Jackson / Meridian, MS - HDTV - Page 3

how do you get DirecTV to recognize this? i have the HR10-250 HD Tivo...

Any word on WLBT yet??

Any clue as to why the North Carolina-Wisc game is NOT in HD??/ This is ticking me off. Someone forget to throw a switch or something?

anyone have any updates on when NBC and/or FOX will be available in HD OTA in the Jackson area? i heard March for NBC and sometime 2005 for FOX late last year. any news?

Hi,

I live in meridian. I am getting a new sony hd plasma tv. Plan on getting dish since they offer it here now with local channels. Local ABC broadcasts in HDTV, how do i make sure I get in hdtv with dish network. I am told I have to buy an extra antanne and digital box just to get it? Wow sure is a waist paying extra to get local channels and that then. I am really confused. Help me out.

Matt

If you want any HD from Dish Network (E*) you'll need an HD receiver from E*. That will let you receive the HD channels from E*, and with an antenna, you'll pick up your local HD networks.

The $5 you pay for locals will give you all the local major networks in SD. The only other option would be to get waivers from your local stations that wwill allow E* to supply you the HD Network feeds out of NY. The guys here may be able to tell you how likely that possibility is.

Title edited (added the Meridian, MS DMA)

So basically since ABC is only one providing HDTV in my area we would only be using the antenna to pick up that station. We plan to get HDTV anyways from dish so I guess we will already have the HDTV box. Would dish be able to help us get it all set up to recieve hd signal form ABC?

Matt

Depending on your location, you may be able to pick up CBS out of Jackson also. Your best bet is likely a local antenna company or the satellite installer may also be able to put up an outdoor antenna.

Also, depending on your location relative to the ABC - Meridian tower - the ABC station may be as simple as a $15 Radio Shack Double Bowtie antenna.

Definitely call up your stations though and inquire about getting waivers so you can get HD delivered via satellite. They obviously won't be the Meridian stations, but at least your network programming will be available in HD.

Thanks for your help. Yea, I am thinking about the waiver thing right now but would like to be able to still get local stations, mostly concerned just to get local abc since I like it. Now if I use antenna to pick up abc will I like have to being switching imputs on tv? Or would it still work going through my satilite box.

Matt

The HD tuner is built into the Dish satellite box. It should be seamless switching between antenna stations and satellite stations. Even the guide will be incorporated.

msett, its good to see someone else on here from the Meridian area. I have an outdoor antenna set up to receive local DTV stations. You shouldn't have any trouble picking up ABC. Let me know how you come out with the waivers from 24/30. Maybe if we both ask, they will listen. After talking to them on the phone, I get the idea that they plan to do the absolute minimum required to comply with the FCC for their HD transmissions.

Our local PBS also transmits HD. Some of their science and music stuff is really improved by being in HD but they are in a different direction from where I live so I have to use an antenna rotor to tune them in. I live in the Centerhill area.

Let me know if I can help with your antenna situation.

Hi ttriplett. I live in Marion/Meridian line. Kinda of between 39 and 45. Anyways what kind of antenna shoud I get? I wont need a big one will I? Is there one I can just attach to my dish when I get it?

Matt

Matt, there are units designed to attach to your dish but I can't vouch for their UHF performance (never used one).

Since you seem to be fairly close to the towers, an indoor antenna might work just fine, especially if there are no hills blocking the way. A good one to try would be the Zenith Silver Sensor (I saw one at Sears). It is inexpensive and has good UHF performance for an indoor unit (all of our local DTV stations are on UHF). That might be a good starting point.

Has anyone else lost their digital feed of Fox 35? I read the earlier post about the channel re-assignment but lost the channel entirely about that time. I still get WB on 40-1. I did rescan for digital channels but it's still not showing up. I live in Brandon, on the reservoir and can pick up all the channels OTA both digital and regular with an attic antenna except for Fox. The picture quality on the digital was much better than what I receive over the satellite.

Since I am the Chief @16, I will be glad to answer questions anyone has when I have the time. Currently we are transmitting the most power of any of the digital stations in town. WMPN-DT is higher on their tower than our antenna is on our's so that helps them. Fox is also up around 1800 feet on Ch. 3's tower so even though they do not have much power, they cover fairly well especially since they are not transmitting HD. Our antenna is at 682' on our tower and eventually will be at 931', almost at the top. However, tower structural issues kept us from putting the antenna at the top just yet. We have to move an FM antenna to make the move which will not happen for several years. However, the good news is we will double our transmitter power July 1st, which should help some. WMPN is where they will stay. WLBT will eventually be on 9 but I have heard they will move to ch. 7 when WDAM in Hattisburg stops analog transmission. Ch. 12 will be full power very soon since they are installing their permanent transmitter right now. They have been operating a small transmitter from their studio tower at less than 400'. Their Raymond tower is around 1800 feet & I am not sure where they plan to put the digital antenna out there but it should be way up. I was proud that we had 5.1 audio very early on since it was so expensive to pass along from ABC. We have run one HD program locally several months ago called Remarkable Journey but it was not a very good representation of good HD. There may be more as long as it is just one show. I do not now why your reception of WAPT-DT would change from day to day as we are not having any problems I know of. I have to turn the transmitter off completely when anyone climbs the tower to fix things but try to keep that to in the mornings. Thanks for letting me in on the forum and I look forward to have more of you watching and giving me feedback.
Tom

Glad to see actual people in the know coming on the boards. Really makes things special.

Tom, you'll be glad to know that I'm in Hattiesburg and can pick up 16 on a good night, 8-bay CM with pre-amp. Shouldn't have any issues after the power doubling in July.

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I had mentioned it earlier in the thread, but thought I would let everyone know. The company I work for has officially opened the new Player's Audio Video on Lakeland. It's in the same shopping center with Cellular South.

Stop in and play with are new toys. We've got AMX and Vantage running the store with a DVHS loop of OTA stuff and a Xperinet Mirv DVD system, a huge speaker wall with instant switching that I'm pretty proud of, and a Runco/Rotel/B&W/Stewart theater that kicks butt.

If you're feeling like a high-roller, bring some CD's into our 'Champagne Room' that has a complete Macintosh preamp/SACD combo with two 500watt monoblock's running a set of B&W 802D's... The room really needs some wall treatments, but still sounds sweet.

Tv's on the floor are all Mitsu's, 50" plasma, 42" & 55" CRT, and a 62" DLP..

Stop on by and have some fun.
[/SHAMELESS PLUG]

Kevin D.

ABC does alot of programming with 5.1 but they have also installed something to make even stereo programming "fill" the rear channels. I have considered doing this locally since the sound is so "dead" when we go back to our local upconverted signal and it is just stereo. It will be a long time before we could actually make real 5.1 audio locally. Also, have not heard when NBC or Fox/WB will be doing something different. I would think NBC would get something on in the next few months. They are supposed to be on July 1 but they are good at STA's (authority to hold off doing anything) so who knows. I hope LBT's HD looks better than their analog channel. The quality there is horrible, I am sorry to say. Lots of motion artifacts for some reason.
tom

hey guys,

question........

i have a hr 250 hd pvr direct box and rescanned for OTA locals and now have 35-1 WUFX fox local showing in my guide, BUT no programming info at all just "regular schedule".

I thought it may take a day or two to fill in the info but it has been at least two weeks and nothing, same listing, "regular schedule"??? even went through the guided setup twice since then and still no program info in the guide.

Is there something i am not doing in the hr250 menu or setup? or has direct tv and their guide service just not been updated yet?
I can see the programming info for 35 from direct tv sat channel and is the same but without the guide info for 35-1 ota it will only let me record off of it for 30 minute blocks or by doing it manually.

Would prefer to watch wufx over the air even though not true HD. The wufx 35 over direct sat seems to have audio sync problems especially on nascar.
Also getting "regular schedule" for 20-1 and 20-2.

thanks for the reply SF.
now at least i can complain to direct tv and say we are having guide problems in our dma for some of the ota channels.

Got an email response from the manager at WUFX and he said they would be going true HDTV.... "as early as July or at the latest Jan 2006".

Hopefully WLBT going hdtv is less than a month away now.