Recent pixelation on local ABC channels

[Lbeck]

I thought that there was a thread for local station viewers on this forum, but I can't find it. There are a few threads that I found using the search utility but they are quite old. If this post is better placed elsewhere then let me know.

My most recent problems involved micro-second sound dropouts experienced during local ABC (WTVD) broadcasts that are HD and recorded. I've become convinced that this is a Dish bug being worked on by the technicians, so I've quit worrying and started waiting for a fix.

Now I'm experiencing excessive and more numerous bouts of pixelation on the same channels (HD locals on ABC). It does appear to be worse on the news feeds (Eyewitness News and ABC World News Tonight). But this may be because 75% of my viewing is typically there. But there is a definate correlation. During a half-hour of local news the pixelation occurs maybe every couple of minutes, but I have watched a 2-hour movie on ABC and it doesn't happen at all.

The pixelation that I am seeing is what you would expect from a weak signal, but I check my signal strength (menu 6-1-1) and I'm getting around 45. Not perfect but the same as I always have gotten. Also, my LOS has improved with the trees shedding their leaves, and the problem occurs just as frequent on clear days as rainy ones. In addition to the pixelation the bottom third of the screen will turn totally green for a second or so.

After wrestling with the sound dropout problem for weeks only to find that it is a software issue outside my control, I'm wondering if the pixelation issue is the same thing. Did a search here and couldn't find any mention of it.

Another interesting correlation that I have found with this issue is that the lip-sync problem frequently follows a bout of pixelation. Then, sometimes there will be more pixelation after a couple of minutes and the sync problem disappears or is made better. It's as though someone in the studio or uplink center is messing with the controls to try to fix something and it affects the picture transmission.

Any information related to this issue will be appreciated. I tend to get less frustrated with those things outside my control than the thought that there is something that I can fix (e.g., with better LOS, different or adjusted dish, receiver problems, etc.).

 

[Russell Jorgensen]

I have the same problem

I live in the Milwaukee, Wi. market and have had the same problem with the HD locals here ever since Dish added them. We get NBC, ABC and Fox. All of them have pixelation problems. Some nights are worse than others. I have had my dish alignment checked twice and the installers (one Dish sent, one I paid for my self) can find nothing wrong. My signal strength is strong enough and the dish is pointed right. I can only assume that it is some kind of problem with Dish Network. I had to have a second dish installed to get these locals and they have never worked right. If they are still bad when my commitment is up I am going to drop Dish and switch to a different provider.

 

[Lbeck]

I live in the Milwaukee, Wi. market and have had the same problem with the HD locals here ever since Dish added them. We get NBC, ABC and Fox. All of them have pixelation problems. Some nights are worse than others. I have had my dish alignment checked twice and the installers (one Dish sent, one I paid for my self) can find nothing wrong. My signal strength is strong enough and the dish is pointed right. I can only assume that it is some kind of problem with Dish Network. I had to have a second dish installed to get these locals and they have never worked right. If they are still bad when my commitment is up I am going to drop Dish and switch to a different provider.

I failed to mention it but I get pixelation on the local NBC news feeds also. It's just that I normally watch ABC.

Since you are in a different local market it may very well be a Dish Network problem. Or maybe there are some nuances with local HD feeds that are not present with national programming. I almost never get a problem outside the major networks. Discovery, History, HD movie channels etc. come in free and clear all the time. Is it a transponder issue? Maybe the local channels are given some of the less powerful transponders.

Anyway, thanks for the response. I've considered switching to DirecTV also but will wait for fixes if they are in the works. If it's simply that it is a Dish problem that may last forever then I'll certainly switch. I had better picture quality with my analog CRT viewing than this constant interruption of my HD LCD viewing.

 

[WhitePolarBear]

I live in the Milwaukee, Wi. market and have had the same problem with the HD locals here ever since Dish added them. We get NBC, ABC and Fox. All of them have pixelation problems. Some nights are worse than others. I have had my dish alignment checked twice and the installers (one Dish sent, one I paid for my self) can find nothing wrong. My signal strength is strong enough and the dish is pointed right. I can only assume that it is some kind of problem with Dish Network. I had to have a second dish installed to get these locals and they have never worked right. If they are still bad when my commitment is up I am going to drop Dish and switch to a different provider.

Isn't it true that signals from the local broadcast are transmitted to Dish's uplink center before sending it back to the local viewers? I know the regular broadcast is and I assume HD will be the same. The fact that pixelation only occurs on your local HD channels may suggest some problem with the transmission between your local TV stations and Dish's uplink center. Does it make sense to you?

 

[Lbeck]

Does it make sense to you?

Yes it does. I'd like to hear more about this.

I'd also like to know if others in the Raleigh/Durham market are experiencing the pixelation problem - or not. This willhelp me to determine if the problem is limited to my setup or if it's universal in the market.