KFXL Lincoln, NE- picture looks too upconverted.

[sjvirchow]

KFXL is Lincoln, NE's local Fox station. The SD channel looks fine, but the HD channel, even with Fox's own HD content, looks very grainy and up-converted, even if the show (let's say House for instance) is supposed to be in HD. Every thing on the HD KFXL feed has two small blinking black lines near the middle of the screen, almost as if the program isn't being directly uplinked to Dish, but run through something first. The HD content looks like crap, and the SD content looks very much up-converted, even though it's in a 4:3 aspect ratio. The sound isn't very clear either, it also sounds like it's being run through something.

In summary, everything on the channel seems overly compressed. The content that's supposed to be HD is blurry as all hell, and the SD content looks like it's being played off of a VHS tape. It's not a Dish thing, because it looks exactly the same on DirecTV. I'm guessing this is why Time Warner is using KPTM, which is Omaha's Fox station. DirecTV carries KXVO, Omaha's CW station, which is run out of the same studios as KPTM.


Why would a station look as crappy as KFXL does? It makes absolutely no sense.

 

[Jhon69]

KFXL is Lincoln, NE's local Fox station. The SD channel looks fine, but the HD channel, even with Fox's own HD content, looks very grainy and up-converted, even if the show (let's say House for instance) is supposed to be in HD. Every thing on the HD KFXL feed has two small blinking black lines near the middle of the screen, almost as if the program isn't being directly uplinked to Dish, but run through something first. The HD content looks like crap, and the SD content looks very much up-converted, even though it's in a 4:3 aspect ratio. The sound isn't very clear either, it also sounds like it's being run through something.

In summary, everything on the channel seems overly compressed. The content that's supposed to be HD is blurry as all hell, and the SD content looks like it's being played off of a VHS tape. It's not a Dish thing, because it looks exactly the same on DirecTV. I'm guessing this is why Time Warner is using KPTM, which is Omaha's Fox station. DirecTV carries KXVO, Omaha's CW station, which is run out of the same studios as KPTM.


Why would a station look as crappy as KFXL does? It makes absolutely no sense.

Have you contacted the station about your problem?.That is where I would start first,just a suggestion.

 

[papalittle]

he Nebraska locals have always looked bad even the SD channels, Not much can be done because the stations run everything through the telco and no one wants to upgrade their systems.

 

[sjvirchow]

he Nebraska locals have always looked bad even the SD channels, Not much can be done because the stations run everything through the telco and no one wants to upgrade their systems.

No, just this one station. All other local's look fine, it's just frustrating that I can't get any other Fox station (crap OTA reception) and I'm having to deal with crappy picture quality when I shouldn't have to.

Yes I have contacted KFXL, but they never return my phone calls, or emails.

 

[joelwnelson]

Let's just say KFXL isn't a "traditional" affiliate. They're new to Lincoln, for one thing, which is why Omaha's KPTM is preferred on Time Warner. Until 2009, KPTM was served as Lincoln's Fox affiliate as KSNB/KTVG was the central NE affiliate and only carried in Lincoln via a pair of low powered analog repeaters. That said, KFXL really isn't a "Lincoln channel". They're a Kearney channel.

The actual main channel is KHGI 13.2 in Kearney. KHGI broadcasts ABC on 13.1 and Fox on 13.2, both in 720p HD. Thus the picture quality in HD is less than other HD channels, as there's less bandwidth available having two HD programs on the same channel.

KFXL-TV 51 in Lincoln is actually still just a low powered digital SD repeater, despite its "full power" status. And yes, watching it over the air, it really does look like watching something on a cheap VCR. KFXL simply receives 13.2 (via Dish Network, I believe) and then I'm pretty sure it is passed through analog equipment, probably the same as was used for the analog repeaters that used to be on channels 18 and 35, and then re-converted to digital on channel 51.1. There's no Lincoln studio - for a while, there was a sales office on North 48th - but now I think everything is done out of the Kearney area.

Background...

Channel 51 was supposed to be a Lincoln CW affiliate, but after the station had been on the air for a couple years, the owner of KFXL (Pappas... which happens to be broke) opted for Fox so as to keep 10/11 from starting a Fox affiliate in Lincoln, which they intended to do. KFXL doesn't really attempt to be a Lincoln affiliate; it was just a preemptive move as if 10/11 got Fox, then the central Nebraska affiliates KSNB and KTVG (now defunct anyway) would have also lost Fox to KGIN.

Dish and DirecTV originally had KTVG on channel 17, as the Fox station, and KCWL (now KFXL) SD on 51 as the market's CW station. When KTVG shut down and KCWL became KFXL, DirecTV switched to KXVO for CW and I don't think Dish made any changes.

The Lincoln market has to be one of the strangest in the country. In reality, there really is no Lincoln market... it's Omaha and Grand Island. On cable, Lincoln gets Omaha stations plus channels 8, 10, and 12. On satellite, it's the Grand Island area stations plus channel 8, which sometimes can barely be received at Dish and DirecTV's local uplink facility at KHAS-TV in Hastings.

So in the end... there's nothing that anyone can do (except that KHGI should address the black lines on 13.2). "KFXL" is the Fox affiliate for the Central Nebraska market, which includes Lincoln, so Dish and DirecTV aren't going to add KPTM. It is also a subchannel, so doesn't have top picture quality.

Hope that info helps.

By the way: I wrote most of the KFXL wikipedia article - check that for more history/info. KFXL-TV - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[gpflepsen]

I'd move to Omaha, if you know what I mean. Or, put up some sort of antenna to get KPTM. A simple loop made of speaker wire may work, it did for my neighbor until he put a proper antenna in the attic.

 

[joelwnelson]

Depending on where you are in Lincoln, you should be able to get KPTM and KXVO on an indoor antenna. They transmit from Gretna, and I know the tower used to be visible from 84th and Adams in Lincoln on a clear night (could see the flashing lights). In east and north Lincoln, at least, KPTM and KXVO come in better than any of the Lincoln locals.

 

[sjvirchow]

Depending on where you are in Lincoln, you should be able to get KPTM and KXVO on an indoor antenna. They transmit from Gretna, and I know the tower used to be visible from 84th and Adams in Lincoln on a clear night (could see the flashing lights). In east and north Lincoln, at least, KPTM and KXVO come in better than any of the Lincoln locals.

I live very near 84th and Holdredge, however I haven't been able to get any local channels in very well with multiple antenna setups (indoor and outdoor) ever since the digital transition in 2009.

 

[joelwnelson]

In theory a basic UHF antenna should work, as long as it's not in the basement and there are no solid metal objects blocking the antenna's view to the northeast. That's an area where KPTM and KXVO should be very strong, even on a small unamplified indoor. I haven't had an easy time getting any of the VHF channels (8, 10, 12) just about anywhere in Lincoln with an indoor antenna since 2009, but those two channels seem to come in almost anywhere.

 

[sjvirchow]

Well, I was able to pick up both stations, but only if the OTA antenna was positioned exactly a certain way, and it isn't a consistent signal. Darn.

If DirecTV made an exception to market boundaries and added KXVO to it's lineup, what's stopping Dish from doing this?

 

[joelwnelson]

Nothing. Dish has added out of market channels before to fill in "short markets" (i.e. markets like Lincoln with no local affiliate). They just often don't unless it's a "Big Four" network and so they're not going to add a CW affiliate, which is seen as a minor channel. DirecTV also carries the Lincoln MyNetwork TV affiliate while Dish does not.

 

[Mr Tony]

you can try dishquality@echostar.com (I think thats the e-mail) to get in touch with Dish. Just explain the issue and give the channel number (the original Dish one helps.,..not the mapdown one) and the callsign. They've helped me in the past with locals issues

 

[sjvirchow]

you can try dishquality@echostar.com (I think thats the e-mail) to get in touch with Dish. Just explain the issue and give the channel number (the original Dish one helps.,..not the mapdown one) and the callsign. They've helped me in the past with locals issues

Thanks, I'll try that!