Superbowl on the non-HD channel

[mel]

Re: Superbowl on the non-HD channel

So how did the Super Bowl broadcast go for all you lucky HDTV viewers? I assume there were no technical glitches since there has been no posts to this topic since 9:02 a.m. I hope all of you who got it were happy. Perhaps in the long run KGMB and Oceanic can reach a long term carriage agreement.

[alohatim]

Re: Superbowl on the non-HD channel

I really enjoyed seeing the superbowl in HD. Thanks to anyone that had any influence in getting it broadcast!

I had quite a scare though--after turning on the new channel at 8:30, it promptly went off at 8:45! So did all the other channels and my internet connection! I called Oceanic. They said that I am the second person in my neighborhood who called in. If a third person calls, they consider it a localized outage and assign a technician. They would be happy to look into it on MONDAY! But within an hour I saw a truck on the corner and soon the cable came back on. Whew!

I am like you, Larry Price. I also give SD programming less preference and zoom through commercials. I would have been so disappointed if the game today was on SD. SD images just don't look good enough when projected 8' wide.

Maybe this is a dumb question..but can Oceanic get a CBS feed from LA? Why does CBS have to come through KGMB?

[Konaguy]

Re: Superbowl on the non-HD channel

I'm no great fan of TimeWarner Cable. They're not only greedy bastards, but they're CHEAP! We have fewer HD channels available to us than most other cable systems in the country. But in this one instance, I have to side with them.

Actually as far as I understand a lot of the final programming decisions are made in Stamford Connecticut (HQ for Time Warner Cable).Thus Oceanic has very little say in what programming is available here.

[Konaguy]

Re: Superbowl on the non-HD channel

Maybe this is a dumb question..but can Oceanic get a CBS feed from LA? Why does CBS have to come through KGMB?

I think it has to do with copyright and exclusivity KGMB has to provide the CBS feed for Hawaii.Oceanic skirting KGMB would usurp them. Thus it probably wouldn't be legal.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Superbowl on the non-HD channel

I think it has to do with copyright and exclusivity KGMB has to provide the CBS feed for Hawaii.Oceanic skirting KGMB would usurp them. Thus it probably wouldn't be legal.

I don't think copyright is quite the right term, but it's something more like territory. KGMB is the official franchise operator for this area. Same goes for the other local stations and their respective networks.

[LarryPrice]

Re: Superbowl on the non-HD channel

Actually as far as I understand a lot of the final programming decisions are made in Stamford Connecticut (HQ for Time Warner Cable).Thus Oceanic has very little say in what programming is available here.

You're correct. That's what I was trying to say in my post but I guess I didn't make it clear. From everything I've heard, Oceanic's management team out here is actually pretty good as far as being attuned to their customers desires. It's the Time Warner Cable corporate masters that are the problem. Same thing with KGMB and Emmis Communications. The KGMB folks are good, but they're at the mercy of their parent corporation. And since Emmis is getting out of the TV business to focus on radio, and since KGMB is one of the last of their stations left to be sold, they really don't give a damn. So we, the local viewers, are the ones who get screwed as Emmis and Time Warner Corporate each refuse to give an inch.

Any of y'all wanna buy KGMB? Last I heard, the asking price was around $40 million...

[LarryPrice]

Re: Superbowl on the non-HD channel

So how did the Super Bowl broadcast go for all you lucky HDTV viewers? I assume there were no technical glitches since there has been no posts to this topic since 9:02 a.m. I hope all of you who got it were happy. Perhaps in the long run KGMB and Oceanic can reach a long term carriage agreement.

The HD picture and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound were fantastic! Even the 5pm local news looked tremendously better on the HD channel (despite being an SD signal). I did a little flipping back and forth between the HD channel, and channel 87 (the SD digital feed for KGMB). On the HD channel, Guy Hagi's pin-stripe suit was sharp, crisp and clear. On 87, you could barely tell that it even was pin-striped. It just looked fuzzy brown. On the HD channel, you could clearly make out the grain in the wood paneling on the news set, but couldn't see any grain at all on 87. Keep in mind that it was the SD signal on both channels. Clearly, something is amiss on Oceanic's channel 87. I won't even start on the difference between analog channel 7 and digital 87! I don't know whether the problem is with Oceanic's equipment or KGMB's, but something isn't right.

Anyway, I long for the day when KGMB and Oceanic reach a carriage agreement.

[mel]

Re: Superbowl on the non-HD channel

Happiness is bliss Larry! Thanks for the little technical details on the difference between the 2 signals.

In time hopefully Oceanic and all of the local channels will reach agreement on re-broadcast of HDTV signals to cable. Eventually they'll all have to be. The only thing I worry about is increased cost to subscribers for those transmissions. As I understand it, HDTV is an extra cost monthly item for cable TV subscribers.

Will standard definition cable TV go completely away? Probably so if all the stations and networks switch to HDTV, which is supposed happen by 2009 in so far as broadcasting over the air.

[Media Guy]

Re: Superbowl on the non-HD channel

Actually, 2009 is when all stations must be digital OTA. HD is not a FCC requirement, it's an enhancement option. Just all analog tranmissions from FCC broadcast licensees must cease in 2009.