I just bought a new TV. It's a "SDTV", which means that it can pick up digital channels and display them in standard resolution. This is my first experience with digital TV, so please bear with me as I provide some basic info and ask some basic questions.
I hooked up a cheap Philips-Magnavox set-top antenna, just to see what would happen. I wasn't expecting to be able to receive any channels, but to my amazement, the "auto program" feature picked up the following (I'm labeling these exactly the way they show up on-screen) --
3.1 KTVK-DT
5.1 KPHO HD
8.1 KAET-HD
8.2 KAET-SD
8.3 KBAQ-FM
10.1 KSAZ DT
12.1 KPNX-DT
12.2 Weather
15.1 KNXV-HD
15.2 KNXV-DT
33.1 KTVW DT
33.2 KFPH CA
45.1 KUTP DT
51.1 i
51.2 Pax
51.3 Worship
51.4 FaithTV
Questions:
* All of these channels' call letters are just the analog call letters with a "-DT" and the dial position, right? So for example, "KPHO HD" is really "KPHO-DT 5.1"..."KBAQ-FM" is really "KAET-DT 8.3", correct?
* In the case of 5.1, 8.1, and 15.1, this is just the HD signal being broadcast over a digital channel, right? Are there any on my list that are not labeled as HD, but actually are HD signals?
* Is there a good, up-to-date list of digital and HDTV channels available in the market? The best one I've been able to find is @ http://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/phx.htm
* EDIT: Found another list @ http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/programming/broadcast-market.php?dma_name[]=Phoenix%20(Prescott)
* On http://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/phx.htm - it says, for example, that KPHO-DT is channel 17. If that's the case, then why am I picking up KPHO-DT on 5.1? Or why is KPNX-DT shown as channel 36 on that page, yet receivable as 12.1 on my TV?
* The picture size that the TV defaults to varies depending on the channel:
"Black bars" across top and bottom of screen
5.1
8.1
10.1
12.1
45.1
51.1
51.3
"Black bars" around all four sides of the screen
3.1
15.1
45.1
Full screen
8.2
8.3
12.2
15.2
33.1
33.2
51.2
51.4
I can't really seem to find a pattern. Can someone explain these picture size variances?
EDIT:
I was able to get the resolution and aspect ratio (I think those are the terms?) for each channel to be displayed on-screen: (Will this change depending on the program?) --
720p 16:9
3.1
10.1
15.1
1080i 16:9
5.1
8.1
12.1
45.1
480i 4:3
8.2
8.3
12.2
15.2
33.1
33.2
51.1
51.2
51.3
51.4
The two lists still do not match - for example, 10.1 has black bars across only the top & bottom and is 720p 16:9...15.1 has black bars on all four sides yet is also 720p 16:9...45.1 has black bars on all four sides but is 1080i 16:9.
And what exactly do "480i", "720p", and "1080i" mean?
* The picture quality of a "DT" channel is supposed to be better than the analog version of that channel, but not as good as the "HD" channel, right?
* How much should I expect to spend on for an indoor antenna that can reliably pick up as many digital channels as possible? 15.1, 15.2, 33.1, and 33.2 have been hit-or-miss...they were receivable when I first hooked up the TV on Monday, but they disappeared after that - today is the first time since Monday that I've received a signal.
I hooked up a cheap Philips-Magnavox set-top antenna, just to see what would happen. I wasn't expecting to be able to receive any channels, but to my amazement, the "auto program" feature picked up the following (I'm labeling these exactly the way they show up on-screen) --
3.1 KTVK-DT
5.1 KPHO HD
8.1 KAET-HD
8.2 KAET-SD
8.3 KBAQ-FM
10.1 KSAZ DT
12.1 KPNX-DT
12.2 Weather
15.1 KNXV-HD
15.2 KNXV-DT
33.1 KTVW DT
33.2 KFPH CA
45.1 KUTP DT
51.1 i
51.2 Pax
51.3 Worship
51.4 FaithTV
Questions:
* All of these channels' call letters are just the analog call letters with a "-DT" and the dial position, right? So for example, "KPHO HD" is really "KPHO-DT 5.1"..."KBAQ-FM" is really "KAET-DT 8.3", correct?
* In the case of 5.1, 8.1, and 15.1, this is just the HD signal being broadcast over a digital channel, right? Are there any on my list that are not labeled as HD, but actually are HD signals?
* Is there a good, up-to-date list of digital and HDTV channels available in the market? The best one I've been able to find is @ http://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/phx.htm
* EDIT: Found another list @ http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/programming/broadcast-market.php?dma_name[]=Phoenix%20(Prescott)
* On http://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/phx.htm - it says, for example, that KPHO-DT is channel 17. If that's the case, then why am I picking up KPHO-DT on 5.1? Or why is KPNX-DT shown as channel 36 on that page, yet receivable as 12.1 on my TV?
* The picture size that the TV defaults to varies depending on the channel:
"Black bars" across top and bottom of screen
5.1
8.1
10.1
12.1
45.1
51.1
51.3
"Black bars" around all four sides of the screen
3.1
15.1
45.1
Full screen
8.2
8.3
12.2
15.2
33.1
33.2
51.2
51.4
I can't really seem to find a pattern. Can someone explain these picture size variances?
EDIT:
I was able to get the resolution and aspect ratio (I think those are the terms?) for each channel to be displayed on-screen: (Will this change depending on the program?) --
720p 16:9
3.1
10.1
15.1
1080i 16:9
5.1
8.1
12.1
45.1
480i 4:3
8.2
8.3
12.2
15.2
33.1
33.2
51.1
51.2
51.3
51.4
The two lists still do not match - for example, 10.1 has black bars across only the top & bottom and is 720p 16:9...15.1 has black bars on all four sides yet is also 720p 16:9...45.1 has black bars on all four sides but is 1080i 16:9.
And what exactly do "480i", "720p", and "1080i" mean?
* The picture quality of a "DT" channel is supposed to be better than the analog version of that channel, but not as good as the "HD" channel, right?
* How much should I expect to spend on for an indoor antenna that can reliably pick up as many digital channels as possible? 15.1, 15.2, 33.1, and 33.2 have been hit-or-miss...they were receivable when I first hooked up the TV on Monday, but they disappeared after that - today is the first time since Monday that I've received a signal.
