Hattiesburg, MS - HDTV

We show CBS and NBC are currently broadcasting HDTV in the Hattiesburg, MS DMA. We compiled that list from member feedback (which is very reliable) and from lists of HD affiliates available from the Network's websites (which hasn't always been reliable). Since this is the first thread started for Hattiesburg, I would assume that there are very few, if any members from Hattiesburg at this point, so CBS and NBC really should be verified locally to be sure.

I'll add this thread to the official thread index located at the top of the forum. Any further Hattiesburg/Laurel, MS DMA inquiries will be routed here, so you may want to subscribe to this thread. If anyone else starts to post, you'll be notified. In the meantime, please post any additional info you find out in this thread so we can have our info as up to date as possible.

Welcome to the forum.

Well, I live in Hattiesburg, and I just got a HDTV (Pio 4350). Through Comcast, you can get Discovery HD, ESPN HD, two InDemand HD channels, HBO HD, Cinemax HD, Showtime HD, and Starz HD.

OTA, all you can get right now is NBC (WDAM, 7.1), and it looks amazing. CBS (WHLT) has a digital channel, but it is not on the air at the moment for some reason (I'm going to call the station tomorrow or Monday and ask about it).

I know someone with a large outdoor amp'ed antenna, and he says he can pick up WLOX from Biloxi. But I live in an apartment, so that's not an option for me. So, if you have a powerful enough antenna, you can probably pick up some coast stations digitally.

And FYI, Comcast assures me that they are planning to add more HD channels soon.

I am moving from South New Jersey to HAttiesburg, MS. Was wondering if Comcast in Hattiesburg is planning on adding any local channel Hi-def channels? Thanks.

Comcast has just added WDAM (NBC) to their HD line-up. As a good side effect, it looks like this finally pushed WDAM into getting their lip-sync issues fixed and upping power OTA.

With a CM 4228 and preamp I can get WLOX (ABC) from the coast with no issues. I can also get two different PBS stations (Biloxi and Meridian I believe). On a good night I can pick up Jackson's ABC, and their FOX/WB digital only channel.

WXXV (FOX) on the coast does have their HD up and going, but it is at extremely low power. Once they go up we should have no problem getting it with a decent antenna setup.

WHLT (CBS) has said fat chance before the government makes us. Their sister station is Jackson is broadcasting though. Jackson is in the top 100 DMA's that have to go full power by July, so there's a chance we might be able to pick it up from there then.

Kevin D.

I live in Oak Grove with good line-of-sight toward Wiggins and Eastabuchie. If I point my attic-mount Radio Shack double bowtie + 25dB preamp at Wiggins, I get the coast PBS station day and night with no problems (since the hurricane damage was repaired and they resumed broadcasting at full power), and WLOX (ABC) is borderline during the day but usually OK at night.

Eastabuchie is about 90 degrees away from the Wiggins antennas from my location, so I have to go up in the attic and manually turn the antenna to get WDAM (NBC). I haven't had any luck yet getting the Meridian PBS station.

I'm glad to know we have so many Hattiesburg-area posters on AVS Forum!

I've been a member here since 2002 when I got my first HD setup. Ditched it for a few years and just re-upped with DirecTV and the HR10-250 Tivo unit. Trying to get some OTA but so far only WDAM. Have ordered the Zenith Silver Sensor which is reputed to be a good indoor antenna so will see if that produces anything more than NBC. If anyone has suggestions for indoor antennas or getting more OTA I'm sure we'd all welcome them. I'd also like to know if you can get just the locals in HD from Comcast. I have just the locals, but not in HD as far as I know.

Thanks.

Just to let you know that it looks like Comcast has added 180 which is going to be WLOX HD. It is still broadcasting standard definition but it does say on my guide that it is WLOX HD. I can get WLOX 13-1 with my indoor antenna pointed to wiggins.

Hey guys. Just got an HDTV and a $50 hdtv ota antenna and was able to get WLOX(ABC) hd ota. Are there any others in the ocean springs area?

I'm in Long Beach and am using an outdoor mast mounted OTA. I can pickup up WLOX (ABC), WWL (CBS), WVUE (FOX), WXXV (FOX), PBS just about all the time. I can get WGNO (ABC), WPXI (PAX), WNOL (WB) and UPN from New Orleans on some days but not all. The main network I'm missing is NBC but they are still down in New Orleans.

You should be able to pickup most all from the Mobile/Pensacola area if your aiming that way from a mast otherwise WLOX is all your probably going to get.

Thanks for the reply. All I get now like I said is WLOX, in fact three versions of it, HD, SD and the 24x7 weather.

You get an impressive array of channels, wow. What hardware did you use to gain so many channels, I would love to know what it would take to attempt the same at my residense, if possible. Do you live in the city or county? Lots of homes, tall trees etc. nearby or whatever?

If you search my username here in the OTA thread you'll see more details of how I accomplished what I have.

In summary though.....I have a Channel Master (CM) 4221 pointing towards WLOX, WXXV & PBS towers near McHenry. Then I used a standard coax splitter in reverse to add my CM4228 (which is basically two 4221's mounted together) towards New Orleans. Both antenna are using the Radio Shack mast mounted amplifier which I picked up at Hudson's in Gautier when they got a Radio Shack stock in back in December. Without the amp's I had a lot of problems picking up the signals. The mast is required for New Orleans channels.

I'm about 1/4 mile north of the CSX tracks in Long Beach in a small neighboorhood with lots of trees. My outdoor mast is only 25' too.

I ordered the antenna's from Solid Signal online. Best price I could find too.

Greap post, thanks for that. What kind of pole mounted amp would you recommend I get? Also, from you post, it seems your combining the two antenna's with a cable splitter into one cable going into the home, how is that possible?

I used a "Radio Shack mast mounted amplifier". Would I recommend it? Maybe. But the Channel Master line seems to be more popular here at AVS.

just reverse the splitter. Put in cable from the antenna to the output of the splitter and then the cable going to the TV comes out of the input of the splitter.

Here are most post in the OTA thread. Look through all my discussions and you'll see what I did. Search results

Well I ordered the Channel Master 4221, 4228 and the 7777 amp from solidsignal.tv on Friday. Also Eagle Aspen P-1000-2AP-GX 2-Way Splitter and Boss Silicone Electric Grease Compound too.

I have a question on what type of cable I should purchase to run from the actual antenna's to the inside of my house(attic) down to the TV. Does fancy(pricey) cable work the same as less expensive cables? Anything I should look for in the products keywords such as weather related terms or whatever?

TVSaurus: Do you use a rotator to receive the maximum signal strength or did you place them right the first time and never have to adjust them?

Thanks for all your advice thus far, can't wait to get the antennas in and installed. PBS-HD is awesome!

I purchased (2) 50' RG6 cable from Lowe's in Gulfport for mine runs from the antenna. I do not have a rotator but I can easily loosen the bolts on the mast and turn it with my hand to fine tune the signal before fully tigtening it down.

I recently purchased an HD-TIVO from Best Buy. I can pick up HD channel 7... comes in really good except when it rains. Direct Tv allowed me to have FOX EAST and ABC EAST both in HD, but I was rejected for CBS HD. I just found out that our local CBS station (WHLT) does not even have an HD channel. Shouldn't I be granted CBS EAST in HD? Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. Thanks, Steve

Why is it that antennaWeb does not show the channels I can receive (except WLOX 13.1) does not show;
13.2(WLOX 24/7 weather)
13.3 (WLOX analog I guess)
5.1 (It broadcasts shows in HD, CBS maybe)
5.2 (24/7 weather)
20.1 (MPB analog)
20.2 (PBS HD)

Is antennaweb not updated our area?
Have you been able to get Channel 7 WKFK-LP in Pascagoula?

One more thing, what channel numbers are you able to receive regularly? Just want to get a heads up for the numbers so I can watch for them when I get my antennas up this weekend.

Thanks again!

I'm not sure why it doesn't show the sub channels. But I do get them also. However, I do get Ch 7 from Pascagoula but it is very fuzzy and sound is good. Do you good?

Consistently I can get (in HD):
WLOX 13
WXXV 25
WVUE 8
WWL 4
PBS 20

On good days:
WGNO 26
WB 38
PAX 49
UPN 54

I do not get:
WDSU b/c it is still off the air in HD

I don't get Ch. 7 at all. I haven't mounted my two antennas yet, having trouble gathering the hardware together to mount it to my house, and the actual usints to the pole. Hopefully this weekend. So for now I only get 13 & 20.

I hope to get all the chans you get once I get the antennas mounted, that will be sweet!

Thanks!

I am a new member..... Live in Ocean Springs....
Buying a new Sony KDL-32s2000 LCD (be her on Wed) with an internal off-air HD tuner....
I live in apartments in old Ocean Springs with good elevation (no Katrina water)..
I have a (4) bowtie UHF antenna that I want to mount outside if I can disguise it...
Need to get a VHF antenna & a small amplifier for outside....
I get channel 13 (WLOX) great now with Rabbit Ears (no cable or sat)....
Any sugestions on the VHF & UHF/VHF amplifier?? ____..
Thanks, Bob

Just heard from FOX 25 by email....

Our Chief Engineer says...
Yes, Our off air channel is 48. You will need a good off air antenna because we are on low power on ch 48 right now.

Thanks!
Deidre Pyron
WXXV FOX 25
Promotions Coordinator
228-297-2505

Cool, another local! Welcome to the AVS Forums! I would check with the apt. guidelines for outdoor antennas, I doubt they would allow such a placement of a larger antenna. But the worst they can say is no right?

As for the amplifier, like TVSaurus says, and I agree, the Channel Master amps/pre-amps are quite popular here, and I would imagine for good reasons. Look at www.solidsignal.tv or stop by the Radio Shack by Winn-Dixie and see the assistant manager (forgot his name) and see what he recommends. Very helpful guy, spent an hour or so there yesterday trying to determine how to mount the Channel Master 4221 & 4228 to one pole.

I bought the Channel Master 7777 from Solid Signal and when I tested it with the 4221 antenna 3' off the ground outside my bedroom window, I was able to pickup two channels I could not even distinguish with the indoor Radio Shack antenna.

Good Luck!!

I may construct a box around my 4-bowtie UHF antenna, wonder if a thin board would kill that much of a UHF signal.... My neighbour upstairs says I can place the UHF antenna on his balcony but would want to diguise it..... Use to build UHF/VHF systems with towers in Missouri (long time ago).... Anyway I understand insertion loses & runs of coax..... Should have my Sony on Wednesday so getting all excited..... Bob

Just got an email from WLOX.....
Ch. 39 HD....
"High power. 1200 feet from McHenry, MS."

Bob

I'm graduating from South Alabama in May and will be taking a job in Hattiesburg in May. I've been slightly spoiled here in Mobile, having the ability to pick up ABC, Fox, NBC, PBS, and CBS easily OTA.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but from what I've read, I should have no problems picking up Fox, NBC and PBS. CBS is digital but not HD, and ABC is a long shot from Biloxi. I must have CBS for SEC football. Does Comcast offer CBS in HD?

In fact what is the HD channel lineup on Cable in Hattiesburg?

Has anyone had any luck picking up any CBS? I don't care what it takes, I NEED CBS.

ABC is WLOX ch. 39 ..... (analog is ch. 13)
High Power & up 1200 feet (way above the pine trees) on the McHenry tower (just north of Gulfport)....

Crimson, you can pick up CBS with an outside antenna, but no HD. The CBS station is here in Hattiesburg (WHLT). I have been trying to receive a wavier for CBS east in HD (Direct TV). I have heard that Direct will have local channels here soon. Comcast cable is in Hattiesburg, but for some reason CBS doesn't come in good. I pick it up better with my outside ant.

So CBS in Hattiesburg hasn't released an HD date?

Argh, i'm gonna find a way to get CBS HD on Directv.

Are you saying that ch. 39 is all in HD, like 455 I think it is for CableOne HD service?

I can get 13.1 with my antenna (even the cheap R/S one indoor), and only the main shows like Lost, Grey's Anatomy and some other shows/movies in HD. WLOX news and the commercials are never in HD

I found that to be true with every channel I can receive with the exception PBSHD 20.2, which is ALWAYS in HD, never SD. Ch. 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 20.1, 48.1 all broadcast their popular shows in HD, but all commercials and news casts are in SD.

I thought that was the way it just is. Is that right to see only the main shows in HD, and all else in SD using OTA equipment? My buddy has CableOne HD package and gets WLOX news casts/commercials/not-so-main-popular shows in HD (so he says, I should probably confirm) but I was wondering if that HD upscale/transmission is happening at the station, or in between the cable locale's or in the CableOne HD receiver.

Thanks!