Dallas Shutoff

[TexasTom]

However, KSEX-LP is still on...using channel 57. I realize that CA and LP facilities didn't have to change to digital by the end of 12 June 2009. But weren't all out-of-core (52-69) stations supposed to move or shutdown, regardless of power level?

They will need to move or shutdown whenever whoever won the auction for the spectrum that includes channel 57 is ready to make use of it -- in the interim, they're allowed to continue operation on channel 57 on a secondary basis (they can't cause interference to anyone else, and they have to accept any interference they might receive).

 

[TexasTom]

Here is a problem: I can not pick up KLDT-39. I could pick up KLDT-54 very easily. Because of PSIP, when I try to direct tune ch.39, I get KXTX-38. I realize that was how the FCC intends for things to work, but how are we going to figure out if an physical channel is on the air if we are unable to tune to it?

Some televisions and converter boxes let you go into a menu that shows the physical RF channels and allows you to select or deselect channels from that menu. Unfortunately, many don't -- and if you have one of those sets, the best (and probably only) way to add in KLDT is to do a full rescan of *all* channels.

Poor design, in my opinion.

 

[JHBrandt]

Here is a problem: I can not pick up KLDT-39. I could pick up KLDT-54 very easily. Because of PSIP, when I try to direct tune ch.39, I get KXTX-38. I realize that was how the FCC intends for things to work, but how are we going to figure out if an physical channel is on the air if we are unable to tune to it?

Some televisions and converter boxes let you go into a menu that shows the physical RF channels and allows you to select or deselect channels from that menu. Unfortunately, many don't -- and if you have one of those sets, the best (and probably only) way to add in KLDT is to do a full rescan of *all* channels.

Poor design, in my opinion.

I have four converter boxes and an HDTV receiver. Only one, the Dish Network converter box, shows you the physical RF channel. If your box doesn't show that info, you'll need to get it from another source, such as the Internet.

Two converter boxes (the Dish Network and the Philco) let me "fix" KLDT without rescanning. These two have one thing in common: they both let the user do a true delete of a channel, so I could delete channels 39 and 54, then tune to the physical RF channels (39 for KLDT and 40 for KXTX) and re-add them. (This also worked yesterday for channels 8, 11, 21, and 52.)

Magnavox converter boxes should work too since they're essentially the same as the Philco boxes. Unfortunately the user manual doesn't explain how to do this, and most users probably won't be able to figure it out for themselves.

The other three boxes only let you do a "soft" delete: the channel is flagged as "deleted" but not actually removed from the virtual channel table. Of those, the Samsung HDTV receiver was able to handle yesterday's changes properly without a rescan, although it ended up with two channels 21-1 and two channels 52-1! (I simply soft-deleted the ones that didn't work.)

The Apex box partially worked without a rescan yesterday, but the "new" 21-1 and 52-1 showed up as 19-1 and 9-3(!), respectively. The Channel Master box couldn't deal with yesterday's changes at all without a complete rescan. All three required a rescan to deal with KLDT today.

 

[arnoldevns]

Here is a problem: I can not pick up KLDT-39. I could pick up KLDT-54 very easily. Because of PSIP, when I try to direct tune ch.39, I get KXTX-38. I realize that was how the FCC intends for things to work, but how are we going to figure out if an physical channel is on the air if we are unable to tune to it?

From what I hear a lot of people had the same issue with WFAA and KFWD. That's one reason why all the stations have been telling people to re-scan their converter boxes or tuners once the transition was completed.

 

[gadzook]

Pretty funny that Time Warner Cable here in Dallas is not carrying the WFAA or TXCN signal this Sunday, June 14th. Despite all my efforts, I cannot get the "new and improved" WFAA with a antenna and never cared till Time Warner stopped carrying the signal. What a mess.

Would Time Warner Cable like to borrow a converter box? I have an extra!

Or is the problem on WFAA's end? I would hazard a guess and say that it is WFAA's problem. For over a year they have blamed reception problems on their customers. High time for them to swallow some pride and admit they are to blame for signal issues.

Hopefully they will get it fixed before the basketball game.

 

[eskipper411]

Pretty funny that Time Warner Cable here in Dallas is not carrying the WFAA or TXCN signal this Sunday, June 14th. Despite all my efforts, I cannot get the "new and improved" WFAA with a antenna and never cared till Time Warner stopped carrying the signal. What a mess.

Would Time Warner Cable like to borrow a converter box? I have an extra!

Or is the problem on WFAA's end? I would hazard a guess and say that it is WFAA's problem. For over a year they have blamed reception problems on their customers. High time for them to swallow some pride and admit they are to blame for signal issues.

Hopefully they will get it fixed before the basketball game.

Did it work before the switch? It could be because TWC SUCKS!

 

[gadzook]

Pretty funny that Time Warner Cable here in Dallas is not carrying the WFAA or TXCN signal this Sunday, June 14th. Despite all my efforts, I cannot get the "new and improved" WFAA with a antenna and never cared till Time Warner stopped carrying the signal. What a mess.

Would Time Warner Cable like to borrow a converter box? I have an extra!

Or is the problem on WFAA's end? I would hazard a guess and say that it is WFAA's problem. For over a year they have blamed reception problems on their customers. High time for them to swallow some pride and admit they are to blame for signal issues.

Hopefully they will get it fixed before the basketball game.

Did it work before the switch? It could be because TWC SUCKS!

Worked before the switch. TXCN is still off the air though. WFAA now works.

 

[eskipper411]

Pretty funny that Time Warner Cable here in Dallas is not carrying the WFAA or TXCN signal this Sunday, June 14th. Despite all my efforts, I cannot get the "new and improved" WFAA with a antenna and never cared till Time Warner stopped carrying the signal. What a mess.

Would Time Warner Cable like to borrow a converter box? I have an extra!

Or is the problem on WFAA's end? I would hazard a guess and say that it is WFAA's problem. For over a year they have blamed reception problems on their customers. High time for them to swallow some pride and admit they are to blame for signal issues.

Hopefully they will get it fixed before the basketball game.

Did it work before the switch? It could be because TWC SUCKS!

Worked before the switch. TXCN is still off the air though. WFAA now works.

Do you think there is something wrong with the lines somewhere?

 

[newsmark]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yAVz36SnW0&feature=channel_page

The WFAA sign-off was actually part of their 5 p.m. news open and close in the 70s.

 

[bpatrick]

Re Ch. 8's use of its 1970s 5 PM newscast
as a basis for signing off analog, it would have
been really cool if they could have corraled the
man who signed the station on (as KBTV) in 1949--
Don Morrow. For those who don't know who he is,
he went on to become perhaps the dean of voiceover
specialists; he's probably best known as the Shell
Answer Man, and some of us longtime game-show
fans remember him as host of "Camouflage" in the
'60s. He also did the trailer for "Titanic" and was
a major influence on the late Don LaFontaine.
Morrow is running a school in Connecticut where he
teaches voiceover; it meets on Friday nights, so he
probably wouldn't have been available.

 

[Megapsycle]

Don Morrow...some of us longtime game-show
fans remember him as host of "Camouflage" in the
'60s.

Yes sure do! Hadn't thought about that show in years! I remember staying home from school in the 5th grade (1961-62) and watching Camouflage, intrigued wondering how the screen worked.