Virtual channels.

[secondchoice]

After the next repack is completed, can a station drop the virtual channel that displays on the tuner? Say I am poorly preforming virtual channel 40, 50 or 60 something and my real transmit channel is something in the teens or twenty’s. Could I drop my virtual and switch to the real OTA channel? That could “move” me down on a lot of TV sets that are using antennas? The “new” channel might give a “lets try it” effect. Hopefully the programming is improved before the Virtual change / drop.

And if you did go with your true OTA channel and another repack comes along could I keep my former OTA channel as a virtual?


Of course, a successful station would never do that.

 

[Ccook55]

Virtual channels can go anywhere from 1 to 999, so theoretically a station could move their virtuals elsewhere. KVIQ in Eureka CA (CBS) used to be virtual 6, but they moved to 17, matching their OTA digital channel. WSST in Cordele GA (Albany DMA) was on virtual 51 previously (their RF is 34), then when they shut off their analog they moved to 22. In 2003 in our market (Atlanta), WUPA/channel 69 moved their virtual to 43 to match their OTA, but five years later they moved it back to 69. There's no explanation why. They stayed on 69 on Dish and for awhile used both 43 and 69 on DirecTV. They will move their OTA to 36 next summer. The reception on virtuals are irrelevant. It's how you receive them OTA that counts. The digital spectrum will end at 36 when all is said and done.

Also, if you enter a station's OTA on a digital tuner, it will automatically redirect to its virtual. (Example: Enter Atlanta's WSB OTA 39 and it will automatically redirect to 2.)

 

[Ccook55]

One other thing I forgot regarding OTAs and virtuals: in some markets there could be a case where a station’s OTA is the same as another’s virtual. WUPA’s new OTA of 36 will be the same as WATL’s virtual 36, so if you tried to enter 36 to get WUPA, you’d get WATL instead. This is where PSIP (Program and Station Information Protocol) comes into play. It was set to display stations under their original analog number so as not to confuse viewers.

 

[Mr Tony]

Also, if you enter a station's OTA on a digital tuner, it will automatically redirect to its virtual. (Example: Enter Atlanta's WSB OTA 39 and it will automatically redirect to 2.)

depends on the tuner but most won't. Also what happens when someone's PSIP station is the same as a different stations RF number? As example here in Minneapolis WUCW CW23 is RF22 and KTCI, the secondary PBS that maps to 2-3 has RF 23. So if I type in 23 I get WUCW 23 :

 

[Ccook55]

depends on the tuner but most won't. Also what happens when someone's PSIP station is the same as a different stations RF number? As example here in Minneapolis WUCW CW23 is RF22 and KTCI, the secondary PBS that maps to 2-3 has RF 23. So if I type in 23 I get WUCW 23 :

As I mentioned in the post prior, if you enter an RF channel that is the same as another’s virtual, you will get the second station.

 

[tripinva]

1) FCC rules require stations to use their analog channel numbers for their virtual channel. End of discussion. Any station not doing that without a waiver of the FCC rule (there are a handful) is in violation of FCC rules.

2) What a TV set does varies from set to set. While many sets will correctly interpret the entry of "36" as a request for WATL in the Atlanta post-repack example, some sets will bring up WUPA if you put "36" in, rather than WATL. Others will attempt to tune to a non-existent analog 36 and show static, while still others will say there is no such channel. To get to WATL, you would have to enter "36.1" (the full virtual channel number) on those sets instead.

- Trip

 

[Mr Tony]

1) FCC rules require stations to use their analog channel numbers for their virtual channel. End of discussion. Any station not doing that without a waiver of the FCC rule (there are a handful) is in violation of FCC rules.
- Trip

What about translators? As example here in Minnesota we had K48IF in Brainerd which was FOX 9. When they upgraded it to digital they use PSIP of 26, which is the PSIP of the station they are getting it from (KFTC Bemidji..which PSIP's as 26). An example of a translator keeping their PSIP as their RF is K16BQ (also in Brainerd). They recently upgraded it to digital but doesnt use 42 as the PSIP (they are taking the feed from KSAX Alexandria). I figured they didnt want it to show up as 42 and confuse folks who can get both K16BQ (the local translator) and KSAX (which is approx 60 miles away)

 

[Ccook55]

WSB has two operating translators, RF 31 in Athens and 46 in Gainesville, and both PSIPs to 2 but on different suffixes. 31 PSIPs to 2.4 and 46 to 2.7 (Subchannels Laff TV and Bounce TV follow).

 

[tripinva]

What about translators? As example here in Minnesota we had K48IF in Brainerd which was FOX 9. When they upgraded it to digital they use PSIP of 26, which is the PSIP of the station they are getting it from (KFTC Bemidji..which PSIP's as 26). An example of a translator keeping their PSIP as their RF is K16BQ (also in Brainerd). They recently upgraded it to digital but doesnt use 42 as the PSIP (they are taking the feed from KSAX Alexandria). I figured they didnt want it to show up as 42 and confuse folks who can get both K16BQ (the local translator) and KSAX (which is approx 60 miles away)

There's a carve-out for translators. The discussion here does not include translators.

- Trip