First atsc 3.0 station in Seattle market switches on

I have a second home in Olympia. I'm here every two or three months or so, for a month or two at a time. Thanks to the advice from folks on the forum at TVFool.com many years ago, I bought a large TV antenna and have been enjoying OTA for many years. I've received all four major networks (CBS, ABC, FOX, PBS, and NBC) for many years. In the past four months or so, I have not been able to tune in KING-TV from Seattle (virtual channel 5.1). There's just no signal there at all. I have done my research, and the KING-TV broadcast antenna seems to be the same one (or mounted at the same site) as ABC (4.1) and CBS (7.1). Would anyone know why I am not getting the KING-TV signal? Do I need a new ATSC 3.0 tuner to receive the KING-TV signal, or should I still get the KING-TV signal with my old antenna and tuner setups (HDHomeRun, a couple of HDTVs with ATSC tuners). Yes, I have rescanned several times.

 

Not sure. I still receive KING-TV just fine after the repack.

What are the additional 5 channels?

I suspect there's no press release because the official word is that ATSC 3 is still "coming soon" for the Seattle area.

 

Hi BLueSS: Do you still get KING-TV on channels 5.1, 5.2, etc? I realize that these are the virtual channels but believe that after rescanning, my TVs should get KING-TV on channels 5.1, 5.2 etc still. Thanks!

 

Yes! They are still on 5.1, 5.2, 5.3.

Do you have an amplifier in use, or anything to help your signal? You're about 50 miles (depending on where in Olympia) from the antennas, so if you're getting KOMO-4, I'd be surprised as well. You're not in a great location for OTA.

 

My antenna is a big one and dtvmaps shows I am 39 miles from the KING, KOMO, and KIRO antennas. I forget the exact model, but yes, it's big and it took a while to get right. It worked for years without an amplifier (I tried an RCA but it did worse than just the antenna and required me to install it outside by the antenna, a PITA), but in recent years I've had a Mohu Jolt amplifier in the house right before the Electroline ED2400 splitter. I usually get all four major networks with any tides over 4 feet or so. I'm getting KOMO and KIRO right now and it's a 2.2 foot tide. Thanks! Hey, just realized that I should try it without the Mohu Jolt amplifier (but it has worked wonders in my other house).

 

Try doing a rescan for channels, then take out the amp and try rescanning.

 

Yep, tried this about three times over the past few days. I get 4.1, 7.1, 9.1, 11.1, 13.1 (the main broadcast channels); all except 5.1 KING-TV. There's nothing there that my antenna can see. And it used to pick up 5.1 just fine.

 

Are they simulcasting ATSC 1 and ATSC3 ? If not I'm not sure WHERE you can find a consumer ATSC3 tuner right now.
Edit -
Ok - I just did a Google search for ATSC3 tuner, and it found one article that had a system -for $2000 - $3000 (as they stated - prosumer). That article also stated that simulcasting ATSC1 and ATSC3 is required. So the issue is what does TV Fool have to say about your location and that station (the ATSC1 version) RIGHT NOW ?

 

I am somewhat certain the original poster was wrong. I have a HDHomeRun with ATSC 3.0 and there are no ATSC 3.0 channels yet in the Seattle market.

But there will be soon: NextGen TV Eyes December Launch in Seattle | TV Technology

 

There are no stations broadcasting NextGen TV in Seattle Washington. Further, it will be years before any stations in the US are allowed to "switch" to NextGen TV.

I suspect that the TS was misinterpreting something.

You'll know when NextGen TV arrives in your area as you'll be bombarded with advice about re-scanning your channels when the DTV stations shuffle around to make room for NextGen TV.

The FCC decided that no additional TV channels will be made available to provide for NextGen TV so the stations are having to move channels around to make room.

According to an article on the TVTechnology.com website, KING and KONG are planning to move their DTV signals to RF25 and KONG (RF31) will be carrying the NextGen TV versions sometime next month.

 

ATSC 3.0 is live in the Seattle area. For real this time.

ATSC 3.0 is Live in Seattle | Cord Cutters News

 

so, are the station helping local people to buy new receiver ?

 

7 stations on one transmitter. That should look good.

 

so, there is same user-friendly-technical-question: what OTA receiver does support the ATSC 3.0 modulation(s) and can decode unlimited formats ?

 

Some TV tuners in the LG line are enabled as is the SIlicon Dust HDHomerun Connect 4K. The Sony X900H tuner hasn't been turned on yet.

 

In the case of Seattle, the only stations with 7 channels is the Ion affiliate and a Spanish Language LP station and they're still on DTV.

The unintended consequence for wishing for Nextgen TV to arrive is that most of the transitioning stations have added one or more subchannels to their DTV broadcasts. My local MyTV channel went to SD.

Most Nextgen TV stations are carrying either three or four HD channels and they aren't noticeably better than their DTV counterparts were.

Until DTV goes away, there won't be much in the way of improvements outside of any reception improvements that Nextgen TV modulation may (or may not) deliver. The plan for 4K for the foreseeable future is that it will be streamed.