MPTV high def listings.

[ReesR]

MPTV listings for Channel 36 digital are now available.  Here is the scoop:

=========

As of August 7, 2003, official full-time
August and September 2003 HD listings,
WITH program descriptions, for WMVT-DT,
are now posted on our web site, mptv.org,
under Listings/   HD /Digital Listings.

This post is probably going to be a rare posting
in the "HD / Digital Programming Changes" menu choice,
which features any schedule changes made after
the monthly schedules are posted.

We expect that the HD information will be updated by month,
and will appear within a few days of corresponding schedule postings for WMVS and WMVT.

Notification e-mails of postings will no longer be sent.

For questions or suggestions, please contact
Karen Copper

==============

Note:

I'm not sure whether this is what they intended but the site downloads a .rtf file of the schedule which opens up in Microsoft Word.  I am surprised it wasn't converted into html for web usage.

[Tom Snyder]

It's great information, but, my gosh... an RTF?!?!??!  I'm trying to find out why they can't display this stuff the same way they do their other listings...

[Gregg Lengling]

Someone was using Rich Text Format in Word Pad....cuz they couldn't figure out how to use any other program.

[ReesR]

I emailed Karen about the rtf format:

Thanks for the update on the new listings.

However, you may want to know that the new listings are not listed as a web page that a user would look at like the listings are for the regular channel 10 or 36 listings.  It forces you to download the listings to your computer and open them up with Microsoft Word.  This, I would assume is not your intended way of distributing this listing as it requires that someone have Microsoft Word just to read it.  Also, I would think your site would want the information shared in like manner as the other listings.  Try it on your computer at home.

Regards,

Rees

=================

and here is her reply:



Hi, Rees!

We've been posting rtf-style listings below the calendar for some time, now, with no complaints from viewers.

It's true that Word works to open the files,
but I believe that MACs can do so, also.

I have a "newer" MAC at home, so I will take your
advice, and give it a go tonight, and see how it works!

If it is true that these listings take up space on the computer, instead of opening off the web site, that will be something we need to consider. The good part of that is that the file is always the same name, so it will only take the space up ONCE.

One of our goals was to make it easy to copy & paste,
because many schools and newsletter editors
use data from those reports to put into their own publications.

Thanks for the feedback!
==================

I think sharing this information in a different format from how 10 and 36 analog provides is only going to confuse people.  People only want to see the schedules without the complexity of having to download it and view it using Microsoft Word.  (that is if they have Microsoft Word).

[Pat]

While we're criticizing people, we deserve 10 lashes with a wet noodle.  

The link for channel 10 goes to the national PBS site, and not http://www.mptv.org/mptvhome/listings/listings.html.

[Tom Snyder]

DOH! My bad!

That has been fixed to reflect the correct link (which didn't exist when we built this version fo the site). Thanks for pointing it out.

The difference here is that, when WE do something obviously wrong or stupid, we don't ignore it and not respond, justify it, or try to spin it to somehow make it seem that the error wasn't an error, but actually in the public's best interest...

We admit the screwup and fix it.  :rolleyes:

[Snard]

Originally posted by ReesR

[Excerpted by me]

... as it requires that someone have Microsoft Word just to read it.

While I don't condone (or care for) the listings as an .RTF file, I just want to point out that you don't have to have Microsoft Word to open it. I'm pretty certain that all versions of Windows since Win95 have had WordPad, which will open .RTF files.

Also, I would say if they want to post a "pretty printed" version of the program guide, they should do it as a .PDF file instead, since that's a more portable format (although it might not be as flexible as .RTF for cut/paste purposes.

Just my 2 cents.