Why do Fox affiliates use their own logo for primetime HD?

CrazyInSane

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Original poster
Feb 19, 2009
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Canada
I noticed that Fox is the only of the major networks (CBS, NBC, ABC) that has their affiliates use their own separate logos during primetime broadcasts (except for American Idol, apparently). This is really annoying when you have some affiliates that use opaque, colored bugs that really distract from the otherwise flawless picture. Why does Fox do this when other networks don't? Is there a way to..err... stop them?
 
The two fox stations that I watch (different DMAs) have a blue FOX logo in the lower right corner. It is just on the edge of the screen, if you had too much overscan it would be cropped. Are you watching HD Fox or SD? Looks like if they took the center of the HD pick for SD the Fox logo would be gone.
 
Why? Because they can (and the others can't). FOX uses an MPEG/AC3 splicer from Terayon, which allows affils to upload their logo to FOX, who then downloads it to their local splicer and muxes it into the local station output stream as a key. It could be controlled manually or by automation locally as well, but few stations opt for that. FOX keys the local bug over all segments except sports, and keys the local "legal" ID at the top of the hour as well.

Ironically, the splicer replacement project to happen this fall includes a newer Terayon splicer that does not have the key-over capability. Affils will keep both the old and new splicer in line (the old one to do keys, the new one to splice streams) to retain that functionality.
 
My local has the Fox in the blue, it used to be HUGE, but luckily they reduced it. I do see a see thru gray FoxHD that flashes up, I like it better.
 
I just noticed Fox 26 Houston started injecting their logo at the beginning of shows and for some reason it puts the show into 4X3 for about 5 or 10 seconds and the audio changes from DD to Stereo and the audio cuts out during this change on my receiver.
 
I emailed my local fox station about this and here is the response.

Mr. Long,

According to our engineering department, FOX does not give us an HD feed out of their reciever so we have to insert logos in SD.

Thank you.

KRIV Fox 26/KTXH My 20 Programming Dept.
 
I just noticed Fox 26 Houston started injecting their logo at the beginning of shows and for some reason it puts the show into 4X3 for about 5 or 10 seconds and the audio changes from DD to Stereo and the audio cuts out during this change on my receiver.

Does this for us too.

Annoying and stupid. Just makes us curse them every time it happens. Wouldn't be as apparent if it also didnt result in like 3 seconds of audio repeating.
 
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