Why do I want HDTV?
HDTV is the next generation of television! HDTV is all-digital, meaning richer colors and no analog reception issues, such as ghosting. Its widescreen 16x9 image has up to six times the resolution of DVD, and full Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Once you’ve seen HDTV on a large screen high resolution television, DVDs look poor in comparison!
What do I need in order to receive HDTV?
At its most basic, you’ll need an antenna and an off-air (8VSB) receiver, along with a HDTV compatible television. Many HDTV receivers are available: standalone units, models combined with DSS receivers, or even digital video recorders. Some newer televisions even come with compatible HDTV receivers built-in.
The antenna you’ll need depends on your specific location and what channels you require, and could range from a small unit that sits on top of your television, to a large antenna mounted on a tower. An antenna system may include: UHF antenna, mounting system, preamplifier and rotor.
Although you will only receive the full benefit of HDTV with a HDTV compatible television or display device, HDTV channels can still be viewed on regular televisions – of course at lower resolution.
Do I need a special HDTV antenna?
No! Any UHF antenna in good condition will work. Although some antennas are advertised as being “digital” or “HDTV” ready, that can actually be said of any UHF antenna no matter how old.
Do I need a UHF or VHF antenna?
Although there is nothing that prevents stations from broadcasting HDTV on VHF channels (2 to 13), so far very few stations in North America have opted to do so, instead choosing to broadcast in the UHF band (channels 14 to 69). Currently, in the Toronto/Buffalo area, the lowest HDTV channel active or planned is Fox on 14, which is in the UHF band. UHF-only antennas are smaller and more readily available than those designed to also receive VHF.
However, there is uncertainty as to exactly what will happen when analog television is finally shut down. Will stations with low channel numbers opt to simply abandon them, or will they move their HDTV channel from its temporary UHF assignment down to VHF? Although at this stage most HDTV viewers are simply purchasing UHF antennas, there’s no telling what will be needed in the future.
Can I view these channels in other ways?
Yes – on digital cable, although the exact selection varies. For instance, in the Buffalo area Adelphia carries most major networks in HD, but does not carry Canadian stations. In Toronto, Rogers Cable carries only CITY and Toronto1 – none of the Buffalo stations are represented. Instead, their equivalents are imported from the Detroit area, which received a full complement of broadcasting HDTV channels sooner than Buffalo.
What channels can’t I receive off of an antenna?
Off-air broadcasts are typically limited to major networks: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS, and so on. Specialty HDTV channels, such as Discovery HD or HBO HD, are only available on cable or satellite.
How do I read the channel list?
First, let's take a look at a typical listing:
(720p/5.1) One of Buffalo's most reliable signals, and a great quality SD image too boot. Upgraded their power from 35kw to a massive (but now directional) 1000kw last year; the end result to Canadians is negligible to most but should result in a huge improvement to southern viewers. WUTV has already ceased traditional analog transmission.
29-2
Fox SD
(480i/2.0) Duplicate of Fox in lower quality (really, why waste bandwidth like this?)
In the first column on the left, the number in the box 29-1 is the PSIP virtual
channel number, a shortcut designed to help you associate that station with its traditional analog channel assignment (for example, you wouldn't
normally think of channel 14 for "Fox 29"). The number to the right of that, in normal black text (such as 14-1) is the actual broadcast
channel. The virtual number is usually what you would enter on your HDTV tuner, as well as what most receivers would display even if you instead
entered the real number. Blue boxes indicate primary channels, and red boxes indicate sub-channels.
If you're asking what in the world a "PSIP" is, it stands for Program and System Information Protocol. Didn't clear up much, right? Well, basically
it's a little digital tag that's broadcast along with a standard HDTV signal that carries information, such as the virtual channel mapping mentioned
above. It also transmits the current time of day, can carry program guide (EPG) information as well as several other advanced features that are not
currently used much.
The second column describes the associated network with that channel, Fox, as well as the station's call letters with a link to their official
website - WUTV-DT.
The third column - the circle - is a graph of the channel's broadcast pattern (where available) - basically where they are aiming their power. The middle of the circle
is the transmission tower, the top of the circle is north, and anything filled in black is directionality. A solid circle means no directionality. So,
if most of the black area is in the south-east part of the circle, then that means most of their power is being aimed in that direction, and people in
the north-west may have difficulty picking up that station.
The fourth column indicates how much broadcasting power the channel has, 1000 kW. In terms of power ratings, numbers under 5 kW (kilowatts, or
thousands of watts) I would considered low powered, up to 30kW moderate power, up to 100kW average power, up to 500kW good power, and up to 1000kW or
more excellent power.
The fifth column is the transmitter elevation in feet 981' (this is feet above local terrain, not above sea level). The higher the better for long
distance reception!
The sixth column indicates the channel's future plans, such as which channel it will broadcast on when the analog shutoff is complete on
June 12th, 2009. In this case the channel will continue broadcasting on 14-1 (this does not reflect virtual PSIP channels). Additional details
are known for some channels, including future broadcast power and future transmitter elevation. Generally, most VHF channels (13 and below) prefer to
stick with their current UHF assignments since VHF (particularly low-band) is not ideal for HDTV broadcasts. Some high-band VHF channels (7 to 13)
may opt to return to those frequencies, which is happening in the Toronto and Rochester areas, but not Buffalo.
The seventh and final column contains the general location of the station's broadcast antenna. A table of distances from major population centers to these
various locations can be found here.
Finally, the large white box contains a general description of the station and its HDTV broadcasts, including quality, reported issues and future
updates. Subchannels will also have a detailed description of their programming content.
