Memphis, TN - HDTV - Page 16

Has anyone been picking up WMC-DT OTA? I actually have been. I've been getting signals in the 30-50 range, but I'm actually getting a picture. Or at least was this weekend when I was checking. Was getting alot of blockiness. Maybe their equipment is nearly up and running again. Hopefully HD soon. I will email the guy I did last time and hopefully he will email me back this time. If I get a response I'll post it here.

Here is the response I got from WMC:

The transmitter manufacturer did replace the transmitter with a different version that is more reliable. It has been in service for more than a month now. We are operating the transmitter 12 hours... from noon until midnight. The only HD programming we are broadcasting is the HD programs provided by NBC.


Here is another email I got about WPTY sending out 5.1:

Our ABC digital equipment only gives us 2 channel audio, some systems will send it to all of the speakers. We do not currently broadcast true 5.1 surround sound.


Well that sucks about 5.1. Oh well. I will be watching tonight to see if I am getting NBC in HD. Please post here if you do/don't.

I have been getting wmctv 5 ota very well with little or no dropouts but have lost wlmt and wpty completely in the last several days. anybody getting abc ota? wreg still has the best signal i have ever received.

I've been getting WMC very well also. I was waiting until someone else posted before I did again.
As far as WPTY and WLMT, still getting them at 100.

Getting all DT signals now strong and constant, here in C'ville.
johnnc

Changes at TWC... Here is the latest HDTV lineup as of today:

803 WREG
807 WPTY
825 Fox Sports
844 Discovery
815 HBO
816 HBO West
840 Showtime
841 Showtime West

INHD and INHD2 are supposedly coming soon....

On Monday, I had TWC come out and swap me a PACE 550HD box for my SA3100HD box. I really like it. It's faster when channel surfing and the program guide works much better on the HD channels. I also really like the scaling ability so that when you switch from a HD channel to a SD channel, it streches the SD image to fill the screen automatically. The TWC tech stated that they will be offering a Pace box sometime during 2004 that will have the ability to record HDTV onto a harddrive similar to the SA8000.

Sweet! Finally I can stop my weekly phone calls to TWC for DiscHD, too bad I'm stuck traveling this week and can't watch it

Awesome, looks like I got onboard just in time. Now all we need are NBC, INHD, and ESPN. The picture on DISCHD is amazing. I can't tune 825, is fox sports not 24/7?

Also, an engineer from PBS came to my work last weekend to pick up an HDTV to watch the NEW PBS DIGITAL FEED. That's correct! WKNO will be offering HDTV within the next month, and expect to be on Time Warner with original programming by the first of the year.

Yeah I'm not getting 825 (Fox Sports) either. It is listed on the channel lineup on www.twarner.com. Maybe it will be up and running soon. I saw on another thread in the HDTV | Programming area that a TWC tech from the Charlotte area is saying that ESPN-HD and both INHD's will be up and running there on Nov 3rd.... Supposedly, the guy has been reliable in the past but you would think TWC would have a press release about any agreement reached to carry ESPN-HD. Good news about PBS!

Titan TV has said that PBS is supposed to go live with digitial September 15th. Hopefully it'll be sooner than that. I'm not sure if they will run just the HD loop like other PBS's do, or if they will also show their regular content. If Anyone from PBS comes back in your store ask them.

sorry to bug you all about this, but

"I am very curious: if you happen to have both an OTA stb and the TWC hd box, is anyone comparing OTA picture quality with TWC, on, say, ABC Monday Night Football, or CBS Sunday footbal? If yes, what do you think, and what box are you using?"

I asked this a few days ago, and am really wanting to know if any of you happen to do both OTA and TWC and what you think. And not just sports, but shows like CSI, Still Standing, etc.

Thank you

WKNO is stating 1 November for the on air date. That's per their engineering folks.

Dan

Has any one had problems with TWC dropouts in HD 800's. My 3100HD box reception was fine for the HD channels until they added the additional channels day before yesterday. Now the picture is dropping out and going black every 2 minutes or so. Extremely annoying!

Does anyone else have a problem with audio not matching the video sometimes when watching OTA programming? Is this an antenna problem or is it the nature of the beast?

Radu,
I have the Samsung SIR-T151 and the 3100HD. In my opinion TWC HD locals are not as crisp as OTA. When comparing MNF for example the image from the 3100HD was not even close.

I will also add HBO & SHOHD are just as sharp as CSI or Threat Matrix.

I am dropping TWC for a DirectTivo (I already have a stand-alone) and plan to add a HDTivo in the future.

Hope this helps.

Edited to add: You wanted opinions on more than sports, and a direct comparison of CSI was better on OTA.

MemphoDawg,
As stated above I have the SIR-T151 and I only have audio sync problems on 52-1 NBC.

Omarc,

Thank you. When I had the Zenith, I thought the OTA stuff looked better also, but wanted someone else's opinion. I know for sure the show that I think has one of the best pics (Still Standing) looked better OTA than TWC.

This is going to bug me, knowing that I'm not getting a good of a picture as I could...

Thanks again

Like omarc mentioned, the only time I have ever had a problem was usually with NBC. Don't recall any other stations. But usually if there is an audio problem, its with the station.

Is anyone receiving Fox OTA or has anyone gotten an update on when they will move/repair their antenna?

This is the response I got back about FOX HD....

You're probably too far from us to get the DTV signal right now. Later this year, we will move the antenna to our tall tower at Raleigh-LaGrange Rd and I-40, and you should have no problem picking it up from there.

We pass through all Fox programming in the format it is delivered to us (currently 480p but soon to be 720p), and we upconvert the rest. We probably won't upconvert our standard definition programming to 720p until Fox changes their distribution to 720p this fall. Otherwise we would have problems in switching back and forth between them.


He doesn't mention anything about when it will happen.

Well, of course, the sooner the better, but he does say "later this year". So that leaves about 10 weeks for them to get it done. I won't be looking for them any time this month, and I don't expect them to be on the air in November. We've been waiting a really long time already.

Hi.

Is anyone having problems with the picture on TWC 807 (WPTY-DT)? For a couple of weeks now the picture looks good for a second and the next second it looks pixelized, or lower resolution. Noticeable especially at edges of lines, faces, etc. It's almost literally a second of good pic, a second bad, back and forth all night long... Not really sure how to explain it. It's not the pixelizing where you actually see the little squares when the signal is weak.

It makes for a terrible Monday Night Football watching experience. Tried resetting the box, even called TWC, and they just reset the box, themselves. No change.

using the SA 3100HD box.

Here is some good info that everyone might want to know.......


From UPN:
Star Trek and Jake 2.0 are being broadcast in HD


From PBS:
1) When do you expect to have it up and running?

We will begin testing our DTV channel 29 facilities in late November with an goal to beginning normal program service during the first quarter of 2004.

2) I live 3 miles north of the Wolfchase area and get locals OTA. Will I be able to receive it?

You should have no problem receiving the DTV signal. Our transmitter is located about three miles south and a little west of Wolfchase, so even at reduced power you should have an easy time.

3) Will it be the demo loop all the time that I have read about at other cities, or will normal programming be either up converted or broadcast in HD when available?

When we begin the service will consist of mostly standard defination programming. As PBS and our other program suppliers provide more HD content we will expand our HD offerings.


4) What kind of optimal sound does PBS pass?

Dolby AC3 or Dolby 5.1. Most will just be stereo AC3 content, however during the next year 5.1 will become more prevlant.

5) If it's DD5.1, will the antenna be able to pass that?

If a antenna passes the DTV signal by nature the Dolby 5.1 if available with the program, will be passed

6) Will the picture be stretched or 4:3?

A limited amount of content will be up-converted, but I do not expect that you will see a lot of 4X3 content streached to 16X9

I also have another issue that I need some help on.

I used to be able to get all the local DT stations OTA using an E86. Then I had some guys do some duct work for another room, and they totally screwed up my antenna placement. So, spending about 4 hours trying to get all the stations hasn't been successful.

I can get all but 1 channel near 100% almost all the time. It's either no WREG or no WMC. I need WREG but also WMC for ER for my wife. Whats strange is I can get WPTY at 100% but like 20% on WMC, and they both point pretty much in the same direction.

So my question is, I am currently using a TERK TV-35 antenna up in the attic. I need to get another indoor antenna to be able to pick up either WMC or WREG almost exclusively. Does anyone recommend a smaller antenna, maybe one that can be even used on top of the stb? And what piece of equipment will I need to get to split the antenna feeds going to my 5x8 multiswitch? If It can be picked up here in Memphis that would be a HUGE plus.

I wonder if they installed metal ductwork, and if so could that be between your antenna and the stations??

It seems you have had good luck in the past with the Terk. I have never used one (way to far for me to try) but they have a bad reputaion here on the forum.

The silver sensor by Zenith seems to be a favorite for indoor use. You can get them at Sears.

Thanks for the info. I have seen that antenna before but passed over it. I saw that it said to point the antenna in the direction that you want to pick up. Will that antenna be able to pick up all the stations if I don't point it in a certain direction? Anyone here using that antenna?

If I added that antenna to my Terk, do you know of any additional equipment, ie diplexer, I would need?

The builders put in foil ductwork. And I am happy that I am getting the game room finished, but pissed that I have to work on this again. Argh!

I have been using the zenith silver sensor that I picked up at sears, wolfchase. When I first started using the antenna I had it set on top of the TV and moved it around to try and locate the local channels. btw this is a directional antenna and yes it must be pointed in the direction of the signal.,, however even got the Jackson dt station, the antenna has worked well for me for less than $40. you should be able to use an in line splitter to go into the 5x8 thats what I did when I added the vhf antenna as the zenith is only UHF which in itself is fine since all HD channels are in the UHF freq band at least for now.

I got everything fixed. I am actually using my Radio Shack VU120, or something like that, on one end of the attic and the Silver Sensor on the other by the multiswitch, but I am now getting all the channels >80 now.

Since I am not home on Wednesday nights, can someone please post if Star Trek and Jake 2.0 are being broadcast in HD here.

Thanks,
Dennis