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Contemplating Site Changes

As the site approaches its 7th birthday (seriously!), those who have been with the site from the beginning back in 2008 and pay close attention have probably noticed that site updates have become not less frequent, but less substantive. While I do my best to keep up with launches of new subchannels and things like that, the more technical updates involving TSReader data and the parameters of the transport streams have become less frequent.

I would like to try to start correcting that. My biggest issue, I think, is that I'm tracking too much information that's of little use. For example, as it stands right now, I track things like the various PIDs. While interesting, it adds a lot of time to each update while not adding much utility to the site. Similarly, I track bandwidths of the various channels. Again, interesting, but as more and more stations move to variable bitrate encoders, the snapshot of often less than 1 minute that TSReader captures and averages is less useful in showing what that bandwidth number actually means in terms of quality.

Basically, I am considering making the raw TSReader data more prominent and discontinuing tracking of the more nitty gritty technical details like PIDs, Source ID, and bitrates in my database. I'm thinking of discontinuing tracking of Mobile DTV other than whether it is on or off, given it seems to be on its way out pending a new ATSC 3.0 standard, and similarly removing the indicator of whether a station is a member of MCV or Mobile 500. I think SyncBak no longer has an OTA component and UpdateTV is completely gone, and if that is so, I want to yank them out of the listings. Information about AFD and the broadcast flag are more technical information better presented in the TSReader data.

The end result would be that I would track the very basics like the resolution, type of audio, short channel name, and network affiliation. For many users, this is probably all they look at anyway. For the more technical users, updated TSReader data would still be available (and more frequently) and could be looked at in its raw form to get the information that is wanted. The data from the FCC database about station facilities would remain in its current format and would not be altered from its current level of detail.

I am also trying to decide whether or not to change the site code to allow for individuals to maintain their own markets. For example, there are several markets where the moment something changes, I have an e-mail from a very dependable person. For those people, in those markets, it might be more efficient to allow them to do their own updates. Should TSReader data become available, I would upload that myself, but to update programming information or the short channel names in PSIP seems like something these people could do themselves instead of waiting sometimes in excess of a week for me to get to their information. The down side to this, of course, is security, mostly since I am a lousy programmer and I don't know that I could do it in a secure fashion. There's also concern over stylistic differences.

I'm cross-posting this both on the RabbitEars Blog and on the Satellite Guys forum. Feel free to comment in either place, or to send me an e-mail direct. I'm anxious for opinions on the various changes I am considering or on other suggestions for the site. Have a great one!

Comments

1. On Tuesday, March 24 2015, 16:21 by tomintn

First, you have done very well in maintaining RabbitEars. I can see how the broadcast evolution can take alot of your time! I'm sure the FCC job takes it's toll; and home upkeep takes alot of time at my house, I'm sure it does for you, too!

For the Nashville, TN area & if he agrees, I recommend NashDigie to assist in updating RabbitEars.

BTW, again in Nashville, TN; channel 44 has Pursuit Channel on both 44-1 & 44-2. :)

2. On Tuesday, March 24 2015, 17:04 by Richard @ KQHW / KHQQ

I think tracking the basics might be necessary for the survival of the site, so you don't burn out on it. And delegating geographic areas to others is also a great idea. Teamwork when managed right can be a wonderful thing.

I'm one of the peeps who are most interested the "very basics" (resolution, type of audio, short channel name, network affiliation).

This is the site I spend the most time on, on the interwebs, and one of my 2 favorite sites. Hope you know we really appreciate all you do!

PS: Do you encourage us to email you when there is a change in one of our markets?

3. On Tuesday, March 24 2015, 17:05 by Richard @ KQHW / KHQQ

Oh, BTW, the maps and tools you make available are the bomb. Absolutely amazing.

4. On Tuesday, March 24 2015, 18:23 by Trip Ericson

Tom: Updated WJFB. Is it a 100% simulcast or are they running a Pursuit 24/7 feed on 44-2 while inserting local programming of some sort on 44-1?

Richard: Yes, absolutely send along an e-mail if anything has changed. Otherwise I won't know when things have changed in markets where I don't already have people e-mailing me or posting on message boards I follow. :)

Going to wait for more comments to come in before making any conclusions based on the comments here. There are certain people who I know actually use the more detailed information that I'm going to need to reach out to personally if I don't hear from them to see what they think about this.

5. On Wednesday, March 25 2015, 12:25 by tomintn

Tom: Updated WJFB. Is it a 100% simulcast or are they running a Pursuit 24/7 feed on 44-2 while inserting local programming of some sort on 44-1?

Trip: I can't confirm 100% simulcast. I can only confirm that when I am on WJFB, it is on both. I go there mornings, afternoons, & evenings, but not past 0100 or before 0900.

6. On Wednesday, March 25 2015, 21:27 by Brian in CT

Hi Trip. My two cents. If you feel that you are spending too much time programming the website, then it would be the right decision to ditch the arcane information. As long as you keep updating the important and semi-important information, I believe the vast majority of users will be fine with that. As for letting other people program the site, I'm unsure. If it were me, I'd be weary of losing any control of a website I put my heart and soul into. You would have to have complete trust in anyone you let do that.

7. On Thursday, March 26 2015, 13:40 by Cube799

I'm wondering what happened to the Screenshots. Before there were screenshots, and now they're gone.

8. On Friday, March 27 2015, 05:43 by Trip Ericson

There have been two iterations of screenshots, both of which are now gone. At first, I had about 300 screenshots actually on the site, which had last been updated in about 2008 or 2009. That was even more of a hassle than any of the things I mentioned above, because not one piece of the upload process for those could be automated. At some point, I got permission to link to the SiliconDust Lineup Server, which did have automated screenshots, and thus replaced my locally-hosted ones with that link. But SiliconDust recently discontinued the Lineup Server (and had stopped updating it a while before that) and I pulled the link accordingly.

I can't honestly say I'm in a hurry to add them back, for the same reason I stopped providing them myself in the first place and for the same reasons this post is here: It was extremely time consuming with little or no perceivable benefit. You are welcome to try to convince me otherwise, however; that's why I'm seeking opinions here! :)

9. On Monday, March 30 2015, 17:00 by SyncMatt

Trip - you are correct. The Syncbak data no longer goes over the air.

10. On Thursday, April 2 2015, 02:38 by Mike

I totally understand how you might be getting burned out with doing parts of this--after all, it's a hobby that's not paying (AFAIK), not a job, so I'll thank you first of all for everything that you have done and whatever you'll continue to do.

Second, what you describe in cooking the TSReader data is exactly what data wrangling is all about, and certain programming languages (certain scripting languages in particular) are designed around it. Provided the data format doesn't change, you should be able to write something to do it automagically so you don't have to worry about it anymore.

Last, and sort of off-topic, have you thought of doing with radio stations what you do here with TV stations?

Thanks again, Mike

11. On Thursday, April 2 2015, 13:29 by tomintn

Trip, WJFB in Lebanon, TN has changed 44-1 to a religious channel. It is called TCT. 44-2 is still Pursuit. This happened recently. Sorry for any confusion.

12. On Thursday, April 2 2015, 20:46 by Trip Ericson

Tom, thanks. I've updated accordingly.

Mike, I'll continue to do as much as I can. I've actually gotten myself pretty caught up in the past few weeks.

I've thought about doing something like that before, and I actually do use a script for certain tasks like renaming the files for upload, but the issue is the data can change so much, especially if several years go by, that the station's new data can look like that of an entirely new station. The script I wrote for renaming files for upload fails on at least 20% of stations for one reason or another. And even if you got it all automated in some kind of fool-proof way, you would still have the issue of the bandwidth numbers being an average over the time spent tuned in and not a range of those values which, with the ever increasing number of variable bitrate encoders, makes the numbers virtually useless. It all seems like a lot of work for very little payoff.

I've definitely thought about doing more with radio and actually have many thousands of FM coverage maps sitting on the server here in case I ever do, but it would be a much larger task than even the TV things I do now that I feel I don't do a great job of keeping up with. To do it effectively I would definitely need help and would have to delegate most of the country to various other people, but every time I've asked in the past, I've never gotten enough interest to make it feasible.

And you're right, the site doesn't really make any money. Which I don't mind so much, because that means it's not a chore, but a hobby. But that also means that it's a hobby and can take a back seat to other things. I also wouldn't describe myself as "burned out," just tired of constantly populating database fields by hand that I'm not sure anyone actually uses.