other major cable carriers in NC/SC) have caught up and are now paying to show the Bobcats on FSN this year. That is, everyone but Charter. Of course, the games will be on AT&T U-Verse this year so this will be a moot point once they move into my neighborhood.

Watching WNTV 29 on DirecTV which only in SD. There's some complaints about it. It's unwatchable, and I can't see the full letters of words like "High Definition", all I could see is "High Defin..." and I couldn't see the complete number to the ETV endowment for example because the half the numbers are off-the-screen. Every SC market got SCETV in HD on DirecTV (except Greenville), I felt like we're being treated like poor relations.

Also, when will Fox Carolina do their newscasts in high definition?

Watching WNTV 29 on DirecTV which only in SD. There's some complaints about it. It's unwatchable, and I can't see the full letters of words like "High Definition", all I could see is "High Defin..." and I couldn't see the complete number to the ETV endowment for example because the half the numbers are off-the-screen. Every SC market got SCETV in HD on DirecTV (except Greenville), I felt like we're being treated like poor relations.

Also, when will Fox Carolina do their newscasts in high definition?

Assuming that you have the Directv HD unit and a wide screen TV, there are different formats for stretching the picture to fill a 16:9 TV. I suspect that you either are stretching the Directv picture via a setting on the unit or you have some type of stretch setting on your TV in play. I have the Directv HD box and do not have a problem. I choose to have the black bars on the right and left sides of my screen for 4:3 shows. I hate stretch-o-vision.

BTW, on the Directv remote play with the "format" button on the remote. You may also have to go into the Directv menu and see how you choose to feed your picture to the TV.I use the native format.

I have no comment on the other question.

"I have no comment with the other question" that's a boring answer :(

Well, someone at WSPA was asleep at the wheel this morning. "Sunday Morning" was not in HD like it's supposed to be. Usually this kind of thing is corrected in a few minutes. But this episode was screwed up the whole time. Is it really that hard to press a button?

Is it really that hard to press a button?

If there are technical problems, yes.

"I have no comment with the other question" that's a boring answer :(

What? No "Thank You" for the OTHER part of the answer, which explained how to adjust the various views on your TV using your remote control so that you CAN see everything you're supposed to see on your TV screen -- something you could have figured out on your own had you merely bothered to thoroughly look over your remote control, as I did when I discovered I was having similar issues with one of my TVs on some non-HD shows???

Five posts in and you're already calling someone "boring" for answering only half your question, when it's likely NOBODY has an answer to the second half, anyway? Don't be surprised if you get few more answers.
Jeff

For those of you with UVerse,

We are getting 2 more HD channels. These two are on your guide, but it has a screen that says coming soon.

The following 2 is now on the guide:

1155 BET HD
1260 ID HD: Investigation Discovery HD

As far as I am concerned, UVerse can add all the HD they want, but there isn't much more to add.. :)

jself, what about public television, and the CW, which aren't being offered in HD on DISH (and as far as I know not on DirecTV, either -- I know you can get at least one Public TV feed on Charter -- not sure about the CW network)???
Jeff

jself, what about public television, and the CW, which aren't being offered in HD on DISH (and as far as I know not on DirecTV, either -- I know you can get at least one Public TV feed on Charter -- not sure about the CW network)???
Jeff

Just FYI, DirecTV is now offering 62 (CW) and two UNCTV PBS stations (the main, and the kids version) in HD.

jself, what about public television, and the CW, which aren't being offered in HD on DISH (and as far as I know not on DirecTV, either -- I know you can get at least one Public TV feed on Charter -- not sure about the CW network)???
Jeff

JeffAHayes, Uverse has WYCW HD on channel 1062, and WUNC HD on channel 1033. WNTV in HD is not on UVerse (which I don't understand) but I get it OTA on my Dish Network box, plus on Charter free QAM. UVerse has all the locals in HD except WNTV HD.

Just FYI, DirecTV is now offering 62 (CW) and two UNCTV PBS stations (the main, and the kids version) in HD.

Since when did WUNC DT 33.2 Kids become HD as well, double check that, it sure is NOT in HD on my OTA.

Doug, is there any info you can provide about when HD newscasts will be coming to WYFF? I know you've been asked before but I keep hoping to hear something somewhat specific.

Let me give you a little background before I answer your question.

As you know, WYFF's digital signal moved from channel 59 to channel 36 on June 12. What this meant was that we had to install a second full-power transmitter on channel 36 (you can't just turn the dial to change the channel on a high-power UHF transmitter), then we converted the channel 59 transmitter to channel 36 for a backup. That process was over $2 million and was what we had to do just to stay on the air. We've spent about $5.5 million in transmission alone in converting from an analog to digital OTA signal.

If you refer back to a post that foxeng made on 10/18, he mentioned the cost of converting a newscast to HD. It's a 7 digit figure and what he says is true "in this economy you don't just throw that kind of money around just because you want to". Due to economic limitations, we are working on producing our newscasts in 16x9 standard definition. This will fill the wide-screen displays but obviously won't have the same resolution. We can do this for a fraction of the cost of moving to full HD. Look for this change after the first of the year. My goal is to have a much real 16x9 video as possible. We have never and will not stretch video (at least not intentionally) to make it "wide-screen".

So that's were we stand now. If there are other questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

Doug
WYFF 4

You definitely matter. I'm taking a look at this for you now.

So did you find an answer Umatter2Charter? Will Charter ever show Bobcats games like the rest of the cable companies in NC/SC?

We have never and will not stretch video (at least not intentionally) to make it "wide-screen".

<clap clap> :D

So did you find an answer Umatter2Charter? Will Charter ever show Bobcats games like the rest of the cable companies in NC/SC?

Charter is committed to providing a wide variety of quality programming and services to our customers. Unfortunately, Fox Sports South is demanding a significant fee from every Charter customer for viewing Bobcat games this season. In order to prevent impacting nearly all of our customers by passing along this significant additional cost required by Fox Sports South, Charter has made the decision not to accept these additional fees that would affect our customers.

Charter is committed to providing a wide variety of quality programming and services to our customers. Unfortunately, Fox Sports South is demanding a significant fee from every Charter customer for viewing Bobcat games this season. In order to prevent impacting nearly all of our customers by passing along this significant additional cost required by Fox Sports South, Charter has made the decision not to accept these additional fees that would affect our customers.

That's pretty much what I figured. Thankfully U-Verse is moving into the area as we speak. I certainly will be dumping Charter at first opportunity. The fact that all of the other cable carriers are carrying Bobcats games tells you all you need to know about how Charter cares about their customers.

That's pretty much what I figured. Thankfully U-Verse is moving into the area as we speak. I certainly will be dumping Charter at first opportunity. The fact that all of the other cable carriers are carrying Bobcats games tells you all you need to know about how Charter cares about their customers.

Sorry to hear you'll be leaving. We care enough not to charge those that have no interest in those games. We cannot speak for other providers.


George

Sorry to hear you'll be leaving. We care enough not to charge those that have no interest in those games. We cannot speak for other providers.

I have no interest in a lot of things on Charter cable that I pay for. The fact is, I still pay for them. The Bobcats are a local NBA team that I care about, so I will be moving to a provider that shows them. Personally, I don't care about who charges who and how much. I can get better service with other providers for the same or less cost, why would I keep Charter? The fact that Charter doesn't understand that doesn't really bother me.

I have no interest in a lot of things on Charter cable that I pay for. The fact is, I still pay for them. The Bobcats are a local NBA team that I care about, so I will be moving to a provider that shows them. Personally, I don't care about who charges who and how much. I can get better service with other providers for the same or less cost, why would I keep Charter? The fact that Charter doesn't understand that doesn't really bother me.

Very well said, and I am in the same boat as you. That is why I dumped Charter and Dish Network and honestly have been very happy with UVerse here in Easley.

Since when did WUNC DT 33.2 Kids become HD as well, double check that, it sure is NOT in HD on my OTA.OP was mistaken. 33.2 is SD. But it is a recent addition to D* in the upstate.

Question for you though. Does Uverse have Cartoon Network HD yet? That's one thing holding me back at the moment.

Dan Bickford | WSPA's Meteorologist udated his blog about the 24x7 weather channel on 62.3



http://www2.wspa.com/spa/social_networking/blogs/dan_bickford/article/update_on_24-7_weather/29161/

Doug
WYFF 4You would think that WYFF and other NBC affiliates would be more concerned about losing viewers to competing stations broadcasting their local news in HD, as opposed to the up front cost for the conversion. Expecially considering NBC's pitiful show lineup this year (IMO). I mean, last year practically every show I watched was on NBC, while this year I may watch 1 show on NBC.

Does anyone know where a list of Charter's current clearQAM channels can be found for Asheville, NC? I can scan using my TV, but then I have to figure out where everything is and write it down, and then repeat every time it changes.

OP was mistaken. 33.2 is SD. But it is a recent addition to D* in the upstate.

Question for you though. Does Uverse have Cartoon Network HD yet? That's one thing holding me back at the moment.

No Cartoon Network HD yet, however, with UVerse you really never know when something new will show up. I happened to just notice the BETHD and IDHD, when I posted earlier, had just magically appeared but I still haven't received any written notification or email, etc., that they added them 2.

You would think that WYFF and other NBC affiliates would be more concerned about losing viewers to competing stations broadcasting their local news in HD, as opposed to the up front cost for the conversion. Expecially considering NBC's pitiful show lineup this year (IMO). I mean, last year practically every show I watched was on NBC, while this year I may watch 1 show on NBC.

The outlay for HD production is immense. Cameras, lenses, switchers, broadcast engineering, microwave equipment, VTRs, etc etc. It would most likely range in the 7-figure range for a station like WYFF. Given the economic situation, I doubt it can be justified. 16:9 480p can look quite good and cost significantly less.

The outlay for HD production is immense. Cameras, lenses, switchers, broadcast engineering, microwave equipment, VTRs, etc etc. It would most likely range in the 7-figure range for a station like WYFF. Given the economic situation, I doubt it can be justified. 16:9 480p can look quite good and cost significantly less.

I agree with you, bwer, "given the economic situation." The thing is, however, that for ALL but the final year leading up to the mandatory switch to digital TV, "the economic situation" was going gangbusters -- at least as far as all the economic indicators went (I felt like it was all built on a house of cards all along, even though I'm no economist and not really in a position to see the big picture; I just knew things weren't right because the only people really "feeling the wealth" were the wealthy).

It was the roughly 10-year period prior to the mandatory switch to all-digital broadcasts, during which time both a slow digital and a slow, but steady growth of high-definition television grew during which all TV stations in markets of any size and profitability should have been investing in the newer equipment as they could and preparing to transition not only to digital, but also to high-definition for their local broadcasts, as did WSPA. Waiting, instead, until AFTER the digital transition (and when the economy HAS taken a turn for the worse -- and the advertising market, overall, isn't likely to ever get back to where it once was).

WYFF may still have the means (or ability to borrow) to make the HD transition at this point, but either way, unless they have large capital reserves in excess of what that will take, they're going to be BEHIND the eight-ball when doing this... It may be the sort of short-sighted, "next-quarter profits" business mentality that probably kept them from making the transition earlier. If so, when will they do it? Will they ever be able to? At some point they'll have to replace old and worn-out equipment, but even when that time comes, they may still have SD digital equipment available at much lower prices... It just might not be an issue for them (it's not really for me, for that matter... Although I almost exclusively limit my viewing to HD, with the rare exception of a few scripted shows I like that either aren't offered in HD, or those channels aren't carried in HD on DISH, I seldom even consider whether the picture I'm watching on LOCAL NEWS is in HD, or not). The OVERALL quality of much of local news quality is generally so low, HD or SD often just doesn't matter much (like tonight at 6 p.m. on WSPA, when Tom Crabtree went to his on-the-scene reporter for her report on their lead story, and she was talking away... TO A DEAD MIKE!). After a few seconds of that, without even really apologizing, Crabtree just cut the feed and told the audience what the reporter WOULD have told them. That sort of thing is so common -- at least on Channel 7 -- that I don't even give it a second thought any more.

It'll be interesting to see exactly WHEN WYFF does go HD. Is WLOS HD on ITS local programming? I believe I read on here where WHNS isn't HD, either, but I'm not sure. It's my understanding that local network affiliates make a HUGE percentage of their profits from their local news broadcasts, which is why most of them went from 30 to 90 minutes of local news a few years back (and WSPA added yet ANOTHER 30 minutes AFTER the CBS Evening News a few months back). Assuming this is true, if WYFF IS losing audience share to WSPA due to the rapidly growing consumer base that has gone HD (HD is almost mainstream at this point), then continuing to drag their feet could be like shooting themselves in the foot, regardless of the transition costs!
Jeff

It'll be interesting to see exactly WHEN WYFF does go HD. Is WLOS HD on ITS local programming?

WLOS and WSPA have HD studio equipment and a very limited amount of HD ENG stuff. Most location stuff on WLOS has their stylized pillarbars around an SD feed, and WSPA stretches. I'm not entirely sure I've ever seen either of them have HD on location, either.

Perhaps it's just an institutional choice by the GM or Owner at WYFF. A lot of shops were probably betting that the transition would be delayed again. And, of course, there's a lot of broadcasters who have thought for a while that HD is only worth implementing for primetime and sports/events. Look at the preponderance of multicasting. Or maybe the helicopter went over budget? :)

You would think that WYFF and other NBC affiliates would be more concerned about losing viewers to competing stations broadcasting their local news in HD, as opposed to the up front cost for the conversion.

I think you have missed several important points here.

First, without the conversions at the station, you CAN'T do HD. You can't put the cart before the horse.

Second, a major number of viewers STILL do not have HD service to their TV's, no matter if it is a HD set or not. If over 60% of your viewers can't watch you in HD, how are you going to loose viewers by not being HD? The viewers who don't have the service don't know what they are missing anyway.

You are looking at this through your own view of point, not the reality of the situation.

The outlay for HD production is immense. Cameras, lenses, switchers, broadcast engineering, microwave equipment, VTRs, etc etc. It would most likely range in the 7-figure range for a station like WYFF. Given the economic situation, I doubt it can be justified. 16:9 480p can look quite good and cost significantly less.

Average cost to convert to HD news, cameras, microwaves, switchers, graphic engines, editors, servers, monitors; $2 million dollars. Whose ponying up?

Assuming this is true, if WYFF IS losing audience share to WSPA due to the rapidly growing consumer base that has gone HD (HD is almost mainstream at this point), then continuing to drag their feet could be like shooting themselves in the foot, regardless of the transition costs!
Jeff

You're making the assumption that people with HDTVs outside AVS have any idea what they're doing. I've seen so many HDTVs that are showing stretched SD pictures even today that I sincerely doubt the lack of HD news is hurting anyone.

- Trip

One of the points in my reply to cityslicker, which seems to have gone unnoticed, is that WYFF has spent as much (or more) as our competitors in the transition to HDTV. It's just gone to transmission rather than the studio since we had to move to a third channel.

I'm an HD snob too. I watch very little SD TV. Eventually all new programming will be in HD but it won't come as soon as we would like and economics plays a big role.

Believe me, these decisions are not made lightly and we are very aware of the competitive aspects of our business. You can speculate and second-guess these decisions, but if you want the facts, then ask.

Doug
WYFF 4

You're making the assumption that people with HDTVs outside AVS have any idea what they're doing. I've seen so many HDTVs that are showing stretched SD pictures even today that I sincerely doubt the lack of HD news is hurting anyone.

- Trip

You're quite likely right, Trip.

I have a friend I had help me move my first family-sized (42" 720P DLP Samsung set) into the house 3 years ago this coming Christmas, and at the time, he was THRILLED that I was willing to give him the 31" GE tube TV it was replacing, as the family TV they HAD been using was like a 19" or something...

A few months back, I was discussing HD with him, and he sort of casually mentioned that, oh yeah, he'd finally gotten HD -- got a good deal on a display model at Wal-Mart (all he's ever had is basic cable -- NO box, so I started asking him about what his upconversion costs were for going HD). He had NO IDEA what I was talking about, and thought he was getting HD through his basic cable input, which I'm almost 100% sure is wrong, and when I told him what I think he needs to do to truly get HD (get an HD cable box), he said he isn't going to pay any more for cable, and he's perfectly happy with the picture he's getting, and "it looks high-definition to me."

And that probably IS the "average Joe" response... So long as their 16/9 or 16/10 screen is somehow filled (via stretch, or whatever), and it's not so fuzzy it doesn't at least meet 480 standards, most of them will NEVER know the difference! Heck, to be honest, half the time when I think I'm watching an HD program and I'm not (like on "So You Think You Can Dance"), it's really hard to tell... That show is supposedly SHOT in 480 and then upconverted to 720, though. Straight 480 can still look pretty grainy if you're used to watching only 720 or better.

So I think you and Foxeng are probably right -- at least at THIS point, the percentage of local news viewers who care (or know) enough about HD to switch local news habits based on which channel(s) are broadcasting in HD is likely VERY low -- probably less than 10, or even 5 percent.
Jeff
Jeff

Due to economic limitations, we are working on producing our newscasts in 16x9 standard definition.

That will be awesome. My guess is most HD viewers will not know the difference between 16x9 SD and HD especially for studio shots. Does this mean the analog channel on Charter will show the news in 16x9 and not center cut (I'm not sure how Charter is handling the feed now)?

A few months back, I was discussing HD with him, and he sort of casually mentioned that, oh yeah, he'd finally gotten HD -- got a good deal on a display model at Wal-Mart (all he's ever had is basic cable -- NO box, so I started asking him about what his upconversion costs were for going HD). He had NO IDEA what I was talking about, and thought he was getting HD through his basic cable input, which I'm almost 100% sure is wrong, ...If Spartanburg Cable is similar to Greenville/Greer Charter, he will get the networks in HD. If Silicondust is to be trusted (they show zip 29301 getting digital cable from York), that will be true. He will also get, if as here, a FEW SD clear QAM channels and the music channels.

Most likely, the PSIP won't be correct and he'll see RF channel numbers, things like 73.1 or 73-1 depending on how the TV software writer chose to display them.

I'm quite satisfied not having that power hungry Charter box.

That will be awesome. My guess is most HD viewers will not know the difference between 16x9 SD and HD especially for studio shots. Does this mean the analog channel on Charter will show the news in 16x9 and not center cut (I'm not sure how Charter is handling the feed now)?

It will be possible to letterbox wide-screen newscasts for the SD feed to Charter. NBC does this for most of their HD shows as many of them are not "center-cut safe". But experience says that most SD viewers want a full-screen image which means a 4x3 center-cut. Our plans at this point are to make the newscasts center-cut safe since center-cut is usually the default method of handling wide-screen material.

Doug
WYFF 4

I think you have missed several important points here.

First, without the conversions at the station, you CAN'T do HD. You can't put the cart before the horse.

Second, a major number of viewers STILL do not have HD service to their TV's, no matter if it is a HD set or not. If over 60% of your viewers can't watch you in HD, how are you going to loose viewers by not being HD? The viewers who don't have the service don't know what they are missing anyway.

You are looking at this through your own view of point, not the reality of the situation.The whole point is that you can choose to spend more now, and satisfy the viewers who do know what they've doing, or spend less (like WYFF) in going 16:9 and partially satisfy some. I went through the same thought process when I bought my first HDTV. Do I go with a 1080p set (when at the time, there was nothing outputing 1080p), or go with a 720p set for 30-40% less? Obviously I went with spending more money for the 1080p set. If a station wants to simply upgrade to 16:9, rather than going to HD, then obviously I'm not on the budget committee, but I think it's a waste of money and resources, since the switch to an HD studio is inevitable.

Maybe Mr. Hayes over at WYFF can do an editorial about it! :D

The whole point is that you can choose to spend more now

It isn't a choice for most.

The whole point is that you can choose to spend more now, and satisfy the viewers who do know what they've doing, or spend less (like WYFF) in going 16:9 and partially satisfy some. I went through the same thought process when I bought my first HDTV. Do I go with a 1080p set (when at the time, there was nothing outputing 1080p), or go with a 720p set for 30-40% less? Obviously I went with spending more money for the 1080p set. If a station wants to simply upgrade to 16:9, rather than going to HD, then obviously I'm not on the budget committee, but I think it's a waste of money and resources, since the switch to an HD studio is inevitable.

Maybe Mr. Hayes over at WYFF can do an editorial about it! :D

If the price difference between 16x9 SD and full HD was only 40%, then I would agree with you. The actual price difference between in going HD rather than 16x9 SD is > 1000% :eek: I suspect if that 1080 set had been 10 times the cost of the 720, you might have made a different decision.

Doug

Ummmmm, just for the record here, folks, I'm not related to ANY "Hayes" in ANY of the local media outlets. I WAS part owner of a small weekly newspaper in Spartanburg from 1994-97, but that's all.

There are at least THREE Jeff Hayes in the Spartanburg Directory, alone, and I'm only ONE of them... Not sure who all is listed in the Greenville and surrounding areas, but my dad was originally from Pennsylvania, and his only brother lives in Florida -- small family... NO local relations, in case someone thinks otherwise, lol.
Jeff

Ummmmm, just for the record here, folks, I'm not related to ANY "Hayes" in ANY of the local media outlets. I WAS part owner of a small weekly newspaper in Spartanburg from 1994-97, but that's all.

Jeff

Hi Jeff,
The Weekly newspaper that you was a part owner of that paper wasn't "The Paper" that used to be mailed out to everybody in Spartanburg.

No, I was assistant editor of that the last 1.5 years it was published, LM -- it was published by The Greenville News, which ceased publication at the end of 1993 because it was losing money.

After that, a friend and I and a few investors started a free paper sort of based on that concept, that was a "pickup paper," available in racks at supermarkets at convenience stores, and other high-traffic locations, called Your Paper, and NOBODY named Hayes other than me was involved in that.

Lawson Hayes was the original General Manager of The Paper, but he's no relation to me, and someone else took over as GM about the same time I came onboard. Some people still try to make a connection between us, but there never was, or has been one, other than that I've met him a few times.
Jeff

No, I was assistant editor of that the last 1.5 years it was published, LM -- it was published by The Greenville News, which ceased publication at the end of 1993 because it was losing money.

After that, a friend and I and a few investors started a free paper sort of based on that concept, that was a "pickup paper," available in racks at supermarkets at convenience stores, and other high-traffic locations, called Your Paper, and NOBODY named Hayes other than me was involved in that.

Lawson Hayes was the original General Manager of The Paper, but he's no relation to me, and someone else took over as GM about the same time I came onboard. Some people still try to make a connection between us, but there never was, or has been one, other than that I've met him a few times.
Jeff


Ok I belive i remember that "Your Paper" also I've enjoy "The Paper" witch had some local community news.

What towers are there that I saw? It appears there to be a TV and cell at least. MAN what a view for line-of-sight to the GSP area. 3800+ ft at the ground ...

Hey guys. I have a quick question. I have a TV that's hooked up to charter cable, but it's not running through a cable box. Up until 2 days ago I could receive all the normal channels; both SD and HD. However, within the past 2 days, something has changed and I can no longer get the HD channels: 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 104-1, 77-2. When I go to these channels the TV goes black and tell me "No Signal". Has something been changed that's causing this problem? I've rescanned the channels and they're still not working. Thanks for your help!

I have a TV that's hooked up to charter cable, but it's not running through a cable box. Up until 2 days ago I could receive all the normal channels; both SD and HD. However, within the past 2 days, something has changed and I can no longer get the HD channels: 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 104-1, 77-2. When I go to these channels the TV goes black and tell me "No Signal". Has something been changed that's causing this problem? I've rescanned the channels and they're still not working.Charter Greenville here, Greer address (near Riverside High); no problems with them.

What towers are there that I saw? It appears there to be a TV and cell at least. MAN what a view for line-of-sight to the GSP area. 3800+ ft at the ground ...

If you are referring to the towers on Pinnacle Mt Road near Tuxedo and Hendersonville, then WYCW-TV is there as is WMYI-FM. They are co-located. There are other communication towers nearby, none are broadcast as far as I know, but it's been a number of years since I've been there.

Doug

The Clemson/NC State game has been relegated to My40 (WMYA) this weekend...meaning the only people watching it in HD will be those who can get it OTA or who are on only a handful of cable systems in the upstate.

My Charter has it via QAM on ch. 77.1 in HD.

But I think I may travel to Raleigh with some friends for the Spiller Show before it can only be viewed with the NFL ;)

The Clemson/NC State game has been relegated to My40 (WMYA) this weekend...meaning the only people watching it in HD will be those who can get it OTA or who are on only a handful of cable systems in the upstate.

So everyone but Dish and Directv? :)

Dish, Directv, and Northland cable....the only options other than OTA in Clemson and the surrounding area (where WMYA can be spotty OTA, especially on the other side of the lake and north of Clemson).

The WSPA program guide has never been activated on 62.2. I wish WSPA/WYCW would add the program guide.

The WSPA program guide has never been activated on 62.2. I wish WSPA/WYCW would add the program guide.

They may have to update the WYCW PSiP equipment also along with the WSPA channel 7 PISP equipment as the 7.2 RTV Program Guide not working either. these may get corrected when they get the 62.3 up.

The WSPA program guide has never been activated on 62.2. I wish WSPA/WYCW would add the program guide.

You are correct that the PSIP program guide is not active on 62.2 nor is it correct on 7.2. This is a known issue and will hopefully be corrected in the coming months. Our PSIP gear needs to be upgraded which in the computer world means thrown out and buy a new one for both WSPA & WYCW. WSPA has been very fortunate to have gotten a lot of HD gear but in today’s economy $$ are hard to come by. I guess 15 furlough days and multiple layoffs can only fix so much.

62.3 Which may carry the former 24/7 wx channel is being held up by the lack of EAS capability and children’s programming. We have a solution to manually play out children’s programming but EAS is the problem. Then there is also the question of whether it is worth taking up the extra bandwidth for a subchannel that’s not producing income.

Speaking of income, where do those of you who work in local TV see the networks heading? Local TV stations are likely to survive because they can find programming one way or another that will draw enough viewers to get enough ratings to satisfy advertisers, but with the market now split more than 200 ways, the networks are now having to either settle for what used to be unacceptable ratings on scripted shows, or else cancel popular niche shows (take a look at the "Dollhouse" thread, for an example), and piss off a lot of loyal fans who can legitimately make the case that in the time slot it was in, even the 2 million or so viewers it was pulling was probably a "decent" rating, and likely no other scripted shows Fox puts on at 9 p.m. Friday will do much better (I also make that case).

Some are saying Network TV is nearing its deathbed -- at least as far as scripted shows go (and there's only so much reality TV that will appeal to large audiences). If that happens, how will that impact the local markets?

I know this is a bit off-topic, but there are A LOT of posters in here who work for one of the local affiliates, so I thought perhaps we could get some perspective.
Jeff

WHNS had lots of video dropouts during the Panthers game today. I am still seeing it on the Cowboys/Packers game as well. Quite annoying. Noticing it through Charter. I haven't checked OTA yet.

I am receiving signals tonight from Columbus Ga. Montgomery Al. and Pensacola Fl ...
Good night for the DX ers...

Speaking of income, where do those of you who work in local TV see the networks heading? Local TV stations are likely to survive because they can find programming one way or another that will draw enough viewers to get enough ratings to satisfy advertisers, but with the market now split more than 200 ways, the networks are now having to either settle for what used to be unacceptable ratings on scripted shows, or else cancel popular niche shows (take a look at the "Dollhouse" thread, for an example), and piss off a lot of loyal fans who can legitimately make the case that in the time slot it was in, even the 2 million or so viewers it was pulling was probably a "decent" rating, and likely no other scripted shows Fox puts on at 9 p.m. Friday will do much better (I also make that case).

Some are saying Network TV is nearing its deathbed -- at least as far as scripted shows go (and there's only so much reality TV that will appeal to large audiences). If that happens, how will that impact the local markets?

I know this is a bit off-topic, but there are A LOT of posters in here who work for one of the local affiliates, so I thought perhaps we could get some perspective.
Jeff

Most of the participants from local stations on the forum are technical types so not the best people to ask about ratings and the economics of programming.

I doubt the networks are going "belly-up" any time soon. Prime-time is only a portion of the network's profits, and not the largest portion in some cases. We still need each other, at least for the forseeable future. The loss of a network affiliation would be a serious blow. Just check the history of KRON in San Francisco after they lost the NBC affiliation several years ago.

NBC is part of NBCU http://www.nbcuni.com/ which is quite diversified.

Most of the participants from local stations on the forum are technical types so not the best people to ask about ratings and the economics of programming.

I doubt the networks are going "belly-up" any time soon. Prime-time is only a portion of the network's profits, and not the largest portion in some cases. We still need each other, at least for the forseeable future. The loss of a network affiliation would be a serious blow. Just check the history of KRON in San Francisco after they lost the NBC affiliation several years ago.

NBC is part of NBCU http://www.nbcuni.com/ which is quite diversified.

Oh, I'm familiar with the fact that NBC is a part of NBC Universal, and just how BIG that is... It's all a part of the General Electric family of companies, as well, and GE, alone is HUMONGOUS. That's part of my thinking/wondering on all this... All four major networks are, at this point, only A SMALL PART of a HUGE conglomerate, so were they to simply "evaporate" it wouldn't make a very big difference to their parent companies -- especially if their business models simply went from broadcast to internet, for example, which is quite feasible if broadband continues to expand and somebody finally gets enough infrastructure in place to support TRUE high-speed broadband nationwide.

If you look at the success of websites such as Hulu.com (I have no idea how well they're doing financially), it's already something ALL the networks COULD be doing. I regularly go to Hulu to catch a show I've missed and stream it, full-screen. They don't offer true HD, but the quality is close, and I seldom have any problems with a show hanging due to bandwidth issues.

I know that sort of thing is NOT good news for local affiliates, if it comes to pass It will probably mean lower salaries for people making programs, as well, I think, if they're "net-streaming" instead of on a broadcast network... I was just wondering if anyone had some perspectives.
Jeff

WHNS had lots of video dropouts during the Panthers game today. I am still seeing it on the Cowboys/Packers game as well. Quite annoying. Noticing it through Charter. I haven't checked OTA yet.

We had the same issue here in Greensboro. It appeared to be a network issue and not a station issue.

If you look at the success of websites such as Hulu.com (I have no idea how well they're doing financially), it's already something ALL the networks COULD be doing. I regularly go to Hulu to catch a show I've missed and stream it, full-screen. They don't offer true HD, but the quality is close, and I seldom have any problems with a show hanging due to bandwidth issues.

I know that sort of thing is NOT good news for local affiliates, if it comes to pass It will probably mean lower salaries for people making programs, as well, I think, if they're "net-streaming" instead of on a broadcast network... I was just wondering if anyone had some perspectives.
Jeff

Hulu has been a big success in attracting users, but from what I understand has not turned a profit. There have been recent articles in the industry trades that Hulu is looking into a subscription model. Evidently the ad revenue hasn't yet covered operating costs. There are also concerns among program providers about giving this content away for free. There is now concern this will erode regular viewing and I think that is a valid concern.

The video quality from internet streaming sites is good, but not HD quality. It will be a while before the a majority of homes have enough bandwidth for streaming true HD. Video compression technology and computer processing power are factors as well.

Live television still has the upper hand with live sports, especially in HD. Our business has changed a great deal over the years and it will continue to evolve. I'm just glad our product doesn't require ink and paper.

The video quality from internet streaming sites is good, but not HD quality. It will be a while before the a majority of homes have enough bandwidth for streaming true HD. Video compression technology and computer processing power are factors as well.I don't know about others, but it is not just the bandwidth, it is the continuity; with Charter, I can have 1-5 second drops in throughput, and others where I've watched the "modem" are similar.

Although it is an anathema to the providers, I think some sort of short term storage, as is kinda implemented with BD-Live, is a major requirement. If it is just 10 seconds, it will cover the drops I've seen. The problem, I suspect, is that it is nigh impossible to maintain intellectual property control if storage of any form is allowed ... thus probalby no HD that way.

I've zero experience with NetFlix and Blockbuster downloads ... real HD? Watch more than once? I think that technology, when developed to a suitable level, is what will open streaming up.

The broadcasters have to worry about TiVo and other DVR recording with ad-stripping capabilities, and with intellectual property issues as well. Ads are your cash flow.

I've zero experience with NetFlix and Blockbuster downloads ... real HD? Watch more than once? I think that technology, when developed to a suitable level, is what will open streaming up.

I've streamed Netflix in HD and at 720p, it looks pretty good. There are some compression artifacts, and it's certainly not Bluray, but it's acceptable for most movies. It's also surprisingly consistent on the PS3. It takes about 25 seconds to get the movie/show started, but once started I never seem to drop. The biggest gap for that service right now is it doesn't do 5.1 sound.

-c

Looks like Thursday's Panthers game will not be seen by anyone in the Upstate SC this year unless they have Dish/Directv. It's on WAXN in Charlotte. Unfortunately, I can't receive this channel with my antenna. Is anyone able to receive this channel? If they are, I wonder what their setup is.

I am so glad I am getting rid of Charter as soon as U-verse get's to my neighborhood. The fact that they are holding out and blaming the NFL Network in this fiasco isn't surprising. I wouldn't expect anything less from the same cable company that just over charged many customers the last few months in the Upstate and still can't seem to show the Bobcats despite every other cable/satellite company already doing so.

I am so glad I am getting rid of Charter as soon as U-verse get's to my neighborhood. The fact that they are holding out and blaming the NFL Network in this fiasco isn't surprising. I wouldn't expect anything less from the same cable company that just over charged many customers the last few months in the Upstate and still can't seem to show the Bobcats despite every other cable/satellite company already doing so.

Again we do not feel that what the NFL is offering us is in our customer's best interest.

Charter is committed to providing a wide variety of quality programming and services to our customers. Unfortunately, Fox Sports South is demanding a significant fee from every Charter customer for viewing Charlotte Bobcat basketball games this season. In order to prevent impacting nearly all of our customers by passing along this significant additional cost required by Fox Sports South, Charter has made the decision not to accept these additional fees that would affect our customers.

Charter has identified that approximately 16,000 customers in this area received a 2% percent increase in Sales Tax in error. We will apply a credit to affected customers on their next bill statement.

Again we do not feel that what the NFL is offering us is in our customer's best interest.

Charter is committed to providing a wide variety of quality programming and services to our customers. Unfortunately, Fox Sports South is demanding a significant fee from every Charter customer for viewing Charlotte Bobcat basketball games this season. In order to prevent impacting nearly all of our customers by passing along this significant additional cost required by Fox Sports South, Charter has made the decision not to accept these additional fees that would affect our customers.


I can understand the economic situation Charter is in. However, it really isn't my problem to have to deal with. Charter in the last 2 years has fallen below every other competitor in the Upstate in terms of price and what they offer. So while Charter is protecting our "best interests", I choose to go with a provider that offers what I want. Unfortunately for Charter, they no longer have a very unique offering in the upstate SC and they basically are choosing to not compete at all.

I've zero experience with NetFlix and Blockbuster downloads ... real HD? Watch more than once? I think that technology, when developed to a suitable level, is what will open streaming up.
NetFlix streaming on my Insignia Blu-ray player is quite good, on par with or a little better than DVD. Theoretically it's 720p as other's have said, but with more compression than you'd see on a 720p broadcast. And you can watch as many times as you like, and pause/ffwd/rew at will, although you have to allow for buffering time. The technology is pretty close. The amount of content has a long way to go, although it's making rapid progress. That being said, I'm getting a lot more use out of my streaming player than I did out of my non-streaming one.

I don't think streaming will have a detrimental effect on broadcasters. I still watch as much network tv as ever. It's the movie channels that I see taking a hit. The movie content on HBO, Showtime, etc. is abysmal compared to streaming netflix. Starz did the smart thing and partnered with netflix to stream their content.

This past monday night, when we watched Dancing with the Stars, WLOS now has a logo bug on the bottom right of the screen, before the ABC logo comes up. Also they put the "ABC 13" logo on the bottom right of the screen at nearly the end of the ABC promos from the network feed.

What do you think?

What is the status of the translator for WLOS at Hot Springs on Ch 12? It does not seem to be in the list of WLOS translators, but it is still listed by the FCC as licensed. Will this translator and others be converted to digital or shut off? When will this analog translator shut off likely happen?

This past monday night, when we watched Dancing with the Stars, WLOS now has a logo bug on the bottom right of the screen, before the ABC logo comes up. Also they put the "ABC 13" logo on the bottom right of the screen at nearly the end of the ABC promos from the network feed.

What do you think?

Also noticed this during this afternoon's Clemson vs. UVA Game. Kudos from me to WLOS. I also noticed on the Today Show where WYFF now has their logo inserted in the Today Show News Ticker. It amazes me how technology has advanced in the last decade or so (for better or worse).

After the full-power analog shutdown, I was still able to get recognizable (albeit very "snowy") pictures on three low-power analog stations: WSQY-LP 51 (Greenville), WAEN-LP 64 (Asheville) and W65DS 65 (licensed in Honea Path, but transmitter on Paris Mtn. in Greenville). For at least two weeks now, I haven't seen anything on 65. Could they be in the process of switching to digital on 28 as per the CP in the FCC database?

"The OVERALL quality of much of local news quality is generally so low, HD or SD often just doesn't matter much (like tonight at 6 p.m. on WSPA, when Tom Crabtree went to his on-the-scene reporter for her report on their lead story, and she was talking away... TO A DEAD MIKE!). After a few seconds of that, without even really apologizing, Crabtree just cut the feed and told the audience what the reporter WOULD have told them. That sort of thing is so common -- at least on Channel 7 -- that I don't even give it a second thought any more."

This is the primary reason I have quit watching local news. The HD conversion was the best thing that could ever happen to me. I live in Greer off Hwy 101 South and get channel 3 and 9 perfect daily. It's more professional, the consumer reporting is more informative and there are very few satellite feed stories from around the country as our local news does. If I must watch local I watch channel 7 for the full screen but that don't happen often.

I have found if I watch Channel 3 or 9 I get the real world newscast. If I watch 4 or 7 it tends to be more Mr Rogers neighborhood where everything is fine.

As for the channel 64.1 question. I'm 4 miles south of I-85 off exit 60. Basic rat shack antenna, old 60db amplifier and it's 30 feet in the air. I only get it during a band opening.

Let me give you a little background before I answer your question.

As you know, WYFF's digital signal moved from channel 59 to channel 36 on June 12. What this meant was that we had to install a second full-power transmitter on channel 36 (you can't just turn the dial to change the channel on a high-power UHF transmitter), then we converted the channel 59 transmitter to channel 36 for a backup. That process was over $2 million and was what we had to do just to stay on the air. We've spent about $5.5 million in transmission alone in converting from an analog to digital OTA signal.

If you refer back to a post that foxeng made on 10/18, he mentioned the cost of converting a newscast to HD. It's a 7 digit figure and what he says is true "in this economy you don't just throw that kind of money around just because you want to". Due to economic limitations, we are working on producing our newscasts in 16x9 standard definition. This will fill the wide-screen displays but obviously won't have the same resolution. We can do this for a fraction of the cost of moving to full HD. Look for this change after the first of the year. My goal is to have a much real 16x9 video as possible. We have never and will not stretch video (at least not intentionally) to make it "wide-screen".

So that's were we stand now. If there are other questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

Doug
WYFF 4

The only reason i started following this thread was to find out when we would get WYFF local news in HD
Finally:D an answer

But then I will probably have no need in following this thread any longer:(
So much is in HD that i wont ever watch. Now I will just be down to AMC
and an occasional football game on Ch 40:cool:

For at least two weeks now, I haven't seen anything on [analog] 65. Could they be in the process of switching to digital on 28 as per the CP in the FCC database?

It looks like they are. While rummaging through the FCC database during a bout of insomnia tonight, I found that W65DS has applied for and been granted an extension of the deadline for their digital construction permit, from 12/6/09 to 6/6/10. Its owners also own WGGS, and they cite the delay in the analog shutdown for WGGS from February to June as a factor in slowing down work on W65DS. Also they've had delays in getting equipment for the new transmitter.

H.R.1084
Title: To require the Federal Communications Commission to prescribe a standard to preclude commercials from being broadcast at louder volumes than the program material they accompany.
Sponsor: Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-14] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (90)
Latest Major Action: 11/19/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

If HR 1084 passes, what will KIA OF GREER!! do?

Hopefully, they will pull their ad.

Oxb,

That's great news. I laughed out loud when I read your last line.

Hopefully, they will pull their ad.

Why would they pull their ad? While the bill is nice, it would be difficult to enforce and it certainly isn't going to stop annoying commercials.

It might not stop ANNOYING commercials, but it certainly WOULD stop ones like KIA OF GREER, who YELL in their commercials at twice or more the ordinary volume level! For those who don't have TVs that automatically adjust for louder commercials, or who don't have their remotes handy, or mute buttons, or even working remotes, this is much more than a MINOR annoyance!

I've OFTEN joked with family members that one day I'm going to buy a megaphone and drive through their parking lot in circles with my windows open, blasting the megaphone out the window as loud as I can, and repeatedly saying something like, "I'LL NEVER BUY A CAR FROM KIA OF GREER BECAUSE OF YOUR LOUD, OBNOXIOUS TV COMMERCIALS!"
Jeff

It might not stop ANNOYING commercials, but it certainly WOULD stop ones like KIA OF GREER, who YELL in their commercials at twice or more the ordinary volume level! For those who don't have TVs that automatically adjust for louder commercials, or who don't have their remotes handy, or mute buttons, or even working remotes, this is much more than a MINOR annoyance!


But it wouldn't stop the commercials from appearing. Plus, like I said, this will be much harder to legislate than it appears. Either way, Kia of Greer will not stop showing commercials because of this.

I've OFTEN joked with family members that one day I'm going to buy a megaphone and drive through their parking lot in circles with my windows open, blasting the megaphone out the window as loud as I can, and repeatedly saying something like, "I'LL NEVER BUY A CAR FROM KIA OF GREER BECAUSE OF YOUR LOUD, OBNOXIOUS TV COMMERCIALS!"
Jeff

Dare ya! ;)

WJHL in Johnson City has a weather channel and they are owned by Media General like WSPA/WYCW. WJHL has childrens weather programming that comes from several Media General affiliates, including WSPA. They should be able to use the same content as WJHL. No reason for a delay in the channel on 62.3.

Dare ya! ;)

The ONLY thing that's stopped me, Fox, is that I have NO other use for a megaphone and I'm too cheap to buy one just for that, lol.

My Mom says... "You better not! They'll CALL THE POLICE on you!" I said, "NO, because I'd leave before the police could get there," lol.
Jeff

Once those WSPA translators go on the air, might it be possible to eliminate the simulcast on 62-2?

- Trip

Media General would be making a huge mistake to get rid of WSPA's simulcast on channel 62.2.

Also, I think that it would be wise for MG to add a simulcast of WYCW to channel 7.3, so that people in Abbeville and Greenwood counties would have better reception for their local CW station.

Why would they pull their ad? While the bill is nice, it would be difficult to enforce and it certainly isn't going to stop annoying commercials.

Just wishful thinking.

Just wishful thinking.

Actually, prior to Herr Reagan's derregulation frenzy of the 1980s (which included derregulation of the airwaves, including things like the right to respond to editorials and eliminating controls that kept commercials from doing what those do) they couldn't do that. If such a bill were passed it COULD be enforced, too. If a station was violating the law by broadcasting commercials that were louder (or used extra compression to achieve the same effect), depending on how the law was written, the FCC could fine the station, the advertising agency, the advertiser or all three by simply following up on complaints filed by viewers. All it would take is simple PSAs required to be run by all broadcasters listing the toll-free number and/or website to contact and viewers could take the ball from there. If the fines were set high enough, they'd more than pay for the cost of the extra FCC enforcement. Frankly, I think they should be PLENTY high.

By the way, I've never had the desire to buy a Toyota or a Hyundai, but if I ever do, the FIRST PLACE I shop will be Dave Edwards, and if his dealership is even CLOSE to competitive he'll get my business SOLELY because he DOES have "kinder, gentler" commercials. Those other folks could learn A LOT from him!
Jeff

Actually, prior to Herr Reagan's derregulation frenzy of the 1980s (which included derregulation of the airwaves, including things like the right to respond to editorials ...

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Let's keep history straight here.

What got deregulated was the requirement that OTA broadcasters HAD to have dissenting opinion when airing opinion programming to only requiring OTA broadcasters to PRESENT dissenting opinion, when someone requested equal time. Broadcasters are STILL REQUIRED to proved dissenting opinion when requested. To deny that, would put a stations license in jeopardy.

Remember, cable IS NOT bound by that rule. That is how CNN, MSNBC and FOX News Channel can get away with it while WYFF, WSPA, WLOS, WHNS and every other OTA broadcaster, radio or TV CAN'T get away with it.

That is something the uber left DOESN'T tell you when they spew their "Fairness Doctrine" rhetoric. Luckily most American's understand the difference.

The Panthers game on WHNS through Charter had some terrible video dropouts. Everytime a replay was shown, it would drop the video for about 5 seconds. This caused it to not show the next play several times during the game. Did anyone else see this? I am wondering if it was a WHNS issue because it has happened the last 2 weeks.

The Panthers game on WHNS through Charter had some terrible video dropouts. Everytime a replay was shown, it would drop the video for about 5 seconds. This caused it to not show the next play several times during the game. Did anyone else see this? I am wondering if it was a WHNS issue because it has happened the last 2 weeks.

I noticed it as well. I tried to record last week's game via tuner card and the file was completely corrupt. Not sure what the deal is.

Anyone with Charter have any problems with audio sync? I have problems on certain channels. It's a pretty small lag in the audio, but it's enough for me to notice it.

WYFF is one that has the problem. WLOS is usually right on. WSPA is pretty much right on. A&E is slightly off. Discovery channel is right on. It's weird that it's so random like that.

I have an LG 55LH90 with the latest firmware update that has supposedly fixed the audio sync issues with most people. I trying to find out if it's Charter's fault or the TVs fault before my return deadline.

Anyone with Charter have any problems with audio sync?

Yes, for the last week or so, I have seen major audio sync issues on almost all of the channels.

I have to wonder if there are bandwidth or satellite problems, in general, right now. I've been having some intermittent problems when watching TV, myself... most often on local channels, but sometimes on cable channels, as well.

But particularly on the local channels, Via DISH network -- especially with WSPA during their local news I've seen it a lot -- lots of dropped frames and dropout, lost audio bits and sorts of stuff... blockiness, occasionally the screen will freeze for a moment, or only part of it, perhaps, just like there's interference or something. I know with digital you're either supposed to "get it" or "not get it," but a lot of this is like the digital equivalent of a "snowy picture" coming and going. I usually just watch the local news on WSPA, since I live in Spartanburg, but I switch over to WLOS when the sports comes on because I prefer the ABC news, and I never seem to see any such problems there. Also, on the weekends when there is no local or national news on any of the local channels but WYFF sometimes on Saturdays, I haven't noticed the problems there, either, so I think WSPA has some "issues."

I seldom, if ever, see these sorts of issues on WSPA during network programming, so while some folks are complaining other stations (like WYFF) haven't spent the $$$ to go hi-def for their local news yet, I have to wonder if WSPA's parent company perhaps tried to "do it on the cheap" and the viewers are paying the price.
Jeff

Don't know if it's related or not but I noticed OTA WSPA was particularly glitchy (pixelation and dropped frames) Monday night (8am to 11am).

Don't know if it's related or not but I noticed OTA WSPA was particularly glitchy (pixelation and dropped frames) Monday night (8am to 11am).

WSPA is currently operating at reduced power. This could affect some OTA reception and dish network customers. As many of you know dish network receives stations OTA while DIRECTV uses fiber.

Several post back someone was inquiring about the status of 24/7 wx on 62.3.That project is currently on HOLD but could return sometime in 2010. Yes we have the same children’s programming as the other MG stations but there are other FCC requirements than just children programming.


Charlie

WSPA is currently operating at reduced power.

Any idea when this started and how much longer it will last?

WMYA's OTA signal (40-x) has been down since at least sometime yesterday, which is a slight annoyance for us because it's one of only three stations that we can receive reliably with the indoor antenna on our "breakfast TV," the other two being SCETV's WNEH (38-x) and WRET (49-x).

I've noticed it too. It happened since yesterday. I turned to channel 40 on DirecTV and I got a "No Need to Call Us" message. When they're going to fix this problem and get MY40 back on the air???

My folks just miss "Judge Mathis" episodes yesterday and today. I wished they fix this.

:mad:

WMYA is back now, OTA at least. Now we can watch "Good Morning America" on 40-2 for our breakfast news fix tomorrow morning.

I've noticed it too. It happened since yesterday. I turned to channel 40 on DirecTV and I got a "No Need to Call Us" message. When they're going to fix this problem and get MY40 back on the air???

My folks just miss "Judge Mathis" episodes yesterday and today. I wished they fix this.

:mad:

hey...when you see this message 90% of the time it is not Direct but the station itself.

hey...when you see this message 90% of the time it is not Direct but the station itself.

Don't bet the farm on that one.

Frankly, as a halfwit consumer (rather than the average, no-wit consumer, lol), I, like almost all other consumers, frankly don't care WHO's at fault when I can't get my programs. I JUST WANT IT FIXED, POSTE HASTE, lol... I think I speak for just about everyone on that one.

And while I agree with you about not betting the farm on it, foxeng, I'd be willing to bet "the back 40." I can't COUNT the times I've seen our beloved WSPA drop the ball... Don't know if it's an engineer, a program director, or just some minimimum-wage nit-wit who pushed the wrong switch or simply forgot to push a switch at all, but when there's a full minute of DEAD AIR during a commercial break during a national prime-time program, and then they come back from that DEAD AIR in the middle of a sentence of the program, well, it's certainly NOT DISH or the network (happens at least once a month -- usually with a blue screen, right after a LOCAL commercial) -- happens with WHNS sometimes, too, and NONE of the local stations are totally immune, but WSPA seems to have it down to a science, lol... or maybe I just watch more primetime on CBS... I don't know... I KNOW you've said before all that stuff is set up to happen automatically, but if so, then what happens when that happens, and why does it take a minute or two to fix it? I guess someone has to figure out where the problem is and beat on something with a hammer?

I don't know. I'm CERTAIN no TV stations are run like some of the smaller radio stations are, but I DO know what sort of things have happened with many of them through the years (my late father worked in small radio much of his life, although he wasn't one to do stuff like this)... There was, until recently, when the owner died, still a small, one-man station somewhere up in the Northeast where the guy played whatever he wanted, and if he had to use the bathroom, he just did, and left his mic open, and if a song ended while he was "in the can," there was dead air, followed by the sound of flushing and footsteps (I'm serious. They did a story about him on NPR a couple years back). I once knew a DJ who used to work at WORD back in the 70s when it was THE rock station here in Spartanburg, before FM took over. He worked the night shift, and told me sometimes he'd put on an album track, so he could step outside to "smoke a doobie," but had to quit doing that after it almost cost him his job when the record had a scratch one night and started skipping early on, and he came back in with the phone ringing off the hook.

So who knows??? Is there someone "getting coffee" when this stuff happens on the TV stations? Not saying they're doing anything as outrageous as I mentioned above, but they COULD be away from the action for a moment, and that's all it takes when every second of dead air seems like minutes to TV viewers.
Jeff

D12 launch update:

December 29, 2009
• Time: 00:22 GMT; 06:22 BKT; Dec. 28: 19:22 EST
oh yeah

So who knows??? Is there someone "getting coffee" when this stuff happens on the TV stations? Not saying they're doing anything as outrageous as I mentioned above, but they COULD be away from the action for a moment, and that's all it takes when every second of dead air seems like minutes to TV viewers.
Jeff

It happened again last night, during the re-run of an episode of "Ghost Whisperer" from last year (which my DISH DVR somehow thought was NEW and wanted to record -- DVRs are pretty stupid!)

At any rate, about halfway through the program, which I had on ONLY because there was nothing else new on, either, and I was just doing other stuff and only halfway paying attention, since I'd already seen it, WSPA had one of its local self-promotions about their local news coverage, or one of their other local programs, such as the one with Kimberly Clark, at the end of a station break, FOLLOWED by 10 or so seconds of DEAD AIR with a blue-black screen, after which they sort of just BLUNDERED back into "Ghost Whisperer" right in the middle of a sentence.

This sort of thing CAN'T be anything other than OPERATOR ERROR, in my opinion!
Jeff

D12 launch update:

December 29, 2009
• Time: 00:22 GMT; 06:22 BKT; Dec. 28: 19:22 EST
oh yeah


Does anyone know if DirecTV will air live coverage of this launch? I know that DISH used to do such a thing some years ago on the Charlie Chat/Technical Channel they have.

I'd be interested in seeing it go up!

I haven't been around here for some time now as I have D*. But I have been occasionally lurking because I really am interested in the OTA technical details.

I just want to send a shout out to Doug at WYFF 4 and say that your staff at the station does a fine job of responding to legitimate viewer technical concerns. I have e mailed the weather group about fixing some issues with Weather Plus and each time they were kind enough to remedy the problems.

RE: The issue of HD broadcast of the local news on WYFF 4.....

I can honestly understand the serious cost concerns at Hearst during these tough economic times. Although most of you here understand already, it is ultimately up to Hearst Coroprate (owners of WYFF 4) to give the green light for the upgrade to HD Local news at WYFF 4. If you are very determined to see it happen your best bet is to write a SNAIL MAIL directly to Hearst and make your feelings known to them.

At any rate, about halfway through the program, which I had on ONLY because there was nothing else new on, either, and I was just doing other stuff and only halfway paying attention, since I'd already seen it, WSPA had one of its local self-promotions about their local news coverage, or one of their other local programs, such as the one with Kimberly Clark, at the end of a station break, FOLLOWED by 10 or so seconds of DEAD AIR with a blue-black screen, after which they sort of just BLUNDERED back into "Ghost Whisperer" right in the middle of a sentence.

This sort of thing CAN'T be anything other than OPERATOR ERROR, in my opinion!
Jeff


Rememeber Jeff that there is lots of "automation" in Master Control today. Many such processes that once (perhaps a decade ago or so) were handled almost exclusively by human hands are now done by computer automated switching...my guess is that a computer glitch is causing this timing issue or related problem...It may well be that a human had to intervene to get back to network.

Does anyone know if DirecTV will air live coverage of this launch? I know that DISH used to do such a thing some years ago on the Charlie Chat/Technical Channel they have.

I'd be interested in seeing it go up!

I haven't been around here for some time now as I have D*. But I have been occasionally lurking because I really am interested in the OTA technical details.

I just want to send a shout out to Doug at WYFF 4 and say that your staff at the station does a fine job of responding to legitimate viewer technical concerns. I have e mailed the weather group about fixing some issues with Weather Plus and each time they were kind enough to remedy the problems.

RE: The issue of HD broadcast of the local news on WYFF 4.....

I can honestly understand the serious cost concerns at Hearst during these tough economic times. Although most of you here understand already, it is ultimately up to Hearst Coroprate (owners of WYFF 4) to give the green light for the upgrade to HD Local news at WYFF 4. If you are very determined to see it happen your best bet is to write a SNAIL MAIL directly to Hearst and make your feelings known to them.



This should be coverage on one of the Directv private channels in 500 range. like they did in past.

also those with Directv there will be a price increase in feb 09,2010
http://customerinfo.directv.com/directv/?U7MuClZ4kxx0Xj40t1b.hUy7wHBE62V5U

Does anyone know if DirecTV will air live coverage of this launch?

Channel 577.

WLOS is still airing its "until later this year" pronouncement. Seems to me that we are now at later this year. WLOS won't answer my email has anyone heard any update, will they make it?

I expect not, seeing as it must be kind of difficult to work on Mt. Pisgah this time of year! :eek:

WLOS is still airing its "until later this year" pronouncement. Seems to me that we are now at later this year. WLOS won't answer my email has anyone heard any update, will they make it?

I don't know who to have more sympathy for... the viewers who can't get local coverage (or ABC) due to WLOS' problems, or WLOS, which has been "stuck between a rock and a hard place" with the digital transition and related issues.

If I were someone who couldn't get cable or satellite and was now also unable to get Channel 13 since the transition, I'd be rather incensed, yet after reading what's caused WLOS to not be on schedule, it's really NOT like they didn't try... U.S. Forest Service DID give them the permit for the plan they DID have, and it was only late in the game that a lawsuit to block that plan threw a monkeywrench into it -- not that I totally disagree with the folks who filed the lawsuit, either, IF there's a better way. I just wish they'd spoken up A LOT sooner if they were going to...

Last I read, WLOS pretty much CAVED to their position and is retrofitting their existing antenna. If that works, FINE. Again, I just wish ALL PARTIES had worked this out WAY before June 2009! I really think the FCC AND just about all involved parties in most markets dropped the ball in a MAJOR way on the digital transition. MOST folks I know who JUST got a digital converter box and weren't really big TV watchers, anyway, shortly thereafter gave up on TV altogether because the digital converter boxes, alone, just DID NOT DO IT.
Jeff

This info from Rollin Tompkins, Director of Engineering, WLOS/WMYA-TV:
I still don't have a firm date, but we are planning a complete antenna
replacement and an upgrade in transmitter, as you guessed, to improve
coverage and employ circular polarization which should help us out in
these here hills a good bit. If I was forced to hazard a guess, maybe
3rd quarter of 2010. ??

I'm disappointed that the WSPA signal didn't improve (or at least, stay the same) with the installation of the new antenna. I never had a problem with their signal off the old one, but can rarely get anything off the new one. I'm only just across the valley from the 62 transmitter, so I can get channel 7 (in SD only) off it, and I can still get HD off DirecTV, but it would be nice to get an OTA signal.

I'm disappointed in digital TV altogether. With analog TV I was able to get all of the local stations with an indoor antenna set in one position. I now tried every antenna at Best Buy and I always had trouble getting Channel 7 (WSPA) and Channel 21 (WHNS). I'd have to move the antenna to a different spot to pick it up and even then the signal was only about 60% at its peak. I need to be able to keep it one position since I use a DVR. I only hope a rooftop antenna mounted in the attic will help, otherwise I'm out of ideas to get this free service.

I'm disappointed in digital TV altogether. With analog TV I was able to get all of the local stations with an indoor antenna set in one position. I now tried every antenna at Best Buy and I always had trouble getting Channel 7 (WSPA) and Channel 21 (WHNS). I'd have to move the antenna to a different spot to pick it up and even then the signal was only about 60% at its peak. I need to be able to keep it one position since I use a DVR. I only hope a rooftop antenna mounted in the attic will help, otherwise I'm out of ideas to get this free service.If you are just whining, fine.

If you are looking for help, at least some idea of your location would help; most of us have general info in our profiles. Better would be to go to tvfool, enter your location accurately, then, assuming you don't want to give your exact location to us, post the available link from the site which hides specifics.

The places where I have tried an indoor antenna with "digital" gave results as good as with "analog"; MY experience is near Riverside HS and downtown Greenville near the library.

This sort of thing CAN'T be anything other than OPERATOR ERROR, in my opinion!

Dubber is correct. About the only buttons a Master Control Operator (the position responsible for the final air product) pushes these days are those on a computer keyboard.

As you can imagine, there are many hands involved along the way to a final product and errors can be introduced at any stage of the process. Hopefully those errors are caught before they affect the air product, but that's not always the case.

WSPA's Master Control operation is centralized. What that means is one person may be responsible for 3 stations at the same time, not to mention sub-channels. So their attention is divided making it difficult to respond quickly to problems. WYFF's Master Control operation is not centralized and we have an operator for our two program streams, 4-1 and 4-2. Due to staffing limitations, they do have other tasks in addition to monitoring the air product.

Automation only works with a list of instructions, aka a "play list". This is generated by a division of the Sales department and while the accuracy rate is high, it's not 100% every day. If one of these problems isn't caught, it will affect air.

A single typographical error in the play list can cause the kind of problem you describe. A typo in a printed publication is not nearly as catastrophic. What if the publication you ran some years ago had to have 100% accuracy? How many issues would have met that requirement? You can spell check the English language, but you can't spell check the code/number for each commercial and program.

I'm not trying to make excuses, just trying to give a little perspective on how television stations actually operate. Many on-air problems are the result of human error, but may not be the fault of the MCO on duty. The MCO is the final stop and they do catch many errors before they affect air but even the best ones aren't perfect.

RE: The issue of HD broadcast of the local news on WYFF 4.....

I can honestly understand the serious cost concerns at Hearst during these tough economic times. Although most of you here understand already, it is ultimately up to Hearst Coroprate (owners of WYFF 4) to give the green light for the upgrade to HD Local news at WYFF 4. If you are very determined to see it happen your best bet is to write a SNAIL MAIL directly to Hearst and make your feelings known to them.

Thank you for the "shout out".

If you look at what's happened to television broadcasting in the last year, may stations have experienced a 20% - 30% drop in revenue. If their profit margin doesn't exceed that figure, you're looking at an operating loss without big expense cuts. That makes capital investment difficult.

We're still working toward wide-screen news later this month.

If you want to contact our owners.... http://www.hearsttelevision.com/contact_us/index.html

Dubber is correct. About the only buttons a Master Control Operator (the position responsible for the final air product) pushes these days are those on a computer keyboard.

As you can imagine, there are many hands involved along the way to a final product and errors can be introduced at any stage of the process. Hopefully those errors are caught before they affect the air product, but that's not always the case.

WSPA's Master Control operation is centralized. What that means is one person may be responsible for 3 stations at the same time, not to mention sub-channels. So their attention is divided making it difficult to respond quickly to problems. WYFF's Master Control operation is not centralized and we have an operator for our two program streams, 4-1 and 4-2. Due to staffing limitations, they do have other tasks in addition to monitoring the air product.

Automation only works with a list of instructions, aka a "play list". This is generated by a division of the Sales department and while the accuracy rate is high, it's not 100% every day. If one of these problems isn't caught, it will affect air.

A single typographical error in the play list can cause the kind of problem you describe. A typo in a printed publication is not nearly as catastrophic. What if the publication you ran some years ago had to have 100% accuracy? How many issues would have met that requirement? You can spell check the English language, but you can't spell check the code/number for each commercial and program.

I'm not trying to make excuses, just trying to give a little perspective on how television stations actually operate. Many on-air problems are the result of human error, but may not be the fault of the MCO on duty. The MCO is the final stop and they do catch many errors before they affect air but even the best ones aren't perfect.

Thanks for setting me straight, Doug.

So it's entirely automated with computer code, and if someone in the sales department goofs on the length of a local insert, or something, then there's just dead air (or too much air) prior to coming back to a national broadcast (either one often leading to coming into the national show with a sort of "jump cut.") I can see that. And with WSPA having one controller managing three stations from one location, I imagine it CAN be a bit of a scramble to fix those errors when they just pop up unexpectedly -- especially if they happen with more than one station at a time (my guess is that's usually the way things happen, Murphy's Law being what it is).

And YES, we had typos and whatnot, even with double-editing, and we had cases where our printer didn't have all the fonts for our ads, and someone forgot to supply them with the disk, and ads built with BEAUTIFUL fonts ended up with Courier, or something, running OUTSIDE the ad space, etc. (second time it happened we HIT the roof, since we'd already had A SERIOUS DISCUSSION with the printer the FIRST time)... Kinda hard to charge full price for a half-*ssed ad, yaknow, lol.

At any rate, once again, to the "average TV consumer" (and that's NOT most of us) it JUST DOESN'T MATTER when these things go wrong. They just missed part of their show (often commercial breaks on dramas start with a cliffhanger, too), so it doesn't help stations that I know are already struggling more than ever in today's economy. Somehow, I think the move to automation has increased, not decreased the number of these incidents, since I seem to see more of them nowadays than I did in the past -- at least on WSPA (I watch network shows on all four of the local affiliates, with a fairly representative spread between them, and I don't think I see nearly as much of that problem on the others as I do on WSPA, not that I want to pick on WSPA since it IS supposed to be my "hometown" station, lol.)

I DO kind of have to wonder (and wonder is all I can do, since I have no inside information) if WSPA's owners spent a lot of money on digital improvements at the expense of having enough HUMAN resources and/or properly trained personnel, whereas perhaps Hearst is taking its time with WYFF, for example, but maybe at least, for instance, you still have ONE person to handle one station's switching, instead of that for three?

I know some companies value their human resources as their least important components, whereas some value them the most, and some somewhere in between. I've long heard stories that WSPA is somewhere close to the first camp, although I don't know. Frankly, I fall in the middle camp, although I no longer HAVE a company (never really did, since I owned only part of it, and most of the other owners didn't share most of my philosophies)... But if I ever do own one outright, I'll still fall in that camp. Look at Google and its success and how THEY value THEIR employees.

Just some thoughts.
Jeff

WSPA DT 7.1 and 7.2

Is anybody else having any trouble getting the WSPA 7.1 and it 7.2 channel. tonight i get all other channels ok except WSPA 7.1

WSPA DT 7.1 and 7.2

Is anybody else having any trouble getting the WSPA 7.1 and it 7.2 channel. tonight i get all other channels ok except WSPA 7.1

All: I would like to see more comments from forum contributors on DT reception since the mid-year switch. I have finally improved WSPA-DT reception with a home-made Channel 7 Yagi antenna, but it is not perfect (as it was when they were UHF.) However, WLOS' switch to VHF-DT has been a disaster...from near perfect UHF-DT reception to total unreliability--even with a 13 Yagi. Fortunately, Charlotte's ABC affiliate is usually good. That may be one of the biggest problems... botched by the FCC in not sticking with the original plans for an all UHF DT world. Co-channel distant VHFs pop up almost daily. Even Asheville's PBS signal has become very unreliable (UHF) probably because of co-channel signals. Again, I have reliable reception from Channel 30 in Rock Hill, nearly 90 miles away, and "even" from Greenville's DT-9.

No doubt Sinclair botched the switch by moving back to VHF, but the FCC must be held accountable for rhe increasing problems in OTA reception. I have yet to find a good substitute commercial antenna for the 4-bay CM UHF antenna I used in FIXED position when only UHF-DT served this area.
(It is easy for me to be judgemental now that I am a retired "ex- broadcaster.") But, WLOS, I see you still promising to fix your transmission by the end of the year. Is that 2010? (Yes, I sometimes watch, not over the air, but by Satellite.)

"One-position" VHF/UHF DT antennas seem to be lost cause and a thing of the past. I have a very large 10 year old RS VHF-UHF antenna in my attic, on a rotor, and it still serves me fairly well, but it needs to be re-aimed for really reliable reception. That is a problem for recording from several stations over a period of time, and thus I maintain D-TV for recording local broadcasts. A few stations across the country asked to switch back to UHF after trying VHF-DT. (Prior to the big switch, I received all UHF signals from one fixed position 4-bay CM antenna.)

Doug: The WYFF signal, for me, has proven to be the most reliable local DT signal since the big switch. I have talked to a number of engineers across the country, and most regret the VHF-UHF mix that the FCC was pressured into allowing. I personally have a number of friends that have given up TV viewing--especially of "local stations" in their confusion with respect to digital TV, although all express strong support for the picture quality improvement offered by HD-sets, especially for computer and DVD viewing. I personally do not see a very bright future for local TV industry as we have known it for the past 60 years!

No doubt Sinclair botched the switch by moving back to VHF, but the FCC must be held accountable for rhe increasing problems in OTA reception.

I like blaming Sinclair for a lot of things, but this is one place where I cannot blame them. Sinclair asked the FCC for UHF on all of its signals where it was allowed to do so. This left four of their 60-ish signals on VHF. During the filing window for channel changes in 2008, Sinclair petitioned for and received permission to relocate three of the four remaining VHF stations to UHF.

Given their history of doing everything possible to get off of VHF, I have every reason to believe that if there was anywhere on UHF for WLOS to go that wouldn't require a huge power reduction, Sinclair would have tried to move it to that channel. WLOS remains the only Sinclair station that is not either on UHF already or planning to move there in the near future.

- Trip

One thing I find is that fixed antennas require frequent peaking in my area. Since I don't have line-of-sight I suspect multi-path may be the problem. I am am using three antennas with an AB switch (two antennas are combined into one switch port).

I would like a configuration that just uses the combined signal, however I can get it working and the next day I lose something. Basically WLOS DT-13 is the problem, I can't seem to maintain a compromise pointing for WLOS and UNCTV. I had to give up on WYFF, after it switched to DT-36 I lost them.

I like blaming Sinclair for a lot of things, but this is one place where I cannot blame them. Sinclair asked the FCC for UHF on all of its signals where it was allowed to do so. This left four of their 60-ish signals on VHF. During the filing window for channel changes in 2008, Sinclair petitioned for and received permission to relocate three of the four remaining VHF stations to UHF.

Given their history of doing everything possible to get off of VHF, I have every reason to believe that if there was anywhere on UHF for WLOS to go that wouldn't require a huge power reduction, Sinclair would have tried to move it to that channel. WLOS remains the only Sinclair station that is not either on UHF already or planning to move there in the near future.

- Trip

After talking to several engineers in the upstate area, there are no UHF channels available for anyone. One engineer I was talking to wanted to change their UHF channel to another one for a power increase and found the channel they were on was the best of any of them.

It sure seems to be one big mess, and without cable or satellite, I'm certain I'd be completely in the dark, since I had poor reception with my best antenna configuration prior to the transition.

One thing I'm curious about... There are A LOT of commercials on TV right now claiming "there's a powerful movement to severely limit access to free over-the-air TV," or something very close to that wording. Considering what a big mess this digital transition already is for most people who aren't in very close proximity to transmission towers, it appears to me the FCC and the industry are already doing a good job of that by themselves, but I'm wondering just WHAT this "movement" is beyond that, if anything more than just a bunch of scare-tactics rhetoric.

Since everyone on this thread KNOWS not everyone CAN get satellite and/or cable, I'm not exactly sure what is going on. DSL is ALSO unavailable to people who are more than a certain distance from the telephone switching station, so people in rural areas with no line-of-sight for satellites have NO OPTION other than antenna, as 56 Kbps dial-up internet access is NEVER going to be able to carry TV signals. However, with digital TV, I guess it IS possible for each individual station to lock its signal to each individual TV or home unless each TV or homeowner pays a monthly/yearly fee, isn't it?

I'm certain some of you who work in the industry (or folks like Jerry, who are retired from it) know more about this. And I also know that if advertising revenues continue to decline across the board, new revenue sources WILL have to be found (look at the recent fight between Fox and Time Warner -- did Fox "go black" on Time Warner Cable Jan. 1, or not? I don't know, since they don't service my area, but I was in Myrtle Beach for a short trip just before the new year and I guess THEY have TWC because it was HEAVILY running commercials about it).
Jeff

One thing I'm curious about... There are A LOT of commercials on TV right now claiming "there's a powerful movement to severely limit access to free over-the-air TV," or something very close to that wording.

The FCC chairman is a former wireless exec and he is trying to give payback to the industry for supporting the President by having the FCC look into taking away the "beachfront" TV UHF band and give it to the wireless broadband companies and having all pay TV via a service provider.

The FCC chairman is a former wireless exec and he is trying to give payback to the industry for supporting the President by having the FCC look into taking away the "beachfront" TV UHF band and give it to the wireless broadband companies and having all pay TV via a service provider.

Once again, your "inside-industry" lingo is a little above my head, Foxeng. What exactly is the "beachfront" TV UHF band? Whatever it is, it does sound like something that would be taken from the public and given (sold?) to the Wireless carriers. I know the biggest part of the reasoning behind the DTV transition was to free up a few hundred MHz for other uses (at first the talk was it would free those extra MHz up for "important things" like military, police and fire communications, but later it came out that MOST of it was going to more bandwidth for wireless communications, which frankly still makes sense with the incredible expansion of wireless communications {I started to say "cell phones," but even that's almost an anacrhonism, considering how many of them aren't even truly "cellular" any more, and how many aren't phones, but MORE than that, or are laptops or whatever else}).

BUT, if after ALL THAT they're now trying to find a way to give the wireless carriers even MORE of the slice from what limited DTV space there is (especially if it's in the areas that are easier for people to pick up -- and I'm guessing this is what "Beachfront" means?), then I strongly agree with those commercials opposing this.

As for all Pay TV having to be through a service provider, I thought that was already the way it is. I don't know of any way to get HBO, etc., without cable or a Satellite provider, such as DISH or DirecTV. So can you elucidate exactly what the issue is there?

Thanks,
Jeff

FCC Considers Shifting Some TV Airwaves to Broadband
From The Wall Street Journal

FCC Considers Shifting Some TV Airwaves to Broadband

By AMY SCHATZ

WASHINGTON—Federal regulators are considering taking back some airwaves from television broadcasters and auctioning them off to wireless companies to increase the availability of wireless broadband services.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski has warned that the U.S. doesn't have enough airwaves set aside for wireless broadband service in the future, and the agency is looking at a variety of ways to remedy that shortage.

"The record is very clear that we're facing a looming spectrum gap," said Blair Levin, a former telecom analyst who is in charge of crafting the FCC's national broadband plan, which is expected to lay out a variety of things the U.S. can do to increase broadband availability and usage. The plan will be released in February.

It's not clear if the proposal will actually make it into the FCC's final plan. At this stage, FCC officials are mostly trying to get input from broadcasters and others. Station owners are likely to fight the plan, although the FCC is envisioning paying broadcasters for any airwaves that are taken away.

The agency is "looking at everything, including broadcasting" airwaves, Mr. Levin said.

The National Association of Broadcasters "believes it is imperative that policy makers explore spectrum efficiency choices that don't limit consumer access to the full potential of digital broadcasting," said spokesman Dennis Wharton.

On Friday, the Consumer Electronics Association released a study it commissioned on the value of the large chunk of airwaves set aside for TV broadcasters. If the FCC took back all of those airwaves and auctioned them off, the government could make up to $62 billion, the study found.

Such an approach would cost about $12 billion in payments to broadcasters and about $9 billion to "migrate all households that rely on over-the-air broadcasts to subscription services," the study found.

The political will to take such an approach could be weak, however, because the federal government just spent $2.15 billion over the last two years to help consumers move to digital-only broadcast television. Consumers who rely on free TV now might also take a dim view of being asked to subscribe to cable or satellite television,. Many of them just had to go through the trouble of either buying new digital TVs or hooking up digital converter boxes to their old TVs to keep them working.

The FCC isn't looking at taking away all of the broadcasters' airwaves. Instead, FCC officials are focusing on the benefits of taking back a portion of the airwaves set aside for digital TV broadcasts and auctioning those off to wireless companies that want to offer more wireless Internet services. It's not clear yet how much of the airwaves they might suggest taking back.

Some broadcast-station owners are already expressing concern about the idea. They want to keep those airwaves for themselves. Many broadcasters would like wireless phones and other gadgets to come equipped with receivers that would allow consumers to watch digital TV.

"CEA's study ignores the immeasurable public benefit of a vibrant free and local broadcasting system that is ubiquitous, reliable as a lifeline service in times of emergency, and flexible enough to include HDTV, diverse multicast programming and mobile DTV," said Mr. Wharton, the broadcasters' spokesman.

Here is the AVS thread on it if you wish to follow it:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1192114

Thanks much for posting that, Foxeng, and yeah, from the looks of it, pretty much everyone who either doesn't want to get a TV subscriber service, can't afford one, or simply doesn't have service where they live -- and ESPECIALLY the last category -- will be out in the cold for an increasing amount of their broadcast TV if this happens... This sort of thing could be why many of the UHF DT channels some of you have been complaining are no longer available (and that you could get a better signal using) ARE no longer available... the FCC has been freeing them up for a potential sale?

Oh well, I'll check out the other thread you linked and not get this one too far off topic.
Jeff

Better would be to go to tvfool, enter your location accurately, then, assuming you don't want to give your exact location to us, post the available link from the site which hides specifics.

Thanks, I didn't know about tvfool. I only knew of antennaweb. My results:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3dfaad31714f1bca

Thanks, I didn't know about tvfool. I only knew of antennaweb. My results:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3dfaad31714f1bcaBoth have their place. The 7 issue may be antenna selection ... they are the lowest frequency you are trying to get, the bottom of what is called high-vhf, 7-13. That will likely be a problem with a UHF only antenna. At 10 degrees, it is only slightly east of the mass of towers on Paris Mountain. Do you get WNTV well? It also is VHF and is in that cluster ... but stronger for you.

I would think you would have more problem with WLOS, but perhaps you use WMYA for your ABC needs.

WHNS 21 looks like it would have a satisfactory signal as well, but 40 degrees west of WSPA 7. It is possible that you will need 2 simple antennas on one mast in your attic, but the signal strengths suggest one will do.

UNLESS there are significant reflections giving multipath problems. I looked on Google Maps at the general area where tvfool suggests you are and it seems flat. Your needing to move an antenna inside your residence suggests the reflections (or sharp blockage by wall construction) are an issue. In my opinion, even an omnidirectional in the attic (assuming you don't have a metal roof) has great possibilities. Just be sure it is designed to work with the low end of hi vhf.

Let me know if I can help.

Good news, everyone!

The FCC issued a notice that said they plan to issue construction permits for the applications that WSPA filed for translators. There's a 30 day window to file objections, and after that, they'll be granted. I wonder how soon after they'll get them on the air.

- Trip

Good news, everyone!

The FCC issued a notice that said they plan to issue construction permits for the applications that WSPA filed for translators. There's a 30 day window to file objections, and after that, they'll be granted. I wonder how soon after they'll get them on the air.

- Trip

I can tell you its probably not going to happen in 2010.

Charlie

If you go read that thread Foxeng link a few posts back about the proposed FCC auction of even more UHF channel space to the Wireless companies -- supposedly so they can rollout more "rural broadband," you'll see that there might not be much in the way of broadcast TV, period, down the road... I've caught up the entire thread and become a regular contributor now -- even read most of the linked articles about such topics as the Universal Service Fund AND the proposed auctioning off of channels 26-51 (even though the already sold-off 52-70 are largely unused, thus far). This is what all those public service ads we've been seeing on TV about "the end of free TV" have been about, and I think we ALL really need to write our House and Senate members and let them know how we feel about this.
Jeff

I can tell you its probably not going to happen in 2010.

Charlie

Too bad. It'd be nice to get W10AJ and one of the Asheville area ones up at least to get those viewers who are having trouble with the 7 signal.

- Trip

I haved looked thru other forums and can not find my answer.. so some of you guys may be able help. My daughter has a Panasonic th-50px60 and the hdmi connection has rejected the Comcast stb. My son gave her a pc based "thing" that would allow her to view & play music from her library (windows media), utube, & other computer programs. The Panny also rejected this device on the hdmi input.
In the near future I plan to go strictly OTA and would like to install silicondust HRhomerun to get "pause" and record off the air.

Anybody have any experience with the HRhomerun and the hdmi input on Panasonic.

I plan to purchase Panny G15 or G10 to use with the Cilicondust unit.
Thanks for any help.

Anybody have any experience with the HRhomerun and the hdmi input on Panasonic.

I plan to purchase Panny G15 or G10 to use with the Silicondust unit.



The ethernet output from the HD Homerun will need to be captured by a HTPC and then sent to the TV via the computers video output (HDMI, etc.). So the issue becomes; Will the Panny G10/15 HDMI input properly accept the output from the HTPC's HDMI output.

The HTPC we are using is the Acer Aspire Revo 3610 (Win7). It has hooked up with Sammy and Sony HDTV's without issue (Plug'n'Play).

Doug: The WYFF signal, for me, has proven to be the most reliable local DT signal since the big switch. I have talked to a number of engineers across the country, and most regret the VHF-UHF mix that the FCC was pressured into allowing. I personally have a number of friends that have given up TV viewing--especially of "local stations" in their confusion with respect to digital TV, although all express strong support for the picture quality improvement offered by HD-sets, especially for computer and DVD viewing. I personally do not see a very bright future for local TV industry as we have known it for the past 60 years!

Jerry,

It's nice to hear the there are some successes out there with regard to our signal. I've certainly taken a number of calls from viewers that have not benefited from the change from 4 to 36. But now having the benefit of hindsight I'm glad we didn't try to stay on 4. It almost certainly would have been worse.

Digital OTA is a mixed bag depending a great deal on location. We worked hard to get our original power allotment increased to the maximum of 1000kw. The mixed bag of VHF and UHF is a problem as is having a VHF channel number and a UHF signal. It would have been better to have a single style antenna (UHF) for digital television. Part of the problem in the southeast is the close proximity of markets making full-power channel options limited. When we were searching for a third channel, we had to consider all the adjacent markets, Columbia, Augusta, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Johnson City/Bristol, and Charlotte. There were only 2 UHF options, 29 and 36. And 36 was the only one that had a chance of getting a full-power license.

There is no question the state of local broadcasting has changed and will continue to change. I think there are opportunities for local stations but at a reduced role. With other wireless services lusting over our spectrum, it's not going to be easy.

I haved looked thru other forums and can not find my answer.. so some of you guys may be able help. My daughter has a Panasonic th-50px60 and the hdmi connection has rejected the Comcast stb. My son gave her a pc based "thing" that would allow her to view & play music from her library (windows media), utube, & other computer programs. The Panny also rejected this device on the hdmi input.
In the near future I plan to go strictly OTA and would like to install silicondust HRhomerun to get "pause" and record off the air.

Anybody have any experience with the HRhomerun and the hdmi input on Panasonic.

I plan to purchase Panny G15 or G10 to use with the Cilicondust unit.
Thanks for any help.

What has happened is that you have hooked the dreaded "cable TV" into this fine piece of equipment and it has now puked. Change over to one of the sat companies and everything will be ok.

One thing I find is that fixed antennas require frequent peaking in my area. Since I don't have line-of-sight I suspect multi-path may be the problem. I am am using three antennas with an AB switch (two antennas are combined into one switch port).

I would like a configuration that just uses the combined signal, however I can get it working and the next day I lose something. Basically WLOS DT-13 is the problem, I can't seem to maintain a compromise pointing for WLOS and UNCTV. I had to give up on WYFF, after it switched to DT-36 I lost them.

It is interesting we have exactly the same problems.

I'm curious, Jerry, as a retired TV executive, with all the problems with receiving TV broadcasts since the digital transition (and the fact that the UHF bands are better for digital than than VHF -- just the reverse of analog), how you feel about the FCC's looming proposal to auction off Channels 26-52 to the wireless communications companies.

Do you think it will make a big difference, or has the transition already been a death-knell for so much OTA reception that it won't matter that much?
Jeff

Just FYI for you all...

UVerse has added 3 more HD channels.

History Channel InternationalHD, BioHD, Crimes and Investigations HD


In my opinion, with all the recent HD additions, Charter, Dish, and Direct has a long way to go to catch up as far as HD numbers and channel counts go.

Just FYI for you all...

UVerse has added 3 more HD channels.

History Channel InternationalHD, BioHD, Crimes and Investigations HD


In my opinion, with all the recent HD additions, Charter, Dish, and Direct has a long way to go to catch up as far as HD numbers and channel counts go.Yeah, but the real question is when will AT&T continue to expand its coverage area? Seriously, still waiting for it over here in the five forks area, which you would think AT&T would be going after due to the concentration of residential.

Yeah, but the real question is when will AT&T continue to expand its coverage area? Seriously, still waiting for it over here in the five forks area, which you would think AT&T would be going after due to the concentration of residential.They and a digging contractor have been working around South Batesville at Old Spartanburg (also known as Hammett Bridge). I talked to them; they are getting things ready for it, and GUESSED it would be late summer/fall.

FCC Notes
FCC: We're Not Picking Spectrum Winners, Losers
Director of scenario planning for broadband team says aim is to establish "voluntary marketplace mechanism" for spectrum use

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/12/2010 9:53:00 PM

The lead staffer on the FCC's spectrum reclamation plan tells B&C that broadcasters have been lobbying against a worst-case scenario that is no longer on the table--if it ever was.

Phil Bellaria, a former cable executive with Charter Communications, has been working on the broadband team as director of scenario planning. He says the plan currently being prepared for vetting by the FCC commissioners would be voluntary and would not require any broadcaster to sell its spectrum to the government or give up the ability to transmit in HD, multicast or mobile, at least initially. However, the commission might have to look at the spectrum issue again later, depending on demand.

Bellaria says that suggestions by broadcasters that the FCC or special interests are trying to take broadcasters' spectrum were off the mark. "The reality is that we are not trying to take spectrum from any individual broadcaster unless that broadcaster chooses to do it," he said.

Bellaria says that when the team began looking at freeing up spectrum for broadband, the scenarios ran the gamut from ones that freed up very little spectrum to the most extreme, which could have meant not being able to deliver HD over the air.

He says that during the process of talking to stakeholders, the team narrowed the scenarios and has come up with one that he says gives broadcasters flexibility while still preserving free, over-the-air TV, which he says is a commission goal.

"Where we have landed is a scenario that establishes a voluntary marketplace mechanism so that broadcast TV stations have a choice in how they want to use their spectrum," Bellaria says. "That choice could include retaining all of it and continue to broadcast in HD with broadcast and mobile; relinquishing some of it, because there are many stations not using all of the bandwidth available to it; or in some cases stations making the decision to relinquish all of their spectrum."

Look for John Eggerton's complete interview with Phil Bellaria in the January 18 issue of Broadcasting & Cable.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/444009-FCC_We_re_Not_Picking_Spectrum_Winners_Losers.php

They and a digging contractor have been working around South Batesville at Old Spartanburg (also known as Hammett Bridge). I talked to them; they are getting things ready for it, and GUESSED it would be late summer/fall.Oddly, it just seems that they're concentrating on that Eastside (Greer) area. I know it's already there in the Hudson Rd area, but they're leaving out a huge residential concentration by not hitting the Simpsonville/Five Forks area. You'd just think they would expand a little fast than they are. I mean, heck, if it's going to take them late summer/fall to get to Old Spartanburg/Hammett Bridge, when they're already in that basic area, then it'll be 2015 before they get to the Five Forks area.

All: I would like to see more comments from forum contributors on DT reception since the mid-year switch.

Today I recorded a movie from my Zenith converter box as I tuned through all the local stations in "manual tuning mode" which steps through the RF channels in sequence while showing a signal strength meter.

Here it is (http://web.presby.edu/~jtbell/TV/images/gvl-small.mp4) (QuickTime MP4, about 7.5 MB).

I aimed the antenna so as to get good reception on most of the stations. I think this is pretty much on a line running from here through Greenville and Asheville. The worst station is WUNF 33-1 which I can improve to about 70% by turning about 30 degrees clockwise. In that direction WYCW improves to about 85%, and some of the others drop a bit. Maybe it's because of the huge magnolia in my front yard, in that general direction.

Down here I benefit from the elevation of most of the transmitters, the lack of nearby mountains, and Clinton's location on a slight rise in terrain. Also, at this distance all the transmitters are within about 20 degrees of each other, except WMYA 40-1 and ETV (WRET) 49-1 which are the nearest ones so they come in very strongly anyway.

[QUOTE=jerry birdwell;17844943]All: I would like to see more comments from forum contributors on DT reception since the mid-year switch.

NO complaints with the switch over...
I have viewed ALL the carolina stations with a cm 4228 with pretty good results, with 13 and 7 having the weakest signals. Someday I may not be able to pay for dish, so I am in the process of getting "things in order" for that day.. I am in N E Ga., so my interest is within my state and have an antenna set up that gives me Fox, CBS, and several independents from Atlanta, leaving a need for a reliable signal from NBC & ABC.
NBC is no problem as ch 4 has been 100% since day one, while 13 & 7 have had their problems. In hopes of improving those signals I installed a YA1713 yesterday combined with the cm4228... 13 went to the upper 90s, with only a slight improvement on ch 7. However, even with WLOS in the upper 90s I still experience drop outs.??? I can't seem to get ch 7 up to 80 on my meter????They aren't really needed as I get a good signal from the Atlanta CBS.
From my location 13 & 9 (29.1) are the furthest about... 35 degrees, everyone else is in between.
And let me say, South Carolina PBS is way ahead of Georgia in local programming... but Go Doggs.....

[QUOTE=foxeng By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/12/2010 9:53:00 PM

The lead staffer on the FCC's spectrum reclamation plan tells B&C that broadcasters have been lobbying against a worst-case scenario that is no longer on the table--if it ever was.

S0 does this mean I can stop screaming at my congressman?

This is looking more like it was a trial balloon on the wireless industries part to see how much push back they would get. Got much more than they bargained for.

I'm curious, Jerry, as a retired TV executive, with all the problems with receiving TV broadcasts since the digital transition (and the fact that the UHF bands are better for digital than than VHF -- just the reverse of analog), how you feel about the FCC's looming proposal to auction off Channels 26-52 to the wireless communications companies.

Do you think it will make a big difference, or has the transition already been a death-knell for so much OTA reception that it won't matter that much?
Jeff

I am concerned that there is too little attention in solving OTA problems and that the "commerciaization" of additional UHF channels will block future efforts to improve the HD arena. Today's TV broadcasters, for the most part, seem to have little concern...relying on none-OTA delivery to solve the problem. But that ultimately puts the cost in the lap of viewers. Otherwise, we need to free up inefficient use of the broadcast spectrum, and an auction is a good method.

Has anybody else notice on 7.2 RTV the channel go from on the air to no signal. i have been getting a strong signal.

I wasn't looking before, so I didn't know about 7.2 being down, but it's back now.

I wasn't looking before, so I didn't know about 7.2 being down, but it's back now.

It would just come and goes. on my digital converter box my signal meter shows about 87% about half way from the good line

While we're talking about subchannels...

Yesterday WSOC and WAXN in Charlotte fired up a translator on Crowder's Mountain. It's on RF channel 30, but the subchannels are designated 9.5 for WSOC (in HD) and 64.5 for WAXN (in SD). The main transmitters carry 9.1 and 9.2 (for WSOC) and 64.1 (for WAXN).

Is there any reason why our "cross-station" subchannels couldn't do something similar? That is, WYCW would use something like 7.3 for the SD simulcast of WSPA; WLOS would carry 13.1 (HD), 13.2 (SD) and 40.2 (SD); and WMYA would carry 40.1 (HD) and 13.3 (SD). This would more clearly identify the content of the subchannels via the traditional channel-number branding.

Some tuners choke when you split the mapping like that. It's one thing to have a translator do it, it's another to have the main signal choking a receiver.

- Trip

My receiver is now showing ETV on real channel 9, rather than 29.1
Have they made any changes that would cause this, or is just my receiver?

My receiver is now showing ETV on real channel 9, rather than 29.1
Have they made any changes that would cause this, or is just my receiver?They (WNTV) are on real 9, high VHF ... perhaps your receiver is showing the real channel rather than what they put in the PSIP ... or maybe the PSIP is messed up.

Looks like WNTV has a PSIP glitch. It's coming up as 9-1 etc. on my Zenith converter box, too. I've seen this once in a while on various stations. We just have to wait for SCETV to fix it.

Looks like WNTV has a PSIP glitch. It's coming up as 9-1 etc. on my Zenith converter box, too. I've seen this once in a while on various stations. We just have to wait for SCETV to fix it.

The problem with our channel mapping should be corrected.

-Shaun

The problem with our channel mapping should be corrected.


Why not just leave it as is. At least it is the truth.

Why not just leave it as is. At least it is the truth.

I wish I could, one less piece of equipment to fail. The FCC decided this would make things easier. That is what I have to tell our viewers that bought UHF antennas to watch channel 29 when we are actually RF 9. I seriously dislike channel remapping.

-Shaun

I wish I could, one less piece of equipment to fail. The FCC decided this would make things easier. That is what I have to tell our viewers that bought UHF antennas to watch channel 29 when we are actually RF 9. I seriously dislike channel remapping.

-Shaun

I don't know how that would make things easier. It is misinformation. Not your fault that is understood. There is a station over in the Greeensboro market that was on UHF 61 analogue & UHF 43 digital and now. after the "transition" IDs as 43. Perhaps you could look in to how they did it.

I dislike channel remapping too. As you brought up it is hard to tell a viewer that the UHF antenna that they just purchased for channel 29, which your station IDs as, will not work well since you are really on channel 9 VHF.:eek:

The problem with our channel mapping should be corrected.

-ShaunI don't quite follow what's going on. I lost 29.x yesterday on all my DirecTV OTA receivers. Is this related? Should I wait for a fix or rescan and contact DirecTV to change their OTA database for our market as well?

Is anybody else having trouble with 29.x OTA on their DirecTV receivers? Mine quit working yesterday.

Thanks.

I don't quite follow what's going on. I lost 29.x yesterday on all my DirecTV OTA receivers. Is this related? Should I wait for a fix or rescan and contact DirecTV to change their OTA database for our market as well?

Is anybody else having trouble with 29.x OTA on their DirecTV receivers? Mine quit working yesterday.

Thanks.

A rescan on your OTA receiver should fix the issue. If your are still having problems with our channel, please PM me, it forwards to my work email, and I will check our systems.

-Shaun

All this channel re-mapping is just "another fine mess you've gotten us into, Stanley," so to speak. Geesh! Why didn't they either just leave assignments where they were, or re-assign the channel numbers to match the actual frequencies?

I watched your little video, JT (every channel you get looks good to me -- although it's hard to really tell with the scanner covering most of the screen), but that's the FIRST time I've ever ACTUALLY seen WYFF displayed as Channel 36, although I've read about it on this thread. I still get it on Channel 4 on DISH -- it's still on Channel 4 on cable (I assume DirecTV puts it on Channel 4, as well), and although I scarcely pay attention, I'm pretty sure when they do station announcements and break into the news and so forth, they say, this is "WYFF News 4." Correct me if I'm wrong, folks.

I guess I understand WHY. It's like a business that's been called Jones Sign Company for 30 years and Smith buys it. If Jones had a good reputation, Smith may continue to call it Jones Sign Company. People are so used to WYFF being Channel 4 you don't want to confuse them, but still...

If we think that confuses them, just see what happens when and if the FCC does decide to push OTA out of the way for "wireless broadband," lol. Anybody ever read Alvin Tofler's "Future Shock?!?"
Jeff

that's the FIRST time I've ever ACTUALLY seen WYFF displayed as Channel 36,

Apparently only a few tuners can display the RF channel number for a station. I've probably used about eight different converter boxes or HD tuners, and the only other one besides the Zenith that has a similar mode (that I can remember) is the long-discontinued US Digital (Hisense) HD tuner that Wal-Mart once sold.

So you're telling me if I were to use the ATSC RF input on my TV and hook up an antenna and were actually ABLE to get a good enough signal to pick up WYFF down here at the bottom of the hill, it would still show up as Channel 4, most likely, and WRET, if I could pick that up, would show up as Channel 29, even though it's on Channel 9 (well, maybe on Channel 9, right now)?
Jeff

So you're telling me if I were to use the ATSC RF input on my TV and hook up an antenna and were actually ABLE to get a good enough signal to pick up WYFF down here at the bottom of the hill, it would still show up as Channel 4

Yep, after you do a channel scan, of course. Actually, as 4-1 and 4-2 or 4.1 and 4.2 depending on whether your TV uses dashes or periods for subchannels. You might also be able to enter 36-1 on the remote, and have it come up as 4-1, even without scanning. This doesn't work for me (with all my channels already scanned in) because 36-1 takes me to WCNC in Charlotte, which is actually on channel 22...

So you're telling me if I were to use the ATSC RF input on my TV and hook up an antenna and were actually ABLE to get a good enough signal to pick up WYFF down here at the bottom of the hill, it would still show up as Channel 4, most likely, and WRET, if I could pick that up, would show up as Channel 29, even though it's on Channel 9 (well, maybe on Channel 9, right now)?
Jeff
As CHANNELS, yes, per what the FCC wanted. My Sony, in the diagnostic and signal strength screen, shows Physical Channel 36.

A rescan on your OTA receiver should fix the issue. If your are still having problems with our channel, please PM me, it forwards to my work email, and I will check our systems.

-ShaunHas something changed about the signal recently that would make the DirecTV OTA receiver unable to decode video and audio? The reason I ask is because I get 100% signal strength, but no picture or sound. This started happening a few days ago. Other channels come in fine. Even another tv tuner fed by the same antenna works fine with 29.x.

I don't really know if the problem is on my end or not. The biggest problem is DirecTV DVR's don't scan. The frequency is in a database somewhere. So if that's changed, it has to be fixed on DirecTV's end. Then my box gets the mapping data from the satellite. If I tell DirecTV support about the issue, they have no idea what I'm talking about since they don't understand those technical details. So there's really no way for a customer to tell them there's a problem. Since everything but 29.x still works, I don't see how it could be a hardware problem. If I'm the only one with the issue, then it's obviously a problem on my end. Otherwise, DirecTV needs to fix their database, or something about your signal no longer works with DirecTV tuners.

Thanks

Has something changed about the signal recently that would make the DirecTV OTA receiver unable to decode video and audio? The reason I ask is because I get 100% signal strength, but no picture or sound. This started happening a few days ago. Other channels come in fine. Even another tv tuner fed by the same antenna works fine with 29.x.

I don't really know if the problem is on my end or not. The biggest problem is DirecTV DVR's don't scan. The frequency is in a database somewhere. So if that's changed, it has to be fixed on DirecTV's end. Then my box gets the mapping data from the satellite. If I tell DirecTV support about the issue, they have no idea what I'm talking about since they don't understand those technical details. So there's really no way for a customer to tell them there's a problem. Since everything but 29.x still works, I don't see how it could be a hardware problem. If I'm the only one with the issue, then it's obviously a problem on my end. Otherwise, DirecTV needs to fix their database, or something about your signal no longer works with DirecTV tuners.

Thanks

We have a field engineer at the site looking into the problem some receivers appear to be having. If we can not get it corrected today, I will go up tommorrow with a stream analyzer to try and gather more information.

-Shaun

We have corrected the issues we have been having lately with bad PSIP data causing some receivers not to be able to decode our services properly.

Unfortunately, TVGOS has been disabled until I can travel to the site to work on the issue.

Thanks for your patience.

-Shaun

We have corrected the issues we have been having lately with bad PSIP data causing some receivers not to be able to decode our services properly.

Unfortunately, TVGOS has been disabled until I can travel to the site to work on the issue.

Thanks for your patience.

-Shaun
DirecTV OTA is working perfectly again. Thank you so much.

I've turned to WMYA-TV 40 on DirecTV and they had a "No Need to Call Us" message. My folks just missed "Judge Mathis" because of this.

They're notorious for having signal issues and I wish they fix the darn signal :mad:

I wished that DirecTV has a distant MyNetworkTV east/west feed (unfortunatlely they don't have it) to put it on to solve the solution just like DirecTV did to residents in Dayton, Ohio when their CBS affiliate was off the air last November.

My OTA signal meter shows plenty of signal on 40-1 (RF 14) but there's no picture. So the transmitter is live but it's not getting anything to send out.

I've called the WLOS/WMYA's toll-free number and ask them a question about why WMYA-TV is off-the-air. They said it's the transmitter's problems and they said they're fixing it in a couple of days. Real disapointment. I'm afraid that my brother is going to miss WWE Friday Night Smackdown because ironically it's taped in Greenville, SC.

Some shows like Numb3rs, CSI: Miami, and most of the sitcoms are usually broadcasted in 16:9, but Charter's analog channels show these shows in 4:3 and end up cutting off the sides. I know why they do it, but I was wondering who makes that decision. And by who, I mean person.

I've called the WLOS/WMYA's toll-free number and ask them a question about why WMYA-TV is off-the-air. They said it's the transmitter's problems and they said they're fixing it in a couple of days. Real disapointment. I'm afraid that my brother is going to miss WWE Friday Night Smackdown because ironically it's taped in Greenville, SC.

I called the WLOS Newsroom around 9:30 last night, and the guy who answered said the problem is on Mt Pisgah with a microwave dish, which was damaged by ice falling from the tower a few days ago. They beam the WMYA 40-1 (as well as WLOS 40-2) signal from Asheville to Mt Pisgah to the WMYA transmitter in Anderson. As another poster said, I'm getting a WMYA signal but no picture or audio -- so I guess the WMYA transmitter is still on the air, but it has no "input" with the damaged Pisgah microwave. Additionally, the ice on Pisgah has damaged the NOAA Weather Radio -- it's still on the air but instead of the normal weather programming, it's broadcasting distorted audio of radio station 99.9 WKSF Kiss Country.

Eric

Actually, WMYA's transmitter is near Fountain Inn, a few miles west of I-385 and about a mile south of SC 418. That's interesting about the microwave link from Mt. Pisgah. I was wondering how the signal got to Fountain Inn. I figured the problem had to be at that stage because I'm getting a good strong reading on my signal "strength" meter but no picture.

Some shows like Numb3rs, CSI: Miami, and most of the sitcoms are usually broadcasted in 16:9, but Charter's analog channels show these shows in 4:3 and end up cutting off the sides. I know why they do it, but I was wondering who makes that decision. And by who, I mean person.

This is not just done by Charter. DirecTV does this for the SD versions of the local channels, as well (i.e. SC ETV for this market).

Some shows like Numb3rs, CSI: Miami, and most of the sitcoms are usually broadcasted in 16:9, but Charter's analog channels show these shows in 4:3 and end up cutting off the sides. I know why they do it, but I was wondering who makes that decision. And by who, I mean person.

It is supposed to be the stations. With AFD, the programming itself should dictate the AR of a program but not many of the stations are using it at a local level since it only works for programs broadcast in HD. Cable has been "hesitant" do to that since so many stations are still predominantly still 4:3 SD and they don't want the calls from subs complaining about all the screen that is black on top and bottom so they just center cut for 4:3 and let the chips fall where they may.

At my own station we do use AFD on programming (even the SD programming, now THAT is a trick to pull off and some extra equipment per source too boot! Not commercials though, they are coded center cut all the time) and none of the cablecos or sats will use it even though many have the equipment to do it. At least our OTA viewers have the option to use it if they have CECB's on analog TV's.

AT&T sure did a lot of work on Woodruff Road this past week, near the Bennetts Bridge intersection. In fact, there would be trucks there, and other trucks positioned at far points of different neighborhoods (like mine). Almost like they were doing line tests. Hopefully U-Verse stuff; needless to say I'm ready, especially with a new TV on the way.

Friend of mine got a knock on his door (off Ashmore Bridge Road in Mauldin) this week. AT&T rep letting him know that U-Verse is now available in that area.

Almost wish they had a coverage map so we could see what areas they're adding as they go.

I dislike it too, because WJBF is now on RF42 and WCES out of Atlanta is now on RF6 in my area. They should have just made all of the channels use their RF channels for identification instead of the PSIP (virtual channel) nonsense.I wish I could, one less piece of equipment to fail. The FCC decided this would make things easier. That is what I have to tell our viewers that bought UHF antennas to watch channel 29 when we are actually RF 9. I seriously dislike channel remapping.

-Shaun

Any idea about the wide screen transition, earlier in the month it was supposed to be near the end of the month. I might watch the WYFF news sometimes then, but not the pathetic NBC network shows.
It must be a hard sell to advertisers trying to get them to look past the inept offerings on NBC, I haven't watched any prime time stuff on NBC since they canceled American Dreams, and that has been awhile.

WMYA is back on the air.

D12 getting closer

# Date Time GMT Perigee Apogee Gap Chg-Hrs Day Long Lat Inclin
Target --------> 35,786 x 35,786 0 76.00°W 0.00°N 0.00°
037 01/24 06:08:48 33,259 x 38,365 5,106 +64.77H 26.24D 70.45°W 0.08°S 0.13°
036 01/21 13:22:44 33,114 x 38,484 5,370 +20.24H 23.54D 70.48°W 0.05°S 0.20°
035 01/20 17:08:34 33,008 x 38,510 5,502 +54.17H 22.70D 76.69°W 0.09°N 0.20°
034 01/18 10:58:07 32,727 x 38,854 6,127 + 0.00H 20.44D 66.92°W 0.22°S 0.27°
033 01/18 10:58:07 32,665 x 38,902 6,237 +43.11H 20.44D 66.56°W 0.13°S 0.18°
032 01/16 15:51:24 32,652 x 38,907 6,255 +12.10H 18.65D 74.24°W 0.01°N 0.

Any idea about the wide screen transition, earlier in the month it was supposed to be near the end of the month. I might watch the WYFF news sometimes then, but not the pathetic NBC network shows.
It must be a hard sell to advertisers trying to get them to look past the inept offerings on NBC, I haven't watched any prime time stuff on NBC since they canceled American Dreams, and that has been awhile.

Wide-screen news starts today (1/26/10). Let me know what you think.

FYI, weather graphics are still 4x3 and will be upgraded in the next 90 days. Didn't want to let that hold up everything.

Wide-screen news starts today (1/26/10). Let me know what you think.

FYI, weather graphics are still 4x3 and will be upgraded in the next 90 days. Didn't want to let that hold up everything.
Doug, it's not HD but it is quite an improvement over the previous, which made everyone look like they're faces were made out of sand.

Will the new weather maps be HD, disguised as 16:9?

WYFF's widescreen news format is defnitely an improvement, even if it's not HD. The only bone I have to pick is with the pillarbars on 4:3 content that are blurred reproductions of the sides of the actual content. When the background is stationary they aren't too bad, but when there's motion or panning it creates a distracting funhouse-mirror effect. I much prefer static pillarbars, perhaps with a discreet pattern or logo.

Still, I'll take those pillarbars as they are, over WSPA's non-linear stretch-o-vision any day.

Wide-screen news starts today (1/26/10). Let me know what you think.

FYI, weather graphics are still 4x3 and will be upgraded in the next 90 days. Didn't want to let that hold up everything.

Yes :D:):):):):):):):):):)
I have 720 p looks close enough
I live in Gvlle/ Greer no more channel 7

Still, I'll take those pillarbars as they are, over WSPA's non-linear stretch-o-vision any day.

Agreed!:)

The only complaint I heard was the text size on the lower thirds was a bit to small to read for some people. Overall a good presentation!

Doug, it's not HD but it is quite an improvement over the previous, which made everyone look like they're faces were made out of sand.

Will the new weather maps be HD, disguised as 16:9?

The weather graphics will be 16x9 SD initially. HD will come later.

WYFF's widescreen news format is defnitely an improvement, even if it's not HD. The only bone I have to pick is with the pillarbars on 4:3 content that are blurred reproductions of the sides of the actual content. When the background is stationary they aren't too bad, but when there's motion or panning it creates a distracting funhouse-mirror effect. I much prefer static pillarbars, perhaps with a discreet pattern or logo.

Still, I'll take those pillarbars as they are, over WSPA's non-linear stretch-o-vision any day.

I think the jury is still out on the blurred side panels. I agree, they work well for some content and very poorly for others. We wanted to do something different from the competition and it's certainly that. But many will find them distracting. The good thing is that moving forward there will be less and less side panels and more real wide-screen so it's an issue that will gradually fade away (no pun intended).

The weather graphics will be 16x9 SD initially. HD will come later.
Sounds good. I had originally included a suggestion in my post about increasing the text size of the anchor name/interviewee name/etc, but edited it out because I thought it might be too nit picky. But I definitely think the text is too small for many people.

Is that something that can be changed?

Sounds good. I had originally included a suggestion in my post about increasing the text size of the anchor name/interviewee name/etc, but edited it out because I thought it might be too nit picky. But I definitely think the text is too small for many people.

Is that something that can be changed?


We wanted to reduce the size of the lower third bar. The art guys may have gone a little too far. It can be changed, but not easily at this point.

We wanted to reduce the size of the lower third bar. The art guys may have gone a little too far. It can be changed, but not easily at this point.
I agree, as it was taking up a literal 1/4 of the screen before (lol), but it seems really small. Personally, I can see it just fine, but I can imagine the switchboards lighting up tomorrow from your elderly viewers screaming "IT'S TOO SMALL!!!!" :D

Wide-screen news starts today (1/26/10). Let me know what you think.

FYI, weather graphics are still 4x3 and will be upgraded in the next 90 days. Didn't want to let that hold up everything.

I'm glad that I did my now occasional check of this board. I would have never known this was happening today. I'll have to make it a point to stay up late tonight to watch the 11 p.m. newscast. Thank you for the update, douglasd5!

(BTW, to those who suggested ditching the cable line for D*, 5+ months in and no regrets so far!)

We wanted to reduce the size of the lower third bar. The art guys may have gone a little too far. It can be changed, but not easily at this point.

Completely off-subject, but I've been going crazy making tons of coverage maps in the last few days. So, here you go. :) Load on a fast machine and fast connection:

http://www.rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=1238768&map=Y

I also made maps for WSPA and WYCW.

- Trip

Completely off-subject, but I've been going crazy making tons of coverage maps in the last few days. So, here you go. :) Load on a fast machine and fast connection:

http://www.rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=1238768&map=Y

I also made maps for WSPA and WYCW.

- Trip

Great map! Thanks!

Doug

I think the jury is still out on the blurred side panels. I agree, they work well for some content and very poorly for others. We wanted to do something different from the competition and it's certainly that. But many will find them distracting.

I am watching the 11:00 PM news ... distracting is hardly the word I'd use. Put some static "busy" pillars there, kinda like NBC News uses.

George

Thanks Channel 4!!!

I don't have to watch Channel 7 news anymore!!!!!!!!!

HD 4 news...looks good

I notice this afternoon that Fox Carolina 21 WHNS has changed it Radar Graphic on 21.2

I notice this afternoon that Fox Carolina 21 WHNS has changed it Radar Graphic on 21.2

I watched their 6:30pm newscast last night and they were salivating over their new Super 3-D Doppler radar. (3-D glasses not included:D)

Eric

I watched their 6:30pm newscast last night and they were salivating over their new Super 3-D Doppler radar. (3-D glasses not included:D)

Eric

they have a demo video on their website

http://www.foxcarolina.com/video/22365789/index.html

HD 4 news...looks good

That should be WS 4 news...agree that it looks good.

Has anyone heard when Charter is moving to SDV for the Upstate SC area? Last I heard it was early this year, but I haven't heard anything in a while.

It looks ok, but....WSPA still has better looking babes than WYFF, eye candy in HD is still better.

Doug; I was just looking at the 16:9 SD News and it looks pretty good...I too though that the FONT size of the graphics was a bit too small (the overall banner bar size is FINE!), although I LIKE the fact that News 4 is trying to put LESS graphic clutter on the screen. I have ALWAYS disliked excessive graphics and very large graphics during newscasts....I think the product looks far more professional and businesslike with LESS.

I did have one other question regarding HD newscasts....has WYFF and/or Hearst ever contemplated using something LESS than commercial grade HD hardware for having an HD Newscast?...I was thinking of cable provider/ production house level equipment.....I don't know all the details and specifics because I have been away from the industry for quite awhile, but perhaps this could be an option at some point? Costwise it certainly would make sense. I think the important part, from a viewer relations/ business strategy would be that News 4 would have some actual HD content...maybe use this set up during the 6pm newscast.

When I was at WGAL 8 in Lancaster, PA, ALL major investment projects ( eg. Doppler Radar) were made soley by HearstArgyle (now Hearst) with little input and consulting at the local management level. Perhaps things have changed by now . IN any case I am sure that the ad revenue numbers from WYFF don't line up with a full on Commercial Broadcast Quality HD News set up that is logical and makes business sense if not being pleasing to all viewers of course.

I could be way off base Doug, so I hope you'll excuse me for pondering the possibilties.


Thanks,
Bill

Doug; I was just looking at the 16:9 SD News and it looks pretty good...I too though that the FONT size of the graphics was a bit too small (the overall banner bar size is FINE!), although I LIKE the fact that News 4 is trying to put LESS graphic clutter on the screen. I have ALWAYS disliked excessive graphics and very large graphics during newscasts....I think the product looks far more professional and businesslike with LESS.

I did have one other question regarding HD newscasts....has WYFF and/or Hearst ever contemplated using something LESS than commercial grade HD hardware for having an HD Newscast?...I was thinking of cable provider/ production house level equipment.....I don't know all the details and specifics because I have been away from the industry for quite awhile, but perhaps this could be an option at some point? Costwise it certainly would make sense. I think the important part, from a viewer relations/ business strategy would be that News 4 would have some actual HD content...maybe use this set up during the 6pm newscast.

When I was at WGAL 8 in Lancaster, PA, ALL major investment projects ( eg. Doppler Radar) were made soley by HearstArgyle (now Hearst) with little input and consulting at the local management level. Perhaps things have changed by now . IN any case I am sure that the ad revenue numbers from WYFF don't line up with a full on Commercial Broadcast Quality HD News set up that is logical and makes business sense if not being pleasing to all viewers of course.

I could be way off base Doug, so I hope you'll excuse me for pondering the possibilties.


Thanks,
Bill

Prices for some HD equipment is coming down, particularly cameras. As you can imagine, in the early days they brought a premium price. So there are some very reasonably priced HD cameras now. The other major component is a production switcher and then conversion equipment to make remaining SD sources HD (upconverters). The price for this equipment is not coming down like camera prices and there aren't "prosumer" products that meet the need.

While we don't have any true HD video during the studio portion of our newscasts, all our promotional spots are HD and have been for some time. Our production switcher is SD only so there is no way to mix in an HD source in HD.

The move to wide-screen is a step toward and an investment in HD technolgy as most of what we buy now will work with both SD and HD video. So we will get there, it's just going to be in small steps rather than one big one.

Doug

.. (upconverters). The price for this equipment is not coming down like camera prices and there aren't "prosumer" products that meet the need.

Doug, check out the AJA FS-1. I think you will like what you see. We use them and they ARE the Swiss Army knife of HD conversion at a price you can't afford not NOT look at. We have 15 of them and want to buy about 15 more!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn03C0j8HMg

foxeng, That AJA FS-1 looks pretty cool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn03C0j8HMg

foxeng, That AJA FS-1 looks pretty cool!

We love ours. We have them on the output of our sources that go to air. The thing I like about them is they will change input resolution on the fly. It auto detects the input and then converts to what ever output has been specified. It has two INDEPENDENT outputs so one can be HD and one SD and the SD can be what ever aspect ratio you want. We use a few of ours to convert 1080i sat feeds to 720p and to 480i when needed using that feature. SWEET!!

Doug, check out the AJA FS-1. I think you will like what you see. We use them and they ARE the Swiss Army knife of HD conversion at a price you can't afford not NOT look at. We have 15 of them and want to buy about 15 more!

We have two of them and, like you, we are favorably impressed. There are more of them in our future. It is remarkable what they can do for the price. Even down convert HD into SD anamorphic. Just what we need for wide-screen SD news.

they have a demo video on their website

http://www.foxcarolina.com/video/22365789/index.html

Eh, it's a WSI product, not a live radar (don't let the fake sweeps fool you....'SPA uses them too). WYFF still has the only love radar in the market.

As for the weather girl, nice butt, but a butter face.

Eh, it's a WSI product, not a live radar (don't let the fake sweeps fool you....'SPA uses them too). WYFF still has the only love radar in the market.

As for the weather girl, nice butt, but a butter face.

ESP:LIVE is a Weather Central product, not WSI. We have it also. http://www.weathercentral.tv/

I was watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! on ABC 13 WLOS earlier tonight, I've noticed those black pillar bars. Both programs are in HD, but why they didn't show it in HD earlier tonight and instead shown in crude SD?

Also why is rival WSPA-TV 7 (CBS) not broadcasting Dr. Phil in HD?

Also why is rival WSPA-TV 7 (CBS) not broadcasting Dr. Phil in HD?

I don't believe WSPA has the ability to air any syndicated content in HD yet.

The TVGOS unit is back online for WNTV(ch 29). I have verified that the data is being passed and if you have any issues please don't hesitate to PM me. Thanks for your patience.

-Shaun

I was watching Dollhouse recorded from Friday night and saw that it was interrupted several times due to the weather. Am I the only one annoyed by that? Is it necessary to do that instead of a scrolling marquee at the bottom of the screen?

I was watching Dollhouse recorded from Friday night and saw that it was interrupted several times due to the weather. Am I the only one annoyed by that? Is it necessary to do that instead of a scrolling marquee at the bottom of the screen?

THANK YOU! killme I've been literally "screaming this from the hilltops" for YEARS! Ever since local weather became such a big moneymaker for local TV stations, AND they all got their own radar and their own "meteorologists" (I put that in quotes because I think some of those meteorologists are likely barely qualified as such), they've all felt "COMPELLED" to interrupt whatever program is running to tell you... it's raining when it's raining... it's snowing when it's snowing... the wind's blowing when the wind's blowing, etc. Worse yet, AFTERWARDS, many of them have this "return promo" that takes 15 seconds or so, telling you what they just did, and that they'll now return you to the "scheduled program, already in progress," thus burning off yet ANOTHER 15 seconds of the program you WON'T get to see, rather than just going right back to the program, GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Screen scrolls would suffice JUST FINE, but THEN they couldn't be the FIRST to report whatever it is 99.9% of everyone already knows about!

And of course FEDERAL LAW prohibits us from getting DIRECT NETWORK FEEDS of our programs, so if we miss it, we just miss it... MAYBE, if we have high-speed internet access, we can catch the entire show again, a week later, on Hulu.com, or something.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
Jeff

THANK YOU! killme I've been literally "screaming this from the hilltops" for YEARS! Ever since local weather became such a big moneymaker for local TV stations, AND they all got their own radar and their own "meteorologists" (I put that in quotes because I think some of those meteorologists are likely barely qualified as such), they've all felt "COMPELLED" to interrupt whatever program is running to tell you... it's raining when it's raining... it's snowing when it's snowing... the wind's blowing when the wind's blowing, etc. Worse yet, AFTERWARDS, many of them have this "return promo" that takes 15 seconds or so, telling you what they just did, and that they'll now return you to the "scheduled program, already in progress," thus burning off yet ANOTHER 15 seconds of the program you WON'T get to see, rather than just going right back to the program, GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Screen scrolls would suffice JUST FINE, but THEN they couldn't be the FIRST to report whatever it is 99.9% of everyone already knows about!

And of course FEDERAL LAW prohibits us from getting DIRECT NETWORK FEEDS of our programs, so if we miss it, we just miss it... MAYBE, if we have high-speed internet access, we can catch the entire show again, a week later, on Hulu.com, or something.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
Jeff

OK, I don't have a dog in this fight, but I have to respond.

First, FCC rules require stations to provide weather related information when it will adversely impact the viewing area. Stations have been fined in the last few years for NOT doing that. How a station does it is up to them. They can break into program with special reports that totally knock out ALL programming or they can crawl the information over programming. I am sure you would RATHER NOT have the whole program knocked out with special reports.

Secondly, if a station sells a "weather event" they aren't really making a whole lot. It is nice icing on the cake, but a station can't depend on that money when they have no idea when bad weather is coming so your idea of it being a money maker is just plain silly.

Thirdly, I understand how some people get irate when their HD is "disturbed" but, hey, you can have a little inconvenience or a lot inconvenience. Take your choice. Doing nothing is NOT an option for a station.

Don't get me wrong. I want to be informed of adverse weather conditions, but I wish all of the stations would just do the scrolling text. I don't understand why they choose to interrupt the program when I could just read it on the screen.

"Thirdly, I understand how some people get irate when their HD is "disturbed" but, hey, you can have a little inconvenience or a lot inconvenience. Take your choice. Doing nothing is NOT an option for a station."


I don't get irate, but every station except WHNS can run the weather graphics without switching out of HD. It is pretty lame when they switch out of HD to show the stupid lottery numbers.

Foxeng, you and I both know that back 20 or more years ago, before local news -- and especially WEATHER -- became such big money makers for local TV stations, they never broke into programming like this unless it was some truly monumental event.

But today it's practically as common as the almost-every-station-break ADS they run, promoting how they're "first with weather," etc. Oh, but I guess those two factors are just "coincidence" and totally unrelated and have nothing to do with why it's necessary for "chief meteorologist" Christy Henderson or Kendra Kent, or whoever to break in two or more times during a one-hour broadcast to tell people what they already know, rather than doing a simple screen crawl... Of course, if they did the screen crawl, they wouldn't have the video later to use in their self-promotional advertising to SELL their news and weather.

PLEASE don't sit there and try to tell us it's NOT all about ad dollars. Yes, it's true an important part of their public mandate is to inform the public of hazardous weather. HOW they do that is increasingly driven by their business model at the expense of the programming their viewers are trying to watch, with essentially NO difference in impact except VIEWER ANNOYANCE!

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but there are an increasing number of folks who have just given up on watching programs they like on commercial TV, due not only to all the commercial breaks, but also to interruptons like that which simply "erase" parts of the program, for all practical purposes (and worse yet, complete pre-empting by such things as "regional networks," such as when WLOS pre-empts top-rated shows like "Lost" with their Ray-Con Sports Network to show college basketball). These people -- and I'm not one of them yet -- just wait until the DVD is released and watch the series that way.

Broadcast TV is digging its own grave, one shovelfull at a time, if you ask me. I really don't want to see that happen, just like I don't want to see the FCC auction off most of the UHF spectrum to the wireless industry -- even though I'm pretty much forced to use cable or satellite where I live because I'm near the bottom of a hill and have terrible reception because it needs to be there for those who depend upon it. But with what I pay for DISH, if I had to pay $5 more per month to get what is now network broadcasts (wait, DISH already charges me about that for my network feeds, lol) -- well, I don't think it would make too much difference to me. Would make a BIG difference to lots of folks -- including you, and Doug, and the other folks here who WORK in the industry. I really think they need to "get over themselves" with all these show break-ins for "breaking weather" and go back to screen crawls for most of them. One thing I've noticed: they NEVER break in during COMMERCIALS, so it must not be THAT PRESSING!
Jeff

"Thirdly, I understand how some people get irate when their HD is "disturbed" but, hey, you can have a little inconvenience or a lot inconvenience. Take your choice. Doing nothing is NOT an option for a station."


I don't get irate, but every station except WHNS can run the weather graphics without switching out of HD. It is pretty lame when they switch out of HD to show the stupid lottery numbers.

As has been stated by others, during FOX network programming there is NO way to keep the HD signal on when a crawl is inserted. It is the way FOX feeds to affiliates and it is BY DESIGN of FOX. FOX's answer is to box the SD network feed to keep a full 16:9 aspect ratio. Stations can't broadcast what isn't provided.

I notice this afternoon that Fox Carolina 21 WHNS has changed it Radar Graphic on 21.2

I finally remembered to take a look at it this morning. They've labeled an interesting selection of major cities: Greenville... Charlotte... Asheville... Knoxville... Irmo??? Alpharetta??? (but not Columbia or Atlanta)

Foxeng, you and I both know that back 20 or more years ago, before local news -- and especially WEATHER -- became such big money makers for local TV stations, they never broke into programming like this unless it was some truly monumental event.

OK, I will play along.

First, let's keep things real. 20 years ago (1990) MORE local stations did news than today. 30 years ago (1980) just about ALL stations did local news because the FCC required it. 50 years ago (1960) all stations DID local news because it was expected by the public and the FCC required ALL stations carry some form of local news.

Second, 20 years ago more stations DID NOT have graphic generators in Master Control than today because of the cost of the boxes. Those were generally reserved for the newscasts because it wasn't a separate device, as they are today and cost in the 100k to 200k range for cheap ones.

Thirdly, 20 years ago stations tended to break into programing MORE because it was cheaper to do cut ins than the equipment cost for the times it was perceived to be used and the public expected it.

Fourthly, on average, while it is true stations with news departments and successful newscasts do make about 50% of their revenue, the cost to produce that product is around 60% of the expenditures. A major reason why the number of local stations doing news has reduced in the past 15 years. Stations can make more PROFIT on syndicated programming verses news and profit is more important than revenue.

But today it's practically as common as the almost-every-station-break ADS they run, promoting how they're "first with weather," etc. Oh, but I guess those two factors are just "coincidence" and totally unrelated and have nothing to do with why it's necessary for "chief meteorologist" Christy Henderson or Kendra Kent, or whoever to break in two or more times during a one-hour broadcast to tell people what they already know, rather than doing a simple screen crawl... Of course, if they did the screen crawl, they wouldn't have the video later to use in their self-promotional advertising to SELL their news and weather.

You now have a new FCC rule that also states that not only people who are AURALLY handicapped, but now VISUALLY handicapped must have the same information available to them. A crawl doesn't cut if you are blind. Also stations must provide LIVE LOCAL CLOSED CAPTIONING when local conditions warrant possible danger to life or property. The FCC has made it clear, they ARE aggressively pursuing stations who do not abide by the rules. A live cut-in serves those purposes of legality. It is a much more complicated issue than just "money."

PLEASE don't sit there and try to tell us it's NOT all about ad dollars. Yes, it's true an important part of their public mandate is to inform the public of hazardous weather. HOW they do that is increasingly driven by their business model at the expense of the programming their viewers are trying to watch, with essentially NO difference in impact except VIEWER ANNOYANCE!

See above.

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but there are an increasing number of folks who have just given up on watching programs they like on commercial TV, due not only to all the commercial breaks, but also to interruptons like that which simply "erase" parts of the program, for all practical purposes (and worse yet, complete pre-empting by such things as "regional networks," such as when WLOS pre-empts top-rated shows like "Lost" with their Ray-Con Sports Network to show college basketball). These people -- and I'm not one of them yet -- just wait until the DVD is released and watch the series that way.

Cry me a river. Local stations have ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS since TV started in the late 1940's had preemption of local programming, including sports. It was worse in the past. Growing up in the 60's in eastern North Carolina, I remember many a winter night when we only had THREE channels available and all three channels had college basketball or for a time, professional basketball when the Carolina Cougars played in Greensboro. That dog don't hunt anymore with over 100 channels available.

Broadcast TV is digging its own grave, one shovelfull at a time, if you ask me. I really don't want to see that happen, just like I don't want to see the FCC auction off most of the UHF spectrum to the wireless industry -- even though I'm pretty much forced to use cable or satellite where I live because I'm near the bottom of a hill and have terrible reception because it needs to be there for those who depend upon it. But with what I pay for DISH, if I had to pay $5 more per month to get what is now network broadcasts (wait, DISH already charges me about that for my network feeds, lol) -- well, I don't think it would make too much difference to me. Would make a BIG difference to lots of folks -- including you, and Doug, and the other folks here who WORK in the industry. I really think they need to "get over themselves" with all these show break-ins for "breaking weather" and go back to screen crawls for most of them. One thing I've noticed: they NEVER break in during COMMERCIALS, so it must not be THAT PRESSING!
Jeff

Your opinion and you are entitled to it.

As has been stated by others, during FOX network programming there is NO way to keep the HD signal on when a crawl is inserted. It is the way FOX feeds to affiliates and it is BY DESIGN of FOX. FOX's answer is to box the SD network feed to keep a full 16:9 aspect ratio. Stations can't broadcast what isn't provided.

I understand that the problem is with what Fox provides their local affiliates. Maybe, the answer is for the affiliates to put pressure on Fox to do it the way every other network manages to do. It screams Mickey Mouse operation when they break out of HD to show a crawl with lottery numbers.

I understand that the problem is with what Fox provides their local affiliates. Maybe, the answer is for the affiliates to put pressure on Fox to do it the way every other network manages to do. It screams Mickey Mouse operation when they break out of HD to show a crawl with lottery numbers.

Stations have been since FOX first started HD in 2004. FOX has dug in their heels.

... First, FCC rules require stations to provide weather related information when it will adversely impact the viewing area. ...

But what about those annoying continuous crawls of school and business closings? Why do they have to be continuous? Why not go through the list twice every 15 or 20 minutes? And, why does it have to take up so much of the picture real eastate?

I receive both the Carolina and Atlanta stations... If a snow flake falls anywhere south of Richmond, the WSB "severe weather team" goes into action..and that's it for the remainder of the day.. however I must say that the Carolina stations drive me crazy with those continous crawls that go on endlessly.. Most of the Atlanta stations will crawl the the same info for a couple of cycles.... but the Carolina stations are much like an old lp record that is "hung up" and just repeats... repeats.... and ...........

I like the way WYFF posts weather-related closings and delays on its weather channel 4.2 and either leaving them off or doing "limited appearances" on channel 4.1 -- of course, this doesn't help satellite viewers who don't get the sub-channels or the cable systems that don't carry 4.2

Example....tuned in to WLOS for the abc evening news.... They have a "winter warning & advisor" crawl or "flash" upper left corner... the info loop is less than 2 minutes, listing all the counties involed . 20 minutes into the evening news it is still running... I don't get it...that's the same info 10 times in this time period... If you aren't able to read it during the frist 15 minutes.... you ant gonna to get it....

But what about those annoying continuous crawls of school and business closings? Why do they have to be continuous? Why not go through the list twice every 15 or 20 minutes? And, why does it have to take up so much of the picture real eastate?

If the Upstate and Western NC is like my area, 20 minutes will not rotate through the list once.

There is an area called "safe title" in the picture. This is to allow TV's that have really bad overscan so in order for the info to be seen on all TV's it has to sit far up and in to the picture.

Looks like WMYA and WHNS are having issues on DirecTV tonight. WMYA has the DirecTV board along the lines of "don't call, we already know". WHNS is showing the FOX Networks HD Test Pattern.

Update at 10:11 p.m.: WHNS is back, but there's a serious stuttering/lip synching issue with the signal.

Charter has a new HD channel coming in May:
http://corp.epixhd.com/press/index.php?release=http://epixnews.tumblr.com/post/370690449

Example....tuned in to WLOS for the abc evening news.... They have a "winter warning & advisor" crawl or "flash" upper left corner... the info loop is less than 2 minutes, listing all the counties involed . 20 minutes into the evening news it is still running... I don't get it...that's the same info 10 times in this time period... If you aren't able to read it during the frist 15 minutes.... you ant gonna to get it....

WLOS-HD, like most other primary stations, run the crawl during national shows such as the big city news or daytime/primetime programming produced by the New York City affiliated station (in this case, WABC).

Some people have pay service, so those people would not be able to see the crawl IF it was on a subchannel like it was on WYFF-DT2, as eacalhoun mentioned.

Also, WLOS does NOT have a weather channel, according to Zap2It.

Has anybody notice that WSPA DT 7.1 is off the air

and Look like on my Digital OTA Box the SIgnal meter is not even picking up any signal. they could have lost power on HogBack or their Generator didn`t kick on.

Has anybody notice that WSPA DT 7.1 is off the air


Yeah, 7.1 is down for me as well. However, 707 is working fine on Charter.

Yeah, 7.1 is down for me as well. However, 707 is working fine on Charter.

They May feed Chater with Fiber cable i remember reading while back here on avs forum that Charlie Wofford Eng with Wspa said they feed Directv with Fiber so that may be case with charter as well and 62.2 is still up.

They are back on the air now.

Doug...thanks for your detailed reply to my query about the availability of various levels of HD broadcast equipment!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regarding the excessive use of weather warnings and school closings....I agree that today most stations tend to go WAAAAY overboard when deciding to use such methods...I think part of it is the aspect that it helps them in the eyes of the FCC to fulfill their public service requirements, it also may be do to the management of the group owning the station there probably is a protocol that all the owned stations must use so even IF the stations News Director or GM would like to limit it their hands are tied.

Personally I see NO reason to run these school and other closings continuously it is very distracting and I would bet that MOST viewers feel the same way. I also feel the same for weather advisiories, BUT NOT IMMIMENT CATASTROPHIC WEATHER WARNINGS, such as tornados and hurricanes...when there is such a WARNING from NOAA I deifinitely believe that the warnings should remain on screen unitl they are cancelled.

I DISAGREE with FoxEng about the previlance of live weather cut ins during programming....I am 45 years old and have lived in 5 major TV markets over that time and only in the past 15 years or so have you seen this become a common occurance, and I believe excessively used from the viewers point..before that time "crawls" were the method of choice.
I think this IS a tactic used to entice viewers to stay tuned to that channel to see THEIR local newscast...Understandable...but in the end it is quite annoying to most viewers...

However ,everybody here shouldn't lose sight of the fact that when it comes to OTA broadcast stations the most important thing is "AD REVENUE" everything else comes second.

Lastly I really LOVE the ACTUAL REAL TIME DOPPLER RADAR that many Hearst stations (WYFF 4, WGAL 8) have..nothing else comes close for the viewer when quick moving weather is occuring. It's nice to know that "sweep" is REAL! I know that many here are unhappy with sub channels because it does slightly increases compression of the main channel, BUT for folks that want weather coverage in areas that often have very severe weather Weather Plus (WYFF 4) is a GREAT public service. I hope they keep it.

Anyone have any idea what's going on lately at WSPA? The news has been filled with technical problems, worse than ever. Cameras on the wrong anchor, shifting around willy-nilly, misplaced graphics, etc. It's become nearly unwatchable.

Glad to see I don't stand entirely alone, dubber.

Foxeng, I'll take your word that the FCC has imposed all kinds of new rules on the TV stations about "must interrupt" and must provide both audio and video for basically "anytime the wind blows."

What REALLY chafes me, however, is that the FCC also prohibits ANYONE from getting a direct network feed -- or even getting the feed of a network affiliate from another market, via satellite or cable -- REGARDLESS of how many interruptions and/or pre-emptions the local stations do to network programming, in order to protect the ad revenue stream of local broadcasters. To me, that's tanatamount to giving local broadcasters unfair treatment. First, people in their market are required to view all network broadcasts via their station and only their station, regardless of whether they have any need or desire for such things as their weather information (some of us have OTHER sources, like LIVE weather radio), yet secondly, any time they choose to interrupt said network broadcasts, for ANY reason, we're just supposed to sit here and TAKE IT, because, essentially, we have NO OTHER CHOICE?!?

I can think of nobody outside the FCC and the NAB who could conceivably find any logical justification for such a policy! It's infuriating! Right now, WSPA is running yet another one of their promos about how they were there "on the spot" with one update after another during the recent "snowstorm." (we got maybe an inch here)! Of course they got maybe a foot up in Asheville, but WSPA does absolutely NO news coverage for Asheville -- unless it's something really major, like a MURDER -- only weather forecasts -- and rarely on-the-spot weather that far up.

I know (and respect) that broadcast stations make ALL their money off advertising dollars. I very much understand that business model. I once was editor and part owner of a free weekly newspaper with the SAME model. I still think they go WAY overboard here in the GSPA market! Maybe you need to watch some TV HERE during questionable weather and see just what I mean!
Jeff

Foxeng, I'll take your word that the FCC has imposed all kinds of new rules on the TV stations about "must interrupt" and must provide both audio and video for basically "anytime the wind blows."

Don't take my word. Look it up. It is on the FCC website.

What REALLY chafes me, however, is that the FCC also prohibits ANYONE from getting a direct network feed -- or even getting the feed of a network affiliate from another market, via satellite or cable -- REGARDLESS of how many interruptions and/or pre-emptions the local stations do to network programming, in order to protect the ad revenue stream of local broadcasters. To me, that's tanatamount to giving local broadcasters unfair treatment. First, people in their market are required to view all network broadcasts via their station and only their station, regardless of whether they have any need or desire for such things as their weather information (some of us have OTHER sources, like LIVE weather radio), yet secondly, any time they choose to interrupt said network broadcasts, for ANY reason, we're just supposed to sit here and TAKE IT, because, essentially, we have NO OTHER CHOICE?!?

I can think of nobody outside the FCC and the NAB who could conceivably find any logical justification for such a policy! It's infuriating!

That is the usual strawman argument.

The issue is the networks have a legal and binding contract with the stations that layout who is eligible to receive their network signal. Remember, free enterprise is at work here and those network shows just don't magically appear and the network, not the station has final say on how that programming is distributed, not the stations since the stations are buying service from the networks. The government can not just come in and change legally binding contracts willy nilly without some legal reasons that meet a certain level of illegality, which these contracts do not meet.

Right now, WSPA is running yet another one of their promos about how they were there "on the spot" with one update after another during the recent "snowstorm." (we got maybe an inch here)! Of course they got maybe a foot up in Asheville, but WSPA does absolutely NO news coverage for Asheville -- unless it's something really major, like a MURDER -- only weather forecasts -- and rarely on-the-spot weather that far up.

Then DON'T WATCH THEM. You have a channel changer and you have a on/off switch. More people need to learn to use them if it is that annoying to you. No one forces you to watch anything. Yet.

I know (and respect) that broadcast stations make ALL their money off advertising dollars. I very much understand that business model. I once was editor and part owner of a free weekly newspaper with the SAME model. I still think they go WAY overboard here in the GSPA market! Maybe you need to watch some TV HERE during questionable weather and see just what I mean!
Jeff

I have watched TV there. I have family who live in Hendersonville. I have been watching TV there for almost 30 years. It is no different there than anywhere else, including my own market. It is the way of the industry, Upstate South Carolina, Piedmont Triad North Carolina, New York City. It is all the same, just the pay is different.

Many kudos to WYFF for how they posted the weather warnings last night during the first half of Mercy (8:00 to 8:30). It was simply white text with no background and at the bottom of the screen. You could still see the picture behind the text. Very readable but and not obtrusive. I also found it pleasing that the text did not crawl across the screen. Instead, the text simply changed about every 2 or 3 seconds. I never realized just how obnoxious crawling text was until I saw this.

Unfortunately, during the last half of Mercy, a blue-grey background stripe was added which spanned the entire width of the screen. The text still did not crawl but the blue-gray stripe was tending toward the obnoxious. Still, much better than WSPA with their crawling text with a background that covers the bottom 10 - 15% of the screen.

Sinclair is going to start multicasting TheCoolTV, a music channel this spring. It will have live concerts and videos. I presume WLOS will air this. WUNF is supposed to add a new circular polarization antenna at a higher point on the WLOS tower around June. I would assume that WLOS will have their new antenna up by then.

Sinclair is going to start multicasting TheCoolTV, a music channel this spring. It will have live concerts and videos. I presume WLOS will air this.

Hopefully in place of one of the two existing SD subchannels, not in addition to them.