Cedar Rapids, IA - HDTV [Text View] - Page 16

oldsyd

08-03-09, 04:00 PM

I've updated my QAM channel list for Mediacom in Cedar Rapids. Here it is. I hope that this is the final stable channel list for digital from Mediacom.

IPTV1 HD 89.4
IPTV2 Create 89.8
IPTV3 World 89.10

KWWL HD 114.1
KGAN HD 114.6
KCRG HD 115.2
KCRG 9.2 115.6
FOX HD 115.4

RTV 114.3
THIS 114.2
LOCAL 117.1
KIRKWOOD 17.3
UTV 117.7
KPXR 119.2
WGN 82.7
CW 99.8

CSPAN 111.256
CSPAN2 82.21
CSPAN3 82.13
CSPAN 1.1

JTV 11.5
SHOP 82.1
SHOPNBC 82.9
3ABN 82.19
HSN 82.23

RELIGION 82.5
CHURCH CHANNEL 82.11
RELIGION 82.15
EWTN 82.17
CBN 99.16

My list for shopping and religious channels is accurate for the scan numbers but not for the names. I don't pay attention to these and did not examine them long enough to tell the difference between them.

Please make any corrections or additions and share, share, share!

Apparently the Cedar Rapids headend is still morphing.

Here's my list of clear QAM channels as of today:

51-1 Hallmark
51-3 LMN
51-5 ABC Family
51-7 Comedy Central
51-11 Discovery
51-13 FOX News
51-15 TCM
51-19 TLC
51-21 WE TV
51-25 Big Ten

52-1 FX
52-5 E!
52-7 VS.
52-9 Speed
52-11 Univision
52-13 BET
52-15 Bravo
52-17 CNBC
52-19 Animal Planet
52-21 USA
52-23 Travel Channel

53-1 CNN
53-5 Cartoon Network
53-7 TBS
53-9 TNT
53-11 Spike
53-13 TV Land
53-15 CMT
53-17 MTV
53-19 Nickelodeon
53-21 MSNBC
53-23 Tru TV

54-1 Food Network
54-3 HGTV
54-7 Disney
54-11 A&E
54-13 History
54-15 VH1
54-17 Lifetime
54-21 SciFi
54-23 AMC

55-5 ESPN
55-13 ESPN2
55-15 Comcast Sportsnet
55-19 Weather Channel
55-27 National Geographic
55-33 CNN Headline News

56-1 Fit TV
56-3 GAC
56-5 Soap Net

82-1 QVC
82-3 C-SPAN
82-5 TBN
82-7 WGN
82-9 Shop NBC
82-11 Church Channel
82-13 C-SPAN 3
82-15 Life TV
82-17 EWTN
82-19 3ABN
82-21 C-SPAN 2
82-23 HSN

89-4 Iowa Public Television 32-1 (or is it 12-1 ???)
89-8 Iowa Public Television 32-2
89-10 Iowa Public Television 32-3

99-4 KWWL 7-3
99-6 KCRG 9-1
99-8 KWKB
99-9 BYU
99-10 KGAN 2-1
99-12 KWWL 7-1
99-14 KWWF 22-1
99-16 KFXB 40-1
99-18 Iowa Public Television 32-1 (or is it 12-1 ???)
99-20 ESPN News

114-1 KWWL 7-1
114-2 KWWL 7-2
114-3 KWWL 7-3
114-6 KGAN 2-1

115-2 KCRG 9-1
115-4 KGAN 2-1
115-6 KCRG 9-2

117-1 Mediacom Public Access channel 18
117-3 Kirkwood TV
117-5 Jewelry TV
117-7 University of Iowa TV

119-2 KPXR 48-1

There's some duplicates in there so some might be SDTV signals
and HD signal mixed in there. It took me about 2 hours of sifting to
get this far, so if you have corrections, post them here.

I can't believe there isn't more interest here among TV geeks
to keep this updated.:confused:

CR_Client

08-03-09, 11:34 PM

Are you sure that's a list of CLEAR QAM? And not Family Cable QAM? There are quite a number of QAM channels on there that, based on their names, shouldn't be available in the clear to everyone, most notably everything below 82-1.

Also, since all of the QAM channels below 114-1 and above 115-6 are also available in analog form (other than PBS-HD), that would be why there isn't much of a desire/need to keep the list up-to-date on a daily basis. I would never want to sit around waiting for channels to tune on QAM when the analog tuner grabs them MUCH more quickly.

Honestly, the only QAM channels I care about at all are HD versions of basic cable channels. If they're just a digital re-broadcast of an SD version of a channel, I don't even bother to tune them.

Find me a clear QAM version of WGN-HD, and you'll be my hero.

oldsyd

08-04-09, 03:52 AM

My list was from a scan of clear QAM channels. I do not have a true HDTV monitor, so everything is presented at 480i.

I'm just using a QAM tuner, so I can be sure none of those listed are encrypted.

The point is, right now you are correct that the list is redundant, being replicated with analog channels.

But, eventually all of the analog channels will be shut off, and that will force basic customers to either rent a digital converter box or to rent a CableCard.

Renting equipment reminds me of the bad old days when Ma Bell forced you to rent a telephone.

hdtvincr

08-04-09, 08:00 AM

I can't believe there isn't more interest here among TV geeks to keep this updated.:confused:

The list WAS updated a few weeks ago, but did not include all of those family package SD channels as CR_Client mentioned.

Apparently the filter trap for just having the extreme basic package does not pass those as I can not get them, but yes CR_Client, those ARE there now digitally if you don't have traps.... :(

ivorygate

08-04-09, 09:30 AM

Here is the QAM channel broadcast station list for Mediacom in Waterloo:

113.6 KRINDT IPTV
113.8 KRINDT2 IPTV Learns
113.10 KRINDT3 IPTV World
114.1 KWWLDT KWWL
114.2 KWWLDT2 ThisTV
114.3 KWWLDT3 RTN
114.4 KGANDT KGAN
115.2 KCRGDT KCRG
115.4 KFXADT KFXA
115.6 KCRGDT2 KCRG 9.2 (News/Weather)
118.4 KWKBDT KWKB

kmandsag

08-04-09, 10:28 AM

I've been trying to set up my HTPC to receive QAM broadcasts - I stumbled upon this thread and thought this might be the place to get some help. I live in Iowa City, and receive basic cable from mediacom. My PC has a QAM tuner, but when I hook my cable to the tuner it doesn't find any channels. I've tried using the QAM line-ups posted on this thread to manually add them (it seems Windows 7 media center doesn't do a very good job of finding channels anyway), but it still doesn't get a signal.

Since you guys seem like you know you stuff, I though someone could help explain what I might be doing wrong, or if I should even expect to receive any QAM channels. Do I need to have a digital cable subscription? I am using a new Panasonic 42" plasma (TC-P42U1) as my monitor - I'm not sure if it's tuner supports QAM (just says ATSC on the website, which I think might just mean OTA broadcasts). If I could run it directly to my TV to get HD channels I could live with that. Would love to have the guide/pvr function on my PC, but I just want to get local channels in HD to watch sports broadcasts.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

bagdropper

08-04-09, 01:36 PM

What on your PC are you using to tune anything with? Windows Media Center by chance? I wasn't aware of WMC/VMC/7MC having QAM capability if so.

OK, I see you're using 7MC.

I'm assuming 7MC has QAM capability. The first thing I'd ask is you've gone through the setup routine where the QAM tuner is recognized by 7MC and all that, correct? I know nothing about QAM tuners...but I would generally make sure that the QAM tuner you're using is listed as a valid QAM tuner choice.

I would highly recommend going to thegreenbutton.com and searching the forums for people having the exact same issues you are...its a fantastic source to figure out the various foibles of media center in general.

kmandsag

08-04-09, 02:02 PM

Yes, I'm using 7MC to tune channels - as far as I know it seems like it's supposed to have native QAM support (no TV pack needed like Vista). I've gone through the setup, and it will ask me if I receive a Analog or Digital/QAM signal, so I'm assuming that means it's recognizing the QAM tuner (it does not ask me that for an ATI analog tuner that I also have).

I use thegreenbutton a lot, and started a thread there before I ran across this one. It seems like there are a few people that have gotten some clear QAM channels using mediacom in Des Moines.

kmandsag

08-04-09, 02:25 PM

Update: I tried hooking my cable up to my Panasonic plasma last night, and scanned for digital channels, but to no avail. I tried it again this afternoon, and it found 80+! It found more digital than analog channels. I'm going through them now. Looks like the locals might be in HD, everything else is more like SD - but still much better than what I was getting via analog. So I am getting these channels... I just need to figure out how to get them to work with my pc tuner (hauppage hvr-1800, btw).

I'm going to rescan on my PC - I've heard mediacom has been having some connection issues due to recent weather. Perhaps this is what was preventing my pc from picking these up last night...? Doubtful, but it will save me more work/frustration if it happens to be true.

CR_Client

08-04-09, 09:12 PM

But, eventually all of the analog channels will be shut off, and that will force basic customers to either rent a digital converter box or to rent a CableCard.

I don't remember the specific legislative wording, but AFAIK, cable providers are allowed/required to provide analog cable for quite a few years after the OTA digital transition.

I shudder to think of the mess it will create if/when they finally shut off analog cable. The OTA transition was convoluted enough, and about the only thing that kept the country for devolving into anarchy was the fact that analog cable was sticking around...

sebenste

08-05-09, 12:09 AM

I don't remember the specific legislative wording, but AFAIK, cable providers are allowed/required to provide analog cable for quite a few years after the OTA digital transition.

I shudder to think of the mess it will create if/when they finally shut off analog cable. The OTA transition was convoluted enough, and about the only thing that kept the country for devolving into anarchy was the fact that analog cable was sticking around...

Well, watch for news in the Chicago area. Between September 1 and December 31, 51 suburbs of Chicago are going all digital with Comcast (the city went digital last year; grumbles, but most people were digital on their primary TV's anyway). Most have digital cable already these days, so once again, it will not be a big deal for most folks.

319 Sports Fan

08-05-09, 07:24 AM

I monitored KWKB OTA a couple of weeks ago and it looks like they are showing My Network TV in HD now, or at least Friday Night Smackdown.

hdtvincr

08-05-09, 08:26 AM

Yes, KWKB does appear to be running in HD mode now. I came home from work the other night and their stupid magic tricks revealed was widescreen semi-hd mode or whatever it is broadcast in.

Really surprises me that they are broadcasting Cards in HD as mentioned a few days ago...

Jon Ellis

08-05-09, 11:54 PM

I don't remember the specific legislative wording, but AFAIK, cable providers are allowed/required to provide analog cable for quite a few years after the OTA digital transition.

The requirement is that cable systems offer local broadcast stations on their analog service, if they offer analog service. They can go all-digital if they want to.

flyingvee

08-10-09, 08:57 PM

sry. a few weeks ago TVGOS appeared (and then disappeared) as if by magic. I think oldsyd posted that 3.1 in Mason City was broadcasting TVGOS.

well - if it is, my Sony DHG500 has stopped recognizing it - the Sony did a reset, and all the data disappeared. And while I'm getting 3.1 perfectly, there has been no update.

perhaps I was getting it on a bounce from somewhere else. Can you point me to a list of stations that currently carry TVGOS, within a hundred miles or so of CF/Waterloo? Again, getting noting off 3.1; if you can give me a direction to point my antenna, would be appreciated.

thanks,

Trip in VA

08-10-09, 08:59 PM

Check the Rochester thread. You'll find that KIMT's TVGOS gear died and is awaiting replacement.

- Trip

gjvrieze

08-11-09, 10:14 AM

Check the Rochester thread. You'll find that KIMT's TVGOS gear died and is awaiting replacement.

- Trip

Thanks Trip for jumping in here. I was going to reply but fell asleep before making it back to the keyboard:)

flyingvee

08-11-09, 11:42 PM

Check the Rochester thread. You'll find that KIMT's TVGOS gear died and is awaiting replacement.

- Trip

THANKS. shoulda thought a that. my luck - turn the antenna, get it all good, and then it dies. Will start watching the Rochester thread to see when it might come back.

thanks again - I wasted all last night trying to find something (anything) on my own.

tsduke

08-13-09, 03:05 PM

This is good to here...

http://www.multichannel.com/article/327177-KCRG_Begins_File_Based_HD_Update.php?nid=2387&source=link&rid=5064007

New Facility Also In Works for Iowa ABC Affiliate
by George Winslow -- Multichannel News, 8/11/2009 12:07:20 PM EDT
KCRG-TV, the ABC affiliate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is installing a file-based high definition content management and distribution platform from Grass Valley that is expected to be operational in September.

The deployment is part of a larger upgrade to KCRG's HD infrastructure, which includes plans to build a new HD facility in 2010.

"All of this is part of a plan to go from what we used to be, which was a single-channel, analog, tape-based broadcaster, to a multiplatform digital broadcaster where everything is in HD from acquisition to ingest and playout," said KCRG vice president and general manager John Phelan.

When the first phase of the project is completed in September, KCRG will be the first station in its market to automatically record and playback syndicated programming and commercial spots in HD.

"We think that will give us a competitive advantage," Phelan explained.

The file-based system will also allow them to automatically insert ads and other content in their standard-definition digital second channel, Local 9.2, which provides local news, weather and other programming.

"The file-based system will allow us to start producing some revenue from the digital channel," Phelan said.

The station's engineering staff is in the process of installing a new Grass Valley Maestro SD/HD branding and master-control system, two Grass Valley KD SD/HD media servers for commercials and syndicated programming playback, a Grass Valley Concerto Series HD router, Grass Valley GeckoFlex signal-conversion modules, and other equipment, said KCRG director of engineering and IT Kirk Schroeder.

Much of the equipment for the new HD facility KCRG is planning to build in 2010 will also be from Grass Valley.

"A great deal of it, from cameras to production-control switchers, file servers and newsroom servers, will come from Grass Valley," Phelan said.

Other vendors for the upgrades will include Sundance Digital and Harmonic, Schroeder said.

KCRG went with Grass Valley after looking at a number of vendors, Schroeder added. "When we started looking at who had our favorite server, master-control switchers, master-control routers, production switchers, and so forth, Grass Valley was always there at either No. 1 or tied for No. 1."

The vendor also offered "a very generous trade-in program, which was important for us because our plan was to build a brand new digital broadcast facility" in 2010, Phelan added. "Some of the equipment we are now installing will be moved to the new facility and some of it will be traded in. That made it possible for us to do this in a very effective manner."

Phelan noted that they've just started designing the new facility. "Initially we are going to have only one HD studio and we are going to design for two control room but we want to make sure the building can be easily expanded to put in another studio or whatever we need in the future," Phelan said.

Final designs should be completed in December. They hope to break ground in early spring when the weather improves and complete the building by the fall of 2010. "When we move into that we will be HD from acquisition out in the field to ingest to playout," Phelan said.

gjvrieze

08-13-09, 03:21 PM

iowahawkeye

08-13-09, 03:50 PM

gjvrieze

08-13-09, 04:04 PM

Good to hear......OMG....now the news team will be stopping in the makeup room more often. :)

LOL. From what I have read, usually it takes more time to apply makeup and less makeup to keep everyone looking "good" in HD!

uhf

08-14-09, 11:51 AM

I'm curious if the new KCRG facility will still be downtown, or is it going to another location?

CR_Client

08-14-09, 11:33 PM

khasha

08-15-09, 10:24 PM

With all the layoff's the Gazette has had they shouldn't have a problem finding an empty space for the equipment in the downtown building. But, I just wonder how their paying for it since their ESOP stock lose 65% of it valve.

Jon Ellis

08-16-09, 11:17 PM

The Gazette and KCRG are in separate buildings connected by a skywalk. The only empty space in the KCRG building when I worked there (three years ago) was the old Iowa Farmer Today space on the third floor.

This is great news for the folks at KCRG, they have been waiting years for this to happen. Congratulations!

Brew

08-17-09, 08:53 PM

Anyone in Dubuque with Mediacom --

Try checking out your ClearQAM reception on Mediacom Digital Channel 83-23. It's been in the clear now at least since Saturday. I can't believe no one has noticed or complained (or cheered!) about this yet.

iowahawkeye

08-18-09, 10:23 PM

Brew

08-19-09, 02:35 PM

OK, I'll bite. What are we all missing?

Hardcore porn -- with the familiar Playboy bunny logo in the lower right hand side. Didn't know PB did hardcore, but that's irrelevant. Completely in the clear. Hooked up my HDTV right to my Family Cable, scanned for digital cable channels and woah -- why the heck is this in the clear?

I just ditched Mediacom for DirecTV, so I can't confirm if it's still going or not, but it was definitely there for over 48 hours.

CR_Client

08-19-09, 04:22 PM

I used to get that on QAM for a while a couple of years ago. Although, for me, it wasn't necessarily always pr0n, it was actually the VOD feed for the people in my area. I watched a lot of movies that way for a while, but you were subject to the whim of whoever was watching; they might decide to pause and take a potty break, or re-watch the same scene over and over and over, or whatever.

MediaCom started scrambling the signals a couple of years ago, and I haven't seen it again since.

bobgpsr

08-20-09, 01:50 PM

What is the story with ImOn cable and KWWL's digital HD? Curious since KCRG, KGAN, IPT, and KFXA have HD QAM on ImOn.

btw I am very impressed with the low noise analog channel video on ImOn.

CR_Client

08-22-09, 12:43 AM

I don't care as much about HD news as I do about HD Syndicated playback. That is definitely good news!

I somehow doubt that all of this new equipment is going in the downtown building, though...

Wait, upon re-reading... The new equipment is going downtown. I highly doubt the new facility is going to be downtown, though. At least, not in downtown Cedar Rapids...

I'm kinda surprised that Kirk is quoted, but didn't post the news in the first place. He sounds pretty busy, though! :)

I just remembered something that I like more than Syndicated HD.

Being able to watch late-night programming on Friday nights in Iowa in HD.

Thank goodness KCRG will have a way to show late-night programming in HD after their High-school football coverage. Too bad they don't have any late-night HD programs on ABC, though.

As long as the locals continue to pre-empt national programming for local high-school sports, and can't rebroadcast the pre-empted programming in HD, I'll continue to consider them to be "bush-league".

j lehner

08-22-09, 03:16 AM

I think Nightline and Jimmy Kimmel are both sent in HD by ABC, so it shouldn't be a problem for them to be delayed and played back in HD when KCRG is finished with their upgrade.

gjvrieze

08-22-09, 09:02 AM

Thank goodness KCRG will have a way to show late-night programming in HD after their High-school football coverage. Too bad they don't have any late-night HD programs on ABC, though.
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson will be in HD starting the 31th of August!

dline

08-22-09, 04:34 PM

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson will be in HD starting the 31th of August!... and as I recall KGAN doesn't delay The Late Late Show anymore, so it should be good to go immediately.

For what it's worth, daytime's Ellen show is moving to KCRG this fall and has an HD version available when they're ready to air it that way.

CR_Client

08-22-09, 09:19 PM

Even if it's only for tonight, I'm pleased to report that, again, at least for now, WGN-HD is on QAM 113.2 in Cedar Rapids. I only have the el-cheapo Broadcast Basic package, so this channel, for now, should be available to everyone.

Here's hoping it's a permanent change, and not just a mistake. WGN is one of the few channels I still keep cable for, and having it in HD on clear QAM is enough to keep me around for a little while longer. I'll report back if I find KWKB-HD on QAM, unless someone else has already found it...

KFXAChief

08-24-09, 09:45 AM

"bush-league"?

4lids

08-24-09, 10:37 AM

Bush-League:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-bush-league.htm

Not much baseball in broadcasting. Considering the local high school spots beat the late night in ratings, this won't be changing anytime soon. Thankfully, local HD stuff is around the corner for some of us.

upandup

08-25-09, 10:54 PM

Does this make any sense?

I live on the west in Iowa City off of Mormon Trek. I have a condo, and I'm just using balcony mounted antennas. I'm on the third floor, though, so it's fairly high up.

I am able to get all of these channels: KGAN (2.1, 2.2.), KWQC (6.1., 6.2), WQAD (8.1, 8.2), WBQD (8.3), KCRG (9.1, 9.2, 9.3), KIIN (12.1, 12.2, 12.3), KLJB (18.1, 18.2), KWKB (20.1), WBQG (26.1), and KFXA (28.1., 28.2)

And yet, no matter what antenna I try, what direction I face it, I can't get KWWL. I just find it bizarre that I can go the 80 miles to the Orion, IL tower but I can't get KWWL.

Any insight?

[Since I get the Quad Cities NBC affiliate, I'm reasonably satisfied, but I am confused.]

CR_Client

08-26-09, 11:43 AM

upandup

08-26-09, 02:21 PM

Well, if it's on a balcony, and not on the top of the building, then it's quite possible that all of the channels you're getting are reflected and likely have a good deal of multi-path interference in the first place. If the multi-path on KWWL is worse than the rest, then that would be why you can't get it.

Which side of the building is your balcony on? If you're on the south side of the building, you won't have line-of-sight to the KWWL tower, and shouldn't expect good results that far away in that dense of an area.

Thanks for the reply.

The balcony is on the west side of the building. The antenna is pole-mounted and the antenna itself at the roof line. I have a line-of-sight to KWWL's antenna (mapped it out) and tried pointing the antenna right at it. That was a no go.

I just don't really get why I can get channels broadcast farther away from a tower to which I don't have a direct line of sight but I can't get a channel that's closer with a line of sight.

I'm reasonably happy (I get at least one broadcaster of each of the majors). I'm mostly puzzled.

gjvrieze

08-26-09, 02:24 PM

Thanks for the reply.

The balcony is on the west side of the building. The antenna is pole-mounted and the antenna itself at the roof line. I have a line-of-sight to KWWL's antenna (mapped it out) and tried pointing the antenna right at it. That was a no go.

I just don't really get why I can get channels broadcast farther away from a tower to which I don't have a direct line of sight but I can't get a channel that's closer with a line of sight.

I'm reasonably happy (I get at least one broadcaster of each of the majors). I'm mostly puzzled.

One thought that I have, is what VHF-HI antenna are you using? Some have huge gain drop offs down at VHF-HI 7 (can be MUCH weaker then say channel 11 or 12) UHF antennas usually ok for the top channels in VHF-HI if you are close enough but not down at say channel 7.

upandup

08-26-09, 03:22 PM

One thought that I have, is what VHF-HI antenna are you using? Some have huge gain drop offs down at VHF-HI 7 (can be MUCH weaker then say channel 11 or 12) UHF antennas usually ok for the top channels in VHF-HI if you are close enough but not down at say channel 7.
That could be. I get KCRG (channel 9), but I guess that's the lowest real channel (KGAN is really in the 50s I think).

I'm actually using this little antenna, because it's working better than the three larger antennas I tried:
http://monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10901&cs_id=1090102&p_id=4730&seq=1&format=3#specification

gjvrieze

08-26-09, 03:45 PM

That could be. I get KCRG (channel 9), but I guess that's the lowest real channel (KGAN is really in the 50s I think).

I'm actually using this little antenna, because it's working better than the three larger antennas I tried:
http://monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10901&cs_id=1090102&p_id=4730&seq=1&format=3#specification

WOW, I cannot believe that you get KCRG with that thing! It is possible that it has much more gain at channel 9 then 7 (there again, many UHF antennas do) This thing is prolly not even that close to be 0dBd, so it is amazing that you get any VHF-HI other then KIIN-DT-12.

Which other antennas have you tried?

upandup

08-26-09, 05:21 PM

WOW, I cannot believe that you get KCRG with that thing!
I can't believe it works as well as it does, either (WQAD comes in with a higher signal strength than KCRG, but both come in, even pointed the same direction)! I got it after trying some other atennas. I read the reviews (which are very good) and decided it couldn't hurt to try something different (it's less than $30 shipped).

Which other antennas have you tried?
I tried the amplified Stealthtenna, amplified Channelmaster 3016, Winegard HD7694P, Winegard HD7000R.

gjvrieze

08-26-09, 05:23 PM

I can't believe it works as well as it does, either (WQAD comes in with a higher signal strength than KCRG, but both come in, even pointed the same direction)! I got it after trying some other atennas. I read the reviews (which are very good) and decided it couldn't hurt to try something different (it's less than $30 shipped).

I tried the amplified Stealthtenna, amplified Channelmaster 3016, Winegard HD7694P, Winegard HD7000R.

How did the Winegard HD7694P work?

upandup

08-26-09, 05:36 PM

How did the Winegard HD7694P work?
I got less than I get with my little Monoprice antenna!
The Monoprice added Orion, IL broadcasted channels--KWQC (6.1., 6.2), WQAD (8.1, 8.2), WBQD (8.3)

With the Monoprice I lost 32.1, 32.2, 32.3 (but since I get 12.1, 12.2., 12.3 it doesn't matter).

With both I get KGAN (2.1, 2.2.), KCRG (9.1, 9.2, 9.3), KIIN (12.1, 12.2, 12.3), KWKB (20.1), WBQG (26.1), and KFXA (28.1., 28.2)

With none of the antennas I tried am I able to KWWL (7.1, 7.2, 7.3).

gjvrieze

08-26-09, 05:58 PM

I got less than I get with my little Monoprice antenna!
The Monoprice added Orion, IL broadcasted channels--KWQC (6.1., 6.2), WQAD (8.1, 8.2), WBQD (8.3)

With the Monoprice I lost 32.1, 32.2, 32.3 (but since I get 12.1, 12.2., 12.3 it doesn't matter).

With both I get KGAN (2.1, 2.2.), KCRG (9.1, 9.2, 9.3), KIIN (12.1, 12.2, 12.3), KWKB (20.1), WBQG (26.1), and KFXA (28.1., 28.2)

With none of the antennas I tried am I able to KWWL (7.1, 7.2, 7.3).

The last things that come to mind is FM harmonics, or FM overload. And the fact that the KWWL tower is about 5 miles to the north of the KCRG tower.

4lids

08-27-09, 10:59 AM

I tried the amplified Stealthtenna, amplified Channelmaster 3016, Winegard HD7694P, Winegard HD7000R.

I'm positive that monoprice thing has better gain at UHF than VHf just by looking at it. The other antennas you tried are much more directional as well. There is also a built in amp in the monoprice one that may be helping or hindering things. One thing to try is to rotate it 90 degrees and see what happens. This is a try with that square antennas that gives them a bit more horizonal length for better VHF reception. The Quad City stations are only about 5 miles further away from you than the KWWL is in Rowley, so it doesn't surprise me that you are seeing them and not KWWL with that antenna. It does surprise me though that some of the others didn't work. Monitor KCRG's signal quality and see if it goes up when you rotate the antenna. It should get stronger too. I'm also surprised you lost 32 which is on the same tower as KCRG and KGAN. That one makes no sense!
-Jarrett

upandup

08-27-09, 11:15 AM

One thing to try is to rotate it 90 degrees and see what happens. This is a try with that square antennas that gives them a bit more horizonal length for better VHF reception.
Thanks for your reply.

I've experimented a lot with different positions (bending it, angling it, rotating it, etc.), but I will do some more experimentation tonight. There's also another easy place to mount it, so I'll try that as well.

The antenna position has made a big difference in what channels I can get. I can always get 12 and 20 (I can get those indoors with pretty much any little old thing), but the reception of the others is dependent on antenna position.

I'm also surprised you lost 32 which is on the same tower as KCRG and KGAN.
Very strange, indeed. I also note that there are antenna positions where I can get KGAN but not KCRG.

Considering the Monoprice antenna is cheaper, smaller, and more functional (better reception) than the other antennas I tried, I'm pleased with it, but I'm greedy and want to find KWWL! :)

upandup

08-27-09, 10:46 PM

Well, I did some experimenting with more antenna positions, and I'm able to regain 32 and improve the signal strength on KCRG, but I can't get KWWL to come in well enough to view. I did get it to show up enough to get the station identification info, but the signal quality was always in the 7-15% range and not good enough for actual viewing.
I did greatly deteriorate the signal strength of the Quad Cities stations when maximizing KCRG strength, so I'll probably find a compromise position which works with KCRG and KGAN as well as KWQC.

CR_Client

08-27-09, 11:52 PM

Or one could just buy a VHF antenna... But that would probably be too easy of a fix for most people...

upandup

08-28-09, 01:08 AM

Or one could just buy a VHF antenna... But that would probably be too easy of a fix for most people...
I've tried a number of antennas, all of which have VHF reception. This one performs the best of them all.

I'm happy to hear specific antenna recommendations, however. I'll try another if necessary.

ivorygate

08-28-09, 09:47 AM

I noticed this morning that in Waterloo, Mediacom has dropped KWKBDT (the 1080i HD version) from QAM 118.4. Actually, they had the SD version on one of the 125.x channels for months before they put the HD version on 118.4 this summer sometime and the SD feed is gone as well. I did a fresh channel scan and it hasn't just been moved to a different channel number. Actually, several other SD QAM channels were also removed, since my last channel scan only a week ago.

dline

08-28-09, 02:26 PM

From the "Gee, I didn't see THAT coming" file:

Mediacom plans to drop KWWF (analog cable 16) from its lineup "on or around" Sept. 9. They announced the change in an ad in today's Gazette.

KWWF has been MIA since June 12 due to financial issues.

iowegian3

08-28-09, 04:50 PM

Re: Monoprice antenna in IC...Found their website, had chat w/ on-line support. Unfortunately they had no gain specs available. Looking at customer reviews on their site, most gave good reviews, but of those who didn't complained of problems when stations switched back to VHF post 6/12.

Suspect gain is sucky at channel 7, less vacuum at 9, while reception at UHF is a breeze.

You need a good VHF-hi only antenna. Try the 5 element varieties such as from Antennacraft (http://www.antennacraft.net/Yagi.html) or Winegard (http://digitalstar.com/product/WINEGARD-YA-6713-HIGH-BAND-VHF-DTV-ANTENNA.aspx). The Winegard is actually a 6 element, and may still be hard to find, though Winegard says (http://www.winegard.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=31) they're bringing it back. The Winegard would actually have a shorter boom length than the Aantennacraft, if size is a concern. Still the A-craft is only 5 foot long. Either way, you're helping Iowa companies.

If these smaller versions don't do it, then you might have to go 10 element, twice as long. Might overwhelm in a balcony installation.

upandup

08-28-09, 07:07 PM

If these smaller versions don't do it, then you might have to go 10 element, twice as long. Might overwhelm in a balcony installation.

Thanks for the advice.
I may try that, combining the antenna feeds then.

On the other hand, I may just get Mediacom Broadcast Basic. It's only $10.87+tax/fees in Iowa City, so about $12/month.

CR_Client

08-28-09, 11:23 PM

Thanks for the advice.
I may try that, combining the antenna feeds then.

On the other hand, I may just get Mediacom Broadcast Basic. It's only $10.87+tax/fees in Iowa City, so about $12/month.

It's a very good option for Iowa City folks, and was a good option in Cedar Rapids up until about 18 months ago, when it jumped from $9.99/mo higher and higher to its current $22.99/mo. Considering you get the locals in HD via QAM with the broadcast basic, it's worth it at only $10/mo. At $27 (including taxes and fees) a month, it's not quite the bargain it once was, though I noticed that I got WGNHD over QAM recently.

If I could get WGN-HD OTA here in CR, I would drop MediaCon in a heartbeat.

upandup

08-29-09, 04:20 PM

It's a very good option for Iowa City folks, and was a good option in Cedar Rapids up until about 18 months ago, when it jumped from $9.99/mo higher and higher to its current $22.99/mo. Considering you get the locals in HD via QAM with the broadcast basic, it's worth it at only $10/mo. At $27 (including taxes and fees) a month, it's not quite the bargain it once was, though I noticed that I got WGNHD over QAM recently.

Yeah. The rate for Broadcast Basic in Iowa City actually went down this month by 60¢. I think it helps that we have an active oversight commission here. Broadcast Basic rates are subject to municipal regulation (the other rates are not). They also just added a number of the broadcast subchannels, which was a weakness before.

$12 and change per month (with taxes/fees included) is reasonable and affordable.

I also wonder if any of the other channels sneak through the filter they put on the line.

ivorygate

09-04-09, 10:07 AM

So, Mediacom changes some channel assignments on 9/1. Fine, they can do that, but why is it that whenever cable companies change their channel listings, they never notify the TV listing providers Zap2It or TVGuide? Why do the customers have to screw around with contacting these companies ourselves and then wait upteen days for the guide data to get corrected. Mediacom (as does TiVo) uses Zap2it for their own TV listings link from their home page for crying out loud, but do they bother to tell them about the channel changes?
I've done my part, contacting Zap2it both directly and indirectly, but it could still take another three weeks before this gets fixed, based on experience helping those on the TiVo community try to get their guide data corrected. During the broadcast channel changes, I was one of the lucky ones that had my reports of channel changes implemented within 2-3 days, but I have a bad feeling that this time I'm going to be in for a long wait.

CR_Client

09-04-09, 10:47 PM

ivorygate

09-05-09, 02:01 PM

Mediacom 9/1/09 changes for Waterloo, Evansdale, Washburn, Gilbertville, Raymond, and Elk Run Heights:

FAMILY CABLE CHANNEL CHANGES
Old Channel New Channel
HSN 76 9
C-SPAN 21 16
Mun2 Television 55 23
The History Channel 54 68
MSNBC 56 69
Fox News 53 71
truTV 52 80
Educational Access (SCOLA) 16 Remove from lineup

DIGITAL BROADCAST BASIC CHANNEL CHANGES
Old Channel New Channel
C-SPAN 2 69 87
TBN 41 92
Inspiration Network 23 93
EWTN 51 94
C-SPAN 3 NEW! 88
BYU NEW! 89
3 Angels Network (3ABN) NEW! 90
The Church Channel NEW! 91
KWWF (IND 22) Waterloo 8 Remove from lineup

NEW HD FAMILY CABLE CHANNELS
Big Ten Network HD NEW! 834
Discovery HD NEW! 842
TLC HD NEW! 843
Animal Planet HD NEW! 844
Fox News HD NEW! 856
Lifetime HD NEW! 863

dline

09-05-09, 04:28 PM

So, Mediacom changes some channel assignments on 9/1. Fine, they can do that, but why is it that whenever cable companies change their channel listings, they never notify the TV listing providers Zap2It or TVGuide? Why do the customers have to screw around with contacting these companies ourselves and then wait upteen days for the guide data to get corrected.Some things never change. A lot of people had this same complaint back in the TCI days. Back in, what was it, 1997, they moved pretty much everything just to add the then-new Animal Planet channel and the Cartoon Network under orders from corporate. You'd think they could have just replaced the two channels they were going to replace, but perhaps that would have been too easy. Quite a few winter vacationers came back to find their VCRs were recording the wrong programming.

Among the channels they got rid of in Ames was the channel which told you where everything was.

I had a public access show at the time, and during the first episode after the change, I put a lower-third ticker up during the first block of the show, showing which channel was what. (Those were the days. :) )

redhawk

09-07-09, 10:17 AM

After I read all the complaints about Mediacom, I sure glad I have Direct. It is no wonder Mediacom is rated by some as the worst cable co. in the nation.

ivorygate

09-07-09, 11:33 AM

Do some Googling and you'll find Mediacom doesn't even come close to being the most hated cable company. Most of the hate is just because they are a monopoly in most cities, as is the case across nearly all of the country with cable companies. It is rare for a town like Cedar Falls to actually have two cable companies to choose from. Being stuck with no alternative for any product or service sucks, it just flat out sucks.

Mediacom did just bump up broadband internet download and upload transfer rates and didn't (haven't yet) increase the cost. They are also still adding HD channels, so they aren't all that far behind CFU, except for ... the NFL Network. :mad: That one channel alone is why if I move to Cedar Falls that I'll switch to CFU.

I don't completely blame Mediacom for the guide data issue. They could have told Zap2It and the others about it a week ago for all we know, but these guide data companies just don't seem all that concerned with how accurate their lineups are. Take the partial digital conversion debacle of Feb '09, which wasn't any cable company's fault. Some folks around the nation were waiting up to 6 weeks, before Zap2It updated their guide data to reflect changed broadcast station frequencies. The TV Guide and TitanTV web pages were also behind at the time. It is one thing to be behind on some random cable company's changes they make out of the blue, but the broadcast station changes were well documented, so there was no excuse not to have been prepared. I guess I'm just some perfectionist with unrealistic expectations, but it seems to me that if your business is to provide data to customers that reflect some knowable entity like what channel number station X is on, well, you make sure your data is accurate.

VintonShellsburg

09-08-09, 12:18 PM

Has anyone noticed an issue with the audio on KGAN being rather inconsistent, mostly noticeably lower/quieter compared to the other channels? I've had quite a few people comment to me about this lately, and it's always the same story. When watching the other channels the volume on their TV can be left at a normal level, yet when they change to KGAN they have to turn the volume all the way up to hear what is going on. Then, when a commercial comes on, it's like a Saturn V rocket going off in their living room. A few of the people who have talked to me about it have converter boxes, while others have new TVs with digital tuners built-in. None of them have 5.1 audio though, just the standard speakers built into the TVs. They all get KGAN OTA.

Wayner3

09-08-09, 06:30 PM

Does anybody on DTV know if the Hawks vs Clones are on a station that you can pick up without paying anything extra? The Gazette said its on FOX SportsNet. Those are all pay extra stations.

dline

09-08-09, 07:59 PM

Does anybody on DTV know if the Hawks vs Clones are on a station that you can pick up without paying anything extra? The Gazette said its on FOX SportsNet. Those are all pay extra stations.You mean DirecTV? Because all digital TV is DTV ...

Anyway, as far as I know, Fox Sports Net is it, unless you have cable and your cable company is able to pull a few strings to put it on a special events channel. Mediacom and Imon are doing that. I don't know about CFU's plans.

CR_Client

09-09-09, 11:25 PM

redhawk

09-10-09, 08:59 AM

The Hawk game is on Comcast Chicago 666 and 666-1 HD. For DTV users. You don not need the Fox sport package to get the Ggame.

dline

09-11-09, 04:26 AM

The Hawk game is on Comcast Chicago 666 and 666-1 HD. For DTV users. You don not need the Fox sport package to get the Ggame.Couple of things:

- The main CSN Chicago may very well NOT carry the game.

The Cyclones website says the Iowa @ Iowa State game will actually air on Comcast Sportsnet Plus Chicago, in addition to Fox Sports Net. While CSN Bay Area, Northeast and Washington DC will apparently carry the Cy-Hawk game, CSN Chicago is scheduled to air a Cubs game beginning at noon Saturday. Although CSN Chicago's website isn't as clear as it probably should be on this, I'm betting the Cubs game will be on their main channel, with Plus airing the Cy-Hawk game -- in other words, what cyclones.com says. Otherwise Mediacom would have no reason to put the game on Connections in Eastern Iowa.

- "DTV" is an abbreviation for ANY digital TV, even over-the-air. You need either cable or a satellite service with either Fox Sports Net or Comcast Sportsnet Plus in order to get this game. (The accepted abbreviation for DirecTV on these boards is "D*," to avoid confusion.)

dline

09-11-09, 02:42 PM

Clarification:

CSN Chicago Plus IS DirecTV channel 666, according to today's Des Moines Register, but not every D* package has it.

CR_Client

09-17-09, 09:04 PM

Unfortunately, I seem to have lost WGN-HD off of QAM. Still haven't found KWKB-HD on QAM yet.

The other issue, unrelated to QAM, is that KWWL has some serious audio problems, on both QAM-HD, and analog cable. The audio has that "underwater" sound, making television almost completely un-watchable.

dornitram

09-17-09, 10:46 PM

Of course new shows are on tonight and KWWL audio was terrible. Crazy how there aren't any issues until new shows start up. Not quite unwatchable just very annoying. This was through DirecTv.

mred53

09-17-09, 11:23 PM

KWWL audio was bad OTA as well.

Haley1966

09-18-09, 09:31 AM

Can anyone explain the volume issue? I watch both the Des Moines and CR markets. WHO 13, KWWL 7, and sometimes KGAN 2 (all OTA), the audio is so low, that I have to crank my TV (LG 42" HD LCD), up to around 85 out of 100. All other channels are fine at around 30-40. Its VERY irritating, is anything being done? Or is this a network problem? Mike

ivorygate

09-18-09, 09:50 AM

Was the audio glitch on the Thursday evening NBC programming specifically with KWWL or was this an NBC problem?

upandup

09-18-09, 12:02 PM

Was the audio glitch on the Thursday evening NBC programming specifically with KWWL or was this an NBC problem?

I didn't notice any problems with KWQC OTA from the Quad Cities. I don't get KWWL, so I can't compare the two.

CR_Client

09-22-09, 08:07 PM

KGAN has their 5.1 audio all jacked up again tonight... apparently, all 5 channels are being mixed together and being pumped into all 5 speakers.

I suppose I should count myself fortunate, though, as usually the audio screw-ups on KGAN plain eliminate the center channel and only put out the rear surrounds into the front left and right channel...

It's still quite annoying, though.

tsduke

09-22-09, 08:25 PM

Just now watching The Office recorded from last week. Audio is very annoying!!

iowahawkeye

09-22-09, 11:33 PM

Trip in VA

09-23-09, 12:26 AM

I see KWWL has now requested the 49 kW under STA, since the permanent application for that power level remains pending.

- Trip

Haley1966

09-23-09, 08:42 AM

Trip, is KWWL set to more or less "flip a switch" for more power? Or is this something that will require upgrades? I am still learning these things, so bear with me.:) Thanks, Mike

Trip in VA

09-23-09, 09:07 AM

4lids would be better qualified to answer you.

If I had to guess, I would say it's probably an adjustment on the transmitter.

- Trip

Haley1966

09-23-09, 10:04 AM

I would think that would be a pretty quick fix then. Soon the weather might be a factor here. Mike

Trip in VA

09-23-09, 10:10 AM

Considering that the transmitter is housed inside the transmitter building, I would doubt that weather will play any role in this power increase.

- Trip

Haley1966

09-23-09, 12:27 PM

Now why didn't I think of that.I'm still learning. LOL mike

uhf

09-24-09, 11:22 AM

I haven't seen the KWWL transmitter, so not sure what it's capable of at the moment, but that type of transmitter is generally pretty easy to upgrade by adding a few more modules (they slide right in) unless the cabinet is already full.

Haley1966

09-24-09, 02:13 PM

I am just hoping for WOI 5, KCCI 8, and now KWWL 7, to either bump up the power (KWWL), OR move to UHF (5,8). I admit, I am being selfish:D, I just want to recieve them with my indoor antennas! Mike

sgarringer

09-25-09, 03:43 PM

So they're letting the stations in Des Moines transmit on VHF and UHF?

Sorry, they made the decision to save money by switching back to VHF. Personally, I think the FCC should tell these broadcasters to get bent and give the licenses to new stations in the market. If they want to be independent they can be, otherwise they should be able to take the network affiliation from these moronic stations.

Gee, retailers have been selling UHF only antennas for *years* and they just realized this might be a problem? Any broadcaster who switched back to VHF gets what it deserves. The VHF spectrum could have been sold for millions if not billions of dollars...

Yet another jem of the Bush whitehouse, though...

Haley1966

09-25-09, 04:41 PM

uhf

09-25-09, 10:33 PM

Yet another jem of the Bush whitehouse, though...

Sorry, but the DTV transition started well before 2000, back when Bill Clinton was president.

sgarringer

09-26-09, 06:14 PM

Wasn't there a UHF requirement in the original plan as put forward by Clinton, but Bush slaughtered that for his buddies in the NAB I'd imagine.

Trip in VA

09-26-09, 06:49 PM

I love to blame things on Bush as much as anyone else, but the core channels were decided as 2-51 before Bush was elected.

- Trip

Jon Ellis

09-27-09, 01:07 AM

sgarringer, from what others have posted, it seems that channel 5, and 8 have applied to the FCC to have transmitters (or translators?), on channel 50and 31.

If I am wrong someone correct me, I can take it.:D Mike

You are not wrong, they will be translators. Digital UHF translators are limited to 15kW while full-power stations are up to 1,000kW, so there is not a huge power bill issue. In a market like Eastern Iowa, a station would need a minimum of two translators - one for Waterloo and another for CR/Iowa City. Dubuque has never had reliable TV reception anyway.

VintonShellsburg

09-27-09, 01:31 PM

dline

09-27-09, 02:42 PM

The VHF spectrum could have been sold for millions if not billions of dollars...And we listened.

Coming soon from Motorola ... the new VHF Phone!TM(R)(C)

It's sleek, stylish, and also comes in handy for bar fights!

sebenste

09-27-09, 06:08 PM

And we listened.

Coming soon from Motorola ... the new VHF Phone!TM(R)(C)

It's sleek, stylish, and also comes in handy for bar fights!

:cool::D

sgarringer

09-27-09, 09:08 PM

There are other uses for VHF spectrum, with the sheer amount of spectrum available would probably lend itself to point to multipoint internet access.

KFXAChief

09-28-09, 09:34 AM

The VHF spectrum could have been sold for millions if not billions of dollars...

Spectrum should NEVER be sold, only leased.

Yet another jem of the Bush whitehouse, though...

Yeah, like the one we have now is doing any better. He is making sure that private business can never make a mistake again. He does this by ensuring that Government will make all the mistakes for you.

Personally, I think the FCC should tell these broadcasters to get bent and give the licenses to new stations in the market. If they want to be independent they can be, otherwise they should be able to take the network affiliation from these moronic stations.

I did not know that the FCC could take away a station's network affiliation.

4lids

09-28-09, 10:29 AM

Trip, is KWWL set to more or less "flip a switch" for more power? Or is this something that will require upgrades? I am still learning these things, so bear with me.:) Thanks, Mike

We are all set... no modules needed. Just have to recalibrate the meters and push the power up button.
-Jarrett

4lids

09-28-09, 10:33 AM

Coming soon from Motorola ... the new VHF Phone!
It's sleek, stylish, and also comes in handy for bar fights!

:D And you probably lose signal everytime you walk by anything with a ballast, motor, or noisy wall wart transformer!

4lids

09-28-09, 10:43 AM

Personally, I think the FCC should tell these broadcasters to get bent and give the licenses to new stations in the market. If they want to be independent they can be, otherwise they should be able to take the network affiliation from these moronic stations.

Having the government get more involved and take out broadcast businesses is brilliant! It has worked soooo well for all of the other industries this past year, right? :rolleyes:

Haley1966

09-29-09, 09:14 AM

Jarrett, any timeframe? I would really like to be able to pick you up over here in Marshall county. Mike

4lids

09-29-09, 01:22 PM

Whenever the STA is granted... who knows when that will happen though. It could be weeks or months.

oldsyd

09-29-09, 03:13 PM

Back in December (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15277738#post15277738), I posted about the mysterious appearance of sub-channels 35.99 (KRIN) and 45.99 (KIIN) on IPTV, channels that were audio-only in nature and contained no content other than a continuous computer-generated tone. It was speculated by rcourtney (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15283371#post15283371) that this was possibly the rebirth of an SAP newspaper reading service for the blind.

Well, it appears that is the case. After disappearing for several months, 35.99 and 45.99 has re-appeared again today on one of our receivers (An Accurian portable TV), and it does have people reading the Des Moines Register on it. For some odd reason, the Accurian portable is the only receiver we have that can currently receive them, whereas when I first discovered them back in December almost every TV we had could receive them. Perhaps the service is still being tweaked.

Just thought I'd post this as an update to the earlier mystery.

Last year the IPTV Chief Engineer said they removed it because the content at the time was not filtered or censored, and some of the content violated FCC rules, so they dropped it. And, yes, technically the general public was not supposed to see these channels without a special decoder.

And, reading the posts from December makes me wonder 2 things:

1. Is this audio on all IPTV channels (12.99 and 32.99?) ?

2. What DTV converter boxes decode this?

uhf

09-29-09, 07:58 PM

1. Is this audio on all IPTV channels (12.99 and 32.99?) ?

If it's on one, it's on all of them. They all get fed the exact same data stream from the studio.

I have my own theories about what that stream is, but nobody that's actually in the know will talk to me about it.

Trip in VA

09-29-09, 08:02 PM

It would be nice if they would map it. A number of PBS stations have their reading services (if that's what this is) mapped and available publicly. See KRMA, AETN, NJN.

- Trip

sgarringer

09-29-09, 09:05 PM

It would be nice if they would map it. A number of PBS stations have their reading services (if that's what this is) mapped and available publicly. See KRMA, AETN, NJN.

- Trip

I only get the mappings show up if I do a scan at night. If I do it in the morning or the day time they don't show up.

Clearly other people disagree with me in regards to the VHF aspect, so I'll shut my mouth. I never meant the FCC would pull the "network affiliation" but rather the networks would when a new station build proper transmitting equipment.

uhf

09-30-09, 10:37 AM

TV Guide info should now be available on the IPTV stations statewide.

bobgpsr

09-30-09, 01:03 PM

[URL="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15277738#post15277738"]After disappearing for several months, 35.99 and 45.99 has re-appeared again today on one of our receivers (An Accurian portable TV), and it does have people reading the Des Moines Register on it. For some odd reason, the Accurian portable is the only receiver we have that can currently receive them, whereas when I first discovered them back in December almost every TV we had could receive them. Perhaps the service is still being tweaked.Last week my fairly new TV, a Samsung UN40B6000, said "unknown format" on 35.99 and 45.99. But this week it plays audio with a small moving screensaver "loudspeaker" icon against a black background. Like you say, it seems to be the Des Moines Register being read aloud by various personnel.

flyingvee

09-30-09, 07:54 PM

n0cf (Chris)

09-30-09, 09:29 PM

K - limited audience, I know - but does anyone have any idea wtf the highly trained technicians down at CFU are actually doing? after a month of stalling, (and blaming it on everyone else in the free world) they finally rolled out a bunch of new remapped HD channels yesterday.

Except - all we got (are getting) is the channel number, and show (PSIP data? - guide data - whatever it is.) anyway - we can see what should be on, but none of the new channels are "authorized." Even tho they are bought and paid for.

calling the office doesn't help - all I have found is that "All our technicians are working 24/7." If that is the case, they must be even less performance-directed than tv weathermen, since the only thing that has happened in the last 36 hours is that a few of the other channels I used to get have also disappeared.

--wouldn't even care, but in the process, they've taken away my HBO HD - THAT annoys me.
Yes, having HBO HD offline since yesterday is rather inexcusable, since it wasn't a service change. From a CFU-email, a bunch of new Motorola equipment at the head-end is not working as advertised - hence the macroblocked uglyness on many channels yesterday into today. I still didn't see any of the new HD channels on my cable card (info yes, video and audio no) at 5:30pm ... I'm recording two things now, but the CFU HD page has been updated since then, suggesting that all are functional http://www.cfu.net/hd.php

The holdup (as I heard it - 2nd hand - back in August) since the original notice came in the mail in July is due to equipment delays and getting non-CFU people scheduled to install the new head-end equipment.

rfifry

09-30-09, 10:35 PM

Hi UpandUp,
I had problems with 7 vhf after they switched back down. I had to drop amplifier gain from +23 to +12 and discovered my DSL modem had harmonic interference. CH7 .1 thru .3 we fine until I turned on my computer. I recently moved and installed a Winegard MS-2000, my NW CR location gets 75%+ on all channels except CH20. Your IC location is another 15-20 miles further so I'm not sure if the MS-2000 will pull CH7 in.

flyingvee

09-30-09, 10:51 PM

thanks Chris; that was the point I kept trying to make with the phone rep - understand not having the new channels working, but couldn't get a straight answer as to why they had to bork HBO-HD in the process; especially since they managed to keep StarzHD (and the 4 movies they run over and over) online. :confused:

I was told by a rather exasperated rep (hi, Stacy) "Have you checked the cfu web page - we keep updating it so you know where we're at."

I checked.

It says "Some cable TV channels may be temporarily out of service while CFU completes system maintenance for these new services. If some of your channels are not working properly, please call 268-5221."

Explained to her that I was only following directions from the CFU webpage.

Since it took over a month to get this far, have to wonder if they'll ever fix it. (CFUJoe - come back!:p)

on the upside - they cut into the middle of the NBCNews on NBCHD with HDNet for about 15 minutes. with any luck, they might stick Spice Channel into HGTV for a bit. :D

diggerg56

09-30-09, 11:40 PM

I have both Mediacom and Directv
Lately I've noticed some problems, particularly early in the morning with one or more of the local stations. If I've watching cable, there are some audio dropouts lasting a fraction of a second or more periodically.

If I'm watching on Directv (same channel) it takes the form of digital stutter (brrrrrp) with the audio and occasionally has some pixelization as well.

Anyone else noticed this?

I assume Mediacom and Directv must both be getting theire signal from the same local receive facility since the problem appears on both?

oldsyd

10-01-09, 12:32 PM

Weird, my CM-7000 DTV converter box just recently added 11.1 11.2 and 11.3 to my lineup, without running a channel scan.

The channels are all blank with no reception, but there is a signal level there. PSIP says 11.1 is called "HD" with the 2 subs as SD. It just displays the Channel Master "no signal" splash screen.

Anyone else in CID see this? Is this a harmonic of 12.1 or a result of the new XX.99 subcarriers from IPTV?

Maybe it's just my converter box acting up.

flyingvee

10-01-09, 02:50 PM

for what its worth;

"they're working on it" and "no one is happy about it." Thanks. and also - "We aren't issuing any credits - its only one channel." That we pay $14.93/month for.

funny - if I'm late on a bill, they charge a pretty hefty penalty. Even if I'm working on paying it, and feel bad about being late.

SethB

10-01-09, 11:31 PM

FYI, if there are any other TiVo owners out there on CFU, I had to request a reload/reboot of my CableCARDs before my TiVos would tune the new HD channels on CFU. I now have everything working, except for 206 (HBO HD) as mentioned above...

Now, if TiVo will just make the guide data match those new channels...

ivorygate

10-02-09, 09:42 AM

Now, if TiVo will just make the guide data match those new channels...

If the Feb '09 partial DTV transition fiasco taught us nothing it is that you have to be proactive with Zap2It (Tribune), otherwise you just don't know how many days/weeks it will take for them to get their database updated.
From past experience, it seems that Friday late PM is when you're most likely to get that updated channel lineup into your TiVo, that is assuming Zap2It has been notified of the changes by anyone. At least TiVo put their report a lineup issue (http://www.tivo.com/setupandsupport/contactsupport/lineup_tool.html) web form back on-line, so you should definitely fill that out. You could also try contacting Zap2It (http://www.zap2it.com/services/site/zap-feedback,0,6935396.story) directly.

n0cf (Chris)

10-02-09, 10:30 AM

FYI, if there are any other TiVo owners out there on CFU, I had to request a reload/reboot of my CableCARDs before my TiVos would tune the new HD channels on CFU. I now have everything working, except for 206 (HBO HD) as mentioned above...

I too called CFU and had them "refresh" my Cable Card around 8PM Thursday -- that got me up with all the new HD channels except HBO, Discovery and CNN. Sigh. Another call tonight, I imagine.

SethB

10-02-09, 10:53 AM

If the Feb '09 partial DTV transition fiasco taught us nothing it is that you have to be proactive with Zap2It (Tribune), otherwise you just don't know how many days/weeks it will take for them to get their database updated.

I submitted the new CFU lineup to TiVo on Tuesday, so hopefully they'll get it done today, otherwise, I'll have to set up a manual recording to pick up Mad Men on Sunday, now that we have AMC HD...

Slainet

10-02-09, 11:33 AM

Anyone here on CFU with the Motorola HD DVR?
Are all your new channels working now?
I am still missing new HD channels, like Speed and AMC, plus lost HBO HD since Tuesday.
I am tired of calling CFU every night to be told they're working on it, plus their website says the switch is complete now, so I don't know what else can I do... switch to DirectTV I guess... :confused:

PismoNate

10-02-09, 12:41 PM

TV Guide info should now be available on the IPTV stations statewide.

Do you mean the TV Guide On-Screen data (TVGOS)? I have a Sony DHG-HDD-250 that has been without a guide since the digital transition, and this is good news if I can start using it again! Last night I did the firmware update to allow it to start reading TVGOS data from digital-only channels, and so far it has not started filling in the guide data.

Does anyone else have a Sony DHG DVR in this market who has it working for them yet? (I've been reading the Sony DHG thread on this forum and it has about 30-40 pages of TVGOS voodoo from people trying to get theirs to recognize and use the stream even in markets where it is supposedly available...)

uhf

10-04-09, 07:35 PM

Do you mean the TV Guide On-Screen data (TVGOS)?

Yes. The equipment was activated but was later shut off due to a glitch that was reported by several viewers with Panasonic TVs. I'm not sure what the current status is.

todd123

10-05-09, 10:08 PM

Was anyone else seeing digital artifacts on the kgan feed every 5-10 minutes tonight?

uhf

10-06-09, 09:19 AM

Was anyone else seeing digital artifacts on the kgan feed every 5-10 minutes tonight?

Nope. Didn't see anything between 8p and 10p. Nothing during Letterman either. BUT THE COMMERCIALS SURE ARE LOUD :D

iowahawkeye

10-06-09, 11:24 PM

dline

10-07-09, 05:42 PM

UPDATE: KWWL

KWWL's request for STA to operate at 49 kW on channel 7 now comes up as "granted" in the FCC's CDBS.

uhf

10-07-09, 06:39 PM

IPTV's Keosaqua translator was cut over to Digital this afternoon. Still transmitting on RF Channel 24, will show virtual channel 12.x
The remaining seven translators remain analog at this time, and will be converted over "soon".

dline

10-07-09, 06:43 PM

UPDATE: KCRG

kcrg.com reports that Dish Network will start carrying that station in HD starting tonight.

uhf

10-07-09, 06:47 PM

UPDATE: KCRG

kcrg.com reports that Dish Network will start carrying that station in HD starting tonight.
Confirmed by Dish Network, it is on the 129 sat. The one behind my neighbors tree :mad:

hamerlinck22

10-07-09, 08:18 PM

:) :) :) :D :D :D :eek: :eek: :eek:

KCRG was the the last channel that I needed!!!!

I now get:

OTA HD 2.1, 2.2, 15.1, 20.1, 28.1 28.2 32.01 32.02 32.03 48.1 48.2 48.3 48.4

SAT Dish HD 2, 7, 9, 28

4lids

10-08-09, 09:51 AM

UPDATE: KWWL

KWWL's request for STA to operate at 49 kW on channel 7 now comes up as "granted" in the FCC's CDBS.

Just came through yesterday... we are powering up today! We'll see how much multipath and too much amplification play a role. Our hope is that it takes some of the guesswork out of things with people with "less than ideal" setups.
-Jarrett

jreuss

10-08-09, 10:07 AM

We've been having a fair amount of trouble lately with dropouts OTA, especially KWWL, KFXA and IPTV. I have a decent VHF/UHF antenna in the attic, but I'm guessing in Waverly, we're on the edge of what could be rock-solid reception.

We've been strictly OTA for years, but we're considering going with Mediacom.

Any words of wisdom? Also, anyone know what channels we could expect in clear QAM?

CR_Client

10-08-09, 11:00 AM

My only words of wisdom on MediaCon are to stay away, but that's only because i've been burned by Cedar Rapids wantonly granting them rate increases every year, so that the Broadcast Basic package costs more than a buck a channel, before taxes.

In any case, the clear QAM will get you digital versions of all of the SD channels offered, plus local HDs including CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, and IPTV. KWKB is in HD now, but I haven't been able to find them on QAM, and I had WGN-HD for about 2 weeks on QAM before they "fixed the glitch".

Depending on your needs and budget and the local prices, it may or may not be worth it. I still get occasional dropouts on QAM, which I can't necessarily peg to MediaCon or to a national feed issue, but they obviously wouldn't be as bad as OTA.

tvguy01

10-08-09, 12:23 PM

Jarrett,

What happened to your S/N ratio on CFU?

http://www.cfu.net/CyberNet/HD/index.php?station=kwwl

Prior to Saturday your SNR was always near 30 dB....after the outage Saturday, CFU's SNR on you is only 19.9 dB.

Their problem??

Ian

iowegian3

10-08-09, 04:48 PM

FWIW, talked w/ KYOU's engineer about a different issue this week, but anyway they're getting ready to power up the new transmitter by this weekend. You may notice a little more punch to the Fox15 signal soon.

redhawk

10-09-09, 09:10 AM

Get a dish if possible. Medicom is a scumbag company.

ivorygate

10-09-09, 10:02 AM

KWKB is in HD now, but I haven't been able to find them on QAM

In Waterloo, KWKB HD is on QAM channel 118.4. The video has short breakups far more often than any other local broadcast channel and the audio is *not* in 5.1. I normally record broadcast HD stations OTA, but I can't get KWKB in at all with my antenna, so I have no choice but to record from Mediacom QAM channel 118.4 (or watch the even more awful looking and sounding analog KWKB channel).

I'm told that CFU in Cedar Falls doesn't yet provide KWKB HD?

uhf

10-09-09, 12:40 PM

Get a dish if possible. Medicom is a scumbag company.

DishNetwork has a "welcome pak" for $14.99 with locals. It's not an introductory price, they just have a goofy name for it. But I'm not sure if that includes HD locals or just SD.

4lids

10-09-09, 01:38 PM

Jarrett,

What happened to your S/N ratio on CFU?

Ian

Not sure what is up with their setup. Nothing changed over the weekend (we had no outage either). They get us via fiber anyhow, so anything they had setup there was for their own purposes. It doesn't appear to be looking at off-air since it doesn't appear to see anything with our power increase about an hour ago.

KWWL is at 49KW now. We couldn't go yesterday due to some fun with a touchscreen that was not playing nice, but I got into it today and we powered up at noon. Hope it helps... I'm tired of phone calls! I suspect though that there will still be plenty people out there with scary antenna setups that will struggle. Especially indoor antennas that people hide under or behind other electronics for aestitics! At least this should help battle the noise floor a bit better. Let me know if you notice differences... good or bad. THANKS!
-Jarrett

n0cf (Chris)

10-09-09, 03:56 PM

In Waterloo, KWKB HD is on QAM channel 118.4. The video has short breakups far more often than any other local broadcast channel and the audio is *not* in 5.1. I normally record broadcast HD stations OTA, but I can't get KWKB in at all with my antenna, so I have no choice but to record from Mediacom QAM channel 118.4 (or watch the even more awful looking and sounding analog KWKB channel).

I'm told that CFU in Cedar Falls doesn't yet provide KWKB HD?

CFU has KWKB in HD... what little programming is true HD, that is :-). *However* it is not in clear QAM: you must have a cable card or box to get 403 (phys channel is 98 or 99 - I forget). I figured I would let the other noise die down before I start bugging them about this (being that all other OTA channels are available for free, unencrypted on CFU).

rcourtney

10-10-09, 12:53 PM

I have been too busy to ask this earlier but... about two weeks ago my wife's
ATSC box from Best Buy (Insignia) would shut off in an hour of use.
Thought was a failure, then brother-in-law's units did the same.

Found sleep timer was changed to 1 hour. Corrected this with remote.

Was there a firmware upgrade transmitted somewhere?

upandup

10-10-09, 01:06 PM

At least this should help battle the noise floor a bit better. Let me know if you notice differences... good or bad. THANKS!
-Jarrett
I'm out of town now, but when I return to Iowa City, I will report on whether or not I can now get KWWL with my little Monoprice antenna (refresher: I get NBC from the Quad Cities right now only).

ivorygate

10-10-09, 04:38 PM

KWWL is at 49KW now. Let me know if you notice differences... good or bad. THANKS!
-Jarrett

Last weekend, my KWWL signal was at 70% and now it is at 83%, so I'd call that a GOOD difference. :)

KFXAChief

10-12-09, 10:20 AM

Trip in VA

10-12-09, 10:35 AM

Assuming rcourtney is referring to the Insignia CECB, it's an identical unit to the Zenith DTT900 in every way except the logo on the front, and many (myself included) consider it to be the best box available.

- Trip

gjvrieze

10-12-09, 10:37 AM

sgarringer

10-12-09, 01:05 PM

Wow, something purchased at Best Buy isn't a horrible piece of crap?

This is news to me.

I've always used the "sold at best buy" as a gauge of finding the biggest piece of $h1t on the market. If it is "sold at best buy" you should avoid it at all costs.

I wonder if that box would work better connected with a monster cable, though? Maybe you'd get a bit better resolution :D

hdtvincr

10-12-09, 01:39 PM

Wow, something purchased at Best Buy isn't a horrible piece of crap?

This is news to me.

I've always used the "sold at best buy" as a gauge of finding the biggest piece of $h1t on the market. If it is "sold at best buy" you should avoid it at all costs.

I wonder if that box would work better connected with a monster cable, though? Maybe you'd get a bit better resolution :D

Do you ever have anything good to say about anything????

4lids

10-12-09, 01:52 PM

Wow, something purchased at Best Buy isn't a horrible piece of crap?

I wonder if that box would work better connected with a monster cable, though? Maybe you'd get a bit better resolution :D

That Insignia/Zenith box is one of my favorites (also found of the Digital Stream). The nice feature that the Insignia/Zenith has that most do not is the the "manual tuning" feature. The tuner is also a much better performer than the RCA unit that is out there.

As far as the monster cable stuff... at last something I can agree with sgarringer on! :eek:
Cables are where they try to make their money... and monster cables are a pretty big rip-off. Sure, you will have those people out there that claim they make things sound better (they probably can hear the clouds moving too :rolleyes: ), but they aren't worth the money. And don't go searching for any inexpensive HDMI cables there either! I went in once and saw the monster version for $80. I inquired about the regular ones and they were still $65! I think we bought a set of ten online for about $25 a couple days later and we didn't even have to deal with that impossible clam-shell packaging at the retail store.

uhf

10-12-09, 02:01 PM

Even Walmart wants a ridiculous amount of money for cables. Sure, there can be crappy cables that aren't constructed well, but for the most part, a cables a cable. Monoprice.com is the way to go.

sgarringer

10-12-09, 04:58 PM

Do you ever have anything good to say about anything????

What's your point? We're talking about Best Buy and their off-brand equipment here. I didn't realize that there was people who actually were proud of something they purchased at Best Buy. Personally, I wouldn't use a piece of equipment purchased from Best Buy to chalk the tires of my truck. But, to each their own... I guess.

sgarringer

10-12-09, 05:02 PM

As far as the monster cable stuff... at last something I can agree with sgarringer on! :eek:

I give you guys a lot of crap but that's because NBC is like the only local channel I actually watch... that and IPTV I guess.

What's funny is that monster cable is probably the same cable as that $25 one, which is probably the same cable that you could buy from Monoprice for less than $5. When I used to install Dish we were supposed to sell people overpriced crap cables for their HD DVRs. People were always happy when I offered to sell them one of my "personal stock" cables for the monoprice cost...

uhf

10-12-09, 05:09 PM

I didn't realize that there was people who actually were proud of something they purchased at Best Buy.

I agree that Best Buy isn't always the best buy, but I've bought a lot of stuff from them, usually when it's on sale. My 52" HD set was $699 on sale a few years back. Love it. Bought a Pioneer DVD recorder there, wasn't all that cheap, but it's a great unit and I've had no issues with it. Also bought a 19" Insignia LCD there that seems to work fine, and had a good price.

Best Buy is okay if you know what you want and know what a good price for it is. But no, they aren't generally my first choice of a place to buy stuff, and part of that is because I worked for the company in the early 90's which left a funny taste in my mouth :eek:

Trip in VA

10-12-09, 05:12 PM

What's your point? We're talking about Best Buy and their off-brand equipment here. I didn't realize that there was people who actually were proud of something they purchased at Best Buy. Personally, I wouldn't use a piece of equipment purchased from Best Buy to chalk the tires of my truck. But, to each their own... I guess.

The Insignia converter box is manufactured by LG and is an LG product in every important way. The only difference is that it has an Insignia logo on it instead of a Zenith logo and you buy it in Best Buy instead of Radio Shack or Circuit City (before they went out of business).

- Trip

sgarringer

10-12-09, 09:22 PM

The Insignia converter box is manufactured by LG and is an LG product in every important way. The only difference is that it has an Insignia logo on it instead of a Zenith logo and you buy it in Best Buy instead of Radio Shack or Circuit City (before they went out of business).

- Trip

Why wouldn't you just buy the LG then?

You're sure the best buy box isn't disabled in some way? I would highly doubt that there are no features turned off that are on the LG version... I had a family member who purchased a computer from Best Buy. They insisted on "setting it up" for them for an additional $69 fee. What they did was remove the antivirus software which was included by Compaq and installed a pirated version instead.

I had a coworker take their computer in to best buy for "service" came back with a pirated version of Windows XP on it and more virus software than when they brought it in.

Sorry if I'm not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt...

Trip in VA

10-12-09, 09:25 PM

You're sure the best buy box isn't disabled in some way?

Yes, I have both boxes. As far as I can tell, they are identical outside of the logo on the box and the logo on the remote.

- Trip

sebenste

10-12-09, 09:55 PM

Even Walmart wants a ridiculous amount of money for cables. Sure, there can be crappy cables that aren't constructed well, but for the most part, a cables a cable. Monoprice.com is the way to go.

Or Blue Jeans Cable. I like both.

iowahawkeye

10-12-09, 10:04 PM

Wow, something purchased at Best Buy isn't a horrible piece of crap?

This is news to me.

I've always used the "sold at best buy" as a gauge of finding the biggest piece of $h1t on the market. If it is "sold at best buy" you should avoid it at all costs.Wow, didn't know my 4 year old Samsung 61" DLP was a piece of crap....funny thing, it's had no issues since new, along with a lot of other stuff I've bought from them over the years. The trick is to spend some time and find the good stuff you want/need, and don't just run in and grab the first item you see, at BB or anywhere else for that matter. Haven't really bought anything there the past 2 years though.

hdtvincr

10-12-09, 11:41 PM

What's your point?......

Seems to me that 50% of your posts have to be slamming something or somebody. That's my point.

Look back at your rants about the local stations....

sgarringer

10-13-09, 09:22 AM

Seems to me that 50% of your posts have to be slamming something or somebody. That's my point.

Look back at your rants about the local stations....

Well I'm sorry, when things are working properly my first idea isn't to come to AVS Forum and discuss it. I only come here when something isn't working properly which is why I only come here to share my "rants" about the local stations.

Yes, 99% of the time there is no problem watching these stations, I guess I should come on here every time I turn on the TV and it works and sing the praises of the local TV stations for doing what they're licensed to do.

sgarringer

10-13-09, 09:24 AM

Wow, didn't know my 4 year old Samsung 61" DLP was a piece of crap....funny thing, it's had no issues since new, along with a lot of other stuff I've bought from them over the years. The trick is to spend some time and find the good stuff you want/need, and don't just run in and grab the first item you see, at BB or anywhere else for that matter. Haven't really bought anything there the past 2 years though.

Did you buy the extended service plan for that?

I'm sorry I couldn't resist. I just about had to get into a physical altercation with a guy over that extended service plan. There is no way I would ever purchase one of those.

I prefer to do my research online, then search the net and find the cheapest retailer to purchase the product. Yes, it might take a few days to be delivered, but I don't have to deal with the "scumbag feeling" the best buy employees give you when you decline the ESP (I should note I have made it 3 years without stepping into a best buy so things might have changed but I *highly* doubt it)

KFXAChief

10-13-09, 10:53 AM

That Insignia/Zenith box is one of my favorites (also found of the Digital Stream). The nice feature that the Insignia/Zenith has that most do not is the the "manual tuning" feature. The tuner is also a much better performer than the RCA unit that is out there.

I have had no problems with my RCA. My Insignia has trouble picking up channel 7 with the same antenna setup.

iowahawkeye

10-13-09, 12:22 PM

Did you buy the extended service plan for that?

No. I think I gave up on those many years ago. Last one was 15 years ago, around 30-40 bucks on a $600 vhs-c Panasonic camcorder, and never used it (extended service plan) since the unit never failed.

4lids

10-13-09, 02:26 PM

I have had no problems with my RCA. My Insignia has trouble picking up channel 7 with the same antenna setup.

I've noticed that they are sensitive to having too much signals. I was stuggling with the one in our SNG truck in Iowa City for a remote and a VHF antenna with amplifier (20-50% bouncing). I took the amp out and got 80% signal. The RCA is the one I get the majority of calls on... granted those are sold at Walmart, so you can draw any conclusions you'd like (they've sold more or their customers aren't nearly as tech savvy :cool:).

jeremycobert

10-13-09, 02:55 PM

ImOn is QAM channel shuffling also. I noticed a few HD channels haven't been coming in on my subscriber box, so I put a QAM tuner on a mission to seek out everything it could find and had a few surprises. Numerous SD 480i Showtime, Encore, and Cinemax channels are coming in unscrambled in the 87.n, 89.n, and 90.n channel range. An ESPN-HD channel is on 88.1, with HDNet on 92.2. There are a few channels discovered that don't contain content. A few of the HD and 480i digital channels have been moved from an old channel assignment a month ago to a channel number similar to how it is presented on subscriber boxes (e.g., KGAN-HD is now on 802 but was on 109.3). Not sure how long all this will stay this way, but it's how I found things this morning.

Here's a chart showing current channels for the expected QAM things out there.

KGAN-HD (CBS) 802 1080i
KFXA-HD (FOX) 808 720p
KCRG-HD (ABC) 110.3 720p
IPTV-HD (PBS) 92.3 1080i

KGANS (digital) 702 480i
KFXAS (digital) 708 480i
KCRG 9.2 110.4 480i
IPTV (digital) 92.4 480i

FOX Business HD 888 720p
QVC-HD 94.2 1080i
BigTen-HD 94.1 720p

ESPN-HD 88.1 720p
HDNet 92.2 1080i

i dont know if anyone has answered this, anyway. one of the guys in charge of IMON called me up at work and asked if we were interested in getting some free network racks as they wanted to donate them to a non-profit. they had just upgraded all their internet head and gave us 18 racks.
anyway, i started talking to this guy who was the head of technical operations while we were loading these racks on our trucks.

now he was not aware of the channel shifting (and yes they do shift) and claims that they dont do it. this was back in may/june 09 and since that time i have not had any shifting on my mythtv box, so i assume they may have it fixed. but unfortunately i only get 4 qam channels.

i almost forgot, here is a fairly accurate list of cedar rapids QAM channels, does anyone know if medicom really has this many free unencrypted QAM channels ? imon does not even have kwwl.. its pathetic.

http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/lineup_web/US:52402#sidebyside

sgarringer

10-13-09, 03:18 PM

i almost forgot, here is a fairly accurate list of cedar rapids QAM channels, does anyone know if medicom really has this many free unencrypted QAM channels ? imon does not even have kwwl.. its pathetic.

http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/lineup_web/US:52402#sidebyside

Yes Mediacom is starting to transmit all expanded basic and basic channels in clear QAM.

jeremycobert

10-13-09, 03:25 PM

Yes Mediacom is starting to transmit all expanded basic and basic channels in clear QAM.

at no extra cost ? oh god..... i hate the thought of switching back to mediacon.... argh!!! IMON really needs to get their act together....

i hate cable boxes that i dont need, i would gladly pay their fee if it meant not having to add an IR-blaster setup to my HTPC.

sgarringer

10-13-09, 03:44 PM

at no extra cost ? oh god..... i hate the thought of switching back to mediacon.... argh!!! IMON really needs to get their act together....

i hate cable boxes that i dont need, i would gladly pay their fee if it meant not having to add an IR-blaster setup to my HTPC.

Yes at no cost, since analog cable will be turned off in the next couple months they are leaving the channels in the clear. You can get a QAM tuner from them for free for the first year. This is seperate from digital cable, though. Those channels are still encrypted. The channels that are clear are only the "old" analog channels.

Remember though these are the SD feeds not HD.

East Iowa 01234

10-13-09, 05:22 PM

They insisted on "setting it up" for them for an additional $69 fee.
I had to threaten once to void the sale if they continued to "insist" That took care of the problem fast..

Did you buy the extended service plan for that?

I'm sorry I couldn't resist. I just about had to get into a physical altercation with a guy over that extended service plan. There is no way I would ever purchase one of those.

I have NEVER bought an extended service plan for ANYTHING. You just decline----------

They usually stop asking when you ask them if they are selling defective merchandise that is going to fail after a year. No retail salesperson is going to admit to that.

but I don't have to deal with the "scumbag feeling" the best buy employees give you when you decline the ESP

That is not going to happen.

I am the consumer, I am paying the bill, I decline----------if they get stupid I offer to void the transaction. They usually shut up pretty fast..............I did have to raise my voice one time (yes at Best Buy) I raised my voice to emphasize the fact that with his next word----------the sale was void. The manager intervened and that was the end.

I still buy things at Best Buy actually quite often-------------------but only when I know exactly what I want and they have exactly what I need. I will not allow them to "advise" me on anything

CR_Client

10-14-09, 12:22 AM

Yes Mediacom is starting to transmit all expanded basic and basic channels in clear QAM.

That's not entirely factually accurate.

If you only have the basic package, you only get the basic package channels via QAM. You don't get the extended basic channels over QAM if you aren't paying for extended basic (family cable).

I had the WGN-HD feed on QAM for about 2 or 3 weeks, but MediaCom has since "fixed the glitch".

With the "basic" package (channels 2-22), the only thing a QAM tuner gets you is access to locals in HD, including KGAN, KWWL, KRCG, KFXA, and KRIN, plus digital SD feeds of channels 2-23. I still have yet to find a QAM feed in Cedar Rapids for KWKB-HD on the basic package (the channel provided earlier by a Waterloo customer didn't have anything on it in Cedar Rapids).

jeremycobert

10-14-09, 09:38 AM

Yes at no cost, since analog cable will be turned off in the next couple months they are leaving the channels in the clear. You can get a QAM tuner from them for free for the first year. This is seperate from digital cable, though. Those channels are still encrypted. The channels that are clear are only the "old" analog channels.

Remember though these are the SD feeds not HD.

thanks Garringer, the SD instead of HD is a deal breaker. i really wish the cable companies would get their act together. i will gladly pay for cable, but stop tweaking me on the HD content, downgrading their signal seems like it would take more time and cost then to just push the feed as it is.

jeremycobert

10-14-09, 09:49 AM

MediaCom has since "fixed the glitch"..

you can get around most of this nonsense by going through the "analog hole" using a hauppauge 1212 (http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hdpvr.html)
and a PC. except you still would have to pay for a HD box.

linux users should know that the good news is the next version of Mythtv will have fully integrated the 1212 (http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Hauppauge_HD-PVR). so as long as your HD cable box has components out, you can record the shows you want and not worry about any broadcast flags or QAM blocking.

this DRM nonsense only hurts the average consumer as most of the tech savvy people will just get around it.

side note: are there any others on this local forum who are MythTv users ?

jeremycobert

10-14-09, 10:17 AM

I still buy things at Best Buy actually quite often

i quit doing business with bestbuy.

it started a few years back, i went online to see if they had the season 2 of farscape in stock, they did at 79.99$ i didn't buy it because we were going to be nearby and i just thought i would grab it there. we went in and it was priced at $109.... i asked the clerk and told them about the price difference and he said he would look it up, he did and it listed at $109.. i didn't buy it... i thought for a minute that i was mistaken until i got back home and the price on the website was 79.99 so i used instore pick up and paid 79$..... later i found out that best buy got busted for their intra-web store price fixing
(http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Infrastructure/Connecticut-Investigating-Best-Buys-Intrastore-Web-Site/) so i think i was right.

then their geek squad gets busted for shenanigans (http://consumerist.com/consumer/investigations/video-consumerist-catches-geek-squad-stealing-porn-from-customers-computer-271963.php)

now fast forward to today i you can see that they are still pulling a few tricks on the unsuspecting customers (http://hdguru.com/best-buy-continues-its-schizo-price-strategy-next-weeks-best-hdtv-deals-revealed/498/) with dual prices.

lastly , best buy has all but admitted they don't want any informed customers in their stores (http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2004/11/4382.ars). a friend told me that im on the devil list because i take advantage of their online coupons that stack with other deals and such.

so that was my last straw, luckily i have the internet and just use bestbuy to window shop what i want and then go look for it online.

sorry for the rant, im just glad i found some other AVS people here in CR.

4lids

10-14-09, 10:31 AM

I still buy things at Best Buy actually quite often-------------------but only when I know exactly what I want and they have exactly what I need. I will not allow them to "advise" me on anything

I hear you there... they were advising there customers who came back to complain about the UHF only antennas they were selling and problems with VHF reception of KWWL, and one of them flat out said that the KWWL Chief Engineer was getting fired, but there would be a new one in eventually to sort out this mess :eek: Another said as recently as December of 2008 that KWWL had no digital signal on the air what-so-ever (that was back in the UHF days too!)

I tried to call them and speak with managers, but I never got return calls... they must have thought they were crank calls since I was "fired". :p

Trip in VA

10-14-09, 10:38 AM

4lids:

I'd have had so much fun with that! I'd have walked into the store and gotten someone to tell me that the KWWL engineer was being fired and said, "That's funny, I am the KWWL Chief Engineer and I've heard nothing about my termination."

The fun that would have ensued. :D

- Trip

gjvrieze

10-14-09, 10:40 AM

I hear you there... they were advising there customers who came back to complain about the UHF only antennas they were selling and problems with VHF reception of KWWL, and one of them flat out said that the KWWL Chief Engineer was getting fired, but there would be a new one in eventually to sort out this mess :eek: Another said as recently as December of 2008 that KWWL had no digital signal on the air what-so-ever (that was back in the UHF days too!)

I tried to call them and speak with managers, but I never got return calls... they must have thought they were crank calls since I was "fired". :p

WOW, just WOW.

4lids:

I'd have had so much fun with that! I'd have walked into the store and gotten someone to tell me that the KWWL engineer was being fired and said, "That's funny, I am the KWWL Chief Engineer and I've heard nothing about my termination."

The fun that would have ensued. :D

- Trip
ROFL. That would have been a ton of fun!

sgarringer

10-14-09, 11:08 AM

I'm not afraid to cause a scene in best buy. 3 years ago I was asked to leave after accusing them of bait and switch quite loud. That was the last time I have been in a "Best" buy.

4lids

10-14-09, 12:57 PM

I'm not afraid to cause a scene in best buy. 3 years ago I was asked to leave after accusing them of bait and switch quite loud. That was the last time I have been in a "Best" buy.

Now I at least know what that greeter/security guy's job is! You must be on their customer screening list :D

sgarringer

10-14-09, 01:23 PM

Now I at least know what that greeter/security guy's job is! You must be on their customer screening list :D

I was told that I was banned for life from Best Buy when they escorted me out. Never had the desire to test that, though. If they'd prefer I spend my money elsewhere I'd be happy to oblige.

Let's see, I've bought a 56" LCD 1080p TV since then, a pair of Tivo Series 3s, a new laptop computer, probably 5 or 6 hard drives of various sizes, RAM for computers, a few car stereos... all purchased online and for probably 50% less than best buy.

gjvrieze

10-14-09, 02:06 PM

Now I at least know what that greeter/security guy's job is! You must be on their customer screening list :D

LOL.

Although, a good friend of mine was in the Fleet Farm here in Rochester, MN getting a couple of things and used the cashier closest to the door; well he had a couple minute conversation with her during the check out process and wouldn't you know that another Fleet Farm employee wanted to look into his bag as he made the 10-15ft walk to the door. Of course, deciding to be a pain in the butt and stand for his own rights, he said no, but offered to wait while the employee checked with the cashier to realize that the cable he had in his hand had been paid for seconds early. Needless to say, the guy said no and insisted to search and my friend told him that if he was not going to check with the cashier and was not going to detain him and call the police, he was walking out the door. The guy had no come back to that. he walked out and has not dared go back to this day. Now I am know that theft is a problem, but maintaining polite service should be number one.

ivorygate

10-14-09, 04:32 PM

For the record, since the last few days of this thread have gone a bit off topic, I've never had a problem with my local Best Buy store. I've read enough on various tech news sites and forum boards to know there are some awful practices across the country at some of their stores, but the Waterloo store has never personally given me any reason to stop shopping there.

hdtvincr

10-14-09, 04:55 PM

That's not entirely factually accurate.
I still have yet to find a QAM feed in Cedar Rapids for KWKB-HD on the basic package (the channel provided earlier by a Waterloo customer didn't have anything on it in Cedar Rapids).

Look on channel 119.....

Jon Ellis

10-14-09, 07:04 PM

The Best Buy stories remind me of a trip to Radio Shack in the Westdale Mall in 2005.... the salespeople would not sell me a digital receiver unless I said I already had an HDTV. Of course, I did not, but the receiver works fine with the composite outputs.

CR_Client

10-15-09, 12:51 AM

Look on channel 119.....

Found it on 119.4 just now. Not that there's much in HD to watch on KWKB, but it beats my marginal OTA reception.

Thanks again!

So, just for future reference, since we got WAY off-topic lately, Cedar Rapids MediaCom customers with QAM tuners can find the local HDs on the following channels:

89.4 KRIN (PBS) HD
114.1 KWWL (NBC) HD
114.6 KGAN (CBS) HD
115.2 KCRG (ABC) HD
115.4 KFXA (Fox) HD
119.4 KWKB (MyNetwork/WB) HD

And in case you're looking for some of the local sub-channels,

114.2 this (KWWL-2)
114.3 RTV (KWWL-3)
115.6 Local 9.2 (KCRG-2)

redhawk

10-15-09, 09:20 AM

sgarringer

10-15-09, 11:59 AM

I know some people stay with Mediascum because they have good internet or because, they can not have a dish because of restrictions. But why else? Many people in my town have switched to a dish and are much happier. Mediacom seems to look for ways to chase customers away.

Mediacom is stuck with all the franchise restrictions and fees that they have to pay to local governments which naturally makes them more expensive. Not to mention that they only have one way to bring signals into your home, which consists of 52-800MHz. Compare that to the sat providers which often times are beaming signals into your home on 3 or 4 separate birds, each with about as much bandwidth as Mediacom's single line. The sat providers also use digital compression to cram a lot of signals in. Cable providers are always going to be stuck with the franchise requirements but once they turn off analog cable I think there will be a quick jump to unity with the dish providers in HD offerings.

I would be perfectly happy with Mediacom (or ImOn) if they offered the same HD packages as what I have with Dish. But until I can get the Science Channel HD I think I'll stick with Dish.

tsduke

10-15-09, 06:54 PM

Mediacom is stuck with all the franchise restrictions and fees that they have to pay to local governments which naturally makes them more expensive. Not to mention that they only have one way to bring signals into your home, which consists of 52-800MHz. Compare that to the sat providers which often times are beaming signals into your home on 3 or 4 separate birds, each with about as much bandwidth as Mediacom's single line. The sat providers also use digital compression to cram a lot of signals in. Cable providers are always going to be stuck with the franchise requirements but once they turn off analog cable I think there will be a quick jump to unity with the dish providers in HD offerings.

I would be perfectly happy with Mediacom (or ImOn) if they offered the same HD packages as what I have with Dish. But until I can get the Science Channel HD I think I'll stick with Dish.

They need to get better HD DVR's before I'd go back to cable even if they had the same channels.

CR_Client

10-15-09, 11:39 PM

I stuck with MediaCon for years because it used to be only $10/month, which got me my local HDs over QAM. Iowa City's rates are still less than $15/month, but my bill in CR has gone up to $25.95 for BROADCAST BASIC (less than 20 channels, or less than 10 if you take out cable access and shopping channels), and about $30 including taxes and fees.

I'm not sticking with MediaCon any more now that I have a bill to pay with them again (there was some glitch that had me without bills from them for a while), but I have no desire to switch to Dish, either. The only thing I use TV for any more is local TV, which I can sometimes get 75% reliably with an antenna. I could put up a nice tower and rotor setup with 6 months worth of cable payments, but I refuse to give up TV for 6 months to get it, and I'm not about to work on a roof in the current Iowa weather and with winter coming.

ImOn only offers CBS and PBS via QAM with their basic package, but it's not entirely clear if you can get their HD package with their analog basic or if you have to have one of the pricey digital packages to get the $10 HD package.

If I could get the HD package from ImOn with just the basic analog package, I'd be pretty well set, with a total price under $30, but I have a feeling that's not the case, which means sticking with MediaCon for a while until my antenna service can get sorted out proper.

bobgpsr

10-16-09, 12:37 PM

ImOn only offers CBS and PBS via QAM with their basic package, but it's not entirely clear if you can get their HD package with their analog basic or if you have to have one of the pricey digital packages to get the $10 HD package.
With the ImOn Preferred Service analog package I get HD QAM for CBS, ABC, Fox and PBS. I miss getting QAM for KWWL (NBC), KWKB (CW) and KPXR (ion). So I put up an outside antenna (Channel Master CM-2018 with a CM 7777 mast mount preamp) aimed North into the Bever Park hill behind my house. A bit of an overkill but I think the direct line of sight to the KWWL tower is blocked by trees and the hill. I do get a good OTA signal for all the Rowley Iowa transmitters. Even can mostly get KWKB off the back side of my antenna -- but that does often drop out as would be expected from not pointing a directional antenna at it.

So I switch from ImOn cable to OTA as required for hi def NFL football.
* sigh *

The video quality (low noise) of the ImOn analog channels is excellent. :)

CR_Client

10-16-09, 11:35 PM

Yeah, but the Preferred Analog package is $45/month. That's about the same as MediaCon's Family Basic, which includes ALL of the local QAMs, plus WGNHD, TBSHD, etc.

Still more channels than I want or need, and a LOT more than I'm willing to pay either cable company, when all I really want is reliable local HD reception in all weather conditions.

CR_Client

10-17-09, 08:59 PM

iowahawkeye

10-19-09, 12:16 AM

Stupid KGAN can run 50 drags when the weather gets a little wet, but do you think they can run one when the NFL runs over 75 min.......then they show Amazing Race & Three Rivers between 8:15 & 10:15. Then instead of showing Cold Case, they do their newscast, folowed by Entertainment Tonight. And at the start of the news cast, there's no mention and no drag telling/showing the viewer of what they’re going to do with Cold Case. Plus they can't even post their revised schedule on their web site either.

ZBear

10-19-09, 05:32 AM

iowahawkeye

10-19-09, 08:04 AM

I set my dvr for 2 1/2 hours so I wouldn't miss Cold Case when I fell asleep in the recliner. i guess that was a waste. Any idea when it will be broadcast before it is a re-run?Looks like CBS pulled it off the schedule, since the last NFL game ran over 75 min.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17378004#post17378004

Would have been nice if KGAN/$inclair could figure it out.

iowahawkeye

10-19-09, 08:09 AM

Like I said, KGAN is STUPID. Look what another CBS station did LAST NIGHT AT 10 PM. http://www.whnt.com/news/whnt-cold-case-preempt,0,1516551.story
WHNT News 19 Staff Reports
10:01 PM CDT, October 18, 2009

A little too much of the NFL caused a popular CBS program to be preempted.

CBS made the decision to preempt "Cold Case" from the prime-time programming line up on Sunday.

The network made that decision after the NFL ran long by an hour and 14 minutes.

Right now, CBS has not released any information on when Sunday's episode of "Cold Case" will be broadcast.

dline

10-20-09, 04:20 AM

As a side-note, since we're talking about analog cable, Fox and ABC analog (8 and 9) n MediaCom are still practically un-watchable because of the "film replay" effect that they have. If I only had access to those channels to watch the ALCS or NASCAR, I'd take my television to MediaCom and throw it through their front window.

Unless, of course, it's KCRG or KFXA's fault, but sometimes it seems like KFXA and MediaCom seem to be in a race to the bottom, so it's hard to tell who's to blame...Mediacom seems to have a problem with whatever method they're using to downconvert 720p broadcast signals from the ABC and Fox stations to NTSC analog for those who still watch it. And it's not just here -- I noticed similar issues with WOI (a.k.a. ABC5) in the Ames-Des Moines area over the weekend.

dline

10-20-09, 04:35 AM

Like I said, KGAN is STUPID. Look what another CBS station did LAST NIGHT AT 10 PM. http://www.whnt.com/news/whnt-cold-case-preempt,0,1516551.story
The link currently says it was a CBS network decision to pre-empt the show and that the network will pick up the story line next Sunday. If that's the case, there's really nothing KGAN could have done except what they apparently did -- run the news when the network stopped providing programming for the evening.

(Mountain and Pacific may not have been affected by this runover, but I'm guessing CBS switched them to a repeat so that the new episode can air next week nationwide.)

hdtvincr

10-20-09, 10:01 AM

...... If that's the case, there's really nothing KGAN could have done except what they apparently did -- run the news when the network stopped providing programming for the evening.

Like iowahawkeye first mentioned, that put frekin crawls up for everything else. In this case, I think a little info to the users about it not airing would have been nice.

My understanding is that somewhere earlier it was mentioned that it would not be showing, but don't you think something should have been displayed at the time that a viewer would have expected it to be on?????

Although I did not watch the entire newscast, I did check the first minute or two and heard absolutely nothing mentioned about it.

The issue here isn't KGAN running the news, it's the lack of info that was put out to a viewer expecting to see Cold Case.....

gjvrieze

10-20-09, 10:03 AM

Trip in VA

10-20-09, 10:19 AM

Seems odd that a $40 CECB can down convert from 720p to 480i on the fly without issue, but "high-end" cable grade hardware is having a tough time working correctly...

You'd be surprised. I remember before Fox went HD, and my local station was feeding WB via their digital signal. My HDV420 would reset and flip to the station's other subchannel every 5-10 minutes. So if I was watching WB on 21-2, it would flip me to 21-1. If I was watching Fox 21-1, it would flip me to 21-2.

I called and complained and was told that if they undid the setting that caused it, all the cable receivers they had provided to the cable systems locked up. They eventually fixed it by replacing all the cable receivers.

- Trip

KFXAChief

10-20-09, 10:39 AM

Mediacom seems to have a problem with whatever method they're using to downconvert 720p broadcast signals from the ABC and Fox stations to NTSC analog for those who still watch it. And it's not just here -- I noticed similar issues with WOI (a.k.a. ABC5) in the Ames-Des Moines area over the weekend.

We are meeting with Mediacom about this issue. KCRG will be there as well. The problem is the IP system that they are using to get the ASI stream from the station to the headend and converting that back to analog has issues. KGAN is being taken off air I believe and they still have the old analog transmission path from the station to the headend. The old fiber system that linked KFXA and Mediacom died on Mediacom's end. I have since pulled the transmitter out of our racks after receiving word that Mediacom would not be repairing the power supply on the fiber receiver. KFXA and KCRG are the only ones in the CR market that are using this system. I have complained about the video problems. To me it looks like the framerate of the system is off. It is especially noticeable when there is a lot of movement in the video.

Mediacom, Imon, and DirectTV are fed the exact same ASI stream. At one point we were told the problem was with our stream. I swapped Imon's and Mediacoms feed. The problem stayed with Mediacom. Getting them to admit that 'THEY' have a problem is a majority of the solution.

This is my opinion. Take it or leave it. People usually do the latter.

gjvrieze

10-20-09, 11:01 AM

dline

10-20-09, 09:01 PM

uhf

10-21-09, 11:45 AM

Heads-up from IPTV:

Website says KRIN Waterloo (32) will face "intermittent outages of 1-2 hours" beginning next Monday and continuing through November 6 due to tower work:

http://www.iptv.org/iptv_news_detail.cfm?id=4951&type=press_release

If you get an overlapping signal from Mason City or the VHF-12 signal out of Iowa City, those shouldn't be interrupted.

No tower work going on. The old analog rig is being modified (finally) for digital service. The old digital is already routed through the switch, so not sure just how much downtime there will be. When done, there will be a backup transmitter on site. (Hopefully that doesn't mean they can layoff their engineer to help meet the 10% state budget cut :eek:)

KFXAChief

10-21-09, 12:59 PM

No tower work going on. The old analog rig is being modified (finally) for digital service. The old digital is already routed through the switch, so not sure just how much downtime there will be. When done, there will be a backup transmitter on site. (Hopefully that doesn't mean they can layoff their engineer to help meet the 10% state budget cut :eek:)

So the Diamond transmitter will now be the backup with the Axcera tx being the main?

uhf

10-21-09, 01:04 PM

So the Diamond transmitter will now be the backup with the Axcera tx being the main?

That is correct. Know anyone who wants to buy a dual IOT Sigma?

CR_Client

10-21-09, 11:52 PM

We are meeting with Mediacom about this issue. KCRG will be there as well. The problem is the IP system that they are using to get the ASI stream from the station to the headend and converting that back to analog has issues. KGAN is being taken off air I believe and they still have the old analog transmission path from the station to the headend. The old fiber system that linked KFXA and Mediacom died on Mediacom's end. I have since pulled the transmitter out of our racks after receiving word that Mediacom would not be repairing the power supply on the fiber receiver. KFXA and KCRG are the only ones in the CR market that are using this system. I have complained about the video problems. To me it looks like the framerate of the system is off. It is especially noticeable when there is a lot of movement in the video.

Mediacom, Imon, and DirectTV are fed the exact same ASI stream. At one point we were told the problem was with our stream. I swapped Imon's and Mediacoms feed. The problem stayed with Mediacom. Getting them to admit that 'THEY' have a problem is a majority of the solution.

This is my opinion. Take it or leave it. People usually do the latter.

I've long suspected it was a problem with MediaCon considering it was happening on KFXA and KCRG, and not KFXA and KGAN. I'm glad to hear that KCRG's engineer will be joining in on the conversation; I trust and hope that all three parties will be able to work out a solution in short time.

KFXAChief

10-22-09, 09:34 AM

I've long suspected it was a problem with MediaCon considering it was happening on KFXA and KCRG, and not KFXA and KGAN. I'm glad to hear that KCRG's engineer will be joining in on the conversation; I trust and hope that all three parties will be able to work out a solution in short time.

I was informed that all 4 networks may be attending this meeting. (Five, if you include PBS)

dline

10-22-09, 03:19 PM

uhf

10-22-09, 04:28 PM

the Des Moines Register is saying staff will be reduced by 8, which is more accurate than the Gazette story.
Overnights will likely end on 12/31/2009 unless other funding can be found.

KFXAChief

10-22-09, 04:35 PM

IPTV budget cut

Today's Gazette reports IPTV may once again end overnight broadcasting as a result of state budget cuts. Local production may also be cut back.

http://gazetteonline.com/local-news/government/2009/10/21/budget-cuts-to-have-a-big-impact-on-iowa

Article also in today's (10-22-09) print edition.

Will not make much sense on IOT transmitters. Turning them off every night may end up costing them in the long run, or provide minimal savings when they have to buy tubes more often.

uhf

10-22-09, 04:52 PM

Will not make much sense on IOT transmitters. Turning them off every night may end up costing them in the long run, or provide minimal savings when they have to buy tubes more often.

:(
It's a bad situation, and no easy answer to it. Plus CPB provides matching funds, so when the state cuts the budget, some of the CPB matching funds go away too, making it a double whammy.
With no funding for smoke, IPTV now has to operate entirely on mirrors.

iowahawkeye

10-22-09, 05:18 PM

IPT's budget reduction with specific impact statements is on pages 53 - 58
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/assets/pdf/D21449211021.PDF

dline

10-23-09, 04:20 AM

the Des Moines Register is saying staff will be reduced by 8, which is more accurate than the Gazette story.
Overnights will likely end on 12/31/2009 unless other funding can be found.The Gazette also listed eight jobs cut, although the print version may not have conveyed it as well as it could have. Reporters sometimes have just as much trouble wading through these things as you or I.

According to the document link supplied by iowahawkeye, IPTV will lose one FTE (full-time equivalent) position by eliminating overnight, presumably the master control operator working those hours. They'll lose another by cutting local program budgets, and another six "potentially from all divisions, by retirement, resignation, transfer, and reduction in force."

Brew

10-23-09, 08:02 PM

I was informed that all 4 networks may be attending this meeting. (Five, if you include PBS)

Please let us know how the meeting goes. We appreciate the updates.

n0cf (Chris)

10-26-09, 05:21 PM

For those that don't read the Consumerist, this is of interest to the "why did broadcast TV stations return to VHF-Hi band" post digital transition discussion from earlier this year:
http://consumerist.com/5390290/are-you-ready-for-the-uhf-tv-transition

Deep Link to the cited 1962 Popular Mechanics article:
http://books.google.com/books?id=4dsDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=is+your+tv+set+ready+for+the+new+UHF+channels%3F&source=bl&ots=iuVZupYj74&sig=LpdJmI04apb-361VJNHEJbSyNoQ&hl=en&ei=fPzlSvqnB4zTlAe34NToCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBgQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=&f=false

uhf

10-27-09, 12:05 PM

Deep Link to the cited 1962 Popular Mechanics article:

Thanks for posting that, great article. I love the mention of the "vast wastelands" of television programming. I guess some things never change.

iowahawkeye

10-27-09, 12:58 PM

Deep Link to the cited 1962 Popular Mechanics article:
http://books.google.com/books?id=4dsDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=is+your+tv+set+ready+for+the+new+UHF+channels%3F&source=bl&ots=iuVZupYj74&sig=LpdJmI04apb-361VJNHEJbSyNoQ&hl=en&ei=fPzlSvqnB4zTlAe34NToCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBgQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=&f=false
Just gotta love what looks like the first convertor box......with tubes. :cool:
The for-runner of the dual tuner DVR. :eek:

uhf

10-27-09, 01:55 PM

Just gotta love what looks like the first convertor box......with tubes. :cool:
I've seen a few around (and I'm younger than that article!). Generally in a bakelite enclosure. I'm a bit of a fan of postwar electronics stuff, especially when its "hollow-state".

East Iowa 01234

10-27-09, 03:58 PM

I've seen a few around (and I'm younger than that article!). Generally in a bakelite enclosure. I'm a bit of a fan of postwar electronics stuff, especially when its "hollow-state".

I remember we had one with our Black & White "portable" TV (mom never could afford a console TV) It was necessary up in NW Iowa because you could not get reception unless you had a tall antenna-------and w.e lived in rentals that did not have antennas. Channel 5 in Ames had a translator just outside of my home town.......so we could watch ABC programing ONLY. On I believe channel 72-----

Our first color TV had the converter built into the TV. The "portable" version of a 19" tv must have weighed `150 lbs! Shortly after buyiing that TV we moved to a house that acutally had an outside antenna installed and I learned that NBC & CBS existed.

CR_Client

10-28-09, 11:15 PM

Originally Posted by tsduke
This is good to here(sic)...

http://www.multichannel.com/article/...nk&rid=5064007

...

When the first phase of the project is completed in September, KCRG will be the first station in its market to automatically record and playback syndicated programming and commercial spots in HD.

"We think that will give us a competitive advantage," Phelan explained.

The file-based system will also allow them to automatically insert ads and other content in their standard-definition digital second channel, Local 9.2, which provides local news, weather and other programming.

"The file-based system will allow us to start producing some revenue from the digital channel," Phelan said.

...

Wonder how much longer this will be, since were in Oct now.

November starts on Sunday. So, was this article a reference to September, 2009, or September, 2010?

iowahawkeye

10-30-09, 07:25 AM

November starts on Sunday. So, was this article a reference to September, 2009, or September, 2010?
Repaired link: http://www.multichannel.com/article/327177-KCRG_Begins_File_Based_HD_Update.php?
Maybe KCRG is waiting for Nov. Isn't that a "sweeps" rating month in the tv industry?

Jon Ellis

10-30-09, 10:58 PM

The November ratings started on Thursday 10/29.

sgarringer

10-30-09, 11:08 PM

sgarringer

10-31-09, 09:41 AM

Watching KCRG tonight and it seems to be widescreen on the local news at 10:00. Not HD, and it seems that the 4:3 signal is just being stretched.

Is this permanent or just a test, or in anticipation for the transition to their new HD equipment and studio?

Believe it or not I'm not complaining about this, it really doesn't look bad, and it's nice to get to enjoy some local news without wasting 1/3 of my TV display...

My mistake, someone was screwing with the aspect ratio setting on my TV, possibly to intentionally get me worked up (unconfirmed as of yet). I've been working so much that I haven't watched any TV this week, so I didn't notice it until today. It became painfully obvious while watching Science HD. Properly configured my TV is displaying KCRGs signal pillar-boxed like normal.

uhf

11-03-09, 02:22 PM

Website says KRIN Waterloo (32) will face "intermittent outages of 1-2 hours" beginning next Monday and continuing through November 6

All work was completed by noon on Friday, Oct 30. No further disruptions scheduled in the foreseeable future.

oldsyd

11-03-09, 11:27 PM

hdtvincr

11-04-09, 03:26 PM

If you try and have a half way decent line of sight, you probably can.

I pointed my attic antenna that direction since I don't use OTA that much anymore and I get KYOU fairly decent with a few break ups here and there.

I work at the airport and we can pick it up real nice with just rabbit ears.....

iowahawkeye

11-04-09, 10:32 PM

You made the top #1 position on the better halfs top 10 list Tue night by preempting the first 3 min of "The Better Half" with small local election results, since you apparently can't display them with a drag across the bottom of your HD transmission.....Then you proceed run your drag on all the shows commericals squeezed up in SD. And we all know the first commerical comes in the first 3-6 min...

weaselfest

11-05-09, 06:55 AM

iowahawkeye

11-05-09, 01:35 PM

It's round Two for Mediacom vs Sinclair as their highly publicized previous negotiations come up for renewal December 31st. Get those bugs worked out of your antennas now before the first snow flies, because Rocca will let the station go dark before he caves into a 85% increase.I can hardly wait for another free rabbit ear antenna & free pizza.....Actually it wasn't a problem in Iowa City since WHBF qualified as a "local" CBS afilliate in our area and Mediacom just added it to the Iowa City headend....and left it on the system for about a year.

CR_Client

11-05-09, 11:52 PM

Jon Ellis

11-06-09, 01:57 AM

I can hardly wait for another free rabbit ear antenna & free pizza.....Actually it wasn't a problem in Iowa City since WHBF qualified as a "local" CBS afilliate in our area and Mediacom just added it to the Iowa City headend....and left it on the system for about a year.

No longer. Since then, Sinclair has succeeded in getting WHBF off the "significantly viewed" list for Iowa City, so Mediacom can't bring it back.

dline

11-06-09, 03:52 AM

I'm confused... KWWL doesn't seem to have a local station bug any longer, now they have a permanent advertising bug on the bottom center of the screen.

So, is that type of advertisement really legal? If so, how soon before the rest of the locals follow suit?

I didn't watch any primetime programming, and haven't watched KWWL in a few days, but I'd imagine that, if they use it during Late Night with Conan, they're using it at other times, too.

I mean, it's one thing to sell ad space with a weather warning crawl, it's another entirely to sell your lower third as a permanent ad for Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, or whatever it's for (I can only actually read it on one of my TVs).

Anyone have any idea what's going on with this? If it's a trend, or even just for sweeps, I'm inclined to tune out for now or for good.I haven't seen what you described yet.

If I'm reading this right, it's probably legal as far as the FCC is concerned unless it's during children's programming, where ad time is strictly limited and must be clearly separated from content. However, the network may have its own contractual limits on what kinds of graphics its affiliates can super over its programming.