Greensboro, NC - HDTV - Page 9

Yeah, I already knew that, but it just seems insane that CBS has the best setup right now for HD and it wasn't "their turn". What a coup that would have been as well as turning more people on to HDTV....

For sure next year, though!

Pam

Well I see the audio has dropped out again this morning. This is NOT a good sign.

Looks like we may be out for a time today while I get my BIG ball peen hammer! It never ends!

Sorry, foxeng!!

I hope the rest of your day gets easier!

Pam

I hope it was clear to everyone that the awful Super Bowl video was *not* the fault of TWC. They can only pass along the signal WXLV provides to them. As foxeng pointed out, WXLV *still* does not transmit true, 1080i HDTV. This has been bugging me for a long time.

Today, I sent the following email to WXLV:


I invite others to send similar messages to WXLV. Maybe all they need is a little ammunition from viewers in order to get some HDTV broadcast equipment in their budget.

I'm looking forward to seeing whether or not they even respond. Some of the local stations I've sent comments to, like WFMY-DT, have been amazingly responsive and helpful. Good guys! Others have ignored me alltogether. Still others have cool guys like foxeng working for them, who seems to genuinely care about about his viewers.

One way or another, I *will* be watching ABC programming in HDTV in the near future.

Good for You, Mrphred!

I, too will jot a message to our local ABC affiliate to see what the response will be. You are right. I should not have gotten so upset at twc - except that a few of the customer service reps were clueless as to what HD signals were!

WFMY has been absolutely delightful in any correspondance I have sent. They have responded timely and positively, and I think that is partly why we have the CBS feed already!

Regards,

Pam

I used the "feedback" form on the abc45.com web page several weeks ago to inquire if they would be transmitting a true HDTV signal by the time Superbowl Sunday arrived.

I explained in my email that I had a front projection HDTV fed from TWC and that it would be a great opportunity where I could invite family and friends to view their station (and the game) in HDTV.

I explained that I knew that it would result in even more of them purchasing new HDTVs. (One neighbor who saw my HDTV, and was blown away by the picture quality, replaced his existing 60 inch SD set with a new HDTV model less than a few weeks after his visit to my theater) I said in my message to them that it would be terrible after watching the HDTV playoff games on CBS for local viewers to realize that ABC was way behind the others in their technology.

To this day... no answer...

Now... I expected a "canned" response from them... but not to respond at all...

I wonder how much they care about us early adopters of HDTV.

J. L.

For those into NASCAR, FOX has stated they will be doing the races in DD 5.1. Since we do not have a DD 5.1 encoder, I have taken our alternate audio channels and have set it up to pass DD 5.1 from teh network feed while leaving the main or primary or first or whatever you want to call it, audio channels for Pro Logic 2.0.

First thing I am curious about is TWC passing both sets of audio channels and if so, are you able to receive audio on both sets.

Secondly, when the races are on, I would be curious to hear from you folks if you can tell a difference between the main and alternate channels.

Again the main is set for Pro Logic 2.0 and the alternate is set for DD 5.1.

Charles Layno
Transmitter Supervisor
FOX8 WGHP/WGHP-DT 35

First of all, I apologize to you folks for my not taking the time to read this whole thread, where I could probably find the answer to my question. However, it's pretty long, and I just didn't feel up to wading through it all.

Anyway, although I live in Washington, my parents live in the Greensboro area. They're in the market for a new TV, and I think I've convinced them to go HD. However, I know that they won't be willing to do OTA. They already subscribe to TWC's digital service, and like it, so I'm sure they'll want to stick to that. My question, then, is what HD offerings are there from Time-Warner in the G'boro area? And, from those of you who subscribe, what do you think of the available choices, and are you reasonably satisfied?

Positive responses from you will go a long way to reassure my folks that it's safe for them to go ahead and make the investment in HD.

Thanks, much,
Chris

Hi Chris!

They should be pleased with HD via TWC cable. I know I am. It's quite inexpensive (just a $6 add-on charge or something, for the entire package) and they get CBS, NBC (mostly at night during primetime, plus some sports) HDTV, plus four round-the-clock HDTV movies (HBO & Showtime) plus a fantastic-looking continuous "demo" of travelogues via PBS. More HDTV is scheduled to come online this year (probably Discovery and maybe some others like ESPN). ABC doesn't seem to be able to do HDTV at this time on cable...the Superbowl was a big disappointment because it was carried on ABC and on cable looked pretty bad. Otherwise, though, they get a lot for their money. Just tell them to be sure to get a WIDESCREEN TV--for true HTDV.

Era,

I copied and pasted your response directly into an email to my Mom. They should be quite pleased with what you've said.

Thanks, so very much, for your help!

-Chris

Time Warner Digital channel 312 is called NBAHD, and shows "NBA All-Star HDTV Channel" in the guide. Right now it is displaying a 16x9 color bar pattern w/the words "InDemand NBA HD" in a small box in the center. My question is does one have to pay to access the programming that will start tomorrow? I know that DirectTV is offering the programming free if you subscribe to HD content, but what about Time Warner HD. I am not familar w/InDemand stuff, as I've never used it, so if anyone who has could please clue me in on what I need to do to get it, I would appreciate it. Thx in advance.

Click here for NC TWC press release

...on channel 312 on TWC. Seems as though it is being televised for free.

I think it is free to all the services offering it in HD. The D* channel 198 of it looks VERY good on my Sony 34XBR800 and my Samsung 160.

I'm not sure what you mean by the "D* channel"? Also, what did you mean by "198" ? I can't get channel 198, or aren't you referring to a channel with the 198?
Thanks.

D* is shorthand for DirecTV and E* is short hand for Echostar also known as Dish Network.

Channel 198 has been a PPV channel since it started a month ago and this is the channel DirecTV chose to put the All Star programming on for free for DirecTV HD customers.

HDNet is free to HD customers on channel 199 on DirecTV and it is currently shared as a DirecTV PPV channel between 2 am and 10 am. Since HDNet has recently gone 24/7, the PPV should be moving soon and it was thought channel 198 might be it, but DirecTV hasn't move all the PPV's there yet.

Channel 312 on TWC looked really impressive last night - I am looking forward to tonight's action!

Pam

Thank you for the explanation. Also, thanks for you general enthusiasm and helpful information on this forum--I always look forward to reading your comments and ideas.

I wish that TWC would add HDNet, Discovery and any additional HDTV that comes along this year--such as ESPN.

Best, Era

Everyone thinks I only watch my own station, but I don't. I like variety myself!


HDNet has been running some ads that say they will be coming to cable soon, but it doesn't give a time line or which systems. I wish D* would add Discovery HD and the 2 other HDNet channels when they come up. It all takes time!

Any comments about the Bud Shoot Out?

Tonight's All-Star game on 312 on TWC was a pleasant surprise! Great quality picture. Almost makes up for the horrible picture on ABC during the Superbowl.

On another front, today I noticed that UNC's HDTV demo channel (501) has finally quit running those "Beautiful Maryland" and other insipid travelogues...and today they were running some good PBS-type documentaries ("The World of Crocs," My Life in Dance OR Some of them are Manly," "Canadian Bears with Ewan MacGregor & Wife"). Much better than the "Our Savannah" stuff that's been looping over and over since last year. There are two drawbacks, though:

1. In the upper left corner (where it's even harder to ignore than the lower right used by crass, vulgar commercial stations) UNC has its large nasty logo bug.

2. The picture quality can be pretty variable (the Bear thing looked like it was shot on VHS!), though the Crocs thing was fairly clear and the Dance was best). The travelogues were at least shot in digital--and were by far the best picture on HDTV to show people how good it can get. Even films on HBO didn't measure up...and HBO tries for quality. There must be something of a technical problem converting celluloid to HDTV? It's never as good as digital videotape sources.

You are talking about two different mediums. Film is a "softer" look where video is more "harsh" but that doesn't mean it is bad. You get the details in film, but it doesn't look like "real life" like video does. I too was a little disappointed when I first started watching HD film thinking I was missing something, but the one movie that brought it home to me how much detail could be seen was Charlie's Angels.

I had a friend over and was showing him my new Sony 34XBR800 and I flipped it over to HBO-HD and Charlie's Angels was on. Now I have seen Lucy Lu on Ally McBeal hundreds of times and thought I knew her face pretty well, but when we were watching the movie, I shouted out, "My God, she has freckles!" I had never noticed it, but on HBO-HD it was VERY plain to see. That turned me around that I was biased that I really was NOT seeing the detail because it didn't look like video even though it WAS there! I have since looked at other HD transmitted films and depending on how the director shot it, the detail are always there, sometimes it is more noticeable than others. For a certain "mood" of a film, directors will fuzz or soften the PQ, or color it or something to make it stand out and you can get lost in that and miss the detail. My how the mind plays tricks on you!

In the business there are two distinct camps that are very vocal on which medium they prefer. It is kinda like the Miller Light spots, (great taste, less filling) Film will never look like video and video will never look like film, but they BOTH can have HD DETAIL.

When we were WGHPiedmont 8 (prior to FOX) we had a promotions director with a cinema background and if you remember the pretty pictures of the Piedmont that we always showed for station IDs, they were shot on 35mm film, then transfered to video tape. They never looked like the video stuff that was shot for everything else, and it wasn't suppose to. But that is what he liked. (he is in LA now now working for the FOX station there) Our current promotions director prefers video and we shoot most everything on video, but he will occasionally shoot film for a certain effect. (video is MUCH cheaper than film to produce, almost 10:1 cheaper)

Thank you for your enlightening contrast of video versus film. I'll take a look at films a different way, to see if I can discern what you're describing (detail being there, but less noticable). I'm no fan of that "edge enhancement" that creates a kind of junk detail...but I do like the eye-popping quality, the immersive visual quality, of digital video. Perhaps--given the economics if nothing else--film will eventually go away, like black and white movies did, once color was widely available.

WGHP-DT is off the air due to a loss of a power amplifier power supply. I will try and get one back in here as quickly as possible, hopefully by Wednesday.

Charles Layno
Transmitter Supervisor
FOX8 WGHP/WGHP-DT 35

Thanks for the info, Charles! Good luck in the repair...

Pam

I got thinking after my other post, a good example of the detail of film is "Hogan's Hero's". Here is a show that I remember watching as a child and all through syndication. Everyone has seen it and knows what it looks like.

HDNet has taken this show (along with others) and have transcoded them to HD. I saw a HD episode a couple weeks ago (the first time I had seen a HD transcoded show) and it looked just like Hogan's Hero's you see on 480i, EXCEPT, you had all this detail that was not viewable in 480i.

You could CLEARLY READ the name Robert Hogan on his name patch on his bomber jacket (something I had NEVER been able to do in 480i). You could CLEARLY SEE the Army Air Corp patch on his left jacket sleeve not just a colorful splash as in 480i. You could CLEARLY SEE the tear in LeBeau's sweater above the Free France patch (something I always debate if it was patch or a tear and it turns out to be both!) Klink's medals on his uniform STAND OUT and you can look and see EACH individual ribbon, not just a clump of cloth as in 480i. Burkhalter's scar was VERY FAKE looking! (OK, it looked fake in 480i, but it REALLY looked fake in 1080i!)

It still looked like Hogan's Hero's, but with so much more detail. It was almost like I was watching a new show but one that I had seen many times before, familiar but different. I spent the whole 30 minutes looking at it technically and it blew me away!

I sent WXLV ABC 45 an email from their feedback page today also. I'd really like to see the Oscars in HD. Is it more expensive or more difficult for the ABC affiliates to pass the 720p signal than the other network affiliates passing their 1080i signals? I ask because there seems to be a lot of talk of trouble with the ABC affiliates on cable systems.

I don't know if bugging the WXLV people will do us any good. If the money isn't there, there will be no signal. We can do our best to contact them on a regular basis to let them know we are wanting to watch HD on ABC, but other than that, I cannot see them giving the viewers a HD signal any sonner than the funds will allow...BTW, I emailed them the day after the Super Bowl and have not heard from them yet.

Pam

I am totally conjecturing here since I have no first hand knowledge of how ABC is doing their HD, but from the point of view of what I have observed with FOX and the other networks, it does take additional equipment that could run as high as $40,000. Now with 720p you are not running 1.2gb rate of 1080i, and that does help on the cost a little, but to do a VERY elementary punch and switch with NO fancy stuff, you still are talking about over $10,000.

One nice thing about FOX only doing 480p is that this same elementary setup is less than $5,000 and is easier to swallow. (less microwave system)

Now if ABC is distributing 720p ASI data, and not SDI data, then that runs the cost up CONSIDERABLY and cuts down on what you can do. ASI is the transport stream (MPEG 2) out to the transmitter and it is more difficult to do what is needed to the signal than the SDI, which is the "studio" standard.

FOX distributes in SDI and it makes it easier and cheaper for the stations to provide pass through.

Just rambling. FWIW.

Please forgive my newbie question (just got my projector over the weekend), but I don't get any sound on the analog channels with TWC. I'm hooked up via component video and digital coax audio. Do I need to hook up a separate regular audio cable for the analog channel sound?

jacksonian,

Short answer...
Yes... you need analog audio cables as well as your digital audio coax.

Congrats on your new projector.

J. L.

J.L., Thanks. And what's up with NBC? I was hoping to watch Frasier and Kingpin in HD last night, but Frasier didn't even try and Kingpin was in the window pane and didn't look HD either? Is it just our local not passing it yet? They run ads on WXII that they were the first in the Triad with HDTV.