FreeLists / opendtv / [opendtv] Re: Check SAP on FOX during NASCAR Race

[dan.grimes@xxxxxxxx]

JW: So, Herb, is it safe to say you didn't see on WNYW (Fox owned) the
problems
that Dan saw (in previous weeks) on Sinclair's station in Las Vegas?

DG: Actually, KVVU is owned by Meredith Corp.  Are they related to
Sinclair?

JW: I never thought this was a systemic issue, and I have trouble believing
that
Sinclair put out sub-standard signals.  I was hoping there was a loose wire
in Dan's setup that made or broke a connection every time he yelled "yeah"
or some such.

DG:  I was able to do a couple of other tests which show that it is coming
from KVVU that way.  I monitored the SAP off Cox Cable and Off Air and both
were the same and only SAP had the problem (main and mono were fine).
Other programming has the same issues, but not as bad as the NASCAR races.

HO: NASCAR race  -  Monday, June 4, 2007  12:45pm - 1:00pm
Same compliment of audio on all three services - Stereo, SAP, Monaural.
All have complete commentary, music and sound effects.
The SAP channel has about 6 db lower level, reduced frequency response
range and a clipped type tick, tick noise every few seconds which often
correlates with audio edges-say raised voice, etc.

Same observations apply to promo and commercial segments.

Signal path - Channel 5 WNYW Fox station in New York delivered on analog
Channel 5 of Cablevision in NJ.

DG: Thanks, Herb, for checking.  Based on your response, I think it is safe
to reason that the problem lies with KVVU and not Fox.

JW:  There is not a snow-ball's chance in hell that Fox is sending out a
signal
this way, or I would be seeing it when I visit my mother's house (and my
NASCAR-loving brother and sister-in-law are there on race days).

And, millions of people would be complaining.  You need to call the station
and complain.  See what they tell you.  Maybe you need to get the attention
of Sinclair's VP of Engineering.

DG:  I don't have the phone number for the VP of Engineering at Meredith.
Anyone have it?  (If Sinclair and Meredith are related, I do have the phone
number for the VP of Eng for Sinclair; very pleasant and helpful to talk
to).

JW:  P.S.  Here's something that might be in play.  Somebody at the station
has
rigged gear so that they can chose which signal they hear on a speaker (a
NASCAR fan) away from the broadcast.  And, somehow, that signal is making
it
to air.

DG:  I thought it might be for some special feature (Race Trax, etc.) but
since other programming has similar problems, perhaps there is something
centrally wrong.

 JW:  Recording ain't good enough.  You need to watch using a different tv
set
(with SAP, etc) and see in real-time if the problem is related to the
particular VCR or how you record with it.

DG:  Yes, but unfortunately I am always out of the house during the live
races.  But with the rain delay at Dover, I was able to watch it live at
work off of Cox Cable and Off Air.  So now I know it is a live problem and
not a VCR problem.

I did talk to the Chief Engineer at KVVU.  He said it is a direct pass
through from the Fox satellite through Master Control to the transmitter.
He said he was going to check it in Master Control.  I asked if he would
call me back to tell me what he found, but has not up to this point.  But
can there be a direct pass through?  Perhaps they are getting an ATSC
encoded feed, but wouldn't that need to be converted to NTSC for the analog
transmission?  Or does the exciter get the same digital stream and spit out
two signals?  I would think that the Master Control equipment would work
with SDI, perhaps with embedded audio, but would need to go to an ATSC
encoder before the exciter.  But I don't have any experience with a Master
Control for an ATSC transmission, so I cannot speak to this.

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Dan Grimes
Manager of Instructional Production and Engineering
UNLV-TV and the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies
University of Nevada Las Vegas
Box 455007
4505 Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV  89154-5007
(702) 895-0735
dan.grimes@xxxxxxxx
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