Norfolk, VA - OTA - Page 11

This particular area is for local HD Recption, not a platform for taking pot shots at the stations and the personnel. If you can't receive a stations DTV or have other problems, state the facts and leave it at that.

At 8:00pm WTKR-DT was broadcasting in HD. However, the audio is still the same as I reported in my 2:56pm post today.
Earl

Sorry if I offended anyone, I was just really frustrated with the lack of HD.

As to my comment regarding the money involved, I did not mean to imply that dollars spent in any way equates to "any more consideration". The intent of the comment was to state my frustration in having spent a large (to me anyway) amount of money to receive HD yet have my TV sit nearly useless for a game which is, but for the playoffs and superbowl, one of the biggest of the year.

I obviously know little about broadcasting HD and apologize if my comments angered those who are in the business.

As you all well know, it's very hard to watch SD when the beautiful picture which is HD should be available.

ArtV

The time code on the PSIP for WB33 is 15 minutes slow.

Did the power hit affect your NBC HD IRD? If so did you check ALL the settings to make sure they were still OK (Audio PIDs, Data PID, etc.) Hope you get it fixed before there is more HD from NBC.

Art,

You have vented your frustration in a manner that many more people new to HDTV will make and probably with greater force. The sales people don't tell buyers that HDTV is still not really ready for prime time. They also don't let you know that OTA reception may be a significant problem depending upon where you live.

The station engineers are trying to do their jobs under difficult circumstances and addtionally have to toe management's party line. They have strong opinions of their own and yet are also gracious enough to continue to visit this forum and "listen" to our individual agendas. Hopefully this mess will get cleaned up real soon now and we will be able to enjoy HDTV with 99.9% reliability.

Very well stated! We all know there are many technical problems but that is no excuse for attacks on the stations and their staff. All have been very active on the thread and their input is invaluable.

I think some need to apologize for their remarks or at least think before the vent their frustrations.

You are soooo right about the salespeople not telling the whole story. Tuesday while the wife was christmas shopping I went to a BB and Circuit City and played the dumb uninformed customer. You should have heard some of the stuff they told me. UNBELIVABLE!!!!!

99.9% reliability by OTA??? maybe in a few years when D* offers HD locals but not with the OTA technology we have now. And I for one would resign with D* long before I sink more money into this OTA fiasco. Some of us are only 20-30 miles from the towers and still have reception problems.

I'm guilty for doing this... just listening to the pitches these sales people give... Makes me shake my head...

No, the power hit was at our Suffolk transmitter site, the location of our FOX HD downlink. This interrupted the FOX HD bitstream which caused the FOX Splicer located at our Portsmouth studio to lock up.

By contrast our NBC downlink and receivers are all located at the Portsmouth studio, so at this point the problem during Seinfeld affecting many affiliates nationwide would appear to be totally unrelated. We've been passing NBC digital programming through that same receiver ever since Thursday night with no reports of problems.

Les, please check your PM. URGENT!

The technology is so complicated that the average person doesn't have a clue or is knowledgable enough to make a rational decision. This leaves the salesperson able to say just about anything without having to back it up. Then the poor customer gets the equipment home and "if" they can figure out how to hook it up sees the wonders of HD but also sees the awful sd displayed by most receivers.

Most would just past if left alone

Actually I'd bet NTSC OTA meets or exceeds 99.999% (The dreaded five nines!) reliability, probably has for years. It is group and station general management that needs to get behind the desires of the Federal Goverment, the Station Engineers and us elitist whiners. I understand the economics, but there is not going to be a magic date where the attention needs to be switched from NTSC to ATSC, it is going to be a transition.....

It seems like each month that goes buy I see more and more advertising for HD. From the networks, the NFL, the retailers and DirecTV. We are getting closer to the transitition IMO.

Brian

Actually Bruce it was WAVY And Les G. that slipped ahead of the competition to broadcast HD first in THIS area. I remember the days... just Leno in HD.

However, Ted Hand was there in '96 I believe when WRAL in Raleigh did the first HD broadcast in the country.

I am sure Ted managed a few days off for the Holiday and is going to dread coming onto this board once he finds out what transpired over Thanksgiving weekend with football and HD. Maybe he can use this as some ammo to help convince higher management that we are getting closer to the THE day

While there have been a couple of less than helpful comments on the thread the past couple of days these engineers are pretty thick skinned and will understand most of the frustration.

Here's to HD!

Brian

WORDING CHANGED TO REFELECT LES'S HUMBLE COMMENTS BELOW

While I would love to claim the cash prize for going where no man had gone before, in reality there were several stations and many people at those stations working at the same time to make DTV happen here, not just WAVY. The capital projects for things like towers, transmitters, and transmitter buildings were years in the making for several of us, and it really was only days or weeks before others were broadcasting on a regular schedule with us. This market was fortunate in that it had a lot of activity here compared to some other markets during that time. One of the most rewarding things was how entire effort here drew a lot of the broadcast engineers together as we compared notes on this new experiment.

I did this at a Radio Shack today. I was really looking for 25 foot component cables, but started talking about HD. Not only did he BS me on HD to sell stuff, but he said composite inputs would be just as nice as component. I laughed and asked him if he was kidding. He wasn't! After that, I had to burst his bubble and educate him a bit on HD and cabling. I think he felt kind of oolish, but at least he knows better now. Besides not finding my twenty some foot cables I needed, that made my day.

On a reception note, I had all channels until the day before Thanksgiving. I'm missing 13-1 and 33-1 now. I think it's due to the weather and might go fiddle with the antenna a bit more. Have to get WB before Smallville Wednesday!

Dale

My present antenna arrangement consists of a silver sensor and double bow-tie connected on my upstairs dresser with white co-ax running downstairs to the STB. Reception is fine as long as no one (wife) is upstairs moving in front of the antennas. To my amazement she doesn't like the antennas on the dresser, the cable running along the stairs, or having to worry about excessive moving during the games......go figure.....Anyway, I'm looking to either go exterior or attic and have been looking at the square shooter. Has anyone in this area used one and if so how are the results? Thanks.

Vurbano he said "NTSC" has nothing to do with the digital signal!! LMAO

Given that the reception issues you cited are due to various levels of multi-path (i.e. the tuner not being able to lock onto a signal) why shouldn't the effort be put into the tuner technology?

BTW - we should probably move this discussion to the other thread since we are no longer talking about specific issues with the local broadcasts.

From what I've seen, today's Redskins/Steelers broadcast on 43-1 has been flawless!

Minn/Jax game in HD and looks good. Audio during the game is DD5.1 but the commercials and other breaks are not DD5.1 but seem to be mono even though the receiver says it's DD5.1.
Earl

I agree they should improve the tuners. My point was its happening a little backwards.


It was very good. And I never have problems picking up FOX.


Oops Your right I missed that. SORRY. Yes I agree then the analog is very reliable

Is there a problem with 3-1 today? I'm getting the lowest signal strenth readings I've ever gotten for it right now. It's bouncing back and forth with various signal strengths ranging from 0 and 57%. Usually, even when there are issues with the signal, it will go up to around 88% with intermittent drops. FOXDT by contrast is a solid 88%.

Thanks.

3-1 is rock solid here, signal strength 82%. Been watching it most of the day and no problem.
Earl

I watched 3-1 most of the day also. Signal between 74 and 78.

Les, no audio on 10-1. (SHREK) Ok on 10-2. NBC National HD feed ok.

But it's a great picture and the commercials are working perfectly.

We're working on it...