Dude, seriously WISN. Screw you.

[Xizer]

Okay, did anyone else notice this crap all day today? WISN was adding this obnoxious animating blue bar on top of all ABC programming. This is in addition to their already annoying ever-present "12" bug they slap onto all programming next to the ABC logo. No other affiliate does this and I'm pretty sure this behavior violates ABC's rules for affiliates.

So this blue bar they kept on screen at all times... was it adding anything useful? Get this... it was just the temperature outside. That's it. Like there aren't a billion weather channels where the temperature is ever-present. No other station was pulling this crap today. So after distracting you with that single piece of information, it would randomly animate to pimp their "WeatherWatch 12" logo.

The only thing this affiliate has going for them is their 17 Mbps bitrate... and I would be very surprised if WISN isn't drooling over the prospect of adding some crappy subchannels to molest the picture quality like every other ABC affiliate in the country.

Here's some screenshots





See the two things that shouldn't be present in the picture if this was actually a good affiliate?

[greenskingIV]

I live in Kenosha and I refuse to watch any prime time shows on 12, 6,4,58. I use my antenna to get the Chicago networks that way I don't have to be bothered with 2"of snow blizzerd warnings, lite rain flood warnings, or 22 ° bitter blast warnings or no bingo at our lady of hope church

[techguy1975]

if they didn't drop to SD to display the graphics, what is the big deal?  It takes very little screen real-estate, so...I say, so what?

[Xizer]

I live in Kenosha and I refuse to watch any prime time shows on 12, 6,4,58. I use my antenna to get the Chicago networks that way I don't have to be bothered with 2"of snow blizzerd warnings, lite rain flood warnings, or 22 ° bitter blast warnings or no bingo at our lady of hope church

I agree. I do the same thing - Chicago's CBS and NBC both have better bitrates than Milwaukee's and less weather intrusions. Switching between the affiliates between the two markets the difference is clear. I'm pretty sure Chicago's NBC has a better MPEG2 encoder as well because even though it is only 1 Mbps more than WTMJ the difference in PQ between the two is massive.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the ABC owned-and-operated affiliate in Chicago which has a pathetic bitrate like most ABC affiliates. I'd love to watch this affiliate over the Milwaukee one but the picture quality is terrible because of the 11 Mbps bitrate. WISN is a special snowflake in a blizzard of terrible ABC affiliates which is why it is a shame they feel the need to add all this crap on the screen.

if they didn't drop to SD to display the graphics, what is the big deal?  It takes very little screen real-estate, so...I say, so what?

It's still a completely unnecessary addition to the picture and distracting screen clutter especially because it is not transparent like the logos and rather a solid color - blue - and it animates frequently, drawing your eye from the action.

Usually I don't complain because I get multiple affiliates for every network and there's usually an alternative when somebody's screen spamming. Last night my only option was a terrible overcompressed lowbitrate Chicago ABC or a screen spamming high bitrate Milwaukee ABC.

[Jack 1000]

I agree,

More useless weather crap, especially imprinted into the picture like that.  There's gotta be a better way!

BTW, could the OP please crop or resize the pictures if possible, they are too big.  Thanks!

Jack

[hoophead]

OK, I think my dizziness from scrolling thru the thread start has subsided    so now I can point out that I, also, have the luxury of pointing my antenna (towards Madison) away as I live in Watertown and DISH supplies me with Milwaukee locals).

It certainly is nice to have another option!

[ArgMeMatey]

I don't like it either.  

In fact, I've already called WISN to tell them I'm not sending my next payment if they keep this up.  

[Xizer]

I don't like it either.  

In fact, I've already called WISN to tell them I'm not sending my next payment if they keep this up.  

I agree. We should all be doing this. I will be directing my next payment (of my eyeballs, and thus, advertising dollars) from WISN to The Pirate Bay...