WFAA Digital OTA

[sathman01]

I have had a digital OTA TV for about a month now and I can pick up several channels with no problem except WFAA. It seems like I can sneeze and I will lose its signal while all the others such as KXAS and KDFW and their sub-channels come in with no problem.

Am I the only one having trouble with just WFAA or is it something with the placement of the WFAA transmitter that is causing the problems? Could it also be BELO's thoughts about digital TV that is causing these issues?

Thanks

 

[Mediafrog+]

WFAA's digital signal is on Channel 9 (VHF) while the other digitals in DFW are on UHF. Perhaps your antenna is just for UHF?

 

[sathman01]

The antenna I have does pick up VHF and it sometimes and I mean sometimes gets WFAA.

I am wondering why Belo chose to go with VHF instead of UHF?

 

[stevenNOLA]

I'm in Houston and our PBS-DT is on Ch. 8. I can see the tower farm from my backyard and cannot get >80% signal strength and it drops out often with an indoor antenna (Terk HDTVi). I wish all HD channels were UHF but they use a considerably larger amount of power to operate. Additionally, stations did not have the opportunity to decide which channel their DT allottment would be. It was assigned by the FCC. They have the choice to either keep their new digital assignment or return to their analog channel after analog broadcasting ceases. Hope this helps.

I believe Belo is very committed to HD considering they have the only HD newscast in Houston (I'm not sure about other stations in Dallas but I know WFAA has news in HD)

 

[OnTexasTime]

I am down by Corsicana and WFAA comes in very well on my digital set over my antenna.

 

[dhett]

The antenna I have does pick up VHF and it sometimes and I mean sometimes gets WFAA.

I am wondering why Belo chose to go with VHF instead of UHF?

Belo didn't choose their DTV channel; the FCC did, as they did with all the full-service stations. In February 2009, at the end of the transition, WFAA will broadcast their DTV signal on ch 8 and KTVT will be on ch 11, both stations having negotiated channel agreements. KERA tried to go back to ch 13, but when their plan was rejected by the FCC due to conflict, they chose to stay on ch 14 instead of trying to negotiate a channel agreement. KDTN, KDFW and KXAS, not surprisingly, are staying with their UHF assignments, due to the problems with DTV and low-VHF.

 

[mediawonk]

I am using the OnAir GT HDTV box on my PC near downtown Dallas with the supplied interior antenna, and I routinely get 24-25db for WFAA-DT, with no problems. Comparatively, I average around 30db for KDFW-DT, 23db for KXAS-DT and 26db for KTVT-DT.

 

[KERCAlum]

The antenna I have does pick up VHF and it sometimes and I mean sometimes gets WFAA.

I am wondering why Belo chose to go with VHF instead of UHF?

Belo didn't choose their DTV channel; the FCC did, as they did with all the full-service stations. In February 2009, at the end of the transition, WFAA will broadcast their DTV signal on ch 8 and KTVT will be on ch 11, both stations having negotiated channel agreements. KERA tried to go back to ch 13, but when their plan was rejected by the FCC due to conflict, they chose to stay on ch 14 instead of trying to negotiate a channel agreement. KDTN, KDFW and KXAS, not surprisingly, are staying with their UHF assignments, due to the problems with DTV and low-VHF.

So that brings up an interesting question. In their on-air marketing, will KDFW (digital channel 35) still call itself "Fox 4" if they decide to stay on channel 35? Or will they brand themselves as "Fox 35"? Same question for KXAS (digital channel 41) - will they be "NBC 41"? Or will the digital TV sets translate the DTV channel numbers to their analog channels?

And a question for StevenNOLA - If Houston's PBS (KUHT) is on analog channel 8, how can their DTV be on 8 as well? I am not sure I understand how all that works.

 

[w9wi]

So that brings up an interesting question. In their on-air marketing, will KDFW (digital channel 35) still call itself "Fox 4" if they decide to stay on channel 35? Or will they brand themselves as "Fox 35"? Same question for KXAS (digital channel 41) - will they be "NBC 41"? Or will the digital TV sets translate the DTV channel numbers to their analog channels?

Part of the datastream broadcast by the station tells the set to "lie" about which channel it's tuned to. KXAS broadcasts a data packet stating that its "major channel number" is 5 and its "minor channel number" is 1. When your digital TV scans RF channel 41, it picks up this data packet and places an entry in an internal database. This database cross-references RF channel 41 to "virtual channel" 5-1. When you punch 5 => 1 on the remote, the set checks the database and tunes to RF channel 41.

So as far as you, the setowner, are concerned, the station is on channel 5-1. As far as your TV is concerned, it's on channel 41.

And a question for StevenNOLA - If Houston's PBS (KUHT) is on analog channel 8, how can their DTV be on 8 as well? I am not sure I understand how all that works.

Apparently he misspoke - KUHT's DTV signal, like WFAA's, is on channel 9.

 

[arnoldevns]

So that brings up an interesting question. In their on-air marketing, will KDFW (digital channel 35) still call itself "Fox 4" if they decide to stay on channel 35? Or will they brand themselves as "Fox 35"? Same question for KXAS (digital channel 41) - will they be "NBC 41"? Or will the digital TV sets translate the DTV channel numbers to their analog channels?

Part of the datastream broadcast by the station tells the set to "lie" about which channel it's tuned to. KXAS broadcasts a data packet stating that its "major channel number" is 5 and its "minor channel number" is 1. When your digital TV scans RF channel 41, it picks up this data packet and places an entry in an internal database. This database cross-references RF channel 41 to "virtual channel" 5-1. When you punch 5 => 1 on the remote, the set checks the database and tunes to RF channel 41.

So as far as you, the setowner, are concerned, the station is on channel 5-1. As far as your TV is concerned, it's on channel 41.

Since 80%+ of viewers get their television from cable or satellite, it won't matter much. The stations would be foolish to brand themselves by their digital number. That's not to say some haven't done a bit of this in the past few years, but most are getting away from it.

 

[stevenNOLA]

The antenna I have does pick up VHF and it sometimes and I mean sometimes gets WFAA.

I am wondering why Belo chose to go with VHF instead of UHF?

Belo didn't choose their DTV channel; the FCC did, as they did with all the full-service stations. In February 2009, at the end of the transition, WFAA will broadcast their DTV signal on ch 8 and KTVT will be on ch 11, both stations having negotiated channel agreements. KERA tried to go back to ch 13, but when their plan was rejected by the FCC due to conflict, they chose to stay on ch 14 instead of trying to negotiate a channel agreement. KDTN, KDFW and KXAS, not surprisingly, are staying with their UHF assignments, due to the problems with DTV and low-VHF.

So that brings up an interesting question. In their on-air marketing, will KDFW (digital channel 35) still call itself "Fox 4" if they decide to stay on channel 35? Or will they brand themselves as "Fox 35"? Same question for KXAS (digital channel 41) - will they be "NBC 41"? Or will the digital TV sets translate the DTV channel numbers to their analog channels?

And a question for StevenNOLA - If Houston's PBS (KUHT) is on analog channel 8, how can their DTV be on 8 as well? I am not sure I understand how all that works.

Sorry...It's on RF channel 9. It remaps to 8. Habit of seeing "8" on my display and screen.