I bought my digital boxes from Walmart a year ago thru the coupon program. It took about a year to even get them hooked up, due to lack of time and not having RG6 coax cable. I worked 2nd shift for several years, and never had time to work on the outdoor antenna. I got around doing that in late April. I still use my old RCA 24" color CRT tv with NTSC (analog) tuner. The TV still works, and didn't want to give it up just yet. I have the Magnavox ATSC (digital) tuner box, model# TB100MW9.
I was using this prior to June 12th, and this was the lineup of channels from Chicagoland:
Real channel / Virtual Channel
3 2 WBBM-TV (CBS)*
17 56 WYIN (PBS)
19 9 WGN-TV (CW)
21 20 WYCC (PBS)
27 26 WCIU (IND)
29 5 WMAQ-TV (NBC)
31 32 WFLD (FOX)
36 62 WJYS (IND)
39 23 WWME-LD (IND-MeTV)
43 38 WCPX (ION)
45 44 WSNS (Telemundo)
46 48 WMEU-LD (IND-MeToo)
47 11 WTTW (PBS)
51 50 WPWR-TV (My Network)
52 7 WLS-TV (ABC)*
53 66 WGBO (Univisión)*
59 60 WXFT (Telefutura)*
Since June 12th, the 4 stations with astericks (*) changed channels, because 3 of the 4 were forced to change channels.
WBBM-TV didn't like 2 or 3, due to most people not getting 2 on analog, or 3 on digital. For some reason, 2-6 does worse for digital, though I had no problems getting 2's digital on 3. They switched to channel 12 on June 12th, and switched from the John Hancock to the Sears Tower, by using WTTW's old antenna they used for analog. WTTW had the option to go back to 11, but they chose to stay on 47.
WLS-TV didn't file an application to acquire a different channel, and 52 was out of core for the new channel lineup. So they had to go back to channel 7 for digital.
WGBO & WXFT lost both their analog & digital channels, and had to get new channels. Since both channels were out of core, they had highest priority for new channel assignments.
WGBO went from 66 on analog, 53 for digital to 38 for their final channel. 38 was WCPX's old channel, but WCPX liked 43 better, and stayed there. WGBO only acquired the old channel, but not WCPX's antenna, which is on the Sears Tower. WGBO is only 1 of 2 full power stations staying on the John Hancock. WYCC is the other station staying on the John Hancock.
WXFT went from 60 for analog, 59 for digital to 50 for their final channel assignment. They also acquired WPWR's old channel, but not their antenna, though both stations are on the Sears Tower.
WYIN had to stay on 17, since 56 was out of core. Even though 56 wasn't originally planned for being eliminated (52-59), they like 17 better, because it's at the top of the UHF dial.
So for the Chicago market, here's the final lineup:
RC VC
7.1 7.1 WLS-TV (ABC)7.2 7.2 Livewell
7.3 7.3 Accuweather
12.1 2.1 WBBM-TV (CBS)
17.1 56.1 WYIN (PBS) (Not a full market signal)
17.2 56.2 WYIN in SDTV (like their main channel)
19.2 9.2 LATV (Spanish)
21.1 20.1 WYCC (PBS)
21.2 20.2 WYCC in SDTV
21.3 20.3 MHZ programming
27.1 26.1 WCIU (Ind)
27.2 26.2 MeTV from WWME-LD
27.3 26.3 Me Too from WMEU-LD
27.4 26.4 This TV
27.5 26.5 ? (Shows What's up with THAT?)
27.6 26.6 FBT (Ethic programming, primarily Polish & Chinese programming)
29.1 5.1 WMAQ-TV (NBC)
29.2 5.2 NBC Plus (Weather)
29.3 5.3 Universal Sports
31.1 32.1 WFLD (FOX)
38.1 38.1 WGBO (Univisión) (They now ID with their real channel, not their virtual channel)
43.1 38.1 WCPX (ION)
43.2 38.2 Qubo
43.3 38.3 Ion Life
43.4 38.4 Worship TV
45.1 44.1 WSNS (Telemundo)
45.2 44.2 WSNS in SDTV
46.1 48.1 WMEU-LD (Me Too)
47.1 11.1 WTTW (PBS)
47.2 11.2 WTTW Prime
47.3 11.3 Create
47.4 11.4 V-Me (Spanish PBS programming)
50.1 60.1 WXFT (Telefutura)
50.2 60.2 WGBO (Univisión) again
51.1 50.1 WPWR-TV (My Network)
19.2/9.2 used to air The Tube, which was a music video channel, like the old MTV, but they weren't on the air a year. They were a good channel, and miss it.
Most of the digital subchannels were the same prior to the June 12th date. So with the exception of 4 channels, everything was the same. With the current technology of ATSC, only the primary channel can be in 1080i max. Subchannels are lucky to be in the old 480i resolution. Most stations are 720i. I just wonder when WBBM-TV, WFLD, & WPWR will have subchannels. I'd like to see what they offer eventually.
As for the antenna I'm using, I'm using an older Philips VHF/UHF antenna that's made for suburban to rural areas. Since the land is overall flat, the signal isn't a major issue. Since WWME-LD & WMEU-LD are low power stations transmitting from the Sears Tower, the big antenna helps at getting those stations. Otherwise, I might be lucky if I get WWME-LD, since WMEU-LD doesn't reach most of NW Indiana. WWME-LD & WMEU-LD aren't full market signals. WYIN is a full power signal, but they're not a full market signal, due to their transmitter being in Cedar Lake Indiana, and not Chicago on the Sears Tower, as originally planned. Cost was the reason they stayed in Cedar Lake and not move to Chicago for their signal. I however don't need an antenna for channels 2-6 anymore, since both WBBM-TV & WMAQ TV vacated both of their analog channels, along with WBBM-TV abandoning their original digital channel on channel 3. So my next antenna will only be optimized for channels 7-51, since Chicago still has 2 VHF stations: WLS-TV back on 7, and WBBM-TV now on 12. But since my current antenna is still good, no point in getting rid of it, just because no station is on 2-6 anymore in Chicagoland. It still works for all other channels.
