CBS affiliate WGME "caught" not broadcasting in 1080i - but Big Brother is watching!

WGME - Channel 13 is in a pickle.  They (or more likely their parent Sinclair Broadcasting) were caught broadcasting a downgraded signal, not up to the standards of being a CBS affiliate.

A while back I noticed the quality of WGME's broadcast had diminished some.  If you own a bigger High Def TV (say, above 40 inches) you are more likely to notice a poor quality picture.

Some people swear there is no difference between 720p and 1080i but those people are wrong.  It's fairly obvious. 

Locally, in Portland, Maine, take a look for yourself.

• NBC, PBS and the CW have an amazing picture (all in 1080i
• ABC, FOX, and MyNetwork have a diminished picture  (all in 720p)

That leaves WGME, the CBS affiliate.  Many of my current TV watching habits were honed over the early days of high definition, based on picture quality.  For example, it took WMTW (ABC-Channel 8) FOREVER to convert to High Definition - so I stopped watching them.

CBS on WGME used to be the hallmark of high quality HD pictures.  But for quite a while now, it has been lacking.  One day I hit the "info" button on my remote and it showed "720p" for the broadcast signal.  I had to stare at it for several minutes.  I thought my cable company was screwing with the CBS signal.  I took the the Internet and double checked.  No, I was right, CBS is broadcasting nationally in 1080i.  So WHY IS MY WGME SIGNAL IN 720P?????

It took until today to find out.  I can't name names or quote anyone.  But apparently WGME has been getting away with this for several (like 4) years.  What I thought was my eyesight going, or the lighting in the room, or my TV crapping out on me, was actually WGME themselves DOWNGRADING the 1080i signal from CBS to 720p.

As it turns out, WGME is "considering" returning to 1080i.

I asked my source specifically why CBS corporate would allow a local affiliate like WGME to screw with its signal, the answer is, they wouldn't.  Big Brother is watching.  And rightly so.

Now, I suspect it took a while for CBS corporate to figure out what was going on but somebody finally noticed.  I believe, and I'm speculating based on what I know, that CBS is forcing WGME back in to the 1080i game.  For WGME is was simply CHEAPER to try to get away with a 720p signal.  Less storage space for audio/video because the files are smaller, less compression, and more room for their current alliance with FOX 23 (who is in 720p and for whom WGME reproduces its own news on FOX 23).  FOX 23 used to ally itself with WCSH (NBC - 1080i) for its local news.  I suspect part of the deal when Fox 23 changed to WGME was that WGME use 720p.  It's all a complicated shell game (read "money") and WGME GOT CAUGHT!.  Or was it SINCLAIR BROADCASTING GROUP WHO HAPPENS TO OWN BOTH WGME AND WPFO (FOX 23) who got caught.

I wish I could say it was I who blew the whistle and called the FCC and CBS Broadcasting.  While I have complained on this site and speculated on a few occasions, I never had real answers.  So it wasn't me.

I am so glad I finally figured out what's been going on.  It's been driving me crazy and it's always great to finally GET answers, even if it could take WGME (or Sinclair Broadcasting) a year to undo the mess they made.

WMTW Portland Maine - Still broadcasting in SD like it's 1999?

If you watch any local programming on WMTW, Channel 8, in Portland, ME, you would think you think that time travel exists and you would think you are in 1999.

The local news programs produced by WMTW look as if they were produced in the 1990's and quite possibly are still using video tape instead of anything remotely "digital".

Ever since the digital TV (i.e. High Definition) revolution began, WMTW has been behind the times.  They were the last TV station in their market to convert to "HD" in terms of broadcasting from the ABC network, and the last to convert to what THEY consider to be high definition for local news broadcasting.

I gave WMTW some heat on this blog concerning their late arrival but was pleased when they at least figured out how to broadcast the ABC prime time programming in HD (albeit 720p instead of 1080i, but that's an ABC network issue that I'll address later).  But even at that time, the local WMTW news was still in SD.

If you look at Channel 8's local news, you would still think they aren't broadcasting in High Definition, and I'm not convinced that they actually are.

As you probably know, you can see what they consider to be High Definition and compare it to Standard Definition easily by switching between the two channels (whether it's over the air on channel 8.1 and 8.2, or on your cable system comparing the lower channel to the "HD" upper channel).

While WMTW's "HD" channel appears to be better slightly better quality, is it?

Here's what I think is their trick.  Old fashioned SD television was in a 4:3 picture ratio (4 down by 3 across).  HD signals use a 16:9 ratio (16 across by 9 down), hence wider flat screen HD TVs.

If you watch a 4:3 (SD) picture on a 16:9 (HD) TV, there are two options:

• leave the 4:3 ratio and fill in the rest of the screen (sides of the picture) with black bars
• STRETCH the picture to fill the screen but everyone looks short and fat, and generally the image is just horrible

After broadcast TV was forced to go digital in 2009, things changed slightly.  Typically you can watch an HD signal in non-HD mode on your TV but now there will be black bars on the top, bottom, and sides.  The picture doesn't fill the screen but the ratio (16:9) is correct.  So while the picture might be clearer and look right, it doesn't fill the screen and you can't force it to unless you plan to not see the entire picture.

The ONLY other option is for a TV station to broadcast its Standard Definition signal in 16:9.  We usually associate the 16:9 ration with HD, but TV cameras have the capability of recording in the 16:9 ratio even if you are using Standard Definition.

16:9 ratio programming in SD almost looks like HD except the picture quality when compared to real HD is severely lacking, and when compared to old-fashioned 4:3 Standard definition is about the same.

I don't believe that WMTW is broadcasting its locally produced news (or other) programming in real High Definition.

Do a quick comparison.  Watch a newscast on WMTW in HD.  Compare it to any other local channel's news cast.  The difference will ASTOUND you.

Continue watching WMTW and wait for a "remote location" shot.  You will see that the picture quality is even worse because WMTW can't seem to spring for better offsite cameras.

Even if WMTW were broadcasting in full HD, it would be 720p.  This is a choice made by America's broadcasting networks.  NBC, CBS, PBS, and the CW chose 1080i (a better quality picture all around regardless of what some "experts" say - just take a look for yourself).  Fox, and ABC chose 720p.  So each network's affiliates invested in the technology that matched their Parent Company broadcaster.

Some people say that 720p ("p" meaning progressive) is just as good as 1080i ("i" meaning interlaced).  Without going into the difference between progressive and interlaced technologies, in my personal experience in watching TV (which I admit is extensive), 1080i is far superior to 720p especially on larger TV screens (over 32").

But I digress.

The picture quality of WMTW's local news programming SUCKS.  And, their remote shot picture quality is even worse, if that's possible.

I had been laying low because I knew WMTW moving into new studios is Westbrook in September 2014.  I thought that finally, things would improve.  I was disappointed when nothing changed.

As much as I dislike both WCSH channel 6 news, and WGME channel 13 news, I prefer to actually watch either of them over WMTW because the picture quality on WMTW is so bad.  I don't know what WMTW is doing wrong or not doing right.  I just know that what I said many years ago is still true:

"When it comes to TV ratings, whoever has the best HD picture wins"

It's not that complicated.  This is true of cable TV as well.  My cable system does not offer every cable channel in HD.  The non-HD channels are down in the lower numbers.  The High Def channels are on the upper channel numbers.  When I'm channel surfing, I start at the first HD channel - 702 for me - and work upwards.  I don't even look at channels not in HD.

So, for anyone at WMTW, we know that you broadcast in 720p so we understand why your prime time programs are of a lesser quality.  BUT, can you explain why your local news looks no different than it did prior to your "switch" to high definition?

WGME CBS Portland, Maine High Definition downgraded to 720p

I noticed recently that CBS is now broadcasting television shows in 720p instead of 1080i.  I'd like to know, and I am trying to find out, when this began, but more importantly WHY?.

Great debaters take on the topic of 1080i versus 720p ad nauseam; there is no consensus.  But as a long time HD television advocate and industry watcher, in my personal opionion (well, me and my TV's) 1080i is far superior to 720p.  Just take a look at the ABC news cast (720p) and compare it to whatever is on CNN (1080i) at the same time and tell me you don't see a difference.

I was watching the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley recently and noticed how bad the picture was.  I noticed it on Face the Nation the prior day. I started adjusting the fine tuning of my Samsung High Def (which I hate compared to my Sony, Samsung is SO overrated, but that's a story for another post) because the picture just didn't look right.

I tried everything from contrast to brightness to warm/cool and everything in between.  I tried playing with the various (and useless) built-in "modes" on the Samsung (e.g. Movies, Sports, Gaming, etc.) but nothing worked.

When I finally hit the "info" button while tuned in the CBS, I was shocked to see that CBS was broadcasting in 720p. The info button on my TV tells the viewer what "definition" they are watching. I don't believe it had anything to do with WGME because they (like other broadcast stations) simply rebroadcast the signal as it comes in. But to be honest, I'm not sure. I checked back on several days and several other CBS shows and they were still in 720p. For all I know WGME may have downgraded the signal.  I used the google machine thingy and tried various searches regarding CBS and 720p but literally found nothing on the subject that had now capture my attention greatly.

I'm trying to get some answers and I'm starting with WGME to see if they know (or will even tell me) what's going on.

One of the reasons I even watched CBS is for the picture quality.  It's important to me.  If there is breaking news or a Presidential address, I will watch it on NBC, CBS, PBS, or CNN (all 1080i) instead of ABC or FOX (720p for both) because of the better quality of the picture.  When you spend a lot of money on a High Def TV, you want your content in High Def, yes, but you want it in the BEST high def quality you can get.  When you have a choice, you will go with higher quality every time.

So I've started asking questions and we'll see what I find out.

Thanks for reading.

CBS, Sinclair, and WGME pass the buck regarding High Def issues

WGME-13 in Portland, Maine is NOT broadcasting in 1080i High Definition on their HD Channel (13.1).

I didn't notice for a while because I had cable TV, with a cable box.  I remember thinking that WGME's broadcast didn't have the quality I remembered but I don't watch TV that often anymore and figured that since I was using my cable box instead of an antenna, there was a signal degradation.  When I decided it was too expensive and went back to using my old Bessie (TERK Antenna) my Sony Bravia TV told me that Channel 13.1 was in 720p.  Then it hit me.

This confused the heck out of me.  As the second largest broadcaster in the world behind the BBC (UK), CBS Corporation was one of the biggest proponents of 1080i High Definition, investing a lot of money to make 1080i the standard over 720p.  In the end, CBS got what it wanted for CBS affiliates while other Networks, like ABC and Fox went with 720p.  And I know that WGME had been broadcasting in 1080i from back a ways when I only relied on over the air High Definition.  So when I noticed all of this happening last week, I called CBS Corporation in New York and left a message - that was my only option.

CBS itself doesn't own WGME, it is owned by SInclair Broadcasting (better known as the Tea Party broadcasting group).  On the day I left a message with CBS, I went home that night and noticed that WGME was back to broadcasting in 1080i.  I thought that maybe, someone from CBS contacted them.  CBS Affiliates are under contract to rebroadcast network programming in 1080i.  It work the same for whatever network we're talking about whether the contract is for 720p or 1080i.
Now, there is an ongoing debate over which is better, 720p or 1080i.  I can guarantee you, in all my years of researching HD TV, 1080i is superior to 720p.  I can tell the difference from a mile off.  But that's not the point.  The point is that CBS and NBC transmit their HD signals in 1080i, while ABC and Fox broadcast in 720p.  Do me a favor - watch and compare and see if you don't agree.

I worked on getting my antenna in just the right spot for several days (it's what you do when you rely on Over The Air, or OTA, television signals).  So I know that it wasn't a fluke.  WGME didn't slip up one day for a few hours.  They were broadcasting in 720p for I don't know how long and they hoped nobody would notice.

I noticed.

I knew (from previous experience) that if I called the General Manager of WGME that I wouldn't get any answers.  So I called CBS Corporate Offices in New York.  I didn't get to speak to a live person but I left a message with a Rich Shoenholtz in Affiliate Relations.  I never heard back from the guy (I wasn't surprised).  When I didn't hear back I wrote to Craig Clark, the Chief Engineer at WGME to ask about the 720p signal.  I did not hear back from him either.

Today, I called CBS again and talked to a lovely (I'm kidding) woman named Kathleen Powers.  She had absolutely no idea what I was talking about and didn't know High Definition from a hole in the wall.  After I got frustrated trying to explain, she put me on hold and said she talked to "someone" who said that Sinclair Broadcasting owned WGME and I would have to take it up with them.

OK - I don't get it.  WGME is owned by Sinclair but under contract with CBS to rebroadcast the CBS signal in 1080i.  CBS spent a lot of money to make sure they would be in 1080i when the conversion to digital/HDTV took place.  But nobody cares that their affiliate isn't doing what is supposed to be done under a signed contract?  That make absolutely no sense to me.

So I called Sinclair, knowing ahead of time that I would be hard pressed to find someone there who would talk to a lowly consumer.  When I explained why I was calling the receptionist, again, had absolutely NO IDEA what I was talking about and said that an affiliate could use whatever "brand of equipment" they wanted and that I should take it up with WGME.  What!?  Really?!

When I finally explained what High Definition was and the different qualities of High Definition, and that one of their stations was following protocol, she transferred me to the IT department.  The gentleman that answered the phone said that he wasn't the right person to talk to (after I explained again why I was calling) and "transferred" me to dead air by hanging up on me.

As a last resort, I called Tom Humpage, General Manager of WGME.  I left a voice mail and sent him and email since we had emailed each other a few years back about other issues.

As of the date and time of this posting, I have yet to hear back from anyone regarding this issue.

Public often fooled by HD that isn't HD

Not only do we have HD channels that don't provide 24 hours a day of High Def programming, even new shows produced that you assume are in High Def, aren't

Take for example, TBS. They started airing a new one-hour series called "Glory Daze" about kids going to college in the mid 80's. It was supposed to be nostalgic. That's my generation. I found it stupid, unfunny, and uninteresting. But what I found most offensive was that the show was launched in 2010 on a High Def network, and the show isn't in High Def. TBS says it is, but it is not.

It is very easy to tell when a TV show is in High Def. You should NEVER have to look at the TV show and squint your eyes a bit and say to yourself, "is that in HD". If it is, there is no question.

Consumers started to really dislike television shows that were "stretched" to fit the new wide screen format. The shows were out of focus, characters looked short and fat, and heads were often cut off. But the shot filled the screen so TV execs thought they could fool the public. It only takes watching ONE show in real high definition to realize what you are missing. So TV execs siad "let's at least produce these shows in the 16:9 aspect ratio". Yeah, that will fool them.

Back to "Glory Daze". What they did to this show is the same thing I am seeing all over the place. Shows are produced in a 16:9 aspect ratio (the same length to width ratio of your wide flat screen TV" but it is still in standard definition. A brand new TV show, produced in the 21st century, and it's not in HD even though it is being broadcast on an HD network.

As it turns out there are four categories of TV:

1. Standard definition TV (that's a 4:3 aspect ratio) that has the black pillars on either side of the picture (I refuse to watch that entirely)
2. Standard definition TV that has been stretched to fit the 16:9 ratio. Disconcerting and distracting to watch
3. Standard definition TV filmed in 16:9 format (watchable - but disappointing)
4. And then real HD. Mostly the big 7 networks in Prime Time broadcast in real HD. But some, like "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" on ABC don't even try. That's because they film in the field (not in a studio). HD field cameras are very expensive.

It's easy to discern which shows are in HD. If the picture is so clear that you say "gee that picture is nice", that's your first clue. Then, on a facial close up, if you can see white light reflected back to you in the actors pupil, that's your second clue that it's HD. Standard def rarely, if ever, has this reflection. Third, HD is simply easier to watch. Your eyes don't strain, every detail is easily visible and the color is beautiful.

Some Faux-HD exists that is fairly good. HDNet had Hogan's Heroes (yes that late 60's, early 70's TV show) in high definition. You see, when the original film is of a certain film stock and quality, it can be digitally enhanced and reprocessed to be as close to real HD as possible, the results are quite good. But it's expensive to go back and reprocess these old shows. Some more current shows like "Friends" will never be in "faux HD" because it was filmed on video tape, not film.

A huge number of Americans have now spent the money on a High Def TV. Half of them don't know how to actually get HD on their HD TV. Of the ones that do, half of those don't really know if they are watching an HD show or not.

I can receive all 7 broadcast networks over the air, in HD, with an antenna, for free. It's the best quality HD because there is nothing between the signal and my TV. As for quality, as much as I despise The Today Show on NBC, that's where you will see some of the best quality HD. The CBS evening news is also excellent, as is PBS's news hour. Because all of these are in 1080i, the highest quality HD for broadcast television, they look spectacular. Fox, ABC, Fox, MyNetwork, and the CW all broadcast in 720p. Good, but not excellent quality HD.

For cable, if you have CNN in HD, you won't see a better quality HD feed.

As for the rest of cable TV high definition, so much of it is junk. That's why most cable companies no longer charge extra for HD itself. They charge you for digital TV and for the DVR, but the extra charges for the cable company to simply supply you with an HD feed have vanished. And there's a good reason for it. Even after all of this time, we still can't get many non-reality TV shows in HD. (I don't count DIY shows, and all reality shows to be real TV - when I talk about TV shows I mean the real one hour dramas and sitcoms.)

You are not getting what you think you are. It's time you started making some calls.

Survivor Gabon goes High Def

I am not a big fan of "Survivor". In fact, I've never watched it - ever.

But in the interest of full disclosure and in keeping with the mission statement of this blog. "Survivor: Gabon - Earth's Last Eden" premieres September 18, 2008, at 8:00 Eastern.

And for the first time, Survivor will be broadcast in full high definition. In fact, it will become one of the first reality television series produced and broadcast in high definition. CBS uses 1080i as its HD format. No word yet on whether or not CBS will broadcast in Dolby 5.1 surround sound.

Online Class - Conversion to Digital Television - Part 3 - High Definition

In order for a TV station to broadcast high definition (HD) programming they must first be broadcasting in digital. HD is an extension of digital television. Just because a TV station is broadcasting in digital does not mean it is broadcasting HD. And further, just because you have a High Definition TV set doesn't mean that all programming you watch will actually be in high definition.

Two things must be true in order for you to watch high definition television. The TV station (or cable network, which I will get into later) must be sending an HD signal out over the airwaves AND you must have a TV that is displaying high definition receiving that signal.

What is High Definition? A super clear, superior picture with more dots of color to comprise that TV picture than was ever available with analog. There are really 2 types of high definiton. "P" for progressive and "I" for interlaced. You don't need to understand the difference other than "P" puts the image on the screen all at once and "I" put the image on the screen line by line. Television shows are not broadcast in 1080p, really only video games are capable of diplaying this high end of high definition. Television highest dots per inch is 1080i. The other type of high definition picture of TVs is 720p. As an example, the ABC network broadcasts its HD programming in 720p. The CBS network broadcast its HD programming in 1080i. The human eye, under normal circumstances would have an impossible time telling the difference between these two different type of HD. Both are very high quality.

The step-child of 1080i and 720p is "480". 480 is really the lowest number of dots per inch on the screen that you can have and still call it digital. 480i and/or 480p are not high definition, just regular digital TV.

The moral of this story: There are a lot of different kinds of digital TV

Stay tuned for more.

WGME Channel 13 Portland - HD?

Portland's channel 13 - (CBS - WGME) has a very strange definition, to me anyway, of High Definition.

It started a few weeks back with some promos during commercial breaks. WGME touted their new and upcoming HD weather capabilities that would be something "Maine has never seen before".

Then, last evening I was watching something on my DVR that I recorded yesterday afternoon. The weather here was sketchy. Massive, violent thunderstorms, trees down, fires started by downed power lines, just all around chaos. So WGME broke into regularly scheduled programming for a weather updates.

For the first time I heard Charlie Lopresti use the word "HD" as in "HD Doppler". Hmm, HD huh? Well the picture was still in 4:3 aspect ratio (non wide-screen) and the quality of the picture didn't look any different that it usually does (not HD quality).

So what exactly is "HD" about what they are doing. High Definition television is a subset of Digital Television. You need to be in digital format before you can be in HD format. So if your picture is in HD, it is digital; but just because the picture is digital, doesn't mean it's HD.

High Definition means a full 16:9 aspect ration (wide-screen) picture, with full picture resolution at 720p or 108i. Additionally the sound should be in Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound.

I don't know what WGME has planned for the future, but what I saw being touted as HD by WGME was not even close.

It has been long assumed, and I agree, that the first broadcast television station in any particular TV market (in this case the greater Portland/Lewiston/Auburn market) would take the lead in ratings and revenue by the simple fact the people are craving HD programming. And the last piece of the HD puzzle is locally producing HD programming including the local news. So the first one to do it will get the biggest piece of the pie. In the case of WGME, using the term "HD" seems premature. For those of us with HD television sets, you can't fool us. We know what is and what ISN'T high definition.

Don't try and fool us please, it insults our intelligence.

Suzanne Goucher urges consumers to buy a High Definition TV, Why?

I saw Suzanne Goucher, President and CEO of the Maine Association of Broadcasters, on WCSH 6 during the 6:00pm newscast on Sunday, February 17.

She said the while there are ways that consumers can buy just a digital TV or get a converter box and keep their analog TV, the best choice really is to go out an buy an HDTV because the prices were so reasonable now, and the resolution was so good on a High Def TV, you can "see the little hairs on Tom Brady's adorable little chin".

You're kidding me, right? This is what the president of the Maine Association of Broadcasters uses as a reasonable argument for purchasing a high definition television. High Definition is a subset of digital television. HDTV is in a wide-screen (16:9 ratio as opposed to 4:3) format, and has much better sound quality.

The reality is that yes, HDTVs are cheaper than they were. But the investment to the consumer is still several hundred dollars. The "affordable" HDTVs that you can get at Wal-Mart are inferior in quality; for example at my local Wal-Mart I could not find ONE HDTV that could handle resolutions higher than 720p. Most broadcast networks are providing programming in 1080i.

Further, with the possible exception of PBS in Maine, not one local broadcaster can record HDTV programs from their respective networks and play them back in HDTV.

Let me state it more clearly. A network like ABC sends a feed of a high definition broadcast, live, up to a satellite, at which time, the local station (in our case WMTW) can send that same feed out to the public. They can't record it and play it back later, if they don't send it out in HD format them, they never will. That doesn't even mean that they have to, they have the option to.

Also, not one Maine television station has the ability to broadcast its own local news in High Definition. Now keep in mind that the "rule" is that as of 2/17/09, the FCC has mandated that all broadcast television must be in Digital format. Digital format is a clearer, crisper format than the old analog style TV but just because something is in Digital does not mean it is in High Definition. The rule does not apply to cable channels (or satellite channels if you have something like Dish network or Direct TV). Only broadcast television. That means ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, MyNetowk, and the CW.

While I agree that if you are going to buy a new TV you should buy an HDTV. But don't buy one thinking that now, or even as of 2/17/09, every TV broadcast will be in high definition. The TV broadcasting industry is simply changing from analog to digital. You TV will either be OK, or not, depending on how you get your signal; either via cable, satellite, or over the air.

High Definition is the next logical thing you need to think about. However, other than the national morning new shows (Today Show, GMA), one soap opera, SOME prime time network shows between 8pm and 11pm, The Tonight Show, Letterman, and Conan, that's it. The broadcast network and all other programming coming from your local TV stations is NOT in high definition. So if you like watching reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond, you're out of luck. The local TV station will stretch the picture out, or you can do it yourself with your shiny new HDTV, but Raymond was never produced in HD and will never be in HD.

There are several cable stations that are supposedly in HD. Many of them have the same problem I describe above in that most of the shows aren't produced in HD so they obviously can't show them in HD; they can just stretch out the picture to fit the 16:9 ration of your HDTV. Some of these same channels do have real High Definition programming.

So there is a lot of misinformation out there. You need to be careful and ask some questions before you buy anything else you will be very disappointed.

In my humble opinion Suzanne Goucher should be spending her time convincing the local Maine television stations to invest in high definition equipment so they can broadcast their local programming in HD, to invest in equipment that will allow them to play back network television shows that were originally in HD, in HD at a later time, and all of the other things they need to do in order to be considered up to date with current technology. This seems like a better use of time than convincing consumers to spend money to see Tom Brady's scruff, only to find out they may never see it.

Ask the Forum about HDTV - Questions and Answers

Do you have questions about High Definition TV?

If you’ve looked through our site and can’t find your answer, or don’t feel like searching, simply send your question to mainehdtv@gmail.com. We’ll do our best to answer you question as quickly as possible. We’ll send you the answer directly if you provide your email address and post your answer on the blog to help others.

Why do satellite and cable companies say they have 100 HD channels?

This, to me, is the big lie about High Definition TV. There are now, and have been for a while, some very specialized channels that are in HD all the time. There is a network called HDNET which is a good example of this and HDMovies (I believe owned by the same people). You get these channels when you subscribe to the upper end HD package from you cable or satellite provider. There are a few other channels specializing in HD like the National Geographic Channel, Discovery HD, and so forth but this number is very limited.

Other nationwide cable channels like A&E, TBS, the Food Network, etc, claim to be HD channels. However they are still airing lots and lots of programming that is not really in HD but rather reformatted in a stretched out version of the original. Let me state an example.

TBS claims that all it’s programming is in HD. However, all of the re-run, syndicated shows of the past like Seinfeld, Home Improvement, Friends, etc, etc. were never filmed in HD when they were created so they aren’t in HD now and never will be. They may fill up your entire screen if you have an HDTV (16:9 ratio) but the picture will never be in 1080i or 1080p quality. They will simply stretch the picture to fit your HD wide screen but it will still be just as grainy as it ever was when it was produced. Even if the original tapes or digital format still exist, can you imaging how much it would cost to go back and re-engineer 200 episodes for Seinfeld and then redistribute them to every local affiliate that bought the rights to air it?

My advice: WAIT. If you really want an HD TV, get one, but get a UHF/VHF Antenna and pick up as many local programs in HD as you can that way. That’s what I do. When HDTV really comes into its own, then spend the money paying the cable company to receive more programming. In my opinion, it’s not worth it now. I had it all and got rid of it all because all of this supposed HD programming available is, right now, a big Hoax.

Why do I need special equipment to receive High Definition TV?

This is a question I recently posed to Doug Finck from WPME, WPXT.

I have a High Def television (tuner). I use a VHF/UHF antenna to receive over the air HD signals. I don’t have cable TV or satellite. A cable company essentially uses a big antenna to receive signals from satellites and send those signals down the wire to a cable subscriber. If that signal being picked up via the satellite is in HD, what stops it from being in HD when it gets to my house over the cable wire. In other words, if there was no cable box in between the signal and my TV, why would I not receive the signal in HD. Or better yet, does the cable box prevent me from receiving HD or is there something going on in that box that is doing the upconverstion. If the cable box is doing the upconversion, why does the signal need to be upconverted if it originated in HD to begin with. Is the cable company stopping the HD signal from showing up in HD format at your house over the wire so that they can charge you money to upconvert it?

Here is his response. (Warning: Contains some technical information but worth the read)

Good question! Our signal is modulated using an 8VSB modulation system. That is the only approved modulation system for digital TV broadcasting in the US. This modulation system is completely different than the old analog system of NTSC (regular old TV signals) which is why the two systems are completely incompatible. But cable does not send their signals to your house using the 8VSB (or NTSC) modulation system. Instead, cable receives an 8VSB digital signal and converts it to a QAM modulated signal. QAM compresses the 8 VSB signal and makes it smaller. Smaller signals use less bandwidth. The less bandwidth cable uses for each signal they send, the more signals they can send. Your set top box converts the QAM signal back to either an 8VSB for your digital TV or an NTSC signal for your analog TV.

This isn’t the only thing cable does to reduce the bandwidth. They also strip out the sub-channels from digital TV broadcasts. By stripping the digital broadcast signal of its sub-channels and then using QAM modulation to compress the remaining signal, cable is able to squeeze out additional bandwidth in the cable/fiber which can be used for more video channels, telephony, internet, etc. At this point the government has endorsed the practice of stripping and compressing signals as long as the primary signal is delivered and is not “materially degraded” in transit. Satellite uses some sort of compression algorithm as well as a different modulation system but I don’t know which ones. Again, they want to compress all signals and increase the number of signals they can offer. The result to the end user is that a pristine signal coming from a broadcaster is compressed or reduced in size to fit through the cable, then expanded to be recognizable by the TV. These two steps do not improve the quality of the signal and can degrade the quality. For the best picture, use an antenna and watch over-the-air HD. You’ll get the entire signal, uncompressed and just the way it was sent out!

What’s the difference between 1080i and 1080p? Should I buy 1080p or 1080i HD TV?

Some text is quoted from Doug Finck, General Manager of WPXT, Station Manager of WPME.

A more important question is what’s the difference between 1080i and 720p.

That’s because right now and in the foreseeable future, no television shows or movies will be recorded in 1080p. Broadcast, cable and satellite are not capable of delivering 1080p signals (and won’t be in the near future…if ever), the good shows are not going to be created in a format that can’t be appreciated via mass media distribution.

As for the broadcast networks, ABC, Fox, and My Network use 720p, while CBS, NBC, The CW and PBS use 1080i. You would be hard pressed to see a difference between the two.

1080p means 1080 pixels per inch in a “progressive” scan format. 1080i means the same pixels in “interlaced” format. Progressive scan broadcasting offers a higher quality picture so a 720p broadcast is similar to a 1080i broadcast. I’m not going to get into the technical aspect of this but I can tell you that unless you have better than 20/20 vision and you are sitting within 2 feet of your television screen, you don’t even have the chance of noticing the difference between 1080i versus 1080p, or 1080i versus 720p.

There are video snobs out there who call 1080p the only true HD, or Full HD. But does it matter if there is not any programming out there in 1080p and as I said won’t be in the foreseeable future. Broadcasters, cable, and satellite providers aren’t even up to speed on HD in general, let alone full 1080i programming which is the standard and what they are striving for.
Right now, 1080p is only being used for high-end web site video being downloaded (not streaming). The technology, and the need, just isn’t there. And 1080p uses up so much bandwidth over the wires and airwaves that it just isn’t viable in the near future for mass distribution.

Blu Ray and DVD-HD are viable for 1080p but Hollywood isn’t really willing yet to spend the money to get to 1080p.

If you really want to know some details, here’s a formula for determining the optimum screen size and pixel ratio:

The distance you sit from your TV screen determines whether or not you can
see the differences between 720p and 1080i. Specifically, beyond a certain
distance, the human eye and brain cannot see the differences. The formula
for determining that distance is surprising. Take the diagonal
measurement of your HD TV 16:9 screen (let’s use a 37 inch set for example
because that is very common) and multiply that number by 137% (in the case of
our example, that would give you the number 50.69, or just under 51
inches. So, if you are sitting more than 51 inches (or 4 feet, 4 inches)
away from your 37 inch diagonal HD TV, your eye and brain will not be able to
see any difference between the 720p and 1080i image. Most people sit more
than four feet from their TV screen. While a larger screen changes the number (a
50″ screen is “good” only up to 68.5 inches, 5.5 feet) you’re still talking
about distances that are far smaller than the typical living room set up.

I’m getting black bars on my HD TV. What DPI is non-HD?

Even broadcast networks (i.e. NBC, CBS, ABC) that have HD capabilities are not always sending out an HD signal.

Also, most local programming or re-broadcasted programming that originates from your local affiliate (like reruns of ”Friends”) is most likely not in HD either. When not broadcasting in HD (1080i or 720p depending on what network you are watching) stations operate in what is referred to as Standard Definition (SD) mode. That is only 480i. This results in black bars on the side of the picture. The official term for the black bars on the sides of an SD image, is “pillars.”

An SD broadcast (4:3) on a 16:9 display in the “normal” mode will have pillars on the left and right sides. Otherwise the user, or the broadcaster, has the option to “stretch” the picture from 4:3 to 16:9 on their HD TV resulting in fat, wide people. If you see black bars on the sides, top, and bottom of a picture, that means you may be watching an HD program in non-HD mode. So if you have an HD TV, you need to make sure you have set up your TV properly if you know that you have the availability to watch that station in HD. There are situation where, for example Fox Movie Channel, program is shown in letterbox format but the channel is not in HD. This will cause the pillars on the side and on the top and bottom.

Need help setting your HD TV to receive over the air HD broadcasts?

I’ve got a lot of information on this site to help. But if you need some more individualized assistance, I’d be happy to help. Send me an email at mainehdtv@gmail.com .

HD Basics - HD for Dummies - Old TV Sets and Digital HD TV

As of February 17 2009, all broadcasts will be digital. Digital channels have the ability to broadcast High Definition programming. However, if the program is not broadcast in High Def (it’s still digital, just not High Definition), you won’t receive it in High Def even if you have a High Def TV.

TO ME, IT IS ALL WORTH IT; YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT THE HIGH DEFINITION EXPERIENCE.

Viewers who currently get their signals “over the air,” using a rooftop antenna or rabbit ears, will have to make some adjustments. Either they will have to buy digital television sets, or they will have to obtain converter boxes to change the digital signals to analog.If you are a cable or satellite customer, you may need a set-top converter box to receive DTV signals and convert them into the format of your current analog television, even after the DTV transition is complete. A DTV set-top converter box may also receive multicast channels** and high definition programming and display them in analog picture quality. Check with your cable or satellite provider to determine if and when you will need a set-top converter box.

Ask what connectors you need to make sure your new DTV set works with your other electronic equipment (DVD player, digital video recorder (DVR), camcorder, VCR, computer, video games, and other equipment). The electronic equipment you have now should work with your new DTV, but you may need new connectors. Make a list of what you have now and ask your retailer what you need to connect the components.Why are we converting the U.S. television infrastructure? Digital technology delivers a much improved television picture and sound. Less obvious, but just as important, is that converting to DTV will free up parts (bands) of the scarce and valuable broadcast spectrum. The Analog spectrum will be returned to the government (FCC) by television stations. This spectrum will go to public safety services so our police, fire and first responders can communicate more efficiently; and to companies offering advanced wireless services.

The spectrum going to advanced wireless services will be auctioned, with the proceeds going to the U.S. Treasury.** Multicast channels - each digital TV channel is actually made up of four sub channels so you may see them referenced in a few different ways. For example if you receive channel 8, you may see it referred to a 8.1 or 8-1 meaning the first sub channel. The second would be 8.2 or 8-2. However, if a broadcast is in full High Definition (including wide-screen) there is less room left for other programming since HD uses up a lot of the available “room”. DTV comes in several levels of picture quality. The most common are:High Definition Television (HDTV) - this uses up the most amount of space on a 4-sub channel signalEnhanced Definition Television (EDTV) - This is bit lower quality than full HD and uses up less space on a 4-sub channel signalStandard Definition Television (SDTV). This is the basic display and will probably look like what you are watching right now on regular cable TV.If a broadcaster user SDTV they can probably broadcast 4 separate programs at the same time. With EDTV probably 3, and with HDTV probably 1 or 2 at most.Overall -Your current TV will work once the DTV transition is complete but you must have a digital set-top converter box to receive broadcast signals or be connected to a cable or satellite service. This converter box, much like your cable box, will allow you to receive a picture, but it won’t be able to show high-definition pictures or give you access to other digital services. To experience the full benefits of digital television, you will need a digital (preferably HDTV) television set.

High Definition TV without paying Cable or Satellite companies

Click here for more detail about configuring your HDTV:
http://mainehdtv.blogspot.com/2007/12/high-definition-hd-digital-channels-in.html

I am now receiving 6 high definition channels without the need for cable TV. I live is Southern Maine and right now I receive the following:

CBS - Channel 13 WGME - see posting above regarding Digital/HD/UHF equivalents
NBC - Channel 6 WCSH
ABC - Channel 8 WMTW
PBS - Both the National Feed and Maine Public Broadcasting Network
CW - The new CW Network - Channel 51 - WPXT
MyNetwork Portland - The new MYTV network - Channel 35

As for FOX, we do have a Fox station in Maine called Fox 23. They only broadcast in HD to one cable TV company called Time Warner. I’m not sure that’s fair. If you don’t have Time Warner cable, which I don’t in my area, you can’t get FOX in High Def until February 2009 when they won’t have a choice.

That brings me to the fact that all of the details of HDTV - how to get it, what’s REALLY available in high definition, and questions of this type are the details that most of the general public don’t have a clue about.

I actually had to call WGME channel 13 to let them know that they were not transmitting their over-the-air signal in HD format. The gentlmen I spoke to told me that due to vacations and lack of staffing education, someone forget to “switch it over” to full high def at the proper time. The problem was fixed about 15 minutes later. This got me wondering about the kind of manual intervention involved at television stations in order to broadcast in HD. I was also told that broadcasting in HD is more expensive so I have a lot more question about what that really means in terms of the broadcast tower and what is really going on there, but I will need to investigate that separately.

What the station manager really meant was that most television stations have been converted to digital broadcast towers. However, just because their tower is digital, does not mean it transmits in high defition 100% of the time. Also, they get a feed from the network with has to be in HD format before they can even think about transmitting it locally to HD. Even if HD is available and the station decides to transmit it in HD, someone still has to flip the switch at the local TV station. This affects both cable/satellite views and over-the-air views like me.
Doesn’t this all sound confusing? I know, it really is and so few out there know how all of these pieces work together. People think that if they go out and buy a High Definition TV, they’re all set. Well, I’m here to tell you that they are not.

To get HD, I originally went through the my cable company to:
1) upgrade to digitial cable2) pay for the upgrade to a high definition cable box3) buy a high definition television

After all was said and done I had a monthly cable bill that totalled about $118 dollars a month and only received about 12 high definition (capable) channels.

There are only about 6 non-local broadcast channels that broadcast in HD all of the time and they include:
1) HD net2) Wealth TV3) Discovery HD4) National Geographic HD
and a few others I can’t remember right now.

Addtionally you will get one HBO, one Showtime, one Cinemax, and one Movie Channel HD channel IF YOU SPEND EVEN MORE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THESE PAY CHANNELS.

I must admit I got sick and tired of all the money spent and my misunderstanding of the technology and what I am getting for my money. I found out that HDTV signals must, by federal law, send their Digital/HD signals over the air just like conventional television stations signals effective 2/19/09 but most have done this already. Once I found this out, and bought the right antenna for a one time charge of $65, I received the 6 HD channels I first metioned in this post.

I do believe that the cable companies and satellilte companies are intentinalloy leaving consumers in the dark about what HDTV is all about and what’s going on behind the scenes with the technology and what is truly available in HD. One program director from one of my local stations said “we’ve done a terrible job of educating the public on digital/HD programming”. As a result, a lot of consumers are spending money and are not getting what they think they are supposed to be getting.

I’d be happy to talk about this in much more detail with anyone who is interested, please let me know.