HD Locals: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

[Doug Brott]

Please post broadcast issues with DIRECTV satellite delivered HD Local Channels only

DMA: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
Established: 1/3/2008
Rank: 56

HD Locals available in this DMA

ABC - WTEN (10)
CBS - WRGB (6)
NBC - WNYT (13)
FOX - WXXA (23)


For instructions, please visit this thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=137643)

[Mrmiami]

DTV Locals block out and OTA locals from hr20-700 DVR?

While my mom was recording both American Idol and Biggest Loser (while watching) we all sat down to watch AI from the beginning but only to have a Gray screen showup with a message at the top saying Live TV conflict??? We hav always been able to record two programs at the same time and watch one of the ones being recorded from the beginning so what gives now? It this the wonderful NR that was pushed to us last week??? Pretty Pissed that they still can not get the simple things right. All this other crap that they are working on should be put on the back burner until we have a reliable DVR service!!! Increase in price, total BS with this still going on!

[Mrmiami]

Well after I cooled downed a bit I did the red button reset but only after 10PM since the record light was still on for AI and indicated (because it was in the list) that it was being recorded. Unfortunately after the Red Button reset AI was no longer on the list of recorded programs and we lost the whole show. Strange thing was though that even after the reset it still went back to Gray screen and 771 message of searching for signal. Only after punching in HBO channel did the receiver show a picture, then I went back to Fox channel and all was well....still missed the show though. Still this is a pretty big hiccup,blurb,blip, whatever you want to call it on the DVR aspect of things. I would be VERY HAPPY if D* could just have a HD DVR that just did it's job reliably and unconditionally as opposed to Direct2PC,MRV and streaming,which BTW,also works rarely. Before they move on to all the bells and whistle things they should focus on the main function of why consumers went with a HD DVR, to record programs they could not see at that particular time. Oh well, maybe it'll work for us tonight, since I wont be home until 9:30PM or maybe I should dust off my VCR and hook it up. No that wont work b/c Fox has decided to flip the digital switch anyways on the 17th which renders that process obsolete!

[aabrea2]

WXXA 23 Albany - 8/8 and 8/22, FOX baseball game of the week, both dates were Yankees/Red Sox game. The broadcasts had the brrriipps in the audio throughout. Made for a very unpleasant viewing experience. OTA and cable broadcasts of same games were fine. Other WXXA programming is OK. Appears that national broadcasts are a problem.

[aabrea2]

Follow-up to my post from yesterday:

The times of both broadcasts were between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM, Eastern Time.

I emailed WXXA and they said they would look into it.

I called DirecTV support and was told to call back when I see it happening live. I was unable to do so on 8/22 as I was actually at the game in Boston and didn't see the broadcast until I got back to my DVR later that night. Unknown to me, my wife actually did call during the game while she remained at home and DirecTV wasn't much help during the live broadcast as they have asked me to do in the future.

Also, problem shows itself on all of my receivers.

[aabrea2]

Once again, the Saturday 9/5/09 Red Sox-White Sox game on FOX WXXA 23 HD out of Albany was a mess. Audio ahead of video, the brrriiipp's throughout. Also noticing more brrriippp's and digitizing on WXXA 23 during other programs such as "So You Think You Can Dance"

[aabrea2]

The plot thickens -

I had DirecTV at my house today for a receiver issue unrelated to the WXXA 23 HD issue. However, when I brought the topic up, the tech told me that he had just "replaced everything" at another customer last week because of the same problem. That customer has already called back saying that "replacing everything" has not fixed the WXXA 23 HD problem.

I also called DirecTV again about this issue since my post from this morning where the rep told me that the reason the audio and video are out of synch is because I am running through a Dolby Digital home theater system that has a problem. I responded that's interesting seeing as the receiver is cabled directly to the TV and there's not a HT system in the room. I then got the "try the red reset button" speech which I have done, but only effect is to return to the game and inning later, not knowing why the score has changed, and the problem is still there.

Again emailed WXXA and was told that they monitor their OTA and cable output, but not DirecTV's or DISH. Also was told that their engineers have talked to DirecTV but no status is available. I am pinning my hopes that WXXA taking the lead will get this problem solved quicker than DirecTV reps can.

[aabrea2]

Titans-Jets game, 1:00PM Eastern, WRGB HD Channel 6 - Audio bripps throughout the game. Not as bad as the FOX baseball games described above, but enough to be annoying. Audio bripps only, no video synch/delay like the baseball games. Beginning to think there is something wrong on all local channels when there's a national sports broadcast. Didn't call DirecTV because I didn't want to be on the phone being told to do RBR during a tight game.

Emailed WXXA after the last messy baseball game broadcast. Was told by their engineering that there was a problem with DirecTV's "local-into-local collection point in Albany" but there was no ETA on a repair. Don't know if WXXA and now WRGB funnel into same "collection point" but I am beginning to wonder.

[aabrea2]

American Idol, WXXA23-HD (Albany, NY), April 14 and March 24 2010: Completely unwatchable due to lip synch, brrrripps, etc. Called clueless DirecTV support again. They advise they will forward to their engineers "as soon as possible" which means by then problem will not show itself.

Emailed WXXA again where their engineer has taken interest in this situation and will hopefully help move the situation along since me calling DirecTV is getting me nowhere.