WISN Equipment and Switching Failures

[Joseph S]

Equipment Failures (result in complete loss of signal)

1/12/05
Lost - 7:42 - During programming (OTA and TWCable verified)
Alias - 8:09 - During programming (OTA and TWCable verified)
Alias - 8:53 - During commercial break (OTA and TWCable verified)

3/30/05
Lost - 8:40s- Complete loss of picture and sound after pixelation prior to commercial break

Switching Failures

1/23/05
Desperate Housewives - 8:00 - During Programming failed to flip switch for 2 minutes (OTA and TWCable verified)
Boston Legal - 9:59 - During Programming switched out of HD before credits rolled (OTA and TWCable Verified)

1/26/05
Lost - 7:00 - During programming - failed to flip switch for programming (OTA and TWCable verified)

2/5/05
Desperate Housewives - 8:00 - During programming - Failed to flip switch for 15 minutes of show

2/9/05
Lost - 8:00 - During programming - Failed to flip switch for start of program, missed "Previously"
Alias - 8:38 - During Programming - Failed to flip switch coming back from commercial break in time

2/13/05
Desperate Housewives - 8:30 - During Programming - Failed to flip switch coming back from commercial break

Boston Legal - 9:09 - During Programming - Failed to flip switch coming back from commercial break in time (two other cases where they flipped within less than one frame of start)

2/20/05
Desperate Housewives - 8:00 - During Programming - Failed to flip the switch for the first three minutes. That's three new episodes in a row that they've screwed up in addition to all the others.  :mad:

3/9/05
Primetime Live - 9:55 - Flipped the switch in the middle of programming to run their usual news promotional crap.

3/23/05
Lost - 8:00 - Flipped switch late again. Flipped seconds after program start and we saw initial opening with "previously on Lost" and dialogue in SDTV again.
Lost - 8:50 - Flipped switch late out of commercials and we got another segment of SDTV again.

3/26/05
Desperate Housewives - 9:00 - Local commercials late, yet still choose to run the news intro at 9:00, missed "previously."

3/27/05
Desperate Housewives - 8:00 - Failed to flip switch until partway through intro
Desperate Housewives - 8:25 - Failed to flip switch out of commercial. Started in SD. Couple more with no transition frames at all.

Grey's Anatomy - 9:59 - Flipped the switch before the program ended and credits rolled.

3/30/05
Eyes - 8:44s - Went late in commercials and flipped in the middle of dialogue

4/9/05
Grey's Anatomy - 8:00 - Failed to flip switch until several minutes into program

4/17/05
Desperate Housewives - 8:00- They falied the flip the f'n switch yet once again on a brand new episode until minutes into the program. It's time for a firing this is beyond belief how they can screw this up so often. :guns:

Desperate Housewives - 8:47:30 - They failed to flip the switch again on time and this segment starts with SD frames.

Grey's Anatomy - 9:59 - Failed to flip the switch properly and we are left with a rather loud double take of Mark Gordon with "Thanks for" Hint: These sorts of screwups help show us why you have ZERO EXCUSES ON SUNDAY BECAUSE THE ONLY REASON FOR THESE SCREWUPS IS THE LAZY FOLKS AT WIZZZNN DON'T WANT TO SWITCH WHILE ABC PROVIDES SUPERIOR ATSC FEEDS OF THEIR 4:3 NETWORK SHOWS WITHOUT THE WHITE NOISE GARBAGE AT THE TOP. SO IF THEY DID THEIR JOB DURING EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER THEY WOULDN'T SCREWUP DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES.

4/20/05

Lost - 8:00 - Flipped the switch in the middle of regular "Lost" logo closing sequence prior to rights and credits.

4/28/05
Lost - 8:00 - Failed to flip the switch once again. This time it was for the entire program. They thus failed to show the ATSC program and as such we received 4:3 quality on par with the religious station overlayed with snow combined with green/grey sidebars, white noise at the top, and inferior audio. :guns:

5/11/05
Alias  - 8:00 - Switched early almost every commercial break with audio repeats each time this happened

Alias - 8:44 - Switched late out of commercial missing part of episode

Other "Active" problems not corrected other than those noted above

1/19/05 to present
The HD and SD audio are not in sync. Switching early to commercials routinely causes repetition of the end dialogue or music.

1/19/05 to present (Only present on local feed, not during national)

Programming in SDTV mode has an annoying horizontal line of "pixel" activity 80% or so up from the bottom just left to the visual middle of the screen. (OTA and TWCable verified with two displays)
[Will update as observed]

[summerfun]

This is news to me. I watch both shows from my TWC DVR later in the evening and did not notice any loss what so ever.

If it was there, it must have been for only a brief moment, because I watched them both from beginning to end without interruption, except for skipping the commercials of course.

[FiberOptic]

I agree I had no problems at all on TWC also using the DVR.  Am I missing something we someone says "switching problems"?

[Mark Strube]

A "switching failure" is when a station isn't switched into HD mode when there is HD programming coming thru from the network feed. So, instead of HD picture and 5.1 sound, it's switched to the standard feed, which gets "pillarboxed" on the screen, and looks only slightly better than the analog signal. This generally happens when someone at the local station isn't doing their job correctly or makes a mistake, but they also switch it out of HD on purpose only if they're having problems with the HD feed. (I've noticed this a couple times with ABC.)

Someone correct me if I'm wrong on anything... but I think I've learned quite a bit thanks to this forum.

I have Alias recorded on my DVR but I haven't watched it yet, I'll let you guys know if I saw any glitches.

[John L]

I would think with today's technology the switching from SD to HD is done automatically.  With the use of computers and such, I doubt the TV station would rely on manual or someone actually there to run the switch.

I believe most programming, ads, programs, etc. is programmed into the computer and operates equipment automatically.  Its just that most pre-recorded events are programmed ahead of time.  Should a LIVE breaking news occur, that always requires manual or someone at the switch to "break-in".

-John L.

[summerfun]

I can tell you that many times I have seen an HD program start out in SD then I call the station and a few minutes later, it is switched to HD. Seems manual to me. Maybe they will upgrade to automation as technology gets better in HD.

[foxeng]

In many locales around the country, because the networks do not provide all of the programming, SD and HD on the HD link, it is left up to the station to be sure they are on the correct HD show. FOX is one of the few who provide all programming SD or HD on the HD link.

[StarvingForHDTV]

Yes, I have noticed Fox is always dead on without any switching issues.  I think the WB 18-1 has automated equipment for the task also.  

I would say 1-1, 4-1, and 12-1 are not automated yet.  It could be that CBS, NBC, and ABC are not set up for automation, or it could be that the networks are ready but our local stations don't have the right equipment yet.  It would be interesting to know the reasons.  

36-1 is stuck on the PBS HD feed most of the time, and only is switched away for local HD programming.

[John L]

Originally posted by StarvingForHDTV
 I think the WB 18-1 has automated equipment for the task also.  
 

Either that or Jimboy sits at the control desk every night down at the studio between 6:55 pm until 9:00 pm.

-John L.

[Mark Strube]

Watched Alias... noticed about 2 or 3 video glitches... but it was clearly on the station end, since it just goes to black for a second but the audio is ok.

[Jimboy]

Originally posted by John L
Either that or Jimboy sits at the control desk every night down at the studio between 6:55 pm until 9:00 pm.

-John L.

Mah fingers always ons the trigger :guns:

Yes it's fully automated based on the on air schedule for the analog channel. The same system switches the analog switcher and the HD switcher (when it needs to) provided the information on the schedule is correct. As long as the information from the WB is correct and barring major equipment failure it airs in HD.

[Joseph S]

Back to their old tricks again on Sunday night.  :drink:

[Joseph S]

And the beat goes on.  :bang:

[Joseph S]

No even trying to do their job!  :Shoot:

[Todd Wiedemann]

No even trying to do their job!  :Shoot:

Master control just said it should come back from break in HD.

Apologies.