So far so good here. It was a pain to reprogram things – my DVR kept adding two 7.1 and 7.2 channels, one old & one new, but I didn’t notice any change in reception.

The other funny thing is that 7.2 is stil broadcasting on 7.2.

Are you watching this via HD over-air-broadcast? The regular analog signal was canceled a while ago for the digital transition period. I would invest into a HD-antenna and get one of those digital box converters if that’s the case.

It’s funny, because on my two TVs that are tuned via an eyeTV and a Mac Mini, they both do what you describe. But on the one TV that had its own tuner and isn’t hooked up to a DVR, it shows as 42. Funny thing is the one with its own tuner worked fine until yesterday on channel 42, so I really don’t get it. I think they must have changed something.

I have cable either – I bought a digital box and built a DIY antenna. I re-scanned the channels and did pick up channel 42, but the remote skips it when I use the UP button to browse channels. I have to enter “4″ and “2″ to get channel 42.

We live in Newburyport. We cannot get Channel 42 at all! I inquired with the FCC. They responded by confirming that Channel 42 is not accessible from this location, so we now have no means to watch NBC.

These changes are not what they were “cracked up to be.” Reception is spotty, people on screen cannot keep their chins on their faces and listening is no longer intelligible. The preceeding sentence in DTV speak goes like this, …where only the capitalized letters would be heard:

“RECEption is spoTTY, people OOTn screEN cannot KEEp thEIR chINs on their faCES AND listenING iS No longER inTELLigible.” Accordingly, the sentence is heard as follows: “RECE TEE OTT EN KEE EIR INS CES AND ING SS NNN ER TELL.”

Tell me: Is this any way to improve ratings???
How can the stations and the FCC claim this is an improvement?

We purchased the converter boxes. We got the necessary antenna. We rescanned, and repeatedly rescan, as directed by WHDH. These changes are only an improvement if people pay for cable or a dish network to substitute for what used to be free in return for listening to commercials. NOW we must still endure the commercials AND PAY SUBSTANTIAL FEES just to get reception.

…Reception that is broken up, at best. This is wrong.

Shrewsbury MA: No 42.1 out here in either. No NBC available. Channel 7.1 used to be my strongest station over the air, and now it’s gone completely. Great timing, since now the Patriots are playing on Sunday, no way to watch.

I’m in Salem, NH. My Channel Master 4228HD antenna is 50 ft off the ground with the best mast-mount preamp. I used to be able to pull in Channel 7 at 100%, and Channel 42 at 20-30% with occasional breakups. Now, with Ch. 7 gone, Ch 42 is between 0-30% with frequent breakups. Ch. 42 signal seems to be weaker than before.

I had a great signal on uhf 42 since before the June DTV change over. In when they started broadcasting on vhf 7, I found that vhf 7 was spotty. At that time they continued broadcasting on both channels, uhf 42 and vhf 7 simultaneously since they knew they had issues with vhf 7. I kept both channels scanned into my box so I could use whichever was best.

Last week when they stopped broadcasting on vhf 7, since they are ditching that plan, uhf 42 seemed to be spottier than it was previously. If I had to guess I would say they lower the power at times, sometimes it’s great other times spotty. Last sunday 11/15 the station was DEAD, no Patriots (like Patrick said).

A long time ago I manually entered some of the Providence channels, NBC, FOX and ION. Last winter I was able to get them solidly, probably a snow covered ground, no leaves on trees, allowed a better signal flight. I lost them thru the summer, but I kept them set up on my converter box.

I noticed that on sunday, 11/15, when the boston whdh channel 7 (uhf 42) was dead, I was able to recieve a solid signal on the providence NBC channel (channel 10) and watch the Pats. Now the station is dead to me again, so all I can say is that the stations know they are having problems, since one was dead and the other cranked up the power to get the game out there …… I wish they would make the issues more public, like on their whdh web site.

To the guy in Newburyport: I live in westford, a little south of you, but I pick up stations from providence, RI, plus all the boston channels with a $29 radio shack uhf antenna. There is no reason you can’t get ALL the boston channels, including channel 7 (uhf 42) with a decent antenna set up. Whoever told you that you can’t get it in Newburyport is WRONG. If you get channel 2 and 44 and 5, then you should get channel 7 since they are all broadcasting from about the same place. In fact I think channel 44 is on the exact same tower as the channel 7 antenna. If your antenna isn’t outside, get it out and up on your roof or chimney, you’ll probably pick up some providence channels too (sporadically). Make sure you are pointed in the right direction, that’s key.