Charleston, SC - HDTV - Page 159

I believe someone stated this before, but apparently Jeporady and Wheel are sent to the local networks to be ran at will, meaning it is not a live feed from the Network. Since it is not just a passthrough signal and they actually record it our local NBC does not have the capability to run a taped HD feed.

As I type this I'm rembering the broadcast of the Ravenl Bridge opening and that was a taped re-broadcast in HD, so how did they do this?

I don't mean to sound condescending...I simply don't know the answer to this, but...

If I can record HD programming via OTA or through my Sat (D*) and play it at a later time,wouldn't you think that the networks/affiliates would have at least the same capabilities? And can't they then retransmit that saved signal/program/recording in the same manner in which it was received?

I think its just pure laziness, lack of knowledge and a lack of care IMHO.

I'm just passing along what I remember reading, but I agree, how can we do it and they can't, it just doesn't add up.

Do the local affil. have monitors on this site (that we know of)? Is it worth calling about? Like I said, I may or may not watch it now that it is available in HD, but we want more HD so we have to thank/congratulate them for each and every little morsel we get so they don't think we don't care.

Is anyone else getting weird sound mixing on CBS and ABC? What I mean is, the last day or so, I've gotten very poor voice sounds from those two stations. I first noticed it during the college football games. I could not hear the announcers. The crowd was as loud as everything, but no voices. Occasionally it pops in for about 30 seconds, then just goes back to no voice.

This problem has continued into prime time. The background noises are as loud as everything (CSI:NY was unbearable, and I don't mean in general like always, but sound wise) but the voices were impossible to near impossible to hear. The effects were extremely loud.

This is an OTA broadcast. I'm not sure what the cause may be. I'm using a media center PC, fujiplus USB HDTV card. I have a relatively new Audigy 2 ZS platinum card, but I didn't notice it while watching TV earlier in the week. I've tried every setting I can think of.

Cable TV sounds fine, NBC HD sounds perfect. I don't think there's been any FOX HD, so no test there.

Thoughts?

I know that several of the engineers monitor this forum. They do not respond at all but most... if not all.... see this stuff. I hope they understand how upset this stuff makes a very important part of their viewship.

Most importantly, I hope they understand not that we are upset by the selection, but by the apparent choice to not "flip the switch". I think most of us are so happy with HD that we will take anything we get (within reason ). And if the networks and their affiliates see that people are clamoring for anything and everything HD, then maybe more things that might interest a broader demographic will switch to HD sooner.

I do not have Comcast or anyone else for HD, just D*, so I don't say this with any true knowledge, just assumption: I have a filter on my channel guide that only displays HD programming. That filter is in place 99% of the time that I am in control of the flinker (my wife chooses to browse all channels). So if you want me to see your show, and hence see your advertising, I will generally only see it if it is on an HD broadcast. Make your show HD, and I will flip to it. No HD, no viewership.

Oh, and one other thought: if my onscreen guide (OTA channels, not D*) tells me a show is in HD, doesn't that info come from the local affiliate? Or does that data come from D*? And if it comes from D*, are they simply passing along the info that is provided to them by the local affiliates? So in essence, if a show that is broadcast OTA is labeled as HD, isn't that determined by the affiliate (aside from the primetime pass-through shows)? Are they obligating themselves to display it in HD if they are advertising it as being in HD?

Comcast Dudes,
Due to Day light savings time switch last night all of my recorded programs are one hour off. Is this going to continue? Is anyone else having to reprogram thier 8300 or is it just a Comcast problem?

TW gets one right
my 8300 made the switch without a problem. I had a show to record at 10 AM and at Noon -- both were fine. Of course we still don't have ESPN2HD, ESPNU or NFLN or any other new channels in the last two or three years, but why should I complain I am only the customer. Why would TW care about me.

Knology made the switch also.

For a split second I thought you were not feeling well today.

Patrick

Which shows were you having trouble recording? I am not seeing any issues from our end here at Comcast. The IPG is showing the correct times and all our servers have been updated with the daylight saving time.

Please let me know.

Chris

Chris,

I also didn't have any issues with recording and the switch but have a different time problem.

The 8300 always use to shut down at 1:15 am and if you were watching it would pop up a sign telling you to hit any button. Now I have noticed that it is shutting down at 12:15 am. It is as if the shutdown clock isn't reading the reported time. On a related note, is there a way to turn off this feature, so that it only shut down when I told it to. Or change the time to a different one.

Andy

This is exactly what i am noticing as well. Its the only hiccup i have found as a result of the time change. Thru Knology.

I'm as frustrated as all of you about the state of HD (re)broadcast in the LowCountry, and as a consumer don't wish to defend them, but ...

Keep in mind the cost of professional grade hardware. To go digital has been a multi-million dollar investment for each station just for transmission equipment, with very little upfront return. When we toured WCSC last year (we need to do this again, perhaps at one of the other stations, especially WCBD!), they had an HD tape unit in the equipment room for limited recording and playback, but it was grossly expensive ($10K?), and it wasn't integrated into their control room systems. And I'll bet almost anything (I have nothing, so that's easy!) that WCSC is the most advanced HD operation in Charleston. Almost all of their syndicated programming, and the 7:00 hour is definitely that, is recorded to tape and played back on overgrown VCRs in the master control room. Commericials and promos are on disk, but not the programs. To get all of that HD means replacing everything - cameras, software, production suites, playback servers, switchers, control boards, even the monitors they use. WCBD may actually be ahead of the others because their studios and control room are the newest, but remember these guys buy equipment with 10-25 year life expectancy.

What you see with all of our stations for HD is a simple switch between an HD satellite feed and the SD output of their analog control. This means that to use any of the local origination material (commercials, graphics, anything more than a logo) they need to switch to SD. They all use automation systems to run their control rooms (basically a big playlist system), with the operator accounting for exceptions. The automation system, at least at WCSC, includes flags for switching from the HD to the SD and back, and sometimes those flags don't get set properly and the operator has to manually do the switch.

I've seen WCIV and WCSC's control rooms - in both cases the HD monitoring is a monitor over to the side, and not a widescreen one! I'm not sure they even look at the HD air signal - I know WCIV only monitors the satellite feed. The sound that the operator listens to is usually from the analog side; they have a display for the HD sound that looks like a combination of an oscilliscope and a VU meter; I doubt they would visually notice the short drops that we experience on the HD side.

Since they run both feeds through one room with one operator, my guess is that this will not significantly improve until 2009!

The best hope for quality monitoring is the station employees themselves, who may have HD equipment at home and therefore experience the same issues we do.

Another thought - the MOST important thing to all of these guys is the commercials. They are the bread and butter of the stations. Most commercial production doesn't seem to be HD. If that gets pushed to HD, the rest of the operation should follow.

(I don't work for any of the stations, but am just an A/V and computer geek.)

I think it was fixed as of last night, however.

I noticed that as well, I was looking for it last night and it didn't happen. I didn't stay up late enough to see if it was reset to the 1am hour.

Wonder if someone from Knology is secretly keeping tabs on this thread .

As always, it is wonderful to have some educated explanation, even if it is not "sponsored". I can certainly understand the expense involved would be restrictive to when and how the local stations can expand/upgrade. But it just seems somewhat out of sorts that we - as the end consumer - can have equipment that is so easy to use (read: Tivo and other PVR's) but that there is a bottleneck just upstream. Is there some sort of restriction on the affil. that prevents them from using something a little more "up-to-date" like a Tivo for their retransmission efforts? Is it a copyright infringement issue? I know the Series 3 (HD) Tivo is expensive (about $800) compared to a VCR (as cheap as $20 at WalMart), but the gap from HD PVR (lets just say $800) to a HD VTR (running up to $10k) is grossly out of whack.

Now obviously there is a big difference between a Yugo and a Rolls-Royce, but they are both cars with 4 tires and and engine. Is the network structure such that each affil is required to use a particular supplier? Can affil's be "creative" in their approach to rebroadcast of network-owned signals? While we might prefer to have our affil's driving Rolls-Royce's, can they choose to drive a Yugo? If they are "forced" to buy a Rolls-Royce, then obviously we will have to wait longer.

If we all chipped in and bought each of the affil's a new modest LCD HDTV that they could hook-up to their control panels, would that help?

And now the next question: when D* introduces HD-LIL for the Chas DMA sometime next year (or 2008), would we likely get the HD feed of something like Jeopardy or would we still be tied down to the same situation that we face now? Are they beaming the signal back "up there" the same way that they are beaming it out to us OTA? Is that going to be a whole new round of very expensive upgrades that may delay the actual launch of LIL HD for us?

What do they use for HD without DVR?

I lost the audio last night on all the digital channels (101 and above). 99 and below still has audio. Anyone else experiencing this problem?

Never mind...

I rebooted my stb for about the 50th time and the audio returned. Ain't technology grand!

I'm a Comcast customer and I have an SA Explorer 8000HD (HD DVR). Is the 8300 that's been mentioned in some of the posts better or offer more features? If so, will Comcast let me exchange my 8000 for one?

Mike--

I haven't noticed much difference except that it is a little slower when changing channels. The big diffence is the hard drive which is double the size. If you are recording HD then this is a huge benefit.

Comcast will let you exchange it.

Cheers!

Thanks for the info...

I do record HD and will exchange mine for more hard drive.

And it seems to be at a much lower volume than the other locals throughout the week on most of the HD broadcasts. If I want to watch (and listen to) the UNC/Notre Dame football game right now, I have to push the volume up twice as loud as the other HD showings. If I forget to lower the volume before I change the channel, I run the risk of blowing my speakers.

Is this because their volume is so much lower or that everyone else's broadcast is so much higher? Is this worth calling WCBD about?

It is a WCBD issue. They need to adjust the audio level at the modulator. I noticed it over the last few days as well. I have also forgot to lower the volume before changing channels and the sound will blow everyone in the house away.

Is that something that anyone who answers the phone in the control room would be able to do,or does it take a stroke of management's pen to get that done?

Why not just call and find out?

Know the number(s) off-hand? Cannot "easily" find the older post that contained all the Master Control phone numbers...if someone has them,can you please repost. I had the saved on my old computer, but alas, that hard drive fried.