OTA vs D* locals in the guide

[Jimbo]

Anyone that has both OTA and D* locals.

I currently have my locals with my OTA set up.
When I look at the guide for channel 13 I see:

13 WTVG (in light blue, this is the analog spot)
13.1 WTVG (dk blue) this is my HD channel
13.2 WTVG (dk blue) ABC affiliate DT2
13.3 WTVG (dk blue) weather DT3

So I show an analog slot and 3 digital slots, .1 being the HD feed

When / if I add the D* locals for my city, what does it look like on the guide ?
I would like to turn them on to see how thay compare with the OTA, but the D* rep could not tell me what the designation would be so I know what is coming from the dish.

Jimbo

 

[rad]

It would show up as 13 WTVG first then 13 WTVG as the SD local and then your OTA channels. Of course if you have hide SD duplicates in your settings you won't even see the SD version of the channel.

 

[Jimbo]

It would show up as 13 WTVG first then 13 WTVG as the SD local and then your OTA channels. Of course if you have hide SD duplicates in your settings you won't even see the SD version of the channel.

Thanks Rad,
I could not get a D* rep to tell me that
I found out I'm paying a whole lot more money than I thought when you add in the ST and SF

Jimbo

 

[rad]

Jimbo, sure you don't already have HD Locals via satellite? What I usually have seen is that the SD channel would labled something like AU7 vs. KTBC here in Austin, the HD channel has the call letters.

 

[uncrules]

Here's a visual representation.

Note that the HD from D* is first and in light blue with the station call letters. The analog station is 2nd in light blue but "GB2" instead of the call letters. The "GB" is short for Greensboro and then the channel number.

The OTA are black.

Normally I have the analog and the last 2 OTA taken out of my favorites list. The last two OTA are used by my local CBS during the NCAA basketball tournament for out of market games.

 

[Jimbo]

Jimbo, sure you don't already have HD Locals via satellite? What I usually have seen is that the SD channel would labled something like AU7 vs. KTBC here in Austin, the HD channel has the call letters.

I didn't think I did, so I checked just to be sure, seeing I just asked them about them, you never know ... but NO I don't get the locals, told them I didn't want them and they credited me accordingly several years back.
I hate paying for something I can get for free.
Anyways, when I checked the channel where you thought it would be , it said "Channel Not Purchased ext. 721" just like it should.
So your saying that if I did turn them on in HD they would be on the 13 WTVG spot (check 1st post) and it would show up where it currently says Channel Not Purchased ...

Jimbo

 

[rad]

So your saying that if I did turn them on in HD they would be on the 13 WTVG spot (check 1st post) and it would show up where it currently says Channel Not Purchased ...

Jimbo

That is correct. I'm guessing that the SD version would be TO13, the HD version WTVG and then your OTA locals.

 

[Jimbo]

Here's a visual representation.

Note that the HD from D* is first and in light blue with the station call letters. The analog station is 2nd in light blue but "GB2" instead of the call letters. The "GB" is short for Greensboro and then the channel number.

The OTA are black.

Normally I have the analog and the last 2 OTA taken out of my favorites list. The last two OTA are used by my local CBS during the NCAA basketball tournament for out of market games.

Thanks for the visual uncrules,
So the D* channels are in the light blue, the HD is the first one (thats good) and has the local call letters..... the second one is analog and has the city abbrv.

Thanks guys.
It's so much easier to get answers here than most call centers.

Jimbo

 

[jtwex]

You mean digital SD don't you hurturknees? The HR20 & AM21 only pick up the ATSC digital channels. My last receiver to add the NTSC analogs was an Mpeg-2 HD Samsung receiver. Anyway, that's a nice set of locals you've got there.

 

[Jimbo]

You mean digital SD don't you hurturknees? The HR20 & AM21 only pick up the ATSC digital channels. My last receiver to add the NTSC analogs was an Mpeg-2 HD Samsung receiver. Anyway, that's a nice set of locals you've got there.

Your right, maybe it wasn't the analog that slot was for, I've never paid for the locals, so it could be the designation for the HD from D even though I don't pay for it.

I think I have 15 locals counting the sub channels and I think I can get another 10-15 if I turn my antenna to the north a bit and pick up the Detroit locals

Jimbo

 

[jtwex]

I think I have 15 locals counting the sub channels and I think I can get another 10-15 if I turn my antenna to the north a bit and pick up the Detroit localsJimbo

Yea, The UHF antenna makes this so easily possible if you have the simplest of powered antennas. Getting three different geographic locals is quite common.
I get so much College football that I don't subscribe to any of the DTV gameday packages. I could rough it with NFLST, but I love that package. Now If I could only figure out how to get the west coast feeds I'd be set.

edit: Just get a cheap second bowtie antenna & diplex that into your setup facing in your second direction.

 

[Jimbo]

Yea, The UHF antenna makes this so easily possible if you have the simplest of powered antennas. Getting three different geographic locals is quite common.
I get so much College football that I don't subscribe to any of the DTV gameday packages. I could rough it with NFLST, but I love that package. Now If I could only figure out how to get the west coast feeds I'd be set.

edit: Just get a cheap second bowtie antenna & diplex that into your setup facing in your second direction.

I have a second bowtie antenna that I bought JUST for that reason, but for some reason I could not figure out how to combine the signals on to one coax.
I was stupid that day I guess.

Jimbo

 

[jtwex]

Just a simple combiner (not a diplexer) with two in one out will do just fine right before your amplifier. You can actually use just one pre-amp that will cover both bow-ties if you mount them close enough to each other.

 

[Jimbo]

Just a simple combiner (not a diplexer) with two in one out will do just fine right before your amplifier. You can actually use just one pre-amp that will cover both bow-ties if you mount them close enough to each other.

I curerently have one side of the pre amp out on the antenna, I need a combiner then .... I wonder if Radio Shack has them .. or they would happen to know what I am talking about.

Jimbo

 

[jtwex]

I curerently have one side of the pre amp out on the antenna, I need a combiner then .... I wonder if Radio Shack has them .. or they would happen to know what I am talking about.

Jimbo

It's the most simple of devices with RS, BBY & Circuit City all having them. I'd guess $4 for the combiner. Frequency range is the standard unit at 5 to 600 MHZ. You will lose a little signal in the combiner, but not enough to cause any concern. If they don't have them, shoot me a PM & I'll send you a couple.

 

[Jimbo]

It's the most simple of devices with RS, BBY & Circuit City all having them. I'd guess $4 for the combiner. Frequency range is the standard unit at 5 to 600 MHZ. You will lose a little signal in the combiner, but not enough to cause any concern. If they don't have them, shoot me a PM & I'll send you a couple.

Radio Shack had splitters on thier website, they caller them Splitter/combiner's, how could you possibly do both at the same time.
send me a link from somewhere that has then so I know exactly what your referring to.
Thanks,
Jimbo

 

[jtwex]

All of those splitters in that frequency range are also reverse combiners.

This is overkill with a higher frequency range needed and also allows power pass through but these will work.

Dynex® - 2-Way Coaxial Cable Splitter - DX-AV100

 

[Jimbo]

All of those splitters in that frequency range are also reverse combiners.

This is overkill with a higher frequency range needed and also allows power pass through but these will work.

Dynex® - 2-Way Coaxial Cable Splitter - DX-AV100

So is this any different than an ordinary splitter I have sitting around ?
other than freq. ?
So I can run this backwards, the two antenna feeds into the out and the feed to the rec's thru the in ?

I may have tried this previously, but it may not have been the correct frequencies.
I will have to wait on this project till after the weather changes.

Jimbo

 

[jtwex]

Yea Jim, any ordinary splitter should work. I actually use two of them bringing in an analog signal (Useless in another month) & it works just fine. You lose a little signal in the process but with a preamp & amp you will be fine.