4 and 58?

[Tom Snyder]

Both of these stations are MIA tonight... or is it just my DTC-100?

[Gregg Lengling]

I wanted to watch Crossing Jordan and had to do a rescan.  Got 4-1 working again although for some reason WTMJ was transmitting it in a weird format.   The ads were 4x3 while the program was letterboxed top and bottom....what good is a 61" set when they only send you a picture the size of a 48" set.  1-1 ect was missing in action.....my signal strength table showed 1-3 there with a signal strength of 76 but there must have been a data problem because there was no picture or sound decoded and my set kept telling me weak signal......WDJT had this problem a couple weeks ago with some data problem and they fixed it quickly but this time it was dark all night. (And yes I've got the DTC100 version that's built in my set.)  How about you guys with the other STB's?


------------------
Gregg R. Lengling
RCA P61310 61" 16x9
gregg@camelcomm.com

[JimHall]

 

Originally posted by Tom Snyder:
Both of these stations are MIA tonight... or is it just my DTC-100?

To Our HDTV Enthusiasts;

CBS-58 DTV seems to be experiencing an antenna problem related to the rain.   We believe that water has apparently found its way inside our antenna.  As soon as the weather clears a tower crew will be climbing to inspect.  Our transmitter automatically ramps down in power when it senses a high VSWR problem.   We apologize for the inconvenience.

Jim Hall
Station Manager
CBS-58



[This message has been edited by JimHall (edited 06-04-2002).]

[Steve Mann]

 

Originally posted by JimHall:
 To Our HDTV Enthusiasts;

CBS-58 DTV seems to be experiencing an antenna problem related to the rain.   We believe that water has apparently found its way inside our antenna.  As soon as the weather clears a tower crew will be climbing to inspect.  Our transmitter automatically ramps down in power when it senses a high VSWR problem.   We apologize for the inconvenience.

Thanks for keeping us up to date, Jim.

[Tom Snyder]

Thanks Jim!

This is another great example of how Jim and Sean use this board as a tool to communicate with their viewers.

It never ceases to amaze me how some stations "get it," and others remain either clueless, arrogant (or both).

[tenth_t2]

You guys beat me to it-- I was able to get 4 all night, although 58 was MIA.  Now we know why.  Crossing Jordan looked NTSC to me Greg, and it also looked like it was the first episode.  Jordan just got back in town, etc.  Doesn't ER do that same double letterbox format for some/all episodes now?

I really have to get a HiPix card for that signal strength meter.....

One other thing I've seen mentioned is having to rescan for 4.1.  I have not had to do that at all.  Was that supposed to be more likely on days with better tropo conditions?  

Greg O.

[This message has been edited by tenth_t2 (edited 06-04-2002).]

[MesaV]

tenth_t2, I thought your antenna was pointing toward Madison DTV!

[Matt Heebner]

I also couldn't get 1-1. The episode of Crossing Jordan was pre-HD days. What we were seeing was a "letterboxed" show inside a 16:9 but formatted to 4:3 window. This would cause the total "windowboxing". Same thing happens on ER.

Matt

[Joseph S]

 

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Thanks for the effort.

[John Polulach]

Strange...

Last night, I watched CBS HD from 7 - 9 without a problem on my Samsung OTA and indoor ant.

JP

[tenth_t2]

I have a CM rotor with rooftop mount so it's really not a big effort to repoint.  Several weeks ago I wrote down all the bearings for me to various Milwaukee and Madison stations.  I was looking for the FOX signal I think, you know, the 1 milliwat ch 33 or something?

Anyways, no, it's pointed at the location for CBS here at the moment--I did check that last night.  Anyway, now we know why.

Greg O

I got so far as finding the remote, but didn't rotate to Madison

[JimHall]

 

Originally posted by John Polulach:
Strange...

Last night, I watched CBS HD from 7 - 9 without a problem on my Samsung OTA and indoor ant.

JP

Dear HDTV Fans;

Besides the rain issue that we are experiencing with our antenna, it appears that in addition, our PSIP data generator took a hit yesterday as well knocking it off.

However, John's Samsung appears that it can operate without PSIP data and others cannot.  We also have learned that DTV tuners left on 24 hours a day, that they only require the PSIP data to be received once and they will continue to operate normally.  Thus, in our monitoring points in our master control and our in-house feeds of our DTV signal, it appeared to us to be operating normal (we had no loss of picture).
TWC, receiving our two side channels, also had continuous signal with not loss of picture, as their receivers are ON 24x7 as well.

And since our PSIP generator is at our transmitter site, which is unmanned, we have no method at this time in monitoring continuous PSIP data.

We will continue to explore this issue for better monitoring and procedures.

Jim Hall
CBS-58

Ps: John, do you leave your Samsung on 24x7 or do you turn it on & off?




[This message has been edited by JimHall (edited 06-05-2002).]

[Gregg Lengling]

That's what I thought that the PSIP got corrupted.  I've been having a great signal strength (at least 78) all the time but couldn't receieve anything.  Good luck on fixing the problem and resolving the issues Jim, we all know this is a learning experience on both sides of the street.

By the way did you see the column in the Wall Street Journal yesterday on Page A-4 about Digital TV....real bunch of crap with the stations that haven't gone through the hoops like you guys.   They're estimating 25 years to reach the 85% threshold that the FCC felt should be reached by 2006.  It seems digital is only getting bad press....what it needs is a lot of good press...I don't think I could go back to NTSC viewing.  However with Stargate SG-1 leaving Showtime and going to SciFi is a big letdown...I was just getting used to an excellent picture and now it's back to NTSC format.


------------------
Gregg R. Lengling
RCA P61310 61" 16x9
gregg@camelcomm.com

[John Polulach]

 

Originally posted by JimHall:


Ps: John, do you leave your Samsung on 24x7 or do you turn it on & off?


[This message has been edited by JimHall (edited 06-05-2002).][/B]

I turn the Samsung tuner off with the power button after viewing.

With so many people reporting 1-1 MIA and Jim telling us about the antenna problem I just couldn't understand why I was still getting 1-1 last night!  (I was sort of expecting Rod Serling to walk into the living room.)

Then, I did an auto channel scan (no good reason except new-toy-syndrome).  1-1 didn't scan in.

John P.

[gparris]

 

Originally posted by lummox:
That's what I thought that the PSIP got corrupted.  I've been having a great signal strength (at least 78) all the time but couldn't receieve anything.  Good luck on fixing the problem and resolving the issues Jim, we all know this is a learning experience on both sides of the street.

By the way did you see the column in the Wall Street Journal yesterday on Page A-4 about Digital TV....real bunch of crap with the stations that haven't gone through the hoops like you guys.   They're estimating 25 years to reach the 85% threshold that the FCC felt should be reached by 2006.  It seems digital is only getting bad press....what it needs is a lot of good press...I don't think I could go back to NTSC viewing.  However with Stargate SG-1 leaving Showtime and going to SciFi is a big letdown...I was just getting used to an excellent picture and now it's back to NTSC format.

The laws were poorly written in favor of the manufacturers and cable operators and everybody writing the laws lacked focus that the old analog spectrum was to be taken and auctioned off for Treasury Funds. If the focus had been there for all sets to have Digital tuners in them earlier - even if the price had gone down or govt gave supports to make the price cheaper - as in farm supports-we would be all in Digital heaven by now. There is a difference between "can't" and "won't"! The SCi-Fi channel is part of the cable "Bible" of quanity vs. quality. I just got used to Stargate in HD, too. If Satellite can get on equal footing with cable, HD will take over along with PVR's (that cable does not have) then cable will start getting eager to offer better signal and edge out satellite - who will never be able to "carry one, carry all" for locals everywhere if these are all in HD due to bandwith problems>