WVCY CH.30 HD??

[Kevin Arnold]

Here's a suggestion for WVCY, Milwaukee's local religious channel that is scheduled to go digital next fall. Since I doubt they have any interest in transmitting in HD and find the expense punishing, how about leasing the HD portion to HDnet for one of their new channels. They could then multicast their regular programming and satisfy the law. And we get premium HD content that is non network. Anyone know Vic Eliason? down there???

[Tom Snyder]

I know Vic...

...well enough to know that Bikini Destinations, Hawaiian Tropic Beauty Pageants and Metallica concerts on a VCY subchannel has about enough chance of happening as all of Milwaukee's channels being up in digital by the end of summer...

[uplinkguy]

It's a nice idea of WVCY retransmitting HD Net, but the network has strict guidelines for a station to rebroadcast its signal.  It will not allow compression of its signal.  This means the entire 6 mhz of a tv channel must be used for the HD feed. It would not be able to multicast.
  Tom Weeden at WMTV (ch 15.1) in Madison, had e-mailed Mark Cuban on the subject.  HD Net apparently is looking for affiliates but the commitment for a station is two years.  By then, maybe even Fox will be broadcasting HD.

WISC in Madison uses 3/4ths of their bandwidth for the CBS HD channel.  They use the remaining 1/4th for a WB channel.  During a high-profile event such as a Packer playoff game or a Super Bowl, they will drop the WB channel on 3.2 to allow more bandwidth and a better picture on 3.1.

Remember the idea is for more HD channels.  Not more digital channels.  They would only look as good as local stations off DSS if the station's bandwitch is split too many times.  Digital is only better if it isn't compressed immensely.

[MesaV]

Welcome to the forum, uplinkguy!  Thanks for sharing that information.  I enjoy watching Madison DTV!