Abilene, TX - HDTV - Page 8

I also started a blog. Don't think it will make a difference, but hey, gotta start somewhere.

BTW, I remember 1 or 2 years back I checked on antennaweb.org for signal direction/strength and I DO remember seeing a KXVA-DT transmission that said it was pending. Then about a month later it was gone. So I agree that they DEFINITELY at least applied for the license. Don't know what happened after that.

Oh wow....sounds like they are feeling the heat of being the only local that hasn't gone digital and are getting defensive. First of all, whoever wrote this is trying to mislead you...he is correct that no station is broadcasting HD for locally originated programming, but that is not what I (and I assume you and others) am concerned about. He does admit that the station has to be digital to pass through HD (while neatly leaving out the part that KTXS, KRBC and KTAB are already doing this) but since when are analog and digital on the exact same channel and is that even possible? Channel 15 doesn't ring a bell either. This guy is obviously British or Canadian (using the word "dealt" and spelling analog as "analogue" twice) and bitter about having to pay his internship dues in a small West Texas station. I guess since he personally responds to all e-mails then he is the one that either gives me vague replies or none at all?

My latest one just updated today http://community.myfoxabilene.com/blogs/joemama127 feel free to add comments and such. I was beginning to feel bad about hounding Fox but after the reply that Sprint67 got I don't feel it anymore.

edit- I see now that it wasn't a reply but simply an employee starting their own blog....wisely choosing to not allow comments.

I now have something intelligent to say : )

I e-mailed the FCC asking about KXVA having a digital station. This is the FCC response:

You are receiving this email in response to your inquiry to the FCC.

Dear Sir:

Because KXVA was granted an original construction permit after the FCC finalized the DTV allotment plan on April 21, 1997,
the station did not receive a companion channel for digital.

On or before February 17, 2009, which is the end of the digital TV conversion period for full-service stations, KXVA will be required to turn off its analog signal and turn on its digital signal.

Thank you for contacting the FCC Consumer Center.

---So I guess "myfoxabilene" blogger was right in saying they will be digital 15 when the cut off happens. I am not sure how you would test the digital transmitter before the cut off date when it would be needed. I would not think you would wait until 2009 flip it on and see if it works. I guess during test they would have to shut off the analog to test the digital. That would be one way to know when KXVA is working on going digital.

I just find it hard to believe that the FCC would create a situation like this where a station could not put up its digital signal before it shuts down the analog signal. There has got to be more to this story than this. I hope we get a better picture when Fox engineers respond to our questions next week on the myfoxabilene website.

Wow..according to T-Bone's answer from the FCC it looks like we may not have Fox digital for another 2 years or so unless they decide to cut off the analog customers early which is doubtful. I guess we can stop badgering them now...but it won't make watching the Cowboys game today any less painful.

edit- I don't understand why the FCC can't assign them a digital channel now though..

"Myfoxabilene" has been updated with a response www.myfoxabilene../kxva_digital_HD_plans

Here is a response from our GM. Our Chief Engineer can also be available for tech related questions, but Mr. Carter wanted to outline our future plans for converting to digital and HD on KXVA. Thank you for your patience regarding this response...


Dear Concerned Viewers,

We've received several blogs regarding KXVA's plans for broadcasting digital. I'll try to make a complex situation as brief as possible. The channel allotments to realign for digital were made in 2000. Stations that received there license after 2000 didn't get a second channel to switch to. These stations are called Singletons. On Feb 17, 2009, all stations must give their analog channels back to the FCC, to be auctioned off for cell phones and internet. Because KXVA is a singleton, we won't give our channel to the FCC, we will flashcut from analog to digital overnight. Officially, we don't have to wait until that date to switch; however, the moment we flashcut, we will lose all of our analog viewers. Forty dollar vouchers for the blackbox converters are supposed to be on the market by Jan 2008. This device will allow viewers with analogue televisions to receive the digital signal. We plan to make the switch by the end of the second quarter of 2008. This will allow all analogue viewers to get our signal uninterrupted and provides time for us to coordinate with all 23 cable companies in the 18 county DMA, plus Dish Network and Direct TV. Our plan is to make the switch to Digital and HD simultaneously. I hope this makes our goals clear, with some history explaining our actions.

Stay Tuned,

Bill Carver
General Manager
Sage Broadcasting
KXVA Fox Abilene
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might have to go to the Enterprise building and talk to Bill about having satisfied customers. the way TV prices are plummetings, gettin a new HD ready tv is mostly in everyones reach. He gave a 'projected' flashcut of late 2ndQ '08. of course, b/c this is just a projection, it will change to 3rd Q 08 and finally 2-19-09. 2 more seasons of non-HD Cowboys games. >=(

I hope you are wrong, but I suspect you are pretty spot on.

I need some advice, please excuse the long post. I am building a house in Abilene that will be finished next month. Right now I use Suddenlink Digital with their HD DVR and get NBC and CBS along with the other HD channels (Discovery, ESPN etc). I do not try to get ABC or the CW OTA because I didn't think that I could DVR them, and I DVR all the TV that I watch (I haven't watched live TV since 2002) I have a friend that just got Dish Network and he gets NBC and CBS in HD and ABC and the CW in sort-of HD (but at least it's widescreen), and he is able to record all these channels on his DISH DVR. When I move into my house next month, what is the best option for HD (or at least widescreen) I have heard that Direct TV has a better picture than DISH but can I get the same OTA channels with Direct TV that I can get with DISH, and most importantly can I record all the channels? What is the best option for my situation? I have enjoyed Suddenlink, but I would really like to watch LOST (ABC) and SMALLVILLE (CW) in HD (or at least widescreen) on my DVR.

Joemama127, are you able to record ABC on your DVR using your rabbit ears?

What kind of antenna are we talking about? Is this something I have to put on my roof or one of those smaller types that I've seen at Best Buy? Does anyone have any advice on DISH vs. Direct TV?

Not much difference between the two in my opinion. I have D* and am satisfied with it. It is probably a little more convenient for me but others prefer Dish.

I would start out with a powered indoor antenna to see what kind of reception you receive and then go to an out door antenna if necessary.

If you are wanting to receive all the local channels and be able to record them on a DVR there are only two options...Suddenlink and Dish. Since DirecTv doesn't offer our local stations you will have to pull them in with an OTA antenna and you will not be able to record Fox until it goes digital (which according to the above will be awhile). Dish offers all our local channels through their system (SD only) and you can receive and record the local HD channels with an OTA antenna as stated above. These channels are KTAB (HD programming), KRBC (HD programming), KTXS (HD programming), CW (Digital but not in HD, unless this has recently changed), and the KTXS Radar.

I have Dish and absolutely LOVE the HD-DVR. It has 3 tuners in it (one OTA, 2 satellite) and you can record 3 programs at once while watching another 2 in separate rooms. I have two directional UHF antennas from Radio Shack that I have pointed at KTXS and KRBC/KTAB and have no problems holding onto a signal on any of them at all.

I am not sure about DirecTv's HD-DVR offer at the moment but with Dish you can get one free with installation and a bunch of other stuff too. It is really an attractive package at the moment. Both are adding new HD channels now and in the near future so in that respect I don't think you can go wrong with either. Package prices are about the same I believe.

I think cdharris's advice is great. Start with the cheapest antenna that you can find and work your way up from there until you have something that will work for you. I started small with an indoor powered antenna and it just wouldn't hold onto KTXS when someone walked through the living room so I had to go bigger.

D* has the same deal. With the HD-DVR you have 2 sat inputs and 1 antenna. Same local channels (minus FOX). All are HD except 12-2(CW) and 12-3(radar). Also with the new HD content released, 33 new HD channels so far with a bunch coming, D* has TONS of HD to offer. Plus if you are a sports nut there is no better satellite than D*

So there is no way a Direct TV subscriber can get FOX in Abilene? I have heard that Direct TV has superior equipment and picture, but that is all hearsay.

I believe they mean Fox digital/HD....which nobody can get since they are still 100% analog and may be until the 09 cutoff.

What I mean is you have to put up an antenna to pull in Fox with DirecTv and you will not be able to record it through your DVR because it is still analog.

At least with Dish they have Fox available in the local channels package so recording is available even though it is just SD.

Check over at Satelliteguys for opinons on equipment.

has anyone else noticed that you pick up 112.2 now? yes, just a bunch of rainbow colors, but does this mean there is another channel pending to get on the suddenlink system? 112.1 - nbc, 114.2 - cbs, 112.2 - ???

A guy at Best Buy that does Home Theater installs said that FOX is going digital very soon. He seemed to be VERY knowledgable.

I do not trust anyone at Best Buy, they tend to be terribly ill informed. But I do hope that FOX does go digital before the cut off date.

One more question: Forgive my ignorance. Let's say I have Direct TV and want an antenaa on my roof to pick up the OTA signals. Logistically, how do you get the OTA antenaa line into the Direct TV box? Isn't the wall coaxial jack being used to bring the Direct TV to my box? Do you somehow merge the two signals in the attic with a splitter or something?

The Direct TV box has a seperate input for the antenna.

Yes, but do you have to run a seperate coaxial (from the OTA antenaa)through the wall from the attic? I'm building my house now and it would be easier to do that now.

Yes or you will have to combine the signal on the DirecTv coax coming in and then split it out at the back of the receiver to hook it into the antenna in hook up. Keep in mind that every time you split an antenna signal it reduces that signal so if there is any question whatsoever of the signal quality then I would run a separate line.

Your best bet is to run a seperate OTA line, combining can cause many problems.

He may be knowledgable for a BB employee....but if this were true then I think the Fox employee at the myfoxabilene blog would have told everyone. He did explain that they are one of the few station who have the same channel number for analog and digital which means they will have to pull the plug on analog to go digital. Think they will do that before the other stations?

Keep in mind when selecting antennas that all the local digital/HD signals are being broadcast on UHF frequencies. The typical rabbit ears and such are "tuned" for VHF. They do work, but not as well as that little UHF loop antenna attached to the bottom of the rabbit ears would.

What I used in my house (and what I absolutely would use if I were building a new house) is a old school Radio Shack antenna for $30. I hung it up in my attic, ran a coax down to my Dish receiver. I get 100 on signal strength for KRBC and KTAB, and 70's on KTXS over here in the Wylie ISD area.