WIAT TV Information

CBS 42 has been providing High Definition (HD) broadcasting to viewers in Central Alabama since 1996. In fact, CBS 42 was the first station in Central Alabama to bring this technology to our community. The investment made by CBS 42 to provide the best possible audio & video to our viewers has cost well over $2,000,000. Yet, we provide this service at no charge to our viewers. If you have an HDTV receiver and antenna, you will be able to view programs like CSI, Survivor and all sporting events such as March Madness, The Masters, NFL Football and SEC Football will in HD. Certain Cable systems and Direct TV also carry our HD signal. Soon, we expect to add Dish Network. If your Cable provider does not provide CBS 42 in HD you should call and ask them to put CBS 42 HD on their system. WIAT is not granting waivers for reception of distant network signals over DirecTV or Dish Network, as we currently provide a full-power, over-the-air HDTV signal to cover central Alabama. We have compiled a list of steps to help you receive FREE HDTV signal over the air: , Any good quality UHF antenna can be used. Over the air HDTV reception is best received by using an outdoor, four-bay bowtie UHF antenna. A model costing less than $30 is available by clicking here, or you can get an indoor antenna by clicking here. , Which ever antenna you choose, we suggest you buy a good quality RG6 cable to run from the UHF antenna to you HD receiver. , Before picking a permanent mounting location, try placing the antenna in your desired location and test it with your receiver to make sure you're receiving the best signal strength. You may need to try more than one place around the outside of your house. , The stability of the antenna is as important as the height. After finding the best location, you will need to mount the antenna as stable as possible, as antenna movement can result in pixilation of you picture. If you have any questions about CBS 42's HDTV signal, feel free to call our station at 205-322-4200 and ask for the engineering department. Click here to learn more about how TV as we know it now will change come February 17, 2009. Click here to learn more about the difference between DTV and HDTV.