KING 5 (NBC) Seattle Off Air!
Richard C.
bearman
"Richard C." <post...@spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:4409b414$0$10989$9a6e...@news.newshosting.com...
> Anyone know why KING TV has had no DTV/HDTV signal since late yesterday?
Have you called the station?
--
Bearman
If it's got tits, tires, tubes, or transistors, it's trouble.
Dave Oldridge
>
> "Richard C." <post...@spamcop.net> wrote in message
> news:4409b414$0$10989$9a6e...@news.newshosting.com...
>> Anyone know why KING TV has had no DTV/HDTV signal since late yesterday?
>
>
> Have you called the station?
I called my provider and THEY said that KING was having some sort of
intermittent problem in the studio and would be sending a test pattern on
the HD until they found and fixed it.
--
Dave Oldridge+
ICQ 1800667
Charles Tomaras
> X-No-archive: yes
>
> "Dave Oldridge" <dold...@leavethisoutshaw.ca> wrote in message
> news:Xns977C5F84EC77F...@64.59.135.159...
> My provider is KING OTA.
> I finally pushed the breaking news code and the newsroom said it was a
> "tranformer".
> That is the big problem: there is NO ONE minding the station or the
> phones
> outside of 9 to 5 M-F.
Same at all stations. They don't like it, but you can always call the news
hotline and just apologize for bothering them and ask to be transferred to
the engineer on duty.
G-squared
> I'm an engineer at a small-market TV station in Washington state,
> currently broadcasting in analog, digital-SD and digital-HD, and I'd
> like to ask that anyone noticing a technical problem please for God's
> sake don't call the station and ask for an engineer. Or at least, please
> wait a few hours. And make sure you ask for an Operations Engineer or
> Master Control Engineer, rather than just an "Engineer".
> I've had a number of occasions when I was pulled away from diagnosing
> and repairing a problem, to explain to a viewer that, yes, I know there
> is a problem and that I am working on it. It usually takes several
> minutes of precious lost broadcast time to get the viewer to agree to go
> away and let me get back to fixing the problem.
>
> About KING... If it was a "transformer", my best guess would be: The
> local power company blew a transformer, and the TV station or its remote
> transmitting facility is currently being illuminated only by battery
> backup lighting and flashlights. The News Dept. knows only what the
> Engineer told them, and they likely don't really understand what they
> were told, so they won't be able to explain it to you.
>
> Karl S.
Karl, I'm with you on this one. I used to be one the engineers at a
Wisconsin station. If you can make it LOOK like nothing is bad when all
hell is breaking loose, you're doing well.
As for the office people, we were off the air one day but the cable
company had a direct feed meaning the cable viewers didn't know there
was a problem. The 'office' person wanted us to put up a crawl
announcing we were off the air. Go figure. BTW we did NOT put up the
crawl but we did get a laugh out of it.
GG
Larry Bud
> currently broadcasting in analog, digital-SD and digital-HD, and I'd
> like to ask that anyone noticing a technical problem please for God's
> sake don't call the station and ask for an engineer. Or at least, please
> wait a few hours. And make sure you ask for an Operations Engineer or
> Master Control Engineer, rather than just an "Engineer".
> I've had a number of occasions when I was pulled away from diagnosing
> and repairing a problem, to explain to a viewer that, yes, I know there
> is a problem and that I am working on it. It usually takes several
> minutes of precious lost broadcast time to get the viewer to agree to go
> away and let me get back to fixing the problem.
Karl,
I take it someone is supposed to be monitoring the signal at all times?
I've occasionally seen an HD broadcast flip back to SD after a
commercial, almost as if someone is asleep at the switch. What's going
on when that happens?
I would suggest stations broadcast a crawl to tell us viewers that the
problem is known and someone is working on it.
Bill R
>
> I take it someone is supposed to be monitoring the signal at all times?
> I've occasionally seen an HD broadcast flip back to SD after a
> commercial, almost as if someone is asleep at the switch. What's going
> on when that happens?
>
That happens a lot in my market too (Cincinnati). The CBS affiliate,
WKRC-DT, is especially guilty of that during the Late Show with David
Letterman. Some nights (especially Fridays) they flip to SD for a
commercial (usually around 12 AM) and never switch back to HD. I think
the problem is that someone just isn't doing their job. You would think
that by now the whole switching process would be automated but
apparently it isn't.
--
Bill R.
Remove nospam_ in e-mail address to reply by e-mail
Perry Noid
computer companies! Sure, they wouldn't have a clue as to what's happening
at your local station, but at least you'd have someone to talk to!......
Ha!
Charles Tomaras
"Karl S" <ka...@sysmatrix.munged.net> wrote in message
news:eYmdnbyf6uM3jpfZ...@sysmatrix.net...
> currently broadcasting in analog, digital-SD and digital-HD, and I'd like
> to ask that anyone noticing a technical problem please for God's sake
> don't call the station and ask for an engineer. Or at least, please wait a
> few hours. And make sure you ask for an Operations Engineer or Master
> Control Engineer, rather than just an "Engineer".
> I've had a number of occasions when I was pulled away from diagnosing and
> repairing a problem, to explain to a viewer that, yes, I know there is a
> problem and that I am working on it. It usually takes several minutes of
> precious lost broadcast time to get the viewer to agree to go away and let
> me get back to fixing the problem.
Karl,
I'd like to ask you a simple question. At your station, during prime time
evening hours, is there ANYONE monitoring the Digital HD signal in surround?
What degree of awareness do you have to the off air DIGITAL signal. If your
station is like most stations I'd say it's next to nothing because you don't
have the time to sit there planted in front of a monitor or especially with
your head between a stereo or surround speaker array. If stations had a web
interface for engineering issues it would save everyone some grief if that
interface quickly alerted someone bu pager or otherwise that there is a
problem.
I work as a sound mixer for film and video and work on many network
newsmagazine shows. I'm often in the stations feeding tape and tending to
other needs like that. I happen to have the master control number for one of
the Seattle stations. I have on more than one occasion noticed problems like
the center channel is coming from the left rear, or after the 10pm HD
network episodic broadcast the local news comes on with silence followed by
network feed instructions or tone. I've called that master control number
and amazingly.....not but a few short seconds after I hang up the problem is
fixed. I'm not saying that everyone should be bugging engineering but there
needs to be a way to communicate problems efficiently when it's obvious that
the SD signal is the primary concern and no one is being paid to monitor the
HD signal properly. Maybe the stations need a new entry level minimum wage
position for some home theater saavy kid to sit and monitor what's coming
back off air. He/she could stuff envelopes and take care of other clerical
needs while performing the monitoring. I don't know but right now there is a
communications problem with stations in regards to OTA HD issues.
Unfortunately I don't even trust whoever answers the news hotline to "get a
message to engineering" as I feel they more than likely will just look up at
a newsroom monitor and think that all is well and write you off believing
the problem is on your end. I would also think that if you as the engineer
knows there is a problem and you are working on it that maybe you should
have someone scroll a notice about the problem on the screen if you are
still on the air with a viewable signal.
From your perspective as an engineer, what course of action do you suggest
to a viewer who notices an anomaly in the OTA broadcast at 9pm that is
spoiling thier favorite program?
Alan
>I'm an engineer at a small-market TV station in Washington state,
>currently broadcasting in analog, digital-SD and digital-HD, and I'd
>like to ask that anyone noticing a technical problem please for God's
>sake don't call the station and ask for an engineer. Or at least, please
>wait a few hours. And make sure you ask for an Operations Engineer or
>Master Control Engineer, rather than just an "Engineer".
>I've had a number of occasions when I was pulled away from diagnosing
>and repairing a problem, to explain to a viewer that, yes, I know there
>is a problem and that I am working on it. It usually takes several
>minutes of precious lost broadcast time to get the viewer to agree to go
>away and let me get back to fixing the problem.
Well, you could give a (real) explanation to the person who answers
the phone.
Canned explanations are worthless, and often lies. Remember, the
viewer may be trying to fix HIS problem.
(For example, I am trying to figure out why RF channel 50 here doesn't
come in very well much of the time. When it goes out, the other digital
transmitters from that same hill stay strong. Did 50 drop power? I need
to know what is affecting my signal now, not tomorrow.)
But, remember, without CURRENT AND CORRECT information, we have trouble
working on our systems. Not all of us have spectrum analyzers to see that
your signal has dropped off the screen.
Alan
Charles Tomaras
> ========================
> So...how does a NORMAL human viewer contact "Master Control"?
One doesn't. And in all fairness the Master Control job is a very busy
position in which expecting one person to keep track of two OTA signals
including surround monitoring while performing their main job duties is not
feasible. Merely the possibilities of surround issues in my book mandates
the addition of another staff member in some capacity until the day arrives
(if ever) that this stuff is bulletproof or there is some sort of subcarrier
signal that can electronically monitor the OTA and report back anomalies.
It's kinda like modern multiplex movie theaters without a projectionist
attending to more than starting the movie. If the focus is poor or something
else happens during the movie it goes unnoticed until a patron gets out of
their seat and walks back to the popcorn machine to complain.
I also think it would be pretty easy to find a multitude of people applying
for a minimum wage job whose primary duties were to critically "watch
television" for 8 hours.
Alan
As others have posted, a few hours later, the program will be over.
About 20 minutes after I posted the above reply, a good example of that
came up when KNTV came back from commercial in Law and Order Special Victims Unit,
and didn't switch back to full screen. After showing widescreen commercials
letterboxed in a windowboxed 4:3 image, they then showed the last 15 minutes
of the program that way.
Karl: what do you suggest for situations like this?
Alan
G-squared
Realistically, you can do nothing at the time. I worked at a TV station
and you could not get to the MC operator unless you knew his (her) name
during business hours
or you knew the private number into MC. Also, during a newscast, they
are really busy even whe everything is going correctly. Write letters
-- POLITE letters with as many specifics as you can. They want as many
happy viewers as they can get and DO try to get it right but sometimes
the stars align and it goes toes up.
Earlier in the thread someone was unhappy about getting 'double-talk'.
Karl's explanation example was excellent. Also keep in mind there are
the 'know-it-alls' who don't believe the correct explanation when they
get it.
GG
SAC 441
concerning a scheduling snafu to KSTW-11
(Seattle) and they responded both times to them within several hours of
the same day.
Admittedly,this is not INSTANT access,but stations DO respond quickly in
a lot of instances.I think accessibility and responsive-
ness is one of station management,rather than anything else.
Charles Tomaras
>
> Different stations have different policies. In some, you could call the
> station and ask to speak with the Master Control operator. In others, you
> could report the problem you see in as simple and concise terms as
> possible to the person answering the telephone, and ask that the message
> be given to the Master Control operator.
> The Master Control Operator is a button-pusher with a general-class FCC
> license, rudimentary technical training, fast reflexes, strong
> multitasking skills, and the ability to hold his bladder for extended
> periods of time. If the problem is the result of a button not being
> pushed, or the wrong one, then he will be able to fix it quickly.
>
> If it is a real technical problem, they call in a guy like me. Not so good
> with the multitasking, not so fast, but heavy on the technical training
> and more than 25 years on the job.
Can we also take it that you have a weak bladder? :)
So I'm off on a shoot at Hanford for the next few days....are you buy chance
working at one of the Tri Cities stations? I promise not to call if my hotel
television looks bad!
G-squared
Richard C. wrote:
> X-No-archive: yes
>
> "Karl S" <ka...@sysmatrix.munged.net> wrote in message
> news:L_ednVLE4qUNDpbZ...@sysmatrix.net...
>
> >
> > HD. We don't do that.
>
> ==================================
> This seems to be the problem with almost ALL the major Seattle Stations!
> There are multiple times when someone forgets (fails) to "throw the switch"
> and
> segments of the program are shown SD.
>
> It virtually ALWAYS happens during prime time (since that is when almost all
> HD occurs)
> and no one is home (except the "breaking news").
> Several times I have gotten through to the news and within minutes the
> problem is corrected.
>
> We are enough years into this transition that such things should NEVER
> occur!
> After all, it is their business, not a side-line activity.
>
> There is no valid excuse for the neglect and sloppiness that they treat
> DTV/HD with.
> Sorry, but as a customer, that is my "customer requirement".
But if you look at the number of DTV/HDTV viewers vs the analog
viewers, DTV still IS a side-line activity. Fortunately the viewer
numbers are going up and the operators are more attentive so the 'OOPS'
level is improving. I don't see/hear nearly as many goofs in LA as when
we got the set Christmas 2003. CSI with no dialog for 10 minutes, just
music and effects -- 2 weeks running. Leno with no audio but full
levels during local breaks. KNBC with no local spots during the show --
just an animated peacock for 2 minutes. And one that I took a picture
of because there is NO WAY that could EVER happen in the analog world.
Only with digital could it get mucked up that bad. Top half of the
picture broken into 2 rows of 4 squares each -- SHUFFLED.
GG
Tam/WB2TT
"Karl S" <ka...@sysmatrix.munged.net> wrote in message
news:L_ednVLE4qUNDpbZ...@sysmatrix.net...
>
> I cannot begin to guess why KNTV switched back and forth between SD and
> question. It's a rare TV station that doesn't have a website these days.
>
> Karl S.
?
It would be extremely useful if the web sites actually contained useful
information on the status of a station's HDTV operations. The NYC
broadcaster's web sites contain 0 information on *their* HDTV operations;
lots of general articles. Something like the following would be useful.
"We are presently operating with 20 KW HD from a 300 foot tower in East
Boondocks. By 5/1/06 we will be operating with the same power from our
permanent 1200 foot tower in Bigtown, and by 12/1/06 we will be at our full
power of 700 KW."
Now that wasn't hard, was it?
Tam
Charles Tomaras
"Tam/WB2TT" <t-tammaru@c0mca$t.net> wrote in message
news:suWdnbvaUMD...@comcast.com...
I would also go so far as to suggest they have a "signal issues" section of
the web site where one can report problems and know that this information
will be brought to the attention of MC or Engineering at ANY hour of the day
in due course. That's got to be preferable to having a receptionist field a
call during the day or a news staffer at night. This section could be
instructional as well containing information on tower location, antenna
placement, links to other sites like antennaweb.org etc. It blows me away
that these stations think people are logging on to find weather information
and some of the other useless stuff that is there and they refuse to give
out the information that viewers really need. And why not have a "all
systems are up and running with no problems" sort of message on the site. If
the engineer finds a problem and is working on it, how long could it take
for station minion to use a password and click a box that changes the
message to "we are experiencing technical difficulties at 10:15pm and hope
to have the problem resolved quickly"
Amazing that the largest viewing audience for the station arrives at about
the exact same time they shut off the phones and send most of the staff
home.
Charles Tomaras
>>>
> Perhaps. And if so, you should contact them and ask about that.
> I certainly can't do anything about it. I'm just a broadcast engineer in a
> small-market station, venting my opinions.
Karl,
I don't think anyone blames you and I certainly appreciate your insights and
contributions to this thread. Living in Seattle, with stations that are
always boastfully promoting their web sites during their news operations, I
feel like venting as well at times. It seems short of unresponded to emails
to the stations or networks, this is the only vent site we have.
So...which "small market" in Eastern Washington do you work in?
Charlie
Seattle
Charles Tomaras
>
> You think I'd tell anyone where I work? I wouldn't tell my dear sainted
> mother where I work. It'd break her heart to see how her son had fallen
> into corruption and venality... She thinks I have a respectable job
> playing the piano at a classy whorehouse.
> As for my the condition of my bladder - well, my hobbies include fly
> fishing and brewing beer... If running water or a brewski were to be my
> downfall, it'd have happened long ago and likely would've scared all of
> the fish away. &B^D
Ok...fly fishing and brewing beer means close proximity to a river and hops.
I'm gonna guess you are in Yakima! :)
Larry Weil
>
> My viewpoint is only that of a broadcast engineer. I have called our
> master control operator myself to point out errors. The turn-over rate
> for that position tends to be high, and there are always errors with
> newbies at the controls. One guy monitoring six broadcasts
> simultaneously... We had more operators, but there were staff
> reductions to help pay for the HD change-over.
> But I'll tell you, while an on-air problem may be annoying to the
> viewer, it is extremely important (like continued employment) to the
> TV station's staff.
I'm a Master Control Operator at a station in Boston, and have been here
for 23 years. I want to dispel one notion from one of the previous
posts - In a major market the MCO is far from a minimum wage job, and
the turnover rate is quite low. Many of us have college degrees, I have
a BSEE. We have a person here who took the job a couple of years out of
high school, and will be retiring next year.
One notion is that this is a lazy man's job. Not any more, management
keeps adding more and more things to be done by one person, but doesn't
let that be an excuse when a mistake is made from having too many things
to do at once. While there can be long periods where the automation is
handling everything, what separates the men from the boys is knowing
what to do, and do it fast, when something goes wrong. Excellent
computer skills are a necessity, since we have to set up all the
automated systems and get them back on track when they crash.
And yes, this job can be outsourced. All of the NBC O&O stations on the
east coast, as far west as Chicago, are run remotely from New York. I
doubt that operator in NY running a dozen stations will notice if one
has a problem with their 5.1 audio.
Also of interest to some, quite a few of us are ham radio operators as a
hobby. In may cases that's how we got interested in working in
broadcasting.
--
Larry Weil
Lake Wobegone, NH
Tam/WB2TT
>>
> =====================================
> You seem to miss the point!
> DTV/HDTV is OTA, at least that is how I get mine.
> There is a DIGITAL signal. It is indeed "there"
> I convert that signal at home on one set already.
> I DOWNCONVERT the DTV/HD to 480i for an older set.
> The cable companies can do the same.
>.
> >
They probably do already. I know for a fact that my Comcast supplier does
NOT rebroadcast an OTA signal, which means they are getting a direct feed
from the stations. If this is microwave, it could be analog, but possibly
the same digital signal the stations send to their transmitter site; more
than likely over fiber.
Tam
Charles Tomaras
> X-No-archive: yes> news:Dp-dnfwYhaSzfY3Z...@sysmatrix.net...
>> Richard C. wrote:
>>> X-No-archive: yes
>>>
>>>
>>>> Richard C. wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> X-No-archive: yes
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Richard C. wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> X-No-archive: yes
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> An intriguing idea. Shut off our primary source of income and die
>>>>>>>> now rather than drag it out over years... Possibly more merciful
>>>>>>>> anyway, but it wouldn't help my retirement fund.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I think it's a little bit rude to assume cable subscribers woudn't
>>>>>>>> even notice if all of their network channels disappeared.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ================================
>>>>>>> It is HIGHLY likely that the cable companies will merely convert
>>>>>>> signal and
>>>>>>> deliver it as it is now. Hence, no change to the customer.
>>>>>>> ================================
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I'm sure they're more observant than that. We provide feeds to
>>>>>>>> DirecTV, Dish Network, and the local cable company... And like most
>>>>>>>> such feeds, it's NTSC analog.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Karl S.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ===================================
>>>>>>> OTA is the only requirement for DTV
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Convert? Convert from what? After we all go out of business because
>>>>>> we followed your advice and dropped NTSC before we had enough viewers
>>>>>> for Digital to support us, there will be no signal to convert.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Karl S.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> =============================
>>>>> Convert from DTV to SD. It is done all the time.
>>>>> Why make it such a problem.
>>>>>
>>>>> Two signals is stupid.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> OK, I'm sorry... but I've explained this three times and you still
>>>> don't get it. You can't convert what ain't there.
>>>>
>>>> If OTA dies, the cable companies won't have anything to convert.
>>>>
>>>> That's number four. I'm giving you a bonus.
>>>>
>>>> Karl S.
>>>>
>>> =====================================
>>> You seem to miss the point!
>>> DTV/HDTV is OTA, at least that is how I get mine.
>>> There is a DIGITAL signal. It is indeed "there"
>>> I convert that signal at home on one set already.
>>> I DOWNCONVERT the DTV/HD to 480i for an older set.
>>> The cable companies can do the same.
>>> Aren't you sending a digital OTA signal?
>>
>> One last time.
>> We are currently broadcasting in:
>> NTSC Analog, HD digital, and SD digital.
>> NTSC makes money because we have lots of viewers.
>> HD COSTS money because we have very few OTA digital viewers.
>> SD COSTS money because we have very few OTA digital viewers.
>> If we drop our NTSC broadcast. We drop our primary source of income.
>> If we drop our primary source of income, we run out of money.
>> If we run out of money, we can't pay our staff.
>> If we can't pay our staff, we go out of business.
>> If we go out of business, we stop broadcasting.
>> If we stop broadcasting, we will produce no analog NTSC, Digital HD, or
>> digital SD signal.
>> If we produce no NTSC, HD, or SD signal, there will be no OTA signal of
>> any kind to convert.
>>
>> If there is no signal to convert, cable TV viewers won't see one.
>>
>> I don't think I can make it any clearer than that. OK, I've explained
>> this same simple set of facts to you five times now. I'm a fairly patient
>> man, but this is getting old.
>>
>> Karl S.
>
> =======================
> It sure is getting old............
> You refuse to read and comprehend what I am saying.
So it sounds like Richard is suggesting stations convert their NTSC SD
programming to Digital SD or Digital HD programming, take the NTSC OTA
signal off the air, and supply a Digital SD and or HD signal to Cable and
Satellite providers letting them downconvert to NTSC SD for their SD feed to
customers.
Karl appears to be saying that dumping the NTSC OTA signal will lose too
many viewers who "pay the bills" for the station and they will go under
without their viewing numbers as he rightfully doesn't believe at this point
in time they will go out and buy STB's to downconvert the digital OTA
signal.
I'm gonna side with Karl on this because I do know that contrary to what
many people think...there's a hell of a lot of NTSC OTA television viewers
out there, and STB's are neither cheap nor readily available. I think we are
on track for that to change as the deadline looms in a couple of years...but
until the government does a big educational campaign and the manufacture's
flood the shelves with small and cheap STB's we can't make the change
G-squared
> >>> One last time.
> >>> We are currently broadcasting in:
> >>> NTSC Analog, HD digital, and SD digital.
> >>> NTSC makes money because we have lots of viewers.
> >>> HD COSTS money because we have very few OTA digital viewers.
> >>> SD COSTS money because we have very few OTA digital viewers.
> >>> If we drop our NTSC broadcast. We drop our primary source of income.
> >>> If we drop our primary source of income, we run out of money.
> >>> If we run out of money, we can't pay our staff.
> >>> If we can't pay our staff, we go out of business.
> >>> If we go out of business, we stop broadcasting.
> >>> If we stop broadcasting, we will produce no analog NTSC, Digital HD, or
> >>> digital SD signal.
> >>> If we produce no NTSC, HD, or SD signal, there will be no OTA signal of
> >>> any kind to convert.
> >>>
> >>> If there is no signal to convert, cable TV viewers won't see one.
> >>>
> >>> I don't think I can make it any clearer than that. OK, I've explained
> >>> this same simple set of facts to you five times now. I'm a fairly
> >>> patient man, but this is getting old.
> >>>
> >>> Karl S.
> >>
> >> =======================
> >> It sure is getting old............
> ============================
> I understand your point the way you stated it.
>
> How about this:
> All the stations start DOWNCONVERTING the DTV/HD
> signal at their end and transmit that over the SD.
> That way they would have only one source to monitor and could pay attention
> to it.
>
> Having two prime time sources is one of the causes of the problems we HD
> viewers
> see all the time. The viewers have gotten used to ER and several others in
> letterbox,
> let them view it all that way. The transition has to start somewhere.
> It seems to be going nowhere at present and it is hard on the stations too.
Richard, you're the one who doesn't 'get it' Even if the station did as
you suggest, you would STILL have to monitor all of the outgoing feeds
as you can have problems with one and not the other. Of COURSE they pay
more attention to their primary revenue stream. Don't you? They try to
take care of the DTV but it has to be in the back seat.
GG
Tam/WB2TT
"Charles Tomaras" <tom...@tomaras.com> wrote in message
news:7cCdnXD2YPn...@comcast.com...
>
>
> Karl appears to be saying that dumping the NTSC OTA signal will lose too
> many viewers who "pay the bills" for the station and they will go under
> without their viewing numbers as he rightfully doesn't believe at this
> point in time they will go out and buy STB's to downconvert the digital
> OTA signal.
>
So, tell me if I am wrong. My educated guess is that:
A) Cameras are digital
B) Studio editing equipment is digital
C)Studio to transmitter link is digital (of unknown to us format)
D)OTA analog signal is derived from digital
If this is not true, why the hell isn't it.
Tam
G-squared
One word. MONEY! A Panasonic D-5 HD digital deck goes for over $100K.
Guess what. You don't see a lot of them at stations, particularly small
stations (if ANY) and you WILL see analog machines still in use. I know
of a PBS station using Digital S (VHS family) machines on air and I'm
sure there are many more. People wanted their gazillion channels but
forgot where the programming came from.
A TV station used to be a license to print money but with cable and
satellite, those bucks get spread around a LOT. Don't be so hard on
them.
GG
Charles Tomaras
> situation had been severely compromised. Yes, it's all about money. A TV
> station sells a product and uses the proceeds to pay for operation,
> maintenance, and capitol... No different than the corner grocery.
>
> If that grocery was suddenly required by law to begin carrying all-organic
> produce, it is unlikely that they would begin by throwing all existing
> fresh produce into their dumpster, if you get the analogy. Broadcast
> equipment is like that produce, except that it doesn't go wilted quite as
> quickly.
>
> Most of the SD digital broadcasts you will see in any US "market"
> (broadcasting region) for years to come will have been shot, edited, and
> played as NTSC analog video and audio.
>
> Karl S.
You also need to mention that fact that equipment and standards are still
changing and in motion. Here in Seattle the major affiliates are in varying
states of digitalization. KOMO (ABC) which pretty much took the lead a few
years back with a huge investment in equipment and infrastructure is facing
the reality that they aren't gonna get their money back on it because it's
outdated, doesn't work as advertised, not upgradeable as promised and not
getting support from the manufacturer. The seemingly simple act of inserting
a local Dolby Pro Logic encoded commercial or station break into a national
Dolby Digital program causes them unmentionable grief with their very
expensive and state of the art, for a couple of years ago, equipment. In a
business where equipment, cameras and infrastructure used to last for a
decade or more, it behooves a station to wait as long as possible to make
the transition and large capitol expenditure on new equipment and work
flows.
My suggestion remains, for the time being, hire a smart minimum wage person
to properly monitor the digital OTA signals and give them open communication
with engineering and master control.
Charles Tomaras
Seattle, WA
G-squared
> My suggestion remains, for the time being, hire a smart minimum wage person
> to properly monitor the digital OTA signals and give them open communication
> with engineering and master control.
>
> Charles Tomaras
> Seattle, WA
Hell, I'll do that for free from the standpoint of - If I see/hear a
problem with the station give me a phone number or email address. If
you want me to monitor one station continously, that will cost you.
Since things are now going reasonably well in LA, I don't expect there
would be a lot of activity though last week there were a few issues
with KCET-HD (PBS channel 28 analog, 59 DTV). That was an unusual week
for DTV in LA.
GG