Montgomery, AL - HDTV - Page 53

Apparantly, Knowlogy is carrying WCOV but Brighthouse and Charter aren't.

My understanding is that WCOV wants to charge the cable services to carry their HD feed.

Which then raises the question about what will happen when the analog feed is eventually shut down.

Knology has no plans of adding any more HD channels at this time. Not even ESPN2 HD.
Is this because they are out of bandwidth with the coax?
Broadband Internet, Analog and digital TV, and Phone service on one peice of copper. Is there room for any more?

When analog is shut down WCOV and the other local stations will be worth a lot more. I heard that Knology pays the Weather Channel $0.75/subscriber/month. If true, that's like $20K/month. Surely a broadcast station is worth at least that much, no? Last I heard, the Weather Channel doesn't carry NFL, Nascar, or American Idol.

No, but what price can you put on knowing you're about to die from a catastrophic weather event?

Just more reasons why I would like to see A LaCart programing.
bet thats spelled wrong

I think I'd pay to NOT know that.

If you'd like for me to help you get that corrected, call me at the station and we can go over it. It would help us to talk to someone who is having the problem, then I can work with Charter on the fix. 271-8888 / Mark.

If all goes as planned, we'll be showing the early round play of The Masters (Thu and Fri Apr 6 and 7) on the DT in glorious HD*....then of course Sat and Sun on
both services.

*your weather-free HD !!

That is your cell phone number, right Mark??

You know..........................oh, never mind. I think I have Mark's cell phone number. Please email your bids.

Do you think there is going to be a showdown between local stations and cable companies?

I can see the cable companies saying that they're not going to pay for the signal and see how much advertising the locals can sell without their carrying the signal.

On the other hand, I can see the locals saying no pay no signal. No more free ride.

Then the cable companies get the network feeds from another market.

Then locals scramble to try to undo the fix they've gotten themselves into.

Then the cable companies say, too late. Go start your own cable company.

This is what happens before I've had my morning coffee.......

They have free-loaded for so long that I don't think they can think of any other way to operate.


I don't think so. Anyway, I like the ala carte business, which will probably never happen. It's too foreign a concept for America. My wife wouldn't like that, though. She flips through every movie channel available, including the on-demand ones. Thank goodness she hasn't figured out how to do the pay ones......yet.

W4IMM
Even with an ala carte system, charges could be structured where we'd be paying about the same. Wonder what percentage of total revenues for a cable company goes toward programming versus overhead and return on investment.

I'll have to give you a call sometime this week. It did happen again. I decided to DVR CBS Sunday Morning, it cut off after 48 minutes of the 90 minute program.

Anyone else getting dropouts on the NASCAR race on FOX. They only last about half of a second just like last weeks race. This is on Knology cable and OTA.

Yes, I do get those dropouts via the OTA signal, been having them all week long. The trees must still be budding. I got Charter, they don't have FOX-HD, so I can not confirm any cable dropouts.


It's unwatchable now.

Yes, now there is a lot more of these audio/video breakups. Almost unwatchable for me.

I also noticed this problem slighty while watching recorded Prison Break on Monday. I wonder if this has anything to do with WCOV adding the weather channel on 20-2. Breakups seem to have settled down some as I post.

Thanks for this information, Shon, BLP, and others. If the breakup problem were to happen more frequently, it would be a lot easier to determine where it is originating. Coming and going makes it easy to blame the leafing-out of trees. Let's hope it gets much worse. Then I can find out if it's on our end and what's causing it. The weather wasn't on for last week's race so it's doubtful that that contributed to any breakups then. However, there could be some bandwidth issues involved this weekend. The parts of last week's race that I saw were OK. Saw none of this weeks. Don't be shy about complaining. Thanks, Phil

Maybe this had something to do with it.

Yes I was there!

WCOV-DT

Welcome to the group.

What can you tell us about Brighthouse and WCOV-DT? (baptism by fire.
Specifically, whats the problem with carrying WCOV-DT over Brighthouse Networks.

With regard to carriage over Brighthouse or Charter I can only tell you that there are still some issues to be resolved, the primary one being compensation. Therefore I don't have any dates. Similarly, I can't tell you when WCOV-DT will change transmitter locations and go to high power. It's in the works but no date set yet. I don't have a lot of answers, but I do have empathy.........even sympathy.

WCOV-DT

Thanks for the quick response.

This is the first I've heard about changing tansmitter locations. Where is it now and where is it planned to be moved to?

The digital is at the studio location, in the Normandale section of town. Plans are to ultimately transmit digital from the present analog location, which is WSFA's tower in Grady.

WCOV signal completely gone here at Dalraida.

I've been watching it since before 7PM and it has been perfect. Not even a pixel out of place. Maybe your antenna blew around or something.

Could be..will have to check in the morning..This is first time have lost it completely.

All other channels are fine. Go fiqure.

Ah, the wonderful days of rooftop antennas. For some reason I'm having a bit of trouble with WAKA tonight, even after employing the armstrong rotator. Guess it's all the leaves and buds!

Watched all of 24 in HD without so much as a hickup here in Jasmine Hills using the OTA antenna.

Grandpa, might want to check two things. 1. trees leafing out and 2. too much power. What kind of antenna are you using?