DirecTv may not carry WMUR....

[Lakesrider]

I guess the litigation with the State of NH about it's billing practices is going to affect it carrying WMUR after the first of the year. I wonder if I can get WMUR using an outside antennae? How am I going to listen to way overly loud commercials during the standard definition broadcast news now? :rolleye2:
If it stops at least I can look at the weather forecast online..

Stay tuned. :(

[Kamper]

You can buy a digital antenna but the signals aren't as strong as they used to be so no promises there. The good news is these things are fairly cheap and if you do get a good signal I've heard that (theoreticaly) you should get better images because of band-width compression (or something like that).

WMUR did a small piece on that this morning. They said they are negotiaions with DirectTV to continue their availability past the January 1 cut-off date. I've noticed this before with other stations. The TV station can't come out and say so but they want viewers to contact the service provider to pressure them to keep the channel.

I tried to see if WMUR.com carried any feed but their site kept closing on me. You might want to try it later yourself.

Good luck!

[Lakesrider]

You know I had that problem with the site for quite a while. I then got Mozilla Firefox and with the latest update it does not crash anymore. don't know if you use it but try Mozilla Firefox.:D
I was going to get an outside antennae anyway. Even if they keep WMUR. Just going to wait until spring when it is warmer...:D

[RailroadJoe]

WMUR with yesterdays news, again. And commercials for 15 minutes of the half hour news. I prefer NECN or Maine channel.

[Slickcraft]

I wonder if I can get WMUR using an outside antennae? :(

Go to this FCC site, enter your zip code to get a local map, zoom in and move the target to where you house is. After a short delay, a list of channels will appear on the left with approximate signal levels.
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/

[Lakegeezer]

The TWC cable in M'boro comes from Portland and some stations are showing banners during shows with threats of disappearing if TWC does not pay more. It sounds like DirectTV is in a similar situation. Stations like WMUR and others should threaten back with internet broadcast, allowing those with ROKU, Playstation, Google TV and Wii to get the stations directly. That is the future - why not make it now.

[fatlazyless]

To take a look at the ownership of WMUR, just google "Hearst Television Wikipedia" and you learn that Hearst owns 29 tv stations, 2 radio stations, has about 3000 employees and grossed 775 million dollars in 2006.

It used to be called Hearst-Argyle, but they have taken the Argyle name out. So, what happened to the Argyle? Anyone know why that got removed? Maybe they will soon change their name to Hearst-Paisley?

Me, I say WMUR.....who cares.....hey...I get all the news I need by watching TCM....the Turner Classic Movies channel....and of course the Tennis Channel!

[BroadHopper]

Go to this FCC site, enter your zip code to get a local map, zoom in and move the target to where you house is. After a short delay, a list of channels will appear on the left with approximate signal levels.
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/

Probably true for most folks. Not here in Laconia. When they did the analog to digital switch, I had to buy a digital converter and a 'digital' antenna and I lost the WMUR channel. I still get WMTW out of Maine. And the Boston channels. WMUR has to boost their signal to get a decent reception in Laconia. An email to FCC was no help.

I subscribed to Metrocast and the reception is marginal. Metrocast blamed the current cable in the house. I need to hire an electrician to replace the cable. Expensive. I went back to antenna.

One of my neighbors have DTV through Fairpoint. He has excellent HDTV reception. I was thinking of doing the DTV route now that I have HDTV.

[ishoot308]

Go to this FCC site, enter your zip code to get a local map, zoom in and move the target to where you house is. After a short delay, a list of channels will appear on the left with approximate signal levels.
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/

So it's the FCC who determines what areas carry local stations??.. Interesting, because my mother who lives in Brookfield, NH recently signed up for Dish Network and was told she could not get local NH stations (WMUR, etc) and was only able to get local stations out of Maine. Couldn't even pay to get them....

Dan

[jrc]

The TWC cable in M'boro comes from Portland and some stations are showing banners during shows with threats of disappearing if TWC does not pay more. It sounds like DirectTV is in a similar situation. Stations like WMUR and others should threaten back with internet broadcast, allowing those with ROKU, Playstation, Google TV and Wii to get the stations directly. That is the future - why not make it now.

How do you get your internet access? Many get it through their cable company. How long do you think the cable companies will let you go around there money making services like broadcast TV with their money losing services like internet access. If that is the future the cost model has to change. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

[Slickcraft]

BH, the FCC map shows WMUR reception in Laconia as very weak (-78 dBm) so I think that it is reasonably accurate. One would have to have a VHF high band directional antenna and a high mast. (Those flat array "digital antennas" are not high gain in the VHF high band where ch 9 still is at, they are UHF antennas).

At our camp on the west side of Welch the prediction is no usable signal (-89 dBm) for WMUR. A high gain VHF antenna with no trees in the way just barely does it on the island. The problem with WMUR is that the Belknap Range is in the way.

[BroadHopper]

When TV was in its infancy, WMTW use to broadcast off of Mt Washington. WMTW pretty much had the NH North Country. Can't recall the year, in the 80's, WMUR cried foul and insist NH is their territory to ABC. WMTW had to cease broadcasting form MT Washington. ABC customers were told that WMUR was increasing the broadcasting to Northern NH. I don't think that ever happen. Lots of folks in Northern NH lost ABC broadcast and had to go cable or DTV. I think WMUR is causing a lot of problems for itself.

[Slickcraft]

So it's the FCC who determines what areas carry local stations??.. Interesting, because my mother who lives in Brookfield, NH recently signed up for Dish Network and was told she could not get local NH stations (WMUR, etc) and was only able to get local stations out of Maine. Couldn't even pay to get them....

Dan

My link to the FCC map site only dealt with OTA reception estimates for homeowners contemplating an outside antenna.

However, in the past satellite tv providers could not provide local channels in most local markets and the presence of strong OTA signals may have played a role in determining the boundary. The same type of FCC calculations would have been used to determine what local channels could be received OTA in a given area. My understanding is that this was the direct result of laws enacted at the request of the cable TV industry lobby. I don't know the current status of those laws, there has been a lot of political activity on this in recent years and I believe there may have been some easing of cable tv's hold on the local market. In this case the FCC is only generating rules to implement restrictions mandated by congress in response to lobby pressure,

[Lakegeezer]

How do you get your internet access? Many get it through their cable company. How long do you think the cable companies will let you go around there money making services like broadcast TV with their money losing services like internet access. If that is the future the cost model has to change. There's no such thing as a free lunch.I use TWC cable for internet browsing, 2 Vonage lines, ROKU and to VPN into my job. Since May, my daily average download is 3Gbits and upload is 300Mbits.

The cable companies have been having a free lunch for a long time. Their monopoly on content is ending and they will become bit-slingers just like the phone companies - who seem to do OK with their "all you can eat" pricing model. If the prices go up, FIOS, DSL and WiMAX are competitive technologies to bypass the cable company, and will grow if there is a demand. The net neutrality discussion is about forcing the internet companies to let all data stream at the same rate. Hopefully the lobbyists don't buy the internet providers a law to prioritize data sources. Perhaps basic internet access should become a town utility - because it is very inexpensive to deliver the bits once the "tubes" are in place.

[Lakesrider]

Yeah I don't get WMURs lackadaisical attitude in marketing. I have asked people that work within WMUR why they have not boosted output in the signal as well as why no HD. If Maine can have several HD channels why not NH. I was told the cost of a new antennae, and equipment is prohibitive to them.
The Governors office is very standoffish as well. This is something that should change in how the Gov is handling things. NH is a second rate state as far as technology is concerned. We are way behind, especially since the FairPoint debacle.
WMUR news programs are a complete joke as far as I am concerned. I think I have mentioned that before. You can sit and count the mistakes, but you have to count quickly...:laugh:
And talk about repetitive news...The only thing I like about it is Skaropa (SP?) on the weather.
I'll never forget that during the tornado coverage, WMUR kept saying "We can't get into the area". Meanwhile the Maine Channel was walking around with the Governor viewing the destruction. How embarrassing for us as a State is that?
Oh well....we shall see. Will WMUR care enough or not?

[jrc]

I use TWC cable for internet browsing, 2 Vonage lines, ROKU and to VPN into my job. Since May, my daily average download is 3Gbits and upload is 300Mbits.

The cable companies have been having a free lunch for a long time. Their monopoly on content is ending and they will become bit-slingers just like the phone companies - who seem to do OK with their "all you can eat" pricing model. If the prices go up, FIOS, DSL and WiMAX are competitive technologies to bypass the cable company, and will grow if there is a demand. The net neutrality discussion is about forcing the internet companies to let all data stream at the same rate. Hopefully the lobbyists don't buy the internet providers a law to prioritize data sources. Perhaps basic internet access should become a town utility - because it is very inexpensive to deliver the bits once the "tubes" are in place.

The cable companies are trying very hard not to let the future play out as you describe. I don't know who will win but it will be a battle.

Verizon has stopped all new FIOS infastructure deployment, and Verizon wireless has stopped all unlimited data plans so I'm not sure you can get inexpensive "all you can eat" pricing anywhere but cable.

Your point about bits being cheap to deliver once the tubes are in place is valid but someone has to pay to make the content. After a while people want more than funny three minute cat videos. The model needs to push money all the way back to the content creators.

[fatlazyless]

Is DirecTV the good guy or the bad guy in this WMUR situation.....there's just not enough info to really say...nor do I have the smarts to figure it all out ..... but DirecTV is no angel according to the Connecticut Attorney General who says "DirecTV is anything but direct with consumers."
..................

DirecTV to pay $13.25m fine

New York (Bloomberg) Dec 16, 2010

-DirecTV, the largest U.S. satellite-television provider, will pay $13.25 million plus restitution to consumers in 49 states and the District of Columbia to settle alleged consumer protection violations, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced.

The alleged violations include deceptive advertising, contracts, pricing and promotional offers and failing to clearly disclose cancellation fees, Blumenthal, who helped negotiate the accord, said in a statement.

"DirecTV was anything but direct with consumers, conning them with confusing contracts, deceptive ads and misleading promotions," Blumenthal said.

The settlement stems from a two-year investigation into claims that DirecTV misled consumers about the price and commitment term for its services in written materials, advertisements and sales pitches, Blumenthal said.

[old coot]

Yeah I don't get WMURs lackadaisical attitude in marketing. I have asked people that work within WMUR why they have not boosted output in the signal as well as why no HD. If Maine can have several HD channels why not NH. I was told the cost of a new antennae, and equipment is prohibitive to them.
The Governors office is very standoffish as well. This is something that should change in how the Gov is handling things. NH is a second rate state as far as technology is concerned. We are way behind, especially since the FairPoint debacle.
WMUR news programs are a complete joke as far as I am concerned. I think I have mentioned that before. You can sit and count the mistakes, but you have to count quickly...:laugh:
And talk about repetitive news...The only thing I like about it is Skaropa (SP?) on the weather.
I'll never forget that during the tornado coverage, WMUR kept saying "We can't get into the area". Meanwhile the Maine Channel was walking around with the Governor viewing the destruction. How embarrassing for us as a State is that?
Oh well....we shall see. Will WMUR care enough or not?
At our house, where we get WMUR-TV via MetroCast, we watch the station's newscasts for comic relief. Their gaffs and ambiguous script writers are LOL funny.
The loud and distorted audio in some ads is inexcusable.
They are an embarrassment to our state as our only significant commercial TV station.

[Lakesrider]

I think DirecTV is far from the good guy, but they do have a plethora of HD channels that I like. Discovery, Nature, Animal Planet, The Weather channel, etc. I am not a typical regular channel watcher. I prefer something that educates me. So what do you do. Pay the huge prices cable wants for only a few good channels, or go DirecTV and get the ones you want plus a 160 more?
No matter what they all have you by the b@!!s.... Unless of course you just don't watch TV. Maybe I should give it up like I gave up smoking...:D

[SIKSUKR]

This really has nothing to do with litigation with the state of nh and little to do with WMUR.WCVB in Boston has been running the same banner on the bottom of the screen about DirectTV possibly dropping them after Jan 1.It may be more of a Hearst vs DirectTV.

[SteveA]

I heard they were going to change their name to WGOP. :laugh:

Maybe they could fool Direct TV into carry them with the name change? :rolleye2:

[fatlazyless]

Have been trying to find out how much money DirecTV has been determined to refund to New Hampshire customers with no success. Alaska is to get $185,000 and Alaska has about half the population of New Hampshire.

By googling "DirecTV reimbursement Blumenthal" you get a number of hits, and by googling "DirecTV reimbursement New Hampshire Blumenthal" there should be some information such as a reimbursement form for customers but so far nothing shows up. So, if you think you got had with a DirectTV con job there could be an opportunity here!
.....................

As far as the WMUR ads where the volumn gets turned up, you can say sayonara to those annoying volume booster ads.

December 15, 2010

Obama signs Whitehouse bill banning loud tv ads

Google "Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (Calm) Act" to read about it.

Time Magazine has an article: "Congress Tells Commercials to Quiet Down."

From the Time article: "The legislation attracted overwhelming bipartisan support - a rare thing- and President Obama signed it into law Wednesday December 15, 2010."

[old coot]

Have been trying to find out how much money DirecTV has been determined to refund to New Hampshire customers with no success. Alaska is to get $185,000 and Alaska has about half the population of New Hampshire.

By googling "DirecTV reimbursement Blumenthal" you get a number of hits, and by googling "DirecTV reimbursement New Hampshire Blumenthal" there should be some information such as a reimbursement form for customers but so far nothing shows up. So, if you think you got had with a DirectTV con job there could be an opportunity here!
.....................

As far as the WMUR ads where the volume gets turned up, you can say sayonara to those annoying volume booster ads.

December 15, 2010

Obama signs Whitehouse bill banning loud tv ads

Google "Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (Calm) Act" to read about it.

Time Magazine has an article: "Congress Tells Commercials to Quiet Down."

From the Time article: "The legislation attracted overwhelming bipartisan support - a rare thing- and President Obama signed it into law Wednesday December 15, 2010."
I'd be surprised if the distortion and the volume extremes in WMUR's local advertising are the result of something intentional.
I suspect that WMUR's engineering staff is just as bumbling as those that produce their TV newscasts.

[BroadHopper]

My new TV has this feature. It does a good job in balancing out the sounds in commercials and between shows. If you have this feature turn it on as it is an audio menu option.

As a true Laconian, I usually watch WMTW, been the 'standard bearer' of the North Country since the 50's. Bring back Marty!

[old coot]

My new TV has this feature. It does a good job in balancing out the sounds in commercials and between shows. If you have this feature turn it on as it is an audio menu option.

As a true Laconian, I usually watch WMTW, been the 'standard bearer' of the North Country since the 50's. Bring back Marty!
Our Sony has the feature that's supposed to minimize the differences between the audio level of one station versus the next. We turned the feature off as we never before had a set with such inconsistent audio from source to source. The audio level is more consistent with the feature off. The set also has a clock that keeps crummy time. As a TV it is not bad otherwise.

[fatlazyless]

http://legalnewsline.com/news/230306-consumer-group-not-happy-with-ags-in-directv-case

This link takes about 30-seconds to load but it seems to be working. Anyone know what's the process for filing a claim for New Hampshire DirecTV customers who got over-charged? It there a form? Is there a website? Does the NH Attorney general's office have any information?

[Meredith Resident]

Looks like WMUR (Hearst) came to an agreement with Direct TV. It appears that they went in negotiations asking for an outrageous increase to which Direct TV would not accept. The bad guy here isn't Direct TV, but Hearst.
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=188258

[lawn psycho]

WMUR with yesterdays news, again. And commercials for 15 minutes of the half hour news. I prefer NECN or Maine channel.

That's too funny. We live in York County and Time Warner does not carry WMUR. I always tell my wife it's because Maine doesn't want residents to see that NH is a better place to live:laugh:

I watch NECN and would take WMUR over any of the Maine News Stations. They never cover the UNH teams in their sports broadcasts.

[Lakesrider]

Well with our DirecTV we don't get NECN. So we are relegated to Maine and WMUR. I think it sad that we can't get any of the Boston Channels at all up here. So I have to watch it on the computer....:rolleye2: