Abilene, TX - HDTV - Page 36

I am thinking about dropping DTV and going with Suddenlink. I checked Suddenlink's channel lineup today...do they still not have KTXS in HD?

Yes, Suddenlink has all of the local channels available in HD.

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that the audio levels on KXVA (on Suddenlink) vary wildly? Crank it up to watch a show, and crank it back down when the commercials are on.

All of the locals are in HD on Suddenlink now, but it's still up to the network/local station to actually broadcast in HD. Just keep in mind that you'll either have to go with basic/expanded basic (using a QAM tuner, no box) or rent an HD box to get the locals in HD. Most people don't realize that if they simply go with a basic digital box..it will block you from getting the locals in anything but standard def.

Where do you see a QAM listing for Suddenlink? Most cable companies try to pretend QAM tuners don't even exist because it's something they can't control and charge rental fees for. All I see on their website is the usual channel lineup depending on level of service.

Hi! My name is Tina and I am with Suddenlink. Looking at the channel lineup on Suddenlink.com, it is missing KTXS HD on 704. I an working with the team in Abilene to get this updated.

The other channels you inquired about (ESPN, FSSW etc) are listed on the line up under HD Basic. They fall under this category as they are available to our HD/DVR users as part of their basic subscription. These channels are not available to anyone with a QAM tuner.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at tina-AT-suddenlink-DOT-com.

KXVA has been granted another STA of 180 days to operate at reduced power until they can get their full power transmitter installed and operational. The good news is that the sale of the stations (including KIDY in San Angelo was consumated on August 3rd so that the new owners (Bayou City Broadcasting) can finally take action and finance the needed equipment. Personally, I think full power operation will happen within a month in time for football season.

-ML

Here is the link to their application.
https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws...&fac_num=62293

and the link to the sale for KIDY (KXVA).
https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws...&fac_num=58560

Hello Tina @Suddenlink help...I've got something you could look into. Are you familiar with the posts by Pabel (Peter Abel, VP of corporate communications, Suddenlink) in this thread? Specifically http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...7#post16104017 where he talks about digital duplicates for basic/expanded basic customers. I don't know if you're in Abilene, Lubbock or somewhere else...but nobody that I've talked to in Abilene has any idea what I'm talking about. This came to mind this afternoon when I was watching a movie on FX and the sound was horrible. With a digital feed the picture wouldn't be much better but the sound would be a lot clearer..

edit- I'm already aware of the digital duplicates for the OTA (over the air) locals but that is not only useless for QAM users already getting digital...but does nothing to address the poor analog quality of the rest of the basic/expanded channels. The alternative of getting a basic digital box and having HD blocked altogether while getting the rest of the analog channels in marginally better digital isn't an acceptable option.

does anyone know if Haskell will pick up the abilene HD channels?

Haskell Who??

Seriously, though, you should be able to get KTXS without much trouble. However, you are just a few miles outside the service coverage area for KRBC and KTAB. To get them you will need a very high gain UHF antenna with a good preamp on a 20-30 foot mast. With this rig you might be able to pull in KXVA after they go to full power but I wouldn't hold my breath.

-ML

Joemama -- This matter continues to be worked. The situation ended up being a bit more complex than you might expect; it was certainly more complex than I expected -- and thus took considerably longer than we originally anticipated. A lot of this is inside baseball, proprietary stuff, so I won't (can't) go into details. But I did speak recently with the SVP of Ops for your area, and he walked me through a plan that sounds like it could deliver what you're seeking. There are few more T's to cross and I's to dot, and I don't want to make the mistake I made last time of estimating a timeline to completion, but please know we will share good news as soon as it's confirmed. Thanks for your patience.

It shouldn't be difficult at all to simply unscramble signals that are already flowing through everyones cable...but I'm guessing the difficulty is doing that while simultaneously making sure everyone is only getting the service level they pay for. In other words, making sure basic customers don't get the expanded basic channels, and the expanded basic customers aren't getting the extra channels available only to the digital tier. That I can understand would be more complex, and now it makes sense that you said it may have to be done on a per-subscriber basis. Thanks for replying, and keep us updated if you can.

Well, someone at KXVA forgot to switch the Cowboys game tonight back to HD after the commercial break...wish I could find that post from the guy claiming that KXVA wouldn't have that problem since it was automated.

Heh, that's funny (only because I'm outa town and not effected ;-) ). I will add I tuned in the other night to a game on KXVA. Was the best looking football broadcast I can remember seeing. We sure were missing a lot before they finally went HD.

Check the listings. KXVA runs the San Antonio news at 9 and KIDZ runs it at 10. I think it started last week.

I agree, the HD football game looked extra good.

It looked good to me also, but I still think KTAB/CBS has the best HD in the area. Of course it could have something to do with KXVA being 720p and KTAB's 1080i signal being a better match for my 1080p tv.

Anyone with Directv on here having a problem with the signal in the afternoons this summer? Seems like every day from 1-5pm different channels pixelate and stop broadcasting all together. Called Directv and they had never heard of this and told me that I would have to pay $50 to have a tech come out and look at it. What? I'm thinking it has to be something with the sun/heat because after 5pm it doesn't happen, and it only started when the temps started rising. Anyone have any thoughts?

That's certainly a possibility. That being said, I receive the KXVA (and KTAB for that matter) via OTA into my Dishnetwork DVR which is set to output all things in 1080i to my 1080p TV. Theoretically, the extra processing necessary on KXVA in my system (going from 720p to 1080i before the TV makes it 1080p) should make it look not as good.

So does that mean that the dvr is faulty or is it the power going into it that is messed up? I have two hr20s in different rooms and they are interrupted at the same time. What really pisses me off is that it seems to be a DirecTV problem and they won't fix it without me paying for a tech to come out.

On another note: I bought one of my HR20s at Circuit City before they closed for $300 (or something close to that) and I get charged a monthly $5.99 lease fee for that receiver. DirecTV says when/if I cancel I would need to return that receiver to them even though I "bought" it on my own. Why does that sound like robbery to me?

I've heard of issues like that with Dish Network. In the case of Dish Network, they seem to get information in your account messed up. Keep any receipt of a box that you actually bought so that you can prove it if you have too. Getting Dish Network to change the account so that it correctly shows that you own the DVR is quite a pain as I understand it (never had to do it myself).

For the last couple of years any Direct TV receiver you buy is considered leased regardless of where you get it unless you you buy it directly from Direct TV for close to $ 800. If you try to say it is yours since you bought it outright they simply will not activate your card therefore your receiver is useless. I have seen all sorts of threats and arguments as to why this shouldn't be the case but all to no avail. Also if you buy a used one they will not allow it to be reactivated if it is considered to have been a leased receiver. Just the way it is as far as they are concerned and as you would expect they have a house full of lawyers that have implemented most of this.

I can understand why they'd want to keep all their customers on leased equipment and if that is the case they should NOT allow activation of dvrs that are not owned by DirectTV. It's hard for me to understand their legal argument that the box is theirs if you can prove it's yours.

The cases I've heard with Dish Network are a little different. If you can prove it's yours with documentation (and you'll have to do just that) they'll change your account to reflect it yours. However, it seems people with their own DVRs, even after proving ownership, are somehow switched back to 'leased' in the account info quite frequently and have to go through the process again.

When I first signed up with Dish there was no monthly difference in whether you leased or owned your equipment. You were either charged a 'leased' fee or a 'DVR fee' of the same amount but not both. As such, I didn't see any need to buy. I don't know what the differences are now though.

[quote=tigepilot;17075237] It's hard for me to understand their legal argument that the box is theirs if you can prove it's yours.

Good question. When they are manufactured they belong to Direct TV. When they are shipped to suppliers to sell they are shipped out as leased receivers so from that point on, regardless of how they are sold they remain leased.

[quote=adb;17076067]
AAHHHH... well in that case then the beef should be with the retailer. Too bad in this case it's Circuit City. Still think it's shady business practice (and I wouldn't be surprised if a judge saw it this way too) unless it's stated that the property is not and will not be yours VERY prominently on the box since this isn't a normal way of doing business.

[quote=tigepilot;17076530]
It has been in court several times with the same results.