Are we really losing up to UHF channel 30?

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It should be mentioned that this is the stated goal of the reverse auction. It may net less (and leave another channel or two available).

Either way, it takes a big bite out of the TV band and puts a whole lot of time pressure on those who are pressing to implement ATSC 3.0.
 
It should be mentioned that this is the stated goal of the reverse auction. It may net less (and leave another channel or two available).

Either way, it takes a big bite out of the TV band and puts a whole lot of time pressure on those who are pressing to implement ATSC 3.0.

Yep TV repack. Stations can volunteerly surrender their channel, be paid the FCC and just go off the air. Stations in the removed channels can share bandwidth with another one or go to an unused VHF Lo of High channel. Basically the highest bidder from the wireless companies gets that frequency. VHF Hi can work in most cases but VHF Lo has turned out to be a disaster when stations started testing their digital signal. WBBM in Chicago was on channel 2 for analog and used channel 3 for their digital channel. There were so many reports of poor or no signal that they moved to a UHF channel. VHF Hi can be doable since there are plenty of them on the air now. This whole thing is going to be a mess or what's known as a cluster F. Then ATSC 3.0 is around the corner so that means a new TV or a converter box as the current format and the new one are not compatible with each other. Somewhere I saw a document that listed what the channel would be worth in the top 50 or so markets. Obviously stations in the bottom markets would not be valuable since there is plenty of bandwidth and there are few broadcasters and the wireless companies want markets with lot's of people for lot's of subscribers. If I owned a TV station is the top market and given millions of dollars to leave the air, as the Steve Miller band would say "Take the Money and run"!. Think of the ion stations. I just can't think they are making a ton of money.
 
Stations in the removed channels can share bandwidth with another one or go to an unused VHF Lo of High channel.
Assuming ATSC 3.0 has already been implemented, this can work. Will the stations drag their feet on the repack until it has taken over?
 
Oh well I guess I'll be taking the biggest hit
It will be the markets with lots of channels that take the biggest hit. I question whether the largest markets (especially those near a foreign border and/or other large markets) will be able to support most of their stations even after a successful ATSC 3.0 implementation. I can't imagine that other less large markets will have much room for growth.
 
It will be the markets with lots of channels that take the biggest hit. I question whether the largest markets (especially those near a foreign border and/or other large markets) will be able to support most of their stations even after a successful ATSC 3.0 implementation. I can't imagine that other less large markets will have much room for growth.
And also markets that are near large markets where we need to be aware of channel issues from that market. Milwaukee and Rockford are near enough to Chicago that they cannot reuse the channels and portions of the market need to be careful of adjacent channel issues as well. I believe there are a lot of markets in that group.
 
And also markets that are near large markets where we need to be aware of channel issues from that market. Milwaukee and Rockford are near enough to Chicago that they cannot reuse the channels and portions of the market need to be careful of adjacent channel issues as well. I believe there are a lot of markets in that group.
For a real mess, take a look at the NY - PA - MD - DC area. Lots of overlap and competition for such a small amount of spectrum. That's how WPVI ended up on VHF-Lo 6 from the digital transition.
 
It will be the markets with lots of channels that take the biggest hit. I question whether the largest markets (especially those near a foreign border and/or other large markets) will be able to support most of their stations even after a successful ATSC 3.0 implementation. I can't imagine that other less large markets will have much room for growth.
OK I see. Reason I said that is most of my channels ota are over 20. Hum I guess we'll see what happens later on.
 
OK I see. Reason I said that is most of my channels ota are over 20. Hum I guess we'll see what happens later on.
I speculate that your market has enough room to run both ATSC and ATSC 3.0 simultaneously without being crowded even after the repack. Moving frequencies is something that quite a few stations are going to have to do at least once. Even if they want to be where they are now frequency-wise, they'll like have to move to a different channel as some part of an ATSC 3.0 transition.

It sucks for you that your stations come from so many different directions.
 
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For a real mess, take a look at the NY - PA - MD - DC area.
This may indeed be the worst case scenario. San Diego has almost as many channels occupied (32-35) as Lala Land (36). It would seem that they'd have a tough time pulling off a transition before the repack assuming at least 40% more bandwidth will be needed.
 
If you watch TV via translators then you are going to be very much impacted. Up to half the translators in the state of Utah will have to go dark if they go down to channel 30. The government is not going to help translators with repack money. Hard to believe that TV channels use to go clear up channel 83. In most rural areas most of that spectrum from 52 up is not being used.
 
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We'll good day to everyone I have a Question about DXing hobby I have,Two HDB91X and I have Two,Vhf,#30-2476, now should I stagger stack the vhf antennas vertical ? Or should I stack them horizontal side BY side,like the 91XG. The 91XG with BE at 90Ft high and the Vhf antennas at 85Ft with the A G L on both at a 45, 18 Gage solid copper RG 6 ,,With a Johansson amplifier kit, that has one vhf in at 30:DB and Two uhf in at 40:DB, with a Ham ROTOR, do you think it will work FINE? 01550,zip
 
If you watch TV via translators then you are going to be very much impacted. Up to half the translators in the state of Utah will have to go dark if they go down to channel 30. The government is not going to help translators with repack money. Hard to believe that TV channels use to go clear up channel 83. In most rural areas most of that spectrum from 52 up is not being used.
I might have one translator which is KXKW-LD 32.1 ThisTV/32.2 AntennaTV. This TV is on KDCG-TV 22.2 but I'm sure if I would lose the translator Antenna could go on one of the sister stations which it was formerly on before Heroes and Icons was launched in Lafayette, La.
 
In my market Lafayette Louisiana this is what I can get.
KATC 3.1 ABC/3.2 Acadiana CW (28)
KLFY 10.1 CBS/10.2 GetTV/10.3 Ion (10)
KADN 15.1 FOX/15.2 NBC from KLAF/15.3 MNTV (16)
KDCG 22.1 Heroes and Icons/22.2 This TV from KXKW 32.1 (22)
KLPB 24.1 PBS/24.2 LPB/Encore/Kids/24.3 Create (23)
KAGN 31.1 Family Vision (31)
KXKW-LD 32/1 ThisTV/32.2AntTV (32)
KAJN 40.1 Family Vision (40)
KLAF 46.1 NBC (46)
KLWB 50.1 METV, 50.2 KDCG H&I (50)

Channels from Lake Charles
KPLC 7.1 NBC/7.2Grit/7.3 Bounce (7)

Channels from Alexandria
KALB 5.1 NBC/5.2 CBS/5.3 CW (future) (35)

Channels from Baton rouge
WBRZ 2.1 ABC/2.2 News/2.3 Weather (13)
WAFB 9.1 CBs/9.2Bounce/9.4 WBXH (9)
WVLA 33.1 NBC (34)
WGMB 44.1 FOX/44.2 CW (45)

the numbers in parentheses are the channels from the HD transition from 2009
 
Government greed is fueling this spectrum theft.

The feds are experiencing record revenue these days but still cannot pay the bills, so they look for money everywhere.

There is no need for all this push to consolidate channels, it's all about the money.
 
Government greed is fueling this spectrum theft.

The feds are experiencing record revenue these days but still cannot pay the bills, so they look for money everywhere.

There is no need for all this push to consolidate channels, it's all about the money.

And here I thought it was all about freeing the spectrum for data usage.
 
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Government greed is fueling this spectrum theft.

The feds are experiencing record revenue these days but still cannot pay the bills, so they look for money everywhere.

There is no need for all this push to consolidate channels, it's all about the money.
Um, I'd say it is more about the wireless company greed, along with NAB or local stations greed who will get a free lunch pay-off to just leave. All this supported by our elected representitives in D.C. (another greedy party) who gladly take campaign contributions in excange for favorable laws being passed. Our govt. has so much money it is offensive. The problem is they don't always spend it wisely. Instead they spend it by giving money to enitites who what to just leave their OTA frequency--considering those entities NEVER paid the govt.--meaning we the taxpayers-- for the use of said frequency from which they profited for decades.
 
But what does this mean for the FTA (Free To Air) Satellite systems? Will we also need to upgrade our receivers as well? Haven't found an answer so far... but for OTA (Over The Air)...

QUOTE:

"Will I need a new TV or tuner?

Well...yes. Sort of. There is no intention in making ATSC 3.0 backward compatible. This is a huge leap forward, and that's only possible if the standards developed in the early '90s (which in turn were hamstrung by tech from the '50s) are left behind.

However, it's going to be a long time before this will be an issue. Initially there's going to be bandwidth sharing, so current ATSC 1.0 tuners will still work well into the 3.0 transition. There will also be multiple options to get the new signal to older TVs. Think HDMI dongles, standalone tuners, perhaps even whole-home tuners that receive the signal and then send that over your home Wi-Fi.

Since an ATSC 1.0 tuner box can be had right now for $40, it's likely this aspect will be worked out inexpensively for the "legacy" TVs still in use, just like how HD is available now on all the old SD TVs still in use.

Once the standards are finalized, you'll start seeing ATSC 3.0 tuners in TVs, hopefully with a more marketing-friendly name like "4K Broadcast Ready" or something. But we're a few years away from that."

http://www.cnet.com/news/atsc-3-0-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-future-of-broadcast-television/
 

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