On Aug 20, 6:27 am, Doug Smith W9WI wrote:
On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 18:49:56 -0700, American Insurgent wrote:
have already entered the HD channel in. I got no signal on channel 29
until I manually went to HD channel 48. The Samsung box goes up to

Sounds like the station is programmed improperly and isn't sending a
proper "TVCT" ("Virtual Channel Table").

Yeah, I figured something like that. Tertiary stations skimp on lots
of stuff, since they don't have lots of cash.


channel 69, even though I read once that HD only went up to 62.

In the interim, DTV stations are possible on all 68 channels. The FCC
*tried* to avoid assigning interim channels above 51 (and especially above
59) but in some areas, like California, it simply wasn't possible.

I count only 17 interim DTV facilities above channel 59. However, three
of them are in Northern California. (and five in Los Angeles)

All of these go away in about 18 months. When the analog signals are shut
down in February 2009, all DTV stations above channel 51 will move to
lower channels. In most cases, that means their current analog channel
will be reactivated as digital. See below.

look at the HD channel list, it turns the order of stations that had
been accepted for 60 years on its head. There are very few VHF
channels anywhere, and in Sacramento, Univision is on channel 18 while
ABC has been exiled to channel 61. It's gonna result in a lot of

The current DTV channels are considered interim, for the transition
process. Many of them will change on Transition Day in February 2009.
Definitely ABC in Sacramento, because channel 61 will no longer be a valid
TV channel!

In Sacramento:
Channel 3: Interim 35, stays on 35.
Channel 6: Interim 53, moves to 9.
(after the SF analog station on that channel shuts down; SF will remain
on channel 30)
Channel 10: Interim 61, returns to 10.
Channel 13: Interim 25, stays on 25.
Channel 19: Interim 18, stays on 18.
Channel 29: Interim 48, stays on 48.
Channel 31: Interim 21, stays on 21.
Channel 40: Interim 55, returns to 40.
Channel 58: Interim 46, stays on 46.
Channel 64: Interim 62, moves to 26.
(after the SF analog station on that channel shuts down; SF will remain
on channel 27)

When you get up on the morning of February 18, 2009, you'll have to go
into your TV's setup menu and do another channel scan, to find your locals
on their new channels. You may have to do it more than once during that
week as I suspect some stations may not get moved to their new channels
quite on time...


Did you get this from a website? If you did, I'd like the url, since I
may be living in a different state on D Day.

I can't get HD channel 62 (analog 64). But it really doesn't matter,
since it's Telemundo (Spanish).

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:51:20 -0700, American Insurgent wrote:
Sounds like the station is programmed improperly and isn't sending a
proper "TVCT" ("Virtual Channel Table").

Yeah, I figured something like that. Tertiary stations skimp on lots
of stuff, since they don't have lots of cash.

An improper TVCT is theoretically illegal - the FCC regulations
incorporate the ATSC standard - but I suspect the Commission will settle
for the station being on the air at all and using a virtual channel number
that doesn't conflict with anyone else...

In any case, no extra equipment is necessary to do it right. It's just a
matter of properly setting up the equipment the station already has. Of
course, that does require a qualified engineer, which is usually more
expensive than better equipment.....

Did you get this from a website? If you did, I'd like the url, since I
may be living in a different state on D Day.

My own(grin).
http://www.w9wi.com/tvdb/dtvfinal/dtvindex.htm
The data comes from an FCC spreadsheet.

I can't get HD channel 62 (analog 64). But it really doesn't matter,
since it's Telemundo (Spanish).

I think channel 62 (and 64) are on Mt. Diablo, quite a bit further from
Sacramento than the other stations.