Detroit Public TV | Highlights & Specials. Digital Transition

Map Key:*
White = extremely strong
Red-yellow-green = quite strong
Cyan = advisable to move the antenna up to the second floor or attic
Blue = it's probably necessary to install a good antenna on the roof
Purple = quite weak

*Please understand that this is a simulation and can only be treated as a rough approximation. Reception at your location is affected by many factors such as multipath, antenna gain, receiver sensitivity, buildings, and trees - which are not taken into account. Your mileage may vary.

DPTV Boosts Power!

Good news for people who watch our signal over the air … Detroit Public TV has nearly tripled its digital transmitter power as of October 12, 2009. So now you will have even better, steadier antenna reception of our beautiful High Definition Channel 56.1 and our additional channels DPTV Plus 56.2 and Create 56.3. If you’ve had problem in the past, check it now. You may also re-scan your set or converter box for all three of our channels.

At our transmitter site in Oak Park, we have added a second large tube and transmitter connecting equipment to combine the power of the two tubes. We have also added a back-up generator and uninterruptible power supply. So we have backup systems in case the power -- or even one of the big tubes -- goes out to be as reliable as possible for you.

This project was made possible by donations to our capital campaign, and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

We recognize that many of our 1.5 million viewers a week still watch us over the air and we're pleased to be able to respond with this project. If you were not able to receive a strong signal before and you now can, we’d love to hear about it at dtv@dptv.org. And if you are still having difficulties, please see the last section on this page titled How to Report Reception Difficulties.

Dan Alpert
Chief Operating Officer and Station Manager

Watch the final analog broadcast on old Channel 56 :
(To start the video click the orange play button in the left-hand corner of the video player)

DTV Helplines

FCC national call center, 1-888-CALL-FCC
FCC TTY number for hearing impaired, 1-888-TELL-FCC

Information about the Channel 56 signal is available by calling our office during business hours, 9-5, at 1-248-305-3900.

DPTV’s 3 Digital Channels

Many people who get a new High Definition TV (HDTV) are amazed at the new channels they receive free, over the air, including three from WTVS Detroit Public Television.

56.1 DPTV lets viewers watch the primary schedule of Channel 56, with the full variety of our programs, including most programs in high definition when available.
56.2 DPTV Plus* includes a repeat of many PBS programs, seen in different time slots for added convenience, as well as other special local and national programs of interest to our audience.
56.3 CREATE* is our 24-hour service of public television's most popular how-to shows, from cooking to crafting, to home improvement, to travel shows.

At Detroit Public Television, we want you to enjoy digital television.

*DPTV PLUS channel (over-the-air 56.2) can be seen on Comcast Channel 287, BrightHouse 155, and Charter (Most systems) 432.
*DPTV CREATE channel (over the air 56.3) can be seen on Comcast Channel 288, BrightHouse 156, and Charter (Most systems) 433

If your cable, telco, or satellite company does not carry WTVS's additional channels, please let their customer services representatives know you want WTVS 56. 2 and 56.3 added to their lineup. Thanks to the companies that already do!

See what's on by checking our Digital Program Schedule.

To help you prepare for the digital transition, we offer a list of frequently asked questions and related links to ensure that you're able to keep watching your favorite PBS shows.

Unable to find our DTV channel on your over-the-air digital receiver?

Occasionally a receiver may lose some of the channel information that is stored in its memory. If you are unable to tune to our digital channel 43 (virtual sub-channels 56.1, 56.2, or 56.3), go to the menu in your receiver and perform a channel scan. This should add the missing channel(s) and allow you to switch to our channel using your receiver's remote control.

Equipment Upgrades

Detroit Public Television continues to make improvements to the equipment used to transmit our digital programming. Viewers may experience temporary loss of video and/or audio when work is performed on our equipment. We apologize for this inconvenience.

How to Report Reception Difficulties

If you are watching our digital channel and have reception difficulties, please send a reception report to dtv@dptv.org. Please include:

your location (or zip code),
receiver/tuner brand and model,
antenna type and location, and
any other information that may be useful in our efforts to assist you with your reception difficulties.

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On-Air Digital Schedule DPTV Digital About Digital DTV Facts DTV FAQs From the FCC The DTV Transition and Viewers Along U.S. Borders Troubleshooting Guide for Digital-to-Analog Converter Boxes and Digital TVs Consumer Advisory - Digital-To-Analog Converter Box - Selected Features FAQs Facts Glossary Other my free HDTV DTV Answers Gov Gab Digital Transition Blog Choose the Right Antenna WTVS FCC form 388 - DTV Consumer Education Quarterly Report for the quarter ending 3/31/08. WTVS FCC form 388 - DTV Consumer Education Quarterly Report for the quarter ending 6/30/08. WTVS FCC form 388 - DTV Consumer Education Quarterly Report for the quarter ending 9/30/08. WTVS FCC form 388 - DTV Consumer Education Quarterly Report for the quarter ending 12/31/08. WTVS FCC form 388 - DTV Consumer Education Quarterly Report - As Filed 3/31/09. WTVS FCC form 388 - DTV Consumer Education Quarterly Report - As Filed 6/30/09.	Digital Television Digital Coverage Map Map Key:* White = extremely strong Red-yellow-green = quite strong Cyan = advisable to move the antenna up to the second floor or attic Blue = it's probably necessary to install a good antenna on the roof Purple = quite weak Please understand that this is a simulation and can only be treated as a rough approximation. Reception at your location is affected by many factors such as multipath, antenna gain, receiver sensitivity, buildings, and trees - which are not taken into account. Your mileage may vary. DPTV Boosts Power! Good news for people who watch our signal over the air … Detroit Public TV has nearly tripled its digital transmitter power as of October 12, 2009. So now you will have even better, steadier antenna reception of our beautiful High Definition Channel 56.1 and our additional channels DPTV Plus 56.2 and Create 56.3. If you’ve had problem in the past, check it now. You may also re-scan your set or converter box for all three of our channels. At our transmitter site in Oak Park, we have added a second large tube and transmitter connecting equipment to combine the power of the two tubes. We have also added a back-up generator and uninterruptible power supply. So we have backup systems in case the power -- or even one of the big tubes -- goes out to be as reliable as possible for you. This project was made possible by donations to our capital campaign, and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. We recognize that many of our 1.5 million viewers a week still watch us over the air and we're pleased to be able to respond with this project. If you were not able to receive a strong signal before and you now can, we’d love to hear about it at dtv@dptv.org. And if you are still having difficulties, please see the last section on this page titled How to Report Reception Difficulties. Dan Alpert* Chief Operating Officer and Station Manager Watch the final analog broadcast on old Channel 56 : (To start the video click the orange play button in the left-hand corner of the video player) DTV Helplines FCC national call center, 1-888-CALL-FCC FCC TTY number for hearing impaired, 1-888-TELL-FCC Information about the Channel 56 signal is available by calling our office during business hours, 9-5, at 1-248-305-3900. DPTV’s 3 Digital Channels Many people who get a new High Definition TV (HDTV) are amazed at the new channels they receive free, over the air, including three from WTVS Detroit Public Television. 56.1 DPTV lets viewers watch the primary schedule of Channel 56, with the full variety of our programs, including most programs in high definition when available. 56.2 DPTV Plus* includes a repeat of many PBS programs, seen in different time slots for added convenience, as well as other special local and national programs of interest to our audience. 56.3 CREATE* is our 24-hour service of public television's most popular how-to shows, from cooking to crafting, to home improvement, to travel shows. At Detroit Public Television, we want you to enjoy digital television. DPTV PLUS channel (over-the-air 56.2) can be seen on Comcast Channel 287, BrightHouse 155, and Charter (Most systems) 432. DPTV CREATE channel (over the air 56.3) can be seen on Comcast Channel 288, BrightHouse 156, and Charter (Most systems) 433 If your cable, telco, or satellite company does not carry WTVS's additional channels, please let their customer services representatives know you want WTVS 56. 2 and 56.3 added to their lineup. Thanks to the companies that already do! See what's on by checking our Digital Program Schedule. To help you prepare for the digital transition, we offer a list of frequently asked questions and related links to ensure that you're able to keep watching your favorite PBS shows. Unable to find our DTV channel on your over-the-air digital receiver? Occasionally a receiver may lose some of the channel information that is stored in its memory. If you are unable to tune to our digital channel 43 (virtual sub-channels 56.1, 56.2, or 56.3), go to the menu in your receiver and perform a channel scan. This should add the missing channel(s) and allow you to switch to our channel using your receiver's remote control. Equipment Upgrades Detroit Public Television continues to make improvements to the equipment used to transmit our digital programming. Viewers may experience temporary loss of video and/or audio when work is performed on our equipment. We apologize for this inconvenience. How to Report Reception Difficulties If you are watching our digital channel and have reception difficulties, please send a reception report to dtv@dptv.org. Please include: your location (or zip code), receiver/tuner brand and model, antenna type and location, and any other information that may be useful in our efforts to assist you with your reception difficulties.
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