PHOTO: My front page story, giving tricks to solve DTV reception problems in the Albany and Corvallis area, was in the Sunday newspaper article by Thomas Kraemer, "Tricks to tame your digital TV," Gazette-Times, Mar. 8, 2009, p. A1, A6. (See previous post My front page DTV story Sunday newspaper (3/8/09))
It has been seven years since I wrote the above article on HDTV reception in Corvallis, Oregon and so I decided to write for the local newspaper the following update on how much easier it is to get free over-the-air high definition TV reception today:
Free over-the-air digital TV reception in Corvallis has improved greatly since this newspaper's Mid-Valley Sunday edition printed the story, "Tricks to tame your digital TV," on Mar 8, 2009.
Most Eugene TV stations are now broadcasting more powerful signals that are easier to receive in Corvallis with a smaller antenna.
Likewise, some Portland digital TV stations have built translators near Corvallis to retransmit their signals, which make them very easy to receive.
For example, the Portland high definition TV virtual channels 2-1 KATU (displayed as 2.1 on some sets) and 8-1 KGW can be easily tuned in on many Corvallis HDTV sets just by typing their physical RF channel number 47 or 48 on the remote control. (Consult your manual and AntennaWeb.org for the angle your antenna needs to be pointed.)
Oddly, the Corvallis Comcast Cable TV system for decades has always carried channels 2 and 8 in low definition, but never in HD, which is contrary to the customer demand for cable to provide a better picture without needing an antenna, in addition to prior FCC must-carry local station rules and franchise agreements with the City of Corvallis.
Below are two tables that list free over-the-air virtual channel numbers and the corresponding physical RF channel numbers for a few selected Portland and Eugene, Oregon digital TV stations receivable in Corvallis, Oregon:
| Selected Eugene DTV channels receivable in Corvallis, Oregon | ||
| Virtual channel | RF Channel | Station |
| 7 | 7 | KOAC PBS |
| 9 | 9 | KEZI ABC |
| 13 | 13 | KVAL CBS |
| 16 | 17 | KMTR NBC |
| 28 | 29 | KEPB PBS |
| 34 | 31 | KLSR FOX |
| Selected Portland DTV channels receivable in Corvallis, Oregon | ||
| Virtual channel | RF Channel | Station |
| 2 | 47 | KATU ABC |
| 8 | 48 | KGW NBC |
