Seattle HD Locals

[MikeMara]

No respone from DISH yet..but after all, it's only been since Thursday....

 

[cebbigh]

Got my response fro Linda G. in the "Executive Communications Team." When I said "If you cannot provide a real answer and get this done, please find someone who can" I think she took that to heart:

Unfortunately we don't have any positive news to share. We understand
his frustration and desire to have the local FOX in HD. We certainly
aimed to have this station up before the beginning of the NFL season so
that our customers could watch the Seahawks in HD. We are still in
active negotiations with Tribune and aim to have a resolution in place
prior to the end of the NFL season.

If you are content with our other service and programming then you may
want to investigate the "lifeline cable" service. This service is
provided by cable companies which deliver only local stations (not sure
about the availability of these stations in HD under "lifeline".)

Note that it says "his frustration" in the first sentence and I just get a feeling that someone responded to Linda and she cut-and-pasted the reply on to me. Also, the subject line had my name it in - with my last name misspelled in a way that's common if someone isn't looking closely. If hers what just a reply, that probably wouldn't have happened.

Anyway, I don't know if I should be encouraged by their "aim to have a resolution in place prior to the end of the NFL season" or if that's just more BS, esp. with what we've heard on this thread from the folks at Tribune.

Sounds like she didn't have an answer and followed your instructions and looked for an answer higher up.

I wonder how many customers they have lost in the Seattle area over the past two years? I wonder how many they have left? Hope they haven't written us off. One thing is certain, they have about a week or so left before DTV becomes a more viable option for a lot of remaining customers (I HOPE they understand that a lot of those customers really don't WANT to change) as well as new customers.

 

[long_time_DNC]

Interesting reply, but aiming to have a resolution in place "prior to the end of the NFL season" isn't terribly encouraging...

They could have the situation resolved after the Seahawks' season is over (assuming they don't make the playoffs - which I hope isn't the case) and make it prior to the end of the NFL season, technically.

This is just immensely frustrating, and after last night's agonizingly lame Charlie Chat, where the majority of the program hyped the impending launch of BTN-HD, it just proceeded to further tick me off that KCPQ-HD isn't up yet...

 

[whatchel1]

Solution

What they are not saying is that the Trib is selling off some of it's stations. KCPQ is one of them. What they may be hoping for is the company that buys may be easier to deal with. From what I understand the big problem is Trib has been trying to get E8 to carry additional non standard channels in all it's markets & E* can't agree to that since it would mean that they would have to do this in all markets across the USA.

 

[long_time_DNC]

What's the source of your info? It sounds good and we know that Tribune has been wanting carriage of KMYQ as well. I'm hoping that KCPQ does get sold - then maybe we'll have a chance of getting it in HD.

 

[cebbigh]

A little off subject but thought I'd post here because I know a lot of us in this area have 129 problems.

Home Satellite Sales and Service just installed a 30 inch dish for me. Not only are the numbers much higher but having observed two drops the loss was significantly lower (tp27 dropped to 45 and then rebounded). Of course time will tell but so far I couldn't be happier.

1- 53/55
2- 50/51
4- 58/59
5- 61/62
6- 45/47
7- 53/54
8- 54/55
9- 61/62
10- 59/60
11- 51/52
12- 59/61
13- 62/64
16- 61/62
17- 64/65
18- 49/50
19- 61/62
21- 59/60
22- 52/53
23- 55/56
27- 60/61
30- 59/60
32- 60/61

 

[delos]

30" Dish

Did Dish install the 30" or did you pay to get it? I am concidering the same thing. Cost? (if you don't mind)

Thanks

 

[cebbigh]

Did Dish install the 30" or did you pay to get it? I am concidering the same thing. Cost? (if you don't mind)

Thanks

Purchased it on my own:

Item Price: $55.45 USD
Total Shipping: $45.96 USD
Total: $101.41 USD
Order Description: Summit Source


Winegard DS-2077 30" Satellite Dish TV Antenna DS2077 Digital FTA Signal D-Channel Feed Arm and Mounting Assembly, 76 cm Off-Set, Free-to-Air, Part # DS2077: Oak Entertainment Centers and Home Office Furniture, TV Antennas, Audio/Video, Satellite, Ca

Was going to install it myself but after the box arrived and I got a look at the beastie and considered the worst case scenarios of playing around on my roof I chickened out and contacted a local installer to do it. No regrets. If I had a place to mount closer to the ground with a clear line of site would have done on my own.

 

[long_time_DNC]

A little off subject but thought I'd post here because I know a lot of us in this area have 129 problems.

Home Satellite Sales and Service just installed a 30 inch dish for me. Not only are the numbers much higher but having observed two drops the loss was significantly lower (tp27 dropped to 45 and then rebounded). Of course time will tell but so far I couldn't be happier.

1- 53/55
2- 50/51
4- 58/59
5- 61/62
6- 45/47
7- 53/54
8- 54/55
9- 61/62
10- 59/60
11- 51/52
12- 59/61
13- 62/64
16- 61/62
17- 64/65
18- 49/50
19- 61/62
21- 59/60
22- 52/53
23- 55/56
27- 60/61
30- 59/60
32- 60/61

Are those numbers the lows/highs on the 20-minute cycle or just spot-checks? Those are great numbers for 129 in any case! TP27 is still an issue for me even with the 24" dish, but the rest are doing almost as well your numbers...

 

[kstile]

I agree it doesn't make sense to maintain two transmitters, but I'm wondering if the signal leaving KCPQ and going to Dish is in fact being sent by a transmitter in the same manner that their signal is going out OTA. For some reason I imagine three special outputs at the station that send the signal for retransmission that is separate from what goes OTA. If that's the case, they could change the OTA without changing the other.

Here's something interesting:

DISH and DirecTV warn FCC they may not be up to digital transition - Engadget HD

Apparently E* and D* are both concerned that they're not going to be ready b/c they'll have to figure this out for each and every local station. So maybe whatever it is they're going to do, it's different depending on what the local station is doing regarding the transition.

I also read recently that the FCC told the cable companies that they have to continue to send an analog signal for the local stations until 2012, even if those stations are only sending a digital signal:

FCC to cable: You must support analog TVs until 2012

Why do I have this feeling that 2009 is going to roll around and there's going to be a BIG mess?

 

[long_time_DNC]

I have a feeling you're right. 2/09 is going to arrive and for a lot of markets, it's probably not going to be a pretty sight.

 

[long_time_DNC]

Thank you for your email. Specific information regarding your request for KCPQ in HD is not currently available. We would like to add that channel, to make viewers like you happy, but we do not know if or when this will happen. We will gladly forward your request to our Programming Department for further consideration.

We thank you for your input as we continually review our options in order to provide a compelling lineup for our viewers. Please stay tuned for consumer Charlie Chats that are broadcast monthly on Channel 101 or logon to our website for future programming announcements.

Your business is greatly appreciated and we thank you for allowing us to be of assistance to you. If you have any further questions or concerns, please refer to DISH Network -- Home or reply to this email.

Essentially, no different than anything else we've typically heard from them about KCPQ in HD...

 

[whatchel1]

Sales of Trib TV stations.

Tribune to sell TV stations. It isn't set in stone but w/ their big loses it is looking like they may have to start selling properties to cover them. They have already sold Albany, Boston, Hartford, LA & Chicago. Scuttlebutt in the broadcast industry is that other stations that are easy sales will go before too long. A couple more of the station may very well be are Sacramento & Seattle. I couldn't put up the source for the sale of LA due to one has to register for the LA Times to see it.
Tribune shareholders approve company's sale - USATODAY.com
Tribune News | Chicago Business News, Analysis & Articles | Judge orders Tribune to sell Conn. TV station | Crain's
Tribune Company :: Press Release
Tribune Company :: Press Release

 

[cebbigh]

Are those numbers the lows/highs on the 20-minute cycle or just spot-checks? Those are great numbers for 129 in any case! TP27 is still an issue for me even with the 24" dish, but the rest are doing almost as well your numbers...

Those numbers are at the good end of the cycle and and represent the high/low at the peak in a 30 second period. The thing that has me happiest so far is that I've observed signal drops 2 times so far on tp27 and each time it declined to 45 and then rebounded. Time will tell but I think possibly the bigger surface has better resistance to the fade. I'll definitely post if it throws me a curve.

 

[cebbigh]

Tribune to sell TV stations. It isn't set in stone but w/ their big loses it is looking like they may have to start selling properties to cover them. They have already sold Albany, Boston, Hartford, LA & Chicago. Scuttlebutt in the broadcast industry is that other stations that are easy sales will go before too long. A couple more of the station may very well be are Sacramento & Seattle. I couldn't put up the source for the sale of LA due to one has to register for the LA Times to see it.
Tribune shareholders approve company's sale - USATODAY.com
Tribune News | Chicago Business News, Analysis & Articles | Judge orders Tribune to sell Conn. TV station | Crain's
Tribune Company :: Press Release
Tribune Company :: Press Release

Thanks for that info. You'd think they would be pressing Dish to add KCPQ making concessions to get to that point. Both to increase income and to make the station more attractive to a buyer. I think KMYQ on the other hand is a basket case unless they totally revamp programing.

 

[long_time_DNC]

Those numbers are at the good end of the cycle and and represent the high/low at the peak in a 30 second period. The thing that has me happiest so far is that I've observed signal drops 2 times so far on tp27 and each time it declined to 45 and then rebounded. Time will tell but I think possibly the bigger surface has better resistance to the fade. I'll definitely post if it throws me a curve.

Those are good numbers and I too have noticed lately that tp27 is behaving a lot better for me with my 24" dish. I'm able to watch UHD for long periods of time without any drop-outs, which is a definite improvement, so your 30" dish ought to do even better with the larger surface area. It'll be interesting to see what happens when the fall/winter rains set in too.

whatchel1: Thanks for the info!

 

[cebbigh]

the numbers were actually about 5 points higher yesterday.

 

[long_time_DNC]

Heavier cloud cover today, maybe?

 

[cebbigh]

No, were about 5 points higher Thursday over Weds (day of install). And they remained higher on Friday. There was heavy cloud cover Weds. But pretty good cloud cover Friday and the points stayed higher. Just did a quick scan and saw 3 test points that reached 66-68 (16, 17 and 19) and most were 60+. The only one below 50 was tp6 and that was still ok (47).

 

[long_time_DNC]

Did the installer point your dish at the peak of the wobble of E5 or just peaked it at the highest signal level he could get?

I waited until the the top of the cycle, when I was getting the max signal I ever get, then I peaked the dish and gained about 10-12 more points than the higest peak I ever typically received. Then I locked it down and came back in and checked it out. On average, I was getting 8-10 points higher than I had previously been getting on each TP on E5. TP27 was the exception, which was still an issue, as it would drop as low as 5 (on the revised meter), but everything else pretty much stays in the 35-55 range (new scale), which I can't complain about really.