How can I see the digital channels? What channels are broadcast in digital?

Like traditional TV, our digital signal is a free over-the-air broadcast that you can receive via a UHF antenna. In addition you will need a digital tuner, which can be purchased as a stand-alone box or built into a digital television. If your receiver does not automatically find our signals, WPTA-DT is on digital channel 24 and WISE-DT is on digital channel 19. Depending on your location, you may need a UHF antenna outside or in your attic. Advice on what kind of antenna you need at your home can be found on www.antennaweb.org

Once you have acquired our signal, you will notice we are broadcasting multiple channels.

The Networks of Indiana's NewsCenter:
WPTA-DT 21.1: 21 Alive HD
WPTA-DT2 21.2: Fort Wayne's CW
WISE-DT 33.1: NBC 33 HD
WISE-DT2 33.2: My Network TV
WISE-DT3 33.3: Indiana's NewsCenter WeatherPlus

You can get all these channels free over the air as described above. Fort Wayne's CW is also available on basic cable. The others are also available via digital cable. Our digital broadcasts are currently not available via satellite dish services.

What happens in 2009?
The FCC has set the date of February 17th, 2009, as the date for all TV stations in the U.S. to cease their analog broadcasts. As of that date you will be able to receive our digital broadcasts in one of three ways:

1. Over the air on a television with a built-in digital tuner
2. Over the air utilizing a stand-alone digital tuner or converter box
3. Via a cable or satellite service that is re-broadcasting our signal

More details can be found in the Q&A below or by watching the online video above.

What are HDTV and DTV?
DTV is Digital Television. It is any broadcast that uses a digital signal.
HDTV is High Definition Television. This is a digital broadcast offering the highest quality picture and sound available.
SDTV is a digitally produced broadcast that delivers better resolution than analog TV, but lower resolution than HDTV.
Analog TV is what you have been watching for years.
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What shows are in HDTV?
Many network programs, sports, and movies are in full HDTV. Look for programs marked HD on our Program Listings.
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What shows are on WPTA-DT and WISE-DT?
Every show currently airing on WPTA and WISE is also simulcaston WPTA-DT or WISE-DT. Some are available in HDTV, while other programming is "upconverted" to digital.

What are the Benefits of DTV?
Wider Format:
HDTV screens are about one-third wider than existing TV screens. They have similar dimensions to movie screens. HDTV screens closely match the peripheral vision range of the human eye, making it more natural to watch.

Higher Quality Picture and Sound:
HDTV uses the same amount of bandwidth (six megahertz) as used in the current analog system, but HDTV can transmit more than six times the information as the analog system. This translates to higher quality in picture and sound.

Higher Resolution:
SDTV television pictures are made up of 525 lines that are scanned horizontally. HDTV pictures are created by scanning 1,080 lines. Adding twice the amount of lines multiplies the amount of pixels (the small dots that create the picture). Current sets have about 300,000 pixels, while the HDTV screen is composed of more than 2 million pixels. Having more pixels on your screen will also improve the sharpness of your pictures, allowing you to read on your television screen small text commonly found on computers.

True Surround Sound:
Complimenting the lifelike pictures are 5.1 channels of CD-quality digital audio. Current stereo TV sets offer only two channels of audio. HDTV delivers true surround sound: front speakers on the right, center and left, along with two back speakers and a sub-woofer.

Strong Signals Always:
The days of static and ghosts on your TV set are over. The digital signal will also strengthen signal quality, meaning the signal will be just as brilliantly clear and sharp up to 65 miles away if there are no obstructions between you and the tower and a quality antenna and preamp are used. If you can receive our digital signal, you will always get studio-quality video and audio.

Interactive Possibilities:
Thanks to digital broadcasting, we can also broadcast data (datacasting), which will revolutionize the way you communicate, entertain yourself and live your life. We will be able to marry the convenience of television with the power and freedom of the Internet. Datacasting will make truly interactive TV possible, empowering the viewer to make television-viewing an incredible experience.

More Than One Channel (Multicasting):
We can also squeeze in more than one "channel" of television or data into our digital TV channel. We can choose to send a channel of high-definition TV, up to two channels of standard-definition TV (SDTV) and a channel of data at the same time. See our list of channels above.

Will my current TV set be obsolete?
The FCC has set the date of February 17th, 2009, as the date for all TV stations in the U.S. to cease their analog broadcasts. As of that date you will be able to receive our digital broadcasts in one of three ways:

1. Over the air on a television with a built-in digital tuner
The FCC has mandated that all new TVs, VCRs, and DVRs include a digital tuner by March 1, 2007

2. Over the air utilizing a stand-alone digital tuner or converter box attached to an older television
This option will not allow you to receive the full benefit of HDTV, but you will be able to continue to use your existing television

3. Via a cable or satellite service that is re-broadcasting our signal
Check with your provider for availability. Your provider may charge an additional fee for HDTV signals.

Your analog television can always be used with your existing video equipment, like VCRs, DVD players and video games.