Further to my previous post regarding WPFO, Fox 23, I received a call today from Tom MacArther
While I'll never be happy when HD programming isn't in HD, it was nice to finally speak to Tom MacArthur, General Manager (among other things) at WPFO in Portland, Maine.
He did finally get back to me about WPFO's HD issues. Apparently, equipment that was provided to WPFO by the FOX Network itself, is having some difficulties with the HD programming. FOX is replacing the equipment and WPFO hopes to have the problem fixed in the next few weeks.
Tom was very pleasant and easy to talk to. I told him about the blog and about my mission to simply make HDTV more commonplace, and available to everyone. Tom is actually in an enviable position in that his Network provides him with the HD equipment. I don't believe that any other of the Maine TV stations get free equipment from the Network of which they are an affiliate; most affiliates (Maine or elsewhere) have to buy the HD equipment on their own and it is very expensive.
What really clinched it for me was when Mr. MacArthur gave me his cell phone number. I explained to him how many times I call TV stations in Maine (and some in NH) when an HD program is NOT in HD. I further explained that there is often nobody to receive my call on the other end. But he was happy to give me his cell number and told me I could use it whenever I had a question or noticed a problem with the broadcast at WPFO - Fox 23.
This is my first interaction with WPFO. I hope the relationship between Fox 23 and the Maine HDTV blog continues to go well.
Thanks, Tom
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
WPFO - Fox 23 - Where's the HD?
I knew it was too good to be true. At midnight, Februrary 17, WPFO - Maine's Fox channel, finally was able to broadcast HDTV over the air, and was able to provide all cable outlets in Maine with an HD signal. It all seemed so Utopian.
When Fox 23 came on line, the UHF channels that were doled out by the FCC so that broadcasters could deploy digital TV while still maintaining their analog signal until the transition was completed, were all gone. So Fox 23 was stuck. They couldn't "broadcast" their digital signal. The did, however, provide the digital signal to some cable outlets via fiber optic cable. Not where I live. So February 18, 2009, was a big day for WPFO. It was good for the public and good for the station, to finally have the Fox 23 signal available in digital format for everyone.
Since WPFO had been delivering its digital signal to Time Warner cable outlets in Maine (via fiber optics) for quite some time, WPFO should have garnered lots of experience in HD programming, HD signals, and the HD feed from the Fox network.
This may sound childish but I don't care. A week ago yesterday, March 15, I was watching the Simpsons. The Simpsons is now in HD (and I believe the first animated network program in HD, but I digress). Believe it or not, even a cartoon in HD is still immeasurably more appealing that watching it in standard definition. On that Sunday in question, The Simpsons went to commercial at about 8:15 or so. The commercial was not in HD. And from that point forward, The Simpsons never returned to HD format for the rest of the program. In fact, the following program, King of the Hill, was also NOT in HD even though it too is now an HD program.
Of course I tried to call the station but like every other TV station, there is nobody one can call to tell them of the technical difficulties. Those of you who follow this blog know full well how many times I have called WGME, WMTW, and WCSH over the last 2 years to try and each know, in times of HD trouble, that their signal was not in HD when it should be. Occasionally, and I do mean very infrequently, I would reach a live person, let them know what was going on, and then they would fix it. However, more often than not I was treated like "What?", "Who are you?", "Why are you calling?", "What gives you the right to call us?" and all sorts of reactions to that end.
Since I couldn't human at WPFO, I wrote an email explaining what happened and expected a response to explain why their programming ceased to be in HD on that Sunday. I heard nothing, as is normal for this kind of thing when I write to a TV station.
Now this Sunday, March 22, both The Simpsons and King of the Hill were not in HD AGAIN. However, this time that had a screen crawl that said "we are having technical difficulties with out high definition feed".
This time I tried to call the station during "business hours" (today at 12:50 pm). I was stuck in voice mail hell and again could not find anyone to speak to. So I left a message in the President and General Manager's voice mail box. Tom MacArthur (sp?) was his name.
I haven't heard back yet. He, unlike the managers at WPXT, WPME, WGME, WMTW, WCSH, NHPTV, and MPBN doesn't know who I am or that I have this blog. If he ever calls me I will explain it to him and see if he want to play nice, like Doug Finck at WPXT/WPME, and the folks at NHPTV, and support what I am doing, or not, like the remaining TV station personnel.
I'll keep you posted.
When Fox 23 came on line, the UHF channels that were doled out by the FCC so that broadcasters could deploy digital TV while still maintaining their analog signal until the transition was completed, were all gone. So Fox 23 was stuck. They couldn't "broadcast" their digital signal. The did, however, provide the digital signal to some cable outlets via fiber optic cable. Not where I live. So February 18, 2009, was a big day for WPFO. It was good for the public and good for the station, to finally have the Fox 23 signal available in digital format for everyone.
Since WPFO had been delivering its digital signal to Time Warner cable outlets in Maine (via fiber optics) for quite some time, WPFO should have garnered lots of experience in HD programming, HD signals, and the HD feed from the Fox network.
This may sound childish but I don't care. A week ago yesterday, March 15, I was watching the Simpsons. The Simpsons is now in HD (and I believe the first animated network program in HD, but I digress). Believe it or not, even a cartoon in HD is still immeasurably more appealing that watching it in standard definition. On that Sunday in question, The Simpsons went to commercial at about 8:15 or so. The commercial was not in HD. And from that point forward, The Simpsons never returned to HD format for the rest of the program. In fact, the following program, King of the Hill, was also NOT in HD even though it too is now an HD program.
Of course I tried to call the station but like every other TV station, there is nobody one can call to tell them of the technical difficulties. Those of you who follow this blog know full well how many times I have called WGME, WMTW, and WCSH over the last 2 years to try and each know, in times of HD trouble, that their signal was not in HD when it should be. Occasionally, and I do mean very infrequently, I would reach a live person, let them know what was going on, and then they would fix it. However, more often than not I was treated like "What?", "Who are you?", "Why are you calling?", "What gives you the right to call us?" and all sorts of reactions to that end.
Since I couldn't human at WPFO, I wrote an email explaining what happened and expected a response to explain why their programming ceased to be in HD on that Sunday. I heard nothing, as is normal for this kind of thing when I write to a TV station.
Now this Sunday, March 22, both The Simpsons and King of the Hill were not in HD AGAIN. However, this time that had a screen crawl that said "we are having technical difficulties with out high definition feed".
This time I tried to call the station during "business hours" (today at 12:50 pm). I was stuck in voice mail hell and again could not find anyone to speak to. So I left a message in the President and General Manager's voice mail box. Tom MacArthur (sp?) was his name.
I haven't heard back yet. He, unlike the managers at WPXT, WPME, WGME, WMTW, WCSH, NHPTV, and MPBN doesn't know who I am or that I have this blog. If he ever calls me I will explain it to him and see if he want to play nice, like Doug Finck at WPXT/WPME, and the folks at NHPTV, and support what I am doing, or not, like the remaining TV station personnel.
I'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The way HD life is supposed to be
It finally happened. After more than two years of working at this I finally have all of my high definition in one place and can easily channel surf them all.
I never thought it would happen. Last week, my cable company, Metrocast, added WPME (MyNetwork), WPXT (the CW), and WPFO (Fox), to my HD channel lineup. I thought that these stations would be banished to the analog tier forever. So now, to be able to use my DVR to record "24" in high definition instead of recording the analog broadcast, is something awesome. I hate standard definition TV. And before Metrocast made this change, I would have to switch over to my antenna to receive these channels over the air in HD but then I couldn't record shows that way. And WPFO didn't begin over the air HD until February 17.
So now it's pretty cool to be able to channel surf and use my DVR to record ALL OF MY HD CHANNELS instead of just some of them. Two years ago when I started this blog I never thought this day would come. It sounds so trivial when you compare it to what is going on in the world right now, but you've got to take your victories wherever you can get them.
I still support and believe in free, over the air TV. If there was a way to purchase a DVR myself and use it however I wanted (meaning I could record from any number of Input devices like Antenna TV, Cable with a Box TV, Cable without a Box TV) things would be different. But so far, from what I can tell, that technology isn't really viable right now.
It's a small victory but I congratulate my nemesis, the cable company, on FINALLY getting something right. And congratulations to all of the Portland TV Broadcaster who finally go their signals out in HD on all fronts.
I never thought it would happen. Last week, my cable company, Metrocast, added WPME (MyNetwork), WPXT (the CW), and WPFO (Fox), to my HD channel lineup. I thought that these stations would be banished to the analog tier forever. So now, to be able to use my DVR to record "24" in high definition instead of recording the analog broadcast, is something awesome. I hate standard definition TV. And before Metrocast made this change, I would have to switch over to my antenna to receive these channels over the air in HD but then I couldn't record shows that way. And WPFO didn't begin over the air HD until February 17.
So now it's pretty cool to be able to channel surf and use my DVR to record ALL OF MY HD CHANNELS instead of just some of them. Two years ago when I started this blog I never thought this day would come. It sounds so trivial when you compare it to what is going on in the world right now, but you've got to take your victories wherever you can get them.
I still support and believe in free, over the air TV. If there was a way to purchase a DVR myself and use it however I wanted (meaning I could record from any number of Input devices like Antenna TV, Cable with a Box TV, Cable without a Box TV) things would be different. But so far, from what I can tell, that technology isn't really viable right now.
It's a small victory but I congratulate my nemesis, the cable company, on FINALLY getting something right. And congratulations to all of the Portland TV Broadcaster who finally go their signals out in HD on all fronts.
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