Cleveland, OH - TWC - Page 49

Hey Guys,

I am wondering where do you go to find which programs are in HD for the week? Is the a centralized place with all the info? or do you just go the the stations' websites? I get OTA signals.

Thanks in advance, I am a noob with HD at the moment

Thanks for the help.

I have an HD-tuner in my Hitachi wide-screen AND a Samsung HDTivo AND right now a Comcast HD/DVR (which I'm likely going to give back as my experience with Comcast has been nothing short of incredibly horrible).


If i pick up a Channel Master 4227 (?) to get everything but WKYC then can I also hang an antenna that DOES get WKYC and put it 'in-line' with the other antenna? I have one length of coax running from my attic to my television right now so most of the work is done.

Also, is it required to power the antenna? If so, how do you provide power - can it be provided in line as well?

For the record, I have the Terk because I didn't have Comcast for last year's superbowl and I wanted something managable to pick it up. I've had it in my attic ever since and I haven't used it and it never really fully worked outside of superbowl Sunday when I had to do a TON of tweaking to get anything.

My favorite sites are:

http://www.TitanTV.com
http://www.hdtvgalaxy.com

You don't need separate antennas for WKYC and WOIO - you need a combination VHF/UHF antenna. I only mentioned it because if you get just a UHF bowtie or yagi or something, you will need the VHF half. There are many combination outdoor VHF/UHF antennas you can put up there in the attic. If you can do this, I'd strongly advise it.

I mention the indoor stuff because I use it, and one of the better indoor antennas (Silver Sensor) is UHF only, though the RCA I use also has both.

I notice you're up in Mentor, so I suspect you wouldn't have a lot of luck with indoor antennas.

As mentioned, all of the Cleveland market stations are broadcasting from roughly the same area - Parma. Many of them are either on the same tower, or on towers near other towers. (Anyone who drives to Parmatown Mall will see what I'm talking about...) If you're not trying to get out of market stations, or stations like WEAO/Akron, you can "set and forget" the antenna.


The outdoor/mast antennas do not need power as far as I know. The indoor "amplified" ones do, but the Silver Sensor (mentioned above) does not.

I'm not all that versed on the larger masts...since I've been using indoor units. Head over to the HDTV Hardware subtopic on AVSForum, where you can find a wealth of information on outdoor antennas...

Correct. And I'll probably keep the OTA box on my main TV for a while, while I figure out how reliable the OTA stations are on Adelphia (and to keep getting WOIO, though I would HAVE to think that they'll be on Adelphia at SOME point...if only because Browns fans will storm the cable company!).

I also signed up for the HDPlus package, which brings in ESPNHD, HDNet, HDNet Movies and InHD 1 and 2. It's also known as the "Adelphia Vacuums Money Directly Out of Your Wallet" package. I don't have HBO/Showtime/etc., though I'm thinking of it.

ironmanix,
I live in Willoughby, by the lake, 2 streets out of Mentor. I am using a Radio Shack (vu-120 I believe) mounted outside of the second story and a Dish 6000 tuner. I don't use a rotator or amplifier. I get pretty good signals all around (Digital 3, 5, 8, 19, 43 and 61). WKYC (3) is the worst and can breakup some of the time, but overall it is watchable. Hope this helps.
Jeff

Yes, Adelphia is expensive, but it works and I think it is cheaper than buying all of the satellite equipment. I have the SA Explorer 8000 HD. Just an FYI, I have the PowerLink, HD Plus, no premiums and my bill is $95 (for six months). Then the PowerLink goes up from 26.99 to 39.99, but they say there is another package to buy at that point to keep the cost down. We'll see then. Nobody ever said HDTV was cheap.

I still have very regular problems with the locals, but it may be the wiring in my house, which I will be bypassing shortly. I'll post an update then.

Cool. I've had limited success just fooling around - I haven't really done anything formal on top of the house, just ran cable to my attic and set up the Terk (which appears worthless, btw).

Here's another dumb question. The website that tells you your mileage and direction to the broadcasting area did not mention an available digital station for CBS. They are wrong, right? The other thing is that the DirectTV schedule for the NFL package shows which games they will make available in HD and which aren't (I don't have the package but I can see them on the programming guide). They don't show the Browns broadcasting in HD this weekend. Can anybody confirm that the game will indeed be broadcast in HD before I rush into this? I'm fairly confident that the OSU game is NOT in HD but it is irrelevent anyway because I think it would be on one of the Comcast locals that I have.

I really appreciate your input, guys. Thanks a ton. I'm hoping this goes smoothly - football has become all but unwatchable in SD after watching in HD. I try to hit most OSU/Browns home games so half of the time it isn't an issue anyway.

GO BROWNS. GO BUCKS.

This schedule indicates HDTV for the Browns game.

http://www.sportsline.com/cbssports/schedules/

As far as I know, the Browns are in HD this weekend, one of CBS's 3 HD games this week (against the Cowboys). I believe they're also in HD the following two weeks...one more time on CBS, and one game that Fox will pick up since the road team will be an NFC team.

Sure enough, this schedule:

http://www.sportsline.com/cbssports/schedules/page/nfl

...shows Browns/NY Giants a week from Sunday in HD. The following week, FOX has the Browns, as they host the Redskins...and nearly all of FOX's games this year will be in HDTV. The only possible conflict is if FOX has more than 6 games in a week, and that week (10/3), they only have 5.


Unless I've been dreaming watching U.S. Open tennis and CBS dramas and sitcoms in HD via WOIO/19.

So, yes, the game is (as far as anyone knows) in HD this weekend, and yes, you should be able to get it fine on "Cleveland's CBS 19(-1)" with any decent antenna. No, the Terk is not a decent antenna.

Again, you shouldn't need a rotator or to move the antenna unless you are looking for out of market stations from places like Youngstown and Erie. I bet if you got a really good antenna and swung it around, you might have a shot at Erie, if they're putting out DT signals.

But for Cleveland...no moving needed, everyone's basically in the same direction from you.

here's another fun antenna listing/direction site:

http://www.2150.com/broadcast/

I have a rotor (aka rotator). Just because of CBS.

Yes, all the stations are in the same direction from us, but CBS won't come in from the same position as the other stations. I need to tweak the direction for CBS. And it varies by day. Because they're broadcasting with such a weak signal we are susceptible to all climate changes.

If you have installed by now and without a rotor, I'm sure you're going to have to point the antenna for WOIO at least to get you through the Browns game.

I agree with Stan I am in Avon, I have a radio shack RU120, to avoid headaches I found rotor to be worth the expense.

John

In the "now that you mention it" department:

Come to think of it, I can't find an antenna position for my RCA ANT1250 that will receive both WKYC-DT and WOIO-DT, without moving it.

I also have had to nudge around the Silver Sensor for the UHF DT stations, but it's just a nudge or two, and not always needed.

I'd advise our OP to get the antenna, put it up and lock into WOIO before Sunday, and deal with the rest, later. As I recall, he's putting it in the attic, and not on the roof, so a rotator may not be in the cards.

Before I put mine on roof, I had one in the attic, but that did not last too long because I kept sending the wife upstairs to "nudge" it into place. I got her the rotor for valentines day and its been allot happy around here.

John

lol. John, if I gave that to my wife for Valentines day she would plug it in, set me on it and rotate it.

I try to keep her expectations low, the year before she got new tires.

john

she might appreciate NFL sunday ticket as an early Xmas gift...

I'm still trying to convince my wife that the HDTV I bought in July is an anniversary present to us.......so in response she went out and bought a new diamond wedding band and told me that was my anniversary present.

Her birthday is coming up on 9/26..........but since no DTV can't buy her any NFL.

Maybe I'll try Major League Baseball next year on Valentines day.

Whoa...what am I thinking!

Not to coach you but the secret is to keep expectations low. and then just do the stupid male routine, for some reason that works all the time.

Hey Tom you guys get HDTV in Shelby?

John

Can't hurt to try it. But I can't help but wonder if it's not an Adelphia problem somewhere up the line. In the long run, you're probably going to need the technician regardless.

My problem is that the failure is intermittent here, so there's no easy way for me to demonstrate it to a serviceman.

Adelphia folks - are you getting major herringbone interference on SCIFI (59 analog)?

I'd wonder if it was local, but all other channels are normal. I'm kinda worrying that it might throw a monkey wrench in my HDTV DVR install tomorrow (signal?), but I WILL have a technician out...so maybe I can ask him!

Hi John, it comes and goes... not very reliable. How's your signal on PBS-HD 50-1(45,49)? Worked well here yesterday but having trouble today.

Tom, You know I haven't tried PBS OTA I kind have been enjoying adelphia and haven't touched my OTA setup lately. I grew up in your area and I always like to joke around with my friends who live in the area, its a great town most of the times. Is it any easier getting C-Bus stations?

Is WMFD's DT transmitter up yet? I'd imagine Tom could get that one, unless it's not powerful enough to hit the next county up

cristo - don't know if you can get WEAO/50-1 up there, but if you have time to mess with it, it might be fun...they have a 24/7 HD feed from PBS. I imagine WVIZ/25-1 would, too, but I don't know if it's even on the air or at very, very low power from Brookpark Road.

They've been transmitting digitally for a couple years but it's digital 480i and has a static border on the left which is annoying. I wrote to them about a year ago and asked if they had any plans for HD in the future and they had none at the time.

Inundated, up where?

Your location says you're in Cleveland.

I don't know how far north WEAO-DT 50 hits...

If you have the NFL Sunday Ticket for DirectTV do you get the local Browns games on it? Do they black them out in Cleveland?

Yes Avon lorain County, and yes Browns games on NFL ticket is blackout ed within so many miles of Cleveland.