Thanks rttrek.... I tried puting in my zip code in three different locations and it still sees (after rescan) UPN as 66.. pain in the but... well more than likjely then my Tivo will see it fine.

As for the bug... that sucks... are they planning a firmware upgrade or something ? I see that this machine can be upgraded automatically. (Samsung ST360)

Anyway.. I watched Enterprise in HD last night... ;-) A re run but hey... The HD didn't look as good as the channel 28 or HD Discover. How come ?

Because it's not in HD. UPN distributes it in HD, but the LA affiliate doesn't have HD working yet. Thus, you saw it in digital SD.

Unless they fixed that within the last two weeks. Was it widescreen?

Yes it was widescreen and looked better than through DTV but maybe that was just compression.
It just didn't have the sharpness. But commercials were in SD for sure with the bands on the sides and Enterprise was widescreen.

Update: South Orange County...

As mentioned I'm located at the end of the 241 toll road in Las Flores/RSM area. I'm located on top of a hill with an unobstructed view to Mt. Wilson. It is 50.8 miles away. I posted last week that I got HD for the first time via the DirecTV $99 deal. It came with the Samsung 360, dish and OTA Winegard GS 1000. Much to my dismay the OTA signal did not come in.

I ventured to RS to buy a RS2160. I had a friend to come install it today. As we moved my TV I checked the back of my Sammy receiver. To my amazement the DirecTV installer had set the OTA signal to "Cable". I switched it to the "Air In" line and walla HD signals. All stations from LA, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11 come in clear as a bell! I couldn't believe it. So we messed around with it to try to pick up channel 13 but no luck.

Here is what I'm thinking. My buddy tells me he thinks that the Saddleback Mountains have a repeater tower from Mt. Wilson. Anyone know about this. It must be true because my antenna is pointing right at Saddleback when I'm receiving my signal. When I moved it towards Mt. Wilson...nothing. I don't know but the HD picture tonight looked great!

I'm not even sure what a remote transformer is but even if it were a some sort of repeater, they'd have to have one for every channel. Your friend is wrong.

Glad to hear you are getting reception. Is this with the Winegard or the 2160?

-- Gary

I'm sorry Gary, you were right he said repeater not transformer....Still a newbie.

Getting reception with the Winegard.

-- Ed

Musicman40,

I have an unobstructed view of Saddleback from my home. Believe me there is no repeater of any kind on saddleback. I get all my HD OTA from LA and San Diego stations. If there were a way to get reception from Saddleback I would be the one to know. I can almost reach out and touch them. I live right above and west of Cooks Corner..You must have gotten some kind of bounce if your Antenna is really pointed at Saddleback.

Robert

Rob,

Or I guess I'm lucky. I have HD on right now. Clear as a bell and pointed at Saddleback....My neighbor put up his antenna as well and he also is receiving the HD stations. Rob, which antenna do you have to pick up the San Diego stations. Do you get the Padres games?

Ed

So I wasn't getting my OTA guide and I found this trick in a forum here. They tell you how to reset the TS360 with a few clicks, to reboot it and re enter all the info (zip codes) and voila I have my guide and KTLA which I didn't have before.. But now NBC can't be found. It sees it but it says searching... Argh.. there's always something... But now UPN is in it's correct position... ;-) (13)

I couldn't get NBC today either. Perhaps it's down...

Musicman-
I have a cm4228 amd a 7775 preamp- Gary Goodrum is THE expert on the antennas and amps you will need. Just listen to him and follow his advice. I don't think the padre's games can be had OTA. I think it's a Cox Cable deal in San Diego. I'll look into it a little better and get back to you.
I had a Televes 75 and it was a better fit for OTA reception, but to massive for my taste.

Robert

Thanks, Robert. I guess I'll stick with the D* antenna since the station is coming in just fine. I appreciate your help....

Ed

I got NBC today so it must have been yesterday only... but I got captions on it now... wierd..

Originally posted by musicman40
Thanks, Robert. I guess I'll stick with the D* antenna since the station is coming in just fine. I appreciate your help....

Ed

Which antenna did you get with the D* Setup? Is it the winegard 2000? If so Are you happy with it and if not the 2000 what did you get?
David

Hi guys, I live in Glendora, it's in the East San Gabriel Valles about 15 miles east of Pasadena on the 210. I just wanted to find out what other people's experience has been in this area if any and what type of antennas are recommended for somebody living in the foothills. I live at the foot of a mountain and I don't really think I have a perfect un-obstructed view of Mt. Wilson although Pasadena is only about 15 miles away.

VC

Originally posted by dlt21
Which antenna did you get with the D* Setup? Is it the winegard 2000? If so Are you happy with it and if not the 2000 what did you get?
David

David, I got the Winegard GS Sensar 1000. The picture is coming in perfect.

Musicman40, thanks for quick reply
David

Since this seems to be the best thread for Southern California OTA antennas, I Just wanted to drop a note that I also have had great drop-out free reception with the Radio Shack 15-1880 "VHF, UHF and HDTV Indoor TV Antenna", which has a built-in amplifier with adjustable gain. This is the current version of the antenna that GGoodrum uses for his HTPC & recommends for indoors.

Prior to this, I had a Silver Sensor with an amplifier, which worked well overall, but I could never get it to work drop-out free on all the L.A. DTV channels without tweaking every day or two. If I fixed it for KABC-DT, then KNBC-DT or KTLA-DT would be out of wack and vice-versa. With the Radio 15-1880 Indoor setup I've been able to get all channels drop-out free simultaneously without any tweaking for over a month now.

http://www.radioshack.com/images/ProductCatalog/ProductImage/15/15-1880.jpg

Three antennas in one receives VHF, UHF and HDTV signals. It features 26dB three-stage amplification for better reception, even with weaker signals.

PRODUCT FEATURES
• No need for three separate antennas
• Ideal for HDTV reception
• Fine tuning and gain control allow you to set just the right amount of amplification for the best picture
• Gain: VHF—17dB; UHF—13dB minimum
• For fine-tuning, the VHF dipole extends up to 36” & rotates 360°
• UHF/VHF three-stage amplification, 26dB ±3dB
• A/B switch lets you toggle between the antenna and another signal like cable TV or video game—no need to switch cables
• Figure-eight UHF loop available with 330° rotation
• Each side of UHF loop rotates 190°
• Includes AC/DC adapter and three-foot 75-ohm cable with gold-plated F-connector
• 12VDC, 200mA, UL listed AC/DC adapter
• Red LED power indicator

Great, Mark. I'm glad it works well for you. I'm now using another one down in San Diego at a condo we have at Mission Bay. This is multipath hell but I can easily lock onto all of the DTV staions, although since we're in-between some of the transmitters (some are on Mt Palomar and some are farther east...) I do have to move it around sometimes.

One thing I've noticed is that up here, the one I've been using in the loft works much better if the loops are oriented vertically, instead of horizontally, as shown in the picture. Down in SD, however, the horizontal orientation seems to work better.

-- Gary

Originally posted by mark_la
Since this seems to be the best thread for Southern California OTA antennas, I Just wanted to drop a note that I also have had great drop-out free reception with the Radio Shack 15-1880 "VHF, UHF and HDTV Indoor TV Antenna", which has a built-in amplifier with adjustable gain. This is the current version of the antenna that GGoodrum uses for his HTPC & recommends for indoors.

Prior to this, I had a Silver Sensor with an amplifier, which worked well overall, but I could never get it to work drop-out free on all the L.A. DTV channels without tweaking every day or two. If I fixed it for KABC-DT, then KNBC-DT or KTLA-DT would be out of wack and vice-versa. With the Radio 15-1880 Indoor setup I've been able to get all channels drop-out free simultaneously without any tweaking for over a month now.

http://www.radioshack.com/images/ProductCatalog/ProductImage/15/15-1880.jpg

That's funny, you had the exact opposite results I had with these two units. I have the Silver Sensor with an amp. and sometimes get drop out, but most of the time it's pretty steady on all of the main local channels I watch (2, 4, 5, 7 & 9). A couple of months ago I decided to try the Radio Shack unit just to see if it worked any better but it was even worse, my %'s went down about 20-30% across the board on all channels :( I tried placing it in every location I could but I just wasn't getting any reception. I guess it just really depends on your exact location which antenna works best.

Antenna selection is really trial and error, but if you're limited to indoor antennas the Silver Sensor with a good amp and the RS 15-1880 should be your first choices. The Silver Sensor appears to be more directional than the RS, so if multipath is an issue it might work better there.

Even if you can setup an outdoor antenna without HOA common area restrictions, I would still try one of these two first instead of climbing on a ladder, you can always return them if they don't work for you.

As most of you already know, RS has stopped making the 1171 amplifier and I desperately need one. Does anyone here have an extra 1171 that they would be willing to sell? I would be really grateful. Hope to hear from someone soon.

Thanks.

Dennis

Any success stories using an indoor antenna in Laguna Niguel area. I just got my HDTivo and bought a Terk Amplified Indoor (on sale for $20.00 at CC) and it doesn't receive ABC, NBC, or Fox. I get KCBS, KDOC, KCAL KCET marginally. Any suggestions appreciated but would like to avoid an outdoor solution if possible. :)

try using the zenith silver sensor. i believe some other forum members have been saying that there is a terk knock off. i get just about every channel from sherman oaks.

Originally posted by Bullitt
Any success stories using an indoor antenna in Laguna Niguel area. I just got my HDTivo and bought a Terk Amplified Indoor (on sale for $20.00 at CC) and it doesn't receive ABC, NBC, or Fox. I get KCBS, KDOC, KCAL KCET marginally. Any suggestions appreciated but would like to avoid an outdoor solution if possible. :)

I think you are out of luck with indoor antenna. I am getting in LN perfect reception for all locals channels with outdoor combo RS15-2160 and 15-1171. For less than $30 it was the best HD deal I ever made ! (thanks to this AVS forum). The antenna alone gave me good reception except KABC (7.1,7.2,7.3). With amplifier I have those as well in normal/best range.
I remember I tried briefly indoor Zenith antenna with same results as you described.

Wow this threat is still active. I currently have a RS 15-2160 with CM7775 preamp located in my attic. My view of Mount Wilson is blocked by a small hill in Tustin Ranch. My HD reception has been great the past 6 months, with KNBC, KTLA, KABC,KCAL,KTTV as my strongest stations, but for some reason KCBS comes in and out randomly from week to week. One week KCBS would come in perfect, then the next i get no reception. The same thing happens with KCET (channel 59). I know my anntenna location is not too perfect (in attic), but is there anybody who lives near by who is using a diffrent antenna/preamp combination and receiving better results in their attic? Any help is appreciated, thanks!

I'm a noobie to HDTV. Having said that, I found out through hdtvpub.com/local/localarea.cfm, that my reception in my area (Anaheim) has an average of about 55 or so. Surprisingly the highest is upn with 66 and lowest is nbc with 36. Will the Radio Shack 15-1880 antenna do just fine for the most part? Also, I need a tuner to get these channels right? Thanks.

bump for my question...anybody?

I'm in Placentia and use a standard roof antenna. Some stations occasionally have signal problems, although most are great.

If you can put up an outdoor antenna it will do better, but the 15-1880 has a great reputation. Best of all, it's returnable. Buy one and try it!

As for a tuner, yes, of course, a tuner is required to receive any channels. In this case, an ATSC (digital TV) tuner is required.

I Live about 65 miles from the Mount Wilson tower in Oxnard, CA.......
I don't have a clue where Mount Wilson is.....I know 71degrees........
I use a DB8 from Antennas Direct and I have 40 OTA stations including
all the major local networks....the rest Mexican & educational channels.............Between LA and Oxnard there are countless
mountain ranges, trees, houses, and whatever else that could disrupt a
signal...... Amplifier............NO Diplexor.........run coaxial straight to the STB......I get 90+ signal strength.........Voom's the provider.......

Anybody having issues with KTTV the last few days? I'm getting some major break-up. Monday's recording of North Shore was unwatchable. Last nights 8:00-10:00 was the same. I'm using a MyHD MDP-120 as the tuner.

Signal strength is decent, ranging from 25-49, bouncing all over the place last night. Just now I was testing, and strength was 0, then bounced up to 49. Right now it's jumping from 32-49. And just now dropped to 0. It MUST be on their side for it to be bouncing around that much, right?

The antenna is in the attic and came with the condo. I was just up there trying to locate some sort of brand/model number, but all I see is a tag saying made in USA. It's fairly large, and would have to be a VHF/UHF model.

I get excellent strength on 2, 4, & 5, with 7 generally between 35-40. (And only occasional breakup.) KCET varies, consistently at 49 right now, but I've seen it get down to 18 or less and breakup to the point of being unwatchable., (All chanells referring to HD.) Don't get 66 (UPN) at all. (And don't care.)

Would an amp help? I was looking at the Radio Shack site, their current in-line amp would be difficult to connect, because the cable from the antenna is split in the attic, and goes to 2 seperate rooms. You can't have a splitter between the power injector and the amp, though.

I'm in Irvine, Walnut/Jeffrey area. I refuse to pay COX's extortionist prices just to get HD.

Sorry for the ramble, any comments/suggestions welcome.

It appeared that KCOP 13 DT (66-1) was off the air last night. At least it got a 0% on both of my STB. Lately it has been about 65%. Anyone else get this channel last night 9/16/04 at about 10:00 PM? I was wildly fantasizing that it was off the air due to an upgrade to 1080i for the upcoming season of Star Trek Enterprise in HD.

I briefly watched KTTV 11-1 and it came in fine by the way.

Rick R

I'm getting 11-1 at 89 to 91 solid now.

Originally posted by Markz2k
Monday's recording of North Shore was unwatchable. Last nights 8:00-10:00 was the same.

Actually, every episode of "North Shore" has been unwatchable! LOL!

I'm in Long Beach: FOX and KCAL is the only channels I can get 100% of the time - have not experienced any recent issues with FOX. KNBC is spotty at times, and KABC is impossible to see from my rooftop, for whatever reason. I have also discovered in turning my antenna, I can get EITHER KCET or KNBC clearly, but not both, despite having a multi-directional antenna. Odd.

Found my list of Los Angeles Stations:

KCBS Channel 2
6121 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028-6423
(323) 460-3000
channel2000.com

KNBC Channel 4
3000 W. Alameda Ave.
Burbank, CA 91523
(818) 840-4444
(818) 840-3376 fax
nbc4la.com

KTLA WB Channel 5
5800 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028-6607
(323) 460-5500
ktla.com

KABC Channel 7
4151 Prospect Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027-4524
(310) 557-7777
abc7.com

KCAL Channel 9
5515 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(213) 467-5459
(213) 460-6265 fax
kcal9.com

KTTV FOX Channel 11
1999 S. Bundy Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90025-5235
(310) 584-2000
(310) 584-2116 fax
fox11la.com

KCOP UPN Channel 13
915 N. La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
213 851-1000
213 851-4187 fax
upn13.com

KCET PBS
4401 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(213) 666-6500
(213) 666-6067
kcet.org/

Is anyone else experiencing frequent audio dropouts on Fox 11-1? I just got a new Samsung TS360 so perhaps it is a defect in the receiver. However, 11-1 is the only channel that is plagued with these annoying dropouts.

There is a known bug with the Samsung TS-360 and the FOX splicer - they're working on a fix.

How long has this bug been an issue? Is it something recent or has it been around for a while?

Why does KNBC-DT 4-1 Los Angeles, CA forget to flip the HD switch so often? I flipped over to view Joey and once again they broadcast the entire show in SD. I realize the presidential debates were tonight, but KNBC forgets to flip "the switch" a lot more often than CBS or ABC.

I have a Winegard HD8200 and have no problems getting all of the LA stations OTA. I would like to know if it is possible to orient my antenna in such a way as to pick up the San Diego stations as well. Is anyone currently doing that? I am in Newport Beach. Thanks for any help.

Anyone besides me have problems with last week's Father of the Pride? Mine was missing all audio at times, just the voices at times (like center channel was missing), and had video breakups too.

mikem01 asked the question in another thread whether KCOP would broadcast Enterprise, or anything, in HD soon. The moderator closed that thread and said to continue the diiscussion here.

Since this is one of my two biggest HD gripes I thought I would comment. (My other big HD gripe is lack of firewire on satellite STB). Someone else in still another thread said they talked to KCOP engineering and they stated that there were no current HD plans.

I would add this really sucks. It has been noted in other threads that KCOP is actually owned by Fox and their interest in UPN is limited. I have watched (and taped) every episode of every Star Trek. However the lack of picture quality in Enterprise has vastly diminished my interest in this series.

I know that only 4% of households nationally can receive HD. However I am sure the number in L.A. exceeds the national average. In addition, the teckies that watch Enterprise are more likely than average to be interested in HD. As a result the KCOP viewers that want HD Enterprise are not an ignoreable group.

Sorry, I will end my rant and rave now.

Rick R

Rick... no apologies necessary. It's unbelievable to me that the people who work on the show can't even see the final product in HD. The fact that smaller markets like Little Rock, AS have HD UPN and we don't just doesn't make any sense to me.

I sent them an e-mail last year that went unanswered. I guess we'll just have to wait a few years and watch the episodes again when they are re-run elsewhere in HD or wait for the HD-DVD's.

Ugh.

I agree with all the above, and wish to point out that UPN now has other shows besides Enterprise (and the occasional movie) in HD. The new season brought Veronica Mars and Kevin Hill at least in 1080i.

Anyone here from Chino Hills to help a newbie? How do you get your OTA HD channels?

D* installed a winegard 1000 OTA antenna as part of an HD promo package. After trying several scans on different times/different days (via Samsung sir-ts360), it only shows channels 2-1, 50-1, 50-2 and can only watch it occassionally. Just dark screen most of the time. Although I get CBSHD (ch 81) and NBCHD (83) via D*, I would also like to get all other OTA HD channels in the LA area. I may be wrong but the OTA CBS channel looks much better than the D* feed.

Thanks in advance.

Legnat,

In Chino Hills you should get all digital channels. I am not familiar with it but I suspect the Winegard 1000 isn't up to the job. I live in an OTA challenged area and I get all channels. I use a Winegard 8200 UHF/VHF antenna and a Winegard 8275 UHF/VHF preamp. To improve reception use quad shielded RG6 with a straight shot to the receiver with no splitters etc. The antenna should be on the roof. Make sure the antenna is pointed correctly.

I previously lived in Diamond Bar before the era of digital channels but I got all analog channels with a cheap UHF/VHF antenna on my chimney.

Rick R

Legnat,

I too live in Chino Hills and I have the Winegard Prostar 8800 (PR-8800). I have it inside the attic and I'm pulling ALL channels from Mt. Wilson. Check it out at this link:

http://www.starkelectronic.com/wnpr8800.htm

Thank you very much for the replies, folks.

Melencio, do you use the recommended preamp as per the specs?

Originally posted by ratbrain
try using the zenith silver sensor. i believe some other forum members have been saying that there is a terk knock off. i get just about every channel from sherman oaks.

ratbrain-

Dunno if you will see this or not but I see you are in Sherman Oaks. Is your cable company Adelphia? I am looking for some solutions for alternatives that involve satellite and was wondering what you are using as far as set-up, service and OTA. An indoor solution for the local stations might help me tip the scales towards dumping my cable company.

I have read through the majority of this thread, and was excited to learn that I may be able to get OTA in HD. After reading through all the posts, I decided I was going to start off with the RS 2160 and go from there. For information, I live in the Conejo Valley in Newbury Park (ZIP 91320). I pulled up antenna web, and found I am about 50 miles away from the transmitter. I went to Radio Shack today to buy the 2160 and all the other equipment I needed, and was told by the guy working there that it would be impossible to get any more than a couple of channels where I live. Because of the mountains, most of the signals would be impossible to get. I searched through this thread and saw a guy in Oxnard (about 20 miles northwest of me) is able to get OTA channels with no problem. I didn't see anybody else in the vicinity of where I live with any posts. I'm probably going to just buy it and try it out anyway, but I wanted to see if anybody had any input or past experience with using antennas in this area. Thanks

Ggibby, I lived in Thousand Oaks near the K-Mart and received about half the channels, using a 10' pole on the ground, surrounded by trees. I'm currently in Simi Valley and receiving all channels. But it's not a simple thing to throw up an antenna and hope for the best. You have to respond to conditions by buying a GOOD antenna and mount it HIGH in the air, and try to mount it so it has as clear a path to the source as possible. Like, don't mount it behind a tree.

I forget my antenna model, but I have it mounted on a 15' pole on my roof. I gained two channels when I went from a 10' pole to a 15'.

Eddie, thanks for the info. I just wanted to make sure it was possible to get reception out here. I have a 10' mast already installed on my roof, and I'll try it there first. I don't have any tall objects in the area, so I'm optimistic that I'll be in luck. I used to live in Simi Valley, and I think the geography out there is similar to N.P. From what I've read so far, I'm going to try Radio Shack's antenna first and see how that does. If that doesn't do the job, I may go to the Channel Master 4228. Just out of curiosity, do you use any kind of amplifier? Thanks for the help.

Sunnyboy,

I am in Sherman Oaks, near Woodman and Ventura. I get solid reception of OTA HD channels (2,4,7,28, etc.) using a small RS antenna on a bookshelf above the TV. Unless you're blinded by hills, you should be fine.

Dennis

Dennis,

I PM'd you. Please check your messages and respond when you have time. Thanks.

Sonnyboy,

I responded.

Dennis

Can anyone recommend an installer in the Glendale area? I have tried most of the little antennas, and got PBS for a split second using the $50 radio shack antenna. I am assuming it must be possible to get a better signal if I get someone to profesionally install an antenna. Or maybe someone would be able to just come out and tell me if its possible to get a signal.

Anyone recommend a San Pedro/Rancho Palos Verdes area installer?

-Ed

It seems KCOP 66-1 has increased the power of their transmitter as of a week or so ago.I have just an indoor silversensor in the hollywood hills and i have been able to receive all other OTA in LA exept for 66-1 no matter how i position the antenna since i got my tuner i January.But the last 8 days it comes in perfect so my only conclusion is that the power has been increased.Has other people noticed this?Maybe there is some upgrading or real HD in the near future...

Travanx,

Try http://www.antennaweb.org. You put in your address, city, state, zip and it gives you a pretty good idea what's happening.

HTH,

Dennis

Thanks, yes I have checked there, but I picked up faint signals with the radio shack powered antenna and another powered antenna I tried. There is a big antenna on the chimney right now, but I want to try one that is made to receive UHF signals and have someone that knows how to aim it. I think I should be able to get reception.

My receiver was showing 50% and then would drop after a second or two. And then go back to 50%. So it could never lock on, but it still wasn't just 0%.

I just noticed KJLA-49/DT has begun broadcasting USDTV's guide-channel. They also seem to be broadcasting USDTV's (subscription-required) wireless-cable channels: ESPN, ESPN2, FOOD, HGTV.

Anyone else noticed this? I wonder which other LA-stations will be partnering with USDTV?

KJLA's primary (free) program doesn't look adversely affected -- the picture quality is actually comparable to the other 408i ATSC stations.

[edit]

For those of you wondering "what's USDTV?!?" Check out http://www.usdtv.com

Reception Area:
Albuquerque
Las Vegas
Salt Lake City Metro Area

???

You need to buy their special receiver too?

No thanks.

-Ed

I know. I was extremely interested until I saw their reception area!

I still might get their box though, I mean $200 and it's got LG's 5th-gen tuner in it. That's a pretty sweet deal in my book.

Originally posted by mattwiks
That's funny, you had the exact opposite results I had with these two units. I have the Silver Sensor with an amp. and sometimes get drop out, but most of the time it's pretty steady on all of the main local channels I watch (2, 4, 5, 7 & 9). A couple of months ago I decided to try the Radio Shack unit just to see if it worked any better but it was even worse, my %'s went down about 20-30% across the board on all channels :( I tried placing it in every location I could but I just wasn't getting any reception. I guess it just really depends on your exact location which antenna works best.

I used to live in Redondo Beach, and I have a vertical stack of two Silver Sensors that pegged just about all channels (this antenna was used indoors, too).

Now I just moved to San Pedro North/Rancho Palos Verdes, and it barely works now, with frequent drop outs and only a few channels.

Antennaweb.org now recommends a Medium Directional antenna now.

Any recommendations on a good installer?

Antenna Recommendations?

I have a Channel Master 4221, but is is a Medium Multi Directional antenna. Would this one work.

-Ed

KOCE 50-2 has begun broadcasting HD since last night.

Just an FYI:

There is now a thread for Bakersfield, CA - HDTV (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=460701) for those of you actually closer to Bakersfield - or for any discussion related to the Bakersfield affiliates.

Anyone in Irvine (Orange County) area having any luck with OTA from the LA stations?

Wondering if a Winegard SqSh or the Zenith SiSe will be good enough.

antennaweb.org has me at red/blue regions. (40 miles from Mt. Wilson)

I have a Sony 655 series HDTV coming in sometime in November. I have DSS ... anticipating more HD channels coming in the next year. But in the meantime, I'd love to have local HD!!

I'm in Huntington Beach, exactly 40 miles from the transmitters. I'm using a Zenith Silver sensor in my closet and a DVICO HDTV card in my computer. I get channels 4 and 5 in at 75 to 85%. I can get channels 2 and 50 in, if I re-orient the antenna. Channel 11 almost comes in-so borderline that it is unwatchable. I tried adding a Holland HDA-25 amp, but it made the percentages DROP!

Unfortunately, Silver Sensor is only good for the "Yellow". (Short Range).

But it is good for Medium Range (red) apparently with a quad stack, but mounted outside. For that cost, you might as well get a high gain Yagi type antenna. It will hold up better to the elements outside anyways.

-Ed

I am in Santa Ana and am getting all channels locking at about 70% with a silver sensor and 25 ft. of RG6 cable. All I can say is make sure you set it on a very tall shelf, it made a big difference for me.

I tried the Radio Shack 15-1880 and got a couple stations but never could keep a study lock on all of them. Adjusting the built in amplifier did little for reception either way.

I am still locking for a small amp to maybe improve my signal strength. Any replacements for the RS 15-1171 yet? I need something around 10db gain and low noise.

I live just behind the Rose Hills by Whittier College and am having the hardest time getting any OTA channels. (90602) Have you guys had any success in this area? The website says I'm about 18 miles from the towers near Los Angeles which is confusing the hell out of me. I have the Dish 811 and just picked up the Sylvania SRZ3000 which I heard was good for pulling in OTA stations. They both showed similar performance when I tested the new Sylvania yesterday.


Here is what I have tried:

Trek Model (??) mounted on 10 ft. mast. Picked up channel 28 PBS. Returned it.

Next I tried the radio Shack UHF only antenna mounted on a 20ft mast. Picked up PBS (69%) and channel 2 (60-62%) and sometimes 4. (59%)

Next I tried the Channel Master 4228 mounted at 20 ft with the same performance as the radio shack maybe slightly better, So I am sticking with the CM4228.

I have about 90 -100 ft. of coax running into the house.

I have never tried an Amp. Do you guys think this would help?

I may be able to run 50 ft. of twin lead 300 ohm through a window. would you guys suggest this? To cut down on the cable length? But I'm not sure how the older 300 ohm would do?

Off the subject. I have been looking for some Kay-Halbert Tv made in Culver City in the 50's. If you have any info please Pm me. G.B.

I live in the South Bay of Los Angeles. (San Pedro North right next to Rancho Palos Verdes, just south of Torrance)
I need to find a licensed and insured/bonded TV antenna installer for a rooftop install (2 story building, flat roof, no tiles) of a medium, directional UHF TV antenna to receive local OTA HDTV stations. (I already have two receivers, so please don't try to convert me to cable HD or satellite. I may get those, but for now, OTA HDTV is all I want)

I live in a condo where the HOA does not allow me to DIY and climb on the roof and install a UHF antenna (for liability reasons). I used to have a nice dual Silver Sensor array I made that worked when I lived in Redondo Beach, but now there is so much multipath interference, that the signal drops all the time, so it looks like an external antenna is my only option.

And my balcony faces south, so no luck with mounting an antenna on the balcony.

I have a Channel Master 4221, but am not sure if it would do the job.

Thanks. My wife and I are having HD withdrawal symptoms. :D

-Ed

teknikk7,

Get a preamp. It will make a lot of difference. Since you have a long run in to your set make sure you are using RG6 quad shielded. (RG11 is even better but is hard to find and use). Make sure yiou have no splitters unless absolutely necessary. If absolutely necessary then use the Radio Shack 3db splitter.

300 ohm twin lead is lower loss but has a much lower noise immunity that probably will affect digital signals. Use the RG6 quad shielded. Home Depot stocks it along with connectors.

If all else fails get a better antenna. I live in an OTA challenged area. I have the Winegard 8200 UHF/VHF antenna with a Winegard 8275 UHF/VHF preamp (big and expensive but works great). I took down a CM antenna/preamp combination because the Winegard was better and got all the channels.

Rick R

chipster009,

I'm in Irvine 405 and Jefferey, I have RS15-1880. I get every HD channel like 2,4,5,7,9,11,28-1 and 50-2.

I am now finally getting every OTA digital channels except for ABC. I have winegard 2000 (roof) and radio shack 2160 (attic) via an AB switcher (I switch between antennas where channel is available). I tried using a splitter (in lieu of AB switcher) but lost most of the channels.

a) Is there some kind of special combiner so I can eliminate the use of AB switcher?

b) Is there a special direction to get ABC? I assume it is available in LA area (I live in Chino Hills).

Thanks in advance.

update!

I just moved the antenna around in the attic (not easy but well worth it) with my son on the other end of the walkie talkie and voila! I finally got ABC 7-1, 7-2 and 7-3.

I did try a radio shack gold plated combiner/splitter but got the same results. Oh well...

Trying to set up my channel master antenna for my hd-tivo and I'm getting ZERO reception on any channel

Are hd channels even available here? Antennaweb.org says there are no digital channels available for this zip code (hollywood hills).

I find that hard to believe but neither the tivo nor the Grand Wega are able to find a single digital channel.

Help?

Thank you.

Dilweegie,

How good is your reception of analog channel 28? (KCET). That should tell the story of what your problem might be. Got lots of snow (low signal strength), ghosts (multipath reflections)? Point your antenna for the clearest picture on analog ch 28, then try receiving the digital channels.

Ken

Thanks!

I'll give that a try and report back.

You'd think at 17 miles away from Mt. Wilson I'd get SOMETHING.

I haven't been watching much tv lately... until this week. Lip sync issues on channel 36. Anyone else?

LarryB,

I noticed lip sync issues on Smallville on Wednesday night (WB ch. 5-1). No lip sync issues on the other hd channels.

Originally posted by qpham
chipster009,

I'm in Irvine 405 and Jefferey, I have RS15-1880. I get every HD channel like 2,4,5,7,9,11,28-1 and 50-2.

I'm trying out the Terk TV5 antenna right now ... It just sits on top of my tv in the first floor of my 2-story condo.

I get all Digital channels except ABC 7.x at an avg. of 70-80 signal strength on my KDE-50WE655.

I have to slightly redirect the antenna for 5.1 and 4.1.

The funny thing is... Sometimes when a car passes by... I lose signal for a short time (2-3 seconds).
I may be relying on reflected signals around my condo :(

Anyone familar with USDTV 57.1?

I conducted some searches but did not find anything.

Location: Irvine - Northpark

I've been having trouble with KTTV Fox 11 since last weekend. I've got three digital tuners (two different samsung models and myHD) and none of them can 'resolve' 11-1. It is apparent that there is a signal because the tuners all attempt to resolve it, repeatedly flashing the screen while trying to lock onto it. We've been receiving digital signals for two years without protracted difficulty like this. All other digital channels seem normal.

Anybody seeing the same thing? Any advice would be much appreciated - we gotta see the philly/pitt game tomorrow!

Yes,there is something weird going on with KTTV 11-1,on my Samsung the station "sticks" but comes in eventually-sometimes without sound othertimes without the receiver signal led showing.I have to repeatedly hit ch+ or ch- to get to another channel.This has been going on the last couple of days but at least i receive it clearly.

All locals come in except for KABC DT.

Not only do we not have line of sight to mt. wilson, multipath interference might be contributing to our inability to receive KABC DT. After reading LG next generation hdtv receivers work in marginal reception areas I hunted down a US Digital receiver with no better results.

When locals move to their permanent assignments may that affect reception?

I'm getting everything fine, including 11-1. Pitt is *killing* Philly!!

anyone watching LOTR on WB-
It's not OAR, and the logo's are annoying, but the sound is great 5.1 for KTLA

I caught part of it. The bugs *are* bad, and the commercials really ruined the pace, too.

I'm at my wits end trying to figure out what the problem is with KTLA-DT's audio signal on my system. The audio portion of all programs keeps cycling between Dolby Digital 2.0 and Dolby Digital 3/2.1 and either results in audio drop outs or, as of today, a loud intermittent buzzing noise.

I have not experienced this problem before with this station. It only started happening a month or two ago. I have a solid lock on their signal from Mount Wilson (i.e. no video drop outs). My HD receiver is the Sony HD-100. Anyone else experiencing this problem??? BTW, NO other OTA stations I receive in my area or D* stations (SD and HD) have this audio problem.

Let me know if there is a fix for this, or if this is my problem alone. I don't want to call the station's engineer unless absolutely necessary...thanks.

Does anyone here have the telephone number to KNBC's engineering dept. handy? I've watched the last few weekends of NASCAR in 4:3 when I know others around the country had it in Widescreen! Please help, as I'm hoping to have it handy for when they are 4:3 again this weekend...thanks...

Originally posted by chipster009
I'm trying out the Terk TV5 antenna right now ... It just sits on top of my tv in the first floor of my 2-story condo.

I get all Digital channels except ABC 7.x at an avg. of 70-80 signal strength on my KDE-50WE655.

I have to slightly redirect the antenna for 5.1 and 4.1.

The funny thing is... Sometimes when a car passes by... I lose signal for a short time (2-3 seconds).
I may be relying on reflected signals around my condo :(

Finally... my HDTV success story at my condo... near 5-fwy & Jeffrey (Irvine):

I'm returning the Terk TV5 and keeping the Radio Shack 15-1880. ALL available digital channels are coming in with no dropouts (even when cars drive by!). The only annoying thing is having to redirect the entenna slightly for a couple of channels.

The 15-1880 is sitting on the top of my Grand Wega on the first floor. What I might try to do this weekend is move the antenna upstairs and hook it up with RG6 routed downstairs.... to maybe try and eliminate the need to redirect the antenna.

Ultimately... I want to resurrect an old PR-4400 - style antenna that we used to use MANY years ago for a service called "ON-TV". Does anyone have any data on this kind of antenna (Box/Bow-Tie style) ???

Anyone else with a Zenith SAT-HD520 or Sony HD200 having problems getting past the USDTV promo on 57.1?. Everytime my STB tunes to it, even during a channel scan, it instantly reboots.

Tony

Originally posted by Dilweegie
Trying to set up my channel master antenna for my hd-tivo and I'm getting ZERO reception on any channel

Are hd channels even available here? Antennaweb.org says there are no digital channels available for this zip code (hollywood hills).

I find that hard to believe but neither the tivo nor the Grand Wega are able to find a single digital channel.

Help?

Thank you.

I also got the "no digital channels available" response from antennaweb site (91709). The winegard with preamp roof mounted antenna from D* only pulled in CBS and PBS and some international digital channels. I have no line of sight according to D* installer.

Self installed radio shack 15-2160 UHF antenna in the attic pulled in all OTA digital channels, no signal amp required.

Check it out! Good luck!

tony I have a sony sathd200 and thought That something was wrong with it,but it is 57.1 and USDTV. I dont know what to do about it

Originally posted by Tony Chick
Anyone else with a Zenith SAT-HD520 or Sony HD200 having problems getting past the USDTV promo on 57.1?. Everytime my STB tunes to it, even during a channel scan, it instantly reboots.

Tony

Same problem here, I thought I was going nuts. :mad: I get KTLA 5.1, Fox 11.1 I think and very very few others and that's it. I get generic programming information on the terrestrial channel guide meaning no scheduling information, I noticed it yesterday.
I try and rescan and the system goes black at 57.1 digital, I have to unplug it to reset it. Grrrr! Is somebody asleep at the wheel up there?

Oh, by the way, is there a soft reset on these HD200's? I haven't been able to find it!

SC

Originally posted by Legnat
I also got the "no digital channels available" response from antennaweb site (91709). The winegard with preamp roof mounted antenna from D* only pulled in CBS and PBS and some international digital channels. I have no line of sight according to D* installer.

Self installed radio shack 15-2160 UHF antenna in the attic pulled in all OTA digital channels, no signal amp required.

Check it out! Good luck!

Where in 91709 (Chino Hills) do you live and what chan do you get ? I am about to move to OTA for HDTV and I am interested in what antenna might be needed. Have you tried an indoor antenna near the TV ?

Thanks

Where in 91709 (Chino Hills) do you live and what chan do you get ? I am about to move to OTA for HDTV and I am interested in what antenna might be needed. Have you tried an indoor antenna near the TV ?

Thanks

I am located off the CHPkwy (windmill creek). I get about every digital OTA channel available 2-1 thru 13-1, PBS + a bunch of international ch.) via a Sammy TS-360 without dropouts.

I have tried a radio shack powered indoor antenna (about $40) but did not pull any station.

I suggest you try the RShack 2160 first (add preamp ~$60 if required). I have mine mounted in the attic pointing NNW, no signal amp required.

Good luck.

Originally posted by Legnat
Where in 91709 (Chino Hills) do you live and what chan do you get ? I am about to move to OTA for HDTV and I am interested in what antenna might be needed. Have you tried an indoor antenna near the TV ?

Thanks

I am located off the CHPkwy (windmill creek). I get about every digital OTA channel available 2-1 thru 13-1, PBS + a bunch of international ch.) via a Sammy TS-360 without dropouts.

I have tried a radio shack powered indoor antenna (about $40) but did not pull any station.

I suggest you try the RShack 2160 first (add preamp ~$60 if required). I have mine mounted in the attic pointing NNW, no signal amp required.

Good luck.

Thanks for the info. I am near Peyton and chino Hills Pwy. Clear view to the north. I bought the LG LST-4200A last night and I am anxious to see how things work. I am now 'officially' encouraged !!!

Originally posted by tbpb3
Anyone familar with USDTV 57.1?


I heard about this service and according to them, they are Beta testing for our area. Earliest that we'd be able to suscribe to the service is the new year.

Are you able to get any of the channels, like Espn/CNN etc in HD? I think they offer those type of channels for a $20/month subscription for OTA HD. Sounds like something I'd be interested, especially if they are not reducing bandwith like Cable/Sat. providers do with their HD content.

BTW, I do not have a tuner for OTA broadcast, anyone selling a good working used one for pretty cheap?

email me at dhhornback@yahoo.com if so.

Thanks,
Dave

This is a great place. Last night I picked up a Radio Shack 15-1880 indoor antenna on the way home and finally unpacked and set up my new Sharp LC-26GD6U TV. To my surprise, I received all LA stations off Mt. Wilson. Most coming in 80% and above strength level, with PBS being the weakest at 65-70 %. No picture break-up or pixellation. I am about 40 miles form Mt. Wilson. The antenna is located on a tall bookshelf in a second-story bedroom. Unless I am very lucky, I find the ATSC reception problems to be greatly exaggerated!

Thanks again for everyones' inputs in this forum. Without this place, I wouldn't even think about trying an indoor antenna at 40 miles distance.

FredB

FredB,

Congratulation, I live even more to the south, with the RS 15-1880 I get all the channels as 2,4,5,7,9,11,28-1,50-2 without any problem.

Originally posted by 65notch
I heard about this service and according to them, they are Beta testing for our area. Earliest that we'd be able to suscribe to the service is the new year.

Are you able to get any of the channels, like Espn/CNN etc in HD? I think they offer those type of channels for a $20/month subscription for OTA HD. Sounds like something I'd be interested, especially if they are not reducing bandwith like Cable/Sat. providers do with their HD content.

BTW, I do not have a tuner for OTA broadcast, anyone selling a good working used one for pretty cheap?

email me at dhhornback@yahoo.com if so.

Thanks,
Dave

USDTV doesn't provide ANY HD channels, just some SD cable channels such as HGTV, ESPN etc. They do provide an OTA receiver that can receive your local HD channels but you could get those with any OTA or DirecTV HD receiver.

Tony

Hey Guys,

down here in Laguna Niguel... and need some advice on what I need to get to setup a OTA HD set.

I have Cox and HD down in my living room and get everything in OK, but I really want TNT-HD, FSW-HD and some of the other HD channels that Cox doesn't provide.

What do I need to setup a OTA connection and get the other channels?

Can i do this on the same TV that gets Cox HD now?

How much will each device that I need cost?

Best places to get them? Brand names or names of equipment?

Thanks!

Quigs - welcome to the forum.

The only OTA channels that are available are the locals. You can't get the channels you're looking for OTA - only via cable or satellite.

Sorry.... :(

Andy.

If Cox doesn't offer TNT HD the only way I know of to get it is Dish Network satellite. (Your choices are cable, DirecTV satellite, or Dish satellite.) Neither satellite company carries FSW HD so if your cable company doesn't carry it you are out of luck. I too would like FSW HD as I am watching FSW as I type this where Cal is blowing out Stanford. Don't know if this game is available in HD.

Only the regular OTA channels (2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, etc.) are available in HD over the air. Both DirecTV and Dish HD satellite receivers include OTA HD reception so if you make that choice you get the HD satellite channels plus the OTA channels.

Rick R

Originally posted by Badabbing
Same problem here, I thought I was going nuts. :mad: I get KTLA 5.1, Fox 11.1 I think and very very few others and that's it. I get generic programming information on the terrestrial channel guide meaning no scheduling information, I noticed it yesterday.
I try and rescan and the system goes black at 57.1 digital, I have to unplug it to reset it. Grrrr! Is somebody asleep at the wheel up there?

Oh, by the way, is there a soft reset on these HD200's? I haven't been able to find it!

SC

Check out the New Software Version 2.00 for Zenith 520 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=465780&perpage=20&highlight=hd200&pagenumber=1) thread...should help you understand what's happened. Here is an excerpt from one of the members that helped me get back my OTA guide:

BTW, for everyone missing the local channel info after the upgrade, hit Menu then DirecTV > Intial Setup > Channel Setup. Make sure YES is checked, enter Zip or just press Select and it should scan. After that your station IDs and guide info should be restored

Hello all,
I recently got my HDTV going and am now trying to get the OTA channels. I live in Upland, CA. fairly close to Mount Wilson and I have had no luck with my new indoor antenna. I have strict HOA rules and was wondering what a good antenna would be for the attic. With a decent antenna I should be able to get the signal, but I am having no luck so far. Any suggestions would be great.
Garrett

FCC regulations have preempted HOA prohibitions of small dishes and OTA antennas. You have the right to put up an OTA antenna on the roof as long as the mast keeps the antenna no more than 10' above the roof ridge line.

By the way I used to live in Claremont near the hills and you need a really good antenna to get signals from Mt Wilson in many places because foothills block reception. It can be done, it just requires a really good antenna.

I live in Simi Valley now and it also requires a good antenna. I have a Winegard 8200 UHF/VHF antenna with a Wineard 8275 UHF/VHF preamp. It works great but it is big and not particularly cheap. Others like the Channel Master 4228 UHF antenna with Channel Master 7777 preamp. These are a little smaller and cheaper.

Rick R

I just noticed that the KCOP website has a link to checkhd.com on the front page. Could this be a sign of good news to come?

Originally posted by Rick_R
FCC regulations have preempted HOA prohibitions of small dishes and OTA antennas. You have the right to put up an OTA antenna on the roof as long as the mast keeps the antenna no more than 10' above the roof ridge line.

I'm not sure where this information was sourced from, but the FCC does not limit you to 10' above the ridge-line. If your OTA antenna extends more than 12' above the ridge-line you may be required to apply for a permit, but that will be granted as long as the installation is deemed safe. The HOA has no authority to deny the installation unless it is deemed that there is no way to install it safely.

You can find more specifics here (http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html).

Andy.

I can go on for hours about the latest Samsung DLP sets, but I'm lost on the OTA stuff, so I apologize for the noob questions.

I'm in the Santa Monica Mountain foothills, 30 miles from Mt. Wilson, without line of sight to the transmitters (Palisades Highlands to be precise). I have DirecTV with local channels, and all I want OTA for is HD broadcasts. SolidSignal recommends the Winegard SS2000, but it has limited range (15 miles) in the low VHF channels, 2-6, where CBS (2) and NBC (4) are here in LA.

The question is, will the SS2000 work? Are HD broadcasts on CBS and NBC transmitted on channels 2 and 4? Or are HD broadcasts transmitted over UHF channels?

I tried antennaweb.org, but it predicts that no digital broadcasts are predicted for my area.

M3 Pete,
All HD locals in L. A. are on UHF Band. I have the Winegard 2000 Amplified Antenna that I received through the D* HD set up. In Woodland Hills reception is perfect 98% of time. I think you are talking about the Square Shooter which may work better in your area as it seems there are some site problems in west LA area. Go to Winegard website to check out the 2000 multi-directional

Thanks for the reply.

yes, the SS2000 is the amplified Square Shooter. Sounds like you have the MS2000 Metro amplified omnidirectional.

How far are you from the transmitters? Do you get the Ventura stations too?

WHen the D* installer was here to put in my DirecTivo he showed me what looked like the Winegard Sensar III antenna that he recommended. Not sure if the SS or the Sensar is better.

approx 32 miles, have not tried to get the Ventura stations. My friend was given the ms1000 -non amplified version- he lives in Tarzana and his reception though closer to Towers is sometimes iffy. Definately need something with an amp.
David

Ken Cranes on Ventura Blvd just west of the 405 uses set top bow tie antennas to get local channels. I don't see how you need a SS2000 in Woodland Hills unless you have a big hill or something. Maybe something else is wrong.

A guy near me in Simi Valley 35 miles from Mt. Wilson with a 2700' peak in his way uses a SS1000 with a separate preamp and gets all channels.

Rick R

Can you put a silver sensor on the roof?

How?

RickR - dlt21 said he uses a Winegard MS2000 Metro amplified omnidirectional in Woodland Hills, NOT a SS2000 Square Shooter. He said his friend uses the Winegard MS1000 Metro non-amplified omnidirectional in Tarzana.

It's me who probably needs the Square Shooter SS2000, as I'm 30 miles from the towers in West LA with many hills in the way.

Dilweegie - I don't think you would want to put a Silver Sensor on your roof, it's an indoor antenna and would not likely withstand the elements. You could stick one in your attic though, that would probably be the best way to go.

I live in the West LA area at wilshire and bundy. I have a 4228 mounted on the roof and i can get all the stations, but not without a rotator. I don't have a rotator. If i switched to a 4221, would that give me a wide enough angle to get all stations from one position? My signal strengths now are in the 90's.

Any other options would be appreciated. Can the 4228 be modified to have a wider angle of reception? I tried reading through this thread to find people in my area, but didn't see many.

Thanks!

I live in the West LA area at wilshire and bundy. I have a 4228 mounted on the roof and i can get all the stations, but not without a rotator. I don't have a rotator. If i switched to a 4221, would that give me a wide enough angle to get all stations from one position? My signal strengths now are in the 90's.

Any other options would be appreciated. Can the 4228 be modified to have a wider angle of reception? I tried reading through this thread to find people in my area, but didn't see many.

Thanks!

Originally posted by qpham
FredB,

Congratulation, I live even more to the south, with the RS 15-1880 I get all the channels as 2,4,5,7,9,11,28-1,50-2 without any problem.


I live in Irvine as well, just set up my new HDTV with an RS-15-1880 yesterday and was able to get all HD channels in EXCEPT ABC...any suggestions? Was really looking forward to MNF in HD :-)


Greg

Greg,
Signal very low from KABC. Perhaps you might try San Diego ABC about 180 degress away from Mt wilson

Robert

I live in claremont, and just got a HDTV, and with a set of rabbit ears, I can get everything at decent quality, but I have to keep switching the dial on the antenna to get them. I found a setting that gets everything but ABC and PBS (haven't checked the other smaller ones) and another setting that gets ABC and a few others, but the others have dropouts. Do I need to go all the way up to a roof or attic antenna? Or can I get by with a newer, "HDTV" indoor antenna? I will also be splitting the signal to another HD Tuner (First is built into my TV) so I'd assume an amp would be good?

WannabeSQ,

You must live in south Claremont. When I lived in Claremont I lived near Yaeger Park and I could get nothing without a roof top antenna.

A roof top antenna will always be better because it gets a much stronger signal and almost as important it is a directional antenna which will reject the reflected signals off the sides and back. These both will give you a much better signal. If you are getting TV from a set top antenna a cheap roof top antenna will probably do fine.

After I lived in Claremont I lived in Diamond Bar among many hills. With a set top antenna I got all channels (analog then) but with many ghosts. A cheap roof top chimney mount got every station perfectly solid.

Rick R

Originally posted by polymerguy
I live in Irvine as well, just set up my new HDTV with an RS-15-1880 yesterday and was able to get all HD channels in EXCEPT ABC...any suggestions? Was really looking forward to MNF in HD :-)


Greg

I'm in Newport Beach. I'm using a RCA amplified indoor antenna. I'm not sure of the model number, but it was only $29.99 @ Target. It says it's amplifies 45 amps. I can get ALL the digital/HD signals except for KXLA 44. I'm talking 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 18, 22, 28, 31 (actually KTBN), 34, 40, 50, 52, 56, 57, 58, and 62. I've got D*and I'm using a Samsung 360 to pick up the off air channels.

Has anyone in LA had trouble with ABCHD, particularly last night and this morning?

I tuned to "Lost", but got a blank screen with a "no signal" error on my HR10-250. Signal strength was 88 on one tuner and 90 on the other!

Several people reported a problem with ABCHD OTA, I believe it was out...no recordings on my hdtivo either..

There was quite a wind storm the other night.

-Ed

I taped the rebroadcast of the premier episode of Lost on my HD VCR Wednesday night. What you are tellkig me is that I have a two hour blank tape. Great.

Rick R

Yup. :(

Originally posted by Rick_R
WannabeSQ,

You must live in south Claremont. When I lived in Claremont I lived near Yaeger Park and I could get nothing without a roof top antenna.

A roof top antenna will always be better because it gets a much stronger signal and almost as important it is a directional antenna which will reject the reflected signals off the sides and back. These both will give you a much better signal. If you are getting TV from a set top antenna a cheap roof top antenna will probably do fine.

After I lived in Claremont I lived in Diamond Bar among many hills. With a set top antenna I got all channels (analog then) but with many ghosts. A cheap roof top chimney mount got every station perfectly solid.

Rick R

Actually, I live in north claremont, just below the hills, but within 3 blocks from a pretty large one. We almost got hit by those fires we had a while back. I guess i am either extremely lucky with my positioning, or have a really nice set of rabbit ears (though they never worked well for analog, perhaps its a better UHF antenna than it is VHF). Could it be that the Sanyo TV I have has a really good tuner? I got the Sanyo Walmart special, and have been enjoying it ever since.

I found an old attic antenna which I will try, I believe it still works.

The only station I have trouble with is ABC HD, so perhaps it is a problem with their transmitter?

Hello everyone - Reporting from Sherman Oaks, 91403 -

Just started my HD quest on my new Sony 50", borrowing a RS 15-2185 from a friend and managed to get most of the channels, with decent HD results.

I want awesome HD results though! KOCE 52.3 was UN believable. I want that on all the channels. OTA is my move, Adelphia is the Suck around here, so I'm also considering HD DirectTV.

I was unable to get Fox in HD - 11.1 is what I've seen stated, correct me if that's the wrong frequency - but couldn't get it tuned in with a variety of placements of this Radio Shack antenna inside the house on a 25' length of RS RG-6 cable.

Eventual placement of the winning antenna will either be in my attic (preferred) or on the roof. Pretty clear sight lines, no taller buildings (in the LOS) until you hit the Universal Building which is a good 4 miles east of me, and it's a bit north of my believed LOS anyway.

So my question is: Any other Valley-folk with recommendations on what to try next, antenna-wise? Price isn't much of a concern, the ends justify, eh?

I've seen excellent comments about the CM 4221 with possibly a 7775 Preamp, but those threads were a bit older... this still good info? I've also heard good things about antennasdirect.com's DB4 model.

I'm mostly in the Red zone with a few Blue and Violet as well.

Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone,

New to the boards here, and reporting from Lake Elsinore, Riverside County (zip 92530)

Have a Radio Shack 15-2160 antenna in the attic of a two story house. Row of pine trees partially block the 301.x degree angle of the house, but they have been trimmed and I tried to point the antenna to the right of where the row of trees ends. With just the antenna I was able to pull channels 4-1 ,5-1 & 5-2, 9-1, 24-1, 28-1 & 28-2, 34-1, 34-2, 50-1 through -3, 56-1 & 56-2, 57-1, and finally 58-1 through -4. 28-1 and 28-2 would drop on and off, so I decided to add an amplifier (Radio Shack 15-1170)

With the amplifier, channels 2-1, and 7-1 through -3 finally came through, although I had to tune channel 7 through 53. I did a rescan and then channel 7 came through as 7-1 through 7-3. I still haven't been able to pull channels 11 and 13, so I'm thinking I need to either a) put the antenna outside (trying to avoid this), or b) get a bigger amplifier.

Any recommendations are welcome!

Oh yeah, TV is a Samsung TX-P3071WH (built-in HD receiver)

Jose

Hi,

Can anyone get closed caption to work on ABC 7.1 or KCET 28.1?
I have a LG 3100A tuner and when I enable caption (service1/eng), no caption shows up. But the guide info states that there is caption for the program. Just trying to figure out if it's a problem with my hdtv tuner.

Thanks.

Originally posted by Hao P
Hi,

Can anyone get closed caption to work on ABC 7.1 or KCET 28.1?
I have a LG 3100A tuner and when I enable caption (service1/eng), no caption shows up. But the guide info states that there is caption for the program. Just trying to figure out if it's a problem with my hdtv tuner.

Thanks.

Hao,

CC works fine on channel 7.1 on my Samsung TX-P3071WH. 28.1 is not transmitting a CC as of this moment, so can't if it's working or not. Could it be a poor signal problem? I know I had the hardest time pulling in channels 7 and 28, and I still can't pull in channels 11 and 13 as digital channels.

Jose

polymerguy:

GET AN OUTSIDE ANTENNA!!!! You're lucky to be getting anything in Irvine with that RadioShack P.O.S.

Three rules for television antennas:

1. Rooftop/outside is always better than settop/inside.

2. Bigger is Better!!!

3. Altitude (a.k.a. height) is your friend.

Also, check out http://www.antennaweb.org for a prediction of what to expect. . .

irie,
--cap'n bob

I currently run a pair of horizontally co-phased RS 15-2160s into a CM-7775 preamp. I live near the top of a hill in Aliso Viejo (South Orange County) and have to point up and over the hill towards Mt. Wilson. I get most digital channels at varying signal levels (30-50+%) but usually no ABC or UPN. I'd like to replace the antennas with something with more gain. I see a lot of reports of success with the CM4228 and wondered if it would be a good fit - has anyone tried both antennas? If I were to use the CM antenna would I want to have dual antennas again or is it possible that a single 4228 could do better than the two RS antennas I have now?

Any advice appreciated.

Andy.

bump for my questions, and a request - does anyone in the Orange County area have a CM4228 that they're not using that I could borrow to try out for a few days?

Andy.

My tape of Lost on ABC on 12/15 was fine. I haven't watched the whole tape but the end was good as was the first 10 minutes. However ABC sc***ed me. I started the tape 1 minute early and it still missed the very beginning.

Rick R

Hao P

KCET HD (28-1) does not broadcast closed captioning at all, ever. I have complained but to no avail. They also have an enormous amount of pixelation even on true HD programs.

KABC HD (7-1) usually has the captioning.

On the antennas, I have the top of the line RS in my attic (2 story) and get everything in LA, despite having the baldwin hills in the way. However, if I were further way, I would have definitely put it on the roof with an amp. I first tried rabbit ears and got nothing.

Good luck folks.

I'm confused...

Is KOCE broadcast in HD? I have an indoor RCA amplifying antenna in marina del rey and am able to recieve 2-1, 4-1, 7-1, 11-1, and 28-1. If I fuss with antenna for an irritating amount of time I can get 5-1or 9-1. I really only care about HD football, for the most part.

I do agree that 28-1 has an awful lot of pixels in the image.

KOCE (50-1) does have a fairly strong digital signal (from Mt Wilson). I have not looked at it in many months so can't comment on true HS content or CC.

Originally posted by 818-GIMMEHD
I want awesome HD results though! KOCE 52.3 was UN believable. I want that on all the channels. I didn't think KOCE was doing any HD. What show or shows are you referring to? And what does "52.3" refer to? KOCE-DT is on 50.1.

KOCE is indeed doing HD on 50-2. DirecTV doesn't not list the programming on my HTL-HD STB merely "Regular Schedule"

CRAZZ--I had to put up an outdoor Winegard bowtie to pickup KCET without pixelation. My Condo assn has a antenna system that worked for every station except 2-1 and 28-1 and 28-2. These stations would come in fine and then breakup. By the way "Rudy Maxa's Smart Travels" on both 28-1 and 50-2 is spectacular.

Originally posted by MDRLou
KOCE is indeed doing HD on 50-2. DirecTV doesn't not list the programming on my HTL-HD STB merely "Regular Schedule"

CRAZZ--I had to put up an outdoor Winegard bowtie to pickup KCET without pixelation. My Condo assn has a antenna system that worked for every station except 2-1 and 28-1 and 28-2. These stations would come in fine and then breakup. By the way "Rudy Maxa's Smart Travels" on both 28-1 and 50-2 is spectacular.

I've noticed KOCE 50-2 broadcasting PBS in HD as well. 50-1 was still standard def. Weird.

-Ed

I live out near Lancaster and cannot figure out why I cannot receive KTTV-DT on Rf65. Equipment is a Dish 921, Channel Master 4228 8-bowtie (amplified). I am about 33 miles north of Mt. Wilson and the 921 reports the following reception values:


KCBS 2-1 (60) 70 (spotty)
KNBC 4-1 (36) 112 (solid)
KTLA 5-1 (31) 112 (solid)
KCAL 9-1 (43) 125 (solid)
KMEX 34-1 (35) 120 (solid)
KDOC 56-1 (32) 78 (usually solid)


I really want to get KTTV 11-1 on RF65. Looking at the contours and radiation patterns on the FCC web site, compared with the radiation patterns of the stations I do receive, it seems that KTTV ought to be a solid signal but I get nothing on RF65. No lock, no nothing.

Is it because it's way up in the 780 MHz range or is there another reason like construction/low power?

I know I'm pretty far out here, but Mt Wilson is obviously in range.

I got basically the same results with a Dish 6000U.

Any thoughts?

KABC 7-1 off the air again( Fridayand Saturday) has anyone heard whats happening over there?

KABC-DT (7-1) was not off the air Friday and Saturday. The problem must have been elsewhere, as I can verify that it was on the air both nights.

The Sound of Music was aired upconverted from 480i Saturday night even though the guide listed it as HD. This was due to scheduling conflicts with the ABC East Coast feed. It was a four-hour movie, and ABC currently uses a single feed for HD programming. Therefore, if a program goes over three hours, there is a problem. Sometimes they use a second satellite transponder. . .this was not the case last night, as the East Coast ran the movie from 8 - 12 EST, but KABC ran it from 7 - 11 PST.

irie,
--cap'n bob

Re KABC outage last week. Sounds like a PSIP glitch if signal was there and there was no picture. Always try a rescan if this happens. Some receivers are very touchy if PSIP disappears even for a short time.

KNBC was out again last night Tuesday 12/28/04. They had a 85% signal but no picture. They seem to do this about once a month or so. It was not a STB issue as I tried both of my STB. KNBC is ok today.

Rick R

I live in Pacific Palisades, in a region called the Palisades Highlands, off Palisades Drive. I'm on Palisades Circle, so I'm not very high up in my neighborhood. I'm probably at about 800 feet elevation, and looking at a topo map there seems to be a 1600 foot ridge between me and Mount Wilson, plus a bunch of condos and other stuff in that direction on the hill above me. antennaweb.org predicted no digital channels would reach me, but I figured I'd at least try.

Today the D* guys came out and we tried to pick up a signal from my roof with the Winegard Square Shooter and a signal meter. We got nothing, zip, nada. So I'm totally out of luck for OTA HD reception, and have to watch all the local channels in SD until D* launches their new satellites in June. :( I was really hoping to see the Rose Parade, Rose Bowl and Super Bowl in HD. :mad:

Sorry to be a bearer of bad tidings, but you probably do not have a prayer for OTA in the Palisades Highlands.

My in laws live nearby and I know the area well. You have a huge mountain in the way. The D* guys should have known that. You can try antennaweb site for another opinion.

Your only hope is to try San Diego. Point the antenna due south and you should get the CBS and ABC stations from Mt. Solidad (8-1 & 10-1). My in-laws get it quite clearly.

Good luck.

ccrooster,

thanks for the reply, as I mentioned, antennaweb predicted failure. They were right. D* doesn't really care, they tell you up front they don't guarantee OTA reception.

Actually, I was under the impression that D* was not transmitting locals in HD until they launch the new satellites, but I have learned here on AVS that Fox, NBC and CBS are transmitting HD on D*, and ABC is only a few days away. I have not gone home yet to confirm this, but if so, I don't need OTA!

Plus, one of their HD channels [HDNET? ESPNHD?] is planning to show the parade in HD.

I seem to have lost Fox in SoCal today through my OTA antenna. I am getting all the other channels except fox. Is anyone else running into this issue?

Channel came back. Not sure what cause it. Was the only one that I lost temporary.

Welp, im going to go pick up the RS 15-1880 today and see how it works for me in Huntington Beach. This will be my first stab at OTA local.

Venomous

Good Luck on OTA, but you will probably have to get something better.

I eventually had to get an RS 15-2154 and mount it in my attic for decent digital OTA. I tried similar RS antennas and it was useless for me. I am 23 miles from Mt Wilson, but slightly obstructed by the Baldwin Hills. I use the antenna for my analog sets, but I mostly rely on Comcast for digital. When I want other local stations such as 5-1 & 50-2, I need to use the antenna. Friday, I checked the signal strength and all channels were strong and solid (70+) except 43-1 (9-1) which was fluctuating 0-46.

Yesterday, I used the antenna exclusively and it was solid for the parade and football.

Cheers

I ended up going with the DB2 from http://www.antennasdirect.com/db2_bowtie_antenna.htm.

I figure i can attach this to the j-bar holidng the sat dish up.. I should have good luck with this, no? $10 cheaper then the RS indoor i was looking at.

DTV Allocations:

Does anybody know if any of the LA area DTV stations are going to revert to their analogue channel numbers when the time comes to shut down the various uhf channels.

thanks

KCBS 2, KTTV Fox 11, and KCOP UPN 13 can not use their digital channels as they are all above 51 (60, 65, and 66 respectively) and their digital channels will go away when channels 52-69 are auctioned away for other uses.

Rick R

Thanks for the quick reply Rick-R. Does this mean that KCBS, KTTV & KCOP, will be reverting to ch 2 ch 11 and 13 frequency spectrum respectively, or are they going to pick up an unassigned uhf channel.

thanks

KABC-DT (currently on 53-1,2,3) will be reverting to VHF Channel 7 when the analog allocation is shut down.

irie,
--cap'n bob

Originally posted by bobhuntsman
KABC-DT (currently on 53-1,2,3) will be reverting to VHF Channel 7 when the analog allocation is shut down.

irie,
--cap'n bob

Is there a time line on this occurrence?

I see from other posts that others are getting intermittent breakups and other problems when viewing Fox in L.A. (65 dtv.)
I was getting sound break up last night when viewing "Quints", via OTA with MyHD MDP100 (home theater computer.) I switched to TimeWarner cable HD and experienced no such problems.
So the question is: fellow OTA viewers, did you have problems with "Quints" last night?

Originally posted by bobhuntsman
KABC-DT (currently on 53-1,2,3) will be reverting to VHF Channel 7 when the analog allocation is shut down.

irie,
--cap'n bob

Channel designation only, or will the UHF band be abandoned and they will start broadcasting on the VHF band?

If so, that would leave an awful lot of HDTV early adopters pissed off.

-Ed

I only have a UHF antenna hooked up so I will be annoyed if I have to get a VHF one.

I also sure wish that UPN would broadcast in HD, I want to watch Enterprise in HD.

Originally posted by WannabeSQ
I only have a UHF antenna hooked up so I will be annoyed if I have to get a VHF one.

Ditto here.

Is there a time line on this occurrence?

The analog shutdown will occur when 85% market penetration (of digital reception) is achieved. At the current rate, that will be several years in the future. . .

The VHF low band (channels 2 - 6) will be abandoned at that time, as will the upper UHF band (channels 51 - 76). Current VHF high band licensees will move to their original channels with the digital signal.

A UHF-only antenna may or may not work satisfactorily on the VHF band, depending on your location and setup.

irie,
--cap'n bob

I personally have a VHF/UHF antenna anticipating the fact that it will be needed later.

Rick R

Earlier this evening, KNBC-DT was having PSIP problems as the channel kept going from 4-1 to 36-1 during the newscasts. Later, I noticed NBC Weather Plus + appeared on 36-2 with the PSIP not fixed yet. It seems that our NBC station finally has the 24/7 weather channel that was discussed not too long ago in the programmings forum.

To reiterate: NBC's Weather Plus + has arrived on KNBC-DT's subchannel. Now KNBC-DT has a subchannel, but I haven't determined the effects of the main channel yet. Hope you guys in the LA DMA are seeing the same thing. Seems the timings right as we are in another major storm.

Originally posted by bobhuntsman
Is there a time line on this occurrence?

The analog shutdown will occur when 85% market penetration (of digital reception) is achieved. At the current rate, that will be several years in the future. . .

The VHF low band (channels 2 - 6) will be abandoned at that time, as will the upper UHF band (channels 51 - 76). Current VHF high band licensees will move to their original channels with the digital signal.

A UHF-only antenna may or may not work satisfactorily on the VHF band, depending on your location and setup.

irie,
--cap'n bob
Bob, you quote VHF ch 2 - 6, along with those over ch 51, are to be abondoned at the appropriate time. Question, what is KCBS, analogue ch 2 ,and in the above ch 51 region (ch 60) on their digital allotment, going to do when the time comes?.

Thanks

Originally posted by TonyW79SFV

To reiterate: NBC's Weather Plus + has arrived on KNBC-DT's subchannel. Now KNBC-DT has a subchannel, but I haven't determined the effects of the main channel yet. Hope you guys in the LA DMA are seeing the same thing. Seems the timings right as we are in another major storm.

I'm just seeing their SD feed on 36.2, interesting.

Good time to add it though!

Update: I just did another scan and there is nothing on 36.2 Is anybody else seeing it?

Originally posted by ozeyeo
Bob, you quote VHF ch 2 - 6, along with those over ch 51, are to be abondoned at the appropriate time. Question, what is KCBS, analogue ch 2 ,and in the above ch 51 region (ch 60) on their digital allotment, going to do when the time comes?.

Thanks

We'd better hope KCBS doesn't move back to ch. 2 because ATSC works horribly in the low VHF range.

I believe that the FCC gave up on abandoning the low band VHF channels (2 - 6), and that they will continue to be used after 2006 for DTV. The FAQ at on the FCC web site (search for "OET DTV FAQ") states this (in the section "What are the channel assignments for digital television?").

- Merle

Originally posted by mitchrc
I'm just seeing their SD feed on 36.2, interesting.

Good time to add it though!

Update: I just did another scan and there is nothing on 36.2 Is anybody else seeing it?

KNBC fixed their PSIP and the HD channel is mapped back on 4-1, but the weather subchannel disappeared. (This happened last night around 8pm during Dateline's tsunami broadcast.) I guess they're testing out the weather subchannel, which some other NBC O & O's (WNBC most notably) currently are running.

Interesting. KNBC was not on the list of affiliates to start up Weather+ in the first 90 days. Maybe they are testing a new encoder to prepare for the subchannel since their current one sucks.

I never saw the list, but I assume O&O's have first dibs on Weather Plus +.

Originally posted by TonyW79SFV
I never saw the list, but I assume O&O's have first dibs on Weather Plus +.

Not necessarily. The network and the affiliates formed a fifty/fifty joint venture to create the channel. I suspect that stations that have second channel agreements with the local cable companies and are more active weather will roll it out first. I actually expected KNBC to not really be that eager since our weather here is generally so boring.

From an NBC press release. (http://www.nbccableinfo.com/insidenbccable/networks/weather/resources/inthenews/111504.html)

The first fifteen markets launching over the coming 90 days are WESH in Orlando, FL, KCRA in Sacramento, CA and WXII in Winston-Salem, NC (Hearst-Argyle Television); KING in Seattle, WA, KGW in Portland, OR, WCNC in Charlotte, NC (Belo); WDIV in Detroit, MI, KPRC in Houston, TX (Post-Newsweek); KFOR in Oklahoma City, OK (The New York Times); WRC in Washington, DC; KXAS in Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX; WNCN in Raleigh, NC; WMAQ in Chicago, IL and WTVJ in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Anchoring the launch is WNBC, which initiates the national-local broadcast in New York City today, including one million digital Time Warner Cable homes.

just before NYJ 1st field goal attempt KABC switches to SD. Out of the commercial break their "winter storm warning" appears on screen during Chargers entire 1st possession until a commercial break. Back from break KABC waited until 6:10 left in the 1st qtr to switch back to HD.

@ 9:26 left in 2nd qtr KABC switched to SD just as charger QB threw a pass for a TD. Flash Flood Warning began before the break & resumed after the commercials during extra point. The Flash Flood Warning was again interrupted by a commercial set. Warning resumed out of the break and ended but HD did not return until 7:46 left in the 1st half.

I understand weather warnings are important. Downrezzing is necessary for the local weather graphics. Why cant the local station use a little finesse when doing so?

This broadcast was on a DT station, and the local o&o has weather radar full time on a subchannel for ota viewers. Those not watching the DT signal ota are most likely cable/dbs subscribers which have access to the weather channel. So in a multichannel environment isn't there a better way to handle the warnings?

mitchrc, thanks for the list. I remembered reading somewhere that more stations would be added soon; which explains KNBC's testing of Weather Plus + back on Friday. I've seen the recurring footages in the inset of WP + and they explain that the channel would be used for more than just weather.

bgooch, although I haven't seen the game, I know how frustrating it is to have a station go into SD just to overlay local graphics, like weather warnings. I'm surprised that no one has made an HD video mixer that can mix SD so that no cutting is necessary; but then, it would cost the station $$$. A simpler way of warning the TV public is to use something similar to closed captioning to overlay text. I can't see why that can't be done, the technology is already there; it's just that it was never implemented into ATSC specs.

I have an RCA amplified (ant301) hooked up to an LG 3510A . My signal goes from weak to strong and then no signal at all... It will lock on for 10 minutes then go weak and cut out. Is the problem my antenna? Location of the antenna? Im in an apt building so I can't really have access to an outdoor antenna. my windows pretty much face to the north. I am in Pasadena zip 91101. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. I can't even get KTLA or KCOP HD. TIA

Originally posted by dangerousbri
I can't even get KTLA or KCOP HD. TIA

They have HD broadcasts?

KTLA does special events in HD, such as the Rose Bowl parade. KCOP is incapable of passing HD at this time.

KTLA broadcasts many of their scripted shows in HD. I tape Smallville in HD every week.

I saw KABC switch to SD during the football game for the weather news traveler. I thought it sucked. I watched part of the Batchelorette on KABC also. It was SD but KABC broadcast the storm warnings traveler right on to of the batchelors info so it was not readable. Sucks again. I was watching the Batchelorette on SD satellite instead of OTA digital because KABC stretches their digital channel. KABC does the worst job of their digital channel of all L.A. networks. Except of course KCOP - UPN which doesn't do HD at all.

Just my opinion.

Rick R

How do you watch KTLA in HD? Just stay on the same channel and it switches over? I dont have a box yet, i'm just doing Unscrambled HD/OTA that cox pipes in via cable.

Hi all. This is a great forum! I just hooked up my Dish 811 receiver to the old antenna that came with our house...and now I am enjoying all this free HD programming. My KTLA question is: my receiver scanned for all digital channels and found two for KTLA that show as 5-01 and 5-02 on my EPG. I have only watched a few times but it appears to be the same broadcast, except the audio is different (Dolby 2.0 v. Surround I believe). Is this second channel newly added? I cannot find it on any list of digital channels. What is the typical use for these additional channels? I see that KABC has a couple of extras, one a news show, the other the doppler radar view. I also get channel 50-01 and 50-02 (I believe it is KOCE?). 50-02 is in HD, or at least wide screen, and is completely different programming from what is on 50-01. This is all great stuff!

KTLA has a 5-2 subchannel that is Spanish language. It is the same show as 5-1 except that if a Spanish language audio is available it is in Spanish on 5-2. If Spanish is not available 5-2 and 5-1 are the same.

coolguy949,
Your Cox apparently does not broadcast KTLA in HD. Those of us that get KTLA in HD mostly get it OTA.

Rick R

Did anybody have trouble with KCOP during the storm? I could hardly receive them at all when it was raining.

Any else notice the KNBC is now multicasting a weather channel. I saw 4-2 for the first time last night.

Originally posted by MDRLou
Any else notice the KNBC is now multicasting a weather channel. I saw 4-2 for the first time last night.

Cool. They've added it way ahead of schedule. I'll check it out tonight.

yes, I've noticed the new 4-2 sub channel as well.

-Ed

Yup, just noticed 4-02 last night. Good times!

I noticed it too last night. It looks good. Alias and Lost both seemed unaffected by the possible associated lack in bandwidth.

Andy.

Originally posted by AndyS
I noticed it too last night. It looks good. Alias and Lost both seemed unaffected by the possible associated lack in bandwidth.

Andy.

Well that would be because Lost and Alias are on ABC not NBC.

Originally posted by MDRLou
Any else notice the KNBC is now multicasting a weather channel. I saw 4-2 for the first time last night.
I've noticed 4-2 since Tuesday, albiet, a day after our rain marathon was over.

However, KNBC did ran a test broadcast of Weather Plus back on January 7 as 36-2 (main channel was 36-1 since they tested w/o correctly setting their PSIP at the time/see my earlier post in this thread on 1/7).

As for PQ, I haven't seen much change in HD PQ, especially on Leno; it looked like how it was always before. The PQ of the "L-bar" graphics on 4-2 also looks good for SD.

I rescanned the digital channels last night and once again my Dish 811 found channel 69-1 (KSWB from San Diego). The signal is very intermittent but last night I was able to watch much of their 10PM news. Are there any other San Diego stations available up here? Are there any from other markets for that matter?

Has anyone had the “all too often/occasional” “glitchey/mosaic” (read unplayable for entertainment purposes) recordings, mostly from KABC-HD channel 53.1 in LA?

I use the accessDTV card to record OTA HDTV.

I captured Los and Alias “back-to-back” this week on the same PC (but to 2 different internal IDE drives i.e. H and I) and Lost was fine but Alias was “glitchey/mosaic”.

FOX-HD has been a problem too, and it has 720P in common with KABC-HD. Yet, I record very little form FOX.

Also, an ABC-HD recording of Boston Legal had some initial problems with starting out recording/displaying the ABC-HD channel 53.2 24/7 news feed and then switching to Boston Legal.

As for PQ, I haven't seen much change in HD PQ, especially on Leno; it looked like how it was always before. The PQ of the "L-bar" graphics on 4-2 also looks good for SD.

I watched The West Wing on Wednesday night and didn't notice much of a difference in PQ... however The West Wing is full of more static shots with not alot of movement.

However ER last night was horrendus.... tons of pixelation during the fast moving scenes in the Hospital... looked softer than usual (and if you watched it, i'm not talking about the scenes with Abby in the car, which I beleive were intended to look like that)... I really hate that NBC is broadcasting this subchannel... 1080i needs all of the available bandwith. Major bummer because I watch alot of NBC programming.

Originally posted by MDRLou
Any else notice the KNBC is now multicasting a weather channel. I saw 4-2 for the first time last night.

Was watching Las Vegas 1/17 and noticed the multi-casting. I thought that the quality of LV suffered BIG TIME!! lots of pixelation and the picture just looks soft. No where near the quality of KCBS.

If any one form KNBC reads this please get the HD1080i back!

Watched "Medium" last night and some scenes seemed really grainy. "CSI:Miami" on CBS looked awesome though.

Originally posted by haubrija
1080i needs all of the available bandwith. Major bummer because I watch alot of NBC programming.

I agree. If they're going to do this they're going to have to switch to 720p.

During 24 last night anyone else notice audio drop outs?

Distracting.

I had no audio issues. Anyone watch any San Diego channels?

Which antenna's are everyone using to pick up local OTA channels?

I currently have a DB2 and most likely, will have to mount it outside.

I have a RS Yagi here in West Hollywood and pick up everything.

Definitely put the antenna outside!!!

I'm in Fountain Valley (near Warner & Magnolia) and use a Winegard HD-7078P. Results: Perfect reception!! :D

irie,
--cap'n bob

Friend of mine in the SF valley set up his HD set yesterday and is getting all channels with a set of rabbit ears.

I'm in the SFV also and I used to use rabbit ears, but I got a Jensen flat profile antenna and it worked just as well while being aesthetically pleasing.

Riffel, I can't get any of the San Diego DT channels where I am, but on some occasions, I can get the NTSC channels transmitting from Mount Soledad in La Jolla at my place near Mission Hills. Those channels are KFMB CBS 8 and KGTV ABC 10; there is also something on channel 12, and I can get a weak reception of XETV FOX 6 (the audio comes on the lower FM radio band pretty clear).

Channel Master 4228, in Moorpark. Excellent reception on all channels

Originally posted by TonyW79SFV
Riffel, I can't get any of the San Diego DT channels where I am, but on some occasions, I can get the NTSC channels transmitting from Mount Soledad in La Jolla at my place near Mission Hills. Those channels are KFMB CBS 8 and KGTV ABC 10; there is also something on channel 12, and I can get a weak reception of XETV FOX 6 (the audio comes on the lower FM radio band pretty clear).

Excellent! I can't get any analog channels, well I 'can' but for some reason it screws up the DT channel program info on my Dish 811 receiver so I removed them. It's just GREAT that with an old rusty piece of metal on the roof and some shoddy wires from the attic I can now get for free what the sophisticated satellite chaps can't get me no matter how much $$$ I throw at them. I wonder what I'd see with a decent antenna and some RG6. Cheers!

Originally posted by bgooch
During 24 last night anyone else notice audio drop outs?

Distracting.

We are in Los Angeles.... no audio problems with 24.... but tonight with CSI there was no "vocal audio from the actors.....? but the background audio was there??? It was missing for the whole show.... when Without a Trace came on next... all audio was fine.....

Originally posted by riffell
... It's just GREAT that with an old rusty piece of metal on the roof and some shoddy wires from the attic I can now get for free what the sophisticated satellite chaps can't get me no matter how much $$$ I throw at them...

I know what you mean. There's no technological barrier for transmitting/receiving out of market stations into other areas, but politcal barriers limits what we can have.

Even if I can get the San Diego stations, I'd only watch the news, no use watching the same network shows since they run at the same time. I'd be happy with east coast networks feeds though.

last Friday night Third Watch on KNBC DT began in SD. after the first commercial break the program was in high definition through the remainder of the show.

this week Third Watch is being broadcast in SD throughout. I called KNBC and told a memo was handed down stating this telecast would be in SD in its entirety.

WTF?

Anybody in a fringe reception area having trouble with KNBC 4-1? For the last few days, I've been unable to receive 4-1 OTA, the channel was always rock solid before that. Luckily, I get it from D*, so I'm not missing anything, but I always prefer to receive OTA if I can. I'm in Temecula. I receive every other OTA digital station from LA, all rock solid.

Nevermind. Immediately after posting, I went into my signal strength meter and noticed 100%. I rescaned and it came back up, along with NBC 4-2.

Do they use monkeys to run the HD stations?

Last night CBS broadcast CSI with no center channel in their 5.1 digital sound. Wow, so much fun to watch with no dialogue. :rolleyes:

-Ed

I wired up my reciver for OTA today, USDTV is broadcasting on 99. USDTV's WEB site dosen't say any thing about LA OTA broadcast being avalible, is anyone setup with them?

mitchrc,

Just got set up with HD here in WeHo, what is the model number for the RS Yagi and do they have a website? I couldnt find it. Thanks.

This weekend I started getting 'grey bars' on all non-HD programming on CBS. Both on the E* feed and OTA. All other channels are 'normal'. Anyone else?

Same here. I see the gray bars on COX HD as well as OTA.

Originally posted by riffell
This weekend I started getting 'grey bars' on all non-HD programming on CBS. Both on the E* feed and OTA. All other channels are 'normal'. Anyone else? Also on D*. This must be a CBS O&O thing, WCBS in NY has been doing this for a while.

Originally posted by PsycloneJack
mitchrc,

Just got set up with HD here in WeHo, what is the model number for the RS Yagi and do they have a website? I couldnt find it. Thanks.

Here (http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F003%5F001%5F002%5F000&product%5Fid=15%2D2160) it is. I got one at the Radio Shack on Melrose. You can see where it's in stock on their website.

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Anybody having trouble receiving KNBC 4-1? I've got 69% for signal strength. I'm using a Samsung 360 with D*. I also see no signs of 4-2 like everybody is talking about. I've rescanned it a few times. I'm thinking the problem stems from the receiver. Thanks in advance!

Try entering 4-2 manually, or do a channel search again.

-Ed

Ed,

I've tried that for 4-2. It doesn't work. I also lost 57-1 too. I'm starting to think it's the receiver. I don't get any video or audio on 4-1.

Anyone know why during primetime, KTLA and KNBC are not flipping the HD switch?

KNBC is intermittant...KTLA is always in the zoomed 4:3.

Asleep at the wheel or what?

Anyone experiment that the Ktla is not fill the entire 16X9 format. I have the small black bar about 1/4 of an inch on the left side of my sreen.

Originally posted by Kaleo
Ed,

I've tried that for 4-2. It doesn't work. I also lost 57-1 too. I'm starting to think it's the receiver. I don't get any video or audio on 4-1.


I haven't been able to get KNBC on 4-1 for the last couple of weeks. It works on the Direct feed. I haven't checked 57-1.

No other problems that I can tell from the receiver. And it is not a signal problem (I get everything at or above 96).

Any thoughts?

-D

I sent emails to KNBC and KTLA, and the KNBC engineer wrote me back that I needed to rescan the channels to get them to come back again. I did, and it worked!

Apparently they have changed the PSIP and it messed up a bunch of receivers. However, this did not fix my problem with KTLA, which is not that it doesn't come in, but just that it doesn't come in HD. KTLA claims on their website that they don't respond to messages, but I am going to call them and see if I can get anywhere over the phone. I'll post again if I find out anything else.

Thanks scottyd,

I notice also on KTLA that the sub is at 1080i, instead of 480 and looks identical.

It is a zoomed 4:3 going out 1080i on both?

Weird!

KNBC has been intermittant....ER will be HD, then Third Watch not, etc.

I'll rescan anyway, but seems like I would be non HD always if related to that issue?

KTLA zooms all of it's SD 4:3 programming. The only thing you'll see in HD on them is WB network and occasional specials. The Clippers vs. Lakers game is in HD tonight, though.

KTLA's subchannel is actually a remapping trick instead of a subchannel. It's actually the same video feed as 5.1, but with spanish audio.

Originally posted by mitchrc
KTLA's subchannel is actually a remapping trick instead of a subchannel. It's actually the same video feed as 5.1, but with spanish audio.

If that's true are they using their full bandwidth? I'm watching the Lakers vs. Clippers game right now and NBA games on INHD looks way better. Maybe second audio channel is effecting the PQ.

Originally posted by mitchrc
KTLA zooms all of it's SD 4:3 programming. The only thing you'll see in HD on them is WB network and occasional specials. The Clippers vs. Lakers game is in HD tonight, though.

KTLA's subchannel is actually a remapping trick instead of a subchannel. It's actually the same video feed as 5.1, but with spanish audio.

I just stumbled across KTLA's broadcast, and this is the first Clippers game I see them broadcast in HD. Since they are playing against the Lakers, the game is also on KCAL (at the same time), but with horrible SD composite video artifacts. KTLA should be a Lakers station instead.

Thanks for the info on the KTLA pseudo sub ;)

The last primetime KTLA/WB show I viewed this week was Everwood and that was a zoomed 4:3. Same thing last week as well.

I did say "primetime" in my post. I know that they don't do HD 24/7.

Thanks.

Last night American Idol on KTTV switched back and forth from HD to SD about 3 times that I noticed. I also noticed that it switched back and forth several times from ch.11 to ch.65 on the EPG. First time I've seen that happen. But then I'm only 3 weeks into this OTA thing. Cheers.

That's odd. I watched the show and it was all perfect. There are two things you might have seen: the commercials are all SD and all archival footage of prior seasons of AI are also SD.

I noticied it as well. Looked as if the lost the HD feed for a bit, then it came back. Fox needs to clean it up, this will not stand during the Super Bowl.

Hmmm, that could have been it. It seemed odd that after commercials it didn't always switch back to HD/DD5.1 right away. But the jumping from 11 to 65 was odd...maybe a reception issue? Cheers.

Well...looks like KTLA blows it again.

Got Smallville on now and it is still a zoomed letterbox 4:3.

Is it just me?

Maybe too...KTLA and the WB will wise up and realize (Like KTTV/FOX finally did) people don't enjoy having the screen cluttered by 2 bright annoying logos.

I just checked KTLA and something must be wrong. This is the first time I've ever noticed they're not in HD during prime.

Very odd.

I was watching American Idol last night and here's what I see what happened. KTTV was always on the splicer HD feed, but somehow, after the national commercials went through, the local commercials didn't appear, instead a FOX spinning box screen apperared where the local commercials were suppose to feed through. KTTV realized what happened and switched to the SD feed IMMEDIATELY (as to not to anger the local advertisers). The locals went through ok and the show was back on...in SD. KTTV went back to HD within 5 minutes of the show, but another commercial break came; and this time, they slightly interrupted the national commercial and went to SD to make sure the local commercials went through. This happend through every commercial break, switching to SD to let the local commercial go through, but forgetting to switch back. Shows you how much they care for their local advertisers.

Tonight's KTLA WB shows were from last night. It's delayed by a day due to the Clippers/Lakers game last night (which was in HD on KTLA). Sadly, they didn't delay The WB shows from last night in HD.

Most stations lack the ability to time shift HD.

Originally posted by TonyW79SFV
I was watching American Idol last night and here's what I see what happened. KTTV was always on the splicer HD feed, but somehow, after the national commercials went through, the local commercials didn't appear, instead a FOX spinning box screen apperared where the local commercials were suppose to feed through. KTTV realized what happened and switched to the SD feed IMMEDIATELY (as to not to anger the local advertisers). The locals went through ok and the show was back on...in SD. KTTV went back to HD within 5 minutes of the show, but another commercial break came; and this time, they slightly interrupted the national commercial and went to SD to make sure the local commercials went through. This happend through every commercial break, switching to SD to let the local commercial go through, but forgetting to switch back. Shows you how much they care for their local advertisers.

I watch with a TiVo so I rarely see what's happening in the breaks, but it sounds to me like they were just having a bad night technically. If you ever see the cube, something is seriously wrong (unless you live in San Francisco) and yes they do care about their local advertisers. The revenue at the local stations is what drives the whole network/affiliate business model.

Originally posted by TonyW79SFV
Tonight's KTLA WB shows were from last night. It's delayed by a day due to the Clippers/Lakers game last night (which was in HD on KTLA). Sadly, they didn't delay The WB shows from last night in HD.

OK, that would make sense for last night....But was this weeks Everwood time shifted? The weekend Jack and Bobby? (That usually is HD) Smallville's repeat ep last week? Or the Everwood last week?

Did anybody have any trouble with KTTV last night? I had periodic breakups for the first half hour of The O.C. and then it cleared up.

Last weeks Smallville was in SD also enlarged same as this weeks. KTLA previously got my raves but now they are p***ing me off.

Rick R