Well the deadline is here and still no DTV. Dose anyone have any info as to when it will arrive? Here is what I know: WKBW[ABC] applied for extension and will probraly apply for the 2nd extension too. WIVB[CBS] expects mid-May to be brooadcasting. They also plan on HDTV at the same time; they will broadcast primetime only. WGRZ[NBC] never reply to e-mail. Hopefully tonight I will find some DTV on my nightly scan.

DRB

Haven't heard a thing here either. CBS seems to be the only one with their HDTV act together.

www.titantv.com gives a listing of avaiable stations in your area and there projeted live date. WIVB [CBS] is to come live May 9. PBS is Oct 1. Most stations are listed as "waiting for FCC permit" I just wish I knew what that meant.

WIVB date is now May 31. As the date draws closer I am sure it will be push back to June something.

At least the information is being updated. That gives me hope that something may happen eventually. John Merrill at WIVB told me a couple of weeks ago they were shooting for sometime in late May. Let's keep our fingers crossed!!

Yeah, hopefully! :)

I haven't watched CBS much this past year, it would be good to catch all the prime time reruns in HDTV!! :)

At least this gives me more time to put up and get my antenna ready.

tick tick tick....

The esteemed Mr. Merrill from WIVB says an announcement is coming soon, to be posted on their website and to be announced over the air. Seems each reply to my emails becomes more terse!

Good thing lives didn't depend on Buffalo going HD Live!! :D

Hey, guys!! WIVB-DT is on the air in digital SD!!! Chanels 39-01, 39-02, 39-03!!!!!

At the moment, King of Queens is on in widescreen HD. The HD commercial for the CBS lineup looked absolutely FANTASTIC!!! This is what we have been waiting so long for.

Looks to me like they're going through a few growing pains.....but I agree....it's nice to see a little HD OTA in WNY.

Awesome! Thanks for the heads up! Cannot wait to get home and fire up the TV! Hope I got my antenna tuned in correctly...hehe...

Woot

This is great news - HDTV is alive in Western NY!

Can anyone get the signal in Rochester, NY? If not, I guess I'll have to drive to Buffalo, put up an antenna, and record some stuff on my htpc.

I'm thinking CSI on Thursday night, but I'd really appreciate it if someone can confirm that it'll be on in HDTV.

Thanks in advance,

Ron

RIppolito: Don't get too excited just yet. As of this morning there is no broadcast signal. They are just testing at this point and no public announcement has been made, so it could be a little while. At least we know it's going to be a reality soon!

Sources say that they'll be "testing" through this week and will make an official announcement on the 6 o'clock news this Friday (on WIVB channel 4... or is that channel 39-03). Which brings me to another question. When the US goes completely digital will channel 4 become channel 39-03? Will channel 7 become channel 38-xx and so on and so on...................will Adelphia cable...wait a minute....never mind about Adelphia cable..........

And sources also say that channel 2 (or is that 33-xx) will be on the air within a month or so....although I am not to sure about this one...

I wonder if our friends in the Toronto area are getting HD over the air ? I hope so!

Does anyone have an email address at WIVB so I can ask them about tomorrow evening's broadcasting? If they aren't going to test tomorrow, it'd save me a trip there and back.

Has anyone tested reception during the day? How do they handle the local news - SD only? Does the digital signal go off the air, then come back on?

This is pioneering stuff - frustrating yes, but exciting, too.

Ron

PS - just curious - are any of the stores in Buffalo showing these random occurrances of widescreen on WIVB?

Send email inquiries to john.merrill@lintv.com. He has been very good about answering my emails. They were on briefly this afternoon, but not this evening. From what I understand, there won't be any local HD for a while, just passthrough from CBS. By the way, my signal strength here in Tonawanda has been around 90% from an outdoor antenna. I don't know what your setup is, but with a large antenna with signal amplifier you just might be able to pull in a signal from as far as Rochester. It's a hit and miss proposition. With my setup, I can pick up a marginal signal from Rochester analog stations, sometimes better that others.Might be worth a try!

Looks like everything is a GO. All the info, including the schedule is up on the WIVB website. They are asking for feedback, so the test period must be over. Let's let them know how much we appreciate having HD!!

Cool! Now I'll have to drag out my antenna and see if I can pick it up with my HiPix card from Toronto....

I'll await your report, Andy!

The official word is that they will be on the air permanently as of 5:00PM Fri. Will broadcast prime time CBS schedule every night from 8 to 11.

So, what's the verdict about last night? I had heard that WIVB was going on the air, evenings, from 8-11 pm: did it happen?

Ron

Ron: Yes, indeed, it did happen on time. They had a little ceremony on the 6PM news broadcast when they officially flipped the switch. Some of the original employees from 1948 when the station first went on the air were present. JAG looked absolutely fantastic. It's like watching a totally different program with all the detail and the 16X9 ratio. The Guardian didn't fare quite as well. There were numerous digital breakups and pixelization, and sometimes the sound and picture were not synchronized. I'm sure all these little problems will go away once they get the hang of what they are doing. Even the SD digital programming looks much better than it's analog counterpart. I don't know how old you are, but the way the shows are in HD and the commercials are in SD reminds me of the old days of early color tv when the commercials would switch to b&w. I guess that tells you how old I am!

I live in Mississauga (just West of Toronto) and I picked up WIVB with a Silver Sensor antenna and a RCA Directv HDTV receiver in my condo! I watched Touched by An Angel. It looked basically as good as the Rogers HDTV cable feed.

Anyone picking this up from Rochester ? What antenna/amp are you using ?

Thanks

Good to hear, valpersaud. I cant pick it up with my HiPix and a bowtie, I'm going to have to make the trek to Johnny's store and buy another Silver Sensor (sold my last one when I couldnt pick up the CN tower test signal which makes me wonder if I'll get this one).

BTW is your condo facing Buffalo, or are you receiving it through the building?

Andy K.

Hi Kromkamp. My condo is facing almost exactly southwest (I know this because my Directv dish is pointing straight out the window with another building about 50ft in front of mine). I am not facing the lake (Buffalo). The antenna is simply sitting on the floor and my signal strength is about 82. If you know the area, I live near Dundas and Hurontario (Hwy 10) just south of Square One.

Additionally, when I first picked up the Silver Sensor antenna from The Next Big Thing, I was also planning to get the CN Tower signal, which I only managed twice with a perfect HDTV picture. The rest of the time it failed. I think it is because they change the type of signal broadcast as a part of their tests. Even now it just kinda blinks with intermittent picture and fine sound. I almost sold the Silver Sensor too but it's a good thing I kept it. The bowtie I had didn't work well.

The signal from Buffalo is perfect now. No problems! GOOD LUCK!

:)

Thats great to hear! I know the CN tower signal is very low power, so I was hoping for a report like yours.

Johnny, do you have Silver Sensors in stock? :)

Andy K.

Report from Rochester: WIVB-DT HDTV Signal Received! Signal strength "40" on a DTC-100 with a roof-mounted Radio Shack VU-190 antenna. Some intermittent lip-sync problems & signal breakup last night during "King of Queens". Any other Rochester HD viewers pulling this in?

Jeff, the problems with picture breakup were not due to reception. This has been an ongoing issue ever since they started testing. Let's hope they get it solved soon. The sync problem is really disturbing to contend with. I live only about 20 miles from the tower and I'm using the same antenna you have. I also have a RS antenna amp, the two piece kind that mounts on the antenna and plugs into a wall outlet at the other end. I'm not sure whether you would get a stronger signal with a UHF-only antenna, but if you are getting a stable signal, that's great.

HiDefJeff,

You just made my day. As a matter of fact, you may have made more than that.

I was preparing to drive from Rochester to North Tonawanda (my dad's house), take my htpc with me, in order to record CSI this Thursday. I haven't been able to verify the off-air reception of the HiPix card, so this seemed like a good test case.

From what I've heard, the results will be stunning (can anyone confirm that CSI is terrific because they film it with HDTV cameras?), so my next step was to try to find external antenna alternatives to pull it off the air from Buffalo.

Did you experiment with putting the antenna 1) inside the house, or 2) in an attic or garage rafter space?

Thanks in advance,

Ron

Ron-
My antenna is exterior roof-mounted, and I use a rotor for optimum signal reception. Yes, CSI in HD is stunning- it's a lot more visually appealing than your standard sitcom.

I'm told that WIVB-DT is only on the air between 8-11 PM. You;ll get a "weak signal" or equivalent message if you try to test reception at any other time.

Buffalo viewers- What's on Channel 39-04? Is that a WNLO 23 simulcast?

There is no 04. 01 is wnlo, 02 is weather radar, and 03 is HD. Last night it didn't come on until about 8:05 and the first hour was ok. The second hour had lots of breakups, then the third hour was not even in HD. I know this is a new technology, but it's frustrating that they took this long to get on the air and then don't seem to know what they are doing.

Johnny, do you have Silver Sensors in stock?
Lots!

valpersaud, that's great! What floor are you on?

Hi JohhnyG:

I'm on the 21st floor. I don't know if you remember me. I bought the Silver Sensor about 7 months ago.

Does anyone have additional news on when Buffalo will have other HD feeds (PBS, ABC, etc.)?

Yup, I remember. 21st floor is pretty high up, but it's still impressive that you're getting that much signal strength from so far away!

Well, I'm at my dad's house in NT, and my htpc (with a HiPix) isn't getting a strong enough signal to display. My questions are...

1. Can anyone confirm that CSI is, indeed, broadcasting right now?

2. I read in earlier posts that WIVB is on channel 39-03, correct? My HiPix card doesn't seem able to decode that frequency: it only shows 39-01. Do I have a decoder problem, do I need updated drivers? Can anyone out there please help me or point me in the right direction?

3. I'm using a Radio Shack basic indoor circular loop UHF antenna. It's good enough to bring in some other NTSC analog UHF stations, but the ATSC digital ones don't seem to come in.

4. I did get one blip with a signal strength almost 50 at around 7:45. Did anyone else get that?

Thanks in advance,

Ron

Ron: They screwed it up again last night. CSI didn't come on until about 9:20 and then there were many breakups. When the signal finally stabilized, it was in 4X3 SD. My wife said that The Agency was in ws HD. I don't think they are going to boost sales of HD sets this way! I'm in City of Tonawanda with an outdoor antenna. My signal strength hovers at around 88 to 90, so you should be getting something from NT unless there is a problem. I'm using a Dish 6000.

Several days ago there were a couple of messages speaking about a signal from The CN Tower. Could someone please help me with...

1. What station is on that signal?

2. Is it a standard def or HDTV signal?

3. Any chance I could pick it up from Rochester, NY? It shouldn't be impossible since we are over water the entire way, right?

Thanks,

Ron

Valpersaud,
Where is the next Big Thing located for me to purchase the silver sensors? Where do you buy the set-top receiver to go with the antenna?
Wally

I think the signal on the CN Tower was on 66. I only caught it a couple of times. I think the signal being tested was changed to different formats so sometimes it came in in spurts.

Some of the CN Tower was in High Def and some was in digital (super def.). It had some of the HD demos from HDNet like the history of the Corvette and I think it showed some of the Over Canada footage. One of the earler messages here had a post about it.

I think the signal is/was too weak to pick it up from Rochester. I understood it too be a test from Ryerson University and CityTV, one of the local broadcasters.

Walter Masters:

The Next Big Thing is located in Mississauga, on Dixie Road, just south of Eglinton (beside the BMW dealership). There listed so check Canada411.com of the Yellow Pages.

The set top box I'm using is the RCA DTC-100 (Directv one). I paid about Cdn$1,100 for it about a year ago but it's cheaper now. Let me know if you need one.

What type of antenna is everybody using? I would like to get the Terk 55 or something that is not large. I live in Youngstown and have tried rabbit ears with no luck. Thanks, Steve.

Yes! Got my antenna hooked up yesterday, I have the 5' Long Cylindrical antenna.. don't really remember the name of it! :) But it is sitting on top of my TV (Soon to go in my ATTIC) and I have a perfect view of 39-2 ! I am about 30-35 miles from WIVB-CBS located in Lockport, NY.

Watched "The Agency" last night, looked amazing. They have a new viewer for most of their shows now. Like watching a movie instead of a TV show... !!!

39-3 (Weather Radar) and 39-4 (WNLO?) both looked pretty nice too... very clear sharp picture. If I try to get Channel 29 (FOX) it comes in very fuzzy, I am amazed that I can pick up the HDTV signal so easily.

HI! CSI in HD is fantastic! ive been watching since last december via bell expressvu satellite. Followed by the agency. nypd blue was often on in HD as well, the guardian, family law. CSI seems to me to look the best, plus its a great show! There is going to be second csi show this fall called CSI MIAMI! I was looking on internet and i noticed rochester stations have already claimed there digital channels, when we will get them who knows.For me i guess im all set for network HD unless they start doing more sporting events in HD. Then i may have to opt for the roof antenna again. You may want to consider the expressvu option, i only pay about $10.00 a month for 40 canada stations and the network HD! NOT A BAD DEAL!.

Okay, I just got a Silver Sensor and wow, it is pretty awesome, gotta sell this other beast of an antenna! :) Great picture.

Anyway, a question, can anyone confirm that there is no picture before prime time? I caught 60 minutes last night being transmitted on 39-2, but during the day, it seems there is no signal or a weaker signal and I do not pick up anything on 39-2,3,4 ...

You are correct- there is no programming except in prime time. Thurs. CSI didn't show up in ws HD until after the final commercial break. Sat. there was no signal until around 8:20PM. I don't know what the problem at WIVB is, but so far service has been pretty poor. Your stb must map differently from my E6000. I get WNLO on 39-1, weather radar on 39-2 and WIVB HD on 39-3.

Yes, I thought that was odd that it starts at 39-2. I should probably do a rescan and see if it sets em differently.

I am ok with WIVB so far, I mean they are giving us some HD Content at least, where the other networks have squat. Being one of only 2 HD CBS channels in the state, it is okay! As long as they are up and ready for the new fall season and hopefully put a few NFL football games on !! :)

TheEdge,

Great news to hear that you can pull in WIVB with a Silver Sensor from Lockport. Could you please answer a few of my questions...

1. My dad lives in North Tonawanda, so we are closer to the broadcast antenna than you are in Lockport. I am driving from Rochester so I can confirm that my htpc w/HiPix card can in fact tune and receive over the air. After we confirm that, I'll be asking others on this thread for antenna recommendations. What type of antenna were you previously using?

2. In what ways is the reception better with the Silver Sensor?

3. Is your house on a hill, or are there a lot of trees?

4. What direction are you pointing the antenna?

Thanks in advance.

RIppolito,

1. The antenna was a long tubular one, I can't even remember the name, it works great, but I had to arrange it in such a way that was not as pleasing as I would like, did not want to have to run it to the attic ( I am selling it for $30 !! :) )

2. Reception is the same, but I can keep the Silver Sensor antenna behind the TV and out of the way without having to run an extra line to the attic.

3. There are no hills, It is somewhat a tree filled area though, I live in the town of Lockport which is pretty suburban even on the borderline rural.

4. I have been able to point the antenna in many ways to keep the signal in, I think I have it set up on a shelf behind the TV about 4' from the floor facing South/ Southwest.

Good Luck

Well, I live in Youngstown and I was able to get the radioshack double bow tie and Woopy! Very nice picture. It only cost me $10 bucks too!
Steve

Can any of you guys explain why tonight's CBS programming on WIVB is not in HD while the commercials for HD are? Doesn't make much sense. Could these be reruns of shows that were filmed before CBS started broadcasting them in HD? That doens't seem likely either.At first I thought someone was forgetting to throw the switch, but that doesn't explain the HD commercials.

I was wondering the same thing!! I thought certain programs (maybe older ones) were on.
Steve.

I took my htpc to N. Tonawanda Monday night, and using a $20 Radio Shack UHF outdoor antenna, with no amplifier, I was able to pick up WIVB with no problems. This verified that my HiPix ATSC tuner was working, which was the prime reason for the experiment. The autoprogramming function detected the three sub-channels; all is well.

Now, on to Rochester, which is where I live. I'd like to try a similar experiment, but in order to do that I need to get on the garage roof to get the antenna up in the air a bit. My favor is this... could someone give me a message when WIVB starts broadcasting tonight so I know there is a signal? If they don't start broadcasting right at 8:00 PM, at least I'll know.

Has anybody already tried this, and what were the results? If I need to go to a larger antenna, does anybody have any recommendations?

Thanks in advance,

Ron

PS - to all of you who have spoken of how good the picture is in HDTV, you were right.

Ron- I'm not sure what the story is tonight. Nothing is on in HD, but the previous couple of Wed. nights they have had digital sd broadcasts. I will check just before 8 and verify that there is a signal so you will know. Jim

I can receive WIVB-DT with a strong signal and I am northeast of Toronto in the Markham area. On a Spectrum Analyzer it comes in at 32db above the noise floor.

RIppolito- it's just before 8PM. I'm receiving a picture from 39-01 and 39-02 and a blank screen from 39-03, so yes the broadcast IS on tonight. Good luck. I'm sure if you find the right antenna-location combination, you will be successful. Let us know how you make out!

Well, I tried, but I couldn't get anything with that outdoor UHF antenna. I didn't get a chance to get up on the roof, so I'll try again tomorrow from up there.

Ron

As you can see from my previous message, I haven't been able to pick up WIVB from here in Rochester, NY, so I tried another way. I went to a house in Mendon, NY, where I was able to hook up to an antenna in an attic. I was able to get a signal in the 20-30 range on my HiPix without an amplifier. When I hooked up the amplifier, the signal was gone. This was about 9:30 pm tonight.

Can anybody help me - was anybody receiving and watching WIVB around 9:30 - 9:45, and how strong was the signal?

Thanks in advance for any help you could shoot my way.

Ron

What type of Amp were you using. Check its Specifications. Its possible that the amp wont pass or amplify anything above 450 MHZ. Ch-39 is around 622 MHZ.

OK, here's the latest. I got Radio Shack's UHF antenna with the best specs: 33 elements, UHF only, range up to 100 miles. It has similar specs to ChannelMaster's best UHF-only models. (As a matter of fact, the model number is 150-2162, and Radio Shack has discontinued it, and is letting them go for $4.99 to get rid of them. They were originally $40, so it's a great time to get a good antenna.)

I'm about 65 miles from the transmitter, and from on the ground, I got the bare minimum (5 out of 100). When I got on the roof of the garage, I was able to get a signal of 73! Here's where I need help... even with a signal that strong, my HiPix card tuner still didn't give me a picture. All I got on 39-2, 39-3, and 39-4 was a solid green screen. My questions are...

1. Could anybody please tell me if WIVB was broadcasting tonight (Sunday) between 8:30 and 8:50? I've seen times when they were broadcasting the carrier, but they didn't modulate it with anything, so the screen was blank. Did you see a picture during that time?

2. Is anyone else tuning WIVB with a HiPix card in their HTPC? If so, what does it mean if the screen is all green?

3. Another question for the HiPix crowd - what is the minimum signal strength that you need to get a reliable picture?

This is what this hobby is all about. With a little help, I"ll be there with the rest of you.

Thanks in advance,

Ron

Ron, I don't know anything about the HIPIX card or what it takes to get a signal, but I would think that in the 70's would be plenty strong enough. The digital signal has been on with all 3 channels all evening since 8. I have been watching "A Time to Kill". The picture quality is excellent. Is there anything different that you did at your dad's from what you are doing now? Hang in there. I know you will get it sooner or later. Jim

Well, I'm on the roof again, but this time, I'm not getting any signal. It is Wednesday, July 10, about 8:30 PM. Can someone please tell me if WIVB is on the air?

I got a signal strength in the low 70's on my HiPix card this past Sunday, so I thought I'd try it again, but I see nothing. There have been cases where WIVB didn't go on right at 8:00 PM, so is that the case now?

Thanks in advance,

Ron

PS - is someone could please private message me your phone number, I'd like to talk to you.

Its 850PM and they are definitely on the air. I can see the signal, nice and strong on a Spectrum Analyzer, and you cant get more accurate than that.

For all of you that have been so helpful in my experimentation...

With a 40" UHF-only antenna, 15 feet in the air via a mast, I was able to get WIVB from Buffalo, NY. I live about 60 miles from the broadcast antenna. My HiPix card was able to detect / tune all three sub-channels. The signal strength was only in the 30's, but I was watching 1080i and listening to AC3 audio.

I think the thing that did the trick was the CM7775 mast-mount preamplifier. Next on the list of things to do is to see if I can get a stronger signal by going higher outdoors. I had a signal in the low 70's with a larger antenna (100" UHF-only antenna) on top of my garage, but my wife said it looked like a ray gun up there. That should be a rock-solid picture. Next, I'd try the 100" boom in the garage rafters. If that is a strong signal, I'll go with that one because it'd be out of the weather, don't have to worry about crows, hawks, etc sitting on that boom.

I must have looked like an idiot out there with a 15 foot mast stuck in a Christmas tree stand on the driveway, but hey, it worked.

Who else out there is getting WIVB here in Rochester? I know there is at least one other person who is using a roof antenna (lives in Ionia, as I recall), but I'd be interested in anybody else's success stories.

Ron

Ron,

I wish I had someone like you in my neighborhood. We could use a little excitement.

I live in Pittsford and get a solid signal on 39-(2-4). I use a roof mounted CM 4228 w/CM7778. At first I had problems when I ran the antenna feed to my DTV multiswitch and then a diplexor at the TV. I had to run the antenna feed directly to my Zenith STB to get enough signal strength. I'm still tweaking things trying to get the signal to work through the multi switch/diplexor.

Skip

Anyone receiving WIVB this evening 7-27?

I tried up until about 9:15 and didn't get a signal on 39-2. Let me know if anyone did.

Did anyone pick channel 33-1 last night ?

33-1 was on all evening, but pixelization was pretty bad. They have a long way to go- let's hope they learn faster than WIVB!

:D

Stop it guys! Now I'll have to go out and buy myself a RCA DTC100 to watch HDTV in the Falls.

The really scary thing is that Erie PA has two HDTV stations on the air.

I often can pick up the Erie analog stations but I cant even detect any of their DT signals even when the analog ones are beaming in. Where are they located on the UHF band and are they only on in the Evening hours. I've Dx'ed a signal from Cleveland on ch-31 but cant get Erie. Thankfully the 2 Buffalo DT signals are consistently strong.

Originally posted by JCochran
33-1 was on all evening, but pixelization was pretty bad. They have a long way to go- let's hope they learn faster than WIVB!

No Pixelization here, 33-1 coming in very strong in Lockport. Can't wait for more HD content on NBC! Won't be staying up for Leno every night...;)

Using my Silver Sensor, don't have to move it for CBS/NBC, it is on the first floor behind my TV...

I just moved to Rochester from Boston and, man, can I relate to this post. Much of the pixillation you guys may be getting may be from multipath problems...what used to be ghosting for analog signals. Sometimes getting an antenna with a very narrow "sight" helps from getting bounced signals off of trees, hills, etc. I only mention this since getting any consistant signal should give you a picture and multipath may cause your STB to constantly switch which signal it receives, leaving you pictureless as it constantly switches from signal to signal.

So, the antenna which works for you may not work for the guy across town.

Also, some STB's do better than others with this problem. I have the old Panny-50 and always had problems with, ironically, the strongest signal I got. Thought I'd mention this since it is a common problem.

I do have a question, though. Does WROC grant HD waivers to receive HD-CBS via Dishnet? I'll be living in Honeoye and I doubt I'll be able to have the luck alot of you have had with the Buffalo stations.

Jeff- I can't answer your WROC question, but I can address your WIVB-DT topic. I have had some success picking up WIVB-DT from the Ionia/Mendon area, which is about 10 miles east of Honeoye Falls... and 15 miles north of Honeoye. Welcome, & Good Luck!

I live in Pittsford a few miles east of Rochester. I consistently pull in both Buffalo HD stations with the roof mounted Chanel Master 4228 and Channel Master 7778 pre-amp. I have the Zenith 1080 STB which brings the channels in as 2-1 and 39-2. 2-1 was 33-1 for awhile. Not sure what's going on there.

How much is the zenith Set-Top, and where do you get it?

$700 @ www.gochnauers.com. I think many people are waiting for it's replacement.

Wow, lets see, in Canadian Dollars that would cost me about $1050. Way too expensive at this point in time. And I'm sure tax on top of that.

Living in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. Using a Hughes E86, a 4 bay bowtie with booster, on the 7th floor of a highrise. I'm able to pick up WIVB-DT on 33-1 through 33-4, which includes WNLO and Doppler radar. Signal strength comes in between 90 and 100 most evenings. Of course, there is the pixilization that occurs when they are adjusting their signal, but I'm very impressed with the signal strength. I am 115 Miles East of Toronto.

I'm receiving WGRZ, NBC on channel 33-1 for the first time tonight. Now if we can just prod the rest of the Buffalo nets into going digital. Rochester? Snorrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I live about 10 miles SE of Rochester in the town of Perinton. I have an RS U120R (13+dB gain) antenna and an RS preamp (30 dB gain) which is about 25 feet above ground and can not receive Buffalo DTs. I get 51 PAX very clear which is in Batavia. I am not as high as I would like to be, I think about 526 ft above sea level. I know there are elevations higher than me between me and Buffalo, but I was hoping I could either of these. Is this a lost cause or what? I do not want to go much higher in elevation as it will distract from the neighborhood. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Mike Horrocks

Well I was able to receive Buffalo 39 last night. The signal strength varied from 25 to 70. Below 34 the signal cut out. The antenna height was 503 ft above sea level plus 25 feet off the ground. I raised it another 5 feet today and will see if there is any improvement. I could not get Buffalo 33. I called WIVB DT engineering department today. They indicated they are running only half power, about 380-400KW and will go to full power 780KW next year. Also, regardless what the titan TV guide says, they are still only transmitting during prime time.
Mike

I live in Pittsford a few miles east of Rochester. I consistently pull in both Buffalo HD stations with the roof mounted Chanel Master 4228 and Channel Master 7778 pre-amp. I have the Zenith 1080 STB which brings the channels in as 2-1 and 39-2. 2-1 was 33-1 for awhile. Not sure what's going on there.

Skip,
I could not get anything last night with the antenna 5 feet higher. Either the x-y location change made a difference or they were not on last night?
Mike

Mike,

I didn't watch TV last night and I'm heading out of town for the weekend. If you haven't already you should check this site out for the proper compass orientation. Sounds like you've already figured out they only start at 8pm.

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.asp

I was monitoring WGRZ last night on 33-1 and I also was able ot receive it on 2-1. The only problem was their insistance on changing power at different segments as I watched. For a long time, it stayed constant at 79% but then would drop way down into the teens or below. It did not seem like a terestrial event but just them playing with the signal. WIVB was peeking out at 100%, at the time, and the signal was hovering in the low 90's most of the evening. I wish WIVB would stay on longer than 3 hours a night. At least we get some action on WGRZ after 11PM!

Horrocks, that's a lot of gain you've got and it may actually be too much. Have you tried it without the amp?

John,
I have a 10dB down gain adjust which makes it just worse. I think there are too many obsticles between me and the tower.
Mike

Re: CBS Super Saturday / WIVB-DT-
I saw a lot of motion artifacts during Saturday's college football game, but the tennis looked good. Obviously football has more action on the screen... but how did WIVB-DT's signal look to others here in Rochester? In Buffalo?

I think WIVB-DT needs to drop the Doppler weather map (and WNLO-TV), and hand over the bandwidth to FOOTBALL on Saturday afternoons the rest of the season!

I wish that they would also go high power, instead of 50%. I'm in total agreement with dropping the doppler during sporting events as well. It's too bad that the Rochester locals wouldn't get on the ball and get their digital asses in gear.

I hate to ask a probably a simple question, but what is 39-1, 39-2, 39-3 all about?
I'm coming from a anaglog world.

39 is the digital equivalent of channel 4 (WIVB I think off hand). 39 is doing what is called multicasting, transmitting 3 channels on one digital carrier. 39-1 is the digital feed of channel 4, 39-2 is the doppler radar feed, and 39-3 is WNLO. Multicasting is evil:mad:

How many are you limited to? Four?
To get full bandwidth ATV/DTV (whatever you want to call it) only one channel in a 6MHz slot is possible? I assume the bandwidth is still 6MHz?

Anyone know...

Channel 23 (39-3 in Buffalo) WNLO is going to be a UPN affiliate Jan 1. Will we be seeing any HD Content there???????????????

Enterprise, Twilight Zone in HD?!? :)

Titan TV lists WNLO as going digital on Jan. 15, which seems odd considering that the signal is already carried on 39-4, Naybe that does mean an HD signal is coming, or maybe Titan TV is wrong again.

Does anyone know if Buffalo's CBS will broadcast the wild card games?
CBS will be doing the playoff games in HD but channel 33 doesn't broadcast until 8:00 PM.I wonder if they will make an exception?
Anyone contacted them yet in this regard?

I had to call and remind them that the SEC championship game was in HD. After the phonecall, they turned on the HD feed. That was at 6 PM, so , unless they forget, the NFL playoff games should be broadcast.

That's sounds great. I hope that someone there is a football fan.

Just found this url with google, it has some good technical specs for the Buffalo area TV stations.

http://www.wnymedia.com/

Yes, they have been 'turning on the HD' for many of the Saturday afternoon College games, so hopefully they won't forget the NFL! :)

I have just this evening been reading the posts on HD football. I talked to the engineer at wkbw and he informed me that they will not be going on the air with high-def until June or July. Which means no super-bowl. Is it possible it will be on direct-tv? The good news is Monday Night Football will be in high-def next year. I am using an old rotar in the attic ( it was installed in 1976 ) and it gives me a signal of 100 on 2-1 and low 90 or high 80's with a samsung ts160. I live on Grand Island, if this will help anyone.

For all of you Rochesterians out there...

How has the WIVB signal been for you the last couple of days. I haven't been getting anything significant since Tuesday, and yet last Saturday, I had a signal that was one of the strongest in over a month. IS anybody else seeing similar results?

Has anybody had any success getting channel 54 from Syracuse recently?

Ron

The other night I had no signal at all.It was like someone forgot to turn on the switch or something.Last night I had a little break up at times but not enought to lose the signal.Just a little pixleation.
I hope someone flicks the switch for the wild card games.

Originally posted by midnite cowboy
I have just this evening been reading the posts on HD football. I talked to the engineer at wkbw and he informed me that they will not be going on the air with high-def until June or July. Which means no super-bowl. Is it possible it will be on direct-tv?

Yeah, that is a bummer, WKBW has been pushing the date back for awhile.

I doubt ABC/DirecTV will put it up in HDTV though, even though they would have enough bandwidth (13 games in SD vs 1 in HD?) Don't think that our NFL Ticket will make them want to put it up there.. maybe if we deluge them with emails/mails/phone calls? No, doubt it... ;)

Last night the best signal I could get for wivb was 77 but my wgrz signal was 100 wherever I point my antenna. Its to bad wgrz does not carry more hi-def programs..does any one know if the playoff games on wivb will be in hi-def?

CBS is going to broadcast in HD its just if wivb decides to start broadcasting early.They don't normally start broadcasting until 8:00 pm.

Ron,

WIVB has been fine the last couple of nights. I do remember some problems earlier in the week. I'm watching Syracuse channel 3.1(54) as I type. MY STB measures the signal strength Bad-Normal-Good. The signal strength is in the middle of normal which is approximately the same as the buffalo stations.

Skip
Pittsford

I received an e-mail from John Merill at WIVB and he said the reason for low power was a blown tube at the transmitter, and was only 50%..Joe

you should Email John and see if they're gonna flip the switch on at 1:00 tomorrow for the game.:)

I e-mailed John and he said the playoff games will be broadcast Jan. 11&12
and next weekend as well. This is on wivb...Joe

The NFL playoffs (Jan 11) are actually in HD! All I can say is 'woo hoo'.

Yep !! Buffalo is broadcasting the game in HD! Not bad.. I notice a lot of pixelization though... overall pretty nice.. comparing it to the normal transmission, can't wait for next season!! :)

(They turned the signal on after 4pm, so don't get nervous if you don't get a signal early for the Jets-Oakland game)

I noticed pixilation or tiling or whatever you call the motion artifacts I have seen on the live game ota, versus a live nhl game on hdnet. My signal was a steady 77%. Is this a bandwidth problem with wivb?

I noticed the same thing yesterday.I don't know what it was but it's better than analog:D

WIVB Multi-casts 3 channels (39-2, -3 and -4). I have heard this robs bandwidth. I get a lot of macro blocking on football games. Not a big deal on most shows though. Jets Oakland looks amazing! Even better that the Jets are behind :D

Isn't the HD signal intended to use the whole transport bandwidth? Aren't they stretching things rather thin to try to multicast AND have a HD channel? Isn't football likely to be programming most in need of a full HD bandwidth? Isn't WIVB sabotaging HD by putting up a picture that is less than it could be, just when early-adopters and others curious about DTV might be looking at it the first time? Is it likely management is driving the multicast in spite of engineering reservations?

Is Ch. 23 going to have its own digital facilities, and drop off from WIVB's ch 39 signal? With WNLO not needing HD in general, will it take over multicasting the weather radar, etc? IOW, will ch 39 ever have a full bandwidth HD signal, or is blocking and pixeallation what we get in trade for ghosts, static and color errors?

As theoretical owners of the airwaves, do we the people have any right to answers to these questions? Or like so many other public resources, has the broadcast spectrum been donated to the commercial broadcasters in exchange for favorable treatment of incumbent politicians?

Do I ask too many questions for which the answers are obvious?

Having read Joel Brinkley's book "Defining Vision" in 1997 I see that some things have not changed. The book reads more like a "political who done it" than a book of technical " what to expect". It seems as though no one in the political arena wants to take the bull by the horns, so we keep waiting for the hi-def signal and programing we really want. I am sorry if I rambled on but it is frustrating.....Joe

What about the other Buffalo stations? Is "waiting for permit" mean they are closer to going live than the ones with a date?

Forogot to ask, does anybody see audio sync problemns on wivb? Sometimes it seems worse than others.

I have seen issues with audio sync, but none lately. Just occasional dropouts during 9:30 to 11:00 pm viewing. No problems with NBC.

Originally posted by dzt41j
What about the other Buffalo stations? Is "waiting for permit" mean they are closer to going live than the ones with a date?

Hey neighbor...

... PBS is looking at fall as far as I can remember
... WKBW is looking at spring
Other channels (29/49/etc are probably fall too... I imagine 23 can get it together soon since they are already multicast on 4-1/39-4

I wrote to the local PBS Buffalo station and they said that they will be offering digital TV sometime in March. You can also look here for more info.

www.titantv.com

Steve

Anyone else from Lockport here?

Originally posted by dzt41j
Anyone else from Lockport here?

Just me...

Need Help
I cant seem to a get a signal from wivb-dt. I get wgrz-dt very well(usually 85-95%). I dont believe its a direction problem as the transmitters are only 12 degrees apart from my location. Is wivb's signal strength that much weaker? I'm using a radio shack amplified set top antenna(rs-1890)
Maybe its just a crappy antenna. I would prefer not go to the roof as I live on the first floor of a three story house(lots of cable to run). I cant imagine the houses across the street cause that much interference as I get wgrz so well.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
EK

You do not say what channel you are trying to get wivb. I have the sammy 160 and I noticed about 5 weeks ago the hi-def signal went from 39-2 to
4-1. Have you tried either 39-2 or 4-1? I live on Grand Island and get both signals very well using an old (27 years) rotor antenna in attic...Joe

I would like to clarify my statement about receiving both signals well. I meant wgrz (2-1) and wivb (4-1). Sorry about that...Joe

Joe,
I get 2-1 & 33-1 both wgrz 85-95 signal strength
I cant get 4-1 or 39-1(2or3) wivb
When I do a channel search on my dtc-100 it recognize 2-1 &33-1 and all the analog signals but no 4-1 or 39-?
A freind a block over gets both well, but then again hes on 2nd floor w/ dish and wing antenna mounted on 10 foot pole on his deck, maybe I'm just to low to the ground.
I find it weird that I get one and not the other since they transmitt from relatively close areas in relation to my location. 156 vs. 142 degrees.
I may have to bite the bullet and get a roof top ant. but then I have to wait 'til it gets warmer out. Who knows when that will happen.
thanks,
Erinn
BTW ABC(WKBW) has pushed date back, now looking @ July

:mad::confused:

Just got done screwing around with different placements.
Moved the ant up 4', got my dtc-100 to recognize 39-1, 39-1, 39-1.(all @ 28%)
then only 39-1, 39-1wnlo-dt (didnt know they were up, maybe just testing)
Never able to get vid or aud from any, then all but 1 went away???
Still no cbs(wivb-dt). bummed out because they have the most shows broadcast in HD.
If theres anyone in the Elmwood/Bidwell(BuffaloNY)area with a solution, I would be most grateful.

At Wits End?????

EK

Yes, WNLO is up (as 39-4 on my E86 Hughes) but not HD...39-3 shows up as a weather radar and 39-2 (and 4-1) shows up as WIVB-4. No problems with a Silver Sensor Antenna on top of my TV in Lockport.

Erinn,
Is it possible you have a receiver problem and not a antenna problem?..Joe

Erinn, I will be on the road for a few days so if you are looking for a response it won't be till Sunday or Monday..Joe

EK11

Just wanted to make sure that you're aware that 39-1 is only broadcasting during primetime, 8-11. If you're receiving 33, you sure should be receiving 39 since their signal is several times stronger.

Steve

Have any of the new stations gone live yet?

Has UPN started broadcasting on Ch. 32 or is it still being parasitical on 39-3?

Oh great, WPXJ-DT is on 53 which happens to conflict with City-TV-DT on 53 out of Toronto.

Just recieved my Fusion II HDTV card yesterday and was pleasantly surprised the WNED-DT is already live before the May 31st projected date.

The assigned channel is 43 and it maps in as 17-1 showing the demo loop and 17-2 simulcasting the analog broadcast.

Now if only the other channels would get their HDTV up and running.

Forum failed to bump date, bump again.

:cool: That is good news about PBS in Buffalo! Thanks for the heads-up!

Tried it last night... 43-1, 43-2, 43-3 all remapped to 17-1, 17-2 and 17-3.

17-2 seems to be the normal WNED PBS feed...
17-1 had a lot of Scenic shows on like HDNets "Over America" etc...
17-3 had the WNED logo...

This was harder to get in than WIVB or WGRZ... those come in at 100% signal strength and WNED comes in at a max of 65! Time to get the antenna in the attic! :)

I see that Faux in Erie is showing as live on TitanTV, albeit at a whopping 1.2 kw. Anybody in the Buffalo or Erie area picking them up on channel 22.

Got my HiDTV card running last night. The antenna is the biggest RS combo (VHF-FM-UHF) on a mast with a rotator, with a mast-mount preamp, about 20' above ground; my loc is relatively high, not in a valley IOW. This rig has pulled in clear UHF analog from Toronto and occasional tropo-ducting from Detroit, Toledo, Erie ... i.e. it has GAIN. (I live in Hamburg.)

Either the HiDTV card is picky or DTV is rather sensitive to multipath. Unless I rotate the antenna towards the xmitter, WIVB-DT breaks up or freezes fairly often. IOW, I can't just leave it pointed at Grand Island like I was hoping to. Ch 4's transmitter is maybe a dozen miles to the southeast of me.

With said ant pointed at Grand Island (if it's off even a little the multipath on ch 29 is terrible) I could not get a clean pic from Ch 17/43. A clean analog signal on 17, yes. The digital would either not lock, or would freeze and macroblock all over the place. Signal strength seemed to be in the 80s most of the time so I can't explain it. Anyone know if WNED-DT is at full strength?

Also, my subchannel list on 43 showed 17-0 analog, 17-1,2,3 digital. Too bad they plan SDx? instead of some real HD, but if it means they'll run some of the shows they ignore in favor of Britcoms and old movies then yay. If it means fund raising 24x7x365.25, well too bad they took away my national PBS feed from DirecTV.

I have the HiDTV plugged into a spare SVGA monitor (15" Sony trinitron). The picture is fabulous, better than I ever expected. Some day I will get a display big enough to make use of all the detail being transmitted.

That said, DTV will not succeed in the marketplace if people have to deal with rotating antennas. Most just don't care enough to bother. Until HD is on cable the market penetration will be small. If cable half-asses it by reducing data rate and upping compression, well there's always the satellite. Which we hope won't do the same.

People are starting to get used to DVD quality, once DVD-HD starts to hit the market more people will want the HD displays. The audio (at least on CSI) is fantastic too. Someday maybe TV station management will catch on that the quality of their signal *does* matter to many (*cough*Ch 7*cough*). OK not enough to make me watch "American Idol" but Fox doesn't care about digital quality anyway.
:cool:

I like my rotating aerial antenna on it's 40 foot tower, it's a thing of beauty.

To find who is doing what check ou this link http://www.100000watts.com/tv/BUF.html

Signal strengths are fine at 85% or better here in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Let's put some pressure on ABC to test some Stanley Cup Playoffs in HD. I sent them my email.

I was getting PBS yesterday 17-1 and now nothing? Are they still up and running?

17 ... on and off, not on all the time far as I can tell

I don't have PBS-HD on all the time but I just watch more demo just now and there was picture, and on previous days it would run until at least 0300 hours.

I did not know that were going on and off. I thought they were up 24/7!
Thanks for the replies. Hey guys, lets keep this thread alive and hope wkbw channel 7 starts testing!!

Let's hope WKBW gets testing before the NFL season starts!

I've been looking for a source for HDTV info and feel like I just hit the jackpot!

I have a Sony 40" direct view TV, HDTV ready, and am considering a STB for OTA. (I have cable right now) I know ch 2, ch 4 and ch 17 are on the air, with ch 7 due in a month. I am considering the Samsung 165 STB, largely because of the multiple inputs and outputs (especially DVI, becease the Sony has a DVI input).

I would appreciate any insight anyone might have about what to expect, especially if you have info about the Orchard Park area. What type of antenna will I need (indoor/attic)? Will it have to be a directional and/or rotating antenna? Will I have to move the antenna every time I change the channel? Any problems with the local stations and the Samsung 165? Anything else that might be a push in the right direction?

Thanks in advance for the help. Part of me wants to jump in, while part of me says wait. One thing I do know - don't wait for Adelphia to come on board!

Best place to start is with www.antennaweb.org and www.titantv.com which give you help in finding what's available signal wise and in which directions.

J in OP, I have Samsung 165 and I have no problem picking the locals here in Youngstown. I put my antenna in the attic but I did use the radio shack double bow tie and my wife did like it on top of the TV. I was able to pick my Samsung off of ebay for $369 so good luck. There is a great thread on this. Search under "I just got my Samsung sir-t165 today" Welcome to the thread.

I have read much of the Samsung 165 thread. There does not seem to be a shift problem with the Sony HDTV's, and I am glad to hear that there are no compatibility problems with the local stations.

I have checked antennaweb, and was surprised to find that I am closer to the broadcast towers than I would have thought. The WNED tower seems like it is the opposite direction from the others, so I wonder about reception on that channel, but would expect the others to be ok. The one thing I don't want to have to do is move the antenna every time I change a channel.

I guess that in the end, trying it out is the only way to find out.

Thanks again.

A couple more stations you should be able to get in the Buffalo area in the fall: City TV (57 analogue, is now testing a DTV; I believe it will be 53) and a new station goes on air Sept. 19....they will be doing the Monday Night Football thing as well. I believe their DTV channel will be 66. The new station's website is http://www.torontoone.ca
Anyone else in the Toronto area want to give me some advice on OTA set top boxes? I am about 58 miles as the crow flies from the Grand Island towers and 85 miles to the other Buffalo towers (south of Buffalo). I currently get poor to OK reception (7, 17, 23 & 29 are decent, 2, 4, and 49 are weaker) with an attic-mounted yagi antenna. I may be able to do a bit better with some tinkering, but I'd rather not go outside for asthetic reasons. I'm considering purchasing a set top box, but will I be able to get a strong enough signal, and any suggestions to help with boosting the signal (amplifier, different antenna, etc)......THANKS....PS..any suggestions on the box.....I have a 50" Toshiba ('HD ready')

Hey thanks for the info and I'll check those channels often. I currently live in Youngstown and I get 17- 33- 39. I am not able to get any from Rochester or Toronto though. MSTEVE, you should be able to get the digital channels from Buffalo when you get a set top box.

City-DT is broadcasting at pretty low power, around 3 or 4 hundred Watts I believe. I can only occaionaly pick them up from less than 60 miles away with a pretty high gain setup. They are supposed to be increasing their power in the fall, I can't remember what the planned output is. Also their HD offering up to this point has been slim at best, a couple of movies and a few repeats of Smallville, but it's a beginning.

Originally posted by MSteve
A couple more stations ... in the Toronto area

I can't wait.. I live in Lockport, and get the New VR 3, 22, 25, 19 and others on UHF from Canada and Toronto, so I can imagine I will get some great HD from there as well once it kicks in! :) I need to move my antenna into the attic so I can get some stronger signals tho.

The new Toronto One station that starts on Sept 19 will be a full power HDTV station, 100 percent digital, even their local news will be in HDTV. I'm not sure what their ERP will be at this point in time but they will be at full power and likely receivable in parts of N.Y. State.

Maybe you could point out where on the www.TorontoOne.ca website it says they will be broadcasting in HDTV, because I can't find it, so far it reads like it's going to become a digicable channel.

Here is the article quoted from the Toronto Star.

Toronto's new TV station thinking big
A variety show — nightly — in mix

`Gaping hole' seen for T.O. viewers


MURRAY WHYTE
ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER

Seen from Calgary, the view of Toronto's congested television landscape isn't as daunting as one might think.

"We think there's a big, gaping hole," said Drew Craig, head of Calgary-based Craig Media, Inc., speaking from his temporary digs in a Yorkville office. "Toronto is maybe the most competitive media market in North America. But when you look at local television, it's not."

Really? Toronto, by some estimations, is laden with local television options, from such juggernauts as CFTO, the local CTV affiliate, to the CBC to Global to CHUM Ltd.'s intensely local Citytv.

But there's a lot of space between the tokenistic local efforts of the national mega-broadcasters and Citytv, Craig said. "City has done what I believe to be a good job in serving the local market. But effectively, they're the only show in town."

With that in mind, Craig is busying himself with the task of filling the gap. Craig pulled up stakes in his Calgary home and moved his family to Toronto for the most pivotal launch yet by his family's 50-year-old media company.

This evening, Craig will be at the Second City theatre to pitch the advertising community on a bundle of channels his company has to offer. Most significant among them is Toronto One, the brand-new, yet-to-be-launched local station Craig will roll out in September.

Its importance is this: In this age of digital cable, Toronto One will not be one more obscure specialty channel feeding hints on knitting to a niche viewership, perched somewhere in the oxygen-thin broadcasting stratosphere of the high-80s on your converter dial. No, Toronto One will be an all-access, basic cable priority channel, mandated between channels 2 and 13 on the dial. Don't have cable? No problem. Toronto One's high-definition signal will be antenna friendly.

In short, Toronto One is the first new local channel of its kind since another independent-minded upstart arrived back in 1974, Citytv.

The channel is the product of a CRTC application derby last year in which Craig beat out media giants like Alliance Atlantis and Torstar Inc., which owns this newspaper, for the much-coveted licence. That it went to Craig, whose most significant holdings are in Manitoba and Alberta, was a surprise to many. CHUM Ltd's Citytv, which currently defines localism on the Toronto TV dial, was said to be particularly livid.

It's not hard to see why. In 1995, when Craig won licences in Calgary and Edmonton, it promptly installed its two A-Channel franchises featuring an urbane, youthful, dynamic type of broadcasting emanating from downtown studios encased in glass. To Citytv's owners, it sounded more than a little like the streetfront concept pioneered by the station in the early '80s at its then-new Queen St. W. site. In 2001, Craig rankled CHUM Ltd. further when it signed a licensing deal with MTV, the enormously successful U.S. music channel, to establish a Canadian version as a digital channel. CHUM, of course, had operated MuchMusic as a Canadian version of MTV since 1984. Up to that point, MuchMusic had been buying content from MTV.

CHUM has countered with licence applications in both Calgary and Edmonton. Its previous attempts to gain entry to the Alberta TV market have been turned down.

Now the battle shifts to CHUM's home turf — Toronto.

"I wouldn't say we feel tremendously threatened, but we're not taking (the new channel) lightly, either," said Maria Hale, vice-president of Citytv. As to the A-Channel homage, Hale is blasé. " I think Moses (Znaimer) would say many people have emulated our look," she said. "A successful formula was created 30 years ago. We're flattered when people try to emulate us. But I think the audience can see what is sincere and what is not."

Craig insists he's not targeting Citytv's audience in particular. "We'll steal a little bit from everybody. I don't think any one player will get hurt more than anyone else," he said.

But Citytv does leave a lot of audience out in the cold, Craig said. "They have a distinct style and a distinct approach, and we think that's a fairly niche approach. It tends to skew very young. I think there's a real opportunity to (attract) people who outgrow City, but find CFTO too stuffy. We don't intend to be niche players. We are broadcasters in the true sense, so we need everybody to buy into the concept."

The A-Channel concept for Toronto will be more fully fleshed out for the admen tonight, but it will have to adhere to certain requirements laid out by the CRTC in the application process. By mandate, Toronto One will need to heed the city's cultural diversity, provide variety entertainment and culture programming every night in prime time and also devote at least 30 minutes a week to aboriginal programming.

Supplementing such altruistic initiatives, of course, will be more lucrative U.S.-imported programming like Monday Night Football, which Craig has secured through 2004 for the Toronto market, and a new ABC talk show hosted by comic Wayne Brady. Such are the necessaries of attracting advertisers. But Craig shows more interest in the new programs that Toronto One is preparing to unleash in the fall. The Toronto Show appears to be his favourite; Craig, soft-spoken and serious in manner, grows animated when describing plans for this nightly variety show.

"The Quebec broadcasters have done a terrific job of reflecting the culture of Quebec in prime time. The English Canadian broadcasters have done, I believe, a poor job of it," he said. The Toronto Show hopes to fix that by providing an open door to local talent — comedians, musicians, performers of all sorts — every night.

Indeed, to feed a nightly show's voracious appetite, the door will have to be open wide. Craig isn't concerned. This city "is probably the only Canadian market where you can do something like the Toronto show and make it work," he said. "The talent pool is endless."

Toronto One is also paired up with a couple of cred-heavy local institutions. Second City, the theatre that launched the careers of John Candy, Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy, among others, will be the source of a regular program Second City Improv. Another alliance is with Toronto Life magazine.

"Toronto is long overdue for a new station," Craig said. "Gaining the respect and confidence of viewers takes a long time. But we're in this for the long haul."

Has there been a peep out of Our Favorite Cable Company (Adelphia) regarding HDTV carriage? Other than to say they plan to do it some day?

Hi all:
Has anyone had luck contacting WKBW about their July 1 launch? I know they have put it back twice before and I have sent them 2 e-mails and they never reply back.

I have not heard any word from WKBW other than they are supposed to be up and going July 1. I have been checking there sub channel (38 I think) and I get nothing. As for Adelphia, don't hold your breath. They are just starting with there HDTV in LA but very slow. Adelphia knows that they will have to bring us HD soon so lets hope they get there act together soon.

Originally posted by PVRick
Has there been a peep out of Our Favorite Cable Company (Adelphia) regarding HDTV carriage? Other than to say they plan to do it some day?

Nope

The other night I was scanning the channels and got a weak lock on channel D55, the signals was under 10% and intermittant. The only guess I could take was WENY from Elmira NY/Corning NY/Ithaca NY.

Did anyone else find D55?

Nothing here with my sir-t165 Samsung.

?maybe rochester's abc?
dom

UP and running in Orchard Park!

I got a Samsung SIR-T151 receiver on Friday, and was able to hook it up to my SONY XBR 800 using a wire loop antenna.Channels 2 and 4 come in fine, channel 17 is a little weak. I have cahanged to a set top antenna and now get all three stations fine.

I just wish that there was more HDTV available. One thing that has struck me - I'm not sure how much the increased resolution helps the picture and how much just having a digital picture helps the resolutuion. The local news looks much better on the digital stations, but I'm quite sure that the locals are not sourcing the broadcasts in HDTV. The digital broadcasts make a big improvement in and of themselves.

Welcome to the club Orchard Park!

As to your question, it's a little bit of each that helps. The local news is upscaled studio caremas, possibly even HD cameras. If you want a sample of just digital SD quality, tune into 38-3 WNLO-SD or 17-2 WNED-SD and you'll see some regular NTSC digitized.

I know Ch 4's studios are digital. I believe the news studio cameras are HD and they run 4x3 a.r.. Ch 17 has HD production facilities but I don't remember seeing them used for anything on air (the "Churches" production was taped in HD but haven't seen aired as such).

Recent survey (early in the month): of Sears, Best Buy, Circuit City, Stereo Advantage, and Wal-Mart, who had a 1080i off-air picture setup and playing?

Wal-Mart, Hamburg.

The other guys show a DVD on the digital sets. Most frequent excuse: can't put up an antenna. Baloney, most have a dish setup.

The Panny at Wal-Mart was in serious need of convergence, they must've plugged it in right out of the box, and it was overdriven terribly, but even as a RPTV it blew away the bigger direct-view NTSC sets near it. It was on the Dish-HD demo channel.

Sometimes the "SD" channels (WNLO 38-3 and WNED "17"-2) show a pronounced flicker effect, you almost see the individual frames. It is very annoying and I can't watch it for any length of time. Is this an artifact of the line doubling in my PC's HiDTV card or do you see it too? With an analog tv right next to the digital tuned to the corresponding channels the effect is very obvious and the analog picture easy to watch.

If you see it too I don't predict SD digital channels chasing the analog away. Could be a disappointment for Ch 17 with their plans to split the bandwidth 4 ways.

The digital picture is so much better looking than the analog even at SD mainly due to lack of noise esp. color noise. I see colors (esp. reds) on the digital picture you just never see in NTSC. Hence my complaint about demo-ing digital from DVD, which is an mpeg-encoded NTSC signal (better than you could get over the air, but still ...)

With 1080i at Wal Mart (at under $1300) can mass acceptance be far behind?

July 1 is when more HD is supposed (believe it when I see it) show up as that is when ABC/WKBW is supposed to go live.

Thanks for the info, PVRick.

I would guess that Channel 2's news studio is also HDTV, given the difference in quality I saw in thier broadcast too. You're right, WNLO and 17-2 are really little improved from my cable feed.

I did not see the flickering on the SD stations at the moment on my TV set - could this be something to do with the PC card or a PC issue? Do you see it all the time?

I think the biggest problem at the stores is that the sales people don't know how to set up and best display the equipment they are running (see thread about teaching sales people about the products they are selling). This is not every case, but a lot of them.

Personally, I question how much "public acceptance" will drive this process. A lot of people still watch small TV's, where the difference is not too great. And a lot of people don't really care about the improved picture quality. Then, there are a bunch of people who will be happy to have the improved quality, but have no interest in paying much for it and will wait for prices to come down.

Originally posted by theedge
July 1 is when more HD is supposed (believe it when I see it) show up as that is when ABC/WKBW is supposed to go live.

I have seen nothing on the WKBW website about this, and things seem too quiet. You just get the feeling that it will not happen on July 1 . . .

I hear ya J in OP I have e-mailed them numerous times and have never gotten a reply back once yet everytime I e-mailed channel 2 or 4 they always promptly replied.

Just checked out Antenna Web and WKBW has pushed their live date back again until Oct. 1 2003:(

Thanks, BLT.

iwish I could say I was surprised. It's still disapointing, though.

When does Football season start?! Will they make it for MNF HD premier! Jeeze..

Originally posted by theedge
When does Football season start?! Will they make it for MNF HD premier! Jeeze..

Of course not...

Season starts September 4th, but I was hoping that some of the preseason MNF telecasts would be HD as well, and those start in late July/early August

Seems like WGRZ won't turn on the digital channel for Wimbledon, not that it's an important tennis event or anything.

I emailed them at programming@wgrz.com to ask them to turn on the channel.

Originally posted by kdrabik
Of course not...

Season starts September 4th, but I was hoping that some of the preseason MNF telecasts would be HD as well, and those start in late July/early August

Are the MNF games going to be broadcast in HDTV? I have not been able to confirm this anywhere.

Also, WGRZ was carrying Wimbldon on its DTV station over the weekend. The broadcast of the matches did not look like they were using HDTV cameras, though.

The MNF Games will be broadcast in glorious HD via the new Toronto One station. It signs on Sept. 19. It will broadcast its HD channel on UHF 66 and will be full power from day one. I dont know what ERP they are licensed for. I wouldnt count on WKBW-DT (ABC) going to air anytime soon.

Originally posted by Cable Dude
The MNF Games will be broadcast in glorious HD via the new Toronto One station. It signs on Sept. 19. It will broadcast its HD channel on UHF 66 and will be full power from day one. I dont know what ERP they are licensed for. I wouldnt count on WKBW-DT (ABC) going to air anytime soon.

That will be sweet if their full power is high! :) I should get that without a problem. cool.

Did I just see an ad for "HDTV on Adelphia" tonite or was it a mirage?
.....Joe

It must have been a mirage!
Adelpia is not even close.
Their digital cable is worse than regular.
Add in all that broadband sharing the same lines.

HD on cable would be compressed <-> uncompressed ?

ie : CRAP

Just an Observation?
EK

... but I've heard Adelphia systems in other locations (like LA, I think) are starting to experiment with HD.

I'm betting you'll still want your HD off the air and/or satellite. Once Adelf is done recompressing it ...

You are right about getting HD from adelphia.....Over the air for locals and Sat. for espn,discovery,etc looks to be the way to get my fix for now...Joe

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

WNED has figured out how to screw up HD. Not just by spreading their bandwidth so thin that HD barely works, but by putting a huge logo over the right lower 24% of the screen. Please write to them and point out that we tune it not for the logo but for the pciture. Especially if you are a member, let them know this is unacceptable. If no one complains they will figure it is OK.

Yup , its friggin huge. At least they've got Toronto in the Logo. I also agree that their bandwidth allocated for HD is probably lower than other PBS stations because I also get WTVS Detroit HD on cable and the PQ is noticeably sharper.

Yes that huge logo has got to go !!! Yes I will contact them and let them know.

Don't forget the email address! :)

Viewerservices@wned.org

I got an automated reply from Goldie Gardners's mailbox. Couldn't guess what the official reply will be.

Unrelated, a friend who's putting in Powerlink (and getting digital cable because, net it's cheaper [?]) said he was told Adelf is going to start some HD service within months.

Interesting ...

I received the same automated message from Goldie. It will be interesting to see if she even knows what we are talking about!

Originally posted by midnite cowboy
Did I just see an ad for "HDTV on Adelphia" tonite or was it a mirage?
.....Joe

I know someone who saw the commercial too - Adelphia isthrowing something out there, but I don't know the what or the when

Anyone who's a "member" of Channel 17 write to complain about the HD channel logo? I can understand them ignoring a non-member, but a member ought to have some sort of courtesy reply. To me it confirms the wisdom of dropping "membership" some years ago (my $25 can't compete with ADM, Monsanto and the other big corporate PBS funders).

I called customer service after seeing the Adelphia HDTV commercial.

As would be expected, the details are scetchy at best now, but Adelphis is saying that HDTV will be available in the fall. They do not have channel info, but said that they expect to have 2, 4, 7 , HBO and Showtime. This is not final and not certain. They said that they would rent set top boxes or they could be bought from the store by customers. They did not know what box they would be renting or how much it would cost.

I'm surprized that they are even talking about it. I doubt they will acrually offer HDTV in the fall, but at least they are talking about it.

It would be a start. I get 4/2/17 perfectly with a small antenna...and HBO/Showtime/ESPN/Discovery/HD-PPV with my D*... so they are gonna have to come up with a great price and a better package for me to budge away from Satellite.

I'm looking for some advice that's a little off topic from the current Adelphia conversation.

I recently bought a Hughes E86 and am loving HDTV from D*. I also bought the new Radio Shack amplified indoor antenna, and I have no trouble receiving Ch. 2-1 and 4-1,2,3. Ch. 43-1 requires me to rotate the antenna slightly, since as you know the signal is coming from the other direction. In other words, I can receive all the digital channels Buffalo has to offer.

I am thinking of replacing the indoor antenna with a Radio Shack VU190 roof mount and rotator, with the hopes of picking up digital feeds from other cities, such as Toronto and Rochester (I'm especially interested in ABC from Rochester for the MNF games!)

Should I leave well enough alone with the setup I have now, or is there a good chance that I will be able to receive these other feeds with the VU190? I'm in the Town of Tonawanda.

I appreciate all the advice I have already received from this site, and in particular this thread. Thanks!!!

Steve:cool:

I guess someone at WNED is listening after all. The small logo on the bottom left is much more tolerable than the huge one that was there before. Apparently it pays to speak out about our concerns.

Yep, just noticed that... Should probably send WNED a link to this forum as well! and this post.. they would probably get some good ideas!:)

I just saw that Adelphia HD commercial here in Buffalo, too.

Adelphia.com lists zero information but adelphiasocal.com shows signs that they're doing *something*.

I'm sure it'll be awhile before they do anything in Buffalo, though :(

Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 11:49 am Post subject: WKBW HDTV now Jan 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From their program director:

"According to our Chief Engineer...we won't be broadcasting in HDTV until at least January of 2004.

Our apologies for the delay.

Thanks for watching analog Ch. 7.

John Di Sciullo
Program Director"
[/quote]

Found this over at Digital Home

I had a feeling this was going to happen.
WKBW is now a year behind its competition, even PBS.
I cant believe they're missing a season of MNF-HD.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally the Bills in HDTV!! Looking at the TitainTV they have the Bills game on in HDTV channel 33-1. Now if only WKBW (ABC Modaynight Football) butts going!!

Steve

I hate to bring more bad news, but I don't think that Sunday's Bills game will be in HDTV. WGRZ does not list the game as an HDTV broadcast on its web site, and I would guess that ESPNHD would not just hand over its HDTV signal to local OTA's. I believe that it will be the analog broadcast on a digital station.

Channel 7 disappoints again. I checked their web site last week, hoping for good news. When I saw no news, I assumed more bad news was on the way. And here it is.

I intend to see if I can pick up channel 66 from Canada (as previously mentioned in this thread) after the 19th.

I'm hopeful that we will see the Bills in HDTV on CBS before the season is over. I watched the Pats and Eagles on Sunday and the picture was great. Cbs has set the September HDTV schedule (no Bills), but has not set the rest of the season.

And BTW, I hope like hell that TitanTV is right and WGRZ is wrong!! :D

ch-66 Toronto is supposed to begin broadcasting on Friday, but that channel is really low power right now. They have applied to go to 3000 watts, still quite weak but better than what City-HD is doing right now. The good news is that most of the other Toronto stations should be going Digital later this year. CBLT and CFTO, as well has Hamiltons CITS and CBLFT are rushing to go to air and they will broadcast with a lot more ERP
which should make them receivable in Buffalo.

I wonder if WKBW will be able to make their digital signal (if any) as bad-looking as the analog. (Maybe that's what's taking so long.) No matter if off-air, satellite, or Adelphia, color and video levels ... ugh. Sometimes I'm tempted to point out to ABC how badly they are being served by the greasemonkeys at 7 Broadcast Plaza. Really sad how what was once one of the premier stations in the country has been dragged down into a local embarrassment.

NBC (WGRZ) will NOT be passing through the HD signal... sorry. It is mentioned in the Programming forum that NFL rules/ESPN deal gives ESPN the exclusive rights to the HD content. Need to get DirecTV! :) I can't wait for it, I have it and the Sunday night games have been amazing.

Too bad ABC (WKBW) is so lame and behind. The ownership has little cashflow and that is hurting the HDTV effort. If WNLO or WUTV get their HDTV first (which I bet they will) that will be a huge black eye on WKBW.

Originally posted by J in OP
And BTW, I hope like hell that TitanTV is right and WGRZ is wrong!! :D

Hey J in OP.. you are in Orhard Park? Where is that? :D

Yes - Im in Orchard Park - about 4 miles from Ralph Wilson Stadium.

To get to Orchard Park from Lockport, head south through Buffalo. When you get to the snow, you're in Orchard Park. :D

'You missed it news' strikes again!
Must be those 'pistal packing punks' or those 'Buffalo blaze busters' laying down on the job...............



Amazing..............people are spending upwards of $10 grand for a TV and using "Rabbit Ears" as a antenna!!


Just think, I have had a outdoor antenna for 23 years on my roof (actually two of them) and I still have only NTSC to watch!

Originally posted by J in OP
Yes - Im in Orchard Park - about 4 miles from Ralph Wilson Stadium.

To get to Orchard Park from Lockport, head south through Buffalo. When you get to the snow, you're in Orchard Park. :D

Actually, was referring to your location listed under your name.. it says "Orhard" instead of "Orchard"... I don't know where THAT is... ;)

LOL! I still didn't get it until your last post!

Hopefully, I've corrected the problem! :D

Hey.

Is anyone having luck receiving Rochester's ABC affliate in the Buffalo Suburbs? WKBW's history on HDTV is pretty disapointing. Is it a definate that they will not meet the October 1st deadline on AntennaWeb?

I have a very cheap radioshack outdoor UHF antenna roof mounted with a Channel Master 7778 pre-amp, rotator, but I was considering a better antenna, something like the channel master 4228, if Rochester/Toronto is receivable.

Any opinions?

Regards,
Frank

P.S. did you guys see that Buffalo News article about Adelphia shifting their channel line up to start HDTV (upto 9 stations) in October?

I would think it is possible to receive Rochester's stations for me with a proper antenna. I am currently using a small Silver Sensor and receive the Buffalo stations perfectly. If WKBW is not gonna be on for awhile, I think I may invest in some outdoor antenna to place near my dish to hopefully reach Monday Night Football!! :D

Frank I don't see why not.I receive Buffalo's station's very well with the channel master 4228 and the 7775 preamp.
Monday Night Football is the BOMB :D

Well it seems that the Buffalo and Miami game will be in HD! Unless otherwise, the local tvguide says it will be on.

Steve

Nope! It was only SDTV. This sucks! Come on WKBW!

Steve

Channel 2 WGRZ is NOT in HD yet correct?

Ch 2 WGRZ's digital signal is normally on during primetime (only).

Originally posted by theedge
NBC (WGRZ) will NOT be passing through the HD signal... sorry. It is mentioned in the Programming forum that NFL rules/ESPN deal gives ESPN the exclusive rights to the HD content. Need to get DirecTV! :) I can't wait for it, I have it and the Sunday night games have been amazing.


Wish I didn't get that game at all though :(

If channel 2 is DTV and can't pass ANY programming along what's the point??

Am I missing someting here?

Ch2 can't pass along the HD game on ESPN, is the point I think. They show all the primetime NBC HD content (and Leno), best picture in town, IMHO.

I knew about Ch 4 and just found out about Ch 17, but I didn't know CH 2 made the change. When did they do?

Channel 2 has been around in HD for over a year now... Most of their primetime shows and movies are in HD... go to titantv.com and make an account to find out which shows should be in HD.

And PVRick.. that is right.. they could not pass through the HD from ESPN.

Has Toronto started anything yet? I don't remember if anything is up yet?

How many have REAL outdoor antennas (VHF/UHF or UHF only) that have DX'ed Rochester and Erie from Buffalo (the city, not Lockport or the southtowns). Is it possible without being up in the Boston Hills or north in Niagara County?

I'm in 14120, and with CM4221 at 35 ft with preamp, managed to get a blip of NBC Ch58 out of Rochester at midnight one evening. It came in for about 5 minutes, then I lost the signal. I was trying like crazy to get the ABC at Ch59 since it's not available here in Buffalo area yet. Could not pull that one in. Looks like Jan 04 for ABC 'round these parts...

I live about 40 miles SW from the transmitter site of Buffalo TV signals (Fredonia). My over-the-air antenna (with help of preamp and rotor) receives analog signals (VHF and UHF) pretty well. Digital is another issue. The only HD signal I receive consistently is of the local PBS station (on 43.1). The WIVB signals on 39.1-3 only come in when it rains. The NBC and ABC affiliates (33.1, 38.1) never come in. I experimented with a new 8-bay UHF antenna and this did not help at all. Any suggestions?

I'm surprised you could get anything from Grand Island (WNED)!
WGRZ and WIVB are much closer (about half the distance) to you and are higher in elevation!

How high is your mast? Could you go higher up with guy wires or a tower?

have you rotated towards the east from the point where you get 43? 2 (33) and 4 (39) are in the hills southeast of Colden and East Aurora (so's 7, as if it matters)

Whats up w/Empire on D* tonight?
Trying to watch Sabres game, fllickering pic is really annoying.

Had the opportunity to speak with an engineer who works for WNED at a recent function...
(I didn't know he worked there) and I started talking I was just getting started with HDTV, fiddling with roof antennas, reception, etc.
He told me that WNED spends $18k/month on electric bill for Ch43.1... and they are only running on 1 output tube (IIRC he said there is 2 tubes) and there was no reason to bump up the power out until "they must by regulation". Anyway, the discussion moved to the fact that Ch7 is lagging behind and I told him the circulating rumor is "Jan 04 as reported by the head enginner at Ch7". Know what he said?

"no way... they haven't even started yet on digital TV at Ch7".

Great - just great. No Monday Night FB this season... Thanks a lot Ch7.

Yea channel 7 is pretty pathetic. If they cant take the heat get out of the kitchen and let someone else in !!

Hmm, something wrong with CBS tonight, or just me?

You mean during CSI?
Yep, many freezups - especially when they run that "blue" light in selected scenes, and the full red screen scene froze up too. Many small pixelations (is that a word?) during the hour.

Don't know the reason - (out of the 2 HD channels we get) CBS is obviously doing the better job - and CSI in my opinion is the best examples of making a case for owning an HD set. It just seems to tax the heck out of the equipment though...

I'm up in Ontario and 12 minutes into CSI it just went down - couldn't get a lock on CBS at all. It kept coming and going throughout the hour, so I eventually just went back to SD cable (no problems with other HD stations).

This problem only occurs with CSI and CSI Miami. Something in the Data Stream seems to affect my T151 Reciever. I watched Survivor just before CSI with perfect reception. I noticed this problem with CSI quite some time ago. Sometimes it also causes you to lose your lock on the signal all-together. I'm only guessing but I suspect the problem is a Firmware issue with Samsung Receivers, not a signal problem. I watch many shows on CBS and I never have a problem with the exception of both CSI's.

Thanks folks for your suggestions. I am pretty high up in the hills of Arkwright to begin with so height of antenna shouldn't be a problem. I have also turned the rotor towards Boston Hills where WIVB and WGRZ broadcast from. But I still only get WNED really well. It is quite odd that I get WIVB when it rains and it has happened too often to be a fluke. It could be that my line of sight is better towards the north (WNED antenna location) than further east. Does anyone konw if the Canadian staions or Erie, PA stations have DTV signals? If so, what frequencies?

There is one Toronto station currently on-air, City Dt on ch-53 but its a very weak signal for now. Toronto 1 is still waiting for a license to broadcast a DTV signal on ch-66, also very weak, only color bars for now. But in the new year we should have CFTO, CBLT, CKXT, CBLFT and CITS all broadcasting DTV with HD programming. I'm not sure about which channels they will be on. Erie has stations on-air now but at really low power, I beleive on ch-50 and 52.

Cable Dude- the problem is not with your Samsung receiver. I have the exact problem with both CSI's using a Dish Network 6000 receiver with an 8vsb module. I have the RS vu190 antenna with a signal amplifier and get good strong signals on 33, 39, and 43. I have noticed occasional freezing on 33, but adjustment of the antenna direction usually clears it up. The CSI problem is most likely signal compression. It seems to happen with rapid scene or color changes.

Unrelated to this, but can someone figure out why the new "Toronto1" station is broadcasting on channel 52, when CityHD is broadcasting from the exact same tower on channel 53? Isn't that usually a big no-no, sequential channel numbers broadcasting close-by?

It doesn't seem to cause any problems for me at all. In Boston they have a channel 4 and 5 which are local and it works ok. Maybe if you are right near the transmitter their might be some reception issue and I'm not in that situation. Soon CFTO-DT plans to broadcast on Ch-40 which is right next to WIVB-DT on 39 and I hope that doesn't spoil my reception of that channel.

Regarding adjacent channel interference, cable dude points out that some cities have a channel 4 & 5 and there is no problem. However, channels 4 & 5 are not really adjacent. There is spectrum in between ch. 4 & 5 (as well as 6 & 7).

Ch 6 & 7 has 90 MHz between them, Ch 4 and 5 have a 6 1/2 MHz space. FWIW

BTW, I think Irv should fund ch7's HDTV effort considering how long he worked for them.

We could always get some of those "pistol packing punks" to persade him to donate!

Greetings,

Is anyone in the Tonawanda's successfully receiving HD signals using a Zenith Silver Sensor connected to an HTPC? I'm using a FusionII HDTV tuner card. I tried receiving the signals last night but could only get a signal on 29. When I hooked up my attic mounted attenna that was there when I moved in I rec'd 2, 4, and 7 really good but not 33 or 39. The picture on 2, 4 and 7 were amazingly clear and even better then what Adelphia broadcasts. I'm a newbie to this whole HDTV thing and was wondering why people refer to the DTV stations as 33.1, 39.1 etc....

I can't get the 17-1 to 17 translation. I did once, but it went away... I do have the 4-1 translation for WIVB-DT though. Need to reset my receiver again, hopefully I can get 17 to work, no Guide data either for 17-1.


As a side note, I contacted UPN/WNLO and there will be no UPN in Buffalo until April 2004 (or so).

Quick question for daredevil23: I see from an earlier post in this thread that you are using a FusionII. Can you tune in the subchannels such as 33.1? How do you get the HD broadcasts through your Fusion? I'm using a Silver Sensor and can't even get a blip when tuning to 33 or 39. Is it all or nothing when it comes to HD UHF signals? I hoping I don't have to purchase an amplifier and larger antenna but wouldn't think so since someone in Lockport is using one and I'm closer to the towers w/o any obstructions. Anyone have any thoughts or similar setup?

Jayzzz:

before I got my roof antenna & rotor, I tried a dipole made of 9" of wire on each side of coax, clipped to curtains in window, facing east. I ran that to my HD tuner.
It did pickup Ch39.1 that way. I'm in NT also, and it did get a signal, with dropouts though.
Go to RadioShack and buy the $20 yagi they sell. It's cheap and works in this area. Run some RG-6 to your TV. The guy in Lockport might be up on a hill, that will make a world of difference.

You must point South South east for CH4 and Ch2.
Ch17 HD (Ch43.1) is over on Grand Island so you need to point West to get that one.

Originally posted by JayZZZ
Can you tune in the subchannels such as 33.1?

Well there isn't any subchannels on 33, but turning to subchannels with the Fusion II isn't difficult, the scroll wheel on the mouse is the easist way.


How do you get the HD broadcasts through your Fusion? I'm using a Silver Sensor and can't even get a blip when tuning to 33 or 39. Is it all or nothing when it comes to HD UHF signals?

I get all the available Buffalo channels in HD, I'm using a large aerial antenna on a 30 foot tower. The minimum signal needed is at least 50% with the Fusion for a picture to appear.

http://www.tvtechnology.com/dailynews/one.php?id=1484 says in part:
The seven stations that were admonished--WVUE in New Orleans, La.; WICZ in Binghamton, N.Y.; WKBW in Buffalo, N.Y.; KMVU in Medford, Ore.; WSJU in San Juan, Puerto Rico; WDWL in Bayamon, Puerto Rico; WJAR in Providence, R.I.--were given six months to get a digital signal on the air or face fines. If, after receiving a fine, a station is still not broadcasting digitally, the FCC's next proscribed step is to pull its DTV construction permit. None of the 71 stations that were admonished during the second round of extensions reached the stage of getting fined.
(emphasis added)
One almost wishes Ch7 would get its license pulled and a real TV station put in its place. It's an embarassment.

Anyone know if wgrz 33 has been down the last couple of days.
I usually get it without any problem.I still get 39 with good signal strength but not 33.
I put up a ur75 on the same mast as my channel master 4228 and combined them.The 4228 is the one I use to pick up Buffalo and the UR75 is what I'm using for Rochester.I was using the double bow tie for Rochester but I thought I would try and max out my signal reception because my signal strength for 45 & 58 were half way I thought I would test the UR75 ($20.00)
I maxed out the Rochester stations and retained the same signal strenth for 39.1 out of Buffalo but get the no signal for 33.
Just wanted to see if anyone else was getting a signal before I change the setup.