HOUSTON - Some people who thought they were ready for DTV are running into some problems. It turns out it may be due to their antenna.
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Still having DTV reception problems?
June 15, 2009
When television stations flipped the switches on Friday morning, the old signal went away and crystal clear digital television became the ultra high-tech wave of the future.
But phone calls to our DTV help line show that some very low tech solutions are in order, starting with a change in the way you position your TV antenna.
"They need to be flat. They need to be horizontal, and while you're looking for channels, you need to have them all the way out. Once you find channels you might be able to tuck them back in. It's important while you're searching to have as much gain as you can on the antenna," said KHOU's Assistant Director of Technology Jeff Laird.
KHOU's digital transmitter and the transmitters of every major TV station in the Houston area are on the outskirts of Missouri City.
To help you find the best position for your antenna, enter your zipcode into the Web site. It will draw a straight line from your house right to our tower.
"If these are your arms spread wide, make them flat and then rotate them towards Missouri City," Laird said.
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And after finding each channel, hit the rescan or channel search button on your digital converter box.
"It's almost like you're fishing and then once you see what you caught, you can move the antenna and scan again," Laird said.
The FCC says the switch to digital TV last Friday went remarkably well.
Minor reception problems are what they expected.
