Columbus Ohio ABC WSYX, Fox WTTE, and CW WWHO will start broadcasting ATSC 3.0 at 10 AM on December 3, 2020

[dweber]

Sinclair owned ABC WSYX, Fox WTTE, and CW WHIO have been running a scroll announcing that OTA customers will need to rescan their TV’s on December 3rd since they are changing from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0.
View attachment 148664View attachment 148665View attachment 148666

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[comfortably_numb]

They have to keep both for 5 years.

 

[dweber]

I sent an email to Rick White of WSYX to ask his engineering staff but I have not received a reply yet. Since sending that email I learned that CW WHIO is also transitioning to ATSC 3.0 on December 3rd at 10 AM. Sinclair owns ABC WSYX, Fox WTTE, and controlling interest in CW WHIO. Each of the stations have subchannels. I suspect that all of the ATSC 1.0 channels will be compressed onto one frequency. But I am hoping to get answers from their engineering staff.

Here is the email I sent:

I have several questions for your engineering staff regarding your switch to ATSC 3.0 and the frequency changes that will occur when you convert your broadcast from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0 on December 3, 2020.

1. Currently ABC WSYX 6.1, MyTV 6.2, and Antenna TV 6.3 all broadcast using ATSC 1.0 on digital UHF channel 28. I assume that the new ATSC 3.0 broadcast will be on UHF digital channel 28 on 12/10/20. What frequency will you move the ATSC 1.0 broadcasts of WSYX 6.1, MyTV 6.2, and Antenna TV 6.3?
2. Currently ATSC 1.0 ABC WSYX 6.1 is 720P, MyTV 6.2 is 480i, and Antenna TV 6.3 is 480i. After December 3rd will the ATSC 1.0 broadcast resolutions stay the same or will they be further compressed.
3. After December 3rd what resolution will the new WSYX ATSC 3.0 broadcasts use?
4. Will the subchannels MyTV 6.2 and Antenna TV 6.3 also be broadcast using ATSC 3.0?
5. Currently the only ATSC 3.0 tuners that I know of are the HDHomerun Quatro 4K, Geniatech ATSC 3.0, and Zapperbox. Since I don’t plan to replace any of my 4K TV’s what converter box do you recommend to receive the new ATSC 3.0 broadcast?
6. Your sister station Fox WTTE 28.1, TBD 28.2, and Stadium 28.3 all broadcast using ATSC 1.0 on digital UHF channel 27. I assume that the new ATSC 3.0 broadcast will be on UHF digital channel 27 on 12/10/20. What frequency will you move the ATSC 1.0 broadcasts of Fox 28.1, TBD 28.2, and Stadium 28.3?
7. Currently ATSC 1.0 Fox WTTE 28.1 is 720P, TBD 28.2 is 480i, and Stadium 28.3 is 480i. After December 3rd will the ATSC 1.0 broadcast resolutions stay the same or will they be further compressed.
8. After December 3rd what resolution will the new WTTE ATSC 3.0 broadcasts use?
9. Will the subchannels TBD 28.2 and Stadium 28.3 also be broadcast using ATSC 3.0?

Thank you for addressing my questions. As a retired engineer and an amateur radio user I try to keep current on the new technologies. I don’t plan to replace any of my high dollar televisions but would be willing to buy a ATSC 3.0 tuner once they become available and are reasonably priced. By the way I receive 49 OTA channels from both Dayton and Columbus through my Amplified rooftop antenna.

David Weber

 

[N5XZS]

Looking forward ATSC 3.0 coming to Albuquerque's TV market sooner the better!

 

[Ypsiguy]

I cancelled my order on the Zapperbox M1. Its not due out until February 2021.

I will wait until it’s available and I hear reception quality reports from Detroit viewers after we switch over to ATSC 3.0

They will be just rebroadcasts of ATSC 1.0 main channels anyway, so I will wait until the bugs are worked out.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I dont think a station can broadcast ATSC 3.0 in COFDM and ATSC 1.0 in 8-VSB simultaneously on the same frequency.

Correct?

 

[N5XZS]

Yep, you can't mix modulation on a rf carrier channel.

Like trying mixing AM and FM on a single frequency.

 

[Ypsiguy]

WMYD (RF31) a Scripps O&O MyNetwork affiliate in Detroit will be switching over to ATSC 3.0 on 12/7/20.

Just saw the announcement today posted on AVS forum.

 

[dweber]

I finally got an answer to my email concerning the conversion of Columbus ABC WSYX, FOX WTTE, and CW WWHO to the ATSC 3.0 transmission. It was originally supposed to take place at 10 AM on December 3rd. It has been delayed and the new projected date is January 7th. Here is an email I received from Nick Bona.

Mr. Weber,

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you.

Our engineering department tells me our rollout of the new ATSC 3.0 signal has been delayed until January 7th.

They couldn’t tell me exactly why it was delayed, but in my experience, these delays occur when the crews that install the new equipment on our tower get bogged down on similar projects in other TV markets. There are only a handful of crews in the country that are certified to work on broadcast TV towers, so they are always in demand.


Nick Bona
Assignment Editor
WSYX/WTTE – ABC 6/FOX 28 - COLUMBUS
(614) 481-6626 (newsroom)


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[Phil T]

We are seeing ATSC 3.0 happening in Denver soon.

Denver, CO - OTA

www.avsforum.com

Watch Denver7 over the air? You’ll need to rescan your TV on December 21

If you use an antenna to watch Denver7 over the air, you’ll need to rescan your TV channels on December 21 after 3 p.m. to keep receiving our signal.

www.thedenverchannel.com

 

[comfortably_numb]

dweber have you considered being part of Trip's Live Bandscan for central Ohio? My parents live in Springfield and I would set up a tuner there but they don't have a PC running 24/7.

I am currently running 2 around Kansas City.

TV reception map

rabbitears.info

 

[Radioguy76]

I finally got an answer to my email concerning the conversion of Columbus ABC WSYX, FOX WTTE, and CW WWHO to the ATSC 3.0 transmission. It was originally supposed to take place at 10 AM on December 3rd. It has been delayed and the new projected date is January 7th. Here is an email I received from Nick Bona.

Nice that you finally got a response from them. I sent out messages through ABC6 and FOX28 webforms and got nothing. I also received a canned response from their Facebook pages.

Does anyone see any evidence of WCMH's 4.1 being transmitted on the new ATSC 3.0 signal? Somebody in another forum was claiming that but I see no evidence of that in the LMS filings with the FCC.

 

[Trip]

WCMH hasn't filed yet; give them a few days. But I think the fact that one of the subchannels will appear on the WCMH transmitter in 1.0 (per the Sinclair filings) is a pretty good indicator.

- Trip

 

[Trip]

Here it is:

Licensing and Management System

Licensing and Management System

enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov

- Trip

 

[dweber]

Questions concerning Columbus, Ohio ATSC 3.0 broadcasts.
1) Users of the Silicondust ATSC 3.0 forum using their ATSC 3.0 receiver report that they are unable to receive the WSYX 106.1 ATSC 3.0 signal. They are able to receive 104.1 WCMH, 106.3 Fox 28, 128.2 WTTE, and 153.1 WWHO. Sinclair claims WSYX is broadcasting in ATSC 3.0. Has anyone been able to receive the WSYX ATSC 3.0 signal?
2) A user of the Silicondust ATSC 3.0 forum has been unable to receive the Columbus ATSC 3.0 broadcasts on their Sony X900h TV. Sony updated the firmware in March 2021 to enable the ATSC 3.0 tuner. This works in Phoenix but not in Columbus. Has anyone in Columbus been able to tune in the Columbus ATSC 3.0 broadcast using their Sony TV?
I am interested since I may be buying a new TV in the future and would love to test out the ATSC 3.0 broadcasts.


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[Radioguy76]

Questions concerning Columbus, Ohio ATSC 3.0 broadcasts.
1) Users of the Silicondust ATSC 3.0 forum using their ATSC 3.0 receiver report that they are unable to receive the WSYX 106.1 ATSC 3.0 signal. They are able to receive 104.1 WCMH, 106.3 Fox 28, 128.2 WTTE, and 153.1 WWHO. Sinclair claims WSYX is broadcasting in ATSC 3.0. Has anyone been able to receive the WSYX ATSC 3.0 signal?
2) A user of the Silicondust ATSC 3.0 forum has been unable to receive the Columbus ATSC 3.0 broadcasts on their Sony X900h TV. Sony updated the firmware in March 2021 to enable the ATSC 3.0 tuner. This works in Phoenix but not in Columbus. Has anyone in Columbus been able to tune in the Columbus ATSC 3.0 broadcast using their Sony TV?
I am interested since I may be buying a new TV in the future and would love to test out the ATSC 3.0 broadcasts.


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I can't help you with the Sony reception report ( I don't have the TV), but I can say that WSYX 6.1 comes in fine with a HDHomerun tuner through a 2019 Nvidia Shield. I am 80 air miles away and only receive that PLP part time. WWHO 53.1 is on a more robust PLP, so I receive it much more frequently. My guess is that the problems with 6.1 reported earlier were a configuration issue that has been resolved.