DTV Crawl on KFOR-DT
Matt D writes:
Before I simply assume this is just the latest chapter of the KFOR-DT follies, let me ask:
Why is KFOR-DT (4-1) airing a crawl across high-definition shows that says you may need a converter box after February 17, 2009?
If you’re viewing KFOR-DT, either over the air or via cable or satellite, you obviously <em>already</em> can receive digital television, and are prepared for the cutoff. And we all know KFOR-DT drops the HD signal to a very bad facsimile of SD whenever Mike Morgan hears that a puppy sneezed in Amarillo.
So now they have the ability to put up this crawl…and they’re putting it up for the set of people who <em>don’t</em> need to see it?
Are they actually airing it across the HD shows or are they switching to their crappy 4×3 non-SD feed thus interrupting true HD because they have been unwilling to invest in the equipment to overlay weather and other things on top of HD?
Those crawls that appear on top of HD shows are generated by the network, not by the local station. They are a part of the digital feed sent by the network and appear both on the SD and HD feeds and are mandated by the FCC to help inform the public about the Digital Transition. Why they are included with the HD feed is beyond me, because as you say, you would not be watching the HD feed if you didn’t have a digital-capable TV set.
As far as I know, KWTV is the only OKC station capable of running a locally-generated text crawl over an HD picture.
Also see this thread…
http://www.hdtvok.com/2008/04/08/dtv-crawl-on-koco/
The network does not generated the message kfor does! I have kten hd and i check when kfor has the message and kten does not have the message at all at the same time!
Actually, KOCO-DT can generate weather graphics over HD now. I don’t remember exactly when it happened, but I noticed in my Eli Stone recordings.
Also, we have mentioned it here, but KOCO’s weather feed is no long just a radar, but rather they have a service similar to what KFOR has on its second channel.
Dennis
I noticed both those last night during the storms, which leaves KFOR the only station in the metro to not have graphics over HD capability. “Doom/Gloom it’s gonna tornado within 20 minutes Mike Morgan” demonstrated new 3D weather radar technology on the 5 o’clock news (and never used it again all evening), so one would think they would invest in other gear to show a storm map over HD every time there’s a puff cloud in the sky. And don’t get me started about them talking about the storms all the way to Tulsa, well out of their broadcast area, only returning to regular programming after obviously receiving many complaining calls from viewers. Rick Mitchell seemed annoyed that viewers were demanding to see Lost instead of him following a tornado that was at that point north of Tulsa! OK I got started anyway, so sue me.
Thursday night is the biggest recording night for me — My Name is Earl, CSI, and Lost (watching ER live) — because I have been teaching on Thursday nights.
Last night, I watched Lost live and nothing else, even though I was seriously close to the storm path. I deleted all my recordings because as near as I can Lost and Without A Trace were shown in HD.
The crawls are generated by the local station. They are actually a FCC requirement until feb 09.
Thank god for kxii and kten hd but kten is like kfor tv. Storms 200 miles away sd crap with maps but kten is not puke green picture! KFOR Garbage in Garbage out kfor the Garbage channel!
Last night, KFOR left the season finale of Law & Order: SVU in SD to show us there were thunderstorms in Tulsa, a city that apparently no longer has its own TV stations to cover its weather.
Tonight, with no watches or warnings active at all, KFOR has dropped the HD on the season finale of the original Law & Order because—well, your guess is as good as mine. They had a non-watch, non-warning map up during part of Deal or No Deal, but that’s now gone, but the HD is not back.
As usual.
At least Hulu gives us a chance to see it tomorrow without KFOR’s incompetence. I swear Mike Morgan must have pictures of Bob Barry and Kevin Ogle with Britney Spears and Larry Craig.
Amen! Thanks mdeatherage