New York, NY - OTA - Page 7

I'm having the same problem. I've always had a strong signal for CBS until friday night. At least now i know the problem is not on my end.

John

Can anyone confirm that the new Freedom Tower will be used to transmit digital TV? At the very beginning, when the design was quite different, I read that one of the proposed towers would have state of the art transmission capability. But I haven't read anything about OTA transmission from the Freedom Tower. I'm pretty sure that the New Jersey tower that was talked about for awhile is not going forward. And apparently we're only going to get low power transmission from the ESB when that work is done, which suggests that it's only a temporary solution until something else, maybe the Freedom Tower, gets built. Anyone have any hard, detailed information?

FYI, if you've never viewed it: There's one source of OTA 1080i HDTV during the day, the soap "The Young and the Restless" (12:30-1:30 pm).

Not a regular, but I sometime use it to A-B compare with WCBS-DT delivered via cable. CBS's HD Y&R is unusual because it appears to be the only episodic drama taped in 1080/60i, the same recording used for NBC's Leno, much of PBS's HD, HDNet, etc. Other taped shows use 1080/24p with 2:3 pulldown to create broadcast HD's 1080/60i requirement (or 720/60p with a different pulldown).

While Y&R appears to be moderately filtered, compared to those other 1080/60i sources, I've found A-Bing the fine tweed or similar patterns in actor's clothes is useful. (Two of my cable converters, the SA2000HD and SA3100HD, had/have a faint fog over images that spoils faint low-contrast details such as narrow colored pinstripes in a white shirt. Hopefully, TWC's supposed introduction of the new 8000HD HDTV recorder/converter before 2004 will finally cure the 'fog' problem. -- John

In the last couple of days I noticed that CBS' signal has increased slightly but still not as strong as it used to be.
Anyone else notice this?

I'm still getting nothing. I did confirm with someone in WCBS Master Control that there have been some power reductions during the day this week, but that still doesn't explain why I haven't gotten a strong enough signal for reception since last week. Unless, of course, my antenna at the new house was put in a "cold zone" for that station.

I am watching the mets on msg hd, can you tell me if this is 1080/60i or 24p. to my eye it looks 60i. thanks

john

1080/60i

Yes, jscnyc, I was responding mainly to this earlier comment about the lack of OTA HD in the area during daytime. Probably should have quoted that post for clarity. As I mentioned, CBS's weekday Y&R can be a sort of 1080/60i prerecorded 'HD test' during non-primetime weekdays.

Any live 1080 HD would be 1080/60i. The msg HD, which I don't get on TWC, would be 1080/60i from start to finish, probably even if it was a taped show (just like taped sports on HDNet). -- John

Hi all - I am moving to Manhattan soon and I was wondering if anyone has some suggestions on the best indoor antenna to pick up the digital stations in the area (don't care about analog). I will be living on the UES.

Thanks in advance!!

Oh yeah, any suggestions on where to get a good deal on a plasma in the area would also be greatly appreciated.

Zeniths silver sensor or Radio shacks bowtie are both recommended

Obviously with a view of the Empire State Building, pickup of CBS (HD) and Fox/UPN (non-HD) will be easy. Other ESB HDTV stations are slated later this year. If facing North (etc.) only, you may be able to tune in reflected, but more multipath-erratic signals, by pointing your antenna elsewhere. If you're on a high floor, other regional stations are possible. (Enter your location at antennaweb.org to check the options). If possible, an antenna test inside versus outside might reveal your windows have a metallic content that diminishes UHF frequencies. If the building has Time Warner Cable, among the best local HD sources (RCN serves some Manhattan buildings), just call 718 670 0265 for a converter and visit http://www.twcnyc.com/ for pricing and channel options. -- John

Thanks for the replies everyone -

The Silver Sensor sounds like a great choice (btw, I checked froogle.com and it can be found for as low as 21.26).

So I assume that there is no need to pick up the VHF band in NYC? No digital channels being transmitted on VHF?

Also, is a preamp beneficial at all? My apt does have a window facing south (where the majority of the transmitters seem to be in relation to the Upper East Side) but naturally I am surrounded by other buildings.

LB

WPIX broadcasts in the VHF band but that should be changed in a few months. I am still able to pick up WPIX w/ the silver sensor albeit at a weaker reading but I have Line of sight to the ESB.

ESB DTV Antenna/Combiner put on hold again.....

Excuse my ignorance but what does that mean to us?

It means none of the other locals can broadcast until then. No ABC and No NBC. Bummer.

For crying out loud!!!!!!!
Damn them!!!!

One's experience doesn't necessarily work for another, but I couldn't receive WCBS from my one story house in Bayside with an old beaten up outside antenna. I put a RS 15-1170 on it and it's been coming in strong.

My RS offered to take it back if it didn't work. Suggest you ask yours.

Mel

George when you say 'one of the members' I assume you're speaking of one of the networks. Please let us know which one so we can call and ream them royally. They can't take the time to put in a requisition for the funds on time...they should be skinned alive!

That's pathetic, but it follows the pattern of delay after delay. As you said, all of this in the #1 market in the country!

Doug

Seems like that's standard policy for most anything at RatShack.

_Man_

Unbelievable. I was beginning to think that Cablevision would add ABC and NBC-DT, maybe even WPIX, but I've given up hope and figured I could wait a couple of more months and get it OTA. Now that this seems to be not happening, I'll never get to see these other stations in HD.

George, I noticed you edited your message, but do you have any other details? Does this look like it will hold it up for a long time, or just a little whlie? I mean, they've been working on the thing up there for a little while now, no?

I wish Cablevision would get it's act together, then I wouldn't have to even worry about this. Are you listening Mr. Dolan??????

I would almost think, although this might not make sense in the grand scheme, that Dolan might not plan to add any more HD to cablevision because he has Xoom coming out in October and that, they say, will be 30+ channels of HD. He might be holding back on Cablevision to try to get people to subscribe and boost the Xoom numbers as best as possible before an IPO. Just a thought....but to recap, we're all screwed with no ABC and NBC!

Doug

That doesn't make sense. Voom won't have HD locals anyway -- besides, why bother with PBS-HD and CBS-HD, if you planned to stop there. Doesn't make sense. And why did negotiations with locals that are already broadcasting take longer than the one's that aren't?

I never claimed to be lucid....it was just my own personal conspiracy theory (that obviously has many holes in it)

Doug

Wouldn't there be some kind of news item about this situation? I've been searching through local papers and can't find anything. This whole situation is so frustrating.

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Wouldn't there be some kind of news item about this situation? I've been searching through
local papers and can't find anything. This whole situation is so frustrating.
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As frustrating as this may be this is not a news worthy article for the local papers lets keep this in perspective there was never a chance (as I stated much early on in this thread, with info from creditable sources) that beyond the stations broadcasting digitally now that the other local stations would not be back on the air this year.

The real news would be if all the networks made it back on the air before years end that would definitely be in a few newspapers to say the least.

Digital transmissions as it stands for those stations that are not broadcasting digitally is a costly and logistically enormous task and considering the state of affairs with the combiner project will delay things from moving forward for quite a while.

I'm not trying to be the voice of doom just trying to add a little calm and perspective to the situation.

George,

You're a little vague on the details. Any more you could tell us? We would never shoot the messenger...

MC

i'm so sick of these delays? what is keeping them from broadcasting a low-power signal temporarily until a good solution can be found?

I hate to say it, but it's really beginning to look like the broadcasters are using 9/11 for an excuse to totally avoid their responsibility. After over 2 years and the gracious offers of CBS, there is simply no good excuse for this to go on.

I recently discovered a web-reprint of an article dating from 1967 (just after the plans for the WTC were made public) on the history of the ESB's broadcasting antennas that some frequenters of this thread may find interesting or ironic (BROADCAST ANTENNAS ON THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING). The article concludes with these two paragraphs:

The world's most unusual antenna site may not exist much longer. Recently, the Port of New York Authority has been planning the construction of twin 110-story skyscrapers in Lower Manhattan. Independent studies by Alford Manufacturing Co, and Jansky and Bailey have shown that the proposed towers would cause ghosting to some viewers watching some of the TV stations presently on the Empire State Building. Several solutions to the program have been advanced, one being to relocate antennas from Empire State to the new. taller structures (to be known as the World Trade Center).

Whatever the future of the Empire State Building antenna site. it remains a monument to the ability of broadcast engineers and stations to cooperate for their mutual welfare and for the public benefit.

(Emphasis added)