Houston, TX - OTA - Page 197

GEES. what was I thinking !

Just wanted to report that I now have and am now getting the complete TVGOS data and my Sony DHG DVR is working perfectly here in the Houston area.

I'm not sure why this started happening except that it seems to coincide with my discontinuing Comcast and pulling the cablecard from the unit.

As an aside, the PQ I am seeing on the 10 or so local HD English channels is superior to that I saw on the rebroadcast Comcast during the month I tried that service. I also have no macroblocking, pixelization or audio dropouts like I had repeatedly when viewing those channels via the Comcast feed.

Whatever service for non-local channels I finally decide upon, I have to wonder if OTA is the only way to go for locals, since it seems that rebroadcasters mess up the signal when they process it for their system and at the same time try to save on bandwidth at the expense of PQ?

Ghosting (multipath) still occurs with a DTV signal only you wont see it as if it's severe enough it will just cause a no-decode situation. One still has to be aware of and avoid antenna systems that may cause more of it.

Correct.

Has anything changed with regard to OTA channels broadcasting on multiple .1, .2, .3 channels and that multibroadcast detracting from the ability of their primary .1 channel to do fast action sports and detail oriented HD?

Just wondered since our ABC affiliate has added and is advertising their 13.3 crap.... but wonder if it might impact any sports on 13.1, if they ever get anything there worth watching?

Nope. ABC-13 still looks like doo doo.

So, multicasting still comes out of their single bandwidth and so diminishes their other channels sharing that bandwidth? What are they thinking????

I guess we need to boycott and beotch to their advertisers on the 13.1 channel... if we ever watch it?

Of course, the stuff like Peyton Place Hospital(cant remember the real name?) where everyone is just screwing each other can look like crap really doesn't matter.... kinda like porn for housewives... argh.

The subject is pretty well been covered for Houston but since you are now going full speed OTA. This is an overview of what you will find for Houston OTA HD TV.

Regarding sports:

11-1, 26-1, and 2-1 are the winners here. Also if you like soccer (or other worldwide sports) 45-1, 47-1, and 67-1 are basically their equal to the English stations in quality picture and sound. All of those are 1080i except 26-1 is 720p. Of course it does vary some in quality depending on location, set-up, distribution etc. For example a lot of the college basketball on 11-1 will have moderate macro blocking but when 11-1 delivered the Super Bowl (previous year) it was as close to Blu-Ray as you could get.

As far as 13-1 goes, might as well forget it. Most refer to it as Fake HD, much of it is SD stretched to wide screen. They are completely unable to process and deliver 5-1 sound. Both 13-1 and 13-2 are 720p (again much of it is blown up SD). The only time that I am aware of that 13-1 produces legitimate HD complete with correctly generated 5-1 sound, is when the broadcast the show called “Motion” (typically only on 13-2 with 2-0 sound processed correctly). The number of times they have broadcast Motion on 13-1 in the last two years has been nil.

Since cable and Satellite will only rebroadcast the local ABC 13-1, there is no improvement to be gained there. I have heard of some, perhaps 200 miles out from Houston, that are able to get WFAA (Dallas) via cable or satellite for ABC which addresses all the picture and sound problems, but those of us in the local Houston market are simply left out.

The higher the quality of your HDTV and sound system the greater the deficiencies in 13-1 become. As the quality of the TV set becomes lower and the sound system quality becomes lower (like built-in flat panel speakers) those differences become invisible or non-audible.

If you are interested in creating short a comparison test of 13-1 with the other stations let me know. One is the comparison of the 5:30PM evening News programs. The other is NASCAR Saturday 13-1 and NASCAR Sunday FOX – using your Sony Box.

Thanks Ken for the help!!!

I guess I can try and pickup the Dallas ABC affiliate and at the same time beotch like heck to the NASCAR and then KCrap houston affiliate in order to at least get them to drop the 13.3 stool droppings during fast action sports.....

Of course, I can also do some LONGGGGGG phone mass callings to the sales BS which appears during the 13.1 good stuff in order to try and tell them they aren't getting their money's worth during that time...

If money is the reason for the screwing of the public tax paying consumer.... then, all gloves are off, IMO.

It's all about the advertisers. And since I DVR shows and skip advertisements, I don't feel I have a right to bi+ch to them. I generally rent ABC BD's if they are released and skip KTRK all together.

Thats really a good point. That is how we watch LOST and the other stuff we like from ABC. Nothing like BD with HD Audio. Lots of good HBO stuff on BD too.

I still have this gif on my server. LOL

Okay... so far so good... but, I can't help wonder why since all the towers are apparently exactly south for me, that NBC is coming in at a much lower strength than all the rest. For example, CBS at around 95, ABC at around 90, but NBC is a hopeful 65 or so.

Do I need to realign my antenna or is NBC just a weaker transformer or directing their signal other than north?

Strangely, I get some Dallas CBS channel stronger than I get the Houston NBC one.... argh, why?

How are your other UHF signals?

Regarding your other CBS signal, are you talking about KBTX 3.1 (RF 50)? They put a good signal into NW Harris County.

The beam width of your receive antenna will probably be sharper for UHF (where Ch 2 transmits) than VHF (Ch 8,11 & 13). You might try peaking it on Ch 2 and see what you get on the VHF channels.

What is your antenna setup? If I read you right, you are getting 11.1 and 13.1 better than 2.1 (which is RF35)...that is understandable...you may need a preamp at the antenna to help the UHF signal (how is FOX 26 and CW 39?) Coax loss is higher at UHF than VHF so that could explain the signal difference. The Dallas CBS channel..is that 11.1 on RF11 or RF19? (KTVT is simulcasting on both but will be dropping RF11 eventually)
(edit) OR as mentioned earlier, it could be 3.1 KBTX out of B/CS (actually the tower is near Anderson, NW of Navasota) on RF50

That news just ruined my day. I HATE AT&T. T-Mobile was awesome. Fewer choices just sucks.

Actually may help ease the spectrum grab from TV spectrum for broadband services...ATT pledges in the buy to move more broadband to the rural areas....

Does anyone in the Houston area want a free Sezmi DVR? I won it in a contest a while back, and had a few issues with it that I posted in the Sezmi thread:

http://avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1304340

The Sezmi service reps assured me the issues would be fixed with future software updates, but I got tired of waiting and just got a Tivo instead. It is entirely possible that the issues have been fixed by now, but since I am now in a contract with Tivo, I have no use for the Sezmi unit and have not renewed my service in order to find out.

Anyway, I have the unit boxed up, with all the accessories that came with it. If anyone in the Houston area wants to give it a go, they are more than welcome to take it. You definitely can't beat the price.

If you are interested, please drop me a PM.

check your pm.

TROPO Alert!!! Houston UHF signals are being seen in BPT to the east...and Lafayette 3.x on RF28 is booming in..Time to scan and see what you can pick up tonight...(Probably can see KFDM 6.1 Beaumont now on its new home of RF25 with omni antenna and more power)..
Enjoy!

During the last several weeks the local FOX station 26-1 has been broadcasting a lot of blurry SD Window Box and highly distorted sound during prime time. Sometimes more than half of a show is broadcast that way. For example the last Chicago Code was broadcast 35 minutes that way. Less than 20 minutes was full screen HD and crystal clear 5.1 sound.

I do hope they get these problems fixed soon. Does anyone have any news on this?

I have seen the issue...during the same program and part of "House". I suspect a problem with either the incoming Fox signal or the unusual Fox "splicer" hardware that in the past has allowed Fox affiliates with no other HD capability in their system to simply route the Fox HD signal, already formatted as 19 mb, 720p directly to the digital transmitter. Now that KRIV also produces local news and runs HD syndicated programming, they now also have a traditional HD encoder for all non-Fox net.

I know who to check in with...so "stay tuned" for further news. (Sorry...LOL)

I get the Houston locals off the DISH so I have to ask...does KRIV have a .2 channel? KBTV in BPT (RF40/4.1) does not....which seems like a waste of spectrum (KVHP out of Lake Charles, RF30/29.1 is a FOX affil and has the CW on a .2 subchannel....not sure why KBTV hasnt added anything...with 26 being a FOX O&O, I could see WHY they dont..or do they? I never get them OTA enough to see a .2 (except for tonight...I am watching 2.2 THIS right now with my antenna pointed EAST...tropo has been great with the weather...Caught KSLA 12,1/RF19 out of Shreveport a little while ago)

Last time I checked OTA, KRIV had no subchannels. Good news for their HD pictures.

I've seen that happen sometimes with FOX 26 when they are showing their local FOX 26 logo on the screen instead of the national FOX logo, like during a football game. Usually it's just brief when they show their own logo at the top, 15 and 30 minutes past the hour, then the screen would switch back to full HD.

hi all,

i am gonna be moving to houston july 1st, all the way from jersey!!

currently i have a nice ota setup with windows vista, running media center, auto skipping commercials, the good life!

i just signed an apartment lease at 2121 midlane st 77027. i love the complex. it's a year old only. i will have a balcony, but i am thinking, how will i get my ota? i'd upgrade to win 7 no prob. i am sure they have figured out commercial skip on the wtv format by now.

so here are the specifics, also see attachments.
i will live at unit 557 (4th and top floor), facing east. antenna web shows most of the channels coming from southwest. will i get a signal? i have another option, unit 358, 2nd floor, which faces to the inside of the complex (a pool), also with a balcony. the complex is basically a rectangle, with a pool in the middle. not sure if this unit will be better?

also, could any of you experts tell me, if satellite will work from these two units, without resorting to roof install. i don't think the complex will let me play with satellite, but i thought i ask you guys first, if it is even an option, from the balcony.

 

2121 SITE PLAN.pdf 335.96484375k . file

 

antenna web.pdf 137.642578125k . file

Spectrum grab

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCCCa...eature=related

Bring a good supply of shorts and sun tan lotion, it's gonna be a scorching summer if the spring (?) is any indication. Now, down to business:

All the tranmission towers are SW of your apt complex; therefore, the two apts you have noted are NOT in prime locations for receiving OTA. This is especially so for 8-PBS; 11-CBS; 13-ABC who are on VHF frequencies, everybody else is up on UHF. Honestly...I don't think you will be happy attempting OTA from these apts.

Our house is in the SW, and I can use an indoor ant. as my backup to cable.

Also...sat will be an issue because the dishes need to face South, which doesn't seem practical for your locations either.

Does the complex offer a service? If so, don't subscribe to Galaxy or Phonoscope...or whatever they call it these days. Their reputation is lousy service with high prices.

For regular service...and after trying out U-verse from ATT, I have to recommend Comcast if it's available at your complex. Yes...they can be a PITA, but when all is said and done, they have the best picture quality on a regular basis.

If I can offer further assistance, PM me.