WXIX WB19 / ch 61 dtv Dolby 5.1 gone

[techboy]

What has happened to DD 5.1 on WB61?  It was great for two weeks, and now it's missing?  Tonight (Wednesday 12/08) audio on Smallville was horible, not to mention no video for the first 1 min. 30 secs.   WB61 is now transmitting DD 2/0 at a 384Kbs rate, a real waste of audio bandwidth.    I suspect operator error.  But I can't understand how this stuff goes un-noticed by the supervising engineers for such long periods of time.

[John L]

Just out of curiousity, why are you still referring to WVTV, ch. 18 as WXIX, ch. 19?   They moved from ch. 19 to ch. 18 I believe was in 1957, WXIX call letters were replaced with WUHF in 1961, and then changed to its current calls of WVTV in June 1967.

WXIX ch. 19 was more than 40 years ago.  Do you honestly think they are still WXIX and on ch. 19?

I suppose since you used to work at WTMJ-TV, I could still consider WTMJ-TV is broadcasting on ch. 3.

-John L.

[techboy]

Hi John L., Jimboy, and other forum members:  Not on Ch.3???  Well that finally explains all the snow I've been seeing on my CTC7.   ( Yes I still have one that works. )  Blain Walsh, Judy Marks, Bill Carlson.  I'm I really that old?  Don't answer that please.  Although I still live on the cutting edge of TV technology, my roots are firmly anchored in the past.  I'm recording 2 hours of HDTV on a standard DVD, while Hollywood and everyone else are waiting for blu-rays.  I love TV technology, but I hate change for change's sake.  You or anyone else are free to correct me if I'm mistaken, but before WXIX, I think the call sign was WBKV.  That may have been an experimental license.  But I've always thought that the Ch. 19 and the numerals XIX were a natural.  WUHF ?  Well, maybe.  And "WB61"?  Well, that just doesn't trip off the tongue.
   Today station managers change as often as the seasons and each manager wants to leave his or her mark by changing the call letters.  That clever new call sign, nifty logo, and catchy punch phrase will surely double the ratings. ( Especially if we beat the audience on the head with it every 10 seconds.)   All I expect ( as a viewer) from every station's engineering staff is the best possible picture and audio current technology allows.  I'll judge for myself whether or not the programming has value.  When I was working, I made damn sure everything technical was as good as I could make it.  Go the extra mile...Take pride in the workmanship.   It never really bothered me too much that I thought most of the programs were crappy. Content wasn't my job.  
   So, thank you Jim for the explaination on the 5.1 Dolby outage.  Sorry if I came down on you too hard.  But I think that I and other technically inclined viewers would welcome if you and other people still on the inside ( and in the know loop) at ALL the Milwaukee stations would make a posting on this forum when your station is experiencing a long term technical issue.   While not everyone will understand the complexities of programming the Flexicoder, ALL will appreciate knowing that often, reception problems and issues are not the fault of their home equipment.

[John L]

Originally posted by techboy
but before WXIX, I think the call sign was WBKV.  That may have been an experimental license.  But I've always thought that the Ch. 19 and the numerals XIX were a natural.  WUHF ?  Well, maybe.  

 Don't know of a TV station call letters WBKV, but did apply to a radio station in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

  I believe when ch. 19 first signed on, they were WOKY-TV before WXIX.  WXIX-TV call letters are in use today in Cincinatti, Ohio which operates also on ch. 19 and is a Fox affiliate.  Very fitting.  I can discuss call letters just like how fitting WDIO is in Duluth, MN which operated on ch. 10. Its calls stood for W-Duluth-10 (WDIO).

  Yes I am grateful that Jim is here speaking for ch. 18/24.

-John L.

[techboy]

Yes, you are absolutely right.  WOKY-TV.  Is your convertor box working?

[tazman]

I think the call sign was WBKV.

No actually WBKV were the call letters of the old West Bend radio station on 92.5 FM, when they were located on Decora Rd. kitty corner from the Midland Coop.