Tuesday, September 15, 2009

WNYF-CA, Watertown Makes the DTV/HDTV Transition

WNYF-CA began DTV broadcasts yesterday. WNYF-CD's DTV coverage covers most of Jefferson County and a good portion of Lewis County. Its broadcasts are in HDTV, which of course provides greater resolution and a widescreen presentation. WNYF's programming on WWNY's subchannel 7.2, is standard definition. To enjoy the greater resolution broadcasts of WNYF you will need an HDTV with a digital tuner. Viewers will need to rescan for DTV channels to capture the new broadcasts of WNYF.

Don't hesitate to pass on successful reception stories ... this will help us gauge "real-world" coverage.

It is considered a low-powered station, but its coverage is much greater than its analog coverage. Within the next few weeks/days WNYF-CA's analog transmitter will be shut off.


WNYF-LP, Massena has an application before the FCC for DTV conversion. Once operational WNYF-LD's signal will cover much of St Lawrence County. Its FOX programming will be in standard definition DTV (hopefully in widescreen), and will have a sub-channel of WWNY's HDTV CBS programming.

28 comments:

Todd Lamothe said...

Picking up WNYF-CD from my place north of Kingston with about 7 bars.

Todd Lamothe said...

Picking up WNYF-CD from my place north of Kingston with about 7 bars.

Anonymous said...

It works great in the Croghan/New Bremen area. If I had to compare it to another local station for reception, I'd say its about the same as WWTI-DT. Although it comes in a bit better than that. Finally my HDTV can have HD Fox. Hopefully you guys can get the WNYF/WWNY tower signed on in St Lawrence County soon so they can get both stations.

Martin Hall said...

Here in Ogdensburg Iam picking up WNYF-CD on 28.1 with signal strength of 65 out of a 100. No break ups at all. It may be a fluke as I would appear to be well beyond your range. 7.1 and 7.2 are breaking up alot this morning but 28.1 is solid

Dean said...

WNYF here at Lansdowne ON as well.

ameser43 said...

OK, so currently WNYF-LP is broadcastin an analog signal, correct? On my plain old analog set what is the channel number on my TV? If and when the digital broadcasting starts, what will the number be? And am I understanding you correctly that WWNY will have a signal sent out from there as well? Currently at my rural home on a back road halfway between Canton & Potsdam I get NOTHING from Watertown with my converter box, so I'm hoping that this will help me. Right now all I have is Canadian TV.

Jim Corbin said...

WNYF-LP Massena broadcasts an analog signal on channel 28. When we digitize it it will physically be on channel 18, but thru digital branding will come in as 28.1. Channel 28.2 will be the programming of WWNY.

I would think at your location you should be receiving channel 18.1 WNPI??

Anonymous said...

I picked it up briefly in Brockville yesterday!

ameser43 said...

PBS is all we can get for American TV with our converter box since the switch. That does no good for us for any local news/weather reports or network TV! We can upon occasion (last night was one of those rare times) pick up the analog signal on 28 (not very clearly though)- I just always assumed it was coming from Watertown, didn't realize until recently that there was anything from Massena and when I read that there was, I assumed it would be on a different channel. I can only hope that when the Massena transmitter goes digital I'll have better results, but I won't hold my breath.

Jim Corbin said...

We've had the analog channel 28 transmitter in Massena since 2001. The proposed DTV service will have a greater service area...but how well it serves you will have to be determined after start-up.

Anonymous said...

We have been turned down for a waiver from WNYF for FOX. AllAmericanDirect is our Network broadcast provider. We live in Waddington NY. We cannot get cable. We cannot receive the FOX signal from Watertown NY. Our only option apparently, is to purchase and install an old analog type antenna in order to receive an analog signal from the WNYF repeater in Massena. This is based on a conversation between my husband and Jim Corbin from WWNY or WNYF. When we contacted All American Direct they tried to sell us a spiffy Wyngard Digital Antenna telling us that there was a Digital signal in Massena.

My husband explained that JIm Corbin said there is only an analog signal in Massena. Hummm.

So, in the mean time, we miss House, Lie to Me, and American Idol with Ellen Degeneres.

And this is America. I guess I'll take up a hobby since its obvious that FOX and WNYF in Watertown NY don't think we should be allowed to watch FOX television. We weren't able to get ABC and CBS for several years until we got an antenna at our previous house. So, we never bothered to watch the shows. Now, we aren't the least bit interested in ABC and CBS, basically because they weren't accessible to us. And of course, the advertisers missed out as well.

Lovely how things turn out when the FCC fails you. The advertisers are hurting the most cause we could care less about ABC and CBS.

In case FOX is listening, I will try to watch as many of your shows by internet. When all else fails, I will probably have to visit a friends house to watch my shows.

And the public option was voted down by the SEnate Finance Committee today. Just piles of good stuff today.

I will be writing to FOX corporate, and to the FCC regards our waiver. This is not acceptable.

Oh, Jim, (and Cathy your boss), please suggest an option for us to get FOX here. And if you can't then why can't you give us a waiver?????????????

Jim Corbin said...

The Federal Law enacted by Congress was written to provide Network programming to viewers and to protect the copywritten material and service areas of local stations. The satellite companies can, thru this law, put local stations on their systems. None do in our area...we'd love it if they did. Because they do not they can only provide distant-market Network feeds to eligable viewers. Eligable viewers are those not served by the local station utilizing a rooftop antenna.

The law provides access to the Network programming...it does not specify access to digital or HDTV. Low-powered stations are not mandated to convert to DTV, so access to their Networks programming is based on their current analog signal. Fact is, satellite waivers are currently based on the analog coverage of all stations, or what was the analog coverage of stations that have converted...the law has not caught up to the transition.

Local stations invest thousands if not millions of dollars in equipment and staff, and support the local economy. Distant-market viewing does not provide viewers with local news, information or emergency broadcasts and does nothing to support the local economy.

Our stations follow the proceedures outlined in the law. It is the only fair way to screen viewers against each other and to protect the investments this station owner has made in the market. For more info on the law visit: http://www.fcc.gov/mb/shva/shviafac.html.

And speaking of investments into the market, WNYF-Massena has an application before the FCC to digitize its signal. When that becomes a reality the coverage is greater than the current analog signal. We do this because we care about over-the-air viewers and are striving to better serve them. These investments are worthless if viewers are not watching the local station and instead watching a distant-market feed.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your comment regarding our rejected waiver for FOX network.

Since you have indicated that we need to get an analog antenna for our TV, to get FOX, would you be able to suggest an installer??

We have called around to Radio Shacks, and even ? R&S Electronics in Norwood, not far from us. R&S electronics can't install an antenna due to insurance.

If anyone else reads these comments, we would appreciate any help. We have resigned ourselves to the fact that we will no longer be able to watch FOX television. I am going to be really disappointed about missing American Idol with Ellen Degeneres. I was so looking forward to that show. House is my favorite show of all. I think I will be able to watch it on USA delayed 8 days.

So, any help on an Antenna installer would be really helpful. We are in Waddington just outside the limits, so we can't get Cable either.

Jim Corbin said...

Can anyone suggest an installer???

I know you've asked for a signal test from Dish and I got a message that they are willing, as are we. I'm not sure there's been much movement towards finding a tester. The message seemed to indicate they were unfamiliar with the process.

Let us hope that someone can find you the signal, or that Dish adds locals to their system, or that we can get approval for the new digital transmitter and can get a stronger signal your way soon.

CarlB said...

I tried a small RV-sized outdoor antenna on a second-floor balcony in Kingston and no luck getting WNYF-CD on DT35. Not an ideal location, but all three of the full-power Carthage, Watertown stations are above 80% while WNYF-CD is somewhere between 30% and nada - not even enough to identify which station is trying to come in despite repeated rescans.

Given that 15kW WNYF-CD isn't all that much less powerful than its 25kW and 40kW UHF rivals, I suspect that Kingston is paying a huge side-mount antenna penalty on Fox-HD.

WWNY-DT2 looks fine.

Anonymous said...

No WNYF 28.1 in Hammond (Indian Point)...

WWNY 7.1 and FOX 7.2 are fine.

Jim Corbin said...

Had you ever gotten 28.1? WNYF-CD has a limited range...as pictured Hammond is outside its coverage area.

Anonymous said...

NEver got WNYF-CA in Hammond.
We are right on the Jeff/St. Lawrence County line. All the other Watertown digital stations come in fine.

Jim Corbin said...

Again refer to the signal map for potential reception. WNYF-CD is a low-powered station. That said its coverage is much better than its analog counterpart. In areas not served by DTV 28, the programming should be available via WWNY's channel 7.2.

JOeyG said...

Since putting up my latest homebrew Gapless DBGH 10 w/ NAROD's,7.1, 7.2, 50.1, 50.2, 16.1, 16.2, 16.3 are on all day. I used to have trouble with CBS/FOX with one type of antenna (VHF 7 can be tricky). ABC/The CW were also tough one another type of antenna that I had. What I have now will do fine for the winter. I need more height (30' right now) which will havbe to wait until next year.

28.1 is tough but do able where I am (Montague, Ontario - Northwest of Smiths Falls, Ontario. Can't wait until they get more TX power (next year perhap's)

Jim Corbin said...

Sorry to say Joey but the power allocated to WNYF-CD is the maximum the FCC will assign to a low-powered DTV station. We are working towards digitizing WNYF in Massena, but as previously noted that will carry WNYF in SD and WWNY in HD.

Roger1818 said...

Why didn't you apply for the same 15kW for WNYF-LD as you did for WNYF-CD?

Mike B said...

Can get 28.1 (35) here in Brockville on a regular basis with decent antenna. Have to aim my antenna south to pick it up though, most other watertown stations come in fine by the rear of antenna.

Jim Corbin said...

The power level proposed was picked after taking height of the antenna, location, proposed service area etc. into account. The proposed facility cannot cause interference to any other station etc.

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Anonymous said...

Ah, This is perfect! Puts to bed
some contradictions I've been hearing.