Sunday is the big day in Denver!

[Phil T]

The new Lookout Mountain digital tower is powered up after 10 years of controversy. Channels 4, 7, 9, and 20 (digital 35, 17, 16 and 19) will tear down their analog towers after shutdown next year.

http://www.9news.com/video/player.aspx?aid=52594&bw=

[FTA Michael]

In the clip, they say they'll commence around noon on Sunday, May 11. I'm looking forward to it.

[Phil T]

I will get my convertor box out again. My wife made me take it off the bedroom tv because I could not get CBS 4 with rabbet ears. I hope I can on Sunday.

[HIPAR]

Two of the Denver stations are going back to their VHF channels. How can they go digital from their new tower while their analog channels are still broadcasting from the old towers?

--- CHAS

[crashHD]

Two of the Denver stations are going back to their VHF channels. How can they go digital from their new tower while their analog channels are still broadcasting from the old towers?

--- CHAS

They're going digital on a different channel until the analog shutoff next year. Then, next year, their digital will change back to the old vhf channel.

Many stations around the country are going back to their original channel, on the day of the analog shutdown.

[HIPAR]

They're going digital on a different channel until the analog shutoff next year. Then, next year, their digital will change back to the old vhf channel.

Many stations around the country are going back to their original channel, on the day of the analog shutdown.

My understanding is they are broadcasting digital from downtown Denver. So they must have moved their temporary digital transmitters up to the new tower. I wouldn't have spent money on that for operations lasting less than a year. At this time, only a few enthusiasts really care about DTV.

--- CHAS

[crashHD]

My understanding is they are broadcasting digital from downtown Denver. So they must have moved their temporary digital transmitters up to the new tower. I wouldn't have spent money on that for operations lasting less than a year. At this time, only a few enthusiasts really care about DTV.

--- CHAS

I doubt the new digital transmitters are temporary. What makes you think the new digital transmitter will be used less than a year? After the shutdown, they may be going back to the original frequency, but that does not mean going back to the original tower.

DTV needs a better signal than analog. When analog gets fuzzy, digital pixellates and goes out completely. It's a reasonable assumption that a newer, better broadcasting tower was built so that their broadcasting range will not be reduced by digital.

[HIPAR]

I doubt the new digital transmitters are temporary. What makes you think the new digital transmitter will be used less than a year? After the shutdown, they may be going back to the original frequency, but that does not mean going back to the original tower ...


We have a misunderstanding here. I hope I'm getting this correct:

Channel 7 --

Analog now on Channel 7 from Lookout
Digital now from Republic Plaza (RP) on Channel 17
Digital next year on Channel 7 from Lookout

Channel 9 --

Analog now on Channel 9 from Lookout
Digital now on Channel on Channel 16 from RP
Digital next year on Channel 9 Lookout

So their transmitters for channels 16, 17 are temporary frequency assignments and become useless to them next year. So, have they moved these temporary transmitters from RP to Lookout so they can say they are transmitting from the new tower? If so, that equipment will be in use there for less than a year.

If they do indeed have their final brand new transmitters for DTV Channels 7-9 up there now, they cannot use them until Channels 7-9 analog go off the air. They obviously cannot transmit both analog and digital simultaneously from Lookout on their final post transition channels.

--- CHAS

[Tower Guy]

Channel 9 --

Analog now on Channel 9 from Lookout
Digital now on Channel on Channel 16 from RP
Digital next year on Channel 9 Lookout


This is what KUSA has told the FCC that they plan to do:

KUSA intends to terminate its STA operations at Republic Plaza and commence operations on its pre-transition digital channel 16 at Lookout Mountain. KUSA plans to continue operating at Lookout Mountain, at reduced power, through February 17, 2009. To that end, KUSA will file imminently an application on Form 301 to modify its channel 16 CP (BMPCDT- 20000501ADN) seeking a reduction in the authorized power (1000 kilowatts).

[crashHD]

That does seem confusing...

[Phil T]

The big three KCNC, KMGH and KUSA are now digital from Lookout!!

KTVD is still having issues with a strong signal but no picture or sound.

Edit: KTVD is now working so all four are now joining KWGN and KDVR from Lookout. To bad PBS KRMA is stuck on Mt. Morrison for now. They are the weakest of the bunch