Originally posted by Steve O
That's exactly what I'm complaining about. I want black. I find grey to be very distracting. I agree that OAR is the ONLY way to go. I guess I'm a purist in that sense... if it ain't in the original broadcast, DON'T ADD IT. The ESPN-HD bars are an extreme example of badness, but I find the grey bars to be bad as well. I noticed that the CBS-HD feed from NY does this too. Ugh. I agree that stretching or cropping is bad.

-Steve

I'm with you.

My 503CMX had no issues with black bars properly calibrated and without leaving on a specific source more than a few hours (and w/o orbiter mode).

Obviously mileage will vary. Sorry to hear it Rich.

rudolpht,

No problem. I have an NEC now :)

I think the stations may be worried about getting sued for ruining TV's. Maybe they will think twice about 100IRE fixed logos.

-- Rich

Originally posted by Steve O
That's exactly what I'm complaining about. I want black. I find grey to be very distracting. I agree that OAR is the ONLY way to go. I guess I'm a purist in that sense... if it ain't in the original broadcast, DON'T ADD IT. The ESPN-HD bars are an extreme example of badness, but I find the grey bars to be bad as well. I noticed that the CBS-HD feed from NY does this too. Ugh. I agree that stretching or cropping is bad.

-Steve

Steve couldn't agree more, I have a HD20 FP and find it annoying. Bob Y any way of going back to black?

Originally posted by herb s.
Steve couldn't agree more, I have a HD20 FP and find it annoying. Bob Y any way of going back to black?
Sorry, but it isn't a technical issue. Orders from above in New York...

Originally posted by RYankowitz
Sorry, but it isn't a technical issue. Orders from above in New York...

Bob, thanks for the quick reply. To whom in NY, could I send a letter complaining about this situation. Since this edict is coming out of NY will the same be true of 4-1. Feel free to PM me if you want.

Originally posted by herb s.
Bob, thanks for the quick reply. To whom in NY, could I send a letter complaining about this situation. Since this edict is coming out of NY will the same be true of 4-1. Feel free to PM me if you want.

Personally, I'm torn on the gray/black bar and original aspect ratio issue. On the one hand, as a RPTV owner, I'm very concerned about uneven tube burn - and am starting to notice some of that. On the other hand, the gray bars are far less enjoyable to watch and I can't stand watching people who are stretched horizontally on my TV. The ideal solution would be if there were a way for each viewer to choose the bar color and what stretching (if any) is to be used, but there's no practical way to do that.

Gray is annoying. I particularly don't care as my CRT has uneven phosphor wear anyways (came that way).

I will also send a letter if we can get an addy. Might as well encourage OAR as well, although I don't really watch movies w/commercials anymore.

The UPN 38 feedback page is here: http://upn38.com/feedback/

UPN is owned by CBS broadcasting. I could find nothing on the UPN home page, but the CBS feedback form is at http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.shtml .

Robert... please tell corporate that they are currently down one viewer. When the gray bars go away, I'll be back.

-Steve

Stark Trek II(?) on WBZ-DT right now in HD...

Originally posted by jckessler
Stark Trek II(?) on WBZ-DT right now in HD... ...and Dolby 5.1 as well.

Anyone else notice that in the last week or so WGBX 44 (43) has ALL 4 of its sub-channels stretched to fill the whole 16:9 screen for standard 4:3 programming? Really annoying. I can switch my Sammy 151 setup to 4:3 screen mode for this channel to look right, but then all the other channels are wrong.

WGBX - please put this back to normal!

Thanks.
-Scott

Originally posted by sglorios
Anyone else notice that in the last week or so WGBX 44 (43) has ALL 4 of its sub-channels stretched to fill the whole 16:9 screen for standard 4:3 programming? Really annoying. I can switch my Sammy 151 setup to 4:3 screen mode for this channel to look right, but then all the other channels are wrong.

WGBX - please put this back to normal!

Thanks.
-Scott

I don't find this with my DTC100

When I moved into my new apartment in Raynham, I figured to get stronger OTA signals than I got in my Taunton condo. My living room faces west, so naturally I thought it would be no problem. It wasn't. I get pretty good reception with my set-top antenna on the window sill, and if I move it around I can get every Boston channel. But in my bedroom (faces due south) I thought I'd just get Providence. WRONG! I get even stronger reception than the living room, using a weaker antenna. I can even get a strong signal on WFXT-DT. My RCA DTC-100 shows a 65% for WFXT, and 82's for 4, 5 and 7. I get about 45 for WLVI-DT. I can only get WPRI from Providence. As I said earlier Go Figure. My bedroom set-top is aimed southeast to get these signals. I have no explanation.

Originally posted by sglorios
Anyone else notice that in the last week or so WGBX 44 (43) has ALL 4 of its sub-channels stretched to fill the whole 16:9 screen for standard 4:3 programming? Really annoying. I can switch my Sammy 151 setup to 4:3 screen mode for this channel to look right, but then all the other channels are wrong.

WGBX - please put this back to normal!

Thanks.
-Scott

Usually those are SD signals, you should be able to control that from either your STB or your TV. It is the stretched HD signals that are difficult to deal with.

Are you sure you didn't change your TV's aspect ratio. I sometimes forget to switch mine to normal if I have been watching DVDs in full-screen mode (anamorphic projection). My TV ignores the aspect ratio setting when receiving a 1080i signal, so I may not notice it right away if I am only watching HD channels.

Well, now WBZ 4-1 has also added the grey bars for 4x3 programming (to join sister station 38-1). Sigh. Yes, I know the edict came from on high, but it just stinks that broadcasters can't simply broadcast things in original aspect ratio with nothing added or taken away. Please. No grey bars. No weird logos on the side. No stretching. No cropping. Please. If people are worried about burn-in, then those people can stretch the picture. If that's the price of opting for burn-in succeptible technology, then so be it. But please WBZ/CBS, don't try to fix the "problem" for us.

-Steve

For the record,

Most TV's do not provide zoom or stretch modes for High-Def signals.

-- Rich

Originally posted by RichB
For the record,

Most TV's do not provide zoom or stretch modes for High-Def signals.

-- Rich

Additionally, the black bars are added to the signal just as much as gray bars are. The fact that it's more pleasant to watch with black bars is another matter, but the broadcasters cannot ignore the burn in issue - I can imagine some idiotic class action lawsuit going after the broadcasters because black bars caused burn in :rolleyes:. I don't like watching with the gray bars, but I'm also not exactly fond of burn in either - buying a new display every few years because of burn in isn't exactly an ideal situation...

Originally posted by Steve O
Well, now WBZ 4-1 has also added the grey bars for 4x3 programming (to join sister station 38-1). Sigh. Yes, I know the edict came from on high, but it just stinks that broadcasters can't simply broadcast things in original aspect ratio with nothing added or taken away. Please. No grey bars. No weird logos on the side. No stretching. No cropping. Please. If people are worried about burn-in, then those people can stretch the picture. If that's the price of opting for burn-in succeptible technology, then so be it. But please WBZ/CBS, don't try to fix the "problem" for us.

-Steve

I'm confused, what do you propose the broadcasters do? Do you want them to broadcast 4:3 content at at 640x480 on their digital channels?

I bet that for the vast majority of people the broadcaster's upconverter is a lot better than the one available in their TV or STB resulting in a better picture for most of the people.

Dave

I've been having problems with WFXT (Fox) digital for a while now... I guess they're working at lower power temporarily, from what I've read?

Anyways, tonight (just in time for the Pepsi 400 race, I have "no signal." How's the signal for other folks in southern NH/NAshua metro? Are they down tonight?

Thanks!

I'm getting WFXT-DT OK (Shrewsbury), but it's not in widescreen. The pre-race was, but now it's not.

Is there someone we can call at the station engineering room to get them to turn it back on?

[EDIT: It's OK now. I called the newsroom and told them to tell the control room that they had it wrong. By the time I got back to the living room, it was fixed. I think they must have caught it just before I called.]

First of all thanks for the patience as we go through this intensive and difficult project. Our backup DTV transmitter has been operating extremely well considering its lower power and except for a bad patch at the studio today causing a loss of audio this afternoon it just keeps purring away.

On the NTSC side the transitional IOT configuration on 25 has been running well on air for over a week now. Our schedule is on track so far and hopefully will continue, putting us back to our full licensed DTV power well before football season.

Bill Holbrook
Chief Engineer WFXT

Originally posted by D_Doherty
I'm confused, what do you propose the broadcasters do? Do you want them to broadcast 4:3 content at at 640x480 on their digital channels?

I bet that for the vast majority of people the broadcaster's upconverter is a lot better than the one available in their TV or STB resulting in a better picture for most of the people.

Dave

I want broadcasters to implement "smart bars". Based on the overall content of the image, they should display bars from light gray to black. I don't mind grey bars when the overall image is bright to begin with, but then the image turns darker, the grey bars should fade to black. I realize that this requires a little more processing, but it could simply be a histogram function.

I don't know if color bars would make sense, but then taking the dominant background color and extending that into the side bars might work better than monochromatic shades.

A question for MR. Holbrook

Even when you get back to normal - folks like me in the "fringe" area still will not be able to watch Fox via ota due to the low power/fcc issue.

So my question is - do you know of any agreement with Directv for carraige of an East Coast Fox feed ? If this is in the works - do you know if we will need waivers from wfxt to recieve it ?

Thanks in advance for your reply

John

WCVB added dark-gray bars. At least they're there during the 12pm news.

Just checked 5-1 and the bars seem to be the regular black as of 2:53PM.

Dark gray is there now. Maybe you're not seeing it, but they're there for certain.

Dave and others,
Looks like this was my mistake. It seems that I inadvertently had changed a setting on my STB. There is a Full or Pillar Box setting in addition to the 16:9/4:3 screen setting. However, it is odd that the only channels that got stretched were 2-1 & 44-1,44-2, 44-3 & 44-4 when set to Full mode. OAR on all other SD locals remained correct. Once I set this BACK to Pillar Box all is as it should be on ALL channels SD & HD.

Sorry for the wasted energy and my apologies to WGBX/WGBH

-Scott

Originally posted by HDorBust
Usually those are SD signals, you should be able to control that from either your STB or your TV. It is the stretched HD signals that are difficult to deal with.

Are you sure you didn't change your TV's aspect ratio. I sometimes forget to switch mine to normal if I have been watching DVDs in full-screen mode (anamorphic projection). My TV ignores the aspect ratio setting when receiving a 1080i signal, so I may not notice it right away if I am only watching HD channels.

No need to apologize, it is an easy-to-make mistake.

Not sure if this has already been covered but thursday night's broadcast of SoundStage on WGBH-DT with Ron Isley and Burt Bacharach had no detectable sync issues whereas the Sheryl Crow segments had the video lagging distractingly behind the audio both on my DTC-100 and MyHD MDP-100. Whats the difference? Is it at the source national feed? Something GBH is doing?

For me this sync issue made the difference between a constantly distracting performance and an immersive very enjoyable one. I prefer Sheryl Crow's music but was compelled by Ron Isley's ability to practically sing the birds out of the trees even on what I consider to be trite, hackneyed material. Guess I learned a new lesson about how important temporal fidelity is.

Mark H

Reading a little deeper into the threads I see that audio/video sync issues have been discussed extensively in lots of different contexts. I may have to think about replacing my Denon 3300 receiver with an 3805 or other model with lip sync delay function. I wonder if the 200ms available delay on these models would be sufficient to correct my Sheryl Crow recordings and future broadcasts afflicted with this problem?

Mark H

WHDH is not showing the NASCAR race in widescreen but some of the rest of the country is getting it that way. I called (617) 725-0770 (the newsroom number I found at switchboard.com) and on a guess pressed 0 and talked to a human and informed him that it should be. That was about 15 minutes ago... still no widescreen.

In case anyone else wants to call to encourage them...

-Steve

Yeah, I just switch to WJAR in Providence. I remember the same thing happening on ABC when the Stanley Cup was on Boston didn't switch to HD widescreen whereas ABC Providence did.

Glad I can get both markets most of the time.

WFXT-DT is now missing in Holden. Has been since the transfer process started. Used to get around 50 now get around 10 - 15 in signal strength and no picture of course! Boost the power - NFL -HD is just around the corner!

Originally posted by Delicious2
Not sure if this has already been covered but thursday night's broadcast of SoundStage on WGBH-DT with Ron Isley and Burt Bacharach had no detectable sync issues whereas the Sheryl Crow segments had the video lagging distractingly behind the audio both on my DTC-100 and MyHD MDP-100. Whats the difference? Is it at the source national feed? Something GBH is doing?

Mark H

I, too noticed the bad lip synch on GBH's Crow concert, but not the others. I have the option of switching to WENH-DT and found there was no lip synch problems at all coming from Durham. It seemed to be a GBH issue.

WFXT on backup DTV rig
WFXT is now broadcasting on our lower power backup DTV rig. This should last until early to mid August. Any signal reports would be appreciated.

Bill Holbrook
Chief Engineer WFXT



Hi Bill

Sure wish we see something up here in NH
but nothing to report
All-star game is almost here

Note to Bill Holbrook...I live in an apartment complex in Raynham with south-facing and west-facing windows. I can get all the Boston digitals using a RS amplified in-door antenna through the west-facing window
but no 25-1. I do get 25-1 through my south-facing window with the UHF aimed SE. This is the same window my DIRECTV satellite dish is positioned in so I can definately confirm the direction. I get about a 65% signal currently on WFXT-DT on my DTC-100 using this antenna. I also get very strong signals on 2, 4, 5, 7, 38 and 44 using the same antenna. These signals are 75-82%.

First of all I'm not sure what is going on with DirecTV. That is all at the corporate level but as NewsCorp now owns DirecTV I would assume something would be happening and I wouldn't be able to speak about it here until it was public knowledge anyway. As far as waivers would go I woiuld say they would come from us as they do now.

Our DTV signal is approx 8 db down from our full licensed power. There will b e some outages coming over the next month but all should be back to full power by mid August.

All the major cable systems are receiving our DTV signal but the OTA folks may be having problems which we apologize for but we should be back to normal soon.

Bill Holbrook
Chief Engineeer WFXT

Mr. Holbrook: I understand FOX will not be sending an HD feed from the AllStar Game tonight, but will send 480p widescreen. Will you be upconverting it to 720p?

Supposedly, it will be an HD production seen in Houston only, so it should (in theory) be better than upconverted SD.

Thanks in advance.

Bill,

I just read that Fox will in fact be offering the game tonight in HD and that stations that are HD ready will be able to provide the broadcast in HD tonight. So I guess the question is will Boston be able to see the game in HD?

Thanks

I read that it would be HD for the Houston market only via direct link from the ballpark. FOX supposedly won't be sending HD nationwide. Certainly would appreciate some clarification.

Here is the article and I agree very confusing to say the least
http://www.tvpredictions.com/foxhdtv071304.html

Good find Steve. Let's hope the execs at WFXT read this article and will be shamed not to show it in HD.

Originally posted by Benji
Good find Steve. Let's hope the execs at WFXT read this article and will be shamed not to show it in HD.

Why thank you Benji and I agree I hope that they are able to do the game tonight in HD

According to foxeng, a FOX engineer from Greensboro, it will not be in HD except for Houston, as confirmed by FOX in LA.
(Post is here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=4052121#post4052121)
So I'm wondering if WFXT can upconvert the 480p to 720p for tonight. Since it's actually being produced at 720p, then downconverted, maybe it'll be better than their usual 480p. (I'm no engineer and didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, so I don't know.)

Very disapointing but I am really not all that surprised as I never thought they would be able to do anything this quick. Football right around the corner in HD

That would be too bad especially since I just rigged my indoor antenna to get WFXT with a pretty strong signal to my Tivo. The HR Derby sure looked good last night. I agree with a caller this afternoon to WEEI that Derek Lowe must have been the pitcher pitching to Tejada.

Originally posted by Benji
That would be too bad especially since I just rigged my indoor antenna to get WFXT with a pretty strong signal to my Tivo. The HR Derby sure looked good last night. I agree with a caller this afternoon to WEEI that Derek Lowe must have been the pitcher pitching to Tejada.

I like that Lowe coment pretty funny. Do yopu have the HD Tivo?

Yes I do. It was manufactured in April 04, and so far, so good...no problems. It has a stronger tuner than my DTC-100. I have them both connected to the same antenna cable, and I can get 25 and 56 on the Tivo but not on the DTC-100. The features on this thing are awesome. I was forced to give up Comcast and now glad I did, but I do miss NESN-HD.

Why did you give up Comcast? The HD Tivo is my next toy but not just yet

I moved to an apartment complex in Raynham with an apartment-operated cable system. Comcast was not allowed to come on the property. The cable system is analog-only. I had a DIRECTV dish installed in my bedroom, right next to my indoor antenna. The dish faces SW, the antenna SE. Don't ask me how I am getting OTA signals from the SE, but I am and they are very strong.

Benji, where did you get the HD Tivo, and how much? Also, none of my business, but I am curious: your dish is inside your apartment?
--

Just a clarification, WFXT now upconverts all programming to 720P. This allows for a cleaner splice when the new splicer gets activated later this summer.

Bill Holbrook
Chief Engineer WFXT

Thanks, Bill. I thought the All Star game looked quite good...can't wait for football in true HD (even the non-Pats games)!

Originally posted by mythical_phenix
Benji, where did you get the HD Tivo, and how much? Also, none of my business, but I am curious: your dish is inside your apartment?
-- Phenix...I bought my Tivo the end of May at CC in Taunton. It was the only one they had left at the time. Yes my dish is in my bedroom. I have a double window facing due south with no obstructions outside. The window remains open and I placed a window frame fitting piece of plexiglass in it. Works like a charm. I lose about 15% of the possible signal but get a more than adequate signal on all 3 sats. The weakest one is Sat C (about 50-60 %). Sat A is around 85-90.

Originally posted by BHolbrook
Just a clarification, WFXT now upconverts all programming to 720P. This allows for a cleaner splice when the new splicer gets activated later this summer.

Bill Holbrook
Chief Engineer WFXT Bill...are you still operating at reduced power? I'm getting quite a strong signal with an indoor antenna aimed southeast on my Tivo. You're coming in at about 65%. I don't understand how I am getting the signal from this direction but I am getting the rest of the Boston stations as well, plus WPRI-DT.

Originally posted by Benji
Phenix...I bought my Tivo the end of May at CC in Taunton. It was the only one they had left at the time. Yes my dish is in my bedroom. I have a double window facing due south with no obstructions outside. The window remains open and I placed a window frame fitting piece of plexiglass in it. Works like a charm. I lose about 15% of the possible signal but get a more than adequate signal on all 3 sats. The weakest one is Sat C (about 50-60 %). Sat A is around 85-90.

What people will do to watch TV

Hey, call me a couch-potato! Just wanted to make sure I won't miss the telecast next month of the Hokies beating up on USC!

Originally posted by Benji
Hey, call me a couch-potato! Just wanted to make sure I won't miss the telecast next month of the Hokies beating up on USC!

That might happen:confused:

Originally posted by steverobertson
That might happen:confused: Steve...I'm dissappointed...no anti-Hokie comment? Even I don't really believe my beloved Hokies have any chance against Pete(the poodle) and his defending national champs.

Originally posted by Benji
Steve...I'm dissappointed...no anti-Hokie comment? Even I don't really believe my beloved Hokies have any chance against Pete(the poodle) and his defending national champs.

Sorry what did you want me to call them drug addicts? By the way I see this game is going to be in HD to bad USC will have it wrapped up by half time.

Originally posted by steverobertson
Sorry what did you want me to call them drug addicts? By the way I see this game is going to be in HD to bad USC will have it wrapped up by half time. The only thing Tech really has going for it is they play well usually early in the season. Of course USC is not James Madison or East Carolina. Maybe the Trojans will come out flat, instead of coming out and flattening the Hokies.

Benji - a question regarding your HD TIVO. I got mine (finally) yesterday. Do you have program info on the OTA channels. Mine only shows "Regular Programming". Wonder if I have to do something to get the info downloaded?

Thanks,
Bruce

Bruce - I have the hd tivo as well - awesome machine - I get programming info for the stations in my DMA -(Boston) - the providence stations get no programming information

John

Thanks John. Strange that I'm not getting info on the Boston OTA channels. With my DTC100 I used to get info for Channel 5-DT, and the Channel 44 subchannels. Wonder if I missed something in the setup, or might it take a day or 2 for the OTA info to be downloaded?

And yes, I am really happy with the machine, especially the way it integrates the satellie & OTA channels. Setup was a breeze including the online activation.

Originally posted by bcushman
Thanks John. Strange that I'm not getting info on the Boston OTA channels. With my DTC100 I used to get info for Channel 5-DT, and the Channel 44 subchannels. Wonder if I missed something in the setup, or might it take a day or 2 for the OTA info to be downloaded?

And yes, I am really happy with the machine, especially the way it integrates the satellie & OTA channels. Setup was a breeze including the online activation. Try using a Boston DMA zip code instead of Providence. I live in Raynham (Providence) but I used Bridgewater (Boston) - 02324 - and got all programming info except for WPRI-DT which still shows regular programming.

The reason you got info on your DTC-100 is because that is station PSIP data sent with the OTA signal by the individual stations. The programming info for the Advanced Program Guide comes from the DIRECTV satellite.

Originally posted by Benji
Try using a Boston DMA zip code instead of Providence. I live in Raynham (Providence) but I used Bridgewater (Boston) - 02324 - and got all programming info except for WPRI-DT which still shows regular programming.

OK, now for the dumb part: How do I change the ZIP - do I need to redo the setup again. My son lives in Plainville so I will use his ZIP

I forgot the exact routine, but you may have to go through the setup again. It won't affect anything important. I'm not sure if Plainville is Boston or Providence. If it doesn't work, try 02324. That will definately work.

OK Benji - thanks for the advice. I'll let you know how it goes!!!!

Benji - are you saying you are getting program guide information on the providence and Boston stations using that zip code ?

No just the Boston stations. The only Providence digital I receive is WPRI and they show "regular programming". Interesting to note, WLVI-DT is now sending programming PSIP for the electronic program guides (DTC-100, etc.).

Well Benji - your advice worked fine for getting the program info for the Boston stations, but by entering the ZIP code you gave me, I lost my ability to get the Providence stations! So have gone back to my original ZIP where I get al station, minus the program info. I could swear that I saw someplace on the HD Tivo forum where you could enter two ZIP codes, but don't see anything that lets me do that. Some more research I guess.

Thanks for your input.

Bruce

Edited to include:

Just asked in the HD Tivo forum and got this reply: " Look under "Off Air Channel Settings" -> "Setup Local Area Networks". That's where you can specify your second area." It did the trick!

i get all the stations with my zipcode 02540 - try that one -

I didn't finish reading your post before I submitted my reply - glad you are all set - Jay Leno in hd is sweet at 8pm !!

I have an older Sony SAT-HD100 sat receiver and have had both antenna OTA HD and Direct TV w/HD for several years.

Today, all my OTA HD stations disappeared. I've attempted to auto-program the digital antenna signal several times but it doesn't find any stations?

Did something change on either the OTA signal end or the sat receiver end?

Thanks in advance,
Alan

Howdy,

I've been getting 0 signal on wenh-dt (57) for the last several days. wmur (59) is fine.

Anyone else see the same thing, or have any info?

A quick look at nhptv.org doesn't reveal anything.

Thanks!
Steve (CoffeeBreath!)

Originally posted by CoffeeBreath

I've been getting 0 signal on wenh-dt (57) for the last several days.


And of course, now it's back and working fine. The hi-def gods must have read my message. :-)

Steve (CoffeeBreath!)

[edit for spelling typo]

Actually, I emailed NHPTV, asking the webmaster to put engineering's "transmission status" link back on the Program menu. [in the early days, the then director of engineering, Bob Ross had a list of the early adopters, and would email us!]

The good news is I'm getting a more stable signal.... so they either fixed or tweaked something. [Given the timing, the outage could have been lightning-related.]

--Jim

where do you enter the zip code to acquire boston psip info in the dtc 100

Originally posted by jjoboh
where do you enter the zip code to acquire boston psip info in the dtc 100 There's no zip code info required for the DTC-100. You just do a channel search and make sure in the menu that you set it to acquire OTA program guide, and any available PSIP will automatically be placed in the receiver's memory.

In Bellingham, MA I get good reception on digital signals for most Boston channels except 56 and 25. I understand that WXFT 25 is operating at a reduced power of 78 kw and WLVI DT is operating at 30 kw.

Can anyone tell me if and when these signals will increase in power and to what level?

I have a Channel Master antenna (4228) in my attic that seems to work well, but I am anxious to get reception on FOX for the upcoming football season. My DirectTV TIVO registers between 15-25 signal strength for WFXT, so with a liitle more signal, I should be good to go.

Thanks for any info.

I think you will see Fox in HD on Directv before the regular season begins so we will not need to worry about wfxt's signal - so long as you are subscribing to Directv.

John

I suspect that you are correct, but since that will likely be a feed from NY or LA, I would still like to get the local affiliate OTA so that I can get the local games.

Originally posted by jalferes
I think you will see Fox in HD on Directv before the regular season begins so we will not need to worry about wfxt's signal - so long as you are subscribing to Directv.

John Depending on your proximity to Providence, a waiver from WNAC Fox 64 may be a requirement to getting a DIRECTV feed from NY/LA Fox.

I did not need a waiver for CBS, so I would suspect that FOX would be no different.

Then you're all set...except for the fact you'd be watching either NY Giants or SF 49er games on the national Fox feeds.

Originally posted by Benji
Then you're all set...except for the fact you'd be watching either NY Giants or SF 49er games on the national Fox feeds.

And thats why I am looking for OTA info.

Originally posted by mbtobe
In Bellingham, MA I get good reception on digital signals for most Boston channels except 56 and 25. I understand that WXFT 25 is operating at a reduced power of 78 kw and WLVI DT is operating at 30 kw.

Can anyone tell me if and when these signals will increase in power and to what level?

I have a Channel Master antenna (4228) in my attic that seems to work well, but I am anxious to get reception on FOX for the upcoming football season. My DirectTV TIVO registers between 15-25 signal strength for WFXT, so with a liitle more signal, I should be good to go.

Thanks for any info.

FOX is temporarily at even lower power right now, as the DTV transmitter has been moved to the backup tower until sometime in August.

Originally posted by jckessler
FOX is temporarily at even lower power right now, as the DTV transmitter has been moved to the backup tower until sometime in August.

Any idea as to what power level is "full power"??
Will it exceed 100 Kw?

The 78kW number is their licensed power; they are 8dB lower than that right now which puts them down in the 10-15kW range I think. Somebody correct me if I'm doing the math wrong. 6dB should be 1/4 power, right?

They will go back to 78kW when the DTV rig is back on line. Posts in this thread by BHolbrook, an engineer at WFXT have the detailed (and accurate) information.

Originally posted by jckessler
The 78kW number is their licensed power; they are 8dB lower than that right now which puts them down in the 10-15kW range I think. Somebody correct me if I'm doing the math wrong. 6dB should be 1/4 power, right?

They will go back to 78kW when the DTV rig is back on line. Posts in this thread by BHolbrook, an engineer at WFXT have the detailed (and accurate) information.

Thank you.

that is great news. I should be all set when they go back to full power.

I think this has been observed and mentioned here before but I'll mention it again:

Why does the local SD feed on WBZ DTV look so bad!? Terrible mpeg artifacts and blocky-ness. On the local news it's really noticeable. Time is overdue to fix/replace this mpeg encoder. Their analog channel looks way better for local feeds.

rant off.

-Scott

I noticed the same poor SD pict quality on WBZ. I PM'ed Bob Hess ( the former Chief Eng at WBZ) a while ago about this and got the following partial reply...

"In our newscasts, it is possible that you are seeing artifacts in some of our NTSC video but not much I can do about that. Our DVC-Pro 25mb news field cameras are first generation cameras due for replacement in a couple of years. While they look fine on an NTSC set, you can see every compression artifact on a digital set. In some cases, the upconverter may not know how to handle some of these artifacts. "

This may help explain what you are seeing.


-Ursa

Since fox 25 wants to be the #1 news station are they going to have news in hd? They have a new studio with all the new equipment!

In an earlier post by Bill Holbrook (Chief Eng at FOX25), he said the studio is all digital and has tremendous upside potential but that no local HD is planned at this time.

The project is along well. Our new transmitters have arrived and are being installed, cooling, power etc. No changes are planned until after the DNC. We will have to shut down the DTV signal entirely for a day or two the first week of August. This is to allow the NTSC to operate on the DTV antenna while the last of the original transmission line is replaced for NTSC , about a hundred feet at the base of the tower to our building . There will be some other short overnight ones as well in early August on both DTV and NTSC while cooling and power is cut over. But the new full "licensed" power DTV rig is here and is being installed so mid-August is still the target date.

Bill Holbrook

Chief Engineer WFXT

Bill,

Thank you for keeping us informed it means a lot to us that have no life but HD, just kidding. Keep up the great work and tell Maria we all said hello !!!

WCVB is showing some bizzare test stuff on 5-2. Looks like they're getting the SD channel ready for the 24 hour news channel. I'm sure this will degrade the 720p signal nice. ugh.

Originally posted by jckessler
WCVB is showing some bizzare test stuff on 5-2. Looks like they're getting the SD channel ready for the 24 hour news channel. I'm sure this will degrade the 720p signal nice. ugh.

Wonderful news I was happy with the weather radar :mad:

Originally posted by BHolbrook
No changes are planned until after the DNC. We will have to shut down the DTV signal entirely for a day or two the first week of August. ahead of schedule? the DTV signal has been out since friday.

Originally posted by avic
ahead of schedule? the DTV signal has been out since friday. The signal meters on both my sets are showing what should be a good signal but neither is getting any audio or video.

I'm getting the same thing: normal reading according to my signal meter, but no audio/video. Transmitter is up, but nothing is being sent?

WCVB-DT is now broadcasting ABC News Now on 5-2. Does anyone have equipment that can tell how much bandwidth they're stealing from 5-1?

For Comcast people, the station has shown up on digital channel 194 as well.

Never mind the bandwith, I'd prefer just having the weather radar. I've begun relying on it.

Originally posted by Benji
Never mind the bandwith, I'd prefer just having the weather radar. I've begun relying on it.

I agree with you on this but I am concerned about what it doing to 5-1

I doubt too many people care, but I'm getting a strong signal now on digital channel 32 which remaps to 68-1, 68-2, 68-3, and 68-4. 68 appears to be analog simulcast and the other subchannels are blank.

Analog 32 (Telemundo retransmitter I believe) in Boston is gone.

Do we know what WHDH will be doing during the Olympics? IIRC they did simulcast the delayed HD broadcast during the winter olympics. Will they be doing the same for this summer olympics? Have we had any official word?

TIA

SMK

There's a thread in the programming forum on NBC's plans for the Olympics in HD. It's basically whay you're describing: Delayed HD coverage.

I'm pretty sure WHDH will be carrying this coverage.

Originally posted by jckessler
I doubt too many people care, but I'm getting a strong signal now on digital channel 32 which remaps to 68-1, 68-2, 68-3, and 68-4. 68 appears to be analog simulcast and the other subchannels are blank.

Analog 32 (Telemundo retransmitter I believe) in Boston is gone.
I have been getting 40 dt from Martha's Vineyard for about a month now

anyone else having pixelation and sound stuttering on 2.1 and 5.2 during the DNC between 9:30 and 10:00 on Tueasday?

anyone else having pixelation and sound stuttering on 2.1 and 5.2 during the DNC between 9:30 and 10:00 on Tueasday?

With regard to the question of how much bandwidth is 5.2 stealing from 5.1, the answer is little or none. 5.1 is actually getting more bandwidth than it was a year ago. When station's programs do not take up the full DTV badwidth they broadcast filler packets (or null packets) shown in the table below.

28-Jul-2003 14-Oct-2003 27-Jul-2004
(no 5.2) (5.2 = radar) (5.2 = news)
------------ ------------- ------------
5.1 video 69% 78% 73%
5.1 audio 2% 2% 2%
5.2 video 8% 19%
5.2 audio 1% 1%
null 28% 9% 4%
_Paul

I talked to Bill Hague at WPRI-DT today to report a problem with no audio on SD programming on WPRI-DT, HD was fine and he was not aware of the problem. He did take care of this and seems like a great person. He also informed me that WNAC-DT (fox 64) should be up and running in the next few weeks, just in time for football season.

Jim

A long, long time ago, jimg wrote:

Why the 25db of pre-amp??? Are you trying to get channels 35, 57 and 59 from New Hampshire? [I'm in Framingham, and only use a 28db pre-amp to get NHPTV-57 from Durham (70+ miles away!)].

Since you're only about 20 miles from the Needham towers, you may be overdriving the signal or excessively amplifying the multipath. Multipath is my biggest problem, and the best solution so far has been the CM remote-controlled rotor [from Stark].


The pre-amp is in because my reception is better with it in than out.
I had considered that it may overload the receiver, but it doesn't
appear to do this. Without the preamp, I lose WHDH and WLVI.
I would have used a lower power pre-amp, but this is one I happened
to have in my junkbox.

I have two large hills to the East that block my reception.

-Bob

I doubt too many people care, but I'm getting a strong signal now on digital channel 32 which remaps to 68-1, 68-2, 68-3, and 68-4. 68 appears to be analog simulcast and the other subchannels are blank.

Analog 32 (Telemundo retransmitter I believe) in Boston is gone.


Looks like PAX-DT is on the air. WTMU-LP knew this was coming and
had applied for a move to channel 67 a while back. The FCC says that
they have a valid CP for channel 67. Unknown what their actual status is.

-Bob

We will be shutting down DT 31 on wednesday 8/4 for the day so we can use the antenna and line for 25 while we replace some old transmission line to our main NTSC antenna. We should have it back sometime after midnight thursday morning. We will also be shutting down 25 OTA for a couple of hours at that time (1am thursday) for some configuration changes in the building with "Magic T's" etc. We will be backup sometime between 4 and 5 am thursday morning on 25. Most cable systems are fed by fiber so they will see no interuption.

Bill Holbrook
Chief Engineer WFXT-TV

Big Thanx to Mr. Holbrook for the "Heads-up!"

...and I am happy to be getting the ABCNews Now OTA from WCVB. It's a nice (if low budget) alternative to having to pay cable/DDS for a 24/7 news channel and I haven't noticed any change in PQ on the main feed.

I know multi-casting has it's good and bad -- but with a 24/7 News service on 'CVB, and the four sub-channels on 'GBX, there sure is a lot less need to pay for cable/DDS. I sure hope the network affiliates stay committed to HD (and with FOX coming on line this Fall -- that seems to be the trend). But when I think of all the bandwidth available (think stations like NH's Channels 50, 60 and 21, and Mass's 62, 68, 27 and 66), I won't be surprised to see more and more multicasting. I think -- eventually -- it will be like FM and AM. Certainly for music and entertainment, FM has supplanted AM. But AM still thrives while filling a different need. I think HD and SD will be the same. Eventually, when we think TV -- we will all think HD, but SD will always have a role to play.

Originally posted by BHolbrook
We will be shutting down DT 31 on wednesday 8/4 for the day so we can use the antenna and line for 25 while we replace some old transmission line to our main NTSC antenna. We should have it back sometime after midnight thursday morning. We will also be shutting down 25 OTA for a couple of hours at that time (1am thursday) for some configuration changes in the building with "Magic T's" etc. We will be backup sometime between 4 and 5 am thursday morning on 25. Most cable systems are fed by fiber so they will see no interuption.

Bill Holbrook
Chief Engineer WFXT-TV

Bill,

Thanks for the update. Any idea as to when you expect 25HD to be back at full power? Currently, I am not able to lock on the signal in Bellingham, MA.

Thanks

Yep, PAX-DT (ch. 32) is on the air. I get about 70% signal strength. The strength is pretty constant, but there are a lot of drop outs in the picture (encoding errors?).

Also, I only get program on 68-1. The other subchannels (-2, -3, -4) show
up but they are just black screens with no audio.

Is anyone else seeing this, or is it just my Dish 811 that has a problem?

-Bob

Originally posted by rjd
Yep, PAX-DT (ch. 32) is on the air. I get about 70% signal strength. The strength is pretty constant, but there are a lot of drop outs in the picture (encoding errors?).

Also, I only get program on 68-1. The other subchannels (-2, -3, -4) show
up but they are just black screens with no audio.

Is anyone else seeing this, or is it just my Dish 811 that has a problem?

-Bob Same problem with a strong signal but video dropouts on my HD Tivo. Strangely enough, my DTC-100 gets a slightly weaker signal but no dropouts. And I'm not getting 68-2, 3 or 4 either.

Had it until ~last week, now, even though I get a strong signal, I get no video

Using samsung sir-t351 (which works PBS 44) on the north shore

Anyone else having trouble..

TIA

--G

Foungd the prpblem... not the tower but me

When I rescanned the channles it came in

Is the WB operating at full power? I can almost pick them up... sooo close that sometimes I do, most of the time I don't.

Originally posted by Schlotkins
Is the WB operating at full power? I can almost pick them up... sooo close that sometimes I do, most of the time I don't.

I hope not. I cant get it at all. Only registers 15-25 on my signal strength meter. I presume you are referring to channel 56 in Boston?

What is your location?

No they are not at full power

I meant DT41 (WB). I get about 51-53% in Sterling (north of worcester) with an indoor antenna. I'm too lazy to put up an outdoor so I probably COULD get it.

Well, I hope they can get the power up soon....

I get a very strong signal (70-75%) in Raynham on both my Dtc-100 and HDTivo with an indoor antenna on WLVI-DT. Never could pick it up in Taunton but now it's a breeze.

I get about 63 - 68% signal on 41 with an in-attic antenna in Ayer. Due to the multipath going thru the roof (it's a condo so no way to put it outside :(), I had to play a bit with the position and direction to get it just right.

-Mike

Question for Bob: Will you be broadcasting the HD feed on BZ-DT on Thursday & Friday, or just over the weekend?
Thanks in advance!

Originally posted by perrycom
Question for Bob: Will you be broadcasting the HD feed on BZ-DT on Thursday & Friday, or just over the weekend?
Thanks in advance! Only the weekend broadcasts will be in High Definition. The highlights on Thursday and Friday will not.

too bad...but thanks for the prompt reply.

question about problems during monday night football on wcbv-dt:

i used my tivo for the first time to capture football in HD last night - abc's first monday night football coverage of washington vs. denver.

several times during the tivo playback of the game, the picture switched from HD/widescreen to SD/4:3. i think it switched at least 2-3 times, and it stayed in SD for several minutes at a time. my guess was that there were some technical problems at the local station, but i was wondering if anyone else could confirm that they saw the same thing?

Bill Holbrook,

Could you provide us with a new update on the 25.1 upgrade and when we can expect to see full power....

Thanks!!

Sorry, this was supposed to have gone in the Boston DTV Power Thread:


Anyone else noticing a breakup of the HD PBS signal on Channel 2? I had no problem with my old DTC100 but since getting the HR10-250 I am having problems with the reception of D-2. No change in antenna so I attribute it to the HD receiver. I get signal strenghts of 80+ on one tuner and in the low 70s on the other tuner. Benji??? :confused:

Anyone else noticing a breakup of the HD PBS signal on Channel 2? I had no problem with my old DTC100 but since getting the HR10-250 I am having problems with the reception of D-2. No change in antenna so I attribute it to the HD receiver. I get signal strenghts of 80+ on one tuner and in the low 70s on the other tuner. Benji???

I'm getting about a 90 signal on my Tivo for WGHB 2-2 with no breakup. The only station I have a similar problem with is 68-1. I get a 70-80 signal but the picture breaks up. It's fine on my DTC-100. I get 68-2 on the Tivo with no problem.

Thanks Benji for your info. I wish I could figure out how to get 2-2 on Tuner 1 on the HD receiver since that signal is constant at the high 80s. There are times when the HD signal is solid, so seems dependent on which tuner it is on, but then again from a technical standpoint that may be completely wrong. I don't understand how the 2 tuners work, and why there is such a big difference between the two strengths. I don't have that problem with any of the other Boston stations (except for 25 which I haven't gotten since they went to low power). I'm hoping that RI PBS will have a sub channel for the PBS HD channel - they have told me that they have the antenna installed and transmitter up and tested, but are now waiting for the necessary "inside" equipment and expect to be on air by the end of the year. Originally it was supposed to be mid summer.

I never could get 25-1 in Taunton but since moving 2 exits up Rt. 24 to Raynham, I get it now with about a 65-70 signal on the Tivo. I'm hoping when they resume "full" power it will be better not worse.

The HR10-250 OTA tuners are the same. One input and an internal splitter to get the two tuners. The mere fact that the unit splits the signal weakens it. I wish it would default to a "non split" signal if a certain strength is not achieved.
I get 2-2 strong in Bellingham, but 25-1 is very low right now, in the 20's. I hope they ramp it up soon, before the football season begins.

Originally posted by mbtobe
The HR10-250 OTA tuners are the same. One input and an internal splitter to get the two tuners. The mere fact that the unit splits the signal weakens it. I wish it would default to a "non split" signal if a certain strength is not achieved.
I get 2-2 strong in Bellingham, but 25-1 is very low right now, in the 20's. I hope they ramp it up soon, before the football season begins.


Thanks - that clears up why there are two different signal strengths, but I have nearly a 30 "unit" differfence on WGBH 2-2, from 88 to 90 on Tuner 1 to 60 or a bit higher on Tuner 2. Your idea for the default tuner is an exellent one. I just wonder how you know which channel or sub-channel is on which tuner (if that makes any sense). I can have a solid signal on 2-2 and after changing channels can come back and find the picture breaking up. This ONLY happens on GBH 2-2!

If you are in need of a cheap box...CC in Burlington has an open box Zenith SAT-520 for $80.

D_Doherty,

Thanks for the tip in the open box special at circuit city. $80 to watch 6-8 football games in HD every week. How could I not buy it?

Thanks
Jon

Any update on 25-1??
I hope WFXT ramps up soon so that we wont miss any football games.

Bill Holbrook, any info you can pass along?

hi guys .seems like this is the Boston forum for antenna reception , and you folks seem knowledgable about ota analog and HD reception , so .....
i'm a lil' bit knowledgable in satellite , but just getting into this ota analog and digital HD stuff , the hi-end good reception versions .........whats the right stuff to use in ota antenna reception ; am in Peabody Ma. 01960 , 25-30 miles from most Boston towers ;.... looking to get reception from as far as NH in HDTV , 35-55 miles away , + all the Boston locals in analog and HD ......My Thoughts are , rooftop , preferably , ..or.. attic install , which is not desirable ...separate vhf and separate uhf antennas probably , if thats the best route , using cm 7777 or better pre-amp , cm remote control rotor , feeding a 10 output combiner/splitter to 7 satellite rcvrs and/or tv's , and 3 add'l HDTV satellite rcvrs ; antenna home runs to wall plates w RG6 already done ; I inherited
an attic ChannelMaster antenna , i believe 153''-157'' width , which really does'nt cut it in PQ + has lottsa snow in analog locals , which is probably because its in the attic ......whats your opinions on whats good and not so good in the north shore of Boston ...what works ??? , and whats the best of the best in tried and proven reception methods , and anyone in metro Boston doing installs on ota antennas ......since ota equipment is not overly expensive from stark electronics , i would really like to get a kickin' set-up with real good PQ ????...I liked what i saw in the limited reception that in got on 4.1 , 5.1 , 7.1 , .....and would like to improve dramatically on that , but not much info here on Boston HD reception ideas and equipment ......any help , and your input please thanx

Originally posted by sattv4u
hi guys .seems like this is the Boston forum for antenna reception , and you folks seem knowledgable about ota analog and HD reception , so .....
i'm a lil' bit knowledgable in satellite , but just getting into this ota analog and digital HD stuff , the hi-end good reception versions .........whats the right stuff to use in ota antenna reception ; am in Peabody Ma. 01960 , 25-30 miles from most Boston towers ;.... looking to get reception from as far as NH in HDTV , 35-55 miles away , + all the Boston locals in analog and HD ......My Thoughts are , rooftop , preferably , ..or.. attic install , which is not desirable ...separate vhf and separate uhf antennas probably , if thats the best route , using cm 7777 or better pre-amp , cm remote control rotor , feeding a 10 output combiner/splitter to 7 satellite rcvrs and/or tv's , and 3 add'l HDTV satellite rcvrs ; antenna home runs to wall plates w RG6 already done ; I inherited
an attic ChannelMaster antenna , i believe 153''-157'' width , which really does'nt cut it in PQ + has lottsa snow in analog locals , which is probably because its in the attic ......whats your opinions on whats good and not so good in the north shore of Boston ...what works ??? , and whats the best of the best in tried and proven reception methods , and anyone in metro Boston doing installs on ota antennas ......since ota equipment is not overly expensive from stark electronics , i would really like to get a kickin' set-up with real good PQ ????...I liked what i saw in the limited reception that in got on 4.1 , 5.1 , 7.1 , .....and would like to improve dramatically on that , but not much info here on Boston HD reception ideas and equipment ......any help , and your input please thanx

Interesting questions coming from a " Satellite & Hme Thtre Entertainment Dealer ". You should already know the answer to your question. No two situations are the same. Depends on your location, terrain, trees. buildings, etc. Since most of the Boston channels transmit from a location that includes downtown Boston in its path to Malden, I suspect that you will have a bit of multipath issues. I would think you would want to place that Channel master on your roof and start by pointing towards the south/southeast and work from there by trial and error.
I am south of Boston, and use two antennas. One pointed at Boston, the other at Providence, I have the signals combined and then through a pre amp before connecting to my HR10-250. It defies conventional wisdon, but it works.

Every once in a while, I like to confirm that reception of WB 41-2 still stinks!

Originally posted by RScogland
Every once in a while, I like to confirm that reception of WB 41-2 still stinks! I actually get a very strong signal in Raynham on 41-1, using an indoor antenna. My HD Tivo shows a 65% signal.

Originally posted by RScogland
Every once in a while, I like to confirm that reception of WB 41-2 still stinks!

with a roof top antenna in Nashua -- we pull a solid 65.

Hmmm, I guess I've been missing something.... What is the frequency assignment for 41.2? I don't even see it on antennaweb.org and I tried a few zipcodes.

If 41-2 is really WLVI-DT 56.1 then I would agree fully that the signal is low. Otherwise, I am clueless and didn't even know there was another WB.

Originally posted by sonofjay
Hmmm, I guess I've been missing something.... What is the frequency assignment for 41.2? I don't even see it on antennaweb.org and I tried a few zipcodes.

If 41-2 is really WLVI-DT 56.1 then I would agree fully that the signal is low. Otherwise, I am clueless and didn't even know there was another WB.


41-2 can remap to 56.1 ... I choose to not remap, in hopes of minimizing signal loss ... but it still doesn't get the WB signal for me. This is despite hiring an antenna installer to adjust my Channel Master roof mounted antenna to try to get it.

I get a very low signal (less than 25) on my hr10-250 here in Bellingham.
Must not be sending much signal towards southwest.

hi everyone and mbtobe ...i never did profess to be an RF antenna wizzz kid, you guys fool with this a lot more than i do , but i'm learning real fast ; out of the hundreds and hundreds of installed dss & hme thtre systems , we only have like a dozen with an ota antenna added on , and those configs were by the design of the owners ....so now on my own house , i'd like to config a really kick-butt ota system to accomadate my hdtv receivers ; thats why i came here for help...i can assure that after my research and with all my RF and Antenna resources when finally done and with the help of this forum , i'll have one dynamite system that works without dismay ...or at least i hope , lolololol

Originally posted by mbtobe
Any update on 25-1??
I hope WFXT ramps up soon so that we wont miss any football games.

Bill Holbrook, any info you can pass along?

I agree. It's wreaking havok with recordings.

I know I haven't posted status in a while but I didn't have any specific info to post but here is where we are at.

Our new third tube on NTSC is now on the air so we are operating fully redundent and at full operating power on 25.

The new transmitter on DTV is operating nicely into a dummy load and has been for a couple of days now. There are some control issues and RF tweaking etc to do but it could go on the air now. Our plan is to have all these issues worked out and be operating at full licensed power on DTV by Labor Day at the latest.

As far as the HD splicer is concerned, testing is ongoing but we should be ready for whenever the network gives to go ahead and starts feeding 720P programming.

I'll post here when we throw the switch to the big rig.

Thanks for the update.

Hopefully, I will be able to finally get 25-1 OTA just in time for the start of the football season.

Can't wait until the "Big Rig" is live! Thanks for the update!

Thank you muchly for the update Bill. Its been too long since I've been able to watch Fox 25. Need my Simpson's fix and football is just around the corner.

Anyone else notice the audio issue on WSBK-DT 38.1? It has been snap-crackling since last thursday. If I wasn't so rudely treated the last time that I called them, I would have called them to report it, I miss Bob Hess.

Jim

yes, i definitely noticed the snap-crackling audio on 38.1.

Originally posted by dduff617
yes, i definitely noticed the snap-crackling audio on 38.1.
News to me. I'll check into it.

Vfrjim: Sorry about any rude treatment you've received. We'll remind the Master Control operators that rudeness is a bad thing.

Yup, 38.1 audio has been bad for a few days now.

Thanks for looking into it Robert!

Can some one contact channel 56 and get them to stop multicasting the channel? Also we need to contact wgbh and get them to get rid of the third channel 2 since it is hurting the quality of the hdtv channel!

Originally posted by RScogland
41-2 can remap to 56.1 ... I choose to not remap, in hopes of minimizing signal loss ... but it still doesn't get the WB signal for me. This is despite hiring an antenna installer to adjust my Channel Master roof mounted antenna to try to get it.

???

You make it sound like you think that remapping changes the signal strength.

Remapping is a digital thing - the tuner tunes into the 'real' frequency and then decodes the digital data. The digital data has control information that tells the tuner the 'remap' channel assignment. Whether you chose to have your tuner remap or not won't have any effect on your signal strength.

Now, it could be that your tuner gets confused by the 'real' channel going away and will drop or forget the remap channels. Mine does that, and sometimes requires a 'rescan' to get them again.

But I don't understand how chosing to map or not can have any effect on signal loss.

Craig

Originally posted by RYankowitz
News to me. I'll check into it.

Vfrjim: Sorry about any rude treatment you've received. We'll remind the Master Control operators that rudeness is a bad thing.

No problem, thanks for looking into the problem.

Jim

Originally posted by cneth
???

You make it sound like you think that remapping changes the signal strength.


This is not something that is regularly talked about now (with all the new HDTV tuners out there) but a few years ago, it was common knowledge here that re-mapping DID reduce your chances of receiving OTA channels in some cases, with some tuners. So, yes ... I do make it seem like I think that ... intentionally.

Originally posted by RScogland
This is not something that is regularly talked about now (with all the new HDTV tuners out there) but a few years ago, it was common knowledge here that re-mapping DID reduce your chances of receiving OTA channels in some cases, with some tuners. So, yes ... I do make it seem like I think that ... intentionally.

Ok, I understand what you are saying. And yes, I would agree that some of the older tuners had issues with the PSIP data (and in some cases the PSIP data was buggy), and this caused the remapped channels to disappear. I have an older tuner, so I know of what you speak. (Heck, for a while WGBH-44 was sending such strange PSIP data that tuning to it would cause my tuner to reboot!)

Perhaps I'm just being pedantic, but I don't call that "signal loss". To me "signal loss" is when your antenna isn't getting a signal and there isn't anything you can do in the tuner to make it work. But I can see where the buggy remapping can cause the same end results.

FWIW, All of the Boston area stations I can receive seem to have pretty reliable PSIP data now - I have not seen any 'remapping' issues with my DTC100 in a while now.

Craig

Based on that (improved PSIP reliability) maybe I should give remapping another try on my ProScan PSHD-105 (same as RCA DTC-100) along with getting the guide data. I have not bothered lately because since I also have Comcast, the only OTA channels I'm missing are WB and UPN ... and since WB doesn't come in, and I don't watch much UPN, I rarely even watch OTA channels anymore.

Originally posted by BHolbrook
Our plan is to have all these issues worked out and be operating at full licensed power on DTV by Labor Day at the latest.

Bill - What ERP is the "full licensed power"....did the pending 383kW application ever get approved or can we only expect the previous 78kW ERP? Due to my reception-challenged location, even using a CM4228 and pre-amp its hit-or-miss under anything but the most ideal weather conditions (low cloud-cover to enhance signal w/ no wind, no precip, no leaves.)

Originally posted by dduff617
yes, i definitely noticed the snap-crackling audio on 38.1.

Originally posted by RYankowitz
News to me. I'll check into it.

Vfrjim: Sorry about any rude treatment you've received. We'll remind the Master Control operators that rudeness is a bad thing.
The noise problem has been fixed. Thanks for the heads-up.

Vfrjim: We've got one of the Master Control Operators on the rack right now; we're tickling the soles of his feet. I hope that'll be satisfactory.

Originally posted by RYankowitz
The noise problem has been fixed. Thanks for the heads-up.

Vfrjim: We've got one of the Master Control Operators on the rack right now; we're tickling the soles of his feet. I hope that'll be satisfactory.

It was a woman that was rude, so your tickling the wrong person....:D

Also what about the channel guide info for channels 4 & 38 like some of the other stations?

Thanks

First of all full licensed power is still the 78kw EIRP. Currently we are running about 14kw EIRP on the backup solid state rig. Our initial application for an increase was rejected. We have reapplied but it is in legal limbo. I can't get into what our plans are long term but I wouldn't be expecting an increase above the 78kw in the near future for the OTA signal.

We are planning some major work wednesday moving some tubes around and may possibly be back on the Big Rig as early as friday. We do expect some "crowbars" with the rig early on but these seem to settle out the longer the rigs are on. The tubes need to find their "groove" and then they tend to purr as long as you don't mess with them too much.

Bill Holbrook
Chief Engineer WFXT

Bill - Thanks for the excellent update.

Originally posted by Doug G
Bill - Thanks for the excellent update.

Bill: A great technical explanation in a manner that even I can understand :D

Just checked 25-1 at 6:15 PM and have a solid picture - looks like the new transmitter is up and running?

Same here for 25-1, glad to see it back!

-Mike

WFTX-DT 25.1 back up in Holden....

:D

WFXT-DT back on the air...NICE!

Yes, the new "Big Rig" is up and on the air. We brought it up a little early to watch its performance into the antenna. There still may be a couple of brief outages over the next day or so for some control issues that need to be resolved. Also we are planning some overnight work "proofing" the rig tonite so it will be up and down at various times. Hopefully we will be able to stay on it permanently after that.

Thanks to everyone for their patience during this major renovation but there was a tremendous ammount of work that needed to get done mainly on the NTSC side. Any comments about the splicer performance and the native 720p programming once it starts would be appreciated.

Bill Holbrook
Chief Engineer WFXT

This is awesome. I'm now receiving as strong a signal on 25-1 as the other Boston stations. Keep up the good work FOX25!!! Can't wait for the baseball playoffs and NFL!!!

Bill

Thanks for all of your responses during this down time. It was very helpful knowing it was not "my antenna" that was having the problem. I wish more station engineers would participate in this forum as you have done. Great job and Thanks!

-Chris

Also receiving 25-1 again here in Andover thanks to the calm weather conditions this morning. However, I am noticing what appears to be a problem with the local 720p upconversion....there are slight hiccups (freezes) which occur at random intervals. Absent from other stations, so pretty sure its not my local receiver. Maybe related to the xmitter burn-in period Bill talked about?

On a separate note, my Panny HDS20 is no longer displaying picture on 44-4, although I do get sound. Anyone else seeing this? Tried a re-scan this morning, no joy. Also, what's up with 2-101 "UpdatTV" with no picture ??? Those folks at PBS need to get their act together...

Boy, if the Sox are lucky enough to make the playoffs I sure hope we'll get a taste of some HD MLB on Fox!!

I noticed last nite that I was able to receive 25-1 in Bellingham!
Just in time for NFL and MLB Playoffs.

My signal is not as strong as other Boston digital channels, but at a steady 65-70 my HR10-250 Tivo unit was able to lock on to the signal.

I am now able to receive good signals on all local networks, except WB56.

Originally posted by vfrjim
Anyone else notice the audio issue on WSBK-DT 38.1? It has been snap-crackling since last thursday. If I wasn't so rudely treated the last time that I called them, I would have called them to report it, I miss Bob Hess.

Jim
Now don't go talking about me.....I still lurk around. WBZ is in good hands, however. I've got my hands full in California. Bob Y will take good care of you guys.

- Bob

Originally posted by Bob Hess
Now don't go talking about me.....I still lurk around. WBZ is in good hands, however. I've got my hands full in California. Bob Y will take good care of you guys.

- Bob

Bob what are you doing out there? Great to know you are still around and yes Bob Y has been taken care of us you taught him well but you are the master.

"I am now able to receive good signals on all local networks, except WB56."

Does anyone receive a good signal from WB56?

Originally posted by murph3699
"I am now able to receive good signals on all local networks, except WB56."

Does anyone receive a good signal from WB56?

Last time I checked I do but I never watch 56 so it is not an issue for me

Originally posted by murph3699

Does anyone receive a good signal from WB56?

I'm ~20 miles from the towers, and with an in-attic antenna receive a pretty good signal. It varies, but typically sits around 60 - 65% which is enough for the 811 to lock in. I do get occasional break ups, but it's defininitely watchable. If they were to raise the power by just a bit, it would be as good as WBZ or WCVB is for me.

-Mike

I get about a 70% on my DIRECTV Tivo using an amplified indoor antenna for 56-1. I am about 20 miles from Needham.

Originally posted by steverobertson
Last time I checked I do but I never watch 56 so it is not an issue for me Not even the infomercials?

Originally posted by Benji
Not even the infomercials?

Nope the only thing worth watching on that channel is Karen Marinella but I dimped her her for Maria Stepanos on 25

Originally posted by steverobertson
Nope the only thing worth watching on that channel is Karen Marinella but I dimped her her for Maria Stepanos on 25 I'd only rank her fourth behind Bianca dela Garza, Jodi Applegate and Cindy Fitzgibbon.

Originally posted by Benji
I get about a 70% on my DIRECTV Tivo using an amplified indoor antenna for 56-1. I am about 20 miles from Needham.

I'm 45 miles from the Boston towers and get around a 15 to 20 on 56. But never watch WB anyway. Am getting around 60 to 65 on 25-1 but even if i didn't will be OK "when" 64 starts broadcasting which they tell me will be the last of this month.

Originally posted by bcushman
I'm 45 miles from the Boston towers and get around a 15 to 20 on 56. But never watch WB anyway. Am getting around 60 to 65 on 25-1 but even if i didn't will be OK "when" 64 starts broadcasting which they tell me will be the last of this month. Do you know if 64 has the HD-splicer installed yet. Without that you will only get digital SD from Fox.

Originally posted by Benji
I'd only rank her fourth behind Bianca dela Garza, Jodi Applegate and Cindy Fitzgibbon.

That is because you are blind and a Hkie fan that doesn't no a good thing when you see it

Originally posted by steverobertson
That is because you are blind and a Hkie fan that doesn't no a good thing when you see it This is the pot calling the kettle black! Actually my favorite Boston female personality is J.C. Monohan at WCVB. Sheeeeeees hottttttttt!!!Liz Bruner is a close second.

Originally posted by Benji
This is the pot calling the kettle black! Actually my favorite Boston female personality is J.C. Monohan at WCVB. Sheeeeeees hottttttttt!!!Liz Bruner is a close second.

There good but I still will take Maria over all of them

Originally posted by Benji
Do you know if 64 has the HD-splicer installed yet. Without that you will only get digital SD from Fox.

Benji - in case you didn't see this on the Providence thread, here is what I got on September 1st:

Here's an update I got today from the GM of Channel 64:

Mr. Cushman,
We are experiencing some delays in getting the proper equipment and installation from FOX for FOX HD. We will probably not hit the opening of the season, but our goal is to be ready for the end of September, especially with the possibility of the Red Sox in the post season. While we should be broadcasting FOX HD and are already broadcasting CBS HD over the air and available with a digital tuner and antennae, I am not optimistic that we will have an HD agreement worked out with Cox, if that is your HD provider.
Thanks again for your interest. Jay Howell, Pres and GM, WPRI/WNAC

We had a small hiccup with a fan motor today and had to take the Big Rig down for a while to repair it. All is fine now and we should be on full power from now on except for a few overnight electrical changes that need to be made.
I apprecieate the kind words but my postings are also a bit selfish as it has eliminated a great number of voicemails and emails this time that I had to answer back in December and January when we had transmission line trouble.
A quick note our splicer is on line (hence you will notice the longer delay from NTSC) so we should be feeding the true HD when the network starts feeding it.

Bill Holbrook
Chief Engineer WFXT

Thanks for the info Bill. FOX25 never looked so good!

I think anyone who thinks they get a strong signal on the WB 56 is high! (geographically)

I get a strong signal on WB56!

Anyone else notice the letterbox on UPN38 tonight during the Sox game? At least during the bottom of the 4th?

I get 30% signal on WB56 and 69% on Fox25, no dropouts, so they both are completely watchable.

Jim

If I position my indoor antenna a certain way, I get up to a 75% signal on 56-1 but lose other stations. The sweet spot for my antenna to pick up all Boston stations gives me about a 65% signal on 56-1.

I actually emailed channel 56 regarding when they expect to go to full power and received this reply.
"Thank you for your e-mail to Boston's WB56. We're very
close, should
be by the end of this month....."
Note that the reply was received on 9-2-04.
THis is definitely good news since this is the only major network which I can not yet receive.

That would be great news.

That would be awesome! What would the power difference be? I'm right on the edge of getting it here.

Thanks for the update,
Chris

According to the FCC site (http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?state=&call=wlvi&arn=&city=&chan=&cha2=69&serv=&type=0&facid=&list=2&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=), WLVI has a DTV STA (Special Temporary Authority) at 30 kW and a CP (Construction Permit) for 550 kW on channel 41. If 550 kW is the "full power" they were referring to, that should make a big difference. That's roughly equivalent to WGBX's 500 kW on channel 43 (although WGBX is 45m--150' higher in the air).

In any case, I'm sure that will be plenty of signal here in Boylston, where I don't currently have a usable signal on WLVI.

Jim

That's quite the increase in power. I can get about 51% signal here on my Fusion III.. just a little under what I need so that should be plenty. Are they changing out there antenna too?

ccjgil - could you ask the person that responsed that question? I believe they use a directional antenna now so it's easier south of the city to get signal. Hopefully they go Omni at the same time!

Chris

Hi folks,

I would appreciate any insight from the seasoned members of this forum thread as it relates to OTA reception in Milton...

I had the Echostar installers put a Terk antenna around my Sat Dish helter-skelter and i get mostly static...

Thanks much...

Boogaboo

Originally posted by boogaboo
Hi folks,

I would appreciate any insight from the seasoned members of this forum thread as it relates to OTA reception in Milton...

I had the Echostar installers put a Terk antenna around my Sat Dish helter-skelter and i get mostly static...

Thanks much...

Boogaboo

The Terk dish antennas are not very good. Problem is, they face the Southeast and you need your OTA to face northwest, toward Needham.
Best bet would be to try a Silver Sensor (available at Sears). Being as close as you are, this may well work for you. Absent that, try a Channel Master or even a Radio Shack rooftop mount. My Radio Shack antenna gets me all the networks from Boston.

Try anything but a Terk!!! They're a joke!

Zenith
Rick,

CBS transferred me from Boston to California last January. Look at the Boston thread and send a message to Bob Yankowitz.

Bob


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

radco wrote on Today 07:26 AM:
Hi Bob
I have a zenith IQB64W 64 inch integrated HDTV
I get no audio from Boston 4
to make a long story short, I contacted zenith and said
the trouble is at the stations end, its been like this for 6 to 8 months.
The station made a change to the digital audio stream.
The Fall season is almost here, please help.

thanks!

Rick D

PS all my other hd set top boxes work fine with channel 4
just the zenith, thats why I waited

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

Schlotkins,
I will reply to the wb56 email with the requested question. Update to follow when I hear back.

I appreciate it!

Chris

Attached is the reply I received from wb56 regarding whether their current DT antenna is directional and whether the upgrade to full power will change this. Below is the reply.
"Our antenna pattern is not "directional" in the traditional sense, but does
have 2 unique characteristics: 1) There is a 1 degree mechanical tilt,
creating a more direct pattern into Boston and,
2) The antenna hangs under the tower candelabra, creating a slight
distortion of the pattern because the tower itself is shielding part of the
radiation.

As a result of the 2 factors, our predicted coverage is slightly egg shaped
resulting in more throw to the west and less east.

I've attached a PDF of our predicted coverage map so you can see the result."

I have attached the pdf.

Anybody else having problems with audio out of sync on Fox 25?

On the WB56 Map is it me or is that WAY OFF? I think the actual coverage is between 1/2 and 1/4 of that shown. Even in westwood with a large uhf attic antenna the signal is pretty low. I think we should notify them of the actual watchable coverage and subchannel with no sound!

Thanks for the info!

I think they are showing a "predictable" pattern for the future when they will go to full power - still doesn't look good for the Cape.

Go Pats !!

Originally posted by steverobertson
Nope the only thing worth watching on that channel is Karen Marinella but I dimped her her for Maria Stepanos on 25 Forget everyone else....NEW FAVORITE: Molly Line!!! What a FOX! (no pun intended). And listen to this...she's a VT Hokie!!!

Originally posted by Benji
Forget everyone else....NEW FAVORITE: Molly Line!!! What a FOX! (no pun intended). And listen to this...she's a VT Hokie!!!

I agre she is pretty hot but being a Hokie fan knocks her off the top of the list.;)

Benji do you know if the pregame show is in HD tonight?

Steve...the pre-game show (I presume you mean the music extravaganza) is in HD. But the local pre-pre-game show produced by WCVB obviously is not. As for Molly, she is not just a Hokie fan, she's a HOKIE!

Originally posted by Benji
Steve...the pre-game show (I presume you mean the music extravaganza) is in HD. But the local pre-pre-game show produced by WCVB obviously is not. As for Molly, she is not just a Hokie fan, she's a HOKIE!

That is what I figured god forbid channel 5 offer an HD pregame show. I don't understand this as they do some Chronicles in HD.

As far as Molly goes I am sorry to hear that she graduated a Hokie the poor girl is doomed for life.

Hey Steve,


Could you let me know if your having any problems with OTA 5-1

It was in & out last night & now I'm getting no signal at all....maybe the weather??.... I usually get a pretty strong signal from 5-1 in Framingham

Starting worry as kickoff is getting close.

Originally posted by WCURTIS
Hey Steve,


Could you let me know if your having any problems with OTA 5-1

It was in & out last night & now I'm getting no signal at all....maybe the weather??.... I usually get a pretty strong signal from 5-1 in Framingham

Starting worry as kickoff is getting close.

I just checked and I am in the low 90's not sure why you would be having trouble but I know I have problems in the past with channel 5 but it has been a while and I really don't watch 5 all that much other than Chronicle or sports.

What is your receiver?

Channel 5 was off the air briefly early this morning (about 6AM) but it is on with its usual strength at this moment. As for the pre-game show, after further review, my HD Tivo program guide does not list it as "HD". Could be wrong but I guess we'll have to wait until 8PM to find out.

Receiver is a DTV Hughs.....signal is now going from 100 to 0???

Must be the weather......??

Hopefully it will be ok tonight......can't wait to see Manning getting crushed in HD!!!

How's the new Tivo working out....I'm still on the fence because of the lack of NESN
on DTV. Hate to spend a grand & then have to change to Comcast to get NESN in HD.

I miss not seeing the Sox in HD from Comcast but they are not authorized in my apartment complex, therefore it is not an option for me. The Tivo is awesome. I don't know how I survived all these years without it.

Originally posted by WCURTIS
Receiver is a DTV Hughs.....signal is now going from 100 to 0???

Must be the weather......??

Hopefully it will be ok tonight......can't wait to see Manning getting crushed in HD!!!

How's the new Tivo working out....I'm still on the fence because of the lack of NESN
on DTV. Hate to spend a grand & then have to change to Comcast to get NESN in HD.

I hope it alright tonight as well as this not the night to have problems. I hear you on the NESN thing this really ticks me off that we haven't seen it on D* yet but not enough to go to Comcrap. The HD TIVO is the best I watch more HD programing now then ever before. I would suggest getting it as with the anouncement D* made yesterday it is only a matter of time before NESN shows up. Boston being now #5 in overall markets you know we will be the first to receive our HD local and I persume that NESN will be part of that so by June of next year we should be in good shape.

I HOPE

Steve...are you saying we'll be watching the defending world champion Red Sox in HD on DIRECTV next spring?

Originally posted by Benji
Steve...are you saying we'll be watching the defending world champion Red Sox in HD on DIRECTV next spring?

Yes this what I am saying. Like I have said before they have had negotiations so at least we know it is on the radar screen and the last time I spoke with Stephanie and asked her about NESN she said styranger things have happened. I guess our hope would be to get the INHD channels and receive NESN that way and from what I have read INHD channels may not be to far off.

Hope you're right Steve. Would have been great watching this Sox stretch run in HD. This may be the all-time greatest streak by a Sox team, even better than the Morgan magic. This could be the best Sox team in history, better than some of those '70s teams.

Originally posted by Benji
Hope you're right Steve. Would have been great watching this Sox stretch run in HD. This may be the all-time greatest streak by a Sox team, even better than the Morgan magic. This could be the best Sox team in history, better than some of those '70s teams.

I hope I am right as well but I doubt we will see it in time for this year but one never knows.

Originally posted by WCURTIS
Receiver is a DTV Hughs.....signal is now going from 100 to 0???

Must be the weather......??

Hopefully it will be ok tonight......can't wait to see Manning getting crushed in HD!!!

How's the new Tivo working out....I'm still on the fence because of the lack of NESN
on DTV. Hate to spend a grand & then have to change to Comcast to get NESN in HD.

I also have a HR10-250. This morning, I checked 5-1 and also found that it was all over the place, from a high of 90 to a low of 10. I am quite sure it was from the weather and will settle down by tonight. Since I am going to the Pats game, I plan to take advantage of the two tuners and record both 5 and 5-1, just to make sure.
Pats by 16.

Thanks for all the info....I can only pray that it comes in by tonight.

Can't wait for the fall of Peyton Manning & the Colts!!!!

Pats 27 Colts 13

Originally posted by WCURTIS
Thanks for all the info....I can only pray that it comes in by tonight.

Can't wait for the fall of Peyton Manning & the Colts!!!!

Pats 27 Colts 13

I like that score especially with the Pats minus 3 1/2. One other suggestion I have a silver sensor antenna I use as a back up when I have trouble with my outdoor antenna it allows you to move around and get it in a good position. I think I have bad multipath problems here sometimes and the silver sensor has come in handy although the outdoor usually is much better. I just like to have all my bases covered. I think you can pick one up at BB for about 20.00 and if it works great if not bring it back.

Good Luck and enjoy the game.

I think WCVB-DT has settled down. I've been getting a perfect signal all day now. It went off briefly early this morning but has been A-OK ever since.

WLVI-DT was off the air for a while this afternoon. It has re-appeared and apparently is up to full power. It's registering as strong on my Tivo as all the other Boston stations. Now all Boston stations are full power.

Just tuned in WLVI-DT and noticed that I had a watchable 1080i picture with 60% signal here in Boylston. That's compared with < 30% and not watchable picture previously.

Hope it continues!

Jim

EXCELLENT picture here with WLVI-DT. From very low teens prior to today and now in the low 70s on my HR10-250.

Getting over 70% on my Fusion3... from 40%... Haven't tried the Dish 811 yet which was already 65%. :D

-Mike

Originally posted by Prelude2k
Getting over 70% on my Fusion3... from 40%... Haven't tried the Dish 811 yet which was already 65%. :D

-Mike From central Ma (BARRE) and have never received 56 that registered above the 49% level. Today 70's and stable-now we need some positive programming to go with it. Thankful to add another available OTA HiDef possibility.:D:D

In BOTH of the 2 years the Pats had won the Superbowl they LOST the first regular season game.

and Brady was on the cover of SI too!

I'll have to give it a try later.

Getting 69% on my Samsung TS160 here on WLVI-DT, looking good!!

We will be off the air tonite at 1am on both channels including cable as we are doing a major electrical conversion tonite at our transmitter site. We hope to be back up by 5am. The only service that won't be affected is DSS as they are fed from fiber in Dedham. Let me know how you think the splicer and the 720p sgnal looks on the football game this weekend.

Bill Holbrook
Chief Engineer WFXT

I get a picture but not sound on WB56. Is anyone else having this problem?

Bill,

I know the bug issue is being dealt with, but currently the FOX 25 bug is too far down in the corner and is getting cut off. My screen has some overscan, but I don't believe it to be excessive.

I can't even see the "5" in "FOX25."

Hi all,

I am attempting to receive hdtv broadcasts near the Longwood Medical Area with an indoor antenna (~7 miles from most towers, with a potentially obstructed view). I first tried an old Radioshack Ant200 amplified UHF/VHF antenna and managed to pull in only PBS, though the signal was weak. I thought that I might be having a multipath issue, so I purchased a zenith silver sensor.

However, the silver sensor couldn't get anything. Is it worth trying an amplifier on this antenna? If so, what would you suggest? Would another amplified UHF antenna be likely to do a better job than my old RCA?

Thanks for you help!