Time-Warner Cable: Please Synchronize Your Clocks!

[Gadzooks]

The Time-Warner cable system here in eastern NC recently began inserting local commercials into the national feeds. Nothing wrong with that except the local commercial cue times are about a half-second off from the network's. This creates a rather sloppy segue between network and local. We see about a half-second of a national spot before the local one kicks in.

Back in the day when we manually rolled local stuff during network hours, I would have been called on the carpet the next day if I got that lackadaisical about our on-air signal. I made a point of punching black for a second or so until the local stuff rolled. Surely synchronizing the local clocks with the network can't be that difficult. I have seen it go from just a couple of frames to nearly a full second at times, and it looks like hell on the air. Plus, when they switch back to network there is some severe pixelization. This happens on nearly all the national networks.

I would switch to another cable provider if I could, but TW has the only wire running through this neck of the woods. I know the suits dream of stations that operate on their own with no troublesome humans in the chain of command, but some clock re-synchronization would be nice every now and then.

GZ

 

[jal41]

Re: It's Normal

The Time-Warner cable system here in eastern NC recently began inserting local commercials into the national feeds. Nothing wrong with that except the local commercial cue times are about a half-second off from the network's. This creates a rather sloppy segue between network and local. We see about a half-second of a national spot before the local one kicks in.

It's perfectly normal. Most cable companies' local ad insertion equipment has to recieve the cue tones from the cable network, and it takes a bit to process it. The Weather Channel is the biggest offender when it comes to a delay, mainly because of the additional layer of equipment involved (WeatherStar/IntelliStar computer).

I would switch to another cable provider if I could, but TW has the only wire running through this neck of the woods.

Guess I'm lucky. I have two wires in my neighborhood (Comcast and Klip Interactive. I have Klip).

 

[MarcB]

Very common problem here on Cox Cable of Meriden, CT.

Seems also to be a big problem on WTNH/WCTX, The LIN-TV owned ABC/MY-TV Network affiliates. Must be because they're running the master control for 5 stations at the same time (all out of Springfield) - WTNH/WCTX New Haven, WWLP Springfield, and WPRI/WNAC Providence.

 

[Irishfl]

Been happening here since i've first got cable in the 80's. Sometimes its the otherway around. The local ad will end, and then you see the last half second of whatever ad was on the cable channel itself.

 

[nuzguy]

About to say, it's been happening in the Texas markets forever. Doesn't make the practice any less objectionable, though.

 

[Morgan Wick]

Maybe some of the networks need to send out their cues as the previous ad ends, not as the next one begins. Or if they already do so, then move them back another quarter-second.

 

[Tim-In-Houston]

Same problem with Northland Cable here in Mississippi. I imagine its the same about everywhere.

Now here's a really annoying story along those same lines: A few years ago when I had Dish Network, my roommate and I were watching a Thanksgiving Day "history of business" show on CNBC (may have been a history for the NYSE, but anyway) when a commercial break came up. Dish Network hadn't reset their equipment for the holiday - so when one of their commercials ran over the network feed, it was still squeezed to make room for the stock ticker. You could see the network commercial running in the background in the "ticker" space.

 

[icstephen]

this happens on the sluth channel on Directv...I can't even watch it anymore. the commercial will run past where the show returns and will pop in the middle of a sentance...really annoying.