Perhaps when you did a rescan it only added 5.3 and didn't refresh 5.1 and 5.2. I would first completely delete KXAS from your system to remove anything left over. (you may also need to reboot). Then add KXAS back to your system. Does that work for you ?

Great idea, it did not cross my mind this morning. I will try that tonight and let you know if it works. Thank you.

Like a couple others I lost on my OTA Tivo Series 3 access to channels 5.1 & 5.2 sometime in the last couple of days. Didn't notice as I had U-Verse installed and was watching that.

I rebooted the box and nothing changed, but after a non-destructive channel scan I re-acquired the picture and sound where only black and silence were before. I did not delete them first, I just did another scan and accepted the new channels (5.1 and 5.2 did not show up as new but 5.3 did).

Joe

Hi all,
I'm posting this in case it is of interest to any other Frisco area TWC subscribers:

I got an e-mail today from a Sr. Director at TWC advising that the following channels will be activated in Frisco on Friday - this is just what I was told...I'm just passing it along!

740 – CNN HD
744 – TBS HD
745 - The History Channel HD
752 - Food Network HD
753 – HGTV HD
754 – A&E HD
756 – Discovery HD
757 – Animal Planet HD
771 - National Geographic HD
786 – Versus/Golf HD
787 - Fox Sports Southwest HD

Randy

77-7 is goltv
77-8 is cbs college sports

107-5 is universal sports

here in the systems of:
arlington
grand prarie
cockrell hill
pantego
dalworthington gardens
parts of kennedale

all of which are now 870mhz motorola systems
should see the new hd channels the first week of october

they were testing the 4 3:1 muxes in august so were ready for the upgrade

126-1 vs/golf hd
126-2 history hd
127-1 tbs hd
127-2 cnn hd
127-3 fsn sw hd
128-1 food hd
128-2 hgtv hd
128-3 a&e hd
129-1 discovery hd
129-2 animal planet hd
129-3 national geographic hd
135 spectrum analyzer(still in testing)

I am using an OTA. Last weekend, I noticed that 5.1 went away and 5.3 showed up without any rescan. Then when I rescanned on Sunday, I got the 5.1 back along with 5.2 and 5.3. But I did notice that there was a delay when I was switching channels especially when coming back to 5.1.

I'm in Lakewood and get my TV over-the-air. When I watch KXAS-DT (channel 5) in unscaled, full-resolution, I get a white line up the left edge of my screen, one or two pixels wide. I don't have this on any other channel. It also seems like the audio is a split-second behind the video. I don't usually watch the daytime programing, so I don't know if it's only NBC programs or if it affects local broadcasts, as well.

Does anyone else have this problem?

I'm in Lakewood and get my TV over-the-air. When I watch KXAS-DT (channel 5) in unscaled, full-resolution, I get a white line up the left edge of my screen, one or two pixels wide. I don't have this on any other channel.

You probably have your TV set to full pixel mode. I see the same thing on Ch5 if I set my Sony to Full Pixel. So I keep my TV's "Display Area" set to normal which is about 3% overscan and problem solved.


It also seems like the audio is a split-second behind the video. I don't usually watch the daytime programing, so I don't know if it's only NBC programs or if it affects local broadcasts, as well.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Once in a while I've noticed a delay sometimes worse than others, and usually on network programming like The Tonight Show. I've noticed that on other stations once in a while too. Seems to me there should be a way to keep the video in sync with the audio.

Yeah but with a digital signal, there shouldn't be any reason to overscan. Analog has closed caption info that can appear with zero overscan but with digital it's all, well, digital. All of the other channels look just fine in "full pixel" mode.

The line along the left is put there by NBC and is therefore present on every NBC HD broadcast nationwide. No idea why NBC puts it there, but KXAS isn't at fault.

Yeah, you're right; the local news broadcast looked just fine. No lines anywhere. Why on earth would NBC do that?

There should be an adjustment on your TV to allow you to move that line off screen. I see that line on the left and sometimes, on channel 13 and 33, on the top. I simply adjust the picture until the lines are gone.

There should be an adjustment on your TV to allow you to move that line off screen. I see that line on the left and sometimes, on channel 13 and 33, on the top. I simply adjust the picture until the lines are gone.

Those adjustments don't exist in "Full Pixel" mode on my Sony TV, or in "Just Scan" mode on my Samsung. These two sets do have position adjustment in some of the zoom modes.

My Philips has "Unscaled" and various widescreen and zoom modes. Everything but unscaled overscans about 5%.

Note that the DirecTV DVRs don't have 5-3 in their database yet so can't receive it. I hope you will get the new channel information to Tribune as soon as possible so they can include it in the guide they produce for DirecTV.

Is there any possibility this is going to be added anytime soon? I'd actually like to watch some of the stuff on 5-3, but my poor HR10-250 won't even tune it, much less show guide data or record.

I was planning on getting a CM4228 for OTA reception, but then I noticed that after the transition most of the local stations are moving to VHF Hi.

So my question is will the CM4228 pick up those stations or should I buy an entirely different antenna so that I can get those channels after? I am planning on doing an attic mount.

Also if someone could point me to reviews or what I should be looking for in a HD OTA Tuner, because my TV doesn't have one.


I appreciate any information you guys can give me.

I was planning on getting a CM4228 for OTA reception, but then I noticed that after the transition most of the local stations are moving to VHF Hi.

So my question is will the CM4228 pick up those stations or should I buy an entirely different antenna so that I can get those channels after? I am planning on doing an attic mount.

Also if someone could point me to reviews or what I should be looking for in a HD OTA Tuner, because my TV doesn't have one.


I appreciate any information you guys can give me.

There will be a few stations on VHF-hi. WFAA-DT is already on VHF-hi but will be moving back from channel 9 to channel 8. KTVT will be moving back to channel 11. And KFWD will be moving from channel 52 to the channel 9 space currently being used by WFAA. Everything else will be staying on UHF.
Whether a CM4228 will be enough depends on where you are located, what's your zip code?
And there aren't that many stand-alone HD tuners around. This is the one I see most recommended http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetail.do?oid=164855&om_keycode=4

My zip code is 75070. I am around Custer and 121 on the Mckinney/Frisco border.

Thanks for the info about the receiver. I've found information about receivers to be a little sparse in all of my reading.

Has anyone experience intermittant problems with the Motorola DCH6416 fast forward and rewind operations? On numerous occastions I'll hit rewind on a live TV broadcast and the progress bar doesn't show at the bottom of the screen. When this happens it rewinds at a snails pace no matter how many times I hit rewind. Other times I hit rewind once and it rewinds at full speed and won't play for several seconds after play is pressed. Overall I'm pretty dissapointed in this player. Does anyone know if TWC has any other brand HD DVR in this market?

Has anyone experience intermittant problems with the Motorola DCH6416 fast forward and rewind operations? On numerous occastions I'll hit rewind on a live TV broadcast and the progress bar doesn't show at the bottom of the screen. When this happens it rewinds at a snails pace no matter how many times I hit rewind. Other times I hit rewind once and it rewinds at full speed and won't play for several seconds after play is pressed. Overall I'm pretty dissapointed in this player. Does anyone know if TWC has any other brand HD DVR in this market?
Have never noticed that problem. We actually don't use the fast rewind or fast forward very often though. We have the ten second rewind and 30 second skip ahead programmed on our Harmony remote and almost always use that.

We've generally been pleased with the Motorola box except when it pauses to "think" sometimes when we try to go back or forward while it is recording something on one or both tuners. And we did have it misrecord some show a couple of weeks ago, filling up the harddrive and causing some other things to be erased - but that is very rare.

We also have a Tivo Series 2 and when trying to program a series on it the other day realized how much better we like the interface on the Motorola box, even though the Tvo interface is prettier.

Bernie

big ten on channel 197 sports tier

qam 256
645mhz/651mhz
SNR:39.5dB.

big ten on channel 197 sports tier

qam 256
645mhz/651mhz
SNR:39.5dB.

I AM A NEWBIE - So what does this mean?

My zip code is 75070. I am around Custer and 121 on the Mckinney/Frisco border.

Thanks for the info about the receiver. I've found information about receivers to be a little sparse in all of my reading.
According to tvfool.com your signal on WFAA will be slightly weaker then mine (I am in Parker just east of Allen). That means a CM4228 in the attic could be marginal, it will depend on the characteristics of the attic and also whether you are in a "sweet spot" or a "black hole" for reception. Outside you probably would not have a problem.
You could try a CM4228 (you will need a CM7777 preamp) and then add a YA1713 if WFAA-DT reception is poor. You link the two through the CM7777. This is the combination I have in my attic - the CM4228 on its own was not quite enough antenna in my location and attic. FYI TVfool says the WFAA signal will improve a little in Feb 2009 when they move back to channel 8 (WFAA-DT is on 9 at the moment).
If you want to use a single antenna other than the CM4228 then you should probably use one of the new Winegard antennas, http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=982619 You would need an HD 7696p to have around the same performance as the CM4228/YA1713 combination.

I'm thoroughly amused that KTXA-DT managed to typo their own call sign. In their PSIP, it's listed as KXTA-DT for some reason. Lysdexia, anyone? :D

- Trip
I emailed KTXA21/KTVT11 a couple of weeks ago when I read this, it appears fixed now. I might give the TVGOS in my TV another try. It was getting confused matching up the OTA channel scan and TVGOS data for some reason, maybe that was it.

It is not in HD, comes down to us in SD. You need to address you concern to Ellen!

Well seeing that I don't work at the station, that most likely would be "YP". The EPG's show "HD" for the show.

Hopefully one day it will come on 11 or 8 or even 21. They got their S* in order when it comes to HD. KXAS has obviously dropped the ball and are apparently not looking to pick it back up.

Channel 8 is running this notice on their broadcast and on their web site:
To prepare for the DTV transition scheduled for February 17, 2009, WFAA-TV will reduce its analog power beginning October 27, 2008. Most viewers will be unaffected by this slight power reduction. Some viewers who watch over-the-air TV on an analog TV may need to take action to continue receiving the station. Possible options include:

using a digital-to-analog converter box
subscribing to a cable or satellite service
using a TV with a built-in digital tuner



Hopefully this means that they'll be increasing the digital power at the same time. That would be great news for all of us that have had trouble receiving their digital OTA signal.

-- Pete

Nope. They're halving the power on their analog so they can convert that half of their transmitter for digital operation to start on 02/17/09. The digital is remaining unchanged. That's what their last FCC filing said, anyway.

- Trip

Interresting article last week in Broadcast Engineering about what was learned with the Wilmington DE switch to all digital. #1 lesson learned and recommended is "Conduct additional field testing"!

I wish they would do additional field testing on Ch 13's DTV signal on UHF 14 out here in NW Dallas. Weakest one I receive, on 3 different antennas, and there's a constant repeating about once per second interfering signal, maybe a pager or somesuch, probably down between 460 and 470 mHz that causes problems with it.

Well seeing that I don't work at the station, that most likely would be "YP". The EPG's show "HD" for the show.

Hopefully one day it will come on 11 or 8 or even 21. They got their S* in order when it comes to HD. KXAS has obviously dropped the ball and are apparently not looking to pick it back up.
Seeing that you are an expert I will not bore you with too many facts, but the EPG did not list it as HD, TitanTV does not list it as HD and not to mention the show (which I watch) has never mentioned, advertised or indicated in any way they are HD as all other shows do. I am sure the other station in town will enjoy have an inform viewer such as yourself.

Ellen most certainly does exist in HD, and there's plenty of information about it (including screenshots) in the related thread in the Programming forum here on AVS:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1064510

From what I can tell, none of NBC's O&Os have the ability to record/play out syndicated shows in HD.

I wish they would do additional field testing on Ch 13's DTV signal on UHF 14 out here in NW Dallas. Weakest one I receive, on 3 different antennas, and there's a constant repeating about once per second interfering signal, maybe a pager or somesuch, probably down between 460 and 470 mHz that causes problems with it.

I believe it. Two way paging with ReFLEX is assigned the 940-941 Mhz freq area. This is the general harmonic freq of television channel 14 (470-476 Mhz). It does generate a pulse sound about every 2 seconds. Maybe you have a paging tower near by.

Ellen most certainly does exist in HD, and there's plenty of information about it (including screenshots) in the related thread in the Programming forum here on AVS:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1064510



Yep, the show started it's 6th season from a new production facility on the Warner Bros Studios lot, and is now produced in HD. This started Sept 8th. No, I'm not a fan, but Google is my friend. :)

Seeing that you are an expert I will not bore you with too many facts, but the EPG did not list it as HD, TitanTV does not list it as HD and not to mention the show (which I watch) has never mentioned, advertised or indicated in any way they are HD as all other shows do. I am sure the other station in town will enjoy have an inform viewer such as yourself.

AMAZING!!:rolleyes: And from the engineer of the station no less. I ain't never!

AMAZING!!:rolleyes: And from the engineer of the station no less. I ain't never!
I stand corrected and you have my sincere appology, obviously it is I who is not informed, the beer is on me!

I stand corrected and you have my sincere appology, obviously it is I who is not informed, the beer is on me!

Accepted. What will it take for NBC's O/O's to bring us HD syndicated programs. WNBC doesn't have Ellen in HD either.

Accepted. What will it take for NBC's O/O's to bring us HD syndicated programs. WNBC doesn't have Ellen in HD either.

Alright, for all those that are asking about Ellen in HD. Yes it is produced in HD. Yes the station has the ability to record and playback HD content (everyone watched the HD spots during the Olympics). No, corporate governance has not authorized the use of the HD server for syndicated playback. There it is, straight form the horse's mouth.

NBC Engineering

Accepted. What will it take for NBC's O/O's to bring us HD syndicated programs. WNBC doesn't have Ellen in HD either.

Alright, for all those that are asking about Ellen in HD. Yes it is produced in HD. Yes the station has the ability to record and playback HD content (everyone watched the HD spots during the Olympics). No, corporate governance has not authorized the use of the HD server for syndicated playback. There it is, straight from the horse's mouth.

NBC Engineering

Well why don't you tell corporate governance that I'm not watching until they broadcast in HD.

I've tried emailing KERA (PBS, ch 13) about this but no one responded: Why are they only broadcasting in 2.0 stereo? I know many of the shows are mixed in 5.1 and that they are sent the 5.1 mix, so why are they downmixing to 2.0?

Alright, for all those that are asking about Ellen in HD. Yes it is produced in HD. Yes the station has the ability to record and playback HD content (everyone watched the HD spots during the Olympics). No, corporate governance has not authorized the use of the HD server for syndicated playback. There it is, straight from the horse's mouth.

NBC Engineering

That's sad.

I've tried emailing KERA (PBS, ch 13) about this but no one responded: Why are they only broadcasting in 2.0 stereo? I know many of the shows are mixed in 5.1 and that they are sent the 5.1 mix, so why are they downmixing to 2.0?

KERA has a GI encoder for HD and NO Dolby 5.1 encoder. Guess it is a money thing. I had great plans at the house to pull in the national feed from the satellite just for this reason but haven't ever gotten around to it.
JStigler

Earlier this week the sound via my cablecard stopped working for CNN-HD, A&E-HD and TBS-HD. The picture remains perfect and sound continues to work on all other HD stations. Everything works as usual via the DVR. After sending a tech and replacing the cablecard TW determined, of course, that chagnes are being made at the head-end. In fact they were able to re-enable the sound on CNN and then turn it off again. The problem persists.

I'll post an update when I know more.

Bernie

Earlier this week the sound via my cablecard stopped working for CNN-HD, A&E-HD and TBS-HD. The picture remains perfect and sound continues to work on all other HD stations. Everything works as usual via the DVR. After sending a tech and replacing the cablecard TW determined, of course, that chagnes are being made at the head-end. In fact they were able to re-enable the sound on CNN and then turn it off again. The problem persists.

I'll post an update when I know more.

Bernie

i know those are on:

813mhz

127-1 tbs hd
127-2 cnn hd
127-3 a&e hd

i believe they are redoing the encryption on these channels.

big ten on channel 197 sports tier

qam 256
645mhz/651mhz
SNR:39.5dB.

I AM A NEWBIE - So what does this mean?

qam is for tuning a cable channel directly from the TV (without decoder box)
SNR is the signal strength relative to the noise as it is tuned.
Not sure on the MHz

Do you guys really only get one Big 10 channel?
Dish broadcasts like seven of them.

Obviously this is no big deal if you don't get KXII at all, or if you get KXII via cable or their digital OTA signal.

But many of us in the Dallas metroplex are in the fringe of their reception area and can get their VHF analog signal on channel 12, but not their UHF digital signal on channel 20. If so, you're going to be out of luck for a few days while KXII upgrades their VHF broadcast antenna (http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/19910509.html) for the transition to digital next February.

Once the new antenna is installed, the analog signal will return at a slightly reduced power. On Feb. 17, they will move their digital signal to channel 12 to make room for KSEX-LP's move from out-of-core channel 57 to 20.

Does anyone know if TWC Bedford was putzing around with their QAM line-up over the weekend? I was previously able to get the digital QAM for ESPN2 in the clear from them until this weekend. I'm using Avermedia M780 tuner with clearQAM inside of Vista Media Center & TV Pack 2008. I'm located in McKinney but the line-up is Bedford Time Warner. Re-doing channel scans and re-mapping channels is really a pain inside of VMC so when you get something set you really don't want to mess around with it too much. But the cableco messing around with it is even more of a pain. Is anyone in the area in a similar situation or know of any info about channel line-up changes? Let me know

Thx

qam is for tuning a cable channel directly from the TV (without decoder box)
SNR is the signal strength relative to the noise as it is tuned.
Not sure on the MHz


Thx.
I am OTA for now.

The FIOS upgrade seems to be taking place early. At least in the 76177 zip code. I assume it's a work in progress since all the new HD channels aren't up yet. A lot of things have moved. If you are like me and have a TiVo HD and cable cards this is going to be a mess until we get the new lineup.

The FIOS upgrade seems to be taking place early. At least in the 76177 zip code. I assume it's a work in progress since all the new HD channels aren't up yet. A lot of things have moved. If you are like me and have a TiVo HD and cable cards this is going to be a mess until we get the new lineup.
According to the VZ website, they changed the date from the 8th to the 6th about a week ago, but we're still missing approximately 10 channels. It looks as though we might get the last of the channels on 10/20 per their website.

According to the VZ website, they changed the date from the 8th to the 6th about a week ago, but we're still missing approximately 10 channels. It looks as though we might get the last of the channels on 10/20 per their website.

According to posts in TiVo Community, we need to go to 'Channel List', hit Enter on the remote and set up our provider to Verizon Fios Keller (Digital Rebuild). People say that works, although it doesn't know that we are still missing those 10 or so channels.

I have already set up manual recordings for 7-10 pm and don't want to chance screwing things up. I'll try it at 10 pm.

According to posts in TiVo Community, we need to go to 'Channel List', hit Enter on the remote and set up our provider to Verizon Fios Keller (Digital Rebuild). People say that works, although it doesn't know that we are still missing those 10 or so channels.

I have already set up manual recordings for 7-10 pm and don't want to chance screwing things up. I'll try it at 10 pm.
Yeah, I did that and it worked well. But we're still missing some of the channels we were told we should get. The good news is that we will get them at some point in time, and probably on 10/20 if everything works as planned. Here's what I believe we're missing:

553 FX
568 WGN
572 ESPNews
583 Speed
617 Fox Biz
618 Fox News
629 Bio
650 QVC
668 Planet Gr
670 Travel
682 MOJO
685 Bravo
699 ABC Fam
740 Hallmark
750 Disney
751 Toon

If you're getting any of these, I'd be interested in knowing that! Like I said though, they'll probably pop up on the 20th.

Bravo HD is live now on 685. MOJO isn't even showing in my EPG, so I doubt we'll ever see it since the channel is going dark by the end of the year anyway. Your list is also missing MGM HD, coming soon on 744, and Disney/Toon Disney are coming soon on 780/781.

Yeah, I did that and it worked well. But we're still missing some of the channels we were told we should get. The good news is that we will get them at some point in time, and probably on 10/20 if everything works as planned. Here's what I believe we're missing:

553 FX
568 WGN
572 ESPNews
583 Speed
617 Fox Biz
618 Fox News
629 Bio
650 QVC
668 Planet Gr
670 Travel
682 MOJO
685 Bravo
699 ABC Fam
740 Hallmark
750 Disney
751 Toon

If you're getting any of these, I'd be interested in knowing that! Like I said though, they'll probably pop up on the 20th.

I'm missing the same channels as you except for 685 Bravo HD. That channel is in the listing, but I'm not getting a picture.

I'm missing the same channels as you except for 685 Bravo HD. That channel is in the listing, but I'm not getting a picture.
Hopefully they'll have everything straightened out on the 20th. We've waited this long............I suppose a few more days won't hurt.

Thx.
I am OTA for now.

Not a bad idea to save those pennies for now.

Yup. Pic is stunning and no extra compression. What do people say about UVerse?

Kxas is here! I can answer most all questions but number of channels is network decision and we will follow. We will be doing strategic mutliplexing with priority given to 5.1. It will probably not be 3 channels for long and we will go back to 2.
So now that NBC has officially announced that Weather+ is dead, how long until KXAS drops it, and will you reallocate that bandwidth to 5.1?

So now that NBC has officially announced that Weather+ is dead, how long until KXAS drops it, and will you reallocate that bandwidth to 5.1?

And start HD syndication?:D

Odd thing today with my two DTV boxes, Zenith and Insignia mfg'd several months apart... Ch 13-1 is on 14-3 on both boxes, enter in 13-1 and says "No Signal", but both my Samsung and Sony TVs are fine!

Odd thing today with my two DTV boxes, Zenith and Insignia mfg'd several months apart... Ch 13-1 is on 14-3 on both boxes, enter in 13-1 and says "No Signal", but both my Samsung and Sony TVs are fine!

That would indicate that KERA is not sending PSIP info. Computers do die as we all know.
JStigler

Now, at 6:20pm, no audio on KERA 13-1 on my Sony, no picture or audio on the Samsung but it doesn't indicate No Signal either, but the Zenith/Insignia boxes are receiving KERA OK! Weird! They must be up to something! Wish they would mess with things in the middle of the night though, if they have a choice that is...

Now, at 6:20pm, no audio on KERA 13-1 on my Sony, no picture or audio on the Samsung but it doesn't indicate No Signal either, but the Zenith/Insignia boxes are receiving KERA OK! Weird!

Well, it's 6:45 p.m. here in Downtown Dallas and I am only receiving audio from KERA / PBS. I am using an EchoStar / DISH Network DTVPal converter. Last night I wasn't receiving any guide data from them.

They must be up to something! Wish they would mess with things in the middle of the night though, if they have a choice that is...

The last few weeks they have had quite a few problems with OTA.

In Lakewood, no audio or video all afternoon. At times, it reverted to 14.3. Now getting intermittent video and audio, like the signal is very weak.

Maybe they're upgrading to 5.1. (ha...)

I got nothing from WFAA-DT tonight. The signal meter shows a solid lock at 90+%, but no audio or video (hence no Ugly Betty or Grey's Anatomy recordings). it never ceases to amaze me that the #7 metro TV market has one of the poorest ABC affiliates in the nation. Of course, I guess that shouldn't come as a surprise since the Mouse is willing to let its local affiliate snub what is also the #7 metro cable market.

I too have had problems with WFAA-DT of late. Some days I have 75% signal strength, some days not enough to lock on a signal. The wife is about to send me to a vivisectionist. I've been receiving DT OTA since 2002, and have never had this kind of problem until now. No apparent problems with my antenna system. Anyone know if they are doing any kind of transmitter work on their DT signal that might explain why I have signal problems?

Does anyone using FiOS have access to Vs./Golf HD on 590? If so, what packages do you have? I tried to order it tonight, but according to the rep I talked to, it's only available as part of the Extreme HD package which doesn't launch in Texas until 10/24.

Well, it's 6:45 p.m. here in Downtown Dallas and I am only receiving audio from KERA / PBS. I am using an EchoStar / DISH Network DTVPal converter. Last night I wasn't receiving any guide data from them.



The last few weeks they have had quite a few problems with OTA.
I called their main number last night at 9 PM. The voice mail allowed to direct a message to the Engineering Dept. I told them of the Forum comments and my own Eye TV Hybrid loss of the station with a simultaneous signal strength of 100. KERA is back on my computer now. Maybe they listen. I named the forum also, so maybe they can monitor in the future.

Yep I called Ch 13 earlier today, lady that answered said she had heard of the problem, I left a message with engineering, and an engineer called me back said they were working on it and should be OK now.

I had reported in a prior post about KERA's signal jumping from 30 to 71 and back at a 1 to 2 second cycling rate, with corresponding s/n ratio jumping back and forth from 19-20dB to 27dB with the signal. Whatever that was, it's gone now. KERA DT still is my weakest channel, but at least it stays at 65 to 71 which is just barely good enough because of all the air traffic around me that causes a lot of signal variation.

AS far as Ch 8-1, I had been getting it full strength 100% here in NW Dallas, now it varies from 83 to high 90s, and rarely if ever looses signal lock or shows any errors at the lower received signal level.

Does anyone using FiOS have access to Vs./Golf HD on 590? If so, what packages do you have? I tried to order it tonight, but according to the rep I talked to, it's only available as part of the Extreme HD package which doesn't launch in Texas until 10/24.

I've got the Movie & Sports Package and I've got 590. I'm in the 76177 zip code.

Did something change on KXAS or is it just me? With my (indoor mounted) antenna near 75007, I used to get a great signal using a HR10-250. However, since the week of the September 29th the picture chops up repeatedly. No other channels seem to be affected and I haven't moved or even really touched my antenna.

Did something change on KXAS or is it just me? With my (indoor mounted) antenna near 75007, I used to get a great signal using a HR10-250. However, since the week of the September 29th the picture chops up repeatedly. No other channels seem to be affected and I haven't moved or even really touched my antenna.

Nothing unusual here. KXAS still nearly full scale 93 to 98 on the sig strength meter of my Sony TV, in NW Dallas.

Did something change on KXAS or is it just me? With my (indoor mounted) antenna near 75007, I used to get a great signal using a HR10-250. However, since the week of the September 29th the picture chops up repeatedly. No other channels seem to be affected and I haven't moved or even really touched my antenna.

I am out in Parker east of Allen, 40+ miles from Cedar Hill, and yes the signal strength on KXAS is noticably lower today than the last time I checked it (a couple of weeks ago). My OTA signal is only in the 50s on all three of my DirecTV boxes when it is usually in the 80s. The signals for other stations are pretty well as normal.

Alright, for all those that are asking about Ellen in HD. Yes it is produced in HD. Yes the station has the ability to record and playback HD content (everyone watched the HD spots during the Olympics). No, corporate governance has not authorized the use of the HD server for syndicated playback. There it is, straight form the horse's mouth.

NBC Engineering

Just reading Broadcast Engineering.. "Oct 8, 2008 8:02 AM- NBC Universal puts HD content delivery network in place" "The eight NBC O&O stations deploying new Thomson Grass Valley K2 HD servers as part of the LMCS project include: WNBC in New York City, WRC in Washington, D.C., WCAU in Philadelphia, WMAQ in Chicago, KXAS in Dallas/Fort Worth"... so will this get us HD syndicated programming? THANKS!

Good ?.

But is KNBC in LA not an O/O?

Good ?.

But is KNBC in LA not an O/O?


Some stations in the article got cut off since this is in the Dallas, TX - HDTV thread... also includes "KNBC in Los Angeles, KNSD in San Diego and KNTV in San Francisco" .

AHH...now we wait for the wise words of Wizop.

Just reading Broadcast Engineering.. "Oct 8, 2008 8:02 AM- NBC Universal puts HD content delivery network in place" "The eight NBC O&O stations deploying new Thomson Grass Valley K2 HD servers as part of the LMCS project include: WNBC in New York City, WRC in Washington, D.C., WCAU in Philadelphia, WMAQ in Chicago, KXAS in Dallas/Fort Worth"... so will this get us HD syndicated programming? THANKS!
NBC Universal Local Media Group’s migration to an HD commercial spot delivery platform involves multiple Thomson Grass Valley K2 HD media servers, which are now installed at each of eight participating stations to support an FTP content delivery platform.
The article mentions that it's for delivering ads in HD. Leave it to NBC to deliver ads in HD but not the surrounding content--you know, the part that's supposed to draw viewers.

The article mentions that it's for delivering ads in HD. Leave it to NBC to deliver ads in HD but not the surrounding content--you know, the part that's supposed to draw viewers.

I would not be 1 bit surprised. I guess corporate governance is preventing any comment on this.

Earlier this week the sound via my cablecard stopped working for CNN-HD, A&E-HD and TBS-HD. The picture remains perfect and sound continues to work on all other HD stations. Everything works as usual via the DVR. After sending a tech and replacing the cablecard TW determined, of course, that chagnes are being made at the head-end. In fact they were able to re-enable the sound on CNN and then turn it off again. The problem persists.

I'll post an update when I know more.

Bernie

i know those are on:

813mhz

127-1 tbs hd
127-2 cnn hd
127-3 a&e hd

i believe they are redoing the encryption on these channels.

The problem is finally fixed! We think that it affected everyone in the area that has a cablecard but either no one else called it in, or no one with cablecards watched this three channels in the last three weeks.

The problem turned out to be due to new equipment/software that was installed and didn't interface properly to the existing equipment.

Bernie

The problem is finally fixed! We think that it affected everyone in the area that has a cablecard but either no one else called it in, or no one with cablecards watched this three channels in the last three weeks.

The problem turned out to be due to new equipment/software that was installed and didn't interface properly to the existing equipment.

Bernie
I just read the two posts above right above mine. The new system that TW-Dallas installed that gave rise the cablecard problem is supposed to allow local insertion of commercials. Actually I thought they already did that, but maybe this is even more localized.

AHH...now we wait for the wise words of Wizop.
Sorry Guys, I am in New York working on WNBC for awhile. The problem is our current recorded programming comes out of Miami on fiber and it is not HD. They would have to push Ellen to us and I have not heard of this happening. We can play it but we can't get it right now. We are changing over from Miami to New York so this may be subject to change shortly. Our HD commercials are pushed to our server from LA and then we play them locally. Basically everything here is changing and it is hard to keep up with when and what. When I hear anything I will post.

I too have had problems with WFAA-DT of late. Some days I have 75% signal strength, some days not enough to lock on a signal. The wife is about to send me to a vivisectionist. I've been receiving DT OTA since 2002, and have never had this kind of problem until now. No apparent problems with my antenna system. Anyone know if they are doing any kind of transmitter work on their DT signal that might explain why I have signal problems?

I have had a couple of issues with WFAA-DT lately also that I don't understand. I receive the broadcast network channels via OTA and have an HD Tivo. I could see and hear the channel (8-1) fine live but my Tivo did not record last weeks Life on Mars premier and last night I tried to do a quick record of the debate and it said it couldn't, something about signal. Why would I be able to see the channel but the Tivo not record it? The signal seemed good 90+.

Hi, New to this forum. Creekbend Condos have 30 buildings (432 units) with each building having it's own individual antenna. I am still trying to understand all the TV Antenna ins and outs as far as what HD transmission will mean. Without shelling out big bucks, what is the best reasonably priced fit for 30 buildings. We currently have Antennas on the roof with a 16 output amplifier going to each unit. Will the current Antenna be suitable? I take it that the RG-58 should work fine? Should we pick up a new amplifer?

Love to find an installer who doesn't want an arm and a leg for the installation.

creekbendcondos@yahoo.com

If your antennas cover VHF and UHF today, they will be fine in the new DTV world.
There will actually be fewer UHF channels but no new channels on VHF or UHF.
www.antennaweb.org is a great resource to determine which antenna to buy and where to point it.

Can someone briefly explain the difference between commercially deployed SDV and going "all digital?" Thanks.

SDV is like shared on-demand video. If no one on the node is watching a channel, it simply doesn't exist on the wire. If someone wants to watch it, their box has to communicate with the cable provider to tell them to send it. The cable provider's equipment locates an open slot, starts sending the channel, and responds back and provides the physical location for the channel. If a second person wants to watch, their box sends a request to the cable company, and the cable company responds back providing the location of the already existing channel.

Going all digital like FiOS simply means they removed all the analog channels from the lineup. All channels on the lineup are available on the cable at the same time.

The advantage of all-digital is that CableCard devices like the Tivo HD and many TVs work perfectly with no need for additional hardware. SDV requires a tuning adapter, which won't be compatible with all devices. The only downside to all-digital is that analog tuners don't work anymore, but FiOS mostly avoids this by providing up to 3 digital adapters for free for the life of your service.

Thanks for that explanation. I saw elsewhere that TWC North Texas was supposedly going all-digital in 2009 (as opposed to commercially deployed SDV) and I wasn't understanding the difference.

Dear channel 5,

Please bring us Ellen in HD because it is the year 2008 and it's time. Channel 11 and 8 are kicking your butt when it comes to HD. If you do not, I will boycott your channel in this life and the next.:)

I couldn't resist

Do you live in a house or an apartment? If in an apartment is it near the outside or inside of the building, near a court yard?

I am getting ready to close on a house this week and should be moving in this weekend. The neighborhood has Fios available, and we want to get it. Can anyone give me a rundown of what to expect as far as service, installation, and quality? I think we are planning on getting one HD-DVR for the movie tv, and one HD box for the living room tv. Seems like most of the complaints on Fios in this thread are outdated. Thanks!

Yep I called Ch 13 earlier today, lady that answered said she had heard of the problem, I left a message with engineering, and an engineer called me back said they were working on it and should be OK now.

I had reported in a prior post about KERA's signal jumping from 30 to 71 and back at a 1 to 2 second cycling rate, with corresponding s/n ratio jumping back and forth from 19-20dB to 27dB with the signal. Whatever that was, it's gone now. KERA DT still is my weakest channel, but at least it stays at 65 to 71 which is just barely good enough because of all the air traffic around me that causes a lot of signal variation.

I have been getting regular signal problems with the KERA-HD signal as provided by Charter Denton. While I'm seeing this as played back through their DVR, the appearance is the same as it was when I saw signal dropouts back when I was using an indoor antenna for OTA.

I went to the local office, and got the standard runaround: it couldn't be their signal, it had to be a problem with my DVR, etc. I explained that I didn't get this on any of the other local HD channels, just KERA-HD, so I wanted them to check with the cable engineers to see if there might be a problem with the antenna setup or something else. They completely refused.

So I was wondering:
-- Has anyone else (Denton or otherwise) been seeing a lot of dropouts while watching evening programs in KERA-HD in the last several weeks? I've been watching and recording "The Last Enemy" on Sunday nights the last several weeks, and I'm getting dropouts about every 3-4 minutes on average.
-- Specifically, are there any other Charter Denton folks here, and if so, have you had any problems with KERA-HD of late?

I have been getting regular signal problems with the KERA-HD signal as provided by Charter Denton. While I'm seeing this as played back through their DVR, the appearance is the same as it was when I saw signal dropouts back when I was using an indoor antenna for OTA.

I went to the local office, and got the standard runaround: it couldn't be their signal, it had to be a problem with my DVR, etc. I explained that I didn't get this on any of the other local HD channels, just KERA-HD, so I wanted them to check with the cable engineers to see if there might be a problem with the antenna setup or something else. They completely refused.

So I was wondering:
-- Has anyone else (Denton or otherwise) been seeing a lot of dropouts while watching evening programs in KERA-HD in the last several weeks? I've been watching and recording "The Last Enemy" on Sunday nights the last several weeks, and I'm getting dropouts about every 3-4 minutes on average.
-- Specifically, are there any other Charter Denton folks here, and if so, have you had any problems with KERA-HD of late?

I have been recording this show also. I am in frisco and have been recording over OTA. I have also noticed dropouts. I am on directv and they dont have this channel in hd which is why i record this channel over ota. my signal strength is about 85%.
I did notice maybe a couple of months ago (i cant remeber exactly), when i first put up my antenna and was checking signal strengths, that it was fluctuating alot. maybe between 50% - 90%.

I live very close to Cedar Hill and have always recei ved all of the DFW area digital TV channels with little trouble. However, starting a week or two ago, I am unable to receive the Ch21 digital signal on either of the HDTV tunners I have in my home. I manually switched over to RF channel 18, which I believe is correct for 21.1 and do not show any signal strength. Is anyone else having trouble with 21.1?

*****************

I am now updating this post. 21.1 seems to be working now. It is possible that I just happened to catch them during temporary issues over the past couple of weeks.

I live very close to Cedar Hill and have always recei ved all of the DFW area digital TV channels with little trouble. However, starting a week or two ago, I am unable to receive the Ch21 digital signal on either of the HDTV tunners I have in my home. I manually switched over to RF channel 18, which I believe is correct for 21.1 and do not show any signal strength. Is anyone else having trouble with 21.1?

*****************

I am now updating this post. 21.1 seems to be working now. It is possible that I just happened to catch them during temporary issues over the past couple of weeks.

If their PSIP was absent then you should have tried manual channel 18 for KTXA.
JStigler

Anyone here using the U-Verse service? And if so, any tips, recommendations, gripes?

I do not have it but I have read in the Uverse forum and had it confirmed by an ATT emp that you won't get 5.1 sound over HDMI. You have to use Toslink.

Hey Everyone,

I recently got my DTV converter box and hooked it up to my TV. I've been able to get every local channel except for ABC. In order to watch ABC I have to have my converter box turned off and just the antenna on.

I've seen some problems presented about this and the resounding answer is that ABC WFAA Channel 8 is broadcasting with a VHF signal. My antenna gets UHF, VHF and FM. Shouldn't I be able to pick up ABC with the DTV converter? I guess my confusion comes in partly because WFAA is the clearest channel I was able to pick up before, not ever getting Fox or NBC and now I get Fox and NBC but no ABC. ABC is by far my favorite channel. I'd like to be able to keep it. I also understand that CBS will be making the switch to a VHF signal in February and that's my second favorite channel. I don't want to lose my two channels that I watch most.

Oh and I live in Denton, near Hickory Creek.

Any ideas?

FA

Last I heard, WFAA isn't transimitting at full power on their digitial signal. I believe they will go full power at cutover. I can't receive their signal here in Weatherford.

Alan

No problem here. I live 90 NM away from the xmitter.

Do you live on a boat or something? Who uses nautical miles :p

WFAA is currently running 18.6kW on channel 9. They have a construction permit to go to 30kW on 8, which really only increases the coverage radius a mile or 2. They've also got an application in to increase power on 8 to 45kW, which again isn't much of an increase and will likely only benefit those people who are right on the edge of good reception right now (i.e. currently have a lock on the signal but lots of breakups when decoding).

Do you live on a boat or something? Who uses nautical miles :p

No I live in a house and use a map. Let me put it in terms you might understand. "as the crow flies":rolleyes: Nautical miles does not only apply to the maritime vocabulary.

Not to be a smart a$$ or anything. I just replied with the same negative connotation as you.

Nautical miles are 6076.1ft, while regular miles are of course 5280ft. Saying 90NM when you mean 90 miles is simply incorrect, and saying 90NM when you mean 103.57 miles is misleading to the vast majority of people who don't know how long a nautical mile is.

No I live in a house and use a map. Let me put it in terms you might understand. "as the crow flies":rolleyes: Nautical miles does not only apply to the maritime vocabulary.

Not to be a smart a$$ or anything. I just replied with the same negative connotation as you.
I don't think he was trying to be rude, hence the :p. The only people who use NM are pilots and mariners. I fly for a living and unless we're talking about airplanes or boats, I'm using statute miles. So suck on that! :p ;) :)

Man . . . this whole DTV switch seems like a good idea but I really don't want to end up losing channels I like. That would totally suck. I guess we'll have to see what february brings.

Most channels that are making a change by February are only making a minor change for the better: WFAA going from 18.6kW on 9 to 30 or 45kW on 8, KTXA going from 220kW on 18 to 270kW on 19, KUVN going from 190kW on 24 to 1000kW on 23, and KLDT going from 75kW on 54 to 1000kW on 39.

The big changes are KTVT going from 695kW on 19 to 23kW on 11 and KFWD going from 375kW on 51 to 13 or 55kW on 9. If you can get WFAA's DTV broadcast now, you should have no trouble with KTVT. KFWD has a directional coverage pattern, so most people in town and to the north who can currently get WFAA's DTV broadcast will be fine, while those to the south might have trouble.

I recently got my DTV converter box and hooked it up to my TV. I've been able to get every local channel except for ABC.Oh and I live in Denton, near Hickory Creek.

Any ideas?

FA

If you haven't already, go to antennaweb.org (http://antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx) and determine the compass direction to ABC from your location and then tweak your antenna around that direction and see if you can pull it in without loosing other stations.

MC

I am 50 miles from Cedar Hill and get pixellation and drop outs on WFAA. Is there a way to tell if I should get an amplifier versus waiting until the cutover? Is there a way to tell what boost I would need (in dB)? Is it possible to overdrive the signal? The other channels don't have that issue.

I am 50 miles from Cedar Hill and get pixellation and drop outs on WFAA. Is there a way to tell if I should get an amplifier versus waiting until the cutover? Is there a way to tell what boost I would need (in dB)? Is it possible to overdrive the signal? The other channels don't have that issue.


What are you using for an antenna?
Indoor, attic, roof and is is a VHF/UHF?

An amplified splitter assuming you are feeding more than one set would be OK.
JStigler

Outdoor antenna, UHF/VHF combo. I have a splitter but it is not amplified. I have one hundred feet of coax from the antenna to the splitter, six feet of coax from splitter to set #1 and 25 ft of coax from splitter to set #2.

Outdoor antenna, UHF/VHF combo. I have a splitter but it is not amplified. I have one hundred feet of coax from the antenna to the splitter, six feet of coax from splitter to set #1 and 25 ft of coax from splitter to set #2.

Which outdoor antenna? - it makes a lot of difference. Your antenna simply may not be good enough at 50 miles from Cedar Hill. But it is highly likely at 50 miles you will need a preamp at the antenna, with those lengths of cable runs and a splitter.
Here in Parker just East of Allen I am at 42 miles from Cedar Hill.
I am using a CM4228 for UHF and a YA1713 for VHF (for WFAA, and soon for KTVT and KFWD) with a CM7777 preamp. All stations give me good signals although WFAA and KERA are the lowest.

Radio Shack VU-190 XR.

Radio Shack VU-190 XR.

The VU190 is a decent antenna, although at 50 miles you could be be marginal on the VHF section with WFAA. You should definitely try a decent preamp mounted at the antenna to compensate for the losses in the downlead and splitter.

I'll order a CM 7777. Thanks

Noticing lately KXAS 5 DT audio is low compared to all the other stations. Pretty much all programming local and network. Anyone else notice this?

Noticing lately KXAS 5 DT audio is low compared to all the other stations. Pretty much all programming local and network. Anyone else notice this?

I just checked it watching NBC Nightly News. I compared my OTA 5.1, OTA 56.1, and DISH Network provided HD LiL, KXAS Channel 5. I can discern no difference in audio level.

I am OTA-only and am noticing it when changing to any other OTA digital.. 8, 11. 4... etc.

Right now as I edit and add this,the apparent loudness difference between Ch13 and Ch5's audio on the local news is about 6 counts on the Volume control of my Sony TV. (Hoping one of the Ch5 engineers will read this and check it out.)

What is "56.1"?

... What is "56.1"?

56.1 is another OTA to which I was comparing 5.1. 56 is KETK (NBC out of Jacksonville, TX) Since it was showing the same programming as the OTA 5.1, I assumed it would be a good choice for comparing the audio.

Again, I don't notice any difference in audio level between any of my OTA's, including the one in question, 5.1.

[EDIT: To clarify, the reason I'm simultaneously pulling in OTA 56.1 and 5.1 is that I have 2 antenna on top of a 50' tower.]

I am OTA-only and am noticing it when changing to any other OTA digital.. 8, 11. 4... etc.

Right now as I edit and add this,the apparent loudness difference between Ch13 and Ch5's audio on the local news is about 6 counts on the Volume control of my Sony TV. (Hoping one of the Ch5 engineers will read this and check it out.)

What is "56.1"?

I can confirm the KXAS 5.1 audio is low when changing channels with other DFW stations. I will ck their dialnorm. Bet it is back to the NBC standard. Most other DFW stations are at -31dbfs.
JStigler

I can confirm the KXAS 5.1 audio is low when changing channels with other DFW stations. I will ck their dialnorm. Bet it is back to the NBC standard. Most other DFW stations are at -31dbfs.
JStigler
You guessed it Johnny. Sure are getting a lot of calls.

Interesting there is future live seminar from Broadcast Engineering titled "Understanding TV Audio Systems" which will be led by the "Principal Engineer & Audio Architect NBC Universal" (I won't mention his name). "Attendees will learn how surround sound, Dolby E and multiplexed audio can improve their station’s image with viewers." Hopefully they will discuss getting those audio levels right too!

yay yay yay.

Interesting there is future live seminar from Broadcast Engineering titled "Understanding TV Audio Systems" which will be led by the "Principal Engineer & Audio Architect NBC Universal" (I won't mention his name). "Attendees will learn how surround sound, Dolby E and multiplexed audio can improve their station’s image with viewers." Hopefully they will discuss getting those audio levels right too!

NBC's dialnorm value has been set to -23 as this is the average measured level of the programming audio. The intent of dialnorm is to communicate this actual measured level to the home receiver, and the receiver then adjusts the loudness level based on this value in an attempt to maintain -31 dBFS (a value outlined in ATSC standard). A dialnorm value of -23 tells the receiver to attenuate the audio 8 dB, a value of -27 tells the reciever to attenuate the audio 4 dB, ect. Many stations have decided to forgo to actual intent of dialnorm and indicate a value of -31 regardless of the actual audio so the home reciever is "tricked" into not attenuating the audio level, thus continuing the "volume wars." NBC is simply trying to adhere to the ATSC standard as it was intended. If every station were to acurately inidcate their true measured loudness, the home reciver would attenuate all stations dynamically as needed to maintain -31dbFS across all channels.

NBC doesn't produce all the programming they air, and their dialnorm doesn't appear to change on a program-by-program basis, so it's just as much as guess as the number any other station uses. Besides, I have a hard time believing that anything NBC does with their audio distribution is the correct way to do it. If they ever resume flagging 2.0 audio as 2.0 in their metadata, I might actually take their argument into consideration, but their current actions tell me that those people making the decisions don't know what the heck they're doing.

Thanks for the technical description of what's going on. "-31 dBFS a value outlined in ATSC standard" A non-standardized standard? Too bad the other stations are not complying with the "Standard". As a result NBC5 is losing the "volume war". I get blasted when I change from 5 to 11 or 13. KERA must be set to no attenuation as it sounds like it is 8 to 10 dB louder than 5. KTVT 11 is almost as loud as 13 so there are multiple culprits. Too bad the receiver end can't be defeted. I checked - it can't that I can find.

A question to jstigler or anyone at WFAA. This question may have been asked and answered and I missed it. But Why is "This Week" not being shown in HD? It has been produced in HD since they moved to the Newseum in Washington last year. WFAA being the HD leaders in HD "content". I just wonder what is preventing WFAA from passing it in HD?

Thanks in advance

A question to jstigler or anyone at WFAA. This question may have been asked and answered and I missed it. But Why is "This Week" not being shown in HD? It has been produced in HD since they moved to the Newseum in Washington last year. WFAA being the HD leaders in HD "content". I just wonder what is preventing WFAA from passing it in HD?

Thanks in advance


The HD Pgm needs a 1/2hr delay for the 1hr pgm. I was told it was a man power issue at that time of day. This is not a simple task on our HD server with automation.
JStigler

NBC's dialnorm value has been set to -23 as this is the average measured level of the programming audio. The intent of dialnorm is to communicate this actual measured level to the home receiver, and the receiver then adjusts the loudness level based on this value in an attempt to maintain -31 dBFS (a value outlined in ATSC standard). A dialnorm value of -23 tells the receiver to attenuate the audio 8 dB, a value of -27 tells the reciever to attenuate the audio 4 dB, ect. Many stations have decided to forgo to actual intent of dialnorm and indicate a value of -31 regardless of the actual audio so the home reciever is "tricked" into not attenuating the audio level, thus continuing the "volume wars." NBC is simply trying to adhere to the ATSC standard as it was intended. If every station were to acurately inidcate their true measured loudness, the home reciver would attenuate all stations dynamically as needed to maintain -31dbFS across all channels.

I listen in Dolby Digital full time. NBC network DD pgm's sound good. The local and network commercials are not consistent. Some in stereo and some in DD. This causes the audio to ping pong around the front of the room. Levels are not consistent either. I like to have the dialogue stay in the center. Some stations have mastered this.

It would be nice if we as a city could get the levels equal. It is possible but can we all agree to do it. I doubt it.
JStigler

Thanks for the reply John. I'm sure you will overcome this soon as for all the Sunday morning news shows will go HD next year.

Question to all D* HD LiL subs.

Am I the only one who is experiencing audio and video stutters on 11 and 8? HD LiL, Not OTA. I record Wheel every night on 11 and all my shows that come on 8 and I cant seem to get through a show without an audio stutter, or a video stutter. My signals are 85+ and have no issues on any other MPEG4 channels. Just Dallas HD LiL. The audio stutters sound, as well as i can describe it as rolling your "R's" really fast when speaking Spanish. Or a machine gun.

Question to all D* HD LiL subs.

Am I the only one who is experiencing audio and video stutters on 11 and 8? HD LiL, Not OTA. I record Wheel every night on 11 and all my shows that come on 8 and I cant seem to get through a show without an audio stutter, or a video stutter. My signals are 85+ and have no issues on any other MPEG4 channels. Just Dallas HD LiL. The audio stutters sound, as well as i can describe it as rolling your "R's" really fast when speaking Spanish. Or a machine gun.

I had the same problem with my E* LiL's. It was always channel 4 (Fox). It was only on recorded or buffered viewing. It didn't happen on live viewing. You may want to check that out, then fire off an email to the quality dept.

Question to all D* HD LiL subs.

Am I the only one who is experiencing audio and video stutters on 11 and 8? HD LiL, Not OTA. I record Wheel every night on 11 and all my shows that come on 8 and I cant seem to get through a show without an audio stutter, or a video stutter. My signals are 85+ and have no issues on any other MPEG4 channels. Just Dallas HD LiL. The audio stutters sound, as well as i can describe it as rolling your "R's" really fast when speaking Spanish. Or a machine gun.


I will listen to the LiL 8 or 11 on Direct Mpeg 4. I have heard the digital audio problem in the past on 8. It turned out to be a Station issue and not Direct. Just affected the Direct Decoder at Infomart and not OTA at least at my house with the HR20-700. I normally use the OTA signal as it is the BEST.

Last week there was no Closed Caption on any LiL Mpeg4 in DFW on Direct. I called and they said there was an update on the MPEG4 decoders and they got right on the proplem and corrected it.

Watch the weather graphics on 5,8 or 11 via MPEG4 on Direct. Note the distortion on the lower 1/3. That doesn't hapen with OTA. They are aware of this but it is not fixed. See OTA is always better if you have an antenna.
JStigler

...Watch the weather graphics on 5,8 or 11 via MPEG4 on Direct. Note the distortion on the lower 1/3. That doesn't hapen with OTA. They are aware of this but it is not fixed...

What do you mean by "the lower 1/3". Any screencaps?

What do you mean by "the lower 1/3". Any screencaps?


No screen caps. The maps on the bottom 1/3 of the screen get reall blury for a second or two. The rest of the screen is OK. This only seems to happen with the Hi Rez weather graphics.
JStigler

Hi folks,

I'm trying out a VU90XR in attic, and only getting 8.1, 8.2, 8.3. Picture and sound is good.

I'm in Frisco, and I think I've got the antenna pointed in the right direction.

Will appreciate any advice,

MGD

WFAA is currently the only digital channel on VHF. I can think of 3 possible reasons why you aren't receiving the other channels:
1. You have something between the antenna and your tuner that is blocking UHF. This would most likely be a splitter or amplifier.
2. You have the antenna backwards. One way to check would be to see if you're picking up KXII from Sherman on RF 20, virtual 12. If you are, your antenna is almost certainly pointed backwards. From Frisco, the smaller end of the antenna should be pointing about 15 degrees west of south.
3. You have some sort of metal or other obstruction in the roof that blocks the signal. VHF has a much longer wavelength than UHF and thus will go through walls much easier.

Question to all D* HD LiL subs.

Am I the only one who is experiencing audio and video stutters on 11 and 8? HD LiL, Not OTA. I record Wheel every night on 11 and all my shows that come on 8 and I cant seem to get through a show without an audio stutter, or a video stutter. My signals are 85+ and have no issues on any other MPEG4 channels. Just Dallas HD LiL. The audio stutters sound, as well as i can describe it as rolling your "R's" really fast when speaking Spanish. Or a machine gun.
The problem on channel 11 seems to be with the DirecTV encoder and I know DirecTV and channel 11 are working on it. I will check channel 8 to see if the same problem is there, I had not noticed it.

Hmmm, okay. Probably 1 and/or 3.
Sections of my attic are lined with what looks like aluminum. I've pointed it where I don't see any of it. What about all those ducts and heating/AC units? Could they be a problem?

Thanks for the help, coyoteaz.

My TV has two settings. Antenna and Cable.
It was on cable. I switched, and now pick up a bunch of channels.
I'm an idiot.


MGD

Glad you found them. We've all overlooked simple things like that before, so don't feel bad :).

I've got three older D* Hughes HR10-250 Tivo receivers. All three get both Tivo D* satellite signal and an OTA from a squareish Winegaurd digital antenna mounted on the second story of my home in Frisco.

Everything worked fine for two years. Over the last few months I have been getting "broken up" signals on OTA signals from 8.1 (ABC) and 11.1 (CBS), with few/no problems on 4.1 (Fox) or 5.1 (NBC). (Sort of a "moasiac" of the picture breaking up, stuttering, etc.) Not sure about 21.1 or 13.1 as I don't often watch them.

Installer came out and looked and said the "D* software updates were interfering with the other antenna" which sounds bogus at best.

Suggestions?

Disregard the installer. He's F.O.S.!! Most are having those problems who do not have a large antenna with an amp. 8 digital is transmitted on ch 9, and 11 is transmitted on ch 19 which are on VHF,well, 19 is actually low UHF but close and are susceptible to changing band conditions and interference. Also the HR10 250 has an older generation DTV tuner. Get a better antenna with an amp. Where in Dallas are you? Wherever, your antenna needs to be pointed with an unobstructed view towards Cedar Hill. If you live in south of I 30 or close to the farm in Cedar Hill then NO amp. That will cause a front end overload to your tuner and your problem will get worse on all channels.

Where in Dallas are you? Wherever, your antenna needs to be pointed with an unobstructed view towards Cedar Hill.

Thanks ... that's what I suspected.

Live in Frisco near 121 and the Tollway

I can confirm the KXAS 5.1 audio is low when changing channels with other DFW stations. I will ck their dialnorm. Bet it is back to the NBC standard. Most other DFW stations are at -31dbfs.
JStigler


You guessed it Johnny. Sure are getting a lot of calls.

Wizop.. any word on getting this low audio issue with KXAS-5 resolved? I've noticed on my Pioneer AV receiver when I change channels, on 5 says "Dial. Norm -4" and it seems that every other station broadcasting Dolby Digital says "Dial. Norm +4". I take it that's the -8dB or so lower audio I notice on Ch5?

I have no 8.X signal. My understanding is the vhf power needs are lower, so WFAA will be a weaker signal. Looks like I'll have the same problem w/ch 11 and 52 after Feb (I'm speculating of course). Regular vhf channel signals are rather bad, but I don't think I care, gone in a month or two.

I'm 25.5 miles from their antenna to the north (it's at 144 degrees) in the burbs.

While tweaking my antenna (a non-amplified squareshooter mounted outside, no 4 story buildings around) I do notice my Sony kds-60a2000 while auto programing, will go from 30 analog and 30 digital channels, then at my best adjustment 29A and 34D channels. Not sure the difference but 8.1 isn't one of them.

How high should I be pointing this thing? seems like I get more DTV signals at 15+ degrees.

Will an el cheapo booster from R.S. fix this issue? Will an amplified squareshooter work?

I'm not particularly interested in buying one of everything or having an 8' antenna to figure this out, not to mention a waste of time if nothing is going to work.

Suggestions?

I think the "non-amplified squareshooter" is your problem. It is a UHF antenna that can pick up Hi VHF barely. You need a conventional TV antenna. I am in NW Dallas near I-35E and LBJ about 26 miles from Cedar Hill, and with an old RadioShack TV antenna in the attic I get the Hi VHF Ch8.1 perfect.



http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/tblazed/ant-garageatticsm.jpg

I'll give it a try. I yanked the wire off my attic antenna when I installed the squareshooter - thinking I *had* to use the *better* outside unit to get HD (my attic antenna looks like yours!).

Sounds like I've spent more money and time than was needed!!!

I actually saved this antenna from being thrown away by my neighbor. Been up on his roof at least 20 years. It had broken and bent elements. I cut off the boom and back elements making the whole boom length about 2 ft shorter. Cutting those off like that on a log-periodic antenna will only effect the Low VHF 2 thru 6 which I am not concerned about, and made it fit up in the attic better too!

Before picture, showing where I cut it off..

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/tblazed/tvantshort.jpg

Would I gain anything by connecting my Motorola DCH6416 to the internet?

Would I gain anything by connecting my Motorola DCH6416 to the internet?
What do you mean and how do you propose to do that?

Couple new HD channels launched on FiOS today:
587 NHL Network HD
651 HSN HD
850 Encore HD
1474 Center Ice HD

Couple new HD channels launched on FiOS today:
587 NHL Network HD
651 HSN HD
850 Encore HD
1474 Center Ice HD

well twc is adding more as well

The new HD channels to be added as of 12/17 will include: TLC(758), Fox News(741), FX(756), Weather(738), Travel(759), Planet Green(760), Science(761), Bio(764), Lifetime(768), Hallmark(774), Disney(775), Toon Dsney(776), ABC Family(778), ESPN News(783), ESPN U(784), Speed(788), CBS College sports(790).

also they added
HDPPV RF130 831mhz on 12/4
GOLF HD RF 126 807mhz on 12/8

plus they added multimedios rf 78 549mhz to the mas canales tier on 12/4

plus they are testing out
rf 131 837mhz
rf 132 843mhz
rf 133 849mhz
rf 134 855mhz
rf 135 861mhz

here is the image they are showing on the channels:
130-20
131-20
132-20
133-20
134-20
135-20

Good to see TWC catching up since FiOS has had all of those 12/17 channels except CBS College Sports for 2 months ;).

Are the slides on those test channels digital or analog?

Is anyone interested in contributing to a list of all the clear QAM channels available on the various cable providers in the Metroplex? I used to maintain one in Phoenix, and it was helpful for new people to find the channels. I can get the FiOS ones, but I don't have access to TWC or Charter to get theirs.

Good to see TWC catching up since FiOS has had all of those 12/17 channels except CBS College Sports for 2 months ;).

Are the slides on those test channels digital or analog?

Is anyone interested in contributing to a list of all the clear QAM channels available on the various cable providers in the Metroplex? I used to maintain one in Phoenix, and it was helpful for new people to find the channels. I can get the FiOS ones, but I don't have access to TWC or Charter to get theirs.

yes they are digital test slides

also 130-1 has HDPPV


here is the twc north texas qam listings
78.2 gems tv
79.1 vod barker
79.9 shop nbc
80.5-51,104 music choice
83 vod
84 vod
85 vod
86 vod
92.1 team 10 (should be encrypted)
100.4 metro sports
100.13 ewtn espanol
101.1 kdfw
101.2 kxas
101.3 kdfi
101.4 wfaa
101.5 kdaf
101.6 kxtx
101.7 ktvt
101.8 ktxa
101.9 kera
101.10 cspan 3
102.1 kdtn 480ix544
102.2 kfwd
102.3 kdtx
102.4 kldt
102.5 kstr
102.6 kodf-lp
102.7 kuvn
102.8 ktaq
102.9 kpxd
102.10 kmpx
102.11 ewtn
102.13 kdtn 480ix720
104.1 ktvt hd(maps to 11.1)
104.2 ktxa hd(maps to 21.1)
105.1 kera hd(maps to 13.1)
105.2 wfaa hd(maps to 8.1)
105.3 wfaa 8.2(maps to 8.2)
107.1 kdfw hd(maps to 4.1)
107.2 kxas hd(maps to 5.1)
107.4 kxas 5.2(maps to 5.2)
107.5 kxas 5.3(maps to 5.3)
110.1 kdaf hd(maps to 33.1)
110.2 kdfi hd(maps to 27.1)
113.1 jtv
113.2 wgn
113.3 cspan 2
113.4 txcn
113.5 disney
113.8 qvc
113.9 cspan
113.11 hsn
114.1 dsc
115.1 galavision
115.7 history
115.8 abc family
117.6 hgtv
119.1 ch 16
119.2 ch 95
119.3 ch 96
119.4 ch 97
119.5 ch 98
119.6 ch 99
119.11 fetn (encrypted certain cities only)
:confused:*124.4 metro sports
:confused:*124.13 ewtn espanol
130.20 test pattern
131.20 test pattern
132.20 test pattern
133.20 test pattern
134.20 test pattern
135.20 test pattern

:confused:*(arlington, grand prarie, pantego, dalworthington gardens, cockrell hill only)

Any good installers you would recommend in the metroplex that would do a good job installing a Winegard or a ChannelMaster antenna on a second story roof?

Install would be in the Frisco area

The folks that did my home theater setup are acting far from interested in the job!

Might try Jack Kutz & Sons TV Antenna Co. Richardson, TX 75080 Phone: (972) 633-9210
I have absolutely zero pecuniary interest or affiliation with them, just know they have been around Dallas since the 1960s (I went to high school with one of the "kids" in the '60s) and they specialize in antenna work.

Another option is Topp Robertson.... He's an EE who worked for HP for awhile, then started his own business called "Applied Digital Science".... We have an Alcoa aluminum roof and I had a hip-replacement, so my days of getting on the roof are long over.... He seems reasonable, and, most of all, does it right.... I had him align my antenna once, and do some repair a year or so later.... 817-329-0962.... I too am an old EE, so I usually know when it's done right....

Might try Jack Kutz & Sons TV Antenna Co. Richardson, TX 75080 Phone: (972) 633-9210

Phone's disconnected and there's nothing in Google under that name with a different number.

hmm that's too bad. I guess ol' Jack retired. Kutz had been around about 50 years. And so much for Superpages accuracy!

What do you mean and how do you propose to do that?

The Motorola DCH6416 has an ethernet connection. I was wondering what is available to these players when connected to a network, i.e. firmware updates?

The Motorola DCH6416 has an ethernet connection. I was wondering what is available to these players when connected to a network, i.e. firmware updates?
I think the ethernet port is not enabled. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR/Connections#DCT-64xx_Phase_III

I have tried the USB port and I know that it is not enabled.

I think the ethernet port is not enabled. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR/Connections#DCT-64xx_Phase_III

I have tried the USB port and I know that it is not enabled.

Great info. Thanks for the reply.

I recorded a couple of things off of KTVT (CBS) last night (Wednesday), Criminal Minds and CSI: NY. I play them back now and there appears to be a blue border of about 8 pixels or so, maybe more. It sort of has a pattern or image in it but it's not possible to make it out.

Wondered if anyone noticed, probably would require getting it OTA but not sure about that. I've got a screencap. This happened on both my HTPC's, and only on the KTVT programs. Guess i'll look out for it tonight too. It's not doing it right now in the pre-primetime shows.







http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii191/da_burl/CriminalMinds_KTVT-DT_17_12_2008_19.jpg

I saw that stupid blue border on CBS last night too. I was watching the news and it was VERY distracting. I couldn't figure out what it was. I thought maybe I had my TV set wrong and it was underscanning, but then I noticed that the border has graphics in it, so it was placed in the signal on purpose. Either way, its annoying.

So I can pick up pretty much all over the air hd channels except ABC. Any ideas?


I put my tv on channel 9 - nothing but static.

Everything else is pretty much 5 bars of signal strength. Any ideas?

Do you have a UHF-only antenna? WFAA is currently the only local channel with their digital signal on VHF, so that's the most likely cause based on the information you've provided. KTVT (CBS) will be moving their digital to VHF come February, so you'll definitely need an antenna that is capable of both VHF high and UHF to receive everything.

hmmm, I believe so. I bought the 'rca flat multi-directional indoor antenna" it says it supports both vhf and uhf...

So I can pick up pretty much all over the air hd channels except ABC. Any ideas?


I put my tv on channel 9 - nothing but static.

Everything else is pretty much 5 bars of signal strength. Any ideas?

8.1 should be mapped into the tuner automatically as 8.1, not 9. 9 is the physical channel. For example Ch 11.1 actually transmits on Ch 19, but you do not tune to 19 to watch Ch 11.1.

Problem is, those little convenient compact non-directional antennas simply do not function well on lower channels below UHF. There is a big diffrerence between Ch 8.1 digital on 189 mHz and another like 11.1 that is currently on Phys Ch 19 at 503 mHz. As said before after Feb 17 Ch 11.1 will move to physical 11 at 201 mHz, also 52.1 will move to 9, and 8.1 will move back to 8, so there will be 3 stations broadcasting on VHF, which requires a physically larger antenna. Size is pretty much proportional to frequency, the lower the freq, the longer the wavelength, and larger the antenna. You should be able to prepare for this by ensuring you can receive analog 8 and 11 clearly now, the upper VHF band.

Hmm. thanks. So what att do you suggest? (I live in an apt so it would have to be one I could put on my balcony) any suggestions? (all of those channels are in the yellow so I should be able to get them)

Hmm. thanks. So what att do you suggest? (I live in an apt so it would have to be one I could put on my balcony) any suggestions? (all of those channels are in the yellow so I should be able to get them)

Which direction does your balcony face?

north west

north west

Well, you need a reasonable line of sight to Cedar Hill unobstructed by nearby buildings. Is that possible?

I get very good results with a Winegard "Stealthtenna" the amplified version. It measures about 37" across and is pretty compact looking once it's up. Bought it at Fry's last summer just to see if it would work, thinking I could easily return it if not. It is still up today. Use it to feed two TVs on that end of the house.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/tblazed/stealthtenna-sm.jpg

Hmm. thanks. would i have to get it up that high? I live on the 1st floor, and we have 3 stories...

Hmm. thanks. would i have to get it up that high? I live on the 1st floor, and we have 3 stories...

Can't say... your particular situation does present challenges. You would have to try it to find out for sure. I had problems receiving Ch13.1, until I moved the antenna 6 ft to the west. I am at LBJ and I-35E about 26 miles from Cedar Hill so coverage gets a little spotty here especially with a 10 story office building less than a mile to the SSW directly in my line of sight to Cedar Hill. So you never know for sure especially at a good distance away from the source and lots of ground obstructions.

ok sounds good. do you think I would good luck with the one you bought? Some say that you don't need to buy an expensive one, that if a good one works, so will a cheap one?

I don't understand that though. they say you either "get it, or you don't." any belief in that?

VHF is a different game from UHF. There are some very good, inexpensive UHF antennas on the market. Not so much for combos. I would say the best choices are the Winegard HD 769 series and the ChannelMaster 4228HD, both of which are good at VHF high and UHF. I'm not a huge fan of gimmicky antennas like the ChannelMaster StealthTenna since they tend to not be very directional and cause a lot of problems with multipath. Some people do have success with them, but it takes a lot of fiddling around to find just the right placement, and even then things get spotty when the wind picks up or it starts raining, etc.

VHF is a different game from UHF. There are some very good, inexpensive UHF antennas on the market. Not so much for combos. I would say the best choices are the Winegard HD 769 series and the ChannelMaster 4228HD, both of which are good at VHF high and UHF. I'm not a huge fan of gimmicky antennas like the ChannelMaster StealthTenna since they tend to not be very directional and cause a lot of problems with multipath. Some people do have success with them, but it takes a lot of fiddling around to find just the right placement, and even then things get spotty when the wind picks up or it starts raining, etc.

I am in the north of Frisco (almost prosper) and have the stealthtenna from frys. I get every channel very well. I attached mine to my sat dish. I just put in on there and pointed it in the general diction and have not touched it since.
http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc329/mickcris/DSC00816.jpg

http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc329/mickcris/DSC00815.jpg

I'm not a huge fan of gimmicky antennas like the ChannelMaster StealthTenna since they tend to not be very directional and cause a lot of problems with multipath. Some people do have success with them, but it takes a lot of fiddling around....
Main reaon I suggested looking at the CM StealthTenna is because of the space limitations with an apartment balcony.


ok sounds good. do you think I would good luck with the one you bought? Some say that you don't need to buy an expensive one, that if a good one works, so will a cheap one?

I don't understand that though. they say you either "get it, or you don't." any belief in that? Yes either the signal will be strong enough for a locked picture, or it will break up and be unwatchable or not be there at all, compared to analog that you can make out a discernable picture and sound even with lousy reception.

Mine surprised me that it works better than a conventional medium-sized Winegard antenna about 20' away on the roof that will not receive KERA 13.1 which is actual 14 at 473 mHz. So it will all depend on the conditions whether it will work in your situation.

What is up with the terrible mosquito noise on KXAS 5's weather graphics today??

So I am in the process of installing an over the air ant. I can get all the HD versions of the channels in perfect. (pretty much 6 bars of signal) but the normal channel isn't good at all. For instance I can get 5.1 PERFECT, but 5 is really bad. I can get 8.1 PERFECT, but 8 is BAD. Is this going to effect me in the future? Am I ok, good to go? I could use some help in regards to this.

thanks.

If all of your digital channels are working fine now, you shouldn't have any concerns about what's happening in February. The only major changes are KTVT moving from 19 to 11, and KFWD (does anyone even watch KFWD?) moving from 51 to 9. Your reception of WFAA 8.1 is a good indicator of what those 2 stations will be like come February, so since everything is good now, you won't need to do much more than a simple rescan to pick up the rearranged channels.

(does anyone even watch KFWD?)

Yessir, upon occasion. :)

Randy

Ok - however I thought someone on here said that 8.1 was going to change, and broadcast on something different next year. (uhf, or vhf or something) and how I received normal channel 8 would be a good indicator of how I would pick up the digital channel after the change over. Any info on this?

Ok - however I thought someone on here said that 8.1 was going to change, and broadcast on something different next year. (uhf, or vhf or something) and how I received normal channel 8 would be a good indicator of how I would pick up the digital channel after the change over. Any info on this?

WFAA digital will be moving from channel 9 to 8. This is a only a -6 MHz change in frequency, so it's not likely to have much effect on your reception.

You didn't say what's "bad" about your analog reception, but I'm guessing you have multipath issues. This is especially likely if you don't have a direct line of sight to Cedar Hill (SW of Dallas), in which case your strongest signals may be reflections. However, if you get WFAA digital OK now, your digital tuner clearly can handle the multipath, so you may be fine after February. It's hard to say for sure. (Poor analog reception on 2, 4, or 5 is of little concern, since these low-band VHF frequencies won't be used after 2/17.)

Periodically do a scan for the Qam channels and as of 12/28/08 the tuner found 90.4. Don't ask me how this got unencrypted but please beware.

And 90.4 would be..?

And what provider? There are at least 3 different providers using QAM in areas covered by this thread (Charter, FiOS, and TWC) and some people might be interested in tuning to a channel someone else explicitly warned against. The red button is very shiny after all, and pushing it can't hurt anything :D.

Ok - however I thought someone on here said that 8.1 was going to change, and broadcast on something different next year...
There will be 3 stations on the Hi-VHF band: 8,11, and 52. 8.1 will move from 9 where it is now, to 8 after the transition. 52.1 moves to 9 where 8.1 is now. 11.1 will be on 11.

And 90.4 would be..?
And what provider?
I'll wager a guess and say that he tuned into a VOD channel on TWC. 90.4 is in that range. TWC doesn't encrypt *any* of their VOD content, regardless of rating. ;)

I'll wager a guess and say that he tuned into a VOD channel on TWC. 90.4 is in that range. TWC doesn't encrypt *any* of their VOD content, regardless of rating. ;)

90-4 is a pron channel

it has 12 channels on the frequency.

621mhz

Does anyone know what the latest and greatest model of HD dvr/set top box is for Time Warner Cable. I've been too lazy to take the old single tuner versions I've had forever in to exchange, but I don't think I can put up with the boxes I have any longer.

Just want to make sure I don't get some other old model in exchange for my current old model.

Thanks!

Wondering if anyone can recommend a really good home projector installer in Dallas who knows their stuff? I took a recent trip to Starpower and they just stink. Extremely condescending and their sales people didn't seem to know anything about what they were showing me either.

Yes, I fully recommend John Fort.

He is a long time independent installer and store front owner. He is the most honest AV guy I have ever dealt with, has a tremendous audio/videophile sense and is as fair as they come. If he doesn't know an answer, he won't make one up... Does most installations personally. Been the Dallas Vandersteen rep for as long as I have known him... Plus he is a "tube guy"...

I have known and done business with him since 1993...

John Fort Audio/Video - Greenville Rd / 972-644-1199

Did Time Warner release some new HD Channels? There seems to be more than what I remember.

Hello,

New to this board. I live in Hico, TX wich is about an hour west of Waco and about and hour and a half SW of Fort Worth. Right now I have been pulling in about 33 or so channels from the two cities. However, since Sunday and today I have a lot of channels not working. We're having a bit of icy rain today. How much does that affect OTA digital channels? Do any stations change broadcasting power on weekends? Some channels are great signal, but some aren't coming in at all. My antenna is a fairly cheap LAVA antenna that I got off ebay. Researching more, I would've gotten something a bit more sturdy, but I can't deny that the reception has generally been great, inspite of the cheap price.

Sorry, I'm fairly new to all of this, so forgive me if I use some incorrect terminology.

oh, and I'm using a Zenith DTT901 converter box.

EDIT... I figured out my problem. My antenna rotates...and due to all the ice, I think it is frozen at the moment. It's pointed in a strange direction and that is why I'm only getting a few channels. I just need the ice to thaw, so I can point it back between Waco/Fort Worth.

Did Time Warner release some new HD Channels? There seems to be more than what I remember.
Yes, several. They haven't really made an announcement about them in their own publications, but it is in they were mentioned in an article in the Dallas Morning News, and they are listed somewhere in the general Time Warner forum here in AVS. They'll probably be mentioned in the next Dallas Time Warner publication.

I don't remember all of the additions, but they include Fox News HD, and Disney HD. I think Science HD and Weather HD are also new additions.

They added even more channels than they initially said they would. Looks like they added all the DISCOVERY channels that are available in HD (TLC, Science Channel etc.). They also added ABC FAMILY, DISNEY, TOON DISNEY, ESPN U, ESPNEWS, FOX NEWS, HALLMARK, LIFETIME MOVIES, FX, FOX NEWS, THE WEATHER CHANNEL, SPEED and some others. They also split VS. and GOLF HD. They also added some CBS sports HD channel that's available with some package that I don't have.

Hi all,

I'm ditching Charter (they just jacked my bill up to $160 from $107) and jumping to naked DSL from AT&T (wish me luck) and using a computer with Vista Media Center for TV/DVR duties.

I am in east Fort Worth (Handley, almost in Arlington). I have a set of rabbit ears up in the attic with coax running down through the wall. My TV (Sony 34XBR970 CRT HDTV) picks up all the networks and shows a strong signal in the diagnostics for all of them. The computer, however, will not pick up WFAA (reports no signal).

I've read about how the channel was mapped incorrectly or something to that effect, but that should be fixed by now, right?

Any ideas?

Tech info:
Dell E521, AMD x2 3600, 4 GB RAM, Vista Home Premium, nVidia 7300LE, KWorld 340U USB ASTC tuner

Do I need a better tuner? This one was only $30 at Fry's.

It probably did not map correctly. Channel 8 is actually on channel 9. It will be going to channel 8 after feb 17. I know I had an issue with a channel when i had my computer hooked up to my antenna last year and had to manually edit it. it is no longer connected, but I think it was channel 33. Your tuner is most likely ok and the issue is probably with Media Center.

Anybody hear the news of the possible delay of the DTV switch date? I was going to post a URL, but I don't have three posts, yet so I'm not allowed...

At this point I'm just ready for it to happen so we don't have to hear about it any more.... and I'm waiting for a few remaining stations to go full power with their digital signal. hehe

Anybody hear the news of the possible delay of the DTV switch date? I was going to post a URL, but I don't have three posts, yet so I'm not allowed...

A scan of the actual letter. (http://change.gov/page/-/images/20090109_Podesta_DTV_letter.pdf)

The AP story. (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hlGcM0ZxYV5dDtZR_9xfCPZnkFaAD95JA0LG0)

Regarding my post: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15236236#post15236236 looks like someone at KXAS decided to increase the "Dial. Norm". Now my Pioneer receiver says "Dial. Norm +4" on KXAS like almost all of the other stations, so Ch5's audio is up there with the rest. Thanks whoever made that adjustment.

Now if Ch4 KDFW-DT would raise theirs from "Dial. Norm -2" up to +4 like everyone else.

I've been looking at the forum this afternoon, a TON of information--you guys know what you're talking about. I've got a couple questions, and since I'm new to this I'm hoping they're easily answered by me just getting up to speed.

I live in North Dallas, basically Carrollton--300ft West of Frankford and Bush In an apartment on the eastern most side, but facing west. I bought a Vizio 37" VO37lfhdtv last night, and this morning bought a rca "multi-directional digital flat amplified antenna" (ANT 1450; can't post URL yet). It came with an amplifier that I plugged in with it, I plugged the antenna directly into my tv and now am only getting what I think are some of the channels I should.

4-1 is great
4-2 is boring, but great
5 gets "no signal" and a blue screen (not even option of digital channels)
8 (plain 8, no 8-1 or anything) is very fuzzy
11 is really bad, but
11-1 is wonderful
13 is fuzzy,
13-1 is great
14-8 RF14-8 (whatever that is) is "no audio and video" and blue screen
14-9 RF14-9 is "no audio and video" and blue screen
21-1 is great
23-1 is great
26 is barely intelligible
27 is fuzzy and jumpy
28 is all white static, good audio
29-1 is great
33 is fuzzy
39-1 is great
49 is very fuzzy
52 (a wfaa feed?)
68-1 is great
68-2 is great too
68-3 is great as well

Where I typed fuzzy, I mean to distinguish between the pixellating I see on some channels (I'm guessing it's a digital thing?), it's what you expect from a set of rabbit ears.

I know I'm far from the antenna farm, but it seems like some people have been able to get reception farther away. I'm laying it flat directly behind my tv on the same stand. Any help would be appreciated--I don't really have a clue what I'm doing.

Well since no one else has responded, I'll take a stab at it. You need a real antenna, not some fancy overdone gadget. The quality of an antenna is generally inversely related to its appearance. If it's small and unobtrusive, it probably doesn't work very well, whereas if it looks like the result of taking a sawzall to a shopping cart, it's probably great.

From your location, the towers are about 30 miles SSW. You can try standing your antenna up to determine if any better reception is possible, but don't expect miracles. You might also try a Winegard SS 3000 antenna, which seems to be the only halfway decent indoor antenna for use with VHF channels. Since WFAA is on VHF now and KTVT is moving there next month, support for VHF is a must-have for antenna users in our area. If the SS3000 doesn't work for you, your choices are either getting a real antenna and using it outside/in a window, or using the clear QAM tuner in your set to get the local channels from TWC or FiOS TV. Both providers offer a limited basic package in the $10-20/mo range that will include all the locals plus some other miscellaneous channels. Personally, I don't even consider TWC an option anywhere FiOS is available, but the extremely limited availability means TWC still gets a pretty good share of customers. I believe that little sliver of Dallas north of GBT does have FiOS available, so that may be an option to consider.

FWIW, I used Google Earth to draw a line from my house to Cedar hill. Then I zoomed in on my house and could see the relative direction to the towers. I repositioned my antenna (attic) and now I have full strength on every station.
Antenna is largest I could buy from Radio Shack about 25 years ago.

Your Ellen in HD is here, should start airing it shortly.

Yee-haw. What about Lost??

Lost has always been broadcast in HD. I don't have cable now but always had to get out the rabbit ears for Lost since Charter and Belo/ABC have been having a feud in Fort Worth for the past couple of years.

Older episodes of Lost in syndication are also available to broadcast in HD. In the Dallas market, KXAS the rights to the syndicated episodes, and they air Sunday mornings at midnight.

Lost has always been broadcast in HD. I don't have cable now but always had to get out the rabbit ears for Lost since Charter and Belo/ABC have been having a feud in Fort Worth for the past couple of years.

Charter in Denton added WFAA-HD about two weeks ago. I was able to watch Lost last Wednesday (last season's finale) for the first time in HD in a long while (I was able to get fringe reception on 9.1 in my apartment for a short time over a year ago, then I found it no longer worked).

My guess is that they worked it out, since if the digital conversion does go through in Feb. the digital signal will be the only signal available, so the whole SD vs. HD argument becomes moot. Of course, if it doesn't go through (gets delayed again), I wonder if they'll pull it from the Charter lineup... :p

Lost has always been broadcast in HD. I don't have cable now but always had to get out the rabbit ears for Lost since Charter and Belo/ABC have been having a feud in Fort Worth for the past couple of years.
The syndicated episodes on KXAS weren't in broadcast HD and neither was Ellen, even though they were both available in HD. It was an equipment limitation that has obviously been fixed. Just FYI. :)

I see WFAA Ch8 is doing house calls! Those having issues with WFAA give em a call! I am sure they will be overwhelmed!

http://www.wfaa.com/video/wfaageneral-index.html?nvid=324070

Does anyone know why FOX keeps going back and forth with 5c on FiOS? Every other week its 5c or its not. They really need to keep it off. Everything else is fine except for just FOX.

Fox sets the broadcast flag in the network feed, the splicer at KDFW passes it along, and the Motorola box interprets it to mean that the channel shouldn't be usable via Firewire. Simplest solution is to use a QAM tuner which will ignore the broadcast flag and record at will.

here it is for you coyotez

i have TWC $99 with internet and DVR not really happy. would ATT or Version be a better choice? has anyone switched TWC to ATT or Verision? who has the best value for arround $100?

i have TWC $99 with internet and DVR not really happy. would ATT or Version be a better choice? has anyone switched TWC to ATT or Verision? who has the best value for arround $100?
Most people seem to love Verizon FIOS but I'm not in a Verizon territory and don't have any experience with it.

You're either in a Verizon or an AT&T territory, depending on where you are in Plano, and that determines your choices. We have relatives in Austin who switched from TWC there to AT&T U-Verse because of connectivity issues with TWC where they are located. So I've gotten to use our TWC Motorola DVR here, our Tivo Series 2 here, and their AT&T U-verse boxes in Austin.

I find the Motorola user interface to be the easiest and most intuitive for most things. I find it much easier/more intuitive than the U-verse boxes and even than Tivo. But the AT&T and U-verse interfaces are definitely prettier.

FiOS has no match in quality or quantity of HD channels. I think the DVR interface is a bit slow and clunky, but it's gotten better with every update so far, so it might actually become good at some point. As bernie33 mentioned, at any particular address, only one service can be available, and given the spotty availability of FiOS in eligible areas, you might not be able to get either. Most people aren't particularly thrilled with the picture quality on U-verse, but given TWC's aggressive use of compression, it may not be much different than what you see now. The only real downside to both FiOS and U-verse is that they are 100% digital and require a box for each TV you want to use. Costs can go up quickly if you've got a bunch of TVs, but if you only have 1 or 2 it isn't bad.

i have TWC $99 with internet and DVR not really happy. would ATT or Version be a better choice? has anyone switched TWC to ATT or Verision? who has the best value for arround $100?

I'm in the AT&T area of Plano, so U-verse is already available, and FiOS is coming soon. (If you're in the AT&T area of Plano, you will definitely get FiOS eventually, but if you are in the Verizon area, you will probably never get U-verse.)

I'm currently on TWC and pay $109 (pre-tax) for TV and 6mb/s internet.

AT&T wants $104 (pre-tax) for less channels and 1.5mb/s internet, and $124 for more channels and 1.5mb/s internet. Therefore, I don't see any compelling reason so switch to U-verse at this particular moment. (Ignoring any temporary "specials".)

I am waiting for FiOS mainly because they offer cable cards, but it concerns me somewhat that I don't see any TV+internet only plans on their web page. Of course, this is their first attempt at overbuilding, and I don't believe that they have gone live anywhere yet (it looks like a race between Keller and Plano/Allen/Frisco in the next few weeks), so perhaps they are still preparing some of the plans. Losing my AT&T POTS line is not an option so none of these 'digital' phone plans matter to me. Hopefully, FiOS will be cheaper or at least equal to TWC. I want all of the HD channels FiOS has to offer, I'm just not convinced that I need to pay much more for them than I do now.

I'd like to start using OTA, but I need some help piecing together my equipment. I have a DB8 in the attic that picks up everything but KDFW and WFAA.

I think my problem with WFAA is that the DB8 doesn't pick up VHF like some of the other bow-tie antennas do. Should I buy a VHF antenna and combine the two, or should I buy a new antenna that will pick up both? FYI, I'd like to keep everything in the attic and I don't have a lot more room to work with up there.

I'm not sure what the deal is with KDFW --- maybe I need an amplifier because my antenna is in the attic. Any suggestions there?

I'd like to start using OTA, but I need some help piecing together my equipment. I have a DB8 in the attic that picks up everything but KDFW and WFAA.

I think my problem with WFAA is that the DB8 doesn't pick up VHF like some of the other bow-tie antennas do. Should I buy a VHF antenna and combine the two, or should I buy a new antenna that will pick up both? FYI, I'd like to keep everything in the attic and I don't have a lot more room to work with up there.

I'm not sure what the deal is with KDFW --- maybe I need an amplifier because my antenna is in the attic. Any suggestions there?

I was able to shift the antenna around a bit in the attic and I now get KDFW --- though not very strong.

I am waiting for FiOS mainly because they offer cable cards, but it concerns me somewhat that I don't see any TV+internet only plans on their web page.

If I enter an address in Lewisville, there's one TV+Internet package: 20/5 internet and Extreme HD for $79.99/mo. Other addresses may vary, but I would imagine everybody in FiOS-serviced North Texas (which is not my apartment complex, grr :mad: .. I'm moving just for FiOS) can get the same bundle. Hope it's still available in July. :D

I think my problem with WFAA is that the DB8 doesn't pick up VHF like some of the other bow-tie antennas do. Should I buy a VHF antenna and combine the two, or should I buy a new antenna that will pick up both? FYI, I'd like to keep everything in the attic and I don't have a lot more room to work with up there.


You will need a VHF antenna to receive WFAA, as well as to receive KTVT and KFWD after the transition date. One that works for VHF-Hi only would be fine, if such a thing exists -- and would address your space concerns, since it would be smaller than a VHF antenna.

Considering that you're probably around 45 miles from the transmitter sites and are using an attic antenna, an amplifier probably wouldn't be a bad idea, either. Something to keep in mind if you still have iffy reception on any channels after the transition and after buying something that pulls in VHF.

One that works for VHF-Hi only would be fine, if such a thing exists

It does.

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=Y5-7-13

- Trip

Well, it looks like the DTV delay to June 12 is official...

EDIT: Reading closer, it looks like the vote is today (Tuesday)

Any word on when Time Warner plans on adding Comedy Central HD?

Well, it looks like the DTV delay to June 12 is official...

EDIT: Reading closer, it looks like the vote is today (Tuesday)

And it did not pass...so going to be next month still

And it did not pass...so going to be next month still
The House voted NOT to suspend its rules to permit the bill to be voted on without going to Committee. It got a majority in favor, but it would have taken 2/3 to approve the rules change.

Now it goes to Committee, probably quickly, and when it is reported out of Committee it will be voted on again. That vote will only take a majority.

The economic recovery bill that the House passed this evening includes $650M for additional converter coupons because the program ran into the limit on the number of coupons that could be issued.

Can't go back to the House until at least Tuesday, giving at the very most a 2 week window to tell the entire country "Just kidding about that whole 2/17 thing, except that a bunch of your analog stations will probably go away by 2/17 anyway." That's assuming none of the committees change anything, because if they do, it'll have to be reconciled with the Senate version, and then go through both houses again. Since the stimulus bill included a bunch of money for coupons, maybe someone will decide that putting even more money in via this bill isn't needed, and will strike that portion, requiring everything to be changed and voted on again. This is one instance where the glacial pace of the federal government will hopefully work to our advantage.

Heads up to anyone using a QAM tuner with FiOS, Verizon reshuffled their arrangement and has now added the minor digital broadcasts. Notable absences include WFAA's subchannels, KXAS Universal Sports, and KDFW's weather sub. Since there's currently no PSIP information on any of these channels, here's a list for anyone trying to find something:

Channel Call OTA Net
67.1520 KSTR 49.1 (Telefutura)
67.1529 KMPX 29.1 (IND, Spanish)
68.1503 KLDT 54.1 (IND)
68.1518 KTAQ 47.1 (IND, Religious)
69.1517 KDTX 58.1 (TBN)
69.1523 KUVN 23.1 (Univision)
70.1510 KXTX 39.1 (Telemundo)
70.1514 KFWD 52.1 (IND)
71.1508 WFAA 8.1 (ABC)
71.1513 KERA 13.1 (PBS)
72.1511 KTVT 11.1 (CBS)
72.1521 KTXA 21.1 (IND)
73.1505 KXAS 5.1 (NBC)
73.1507 KDFI 27.1 (MNT)
73.1560 KXAS 5.2 (Weather)
74.1504 KDFW 4.1 (Fox)
74.1509 KDAF 33.1 (CW)
74.1569 KDAF 33.2 (LATV)
75.1502 KDTN 2.1 (Daystar)
75.1526 KPXD 68.1 (ION)
75.1591 KPXD 68.2 (Qubo)
75.1592 KPXD 68.3 (ION Life
75.1593 KPXD 68.4 (Worship)

Are KREM and ABC4 the only locals that have OTA HD signals?

Are KREM and ABC4 the only locals that have OTA HD signals?

I'm not sure, but you might be in the wrong thread...did you intend to ask this in the Dallas, TX thread?

Randy

I live in zip code 75214. I have tried several rabbit ears and they work very well for all major digital channels except KXAS-DT channel 41 (virtual 5.1) and KTXA channel 18 (virtual 21.1). Why are these two station different from the other stations that I have no problems with? Do I need an outdoor antenna for these two stations? I have attched my TVfool scan.

Appreciate your help and advice.

You can probably get away with a UHF antenna like the Philips/Zenith Silver Sensor and a VHF/UHF combiner. At 21.6 miles, you're on the edge of reliable reception with an indoor antenna, but if most stuff is coming in on rabbit ears, a UHF antenna should make enough difference to bring in the remaining channels.

Where do you live? I'm at the bottom of the White Rock dam, which is basically in a bowl. I had to use an outdoor antenna to get decent reception OTA and WFAA is spotty for me. The others come in very strong. I've ordered a Channel master CM2016 to help with WFAA and--after the switch--KTVT.

Is anyone else having trouble with KERA digital (13.1)? Before you start telling me about antennas and such, I've been watching every DFW digital station (including KERA-DT) for over a year and a half with no problems. However, starting a few days ago, I can't get anything at all for KERA-DT. KERA analog comes in, albeit fuzzy, but no fuzzier than before. My TV didn't even snag it when I did a rescan.

I'm wondering if maybe they're running on reduced power, or they're off the air entirely?

Where do you live? I'm at the bottom of the White Rock dam, which is basically in a bowl. I had to use an outdoor antenna to get decent reception OTA and WFAA is spotty for me. The others come in very strong. I've ordered a Channel master CM2016 to help with WFAA and--after the switch--KTVT.

I live on the west side of the lake near Lakewood park. It is hilly and I have some houses around me in the direction of Cedar Hill that may be a 20-30 feet higher in elevation. I am surprised that you don't have problems with KXTX-DT and KTXA. I have no problem with WFAA-DT. You are probably 3-4 miles SSE from me. Let us know how the CM2016 works out. I am looking at either the Winegard HD2701P or the Winegard HD-1080 that another forum recommended. I am wondering which of the two would work better for me?

Heads up to anyone using a QAM tuner with FiOS, Verizon reshuffled their arrangement and has now added the minor digital broadcasts. Notable absences include WFAA's subchannels, KXAS Universal Sports, and KDFW's weather sub. Since there's currently no PSIP information on any of these channels, here's a list for anyone trying to find something:

Channel Call OTA Net
67.1520 KSTR 49.1 (Telefutura)
67.1529 KMPX 29.1 (IND, Spanish)
68.1503 KLDT 54.1 (IND)
68.1518 KTAQ 47.1 (IND, Religious)
69.1517 KDTX 58.1 (TBN)
69.1523 KUVN 23.1 (Univision)
70.1510 KXTX 39.1 (Telemundo)
70.1514 KFWD 52.1 (IND)
71.1508 WFAA 8.1 (ABC)
71.1513 KERA 13.1 (PBS)
72.1511 KTVT 11.1 (CBS)
72.1521 KTXA 21.1 (IND)
73.1505 KXAS 5.1 (NBC)
73.1507 KDFI 27.1 (MNT)
73.1560 KXAS 5.2 (Weather)
74.1504 KDFW 4.1 (Fox)
74.1509 KDAF 33.1 (CW)
74.1569 KDAF 33.2 (LATV)
75.1502 KDTN 2.1 (Daystar)
75.1526 KPXD 68.1 (ION)
75.1591 KPXD 68.2 (Qubo)
75.1592 KPXD 68.3 (ION Life
75.1593 KPXD 68.4 (Worship)

Found this out the hard way last night when all my channels in Media Center were recording black screens. Sure, it saw it was getting a "signal" but it was a bum one! Thought I had a problem with the HDHomeRuns, or Media Center, but did a rescan in my HDHomeRun and all was well. Remapped and done.

Great post too! ;)

Is anyone else having trouble with KERA digital (13.1)? Before you start telling me about antennas and such, I've been watching every DFW digital station (including KERA-DT) for over a year and a half with no problems. However, starting a few days ago, I can't get anything at all for KERA-DT. KERA analog comes in, albeit fuzzy, but no fuzzier than before. My TV didn't even snag it when I did a rescan.

I'm wondering if maybe they're running on reduced power, or they're off the air entirely?

I have had no problems with 13.1 lately and I live about 80 miles southwest of Fort Worth. That is a D/FW station, right? I pull in several from both DFW and Waco, so I get them confused.

I do have a question about FOX44 (Waco?) What is the digital channel for that? I can't seem to find it anywhere, and was wondering if it's at full power.

Are KREM and ABC4 the only locals that have OTA HD signals?

I'm pretty sure that the answer is "no" -- at the very least, I seem to recall that KAYU has a broadcast HD signal, and I'd be surprised if KHQ doesn't do OTA HD as well. (I used to live in Pullman, which is why I know the stations up there)

That said, there is a Spokane thread here, so that is certainly the best place to check.

I live on the west side of the lake near Lakewood park. It is hilly and I have some houses around me in the direction of Cedar Hill that may be a 20-30 feet higher in elevation. I am surprised that you don't have problems with KXTX-DT and KTXA. I have no problem with WFAA-DT. You are probably 3-4 miles SSE from me. Let us know how the CM2016 works out. I am looking at either the Winegard HD2701P or the Winegard HD-1080 that another forum recommended. I am wondering which of the two would work better for me?CM2016 works great. I had a CM4220, before, and it worked great for UHF channels but had trouble with WFAA's VHF channel. (And I'm sure KTVT after the switch) UHF channels come in just as good as before, if not a little better, and it picks up WFAA like a champ. It's a little particular about direction for WFAA, though.

I don't need the CM4220, any more. It's a great directional antenna if you're having trouble with UHF. Combine it with whatever you have, now, for VHF and you should be set. Are you interested?

Has anyone seen/heard when our local stations are going to do their analog shutdowns and cut overs, since they now have the option of doing it as early as 2/17 but no later than 6/12?

MC

WFAA notified the FCC that they to shut down analog on 2/17, but that was before the FCC changed the rules and invalidated everything that was submitted prior to yesterday. They also filed an STA request to make the switch, which should still comply with the new rules, but will need to be approved by the FCC in order for them to switch. No one else has done anything, but they have through Monday to file, or will need to wait till at least mid-March.

Ok, so I am thinking about dropping my Directv service and just go with OTA since we do not watch much more than the regular shows. I have an antenna up on the roof from when Directv was not broadcasting locals in Dallas and back then OTA, especially channel 8 was always sketchy due to the broadcast strength. Since the switch over is coming (sooner or later) have the local broadcasters increased their signal strength or is it pretty much unchanged since 2 years ago? I live up in Little Elm, so I am a bit away from the towers.
Thanks guys.

I noticed that channel 5/NBC here in Dallas has no program information on my HDTV converter box or through my TVGOS DVR or through my HDTV information. Has anyone else noticed this and do you know if this is just a temporary glitch?

Ok, so I am thinking about dropping my Directv service and just go with OTA since we do not watch much more than the regular shows. I have an antenna up on the roof from when Directv was not broadcasting locals in Dallas and back then OTA, especially channel 8 was always sketchy due to the broadcast strength. Since the switch over is coming (sooner or later) have the local broadcasters increased their signal strength or is it pretty much unchanged since 2 years ago? I live up in Little Elm, so I am a bit away from the towers.
Thanks guys.
Since you don't list what antenna you have, I'm going to assume that it's probably something that isn't very good, maybe even one of those cheap ones that clips onto the dish. You need a real antenna, especially at ~40 miles from the towers. Something like the Winegard HD7696 is probably your best bet for the digital signals here because we will have 3 stations on high VHF, with the rest on UHF.

Some of the broadcasters will be increasing power after the transition, but for most it won't be much of a change.

Sorry I did not list that, it is one of the better ones (uhf/vhf), at least at the time. It ran about $90, it is an outside antennea mounted on top of my 2 story roof. I just remember that 8 was always harder to get, I may just have to get up there and fool around with it. I was hoping they had increased their signal strength. I took a look at antenneaweb.org and i should be getting all the channels, so i will play with it this upcoming week.
Thanks.

Moving the antenna can fix problems with multipath, so that is probably your best step at this point. If you still have trouble after that, you might benefit from a preamp like the Winegard HDP-269 to compensate for any losses due to a long cable run. On the other hand, if you already have a preamp, you might try removing it since they can occasionally go bad and cause random reception problems.

I will look into those suggestions. Thanks for the help.

I would expect good performance from a rooftop antenna on a 2-story home in Little Elm. For comparison, a friend has been getting good DTV reception in Denton using an attic antenna in a single story home...

Yeah, I just got home from work and checked my signal using the TV tuner and I am actually getting a better signal than before, so it could be they increased their signal strength or my TV tuner is better than the DirecTV box. Now I need to make the decision to go to Tivo and drop DirecTV or just stick with them. Hmmmm...........

I noticed that channel 5/NBC here in Dallas has no program information on my HDTV converter box or through my TVGOS DVR or through my HDTV information. Has anyone else noticed this and do you know if this is just a temporary glitch?

I've noticed this as well, but not just on Channel 5, but 10 and a couple of others as well. I blame this wind. ;) I'll do some asking around, though.

KXII Sherman channel 12 turned off their analog transmitter last Friday. They have also been using digital 20 for several years. This evening, they have been testing digitally on channel 12 in addition to their usual digital channel 20. Both channels are carrying identical programming with three sub-channels each. They have a granted STA for full-time permanent digital operation on channel 12 effective Feb. 12, 2009, the shutdown mess in Congress notwithstanding. If you are in the northern DFW area, you may be able to get it.

KWTX Waco channel 10 ran a notice in their 10 PM news that they will be turning off their analog transmitter on Feb. 17, 2009. Southern DFW viewers may be able to get them.