Jackson / Meridian, MS - HDTV - Page 61

Not much activity in this thread, so let me revive it by passing along some info I got from a viewer in Meridian that mentions that WTOK is now doing HD news on their station.

Have any of the Jackson stations upgraded to HD news presentations?

As far as I know, the only other HD news in the state is WTVA in Tupelo. Not counting signals from out of state, of course.

I believe only the NBC and FOX affiliates out of Jackson have news in HD (WLBT and WBDB, respectively). The CBS and ABC affiliates, WJTV and WAPT, respectively, do not have HD news.

WJTV is now HD.

maybe off topic, but what is the status of WWJX channel 23. It used to be on channel 51 but the cellphones made them move. It was originally going to be a full power station but since moving to channel 23 The construction permit for full power is not on the FCC website. I can sometimes pick the station up but it's very weak. The only thing I've really seen on the station is mostly religous programming and some vitamin pills or "colon blow"-type infomercials. I've also seen some Milsaps College sports and some real estate classifieds, but other than that, nothing that is very interesting to the general public. Is this station going to remain low power? If finally built out, it could make a good canidate for CW. WRBJ 34 is not a bad station but they refuse to broadcast in HD even though the transmitter is 720p. The station is licensed to Magee so people near Jackson can't recieve it unless the turn their antennas.

I understand from looking at pictures that WAPT is upgrading their news set. Is WAPT going to a set including doing the news in HD?

I saw that and hope that is what is going to happen. I bet Tom will tell us.

Well, as many can see we are now 16:9.

Been kinda quite around here lately, so I assume we're all getting what we wanted from DTV. The three Fox channels must have been taken out during the recent storm, but, thankfully, they appear to be back now.

Just wondering about something. How many of you have been like me and able to resist the attraction of pay TV? Took me a few months to get things ironed out on mine, so I went with Comcast limited basic for a while. Cancelling that service was such a pain that I vowed I'd never take any of their offerrings again under any circumstances. It was incredible for it to take 5 hours and 15 phone calls to cancel a $10/mo service, but it did and was the ultimate exercise infrustration. I wonder if they're aware just how disheartening that is, or if they realize it turns some of us off to the point of never returning. Anyways, through with Comcast. I'd throw my set away before going back, for sure. My experience with OTA DTV has been pretty decent, though. Once I got everything working properly, I haven't had any problems. I know this isn't the solution for everyone and it did take a little getting used to, but about all I miss is sports and I seem to find enough of them to satisfy me here, or find them on the net. Figure I save nearly $750 minimum a year and that much savings was definitely worth whatever loss I incurred. Additionally, my picture is better, true HDTV, and my outages are virtually nonexistent now, which wasn't the case at all with Direct or Dish. Cancelling them was a PITA, as well. I really don't think I miss them or their offerings at all now. Quit smoking back in December and started saving another $750 a year, so now I have $1500 extra and don't feel I've lost anything worthwhile. Anyway, just wondered if the rest of you had similar experiences, or did your family demand you reinstall a pay service? Thankfully, I'm single and don't have those issues, but suspect a family wouldn't be satisfied with the limited offerings of DTV.

Has anyone tried the "Ultra power mini indoor rotational digital HDTV antenna 1080p" from Digital HD source. I have ordered this today and expect to get either Meridian or Jackson with this antenna in addition to what I pick up now. I live in Forest and I only get MPB out of Rose Hill or Channel 34 which is south of me in Smith County. Every now and then I pick up either Meridian or Jackson with my indoor antenna I have now due to sporadic E propagation that afflicts the FM bands occasionally.

Has anyone bought this antenna and if so what results you have had?

It's one of a mess of cheap, flimsy Chinese junk that has shown up on the market under various names over the last couple of years.

If you bought that thing, you might be more gullible than you thought since it's clearly a "gimmick" antenna product.

Good luck...

I have tried "this" antenna which came in today. The name of the antenna is Antenna Pros AX-912 Indoor Dish Antenna.

Two things I could not do with my old antenna.

1. I am picking up signals without amplification between my indoor antenna and the converter box.

2. I pick up WJTV and WTOK very well. I am also getting Channel 30.and its subchannels. I could not do this with my old antenna. As for 24, out of Meridian, I can pick it up very well now that I have worked with the antenna although I also had to reposition the feed line to my Antenna on the top of the doorway to the closet shelf I use to place the antenna on..

3.As for Jackson, on one TV we get all the local channels on Directv for 39074 (all Jackson) without subchannels.To go to HD totally, I will have to upgrade all the equipment including our TV set in the Den. But that all depends on my mother's TV going out . No big deal. Eventually it will go like the other analog sets and we can go to HD completely. The main TV set with Directv is in the den and the TV in question in my bedroom was the one that got the new Antenna.

4. I can also get 3 out of Jackson on this new antenna , I get all the sub channels on both 3,11,12,24 and 30 As for 16, 35.and 40 I got 40 and it's subchannels briefly. I was also getting 29 to tune in and 14 at the same time. I did get 16 in briefly but as I will explain the antenna is very directional so it was trial and error to get 16 and 35 to tune in. And I nearly got 35. I also get the local channels such as 34 where the transmitter is in Smith County and ETV on 14 (Licensed to Meridian but at Rose Hill) that I have been receiving all along.

5.There is a new feature on this antenna I didn't know about and that is a remote control that moves the UHF elements. Like a antenna rotator it rotates the UHF antenna elements for best reception. And the two rails on the bottom of the UHF antenna dish enables one to move the dish element to pivot the antenna up or down. I found by tuning the antenna element that you could tune in stations very easily. But it has limited use.

6.Also, the antenna is very touchy when tuning in the channels. This is a highly directional antenna. You need to work with the antenna and your TV remote for a very long time until you get the antenna to get all the channels in one direction.

7. This antenna was tried on a old Analog TV with a converter box that dates back to before the switchover to HD. I haven't used the TV in my bedroom all that much because of the number of Channels I could watch with my Old antenna was very limited. I now have to say so long to the old antenna as it goes into the Garage and eventually the trash for disposal.

8. I also picked up the ETV channel in Demopolis, AL and a few others that was outside the Meridian area. As advertised this will pick up stations as far as 80 miles away. This will pick up every station in both Jackson and Meridian from Forest. This is the first Antenna for indoor use that is as good as an outside antenna in my opinion.

9 What I didn't like was the coax that goes to the TV from the antenna. In my opinion the coaxial cable was entirely too long. I had to play with the feed line to receive 24 out of Meridian and relocate a part of the coax to the top of the doorway to my closet.


This is quite a improvement over my old antenna. I recommend the Antenna Pros AX-912 Indoor Dish Antenna for anyone who needs a HDTV indoor antenna in a rural area. It is definitely a top performer.
Edited by Richard Lewis - 10/16/12 at 3:49am

Bump
Edited by Richard Lewis - 10/15/12 at 5:25am

Just read an article that the local CW station has been sold. The few times I tuned in it appeared that it was not broadcasting in HD. I am wondering if those of us with satellite will now be able to obtain a waiver and get the national feed?

Yes, I read that article too. I suspect that there might be talks between WUFX 35 and CW. I am hoping that if they get the affiliation that HD would be part of the deal.

Yes, WRBJ-TV, Channel 34, has been sold to the Trinity Broadcasting Network. The price is 1.5 Million dollars. The sale has been in the works for some time since the company went Bankrupt in 2011 and not the only station Roberts Broadcasting has on the selling block. Channel 34 will be dropping the CW network and affiliating with TBN until the sale is consummated. If consummated this will be the first full power wholly owned Christian Television station in Jackson and will also reach parts of the Laurel-Hattiesburg and Meridian TV market. Usually, TBN has the main channel and 5 subchannels wherever they go. This includes the Church Channel and a Spanish language channel called Enlace. If you watch TBN regularly on cable or satellite this is the same channel but you will get it over the air. I may be wrong but don't expect subchannels just yet. But I imagine that changes are on the way.
Edited by Richard Lewis - 10/27/12 at 12:57pm

Do Paul and Jan Crouch still appear on the program? Jan somewhat reminds me of Tammy Faye, who was an original associate of the ministry before starting PTL with former husband Jim Bakker. Our local Greenville, SC station WGGS-16 carries some of the TBN programming, as well as the new Jim Bakker show, and Bill Gaither. But I miss Howard and Vestal Goodman, who were my favorite Southern Gospel entertainers. And Charlotte channel WMYT-55.3 carries SBN network from Jimmy Swaggart. So depending upon your location, you can receive Christian TV programming with an OTA antenna.

I could imagine WUFX picking up the CW, either as a primary affiliation or subchannel, or WDBD moving MyNetworkTV to the primetime hours of 40.2 along with MeTV...it's been done before in other markets

If one of the big 3 picks up the CW or MyNetwork....WAPT could be the best suitor since they're only running a weather subchannel (which they could drop) while WLBT and WJTV already have two subchannels.

This is the exact network on cable or satellite and the exact program that you remember. If you got it previously over the air it is the same channel.

WLBT is now producing the news for WDBD. The new owner of WDBD has a services contract with Raycom and that includes WLBT producing WDBD's news. The news on Fox 40 will be nearly identical to WLBT's news.

The latest news on the transfer of WRBJ-TV from CW to TBN, the transfer will occur on January 22, 2013. This news was relayed from someone who looked at their Comcast bill and was informed of the change and channel changes on his cable bill. Even though I already get TBN on Satellite, I am wondering what Directv will do.

It didn't happen the way Comcast told their customers. The latest news of the transfer of WRBJ-TV is that the bankruptcy court in St Louis approved the sale. The FCC hasn't approved the license transfer from Roberts Broadcasting to TBN yet. When that transfer happens WRBJ-TV will drop CW for TBN. So keep an eye on "Behind the Scenes" on TBN because when this happens there will be an announcement about the sale. The transfer should happen soon.

The transfer of WRBJ-TV from Roberts Broadcasting to TBN has been approved by the FCC. The sale was approved by the FCC on January 23,2013. The next thing to look for is the transfer from CW to TBN.

Has anyone else noticed this irritating habit on the FOX channel?

For some reason, when transitioning from commercial breaks to the actual program, it will show a poor quality SD image with reduced volume, and then after 2-3 seconds it'll pop back into the HD feed with regular volume. Seems to happen especially at the beginning of shows for some reason.

yes, been doing that for years

Is WAPT remodeling their studio again? I've noticed that it looks like they have been filming from their offices.

We did the interview set and backdrop last time. This time it is the weather area and anchor desk. Had to do in stages.

COMCAST sez they'll have 3D in a couple of weeks...

WRBJ appears to be off the air and unavailable on Directv and Dish Network. It appears that the equipment maintenance to transition from CW to Trinity has started.

The question now is who will get the CW affiliation. I have heard from one station group that CW did talk with them shortly after the sale of WRBJ to Trinity was announced, so CW was working months ago to line up an affiliate. I believe that CW has an agreement with an unnamed station, but are waiting to announce until 34 completes the switch to Trinity.

Right now, it seems likely that the two most likely scenarios IMHO are:

1. CW moves to WUFX 35 and MyNetworkTV moves to 35.2. They should be able to broadcast in HD, which I hope they do if they gain the affiliation.
2. WAPT has bandwidth and could potentially opt to add CW on 16.2. They could do 720p and keep the radar channel or could dump the radar channel and broadcast at 1080i.
Edited by gor88 - 2/25/13 at 4:21am

WRBJ returned to Dish Network by noon and is still airing the usual syndicated and CW shows. I still think that maintenance was most likely done to prepare for the upcoming takeover of WRBJ by Trinity.

There was more maintenance this morning at WRBJ. The picture has gotten clearer and right before CW will disappear for good...