NYRA Video Redistribution over Cablevision Channel 74

[ScottJ]

Since NYRA went to a High Definition feed, the video quality of the distributed feed over Cablevision's Channel 74 (NYRA Channel) has been terrible. The graphics are blurred (can you tell a six, eight or nine apart in the posted fractional times), the video feed tends to jump (noticed when horses are running), and the current race will-pays are difficult to read.

Now, if you view the same NYRA races over TVG (Channel 402), you get the high quality feed without the video jumping although of course without the NYRA graphics. So, the problem exists somewhere between the NYRA graphics production truck overlaying the graphics and Cablevision's redistribution center.

This summer started the chase with NYRA directly and after several rounds of no responses from the video team under John Imbriale followed by RaceDay escalations to both Rich Migliore and Ernie Munick as NYRA's public faces on Mondays and Tuesdays, NYRA sent an e-mail indicating that it was an issue with Cablevision.

For anyone who has dealt with Cablevision, you know that each call starts with the usual unplugging of the cable box, followed by the 'round-the-house test other TVs, and so forth.

Finally, three weeks back, I said to the Cablevision support person, "Go to a television and turn on Channel 74". Her observation : "Wow, that's blurry". She then disclosed that there are HUNDREDS of calls outstanding on this issue.

My play on NYRA has greatly decreased in the last 60 days only because I just cannot look at the video quality any longer without action from either NYRA ("not my problem") or Cablevision.

Has anyone else tried to chase this issue? Steve - who do you know at NYRA that can actually take some ownership of their PRODUCT into the home markets on Long Island and make this right?