Unique Cable Problems on Wednesday (Feb 13, 2009)

Then might be a good time to call a cable service tech to get a solution to that problem. Loose cable connections, frayed wiring, and other problems could cause broadcast signals to leak into the cable coming into your house, and that can cause interference problems.

If you live within a mile or two from Mount Soledad where KFMB-DT and KGTV-DT will be broadcasting their signals at 72kw, lotsa luck. Time Warner might have a cable converter that could let subscribers watch its analog channel lineup in digital like Cox does with their subscribers using their converter boxes.

For cable 6 viewers near Tijuana where XETV broadcasts, on Wednesday, XETV analog 6 will be flipping programming to a Spanish-language network from Mexico, but not going digital. XETV analog broadcasts at some 100kw on its assigned frequency. Cox cable subscribers see an analog version of its XETV-DT digital channel 23 station on cable 6. For those without a converter box, they see analog cable 6, and on that, they will get ghosting interference from XETV's analog channel programming, so viewers of 90210 or news might get some Spanish-language leakage coming into cable 6.

Now might be a good idea for Cox to move XETV-DT 23 to another channel and put something else on cable 6.

When the Los Angeles-based digital TV stations move their digital channels to permanent channel positions and raise their powers up to 1,000kw apiece, expect co-channel digital interference from the stations up north if you're trying to receive the Tijuana digital channels down south.

Fortunately, an antenna that is unidirectional will help them select one channel over another as their antennas have nulls in the opposite direction of the station you want to receive, so you can weaken reception of the station on the opposite end. Do not buy an omnidirectional antenna or your digital TV receiver will be confused and have pixelation from both stations, or blow up, I don't know.

XETV-DT 23 in Tijuana is currently on the same channel as KTBN-DT in Los Angeles, which is expected to move to channel 33 in June, but when that happens, KTBN-DT will boost its power and cause digital interference with XHAS analog 33 in Tijuana.

XEWT-DT 32 in Tijuana is on the same channel as KDOC-DT in Orange county. When XEWT analog channel 12 is shut down in about 2021, XEWT-DT will move to channel 12, so expect co-channel interference for at least a decade until that changes.

XHJK-DT 28 in Tijuana is on the same channel as KCET analog 28, and in June, KCET-DT will be a 1,000kw'er on 28, causing co-channel interference. XHJK's analog signal is on 27, and XHJK-DT is expected to replace its analog signal on 27 sometime when that analog signal is turned off in about 2021.

XHTIT-DT 29 in Tijuana is co-channel with KFTR-DT in Los Angeles. KFTR-DT will stay on channel 29. It will be about 2021 when XHTIT-DT moves to channel 21, replacing its analog channel. XHTIT-DT also suffers co-channel interference with KSDX-LP coming from near Rancho San Diego, so reception of XHTIT-DT is mostly limited to South County and southward. KSDX-LP plans to go digital on VHF channel 9 as a low power digital station.

XHTJB-DT 38 in Tijuana hasn't signed on yet as far as I know, but I don't expect it to move its digital signal to VHF 3 in 2021 because digital television stations in the 2-6 range (low VHF) can only broadcast at 20kw (1/5th of the old analog watt limit), so reception would be almost impossible unless viewers get really long antennas to receive such stations. KPXN-DT on channel 38 in Los Angeles will stay on that channel in June, so who knows when one of the channels will move to another channel.

XHUAA-DT 22 interferes with KWHY analog 22, but in June, KWHY-DT, which is already on channel 42, will stay there, so analog KWHY will disappear. XHUAA-DT may stay on 22 as its final digital channel assignment.