Got the new box for the TV for the upcoming change.

[TNDemo]

Hooked it up last night and it only picked up about half the channels so we unhooked it. Is it because those channels are not broadcasting in HD yet or is something else wrong? It was like our local ABC station and CW and local Fox.

[MrCoffee]

1. DTV broadcasts on UHF...check your antenna

My old rabbit-ears are working ok, but I had to mess with them quite a bit to get a good signal. I'm thinking of switching my antenna for a more UHF-friendly one.

[TNDemo]

2. Thanks.

I'll check that.

[mwooldri]

6. Not all DTV is on UHF.

Here in Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point/Burlington it is for now. However WGHP is going to move from 35 back to 8.

Otherwise everyone's moving to UHF. Even WFMY, states' second TV station on channel 2, is abandoning that nice low number and going to 51.

But as other posters have said, check your antenna. And yes, use antennaweb.org as a conservative means to predict what you'll get.

Regards, Mark.

[Oeditpus Rex]

3. Are you talking about HD or digital?

If you mean digital, most stations aren't broadcasting their digital signals at full power yet and won't until Feb. 18, 2009. I'd imagine that's your problem, but I'd have to know what city you live in to check.

[TNDemo]

4. I said that wrong.

I meant digital. I'm in Nashville.

[Oeditpus Rex]

5. Okay, here's a partial list as an example:

WKRN 2 (analog) — 100 kW
WKRN 27 (digital) — 946 kW

WTVF 5 (analog) — 100 kW
WTVF 5 (digital) — 10.31 kW
WTVF 56 (digital) — 1,000 kW

WNPT 8 (analog) — 316 kW
WNPT 8 (digital) — 17.65 kW
WNPT 46 (digital) — 44.8 kW

WSMV 4 (analog) — 100 kW
WSMV 10 (digital) — 42.4 kW

WZTV 17 (analog) — 3,240 kW
WZTV 15 (digital) — 1,000 kW

Too much information: http://tinyurl.com/6pfpfb

Note that a transmitter's effective radiated power (ERP) isn't the only consideration in your ability to receive the signal. You also have to consider the location and height of the transmitter, the terrain between you and it, the electronic orientation of its antenna(s) and other factors, including weather — and, of course, the quality of your antenna. Also, UHF (above channel 13) stations' higher ERP should not be interpreted as a greater ability to receive their signal, since UHF signals require more power to travel the same distance as VHF (channels 2-13) signals.

You can get a lot of plain-English information about all this at www.antennaweb.org.

Bottom line: Over-the-air reception is a bit of a crap shoot, whether digital or analog. :crazy: