No, you really don't detect any envy whatsoever. I would LOVE to have a good outdoor antenna so I can DX like you guys do, but its just not worth the hassle of paying for it, masking where the equipment goes, and actually getting it up on the house. I happen to have a strong ham radio background, so I am not one to shy away from antennas. But I do still think they can really stand out and detract from the rest of the image you are trying to have your house put forth about you and the neighborhood you live in. Sometimes, its just not worth it.

..and I thank God everyday that I live out in the country and dont have to deal with folks who think their crap smells better than everyone elses.....we've got a golf course called Chamberlain just outside Danville on hwy 27....it cost " B I G B U C K' $ " to live there. The houses are nice, the golf course looks nice, the grass looks nice and its one of the most blah and desolate looking places in our area. There are no ROOF TOP ANTENNAS...SATELLITE DISHES....TREES.....SWING SETS....CARS IN THE DRIVEWAYS....PEOPLE...EVER THAT I SEE... Even though they have houses on the golf course, they basically have to leave the premises and go somewhere else if they'd like to live a little bit.....BTW,, steve...I'm not aiming this at you ....you said you'd like to have an outdoor antenna....so obviously you dont feel like your neighbors do. I understand the wife thing....we re-roofed our house with some awesome looking architechural shingles 4 years ago.....after that...she banned me and my antenna from the roof:(....she lets me use the eaves to brace the antenna mast though....so I didnt completely lose out...and the re-roofing did cost a lot. Thing is, out here its our choice, we are not controlled by the neighbors or city council or neighborhood patrol or watch.

I enjoy pissing in my backyard....I would never give it up for city life:D

If I'm not mistaken, metal antennas can be painted (as long as the feedpoints themselves are paint-free. Full-size antennas can be made more stealth if necessary painted in a flat color matching surrounding foliage.

I think its all crap. None of those homeowners associations, or rules have any teeth, the Feds have said so. If you want a dish or tv antenna on your house, you can do so.

Id love to live in the county myself, but unfortunantly, in the current market, everyone wants twice what their house is worth, but wants to pay you half what your current house is worth. Im not going to lose money just to move.

And Steve, a 4221 isnt THAT much bigger than your Phillips, and would get channel 20 just fine. I just put one up at one of your neighbors houses.

I use a 4220 2 bay here thats 1/2 that size, for my bedroom tv, and it gets channel 20 just fine as well (and 7 and all the rest, even 26 from Hot Springs).

No one said you needed a BIG antenna, just a real one :)

If I'm not mistaken, metal antennas can be painted (as long as the feedpoints themselves are paint-free. Full-size antennas can be made more stealth if necessary painted in a flat color matching surrounding foliage.Yep, did that when I lived in LR. But no need to here because nobody else can see our house. My antenna on that fancy backyard tower (next to the propane tank and satellite dish) just SHINES :)

'Scuse me while I go take a piss in the yard.

Hey, you country boys aint got squat on me. I can piss in the yard in the middle of town. That 9' privacy fence, and dense honeysuckle comes in handy.... Oh, and I polished my Televes DAT75, and put armorall on the BRIGHT YELLOW plastic parts. Oh Yea, it outshines the Winegard by a bit....But...I have my 5 satellite dishes well hidden...you cant even see the 10 footer, and its 4 feet from the edge of the street! I COULD see it on Google Earth tho.

I could use a 9' Privacy Fence. The cows could care less, but I have this Baptist preacher next door.....

KSPR Springfield is decoding down south.

Oh, another station gets a bitter aftertaste from the VHF Kool Aid. A WTFDA member brought up that WLBT Jackson MS (NBC) applied for a UHF frequency. WLBT used channel 9 pre-transistion and is presently on channel 7 (their analog was on ch3). Too bad they chose channel 30 as their new DTV channel, I'll never get those guys in the log book.

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?list=0&facid=68542

..and I thank God everyday that I live out in the country and dont have to deal with folks who think their crap smells better than everyone elses.....we've got a golf course called Chamberlain just outside Danville on hwy 27....it cost " B I G B U C K' $ " to live there. The houses are nice, the golf course looks nice, the grass looks nice and its one of the most blah and desolate looking places in our area. There are no ROOF TOP ANTENNAS...SATELLITE DISHES....TREES.....SWING SETS....CARS IN THE DRIVEWAYS....PEOPLE...EVER THAT I SEE... Even though they have houses on the golf course, they basically have to leave the premises and go somewhere else if they'd like to live a little bit.....BTW,, steve...I'm not aiming this at you ....you said you'd like to have an outdoor antenna....so obviously you dont feel like your neighbors do. I understand the wife thing....we re-roofed our house with some awesome looking architechural shingles 4 years ago.....after that...she banned me and my antenna from the roof:(....she lets me use the eaves to brace the antenna mast though....so I didnt completely lose out...and the re-roofing did cost a lot. Thing is, out here its our choice, we are not controlled by the neighbors or city council or neighborhood patrol or watch.

I enjoy pissing in my backyard....I would never give it up for city life:D

There are several places like that around here, but it really doesn't mean anything. The way I look at it is like this, you pay to live the way you want to. If you wanna live in a nice area (which is subjective), you are going to pay for it. Be it in the house, the size of the land you live on, whatever, you are going to pay for it. When you pay to live in whatever area you want, there are certain things you have to do and accept to live there. I personally don't like to have to weave through an obstacle course to get to my house, but I have to and I am not even living in an area with rules yet. I respect rules set forth to live in an area because I know if they weren't there, all hell would break loose.

Just because I choose to live in a somewhat gated community (even though there are no checks or balances to get into Otter Creek), it doesn't mean I think any differently about the way I live. It just happens to be the spot I chose to put my house. Also, the new house is going to have a hell of a front yard in it. Across the street, there is a huge open grass area with Otter Creek itself running through it that has been prohibited to be built upon by the city because the area isn't big enough to provide enough easements for the city to be comfortable for safety reasons. And behind that is woods, so I have a pretty damn nice view out my front door. I just happen to be on the edge of the community, so I kinda lucked out. Only drawback is the area in which I live. To me, most of the area surrounding Otter Creek is less than desirable for me to live in or around, but I am sucking it up and making up for it by getting a damn good alarm system for the house. :) I do not like pissing outside though. If I wanted to do that, I would have a tent instead of a house. I like the modern comforts that indoor plumbing allow too much.

For the record, you can't ban satellite dishes from being in yards or attached to houses. Its against FCC rules. You CAN, however, ban them from being visible from the street. I kind of agree with that myself to an extent until it becomes a blockage for letting people get the kind of service they want.

I think its all crap. None of those homeowners associations, or rules have any teeth, the Feds have said so. If you want a dish or tv antenna on your house, you can do so.

Id love to live in the county myself, but unfortunantly, in the current market, everyone wants twice what their house is worth, but wants to pay you half what your current house is worth. Im not going to lose money just to move.

And Steve, a 4221 isnt THAT much bigger than your Phillips, and would get channel 20 just fine. I just put one up at one of your neighbors houses.

I use a 4220 2 bay here thats 1/2 that size, for my bedroom tv, and it gets channel 20 just fine as well (and 7 and all the rest, even 26 from Hot Springs).

No one said you needed a BIG antenna, just a real one :)
Ahh, but will it get 20 once they cut to digital only? Thats the important thing.

And what is your definition of a "real antenna"? To me, a "real antenna" is an antenna that will pick up all the TV stations you want to watch in your immediate area. To that end, mine IS a "real antenna". I just prefer the minimalistic approach. I just don't want something that is that big. My dish can get all the channels I want and is no where that big. Granted, I pay out the ass for it, but its still more convenient and a little more reliable (if turned right).

Just wondering, what is the appeal with pissing off things or into yards? Is it just a matter of "I can so I will"? Just seems odd to me. The only time I will do something like that is when I just have to, ya know? :)

And, Dave, tell ya what, if it's okay with you, when I move into the new house (sometime when hell freezes over at this point), you think you would mind bringing over a 4220 or something like it just as a test vehicle? I figure you might be coming over anyway to fix what the Ironwood tech will more than likely not do right, so might as well give it a shot then while you are there. :)

[QUOTE=steveken;17002797]Just wondering, what is the appeal with pissing off things or into yards? Is it just a matter of "I can so I will"? Just seems odd to me. The only time I will do something like that is when I just have to, ya know? :)

Privacy my friend....the ultimate privacy.

And, Dave, tell ya what, if it's okay with you, when I move into the new house (sometime when hell freezes over at this point), you think you would mind bringing over a 4220 or something like it just as a test vehicle?

Yea. And my definition of a real antenna, is one with a capture area on par with the frequency being received, not one that has (guessing here) about a -10 db gain over a dipole, and using a high noise amplifier to make up for it. Sure it might work (like under the transmitters), but they are very very difficult to aim (since there is no Front or Back or Side to them), and when you are away from the stations a bit, and picking up signals almost the same strength direct from the station, and 90 degrees off axis off the Metropolitan Bank Building, you are in trouble without a REAL antenna... FWIW, a simple QUAD wire LOOP (1/4 wave per side) in my south window picked up all the LR stations, including 20 and 58. I consider that a real antenna. The Phillips, is a scaled up fractal cell phone antenna. The reason it is used in cell phones is because it is fairly omnidirectional, but its fractal design means it has a very wide bandwidth (which cell phones need) on the order of 10 to 1. UHF TV, needs nothing close to that bandwidth, and being much lower in frequency, requires much more "metal" to have anything close to any gain. I promise you, a wire quad loop, pointed at Shinall, at tilted up 5 to 7 degrees, would bring in channel 20 clear. I get it clear here, 20 miles away.

Anyone wanting to try a quad loop, just take a wire "T" FM wire antenna like they throw in the box with A/V receivers, strip and short the two ends of the "T" together, connect the two "downlead" wires to a balun (1:1 would be correct, but a standard 300 to 75 ohm works ok), and connect that to your coax. Shape it in a square, all 4 sides equal, with the feed at the bottom, and tape it in a window (without metal screen) pointed in the direction of the TV stations. If it doesnt pick them all up, Ill be very surprised. If you were to mount it on your roof (using wooden dowels for a frame), you would never see it, and Ill bet you could kick some stations down your coax with it. Hook it to a 7777, and you really have something (it has 2.3 db gain over a dipole BTW). Add a reflector loop 20% larger, and you have 5.3db gain. Add one director 20% smaller, and you have almost 9 db gain... And the whole antenna would fit in a box. Wire antennas arent sold commercially (except for HF frequencies), but will perform as well as, or better than, most of the $50-$80 commercial antennas out there....And you can use 1, 2 or 3 elements (or 10, or 20), as your balance of gain vs asthetics deems fit.

I gave one to the guy who was one here a week or so ago, along with the Phillips, and was hoping he would report back here with his results in the apt up the road from you, but havent seen any posts yet.

Yea. And my definition of a real antenna, is one with a capture area on par with the frequency being received, not one that has (guessing here) about a -10 db gain over a dipole, and using a high noise amplifier to make up for it. Sure it might work (like under the transmitters), but they are very very difficult to aim (since there is no Front or Back or Side to them), and when you are away from the stations a bit, and picking up signals almost the same strength direct from the station, and 90 degrees off axis off the Metropolitan Bank Building, you are in trouble without a REAL antenna... FWIW, a simple QUAD wire LOOP (1/4 wave per side) in my south window picked up all the LR stations, including 20 and 58. I consider that a real antenna. The Phillips, is a scaled up fractal cell phone antenna. The reason it is used in cell phones is because it is fairly omnidirectional, but its fractal design means it has a very wide bandwidth (which cell phones need) on the order of 10 to 1. UHF TV, needs nothing close to that bandwidth, and being much lower in frequency, requires much more "metal" to have anything close to any gain. I promise you, a wire quad loop, pointed at Shinall, at tilted up 5 to 7 degrees, would bring in channel 20 clear. I get it clear here, 20 miles away.

Anyone wanting to try a quad loop, just take a wire "T" FM wire antenna like they throw in the box with A/V receivers, strip and short the two ends of the "T" together, connect the two "downlead" wires to a balun (1:1 would be correct, but a standard 300 to 75 ohm works ok), and connect that to your coax. Shape it in a square, all 4 sides equal, with the feed at the bottom, and tape it in a window (without metal screen) pointed in the direction of the TV stations. If it doesnt pick them all up, Ill be very surprised. If you were to mount it on your roof (using wooden dowels for a frame), you would never see it, and Ill bet you could kick some stations down your coax with it. Hook it to a 7777, and you really have something (it has 2.3 db gain over a dipole BTW). Add a reflector loop 20% larger, and you have 5.3db gain. Add one director 20% smaller, and you have almost 9 db gain... And the whole antenna would fit in a box. Wire antennas arent sold commercially (except for HF frequencies), but will perform as well as, or better than, most of the $50-$80 commercial antennas out there....And you can use 1, 2 or 3 elements (or 10, or 20), as your balance of gain vs asthetics deems fit.

I gave one to the guy who was one here a week or so ago, along with the Phillips, and was hoping he would report back here with his results in the apt up the road from you, but havent seen any posts yet.

Wow Dave! thats some really cool stuff there. Wish I could do that way out here in the sticks....unfortunately I'm a little farther than 20 miles. But for those within the ranges you are talking about....what could anyone lose by trying it? Its cheap, effective and descreet. Pretty awesome man:)

Yea. And my definition of a real antenna, is one with a capture area on par with the frequency being received, not one that has (guessing here) about a -10 db gain over a dipole, and using a high noise amplifier to make up for it. Sure it might work (like under the transmitters), but they are very very difficult to aim (since there is no Front or Back or Side to them), and when you are away from the stations a bit, and picking up signals almost the same strength direct from the station, and 90 degrees off axis off the Metropolitan Bank Building, you are in trouble without a REAL antenna... FWIW, a simple QUAD wire LOOP (1/4 wave per side) in my south window picked up all the LR stations, including 20 and 58. I consider that a real antenna. The Phillips, is a scaled up fractal cell phone antenna. The reason it is used in cell phones is because it is fairly omnidirectional, but its fractal design means it has a very wide bandwidth (which cell phones need) on the order of 10 to 1. UHF TV, needs nothing close to that bandwidth, and being much lower in frequency, requires much more "metal" to have anything close to any gain. I promise you, a wire quad loop, pointed at Shinall, at tilted up 5 to 7 degrees, would bring in channel 20 clear. I get it clear here, 20 miles away.

Anyone wanting to try a quad loop, just take a wire "T" FM wire antenna like they throw in the box with A/V receivers, strip and short the two ends of the "T" together, connect the two "downlead" wires to a balun (1:1 would be correct, but a standard 300 to 75 ohm works ok), and connect that to your coax. Shape it in a square, all 4 sides equal, with the feed at the bottom, and tape it in a window (without metal screen) pointed in the direction of the TV stations. If it doesnt pick them all up, Ill be very surprised. If you were to mount it on your roof (using wooden dowels for a frame), you would never see it, and Ill bet you could kick some stations down your coax with it. Hook it to a 7777, and you really have something (it has 2.3 db gain over a dipole BTW). Add a reflector loop 20% larger, and you have 5.3db gain. Add one director 20% smaller, and you have almost 9 db gain... And the whole antenna would fit in a box. Wire antennas arent sold commercially (except for HF frequencies), but will perform as well as, or better than, most of the $50-$80 commercial antennas out there....And you can use 1, 2 or 3 elements (or 10, or 20), as your balance of gain vs asthetics deems fit.

I gave one to the guy who was one here a week or so ago, along with the Phillips, and was hoping he would report back here with his results in the apt up the road from you, but havent seen any posts yet.
Last time we talked about making a quad loop, you made it sound like the sides would have to be like 3 or 4 feet each (or something like that, maybe it was something on the order of 11 feet). It just sounded WAY too big for me to even screw with. Did I do some math wrong or something???

Privacy my friend....the ultimate privacy.
Privacy? You wanna talk privacy? It's called a bathroom door, my friend. LOL

Last time we talked about making a quad loop, you made it sound like the sides would have to be like 3 or 4 feet each (or something like that, maybe it was something on the order of 11 feet). It just sounded WAY too big for me to even screw with. Did I do some math wrong or something???

That was for channel 5 we were talking about, when PBS was on 5. A quad loop is 1/4 wavelength at the lowest desired frequency. Currently, that would be channel 7, so the Square would be 18"x18"x18"x18", fed at the bottom center. If better UHF is desired, a second loop in inside the first loop, 6" per side, and attached at the same feedpoint would work.

462/freq = 1/2 wave in feet
then /2 = 1/4 wave in feet
then *12 = 1/4 wave in inches
http://www.iw5edi.com/ham-radio/files/WA6TEY_4X-QUAD.pdf

If you google CLEARSTREAM, you will find a few antennas for "DIGITAL TV" reception, that look like two circular elements mounted on a 4221 screen, and costing $99 and $149. Guess what, they are TWO QUAD LOOPS, formed into a circle :)

Privacy? You wanna talk privacy? It's called a bathroom door, my friend. LOL

Where you live you need doors for privacy.......out here all you need is a front yard, backyard, side yard or any part of my property.....I own a lot of land

[QUOTE=haley-SEA;17001412]
Besides DXing for an antenna viewer its more choices. Dish only offers KARK, KATV, KTHV, and KLRT in HD (and requires an additional dish for LR DMA HD channels).


DishNetwork only requires one dish to receive Little Rock HD locals. It picks up satellites 77, 72 and 61.5. To get the locals other than those mentioned above in HD I use the Radio Shack indoor amplified antenna that looks kinda like the Starship Enterprise. I live about 6 miles from Shinall, and I get all of the Little Rock digital channels between 70 and 90% except KVTN, and I don't care about them.

I could put up an outdoor antenna if I wanted to. I live in a planned development that for some reason failed to include a prohibition on outdoor antennas when it was created back in the mid-60s. An oversight which I bet the developers and other property owner rue to this day.

I have a G5RV and an 80-meter half-wave dipole antenna up. I also have a Cushcraft R7 vertical for 40-through-10 meters. Another vertical (I forget the make/model) for 6m-2m-70cm, and next weekend I'm planning to put up an MFJ Hi-Q loop for 30-through-10 meters and possibly a 6 meter half-wave dipole. The main reason I haven't put up an outdoor TV antenna is the hassle of bringing the feed wire in the living room.

I love living in the city, but I must admit I miss pissing off the front porch of my grandparents' home in rural White County.

If you google CLEARSTREAM, you will find a few antennas for "DIGITAL TV" reception, that look like two circular elements mounted on a 4221 screen, and costing $99 and $149. Guess what, they are TWO QUAD LOOPS, formed into a circle :)

Like this one at solid signal?

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=C2&xzoom=Large#xview

Yep, thats the one.

In passing, I was channel flipping and found a movie on 42-1 that was stretched. The ads are also...only the local insert ads are 4x3 (go figure).

The Cancer that AETN laid has spread over to other locals, or perhaps Nex$tar isn't minding the store tonight.

AETN actually had This Old House, and Ask This Old House in HD today, followed by a widescreen 480i promo in widescreen, followed by a 4:3 show in 4:3. I was actually shocked. Will keep an eye on it to see if it lasts.

Never found anything on KARZ that interested me, so rarely tune it. KASN either. I really dont watch any locals except an occasional news broadcast. Just Baseball and Football games, usually on Sat. And I boycott Fox's Sat afternoon games, because they make MLB black out every other game in the country, even the ones I pay to watch...

AETN actually had This Old House, and Ask This Old House in HD today, followed by a widescreen 480i promo in widescreen, followed by a 4:3 show in 4:3. I was actually shocked. Will keep an eye on it to see if it lasts.

Is AETN out of beggin' mode yet? I'll give them a look see when that is all over.

Never found anything on KARZ that interested me, so rarely tune it. KASN either. I really dont watch any locals except an occasional news broadcast. Just Baseball and Football games, usually on Sat. And I boycott Fox's Sat afternoon games, because they make MLB black out every other game in the country, even the ones I pay to watch...

If I get home late from work, I *might* tune in the "42" news, although KTHV does the same thing only a half-hour earlier. Out of a typical traditional newscast I might watch the first 18-20 minutes and I'm outta there....not interested in the latest Porcine-flavored sports reports.

KASN lost it for me when they dropped that syndicated The Daily Buzz this past year to once again air the British-Israelist "pastor" from Gravette AR in that time slot. The CW has been a huge dissapointment programming wise. I had low expectations of MNTV and I've been spot on about those folks.

In markets smaller than Little Rock there are FOX, CW affiliates running local morning newscasts in the 7-9am timeslot. Where is FOX 16 (KLRT)? I'm not interested in the celeberty gossip of the national shows (which sadly, Today and GMA have become). And when will Little Rock stations' morning news shows quit acting like they're in podunk and step away from the round tables and coffee cups on sets! There is still room in this market for a no-nonsense local morning newscast.

So, who here knows how, is good at, and likes cutting off tree limbs to help clear the way for satellite reception? My dad has a problem with trees blocking his way quite a bit and I have no way to and pretty much won't cut the limbs back. Heights issue, ya know. lol Guess I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to high places. May try to talk my sister into giving him the big outdoor antenna she has in her metal scrap pile. Think it will go on a dish mast on the roof?? :)

Dont want me. I cut one yesterday, and even though I followed the instructions from PBS, it fell the wrong way. I now have to extract it from my neighbors back yard, and repair my privacy fence....And I still couldnt get the Packer game signal over 10% quality...Doesnt seem like anything smaller than a 12' works for much anymore. They just keep lowering the power, and cutting down on the error correction.

Haley: No beggin in the three hours I watched yesterday.

This morning, AETN was featuring 16:9 stretchovision on dash-1 and 3:3 squish on dash-2. AETN is the only place I've ever seen 3:3.

KPBI-DT Eureka (http://i32.tinypic.com/23lxdon.jpg), fired up their full power DT transmitter yesterday, featuring RTV on 34-1 and Tuff TV, intermittently on 34-2.

It sure seems to me like this "bank" that bought several of Equities stations and Equity are in bed together very closely, because for a bankrupt company, there are a lot of cars at Equity, their sat uplinks are still lit up, and their 'programming, id style" footprint is everywhere.

This morning I noticed all the DTV local HD channels (4, 7, 11, 16) are very pixelated and it's now 1:30 pm and the problem is still ongoing. It's happening to me neighbor and to another house a mile away. On the phone with DTV now.

Dont want me. I cut one yesterday, and even though I followed the instructions from PBS, it fell the wrong way. I now have to extract it from my neighbors back yard, and repair my privacy fence....And I still couldnt get the Packer game signal over 10% quality...Doesnt seem like anything smaller than a 12' works for much anymore. They just keep lowering the power, and cutting down on the error correction.

Haley: No beggin in the three hours I watched yesterday.
Well, he isn't needing a whole tree cut down I don't think, just limbs trimmed off to get out of the way of the signal. I don't know how hard that would be.

Well, he isn't needing a whole tree cut down I don't think, just limbs trimmed off to get out of the way of the signal. I don't know how hard that would be.

Degree of difficulty is directly related to how high the limbs are, and how long his ladder is. If its not on the ground, I recommend a tree service. Im to old to climb trees with a chain saw. Leave that for the younger set.

Great, apparently noone wants to show the Cardinals game around here today.

Great, apparently noone wants to show the Cardinals game around here today.

Its not on, its PPD for rain. SD 5/SL 4 top 8th.

Yeah, I know, turned on my MLB GameDay Audio that I get for free as part of being a Cardinals Nation member.

It sure seems to me like this "bank" that bought several of Equities stations and Equity are in bed together very closely, because for a bankrupt company, there are a lot of cars at Equity, their sat uplinks are still lit up, and their 'programming, id style" footprint is everywhere.Lipstick on a pig.

just ordered a new XL5200 for my Sony SXRD 60a2020 from DLP Lamp Source

https://www.dlplampsource.com/

I got 2nd day air shipping today for free. Just in case someone needs to order something and dont want to pay for shipping.:)

I tried my damnedest yesterday to talk the wife into the whole projector bit with logic and everything, but it just wouldn't work. So, I guess I am stuck with the regular TV. :) Oh well. hehehehe

Haley: Whats up with the top ID in this pic from your blog? How can a LP station in Little Rock be licensed to the same channel as a Full power digital? Furthermore, channel 14 shows to be about 1.2 miles west of me, and Ive logged it ONCE, and that was so weak, it was barely receivable. Whats the point? Frequency squatting?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ocXzWt6jqoA/Sod75xNoc9I/AAAAAAAABKg/Q625bZrXYd8/s1600-h/101_0243.JPG

I tried my damnedest yesterday to talk the wife into the whole projector bit with logic and everything, but it just wouldn't work. So, I guess I am stuck with the regular TV. :) Oh well. hehehehe

Keep working on her. Talk to one of the guys at the store and have them play your wifes favorite show in HD while your there......Oh look honey...its your favorite show and its in HD...dont it look great...you could watch your show like this at home all the time if we had one of these:D

Check this out!! If you ever thought you needed an iPhone 3GS, then this is proof of it!


http://www.dishpointer.com/2009/augmented-reality-satellite-finder/

Keep working on her. Talk to one of the guys at the store and have them play your wifes favorite show in HD while your there......Oh look honey...its your favorite show and its in HD...dont it look great...you could watch your show like this at home all the time if we had one of these:D
It doesn't take a show to do that. We already know full well how good shows look in HD. Its the point of needing a screen, where to put the projector, how to run wiring, etc etc etc that she won't mess with.

Check this out!! If you ever thought you needed an iPhone 3GS, then this is proof of it!


http://www.dishpointer.com/2009/augmented-reality-satellite-finder/

Please...I dont need no stinking phone :) Ive reaimed and moved my dishes so much, I can mount and point it, and 50% of the time, I get a signal the first time, without even having to re-aim.

I dont even have a meter. I do use a cell phone tho, to listen to the tv speaker, from the house phone. Left till audio drops, right till audio drops, lock down in the middle....Spot on.

It doesn't take a show to do that. We already know full well how good shows look in HD. Its the point of needing a screen, where to put the projector, how to run wiring, etc etc etc that she won't mess with.

Its a new fricking house. Use that new HD paint for the wall the projector is pointed at, and mount the projector to a recessed box in the ceiling, run one HDMI cable from the projector to the equipment closet, and use a Psyclone 4 port HDMI/TOSLINK switcher to select what you want to go to the projector. Should be a no brainer on a house that isnt even finished out yet.

It doesn't take a show to do that. We already know full well how good shows look in HD. Its the point of needing a screen, where to put the projector, how to run wiring, etc etc etc that she won't mess with.

Well, thats a bummer:(..wish you could talk her into it. The best time to do something like that is when your actually building a new house......and thats what your doing, so it would be a great time to install one......but you know women (especially wives), its their way or the highway

Please...I dont need no stinking phone :) Ive reaimed and moved my dishes so much, I can mount and point it, and 50% of the time, I get a signal the first time, without even having to re-aim.

I dont even have a meter. I do use a cell phone tho, to listen to the tv speaker, from the house phone. Left till audio drops, right till audio drops, lock down in the middle....Spot on.
Ahh, but in a situation like the one I have here at this house, this app would prove invaluable!! There is enough trees and feces in the way that it would help out immensely if I only need a tiny hole to get a good signal. Plus, every time I have tried the tone bit with this DirecTV equipment I have now, I get NO tones or anything that would help. I need a video camera pointed at the TV and a monitor to look at it on. The beeping USED to exist, but not since I got HD equipment. :)

Haley: Whats up with the top ID in this pic from your blog? How can a LP station in Little Rock be licensed to the same channel as a Full power digital? Furthermore, channel 14 shows to be about 1.2 miles west of me, and Ive logged it ONCE, and that was so weak, it was barely receivable. Whats the point? Frequency squatting?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ocXzWt6jqoA/Sod75xNoc9I/AAAAAAAABKg/Q625bZrXYd8/s1600-h/101_0243.JPG

Someone at the license-holder for the former(?) Equity stations seemed to forget that KHTE-LP 44 has been OFF THE AIR for several years.

This is a prime example of the incompetence of the ownership and management of Equity's former stations in Little Rock. Only that outfit would put station IDs for GHOST STATIONS.

(speaking of ghost stations, there are 4 radio stations in Pine Bluff that are currently silent--2 FM's, and two of the oldest AM'ers. These were purchased by another low-life outfit earlier this decade)

Of course the only thing the FCC has become interested in is being the "smut" police and the enforcement arm of the Parents Television Council. Since the Telecom Act in 1996, radio and television technical oversight has gone to hell in a handbasket.

Its a new fricking house. Use that new HD paint for the wall the projector is pointed at, and mount the projector to a recessed box in the ceiling, run one HDMI cable from the projector to the equipment closet, and use a Psyclone 4 port HDMI/TOSLINK switcher to select what you want to go to the projector. Should be a no brainer on a house that isnt even finished out yet.
Mentioned the HD paint. The response was as follows:


"SSSSSUUUUUUURRRRRRRREEEEEEE there is."

There is, its an special paint that has the same effect as the material used for the screen, highly reflective, etc. Of course, you have to sand the sheetrock with some 800 grit, and get every little piece of debris off it before you paint, but it beats having a floppy old screen hanging there. Course, the motorized ones that drop out of the ceiling, while pricey, look pretty good.

http://www.theaterthings.com/?gclid=CMaut-morJwCFQMLswodXhVihQ

google search: "home theatre projector wall paint"

http://www.screenpaintsupply.com/?gclid=CL67zbuprJwCFVhh2godGRNy2w

I'm sure projectors and screens are very nice and would do away with a lot of clutter around the tv and such. But for some reason I just prefer a good old HDTV myself. I guess its because of all the tinkering and all the equipment I can easily hook up to it and play with:) vs a projector which the whole idea is to be hidden partially or completely. Unless you had a seperat projector room or at least a good sized compartment, it would not be easy to add lots of equipment to it plus the fact that it would need to be mounted in a high position would make it not very accessible. At least I think....

I'm sure projectors and screens are very nice and would do away with a lot of clutter around the tv and such. But for some reason I just prefer a good old HDTV myself. I guess its because of all the tinkering and all the equipment I can easily hook up to it and play with:) vs a projector which the whole idea is to be hidden partially or completely. Unless you had a seperat projector room or at least a good sized compartment, it would not be easy to add lots of equipment to it plus the fact that it would need to be mounted in a high position would make it not very accessible. At least I think....
Yeah, thats kinda where we are going with it all. We are just too used to the old style setup and the ease of getting used to everything. While the projector would be awesome with its HUGE screen, I think the standard TV would be fine for us. I might put a projector in my room at some point, but for now I think I will just give up on her. LOL She is just too hard headed. ;)

...How can a LP station in Little Rock be licensed to the same channel as a Full power digital?We have KPBI-DT (http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?state=&call=kpbi&arn=&city=&chan=&cha2=69&serv=&type=0&facid=&list=1&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&size=9) (1,000kW digital) in Eureka Springs and KPBI-CA (32kW analog) in Ft. Smith.

http://i32.tinypic.com/23lxdon.jpg

Yeah, thats kinda where we are going with it all. We are just too used to the old style setup and the ease of getting used to everything. While the projector would be awesome with its HUGE screen, I think the standard TV would be fine for us. I might put a projector in my room at some point, but for now I think I will just give up on her. LOL She is just too hard headed. ;)

Good luck with your new house and all your avs setups :D Hope you get everything set up like you want:)

Good luck with your new house and all your avs setups :D Hope you get everything set up like you want:)
yeah, not likely with a wife around. LOL I kid....or do I? :)

yeah, not likely with a wife around. LOL I kid....or do I? :)

After the third NO, I would be DIVORCED...Oh wait...I am!

We have KPBI-DT (http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?state=&call=kpbi&arn=&city=&chan=&cha2=69&serv=&type=0&facid=&list=1&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&size=9) (1,000kW digital) in Eureka Springs and KPBI-CA (32kW analog) in Ft. Smith.

http://i32.tinypic.com/23lxdon.jpg

Yea, but both the ones I am talking about, are in the same city, not 60 miles apart.

After the third NO, I would be DIVORCED...Oh wait...I am!
Well, there ya go then

Well, there ya go then

No, thats a good thing for me. I work for what I want, and buy what I want.

I've been too busy to follow here much lately... but I did go back a few pages and didn't see anything.

I noticed that Fox News interviewed a guy out of Little Rock and he was displayed on Hannity in 16:9 HD. Do you all think he was filmed at KLRT? Does anyone in Little have 16:9 HD capabilities yet in their newsroom? Any rumors on HD local news broadcasts soon? Just wondering...

I've been too busy to follow here much lately... but I did go back a few pages and didn't see anything.

I noticed that Fox News interviewed a guy out of Little Rock and he was displayed on Hannity in 16:9 HD. Do you all think he was filmed at KLRT? Does anyone in Little have 16:9 HD capabilities yet in their newsroom? Any rumors on HD local news broadcasts soon? Just wondering...
The only one that has demonstrated any abilities to do HD content is KTHV. I seriously doubt Fox has the ability.

Yea, but both the ones I am talking about, are in the same city, not 60 miles apart.Well, it is Equity (or a clone thereof), right? They seem to pretty much turn up their nose at the FCC...

Yea, they always have. I liked their ownership filings, all different names, and corporations, but all with the same address. I know somehow they must have found some legal loopholes to use, but it sure smelled of a illegal operation....starting with using a directv feed for one of their transmitters...Im almost sure thats not legal. Funny thing was, it was only TBN, and they could have picked it up for free off one of their dishes, without having to pay a directv sub (although it was probably a bedroom receiver from one of the big wigs home accounts or something). You can tell I have lots of trust in them eh?

Yea, they always have. I liked their ownership filings, all different names, and corporations, but all with the same address. I know somehow they must have found some legal loopholes to use, but it sure smelled of a illegal operation....starting with using a directv feed for one of their transmitters...

Before I moved back to Lincoln County, I lived for a time in Little Rock (2003-2004). Being apartment-bound (with no common areas for a dish or outdoor antenna) I attempted to do analog OTA on rabbit ears there with mixed results...but anyhow. The old LPTV Equity on ch44 (KHTE-LP) used to run a MTV2 format (back when MTV2 played rock music videos and not hip-hop 24/7) and one day I noticed a on-screen message that was requesting that the access card be changed on the D* receiver (they were using one to feed that channel also!).

The only one that has demonstrated any abilities to do HD content is KTHV. For those a bit north of LR, KSPR 19 (33-1) in Springfield is fixin' to add HD local news soon.

Umm, don't know if anyone knows this or not, but apparently KETS is up on DirecTV in HD. I am looking at it right now. It's full widescreen 16x9 and the AETN HD bug in the lower right is a perfect circle and looks right. Were they supposed to be up on DirecTV in HD so soon??


EDIT: Just went to the DirecTV website to look at it. Can't find that old list I was looking for, but I did see the list of all the HD's in the zip code and it lists 2, 4, 7, 11, 16, and 38 now. Only one we are looking for now is 42, but that ain't gonna happen. :)

If you look at the actual channel description, all the mpeg4 locals have A3 in front of them. Well, I would say that completes the need for the 119 sat for Little Rock, except for KARZ and KKYK. Its seems since KKYK switched affiliations, they dropped Cards coverage...but hey, we have Unreliable Sources back now.

KETS in HD is kinda a ho-hum addition. Until they show Tuesday prime time in HD, I still need to record direct from PBS.

KETS in HD is kinda a ho-hum addition. Until they show Tuesday prime time in HD, I still need to record direct from PBS.
Hot Spit! I'm excited about this. Now I'll be able to see what everybody is complaining about!:) I'll be checking out Nature this afternoon, for sure.

Refresh my memory, what are the failing to telecast in HD?

Hot Spit! I'm excited about this. Now I'll be able to see what everybody is complaining about!:) I'll be checking out Nature this afternoon, for sure.

Refresh my memory, what are the failing to telecast in HD?

Nova, and Nova Science Now. They insist on showing some old rerun called "Wild" in the 7pm time slot, and recording the Tuesday 7pm lineup, and showing it an hour late, upconverted. An AETNHD logo on the screen does NOT make the show HD. Now, in fairness, most of the Nova Science Now programs are in Widescreen SD from PBS also, but it just gets fuzzier when AETN records it.

THey are supposed to be using a HD server, per previous posts, and Membership newsletters I get, but I havent seen any demonstration of the ability. Then to make matters worse, they are downconverting the HD they do show, from 1080i to 720p. I watch the 1080i broadcast, and upconvert it to 1080p.

From Rabbitears.info:
WLBT 03 09 07 NBC Jackson, MS (Raycom)

08/14/09: WLBT has petitioned to relocate to channel 30, and operate it immediately under STA.

* Channel 7: 1276' 10.3 kW ND
* Channel 30: 2047' 535. kW ND


WDAM 07 28 28 NBC Laurel, MS (Raycom)

08/14/09: WDAM has petitioned to relocate to channel 7, and operate it immediately under STA, to facilitate WLBT's move to 30.

* Channel 28: 419' 79.0 kW DA
* Channel 7: 508' 75.0 kW ND

Are they CRAZY? Tropo from Arkansas to Mississippi is a nightly event. They picked TWO of Little Rocks strongest channels to interfere with. Should make the people in SE Ark really happy.

WDAM was analog on 7, as was KATV when it was in Pine Bluff. That spacing was adequate even in analog. I might also add that WLBT is on 7 now, so by moving it away, they're reducing the interference.

The FCC does not allow tropo to be used as a reason for this sort of thing. And given what I've seen from engineering studies I've run in other areas, I wouldn't be surprised if 30 was the best channel they could find.

- Trip

The FCC does not allow tropo to be used as a reason for this sort of thing.
- Trip

Thats like telling an AM broadcaster than F layer skip doesnt matter, we only evaluate ground wave. Very ignorant oversite.

Thats like telling an AM broadcaster than F layer skip doesnt matter, we only evaluate ground wave. Very ignorant oversite.

Agreed, but at some point, you run out of channels, too.

- Trip

Nova, and Nova Science Now...Then to make matters worse, they are downconverting the HD they do show, from 1080i to 720p. So nothing is in 1080i? That sucks. Nobody take offense, but when we moved here from San Diego in the early 90's (job transfer) I thought Little Rock was still in 19th century. I was used to finding a fantastic selection of competitively priced wines in any supermarket. Jeez, was that a shock moving here.

I remember reading an article on HDTV in the the Dem/Gazz several years ago in which the local stations all proclaimed they would be dragged kicking and screaming into the HD/digital era. Sounds like that still holds true for AETN.

I guess 720p is better than a sharp stick in the eye.

Well, they insist on carrying those subchannels, so I am really surprised they are even carrying 2.1 in HD at all, when they could be squeezing in two more SD channels in that space. I guess they dont realize the people who can afford HD are the same ones that can afford to donate. I dont see why they just dont run a top notch 2.1 HD, and a kids 2.2 SD. When the kids are in school, run Create then, and after 10pm.

I wonder if Comcast still carries PBS HD National? Thats the same channel I record off of, on satellite. It looked pretty good on my boss' cable when I installed a new Sony HD for her about 6 months ago.

Johnny, you thought we were in the 19th century? Wow, giving this state some credit! I still think we are in the 18th century most of the time with the way stuff is run around here.

Dave, if I am right and we HAVE to go back to Comcrap for Internet when we move, then I will find out for sure if they still have PBS HD National on it. That is one of the main channels I liked getting on my media center machine and kinda miss it now. My dad could do it now, as he is on Comcrap, if he were able to run a coax from the input to the house to his TV, but his wife most likely won't like that and will pitch a fit if asked to test it out. We will see though within the next month or so.

if I am right and we HAVE to go back to Comcrap for Internet when we move, then I will find out for sure if they still have PBS HD National on it. That is one of the main channels I liked getting on my media center machine and kinda miss it now. My dad could do it now, as he is on Comcrap, if he were able to run a coax from the input to the house to his TV, but his wife most likely won't like that and will pitch a fit if asked to test it out. We will see though within the next month or so.

You bring the coax over some day while she's at work, and we will test it. I don't have any TV coax anymore.

Another thing I'd like to find out if anyone on this list knows: Can I put an OTA antenna on the roof and piggy-back the down lead on the DishNetwork coax?

You bring the coax over some day while she's at work, and we will test it. I don't have any TV coax anymore.

Another thing I'd like to find out if anyone on this list knows: Can I put an OTA antenna on the roof and piggy-back the down lead on the DishNetwork coax?

I think you need a Diplexer ( similar to a splitter ) for that. Diplexers are made to join an antenna and a satellite dish for one feed line to the reciever. You connect your antenna lead in one side and the Sat downlead in the other and bring them in on one cable to your dishnetwork/directv box. However, I'm not sure if that works with the newer HD boxes. The only place I have it set up like that in my house is in a bedroom. The receiver is also an older standard receiver and not HD. Another problem you could run into is if you use a pre-amp on your Antenna. If so, you'd have to run a single dowlead from the antenna into the power supply and then join the antenna and sat cables "After" the pre-amps power supply. If you do not use any type of preamp in the line, then you should be able to join them anywhere with a diplexer. Some of the more advanced guys here could tell you which ones you should use, I have very little experience with them.....I just know what they are used for. Heres a link to a whole page of them at Solid Signal. I believe the one the directv guy used on mine was the eagle aspen that is on the third row down and is $4.99. Click on it and it will take you to a page that shows how they are used. You may need two of them, one for outside and one inside....not sure on that.

http://search.solidsignal.com/?i=1&q=diplexer&site=com&u1=q

I wonder if Comcast still carries PBS HD National? Thats the same channel I record off of, on satellite. It looked pretty good on my boss' cable when I installed a new Sony HD for her about 6 months ago.

Comcast still carries PBS HD National. In fact, as far as I can tell, we carry it INSTEAD of KETS-HD. KETS is down in the low basics (Ch. 3 I think) where it's always been, the subchannels are up in the 200's, and PBS HD is located in the HD tier right after the locals.

Comcast still carries PBS HD National. In fact, as far as I can tell, we carry it INSTEAD of KETS-HD.

I take back all the bad things Ive said about Comcast :)

...Can I put an OTA antenna on the roof and piggy-back the down lead on the DishNetwork coax?Yes. You need two sat/OTA diplexers; one outdoors and indoors behind the TV.

If you use mast mounted OTA antenna preamp, I'm not sure if it would work and may damage your sat and/or OTA equipment.

Yes. You need two sat/OTA diplexers; one outdoors and indoors behind the TV.

If you use mast mounted OTA antenna preamp, I'm not sure if it would work and may damage your sat and/or OTA equipment.

IF diplexing works at all with his system (I dont know squat about Dishnetworks stack plan), he would have to put the OTA Amps power supply on the antenna side of the outside diplexer.

DISHLNB -> DIPLEXER -> ---------> DIPLEXER -> RECEIVER -> TV
ANTAmp ->PWR-^

http://i27.tinypic.com/30l155u.jpg

Damn Haley....You tick me off sometimes. Im gonna put a balloon in the air over my house and block that stuff from getting to you :) That was on channel 12? Over the top of KTHV? Nevermind, I see they have two channel allocations. Im guessing that was ch 31? Wow, they have channels allocated all over the place. 12, 19, 31.... Whats up with that?

Damn Haley....You tick me off sometimes. Im gonna put a balloon in the air over my house and block that stuff from getting to you :) That was on channel 12? Over the top of KTHV?

No, it was on channel 19. ;) Their sister station KWCH is on channel 12 DTV (same folks that own KSPR/KYTV "Ky3" up in Springfield MO)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KSCW-DT

Wish I had the gumption to get up at 5am to check for skip on a Sunday... Ive never logged anything in that direction though, so I doubt I would have gotten it. I think Conway sucks all my signal in. Dont know what is really blocking me to the North and Northwest... I have a pretty good flat shot to that direction, but cant even log NWA, although I did get KSPR once.

I am getting a 16 % signal on channel 19 pointed at 340, but not sure if its your grab or something from Texas or off the back.

Yes. You need two sat/OTA diplexers; one outdoors and indoors behind the TV.

If you use mast mounted OTA antenna preamp, I'm not sure if it would work and may damage your sat and/or OTA equipment.

Thanks to all who replied to my question. I am familiar with diplexers and their use. I just wasn't sure about it working with the DishNet system. I won't be using a pre-amp, so that is no problem.

This is why I have a rotor on my antenna system: KSCW-DT 19 ("33-1") Wichita KSDamn, no wonder KSPR-DT 19 ("33-1") Springfield was acting up!

Thanks to all who replied to my question. I am familiar with diplexers and their use. I just wasn't sure about it working with the DishNet system. I won't be using a pre-amp, so that is no problem.You shouldn't have any problems with diplexing on Dish Network. (DirecTV is a little trickier since they went to MPEG4, but still possible.)

KSPR 19 at 60% in NLR at the moment. Not getting anthing else from NW.

Street dept broke gas line in street. Gas Co man knocks Directv dish from 101 to 270 with his fat butt on the way to the meter. Come home and no recordings all day. Go out and realign dish. Call Gas Co to come turn meter back on. Second Gas guy hits dish and knocks it out again. I guess I need to pour 10 bags of concrete over the base of the pole, and wire the pole for 220V to get their attention.

You need to ask them if there is some kind of requirement for their people to have fat asses and to not give a crap where they put them. LOL I mean, how inconsiderate do you have to be to just ram your ass into someones dish so hard as to move it!? I am sure you don't have it loosely attached to the pole. But, if you don't have the pole in concrete, then ya kinda asked for it. :) I would most definitely be doing that this weekend.

The pole is in concrete. His ass hit the arm, and swung it about 90 degrees.

How loose did you have it!?!?!?!?! If he was able to move it that much, it had to be either extremely loose or he hit it damn hard. If he hit it that hard, then you need to call the gas company up and raise some serious hell about their employees carelessness! I mean, those people need to have their asses chewed down to a more reasonable size. That is nuts!

Currently getting:
KRBK-DT 49 (49-n) Osage Beach, MO
KNLC-DT 14 (24-n) Saint Louis, MO
(With this rabbit ear/loop antenna (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103077))

Currently getting:
KRBK-DT 49 (49-n) Osage Beach, MO
KNLC-DT 14 (24-n) Saint Louis, MO
(With this rabbit ear/loop antenna (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103077))

I dont believe this. im sitting at work in east North Little Rock by the river. saw your message and hit scan on our shop tv (Sanyo hooked to a VU45? little metro rat shack antenna, and scasnned in KFSM...Which I never can get at home 200' higher, and 10 miles closer. Go figure.

I did some DX in the early AM hours after falling asleep on the couch. I had KHBS, KFSM, KAFT, KNWA, KODE, and KPBI in at various times. KFSM and KNWA were still in at 8:30am after I took a 'nap' at 5am

(okay, I had KSPR too, but that's become a "pest" here lately ;) )

KNLC was the first DTV station I've ever gotten from St Louis with only an unamp'd set top antenna. I have gotten many St Louis stations in the past with the 4228+7777.

KRBK-DT is a new DTV station.

I also snagged KJRH-DT 8 (2-n) this morning, the first Tulsa VHF DT I've ever logged.

KSPR is coming in right now (5:44 cdt) at 80% ... Hopes are high for just after sunset... Maybe a new state...

KSPR is coming in right now (5:44 cdt) at 80% ... Hopes are high for just after sunset... Maybe a new state...

Y'might want to fire up the coffee pot....I think condx are going to be good tonight, they've been that way all day. I"ve logged FM's from Central MO, IL, and OK (OKC) this afternoon. I've been too far south for the really juicy logs I've seen posted today. KSPR has been in most of the day here. KAFT and KFSM are also being seen here at this time

Getting WFLD 31 FOX Chicago.
Most of Tulsa is blasting in.
:)

Getting WFLD 31 FOX Chicago.
Most of Tulsa is blasting in.
:)

Now that is impressive. Nothing in Little Rock at all right now. Ft Smith popping from 0 to 24%, unable to lock. Springfield still coming in, but its been in all night.

HaleySEA: In ref to your blog today...I missed the opening by about 200 miles, but when I lived in Blytheville in 77-78, I was lucky enough to be dead center of a tropo duct. I could watch any station in Milwaukee and Chicago. Being from Milwaukee helped, as I tuned my 1 WATT 2 meter HT to the main Milwaukee repeater on 146.91, and was able to talk to several friends of mine, while standing outside at the old air force base there in Blytheville. After playing with the HT, I went inside, and watched as the duct moved from the Milwaukee area across lake Michegan. I was then able to watch Detroit and Lansing stations for about an hour, where it moved to Canada for about 30 minutes before disappearing. It was amazing. No fade, no signals at all from stations between, no interference. It was like having a 600 mile coax cable plugged into the transmitter. Never seen anything like it since, but it sounds like they did up the road this past Tuesday.

Didn't see it mentioned....KASN is in Hd on Directv.

Didn't see it mentioned....KASN is in Hd on Directv.
It's been in HD on DirecTV for quite some time now. It was part of the original loading of HD channels for our area. Its KETS that is new in HD.

It's been in HD on DirecTV for quite some time now. It was part of the original loading of HD channels for our area. Its KETS that is new in HD.

Oops...guess I never noticed.
Thanks

Oops...guess I never noticed.
Thanks
meh, no biggie. there's lots of crap I never notice until I just get lucky and land on it. :)


EDIT: WAIT!!! That sounded weird. You know what I mean though. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGEnKh0ocb0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGEnKh0ocb0

Ok, you win the award for off topic posts...btw, that is a Katydid, not a cricket :)

LOL, my cat just brought a cicada in the house. Talk about LOUD!

katydid
http://i29.tinypic.com/2ngr6u9.jpg

cicada
http://i25.tinypic.com/2r4sq6x.jpg



[now back to our regularly scheduled bs]

LOL, my cat just brought a cicada in the house. Talk about LOUD!



[now back to our regularly scheduled bs]

My kitten brought one of those in at 3am the other night. I couldnt believe the noise. We used to call em "heat bugs". They are loud outside, but God, they will wake the dead inside.

I call cicada's locusts and used to find them all the time in my grandparents back yard when I was little. I don't know the difference. Guess a google search is in order, huh?

LOL, my cat just brought a cicada in the house. Talk about LOUD!

katydid
http://i29.tinypic.com/2ngr6u9.jpg

cicada
http://i25.tinypic.com/2r4sq6x.jpg



[now back to our regularly scheduled bs]

My kids love those things....me too....I had a live one earlier today. I take my kids out at dark just about every night this time of the year. We catch, frogs, locusts, lightning bugs and everything else that runs, jumps or flies:D We try to avoid the snakes though

Wasn't it Silver Lake Partners that you guys said or the news stories said (can't remember which way) that Equity owed a lot of money to before they folded? Seems like that might have been it but I can't figure out where the article was anymore. Anyway, just curious, saw they just bought out Skype from eBay today. Thought it was interesting. Guess investment firms really diversify themselves.

Wasn't it Silver Lake Partners that you guys said or the news stories said (can't remember which way) that Equity owed a lot of money to before they folded?Silver Point Finance. At least that's the new "owner" of KPBI-DT 34 in Eureka, per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KPBI_(TV).

Damn, why didn't I think of wikipedia. Hehe that's the last place I think of most of the time for stuff. Thanks.

Oh, was told by someone a few days ago that the DirecTV tuner that hooks up to a computer was killed off quite a while ago. Anyone know anything about this?

You heard right.

Well crap. Why the heck did they do that? Just costing too much and they killed it because of the economy??

They're probably focusing on trying to get the basic functions of their DVRs to work better. LOL

I was a mixture of economics, and the cost it would entail to make the access cards work, and keep the files secure. Ended up it was going to cost to much for security, so just hook a hd receiver to a hdpvr and record all you want, no encryption at all, and probably cheaper than their card would have been.

Besides, who wants to tie up their computer with a directv card when you can get a dvr for next to nothing?

They're probably focusing on trying to get the basic functions of their DVRs to work better. LOLI've had little to no troubles out of their DVR's.

I was a mixture of economics, and the cost it would entail to make the access cards work, and keep the files secure. Ended up it was going to cost to much for security, so just hook a hd receiver to a hdpvr and record all you want, no encryption at all, and probably cheaper than their card would have been.

Besides, who wants to tie up their computer with a directv card when you can get a dvr for next to nothing?
I tried that for a while, not as good of quality going from the HD receiver to the TV tuner card.

And it kinda bugs me that people keep saying you can get a DVR for next to nothing. Not everyone can. There are hundreds of thousands of customers that get screwed over and not allowed to get one from DirecTV for free. Most of us end up paying out the ass for it unless we just happen to hit the lottery with the CSR's and get a good one. You can't just make a blanket statement like its so easy to get one for free or next to nothing and expect it to stick. Some of us have to work our asses off to get the same benefits you guys with more than 2 or 3 receivers get. It's all based on how much you pay per month on your bill. The more you pay, the better treatment you get in regards to equipment.

Well, when I said next to nothing, I meant the $169 you can buy one at the store for. Ive always bought mine at Best Buy. Ive never gotten anything free from Directv. I even buy my own dishes.

That said, I consider $169 for a HD DVR with a 500GB drive "next to nothing" compared to what a computer, video card upgrade, spdif audio card, and equivilent drive would cost, before you even buy the Directv card.

I can see no noticable quality reduction between the live show, and the recording made with the HDPVR. Yes, recording to a 480i card with s-video would drop the quality a lot. Recording to my DVD Recorder using component cables looks as good as a DVD, but not as good as a h.264 1080i capture, which is as good as the original, or in the case of KETS, better.

Well, when I said next to nothing, I meant the $169 you can buy one at the store for. Ive always bought mine at Best Buy. Ive never gotten anything free from Directv. I even buy my own dishes.

That said, I consider $169 for a HD DVR with a 500GB drive "next to nothing" compared to what a computer, video card upgrade, spdif audio card, and equivilent drive would cost, before you even buy the Directv card.

I can see no noticable quality reduction between the live show, and the recording made with the HDPVR. Yes, recording to a 480i card with s-video would drop the quality a lot. Recording to my DVD Recorder using component cables looks as good as a DVD, but not as good as a h.264 1080i capture, which is as good as the original, or in the case of KETS, better.
Oh. I haven't seen them for $169, but I have at the $199 price point, but then again I don't go to Best Buy unless I just HAVE to. I have gotten a couple of things free from DirecTV in the past, but its been kinda hard.

The computer I have now is pretty good in regards to TV stuff. There is little I throw at it that it can't handle. I just need a better video card that doesn't run so hot. If I could figure out how to get digital coax spdif from the receiver to my computer, I would input audio that way. I have two of those connections on my machine, one in and one out. When I had the H20 hooked up to my computer, I could see quite a bit of quality reduction, but thats only because I am not rich enough to be able to afford one of those cards that has component inputs on it. :) Even though the picture was a LOT softer and not nearly as sharp, it was still good enough to suit me. I got used to it. hehe

If they had kept the DirecTV tuner going, I would have considered buying it. I figured a USB device like it would have been wouldn't have been too much more than a DVR, but I wasn't sure. I probably would have been slow to get it like I am slow to get another HD DVR. :)

My computer gave up the ghost. Everything tests ok, but it locks up at least once an hour. Gonna get a new one, want a Asus motherboard and a horizontal case, but the choices are unbelievable now. Was gonna stick with AMD and get a Phenom, but dont know which boards to get. Was looking at a couple at Best Buy, with HDMI video output, but I hate HP. I just dont know what Im gonna do. Have my HD recorder running on a netbook right now :)

If it is locking up it is more than likely a cooling issue. Check the fan in the power supply especially. Its a hard one to miss and can be quite the pain in the ass. :)

CPU is cool, all fans are working, air blowing out is cool, temps all in spec, bios isnt even turning the fan rpm up.
Also, I can run Linux, or Dos fine. Windows will load regular, but NOT safe mode. Tried to do a backup, but it rebooted in the middle, tried to copy all files from C: to E: and it froze up. Its acting really weird, but only seems to crash while OS has CPU in protected mode.

Its NOT memory, changed it.
Its NOT memory socket, used another one.
Its NOT video, removed card and used OBV
It could be the hard drive, it passed chkdsk, but I cant keep it running long enough to do a sector scan.
It could be the CPU
It could be the power supply
It could be the cheapo Emachine mobo.

Im looking at the "Shuttle" case, at Tigerdirect. Barebones comes with HDMI/VGA/Spdif/Intel HD video. Just add boot drive,Intel 775 core 2 cpu of choice, and memory. $245 plus $169, + memory.

Still thinking on it, as I just spent $7000. this week to have sewer line replaced due to an inscrupulous tree that got thirsty and though the inside of my antique concrete sewer line was a good place for a tap root.

I do have my P4 server, so Im going to see if I have any problems with a 10' USB cable from the HDPVR capture box to it. If I can run Sage on it OK, Im not going to even worry about another computer.

Oh, well, if you had just said "eMachine" in the first place, I wouldn't have questioned anything. LOL Get rid of that piece of biological waste! :) I would cannibalize as much as I could out of it though before you do like the hard drive. I would be willing to bet its either the mobo or the CPU. You didn't give any kind of idea of how old it is or what is in it, but if its an eMachine, then its pretty low end anyway...at least the mobo is.

Give me links for that Shuttle case and parts you were looking at please? Those prices sound pretty good. I wouldn't know what to buy anymore as far as a CPU. They keep changing the labeling of them around so much its hard to keep track of how fast or whatever. I believe, though, that you would be insanely happy with the Shuttle style case. Those things are GREAT! I built one a few years back for someone and I loved it! Especially since it had a handle on the front of it to make it easier to carry. :) I would love to build another one. Maybe when this HP I have kicks the bucket even more. hehe

I cant post a link on my cell, but I went to Tigerdirect, clicked on barebones systems, then clicked on HDMi on the side options.

The Emachines is about 2005, its got a AMD64 2.2GHz cpu, and 1GB of Kingston RAM. Im sure its the MB or PS, but its possible its the drive. Wont know til I can plug the drive in another computer and see if the problem follows. The ram tested OK. I ran one stick at a time and both times the problem remained. Removed the Nvidea card, and used mobo video, problem remained. Booted off a linux CD and machine ran ok...but I didnt do anything with it.

EDIT: Boring weekend guys? Well, I installed the RAM from my POS Emachines onto the HP P4 server, moved the capture devices to it, and installed and configured SAGE on it, so now, with the media extender for my TV, and Placeshifter for my notebook, I really dont have any need for a computer anyway, so Ill save some electricity and just scrap the eMachines for parts. Only think Im going to be missing, is the DVDRW drive, and I MAY be able to put that on the server as well. Had all my software saved, except for Nero, which came preinstalled on the Emachines, which I guess I would need to burn DVDs...So, not to bad I guess. The P4 is fast, especially with an extra 1GB of ram, and has a 100GB boot drive, two 500GB Sata drives, and two 250GB USB drives on it. Ill probably swap out one of the two 500GB drives for a 1.5TB SATA drive, when the price comes down a bit. Have the whole thing installed in the media closet (its original case didnt have room for any expansion, so just have the case off it, and have the drives laying on the shelf outside the computer (easy access). Took me two trips to Best Buy for USB cables for the HDPVR, until I realized it just wont work with a USB cable longer than 5', so I moved it into the media closet also, and just ran a 10' component video cable in there through the access port in the wall. Gets pretty hot in there now, so I have to figure out some way to run a small tap hose from the A/C output in the attic, into the closet.

Can anyone confirm whether or not KKYK-CA is now operating digitally, as speculated by haley-SEA on his blog?

- Trip

Can't get em here. The CA might as well mean California to me. LOL

KKYK-DT decodes psip, but unable to lock any picture. Signal strength max is 60%, with a Televes and CM7777 pointed right at it. Its a no-show as far as I am concerned.

Maybe still tweeking....signal went up to 70% for a minute, enough to watch 30 seconds of The Rifleman in Black and White. Signal 18% on my Hauppage USB tuner stick.

KKYK is now a NO SHOW on DirecTv as well. Way to go, whoever owns it. Went from lots of viewers to NONE.

I parked the zenith box on RF 20 about 7:30pm, and at 7:58pm noticed something decoding. Just as expected, its them.

20-1 "KKYK-DT" Tuff TV
20-2 "KLRA-DT" Univision

I did check my locals earlier on Dish Network and the channel guide said "Important Press Info"....a press of the remote's "info" button showed that Dish was dropping KKYK as of September 16. So much for any viewers that the station's primary channel had remaining after dropping THIS.

8:14pm....KKYK is decoding again, at least the Telenovellas will be SD eye candy on 20-2 :D Signal seems to be steady, perhaps tropo scatter has kicked in.

Getting both those here now on a recheck. Signal level up to about 90%. Also, I pointed the Quantum east, after reading your blog, and have been listening to the oldies station from DesArc. Pretty good. I used to love KOLL. Local FM is terrible around here, hence my move to XM, but the Des Arc station keeps the commercial level tolerable. They do suffer from the same malady that causes me to DVR or just plain not watch a lot of TV stations, total oversaturating repeats of the same commercial over and over and over.

If anyone doesnt know of what I speak, just see if you can count how many times you heard "Over the Limit, Under Arrest" over the Labor Day Weekend.

KKYK-DT Update: It is now available again on DirecTv channel 49.

WMAO 25 (23-1, 23-2, 23-3) is my strongest signal across the river (Greenville MS area) here. I had them on over here last night in the early AM and they seem to run repeats of the PBS primtime schedule overnights instead of AETN's instructional videos. The Zenith box still has issues with 23-3 (PBS Create--daytime, PBS World--nights) but decodes fine with the Envision's built-in ATSC tuner. That said, signals are too weak here to use WMAO as my "default" PBS station.

WXVT 15 ("15-1") seems to decode less, and there's some very snowy analog TBN translator (W42CY) on channel 42. WABG won't decode this far west due to KARK and them being short-spaced.

Closer to home, I don't see a quick introduction of HD Local News, which is the next phase of HDTV programming. That will come sometime between Shreveport (KTBS already runs widescreen SDTV newscasts), Springfield MO (rumored plans), and before Greenville MS. I don't see it happening soon in this current economy--then, and only then will it turn in to an "arms race" with at least one other station making a move soon after the first.

Getting both those here now on a recheck. Signal level up to about 90%. Also, I pointed the Quantum east, after reading your blog, and have been listening to the oldies station from DesArc. Pretty good. I used to love KOLL. Local FM is terrible around here, hence my move to XM, but the Des Arc station keeps the commercial level tolerable. They do suffer from the same malady that causes me to DVR or just plain not watch a lot of TV stations, total oversaturating repeats of the same commercial over and over and over.

If anyone doesnt know of what I speak, just see if you can count how many times you heard "Over the Limit, Under Arrest" over the Labor Day Weekend.

I've pulled those guys in from DesArc (KFLI) at times, but I also hear a Greenville black gospel station on that frequency (104.7) also. I have to admit, the old AT40 reruns on 106.3 were a must-listen guilty pleasure heading to work on weekends until the format change. There's a oldies station in Stuttgart AR (KWAK-FM) but its more of the traditional late 50's, 60's and early 70's style rather than KFLI and the old KOLL format. KWAK-FM actually has a translator in DeWitt which I heard last week while working that way.

Were it not for the DXing hobby, my FM listening would be less than it is even now. I didn't know about the KOLL change for several days, because I usually listen to XM in the car. I considered dropping XM after the consolidation of music programming, but I can't stomach local radio's music on the road. Things are somewhat more bareable at home where I now have DSL and can listen to decent streaming.

I just got a lifetime sub to XM...couldnt stomach $13 a month or FM radio on the road.

I just got a lifetime sub to XM...couldnt stomach $13 a month or FM radio on the road.
Funny, I couldn't stomach all the damn talking DJ's on damn near every channel now, so I cancelled my XM. My wife wanted to keep hers in her car. I can live off my iPod from now on. It's working fabulously so far.

Im an original MTV kinda guy, so the original MTV DJ's on 80's is cool, and my other favorites dont have DJ's at all. To each their own. If you dont listen to XM or FM, where do you get to listen to new music to decide what to put on your ipod?

Im an original MTV kinda guy, so the original MTV DJ's on 80's is cool, and my other favorites dont have DJ's at all. To each their own. If you dont listen to XM or FM, where do you get to listen to new music to decide what to put on your ipod?
ZUNE Marketplace $15/month subscription and keep 10 songs a month.

Im an original MTV kinda guy, so the original MTV DJ's on 80's is cool, and my other favorites dont have DJ's at all. To each their own. If you dont listen to XM or FM, where do you get to listen to new music to decide what to put on your ipod?
I can't stand Nina Blackwood for one. That voice is just horrible. Sounds worse than Kathleen Turner. There is talking on most of the channels I listened to and it just bugged me.

I don't really get much new music anymore. Most of the crap that is out now I just really don't like much anymore. I used to like "modern rock", but thats just got too much screaming in it to suit me. I still have the online access (for what good that does at 32kbps) for XM, so I can listen if I want. I just watch too much TV, have too many magazines I need to catch up on, and play on the computer too much to listen to radio much anymore. If I listen to regular radio, I usually just turn it on Tom FM (which I am assuming Tom Wood bought from whoever had it first and put his name on it). That station is a lot like my iPod, it has a eclectic assortment of music that I kinda like.

Plus, I have some 25GB at least worth of music on my 160GB iPod, so I think I am good to go for quite a while. I still haven't gone through the whole thing one time even with skipping songs. The iPod controller is one reason I got my new car stereo back when Circuit City was shutting down. It works great with a few exceptions.

ZUNE Marketplace $15/month subscription and keep 10 songs a month.
We said iPod, not piece of crap.


Just kidding! LOL Never been a Zune fan. Just don't care for the way it works for some reason. Guess I have gotten too used to my iPod.

EDIT: You know, if Apple ever implemented this kinda thing, I *might* give it a shot for at least a month. As of now, though, they aren't wanting to do it.

... The Zenith box still has issues with 23-3 (PBS Create--daytime, PBS World--nights) but decodes fine with the Envision's built-in ATSC tuner.A double rescan (first time with the antenna disconnected) might help.

I don't see a quick introduction of HD Local News, which is the next phase of HDTV programming. That will come sometime between Shreveport (KTBS already runs widescreen SDTV newscasts), Springfield MO (rumored plans)...KSPR - 11/09.

KATV- sub channel added.

All- 7-3 is now on in test mode. It is accu-weather. I have the bandwidth turned down as low as my encoders will allow (2mbs). I am interested in knowing if your receiver detected the addition or if you have to re-scan and lastly the make and model of the receiver. Being that this is in test mode, it will come and go over the next week or two, have local weather segments not for LR, etc, etc before it settles down to routine operation.

In parallel with this, we have installed new encoders and PSIP generator. The encoder is a Harris NetVX and it replaces a Harris Flexi-Coder circa 2002. I am interested in subjective and/or objected signal reports you may have.

Thanks,

A

Are you stat muxing now on your new encoder?

- Trip

Allen, couldn't get Windows 7 Media Center to detect it, but I was able to add it in manually. Its the only one I have tried so far, but I will do it on my Samsung in a little while.

EDIT: Notice that this one lady in pink is talking about Pennsylvania. Namely State College. Do you have the wrong feed of AccuWeather up??

steveken:
allenf: "Being that this is in test mode, it will come and go over the next week or two, have local weather segments not for LR, etc, etc before it settles down to routine operation."

LOL, I completely missed that line. I read through it way too fast.

No stat muxing.

Two of the encoders 7-1 & 7-2 are internal to the NetVX, accu-wx is an external encoder coming into the NetVX and being muxed into the stream. The NetVX can control the two internal encoders to stat mux and "rob Peter to pay Paul" so to speak. It can't do anything with the third stream because it has no direct control/feedback and so by the time null packets may come thru it is too late for it to take advantage of them. It is a law of averages thing, the more streams the better the chance that one is loafing and can have packets borrowed. Two controllable streams is not enough to efficiently juggle. I hope to be able to add an internal mux card for 7-3 in the future and I'd then be able to Stat Mux along with a few other things that help "housekeeping".

All the above said, I have been quite impressed by the NetVX's ability to more efficiently utilize what bandwidth a stream has and give a better subjective quality over the old Flexi-Coder. For instance- things started really falling apart on 7-1 in ABC HD if we played around and dropped bandwidth to below about 13mb. The new encoder seems to handle 12 mb with an apparent quality to me of about what 13-14mb was doing on the Flexi. NASCAR will tell the tale. NASCAR used to kick my rear over at KLRT if we crowded bandwidth much below 13mb on Tandberg encoders of about the same vintage as the Flexi. Keep in mind that ABC and FOX both are 720p as a rule. So both should behave similarly with regards to a given bandwidth for a stream.

The State College segment is where normally a local segment would be put and would cover the lovely report about local wx in PA.

Hope this was not too lengthy/boring. We spent the last two days running around with the field guy form Harris commissioning it and drinking from the firehose. Guess it has me wound up and talkative.

A

Allen, Sagetv (hauppage hd usb tuner stick found:
LOGICAL: 7-3
PHYSICAL: 22-7-3
STATION: AccuWX, ID: 8
Desc: AccuWX

My Directv receivers dont have scan

Pansat 9200HD Found it fine on scan

P.S. Ill be the first to let you know if it messes up NASCAR :)

BTW Allenf, the program guide for RTV is off by an hour on Directv and Zap2It on 7-2.

Radar map background colors and to dark, and block the actual light (green colored) rainshowers from being seen well.

My TivoHD found 7-3 without a scan, however I did have to go into my channel list and enable it. My Sony HD-DVR didn't find it even after a scan, and if I manually entered 7.3, it went to AETN.

My TivoHD found 7-3 without a scan, however I did have to go into my channel list and enable it. My Sony HD-DVR didn't find it even after a scan, and if I manually entered 7.3, it went to AETN.

Try 22.3, or delete ch 22 altogether and rescan.

Both of these tv's found 7-3 without a re-scan

Sony SXRD 60a2020
Vizio 37VWL

Also, my External Magnavox H2160MW9 HDD/DVD recorder found 7-3 without a re-scan.

I dont have my LR antenna hooked up to the Directv box but I'm sure it would detect 7-3 too. It has always found all the channels in the past.

One note. On my vizio tv........when I first turned it on, I started at 4-1 and went up thru 7-1...7-2 and then it skipped to 11-1. I then went backwards thru the channels. When I got back around to 11-1 the next channel down was the new 7-3. Odd.....maybe it just needed time to search out new addtions when I first turned it on.

I have other HDD/DVD recorders and a couple of other tvs that I have not checked but I'm confident they will auto detect 7-3 as well.

Try 22.3, or delete ch 22 altogether and rescan.

Well, duh, :D it was late when I was messing with this.

Checking in near Star City...

Rescanned the Envision LCD to get the third subchannel. Displaying as "AccuWX". Zenith Cvtr bx displays (after just a simple delete in the menu, add channel) 7-3 as "
AccuWX". Dish Network vip211 (w/ internal ATSC rcvr) didn't require a rescan, but 7-3 was not automatically added---I went into the menu and went to "Local Channels" and added ch22 RF--that overwrited the old KATV display info, now all three display although "Digital Service" for program info and "Accu" for the "7-3" channel description.

IMHO, much much better than the old "7 News Now" even with the 'demo video' running in place of the local wx segment.

Hope this was not too lengthy/boring. We spent the last two days running around with the field guy form Harris commissioning it and drinking from the firehose. Guess it has me wound up and talkative.

A

Not to me! I loved reading that! :)

Not that I'm really in your target audience or anything. I watch one of your sister stations though when I'm at home.

- Trip

So, since some tuners may not see the new sub channel, KaTV may need to inform OTA viewers about rescanning (once the bugs are worked out with the new channel).

...I watch one of your sister stations though when I'm at home.Is that WJLA?

WSET. Their picture is really washed out and they're using gray bars (except during network programming, when neither statement is true). But they can crawl over HD.

Also, they're moving back to VHF on October 1. :(

- Trip

BTW Allenf, the program guide for RTV is off by an hour on Directv and Zap2It on 7-2.

Also off by one hour on DishNetwork program guide.

I did a rescan on the ATSC tuner in my DishNetwork 722 and added 7.3 with no difficulty. I'm using an indoor antenna and located about 4 miles from Shinall.

I also was able to add 20.1 and 20.2, but had to add them manually. Couldn't pick them up with a re-scan. Getting a signal strength of about 62.

P.S. Ill be the first to let you know if it messes up NASCAR :)

BTW Allenf, the program guide for RTV is off by an hour on Directv and Zap2It on 7-2.

Radar map background colors and to dark, and block the actual light (green colored) rainshowers from being seen well.
It found it on my Samsung just fine. Went ahead and did a rescan on it anyway, it picked up the 20's that are there, plus an analog 9. Not sure where 9 is from, but its there even though its fuzzy and stuff.

And I agree about the radar on 7-3. You really can't tell where the rain is on it. It looks as if you can only see it over the county borders or something. Maybe something to look at in the future.

Ch 9 is on a building downtown, has a sat receiver output plugged into the transmitter input. Never any ID. Its sitting on the AMG-TV sat transponder (as is ch 28 when its on the air).

Vizio 32" added 7.3 (KATV-DT3) on its own, no rescan necessary. Digital Stream CECB required an update scan.

Also, as I pointed out in the unanswered e-mail that I sent allenf, the OTA EPG is and has always been way off on 7.2 (KATV-DT2/RTV).

dmatch

Yea, there is no way to DVR a RTV show other than to set up a manual record. Im sure RTV just has us in the wrong time zone, although I dont see how that would go toward making the PSIP wrong. I never use PSIP, so didnt know it as off, but SageTV, which is what I use to DVR OTA, uses Zap2It.

TitanTV has the right lineup/program times for KATV-DT2/RTV so the right data is available, it's just not finding its way to the PSIP. These errors in the OTA PSIP/EPG are not just timeshift errors. It's the wrong program lineup. It (OTA EPG) appears to be the lineup for the generic east feed on satellite and not the specific lineup for Little Rock/KATV-DT2.

Just noticed on the new KATV-DT3 the same guttaral echo problem as on KARK and KARZ and sometimes KETS-DT2/Create channel. My wife doesn't notice it near as much as I do. I can hardly stand to listen/watch those channels when they start with the guttural echo problem.

dmatch

Ch 9 is on a building downtown, has a sat receiver output plugged into the transmitter input. Never any ID. Its sitting on the AMG-TV sat transponder (as is ch 28 when its on the air).
Hmm, not sure how I was able to receive it. First time ever. :) Oh well, guess it was luck.

... My Sony HD-DVR didn't find it even after a scan, and if I manually entered 7.3, it went to AETN.Which is exactly why KATV should ID with their physical channel number 22. Using virtual channels is insane.

To fix the Sony, you may have to do a double complete auto scan. The first scan should be done with the antenna disconnected.

Using "Add digital channels" may not work.

Anyone else watching the Cardinals game on 16? At least on DirecTV, the audio is going to hell really bad in the top of the 4th. I mean, stuttering, drop outs, etc REALLY bad. I am about to switch to OTA to see if its 16 in general.

EDIT: OK, its DirecTV. OTA isn't having ANY problems at all.

Also off by one hour on DishNetwork program guide.

I did a rescan on the ATSC tuner in my DishNetwork 722 and added 7.3 with no difficulty. I'm using an indoor antenna and located about 4 miles from Shinall.

I also was able to add 20.1 and 20.2, but had to add them manually. Couldn't pick them up with a re-scan. Getting a signal strength of about 62.
7-2 RTV has been a real bear program guide wise. The services get their information directly from RTV's mothership. Still poking them over guide issues.

P.S. Ill be the first to let you know if it messes up NASCAR :)

BTW Allenf, the program guide for RTV is off by an hour on Directv and Zap2It on 7-2.

Radar map background colors and to dark, and block the actual light (green colored) rainshowers from being seen well.
I just caught snatches of the race last night. How'd it look?

A

7-2 RTV has been a real bear program guide wise. The services get their information directly from RTV's mothership...Are they based in Chattanooga now?

I just caught snatches of the race last night. How'd it look?

A

Looked good, no complaints except the commercial breaks, all 75 of em :)... Much more race action on Galaxy 3... but thats not your fault hahaha. I really enjoy the commentators banter during breaks, trying to deecide what team radio to play, and what highlights to show next...Plus, well, I get to see the race instead of the same 8 commercials played over and over.

Your network has some good looking fall series coming up. Hope they live up to the promos. I have a few already set to record each week. I love sci-fi type stuff. Flashforward has potential.

Just bought a new house and need to mount an LCD in the Living Room...not very handy. Anyone know of a good company that does HDTV installs? (ie not geeksquad...)

Just bought a new house and need to mount an LCD in the Living Room...not very handy. Anyone know of a good company that does HDTV installs? (ie not geeksquad...)

Never used them, but Bedford Video does installs, and is a major HDTV advertiser on KTHV. You dont trust the Geek Squad? :)

Are they based in Chattanooga now?


yep

What on earth? Looks like KARZ picked up the St Louis Cards from KKYK. Apparently are picking up the widescreen broadcast from ch5 in STL via sat, and then squishing it to 4:3, and broadcasting the squished picture over its 720p widescreen transmitter. WTF? They obviously have a HD feed (since I can get the same feed via FTA sat), but arent feeding it out in HD, and using the PBS approach to aspect ratio settings.

Hmm, just turned it on just now and they have stargate atlantis on it now. is the game over??

Yea, it was over when I posted that msg.

Just bought a new house and need to mount an LCD in the Living Room...not very handy. Anyone know of a good company that does HDTV installs? (ie not geeksquad...)LOL, at least you know who not to call.
+1 on checking with Bedfords.

And welcome to the forum.

Looked good, no complaints except the commercial breaks, all 75 of em :)... Much more race action on Galaxy 3... snip...I really enjoy the commentators banter during breaks
Do you mean AMC 3 or are there also feeds on Galaxy 3?

I like the uninterrupted banter also. Unfortunately, of the 2 feeds on AMC 3 (HD/SD), the one that is un-muted is the 4:2:2 SD feed. Would rather have my cake and eat it too on an HD channel.

Edit: Never mind I just noticed that there was a feed on Galaxy 3. Apparently it has un-muted banter also?

dmatch

Do you mean AMC 3 or are there also feeds on Galaxy 3?

I like the uninterrupted banter also. Unfortunately, of the 2 feeds on AMC 3 (HD/SD), the one that is un-muted is the 4:2:2 SD feed. Would rather have my cake and eat it too on an HD channel.

Edit: Never mind I just noticed that there was a feed on Galaxy 3. Apparently it has un-muted banter also?

dmatch

Check out http://gofastmotorsports.com about an hour before the race, and they will have all the feeds posted (usually). They vary from AMC3 (speed feeds) to G28,G3C, G17, G19 and G16 for ESPN/ABC feeds. Sometimes I get a good signal, sometimes I watch on directv, as I only have a 6' steerable dish, and a 10' parked on G16.

Has anyone else noticed a major decline in the picture and audio quality of 7-2 since 7-3 came on line?

When 7-2 came online, Allenf was allocating more bandwidth to it than the actual source feed was supplying. While I cant say if 7-3 ate into the bandwidth enough to cause to quality drop you are noticing, I can say that RTV is sending out individual station feeds, all compressed on one satellite mux, and the more stations that join the network, the worse the quality will be.

Remember the RTV honcho(s) are the same people the ran Equity, which also was notorious for cramming way to many stations on one satellite transponder.

Allenf can verify if they are allocating an equal or greater amount of bandwidth to RTV than they are receiving from RTV.

Just checked the bandwidth allocation on the KATV channels with TSReader.

Current usage:

KATV-HD 5.7 Mbps
RTV 2.7 Mbps
AccuWx 1.7 Mbps
NULL packets 8.4 Mbps

On 7/22/09:

KATV-HD 14 Mbps
RTV 2.6 Mbps
NULL packets 2 Mbps

Appears that RTV is getting about the same bandwidth as before. Don't know what's up with the NULL packets being so high now.

dmatch

Thanks, confirms my suspition that RTV itself is overcompressing its transponder to add additional stations.

Allenf said they had a new encoder, maybe its dynamic?

When I see an HD bitrate that low, I automatically assume it's a statistical multiplexer.

- Trip

Just checked the bandwidth allocation on the KATV channels with TSReader.

Current usage:

KATV-HD 5.7 Mbps
RTV 2.7 Mbps
AccuWx 1.7 Mbps
NULL packets 8.4 Mbps

On 7/22/09:

KATV-HD 14 Mbps
RTV 2.6 Mbps
NULL packets 2 Mbps

Appears that RTV is getting about the same bandwidth as before. Don't know what's up with the NULL packets being so high now.

dmatch

I wondered what time you took the latest check of KATV's 7-1 bandwidth, and was there an HDTV program airing?

Immediately before the post time (7:52 PM) was when I checked the bit rates on KATV.

Edit: I think they were running Greys Anatomy (HD), according to TitanTV.

dmatch

This is what allenf had to say regarding statmuxing on KATV:
No stat muxing.

Two of the encoders 7-1 & 7-2 are internal to the NetVX, accu-wx is an external encoder coming into the NetVX and being muxed into the stream. The NetVX can control the two internal encoders to stat mux and "rob Peter to pay Paul" so to speak. It can't do anything with the third stream because it has no direct control/feedback and so by the time null packets may come thru it is too late for it to take advantage of them. It is a law of averages thing, the more streams the better the chance that one is loafing and can have packets borrowed. Two controllable streams is not enough to efficiently juggle. I hope to be able to add an internal mux card for 7-3 in the future and I'd then be able to Stat Mux along with a few other things that help "housekeeping"..... Snip ....

A

Sounds like 2/3 statmuxing to me.

dmatch

Semi-Off topic.....Warning....

OK, my HTPC died. Wanting to get things going again on the HDTV recording front, I bought another computer, installed my video card, and got the HDPRV and HD tuner stick running. Now the problem....

Ive always used XP. This computer came with Vista. When I try share my subdirectories with Vista, it was like a total hour of clicking and unclicking trying to figure out what I can do with one click in XP, let ANYONE or ANYTHING on my network to SEE and WRITE to the shared Vista hard drive directory. After an hour, I finally got it where the laptop would work, but SageTv, while it can view the files, says "File no longer on disc" when I try to play a file off the Vista machine. It plays files off the XP machines fine.

Now to the Question... I think Vista SUCKS. I am getting a new copy of Windows 7 in about a month, and can also purchase for $75, a one machine copy of WIndows XP.

Does Windows 7 (for those that are beta testing it), allow SIMPLE network setup without a fricking I.T. degree, or should I just throw it in the trash and buy a copy of Windows XP and be happy?

The computer is a AMD Dual Core, 2.5GHz, with SATA, Nvideo 8500GT PCI-e, 3 GHz memory, 320GB boot drive, 2000GB secondary drive. I am assuming XP has updates for any device drivers this new motherboard (HP/Compaq) uses...Such as the Nvidea 10/100 network card built in. I use SPDIF usb audio, so dont care about the onboard audio.

Anyone with any advice?

Semi-Off topic.....Warning....

OK, my HTPC died. Wanting to get things going again on the HDTV recording front, I bought another computer, installed my video card, and got the HDPRV and HD tuner stick running. Now the problem....

Ive always used XP. This computer came with Vista. When I try share my subdirectories with Vista, it was like a total hour of clicking and unclicking trying to figure out what I can do with one click in XP, let ANYONE or ANYTHING on my network to SEE and WRITE to the shared Vista hard drive directory. After an hour, I finally got it where the laptop would work, but SageTv, while it can view the files, says "File no longer on disc" when I try to play a file off the Vista machine. It plays files off the XP machines fine.

Now to the Question... I think Vista SUCKS. I am getting a new copy of Windows 7 in about a month, and can also purchase for $75, a one machine copy of WIndows XP.

Does Windows 7 (for those that are beta testing it), allow SIMPLE network setup without a fricking I.T. degree, or should I just throw it in the trash and buy a copy of Windows XP and be happy?

The computer is a AMD Dual Core, 2.5GHz, with SATA, Nvideo 8500GT PCI-e, 3 GHz memory, 320GB boot drive, 2000GB secondary drive. I am assuming XP has updates for any device drivers this new motherboard (HP/Compaq) uses...Such as the Nvidea 10/100 network card built in. I use SPDIF usb audio, so dont care about the onboard audio.

Anyone with any advice?
Dave,

Home networking in Windows 7 is one of major improvements. You generally have the option of sharing with nobody, giving read only permissions or read/write permissions with one click. For a good overview of how home networking is set up in Windows 7 you might want to check this link: http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/2008/12/30/at-home-with-homegroup-in-windows-7.aspx

Thanks, will do that. I finally found a tutorial on Vista, and got it working with the computers, but my media server will share folders on the vista machine if I map the vista drive in XP, but if I run the media server as a service, it sees, writes to, and deletes files from the Vista share, but says there are no files there when I click on one to play. Its so very strange. I wouldnt worry about it, except my 2TB drive wont work on my servers PCI Sata card, so until I get a new SATA card for the server (which runs XP), Im stuck having to use It on the Vista machine. Ill be looking forward to Windows 7 when they mail it.

EDIT: I read the blog, and have the same question everyone else was asking...According to MS website, Home thing is only for windows7, so what happens to XP computers and Non-computer devices like DirecTv Mediashare, Sage HD Extenders, etc? Guess time will tell. I just ordered a Promise 300mb/s SATA+PATA card, so I can hook up the 500gb, and 2000gb drives to the sata ports, and the two legacy Seagate ATA drives to the same card. Should solve my problems, as I really want to keep my desktop separate from the HTPC server, so I can turn it off when Im not using it to save some electricity.

ALLENF: Nascar looked great today. Compared A/B with the high bitrate ESPN feed, and really couldnt tell any difference. Way to go.

Did anyone catch AETN at midnight last night? NOVA, in HD... DVR got it, so I couldnt check to see if they were using PBS-HD, or actually taped it, or have their new distribution system working...but its the first time Ive seen NOVA in HD on KETS.

Did anyone catch AETN at midnight last night? NOVA, in HD... DVR got it, so I couldnt check to see if they were using PBS-HD, or actually taped it, or have their new distribution system working...but its the first time Ive seen NOVA in HD on KETS.

Yeah, I was up late and caught a little bit of that, I don't watch NOVA regularly, so I don't know if it's the first time or not. Austin City Limits has been in HD for the last several weeks at 11.

'bout time they do something right.

I wonder if they're ever going to boost the power of KAFT 9. The impulse noise interruptions are maddening.

Did anyone catch AETN at midnight last night? NOVA, in HD... DVR got it, so I couldnt check to see if they were using PBS-HD, or actually taped it, or have their new distribution system working...but its the first time Ive seen NOVA in HD on KETS.Are you saying AETN is now broadcasting in 1080i?

No, they are broadcasting in 720p, but its the first time I have seen NOVA in anything but upconverted 480i. Downconverted 720p looks a lot better than upconverted 480i :)

So many of their affiliates rescale from 1080i-to-720p that PBS should just give it up and switch their HD to 720p.

So many of their affiliates rescale from 1080i-to-720p that PBS should just give it up and switch their HD to 720p.

Well, Im guessing the source material is shot in 1080. The quality on PBS-HD is totally amazing. I would hate to see them screw up such an outstanding picture quality because of cheapskate affiliates.

Some things like fast moving sports lends itself to 720p, but Nature and Science shows, and documentaries, and most of PBS's fare, scream out for 1080. Ill continue to record the 1080i until they quit sending it, or AETN goes back to shutting off the SD channels during prime time.

KARZ's HD feed is now on Directv
just noticed it this morning
just an FYI ;)

Unless my antenna suddenly quit working on VHF, KETS is off the air. Well, must not be the antenna, KETG is coming in.

EDIT: Must be my OTA DX receiver, or they came back online. Rechecked on my DirecTv tuner, and its coming in fine.

KARZ's HD feed is now on Directv
just noticed it this morning
just an FYI ;)

Nice catch. Now, if they would buy a Sony HD camcorder, the quality on those Thursday football games would really rock.

Unless my antenna suddenly quit working on VHF, KETS is off the air. Well, must not be the antenna, KETG is coming in.

EDIT: Must be my OTA DX receiver, or they came back online. Rechecked on my DirecTv tuner, and its coming in fine.
Yeah, looks fine on mine.

Wow, 2-2 is messed up this morning. The channel is in its normal 4x3 shape, but the Thomas episode is being shown squished in on the sides more as if it were on a 16x9 channel. Guess something is set wrong, but you wouldn't think they would do the squishing as 2-2 doesn't do any 16x9 stuff in the first place.

EDIT: Same thing on Bob the Builder.

So where is the Arkansas game KaTV's schedule shows?

EDIT: Nevermind, I see KATV just had wishful thinking...Its flashforward is on KTHV at 2.

Wow, 2-2 is messed up this morning. The channel is in its normal 4x3 shape, but the Thomas episode is being shown squished in on the sides more as if it were on a 16x9 channel. Guess something is set wrong, but you wouldn't think they would do the squishing as 2-2 doesn't do any 16x9 stuff in the first place.

EDIT: Same thing on Bob the Builder.

Business as usual at AETN.

Whew, glad I came by! Didn't know KARZ was in HD on D*. Was the Cards game on Sunday in SD or HD? All I saw was the SD version, but I hadn't updated my guide.

And boy, that SD version was complete crap. I turned it off and watched the Yanks/Sox game instead.

Hmmm, dont know, was to busy between Nascar and Football to check :)

Whew, glad I came by! Didn't know KARZ was in HD on D*. Was the Cards game on Sunday in SD or HD? All I saw was the SD version, but I hadn't updated my guide.

And boy, that SD version was complete crap. I turned it off and watched the Yanks/Sox game instead.

At least the part I saw was in SD with black bars on the side.

fly

I haven't seen ANY Cardinals games carried locally except on 16 in a LONG time. Every Sunday I have looked it has never been on. It was my understanding that since 49 stopped broadcasting them we were S.O.L. for the Sunday KSDK games.

They have been on KARZ the past few weekends.

Thats funny, every time I looked it wasn't in the program guide. I think I last checked 2 Sundays ago. Guess I just didn't see it. hmm, oh well. Always next season. Did we determine if it was in HD or not?

I checked the Cardinal game last Sunday on KARZ. It was in SD and was from an analog satellite feed, complete with sparklies in the picture (a dead giveaway that it was from poor analog satellite reception). The echo/popping on audio on KARZ finally drove me away.

dmatch

I checked the Cardinal game last Sunday on KARZ. It was in SD and was from an analog satellite feed, complete with sparklies in the picture (a dead giveaway that it was from poor analog satellite reception). The echo/popping on audio on KARZ finally drove me away.

dmatch


Thanks. That's what I saw on the SD feed as well.

RECORDING ALERT:

The Nascar Sprint Cup race for the chase at Kansas City Mo is this Sunday 10/4, with PreRace at noon, and the Sprint Cup race at 1pm. KATV is showing "Paid Programming" during the race according to the schedule, which caused my DVR to attempt to record the race on WABC New York (which I do not get).

Personally, I dont care if its on KATV or not, as I have other sources, but either they decided not to show it, or their guide data is totally screwed up. Check your DVR's accordingly. If KATV dosent show it, and you have a big dish, the race feed location will be posted at http://gofastmotorsports.com about an hour before the race.

RECORDING ALERT:

The Nascar Sprint Cup race for the chase at Kansas City Mo is this Sunday 10/4, with PreRace at noon, and the Sprint Cup race at 1pm. KATV is showing "Paid Programming" during the race according to the schedule, which caused my DVR to attempt to record the race on WABC New York (which I do not get).

I do know for certain that the Dish Network program guide is messed up for KATV---they are listing AR@Texas A&M! instead of Ala@Kentucky for the 11:30am game. Because of my work sked, and that I'm on vacation this week, this is my first time to see the SEC Network (via KATV) games. KATV PSIP is messed up (College FB w/10am start time) via the Zenith box and my internal tuner only gives barebones infomation (name of program only and no description).

I checked the Cardinal game last Sunday on KARZ. It was in SD and was from an analog satellite feed, complete with sparklies in the picture (a dead giveaway that it was from poor analog satellite reception). The echo/popping on audio on KARZ finally drove me away.

dmatch

I checked just minutes ago (Brewers@Cardinals) and the game is SD, 4x3 *and* covered in "sparklies". Y'mean there's still analog distribution of MLB games in this day and age?

AR State @ Iowa via ESPN2 (in HDTV) right now. Didn't know about this game until seeing highlights during halftime of Bama @ Kentucky.

A station is only as good as its guide data these days. Not to many people surf channel by channel live.

I checked just minutes ago (Brewers@Cardinals) and the game is SD, 4x3 *and* covered in "sparklies". Y'mean there's still analog distribution of MLB games in this day and age?

I watched part of the game this afternoon on KARZ ota. It definitely was in 16x9. I think it was HD.

KATV guide updated to show NASCAR race Sunday now, instead of Paid Programming. Recording schedule did not update however, and was still going to record on the channel I dont get. Had to delete that recording, and manually schedule the race.

How bout those hogs? Speaking of hogs, anyone see ANY shots of Jerry Jones when he wasnt feeding his face? :)

How bout those hogs? Speaking of hogs, anyone see ANY shots of Jerry Jones when he wasnt feeding his face? :)

good win
and I'm amazed Jerry isn't as big as the stadium
eats like a horse :eek::eek:

A station is only as good as its guide data these days. Not to many people surf channel by channel live.

There's a few holdouts (the analog cable crowd for instance).

KATV guide updated to show NASCAR race Sunday now, instead of Paid Programming. Recording schedule did not update however, and was still going to record on the channel I dont get. Had to delete that recording, and manually schedule the race.

Dish's guide is still showing FIVE HOURS of infomercials (12pm-5pm). Perhaps its wishful thinking on KaTV's part? :eek:

ESPN blacked out the ESPN-1 HD feed (Florida State @ Boston Collage) because it was // with that provided to KATV. Other areas in AR (except for those getting KSPR as a local) were getting FSU@BC via ABC in HDTV according to this map. (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?page=coveragemaps2009) I noticed the alternate ESPN feed was SD. ESPN/ABC simply is spread too thin as HDTV feeds go and favors the Little Ten over the Big 12, ACC.

Speaking of the Little Ten, another one almost went down. AR State in their first HD game (please correct me if I'm wrong) nearly pulled off the upset of Iowa. Iowa had a let down it seems after taking down Penn State last week.

I agree about the LSU @ GA game....what a game. I wasn't home or around a TV last night to see AR/TAMU @ Dallas. I suspected ESPN2 had to keep folks interested after the Hogs were on their blowout late.

thankfully the Auburn game Saturday will be on ESPN
I was afraid it'd be on ESPNU and only SD on Directv
anyhow who is the person who does the SEC Network listings on KATV?
they haven't listed the right game there yet
:rolleyes: in Fact yesterday they had Arkansas/Texas A&M listed

Ah, Arkansas played Texas A&M :)
And Jerry Jones stuffed his face.

Dish is running a free preview of NFL RedZone (E* channel 82) until 3:15pm. Nascar is airing on RF channel 22 ("7-1"), and a quick check of KARZ's broadcast (@ 1:39pm) of the Brewers @ Cards is 4x3 SDTV (OTA via KARZ "42-1" RF 44).

DirecTV feed and OTA feed of KARZ both show 4x3 with annoying horizontal flashing lines.....aka sparklies as you call them. This is really freaking stupid and uncalled for when you KNOW there is an HD feed. Wouldn't you be embarrassed to show this crap on your station? I know I would!

Maybe not...I heard the FSN Midwest announcer say last Friday, that it was their last game of the year. If Fox isnt producing the game, its probably ch 5 in ST. Louis, which probably doesnt have a HD production truck.

Im to busy with Nascar to check the opposing teams feed right now.

It has nothing to do with Fox I don't think as KSDK has been doing HD games all year. Its more than likely a lack of interest in KARZ to carry the HD feed. In a big city like St. Louis that does (as far as I know) all their games in HD the rest of the year, it likely isn't their fault. Like I said, its likely KARZ not wanting to or not knowing that they don't have the right feed.

You really aren't going to miss anything on the race if you flip over real quick. Here's a hint of what is going to happen, they will turn left. LOL

The game is not available in HD. Fox Sports Wisconsin as well as directv MLB EI are all in SD.

How bout those hogs? Speaking of hogs, anyone see ANY shots of Jerry Jones when he wasnt feeding his face? :)

Damn, sandwiches were $8.50 out there & a Coke (plastic bottle like at the gas station for $1.19) was $5 when I went to see the McCartney concert. Hope he can afford it! Wait a minute, he owns the joint so no wonder he is raiding the icebox. :)

BTW - acoustics suck for concerts in that mammoth cave. They should stick with smaller venues like American Airlines Center.

WOW! KTHV has got the WORST audio of ANY TV station around here. I mean, can they NOT get rid of the horrendous buzz on the audio? Sounds like its on every microphone now. It is extremely distracting. I guess they don't have any audio engineers working for them. Either that or they just don't give a flying crap about it. I am guessing Alison Fletcher has stopped coming to this forum or else I would think with all the times we have discussed the audio problems they have she would have gone to the people that can do something about it. I mean, to me, their newscasts are UNWATCHABLE because of the noise!

They rattle my subwoofer with their hum. I havent watched their news for a long time because Im to lazy to get up and turn the subwoofer off. Easier to switch to KARK. Id watch KATV, but their studio and anchors are out of the 60's...which appeals to their target audience, but I need more flash and gismo's.

...I need more flash and gismo's.Flash & gizmos are exactly why I stopped watching news on TV. Too many gizmos - too little news.

I'm having a soapbox moment, so bear with me ;)

The Nova episode "The Dilemma Charles Darwin Faced" will be preempted by AETN tonight and not aired until 12am Sunday (October 11), and repeated in two parts (one hour segments) on October 13th and 20th respectively. Local AETN programing will fill the 7-9pm timeslot.

Every other Public TV broadcaster surrounding Arkansas, including Oklahoma's OETA and Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) will air the program. For me personally this is the last straw as AETN is concerned. The stretchovision, aspect ratio issues and lack of HDTV programming is bad enough, but blatant censorship just does it for me.

For those interested its a 2 hour show in HDTV and airs from 7-9pm on OETA, Ozarks Public TV, WKNO (Memphis), and Louisana Public Broadcasting. MPB's airtime is 8-10pm.

I may or may not watch this show, and that should be the decision of myself as an adult or the parents in a family. But for AETN to act as a censor is an insult to the intellegence of many Arkansans and an embarassment. AETN (with viewer contribution$) purchases the rights to show Nova and they should air all episodes it in its original time slot and not send it to the after midnight ghetto on a weekend (and yes I realize there are DVRs, but this is way over the top).

(BTW, I just got off the phone with MPB in Jackson MS....and was told the show would air tonight despite a "TBA" on the website's program schedule).

Well, that did it for me. I wont be renewing my membership...and I WILL be watching it at 7pm tonight.

I will watch it on the PBS station I support; OPT/KOZK (http://www.optv.org/). I know it will be shown at the right time, in the right aspect ratio on a real UHF station - not some dropout-plagued VHF wannabe.

According to PBSHD national, they are showing "The Buffalo Flows" after Nova tonight, for those that missed the widescreen showing on AETN. I doubt it will be on AETN though.

Dead propagation....WMAO (MPB) occasionally pinging the Zenith meter, but far too weak to decode even on that tonight.

The weather reminds me of the night last year KTHV preempted (yet again) The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and WXVT's analog signal was "just there" instead of snowy but somewhat watchable picture.

I'll check around midnight if this rain ever clears out...

conditions have improved @ 10:39pm....WPTY breaks open on RF25, other Memphis stations in including WMC channel 5 (actual channel).

First tropo in weeks it seems, even if its just Memphis

(update: new logging--- WTWV (DT) 23 ("23-1") with religious programming)

I will watch it on the PBS station I support; OPT/KOZK (http://www.optv.org/). I know it will be shown at the right time, in the right aspect ratio on a real UHF station - not some dropout-plagued VHF wannabe.This and AETN's censorship of the Nova program are reasons why I wish DTV would broadcast the national HD PBS channel.

WKNO Memphis 12am repeat of Nova (PSIP displayed is 1 hour slow) received before cold front pushed through Southeast Arkansas. I was also getting WBBJ and WLJT digitals from Jackson TN area before midnight.

And yes WKNO transmits on UHF channel 29

http://i34.tinypic.com/5baalt.jpg

They rattle my subwoofer with their hum. I havent watched their news for a long time because Im to lazy to get up and turn the subwoofer off. Easier to switch to KARK. Id watch KATV, but their studio and anchors are out of the 60's...which appeals to their target audience, but I need more flash and gismo's.
Just got this from Alison Fletcher....

Steve,

What you are hearing is the rumble of the air conditioning in the main studio. There is a big return in the front and center of the room. It sounds worse when a soft spoken female anchor is speaking. You will note that it goes away when we report from the other studio. A low frequency filter kills the noise but also desirable dynamic range so we don’t use one. The microphones we are using are the best you can buy (Sony 44’s) and unfortunately they are carrying across the room sound. We are located in an old building that has many little quirks.


Alison Fletcher
Director of Technology
Today's THV
501-244-4590


<rant>
I have been in that building and realize it is a tiny tiny building, I understand the problems that presents. The only thing I don't like about this response is the fact that the buzz that we are hearing is NOT on all the mics on all the anchors. Its not even on all the female anchors. It seems to be on only one, maybe two, of the mics. I sincerely doubt that an air conditioner return is causing what we are hearing. If it is because of the "soft spoken" female anchors, then I suggest getting them to speak the hell up so you don't have to ramp up the levels on their mics when they talk.

IF it is that simple to identify the return as the problem, wouldn't it be easier to just cool off that area to something resembling a meat locker so you can shut off the A/C during newscasts?? I mean, wouldn't you want to keep viewers by doing something like this rather than drive them away with the massively annoying buzzing during newscasts?? If it really is the return noise we are hearing, you KNOW how to fix that. I think the anchors can stand to be a little warm during newscasts if it means improved ratings/viewership.

</rant>

Just got this from Alison Fletcher....

Steve,

What you are hearing is the rumble of the air conditioning in the main studio. There is a big return in the front and center of the room. It sounds worse when a soft spoken female anchor is speaking. You will note that it goes away when we report from the other studio. A low frequency filter kills the noise but also desirable dynamic range so we don’t use one. The microphones we are using are the best you can buy (Sony 44’s) and unfortunately they are carrying across the room sound. We are located in an old building that has many little quirks.


Alison Fletcher
Director of Technology
Today's THV
501-244-4590


<rant>
I have been in that building and realize it is a tiny tiny building, I understand the problems that presents. The only thing I don't like about this response is the fact that the buzz that we are hearing is NOT on all the mics on all the anchors. Its not even on all the female anchors. It seems to be on only one, maybe two, of the mics. I sincerely doubt that an air conditioner return is causing what we are hearing. If it is because of the "soft spoken" female anchors, then I suggest getting them to speak the hell up so you don't have to ramp up the levels on their mics when they talk.

IF it is that simple to identify the return as the problem, wouldn't it be easier to just cool off that area to something resembling a meat locker so you can shut off the A/C during newscasts?? I mean, wouldn't you want to keep viewers by doing something like this rather than drive them away with the massively annoying buzzing during newscasts?? If it really is the return noise we are hearing, you KNOW how to fix that. I think the anchors can stand to be a little warm during newscasts if it means improved ratings/viewership.

</rant>

If the reason that their air conditioning is being heard on the air is caused by the "best you can buy, Sony '44's" maybe the technical people at Today's THV, Channel 12, should think about not using the best microphones they can buy and go with a cheaper model; maybe something in the line of a noise cancelling microphone so their audio would be of better quality. Just a hint. Also, doesn't that station have any way of filtering out the frequency of the air conditioner noise with equalization. I would think that if they have an audio board that was manufactured after 1980 they should be able to do that or hire someone to do it for them. Does their management not care about things like this or do they even watch their own newscasts? Oh, well, that's Gannett. I worked for them for years.

And, while we are on the subject of noise, has anyone noticed that the audio level on one of KARK's microphones that they use to do live, on-the-street reporting is distorted. This has been going on for weeks. What has happened to good engineering practices.

It went the way of the dinosaur when the FCC quit caring about the public, and devoted all their time to seeing how much of the airwaves they could sell off.

That's why commercials are allowed to be 90 notches above the comfortable listening zone.

I noticed on the FCC Digital Reception Mapping Tool (DTV.gov) site that KATV is only being shown with 4.95 kW ERP. We all know they are now 1 million watts & range has been much improved (thanks Allenf.) The site shows all the other big network stations in green with solid signals to Hot Springs Village, but has KATV down in the yellow moderate strength range.

The FCC needs to update their information since dtv.gov is a mirror of their site:
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/

The KATV site also links to dtv.gov, so viewers may not realize they can get a much better signal (or at all.) Hopefully the FCC will get with the program. KATV has added an amended map to their site that shows most stations around here & correct info: http://www.fcc.gov/dtv/markets/maps_report2/Little_Rock-Pine_Bluff_AR.pdf

It went the way of the dinosaur when the FCC quit caring about the public, and devoted all their time to seeing how much of the airwaves they could sell off.

As far as management is concerned, television audio always has been and I suppose always will be secondary. Ever notice how much better NBC, CBS, and ABC's newscasts audio seems to be. Audio quality is no big deal for the local affiliate stations. Maybe one day the local stations audio will be up to par with the networks, but don't bet on it.

Well, the Cards are choking on a big one. Great time for a slump. Damn Yankees better not be in the Ws, Ill refuse to watch :)

I dont buy the KTHV excuse, but hey, doesnt matter, I have other choices.

Boss just got a letter from comcast...yep, prices are goin up again, since they now have two trillion HD channels.

DX has sucked lately. Thank God for PBS HD, or id be listening to XM radio.

Two week til Windows 7...Wonder if my HDPVR drivers will work with it?

How come AT&T Uverse isnt coming to MY neighborhood, and since Verizon bought Alltel, how come there are no plans for FIOS in Pulaski Co?

What ever happened to MDS, those mini microwave delivered cable companies? With Mpeg4 encoding, bet they could offer up a nice little package of HD must haves for a scant amount compared to Directv.

How bout them hogs Dave:D Hope we beat Auburn.

Cards choking bigtime against the dodgers...been trying to watch Philly and keep up with Cliff Lee (pitched for the Razorbacks 2 years ago)