Baton Rouge, LA - HDTV

Good luck getting a response from WVLA (NBC). I have repeatedly try to call them and have sent them two letters that have come back as address unknown. If you can't even contact a company, how can they be in business?

They did broadcast the Olympic delayed thing over and over in HDTV, so they have the capability, but I guess they don't have the motivation to flip the switch for some stupid reason.

I've just spent 30 min searching the net about the Fox affiliate. I can't find any thing about when they might begin transmitting.

Louisiana is not the center of the HDTV universe, or much of anything else, i'm afraid. (Except college football maybe.)

Louisiana is also the center for Hurricanes in the gulf.

well, well,

NBC finally is in HDTV in Baton Rouge. Saw Jay Leno for the first time in HDTV. I think it was the first HDTV show broadcast years ago.

So, Baton Rouge is almost all HDTV now.

All I lack is Fox 44. There is a signal on 44-1 but the power is so low, I can't get it and I doubt it is HDTV anyway.

Anyone have info on Fox 44?

go to yahoo group brhdtv: discusses br stuff . Here in houma I can get wbrz dt 13 100% wlpb 90 % wafb 30% have never gotten nbc or fox .

I live right on the border of east baton rouge parish and ascension parish and have always been able to pick up cbs, abc and pbs easily...I finally was able to pick up nbc and fox last night...The power is so low on these stations...I was watching the sox-yankees game on fox hd ota but baton rouge was not broadcasting it in hd...I know it was a baton rouge thing because i called a friend in new orleans and he was getting it ota out of new orleans in hd...Hopefully the cardinals game tonight will be broadcasted in hd here in baton rouge...By the way, i am using a winguard sensor antenna with preamp

I have a QAM tuner and last night decided to re-autotune my channels. Much to my delight, WBRL (WB) was available! I almost watched Gilmore Girls even because of it... I said almost. Anyway this was especially cool to see, because I didn't see any notice or mention of its launch anywhere, and the fact that the best I could figure out was that this station isn't scheduled to go online until January. Now, UPN is the only local station not broadcasting in HD in BR, which is really sad when you think about it, because WUPL is owned by the folks at WAFB (CBS). The best part about using a QAM tuner, is that I get about 60 digital cable and 6 local HD channels all just through my Cox basic+expanded packaged lines. I don't have to pay an outrageous amount for the STBs that Cox likes to force down our throats either, nor the digital access fees that come with it. Plus, when all I had was OTA ATSC, all I could get reliably was ABC and PBS, and I live in the center of BR on College Dr.!

Anyway, as great as it is to get these channels for essentially free compared to what most others pay through Cox, I was wondering if any others were experiencing some issues that I have found with the broadcasts themselves. Particularly, Arrested Development and Scrubs, my two favorite comedies, were both shown in upconverted SD on their respected HD channels this week. Now, I am not 100% sure that Scrubs is shot in HD, but I do know for a fact that Arrested Development is. This really pissed me off when it happened this Sunday, because I was able to contact a friend in Boston who watched it and it was broadcast in HD there! I contacted WGMB, and the guy said they just relay what FOX gives them. So what's the deal? Was this just a Cox thing? Did anyone with an ATSC tuner watch the show, and was it shown in full 16:9 glory? Thanks for any help ya'll can provide into this little conundrum.

Does any one know if 33&44 will go full power 7/1/05?

Any new updates on this area?

I've successfully picked up 25-x, 9-x, and 2-x with a simple rabbit ear amplified antenna in the attic. I can also get 17-x, 36-x, and 40-x but they only show very low signals. What are these channels?

I've also tried an outdoor antenna with the same results. I will probably put up an antenna when fox and nbc crank up their power. I'm currently using the QAM tuner in my TV to get the HD locals channels from Cox, but I'd like to skip the middle man.

Phitz, WGMB/WVLA will be full power by 7.1.2005. they are using a company called marsand to install a dual ntsc/atsc antenna on their exisiting tower, Look for signal tests to begin in mid-may...

Thanks jfk! they are supposed to have full 1000Kw transmitter.

What is up with NBC ???

Can't believe they don't offer a hd signal!!

FOX??? Can't get it to come in at all, even with my outdoor antenna and preamp.

ABC, CBS, PBS (never used to watch it till I got the HD content, now it's awesome!).

What a shame we are so behind!

I don't think the New Orleans NBC affiliate has a hd signal either. Anyone know?

The signal is there but it's only low power signal, same thing for FOX. Supposedly they are going to crank up in May.

For the mean time if you have at least basic cable and QAM tuner you can pick up the locals for free from Cox. Some are compressed a bit but I use the QAM locals to get NBC, Fox, and WB. I use OTA for ABC, CBS, and PBS HD.

Ahhhhhhhhh..... thanks for the info!

I do not have basic cable at the moment. We have Charter where I live and I don't like their service at all. Will probably be gettin dnet in the future, but keep the stb for ota HD. I was very surprised at the quality of ota HD compared to d*tv HD!

I noticed the stb lock onto 36 and I think 16 or something like that, but couldn't find which channels those fit with.

What STB are you using? Samsung t451?

Again, thanks for the heads up on FOX/NBC.

Any new information on this?

I don't suppose anyone can tell me if they're trying the HDTV Wonder card with HDTV signals in Baton Rouge, huh? (he asks hopefully)

Hi, nothing new to report, However I spoke to a Marsand tech earlier this year, and he advised to look for signal tests from WGMB/WVLA in mid-may.
I wish I lived closer to Baton Rouge...I would drive by the tower site in Addis during business hours and look for signs of activity..and hopefully run into a crew member or two...Regardless, they will be full power very soon.

I work not too far from their site somedays... I might make a pass. Can't miss the 1700ft tower, eh?

Signal tests....probably something only done in the early hours. Turn off the small tower and crank up the big one for an hour, I suppose?

Did some digging on Marsand's site....

Baton Rouge, LA - WGMB CH44/CH45DTV
Currently expanding the building to accept the DTV transmitter and N+1 combining filter. Existing transmission line will be used and a dual band antenna has been chosen to replace the existing NTSC antenna that will not change the loading on the tower.

· Baton Rouge, LA - WVLA CH33/CH34DTV
Currently expanding the building to accept the DTV transmitter and N+1 combining filter. Existing waveguide will be used and a dual band antenna has been chosen to replace the existing NTSC antenna that will not change the loading on the tower.

Something may be happening this am, I think WVLA is broadcasting on their auxillary tower as of around 700 this am. Can anyone in BR confirm this?

My HDTV Wonder reported that the station exists, and put it in the channel line-up, but there ain't nothin' comin' in. *sigh* Might have to go for an outdoor antenna...Channel 9 is the only channel that comes in with any regularity. PBS sometimes, too, now.

Okay, picking up WVLA this afternoon wth a 54% signal strength. 5:00 PM, 05-19-05

I will check when I get home. Are you picking up the digital signal now? I'm in an area where the current 1kw signal is non-existant but the analog comes in perfect.

Digiblur, I'm in Lafayette only receiving the analog. I scanned this am for new digital channels, as of this date I receive the following digitals;

WBRZ
KATC
KLFY
KADN
KLPB
KPLC

Nope... no dice. Still only getting analog on WVLA and WGMB.

Alright, Something is surely happening now, WVLA/WGMB Analog stations are off the air, This must mean tower crews are installing the dual ntsc/atsc antenna. Lets all hope for full power asap!!

Ps- just called wvla main number, receptionist had a hard time saying 'technical difficulties' she advised station(s) have been off-air since 800am, and has 'no other information'

Yup.. same here. 33 and 44 are off the map here.

Analog 19 and 21 are gone now... WOW.. That would bite if I relied on all OTA for my content. FOX, NBC, WB, and UPN gone off the air...

Maybe they'll suprise us with 19 and 21 digital too! That'd be an excellent surprise!

Hi guys.

Another Baton Rouge guy here. I'm just moving into the world of HDTV. I really don't know much about it but it sounds like ya'll do.

Will NBC and FOX be broadcasting every show in HDTV or just certain ones?

They show whatever comes down the NBC and FOX "pipe". Not all shows are shot in HD.