We bought 5 (soon to be 6) of the Insignia brand tuners for DTV monitoring at our facility. So far so good. The only thing that troubles me is every once and a while all 5 boxes freeze and display source code on the screen. (Looks like CC) It takes a quick unplugging to reset them. Otherwise they have been solid for us.

We bought 5 (soon to be 6) of the Insignia brand tuners for DTV monitoring at our facility.You use SD tuners to monitor the HD signal?

You use SD tuners to monitor the HD signal?
We do, too.

It's more a matter of the Duty Operator confirming whether or not you're actually broadcasting the intended video and audio.

Then, only one agile HD receiver/monitor is required for critical testing and monitoring

(if Operator notices video is wrong program or wrong aspect ratio, or the left or right audio channel is missing, etc.).

OK. Makes sense. Just wondering.

The FCC 8th report and order on the DTV transition states...


WBBM, Chicago, IL. We deny the petition for reconsideration filed by CBS Corporation
(“CBS”), the ultimate owner of station WBBM, channel 2, and WBBM-DT, channel 3, Chicago, IL. The
Commission initially proposed to allot channel 11 to WBBM for its post-transition channel152 but, in
response to comments filed by CBS in response to the Seventh Further Notice, the Commission granted
WBBM a change to channel 12 in the Seventh Report and Order.153 CBS filed a petition for
reconsideration of the Seventh Report and Order requesting that the parameters for WBBM-DT in
Appendix B be adjusted to reflect operation with a directional antenna and an increase in ERP to 13.6 kW
to nearly match the carried-over, maximized service contour of WBBM’s channel 3 authorized
operations.154 The Commission’s interference analysis based on recalculated Appendix B facilities shows
that WBBM would cause 0.4 percent interference to WINM, Angola, IN (analog channel 63, digital
channel 12 for both pre- and post-transition).

Having said that, all the engineers say 3.2 kw on channel 12 isn't bad.
And, WBBM can refile for higher power with a more directional pattern
pretty soon anyway. We'll see how it goes. I will change the front page, however, to note the "old" power for now that WBBM was originally supposed to get.

We bought 5 (soon to be 6) of the Insignia brand tuners for DTV monitoring at our facility. So far so good. The only thing that troubles me is every once and a while all 5 boxes freeze and display source code on the screen. (Looks like CC) It takes a quick unplugging to reset them. Otherwise they have been solid for us.Someone else (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=997022) noticed the same problem with captioning. Seems to be endemic with the Insignia.

With that sixth coupon box purchase, could you perhaps get the Zenith DTT900 from Radio Shack or Circuit City? Supposedly it's the same as the Zenith, but Consumer Reports says the Zenith beat the Insignia (http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2008/03/exclusive-first.html). Perhaps the two don't share firmware?

Anyway, if the Zenith doesn't get the freezing, then we might be onto something. Also, it might be more statistically significant if one or two of the already-bought Insignias are returned, and the money spent on Zenith boxes, to ensure that a lack of freezing in one Zenith isn't a one-off thing.

Someone else (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=997022) noticed the same problem with captioning. Seems to be endemic with the Insignia.

With that sixth coupon box purchase, could you perhaps get the Zenith DTT900 from Radio Shack or Circuit City? Supposedly it's the same as the Zenith, but Consumer Reports says the Zenith beat the Insignia (http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2008/03/exclusive-first.html). Perhaps the two don't share firmware?

Anyway, if the Zenith doesn't get the freezing, then we might be onto something. Also, it might be more statistically significant if one or two of the already-bought Insignias are returned, and the money spent on Zenith boxes, to ensure that a lack of freezing in one Zenith isn't a one-off thing.

The sixth box will be the Insignia just so everything in our rack room is consistent. I am however going to Circuit City later today to get my own personal boxes. I don't know if I'll have them installed today but I'll post a review of them when I get to that point.

HI there. maybe someone can answer this question for me. I actually live across the lake from Chicago in SW Michigan, and cannot seem to pull in any of the digital 26 channels anymore. I can receive, crystal clear regular analog 26, but no digital. Last summer I could, but not anymore. I have a 40' tower, 8 foot uhf antenna, rotor, and a pre-amp. I can't see why i can get the analog 26 so clear, but no digital. I can barely see analog WTTW 11, but the digital channels come in fine. Hopefully this has been asked in the right section and someone can shed some light. Thanks.

Steve

HI there. maybe someone can answer this question for me. I actually live across the lake from Chicago in SW Michigan, and cannot seem to pull in any of the digital 26 channels anymore. I can receive, crystal clear regular analog 26, but no digital. Last summer I could, but not anymore. I have a 40' tower, 8 foot uhf antenna, rotor, and a pre-amp. I can't see why i can get the analog 26 so clear, but no digital. I can barely see analog WTTW 11, but the digital channels come in fine. Hopefully this has been asked in the right section and someone can shed some light. Thanks.

SteveLast Fall a new station in South Bend began transmitting on the same frequencies as Chicago's digital ch.26 and may be causing interference your receiver cannot overcome. Try rotating your antenna to find a sweet spot where signals from South Bend stations are minimized yet reception from Chicago stations is still acceptable. You may need to 'rescan' your receiver a few times but this could do the trick.

The FCC 8th report and order on the DTV transition states...

...WBBM would cause 0.4 percent interference to WINM, Angola, IN.



Pretty funny considering I can't even get WBBM to "interfere" with my antenna and tuner 18 miles from the Hancock. :)

OK so I bought my 2 "coupon elgible" Zenith boxes today and so far so good. The tuner is excellent. I did notice the audio had the same "tin" sound to it when viewing a HD station. I did also observe that changing the audio output to MONO makes it sound much better. (Must be something with the D-A for audio) Video doesn't look too bad. I have them on a 19" 1998'ish Zenith and a 2 year old 27" samsung CRT. Not bad only using Composite video. I've never been able to see WBBM-DT from out here but with the 6-th generation tuner I can actually see a blip on the radar. (I only have a UHF antenna). Not bad for a small little box.

Does anyone know if WLS Channel 7 have their remote news cameras out in the field upgraded to HD ?

Does anyone know if WLS Channel 7 have their remote news cameras out in the field upgraded to HD ?

They have been since the start.

Pretty funny considering I can't even get WBBM to "interfere" with my antenna and tuner 18 miles from the Hancock. :)

LOL! The reason why I said WBBM got shafted was because the new interference level is .5%. BUT, it seems that because WBBM put in the request under the old rules of .1%, the FCC said no.

A slightly more directional antenna will fix that issue. But I'm wondering if 'BBM is just gonna throw up their arms and say "whatever" and be done with it at 3.2 kw.

Does anyone know when WBBM will turn on channel 12 so those of us out here in the burbs can finally get WBBM.

Also, can someon from WCIU contact Directv and have them add 26-3 and 26-6 to their master data base of mapdowns. We are currently not able to recive me too and the chineese channel with the HR20 series as there data base doesnt have these in there system.

Does anyone know when WBBM will turn on channel 12 so those of us out here in the burbs can finally get WBBM.

February 17, 2009.

Also, can someon from WCIU contact Directv and have them add 26-3 and 26-6 to their master data base of mapdowns.You should call or email them yourself and request it. That's what they specifically ask people to do in the MeToo commercial. I think they need to hear it directly from the viewers.

I e-mailed Dish about getting MeTv when they were the only ones who didn't have it. They added it within the next month or so. So it must matter.

Ok folks, get your viewing goggles ready!!!!! :eek: WWME-LD is set to sign on within the week. Transmitter is warming up in the bullpen. Antenna is.........ummm......up there. We just have one final test to make then PRESTO!!!! If your willing to make a signal report, please let me know the nearest cross streets so I can plot them on a map. (If you want to remain private, PM's are always welcome. :) )

You should call or email them yourself and request it. That's what they ask viewers to do in the MeToo commercial.

I e-mailed Dish about getting MeTv when they were the only ones who didn't have it. They added it within the next month or so. So it must matter.

Yeah, if it were up to the broadcasters, there'd be a zillion channels out there!!! :eek: So please give 'em a call and request more of Me :o.......urrrrr......I mean MeToo.

What digital channel will WWME-LD be on again so I know where to look?

What digital channel will WWME-LP be on again so I know where to look?

23.1 (RF39)

You should call or email them yourself and request it. That's what they specifically ask people to do in the MeToo commercial. I think they need to hear it directly from the viewers.

I e-mailed Dish about getting MeTv when they were the only ones who didn't have it. They added it within the next month or so. So it must matter.


Been there done that, they say that they need the station to request to be added to the mapdowns. No idea why. maybe just a bad csr!

I emailed Directv today.

I will be on the look out, out here in manteno dont know if you are suppost to reach out this far.! but if you can I will let you know :)

Been there done that, they say that they need the station to request to be added to the mapdowns. No idea why. maybe just a bad csr!
Ohhh the guides. Yeah..ummm....trying to get a stations guide data posted could drive some engineers to drink!!!!:eek:

23.1 (RF39)39!! :eek:!!

Then forget it - there's no way I'm gonna get that with WQRF analog booming in here. :(

Chicago's first low power digital station is on the air. WWME-LD (MeTV) 23.1 broadcasts on RF channel 39 from the Sears Tower at a whopping 1.8kW (ask the FCC why so low, they make the rules).

Can anyone see it? I'm in Geneva and get it with 8/10 bars. All other Chicago stations are 10/10 bars for me. I have a 4228 Channel Master in the attic at about 20' AGL. RG-6 to a STB tuner. No pre-amp.

-Kyle

Ramm-
You may get it. I have hit of RF on 39 but I have a clear'er shot of Rockford than Chicago. Not to mention I don't have the highest gain antenna either.

Chicago's first low power digital station is on the air. WWME-LD (MeTV) 23.1 broadcasts on RF channel 39 from the Sears Tower at a whopping 1.8kW (ask the FCC why so low, they make the rules).

Can anyone see it? I'm in Geneva and get it with 8/10 bars. All other Chicago stations are 10/10 bars for me. I have a 4228 Channel Master in the attic at about 20' AGL. RG-6 to a STB tuner. No pre-amp.

-Kyle

I'm getting it in Vernon Hills (31 miles out) with no trouble, no breakups. 5 out of 8 bars on my signal meter. I have a 5th gen tuner.

Like you, I have a CM 4228 in the attic, going into a CM 7777 pre-amp.

Oh, forgot the cross street you asked for - I'm about half-a-mile NW of the intersection of Route 60 (Townline Rd.) and Route 21 (Milwaukee Ave.).

Coming in at 70-75% in Plano in Kendall County about 54 miles from downtown. Coming in solidly with no breakups! I am using a Winegard (7200?) antenna on a 40' tower.

I will have to check when I get home tonight, Im currently out at school in tinley park.

I'm getting it at a steady 77% here in Crystal Lake at 41 miles (with the signal split once).

I'm getting it at a steady 77% here in Crystal Lake at 41 miles (with the signal split once).


You know, these posts so far give me real hope that when WBBM goes 3.2 kw
next February, I'll be able to get it with a complete lack of interference. If 1.8 kw on UHF goes 54 miles out...it's all about height/line of sight! (Well, and some power, too).

I'm getting it at a steady 77% here in Crystal Lake at 41 miles (with the signal split once).

Encouraging. I'll have to try again when I get home. I was literally heading out to the train this morning when I tried. (And no it has nothing to do with a Channelmaster on the Engine) :D

Encouraging. I'll have to try again when I get home. I was literally heading out to the train this morning when I tried. (And no it has nothing to do with a Channelmaster on the Engine) :DI think the secret here is having a very directional antenna. Plus, the warmer weather might have something to do with it today, too. I'm really kind of surprised to see it that high. I haven't even tried my main TV yet (the Pio Plasma). It's got a longer run to it, so I'm not expecting as much, although I did re-hook back up the DTB-H260F to it the other day, so that should help.

Hope that bodes well for WBBM and any other local, lower powered ones coming on line.

Chicago's first low power digital station is on the air. WWME-LD (MeTV) 23.1 broadcasts on RF channel 39 from the Sears Tower at a whopping 1.8kW (ask the FCC why so low, they make the rules).

Can anyone see it? I'm in Geneva and get it with 8/10 bars. All other Chicago stations are 10/10 bars for me. I have a 4228 Channel Master in the attic at about 20' AGL. RG-6 to a STB tuner. No pre-amp.

-Kyle

In Chicago Ridge; TV 1 on a large apartment master antenna, getting 23.1 steady at 85%. TV 2 on a pair of Radio Shack 15-1880s (aiming through 3 rooms), 23.1 signal bounces around between 75 to 95%. Both TV's locked solid, no breakups.

Surprisingly, I'm getting almost exactly the same signal strengths on 2.1 that I get on 23.1 (although 2.1 breaks up periodically while 23.1 is perfect).

It will be interesting to see how much 23.1 gets degraded once all the leaves come back on the trees and the thunderstorms start rolling through.

I'm getting 93-96% on a DirecTV HR20. 26-1 is 100%. I'm in Oak Park, 60302

I think the secret here is having a very directional antenna. Plus, the warmer weather might have something to do with it today, too. I'm really kind of surprised to see it that high. I haven't even tried my main TV yet (the Pio Plasma). It's got a longer run to it, so I'm not expecting as much, although I did re-hook back up the DTB-H260F to it the other day, so that should help.

Hope that bodes well for WBBM and any other local, lower powered ones coming on line.

I can see it but its breaking up. I literally have a clear, unobstructed shot of Rockford for the backside of my antenna. It's pretty directional but I need more gain. Sometime this summer I'll replace the antenna and I should be able to lock it.

With 23-1 on now, how long will MeTV still be on 26-2? I live in Wayne and am picking up only 2 bars out of 10 with 23-1, but on 26-2, I receive 10/10 bars, so I hope that 26-2 will still be around for a little while!

Ok folks, get your viewing goggles ready!!!!! :eek: WWME-LD is set to sign on within the week. Transmitter is warming up in the bullpen. Antenna is.........ummm......up there. We just have one final test to make then PRESTO!!!! If your willing to make a signal report, please let me know the nearest cross streets so I can plot them on a map. (If you want to remain private, PM's are always welcome. :) )

137th and Cicero in Crestwood with a UHF antenna thrown in a closet, I'm at 85% on 23-1 compared to 100% on 26-2. Hope this helps your map.

What I don't understand is why we need two channels with the exact same content.

137th and Cicero in Crestwood with a UHF antenna thrown in a closet, I'm at 85% on 23-1 compared to 100% on 26-2. Hope this helps your map.

What I don't understand is why we need two channels with the exact same content.

Because of people like me who are in DeKalb...and still see a decent picture on WQRF-TV analog 39, which is FOX from Rockford...who now note some digital hash visible..but have no way to lock WWME-LD.

That, and 1,800 watts is VERY low power. Unless you have a good setup, you won't get it past 15 miles, IF you are fortunate, with "rabbit ears". Everyone getting it here so far has a better setup than that.

Zippyfrog, what's your setup? I'm in Geneva on Fargo and Randall w/ a UHF in the attic and get 8/10 bars. Just curious.

Ok, METOO has finally been added to D*'s Master tables for those of you who have your antenna's hooked up. Allthough 26-6 is still not there. I am getting METV (23-1) on my D* reciver at 30 percent signal. With that said. My antenna is ground level and it being currently blocked by my neighbors car. So with that said, I cant get an accurate reading. Once my neighbors car is moved I can get you a true reading. On the plus side, the signal is stable and there is very little breakup. Im sure if you guys were able to put some more power to the antenna, you all would be looking great. :)

here getting 23-1 at 7 bars signal with samsung DTB-H260F OTA reciever
compared to 26-1 at 10 bars signal
using radioshack vu-190 antenna mounted outside on roof
Im NW side of Chicago, Harwood Heights IL

Me Too!! I'm getting 23-1 at 85% in Plainfield on an HR10-250 and Samsung TXR3079 using a Winegard 8200 at 32'. By comparison, I get 2-1 at 90% and 26-1 at 95%.

In McHenry, I'm getting 23-1 at 65% on my FusionHDTV5 RT Lite using an attic installed Silver Sensor w/ Corner Reflector and a Channel Master 7777. For reference, I'm between 95% - 100% on 5-1, 7-1, 9-1, 11-1, 26-1, 32-1 and 50-1. 20-1 is around 90%.

I'm getting low 70's on a DirecTV H20 using a Radioshack U75R antenna in the attic. hvs10trk: this receiver and its signal strength is available via a web browser and I'd be happy to give you a link if it would help in any way. I'm in Oak Park, near the corner of Chicago and Oak Park Ave's

Well its daytime, and the neighbor finally moved their car. I'm getting METV at a whopping 32 percent on my D* reciver. Its actually fluctuating between 25 and 31. It looks like METV will be a night time only thing untill you all can raise the power. Atleast I have WCIU's version for now. :)

On my pansat, its saying between 36 percent and 60 percent.. With 60 being a good lock. It is breaking up though. WCIU is at 100 :D And so is WYCC!

I'm getting 23-1 at 45% - 50% in Lombard (Main & Wilson) using a Winegard PR7032 into a DirecTV HR20-700. It locks in well and I haven't noticed any break-up.

My KWorld PCI-115 tuner (PC card) won't get it at all, but it's not a very good tuner.

Anyone else have a problem with CBS last night? I had my HR10-250 set for Jericho and it was unwatchable from the start. Continuous break up and almost no audio got through.

I checked NBC and ABC on the other tuner at the same time and they were perfectly clear.

I watched Jericho last night via DirecTv using an H20-600 receiver. I didn't have any problems at all.

Because of people like me who are in DeKalb...and still see a decent picture on WQRF-TV analog 39, which is FOX from Rockford...who now note some digital hash visible..but have no way to lock WWME-LD.

That, and 1,800 watts is VERY low power. Unless you have a good setup, you won't get it past 15 miles, IF you are fortunate, with "rabbit ears". Everyone getting it here so far has a better setup than that.

What I was asking was, why even create a 23-1 (39) at all, if you already have 26-2 with the same content and a stronger signal? (especially since you are telling me 23-1 is interferring with other channels)

Its confirmed anything south of manteno, you wont get METV on 23-1. I went to my parents house and hooked up some DTV coversion boxes for them today. I couldnt pull it in for them with there ratshack antenna. I can bearly pull it in, and its a night time event for me able to pull it in. All of the other digitals come in fine minus WBBM.

On the bright side.. I did check it out while I was at devry in Tinley today, and They are able to pull it in at 88 percent on there E* 811.

What I was asking was, why even create a 23-1 (39) at all, if you already have 26-2 with the same content and a stronger signal? (especially since you are telling me 23-1 is interferring with other channels)

Actually, I like to think of it as 39 analog Rockford interfering with it in DeKalb. ;) (actually, even when 39 signs off, 1.8 kw from Sears is too far away from me to get reliably, so it doesn't matter. I'm just kidding; 39 is fine.)

There is one obvious reason: HD. 26.2 can't go HD because 26.1 needs the bandwidth. Star Trek (in 4:3), The Honeymooners, I Love Lucy, etc and many more shows from the 40s-70s have been or will be remastered to 16:9 or original aspect ratio (OAR) HD. Once playback equipment comes down in cost a bit more, and when syndicated reruns are produced in HD, 23-1 will be able to do it, while 26-2 likely won't. And, 23-1 has all the bandwidth to itself; right now, 23-2 gets grainy at times (but that should be taken care of soon, as HVS and Kyle/TvMicrowave2002 have noted).

I just noticed WPWR-DT is 720p ?

I just noticed WPWR-DT is 720p ?

Its been like that for a while... I personaly think they need to change it back to 1080I

Its been like that for a while... I personaly think they need to change it back to 1080I

Do you know what was the decision to make it 720p ?

I just noticed WPWR-DT is 720p ?

ABC and FOX are 720p nationally AFAIK. NBC and CBS are 1080i.

I am getting 23.1 @ 88%. I'm located in Naperville. 103rd and route 59. (all most Plainfield) I'm using a roof top antenna, and one split.

Do you know what was the decision to make it 720p ?


I dont know the exact details, other than WPWR is owned by Fox here in chicago and ran out of the same place. So it makes sence that they are trying to mirror the other. Hopefully not the bad pq that fox can put out at times. The reason why I say they should move it back to 1080I Is because MYNTWK picked up smackdown and its filmed in 1080I.

No luck with 23.1 out here in western Grayslake (near Hainesville). :( A scan picked up the channel but there isn't enough signal to lock onto. This is with a CM 4228 in the attic and 7777 preamp. Sure hope 26.2 & 3 are going to be around for awhile.

How come is it that ABC7 and NBC5 dont rebroadcast the newscast in HD at 1am ?

Do you know what was the decision to make it 720p ?

720p in basically gives you the same picture quality while using less bandwidth.

How come is it that ABC7 and NBC5 dont rebroadcast the newscast in HD at 1am ?

They don't have the recording/playback equipment locally to do it. ($$$$.)

The reasoning behind My Network TV being in 720p is that Fox is already in 720p and therefore already has equipment for handling it. And Fox chose it because it's better for sports scenes with lots of motion.

So essentially, My Network TV is sent in 720p because it's owned by Fox.

At least, that's my understanding of it.

- Trip

They don't have the recording/playback equipment locally to do it. ($$$$.)


Are you sure? I've watched the 1:05 a.m. 7-1 broadcast and it's been in HD on my TV.

Are you sure? I've watched the 1:05 a.m. 7-1 broadcast and it's been in HD on my TV.


Oops, sorry. For NBC, yes. For ABC, no...they do have HD playback. Mea culpa.

23.1 comes in solid here in Palatine (Rt.12&68). Indoor RS double bowtie, no amplification, E* 622.

No luck with 23.1 out here in western Grayslake (near Hainesville). :( A scan picked up the channel but there isn't enough signal to lock onto. This is with a CM 4228 in the attic and 7777 preamp. Sure hope 26.2 & 3 are going to be around for awhile.

Well, I tried again today and was able to lock it in for awhile. But tonight there's lots of breakups so it's back to 26. It appears I am right on the fringe. Still, locking channel 39 at 1800 watts at all here in Grayslake is remarkable. So there is hope for WBBM at 3200 watts on Channel 12.

Channel 26.1 reception issues

I have issues receiving WCIU DTV. My meter will read 0% and then 75% within a few minutes. It act like the station is on and off he air although I can get it analog. I find it very often when the Bulls are on. Is the signal weakened then? I can get channel 2.1 often when 26.1 is not available which is usually the most difficult to get.


Thanks

WLS 7.1 Flutter

I have noticed the last few week during LOST the screen seems to flutter up and down. Has anyone else noticed this. Is it WLS, LOST, or me.

Thanks

Best Long Range Amplifier

I am in the market for a stronger amplifier. I now have a Winegard 8780 and am looking to maximize my strength in VHF and UHF. I am just checking to see if their are any success stories with long range amps. I am 62 miles out with a Winegard 8200. I realize that amp will only amplify signal received.

Thanks

WLS 7.1 Flutter

I have noticed the last few week during LOST the screen seems to flutter up and down. Has anyone else noticed this. Is it WLS, LOST, or me.
What do you mean by 'flutter'? I get my HD through Comcast, and noticed no obvious issues. I'm not certain how they pick up the signal.

What do you mean by 'flutter'? I get my HD through Comcast, and noticed no obvious issues. I'm not certain how they pick up the signal.

It appears that the camera is dancing up and down. It kind of makes a persons dizzy

Best Long Range Amplifier

I am in the market for a stronger amplifier. I now have a Winegard 8780 and am looking to maximize my strength in VHF and UHF. I am just checking to see if their are any success stories with long range amps. I am 62 miles out with a Winegard 8200. I realize that amp will only amplify signal received.

Thanks

I have connected and disconnected a CM7777 pre amp and it does not make a difference. I am also running a Winegard 8200.

Quad Shield with tight compression fittings have made a huge difference. I just got done replacing one at the antenna that had somehow gone bad. I'm planning on adding standoffs to the mast as I think that may have had something to do with the connector going bad due to strain. I did have it zip tied to the mast but the cheapies I used somehow came off.

What is everyone else using to hold down their coax on the antenna mast that has worked without coming off?

White cable ties deteriorate with age outdoors due to ultraviolet light but UV doesn't hurt the black ones. Just be sure to get the thicker ones and avoid the skimpy kind that get brittle when cold and break easily. Another thing to try is black electrical tape wound around the mast several times. 3M makes a pretty good black electrical tape, just don't get the cheap stuff.

It looks like my 23.1 reception the other night was just a fluke. I was at 65% Tuesday night, but I've not been able to get enough signal to lock for the last couple of days.

WLS 7.1 Flutter

I have noticed the last few week during LOST the screen seems to flutter up and down. Has anyone else noticed this. Is it WLS, LOST, or me.

Thanks
Them not you.

Is there any reason why night time reception should be better than daytime? Tonight I'm getting 23-1 at 70% on my HDTivo and 65% on my Divco tuner card. The last couple times I checked 23-1 were during the day an both times it wouldn't even lock on either tuner.

Is there any reason why night time reception should be better than daytime? Tonight I'm getting 23-1 at 70% on my HDTivo and 65% on my Divco tuner card. The last couple times I checked 23-1 were during the day an both times it wouldn't even lock on either tuner.

The noise floor is lower at night.

Speaking of Mynetwork TV, do they ever broadcast anything in HD? The only HD broadcast I seen on that channel was when they had the NFL Network feed of the Bears and Redskins game.

WLS 7.1 Flutter

I have noticed the last few week during LOST the screen seems to flutter up and down. Has anyone else noticed this. Is it WLS, LOST, or me.

Thanks
I think I may know what your talking about. I could not watch it when it aired, but I did record it on my DVR. I noticed the broadcast was a little "jumpy" at times. It looked like it was jigging (almost like a streaming broadcast of some sort). It was kind of weird to see. I'm not sure if its my DVR or if it was actually the broadcast.

found some HD facts about WLSTV http://broadcastengineering.com/hdtv/broadcasting_wls_shows_hds/

WBBM-DT was really awful yesterday during the Big Ten semfinals with the "fast blur" problem. It was extremely bad whenever they'd have a close up on the basket. I ended up going to WCBS on DirecTV ch 80, but then that is so short of bandwidth it was annoying me in other ways.

WBBM-DT was really awful yesterday during the Big Ten semfinals with the "fast blur" problem. It was extremely bad whenever they'd have a close up on the basket. I ended up going to WCBS on DirecTV ch 80, but then that is so short of bandwidth it was annoying me in other ways.

At least you can get WBBM-DT. I had to go to CBS in Milwaukee (58-1)
to see the game today. Even that channel is a bit spotty today, which is unusual.

Hey everyone, long time and all that. Since my HR10-250 died I haven't spent much time playing with OTA, but after hearing that 23.1 was on the air and hearing about Me-Too, I figured I'd do a scan.

HVS: FYI, 23.1 is coming in here in Gurnee at about 70% steadily this evening. Picture looks fab, with no breakups or other issues. In-attic antenna of unknown pedigree and a CM 7777 hooked to a Panny TH-42PD50U.

For comparison, I get 26.1/2/3/6 fluctuating between 95-97%.

That makes me feel pretty good. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get WWME-LD up here, but it looks great. I'll try it again during the day to see if it's better/worse/etc.

Hey everyone, long time and all that. Since my HR10-250 died I haven't spent much time playing with OTA, but after hearing that 23.1 was on the air and hearing about Me-Too, I figured I'd do a scan.

HVS: FYI, 23.1 is coming in here in Gurnee at about 70% steadily this evening. Picture looks fab, with no breakups or other issues. In-attic antenna of unknown pedigree and a CM 7777 hooked to a Panny TH-42PD50U.

For comparison, I get 26.1/2/3/6 fluctuating between 95-97%.

That makes me feel pretty good. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get WWME-LD up here, but it looks great. I'll try it again during the day to see if it's better/worse/etc.

In-attic antenna, in Gurnee (40 miles out), hard locking a UHF low power digital (LD)with 1,800 watts. Even with a CM 7777 antenna, all I can say is...wow. Just...wow.

After doing a rescan the other night, I've been getting a consistent 70% on my HDTivo for 23-1 WWME. I think it was trying to get 23-1 WIFR out of Rockford before the scan.

This is much better than I was expecting and gives me hope on receiving WLS and WBBM after the transition. I currently get about 70 - 75% signal on WBBM using a large DIY narrow band yagi in the attic and a CM7777. I just need to make up a new one for channels 7 and 12 before the transition.

In-attic antenna, in Gurnee (40 miles out), hard locking a UHF low power digital (LD)with 1,800 watts. Even with a CM 7777 antenna, all I can say is...wow. Just...wow.

If you have line of sight, digital (outside of low-VHF) requires very little power. I live 79 miles from my local TV stations, and when our local Fox signed on, they were doing 2.97 kW, and it was directional! I was getting 1.07 kW in my direction, and still managed to decode the signal more than half the time. Granted, my antenna is outdoors, but the extra distance makes up for it.

I fully expect LPTV and CA stations to actually be more valuable than they were on analog once the transition is over. They just carry so much farther.

- Trip

What helps is we're using full power broadcast style equipment. A Dielectric antenna (although it's just a TLP-4 for you techies) and a Thales (Comark/Thomson/Grass Valley) solid state, redundant transmitter with decent SNR/MER and EVM levels.

A word of warning about Vista MCE and SP1.

It appears to lock up and crash MCE every time I tune to WTTWHD, ch 1111. Something in the datastream from WTTW is crashing the MS codec.

BTW, SP1 can be downloaded here if anyone would like to verify my results.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b0c7136d-5ebb-413b-89c9-cb3d06d12674&DisplayLang=en

Its coming off the machine as soon as I stop typing.

-dickm

Edit: I should have mentioned I'm using an ATI video card.

Vista blows. SP1 or not. They'll have to drag me kicking and screaming before I ever switch to it.

Vista blows. SP1 or not. They'll have to drag me kicking and screaming before I ever switch to it.
I wonder just how many people said the exact same thing about XP....:rolleyes:

Vista may blow big time (and I tend to agree with you here), but MCE under Vista has sooooo much less problems than MCE under XP. Thats the only reason I dont go back to XP. At least it did until I installed SP1 :-)

-dickm

Whereas I'm generally happy with a recent fresh install of Vista sp1 on my laptop, my HTPC is still running XPsp2 (not MCE) and will continue to do so.

Looks like 5.2 has bitten the dust with a complete video freeze and no audio. Hope the holiday crew can get 'er done and get it back on!

Looks like 5.2 has bitten the dust with a complete video freeze and no audio. Hope the holiday crew can get 'er done and get it back on!

South Bend is a hole, but those southern temps are mesmerizing. :)

5.1 sound is in a tin can too.. it keeps going bad.. It will be good one second then it will get staticy, then It sounds like its in a tin can with static. It will do that for a few min and then it goes back to normal. Does this about every 5 min.

5.1 sound is in a tin can too.. it keeps going bad.. It will be good one second then it will get staticy, then It sounds like its in a tin can with static. It will do that for a few min and then it goes back to normal. Does this about every 5 min.

I just bought a brand-new hdtv. There is some comfort knowing that I am not the only one experiencing this problem.

I'm glad I have D* and can switch it to channel 82. The audio has been really bad the past few days at least on channel 5.

I'm glad I have D* and can switch it to channel 82. The audio has been really bad the past few days at least on channel 5.

Looks like they're having some serious issues over there, just what they need on a holiday weekend. 5.2 is fixed, hopefully they'll get 5.1 back in order.

Just wondering when the OTA Channel Lineup and Broadcast Location and Power information will be updated to reflect 23.1 (MeTV) being on the air.

Just wondering when the OTA Channel Lineup and Broadcast Location and Power information will be updated to reflect 23.1 (MeTV) being on the air.

Wonder no more. :D Thank you for reminding me! :cool:

How will WBBM on channel 12 at 3.2 kW compare to WBBM currently on channel 3 at 4.4 kW. Will the decrease in power make it even harder to get, or does the fact that it will be VHF-Hi band make it any easier to pick up?

I can currently pick it up in McHenry with my attic mounted DIY narrow band Yagi, but I only get about 70% signal on my HD-Tivo. I do get occasional mild pixelation, about 1 or 2 times per hour. If the move to channel 12 makes this worse, I would consider that to be unwatchable.


Thanks,

Warren

How will WBBM on channel 12 at 3.2 kW compare to WBBM currently on channel 3 at 4.4 kW. Will the decrease in power make it even harder to get, or does the fact that it will be VHF-Hi band make it any easier to pick up?

I can currently pick it up in McHenry with my attic mounted DIY narrow band Yagi, but I only get about 70% signal on my HD-Tivo. I do get occasional mild pixelation, about 1 or 2 times per hour. If the move to channel 12 makes this worse, I would consider that to be unwatchable.


Thanks,

Warren

Hopefully, the fact that it's VHF high will outweigh the power drop.

That said, I believe they have asked the FCC for more power than the 3.2 kW that they were shown to have. I don't remember whether or not they got it, but if they did, it might help you out some.

- Trip

They did not get it.
See post 1781 in this thread.

Ok guys, I think I've asked this question before but here goes - if I run and pick up a CM4228 (from Frys right?) what are my chances of being able to bring in WSBT-DT from South Bend? In Oak Park, IL.

Ok guys, I think I've asked this question before but here goes - if I run and pick up a CM4228 (from Frys right?) what are my chances of being able to bring in WSBT-DT from South Bend? In Oak Park, IL.

About the same chance as getting WDJT-DT from Milwaukee---only through spring-fall, and only when tropospheric ducting is occurring. I was getting it about twice a week last summer. It's a blowtorch, but that 70-80 mile line of sight problem will keep you from getting it regularly.

About the same chance as getting WDJT-DT from Milwaukee---only through spring-fall, and only when tropospheric ducting is occurring.

the forecast looks bad for friday. oh well. :( just got to pray WBBM doesn't do the old "flex" switcheroo on the MSU game.

I have been following this thread for a while and there are a lot of folks who are very informative and enthusiastic here!!

I have a couple of questions. I purchased the Zenith digital box yesterday and did a down and dirty hookup just to see what would happen.

My current situation was/is this. Live near downtown Arlington Heights. I have a regular rooftop antenna, not new, I split the coax and send the signal to 2 TV's in the house. The run from the antenna to the upstairs tv (where I hooked up the box) is about 30ft.

I have to admit I was amazed at how many channels I received right away. I did not aim the antenna, remove the splitter or anything. I think I received about 30 channels right off the bat. I love getting 3 channel 11's

I did order a new UHF antenna but I have not opened the box. It seems to me that I will still need a VHF antenna to get some channels. The Antennaweb site was not 100% clear to me as to whether I needed the VHF or not.

Here are my only issues. WLS-DT (channel 7.1) the signal jumps up and down and the picture breaks up to the point where it is almost unwatchable. Will an additional/better UHF antenna help me? Could a more direct line from the antenna to the converter box help or is this an antenna issue only? The location of their transmitter is the same as other stations I get well so I don't think there is an aiming issue.

If I do hook up the new UHF antenna (Antennas Direct DB2 Multi Directional HDTV Antenna) How do I keep using the VHF from my exhisting?

Thanks for any help

Jimbozi

I have been following this thread for a while and there are a lot of folks who are very informative and enthusiastic here!!

I have a couple of questions. I purchased the Zenith digital box yesterday and did a down and dirty hookup just to see what would happen.

My current situation was/is this. Live near downtown Arlington Heights. I have a regular rooftop antenna, not new, I split the coax and send the signal to 2 TV's in the house. The run from the antenna to the upstairs tv (where I hooked up the box) is about 30ft.

I have to admit I was amazed at how many channels I received right away. I did not aim the antenna, remove the splitter or anything. I think I received about 30 channels right off the bat. I love getting 3 channel 11's

I did order a new UHF antenna but I have not opened the box. It seems to me that I will still need a VHF antenna to get some channels. The Antennaweb site was not 100% clear to me as to whether I needed the VHF or not.

Here are my only issues. WLS-DT (channel 7.1) the signal jumps up and down and the picture breaks up to the point where it is almost unwatchable. Will an additional/better UHF antenna help me? Could a more direct line from the antenna to the converter box help or is this an antenna issue only? The location of their transmitter is the same as other stations I get well so I don't think there is an aiming issue.

If I do hook up the new UHF antenna (Antennas Direct DB2 Multi Directional HDTV Antenna) How do I keep using the VHF from my exhisting?

Thanks for any help

Jimbozi

Hi Jimbozi,

First, welcome to the forum!

Do you have a signal amplifier? WLS currently broadcasts on channel 52. Some antennas struggle with anything at and above channel 50. Here's what I would try first...

If there is any way you can do this, see if you can adjust the roof antenna, make sure it points at Sears Tower. If that doesn't work, bypass the splitter and go directly to one TV, and see if the problem persists. OR...probably the easiest thing...get a signal preamplifier. You may try a simple signal amplifier and place it before the split...and see if that helps. Tri-State Electronics in Mt. Prospect (www.tselectronic.com) has preamplifiers that are low noise, and boost signal nicely. But I'd try to adjust the antenna first, and then an amplifier (or do the amplifier first if you can get and return it easily). I bet this is just a case of low signal that needs to be pumped up a little bit.

As for the UHF antenna...well, WLS will be going back to channel 7, WBBM will be going back to channel 12, and a low power station will be going from channel 13 to channel 4, if they get approved to do that. So you will need a VHF antenna. If you are replacing the one on your roof, instead of getting two antennas, I'd go to Tri-State Electronics and get the Winegard HD7084:

https://www.tselectronic.com/winegard/hd7084.html

Mention the Web price; in-store, it's more expensive. And I'd return the little UHF antenna. Doing a VHF-UHF split is overkill for what you want and need to do.

Thanks. I will try those suggestions. The wife needs her Oprah LOL

Thanks. I will try those suggestions. The wife needs her Oprah LOL

let her sort out the antenna then :D

I encountered the same problem at my neplew's place with breakups on 7-1 a few blocks from downtown Arlington Heights. This occurs with a UHF antenna and CM amp. I believe multipath interference is the problem.

If an outdoor antenna is impracticable, and an indoor antenna gets a signal but it's weak on a few stations (in my case, WBBM, WWME-LP, and WYCC and its subchannels), would connecting two indoor antennas to a splitter used backwards (as a combiner) help?

My guess is that the answer is

1. yes, possibly;
2. (because of phase differences or something) the result would be awful; or
3. there's only so much wattage in that direction and two antennas next to one another will just fight over how much they get.

This seemed so easy to think of that I can't really believe nobody has before, so my first conclusion is that #1 is wrong, or thousands of people would be doing it already.

- - -

One of the impediments for me to adding another outdoor antenna is drilling an additional hole in the house wall. · A Radio Shack employee (whom I didn't even ask, but who somehow anticipated the question) suggested that connecting it with twin-lead instead of coax would solve that, as a window or a door could be closed on it. · If the antenna were about 4-5 m from the television, would twin-lead carry the signal well enough? · Would a metal frame for the storm window and the screen interfere with the signal (I've read that twin-lead must not be allowed to touch metal along the way)?

Option #2 is the most likely result. You get tons of multipath and phase problems this way unless it's done just right or you get really lucky.

There are outdoor (UHF-only) antennas that many people use indoors if you can get them out of sight. The Antennas Direct DB4 (http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=AD-DB4) is an example. If you look closely, you can see it's really 4 bow-tie antennas connected together.

Option #2 is the most likely result.
I tried for myself and the two antennas together gave the same results as either alone.· So either there was no effect, or any boost was lost with the load of the combiner and the extra piece of coax.

There are outdoor (UHF-only) antennas that many people use indoors if you can get them out of sight.
Why out of sight?
Anyhow, thanks, but since one of the problem stations has its digital signal on channel 3, that wouldn't help me much.

greeting and salutations to all,

i have stumbled upon this forum while weeping and gnashing my teeth over dtv reception using the tuner card in my new pc... let me give the facts and see what everyone thinks ...

location - just nw of oakton st. and elmhurst rd., in mt. prospect
los - in a first floor apartment, with walls and another building blocking path
antenna - rabbit ears fully extended - one ear at right angle to the other
tuner - ViXS Pure tv-u 48b0 in a new HP m8330f media center with vista premium and a HP w1907 monitor

yeah, i know, worst of all worlds - but a lot of people will be in this fix in the future,
i have been asking complex management to repair the master antenna system , but think they just want me to get att&t cable ... anyway -

i have 2 issues - first is easy - does anyone use the closed captioned ?
i am deaf and have seen some channels with it non-existent or intermittent or lagging or turned off(WMEU analog 48 and digital 26.3 had captioning two weeks ago, but not now)
i know signal strength will affect captioning

2nd issue - depending on rabbit ear orientation - i can receive any station i can get enough signal strength - usually at least 5 out 6 bars - except for WGN - i get 5 to 6 bars and go to the channel and get zip with the no signal message eventually popping

i have talked to HP support about how only one channel doesn't work -
they told me it is the tv station ... (rolling my eyes in disbelief)

surfed the web for tuner info - i think it is the ViXS 2110 product - but that is the chip set and not the actual tuner detecting the signal - i understand terms like multipath and ghosting - just do not grasp why no signal appears at all for only WGN when got 6 bars

thanks in advance -comments, suggestions, questions of sanity are always welcome

don

Well, the rabbit ears will really only be useful on VHF channels. Almost all DTV channels in Chicagoland are UHF, so moving the rabbit ears around won't really do anything. Not only that, right now only WBBM-DT is on VHF, and that's VHF-LO channel 3, which almost all rabbit ears are too short for. I don't remember off the top of my head, but I think the half-wavelength for channel three is something like 48"?

You didn't mention what brand/model antenna it is, but because Mt. Prospect is relatively close to Sears and the Hancock buildings, something like a Silver Sensor would probably work better for you, even with other buildings blocking your path.

Otherwise, your existing antenna almost surely has a UHF element to it - trying re-orienting, or even moving it to a different location in the room, to see if it improves reception. A window facing towards the east would be good to try.

If you're limited to an indoor, set-top antenna, try to buy a different one from a store you know you can return in case it does not work.

The Terk HDTVa might work for him. It's basically a Silver Sensor with VHF rabbit ears, slightly amped.

an update on WMEU captioning
around 4 am saturday the closed captioning magically reappeared on both
analog 48 and digital 26.3

comments, suggestions and question of sanity are always welcome
don

kd9fz
Isnt HP's help desk clueless! Your WGN issue is a Microsoft problem. They're downloading the wrong logical channel for WGN. Instead of 9, it's downloaded as 19. You should see a channel 1191 listed in the guide that will never tune in.

All you have to do is manually add WGN using the "Add DTV Channel" menu in MCE. Add it in as 9-1 on ch 19, named WGN, and you should be good to go. Oh yeah, and go into the guide setup and remove 1191 from the display.

This is happening all over the country. Microsoft is downloading post-analog shutdown frequencies into their guide nationwide.

BTW, this link is a good explaination of how to fix these kinds of problems in the future.
http://thegreenbutton.com/blogs/pnear/archive/2006/09/12/202708.aspx

-dickm

bless my soul, a miracle !!!

wish the HP help desk had an inkling on the microsoft misinformation

many thanks dick -

don

(above in http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13496729#post13496729)

One of the impediments for me to adding another outdoor antenna is drilling an additional hole in the house wall.  A Radio Shack employee (whom I didn't even ask, but who somehow anticipated the question) suggested that connecting it with twin-lead instead of coax would solve that, as a window or a door could be closed on it.  If the antenna were about 4-5 m from the television, would twin-lead carry the signal well enough?  Would a metal frame for the storm window and the screen interfere with the signal (I've read that twin-lead must not be allowed to touch metal along the way)?

Any advice, please?  It would be nice if the twin-lead could carry enough signal to feed two televisions: one would be about five feet from the mount, the other about fifteen feet from it, and I'm just over eight miles NW of the Hancock Center and just under nine NNW of Sears Tower, with no interest in getting WJYS-DT or WYIN-DT.  Thanks.

Greetings; great to find someone else here also from the Heights.

I've also noticed that WLS is one of the trickier of the major channels, and it being on channel 52 makes reception somewhat vulnerable with a longer cable run. It often seems to be the first of the network stations to lose 'bars' when conditions go bad, but if you can get the signal to lock at least at 50%, it shouldn't matter too much.

Aim is very important, and it doesn't always work the way you think. We use a Winegard 7084 and it had to be aimed somewhat askew from what the Antennaweb orientation since WFLD, of all stations, had initially dropped out. It kind of looks mis-aligned when you look at it from afar. Having tinkered at length with my funky situation, I'm now generally satisfied if WLS stays above 70%. When the antenna is pointed toward Chicago, it ends up going right into a 60 foot tree, and not only that but we are surrounded on all sides by houses which are taller than ours. I have come to the conclusion that multipath and building obstruction is a killer where I live, and it is probably your main problem as well.

Try and see if you can find a 'sweet spot'. It may not be where you think. At our place, the 'sweet spot' is off the chimney, but we don't have enough length to maintain a secure mount there. Moving the antenna just three feet back means that the weaklings ie WJYS-36 and WWME-39 now fall just below locking strength. Small things can make a bigger difference than you think, and it's worth playing around to find the most plausible solution for your situation. Also, if you have an aged antenna, now might be a good time to make sure your outdoor connections are still rigid. Corroded cable ends can be the root of many a problem, and this winter has not been kind to anyone.

As Gilbert recommended, the Winegard 7084 is wonderful antenna and will give you nearly flawless reception on most of the majors, but from my experience the weak stations may still be largely hit and miss. It is probably all the antenna you need, taking into consideration that no antenna of any size is going to perform miracles if you are out 25 miles and surrounded by clutter. You could go one higher and opt for the 8200U which is three feet longer - however the advantage of this added length seems to be VHF-lo gain; its other specs are very close to those of the 7084. You might also consider keeping your dedicated UHF unit but combining it with a VHF yagi of some sort; if you do that right it might very well outperform the 7084. Come 2009, whatever you decide on will need to be able to work well with both VHF-hi and UHF.

I have been following this thread for a while and there are a lot of folks who are very informative and enthusiastic here!!

I have a couple of questions. I purchased the Zenith digital box yesterday and did a down and dirty hookup just to see what would happen.

My current situation was/is this. Live near downtown Arlington Heights. I have a regular rooftop antenna, not new, I split the coax and send the signal to 2 TV's in the house. The run from the antenna to the upstairs tv (where I hooked up the box) is about 30ft.

I have to admit I was amazed at how many channels I received right away. I did not aim the antenna, remove the splitter or anything. I think I received about 30 channels right off the bat. I love getting 3 channel 11's

I did order a new UHF antenna but I have not opened the box. It seems to me that I will still need a VHF antenna to get some channels. The Antennaweb site was not 100% clear to me as to whether I needed the VHF or not.

Here are my only issues. WLS-DT (channel 7.1) the signal jumps up and down and the picture breaks up to the point where it is almost unwatchable. Will an additional/better UHF antenna help me? Could a more direct line from the antenna to the converter box help or is this an antenna issue only? The location of their transmitter is the same as other stations I get well so I don't think there is an aiming issue.

If I do hook up the new UHF antenna (Antennas Direct DB2 Multi Directional HDTV Antenna) How do I keep using the VHF from my exhisting?

Thanks for any help

Jimbozi

Given that distance and the split, you probably won't have enough signal left over for solid digital reception on either set if you use twin lead. You will get tremendous signal leakage and interference from just about anything and everything in the vicinity of that wire.

Any advice, please? Could it have enough signal to feed two televisions? One would be about five feet from the mount, the other about fifteen feet from it. Thanks.

If an outdoor antenna is impracticable, and an indoor antenna gets a signal but it's weak on a few stations (in my case, WBBM, WWME-LP, and WYCC and its subchannels), would connecting two indoor antennas to a splitter used backwards (as a combiner) help?

My guess is that the answer is

1. yes, possibly;
2. (because of phase differences or something) the result would be awful; or
3. there's only so much wattage in that direction and two antennas next to one another will just fight over how much they get.

This seemed so easy to think of that I can't really believe nobody has before, so my first conclusion is that #1 is wrong, or thousands of people would be doing it already.

- - -

One of the impediments for me to adding another outdoor antenna is drilling an additional hole in the house wall. · A Radio Shack employee (whom I didn't even ask, but who somehow anticipated the question) suggested that connecting it with twin-lead instead of coax would solve that, as a window or a door could be closed on it. · If the antenna were about 4-5 m from the television, would twin-lead carry the signal well enough? · Would a metal frame for the storm window and the screen interfere with the signal (I've read that twin-lead must not be allowed to touch metal along the way)?

Hello Dattier,

I've been away at a weather conference, so I haven't had any time to help. (Thundersnow/sleet IS cool, BTW. :D )

To answer your question, yes...twin lead is bad in general. It leaks RF llike crazy, is subject to interference, and if it touches or even gets near metal, all sorts of bad things happen. So don't use it. Any chance you could have an antenna on the roof?

I've also noticed that WLS is one of the trickier of the major channels, and it being on channel 52 makes reception somewhat vulnerable with a longer cable run. It often seems to be the first of the network stations to lose 'bars' when conditions go bad, but if you can get the signal to lock at least at 50%, it shouldn't matter too much.

Aim is very important, and it doesn't always work the way you think. We use a Winegard 7084 and it had to be aimed somewhat askew from what the Antennaweb orientation since WFLD, of all stations, had initially dropped out. It kind of looks mis-aligned when you look at it from afar. Having tinkered at length with my funky situation, I'm now generally satisfied if WLS stays above 70%. When the antenna is pointed toward Chicago, it ends up going right into a 60 foot tree, and not only that but we are surrounded on all sides by houses which are taller than ours. I have come to the conclusion that multipath and building obstruction is a killer where I live, and it is probably your main problem as well.

Moving the antenna just three feet back means that the weaklings ie WJYS-36 and WWME-39 now fall just below locking strength. Small things can make a bigger difference than you think, and it's worth playing around to find the most plausible solution for your situation.

As Gilbert recommended, the Winegard 7084 is wonderful antenna and will give you nearly flawless reception on most of the majors, but from my experience the weak stations may still be largely hit and miss. It is probably all the antenna you need, taking into consideration that no antenna of any size is going to perform miracles if you are out 25 miles and surrounded by clutter. You could go one higher and opt for the 8200U which is three feet longer - however the advantage of this added length seems to be VHF-lo gain; its other specs are very close to those of the 7084. You might also consider keeping your dedicated UHF unit but combining it with a VHF yagi of some sort; if you do that right it might very well outperform the 7084. Come 2009, whatever you decide on will need to be able to work well with both VHF-hi and UHF.

Yeppers. Also, Long, glad to hear you got it replaced. Sounds like the antenna did take more than a beating than I thought when it broke. It really sounds like channels 30-40 suffer severe multipath, not necessarily weak signal. I bet you with a 6th gen tuner, you'd lock everything.

All,

While not on the air, the move of WBBM from 11 to 12 displaced WOCK-LD which was supposed to go to 12...and then they tried for channel 6. But analog 6 is expected to "flash cut" if it gets sold, which is what the goal is...so WOCK-LD got bumped again...and they decided to move to channel 4. That move has now been approved by the FCC. When they will sign on is anyone's guess.

I edited the third post in the thread to reflect this.

I edited the third post in the thread to reflect this.

I didn't realize until now that you had some very nice summarys at the front of this thread. NICE JOB!

Given that distance and the split, you probably won't have enough signal left over for solid digital reception on either set if you use twin lead. You will get tremendous signal leakage and interference from just about anything and everything in the vicinity of that wire.

I've been away at a weather conference ...

To answer your question, yes...twin lead is bad in general. It leaks RF llike crazy, is subject to interference, and if it touches or even gets near metal, all sorts of bad things happen. So don't use it. Any chance you could have an antenna on the roof?

Thank you both, and welcome back, Gilbert.

OK, so twin-lead is bad, just as I had thought.  I could run just a couple of feet of it to get in through the door and then coax from there, but we'd still have the split (though it's avoidable; in one of the rooms an indoor antenna is doing an adequate job) and some extra connectors; also, the conversions between 75 ohms and 300 ohms are surely lossy, right?  So it looks as though there's no way to add a second outdoor antenna without drilling a hole in the house.  The existing roof antenna (vintage 1950s and presumably aimed at the Prudential) can barely feed one set; most digital stations become hopeless if the run is split to two, especially WYCC (haven't tried it since WWME-LP signed on, but its signal is so weak there that it wouldn't stand the split either).

The idea was this: there is a small canopy over the outside of the door to the second-floor sundeck, and, unable to go onto the roof safely myself, I was thinking of adding a new antenna on the side of the canopy with a view over the roof.

My underlying problem is that the ATSC tuner on the TV in the other room is pretty bad: using the same indoor antenna in the same position in that room, a Zenith DTT900 CECB pulls the signals in far better than the televison's own tuner does, but of course, there's no HD through a CECB.  (I had bought the television not expecting anything OTA at all, intending to use it with the HDMI output of a Comcast DVR and the signal off Comcast's coax into its QAM tuner, and it handles those inputs perfectly well, so I feel disappointed but not cheated.)  I'm not even sure that an outdoor antenna would help much, as I've taken it to another room to connect it to our existing outdoor antenna and seen less improvement than hoped for; however, that antenna's coax is flimsier stuff, about 5 mm in outside diameter of the insulation, rather than the 6-mm line that has been installed by Group W, Prime Cable, or Comcast over the years, and running heavier-gauge line may help.

One thing I'm considering right now is waiting for the Echostar TR-50 and hoping it has a better ATSC tuner and feeding it to the televison's component input, since I could also use the additional DVR for the times there are three shows in conflict and I can't be home.  We'll see if that unit ever comes to market.  If the TR-50's tuner is as good as the DTT900's, I can manage on an indoor antenna in that room as well.

I just fed my coax off the roof into an eave vent, into the attic, and then down the plumbing chase. Always a way to get coax into the house without drilling strait through the wall.

I just fed my coax off the roof into an eave vent, into the attic, and then down the plumbing chase.

"Just"?  Way beyond my skills, JLDet5.  Opening a window or a door and closing it again, that's more my speed.  If there were an existing opening that I could actually use, I'd use it.  There's also no plumbing in that part of the house, so it would at the least mean a new interior hole from the attic through the bedroom ceiling.

Thank you both, and welcome back, Gilbert.

OK, so twin-lead is bad, just as I had thought.* I could run just a couple of feet of it to get in through the door and then coax from there, but we'd still have the split (though it's avoidable; in one of the rooms an indoor antenna is doing an adequate job) and some extra connectors; also, the conversions between 75 ohms and 300 ohms are surely lossy, right?*

A split is 3 db loss in a perfect world, or 50% of your signal; a 300 to 75 ohm adapter is about 1 db, so it's not bad.

So it looks as though there's no way to add a second outdoor antenna without drilling a hole in the house.* The existing roof antenna (vintage 1950s and presumably aimed at the Prudential) can barely feed one set; most digital stations become hopeless if the run is split to two, especially WYCC (haven't tried it since WWME-LP signed on, but its signal is so weak there that it wouldn't stand the split either).

Vintage 1950's?!? Whoa! Wow, I'm surprised it has lasted that long. No, wait, I'm utterly amazed! Well, this explains something...


The idea was this: there is a small canopy over the outside of the door to the second-floor sundeck, and, unable to go onto the roof safely myself, I was thinking of adding a new antenna on the side of the canopy with a view over the roof.

That should work well.

My underlying problem is that the ATSC tuner on the TV in the other room is pretty bad: I'm not even sure that an outdoor antenna would help much, as I've taken it to another room to connect it to our existing outdoor antenna and seen less improvement than hoped for; however, that antenna's coax is flimsier stuff, about 5 mm in outside diameter of the insulation, rather than the 6-mm line that has been installed by Group W, Prime Cable, or Comcast over the years, and running heavier-gauge line may help.

What you describe perfectly is RG-59 cable. What Comcast and others use is RG-6 cable. Anything longer than 10'-15' at best means you are leaking signal like crazy. Even worse, it's not insulated, so you are also getting signal leakage from the outside, as well as interference. Replace that cable and you should see a MUCH better signal off of it.


One thing I'm considering right now is waiting for the Echostar TR-50 and hoping it has a better ATSC tuner and feeding it to the televison's component input, since I could also use the additional DVR for the times there are three shows in conflict and I can't be home.* We'll see if that unit ever comes to market.* If the TR-50's tuner is as good as the DTT900's, I can manage on an indoor antenna in that room as well.

Sounds good. Go the cheap route first: replace that garbage RG-59 with RG-6, and that 1950s antenna may be good enough to go! :eek: The only thing worse than RG-59 is 300 ohm twin lead, and not by a large margin at all.

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1240838&Service=DT&Form_id=301&Facility_id=9617

That is WBBM-DT's filing for channel 12.

They are asking for 8 kW.

- Trip

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1240838&Service=DT&Form_id=301&Facility_id=9617

That is WBBM-DT's filing for channel 12.

They are asking for 8 kW.

- Trip

Thanks, Trip. I hadn't caught up on all of the FCC filings yet. At 8 KW, it's above what the FCC would allow on Sears Tower, but they rejected the 13.8 kw application not because of too high power, but because of the interference with the station in Angola. With less than .5% interference, this app should sail right on through. And with 300' more height, pretty much double the power...they should finally, and easily, make it out to DeKalb, 60 miles west. It's the latest in the saga that I hope will finally end the "Billy Goat curse" of bad signal on WBBM-TV/DT. Stay tuned, folks...

Anyone having trouble with WGN today during the Cubs game? Since the storms came through, I am constantly having the digital channel drop out. Literally I am having 6-8 bars (out of 10) then it drops to zero bars and I get a "Weak or No Signal" message, then jumps back to the 6-8 bars. Usually I lock onto WGN with no problem. Is this rainstorm causing that much of an issue? Also, the channel says 9-1 and jumps to 19-1 occasionally, then back to 9-1. Is this a weather issue?

Thank you, Gilbert, as always.

What you describe perfectly is RG-59 cable. What Comcast and others use is RG-6 cable. Anything longer than 10'-15' at best means you are leaking signal like crazy. Even worse, it's not insulated, so you are also getting signal leakage from the outside, as well as interference. Replace that cable and you should see a MUCH better signal off of it.Well, here's the good news, if I can get someone to go up onto the roof: the RG-6 is already there, laid by Sprint when I ordered Sprint Broadband Direct back in 2001, lying dormant since I gave up on them and switched my Internet connection to Comcast in 2004.  Their pizzabox is aimed at Sears Tower, and if it received RF I'd be using it instead of the ancient antenna.  It goes to the basement, same as the RG-59 from the TV antenna.  The only tricks would be

(a) getting someone to go up on the roof, disconnect the RG-6 from the Sprint pizzabox, and attach it to the TV antenna, letting the RG-59 lie disconnected;

and

(b) [this I can do myself] cutting out the extra coils of RG-6 that the Sprint installer left along the basement ceiling because the signal from the pizzabox to my modem was too strong.

Right now the signal on the RG-59 is weak on UHF21 (WYCC) and UHF39 (WWME-LD).  Most of the other stations probably are already strong enough to be split and to feed two televisions.  I'll have to stick a two-way splitter in there and check for sure.

That doesn't solve my other problem, the one for which I'm considering a second on the canopy and bringing up things like twin-lead, the HD set with the lousy ATSC tuner, and the Echostar TR-50.

That [mounting a second antenna on the above-door canopy with a view over the roof] should work well.Good.  Thank you.

Saw this story:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080330-fcc-fends-off-fleeting-pokemon-attack.html

Fleeting or not, if you emboss yourself onto an Eggo waffle during a children's TV show, you're going to get fined by the FCC.

"Just"?* Way beyond my skills, JLDet5.* Opening a window or a door and closing it again, that's more my speed.* If there were an existing opening that I could actually use, I'd use it.* There's also no plumbing in that part of the house, so it would at the least mean a new interior hole from the attic through the bedroom ceiling.

If you needed to just go down from the attic to the top or only floor that would be easy. Real easy to run through an interior wall from the attic. Now if your trying to go down two floors that would be tough. Don't know what your fund availability is but hire somebody to fish it through for you. This stuff is pretty easy unless your trying to go down two floors.

Just gotten word
another big exciting news for the HD department coming soon to the Chicagoland area

Cant spill any more details yet :D

Breaking News

Long-time Chicago newswomen Diann Burns and Mary Ann Childers, along with sportscaster Mark Malone, are among around 18 WBBM-Ch. 2 staffers today either laid off or being told their contracts will not be renewed by the CBS-owned station.

Others from the station's staff of more than 200 confirmed to have been caught in the cost-cutting sweep included reporters Katie McCall and Rafael Romo, executive producers Vicki Zwart and Caryn Brooks, producer Harvey Moshman and investigative producer Phil Hayes.
http://wgntv.trb.com/news/local/chi-wbbm-channel-2-cuts-childers-mar31,0,680953.story

good riddance, Diann Burns. I soured on her after her ridiculous home construction lawsuit shenanigans. Plus, she lost her adorable looks a good decade ago. Not worth keeping around, it was a good call. Mark Malone never quite fit in here, so I'm not surprised by his departure either. I do feel bad for Childers though. Seems like a classy lady.

As to the prior post.. hmm.. I am guessing either WGN or Fox local news is going HD. I'll take my winnings in any denomination you choose. :p

I didn't realize until now that you had some very nice summarys at the front of this thread. NICE JOB!

Thanks! Hope you continue to find it helpful. Any suggestions for new posts up there, just let me know.

If you needed to just go down from the attic to the top or only floor that would be easy. Real easy to run through an interior wall from the attic. Now if your trying to go down two floors that would be tough. Don't know what your fund availability is but hire somebody to fish it through for you. This stuff is pretty easy unless your trying to go down two floors.You're honestly trying to be helpful, JLDet5, and let's hope that many other readers here will benefit from your suggestions, but your definition of "easy" doesn't carry over to me.

The destination room is on the top floor, but our attic is a squeezed crawl space, not the kind where a person can stand up and walk around.  Then, dropping coax down inside a wall (assuming that the top of the wall is open inside the attic) implies bringing it out of the wall in the room below, moreover at a predetermined point.

I'm also starting to wonder if a second outdoor antenna would be worthwhile.  If the stronger signals from an outdoor antenna still won't make the ATSC tuner on that television behave, I'll end up having to get an outboard tuner for it anyway (or doing without OTA in that room) and not needing an outdoor antenna for it.

Just gotten word
another big exciting news for the HD department coming soon to the Chicagoland area

Cant spill any more details yet :D

Well, I can't either, and out of respect for the company and its privacy, I've held off saying it here, too. But yes, it will be nice to have another station doing HD news in town.

I wouldn't care which, it would just be nice to get a third one in town. One less station requiring picture stretching or panel real estate defeating 4:3 in studio news content.

As to the prior post.. hmm.. I am guessing either WGN or Fox local news is going HD. I'll take my winnings in any denomination you choose. :p

I didnt mention anything about local news going HD :D

It's Pax, guys.

It's Pax, guys.
Didn't they already miss their promised deadline for 38-1 to air in HD by the end of March?  OK, so I haven't checked since the thirtieth, but surely someone would have posted something here if 38-1 were even broadcasting upconversions now.

I thought maybe it was WBBM doing their news in HD this summer when their new studios are finished.

No, from what he said it probably isn't the news. The Pax situation is the only thing I've heard about over in the programming threads, so I'm probably figuring it's that.

If it's a channel, what other channel (that anyone here would even care about) is left to go HD? Except maybe 23-1, but I think hvstrack probably would've said something.

No, from what he said it probably isn't the news. The Pax situation is the only thing I've heard about over in the programming threads, so I'm probably figuring it's that.

If it's a channel, what other channel (that anyone here would even care about) is left to go HD? Except maybe 23-1, but I think hvstrack probably would've said something.

I wish I had the bandwidth for that!!!

Something good to say about WTTW (though this will not matter to most of you): They have scheduled the Metropolitan Opera on Sunday afternoons on 11-1. See http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13534147#post13534147

Last season they only did three of six in HD. Now they appear to be doing all eight.

I've been moved from time to time by a little opera, though I am far from a devotee of the form. Nevertheless, always good to hear about some additional HD content.

As far as the mystery announcement having to do with the PAX network.. gosh, I sure hope not. That's the absolutely last station I would care to see go HD. I don't think I've tuned in to that station for more than 10 minutes in the last few years. Do they even have any programming that would benefit from an HD upgrade??

Doesnt WYCC still have to go hd.. I know they have everything set.. just havent gone HD yet.

Speaking of WYCC, are there others here who have serious trouble with their digital signal on UHF21?  For me it goes in and out; while WWME-DT's is steadily on the weak side because of its low power, WYCC's fades and returns, fades and returns, sometimes stays faded.  It's like that through our outdoor antenna and through the various indoor antennas in rooms where other digital stations come in well.

I'm just over eight miles NW of their transmitter on the Hancock Center.  Last night after the storms ended I could get a signal from them only intermittently.

It's Pax, guys.

Aren't those the guys with four or five sub-channels? I took down my OTA antenna a few months ago, but I seem to remember picking up a bunch of them during the channel scans.

Aren't those the guys with four or five sub-channels? I took down my OTA antenna a few months ago, but I seem to remember picking up a bunch of them during the channel scans.

WCPX has three or four subchannels, depending on your definition of the word subchannel: ION on 38-1, qubo on 38-2, IONLife on 38-3 (nice scanty swimwear on "Get Out!"), and Worship on 38-4, all at 480i with no HD as yet.

Breaking News

WGN-TV announced today a 3-year agreement with the Chicago Blackhawks to televise in HD up to 20 Chicago Blackhawks games to Chicago area viewers beginning with the 2008-2009 season.

For the first time in the team's history, the Chicago Blackhawks will have their entire 82-game regular season schedule and playoff games televised on both cable and free television. The remaining games, less those chosen by the national television networks, will be televised in HD on Comcast Sports Net Chicago.

http://wgntv.trb.com/about/station/wgn-blackhawks-pressrelease,0,4619120.story

Looks like it isn't Pax, from what I've heard. As far as subchannels, they currently have 3, but I think they'll cut those down if or when they do change over.

WYCC-HD (20-1) is already 1080i - they just haven't shown anything in HD yet.

WGN-TV announced today a 3-year agreement with the Chicago Blackhawks to televise in HD up to 20 Chicago Blackhawks games to Chicago area viewers beginning with the 2008-2009 season.Excellent. Good timing, if they keep going with their upward improvement out of what seemed like an eternity in mediocrity before this season. They'll actually be worth watching.

Damn. With all these HD pro sports now on WGN-DT, I sure wish they'd improve their equipment and PQ.

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1240838&Service=DT&Form_id=301&Facility_id=9617

That is WBBM-DT's filing for channel 12.

They are asking for 8 kW.

- Trip
This filing explains they'd use WTTW's existing analog antenna on Sears and "no tower work required."

Any conjecture on how well that old ch.11 antenna will perform for digital WBBM-DT on ch.12?

Is Spike HD gonna be our new chicagoland HD channel?

Lets hope. I'll like to see the Star Wars movies in HD.

turo

Excellent. Good timing, if they keep going with their upward improvement out of what seemed like an eternity in mediocrity before this season. They'll actually be worth watching.

Damn. With all these HD pro sports now on WGN-DT, I sure wish they'd improve their equipment and PQ.

They're completely rebuilding their Master Control for WGN and Superstation WGN, so hang in there, it's coming...I don't know when it will be done yet.

i dont know if i noticed, but does WLS keep the programming in HD whenever they broadcast an weather alert scroll
or they switch to the 4:3 ratio

also do WMAQ do the same thing ?

i dont know if i noticed, but does WLS keep the programming in HD whenever they broadcast an weather alert scroll
or they switch to the 4:3 ratio

also do WMAQ do the same thing ?

WLS switches to 4x3.

Hey hvs10trk,

This may be a stupid question but are there any plans to broadcast 23-1 in HD?

Hey hvs10trk,

This may be a stupid question but are there any plans to broadcast 23-1 in HD?

There is no such thing as a stupid question. :D As of right now, no plans. Probably 95%+ of the programming on MeTV is SD. It would be nice to see Star Trek (the HD remastered version). :)

There is no such thing as a stupid question. :D As of right now, no plans. Probably 95%+ of the programming on MeTV is SD. It would be nice to see Star Trek (the HD remastered version). :)

Just seeing the programming upconverted would be fantastic, OAR of course :)

It's funny, with all of the programming I have with Directv I find myself watching MeTV and MeToo a lot lately.

They're completely rebuilding their Master Control for WGN and Superstation WGN, so hang in there, it's coming...I don't know when it will be done yet.Increasing the bitrate would help even more. I don't know what they're skimping on it for, other than that they plan on adding a bunch of subs someday, and they don't want us to get too used to a better PQ.

New equipment doesn't help that much. The Stooges on WCIU-DT on Sat. night looks absolutely terrible since they've added MeToo. It used to look great after they first went to the higher resolution (and so did the old, B&W's on Svengoolie), now it's all "fuzzy" looking when stationary, and worse during movement. I'm really disappointed, because I was really enjoying the "clean" look after watching all those old, crappy, non-remastered prints in analog all those years. Now they look just as bad. In fact, the analog looks better - I switched over to that and ended up watching that instead. Another case now where I'll be sorry to see the analog channel go.

I knew this was going to happen - the bits were going to be taken away from something that I really enjoyed watching, but that they didn't deem so important (even if it's just being done "automatically", it's still the same, once you add that other sub). Other than the ballgames, The Stooges are the only thing I ever watch on that channel and I figured it was going to suffer. I really didn't expect it to be that much, though. The other three subs don't look any worse than WWME-DT and WFBT-DT used to look, so I imagine they're taking plenty away from WCIU-DT to supply MeToo.

Oh, well. I enjoyed it while it lasted.

i dont know if i noticed, but does WLS keep the programming in HD whenever they broadcast an weather alert scroll
or they switch to the 4:3 ratio

also do WMAQ do the same thing ?

I don't know if this is done at other times throughout their HD prime time programming lineup, but I've been noticing that during the Late Show w/ D. Lettermen, CBS will throw up a simple station identification line towards the bottom of the screen and run it for a few seconds during every broadcast. Unfortunately when they do it, they cut down the feed to a 4:3 480i (or some approximation thereof) image. Very annoying.

Increasing the bitrate would help even more. I don't know what they're skimping on it for, other than that they plan on adding a bunch of subs someday, and they don't want us to get too used to a better PQ.

New equipment doesn't help that much. The Stooges on WCIU-DT on Sat. night looks absolutely terrible since they've added MeToo. It used to look great after they first went to the higher resolution (and so did the old, B&W's on Svengoolie), now it's all "fuzzy" looking when stationary, and worse during movement. I'm really disappointed, because I was really enjoying the "clean" look after watching all those old, crappy, non-remastered prints in analog all those years. Now they look just as bad. In fact, the analog looks better - I switched over to that and ended up watching that instead. Another case now where I'll be sorry to see the analog channel go.

I knew this was going to happen - the bits were going to be taken away from something that I really enjoyed watching, but that they didn't deem so important (even if it's just being done "automatically", it's still the same, once you add that other sub). Other than the ballgames, The Stooges are the only thing I ever watch on that channel and I figured it was going to suffer. I really didn't expect it to be that much, though. The other three subs don't look any worse than WWME-DT and WFBT-DT used to look, so I imagine they're taking plenty away from WCIU-DT to supply MeToo.

Oh, well. I enjoyed it while it lasted.
MeToo should look better than WFBT was. We bumped up the bitrate 1.25 mb. Analog 48 and 26.3 are fed by the same STL therefore should be no difference in quality. It'll look better soon. :)

Is anyone experiencing problems with WCIU OTA? The last couple of days I'm getting major breakup. My Pioneer 5080 currently is showing 73 quality. It does fluctuate some. It drops to 57 at times. Normally channels hold on this TV down to around 30. I don't think it's a TV issue. All other channels hold fine. I'm about 60 miles south of Chicago.

Any advice?

Is anyone experiencing problems with WCIU OTA? The last couple of days I'm getting major breakup. My Pioneer 5080 currently is showing 73 quality. It does fluctuate some. It drops to 57 at times. Normally channels hold on this TV down to around 30. I don't think it's a TV issue. All other channels hold fine. I'm about 60 miles south of Chicago.

Any advice?

Just a thought, could it be interference from WCCU analog on channel 27 down toward Champaign? The transmitter is on US136 east of Rantoul.

- Trip

Is Spike HD gonna be our new chicagoland HD channel?

Lets hope. I'll like to see the Star Wars movies in HD.

turo

This is an OTA thread.

Just a thought, could it be interference from WCCU analog on channel 27 down toward Champaign? The transmitter is on US136 east of Rantoul.

- Trip

No idea. The problem just seems to have started. Coincidentally the TV just started shutting off on it's own a couple of times as well. It just did it and I counted the 12 blinking lights. Looks like there is a thread here about that being a problem with Pioneer TVs. I have no idea if the WCIU reception problem is related. Like I said it's just that station

i dont know if i noticed, but does WLS keep the programming in HD whenever they broadcast an weather alert scroll
or they switch to the 4:3 ratio

also do WMAQ do the same thing ?

They all do that.

They all do that.

Which I find funny, since the CBS, ABC and FOX affiliates in Rockford can do this without dropping to SD. Maybe WREX/NBC can, I haven't noticed.

No doubt about it, our ancient roof antenna is not up to the challenge of the digital age.  It was losing WFLD-HD tonight with frequent momentary dropouts and its reception of WYCC-HD and its subs was even worse than usual, yet a set-top antenna was pulling everything in just fine, and even occasionally getting WJYS-DT.

So here I am busy thinking of a second outdoor antenna for the two rear bedrooms, but back in the real universe our first one probably needs replacing as well; either that or getting new TVs with QAM tuners to replace the analog sets, or renting Comcast STBs for them, instead of adding CECBs to them.  Damn.  One way or another, the conversion will cost us more than just the CECBs minus the coupons.

Odd thing Thursday morning (2008-04-03): WJYS-DT's audio and video were coming in poorly (no surprise where I'm located) but some of its PSIP data weren't coming in at all, and the CECB duly relocated it from 62-1 to 36-1.  (Its actual frequency is that of UHF36.)  Did the audio and video data come without all the PSIP info or was there a problem with WJYS?  That evening I tuned the same box to 36-1 and it quickly moved the channel to 62-1 where it belongs.

Which I find funny, since the CBS, ABC and FOX affiliates in Rockford can do this without dropping to SD. Maybe WREX/NBC can, I haven't noticed.

They must of have this
TrueViewAlert HD (http://onboard.weather.com/media/products/trueviewalert/)
while our local stations dont

Coincidentally the TV just started shutting off on it's own a couple of times as well. It just did it and I counted the 12 blinking lights. Looks like there is a thread here about that being a problem with Pioneer TVs. If you completely disable the TVGOS by entering in all zeroes for the zipcode, the indiscriminate turning off and blinking issue should stop.

I can't even use the TVGOS in my Elite because of this. Fortunately, all my recorders have it built-in.

Odd thing Thursday morning (2008-04-03): WJYS-DT's audio and video were coming in poorly (no surprise where I'm located) but some of its PSIP data weren't coming in at all, and the CECB duly relocated it from 62-1 to 36-1.Wouldn't even have noticed or cared, since I have that channel blocked out because there isn't a damned thing I find worth watching on there.

TV preachers or infomercials - either way just con artists trying to sucker me out of my money.

Just a thought, could it be interference from WCCU analog on channel 27 down toward Champaign? The transmitter is on US136 east of Rantoul.

- Trip

Agreed. It's happened before.

No doubt about it, our ancient roof antenna is not up to the challenge of the digital age.* It was losing WFLD-HD tonight with frequent momentary dropouts and its reception of WYCC-HD and its subs was even worse than usual, yet a set-top antenna was pulling everything in just fine, and even occasionally getting WJYS-DT.

So here I am busy thinking of a second outdoor antenna for the two rear bedrooms, but back in the real universe our first one probably needs replacing as well; either that or getting new TVs with QAM tuners to replace the analog sets, or renting Comcast STBs for them, instead of adding CECBs to them.* Damn.* One way or another, the conversion will cost us more than just the CECBs minus the coupons.

Odd thing Thursday morning (2008-04-03): WJYS-DT's audio and video were coming in poorly (no surprise where I'm located) but some of its PSIP data weren't coming in at all, and the CECB duly relocated it from 62-1 to 36-1.* (Its actual frequency is that of UHF36.)* Did the audio and video data come without all the PSIP info or was there a problem with WJYS?* That evening I tuned the same box to 36-1 and it quickly moved the channel to 62-1 where it belongs.

Sounds like PSIP was missing. If the PMT (Program Management Table) is missing, tuners don't know where the channels map to and will default to the RF channel.

Wouldn't even have noticed or cared, since I have that channel blocked out because there isn't a damned thing I find worth watching on there.

TV preachers or infomercials - either way just con artists trying to sucker me out of my money.

Rammitinski, be assured that I am neither a Christian nor a sucker (not to imply that those go hand-in-hand, only that I am not either of them) and that the actual programming content on WJYS and WEDE interests me as little as it does you, perhaps even less.  It's just a matter of curiosity whether I can receive its signal, and of whether the lack of PSIP channel translation for a while was something missing in their transmission or in my reception.

Other than that, this morning the ancient outdoor antenna is behaving very well; so dang unpredictable.  Our neighbors to the immediate south, who have all their TVs connected to satellite, have what looks like a much better antenna going unused on their roof.  Our neighbor across the street, all of whose TVs are connected to cable, has two roof antennas left by the previous owners, neither in use.  If it weren't for the cost to pay someone to go up there and take it down, I might ask one family or the other to sell us one used.

Rammitinski, be assured that I am neither a Christian nor a sucker (not to imply that those go hand-in-hand, only that I am not either of them) and that the actual programming content on WJYS and WEDE interests me as little as it does you, perhaps even less.* It's just a matter of curiosity whether I can receive its signal, and of whether the lack of PSIP channel translation for a while was something missing in their transmission or in my reception.

Other than that, this morning the ancient outdoor antenna is behaving very well; so dang unpredictable.* Our neighbors to the immediate south, who have all their TVs connected to satellite, have what looks like a much better antenna going unused on their roof.* Our neighbor across the street, all of whose TVs are connected to cable, has two roof antennas left by the previous owners, neither in use.* If it weren't for the cost to pay someone to go up there and take it down, I might ask one family or the other to sell us one used.Reception was spotty for me, too, last night further out in your general direction. Must've been something in the atmosphere.

(Nothing against Christians - I'm one myself - just the type who unquestionably backed that guy that said God told him to invade another country that did absolutely nothing to us and get a bunch of innocent people killed. A lot of hypocrisy in organized religion, and too many governments using it over the people for their personal gain. ;))

went to watch a sox game today and suddenly could not pull in 9.1 with any reliability. nothing has changed, and i am only 3 miles from the sticks. the leaves aren't in yet, so i am out of options.

anyone?

went to watch a sox game today and suddenly could not pull in 9.1 with any reliability. nothing has changed, and i am only 3 miles from the sticks. the leaves aren't in yet, so i am out of options.

anyone?

100 SS out here

A couple of questions for the pro's. One, what wattage will channel 7 transmit at when they move to channel 7? Two, what would vhf-hi wattage equate to in uhf land? Thanks.

A couple of questions for the pro's. One, what wattage will channel 7 transmit at when they move to channel 7? Two, what would vhf-hi wattage equate to in uhf land? Thanks.

What I see is 3.2 kw. I have no idea on your second question

MeToo should look better than WFBT was. We bumped up the bitrate 1.25 mb. Analog 48 and 26.3 are fed by the same STL therefore should be no difference in quality. It'll look better soon. :)

hvs10trk, do you know of any problem with WCIU or, do I need to start moving my antenna around? Looking at the first page it seems ABC and WCIU are close in power. I have no problems getting ABC. Any advice would be appreciated. My antenna is the DB 8 from antennas direct. It's currently only about 8 feet in the air.

WCIU-DT and it's subs have been completely down for over an hour now.

So they must be having some kind of problem over there.

WCIU-DT and it's subs have been completely down for over an hour now.

So they must be having some kind of problem over there.

Sears Tower was doing maintenance. We had to shut down.

hvs10trk, do you know of any problem with WCIU or, do I need to start moving my antenna around? Looking at the first page it seems ABC and WCIU are close in power. I have no problems getting ABC. Any advice would be appreciated. My antenna is the DB 8 from antennas direct. It's currently only about 8 feet in the air.
Since you're 60 miles south, it is quite possible that WCCU is messin' with ya. As far as the TV turning off, I've heard of another similar problem from a Rockford station. I'll check into it. As far as problems, we're not having any that I am aware of.

A couple of questions for the pro's. One, what wattage will channel 7 transmit at when they move to channel 7? Two, what would vhf-hi wattage equate to in uhf land? Thanks.

3.2 kw, and 30 kilowatts at 800'. Because Sears Tower is so tall, they have to substantially reduce power or they'd be seen beyond what they should and interfere with other markets.

Sears Tower was doing maintenance. We had to shut down.

OK, that also explains the outage of WCPX-DT and its subs, but doeisn't WCPX analog come from Hancock?  It was out too.

They must of have this
TrueViewAlert HD (http://onboard.weather.com/media/products/trueviewalert/)
while our local stations dont

We need to pass this along to CBS,NBC,ABC,WGN, and the other stations...

Since you're 60 miles south, it is quite possible that WCCU is messin' with ya. As far as the TV turning off, I've heard of another similar problem from a Rockford station. I'll check into it. As far as problems, we're not having any that I am aware of.


Ok if this is the case, how do I go about it not messing with me? This just recently started

3.2 kw, and 30 kilowatts at 800'. Because Sears Tower is so tall, they have to substantially reduce power or they'd be seen beyond what they should and interfere with other markets.

So, I'm going to lose ABC along with CBS (already MIA) next February?

So, I'm going to lose ABC along with CBS (already MIA) next February?


Yep, gonna have to get a combination VHF UHF or, add a VHF I guess. I'm in the same boat

Yep, gonna have to get a combination VHF UHF or, add a VHF I guess. I'm in the same boat

In the VHF analog world, I can't get channel 2 or 5 at all. I get channel 7, 9, 11, and 13, but 7 has bends and ghosts all over the screen.

OK, that also explains the outage of WCPX-DT and its subs, but doeisn't WCPX analog come from Hancock?* It was out too.

Nope. WBBM and WYCC are from Hancock; all the rest are Sears (although WLS et al have backups on Hancock). WBBM will be moving to Sears when they move to channel 12.

12voltguys: A highly directional UHF antenna would be needed, but it won't stop it if there's severe "tropospheric ducting" going on (aka "skip", aka look Mom, I can get stations from over 400 mile away tonight!"). Analog interference like that will generally stop next February.

Heisman: Correct, if you don't have a VHF-HI antenna. Actually, a ChannelMaster 4228 UHF antenna does respectably well within 30 miles of a VHF-HI staton (channels 7-13). Otherwise, you'll need to diplex a VHF-HI antenna to your setup, or just get a VHF-UHF "combination" antenna, the kind you typically used to see on rooftops.

As far as the TV turning off, I've heard of another similar problem from a Rockford station. I'll check into it.Don't even bother . The intermittent turning off and following 12 blinks is a known problems with last year's Pioneers (not sure if it carried over to this year's), and it seems to have something to do with the TVGOS somehow. I think if you have the TV on when it goes to download the data, and maybe also if the host channel signal is weak, that's when it happens. Or something like that. I don't think the cause was ever pinpointed exactly. Just sort of deduced to a probable point. Anyways, if you completely disable the TVGOS like I said, that usually stops it.

There was a big, long running thread on it in the plasma forum, but it's probably in the archives by now. (Mine does it, too - you may just have to live without the TVGOS, unfortunately.)

Nope. WBBM, WSNS and WYCC are from Hancock; all the rest are Sears (although WLS et al have backups on Hancock).
Surely you mean WGBO, not WSNS.  Those three stations send their digital transmissions from Hancock, but -- I'll check again -- tvfool.com and antennaweb.org both list WGN's, WFLD's, and WCPX's analog transmissions as coming from Hancock.

WBBM will be moving to Sears when they move to channel 12.
Yes, but WYCC-DT is not moving, and if WGBO-DT is taking over WCPX's channel-38 transmitter, and if that is on Hancock, they're not moving either.

Surely you mean WGBO, not WSNS.* Those three stations send their digital transmissions from Hancock, but -- I'll check again -- tvfool.com and antennaweb.org both list WGN's, WFLD's, and WCPX's analog transmissions as coming from Hancock.


Yes, but WYCC-DT is not moving, and if WGBO-DT is taking over WCPX's channel-38 transmitter, and if that is on Hancock, they're not moving either.

WSNS-TV/DT are both on Sears.

According to antennaweb.org and tvfool.com, WGN's, WFLD's, and WCPX's analog transmissions are from Hancock.  But then again, tvfool.som listed WLS's analog transmissions as also coming from Hancock and antennaweb.org showed the post-transition channel-12 WBBM-DT on Hancock, both of which definitely are/will be from Sears.

We need to pass this along to CBS,NBC,ABC,WGN, and the other stations...

allready emailed WMAQ & WLS
waiting for a reply

WSNS-TV/DT are both on Sears.

You are correct, my bad. Trying to keep track of where every station is without looking at my list on the front page was a bad idea. :o

Trying to keep track of where every station is without looking at my list on the front page was a bad idea. :o

Gilbert, are you positive that WGBO-DT transmits from Sears Tower?  Antennaweb.org, 2150.com, and tvfool.com all have it on the Hancock Center, and antennaweb.org and tvfool.com also locate WCPX analog on Hancock (which relates because WGBO-DT will be taking over that frequency and perhaps that antenna).  Maybe you're right and they're wrong.

Somethings wrong with WGN Cubs are not in HD
someone needs to wake them up

WGN what are you Doing?????? Loooks like they hired an idiot behind the satellite truck... They first had audio issues as they couldnt get the promo's and the audio to sync up. Then the HD picture flipped off, then on then off.. now it sounds like they are talking through a phone. So now we have no HD pic, nore an audio quality thats worth anything...

Ok were back up now :)

Looks like WBBM is set for July to move into their new all high def studio
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=156517

Ok were back up now :)

Is this game in HD on WGN 9 OTA? I've been watching the game since the 6th inning on Superstation WGN HD on U-Verse and it has been in SD the whole way. Are they just having technical problems?

Tom

WGN was having a major meltown at the ballpark. It was up for half of the game then they completly lost all video for the entire 3rd inning wich was over an hour... They said that the HD feed would be back up, but it never returned.


Is this game in HD on WGN 9 OTA? I've been watching the game since the 6th inning on Superstation WGN HD on U-Verse and it has been in SD the whole way. Are they just having technical problems?

Tom

Gilbert, are you positive that WGBO-DT transmits from Sears Tower?* Antennaweb.org, 2150.com, and tvfool.com all have it on the Hancock Center, and antennaweb.org and tvfool.com also locate WCPX analog on Hancock (which relates because WGBO-DT will be taking over that frequency and perhaps that antenna).* Maybe you're right and they're wrong.

I thought they were on Sears. HVS, do you know for sure?

I thought they were on Sears. HVS, do you know for sure?

WGBO definately on the Hancock at present.

WGBO definately on the Hancock at present.

Thanks. Oddly enough, they're one of my strongest stations out here.

We need to pass this along to CBS,NBC,ABC,WGN, and the other stations...

Got a reply from WFLD, and said that they have the TrueView allready installed at the station and have been using it for the past 18 months

There is an issue with the Fox ASI Splicer system

an ASI splicer, which FOX uses to deliver the HD signal to affiliates across the country. The splicer prevents local affiliates from running any crawl (HD or SD) over the HD stream delivered from FOX. They are sensitive to FOX concerns regarding this and have been working the last couple of years to find a solution that will work for the local affiliates

good riddance, Diann Burns. I soured on her after her ridiculous home construction lawsuit shenanigans. Plus, she lost her adorable looks a good decade ago. Not worth keeping around, it was a good call. Mark Malone never quite fit in here, so I'm not surprised by his departure either. I do feel bad for Childers though. Seems like a classy lady.

As to the prior post.. hmm.. I am guessing either WGN or Fox local news is going HD. I'll take my winnings in any denomination you choose. :p

Look like Ryan Baker from WMAQ is the replacement for Mark Malone
http://cbs2chicago.com/pressreleases/ryan.baker.cbs2.2.691456.html

Is anyone experiencing problems with WCIU OTA? The last couple of days I'm getting major breakup. My Pioneer 5080 currently is showing 73 quality. It does fluctuate some. It drops to 57 at times. Normally channels hold on this TV down to around 30. I don't think it's a TV issue. All other channels hold fine. I'm about 60 miles south of Chicago.

Any advice?

I am having the same issues since about the same time frame. In Oswego, using Vista Media Center. Channel was very strong for the past six months and then all of a sudden can't pull it in at all. Really irks me as I'm addicted to People's Court! :)

Noticed that WLS-TV started to use the HD feeds from the Sports games Highlights

The other day (4/08/08), I noticed WGN's Cubs game had a video and audio outage aqgain. This one was only a few minutes, but they once again used a telephone hookup for audio and dropped to SD video. Ugh. They've got to get this fixed...

Also...WLS, WBBM, and WWTO-DT...check this out:

http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0001/t.12659.html#

Hey, that's great! Exactly what I was asking to see a few posts back. Thanks!

We need to pass this along to CBS,NBC,ABC,WGN, and the other stations...

Looks like WGN has addressed the issue with the Weather Alert Scrolls
Good Job :thumbs up

Patent suits translate into costlier transition to digital TV for viewers, nonprofit says
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080416/digital_tv_patent_fight.html?.v=2

My tivo hd recorded the news hour (11-1). When did wttw go hd with the news hour?

Not that I need to see Jim Lehrer's yellow teeth on my 100" front projector.:eek:

I get WCIU HD on my two HD boxes (Ch. 183). However, I also have a 20" LG HDTV in my kitchen with no box but I get most of the locals in HD, i.e. 2-1, 5-1, 7-1, etc., which is great. I cannot seem to find WCIU in HD for an HDTV (sans cable box).

What is the CADTV channel for WCIU in HD?

Thanks, in advance.

wciu 26-1 (27) sox game looking good!

The first page of the thread is noted

My tivo hd recorded the news hour (11-1). When did wttw go hd with the news hour?

Not that I need to see Jim Lehrer's yellow teeth on my 100" front projector.:eek:

That show switched to HD this week. And it wasn't just WTTW - it's national.

wciu 26-1 (27) sox game looking good!

The first page of the thread is noted

Interesting. I do not get 26-1 either manually entered or via a scan. In fact, the scan jumps from 11-3 to 28-1...no channels in between.

????

I feel like Jerry Lewis and all you guys are Dean Martin. I get HSN when entering '27' when in CATV and CADTV mode. I do see WCIU SD in TV and CATV modes on Ch. 13.

I've regressed.

Interesting. I do not get 26-1 either manually entered or via a scan. In fact, the scan jumps from 11-3 to 28-1...no channels in between.

????

This is the Chicago OTA thread. I'd ask your question in the Chicago Comcast thread for better results.

Okay. Thanks.

That show switched to HD this week. And it wasn't just WTTW - it's national.


Actually the show has been in HD for a while, I would catch the feed of it on (AMC3) PBS NATIONAL FEED. Now PBS looks great on that bird.

so, if CBS drops their 2 analog and starts using 12 digital, what will the station street name be? CBS 12 chicago or something else. will 12 still resolve to 2 in digital tuners?

i have the same question for all of the other channels that have a different digital numbers than analog ones.

and yes, i know they will still have the same call signs.

so, if CBS drops their 2 analog and starts using 12 digital, what will the station street name be? CBS 12 chicago or something else. will 12 still resolve to 2 in digital tuners?

i have the same question for all of the other channels that have a different digital numbers than analog ones.

and yes, i know they will still have the same call signs.

Just as their current digital signal on channel 3 resolves to 2.1 and they still call themselves CBS2Chicago, their post-transition digital signal on channel 12 will resolve to 2.1 and they'll continue to go by CBS2Chicago.

Is wls off the air? Im getting a searching for signal out here in manteno, and my mom just called as she's getting the same thing. Wondering whats going on.

Is wls off the air? Im getting a searching for signal out here in manteno, and my mom just called as she's getting the same thing. Wondering whats going on.

dead here

Called WLS Engeneering Dept. Left a message on their machine. Dont know if they are aware of it.. Its dead on D* too.

Dead here also.

dead here

so much for the eli stone season finale

It's there on Comcast ch 187.

Lost feed OTA and cable also. Was popping in and out of HD during Lost, then it just went away...:eek:

Back up now on D* and OTA

WLS just came back up here. Is it asking too much for the number one station in the number three market to have a back up transmitter?:mad:

Never had a problem here.

They mentioned on the news that they had a power surge with their transmitter upon the sears tower wich left them off air for 45min. While Cable subs were not affected, D* and OTA was. Im assuming that D* doest have a direct fiber link like comcast does. You would think they would have a back up over at the Hancock, or on a tower some where.

Actually the show has been in HD for a while, I would catch the feed of it on (AMC3) PBS NATIONAL FEED. Now PBS looks great on that bird.

If i remember correctly it started in December

They mentioned on the news that they had a power surge with their transmitter upon the sears tower wich left them off air for 45min. While Cable subs were not affected, D* and OTA was. Im assuming that D* doest have a direct fiber link like comcast does. You would think they would have a back up over at the Hancock, or on a tower some where.

Hey gang,

Yep, they had power surges at Sears tonight. Known to be affected were WMAQ-TV/DT, which went off and on the air for about 10 minutes; the worst was WLS-TV/DT, which bore the brunt of it and was off for nearly 45 minutes. Oddly enough, during that time and probably unrelated was that WYCC-DT went off the air for a bit at the same time. That was odd, since, of course, they broadcast from the Hancock.

Edit: DirecTV picks up all analog and digital signals OTA (except for WBBM-DT, that's via fiber); I believe Dish Network does the same.