Atlanta, GA - OTA - Page 105

I'll try another question. Can anyone tell me what is the cause of the terrible picture quality I'm receiving on GPB 8.3? Only still pictures are in focus. Anything that moves is blurry. It seems like artifacts of heavy compression, but I thought one of the primary reasons for going with OTA broadcasts was to avoid the heavy compression used by cable and satellite.

Please educate me.

No clue about the Athens area and don't know how strong the Atlanta, etc. signals are out your way. In the old days of FM, if you didn't have a big antenna with rotator, channel selection, signal strength could be pretty iffy, especially in bad weather even if relatively close in.

I have an older 65" RPTV, so have to use a separate box that only allows 480i output, but the TV auto up scales it to 1080i, so in some ways I've found it superior to some neighbor's Comcast, AT&T and Dish broadcasts. Fast action sports is another matter though as these have lots of motion distortion.

WRT PBS, these are among my best looking channels, especially ch30, in that all channels look a little 'soft'/film-like, but the main channels plus PBS are as sharp as my best quality DVDs, so I figure that folks with a good antenna and rotator if out of town should be getting some pretty good action motion on the channels broadcasting in 720P, though probably not significantly better on those stations broadcasting in 1080i.

Then again, the two HDTVs I've watched with OTA didn't do very well, so I'm of the opinion that the TV's internal tuners are basically junk and not just to keep cost down either.

Anyway, hope some folks will chime in with some comparisons to DVD, BluRay performance as a frame of reference.

GM

8.3 is probably a subchannel, and they don't always look as good as the main 8.1 HD channel.

8.3 is broadcast at 480i and 4:3. So it will look bad even with good reception - especially if you zoom to fill the screen. I get macroblocking and audio dropouts on 8.x all the time, so I don't watch them (but that's a problem with my reception, not their broadcast).

I can't believe I didn't notice the resolution. That explains a lot. Though why they would want to broadcast a channel largely devoted to highly visual programming (nature shows, etc.) in low resolution in 2013, I can't imagine.

ATSC only allows for one good HD feed, maybe two in 720p with a really expensive encoder. PBS does not provide World Channel (the program source for 8.3) in HD either.

- Trip

Can you pick up any of the other PBS stations in Georgia? If not, what about an Alabama/Tennessee/South Carolina PBS feed? I'm not sure if that will help since I believe someone said that PBS World isn't broadcast in HD. But I don't know if that is for ALL PBS stations or merely those in Georgia or specifically Channel 8.3 out of Athens/Atlanta.

I am really starting to realize how "behind the times" I am considering that I still have a SD television....and even worse yet....(brace yourselves).....one with only a coaxial input!!!!! (no RCA's/ S-Video/HDMI's here!!!) But what do I know? Anything looks good to me now that I've upgraded to 22 inches over my 13 inch that I had for over a year!

That is correct, World Channel is not in HD. The satellite feed provided to stations is 480i.

- Trip

I am just making the transition from Uverse TV to antenna. I am north of Gainesville GA so about 45 to 50 miles NE of Atlanta. I am using a Clearstream 4 antenna (rated at 65 + mies) all the Atlanta stations are very good and stable. My only problem is channel 5. The antenna is oriented SW (220 degrres). Is there anyone on the north side of Atlanta having a similar problem?
Jclark

You may have a shot at some of the Asheville-Greenville-Spartanburg channels at your location, but not exactly sure and you may not necessarily be interested. But to help with Fox 5 you may need to add a preamp. And I think there is a translator signal for WSB-2. But good that your UHF antenna is getting WXIA-11. (RF10).

Thanks for the info. As to the pre-amp, have you had experience with a particular brand or style? There sure are a lot of them out there. The price runs from nearly nothing to way too much.

I believe Winegard and Antennacraft have models available for about $30 from Solid Signal.

Thanks again. I will check these out..
Jclark

Hi local experts,

I'm in the NorthEast 'burbs (Suwanee to be exact, http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d1dda5fb3778f56) and am in the process of cutting the TV cable.

At the moment I'm experimenting with a Mohu Leaf Plus (don't laugh). The first attempt saw it stuck halfway up the lounge wall, which gave decent signal all round (although WPBA and WGTV were a bit troubled at times), but this did not meet with the approval of the lady of the house. So currently it's sitting up in the attic aimed at around 220 degrees. It gives decent signal on all channels *except* for WPXA and WATL. WPXA I kind of get because of the difference in heading, but WATL has me a bit stumped.

Anyway, since I'm looking at using the attic there is no reason to have the Leaf up there, so I'm intending to get something more appropriate. And this is where I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to get, because there seem to be so many options. The latest one I'm looking at (right now) is the ClearStream 4, but I've also clicked through to the DB4e, which also gets good reviews. If I can I would like to avoid having to have separate VHF and UHF antennas, just because it's a pain.

I should also add that I have a fair number of trees around my lot, so I'd expect some signal loss as springtime approaches.

Are they any other recommendations for attic antennas?

atlpundit

I am using the clearstream4 and geting great results from 50 miles out. However, it would not work in my attic so it is on the roof. I have read that there is a significant signal loss trying to get through the singles etc. I did find I got better signals when I went a little past 220. Fox 5 remains my only problem. I plan to try a preamp later this week. I will post again after I install the preamp. Then I am off to TiVo land so I can record. I suspect there is a llot to learn there.

Jclark

I'm about to go insane with trying to get OTA television. I can't understand how I'm right in the middle of the city but can't get CBS.

I am able to get:
2.1/2 - ABC
5.1 - FOX
11.1/2 - NBC
14.1/2/3/4 - ION
16.1/2/3/4/5/6
53.1

I cannot receive CBS, Peachtree TV or CW.

Here is my TV Fool Analysis: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d1dda0a70db7d05

Television:
Vizio e601i-a3

Antenna (there wasn't a difference between them):
Mohu Leaf
Generic GE Rabbit Ears

Building:
Metropolis Midtown (15th Floor of Glass/Concrete Condo Tower)

Trying to receive digital reception in the middle of concrete, steel, and mirrored glass construction is about as bad as trying to get reception in the middle of a forest during a wind and rain storm.

The signal reflections are just brutal and tend to confuse the digital tuners, a condition commonly known as "multi-path".

I bought one of those attic antennas from WalMart discussed in the previous page and am VERY happy with it..even without a preamp/amp.

I have a small update.

I moved into town about 7 months ago and had been having issues getting consistent, clear reception on many OTA channels (especially the VHF channels), despite living around the morningside/cheshire br area (see my original post here - http://www.avsforum.com/t/384623/atlanta-ga-ota/3030#post_22290080 ). I mounted a Channel Master 4420 in the attic and connected it to my 2006 Panasonic TH42PX60U on the top floor. I also got some rabbit ears (with UHF loop) and put them on a 2005 TH42PX50U. Both TV sets usually get UHF channels alright, but both sets have problems with WSB-HD and WSB-SD (almost never come in).

Today, I put an flat Omni directional antenna on the 2010 Panasonic TC-L42D30, did a channel scan and was suddenly receiving all the channels that the other two TVs have problems getting, PLUS some radio stations. This despite the TCL42D30 being on the 2nd floor of the house (the other TV's are on the top floor).

It must be the superior tuner in the TC-L42D30 because hooking up the same antenna to the TV set with the rabbit ears did not improve the reception or range of channels that the TV gets with the rabbit ears. I even tried the amp that came with the flat antenna.

As things stand, I watch about 30 minutes of OTA TV a month (lots of netflix around here). It will be nice to be able to watch the odd sports broadcast or whatnot from the living room TV downstairs. Dunno if this will help anyone

You are correct (I'd say) in presuming its a superior tuner. It's amazing what a difference it makes! My granny got a cheap flat screen with a built in tuner (all of our other sets are OLD and require a converter box) and it will barely get the Atlanta channels (live near the airport). Yet my Zenith converter box picks up WCIQ from Chehaw Mountain in Alabama just fine when I connected it to the same TV with the same antenna.

Also, your channel scan is another obvious solution that we all sometimes forget about.

ALSO REMEMBER that for instance, what everyone refers to as "Channel 5" is actually R/F or "physical channel" 27 and is only "virtual channel 5." The same applies to almost all of the channels. So while I'm at it, here is a list of the PHYSICAL (sometimes called RF) CHANNELS


METRO ATLANTA DTV PHYSICAL/RF CHANNEL LIST:

RF #- PSIP I.D. - Network/Description (Virtual Channel #)

6.3 - WUOA-DT - this TV (HD) WVUA-CA Simulcast
6.4 - WUOA-DT - this TV (SD) WVUA-CA Simulcast
6.5 - WUOA-DT - WUAL HD Radio Channel 1
6.6 - WUOA-DT - WUAL Xponential Radio in HD
7.3 - WCIQ-DT - PBS (Alabama Public Television)
7.4 - WCIQ-D1 - PBS World
7.5 - WCIQ-D2 - Create TV
8.1 - GPB HD - PBS (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
8.2 - Kids - PBS Kids
8.3 - Knowled - PBS World / GPB Knowledge
10.3 - WXIA-TV - NBC
10,4 - WXIA-WX - 11Alive WIZtv powered by Accuweather
12.1 - WNGH-DT - PBS (Young Harris Translator)
12.2 - Kids - PBS (Young Harris Translator)
12.3 - Knowled - PBS World / GPB Knowledge (Young Harris Translator)
13.1 - WJSP-DT - PBS (Carrollton Translator)
13.2 - Kids - PBS Kids (Carrollton Translator)
13.3 - Knowled - PBS World / GPB Knowledge (Carrollton Translator)
16.1 - Cubana - Cubana de Television (Cuban)
16.2 - SBN - Sonlife Broadcasting Network
16.3 - PunchTV - Punch TV Network
16.4 - WYGA-LD - N/A (Color Bars)
16.5 - PeaceTV - Peace TV (Islamic)
16.6 - M Canal - N/A (Color Bars)
17.1 - WUVG-DT - Univision (Spanish)
17.2 - WUVG-DT - TeleFutura (Spanish)
19.3 - WGCL-TV - CBS
20.3 - WPCH-DT - Peachtree TV
21.3 - WPBA-TV - PBS (Atlanta Public Schools)
21,6 - Update TV Data
21.7 - Update TV Data
22.1 - WSKC-CD - Fuxion TV (African/Caribbean)
22.2 - WSKC DT - N/A (Color Bars)
22.3 - WSKC DT - N/A (Color Bars)
23.1 - WJSP-DT - PBS (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
23.2 - Kids - PBS Kids
23.3 - Knowled - PBS World / GPB Knowledge
25.3 - WATL-TV - My Network TV
25.4 - Bounce - Bounce TV
25.5 - Antenna - Antenna TV
27.3 - WAGA-HD - FOX
29.1 - APGuide - Zap2It Atlanta Program Guide / Biz TV
29.2 - RTV - Retro Television Network
29.3 - Shop TV - Infomercials
29.4 - MOXiE - MOXiE Movies
29.5 - Oldie - Oldie Goldie Network
29.6 - Family - My Family TV
29.7 - Diya TV - Diya TV (South Asian)
29.8 - LATV - LATV (Spanish)
29.9 - THIS TV - this TV
29.10-Estrell - Estrella TV (Spanish)
29.11-COMEDY - W222AF Comedy 24/7 92.3 FM (Comedy)
29.12-949BULL - WUBL The Bull 94.9 FM (Country)
29.13-PROJECT - W255CJ The Bone 98.9 FM (Rock)
29.14-PWR 961 - WWPW Power 96.1 FM (Top 40)
29.15-WiLD967 - WWLG WiLD 96.7 FM (Contemporary)
29.16-PATRON - WBZY El Patron 105.7 FM (Mexican)
29.17-LA MEGA - W243CE La Mega 96.5 FM (Tropical)
29.18-1310 AM - WPBC The Talk 1310 AM (Latin/Talk)
29.19-TBA 1 - W222AF Comedy 24/7 92.3 FM (Comedy)
29.20-TBA 2 - WUBL The Bull 94.9 FM (Country)
30.1 - MFOX - Mundo Fox (Spanish)
30.2 - LWN - Live Well Network
30.3 - Weather - N/A (Silent)
30.4 - JTV - Jewelry TV
30.5 - F24news - France 24 News
30.8 - TUFF TV - Tuff TV
31.1 - WSB-HD - ABC (Athens Translator)
31.2 - WSB-SD - Me TV (Athens Translator)
33.1 - WNGH-DT - PBS (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
33.2 - Kids - PBS Kids
33.3 - Knowled - PBS World / GPB Knowledge
35.1 - WDTA-LD - Daystar (Religious)
39.1 - WSB-HD - ABC
39.2 - WSB-SD - Me TV
40.1 - WIRE D1 - Infomercials
40.2 - WIRE D2 - Infomercials
40.3 - WIRE D3 - Infomercials
40.4 - WIRE D4 - Infomercials
41.3 - WATC-DT - WATC Atlanta's 57 (Religious)
41.4 - WATCTOO - WATC Too (Religious/Public Domain)
42.1 - WTHC - The Atlanta Channel (SD)
42.2 - WTHC - The Atlanta Channel (HD)
42.3 - WTHC - N/A (Color Bars)
43.1 - WUPA-DT - The CW
44.3 - TBN - Trinity Broadcasting Network (Religious)
44.4 - Church - The Church Channell (Religious)
44.5 - JCTV - Jesus Christ TV (Religious)
44.6 - Enlace - Enlace (Religious Spanish)
44.7 - Smile - The Smile Of A Child (Religious Kids)
45.1 - W45DX-D - Home Shopping Network
46.1 - WSB-HD - ABC (Gainesville Translator)
46.2 - WSB-SD - Me TV (Gainesville Translator)
47.1 - KTNDT - Telemundo (Spanish)
47.2 - KTND2 - KTN/KBS World (Korean)
47.3 - KTND3 - Arirang (Korean)
47.4 - KTND4 - Midwest Christian Television (Korean)
48.1 - WUVG-DT - Univision (Spanish)
48.2 - WUVG-DT - TeleFutura (Spanish)
50.1 - APGuide - Zap2It Atlanta Program Guide / Biz TV
50.2 - RTV - Retro Television Network
50.3 - Shop TV - Infomercials
50.4 - MOXiE - MOXiE Movies
50.5 - Oldie - Oldie Goldie Network
50.6 - Family - My Family TV
50.7 - Diya TV - Diya TV (South Asian)
50.8 - LATV - LATV (Spanish)
50.9 - THIS TV - this TV
50.10-Estrell - Estrella TV (Spanish)
50.11-COMEDY - W222AF Comedy 24/7 92.3 FM (Comedy)
50.12-949BULL - WUBL The Bull 94.9 FM (Country)
50.13-PROJECT - W255CJ The Bone 98.9 FM (Rock)
50.14-PWR 961 - WWPW Power 96.1 FM (Top 40)
50.15-WiLD967 - WWLG WiLD 96.7 FM (Contemporary)
50.16-PATRON - WBZY El Patron 105.7 FM (Mexican)
50.17-LA MEGA - W243CE La Mega 96.5 FM (Tropical)
50.18-1310 AM - WPBC The Talk 1310 AM (Latin/Talk)
50.19-TBA 1 - W222AF Comedy 24/7 92.3 FM (Comedy)
50.20-TBA 2 - WUBL The Bull 94.9 FM (Country)
51.3 - ION - Ion
51.4 - qubo - Qubo
51.5 - IONLife - Ion Life
51.6 - ShopTV - ShopTV (Infomercials)

Atlanta

Channel RF Network/ Description

2.1 39 WSB/ABC
5.1 27 WAGA/FOX
8.1 8 PBA/Athens
11.1 10 WXIA/NBC
17.1 20 TBS/Peachtree
30.1 21 PBS/Atlanta
46.1 19 WGCL/CBS


These are just the majors.
Mark

There's a detailed list of stations linked in my signature below.

At the behest of the wife who was lamenting the sudden loss of Diya TV (bollywood movies) on 32.7, I did a rescan on the TV and noticed that 56.1 has a "Dish" slate up. I think that's new. I know that RF channel 56 was assigned to Echostar (nationwide?), but I hadn't heard of them putting a video slate on it.

Trip has more info about it here: http://www.rabbitears.info/echostar.php

Hey Trip, you should update the TS Reader data there, since there's obviously an MPEG2 video PID in there now, at least. I assume the rest of the multiplex is mostly full of data.

Easier said than done; I don't know anyone with the proper hardware who can receive it. And now I'm too far from the area to see it myself.

- Trip

It's been discussed before. Analog 55 was testing mobile tv but is no longer in operation. Digital 56 has always been EchoStar/Dish Network mobile tv's frequency and they run various stuff on there also including the Dish Network Welcome Channel (Lol) and a very annoying random color bar/sound wave beeping test pattern. No one knows what any of it means or its method.