Indianapolis / Terre Haute / Lafayette, IN - HDTV - Page 222

As customary, Goldrich nailed it.
I can only say that my own experience has shown how quirky OTA reception is. Moving an antenna just a few feet in one direction or anther can make a lot of difference.
Experimentation is one of the main keys.

I am still not sure what type of antenna I have but it looks alot like the Rca Ant3038xr. The booster I have is a Winegard PS-9370. I thought my antenna was pointing the right direction but it wasn't. So I turned it to the South and I can pull in channel 7-1 (which used to be fox but doesn't appear to be now) and channel 25 (ABC). I am unable to pull anything else in. Do I have a good signal booster? From the antenna mentioned above is that a good one to have in my situation?

Question about the Channel Master 7777. When I google it I'm seeing a couple different models under that name. One model has input and output power. Another model has VHF Separate Input, UHF or Combined Input, and Output power. Which one should I get?

BTW, I turned antenna towards Louisville and I can't get them. Once I get the Channel Master I will try it again.

So this is hooked up outside on my tower? The one I have now is in my basement. I have the antenna ran into the house and plugged into the pre-amp and then cables running off of that going to 3 different tv's.

I'm checking with the folks that installed my antenna but I believe the brand/model of my antenna is Winegard HD8200U or Winegard HD7084P. I'm also checking with them to find out if they installed any type of amplifier on the tower itself. After seeing the Channel Master 7777 and thinking there is a part that is installed on the tower itself and then the power supply in the house I'm thinking I've got a similar setup. I will post that info when I hear back from them.

Check online or call the local Radio Shack store if they have the antennas in stock. My local Radio Shack stores do not carry any outdoor antennas in stock. They however allow you to order online, & have them shipped to the store for free. For the Indianapolis market, no all channel antennas or VHF antenna Antennacraft CS600 should even be sold locally (at least in the stores), since WISH-TV & WTHR are the only VHF stations in the market, & they're VHF-Hi. All channel antennas & & Antennacraft CS600 should only be sold at stores in markets where there is at least 1 VHF-Lo station. The only markets within the midwest that need an antenna with VHF-Lo are those in the Kalamazoo portion of the Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo market, Chicago (for those interested in Class A station WOCK-CD), Davenport, IA, & if WWAZ ever gets back on the air on RF 5 (licensed to Fond Du Lac in the Green Bay market, but would transmit from Milwaukee).

For what it's worth, I concur with Al Grossniklaus on his appraisal of the HBU line. My only addition is to make sure you have a good balun.

The "as shipped" baluns with the HBU are hit and miss in terms of quality and might make a difference for that hard-to-get station. I've found the ChannelMaster baluns to be good performers and are a good match for the exceptional line of HBU antennas.

I just got confirmation that my antenna is the Winegard HD 7084P PLATINUM SERIES and my amplifier is the Winegard ANWI8780 Winegard ANWI8780 Signal Amplifier. Do you think I would benefit that much by getting a new antenna and a new amplifier? Both were installed in 2004.

I live on the Southwest side of Anderson and I too have been experiencing drop outs on Wish 8.1. I installed a CM 7777 and LOST channels. I returned it to Summitsource and pick up a Winegard HD7697. It was a nice today, finally got it installed. I replaced a 2 year old Winegard HD 7694. On my dish 722k tuner, I actually lost a few points on the meter, but the signal is much more steady. Haven't seen as many drop outs. My next step is to get a distribution amp to replace my ancient Channel Plus. Anybody tried the Wingard HDA 200 ?

If the antenna is still in good condition, & you receive your stations, then I wouldn't replace it, just because WTTV & WRTV left the VHF band. If you just want to get one that has the shorter VHF elements & less wind resistance, then it might be worth it. I can't speak about the pre-amp, but if that still works, then I also wouldn't replace it. I had considered the Winegard HD7084p myself, but took a pass on it, & got separate VHF & UHF antennas.

Installed a Winegard HDA 200, enough power for 12 outlets. Between the larger antenna and this amp, I rarely see a drop out. My problems with WISH 8.1 have been solved. WTHR 13.1 is much improved, just in time for Super Bowl !

Over-the-Air TV Catches Second Wind, Aided by Web
Wall Street Journal Feb 21 2012
By CHRISTOPHER S. STEWART

It's cool to have rabbit ears again.

Largely relegated to obscurity decades ago, old-fashioned television broadcastsover the airwaves and not via cable or satelliteare enjoying an unexpected revival in the digital era.

With an increased array of online-video programming now drawing viewers' attention, companies are starting to pitch consumers on complementing online video streamed from the Web with broadcast-TV signals as a way to save money on cable subscriptions.

If it gains traction, this trend could undercut part of the rationale for selling off TV spectrum in voluntary auctions, approved by Congress on Friday, aimed at freeing up spectrum for wireless broadband.

There are signs that consumers are responding. TV-antenna seller Richard Schneider of St. Louis says sales at his company are soaring. Mr. Schneider's Antennas Direct sold 70,000 antennas in January, and he expects to double last year's sales of about 600,000. That was up from 400,000 antennas in 2010.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. recently agreed to sell Mr. Schneider's antennas, the retailer confirmed Friday, joining Best Buy Co., Costco Wholesale Corp. and others.

Mr. Schneider's antennas cost from $50 to $150, and he says the typical customer saves $96 a month by "cutting the cord" on cable or satellite TV, according a survey his company conducted.

The average monthly bills for basic cable service and broadband service add up $91.44, before add-ons like high definition and premium channels, according to SNL Kagan. By sacrificing basic-cable channels, and signing up for Netflix Inc., a household could pay less than $48 per month.

"Every time that Hulu and Netflix enhance their services, our phones light up," said Mr., Schneider, referring to two online-video services. (Hulu is an online-video service owned by Walt Disney Co., Providence Equity Partners, Hulu employees, Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal and News Corp. News Corp. also owns The Wall Street Journal.)

Others have jumped on the bandwagon. Boxee Inc., which sells a set-top box that lets people stream online video, offers a $49 add-on antenna that pulls in broadcast-TV signals.

"Many consumers don't realize they can get these channels over the air in HD for free, or for a small fee from your cable provider," said Avner Ronen, chief executive of Boxee.

A variation of this idea came last week from a new service called Aereo, backed by IAC/ InterActiveCorp chairman and television veteran Barry Diller. Aereo will start next month a service to stream online local-broadcast signals for residents in New York Citywhere over-the-air reception is difficultfor a monthly fee of $12.

It is aimed as a complement to online video services. But Mr. Diller said, "I think this will mean increased usage for broadcast."

The value of spectrum used by broadcast TV has been hotly debated in the past couple of years, as the FCC has looked for ways to add spectrum for wireless broadband. Last year FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said the percentage of viewers watching broadcast over the air, rather than through cable or satellite, has fallen to less than 10%, in contrast to the precable-TV days when it was 100%.

While most people get their broadcast channels as part of a pay-TV package that usually includes cable channels, consumers with newer TVs, or an inexpensive converter for old TVs, can receive over-the-air signals from broadcast stations free in areas with good reception. Mr Schneider says the number of channels varies based on the area, from about 90 stations in Los Angeles to about 25 in St. Louis. He says on average that viewers get 30 to 45 channels, as long as they don't live in a canyon or deep valley and are within 65 miles of a transmitting tower.

Cable channels have become the most lucrative part of the entertainment business, mainly because of huge fees paid by cable and satellite subscribers, a cut of which is passed on to the channels. Broadcast stations found it difficult to extract cash payments from distributors until relatively recently. And even now these fees are a relatively small, albeit growing, part of broadcast stations' revenue. SNL Kagan estimates stations will pull in nearly $1.5 billion in such fees in 2011, compared with $38 billion in fees for cable channels.

TV executives lately have warned that cable's rising subscription costs may prompt people to cut back. Indeed, in the past 18 months, the number of overall pay-TV subscribers has largely stagnated, after years of steady growth. At the same time, the number of American households wired with only broadband and broadcast TV jumped 23% to 5.1 million in the third quarter of 2011 compared with the year-earlier period, according to a recent Nielsen study.

"It's not a stretch to think that the broadcast business model will outlive that of cable," said National Association of Broadcasters spokesman Dennis Wharton. "The naysayers can talk all they want about broadcasting being a dinosaur."

The big media companies that own the major broadcast networks are generally eager to preserve the current cable-centric model. Not only do they mostly own big portfolios of cable channels; media outlets also haven't figured out how to generate advertising revenues from online outlets in the same proportion as off-line. So the shift of viewers from traditional TV to the Web could hurt ad revenues.

"There are a lot of moving parts," said Perry Sook, CEO and president of Nexstar Broadcasting Group Inc., which owns a few dozen local-TV stations. In a cord-cutting world, Mr. Sook sees the advantage to broadcasters of fewer channelseven against greater online competitionbut worries that the potential ad revenue wouldn't make up for lost subscription fees.

Mr. Schneider, the antenna seller, meanwhile, has been lately partnering with TV stations to give away antennas and spread the gospel of cord-cutting. He says that for some stations the giveaways are about increasing viewership while for others it's "out a sense of duty to their community."

Sam Schechner contributed to this article.
Write to Christopher S. Stewart at christopher.stewart@wsj.com

Hey guys,

Just by happenstance I picked up a Channel Master 7777 for the grand total of FREE, so I could not turn it down. I have just hooked it up just off the deck in a temp position and done a quick channel search. I know that when I mount it up on a mast and get it dialed in the reception will be much better. Also I think that there is another part to the 7777, but all I was given was the antenna. I know I will need a signal amplifier, but I also need to split the signal three ways. Can you guys point me to a good signal amp for multiple outlets.

I know getting 13 and 8 with this antenna will be a long shot but I thought I would cut my teeth with this antenna and then upgrade to something like THIS.

Regards,

RTROSE

As hot as the Channel Master 7777 is, you should be able to split it 3 ways with no distribution amp. At the my lake place, I have a 3 way splitter on a less powerful preamp and it works great. Just be sure to put the splitter on the "to tv output".

I saw the longer version of this when it played a few shows at the IMAX. It will bring back many memories and I also learned a few new things as well. Highly recommended.

What great memories I have of those "simpler times." Thanks for the heads up Steve. Can't wait!!

The DVR is set. Counting down the days.

Thanks Steve!

CW_epg is 'locked and loaded' .... Looking forward to a great show.

One of their techs. said everything was set for the SkyCrane last week so station made announcements and notifications except SkyCrane got rescheduled causing much confusion.

So it looks like one OTA station is not all that anxious to sell their spectrum....