Memphis, TN - HDTV - Page 6

dirk1843,

I'm from Arkansas, that's why I'm in midtown-just couldnt get too far away!
I just bought the new RS 15-2116 8 device and am working on programming the CM rotor remote into my STB channel functions.

Oh yeah, cable here is terrible I miss my Directv

I've also had my HD cable box for about 3 weeks. Only 2 HD channels now ( HBO & Showtime ) but when they have a well done HD program the picture is incredible. The box also has a coaxial digital output so you can get DD 5.1 sound on several channels, not just the HD ones.

I also get HD content OTA ( I live on the 10th floor of the Rivermark downtown on the bluffs, I use a Zenith Silver Sensor set-top antenna ) and have been getting all the available channels ( no FOX or PBS ) until recently when channel 5 started disappearing for extended periods of time. I also notice that when they are broadcasting the picture has what look like little stars twinkling around the outlines of people and other objects. Anyone else seeing this?

Tim

I get the "little stars twinkling" effect on some Ch 5 programming. It seems to be a function of the transmission, as some programs are completely error free. I have upgraded (in part due to the CH 5 PQ) to a CM 4228 on a rotor in the attic and receive all other OTA HD beautifully. Beats me....OTA HD is all smoke, mirrors and magic, especially with Fox 13. I actually picked up a signal from them for about 15 minutes, and I live in NE Shelby County! I'm still not absolutely certain that antennaweb is completely accurate with all their broadcast locations. I actually called all the local HD channels and asked for the lat/long for their HD antenna sites....only one could/would give it to me.
ST

Glad to hear I'm not the only one seeing the stars

I didn't see any on channel 5 the first week or two that I had the set ... it's just been in the last week or two that they have been visible. It might be my imagination but I think they appeared the first time channel 5 went off the air for an extended period of time and then returned.

I've never been able to pick up FOX but I get a signal strength reading of 80-90 on all the other channels using my set-top antenna.

Tim

Channel 5's reception has been terrible, signal meter jumps up and down and even droputs and stars, I miss not getting L&O and Leno.

Fox is no problem since I live in Midtown and put a rotor on antenna (watched the Daytona 500 today in widescreen).

John,

You say you were able to pull in Fox today? Rotated the antenna in the attic and nada....Was the reception stable, if so I'll move the antenna again.

Fox was pretty good all day- had two dropouts during afternoon, none at nite watching Simpsons or Bundy reunion- I had more problems with WMC trying to watch L&O CI, that signal kept jumping up and down on meter causing video and audio dropouts.

I'll send their WMC an email and see if I get a response, if not I'll go by the station later this week and see if I can get contact info for one of their engineers, unless of course, one of you has good info.....

bump

Let me tell you how weak Fox 13 DT is, just got my rotor calibrated and I live 2 miles from transmitter - at 116 degree good steady pic, at 119 and 113 get dropouts or no signal, go figure!

I've found my reception to be related to the next door neighbors house. Moving my antenna a foot in either direction makes a huge difference. Before their signal decrease, the positioning didn't matter. I was previously able to "split the difference" in direction and pick up all the stations at >80% with a RS bowtie!

Who has the best deal on rotors in town? I'd like one I can control with my MX500 if at all possible.

Also, did you get any info from WMC, these stars are annoying.

Thanks in advance.

HDTV_Duffus

Radio Shack on Avalon has Rotors, (has rotor wire on closeout for .49 per 100'), or call Bill Mathews at Bluff City Elec 901 345-9500. I have the CM remote unit and I'm sure that the MX-500 will operate it.

No word from WMC-DT

Last nite I watched 24 on Fox and the station sent the network feed without local commercials, that was nice- Stars on WMC weren't bad except during the news.

when FOX is going to replace that small antenna with big one that we can get it OTA????

Thanks,
Ben

MempoDawg

I live about 2 mi from tower and am only getting 60% signal (had to boost from 7 to 15db on preamp to stop some dropouts) no problem now, but some folks living nearby have problems and we're very close.

Everyone who can't receive 13-1(53) should email and call the station to complain and threaten to call FCC or whatever. This signal should be available to all in area

On a positive note Fox 13 does broadcast day and nite on dt, though no HD
but prime time and Nascar is wide-screen and very clear, the sound shows on my receiver as DD, but am pretty sure it is only surround from network.

It's not the small antenna.

It's the lack of antenna height. 24 feet don't get it. I understand the antenna will end up out on the Whitten road antenna farm way, way high up like the rest of the locals.

But... don't know when. And Fox 13 ain't sayin'.

Dan

I've had similar issues with 52-1. Like clockwork at about 7:00 pm every night my signal strength weakens considerably; sometimes I lose the station all together. I emailed the station about this thinking maybe they were lowering their signal strength at 7:00 or something, and I got a reply from a tech saying they weren't doing anything. And possibly it was atmospheric conditions that were causing my problem.

Happily, I've been able to resolve the issue by adjusting my antenna and increasing the signal strength enough that I can still receive the signal after 7. It's a weird problem, but it's something that can be dealt with.

cws80us

Do you have sound problem on 52-1, it seems like when they run a local commercial occasionally my sound will go silent for a short period when they return to network program (happens more often during Leno) sometimes I even go channel up then down to re lock on signal, and I'm getting a strong signal (90%).

Still some "stars" on 52-1 on non-hd programs. I switch to ch 3 news at 10 to avoid the annoyance til Leno starts.

I agree...the stars are driving me nuts! Has any one heard anything about this problem?

Bump

The stars are awful, tonite I had pixellation on 52-1- watched CSI on 28-1

cws80us, I have the same problem. I was playing with a pre-amp and modifying the RS double bowtie tonight and I lost ~20 ponits on my strength meter at ~6:30. It will reproducibly happen between 6:30 and 7 each evening. At least with the preamp, I didn't get pixelation tonight when the signal strength dropped..

John, I added a preamp, modified the RS double tie, walked the entire attic searching for the sweet spot and no go with FOX. We're ~ 2blks apart and no go for me. Consider yourself lucky! I guess I'll wait for their antenna move before I do anything else.

Stars were horrible tonight on WMC. What the heck are they. They seem to go away with some of the HD feeds from the network.

HDTV_Duffus

I'm lucky to get Fox 13, I think I have clear line of sight to station, I looked on map and there are several high-rise apts on Union and the Memphis Country Club Tower apts directly west of the station that could be blocking a decent signal from their rumored "jerry rig" transmitter. I only have like 4-6 degrees on rotor to lock on signal, and thats with an 8 bay antenna.

You're right about WMC HD is good, everything else has stars. Funny thing is I get good pic on Pax, not HD, but no stars and I think WMC owns them.

The "stars" are a very interesting problem to me..........we are all seeing them, but no one knows what they are, and no metion of them anywhere else that I have seen..............

Channel 52 has strange problems all around.......the stars the signal drops the STRETCH the lack of HD.....anyway not trying to rant, just to say that they are the station that has been ATSC for the longest in Memphis and still have major issuses, while CBS just keeps on "bringing it".

Well the Grammys cost me 35.00, sound was horrible when they started so my kids talked me into buying the wrestling PPV. Evidently the sound was corrected because I watched the last few minutes and it was normal (sigh).

Interesting question with the sound on the Grammy's, I was watching and had both the TV and audio receiver going with no issues. Sounded great! Strange that some have good sound and others don't.

I emailed WMC about the "star" issue and the signal drop outs - no response. I'll let you folks know what I hear, if anything.

Hello Memphians..

Good News, PBS is on-line at 80-3 (PBS1dt). I was just scanning for new stations and PBS showed up... :-) They are running FULL HD stuff... It looks SUPER.... The Best I ever seen.... Looks like they are running demo loops... One of the demo loops was Fireworks... Almost brought tears to my eyes. That good.... I live in Hernando and my signal strength was 61.
I had no drops outs..... Hope this is not old news...



Monty

The sound would come in and out, causing a skipping effect...very irritating. It lasted for the first 20 minutes, followed by intermittent drops in signal (video & audio). After the first 45 minutes of the broadcast, all the problems went away. The picture quality was superb throughout the entire program.

My opinions from Mud Island using an RCA F38310 and Zenith SS antenna.

According to 100000watts.org, channel 10 DT should be on 29. What are you using to determine it is 80-3? I checked for it this morining (on 29) and could not get it - probably not broadcasting full time. I'll check again tonight. I did notice this morning that PAX ( Channel 50-1) shows up in the DirecTV guide. They were Signed Off when I checked. Antenna is on Appling just north of Stage (HWY 64).


Rick

Titantv lists tonights game between the Grizzlies and the 76ers on PAX as HD...I know Titantv is known for mistakes, but maybe worth checking out.

Rick

I have a Hitachi 57XWX20B and I can't manually add channels. Hitachi only lets me auto scan them. After a scan, it showed up in the selection of channels.
All the info I could gather is channel 80-3 and PBS1dtv. Don't know where it's coming from but sure looks good.

Can someone try this channel out?

I received an email from WKNO's engineering dept today. He said that they are having some difficulty with their tower/antenna combination and have had to have an antenna custom manufactured. The antenna won't be up until this fall. Obviously, they're not going to make the May deadline.

Daniel.

Since you seem to have a contact, can you find out when they will be testing again? I read about the HD loops that other PBS stations broadcast and would really like to see some for myself.

Thanks
Rick

They didn't mention any testing going on. Just the fact that they were having to have an antenna custom built made me think there would be no test signal out there.