[timmy1376]

Is anyone near Topeka Kansas?? If so, is any of the local stations broadcasting any digital signal yet?? I know they all say May, 2002, but thought perhaps they had been testing.


Thanks


Tim

 

[timmy1376]

just a bump

 

[BJS188]

Not that I have been able to find. I checked with WIBW-TV (CBS) in late September and they said that their transmitter was on order and should arrive in November. They thought they would start brodcasting in January. He did say that the Sept. 11th thing might slow them down. Like their transmitter might get sent to New York instead.


I email KTKA-TV (ABC) but did not get an answer.


KTWU (PBS) had a story in the paper several weeks ago about starting their fund raiser for HDTV. So I don't see them on the air till 2003.


KSNT (NBC) was the last in the area with stereo and with the little programming from NBC, I don't see them on the air anytime soon. I haven't email them about HDTV, because the station manager was a jerk on other emails I have sent them in the past.


Our FOX is low power, so we will probably never see them in digital.

 

[timmy1376]

Quote:

Originally posted by BJS188 Not that I have been able to find. I checked with WIBW-TV (CBS) in late September and they said that their transmitter was on order and should arrive in November. They thought they would start brodcasting in January. He did say that the Sept. 11th thing might slow them down. Like their transmitter might get sent to New York instead. I email KTKA-TV (ABC) but did not get an answer. KTWU (PBS) had a story in the paper several weeks ago about starting their fund raiser for HDTV. So I don't see them on the air till 2003. KSNT (NBC) was the last in the area with stereo and with the little programming from NBC, I don't see them on the air anytime soon. I haven't email them about HDTV, because the station manager was a jerk on other emails I have sent them in the past. Our FOX is low power, so we will probably never see them in digital.

OK, here is what I know.


I cannot get a response from WIBW (CBS).


ABC said they would be on but at 480P for awhile untill they get the right receiver to pass on the ABC HD stuff. I have the guys email addy if you want to email him too. He was from the engineering dept.



I have not talked with PBS (didn't try)


NBC said they could not give me a time frame as they are working on getting 15 stations moved over and they are #14 on the list. As of OCT 30, they were on #9, experiencing delays with hardware.


I talked to Gary Brauer with fox 43 and I don't think they even have an app in for a digital channel yet. He said they were working on it, but didn't have many details. I can share his address too.


I got the best and fastest response from a guy in Wichita about KAAS out of Salina. He was nice, informative, and very helpful. But that doesn't help you much, but it might just be the first digital channel I can get, and its a fox station too boot.


Hope this helps and maybe if we pester enough, they will get the ball rolling.


Tim

 

[BJS188]

Thanks Tim, Good info. I no longer have a roof top antenna, so I'll hook up a cheap UHF to my HD100 and see if I can find anyone testing.


Brad

 

[BJS188]

There was an artical in today's Topeka Capital Journal that states the KTKA-TV will be off the air for periods of time over the next couple of weeks so they can upgrade the tower and transmitter. They should be done by the third week of December.


Hopefully the are getting ready for digital.


Their station is just a couple of years old. For awhile they were even touting themselves as digital. One of my co-workers was thinking that at the time, ABC's plans were for 480p only. Maybe this why that is all they are starting with.

 

[timmy1376]

Quote:

Originally posted by BJS188 There was an artical in today's Topeka Capital Journal that states the KTKA-TV will be off the air for periods of time over the next couple of weeks so they can upgrade the tower and transmitter. They should be done by the third week of December. Hopefully the are getting ready for digital. Their station is just a couple of years old. For awhile they were even touting themselves as digital. One of my co-workers was thinking that at the time, ABC's plans were for 480p only. Maybe this why that is all they are starting with.

Let's hope they are doing the digital transmitter. Here is a qoute from an email I got a while back from the guy at KTKA

Quote:

Thats the chicken or the egg question. We will put DTV on the air first. That stuff will all be 480P. Then we will purchase ABC's HDTV Satelite Rack system. At that point in time ABC will be passed through in HD(720P). That time span could be as much as a year. Because of the intense demand for equipment in our business we are working with these crazy lead times on that equipment.

Do you think if we called KSNT and prodded we could be watching the olympics in HD?? If you think it will help, I will call and email and have my wife and friends do the same.


Tim

 

[timmy1376]

After the news of the article in the paper about doing work on the tower, I wrote to the guy at ktka and asked if it meant digital soon, here is the response:

Quote:

Hang in there. We're still about 10 months from doing anything digital. The other reality is that there are still no HDTV televisions for sale in Topeka. I have heard that they can be purchased in large cities. Some set top boxes can also be ordered from certain satelite companies. Like I stated before, the lead times on HD equipment is still unbelievable. It's taking us months to get delivery on everything. Keep in mind, until New York gets back on the air, digital TV won't happen. It must have that market to survive.

Well, I can go down to Sears here in Manhattan and buy a HDTV right now, so I am not sure of the thinking about being no HDTV for sale. He has a good point about the NY thing.


What happens if they don't meet the deadline?? Do they get in trouble?? Or does anything happen? 10 away means they miss the deadline.


tim

 

[BJS188]

I just talked to the GM from KTKA (ABC) and he said no HD till November and then only low power. Local Topeka only. We were talking while standing in front of several HDTV set we have for sale in our store. So he now knows we have them for sale.


For what it is worth, WIBW's picture just got a lot better on cable. I don't know if this is because of a better signal or if they are relaying it by fiber now.

 

[timmy1376]

November means most of MNF is gone, and low power leaves me out. Did he say when they would go full power?? KTKA really tweakes me!