Waco / Bryan, TX - HDTV - Page 215

Bob, No, not a grandfathered package. I actually upgraded to the choice + package at the time of adding the whole home DVR service. Unfortunately, these issues started prior to that with the old HR20-100/700's that I had. I am really perplexed by this.

This week, I recorded Chuck and The Event to watch. Neither one was viewable, though the actual broadcasts during recording were fine. This never happens with another channel. All signal strenths for all my locals show to be 95% or higher (well, except for PBS here, which I can never pick up!)

As far as the onscreen Guide info, it was messed up a bit during the digital transition about two years back, but it straightened itself out.

Local channels through DirecTV are optional wiht all packages, they are just listed on the website as "with locals" if they are available in your area. Due to FCC regs, they cannot force you to pay for and receive a rebroadcast of locals in your area when they are free with an antenna OTA. Something to do with free broadcast reception rights. That is why they had to develop the AM-21's - to comply with allowing those who wish to do so to receive the locals via antenna.

There are also still a few areas where locals are not available via DirecTV. The AM-21 was built to support those subscribers who did not have an HR20 DVR. The HR20's have built-in tuners, they dropped tuners in subsequent DVRs (to save money). It's one reason I hang on to my HR20-700.

I doubt Directv has to offer the AM21. If they were, it would work with the standard receivers as well, by your reasoning. They may not be able to force you get Directv-supplied locals, but I doubt they are required to integrate OTA channels into their interactive guide...

I don't know about being required but OTA channels, and sub-channels, are integrated with the guide. At least they are with my AM-21. :-)

As one year approaches since KWBU went silent, it now appears that channel 34 (RF-20) will reappear. The new calls are KDYW which implies ownership by Daystar (which owns several stations on non-commercial allotments nationwide).

KDYW (34.1 RF 20) came on the air this morning in 480i with bars.

Have they removed the color bars and started with Daystar's programming yet?

I take it they are running 24/7 (regardless of the programming content) since our local LPTV (KBOP in Dallas) is now getting hammered when tropo exists. Our regulars from Waco are KWTX, KCEN, KXXV and what was KWBU (now KDYW).

Would it be possible to file a FCC complaint about this issue? Its been on going for over a year now.

Has anyone been able to receive digital versions of KRHD or KMAY OTA here in BCS?

I get both of those channels. I live in Copperfield and have a Winegard Sensar amplified antenna. It's mounted on my roof. I originally bought it to try to pick up Waco ABC and NBC before 40 and 23 went HD. My signal strength for those two channels is usually around 60. They are very low power. I could probably do better if I aimed for them. I am still aimed at Waco.

The more than annoying audio dropouts are still disturbing FOX content OTA on KYLE. My pre/pro delivers loud pops to my HT speakers. I have to turn off the HT system and listen to the TV sound, if I want to watch FOX programming in the evening. This means I avoid KYLE if at all possible.

Please try to fix this. KRHD OTA has also had serious problems here in College Station. And recently the sound on KBTX OTA was hosed, with white noise overlying the audio track. Makes me depend more and more on my Apple TV!

We have tracked this audio problem down to a gen-lock issue with our KYLE FOX surround sound decoder.
We ordered a new decoder that supports gen-lock September 20th and will install it as soon as we receive it.

The problem is intermittent and it was decided to continue operating with surround sound rather than go back to 2 channel stereo in the interim.

Hello,

Thanks for posting such useful information for a new resident to the area.

By way of introductions:

location: College Station, Texas 77845
location: Copperfield Parkway, Crescent Point, 2nd Floor Apt

antenna: Winegard SS-3000
[with the reflector grid packing film peeled off, mounted on a camera tripod, positioned inside the apartment with all blinds closed]

antenna orientation: vaguely aimed at 260 degrees

ethernet tuner: silicondust HDHR3-US, HDHomeRun Dual
ethernet tuner: firmware version: 20110925a

htpc: mac mini 2007: 10.5.8 (Snow Leopard)

dvr software: el gato: eyetv 3: version 3.5.3 (6743): epg: TVGuide

channels:

02-1 NBC, KPRC, Houston
02-2 IND, KPRC, Houston, mgm movies
03-1 CBS, KBTX, Bryan
03-2 CW, KBTX, Bryan
12-1 PBS, KAMU, College Station
12-2 PBS, KAMU, College Station, weather
12-3 PBS, KAMU, College Station, research
18-1 PBS, KLRU, Austin
18-2 PBS, KLRU, Austin, createtv
18-3 PBS, KLRU, Austin, quest-tv
25-1 ABC, KVUE, Austin
24-3 ABC, KVUE, Austin, weather
27-1 FOX, KRIV, Houston
28-1 FOX, KYLE, Bryan
10-2 CW, KIAH, Houston
39-3 USN, KIAH, Houston, universal nbc sports
49-1 IND, KPXB, Houston, ion tv
49-2 IND, KPXB, Houston, qubo tv
57-1 IND, KUBE, Houston,
57-4 IND, KUBE, Houston, equine tv
57-5 IND, KUBE, Houston, memorable entertainment tv

about 41 channels total, but the above were the strongest and most relevant to me

netflix subscriber for 1 year, but seriously thinking of going single DVD at a time only, streaming content not appealing enough

appleTV2 user but mainly for podcasts and iTunes movie rentals or purchase

not a regular commercial watcher, just too boring, skim or skip or edit out

news: google, slashdot

facebook, google+

Welcome to BCS jwillis84. Are channels from Houston and Austin pretty steady even during the day? I used to have an antenna mounted high on my roof and would usually get the Houston channels pretty reliably at night. I couldn't ever seem to lock on during the day though.

Very true.

I almost never tune in before 6 pm or after 10:30 pm

Being Sunday afternoon I took a look, and not only are Houston and Austin at far reduced transmission levels (can't even produce a picture but the signals are there on the signal meter) but College Station and Bryan channels have become very direction sensitive (they also appear to be at reduced transmission levels).

channels:

03-1 CBS, KBTX, Bryan
03-2 CW, KBTX, Bryan
12-1 PBS, KAMU, College Station
12-2 PBS, KAMU, College Station, weather
12-3 PBS, KAMU, College Station, research
28-1 FOX, KYLE, Bryan

Thanks, FOX44CE! The last two nights I have watched KYLE programming I did not notice a single audio dropout, so I assume the new equipment is on line.

I only wish the engineering staff of our other locals were as attentive and responsive.

Fix one problem and up crops another.

Our Microwave STL transmitter in Lott has dropped output power from 2 watts to .6 watts.
During early morning and late evening hours we are experiencing pixelization and signal loss.
I have ordered a loaner unit from the manufacturer so that ours can be returned for repair.

Is this going to be a problem the next few nights? With the next game tonight wondering if I should bother even trying to watch.

Also the world series will be on fox.... it will be very important to have things fixed by then if you don't want a bunch of pissed off people here in B/CS.

Our Consulting Engineer is trying to find a power amplifier to boost power at the our KYLE Lott digital STL microwave site.
In the meantime I obtained a 7DB 7GHz Linear amplifier and installed it at the Lott site this morning.
It improved the receive signal strength at the Hearne receive site but not fully to the previous level before the failure.
I am hoping that the increase we did obtain will overcome the signal fades we have been experiencing.

thx... setup the recording.... hope it stays strong enough until a real fix happens..... I'll let you know how it goes.

We received and installed a new 7 DB Power Amplifier for the Lott Microwave site yesterday morning.
Receive levels at the Hearne receive site are back to the normal readings we had before the failure.

Let me know if you have anymore problems.

It has now been 30 days since we installed the new FOX 5.1 Surround decoder on KYLE.
I assume that since I have heard no more audio dropout comments the issue is solved?

Does anyone know if I can receive QAM channels (like the big three networks) on TimeWarner if I cancel tv service but keep high speed Internet?

Thanks!

To my knowledge, you can. I was able to do this with Suddenlink before I got rid of their service all together. I got all the locals and a few digital music channels and I was only subscribed to their Internet service.

Technically, they can install a trap to block the QAM when you cancel. In reality, they almost never do since they would then have to roll a truck if you start tv again.

Hi, I just recently moved outside the city limits of Waco. I have decided to go with OTA TV instead of satellite. I am on top of a hill off Old Lorena Rd. I have a direct line of site to most of the area transmitters including KCEN.

The problem I am having is only with my Tivo Premiere XL. The Tivo displays channel 6-1 on 6-3 and 9-3. It displays 6-2 on 9-4 and 6-3 on 9-5. I have been going round and round with Tivo support and aren't getting anywhere. Since they have the guide data on 6-1,6-2 and 6-3 correct, I am not able to record using the programing guide.

All of my TVs map KCENs signals correctly to 6-1, 6-2 and 6-3. Has anyone else out there had any problems with KCENs signals not mapping correctly?

Thanks

Stephen

I don't do it at the house because I have DVR service, Internet and Phone.
Here at the Waco studio we have a basic cable drop.

On my office TV I get 6.1, 6.2, 10.1, 10.2, 25.1, 25.2, 25.3, 44.1, 46.1, 46.2 and 46.3.
NOTE: TWC refuses to carry or pass 44.2 (Estrella)

Hi neighbor. I'm near Old Lorena Rd and Chapel Rd.

Guide data for KCEN has been screwed up for about a year. I have DirecTV but I also have OTA on the DirecTV HR20-700 DVR. I need it for the weather on 25.3 but I also used to watch 6.3 when they had the occasional Mavericks or Rangers game.

If I remember correctly, the problem began when KCEN went through the 6 to 9 and back to 6 nonsense. Somewhere along the line the guide data got screwed up. I can see the program on the guide data grid but when I tune to it (with the DVR) or try to record then I get nothing. The signal is there. I have a rabbit ears antenna. The signal goes from the antenna to the DVR and is passed through to the tv. The tv can see the signal on that channel but not the DVR. That means bad guide data. I don't have the problem with 25.3.

Guide data for DirecTV is provided by Tribune Media Services. Tribune also provides guide data for Tivo.

When we went through the digital transition a few years ago there were all kinds of problems with the guide data and subchannels. I spoke several times with a rep at Tribune and eventually they were all sorted out. Then the KCEN problem came up. Again, I tried several times to get Tribune to fix it but I eventually just gave up. Now when I want to watch the Mavericks or Rangers on KCEN I just watch via the tv and not the DVR.

It's also possible that the problem is with KCEN. They have to provide the correct PSIP information to Tribune. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progra...ation_Protocol I remember contacting the engineer at KCEN to try to get their help in correcting the problem but I didn't get anywhere. The KWKT engineer is active here in this thread and could give better info on how this is handled.

If you want to have a go at it yourself, I think this is the person and phone number I used at Tribune. If not, they should be able to point you to the right person.

Schedule Information
Julia Young, Manager, Editorial Administration 518-792-9914 x-4184 | jyoung@tribune.com

More on KCEN. If you search this thread for "KCEN" you'll see that other people have had the same problem in the past, usually with Windows Media Center. For example, message 6377.

Good luck!