Sioux City, IA / Sioux Falls, SD - HDTV - Page 35

I emailed the engineer again this morning. He says they are having trouble tracking down the issue. This blows.

Husker, thanks for the info.

I also wrote him and this was the response:

"Our transmitter engineer has been having trouble tracking down the
issue. He tells me this morning that he believes he knows what may be
wrong and will be working on it this evening."

So it looks like the issue is being addressed, hopefully.

KSFY DT was back full strength for me last night. Hopefully the issue has been resolved.

What a strange issue with KSFY. I have not seen a down grade of signal quality from KSFY in quite some time. I had better count my blessings.

I have a CM4228 and it's doing the job for all the local channels, on all TV's in the house. I have purchased a pre-amp to assist in trying to somewhat consistently pick up Sioux Falls & Omaha stations, but I'm not strong in the area of installation. I'd like to hire someone to install the pre-amp (CM7777) to my antenna but don't have any idea who to contact to do that sort of thing. Any suggestions out there?

GT in M'Side

If you have any questions on installing it I would be more than happy to try to answer them. They are pretty simple devices to hook up. I have hooked up many preamps and it takes longer to get the ladder out, climb up the ladder than it does to hook it up.

The biggest deal, I feel in pulling in a digital signal, is the aiming of the antenna. There is a little tolerance, but nothing like an analog signal. I have a cheap compass from walmart that is the best tool to have. Go to antennaweb.org and put in your coordinates. It will tell you which degrees to have your antenna facing for your surround towers.

To answer your question, I am not aware of any installers in Sioux City.

Fear of heights is the problem. I know that hooking up the pre-amp isn't complicated. As a matter of fact, I have hooked it up down at my TV and while I realize that it can only work at it's best when placed as close to the antenna as possible, it still makes a minor (but noticeable) difference even down here....where I don't have to get up on my roof!

As for the compass, I'll have to consider that! No problems with the locals (alot of room to work with, being so close to the tower) but it may help in trying to lock in the SF and Omaha stations.

As for installing, I couldn't convince the DTV guy who set up the HD dish to hook up the pre-amp. He had some BS excuse. I'm wasn't much of a fan of the idiot that I hired to put up my CM (I hadn't purchased the pre-amp yet, not knowing if I'd need it or not) so I won't call him to do it. Gotta get it done before the weather turns. So once again, if anyone has a name/number (or if any of you wanna make a few extra bucks, ha), throw out the info if you have any. Thanks.

GT in M'Side


P.S. Anyone know enuff about TV's to explain the following? I can hook up my antenna direct to a 19 inch LCD TV (at any time of the day, w/o a pre-amp) and get Sioux Falls and Omaha stations (obviously not at the same time, but when I have the antenna facing the correct direction). But on my 40" & 52" LCD's (once again without a pre-amp helping at this point), I really only have been having occasional success some evenings and early mornings. Are the OTA tuners better in smaller TV's than in larger TV's?

I just got Dish Network and picked up an indoor off-air antenna as the satillite centrel installer told me this would be all i need to pick up all the locals in HDTV.

I can get ktiv, the wb, kmeg, kcau and ksin all come in with this antenna, i have to do alot of adjusting and moving of my antenna to pick up kcau and kmeg, but the others come in great. I cannot for the life of me get KPTH FOX 44...are they even broadcasting HD? I keep moving my antenna around and even took it outside and do a local channal scan on my Dish Network RECEIVER and cannot get this channel at all...its the only one i cannot get! HELP!

I live on the north side on the 36 hundred block of jones street..not sure how to get FOX 44 or the best reception from other channels..my signal strenght is usually in the 70's , sometimes the channels work great, but every now and then they will fade in and out.

I picked up a RCA Amplified indoor antenna from walmart, 55db, this one seems to work the best.. I have tried many different indorr antennas and most of them i have already taken back to the store because the RCA one seems to work the best so far. But i could not get FOX 44 HD with any of the antennas.

There is quite a hill between where you live at 36th & Jones and the towers that broadcast HD. But KMEG and KPTH are on the same tower, same equipment and probably the same power level, so in theory if you get 14.1 you should also get 44.1.

Sounds like you are on the edge of the signal needed for a steady picture - more likely than not, you will need an outdoor antenna to do the job.

well , know i finally got KPTH AND MYKPTH picked up with my antenna and i get pretty good reception, except now i have having audio problems. The KPTH's i keep getting this loud continuos beeeeep, the other HD channels i get no volume at all on KCAU, or THE WB, get audio with KTIV, and the KSIN channals i get audio on one of them , and then i goto the other one and there is a differnt show on , but i am getting the audio feed from the other ksin channel. This is frustrating, but once i can get the audio figured out I think I can manage this untill i move from here, i just need to remember how to position my antenna for each networks.

Its wierd, I'm getting a strong singal for the FOX CHANNELS, KCAU, AND BOTH KSINS all from the same postion...then i have to move it to get KMEG and KTIV.

The Audio is really frustrating me right now, i have been using this antenna for a month now, never got KPTH with this antenna untill today. I tried an differnt antenna today that i picked up to try and get fox and was unable to do it, and actually my origional RCA antenna worked better so i am taking the new one back again and keeping the RCA one. But now my audio is all screwed up. I tried to reset my reciever and it works my audio comes in on FOX , but then i change channels and go back to fox and i get the beep noise and no audio at all on the other HD Channels.

I think KMEGDT may still be having issues. Why I think that is because my Samsung HD receiver is now reporting 39.1 as 39.1 instead of 14. It used to report 39.1 as KMEGDT 14 before they went off line last week, and it was placed in the guide between 9.1 and 27.1. Now it is placed in between 27.1 and 49.1 Also I have a TV tuner card in my PC that is capable of HDTV (ATI 650 Wonder), it no longer tunes in KMEGDT even though I have a very strong antenna signal in Media Center. My Directv HR20-100 doesn’t seem to mind the issue because it seems to be working just fine. Any thoughts?

I know yesterday at one time I tuned to 14.1 and my TV automatically switched to 39.1, but not long afterward (30 seconds give or take) it switched back to 14.1 and never had a problem since. I am unaware as to what time that was, but I did think that was a little strange.

Anyone know when the local SC stations will be offering 5.1 audio on their HD channels?

Two stations in Sioux City already broadcast network HD programs in 5.1 sound:

KCAU 9.1 (ABC)
KPTH 44.1 (Fox)

Does anybody else have an ATI 650 TV wonder card installed in a pc and receiving Sioux City HD channels? I am having problems getting KMEG to work with that card.

Is anyone having trouble with KPTHD lately? I noticed my signal strength is in the mid 40's. I live in Morningside and have never had a problem with the KPTH signal. I'm having problems with watching shows lately (picture freezes, etc). I get signal strengths in the upper 70's with the other local channels.

Any insight?
Thanks
Nosok

I'm in Sioux Falls and have not seen a drop(about 70). I watch 44 instead of our FOX 17 because the signal is much stronger.

I have midco basic cable and get some HD channels, these channels are being pulled from the air.....correct??? I get 17.1 (FOX) and it comes in great. I live about 15 miles north of sioux falls. I have been having issues with KSFY 13-1, it worked the first day I got it...then didn't come in the 2nd day and just sorta comes in sometimes and sometimes not. The other ones I cannot get are 46-1 (KDLT) and 23-1 (SD public TV).....I'm going to try and buy and antenna soon if these channels are being pulled from the air.

Hi, all...

OK, I finally have an HD set! I get a great over-the-air picture from the local channels, but I have a question about HD from CableOne in Sioux City.

I have just regular cable, not digital cable. I understand you have to go to channel 20 first, then you can get some of the HD channels...KCAU is on 455, KTIV is on 465, etc. Does anybody know why can't I get KPTH that is supposed to be on 475, or ESPN on 491, etc? I've done a channel scan twice and the only channels that show up on the cable service are 455, 460, 465, and 470.

Any ideas for me? I haven't tried calling the cable service folks yet.

Dave,

Sorry I can't help you with your cable problem (I have DirecTv), but congratulations on your new set. Did you get LCD, plasma, or ?

Dave, The Following are the free digital channels available with CableOne when you use a qam tuner on your tv:

Cable ONE - Free Digital Channel Lineup
Free High Definition Channels

Channel Network Description

20.455 ABC HDTV ABC in HDTV
66.460 CBS HDTV CBS in HDTV
20.465 NBC HDTV NBC in HDTV
20.470 PBS HDTV PBS in HDTV
66.475 Fox HDTV Fox in HDTV
78.476 My Netwrk My Network TV
67.490 UNIVERSAL Universal HD
67.491 ESPN HD ESPN in HDTV
75.492 ESPN2 HD ESPN2 in HDTV


Music Choice Channels

Channel Description

71.801 Showcase
71.802 Today's Country
71.803 Classic Country
71.804 Bluegrass
71.805 R&B and Hip-Hop
71.806 Classic R&B
71.807 Smooth R&B
71.808 R&B Hits
71.809 Rap
71.810 Metal
71.811 Rock
71.812 Arena Rock
71.813 Classic Rock
71.814 Alternative
71.815 Retro-Active
71.816 Electronica
71.817 Dance
71.818 Adult Alternative
71.819 Soft Rock
71.820 Hit List
71.821 Party Favorites
71.822 90s
71.823 80s
71.824 70s
72.825 Solid Gold Oldies
72.826 Singers & Standards
72.827 Big Band & Swing
72.828 Easy Listening
72.829 Smooth Jazz
72.830 Jazz
72.831 Blues
72.832 Reggae
72.833 Soundscapes
72.835 Opera
72.836 Light Classical
72.837 Show Tunes
72.838 Contemporary Christian
72.839 Gospel
72.840 Radio Disney
72.841 Sounds of the Seasons
72.842 Musica Urbana
72.843 Salsa y Merengue
72.844 Rock 'En Espanol
72.845 Pop Latino
72.846 Mexicana Mexicana
72.847 Americana

Thanks, temitch for the info. I did finally figure out the 20-, 67-, etc. Really confusing!

Hiltsy, I got a Mitsubishi 40" LCD, 1080p. Basically, I got it because it's the largest screen I could get that would fit in my existing entertainment center. Even though it has a 40" screen, the sides are really skinny, so the cabinet of the TV is only 37" across, which just fits in the space we have.

OK, here's another strange question for you all...

Because of the placement of the TV in our living room and the configuration of the entertainment center, there's a place in the room where the remote can't see the infrared sensor on the TV that's way down in the corner. Any suggestions on this dilemma?

I've heard about a separate infrared reader that can be placed somewhere else in the room, then it is wired to a "flasher" that attaches to the sensor on the TV. Or is there some kind of "wi-fi" type installation that anybody's heard of?

If I can't change channels while sitting on the couch, I'm not going to like it very much!

Dave Madsen

Dave, did you try just pointing the remote at the center of the ceiling or a wall that can be seen by both the TV and remote and bouncing the signal to the tv?

Remote extender... Radio shack has them, $30 something as I recall. Just a couple of cubes about 3"x3" with a 6" antenna on them. They work fine as long as both the receiver and transmitter have a plug in nearby for power. I use mine in an adjoining room to control a remote A/B switch. I have tv towers in two directions and an A/B switch beats an antenna rotor all to heck.... Point your remote at the transmitter and set the receiver next to the TV pointing at the IR eye.

Chan

Chan...thanks for the info.

Yes, we did try the "bounce off the ceiling or wall idea," but it didn't work., I'll check out the Radio Shack idea.

Dave

I called Radio Shack...they have such a device called a wireless remote extender...$39. But, we tried the bounce off the wall idea again...and it works! Saved myself $39!

Dave

Christmas evening, I noticed that KMEG in Sioux City was broadcasting Jeopardy in HD. This is the first time I have ever seen it in real HD - I've been watching their digital feed for many months but this is a first.

I know that the local stations record a satellite feed from the syndicators of this program, and the stated reason in the past of why they didn't broadcast any syndicated programming in HD was due to the fact that the local station didn't have a broadcast-quality HD recorder to record the program for later showings.

Guess this means that KMEG/KPTH now has the ability to record in HD. That's good for any syndicated programs they carry, and for any network program that they chose to time-shift to carry other programs during prime time.

CableOne has added a couple of new HD Channels and made some previously available scrambled channels available in the clear. The following is the updated
list of unscrambled HD channels:

CableOne Free High Definition Channels

Channel Network

73.452 TBS HD
73.454 TNT HD
20.455 ABC HDTV KCAU-DT
66.460 CBS HDTV KMEG-DT
20.465 NBC HDTV KTIV-DT
20.470 PBS HDTV KSIN-DT
66.475 Fox HDTV KPTH-DT
78.476 My Network KPTH-DT - 2
67.490 Universal HD
67.491 ESPN HD
65.492 ESPN2 HD
64.494 Discovery HD Theater
64.495 National Geographic HD
68.496 A&E HD

Well I have a HD antenna on my roof and able to pick up everything but fox 17-1 0 percent and PBS 23-1 23-2 even though it shows a pretty good signal strength of about 60-70 percent on my tv. I had direct TV install my off air antenna when they installed my system since I don't have line of site for the local dish due to a large tree. They credited my account the cost of doing that. I tried to have a HD waiver granted just for fox but they denied it twice. I live on the east side of Sioux Falls close to down town. I called the GM there and reached him the first time I tried and he said I should have no problem receiving 17-1 so that was his reason of not granting the waiver. Well I had direct tv come out and they adjusted the antenna and still 0% the analog signal comes in with a constant line coming from bottom to top. Luckily Direct TV was not blocking the HD football games on the HD NFL package but on the SD channels with NFL superfan they where blocked. Well now it's playoff time and now I am screwed if I want to see a game on fox. I tried to e-mail KTTW and even call and now they just ignore me after saying they gladly come out and check to see why I wasn't receiving 17-1 and call me back 3 months ago. Still waiting for that call. Anyone know why PBS and FOX are hard to receive? Anything else I can do?

Yeah, KTTW DT broadcasts with less power than a lightbulb from their tower in SW Sioux Falls not sure why PBS is hard to get they are in NE SF but I am also downtown Sioux Falls now (despite my username) and I cannot get PBS or FOX DT either... But I get Midco digital so I get HD with my box...

Does Midco broadcast any of the S.F. locals in HD in the clear with their Classic Cable package. I.E. if your T.V. had a Qam tuner?