Jacksonville gains first HD station

[reednavy]

On October 23, 2008, the Jacksonville television market entered a new era. ABC25 and NBC12, known as First Coast News, began broadcasting in High Definition. This coincided with Gannett Media's new graphics and music package that all of it's stations now use. This goes for WXIA in Atlanta, WZZM in Grand Rapids, and many others. Many, as well as myself, like the new image. In some ways, local news broadcasts reflect the city's image to visitors and residents. Some larger city stations, such as WXIA Atlanta and KPNX Phoenix had existing music and graphics that quite a few people are upset with losing. I am as well, considering news music plays some part in me choosing a station.

Now, the next step needs to be a helicopter used in everyday stories, like SKY5 at WTVF News Channel 5 in my hometown of Nashville.

[blizz01]

It seems like one of those stations (ABC?) had an older "news chopper" in the last decade.  I know there have been traffic copters from time to time associated with a few of the radio stations (of course, that could have been some guy providing "background noise" over the air  - dunno, maybe they were leased as needed.

[Jason]

Channel 4, Fox 30, CBS 47, and WJCT have all been broadcasting in digital and some HD for quite sometime now.  I have an digital antennae that picks up multiple channels from eash station as well as the analog signal.

[jtwestside]

Channel 4, Fox 30, CBS 47, and WJCT have all been broadcasting in digital and some HD for quite sometime now.  I have an digital antennae that picks up multiple channels from eash station as well as the analog signal.

If I’m reading this correctly it means the local news broadcast is in HD. Very cool!

While the stations have carried HD programs I believe the newscasts have been in SD and have had 2 bars on the side to crop.

[copperfiend]

CBS47 will have their newscast broadcast in HD whenever it's required by the government. I think the FCCJ channel will be in HD before CBS47.

[Jason]

You're probably right.  Both are still well ahead of ABC25 and NBC12 in the digital though.  I've been picking up the channels I mentioned above in digital for about 9 months now, 12 and 25 are only broadcasting (over the air) in analog.  Channel 4 has the only local HD broadcast (over the air) I believe.

[fsujax]

It seems like one of those stations (ABC?) had an older "news chopper" in the last decade.  I know there have been traffic copters from time to time associated with a few of the radio stations (of course, that could have been some guy providing "background noise" over the air  - dunno, maybe they were leased as needed.

Channel 12 had a copter way back in the 1980s until it crashed near I-10 during a live report and killed everyone onboard.

[Jason]

Ouch.  I guess that's why there hasn't been another one.

[downtownparks]

Reed, thats a little bit of a misnomer. Ch 12 and 25 aren't broadcasting in wall to wall HD yet. Just like Ch 4, 47, 30, and 7, they are digital, with some HD mixed in, mainly network primetime.

The Graphics are HD compatible, but most of the production equipment in house isnt yet HD. There may be some upconversion, but I assure you unconverted HD is not quite HD :-)

[reednavy]

From what I understood, they are starting to get ready for a total HD conversion at FCN. Which hopefully, this happens soon. This is the 47th largest TV market in the nation, yet largest city in America w/o a station having a helicopter. It sort of bugs me, I'd love to see them zooming overhead during the day, gathering stories and different views than the ground level view. Anyways, the graphics are much improved, but the stations here need to really overhaul it all IMO. I wish they would've used the cool blue coloration, instead of the red.

[jandar]

All Jacksonville stations (Channel 4, 12, 17, 25, 30, 47) have digital signals OTA. (and I can get them all out here in Middleburg to boot)
All broadcast in some form of HDTV during TV Shows/Sports Games/etc. Otherwise, is SDTV broadcast over a digital signal.

NBC 12 and ABC 25 have the first "HD Newscast"

Channel 4 is a standard definition newscast that is then stretched out to a HDTV signal.

[Jason]

I haven't been receiving 12 and 25 in digital at all in St. Augustine.  Maybe I'm out of range?  Or maybe I need to reprogram my TV to see if the digital signal is new.

[jandar]

Channel 12 and 25 had "issues" lately with their equipment.

I can't watch it worth crud right now either. Strong signal, audio is off and the video stutters bad on 25.

[Jason]

Hmmm.  I guess I'll try reprogramming then.  I've been wondering what was going on.

[Coolyfett]

It seems like one of those stations (ABC?) had an older "news chopper" in the last decade.  I know there have been traffic copters from time to time associated with a few of the radio stations (of course, that could have been some guy providing "background noise" over the air  - dunno, maybe they were leased as needed.

I remember vividly Channel 4 having a chopper, I think 12 had one too.... I have not seen news choppers in a long time. What happened to them? Ill never forget the bright orange chopper channel 4 used.