Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD - HDTV

[Marcus Carr]

Now WBFF is showing the news with graphics on the right side and bottom. The right side graphics are partially cut off. Video is in a 16X9 window but is still SD with black sidebars.

[nottenst]

Originally Posted by Steve_AA_Co_MD

Prince Georges County Comcast not only removed the Baltimore QAM digital channels from their system, but the Annapolis & Anne Arundel Comcast system removed many DC QAM digital channels yesterday (4, 7, 9, & 26). I still have 5, 20, and 50, but probably not for long. I miss having the option of watching WUSA's HD news. Not only that, I often watched several other DC locals on the QAM side since the SD version is so overly-compressed. This was one of the reasons that I initially chose Comcast over satellite, especially since the town that I live in is actually quite a bit closer to DC than it is to Baltimore. I'd rather watch DC locals. Most severe weather moves generally from West to East. I live directly East of DC. Baltimore weather rarely matches up with what I experience in my town. I don't expect to see FIOS install crews for years either. Maybe I need to look into a good D*/OTA hybrid solution.

I am not surprised. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a company wide purge - removing dual locals from all areas. Living in Bowie, I liked getting the Baltimore channels as well as the DC ones. It is definitely time to call our franchise authority.

Neil

[aaronwt]

Originally Posted by nottenst

I am not surprised. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a company wide purge - removing dual locals from all areas. Living in Bowie, I liked getting the Baltimore channels as well as the DC ones. It is definitely time to call our franchise authority.

Neil

You should be able to put up some "rabbit ears" and get the channels from both markets OTA. AT my girlfriends house in Fort Washington, a small antenna easily picks up the Baltimore and DC stations OTA.
That was how I used to watch HD from ABC back in 2001/2002. I would record it from the BAltimore station onto a removeable hard drive every week and take it home every week to to watch it in HD at my condo.

[tonyd79]

Originally Posted by Marcus Carr

Now WBFF is showing the news with graphics on the right side and bottom. The right side graphics are partially cut off. Video is in a 16X9 window but is still SD with black sidebars.

The bottom is much better than last nigth but still pushing the edge. The right side is cropped a bit.

Graphics for weather look very nice as does the picture in the middle.

Some very odd sports scores on the ticker. Seems like it is all minor league baseball.

Step by step.

[CycloneGT]

Well, for all you QAM users who are getting cut off by Comcast, there is alway the OTA solution to consider. Sure its a bit of effort, but at least you'd get your HD channels back on your flatscreens.

[nottenst]

Originally Posted by aaronwt

You should be able to put up some "rabbit ears" and get the channels from both markets OTA.

I was using rabbit ears before I found out about the QAM signal. Some of the stations come in quite nicely, but not all of them. ABC is the toughest over the air for both Baltimore and DC. In fact I am using rabbit ears for the tuner in my new PC. It is just infuriating to have something like this taken away from you.

Neil

[Steve_AA_Co_MD]

Originally Posted by CycloneGT

Well, for all you QAM users who are getting cut off by Comcast, there is alway the OTA solution to consider. Sure its a bit of effort, but at least you'd get your HD channels back on your flatscreens.

It's not that I can't flip an A/B switch and switch to my rooftop antenna in my living room, but it was very convenient to have QAM locals from both DC and Baltimore interleaved with the Comcast analog lineup and quite a few unencrypted QAM channels. I only have one Comcast HD-DVR (digital tuner) in my house. The other rooms have televisions with QAM capable tuners. To go the antenna route in other rooms would require dual coax to be installed. I'm trying to keep it simple for the rest of my family members.

In addition, receiving either DC or Baltimore locals requires that I turn my antenna. The transmitters are at a 90 degree offset at my location. Plus, being close to the Chesapeake Bay increases my chances of ducting. Some of the analog and digital channels from nearby cities (Norfolk, Philly, NJ/NYC) share the same channels as the DC/Balt locals. It's not always easy to keep a rock solid signal from certain digital locals.

[nottenst]

I just emailed and called our franchise authority representative in Bowie. She said that the competing markets (Baltimore in DC areas and DC in Baltimore areas) were removed due to the different advertising rates in the areas. Something connected to the Nielsen ratings. I'm not exactly sure. She believes that the removal of the Annapolis stations was a mistake, though. She is going to forward my email over her contact at Comcast and we might get some answer.

She also told me that this coming Tuesday night they are going to have a forum about the digital transition at City Hall and there will be representatives from Comcast, Verizon and maybe even the FCC there. If you have any ideas of good questions for them, please pass them on and I'll try to ask them.

Neil

[Steve_AA_Co_MD]

To be honest, I don't believe that it has anything to do with rates or ratings. Comcast is trying to making room for more HD content to attempt to compete. Since their system is at saturation, they either need to get rid of existing analog channels or juggle the current digital lineup. Taking away DC locals in Annapolis freed up 12 MHz of bandwidth. I wish Comcast would've removed a few of the useless analog shopping channels, but I'm sure it was just another business decision that wasn't all that well thought out. Like I said in my original post, Comcast is becoming less and less desirable versus satellite now. Comcast having both digital DMAs 'was' a huge plus in my book.

[nottenst]

Originally Posted by Steve_AA_Co_MD

To be honest, I don't believe that it has anything to do with rates or ratings. Comcast is trying to making room for more HD content to attempt to compete. Since their system is at saturation, they either need to get rid of existing analog channels or juggle the current digital lineup.

What they say the reason is and what the real reason for their actions is can be completely different things.

Neil

[cjs2000]

Originally Posted by euckersw

Just turned on the TV and noticed on a promo channel that Cox in Fairfax is due to receive 5 new HD channels on May 31st. The channels listed are:

USA HD
Bravo HD
Sci-Fi HD
CNBC HD
Lifetime HD

It states that brings the total to 39 HD channels for Cox in Fairfax with "...more coming soon!" being touted on the promo channel.

I saw that as well. I'm looking forward to Sci-Fi HD.

[raidbuck]

Originally Posted by nottenst

I was using rabbit ears before I found out about the QAM signal. Some of the stations come in quite nicely, but not all of them. ABC is the toughest over the air for both Baltimore and DC. In fact I am using rabbit ears for the tuner in my new PC. It is just infuriating to have something like this taken away from you.

Neil

I don't understand. You must not have the digital signal to want the local HD channels from the QAM signal. So Comcast should just keep giving the digitial HD signal to you for the cost of basic analog? Is that a good business model? Am I missing something here?

Rich N.

[nottenst]

Originally Posted by raidbuck

I don't understand. You must not have the digital signal to want the local HD channels from the QAM signal. So Comcast should just keep giving the digitial HD signal to you for the cost of basic analog? Is that a good business model? Am I missing something here?

Rich N.

No matter what plan I have - starting Friday, Comcast stopped supplying the digital Baltimore and Annapolis channels in PG County. I don't think they were ever listed on their official channel lineup of things you can get through their box, but were available on the QAM signal.

Neil

[dneily]

Originally Posted by Skeptic Tank

Does anyone know what Verizon's FIOS QAM looks like in PG?

The only FIOS QAM channel that I've watched recently is WJZ. I watched the Orioles opening day game. It looked great.

[Unfortunately, subsequent MASN-HD games on WJZ have not been in HD.]

[fmsjr]

Originally Posted by Steve_AA_Co_MD

... receiving either DC or Baltimore locals requires that I turn my antenna. The transmitters are at a 90 degree offset at my location. Plus, being close to the Chesapeake Bay increases my chances of ducting. Some of the analog and digital channels from nearby cities (Norfolk, Philly, NJ/NYC) share the same channels as the DC/Balt locals. It's not always easy to keep a rock solid signal from certain digital locals.

I stacked 2 CM 4224s, one facing Baltimore, one to DC, combined them with a splitter, then fed into a preamp. Works great for all Baltimore & DC channels... even 20. Your angle is probably just a little less than 90 but that arrangement would probably still work well. We do all of our TiVO HD recording OTA, so no need to mess with cable cards and no QAM worries.
I agree, CC's explanation doesn't hold up. Baltimore & DC HD are still both available on AA & Howard FiOS and not just QAM... they're mapped to channels on the STB.

[Steve_AA_Co_MD]

Originally Posted by fmsjr

I stacked 2 CM 4224s, one facing Baltimore, one to DC, combined them with a splitter, then fed into a preamp. Works great for all Baltimore & DC channels... even 20. Your angle is probably just a little less than 90 but that arrangement would probably still work well. We do all of our TiVO HD recording OTA, so no need to mess with cable cards and no QAM worries.
I agree, CC's explanation doesn't hold up. Baltimore & DC HD are still both available on AA & Howard FiOS and not just QAM... they're mapped to channels on the STB.

Up until a couple of years ago, I had a CM 4228 that I could point between DC and Baltimore and receive most channels out of both cities fairly well. I changed back to a VHF/UHF yagi when I found out that VHF-HI would still be a factor around here after 2/09. I also use my current system for two FM receivers in my home. The 4228 wasn't very good for FM reception. It seemed like it started to come to life at about 200 MHz or so.

In addition, Comcast's explanation doesn't hold up because they still provide carriage of most of the DC locals (Ch. 4, 5, 7, 9, 26) via 12:1 compression ADS and via analog. The last I heard, ratings and rates are still not being based upon DTV.

[Skeptic Tank]

Originally Posted by nottenst

I just emailed and called our franchise authority representative in Bowie. She said that the competing markets (Baltimore in DC areas and DC in Baltimore areas) were removed due to the different advertising rates in the areas. Something connected to the Nielsen ratings. Neil

Nielson isn't paying my cable bill. They are a 4th party to the transaction between Comcast and the folks who are paying Comcast to provide, at a minimum, the signals from the tv stations broadcasting in this area.

The peculiarities of the pricing schemes of a company that services other companies who wish to make money selling our attention are not a valid reason for Comcast to reduce the level of the service it sells to its paying customers in P.G. County.

[DRal]

Did anyone see what happened on NBC HD last night...at 8:30 Scrubs was suppose to start, well the first two minutes where ER, and not the beginning of ER but rather 30 minutes into ER. However on NBC non HD they were running Scrubs...wonder if anyone will be fired for this.

[Skeptic Tank]

Originally Posted by dneily

The only FIOS QAM channel that I've watched recently is WJZ. I watched the Orioles opening day game. It looked great.

[Unfortunately, subsequent MASN-HD games on WJZ have not been in HD.]

Glad to hear the quality's good, but right now, I'm interested in quantity. Does Verizon provide all the Baltimore and D.C. local high def broadcast stations to P.G. via clear QAM?

[cpldc]

Originally Posted by afiggatt

WUTB-DT My 24 in Baltimore is still operating at a very low power of 530 Watts on their DT UHF 41 channel. Until WUTB-DT goes to 200 kW power, whenever that finally occurs, only those with a direct line of sight have much of a decent chance to get the digital signal.

The weather the past several days has been good for tropospheric ducting. You picked up a reflected signal for WTXF Fox 29 out of Philly. But the DT signal on UHF 42 at some 78 MHz off in frequency may have acted very differently

The metal bars on the window might act as part of the reflector, but with the large spacing, would be a reflector more for VHF than UHF. You could first attach to the window bars with plastic ties as an experiment (don't drop the antenna into the street!). But you may want to consider how to mount the antenna so that the CM 4220 reflector screen is electrically isolated from the window bars. Mount the antenna to a wooden pole which is tied to the window. But you would presumably lose the ability to aim the antenna by attaching it to the bars.

I am going to set this up sometime soon when my dad can come out and help me since I have no tools, ladder, etc. In the meantime, to my surprise the CM7777 I bought on a whim did not overload and is instead working perfectly from the antenna's current window location. As I had noted before I first bought the Winegard HDP-269 high-input preamp for overload reasons since I'm quite close to the DC towers but I still could not get WMPT on my tuner downstairs unless I removed the splitter, and even then it was intermittent. I'm happy to report that I can get it solidly now with the splitter in place. I even got DT 57 last night, though it was gone this morning.

Heck, I was able to get WMAR and WBFF digital using just a loop at the same window location when piped through the preamp. My experience seems to contradict some of what I've read about preamps. So, if anyone reading this is in a similar situation but is afraid of overloading it's still worth a shot.

I think I'm done messing with TV for a while. Thanks, everyone, for the help. I'm going to "stimulate the economy" by buying a shortwave radio and building an antenna for that instead.

[CycloneGT]

Seems like I've quoted three articles from www.dcrtv.com this week.

Originally Posted by dcrtv

NC8 To HD, Politico TV On Track - 5/2 - A tipster tells DCRTV: NewsChannel 8 is getting a new state-of-the-art news set and studio and will go high-def by late summer (presumably with sister WJLA). They are moving the "studio" out of its current space to the second floor of the Rosslyn facility to make more room for Politico TV. This should help squash some rumors about the possible demise or scaling back of the political rag/website's TV efforts. Allbritton's "WJLA/ NC8/Politico is by no means getting smaller. If anything, they are expanding"....

So it looks the wheels for WJLA's HDTV News are in motion. Of course we have known this for a while, but this the first time I have seen it externally referenced, and of course a time line put out there. Still wish I could see News Channel 8 on a digital sub channel. Seems like the perfect application for a subchannel.

[Roberto Carlo]

Originally Posted by euckersw

Just turned on the TV and noticed on a promo channel that Cox in Fairfax is due to receive 5 new HD channels on May 31st. The channels listed are:

USA HD
Bravo HD
Sci-Fi HD
CNBC HD
Lifetime HD

It states that brings the total to 39 HD channels for Cox in Fairfax with "...more coming soon!" being touted on the promo channel.

I also noticed that. A few hours later, I got a call from Cox offering me a year of Showtime for free if I promised to not change my services or drop Cox. Since I had no intention of doing either, I said sure. The addition of these channels -- especially Sci-Fi -- made my decision easier.

The only channels I wish they would add are the HD-Net ones but I'm not holding my breath.

[URFloorMatt]

So, by the fall, pretty much all national news programming and all D.C. local news programming not originating out of WRC-TV will be HD?

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

[bucnasty]

Originally Posted by URFloorMatt

So, by the fall, pretty much all national news programming and all D.C. local news programming not originating out of WRC-TV will be HD?

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

is cbs news going hi def? katie couric looks like they stole the cameras from the jimmy kimmel live set...

[afiggatt]

Originally Posted by bucnasty

is cbs news going hi def? katie couric looks like they stole the cameras from the jimmy kimmel live set...

Yes, CBS evening news is going HD sometime in June or shortly thereafter. ABC nightly news along with Nightline and other ABC news programs are going HD the week of September 8. See http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1020033.

The way it is looking, WRC-DT NBC 4 may the last of the big four net stations in both Baltimore & DC to go HD for local news. While WUSA 9 is still the only local HD news station, if all the reports are correct, we may have 7 out of the 8 between the 2 cities before the end of this year. By then, HD viewers may have to tune to WRC 4 to remember what SD studio shots look like.

[Marcus Carr]

Originally Posted by URFloorMatt

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/04/m...stations_i.php

After 20 some years at WRC, The McLaughlin Group is switching affiliates and studios over to WUSA. I hesitate to ask given who's on the panel but... does this create a possibility for HD?

Not HD. But very sharp SD thanks to the HD cameras.

[Trip in VA]

Yes! I saw the McLaughlin Group last night on my local PBS station and was blown away by how clear and sharp it looked. I figured it was the result of new equipment and WUSA, but I had no idea just how much of an impact it would have.

I'm not entirely sure I want to see those people in HD anyway. Widescreen SD though... that I could handle, if it was offered. =)

- Trip

[zebras23]

Originally Posted by Trip in VA

Yes! I saw the McLaughlin Group last night on my local PBS station and was blown away by how clear and sharp it looked. I figured it was the result of new equipment and WUSA, but I had no idea just how much of an impact it would have.

I'm not entirely sure I want to see those people in HD anyway. Widescreen SD though... that I could handle, if it was offered. =)

- Trip

This is one of the few shows that could truly blow you away w/ 5.1 - McLaughlin on the center chanel, with a guest on each of the R/L and Rear R/L - I think it would make the show that much more intense.

[bogdanmi]

Originally Posted by nottenst

I'm in Bowie and I'm getting no signal for any of these channels from Comcast either.

Neil

I'm so ticked off by this. Here in AA county (Crofton), I've lost all widescreen locals (Balt and DC!) except for MPT and WTTG Fox 5.

No STB, just using Clear QAM from Comcrap and my TV's tuner. I thought they were required to pass local signals on to the customer?

Definitely switching to Verizon FIOS, this is complete BS.

[GregAnnapolis]

Originally Posted by bogdanmi

I'm so ticked off by this. Here in AA county (Crofton), I've lost all widescreen locals (Balt and DC!) except for MPT and WTTG Fox 5.

No STB, just using Clear QAM from Comcrap and my TV's tuner. I thought they were required to pass local signals on to the customer?

Definitely switching to Verizon FIOS, this is complete BS.

Between this issue and the rapidly declining HD quality, I've made the same decision. My household has had Comcast cable since they moved into the area to take over Jones Communications sometime back in the 90s, if I remember correctly. And we'd had Jones (or whoever else came before them) for as long as I can remember.

It's been a fun ride, but Comcast has finally taken away the last barriers between themselves and their competition (in my mind). It's FIOS time. Maybe next time, Comcast won't try and trade their high-paying premium video customers for a whole slew of discount-rate "Triple Play" customers -- especially when it appears that the competition is capable of providing both.