MPTV Relocates Digital Channels

[jkane]

I noticed 36.1, 36.2, and what ever one traffic is on (36.8?) had guide data this morning!  Have to look tonight and see if the rest start getting data.  I may do a delete and rescan to see what happens to the rest.

[Stanley Kritzik]

FWIW, I can now get the News Hour in HD on 36-1 at 6:30 each evening, and it really fills the screen -- no side bars, etc.  Back to being nice.

I still miss the BBC 1/2 hour program that used to be on at 6:00, so I'm picking it up in a one-hour version on the BBC's satellite channel that D* carries.  It's a little less US-oriented; more world news, but it's a nice counterpoint to the News Hour which is heavily weighted toward the US.

Those two plus the 1/2 hour Business News on 36-1 takes care of my news-junkie needs.

Stan

[ArgMeMatey]

FWIW, I can now get the News Hour in HD on 36-1 at 6:30 each evening, and it really fills the screen -- no side bars, etc.  Back to being nice.

I am confused.  

The August news release said "A digital version of MPTV-36, the other analog channel, will be available on 36.1, but it will not be high definition."

So does this mean that you are seeing News Hour on 36-1 in standard definition stretched, or that they are further compressing 36-1, or what?

[Stanley Kritzik]

I am confused.  

The August news release said "A digital version of MPTV-36, the other analog channel, will be available on 36.1, but it will not be high definition."

So does this mean that you are seeing News Hour on 36-1 in standard definition stretched, or that they are further compressing 36-1, or what?

First, it's not stretched.  It does fill a rectangular screen, no distortion, no side-bars, etc.  Now, because 36 is sliced up into some seven sub-channels, just how much of the bandwidth is devoted to 36-1 is beyond me.

Second, the DirecTV program guide for 36-1 at 6:30 PM M-F shows the program as HD, so the station must be sending off program information (PSIP) that specifies HD.

It looks pretty good -- a lot better than the old analog video.

Stan

[pretzelkid]

I still miss the BBC 1/2 hour program that used to be on at 6:00,
Stan

I wish they'd either move it to 10:30 or replay it at 10:30 so I
could still get my "Daily Show" fix in then watch BBC news.
It used to be perfect, local news at 5, national news at 5:30 then
BBC news at 6...

[duncantuna]

FWIW, I can now get the News Hour in HD on 36-1 at 6:30 each evening, and it really fills the screen -- no side bars, etc.  Back to being nice.

Stan

Really?  That's odd.  I just flipped on 36-1 for the NewsHour at 6:30 .. it is NOT in HD, the program comes up as SD, and has black bars.  516 on TWC shows the same picture.  

Was it only a one time thing?  Are you still seeing NewsHour in HD?

[Stanley Kritzik]

Really?  That's odd.  I just flipped on 36-1 for the NewsHour at 6:30 .. it is NOT in HD, the program comes up as SD, and has black bars.  516 on TWC shows the same picture.  

Was it only a one time thing?  Are you still seeing NewsHour in HD?

Well, here's my setup, abbreviated.  An OTA antenna into a SWM setup.  The OTA signal goes to an AM21/HR21combo.  The channel guide says "HD".  I'll look again, as I have a couple of older H20 receivers.  For now, the picture is nicely rectangular, no side bars, no facial stretch.

But, I'll look again and report back.

Stan

[duncantuna]

Well, here's my setup, abbreviated.  An OTA antenna into a SWM setup.  The OTA signal goes to an AM21/HR21combo.  The channel guide says "HD".  I'll look again, as I have a couple of older H20 receivers.  For now, the picture is nicely rectangular, no side bars, no facial stretch.

But, I'll look again and report back.

Stan

I should have been more specific.  There are black bars on the top and bottom.  I think I have my TV set to stretch.

Regardless .. it's not the HD stream that fills a 16:9 picture.  Not sure what that's called, when black bars are on top and bottom.  4:3 letterboxed, then stretched to 16:9?

[Stanley Kritzik]

I should have been more specific.  There are black bars on the top and bottom.  I think I have my TV set to stretch.

Regardless .. it's not the HD stream that fills a 16:9 picture.  Not sure what that's called, when black bars are on top and bottom.  4:3 letterboxed, then stretched to 16:9?

I'll check in the next day or two.

Stan

[StarvingForHDTV]

I looked last night and it was just regular 480i as usual from channel 36.1

[Stanley Kritzik]

I'll check in the next day or two.

Stan

What confusion!  I'm feeding my usual viewing through the HDMI connections (in and out) of a Sony STR-DA5200ES, and it does an up-conversion job!  When I looked at the program on an H20 going directly to a flat-screen, it was 480P and letterboxed.  So, the Sony up-conversion faked me out.

Now, the funny thing is that the program guide says both letterbox and HD.  I'm used to the HD designation indicating a full, rectangular picture; 720P or 1080I.  Maybe I don't understand all the nuances, but one thing I know for sure:  stations such as 36 that slice and dice their bandwidth up are not giving us good, top-quality video.  Maybe the News Hour through the Sony is "good enough", but it's pretty ordinary without the Sony's assist.

Stan