Engineering Blog

Blogs - Engineering

DTV transition: Antennas and your reception

Posted by Jabran Soubeih on 06/16/2009
KCTS 9 Executive Director of Engineering

We have been fielding a lot of calls and e-mails regarding the DTV transition and viewers not receiving KCTS 9. If you haven't re-scanned your DTV converter box or digital TV since Friday, June 12, please do so immediately.

Four hours in on DTV day

Posted by Daphne Adair on 06/12/2009
KCTS 9 Executive Director of Marketing & Communications

Calls are coming in to our in-house call center and the biggest question is rescanning. If you had a digital TV or converter box working with KCTS 9 before today, and now aren't getting us... it's because we switched digital channels from UHF 41 to VHF 9. (For the full story, click here.)

Digital TV is here!

Posted by Jabran Soubeih on 06/12/2009
KCTS 9 Executive Director of Engineering

It's a few minutes past 4:00 a.m. in Seattle and we just put the new KCTS 9 digital transmitter on-air.

This transmitter is on VHF channel 9 where our old transmitter has been.

Click here for digital transition help

20 minutes to the digital transition

Posted by Jabran Soubeih on 06/12/2009
KCTS 9 Executive Director of Engineering

I'm here at the KCTS 9 transmitter with our transmitter engineer Tim and it's almost time for the analog shut off.

In about 20 minutes we will be shutting down the KCTS 9 analog transmitter. We will also shut off the current KCTS 9 digital transmitter that's operating on channel 41.

TV Screen Format Issues

Posted by Jabran Soubeih on 03/19/2009
KCTS 9 Executive Director of Engineering

We've received several e-mails and phone calls lately regarding screen formatting on 4x3 analog TVs. KCTS 9 broadcasts HD 16x9 on channel 9.1.

Why Didn't KCTS 9 Transition To DTV in February?

Posted by Jabran Soubeih on 03/10/2009
KCTS 9 Executive Director of Engineering

Why didn't KCTS 9 transition to DTV in February?

First of all, KCTS 9 and most TV stations in major cities have been broadcasting digital TV since 1999, so the DTV transition isn’t so much a transition for TV stations but for viewers since the TV stations have been operating both analog and digital for a while now.

A Brief History: DTV Transmitter Transition at KCTS 9

Posted by Jabran Soubeih on 03/02/2009
KCTS 9 Executive Director of Engineering

We’ve received several e-mails and phone calls lately asking about the technical changes we are making to our broadcast for the DTV transition.

I’d like to explain what changes KCTS 9 has made to our transmitter facility to prepare for the analog shutoff on June 12, 2009.

First some notes about licensed transmitter power.

Digital Transition For Dummies

Posted by Jabran Soubeih on 02/18/2009
KCTS 9 Executive Director of Engineering

With the DTV Delay bill now signed into law, KCTS 9 and other TV stations in Seattle will continue analog broadcasts until June 12.