HDTV over the air can not be received in most areas
Current testing shows that in Louisiana channels that are transmitting in HDTV are not serving the same area the Analog signals serve.
Large #s of people will be without any local channels when analog signals are turned off.
Read more.
If you think the switch to digital will improve your over the air tv you are mistaken.
Here is why.
Signal range for HDTV is very limited unlike analog TV. The result is that if you do not have a 90% perfect analog signal do not expect to be able to receive digital because it requires a noise free signal to work.
To make this worse most all digital channels will be on UHF not VHF like they use to be. UHF from ch 14 up has a much more limited range in areas with tall buildings and trees. North La is covered with takll Trees while south La is not.
The results we are seeing in North Louisiana is that 90% of the old analog viewers will not be able to receive the digital service. Making matters worse signal maps created by the NAB are just wrong and were done with a 30 or 40 ft tower and a huge $200 antenna. They need to be redone with a rooftop antenna using a antenna under $80 which is what most people will be using.
In most cities here the analog VHF signal could go 150 to 200 miles but the HDTV digital signal is lucky to go 10 to 20 miles.
Rain Fade is also a big problem so forget about getting local weather warnings when it rains you will get no signal.
As far as what I have seen HDTV will be a falure unless HDTV is moved to VHF on ch 2-13.
Examples
Ch 5 in Alexandria KALB does all of central La and part of south La. About 60 miles But its digital ch on UHF only goes about 10 miles. Giving many dropout and dead areas inside the city of Alexandria.
Ch 8 in Monroe KNOE goes about 150 miles and covers all of the right side of Louisiana. Its digital HDTV version is on VHF ch 7 (the only HDTV on VHF in the state) and covers almost as large a coverage area. Testing shows that Ch 8 will be the only Digital channel most people in north La will be able to receive.
The UHF FOX and ABC channels in columbia do not go more than about 15 miles. Even tho the maps say they cover the same area the analog signal covers.
Will you be able to get HDTV? Check
- http://www.antennaweb.org
if they show anything above a green antenna for your HDTV channel do not expect to receive it. Testing in Louisiana has shown that the red violet and blue areas are just to weak to receive HDTV even with the largest antenna made. In fact we are sugesting that even the green areas use a larger antenna than recomended.
