St. Louis, MO - OTA [Text View] - Page 12

DroptheRemote

04-07-07, 09:23 AM

Post-Dispatch Disses KSDK's Pre-Game Coverage of Cards' Opener

And for good measure, the column also takes aim at the mindless handling of weather alerts on KMOV.

That two-fer feels a little bit like Christmas. Would it be too much to hope that maybe now someone in KSDK management will actually pay attention to its on-air product?

I mean, there has to be a pony somewhere in that pile of manure... :)

From Dan Cesar's Media Views column at the STLToday web site:
________________________________________________________

It's not often that a pregame show warrants much attention in this space, but then again it's not often such a program is so poor that it leads viewers to take the time to complain to Media Views. But that was the case with Channel 5's shoddy coverage Sunday of the Cardinals' World Series championship celebration, an event that was much anticipated by many viewers.

KSDK, televising Cards games for the first time since 1987, stumbled from the beginning, flubbing a transition to a report from Frank Cusumano — as it did on its first spring training telecast last month. But that was minor compared to what followed.

Public-address announcer John Ulett's comments in the early stages of the show were inaudible, and later in the show the pictures froze and skipped.

It got worse. As Cardinals players were being introduced in the ballpark, KSDK announcers were yakking on as if viewers would rather hear them talk than hear the names of the players who were trotting onto the field. After the chatter subsided, viewers were subjected to an interview with a fan — about his hat — while the Cardinals still were being brought out. Making matters worse, the box in which that interview was being shown was placed on the screen in a manner that obliterated the faces of some of the players.

And KSDK botched one of the highlights of the festivities — the throwing of the ceremonial first pitch by the pitchers who recorded the final out, via strikeouts, in the team's last three Series-clinching games. After showing Adam Wainwright's toss, it barely captured Bruce Sutter's and missed Bob Gibson's altogether.

Weathering the storm

KMOV (Channel 4) also agitated viewers last weekend by running weather warnings for most of the Ohio State-Georgetown semifinal basketball game in the NCAA Tournament.

The type crawled across the bottom of the screen, in the precise place where the score and time remaining in the half appeared. Thus, this key information was obliterated. We know TV goes bonkers with these weather warnings, sometimes treating a thunderhead in a far-away county as if it is a threat to the existence of the entire region. We know the argument — if one life is saved, it's worth it.

But how about a compromise? Squeeze the screen so that the network feed isn't obstructed, running the weather info under that, as ESPN does with its score updates. And get rid of those huge maps that show where the warnings are — people know what county they live in and can tell from the text whether they are affected.
________________________________________________________

To read the entire Media Views column, click here (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/dancaesar/story/E2B0F8FFE278F370862572B60010BDEB?OpenDocument)

deuces

04-07-07, 12:00 PM

Dan always seems to do a pretty good job. The only thing he missed about the weather thing is the added effect it has on our HD. I did think they used the crawl less than they would have had it not been the Final Four, but I also noticed what Dan mentioned about it running right over the top of the score. I don't know if anyone remembers it, but there was a SNL skit in the last few years (I believe it was the opener), where someone was reporting for CNN. Anyway all the crawls and information on the screen kept getting bigger and bigger, until the reporter was no longer visible. Life imitates art :)

wmschultz

04-07-07, 01:42 PM

My new DTV H20 and SlimLine dish were installed today. Just out of curiosity, I looked at the signal strengths on several birds. They ran from the mid 60's to a high of just over 80. There were a few really low numbers, like 19 or 24, that must be channels I don't need.

Are those in the ballpark? Is there any point in recording all the numbers to examine here, or is that as good as it gets in ZIP 63108?

Thank you!

You would have to show us what sats and tronsponders to answer your question. You will see
several low to non existent number on some transponders.

DroptheRemote

04-07-07, 03:46 PM

Just caught a promo for the FOX local channel here in KC for its emergency weather reports. They are very obviously targeting one or more other stations that have been doing hysterical, wall-to-wall coverage about storm activity that is headed for anywhere in the viewing area.

The FOX tagline: FOX Weather -- the calm DURING the storm. :D

Left Jeff

04-07-07, 03:53 PM

if these weather reports are so darn important (worth it to save one life)...why dont they run them during commercial breaks?

tcfila

04-07-07, 05:33 PM

Amen Jeff! I made that same comment several months ago about an Amber alert.

Dan in St. Louis

04-07-07, 06:09 PM

You would have to show us what sats and tronsponders to answer your question. You will see
several low to non existent number on some transponders.
Yes, I followed the link helpfully given in a message above, and it seems that the H20 displays about 20 points lower signal strength than the others. I also read an explanation that some of the transponders are beamed to narrow geographical locations, so their strength here will be low or zero.

What concerned me was that HR20 owners were reporting 98 - 100 and I was seeing some around 60, so even if I add the suggested 20 points I would still be low.

This is an H20-600C-R. I'll take some screen shots soon, thanks!

bballcards

04-07-07, 06:36 PM

I took the plunge and bought a TiVo Series 3 on eBay with Lifetime Service already activated, and Charter installed the cable cards today. While the cable installer had no idea what he was doing (apparently he didn't even know cable cards even existed until this morning, when Charter physically handed him the cards), the TiVo has been working like a dream.

It locks onto OTA signals 10x better than my Panasonic plasma's built-in HD tuner, which is an excellent feature. In addition, when Charter sent the "hit" through their system, they somehow added the HBO/Cinemax channels along with HBO HD and Cinemax HD. Don't know how long that will last....but I'll enjoy the channels while I have them.

tstolze

04-07-07, 10:30 PM

football751

04-08-07, 07:51 PM

bballcards

04-08-07, 07:56 PM

I know this has probably been mentioned, but I didn't really want to sift through the pages. What HD DVR is Charter now giving out to customers who want to return their Moxi? I like the Moxi, but recently 2 HD programs that were recorded were very badly broken up, to the point of being unwatchable. As I didn't watch the shows live, I don't know if it was the feed or my Moxi, but I have a feeling its my Moxi. So, what's the new box, and how does it compare to the Moxi, specifically the SD and HD picture quality, HDMI or DVI, and HDD. Thanks in advance.
They gave me the Motorola DCT 3416 a couple months ago. It's OK, I guess. Problems I've had:

1) Sometimes loses sound output for no apparent reason upon playback of recorded material. Resetting the box fixes the problem (temporarily).
2) I had the box unplugged for a few hours (to install a TiVo Series 3 instead), and it lost ALL my recorded problems. Bummer.

deuces

04-08-07, 10:27 PM

repair4man

04-09-07, 02:30 AM

OK, I will keep my mouth shut even though I thought they wanted to leave.

But I embarrassingly watch American Idol on FOX, and I am wondering if last week anyone else found the FOX breakups worse than normal. I can't wait until '09 to see if everyone is mad. But maybe I'm the only one. And I want to see if Ken is right after the final five.

I'm quite sure only a very few will understand this post. :)
IMHO, the FOX breakups are normal and do vary in intensity. I can't speak for AI, but that's my experience with 24. I think they've reduced their compression in the last month or so, possibly to attempt to solve the problem, as the files I record have gotten bigger. A one hour FOX file used to be about 4.5 GB, now they run 4.8-5.9 GB. Files recorded off ABC are substantially larger, 7 GB per hour comes to mind, but I haven't recorded a file off ABC for quite a while.

skippy_rq

04-09-07, 10:12 AM

Ok, for all those who care. Sprint turned up the new network this past weekend. Here is a result taken a few minutes ago.
http://www.speedtest.net/result/110770715.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

NotGoliath

04-09-07, 12:48 PM

if these weather reports are so darn important (worth it to save one life)...why dont they run them during commercial breaks?

Depends what you mean: If you're talking about the crawl at the bottom of the screen with the small radar picture, then be aware that KTVI does run that during commercial breaks during tornadic activity.

If you mean weather cut-ins where they interupt programming, they do them in the show because the breaks pay the bills. :)

If it helps at all, I hate running the severe weather stuff, it's a hassle and it can make what should be a peaceful day very stressful.

You'll find the cut-ins annoying until there's a tornado down the street and you miss a few minutes of Judge Judy to find out. :D

moman19

04-09-07, 01:00 PM

Ok, for all those who care. Sprint turned up the new network this past weekend. Here is a result taken a few minutes ago.
http://www.speedtest.net/result/110770715.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

That's pretty darn respectable for wireless (I assume) service.

Saluki

04-09-07, 01:25 PM

My OTA capabilities are terrible recently. During March Madness, I had breakups to the point of CBS being unwatchable. I tried at various times on Saturday & Sunday for the Masters & got no signal at all. I also was not getting a signal for NBC either. Fox 2 was the only one that was clear.

I am just using a tabletop Silver Sensor antenna (in Clayton) & have obviously tried moving the antenna around a bit. I used to be able to get all of the channels most of the times I tried. Has anything happened recently with station signal strengths, etc.?

As soon as D* gets the one-cable-run-to-the-box thing squared away, I think I am ready to cross over to the "D side" if I can not get CBS-HD & ABC-HD.

deuces

04-09-07, 10:24 PM

kdg454

04-09-07, 10:49 PM

Evidently no one has been around for you today. I have not heard anyone speaking of signal strength changes and I have had no reception issues, sorry.
Speaking of no one being around....Where's Scott? He can't still be in denial over the Chargers.
Maybe he's been hijacked by some other thread :D

CPanther95

04-10-07, 08:49 AM

Thread index updated expanding the St. Louis DMA to include:

St. Louis, MO - Charter (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=805958)

This thread will remain the primary OTA thread.

It may take up to 24 hours for the Index to reflect the change in the database.

skippy_rq

04-10-07, 08:52 AM

That's pretty darn respectable for wireless (I assume) service.

Sprint unlimited data plan $49.99 (normally $59.99). I use the Novatel S720 card. It also has true GPS built into it which is pretty nice. I can use both assisted GPS and satellite GPS. I can have the program open a COM port that lets me use the info in Streets and Trips. They just upgraded the network and it bumped up the download and upload. Previously I could get 1.8m max download and 140k up. Now the network is capable of 3m down and around 700-800k down. The fastest I have hit so far is 2.3 down and 694 up.

moman19

04-10-07, 09:01 AM

Sprint unlimited data plan $49.99 (normally $59.99). I use the Novatel S720 card. It also has true GPS built into it which is pretty nice. I can use both assisted GPS and satellite GPS. I can have the program open a COM port that lets me use the info in Streets and Trips. They just upgraded the network and it bumped up the download and upload. Previously I could get 1.8m max download and 140k up. Now the network is capable of 3m down and around 700-800k down. The fastest I have hit so far is 2.3 down and 694 up.

(I realize this is off-topic, but it IS digital ;) )

I heard this can be gotten for $59.99, but how did you manage to get it for $49.99?

Saluki

04-10-07, 10:06 AM

CPanther95

04-10-07, 10:40 AM

It wasn't merged. It is a separate thread.

Scott Tucker

04-10-07, 10:41 AM

Speaking of no one being around....Where's Scott? He can't still be in denial over the Chargers.
Maybe he's been hijacked by some other thread :D

I've been lurking in the shadows Ken. I just have nothing constructive to add. Oh wait...that has never stopped me before. :D

Believe me. I'm not in "denial" about the Chargers. I was in denial when I started to believe they would win the big one. I'm back to reality now. :(

Scott

Saluki

04-10-07, 11:01 AM

It wasn't merged. It is a separate thread.

I misinterpreted your earlier note but do feel that it SHOULD be merged. The Charter thread is drying up fast & could easily be folded into this existing St. Louis thread (as before).

CPanther95

04-10-07, 11:20 AM

The fact that the Charter discussion is dwarfed by the OTA discussion is the main reason separate threads are preferable. Occasional Charter questions isolated to their own thread are much more likely to yield answers than if there are 50 posts of ongoing OTA discussion posted within the first 24 hours of the Charter question getting posed.

124 posts in 8 weeks wouldn't be considered "drying up" in comparison to most cable threads in the Local HDTV forum. The St. Louis OTA discussion certainly is exceptionally active (1642 posts over the same time period is extremely high volume), but the Charter thread would definitely be considered healthy.

Saluki

04-10-07, 11:52 AM

124 posts in 8 weeks wouldn't be considered "drying up" in comparison to most cable threads in the Local HDTV forum. The St. Louis OTA discussion certainly is exceptionally active (1642 posts over the same time period is extremely high volume), but the Charter thread would definitely be considered healthy.

OK, how about 9 posts in the last 10 days including yours about the merged threads (though I'm not sure what 2 threads were merged). So, really, that's 8 posts in 10 days - less than a post a day. That would be considered drying up in my book.

CPanther95

04-10-07, 12:18 PM

The post before mine was posted as a separate thread and was merged in.

Your definition of "drying up" appears to be predicated solely on volume. Mine is determined by the percentage of questions that do not receive answers. If they all get answered in a timely manner, I wouldn't care if there was only one question asked a week.

If both formats produced the same percentage of answered questions, separate threads would still be preferred because it allows each member to only view as much info or subscribe only to as many relevant threads as they would like. They also retain the capability to view all info for the DMA by monitoring them all.

Saluki

04-10-07, 12:28 PM

Whatever...it's your world, I just play here.

RaceTripper

04-10-07, 12:32 PM

Whatever...it's your world, I just play here.I would give it a rest. This was discussed a while ago, and the active members agreed separating the threads was a good idea. That's why it was done in the first place. I think it's still a good idea. And as the mod said, who cares if it only gets one question a week. If it gets answered (meaning it's most likely still subscribed) it is a useful thread on its own, and merging it with this one serves no useful purpose.

Saluki

04-10-07, 12:46 PM

I would give it a rest. This was discussed a while ago, and the active members agreed separating the threads was a good idea. That's why it was done in the first place. I think it's still a good idea. And as the mod said, who cares if it only gets one question a week. If it gets answered (meaning it's most likely still subscribed) it is a useful thread on its own, and merging it with this one serves no useful purpose.

I was giving it a rest as seemed pretty obvious from my previous post.

But, as long as you want to bring it up, I would totally disagree with your statement that "This was discussed a while ago, and the active members agreed separating the threads was a good idea". If you go back & read the posts, I think you will find that it was an even split at best.

This is not a big deal. I do appreciate your fatherly advice though, dad.

RaceTripper

04-10-07, 12:51 PM

This is not a big deal. I do appreciate your fatherly advice though, dad.Lighten up. There's no need to be rude about it.

kdg454

04-10-07, 01:17 PM

I see Cp's point. Recently, I replied to a post in the St Louis Charter thread from a person who lives in another area, who was seeking information about Charter HD affiliate feeds in his mother's Charter subscribed St Louis DMA. It was his first post.

Very often, we become callused as to how difficult it is to navigate through the topics, in a forum the size of AVS, locate and find the answer(s) to questions. We make jokes about people not having scroll ribbons. Remember back to when you began....in a forum this size, it wasn't so easy to find a specific answer to a pointed question.

Surely, for this individual, this thread, "Local HDTV, St. Louis, MO - OTA" would not be his starting point. OTA is one of the topics discussed here, but by no means, the main topic.

This thread would do more justice being titled, "Local HDTV, St. Louis, MO - OTA - Cable - Satellite."

dweebe

04-10-07, 01:50 PM

Stopped in the new Lester's Sports Bar on Clayton Rd in Ladue. Nice new place with a ton of LG brand HDTVs all over the place. Probably more than 20 in just the bar area alone. Plus one large front projection screen that wasn't on. They're using DirecTV as their signal source, but it's all standard defenition.

I talked to one of the managers and he said the TVs are not wired for high defention. I asked him "So you spent more than $50,000 on a bunch of brand new HDTVs and you don't have them wired to show high-def sports?" He said yes.

I found that to be very interesting based upon this article from the Post-Dispatch a few weeks ago.

Lester Miller will open new sports bar and grill
By Joe Whittington
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/22/2007

Business columnist Joe Whittington
(Post-Dispatch)

Lester Miller liked what TSI Inc. was doing for his soon-to-be-opened Lester's Sports Bar & Grill so much that he pulled a Victor Kiam. He bought the company, or at least half of it.

In the late '70s, Kiam made television commercials saying he liked the Remington electric shaver his wife had given him so much that he'd bought the company.

TSI, an audio and visual engineering company in St. Charles, has designed and installed a dizzying array of electronic wizardry in the restaurant — including a replica of the Madison Square Garden scoreboard above the bar, 67 flat-screen televisions scattered around and wireless "sound dogs" to control the volume at tables.

"From the A-V engineering point, there's nothing like it," said Robert Bray, one of TSI's founders. "It is one-of-a-kind. It has flat screens from above the urinals to the kitchen. It's over a half-million-dollar audiovisual system.

"In the last six months I've gotten to know Lester pretty well," Bray said.

And being a "friend" of Lester, who also owns Busch's Grove restaurant, sometimes can be very rewarding.

On April 19, about 110 FOLs will board an Airbus jetliner Miller has chartered to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for three days at the One & Only Palmilla Resort.

"The last big party I gave was when I turned 50; I guess it's time for another big one," said Miller, who is nearing 75.

The resort's website lists rooms going from $600 to $1,600 a night, and they include personal butler service and twice-daily maid service.

Miller always seems to do things in a big way. He hired the head chef for Lester's a year before the opening and sent its chefs for three weeks of training at Harold's New York Deli in Edison, N.J. The restaurant, at 9906 Clayton Road, is scheduled to open in early April.

Miller bought out co-founder Phil White's interest in 20-year-old TSI Inc., which started with 14 employees and now has 110. TSI has been in the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association's "Fast 50" list of technology companies for four years in a row.

The company did the sound and some of the video work at the new Busch Stadium.

"We made $18 million last year, and after meeting Lester and experiencing his enthusiasm, I want to go global," Bray said.

You would think they would go all the way and set the place up right.

kdg454

04-10-07, 02:06 PM

Did you pick-up on any reason why they elected not to wire them for HD?

skippy_rq

04-10-07, 04:19 PM

(I realize this is off-topic, but it IS digital ;) )

I heard this can be gotten for $59.99, but how did you manage to get it for $49.99?

www.sprintpcs.com/sero

This is the Sprint Emloyee Referral Offer. The have a generic email address you can use to get the deals. Just enter "savings@sprint.com" as the email address when it asks you.

You can also get sweet deals on phones too. (new lines that is)

PM me if you need more help. I have helped 3 others switch over in the past week.

jebo_4jc

04-10-07, 04:22 PM

www.sprintpcs.com/sero

This is the Sprint Emloyee Referral Offer. The have a generic email address you can use to get the deals. Just enter "savings@sprint.com" as the email address when it asks you.

You can also get sweet deals on phones too. (new lines that is)

PM me if you need more help. I have helped 3 others switch over in the past week.
Looks like the link is broke

dweebe

04-10-07, 04:25 PM

Did you pick-up on any reason why they elected not to wire them for HD?

I don't know why. They looked to have Cat5 or 6 cable running to the TVs, then a Cat5/6 to DVI converter plug and then the DVI plugged into the back.

RaceTripper

04-10-07, 05:17 PM

I don't know why. They looked to have Cat5 or 6 cable running to the TVs, then a Cat5/6 to DVI converter plug and then the DVI plugged into the back.I guess no one ever told them the deal about silk purses and sows ears. :rolleyes:

Saluki

04-10-07, 05:22 PM

Looks like the link is broke

try this:

http://www.sprint.com/sero

bballcards

04-10-07, 05:24 PM

I believe it is a freeview weekend for some premium channels.. ;)
Does anyone know when the "freeview" ends? I've still got HBO and Skinemax, and I'm not supposed to.

gtaylor74

04-10-07, 07:12 PM

Does anyone know when the "freeview" ends? I've still got HBO and Skinemax, and I'm not supposed to.

I was wondering the same thing. I see a couple of the Star Wars films are on cinemax on Thurs and Fri but I doubt it will last that long.

Scott Tucker

04-10-07, 07:19 PM

DroptheRemote

04-10-07, 08:12 PM

lukin4u

04-11-07, 08:26 AM

skippy_rq

04-11-07, 08:51 AM

Looks like the link is broke

Oops. My bad. Should be www.sprint.com/sero

Don't know why I was reverting back to the old site. :)

Scott Tucker

04-11-07, 09:42 AM

;)

there bbq sauce, although, tastes like ragu

No HD, but BBQ Sauce that taste like Ragu? Screw HD. I'm so there. ;)

Scott

CPanther95

04-11-07, 10:09 AM

wmschultz

04-11-07, 11:08 AM

Hey CP, stop stalking our conversation :D

CPanther95

04-11-07, 11:15 AM

Sorry, can't watch them all (don't tell anybody that) - but I do pop into any threads that had a recent format change to address the inevitable fallout that occurs. ;)

I'll be gone soon enough and you'll only have to worry about my return if someone reports a post to the Mod. If I want to pop into a Missouri thread just for fun, I'll go to the Kansas City thread since everyone knows all the cool people are in the Western part of the state. :D

BudShark

04-11-07, 12:23 PM

wmschultz

04-11-07, 01:13 PM

Now that the NFL schedule has been announced, who is organizing the week 1 trip to San Diego to see Chicago whoop 'em? I wanna go.

Joseph Clark

04-11-07, 01:57 PM

Actually all the "cool people" in St. Louis and Kansas City live in Illinois and Kansas... :)

Chris

Ignorance continues to be bliss, I suppose. I didn't know I wasn't cool in high school, either. :o

bballcards

04-11-07, 02:25 PM

We had a similar situation with a place that just opened up (Only about 6 or 7 HDTVs though). I talked to the manager and he was aware that they weren't wired for HD, but was told that it would require HD STBs on each TV which wouldn't work with the clean wall mount image they preferred.

I told him that even though they only have coax run to each panel, a QAM tuner would have allowed them to show the network HD programming with nothing additional needed (we were there during the NCAAs). Unfortunately, all their Maxent panels were only monitors.

The sad thing is he said he would have gladly paid a few hundred extra per panel upfront if he could get the Big4 in HD - he was just never given that as an option.
I went to Ozzie's at Westport Plaza a few months ago, and I was very impressed. They have a variety of TVs--plasmas, projectors, and LCDs. And ALL of them are showing HD content. They have a shelf with about 15-20 DirecTV satellite receivers (apparently all HD receivers). THAT'S the way it should be done.

aseb1986

04-11-07, 02:52 PM

I live in the St. Louis West County area and was wondering which indoor antenna would work the best? I'm getting mixed signals regarding Terk and I am not interested in an outdoor antenna.

dweebe

04-11-07, 03:34 PM

Now that the NFL schedule has been announced, who is organizing the week 1 trip to San Diego to see Chicago whoop 'em? I wanna go.

No. But I am eyeing that Rams trip to New Orleans in November.

bailorg

04-11-07, 04:12 PM

I live in the St. Louis West County area and was wondering which indoor antenna would work the best? I'm getting mixed signals regarding Terk and I am not interested in an outdoor antenna.

If you have some time on your hands and a few cheap, common items, you could try to make your own antenna. Here's a link to a blue print for a surprisingly effective antenna:
http://www.lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9613

If you read on through the pages of the thread, you will see many other designs as well that you may find more visually appealing and just as effective.

PWSHER

04-11-07, 05:52 PM

Just wanted to report that my Slingbox setup is working beautifully from Saskatoon Saskatchewan. The ability to watch Cardinals baseball off my Moxi/Charter from Canada...for free...is nothing but cool!

Scott Tucker

04-11-07, 10:01 PM

Now that the NFL schedule has been announced, who is organizing the week 1 trip to San Diego to see Chicago whoop 'em? I wanna go.

You buy I'll fly.

I see it's another season where the Lambs are afraid to play the Chargers. :)

Scott

aseb1986

04-11-07, 10:08 PM

If you have some time on your hands and a few cheap, common items, you could try to make your own antenna. Here's a link to a blue print for a surprisingly effective antenna:

If you read on through the pages of the thread, you will see many other designs as well that you may find more visually appealing and just as effective.

Actually bailorg, I must apologize. I meant an HD indoor antenna. I am still looking for one and would welcome any suggestions. Sorry about the confusion.

duihlein

04-11-07, 10:10 PM

No. But I am eyeing that Rams trip to New Orleans in November.

I used to go to the Rams/Saints game every year before the NFL moved them to the south and the Rams to the west. A good friend of mine is a Saints fan.

We already are making plans. 6 of us are going for sure. Let me know if you're going and we can meet at Pat O'briens for a Hurricane!!
Dave

deuces

04-11-07, 11:07 PM

Is it just me or did LOST just get good again tonight? And Kudos to WRacer for a continued flawless product IMO.

NotGoliath

04-11-07, 11:09 PM

Actually all the "cool people" in St. Louis and Kansas City live in Illinois and Kansas... :)

Chris

I'm not so sure about kansas.....

kdg454

04-11-07, 11:11 PM

Actually bailorg, I must apologize. I meant an HD indoor antenna. I am still looking for one and would welcome any suggestions. Sorry about the confusion.
Aseb,
Because terrestrial reception is far from any type of proven science...what works in your house, may not work in your next-door neighbor's house, etc....it is often difficult for anyone to make any specific recommendations regarding which antenna will work best.

I know it is often times difficult, sifting through all the nonsense we (mostly me) post in here, so here is a couple of good starting points.

The first, is one of Doug's (DroptheRemote) finer pieces, and the second, is a good source, with local knowledgeable people you can call, who would have good ideas of which may work best for your particular situation.

Take a look here, http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9713842&&#post9713842 and, have a look HERE (http://www.antennasdirect.com/indoorantennas.html)
:)

kdg454

04-11-07, 11:16 PM

Is it just me or did LOST just get good again tonight?
It's just you.
EVERYTHING looks better to you, right now :eek:

Honestly, I haven't watched it yet. I was too busy watching KTVI/FOX's relentless break-ups, and wondering why I wasn't as smart as he is, when I was his age.

BTW, I did get that 4.03....the tricks seem improved/fixed, but I haven't noticed any other differences.

skippy_rq

04-11-07, 11:21 PM

I'm not so sure about kansas.....

(cough) (cough) I am from KS. Topeka and Lawrence to be exact. Too bad that the last time they won the Final Four was the last year we lived there. I have plenty of family there still and love going back. Things are so much more laid back and calm there. No need to do 80mph to get around town. :D

Robert Simandl

04-11-07, 11:59 PM

Is it just me or did LOST just get good again tonight? And Kudos to WRacer for a continued flawless product IMO.

Lost has been awesome since it came back from hiatus a few weeks back. LOVE the episode with Locke!

aseb1986

04-12-07, 10:00 AM

Aseb,
Because terrestrial reception is far from any type of proven science...what works in your house, may not work in your next-door neighbor's house, etc....it is often difficult for anyone to make any specific recommendations regarding which antenna will work best.

I know it is often times difficult, sifting through all the nonsense we (mostly me) post in here, so here is a couple of good starting points.

The first, is one of Doug's (DroptheRemote) finer pieces, and the second, is a good source, with local knowledgeable people you can call, who would have good ideas of which may work best for your particular situation.

:)

Thank you for the info kdg....I will look into this.

deuces

04-12-07, 10:05 AM

It's just you.
EVERYTHING looks better to you, right now :eek:

Honestly, I haven't watched it yet. I was too busy watching KTVI/FOX's relentless break-ups, and wondering why I wasn't as smart as he is, when I was his age.

BTW, I did get that 4.03....the tricks seem improved/fixed, but I haven't noticed any other differences.

I was more talking about the plot and episode than the PQ, I have always thought the PQ was good.

As smart as who?

I got AN update last night. This is the first time we have gotten it. I did not look to see if it was the original or 4.03. I assume you are saying 4.03 is an update to the update. I have had no time to play with it, but I did check and FF, REW, Skip Back, and Skip Forward were all terribly off. So I am guessing I will get that fix in 3 more weeks. :eek:

deuces

04-12-07, 11:13 AM

I think I'm all alone in here. Everyone is on delay these days. Am I the only one procrastinating at work?

dweebe

04-12-07, 12:23 PM

You buy I'll fly.

I see it's another season where the Lambs are afraid to play the Chargers. :)

Scott

I don't think the Rams have a choice. The schedule is now set where the opponents are rotated on a divisional basis. One year we play the AFC North, next year the AFC South, next year the AFC East.... Only one game is "open" and that's decided on the previous year's record.

wmschultz

04-12-07, 12:53 PM

Can someone explain this to me?

Cardinals back on DirecTV

http://www.sj-r.com/sections/sports/stories/112111.asp

EDIT: Never mind, I figured it out. Apparently the Cardinals have claimed some territories as their
area, but DirecTV was charging people in these outlying areas extra if they wanted to get FSN Midwest on
their programming. Apparently DISH does the same thing. Now D* will offer FSN Midwest to other areas
as they do to us. Maybe now we will get FSN Midwest HD.

deuces

04-12-07, 01:05 PM

Can someone explain this to me?

http://www.sj-r.com/sections/sports/stories/112111.asp

EDIT: Never mind, I figured it out. Apparently the Cardinals have claimed some territories as their
area, but DirecTV was charging people in this outlying areas extra if they wanted to get FSN Midwest on
their programming. Apparently DISH does the same thing. Now D* will offer FSN Midwest to other areas
as they do to us. Maybe now we will get FSN Midwest HD.

There has been a lot of talk about this on the Cards Talk forum at the Post site. Unfortunately I would doubt one (blackout areas being changed) has much to do with the other (FSMW-HD). That is not to say D* isn't working on FSNMW-HD though.

BudShark

04-12-07, 01:14 PM

(cough) (cough) I am from KS. Topeka and Lawrence to be exact. Too bad that the last time they won the Final Four was the last year we lived there.

We're Gators in my house... the last time we won the Final Four... oh wait. Ok, the time before that... oh wait. OK, well the last time we won football... oh wait. :p

Yes - it is GREAT to be a Florida Gator right now! And A-B has a brewery in Columbus, so there are a LOT of Buckeyes around... Its been a LOT of fun the last 6 months teasing all those folks from the University of Florida Columbus, Oh... :)

OK - I'm done. I can't even think of a way to tie this back to the topic of HD...

Chris

wmschultz

04-12-07, 01:16 PM

BudShark in the house.

duihlein

04-12-07, 02:41 PM

I think I'm all alone in here. Everyone is on delay these days. Am I the only one procrastinating at work?

I'm here, I just don't always post. I got 4.03 last night too, but I have not had time to mess with it outside of checking KPLR-HD for stable reception.

We had about 6 weeks of Lost backed up cause we record sooo much it's hard to watch it all. We finally got caught up over the weekend and we're way back into it again.

Dave

wmschultz

04-12-07, 02:43 PM

Anyone see in the Charter thread that Sinclair and Charter finally signed a carriage agreement. If they get KMOV, I might just switch..........

NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Left Jeff

04-12-07, 03:25 PM

Actually all the "cool people" in St. Louis and Kansas City live in Illinois and Kansas... :)

Chris

So true, bro.

DroptheRemote

04-12-07, 03:28 PM

Here's the story on Sinclair-Charter, from the Forbes.com web site:
______________________________________________

Cable operator Charter Communications Inc. said Thursday it reached a three-year deal with television station owner Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. to distribute more than 20 television stations to various U.S. markets.

The deal, which will expire March 31, 2010, will distribute 28 television stations to 19 markets owned or operated by Baltimore-based Sinclair.

Shares of Charter rose 12 cents to $3.08 in midday trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market (nasdaq: NDAQ - news - people ), while shares of Sinclair rose 20 cents to $16.63, also on the Nasdaq.
______________________________________________

Mr_Bester

04-12-07, 03:31 PM

Now they just need Belo

hfthomp

04-12-07, 03:58 PM

Now they just need Belo

And the 4.1 software update to our Moxi boxes so that we can record more than 8 hours of HD. I may actually fill that up now with ABC back in the picture. Sad, but true....

sandblaster

04-12-07, 07:34 PM

I don't think the Rams have a choice. The schedule is now set where the opponents are rotated on a divisional basis. One year we play the AFC North, next year the AFC South, next year the AFC East.... Only one game is "open" and that's decided on the previous year's record.
Actually, two games are "open". For example, this year the Rams play the NFC South, hence their "open" games are the one game they play against each of the other two NFC divisions, which are both determined by last year's finish. Since they finished second in the division, they play last year's second place finisher in the NFC North (Packers) and NFC East (Cowboys).

kdg454

04-12-07, 11:36 PM

Anyone see in the Charter thread that Sinclair and Charter finally signed a carriage agreement. If they get KMOV, I might just switch..........

NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You'd save a cowabundle :D

guess it was intern-day.

dweebe

04-13-07, 01:30 AM

The Sinclair/Charter HD agreement is a headline on the stltoday.com Business section.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/story/789369919E4C83C0862572BC000AAC16?OpenDocument

Charter, Sinclair deal brings HD signal to customers
By Tim Logan
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/13/2007

At last, Charter Communications Inc. customers in the St. Louis area will be able to watch Grey's Anatomy, Lost and ABC's college football broadcasts in all their high-definition glory.

The Town and Country-based cable provider resolved a long-running dispute Thursday with Sinclair Broadcasting Corp., the owner of ABC affiliate KDNL (Channel 30) in St. Louis. The three-year contract for retransmission rights covers 1.9 million Charter subscribers in 19 markets.

Charter, which serves 90 percent of St. Louis area cable customers, hasn't been carrying the HD signal from Sinclair-owned stations because Sinclair has been demanding payment for the transmissions that offer better picture and sound quality.

Traditionally, stations have passed their local channel signals to cable providers at no charge, but more recently many have made big investments in high-definition equipment. Some, including Sinclair, want cable companies to help foot the bill.

But cable companies say they've never charged their customers for local channels, which are available over the air for free. And they don't want to start now.

Stuck in the middle are the growing number of consumers with HDTV — more than one in six U.S. households in 2006, according to Leichtman Research — who can see high definition programming from other cable channels, such as the Discovery Channel, but not, in some cases, the networks.

"Customers have certainly been wanting that," said Charter spokeswoman Anita Lamont. "This is a good day."

Neither side would disclose terms of Thursday's agreement, which runs through March 2010, but said it was "mutually acceptable." In February, Sinclair signed a similar deal with Media*com Communications Corp., a New York-based cable provider with customers in Maryland Heights.

Charter is embroiled in a similar dispute over HD with Belo Corp., the Dallas-based owner of KMOV (Channel 4), St. Louis' CBS affiliate, and 18 other stations. In January, Belo cut off HD signals to Charter after negotiations

broke down.

Those talks are continuing, Lamont said, but the deal with Sinclair does not signal that one is impending with Belo.

"It's really a one-by-one-by-one kind of process," Lamont said.

Belo spokesman Carey Hendrickson said there's been little progress in negotiations, but that Charter reaching a deal with Sinclair gave his company hope.

"(Sinclair) expected to receive value for their signal," he said. "They must be receiving value, just like we would like to."

kdg454

04-13-07, 01:59 AM

Neither side would disclose terms of Thursday's agreement, which runs through March 2010, but said it was "mutually acceptable."
With the Congressional approval of analog transmission to end on 4/7/2009, is this an indication cable companies will be permanently paying for the carriage of local broadcasts? I may have missed it along the way, but this is the first time I've seen any agreement tagged with any date beyond the end of analog.

If so, it would seem only a matter of time until they "pass the savings" along to their subscribers.

DR_LaRRY_PEpPeR

04-13-07, 08:28 AM

Hey guys, I was just checking the guide for Sunday a couple days ago, and saw that KSDK has the Cards game on at the time of the Champ Car race! :( That really sucks for me, and I don't see any sign of them showing it overnight, etc.

Do any of you guys have an east/west coast NBC feed or something to record it on and could then send me a DVD? (I can pay. ;)) Or have someone out of town...? Who knows, just thought I'd try asking here. :) I wish Speed would repeat them a few days later like last year... :mad:

deuces

04-13-07, 08:44 AM

Did anyone else notice last night on The Office when our "HD Leader" forgot to flip the switch for about 3 minutes after a commercial break?

DroptheRemote

04-13-07, 09:01 AM

Did anyone else notice last night on The Office when our "HD Leader" forgot to flip the switch for about 3 minutes after a commercial break?For KSDK, a 3-minute lapse would be a sign of progress.

DroptheRemote

04-13-07, 09:14 AM

deuces

04-13-07, 09:16 AM

DroptheRemote

04-13-07, 10:02 AM

Thanks Doug,

But I think you were replying to Ken. But then he and I are easy to confuse. I mean he is pregnant and my wife is hot. Err wait. Oh yeah, my wife is pregnant and he married a knockout. So confusing.......I need more coffee... :o

Saluki

04-13-07, 10:45 AM

Did anyone else notice last night on The Office when our "HD Leader" forgot to flip the switch for about 3 minutes after a commercial break?

Oh yeah, I noticed.

Can someone explain to me what is physically involved with "flipping the switch"? Does it literally require someone to turn the HD signal on & off around non-HD commercial breaks?

I have a hard time believing it's not more automated than it apppears to be (at least at kSDk who always seems to struggle with this apparently difficult task).

wmschultz

04-13-07, 01:28 PM

You better get your believer fixed.

kdg454

04-13-07, 01:52 PM

deuces,

Going forward, I think it's highly likely that local stations will be in a position to demand payment for cable carriage and they will get it.

I used to think that once the digital transition had occurred and the majority of viewers were receiving digital locals that cable would have more leverage in these negotiations, as refusal to pay and lack of carriage would torpedo viewer numbers -- and more importantly, ad rates -- for local stations.

And although cable still accounts for a big chunk of local station viewership, the still-increasing number of satellite customers and the likelihood that teleco TV will further dilute cable's share by the time the transition happens means that the "hit" for local stations without cable carriage is more bearable, at least in the short term.

But more to the point, if cable refuses to pay/carry a local station, satellite and (especially) teleco players will scoop those customers up. It's probably a bit premature to say for sure, but I think competitors like U-Verse raise cable's exposure on this issue, as it would be much, much simpler for a customer to switch from cable to U-Verse, compared with the switch from cable to satellite.
Thanks Doug. That is a trend I hadn't considered, and now, more so see that, land-based services like U-Verse and other Internet based services, are more likely to be the next competition (nemesis, if you will) of both cable and satellite.
I wonder how cable will sustain over the next 20 years....If it will remain the majority means of delivering TV to homes, or if the Internet will accomplish in 10 years, what Satellite has been trying to do for 30. Interesting thoughts.

Regarding MLB EI, my workaround this year is, I connected a laptop to my bedroom TV, upgraded its video driver, and downloaded MLB TV. I can now watch all the OOM games on my 50" TV. MLB improved the graphics this year, so the display is about on par with FSNMW SD stretched to 16:9. It's not perfect, server spikes cause occasional freezes, and the graphics remain only in the acceptable range. I downloaded a DVR shareware to the laptop (I don't care if this machine crashes), so I have record/pause, etc., functions. Granted, a bit extreme, but it's my passion, and I didn't want to sit at my desk all season and watch games.

kdg454

04-13-07, 01:56 PM

Cards in HD on Sunday.
KSDK 1PM. :)

wmschultz

04-13-07, 02:28 PM

Cards in HD on Sunday.
KSDK 1PM. :)
I'm interested in seeing how many blunders are made.

kdg454

04-13-07, 02:40 PM

I'm interested in seeing how many blunders are made.
I'm just looking forward to more Katie-in-the-stands-with-the-fans, during the game. :eek: Who wants to bet they do the "sign-guy" again?

Saluki

04-13-07, 03:24 PM

You better get your believer fixed.

Some elaboration would be helpful if you know the procees.

Are you telling me that someone at the local station is sitting around at the "switch" flipping it "on & off" as the programming goes from HD show to SD commercial to HD commercial back to HD programming? Is the system really this low tech? Seriously, I am truly curious as to what's involved.

Where is Doug's buddy KTVIengineer/notGoliath?

dweebe

04-13-07, 03:33 PM

Cards in HD on Sunday.
KSDK 1PM. :)

They're really pimping the game and the fact it's in HD, really hard. I think the main ad KSDK is running mentions HD 4 times.

MoInSTL

04-13-07, 03:43 PM

Well they also forgot to flip the switch during the first segment of Law & Order. It was also in 4:3 for almost a full segment of CSI on CBS.

DroptheRemote

04-13-07, 03:45 PM

The following excerpt is from the 24/7 Wall Street web site (www.247wallst.com):
_________________________________________________

On today's STOP TRADING segment on CNBC, Jim Cramer said...in cable, Charter Communications (CHTR), Comcast (CMCSA), and Time Warner (TWC) that triple play and the potential collapse of Vonage is helping these for a very long-lived rally in the sector.

He thinks they could double in valuations per subscriber from 5-years ago. TWC has fallen behind lately but he likes it. CHTR was at $2.80 and mispriced and is now way up from his recent features. Cramer said that Comcast shouild buy Charter Communications if you listened to the Brian Roberts conference call.
_________________________________________________

kdg454

04-13-07, 03:50 PM

They're really pimping the game and the fact it's in HD, really hard. I think the main ad KSDK is running mentions HD 4 times.
They've got 18 more to go....I wonder if they will continue the hard sell.
KSDK spends a lot of time reminding us of their self-proclaimed awe.

wmschultz

04-13-07, 04:06 PM

Some elaboration would be helpful if you know the procees.

Are you telling me that someone at the local station is sitting around at the "switch" flipping it "on & off" as the programming goes from HD show to SD commercial to HD commercial back to HD programming? Is the system really this low tech? Seriously, I am truly curious as to what's involved.

Where is Doug's buddy KTVIengineer/notGoliath?

I have called them enough to understand it is not an automated process. I have gotten answers as, "That game is not in HD" to "There is a new guy working here right now, I will tell him".

JWR25

04-13-07, 04:08 PM

They've got 18 more to go....I wonder if they will continue the hard sell.
KSDK spends a lot of time reminding us of their self-proclaimed awe.

What cracks me up is all their promos for the newscast in HD and the Cardinals games in HD are in SD. 4x3.

eyezen

04-13-07, 04:53 PM

M4XiMuS

04-13-07, 05:36 PM

I haven't posted here in quite awhile... but have some inside info for all my AVS buddies. For those of you who have Charter HD service, you may have heard that Charter and Sinclair FINALLY reached a transmit agreement for their HD feed. That being said, Charter is set to release KDNL on channel 780 next Thursday, the 19th. As an added bonus, the long overdue addition of ESPN2 HD will also be released the same day, on channel 774. Enjoy! :)

I forgot to mention in my original post that Charter is getting pretty close to an agreement with MLB & iN DEMAND to begin broadcasting the MLB Extra Innings package once again. I don't have exact details yet, but I would estimate it being available in all markets in the next 7-10 business days if everything goes as planned. If additional info becomes available, I'll do what I can to update everyone.

bballcards

04-13-07, 05:42 PM

football751

04-13-07, 06:19 PM

matth1138

04-13-07, 06:28 PM

Oh yeah, I noticed.

Can someone explain to me what is physically involved with "flipping the switch"? Does it literally require someone to turn the HD signal on & off around non-HD commercial breaks?

I have a hard time believing it's not more automated than it apppears to be (at least at kSDk who always seems to struggle with this apparently difficult task).

Yeah, I could do that job..."So how was your day honey?" "Oh it was fine, just flipped some switches..."

-Matt

Saluki

04-13-07, 06:51 PM

M4XiMuS

04-13-07, 08:03 PM

M4XiMuS-

You just mademus my nightimus!

As long as you're on a roll...any news on Belo or the Moxi 4.1 software update?

:D :D :D :D

No news on either of those 2 fronts... although I think there is still some hope for Belo. Especially now that the deal w/Sinclair is done. Hopefully it brings both sides back to the bargaining table.

kdg454

04-13-07, 09:27 PM

DISH has uplinked Cinemax HD (Channel 9458).
It is NOT yet available to subscribers, which usually follows 1-2 weeks after being uplinked.

deuces

04-13-07, 09:46 PM

DISH has uplinked Cinemax HD (Channel 9458).
It is NOT yet available to subscribers, which usually follows 1-2 weeks after being uplinked.

Cool, guess it looks like there may be a little more catching up to do.

On a sad note I bet none of those late night, low budget skinemax shows are filmed in HD lol.

kdg454

04-13-07, 09:57 PM

Cool, guess it looks like there may be a little more catching up to do.

On a sad note I bet none of those late night, low budget skinemax shows are filmed in HD lol.
Being married to a "knockout," I wouldn't know.
Still trying to figure out how you know this :confused:

Joe STL

04-13-07, 10:59 PM

Sorry if this is off topic, but I wanted to get the input of a local group. I live in O'Fallon, MO and my Sony 60xs955 seems to be needing some service. I can't get picture any more and the standby light flashes green. After about 3-5 minutes of "warming up" I get a screen with a rainbow of colored vertical lines going from top to bottom of the screen. See image below

http://www.hegyi.org/images/60xs955.jpg

Anyway, I was hoping to send some business to someone on these boards if anyone can do Sony TV repairs. I know there are calibration specialists, but I wasn't sure of anyone who does repairs. Otherwise I'd be open to a referral.

Thanks a lot. Joe

DroptheRemote

04-13-07, 11:19 PM

Anyway, I was hoping to send some business to someone on these boards if anyone can do Sony TV repairs. I know there are calibration specialists, but I wasn't sure of anyone who does repairs. Otherwise I'd be open to a referral.I've looked around for service people to recommend but haven't found anyone that's truly stellar. It's been a while since I pursued this, so maybe something's changed. But I think you're probably just going to have to call one of the Sony authorized service companies and go from there.

FWIW, I think Mo has had good experiences with Schneider, and I also have heard basically positive feedback from one or two other clients about them. But I don't know if they are set up for Sony.

I thought I had a number here somewhere but can't find it. Maybe Mo or someone else can help you with that.

RaceTripper

04-13-07, 11:24 PM

+1 for Schneider TV. They have provided me excellent service.

tstolze

04-13-07, 11:55 PM

Another with a good Schnieder experience, although it was 5+ years ago... :)

tcfila

04-14-07, 08:06 AM

black_macleod

04-14-07, 03:43 PM

sirhcman

04-14-07, 04:38 PM

Another with a good Schnieder experience, although it was 5+ years ago... :)

They fixed the mirror on my Samsung DLP and replaced the screen as well last March (was damaged during shipping and Samsung sent them out to fix it). They did a great job. I would definantly recommend them!

Joe STL

04-15-07, 01:54 PM

Thank you for the references to Schnieder. I will certainly look them up.

John Kotches

04-15-07, 04:21 PM

Man why does NBC's hockey coverage suck each and every week? I mean the picture is pretty good, but they NEVER have the sound right ... no center channel on commentary. Crank it up so I can hear, then the commercials scare the pets. Leader, smeader.

The hockey coverage is a national item, the local affiliate can only broadcast what's passed for an audio stream.

This could be the classic case of Dolby Stereo content flagged as 5.1 material.

Have you looked at your receiver / processor to see what's actually coming in?

Cheers,

repair4man

04-15-07, 04:50 PM

Giant thumbs down to KSDK. I was looking forward to watching the Champ Car Grand Prix of Long Beach but may only get to see the last half hour because KSDK chose to broadcast the Cardinals instead. To add insult to injury, there appears to be no re-broadcast scheduled, and they are making no attempt to broadcast the race on their secondary digital channel, and they have a half hour post baseball game wrap scheduled that if eliminated might have at least allowed me to watch more than half the race. :mad: I also read in Saturday's Post-Dispatch that you have many other unresolved conflicts. I may not be representing a large group of viewers, but with TV as competitive as it is, I expect a bit of ingenuity on trying to get as much new content on the airwaves as possible. What is the difficulty in rebroadcasting a live sporting event at another time? Why can't they use their secondary digital channel for something more useful than blathering on about the weather 24/7, especially on a perfect day like today?

BTW, I did send them an e-mail with the complaints above. Probably heading towards the circular file as I type this.

black_macleod

04-15-07, 06:52 PM

The hockey coverage is a national item, the local affiliate can only broadcast what's passed for an audio stream.

This could be the classic case of Dolby Stereo content flagged as 5.1 material.

Have you looked at your receiver / processor to see what's actually coming in?

Cheers,

Says 5.1 -- all the commercials (at least the ones done right) sound great. Its not just the hockey on NBC, the screw up a lot of audio flags.

bigdaddy10

04-15-07, 11:23 PM

mrmunkily

04-15-07, 11:33 PM

Hi everyone!

I'm having a lot of trouble with KDNL's digital station. (OTA reception in the Central West End)

I'm the owner of an "el cheapo" flat panel with a really terrible internal tuner. Previously, I was only able to watch SD content on KDNL-DT because of terrilbe a/v sync problems and video stutter, regardless of signal strength. I originally thought it was just the tuner and/or multipath.

Now that I'm in posession of a tuner much better suited to handling multipath, I'm finding that the same thing is happening. I get great signal strength, and SD content (i and p) play fine. But as soon as HD spills down the pipe, I get freezes every 2-3 seconds at regular intervals with the video playing at 1.x speed to catchup between freezes. The sounds goers out of sync almost immediately.

I'm leaving out the details of my equipement, but I have this problem on both the internal tuner of my TV and my new HD capture card which plays all the other OTA stations in the area beautifully.

Does anyone else have similar issues?

bhornberger

04-15-07, 11:43 PM

My Tivo told me that a new channel lineup has occured. It added 774 ESPN2-HD. I have my Tivo connected to my non hd Charter Box and when I tune to it, it says a Poker Game is being televised on teh guide.

I went to my HD Chater Box and I can't tune to 774. I disco'd the power to the box and still can't. Strange that my SD Cable box picked it up but the HD Box didnt.

Soon I guess, I know that someone posted that they (KDNL - ESPN2) woudl be activated on the 19th, jsut thought that Charter was being proactive.

-brent

bballcards

04-16-07, 01:02 AM

You won't get much sympathy on this thread unfortunately. Most people here would rather see Cardinal Baseball in HD over anything else.
True, even if it means having to listen to the senile Jay Randolph. Seriously--I expect hometown broadcast crews to be able to correctly pronounce Eckstein and Rolen--difficult tasks that have eluded Randolph. What the heck was KSDK thinking?? The only thing Randolph is good for is putting you to sleep--that's how boring his broadcasting style is.

bballcards

04-16-07, 01:04 AM

I know that someone posted that they (KDNL - ESPN2) woudl be activated on the 19th, jsut thought that Charter was being proactive.
I think there's a better chance of hell freezing over before Charter becomes proactive at anything (besides forcing Charter telephone down your throat).

kdg454

04-16-07, 02:11 AM

mrmunkily

04-16-07, 02:12 AM

Also: can anyone tell me how much of charter digital is encrypted? Do they encrypt all but those channels that they are legally required to send in the clear, or are they "more generous"?

RaceTripper

04-16-07, 06:23 AM

You won't get much sympathy on this thread unfortunately....You'll get my sympathy. I wanted to see the ChampCar race, not just that final 11 minutes. They could have rebroadcast the race for us overnight.

The truth of the matter is, both CBS and NBC suck big-time when it comes to motorsports coverage (I don't mean circle racing). They'll be butchering the ALMS races starting next weekend.

dpmark

04-16-07, 08:28 AM

dpmark

04-16-07, 08:30 AM

Also: can anyone tell me how much of charter digital is encrypted? Do they encrypt all but those channels that they are legally required to send in the clear, or are they "more generous"?

They are not "more generous" - my QAM tuner will pull in a few random channels from Charter, but no local ones or other 'normal' channels. Someone else might be able to give you the full scoop, but you're not going to get much unencrypted from them.

tcfila

04-16-07, 08:52 AM

DroptheRemote

04-16-07, 09:37 AM

A couple of very cool HD effects seen during my TiVo trekking this weekend:

CSI - In this week's CSI, it was another twist on the Miniatures Killer plotline, as the lab rats took their turn at finding clues to the killer's identity. There's a great scene where the camera actually pans through and around one of the miniature murder scene models, ending with a shot that shows a gigantic eyeball blinking through one of the windows. When the camera pulls back, you see that it's the technician Hodges peering into the model.

Unfortunately, later in the show, the CSI special effects guys jump the shark a bit, showing Hodges walking around inside one of the models.

Nice use of "Mr. Blue Sky" though, as I'm still humming it 3 days later... :)

Lost: Great use of HD realism in this week's episode when Ben shows Juliet the video remote of her sister playing with her daughter at a playground. Juliet becomes emotional and embraces the monitor, and there are a couple of shots of just the monitor with Juliet's hands on the bottom of the screen -- and it looked like the hands were on MY TV screen.

Very nice effect, though I have to admit that it distracted me somewhat from what was going on in the scene.

These little touches illustrate why "Lost" and "CSI" are consensus picks for best HD picture quality.

DroptheRemote

04-16-07, 09:39 AM

I thought he was horible as well. I was almost wishing for Al and Dan :eek:Agree that it was bad -- but it wasn't THAT bad... :eek:

DroptheRemote

04-16-07, 09:55 AM

We Interrupt Your Normal AVS Programming...

...for the following St. Louis housekeeping break:

In the past, we used to begin each month of the St. Louis discussion with an entirely new thread and usually that started with a cut/paste of basic resource information about HDTV and over-the-air reception. Although those messages were moved to the new thread here that was started in January, that information is still easily overlooked as the new thread is growing rapidly, approaching 75 pages in a relatively short period.

So, in order to make this introductory information more accessible, I will be periodically reposting this advisory/reminder note. The idea is to make the general resource information available here more visible and easier to find for more readers.

With HDTV sales increasing every month, we're getting more and more newcomers here, which is a great thing to see. But like most of us when we took home our first HDTV, there's a huge amount to learn beyond where to point the remote and which buttons to push.

Hopefully, you'll find this information of some use...

Tower Maps, Your Satellite/Antenna Rights & Local Station Feedback (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9713839&&#post9713839)

Resources for Receiving Digital/HD OTA Local Stations via an Antenna (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9713842&&#post9713842)

Frequently Asked Questions about HDTV (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=2995791&&#post2995791)

HD Programming Available in St. Louis (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10358145&&#post10358145)

Why Isn't KDNL-DT (ABC) Available via Charter? (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8072643&&#post8072643)

Why Isn't KMOV-DT (CBS) Available via Charter? (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9341270&&#post9341270)

St. Louis Blues 2006-07 HD Broadcast Schedule (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8678636&&#post8678636)

New! St. Louis Cardinals 2007 HD Broadcast Schedule (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10174447#post10174447)

2006 Survey Results: HDTV in St. Louis

Part 1: Profile of Survey Respondents (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9713951&&#post9713951)

Part 2: Local Digital Stations (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9713954&&#post9713954)

Part 3: Digital Multicasting (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9713956&&#post9713956)

Part 4: Customer Ratings for Charter, DirecTV & DISH HD Services (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9713960&&#post9713960)

Part 5: Customer Ratings for Pay TV HD Channels (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9713963&&#post9713963)

Part 6: Best Picture/Sound Ratings & HD Wish Lists (http://http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9713965&&#post9713965)

Finally, I want to remind everyone that you can access the St. Louis HDTV discussion here at AVS directly by using the shortcut URL that has been arranged.

The short-form URL also makes it very easy to remember and give the address to anyone you know who's just getting into HDTV.

The shortcut URL is: www.stlhdtv.info

Dan in St. Louis

04-16-07, 10:31 AM

The truth of the matter is, both CBS and NBC suck big-time when it comes to motorsports coverage
Maybe they learned that habit at the knees of the Post-Dispatch.

wmschultz

04-16-07, 10:38 AM

tcfila

04-16-07, 11:09 AM

Agree that it was bad -- but it wasn't THAT bad... :eek:

Key word is almost! It would have to be REALLY bad for that to happen.

deuces

04-16-07, 11:37 AM

True, even if it means having to listen to the senile Jay Randolph. Seriously--I expect hometown broadcast crews to be able to correctly pronounce Eckstein and Rolen--difficult tasks that have eluded Randolph. What the heck was KSDK thinking?? The only thing Randolph is good for is putting you to sleep--that's how boring his broadcasting style is.

Ok I didn't get to watch. I assume he said "Ecksteen" like in the commercial, but how do you mispronounce Rolen? I mean really, what did he say?

I was however listening to the radio when Mike Shannon was doing the scoreboard show this weekend and he said (pa teet' ee) was pitching for the Yankees. Then he said "Uh, er, or that would be Pettitte" as in (pet it), you know Andy Pettitte. Come on Mike, you know, the guy that was in our division the last 3 years. Too funny. :D

Left Jeff

04-16-07, 11:44 AM

I thought the Cardinals game pretty darn good, myself. It was a much better production than the FSNMW-HD games.

As far as the commentators go...You can't be worse than Dan and Al, so I'm fine with Randolph and Horton.

On a bit of a sidenote: in regards to Randolph calling Eckstein "Eck-Steen"...I've always noticed that old people seem to do that when pronouncing anyone's name that has "stein" in it.

type7

04-16-07, 01:10 PM

They are not "more generous" - my QAM tuner will pull in a few random channels from Charter, but no local ones or other 'normal' channels. Someone else might be able to give you the full scoop, but you're not going to get much unencrypted from them.

You won't get squat.

Ok, maybe you get squat. Digital (non hd) abc, thetube subchannel, ksdk weather subchannel, digital wgn, and that's about it. Oh, plus some vod from other people in your area.

It was nice during the free hbo/cinemax preview last week though. All of those freebies came in.

bballcards

04-16-07, 01:27 PM

On a bit of a sidenote: in regards to Randolph calling Eckstein "Eck-Steen"...I've always noticed that old people seem to do that when pronouncing anyone's name that has "stein" in it.
I might agree with you if this mispronunciation issue hadn't been magnified last October, when Bud Selig mispronounced it when he presented the WS MVP Trophy to Eckstein. They even needled at this gaffe in the New Era commercial, where the store clerk also mispronounces it (and Eckstein corrects him).

As far as mispronouncing Rolen, Randolph adds a "D" to the end of his name. Pretty annoying.

skippy_rq

04-16-07, 02:42 PM

Good idea to use the secondary channel though, hopefully they'll take that into advisement.

Hopefully they won't. That will only make the HD worse. They already rob bits from the signal as it is with the weather. Multicasting is bad for HD when it is used.

deuces

04-16-07, 02:51 PM

Hopefully they won't. That will only make the HD worse. They already rob bits from the signal as it is with the weather. Multicasting is bad for HD when it is used.

While I think we all agree with this, I can't think of a worse use of bits than they are currently using them for. I would never watch that race they wanted to see, but I would watch it before I did that weather they show there. Especially on a gorgeous day as was mentioned. I may change my signature to somehow protest 5-2.

mrmunkily

04-16-07, 04:08 PM

Thanks for the heads-up Re: Charter QAM.

It's too bad the cablecard spec is locked down as tightly as it is. Guess I'll stick to OTA for the foreseeable future.

dpmark:

I'm using a Vizio L32 HDTV as my panel, and it's got a pretty spotty tuner in it. I've also got a MythTv box pulling signal from a pcHDTV HD5500 card. The card is great - I can get good reception from my dinky UHF loop for all the local networks, including KDNL-DT. Playback is good except for KDNL-DT when it's broadcasting HD. I think it might be specific to 1080i from KDNL.

While the computer is hardly an authority at decoding HD smoothy, I think it's strange that I can see the same problems on both systems, even when I get a good signal. I wonder what the deal is?

type7

04-16-07, 04:49 PM

mrmunkily

04-16-07, 05:23 PM

EXACTLY! I was watching the bulls game yesterday and it was fine - but "brothers and sisters" was pretty unwatchable.

Glad to see that it's not just my setup.

twombomber

04-16-07, 06:33 PM

How long has it been since KSDK had baseball? 15 years? 20 years? And no one has come along in that time superior to Jay R? He was poor when he was in his prime. I actually like Horton. Al should be gone from FSNMW for many reasons, but any professional broadcaster who says "drownded" should be out on a rail (Saturday night).

DroptheRemote

04-17-07, 10:29 AM

DroptheRemote

04-17-07, 10:38 AM

Al should be gone from FSNMW for many reasons, but any professional broadcaster who says "drownded" should be out on a rail (Saturday night).Well, if we're going to start a list of the words that Al uses and abuses, "jettison" would have to go near the top of the list, particularly since it appears to be one of his very favorite words.

Hrabosky often refers to outfield walls "jettisoning" out, when what he means is that they "jut" out; as everyone who successfully completed 7th grade knows, jettison means to discard something.

Al's only been doing this forever, and I can't believe that someone hasn't told him that. Maybe they're trying to catch him between medication cycles and never can manage the timing... :rolleyes:

DroptheRemote

04-17-07, 10:46 AM

dweebe

04-17-07, 11:12 AM

Mr_Bester

04-17-07, 11:58 AM

I thought I would throw out another complaint about kSDk....

They pre-empted "My Name is Earl" last Thursday for their replay of the 60th anniversary suckfest. And, even though they CAN time shift HD, when it was played Sunday night at 11:35, it was SD all the way. Of course, that was after 15 seconds of black screen while they hurriedly ran to hit play.

edit...Forgot to mention that before the ball game on Sunday they had the Hockey Playoffs on for 1/2 hour. After about 3 minutes they switched to Bob Vila or something.
Top Notch from the leader in HD

dpmark

04-17-07, 01:45 PM

type7 and mrmunkily,

The reason that KDNL-DT's HD programming sometimes looks OK via your Oleiva or Vizio flat panel and other times it's a mess is that the tuners in these displays have difficulty handling program material that originated on film. Programming that is captured by video cameras (live sports, reality shows, news) won't be a problem.

So clarifying, the issue isn't one of time periods (prime time vs. non-prime time). It's the fact that most prime-time programming was created via film and some entry-level displays incorporate tuners that don't get work well on film-based material coming from stations using certain encoders/decoders.

This was discussed in greater depth here a couple of weeks back.

And just to emphacize one part of that statement a little bit, the problem seems to be film-based shows broadcast by KDNL as other Vizio owners have weighed in on it's forum saying that they have no problem watching Lost/Desp Housewives, etc., OTA from their local ABC affiliate. So it's not like Vizio/Olivia tuners can't display what ABC has filmed for the national market; it is more an issue of the tuners struggling with film based content as broadcast by KDNL specifically. But droptheremote is correct in his overall assessment of this being a problem with film-based recordings.

mrmunkily

04-17-07, 04:31 PM

Thanks for the explanation. I'll have a look back in time for those other discussions.

Theoretically, if it's a issue with decoding the compressed stream, then it's a "software bug," at least as far as software decoding on my MythTV setup is concerned, and I can report it to developers and promptly be ignored, etc.

shaka

04-17-07, 04:49 PM

Just wanted to advise here that it's looking unlikely that DirecTV will be picking up FSN Midwest until late summer or early fall. :(

I can't reveal my sources on this, and this isn't something that should be considered rock solid, but it appears that this addition is contingent on a satellite that has yet to be launched.

Hey Doug, whoever these sources may be can you get a timetable on the much publicized 100 plus HD channel rollout? What is DTV waiting for?

I'm just waiting to pull the trigger and re-sign with them, but c'mon, this is ridiculous!

Spencer

DroptheRemote

04-17-07, 04:58 PM

Spencer,

My source doesn't know the answer to that question. I have seen July discussed as a likely date for the bulk addition of new HD channels, but I don't think that has a direct link back to any official DirecTV statement.

black_macleod

04-17-07, 04:58 PM

deuces

04-17-07, 05:09 PM

Well, if we're going to start a list of the words that Al uses and abuses, "jettison" would have to go near the top of the list, particularly since it appears to be one of his very favorite words.

Hrabosky often refers to outfield walls "jettisoning" out, when what he means is that they "jut" out; as everyone who successfully completed 7th grade knows, jettison means to discard something.

Al's only been doing this forever, and I can't believe that someone hasn't told him that. Maybe they're trying to catch him between medication cycles and never can manage the timing... :rolleyes:

Since nearly everyone else is throwing in their 2 cents I will throw in mine. I don't think Al and Dan are great. They are both ok. I think Dan is better than Al, but Al is the color man, he is supposed to be colorful, even if as Doug correctly states above, he misuses some words in the English language, not to mention makes up some of his own. My biggest problem with Al is when he starts a thought that we all know is silly, so he just stops in the middle and never finishes, leaving us all hanging and wondering "was he really gonna say what I think he was". All in all I think Dan is a well above average play by play guy. I know Doug has mentiioned he overuses words like "smoked", "ripped", "drilled", and "blasted", and after taking note of Doug's comment I have noticed this. But I still believe he is above average.

I have not had the opportunity to view a KSDK broadcast yet and I am too young to recall Jay Randolph's prior announcing days. All I will say is some of you should listen to a Cubs radio broadcast or two. Pat Hughes does their play by play and in my opinion is very good, but he is constantly interrupted by the rooting, whining, yelling, moping, and groaning of Ron Santo. I can't recall seeing Santo play, and don't doubt the myriad of people who say he belongs in the Hall of Fame, and I also feel bad for all he has gone through in his life and respect him for his perserverance, but he just is not a good announcer. My wife and I like to listen to their broadcasts for a good laugh once in a while. I have to admit I feel guilty, because a few years ago when he passed out and crashed his vehicle during spring training I assumed he was drunk, when in fact it was his diabetes (which I was ignorant of) that caused the problem.

I still can't believe Mike Shannon called Andy Pettitte "Pateety" the other night. I have rambled on and the only thing this has to do with local HD is I guess Randolph may not be good, but we shouldn't complain too much. :)

shaka

04-17-07, 05:33 PM

Their new satellite? ;)

Yeah, that might help. Maybe if they'd spend less money on stupid self-promotion and get the damn bird up there already - then they'd have something to crow about.

Thanks for the update. If you're hearing July - we're probably talking more like '08. :rolleyes:

RaceTripper

04-17-07, 06:37 PM

And aren't the D* bird launches delayed after one of the sea-based launching platforms got damaged this earlier this year. I thought I had read that some new services planned for this year would be delayed to late in the year or next year as a result.

John Kotches

04-18-07, 12:20 AM

I honestly haven't seen much since Dish added the regional nets in HD on a select basis. Are they showing any Fox SPorts net in HD?

kdg454

04-18-07, 01:54 AM

I honestly haven't seen much since Dish added the regional nets in HD on a select basis. Are they showing any Fox SPorts net in HD?
John,
Only the select games, in the launched regions. As it stands now, the 10 FSN HD's, along with 11 other HD RSN's are sharing the same Tp 8 on Echostar 5 @ 129°. 6 of the FSN HD's have launched to subs, and began carrying HD games, when they are available. The next airing in STL is 4/27. The "block" opened up, is for 5 1/2 hours when a game is broadcast in HD. Dish also airs the pre and post game HD shows, along with the game.

Wonder which brain-child came up with the idea of adding an extra 2 1/2 hours of Dan and Al. :eek:

The "plan" is for these 21 HD RSN's to continue to "share" the same Tp, allowing Dish to spot-beam games to 4 different regions simultaneously, at any given time.

I don't know if any of the FSN HD's are simulcasting a 24/7 broadcast of their respective SD's, but there has been no word of any planned 24/7 carriage of the HD signals at this time.

DroptheRemote

04-18-07, 07:24 AM

Better Business Bureau Cites Charter Complaint Volume

Ironically, this story comes from the KSDK web site -- that's a little bit like Mussolini ratting out Hitler for bad behavior... :eek:

The Charter GM has offered up an eMail address where he can be contacted with customer complaints, and I have added this to the list of contacts in the resource post for this thread.
______________________________________________

The Better Business Bureau wants Charter Communications to shape up. On Tuesday, the consumer group released a scathing report on the cable company's customer service.

"In the past three years, which is our reporting period, we've received over 2,000 complaints and reports against charter," said BBB Trade Consultant Scott Thomas.

Thomas said a lot of the complaints concerned missed service appointments.

"Charter said they'd be out there the next day to physically disconnect the service. Charter didn't show up, the consumer set up three or four more appointments, all of which charter missed," said Thomas.

Charter Communications vice president and general manager Stephen Trippe concedes there is room for improvement. On the job just six months, he's surprised by the BBB's report.

Trippe said Charter welcomes the feedback from the Better Business Bureau and its customers. He said the company is seeing dramatic results.

"I met with the Better Business Bureau in the fall and we were very happy with the progress since our meeting. Since then we've actually been able to reduce our complaints by 33 percent over the last four months of 2006," said Trippe.

Trippe said the company has added crews on the street and call centers in the Philippines, Mexico and Canada to reduce wait times.

"Customer service has got to be number one -- it's a very competitive market," said Trippe.

Trippe said if customers can't get through on the phone, they can send him an e-mail (stevegm@chartercom.com) with their problems or concerns.
______________________________________________

DroptheRemote

04-18-07, 07:43 AM

VOOM May Be Headed Toward the Auction Block

From today's TV Predictions newsletter:
______________________________________________

Cablevision may sell its programming arm Rainbow Media, which includes the 15 Voom High-Definition channels.

That's according to Wall Street analysts quoted in today's Financial Times.

The newspaper reports that Cablevision may be preparing to sell Rainbow to make itself more desirable as a takeover target. The cable operator has undergone various struggles over the past few years, in part due to an internal fight over the former Voom satellite TV service.
______________________________________________

To read the complete story, click here (http://www.tvpredictions.com/voom041707.htm)

DroptheRemote

04-18-07, 07:51 AM

Here's another local story about Charter and the BBB, this one considerably more detailed than the one I quoted from the KSDK web site.

This story adds complaints about overbilling, unjustified reports of customers to credit agencies and delayed disconnects/continued billing.

http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/business/17095408.htm

wmschultz

04-18-07, 10:14 AM

Did anyone notice that channel 2-1 was squeezed last night during Seinfeld? I don't know
what it looked like prior to that but when I was trying to watch it last night it looked
sqeezed, like the pillar bars were twice as big.

I checked D* MPEG channel 2 and OTA 2-1 and it looked the same on both and I tried this on two different receivers.

I used the 1080i stretch mode on my TV and that almost made it look normal.

Bradduh

04-18-07, 10:22 AM

tcfila

04-18-07, 11:19 AM

When I watch things on Fox HD through Charter by DVR, it fasts forwards so much faster than other HD stations. Has anyone else noticed this, and if so, what causes it?

Tim

elgibby

04-18-07, 11:43 AM

When I watch things on Fox HD through Charter by DVR, it fasts forwards so much faster than other HD stations. Has anyone else noticed this, and if so, what causes it?

Tim

Y'know, I thought that was the case and thought it must be my imagination...
barry

kdg454

04-18-07, 12:33 PM

tcfila

04-18-07, 01:21 PM

I watched DRIVE last night, and spend more time on the 30sec skip fwd button than I did watching the show.

No kidding, I looked at it was every 5 minutes that they had a commercial.

deuces

04-18-07, 01:24 PM

MoInSTL

04-18-07, 02:13 PM

Hey Doug, whoever these sources may be can you get a timetable on the much publicized 100 plus HD channel rollout? What is DTV waiting for?

I'm just waiting to pull the trigger and re-sign with them, but c'mon, this is ridiculous!

Spencer

IIRC, the 100+ channels are system wide. No one is sure how they will be counted. Regardless, we will not be getting 100+ HD channels here in STL.

RaceTripper

04-18-07, 03:34 PM

IIRC, the 100+ channels are system wide. No one is sure how they will be counted. Regardless, we will not be getting 100+ HD channels here in STL.What I read somewhere...About a third of that 100 is for the subscription sports channels (NFL ST, Extra Innings, etc). It does not include locals in HD.

kdg454

04-18-07, 03:36 PM

I always thought AI was an offender in this regard, but apparently everyone agrees it is FOX in general. We don't watch too much FOX, this is the first year we have watched AI, and it seems FULL of commercials.

I also watched the 1st 2 episodes of Foxworthy's 5th Graders and it seemed like all commercials as well.

Does anyone think the Cardinals can hit now since they are on the West Coast?
No doubt, it is FOX. On AI and Saa5thG, the percentage of commercial to programming is 22.8%. A 1-hour AI is 38 minutes programming, and 22 minutes commercials.
As a reference, the "normal" percentage followed on the other networks is 9.6%.
ABC increases to 11.8% for GA, but only FOX ever comes anywhere near 15%, much less, exceeding 20%, on a regular basis.

I've never measured the self-promoting pop-ups that run inside of programming, but I'd guess FOX exorbitantly exceeds the other networks in this area also.

Robert Simandl

04-18-07, 09:02 PM

I'm guessing the faster forwarding on Fox has to do with Fox's lower bitrate... which means that episode of Drive or 24 takes up less space on the DVR hard drive... which means there's less data to skip through when we skip commercials.

Monday night's episode of 24 (after I cut the commercials out entirely on my editing PC) is only 2.87gB in size! By contrast, LOST, also broadcast in 720p but on KDNL with a higher bitrate, usually occupies 4.5 to 5gB without commercials. I'm thinking a 30 second skip on a Fox shows has to go through barely over half the digital data to reach that 30-second-spot in the file, that the same skip goes through with an ABC show.

DroptheRemote

04-18-07, 09:04 PM

S&P Gives Charter a Lift with Improved Credit Rating

From the Associated Press:
__________________________________________________

Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's said Wednesday it took cable operator Charter Communications Inc. off Credit Watch and lifted its corporate credit rating on the company.

S&P raised its corporate credit rating on Charter to "B-" from "CCC+" with a stable outlook.

Bank loan ratings were left unchanged with a "B+" rating on $8 billion in senior secured credit facilities, and a "B" rating on a $350 million third-lien term loan. The recovery rating was left at "1," which indicated a high expectation of full recovery of principal in the event of a default.
__________________________________________________

Robert Simandl

04-18-07, 09:07 PM

bballcards

04-18-07, 09:34 PM

And I have to disagree with the amount of commercials on each network. Based on my experience editing commercials from 24, The Unit, Lost, and Heroes, all four of the big broadcast nets run at least 15 minutes of commercials per hour.

And if anyone's wondering, I only record this stuff for my own personal use and don't upload them on p2p networks or anything like that............
I agree that the perception of the amount of commercials is overblown--except for American Idol (especially the Results shows). Some episodes of AI are almost half commercials (24-27 minutes), which is downright ridiculous. This is simply Fox's attempt to milk everything they can out of their cash cow.

As for other shows, such as 24 and Grey's Anatomy, I don't think there's a significant difference in amount of commercials, though it seems like there have been more commercials overall this year as opposed to last year (maybe that's just perception).

wmschultz

04-18-07, 10:14 PM

The last 24 was 44:52. The last Drive was 42:46.

Robert Simandl

04-18-07, 10:24 PM

BTW, don't expect DRIVE to last long. The premiere Sunday night got horrible ratings.

bballcards

04-19-07, 12:34 AM

BTW, don't expect DRIVE to last long. The premiere Sunday night got horrible ratings.
To me, anyway, I see it as a really dumb premise for a show, with some really marginal actors. A lot of the actors on DRIVE are frequent guest stars as minor characters on the various crime dramas (Law & Order, Without a Trace, CSI, etc).

mdriskell

04-19-07, 01:27 AM

kdg454

04-19-07, 01:54 AM

Approximately when did ESPN2 HD launch on Direct?

bailorg

04-19-07, 03:01 AM

Approximately when did ESPN2 HD launch on Direct?

At some point before Direct launches FSN Midwest HD.

bballcards

04-19-07, 03:50 AM

Not sure if anyone posted this yet, but the new Charter HD channels are online

I am showing ABCHD 780 & ESPN2HD 774 now on the Moxi. ESPN2 has no data listed nor channel description yet but the programming is already there.
Indeed. I'm excited--TWO NEW CHANNELS....from CHARTER. I think hell has frozen over. My DCT 3416 picked up the two channels as well (I also now have the guide data for ESPN2 HD).

On a related note, my TiVo S3 detected the channels a few days ago (but the channels weren't being transmitted yet). Since the TiVo guide data comes from TiVo, guide data has been there as well (but again, no programming...until now).

Now I can wait (in vain) for Charter to add KMOV-DT, Universal HD, and Food Network HD.

cd1871

04-19-07, 08:41 AM

i was woken up this morning by my son, but much to my surprise, TWO more HD channels on charter! Yippee! The antenna is coming down!
*celebration premature* i forgot about CBS/KMOV - Jerks!

DroptheRemote

04-19-07, 10:08 AM

cd,

Forget about taking the antenna down -- it's always going to be the best way to receive OTA HD.

And, more to the point, it's likely that there will be local/cable skirmishes of the KMOV/Belo variety well into the future, in the same way that these battles over fees regularly erupt between cable/satellite and various cable programming outlets (Lifetime, Court TV, Golf/Versus, etc).

DroptheRemote

04-19-07, 10:16 AM

wmschultz

04-19-07, 10:23 AM

Approximately when did ESPN2 HD launch on Direct?

I don't remember. It has been a while. Why, wazzup? I'll see if I can track it down for you.

black_macleod

04-19-07, 10:26 AM

OT Alert -- has anyone else noticed how sluggish and bloated the last couple of versions of Adobe Acrobat Professional and Acrobat Reader have become?

I recently installed the trial version of Acrobat Pro 8.0 on a clean XP install and it takes FOREVER for the application to start, or even to load an additional file once the app itself is running.

I've noticed that this situation has gotten worse with each release since 5.x, but version 8.0 really takes the biscuit in terms of being a nearly useless road apple.

Anyone else seeing this?

Hmmm, Acrobat 8 Pro actually runs much faster than 7 ever did.

Then again, I use a Mac

:D

I agree there is some bloat in the apps, but that's the norm these days eh? Haven't installed just the "reader" in some time, but there used to be options to NOT include some of the bloat crap.

cd1871

04-19-07, 10:31 AM

agreed. acrobat isnt sluggish on my mac either. but on my pc here at work it is very slow.

d.t.r. i am curious to see how 'lost' will look next week compared to the OTA signal. the OTA picture quality is always awesome for that show it seems. last night i picked up a 'clicking' noise about 10 minutes into the show, then disappeared at the commercial break.

DroptheRemote

04-19-07, 10:34 AM

Hmmm, Acrobat 8 Pro actually runs much faster than 7 ever did. Then again, I use a MacI guess maybe that makes some sense, since Apple and Adobe have a very long-running mutually beneficial relationship.

Then again, having great performance on PCs (Macs) that hold a measly 3 percent worldwide market share (rounding up) won't give a lot of long-term comfort to shareholders. ;)

DroptheRemote

04-19-07, 10:39 AM

cd,

Understand that I'm not saying that locals over Charter (or DISH or DirecTV, for that matter) are CURRENTLY substantially inferior. Yes, the OTA feed is ALWAYS going to be AT LEAST slightly better, since it's an earlier generation signal, particularly from a encoding/compression standpoint.

But the real reason for suggesting that OTA is a better option from a quality standpoint is the fact that current cable/satellite compression levels may not represent how they're handled a year from now, never mind 5 years from now.

Cable/satellite signal compression is creeping disease, not something that strikes and kills overnight.

Having access to an OTA feed puts you in control of picture quality, and that's an option you should always embrace (assuming picture quality is important to you).

DroptheRemote

04-19-07, 10:44 AM

BTW, I also experienced the clicking noise for about 5 minutes during "Lost" last night. I was watching delayed, so didn't think it worth calling the beeper number to alert KDNL engineers, but apparently someone did, as it stopped shortly before the next commercial break.

tcfila

04-19-07, 11:08 AM

wmschultz

04-19-07, 11:13 AM

Approximately when did ESPN2 HD launch on Direct?
September 2005 (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=749496&highlight=)

black_macleod

04-19-07, 11:20 AM

I guess maybe that makes some sense, since Apple and Adobe have a very long-running mutually beneficial relationship.

Then again, having great performance on PCs (Macs) that hold a measly 3 percent worldwide market share (rounding up) won't give a lot of long-term comfort to shareholders. ;)

Man you dont understand Apple shareholders at all, hehe ;) They are all Mac USERS too, lol. Think Different!

RaceTripper

04-19-07, 11:29 AM

Yeah, and being an Apple shareholder isn't about making money, it's about being cool and different. :D

black_macleod

04-19-07, 11:41 AM

Yeah, and being an Apple shareholder isn't about making money, it's about being cool and different. :D

Oh I dunno ... if you were an early shareholder before the split years ago, you're doing pretty damn good.

DroptheRemote

04-19-07, 11:56 AM

Well, actually I was referring to Adobe, which still probably gets well over 70% of its total revenues via the non-Apple channel...

tommeyj

04-19-07, 11:59 AM

Then again, having great performance on PCs (Macs) that hold a measly 3 percent worldwide market share (rounding up) won't give a lot of long-term comfort to shareholders. ;)[/QUOTE]

Now Doug, be nice to the us "Apple Fan Boys". That "measly 3 percent" correlates a pretty nifty stock price. If I could dump all the PC's in my office and replace them with Macs I surly would. On another note the Apple TV falls well short of my expectations but the potential is there when you can stream HD content. The picture slide shows look nice with the music in the back round.

DroptheRemote

04-19-07, 12:02 PM

kdg,

I suspect that I missed this when I was traveling, but can you let me know the channel number DISH has assigned to Fox Sports Midwest?

With the Charter additions and the addition of FSNMW on DISH, I need to update the Programming Guide.

DroptheRemote

04-19-07, 12:05 PM

tommeyj,

You're right -- 3 percent market share speaks for itself and adding an adjective of any type is an exercise in redundancy.

Whoops, there I go again...my bad. ;)

Saluki

04-19-07, 12:06 PM

Yeah, and being an Apple shareholder isn't about making money, it's about being cool and different. :D

Uh, not quite...

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?t=5y&s=AAPL&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=&c=%5EGSPC&c=%5EIXIC

kdg454

04-19-07, 12:56 PM

cd1871

04-19-07, 01:37 PM

i love my mac because it just works. i rarely have an issue with it.

picture quality is very important to me. but the convenience of not having to explain to my wife why we cannot pause the OTA HD broadcast of Lost is worth a sacrifice of a little picture quality. i can't tell too much of a difference in the HD broadcasts on NBC Thursday nights between the OTA and cable feed. The OTA seems ever so slightly to "pop" a little bit more. conversation from last night:
wife: "pause it, mom is calling!"
me: "i cant!"
wife: "why not?"
me: "its the OTA signal, not charter with the dvr."
wife: "hurry pause it."
me: "i cannot."
wife: "just do it before I miss the call."
me: "not possible!"
(wife misses phone call)
wife: "@#%!#$^%$^@$&"

deuces

04-19-07, 01:45 PM

deuces

04-19-07, 01:47 PM

cd1871

04-19-07, 03:20 PM

once my contract with charter is up in july it is open season on who i may switch to.

cracooper

04-19-07, 04:39 PM

tommeyj,

You're right -- 3 percent market share speaks for itself and adding an adjective of any type is an exercise in redundancy.

Whoops, there I go again...my bad. ;)
Apple sales up 30% to 5% share (http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyId=89&articleId=9017200&intsrc=hm_topic)

It's almost doubled since you posted.

Let's not forget most of the HD shows we are watching were pre and post produced using a Mac.

black_macleod

04-19-07, 04:51 PM

Apple sales up 30% to 5% share (http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyId=89&articleId=9017200&intsrc=hm_topic)

It's almost doubled since you posted.

Let's not forget most of the HD shows we are watching were pre and post produced using a Mac.

Speaking of which, the new Final Cut Studio Suite looks ... well ... SWEET!

tommeyj

04-19-07, 05:10 PM

Speaking of which, the new Final Cut Studio Suite looks ... well ... SWEET!

I really need to switch to Mac. I understand the Intel has a duel operating system.

StLBluesFan

04-19-07, 05:11 PM

once my contract with charter is up in july it is open season on who i may switch to.

Look for AT&T's IPTV offering in this area late Q3 early Q4 this year.

I know I will.

Dan in St. Louis

04-19-07, 05:14 PM

duel operating system.
Freudian slip?

black_macleod

04-19-07, 05:18 PM

Freudian slip?

Haha, that's awesome!

But yes you can run Windows quite well on the new Intel Macs, several ways to do it. I play BF2 on mine, runs smoooove.

tommeyj

04-19-07, 05:18 PM

Freudian slip?

I thought i heard the intel was coming out with a chip for dual operating systems. Maybe I heard wrong.

StLBluesFan

04-19-07, 05:20 PM

I really need to switch to Mac. I understand the Intel has a duel operating system.

If I undersand what you're saying, sorta, Macs that use Intel processors can *dual* boot to Mac OS or Windows XP/Vista. You have to own a license for the Windows OS, the Mac doesn't come with two operating systems.

I have a Mac, frankly I got over the "this is cool and different factor" and use it infrequently and much prefer the power and flexibility of my Windows PCs. Also, any lingering perception I had that Apple was a "different" tech company was smacked in the face by their pathetic handling and lack of communication regarding still-unresolved issues with iTunes and Vista.

I'm over Apple, can you tell? :D

black_macleod

04-19-07, 05:22 PM

If I undersand what you're saying, sorta, Macs that use Intel processors can *dual* boot to Mac OS or Windows XP/Vista. You have to own a license for the Windows OS, the Mac doesn't come with two operating systems.

I have a Mac, frankly I got over the "this is cool and different factor" and use it infrequently and much prefer the power and flexibility of my Windows PCs. Also, any lingering perception I had that Apple was a "different" tech company was smacked in the face by their pathetic handling and lack of communication regarding still-unresolved issues with iTunes and Vista.

I'm over Apple, can you tell? :D

Wait, you're blaming Apple for that and not Vista? Geez :D

tommeyj

04-19-07, 05:27 PM

If I undersand what you're saying, sorta, Macs that use Intel processors can *dual* boot to Mac OS or Windows XP/Vista. You have to own a license for the Windows OS, the Mac doesn't come with two operating systems.

I have a Mac, frankly I got over the "this is cool and different factor" and use it infrequently and much prefer the power and flexibility of my Windows PCs. Also, any lingering perception I had that Apple was a "different" tech company was smacked in the face by their pathetic handling and lack of communication regarding still-unresolved issues with iTunes and Vista.

I'm over Apple, can you tell? :D

That pretty much what I mean. You would have to own each operating software. I'm still with XP so when my computer guy say's its ok to upgrade to Vista I'll do it then. He already told me no macs.

brezz

04-19-07, 05:47 PM

Perhaps it's because they have 12x the amount of commercials on FOX.

I watched DRIVE last night, and spend more time on the 30sec skip fwd button than I did watching the show.

Personally, I find FOX the most annoying network to watch.

This is going to be a stupid question, but I just got the charter HD-DVR and I can't find this 30sec skip fwd button on my remote. any help?

Brian

StLBluesFan

04-19-07, 06:04 PM

Wait, you're blaming Apple for that and not Vista? Geez :D

Yes. As I said, I'm blaming Apple for their minimal response. Not for the incompatibilities. Obviously many apps and hardware have compatibility issues with a new OS, no blame to the app/hardware. And I really don't consider pre-RTM versions to be where the clock starts ticking for them to start work on new drivers/patches/etc, though many do. Fully finished, released OS code, I give 'em that first.

In early February, Apple led folks to believe that their Vista-compatible version would be released in a "couple of weeks." What they released, a month later, was a new version to address the AppleTV release that followed in a week. It is now better than 10 weeks later, Apple has officially communicated *nothing* that either acknowledges issues users are having, nor anything regarding progress on a Vista-compatible version. Neither officially, in the Apple forums, or via the trades. That is inexcusable.

kdg454

04-19-07, 06:47 PM

This is going to be a stupid question, but I just got the charter HD-DVR and I can't find this 30sec skip fwd button on my remote. any help?

Brian
I don't know about the current Charter DVR. DirecTV removed their 30sec skip fwd feature on their new HD DVR's. I have DISH, which has it.

Maybe post your question in the STL Charter thread HERE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=805958) :)

Ron_M

04-19-07, 07:00 PM

This is going to be a stupid question, but I just got the charter HD-DVR and I can't find this 30sec skip fwd button on my remote. any help?

Brian

What DVR did they give you.The Moxi has a skip button, but if you received the Motorola 3416 this DVR does not have a skip button.

davesalaman

04-19-07, 07:17 PM

What DVR did they give you.The Moxi has a skip button, but if you received the Motorola 3416 this DVR does not have a skip button.

The 3416 supports a 30 second forward and 15 second backward skip, but not on the supplied remote. If you use a universal remote, (I use a Harmony 880) you can program these buttons in.

Mr_Bester

04-19-07, 07:53 PM

I don't know about the current Charter DVR. DirecTV removed their 30sec skip fwd feature on their new HD DVR's. I have DISH, which has it.

Maybe post your question in the STL Charter thread HERE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=805958) :)

D* does have a 30sec "slip" on the new dvr....
Just a correction.

RaceTripper

04-19-07, 07:58 PM

D* does have a 30sec "slip" on the new dvr....
Just a correction.Yes it does. In fact, you can hit it like 6 times in quick succession to get up 3 minutes worth of skip at once. I use it all the time.

Scott Tucker

04-19-07, 08:10 PM

D* does have a 30sec "slip" on the new dvr....
Just a correction.

They also have it on the old DVR. Plus, it's Tivo software.

Scott

nomunk

04-19-07, 08:22 PM

why in the hell are people talking about Apple,Intel and Microsoft on this thread I THOUGHT THIS THREAD WAS ABOUT ST.LOUIS HDTV INFO AND RECEPTION

kdg454

04-19-07, 10:04 PM

Yes it does. In fact, you can hit it like 6 times in quick succession to get up 3 minutes worth of skip at once. I use it all the time.
Help me out here....what am I remembering from sometime last year....DTV introduced a DVR, but left off the 30 second skip forward.
I thought it was when they went from the TiVo to their own....apparently not.
I know recall discussion about it here....some thoughts were the fact that FOX was the parent of Direct at that time, and perhaps wanted to ensure more exposure to commercials. Later on, the though was addressed, when parts of Direct went from News Corp to Liberty, if the 30 second skip would return.

Doug took part in the discussions, I'm sure he'll remember it.

Did I dream it? :rolleyes:

kdg454

04-19-07, 10:08 PM

why in the hell are people talking about Apple,Intel and Microsoft on this thread I THOUGHT THIS THREAD WAS ABOUT ST.LOUIS HDTV INFO AND RECEPTION
You left off Baseball, ISP providers, Cellular phones, and forum etiquette :D

cd1871

04-19-07, 11:03 PM

at home i am running a mac pro with parallels to use windows and linux. work has just switched me to the same setup after hearing me rant about windows too many times. the new final cut software looks freaking sweet. if you go to the new website there are a few videos about hi-def and the software!

http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/action/?movie=nab

**posted with a mac!**

DroptheRemote

04-20-07, 12:17 AM

Apple sales up 30% to 5% share (http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyId=89&articleId=9017200&intsrc=hm_topic)

It's almost doubled since you posted.

Let's not forget most of the HD shows we are watching were pre and post produced using a Mac.You can think different, but you still have to add, subtract, multiply and divide the conventional way:

http://www.internet-nexus.com/2007/03/no-wait-its-year-of-desktop-mac.htm

Joseph Clark

04-20-07, 04:14 AM

We had a question about how these Mac/PC posts are St. Louis/HDTV relevant. Maybe they aren't, mostly, but I can spin it there a little. I've been doing my own personal/St. Louis based high definition shooting/editing for the last year and a half, at least. And I can burn those videos to HD DVD and play them on my personal HD DVD player. I do all this on a very reliably PC, and I haven't seen or touched a Mac in over two years.

The assertion that most of what we see on TV is edited on Final Cut Pro (although it's fine software that's had a dramatic impact on the industry) might just get a couple of Avid editors to raise their hands and ask, "Can I say something?"

Being a computer zealot is one of the greatest wastes of time ever to raise its silly victim's blood pressure. I worked with Macs for years, and I can see why some of its software is attractive to some editors. That's great for them, but to use that to try to convince people they should switch to a Mac is misleading. The software to do over 90% of the fun/creative/work-a-day things I do with a PC just aren't there for the Mac, or cost a lot more. If anyone's interested in learning about doing HDV editing on a PC, I can help. If you want to do the same thing on a Mac, I have friends who can help with that. Be prepared for a learning curve either way. Touching a Mac or PC keyboard won't make you a video editor by osmosis.

DroptheRemote

04-20-07, 07:57 AM

deuces

04-20-07, 08:38 AM

More on Charter and the Better Business Bureau advisory can be found here, from today's Post-Dispatch:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/savvyconsumer/story/03850FB242E8FF74862572C3000FE550?OpenDocument

I'm not sure how the lady goes from owing 30 cents to over a hundred dollars in such a short period of time. That is worse than a loan shark, lol.

But overall a very scary story, Charter can't like how that looks.

DroptheRemote

04-20-07, 08:51 AM

March Sales Indicate Growing Blu-ray Momentum

From today's TV Predictions newsletter:
__________________________________________

Sales of Blu-ray HDTV DVDs once again trounced rival HD DVD in March and the Sony-backed format now has a 69-31 percent sales lead in the first three months of 2007. That's according to Nielsen Video Scan, which tracks the sale of the new high-def DVDs.

Blu-ray supporters say the widening lead is evidence that the format is pulling away from HD DVD in the high-def DVD format war. The two formats are competing for the new high-def DVD audience.

However, HD DVD backers tell Video Business that its format will rebound due to lower player prices and the release of 70 new HD DVD titles between now and summer.

Toshiba, the biggest supporter of the HD DVD format, recently introduced a $399 player.
__________________________________________

For more on this story, click here (http://www.tvpredictions.com/bluraysales042007.htm)

Scott Tucker

04-20-07, 09:07 AM

why in the hell are people talking about Apple,Intel and Microsoft on this thread I THOUGHT THIS THREAD WAS ABOUT ST.LOUIS HDTV INFO AND RECEPTION

What? You don't watch HDTV on your Mac in St. Louis?

RaceTripper

04-20-07, 09:20 AM

Help me out here....what am I remembering from sometime last year....DTV introduced a DVR, but left off the 30 second skip forward.
I thought it was when they went from the TiVo to their own....apparently not.
I know recall discussion about it here....some thoughts were the fact that FOX was the parent of Direct at that time, and perhaps wanted to ensure more exposure to commercials. Later on, the though was addressed, when parts of Direct went from News Corp to Liberty, if the 30 second skip would return.

Doug took part in the discussions, I'm sure he'll remember it.

Did I dream it? :rolleyes:I have the HR20-700 (actually, two). It has two buttons on the remote. One a 30 second skip and the other a 6 second reverse. Just like TIVO. Trust me it's there. I use it every day. I can't speak for any other models D* has, but this is their HD DVR which replaced my HR10-250 TIVO units.

RaceTripper

04-20-07, 09:24 AM

You can think different, but you still have to add, subtract, multiply and divide the conventional way:

http://www.internet-nexus.com/2007/03/no-wait-its-year-of-desktop-mac.htm
That is if you trust the facts Paul Thurrott gives. The guy's a Microsoft shill. I used to read his website and think, "jeez, just get a room with Bill already...."

DroptheRemote

04-20-07, 10:01 AM

That is if you trust the facts Paul Thurrott gives. The guy's a Microsoft shill. I used to read his website and think, "jeez, just get a room with Bill already...."I don't agree that Thurrott is a Microsoft shill, though the majority of what he writes about is Microsoft-oriented, in large part, I suspect, because that is what most consumers and businesses actually use.

Also, the guy is critical of Microsoft when it's appropriate. For example, he absolutely reamed Microsoft for the many delays in Vista and for the fact that much of what was promised in the original "Longhorn" previews never made it into the released product. Late in the beta review process, he labeled the product "a trainwreck."

But then, a lot of people would say he (or any other PC industry pundit) falls short of an appropriate level of Microsoft criticism if they aren't critical of Microsoft 100% of the time.

Thurrott also owns and uses Apple products extensively and regularly writes complimentary things about them -- but he also slams the company when they screw up. And history has proven conclusively that you can't say anything bad about an Apple product without being viewed as anti-Apple/pro-Microsoft.

In any event, the point of the story I linked to is that Apple is not gaining significant market share with its Mac product line, despite building appealing products.

While Thurrott doesn't put it in these terms, Apple has lost the battle of absolute numbers, and it's highly unlikely it can ever sell enough gear to achieve 10% market share. Doubling sales for a product with 3% world share in a market that is growing 10+% a year will not yield meaningful share gains. OK, maybe if you manage that over 5 years, but the idea that Apple is doubling market share as a result of recent product successes is a figment of wishful thinking and a laughable grasp on 5th-grade-level mathematics.

And that -- not any particular set of facts -- was the point of the article.