WSET.com - ABC13The Change to Digital Television

On October 6, 2009, WSET-TV made the final transition of our digital signal from UHF channel 34 to VHF channel 13. In most cases, this will provide you with a much stronger signal than you had in the past. There may be some exceptions, but generally speaking, if you received WSET prior to October 6, you should be able to receive it now.

If not, the fist step that you should take is to re-scan your receiver. If your antenna is connected directly to your digital television, simply go through the re-scan choice on your television set's menu. If you have a converter box, you will need to re-scan the converter box. The best and most complete way to re-scan a converter box is to unplug everything (electricity, antenna, television, etc.) and then re-connect and re-scan. If you receive an over-the-air signal through your satellite box, go to the set-up menu and re-scan antenna channels. It is a good idea to re-scan your receiver periodically as new channels are being added on a regular basis. You will not receive them until you re-scan. You can also try a double re-scan. You do this by unplugging the antenna input cable from the back of your digital TV or converter box. Re-scan for channels on the TV or converter box. This will clear out the memory. Then you will reattach the antenna input cable and re-scan for channels again. This acts like a reboot on a computer.

If that doesn't fix the problem, take a look at your antenna. Channel 13 is in the VHF portion of the spectrum while the old channel 34 was UHF. They require different types of antennas. You will want a UHF/VHF combo antenna. Most television antennas manufactured before 2005 were UHF/VHF combo antennas. Some of the newer digital antennas are UHF only.

If you have a VHF antenna and you have re-scanned your receiver, there must be a more complicated issue. Feel free to give us a call and we will attempt to assist you over the phone, or we can direct you to local technicians who may be able to help you.

There will be situations where you may get some local stations but not all of them. This is largely because not all of the broadcasting towers are located in the same place. In fact, the WSET-TV tower and transmitter, which is licensed to Lynchburg, is located south of Bedford about 25 miles east of the other stations. Because of this, WSET will have better coverage than the other stations in Southside Virginia and lesser coverage in the New River Valley.

Good luck in your efforts. We value you as a viewer.

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