Comments on: DTV transition update: New York City TV goes post-analog

CNET provides a quick status of which analog stations have--and have not--already dropped off the map. Let us know how the transition is going in your area.

[Been_there_Saw_it_before]

I was watching KPIX in San Francisco when the switch was supposed to go off, but David Letterman did not miss a syllable.

[licht1]

The Digital TV transition is no trouble at all if your cables are correctly polarized. Go to Screen 47 of the DTV Converter Box On-Screen Installation Guide and use the resident GPS to correctly align your antenna for each channel, allowing for local ionospheric conditions, and ARRRGGGHH!


Technical reference:


http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/06/12/tv-d-day-usa/

[gerrrg]

6 of my digital stations disappeared, and one finally made an appearance...oh wait, you were talking about analog stations?

[mdulcey]

When the digital transition happens, some stations will be moving from their temporary channel assignments to their permanent post-transition channels. You will need to have your DTV set or converter re-scan for channels as the transition happens.

[Apexi_a]

The new DTV signals are underpowered for the region that they are being sent out. Assume major problems for some unless radio telescope sized antenna is used. If television is not your thing, non of this matter even today.

[worldofcrap]

Strangely, both digital channels for WCBS-TV and WABC are down for me! Can't pick up anything, even after rescanning! What gives, I've been watching both digitally for months.

Wait, WCBS is back on, but it's just a top-of-building cam of Central Park. Guess they're having trouble...

[K4NBC]

Patience. WCBS left the air early to swap frequencies and antennas with WPIX. WCBS will begin DTV transmissions shortly on ch 33, WPIX vacates ch 33 to run digital on ch 11. There's a lot of overnight work going on at ESB. Many stations will be operating at reduced power, or using AUX antennas till all the new antennas are up and at full power. This may take several days for some. Keep re-autoprogramming your unit. All your stations will be back. Got work 2do, bye.

[NervClaX]

OMG! THE HUMANITY! PEOPLE ARE RUNNING WILD IN THE STREETS, LOOTING, BURNING CARS AND HOMES! SEND HELP! GET ME OUT OF HERE!

...and WCBS is off the air in Detroit.

[No Man]

Looks like all the St Louis metro stations are off except for KSDK, and they're just running a PSA on the switch.

[vprods]

It's the end of TV as we know it... and I feel fine

[sartor1]

worldofcrap said;
"Strangely, both digital channels for WCBS-TV and WABC are down for me! Can't pick up anything, even after rescanning! What gives, I've been watching both digitally for months."

Same here... happened months ago ... when the local NBC station turned off their analog, they also changed broadcast frequency. I lost the signal.. rescan did nothing. I had a DIY Digital Antenna that worked perfectly good before, so what gives?? I have an old house with aluminum siding, so I guess that particular frequency couldn't penetrate it or something.. ANYWAY.. Ended up I had to get a powered HDTV antenna, and boost up the signal to max.. (an RCA brand from Wally world)... One thing I found also... the antenna has to be away from the TV as far as possible, as the TV interferes with reception. Also, Anything metal nearby can affect reception.. like a tall metal floor lamp that didn't matter before, but I had to move it after the switch, because it was also interfering with reception. Cheers! I'll be GLAD when it's al complete tomorrow!!!!

[K4NBC]

Patience. WCBS left the air early to swap frequencies and antennas with WPIX. WCBS will begin DTV transmissions shortly on ch 33, WPIX vacates ch 33 to run digital on ch 11. There's a lot of overnight work going on at ESB. Many stations will be operating at reduced power, or using AUX antennas till all the new antennas are up and at full power. This may take several days for some. Keep re-autoprogramming your unit. All your stations will be back. Got work 2do, bye.

[electracon]

Your problem may be your box is still holding old frequency and not updating when you re-scan. I have found most boxes and New ATSC tuner equipped sets have to have old channel deleted before re-scan. If you see the channel label on screen and it says no signal, then you probably need to delete the old channel first . This could be either delete channel or view/not view. PS If you have an RCA box and have signal that comes and go then you need MORE antenna as the tuner in those RCA boxes are inferior to most of the other ones( 20 signal with RCA versus 70 on most other boxes) Remember- location,location,location. Also most areas need a VHF/UHF type of antenna not just Digital ready antenna as some sellers are advertising as such. Some of those only are for channels 14-65 and not 2-13.

[worldofcrap]

WCBS is back now. WABC is still MIA. Their local news team's gotta be pissed...

[jpfalcone]

As of now, we're seeing the digital versions of WABC and WNBC. We can't see WCBS-DT right now, but I think it's just because of our location.

[lilredhouse]

Had HDTV wide screen on all major broadcasters this morning, but now getting 1080i in Standard Def 4x3 format on everything but local PBS station, which is 720p. Using 1950s rooftop antenna with newer TV that has ATSC tuner and HDMI interface. Has worked great i.e. free over air HiDef for over 2 years.

[mochandler]

It would seem that Time Warner is rebroadcasting the digital signal as an analog signal. My HDTV shows whether the signal is analog or digital and the lower (basic) channels on Time Warner show as analog.

[martin_c_e]

The cable companies convert the digital signal to 480i for the basic (analog) service. The digital channels are on the upper digital channels.

[sxydeeny]

..wow

[libertyforall1776]

In Chicagoland, CBS finally moved to a higher VHF station to allow antenna viewers to more easily receive it -- FINALLY... ;-)

[ddhboy]

WNBC is at full blast for me, much more constant signal. WCBS is up.
WNYW is fine, but WWOR is dead, which is fine because WNYW is broadcasting both station's signals.
13 is dead, which it has been for me for a while. WLIW is up, though its been dead for me for the weeks leading up to the transition.
WNYE is being picked up. WPXN (usually 11, now on 31) is dead, I'll rescan to see if they moved back, but both CW and that Latin station is gone. WNYN is up, but the audio is extremely low.
NJN is up.
WFUT (channel 68) fades in and out
There's something on channels 69, 70 and 72 that I'm picking up. Its WNYN but reflected. No volume on this channel. 71 is WNYN-3 but with audio
WFME is dead
KEAR-FM is dead and all Channel 66 channels are dead (not sure what this is, but it shows up on my EyeTV setup on my mac). Additionally 66 has another channel, 66-10 that's been described for future use.

Additionally week digital signals that I managed to pick up (some Korean/spanish station w/ 4 subchannels in the 60s or 70s) are MIA after the rescan. 13 most notably is totally gone.

[ivorycruncher]

Boy am I glad I have DirecTV, so I don't have to worry about this mess. =)

[sakenu16]

I am in queens (NYC) getting CBS, NBC, FOX, CW, but not WABC, WPIX or PBS 13. WABC and WPIX used to be crystal clear prior to the switch. I was never able to get digital PBS 13 prior to the switch, so not sure if that will even come through.

[does.tv]

eeeeehhhhhhaaaaaaaa! Let the games begin!

I'm a chief engineer and will be going in at 11pm central time tonight to flip the switches on my transmitters. I'm expecting about a zillion voicemails when I come back to work on Monday.

[martin_c_e]

Most of the Houston stations turned off their analog transmitters at 6:45 am. 4 stations made frequency changes almost instantaneously. Some will be upgrading their towers and increasing power and all should be finalized by June 18.

[wavjockey]

At my station, we put up a slide during the Noon news and we immediately got phone calls from morons who had no idea this was happening. Hopefully, the weak will perish.

On a different note:
I wish ALL DTV tuners, set-up and integrated, would automatically detect station changes---without manual auto scanning; much in the same way computers know when a device is connected or deconnected.
It can happen either during power-up/power-down or while in stand-by.

Given the relative stupidity of many viewers in this country, doing a rescan is harder than planning a manned mission to Mars.