Crappy Hotel "Cable" Report - Bedford Park, IL

[KML0224]

Not every station carried in Bedford Park either. I had no WCIU-TV on that lineup. I was curious to see their lineup, too.

 

[BRNout]

You missed Stooge-A-Palooza and Svengoolie! Last Saturday, it was 2 hours of the Stooges followed by Svengoolie's screening of Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisible Man! Even my 18 month old was glued to the TV for that good stuff!

Truly great programming, in the spirit of old-fashioned independent television!

And, no, most hotel "cable" systems around here do not deign to offer WCIU. You're lucky if you get WPWR (My 50) and/or WTTW too. A surprising number of hotels offer neither.

 

[KML0224]

I did receive those two channels though!

 

[PDXREXX]

In Mitchell, SD I stayed at A Super 8
They had the complete Midcontinent cable lineup
plus HBO On ch. 99

 

[ThatManDan]

Motels/hotels that have just a TV without any kind of "box" don't always update the set(s) for channels that get added or moved around. I've found(on sets that one can run the 'scan for channels function) several channels not programmed in at various stays around the country.

 

[willcail]

This is why if I'm traveling that I pack a pocket size SSD or pocket size traditional HD with my new Macbook Air with TV shows and movies. I do have bluetooth and WI FI included with the MacBook Air. I do pack an UV light and sheets just in case.

 

[BRNout]

I did receive those two channels though!

Most of the Holiday Inns and Marriott-chain hotels in this area seem to use a cheap-o version of Direct TV and offer WYCC (our secondary PBS) as THE PBS channel. That's worse than being in Boston and not being offered WGBH. Worse, because WGBX and WENH are both 10 times better than WYCC "Wise TV." My TV seemed to be offered by less than half of the places I stayed in Chicagoland. They also never offer WCIU.

Oddly, price doesn't seem to matter. I stayed in a very nice Springhill Suites downtown with new LCD widescreen TVs (in fake stretch-o-vision in lieu of HD, of course) and only 13 channels (no 11, 26 or 50). They had the damn Golf channel though. They all seem to have that, and some obscure ESPN variants - but lack many of the cable basics.

The comment about the channels not being updated is quite true, by the way. If the TV isn't hooked through a box, I sometimes do the "hunt and peck" method with the remote and can find some extra channels that way.

 

[Tim L]

I recently stayed at the Seneca Niagara Hotel connected to the Casino there in Niagara Falls, NY..I think something like Lodgenet was the provider..Dont remember all the Cable Channels, but we did get 2, 4, 7, 17, 23, 29 and 49 from Buffalo-No Canadian stations and no WNYB-TCT 26 from Jamestown..Though we will get all the TCT we want soon as WOAC-67 Canton, Ohio has been sold pending FCC approval to Total Christian Television..

The Seneca Niagara Hotel was first class all the way..Youd think they could spring for at least 60-70 channels of Time Warner Cable-Western New York

 

[azumanga]

Oddly, price doesn't seem to matter. I stayed in a very nice Springhill Suites downtown with new LCD widescreen TVs (in fake stretch-o-vision in lieu of HD, of course) and only 13 channels (no 11, 26 or 50). They had the damn Golf channel though. They all seem to have that, and some obscure ESPN variants - but lack many of the cable basics.

Strangely, on almost all my trips to Ontario and Quebec, the motels I stayed at offered almost everything on their local cable system but the premiums (these days, everything on analog but the premiums) -- and the motels were average, two-star quality. Last month, I travelled Quebec and stayed at a Days Inn in Trois-Rivieres, a Howard Johnson's in Quebec City, and an Econo Lodge in Montreal near the Dorval Airport -- and all of them offered the full analog lineup available. Strange, however, that all of them offered the widescreen version of Burlington's WFFF (the Fox affiliate) with the sides cut off.

If the TV isn't hooked through a box, I sometimes do the "hunt and peck" method with the remote and can find some extra channels that way.

Though it doesn't work all the time -- in 2007 at a Quality Inn in downtown Bay City, MI, I tried tuning in Montreal's CBMT, which was offered by Charter in analog but not programmed into the hotel's sets (which has no box) -- the TV said that the channel was not available.. The hotel otherwise offered the complete Charter line-up the last time the sets were programmed -- though about every other channel above 13 was blank with snow, and the reception on many channels were awful.

 

[BRNout]

Strangely, on almost all my trips to Ontario and Quebec, the motels I stayed at offered almost everything on their local cable system but the premiums (these days, everything on analog but the premiums) -- and the motels were average, two-star quality. Last month, I travelled Quebec and stayed at a Days Inn in Trois-Rivieres, a Howard Johnson's in Quebec City, and an Econo Lodge in Montreal near the Dorval Airport -- and all of them offered the full analog lineup available. Strange, however, that all of them offered the widescreen version of Burlington's WFFF (the Fox affiliate) with the sides cut off.

Hotels in Canada are a totally different animal than here in the States when it comes to TV. Almost all seem to offer full local analog cable and it's often quite impressive. I recall staying at a relatively cheap Comfort Inn in St. Catherines, Ontario in about 2002 where the cable lineup included the likes of WSBK, KTLA, WPIX and WGN (before they really split off into WGN America). Rarely do I stay in a hotel north of the border and find that the cable is lousy. Even in fairly remote places, you are offered US network stations and a plethora of Canadian ones. Hotel "cable" is very, very good up there.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Though it doesn't work all the time -- in 2007 at a Quality Inn in downtown Bay City, MI, I tried tuning in Montreal's CBMT, which was offered by Charter in analog but not programmed into the hotel's sets (which has no box) -- the TV said that the channel was not available.. The hotel otherwise offered the complete Charter line-up the last time the sets were programmed -- though about every other channel above 13 was blank with snow, and the reception on many channels were awful.

Sounds like that system was wired poorly, or there's something in their hotel system causing that.

Someone who was in the same area fairly recently confirmed for me that CBMT (cable 98) IS available at another Choice Hotel in the region - the Comfort in Midland.

 

[kenglish]

Sounds like the TV was set-up for "antenna" mode, rather than "Cable".

 

[azumanga]

What I meant by "every other channel over 13 had snow", I meant that 14 was on, 15 was off, 16 was on, 17 and 18 was off, etc. This, of course, was due to Charter moving many popular cable channels to digital. This was one instance where the hotel got the full analog line-up AND was crappy, thanks to one of America's worst cable systems.

 

[gr8oldies]

Whereverf I stayed in Terre Haute, IN during the flood of 2008 had the full analog lineup. The only Indy stations available were 6 (ABC) as terre haute didn't have an affiliate, and Fox (59).

 

[PTBoardOp94]

They carried WXIN 59 (from Indy) and not WFXW 38 (from Terre Haute)? How weird.

 

[kc0ltv]

Hello all! I just had a 2 night stay at the Fairfield Inn & Suites hotel, on the Bedford Park, IL side of South Cicero Avenue (IL Route 50) near Chicago-Midway Airport. Here's what little I saw:

0- Welcome Guide
1- Interactive TV 3
2- WBBM (CBS) channel 2 Chicago
3- USA
4- WPWR (MY) channel 50 Chicago
5- WMAQ (NBC) channel 5 Chicago
6- WGBO (UNI) channel 66 Joliet
7- WLS (ABC) channel 7 Chicago
8- ESPN
9- WGN (CW) channel 9 Chicago
10- HBO
11- WTTW (PBS) channel 11 Chicago
12- Interactive TV 2
13- WFLD (FOX) channel 32 Chicago
14- Disney
15- MSNBC
16- ESPN 2
17- CNN
18- CNN Headline News
21- TNT
22- TBS
23- Discovery
24- The Weather Channel
26- Cartoon Network
27- C-Span
28- Golf Channel
29- HGTV
30- Food Network
31- CNBC
32- Travel Channel
33- TLC
34- ESPN News
35- ESPN 2
36- FOX News Channel
37- Hotel Information Channel
39- AUX

NOTES: WBBM looked like it was an off-air pick up because it looked like crap. WFLD was even worse, also seeming to have interference with another station. There was no WCIU-TV (IND) channel 26 or WSNS-TV (TEL) channel 44 at all. ESPN 2 was on this lineup twice, although the graphic had said "ESPN Classic". Strange. I wonder how different things would've been if the digital switchover had fully took place last week? Oh well! While at the airport, one restaurant had on WGN-TV channel 9, crappy analog reception and all.

Looks like a great line-up compared to some motels these days. I stayed at one in Minneapolis that had the local stations (missing a few if I remember correctly)...HBO...WGN...A & E...The Weather Channel...CNN...and get this....ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNEWS, AND ESPN College! That was about it. Oh yeah, but there was stupid overpriced VOD (Lodgenet, I believe).

 

[BRNout]

Looks like a great line-up compared to some motels these days. I stayed at one in Minneapolis that had the local stations (missing a few if I remember correctly)...HBO...WGN...A & E...The Weather Channel...CNN...and get this....ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNEWS, AND ESPN College! That was about it. Oh yeah, but there was stupid overpriced VOD (Lodgenet, I believe).

As a frequent traveler, I see this phenomenon quite often. To paraphrase a commonly used statement "your experience is typical." For some reason, a 13 or 16 channel hotel system will inevitably include about 4 or 5 ESPNs; many of which I don't even subscribe to on my digital/HD cable package at home! And, the damn Golf Channel to boot. Yet, in the process, locals are skipped as are many fundamental basic cable mainstays. That, in a nutshell, is my main gripe.

Just provide me with basic local cable and I am happy. I don't even need HBO.

 

[Tim L]

Just provide me with basic local cable and I am happy.  I don't even need HBO. 
[/quote]

Agreed..I used to say just give me the Basic 75 Channel lineup most people get without a box (We get about that many with Time Warner-Canton, Oh.).  But I'd be happy with 20-25 channels as long as the full-power locals are all there..

 

[BRNout]

Well, that and 3 basic cable channels: Discovery, History and Cartoon Network.

 

[shmee]

i'm staying at the Kahler Inn & Suites in Rochester, MN & they have Lodgenet through Charter Communications... according to the channel guide card in the room

there channel line up is:

2- HBO
3- KIMT (CBS) which has snow on it & says 'hotel info
4- WCCO (CBS) which is blacked out during the day??
5- KSTP (ABC)
6- KAAL (ABC)
7- The CW
8- KXLT (FOX)
9- KMSP (FOX)
10- Local Access
11- QVC
12- KTTC (NBC)
13- KSMQ (PBS)
14- Local Charter Channel
15- WGN America
16- C-Span
17- C-Span2
18- MSN
19- Government Channel
20- Educational Access
21- Weather
22- Educational
23- TV Guide
24- TBN
25- ETWN
26- Shop NBC.. but on that channel its the Big Ten Network.. according to tvguide.com Shop NBC is on channel 971
27- Inspirational
28- Lifetime
29- TBS
30- FS North
31- ESPN
32- ESPN2
33- Speed Channel
34- Golf Channel
35- Outdoorlife Channel.. yes it does say Outdoorlife Channel... which is Versus
36- Food Network
37- Oxygen
38- WE
39- TruTV
40- HGTV
41- E!
42- A&E
43- BET
44- VH1
45- MTV
46- CMT
47- Comedy Central
48- AMC
49- TV Land
50- Sci-Fi which i think is now SyFy
51- FX
52- TNT
53- USA
54- Spike TV
55- TLC
56- Discovery Channel
57- History Channel
58- Travel Channel
59- National Geographic
60- Animal Planet
61- Hallmark Channel
62- Cartoon Network
63- Nickelodeon
64- Bravo
65- Interactive... but it skipps right on to ch. 66
66- ABC Family
67- Weather Channel
68- Fox News
69- CNN News
70- CNN Headline News
71- CNBC
72- MSNBC
73- MTV2
74- Univision


Yes, only 1 movie channel