Click here for more detail about configuring your HDTV:
http://mainehdtv.blogspot.com/2007/12/high-definition-hd-digital-channels-in.html
I am now receiving 6 high definition channels without the need for cable TV. I live is Southern Maine and right now I receive the following:
CBS - Channel 13 WGME - see posting above regarding Digital/HD/UHF equivalents
NBC - Channel 6 WCSH
ABC - Channel 8 WMTW
PBS - Both the National Feed and Maine Public Broadcasting Network
CW - The new CW Network - Channel 51 - WPXT
MyNetwork Portland - The new MYTV network - Channel 35
As for FOX, we do have a Fox station in Maine called Fox 23. They only broadcast in HD to one cable TV company called Time Warner. I’m not sure that’s fair. If you don’t have Time Warner cable, which I don’t in my area, you can’t get FOX in High Def until February 2009 when they won’t have a choice.
That brings me to the fact that all of the details of HDTV - how to get it, what’s REALLY available in high definition, and questions of this type are the details that most of the general public don’t have a clue about.
I actually had to call WGME channel 13 to let them know that they were not transmitting their over-the-air signal in HD format. The gentlmen I spoke to told me that due to vacations and lack of staffing education, someone forget to “switch it over” to full high def at the proper time. The problem was fixed about 15 minutes later. This got me wondering about the kind of manual intervention involved at television stations in order to broadcast in HD. I was also told that broadcasting in HD is more expensive so I have a lot more question about what that really means in terms of the broadcast tower and what is really going on there, but I will need to investigate that separately.
What the station manager really meant was that most television stations have been converted to digital broadcast towers. However, just because their tower is digital, does not mean it transmits in high defition 100% of the time. Also, they get a feed from the network with has to be in HD format before they can even think about transmitting it locally to HD. Even if HD is available and the station decides to transmit it in HD, someone still has to flip the switch at the local TV station. This affects both cable/satellite views and over-the-air views like me.
Doesn’t this all sound confusing? I know, it really is and so few out there know how all of these pieces work together. People think that if they go out and buy a High Definition TV, they’re all set. Well, I’m here to tell you that they are not.
To get HD, I originally went through the my cable company to:
1) upgrade to digitial cable2) pay for the upgrade to a high definition cable box3) buy a high definition television
After all was said and done I had a monthly cable bill that totalled about $118 dollars a month and only received about 12 high definition (capable) channels.
There are only about 6 non-local broadcast channels that broadcast in HD all of the time and they include:
1) HD net2) Wealth TV3) Discovery HD4) National Geographic HD
and a few others I can’t remember right now.
Addtionally you will get one HBO, one Showtime, one Cinemax, and one Movie Channel HD channel IF YOU SPEND EVEN MORE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THESE PAY CHANNELS.
I must admit I got sick and tired of all the money spent and my misunderstanding of the technology and what I am getting for my money. I found out that HDTV signals must, by federal law, send their Digital/HD signals over the air just like conventional television stations signals effective 2/19/09 but most have done this already. Once I found this out, and bought the right antenna for a one time charge of $65, I received the 6 HD channels I first metioned in this post.
I do believe that the cable companies and satellilte companies are intentinalloy leaving consumers in the dark about what HDTV is all about and what’s going on behind the scenes with the technology and what is truly available in HD. One program director from one of my local stations said “we’ve done a terrible job of educating the public on digital/HD programming”. As a result, a lot of consumers are spending money and are not getting what they think they are supposed to be getting.
I’d be happy to talk about this in much more detail with anyone who is interested, please let me know.
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