What do I need to get MeTV?

jwko · Jan 27, 2012

Hi everyone. New guy here with a few questions. I've been able to get ME-TV on my locals (KPBI Fort Smith) via Dish Network. Last week the channel went dark and doesn't look like it will be coming back. I live too far out and can't get the station through an antenna.

I've been tossing around the idea of buying a FTA system for a few months. What do I need to buy (Ku or C) to be able to receive ME-TV on SES 2? I'd like to have a stationary system, SD or HD does not matter but I would like to have the ability to record to external hard drive if possible.

If someone could recommend a decent stationary FTA package with all the necessary hardware, dish size and any other info I will need, it would be a help.

I thank you much.

James

Mr Tony · Jan 27, 2012

welcome

I broke your post off of a different thread.

KPBI got bought out by the CBS affiliate and they (CBS) put My Network on there. Right now that station is just a dupe of 5-2 which is also My (gathered the info from avsforum)

To get MeTV you would need a 6 foot dish and a free to air receiver. I would recommend a Sathawk, Solomend or Openbox. They can do HD & SD and you can hook a hard drive to it and record. MeTV uses what they call dolby digital (or ac-3) audio. Most SD only receivers would require an external audio decoder whereas a HD receiver doers not
Also on the 87W satellite (SES2) is ThisTV which has older movies

jwko · Jan 27, 2012

I noticed 5.2 has went through some changes. Its now called KXNW 34, and show My-TV programming during the day, and Antenna TV programming in the early morning hours.

ME-TV is still being broadcast on Fort Smith Cox (KPBI) channel 8. I think KFSM bought out KFDF, KPBI's sister station.

On the C band system, can you point me in the right direction of a reputable seller that can set me up?

Thanks

Oh, here's the email the KXNW General Manager sent to me about adding Antenna TV 24 hour a day.

James,

We can’t contract with ME TV because they already have an affiliate in KPBI. We are working with Antenna TV and MyNetwork. It is very hard to make a classic channel financially viable. That is why you don’t see many of them existing on primary lower tier channels with the likes of CBS, FOX, ABC and NBC. We are launching KXNW with a mix of strong well watched syndicated shows and blending that with Antenna TV and My Network. We will also produce local newscasts at 7AM and 9PM. From 12:30PM to 2PM weekdays we will air a local sports call-in show we produce called SportsLine.

Yes, it would be easier to simply pass along a classic network, but in today’s highly fragmented media world, a local channel must create a strong local identity and offer both local news and current programming to attract a measurable audience. I hope you like what you see when DISH decides to turn on our channel and thank you for both your interest and input.

All the Best!
Van

jwko · Jan 27, 2012

TY Iceberg. I've located a reseller that has the C/KU kit. I may go ahead and order and get this ball rolling.

Thanks again for your help.

Mr Tony · Jan 28, 2012

jwko said:
I noticed 5.2 has went through some changes. Its now called KXNW 34, and show My-TV programming during the day, and Antenna TV programming in the early morning hours.
ME-TV is still being broadcast on Fort Smith Cox (KPBI) channel 8. I think KFSM bought out KFDF, KPBI's sister station.

KFSM (CBS) bought out KPBI (34) now called KXNW
I dont show any station in Ft Smith showing MeTV OTA so thats weird
KFDF use to show This TV and now according to reports is showing RTV again

its weird because when Equity Broadcasting owned all of those we could get those on FTA
We had at one time these stations from Arkansas
KPBI My Network
KFDF ThisTV
KWBF LR My Network
KKYK LR ThisTV

old Univision stations
KLRA LR
KXUN Ft Smith

along with about 30 other stations that Equity owned....damn those were the days

Trip · Jan 28, 2012

KPBI was sold to KFSM and became KXNW. None of the sister stations, such as KFDF, were included in the sale. However, KFDF is signed with RTV and I have photographic evidence showing RTV on KFDF. I don't know where Me-TV went in the market, as I have heard no reports of its continued airing on any local stations.

- Trip

jwko · Jan 28, 2012

I'm not sure whats going on. All I know is this is how it looks on Fort Smith's Cox cable channel 8 today when I was at my fathers house.

jwko · Feb 18, 2012

Here's a update. Fort Smith Cox channel 8 no longer list the KFDF logos. Now only shows a MeTV Arkansas logo. MeTV is broadcast on local OTA (low power) 44.1 and RTV on 44.2. The transmitter is located at Mt. Zion in Van Buren Arkansas.

KXNW is broadcast on OTA 5.2 and 34.1 (I can't get 34.1) and on weekdays, show's MYTV programming during the day and evening and AntennaTV programming throughout the early morning hours ending around 6am. On the weekend they also show several AntennaTV programs in the evenings such as Adam-12 and Dragnet.

Even though I'm only 30 miles away (as a crow flies) from the Mt. Zion transmitter, I cannot receive the 44.1 & 2 channels. I did however check back on the MeTV website, and now they are showing that its available on Dish 44 in the Fort Smith market. I've tried resetting my receiver to re-download the program guide, but no 44 on my end. Finally contacted Pinnacle Media and spoke with an engineer who informed me that the MeTV programming from their end was being sent to Dish Network, but they choose not to broadcast it as a local channel. He did say that it could be in the near future, but could not guarantee it. Said Dish was kind of funny.

Mr Tony · Feb 18, 2012

I dont show it uplinked on Dish yet
SatelliteGuys.US_TheList - Dish Network Ft. Smith, AR

even checked the uplink reports and nothing yet

low powered stations broadcast at 15000 watts max so the coverage may be just the immediate area

jwko · Feb 19, 2012

Wikipedia list it at 3kW. I wonder if that would even cover the whole Fort Smith/Van Buren metro area.

Next time I'm at dad's I'll try it on some rabbit ears. He lives on the south end of Fort Smith, im guessing 8 to 10 miles from the transmitter.

AntAltMike · Feb 19, 2012

You can go to TV Fool and enter your location and antenna height and see what your prospects are for rec3iving any local broadcast TV station.

A wikipedia List of Me-TV affiliates is actively maintained and often foreshadows impending affiliate changes.

Grouchy old man · Feb 29, 2012

Hi everyone, and thanks in advance for any information.

I live in downtown Fort Smith AR (west side about 1mi from Central Mall) and want to hang onto MeTV if at all possible.

Up 'til now I have used the local cable, but after MeTV started broadcasting a notice that they were being pulled off cable, I emailed the cable company and was given the brush off. From the sounds of this thread, MeTV will still be available as a 'sideband' (did I get that right?). Okay, fine, I will cancel cable as soon as MeTV is gone, and put the $$ into equipment to receive the shows I WANT to watch, if it is possible. Otherwise I will cancel cable at the end of March and buy DVD's of Twilight Zone, Perry Mason, Mission Impossible, etc. with the money saved.

Now here are the questions.

1. After late March, will I be able to receive MeTV on OTA, or is it leaving the area completely?

2. If MeTV is still available in the area at that time, I don't know anything about what kind of antenna to get, what to expect from digital broadcast ranges, etc. Since I live in an apartment, a 6' dish is OUT, but if I could OTA with something like a Terk amplified antenna, that would be okay. Will this work? Is there a better brand/type of OTA antenna? Sorry but I am a TOTAL COMPLETE NOOB at this digital broadcast stuff.

3. Is OTA pointless for this? I don't have the $$ to blow on an antenna just to find out it is a waste.

Help, anyone?
Thanks in advance,
Grouchy old man (already dreading the loss of my favorite programming....)

jwko · Mar 5, 2012

Grouchy old man said:
Hi everyone, and thanks in advance for any information.

I live in downtown Fort Smith AR (west side about 1mi from Central Mall) and want to hang onto MeTV if at all possible.

Up 'til now I have used the local cable, but after MeTV started broadcasting a notice that they were being pulled off cable, I emailed the cable company and was given the brush off. From the sounds of this thread, MeTV will still be available as a 'sideband' (did I get that right?). Okay, fine, I will cancel cable as soon as MeTV is gone, and put the $$ into equipment to receive the shows I WANT to watch, if it is possible. Otherwise I will cancel cable at the end of March and buy DVD's of Twilight Zone, Perry Mason, Mission Impossible, etc. with the money saved.

Now here are the questions.

1. After late March, will I be able to receive MeTV on OTA, or is it leaving the area completely?

2. If MeTV is still available in the area at that time, I don't know anything about what kind of antenna to get, what to expect from digital broadcast ranges, etc. Since I live in an apartment, a 6' dish is OUT, but if I could OTA with something like a Terk amplified antenna, that would be okay. Will this work? Is there a better brand/type of OTA antenna? Sorry but I am a TOTAL COMPLETE NOOB at this digital broadcast stuff.

3. Is OTA pointless for this? I don't have the $$ to blow on an antenna just to find out it is a waste.

Help, anyone?
Thanks in advance,
Grouchy old man (already dreading the loss of my favorite programming....)

Hi Grouchy,

My father also informed me yesterday that ME-TV will be dropped from Cox channel 8 later this month. He called Cox to complain and was told it would be replaced with something similar, I'm guessing RTV. You can call Pinnacle at 479-785-4600 and ask them if they are dropping ME-TV all together, and if not, you should be able to get it OTA. If they are, then as Iceberg mentoned, a C band satellite system will be required. I haven't dug into that yet as I have not figured a way to mount a 6' dish without the wind sweeping it away. I guess a concrete pad is what I need. But anyway, I have seen where ME-TV has a second channel ME-TV Too also available. Not sure if they show different programming or what. I'll let someone else chime in on that.

jwko · Mar 5, 2012

AntAltMike said:
You can go to TV Fool and enter your location and antenna height and see what your prospects are for rec3iving any local broadcast TV station.

A wikipedia List of Me-TV affiliates is actively maintained and often foreshadows impending affiliate changes.

TY Mike. Very nice site. Bookmarked!

Mr Tony · Mar 5, 2012

another station in the market might pick it up

But anyway, I have seen where ME-TV has a second channel ME-TV Too also available.

MeToo is only available OTA in Chicago. Alot of shows they carry fall in the syndex issue (where as example MeToo carries shows like Roseanne and Andy Griffith...here in Minneapolis both are shown on an independent channel) so they'd have to black it out. Some of the MeToo shows were on MeTV pre national launch.

rrob311 · Mar 13, 2012

We actually just picked up Me-TV in NH a couple months ago and it transmits in the ABC mux on the hill that is blocking all of the Boston locals from my house. It's the only new channel we've got OTA in years. I guess its better than nothing. Metv is on a pretty powerful transponder on 87w and the one on 83w Ku was easy to get and I am in NH. I bet you could setup a minibud and get that channel with a 3 foot Ku dish using a C/Ku lnbf like a dmx741 or something. My dish has been off a couple inches and I still get the Metv on 87.

FaT Air · Mar 13, 2012

METV is on Ku @ 83w? Must be too weak for my 30 inch to grab. I do have Tuff TV, RTV & PBJE @ 83W, Ku.

Mr Tony · Mar 13, 2012

MeTV IS NOT on 83W Ku

RTV is

rrob311 · Mar 13, 2012

whoops that the one I was thinking of.

jwko · Mar 30, 2012

Well, its official. Fort Smith's (Cox) channel 8 is no longer Me-Tv. It is now KXNW 34 My-Tv, with early AM & some weekend Antenna TV programming.

What do I need to get MeTV?

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