HDTV FAQ

(Frequently Asked Questions)

Our HD channel is available on Time Warner Cable channel 865.
Our HD channel is also available on both satellite systems.

The digital conversion is complete.

All full service analog television broadcasting in the USA ended on June 12th, 2009. Digital Television (DTV) has become the only "full service" television broadcast system used in the United States. In our market, KBTV (4), KFDM (6), KBMT (12), and KUIL (34) have turned their analog transmitters off.  We continue to broadcast our normal programs on our digital channels.  If you have not purchased a digital tuner or digital converter box for your analog set by now, you can not watch any of your local full service television stations (4, 6, 12, and 34) on your analog TV set.

What does this mean to me?
If you are using a TV antenna to receive over-the-air broadcast television, you can no longer watch channels 4, 6, 12, or 34 (the local "full service" television stations) on your analog TV set.  There are some "low power" analog stations in our market, and there will probably be more in the future.  Low power TV stations are not yet required to convert to digital broadcasting, but they can if they so desire.

Cable and satellite subscribers:
If you subscribe to cable or satellite, your service provider has converted the digital signals so you can continue to watch your local broadcast stations after the digital conversion.  But if you have an analog TV set that is not connected to your cable or satellite system (a TV set in the kitchen with "rabbit ears" for example) it will display only snow.  You will need to connect every TV set you own to your cable or satellite system, or you will need to purchase a "digital converter box" for each analog TV set.

The real deal:
You do not have to purchase a High Definition TV set in order to watch broadcast television.  All you really need is an antenna and a digital tuner (or a digital converter box) connected to an analog TV set.  Although a digital tuner connected to an analog set will never display High Definition (HD) pictures, you will be able to watch a Standard Definition (SD) version of our programming.  You can still watch TV, which is all that really matters.
The bad news is that every analog TV set in your home will need its own digital tuner. The introduction of low cost "digital converter boxes" will save you some money if all you want to do is watch TV and don't care about High Definition TV (HDTV). 

Digital Converter Boxes:  
There are inexpensive Digital Converter Boxes available which allow you to watch digital television on your analog set.  They range in price from $40 to over $100.  The ones I have seen locally cost $40 (available at H.E.B.) up to $60 (Radio Shack, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart).
These converter boxes will not turn your analog set into a High Definition set.  They convert digital television signals into analog signals, which your analog TV set can display.  During conversion of a digital TV signal to analog, some of the picture detail is lost and some of the picture may be chopped off.  The picture will still look a lot better than an analog picture, but it will not be HDTV.

What is High Definition television?
High Definition Television (HDTV) is a television picture with more realistic looking pictures than the television pictures you are used to watching.  An HDTV set displays pictures that are sharper, wider, and free of interference.  An HDTV picture closely resembles what you see in movie theaters.  The sound can be better than CD quality and can be in Surround Sound for a real home theater experience.

What is the difference between High Definition (HDTV) and Standard Definition (SDTV)?
SDTV is a term used to describe a picture that looks pretty much like your old analog pictures.  SDTV is most often an analog picture converted to digital.  The picture from a standard DVD is SDTV; it is not true HDTV.  The traditional "analog" picture is made up of 480 active picture lines. High definition TV uses up to 1080 lines, delivering a vivid display with incredible detail. Standard Definition TV (SDTV) is pretty much any picture that is not High Definition TV. 

What is the difference between Digital TV and HDTV?
Digital TV (DTV) is the method that television stations, cable, and satellite systems use to send pictures to your home while HDTV describes a picture as being in High Definition (a very clear picture).

Digital and HDTV are not the same thing.  If a sales person tells you that DTV and HDTV is the same thing, then you need to find a different sales person (probably at a different retailer).

Just because someone is transmitting a digital signal does not mean that the picture you see will be in High Definition.  It could be an SDTV (Standard Definition TV) picture.  This holds true for "digital cable" and "digital satellite" as well as broadcast TV.  Most of KFDM's broadcast day is spent transmitting an analog picture converted to digital.  Converting my analog signal to digital does not make it HDTV; it's still just an SDTV picture. "Digital" is the method used to get the picture to your set.  "HDTV" is one of several different quality pictures that can be broadcast by a digital television station.

Will my analog television receive a Digital signal?
No. You can not receive DTV (digital television) on your current analog TV set.  The tuner in an analog set will not even realize that a digital signal is there.

Does that mean I have to buy a new TV to watch my shows?
No. You can purchase a "digital tuner" or a "digital converter box" that will pick up our digital signal and convert it into a picture that your analog set can display. You will be able to watch your favorite shows on your current TV.  But since the TV set is analog, the picture you see will never be in High Definition.

How much does an HDTV set cost?
Like any new innovation, HDTV sets were introduced into the market at a relatively high cost. The price has been falling ever since. The cost of an HDTV set is close to what large screen analog projection TV sets cost. As I write this, a good 36-inch "HDTV Set" (with a built-in digital tuner) can be purchased for around $400 or less.

What equipment do I need to receive KFDM in HDTV?
An antenna and an HDTV set with a built in digital tuner (or an HDTV monitor with an external digital tuner and an antenna) is all you need.

Do I need a satellite dish?
No. Although our HDTV signal is now available on satellite, you can pick it up over-the-air for free.  All you need to receive Channel 6 HDTV is a TV antenna and an HDTV set with a digital tuner either built into the set, or an external digital tuner.

Can I get HDTV from cable or satellite?
Yes. But you must subscribe to their HDTV service and obtain their "HDTV converter box".  Our digital signal is now available on Time Warner and both satellite systems.

I have digital cable (or digital satellite). Does that mean I have HDTV?
Not necessarily. Digital cable and digital satellite is not the same thing as HDTV.  Most "digital" channels on cable and satellite are actually analog pictures converted to digital, which means that they are really SDTV pictures. As in broadcast television, "digital" is the method used to get the picture to your TV set, it does not mean that everything is available in HDTV.

Does KFDM offer any high definition programming?
Currently, our only source of High Definition programming is the CBS television network. When we are not broadcasting true HDTV from CBS, we convert our analog (channel 6) pictures to digital, and put that on our digital channel.  Converting analog pictures into digital does NOT turn the analog pictures into HDTV; they are still SDTV.  All our local programs, including our newscasts, are in SDTV.

What kind of shows will I see in HDTV on KFDM?
All CBS "scripted" shows, such as comedy and drama programs are produced in HD. Most sports such as the NFL and NCAA are broadcast in HD, as well.  To see the CBS prime time program schedule with the HDTV programs highlighted, go to http://www.cbs.com/info/hdtv/.  You can go to www.kfdm.com and click on the "PROGRAMMING" tab in the top of our home page. There are other sources of TV listings on the Web such as tvguide.com and titantv.com. Almost everything during prime time (7 PM to 10 PM) on all four major networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC) are broadcast in HDTV.

Why did we change to Digital TV?
Congress passed a law mandating that all television stations broadcast a digital signal by the year 2002. All TV stations were required to broadcast both a digital and an analog signal until June 12th, 2009.  On that day all analog transmitters throughout the USA were turned off and our analog broadcast frequencies returned to the government. The digital conversion is now complete, and Congress is supposed to auction off the old analog channels.  Congress expects to generate a lot of money by auctioning off these frequencies.  And then, Congress is supposed to use the money to balance the budget (Deficit Reduction Act of 2005).

Last update: September, 2009

Part Two

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