Direct TV oddity at my Workplace

[KML0224]

I work at a Wal-Mart store in the greater Hartford (CT) area. We just recently installed a monitor and a receiver showcasing our future availability of Direct TV after July 1st. Anyway, a few things I noticed tonight:

1- Our locals did not include WHPX-TV (PAX) channel 26 of New London, CT. They are very much indeed a portion of the Hartford/New Haven TV market.

2- Once I put the channel guide up on the screen, something very odd was showing up: KBCI, KAID, KIVI, KTVB, KNIN and KTRV were all listed on the grid. That would be great if we were in Boise, Nampa or Caldwell, ID! How did those channels show up? (By the way, when I tuned to those spots, all I got was snow.)

3- The signal of WFSB-TV (CBS) channel 3 of Hartford was actually about two seconds behind that of WFSB-DT (CBS) channel 33 of Hartford (a.k.a. "3-1"). I had WFSB-DT on a different TV a few feet to my left with an antenna attached to it.

4- I was getting an MLB feed of the Pirates vs. Yankees game from YES Network. It looked like it might've been in HD. That stumped me because when I attempted to tune in a local HD signal (such as WFSB-DT channel 33), I couldn't get a signal. I went to the set-up menu and couldn't see how to get those channels in. HELP!!

 

[shadowman]

> I work at a Wal-Mart store in the greater Hartford (CT)
> area. We just recently installed a monitor and a receiver
> showcasing our future availability of Direct TV after July
> 1st. Anyway, a few things I noticed tonight:
>
> 1- Our locals did not include WHPX-TV (PAX) channel 26 of
> New London, CT. They are very much indeed a portion of the
> Hartford/New Haven TV market.

Neither is WRDM-LP 13 (I know they don't get "Must Carry" rights, but it's a viewable channel in the Hartford DMA. DirecTV an Dish for some reason are not dealing with Telemundo affilliates owned by ZGS Television)

>
> 2- Once I put the channel guide up on the screen, something
> very odd was showing up: KBCI, KAID, KIVI, KTVB, KNIN and
> KTRV were all listed on the grid. That would be great if we
> were in Boise, Nampa or Caldwell, ID! How did those channels
> show up? (By the way, when I tuned to those spots, all I got
> was snow.)

Springfield's WB programming comes from WBZL TV 39 in Miami (on channel 14), instead of using Comcast/Charter WBQT WB 16 Cable Channel or the WB 100+ service!! No UPN, Univision, nor Telemundo affiliates.

>
> 3- The signal of WFSB-TV (CBS) channel 3 of Hartford was
> actually about two seconds behind that of WFSB-DT (CBS)
> channel 33 of Hartford (a.k.a. "3-1"). I had WFSB-DT on a
> different TV a few feet to my left with an antenna attached
> to it.

Same with WSHM LP 67 (listed on Channel 3) for Springfield.
>
> 4- I was getting an MLB feed of the Pirates vs. Yankees game
> from YES Network. It looked like it might've been in HD.
> That stumped me because when I attempted to tune in a local
> HD signal (such as WFSB-DT channel 33), I couldn't get a
> signal. I went to the set-up menu and couldn't see how to
> get those channels in. HELP!!
>

Letter box type? Maybe they used the HD signal and converted it into Analog. NESN Does that at times (while running commercials of their HD service on INHD 2 at Comcast Cable).

 

[fredflintstone]

1. It is the station's responsibility to provide a microwave link of their signal to DirecTV's local uplink point (if a good off-the air picture is not available at that location).

2. Call customer service.

3. The local broadcast signal goes by satellite to DirecTV in Colorado and then is upload to DirecTV's transmitter satellite.

4. In the menu go to Settings - Channels.

 

[rugrats1]

> Springfield's WB programming comes from WBZL TV 39 in Miami
> (on channel 14), instead of using Comcast/Charter WBQT WB 16
> Cable Channel or the WB 100+ service!!

Or the WB station nearest to Springfield, like Hartford's WTXX ch.20, or Boston's WLVI ch.56.

 

[shadowman]

> > Springfield's WB programming comes from WBZL TV 39 in
> Miami
> > (on channel 14), instead of using Comcast/Charter WBQT WB
> 16
> > Cable Channel or the WB 100+ service!!
>
> Or the WB station nearest to Springfield, like Hartford's
> WTXX ch.20, or Boston's WLVI ch.56.
>

That would make sense, but the WB forbids that idea that makes sense, because they want the makets below the top 100 to carry their network on cable using the WB 100+ service, rather than carrying the nearest Top 100 market station. This explain why WTXX nor WPIX (or WLVI) are no longer carried on cable systems in Western Massachusetts. The same should go for DirecTV and Dish Network (they actually offer the WB 100+ service in all their markets below the top 100 TV markets in the U.S.)

 

[KMRichards]

> 1- Our locals did not include WHPX-TV (PAX) channel 26 of
> New London, CT. They are very much indeed a portion of the
> Hartford/New Haven TV market.

Either the owners of WHPX haven't come to a retransmission agreement with DirecTV or the signal is not receivable at whatever location DirecTV is using for that market's locals and WHPX isn't providing a microwave or fiber optic feed to cover it.

> 2- Once I put the channel guide up on the screen, something
> very odd was showing up: KBCI, KAID, KIVI, KTVB, KNIN and
> KTRV were all listed on the grid. That would be great if we
> were in Boise, Nampa or Caldwell, ID! How did those channels
> show up? (By the way, when I tuned to those spots, all I got
> was snow.)

Account misconfiguration; as suggested by another poster, call DirecTV customer service.

> 3- The signal of WFSB-TV (CBS) channel 3 of Hartford was
> actually about two seconds behind that of WFSB-DT (CBS)
> channel 33 of Hartford (a.k.a. "3-1"). I had WFSB-DT on a
> different TV a few feet to my left with an antenna attached
> to it.

The delay is introduced by the time it takes the signal to go up 22,300 miles to the DirecTV satellite then back down the same distance to your receiver.

> 4- I was getting an MLB feed of the Pirates vs. Yankees game
> from YES Network. It looked like it might've been in HD.
> That stumped me because when I attempted to tune in a local
> HD signal (such as WFSB-DT channel 33), I couldn't get a
> signal. I went to the set-up menu and couldn't see how to
> get those channels in. HELP!!

DirecTV does not, as of yet, carry HDTV locals.
<P ID="signature">______________


</P>

 

[toby]

> > 1- Our locals did not include WHPX-TV (PAX) channel 26 of
> > New London, CT. They are very much indeed a portion of the
>
> > Hartford/New Haven TV market.
>
> Either the owners of WHPX haven't come to a retransmission
> agreement with DirecTV or the signal is not receivable at
> whatever location DirecTV is using for that market's locals
> and WHPX isn't providing a microwave or fiber optic feed to
> cover it.

For what its worth, WPXN, New York looks like its feed is off air via a pair of rabbit ears, there is all sorts of ghosting problems. But who cares, its PAX.<P ID="signature">______________
WCBS = We're Crazy Buffoons and Schmucks
<a href=http://chuck.spotteddogs.org/tv/>Spotted Dog TV Talk - for all your non-news TV Talk</a></P>

 

[moedog1]

> > 1- Our locals did not include WHPX-TV (PAX) channel 26 of
> > New London, CT. They are very much indeed a portion of the
>
> > Hartford/New Haven TV market.
>
> Either the owners of WHPX haven't come to a retransmission
> agreement with DirecTV or the signal is not receivable at
> whatever location DirecTV is using for that market's locals
> and WHPX isn't providing a microwave or fiber optic feed to
> cover it.
WHPX is owned by PAX. Very few PAX O&Os are on Direct or Dish because PAX opted to have both sat operators present a national feed of PAX programing, available to all subscribers, rather than insist that their "local" stations be carried on LIL. Certainly no loss to viewers considering the extreme poor quality of the network and their local stations, and the sat services gained more capacity for more locals.