J
Jul
Guest
There is still problems with the over the air digital signal of WPVI 6ABC despite the signal increase. Are you still seeing the same signal problems with the station from where you are?
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imhomerjay
Guest
I'm still experiencing the same reception problem with Julius. Does that count? ;D
Julius May said:
Julius, give it up. There's literally nothing more they can do.
They've already maxed out their power, then some. And there's no guarantee that the FCC will make the new power level permanent; there's the whole matter of the treaty with Canada limiting power in Zone I.
Under the FCC's new engineering guidelines, the only channels they could move onto if they stay within the Antenna Farm are 2, 3, 4, or 5, all of which would be the same or even worse from a signal propagation standpoint.
According to Tripp Rogers' Available Channel Search tool, the only places even near the market where you could place a tower and get a different channel would be to put up a new tower somewhere in Dover or next to the WMGM-DT tower in Avalon. From either location you could broadcast on Channel 51, but they would be a thousand times worse for most of the market (but a boon for South Jersey or Delaware as the case may be). Or go further south and piggyback on WDPB's transmitter site to open up 39 or 45, neither of which would ever reach even South Philly under ideal DX conditions.
Perhaps ABC could cut deals with WRC-DT and twist the FCC's arm to let them Channel 48, but I doubt NBC would be willing to play along. Channel 10 would have first-adjacent nightmares with WBPH (which won't be resolved, and co-channel problems with WUSA which would lead to battles with CBS. Every other frequency that was occupied in Philly pre-transition is either spoken for or out of bounds with the post-transition configuration and rules.
Don't believe me? Go to Tripp's site yourself: http://rabbitears.info and use the available channel search. The Antenna Farm is in zip code 19128. Scroll down the list of channels and see the conflicts ruling out everything but 2, 3, 4, 5, or staying on 6.
There's really nothing more that WPVI can do now. So please shut up.
J
Jul
Guest
Yes it does. My point of this whole thread is to get people to complain to 6ABC about the signal issues because this really needs to be fixed. It doesn't make sense that all the other stations are coming in fine over the air according to posters here expect channel 6.imhomerjay said:
J
Jul
Guest
Why didn't the station use PSIP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSIP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_channel so they can remain on a UHF channel and thus avoiding the signal problems? To contact the station: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/technology&id=6876502 and http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/channel?section=resources/inside_station&id=5755618
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imhomerjay
Guest
What a noble gesture. 
I'm sure that with you posting repetitive and irrelevant ramblings on a message board, they'll do something they wouldn't have done had you not been on the case.
I'm sure that with you posting repetitive and irrelevant ramblings on a message board, they'll do something they wouldn't have done had you not been on the case.
pabsungenis said:
Not sure who Tripp Rogers is, but his RabbitEars site looks an awful lot like mine! ;D No worries, I was just too amused to pass that one up.
The alternative for WPVI would be to pay off WWSI. If WWSI were to relocate to 10 or co-locate at the primary tower site in Roxborough, and WPVI could move to 48 or 49.
I don't think ABC wants to spend the money though.
- Trip
Julius May said:
Making the PSIP tell viewers they're channel 6 when they're on a UHF physical channel is TRIVIALLY easy. Unfortunately it does no good when there is no UHF physical channel to use! Things are CROWDED when you're within 100 miles of NYC.
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The cruel fact is that OTA viewership reflects a small proportion of total viewership - and it reflects people who don't consider TV important enough to spend money on cable/satellite (and thus aren't paying as much attention to the advertising) or can't afford cable/satellite. (and thus can't afford many of the products being advertised)
WPVI isn't totally disregarding their OTA viewers. (the power increase to 30kw was by no means cheap) But a few hundred thousand $$ to move WWSI from 49 to 10 or to Roxborough -- and a similar amount to buy a channel 48 transmitter and antenna for themselves -- is going to be VERY hard to justify to the bottom line.
Especially when it makes absolutely NO difference to the 95% or so of the audience that has cable, satellite, or a perfectly adequate OTA signal on channel 6.
tripinva said:
Sorry, Trip. Wasn't thinking when I typed that.
Wouldn't WBPH give spacing problems for WWSI on 10? Wasn't that why they never moved?
pabsungenis said:
Like I said, no worries.
No, actually, it was WHTM-DT 10 that was giving them grief, and they got an interference acceptance agreement out of them. The petition was all the way to the NPRM stage, which means that had WWSI not withdrawn their petition, it would have likely been approved.
- Trip
J
Jul
Guest
I have cable. 6ABC comes in perfect. I'm just concerned for the people that are not getting the signal.digidan said:
J
Jul
Guest
Have you called the station yourself about this? If you have, what did they tell you? BTW This doesn't make any sense that some folks still can't get this channel after over a month of the digital changeover.trolleyk said:
Julius May said:
It would make perfect sense if you would actually stop to think and READ what we've all kept telling you. Go back through the threads and read everything we've said about (a) an overcrowded dial, (b) low VHF's problems with DTV, and (c) the inability of WPVI to either increase their power further or move.
J
Jul
Guest
I am well aware of what is causing this. I was just asking the user has he or she called the stations about why is this person still not getting 6ABC?pabsungenis said:
I am very aware of all that has been stated about WPVI's issue. I have an an adequate indoor digital antenna that works very well for all local stations except Channel 6. The station and the FCC have been contacted with no results. Channel 6 has a major problem that still needs a final resolution.
J
Jul
Guest
Any suggestions as to what the station and or FCC should do to fix this in your opinion TrolleyK?trolleyk said:
trolleyk said:
What kind of antenna? (what does it look like?)
An unfortunate number of antennas have been sold that wrongly claim to support VHF. Little square thingies that may work more or less on UHF but despite claims would be outperformed on VHF by a foot of hookup wire. Big panel antennas that claim "75+ mile reception" and "all channels" and will work fine on UHF at 75 miles but have a VHF range more like 25 miles. And then there are amplified indoor antennas...
It's not the consumers' fault -- they should have a reasonable expectation that, when an antenna is sold as working on VHF, it will in fact work on VHF.
IMHO when WPVI does whatever they end up doing about this, they should send half the bill to the local discount & consumer-electronics stores.
If your indoor antenna does not have at least two elements 30 to 35 inches long, then I would not consider it adaquate for use on channel 6. I would never expect good results from an indoor antenna, I use an outdoor antenna and receive signals from 70 miles+. Unless WPVI has a majic wand that can change physics and propagation then it is what it is. They (channel 6) chose to use VHF low band and must live with it. They already got a 6 db power increase to 30kw, if that didn't help then I doubt further power increases are the answer. They would have to raise the power another 6 to 10 db (120 to 300 KW) for any significant improvement and that is not going to happen for many reasons. If people want to receive channel 6 over the air, then they are going to have to improve their receiving antenna system or get satellite or cable. The only way WPVI will get parody with the other UHF DTV signals is to buy another station in the market and turn it dark, swap frequencies with another station, or lease a digital sub channel from another station. All of these are highly unlikely to happen because the expense for gaining a small percentage (over the air viewers) of the total viewers is not worth it. How many times do we have to say it, IT IS WHAT IT IS! if you want to watch channel 6 then you must improve your receiving equipment (antenna system). Their is nothing further the station or the FCC can do for you. Sorry if that's not what you want to hear but facts are facts.
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