A Question About A Cable TV Situation Involving 2 Channels?

[Madmansam]

I am curious, On February 17, KOFY TV 20 SAN FRANCISCO will be ceasing its Analog Signal on Channel 20 and be on Digital Channel 19. Anyway, My Cable Company carries KOFY on its Cable TV Lineup but also carries KUVS TV 19 MODESTO. I live in Stockton, California which is closer to Modesto than San Francisco. Since KUVS will be staying on Analog Channel 19 until JUNE 12 while KOFY will be on Digital Channel 19 on FEBRUARY 17, I am wondering if my cable company will still be able to offer KOFY to its lineup? Will COMCAST still be able to pick up a Digital Channel on 19 from Distant San Francisco while it carries Analog Channel 19 from Nearby Modesto?

 

[beachguy3b]

Over the air channel has nothing to do with the channel a cable carrier carries it on.

 

[azumanga]

Over the air channel has nothing to do with the channel a cable carrier carries it on.

Agreed -- other than 2-13, cable channels use a different range of frequencies than UHF, meaning that cable channel 19 is on a frequency different than UHF channel 19.

 

[Madmansam]

Over the air channel has nothing to do with the channel a cable carrier carries it on.

Actually COMCAST carries OTA analog Channel 19 KUVS Modesto on Cable Channel 5 while they carry OTA analog Channel 20 KOFY San Francisco on Cable Channel 98. My question was can COMCAST still be able to pick up OTA Digital Channel 19 (formerly OTA Analog Channel 20) from San Francisco while still carrying OTA Analog Channel 19 from Modesto which is closer to Stockton than San Francisco?

 

[Madmansam]

Over the air channel has nothing to do with the channel a cable carrier carries it on.

Agreed -- other than 2-13, cable channels use a different range of frequencies than UHF, meaning that cable channel 19 is on a frequency different than UHF channel 19.

It must have been the wording of my original Question. I wasn't talking about CABLE CHANNEL 19, I was talking about UHF CHANNEL 19. Can a Cable Company pick up a ANALOG UHF CHANNEL 19 from Modesto while at the same time pick up a DIGITAL UHF CHANNEL 19 from San Francisco or will there be interference? KUVS-Analog UHF Channel 19 is on CABLE CHANNEL 5 while KOFY-Now Analog UHF Channel 20 but on February 17 will switch to Digital UHF Channel 19 is on CABLE CHANNEL 98. Does this clarify things? Thanks!

 

[tripinva]

The two stations are already on channel 19. KOFY-DT is already operating on 19, and KUVS analog is still analog on 19. Clearly they came up with a solution when the signal first signed on some years ago.

- Trip

 

[ajc_trw]

I am curious, On February 17, KOFY TV 20 SAN FRANCISCO will be ceasing its Analog Signal on Channel 20 and be on Digital Channel 19. Anyway, My Cable Company carries KOFY on its Cable TV Lineup but also carries KUVS TV 19 MODESTO. I live in Stockton, California which is closer to Modesto than San Francisco. Since KUVS will be staying on Analog Channel 19 until JUNE 12 while KOFY will be on Digital Channel 19 on FEBRUARY 17, I am wondering if my cable company will still be able to offer KOFY to its lineup? Will COMCAST still be able to pick up a Digital Channel on 19 from Distant San Francisco while it carries Analog Channel 19 from Nearby Modesto?

If Comcast gets KOFY OTA then they will be in the same boat as everyone else in east bay getting KOFY, SOL. :'(

Unless Comcast has a highly directional aerial and can null off analog 19 they will lose KOFY until analog 19 goes off the air. This is assuming they can't get KOFY from a fiber link or from some other means (DirecTV?).

I guess you'll find out on 2/18, but I'd be suprised if there aren't negotiations in the works to keep KOFY receivable by cable and OTA in east bay. 8)

 

[KyDXIn]

I am curious, On February 17, KOFY TV 20 SAN FRANCISCO will be ceasing its Analog Signal on Channel 20 and be on Digital Channel 19. Anyway, My Cable Company carries KOFY on its Cable TV Lineup but also carries KUVS TV 19 MODESTO. I live in Stockton, California which is closer to Modesto than San Francisco. Since KUVS will be staying on Analog Channel 19 until JUNE 12 while KOFY will be on Digital Channel 19 on FEBRUARY 17, I am wondering if my cable company will still be able to offer KOFY to its lineup? Will COMCAST still be able to pick up a Digital Channel on 19 from Distant San Francisco while it carries Analog Channel 19 from Nearby Modesto?

If Comcast gets KOFY OTA then they will be in the same boat as everyone else in east bay getting KOFY, SOL. :'(

Unless Comcast has a highly directional aerial and can null off analog 19 they will lose KOFY until analog 19 goes off the air. This is assuming they can't get KOFY from a fiber link or from some other means (DirecTV?).

I guess you'll find out on 2/18, but I'd be suprised if there aren't negotiations in the works to keep KOFY receivable by cable and OTA in east bay. 8)

3 words... My Head Hurts... Maybe the FCC is running their operation like Congress passed the stimulus bill-- by not reading the info!

 

[Madmansam]

The two stations are already on channel 19. KOFY-DT is already operating on 19, and KUVS analog is still analog on 19. Clearly they came up with a solution when the signal first signed on some years ago.

- Trip

But what COMCAST has on CABLE CHANNEL 98 is KOFY-ANALOG UHF CHANNEL 20 not KOFY-DT UHF CHANNEL 19. KOFY will be dropping its Analog Signal on FEBRUARY 17. My concern is, come February 17, Only KOFY's NITE LITE Analog Service will be viewable on CABLE CHANNEL 98. My concern is Will COMCAST be able to pick the signal of KOFY-DT-19 SAN FRANCISCO when KUVS-Analog-19 MODESTO will still be on the air. Wouldn't there be interference from the Analog Channel of ONE STATION when trying to pick up the Digital Channel of ANOTHER STATION on the Same Channel?

 

[dhett]

How common is it for large cable operations (like Comcast) in a large market (like SFO or SAC) to pick up their signals OTA anyway? I don't subscribe to cable, but I would have thought that the signals were fed to the cable headends by some other means to ensure a reliable signal. If that's the case, then OTA interference isn't an issue.

 

[Madmansam]

How common is it for large cable operations (like Comcast) in a large market (like SFO or SAC) to pick up their signals OTA anyway? I don't subscribe to cable, but I would have thought that the signals were fed to the cable headends by some other means to ensure a reliable signal. If that's the case, then OTA interference isn't an issue.

Your answer is the best that I have received yet and I thank you. I don't know how a Cable Company picks up Non-Satellite Channels. At the local COMCAST, There is a Huge Tall Antenna with added Dishes on it. I assumed that the cable companies receive their Local and Long Distance TV Channels OTA using that large Tall Antenna but I maybe wrong? There was a time when All Cable Companies picked up TV Stations Hundreds Of Miles Away, like RENO, NEVADA and MEDFORD, OREGON. Both of those citeies at one time offered both KTXL-40 SACRAMENTO and KTVU-2 OAKLAND. My Cable System is one of the rare ones. While most of our TV Stations on COMCAST STOCKTON are from the SACRAMENTO REGION, we also are fortunate to get 6 Bay Area TV Stations which is about 80-85 miles away with Mountains separating us. Both Dish and Direct TV only offer the Local Sacramento TV Stations, Not the long distance Bay Area Ones. If you had neither one, You would need a very Tall Roof Antenna to pick up the Bay area TV Stations, but even then, only the VHF ones came in clear, The UHF ones had a little bit of snow. My Cable Company used to have more Bay Area TV Stations but lost half of them in 1993.

 

[Poledo]

Cable companies use highly directional antennas with a separate antenna specially tuned for each channel. I would assume that the two stations are in different directions from your cable company's head end, so it shouldn't be much of a problem. Even with my regular VHF/UHF rooftop antenna I can turn it east to pick up WMBB channel 13 (about 75 miles away) or I can turn it west north-west and pick up WLOX channel 13 (maybe 90 miles away) sometimes I can even turn it due north and pull in a weaker signal from WVTM channel 13 (about 200 miles away.) With a cable company's far superior equipment, I wouldn't worry about it. They could probably pull in 4 different channel 19s if they wanted to.

Was this a hypothetical question, or is there actually programming on both of those channels that you want to watch?

 

[Madmansam]

Was this a hypothetical question, or is there actually programming on both of those channels that you want to watch?

no it was not hypothetical. I really enjoy the Locally Produced Retro Programming of KOFY TV 20 http://www.kofytv.com and I am afraid i will lose that channel. I live in a Apartment Buiding which does not allow External Antennas of any kind (Rooftop or Satellite Dish), only Cable TV or Rabbit Ears and since San Francisco is so far away, I can not pick up that channel, Just the local Sacramento ones, which are pretty boring. And I subscribe to only the BASIC SERVICE. As for KUVS TV 19, That station is FULLTIME UNIVISION SPANISH PROGRAMMING. Me No Habla Espanol! ;D

 

[Bill_W]

I believe Comcast is probably already picking up all the digital stations already. I know that they are here in Philly as well as Verizon and DirecTv. The signal is being downgraded to SD and has replaced the analog a little while ago.

 

[Madmansam]

Thanks to all who tried to answer my question. Well, in a couple days, I'll find out what happens.

 

[Poledo]

Thanks to all who tried to answer my question. Well, in a couple days, I'll find out what happens.

We all already know what will happen. TV will cease to exists. The whole situation has gotten so complicated that everyone should just shut down in protest. Make us read a book or watch a DVD for a few days and the FCC will figure out how to fix this mess fast.

Where's MY government bailout check? Come on now, it's been years since I got any FEMA money, it's time for the man to cut me another check! I need to buy one of those big flat TV's and the government better pay for it!

 

[Madmansam]

Thanks to all who tried to answer my question. Well, in a couple days, I'll find out what happens.

We all already know what will happen. TV will cease to exists. The whole situation has gotten so complicated that everyone should just shut down in protest. Make us read a book or watch a DVD for a few days and the FCC will figure out how to fix this mess fast.

Where's MY government bailout check? Come on now, it's been years since I got any FEMA money, it's time for the man to cut me another check! I need to buy one of those big flat TV's and the government better pay for it!

;D

 

[kenrayc]

I recall years ago when Fresno Cable (continental/media one then) they carried KTVU,KTXL, and KQED and they picked up those signals with a antenna on Mt. Diablo then they were microwaved using relay all down the San Joquin Valley to Fresno. If comcast Modesto and Stockton is doing the same thing there sould be no problem getting KOFY dtv 19 from Mt. Diablo. Comcast Fresno just recenly dropped KTVU ,because it had to be blacked out most of the time do to KMPH.

 

[Madmansam]

I recall years ago when Fresno Cable (continental/media one then) they carried KTVU,KTXL, and KQED and they picked up those signals with a antenna on Mt. Diablo then they were microwaved using relay all down the San Joquin Valley to Fresno. If comcast Modesto and Stockton is doing the same thing there sould be no problem getting KOFY dtv 19 from Mt. Diablo. Comcast Fresno just recenly dropped KTVU ,because it had to be blacked out most of the time do to KMPH.

Thanks kenrayc! Your explanation makes the most sense. My local COMCAST used to be BIG VALLEY CABLEVISION/CONTINENTAL CABLEVISION/MEDIA ONE/AT&T BROADBAND. We used to get a whole slew of Bay Area TV Stations. Now we are just have a handful of Bay Area TV Stations. Surprisingly, on its HDTV tier, COMCAST only carries the Sacramento TV Stations not the Bay Area ones!! I am curious, What Long Distance TV Stations does your cable company carries today? Any from the Bay Area or Sacramento or Bakersfield?

 

[kenrayc]

I recall years ago when Fresno Cable (continental/media one then) they carried KTVU,KTXL, and KQED and they picked up those signals with a antenna on Mt. Diablo then they were microwaved using relay all down the San Joquin Valley to Fresno. If comcast Modesto and Stockton is doing the same thing there sould be no problem getting KOFY dtv 19 from Mt. Diablo. Comcast Fresno just recenly dropped KTVU ,because it had to be blacked out most of the time do to KMPH.

Thanks kenrayc! Your explanation makes the most sense. My local COMCAST used to be BIG VALLEY CABLEVISION/CONTINENTAL CABLEVISION/MEDIA ONE/AT&T BROADBAND. We used to get a whole slew of Bay Area TV Stations. Now we are just have a handful of Bay Area TV Stations. Surprisingly, on its HDTV tier, COMCAST only carries the Sacramento TV Stations not the Bay Area ones!! I am curious, What Long Distance TV Stations does your cable company carries today? Any from the Bay Area or Sacramento or Bakersfield?

No Comcast Fresno only carries local broadcast stations only. Not even Bakersfield.