WMVS/WMVT has me Crazy!

[Stanley Kritzik]

The good folks at WMVS & WMVT must be doing strange stuff.

I have D* satellite service plus an OTA antenna.  My D* service includes the high def. package which gives me the local old analog channels.  My receiver is a D* Tivo HR 10-250.

So, I can (and do) receive WMVS on 10-1 thru 10-7, complete with Tivo-supplied program info.  But, I can also receive the same programming (without info) on 8-1 thru 8-7.  Explanation number one, please, and where's it going to end up?

Next, all the high def WMVS programming is delayed three hours, which moves a lot of stuff to unpleasant viewing hours.  Explanation number two, please.

Finally, since I like to watch the PBS evening news close to dinnertime, I watch D*'s ML36 -- 6:30 to 7:30 PM -- which is ordinary channel 36 via the satellite.  This channel has a significant and annoying low-pitched hum, which is not present on an old-style TV set tuned to plain old channel 36.  Explanation number three, please.

Comment.  I'm not an engineer, but I'm reasonably at home with technology.  However, if this high def. service is ever going to get off the ground, all this nonsense plus more has to be solved and out of the way, or the masses won't buy into the technology.  ("Plus more" includes 58-1 on 1-1 minus Tivo info., and 6-1 running all the power of a 6-watt light bulb.)

Stanley Kritzik

[murdoc]

Originally posted by Stanley Kritzik
The good folks at WMVS & WMVT must be doing strange stuff.

I have D* satellite service plus an OTA antenna.  My D* service includes the high def. package which gives me the local old analog channels.  My receiver is a D* Tivo HR 10-250.

So, I can (and do) receive WMVS on 10-1 thru 10-7, complete with Tivo-supplied program info.  But, I can also receive the same programming (without info) on 8-1 thru 8-7.  Explanation number one, please, and where's it going to end up?

WMVS's digital channel number is 8-1.  Your D* box just changes the number to channel 10.  You should be able to delete channel 8 from you guide.  Just read your manual :-)  Also CBS 58's digital channel is 1-1.  There is a know problem with the HD TIVO and this station.  Search the forums for this and you should have these questions answered.  FYI the digital channel numbers are all posted on the milwaukeehdtv homepage.

Next, all the high def WMVS programming is delayed three hours, which moves a lot of stuff to unpleasant viewing hours.  Explanation number two, please.

This sounds like a station problem.  You can call the station and complain, but they will tell you to record it with your TIVO.

Finally, since I like to watch the PBS evening news close to dinnertime, I watch D*'s ML36 -- 6:30 to 7:30 PM -- which is ordinary channel 36 via the satellite.  This channel has a significant and annoying low-pitched hum, which is not present on an old-style TV set tuned to plain old channel 36.  Explanation number three, please.

Is this noise only noticable when viewing this program?  I just checked the station and didn't hear anything.  I also have my TV speakers off and run the sound through my stereo speakers.  This may also be a factor.

Comment.  I'm not an engineer, but I'm reasonably at home with technology.  However, if this high def. service is ever going to get off the ground, all this nonsense plus more has to be solved and out of the way, or the masses won't buy into the technology.  ("Plus more" includes 58-1 on 1-1 minus Tivo info., and 6-1 running all the power of a 6-watt light bulb.)

Stanley Kritzik

I do agree that the initail setup can be a pain escpecially with D*.  You always have the option of Time Warner Cable.  This is very hassel-free, but they currently do not offer some stations (WB and UPN I believe) in HD.  The choices are there for you; I only had D* as my choice since Charter Cable is a joke.  BTW all major networks (NBC, FOX, ABC, CBS, WB, UPN) are required to be at full power by June 2005.  You should be able to get Fox easily then.  Check your antenna aim again, I get FOX and CBS locked at 100% way up here is West Bend.  Being in River Hills you should be able to get a decent shot at Fox.  You might be getting overlap from ABC (FOX is channel 33, ABC is 34) since they are so high powered.  Hope this helps.  :-)

[Nels Harvey]

The Ch. 10 digital channel is Channel 8.  WMVS is using the digital realm to put 7 choices on the air.  10-1 is a less than full quality delay of whatever was broadcast on Ch. 10, 3 hours before.  10-2 is the same for Ch. 36.  10-3 is the PBS University Channel, 10-4 is the PBS Kids Channel, 10-5, 6, and 7 usually carry a weather map, with WFMT audio on 10-5, Sullivan Weather on 10-6, and informational audio on 10-7.

These feeds are all less than full analog broadcast quality capable, and all are sent on Ch. 8.  The station believes it is providing a useful service on Ch. 8, and needed permission from the FCC to present the current lineup.

Ch. 35 is the Ch. 36 digital compliment, and carries a satellite feed from PBS as the only true HD offering from the station.  This is a national loop of programs that is being used by many stations across the nation as a program source to satisfy the requirement to be on the air with their digital assignments.

The WMVS/WMVT Director of Engineering is very critical of the audio performance of all the programming, and I can assure you that the audio hum doesn't come from the station.  It probably is occuring between the pickup point, and your reception point.

FWIW, I am retired as a staff engineer at WMVS/WMVT, and can assure you that the technical quality of  the WMVS/WMVT programming is a primary concern of the technical staff there.

Nels....

[Stanley Kritzik]

Thanks for the responses, and here's where I stand, as of Saturday evening.

For openers, there's still too much confusion, with Tivo showing programming on 58-1, while the station broadcasts on 1-1, leaving 58-1 vacant.  Also, some of the other glitches still exist.

Having said that, I had my 10-250 clear and re-scan the OTA channels, and 8-1 thru 8-7 disappeared.  Everything just shows up on 10-1 thru 10-7, which is where the Tivo menus are.  So far so good, except for the annoying fact that everything is delayed three hours after analog Ch 10's schedule.

ML36' s hum has disappeared, for me.  I replaced some audio cables in my setup, and I'm free of hum -- for now.  The acid test for ML 36 will be Monday night at 6:30 PM, during the PBS Evening News with Jim Leher.   If the hum is gone, it's my old cables that were at fault.

I'm afraid I don't understand the need to delay all these programs three hours.  When analog goes away, then what?  All this channel mapping confusion, Tivo menu problems and the like have to be cleaned up so my proverbial Aunt Tillie will go high def. with ease.

Stan Kritzik

[wxndave]

I agree with Nels that the Audio Hum that you were hearing was a local problem with your cables.  I have never heard the Hum on my OTA  CH 36 at home.  

As for the channel mapping.  The ATSC committee recommended and the FCC adopted the use of channel mapping.  They thought it would be less confusing for people.

Part of your problem is the fact that the TVIO guide is giving you false information.  That guide is provided over satellitte not from the local station.  If your tuner only use the PSIP from the local station half your problems would go away.

As Nels said MPTV feels that they are doing service by providing a 3 Hr delay of the analog services.  By the way these are not HD feed they are Digital.  The only HD source is the CH36-1 which airs network and local HD programs like Outdoor Wisconsin.  Once analog goes away it will probably change again.


Dave

[GBK]

You've got to be kidding.  I haven't yet met a person here or otherwise who likes the fact that the programming is on 3hr delay... it's simply to cover their butt.. if they have encoding issues etc...  It's not a serivice it's a dis-service.. It's extremely annoying to not be able to watch the programming at the correct time.. also i'm not interested in any analog reception anymore... in fact I no longer watch anything off the air that is not digital.  Wake up 10/36 gives us the real service of providing the programming at it's scheduled times.