I can not seem to locate the NBC HD station with my QAM tuner. It does not match the location in Robbie's spreadsheet. Has this been moved?

The only problem I am having is getting a constant siginal on 12-1,12-2, 25-1, 25-2. These to me are essential channels. If I set the antenna to get one I won't get the other and vise versa. According to AntennaWeb.org i'm within 13.4 miles of all the towers, the Compass Orientation on 25 is alot higher than the rest at 214 vs the other highest is 63 and thats only on 25, 25-1 is 63.

Anyone in the orange park area have any luck with gettting all the over the air channels and if so what antenna are you using?

Thanks
Jon


Jon, I live off of Old Jennings/Blanding area and use a Channel Master 3016 VHF/UHF antenna (even with a HOA).

I have it mounted on my eve on the back of the house sitting inches off of my roof. Its small enough to not be an eye sore, but is great on signals (You can't even see it from the road).

I get CW/NBC/PBS at 99-100% signal, Fox @ 88%, ABC & CBS @ 92%. WJXT (independent) I get at 95%.

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=ANC3016 has them for about 30$. Mounting plate is about 15$, just need to run cable.

Inside antennas suffer from signal bounce, drop, interference. Same with Attic Mounts. I know I tried everything it seems.

Ronnie

Your channel listings look like mine. At least, I know my QAM channel numbers for the 4 broadcast networks match yours, and not the ones in the first post. I too have a Sharp 46" 62U and figure the QAM tuner on our model uses a different numbering scheme for the minor number (the portion after the ".") than other manufacturer's tuners.

I noticed 5-6 days ago that a couple of my channels were out (via my Comcast Moto 3416) for a few hours one morning, and one of them was Disney. Maybe Comcast remapped and the set-top box was reconfiguring for it? That's my guess. I haven't rescanned on QAM yet because I usually use the box.

I've also noticed since that time that the On-Demand stuff on 79-82 isn't there anymore. Can anyone else confirm? Does anyone know where those were remapped to?

I also have the 3416 DVR and pay Comcast over $84/mo. I'm wondering if I were to only have extended basic service would I be able to receive the HD channels I currently on the Qam tuner? If so would I be able to program a Tivo HD DVR to record them?

I haven't been able to get channel 4 (WJXT) the past few days on QAM 78.13. Anyone else having problems or have they changed locations?

Just noticed Comcast has added:

420 - USA HD
421 - TBS HD
422 - History HD
424 - Discovery HD
426 - Animal Planet HD
427 - Sci-Fi HD

Giving us a total of 32 dedicated HD channels not including PPV & HD OnDemand.

Just noticed Comcast has added:

420 - USA HD
421 - TBS HD
422 - History HD
424 - Discovery HD
426 - Animal Planet HD
427 - Sci-Fi HD

Giving us a total of 32 dedicated HD channels not including PPV & HD OnDemand.

Wow, I just turned on the TV and noticed the channels. Comcast has now added most of the channels I've wanted. I wonder how much more capacity they have to add HD channels without losing some of the analog channels.

I wonder how much more capacity they have to add HD channels without losing some of the analog channels.

I wondered about that too since they're probably feeling the need to keep up w/ D*. If I were guessing, i'd say they have enough to fill up all the numbers they skipped between 401-440.

I wondered about that too since they're probably feeling the need to keep up w/ D*. If I were guessing, i'd say they have enough to fill up all the numbers they skipped between 401-440.

Well, it's making me rethink switching to D*. My procrastination calling D* means I'll probably stay a Comcast customer for awhile longer.

Now, I just need to stop procrastinating and get a TIVO HD since Santa didn't bring one.

These new channels almost make the upcoming rate increase more palatable. I think TBSHD has been there for a couple of weeks, but the other five are definitely shiny and new. Battlestar on SciFi HD, baby! :D

Anyone find the QAM locations of the On Demand channels yet, the ones that used to be in the 79-82 range?

FWIW I dropped Comcast for DIRECTV last month and I dont have any regrets whatsoever. The picture quality is noticibly better on all channels includung SD and the HD selection cannot be beat. PM me if you want a $50 referral code coupon. I kept comcast for internet and also pay the 13 additional for the basic cable package dropping the internet from 65-45-making it a wash and also giving me QAM capabilities on my secondary TVs. SO I am getting the best of both worlds and have a backup when we get the horrendous summer storms.

[Slightly off-topic]

Re: dropping Comcast. With the recent price increases in their offering, I decided to look at lowering my Internet package. I was paying $52 for the "speed tier", but I saw they now offer a "lite" version of cable for $24.95. I called them to make the switch, and so far, I'm very happy with my decision to do so. I initially made the increase from regular Hi-speed to the speed tier, since I do some gaming on Xbox Live. If figured an additional $10/mo might have been worth a higher upload speed. Honestly, I didn't really notice a difference in performance. In fact, I'd say it was effectively a decrease in performance, since the latency went from ~70ms up to as much as 170ms. Well, now that I've switched to the economy internet, my latency (aka "Ping") is around 50ms, which is fantastic. I've had no issues with my Xbox Live connection, and web surfing seems unaffected, too. Dear Comcast, Thanks for offering "cable-lite", to compete with "dsl-lite". :D

[/offtopic]

As far as Comcast programming is concerned, I really wish I could go "a la carte" in order to save some money on my TV. There are so many unwatched channels in the Digital tiers, when I'm trying to get a handful of kid channels and Fox News. Those are really all I need, yet you gotta have Full Basic and another digital package to make it all happen. HD is definitely a luxury, but I do enjoy seeing NFL in HD, and for a minimal cost, at that. (My family room TV doesn't have a built-in tuner, to which I could add an antenna.)

Just trying to make some little cuts in spending for the New Year. The lower internet price was a good start, and if I could cut another $10-20 on top of that, I'd be really happy about it. Oh well.

Where is ABC on the QAM tuner...I can't find it. Would love to know quickly because of Gator game today.

Where is ABC on the QAM tuner...I can't find it. Would love to know quickly because of Gator game today.

78-14 is analog and 104-1 is HD

Anyone getting HD on the Sugar Bowl game right now? game looks like crud over here at my parents house in Orange Park OTA... Cowboys-Redskins game looked absolutely stunning...I believe we have it on the right channel, they are Dish Network subscribers, so I don't know this guide at all to be sure...30-01...

Nevermind, my step father swore that it was on the HD channel...we were watching 30-00 which is the SD Dish Network channel, not 30-01

Thanks Buzbee2, for your 11-2-07 QAM list. Any time you rescan and find changes please republish on this thread. For some reason my qam tuner tunes well but does not scan so well.

petergaryr - I see that Orlando just had their local CW affiliate turned on the new MPEG-4 sats. - there is hope for us yet.

I was lucky enough to get Directv to replace my 2 HD Tivo with HR20s for free, but I have one last HD Tivo that I need switched over, so far they want $299, looking for a better deal, don't mind paying but $299 is too much.

petergaryr - I see that Orlando just had their local CW affiliate turned on the new MPEG-4 sats. - there is hope for us yet.

I was lucky enough to get Directv to replace my 2 HD Tivo with HR20s for free, but I have one last HD Tivo that I need switched over, so far they want $299, looking for a better deal, don't mind paying but $299 is too much.

Well, yeah to that! I read where PBS is coming as well, so that will complete my wish list for locals.

Were you dealing with retention on the last Tivo? If not, I'd try giving them a call. At the very least, they might offer something to offset the cost.

Peter - tried again today - $199 less $120 programming discounts - works for me :)

Peter - tried again today - $199 less $120 programming discounts - works for me :)

Ken Blanchard's no lose bet: If you ask for something and get it, you win. If you ask and don't get it, you haven't lost anything: you never had it in the first place! Good you asked! :D

Yep - Ken is so wise....

By the way have you seen the new toys DirecTV is coming out with from the CES show?

Check it out over at http://www.dbstalk.com/

the HDPC-20 - PC Based DirecTV Receiver and DVR is going to be very interesting.

Yep - Ken is so wise....

By the way have you seen the new toys DirecTV is coming out with from the CES show?

Check it out over at http://www.dbstalk.com/

the HDPC-20 - PC Based DirecTV Receiver and DVR is going to be very interesting.

Nice. And I see remote booking is soon to be released as well.

Peter - they were fast with the deliver (DirecTV) - I ordered the receiver Monday morning and received it Tuesday, it was a refurbed HR20, but unfortunatley it keeps resetting every time you go into a menu or just watching TV, They are sending another one as we speak.

by the way are you participating in the CE stuff over at DBStalk - if so what do you think of the DOD and media share stuff?

Peter - they were fast with the deliver (DirecTV) - I ordered the receiver Monday morning and received it Tuesday, it was a refurbed HR20, but unfortunatley it keeps resetting every time you go into a menu or just watching TV, They are sending another one as we speak.

by the way are you participating in the CE stuff over at DBStalk - if so what do you think of the DOD and media share stuff?


That's too bad about the DVR issues...but in general I've found them to be reliable (I have the HR20-700 and a 100).

Yes, I've been doing the CE thing for quite a while. DOD works fine, but there were only 2 HD items a while back and I haven't checked recently. The other thing is they offer DOD of things you have to subscribe to, such as Starz. I haven't found a lot of SD stuff I'm interested in----but it DOES work.

I tried the media share and have been able to listen to music and view pictures on both the HT and bedroom sets. It is one of those features I looked at, played with, said "that's nice", and then abandoned.

I know others on the board are just thrilled with it, so to each his own.

The only investment I had to make was in a switch for my network so I could split the connection between my wife's PC and the HR20-700, but that was no big deal.

I agree about the HR20-700 - I have two already, this will be my third, the only complaint I really have is they are really slow changing channels, I just use the quick guide or the guide to surf now.

I also feel the same way about the DOD/media share - so far I have downloaded Evan Almighty (free for the 1st day) but I have yet to watch it yet. Also with media share if they will come out with the proper codecs then I might be happy, right now all I have invested is a bufaloe ethernet converter to connect my 2nd HR20 to it, works fine.

What I really want is MRV (Multi-room viewing)

I agree about the HR20-700 - I have two already, this will be my third, the only complaint I really have is they are really slow changing channels, I just use the quick guide or the guide to surf now.

I also feel the same way about the DOD/media share - so far I have downloaded Evan Almighty (free for the 1st day) but I have yet to watch it yet. Also with media share if they will come out with the proper codecs then I might be happy, right now all I have invested is a bufaloe ethernet converter to connect my 2nd HR20 to it, works fine.

What I really want is MRV (Multi-room viewing)


I'm with you on MRV. I don't know if there is a technical holdup or what, but if media share works over the network, you'd think enabling sharing the HD of the DVR wouldn't be that big a deal.

Good to see the local newscasts doing stories on the switch to digital thats coming next year.Now if only the would have newscasts in HD. Good luck Jaguars.

anyone with DirecTV (MPEG4) having issues with CBS 47 earlier? - I was just getting a black screen last I checked, but 47-1 was OK

anyone with DirecTV (MPEG4) having issues with CBS 47 earlier? - I was just getting a black screen last I checked, but 47-1 was OK

Yes...I've now recorded 20 minutes of a black screen of Without A Trace.

I just checked the recording, and sure enough, there is not a trace of Without a Trace. :eek:

anyone with DirecTV (MPEG4) having issues with CBS 47 earlier? - I was just getting a black screen last I checked, but 47-1 was OK

I had the opposite on my TivoHD...47 came in great but 47-1 was blank...I went and checked the signal meter and 47-1 measured 92, so the signal wasn't the problem...looks as if they had a carrier wave but nothing to put on it...

I had the opposite on my TivoHD...47 came in great but 47-1 was blank...I went and checked the signal meter and 47-1 measured 92, so the signal wasn't the problem...looks as if they had a carrier wave but nothing to put on it...


that is strange, but your 47(MPEG2 - SD) is different from our 47 (MPEG4 - HD) - very strange indeed. Not sure why I would be getting 47-1 on my HR20-700 and you not on your HD Tivo.

that is strange, but your 47(MPEG2 - SD) is different from our 47 (MPEG4 - HD) - very strange indeed. Not sure why I would be getting 47-1 on my HR20-700 and you not on your HD Tivo.

Since both were "47-1", regardless of the receiver, I would have thought they would have both been OTA digital signals. If you were getting an MPEG 2 or 4 signal, they would have been listed as "47"...is that not correct?

On my DTV receiver I have 47 listed twice, one for MPEG 2 (SD) and one for MPEG 4 (HD). I have 47-1 listed on both my DTV and TivoHD as an OTA digital signal...and they should be the same since the DTV and TivoHD are acting only as an OTA receiver. I should be receiving the same 47-1 telecast on both systems...

Correct?

Since both were "47-1", regardless of the receiver, I would have thought they would have both been OTA digital signals. If you were getting an MPEG 2 or 4 signal, they would have been listed as "47"...is that not correct?

On my DTV receiver I have 47 listed twice, one for MPEG 2 (SD) and one for MPEG 4 (HD). I have 47-1 listed on both my DTV and TivoHD as an OTA digital signal...and they should be the same since the DTV and TivoHD are acting only as an OTA receiver. I should be receiving the same 47-1 telecast on both systems...

Correct?

47-1 is always going to be the OTA station.

On my DirecTV HR20-700 and 100, I have 3 choices for the stations: 47-1, 47(SD) and 47 (HD).

spectrumsp - -1 local channels would be the same - OTA, but if you have a HD Tivo - 47 would be SD - MPEG2 - Peter and I have the new HR20-xxx models which broadcast HD MPEG4 on 47 as well as mpeg2 sd on 47 but I was speaking about the HD MPEG4 channel on our receivers.

Anyone else just hate Comcast with a passion?

The most recent event was when they raised prices, and I called to see what I could do. I asked if I could change my internet down a tier, and I could save like $20 a month. Too bad there is a fee (of course!) to drop down tiers.

So why is it that the cable, phone, power, utility, etc. companies can still have monopolies like this?

Anyone else just hate Comcast with a passion?

The most recent event was when they raised prices, and I called to see what I could do. I asked if I could change my internet down a tier, and I could save like $20 a month. Too bad there is a fee (of course!) to drop down tiers.

So why is it that the cable, phone, power, utility, etc. companies can still have monopolies like this?

How much was the fee? I was also considering doing that.

How much was the fee? I was also considering doing that.$30 - It would also drop you down from 6Mb to 1Mb. I don't think I could handle that anyways...so, no for me.

I "allowed" them to charge me the $29.95 "Activation" fee, but then I called back after few days and challenged the fee with a Supervisor. My main challenge was that when I upgraded my internet from the 6mbps to the 8 mbps internet service, I was NOT charged that fee. Also, I argued that I was getting screwed, even though I've been a loyal customer for over 7 years. They waived 1/2 of it, so I only ended up getting charged $15. When I check my recent activity online, that credit shows up and is labeled "Customer First". Darn straight! haha!

Oh, and I also lowered my digital programming package to the Digital One HD package. I really had to "count the cost" on losing my Fox News Channel, but I figure I get enough of that during the day listening to Talk Radio. I probably watch Fox News more than any other channel, too, so I'm taking a hit for the benefit of the family. Anyway, that's gonna save me about $25/mo, on top of the $25 I'm saving in Internet costs.

I "allowed" them to charge me the $29.95 "Activation" fee, but then I called back after few days and challenged the fee with a Supervisor. My main challenge was that when I upgraded my internet from the 6mbps to the 8 mbps internet service, I was NOT charged that fee. Also, I argued that I was getting screwed, even though I've been a loyal customer for over 7 years. They waived 1/2 of it, so I only ended up getting charged $15. When I check my recent activity online, that credit shows up and is labeled "Customer First". Darn straight! haha!

Oh, and I also lowered my digital programming package to the Digital One HD package. I really had to "count the cost" on losing my Fox News Channel, but I figure I get enough of that during the day listening to Talk Radio. I probably watch Fox News more than any other channel, too, so I'm taking a hit for the benefit of the family. Anyway, that's gonna save me about $25/mo, on top of the $25 I'm saving in Internet costs.So you're saying they offer a cheaper HD service?

No, the HD service is the same cost. It's a lower level/tier of the Digital Service. I imagine I'd probably lose the HD versions of ESPN, though. So far, I'm still getting all the channels I had previously, but my bill is lower. Guess that haven't updated that part of the system yet.

I'm looking at cutting my Comcast bill, too. It's all a jumble when I try to figure it out using their online system.

I'd like most to keep my Moto HD-DVR, but even that is on the table at this point. My 1080i plasma TV does clear QAM, and I can record HD content with my Mac and Miglia MiniTVHD USB dongle. I can connect my laptop to the TV or stream content back out to it with my AppleTV.

Is there a way to get the cheapest cable package and keep the gear (paying the box/DVR fees)? Or do I have to cut it all the way back to the basic package, which I can't even find on Comcast's webpage anymore!!!

I'm paying $75.40 for something called the HDTV Preferred Package. I'm getting the DVR for $7. I'm still getting HSI for the $24.95 introductory rate. I don't mind paying full price when that rate goes up.

But for TV, considering I can technically timeshift with a computer-based DVR, shouldn't I be able to get cheaper cable in the Riverside area?! I just want to watch CNN, some network HD content (when they come back), and that's about it.

Did Comcast just get rid of Sun Sports HD 442. I can't seem to find it... wanted to watch the Magic Heat game in Comcastic HD tonight.

We just recently, two weeks ago, got a HDTV and I have been searching for QAM channel listings for Comcast in Jacksonville. I just hate cable set top boxes, it inevitably leads to requiring two remotes for full functionality...

In every listing I find I see NBC (TV12) and ABC (TV25) both shown as being available at 104.2 and 104.1 however I have never been able to find their HD channel on my QAM tuner.

CBS (TV47) I found at 114.2 and according to my TV they are broadcasting a HD signal but as far as the other Networks I just haven't been able to locate their HD signals which if I am understanding correctly should be available unencrypted on a QAM channel by Comcast.

Anyone have any suggestions or insight?

Thanks,
Bob

We just recently, two weeks ago, got a HDTV and I have been searching for QAM channel listings for Comcast in Jacksonville. I just hate cable set top boxes, it inevitably leads to requiring two remotes for full functionality...

In every listing I find I see NBC (TV12) and ABC (TV25) both shown as being available at 104.2 and 104.1 however I have never been able to find their HD channel on my QAM tuner.

CBS (TV47) I found at 114.2 and according to my TV they are broadcasting a HD signal but as far as the other Networks I just haven't been able to locate their HD signals which if I am understanding correctly should be available unencrypted on a QAM channel by Comcast.

Anyone have any suggestions or insight?

Thanks,
Bob


JaxWeather
I'm in St Augustine Recently they remapped the QAM channels to look like JAX. I can't find the QAM for ABC 25. If anyone knows where QAM ABC is???


Thanks
John

anyone know the qam channel no. for the superbowl game??? thanks bob1mac

anyone know the qam channel no. for the superbowl game??? thanks bob1mac

I'm getting it on 1-1

I'm getting it on 1-1
thanks peter, i guess my tuner does not get 1-1 on comcast. bob

We just recently, two weeks ago, got a HDTV and I have been searching for QAM channel listings for Comcast in Jacksonville. I just hate cable set top boxes, it inevitably leads to requiring two remotes for full functionality...

In every listing I find I see NBC (TV12) and ABC (TV25) both shown as being available at 104.2 and 104.1 however I have never been able to find their HD channel on my QAM tuner.

CBS (TV47) I found at 114.2 and according to my TV they are broadcasting a HD signal but as far as the other Networks I just haven't been able to locate their HD signals which if I am understanding correctly should be available unencrypted on a QAM channel by Comcast.

Anyone have any suggestions or insight?

Thanks,
Bob

I just re-checked on my LG TV and 104.1 is ABC and 104.2 is NBC. Those are the HD stations.

thanks peter, i guess my tuner does not get 1-1 on comcast. bob

I used to get 1-1 but now all I see is a black screen :(

I used to get 1-1 but now all I see is a black screen :(

Just as with OTA, a QAM signal strength can vary. Depending on the make of TV, some tuners are more sensitive than others. Perhaps something has happened to affect your overall signal level.

The WAWSHD QAM channel is 70-1. 1-1 is just a virtual channel that some tuners will recognize.

SCANNING: 501000000 (us-cable:70, us-irc:70)
PROGRAM: 1: 1.1 WAWS
PROGRAM: 4: 1.4 WCWJ

The WAWSHD QAM channel is 70-1. 1-1 is just a virtual channel that some tuners will recognize.

SCANNING: 501000000 (us-cable:70, us-irc:70)
PROGRAM: 1: 1.1 WAWS
PROGRAM: 4: 1.4 WCWJ


Unfortunately, that is a characteristic of the individuals tuners as indicated. For example, with both my Sony and LG, I can't tune 70-1. When I do, it immediately re-maps to 1.1.

However, that would be a good "sticky" at the beginning of this thread. If someone has a listing of the HD QAM channels (not the virtual ones), it would probably be a good reference for those who have those type of tuners.

When the question was originally asked, I just did a re-scan. Good thing. I discovered that Discovery HD theater which I has "lost" on 101-2 now was on 105-2.

I rarely use the Comcast QAM channels since DirecTV is my primary source, but it is nice to know where the stations are when I want to do a PQ comparison, or during those times when both tuners in the DVR are recording.

Seriously considering dropping Comcast and go with the local ota HD. Having a hard time justifying almost $100 a month for Scfi and Disc HD.

Now having the ability to time shift and use a guide are important. So with OTA HD, would a TIVO HD box with cable cards work ?

Suggestions for another solution?

mike

So with OTA HD, would a TIVO HD box with cable cards work ?


If you drop Comcast and go OTA, where would you get your CABLE Cards and how would you get them to work?

Sorry, mistyped

I meant to say without cable cards

mike

I switched out a splitter box I was using on my cable run to a Digital splitter and found FOX on 1-1 and on 104 I sometimes get ABC and sometimes NBC and sometimes no signal at all. 104-1 and 104-2 never receive any signal.

I thought cable providers were required to carry all local stations unencrypted in HD at all times?

I also have seen indications of Speed at 70-7 elsewhere in this thread but I am unable to find any digital or HD QAM channel for SPEED...

-Bob

I would like to know if any other Comcast customers are having problems with the newest HD channels they added. I have a Series 3 TiVo and a TiVo HD in separate rooms with cable cards. I have a particular problem with SciFi HD (since I watch it more than the other new channels) with frames being skipped and half second or so pauses when playing back recorded material or watching live TV. I highly doubt it is either of the TiVos because the pauses and skips are in the same places on both units.

It does not do it on the locals and original HD channels nor does it do it in any of the channels that were added before this most recent group.

Is anyone having issues with OTA 17-1 ?

Im not getting any signal from either of my STB.

JM

Question for anybody willing:

When I watch American Idol (yeah, I know, subtract some man-points) on FOX 30 HD (Comcast 434), the sound during commercials can go WAY up. I'm sure it is because AI is broadcast in 5.1, and the commercials are almost all 2.0. The worst is when the FOX 30 "news" team chimes in with their updates, it just blasts.:eek: Anybody else experience this or have a suggestion? I'll probably have to call FOX 30 to complain, for all the good it'll do....

Thanks!

Question for anybody willing:

When I watch American Idol (yeah, I know, subtract some man-points) on FOX 30 HD (Comcast 434), the sound during commercials can go WAY up. I'm sure it is because AI is broadcast in 5.1, and the commercials are almost all 2.0. The worst is when the FOX 30 "news" team chimes in with their updates, it just blasts.:eek: Anybody else experience this or have a suggestion? I'll probably have to call FOX 30 to complain, for all the good it'll do....

Thanks!
I've gotten in the habit of muting until the program returns!

Is anyone having issues with OTA 17-1 ?

Im not getting any signal from either of my STB.

JM


Is anybody using a OTA antanna anymore? I cant be the only one not getting 17-1 ?

Anybody?

Ch 17-1 working fine here.

Ch 17-1 OTA works fine for me as well.

Ch 17-1 OTA works fine for me as well.

Hey Gator99, its been a long time (i went on the tour with you years ago to fox30/cbs47). I think we were the very first JAX HDTV-ers!!!

Im stumped, i cannot get 17-1 on either of my STBs, (mits internal digital turner, OR my HR20). They both were working fine up until early this week. it also worked with my Hr10-250....

I checked my antenna, and its still in the exact place in the attic...i tried to even remove my splitter....All of my other OTAs gets 95+%

????

JohnM

Hey folks. Newbie here. Though I've had my Olevia HDTV (232v) a few years, I was content to sit with expanded basic and the freebie OTA local networks with the smattering of randomly changing mapped HD channels from comcast for the past couple years. Well, I recently upgraded to digital (Comcast now charges the same price for Digital Classic as Expanded Basic in Jax) and for a few dollars more, added up to the Digital Preferred tier. Well, that necessitated getting a box for first the bedroom tv and now the living room set as many of those channels are encrypted (natgeo, travel, science, etc). Strike 1, got a standard Motorola box today and had to return 30 minutes later as I lost all HD capability using that little thing -- though it does wonders for the SDTV 19" RCA without ATSC/QAM in the bedroom. Upon return to the Comcast center off Southpoint, they gave me a Motorola HD box that looks like it was beat to hell. I find that if I plug the coax directly into the tv, I get picture and audio fine for unencrypted digital/hd channels, yet with this new Box (of which the instructions were for another kind of unit -- this is a huge silver box model # DCH3200), running the antenna line from the wall outlet into the box and using either an antenna lead or component, I get nothing but audio breakup all the time on ALL channels now. The picture doesn't break up, but the audio is like someone "hiccuping." I used to occasionally have this problem when running the coax through my DVD-R/VHR component unit, but only with the 1.1 to 1.4 Fox mappings which would often go out on the Olevia unit. I had found that plugging directly into the tv and bypassing the combo-unit would lead to a steady audio/video signal for watching the OTA channels. Does anyone know if these are poor units? Or am I getting some kind of signal drain on the line that is causing the audio to cut in and out (not the video). The guy at comcast gave me one of these DCH3200s when he asked if I was going to use an HDMI connection (apparently, the other boxes they give out don't have this connection). Unfortunately (?) I said yes and this thing looks like a gulf war antique. I don't have the HDMI cable for it yet so was just running the component and audio lines to the set. As it currently stands, the box seems worthless. Anyone have any suggestions? I hate to make yet a 3rd trip to Comcast tomorrow! Thanks. --Brad

Note: When I temporarily had the standard def Motorola digital box, I had no signal loss through it...just standard windowed 480p definition unless I used the tv to stretch the image, making it look horrendously blurry. That was the reason for returning the first standard definition box. ...and I tried a different piece of coax from the wall outlet to the box and box to tv as well. no go.

Problem solved. 3rd trip to Comcast was the charm (rather than a strike out). Faulty box. This one works like a charm. Seen a lot of people coming in/out of the service center with these things so I suspect they are prone to crash.

We lost 17-1 and 17-2 OTA last week and it has not returned. Can still get 17 off satellite. I live at the beach and nothing has changed with the antenna.

We lost 17-1 and 17-2 OTA last week and it has not returned. Can still get 17 off satellite. I live at the beach and nothing has changed with the antenna.

Im glad someone else has confirmed this....

UPDATE : I Spoke to the Engineer at CW17, and the transmitter on their end is out. Its going to be a couple weeks ETA fix...But the issue is not on our end...

JM

Im glad someone else has confirmed this....

UPDATE : I Spoke to the Engineer at CW17, and the transmitter on their end is out. Its going to be a couple weeks ETA fix...But the issue is not on our end...

JM


I'm confused. I'm watching 17-1 now. Well, only to check the signal, I really don't "watch" Tyra Banks!

Ilive in southern St.Johns county,have watched 25-1 ota for a few years. In the last week it will not come in at all or macroblocks so bad it is unwatchable. Our antenna is same height as always and every other digital Jacksonville station comes in strong.I have tried to contact chief engineer at their station,but he is never in.Ileft message too see if the transmitter power has been lowered. Any comments on this situation?

Peter/jmorgis - I'll have to check 17-1 - I haven't tuned to the channel in a week or so, but Smallville has been recording properly.

meet -- it could just be that your antenna has moved an inch to the left or right or a tree has grown in the past year or two. Any of these can affect it. I hate to admit it, but I really do like having my locals (sans PBS/CW) on Directv HD.

Peter/jmorgis - I'll have to check 17-1 - I haven't tuned to the channel in a week or so, but Smallville has been recording properly.

meet -- it could just be that your antenna has moved an inch to the left or right or a tree has grown in the past year or two. Any of these can affect it. I hate to admit it, but I really do like having my locals (sans PBS/CW) on Directv HD.

Yes, that was one of the first things i checked. When i went through 3 different STB and all could not pull in 17-1 and all other channels were 93+%. I eventually gave up and called the Engineer at channel 17, and he confirmed the digital transmissions issues on their end...

Yes, that was one of the first things i checked. When i went through 3 different STB and all could not pull in 17-1 and all other channels were 93+%. I eventually gave up and called the Engineer at channel 17, and he confirmed the digital transmissions issues on their end...

That's the puzzling part. Since I'm getting the OTA signal down here in St. John's county, something else must be going on. Very strange.

Hey everyone,
I have DTV HD (an H20 receiver) and several times a week mainly in the evening some of my HD channels, such as MGM, SCI-FI, or NG won't come in. I'll get the searching for signal message (771). The next day they will come in fine. Anybody else have this problem and know of a solution? DTV came out about a month ago for a different problem and realigned the dish (it was happening prior to that), so I assume the dish is ok.

Thanks,
D

bigdz -- DBStalk.com is a better site for these type of questions. Sorry can't help, but if I remember correctly I have seen alot of talk about this issue.

bigdz -- DBStalk.com is a better site for these type of questions. Sorry can't help, but if I remember correctly I have seen alot of talk about this issue.


Thanks Gator, there's a whole thread devoted to this issue on that site

Hey everyone,
I have DTV HD (an H20 receiver) and several times a week mainly in the evening some of my HD channels, such as MGM, SCI-FI, or NG won't come in. I'll get the searching for signal message (771). The next day they will come in fine. Anybody else have this problem and know of a solution? DTV came out about a month ago for a different problem and realigned the dish (it was happening prior to that), so I assume the dish is ok.

Thanks,
D

I agree that dbstalk is a great site. I hang out there from time to time.

Though it is impossible to diagnose from afar, 771s often mean that one of the tuners in the H20 is not as sensitive as the other. You might have a bad b-band converter, a bad or loose cable connection, etc, etc.

Did anyone notice serious problems with FOX 30 last night. From 8-10, both OTA and satellite hd signals looked awful. Very grainy and smeared or out of focus. Seemed to be better after 9. Broadcast issue or my equipment? Any thoughts?

Did anyone notice serious problems with FOX 30 last night. From 8-10, both OTA and satellite hd signals looked awful. Very grainy and smeared or out of focus. Seemed to be better after 9. Broadcast issue or my equipment? Any thoughts?

When I read your post, I watched the episode of New Amsterdam that I had DVR'd (D* HR20-100). Didn't notice anything unusual. The focus on NA was soft in some places, but clear in others.

The HD commercials looked fine.

New A was better than Canturbury( I hate lawyer shows, they do things that are not possible or are unethical, I was hoping for better with one,but that's tv) and it was awful. Even my wife noticed the grain. Noise reduction was no help. It was strange because usually 30 is the best picture.

My Comcast DVR is continually ending recordings of regularly scheduled prime-time programs a minute or two early. Is anyone else experiencing this? I know the networks, particularly NBC, are programming shows that don't always start/stop on the hour/half hour now but I think the guide data usually reflects this now. This has been going on for several weeks.

We have been having ongoing problems with Comcast cable reception..tiling on live tv, tiling on DVR'd programs...seems to be some channels more than others...Fox, WB, especially...
Does this sound more like a Network signal problem or still a cable issue?

I've had 5 different guys out here and no fixes yet...3 no shows for appts..including this morning.. So I've decided to switch to DTV or D*...
Need recommendations on how to chose..
We DVR tons of shows...hardly watch anything the day it's showed...
We want as much HD stuff as possible.

I appreciate your help with this.
Chris

I've had E* for 10+ years. No major problems and I've not had the CSR difficulties that many people report. Right now D* has more hd channels including locals, but E* reportedly has 7 more uplinked national channels that have not yet been turned on. Negotiations in progress. They also launched a new satellite this morning, although I don't know if it was successful. I don't know when we are going to get our hd locals, but if the pattern holds, we should be next in line in Florida. Supposedly they are adding a lot of locals in the next couple of months. We do have sd locals.

The general consensus seems to be that E*'s hardware including DVRs are better than D's. I don't know how cable works, but both satellite providers regularly download firmware updates. Unfortunately, these cause some people problems initially, but it all gets worked out. You also have to be aware of rain/storm fade. In heavy storms you can lose satellite signal even when the storm is not directly overhead. It's not a major problem, but it can be an annoyance. The 622 and 722 hd dvr receivers have 3 tuners each. One for ota locals with a connected antenna and two for satellite. This lets you watch one and record two, I think. I'm not completely sure about that, it's my wife's toy. If you can use an antenna, I highly recommend it. The ota signal is not compressed like satellite and the picture quality is noticeably better.

Whichever procider you choose, make sure you get the new hd equipment. Both companies send signals in both mpeg2 and 4 compression. Both are in the process of converting to mpeg4 exclusively. When that happens, a mpeg2 receiver will not decode the signal.

I don't really have any good info on installers.I buy all my equipment and self install. Both companies main satellites are southwest, generally in the 110* to 129* range although E also has a satellite at 61.5* which is SE. You need a clear line of sight which can be determined by a sight survey by the installer. If you are in an apartment or a community with restrictive covenants that prohibit or restrict satellite dish installs or placement let me know. There are FCC regs that basically nullify any local limitations and I can point you in the right direction.

A great source of satellite info is DBStalk.com. Wlecome to the world of satellite tv.

Hope this helps. Ward

Chris: Houston(uh Moscow) we have a problem. The satellite didn't make orbit. No one knowes what that means for E*.

Gatorman,
Thanks for all of the info...Much appreciated. Yeah I read about the satellite having a malfunction...Not sure what that means for me. I didn't know about any satellites before today and would have made a decision without knowing. NOW, that I know..it makes me concerned for the future expansion.
Am I correct in reading from your reply that I won't get my locals (Jacksonville Florida) ABC/NBC/CBS channels in HD if I go with E*?
I get them now with cable, but I'm still moving on.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks
Chris

Gatorman,
Thanks for all of the info...Much appreciated. Yeah I read about the satellite having a malfunction...Not sure what that means for me. I didn't know about any satellites before today and would have made a decision without knowing. NOW, that I know..it makes me concerned for the future expansion.
Am I correct in reading from your reply that I won't get my locals (Jacksonville Florida) ABC/NBC/CBS channels in HD if I go with E*?
I get them now with cable, but I'm still moving on.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks
Chris

Sorry to butt into the conversation.....the MPEG4 versions of the locals that DirecTV is using are quite good. Also, though the earlier versions of the HD DVRs had issues, DirecTV has been issuing steady software updates.

The HR20-100 and the HR20-700 (I have both) have been very reliable.

I offer this not to disparage E* in any way...just to offer an observation.

As for DirecTV having "more" HD....that is a yes/no answer. There are a number of "HD" stations that have been added that broadcast little to no actual HD content (VH1, MTV, CMT, Nick, TBS, ....to name a few). More actual HD content will eventually be added....but some of these stations are merely placeholders in my opinion.

Well...I placed my order for D* tv...I had to make a decision and hopefully this will all be good.
I wanted to say thanks for all of the input!
Chris

Well...I placed my order for D* tv...I had to make a decision and hopefully this will all be good.
I wanted to say thanks for all of the input!
Chris

Pay attention to what they are giving you, equipment wise. If you are going for a DVR (which I highly recommend), get the HR20-100 or HR20-700. The HR21 series doesn't have an OTA tuner.

Although promised eventually, PBS and the CW are not currently on the satellite, so if there are shows you like on those two stations, you will need an antenna, at least for a while.

Chris: You probably made the right choice. As I understand it, the failed(maybe) satellite was intended to go to the east coast 61.5* slot and provide locals. Those plans may be delayed now until the satellite is somehow redirected or one of the later launches this year fixes the problem.

Peter's observations about equipment are accurate. Satellite receivers can be a little tempemental sometimes. Every time there are firmware upgrades, it seems like some people initially have many problems and some don't. I usually have minimal problems or none and that sounds like Peter's situation. My opinion about hardware differences was based primarily on what other people discuss regarding features. Mpeg4 is much better than mpeg2 and it takes up less bandwidth. Make sure that your receivers are mpeg4 capable. As far as a difference between a local station's hd picture, I see a difference between the hd broadcast received from my antenna when I compare the picture going through the satellite ota tuner to that going directly to the tv ota tuner. I don't know what codec the satellite tuner uses, but the signal going to the tv is uncompressed. To be fair, the differences are not major or disturbing and my wife doesn't see any difference.

I do recommend you add an antenna for ota locals. If there are storm problems and you lose satellite signal, you may have a problem continuing to receive a local broadcast. I don't know how D*s receivers work, but sometimes I can't get the locals off satellite when the signal is lost and the receivers start looking for a signal. Usually that happens when we are watching a satellite channel, the signal is lost and we try to switch to a local station. Perhaps Peter can explain how that works with D*. I don't have this problem with the signal going directly to the tvs.

If you get an antenna, depending on where you live, you may be able to use an indoor rabbit ears type. Channels 12 and 25 are problems for some people, including me, because they are vhf and the rest are uhf. Of course, I live at the beach which is as far from the transmission towers as you can get.

Peter was also absolutely correct regarding hd programming. While D* does have more national channels, many of the programs are in sd. If it is properly displayed the picture is fine. However some channels display what is called "stretch-o-vision" which can be bad at times. I think channel 4 does this. It's not a true 16x9 picture but it's not as distorted as some of the national channels. E* has the same problems with programming. Some day it will all get fixed.

Like I said, you probably made a good choice. If I hadn't received a new receiver as an free upgrade, I probably would have switched by now. Unfortunately, when they give you free equipment, you get put on a contract that you can't cancel without penalty for some period of time. That's generally why I buy instead of lease.

I know, this is too much information. Enjoy.

Ward

Sorry, one more thought. Wind, trees and weather will affect digital ota broadcast signals. Youll either get a picture or you won't. It mostly depends on how good the ota tuners are in the tv or satellite receiver. That's why I connect to both.

Very nice posts, Ward. That's about as complete and accurate a description of things here in Jacksonville as anyone's going to get.

Just some additional notes: all of the channels on DirecTV's new satellite are MPEG4, as are the locals. However, the SD ones are still MPEG2, and the difference is pretty apparent. All of DirecTV's current DVRs are MPEG4 capable.

As for a PQ comparison between the locals delivered via OTA, versus Satellite, versus cable, I can actually do that. I still subscribe to Comcast extremely basic cable just so I can get a small price break on their HSI. Also, since both my LG and Sony TVs have QAM tuners, I can get the HD locals on those rare occasions when all the DVRs are recording something, or if there are sever storms causing rain fade with the satellites.

If there is a difference between local OTA, satellite and cable, I can't really tell. Probably because I'm sitting far enough away from both the LG and the Sony to make any minor differences moot. In theory, the OTA should be the absolute best since it is uncompressed.....but Fox, NBC and PBS run subchannels which rob some of the bandwidth.

Locally, both 4 and 17 use horrible stretch...virtually unwatchable. 4 has no HD whatsoever. At least 17-1 carries the CW network fare and the HD quality is actually pretty good when you can get it (they've been having some issues with their transmitter).

Peter: I agree about channels 4 and 17. On the other hand, 30 can be absolutely superb especially with 5.1 sound. I notice the differences between ota locals through the satellite receiver and ota to the tv tuner on the 65in tv. I can't really tell a difference on the 32in tvs in the bedrooms. While it's true size does matter, in this case the bigger the tv, the more noticeable the flaws.

Chris: I'll pm you tomorrow. There are important matters to pay attention to regarding your installation, (cables, grounding etc.) but it is much too late, I hunt and peck and we are way off the thread topic.

Erin go bragh. Let's have a Guinness.

Ward

ne1 know how to get an up to date listing of what channels are where? i've seen them posted on here in the past and am too lazy to make one myself.

and by "what" i mean, the channels us cheap bastards get when only paying for extreme basic with a digital TV. i have a sony bravia XBR2

TIA

ne1 know how to get an up to date listing of what channels are where? i've seen them posted on here in the past and am too lazy to make one myself.



See page 1.:D

O.K. so I have a weird problem.

I have the large silver Moto HD box (DCH3200) from Comcast. It *appears* to be shock sensitive on certain channels. I realized this one day because I have a recliner in the same room, and it takes a little force to get it to lock closed. Every time I slam the recliner to get it to lock, the picture on the screen freezes and gets pixelated and the sound skips for a second. The weird part is this only happens on some HD channels - Mojo, Discovery and UHD just to name a few. It is definitely not every HD channel but it's probably about half.

Has anyone ever seen / heard of / experienced this on their own? Is this something I need to worry about? Should I get a new box from Comcast?

Thanks!

Should I get a new box from Comcast?

Thanks!

No, you should get a new chair. :D

No, you should get a new chair. :DHow did I know that was coming???

Actually, just walking by the TV sets it off now, so I'm guessing I do just need a new box.

How did I know that was coming???

Actually, just walking by the TV sets it off now, so I'm guessing I do just need a new box.

Try making sure that the cables are pluged in secure first.

Is there someone here with a computer-based tuner that handles TSReader and receives their signals over the air who would be willing to give me a hand with something? If so, please send me a PM.

Thanks in advance. =)

- Trip

Try making sure that the cables are pluged in secure first.Thanks, I should've mentioned that was one of the first things I tried.

Actually, just walking by the TV sets it off now, so I'm guessing I do just need a new box.

Since it costs nothing except a trip to the Southside service center, I would recommend getting a new box to eliminate the box as the cause of the problem. I've exchanged many cable boxes/DVRs over the years to fix equipment problems or upgrade to a newer box since it doesn't cost anything.

Can some one help me setup a QAM BUILT IN TUNER?

I have a Toshiba Regza 42" 1080p With built in QAM Tuner..

Can I pick up channels with out even putting in my Coax cable in?

Sorry if I sound like a newb....BUt I would love to watch some Hd CHannels!

Bump!

Some one please email me, at protnum@gmail.com or im me at russells1313 on aim. I really wanna get this going tonite!

Can some one help me setup a QAM BUILT IN TUNER?

I have a Toshiba Regza 42" 1080p With built in QAM Tuner..

Can I pick up channels with out even putting in my Coax cable in?

Sorry if I sound like a newb....BUt I would love to watch some Hd CHannels!
A QAM tuner, by definition, requires you plugging your cable provider's coax cable in.

If you have cable TV service installed in your home, just get the cable coming out of the floor, plug in the cable to your TV at the appropriate coax cable port (check your manual) then do a scan for QAM channels. You may have unencrypted QAM channels available to watch but that is not guaranteed. If you need to verify that you do have unencrypted QAM search for posts that have viewers using the same cable TV provider and the same city you live in.

For specific information on channel scanning, please refer to your TV manual.

Just checking back in after a while...

Has anyone heard anything regarding when Channels 12 and 25 will up the OTA output on their digital signals?

And 17-1 is coming in fine up here in East Arlington...

I finally got an HDTV and I'm picking up channels through an RCA 25db HD antenna. Every channel in Jacksonville comes in fine except 12 & 25., with come up "Signal not found". I can kinda get 12.1 but nothing from 25's HD broadcast. I'm in San Marco so you'd think I could get everything. What gives? I'm guessing this is a problem with 12 & 25, since they are broadcast from the same place. Would a stronger antenna help?

I finally got an HDTV and I'm picking up channels through an RCA 25db HD antenna. Every channel in Jacksonville comes in fine except 12 & 25., with come up "Signal not found". I can kinda get 12.1 but nothing from 25's HD broadcast. I'm in San Marco so you'd think I could get everything. What gives? I'm guessing this is a problem with 12 & 25, since they are broadcast from the same place. Would a stronger antenna help?

Check to make sure that your antenna is not UHF only. Channels 12 and 25 are actually in the VHF band (13.1 and 10.1).

Channels 12 & 25 have had a damaged digital broadcast antenna for several years now...see my previous post...their output is a fraction of what it should be...one would think that since they are two of the "upper tier" channels in NE FL, they would want to be setting the baseline for digital broadcasting, but appearently they can't even go out and buy a replacement...sorta sad, isn't it...

Who said they were damaged, they come in full strength for me over on the north side of Doctor's Lake, as Peter pointed out they are VHF which have different power requirements than UHF.

Although I will not argue they can be the most difficult to recieve if you don't have the right setup.

I just got a response back from someone at WTVL. They said that you can only receive their broadcast with an outdoor UHF/VHF antenna. I have an indoor one but it is only 25db. I get nothing but a choppy digital NBC and no analogue or digital ABC. Has anyone had luck with a more powerful indoor antenna? I don't think an outdoor antenna is going to fly with my landlord. Those things are pretty big aren't they? Any advice?

I just got a response back from someone at WTVL. They said that you can only receive their broadcast with an outdoor UHF/VHF antenna. I have an indoor one but it is only 25db. I get nothing but a choppy digital NBC and no analogue or digital ABC. Has anyone had luck with a more powerful indoor antenna? I don't think an outdoor antenna is going to fly with my landlord. Those things are pretty big aren't they? Any advice?

Well, assuming you don't want to go with DirecTV, the other option is to get a very basic package from Comcast.

Although I have DirecTV, I also subscribe to the most basic of basic cable, mostly because I get a break on the cost of high speed internet. With a TV that has a QAM tuner, you will be able to receive all of the local stations that broadcast HD.

Who said they were damaged, they come in full strength for me over on the north side of Doctor's Lake, as Peter pointed out they are VHF which have different power requirements than UHF.

Although I will not argue they can be the most difficult to recieve if you don't have the right setup.

I live about 6 miles from the antenna farm off of Southside Blvd and have installed an antenna specifically designed to receive both VHF and UHF signals. My Tivo and Directv receivers indicate that I receive all OTA signals with a strength of 95 or better for all stations except 12 and 25...12 comes in at about 50 on the meter and 25 doesn't register at all.

I spoke with a tech at the stations a couple of years ago after I first erected my OTA antenna and was having difficulty picking up their signal...he told me their transmitting antenna had been struct by lightning and that coporate wasn't willing to spring for the replacement. From that time to present I have not seen any improvement in reception. A tech friend of mine recently indicated he had spoken to the station tech and had been told that nothing had changed, that they were still on low power. I have also seen several web sights that have the transmitter power strengths listed for Jax (can't remember where they were now as it's been some time ago), and the two for 12 and 25 barely register, especially compared to the other stations...

I hope they get their act together before next February...

Nice video (http://jacksonvillehdtv.com/) concerning the switch to digital in 2009.

I don't know the current situation with 12 and 25, but I live in St. Johns county, have a cheap VHF/UHF stuck in the attic (which reduces efficiency by about 50%), and have no issues receiving either station OTA.

I'm 12 miles from the farm according to Antennaweb (http://www.antennaweb.org)

In any case, by February 17, 2009, all digital stations will need to be at peak performance since their analog signals are going away.

Here's a link to the power output of all our stations. Note, these are all based on the stations operating at full licensed power.
http://www.2150.com/broadcast/default.asp?latitude=30%2E2263451&longitude=%2D81%2E5685730&magnetic_north=%2D5%2E5&range=10&sort=channel&show_expired=True&show_construction=True&show_analog=False&show_low_power=False&action=Show+Stations

It is normal for VHF to be at much lower power than UHF. But it also shows WTLV-DT is licensed at twice the power of WJXX-DT, which corresponds to problems of many posting here.

That doesn't make much sense to me being they have same owners.

I am not sure why spectrumsp is having issues wit 12/25, but as Peter and I can confirm our signals come in fine and we are over 12 miles away each (as the crow flies).

Now with that said, they do have a waiver to lower their power on their transmitters, but I am not sure why, but an educated guess would be that since their transmitter carries analog and their two digital signals, that power requirement might not make it feasible to go full strength, which if true would mean that 02/17/09 will be a good thing for those two stations as they should be able to go full strength.

I really do have a bad feeling about the transition just from us few on the forum that have had a couple of reception issues with Digital - can you imagine what it will be like for the elderly or poor that don't have a clue and when they try to stick their indoor antenna up and can only get a couple of channels and no way they will get VHF(12/25) and think about those people out in the boondocks(baldwin, callahan, etc). I do not envy the stations, as they are going to be bombarded by phone calls and very angry people.

The funny thing is that the older generation that has problems, when they here they might have to put up the "older" and much larger exterior UHF/VHF antenna like they had in the 50/60's - they probably will think we are regressing to the stone age. :)

It is normal for VHF to be at much lower power than UHF. But it also shows WTLV-DT is licensed at twice the power of WJXX-DT, which corresponds to problems of many posting here.

In order to cover the same distance, the radiated power goes up with the square of the frequency. In other words, a 10 kW transmitter at 100 MHz would go about as far as a 100 kW transmitter at 200 MHz. This is one of the reasons why VHF channels can get great coverage even with very low power levels.

Between WTLV and WJXX, it's true that there is a reduction of coverage, but it might not be as much as you think. For people at the fringe, this discrepancy might make the difference between getting one or both channels. You'll note that the coverage map for WTLV (http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=80&q=call%3dwtlv%26type%3dD) and coverage map for WJXX (http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=80&q=call%3dwjxx%26type%3dD) are slightly different, but still close despite the 55% reduction in power.

Another reason some people might have more difficulty with WJXX than WTLV is if they are using a UHF-only antenna like the CM 4228 to get these VHF channels. The CM 4228 has better VHF performance than most UHF-only antennas, but it's still nowhere near the performance of a true VHF-capable antenna. It's performance generally falls off toward the lower channel numbers.

For people on rabbit ears, it's important to extend the elements to the proper length for best reception. If laid out horizontally, channel 10 reception is best if the elements are about 75 inches total, end-to-end. If the elements are the wrong length, you won't be getting the optimum antenna pickup.

Best regards,
Andy

I suspect we will be getting a lot more traffic here on and after 2/17/09 concerning OTA.

We should probably give some thought for a "sticky" that details OTA issues.

Of course, until that day, we only have current knowledge of what it takes to be successful. Things could change dramatically once the analog signals are gone and digital is actually the bread and butter of the stations.

Why, we might even get Dolby 5.1 from other than Fox and PBS (I hope, I hope).

I received another reply from someone at WTVL. They confirmed that their tower is damaged and isn't sending a signal as strong as it should. And it won't be fixed until this fall.

Anyway, I spoke with a friend of mine who lives on the Northside, much farther away from the towers than I am (San Marco). He doesn't have any problems getting 12 or 25. He has a $70 amplified antenna in his attic. He's coming by this weekend to see if his antenna works at my place.

Hopefully a different antenna will fix my problem. Does anyone have an antenna they'd like to recommend. One that is picking up 12 & 25?

Thanks for your help.

I received another reply from someone at WTVL. They confirmed that their tower is damaged and isn't sending a signal as strong as it should. And it won't be fixed until this fall.

Anyway, I spoke with a friend of mine who lives on the Northside, much farther away from the towers than I am (San Marco). He doesn't have any problems getting 12 or 25. He has a $70 amplified antenna in his attic. He's coming by this weekend to see if his antenna works at my place.

Hopefully a different antenna will fix my problem. Does anyone have an antenna they'd like to recommend. One that is picking up 12 & 25?

Thanks for your help.

Well, mine's the $60 Rat Shack one (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103085&cp=2032057.2032187.2032189&cp=2032057.2032187&f=Taxonomy%2FRSK%2F2032189&categoryId=2032189&kwCatId=2032057&kw=hdtv&parentPage=search)and I've been using it for many years up in the attic successfully.

Did anybody see the QAM channels change numbers today? The big four OTA stations were different tonight, while the ADS ones like CNN & FNC stayed the same.

Or it could be my HDHR screwed up somehow.

Not your stuff--I noticed the big four plus PBS had moved around last night while at my in-laws. IIRC, PBS was on 1.1 and CBS was on or near where PBS used to be. I don't know where the others went. I'd verify now but I dumped Comcast a month ago....

Well, looks like it's in a state of flux now.

Stable:
ADS (CNN, FNC, CSpan at least)
WTLVDT was 104-2, now 114-2
WTEVDT was 114-2, now 114-1

Unstable
WJXXDT was 104-1, then was 70-5, now is at 70-6 but not working
WAWSDT was at 70-1, now is ?????

Well, looks like it's in a state of flux now.

Stable:
ADS (CNN, FNC, CSpan at least)
WTLVDT was 104-2, now 114-2
WTEVDT was 114-2, now 114-1

Unstable
WJXXDT was 104-1, then was 70-5, now is at 70-6 but not working
WAWSDT was at 70-1, now is ?????

ABC is 1-6
WJXT is 117-1
PBS is 1-1
Discovery HD Theater 101.3
MHD 106-3

Can't find the CW or Fox

I can't find FOX HD any longer either :(

The BIG three HD QAM are now:
ABC is 1-6
CBS 114-1
NBC 114-2

TV-12 Weather Plus appears to have gotten a dedicated channel as well:
114-3

-Bob

Actually, weather plus always had a channel. It used to be 104-3.

Those of you seeing ABC on 1-6 (actual channel 70-6), are you getting a steady picture?

And anybody who finds the Fox channel, please let us know.

Fox HD 113-2
CW HD 113-1

Jagfan thanks :)

-Bob

This morning I was going to update my list, check each channel to be sure, and it seems Comcast isn't done moving things?

Anyone else getting multiple 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3 channels?

It almost acts like some channels were moving while I was trying to figure out what was where... :eek:

-Bob

Ok just did a rescan and check this out... :confused:

1-1 CW
1-1 ei
1-1 CBS
1-1 TV-4
1-2 FOX
1-2 WJCT
1-2 NBC
1-3 WJCT World
1-3 TV12 Weather Plus
1-3 LATN
1-4 The Florida Channel
1-6 ABC

79-108 Cartoon Network
108-3 HGTV

I am not sure how multiple channels share 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3 but I bet it will put a crimp in timed recording?

ABC 1-6 was not stable for me this morning but this afternoon it is...

-Bob

Ok just did a rescan and check this out... :confused:

1-1 CW
1-1 ei
1-1 CBS
1-1 TV-4
1-2 FOX
1-2 WJCT
1-2 NBC
1-3 WJCT World
1-3 TV12 Weather Plus
1-3 LATN
1-4 The Florida Channel
1-6 ABC

79-108 Cartoon Network
108-3 HGTV

I am not sure how multiple channels share 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3 but I bet it will put a crimp in timed recording?

ABC 1-6 was not stable for me this morning but this afternoon it is...

-Bob

That tracks with what I saw this afternoon when I did a digital re-scan.

I have a new Toshiba DVD Recorder with Digital (incl QAM) tuner coming next week and it will be interesting to see (assuming the channels are close to what they are today) if I can set timer record for one of the multiple 1-x channels other then the first one?

My Tuner on the TV lists multiple 1-x channels when you view the manual program channel grid...

-Bob

Ok just did a rescan and check this out... :confused:

1-1 CW
1-1 ei
1-1 CBS
1-1 TV-4
1-2 FOX
1-2 WJCT
1-2 NBC
1-3 WJCT World
1-3 TV12 Weather Plus
1-3 LATN
1-4 The Florida Channel
1-6 ABC

79-108 Cartoon Network
108-3 HGTV

I am not sure how multiple channels share 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3 but I bet it will put a crimp in timed recording?

ABC 1-6 was not stable for me this morning but this afternoon it is...

-Bob

yes, we have this multiple channel mapping scheme in st augustine now also and it has made it so my fusionhdtv cards will not switch channels for scheduled captures. so it will be interesting to see what other devices work for scheduled captures.

Might be Comcast's way of saying you need to get "their" DVR if you want to actually time shift.

Might be Comcast's way of saying you need to get "their" DVR if you want to actually time shift.

looks like the myhd cards still will work with this new scheme.

I have 2 DVD recorders with digital tuners that I use to record QAM channels and with both (Philips and Toshiba) if I program it to record channel 70.6 it flips over and records the ABC 1.6 channel.....113.1 records the CW 1.1......113.2 records Fox 1.2........114.1 records CBS 1.1.........114.2 records the NBC 1.2.....and 70.1 records WJCT 1.1 I haven't found the address that works for WJXT yet.

I have 2 DVD recorders with digital tuners that I use to record QAM channels and with both (Philips and Toshiba) if I program it to record channel 70.6 it flips over and records the ABC 1.6 channel.....113.1 records the CW 1.1......113.2 records Fox 1.2........114.1 records CBS 1.1.........114.2 records the NBC 1.2.....and 70.1 records WJCT 1.1 I haven't found the address that works for WJXT yet.

try 117.1

2 days ago 117.1 was the WJXTHD address but now I read it as a scrambled channel. It really doesn't matter that much to me since I don't believe I've seen anything worth recording from them since they lost their CBS affiliation and became independent.

I am getting WJXT HD at the 4th 1-1 spot... If I try to go to 117 it automatically takes me to TV-4 at 1-1.

-Bob

Comcast is still having problems with ABC from the QAM frequency shuttle.

This Week with Stephonopolis has breakups on QAM, but perfect OTA.

I am getting WJXT HD at the 4th 1-1 spot... If I try to go to 117 it automatically takes me to TV-4 at 1-1.

-Bob

the physical channel for WJXT HD that comcast is sending the signal on is RF117.
the 1-1 is virtual channel info also being transmitted by comcast. your tuner is going to RF117 WJXT HD and then displaying the virtual channel info that comcast is sending, but your tuner is actually tuned to a sub channel of RF117.

the reason we are seeing the same virtual channel numbers for multiple stations is comcast is now using the same main virtual channel number (1) for each of the four RF channels (70, 113, 114, 117) that comcast is using to transmit the local unencrypted broadcast stations. each of those RF channels has sub channels so, those subchannel numbers are the second number in the virtual channel number. so, for RF70 we see 1-1, 1-2,1-3,1-4 and 1-6: for Rf113 we see 1-1,1-2,1-3; for RF114 we see 1-1,1-2,1-3; and for RF117 we see 1-1,1-3.

your digital tuner firmware determines how this virtual channel info is displayed.

see pic for a portion of a channel map from my fusionhdtv tuner:

Can anyone supply a current scan of the in-the-clear QAM that is available right now?

Thanks in advance...

I called comcast and they are very aware of the ABC-HD problem.

They are blaming it on the station, or at least they are telling the CSRs to say that.

acribb, the list in post #1 is correct except for the recent switches in the local's frequencies.

I called comcast and they are very aware of the ABC-HD problem.

They are blaming it on the station, or at least they are telling the CSRs to say that.

acribb, the list in post #1 is correct except for the recent switches in the local's frequencies.

I don't think that the following, listed on page 1 as HD QAM channels work, at least for me. Can anyone confirm?

71-2 DSCHD
75.1 TNT HD
102.1 ESPN HD
103.1 INHD
103.2. HD PPV

Adam,

I have ESPN at 111-5 (Not HD)
ESPN2 at 111-3 (Not HD)
TNT at 77.5

Not sure what those others are...

-Bob

Probably need someone who subscribes to something other than basic service (like me) to verify if those other stations have their HD counterparts one the channels listed.

It really doesn't matter where ESPNHD is since it's encrypted. And everybody gets the same QAM signals on the wire no matter what package you subscribe to.

Adam,

I have ESPN at 111-5 (Not HD)
ESPN2 at 111-3 (Not HD)
TNT at 77.5

Not sure what those others are...

-Bob

Ok people, here's the scoop -

DISC HD - 101.3
TNT HD - encrypted
ESPN HD - encrypted
HGTV HD - was on 71.1, now encrypted
INHD - encrypted

Please update the front page with this current information.

If anyone finds any other unencrypted QAM channels, please let the forum know.

I think HGTV HD moved to 108-3, as per the post about a page or so ago.

Three new HD channels added on Comcast:

Channel 444 Abc Family HD
Channel 445 Disney Channel HD
Channel 446 Science Channel HD

-Dan

Anyone else having problems with 47 OTA? For the last couple days it has been breaking up pretty regularly and all the signal strength meters show about a 15% reduction in signal strength. All the other channels are the same as they were. Any ideas?

So, pardon me if this has been asked 100 times already but...

If a channel is unencrypted, I should be able to tune it in with my QAM tuner as long as I have basic cable from Comcast?

In theory, yes. It doesn't matter what level of service you subscribe to.

Our QAM channels go from ch69 (495Mhz) to ch116 (747Mhz). But some tuners have problems with some frequencies.

Fox HD is no longer 1-2, does anyone know the new QAM channel?

Fox HD is no longer 1-2, does anyone know the new QAM channel?

I'm in the Arlington area and for the last couple of days almost all the local HD stations have been breaking up or temporarily disappearing. Right now I'm getting Fox on 113-2 without it automatically flipping over to 1.2 as usual and ABC is now 70.5 instead of 70.6...but this may only be temporary. I'm close to the transmitters so I also use rabbit ears for OTA and they're coming in perfect so I'm blaming Comcast.

Fox HD is no longer 1-2, does anyone know the new QAM channel?

Mine is now on 113.2

Reaper and Smallville on OTA 17-1 were in stretched SD this week. I just called the station to see what the problem was with their HD feed from the network and was told they weren't aware of any problems. She also said I was the first person to call in to inquire.

I guess we don't have many Reaper or Smallville fans here???

I'm in the Arlington area and for the last couple of days almost all the local HD stations have been breaking up or temporarily disappearing. Right now I'm getting Fox on 113-2 without it automatically flipping over to 1.2 as usual and ABC is now 70.5 instead of 70.6...but this may only be temporary. I'm close to the transmitters so I also use rabbit ears for OTA and they're coming in perfect so I'm blaming Comcast.

thanks for the help!

I am getting the following for the last few days:

1-1 TV-4 (also access from 117)
1-1 CBS TV-47 (also access from 114)
1-1 WJCT (also access from 70)
1-1 WB (also access from 113)
1-2 TV 12 NBC
1-2 WJCT Create
1-3 LATN
1-3 Weather Plus TV-12
1-3 Blank (no error just blank screen)
1-4 Florida Channel
1-6 ABC TV-25 (HD)

I cannot locate a HD channel for FOX that works for me, I am on the Westside and 113-2 doesn't work for me.

-Bob

Hope i did this right. i live 25 miles from WJXX antenna. i can recieve all local digital channels through my OTA antenne except ABC 25.1. I have called the station and they say they are broadcasting it. Called Dishnetwork and they say its not their problem. I was just curious to see if anybody else cant recieve 25.1 through their OTA antenna??.

Hope i did this right. i live 25 miles from WJXX antenna. i can recieve all local digital channels through my OTA antenne except ABC 25.1. I have called the station and they say they are broadcasting it. Called Dishnetwork and they say its not their problem. I was just curious to see if anybody else cant recieve 25.1 through their OTA antenna??.

If you are getting 12.1 (NBC), you should also be getting 25.1 (ABC). Both are VHF stations (13.1 and 10.1). You might try tweaking the antenna. Sometimes the difference between receiving a digital station is as small as an inch or two (or less) one way or the other. I know that from experience.

i have tried everything, but i dont get 12.1 either. fox 30.1 is crystal clear. used antennaweb.org to find direction antenna should be etc. i live in Lake Asbury area orange park/middleburg

I'm trying to watch the Cavs game on ABC, but it's not on channel 1.6 anymore. Anyone know where it moved to?

70.6... found it

Hope i did this right. i live 25 miles from WJXX antenna. i can recieve all local digital channels through my OTA antenne except ABC 25.1. I have called the station and they say they are broadcasting it. Called Dishnetwork and they say its not their problem. I was just curious to see if anybody else cant recieve 25.1 through their OTA antenna??.

I live at the beach and get OTA through an antenna and also have Dish. They're right, it's not their problem. You can get 12 and 25 through Dish's sd locals, but the picture stinks compared to hd.

Both 12 and 25 are problems. Peter is correct, start by trying to reaim the antenna. It may also help if you use a powered/amplified antenna. If the antenna is only slightly off the perfect line, it can affect reception. Try aiming the antenna so that you get the best signal on 12 and 25 and the rest of the channels should be ok.

I also think that cabling has an effect. I run the antenna to a number of tvs and the two with the shortest cable runs don't have the problems the ones with longer runs do. I also suggest that you make sure the antenna cable is RG-6, preferably quadshield, that is rated for 2300 MHz. HD signals require a higher bandwidth than regular digital signals.

The same is true for splitters. Every splitter results in some percentage of signal loss. Use a high quality/low loss splitter. You might also try a powered splitter(Radio Shack) that has an adjustable gain.

Assuming your tv has an HD tuner and is not just a monitor, try connecting the antenna directly to the tv as an alternative, or in addition to, the connection to the satellite receiver. I have both vip622 and 211 receivers and the OTA tuners are nowhere near as good as the ones in the older 811 series. Your tv may have a better tuner.

Finally, I assume you have the antenna lead first connected to a surge protector before it goes to any equipment. Although I have no proof, I expect that there may be a difference between budget devices and more costly units in the ability to pass unaffected signals.

The overall goal is to minimize signal loss everywhere in the signal path.

I hope that something here helps. Good luck. I know this is frustrating. Ward

ward, thanks. i run the antenna (Terk) strait to my Sony Bravia XBR 46" LCD. its just so weird to pick up Fox 30.1 crystal clear when 25 and 12 are in the same direction and same distance. no matter what position i put the antenna in i barely get any reception on 25 and 12. i was hoping to find someone out my way that has same problem before i go buy a more expensive antenna

Terk antennas are junk.

Is your antenna a UHF only antenna or does it handle VHF as well? I'd think you could use the analog signal of WTLV to gauge how your signal is...

- Trip

ward, thanks. i run the antenna (Terk) strait to my Sony Bravia XBR 46" LCD. its just so weird to pick up Fox 30.1 crystal clear when 25 and 12 are in the same direction and same distance. no matter what position i put the antenna in i barely get any reception on 25 and 12. i was hoping to find someone out my way that has same problem before i go buy a more expensive antenna

What kind of Terk antenna is it? Indoor or outdoor? Is it that square design or one of the plastic models that is a straight bar? Sorry, I don't know model numbers. Where is it mounted?

In the middle of the night, the QAMs were remapped again.

pbs 70-1,2,3,4
abc 70-6
CW 114-1
fox 114-2
cbs 115-1
nbc 115-2

I sometimes wonder if this is all really necessary.....or just done to be annoying.

I sometimes wonder if this is all really necessary.....or just done to be annoying.

It seems to me it is done to be annoying and push more folks to rent their converter boxes. Just my two cents ;)

-Bob

I sometimes wonder if this is all really necessary.....or just done to be annoying.
well, at least there are no duplications of the virtual channels now. having duplicate virtual channels was really annoying. now i can use my fusionhdtv cards for recording again.

Unable to receive ABC on 70.6.

I am still seeing some duplicate virtual channels, Jacksonville Westside. I am also still getting ABC at 1-6.

At last scan:
1-1 blank
1-1 ei WJCT Kids
1-1 CW17 also from 114
1-1 TV4 also from 117
1-2 WJCT Create
1-2 FOX
1-3 WJCT World
1-3 MyTVJax - Not sure what this is?
1-3 LATN
1-4 Florida Channel
1-6 ABC

115-1 CBS
115-2 NBC
115-3 TV12 Weather Plus

We need an Attorney to file a complaint with the FCC over this constant changing IMHO...

-Bob

All of the 1-* HD channels are gone today Comcast St Augustine

All of the 1-* HD channels are gone today Comcast St Augustine
nice to see another St Augustine AVS member.

here's an updated dump from my fusionhdtv card's channel map with the new non-duplicated virtual channels, i added the correct station ID's which are no longer being sent by Comcast in St Augustine.

ward, thanks. i run the antenna (Terk) strait to my Sony Bravia XBR 46" LCD. its just so weird to pick up Fox 30.1 crystal clear when 25 and 12 are in the same direction and same distance. no matter what position i put the antenna in i barely get any reception on 25 and 12. i was hoping to find someone out my way that has same problem before i go buy a more expensive antenna

If you read several back posts you'll see that the antenna which both NBC/ABC use was damaged several years ago...they are xmitting at a fraction of their authorized power...wouldn't be corrected until the antenna is replaced. That date has never been released by the stations, as far as I know...hopefully by next Feb...

Hey guys and gals, moving into a house in the mandrin area and trying to figure out if I should stay with comcast or go with dish or direct tv. I really like that dish has an hd only package but not really sure how much hd I can get over the initial 40 channels. Then there is Direct tv that has the NFL package that would be nice but not a necessity. Also to get all the HD its like 100 some bucks with the lower tier channels i dont care about.
And Im also thinking Im going to put an OTA antenna in the attic. Any input would be nice. Thanks in advance

Hey guys and gals, moving into a house in the mandrin area and trying to figure out if I should stay with comcast or go with dish or direct tv. I really like that dish has an hd only package but not really sure how much hd I can get over the initial 40 channels. Then there is Direct tv that has the NFL package that would be nice but not a necessity. Also to get all the HD its like 100 some bucks with the lower tier channels i dont care about.
And Im also thinking Im going to put an OTA antenna in the attic. Any input would be nice. Thanks in advance

I vote for satellite. I've had Dish for 10+ years and while there are periodic annoyances, such as glitches when new firmware is downloaded, overall I've been very happy. I think the main drawback to satellite is rain fade, you'll lose signal during storms. However, I also think the advantages far outweigh that problem. Both satellite providers have more HD channels than cable for a lower cost. Those people who have both cable and satellite seem to believe the picture quality is better on satellite, IMO because the signal is coming to you directly rather than going through thousands of miles of cable, repeaters and batteries.

Dish and Direct are in an ongoing battle to have the most number of HD channels. Right now, Direct is ahead. Dish just added a bunch of channels this week, but also turned off the 15 Voom channels the were exclusive to them. They are still uplinked to the satellites, but are turned off. There is a contract case pending between Voom and Dish and there is a feeling that removing the channels is a strategy to get Voom to acceed to Dish's demands. I think it is safe to say that both providers will end up with the same amount of channels, most of them will be the same although each provider will have some exclusive channels. I would expect the same for cable.

Direct does have two advantages over Dish locally. Both providers use multiple satellites to deliver all the channels. Direct's equipment lets you use one dish aimed southwest. For Dish you have to have two dishes, on SE and one SW. This also requires and external switch to combine the signals on one wire to each receiver. Direct also has the ability to provide our local HD channels and Dish does not. Despite being on the list for additon for a couple of years, we are still waiting. They are adding locals almost weekly, but when we get them, the will be located on the second SE dish.

An OTA antenna is a good idea, especially with satellite. When there is rain fade you can still get the locals. Additionally, I believe the picture quality is better OTA than the picture coming from the satellite receiver. I have my antenna connected to both receivers and TVs. I know this is a matter of debate, but the differences are apparent to me especially on a large display. Depending on where you live in relation to the broadcst antennas, you may have some reception problems with some channels, especially 12 and 25. This has been discussed earlier in this forum.

Depending on how new your house is, it may have to be wired differently for satellite than cable. Satellite requires RG6 coax cable to pass the satellite signal. Older houses may only use RG59 which was ok for regular cable service. I don't know if it will work for digital cable, someone else might be able to provide that information.

No matter what service you choose, you have to understand that not all content on all HD channels is HD. It depends on the program source. Some are HD all the time and some aren't. Even the locals are not all HD. 4 and 17 are good examples. While they are digital and look better than analog, they aren't HD.

All of the providers bundle their programming into channel tiers. Currently, there is no way around that although there is some discussion in the FCC to mandate the availability of a la carte programming.

You might want to go to DBStalk.com. There is a lot of information regarding both Dish and Direct's services and equipment.

I know this is way too much information for a Sunday morning, but I hope it helps.

Thanks for the great response gatorman. How how long does rain fade last minutes or hours? Are there any plans to consolidate the two sats into 1 for dish? Im not moving into the house till Oct so I have some time to decide.

I vote for satellite. I've had Dish for 10+ years and while there are periodic annoyances, such as glitches when new firmware is downloaded, overall I've been very happy. I think the main drawback to satellite is rain fade, you'll lose signal during storms. However, I also think the advantages far outweigh that problem. Both satellite providers have more HD channels than cable for a lower cost. Those people who have both cable and satellite seem to believe the picture quality is better on satellite, IMO because the signal is coming to you directly rather than going through thousands of miles of cable, repeaters and batteries.

Dish and Direct are in an ongoing battle to have the most number of HD channels. Right now, Direct is ahead. Dish just added a bunch of channels this week, but also turned off the 15 Voom channels the were exclusive to them. They are still uplinked to the satellites, but are turned off. There is a contract case pending between Voom and Dish and there is a feeling that removing the channels is a strategy to get Voom to acceed to Dish's demands. I think it is safe to say that both providers will end up with the same amount of channels, most of them will be the same although each provider will have some exclusive channels. I would expect the same for cable.

Direct does have two advantages over Dish locally. Both providers use multiple satellites to deliver all the channels. Direct's equipment lets you use one dish aimed southwest. For Dish you have to have two dishes, on SE and one SW. This also requires and external switch to combine the signals on one wire to each receiver. Direct also has the ability to provide our local HD channels and Dish does not. Despite being on the list for additon for a couple of years, we are still waiting. They are adding locals almost weekly, but when we get them, the will be located on the second SE dish.

An OTA antenna is a good idea, especially with satellite. When there is rain fade you can still get the locals. Additionally, I believe the picture quality is better OTA than the picture coming from the satellite receiver. I have my antenna connected to both receivers and TVs. I know this is a matter of debate, but the differences are apparent to me especially on a large display. Depending on where you live in relation to the broadcst antennas, you may have some reception problems with some channels, especially 12 and 25. This has been discussed earlier in this forum.

Depending on how new your house is, it may have to be wired differently for satellite than cable. Satellite requires RG6 coax cable to pass the satellite signal. Older houses may only use RG59 which was ok for regular cable service. I don't know if it will work for digital cable, someone else might be able to provide that information.

No matter what service you choose, you have to understand that not all content on all HD channels is HD. It depends on the program source. Some are HD all the time and some aren't. Even the locals are not all HD. 4 and 17 are good examples. While they are digital and look better than analog, they aren't HD.

All of the providers bundle their programming into channel tiers. Currently, there is no way around that although there is some discussion in the FCC to mandate the availability of a la carte programming.

You might want to go to DBStalk.com. There is a lot of information regarding both Dish and Direct's services and equipment.

I know this is way too much information for a Sunday morning, but I hope it helps.

Very nicely done. :D

Thanks for the great response gatorman. How how long does rain fade last minutes or hours? Are there any plans to consolidate the two sats into 1 for dish? Im not moving into the house till Oct so I have some time to decide.

It's usually only a matter of minutes although it depends on the strength of the storm. During a storm it may come and go. I think it also depends on the receiver. Dish changed their receivers some time ago so that they will use the MPEG4 codec instead of MPEG 2. I think Direct has already switched. MPEG4 is a better signal compression system, they can put more channels on each satellite transponder, but I think the rain fade problem was less on the older receivers. I don't know if anything has changed with Direct.

The general idea is to have a one dish solution for all channels in a particular market. That's what the FCC wants. Unfortunately. Dish has had two? satellite failures recently including one that failed to reach the proper orbit a few weeks ago. They have 2 more launches planned in the near future. By October there may be an answer to the question.

I assume if you are moving in October that you are building a house. If so, make sure it is prewired in every room you want or may want a TV. There's a version of RG6 that is quadshield that is better than the standard cable. It shouldl also work with a cable provider. Get satellite, ditch the pig! You should be able to sign up with either satellite provider and get a pretty good deal if you tell them you are switching from cable.

I don't know about Direct, but with Dish you have two equipment options. You can buy the receivers and not pay a monthly lease fee although you will pay a $5 per month fee for each receiver in addition to the first one. If you buy, you also don't have to sign up for an 18-24 month service commitment.

Glad I could help.

Thanks again, youve been more than a help

Well I just turned my TV on and NBC appears to be back at one of the multiple 1-2 channels. I haven't had time to run another scan but it looks like some channels may have moved again.

Anyone confirm this?

-Bob

Well I just turned my TV on and NBC appears to be back at one of the multiple 1-2 channels. I haven't had time to run another scan but it looks like some channels may have moved again.

Anyone confirm this?

-Bob
yes, they have done it again here in st augustine also. today's changes look even stranger then earlier changes, see below:

Does anyone have 101.2 - History HD? I only have video but no audio. :confused:

Here is my Line Up as of right now...

1-1 TV-4
1-1 WJCT HD
1-1 Blank
1-1 CBS 47
1-1 CW17
1-2 WJCT Create
1-2 NBC TV-12
1-3 LATN
1-3 WJCT World
1-3 TV-12 Weather Plus
1-3 FOX TV-30
1-4 WJCT
1-6 ABC TV-25

History HD loads video for a min or two and then Channel Not Available for me, never audio at all. Also the quality of the HD signals in general seem to have decreased, at least for us.

-Bob

Here is my Line Up as of right now...

1-1 TV-4
1-1 WJCT HD
1-1 Blank
1-1 CBS 47
1-1 CW17
1-2 WJCT Create
1-2 NBC TV-12
1-3 LATN
1-3 WJCT World
1-3 TV-12 Weather Plus
1-3 FOX TV-30
1-4 WJCT
1-6 ABC TV-25

History HD loads video for a min or two and then Channel Not Available for me, never audio at all. Also the quality of the HD signals in general seem to have decreased, at least for us.

-Bob

Hmm interesting. I have HD Theater on 101.3 and CSS HD on 116.2.

Boy - I don't have comcast - but they sure do keep changing channels allot -- I believe that has to be more frustrating than trying to dial in a good OTA signal.

Good luck with that - I would have to break down and get the box -- Comcast sure knows how to generate that extra income.

Good luck with that - I would have to break down and get the box -- Comcast sure knows how to generate that extra income.

Yeah they sure do, it isn't bad enough we pay what we already do but then they try and figure out how to nickle and dime even more out of you...

AND if you want to be able to record HD while watching TV you would have to get a second box for the recorder....

Just plain sucks and it just seems to me that the FCC should be looking into practices of this nature...

-Bob

Just went to watch the movie on MPLEX qam 91.12 and its either scrambled, gone or moved. Then noticed a lot more qam changes. Anyone got an up to date listing yet?

Just went to watch the movie on MPLEX qam 91.12 and its either scrambled, gone or moved. Then noticed a lot more qam changes. Anyone got an up to date listing yet?

MPLEX moved to 90.12. Bat Masterson is on now.

Anyone got an up to date listing yet?

Actually this morning I was going to try and get a new complete listing when I noticed that I get different stations on my DVD QAM tuner then my TV QAM tuner.

Not all are different but enough that I am totally confused at this point... For instance on DVD Recorder I can get FOX HD but not NBC HD while on TV I can get NBC HD but can't find FOX HD :eek:

-Bob

Thanks for the 90.12

That was marked as hidden on my Sony, and I missed it. These changes are getting confusing. :)

So, I've read through this whole thread and have seen a bunch of people naming a bunch of different prices so I thought I would post what I'm paying and go from there.

My last bill had the following:

HDTV Preferred Package $75.40
(includes Expanded Cable, Digital Basic, Digital Variety, On Demand and HDTV)

Digital Cable Additional Outlet $6.95

For a total of $82.35


Now, am I paying way to much? Basicly, I have two TVs. My HDTV has a Comcast HDTV STB and the other TV has a Comcast Digital STB. Is there any cheaper way for me to have this setup?

Am I crazy for paying this much?

Dexter6, do your TV(s) have a QAM tuner? If so, you could at the very least get rid of the extra outlet charge.

Dexter6, do your TV(s) have a QAM tuner? If so, you could at the very least get rid of the extra outlet charge.The TV on the extra outlet does not have a QAM tuner. It's just a plain old TV.

So otherwise it looks like I'm being charged the right amount?

FWIW, 106-3 (MHD) appears to have moved or disappeared from clear QAM.

Comcast ZAP2it Qam
Analog Station Digital
Channel Station Name ID Channel
2 HOME BOX OFFICE [HBO] N/A
3 IND 4 WJXT [WJXT] 78-13
4 TV GUIDE NETWORK [TVGN] 77-7
5 ABC 25 WJXX [WJXX] 78-14
6 CBS 47 WTEV [WTEV] 78-15
7 WTWN [WTWN] 76-8
8 PBS 7 WJCT [WJCT] 78-18
9 CW 17 WCWJ [WCWJ] 78-19
10 FOX 30 WAWS [WAWS] 78-21
11 NBC 12 WTLV [WTLV] 78-16
12 ION NETWORK [WPXC] 78-17
13 TBN 59 WJEB [WJEB] 78-20
14 COMCAST LOCAL PROGRAMMING [LOOR014] 77-10
15 BRAVO [BRAVO] 111-11
16 THE WEATHER CHANNEL [TWC] 77-1
17 TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM SUPERSTATION [TBS] 77-2
18 LIFETIME [LIFE] 111-7
19 FOOD NETWORK [FOOD] 111-6
20 REAL ESTATE CHANNEL [REAL] 76-6
21 HOME & GARDEN TV [HGTV] 74-1
22 DISNEY CHANNEL [DISN] 74-2
23 FOX EXTENDED NETWORKS [FX] 77-4
24 VERSUS [VERSUS] Scrambled
25 PBS WUFT [WUFT] 78-22
26 EDUCATION ACCESS [EDAC026] 76-7
27 CABLE-SATELLITE PUBLIC AFFAIRS NETWORK [CSPAN] 111-2
28 WGN SUPERSTATION [WGNSAT] 76-9
29 LOCAL ACCESS [LOOR029] 76-1
30 WEATHERSCAN [WTHRSCN] 77-9
31 ETERNAL WORLD TELEVISION NETWORK [EWTN] 77-11
32 UNIVISION [UNI] 74-3
33 FOX NEWS CHANNEL [FNC] 77-3
34 ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION [E] 74-9
35 CABLE NEWS NETWORK [CNN] 110-1
36 HEADLINE NEWS [CNNH] 110-2
37 CABLE NEWS AND BUSINESS CHANNEL [CNBC] 77-12
38 THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL [DSC] 73-1
39 THE LEARNING CHANNEL [TLC] 73-2
40 HALLMARK CHANNEL [HALMRK] 110-9
41 ANIMAL PLANET [ANIMAL] 110-3
42 NICKELODEON [NIK] 73-3
43 ABC FAMILY CHANNEL [FAM] 77-6
44 TV LAND [TVLAND] 111-10
45 CARTOON NETWORK [TOON] 73-4
46 TURNER NETWORK TELEVISION [TNT] 77-5
47 SCI-FI CHANNEL [SCIFI] 73-8
48 ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS PROGRAMMING NETWORK [ESPN] 111-5
49 ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS PROGRAMMING NETWORK 2 [ESPN2] 111-3
50 SUN SPORTS [SUNB] 77-8
51 FOX SPORTS NET [FSNFL1] 110-10
52 THE GOLF CHANNEL [GOLF] Scrambled
53 SPEED [SPEED] Scrambled
54 COMCAST SPORTS SOUTHEAST [CSS] 110-11
55 MUSIC TELEVSION 2 [MTV2] Scrambled
56 VIDEO HITS 1 [VH1] 73-9
57 BLACK ENTERTAINMENT CHANNEL [BET] 73-10
58 MUSIC TELEVSION [MTV] 73-11
59 THE HISTORY CHANNEL [HISTORY] 74-8
61 SPIKE TV [SPIKETV] 111-9
62 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT [AETV] 111-8
63 AMERICAN MOVIE CLASSICS [AMC] 73-5
64 USA NETWORK [USA] 73-6
65 COMEDY CENTRAL [COMEDY] 73-7
96 HOME SHOPPING NETWORK [HSN] 111-4
98 QUALITY, VALUE, CONVENIENCE [QVC] 111-12
99 GEMS TV [LEAC099] 76-5
104 CABLE-SATELLITE PUBLIC AFFAIRS NETWORK 2 [CSPAN2] 110-4
117 WOMEN'S ENTERTAINMENT [WE] 110-8
146 COUNTRY MUSIC TELEVSION [CMTV] 74-6
149 MOVIEPLEX [MPLEX] 90-12
185 MICROSOFT/NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY [MSNBC] 110-6
186 SHOP NBC [SHOPNBC] 85-7
201 NBC WEATHER PLUS [WTLVDT2] 115-3
206 THE VARIETY CHANNEL (MyNetworkTV) [WAWSDT2] 114-3
210 WJCT CREATE [WJCTDT2] 1-2
211 WJCT PBS WORLD [WJCTDT3] 1-3
212 WJCT & PARTNERS [WJCTDT4] 1-4
229 LATIN ALTERNATIVE TELEVISION [WJXTDT2] 117-3
251 BLOOMBERG TV [BLOOM] 88-4
252 TRUTV [COURT] 111.1
260 CLAY COUNTY GOVERNEMENT [GOAC260] 76-2
261 SAINT JOHNS COUNTY GOVERNEMENT [GOAC261] 76-3
264 FERNANDINA BEACH GOVERNEMENT [GOAC264] 76-4
411 MUSIC HD [MTVHD] 105-3
412 HD THEATER [HDT] 101-3
415 HOME & GARDEN TV HD [HGTVD] 108-3
431 WJXX (ABC 25) HD [WJXXDT] 1-6
432 WTLV (NBC 12) HD [WTLVDT] 115-2
433 WTEV (CBS 47) HD [WTEVDT] 115-1
434 WAWS (FOX 30) HD [WAWSDT] 114-2
435 WCWJ (CW 17) HD [WCWJDT] 114-1
437 WJXT (IND 4) HD [WJXTDT] 117-1
440 WJCT (PBS 7) HD/WJCT KIDS [WJCTDT] 1-1
734 NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION TV [NBATV] 87-2
- NBA LEAGUE PASS PREVIEW CHANNEL [NBAPC] 87-1

79-100-79-110 Various ON DEMAND Programming
80-100-80-110 Various ON DEMAND Programming
81-100-81-110 Various ON DEMAND Programming


These four are scambled:
MTV 2
Golf
VS.
Speed



92-6 is another Bravo digital channel same as 111-11

Comcast ZAP2it
Digital Station Station Digital
Channel Name ID Tuning(s)
803 Sounds of the Seasons [SEASON] [68.15] [94.15]
804 Today’s Country [TDCNTRY] [68.46] [94.46]
805 Classic Country [CLCNTRY] [68.47] [94.47]
806 Bluegrass [BLUEGR] [68.14] [94.14]
807 Hip Hop & R&B [HIPRB] [68.20] [94.20]
808 Classic R&B [CLASRB] [68.19] [94.19]
809 R&B Soul [RBSOUL] [68.18] [94.18]
810 R&B Hits [RBHIT] [68.11] [94.11]
811 Rap [RAPP] [68.22] [94.22]
812 Metal [METAL] [68.23] [94.23]
813 Rock [MCROCK] [68.13] [94.13]
814 Arena Rock [ARNHIT] [68.40] [94.40]
815 Classic Rock [CLSRCK] [68.39] [94.39]
816 Adult Alternative [ADALT] [68.38] [94.38]
817 Alternative [ALT] [68.24] [94.24]
818 Retro-Active [RETROA] [68.25] [94.25]
819 Electronica [ELECTRN] [68.12] [94.12]
820 Dance [DNCE] [68.21] [94.21]
821 Lite Hits [LITEHIT] [68.41] [94.41]
822 Adult Top 40 [ADTOP40] [68.32] [94.32]
823 Hit List [HITLIST] [68.42] [94.42]
824 Kidz Only! [KIDZOLY] [68.16] [94.16]
825 Party Favorites [PARTY] [68.26] [94.26]
826 Showcase [SHWCSE1] [68.10] [94.10]
827 ‘90s [MC90S] [68.27] [94.27]
828 ‘80s [80S] [68.43] [94.43]
829 ‘70s [70S] [68.44] [94.44]
830 Solid Gold Oldies [GOLDOLD] [68.45] [94.45]
831 Smooth Jazz [SMJZZ] [68.28] [94.28]
832 Jazz [JZZ] [68.29] [94.29]
833 Blues [BLUS] [68.30] [94.30]
834 Reggae [MCRGGAE] [68.17] [94.17]
835 Soundscapes [SNDSCP] [68.31] [94.31]
836 Easy Listening [EASYLIS] [68.50] [94.50]
837 Big Band & Swing [BIGBAND] [68.48] [94.48]
838 Singers & Standards [STANDRD] [68.9] [94.9]
839 Show Tunes [SHWTUN] [68.33] [94.33]
840 Contemporary Christian [CTMPCH] [68.34] [94.34]
841 Gospel [GOSP] [68.35] [94.35]
842 Classical Masterpieces [MASTERP] [68.51] [94.51]
843 Light Classical [LTCLASS] [68.52] [94.52]
844 Pop Latino [POPLAT] [68.49] [94.49]
845 Musica Urbana [MUSURB] [68.36] [94.36]
846 Salsa y Merengue [SMRENG] [68.55] [94.55]
847 Mexicana [MEXICAN] [68.53] [94.53]
848 Rock ‘En Español [RCKESP] [68.37] [94.37]
849 Americana [AMERCAN] [68.54] [94.54]
850 Opera [OPRA] [68.8] [94.8]

The AT&T U-Verse infrastructure is in testing stages in NE FL (including St. Augustine). This is only at the Central Office level. My guess, it'll probably be at least a year before the service is offered.

Darn, it seems the DiscoveryHD we get in clear QAM is the 'Theater' version. So we don't get The NASA Missions.

BooHoo

Darn, it seems the DiscoveryHD we get in clear QAM is the 'Theater' version. So we don't get The NASA Missions.

BooHoo

That's too bad. I watched the first 2 episodes on DirecTV last night....and they were quite good. They are offering blu-ray discs for sale if you can't get an HD feed.

Bluray discs coming soon? Great. They'll be on the net in no time. I worked the Apollo missions.

The AT&T U-Verse infrastructure is in testing stages in NE FL (including St. Augustine). This is only at the Central Office level. My guess, it'll probably be at least a year before the service is offered.It would be nice to have a choice, I guess. Shame U-Verse is completely incompatible with existing devices (CableCard-ready TVs, HD Tivos, etc)

Anyone else not getting ABC HD? 1.6 is dead for me in east arlington.

Was anyone having issues with ABC's JAX HD feed last night on DirecTV? I don't have my OTA tuner hooked up yet, so I don't know if it was a local issue, or an issue with DirecTV. My wife was getting a lot of pixelation/dropouts during the Bachelorette and I noticed that the 11pm news was doing the same thing.

Later,
pjdavep

I was having pixilation problems with Ch 12 on its digital signal from Directv this AM...when I went OTA to 12-1 the signal was fine...

I'm having pixelation issues with all local HD on Directv as well. It started last night and still continues tonight. I'm not sure what is going on.

Fox was bad last night....House was almost unwatchable---voices were out of synch (using DirecTV).

we had a bad storm today here in Jacksonville. now on the NBC HD channel (Directv) it says "no need to call us"...something like we'll have it back up soon. a generic message that has been there for several hours (current time is 8 pm). anyone else having this issue? I called and the CSR had no info (as usual) and was no help (as usual). i just want to make sure it isn't just me.
I have directv and an hr21 dvr.

john in jax

It wasn't down due to any storm. It was down since 12 noon. I was hoping they were getting the pixelation issues fixed, but no go. 12 still has heavy pixelation, 30 as well. 25 and 47 are not so bad. This is starting to get redicoulous.

I have been having reception issues on the DirecTV HD locals for months. I get pixillation, skipping audio, etc.. This only affects the locals. All of my signals are good, and I just got another HD DVR and it does the same thing.
I had a DirecTV repair guy out here in March because my dish shifted and we lost everything, $89 later it was working again.
Does ANYONE know what causes the HD Local problem, its driving me crazy!

I got a message that TLC-HD and AMC-HD would be coming July 11th, but I'm already receiving them on channels 425 and 429 respectively.

Are they slowly rolling them out to everybody else or what?

Anyone here have Direct tv or dish? if so how has rain fade been with these past couple of days and the storms?

Anyone here have Direct tv or dish? if so how has rain fade been with these past couple of days and the storms?

Sorry, wasn't watching during the rain time.

However, in general, rain fade typically doesn't last that long. The MPEG 4 channels are a bit more vulnerable than the MPEG 2 ones, but it really hasn't been that much of an issue for all the years I've had DirecTV.

I have Dish and live at the beach. No real problems the past few days. I do believe the new vip receivers are more susceptible to rain fade than the legacy models. Still, not a major issue unless the storm is really big.

Agree with previous two posters--no issues with rain fade this last week. I'm a D* subscriber since March and, while I have seen rain fade two or three times, I've not seen it here in Mandarin at all with the recent PM storms. When it does happen, it is brief. I bought a cheap antenna to use as a backup in case weather gets really bad and I need to see radar....

I live in Jacksonville on the Westside and have a subscription with Comcast and their basic service. I purchased an HDTV Tuner and wanted to use it to pick up HDTV channels over my basic cable subscription.

When I attempted to scan for HD channels with STD,HRC,IRC I am only getting channels something in the range of 66 to 88. I only have a couple of channels that are part of the basic subscription coming in clearly but everything else is encrypted.

Has anyone had problems scanning for HD channels using the Samsung T451? I am wondering if it might be a problem with QAM support, maybe the tuner only suppports QAM 64? And the HD channels are being sent as QAM 256?

I could find nothing on the internet that explains what QAM version this tuner supports. Also, I searched several sites and could not find anyone running into a similar problems.

Thanks for your help...

The AT&T U-Verse infrastructure is in testing stages in NE FL (including St. Augustine). This is only at the Central Office level. My guess, it'll probably be at least a year before the service is offered.
As of now AT&T Uverse will launch to friendly's in Jax, FL (where available) sometime in August or Sept 08.

I know this probably have been discussed before but i live in north of southside around university and atlantic blvd. I can't seem to get very good reception with nbc and abc which supposedly broadcast from downtown only 4 miles away. all the other hdtv channels are good.

this really sucks as these are the two bigger networks

I know this probably have been discussed before but i live in north of southside around university and atlantic blvd. I can't seem to get very good reception with nbc and abc which supposedly broadcast from downtown only 4 miles away. all the other hdtv channels are good.

this really sucks as these are the two bigger networks


First thing to check is to make sure your antenna can receive VHF as well as UHF stations. NBC and ABC are actually broadcasting on 13-1 and 10-1 in the VHF range.

Second thing is to make sure you have a roof mounted antenna. Some people have gotten good results with an attic mount (I have---though it reduces efficiency by as much as 50%). Even fewer have gotten good results with a simple indoor antenna.

One other thing - I think you are pointing you antenna in the wrong direction. -- aren't all the towers on Hogan Road around Belfort or are they closer to Southside Blvd?

ABC/NBC's are not downtown.

One other thing - I think you are pointing you antenna in the wrong direction. -- aren't all the towers on Hogan Road around Belfort or are they closer to Southside Blvd?

ABC/NBC's are not downtown.

^ good point Jeff. His best bet would be to go to http://www.antennaweb.org and get the exact co-ordinates from his location.

But yes, the farm for all the digital stations are on Hogan.

Hogan road, that's kind of southeastern from where i am, only 5 miles or so away right? I see the A from where i am on antennaweb. still how can the reception of these two particular vhf stations so dismal compared to the uhf channels? ;(

dont think i can place an outdoor antenna.

i heard that those two vhf stations have damaged antenna and not broadcasting at max power? if that's true i can only hope for better by feb 2009 ;(

Hogan road, that's kind of southeastern from where i am, only 5 miles or so away right? I see the A from where i am on antennaweb. still how can the reception of these two particular vhf stations so dismal compared to the uhf channels? ;(

dont think i can place an outdoor antenna.

i heard that those two vhf stations have damaged antenna and not broadcasting at max power? if that's true i can only hope for better by feb 2009 ;(


From where you are, even with diminished capacity you should still be able to pick them up with a decent antenna. I live down in northern St. John's county and I can get both of them.

well, i could pick them up but it's very difficult and i get more artifacts more often compared to uhf stations

^ Without a good antenna connection, you are probably not going to be able to lock onto a stable signal.

well, i have tried a couple of indoor amplified antenna and they are actually worse than the rabbit ears. I think i finally got a sweet spot but it was extreme pain. and there is still the occasional artifacts that slip thr. I just dont understand why it is so difficult to get these two stations compared to others. I am not the only one having this difficulty. is it because they are vhf?

Wildpig: There are a number of factors involved here. I live at the beach and have 4 tvs connected to an antenna. The reception of 12 and 25 varies from tv to tv. The best is the one with the shortest cable run and it deteriorates from there.

What kind of cable are you using? Are there any splitters? Are you connecting directly to the tv tuner or are you going through another source such as a satellite receiver? Have you tried connecting the antenna to a different tv? Why can't you use an outdoor antenna?

Are the hd locals from Direct tv as high of quality picture as I get from my antenna ? Thanks for any info.

Are the hd locals from Direct tv as high of quality picture as I get from my antenna ? Thanks for any info.

Totally.

I have DirecTV, OTA and very basic Comcast cable so I can compare the same local station via three different platforms.

The MPEG4 signals from DirecTV are, as far as I can tell using a 46" Sony Bravia 1080p TV, indistinguishable from what I get OTA.

Peter and I have discussed this before. I see some differences between ota and dish mpeg4, but the differences are really only noticeable on the 65" screen. Differences are not seen on smaller screens.

i have a westinghouse 47 inch. The antenna is hooked up directly to it with a cable less than 5 ft length. i live in a flat condo 1st floor

Right now i am getting ok signal except from time to time, i get artifacts. kinda annoying but i guess i will have to accept that for now.

Peter and I have discussed this before. I see some differences between ota and dish mpeg4, but the differences are really only noticeable on the 65" screen. Differences are not seen on smaller screens.

Exactly.

The larger the screen or the closer the distance, differences will appear. Sort of like the way 720p and 1080p differences are related to size and distance.

i have a westinghouse 47 inch. The antenna is hooked up directly to it with a cable less than 5 ft length. i live in a flat condo 1st floor

Right now i am getting ok signal except from time to time, i get artifacts. kinda annoying but i guess i will have to accept that for now.

I use a phillips antenna, similar to a terk, that is about 4' long, tubular and powered. I think I got it at worstbuy or cc. You could try that if you have a place on your condo where you can aim at the towers. You can always take it back if it doesn't work.

i got an email from both nbc and abc that admit that their digital antenna was damaged and that they are on low power and that fix is coming this fall. but other than that, nothing new. no firm date. i guess the only firm date is feb 2009. oh well......

We knew about the damage, but that's the first I've heard about a possible fix this fall. Thanks for the info. If I was in charge, I would fire Jeannie Blalock and use her salary for the fix. Oh well.

does anyone know if casey black from wjxt-channel 4 is recently married or engaged? thanks for any info.

Anyone else notice recent OTA signal strength issues for 47? Even trimming a neighbor's trees and plants hasn't stopped the signal break-ups.

I have family that lives in St. Augustine. They asked me what they would need for a dish on Dish Network. I don't happen to know what sat the Jax locals on are on? Would a Dish 1000 work or would two 500's be required? They are looking to get locals, regular channels (Top 100) and possibly TurboHD (HD in the future).

Thanks for your help!

I have family that lives in St. Augustine. They asked me what they would need for a dish on Dish Network. I don't happen to know what sat the Jax locals on are on? Would a Dish 1000 work or would two 500's be required? They are looking to get locals, regular channels (Top 100) and possibly TurboHD (HD in the future).

Thanks for your help!

Did some research....Please someone correct me if I'm wrong.

They would require a Dish 1000.2 to get 110 (Jax locals), 119 (SD) and 129 (HD for future use). A Dish 500 would work for the time being, as they only want 100 and 119 right now.

I would assume the Jax local HD channels will be on 61.5? If that were the case they would need a 1000.2 and 300 to get all SD and HD channels.

Did some research....Please someone correct me if I'm wrong.

They would require a Dish 1000.2 to get 110 (Jax locals), 119 (SD) and 129 (HD for future use). A Dish 500 would work for the time being, as they only want 100 and 119 right now.

I would assume the Jax local HD channels will be on 61.5? If that were the case they would need a 1000.2 and 300 to get all SD and HD channels.

You can get three dish satellites here, right now: 110, 119 and 61.5. Just about anything, either a 500 or one of the 1000 series will allow you to pick up 110 and 119. But, this is all changing as we speak. Dish is creating the Eastern Arc where we will get all of our channels from 61.5 and 72.7(?). That's going to require a new dish, the 1000.4 and all the receivers will be the Vip series which are mpeg4. Most of the hd channels are being switched over to 61.5 now, so if you want any of those you are going to have to install two dishes. When the EA is completed, we should have a one dish solution pointed southeast instead of southwest. Ultimately, if and when we receive hd locals they will be on 61.5.

Don't want to start a D* versus E* debate, but just for information...with DirecTV only one dish is needed and we have HD locals (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox....PBS is supposed to be up toward the end of the year...no word on the CW).

Our DVR is better! You started it.

Our DVR is better! You started it.

I have no standard of comparison other than the DirecTV HR10-250 (a Tivo based DVR) and the two current ones I have the HR20-700 and HR20-100.

The ones I have now do what I need for them to do.

I am new to the "over air" HD stuff. I have a Samsung 42" plasma. I was curious what antenna you guys recommend to receive HD broadcasts. I got screwed with dish network as they don't offer local channels in HD. I was hoping to catch the football games over air. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

I am new to the "over air" HD stuff. I have a Samsung 42" plasma. I was curious what antenna you guys recommend to receive HD broadcasts. I got screwed with dish network as they don't offer local channels in HD. I was hoping to catch the football games over air. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

You can do a search of this thread for more detailed information on other's experience, but here's a short summary:

1. If you can do outdoor...that is your best option. Make sure it is both VHF and UHF since 12 (NBC) and 25 (ABC) are both in the VHF band (13-1 and 10-1). You typically can get by with a basic Radio Shack or Channel Master.

2. If you can't do outdoor for whatever reason, and you have an attic, that is the next best option. You will, however, lose up to 50% or more efficiency with an attic mount. However, in some cases that will be enough (it is for me).

3. Indoor antennas are spotty at best, even the powered ones. I went through many before finally giving up and doing the attic mount.

Don't want to start a D* versus E* debate, but just for information...with DirecTV only one dish is needed and we have HD locals (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox....PBS is supposed to be up toward the end of the year...no word on the CW).

They are aware of that and so am I. Dish is a no brainer for them because they would pay peanuts for it. They would share it with relatives next to them and the relatives only want $5 per each additonal box (they already have an existing account). That is a deal that no one else can even come close to. The problem is that the family next store has a very basic set up (no HD, no DVR), that's why I'm asking about the issue of the dishes.

Miniz: The sharing arrangement will violate the user contract. There are limits on how many leased tuners Dish will allow per address and the DVRs are probably going to require a phone connection. The relatives are looking at an audit from Dish and having the service turned off when they get caught. I would expect some penalties to restore service.

Peter: It was a joke. I think we agree that both providers have their strengths and weaknesses. When it is all said and done, both services are going to end up with almost the identical channels at comparable prices. It is only a matter of timing.

Ward