Are we still on for the 12th? Or am I being overly optimistic? I've got the Champagne Chillin' ....
Below is a recap of what I was told by all 4 stations last month:

WFFF said they intended to start testing "as early as the end of Sept" and "broadcasting over the air, full power by the end of October".

WPTZ was intending to start testing by the 3rd week in Sept and be broadcasting OTA by Oct 15th.

WCAX said they "expected to be on the air by the 2nd week in October".

WVNY said they expected to start testing around Oct 1st and would be "over the air by Nov of this year".

I am surprised there has not been any signal testing activity yet and based on that, it looks like WVNY had the most realistic ETA.

What would be nice is if someone at these stations would monitor this board and occasionally post an update. If we don't see something soon, I'll bug them again.

Well, there's this story on WCAX's website...

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=5501771

They say they'll start OTA HDTV broadcasts in "ten to fourteen days". The date of publication is Oct. 5th, so that puts it in the range of Oct. 15 - 19.

They also say "the exact date will be announced several days in advance". So we need to keep our ears open.

By the way, I just now remembered making a prediction in this forum way back when about the order in which the locals would start broadcasting in HD: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6265939&&#post6265939

So far, so good...

I just switched over from watching cable and did a scan to see if any new channels had been added in the last week or so or if any were testing. As of right now I'm not picking up a signal from VPT 33.5 right now. Anyone else having the same problem? I'm getting a terrible signal from the analog channel 33.1 as well. Usually I get both well. Maybe my reception won't be as hot as I thought here in Williston. I was planning on it not being an issue at all since it's only +/- 10-15 miles from Mansfield as the crow flies. Granted I am using that crappy 49.99 amplified Philips indoor antenna I mentioned before. Still though...didn't think this would be an issue. My signal was pretty good the few other times I ran scans...

Thanks Tom. I'm embarrassed I missed that story. :)

Just got that this instant:

There are a few new problems on the mountain. The antenna feedline is not
completely installed yet and the electrical contractors are not done
getting the power distribution system installed. It may take a week or two
more time. We air now looking at mid November to start HD programs on the
air

Mid November????? What!!???

Just got that this instant:

There are a few new problems on the mountain. The antenna feedline is not
completely installed yet and the electrical contractors are not done
getting the power distribution system installed. It may take a week or two
more time. We air now looking at mid November to start HD programs on the
air

NOAA's talking possible snow for Friday. Winter could start any time. :)
Seriously though, I wonder if there's any real chance that early snow could postpone things until Spring? I have no idea what it's like up there or if they close access off for the Winter like they used to do for Mt Washington.

Yeah. The toll road closes for vehicles on October 15th. After that, they can only get up with snowcats or helicopters.

WCAX has still told me today that they expect to be on in a week or two, so I wonder if it's just an isolated case with WPTZ.

One thing that upsets me is that the four commercial stations waited until the towers were up to install their indoor transmitters and transmission lines, while VPT did it the other way around (which is why they were first on the air despite being the last ones to have their tower put up).

Got the info that week of oct 23, WFFF will start broascast.

I really don't feel like getting a tuner and as I need the cable modem for work anyway, it wouldn't really save me much money, so...

I am sadly sticking with cable until I get my next TV, which knowing me won't be too long anyway.


Does anyone have any word on when Comcast/Adelphia plans on putting the HD channels? Day and Date? When they damn well fell like it?

How about Montreal? The CBC is broadcasting HD now, and Comcast/Adelphia provides the SD broadcasts, does anyone know if they plan on offering CBC HD? Can anyone get this on the antenna?

Thanks in advance...

Yeah. The toll road closes for vehicles on October 15th. After that, they can only get up with snowcats or helicopters.
Is that just for "public" traffic and would site workers and tv station employees still have access for a while after that?
WCAX has still told me today that they expect to be on in a week or two, so I wonder if it's just an isolated case with WPTZ.
Actually they all anticipated testing would start by now but it was WVNY that said OTA by Nov 1st. In any case, it seems like they'll still be needing access to the site after Oct 15th.
One thing that upsets me is that the four commercial stations waited until the towers were up to install their indoor transmitters and transmission lines, while VPT did it the other way around (which is why they were first on the air despite being the last ones to have their tower put up).
I agree and IMO it's been the lack of competation from the beginning that's been the real culprit here. I don't even want to get started on that one today. I just want them up and running so we can start dealing with ways to get the signal to those that still can't receive it.

I picked up the philips version of the silver sensor yesterday at CC in Williston.

I plugged it into my TV at home and I see 3 channels broadcasting digitally, both VPT and Mountain Lake plus another channel that I think is Canadian but didn't come in. Neither of the supposed HD channels looked overly amazing, they were much better than SD over cable but not "great". I was also only picking up 65% signal without fussing around with it and am under the understanding that they are not broadcasting at full power?

I picked up the philips version of the silver sensor yesterday at CC in Williston.

I plugged it into my TV at home and I see 3 channels broadcasting digitally, both VPT and Mountain Lake plus another channel that I think is Canadian but didn't come in. Neither of the supposed HD channels looked overly amazing, they were much better than SD over cable but not "great". I was also only picking up 65% signal without fussing around with it and am under the understanding that they are not broadcasting at full power?

For the VT PBS station you're probably only seeing video on 2 of the 5 sub channels, only one of which is their HD feed and that channel may not actually be broadcasting HD durning the daytime. Check it again this eveing.

The Titan TV website that VPT links to now has listings for the new VT PBS stations, so it's easy to see when HD is on. Tonight (10/11) for example, there's HD from 7-8, 9-11:30 and 12:30AM to 1am.

If anyone is curious, here's what's happening on Mansfield:
http://www.vpr.net/about_vpr/upgrade.shtml

Has DirecTV started integrating WETK's guide info yet?

That is fine for a 1080i channel. But what about a 720p channel (FOX, ABC) What bandwith do they need?
Are they able to put 2 HD stream on it? ie: Fox could put the CW HD shows at 8pm instread of 10pm
Just curious....


By the way, the common rule for a 8VSB broadcast is 6 SD channels or 1 HD. (1 SD is about 3 Mbps, 1 HD is about 18 Mbps).
Kaphyr

That is fine for a 1080i channel. But what about a 720p channel (FOX, ABC) What bandwith do they need?
Are they able to put 2 HD stream on it? ie: Fox could put the CW HD shows at 8pm instread of 10pm
Just curious....

No, there is not enough bandwidth for 2 HD in good quality. Compare to a 1080i stream, a 720P stream had half the resolution but also the double in framerate. So, in theory, they should use about the same amount of bandwidth and the same rule should apply.

In pratice, most 720P HD channel I've seen (like ABC and some PBS) use around 13 to 15 Mbps. So they have 1 or 2 sub-channels also. Only Fox station use less with a bitrate around 11-12 Mbps and something with 3 SD sub-channel. I hope that WFFF-DT will do better than this.

Kaphyr

Well, apparently Fox's distribution system ensures that the bandwidth of the network HD program is the same on all affiliates. It's already precompressed at a certain bitrate.

Do you know the bitrate they use?

Well, apparently Fox's distribution system ensures that the bandwidth of the network HD program is the same on all affiliates. It's already precompressed at a certain bitrate.

Thank you Kaphyr for the info.

got an email from bill sally at fox 44 yesterday. said they are proofing the transmitter this week. next week they will analyze the transmission and anntenna, said they expect to be broadcastins by the end of the month and maybe as early as the week of 10/23

Who's got an answer to this one?!

According to antennaweb, the compass orientation for VPT HD, 33.5, is 66, and for Mountain Lakes HD, 57.1, it's 321. My antenna's always been pointed for best reception from Mt. Mansfield, so why does 57.1 come in even better than VPT??

33-5 is back up...getting a great signal again.

Who's got an answer to this one?!

According to antennaweb, the compass orientation for VPT HD, 33.5, is 66, and for Mountain Lakes HD, 57.1, it's 321. My antenna's always been pointed for best reception from Mt. Mansfield, so why does 57.1 come in even better than VPT??Lots of reasons. In no particular order:
o Transmitting power
o Terrain between the transmitter and the receiver
o Weather
o Obstructions near the receiving antenna
o Electrical interference
o Receiving antenna charactistics (no antenna is perfectly directional)

I'm sure there are more.

Also, by "come in even better" I assume you meant signal strength. If you're talking picture quality, then that's a different issue, the short explanation being bitrate (compression) differences between the 2 broadcasters.

I just got back into Burlington after being gone for a day, and the WCAX HD channel is not broadcasting in HD. I have Adelphia and have had WCAX in HD for a while now. Anybody else experiencing this problem and/or know what's up?

nikralm17,

Please scroll up and read post #752. Here's a link if you're feeling lazy: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8624095&&#post8624095

Just a note to say I work next door to wfff and they are installing a new microwave antenna today. I have no idea if it is related to HD at all. Just a FYI.

What I don't understand is why all this stuff didn't get done during all those weeks when they were waiting for the towers!

I'm not sure how that was supposed to answer my question, but it was a temporary issue anyways...thanks.

I'm not sure how that was supposed to answer my question, but it was a temporary issue anyways...thanks.Sorry. I mis-read your question to mean "why is it that I can get WCAX in HD over Adelphia cable but not over the air."

I just got back into Burlington after being gone for a day, and the WCAX HD channel is not broadcasting in HD. I have Adelphia and have had WCAX in HD for a while now. Anybody else experiencing this problem and/or know what's up?
The Bufflo/Detroit game was at 1:00 not broadcast in HD. The 2nd game NY Jets/Miami was in HD.

I am starting to hate Adelphia... $162 month for TV and Broadband! Any ideas on options? I need broadband, Family is hooked on DVR and HD, TV is a panasonic 42" monitor - no tuner. I have a few smaller analog TVs in kids rooms/etc... Can I purchase a tuner/DVR that would pick up the new digital broadcasts and provide a guide for recording ease?

Try the new HD Tivo.
I'm thinking of going that route myself. Regular analog cable plus OTA HDTV.
Cheaper a month, but mind you, the HD Tivo retails at 799$ plus the sub.
If not, you can always go the dish/directv way with a dvr, and then choose the cheapest broadband provider.
Personnaly, as of now, I have a regular Tivo box for analog cable, plus a dish 9200 dvr for hdtv and OTA hdtv.

Anybody here has any updates on nbc, cbs and fox? I can't beleive PBS guys were months ahead everybody else.
God forbid we get a big ass storm like Buffalo. Then it's bye bye hdtv till next summer.

I am starting to hate Adelphia... $162 month for TV and Broadband! Any ideas on options?In my experience, going satellite TV w/ DSL broadband is way cheaper than Adelphia's all-inclusive digital package.

For example, here's what I'm currently subscribed to:
DishNetwork HD Bronze package w/ ViP622 HD PVR (w/ OTA tuner): ~$70/mo.
Verizon DSL @ 784kbps down, 128kbps up: $14.95/mo.

Total monthly bill for HD programming and broadband Internet: ~$85.

Throw in a few "bells and whistles" like HBO-HD and Verizon's 1Mbps DSL and the monthly costs goes up another $20 or so. But that's still a lot less than $162!

Unfortunatley, DSL availability around here isn't good. If you don't qualify, then you're stuck w/ Adelphia.

The Bufflo/Detroit game was at 1:00 not broadcast in HD. The 2nd game NY Jets/Miami was in HD.


I hate them as much as anyone, but CBS didn't broadcast the game in HD.

Anybody here has any updates on nbc, cbs and fox? I can't beleive PBS guys were months ahead everybody else.
God forbid we get a big ass storm like Buffalo. Then it's bye bye hdtv till next summer.Funny you should ask. I sent an email to WCAX yesterday asking that very same question. Here's the exchange:

>> I saw your report RE HDTV readiness here:
>> http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=5501771
>>
>> According to that report you're supposed to be firing up your HDTV
>> transmission this week, and "The exact date will be announced several days
>> in advance." However, I haven't heard any kind of announcement yet which
>> leads me to believe that perhaps you've fallen behind??
>>
>> Please tell me that's not the case. I've been looking forward to adding
>> yours to the list of HDTV stations I can receive (currently, that number
>> is 2: WETK, which went live last month, and WCFE, which went live a long
>> time before that).
>>
>>-Tom
>
> We will be transmitting from Mt. Mansfield in Stowe, HDTV for WCAX, WPTZ,
> WVNY, and WFFF before end of month. Weather hasn't been cooperating lately

I am not encouraged.

"Weather hasn't been cooperating lately"

Are you kidding me? (not u, them)...
It's friggin' middle of october, weather is just...normal for this time of the year.
Funny how it did cooperate with pbs.

Scary part is weather will cooperate even less from now on.
But I do trust them to be up and running before november. They have to.
If not, aren't they loosing a s*itload of money from hd advertisment and all that?
I mean they are going to reach more homes at any given time if they go hd. (ex: me).

I would have to say the weather this past weekend was just beautiful...can't get much nicer this time of year. Hiked Mansfield on Monday 10/9 and it was in the 60's up there.

While it was beautiful so was the snow on Mansfield Sunday morning..you could see it down to about the 3000 foot level. It melted away such that Monday it was gone. But you're right the weather will only get worse.

I went the OTA + Home HTPC (sort of) to Tivo the broadcasts.....cost = nothing (except the $80 for the MyHD card, the $90 for the new 300G hard drive and the several hours of frustration with my Dlink wireless card requiring several aspirin...

Spoke with poeple from WVNY and emailed with a nice gent from WPTZ today. Their official stance is that they will be broadcasting last week in October or the first week in November.

Now the question I have is, when will Adelphia/Comcast pick up the new HD feeds? Has anyone heard anything on this?

Is the toll road now officially closed or have they kept it open a little longer?

Is the toll road now officially closed or have they kept it open a little longer?

The woman I spoke with at WVNY said they had people working up there today, so I am assuming they have kept it open longer.

I have been asked to move this discussion here from a separate thread I started:

3 major networks (Fox, NBC and ABC) in my area are going to start broadcasting HD in late October / early November. I spoke with people from the affiliates who confirmed that the equipment to provide the HD feeds to satellite and cable providers was installed, and who also confirmed that all the necessary legal agreements were in place.

So, being a naturally curious and inquisitive fellow, I slogged my way through the hell that is Adelphia's phone support line. After inquiring about the schedule for making the HD versions of my local stations available, I was told in no uncertain terms the they will be making no changes to their channel lineup due to the acquisition by Comcast.

Has anyone else ever experienced this? I can see not adding major VoD services or additional premium channels, but not supplying local HD channels when they become available seems a bit ass-backwards.

Does your cable system have the right to retransmit their digital channels?

I slogged my way through the hell that is Adelphia's phone support line. After inquiring about the schedule for making the HD versions of my local stations available, I was told in no uncertain terms the they will be making no changes to their channel lineup due to the acquisition by Comcast.

The Comcast changeover is supposed to be official on 11/9. Comcast sent a letter to all of the Adelphia subscribers stating this. Also, unless you speak to someone at the South Burlington office, Adelphia's phone support is totally clueless.

while it is true that they are not making changes due to now being comcast, these channels were not availabe b4. Expect to see them shortly after they go live OTA. IMO.

I have confirmed the HD feeds of ABC and FOX are already in the Williston headend. We are just waiting on re-broadcast rights and contracts before we can officially broadcast them. I dont know if it will beat the OTA feeds or not, but I do know its coming.

I have confirmed the HD feeds of ABC and FOX are already in the Williston headend. We are just waiting on re-broadcast rights and contracts before we can officially broadcast them. I dont know if it will beat the OTA feeds or not, but I do know its coming.
cableguy403, are you the cable guy (adelphia) as your ID implies when you say "We"?

Yes, I work for "Comdelphia"..

Yes, I work for "Comdelphia"..
That's great news about ABC and FOX. What are the plans for NBC? I had someone from the NBC local affiliate tell me that all the legal contracts were in place and the equipment was installed as well, but I didn't see any mention of them in your note.

Thanks for the feedback on this!

-Will

WPTZ - NBC is a different story. It doesnt look good right now. I think it has something to do with that station actually being in NY state and contractual agreements. From what I can gather, this is quite a pain in the ass with all the agreements and contracts. And being between companies so to speak, this is not a priority right now.

So the affiliate actually told you that all the contracts and equipment were in place? From what I have gathered, neither is true, but I could be wrong. Did you ask about the Burlington market? It could be they were talking about the Platts market, which I believe is Charter.

Yes, I work for "Comdelphia"..

Maybe you can answer a cable related question:

How does one get another cable company to come into their town?

I live in Bradford, Vt and have Charter for HS Internet and basic analog cable but they say they have NO plans to ever do HD in this area.

Adelphia is in not too far west of me and they've had HD for quite a while. When I called them last year and asked why they don't come into my area, the guy acted like I was nuts and said "why would they ever consider coming into another provider's area?"

In this age of evolving technology, Charter can just sit around and basically do nothing new while other providers can't come into the area and compete. Nice work if you can get it I guess.

Just hooked up my new Vizio 46'- using a small phillips amped antenna on ground floor here in St. Albans- picked up both 57s and looked good- looked like an attempt to lock on to something else (obviously the 33s) but to no avail. Will continue to try later

Its not beneficial for another company to go into a town with another provider because it wouldnt be lucrative enough. They couldnt make enough money to offset the cost of building the new plant. They call it over building, and for the most part, cable companies usually dont do it.

I feel for you though.. I was once in Charter hell in Barre.

Odd question, how come I get the VPT sub-channels on 32 instead of 33? I get VPT on 33, I get VPT-SD on 32-3 and HD on 32-7?

Sounds like you tried tuning it manually on a Sony TV...

Sounds like you tried tuning it manually on a Sony TV...

Foxfan, I'm using my Dish811 in the Bdrm and it is mapping VPT as 32-1 to 32-5 rather than 33-1 to 33-5. My 622 has it right downstairs.

Using a cheap Phillps amped antenna and picked up the 57s no problem. Moved the antenna to the attic and while scanning it now stops for a while trying to lock on to what must be the VPT channels. I'm in St Albans, any indoor antenna you gus in love with. Thanks

Oh. I was just saying that because I had the same issue by adding them manually on my Sony TV instead of doing the scan.

Using a cheap Phillps amped antenna and picked up the 57s no problem. Moved the antenna to the attic and while scanning it now stops for a while trying to lock on to what must be the VPT channels. I'm in St Albans, any indoor antenna you gus in love with. Thanks2 thumbs up for the Zenith Silver Sensor (http://www.zenith.com/sub_prod/product_Display.asp?cat=&id=131).

2 thumbs up for the Zenith Silver Sensor (http://www.zenith.com/sub_prod/product_Display.asp?cat=&id=131).
I'll pick one up soon and bring the phillips back to walmart- just may need something bigger-

WPTZ - NBC is a different story. It doesnt look good right now. I think it has something to do with that station actually being in NY state and contractual agreements. From what I can gather, this is quite a pain in the ass with all the agreements and contracts. And being between companies so to speak, this is not a priority right now.

So the affiliate actually told you that all the contracts and equipment were in place? From what I have gathered, neither is true, but I could be wrong. Did you ask about the Burlington market? It could be they were talking about the Platts market, which I believe is Charter.

:confused: Isn't WNNE-TV (NBC) channel 31 of Hartford, VT (White River Junction) available? I think that's still technically part of the Burlington/Plattsburgh market.

Now that I'm getting the two HD PBS stations, I see the limitations of the technology: when there's no movement, great. When there is, it's a sort of blur/pixelization of the affected area.

So...simple question: What's the gold standard now for HD viewed at home, if you want to see what it's capable of? Cable? Satellite? Blu Ray? Footage you shoot yourself w/an HD camera?

:confused: Isn't WNNE-TV (NBC) channel 31 of Hartford, VT (White River Junction) available? I think that's still technically part of the Burlington/Plattsburgh market.
WNNE's digital feed has been on the air since July '05.

I'll pick one up soon and bring the phillips back to walmart- just may need something bigger-Word of warning: The UHF loop antenna, as well as The Silver Sensor, are quite directional. You may find that you can't point it in one direction and get both WCFE-DT and WETK-DT without repointing. So, if you don't want to go repointing your antenna whenever you change the channel, you just might want to hold onto that other antenna so you can point them in different directions, and then combine them using a splitter backwards.

Word of warning: The UHF loop antenna, as well as The Silver Sensor, are quite directional. You may find that you can't point it in one direction and get both WCFE-DT and WETK-DT without repointing. So, if you don't want to go repointing your antenna whenever you change the channel, you just might want to hold onto that other antenna so you can point them in different directions, and then combine them using a splitter backwards.
Thanks, I'm not losing the 57s while trying to point in the other direction. I'm going to try to get Silver Sensor soon and I will keep the other in case. Thanks

I am newer to the hdtv and am frankly very confused. I live in the new North end of Burlington and under the advice of the person at CC I bought a phillips indoor antenna for $20. I cannot seem to pick up any hd signal. I am going back and getting an amplified antenna to see how that works. I assume you hook directly to the coax input on the tv? I have every other option on the tv. The problem with my neighborhood is the Ethan Allen Tower is directly in line with Mansfield, maybe this is my issue.

thegixerjt,
I tried both the Philips HDTVi non amplified and another Phillips amplified ( not HDTVa but samp price at CC).
The HDTVi worked great for UHF(90% + to VPT and 70%+ to WCFE), the amplified one did not work at all. Neither one worked on VHF.

I am newer to the hdtv and am frankly very confused. I live in the new North end of Burlington and under the advice of the person at CC I bought a phillips indoor antenna for $20. I cannot seem to pick up any hd signal. I am going back and getting an amplified antenna to see how that works. I assume you hook directly to the coax input on the tv? I have every other option on the tv. The problem with my neighborhood is the Ethan Allen Tower is directly in line with Mansfield, maybe this is my issue.My advice is that if your HDTV has an analog/standard def tuner (NTSC) in addition to a digital/high def tuner (ATSC), turn it to channel 33 analog first and play with the antenna and the cabling to get the best picture possible. Once you've done this and found a good antenna position, then go ahead and try the digital tuner on channel 33 (digital). If your HDTV doesn't have an NTSC tuner, then try to dig up an old analog set which does and use that for experimenting with the antenna, then move the cable over to the antenna input on the HDTV without moving the antenna.

thegixerjt,
I tried both the Philips HDTVi non amplified and another Phillips amplified ( not HDTVa but samp price at CC).
The HDTVi worked great for UHF(90% + to VPT and 70%+ to WCFE), the amplified one did not work at all. Neither one worked on VHF.

If your getting 90% with a non amped you putting in a amp actually can be too strong and the tv cant lock onto the signal. Think of it like this with a non amped your hearing someone talking perfect and then they get a megaphone and start yelling in your hear. Its so loud you actually dont understand anything.

Still no new OTA channels here in Williston...I read in one of the posts that some of the channels could be ready by the week of the 23rd.

Just curious, did the mountain get any significant snow this past weekend - enough to delay this even more?

I'm going to display my ignorance here.

I know the road is already "closed" to normal traffic but at what point can workers no longer access the sight?

In other words, say they end up with a day's work to complete this but the mountain gets a foot of snow, would they have to wait until Spring or do they still have some access (as weather permits) all Winter?

Walt; My worries exactly; a week ago there was snow above 3000' and then this past friday we had several inches...I had 4 in Jericho and usually the mountain gets more; National Weather is showing 4" at the stake on the top today.

Yes we did get snow (4 inches here in Williston) - plus it was already white from last week as well like Vermonter said. Can't see it today because it's well into the clouds but I would bet it's still very white. I was worried when early this summer when they got off to such a slow start and missed half of the workable season. Nice going project team.

Updates from Rich Parker, Director of Engineering, VPR

October 21, 2006:

The road up the mountain was too bad for the tower crew to make it up and the temperature was quite cold and the wind was increasing even while we were there. Even if they could get up, the realization was that the tower would be difficult to climb due to icing. Tentative plan now is for the work on the WNVY tower to be done tomorrow - although there is a slight chance it could happen late this afternoon if the wind stops, the ice on the tower comes off and they can climb. The forecast calls for warmer with chance of showers late in the afternoon. Depending on when that work can be done and what the weather is like, we may be able to do our work to cut over to the new antenna at that time, but it may also be that we will wait until next Friday or Saturday to do that. At this point it is a waiting and guessing game - lots of variables in play including the tower crew, the ice, the weather (wind, snow, rain) and the understanding that VPR could more easily accomodate everyone tomorrow (Sunday).

This is what I was afraid of. With so much tower-sharing going on, none of the broadcasters can start transmitting until all of them are ready (VPT/WETK got started right away because they're not sharing their tower with anyone else).

This is what I was afraid of. With so much tower-sharing going on, none of the broadcasters can start transmitting until all of them are ready

I hope no one is really surprised by this. The minute they formed the coalition, the competition factor was basically gone, so if it dragged on for years (which it has) there were minimal consequences.

I think the coalition factor also made it easier to get FCC extensions and (someone correct me if I'm wrong) I also believe they are exempt from digital signal testing mandates which were supposed to go into effect for the top 100 DMAs this past April. I think that makes it easier for them to deny waivers and stall some of us from getting any HD DNS that's available from satellite.

IMO, consumers were the absolute last consideration in any of that SHVERA legislation passed 2 years ago but don't get me started down that road today. :)

So basically no HD until spring....really glad I decided to go to school in Vermont - does this state even have running water yet?

So basically no HD until spring....really glad I decided to go to school in Vermont - does this state even have running water yet?

I didn't say that - I was simply citing some rational as to how & why it was allowed to drag on so long. Now that they have reached this point, I suspect the last thing they want is for all that investment sitting up there doing nothing for 6 another months.

If by chance that does happen, the channel (s) that can get their digital signal up on the most other venues (cable & satellite) will be the big winner. WCAX already has a big advantage with their Adelphia deal but that could change.

I didn't say that - I was simply citing some rational as to how & why it was allowed to drag on so long. Now that they have reached this point, I suspect the last thing they want is for all that investment sitting up there doing nothing for 6 another months.

If by chance that does happen, the channel (s) that can get their digital signal up on the most other venues (cable & satellite) will be the big winner. WCAX already has a big advantage with their Adelphia deal but that could change.

And in Montreal, we, clients of Videotron cable service, are desperately waiting for the launch of these HD transmissions. Presently, Videotron (Illico digital service) is sourcing the US HD stations from Buffalo via Toronto's Rogers cable service and Buffalo suffers from second grade transmission facilities resulting in:

- Poor Video bitrate (14 or less Mbps)
- Poor audio bitrate for ABC and NBC (192 Kbps good for DD 2 channel only)

By CRTC regulation, Videotron will be required to switch to Burlington and Plattsburgh stations once the HD transmissions start (as is presently the case for SD stations). Therefore, the entire Quebec Province will be impacted for clients using a cable provider.

And in Montreal, we, clients of Videotron cable service, are desperately waiting for the launch of these HD transmissions. Presently, Videotron (Illico digital service) is sourcing the US HD stations from Buffalo via Toronto's Rogers cable service and Buffalo suffers from second grade transmission facilities resulting in:

- Poor Video bitrate (14 or less Mbps)
- Poor audio bitrate for ABC and NBC (192 Kbps good for DD 2 channel only)

By CRTC regulation, Videotron will be required to switch to Burlington and Plattsburgh stations once the HD transmissions start (as is presently the case for SD stations). Therefore, the entire Quebec Province will be impacted for clients using a cable provider.


Be happy your cable provider is even offering HD. Charter who covers a huge chunk in the middle and northern part of VT isnt offering HD at all and there is no plans even up to 2008 to upgrade the Plant to support it.

Be happy your cable provider is even offering HD. Charter who covers a huge chunk in the middle and northern part of VT isnt offering HD at all and there is no plans even up to 2008 to upgrade the Plant to support it.

So satellite... ?

So satellite... ?
Kidding right- could take a long time

Kidding right- could take a long time

No HD on cable and satellite service idea... you say I'm kidding ! There must be something I don't know about your area...

No HD on cable and satellite service idea... you say I'm kidding ! There must be something I don't know about your area...
Cable (adelphia now comcast) will have local HD soon enough if the the work on Mt mansfield ever gets done but as for satelitte, which I have, might be a long wait. if you werent talking about locals in HD, my apologies for sounding like a smart a**

No HD on cable and satellite service idea... you say I'm kidding ! There must be something I don't know about your area...

Yeah. In the States, you're not allowed to receive network stations from another area via satellite. In VT (and most areas), this is because the local network affiliates are actually owned by independent station groups, not by the networks. If you would be allowed to watch Fox-owned Fox affiliate from NY, the Smith-owned Fox affiliate in Burlington would lose $$$ to Fox.

In Canada, almost all local stations are owned by the networks they are affiliated with, so we don't have this problem, since the $$$ would all be going to the same place.

In the meantime though, viewers in the States can just temporarily "move" to NYC.

This may be "what you don't know about our area".

I've had HD equipment for almost 3 years and have never seen anything from ABC or Fox in HD. That's No "24" in HD. No "Lost" in HD. No "Grey's Anatomy" in HD. No..............

I do get CBS HD from Dish (the only HD DNS they offer) but that's not real HD. In fact most of what Dish and DirectTV provide now is watered down "HDLite".

Like Jim said, Charter has said they "have no plans for HD" in the foreseeable future and since cable companies don't compete with each other, that's not likely to change.

A very significant part of Vt and NH does not and will not have much for HD options if they can't get them from these pending OTA channels and based on the recent PBS digital signal, many of us at this end of the state won't get them OTA either.

We are exactly what SHVA, SHIVA & SHVERA were supposed to help but for many reasons (too many for this post) we're still waiting.

Those of you that fall into this category (completely or even partially) may want to give some serious thought to your vote next month because apparently some in congress had someone other than their constituents in mind when they drew up some of this legislation.

Foxfan and others,

I now understand. Gosh, I think I would have moved! Very sorry for your situation.

Hey mfabien - how's that new HD DVD Player?

Hey mfabien - how's that new HD DVD Player?

This afternoon, I watched "Batman Begins",

to date, that HD DVD movie has the best PQ I have seen. Better than "The Perfect Storm" and the DD TrueHD is equally good, although, I found it remarkable in the "Perfect Storm" that when people speak it's as if they are in your face without mikes and amplification... it is like being there.

By biggest discovery has been the extraordinary quality of my HD-A1 as a CD player, DTS music disc and DVD-A player when you select the DTS track ... all this over the 5.1 multichannel analogs delivering uncompressed LPCM. It is said by people who know better than I that it can be equaled only by a CD player that cost $2,500 or more. 4 DAC's 7 DSP's a big heavy chassis and I purchased some anti-vibration pads to equal to anti-vibration feet of the XA1.

Well, I'm staying away from "HD-DVD", since only Blu-Ray will be able to record an over-the-air HD signal's original MPEG-2 stream. Just you wait until all the big FOX blockbusters are released on Blu-Ray!

Back on topic, I've been informed that WCAX-DT (CBS) is tentatively planning to launch its digital service tomorrow. :D

Unfortunately, the other three stations are facing technical issues at this time and could a few more weeks before making it on-the-air. :(

Well, I'm staying away from "HD-DVD", since only Blu-Ray will be able to record an over-the-air HD signal's original MPEG-2 stream. Just you wait until all the big FOX blockbusters are released on Blu-Ray!

Back on topic, I've been informed that WCAX-DT (CBS) is tentatively planning to launch its digital service tomorrow. :D

Unfortunately, the other three stations are facing technical issues at this time and could a few more weeks before making it on-the-air. :(


Wow thanks for the heads up...but with even my setup I cant get PBS in HD I must be in the perfect lul of a valley. I get 1-2 bars on my sammy from mansfield PBS. And 1-2 Bars for PBS from ST J. And 2-3 Bars from NHPTV in Littleton. Nothing from the south. I am hopin to be moving soon. house is up for sale.

Some Forum readers may know that the City of Burlington is installing fiber throughout the city to offer some stiff competition -- phone, internet and TV -- to Verizon and Adelphia/Comcast. Interestingly enough, they are using state-of-the-art technology to transmit video, called IPTV -- internet protocol Television. Perhaps this is too state-of-the-art, as they do not have the equipment to transmit HD yet, and are having trouble with their supplier who promised HD equipment and has since back down. I'm anxious to sign up for Burlington Telecom (and quit paying those thieves at Verizon and Adelphia), but I am extremely disappointed that they are not currently offering HD programming, and, apparently, can't find anyone who has the IPTV equipment to do so.

I'm wondering if any Forum members can help out Burlington Telecom. Any HD IPTV fans out there?

I see that Verizon and Comcast are listed by Microsoft as IPTV cable provider clients. Could IPTV be of interest... when it becomes available? Could this speed up things or not? Why not ask both Microsoft and your two cable providers?

http://www.microsoft.com/tv/Consumers.mspx

As soon as I read that post about WCAX possibly firing up their DT transmitter today, I did a scan with my ATSC receiver. Much to my delight, it showed a new channel. To make a long story short, it turns out the new channel wasn't WCAX, but rather VPT's St. Johnsbury DT station.

This is the first time I've picked that one up (albeit it, at 55% signal, which is not enough for my receiver to give me a continuous signal without serious dropouts).

Has channel "20-DT" (broadcasting over channel 18) been up all this time, and suddenly the atmospheric conditions are such that I can just barely get a signal, or did they only just start up their transmitter in the last couple of days?

In Montreal, we have channel 20 DT. It is the CBC.I'm definitely seeing VPT's channel 20-DT. The PSIP data shows the station name as "VPT", and while watching the choppy video, I was able to pick out the VPT logo on the screen.

This is the first time I've picked that one up (albeit it, at 55% signal, which is not enough for my receiver to give me a continuous signal without serious dropouts).

Has channel "20-DT" (broadcasting over channel 18) been up all this time, and suddenly the atmospheric conditions are such that I can just barely get a signal, or did they only just start up their transmitter in the last couple of days?

Tom,

Channel 20 (18) has been up a while. I can receive it very solid over here by turning my antenna but since it's the same as Mt Ascutney, I don't bother.

Are you getting an actual signal strength reading of 55% on your 622? Does it show as locked (green) or red (unlocked)? Reason I ask, is my 622 has never shown anything between 0% and 65%. It won't react to a signal less than 65%, so it makes it real difficult to "zero in" on a station. I'm wondering now if the OTA tuner in my 622 is a little screwy.

Any updates on WCAX firing up today?

I was all ready. But now, i'm going on vacation. Be back in a week. Hopefully some channels will be on by then. I'll update the first post at that time....if they're is something to update!!!!


Later all

Are you getting an actual signal strength reading of 55% on your 622? Does it show as locked (green) or red (unlocked)?You're right, I'm using my ViP622. It shows a green bar at ~56%. For kicks, I played with the direction of my antenna. The best I could do was ~58%. The signal bar goes away entirely if it drops below 50%. At no point does it turn red.

I'm getting a signal present (12%) on channel 53

Hey guys, guess what!!

Channel 3 is on!!! 96% here in Greenfield Park, Qc

Stream 3.1 15Mbps
Stream 3.2 3Mbps

They are running at low power.

Signal strength in Essex, VT is 98. 3.1 is the 1080i hidef channel, 3.2 is the 480i standard-def shadow channel. I guess the first true HD programs we'll see on 3.1 will be during prime time this evening. Letterman should be dazzling for those still awake. Whoopee.

Alright! Getting Ch 3-DT loud and clear (pegs the signal meter on my ViP622 at 100%)!

I live in the North End near the DMV and I am getting 96% for wcax. I am psyched at this because the Ethan Allen Tower is in direct line of sight with Mansfield. I may now have to go back to watching live tv instead of Tivo.......

Strangest thing...

Was watching 3-1 (WCAX-DT) when all of a sudden, the program started switching at random between the CBS soap opera, and some kind of Yoga video which, I've now determined, is what WETK is showing at the moment. After a few minutes of this, the picture has gone black, and my reciever is claiming that the signal was lost, even though the meter says the signal is at 100%. Curious indeed.

Sort of fun to watch this stuff in the early stages.

Ok. Normal programming on WCAX-DT has returned. I've now been flipping back and forth between 3-1 and 3-2. Looks like the same programming with different aspect ratio settings....

When I watch it on my 16:9 display, and I set the 622 to "16x9" mode, both look the same (pillarboxed 4:3).

When I watch it on my 4:3 TV, and I set the 622 to "4x3" mode, ch3-2 is fullscreen 4:3, and ch3-1 is also 4:3, but inside a black "frame" (both letter-boxed and pillar-boxed).

For those who saw the signal before 1:30pm, can you confirm if Y&R was shown in HD?

Boys and girls, prepare to be amazed with HDTV football this coming weekend.
Also, some of you might wanna look into going with Tivo3 or with a HDTV Pvr.

Fyi , just in case.. I was using a dish 942 receiver to record ans pause OTA HDTV even though the receiver was not subscribed. So all this for free. The drawbacks:

-it has to be hooked up to a satelite dish pointed to one of the dish's satellites
-programms won't show on guide. So basicly you'll have to program recordings manualy. For me this was not a drawback as I usualy record same shows, and they always play at the same hour. (then I had a weekly timer). The function that I used the most was pausing live TV.

Mind you, since then I've subcribed with dishnetwork for their hd programming, even though some hd channels with dish are mpeg4 and the 942 is mpeg2 only. This also being one of the reasons these receivers are cheap on ebay. (compared to Tivo3 or new mpeg4 hdtv pvrs).

PS: can somebody explain why is cbs up while abc and fox are still down ? I thought they all use the same tower. If they do, then what is it? Are techs that much better or well organized over at wcax then the other two?
Anyhow, props and thanks to WCAX!!

WPTZ (NBC) is supposed to be testing their equipment this week, while WVNY/WFFF (ABC/FOX) apparently are having transmission line problems (and can't find it because it's covered in snow and ice). They're all telling me to wait three weeks. :mad:

Three weeks?? And they're covered in ice and snow? This ain't april or may. In three weeks there will be even more ice and even more snow.
Too bad. With our luck, the day the word series are over they'll start broadcasting. ;) That if we're lucky.
We'll just watch more of cbs and pbs, that's all.


In a few weeks we'll have Abc, Cbc, Nbc, Fox, Pbs, Cbc, and SRC.
Not bad at all.
And I'll still pay 30$ something a month only for Canadians hockey. In SD.
Unfair. ;)

LOL. It's kind of ironic that the first prime-time show that WCAX will be airing in HD tonight will be this Jericho episode:

Townspeople learn they are truly on their own; the town plunges into darkness when an electromagnetic pulse destroys everything with a circuit board.

Just curious, how does the WCAX signal strength compare to the 2 PBS digital stations?

U guys are gonna make me cry- still waiting for a new antenna- DB2- hoping that will do it- local sat guy is getting me one on the cheap- My Vizio is trying to get the signal using my cheap philips antenna, the Tv scan stops for quite a while trying to lock on to something.

Just curious, how does the WCAX signal strength compare to the 2 PBS digital stations?

I'm getting a stonger signal from VPT than from CAX. Interestingly enough, my media pc is not showing the vpt channel anymore even though the signal shows strong. I don't have exact numbers because Windows XP MCE does give exact numbers, but VPT is "full bars" and WCAX is "all but the last bar".

Whoohooo....I really have to get a HD TV now!! the SD picture is nice on my dinosaur TV, though!

FINALLY! i didnt think we would ever get hd out here in vermont. my hr10-250 from d* is getting a 90 for the signal. and it located it at 53 but on the guide it is listed as 3-1 and 3-2. just checked out the news and it was ok. pauses and records , only thing that sucks is the guide only lists regular schedule but it doesnt matter at least i have hd

Walt;

PBS is definitely stronger than WCAX; I get in the 80's for PBS and ~ 68 for CBS...MyHD card.

Reports suggest 14" of snow atop stowe ski area the other day..and climbing. Winter has set in atop the mountain.

For me, WCAX's signal strength has a slight edge over WETK's, but at 100% and 98% respectively, it's a moot comparison.

The only solice I take in VNY, PTZ, and FFF being behind is the fact that with WCAX up and running, competition becomes a motivating factor to catch up. They don't want to lose viewers.

The again, I would guess the number of viewers who will stop watching one network in favor of another based soley on availability of an HD signal is quite small. And the bean counters at the local stations know it.

PS: can somebody explain why is cbs up while abc and fox are still down ? I thought they all use the same tower. If they do, then what is it? Are techs that much better or well organized over at wcax then the other two?
Anyhow, props and thanks to WCAX!!Just because the towers are up doesn't mean they're ready to broadcast. There're all sorts of equipment that need to be installed between the studio and the tower to enable HD transmission. VPT and WCAX were probably the best-positioned to get their equipment installed and running because they've been operating SDTV from Mansfield for some time. WPTZ and WFFF are new to Mt. Mansfield. WVNY, while not new to Mansfield, was bought out by the owner of WFFF, so their timelines to HDTV-readiness broadcasting are likely going to be similar.

is VPT and WCAX trasmiting from the same location?
I get a good signal for VPT (33-01) but a very low signal for 53-01. (or any variations for 33 and 53).
Is this normal?
I can't even lock on 53 while 33 is rock solid.
:(

hello locals.

I just picked up my hdtv set (panny 42" 600u) - its amazing.

I have "adelphia soon to be comcast", and was wondering, when the rest of local channels do go HD (aside from wcax which is a go now), does that pretty much mean I'll get those channels through adelphia instantly too?

I was pretty disappointed when I hooked my set up and the only local HD offering is wcax.

I got a lock during a scan on 5 VPT channels but no long enough to see a picture, thats with a small cheap amped antenna. Hopefully my DB2 will work.

is VPT and WCAX trasmiting from the same location?
I get a good signal for VPT (33-01) but a very low signal for 53-01. (or any variations for 33 and 53).
Is this normal?
I can't even lock on 53 while 33 is rock solid.
:(VPT and WCAX are transmitting from the same location. In fact, according to some information I downloaded from the FCC's website, WCAX is transmitting with way more power than WETK. So, it is strange that you're having trouble with WCAX but not WETK.

That being said, if I had to guess, I'd say the problem is either:

(1) Your cabling... Channel 53 is a lot higher frequency than Channel 32. Inferior cabling will degrade the signal. Higher frequencies will be degraded more than lower ones.

(2) Your antenna... The UHF band spans from channel 14 to channel 69. Some antennas do a better job of covering that full range than others.

If you're using RG-59 cabling, I'd start there and upgrade to RG-6.

If that doesn't fix the problem, then replace the antenna with something with better response across the full UHF spectrum. For instance, LPDA-style (e.g. the Zenith Silver Sensor) and "bow tie"-style (e.g. the DB2 from Antennas Direct) antennas are better choices than a loop antenna.

is VPT and WCAX trasmiting from the same location?
I get a good signal for VPT (33-01) but a very low signal for 53-01. (or any variations for 33 and 53).
Is this normal?
I can't even lock on 53 while 33 is rock solid.
:(
They are transmitting from the same mountain, close to each other but they are using separate towers.
I have the same problem, I have 33 (all) locked at 90-94 but cannot get a lock on 53 and I only live 22 miles away according to antennaweb, is it too strong to lock?
Does anyone know which tower is taller?
I always had problem picking up channel 3 but blame it on VHF vs UHF.
Complete disappointment.

Hopefully my DB2 will work.I think the DB2 will serve you well. I don't have one, but I did a LOT of research on antennas, and the DB2 is highly praised. Let us know how it works out for you.

I can't help but worry a little about WVNY. They're the only one in the bunch planning to broadcast over a VHF channel (Ch13), and we're all buying UHF antennas. Then again, it might not take more than the addition of a simple dipole antenna to pull in Ch13. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

is VPT and WCAX trasmiting from the same location?
I get a good signal for VPT (33-01) but a very low signal for 53-01. (or any variations for 33 and 53).
Is this normal?
I can't even lock on 53 while 33 is rock solid.
:(

They're at the same place. You're probably getting some multipath or interference at certain frequencies. I know that CBFT and CBMT both broadcast from the same location but it sometimes happens that I can only get one out of the two stations if I have an indoor antenna placed a certain way.

They are transmitting from the same mountain, close to each other but they are using separate towers.
I have the same problem, I have 33 (all) locked at 90-94 but cannot get a lock on 53 and I only live 22 miles away according to antennaweb, is it too strong to lock?
Does anyone know which tower is taller?


I'm pretty sure that the WETK tower is shorter. The WCAX/WPTZ and WVNY/WFFF towers are on the "nose", but the WETK tower is slightly lower (closer to where the "eyes" would be)

I live in the West-Island of Montreal and get both wcax(53) and wetk(32) with the same constant signal strength of 77 on my Samsung TS-160 receiver.

I am in St. Laurent and get WCAX with a strength of 66 and the VPT with a strength of 74 on a BEV 9200.

In Bradford Vt I'm at zero signal activity for WCAX and WETK :(

Is there anyone else reading this list from the eastern half of Vt that's checking these signals?

...............

Besides you Jim :)

Walt,

What are you using for an antenna? A quick check of Google Maps tells me Bradford is ~50mi from Stowe. At that distance, I'd think you'd be out of luck with anything other than a rooftop Yagi, or maybe a bow tie array.

What are you getting from NH or MA? You've said earlier you get WNNE and VPT?

Walt,

What are you using for an antenna? A quick check of Google Maps tells me Bradford is ~50mi from Stowe. At that distance, I'd think you'd be out of luck with anything other than a rooftop Yagi, or maybe a bow tie array.

What are you getting from NH or MA? You've said earlier you get WNNE and VPT?

Tom,

I can't remember the name of it off hand and can't find the slip but it's a yagi type on the roof of my two story house (about 800 ft ASL). It has a rotor and amp system and was installed by a professional 2 years ago.

I pick up both Mt Ascutney channels (VPT & WNNE-DT) great (signal in high 80s) with my 622. I also get VT & NH PBS from St Johnsbury and Littleton but that's it.

Besides the 622, I have a 942 and an 811. The 942 goes to an analog tv and is not hooked to the antenna. The 811 is packed away.

When the 811 was hooked up, I could get some low signal activity for Manchester NH and 2 Boston channels but they only locked for a couple seconds once. Neither the 942 nor the 622 were / are able to show that same signal activity.

I could call my antenna installer and see if he can find a better signal and then we relocate the antenna. I'd do it in a heartbeat if I was getting a least some signal activity where it is now but with nothing to start with, I could spend a lot of time and money with no results.

Anyway thanks for your concern Tom and hopefully I'll come up with something.

Yipee! Getting WCAX-HD, but still waiting for WPTZ and WFFF (I suppose WVNY would be ok too). Signal strength bouncing around from 45 to 69 or so - but live in NY. Picking up the signal with 10+ year old rabbit ears. I have an outside antenna, but was waiting on the station(s) to go live before I bothered reconnecting it as I get fairly good analog signal. I haven't noticed any pixelation...yet. I know I know, I should probably connect it soon as it certainly couldn't hurt.

I just read that WFFF and WPTZ may still be another 3 weeks??? Anyone heard anything different?

Anyone else from NY getting any results?

Can't wait for FOOTBALL this sunday. Too bad the Jets are in Cleveland with no HD cameras. Just my luck.

Been watching the HD games on DirecTV with the SuperFan add on - been great, but I can't wait for true HD reception (no compression).

It's been a long long long long time waiting!

chasm,
I live in Chazy and get a very nice 97 from WCAX and 98 from WETK.
My system is a Radioshack VU-160 antenna No Amp , VOOM sat box and
a Panasonic 61". The picture is incredible! Can't wait for the other networks
get up and going. :D

I can't remember the name of it off hand and can't find the slip but it's a yagi type on the roof of my two story house (about 800 ft ASL). It has a rotor and amp system and was installed by a professional 2 years ago.Out of curiosity, what're you using for cable? RG-6 I hope? Also, is it diplexed with the cable from the sat. dish, or is it a separate cable run? Lastly, what kind of picture do you get from Ch33 if you point it at Mansfield and plug the antenna into an old-fashioned analog set?

The digital light is flashing on channel 14!!!!! But it does'nt lock.

Anybody could check on it.
Thanks

I'm getting a strong signal 84% with a lot of continuity errors.

Yep, Signal is there but no lock, it is bouncing around though from 95 to 67 and back.
Probably just sending empty signal. Ooops it just disappeared. Oh Well.

I'm in a Inn in Vermont, so i can't spend too much time at this.
I'll try it later after the meetings.

No more signal on channel 14.

Just now (3:40PM) tried Ch14. I get ziltch on the signal meter. I'll park it there for awhile and see what happens.

Wait a minute... I take that back. It's not showing 0% signal, it's showing 100% signal, but "Not Locked". Guess that means the transmitter is on, but there's no data?

Has anyone south of Burlington tried picking up broadcasts from Montreal? I'm about 11 miles SW of Mansfield (Richmond) and having no trouble getting PBS/CBS - but I'm wondering whether a big rooftop antenna would give me CBC/CTV etc. If anyone has tried it this far south (~80 miles from Montreal) let me know what you found out.

Likewise for mountain lake PBS - which is a different direction, but only 45 miles away. I hear a lot about the stations people get, but not the ones they tried to find with no luck - and I'm lazy, hoping someone else will do the work for me.

I don't have any signal monitoring equipment, and just a cheap UHF loop sitting in the basement window, so I'm not in a great position to test things myself. Standing on the roof yelling to my wife seems a bit low-tech, especially given recent weather.

Shawn

I can get WCFE @ 75% out of Plattsburgh by pointing my un-amped, directional, indoor antenna out a second-story window.

With my antenna pointed at Mansfield, I get WCAX and WETK @ 100%.

I also just barely lock onto VPT's St. J. station (Ch20) @ 55%. Video is too intermittant to be watchable.

I haven't bothered trying it pointed toward Montreal, since I can just barely pick up snowy Montreal locals on my analog set.

Tom and Walt, distance is almost irrelevant. Terrain is more important. I'm 75 miles away and I can still get a 95% signal. I'm even able to pick it up with regular, non-amplified indoor antenna! That's because there is nothing between me and Mt. Mansfield. Unfortunately, Vermont is full of mountains, and that can kill your signal completely, even if you're just 10 miles away.

SMF, I doubt you will receive the current Montreal stations from Richmond. SRC/CBC are just broadcasting from the top of their building at a very low power. CTV is not yet broadcasting digitally, but I don't understand why you would want to get them anyway, since virtually everything those lazy bastards show is something we're already getting from the U.S. networks.

Test signal on from WPTZ

I don't understand why you would want to get them anyway

Back when I had Adelphia cable, they carried a couple of Canadian stations. I never watched them much except that they offered an alternative timeslot for some of the primetime series. That's a non-issue now in the age of Tivo.

Jokes about curling aside, I do recall that CBC had superior coverage of the Olympics, showing a lot more stuff in real-time as opposed to time-shifting the hightlights to primetime like the American networks are fond of doing.

SMF;

From Richmond and a decent antenna you can get Mountain lake PBS...but no digital Montreal stuff. I'm in Jericho and thats all I could get.

Sometimes I could pick up Montreal analog but it was snowy.

Yeah, I can understand why you would want CBC. It's just CTV that I was talking about. About alternate timeslots, it never happens anymore. Not only are they too lazy to make their own shows, they're too lazy to find their own viewers, so they air their shows at the same time and then rely on the big government to force the cable companies to insert their signal over the original U.S. network, therefore getting paid for doing absolutely nothing. Global is even worse.

As for WPTZ, I'm also getting a signal on channel 14 (76%), locked, but no stream is being sent.

Using an HTPC I can tell they are sending a 9 Mbit stream only instead of 19 Mbit and also I do not see the PSIP table.

I'm in Essex, Vt on at 800' on a hillside facing north with nothing between me and Montreal except the border (no mounains). With an attic antenna, I get a good picture on 2, 6, 10, 12, 17, and 35, although the last two vary in quality. I've managed to lock ch 19 (2.1) once on a day when there was fog, but generally its signal ranges from 0 to 20 depending on atmospherics (0 is the most frequent reading). I've never locked 20 (6.1). I follow a few Canadian forums and a lot of folks in the greater Montreal area report that they can't get a good signal on 19 or 20. So I don't hold out much hope until they move their transmitters to Mount Royal and/or go to higher power.

Foxfan, as far as why we like to watch Canadian TV, I agree that a lot of the programming is just dupes of US shows. However, the CBC does have some nice stuff from time to time. Specifically, their coverage of the Olypmics puts NBC to shame. It is in real time, has lots less BS and backgrounders and had a high percentage of HD coverage this winter.

Yeah, I can understand why you would want CBC. It's just CTV that I was talking about. About alternate timeslots, it never happens anymore. Not only are they too lazy to make their own shows, they're too lazy to find their own viewers, so they air their shows at the same time and then rely on the big government to force the cable companies to insert their signal over the original U.S. network, therefore getting paid for doing absolutely nothing. Global is even worse.

As for WPTZ, I'm also getting a signal on channel 14 (76%), locked, but no stream is being sent.


CTV has tons more original programming than most other canadian networks, excluding CBC. Corner Gas, Degrassi, Alice I think, Canadian Idol, eTalk to name a few. They also produce several television movies. We also get LOST an hour before the US. CTV Montreal news is one of the best newscasts in the country. Personally I have no problem with CTV. I don't see how they are "lazy".

Right now here in Williston I'm getting a super faint signal on 53...only one or two bars max. Doesn't look like there's any content being broadcast either. Will try later tonight during Letterman. 33-5 is still strong.

Forgot to say I'm also getting a "medium" signal on 14 as well with no content...

In the Malletts Bay Area of Colchester. 3-1 and 33-5 are coming in nicely. I also have an Adelphia HD box and the quality looks about the same

I'm getting a 90 signal from WCAX 3-1 (ch 53) using a Blonder Tongue yagi antenna cut for channer 53, amplified with a BT UHF amplifier. I'm 63 miles from Mt. Mansfield, at 1400 feet - Getting a great picture, with very few dropouts. I put up 2 BT antennae, one pointed at Mt. Mansfield, and one pointed at Mt. Ascutney. Its a good system, since no rotator is needed. The real advantage of this antenna is its very small size, and very rugged construction. It has to survive some bad ice storms on top of our hill. Finished the install a few weeks ago, and have been eagerly awaiting signals from Mt. Mansfield. I'm in heaven now!

I hope to get a usable signal on WFFF HD when that turns on. I doubt that the ABC HD station will even register at all here, since the power level is going to be so low. For now, I'll continue to get ABC HD via D*.

My only disappointment is that WCAX HD doesn't appear on my D* Tivo, hopefully that will change, no way to use TIVO on this station, which is a bummer. Does contacting Tivo or D* about this have any effect? Same story with the VPR HD station from Ascutney.

Regards - Jim Browning

I didn't do too much digging in but I noticed that WCAX-HD is being broadcast as a 16x9 signal within a 4x3 picture? I get a pillar boxed letter box on my display. Also, my TV does not allow you to change aspect ratios when HiDef is detected. 3-1 comes in at 1080i but as a rectangle within a box. I caught just the beginning of survivor, maybe that isn't in HD?

Out of curiosity, what're you using for cable? RG-6 I hope? Also, is it diplexed with the cable from the sat. dish, or is it a separate cable run? Lastly, what kind of picture do you get from Ch33 if you point it at Mansfield and plug the antenna into an old-fashioned analog set?
Yes it is RG-6, brand new 2 years ago. Nothing diplexed - it runs straight from antenna to preamp to amp to 622. The last thing, I'll have to do later as it involves moving stuff to get access to the cable, etc.

I caught just the beginning of survivor, maybe that isn't in HD?

"Survivor" is not in HD. I got the same thing here in Connecticut with WFSB-DT of Hartford (analog 3/digital 33).

Mkulikow, 3.1 is a true 16X9 picture. On the local news at 6PM and 11PM, the studio shots are beautifully framed 16X9, as are most of the field stories. 4:3 shots during the news are framed by the station with soft pillars on the sides. Basically at this point 6 to 7PM, and most of prime time from 8 to 11 and Letterman at 11:35 are sure bets for HD widescreen. Most football on Saturday and Sunday will be HD. Survivor is 4:3, as are most reality shows and most national news shows, so that wasn't a good test. However, even during a 4:3 national broadcast, 3.1's local promo';s for the 11PM news are widescreen. OVerall, I'm very impressed with WCAX's local operation, which has been completely revamped for the new aspect ratio. Much more sophisicated than many big city stations I've seen in NY and Los Angeles.
You need to adjust your set or "set top box" to reflect that fact that the picture on 3.1 (and 33.5 and 57.1 if you get them) are 16X9.

I didn't do too much digging in but I noticed that WCAX-HD is being broadcast as a 16x9 signal within a 4x3 picture? I get a pillar boxed letter box on my display. Also, my TV does not allow you to change aspect ratios when HiDef is detected. 3-1 comes in at 1080i but as a rectangle within a box. I caught just the beginning of survivor, maybe that isn't in HD?Sub-channels 3-1 and 3-2 are both showing the same programming but with different aspect ratios. Here's a link to an earlier post of mine in which I describe my observations - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8740090&&#post8740090

In Bradford Vt I'm at zero signal activity for WCAX and WETK :(

Is there anyone else reading this list from the eastern half of Vt that's checking these signals?

...............

Besides you Jim :)

We're in the Northwest corner of Hanover, NH and getting WCAX at 90% and WETK at 80%. Elevation is about 700 feet, about a 1/4 mile from the Connecticut River (i.e., we're perched over the river.) We have a beautiful clear shot to the west.

Antenna is a Radio Shack VHF/UHF (one of their better models) in the attic on a rotator. There are some elements broken off the UHF part of the antenna (didn't quite clear the roof beams, so I had to shorten the antenna.) The same antenna can't get WNNE or VPT from Mt. Ascutney, which is only about 25 miles away. Had to install a roof-mounted outdoor UHF yagi (corner reflector, Radio Shack's best UHF antenna) to get them. That works: they're 80%-90% on that antenna.

In our area, there are so many hills you really have to be concerned about multipath. My sense is that's why the attic antenna can pull in WCAX/WETK at 60+ miles away, but not WNNE/VPT at 25 miles away. The latter signals must be bouncing off hills to the east, southeast, etc. Also, the attic antenna, being a compromise between VHF and UHF (with the latter slightly broken), is probably more sensitive to multipath than the dedicated UHF antenna. You can see the multipath on the Ascutney analog signals, but not on the old WCAX analog signal.

An interesting confirmation of this is if I try to combine the two antennas with a splitter/combiner. WCAX/WETK continue to come in strong (signals drop about 10% on the meter), but WNNE/VPT disappear completely. If I unplug the attic antenna from the combiner, WNNE/VPT pop back in. The attic antenna must be adding out of phase signals from multipath that are killing the signals from the dedicated rooftop antenna.

I'm thinking about trying a second, dedicated UHF beam from Radio Shack on the same mast with the beam that's pointed at Ascutney. Could be that a dedicated high-gain beam (that isn't broken) will do a better job rejecting multipath from other than the intended direction. If not, then I'll have to use a "Join-Tenna" to null Ascutney signals coming through the Mansfield antenna.

Actually, a second antenna will be uneccessary if WPTZ broadcasts exactly the same thing as WNNE, which it owns. I'm going to put up a separate post on that topic shortly.

DG

For those of you in the Plattsburg or Burlington areas, does WPTZ broadcast news from WNNE?

Here in Western NH, we get WNNE from a transmitter on Mount Ascutney, which is about 25 miles to the south. A number of years ago, WPTZ bought WNNE and moved the operation out of the Upper Valley.

Although the digital ID says WNNE, and sometimes the WNNE logo appears in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, a fair amount of content is coming from WPTZ. Of course, the NBC network stuff is identical. We see commercials for businesses throughout the region, from NY to NH. I haven't figured all this out yet, but it looks like the evening news is all WPTZ and the late news is a hybrid between WPTZ and WNNE.

Do you folks see any WNNE stuff, or are they sending you a pure WPTZ broadcast? I ask because if the signal will be the same from Ascutney and Mansfield, I won't need to put up a second antenna for Ascutney.

DG

Do you folks see any WNNE stuff, or are they sending you a pure WPTZ broadcast? I ask because if the signal will be the same from Ascutney and Mansfield, I won't need to put up a second antenna for Ascutney.I have DishNetwork with a locals package, and they deliver me both WPTZ and WNNE. I've watched them both just enough to notice some subtle differences in some of the local programming, but not enough to actually enumerate them for you.

So, the short answer to your question is: I don't see any WNNE stuff on WPTZ, it is purely Champlain Valley-oriented.

-Tom

getting a nice 70+% signal off rabbit ears here in vergennes. Nice picture. No visibile difference between it and the hidef nation feed from D*.

Also getting good signal from 14, with no content.

Has anyone else noticed a strangely high amount of video noise around edges on non-HD broadcasts onWCAX? Has it always been like that (on Adelphia)?

Is it some type of a tiny checkerboard design on some edges? I get that with WTIC-DT (FOX) channel 61/D 31 from Hartford, CT during standard definition local programming. It's accompanied by gray pillarboxing flanking the picture as well (no locally-originated HD programming in Hartford/New Haven yet).

Using an HTPC I can tell they are sending a 9 Mbit stream only instead of 19 Mbit and also I do not see the PSIP table.

What HD card are you using in your HTPC?

Tom and Walt, distance is almost irrelevant. Terrain is more important. I'm 75 miles away and I can still get a 95% signal. I'm even able to pick it up with regular, non-amplified indoor antenna! That's because there is nothing between me and Mt. Mansfield. Unfortunately, Vermont is full of mountains, and that can kill your signal completely, even if you're just 10 miles away.

SMF, I doubt you will receive the current Montreal stations from Richmond. SRC/CBC are just broadcasting from the top of their building at a very low power. CTV is not yet broadcasting digitally, but I don't understand why you would want to get them anyway, since virtually everything those lazy bastards show is something we're already getting from the U.S. networks.


"Hockey Night in Canada" on CBC

"Hockey Night in Canada" on CBC

Yes, Toronto vs Canadiens... CBC does a very decent HD sport broadcast for those who love sports in HD.

What HD card are you using in your HTPC?

I have the ATI hdtv. The hardware is ok but I don't like the software so I use WatchHDTV.

Hello,

Does anyone know if WCAX-DT is running full power?

From here in Laval, Quebec, I was able to lock their signal last thursday. I can no longer get a lock as the signal now appears too weak for my setup. Is it possible that they have lowered their power since they signed on?

I can currently get WCFE, VPT and the test signal from WPTZ, all within 70-80 %. On the other hand, I only receive CBS around 35%.

Thanks!

Since the other three are still working on their setup, WCAX has to turn down power when the workers are climbing the antennas so they don't get fried by the radiation.

60% in Montreal

When i put my pre-amp, i get it at 80%

WFFF is on channel 43 (44.1).

Can't pick up WFFF-HD in Colchester right now. Got WCAX and VPT. :(

I got it in Shelburne.....yeah buddy! the NFL Channels are a go!

:D OMG! I've been waiting for this moment for years!

Welcome FOX Montreal!!!

not happy, hope that fox is not at full strength.......i get wcax and pbs with a 90 strength and the fox is so low on my d* hr10-250 that the picture wont even come on. the signal is bouncing all over from 15 to 60 back to 0 then back up, has me a little perplexed.

Damn! A sat guy was going to get me an antenna and didnt come through so I went to Radio Shack and they had nothing in stock I wanted. Just ordered a DB4 but I imagine I wont see it this week.

Fox44 coming in loud and clear in the high 90's. Funny, I never imagined that they would have beat WPTZ to the punch. Now I'm wondering who's going to come out in last place.. WPTZ or WVNY?

Bets, anyone?

BTW - Who out there is using a combined VHF/UHF antenna? For all I know, WVNY might be transmitting (over Ch13 at fairly low power), but I can't receive their signal because I've got a UHF-only antenna.

Wait a minute... Is WVNY going to transmit over Ch13 or Ch16? I seem to recall from reading this forum over the [gulp] years that WVNY had a change of plans and moved to Ch13. However, when I visit their website (http://www.abc22.com) and click the link for their program schedule, it takes me to TitanTV where WVNY-DT is listed as 16.1.

What gives?

Both the FCC website and tvradioworld.com list WVNY-DT as being on channel 13. How far from Albany's WNYT-TV (NBC) channel 13 is that?

I wouldn't be too worried about conflicts between WVNY-DT Mt. Mansfield, VT and WNYT-TV Albany, NY. I'm more concerned about conflicts between WVNY-DT and CKTM-TV Trois-Rivieres, QC.

Is CKTM-TV on channel 13?

BTW - Who out there is using a combined VHF/UHF antenna? For all I know, WVNY might be transmitting (over Ch13 at fairly low power), but I can't receive their signal because I've got a UHF-only antenna.

I have that setup. I'll post my results as soon as they transmit something.... But behing owned by the same company as FOX, maybe they are close??!!!?! Hopefully...

Fox44 coming in loud and clear in the high 90's. Funny, I never imagined that they would have beat WPTZ to the punch. Now I'm wondering who's going to come out in last place.. WPTZ or WVNY?

Bets, anyone?

BTW - Who out there is using a combined VHF/UHF antenna? For all I know, WVNY might be transmitting (over Ch13 at fairly low power), but I can't receive their signal because I've got a UHF-only antenna.

I have a combo. I'm not really sure exactly what model it is, but its an outdoor VHF/UHF that I have inside the roof of my one-story garage. I can pull in a perfect picture of 3 analog, so I'm hoping 13 will not be a problem.

WFFF-HD went on yesterday. They are using a temporary antenna as the weather is keeping them from copleting their high power one.

Anyone getting it??

Also for WVNY the channel 13 is still being worked on but as far as reception, they should be received as good as the others. It's VHF. 10kW is a lot for DTV VHF.

Hey FOXFAN where are you getting the signal??

I'm getting it in St. Hubert, QC with a signal strength of 87. Not bad for a temporary low-power antenna! Anyone know what power they're at?

As for WVNY. I know that in theory, VHF needs less power and extends further than UHF, but in practice it's often another story. For instance, I always had a perfect analog picture on 22 and 33 (with 44 being OK), while 3 and 5 were rarely watchable, and that's with a combo antenna. Also, UHF is easier to receive indoors than VHF.

And yes, CKTM-TV (the non O&O SRC affiliate in Trois-Rivieres) broadcasts their analog signal on channel 13. That's why you'll see WVNY's antenna pattern dramatically reduce their signal going towards the north/northeast, not so good for the anglophone population in the eastern townships of Quebec. It just seems to me like WVNY, under the former owners just cared about saving on power costs, and being the only digital station to reach into the small crevaces of VT where UHF signals won't reach.

Whoops. WFFF has now dropped into the low 60s. WCAX is also at 90 instead of 95.

I'm not sure if it's them or if it's my antenna being knocked around in these killer winds we're getting this morning. I hope they're not getting them on the mountain as well. I was hoping that the other two would be on soon, as WPTZ was already broadcasting a digital signal (albeit empty) and WVNY had apparently completed their work.

WFFF is still in the 80's for me. Myh tower does'nt seems to be affectect too much by those horribles winds.

any chance my UHF DB4 antenna I ordered will pick up WVNY's 13 VHF signal? I did read someone claiming to get channels 10-69 with one.

Unfortunately WFFF isn't carrying the 1PM NFL game in HD. I am watching the game on Sunday Ticket in HD, so I know it is available in HD. Perhaps they still have a few connecctions to complete or a switch to throw. (The game on WCAX is in beautiful HD).

I am in Pointe-Claire, Quebec and I cannot get the WFFF signal. What do you mean that WFFF is broadcasting using a temporary antenna. I hope I can get it when they go to full power. Also, what is the status of WPTZ?
The NFL game on WCAX is beautiful to watch.

Now, I'm only getting Fox and CBS at 52 and 74 respectively in Longueuil (plus VPT at 82).

Also, it's unfortunate that Fox isn't getting the game in HD. Judging by blue logo they had last night I'm pretty sure the splicer is installed. If that's the case I have no idea what the problem could be.

Weather-wise, are you guys down in Vermont also getting high winds right now like in Montreal?

Yes..

Wind, cold, rain and sleet! YAY!

Yes, the winds are howling aroudn 40 MPH at times and it is spitting snow.

does anyone know if adelphia is getting fox hd?

Just checked my Adelphia channel guide...still no Fox HD...

Also...I'm getting a very choppy signal here in Williston so far with Fox HD OTA. Hope they switch to the main antenna soon.

does anyone know if adelphia is getting fox hd?


Read a few pages back, this was discussed...

scottceaton "Just checked my Adelphia channel guide...still no Fox HD...

Also...I'm getting a very choppy signal here in Williston so far with Fox HD OTA. Hope they switch to the main antenna soon. "


If you are not getting the signal in Williston you had better check that antenna.

You are only 15 miles from the transmitter.

They are getting it great 50-60 miles easy.

Good Luck

Concerning FOX-HD:

Do you see the whole FOX in blue next to the Simpsons? I'm only seeing FO No X!!!
Is it normal?

ETTISL,

I'm also in Pte.Claire.What antenna are you using for OTA? I have the # 10-250 from DirecTV for my HD networks,but I'm very keen on seeing how much better OTA is.

TIA,

Don

Yeah. The problem is that it is so big and goes all the way to the edge of the frame, so if you have overscan, part of it is cut out. I don't think it's one that WFFF uploaded. I think that is what the network puts up if there is no local one. I just wish it would be gray and smaller, like on the SD channel.

On a related note, I'm hoping WFFF gets the HD up and running in time for Prison Break tonight!!!

As for WVNY. I know that in theory, VHF needs less power and extends further than UHF, but in practice it's often another story. For instance, I always had a perfect analog picture on 22 and 33 (with 44 being OK), while 3 and 5 were rarely watchable, and that's with a combo antenna. Also, UHF is easier to receive indoors than VHF.



That's because of rc 2 and cbc 6. When rc is down I have a clear 3, also I notice that the tuner make a difference, the tuner of my video does a very good jod with the 3 and 5 (My new HD LG tv to). For WVNY on 13 i guess we won't have any problem even with the strong 12.

Nice photos of ice-covered towers and antennas, and some "blog" updates...

http://www.vpr.net/about_vpr/upgrade.shtml

I can't beleive they're still able to work up there.

Anyone remember which tower Vermont Public Radio (WVPS) is sharing?

Don, I am using a RadioShack Bow-tie antenna outside though I could get WCFE pointing out my window. Remember that UHF is very directional, at least where I live. I had to play with position a lot to get a signal for both Burlington and Plattsburgh.

VTtom, VPR is on the same tower as WCAX.

I thought the bowtie antennas were multi-directional, but I know they do better front and rear than to the sides. I used a compass to aim mine using the AntennaWeb settings, then found out that the magnetic declination for this area is 15 degrees west. Had to re-aim from compass reading 260 to 285. It didn't make any difference I could see with UHF, but my low-band (2-6) VHF antenna picked up Chan 6 in Canada when I changed it's Plattsburgh orientation from 283 to 298 degrees. That antenna is for channels 3 (WCAX) and 5 (WPTZ) for the analog TVs in my home. Now I need to wait to see if I get WVNY on Chan 13 once they are on the air in HD. I just got these antennas up and I'd hate to have to replace them.

there is a possibility that we'll see WVNY sometimes tomorrow.

there is a possibility that we'll see WVNY sometimes tomorrow.

Maybe today. It shows up in TitanTV now! :)

Read a few pages back, this was discussed...


I mean I read this thread every day, I don't think I missed anything. I was asking in reference to people all of a sudden saying "Fox HD at full strength" and things of that nature some time Saturday. Without knowing the set-up/cable providers of each member I couldn't really tell if there was a chance Adelphia would also begin picking it up, which as always was just wishful thinking on my part.

I still am not receiving WFFF-DT. In theroy since the towers are so close to each other that if I can get WCAX and VPT (which I do and they look great) then I should be able to receive the others when they are up and running right?

Maybe today. It shows up in TitanTV now! :)

dtschlack, Where do you see that? can you add the link and the zip for your location.
I only shows WCFE 1 & 2 for me

dtschlack, Where do you see that? can you add the link and the zip for your location.
I only shows WCFE 1 & 2 for me

Sorry, I can't send the link right now. I'm "restricted" until after I've made 5 posts.

WVNY-DT 22 (16.1) programming for Monday, October 30, 2006...

05446

dtschlack, Where do you see that? can you add the link and the zip for your location.
I only shows WCFE 1 & 2 for me
WVNY's website has a link for TitanTv. They show VNY at 16.1. Does that mean its not going to be VHF 13 as previously thought

http://titantvguide.titantv.com/apg/ttv.aspx?siteid=53210

It looks like it only shows up if you access TitanTV from the local stations' websites. I've copy/pasted them here:

WCAX (Ch3) - http://titantvguide.titantv.com/apg/ttv.aspx?siteid=1969
WPTZ (Ch5) - http://titantvguide.titantv.com/apg/ttv.aspx?siteid=53474
WVNY (Ch22) - http://titantvguide.titantv.com/apg/ttv.aspx?siteid=53210
VPT (Ch33, etc.) - http://titantvguide.titantv.com/apg/ttv.aspx?siteid=52946
WFFF (Ch44) - http://wfff.titantv.com/apg/ttv.aspx?siteid=50018

A few comments:

- The listing for WVNY-DT was showing data last week, perhaps even earlier. It's listed under channel 16, but is supposed to be transmitting over channel 13.

- WCAX-DT, which is already live, doesn't show up at all.

I mean I read this thread every day, I don't think I missed anything. I was asking in reference to people all of a sudden saying "Fox HD at full strength" and things of that nature some time Saturday. Without knowing the set-up/cable providers of each member I couldn't really tell if there was a chance Adelphia would also begin picking it up, which as always was just wishful thinking on my part.

I have confirmed the HD feeds of ABC and FOX are already in the Williston headend. We are just waiting on re-broadcast rights and contracts before we can officially broadcast them. I dont know if it will beat the OTA feeds or not, but I do know its coming.

As soon as I hear something, I will post it. Wishful thinking here also, as I dont have a setup to grab OTA quite yet.

PS.. Do any of you guys have a MyHD MDP-130 card? I have been looking into getting one and I was just wondering if they are really as good as I have heard. Thanks..

Enjoyed football on WCAX this weekend on my 110" screen! - but still watched the most football on DirecTV Superfan - although a noticeable difference (better OTA). Too bad the Jets game wasn't HD, but still better OTA than I've had to date with the digital signal. The rabbit ears did their job with just a few drops of less than a second. I couldn't pull in WFFF - didn't even know they went live. Did a digital channel scan and my antenna just won't bring it in. Tried a bit again today and still not enough signal to keep a constant stream. I guess it's time to attach the outside antenna. It's a big antenna that was on the house when we moved in a few years ago. Looks like it's in great shape so I'll give it a shot. Heading to the store to get some 75-ohm cable, splitter to run to 3 tv's, and misc gear to hook it up - looks like I'll need an outdoor balun to convert from 300-ohm to 75-ohm. Anyone think of what I missed before I go? Wish me luck - I want my HDTV!

Enjoyed football on WCAX this weekend on my 110" screen! - but still watched the most football on DirecTV Superfan - although a noticeable difference (better OTA). Too bad the Jets game wasn't HD, but still better OTA than I've had to date with the digital signal. The rabbit ears did their job with just a few drops of less than a second. I couldn't pull in WFFF - didn't even know they went live. Did a digital channel scan and my antenna just won't bring it in. Tried a bit again today and still not enough signal to keep a constant stream. I guess it's time to attach the outside antenna. It's a big antenna that was on the house when we moved in a few years ago. Looks like it's in great shape so I'll give it a shot. Heading to the store to get some 75-ohm cable, splitter to run to 3 tv's, and misc gear to hook it up - looks like I'll need an outdoor balun to convert from 300-ohm to 75-ohm. Anyone think of what I missed before I go? Wish me luck - I want my HDTV!

Make sure you get RG-6, DO NOT get RG-59, it wont work nearly as well. Where are you going to get your supplies?

I still am not receiving WFFF-DT. In theroy since the towers are so close to each other that if I can get WCAX and VPT (which I do and they look great) then I should be able to receive the others when they are up and running right?
Not quiet true. I had the same problem when WCAX came online. I was receiving VPT great, so I assumed CAX will be even better with the high power antenna, I was surprised when I did not get anything.
I had to move my indoor antenna to the attic, then I received CAX, fox and even stronger signal for VPT.
I cannot explain how I can go from 0% to 84% by raising the antenna maybe at most 10 feet.
Don't be discouraged, just keep trying new things and good luck.

cableguy403;

I have used a MyHd100 and MyHd120...the latter is in my setup now. Its pretty good; the reason folks go for the MYHD cards is they have on-board CPU horsepower and so you can use them in older computers. I have mine in a 500mhz P3.

The other cards use the computer's CPU for image processing and so they work well only if you install them in a high-end machine.

Having said all that I started with the MyHD100 to pull in Mountain Lake PBS which is 45 miles out. It barely was sensitive enough; I also have a Sammy ST150 HD STB and it pulled in Mountain Lake OK. Note I have an attick mounted radioshack VHF/UHF $40 antenna.

So I Ebay'ed the MyHD120 as its supposed to have a more sensitive receiver chip, and it was only a few dollars more. The 130 is supposed to be even more sensitive but they are significantly more and I do not need the QAM or DVI ability (with the daughter cards).

It works OK...I reoriented my antenna to get Mansfield while sacrificing mountain lake..and the images are nice. Its a complex card to set up and I have had a few lockups....but my computer is TERRIBLE and if I were to do it over I think I would have tried to get a stand alone HD DVR..but they are 500 or more.

If you are technically oriented (a little bit anyway) and you have a decent and STABLE computer you can make it work. My upgarde costs were $80 for the card and $90 for a bigger harddrive. Also, AVS forum has LOTS of resource on MyHD cards. Good luck.

Thanks a lot for the post vermonter.

I think I am going to go with a MDP-130. I have a fairly new PC, so I could use one of the other ones, but I do want QAM tuning. I am not sure yet if I am going to be able to grab OTA reliably because I am in an apt building in South Burlington with a decent sized hill and trees right in line with Mansfield.

With the MDP-130 card I can do either OTA or QAM because it has two inputs so I have read, and I know Comdelphia is soon going to be putting the rest of the locals on, so I would like that option. I know that the OTA will be a higher bitrate as we (Comdelphia) rate-shape, but I would like the QAM tuning just in case.

I will see if I cant get one from e-bay at a decent price. Thanks for taking the time for your reply, it is much appreciated.

As soon as I hear something, I will post it. Wishful thinking here also, as I dont have a setup to grab OTA quite yet.

thanks, looking forward to any news.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Prison Break in HD...

D'oh!

They don't know there is a problem!!

hey... I need to pick up a preamp - can anyone recommend somewhere to pick up a good one in Plattsburgh? I'd prefer Channel Master if possible... or Winegard..

Thanks!

got my supplies at Lowe's in Plattsburgh - they typically have everything that is needed when doing a project - the same was true for hooking up my antenna.

So...I got it hooked up by 8pm last night and ran the coax to three sat. receivers - they go to 6 tv's (only one HD though). Had pretty good luck with WCAX and WCFE (also getting PBS in VT now). Analog signals are better as well - but certainly not perfect.

ONE MAJOR PROBLEM - still can't pull in WFFF (digital). The analog signal for WFFF is pretty good - but couldn't pull in their digital signal. Did they happen to take it off the air last night? When I first attached the antenna it looked like I was getting around a 75% signal - but no picture or sound. I then did a digital channel scan and then it removed the channel automatically from my receivers guide menu - and couldn't get it back after trying all night!

Does anyone know what the best direction for a VHF/UHF yagi antenna to pick up the best signal? I live almost directly between Terry Mt in NY and Mt Mansfield in VT. I would aim for just the VT towers as they are the HD channels I want and I can get MountainLake PBS no matter how I point the antenna. Should I have the "point" end l aiming towards VT?

That type of antenna is very directional, so yes, the pointed end should point at the towers on Mt Mansfield. I don't think WFFF went off the air, at least not before 12:30. I get it at 44-1.

They had a few varieties. I set my antenna up with just a small amp - one I had around the house (I think it was from a Terk sat. OTA antenna - one that clips on the top of a dish - that antenna was horrible btw). I believe Lowes had two ChannelMaster's: one with a 12db gain and the other around 20db gain (I could be wrong here - didn't write it down). Anyway, the smaller was just under $25 and the other was just under $40.

I may have to go back for one myself if I can't pick up WFFF by moving the antenna around. I think I can move it for some improvement as the antenna is pointing North (towards nothing!). Pointing East toward Mansfield should make significant improvement - go figure :) I'll find out in a few hours.

Hi folks, just wanted to share some info I got from WPTZ yesterday:

They are still working on it! The wind was 92mph Saturday afternoon. The
large (4 track) show machine we bought to get the crews up and down the
mountain blew its transmission the first day!
The natenna and feedline look ok but there is still a heat problem in the
filtering system and thats the last one to solve before we go to full power
and regular programming!

-
Will

Wow, thanks for the update, WRBriggs!
I posted an earlier message about needing to add 15 degrees to my compass reading to allow for the magnetic declination. Turns out that AntennaWeb and another site I used have the magnetic declination built in. That means we use the compass reading as is without having to compensate for true north. That was easy to figure out when I can actually see the top of Mansfield.
It's looking good to start skiing in about 3 weeks!

I may have to go back for one myself if I can't pick up WFFF by moving the antenna around. I think I can move it for some improvement as the antenna is pointing North (towards nothing!).

I resent that! :p

Should I have the "point" end l aiming towards VT?If you're West of Mt. Mansfield, then point your antenna like this:


/
/ /
/ / /
+-+-+-+-+ -> East
\ \ \
\ \
\


Not like this:


\
\ \
\ \ \
+-+-+-+-+ -> East
/ / /
/ /
/


I set my antenna up with just a small ampIf possible, once you get your antenna pointing in the right direction, try it without any amp at all. You're better off if there's plenty of signal without it.

For reference... I can get 75% signal or better from WCFE using an unamplified indoor antenna from approx. 40miles away. I'm sure I could do even better if I used an unamplified outdoor antenna.

D'oh!
I'm a little confused, and maybe you can clear this up. On the VPR website the most recent post from the director of engineering included the following text: "We are awaiting delivery of larger STL (studio transmitter link) dishes so we can send the digital signal up to Mt. Mansfield and begin HD broadcasting from that site as well. It may be a few weeks yet before they are delivered, but we have high hopes that we can have WVPS on HD-1 and HD-2 before the holiday season." So I would think that you wouldn't be able to get WFFF in HD yet, unless Fox has an STL of their own and VPR was just talking about something relating to radio only. Does 'D'oh!' mean you got Prison Break in HD OTA last night?

:p No. If it was in HD I would have said "Whoo-hoo!"

"D'oh", according to the Oxford English Dictionary is defined as "expressing frustration at the realization that things have turned out badly or not as planned".

WFFF said "We have a problem with the equipment that was sent to us by FOX" the should have it corrected bvt E.O.D.
:)

I'm a little confused, and maybe you can clear this up. On the VPR website the most recent post from the director of engineering included the following text: "We are awaiting delivery of larger STL (studio transmitter link) dishes so we can send the digital signal up to Mt. Mansfield and begin HD broadcasting from that site as well. It may be a few weeks yet before they are delivered, but we have high hopes that we can have WVPS on HD-1 and HD-2 before the holiday season." So I would think that you wouldn't be able to get WFFF in HD yet, unless Fox has an STL of their own and VPR was just talking about something relating to radio only. Does 'D'oh!' mean you got Prison Break in HD OTA last night?

The Vermont Public Radio Chief Engineer is speaking about Ibiquity's proprietary IBOC (InBandOnChannel) digital Radio scheme for WVPS 107.9. It's confusing when we're all so concentrated on HDTV in this forum. ;)

End of the day? In time for "Standoff"?

Has WFFF gone full power? I still cannot receive the channel and rather wait before playing with the antenna.

Got this answer from eng at this moment:

We were having problems with the equipment FOX sent us.....
We fixed it and we should be good to go tonight...

Any news on WVNY. That's the one I'm waiting for to adjust my antennas.

End of the day? In time for "Standoff"?

I got an email from Bill in the programming dept @ 44 saying they were having the equipment delivered today and if all goes well it would be installed for tonights HD lineup-

Keep your fingers crossed, I have yet to hear from him since this morning

WPTZ's transmitter is on again, but they're still not showing anything. I also noticed on their web site that they've demolished their news set and are building a new one. Anyone know if they are planning HD (or at least 480 widescreen like WCAX)?

Now where's WVNY?

Probably no need to wait to adjust your antenna; they will be broadcast from Mt Mansfield also so there won't be more than 1 degree of difference from WCAX or VPT. :)

I know, but the problem is that I can't get CBFT and CBMT when I'm pointed on Mt. Mansfield. I want to turn it to a "sweetspot" in between so I can get the signals from both directions, without losing some weaker stations like WVNY.

The Vermont Public Radio Chief Engineer is speaking about Ibiquity's proprietary IBOC (InBandOnChannel) digital Radio scheme for WVPS 107.9. It's confusing when we're all so concentrated on HDTV in this forum. ;)
Sorry for any confusion I added - in the immortal words of Roseanne Roseannadana "Never mind!"

If you're West of Mt. Mansfield, then point your antenna like this:


/
/ /
/ / /
+-+-+-+-+ -> East
\ \ \
\ \
\


Not like this:


\
\ \
\ \ \
+-+-+-+-+ -> East
/ / /
/ /
/


If possible, once you get your antenna pointing in the right direction, try it without any amp at all. You're better off if there's plenty of signal without it.

For reference... I can get 75% signal or better from WCFE using an unamplified indoor antenna from approx. 40miles away. I'm sure I could do even better if I used an unamplified outdoor antenna.
THanks for the diagram/info. I am now pulling in WCAX, WFFF, and VPT. Signal strength is fluctuating from 45 to 77 - mostly on the lower end. The picture doesn't pixelate - might leave as is for now unless there are any suggestions. Analog WCAX is better than ever - so is WPTZ. Lost a bit of WFFF's anaolg - but atleast I can now get the HD signal. Guess I can't have it all - and would certainly rather get the HD feed. Would an amp do me any good? I have a 10db amp that I bought years ago and just found it when tuning the antenna. I suppose I could just try it.

There is no real way to know exactly where Mansfield is from my location. I pointed the antenna almost due East (just very slightly to the south). This was just a pure guess. I need a map!!! Time for more research online to get a better bearing.

There is no real way to know exactly where Mansfield is from my location. I pointed the antenna almost due East (just very slightly to the south). This was just a pure guess. I need a map!!! Time for more research online to get a better bearing.Go to http://antennaweb.org and plug in your address. It'll tell you what stations you might be able to receive, how far away they are, and in what direction. It's also produce a map if you click the link.

For me, I'm so close to Mt. Mansfield that picking up the signal is a no-brainer. However, WCFE took a little work. Here's what I did...

- I first plugged my antenna into my analog set and tuned it to channel 57.
- I started with the antenna pointing in rougly the direction of Plattsburgh, and then slowly rotated it back and forth until I got the clearest picture with the least amount of "ghosting".
- I then left the antenna where it was an plugged it into my HD receiver. Got 75% on the signal meter.

Go to http://antennaweb.org and plug in your address. It'll tell you what stations you might be able to receive, how far away they are, and in what direction. It's also produce a map if you click the link.

For me, I'm so close to Mt. Mansfield that picking up the signal is a no-brainer. However, WCFE took a little work. Here's what I did...

- I first plugged my antenna into my analog set and tuned it to channel 57.
- I started with the antenna pointing in rougly the direction of Plattsburgh, and then slowly rotated it back and forth until I got the clearest picture with the least amount of "ghosting".
- I then left the antenna where it was an plugged it into my HD receiver. Got 75% on the signal meter.
Thanks vttom. I'll give it a shot!

I bought a map of Burlington/Chittenden County today here in Connecticut. Seeing that the peak of Mount Mansfield is to the east-northeast of Burlington (and on the right edge of the map by the county line), it got me wondering: Other than Plattsburgh, was there any other location in greater Burlington that could've been used for a transmitter site? I wouldn't know that area too well since the closest I've ever been to there is White River Junction (and that was back in 1992).

On a separate note, I noticed the names of some other peaks near Mount Mansfield printed as facial features (nose, Adam's apple, chin, etc.). Why is that? :confused:

If you look at the mountain, it looks like a face lying down. Google images mt mansfield to see more.