BusHunter Posted June 29, 2009 Report Share Posted June 29, 2009 Has anyone seen a working screen lately on a Pace bus for the Transit TV. (on board low floor buses) Ever since we switched from analog to digital tv signals (June 12th) I've haven't seen a workable screen. I understand that the screens must be getting there feeds from satellite transmission. (I think transit tv is based in Florida) But could that have been analog? Or is it that the screens need maintenance? It seems odd though considering not one screen is working at least from what I've seen from Pace NW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted June 29, 2009 Report Share Posted June 29, 2009 Has anyone seen a working screen lately on a Pace bus for the Transit TV. (on board low floor buses) Ever since we switched from analog to digital tv signals (June 12th) I've haven't seen a workable screen. I understand that the screens must be getting there feeds from satellite transmission. (I think transit tv is based in Florida) But could that have been analog? Or is it that the screens need maintenance? It seems odd though considering not one screen is working at least from what I've seen from Pace NW.Strange, but it seems to be coincidence. Googling, in fact it is. There are reports that Transit TV Network went bankrupt and shut down. In that the report mentions Chapter 7, they are being liquidated. What led me in that direction was my thought that the company with the advertising rights would be awfully ticked if the screens weren't working for some technical reason. I started investigating the technical side, but this answer came up quicker. This seems to be a good observation on you part that I doubt someone other than a bus fan would have made. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 29, 2009 Report Share Posted June 29, 2009 Strange, but it seems to be coincidence. Googling, in fact it is. There are reports that Transit TV Network went bankrupt and shut down. In that the report mentions Chapter 7, they are being liquidated. What led me in that direction was my thought that the company with the advertising rights would be awfully ticked if the screens weren't working for some technical reason. I started investigating the technical side, but this answer came up quicker. This seems to be a good observation on you part that I doubt someone other than a bus fan would have made. I too noticed lately that the Transit TV systems havent been working on our buses. I didnt pay too much attention to them but the buses have been noticably quiet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJL6000 Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 It's true. Transit TV ceased operations in mid-February of this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwantae Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 It's true. Transit TV ceased operations in mid-February of this year. The only thing I like about those things they show the weather updates, thats it. And other thing, is that I figured the reason why they never put them on Nova Classics is because its no room for them, those baggage racks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railwaymodeler Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 TransiTV is indeed shut down. Our Orion I buses didn't have them either, just the NABIs here at North. While I was talking to one of the drivers prior to pulling from the pulse point, one woman was constantly complaining (I think she was serious about this, too!) that she wanted to watch Oprah on the TV screens. She spent five minutes whining about this, too! I wonder what will become of the TV screens... Wouldn't mine one for my place, to be honest. It's right up there in my list of things I want, right with replacing the sofa with 6600 series seats (the five together at the rear of the vehicle would do it) and bus doors for my bedroom door. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Flyer Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 The company went banckrupt at the beginning of the year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVTArider Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 I noticed blank screens in one of NABINUT's MCTS videos as well. It seems silly to have useless screens on board. Are transit agencies able to remove them or use them for something else? They would be nice as an additional visual for showing the next stop and connecting routes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 I noticed blank screens in one of NABINUT's MCTS videos as well. It seems silly to have useless screens on board. Are transit agencies able to remove them or use them for something else? They would be nice as an additional visual for showing the next stop and connecting routes. Basically, they are the abandoned property of a bankrupt company. Your suggestion entails the transit authority spending money to convert something that wouldn't generate revenue (as the ads from the previous company would have). Now, maybe it wouldn't cost that much to pipe the gis data that now goes to the LED sign at the front inside of the bus, but that wouldn't accomplish much. Considering that Pace can't get Webwatch working on more than an alpha test level, I can't see them diverting resources into programming the TV screens. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVTArider Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Basically, they are the abandoned property of a bankrupt company. Your suggestion entails the transit authority spending money to convert something that wouldn't generate revenue (as the ads from the previous company would have). Now, maybe it wouldn't cost that much to pipe the gis data that now goes to the LED sign at the front inside of the bus, but that wouldn't accomplish much. Considering that Pace can't get Webwatch working on more than an alpha test level, I can't see them diverting resources into programming the TV screens. True, so basically Pace (or other TAs) could only remove them, if they wanted to, barring some legal clause against it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmadisonwi Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 The screens are still property of the (bankrupt) company, which was apparently bought out by some new outfit hoping to make another go of it. They haven't yet reactivated the system in all the markets in which they were installed (I don't know if they've reactivated any yet), and there's no guarantee that they will do so in every market. One contact of mine at MCTS says that there has been some discussion about getting them turned back on, but nothing official. Otherwise, if they want the screens, they can come and get them. It's probably not worth the cost to the transit system of removing the equipment from the fleet (probably a couple of hours per bus, times however many buses in the fleet have the stuff installed, and that doesn't count the cost of storage or proper disposal). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westing Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 According to a recent article Transit TV will be returning first to Los Angeles Metro with revamped programing. If this meets their marketing goals, it might make its way back to other cities. The new owner should have an easier go at the system, all the infrastructure is there. All that is needed is programing and advertisers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroShadow Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 I liked how the MCTS actually did their GPS system into the TTV and made the system announcements when needed. I know that some of the 6600's at Academy have some PACE-related announcements at the bottom of the screen, however. I would hope that if the Chicago market gets this back, I would want to see more relevant programming (as opposed to classic episodes of "gunsmoke") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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