WXXA-DT began broadcasting last night. (Finally!!!!) It was wide screen, but didn't look quite HD to me. I caught the tail end of "House" and thought it looked a little grainy. Anyone get a better picture than I did?

Anyone else in the Troy area have trouble receiving WNYT (NBC) OTA HD? AntennaWeb tells me NBC/CBS/ABC/etc. are all coming from the same direction but NBC is the only one I can't get a good signal from.

WXXA-DT began broadcasting last night. (Finally!!!!) It was wide screen, but didn't look quite HD to me. I caught the tail end of "House" and thought it looked a little grainy. Anyone get a better picture than I did?

For some reason the show switched from HD to SD a minute or two before the break. The SD looked grainy to me too.

Anyone else in the Troy area have trouble receiving WNYT (NBC) OTA HD? AntennaWeb tells me NBC/CBS/ABC/etc. are all coming from the same direction but NBC is the only one I can't get a good signal from.

WNYT-DT is on channel 12. WNYT analog is on channel 13 from Brunswick. It's possible that the anlog signal is interfering with the digital signal. Alternative antenna placement or more antenna directivity may solve the problem.

Anyone else in the Troy area have trouble receiving WNYT (NBC) OTA HD? AntennaWeb tells me NBC/CBS/ABC/etc. are all coming from the same direction but NBC is the only one I can't get a good signal from.Maybe you have an antenna system like I used to have: two antennas, one pointed toward WNYT analog, the other toward everything else in the Helderbergs, joined by a channel 13 combiner. That played havoc with my reception of channel 12. It worked much better after I eliminated the channel 13 antenna and combiner. Later I replaced the whole thing with a 4-bay bowtie. UHF, but good enough on channel 12 and even channel 7 (WXXA-DT).

Speaking of which, how's your reception of WXXA-DT? If it's also poor, maybe you're using an antenna that cuts off sharply below UHF.

I'm using a SilverSensor indoor antenna. I'm home for Christmas break so I haven't had a chance to test out WXXA-DT.

I'm using a SilverSensor indoor antenna. I'm home for Christmas break so I haven't had a chance to test out WXXA-DT.


According to Zenith, the Silver Sensor is a UHF only antenna. Both WXXA-DT and WNYT-DT are VHF stations.

http://www.zenith.com/sub_prod/product_Display.asp?cat=49&id=131

Note: When using the enclosed antenna, you will only receive UHF channels. To receive VHF channels (Channels numbered 1 thru 13), you must slso connect a VHF antenna to the TV. You can install a device referred to as a "antenna combiner" which will combine the two antenna output signals into one 75 ohms for a single connection.

Heh, I KNEW the SS was a UHF only antenna and I STILL overlooked that. Thanks for the help, I'll give it a shot when I get back. Is a UHF-only antenna really necessary? Or could I use just one antenna for both UHF and VHF?

Edit: I believe I have a Terk HDTVi lying around, which does do VHF/UHF so I'll give that a shot.

I have the Zenith Silver Sensor in the bedroom and cannot receive WNYT (VHF). The SS can pickup all other channels but sometimes requires adjusting for best reception of UHF channels. The Terk HDTVi is probably a bad choice since it claims to pickup VHF without the use of an internal amplifier. It looks like a re-badged SS with a pair of rabbit ears sticking out the back.

I am discovering that indoor antennas just dont work efficiently with digital broadcast and a better choice would be an outdoor VHF/UHF directional antenna pointed towards the community tower. Roof mounting is not requirement either, attic installation works just as well.

I have had no troubles getting any of the UHF channels, and an outdoor antenna isn't really an option for me (I live in the RPI campus apartments). You're probably right about the Terk but it's worth a shot since I have it lying around.

WXXA-DT has just started broadcasting. RF channel 7, remaps to 23-1.

Even though I live about 65 miles south of Albany I get 6.1,6.2,6.3,10.1,10.2 and the Albany PBS digital stations with my Channelmaster antenna,in my attic pointing out a window..

This morning I did a channel scan and it found 45.1,but not 23.1...

Is WXXA-DT up to full power? Thx

Even though I live about 65 miles south of Albany I get 6.1,6.2,6.3,10.1,10.2 and the Albany PBS digital stations with my Channelmaster antenna,in my attic pointing out a window..

This morning I did a channel scan and it found 45.1,but not 23.1...

Is WXXA-DT up to full power? Thx

Since you did not list channel 13-1 either, I suspect it's a matter of getting VHF reception versus UHF.

Since you did not list channel 13-1 either, I suspect it's a matter of getting VHF reception versus UHF.

No I never picked up 13.1.....

I'm probably mistaken but I thought all digital signals were UHF...

So you're saying if I hook up a VHF antenna I might receive both 13.1 and 23.1? Does the VHF signal travel as far? Do you think it would be worth a try to get a VHF antenna? I was shocked when I received the channels I now get OTA since I live 65+ miles from Albany..

Even though I live about 65 miles south of Albany I get 6.1,6.2,6.3,10.1,10.2 and the Albany PBS digital stations with my Channelmaster antenna,in my attic pointing out a window..

This morning I did a channel scan and it found 45.1,but not 23.1...

Is WXXA-DT up to full power? Thx

Yes, WXXA is at full power. What town are you in?

Poughkeepsie

Poughkeepsie

From just NNE of Poughkeepsie, antennaweb predicts the following stations:

yellow - uhf WTBY-DT 54.1 TBN POUGHKEEPSIE NY 205° 19.6 27
yellow - uhf WRNN-DT 48.1 IND KINGSTON NY 205° 19.6 48
green - uhf WTBY 54 TBN POUGHKEEPSIE NY 256° 7.1 54
blue - uhf WXXA 23 FOX ALBANY NY 7° 59.1 23
blue - vhf WTEN 10 ABC ALBANY NY 7° 60.4 10
blue - uhf WTEN-DT 10.1 ABC ALBANY NY 7° 59.7 26
blue - vhf WRGB 6 CBS SCHENECTADY NY 8° 60.3 6
blue - uhf WRGB-DT 6.1 CBS SCHENECTADY NY 7° 59.7 39
blue - uhf WMHT 17 PBS SCHENECTADY NY 7° 60.4 17
blue - uhf WMHT-DT 17.1 PBS SCHENECTADY NY 7° 59.7 34
blue - uhf WEWB 45 WB SCHENECTADY NY 7° 59.7 45
violet - uhf WEWB-DT 45.1 WB SCHENECTADY NY 7° 59.7 43

WXXA-DT and WNYT-DT are considered violet.

<Others deleted>

violet - uhf WEWB-DT 45.1 WB SCHENECTADY NY 7° 59.7 43

It must be a UHF-VHF thing..Because I have no problem picking up WEWB which is also violet..

From just NNE of Poughkeepsie, antennaweb predicts the following stations:

yellow - uhf WTBY-DT 54.1 TBN POUGHKEEPSIE NY 205° 19.6 27
yellow - uhf WRNN-DT 48.1 IND KINGSTON NY 205° 19.6 48
green - uhf WTBY 54 TBN POUGHKEEPSIE NY 256° 7.1 54
blue - uhf WXXA 23 FOX ALBANY NY 7° 59.1 23
blue - vhf WTEN 10 ABC ALBANY NY 7° 60.4 10
blue - uhf WTEN-DT 10.1 ABC ALBANY NY 7° 59.7 26
blue - vhf WRGB 6 CBS SCHENECTADY NY 8° 60.3 6
blue - uhf WRGB-DT 6.1 CBS SCHENECTADY NY 7° 59.7 39
blue - uhf WMHT 17 PBS SCHENECTADY NY 7° 60.4 17
blue - uhf WMHT-DT 17.1 PBS SCHENECTADY NY 7° 59.7 34
blue - uhf WEWB 45 WB SCHENECTADY NY 7° 59.7 45
violet - uhf WEWB-DT 45.1 WB SCHENECTADY NY 7° 59.7 43

WXXA-DT and WNYT-DT are considered violet.

<Others deleted>

I too am just NNE of Poughkeepsie. I've never been able to get antennaweb to list more than two digital stations/channels (uhf WTBY-DT 54.1 and uhf WRNN-DT 48.1). I am able to receive all digital stations out of Albany (broadcasting from the new tower).

I have a channelmaster 4228 uhf only antenna w/preamp & rotator on the roof. I can not get 23-1/7 WXXA-DT to lock (lots of breaking up... not viewable but there) which makes sense to me because it is a vhf channel (7 re-mapped to 23 by the receiver). I do however receive 13-1/12 WNYT-DT, also a vhf channel, very well. No break ups. I'm told it is because the channelmaster antenna is able to reach into the top/high end of the vhf frequency (channel 12).

I haven't decided whether to try a switch to a vhf/uhf antenna or to just try adding a vhf antenna for WXXA-DT (channel 7 remapped to 23.1). Don't know if a combination antenna will do as well as the 4228 uhf only or if I can add a vhf only antenna above or below the 4228.

I have noticed that at some point about 2 months (or more) ago I could no longer receive WXXA's analog signal on channel 23. I believe I lost it about the time the digital transmission was being tested or maybe just when they began adjustments to transmit both signals. Too bad to because that analog signal was amazing... as clear as any of the digital signals from the new tower.

I too am just NNE of Poughkeepsie. I have a channelmaster 4228 uhf only antenna w/preamp & rotator on the roof. I'm told it is because the channelmaster antenna is able to reach into the top/high end of the vhf frequency (channel 12).

The gain of a 4228 on channels 2-13 is shown on the bottom of the following web page. It's a great antenna for channel 10, not so good on 7 and 12.

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html

Your situation shows that antennaweb is often conservative.

The gain of a 4228 on channels 2-13 is shown on the bottom of the following web page. It's a great antenna for channel 10, not so good on 7 and 12.

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html

Your situation shows that antennaweb is often conservative.


Thanks for the link... took a few minutes to appreciate it but it all seems clear now. Took a look at links there to pick an alternative antenna. Very helpful info.

Any thoughts on why the analog/uhf signal for 23 is so poor for the past few months? Could it be related to the prep / addition of the digital signal at 7 being remapped to 23.1? If so, will it come back to something I will be able to pick up?

Any thoughts on why the analog/uhf signal for 23 is so poor for the past few months? Could it be related to the prep / addition of the digital signal at 7 being remapped to 23.1? If so, will it come back to something I will be able to pick up?

I'm not aware of any problems at WXXA. No transmitter changes have been made to WXXA analog to allow for DTV. The channel 7 DTV antenna is on a different tower than the channel 23 analog antenna.

Perhaps your antenna is slightly degraded, but the problem only shows up on analog and not digital. I know that's hard to believe, because Poughkeepsie is so far away, but I don't have a better explaination. You might try removing your preamplifier. You may not need it any longer. WTEN went to full power on channel 26 a few weeks ago and WRGB went to 600 KW in June. Then only thing that changed in October was that the leaves fell off the trees.

I've been getting WXXA analog for 8-10 months now,I haven't noticed and difference either with that channel...

I think I might go with the 2 antenna option..leave my UHF where it is because it does work quite well,and add a VHF antenna to pick up WXXA-DT and any other VHF channel I might pick up..Thx

Hey Guys,

I have digital cable with TW (Guilderland, NY). Currently I run the outside cable to my STB and then to my TV tuner card on my HTPC running MCE 2005.

I just bought an HDTV and I was hoping to continue to route the cable through my HTPC and now also have the ability to record/play HD content.

What am I going to need to be able to do this?
1) The cable company (new stb, service etc.)
2) New HTPC components (TV Tuner card etc.)

Was hoping to just get everything over cable and not have to setup any antennas and such because I live in an apartment complex..and besides that it just seems like too much of a pain. Don't mind paying additional fees or buying hardware in order to get this to work.

Advice please?

Thanks!

hvhoon:
The only way to record HD from your cable STB to a PC would be if the STB has a working IEEE1394 output and if you can get the two to talk to each other. Not an easy task, especially on a PC, although some have reported limited success. Apparently Macs have better software for this.

If you want to be able to record all the HD you subscribe to (within copy protection limits, of course) then rent an HD DVR from TW. Or buy the Sony DVR, which has a CableCard slot, and rent a CableCard from TW (good luck getting that working).

If you must record to your PC, you'll need an HDTV tuner card that supports QAM, the modulation used by cable. That will pretty much limit you to the local HD broadcasts that TW carries. In that case your cable STB doesn't enter into it. You need to feed the cable RF into the card.

Currently TW carries WRGB, WTEN, WNYT, WXXA and WMHT in HD. It does not carry WEWB in HD or the SD digital feeds of WNYA and WMHT, all of which are available OTA. Also note that WMHT-HD is just the PBS-HD feed, with a completely different schedule than WMHT-SD.

As for OTA reception, don't knock it 'til you've tried it. In Guilderland you should have pretty easy reception with an indoor antenna unless you're behind a hill or your apartment is encased in metal. All the stations are in one direction. Two are VHF (WXXA on 7 and WNYT on 12) but some UHF antennas work OK on high VHF. At home (9.5 miles) I use a 4-bay bowtie in the attic and get great reception from all of them. At work (11 miles) a Zenith Silver Sensor works well looking out a ground floor window, but I've also had good success just laying a whip antenna on the window ledge. But when I demoed my HTPC at the Guilderland Library I couldn't get good reception (the meeting room is at the front of the library, and the tower is behind it, so the antenna was looking through the library building). Good thing I had a few things recorded.

Unfortunately... there is no way Time Warner is going to allow you to record any HD content onto the hard drive of a home PC. The only viable solution at this point is to rent one of Time Warner's "crappy" SA8300HD-DVRs.

Open Cable (OCAP 1.0 and the yet to be released 2.0) specifications use a system of Conditional Access and Copy Protection that prohibits such activities.

A lot of individuals who currently enjoy "free" HD OTA will eventually lose this capability once the MPAA has it's way with Congress and implements the Broadcast Flag.

At work (11 miles) a Zenith Silver Sensor works well looking out a ground floor window... Judging from your knowledge of TWC and the fact that the new TWC office on Highbridge Road in Rotterdam is 11 miles from the digital tower...do you work for TWC?

But when I demoed my HTPC at the Guilderland Library I couldn't get good reception (the meeting room is at the front of the library, and the tower is behind it, so the antenna was looking through the library building). Good thing I had a few things recorded.
What was going on at the Guilderland Library involving HD?

Sounds like our taxes will be going up again.

Judging from your knowledge of TWC and the fact that the new TWC office on Highbridge Road in Rotterdam is 11 miles from the digital tower...do you work for TWC?No. All I know about digital reception from TWC I learned by trying it out. At work we do have fiber links to and from TWC's head end, but they don't carry regular programming. We don't even have a cable drop.
What was going on at the Guilderland Library involving HD?Computer club meeting. I was showing off the capabilities of a MyHD HDTV tuner card.

A bit off topic, but can someone tell me the secret of staying logged in here more than a couple of minutes? I log in to post a message, and by the time I've typed it I'm not logged in anymore. So I log in again and it tells me it's an invalid thread that may have been moved to the archive, and asks if I want to go there. I've learned to log in, prepare message, copy to clipboard, try to post, get blown off, log in again and paste from clipboard.

A bit off topic, but can someone tell me the secret of staying logged in here more than a couple of minutes?
maybe you should bring this question up in your next computer club meeting. :p

Sorry ebo, couldnt resist.

Can someone tell me what cable boxes are available from TWC for HD right now. I have one now going to my Panasonic Plasma and it seems like every time I turn the TV on the picture looks different. One day it looks great and the next day not so good. I am trying to figure out if it is the TV or the box or just the broadcast that looks bad.

I have the non-DVR box, I got it last December. Is there a new box? Does the DVR box give a better picture? Should I just swap boxes to see if there is a difference? Any help or advice is appreciated.

Pete

Can someone tell me what cable boxes are available from TWC for HD right now.3100HD
3250HD
8000HD DVR
8300HD DVR

Does the DVR box give a better picture?TWC will tell you there is no difference in picture quality between the non-DVR and DVR STB's. Forum members have commented that the non-DVR boxes provide better quality pictures. It has also been mentioned that CableCard equipped HDTV's provide a picture superior to those you can get with a TWC issued STB.

As far as I'm concerned, TW lies.

My 8000 HD DVR looked MUCH better than the 8300 HD DVR.

Too bad it's not a Tivo, so I could screen capture the actual recorded picture to show it (digital camera you probably won't notice it).

I'll have to see about OTA or Cable Card with my plasma (gotta get an antenna to test out for indoor now that the networks around here are mostly broadcasting at full strength)

Can someone tell me what cable boxes are available from TWC for HD right now. I have one now going to my Panasonic Plasma and it seems like every time I turn the TV on the picture looks different. One day it looks great and the next day not so good. I am trying to figure out if it is the TV or the box or just the broadcast that looks bad.

I have the non-DVR box, I got it last December. Is there a new box? Does the DVR box give a better picture? Should I just swap boxes to see if there is a difference? Any help or advice is appreciated.

PeteForum members have commented that the non-DVR boxes provide better quality pictures. It has also been mentioned that CableCard equipped HDTV's provide a picture superior to those you can get with a TWC issued STB.This is true... CableCARDs rent for $1.75 per month. Your Panasonic PDP has a superior MPEG decoder & deinterlacing/scaling chip which will render a noticeably better picture.

Optivity & AlbanyHDTV,

So, you think the cable card will give me the best picture. I dont care too much about the onscreen and the pay per view options. I just want the best picutre. I have the 37" Panny HD TV. Let me know.

Can I pick up the cable card and put it in? I know it ised to be that a tech had to do it.

Pete

Thanks to everyone for the responses. You guys are very helpful.

I've been using Albany Time Warner's SA PowerKEY CableCARD in my Panasonic TH-50PX50U since June and can assure you it renders a much better picture than Time Warner's SA8300HD-DVR.

Time Warner will not permit a self-install... you'll have to schedule a service appointment.

Read this: CableCARDs - A Primer (http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/specsformats/CableCARDprimer.php)

Optivity & AlbanyHDTV,

So, you think the cable card will give me the best picture. I dont care too much about the onscreen and the pay per view options. I just want the best picutre. I have the 37" Panny HD TV. Let me know.Does your 37" Panasonic have a cable card slot?

Just wanted to drop a note here. I just got my HUMEX HFA100 OTA decoder and with a make shift antenna ( I was not expecting the tuner here so soon ) I am able to get a SOLID signal on 6,10,17,23. For a moment I was seeing 45 and I don't get 13 because I don't think the antenna I have picks up VHF. It will be nice to finally stop paying for commercal TV.

So far the humex has been an excellent device that is fast and was up and running in a few minutes.

PS: I'm in the Styvestant Plaza / SUNY Albany area.

In regards to the cable card, this is probably a dumb question:

So you plop in the cable card, yes?

And then connect the co-ax directly to the TV?

So if you then want to re-route the sound through your AV receiver, you ouput from the TV to the receiver?

The reason I ask is that if i get a cable card, it would be for the HD signal (at $2/month it's still cheaper than buying a big honking antenna and having to have it installed - cause I'm not climbing up on a 12-12 pitch roof in the middle of winter to install one). And the HD has dolby digital (well mostly) so, that's why I ask.

AlbanyHDTV,

Yes my Panny has a cable card slot. The only issue that I just thought of is the TV does not stretch a Hi-Def image, it will only stretch SD. Is that an issue with the cable card? Maybe it isnt. I am not sure how that works.

Pete

In regards to the cable card, this is probably a dumb question:

So you plop in the cable card, yes?

And then connect the co-ax directly to the TV?

So if you then want to re-route the sound through your AV receiver, you ouput from the TV to the receiver?

The reason I ask is that if i get a cable card, it would be for the HD signal (at $2/month it's still cheaper than buying a big honking antenna and having to have it installed - cause I'm not climbing up on a 12-12 pitch roof in the middle of winter to install one). And the HD has dolby digital (well mostly) so, that's why I ask.Using coax --> antenna input & a CableCARD for decryption... provided your TV has coax/optical output it will pass digital sound to a 5.1/6.1/7.1 receiver, except for the channels Time Warner "Copy Protects" (e.g all 700 digital tier and HD digital tier from 1827 up).Yes my Panny has a cable card slot. The only issue that I just thought of is the TV does not stretch a Hi-Def image, it will only stretch SD. Is that an issue with the cable card? Maybe it isnt. I am not sure how that works.The same holds true with the CableCARD. Panasonic PDPs provide no aspect ratio stretch/zoom support for 720p/1080i signals. You will need to rent an STB from TW to stretch/zoom HD.

optivity,

I am confused. I am not concerned about stretching HD just SD. Right now with the STB outputting 1080i If I want to watch say the SciFi Channel I need to strectch it with the STB because of the 1080i signal. The Panny will not stretch it.

If I try to watch SciFi with the cable card will the TV recognize that's a SD channel and let the Panny stretch it? I guess if it does then the only problem I would have would be on ESPN HD when it is non-hd and it has the bars on the sides. I would have to watch channel 24 to stretch it instead of 1869 right?

Your Panasonic PDP will stretch/zoom "any" incoming signal that is 480i or 480p (e.g. the SciFi Channel on ATW 53). Your PDP does not support stretch/zoom capabilities when the incoming signal is 720p or 1080i (e.g. ATW channels 1806 - 1885). This also applies to 480i that is up converted to 720p/1080i. The same holds true when using a CableCARD.

If you have one of ATWs STBs (e.g. SA8300) you're best off using the set-up wizard to select 480i (standard)/720p/1080i output modes which your PDP supports. I prefer to use the component input and set the DVR to "pass-through."

I'm using a OPPO OPDV971H (http://www.oppodigital.com) DVD player with my 50PX50Us HDMI connection. If you're in the market for an "up converting" DVD player the OPDV971H is the one to get.

optivity,

I have the 3250 box right now. The picture seems inconsistent lately. I am not sure I understand the setup wizard and the pass thru on your 8300. Right now my 3250 is doing 1080i all the time. If I change it to 480 the picture looks pretty bad on SD, I loose a lot of color. If that is the case then I would think channel 53 thru the cable card at 480i will not look to good on my 37PX25U? Is that correct?

So, with the cable card channel 53 will be in 480 or will the PDP upconvert it to 720?

I guess I don't know as much about HD as I thought. Thanks for the help.

Pete

optivity,

I have the 3250 box right now. The picture seems inconsistent lately. I am not sure I understand the setup wizard and the pass thru on your 8300. Right now my 3250 is doing 1080i all the time. If I change it to 480 the picture looks pretty bad on SD, I loose a lot of color. If that is the case then I would think channel 53 thru the cable card at 480i will not look to good on my 37PX25U? Is that correct?

So, with the cable card channel 53 will be in 480 or will the PDP upconvert it to 720?

I guess I don't know as much about HD as I thought. Thanks for the help.

PeteI assume you mean SciFi on channel 53. It's analog, not digital. The CableCard doesn't enter into it. You don't even need an STB for that; any analog tuner will do, including the one built into the display. Since the display is digital (plasma) something must convert the video to digital and scale it to your display. Right now you're using your STB for that. If you use the display's tuner, the display will do all of that. What looks best depends on which does the better job. But it's never going to look very good compared to digital, even SD digital.

BTW, assuming CableCard works the way I think it does, it doesn't actually unscramble the video. It supplies the code the TV needs to unscramble it. So it can't affect PQ. It works, or it doesn't.

BTW, assuming CableCard works the way I think it does, it doesn't actually unscramble the video. It supplies the code the TV needs to unscramble it. So it can't affect PQ. It works, or it doesn't.This is true, the CableCARD is a secure mechanism used to provide conditional access authorization to a digital cable ready device. The picture "will" look better with a CableCARD because the Panasonic PX50U is built with a superior MPEG decoder and deinterlacing/scaling chip. For that matter... the SA8300 will render a picture that is superior to the 3250 for the same reasons.

Using coax --> antenna input & a CableCARD for decryption... provided your TV has coax/optical output it will pass digital sound to a 5.1/6.1/7.1 receiver, except for the channels Time Warner "Copy Protects" (e.g all 700 digital tier and HD digital tier from 1827 up).
AlbanyHDTV forum members dkennedy and xzi have stated they receive Dolby Digital 5.1 sound on all channels via TWC Cable Card, when it is available. Digital-only (& non-HD) channels like 201 (MIL) are Digital PCM output, and analog channels have no digital output at all, and the TV needs its analog audio out connected to get this audio to the receiver--which switches back to "analog" on absence of the digital signal automatically.

NOTE: PCM = Pulse code modulation: a standard method of encoding analog audio signals in digital form.

It looks like we got a new HD channel (TW). UNIHD channel 1860.

AlbanyHDTV forum members dkennedy and xzi have stated they receive Dolby Digital 5.1 sound on all channels via TWC Cable Card, when it is available. Digital-only (& non-HD) channels like 201 (MIL) are Digital PCM output, and analog channels have no digital output at all, and the TV needs its analog audio out connected to get this audio to the receiver--which switches back to "analog" on absence of the digital signal automatically.

NOTE: PCM = Pulse code modulation: a standard method of encoding analog audio signals in digital form.Their experience is most likely related to an "older implementation" of OCAP 1.0 or an older firmware rev. on their CableCARD. Albany Time Warner "Copy Protects" via an "Entitlement Control Message" (which disables audio optical out) all channels in the 700 & 1800 digital tier except the HD locals: CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX and PBS.

Read the CableCARD threads throughout the AVS Forum and at Ecoustics.com and you will see this issue is not confined to Panasonic or to our local CATV provider.

I wouldn't be surprised if these guys work for Time Warner or they have their receivers set to some kind of "Pro Logic" / "DTS:Neo" mode & aren't even getting true 5.1 channel sound.

While I don't absolutely rule out some issue at Panasonic's end, they are heavily involved with the development and implementation of the CableCARD spec and have been building TVs that support OCAP 1.0 for years... therefore, I find it highly unlikely the problem is with Panasonic but a more plausible explanation is the firmware for TWs SA PowerKEY CableCARDs has to be updated to respond correctly to "get unit info" or "get sub unit info" queries... and/or Time Warner has implemented some form of restricted access via the EMM/ECM data structure in conjunction with "Copy Once" permission.

Albany Time Warner "Copy Protects" via an "Entitlement Control Message" (which disables audio optical out) all channels in the 700 & 1800 digital tier except the HD locals: CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX and PBS.What would be the advantage to TWC for blocking DD5.1 on non-local HD channels?

What would be the advantage to TWC for blocking DD5.1 on non-local HD channels?

It may be a matter of legal and technical wranglings. The cablecard may query the "device" aka TV and not allow any of the content to be "copied" to another device ie Amp ( not withstanding the obvious issue of most people using external amps for HD content.

It's stupid and TW needs to correct the issue.

What would be the advantage to TWC for blocking DD5.1 on non-local HD channels?Dolby Digital sound output is passed on the 1200 Music Channel tier, but not the 700 Premium Movie Channel tier. Why Time Warner enforces this policy is a good question that I cannot answer. Presumably their implementation of the OCAP 1.0 spec does not differentiate between the various instances of a digital cable ready device interfaces (e.g. optical audio versus IEEE 1394).

Content/Cable/Satellite providers do not want subscribers to have the capability to make copies of HD content, which could be shared on the Internet.

Hey. Finally got my OTA setup. I get 6, 10, 13,17,23, and 45. Without a directional ariel, is there any chance of pulling in 19 or 55? What luck are people having pulling in other more distant signals?

Hey. Finally got my OTA setup. I get 6, 10, 13,17,23, and 45. Without a directional ariel, is there any chance of pulling in 19 or 55? What luck are people having pulling in other more distant signals?

Channel 19 is the same as 10, so it's not worth the effort.

I can get channel 55, but don't watch it anyway.

The another station to try is on RF channel 9 in Rutland, VT. (Vermont PBS)

I have tried to receive DTV stations from Hartford and Syracuse without success.

I'm on a hill with the TV antennas mounted 115' up a tower and fed with extremely low loss coax. As a Buffalo Bills fan I am interested in WTVH-DT on channel 47, but instead I get a religious LPTV station in Glens Falls.

Channel 19 is the same as 10, so it's not worth the effort.

I can get channel 55, but don't watch it anyway.

The another station to try is on RF channel 9 in Rutland, VT. (Vermont PBS)

I have tried to receive DTV stations from Hartford and Syracuse without success.

I'm on a hill with the TV antennas mounted 115' up a tower and fed with extremely low loss coax. As a Buffalo Bills fan I am interested in WTVH-DT on channel 47, but instead I get a religious LPTV station in Glens Falls.

Thanks, titan tv list channel 19 as having different programming from 10 a chunk if the time, that's why I'm interested. I'll look into more stations in a year once more have converted. No luck on 9 with my puny antenna at this time, but I will keep it in mind. Thanks

Oh, and OTA, why doesn't PBS publish guid data?

Just wondering how far you folks are from the towers?

I'm in Wallinford, VT. Zip 05773. If I'm not mistaken aren't the tower/s on MT. Heldeberg? If so, it's got to be 70-80 miles from my locale.

Any chance in hell of my being able to pick up any OTA from the Albany area. It's basically my Only clear line of site...SW.

OK. So who will be the first Albany Time Warner Cable TV subscriber to obtain Scientific Atlanta's MCP-100 DVR w/DVD Recorder/Player?

http://home.nycap.rr.com/nessus/sciatl.JPG

LOL... I wonder what TW will "Allow" us to record.

Maybe reruns of "Friends" on channel 13? :rolleyes:

Oh, and OTA, why doesn't PBS publish guide data?

They got a "get out of jail free" card from the FCC. I don't know when it expires.

OK. So who will be the first Albany Time Warner Cable TV subscriber to obtain Scientific Atlanta's MCP-100 DVR w/DVD Recorder/Player?Unless it records HD on the DVD, I wouldn't be interested. I've got 2 Tivo's to record SD.

TiVo Unveils New Series3 Video Recorder (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1908898,00.asp) with this caveat:

"Unlike the latest Series II TiVos, it will not allow programs to be transferred from one TiVo to another in a home. That's due in part to technical issues, explained a TiVo representative, but mostly because of unresolved DRM issues. The box will support downloaded content from the internet, which lets users acquire HD and SD movies and other programs via a broadband connection."

Which reminds us that another, rather expensive, DCR device may not perform as advertised when connected to a cable providers system.

DRM see: (digital rights management) (http://www.answers.com/topic/digital-rights-management?method=6)

Is 6 HD transmitting at full power? I'm not able to keep a stable signal. The signal strength in Glens Falls is only about 65% on average.
The signal from 10 HD and 17 HD are typically at 95%. I believe 10 is transmitting with less power then 6 and all signals are coming from the same tower.
Is anyone else having issues?

avputter -

What type of antenna and HD box are you using?

Can you receive channels 13-1, 23-1, 45-1 succesfully from Glens Falls?

Just curious because a friend lives up that way and was wondering if they could pick up the local digital stations easily.

I'll have to double-check, but I'd be surprised if Tivo did that. (PCMag has been wrong before many times on stuff).

I'll mosey over to the Tivo community to check it out.

I hope it's not true.


TiVo Unveils New Series3 Video Recorder (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1908898,00.asp) with this caveat:

"Unlike the latest Series II TiVos, it will not allow programs to be transferred from one TiVo to another in a home. That's due in part to technical issues, explained a TiVo representative, but mostly because of unresolved DRM issues. The box will support downloaded content from the internet, which lets users acquire HD and SD movies and other programs via a broadband connection."

Which reminds us that another, rather expensive, DCR device may not perform as advertised when connected to a cable providers system.

DRM see: (digital rights management) (http://www.answers.com/topic/digital-rights-management?method=6)

Unless it records HD on the DVD, I wouldn't be interested. I've got 2 Tivo's to record SD.

Press Release Source: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.

Scientific-Atlanta Introduces New MCP-100 Media Center With Built-in DVD Burner

The new MCP-100 Media Center will add DVD burning functionality for standard and high definition content that will give consumers the ability to simply and securely record their favorite shows and movies onto writeable DVDs. The MCP-100 Media Center will support the majority of writeable DVD formats and will also play off-the-shelf DVDs and CDs. In addition, the product is being designed to respect key content protection flags including 'copy freely,' 'copy once,' and 'copy never' tags.

Question: Does the highlighted portion mean it will record DVD's in HD or just be able to record HD content to SD DVD's?

This is a question that "inquiring minds" would like a definitive answer to. It will be interesting to see how Conditional Access policies evolve during the next couple of years and if perhaps... licensing charges will be tiered based upon how high-value content is used... (e.g. viewed versus being archived).

My presumption is the "Scientific-Atlanta MCP-100 Media Center With Built-in DVD Burner" will support only 480i encoding and I'm cautiously optimistic that devices like the upcoming TiVo Series3 HD-DVR with two-way CableCARD slot will be permitted access to CATV providers content.

Press Release Source: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.

Scientific-Atlanta Introduces New MCP-100 Media Center With Built-in DVD Burner

The new MCP-100 Media Center will add DVD burning functionality for standard and high definition content that will give consumers the ability to simply and securely record their favorite shows and movies onto writeable DVDs. The MCP-100 Media Center will support the majority of writeable DVD formats and will also play off-the-shelf DVDs and CDs. In addition, the product is being designed to respect key content protection flags including 'copy freely,' 'copy once,' and 'copy never' tags.

Question: Does the highlighted portion mean it will record DVD's in HD or just be able to record HD content to SD DVD's?

Answer:
CNET editors' take for Scientific-Atlanta MCP-100

Of course, while the whole idea of easily making hard copies of your HD recording (down-converted to DVD resolution) certainly sounds enticing, the movie and TV studios are not so enthused about it, so the big question remains when cable operators will actually adopt this killer product--and whether they plan on charging you extra to make those hard copies.

Answer:
CNET editors' take for Scientific-Atlanta MCP-100

Of course, while the whole idea of easily making hard copies of your HD recording (down-converted to DVD resolution)And then up-converted on our OPPO OPDV971H (http://www.oppodigital.com/) DVD players. :)

My OTA receiver is currently getting WRGB-DT on 39-3, 39-4 and 39-5. Additionally 39-5 says "No Signal." Anyone else?

I'm in Albany, NY, purchasing my first Plasma, and need to get an antenna for my local HDs. I will be using a Directv HD tivo receiver, not sure which one yet. According to Antennaweb, I am 11.2 miles from all of my signals, and all of them are at 274 except one which is at 271. Two of the channels are VHF, the rest UHF. I was planning on putting the antenna in my attic. (I am renting a house). It's a two story house. The attic is a full 3rd story with nine foot ceilings. The house faces west. In the attic, there is a window that faces west (the front of the house). That give me a clear line of sight to the signals.

What antenna should I get? Do certain ones only do UHF or do they all do both? Since I have a window am I going to experience signal loss, or should I be okay? The Directv guy is coming next week, should I just try to mount the antenna when he does the dish and run the coax with that? The channel that is at 271 is 11.2 miles away, the others at 274 ar 11.1. Will I be okay or will there be some loss? Also, where can I get a signal strentgh meter, Rat Shack? This forum is great and I appreciate all the responses.

I'm in Albany, NY, purchasing my first Plasma, and need to get an antenna for my local HDs.

What antenna should I get? Also, where can I get a signal strentgh meter, Rat Shack? This forum is great and I appreciate all the responses.

The DirecTV tuner will have a signal strength meter built in it.

The direction listed in antennaweb for WXXA is wrong. All the stations are on the same tower. The 2 degree difference won't matter anyway.

You will need a conbination VHF/UHF antenna. A modest antenna such as a Channel Master 3016 should work. The Radio Shack VU-75 XR is similar. I don't like the larger Radio Shack antennas for outdoor installations, but indoors they're fine. The Westgate and Crossgates stores have them in stock.

According to Antennaweb, I am 11.2 miles from all of my signals, and all of them are at 274 except one which is at 271. Two of the channels are VHF, the rest UHF. I was planning on putting the antenna in my attic. . . . In the attic, there is a window that faces west (the front of the house). That give me a clear line of sight to the signals.

What antenna should I get? Do certain ones only do UHF or do they all do both? Since I have a window am I going to experience signal loss, or should I be okay?I'm about the same distance and get excellent reception with a 4-bay bowtie in the attic. Although UHF, it does fine on WNYT-DT (12) and WXXA-DT (7). Doesn't take up much space. Lots of ways to mount it, but a large dowel and a Christmas tree stand works for me. It's looking through the roof, and I replaced a couple of batts of foil-faced insulation with kraft-faced to improve the signal.

Your window shouldn't cut the signal much unless it has a metal screen on it. If so, you could probably replace it with a plastic screen.

BTW, Antennaweb shows WXXA-DT at the same location as their analog. I'm pretty sure that's wrong; their digital antenna is on the community tower along with everyone else. But even if it were right, 3 degrees isn't going to make any difference in antenna aiming.

My OTA receiver is currently getting WRGB-DT on 39-3, 39-4 and 39-5. Additionally 39-5 says "No Signal." Anyone else?Yes, their Doppler channel was off when I checked around 10:00 PM, but it's back now.

Thanks for the response guys. I guess the next question is, and I've been talking over it with my wife, should I go with TW or D*. We are Hurricane Katrina transplants. My wife was up here before I was and had TW, but she hated, absolutely hated the DVR compared to Tivo. That is why we were deciding to go with D*. I don't know if she had an old DVR or not, and I never saw it to comment, but she said it was terrible. Have they improved? Based on looking at both, it appears, that TW offers better HD programming. Is what I am seeing correct? CBS, NBC, FOX, and ABC are offered in HD through TW without OTA (somewhere in the 1800s). So, I would need an OTA for UPN, WB, and PBS? Is that correct? If so, is there a difference between an OTA ABC (channel 10 I believe) and the one that would be somewhere in the 1800s?

I am such a newbie at HD, plasmas, what I need to get with regards to OTA, and coming here and getting answers is making it so much easier.

In this market:
UPN is not in HD via OTA or TWC.
PBS is HD on both OTA and TWC.
WB is only HD for OTA.

So, any advice on pros/cons of TW and Directv? Also, I got back to the place I am renting, looked up at the roof and there is a big ass antenna up there. Looks 4 or 5 feet tall at least. Anyway if I can determine if this will work or if I need an extra antenna, without getting up there. If I order TW or Directv will they come out and determine that for me? Thanks.

A co-worker of mine has Directv. I've never seen it, so I had to ask if the TW commercials were just sales hype or real case scenarios. She said "Yes, everything in those commercials has happened to me". She was once without service for a week. And their tech support DID ask her if she had access to the roof! :rolleyes: She would go back to TW in a heartbeat.

I been a Directv customer for the past ten years and will not even consider switching to TW, my monthly bill is $62.00 including the basic channels,HiDef package, and Starz/Encore premiums. I cant even get digital cable from TW for under $66.00 and thats just the basics.

As for satellite reception, I only know of 2 different times where my signal has been lost due to bad weather since '96, those commercials are just plain silly and propaganda. I giggle everytime I see that commercial with "I'm Betty from Stillwater and I made the switch!"

This is a good read I came across and pay particular attention to the last paragraph.

10-13-05

Cable vs. satellite: How to choose

Provided by ConsumerReports.org

Here's what to consider when choosing between satellite and cable.
Decide what channels you want. Not surprisingly, our survey showed a strong correlation between interesting programming and overall satisfaction. Although satellite once had many more channels than cable, digital cable is now competitive.

Bear in mind that if you're like most people, you'll probably watch only a small fraction of the channels you get. In our survey, satellite customers watched about 15 channels in a typical week, although they received well over 100. For digital-cable subscribers, the numbers were similar. Analog subscribers got more than 50 channels on average but watched only 11.
Statistics like those have fueled the debate over whether cable consumers should have to pay for large packages of programming they don't want or be allowed to select a smaller, à la carte list of their choosing. (For more on channel choice and other cable-TV issues, go to HearUsNow.org, a project of Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports.)

Consider hardware costs. For basic analog cable, you generally don't need any hardware at all. You can plug the cable directly into a TV and use the TV remote. For analog cable with premium channels and for digital service, you'll usually need a set-top box and a remote, which rent for about $5 to $8 a month. With a digital-cable-ready TV and a CableCard, you won't need a box. (see our November 2005 High-definition TV report, available to subscribers).

To get satellite TV, you need a dish antenna and a receiver designed to work with the chosen service. You can buy the hardware from the satellite company, an electronics store, or a satellite-system dealer/installer for about $100 and up. Promotional deals often provide free gear if you commit to programming for one or two years.

Cable or Satellite?

With both cable and satellite there are added costs for an HD setup, digital video recording, or broadband Internet access.

Weigh the extra costs for HD. To get HD via cable, you must subscribe to digital cable and rent an HD-capable cable box or CableCard for each HDTV. With some providers, you get both standard-definition and HD versions of the channels in your digital-cable package at no extra charge. Other cable companies charge a few dollars a month for HD.

With satellite, you need an HD receiver, and you might need to modify your dish or add a second one to receive HD channels. That setup can run hundreds of dollars unless you get a reduced-cost promotional offer. An HD programming package costs $10 from Dish Network, $11 a month from DirecTV.

Note that by early next year, both Dish Network and DirecTV will switch to a new signal-compression format, MPEG-4, so that they can transmit more high-definition channels. Current HD set-top boxes and dishes might have to be replaced. DirecTV told us it will upgrade current HD customers at no cost if they commit to one year of service. Dish Network has not stated its plans. Non-HD subscribers of either shouldn't be immediately affected, but eventually more channels might use MPEG-4, requiring new equipment. So hold off buying any HD hardware for at least a few months.

Decide whether you want recording capability. Many cable companies now rent cable boxes with integrated digital video recorders (DVRs) that store TV programs on a computer-type hard drive. For satellite, you might have to buy the unit--a costly investment we don't recommend at this time, given that it's a fast-changing technology. Prices start at about $300, although you might be able to get a DVR free or at a low cost as part of a promotion. With satellite, there's generally a monthly fee of about $5 for recording capability; with cable, it's about $10. Some of the DVRs available through cable and satellite can record HD programs.

Decide whether you want Internet access with your TV service. Most cable companies offer high-speed Internet access for $40 to $50 a month. You may be able to trim that by as much as $15 if you also subscribe to the provider's TV service. The other primary broadband service choice is DSL, high-speed access over telephone lines. The satellite services have partnered with phone companies to provide DSL. It costs about $30 to $45 a month, but you might be able to save $10 a month by ordering it with satellite TV.

Both cable and DSL Internet services have pluses. Cable broadband scored higher for speed and reliability than DSL in a recent survey of our subscribers. DSL was reasonably fast and reliable, and it costs less.

DirecWay, a company partly owned by DirecTV, offers Internet access via satellite. It costs about $600 for equipment plus $60 a month. This service did relatively poorly for speed and reliability in our Internet provider survey, so we suggest that you consider it only if you can't get cable or DSL.

Product Features

Consider reliability. In addition to its problem with physical obstructions, satellite service is more subject to weather-related woes. About 31 percent of the satellite-television subscribers in our survey reported a loss of alignment or line of sight with the satellite for one reason or another, and 12 percent cited problems with snow or ice buildup. But more digital-cable than satellite users reported losing service for a day or longer: 17 percent vs. 11 percent. To learn how reliable your local television service is, ask your neighbors about their experiences.


Sound familiar?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5821991&&#post5821991

avputter -

What type of antenna and HD box are you using?

Can you receive channels 13-1, 23-1, 45-1 succesfully from Glens Falls?

Just curious because a friend lives up that way and was wondering if they could pick up the local digital stations easily.

Hi BreakStuff,

I have a Channel Master CM 3679 Deep Fringe Crossfire Series Antenna with a pre amp for VHF and UHF. I receive all channels including 17.1 and 17.3. I have had no problems with my Sony DVR or receiver on any channels other then 6...
I'm wondering if there is some type of local interference on ch 39.
I believe that is the channel for 6 HD.

http://www.antennaweb.org is a good starting place for info.

Current listing on http://www.antennaweb.org for GlensFalls 12803 zip no longer lists WRGB HD??? :confused:

Does any one know what is going on?

DTV Antenna Type Call Sign Channel Network City State Live
Date Compass
Orientation Miles
From Frequency
Assignment
* lt green - vhf WVER-DT 28.1 PBS RUTLAND VT 60° 37.0 9
* red - uhf WTEN-DT 10.1 ABC ALBANY NY 217° 49.5 26
* blue - uhf WMHT-DT 17.1 PBS SCHENECTADY NY 217° 49.5 34
* violet - uhf WCDC-DT 19.1 ABC ADAMS MA 166° 50.8 36
* violet - vhf WNYT-DT 13.1 NBC ALBANY NY 217° 49.5 12

Well, I guess my experience with DTV was a little diff.

Had 97% signal strength in sunny weather. At LEAST 10 times per year, I lost signal.

Always during heavy rain, cloud cover (uh, this is NY), and heavy snows.

TW cable has gone out maybe 3 times/year.

Not that I particularly care for TW, but I believe if I were to add up the cost of the equipment (free, except for monthly rental of converter boxes), and what I pay for the channels, DTV is MUCH more expensive. Even for a new customer, DTV will charge you for an HD DVR ($399 I believe) and your monthly bill for their "equivalent" package is about $80/month for total choice plus, HBO, SHOW, and their HD package. My TW bill for that same amount, INCLUDING 2 converter boxes, one of which is the HD DVR AND Road Runner is $108.95/month. And I get HD locals without having to put up a big ol' Antenna.

(Granted, that's a $20/month customer loyalty discount as I used to sub to DISH). So, even if I tack on the $20 and then subtract $45 for RR, that's $4/month more for TW without a $400 cash outlay for ONE HD DVR. And no rain/snow fade.

Hi BreakStuff,

I have a Channel Master CM 3679 Deep Fringe Crossfire Series Antenna with a pre amp for VHF and UHF.
Can you receive any of the locals without the preamp?

You are correct 39-1 is re-mapped and labeled as 6-1, if you have issues with WRGB this is the place to be, I heard the chief engineer for WRGB post's here.. I could be wrong but I think he goes by the name lufters. :p

Oops... my bad... DTV was refering to satalite not "Digital TV" OTA.

Please move along, nothing to see here.

Can you receive any of the locals without the preamp?

You are correct 39-1 is re-mapped and labeled as 6-1, if you have issues with WRGB this is the place to be, I heard the chief engineer for WRGB post's here.. I could be wrong but I think he goes by the name lufters. :p

Most likely... But I can't tell now.
I install the antenna with the preamp because I needed to split the signal between two different devices. I thought it would be best to amp it with a mass mounted preamp. I install the antenna before I had the equipment...

Their experience is most likely related to an "older implementation" of OCAP 1.0 or an older firmware rev. on their CableCARD. Albany Time Warner "Copy Protects" via an "Entitlement Control Message" (which disables audio optical out) all channels in the 700 & 1800 digital tier except the HD locals: CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX and PBS.

Read the CableCARD threads throughout the AVS Forum and at Ecoustics.com and you will see this issue is not confined to Panasonic or to our local CATV provider.

I wouldn't be surprised if these guys work for Time Warner or they have their receivers set to some kind of "Pro Logic" / "DTS:Neo" mode & aren't even getting true 5.1 channel sound.

While I don't absolutely rule out some issue at Panasonic's end, they are heavily involved with the development and implementation of the CableCARD spec and have been building TVs that support OCAP 1.0 for years... therefore, I find it highly unlikely the problem is with Panasonic but a more plausible explanation is the firmware for TWs SA PowerKEY CableCARDs has to be updated to respond correctly to "get unit info" or "get sub unit info" queries... and/or Time Warner has implemented some form of restricted access via the EMM/ECM data structure in conjunction with "Copy Once" permission.

This is incorrect and I don't work for TW.

As of right now, I'm enjoying Dolby Digital 5.1 on Universal HD 1860, HDNet Movies 1858, HDNet 1857, InHD2 1856, InHD1 1855, Discovery HD 1837 (by the way there is an astronomy program on right now that looks great!), TNTHD 1827, and yes on the HD locals when they transmit.

This is what I know:

I got a JVC 61" HD-ILA 61Z786 with a Scientific Atlanta OS. Build 2.3.149s2.

When I first let go of the TW STB and started the road to cablecard I had a lot of difficulties. Mainly, what I've learned was that the cablecard needs a solid & strong signal, so I updated the TW equipment (amp) into my home (yes, out of pocket expense).

Second, I needed upto date firmware in the cablecard because every other day I would lose my digital channels, initially I went from OS Build 1.3 to 2.3.149s1, then with advice from JVC & TWC I got version 2.3.149.s2 because it was going to match up better with new firmware they were sending me for my TV.

I still didn't have DD5.1 at this point, it wasn't until my TV firmware (f163) arrived that DD5.1 started working.

The above provided a good solid and strong signal. I'm enjoying DD5.1 on HD channels and it is fantastic. Yes, the PQ is better than the 8300HD and 3250HD STB's from TW. But remember, with CC, the PQ is only as good as your TV internal chipsets. I've seen situations where the PQ was better on certain TV's with the STB.

So, from my experience if you have cablecard, check the signal strength, get a good quality amplifier, and if you're not getting DD5.1 check the firmware on the TV, don't just blame the CC & TWC. Because in my situation, DD5.1 was a tv firmware issue. And I have alot of respect for JVC & TWC techs. Don't be surprise by how many times these techs will call you to try to solve your problem. HD & CC is so new that these techs would call me at 7pm every night and fedex firmware updates to solve my problem. At several times I had conference calls going into the late night.

See my post on this at http://albanyhdtv.proboards18.com/index.cgi?board=Theater&action=display&thread=1119541670

My biggest gripe is OTA HD. I want to have it but my wife doesn't want an outdoor antenna...and I have tried every type of indoor & attic outdoor antenna...and I still can't get a solid signal...of course... I have a steel roof and aluminum siding that really doesn't help for internal reception...

Recent developments lead me to believe you are correct. It appears Panasonic is erroneously disabling the optical interface. Rumor has it there is a firmware update on the way. I'll just have to wait and see. If Panasonic resolves this issue... it only took them a year... :rolleyes:

Is WXXT on the high end of VHF? The Silver Sensor was able to pick it p fine. Replaced the Silver Sensor with the Terk and I can get NBC fine if I adjust the rabbit ears a bit.

Is WXXT on the high end of VHF? The Silver Sensor was able to pick it p fine. Replaced the Silver Sensor with the Terk and I can get NBC fine if I adjust the rabbit ears a bit.WXXA (Fox) is on ch. 7. WNYT (NBC) is on ch. 12. Channels 7-13 are considered high VHF because there's a large frequency gap between channels 6 and 7. FM radio and other things are in that gap.

Although the Silver Sensor is intended for UHF only, I was pleased to find that it does well on both 7 and 12 where I use it (about 10 miles). In fact 7 reads higher than 12 for me. Maybe they're higher power.

I'm having trouble with reception. With a simple unamplified bi-wire I can pick up everything but 13. I have since tried 2 different amplified antenni without success ( RCA POS, RS 150-1880 ). Both have touble bringing in stations reliably. I have the "dish" of the 150-1880 pointed in the general direction of the towers. Most of the time I get 90-100% signal and then it will just go dead for no apparent reason.

If anyone has any ideas on what I can do it would be most appreciated.

I'm having trouble with reception. With a simple unamplified bi-wire I can pick up everything but 13. I have since tried 2 different amplified antenni without success ( RCA POS, RS 150-1880 ). Both have touble bringing in stations reliably. I have the "dish" of the 150-1880 pointed in the general direction of the towers. Most of the time I get 90-100% signal and then it will just go dead for no apparent reason.

If anyone has any ideas on what I can do it would be most appreciated.

Take a look at an analog signal such as WMHT on channel 17. Do you see any picture problems that might yeild a clue? Do you see ghosting? Do you see noise? Do you see flutter?

If you watch analog on a second TV set, do any of the problems occur at the same time that the digital signal breaks up?

Now, let's try a tougher one. Can you receive channel 52, the low power religious station? Do any of the above problems occur with 52?

If you can make the analog picture look good, the digital signals will follow.

Hmmm... I'll have to go out and grab a VCR or something. I have 0 NTCS decoders in the house. I can't get 55 digitally, but havn't really tried because it's on a differernt tower. The most annoying thing is that the signal generally is 90-100% most of the time, but the it will just start dropping for no good reason ( generally right when the show gets interesting ).

Current listing on http://www.antennaweb.org for GlensFalls 12803 zip no longer lists WRGB HD??? :confused:

Does any one know what is going on?



The tower location for WRGB-DT was listed with Antennaweb using the FCC coordinates which are based on the NAD27 standard. Antennaweb was recently upgraded to include a choice of which standard was used for the tower location. WMHT-DT used NAD83 coordinates for their data, but they were assumed to be NAD27 by Antennaweb's earlier software. This placed WRGB-DT and WMHT-DT at slightly different locations. Just to be consistant, we updated our data to NAD83 today. Next, WMHT must verify with Antennaweb that they used NAD83. Until the corrections filter though next month, you can click on "multiple story" on the bottom of antennaweb, and WRGB-DT pops up above WMHT-DT, right where it belongs.

You can read more about coordinate systems at: http://www.towermaps.com/nad.htm

AVPUTTER,

I had a problem similar to yours on channel 39.X turns out the RS antenna amp I was using would reduce the UHF signals if the FM trap was off. If I turned on the FM trap channel 39 was fine. Channel 39 is the highest frequency that I receive, so it means my UHF signal was reduced at the higher frequencies. Once i turned on the FM trap, channel 39, 45 and 54 showed up. :) Look at your UHF antenna and any amplifiers you have in the path to the receiver.

Doug W

AVPUTTER,

I had a problem similar to yours on channel 39.X turns out the RS antenna amp I was using would reduce the UHF signals if the FM trap was off. If I turned on the FM trap channel 39 was fine. Channel 39 is the highest frequency that I receive, so it means my UHF signal was reduced at the higher frequencies. Once i turned on the FM trap, channel 39, 45 and 54 showed up. :) Look at your UHF antenna and any amplifiers you have in the path to the receiver.

Doug W

Thanks Doug,

I will give it a try.
I know my amp has the filter turned off. Unfortunatly it is mast mounted and at the peak of the second story...

For some reason when I've been trying to tune into WXXA-HD OTA, my HD tuner locks up (9 out of 10 times). I'm trying to tune into 23-1 for WXXA and when I turn to that channel, I get like a .5 second of audio and then it just repeats indefinitely. None of the buttons work on my HD tuner when this happens, except the Power button. I'm using a Terk antenna and a Radio Shack HD tuner. Am I doing something wrong or is my tuner broken?

For example, I was watching American Idol on Tuesday, and it was working perfectly. I flipped the channel and when I came back, I got the repeating audio and locked tuner. I didn't move my antenna at all during the channel flip, so I didn't think that was the problem.

Any helps or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Jake

Jake518-

I would recommend trying a different OTA tuner first. If it costs you nothing, even-exchange the tuner you have with another one. If the problem continues, I would try another brand of OTA tuner.

Did anyone else loose guide data for channel 10 DTV OTA? All I'm getting now is "DTV Program".

For some reason when I've been trying to tune into WXXA-HD OTA, my HD tuner locks up (9 out of 10 times). I'm trying to tune into 23-1 for WXXA and when I turn to that channel, I get like a .5 second of audio and then it just repeats indefinitely. None of the buttons work on my HD tuner when this happens, except the Power button. I'm using a Terk antenna and a Radio Shack HD tuner. Am I doing something wrong or is my tuner broken?

Jake


I had the same problem. I was able to fix it by adjusting the antenna position. Of course, that adjustment seemed to lower the signal strenght of a couple of the other channels. This means I end up getting off the couch to adjust the antenna more than I would like.

Well the quest for UPN to go HD in our market is officially dead. And so is both the UPN and WB networks. In our market, WEWB-TV (45) will continue on as The CW. WNYA-TV (15 & 51) will now have a big hole to fill between 8pm and 10pm. This is scheduled to happen in September.


From MediaPost.com:

CBS And Warner Bros. Folding UPN And WB Into New Network, The CW
by Wayne Friedman, Tuesday, Jan 24, 2006 12:53 PM EST


IN A MASSIVE CHANGE TO the broadcasting network environment, CBS Corp. and Warners Bros. will merge the assets of their respective financially struggling networks UPN and The WB, forming a new network, The CW. CBS and Warner Bros. will each have a 50 percent interest in the network, which will be launched this fall. Programming will be a merged effort, taking the best of WB and UPN, including "Smallville," "Gilmore Girls," "Everybody Hates Chris," "Girlfriends, "Veronica Mars" and "Smackdown."
Tribune Broadcasting and CBS stations have signed a ten-year affiliation agreement, which will cover 48 percent of U.S TV households. Both WB and UPN will cease operations in September when The CW launches.

Dawn Ostroff, president of UPN, will be president of entertainment of The CW. All programming, marketing, scheduling, publicity and research functions will report to Ostroff. John Maatta, currently COO of The WB, will become COO of The CW, taking over business affairs, network distribution, legal, finance and human resources functions. The company press release did not mention Garth Ancier, chief executive of The WB.

For advertisers and viewers, the network will offer a diverse programming lineup --one that will be targeted to a younger audience, similar to the WB and UPN's current viewership. Bill Morningstar, executive vice president of advertising sales at The WB, will take over as head of advertising sales for the new network.

The move seems to be inspired and pushed by CBS Corp., which as a newly separate, publicly traded company at the start of this year has made several significant deals.

The new network will take on The WB's current scheduling model--a six-night prime-time lineup. It'll run Monday through Friday nights from 8-10 (EST/PST); Sundays from 7-10 (EST/PST); and Sunday from 5-7 (EST/PST). Additionally there'll be two non-prime-time blocks ---a Monday thru Friday afternoon block from 3-5 (EST/PST) and a 5-hour Saturday morning animation block.

I kno this is unrelated to HD programming, but does anyone kno if WB45 will carry the Mets due to Sportsnet NY takin over?

For some reason when I've been trying to tune into WXXA-HD OTA, my HD tuner locks up (9 out of 10 times). I'm trying to tune into 23-1 for WXXA and when I turn to that channel, I get like a .5 second of audio and then it just repeats indefinitely. None of the buttons work on my HD tuner when this happens, except the Power button. I'm using a Terk antenna and a Radio Shack HD tuner. Am I doing something wrong or is my tuner broken?

For example, I was watching American Idol on Tuesday, and it was working perfectly. I flipped the channel and when I came back, I got the repeating audio and locked tuner. I didn't move my antenna at all during the channel flip, so I didn't think that was the problem.

Any helps or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Jake

Your not the only one. I am also having difficulties that seem to be unexpainable to me on my Hughes unit for WXXA. My Sony 300 pickes up the WXXA signal fine but when using my Hughes E86 it goes crazy with freezes-dropouts and breakup as if I am improperly aimed. The confusing part is I do not have a problem with the Sony, my signal is registering high 90's on both units and receive every other channel available just fine. Can anyone offer any insite,help or put a cause to this problem??? Remember I am registering a 90-100% signal and everything else works fine.

Anyone here live NE of the towers? I purchased a Terk TV38 to install in the center of Poestenkill. I assembled the antenna last night and plugged it in and was able to get 10. Hopefully today I'll get it mounted as I was not brave enough to go u on the roof last night.

After loking at my roof I am planning to install it about 15' up on a mast connected to my back deck as my house is sided and my chimnet is a very thin metal and would not support the monster anenna I bought.

Frank Cone:
MasterFX1 lives in Brunswick.

Well mounted it, antenna is approx 15" from ground level and I have two options:

1: Pointed slightly south-west of the tower (According to antennaweb) I can get 6,13,FOX and WB.

2: Pointed diretly at the tower I get 10,13 and FOX.

I cannot seem to get all the channels regardless of how many adjustments I try. I picked up an amplifier and it did not change the results.

I'm about the same distance and get excellent reception with a 4-bay bowtie in the attic. Although UHF, it does fine on WNYT-DT (12) and WXXA-DT (7). Doesn't take up much space. Lots of ways to mount it, but a large dowel and a Christmas tree stand works for me. It's looking through the roof, and I replaced a couple of batts of foil-faced insulation with kraft-faced to improve the signal.

Your window shouldn't cut the signal much unless it has a metal screen on it. If so, you could probably replace it with a plastic screen.

BTW, Antennaweb shows WXXA-DT at the same location as their analog. I'm pretty sure that's wrong; their digital antenna is on the community tower along with everyone else. But even if it were right, 3 degrees isn't going to make any difference in antenna aiming.

EBO - What model 4-bay bowtie are you using in the attic? I've been looking for one that receives both UHF & VHF.

Does TWC's non-DVR box (the 3250 I believe) have an HDMI connection?

Does TWC's non-DVR box (the 3250 I believe) have an HDMI connection?

If you are referring to the Scientific Atlanta 3250HD it was DVI when I had it. Just use a DVI to HDMI cable. Here are the specs:

http://www.sciatl.com//customers/Source/4005304.pdf

EBO - What model 4-bay bowtie are you using in the attic? I've been looking for one that receives both UHF & VHF.I don't know. I bought it long ago and there are no markings on it. Probably Channel Master; that's what I've usually bought. And I'm sure it didn't claim to receive VHF. But it does, well enough for my purposes. I'm only about 10 miles from the tower.

I originally used it with a Channel Master Capitaland Special, a VHF antenna for 6 and 10 combined with a UHF for 17, plus a separate VHF for 13. I could hardly get past it in my attic. The 17 antenna handled 23 OK but when 45 was added (remember WMHQ?) I needed something better. Now I'm using only the bowtie, and it's not in the way at all.

I've seen a site that shows graphs of antenna gain vs. frequency for several popular brands. One graph shows how UHF antennas do on VHF. Maybe someone can supply the link. My guess is that if you get any good bowtie from CM or Winegard it will perform about like mine on VHF.

I've seen a site that shows graphs of antenna gain vs. frequency for several popular brands. One graph shows how UHF antennas do on VHF. Maybe someone can supply the link.

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html

I posted the same link in our albanyhdtv forum. Based on those graphs I purchased a Channel Master 4221 4 bay because of it's compactness I was able to install it in a Southeast facing window of my attic (I have a metal roof and aluminum siding).

However, I didn't get the FOX signal and I had dropouts on NBC & PBS. Since then, I've sold the CM and was currently looking for something I can install outside that would satisfy my wife.

Today, I will try to install on the eave of the house a GE Max 6 Foot "Stick" power antenna (it reminds me of the old Terk 55 but longer).

My wife wants the Pax channels which according to antennaweb.org the tower for Pax is on the opposite side for zip 12302. She likes the miracle pet series, Doc and some FBI series they have on Pax. I believe PAX is now "I" for independent? I want the standard ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, WB & PBS digitals.

Remember that our local PAX's digital signal is divided into 4 SD (480i) channels. There's nothing HD about it. In my opinion, the end result is a channel that looks worse than the analog. However you do gain PAX West and the other two dedicated religuos broadcasts.

Remember that our local PAX's digital signal is divided into 4 SD (480i) channels. There's nothing HD about it. In my opinion, the end result is a channel that looks worse than the analog. However you do gain PAX West and the other two dedicated religuos broadcasts.


Oh I know that...non-hd...my wife still wants pax...doesn't change the outcome...

I have a SA-8300 HD DVR. I've always had a delay of 2-3 seconds when watching one of the 1800 channels as opposed to the non-HD channel. For instance, when I was on ch6 and then clicked to ch 1806, the HD channel was 2-3 seconds behind. Now, my regular channels have the same delay as my HD channels. I have ch6 tuned in on my HDTV (with the DVR). I have ch6 tuned in on my office TV... the cable is running direct to the back of a regular non-hdtv. There is a delay between the 2 tv's (on the same channel).

I noticed that the regular channels which also have HD channels now get the delay when tuned on the regular channel. But, if I were to put it on ch5 on my HDTV and ch5 on my little tv, there is NO delay.

Is this the way it is supposed to be?

Just wondering

I have a SA-8300 HD DVR. I've always had a delay of 2-3 seconds when watching one of the 1800 channels as opposed to the non-HD channel. For instance, when I was on ch6 and then clicked to ch 1806, the HD channel was 2-3 seconds behind. Now, my regular channels have the same delay as my HD channels. I have ch6 tuned in on my HDTV (with the DVR). I have ch6 tuned in on my office TV... the cable is running direct to the back of a regular non-hdtv. There is a delay between the 2 tv's (on the same channel).

I noticed that the regular channels which also have HD channels now get the delay when tuned on the regular channel. But, if I were to put it on ch5 on my HDTV and ch5 on my little tv, there is NO delay.

Is this the way it is supposed to be?

Just wondering

I've always found a delay in my digital channels when compared to the analogs.

I have a SA-8300 HD DVR. I've always had a delay of 2-3 seconds when watching one of the 1800 channels as opposed to the non-HD channel.
The DVR records the live TV onto the hard drive first and then displays it on the HDTV. This accounts for the few second delay on all the channels. The same delay occurs on a TiVo.

I have a SA-8300 HD DVR. I've always had a delay of 2-3 seconds when watching one of the 1800 channels as opposed to the non-HD channel. For instance, when I was on ch6 and then clicked to ch 1806, the HD channel was 2-3 seconds behind. Now, my regular channels have the same delay as my HD channels. I have ch6 tuned in on my HDTV (with the DVR). I have ch6 tuned in on my office TV... the cable is running direct to the back of a regular non-hdtv. There is a delay between the 2 tv's (on the same channel).

I noticed that the regular channels which also have HD channels now get the delay when tuned on the regular channel. But, if I were to put it on ch5 on my HDTV and ch5 on my little tv, there is NO delay.

Is this the way it is supposed to be?

Just wondering

Time Warner is now encoding the local SD channels digitally. This avoids the analog problems such as noise and double images when the OTA signal leaks into the cable. This new signal is automatically selected for all channels on all digital boxes, both HD and SD.

The Sony DHG-HDD500 500GB HD Cablecard DVR is available at Tweeter at the Crossgates Commons for $249.99 new in box with full manufacturers warranty! This is a dvr that use to retail for $699.00 this past Christmas!

I own this dvr and all you have to do is send it to Sony to upgrade to the latest firmware release and a cablecard modification to avoid a 161-6 error. Sony has a special arrangement with the UPS Store and you can send this to them at a discounted rate. It's a 2 week turnaround. I picked up two today!

ok so i just got my first hdtv and i am startign to look at hd programming. right now i have directv and i am trying to completely understand their hd offerings. on their website they say that their hd package consists of 7 hd channels (espn, espn2, discovery...) am i to understand that these are the only channels that will offer any hd programming? and for locals i still have to use an over the air antenna?

so wit directv when all is said and done my assumption is that my only hd programming will be as follows - is this correct?

ESPN HD
ESPN2 HD
Universal HD
Discovery HD
HDNet Movies
HD net

Plus the following over the air stations:
ABC
NBC
CBS
FOX
WB

Time Warner is now encoding the local SD channels digitally. This avoids the analog problems such as noise and double images when the OTA signal leaks into the cable. This new signal is automatically selected for all channels on all digital boxes, both HD and SD.
And it has made a noticeable difference. I thought it might have been a recent SM tweak on my display!

The Sony DHG-HDD500 500GB HD Cablecard DVR is available at Tweeter at the Crossgates Commons for $249.99 new in box with full manufacturers warranty! This is a dvr that use to retail for $699.00 this past Christmas!

I own this dvr and all you have to do is send it to Sony to upgrade to the latest firmware release and a cablecard modification to avoid a 161-6 error. Sony has a special arrangement with the UPS Store and you can send this to them at a discounted rate. It's a 2 week turnaround. I picked up two today!


Wow... I went to post something and I put the laptop down and went right over and it was so. I though about this unit when it was $700, $250 is a steal. I wanted one just becuse I only use ATSC at this point and wanted to timeshift what little content is out there.

Oh, TowerGuy, I dragged a VCR out of my basement and re-tuned the antenna and all of the chnnels are more stable, I get 19 but 6 is now dropping out... weird.

Anyways, back to TV.

ok so i just got my first hdtv and i am startign to look at hd programming. right now i have directv and i am trying to completely understand their hd offerings. on their website they say that their hd package consists of 7 hd channels (espn, espn2, discovery...) am i to understand that these are the only channels that will offer any hd programming? and for locals i still have to use an over the air antenna?

so wit directv when all is said and done my assumption is that my only hd programming will be as follows - is this correct?

ESPN HD
ESPN2 HD
Universal HD
Discovery HD
HDNet Movies
HD net

Plus the following over the air stations:
ABC
NBC
CBS
FOX
WB

You are correct here, Directv or Dish do not offer local HD channels so they need to be picked up with an over the air antenna. Keep in mind the Directv HD package only cost $10.99 a month and will require a 3 LNB Dish and HDTV receiver. If you do not have these yet then DTV will upgrade your current equipment as long as you commit to a one year HD subscription.

oh, and you forgot PBS HD.

ok so i guess i am confused for 2 reasons:

1) on the directv website is says In some markets, a five-LNB Dish and H20 model receiver are needed to receive HD Local networks delivered by DIRECTV.

and also DIRECTV now offers locals in HD in select makets. Click here to see if locals in HD are available from DIRECTV in your area. If DIRECTV offers locals in HD in your market you will need a H20 model DIRECTV HD Receiver that is MPEG - 4 capable and 5 LNB satellite dish that is ka/ku compatible.


now i dont have a 5lnb dish - i have a 3lnb but it sounds like if i were to get a 5lnb dish i might be able to get local hd via the dish.

2) also when i went to the saratoga Tweeter store last week they told me that about 60% of the programming out there is available in hd. and he hit the guide button on their dvd ( i was pretty sure he told me it was a directv feed) and he said that every show block that had an hd logo was in hd. and there were a lot of shows with the hd logo. i scrolled through it a bit and it wasn't just the locals or the discovery, hdnet, and so on. there seemed to be SOME shows in hd on just about every channel. so then after i bought the tv at the albany store i called them and inquired about the hd directivo and they told me that i had to get the over the air antenna. so who is right? is the 5lnb dish solution just so new that many people don't know about it? or is it possible that i was misled at the tweeter store and i was actually looking at a cabletv hd fed via their sony dvr? does cable offer the kind of programming i saw in saratoga?

and for those who use the outdoor over the air antenna, how good is the signal for local channels in hd? right now i have a $25 rca set of rabbit ears for my ota hd signal and it is really crappy. the superbowl came in almost perfectly but now the channels i do get are not good, signal cuts in and out and the picture gets blocky every few seconds.

also i called directv today and just asked about the equipment price for an hd directivo and they said they wanted $599 plus a $99 installation fee. and just for the heck of it i asked them if there was any kind of trade in program or anything that would allow mw to trade in my sd directivo for credit toward my hd directivo and they said that they don't do that - once you get it - its yours.

sorry for the long posts but after my experience over the last couple weeks i am now more confused than ever.

DirecTV is adding local HD channels, requiring the 5 lnb dish. HOWEVER, locals (in HD) are not available in this market yet and DirecTV does not anticipate adding our market this year. They are beginning with the largest markets like NYC and LA.

An outdoor antenna (even when inside) works drastically better than an indoor antenna.

DirecTV is adding local HD channels, requiring the 5 lnb dish. HOWEVER, locals (in HD) are not available in this market yet and DirecTV does not anticipate adding our market this year. They are beginning with the largest markets like NYC and LA.

An outdoor antenna (even when inside) works drastically better than an indoor antenna.

ok thank you for clearing that up. so would you say that the picture oh hd shows from over the air are as good an reliable as the hd chnnels that do come over the dish?

ok thank you for clearing that up. so would you say that the picture oh hd shows from over the air are as good an reliable as the hd chnnels that do come over the dish?

That will depend on your specific location. Do you have a clear line of site to the towers in the helderbergs? antennaweb.org can help you to answer that question by telling you what direction to look out. Now, if the sun was shining from exactly where the towers are, would you be in a shadow? If not, then you have a clear line of sight. Obviously, on your roof it should be better.

not really sure on the line of sight thing - i am located in scota if that helps. i did go aead and set up an install from directv so they are coming on thursday to install the ota antenna and i guess the installer will have to set it up so the signl is good.

I have the 8300 HD DVR with TWC. Does anyone experience audio dropouts when viewing HD channels (the 1800s). Channels like HBO HD are fine, but every network channel I have drops out. Superbowl, 24, Lost, The Office, every station I get it. It'll be a 1-2 sec drop maybe 4 or 5 times in an hour of programming. Any ideas or suggestions?

I have the 8300 HD DVR with TWC. Does anyone experience audio dropouts when viewing HD channels (the 1800s). Channels like HBO HD are fine, but every network channel I have drops out. Superbowl, 24, Lost, The Office, every station I get it. It'll be a 1-2 sec drop maybe 4 or 5 times in an hour of programming. Any ideas or suggestions?

Yes, I get them on FOX(HD) and ABC(HD). I thought it might be my 8300-HD DVR... I record 24, LOST, Alias (when it was on), Prison Beak (when it was on), and I always get a dropout or 2 during each show. I was thinking that maybe there was a "bad" spot on the harddrive or something. I was watching the Superbowl live, and got the dropouts, too. Very annoying!

Dishiki, Timick1,

Contact TWC, you may have poor signal level to the STB.

Yes, I get them on FOX(HD) and ABC(HD). I thought it might be my 8300-HD DVR... I record 24, LOST, Alias (when it was on), Prison Beak (when it was on), and I always get a dropout or 2 during each show. I was thinking that maybe there was a "bad" spot on the harddrive or something. I was watching the Superbowl live, and got the dropouts, too. Very annoying!

Superbowl had the audio dropouts on HD OTA as cable. It's not TW for that one problem.

Dishiki, Timick1,

Contact TWC, you may have poor signal level to the STB.


Will do. Thanks

What qualifies poor/good signal level Master? Is there a % or a number?

I'm sure TWC technicians use a signal meter and have set number the signal must be above for HD channels to come in properly. (I don't know what that number or spec is)

Put simply, the tuner uses a process caused error correction to compensate for less than perfect signal. (Which is why a 90% signal is the same picture-quality as a 100% signal) When the error/bit ratio gets too high the tuner can no longer display a stable feed.

They are coming out Saturday. They said I am getting a bad signal, and it's either the box or the line. Funny, since they just ran the line from the street 3 weeks ago.

They are coming out Saturday. They said I am getting a bad signal, and it's either the box or the line. Funny, since they just ran the line from the street 3 weeks ago.Do you have the line split after it enters your house? The cheap splitters you can get for a buck or two leak. TWC will install new splitters at no cost to you, if necessary. If you make friends with the tech, they may leave you extra coaxial cable, too.

It seems I only get freezeups on HDN but none of the other HDs. I do get intermittent audio drops on most of the others though. (SA3250HD).

Dishiki- also ask the tech if he/she can put terminators on any open ends of the splitters (if you have them). If not you can go to RS and buy them.

I'm now receiving 13-3 OTA, a nonstop look at WNYT's Doppler imagery. It looks an awful lot like 6-3.

It seems I only get freezeups on HDN but none of the other HDs. I do get intermittent audio drops on most of the others though. (SA3250HD).

Dishiki- also ask the tech if he/she can put terminators on any open ends of the splitters (if you have them). If not you can go to RS and buy them.


HDnet has been freezing up on me lately also on TWC...at least as of last week. I have a friend also in Clifton Park that is having the same problem with HDnet. I'm assuming it a HDnet thing with TW.

so today the directv installers came to install my ota outdoor antenna and my hd tivo. it has only been a couple hours but i gotta say i am kind of unimpressed. the biggest problem is that the only local channels i can pick up are fox and nbc. pbs, cbs, abc don't come in at all. when i spoke to the directv rep that sole me the tivo - they said that the ota stations will be almost as good as the dish stations and made no mention of the face that most channels wont even come in at all.

i am in scotia so its not like i am out in the middle of nowhere. wtf?? is it possible that the antenna they installed is crappy? or that they did not position it properly? or is there an adjustment on the tivo unit that can help the signal?

the installer did say that he was told that in august we will be able to get locals in HD over the dish. he said that i would need a new dish which would be free but he said i would not have to upgrade my new tivo.

so other than the lack of locals in hd, the biggest complaint is that the guide is way too slow to come up on the tivo.

so today the directv installers came to install my ota outdoor antenna and my hd tivo. it has only been a couple hours but i gotta say i am kind of unimpressed. the biggest problem is that the only local channels i can pick up are fox and nbc. pbs, cbs, abc dont come in at all. when i spoke to the directv rep that sole me the tivo - they said that the ota stations will be almost as good as the dish stations and made no mention of the face that most channels wont even come in at all.

i am in scotia so its not loke i am out in the middle of nowhere. wtf?? is it possible that the antenna they installed is crappy? or that they did not position it properly? or is ther an adjustment on the tivo unit that can help the signal?

the installer did say that he was told that in august we will be able to get locals in HD over the dish. he said thaqt i woul need a new dish which woul dbe free but he said i would nto have to upgrade my new tivo.

so other than the lack of locals in hd, the biggest complaint is that the guide is way too slow to come up on the tivo.

I'm near Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia and I can tell you that I receive all OTA channels just by poking an indoor antenna out of my attic window.

I'm near Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia and I can tell you that I receive all OTA channels just by poking an indoor antenna out of my attic window.
i am less than 5 minutes up rt 50 from there (close to walmart) so what could i be doing wrong?? what typw of antenna do you have??

is it possible that the antenna they installed is crappy? or that they did not position it properly? or is there an adjustment on the tivo unit that can help the signal?

1. yes, probably a crappy antenna, I hope it isnt one that "piggybacks" the dish :p
2. yes, probably not aimed in the proper direction.
3. tivo adjustment? probably not.

My guess is that the dtv installers dont have a clue about local ota hdtv reception and could probably care less.

Aiming is very important. One suggestion posted earlier that worked for me is drag out a VCR or something and just spend some time trying to tune in the standard analog channels till they start to all come in clearer. Rotate, change length, adjust amplification, when done hook the antenna back up to the DirecTiVo and see what OTA HD stations are appearing. You may have to tweak a little more on occasion, but you should be much closer.

Also the Albany HDTV is a mixed UHF/VHF market. The two stations you listed are mapped into the VHF spectrum ( fox-7, nbc-12 ) so you should be adjusting the UHF section of your antenna to pick up the other stations.

Back when I had (the now defunct) VOOM satellite service, the installer failed to properly hook up a diplexor. The diplexor (When properly installed) allows both the SAT and OTA signals on the same coax line. It also allows voltage to pass back from the STB to the Sat and Antenna (If it's an amplified antenna)

Originally the installer, who said he does installs for DISH and DTV as well, told me that the 3 channels he tuned in was all I could get. So I plugged in an indoor antenna in front of the installer and received all channels. I then instructed him to figure out why his install was not working properly. He came back two days later, saying he used the wrong type of diplexor. He swapped it out... problem solved.

1. yes, probably a crappy antenna, I hope it isnt one that "piggybacks" the dish :p
2. yes, probably not aimed in the proper direction.
3. tivo adjustment? probably not.

My guess is that the dtv installers dont have a clue about local ota hdtv reception and could probably care less.
yeah i am starting to think thats the case - when i asked him why i don't get all locals he said "i told ya - with the off air stuff what you get is what you get - theres nothing i can do" so when i can get some help i will have to go up there and redirect it. and honestly i haven't even see the antenna they mounted. i have been sick and it was freezing today so i wasn't about to venture outside. but when my fiancée came home she said it looks like "one of those wire things you use to cook hot dogs on the grill". so tomorrow i will venture out to look at it. at least if nothing else the cable is run so if i have to replace it i just have to drop in the new antenna, point it and connect the existing cable. but for now like i said when i can get some help i will try pointing this one properly.

i am less than 5 minutes up rt 50 from there (close to walmart) so what could i be doing wrong?? what typw of antenna do you have??


I tested with a Walmart $24 Philips 510 Mantis antenna. Also, my attic window is on the southeast side of the house. Before TW I had dish network and I can tell you if it's the same installers I had...they are clueless...

hmm - i have the phillips MANT 410 from walmart and because i dont have easy access to my attic, i had them set up in my living room and it seemed that no matter how i placed them i did nto get everythign clearly. i assume though that this is because it is in my living room.

once i canget some help i will just try re-pointing my antenna that they installed and see if that helps - i just hope that they did not install the wrong type of antenna.

ok so on my way out to work this morning i got a good look at the antenna in the daylight and i have no idea if its the right type (according to antennaweb i need a yellow one - how do i know if this one is a yellow one?) but the worst thing is that the antenna is pointed in the exact opposite direction. almost a full 180 degrees off!

so once i repoint it i hope it will be a lot better. and if it is, i am going to call and give those installers an earfull. not only am i frustrated that they don't give a damn about that part but i think that they should know about antennaweb.org and know that by taking an extra 10 minutes to properly point the antenna they will likely have much happier customers.

ok so i am kind of rambling but i just had to post about how far off the antenna was pointed.

..........
My guess is that the dtv installers dont have a clue about local ota hdtv reception and could probably care less.
Second that statement. A friend of mine applied for a job doing installations. He's lucky if he could set an alarm clock. :eek: He was accepted but turned it down because he didn't want to climb ladders in the winter and the excessive travel time, somtimes having to do cheap motels in other cities.

Hey bdee-

I'm thinking in my head they might have installed a UHF only antenna.

Does your antenna look like anything on this page?

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

yes it is almost EXACTLY like #4228 on that page. what does that mean? is it the wrong kind? can you show me an example of the right kind??

yes it is almost EXACTLY like #4228 on that page. what does that mean? is it the wrong kind? can you show me an example of the right kind??
#4228 is a UHF only antenna.

I am in Guilderland and have the #3016, which is a UHF/VHF/FM antenna. It's mounted in my attic and I get every channel from the digital tower in the Helderbergs.

VHF Channels
13-1/12 WNYT-DT (NBC), Albany, NY 1080i
23-1/7 WXXA-DT (FOX), Albany, NY 720p

UHF Channels
6-1/39 WRGB-DT (CBS), Albany, NY 1080i
10-1/26 WTEN-DT (ABC), Albany, NY 720p
17-3/34 WMHT-DT (PBS|HD), Albany, NY 1080i
45-1/43 WEWB-DT (WB), Albany, NY 1080i

can you tell me where you got the 3016 locally?

ok so i went to the channelmaster site and that definitely is a uhf antena but whats weird is acording to antennaweb.org, the only 2 stations that are vhf are fox and nbc. those are currently the only 2 stations i get. weird.

Maybe TowerGuy can chime in here with the reasons why you can only get the two channels. He's knowledgeable on all things OTA.

I used antennaweb.org to choose the best antenna type for my location. You should do the same. I bought mine at SolidSignal.com, but only because they were out of stock at starkelectronic.com.

I have a Radio Shack UHF/VHF indoor antenna you can borrow to test out your reception. I used it before I got the #3016.

http://albanyhdtv.homestead.com/files/DSC04715.jpg

PM me if you want to borrow it.

Maybe TowerGuy can chime in here with the reasons why you can only get the two channels. He's knowledgeable on all things OTA.

I used antennaweb.org to choose the best antenna type for my location. You should do the same. I bought mine at SolidSignal.com, but only because they were out of stock at starkelectronic.com.

I have a Radio Shack UHF/VHF indoor antenna you can borrow to test out your reception. I used it before I got the #3016.

http://albanyhdtv.homestead.com/files/DSC04715.jpg

PM me if you want to borrow it.

hey thanks for the info - i actually have a phillips indoor antenna that i got from walmart that i used before i got the outdoor one. that one didnt work very well because it was just in my living room by the tv - i dont have easy access to my attic.

i think i still want to wait till i can get someone over here with a ladder to help me out and just turn the antenna to the proper angle and see if that helps.

I dont think you should have a problem receiving the locals with the UHF only antenna that was installed by directv.
My antenna is UHF only (3021) and I can receive all the locals with a 75%-100% signal strength including the VHF channels. Just needs to be aimed in the right direction.

Maybe TowerGuy can chime in here with the reasons why you can only get the two channels. He's knowledgeable on all things OTA.



Try reaiming the antenna. The Channel Master 4228 has a much narrower beam on the UHF channels than the VHF channels.

They are coming out Saturday. They said I am getting a bad signal, and it's either the box or the line. Funny, since they just ran the line from the street 3 weeks ago.


What was the verdict?

Bad Box, we'll see tonight during 24 to see how things go.

http://kittyfingers.com/wrgb.jpg

Here we go again.. :mad: :mad: :mad:

I go away for 2 weeks and nobody posts anything?

I now have the Sony DVR up and running OTA. Seems to work great, but the TVGOS listings don't have anything for PBSHD. This would mean that short of looking it up via titantv I can't find out what's on that channel since PBS does not transmit proper PSIP or TVGOS data for that channel... annoying.

I now have the Sony DVR up and running OTA. Seems to work great, but the TVGOS listings don't have anything for PBSHD. This would mean that short of looking it up via titantv I can't find out what's on that channel since PBS does not transmit proper PSIP or TVGOS data for that channel... annoying.
That has annoyed me since I set up my LG 3410A (which also uses TVGOS) nearly two years ago. But I do get a listing for another PBS HD channel that I can't actually receive. WGBY-HD, maybe? Can't check it right now. So I just told it I get that on 17-3. The listings are right in the evening and overnight, but wrong during the day.

Hello fellow TWC customers, the following is info gathered from emails to TWC Executive Fred Dressler. These are his quotes.

Future HD channel update

ESPN2-HD - hopeful to have espn2hd in time for baseball.
STARZ-HD - End of the year at the earliest
CINEMAX-HD – is almost done
TMC-HD - is done
Wealth TV-HD - are not in the works
Outdoor Channel 2-HD – are not in the works
MHD (MTV) - will take many months to conclude.
National Geographic-HD - No Word
Food Network-HD - Scripps has not yet made us a proposal.
HGTV-HD - Scripps has not yet made us a proposal.

I'm watching the Duke/North Carolina game on ESPNHD (TWC). The AVR display says DD 3/2/.1

It sounds like I have center channel output only. Reduce CC volume to -12dB and can faintly hear the other speakers.

What gives?

Hello fellow TWC customers, the following is info gathered from emails to TWC Executive Fred Dressler. These are his quotes.

Future HD channel update

ESPN2-HD - hopeful to have espn2hd in time for baseball.
STARZ-HD - End of the year at the earliest
CINEMAX-HD – is almost done
TMC-HD - is done
Wealth TV-HD - are not in the works
Outdoor Channel 2-HD – are not in the works
MHD (MTV) - will take many months to conclude.
National Geographic-HD - No Word
Food Network-HD - Scripps has not yet made us a proposal.
HGTV-HD - Scripps has not yet made us a proposal.


Are these for Albany as well? I noticed you're from NYC (and I don't see TMC-HD listed on TW Albany's website).

Are these for Albany as well? I noticed you're from NYC (and I don't see TMC-HD listed on TW Albany's website).

I am spreading the word that TWC Corporate is near deals for more HD channels.
Once "TWC Corporate" signs contracts for these channels, it is up to "local TWC" divisions accross the country to add them. your TWC division might add it before mine hear in the city or not depending on if they have space for it.

Will the Sci Fi channel ever go HD?

Will the Sci Fi channel ever go HD?


Eventually. For now you can watch SciFi in HD on Universal HD

Eventually. For now you can watch SciFi in HD on Universal HDWhich is better than nothing... and while a repeat episode of BSG looks great in HD... I've basically lost interest in watching it again because I know how it will end.

Time Warner is now encoding the local SD channels digitally. This avoids the analog problems such as noise and double images when the OTA signal leaks into the cable. This new signal is automatically selected for all channels on all digital boxes, both HD and SD.
Has this changed? Even the wife has noticed a difference in PQ in the past week though nothing has changed on my end AFAIK. Running DVI/DVI, SA3250HD.

It changed awhile back (maybe around the first of the year?) You'll notice the audio lag that used to exist between the HD and SD feeds of the same channel are no longer there.

It changed awhile back (maybe around the first of the year?) You'll notice the audio lag that used to exist between the HD and SD feeds of the same channel are no longer there.
I still have the audio lag. :confused:

How can all the SD channels be digital, when many of my channels only have analog sound?

The image on the left is from the SA3250HD. The one on the right is from RG6 wire connected directly to the TV. I'm pretty much getting the same results for all local channels.

However, channels like Foxnews (hold the jokes) Speed and other 480i all look good like the image on the right THROUGH THE BOX. I also must add, Capital News9 looks good as well. HOW COME? Conspiracy theorists feel free to opine.

Is anyone one else having problems with fox23 HD crashing thier OTA box? I saw several other markets were causing problems on satelliteguys.us I have a dish network 811. I was getting fox good for a while but within the last few weeks any time i turn to 23-1 my box crashes. I've been told it's a PSIP table problem with Fox on another Forum, but the station hasn't heard any other complaints (at least that's what they are telling me).


Edit
Going back a few pages i noticed that some other people were having some problems right about the time mine started too. I'm definately betting on the PSIP table now.

I use a Zenith SAT-520, a Zenith HDV-420 and a MyHD MDP-100 HD card for OTA reception and have no problems with FOX Digital.

There seems to be a PSIP problem with the Virtual Channel Table. I don't know when it started, but since at least Monday when you try to tune to 23-1 the channel number changes to 27-5 with a short name of "East."

I have sent an e-mail to the chief engineer.

I too am getting a 27-5 on my zenith sat520, but not on either of my other two OTA-DTV tuners.

There seems to be a PSIP problem with the Virtual Channel Table. I don't know when it started, but since at least Monday when you try to tune to 23-1 the channel number changes to 27-5 with a short name of "East."

I have sent an e-mail to the chief engineer.


It's back now. I must say the GM at fox23 was extremely responsive and helpful.

Anyone kno if we are getting SNY HD?

The U Albany game on 3/17 at 7:25pm will be available to WRGB in HD.

Who would have thought a few years ago that a U Albany game would be shown in HD before a Siena game?

The U Albany game on 3/17 at 7:25pm will be available to WRGB in HD.

Who would have thought a few years ago that a U Albany game would be shown in HD before a Siena game?

Actually, Siena has been seen in HD several years ago. I live in NH but went to Siena, and when they were in the NCAA tournament a couple of years ago, their game was on a local station. That year as I recall there was only one tournament spot that was doing HD, and Siena's game was there. I had my dad over to watch who also went to Siena, and still lives in the Albany area. We watched on my 58" Screen. His jaw dropped at the quality, and after that he never gave me grief about how much I spent on my Home Theater Equipment. :)

buz

...when they were in the NCAA tournament a couple of years ago, their game was on a local station.
That year they lost to eventual National Champion Maryland. Prior to the 1st round game against Maryland, they won the play in game in Dayton, Ohio. They enterered the NCAA tournament with a losing record, after winning 4 games in 4 days in the MAAC tournament (which was played at the Pepsi Arena).

I've been a Siena season ticket holder for 10+ years.

For some reason the Syracuse game isn't on channel 1806. It's on ch6 (in Standard Def) but the Duke game is on 1806.

For some reason the Syracuse game isn't on channel 1806. It's on ch6 (in Standard Def) but the Duke game is on 1806.

Apparently no HD cameras in Jacksonville where 'cuse is playing.

For some reason the Syracuse game isn't on channel 1806. It's on ch6 (in Standard Def) but the Duke game is on 1806.

Apparently no HD cameras in Jacksonville where 'cuse is playing.

That is correct. The only two HD sites Thursday were Greensboro and San Diego.

Friday's HD games:
Arizona/Wisconsin in Philadelphia
West Virginia/Southern Illinois in Auburn Hills, MI

Pittsburgh/Kent State in Auburn Hills, MI
Kentucky/UAB in Philadelphia

Does this mean that WRGB will not be showing the U Albany game in HD?

Is anyone going to the ”Across The Street Pub” (http://tucson.citysearch.com/review/7581243) tonight to watch the Albany Great Danes (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/clubhouse?event=tourney&teamId=399) take on the The UConn Huskies? While there is no guarantee how this game will unfold… it will be SRO and The Pub makes the best chicken wings in SmAlbany NY. :)

Friday's HD games:
Arizona/Wisconsin in Philadelphia
West Virginia/Southern Illinois in Auburn Hills, MI

Pittsburgh/Kent State in Auburn Hills, MI
Kentucky/UAB in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is an HD site, but we can't see the two #1 seeds in HD?

Villanova vs. Monmouth and UConn vs. Albany

Not putting the Albany game in HD is a poor public relations call by WRGB.

Philadelphia is an HD site, but we can't see the two #1 seeds in HD?

Villanova vs. Monmouth and UConn vs. Albany

Not putting the Albany game in HD is a poor public relations call by WRGB.

They may or may not have the right to show it in HD. I would like to know.

Go to "The Pub" have lots of beer & wings and you won't care if the game is in SD or HD. :D

The Pub makes the best chicken wings in SmAlbany NY. :)

But Sutters makes a better burger..

Anyway, I'll be sure to tell my buddy Dave you like his wings. :)

Thanks to Sirius radio I can listen to the game live, sure would be alot of fun if I could watch it on OTA tv. Is the game available on TWC maybe? (Alb vs Uconn)

Is the game available on TWC maybe? (Alb vs Uconn)
It was available via TWC on channel 6 & NOT in HD. They showed the Pittsburg vs. Kent State game in HD on channel 1806.

Here's an excerpt from Pete Dougherty's article on page C4 of today's Times Union:
Danes shine in CBS spotlight
In its zeal to offer more NCAA games, WRGB (Ch. 6) deprived viewers with high-definition sets the opportunity to watch the game with the new technology. The station's over-the-air HDTV signal showed Pittsburgh-Kent State. ...

But Sutters makes a better burger..

Anyway, I'll be sure to tell my buddy Dave you like his wings. :)Born in Rochester... raised in Guilderland... went to SUNY Albany... and have been going to "The Pub" for 33 years... :eek:

Is Dave the new owner? I like what he's doing with his place... The other night I told him for a free life-time supply of 10-mild each time I dine there... I'll hook him up with as many kick-ass FPs... an HD projector... and a digital sound system that "rocks!"

BTW... I'll be there tonight... with family in tow...

Congratulations Albany Danes on a great season... you gave UConn all they could handle last night... not too shabby for a 16th seed. ;)

I just picked up my new cable box and it's a Pace DC551.

Anyone know anything about these? Better or wose than the SA?

Johnny, are you in the TW Albany area? Curious about this new box option..is it a DVR?

I'm in Troy. My girlfriend just picked it up at the TW office in north Troy. I'm in NYC for the week... I had her pick it up in anticipation of our upcoming plasma TV purchase.

It's not a DVR box... she said that the guide and changing channels are faster than the Explorer 2200. All of the old remote codes work on it, so I didn't have to reprogram my Harmony.

Obviously I have no idea how it compares to the SA HD boxes.. I was surprised when she told me it was a Pace. Looks good enough.

I wonder if it's made in Texas ;)

http://www.pace.co.uk/americas/products/prodinfo.asp?PID=DCT551

"Next Generation High Definition for Scientific-Atlanta Networks"

Odd..

Will Albany Time Warner have the TDC775 Tahoe Pace 700 Series - High Definition DVR? (http://www.pace.co.uk/americas/products/prodinfo.asp?PID=TDC775HDDVR)

This thread is so stale and tired. Is anyone ALIVE out there?

I propose a GTG this summer with BBQ and perhaps round table discussion of local HD, SD, OTA discussion and/or general state of affairs.

Anyone up for that?

I'll bring the beer! :)

Sounds cool to me!

... What's up with TNTHD?!!? It looks like zoomed and stretched HD most of the time. I can't get a normal aspect ratio. 4:3 makes everyone too thin, but 16:9 stretches them out. I don't get it.

I propose a GTG this summer with BBQ and perhaps round table discussion of local HD, SD, OTA discussion and/or general state of affairs.

Any chance the 3 hotties in your avatar will be there as well? :p

As usual...TW simply shooting themselves in the foot. I will be so done with this company soon enough!!!

Verizion Fios anyone!!! :cool:


http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=464673&category=BUSINESS&BCCode=&newsdate=3/25/2006

Standard cable TV package price rises
Time Warner to increase monthly cost by 6.4 percent in Capital Region next month; basic rate stays the same

By LARRY RULISON, Business writer
First published: Saturday, March 25, 2006

ROTTERDAM -- Time Warner Cable is raising the price of its standard cable television service by nearly 6.4 percent in the Capital Region starting next month.
The rate for standard service, which includes 76 channels, will go to $48.25 per month from $45.35. It includes the ESPN channels, The History Channel, Court TV, MTV and others. Premium channels such as HBO are extra and require a converter box.

The rate for basic service, which includes 20 channels, much of them local programming, government access and a channel guide, will remain $9.10 per month.

The increase for standard service follows price increases Time Warner made in January to its premium digital channels and packages that bundle together services such as TV, telephone and Internet. For instance, the company's "All-n-One" package, which includes all three services, was raised from $124.95 to $126.95 per month, a 1.6 percent increase.

However, the bottom-tier digital service that Time Warner offers, DigiPic 1000, remains unchanged at $55.95 per month.

Peter Taubkin, vice president of government relations and public affairs for Time Warner's Albany operations, said the cable company typically raises rates on most services each year in January but didn't do that this year.

The company's programming and operating costs are rising, he said. Standard and digital services now include a new sports channel called SportsNet New York that will feature New York Mets baseball games and other metro New York sports programming, including coverage of the New York Jets.

"This is an additional program, and sports programming is some of the most expensive programming that does exist," Taubkin said.

The company also is making other upgrades. Although the basic and standard services do not require a converter box, Taubkin said the company is creating a "digital simulcast" of those service tiers so customers who pay for a converter and remote control can get digital channels, which look and sound better than the traditional analog versions.

Taubkin said more than half of the company's 340,000 customers already get digital programming.

Taubkin said about half of the channels in the standard and basic tiers have already been converted, and the change should be complete later this year. A converter box and a remote cost $7.95 per month.

Basic and standard service customers can still get the analog channels instead of paying for the converter. Larry Rulison can be reached at 454-5504 or by e-mail at lrulison@timesunion.com.

Any chance the 3 hotties in your avatar will be there as well? :pPerhaps if we all "chip in?" :D

I couldn't agree more. But it'll be a LONG time before Verizon gets here (at least where I'm at in Colonie). I know people in Delmar that still can't get it, even though they had their back yard dug up a year ago to put the fiber optic cable through. Then there's the "local franchise" problem.

Sigh. Maybe it's time to re-evaluate DISH, but unless they've moved their HD satellite, I'm screwed (big tree in the yard) for the HD bird.

As usual...TW simply shooting themselves in the foot. I will be so done with this company soon enough!!!

Verizion Fios anyone!!! :cool:

Just noticed the banner for WBHD up on channel 1815. No programs yet, though.

Just noticed the banner for WBHD up on channel 1815. No programs yet, though.The program is there now. For those with clear QAM receivers, it's on 108-20.

Anyone using an antenna having trouble with WXXA? Last week (Tue or wed) I lost WXXA. MCE shows all green when I do a signal test so the signal still seems to come in as always, but I get the "no signal" screen when I try and watch or record anything.

I'm pretty sure at least 3 members who post are fairly close to Across the Street, Sutters, etc. Optivity, Breakstuff, Snowmoon (sp?). I live in EG, so not like it’s a haul. Perhaps we can plan to watch a game in one of those places. I ate lunch at the place that used to be Cocoa’s (forget the name) that seemed alright too.

Previously I’ve participated in a GTG in Erie, PA. I’ve also driven to Syracuse to listen to an Ascend 340 setup (that guy had FOUR systems in his home). I’ve encountered nothing but very cool people and had a blast while doing so.

If we can get everyone’s schedules in sinc. I’m sure we’ll have a good time. We’ll shoot a couple of pics and post to liven up this dreary place.

Perhaps one of the final four games? Lemme know, I’ll buy the first round. :)

I couldn't agree more. But it'll be a LONG time before Verizon gets here (at least where I'm at in Colonie). I know people in Delmar that still can't get it, even though they had their back yard dug up a year ago to put the fiber optic cable through. Then there's the "local franchise" problem.

Sigh. Maybe it's time to re-evaluate DISH, but unless they've moved their HD satellite, I'm screwed (big tree in the yard) for the HD bird.
I know a little sumpin-sumpin that indicates to me Verizon is about to go into their deep pockets for some heavy duty marketing in the area. Nothing I can post publically, but if its an indicator, Fios may be here sooner than we think.

I know a little sumpin-sumpin that indicates to me Verizon is about to go into their deep pockets for some heavy duty marketing in the area. Nothing I can post publically, but if its an indicator, Fios may be here sooner than we think.


Good!!! See ya Time Warner...nice knowing you...sorry about your Luck!!!! :eek:

Driving home from work I hear the news on WGY radio that TWC is trying to negotiate a deal for the big four network shows to be available "on demand." Given that ISPs are now trying to get a piece of the music download pie, I have to wonder how long before the TWC DVRs charge consumers an hourly recording rate. :confused:

Anyone using an antenna having trouble with WXXA? Last week (Tue or wed) I lost WXXA. MCE shows all green when I do a signal test so the signal still seems to come in as always, but I get the "no signal" screen when I try and watch or record anything.I suspect they're not putting their virtual channel in their PSIP. I can't get them by tuning to 23-1, but 7-1 (the real channel) works fine.

I suspect they're not putting their virtual channel in their PSIP. I can't get them by tuning to 23-1, but 7-1 (the real channel) works fine.


You sir are a genius! I added a DTV channel of 7 and sure enough there is WXXA. Only problem is it shows as "no data available" in the guide so recording is not an option. There must be a way to get the channel info in there.

I'm pretty sure at least 3 members who post are fairly close to Across the Street, Sutters, etc. Optivity, Breakstuff, Snowmoon (sp?). I live in EG, so not like it’s a haul. Perhaps we can plan to watch a game in one of those places. I ate lunch at the place that used to be Cocoa’s (forget the name) that seemed alright too... Perhaps one of the final four games? Lemme know, I’ll buy the first round. :)Tuesday night is "Wing nite" @ the Pub. 10 Wings and a pint for $4. :) I know a little sumpin-sumpin that indicates to me Verizon is about to go into their deep pockets for some heavy duty marketing in the area. Nothing I can post publically, but if its an indicator, Fios may be here sooner than we think.I'm feeding Time Warner ~$105, and Verizon ~$85 per month. :eek:

I use TW for Digital Cable and Verizon for a land telephone line and (DSL :) ).

Any projection when Verizon FiOS will be in the Crossgates Mall, Johnston Road, Church Road, Veeder Road area?Driving home from work I hear the news on WGY radio that TWC is trying to negotiate a deal for the big four network shows to be available "on demand." Given that ISPs are now trying to get a piece of the music download pie, I have to wonder how long before the TWC DVRs charge consumers an hourly recording rate. :confused: If we start seeing devices like an HD Tivo Series 3 w/2-way CableCARDs... I suspect is when cable providers will begin to price separately DVR and related services.

Anyone using an antenna having trouble with WXXA? Last week (Tue or wed) I lost WXXA. MCE shows all green when I do a signal test so the signal still seems to come in as always, but I get the "no signal" screen when I try and watch or record anything.
I contacted WXXA's Chief Engineer and he told me their encoder is in for repairs. The "loaner" encoder they are using does not have the ability to transmit guide data (PSIP). He says the repairs, "...shouldn't be too long."

More info is posted in the HDTV Channel Lineup section.

Hey guys.

I have a couple of questions. 1 is general, but I'll throw it in anyway.

1. Can my Mits 48413 CRT RPTV be moved up a flight of stairs on it's side? I assume it's probably the worst thing in the world for the tv.

If so,

2. Can anyone reccomend a good mover in the capital region with experience moving electronics?
3. I'm assuming it will need a solid calibration, so is there a reccomended ISF calibrator in the area?

4. Anyone want to buy a mits 48413 :) I'm toying with this idea.. But the new place has the perfect space for a front projector as we're going to have a dedicated Home theater. Too bad it's up a stair case with a right angle and relatively small landing.

Tuesday night is "Wing nite" @ the Pub. 10 Wings and a pint for $4. :)
Sounds good to me. Only possible conflict is son's basketball practice.

I'm feeding Time Warner ~$105, and Verizon ~$85 per month. :eek:
DAMN! I went with All 'n One. We have Nextel, Verizon and a track phone cell phones in the house so I dumped the land line. Besides, the only time the land line came in handy was the black out of August '04. Also, RR leaves DSL in the dust. It kinda peaved me that Verizon had the DSL campaign for new subscribers promising 768kbps downloads and I'm stuck at 384.

Any projection when Verizon FiOS will be in the Crossgates Mall, Johnston Road, Church Road, Veeder Road area?
No. I have no direct knowledge of when Verizon will be in any specific location. Only that they are dropping some serious coin with an entity which I can't name publically because said entity could be hurt by the disclosure.
It presupposes that this commitment to advertising indicates that they must be able to deliver the product. Otherwise, what's the point in advertising it?

We'll talk.

Hey guys.

I have a couple of questions. 1 is general, but I'll throw it in anyway.

1. Can my Mits 48413 CRT RPTV be moved up a flight of stairs on it's side? I assume it's probably the worst thing in the world for the tv.

If so,

2. Can anyone reccomend a good mover in the capital region with experience moving electronics?
3. I'm assuming it will need a solid calibration, so is there a reccomended ISF calibrator in the area?

4. Anyone want to buy a mits 48413 :) I'm toying with this idea.. But the new place has the perfect space for a front projector as we're going to have a dedicated Home theater. Too bad it's up a stair case with a right angle and relatively small landing.
1. It should have no affect at all.

2. Two guys and a 12 pack. I have 235 lb. Sony CRT. Two of us carried it up a flight of stairs and then experimented with location in the living room. Leave the 12 pack for after the setup.

3. Not that I know of. IIRC lufters has had it done. He may be able to shed some light on this subject.

4. No. Not after you drop it down the stairs after ignoring advice in #2. ;) :D

Hey guys.

I have a couple of questions. 1 is general, but I'll throw it in anyway.

1. Can my Mits 48413 CRT RPTV be moved up a flight of stairs on it's side? I assume it's probably the worst thing in the world for the tv.

If so,

2. Can anyone reccomend a good mover in the capital region with experience moving electronics?
3. I'm assuming it will need a solid calibration, so is there a reccomended ISF calibrator in the area?

4. Anyone want to buy a mits 48413 :) I'm toying with this idea.. But the new place has the perfect space for a front projector as we're going to have a dedicated Home theater. Too bad it's up a stair case with a right angle and relatively small landing.

Depends on which side. I'd hazard that having the picture tube facing down would NOT be advised. Although I'm a bit curious as to why you'd want it laid on it's side. I've got a 55" Mits and it's much easier to move "standing up" in the sense that it's only like 28" "deep" that way, vs. if I carried it on its side, it'd be like 40" or something (too big to fit in a standard stairwell as they're 36" without railings, etc.)

So perhaps I'm confused.

Or do you mean if you had the TV "normal", and simply tilted it up, so that it's now "vertical" instead of "horizontal" and moving it that way (ie, to get around a corner)? I know it CAN be done (the hippo's guys had said they've had to do it), but it's most definitely NOT recommended (I'm not sure how securely they mount/screw in the projection tubes).

Calibration, definitely via Avical. Especially if you've moved it on it's side or anything other than the "up" position. I think it was like $550 or something.

I had Hippo's install mine (of course I bought it from them). I seem to remember a friend of mine moved and it was gonne be like $250 to have the moving company move his 55" mits RPTV as well.

1. It should have no affect at all.

2. Two guys and a 12 pack. I have 235 lb. Sony CRT. Two of us carried it up a flight of stairs and then experimented with location in the living room. Leave the 12 pack for after the setup.

3. Not that I know of. IIRC lufters has had it done. He may be able to shed some light on this subject.

4. No. Not after you drop it down the stairs after ignoring advice in #2. ;) :D


Go with Avical: http://avical.com/Default.htm

Eliab did mine last year. They usually do a Capitol District tour once or twice a year. I know they just did one since I got an e-mail from him last month.

2. Two guys and a 12 pack. I have 235 lb. Sony CRT. Two of us carried it up a flight of stairs and then experimented with location in the living room. Leave the 12 pack for after the setup.I've got one of those beasts too, a Panasonic CT-36HL42. Watching two 50-year-old men moving it is not pretty! :eek:

or perhaps somewhat amusing if you're the one not doing the heavy lifting :D

WB HD on channel 1815

Time Warner Cable has added its 20th high-definition network. The WB HD is on channel 1815.

A representative from the Capital Region's WB says the network is excited to give HDTV viewers everything high def has to offer in its prime time lineup. Channel 1815 televises the following programs in high definition:

7th Heaven
Everwood
Gilmore Girls
Pepper Dennis
One Tree Hill
Supernatural
Smallville
Reba
Survival of the Richest
SportsNet NY comes to high-def

SportsNet NY, home of the New York Mets and a new addition to the standard lineup March 16 on channel 66, has an HDTV companion channel. High-definition broadcasting began Wednesday, March 29, on channel 1866.

Shows scheduled to be telecast in HD include:

Sports New York
Daily news Sports Show
Jets Nation
Sportsnite
Mets home games and select Mets away games
The Mets opening day game on April 3 at Shea Stadium against the Washington Nationals is the first of 125 games that will be shown on SportsNet NY in 2006

does that mean that i can get it Over The Air now too? if so, on what channel?

does that mean that i can get it Over The Air now too? if so, on what channel?
45-1 is WEWB-DT. See the first post in this thread for a complete list of OTA channels.

45-1 is WEWB-DT. See the first post in this thread for a complete list of OTA channels.

sweet! i'll add it to my channels.

esposj,

Google these terms- CRT repair face down

You'll have your answer. :)

Tonight I noticed the fonts on the channel info were different on my SA8300 DVR. Looks like there was a software update since my box was rebooted.

Version showing is 1.88.17.1

There are new features...

"In addition to fixing the "drop to live" bug, 1.88.x.x also adds a fourth FF/RW speed, enables Firewire, adds Stop -> View from Beginning on recordings in progress, and a few other features / bug fixes I can't remember ..."

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7403743&&#post7403743

I contacted WXXA's Chief Engineer and he told me their encoder is in for repairs. The "loaner" encoder they are using does not have the ability to transmit guide data (PSIP). He says the repairs, "...shouldn't be too long."

More info is posted in the HDTV Channel Lineup section.


Thanks for the info. I just checked the original channel and its working this morning.

Last night on 13-1, The beautiful Rebecca Romijn on the Tonight Show.

http://kittyfingers.com/rebecca.gif


At the same time 13-2 was publicly broadcasting the inner workings of the WNYT live doppler computer.(video has been edited to protect data)

WNYT Doppler Video (http://www.dsqwealth.com/wnyt doppler_MP3_DIV3.avi)

I have my 8300HD connected with HDMI. Since Friday 3/31 all channels are green in color. My Toshiba 50HPX95 has 2 HDMI ports and both are doing the same. I assuming that the firmware upgrade broke something on my 8300HD.
If I unplug the 8300 and plug in back in, it will look ok once it boots. But once I power off the tv and 8300 and turn them back on, the screen is green again.

My dvd is hooked up to component and there is no problem with it.

Is anyone else experiencing the same problem with HDMI after the firmware upgrade?

I have had no HDMI problems since the upgrade. I have the 8300HD DVR connected via a HDMI to DVI cable to my Toshiba 57H83.

I did notice that my scheduled recording for ER on Thursday is now set for 11PM to midnight. There's that daylight savings glitch!

My 8300HD DVR is connected via HDMI. When I turned on my TV yesterday, I got sound but no picture. There was just the "Poltergeist" static. I had to unplug the DVR to reboot it. It seemed to take a long time for the clock to turn on, but once it did all worked fine again.

Is there any reason why a perfectly working OTA system just suddenly started dropping ABC-HD? I'm thinking it might be spring folliage, but I wanted to make sure there was not a more obvious reason.

Is there any reason why a perfectly working OTA system just suddenly started dropping ABC-HD? I'm thinking it might be spring folliage, but I wanted to make sure there was not a more obvious reason.A little foliage in the way can easily knock out a small-dish satellite signal, but it would take one heck of a lot of it to knock out a local terrestrial signal. If the other stations are coming in OK, the most likely causes are that the station is off the air, it's not broadcasting the PSIP information that tells your receiver to translate the real channel (26-1 in this case) to the virtual channel (10-1), or your receiver has forgotten the translation and needs to be reminded. Try tuning to 26-1 to see if you get the station then.

When I lived on the west side of a mountain in Rensselaerville{Albany County}, I had a "Fox viewing season". WXXA Analog would only come in when there were no leaves on the trees in the Helderburgs. Thus from Fall to Spring was my Fox viewing season. So foilage in certian instances can block a signal.

A little foliage in the way can easily knock out a small-dish satellite signal, but it would take one heck of a lot of it to knock out a local terrestrial signal. If the other stations are coming in OK, the most likely causes are that the station is off the air, it's not broadcasting the PSIP information that tells your receiver to translate the real channel (26-1 in this case) to the virtual channel (10-1), or your receiver has forgotten the translation and needs to be reminded. Try tuning to 26-1 to see if you get the station then.


I should have been more specific... the channel is breaking up, it's still there, but the quality has gone from great to crappy in a matter of a week ( or two .. it's been crazy around here ).

Hearing popping and clicks lately while running TWC SA3250HD. Connected to TV via stereo RCA jacks from STB. I first noticed this on the HD tier. Wifey calls me out from The Dungeon tonight because she now hears it on the Soap Channel. The TV has been ruled by process of elimination (switching sources).This has been going on for about week and ½. It's not a constant, just once in a while.

Anyone else hearing this?

Watching Fox23 news-

I never noticed John Gray has two different color eyes. I'm watching on RF feed SD TV. Hmmm......

Keith Galley....... what's next?

Or do you mean if you had the TV "normal", and simply tilted it up, so that it's now "vertical" instead of "horizontal" and moving it that way (ie, to get around a corner)? I know it CAN be done (the hippo's guys had said they've had to do it), but it's most definitely NOT recommended (I'm not sure how securely they mount/screw in the projection tubes).


That's what I meant... I've been trying to call Mitsubishi for 2 days with no luck. the TV is officially on the market.

If you guys know anyone local looking, please send them my way. Looking for about $850 or so.. TV's been well cared for, tuned via AVIA, and always stretched or zoomed when watching SDTV.. (joe@j-espo.com)

I have my 8300HD connected with HDMI. Since Friday 3/31 all channels are green in color. My Toshiba 50HPX95 has 2 HDMI ports and both are doing the same. I assuming that the firmware upgrade broke something on my 8300HD.
If I unplug the 8300 and plug in back in, it will look ok once it boots. But once I power off the tv and 8300 and turn them back on, the screen is green again.

My dvd is hooked up to component and there is no problem with it.

Is anyone else experiencing the same problem with HDMI after the firmware upgrade?
Yes. I've experienced the same "green" thing on all channels. I can reset the cable/DVR box but it will come back upon a power on/off.

I have the SA 8300 HD using HDMI to a Tosh 42HP95. I'm using component in to get by for now. I'm still trying to figure out if it's the cable box or the TV.

Any input appreciated.

But Sutters makes a better burger..

Anyway, I'll be sure to tell my buddy Dave you like his wings. :)

I used to think Sutters had great burgers, but other places have surpassed them (still a good place when the deck is open) To me their burgers have no seasoning and are pretty bland now!

Try Juniors at Western and Madison. Huge, well seasoned burger and $2.00 at various times during the week!

Also my new found love is the new Ruby Tuesday's for burgers. Near Latham Circle, better food than xgates, You need to try a burger there, try the "Ultimate COLOSSAL BURGER" (I split it) and report back here on what your impression's were :0)

http://rubytuesdays.com/menu/famousBurgers.asp

http://reviews.*********/Ultimate-COLOSSAL-BURGER-Ruby-Tuesdays-Outdoes-BK_W0QQugidZ10000000000099784


34 years here and I've never walked into the Across the Street Pub :confused: (I could walk there from my house now, moved to Albany from Clifton Park two years ago).

Will definitely try the wings there this weekend though!

34 years here and I've never walked into the Across the Street Pub :confused: (I could walk there from my house now, moved to Albany from Clifton Park two years ago).

Will definitely try the wings there this weekend though!Excellent choice. ;) I don't recommend the Pub's burgers, but they have a great Thursday night special on a 12oz. NY Strip Steak, w/potato and soup or salad for $12.95. The best night for wings is Tuesday, which is their 10 wing special and a pint of beer or 16oz soda for $4. :eek:

Try Juniors at Western and Madison. Huge, well seasoned burger and $2.00 at various times during the week!
I live a couple blocks away from Juniors, been there a couple times and even know the day cook!(btw, Dave doesnt cook at the Pub anymore)

However it isnt the food that makes this place different its a all the various video displays, a smaller place with several plasma and lcd displays and even a front projector setup. The FP display gets washed out due to lighting but the other displays rock. I havent been doing the bar thing lately but must think that Juniors is one of the better establishments to watch your favorite sporting event.

Yes. I've experienced the same "green" thing on all channels. I can reset the cable/DVR box but it will come back upon a power on/off.

I have the SA 8300 HD using HDMI to a Tosh 42HP95. I'm using component in to get by for now. I'm still trying to figure out if it's the cable box or the TV.

Any input appreciated.


John,
I exchanged my 8300HD DVR box at TWC office and the new one has the same 'green' screen problem when turned on. The new firmware seems to have screwed up the hdmi handshaking between the box and the tv when they are turned on. If you have it on the same channel it will stay green for a long time, if I keep changing channels the color will come back to normal. Also, if I change inputs on the tv to watch my dvd player and then go back, it will be green again.
I'm going to try calling Toshiba one of these days when I have time to see if they might have an updated firmware for the tv to fix this problem. I read on a different thread that someone got a firmware upgrade for his toshiba plasma to fix some cablecard issues. Toshiba provided the firmware upgrade on an sd card , then you just pop it into the sd slot on the tv to upgrade it.

Update: I called Toshiba and they are sending me a firmware update for my 50HPX95 which the tech said 'should' resolve the problem. I'll let you know when I get it and if it fixed the 'green' problem. I should get it in 5-7 days.