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WCWG: Do I Hear One Dollar?

D

DubbaDon

The Pappas Bankruptcy is moving to the auction stage according to news reports. There are a 110 reported parties that have expressed interest in all or some of the stations. Bids are due December 4, with the auction being held on December 11th.

Be careful of what you get. TV Licenses are no longer a license to print money; especially when the stations have been run into the ground for nearly a decade.
 
DubbaDon said:
The Pappas Bankruptcy is moving to the auction stage according to news reports. There are a 110 reported parties that have expressed interest in all or some of the stations. Bids are due December 4, with the auction being held on December 11th.

Be careful of what you get. TV Licenses are no longer a license to print money; especially when the stations have been run into the ground for nearly a decade.
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I don't remember where I read it, but someone on this site said WCWG was operating at half power.

I finally found a thread that said they had the best DTV signal in the Triad.

Well, that hasn't been true for a couple of weeks. As an analog station, it had the best signal of any Triad station on a TV I had to throw out in 2000, though that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

With the exception of having to turn to Channel 51 for WFMY because turning to channel 2 always gives me "No Signal", I had no problems with DTV after upgrading on Feb. 21--at least with the Triad stations I can pick up. Or with two Charlotte stations, though the antenna isn't pointed that way and I get those stations on cable. I was having some pixilation problems with the Charlotte UNC station, worse last week than in previous weeks, and "No signal" last night, but the antenna isn't pointed that way.

But two weeks ago when it was windy, I couldn't pick up WCWG clearly for more than a few seconds at a time. Twice I got "No Signal". A movie was ending and I couldn't even see any credits. Just what appeared to be someone protecting me from porn. As the next movie started I could see enough to know I had seen it, so I didn't switch to the analog TV. Which won't be an option in two months. I tried My 48 and no problems at all. But the movie was half over. They normally start at 2.

Saturday night, I watched a movie. Occasional pixilation, and frequent interruptions in the sound that lasted maybe a fraction of a second--occasionally I could even see the picture freeze. The pixilation problems got more annoying as the movie went on.

But that was nothing compared to last night. Incidentally, who would have guessed? The newspaper TV listings didn't even show a pirate movie, and yet the same day after a rescue from pirates was the big story, they show THIS movie?

As the movie started, after I had watched "America's Funniest Home Videos" on WXLV with no problem, "No Signal". Okay, I have to rework everything now. Taping "Kings" is not an option when there is no NBC digital channel. So I'll sacrifice "The Simpsons". Wait, let's see what's on. No problems on WGHP. Oh, I've seen it. Let's make sure Andy Rooney got taped. Uh-oh, it's still on. I thought we were through with sports delays. Oh, wait, this will work. Channel 51. No problems. I'll tape Andy from DTV.

So I watched the movie on cable, but once Andy was through ranting I turned back to WCWG. There was a screen that looked like one of those paintings that hangs in some of the mkore contemporary art museums.

During the evening I tried several more times. If I stood to the left of the remote, I got a perfect picture. But moving to the sofa made it pixilate again. I walked up to the antenna and fiddled with one of the knobs. It was not turned all the way to the right, but that didn't help. Of course, while I was standing right in front of the TV, the picture was perfect.

I made sure I didn't mess up any of my other stations. I didn't. One thing I didn't try was moving the antenna, though I think it's pointed the right way. Besides, the connection is just about to pop out if I move the thing in the slightest. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to plug in. Plus I bent that wire that actually fits in there. I've done that before with the analog antenna and figured out how to fix it.
 
Although I've been gone from WCWG for nearly 2 years - it's my understanding that YES, they are operating their DTV at half power. Looks like they filed the STA to operate at a lower power back in September. I was told by a NOW ex-employee that they were going to use parts off the Analog Transmitter to repair the DTV transmitter - as soon as they shut down the analog service.

The pixelization issue may be related to their choice of SMPTE-310 transport stream - used by Harris. In discussions in the DTV mailing lists, it was revealed that SMPTE-310 introduces jitter in long cable runs. Several broadcast groups replaced their SMPTE-310 based systems with ASI transport systems as a result. Something that WCWG was not in position to do at the time.

Reception issues are only going to get worse as more people cut the cords to cable and satellite because of the economy. Hoping to watch free over the air TV will be a challenge for thousands in the upcoming months.
 
I was trying out this station over the weekend and lost the signal just because a car was going by. My road doesn't get that much traffic but a few minutes later a LOT of cars went by, after I switched to another station. As I walked toward the TV to turn it off, since I keep only one remote--the one for the converter box--that also messed up the signal. I'm not even walking in front of the signal!

I want to hook up the converter box in the kitchen for the last TV that doesn't have it, but I'm afraid to do it. At least in there I can get the WCWG analog signal.

What I don't understand is why the station worked before with no problems.

For CW programs, I watch cable now. At least basketball season is over. Even the Bobcats didn't make the playoffs!
 
QUOTE: What I don't understand is why the station worked before with no problems.

As I mentioned, they are operating a Half Power now, that's probably your issue.
 
New problem: Now it's WXLV that's giving me trouble. And they don't have ana analog channel to go back to.

WXLV has performed the best of the three stations I spent a lot of time watching. Only once did I get a glitch, and it lasted a second.

Over the past few days, pressing a button on the VCR caused pixilation, but I didn't think this was a big deal.

Last night, just walking anywhere in the room caused it. But I sat down, and I got through forty minutes of "America's Funniest Home Videos" with only one glitch, lasting a seond. Then it happened. The picture nearly disappeared, like I was being protected from porn, came back, disappeared again. I don't know why I thought leaning forward would work, but the problem cleared up. It was time for a commercial break and I went to the kitchen. I got back to find a blank screen except for the channel number, "No information provided" in the program section, and those infamous words "No signal". Walking to the left of the remote made the picture come back for some reason, but that was it. I tried My 48 and it was fine. After a month-long boycott of the Charlotte station for threatening to not be carried on cable, I went in the bedroom and switched to that station. On cable. I also watched 'Desperate Housewives" there. I'll have to rethink my taping plans this week, though it's really better if I don't have to keep changing channels. It's just more confusing with digital, and for the longest time I tried to limit myself to "The Simpsons" and other shows on that channel.

The real problem is going to be Thursday. Now the fact is that I would have no problem with WCWG if not for the analog signal still being on. So I can go in the kitchen and watch "Smallville" while taping "Ugly Betty" off cable and "My Name Is Earl" off another TV hooked up to cable. As I watched the beginning of "Stir Crazy" and finally concluded I had seen it. As I should have done yesterday when the My Network station had a movie I had seen. In fact, with basketball season over My 48 might have had a movie.
 
Dang man if you're watching 40 minutes of America's Funniest Videos that would be the source of any other problem.
Cut that out and everything else should be cream cheese. ;)
 
What time of day was this? There was a lot of tropospheric ducting last night; distant signals could have been impacting your reception.

- Trip
 
tripinva said:
What time of day was this? There was a lot of tropospheric ducting last night; distant signals could have been impacting your reception.

- Trip
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Hahahahahah. What are you on the frigging "Enterprise" and Chimp, you absolutely have too much time on your hands to watch all that "crap"..God, Don't make me give you a job!BIG APE!
 
It's called being professional.

Though yes, my name did come from Enterprise, thanks for noticing. :D

- Trip
 
quadraphonic said:
Dang man if you're watching 40 minutes of America's Funniest Videos that would be the source of any other problem.
Cut that out and everything else should be cream cheese. ;)
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I saw the whole thing. The signal quit during the commercial and I just went in the bedroom and turned on the cable channel.

I'm not going to miss it. It's one of my favorite shows. Better than Arsenio's second-rate version which relies mostly on stuff from the Internet, some of which is pretty good.
 
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