Abilene, TX - HDTV

cdharris --
congratulations! I live in a bit of an HD starved area myself. We are slowly making progress though. As of right now, GMA is only being broadcast in HD in the eastern and pacific timezones. It will still show up in your guide as HD but I don't think the rest of the country will receive the HD signal until sometime later this year.

I saw the same newscast as you did and got really excited even though I don't have an HDTV yet. I moved here last year for a better paying job (so I could afford better things like HDTV) but was dissapointed at how backwards some of the people here are. It seems that people that know anything about HDTV think Abilenians in general are too poor to afford new HDTV sets as a whole so the networks would never have a financial reason to upgrade (this point was first told to me from someone who once worked at the NBC affiliate and he agreed with the affiliate). Also, I've ran into several people that think they are getting HD just because they have an HDTV. I can remember a friend of my wife going on about her parent's HDTV set and how you could see all the imperfection details on the news anchor's faces (a month or two before the superbowl) because HD was so much clearer! I laughed a little and didn't have the heart to tell her at the time how stupid she sounded to someone who knew Abilene didn't have any local HD, much less, stations in other markets that are HD typically don't broadcast their local news in HD! Oh well.

I too thought that as soon as one station went HD the rest would follow but I don't think that will happen until the general public understands that there is a difference between having an HDTV set and having an HDTV set with HD (I doubt most of the people even know about over-the-air digital broadcast and are getting their tv signal via satellite or cable).

As a general rule for myself, and I've emailed the affiliates in Abilene regarding this, when I watch a program, I watch it religiosly and don't miss an episode (DVR comes in handy here but most of the time I see it live) so I don't like to start a new program unless it looks good from the first episode. I will be upgrading to HDTV soon and I will NOT start a new program with any affiliate other than the ABC affiliate until the others start broadcasting in HD. Additionally, I'll give any new program ABC comes up with a chance even if preview look bland... as long as it's HD. If enough people followed suite, it might get those backwards executives something to think about it.

Now... if only I could get ABC to do a decent job of broadcasting a college football game, but that's another issue...

Hello, I'll be moving to Abilene in a couple of weeks to start a new job...I will be living in what I believe to be the southwest side of town (near the mall) in the Cooper school district. I have heard that Cox cable is the only non-sattellite game in town and it's overpriced and not that great. However...until I get settled in that is probably what I'll use. My plan is to get something like expanded basic and use my LG 3510a to hopefully pull in OTA HD and whatever I can get QAM. Can anybody tell me what I can expect with a Silver sensor antenna (indoor) in that part of town?

Added this thread to the Index as the official Abilene discussion thread.

I am glad to see this. Since Abilene has some HD (at least ABC) do you guys think that San Angelo may see some local HD any time soon?

Also, since some of the world cup games are broadcast in HD and on ABC, and I can't wait for the games to start. Does anyone know if it s ossible to pick up abilene signal (from san angelo) with an outdoor antena (I know its a long shot)>>>

Possible? Yes, but I wouldn't even know where to begin. Since I'm somewhat familiar with that part of Texas I know the hills between the 2 cities (texas isn't all flat!) would be a factor just like the distance.

cdharris...I took your advice and e-mailed the local affiliates for whatever that is worth. I see there is a Best Buy, Circuit City and probably a few other stores here that are full of HD sets...I can only imagine how they sell those things in a town with no local HD broadcasts. I am not happy about having to watch my favorite ABC, NBC and CBS shows in SD. (and poor SD at that)

What antenna are you using to receive KTXS?

I am using the Direct DB4 from antennasdirect.com. Very good for HD stuff. With our towers all over the place I had to point to the SW to get coverage for all the channels. Due West from me is the best for just ABC. It took a bit of work but I get all of them with very good reception except FOX.(Imagine that!?!). KTXS analog, digital, tower cam and doppler radar channels all come in well.

Anyone else lose sound on KRBC digital? Analog sounds fine but the 9.1 channels has no sound for me.

Ok, this sucks. The only local HD station doesn't have any NFL broacasts this year. Steelers/Dolphins was horrible. I am in need of a better picture.... has there been any movement from the NBC, CBS, or FOX?

I received an email from KRBC and KTAB about HD. Both said that they are working right now on the HD equipment and should have it up by the end of the year or first months of '07. Nothing, as usual, from our wonderful FOX affiliate. Hopefully KTAB will be up and running at least before the super bowl.

Well at least they're moving. I sent KRBC an e-mail after watching the game Thursday night... I just need to get off my butt and write the other two affiliates.

I had not heard the news about KRBC and KTAB, thats great. I really would like to watch Lost in HD on KTXS but I have Cox Digital and don't get the channel. Two questions: What do I use to pick up the signal over the air? I can't record this with my Cox HD DVR can I? I am addicted to my DVR and havent watched live tv in years. I wouldnt even be home to watch LOST live, and if I can't record it in HD using my DVR, than its kinda worthless...

Thanks for the info about HD in crapliene I mean Abilene. We are always slow getting new things. I have been thinking about getting a HD tv for ota dtv. I refuse to pay the high price for COX/Suddenstink. I thought, until I found this board, that no stations were HD here so I was going to get a tv that had just a digital tuner. How good is KTXS HD with CW broadcasting on 20-2? I figured that would kill most of the HD with CW using the same stream for SD.

I haven't had any trouble with the 20-1,-2,or -3 feeds. Didn't even notice about the CW until I flipped through to look at the radar. No drop in HD quality that I noticed.

I noticed on Antennaweb that they are listing KRBC, KTXS, and KTAB as having digital channels now. So does this mean that they are all broadcasting in HD in primetime or is it still just KTXS?

Also I live off of Buffalo Gap Road by Cooper do you think that there is anyway to get a strong enough OTA signal with just a set of rabbit ears or an indoor UHF only antenna? I really hate to go spend another $150 for an outside antenna and mount.

Thanks.

So far, still just KTXS. KRBC and KTAB have been digital for a while. What's upsetting is that KXVA-FOX was listed in the digital section of antennaweb for a few months and now it is gone. I digress.... KTXS is still the only HD in town. I haven't had much luck with the indoor antenna. I've heard good things about a Radio Shack UHF indoor antenna but don't know if the signal strength from KTXS is strong enough.

I am glad you mentioned KXVA being digital. I was talking to a friend about them, and I told him they were listed as digital for a short time. He did not believe me, and I started thinking I was crazy. KXVA and KIDZ are the worst stations in Abilene, if there is a drop of rain they go off the air. I am amazed they survived this "snow storm". I don't expect them to go digital until the last minute February 2009, and HD who knows, 2050? The only good thing I can say about KXVA is they show South Park (I don't have cable or sat).

Alright I am cooking with gas now. Here is just a FYI update.

For reference I live just off Buffalo Gap and have a Hitachi 51F59 HDTV with built in HD tuner.

I had asked earlier about the indoor amplified antenna being enough and I have found out that is it where I live albeit with a little leg work but not too much.

I originally hooked up my old Magnavox Amplified VHF/UHF antenna and immediately picked up KTAB and KRBC digital but not KTXS through an auto channel scan. Well my TV's channel tuner is such that you can not just tun to a particular channel number and then use the signal meter to tune it in. So I thought I was going to need a larger Outdoor UHF only antenna. I did some reading and found that this one from Radio Shack (can't post a link as I am too new) Item # 15-2160 for $25. If you go to find one here in Abilene make sure you ask them to look up the Item number to see if they have it in stock cause they are not on the floor.

Okay so armed with a new antenna I thought I would try and pick up KTXS again with an auto channel scan just by holding the antenna in my living room toward the KTXS broadcast signal. It worked!!! So now my TV knew that the channel existed and even indoors this antenna was pulling in a signal with about 70-75 signal strength. I was going to try and mount it in my attic so I knew it would only get better. Well I got to wondering what kind of signal strength my Indoor Amp. antenna was bringing in for it not to pick up on KTXS so I decided to hook it up and see what it was. To my amazement it was actually registering a stronger signal at around 80 but no picture. So I raised the antenna up about another foot and a half and BINGO KTXS came in clear as a bell.

So it turns out that it is possible here in Abilene to use an Indoor Amp. Antenna and pick up all the digital signals currently broadcast here. I was at Wal-Mart and noticed that the new one sell for aroung $30 to $40 and are actually stronger than the one that I have (mine is rated at 35db gain, new ones are 40-50db gain).

Well that's my story, maybe this info will help someone in the future if they are trying to set their HDTV to receive an OTA HD signal here in Abilene. At the very least it proves that you don't have to have a outdoor antenna to pull in all the digitals currently broadcast here. I am also betting that when FOX goes digital I won't need anything else but my current setup either cause the analog Fox current comes in crystal clear at my location.

If you can pick up all the OTA channels then you can subcribe to Dish Network and with their new VIP622 HD-DVR you can record HD OTA signals. Check out the spec sheet on Dish Network's web site under HD equipment link. Not a bad deal at all IMO.

Didn't anybody watch KTAB news last night? I was sure somebody would mention that they said towers are under construction so KTAB and KRBC can broadcast high def soon. Abilene is moving up! Now if we could get our FOX station moving.

I sure hope soon means before the Super Bowl...I would hate to have to watch it in SD.