While we can't even get upconverts of SD programming including news from our ABC

[Joseph S]

affiliate, another ABC affiliate broadcast live HDTV coverage of the Jet Blue story from their own HDTV equipped helicopter.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=features&id=3058357

Sample archive shot.
http://img180.echo.cx/my.php?image=kabcdt050wr.jpg

What millenium will our ABC station finally get an upconverter and fix the awful SD/HD audio sync issue on switching? We know for sure they won't be broadcasting with HD anything for a long, long, long time.

[psubill78]

affiliate, another ABC affiliate broadcast live HDTV coverage of the Jet Blue story from their own HDTV equipped helicopter.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=features&id=3058357

Sample archive shot.
http://img180.echo.cx/my.php?image=kabcdt050wr.jpg

What millenium will our ABC station finally get an upconverter and fix the awful SD/HD audio sync issue on switching? We know for sure they won't be broadcasting with HD anything for a long, long, long time.

No offense to those in Milwaukee, but come on - be realistic - LA CBS or Milwaukee CBS.

Let's think here, which do you think has more money/talent/etc to be more technological?

[Joseph S]

WISN is the only local without upconverter.

[12engr]

What do you think you're watching when you watch local news on WISN-DT? It has to be upconverted to ATSC to air on DT.

[Joseph S]

All SD programming (local and national) on WISN looks like absolute garbage as opposed to that on the local Fox, CBS, and NBC affiliates.

It's either not upconverted or is done with ancient equipment that doesn't work properly.

[12engr]

Looks like garbage is such a general description. Please be more specific in your observations. In comparing us to them, it resolution, color levels, overall levels or what? And is this only in the upconverted SD video, not the true HD?

Can't look into a possible problem unless I know what the complaint is!

[Joseph S]

The HD is fine, aside from the switching issues including the poor SD/HD audio sync which always results in a hiccup at national to local switches.

The SD feed (national/local) is soft, blurred, black = gray, overall unwatchable. Tonight, take a look at your news on the "upconvert" versus NBC 4. It's not even close. One looks like VHS stretched and the other looks like a HD 4:3 framed feed. Fox is also 720p and they are at least in the same league as NBC. It doesn't matter if it's Regis, The View, The Soap Operas, Saturday football games, or the news as they all look terrible. The football games are obviously the most disappointing compared to HD counterparts at the same time. Also compare the occasional SD football game on CBS versus ABC.

[12engr]

I removed something from our transmission chain and will leave it out until 9:00. Do you see any difference? What, if anything, changed?

[Joseph S]

I just caught this at the last minute. Didn't see much difference during credits of prior show and 20/20. The black levels are way off just like Fox is right now.

The blacks for the show are about that of the "black" in the grey sidebars. There is a better black in the immediate frame around the picture compared to in the picture or in the "grey" sidebars. You see more dramatic effect going to commercials from ABC HD lead out to the SD lead out blacks. When ABC goes to local SD news you almost get all black to green/grey sidebars to grey/black sidebars leaving the the news blip to the commercials.

[AndrewP]

I have to agree with Joseph. WISN SD has the worst PQ among all local stations. Especially news. I used to watch WISN news but now switched to WTMJ. They have the best PQ. Ch 58 is also good, but they have "less" news. Ch. 18 news is almost close to WTMJ, but I don't watch 9.0 pm news, so they are out, like WITI.
Again, I am not discussing the content here, only PQ. As far as other SD programs, I never watch them, I have plenty HD with HD DVR.
But something is not right at WISN PQ. Can you at least run comparison tests with WTMJ?

[StarvingForHDTV]

I also agree.  12-1 local news has terrible picture quality.  You would be better off watching analog channel 12, if you still have access to analog TV.  I would think something has to be set up wrong.

The HD picture quality on 12-1 is fantastic.  As is the DD 5.1 sound quality.

[afa3]

12engr - thanks for responding to us here. I missed your test last night, so unfortunately I can't give you any feedback on that.

I can tell you what I'm seeing right now on the Iowa - Ohio State game. I'm watching via TWC standard cable on a 42" Panasonic ED plasma with integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuners. I can watch analog SD, digital HD, and in some cases digital SD.

The WISN HD picture is upconverted SD, and it's clearly softer and lacking in detail compared to other HD networks/stations upconversions. From what I've seen, this is typical.

I think there are two issues.

The first is that basic analog SD signal is softer than others'. This is clearly visible on the game graphics. In the score box, the abc logo is unreadable. Ticker text at the bottom of the screen is unclear, with letters bleeding into each other.

The second issue is that the upconversion doesn't improve the detail. There is less noise/grain in HD vs. the analog SD, but no more detail at all.

This is in contrast to WDJT, for example, where the upconverted signal on WDJT HD is sharper than the analog SD (and sharper than the digital SD too). WDJT analog SD is sharper then WISN to begin with, and the upconversion on WDJT HD has noticably better detail than either SD signal. (Yes, the detail is visible even on an ED set.)

I don't know a thing about broadcasting, but in computer terms it looks like somewhere early in the chain you've lost a lot of the horizontal resolution.

[12engr]

Thanks for the rational comments about our picture quality. I'll look into the problems pointed out and post if anything is found or changed.

[Joseph S]

--Thanks--

[AndrewP]

I will be glad to come back to 12 news, when PQ will be close to WTMJ.
Good luck!