Cuprisin talking about us again...

[Tom Snyder]

Journal Sentinel article on 58 carrying HDNet... Tim refers to us in the article as the "relative handful of techno-pioneers and hobbyists."   I don't take issue with this as much as his statement:

"This HDNet experiment shows that high-definition TV itself is still just that: experimental."

Got some bad news for you Tim... It's not experimental, it's the new standard, it's the law, and it's only a matter of time before you'll have no choice but tobuy one yourself to watch the medium that you're supposed to be the expert on.

The only experiment here is how long the broadcasters will be able to disregard their legal responsibility before the FFC starts levying huge fines and yanking licenses.
 Article is HERE

[This message has been edited by Tom Snyder (edited 08-01-2002).]

[gparris]

When oh when will Milwaukee ever grow up and become one of the big cities in action and attitude? Remind me to cancel my subscription to the one-horse town paper unless, of course, I need the paper for laughs because if this is Milwaukee's "best" it can do( The "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel")No wonder HDTV,along with other technologies,is lacking in this city. What planet (other than "Milwaukee") is Tim on?
You're right, our group is NOT a bunch of techno-geeks from some 50's movie  (or Laverne and Shirley), but people participating in the technology of the 21st century, while the "Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel" is still lanquishing in the last one (20th)! No wonder cities like Minneapolis and Chicago laugh at us. Wake up that so-called "journalist" or fire him. I don't care which. HD is the law and not for a few . Ask him if he has big, fancy "color TV"-or is his Dumont B & W still got some of them tubes cook'in fer' his TV set??

[borghe]

As friends always say to me. Madison is a little big town, Milwaukee is a big little town.  

[borghe]

Here is my email to Cuprisin:

"This HDNet experiment shows that high-definition TV itself is still just that: experimental."

This statement is absolutely ridiculous and does nothing but degrade HDTV in people's eyes. Your entire article offered nothing more than a joke at the expense of a future technology that has already experienced its share of growing pains. In a time when we early adopters are waiting for more content from networks and stations, only to be met with, "There aren't enough viewers to justify the cost," we have columnists spouting of such statements and further scaring people away. HDTV is not an experiment. It is the future, and furthermore, it is fact. Even in the worst case scenario over 50% of new televisions will be able to receive signals within the next 4 years. Add to that the fact that by the end of the year if all Milwaukee stations, except for 30, aren't broadcasting by Nov. 1st they will face fines and possible license revocations by the FCC.

It angers me that HDTV is perceived by media professionals in Milwaukee as a joke; a dirty little secret that just won't go away. Looking at Madison, where the penetration level is much higher and all but two stations are already broadcasting, it reminds me of just how backwards Milwaukee is when it comes to technology. The funny part is I was going to write an article to you asking, "Why don't you write an article talking about all of the positive HDTV advances taking place in Milwaukee." I'm glad I didn't waste my time. The part that I find hardest to believe is that your employer, Journal Communications, also owns the first station in Milwaukee to broadcast network HDTV signals.

This article is an insult to all of us who have embraced the future. And the worst part about it is in 5 years when a majority of viewers are watch DTV signals in one form or another, the same media professionals who are joking about it now will probably be there talking about how they advocated it the entire time. I realize that you probably have very little interest in the damage you have just done, but you should know that it has not gone unnoticed.

Eric Borgh

P.S. You listed channel 6 as broadcasting a digital signal. I would like to inform you that unless you are running a tall rooftop antenna, there is no way to receive channel 6's signal. Even then you are unable to receive it at most times. I feel it is entirely inappropriate to give them mention when they have repeatedly shown disregard for their market area.

[Matt Heebner]

I really have to agree that Milwaukee has got to get out of the "big small town" stereotype. This is what, the 32nd largest market in the US? What is going on here by the news media and the stations themselves, is  downright emabarrassing. I really don't want to start ranting cause anyone who has spent time on this forum has pretty much heard it all already.
Jim and Sean continue to be excellent station managers, and actually have an interest in the state of HD in Milwaukee. This trial run with HDNet by WDTJ, and Sean's earlier post about the HD tapes at state fair prove to me that some people in this city "get it".
Tim Cuprisin doesn't get it, and probably never will.

Matt

[This message has been edited by Matt Heebner (edited 08-01-2002).]

[borghe]

Well, after a couple of emails with Cuprisin, I can say it seems like he isn't that excited about HDTV. He really sounded like he though it was too experimental. I will leave it at that. He did say that he reads the boards and did mention one of my posts (in an attempt to play up the experimental nature), so if you are reading this, feel free to make a login and maybe you can tell us why you feel that way.

[Rafiki]

I just e-mailed a copy of Cuprisin's article to Mark Cuban.  Thought he might be interested.  I also checked the schedule at Galaxy ans saw that from Monday, July 29 through Sunday August, 4 the following hours of HDTV are available:

CBS  16
HBO 168
SHO  27
HD  112
PBS   1
NBC   6
ABC   5
DISC 168

This is a total of 503 hours per week at an average of over 70 hrs per day.  
And it is just an experiment !
I also sent the stats to Cuprisin.

[Kevin Arnold]

In all fairness to Cuprisin, we have to remember that he probably does not own or have easy access to a HD set. This means he is at a disadvantage when it comes to reporting on the phenomonon. Kind of reminds me of the early 60's when people who didn't own color sets seemed to bad mouth the phenomonon on a routine basis. You know, it's not perfected yet, there's so little in color, etc.... Comparing apples to apples, there really wasn't much colorcasting back then compared with the deluge of HD material available now. I would assume that sooner or later he will realize this and shift his thinking to a more open stance. The MJS should buy the guy a HD set so he can actually report on what he sees rather than on his prejudices.

[Joseph S]

 

In all fairness to Cuprisin, we have to remember that he probably does not own or have easy access to a HD set.

Yeah, but don't you think someone whose sole job is to report on TV might own all the tools of the trade? He should have made leased tv equipment part of the job contract if he can't afford one on salary. The TV folks get clothing allowances why shouldn't a TV reporter have a Tivo, ReplayTV, HDTV, Digital Cable, Satellite, and over the air access? How else can he accurately tell us the latest info without the biases of local broadcasters giving him 1/2 truths and misinformation?

[RobbQ]

 

Originally posted by Joseph S:
Yeah, but don't you think someone whose sole job is to report on TV might own all the tools of the trade? He should have made leased tv equipment part of the job contract if he can't afford one on salary. The TV folks get clothing allowances why shouldn't a TV reporter have a Tivo, ReplayTV, HDTV, Digital Cable, Satellite, and over the air access? How else can he accurately tell us the latest info without the biases of local broadcasters giving him 1/2 truths and misinformation?

In a brief phone conversation in April he said that his employers would not help pay for HDTV equipment.  In a way I do understand.  Our local media really is not interested in discovery unless it is of a lurid or sound bite nature.  In reality Cuprisin does nothing but parrot newswire and other information that we can all find easily out on the internet.  There is very little originality, and within the confines of his job and employer, very little room for originality. It is much cheaper for them to have him give an abbreviated regurgitation of other stories and press releases than to supply him, or someone else, with the tools necessary to do high quality reporting.

[This message has been edited by RobbQ (edited 08-02-2002).]

[tenth_t2]

Well, my company didn't help pay for my computer stuff either...

I don't know, I've heard Bob & Brian (the nitwits on lazer) bash Tim for years.  After the first article where Tim actually gave this gang a reasonable mention, let's not turn on him too quickly.


I'd suggest that we start a thread that tracks the minimum cost to get a HDTV setup-- not counting antenna.  I saw a 27" HDTV 4:3 monitor for $799 I think, and what's a STB, $400?  So $1200-- a lot for a 27", but we can get that antenna installer Jeff a lot of business.

What we need is someone at RCA to say that they will include the ATSC tuners in all sets.  That will drop the cost to them (raise sets a bit), but start giving them a stronghold.

I digress.  Gotta find that FCC thread going on here.  A few fines or yanked licenses would really help....

[This message has been edited by tenth_t2 (edited 08-02-2002).]