Hattiesburg, MS - HDTV - Page 8

WXXV - audio down tonight ?

WXXV was going to change out to their high power transmitter today. Expect some issues. They had a note that you may have to rescan channels (not sure if they are moving to transmit on channel 25 now or not). Channel is coming in fine on my Dish 622, but not is HD. My TivoHD has a black screen on the channel, but I can't do any tests until it's done recording other programs tonight.

Kevin d.

Ok so I'm not crazy

didn't need to rescan but no audio (and I do like Fringe)

Well, the House just voted to pass the DTV Date Delay bill and send it on to the President and there is little, if any, chance that he doesn't sign it.

With that being said, does anyone know what the local network stations plans are regarding the new date? Will WDAM, WHLT, WXXV, and WLOX go ahead and cut over to all digital on February 17 anyway? Or will they wait it out until the "new and improved" date of June 12? Or maybe somewhere in between. Also, if they go ahead and cut over on February 17, or really any time before June 12, will they go ahead and broadcast out at full digital power or the reduced amount that they have been operating at up until this point?

Any input on this would be great... we have to have satellite where I'm at and would love for the signals to be boosted as well as WHLT to actually broadcast in digital so we can use our DVR with them.

WHLT and WXXV have already said they'll go digital-only on February 17. No word out of the Raycom stations yet...

- Trip

According to General Manager Jim Cameron, WDAM will keep their analog signal on RF 7 signed on past February 17th "until a later date." He claimed that there are thousands of OTA viewers who are not yet ready to receive DTV signals. His commentary can be found at WDAM's website. This means that WLBT will have to wait to sign on their post-transition facility. I cannot understand why Raycom chose channel 28 as WDAM's final DTV frequency. Since sister station WLBT is in a much larger market, a larger electricity bill would not impact their profit margin nearly as much as it would WDAM. I also cannot understand why Raycom did not invest in building a taller tower for WDAM. This station has one of the shortest TV towers in the country, which is why their analog signal is a ghost fest.

Anyone in the Hattiesburg, MS area (specifically East side...between campus and downtown) having any luck getting all networks in HD (able to get NBC & FOX & maybe ABC, given the still lack of CBS)? What are you using?

I have a directional antenna with an amp in the attic. When it's pointed at the coast, I get FOX but picks up weak/glitchy NBC. If I turn it towards Laurel then I get good NBC but lose FOX. ABC is in and out regardless.

I just built one of the coat hanger antennas off of youtube (search it if you're unfamiliar, it seems decent). It picks up NBC nicely, but no HD FOX. Wondering if putting an amp on it is worthwhile? Wondering if making one to attach to the attic antenna is worthwhile?

Are we at the point that signals that are available are coming out at full strength or is there still improvement to come?

Any thoughts? Thanks!

The White House wants your opinion on The DTV Delay ACT Bill
President Obama wants to hear what the public has to say, you can comment here

http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing_room/dtv_delay_act/

WHLT has a test pattern up today 22.1
if You want to program it in

Did they shut down the analog to do it?

- Trip

I noticed that WHLT no longer has the digital transition information on its web site. This is also true at their mother station's web site, WJTV. I wonder if that means something? Also MPB is shutting down its analog on 2/17. I get this from Rabbit Ears.info

Update: WHLT has an application with the FCC to transition to digital on Feb 17th. It seems like both WJTV and WHLT doesn't have the money to run two transmitters past Feb 17th. Also WLOX is transitioning on February 17th. WLOX has a application to turn off its analog signal by February 17th. So most of South Mississippi with exception of WDAM will be digital.

According to a message posted on its website, WLOX has changed its plans and decided to keep its analog transmitter signed on until June 12th:

www dot wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=9812573

"Though WLOX is ready to go all digital, we will delay turning off our analog signal until June 12th to allow WLOX viewers as much time as possible to make the change to digital only.

According to the latest statistics there are still several thousand viewers in South Mississippi who still depend on our analog signal. We do not want any of our viewers to lose their ability to watch WLOX."

This is beginning to look like Raycom ordered all of its stations to keep their analog signal until June 12th. Raycom stations WDAM, WLOX, and WLBT have all stated that they plan to keep broadcasting in analog until the new date. Also, WXXV began airing an announcement on Sunday (2/8/09) which states that they "will be terminating their analog operations at 11:59 PM on February 17, 2009." They were also running a crawl constantly last night during prime time.

WDAM will keep our analog signal on until June 12th. There are too many people out there that are not ready. Of course, on June 13th there will be too many people out there that are not ready.

Jim Wilkinson
WDAM

I just saw on the FCC's list that WHLT is not listed as a station that is terminating their analog signal on or before the 17th. I hope this doesn't mean putting up with an analog signal for four more months.

You have got to dig down in the FCC data to find WHLT's info. Their authorization has been granted to flash cut on Feb 17. It may be the wrong paperwork but you have to say they have been granted permission either way. Do a TV query on the FCC web site's media division and click on the station when it comes up. Then when you get it scroll down to application list. It will give you a list of applications.The top application is the one to look into. Their request for a flash cut is in the exhibit at the bottom of the page

Does this mean Comcast will immediately pick up WHLT in digital on the 17th?
Hopefully they will not downconvert it to analog and leave it on channel 10.
Will there be a CBS HD feed now?
I think we still have more questions than answers.

I just hooked a new RCA flat antenna I bought at Best Buy and it out-performs any other antenna I've used, specifically for indoor use in an apartment.
I live near where the Hwy 98 bridge goes over Int. 59 and I have struggled with a pair of old antennas I've used in the past.
I can pick up the WDAM digital feed clear as day and I can pick up WHLT and MPB really well. I'm hoping WHLT goes ahead and makes the digital switch on Tuesday. I know all of the state's PBS stations will go digital this week.
I can also pick up WLOX and WXXV off the coast, but the signals aren't very good. I hope whenever the switch to digital takes place, I'll pick those up fairly clear. Are both of those stations waiting until June? I can't pick up the 13.1 or 25.1 feeds.
The specific antenna I bought is the RCA Multi-Directional Digital Flat Antenna. I've placed it on my window sill near my TV and it performs very well. For those wanting indoor antennas for their house, it should work even better.

Could you post the number of that antenna ? is it amp'ed

I just saw a crawl on WHLT. The FCC denied their request to transition on 2/17.

Hey Wilk,
Any idea what y'all are gonna do with the 7.2 and 7.3 broadcasts?
And Ronnie,
Forgive my ignorance, but what number are you talking about? And no, it isn't amped.

there should be a catalog number on that RCA flat antenna or model number

I believe it's ANT1500.

I thought the digital switch would take place at midnight tonight, but I'm not seeing it 20 minutes past... oh well.

It's up in the air about 7.2 and 7.3. We looked at Universal Sports and THIS TV but neither looks like a good fit. Universal Sports shows marathon highlights and alpine skiing. Not a good channel for this area.

The transition would have happened Tuesday night at 11:59:59pm but WDAM is waiting until 6/12 to turn off the analog and WHLT's request to switch on 2/17 was denied by the FCC.

Jim Wilkinson
WDAM

Am I the only one around here that hates the FCC? CBS is the only one of the four major carries that isn't being simulcast in digital (and they don't have any plans to do so). Which means, it is the only one of the four major carriers that I cant use my DirecTV DVR to record.

CBS has a lot of shows on it that my wife and I like to watch and the only thing we can get is that lousy, fuzzy, analog picture from them.

Nope.

I'm watching in Hattiesburg and I no longer pick up the analog or digital signal from WXXV on the coast. I picked up the analog signal pretty well, but I may be out of luck when it comes to the digital switch. Maybe this will change soon.

Also... The MPB translator in Hattiesburg is not transmitting a digital signal after midnight. I'm still picking up the analog signal on Ch. 47. According to a story today in the Hattiesburg American, we would receive a digital signal from the MPB translator.

sucks...

W47BP doesn't have a digital construction permit. No way they could sign on a digital signal even if they wanted to...

- Trip

HBurgHDnut... Bring that one back to Best Buy and go get the ANT1450 from WalMart for $30. This is the one that I have and it is the same as your ANT1500 but has an inline amp. I live just north of Purvis and can pick up WVVX and WLOX clear as day.

I went out and bought the ANT1450, but I'm sad to say that the results are even a little worse. I guess I live in a digital blackhole.

HburgHDNut...

Not trying to sound elementary here but, do you have the included amp in line between your ANT1450 and the TV? You have the power adapter for the amp plugged in? Have you tried moving it around any or sitting the antenna up with the included stand (looks like a metal U bolt). I had to sit mine up with the stand and it is sitting a few feet away from the TV and turned a particular way for the best reception. I know that they say it is omnidirectional and that you shouldn't have to twist and turn it... but I have found that the reception depends on the placement and direction of the antenna.