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What if the virtual channel overlaps with the same real channel?

vchimpanzee said:
Getting back to my original question ...

I watch My 48 more than any other channel on digital TV. It's actually on 33.1, but you don't have to know that.

But east of My 48 is WRAL, which is still said to be on channel 5. According to Wikipedia, it's actually at 48.1. So what happens if you can pick up both?
...
Click to expand...

What *should* happen...

When you do a channel scan, your TV tunes itself to RF channel 2 and checks to see if there's a signal there. There isn't, so it goes on to RF channel 3 and checks there. And so on and soforth, until it reaches RF channel 33.* When it tunes to RF channel 33, it finds a signal -- WMYV. It reads WMYV's PSIP packets, which tell your TV "I want you to call me channel 48". The TV stores that data in a lookup table: if you punch in "48" on the remote, tune to RF-33.

It then continues scanning. Eventually it reaches RF channel 48 and finds a signal from WRAL. WRAL's PSIP tells your TV "I want you to call me channel 5". The TV stores that data in a lookup table; if you punch in "05" on the remote, tune to RF-48.

So, you should be able to receive both stations just fine. The only consequence of WRAL's RF channel matching WMYV's virtual channel is that you can't tune WRAL by punching in its RF channel - you *must* punch in its virtual channel. (you could tune WMYV either way -- either "33" or "48" will bring it in **on most TVs**. In theory 33 isn't supposed to work but on most sets it does.)

Even then, on most sets you can tune by RF channel by going into "manual channel add". A common trick for "DXers" is to go to manually add a RF channel that doesn't exist in the market and see what virtual channel shows up during the next band opening.

* of course it's probably found a few other signals before it reaches RF-33.
 
w9wi said:
vchimpanzee said:
Getting back to my original question ...

I watch My 48 more than any other channel on digital TV. It's actually on 33.1, but you don't have to know that.

But east of My 48 is WRAL, which is still said to be on channel 5. According to Wikipedia, it's actually at 48.1. So what happens if you can pick up both?
...
Click to expand...

What *should* happen...

When you do a channel scan, your TV tunes itself to RF channel 2 and checks to see if there's a signal there. There isn't, so it goes on to RF channel 3 and checks there. And so on and soforth, until it reaches RF channel 33.* When it tunes to RF channel 33, it finds a signal -- WMYV. It reads WMYV's PSIP packets, which tell your TV "I want you to call me channel 48". The TV stores that data in a lookup table: if you punch in "48" on the remote, tune to RF-33.

It then continues scanning. Eventually it reaches RF channel 48 and finds a signal from WRAL. WRAL's PSIP tells your TV "I want you to call me channel 5". The TV stores that data in a lookup table; if you punch in "05" on the remote, tune to RF-48.

So, you should be able to receive both stations just fine. The only consequence of WRAL's RF channel matching WMYV's virtual channel is that you can't tune WRAL by punching in its RF channel - you *must* punch in its virtual channel. (you could tune WMYV either way -- either "33" or "48" will bring it in **on most TVs**. In theory 33 isn't supposed to work but on most sets it does.)

Even then, on most sets you can tune by RF channel by going into "manual channel add". A common trick for "DXers" is to go to manually add a RF channel that doesn't exist in the market and see what virtual channel shows up during the next band opening.

* of course it's probably found a few other signals before it reaches RF-33.
Click to expand...
Actually, I couldn't pick up two stations for some reason until I entered the actual channel. One of the stations has never had a signal problem.

I live too far west to pick up WRAL. I used to in the days of analog TV under certain condtions.
 
vchimpanzee said:
w9wi said:
vchimpanzee said:
Getting back to my original question ...

I watch My 48 more than any other channel on digital TV. It's actually on 33.1, but you don't have to know that.

But east of My 48 is WRAL, which is still said to be on channel 5. According to Wikipedia, it's actually at 48.1. So what happens if you can pick up both?
...
Click to expand...

What *should* happen...

... snip ...

* of course it's probably found a few other signals before it reaches RF-33.
Click to expand...
Actually, I couldn't pick up two stations for some reason until I entered the actual channel. One of the stations has never had a signal problem.

I live too far west to pick up WRAL. I used to in the days of analog TV under certain condtions.
Click to expand...

It's certainly possible there's something wrong with someone's PSIP. If the TVCT is programmed wrong then the remapping won't work properly.
 
I have the Magnavox digital box, and it happened to me recently. WGBO was ID'ing as channel 66 (their old channel). Their RF channel is 38.1, but PSIP was ID'ing as 66.1 until I did a rescan. It now shows up as 38.1. WCPX is now on 43.1, but they ID on PSIP as 38.1 (their old channel). So unless I type in 38.1, and hit channel up, then I have to type in 43.1 to get WCPX. WLS-TV is the only station that ID's with their real channel, as they moved their digital to 7.1 on June 12th from 52.1.

I saw on some Sanyo TV's, that it shows both the RF channel, as well as the PSIP channel. I wonder if that's to help people learn the real channel, should stations decide to ID with the RF channels later on. I wish I knew the model of the specific Sanyo TV's.
 
Dave said:
I have the Magnavox digital box, and it happened to me recently. WGBO was ID'ing as channel 66 (their old channel). Their RF channel is 38.1, but PSIP was ID'ing as 66.1 until I did a rescan. It now shows up as 38.1. WCPX is now on 43.1, but they ID on PSIP as 38.1 (their old channel). So unless I type in 38.1, and hit channel up, then I have to type in 43.1 to get WCPX. WLS-TV is the only station that ID's with their real channel, as they moved their digital to 7.1 on June 12th from 52.1.
Click to expand...


If WGBO's PSIP is coming up as 38.1 then it's wrong. The ATSC standard (and by reference to same, the FCC regulations) require they use their old analog channel as their major channel -- it *should* come up as 66.1.

If WCPX is coming up as 38.1, they've got it right.
 
w9wi said:
Dave said:
I have the Magnavox digital box, and it happened to me recently. WGBO was ID'ing as channel 66 (their old channel). Their RF channel is 38.1, but PSIP was ID'ing as 66.1 until I did a rescan. It now shows up as 38.1. WCPX is now on 43.1, but they ID on PSIP as 38.1 (their old channel). So unless I type in 38.1, and hit channel up, then I have to type in 43.1 to get WCPX. WLS-TV is the only station that ID's with their real channel, as they moved their digital to 7.1 on June 12th from 52.1.
Click to expand...


If WGBO's PSIP is coming up as 38.1 then it's wrong. The ATSC standard (and by reference to same, the FCC regulations) require they use their old analog channel as their major channel -- it *should* come up as 66.1.

If WCPX is coming up as 38.1, they've got it right.
Click to expand...


I don't know what to say about that one. All I know is the PSIP for WGBO comes up as 38.1 (their RF channel) since the rescan. As long as no other station comes in on 43.1 during a e-skip, then I have to type in 43.1 so it goes to WCPX, just so I don't have to type in 38.1, and hit channel up to get WCPX. At least for now, WGBO doesn't have any subchannels, or it could be worse. As for the ATI ATSC tuner card for my PC, I have a choice on whether to have the channels displayed with their RF channel, or PSIP channel. I choose the RF channel, just so I make myself learn the new channel. The channels scanned with their RF channels pop up in RF order. If I chose to have it go by the PSIP channel, then it would list the channels in PSIP order.
 
w9wi said:
Dave said:
I have the Magnavox digital box, and it happened to me recently. WGBO was ID'ing as channel 66 (their old channel). Their RF channel is 38.1, but PSIP was ID'ing as 66.1 until I did a rescan. It now shows up as 38.1. WCPX is now on 43.1, but they ID on PSIP as 38.1 (their old channel). So unless I type in 38.1, and hit channel up, then I have to type in 43.1 to get WCPX. WLS-TV is the only station that ID's with their real channel, as they moved their digital to 7.1 on June 12th from 52.1.
Click to expand...


If WGBO's PSIP is coming up as 38.1 then it's wrong. The ATSC standard (and by reference to same, the FCC regulations) require they use their old analog channel as their major channel -- it *should* come up as 66.1.

If WCPX is coming up as 38.1, they've got it right.
Click to expand...
When I rescanned I picked up a channel 43.1. I was told on another topic it was WLXI, which was channel 61 analog. If it comes up without my typing in 43, then that's its virtual channel.
 
I discovered on the CW message board that San Francisco has a Fox affiliate on channel 44, while the CW affiliate is on virtual channel 44. The person who posted has a converter box that goes to the Fox station.

This shouldn't have ever happened. Now when I went to Radio Shack and tried to convince the man I asked about channel 8 that I was really watching channel 35, he typed in 35 and got channel 36. So the person who was having a problem needs that TV. It looks expensive, though.
 
Week and half ago I was getting WSAV for 5 minutes. Their digital signal was broadcast on UHF23. In Columbus Ohio GTN23 a low power analog wasn't coming in on UHF23. When GTN23 comes back on WSAV Was gone.
 
WSAV is broadcast on channel 39. And comes from Georgia.

- Trip
 
WSAZ Huntington WV, most likely. Close enough to Columbus OH and broadcasts on ch 23.
 
I knew there was a station nearby that fit the profile and it slipped my mind. Thanks, dhett. :)

- Trip
 
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