HD Locals: Syracuse, NY

[Doug Brott]

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

DMA: Syracuse, NY
Established: 9/17/2008
Rank: 81

HD Locals available in this DMA

ABC - WSYR (9)
CBS - WTVH (5)
NBC - WSTM (3)
FOX - WSYT (68)
MNT - WNYS (43)


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

[GreenDice]

Channel:
24 (WCNY-PBS)
Date: 2008-09-17
Description:
Instead of showing the high-def feed from 24-4, it is showing a cropped SD version of 24-1

[GreenDice]

Channel:
68 (WSYT-Fox)
Date: 2008-09-17
Description:
Looks like there are occasional breaks in picture. DirecTv might not be picking up a strong steady signal from the tower. Picture from my OTA antenna is smooth (no breaks).

[billgrayny]

Cnannel 5 HD is out for the past 24 hours with a DTV message displayed, so they obviously know about it.

I am wondering if anyone with OTA can tell me if Ch 5 HD OTA is OK? I am in a no-OTA zone down here. Just wondering if it is the station or the delivery of HD to DTV where the problem lies.

The other Syracuse stations are ok for me.

[KnordRW]

Cnannel 5 HD is out for the past 24 hours with a DTV message displayed, so they obviously know about it.

I am wondering if anyone with OTA can tell me if Ch 5 HD OTA is OK? I am in a no-OTA zone down here. Just wondering if it is the station or the delivery of HD to DTV where the problem lies.

The other Syracuse stations are ok for me.

WTVH is having problems with their digital signal. It's out OTA as well. There's a small snippet about it posted on their website.

[billgrayny]

WTVH is having problems with their digital signal. It's out OTA as well. There's a small snippet about it posted on their website.

Thanks for the info. I never thought to check their website!

[babyzak]

Fox 68 HD
09-22-08
8:15pm

Drop out of picture and sound, sound like sound is stuttering, SD appears ok

Only started during prime time..was ok until 8:00pm

[GreenDice]

Fox 68 HD
09-22-08
8:15pm

Drop out of picture and sound, sound like sound is stuttering, SD appears ok

Only started during prime time..was ok until 8:00pm

It has been getting worse since last week. It is now pretty much a constant problem that is becoming unbearable. Getting my antenna out if this keeps up!

[sulfuric]

Wow the fox feed is just awful. The audio glitching made both of the shows I record completely unwatchable. Now I have to hook my antenna back up just for one channel. they really need to fix this asap.

[KnordRW]

Wow the fox feed is just awful. The audio glitching made both of the shows I record completely unwatchable. Now I have to hook my antenna back up just for one channel. they really need to fix this asap.

Just as an fyi, WSYT has been having this issue with the network shows for MONTHS. As in since the Super Bowl months. There's a long discussion of the ongoing problems on the AVS forum. Last week I recorded the repeat of the season premier of Fringe and it was near unwatchable because of the drop outs. I was hoping that having the channel on D* would eliminate this problem, but from the comments above I'm sure I'm going to be disappointed when I (try to) watch Sarah Connor Chronicles from tonight. I take it from this that D* is just uplinking the ota signal that is still having problems. *sigh*

[GreenDice]

Just as an fyi, WSYT has been having this issue with the network shows for MONTHS. As in since the Super Bowl months. There's a long discussion of the ongoing problems on the AVS forum. Last week I recorded the repeat of the season premier of Fringe and it was near unwatchable because of the drop outs. I was hoping that having the channel on D* would eliminate this problem, but from the comments above I'm sure I'm going to be disappointed when I (try to) watch Sarah Connor Chronicles from tonight. I take it from this that D* is just uplinking the ota signal that is still having problems. *sigh*
I had been watching OTA feed for months and it was not as bad as it is the past days.

[GreenDice]

Channel 5 is back two days ago and is looking pretty good.

[GreenDice]

Apparently, the OTA signal from channel 68-1 (Fox) is OK. The problem we are seeing must have originated from DirecTv. I recorded same program via OTA antenna and DirecTv HD locals and made comparison. OTA signal is perfect.

[billgrayny]

Yesterday during NFL, the early game had audio stutters like crazy. The second game was fine, and then later Sunday night, the stutters were back.

I don't see any video probs - just the audio difficulties which make it unwatchable.

I wonder why the audio issues come and go?

[GreenDice]

Yesterday during NFL, the early game had audio stutters like crazy. The second game was fine, and then later Sunday night, the stutters were back.

I don't see any video probs - just the audio difficulties which make it unwatchable.

I wonder why the audio issues come and go?

There is definitely video problems if you can stand the audio problem and watch it for a longer period. Picture freezes and skips all the time.

[sulfuric]

How is this not fixed yet? The OTA feed is fine. It is still doing it tonight on Sarah Connor Chronicles and Prison Break.

[joebbaseball]

WCNY is fixed. Its just the SD channel unfortunately, but at least its a clean feed and not cropped.
J

[billgrayny]

Ok, it has been a week and a half and it is pretty quiet here on this forum.

Channel 68 continues to be bad for me. Since my earlier post when I said it was ok during some Sunday football, I have been checking more closely and I have to agree, it is unwatchable/unlistenable.

I can't get the OTA to compare, but I assume based on earlier data that the OTA is OK. So what gives with this and will it ever improve?

Fortunately, I still have a waiver for DNS for NYC FOX, but sooner or later they will cut that off on me and then I'll have to watch Eli with this stuttering audio and video!!

Also, Chan 43 shows lip sync issues. I tried all the tricks to get sync and it didn't work. Right now that is not a major issue since I don't really watch the channel.

[GreenDice]

As of today (Oct 23), the audio/video problems on channel 68 are not fixed.

[billgrayny]

As of today (Oct 23), the audio/video problems on channel 68 are not fixed.

On the World Series game last night - it seemed not so bad. I mostly had issues on the commercials. But I agree - it is still there.

[GreenDice]

Personally I hate calling DirecTv. Most, if not all, of the CSRs are only capable only wasting my valuable time.

Did anyone has the patience to call and let them know?

[KnordRW]

Personally I hate calling DirecTv. Most, if not all, of the CSRs are only capable only wasting my valuable time.

Did anyone has the patience to call and let them know?

There is a WSYT engineer that is on the Syracuse/Utica HD forum on AVS forum. I've been posting about this there and he was going to bring it up with D* on his end. I do believe it is related to the ongoing issues that the channel has had over the last year or so with their OTA signal on network shows, as the problem does NOT occur during local programming. They (WSYT) did something somewhat recently so that it doesn't break up OTA anymore, but I have a feeling that the problem is still there, and the D* reciever/retransmitter is choking on something in the bit stream. The engineer at AVS said that Fox tends to transmit their higher-profile shows at a much higher bitrate than some other things, and that may be why some shows (The Simpsons, House) seem to be a bit worse than others, and why live shows (the World Series, NFL) seem to be better.

Hopefully now that someone at WSYT is aware of the problem, they can work with D* to resolve it.

[GreenDice]

...as the problem does NOT occur during local programming. They (WSYT) did something somewhat recently so that it doesn't break up OTA anymore...

Keep in mind that WSYT does not have hi-def local programming which might account for lower bit rates as well. Of course, I only watch their hi-def programming. I really have no idea whether local programming is OK.

The problem is not in the OTA signal. Only DirecTv's retransmission has problems. They probably pick up channel 68 with a coat hanger. I use a $4 radio Shack bow tie antenna and is always perfect. However I am getting sick of watching recorded shows on my phone and laptop.

In any case, thanks for the update. Good to hear someone is on it.

[babzog]

It was all broken up and stuttery last night through House and Fringe. Just horrible.

[pjsauter]

It's gotten to the point where I no longer record anything on 68 anymore. I'll try and suffer through football games. Sometimes it's not too bad, but at other times the audio stuttering is maddening and I have to shut it off. Like greendice, I hate to call DTV, but I did send them an e-mail a while back telling them the the problem was not on the OTA signal and asking if they were aware of the issue. They didn't answer the question, but they suggested that I - you guessed it - reset the box. Since I was resetting the box every other day between 10/6 and the latest software update, I can verify that resetting didn't help.

[babzog]

God.... I was trying to watch Terminator and Prison Break last night.... holy cow, the breakups and stutters and dropouts are just awful! What is going on here?

[billgrayny]

God.... I was trying to watch Terminator and Prison Break last night.... holy cow, the breakups and stutters and dropouts are just awful! What is going on here?

Yes, it is bad. And I just got the phone call that since I now had HD locals I would be loosing my waivered DNS Fox from NYC. (I live in a black hole for OTA so I do have waivers for several of the networks from NYC.) But that will be ending soon and it is not good since FOX Chan 68 from the satellite is definitely not ready for prime time.

I don't know what else we can do. Nothing seems to be happening as a result of our postings here.

[babzog]

I emailed the station and they blamed DirecTV. I emailed DirecTV and they blamed my receiver.

Noone wants to acknowlege the problem.

So I emailed both of 'em pleading for sanity and a resolution (I described how sponsors must not be happy not receiving the exposure for which they're paying, etc). DirecTV was the only respondent... blaming my receiver.

Sigh.

What does it take to get an issue fixed?

[billgrayny]

I emailed the station and they blamed DirecTV. I emailed DirecTV and they blamed my receiver.

Noone wants to acknowlege the problem.

So I emailed both of 'em pleading for sanity and a resolution (I described how sponsors must not be happy not receiving the exposure for which they're paying, etc). DirecTV was the only respondent... blaming my receiver.

Sigh.

What does it take to get an issue fixed?

Yes - this is really BAD. How can DTV be so silly as to suggest it is the receiver when it is only a single channel out of the multitude we receive that has the problem??

And I suspect the station may be correct that it is DTV. I can't receive WSYT OTA but earlier posts here lead me to believe that the OTA signal is not messed up like the satellite signal is.

The moderators put this thread out here, but I wonder if anyone from DTV looks at this - seems not likely. I will be screaming bloody murder when DTV switches off my DNS FOX. Retention will definitely hear from me then!

[GreenDice]

The moderators put this thread out here, but I wonder if anyone from DTV looks at this - seems not likely.

I now think these threads are just for the purpose of us ranting and stress release.

[billgrayny]

The channel 68 disease seems to be spreading. Last night, in addition to WSYT stinking as usual, both WTVH and WSTM were exhibiting video freezes and audio drop outs.

Anybody else see this?

[GreenDice]

I don't recall seeing that but I have not watching TV the last few days. Weather related?

[KnordRW]

I don't recall seeing that but I have not watching TV the last few days. Weather related?

On Thursday I tried watching Survivor. It froze up about 2 minutes in and didn't recover, so I switched over to ota and it came right on. So yeah, looking like D* is having issues with their uplink in Syracuse. I don't think it's limited to HD either, because I was at my in-laws for dinner and we were watching the Titans-Lions game, they do not have HD so it was on the SD channel, and the picture dropped out several times for several minutes during the game.

[inflames72]

phew, i thought it was just me having these horrid problem with fox. like most said, it is impossible to watch sarah connor and house (my favorite show) and with the upcoming skins/giants game, im afraid it's not gonna get any better.

[sulfuric]

Not only is Fox still not fixed, but NBC was out for the last 10 minutes of Chuck and first 10 minutes of Heroes. Just perfect. I have called twice on this already, but its looking like they just don't care.

[babzog]

Fox is still not fixed... trying to watch 24 was horrible. My god... what are these folks not doing that's causing this problem? You'd think it would be fixable...

[billgrayny]

Fox is still not fixed... trying to watch 24 was horrible. My god... what are these folks not doing that's causing this problem? You'd think it would be fixable...

Yes, I have to agree. Chan 68 FOX continues to be terrible with audio stutters and drops and video freezes. I too had extreme difficulty watching 24 last Sunday and Monday.

I was out of town for a long time over the holidays and noticed no activity on this thread, so I got my hopes up that the FOX 68 issues were solved. But much to my dismay when I returned home I discovered it was as bad as ever.

[pjsauter]

I've been able to watch the past few NFL games on 68 without too much trouble, but the evening programming has been unwatchable. I've pretty much given up any hope of watching (much as I've given up on contacting Customer Support; I've tried a few times, just to see if they were even aware of the problem. No answer to that, but I should try resetting the receiver). The people I know who get it OTA haven't seen any problems. Unfortunately, I have a big hill in the way, and would need about a 100 foot tower on my roof to get it OTA.

[bman542]

Fox 68 has been bad since the roll out of HD locals. I've had to resort to using a TivoHD and OTA to record Fox68. :mad:

Bill

[KnordRW]

I don't know if this was just a fluke, or a sign that they have fixed the issue, but Fringe last night was absolutely perfect, not a single audio dropout or hesitation. I was shocked because I hadn't watched anything on Fox since December and it was absolutely horrible back then.

[billgrayny]

Maybe it is getting fixed. 24 on the 19th was much better. It still had short video freezes but no audio stutters.

That is the only programming I watched on 68 so far this week.

Keeping my fingers crossed...

[pjsauter]

Everything I watched on 68 last night looked and sounded fine! I'm cautiously optimistic that it's all set now.

[billgrayny]

24 yesterday (1/26) on 68 had a few video freezes. I think I heard one audio stutter.

So it is getting better, but still not perfect...

[babzog]

Improved yes, fixed, no. Audio is improved somewhat, but there are still video freezes and the occasional stutter. Still find I have to watch with captioning turned on to catch the dialog.

[babzog]

Still no improvement. Sigh. I feel like I'm watching Max Headroom running and gunning instead of Jack Bauer.

[GreenDice]

I agree with everyone here. Improved but not fixed.
However, I can tolerate occasional video freezes and drop outs. Audio stutters, on the other hand, can really kill a show for me. Screeching and screaming sounds just give me headaches every time. It reminds me of the guy who ran his fingers over a chalk board in Jaws.:nono2:

[HDTVFreak07]

Are you Syracuse people still having problems? It seems quiet since February.

[R0am3r]

Are you Syracuse people still having problems? It seems quiet since February.

With the exception of the random D* brrrp issue, the problems have been resolved.

[billgrayny]

Still having audio BRRRPS on most channels and sometimes brief video freezes.

Better than it was last winter, but not perfect...

[rxskier]

For me, FOX 68 either thru D* or 68-1 OTA still have break-ups and audio dropouts. Of course, this only happens on key evening primetime shows. Seinfield episodes after primetime (2200 hrs) are perfect...does anyone really really know whats going on? I have NO other issues with any other channel or D* service. -t

[babzog]

Are you Syracuse people still having problems? It seems quiet since February.

Nope, just have grown weary of complaining. It's still brrrrping, pixellating and whatnot. It's the HD feed. When I was watching the F1 broadcasts over the last few weeks, the HD sections of the feed (produced in-house by Fix/Speed) were pixellized up the wazoo, while the race (in SD due to the F1 worldfeed still not being HD) was fine.

I can only assume they turned on 398 due to the problems with Fox.

[babzog]

For me, FOX 68 either thru D* or 68-1 OTA still have break-ups and audio dropouts. Of course, this only happens on key evening primetime shows. Seinfield episodes after primetime (2200 hrs) are perfect...does anyone really really know whats going on? I have NO other issues with any other channel or D* service. -t

I get issues with other channels such as Versus (where they show the Indy races) pizellizes. Not so much during the race, but during the in-house produced bits. A few other channels still brrp from time to time.

Watching the Torchwood mini-series on BBC a couple of weeks back... brrp every now and again.

[billgrayny]

What is up with channel 5 CBS? It has been out on the satellite for at least 4 days now.

Is their OTA signal down also or is this a hiccup between them and DTV?

At times, I can get ch 390 DNS, but at other times I get the 721 message on that channel.

Edit:

Upon further review I found this on the web - guess it explains things:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/syracuses_wtvh_channel_5_remai.html

[HDTVFreak07]

What is up with channel 5 CBS? It has been out on the satellite for at least 4 days now.

Is their OTA signal down also or is this a hiccup between them and DTV?

At times, I can get ch 390 DNS, but at other times I get the 721 message on that channel.

Edit:

Upon further review I found this on the web - guess it explains things:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/syracuses_wtvh_channel_5_remai.html

Yup, channel 5 OTA has also been out for few days.

[billgrayny]

During the Giants - Chiefs game on channel 68 WSYT this afternoon the video breakups, video blackouts and the audio BRRRRPS were atrocious (again or maybe it is still). I probably had a hiccup every few minutes.

Can one of you guys with OTA tell me how the game was OTA? I suspect the OTA may have been fine and this crappy stuff is a product of too much satellite BW getting eaten up by Sunday Ticket.

It is just horrible to watch - now for one year with no improvement in sight.

[mgmrick]

Yankees playoff game ...horible picture and sound breakups

[babzog]

Watching Fringe.... still get the brrps. Occasional video stutters but the brrps are more annoying.

[billgrayny]

Yankees playoff game ...horible picture and sound breakups

Yep - I agree, very bad. And this was not during a Sunday Ticket time - so it just seems that Chan 68 has issues, unless this is a national Fox problem.

[inflames72]

yep, still getting the brrrrps here also, very annoying. Like someone said, it seems to happen during primetime, or football games.

[KnordRW]

Horrible, Horrible pixelization on WTVH-5 for about 2 weeks or so. I know it's not coming from the station anymore (like it was for a while before that), because it looks absolutely gorgeous both on OTA and on Verizon FiOS. I do know that they replaced their encoder about the same time, increased the bandwidth, fixed the problems that they had been having, and made it look better than it ever has - wonder if maybe D* needs to recalibrate their receiving equipment, and that's the cause of the pix.

[BGummy]

The Syracuse HD Stations are terrible. Channel 3 promised over a year and a half ago that the "My9" Yankee Games would be shown in HD. Well, it still hasn't be done. Looks like I'll be waiting until 2010 to see if they're still not on the job. Plus, on my guide, I'll see something listed in HD on Channel 14 and it's not. Why do they even bother?:mad:

[BGummy]

Yankees playoff game ...horible picture and sound breakups

Tell me about it. It's one reason why I hate seeing FOX broadcast the World Series.:mad:

[TequilaMockingbird]

I found this forum while searching online for answers to our persistent problems with our local HD channels through DirecTV. I was quite surprised to learn how many people are having similar issues to ours.

The worst channel by far is the local Fox HD. This has been going on since we "upgraded" to HD receivers and subscribed to the local HD channels about a year ago. We don't really watch a lot of shows on Fox, but one of our favorites is American Idol. Last year, we noticed a lot of sound drop-outs, brrrrrppps, and pixelly issues, but didn't pursue it once the AI season was over. But when the season started up again in January, the issues were all still there. A couple of times it's gone so far as to have absolutely NO SOUND for an extended period - in one case for two whole segments of the show, then last night, for almost the entire duration of the show.

We've had DirecTV out to check out the system, they make some tweaks to our dish pointing, but it's had absolutely no effect on the problems. They tell us it's an uplink issue, and the problem is with the channel, not DirecTV, or our equipment.

We are fortunately able to test the issue because we have two HD DVR's. We've recorded the same broadcast on both simultaneously, and both recordings will have the exact same brrrrrppppps or drop-outs in exactly the same place in the recording. We've also experimented with recording the national non-hd channel at the same time, and on the West Coast feed, both on the same DVR, and on the 2nd DVR. In either case, the national non-HD feeds do NOT have the same issues as the HD channel.

Our other HD locals also have had some issues - sound drop-outs (I especially recall one episode of Numbers that was entirely without sound); but the Fox channel is the worst.

[sulfuric]

Has anyone else been experiencing issues with abc/wsyr? Setting aside the fact they still refuse to broadcast in 5.1 and the audio is extremely low... For the past few months on all three of my boxes the video has been off. Its almost as if its dropping frames. Playing back recorded shows going frame by frame there are times when it will go 4 or 5 frames before I get a new one. Something is really wrong.

[Indiana627]

So how are the Syracuse locals on D* these days? Still lots of problems with Fox, or have they all been resolved? Any other problems/issues?