Dallas, TX - HDTV - Page 222

Originally Posted by teasip 

The unit isn't mapping WFAA as it does the other networks but another thread poster was able to provide me the Verizon QAM channel and it shows up there (without the call letters).

Originally Posted by See The Light 

I did a new and complete channel scan June 17th, 2012, with my Sanyo LCD TV (DP42840).
I live in N. Central Irving, S. of Hwy 161 (Bush Turnpike), near Belt Line Rd.
I use an RCA antenna (ANT751R) mounted in the attic of a one-story townhome.
It took a couple of "Add Digital Channel" scans to get all of the low power stations to register, that I had logged before.
After getting one of the LP stations to register, I adjusted the antenna cable slightly, near where it screws into the TV set, to get that LP station to come in good, and then, I did a couple of re-scans, to get the 26 channels registered.

Originally Posted by JHBrandt 

Some OTA television stats for the D/FW market:
VHF-Hi+UHF channels in use: 33
Total subchannels (unencrypted): 90
Subchannels broadcasting video (other than color bars): 79
Video subchannels not merely simulcasting another subchannel: 70
Unique video subchannels by language: 45 English, 22 Spanish, 3 other
HD subchannels by language: 10 English, 4 Spanish
Note 1: One of those 'HD' channels is KTXD, but it's merely an upconversion of Me-TV, which is SD. So maybe it's only 9 'true' English HD channels. Also I'm expecting KAZD to upgrade to HD soon to compete with MundoFox on KFWD, which will bring us up to 5 Spanish HD channels.
Note 2: I haven't checked the VHF-Lo band recently. Last time I checked, KZFW/6 (D/FW's last analog station*) was the only station operating, and it was only broadcasting an audio carrier. There are construction permits for digital stations on RF 2 and RF 5, but I don't think either one is broadcasting. (And if it lights up, RF 5 will be broadcast from Howe, several miles north of the metroplex.)
Edit: *Whoops: I forgot about KUVN/47, a translator broadcasting from Ft. Worth. I don't think they ever went digital.

Originally Posted by JHBrandt 

I counted 52 as one of our 22 Spanish channels, although MundoFox does contain a tiny bit of English. I didn't want to get into fractions!
I'm disappointed that KFWD's classic TV shows are gone (wish they'd just flipped 52.1 and kept them on 52.2), but classic TV fans still have Me-TV on 47 (47.4 before 9 AM), Antenna on 33.2, RTV on 31.4, and Hot TV on 31.3, 26.1, and 50.4. (Why that last one needs 3 simulcasts is beyond me.) Plus TV Land if they have cable or satellite.
TV Land has been airing a lot of Andy Griffith since his death, and Me-TV has the Rockford Files (but it's on at 4 PM). Couldn't find the Addams Family or I Dream of Jeannie, but there might be other shows you'd like that you could record while you're asleep or away to watch during those late mornings.

Originally Posted by kevin120 

Anyone know if KAZD has gone HD yet? I noticed over at the Spanish page for KAZD on wikipedia they are showing KAZD HD to be broadcasting at 720p with all of the subchannels broadcast at 480i all five of them.

Originally Posted by TheSnappySneezer 

Hello, would Denton, TX fall in this area? I am about to move there in a month and I am wondering what over the air signals are like. I am going to search through this thread but if anyone can tell me, please do? I will be living near Highway 77, near Golden Triangle Mall. I am hoping I will be able to pick up PBS, Antenna, This, and Me, Id like what ever else I could get as well.
What channels come in strong? Would I be better off with cable, I hate paying for cable, I love OTA so mch and would likely just go without due to finances.
How is the PBS community there? Do they air classic Doctor Who and Are You Being Served and have clubs and costumed pledge drives based on them?
Are there local community stations, college stations? Arts stations?
How are the radio stations? Any cool indie alternative ones? Any cool oldie stations? Any cool jazz or blues stations? Any play old time radio programs like Jack Benny? I'm looking for stations that would play Jack Benny, Cab Calloway, Blind Willie McTell, Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Bow Wow Wow, Blondie, Clash, Poe, Roy Orbison, Blind Willie McTell, Skip James, XTC, Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, Talking Heads, X, The Ramones, Fats Waller, Nirvana, The Doors, Velvet Underground, Blind Melon, Del Shannon, George Harrison, A Prairie Home Companion, Burns and Allen, the Shadow, Jack White, Eleni Mandell, Amanda Palmer, Wanda Jackson, Traveling Wilburys, Blood Red Shoes, Little Hurricane, Fleet Foxes, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, the Collins Kids, Poopy Lungstuffing etc....
As an aside, does anyone in Denton know if there are places in town that sell head on shrimp, crawfish, whole crabs etc... I love seafood, shellfish, with the heads on, I'm from Louisiana.
I am glad to be near Popeyes and Grandys though.
One thing I loved about Texas was HEB and I seem to be moving to an area without HEB
Also anyone know of any cool things culturally?

Originally Posted by K5ING 

Yea...33-1, 33-2, 47-1(or 4), 27-1, 31-3 & 4 and formally 52 are what I watch most of the time. I cut the satellite cord a long time ago so TV Land is out. The sat dish in my avatar is only the holder for the little Terk antenna (click the avatar to see it). The LNBs are long gone. BTW, that little antenna can pick up 70+ of the stations in the DFW area, and I'm located near US 380 halfway between Denton and Decatur, about 60 miles from Cedar Hill.
I'm with you on putting Classic TV on 52-2. That's been shut off for now, but maybe if the public raises enough stink about it, they may fire it back up again and put their old lineup back on there. I find it interesting that the old KFWD website still advertises their "Fall Lineup".

Originally Posted by JHBrandt 

PBS 13, Antenna 33.2, This 33.3, and Me-TV 47 are all available over-the-air in Denton. You'll also get the local network affiliates: Fox 4, NBC 5, ABC 8, CBS 11, My27, CW 33, and Ion 68, plus AccuWeather 8.2, Bounce 27.2, and Qubo (kids' cartoons) 68.2 in English; Univision 23, Estrella 29, Telemundo 39, Exitos 39.2, Canal SOI 39.3, MexiCanal 47.3, Telefutura 49, MundoFox 52, and Azteca 55 in Spanish.
All are on full-power TV stations; you'll probably need an outdoor antenna but shouldn't have much trouble. The only tricky thing is you'll need an antenna with VHF elements for ABC 8 and Accuweather 8.2. Everything else is UHF (despite the channel numbers).
There are also several low-power TV stations. You'll need a bigger antenna for them. Many air religion or just infomercials but you might find some, such as 28.3 (Arts) and 31.4 (RTV), worth watching.
PBS does air Are You Being Served but I don't think the PBS community is very lively here. I could be wrong, though.
And while I don't know of any in Denton, there are a couple of H-E-B stores in Dallas. One on Lovers Lane just off Greenville, and one on Preston Road just south of I-635. The second one is probably closer.

Originally Posted by JHBrandt 

PBS 13, Antenna 33.2, This 33.3, and Me-TV 47 are all available over-the-air in Denton. You'll also get the local network affiliates: Fox 4, NBC 5, ABC 8, CBS 11, My27, CW 33, and Ion 68, plus AccuWeather 8.2, Bounce 27.2, and Qubo (kids' cartoons) 68.2 in English; Univision 23, Estrella 29, Telemundo 39, Exitos 39.2, Canal SOI 39.3, MexiCanal 47.3, Telefutura 49, MundoFox 52, and Azteca 55 in Spanish.
All are on full-power TV stations; you'll probably need an outdoor antenna but shouldn't have much trouble. The only tricky thing is you'll need an antenna with VHF elements for ABC 8 and Accuweather 8.2. Everything else is UHF (despite the channel numbers).
There are also several low-power TV stations. You'll need a bigger antenna for them. Many air religion or just infomercials but you might find some, such as 28.3 (Arts) and 31.4 (RTV), worth watching.
PBS does air Are You Being Served but I don't think the PBS community is very lively here. I could be wrong, though.
And while I don't know of any in Denton, there are a couple of H-E-B stores in Dallas. One on Lovers Lane just off Greenville, and one on Preston Road just south of I-635. The second one is probably closer.

Originally Posted by JHBrandt 

I have the same dish clip-on antenna and used it for many years. Having the antenna outdoors was a big help. In the analog era, it worked well for UHF, except channel 68. Luckily Ion was also available on Dish even though I wasn't paying for the local channels. (Not so hot on channels 4 & 5, though)
I gave up on it as I switched to digital though. Sensitivity was fine, but it was too susceptible to multipath, and we have lots of trees in my neighborhood. Digital signals kept dropping out whenever the wind blew.
So I switched to a nice, directional CM 4228, and as a bonus discovered low-power TV. But the Terk is still up there, if the big rooftop job ever gets blown away and I need an emergency backup

Originally Posted by TheSnappySneezer 

Thanks for the reply, I don't know if my apartment landlord will allow an external antenna, I do think my antenna works both indoors and outdoors though.

Originally Posted by TheSnappySneezer 

Thanks for the reply, I don't know if my apartment landlord will allow an external antenna, I do think my antenna works both indoors and outdoors though.

Originally Posted by dallas_burn 

I have read quite a bit of this long thread and wanted some advice on an outdoor antenna that meets WAF(Wife Acceptance Factor)! I am located near Exchange Pkwy and 75 - Allen, TX and tvfool has me around 40 miles from the Cedar Hill stations.
I have tried a few small indoor antennas without much success. I tried the big CM-3671 (I think) on my attic but was unsuccessful as the space was not large enough. Now I am researching a outdoor antenna that meets WAF. I have an old, unused Dish Network dish on which a Terk TV44 could clip on. Any success using Terk TV44 clip on? Are there any other options that I could pursue similar to the clipon?
Thanks
dallas_burn

Originally Posted by JHBrandt 

I have the same dish clip-on antenna and used it for many years. Having the antenna outdoors was a big help. In the analog era, it worked well for UHF, except channel 68. Luckily Ion was also available on Dish even though I wasn't paying for the local channels. (Not so hot on channels 4 & 5, though)

I gave up on it as I switched to digital though. Sensitivity was fine, but it was too susceptible to multipath, and we have lots of trees in my neighborhood. Digital signals kept dropping out whenever the wind blew.

So I switched to a nice, directional CM 4228, and as a bonus discovered low-power TV. But the Terk is still up there, if the big rooftop job ever gets blown away and I need an emergency backup

Originally Posted by dallas_burn 

I have read quite a bit of this long thread and wanted some advice on an outdoor antenna that meets WAF(Wife Acceptance Factor)! I am located near Exchange Pkwy and 75 - Allen, TX and tvfool has me around 40 miles from the Cedar Hill stations.

I have tried a few small indoor antennas without much success. I tried the big CM-3671 (I think) on my attic but was unsuccessful as the space was not large enough. Now I am researching a outdoor antenna that meets WAF. I have an old, unused Dish Network dish on which a Terk TV44 could clip on. Any success using Terk TV44 clip on? Are there any other options that I could pursue similar to the clipon?

Thanks
dallas_burn

Originally Posted by JHBrandt 

Coincidentally we were just discussing the Terk clip-on antenna for satellite dishes. See above. Short story: it works quite well if you live in an open area with few trees that might cause multipath interference. But if that's not the case for you, I can suggest a few alternatives:
Indoors: check out Winegard's SS-3000.
Attic: you'll probably have the best luck with a panel-style antenna like Channel Master's 4228HD. Much less unweildy than a traditional "airplane" antenna like the 3671.
Rooftop: Consider one of the newer UHF+VHF-Hi antennas, like the Channel Master 2020, Antennacraft HBU-44, or Winegard 7698. Nothing (except a few Spanish religious LPTVs) broadcasts on RF channels 2-6 in the DFW area; by sacrificing the ability to receive those channels, these antennas can be much narrower than older designs like the 3671.

Originally Posted by dallas_burn 

Thanks for the pointers. I will try Winegard's SS-3000 first then CM 4228HD followed by Terk TV44 and see which works best for me. Couple of additional questions
(1) Any idea who carries these antennas? I have Frys @ Plano Pkwy near my office and was going to try nearby Radio Shack. Any other places?
(2) The review for the CM 4228HD @ Amazon mentions that the Antenna which is not as good as the original 4228. Also http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/TemporaryPage.html doesn't review the 4228HD very kindly and in fact calling it a plumber job! is it simply hyperbole or is there some real issue?
Thanks
dallas_burn

Originally Posted by JHBrandt 

1) The attic & outdoor antennas are available locally. Fry's carries Channel Master, Winegard, and Terk antennas. (The TV44 wasn't located with the other outdoor antennas the last time I visited, though; it was over with the indoor antennas for some odd reason. So check both places in the store if you don't see it.) Radio Shack carries Antennacraft. (BTW, while smaller and easier to put in an attic, the original 4228 came in a 4-foot square box that's rather unweildy to fit in a small vehicle. I don't know if the 4228HD folds up into a smaller box; if not, you'll probably want a pickup truck or SUV to bring it home in. Borrow one if necessary.)
I haven't seen the SS-3000 anywhere local; you'll probably have to order it online from a place like Solid Signal or Summit Source. Since it's an indoor antenna there shouldn't be any issue sending it back if it doesn't work for you, but you'll have to pay return shipping, of course.
2) From personal experience I know the original 4228 works well 45 miles from full-power stations and 30 miles from low-power stations. The new 4228HD is better at channels 8 and 14-22 and worse at channel 9 and above 30, but the difference isn't that huge until you get above channel 51, which is where the UHF band ends now. Our channels 52, 55, 58, and 68 actually broadcast on channels 9, 39, 45, and 42, so the 4228HD should perform OK.
The big problem with both versions is the harness that combines the signals from the left and right halves of the antenna. The hdtvprimer guy suggested a simple remedy: remove the harness and replace it with two identical baluns and identical lengths of coax, leading to a signal splitter hooked up in reverse (as a combiner). Needless to say, modifying the antenna will void your warranty, so only try this if you're sure you want to keep the antenna (e.g., WAF is high & performance is almost good enough).
I tried this trick myself (on the original 4228) with modest success. The splitter I used was a Perfect Vision PV22-223, which others have tested and found to be reasonably low-loss across most of the VHF and UHF bands. The only tricky thing is that if you hook up the two baluns out-of-phase, the signals will cancel at the splitter rather than reinforcing each other and you'll get a very weak net signal. This happened to me, but after a few moments of panic, I just reversed the leads on one of the baluns and everything was OK.

Originally Posted by kevin120 

KAZD has now gone HD!
55.1 has KAZD in HD 720p version
55.3 now has KAZD SD 480i version

Originally Posted by JHBrandt 

I've often wondered why stations so often simulcast an HD and SD version of the same channel. What a waste of bandwidth!
KAZD/55 isn't the only one. KSTR/49 does it too, and KFWD/52 did before the switch to MundoFox. But those stations only have/had two subchannels, so the PQ wasn't hurt noticeably.
KTXD/47 sort of does it, but they have an excuse: the HD subchannel carries the old religious format overnight while the SD subchannel carries Me-TV 24/7, so they aren't actually the same (at least not all the time).
But KAZD/55 is really tight on bandwidth. Watching the new 55.1, I often see it break up into blocks when there's much motion.
Also, much of their programming remains in 4:3 SD - even sports. There's not much point in upconverting SD to HD, especially when you're so strapped for bandwidth to begin with!
They really need to rethink what they're doing. They shouldn't have bothered switching until they have HD programming to take advantage of. Maybe that programming is in the pipeline, but even if so, they still need to dump the SD simulcast (and, ideally, at least one of the infomercial subchannels) so 55.1 has minimally adequate bandwidth.