Boston, MA - OTA - Page 28

WCVB-DT will air a locally produced HD Program on January 11 at 7:30PM.

Brandish

Must be a "Chronicle". Thanks for the info Ross. And Happy New Year!

Jim Shultis of WHDH and I traded emails recently, here they are:



Sounds like next week could be it ....! Cross everything you can cross

So in about 1 week, we'll find out how big Jay Leno's chin really is!

I get ABC-HD Boston from Expressvu satellite. Tonight, for the first time, I see a bug in the lower right corner that says "DIGITAL WCVB-DT Boston" in addition to the ABC bug. Is this something new? I hope it is not a trend setter. What do the other Boston stations do?

WCVB-DT had been using this 'bug' almost since they first came on the air then discontinued it a couple of months back. It re-appeared in the last couple of days. None of the other Boston stations do this with the possible exception of WFXT-DT 31 which I can not always receive but I seem to remember that they were using it.

I'm new to HD, just got my Zenith 1080 hooked up last week. HDnet looks great, but I'd like to pull in some OTA stations out of Boston if possible.
Would like some feedback on type of antenna required. I am about 50 miles south of Boston in Westport MA.

Thanks for the info.

Len

Len,

Because you are new to HD my suggestion to you is to start at page 1 of this Boston thread and read. There is a wealth of knowledge about everything from equipment to the HD stations and how to get them, and everything in-between. I live fifty miles NE of the towers and receive all the stations. Enjoy your experience in HD, you're going to love it.

Ron

I finally got a chance to catch WGBH-DT's (19-1 or mapped 2-1) friday night testing last night. Very nice picture quality, smooth transitions from 4:3 to full screen 16:9. But major Lip Sync issues as previously noted still exist. This was a little hard to spot because most of the stuff they were broadcasting was simply images and music, but a piece on Maryland outdoor life included some short dialog sections and the lip sync issue was as bad as I have ever seen.

Nearly every broadcaster in Boston had this problem when they first launched into HD, I wonder if Bob and the others could offer some guidance to the WGBH engineers so that they can benefit from what the pioneers have learned.

Just my 2 cents

Hey, thanks for the info r0mar.
What antenna are you using?


Len

Len,

I am using a RS 15-623 double bow with a CM7775 signal amplifier sitting on top of my Elite 610 with a Dish 6000 W/OTA unit. My HT is on the 2nd floor. I figure I am 60 miles NNE from the HD Tower in MA and I am receive signal strengths of 80-90 on the 3 Networks, 65-70 from FOX and 70 for NHPTV in Durham. Hope this helps.

Ron

Does anyone know who to contact at WCVB about the bug? It's very distracting in it's current position. There's no reason why it can't be pushed further to the side of the screen....

-j

Background on my setup:

E*6000 w/8VSB
ChannelMaster 3023 Antenna
ChannelMaster 9521 Rotor
Direct run of RG-6 from antenna to receiver

I'm sure this is an isolated incident on my end but I have to ask anyway. Until yesterday morning I was receiving all available Boston locals OTA with no problems. Signal strengths in the upper 90's for WCVB & WBZ, slightly less for WHDH and even the occasional WFXT.

I turn on my TV yesterday and tune to 4-1 for WBZ. Wait, nothing, wait, nothing, receiver switches to 30-1 and hangs. Reboot and go into local channel setup to check signals. I now have no 4-1 listed under DTV channels, but I have 30-1 through 30-20! I check signal on 30-1 (WBZ), nothing. Check 42-2(WHDH), nothing. Same on 31-1(WFXT). WCVB still maps to 5-1 without a problem, but I'm only getting signals in the upper 50's to low 60's. Up until yesterday this was my strongest station.

I've checked all connections and swapped cables where applicable without any success. Pulled the 8VSB and re-inserted, pulled the card, hard-reboot, etc. Nothing seems to work.

Before I go through the hassle with DISH to RMA this 8VSB I figured I'd post here in case someone has been in a similar situation. Could this be anything but a bad 8VSB module? If anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears. I'll probably call DISH tomorrow if I can't come up with another solution.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Chip,

As of 12:30 I am receiving all stations fine. Did you try and unplug (not just shut the power off) the 6000 for a few minutes and then plug it back in. I had trouble with signal strengths once, and that did the trick for me.

Ron

Ron,

Thanks for the reply. I did unplug the 6000 for about half an hour this morning without any success.

Earlier this afternoon I remembered that I had my old Silver Sensor antenna in the basement so I hooked that up. Whaddaya know? All stations available! Even FOX! There must be something wrong with my cable run from the attic antenna to the receiver after all. No need to RMA the 8VSB unit, which is a relief. I did not look forward to dealing with DISH on that.

Anyway, I was able to watch the second half of the Pats game OTA, so I'm happy. (DISH PQ on locals really has taken a dive over the last week) I'll deal with the wiring issue on the main antenna another day.

Thanks for your help.

I live in Wellesley and just bought myself a RS bow tie antenna with hopes of joining the HDTV world. Does it matter which direction the antenna faces? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, anyone have any luck with the megawave antenna (my wife can't stand the look of the bow tie)?

I am using one in southern NH and am getting WBZ, WCVB, WHDH (When it's on) and WFXT all at over 70 Percent al the time. I live on top of a large hill with a Souther exposer so I'm sure that helps but I have had no problems with the antenna. I am using a Dish 6000 with OTA card.

Ben

I am also looking for someone to contact at CVB about the bug placement. They are bad enough but to have one in the middel of the picture is awful.

The bowtie should be pointed at the towers in Needham. Orientation can be critical, even as close as you are.

The Megawave antenna has worked fine at my place in Hopkinton and seemed to compare equally to the Radio Shack indoor bowtie.

By the way, Megawave makes an amplified version of the antenna in addition to the normal un-amplified model. The amplified version made a little bit of difference at my place but, for your location, the model without the amplifier should work fine.

As usual, I always recommend an outdoor or at least an attic antenna. A channel Master 3021 on your chimney would be great. You will probably find that indoor antennas will not ever be absolutely perfect, especially as furniture gets moved around the house, leafs come out on the trees, buildings change around you, etc. The 3021 is a very low profile antenna.

Bob Hess
Director, Broadcast Operations/Engineering
WBZ

I tried the MegaWave MTV-1, but it didnt work very well for me. The Silver Sensor and the RS double-bowtie both worked better, but I eventually went with a roof mounted Channel Master for my best results. I bought the MegaWave for the looks of it, and based on the recommendation at a popular website, but it really didnt work well at my location.

I sent the following email to wcvbprogramming@thebostonchannel.com:


If you agree with my sentiment feel free to copy any portion of the above and send an email to WCVB-DT at the address provided.

I live in Newton near the Needham towers and have had trouble pulling in WCVB for some reason....WBZ, WFXT & WHDH come in fine. Tried the Terk 50 & Terk 55 outdoor antennas but can't pull all four stations at the same time. Thinking I might be too close to the towers, I picked up the amplified and unamplified versions of the Megawave today. Will try them at home tonight and report back here. Anyone have any thoughts why WBZ would come in so well and I would get so many dropouts on WCVB?.....they are both on the same tower!!

First, throw out the Terk stuff. Overpriced and underperforming. If you are that close, try rabbit ears first. Your Terks may be overloading the front end. You may also want to try the Rat Shack double bow tie as many have had great success. I live a bit over 40 miles from the towers and use a Rat Shack outdoor antenna in my attic and was able to pull in all channels without an amp. I recently added and amp when FOX was at low power to help boost my signal.

---Andy Garabedian

Thanks Andy...think you are right about overloading the front end. Will go with the bow tie if the megawave doesn't work.

Hi all,
I am new to this group and HDTV. Sorry if this has all been covered. I just purchased a Sony KDP-57XBR2 and live in South Easton, Ma. I have tried several indoor antennas (terk, RS bow tie, megawave) with an amplified RS one (sorry I can't remember model number ~$75) doing the best job. I get good strength numbers on 4 and 5, and around 60 for Fox. I can't seem to get any picture on 42 (nbc), however. Are they broadcasting? I know NBC doesn't do a lot of HDTV, but don't they broadcast an upconverted signal? What about PBS (19)? Are they broadcasting? Thanks for the help.

PS When I get non-HD material on cbs for example, the image is 4:3, yet my TV will not allow me to zoom the image (stays locked on full). I don't mind the grey bars but I am concerned about burn in. Can't the broadcaster do something about this?

Thanks again
Paul

Hi PJ and welcome to the AVS Forum (Boston Division). You don't live too far from me. I have 2 HDTVs, 1 in the living room and 1 in my bedroom, and use the same antennas that you have for both of them. I can't get WHDH in the living room (only about a 25% signal) but if I move my antenna around a bit in the bedroom can pull in about a 45-50, enough to get a picture. Try adding an extension to your antenna then experiment by moving it around and you may get lucky. As for burn-in, if you keep your contrast below 50%, you shouldn't have a problem. I've had by 65" for over a year and watch all my 4:3 programming w/ gray or black sidebars and have no evidence of burn-in.

I live in West Concord, Mass. I am getting a Pioneer HDTV this month, and am contemplating getting a STB as well.

Is there anyone in my general area here who is getting OTA HDTV? What antenna are you using? How is the reception?

Where can I find out exactly what content is being broadcast in HDTV? I know several stations are up and running, but not 24x7....is there an HD-TVGuide somewhere?

I am really new to HDTV, thanks for your patience.


Jeff Peake

Jeff,

I would start here at Titan Tv for OTA stations in your area. You need to set up a login and go from there. It's usually pretty acurate.

I know there are a few AVS'ers from your area so hang in there and check out titan tv while you're waiting. Also take some time to go through this thread, you will learn a lot.

Good luck,

Andy

Jeff,
In the metro-Boston area, you'll be able to receive the local CBS and ABC digital stations and their HD programming. NBC and FOX also have digital OTA broadcasts but no HD content at this time. It's my understanding our NBC affiliate will soon bring their HD hardware online (hopefully for Olympic coverage).
I live in No. Andover and receive excellent reception with a roof mounted UHF antenna (not sure of brand but very inexpensive).
Hope this helps.

I am having trouble picking up WBZ tonight (1/7/02, it is snowing slightly). I have tried both my indoor (Terk 50) and outdoor (3021) antennas. I do not get even a blip from either with my Dish 6000. Luckily, I get the network feed out of New York and it is coming in great.

I tuned to FOX for a few minutes to catch Boston Public in Widescreen 480p, so I can decide if it is worth throwing a Superbowl party. What a drastic difference. WBZ and WCVB have spoiled me with HDTV. Still, it is the Superbowl. Hopefully there will be something good on another channel to show everyone how good digital tv can look. And the Olympics will be right around the corner...