new distant networks- awful quality??!!

[Greg Bimson]

How was Dish getting fiber from NY and LA all these years if that's the case?

Because Dish Network was selling those channels as local channels as well as distants. So of course the NY and LA stations provided a fibre feed.

Of course NPS/AAD is not using Dish Network's feeds, that would mean contracting with each station for a fibre feed. I just don't see that happening.

 

[makman]

Because Dish Network was selling those channels as local channels as well as distants. So of course the NY and LA stations provided a fibre feed.

Of course NPS/AAD is not using Dish Network's feeds, that would mean contracting with each station for a fibre feed. I just don't see that happening.

Sorry Greg, you are wrong. I emailed Mike Mountford, the CEO of NPS and asked about their plans to improve picture quality. He gave me permission to quote his reply:

Mitch, We are tweaking things all the time and I am sure you have seen improvement over the month. The major hurdle is to get the network feeds via fiber versus the roof top antennas we are currently using. This is in process, but we have been quoted 90 days in normal times, toss in the Holidays and that will probably be a little longer, but it will get done. At that point the picture quality should be the best possible without High Definition. HD is in our plans but we do not have a time line on that yet. MM

Mitch

 

[Greg Bimson]

Well that is surprising. I'm surprised that the stations in question would work with NPS to give them a fibre feed.

 

[makman]

Well that is surprising. I'm surprised that the stations in question would work with NPS to give them a fibre feed.

Why wouldn't they? I am guessing, but I assume that NPS will pay for the fiber feed on an ongoing basis in addition to the installation. If you were the station owner or manager, and you knew your signal was going to be broadcast legally with or without the fiber feed, why wouldn't you sign a contract with NPS and get more income?

Mitch

 

[Clancy]

It was gratifying to me and no doubt others to read the Mike Mountford reply to makman's inquiry about present and future methods of broadcast stations pick ups.
A good sign of an executive that cares.

Maybe Mike Mountford will entertain the thought of offering broadcast stations from additional other areas. You could be sitting on a lot more than you realize Mr.Mountford.

 

[dmmedina]

Does anybody have any updates on the PQ of NPS distants?
Also, a timeframe to get Closed Caption on the San Francisco channels?
Thanks for any info.

 

[KingofKaty]

Does anybody have any updates on the PQ of NPS distants?
Also, a timeframe to get Closed Caption on the San Francisco channels?
Thanks for any info.

They moved the NPS distants to channels 241-248 in the program guide. That was where the NY and LA locals were previously. Picture quality seems to be very good. No more ghosting and multipath. I'd say they were as good as the old distant nets.

I checked, no CC on the SF channels yet.

 

[Jordan420]

While watching the today show from Atlanta on Tuesday there was some ghosting in the feed

 

[MikeD-C05]

While watching the today show from Atlanta on Tuesday there was some ghosting in the feed

Same here on Wednesday morning too.

 

[dmmedina]

While watching the today show from Atlanta on Tuesday there was some ghosting in the feed

Same with me, but much improved from where they started. I do hope they get the fiber optic links soon, I hope this can fix the Closed Caption issue.

 

[MikeD-C05]

They told me that they were working on these fiber optic links but wouldn't say how long till they would be in place. Presently it looks pretty out of focus on most of the channels with the San Francisco channels looking the worst.

 

[odbrv]

Having seen the backhau;s for SF and the WSB Atlanta, it looks like the WSB Atlanta is a downconvert of the HD feed. Cable would look better than the SF distants.

I am watching Price is Right on 243( WGCL Atlanta ). The first 20 minutes was a downconverted HD image and was using less than 1/2 my screen. It also cut off some of the image. Then after 20 minutes it corrected itself and sent the full image. I noticed the same for the Superbowl and Criminal minds last night. For those I switched to the San Francisco feed. I cannot do so for this mornings program unless I wish to wait a couple of hours. Anyone else seeing the same problem??

 

[Darrell S]

I wasn't watching this morning, but I have seen it happen in the past. This is my second time trying these channels. If I fall victim to their current billing bug, (where they lost a lot of subs. CC info), I will probably not bother to call to get them turned back on.

 

[pattib]

Wow, I thought the billing bug just hit me. I was going to bed a couple of weeks ago, I think it was January 28th and noticed my AAD channels gone. I called the customer service number and they couldn't help me since they were only the call center. Next morning I called and they told me that my programming was only scheduled for one month? What? I got them turned back on immediately but that sucks that they wouldn't call or put a notice on the screen.
When I called the call center the previous night the woman I spoke to said a lot of people had called about losing their channels. I thought she meant that the stations were down.

 

[johnnytuinals]

I had the same problem sat afternoon,,,I had noooo stations at allllll...
I called All American Direct and it seemed like it was the first time that they have heard of the problem...
Well Sunday my stations were back,I checked my online Credit card statements to see if a Bill has showed up that I was looking for.....But wiould yea know All American Direct charged me $9.54 for some unknown reason.
Just got off the phone with All American Direct at 11pm Monday Night and the lady said she had nothing being charged to my account for $9.54 within the last few days...She said make a copy and billing will take care of it.....
I really don't care about the $9.54 I told her and just don't want to be charged it every month....As of now my Billing is $7.50 a month,,,wondering how many people are paying more????JOhnnyT

 

[JayStil]

My parents just noticed today that the AAD channels are also being mapped into the 241-248 channels numbers. My mother thought at first that her "old channels were back!" and called me up. She was worried she would be charged by both DISH and AAD.

How did a company, that's court ordered to not be involved with distant nets, manage to give up those channel numbers?

 

[makman]

Why not use those numbers?

 

[MikeD-C05]

Dish let them use those numbers and they are in the same spots as the old New York /L.A. channels were. They are mirrors of the 5000 range that they are also on.