I was just watching NBC, which was channel 6.1. I left it on as I went to my kitchen to make lunch. After I ate, I went back, and it was still on NBC, but the corner of the screen said “DTV 44.1” as if somebody had just changed the channel. 6.1 no longer works. IIRC my TV does not scan for channels unless I tell it to. I am using an antenna. What just happened?
Btw 44.1 was never a channel for me before this.
Since we have no idea as to where you are, wouldn’t calling your local station provide a more accurate answer?
File this in the: I just heard a noise, what was it? file.
Now NBC is back on 6.1. Whatever happened must be over.
You’re welcome.
We get that sort of thing (cable) whenever there’s an EAS Emergency Alert for weather, child abduction or other such warning. The channel skips to one of those public service things and interrupts whatever recording might be in progress. It’s really annoying when we’re watching the Weather Channel for progress in approaching storms. The EAS breaks in to tell us there’s a storm on the way!
WCSH in Portland, Maine used to broadcast over-the-air on channel 6. However, since it switched to a digital signal it has actually been broadcasting on channel 44.
One provision of digital transmissions is that the stations are allowed to designate “virtual channels”, which tells the converter boxes which channel to display instead of the actual channel being used. In WCSH’s case its virtual channel designation is the original channel 6.
Like you, I have seen a few cases where the station suddenly, but temporarily, switches to the real rather than the virtual channel. I’ve always assumed this was just a passing glitch, due to the converter box momentarily having trouble reading the virtual channel information, possibly due to a transmission issue at the station.
there is a virtual channel, likely 6.1 here, where the station has been know by channel 6 a VHF station.
there is a real channel. likely here 44.1 which is the actual frequency assignment the station now broadcasts on a UHF channel.
when broadcast tv stations went digital in the USA they went to a temporary channel for the transition period and then to a permanent channel assignment. many moved to UHF but kept their old number, which was their branding. even UHF stations got moved to another UHF channel.
your tv tuner knew what channel that it was tuned to, 44.1, and told you so. it temporarily lost its signal which tells you to pretend it’s channel 6.1. it got straight when the signal came back.
Do you own a cat and could it have walked on the remote?
A friend of mine and I both owned the same make and model of TV. I use to enjoy sneaking up to his windows and changing the channels and volume on him with my remote.
The station messed up their PSIP transmission. Without a correct PSIP, your TV will display the actual TV channel of 44 in the UHF band. Prior to digital TV, your station used channel 6 in the VHF band but had to give up that frequency for cellphone use.
People have televisions that display fractional channel numbers?
My bedroom LCD was bought in 2005 and I still see whole numbers. But, I have DirecTV and they even carry my local channels, 2,4,7,and 11. Would those be fractional numbers using an over the air antenna?
I’ve only used the built in tuner on this tv a couple times right after buying it. Local reception needed rabbit ears and this tv didn’t have any. So I had a 2nd DirecTV receiver added to my bill.
the subchannels (fractional numbers) are a broadcast over the air thing.
cable and satellite services don’t carry these or might only do so in their digital service (higher price using converter boxes).
Channel 6 is still in the TV spectrum and there are TV stations operating on RF Channel 6. RF Channel 6 is very popular with low power TV stations, because until late next year, low power stations may still broadcast in analog and the analog audio signal of RF 6 can be received on FM radios at 87.5 FM. There are quite a few pseudo-radio stations licensed as LPTV stations on RF 6.
It was RF Channels 52 through 69 that were taken away from the TV band in 2009 for cellular use. RF Channel 51 was restricted. Channels 70 through 82 went to cellular in 1982.
QAM cable channels use the fractional numbers.
Learned something new today. Thanks for enlightening me.
It was about 11 years ago that DirecTV finally let me have local channels. Before that I had to switch back and forth between my antenna and satellite. A major nuisance.