Post by Skaggs on Jan 18, 2005 10:05:26 GMT -5
Super Bowl TV coverage won't be high-definition
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
By William LaRue, Post-Standard Staff writer
Fox affiliate WSYT-TV (Channel 68) says it has no trick plays up its sleeve to deliver a high-definition signal of this year's Super Bowl.
Because of construction delays, Channel 68's HDTV transmitter won't be up and running until the middle of this year, according to Aaron Olander, general manager of the station.
He also ruled out WSYT feeding Fox's HDTV broadcast of the Feb. 6 football game directly to Time Warner Cable subscribers. WSYT owner Sinclair Broadcasting hasn't yet reached an agreement for the cable company to retransmit its HDTV signal.
"Nor do I anticipate that happening" before the Super Bowl, Olander says. "That's an issue between Time Warner corporate and our corporate. It's not negotiated on a station level."
One optionfor viewers west of Syracuse is using an antenna to tune in the HDTV signal of Rochester's Fox affiliate, WUHF-DT (Channel 28), says Jon Warner, owner of RochesterHDTV.com, an Internet site devoted to discussion of high-definition TV issues in Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse.
Warner adds the Super Bowl is worth the effort to watch it in HDTV, which provides super-crisp video and CD-quality sound to those with digital TV sets.
"Ask anyone who has seen a football game in high definition," he says. "You see more of the field and players. Everything is sharper. HDTV also provides for surround sound. With football that means you feel like you're in the stadium."
Last year,for the first time, the National Football League championship game appeared in high definition in Syracuse. WTVH-TV (Channel 5) began broadcasting in HDTV just three days before the game aired on CBS. Time Warner immediately added Channel 5's HDTV signal to Channel 855.
Jeff Unaitis, spokesman for Time Warner, says the cable company is eager to carry as many high-definition signals as it can.
"If WSYT had been able to get its high-definition signal on the air, we certainly would have it in the lineup by now," he says. "We're getting calls from customers asking why we can't provide it (the Super Bowl) in HDTV, without them understanding it's not our place to do so."
Time Warner is prohibited by federal regulations from offering its Syracuse customers a high-definition Fox signal from another city, Unaitis says.
WSYT beganbroadcasting a low-power digital signal in fall 2002 on Channel 19, but the transmitter does not carry HDTV programming.
Olander says WSYT's sister station, WB affiliate WNYS-TV (Channel 43), will also begin transmitting this summer in HDTV. Sinclair is planning to place the HDTV antennas for WSYT and WNYS on the Otisco tower now broadcasting their current analog signals.
In addition to Channel 5, high-definition broadcast signals are available in Syracuse from NBC affiliate WSTM-TV (Channel 3), ABC affiliate WIXT-TV (Channel 9) and PBS station WCNY-TV (Channel 24). Syracuse's UPN and Pax stations haven't said when they plan to add high-definition programs.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
By William LaRue, Post-Standard Staff writer
Fox affiliate WSYT-TV (Channel 68) says it has no trick plays up its sleeve to deliver a high-definition signal of this year's Super Bowl.
Because of construction delays, Channel 68's HDTV transmitter won't be up and running until the middle of this year, according to Aaron Olander, general manager of the station.
He also ruled out WSYT feeding Fox's HDTV broadcast of the Feb. 6 football game directly to Time Warner Cable subscribers. WSYT owner Sinclair Broadcasting hasn't yet reached an agreement for the cable company to retransmit its HDTV signal.
"Nor do I anticipate that happening" before the Super Bowl, Olander says. "That's an issue between Time Warner corporate and our corporate. It's not negotiated on a station level."
One optionfor viewers west of Syracuse is using an antenna to tune in the HDTV signal of Rochester's Fox affiliate, WUHF-DT (Channel 28), says Jon Warner, owner of RochesterHDTV.com, an Internet site devoted to discussion of high-definition TV issues in Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse.
Warner adds the Super Bowl is worth the effort to watch it in HDTV, which provides super-crisp video and CD-quality sound to those with digital TV sets.
"Ask anyone who has seen a football game in high definition," he says. "You see more of the field and players. Everything is sharper. HDTV also provides for surround sound. With football that means you feel like you're in the stadium."
Last year,for the first time, the National Football League championship game appeared in high definition in Syracuse. WTVH-TV (Channel 5) began broadcasting in HDTV just three days before the game aired on CBS. Time Warner immediately added Channel 5's HDTV signal to Channel 855.
Jeff Unaitis, spokesman for Time Warner, says the cable company is eager to carry as many high-definition signals as it can.
"If WSYT had been able to get its high-definition signal on the air, we certainly would have it in the lineup by now," he says. "We're getting calls from customers asking why we can't provide it (the Super Bowl) in HDTV, without them understanding it's not our place to do so."
Time Warner is prohibited by federal regulations from offering its Syracuse customers a high-definition Fox signal from another city, Unaitis says.
WSYT beganbroadcasting a low-power digital signal in fall 2002 on Channel 19, but the transmitter does not carry HDTV programming.
Olander says WSYT's sister station, WB affiliate WNYS-TV (Channel 43), will also begin transmitting this summer in HDTV. Sinclair is planning to place the HDTV antennas for WSYT and WNYS on the Otisco tower now broadcasting their current analog signals.
In addition to Channel 5, high-definition broadcast signals are available in Syracuse from NBC affiliate WSTM-TV (Channel 3), ABC affiliate WIXT-TV (Channel 9) and PBS station WCNY-TV (Channel 24). Syracuse's UPN and Pax stations haven't said when they plan to add high-definition programs.
