Miami / Ft. Lauderdale, FL - HDTV - Page 10

Thanks again Hardrock for the information.
Do you have any idea what testing they will do?
Like will they put up a loop, or try to put out some shows in HD just for testing?

Will they be transmitting HD in Dec.?

George,

You're very welcome. The gentleman I spoke to didn't have any information about programming.

Hardrock,

When I put 19 into my DTC-100 now, I get an analog signal. What station is that? Will that interfere with the digital signal when it starts?

aviators,

Channel 19 is the WTVJ (NBC6) broadcast from Sunrise W19BJ

You would think that WTVJ will experience interference from WBZL's digital signal; but, I haven't located any comprehensive info on the subject.

However, I did find some old info about WTVJ's dilemna:

From FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION - MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER ON RECONSIDERATION OF THE SIXTH REPORT AND ORDER - February 23, 1998:

NBC further states that a new DTV channel may be necessary for its station, WTVJ-TV in Miami, Florida. It states that it intends to move the WTVJ-TV DTV transmitter closer to the center of Miami in order to serve the entire Miami-Ft. Lauderdale market. NBC indicates that WTVJ-TV operates on channel 6 at a transmitter site located south of Miami and that operation from this location is needed because of a co-channel station in Orlando. As a result, WTVJ-TV currently operates two translators, on channel 58 in Hallandale and channel 19 in Sunrise, in order to provide service to the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale metropolitan area. According to NBC, WTVJ-TV was assigned DTV channel 30 in Miami with a maximum ERP of 1000 kW, but because channel 30 is first adjacent to the NTSC channel in West Palm Beach, Florida it may not be able to be moved to a new location without causing interference. NBC states that, if such a move cannot be made, it intends to apply for allotment of a new DTV channel that will permit it to move the station's transmitter site to a location closer to Miami. NBC did not submit a separate supplemental filing.

We note that MSTV's ex parte filing, to which NBC was party, did not recommend any DTV allotment change with regard to WTVJ-TV. We have reviewed the situation, and we confirm that WTVJ-TV's DTV channel 30 allotment cannot be moved closer to the center of Miami without causing additional interference. We do note that channel 58, which is now used by NBC to provide NTSC translator service for WTVJ-TV, could be used to provide complete DTV coverage of the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area at that location without impacting any other stations. In view of the fact that we have no specific request before us at this time, however, we are not making any changes in the channel 30 DTV allotment for WTVJ-TV.

WFOR forgot to flip the switch for "Family Law"

rodmanbra (aka w4guy) must have been busy watching himself on "Taxi Dreams" - he appeared in a cameo role as "Robert" the antagonistic poet.

I just started picking up a weak sporadic signal (no picture or sound) from DTV Channel 24 which is allocated to WLTV in Miami. According to this news release they purchased a Harris transmitter in June of last year.

According to the July 31st article Plugging into HDTV in South Florida , WLTV-Univision 23: Representatives of the Spanish-language station -- which is owned by Univision, also the operator of WAMI-Channel 69 -- did not return calls seeking information. The two Univision stations are not required to begin digital programming until May 1, 2002.

To all fellow South Florida DTV fans, I'll be in Alaska and British Columbia for the next two weeks. Here's hoping WFOR-DT can achieve full power while I'm away and that other good things come your way while I'm gone. Ciao!

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HiDefDave

I just spoke with an engineer at WTVJ in Miami. He indicated that the station is awaiting FCC approval and that there is no know timeframe or estimate. The company is paying for the lease of space at the antenna farm and he estimates 2 months until completion once the approval is secured. He went on to describe the issue of how the initial application was to go up on Channel 30 and then they requested Channel 31. Another station has objected to Channel 31 and this is what the FCC has to address. Apparently this issue has been ongoing with the FCC for more than 18 months already. He was uncertain whether the signal will be in 480i or 480p when not transmitting 1080i material.

It appears that WPLG has finally removed its logo from the black bar to the left of the 4:3 window.

Anyone know how consistently WFOR-DT is leaving upconverted SD material in 4:3? I haven't seen them stretching anything lately.

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HiDefDave

Dave,

They've been doing it consistently since Monday, October 1.

Thanks, hardrock.

I queried their Chief Engineer via email whether they might reconsider their previous policy of stretching 4:3 to 16:9 at the request of a viewer who had sought a CBS-HD/dish network waiver from us here at WPEC. The viewer found the stretching sufficiently annoying that he sought a waiver to avoid it. I never received an email response to my question but I guess I got my answer!

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HiDefDave

I guess some pencil pusher at WFOR figured that the since most people have 4:3 TV's that WFOR should cater to the masses.
The dolt doesn't realize that all 350 of us watching WFOR-DT have 16:9 sets.
Unless this is a temporary action for some reason I don't know about, it takes the cake for bonehead decision of the year.

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Mark

No, your comment is "boneheaded", as people with 4:3 sets will see a letterbox with black bars on either side. This move is one for 16:9 set owners who don't want to see distorted video with people shortened and fattened.



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See how my home theater (home sports bar) went from:
Standard def:
http://www.gumbas.com/house/current/party_photo1.jpg
to
High def: http://www.gumbas.com/pan/pan502.jpg

I cannot find it, but I remember a post, possibly by w4guy(?), from when WFOR-DT first went on the air. In it, all the good reasons for using the expand mode were given. What happened?

Those who object to short fat people can watch the 4:3 analog version via OTA, DirecTV local or cable.


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Bill Brenner

I watch all my stuff stretched anyway. I figured wfor did a better job then my dtc-100. Put me down for stretch.

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You are reading my signature.

Anyone know what's up at channel 10 (WPLG)? My signal strength is down more tahtn 20 points since yesterday. Are they doing some work, etc?

As of 10:30, channel 10 is back to 78.

See, it is possible for the end-user to shorten and fatten people at their location. However, it is very difficult
if not impossible for those who like quality video to re-grow and thin them. It doesn't make sense to do it at the source. If you don't care about quality video and your monitor or STB doesn't give you the option to stretch, you can buy a box that will (like a scaler?).

And those who like quality video don't want to watch the analog version, either.


------------------
See how my home theater (home sports bar) went from:
Standard def:
http://www.gumbas.com/house/current/party_photo1.jpg
to
High def: http://www.gumbas.com/pan/pan502.jpg

Pardon a dumb question....


Is WFOR on DT or not? I can not get didly on my DTC-100. I get WPLG, when Peter Jennings was on about 9/11 we watched 9-1 all day. The picture was so much better than even our DIRECTV feed of 6 or 4. Lately however the 9-1 and 10-1 are spotty at best.

Is 7-1 on the air? Is it just our TREK 55 and our highrise location at work? We face due west right over Biscayne from Miami Beach.

Thanks
Frank

Hi Frank,

You should be able to get WFOR-DT by tuning 4-1 or 22-1. WSVN-DT is 7-1 or 8-1. Have you been able to tune WPBT-DT? They're on 2-1 or 18-1.

Generally if you tune the actual assigned channel of a DTV station for the first time, like 22-1 in WFOR-DT's case, your receiver will "remap" the channel to a mirror of the analog assignment...in WFOR-DT's case, 4-1. And WFOR-TV (analog) would be on 4-0.

Hope this helps.

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HiDefDave

[This message has been edited by David McRoy (edited 10-06-2001).]

Frank,

WFOR DT has been on the air for a while now. We have had viewer reports from Miami Beach since our sign on date, May 1st.

Everything that Dave reported is right on. Try tuning into 22-01 first. That should cause your receiver to remap WFOR-DT to 4-01. WFOR-DT signal strength is similar to WPBT-DT with the edge going to WFOR in most locations.

Good luck
w4

W4GUY

THANK YOU and WFOR for no longer stretching the picture. I have a 16x9 Panasonic 34" HDTV and the stretched picture on non HDTV programming was driving me crazy. I watch your digital signal for all of your shows because it is clearer then my cable signal. I want 4x3 on 4x3 shows and 16x9 only on 16x9 shows.

Just to reiterate, Mark, their change makes things look much worse on 4:3 sets. The move was for people with 16:9 sets.
People with 4:3 sets will now see a 16:9 letterbox with a 4:3 inside of it.

Again, WFOR, thank you, from those of us with 16:9.


------------------
See how my home theater (home sports bar) went from:
Standard def:
http://www.gumbas.com/house/current/party_photo1.jpg
to
High def: http://www.gumbas.com/pan/pan502.jpg

Mark,

Our thought is no matter what decision we make with the upconverted format, there will be a good case for doing it another way. The goal is to provide the best quality picture possible.

W4

If picture quality is the goal, there is no argument that favors stretching. Clearly that molests the picture horribly.


------------------
See how my home theater (home sports bar) went from:
Standard def:
http://www.gumbas.com/house/current/party_photo1.jpg
to
High def: http://www.gumbas.com/pan/pan502.jpg

wforguy:

What about your move to 4:3 SD presentation? Initially you gave, what I thought were, many good reasons for your widescreen presentation.
How many people do you think watch WFOR-DT on 4:3 sets?

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Mark

Hello W4,

Back in May we had many discussions on the forum about stretch vs. none, and I think the viewer vote went with stretch and you implemented it.

Did something change to go to non-s?

The main reason I prefer it is that non-s in a 16:9 set could cause burn-in.
Your stretch HW did such a good job that it really became almost unnoticiable.

Anyway, maybe you want to take another vote of the viewers in So Florida?

tks

hooray for mentioning the burn-in problem..the gentleman who complained about the 'stretch' has a direct-view tube set, and from his standpoint (not suggesting he's selfish) it makes sense. However, the majority of HD owners have RP sets, and nothing besides the post-war-start news crawls or logos could possibly induce more phosphor burns than long-running 4x3 pictures. Ch. 10 (WPLG) refuses to adjust this as far as I know, but Ch. 4 (WFOR) was doing a wonderful job until caving-in to the vast minority of owners with at best a 34" screen. The picture and sound were superior. Ch 10, by the way, doesn't transmit center channel audio on non-HD programs; but now that most everything in prime time is HD, that is moot other than the news. Here's one vote to restore Ch. 4 non-HD programming to the prior format...

cheers..

gene inger www.ingerletter.com

It is now Oct. and I don't see or hear anything about NBC ????????
Is there anyone at NBC hinting that any work is being done?

I believe WB is setting up for Dec.