Greensboro, NC - HDTV - Page 18

Doh!

But they will be doing news again at 11pm on WXLV. It will be recycled from the 10pm news on WUPN. It starts in January.

I noticed their digital signal was missing....

They are retrofitting the transmitter to produce less power output to save on the electric bill and so they are off the air right now.

I received this email update from TWC yesterday:

"Good Morning!



Thank you for patiently awaiting more information about upcoming HD programming availability. When you contacted Time Warner Cable's customer service department at customerservice@triadtwcable.com, I promised to forward information about HD programming as it became available. There are some excellent HD programming options headed your way as early as tomorrow. December 3rd through April 2004, NBA HD will be offering sports programming on channel 560. Beginning in January 2004, Fox Cable Networks will be broadcasting regional NHL games on channel 561. In addition, two iNDEMAND HD channels will launch by first quarter of next year which will include a combination of movies, events and sports. Soon we will be offering a new High Definition service tier, HD Pack, but the launch date has yet to be decided. The HD DVR is expected to be available by January or February of 2004, once the beta testing is complete. As you can see, Time Warner Cable has excellent HD programming headed your way in 2004."

Looks like the days of free HD are coming to an end for TWC around here. I'm going to reply with a request that ESPN-HD be a part of this package if I'm going to have to pay extra for it.

But HOLY CRAP, an HD DVR in a couple of months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RCA already has one out adn it lists for aournd $400.

Yeah, but I was excited because I was figuring TWC wasn't going to charge me $400 for it. Plus I need it to work with my TWC.

UPDATE!!!

INHD 1&2 appeared magically on Triad TWC on Mon. or Tues. According to the website, the NBAHD & FOXHD programming will be shown on these 2 channels when available.

http://triadtwcable.com/cableserv/hdtvnets.htm

AND........1/2 the monthly fee as Tivo.

I went by the Adelphia Office in Martinsville today and asked about HDTV availability. They said not yet available, but they allowed me to sign up as a beta tester and will install the STB Monday. As a beta tester, I get the first month free. The cost for the STB is $8.99/month. Of course after they roll it out there will probably be a better promotion! If they're rolling it out in Martinsville, they must be rolling it out everywhere!

Initially available is NBC, ABC, and PBS (Roanoke I presume - they're info didn't say) which is OK since I get CBS OTA. When they pick up CBS, I'll aim my antenna south for the Triad stations.

Also available free for the first month are HBOHD and Showtime HD. We'll see since I get neither of these from them at this time.

WGHP-DT went off this afternoon around 2pm when we lost the pre-amplifier in the DTV transmitter. I am trying several work arounds to get enough power to put out more than a whisper.

TWC was to have hooked up the fiber feed from the studio to channel 510 so those on cable should have the feed but those who get WGHP-DT OTA are out of luck until we receive the new preamp on Thursday.

foxeng:Can you give me an estimate of when WGHP-HD will come back on the air? I was trying out a new antenna last night and was puzzled as to why I could not pick up Channel 8 in HD, but could get other channels that are not as close to me as this one. Thanks

We came back up at 10:53 this morning and I am looking at it here at the studio off air as I type this. It would have been back up yesterday if I hadn't found another bad module that the factory had to ship to me over night last night after I put in the original replacement for the first bad module that took them two days to send to me in the first place.

Thanks for the reply-I'll go home tonight and see what kind of signal I get.

Let me know either way what you get or don't get.

I was talking to the TWC guys yesterday and they were telling me that the FOX Sports HD feeds will be on the INHD channels on TWC in this area. The first game will be in early January.

Thanks for the updates foxeng!

After the first of the year, what is everyone's thought about a get together on a Saturday night or something? I don't know of any place that has an HD set that is displays HD. If anyone knows of a sports bar or restaurant that does, maybe we can meet there.

Anyone have any other ideas? Anyone even interested? Anyone wants to spearhead this?

It's my busy season (I sing with a group of carolers all over the Triad and at church) but I think we could figure out something in a few weeks - whaddya'll think?

I am certainly interested. I don't think that a place with an HDTV would be necessary. What is more important is a location which is quiet so we could comfortably talk would be the main requirement. I would be happy to look in the Winston-Salem area for such a place.

I vote for having some HD available, kind of loses something without it since we know each other via an HD forum, don't you think?

Foxeng-

I see on Sinclair's website that WXLV is supposedly "HDTV ready". Do you know anything better than that? I'm on TWC, and am sitting here hating all the good bowls & playoff games I'm missing in HD. I am really bummed that I'm getting my nedw Benj8700 native 720p projector in time for the Super Bowl, yet not a damn chance of seeing it in HD.

roland6465,

We are all bummed about the ABC affiliate - however, the Super Bowl will be on CBS this year and they will be in HDTV!

Oh yeah, I forgot....No HD Panthers game Saturday though. No HD Rose bowl now. Man, I hate being an early adopter!

You aren't really early - Sinclair is just really late!

The Super Bowl will be on WFMY-DT this year so you will be in good shape for that. (A bunch from the station are threatening to hijack one of the new 65" Mits RP we will be installing on the news set for the Super Bowl but the GM would on that!)

The last I heard was WXLV was getting ready to go HD for MNT for this past fall. They still have the second stream up, set at 720p with nothing on it. Black picture.

They did put in a new automated master control and suposedly that was the hold up but that has been on line for a couple of months now, so I don't know.

Thanks for the quick response!

roland,
When are you getting the BenQ? I have my theater set up with the Panasonic PT-L300u LCD pj, you can see my pics in the gallery. I'd love to get a chance to see an HD2 DLP machine in action. Where will you set it up, your Living Room Theatre doesn't look conducive.

Better be coming today, dammit. The living room is an outdated link. I have an unfinished basement space that I have no pics of right now. I am currently using an ECP3500 CRT down there, but for space and ease of use issues, I'm going DLP. (make me an offer on the Electrohome if you want it)

I have about 85% light control down there until sundown, when it becomes totally dark. It's an odd shape right now due to the heat pump jutting out into the space. I don't have a digital camera, but I'll try to post some 35mm scans when I get it setup & tweaked.

Update, jacksonian:

UPS majorly dropped the ball, and I'm waiting to hear back from them as to how the Hell my pj got scanned in at the local depot at 6 this morning, yet got pushed back to a Monday delivery. This is 2nd day air I paid extra for! I already took one day off work for this thing, I can't take Monday, too. I have one person calling drivers and another scouting the warehouse for it. I can't believe this. Actually I can, it is my luck in a nutshell.