Lafayette, LA / Beaumont, TX / Lake Charles, LA - HDTV

KPLC DT-8-1 began broadcasting yesterday from Lake Charles, Louisiana.
They are currently in a testing mode. They are broadcasting in 480p right now. They should have all the equipment in place to pass through the NBC HDTV programming in about 30 days.
I am about 40 miles from their transmitter and I am receiving a good signal with rare breakups. I am using a standard RatShack 60 VHF/UHF boom type antenna in my attic. No amplifier. Their engineer told me they were still at a very low power output while they were tweaking and reception should improve as they increase power output.

The engineer did not say when they would up the power. KPLC announced on their 5:00 PM news yesterday that they were going live with their DT station next Monday. Maybe they will go up on the power then. Can you receive their analog station? If you can you should be able to get the digital signal they are putting out now. I get a grade B analog signal but the digital popped right in when I scanned yesterday with my Zenith HD-SAT 520 yesterday afternoon. What kind of antenna are you using?
I'll post if I hear anything else. They told me they would email me when they started passing thru the NBC HDTV programming. I sure wish they would get it done this week. I want to see NASCAR in HD on Sunday!!

Unfortunately my Zenith does not give me a signal strength on OTA channels. All I can tell you is that last week my analog signal was mostly snow and the digital channel was MIA. This week the analog is decent with just a little snow and the digital is great with an occasional breakup

jfklennon, Did you ever get a good signal on DT-8 KPLC? I haven't looked lately because I have to tweak my antenna little to the east. Haven't seen any HD from them yet have you?

I've emailed and spoken to the turkeys at KBTV and KBMT for the past couple of years. The answer at KBTV is "don't hold your breath" They have no plans to pass through the NBC HD signal. Period.....the end.
KBMT says they will not pass through any ABC HD signal until 2006 when they complete the buildout of their new digital transmitter outside of Vidor. Right now KBMT is transmitting from their studio on a 100' pole. KPLC(NBC channel 7analog and 8-1 digital) in Lake Charles will be up and running in August. They were up and running in February however their tower came crashing to the earth and took out everything inlcuding their digital transmitter. I live in Bridge City and got the analog OK with some snow but the digital is crystal clear. I'm using a Radio Shack antenna in my attic. You might be able to get it in Beaumont. It would be worth a try. Right now I'm getting 21-1 and 4-1 and 21-2 but I cannot receive the KBMT(50-1) signal. KLTL (PBS) in Lake Charles should get their digital signal up soon after KPLC does. I think they might be using the same tower.
I hope this info helps. You need to thank Larry Beauliue the next time you see him. Channel 6 is the only one that has stepped up to the plate.

I've emailed their station manager a couple of times and he has indicated that as soon as they get their 8-1 digital signal going they will be able to pass through the NBC HD signal. They were just getting ready to do it last spring when the tower fell and wiped out all of their digital equipment.
8-1 is VHF and you would definitely have to opt for a VHF antenna. The good news is that it is also generally east of Beaumont(Fenton, LA) which is almost a direct line with KBTV and KFDM transmitters in Vidor.

Fenton, LA is where the PKLC tower is located. It's a few miles north-northeast of Lake Charles I think. Go to the KPLC website and you may find some more information. They give updates on their tower construction there. The last I saw, the tower was topped out at something like 1600 feet and they were planning on resuming broadcasting from the tower in August. I believe right now they are broadcasting from their studio on a short antenna.
If Fox broadcasts Texans games then the answer is no there was no HD last year. The Fox network is supposed to go HD before the start of the NFL season this year but according to the Fox 29 engineer in Lake Charles it isn't going to happen for us. They are currently broadcasting a digital signal on DT-30 from their studio in Lake Charles. It's so weak that most of the people in Lake Charles can't see it. They have no plans to upgrade. It looks like they are going to do the bare minimum that the FCC mandates. Kind of like KBTV and KBMT. I would urge everyone to call and complain to these broadcaster until we can change their attitudes. I also call TWC routinely and ask when they are going to ad KFDM DT 21-1 to their lineup. The only answer I ever get is that it is in negotiation. The email address I have for the manager at TWC is mike.mckee@twcable.com . A good resource for what is going to be happening at KFDM is Jeff Laird. His email address is jefflaird@kfdm.com He is their HD guru.
In the meantime I'm happy to stick with D* TV.

CSI has that dark look on purpose and you're right it's too dark. CSI Miami on the other hand has an over bright orange look to it. Probably to make that what's his name with no talents hair to look even redder. CSI New York is coming this fall and it has a blue filter look to it. I guess to make the buildings look even more drab and give everything a cold big city feel. Personally I wish they would just leave stuff alone and show it in it's natural light.
Time for a poll: What is everybody using for a display? I have a Mits WS55508 CRT type. As far as I can tell, it was the first HDTV sold by Conn's. I bought it in October 1998. I read about it online in August and asked the salesman at the Conn's in Port Arthur to keep an eye out. He called me a month later and told me it was in his computer and then called me a month after that when it hit the showroom. I started out watching HD a few months before that using a HD decoder that was made for a failed satellite HD channel much like VOOM and had it hooked up to my giant C-band dish in my back yard. I used my 19" computer monitor for a display. The only thing I could see back then was the PBS HD channel and ABC-HD for Monday Night Football. Every once in awhile I would catch a backhaul of a parade or something like that in HD. It was pretty slim pickens.

KPLC has a video on their website that says their antenna is in place and they will be broadcasting both analog and HD Digital by next weekend, just in time for the Olympics. Whoooppppeeeee!