NCAA Multi-casting

[Mags]

This multi-casting sucks.. .the picture is terrible.

Why can't the network force the local affiliates to show the HD version of the game.  It is bad enough not to get HD - but then to have such crappy picture due to multi-casting.

Those who want to see all the games can buy the Directv package.  And our local CBS even screws that up - since the local 58 has chosen to show one of the regions that is showing HD, Directv blacks it out because it is being shown locally - BUT OUR LOCAL CHANNEL WILL NOT SHOW HD!

I'm surprised that 58 can even do the multi-casting stuff - with Directv having the rights via pay per view, I would think they would not allow CBS to show all the games - this is costing D* revenue I'm sure...

Sorry - got it off my chest.... CBS 58 - wake up and start giving us HD - screw the multicasting!

[jkane]

Are you just trying to make me feel better that CBS doesn't have a decent Digital Signal OTA? :guitar:

[Mags]

I'm glad you do!

I get it OTA - when it is HD, it is so fine... but with all the multi-casting going on right now, it is like the analog cable channels.. maybe worse

[Joseph S]

It's worse. Analog is 640 x 480. This is 544x480 and compressed.

[Greg Oman]

Completely unwatchable at my place, audio drops, and a picture so bad that it looked like a web page first rendering in 1995.... but the fine detail never filled in.....

I'm sure that the light snow falling didn't help my reception, but WDJT needs to seriously reconsider their approach here, IMO.

[Mags]

But does CBS 58 actually LISTEN to their viewers?

If they did, they may find people would rather have the HD rather than the multicasting crap.

Again, if you have to have all the games, get D*.  If CBS puts the game out in HD, they have the responsibility to broadcast it in HD - not give us some crap.

That certainly reflects bad on the network itself - CBS national is trying to give us a high quality product (HD games), but our local CBS decides to give us the SPAM version instead....

[audiopile]

Nothing is more valuable than spectrum. The broadcasters have incredibly enough been GIVEN it. Living proof that buying the best available l"political relations" really,really works.
    I am also in awe of the quality of the HD signal - but truly don't expect it to be routinly available for very long via OTA. It's just too cheap for the broadcasters to add SD channels and the add revenue is soo sweet. We will probably see the OTA-DTV  channels jammed with the same kind of stunningly low quality crap that clogs the cable channels now.
     Given that SD is reality - give very close consideration to a HD display's ability to up-convert 480i (SD) signals - this is oftentimes a signifigant extra cost feature on a display - but is certainly real world worth it. Most importtantly - find a dealer who actually has the set hooked up and can feed it a 480i signal before you judge - no single spec is going to tell you which upconverters are better/best - but your eyes won't lie to you. Be reasonable about this and call ahead to see if a dealer is willing to accomidate this request.

[picopir8]

I have not had a chance to watch this year yet so I cant comment on the quality, but I was actually looking forward to the multicast games.  I thought they did a decent job last year.  IIRC, it was decent quality (similar to any other SD digital channel).

With something like the NCAA, they have to multicast.  I would rather see the game I want in SD than to see one I dont in HD. Unless a local team is playing, I dont think most people in a given area could agree on which game to broadcast.  Granted, I would probably turn it off it is truely as bad as you claim.

Feer not though, the series will be in HD in a couple weeks.  Sadly, we probably wont see any WI teams in HD.

[AndrewP]

I am not against multi-casting games too.
But with ONE EXECEPTION : Show our teams in HD if these games are available in HD. And Panters game yesterday was available in HD :mad:

Andrew

[Mags]

There are other avenues to get all the games (D*).  CBS has no business not showing HD (as the network wanted them to) and showing crap resolution on the games they do show.

I wonder if D* knows this is going on - and if they have any legal remedies, assuming of course that they have an exclusive on showing all the games?

[Tom Snyder]

Boston College and UW-M game tomorrow will be sent by the network in HD, too...


Tournament Schedule
Friday March 18, 2005

12:15 pm N.C. State #10 Charlotte #7 CBS - HD (Regional)      
12:25 pm Ohio #13 Florida #4 CBS - HD (Regional)      
12:30 pm SE Louisiana #15 Oklahoma St. #2 CBS (Regional)    
12:30 pm Iowa St. #9 Minnesota #8 CBS (Regional)    
2:35 pm UCF #15 Connecticut #2 CBS - HD (Regional)      
2:45 pm New Mexico #12 Villanova #5 CBS - HD (Regional)      
2:50 pm Oakland #16 North Carolina #1 CBS (Regional)    
2:50 pm St. Mary's (Ca.) #10 Southern Ill. #7 CBS (Regional)    
7:10 pm La.-Lafayette #13 Louisville #4 CBS - HD (Regional)      
7:10 pm Vermont #13 Syracuse #4 CBS - HD (Regional)      
7:20 pm Northern Iowa #11 Wisconsin #6 CBS (Regional)    
7:25 pm Delaware St. #16 Duke #1 CBS (Regional)    
9:30 pm Old Dominion #12 Michigan St. #5 CBS - HD (Regional)      
9:30 pm G. Washington #12 Georgia Tech #5 CBS - HD (Regional)      
9:40 pm Bucknell #14 Kansas #3 CBS (Regional)    
9:45 pm Mississippi St. #9 Stanford #8 CBS (Regional)    
 
Saturday March 19, 2005
1:10 pm Gonzaga #3 Texas Tech #6      
3:20 pm Washington #1 Pacific #8 CBS (Regional)    
3:40 pm Oklahoma #3 Utah #6 CBS - HD (Regional)      
5:30 pm Boston College #4 Wis.-Milwaukee #12 CBS - HD (Regional)      
5:40 pm Illinois #1 Nevada #9      
5:50 pm Arizona #3 UAB #11      
8:00 pm Wake Forest #2 West Virginia #7      
8:10 pm Kentucky #2 Cincinnati #7 CBS (Regional)

[Mags]

How amout using your connections with Jim Hall and be the voice of the people, and ask them to DROP THE MULTICASTING ASAP!

At a minimum, the UWM game should be HD - but truthfully, all the games should be presented as CBS intended - with no multi-casting (have I gotten this point accross yet?  Obviously CBS58 isn't listening - or doesn't care about the viewers)

[Tom Snyder]

My connections with Jim Hall?  You flatter me, Mags.  :blush:  

I have his email address and his phone number, but I am confident that he already knows the feelings of the people here.

As much as I would have loved to see the UW-M game in HD, I think this may have boiled down to the economics.  

I could be wrong, but I'd be willing to bet that HD hasn't generated a single cent of its own revenue for CBS58 since day one.  However, advertising for the NCAA Multicast could pontentially have been a sellable package.  And while not enough to balance  the huge expense HD has been to them, it is quite possible that a couple days of multicasting brings in more cash for Weigel than anything else that happens on that channel the rest of the year.

[Mags]

Are you surprised that CBS can do this for free, when D* has paid huge rights fees to be able to sell the package?

Do you think D* is aware of this going on?  I would have thought they'd have an exclusive on the games...

[Tom Snyder]

Anyone know if the D* package included any games in HD?

BTW... My PM works again... box was full....