18 & 24 in HD

[John L]

I have to agree with Kevin.  I doubt that WVTV will actually air it in 1080i or whatever.  Like Joseph S. has indicated that they will be upconvert for awhile.  They are just happy to get some sort of digital signal on the air as required per FCC rules.  Many stations don't have any money to put in all the necessary equipment to fully go HD. So it could be a few years yet.


I don't receive HDTV yet either, so I have to rely on what I read here.  Someday I will get a HDTV set, don't worry.  In fact my future TV buying,  I won't have any other choice other then purchase a DTV set.  By the time my TV dies there shouldn't be any new Analog TV set in the market, though I am sure there will be lots of Analog TVs on eBay people selling them only as "TV does work, but cannot get any stations anymore do to fact they all went off the air in 2006.  Great Antique item!"  or "Great for paperweight or doorstoppers."

Seriously, I know I am missing something.  I should get back to getting a PC HDTV card.  I just want to make sure I get the right type of TV card.  I've seen some that look like an HDTV card, but in most cases it turns out to be a analog PC card.  I want a digital receiver to receive hi-def TV signals.

-John L.
Muskego, WI.
Program Director for Muskego Public Access Channel 14

[Scott Sippel]

From Dousman:
61 maps to 18-1 with a signal in the mid 30's
25 maps to 24-1 with a signal strength of 80's  

I also agree with Kevin there will be no HD from them.  By observation its just like Fox47 in Madison.   Both 18 and 24 come in transcoded as 4x3 which allows me to zoom strecth and crop just like Fox47. Other channels that have sent HD material always report as 16x9 regardless of what they are sending and do not allow me to change the mode they are displayed in.   I recall seeing somewhere that has something to do with the transcoder used.  
Besides, I would not expect Sinclair stations to be HD for quite a while.

[FreQi]

When I was messing around with my antenna (again) I also noticed that WB suddenly appeared on my channel list as 18.1 (61).  It is actually the channel with my strongest signal here in 'tosa hanging right around 85.  I had to do some tweaking with the antenna because ABC was having momentary fluctuations between signal strengths of 37 and 85, causing really ugly artifacting.  Turning the antenna a few inches eliminated the problem all together.  And the strange thing is, PBS comes in at a weak 55, but the feed is seemless.  The 1920x1080i demonstration they had on earlier was beautiful...

Although it's good to see WB on a DTV feed, the 720x480i @ 29.97fps is pretty unimpressive.  Anyone know how to make the HiPix software do better deinterlacing on display? (I'd expect the recording to write the raw .ts feed)  Scene changes are pretty horrible.

[jeffbyk]

Signal strength of 100 on both channels for me.  It is good to see that they are up and running.  I get WB from Chicago (also signal strength of 100) and Smallville in HD is awesome!    So I hope that for everybody here, they get their act together and get the HD capability soon.

[John L]

If anyone is looking for answers to what 18 & 24 are doing why not phone them yourself at 442-7050 and ask for Program Director if this in regards to programming, or a Engineer concerning info regarding their DTV equipment?

I am sure if you ask the right people they would be more than happy to answer your questions. When WVTV was owned by Gaylord Broadcasting during the mid 80s I use to call them up and talk personally with the engineer regarding upgrades and at the time they increase power and added stereo. The gentleman I talked to was friendly. I'm not sure about today as I assume with being a Sinclair station it isn't the same staff when it was Gaylord.


If anyone does phone them and finds out further info regarding HDTV broadcasts, please feel free to share it with us here.

-John L.

[Kevin Arnold]

I did send an email asking for information so we'll see.  The reason there is so much cynicism is that Sinclair, owner of 18 and 24, typically doesn't tell the local staff what they're going to do with HD and I think discourages communicating with viewers on these type of things.  This come from expierence with WMSN Fox 47/11 in Madison, another Sinclair station.  Usually you get referred to the corporate office and "Mister DTV" who is their spokesman.  He has posted here a few times and much more on the AVS board.  Problem is, when you read his posts, you know less about their plans than before you started reading.

[borghe]

in a very very very slight nod to Sinclair, I get the best reception from 18 by far out of all local channels. I haven't moved the DBT to get 24 yet, but 18 as long as there is an antenna attached to the coax I am pretty much guaranteed a 100 signal strength. 24 came up with no signal lock, but then again so did 4. Although my antenna isn't facing prime direction right now... Man I really need a rooftop antenna.