Kansas City, MO - HDTV - Page 158

Just upgraded to a new 50 in plasma and was looking for any recommendations on installers in the Kansas City area. I am looking for someone to hang the tv, run the cords thru the wall and hook up Dish Netwok HD. Thanks in advance for the advice.

Also, what was the lead time on getting Dish to upgrade you to HD?

In their latest newsletter, Everest says they will be adding HGTV HD "in the coming months".

KSHB-DT had a weather bug overlay in HDTV last night! Woo-Hoo !
KSMO-DT sadly did not for the second thunderstorm Thursday evening in a row.
FOX & UPN & PBS don't bother to bug you.




"One of the 12"

Sunflower Broadband added HGTV HD a week ago, but all it has been so far is an endless promo loop. I keep reading April 10 is the channels official launch date. Looking forward to checking it out.

I am happy to report HGTV HD programing is up and running on channel 226 on Sunflower Broadband as of today. Looks and sounds great. Yeah! More HD television! Appears pretty limited programing blocks to begin with but it is a nice start.

Does anyone know when TWC plans on adding another HD channel? Seems like there are a lot of available channels out there, but we have the bare minimum.

TWC has been lazy and indifferent to the calls for the addition of more HD channels. They don't care what you want or think, but they'll take your money all the same. What do they care? They are ditching KC in a few months and giving it over to Comcast anyhow!

Actually, they don't even want to take your money either. I tried to get them to provide service for our new office. When I told them I wanted CableCards they became totally disinterested. Even though they "support" them, apparently they don't want anybody to use them.

I've got to ask if anyone gets this kind of picture error with KMBC. I've mentioned before I get pixelation problems in various threads including this one I believe, but I've never posted a picture of the problem. It seems to follow an AC3 CRC error, so I'm wondering if it's a problem with their encoder. I'm getting a 85-90% reception on my antenna, so it's not a problem on my end since I don't get it with any other channel. It'll happen only once or twice during an ep for a second or so at most, but it's quite annoying when it does.

Ditto those comments from a locale between Basehor and Bonner Springs. Joined up in Sept. '05 for full digital bundle, then upgraded to HD two weeks ago - nice!

So far I've been pleasantly surprised w/quality of customer service and tech support folks. HD STB swap went well and I like my new Pioneer 50" Plasma. But wish there were more HD channels, and that Sunflower's TV Guide was more accurate for HD. Also noted on their web site that they've reconfigured their services bundles with higher pricing and less clearly explained descriptions (compared to what they had previously posted).

Two service improvement suggestions for Sunflower BB:

1. Offer downloadable user guide for the STBs with an addendum for its use on Sunflower - I had to rummage around AVSforum to locate one for the Moto 3412 (actually had to download info for a 6412 b/c apparently there isn't a separate one for the 3412.);

2. Simple Q & A info. sheet about changing to HD service. For example, the severe audio dynamic change between regular programming and commercials can be a jolt. I had to again search the net to discover that the trade-off partial solution is to maximize the audio compression in the STB settings.

But otherwise, I'm a pretty happy camper with Sunflower BB. Based on other forum comments, seems SBB may be one of the better service providers in the KC metro area?



Boy, I'm more nervous about the outcome of the game/season.

I am a Sunflower broadband customer, I just moved from a comcast service area and Sunflower's pricing is about triple what I paid with comcast. Additionally they have an archaic bandwidth cap on their cable internet service and if you exceed it they charge you $2.00 a gig. With companies such as disney and other networks soon to provide free downloads of their primetime offerings, and the downloadable game demos for xbox360 this is unacceptable. So much of the internets multimedia is out of reach due to their inane limitations.

I hope someone can help me.

I just bought a Samsung 50" DLP HLR5067w. I have an OTA attached to it, but I am not able to get any of the local HDTV signals. I know I might need a stronger antenna, but is that the only problem, or have I set something up wrong? Even when I put the channles in manually, like 4.1 etc., it won't even go there.

I have Directv, and will be getting an hdtv receiver soon, but I wanted to see what OTA HDTV was like.

Please help me out.

Thanks,

Andy

BTW, I am obviously a complete HDTV noob.

These types of artifacts are usually caused by some type of impulse noise between your antenna and ours. You don't see them on other channels because we're the only VHF in town and we are somewhat susceptible to this type of interference....TI

First step would be to go to: http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Address.aspx

and make sure that you are pointing your OTA towards the right direction. I have D* with a Sammy HDTV as well -- although I have a Tivo HD DVR. How far away from the towers are you, if you are reasonably close you should be able to do a scan and pick up at least a few of them, if not all of them. I'm between 15 and 20 miles away from all of them and get strong signals on each.

Let me know how this works and if you are still having issues let me (us) know.

Some HDTV's (like my 26" Hitachi LCD) have separate antenna inputs for ATSC and NTSC signals. Make sure your antenna is hooked up to the "ATSC" or "8VSB" input. Also be aware that the digital channel # (for manual entry) is different than the analog channel number. For example, in KC:

channel 4 = 34 digital
channel 5 = 24 digital
channel 9 = 7 digital
channel 19 = 18 digital
channel 29 = 31 digital
channel 38 = 36 digital
channel 41 = 42 digital
channel 50 = 51 digital, and
channel 62 = 47 digital.

Brad

if TWC has its own version of D* HD-Lite?

Or does TWC give full bandwidth to HD transmission for better PQ?

Thanks for any and all replies.

Doesn't anybody have experience with both D* and TWC?

Or maybe nobody in KC cares about HDTV or is it just apathy about the "vendors" we're stuck with.

flight planner,

I used to have TWC and now have Comcast and it appears to me that every channel they show in HD is true HD. Well maybe not PBS, but that has nothing to do with TWC or Comcast because PBS is multicasting on 4 channels which seriously degrades the picture. As far as Directv and Dish, I have heard, not seen, that Direct TV is really bad with HD lite and Dish is ok with HD except for their Voom channels, which are HD lite. Now I can't personally confirm if Directv or Dish's HD channels are that bad, but that is just what I have read.
I am pretty disappointed with Comcast HD lineup and seriously considering switching to Dish mainly because they have way more HD channels and now have the 4 local big networks in HD. Plus I can hook up an antenna and pull in the other HD channels, where Comcast only has the 4 big network and UPN in HD.

KCPT's digital signal will not be available for a short period of time for certain viewers as we make a major equipment upgrade.

To improve our analog and digital broadcasts for those who receive the KCPT signal over the air, its necessary to take our digital transmitter out of service while we make upgrades. Customers who receive the KCPT digital signal using a terrestrial antenna or via Everest and Comcast cable providers will not be able to receive our digital broadcasts beginning Wednesday April 19 at 12:01 a.m. for a duration of nearly three weeks.

KCPT is making an important major equipment upgrade which will require our digital transmitter to be down for that time. The signal could be back up sooner than the estimated three weeks. We will work as quickly as possible.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and ask for your patience and understanding as we strive to improve our service.

Please visit this website often for progress updates and information on when our digital signal will return.


http://www.kcpt.org/about/advisory.shtml

Regarding Kmj0577 pixelation issue.
Regarding the momentary video disruption which you have encountered, the following experience may be of interest. From my location at Weatherby Lake I have been able to pick up a good signal with a rotating antenna from KTWU Topeka on DT channel 23 at a distance of 58 miles. However, occasional breakup of the picture for about one second per event has been encountered on that channel. I have pinned this down to aircraft lining up with the S to N runway at Kansas City International Airport, lets say several miles out from touchdown. The aircraft just happen to be in a position for an instant to disrupt the KTWU transmission. If you are in a location from which the sky in the general direction of KMBC can be viewed, then an eyeball check just following the video glitch may be worth following up on. Night time works well because of the readily visible A/C lights. Certainly it would seem that any signal from the KC cluster of TV stations would be a candidate in the Leavenworth area due to the various KCI traffic patterns, though why only KMBC suffers from the problem has made me hesitant to offer this as a possible explanation.

Welcome Colonia9 to the local Kansas City HDTV forum.

KCTV5 screwed up big time last night...first they switched from HD to SD about 45 minutes into the movie and NEVER switched back...i think it's because no one is smart enough to put the graphic on the HD feed....1.5 hours into the movie they did a weather break on all the channels (5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3) and didn't switch back until the movie has 1 minute left....so I wasted 2 hours last night and have no idea how the movie ended.

I found out that KCTV has to switch their HD to SD when they put up the map graphic during weather situations, because they don't have the ability to put that graphic up in HD format (this is from one of the techs at KCTV whom I called during the previous bad weather cycle last Tuesday - because it ruined my watching NCIS).

KMBC has a better way of informing their HD viewers - they put a small graphic text box at the upper right hand corner of the HD screen stating "There is a severe weather advisory for our area. For details, go to KMBC Analog." leaving the decision to watch the weather advisory to the individual. I wish the other stations would go to this type of advisory.

I wish all stations would just do the text bar at the top/bottom on BOTH HD and analog. I could care less if Katie wants to blab and blab about a storm 20 counties away, and I certainly don't need a map (large enough to see my own house) covering 3/4 of the TV screen.

I figure it is either a requirement/[strong suggestion] or enough folks in the broadcast area want to be constantly informed or the stations would quit. So I think it will continue.

**-- Just asking --**

Would you rather have interruptions and loss of content or a Weather-Watch / AMBER ALERT / Breaking-News sub-channel and a small bug/banner with a degraded picture?

I wonder how much trouble it was to spin up/down the sub-channels for the basketball tournament? I doubt they could turn it on/off, as problems would occur with folks scanning for the new channel. I guess they could rate shape it to little or nothing when unused. Or they could swap the content over to the sub-channel where the 'Type-A' folks know how to get it, and the rest just watch the brightly colored maps.

v/r,
C-F

I absolutely HATE large colorful distracting weather maps on the screen. If I am worried about dying in a tornado, I will notice the small HD weather bug message and tune to the SD channel to see what is up. I DON'T want my nice HD picture degraded (like KCTV has done every week during my favorite WB shows lately) to SD, with an abnoxious large color map blocking 40% of the screen. It's rediculous.
On a positive note, kudos to KMBC for keeping the HD feed during storms, and putting a small HD bug in the corner to alert us of our potential impending doom.

Well I'm looking forward to griping about the need for more HD on TWC in KC. lol Waiting on the new samsungs and finally plunging in. Just stopped by to read up and see what I'm in for. Sounds like TWC does an OK job eh?

For crying out loud KCTV.... can I get HDTV tonight? I mean, the storms are MILES AWAY and not severe!

Katie Horner obviously does not have an HDTV or she would better understand why pulling HD to put up her pretty color maps (of a storm in St Louis) generates tons of flaming hate mail from the HD community.

Does anyone know if the local stations will be boosting signal strengh significantly for their digital broadcasts? Or have they already come up to what will likely be full power?

The reason I'm asking is that I've got an AV Closet where all my gear lives, including my OTA HD receiver (actually it's a D* HDTivo... but I think that's probably beside the point). I'm getting by using a Terk TV-5 indoor antenna, but what I find is that some nights (and for some stations) I have to adjust the antenna to get a clean signal. I do have a "sweet spot" that generally tunes all stations cleanly, but it doesn't work 100%, especially with channels 5 and 41 (which some nights seem to be mutually exclusive).

This gets to be a real problem when I'm recording shows while I'm away, or recording shows on two OTA stations that I can't tune cleanly at the same time. I don't particularly want to install an outdoor antenna, so I'm hoping that this is a temporary inconvenience that will go away once all stations come up to full power.

So... am I going to be in luck with waiting for better signals, or do I need to be looking at a better antenna?