HDTV Forum

This is a local post for the Atlanta area. If you live somewhere else please contact your local broadcaster if you are having problems.

The FCC has agreed with someone, (I'm not sure who as I sit here at
home) to assign all PID's (Packet ID numbers) above 30 hexadecimal.
Until today we were 11 for video and 14 for audio on our primary HD
program stream. We're now 31 and 34 respectively. These PID's are
the hex numbers your receiver uses to find each program stream. All
stations should be making these changes between now and January
1st., which is the date the FCC has chosen to require all stations
to change. There may be some confusion within the broadcast industry
if this is a requirement or a recommendation. After looking into it
carefully it's our understanding it's a requirement. So, if you lose
other stations within the next two weeks it would be a good idea to
re-scan.

I would like to add to the above; even if it appears you don't have
to do a re-scan because you pick up our signal just fine; you
probably should anyway. The primary reason is after your receiver
picks up the PID's for video and audio, it then looks at the PSIP to
see which/what station this is. If the receiver hasn't been re-
scanned it may simple display the physical channel, i.e. in our
case, 39.1 instead of 2.1. After a re-scan it will display the
virtual channel of 2.1 for the primary HD program stream and 2.2 for
the second program stream. By the way, the Samsung SIR 151 will do
this, so if you have a Samsung of any model it may act this way.

To close, if anyone does a re-scan and it does not pick up the new
signal PID's please post the name of the receiver and the model
number. We'll try to find out if there's a pattern and if so how to
fix it.

Gene

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I had a similar problem with an OTA local channel here in San Diego. The
engineering department at local FOX told me to delete the channel from my
lineup and then reacquire it. That fixed the problem for me. Probably
not the case for you as you have also lost the cable channel. Good luck.

Joe Soprano
San Diego

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About a week ago, my HDTV receiver (RCA F38310) stopped receiving 2 "local" digital stations (KSLA-17 & KTAL-15). The 3rd (KTBS-28) continued to come in fine.

Because we're over 50 miles from the transmitter, I thought it might be either that they were having trouble (odd they would go "off" at the same time) or that there was something wrong with my rooftop antenna. Let me add here that at the same time, the local cable company stopped receiving KSLA-17 (they don't carry KTAL-15). Nevertheless, other folks in the neighborhood, including local AV shops, continued to receive both digital signals OTA.

A day or two later, KTAL-15 popped up on the screen, working; no problem with it since. However, KSLA-17 still isn't being picked up by me or the cable company, and this is after the cable company has replaced its reception equipment.. with no improvement.

I think this is a PSIP issue.

The RCA F38310 (38") is about 4 years old. I have it under extended warranty. Does anyone know who to call at RCA about this? The internal digital tuner is one of those provided by DirecTV but I don't use DirecTV. I've had no luck so far getting help (before letting them pickup the set and keep it 2 or 3 months!) because no one wants to take responsibility, or understands, or can refrain from saying it's someone else's fault. KTAL-17 claims it's not their fault, although they admit they were updating the PSIP about that time.

Guidance? I'm tired of missing CBS HD.

By the way, I unplugged the TV from the wall for 1 hour, plugged it back in, rescanned, and the scan did not pickup KSLA-17.

Best,

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1. What software version do you have?
- The F38310 has an internal DMI tuning module - the same as in a RCA
DTC-100 DirecTV HD tuner. Software controls it. The latest version is
A05.10. This version was downloaded to my F38310 on 20 Sept. 01 over the
DirecTV satellite connection. Go to main menu - assistance - upgrade, to see
what version you have. If it's not A05.10 call Thomson at 1-877-RCA-HDTV and
they should help you. The upgrade is called "paddle upgrade" and is done
using a computer card that fits into your DirecTV card slot.

2. The FCC has required the digital stations to drop the -1 and -2 PSIPs and
use only -3 and above. Then they are required to re-map the digital channels
to follow the analog affiliate number. For instance Dayton WHIO (CBS)
broadcasts its analog signal on channel 7 and its digital signal on channel
41. Until recently 41 was -1 and -2. Because of the FCC requirement 41 is
now -3 (HD channel) and -4 (SD channel) and they re-mapped to 7-1 and 7-2.
The FCC has also requested that the digital stations provide the info and
guide information just like DirecTV provides once the re-map is
accomplished.

3. With the F38310, I can turn the off air guide on or off. Go to main
menu - assistance - off air guide. The default position is "do not acquire
off air guide" (you will still receive DirecTV programming guides if you do
not receive TV program guides). In this position when you do a channel
search all that will come up are the digital channels (example 41-3 and
41-4) and analog channels (example 7) but not the remapped 7-1 and 7-2. If
you change to the other position "acquire off air guides" then you get 7
analog and remapped 7-1 and 7-2 but not 41-3 and 41-4. Now remember this -
if 41-3 and 41-4 had not been remapped you would get 41-3 and 41-4. Also if
the info and guide information has been entered you will get this just like
DirecTV's info and guides.

4. I hope understanding latest software version, PSIP changes, remapped, and
off air guide on or off will help you with your problem.

Roger Bennett -- Xenia, Ohio

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Roger,
I want to thank you very much for the alert regarding the "Off Air Guide" option. I changed it from "off" to "on", re-scanned (full), and, lo and behold, I was able to get KSLA's HD channel (17.3) as 12.1. All the other channels (analog and digital) showed up too. I noticed that the analog channels appeared as their routine channel number (without subchannel number following) but the HD channels were always the analog channel number plus -1, regardless of what the -x number was on the pure digital channel. The other SD sub-channels were -2 and -3, etc.
To see if this was just a kick in the pants for the TV, I turned the "Off Air Guide" option back to "off" and re-scanned. I lost the KSLA HD channel. Turned it back "on" and the KSLA HD channel was there again.
My first instinct has always been that this was my set's PSIP problem. Because other model sets and the cable company are having the same problem (see the note from Paul Cauthorn, below), I now believe the problem is with KSLA's implementation of the PSIP updates. Interestingly enough, only the KSLA digital includes the programing; all the other digital channels do not. That hints of a defective implementation of the program information in the PSIP, causing some receivers to become confused.
Thanks to everyone who tried to help me on this. More comments are welcome.
Best,
Robert

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I have a friend with a Panasonic 42" plasma that won't receive KSLA-HD but the signal bar is at 77 %. I have unplugged the TV and rescanned for the digital signals but the TV still says Poor Signal Quality. Meanwhile a Sony 52" Grand WEGA integrated tuner set and a DISH Network model 811 both receive KSLA-HD with no problems. I, too believe it to be a PSIP signal problem but I don't know anyone that knows what to do.

Paul Cauthorn
PROFESSIONAL ELECTRONICS
Wake Village, TX