[John Fowler]

For the past several months, VRAK.TV (620) in Dieppe has actually been a downscaled version of VRAK.TV HD, but it is center-cropped, not letterboxed. Because of this, all the 16x9 programming (which there is a lot) has its sides cut off. This seemed to start when it was switched to an SDV channel.

The problem is with the MPEG-2 stream itself as the stream from the FireWire port is 4x3 with the sides missing.

I have repeatly tried to contact Rogers, but they tell me that there is no problem. I was wondering if other people who subscribe to VRAK.TV (I have the now-unadvertised Franco-Max package for $15.99) have this problem as well. Does anyone know a better way to contact the Moncton head-end about this sort of problem?

 

[57]

You may wish to contact VRAK TV since they are likely the ones sending the signal this way. Rogers rarely makes changes to the incoming signal. Many channels are now only sending out one signal and the SD signal crops the 16:9 HD signal to 4:3. (some channels properly show 16:9 letterboxed on the SD channel) We have several channels where this cropping is happening (CH being one of them). It happened/happens a lot in the US after they went all digital for OTA.

 

[BigJimmy]

I'm more curious on how you got the video off the FireWire port. What box do you have? They shut off the port on the 6200 ages ago.

 

[John Fowler]

I noticed the same problem is happening on Super Écran (645) -- the promos refer to it as Super Écran HD and the sides of all widescreen programming and promos are cut off. (All of the other Super Écran channels are letterboxed.) I tried calling Rogers again for the last time and after three people, eventually one admitted that there seemed to be a problem on their end.

I know that its not a problem with Astral because I was in Québec last week and both of these channels in SD worked as normally (and all of the other Astral SD channels on Rogers seem fine).

(Here in Dieppe, all of the SDV channels seemed to be available over FireWire, which includes most of the French channels [except local affiliates and some of the HD, like RDS and TVA] and some unpopular English channels [Bloomberg, iChannel, etc])

 

[Tridus]

Unfortunately I don't get that channel, so I can't check it. But I've seen similar things with the watermarks and such on Global Calgary (118 IIRC?). It seems like some of the sources are switching over, but you might want to keep on Rogers until you can get an answer.

On another note, you've got SDV channels? I thought that wasn't online in NB yet.

 

[Danster]

It was supposed to start today (SDV that is) but I was told there will be delays due to a few minor problems. Unless Moncton area is the guinea pig for it!!!

 

[winterwolf]

Unfortunately I don't get that channel, so I can't check it.

That's weird, around here, VRAK.TV is part of basic digital, and it currently still viewable on analog. it also has lobby channel on ch. 998.

 

[Tridus]

That's weird, around here, VRAK.TV is part of basic digital, and it currently still viewable on analog. it also has lobby channel on ch. 998.

I don't see it on analog in Fredericton, and on digital I get prompted to call if I want to subscribe.

Maybe the packages are different in francophone areas.