Syracuse / Utica, NY - HDTV - Page 117

today i am watching the bills game on the antenna on utica fox channell 33, syracuse 68 has the chicago game and wtvh 5 has the jets/browns game.

Analog via cable - Time Warner has WFXV in Rome on the basic analog tier. Sorry for the confusion. My point was that if Time Warner is forced to drop WSYT, they can legally (only in Rome) replace it with WFXV.

Smiles233 - I have a decent sized Yagi - don't know the brand nor model, but I'd say it's around a 30 element low/high VHF antenna. I pick up Ch. 6 RF as well as 7 (WXXA 23) and 12 (WNYT 13) all in Albany from my modest location just a little northeast of Utica. I did a TVFool for a buddy out on Rt. 365 just east of Holland Patent and I believe the strength of Ch. 6 especially was listed as higher than my location, most likely due to the relatively clear and flat shot eastward a good distance before any hills come into play. The worse scenario is to be located behind a large hill that sits between you and the tv transmitter you're trying to get. You'll be in the shadow. That's sort of the problem I have with the Albany area stations at my location, but I can still eek them out with almost 100% reliability.

This past weekend, I took advantage of the nice weather and tried out a Winegard HD-7082 in an attempt to pick up the Albany area stations... I live just west of Floyd off of Rt 365, and I used to be able to tune in a snowy but watchable signal from WRGB (RF6) back in the analog days... I could also tune in the audio from CH6 on my home and car stereo.

Since the digtal switch, I have had no luck with any Albany stations, the HD-7082 was my last attempt to receive them... I must be just low enough in elevation to be in the shadow of a hill ( I am also in from of a development and there are several homes between me and the East horizon.

So, no luck for me... it's too bad... there are a bunch of subchannels on the Albany stations that none of the Utica/Syracuse stations are offering at this point. I have since put my smaller ChannelMaster back on my roof... it allows me to get a solid signal from both Syracuse and Utica without needing to rotate the antenna; the larger Winegard was very directional and needed to be rotated to tune in eveything I receive with the ChannelMaster.

On a side note, if you or your buddy need a nice barely used Winegard HD-7082 for CH 6 reception; I have one available!!!

thanks for the replies, i live about 76 miles away from the tower at wrgb according to tv fool

Smiles 223; What does TV Fool give you at your location for the "NM(dB)" figure? Anything over 0 typically is receivable. I'm 65 miles from the transmitter.

It gives me a different value, depending on what I put in for antenna height.
At 5 ft. height it gives me 9.0 NM(dB)
At 20 ft. it gives me 6.2 NM(dB)

I don't know why it gives me a stronger signal at the lower height. But, at those figures and with a decent, but not the best available antenna, Ch. 6 is reliable about 95% of the time. It's come in handy to watch the Bills home games when Ch. 5 has had to block them according to NFL rules. My antenna is up about 25 ft.

1.3, i pick up ion ch 15 and that is lower


see attached

Smiles223 - That's going to be a close one with the NM(dB) hovering just above 0. Just fyi, I also get rf 7 and rf 12 out of Albany, and they're down in the -7 and -8 area.

I think a decent antenna, good coax and a preamp should get you pretty close.

One fyi, it's interesting too how horizontal movement can affect tv reception. I can move my uhf antenna about 30 feet horizontally and pick up RF34 from Albany, up on the roof and I can't pull it in! No obstructions are coming in or out of the formula when I move it.

yeah when i move my antenna up on my roof i lose rf 15 ion ...so i have it on my deck in back about 15' up, also i read on the fcc page that ch 15 ion is trying to move to ch14

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WSTQ-LP ....

Directv now lists on their website that they will have the Utica HD locals in 2011. Anyone know when in 2011??? I am moving into my new house in January and would like to go back to Directv if they are going to carry locals. I did notice that they are allowing Uticans to have NYC locals (except NBC for some reason). Any info anyone could provide would be great. Thanks

Anybody else notice that NBC has disappeared from TWC's free HD on demand channel? Anybody know the story there?

I have D* and get
ABC,FOX and CBS in HD from NY
CW in SD from DC
PBS in SD from ?
these stations come from the satellite

the reason you wont get NBC is WKTV wont allow it, you should be able to get them OTA

Where D* screwed up in my opinion is by not leaving the frequency band open for diplexing OTA. They did so much to get to a single wire solution and then botch it by requiring the second drop for OTA. I'm so fed up with Time Warner and this garbage Navigator guide that I'd likely have switched, but I don't feel like running second drops to all my outlets so I can get my locals and sub channels.

I see in bright red today on WKTV's website that they're battling it out with TWC over a carriage dispute...

Actually, diplexing OTA isn't always a problem. The problem comes in when you add DECA for Multi-Room Viewing (MRV).

SWM equipment uses the frequency range 974MHz to 1790MHz for programming guide and content to the IRD tuner. There is also a 2.3MHz component for communications between SWM equipment. SWM assigns frequencies as specific channel's to each tuner. Up to a maximum of 8 channels are available. A SWM channel's frequency is 100MHz wide and each tuner on an IRD requires one channel. An HD DVR IRD would require 2 channels. These aren't "stacked", but actually "tuned to" and sent out on the fixed frequencies between 974 to 1790 MHz.

DECA uses 475-625 MHz.

OTA 54-806 MHz

So this means: SWiM comm [2.3 MHz]---- OTA [54 MHz]----DECA [475-625 MHz]---OTA [806 MHz] - SWiM [974 MHz]-----[1800 MHz]

Yea, that is what I was referring to because I would definitely want MRV. I'm kind of passing on D* until they get some of the missing HD networks. Seems like they put HD on the back burner (still missing major networks and actually dropping some). I could run a second drop if need be, but I'd rather not have to. I'm actually exploring cutting the cord altogether and using my Roku with an OTA solution.

i'm also very tired of twc's issues, i'm with you there but on the other part of the scale for a desirable solution, i dont watch the news or the 'locals'. i only watch hd, and the national channels.
i looked into some hd only package on one of the sat's but even the second most expensive was missing some hd channels i definitely watch(and that are included in 'regular' service packs) and the next one mostly just added the various movie channels

Exactly, there are very few viable options which is why the FCC needs to break up program tying and get a well regulated ala carte system. I watch a handful of national channels and I have been finding much of the series I want on Netflix, but things like Fox News Channel and Comedy Central have daily programming I want that isn't readily available.

I honestly have no issue with Time Warner as far as Roadrunner, Phone or even cable channel selection. It's really Navigator that is wrecking the experience of having a DVR and finding programming.

If there was reliable third party options that didn't have tuning adapter issues and allowed for the VOD content, I'd be all over it.

yeah i'm mostly good with the roadrunner (although its been a lil buggy lately here) dont have the phone(or use vod really) though so its just the dvr issues as you stated
so i just need a reliable recording/viewing setup with the couple dozen or so HD channels the fiance and i watch

Hi Ben - I too am somewhat confused about why they are dragging their feet on additional HD channels. Directv certainly has the available bandwidth with the launch of the D12 satellite, but they have been very slow about adding new channels. The most important to me are BBCA, TCM, AMC and Outdoor Network.

How do you like the Roku box? Is the HD quality sufficient? I have been thinking about the same type of thing and have been reviewing the Google box. What are your thoughts on this?

Carrie Lazarus on WSYR Ch9 hinted at some changes in the upcoming future. She mentioned that they are renovating their studio and has a surprise for the viewers. Could this be a HD studio upgrade complete with new HD cameras?

Yea, I mean, they just dumped G4 and never had it in HD (TWC does). They are missing BBCHD, AMCHD, TCMHD and Outdoor HD (all are available on TWC). Instead they continue niche programming like 3D and PPV "channels".
Swann mentions this in a recent post HERE. I've never ruled out DirecTV, but they haven't done anything to warrant a switch either. As I've stated, I'm quite content with the offerings from Time Warner, but they are driving me away with this abomination that is Navigator. I was hoping that Moxi would drop the price like Tivo did and maybe I'd trial one.


LOVE the Roku box! It's much more than just Netflix, but that is primarily what I use it for. I got it because the Netflix interface was above and beyond what most devices offered in the way of additional genres based on preferences and the biggie of Keyword Search. The HD is fine, not Blu-Ray quality, but better than DVD. It outputs at 720p right now and we are suppose to get a firmware update that allows for 1080p (I have the XR model).

There are TONS of channels on the Roku with the most recent addition being Hulu Plus. There is Amazon VOD for new content as well. I have VieraCast on my 65V10 Plasma, but it's limited and Panasonic has basically abandoned it. I still get YouTube from it and leave a Net connection with TV for updates.

Directv is stating on their website that Utica locals are coming in 2011. Anyone know an exact month? Im moving soon and would prefer Directv over TWC. Thanks

Well, the Time Warner tech just left. It was the same tech I usually get and he is a good guy who has come out before. He is knowledgeable and helpful. He has always listened to what I had to say and knows that I'm tech savvy to understand what he is talking about. He brought in his laptop and showed me the Time Warner software and how they poll the box (note I didn't see that they can tell if you did a hard drive mod) and showed me how they check remotely. He then pulled up the diags and hooked directly into my line to verify what I already knew - the levels are as good as they can be. There is nothing wrong with the service to the home. The problems are all Navigator and he can't do anything about them. So, then we started talking Navigator...

He plainly said "It's crap" and went on to say it has created a massive amount of truck rolls. I explained all my issues, but couldn't duplicate the audio stutter. He basically said, that's the way it is and we have to wait out the updates. When asked if he knew when they were coming, he didn't. However, he did confirm he has a different version of ODN. We were talked about lost features not carried over from SARA and I mentioned lack of 4th FFW. He said his 8640 has a 4th FFW, but because he is an employee that he gets to test new releases. I also inquired about Multi Room DVR and he has no release date for it, but said he is NOT looking forward to Signature Home from what he knows about it.

The bottom line is that the service call went exactly how I said it would. The tech would confirm the levels are fine and chalk up the issues to being Navigator. I hold no grudge or fault against the tech. He is the same the set up the service and came out once before to fix a line issue that caused SDV problems. He even went so far as to say that other divisions are having success with this release of Navigator. Then said if I got tired at my old job "maybe you could come work down at our headend" and we both laughed. I did tell him I'd be happy to beta test anything the employees got, but that won't happen. He explained how they farmed out many of the call centers as far as Oregon and basically told me that I already knew more than most of those front line CSR's anyway.

So, in the end it boils down to a wait for the updates situation.

I mentioned that I'm looking into Moxi or Tivo and he confirmed that it will bring it's own set of issues. Tuning adapters are not supplied or supported locally so when they fail (and he claims they fail quite often here) you are basically on your own. He said as far as he knows there are no plans to go all digital here anytime soon, so SDV will be in play for awhile.

He did give me one tidbit of info that may explain something. A known issue of the box changing recordings to an SD channel when the HD channel has the series set up. He said that Navigator will do this IF the box tries twice to acquire the SDV feed and fails it will revert to the SD channel so as not to miss the recording. I explained that it was doing this for multiples and actually changing over the whole series to SD which he seemed to think was another glitch.

I met to tell him that it would be nice if Time Warner just kept us informed, but as with many questions I asked he simply said "I agree, but it's above me" explaining he is more less a line tech and not a headend guy.

We then talked carriage disputes as a scroll came across the screen threatening to pull a channel. He doesn't think we will lose any channels, but I asked him if the guys at the headend could at least pipe in Fox HD from Utica for the Super Bowl if in fact WSYT pulls the HD feed. He didn't know too much about DMA restrictions, so he said he didn't know what they would do in that event.

It's another one of their undocumented enhancements. The old FREE is now on 859 and is called HDSOD. It's essentially the old HD frees (FX, SciFy etc) minus NBC and CBS. But they've added another channel that gives NBC, CBS, and now ABC primetime programming in HD. Also a non-HD version. Even added a few more programs.

On TWC Ilion/Utica the channels are:
859 HDSOD HD Showcase on Demand
860 PTOD Primetime on Demand
861 PHTOD Primetime HD on Demand
862 HOD HD on Demand

but as usual they are repeated on other channels. At times if your tune to one channel the guide will show that you are on the dup channel. Their development and marketing groups appear to be infiltrated with idiot savants.

Look into WD TV Live Plus (make sure it's a plus, the non-plus is ~ $10 less but doesn't stream netflix). Basically the same price ($100) but also plays almost any format music/video/photos from a networked drive or a local USB drive. [Only one I've seen that plays avi]. Even supposed to play a DVD in the computer drive.

HD quality is passable for me but I've got 3 computers sharing a base DI-524 fw/router, plus the phone and a couple of TVs grabbing bandwidth. It's got HDMI, composite and component outputs and free youtube plus the sub services netflix, mediafly, live365, pandora... Very intuitive and well featured interface and remote. Had it for several weeks now and I'm extremely happy.

The actual reason I came tonight was to pick some brains of those who have DishTV. Been considering dropping TWC for Dish for a while due to economic reasons and with the locals available (albeit non-HD) and a way to stream netflix and avi tv and movies; if TWC screws with NBC on 12/15 it's time to go.

Looking for advice on the best hardware and programming packages and any gotchas you know of.

I'm in Schuyler, NY and would have it installed there but have heard in this group that there are hybrid areas that will allow a sub to get both the Syr and Utica locals. Maybe the same for ALB and Utica? Anyone know the specific areas.

Also what requirements are there for landline connections.

And what is used for residence verification in case I "move" into one of the hybrid areas.

If this is considered off-topic please let me know and I'll request replies via PM.

Thanks.

Anyone else have serious lip sync issues on channel 868 for the past week for Wfxv yet channel 3 is fine?