Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD - HDTV - Page 204  

I see where you are coming from. Four years ago I installed my first antenna. Of course I fell through the ceiling though. Jeff

Looks like Frederick Adelphia has matched Loudon County.

Jeff, I guess you "FALL" in the other category.....

Pyrr,

What are you referring to regarding Frederick Adelphia matching Loudon? Is it possible that Adelphia is finally adding HDPlus. I'm days from switching to D*, however, this might give me hope to hold off!

Once again WRC had to be reminded to flip the HD switch for West Wing. I think I'm going to send them an alarm clock.

Has anyone else noted that sometimes channel 207 carries INHD2 and the NFL Network? Last night I tuned into watch U2 Rattle and Hum and at midnight the music stopped and the NFL started. Has this been going on awhile or on anyother systems? I've noted some of the MD members reporting that 208 is active for them - not so in Arlington.

We might think differently being from Pittsburgh.

Some "Pro Installers" are not cracked up to be.

Just like that pro Voom installer who forgot to make sure the nuts were tighten all the way after aiming the dish and just put the OTA antenna 4 feet off the ground. Loss of signel with the breeze the next day.

Had no OTA signal until I put up my own antenna on the roof.

Had another installer who just wired 1 LNB cable to a multiplexer while hooking up 2 receivers to it.

Most times you do better by doing it yourself. Getting 10 OTA HD channels while the "Pro Voom" installer got 0.

steeler, I thought I put the two points of view clearly. Many in this thread (such as Sasha) have said the same thing. If you recognize that digital ain't analog, AND you want to spend a lot (perhaps) fiddling, go for it. I am in no way shape or form saying DON'T.

All I am saying is that people need to recognize that digital installs are different from analogs where you put it up and move it around a bit and are done. I'm sure your results are great as you've reported. The main factor is: Does the person involved like to fiddle (a classic DIYer? :) ) or do they just want to watch HDTV? (A lot of people are not at all comfortable on a roof and don't want to drill holes in it, either.)

(And most of my post count are from when I got my Replay DVRs and lived in that forum for a long time, so don't count them as making me a great expert on HD OTA just from that! :D ) We all have something to contribute; I wasn't being down on your viewpoint at all. Fair and balanced, that's the goal here. :)

You are definitely right on the better quality of doing it yourself; that's one reason to find a good shop like FA or others discussed here. We've all heard the horror stories of the 'classic' D*/E* 'professional ' installation.

Ditto.

Fall off your roof and you are no longer saving money.

Drill holes in the wrong area of your roof and you are no longer saving money.

Going back and constantly tweaking the install (you know who you are) and you are no longer saving money.

In all of these instances, you would be very much experiencing a false economy of "savings" and indeed, will be paying out much more than if you simply hired the right pro to do it right the first time and leave you in peace to simply record or watch HDTV.

The name of this thread is "Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD - HDTV". Having HDTV capability at home assumes from the outset, a certain base level of financial commitment, at a minimum, in the display, in the sound system, in the room, in the supporting equipment, etc. When compared to the costs associated with all these things it takes to have HDTV in the home, a pro OTA install,

<I've said this many, many, times, sigh...>

IS PEANUTS, NOT EVEN WORTH DISCUSSING.

The fact that anyone with passion for HDTV could complain about a $300 OTA install simply boggles my mind. How much do these folks have invested in their home theaters? How much do they spend on annual cable or DBS?

Now if you know how to walk a roof, know how to find framing studs through shingles and know how to mount an antenna, terminate, support and dress cabling and end up with a great system, by all means go for it, nobody here is knocking you. My issues are solely with these folks that try to do it alone, buy their own equipment and then go on to constantly badger the list with things like:

"Why do I have intermittent breakup?"
"Do I need a preamp?"
"What antenna should I try for the 3rd time?"
"Why can't I get Baltimore"
"Why is my roof leaking"
"Why can't I get 4-1 or 27-1?"
"Why does my connection fail after a year?"

If these folks would have simply hired the right contractor in the first place, they would be enjoying HDTV and not wasting their time and efforts on things a specialist is simply better equipped to handle since he deals with it every day.

Finally, whenever I refer to a pro install, I NEVER, EVER mean the type you get with "FREE" VOOM, *D or *E installs. You get what you pay for, nothing is FREE. The installers doing free dish installs don't generally have the same level of expertise as general antenna contractors. I doubt they use spectrum analyzers to find the optimal spot in the roof for instance. Don't assume your VOOM installer is typical of the type of folks I'm talking about, because they are not.

VOOM typo corrected :>)

I'll just say, I'll assume Sasha meant 'V*->Voom' and not Zoom, or perhaps it was the 'zoom' way the 'pro installers' go out the door? :D :D

While we are on this subject anyone know of a good pro Antenna and Dish installer near Bel Air MD area?


I've got a house that got Sat and OTA cables messed up and need someone who knows what they are doing to figure out what the other guys did and do it the way it was suppose to to hook up 2 more Direct TV receivers and OTA for an HD Receiver.

This house was wired for OTA in all the rooms but the last installers disconnected the line feeds just to wire 2 receivers to one LNB line.

The last Direct TV installer said he just can't figure it out so he just added another dish.

Ya know, every week it's the same damn problem... they forget to flip the switch until after the first act is over (last night it took even longer than usual). I wonder if their Wednesday night engineers have a betting pool for when the first call from an AVS Forum member will arrive. *grumble*

sasha, leesweet, I think you guys are starting to change my mind a little on this subject. Maybe the majority of posters on this thread are not that smart. Maybe they just can't quite grasp the overbearing complexities of OTA installation. Maybe they can't chew gum and walk at the same time. I don't know. Sasha, leesweet maybe you guys find brain surgery easy but I just can't get the hang of it. But when it comes to installing an antenna...piece of cake. Maybe I am smarter and more talented than most on this thread. Matter of fact maybe I am the smartest guy on this thread because I find nothing and I mean absolutely nothing difficult about installing a OTA antenna from climbing a ladder to finding roof trusses to drilling holes to wiring... you name it. I think of myself as an average guy. Maybe I'm not. Maybe I am a SUPERMAN!!!!!!

Seriously, maybe I have overestimated the abilities of posters on this thread and underestimated the complexity of the issue. I have a background in construction and what's easy for me might not be easy for others. But I stand by my statement that installing my antenna was one of the easiest things I have ever done. I guess it isn't for everyone. I get great satisfaction in tackling a job with little prior knowledge of the job and then completing it successfully. I also believe that you try it yourself first and then if you fail call in reinforcements. Call it a character flaw. I know people have limitations to deal with such as age and fear of climbing but I just find it very difficult to believe that the average poster on this thread can't/won't install his/her own antenna.
In closing, there does seem to be an increase in technical questions (or as sasha would say badgering) on this thread but that's OK by me. I believe that is partly what this thread is for............... How else could I hear sasha's rants.

Having a background in construction is a very good thing for DIY antenna OTA. I can see where you're coming from. Someone in your shoes is already 90% of the way there.

I would not recommend exterior DIY OTA antenna installation for those lacking in solid construction skills like Steeler has.

My turn for the ditto!.... :) Someone used to walking on the roof and used to finding 'where the beams are' is indeed most of the way there. Another part of the puzzle may be where you are. Some areas are 'easy' for digital, since you don't gain/lose by moving the antenna a few inches. I've chronicled the gain/loss of several of the locals by moving my 4221 six inches. One reason I turned to FA. :) Steeler, more power to you if it's easy. *We* are trying to be sure others do not get in over their heads before tackling the job.

Yeah, my wife is tired of me screaming at the WRC control room (not over the phone, not yet... :) ). Did someone call last night? I've not called in a while since I know it usually happens in a bit, and we've been recording TWW for the last several weeks. Last night was the first semi-live one in a bit. (I was watching about ten minutes behind.)

Question: In *theory*, is the intro before the credits in 16:9 or not? I can't remember since I can't remember the last time TWW was 16:9 from the start! :)

What's *so* hard about switching to the network digital feed at 21:00 for chrissakes?

Any word on whether or not WJLA will have DD5.1 on for "Saving Private Ryan"? That is, if ABC doesn't pull it because the FCC is feeling draconian?

I just had Dave from Fairfax Antenna come out and put a CM 4221 on my roof. As I have described before, I have spent so much time and money that I decided to give up and hire someone who knows what he is doing!

Well, to make a long story short, I know have a fixed antenna that gets all of Baltimore and DC without a rotator. And with the 1 yr guarantee, I am set. I am done with the signal meter and worrying if the signal is going to drop out.

FA was exactly what I needed, and I am very happy.

I had a local antenna company do a test at my house and the locals came in at what the guy said was in the 60's as far as signal strength with the attic mounted antenna. Is this good enough?

I'm surprised that WMAR isn't showing Saving Private Ryan. I was looking forward to the DD5.1 as much as the HD picture.

Looks good on WJLA.

Some ABC affiliates are afraid that they're going to be fined for the language (yet strangely not for the intense violence) from an unedited broadcast of "SPR", and I guess WMAR is one of them. Since the FCC hasn't responded one way or another, it indicates that they're not opposed to the concept of issuing fines for the broadcast. And if they don't, it will give the appearance that they're dictating moral standards based on personal preferences. To paraphrase a poster at HTF, it's not a good sign for the direction of this country when a movie about the sacrifice of American soldiers--aired on Veteran's Day, no less--isn't shown because people are afraid of punishment from a government body.

Actually, ABC couldn't have done any content editing. That was part of the agreement with Spielberg.

This was the first time I've been let down by WMAR-DT. I ended up with a recording of a Thanksgiving special instead of SPR in 720P DD 5.1.

This is not good.

TitanTV listings were incorrect, as they showed SPR....

CNN.com article mentioned that the movie has been shown TWICE already in 2000 & 2001 UNEDITED w\\o FCC problem. I quess all they have to do is give very specific warnings prior to the start of the movie!!

Heck, let's see more movies not chopped up for primetime weenies:D

WMAR is owned by Scripps Howard which pulled SPR from all it's ABC affiliates. Wonder if they can spell R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004Nov10.html

Scripps also runs the national spelling bee.

I am similarly amazed at the way people make purchasing decisions regarding a multi-thousand $$ HDTV display based on the size of the opening in a $500 piece of furniture.

Some people are just illogical. There are plenty of people who will also drive to the other side of town to save 10 cents a pound on some meat, when they burn way more than that in gas to get there.

-Chris

This is extremely misleading. The guy who did my E* install was extremely impressive and professional. Installers don't work for free, when it's a "free" install E*, D* or V* is paying the installer the same money you would pay if it wasn't free. By the same token I've read here on AVSForum of professional HDTV antenna installs that went south also. It's not black and white.