Any Cable Systems loosing OTA channels due to the digial conversion?

[Poledo]

My local cable system has it's head end about 50 miles from the local tower farm. Over the last few months I've been noticing changes in the signal quality of the local stations on cable. I'm on the Gulf Coast so ghosting, even on cable, was common over the last 30 years. Now instead of ghosting I'm getting signal drop outs, pixilation, picture with no sound... basically all kinds of digital artifacts on the local channels. Since the cable head end has a 50 foot tower with specifically tuned antennas pointed toward the transmitters, I assume they are getting the digital signal OTA. The reception of local channels is sometimes unwatchable now. This applies to SD and HD channels.
On cable, we have one HD-2 channel that carries NBC Weather Plus. The cable reception of this channel is at best 50/50. Some times it freezes up for 5-10 minutes at a time. It's much worse than the reception of the major networks.
One of our locals, CW, doesn't have an HD broadcast, as they will have to flash cut. The reception of this channel is fine, except that the audio has been tuned too high ever since it signed on (I believe the technical term is clipping).
I'm in the Mobile, Alabama market.
Are people in other markets having similar problems with cable TV?
Could this force cable companies to try to pull in affiliates from adjacent markets to give their customers a full slate of the major networks?
Are any local stations planning on (or already on) putting their signals up on satellites for cable companies to rebroadcast?
I believe most of the local stations are at full power. Will the analog shut down clear up these problems?
I' kinda in the middle of the market. I can't imagine what types of problems people in Destin and Freeport (close to 100 miles from the local tower farm) are having. But I haven't seen anyone else post complaints like this before.
If it makes any difference, these problems occur more often during the local news and less often during network programing.

 

[arnoldevns]

A couple of thoughts here..
1. Your cable company sucks. They shouldn't have this much trouble getting a local signal - even 50 miles away.
2. It is possible that some of the local stations are not operating at full power as they prepare to transition to digital.
In the Dallas area the ABC affilate has applied to drop their analog power from 316kw to 158kw while they build a new digital transmission facility on the tower. That may be some of the problems you're encountering.

 

[jal41]

This is one of those issues about the DTV transition that has yet to be resolved. If people in rural areas that subscribe to cable cannot get local channels, this will be a major problem.

The best solution is to connect to the stations directly via fiber optic cable (as is done in urban markets). However, it is too costly for most rural systems to invest in to run a cable 50+ miles (not to mention the permits and the time needed to install).

One quick solution is to install a DirecTV/Dish Network reciever at the cable headend if that market is covered. I know of one cable company that did this to recieve a channel when some equipment broke.

The major stations in Denver and Atlanta are uplinked to an AMC satellite. I don't know of any others that uplink to (big-dish) satellite.

It might be possible to arrange for microwave links or other methods. One new method is IPTV (using a closed or private IP network - off of the public internet - this is what AT&T U-Verse is). A network could be created to use existing phone or fiber lines, and equipment installed at the TV station studios and cable headend would work the magic. Of course - this costs money, and there would be fights between broadcasters and cable providers over who should pay for it.

Some cable companies may pull in a distant signal via satellite (Denver or Atlanta for example) if they so far away the exclusive rights granted to an affiliate are not applicable where the cable company is located. If the local affilate in a DMA cannot provide a usable signal to a cable provider, those providers have the right to do so (affiliate protection generally extends to the signal, not the DMA).

I don't think many areas will have cable systems without network affilates. If there is, expect a huge battle to extend the 2/17/2009 cutoff date.

 

[kenglish]

Using DirecTV or DISH Network to feed a Cable system isn't really legal.

Sounds like the Cable operators and stations need to get together and check things out. Often, the Cable headend needs to do some antenna work....better antenna, better preamp, some pre-filtering, better transmission line and connectors, etc.

Stations need to be working with Cable, Satellite, and MATV users (and, buying the proper receiving-end test equipment) to get ready. MSTV has a checklist on their website, showing the info that Cable and Sat end-users will require.

 

[MarcB]

Eastern Connecticut cable (which has since been purchased by Metrocast) used to use DIRECTV to bring the Home Shopping Network to its subscribers. The number to place an order on HSN ends in 3100, but on DIRECTV the number ends in 7171. That's how I know they were doing that. Dish Network, (which is what my landlord has where I live) has a different 7 digit number after 1-800 to order from HSN.

 

[Markxxx]

I noticed when I had Comcast back in 2004 when they were converting to digital cable, even on my analog cable I got the pixelation. Perhaps the cable is converting.

Also the stations started dropping out whenever it rained hard. This was on my analog cable. This never happened before Comcast started to convert to all digital. In Chicago Comcast is all digital. They get around the "provide analog" law by giving everyone a free converter box.

 

[JeeperOne]

Using DirecTV or DISH Network to feed a Cable system isn't really legal.

Not only that, but if that's what things have come down to in the OP's situation, the OP him/herself may be better off getting a DirecTV or DISH Network subscription THEMSELVES (And tell the cable company where they can stick their equipment as the OP walks out the door after returning the cable box too).

Alternatively, they could also look into getting one of those C-Band or KU-Band satellite dishes too if they can find a dealer nearby.

Hope this helps....

Cheers

 

[fortmill]

Actually, I believe it is quite legal for cable systems to use Directv or Dish Network to recieve local channels, as long as the cable system is within the channel's DMA. I suspect several cable systems in the Charlotte DMA (including one Time Warner system) use one of the sat services to recieve the very impaired signal of WBTV. In the Roanoke-Lynchburg market, I wonder how every tiny, isolated cable system recieves WDRL, if not via dbs sat. Of course, the cable system (or station) would have to have an agreement and pay Dish or Direct. And that doesn't even consider that the sat local channels are not really technically suited to be distributed on a cable system--very low-definition and pixellated due to compression and other transmission issues.

 

[Poledo]

I don't know the details, but I remember reading about Mediacom cable in Bainbridge, Georgia getting sued for using DirecTV to receive WSB-TV. So there's something "wrong" with a cable system using DBS for local stations.

Perhaps DirecTV and Dish could create a new revenue stream by providing feeds of local stations to cable companies?

 

[tripinva]

Bainbridge is in the Tallahassee DMA. If I were WTXL (ABC for Tallahassee) I'd be upset.

Course, I don't know who sued.

- Trip

 

[jal41]

MediaCom Bainbridge carries ABC affiliates WTXL Tallahassee, WMBB Panama City, and WSB-TV Atlanta. WSB-TV and WMBB must have significant viewership status in order to stay on.

Echostar sued MediaCom in 2004 because MediaCom used a residential account to obtain service and then retransmit the signals. So apparently using DBS (particularly using a residential account) is a no-no.

As part of their DTV upgrade plan, Georgia Public Broadcasting was going to use DirecTV as a backup method to feed their transmitters if the primary link (statewide fiber-optic network) went down. Since the state of Georgia mismanaged that plan, I don't know if they will use DirecTV as a backup method or not.

 

[Poledo]

Bainbridge is perhaps a unique situation. There is a ridge (Curry Hill) between Bainbridge and Tallahassee that blocks OTA reception of the local channels. Most rooftop antennas are pointed toward Panama City. On cable they get the Tallahassee stations, stations from Panama City, Dothan, Valdosta, Albany, and Atlanta. So they get 3 ABCs, 3 CBSs, 2 NBCs, 2 PBSs, maybe more now. Years ago they also got Columbus stations. I've got a house there, on top of Curry Hill, without cable and I can pick up about twice as many network stations than the cable company carries.
I think DirecTV sued Mediacom for using their WSB signal without permission or compensation, but I don't know the details.

Bainbridge is in the Tallahassee DMA. If I were WTXL (ABC for Tallahassee) I'd be upset.

Course, I don't know who sued.

- Trip