WSAZ technical problems

[Clay JD Walker]

I will preface what I will say with this: I haven't seen SAZ for over 3 years...but, I'm certain the live shot situation is a little more complicated than it seems. Always, when setting up a live shot, the truck operator/photog radioed back to master control, dialed in the dish, then called production to check audio levels, camera gain, black level, et. all. I can't speak for present day, but I doubt that process has gone away in recent ownership and technical changes.

The problem with modern tv is the same we have with modern FM...there are so many more links in the chain, from analog to digital conversations, HD encoding, bit rate differences, delays, web stream, iPhone app streams, complicated backhauls...and the list goes on.

Then you fire up an HD2 channel (tv or fm) and you start that complication all over again.

Add all of that with the shape the economy is in today, and you can see why these issues keep coming up. Spot rates are low, expenses are up, and the ability to hire enough qualified engineering and master control operators is harder and harder.

We all wanted to do this digital tv and radio thing, and yes, when working it's awesome, but in our current climate it's more and more difficult to pull it off (ESPECIALLY in smaller markets) market leader or not.

We all are doing the best we can with what we have.

Market leader indeed.

[genlock]

She was in the studio, her hair was perfect tho.

[Clay JD Walker]

Well that changes the game completely.

[Greg Goodfellow]

Here's a dumb question...where is the NEXT generation of engineers coming from? Unless you guys are cloning yourselves, this could become a very dicey situation. Everyone with a brain bigger than mine is so invested in computers, and careers made possible by them now and in the future that pay much more than I imagine an engineering position does. However, remember...I know nothing.

[genlock]

Practical electronics used to be learned while working on radios and tv sets.
Both of those items are now classed as disposable.
Most broadcast stuff is module swap type stuff and very reliable.
All the young engineers I know are in their mid fifties.
A component level maintenance man is rare and soon to be extinct.

[genlock]

Irr and Jessica at Campbells Creel shooting site.

What causes the gurgling in the remote audio?

Market leader, indeed.

[chloesdude]

And with the new HD camera's now being used in the field, you gotta love the squished 16:9 picture into 4:3. Poor Tim Irr already has a large forehead and this did not help...

[genlock]

Jessica looked better standing on someones porch during snow, rain and fog than she does in the studio.
What do they do that adds 15 years to that woman?

[tvnewsfan]

Very harsh lighting and old cameras in the Charleston WSAZ studio. It makes all of them look bad. You would think someone would try and fix it.

[chloesdude]

Maybe it's an attempt to keep Jess in the market. Make her appear older and green and harsh, so no larger market will see how good looking she realy is and snatch her up.

[genlock]

Plenty of problems on the 6 o'clock news tonight.
No actual technical problems but a lot of apparent errors in the computer script.
Garbage/Garbage out.
Also Sara did the fakeyest smile at the end of the first segment.
Perhaps the new news director is having some input.

[genlock]

extraneous audio during animal adoption segment.
Somebody has to listen.

[genlock]

Music during randy Yohe segment.
Only on the part where randy was live in the newsroom.


In other news, the HD conversion has greatly improved the Charleston picture.
Jessica looks 15 years younger. Finally.




Market leader, Indeed.

[Tim Tyler]

After watching WSAZ this evening and the numerous production errors that still continue, I need to ask this question. Is there anyone, anyone at all, controlling either the video or audio during a live newscast? Is there at least an actual live director and audio person, or are all the elements programmed into the server?

[Dave Loudin]

Domo arigato!