Paducah, KY - HDTV

Nick,
I too would be interested in this thread, since I got my start in C'dale while at SIU. '68-'74 I was a part of the area engineering and onair workforce.
GT
Watching from the sidelines

Another former SIU'er here. Just curious, you're able to get WPSD-DT in C'Dale? I remember when I was there in the early 70's you had to get them via a repeater they had in town over by the towers.

PS: I also worked at WSIU-TV during 71-72.

RAD,
We must know each other then....lol. As I remember you could pick up Paducah with a decent yagi. The repeater was to cover a shadow there near the towers. However, the DT signal is anybody's guess.
GT

FWIW: I am in Morganfield, KY in a second floor apartment, my antenna is a 4-bay Channel Master "cat- whisker" type looking out a window toward Evansville IN. Thus WSIL and WPSD are very nearly 180 degrees the wrong way and looking through three walls to boot. Now heres the weird part: by rotating the antenna to the Northeast I can sometimes pick up WSIL and almost always WPSD. I think that is close to 80 miles. I am amazed.
By the way, I notice a periodic audio dropout from the digital audio output from my Sylvania 3000 receiver. on WPSD subchannel 1 (HD). I am using a Sony ES9000 processor. Anybody else notice the dropouts? I emailed WPSD but got no reply.

I have both a indoor and outdoor antenna. I used to use my Rca amped antenna and always got cbs with out problem. Wsiu was very tough to get in at any time. I could get WPSD as well. It was a low signal but always stayed just strong enough to never have break ups. I could also pick up a very very low signal for fox but never got a picture. Wsil has always been a weird one to pick up. I would get solid signals but it would drop out suddenly and then come back very strong. I have since upgraded to a Chanellmaster 4228 with a pre amp and this makes all the difference. I now pick up WSIL with a very high signal with no drop outs. WPSD also a very high signal with no drop outs. The same thing goes for CBS and UPN (both are the same channel assignment). Now what I was thrilled with at first was Fox. I can now pick up this low power station even though it's about 50 miles away with no drop outs when I rotate my antenna cowards it.

Now the VERY VERY VERY BAD NEWS! It is only a Standard Def station. It's always broadcast at 480i. I've talked to a engineer and hopefully this fall they should upgrade with many of the other fox stations into hidef at 720p. This would be great because Fox is suppose to offer tons of NFL games in Hi def. Next more bad news or good news in some ways. WDKA is broadcast with Fox23 right now and is only Standard Def. There suppose to be putting up there own antenna but I call and I call and they always tell me at the end of the week, However there is more bad news a engineer told me even when the new one is up it will run at 480i.

Now on to the good news, I bought a 30ft tellamasking poll at the Carbondale Lowes for my antenna I have it about 20 ft high and can pick KPLR 11, Fox2, NBC5, CBS4, ABC 30 after the sun goes down. So I look forward to the days getting shorter LOL. I plan on extending my pole here in a week or two to try and get these channels all the time.

I sent another Email to WPSD regarding the periodic dropouts of DD5.1 on their HD channel. This time, I received a very nice reply from their engineer, he said they were aware of a conflict between their encoder and certain DTV receivers, and were working with the encoder manufacturer to (hopefully) get it corrected.

I've noticed this as well. I would leave my surrond sound on with my TV, but when I go to WPSD there is always a Audio problem of some kind where the volume seems to be set really low.

I just wanted to post a recent email I sent to fox about there lack of HDTV. I will post the response when I get it.

Hello sir,

My name is Kyle Simpson of Carterville IL. I have been watching your DTV station on my HDTV TV for the past couple of months. I've been disappointed that all your broadcast have been at the 480i resolution. I'm aware that fox hasn't supported true HD so far as a network. I have however learned that September 12 the Fox network will be broadcasting the first of it's NFL games in 720p and will be providing at least 50% of it's prime time programing in 720p. Here is a recent article on Fox and Sinclair.

(The Sinclair Broadcast Group has begun airing a new commercial campaign on its stations' analog NTSC channels to raise consumer awareness of its free, over-the-air HDTV offering. If successful, the move could spur other broadcasters to advertise their DTV channels or risk losing audience share to cable and satellite TV providers.

Sinclair will also boost the power levels of its 20 FOX affiliates across the country, to prepare for the network's first full foray into HD broadcasts. Beginning with the fall TV season FOX will air at least six NFL games and a full slate of primetime entertainment programming per week in the 720p HDTV format.

The 2004 NFL on FOX season, which will culminate with the live presentation of Super Bowl XXXIX, premieres Sunday, Sept. 12 with doubleheader coverage of seven games. In total, FOX Sports said it would broadcast a 111-game regular season slate, including nine doubleheader Sundays, the traditional Thanksgiving Day game and two special late-season non-Sunday national broadcasts.

The PSAs will be available in :10-, :20- and :30-second lengths.

When complete, the PSAs will be available from the Sinclair Broadcast Group's new Web site, that's been redesigned to support the informational campaign. )

Here is the direct link http://broadcastengineering.com/news...-ota-20040823/

You can simply copy and paste if you like to confirm the article.

I have also read a article detailing a agreement between Sinclair and Miranda Technologies to provide affiliates with HDTV equipment.

Here is the address http://www.hdtvbuyer.com/articles/vi...e.jsp?id=24672

I'm hoping KBSI plans on going HD september 12 or very soon after. I'm hoping I could get a firm awnser to what your plans are. It would seem from the news stories I have read KBSI should be working on this right now and I wanted to get some reliable information about this from the source. I hate to point it out but the Sinclair owned stations are the only two (KBSI,WDKA) in our market not broadcasting any HD content. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely Kyle Simpson

The repeater was at Monkeys Brow

(if I remember anything after my nights at Hanger9 and PK's)

Alright I got a response and it sounds like good news,

We are currently planning on having the HD up and running by Sept 12,
providing we do not have any technical setbacks. This will only be for
KBSI. Unfortunately, WDKA has other issues which must be resolved
outside of the local community. Thanks for your interest!

Chris Girard
Chief Engineer
KBSI TV
806 Enterprise
Cape Girardeau, MO 63703
573-331-2140
cgirard@kbsi.sbgnet.com

I know KBSI is very hard to pick up with a indoor antenna, but signal is there. I'm hoping what that article said about the power of the stations is correct. If they crank it up some maybe a indoor antenna would be able to pick it up. If not I would suggest getting a mid to long range antenna. I bought a channelmast 4228 at LAco Electronics in MT. Vernon. They should have everything you need there for a outdoor antenna set up. They offer lots of different antennas there as well. I found them by going to the channelmaster website and using there Distributor Locater. Call them up and see if they have the antenna you want. I don't work for them or anything like that, but i've found Lowes and Radioshacks antenna selection to be fairly small and OVER PRICED!.

Actually, the *main* WPSD transmitter (both analog and digital) is at Monkey's Eyebrow. Near Ragland, about 20 miles northwest of Paducah.

(believe it or not, there are *TWO* "Monkey's Eyebrows" in Kentucky; the other one is over west of Lexington)

The site works pretty well. WPSD's analog signal is present pretty much continuously here about 30 miles northwest of Nashville, and their digital has been the most consistent out-of-town signal since they went full power. Even on their temporary low-power facility at the studio, I saw the digital station down here...

The repeater W10AH is on the southwest side of Carbondale: http://tiger.census.gov/cgi-bin/mapg...5,redpin,W10AH

Another unsolicited plug for LACO Electronics in MT Vernon. I have purchased several antennas and supplies from them over the years and find them very knowledgable and helpful. Prices are very good, and they are the only CM dealer I have found in the TriState that will sell to individuals "over-the-counter".
No, I don't work for them either.

I just wanted to let you guys know my local cable company mediacom just added KFVS12's HiDef feed! I wouldn't care about this but I have a HDTV DVR from Mediacom and now I can record CSI MIAMI. My wet dream it FOX goes to 720p here like it's suppose to by September 12. Then I can record the CBS games in HI-DEF and watch the fox games live!!!! I still won't turn off my Dish Network though because all of the horrible analog stations they have. However you might want to call your local cable companies and find out what they have. I can have both Dish and Cable because my internet is through the cable and I switched my phone service to vonage and it save me a fotune. I recomend evreybody check out vonage(30$ a month unlimited calling). Verizon is our phone company here and they are horrible with there phone and DSL service!

Eyebrow, yes, it is coming back to me now....getting thirsty for a .10 Strohs or a bloody from the Cellar.

I actually maintained W10AH back in the early '70's. It was pretty cool having a first phone while in college and signing everyones log. I think I either built, maintained or was on-air for most of the stations (R/Tv) in Southern Illinois.
de WB9YRR
George

We have no thread dedicated to the Paducah, KY DMA which includes Paducah, KY- Cape Girardeau, MO- Harrisburg & Mt Vernon, IL. I'm going to re-title to make this the official Paducah, KY HDTV thread. If this isn't appropriate, PM me and I can change it.

We have a DTV site in Paducah... PBS HD programming during prime time.

You were probably responsible for WTAO's brownie induced day of no DJs weren't you ?

Just to let you guys know I called KBSI again to check up on some things and they let me know that they won't be turning on HS this weekend. The ENG said they should have it ready next week though.

Yeah FOX23 has went HD as of Monday the 21. Can't wait for Sunday for some more NFL games.

You remember that, do you? LOL
TAO was my first build from scratch. Thank you Bill Veraca! A trailer and a 100' tower for a Class A FM became my model for 5 other builds.
George

I'm trying to keep this thread ALIVE LOL. Is anybody watching the rams game on KBSI on HiDef? The PQ is awesome! I haven't seen any break ups!!!!

Bump for the hometown.

Are there any Paducah Comcast customers here? My dad is ready to step into HD-land, and I can't find what (if any) local HD channels Comcast carries.

Does anyone know?

Thanks.
~~Nathan

Nathan_R, from Paducah? You wouldn't happen to be an '84 Tilghman grad and tennis player, would you?

Well, two out of three at least. I played tennis and went to Tilghman, but graduated in 96.

Bump for my Comcast question. Are there any Paducah-based Comcast subscribers? Any HD offered through the service?

Thanks.
~~Nathan

Has anybody heard about what Sinclair is going to do with the WB? I don't think they are ever going to turn on HD! I'm thinking about "moving" to get the WB in Hd from D*.