Albany, NY - HDTV - Page 2

Not quite, refer to the first post in this thread, which is updated regularly. You can view WRGB-DT from the helderbergs and WCDC-DT from N. Adams, MA. ...And with TWC-Digital and TWC's HD box you can see WTEN-DT.

Comparing TWC Digital's HD to D*'s HD:

Both offer HBO-HD, SHO-HD and Discovery HD Theater plus a Special Events channel.
TWC also gives you WTEN-DT(ABC).
D* adds ESPN-HD, HDnet, HDnet Movies and a PPV channel.
KEEP IN MIND... D* will NOT be adding locals in HD. TWC will.
Choose what best fits your taste. If you are huge NFL fan this will be difficult. TWC can give you the MNF game in HD on ABC, but you'll need D* for the Sunday game on ESPN as well as Sunday Ticket. I would speculate that in the end TWC will have better stuff. Eventually they'll have all the locals in HD, plus they will feed national HD channels with higher data rates than satellite can, this means better Picture Quality. However, as for right now, I prefer D*'s offerings over TWC. Not to make this decision harder for you, but DISH Net is expected to unveil an HD tier soon that also includes HDnet and HDnet Movies.


Receiving WCDC-TV in Saratoga:

Should be no problem, again, use the link above to find which direction to point your antenna.

NickHDTV,

First of all, TWC reps are uninformed about future programming until official Press Releases are made, otherwise, they are guessing. There has been no announcements concerning future HD except to say they are working on ESPN-HD.

WRGB-DT in HD may have to wait till early September, but it is definately coming soon.

Since TWC-Albany currently allows WTEN-DT to be on the lineup, they would come under heavy fire if they didn't add the other locals when they were made available.

Most HD-STB's include an ATSC tuner, which is why you can get OTA DTV with them. You may want to consider just an ATSC tuner, not an HD-STB. An ATSC tuner will only tune-in OTA signals (analog, DTV and HDTV) and runs a few hundred dollars less. In terms of a good model... I don't know... check out the DTV receivers in the hardware forums, I've always felt Zenith makes the best HD consumer gear. DON"T BUY A PANASONC STB/ATSC Tuner... THEY SUCK!

I myself use a Radio Shack rooftop antenna on a rotor. Subscribe to D* with HDTV tier and HBO-HD. So I am missing out on WTEN-DT for now and SHO-HD(because it's not worth another $10 to me), but the cost to me is also around $54/mo.

Like I said before, TWC-Albany will probably one day soon outshine D*'s offerings, but for me that day is months, if not a year or two, away.

Not sure... anyone else frequenting this thread know?

NEW ANALOG STATION BROADCASTING...

Not digital news, but DMA-related, a new UPN affiliate is OTA on channel 51 from Pittsfield, MA and channel 15 from Albany. You can find it on Time Warner channel 4. There was no UPN affiliate doing OTA in this market for the last 4 years!

ALBANY SCHENECTADY TROY Update:
September 15, 2003

WRGB-DT anticipates passing network through at 1080i by the end of this week... hopefully providing the Cleveland @ San Francisco (in HDTV) game, Sunday, Sept 21 @ 4:15pm.

The Community Tower, specifically the building, became "weather tight" today and is close to finished. It is then up to each affiliate to set-up, test and operate their transmitters.

The new HD channel INHD is now on Time Warner Digital Cable.

It is likely all network affiliates will be picked up in HDTV on TWC, however, it is NOT guaranteed. So... If money is no object, be safe and get a full HDTV - you could start watching CBS-HD before you could on TWC. But if you can wait and see.... you may not need it in a few months. You can always add a ATSC tuner later if TWC doesn't obtain all the networks. Sorry to be vague, but it's still too early to make the call on that.

Time Warner Cable Albany

Channel 1865 INHD
Channel 1866 INHD2

Affiliate Update:

According to Chief Engineer Rich Klein:
Channel 13-1 (12),WNYT-DT (NBC) expects to test OTA in early October and be up and running at full power by mid-October. Network will be passed through at 1080i. They currently have no agreement with TWC.

According to Chief Engineer Sarge Cathrall:
Channel 23-1 (4), WXXA-DT (FOX) has applied to the FCC for a channel re-assignment from 4 to 7. Until the FCC responds to the application WXXA-DT will have no estimate for sign-on. They do plan on broadcasting network in 720p. They also have no current agreement with TWC.

According to Chief Engineer Fred Lass:
Channel 6-1,2 (39), WRGB-DT/WNYA* (CBS/UPN) is passing CBS network through at 1080i and UPN at 480i. They also have no current agreement with TWC.

WRGB-DT in HDTV!!!
Channels 6-1, 6-2 (39)

It's here. (While still in low-power and using a uni-directional antenna) WRGB-DT will pass CBS through at 1080i with DD5.1 starting tonight, Friday, September 19, 2003. There will also be 1 college football game in HD this Sat and 1 NFL game in HD this Sun. ALL CBS NETWORK PROGRAMMING PROVIDED IN HD/DD5.1 WILL NOW BE PASSED THROUGH IN HD/DD5.1 ON WRGB-DT FROM NOW ON!

This is the Albany Schenectady Troy market's first official OTA HD channel.

BONUS ALL-DIGITAL UPN BROADCAST!
WNYA (UPN) is simulcast in 480i on Channel 6-2 (still 39)

Unfortunately, no. However I fully expect to receive WRGB-DT when it's moved to the Community Tower.

BTW, Ultrix:
It is more likely that your reception problem is from the unidirectional antenna being used by WRGB-DT temporarily. It is in the Helderbergs and aimed directly at Schenectady. This was done to achieve a "Grade A" signal in the city of Schenectady, which is WRGB's FCC Ciy of Origin. In doing so, WRGB has avoided the need for a FCC Deadline Extension on the transision to DTV. Recap: Signal will get better within 2 months when the transmitter is moved due to a better Transmitting Antenna, Higher Antenna Elevation and more Transmitter Wattage.

BreakStuff:
I wonder if your reduced signal strength is related to the broadcast now being in 1080i. Some ATSC tuners previously locked into WRGB-DT had to perform a new "Channel Search" after the signal was changed to 1080i. Can you see 6-2 UPN? How does it look? Remember WRGB is dividing its bandwidth to deliver both stations on the same frequency. (and UPN doesn't even provide HD yet, so don't ask.)