Dallas, TX - HDTV

[joegarrett]

For those of you who don't receive KDFI 27-DT.

I talk to KDFI's engineer Guy Partridge today explaining that in Lewisville I'm unable to get 27-DT. I also told him that many others are in the same boat. He explained that KDFI was only trying to fulfill the FCC requirement of digital to Dallas, so they are using a very small antenna located on the same tower that 33 broadcasts from on a vary narrow beam and only transmitting at 11.2KW of power. He said he understood about the reception problems and those concerns had been passed to management, but management wasn't yet ready to sink a lot of money into the digital side of 27.

So, If all you can receive is digital, like me, then there will be a long wait to receive 27-DT.

One other thing, Guy said that 27 was all up converted from 480i to 480p.

OK, now I'm bummed..................

[rtype]

Why so bummed? What could you possibly be missing on 27?

I live in an apartment near Frankford Rd. and the Tollway just north of Addison and just ordered the Channel Master CM4228. I'm hoping I can use this indoors and still get all the other channels. I can live without 27 and the religious channel.

[corinthbandit]

Originally posted by rtype
Why so bummed? What could you possibly be missing on 27?

Ranger games.....

[tomr]

Originally posted by corinthbandit
Ranger games.....

Like he said, What could you possibly be missing on 27?

[corinthbandit]

Originally posted by tomr
Like he said, What could you possibly be missing on 27?

Missing your attempt at humor? I guess you don't follow baseball but the Rangers are currently in first place in their division. Yea, it would be nice to catch a game in DT.

[stewlevine]

VOD coming soon!!!! I was on the phone ordering the Mot. HD DVR (install to be Friday am.) and the rep was telling me that VOD would be available this summer! He also said that approx. 40% of the programing would be free! Even better..... if true.... Does anyone have the inside scoop on this?

I would check out http://www.broadbandreports.com/foru...1587~mode=flat
kcharg (who works for Comcast) contributes there much more frequently than on AVS, he has said that VOD is being held up by a large number of non-responding boxes in the Metroplex, but that it was coming, but was not sure which cities would go 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc... Comcast's local print ads have been saying that VOD is coming for a while now, it will be interesting to see when we get it.

[Thomas Desmond]

> on a vary narrow beam and only transmitting at 11.2KW of power.

That must be a very narrow beam indeed that KDFI(DT) uses to cause you to get no signal in Lewisville while I get a perfectly solid signal here in Plano! But I guess that makes sense if they are beaming at Dallas from Cedar Hill, I'd be in the same direction even for a very tight beam.

[Cheezmo]

KXAS-DT has had a week signal all weekend (Friday night was fine, started Saturday). Normal signal strengh on my reciever is 88, now it is down in the 40's and pixelating. Anyone else noticed weekness/problems with KXAS?

They also have PSIP problem that prevents some recievers from tuning them properly. The DirecTV 10-250 HD TiVo won't find 5-2 on a scan and it can only be accessed by tuning 41-3 (you get 5-1 if you tune to 41-2).

[joegarrett]

Originally posted by rtype
Why so bummed? What could you possibly be missing on 27?

I live in an apartment near Frankford Rd. and the Tollway just north of Addison and just ordered the Channel Master CM4228. I'm hoping I can use this indoors and still get all the other channels. I can live without 27 and the religious channel.

Stars hockey and sitcoms

[dalbrit1]

Cheezmo,

Noticed the weak signal on NBC-5 as well over the last few days. My Dish 811 has had trouble locking in the signal's been so low. A similar thing happened a couple of months ago (it was mentioned in this thread) but I don't know if anyone found out what the problem was then.

Hope they sort it out soon.

[Tonedeaf]

Originally posted by corinthbandit
Ranger games.....

Do the Rangers have games broadcast in HD? Curious as I cannot pull in 27 DT channel.

[Cheezmo]

I've never seen any true HD on 27. Definitely not the Rangers games.

[Tonedeaf]

Thanks, Cheezmo, making sure I wasn't missing anything wit not pulling in the digital side of the station.

[Scotty6595]

Tonedeaf,
The Rangers will be in HD on July 11 @ 1:00pm. Rangers vs. Red Sox (I think). It will be on Comcast INHD 1 or 2, can't remember which. I know you are probably a Sat user but maybe one of the local sports bars will be showing it in HD...... It will be on at my house!

Scotty

[lady400]

I swapped out my DTC-100 for a HD-Tivo just a couple of weeks ago. At first, all seemed good on OTA. Early tests showed signals varying between 80's and 90's, picking up everything but channel 27 (gave up on that one some time ago).

After a couple of botched "Drew Carey" recordings from WFAA, I am now getting near nada on signal strength. Tests on frequency 9 are bouncing from the 30's to zero. All other stations are still ok, but strength is generally down from the early tests, ranging 70's to 80's.

I'm not sure what could have changed after initial setup. I've been using a generic Rat Shack VHF/UHF combo in the attic for several years without problem (with the DTC-100). I am quite close to Cedar Hill, being in SE Arlington, with clear line of sight.

I have heard that the HD-Tivo tuners could be more sensitive than my previous receiver. Should I try an attenuator first? Being this close, is it possible I am getting too much signal, despite the attic installation?

[CPanther95]

I'm trying to update a master list of OTA HD stations. Dallas has not yet been updated. Can somebody that knows what networks are broadcasting in HD or HD/DD5.1 go to the following link and post the info?

National List of Stations Broadcasting HD / DD5.1

Thanks....

[lady400]

I did end up trying the attenuator here in SE Arlington with the HD-Tivo. Seems to working great so far, I went from a wildly bouncing signal ranging from 0 to 30's to a steady signal in the 90's. All other stations are a bit stronger and steadier too, high 80's to low 90's. I think I was just getting overloaded with signal on these new tuners.

In addition, thanks to Johnny Stigler at WFAA for assisting me via email.

[mwhip]

So I ordered my HD-TiVo this week and I want to take the next month getting my place ready to receive it.

I am in East Dallas by White Rock and I want to use an indoor antenna. So what would you suggest I use? I really don't want to have to move the antenna at all.

[still-asleep]

hi all.. just an FYI here. I was looking for an indoor antenna I could use to pick up my OTA digitals in an apartment complex in north central plano off legacy dr.

I tried the silver sensor and a couple others with no luck at all. today I went to radio shack and bought an amplified vhf/uhf hdtv antenna, and it's working great. I'm getting everything except 27-1.

here is a link to it:

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...5Fid=15%2D1880

hope that helps someone who was in the same situation I was!

[rtype]

Originally posted by still-asleep
http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...5Fid=15%2D1880

hope that helps someone who was in the same situation I was!

You're getting everything off of THAT? I have a big outdoor antenna that I haven't mounted outside yet near Frankford and the Tollway and I'm not able to get 27 (I don't care), ABC or WB (I actually do care). Maybe I should have tried this indoor antenna first.

[still-asleep]

yeah, I couldn't believe it either.. LOL.... I was just bored and thought "what the hell, I'll try another antenna", so I went to radio shack to find something to try, and decided on this one. it was pixelated at first, just had to do some moving the of the straight antenna extendable pieces, and adjusted the gain knob, and wow... got lucky!

the biggest thing I wanted was ABC, so that when football season comes up, I'll be able to get Monday night football in HD.

I should also mention, it's going into a hughes HTL-HD receiver some receivers pick up OTA better than others, so for what that's worth, that's what I'm using.

[texasdiver]

Hi guys:

Just found this forum and there's a lot of great info.

I'm curious if there is a master list of the DFW-area digital/HD stations that I can reference. I'm located in China Spring which is about 15 miles NW of Waco. The Waco/Temple stations are all located about 30 miles away at 175 degrees and come in fine in analog. The DFW stations appear to be about 65 miles away at 5 degrees. The problem is that when I go to antennaweb with my address it doesn't show the DFW stations even though I can get analog broadcasts from DFW and I know my neighbors get the digitals. I want to know I need to be aiming at.

I just bought a DirecTV HD Tivo machine and the installer is coming out to day so I haven't yet had a chance to see what I can get OTA from my location using this tuner.

Also, I'm curious if any of you antenna gurus have any advice on what might be the ideal antenna setup from my location. I'm in a heavily wooded subdivision on a bluff overlooking the Brazos River so once I clear the trees I have perfect view over the valley to the north towards Dallas. What I have done so far is the following:

Bought a 30' telescoping steel channel master antenna mast and a channel master 3018 UHF/VHF antenna from Lowes. This is the 2nd largest antenna in the channel master line. I mounted the antenna mast on my roof against my chimney which is a wood-frame chimney with a steel stovepipe inside like all the new chimneys so I could screw attachment bolts right into it. So the base of my mast is at about 15' and with it extended to 25' it appears that I can clear all the trees and have a direct line-of-sight in 360 degrees. I don't have an antenna motor so I have to climb up to the roof and rotate the antenna by hand.

What I am thinking is that I should keep this channelmaster antenna pointed at Temple to bring in the Waco NBC, CBS, and PBS HD broadcasts and then take a 2nd UFH antenna (perhaps a 4228) and install it on my mast above the 3018 to point towards Dallas. Then use as channelmaster 7777 amp and split the feeds between the two antennas.

However what I don't have is a reference list of the DFW-area HD stations so that I can determine what sort frequency range I am trying to pull in and what sort of antenna is going to be most ideal. Unfortunately in Waco we have NBC on VHF and the rest on UHF so I need a combo antenna. If the same is true of DFW then I'll probably need to put up another big combo antenna pointed at DFW.

Any comments or suggestions? This is all totally new to me so I'm just struggling through a steep learning curve.

[texasdiver]

quick follow-up.

Looking at some of the antennaweb station listings up-thread it appears that ABC is the only DFW affiliate that is broadcasting digital on VHF. Is this true? Because my neighbors tell me it is impossible to pull that station in from my area because it is stepped on by a weather radar broadcast by a Waco station on the same frequency. If that is indeed the case then perhaps I only need a UHF antenna to pull in all that is available in DFW area.

[mraiford]

I'm in the plano area, near 75 & Legacy...

This is what antenna web spits back at me:

* blue - uhf KXTX-DT 40.1 TEL DALLAS TX 200° 36.8 40
* blue - uhf KTVT-DT 11.1 CBS Fort Worth TX 198° 36.8 19
* blue - uhf KERA-DT 13.1 PBS Dallas TX 198° 36.8 14
* blue - uhf KDAF-DT 33.1 WB Dallas TX 197° 39.2 32
* violet - uhf KDFW-DT 4.1 FOX Dallas TX 200° 37.0 35
* violet - uhf KFWD-DT 51.2 IND FORT WORTH TX 200° 36.5 51
* violet - uhf KUVN-DT 24.1 UNI GARLAND TX 200° 36.5 24
* violet - uhf KDTN-DT 2.1 PBS Denton TX 197° 39.2 43
* violet - uhf KPXD-DT 68.1 PAX Arlington TX 200° 36.6 42
* violet - uhf KSTR-DT 49.1 UNI IRVING TX 197° 39.2 48
* violet - uhf KTXA-DT 21.1 UPN Fort Worth TX 197° 39.2 18
* violet - uhf KXAS-DT 5.1 NBC Fort Worth TX 200° 36.8 41
* violet - vhf WFAA-DT 8.1 ABC Dallas TX 200° 37.0 9

It appears to me that the direction is nearly the same for all stations that support DTV.

One of my main issues is I live in an apartment so a rooftop antenna is not going to happen, so I'm restricted to an indoor antenna, or possibly the outdoor antenna that looks like dish-sized box. (mounted on my patio, of course)

I purchased a phillips antenna (box says good for HDTV) from walmart, and while the antenna not near any windows, could get at most a 30% signal, average around 15-20%. With the antenna near the window I was getting 30-40%, With a metal object behind the antenna I can actually get a barely watchable signal on some channels. The type of antenna is a small UHF loop.

After reading a post on here about the radio shack indoor antenna (bow-tie+reflector), I'm considering stopping by on my way home and picking that one up, returnning the other one.

What do you think, given the antennaweb listing and my results last night (during a bit of a storm, too... if that makes much difference)?

The good news was the signals seemed to be fairly steady, so I assume no ghosting... Suprisingly Univision was nearly flawless with the antenna near the window.

It's a bit frustrating I recently purchased an HDTV card for my computer, the cable connection in that room appears to be crossed, signals come in weak, no color on analog channels, same signal on both A and B.

[Xesdeeni]

Stick with the Silver Sensor for indoor reception. There are some bar-type antennas that might work on your patio, if you are pointing in the right direction.

Xesdeeni

[bavaria72]

OK, I must be loosing my mind. I live in Rockwall and have a TERK 55 hanging outside. I am able to pull in 4, 8, 11, 13, 21, and 33 OTA but I can't get Channel 5. I am using an E* 811 as my tuner. I have deleted the channel list several times and performed a rescan. No 5. I have tried to manually input the channel but the tuner just doesn't see it. I have repostioned the antenna and still nothing. Rest of the OTA channels are coming in around 87% - 89%. Any suggestions? Thanks - Art

[Xesdeeni]

A few months ago (check up-thread for the related comments) channel 5's power dropped dramatically. I get over 90% for most channels, but 5 regularly hovers around 50% and sometimes drops below. When that happens, I get breakups. I e-mailed them and asked if this would be fixed before the Olympics, but they didn't answer. You might want to follow suit and maybe we can help them realize how many people are watching (or in your case, NOT watching).

Xesdeeni

[bavaria72]

Thanks for the info. I will shoot off an e-mail today. Interesting. - Art

[tomr]

Originally posted by bavaria72
OK, I must be loosing my mind. I live in Rockwall and have a TERK 55 hanging outside. I am able to pull in 4, 8, 11, 13, 21, and 33 OTA but I can't get Channel 5. I am using an E* 811 as my tuner. I have deleted the channel list several times and performed a rescan. No 5. I have tried to manually input the channel but the tuner just doesn't see it. I have repostioned the antenna and still nothing. Rest of the OTA channels are coming in around 87% - 89%. Any suggestions? Thanks - Art

I was having a similar problem with my Terk 55. After hearing so many negative comments here I went and got the Channel Master Stealth Antenna. That did the trick. I was having problems with UPN and WB. If I tuned them in I would lose 5 or 11 I can't remember. With the new CM I have no problems at all.

It seems the negative comments about the Terk were warranted. At least for me! The Stealth was only $40.00. Didn't come with a pole I used the one I had with the Terk.

[dalbrit1]

I've been having exactly the same problems with Channel 5 over the last couple of months. What email address are you sending to Xesdeeni, and I will shoot them an email right away and ask them to turn up the power a bit. It drives my wife crazy because she loves Law and Order!