Sacramento, CA - OTA - Page 205

Want to buy another one before I return it to Wally-mart? I really liked the design of the MANT510, especially the degrees of freedom (swivel and tilt) on the loop. The RCA ANT1251 I just got gets exactly the same reception (yay!), but there are no degrees of freedom on the loop so I had to tip it a tad toward the sky to get 5 or 6 bars out of 6 on all channels.

The PHDTV1 you describe is too big for me, since I have to hide it in the armoir behind our DLP TV (wife rule).

In summary, the RCA ANT1251 is working great for me in the Sacramento area, with only UHF gain set near max, no VHF gain, and dipoles collapsed.

I'm buying more Silver Sensors at the moment daemonic. They don't get vhf, but I'm hoping old-fashioned rabbit ears will work for PBS and ABC when the transistion takes place.

Dodgers in HD on KMAX!!! Thanks, Bob!!!

Bob,

The Good:

The game on KMAX looked awesome (and had a great result). Now if the centerfield camera man can learn to use the focus function .

The bad:

KOVR once again was horrible and unwatchable between about 8:50 and 9:15.

The question:

Why is KOVR suffering from this multipath issue and KMAX doesn't?

S~

Why:

1 - Does KMAX have a better upconverted picture?
2 - Does KMAX not have microwave fades?
3 - Does KMAX stay on the air during lengthy power failures?
4 - Does KMAX have a much more reliable transmitter?
5 - Does KMAX have a functioning program guide?
6 - Does KMAX have a reliable ATSC encoder?

You guys know the answers. Do I need to repeat and repeat?

KMAX has been owned by CBS for years. The HD system was designed correctly and with sufficient (more on the way) redundancy using quality equipment.

Where are we with KOVR? I am tired of repeating and repeating but I do understand the frustration on the part of the viewers. Here is the latest.

1 - We have taken delivery of another HDSDI to ASI MPEG converter to feed our second server. This will be installed soon and rids us of the only remaining weak link in our network delay system. Right now, main and backup satellite receivers go through a single-thread MPEG converter to two servers. When installed, we will have a dedicated MPEG box for each server.

2 - Over the past two weeks, we have been testing out a microwave receiver located very high up our 2,049 foot tower and we have been logging receive levels and fade margins. Last night, when our two on-air receivers faded into oblivion, we found (by actually sending an engineer up the tower) that the test receiver did not fade, proving our theory that we need to locate a receiver at that level. We hope to have this installation done within a month. We had hoped to do this using an existing fiber optic circuit on the tower. Not going to happen. We need to run 1/2 inch hard line - 2000 feet - from the bottom to the top.

3 - Together with KXTV, we are working on backup A/C power for our HD transmitter. Hopefully, this will all come together within a couple of months.

4 - We expect delivery of a low power transmitter, to be used as a backup, in July. This will essentially be identical to the system we have had in place at KMAX for some time.

5 - Our new PSIP system for KOVR will be installed by a factory engineer on Friday of this week.

6 - We will have a replacement upconverter for KOVR soon. We have given up on the two units that were purchased years ago and have a new one on the way.

After many years on this forum, it is my intent to get KOVR up to my personal and our company's standards and then say bye bye. Been answering these questions in Sacramento and Boston since 2001, I think. I find myself checking into the AVSForum less and less because of the negative comments - but I do understand the frustration, as I said above.

I also appreciate the comments about the Giants game. We worked real hard to do what everyone here thought was impossible to get the Giant's in HD.

- Bob

Bob,

Thanks for the update. The information you have given us today is very specific and welcome. #2 is very specific to the fading/multipath issue and I don't recall reading that before.

I know your frustration along with ours. I have always tried to be as professional as you on here and when I've talked to you on the phone and post positively as well.

The Giants game was spectacular last night as others and I stated. My knock on the centerfield cameraman was in no way directed at you or KMAX. Any word as of yet if you will be able tog et the A's in HD, also?

Please don't stop visiting and continue to keep us posted.

Thanks,

S~

Bob,

Onto another topic. With Baseball season upon us, many of the primetime shows (like Reaper and Supernatural) are going to be aired later (like 11:00). Are you going to do these in HD?

Thanks again,

S~

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the information. I hope you will reconsider leaving AVS and maybe just take a sabatical instead.

Ah, OK. I guess you have a source to see what signals are on the satellite(s), as opposed to what the receivers are authorized to display.

I would expect that that this situation will be resolved soon. If you've been following the Tribune story, you know that the entire company was sold to Sam Zell late last year. He is making very quick changes that he believes will benefit the company -- for instance, he just scooped up the FOX affiliation for the Tribune station in San Diego (they're currently CW). I can't imagine he will let the stand-off with DISH last much longer.

Hola Bob,

Was the PSIP system installed today?

Thanks,

S~

I just checked and I see full program guide on KOVR.

Just want to say thanks for all your work Bob, and like the others here who just drop in to check out what's going on, please do consider staying, if only to drop by once in a while. It's an invaluable resource for us forum users to have a direct pipeline to the people who actually make things happen, not some customer service boob or automated phone system.

Bob, I also want to commend you on your valuable contribution to this website. Don't be put off by the handfull of negative posters. This would be a lesser place without your presence.

I think Bob should get a raise. I doubt CBS fully understands his value. In addition to his engineering duties, his involvement here is a huge PR boost for KOVR & KMAX.

Hi Bob,

Unfortunately I am not getting guide data on my Dishnet boxes. I deleted the station and then rescanned and come up with Digital service. I might have to drop a line to them to make some tweaks. I'll see if it does the automatic download tonight and then talk to them in the morning. Is there something different between how the old system worked and this one that I need to pass on to them? Their guide data is provided by Tribune, so I'm not sure how they match it everything up.

Thanks for all your attention,

S~

THANKS, BOB!!!!!!

Getting PSIP metadata now on 13.1... and remember this?


Well, not sure if my theory was correct, but with PSIP upgrade, I now have full recording capability on my JVC HM-DT100U VCR- no more:



With this upgrade, and the Giants in HD on KMAX... well, my cup runneth over.


Bob Hess, you are the best! Thanks again!!!

Yes, I am not getting the guide info for KOVR on my Dish Network 211 or 811 receivers still.

I dropped an e-mail to my contact in engineering. I'll let everyone know when he gets back to me.

S~

Are you getting the guide for KMAX? It is the same equipment now for each station. Encoders are identical and both are fed by a common PSIP generator supplying guides for both stations.

Bob

Thanks for all of the positive comments.

The past couple of weeks have been rather hard on the both the managers and employees at our facility. We are much like an extended family.

I have thick skin and tend not to whine. A few negative comments, which I prefer to call passionate, along with everything else that has been going on just resulted in my walking away from this forum for a while.

Bob

I do get the guide info from KMAX, no issue there. It's just missing from KOVR.

Thanks.

Same here KMAX fine, KOVR nada. Re-scanned channels with no luck.

Hi Bob,

We are getting guide data for KMAX, just not KOVR. I heard back from my contact at Dish engineering. He is going to look into it this morning and get back to me. On my receiver that still gets guide data it seems that the station was identified differently during a scan (KOVR-H). It's probably E* that needs to update their table. Is there anything I can pass on to him? I can also PM you his name and contact info.

Again, thanks for all of your dedication and attention.

S~

You're a great resource here, Bob, and we do all appreciate your dedication and concern for the quality of the signal that you are putting out from both of your stations.

That is perfectly understandable. Welcome back!

Add me to the list of Dish subs not getting guide info for KOVR. KMAX is fine.

My contact got back to me. They were going to look into things this morning. I've got some info that I need to send him when I get back home. Keep ya posted.

S~

Great, thanks.

We found that the factory engineer had a setting incorrect. It has been fixed. Do a channel search and you should be good to go.

It was not a Dish problem.

Bob

Thanks Bob. My kids are playing the Wii right now. I have to wait.

ETA: I deleted just 13-1, and manually added 25—no luck. I deleted all locals, and rescanned. Not only does 13-1 still say Digital Service, but 3-2, 6-2, 6-3, 10-2, 29-2, 29-3, and 29-4 all say it too. Hopefully, the nightly update will take care of that?