Abilene, TX - HDTV - Page 6

I have the same issue with the DirecTV HD Tivo. I ALSO thought it was my receiver. Happened at least twice today. Also I notice that the NFL game tonight is not in HD. Wondering if they are having issues. Can't get anyone to pick up the phone there.

Just returned to Abilene and it was nice to see the signal strenth on KTAB and KRBC. Obviously KRBC is still having a few bugs to work out. Their signal strength fluctuated rather dramatically, but I'm sure they will get this worked out shortly. It could sure cause problems with some receivers.

I'm just glad to see 3 out of 4 locals joining the 21st century, bugs and all...I'm pretty much ready to write off Fox completely except for a few NFL games. Otherwise I can't think of anything else they have that I would want to watch in such poor SD analog.

I think KRBC has been too busy with the flooding and using the scroll across the screen to use HD. I noticed the Today Show was not in hd either on Saturday. I have not e-mailed to complain because of flooding, but if primetime shows and Jay Leno is not in hd I will.

Yeah that was my feeling about this weekend as to why they had not been broadcasting in HD but if the problem persists then I will be calling also.

I was disappointed that the game was not in HD but I was not going to bother them yesterday.

I guess I still don't understand how the HD/SD switch isn't automated...is there really a live person sitting at a control panel flipping a switch?

I have wondered this too. Perhaps 93geo knows what goes on exactly.

I haven't seen any posts regarding ATSC/NTSC tuners for computers so I thought I'd ask. I receive my local HD signals via an Amplified Omni-directional antenna. I feed the OTA signal into D* Sony HD-300 and it works fine.
Has anyone had any success with HD tuner cards for pc's? I connect what I consider is useable signal strength into my HP tuner card and it won't auto detect the analogs or the digitals? I goto manual detect I can get all of the analogs but then can't seem to figure out how to manually add or program the digitals in Windows Media Center. I can manually detect the digitals I have excellent signal on KTAB - and it works, KRBC has excellent signal strength but when trying to watch it says there is no signal even though I know there is because I can punch in 9.1 on my Sony Sat HD300 and it pops right up. KTXS is a very marginal signal even when connecting my notebook straight to the first point my antenna coax enters my home.

Do I need a new tv card for my PC or do I need a better antenna? Ideally I'd like to be able to auto detect all of the local channels whether analog or digital and then use my pc to record in HD.

Thanks for any replies to resolving this issue!

Regarding the no HD last weekend:

This is coming from somebody that doesn't know, and really is just a guess. I think right now KTAB/KRBC can't do a word scroll across the screen and be in HD. I have seen the warning by county image on KTAB (where a county is red for warning) while in HD but never a scroll. I have heard about this happening in other smaller markets that during bad weather they would drop out of HD to give warnings. I am under the belief that this is what happened.

Not being familiar with you set up but I suspect the tuner card is not doing the same as your HD 300. I have a couple of HD 300s and they are very good as a HD tuner. Probably going to be difficult to get this set up to work. By the way I have the HP computer but have not tried the card.

On most of the set ups I have kept up with (Albuquerque in particular) they are always saying they have to call the station and have them turn HD on,
they keep making references to the stations not wanting to spend the money to have it automated.

That just doesn't make sense to me though. Do all stations that are not automated have someone sitting there to flip the switch on every commercial? Surely not. I have read about people having to call the stations in other markets before also but there has to be something that we are missing.

I have a friend in Ft. Worth and they missed most of an episode of Prison Break and all of 24 one night because of this very issue. And you would think that if anyone would be automated it would be DFW stations because they are such a large market.

I would just like to hear it first hand exactly what goes on at the station to get us that HD signal.

As far as the crawl and overlay graphics I understand that completely but I don't think they had anything going on Sunday night (I am pretty sure I checked that) but I could be wrong.

sprint67

A couple of months ago I had to call KTXS to flip their HD switch. The engineer I talked to simply said to me that he had forgotten to flip the switch.

It just blows my mind that more than halfway through the first decade of the 21st century...a century in which a handheld computer is more powerful than what used to take up an entire floor of a building 25 years ago...and we have to have someone sitting at a control panel to manually switch between SD and HD?

WOW. i'm amazed. actually have someone sittin there flippin a switch on their shift. now, why can't they just leave the switch on?
& i'm still upset with FOX for being the last one to not do diddly squat about HD. gripping won't get me no where, but anyway to petition or call em up to ask em 'What the HECK is goin on over there??' booooooo FOX.
ok i'm done ranting.

I don't work at any of these stations, but I'm quite certain that the phrase "flip the switch" is a metaphor.

N

That is why I no longer watch GMA now that 9.1 is on the air. I got tired of them "forgetting to flip the switch" when they would pop in to show the weather. Most of GMA ended up being non HD.

Also I stand corrected. I was watching KTAB show in HD and they did a word scroll. As I said this is coming from someone that does not know. I don't think our FOX will go HD until you can buy the equipment at a flea market.

Unfortunately it is liable to be quite a while before we get HD from local Fox. Hope I'm wrong.

I would be quite happy if they just went digital some time soon instead of waiting for the deadline. It seems to me that it would be in Fox's best interest to help out some of their affiliates in smaller markets financially...they may be "small" but enough small markets around the country collectively getting hooked on ABC, NBC and CBS shows simply because they look better has go to hurt.

This subject bugs the heck out of me too....

Yes, even though our master control is "automated," the computers are programmed by humans, and there are 2 mcos (master control operators) on duty at all times, except from 11pm-5am, when there's only one.

Sometimes the programmers forget to add the HD "switch" to the automation system, and then it's up to the mcos. If they're not paying attention, then all you get is SD. I sent an email to the dept. heads earlier this week pointing out that Conan wasn't being aired in HD because of this issue, and as a former mco, I explained that it takes only seconds to fix. The next night, Conan was in HD!

We're still learning all this HD stuff, and there will be issues, but if you have any concerns, please email us...I'm not sure what the best email address would be, but look on the www.bigcountryhomepage.com site.

And if you're watching live CBS/NBC network programming that you know should be in HD but isn't, call master control at 691-2207; again, it's a matter of "flipping a switch," or actually, a few mouse clicks on the automation computers. Our mcos really do know what they're doing and care about on-air quality, but it can get hectic in there at times!

But don't hold your breath for locally-originated HD...syndicated shows like Oprah, Jeoparday, Wheel, etc., while produced in HD, will be broadcast by us in SD for the foreseeable future. That's another million dollars in upgrades.....

93 geo

Thank you for the very informative information. It certainly clears up some things and makes us more aware of some of the problems you face. It would be nice to have locally originated programs in HD as well, however we are very greatful to have the HD we now receive. Please keep us posted as you continue to tune things up.

Thanks once again "93 geo" for all the info you have been a very valuable source in keeping everybody up to date on HD. All this HD stuff is fascinating, I would love a tour. Way back in high school we got to see KTAB in action and sat in on the noon news. I thought then all equipment was high tech, I can't imagine it now.

Somebody mentioned that a NFL game was being broadcast in SD....I'm watching the Cowboys/Texans game on KR tonight and it brings to mind that only CBS or NBC network games are available in HD. KRBC is a subscriber to the Cowboys TV network, which even if it is available in HD (which it's probably not), we don't have the infrastructure to carry it HD...we can only air CBS or NBC programming HD...and for that fact, it has to be "live," meaning straight off the "bird" (satellite). Sometimes we'll tape-delay network shows, but at that point it becomes local programming since it's originating from either a Betacam SP machine or our servers.

Our network HD is what's known as "pass-through," meaning the HD signal basically bypasses our master control equipment (which is all NTSC for now). Each network's HD equipment is owned by the network, and the HD signals are sent straight to the STL (studio-transmitter link, which in our case is a multi-channel digital 7ghz microwave link) to the digital transmitters at the tower. When you drive by the station, you'll see three microwave dishes on two towers; on the taller tower, the upper dish is KR's analog STL, and the dish on the smaller tower carries KTAB's analog signal. The dish on the taller tower with the "bubble," or radome, is our digital STL. This dish was originally used for the Abilene-San Angelo link for our stations there, but when KR's tower collapsed (which was another link in the relay) it became useless, so we decided to swing it around to the KTAB tower. The receive dish at the tower site is new, though. By the end of the year, however, even the 2ghz analog STLs will be upgraded to 7ghz digital....they'll still be carrying the SD signal, though. I hope I didn't confuse anybody....

And I would love to give all you guys a tour, but it's not feasible unfortunately. I'll try to post some pictures of master control and the transmitters soon....

HALLE-FREAKIN-LUJAH! I'm watching NBC Sunday night football in glorious HD. Too bad the Cowboys game was in poor SD but 93geo did a good job of explaining that.

cdharris-
I haven't lived in the area very long (did go to ACU back in the early 90's though) but I've noticed that all the local network affiliates seem to use fresh out of college trainees on the weekends and holidays..both in front of and behind the cameras. It gets pretty comical when the noobie "anchors" get flustered and the guys in the control room can't seem to ever roll the right footage for an entire newscast.

edit- yes, I've seen the blanked out weather before.

I noticed that law and order last night was in SD. Was there some kind of problem or was it the old "forgot to flip the switch". I e-mailed but it never did change.

I called the station a few days ago to inquire about a timetable for a Digital broadcast from them. The lady I spoke to was very nice, and told me that KIDY/KXVA were being bought out by the owners of the Odessa FOX Station, I can't recall the station letters, but she did say that they are already broadcasting digitally in Odessa, and seemed to suggest that the buy-out could possibly speed things up for a FOX digital broadcast in Angelo and Abilene.

I live in Sweetwater and I'm getting a good signal from KRBC/KTAB. It becomes pixilated for a few seconds occasionally, usually during the mid hours of the day but overall; very good. I'm using a Channel Master CM 4228 8-Bay Bowtie UHF Antenna on a 20' mast. It's amped up with a 30db-max pre amp from Radio Shack.

I was very worried about getting a decent signal over here through the Wind Towers, but so far so good. KIDY operates a small transmitter at Sweetwater Lake called KIDB. FOX 15 is nearly impossible to receive over here because of the electrical pulse interference from the wind towers. I'm really excited about FOX going digital sometime in the future, but I hope they can get a signal over here because I suspect KIDB will no longer be around when the February 2009 analog black out gets here. That could leave us FOXless.

If anyone has any further information on KIDY/KXVA, or improvements being made to KTAB/KRBC please give a post. Thank you