WPME's Weeknight Schedule in HD

Portland, Maine's "MyNetwork" affiliate, WPME - Channel 35.1, has an impressive weeknight lineup during prime time.

While the 2010-2011 "Big 3" television season offers some good options like "The Whole Truth" (ABC) and "Hawaii Five-0"(CBS), I can't say, personally, that the new season is all that impressive. Even with Emmy winners like "Modern Family" on the Wednesday Night comedy block on ABC, I find that most of the time, there is still very little to watch on ABC, NBC, opr CBS.

In this economy many people (like me) have had to tighten the belt. HBO and Showtime are gone from my cable lineup (not that I"m missing much from them either).

I enjoy sitting down to a nice cop or law drama, in High Definition. I believe that MyNetwork has found the answer. Right now, WPME is running back-to-back episodes of shows like "Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Without a Trace, Burn Notice, and Monk, during the week in prime time. Each night is a different show - two episodes. Did I mention they are in High Definition. And like "Law & Order" on TNT-HD, these are good shows, well made and well acted. They are an enjoyable alternative to the Big 3 lineup and a much better option than reality and do-it-yourself TV shows in the HD tier of channels.

Give WPME a chance and take a look at their weeknight lineup. Support them if you can.

Thanks for stopping by.

People who own HD want to watch HD - it's that simple

I've been begging for more HD channels and more HD programming for as long as I've owned an HDTV, which is about 3 years now.

My argument has always been that the broadcaster, whether cable or over-the-air, that airs the most HD programming will win the ratings wars. And I was right.


A recent article on MediaPost goes into more details. Here's the link:

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=116495

I firmly believe that the local TV station in Portland, ME, that gets its news on the air first in HD will take over the local market in viewership. The number of households with high definition TV sets is increasing by leaps and bounds every day, even in this economy. Once you get used to it, regular (or SD) television looks, well, crappy. Once you've experienced high definition you will never want to go back to watching regular TV again.

In the article I referenced above, the data shows that even commercials are in the mix. A certain percentage of men and a bit lower percentage of women, but still some women, notice when a commercial is NOT in high definition and have a negative reaction to it.

I knew I couldn't be alone in my viewing habits and now I have proof. I routinely watch programming in high definition because it's in high definition. And I pick the HD programming over non-HD programming every time unless I absolutely have no choice.

What really gets me is when a TV show is supposed to be in HD but isn't. That makes me angry. And that's why I continually call or write to broadcasters to ask them what their problem is.

WGME - Oprah not in HD anymore

It took me a while to figure this one out. But with the help of a friend in the business, and Tom Humpage, the GM at WGME, and CBS Television Distribution, I finally put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Last season, Oprah began producing her show in High Definition. Here in Maine, WGME started broadcasting the show in HD around January of 09. When Oprah began her 2009/2010 season earlier this month, WGME no longer broadcast the show in HD. But WCVB out of Boston still broadcasts the show in HD.

Apparently CBS Television Distribution (CTD) changed the way they send the show through the satellite feed to the stations that broadcast Oprah. CTD used to have a 4:00 HD feed which was picked up by WGME and broadcast in HD. This is called a pass-through. Station like WGME all around the country don't have the ability to record shows in High Definition from a satellite feed and play them back at a later time. But they can do a pass-through. Other larger station around the country, like WCVB out of Boston, have the expensive equipment required to record High Definition programs from a satellite feed and play them back at a later date/time.

Beginning September 10, 2009 CTD eliminated its 4:00 Eastern feed in High Definition. So television stations around the country who can only do a pass-through had to revert back to Standard Definition (SD). Stations like WCVB who can record HD from a feed can continue to broadcast Oprah, and other shows, in HD.

I know it all sounds a bit technical but the bottom line is that WGME, and many, many TV stations around the country, have lost their ability to present syndicated shows like Oprah in High Definition because the syndicator has changed the time of the HD feed to an earlier time, therefore disqualifying stations who can only do a pass-through from being able to broadcast Oprah in High Definition. It is not WGME's fault that this has happened. They did not have a choice in the matter. Network Shows in Primetime are sent via satellite feed to affiliate TV stations at the exact time they should be airing. That's how TV Station without the fancy equipment can broadcast High Definition.

The number of households with High Definition TVs is growing rapidly. Therefore, television shows in High Definition are beginning to get higher ratings than shows not in High Definition. So I'm sure WGME would prefer that things went back to the way they used to be. But again, they have no say in the matter. And viewers have nowhere to complain. I guess you could call your congressperson. Good luck.

Disney HD - wow, what a concept

OK, so Disney HD was added to the HD lineup of Metrocast Cable in the Rochester, NH, and Sanford, ME viewing areas. Big deal. The only reason I am mentioning this is because I promised to keep people in Maine up to date on what I know about High Definition in Maine.

Is this fact important? No. But it gives me an opportunity to point out all of the channels that Metrocast does NOT offer in HD.

The quick list is MSNBC, FX, USA, Bravo, SoapNet, and ABC Family. These are just the more popular ones. Instead we have 23 ESPN HD channels, 28 HD Golf Channels, and I believe 8 different fishing channels in HD. This an exaggeration, of course, but it may as well be true. Instead of giving viewers a variety of choices, Metrocast has decided that they'll just keep adding more and more reality channels. By that I mean no channels that offer drama, or comedy shows. It all just reality TV like basketball, fishing, golf, How-To shows and all that kind of stuff. No "produced" shows.

Now to the real truth. Why a cable operator would go through all the trouble of adding a new HD channel when 90% of the programming on that channel is NOT IN HIGH DEFINITION, I'll never understand. What is the point? When you have the opportunity of adding any one of a number of HD channels that actually broadcast HD programming and instead you add one who's HD library is about the size of the "Gay Studies" section of any library in Chattanooga, Tennessee, WHAT'S THE POINT?

Thanks, Metrocast, for adding Disney HD because the cartoons look so much better.

The many faces of High Definition

It is becoming increasingly more difficult to figure out what television shows are actually in high definition and which are not. So many scenarios and combinations exist that it is difficult to explain how this whole HD thing really works.

Here are some of the different categories and examples:

Filmed with an HD camera, recorded and then played back in HD on a network feed to the local affiliate in Prime Time (shows like Two and a Half Men)
Filmed new on film stock, converted to HD, and then played back in HD (like Desperate Housewives, or CSI - this will become more important later)
Filmed live with an HD camera (show like Good Morning America)

--------These first three are what I call "real HD" ----------------

Filmed years ago on film stock, and then converted as best they can to HD (Seinfeld, and even Hogan's Hero's from many years ago)

Filmed Standard Definition but in 16:9 aspect ratio (wide-screen non HD) this includes shows like The Bonnie Hunt Show (which is also shown on many channels in non-HD, and non-wide screen). Another good example of this is the local News. Most local news is still filmed the same old way it has been done for year. Some stations, however, now have digital video cameras for working in the field. Most are not HD cameras but can film wide screen. The result is a correctly proportioned wide-screen picture, but with the same quality as a 480i or 480p camera. Portable HD Cameras for field work are very expensive. Usually large cities that have TV stations with big budgets can afford some HD field cameras. But most TV stations can not; not yet anyway, and therefore it will be quite some time before your local news is in High Definition.

Of course any of these can ALSO be played back in Standard Definition (a bit grainy and in 4:3 aspect ratio). You'll get the black pillars on the sides of the TV picture when viewing this type of broadcast on an HD set.

Then there is Fake HD - This is where a TV network will take an SD show and stretch it to fit the screen but it is horizontally challenged. When the camera pans left or right, you get a ripple effect that creates sea sickness if it goes too fast. Another trick, which you can see on The Science Channel, is where they re-record a show but zoom in on it. You can tell it's fake-wide screen and fake HD because the producers don't zoom in perfectly when they re-record, so there is a very slight black bar on the side. You almost can't notice it, but it's there. Watch the credits or screen notations; they will be cut off.

It gets very complicated. But your eyes KNOW when a show you are watching is in pure HD. The question arises when you are watching a show and you're not sure it is. If you are not sure, it probably is not in pure HD. So make sure you are getting what you pay for if you indeed are paying. Remember; broadcast TV even in HD is still free. And when you are watching real HD, you just know it, no question.

On top of all of this, you must factor in the television station you are watching and its technology capabilities. Most TV stations (unless in a very large demographic market like Boston or NYC) can not afford the equipment needed to play back HD programming unless the HD programming is provided to them at the exact time they will re-broadcast it. This is called a pass-through. In other words, if Law and Order comes on at 10:00, that it the time that NBC send the HD feed to its affiliates so that the affiliates can pick up that signal and broadcast it back out through their TV tower. These same TV stations can not do that with programming they buy from a distributor. For example, WGME purchased distribution rights from CBS Television Distribution to air Oprah Winfrey. But since CBS Television Distribution does not provide an HD feed at 4:00 pm, WGME can not broadcast the show in HD. The HD feed may have been uploaded at 1:30 pm - earlier that day. However, since WGME doesn't have the equipment to download the HD version of the show and play it back at 4:00 PM, their only option is to record the Standard Definition feed and play that back at 4:00 PM.

Some TV stations are now broadcasting multiple channels. For example, WENH (New Hampshire PBS) broadcast three simultaneous channels - 11.1, 11.2, and 11.3. While 11.1 and 11.3 are High Definition 11.2 is not. The problem here is that there is only so much bandwidth available to the TV station. It's like the Internet. If you have one Internet connection it works fine. If you invite 5 friends over to use that same connection with their computers, it's going to be slower. The same is true for an HD signal. The more programming a broadcaster tries to fit through a pipe, the lower the quality of each picture is going to be. There are differing viewpoints about how much TV a pipe can handle. Two HD broadcasts plus one Standard Definition broadcast from one TV Station is right on the line between no degradation of signal, and mild to moderate degradation of the signal. This is just one more variable in the HD picture (so to speak).

On the flip side, you have stations like HDNet (which is on the premium tier of most cable outlets) who can record, playback, or broadcast live events in full HD anytime they choose. Networks like this were born for HD and were built on HD technology from the ground up. This is not true of most cable networks. Some are beginning to convert now but it will be 5 or 10 years before many of them are up to speed.

I have not wanted to admit this but it will be many years before HD is the norm as opposed to the exception like it is now.

One more thing - you might see someone like Direct TV advertise that their HD is "Full 1080p". Well, there are NOT ANY TV networks, or local TV stations, or cable networks, that are producing shows in 1080p; 1080p is reserved for video games of the very highest quality. So don't let anybody fool you burying an HD TV set that is "full 1080p" unless you plan using an XBox, or PS2 or any other gaming system. In the USA, you MAY get a few video on demand resources in 1080p but they are very, very rare. Europe has a little bit more 1080p available, but it is also limited to Video on Demand and gaming. Regular TV, even in it's finest HD quality, is NOT and WILL NOT be in any format higher in quality than 1080i for many years to come.

I know some of this is very confusing. Is it HD? Is it not HD? Maybe some of you will say "who cares?" For those of us who love our HD, we do care, and want to make sure the public is not being fooled.

The channel to whom I would give my annual prize for the highest quality, high definition video is: CNN-HD. They are not always broadcasting in HD but when they do, it is the finest picture I have ever seen. And I've watched it on many different HD TV sets.

Let us know what you think.

Big changes abound for broadcast networks

Substantial changes in how much programming will be provided to affiliates by the their parent network are on the horizon.

The CW and MyNetwork will experience the biggest changes but even networks like NBC are cutting down on the amount of prime time programming they are providing to their affiliates.

This article from "The Live Feed" blog spells it out. Don't be fooled by the title, it's not just about Sundays.

http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/05/another-step-back-for-broadcast-cw-gives-back-sundays.html

I dreamed a dream of High Definition

As a kid coming home from school, I sometimes hung out with my older sister who would watch General Hospital. In my high school years I was part of the whole Luke & Laura generation. I remember sitting on the living room floor at my house or somebody else's with about a dozen other kids from school. The "Wedding" was a huge deal and still today I believe is the highest rated episode in the history of Soap Operas.

Obviously as the years things changed and I moved on. It was only if I was home on a sick day or after some surgery that I even bothered to check in on General Hospital mostly for nostalgia's sake. I have a running joke with my sister who would ask me what was going on in Port Charles these day (after not having watched it for 8 years) where I would always say "Well, it's later the same day and...." and she just busted out laughing.

My interest in Soap Opera's has waned, of course. I noticed a few years ago, when I first go involved in High Definition broadcasting that "The Young and the Restless" was in high definition and for many years now has been the only daytime soap in HD. Until now, that is.

I was using my Google mail account yesterday and as usual, as record speed. All of a sudden out of the corner of my eye I see some words on the page off the the left, or right, I can't remember. Google delivers content to you that they think you are interested in all the time so I just can't recall at one point these words were thrown at me. It said "Today is the Day, General Hospital begins broadcasting in High Definition". I sort of froze in my tracks. Not because I was interested in General Hospital but because something happened, or is beginning to happen, for which I have been waiting such a long time. Non-prime-time shows are starting to convert to High Definition. A few weeks prior to this I noticed that the late night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" finally converted to HD leaving only poor Craig Ferguson on CBS the only late night show in standard definition (poor Craig, he's the most talented, and funniest, and gets no respect).

When I talk about the "dream I dreamed" it is about a world, someday soon, where High Definition is the norm, not the exception. Right now the ratio of standard definition to high definition, when considering all broadcast and cable television, is astounding. Comparatively, there is very little HD. Other than between 7 and 11 pm (considered prime time), a few morning shows and a few late night shows, that's about it for the networks. Cable channels have some HD programming but most of it is not original programming. Reruns of CSI on A&E in high definition are not ground breaking technology.

The bottom line here is that we are finally turning the corner. ABC has been pretty tight-lipped about the General Hospital conversion to HD and have hinted, but not confirmed, that their other daytime soaps will probably go to HD within the next two years. It is very expensive to do. ABC spent $3 million to convert their sets, change the lighting, redo their on-air make-up formulas, all to ensure that the money they spend on HD is well worth it. It's a big investment but has a big payoff. The only other daytime soap in HD, as I said, is "The Young and the Restless" which has been number one in ratings for many years. Some of that may be attributed to good writing (who knows), but much of if is attributable to the fact the people (especially HD nerds like me) would rather watch ANYTHING in high definition than something else that is not.

So, I can finally see the day where I am not searching for something to watch in High Definition. (And I mean real HD, not the fake HD that many cable stations try to fool us with). I can see the day where HD is commonplace and shows that are not in HD will probably get cancelled because nobody is watching them. It's sort of like how shows that didn't convert to color back in the 60's went by the wayside. Americans are a fickle bunch, me included. Give me the best, or don't give me anything at all. The bottom line is when you spend gobs of money on a High Definition TV set and HD service from your cable company (or even receive HD free over the air), you want to feel like you are getting your money's worth. For years the television industry has been in a conundrum. There weren't enough HDTV's out in the general public to warrant spending the money on it and people weren't buying HDTV (or spending the money on HD services) because there wasn't enough programming that was actually in HD.

That has all changed now. The tides have changed, the sand has shifted. Americans are truly "consumers" and feel that they have to keep up with everybody else. Ergo the spike in HD TV sales in the last few years. While most did not even know how to get HD out of their HD TV set, they bought it anyway. Now there are enough HD TV's out there to make HD worth while for the broadcasters. HD equal ratings. There is nothing stopping the complete conversion to High Definition across the board.

And finally, let's remember not to confuse Digital TV with High Definition TV. Most TV is now digital TV. If you are lucky enough to have a High Definition TV and lucky enough to receive programming in High Definition, that's a bonus. DTV is the baseline. All HDTV is digital. But not all digital programming is HDTV.

Good luck folks. Let me know what you think.

Ellen's Talk Show in High Definition?

I recently saw a post on a web site called "PopCritics.Com" in which someone named Mike declared that Ellen would be in HD starting with her new 2008 season to begin 2/8/08. My response, base on all of the information I have (and my regular visitors will recognize this issue) is was as follows:

I'm not sure I'm convinced. Since Ellen is syndicated, it goes out on a
feed from the production company and/or distributor. If a TV station who airs Ellen, simply accepts that signal and turns around to broadcast it out on its
local channel to the views, it may work. But 99% of television stations don't
have the ability to record, and then playback later, a High Definition program.
That's why you don't see reruns for most TV shows (that appear on other networks
or in a different time slot than the original) broadcast in high definition. I
don't believe that the distributor is going to send a feed out to the satellite
system for every TV station that airs Ellen at a specific hour. Here in New
England, you can watch Ellen on WCVB Channel 5 (ABC) at 9:00 am and then on
Channel 8 (WMTW - ABC) at 4:00 pm. That just accounts for my particular cable
provider. Some people see Ellen at 10:00 am, 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm or in late night.
So as nice as it is that Ellen will produce her TV show in HD, very few will
actually see it in HD. I started a web site almost 2 years ago now that track
all these issues and I have gained several contacts within the industry. Believe
me, I wish for more HDTV, and it has been my quest to get more HDTV on the air.
The most difficult TV shows to go HD will be anything syndicated because TV
stations can't record and play it back in HD. The equipment to do so is
unbelievably expensive and most TV stations imply can't afford it.

How to get more HD Programming in Maine

First of all, if you live in Southern Maine, your cable company may carry the Boston network channels as well as the Portland network channels. Watch the Boston ones. Most are in High Definition for their local news broadcasts, some are producing their own HD programming locally, and some can record and playback High Definition programming apart from the Network Feed.

Not ONE Portland Network Channel can do any of this. In my dealings with the many network affiliates in Portland (ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, CW, MyNetwork, FOX), none of them are even close to the technical capabilities of the Boston channels and to make it worse, I have received communicates from some affiliates General Managers who have said things like "we are only mandated to switch to digital, we are not required to do anything more than that".

Translation: They will do the very least to be in compliance with the laws set forth by the FCC, no more, no less. So if you are waiting to put your new HDTV to the real test, don't look for it in Portland. If you can get the Boston stations, do that. If not, get Satellite and if you can, just try to get the national network feeds, not your local network feeds. You can use you PC or the newspaper to check the news if it's important to you. It's all about ratings which means it's all about revenue. Money talks. If nobody is watching their channels because they are not in HD, then they will have no choice but to change their attitude.

In a recent communication with the NBC affiliate in Portland, I was told that they don't have the capability to broadcast, for example, reruns of HD television shows, in HD. For example, WCSH airs reruns of Law and Order in the afternoon. Law and Order is (and was) originally produced in High Definition. But WCSH doesn't have the equipment to record it and play it back in High Definition. They can only air High Definition programming that is being fed to them from the network during prime time (8 - 11 pm). I was also told that they have no plans to change this through 2009 and beyond. It's not even on their radar screen.

These TV stations don't care about providing the public with an excellent product; they are trying to skate by, doing the least amount of work possible. And there you have it, the new American Dream. Do as little as possible to get by. No wonder we are failing in this global economy.

There are a few exception. My personal opinion is that WPME and WPXT, managed by the same people, are doing as much as possible within their budet constraints to provide an excellent product to the public. They are self-producing a television program aimed at visitors to the state of Maine. The program is broadcast to hotels in the Portland area but anyone with a Digital TV and an antenna (forget cable or satellite) can receive this programming as well. They are thinking outside the box and that's what you need to be successful.

WPME and WPXT get new High Definition equipment

In Portland, the MyNetwork and CW network channels, WPME and WPME respectively, recently purchased new equipment that will help them advance into the next phases of high definition broadcasting.

From Doug Finck, General Manager WPXT-TV (The CW), Station Manager WPME-TV (MyTV)

"We recently purchased two new pieces of equipment. One is a digital receiver that allows us to receive satellite signals that are being transmitted in digital and HD. The second box converts the signal from 720 to 1080 or from 1080 to 720. We have to have that converter box because we have two different transmissions systems here. WPME operates in 720P…because the My Network Television system uses that as their standard (they are a Fox Network and 720P is the official format of Fox channels). Our other station, WPXT operates in 1080i…because The CW uses that as their standard (they are owned by CBS and Warner Bros., and 1080i is the official format of CBS networks). So we have the ability to receive a signal in one format, convert to the other and broadcast it live. This equipment was purchased in order to pass through HD signals from the ACC sports network (we are carrying about 40 basketball games…12 of which will be in HD this spring, and about 20 football games…many of which are supposed to be in HD starting this fall)."

This is great news. With these developments, WPME and WPXT will be in first place in terms of HD technology in the Portland, Maine TV market. They have also purchased equipment and services that will allow them to record and playback HD programming. This is a major step considering nobody else in the Portland market (with the possible exception of Maine PBS) can do this and must rely on a satellite feed from their network (e.g. ABC, NBC, CBS) for direct relay broadcasting (meaning they can only broadcast to you High Definition programming that is coming through from the network in that format AT THAT EXACT TIME). They can't record it and play it back later.

I still have to call the other Portland affiliates on a regular basis to ask them to "flip the switch" so that HD programming from the networks in prime time is actually broadcast to me in high definition. It is that simple. The satellite feed comes to the affiliate who turn around and broadcasts it from their tower to you. If they forget to "flip the switch" the program will only come to in in standard definition. This happens quite often so I call the offending station to let them know that they are not broadcasting in HD. I've written about it several times on this site so I won't go into it here. Feel free to search this site for more info.

Congratulations to Doug, and his team at WPME and WPXT. Cutting edge technology comes with its pitfalls and learning curves but I'm sure they can handle it. I look forward to seeing how they put this new equipment to use.

You won't see your shows in High Definition if there are storm related cancellations

It has been a very long winter here in Maine. It started in early December and it has snowed about every 3 days since then. And the storms haven't been little ones. Typically, we've gotten at least 6 inches or more each and every time it snows.

As a result, the storm cancellations are broadcasted across the crawl on the bottom of the screen. Everything from Bingo at the church, to Meals on Wheels, to schools, to tap dance class gets cancelled. The cancellations go on forever. And they often start in the evening on the day BEFORE the storm is scheduled to arrive.

Every time a television station broadcasts this information, they can't do it in high definition because they don't have the high definition equipment to do it. The same is true for station identification logos (required by the FCC about once an hour or so, or on Tuesday and Saturday evenings when they display the lottery numbers. Any of this type of "interruption" in the normal broadcast picture results in your local television station backing out of high definition (which happens with a jolt to the screen picture) and then back to HD (if they remember to flip the switch again). There have been times when I have had to call the local TV station and tell them that they forgot to put the broadcast back into high definition after a broadcast interruption. There is nothing I can do about the cancellation crawl because that goes on for hours, even days.

In Boston, they have one channel (WCVB - ABC Channel 5) that is in HD all the time. They have the right equipment to broadcast locally in high definition so these issues don't affect them.

As for when our local TV stations in Maine have the same capabilities so that the viewer is not affected by broadcast interruptions, from what I can tell and from the information I have been able to get, there are not plan in the near future for our local TV stations to upgrade their equipment. I think this is a travesty.

Why is it that our PBS stations, in both Maine and New Hampshire, have better High Definition technology than the “for profit” TV stations in our area? PBS depends on public funds and donations. They aren’t exactly rich. But somehow they have put their priorities in order by investing in the future. Never mind that, they invested in the present.

In my opinion, Jeers to all Portland TV stations who can’t seem to set their HD priorities correctly. In one week, it will be one year from the date that all broadcast television must be in digital format. That doesn’t mean everything will be in High Definition, just digital. But you need digital to get to High Definition.

It just doesn’t seem the our local for-profit TV stations are committed to giving the viewing public regular, reliable, High Definition programming. I am glad I don’t pay the cable company for digital and high definition TV because then I would be really upset.

Portland Television Stations have a problem with HD broadcasts

I have written about this subject many times. I have written to my local television stations, posted articles on this blog just to unload how discouraged I am. I don't know who to write to any more.

If you read through this blog you will find many articles describing many versions of the same problem. I receive all over-the-air broadcasts for the Portland, Maine televison market for free. I don't have cable or satellite but I do have an HDTV, and an antenna. So I receive all High Definiton programming broadcast from my local stations for free as well. When I flip through my digital channels, I know based on the day, and the time, what should be in high definition, as opposed to just regular digital (or standard definition). When I know a program should be in High Definition but is not, I call the local TV station in question, I let them know the problem (which boils down to the control room flipping a switch) and move on with my life. My call to the station is not usually well-received. I don't know if it is because they are embarassed that an average viewer with no background in broadcasting and no affiliation with broadcasting is calling them to let them know they dropped the ball, or what.

I have in the last week alone called WMTW, ABC Channel 8 in Portland, WCSH, NBC Channel 6 in Portland, and WGME, CBS Channel 13 in Portland to inform them that their prime time broadcast or a particular program which is supposed to be in High Definition, indeed is not.

I know that if I didn't call, they wouldn't notice. And since I spent a lot of money for a good quality HDTV, I feel I am entitled to as much HD programming as possible. I used to PAY for cable and High Definition. Due to financial contraints, I got rid of all the equipment and services I was paying for and went with the old rabbit ears setup. It works fine and I am fine with getting only the major broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, CW, MYNETWORK) in digital, and therefore HD when available. In my area, we can not get FOX in HD until 2/17/09 but that's another story and you can find information on this subject elsewhere on this blog.

I would be far more upset if I was paying a cable or satellite company a premium to receive High Definition through their services and was not receiving what I paid for. I don't know how the cable or satllite companies would handle a phone call from a customer complaining that the customer wasn't receiving an HD broadcast even though they were paying for it. Would the cable/satellite company call the local station? Well, actually, I do know the answer.

I remember having this problem when I had HD through my cable company. They simply told me that it wasn't their problem, it was a problem at the station and left it at that. So it was still up to me to call the television station. Before I knew the real deal, the television station would just blame the cable company. So I was stuck in the finger-pointing loop and didn't know any better. So in the end, I suspect that the cable or satellite companies would not go to bat for the consumer. I think this is a problem to which there is no answer, except adequate techical ability at the local television station.

My problem is how do I prevent or stop the problem of these local stations not broadcasting in HD when they should be. How can I prevent the situation of me having to call my local stations on a regular basis to first, tell them there is a problem, and second, ask them to FLIP THE SWITCH for HD? Each and every one of these TV stations is an in-state toll call. So it costs me money on top of it. Do I ask for reimbursement? You know as well as I do that asking for that isn't going to get me too far.

I have presented this problem via email to WGME, WMTW, and WCSH to no avail. The problem still happens. I can't believe it is that difficult for them to control. If I, as an average viewer, can figure out in a matter of seconds that there is a problem at the station, why can't they?

Hey, I"m out of work and looking for a job. I'd be happy if they wanted to hire me to sit there and make sure programming was in HD when it was supposed to be. I would even agree to stop writing this blog and stop exposing the problem, if they would just fix the problem.

Response from WMTW re: HD Programming - They still don't know how to deal with the public and don't care much about HD

February 6, 2008
UPDATED: According to an unnamed source, broadcast networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, etc. do not offer more than one type of feed to their affiliates so please keep this in mind when reading this article. It appears, although not 100% proven that WMTW lied in its response and I can only assume that they did not want to admit to cost cutting measures. I gave WMTW one last chance to change their response and they are sticking by their story that their response was accurate and factual

February 4-5 2008

As stated in the previous post, the Sunday night movie from WMTW (February 3, 2008) was not in HD. Other ABC affiliates I contacted that night were all broadcasting in HD.


I wrote an email to WMTW and the first answer I got from Bill Greep, Director of Engineering was, and I quote "The movie "Meet the Fockers" was broadcast by WMTW in standard definition last night".


Well I already knew that and that's why I wrote the email. This was an obvious attempt at dodging the question. I wrote back and asked "If the other ABC affiliates I contacted were all broadcasting the movie in HD why didn't WMTW broadcast it in HD?" to which I got the response: "ABC offered a short version and a long version of the movie, "Meet the Fockers". We aired the long version which was not available in HD."


Once again, I know that WMTW broadcasted the movie in standard definition, I still don't know why so I asked again: Once again, I understand what was aired. I guess I am not asking the question correctly. We are interested in why WMTW made the choice it did to air the non-HD version. If most other ABC affiliates (or at least the ones I contacted in New England) aired the HD version, why did WMTW not air it. Was it a question of money? What is WMTW's committment to offering HD programming to its viewers?


The next response I got from Greep was "Our decision to air the longer version of the movie was simply an internal programming decision...nothing more. "


This still does not answer the simple question of WHY?


So my next step was to write to the General Manager, Ken Bauder, explain all of the questions I asked and the poor answers I received. I am now waiting for a response.


I received a reply from Mr. Bauder stating that in his opinion, Mr. Greep's responses were "accurate and to the point". Further he stated that they do not discuss internal decisions "in the press".


So I wrote back one more time to confirm what I think he was saying. I wrote: "Just to clarify, WMTW did not show Sunday night's broadcast in high definition because you simply chose not to, is that correct." and I am now awaiting a reply.

Mr. Bauder wrote back and said the WMTW had the option of broadcasting a longer version of the movie in standard definition or a shorter version of the movie in High Definition. Obviously WMTW chose the longer version in standard definition.

I have yet to verify whether or not ABC indeed offered affiliates two different versions of the movie. It doesn't make too much sense to me since primetime programming is controlled at the network level, not the local level. I'm not saying it couldn't happen, but I have never in all the work I've done on High Definition programming, ever heard of this. I can not find a place to look at prior TV listing so I can compare whether or not the movie had different movie lengths in different broadcast areas. I know who carried it in HD so if I did find such a source, I could just cross reference.

My suspicion is the WMTW knew it was up against the Super Bowl and decided on its own to downgrade the broadcast to standard definition to save a few buck. I believe they may have assumed that everybody was watching football and no one would notice that "Meet the Fockers" was in standard definition. Well, I noticed and I'm not done investigating yet.

What is going on with High Definition at WMTW?

Since I don't have cable or satellite, I look forward to sitting down and watching a high definition broadcast with my HDTV and my antenna. It's free, and it works (read other articles on this blog if you want to learn how to get HD for free).

On Sunday night, February 3, 2008, I was one of the few not watching the super bowl. So when the movie "Meet the Fokkers" came on on my local ABC affiliate, I thougth, what the heck.

So I turned it on and it wasn't in high definition. I'm used to this. I called the station to let them know to flip the switch (read other articles on this site about how many times I have to call my local affilates to let them know they forgot to flip the switch and allow the broadcast in high definition). The person who answered the phone, Adam, told me that the network "for some reason" did not give them this particular program in high definition.

Hmm. I thought, well, it could be true I guess. So I called an ABC station in New Hampshire and I called an ABC station in Connecticut. Both of them were broadcasting this same movie at the same time slot, from the same network, in High Definition. Now my alarms were going off; something was amiss.

I called back and spoke to "Adam". I told him that other ABC stations were broadcasting "Meet the Fokkers" in high definition. He told me that the network "did not offer this particular movie to WMTW in high definition". I told him that this did not make sense to me and asked how could they be the only station in the area not "allowed" or "offered" one particular program in High Definition????. That makes no sense at all.

I asked Adam who I could talk to to get move information. I identified myself as someone from the Maine HDTV Forum who wrote about HD issues in Maine. He told me there was no one on a Sunday night I could speak to. I told him that I meant in the morning or next week. He understood but wasn't sure who I could talk to. He referred me to someone in Programming or Engineering. I will certainly do that and let you know what happens.

WCSH6 doesn't know if they are in High Definition or not

On Saturday night, February 2, 2008, I had to call WCSH6 in Portland to let them know that their broadcast of Saturday Night Live was not being broadcast in high definition. I asked for the control room when somebody answered. I was asked if I know someone in the control room. I said no, but I wanted to let someone know that SNL was not in high definition. He said thanks and he would let them know. He never asked my name or any contact information whatsoever.

I waited for while and the show was never switched over to HD. I realized that this particular episode could be old enough to not to have been recorded in HD originally. Since they people at WCSH who answered phone rushed me off, and never took my name or any contact information they couldn't contact me to let me know that this episode of SNL wasn't recorded in HD.

So there you go. That's the typical exchange between forum members and WCSH6. I have never been asked for my name in the numerous times I have called them about HD issues. They just say "OK" and hang up the phone.

The "New" CBS Early Show isn't new if it isn't in High Definiton

CBS has lagged in the ratings for their morning show for as long as I can remember. When pitted against The Today Show and Good Morning America, they have never been able to get the right combination of characters and topics to garner much attention.

After January 1, 2008, CBS touted it's "new" CBS Morning Show as the place to be in the morning. They invited us to come and check out their newness.

Well, I did check it out. My first reaction as a High Definition buff is THIS NEW CBS MORNING SHOW IS STILL THE ONLY MORNING SHOW OF THE BIG THREE THAT'S NOT IN HIGH DEFINITION.

So I will make it simple. In the age of new technologies, wide screens, and high definition, if it isn't in HD, it's not new; it is reheated chicken in the microwave.

Response from QVC (Dave King) regarding misstatement about High Def

I received a wonderful email today from Dave King, one of the hosts of QVC, and I must apologize to him as I referred to him as Dan King - sorry Dave !!

Here's an excerpt from Dave's Letter

First of all, let me say that I thoroughly appreciate your taking the timeto write.

While I don't have a web site like you do, I do share your passion forkeeping the public informed about the upcoming transition to digitalbroadcasting on February 17, 2009. Your email prompted me to review the presentation you referred to, and you are correct - I misspoke,substituting the term "high def" for digital at the tail end of thepresentation. Rest assured, it won't happen again.

It is "rule number 1" at QVC to never mislead our viewers, so I will make sure that the Host Team, and our guests, are completely informed regardingthis issue. "

Many thanks to Dave for his email and I will take Dave at his word. I believe he will be diligent about getting the information out to his fellow co-hosts and the public correctly.

Kudos to QVC and Dave King for taking the time to respond to a consumer complain out of the blue.

Unexplained Signal Stenght Problems with HDTV

I've been using a UHF/VHF antenna to receive all of my HD programming over the air for free for well over a year now.

I must admit I have been lucky that I can put my antenna (an indoor model) in one location on the table behind where my LCD HDTV sits and with very little exception, my signal strenght has been phenomenal. I only have a problem when I've been cleaning or something and moved the antenna's position by accident but have always been able to get it back to where all my available stations are coming in clear as a bell.

In the last few days, all of a sudden I have two channels, WCSH-DT 6 and WPXT-DT 51 that won't retain a consistent signal strength resulting in a very aggravating situation where I am standing there playing every so slightly with the antenna angle trying to get these channels to come in. And when I do, I have problems with all of the other channels I get. I was about ready to pull my hair out.

I was watching "Pearl Harbor" last night, which in HD is such an awesome movie. The special video affects and specialized background audio affects in surround sound (the built into my TV kind, not the whole separate speaker package) really make that movie an incredible viewing experience. However, with my signal problems, it sounded like a record with a skip in it or a CD with a scratch on it. The picture would pixelate and block out, and it was so annoying to watch I had to turn it off.

I thought about it for a while and then got down-right determined to figure out the problem; I had always been able to figure it out so I was pissed.

Shazam! I actually found what I did not think existed. A totally different angle/position for the UHF/VHF antenna and all of my signal issues went away. Some signals were stronger than others, but then they were always like that. But I was happy that I was able to get my "perfected" system up and running again.

So, just some advice. Have no fear. If you are using an antenna to get your HD, you will find the right location. Just keep working at it.

Keep in mind that sometimes, signals bounce off of things like walls. In my case the best location for my antenna happened to be pointing it right into a corner of my living room.

WMTW - Channel 8 loses its HD broadcast yet again.

Tonight, Thursday, (January 3) I was flipping through the channels and saw Grey's Anatomy. I immediately noticed that it was not in HD so as usual I called the station and talked to a very nice young woman who knew why I was calling as soon as I started to speak.

She was very nice and though the problem was with the network feed but I did not really think that this was the problem. I saw my picture change slightly as she was switching the input on her end from regular to HD and nothing was happening on my end except a quick flicker. She said she would look into it and thanked me for calling.

Within just a minute or two, the show was back on in HD.

This would be the second time this week that one of our representatives (from the Maine HDTV Forum) called WMTW to point out a high definition problem.

I have written to WMTW in hopes of establishing a better set of checks and balances for the HD signal going out over the wire or airwaves.

The best show you weren't watching: Jericho on CBS

I can't believe that I was not part of the groundswell of activity to bring this show back from the abyss because that is so my sort of thing.

I never missed an episode of Jericho and never even though for one minute that it was in trouble because it was too good. I'm not usually wrong about shows that are good and should be on the air. I'm usually wrong about the one I can't stand that stay on forever, like "Everybody Loves Raymond". Funny? Sometimes but mostly just annoying. Debra is a bitch, Ray is an idiot, they have absolutely no chemistry and no you can't "tell" their characters really love each other underneath it all. But I digress.

Jericho tells a science fiction account of a nuclear attach on the United States. they don't know who did it or for the most part, don't know how broad-reaching it is. They know some of the people in surrounding areas that are still alive but that's about it. The whole premise is a microcosmic look at society and deals with loss, leadership, tragedy, family ties, loyalty, and all of the things that you have to deal with in your lifetime, but under extreme duress. The acting is right on, the cast is fantastic, and while we know it is fiction, it is believable.

When the show returns on February 12, 2008, WATCH IT. This is a show that you should be watching with your older kids. It might be a bit scary for the younger ones. But what a great way to start discussions about what things in life are really important, what you should be afraid of, and how to rely on the people you love to get you through difficult times. The show does not concentrate on terrorism or death (although some people do die from time to time). It's sort of a cross between "24" and "Little House".

So give it a chance. I think if you watch it, you'll understand what I'm talking about and why I like it. Visit the CBS web site if you need more background or don't understand the plot. But trust me, it's not like "Lost" on ABC. You'll follow what's going on.