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MDP 130 won't tune CBS

670 Views 13 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  nebneb
I'm having some trouble with the 'detect channels' with my MDP 130. A few weeks ago I thought I had a signal strength problem and needed a signal booster, but the comments other members left lead me to believe it was something else (thanks to those that posted the advice).


It turns out, my MDP 130 isn't automatically detecting all of the sub channels. For example, I'm using BHN in Clearwater (Tampa), FL. My MDP 130 will detect a PBS (WUSF) channel on 79-2. Through trial and error- just tuning each digital channel and then checking all the sub channels with in a channel- I have found that 79-1 is Fox, 79-6 is ABC, and 91-2 is NBC.


My understanding is that all of the local broadcast stations need to be sent unencrypted, and the fact that I get the other 3 networks makes me think that CBS is in there somewhere, but after flipping through every sub-channel I could find, I never found it.


Any advice on how to find CBS is appreciated, or if anyone knows where to find a table of what network is on what channel and sub channel, that might help too.


Thanks,


neb
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A better way to think of it is IF they broadcast a local THEN it must be in the clear.


If you go to the local reception area of the forum

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=45


you should find someone who can answer this for you. You may even find it was answered already.
I looked around, but didn't find the answer, so I posted this http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=622065


Thanks for the tip.
Is your CBS station owned by Sinclair? Their opinion is that only one signal will be free and clear on cable (the analog one) and any digital signals will require a fee. They just added a Sinclair affiliate to our cable system but the HD feed is encrypted while other networks HD are in the clear.


This would not be just a MDP-130 problem but any QAM receiver (like a cablecard TV with no card inserted). A MyHD just happens to be a tuner that you can examine channel tuning by exporting the mcl list.
I looked around a bit, and found this- http://www.sbgi.net/business/markets...ml#tampa.shtml , so it looks like CBS (WTSP) in Tampa isn't owned by Sinclair.


This is a local broadcast with this station. In fact, if I move the HTPC upstairs it can tune it OTA, but downstairs I just don't get enough signal strength. I've tried every indoor antenna I can find, and it just won't make a difference, and I'm very reluctant to put up an outdoor antenna.


My thread in the other forum was deleted for some reason, so I'll just leave the question here in case someone has any other ideas.
I bought an outdoor type UHF only antenna from Radio Shack, pointed and laid it in my attic. Works perfectly even split 4 ways. Had problems with indoor antenna on the lower floor, the picture broke up everytime a car drove by.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nebneb
My thread in the other forum was deleted for some reason, so I'll just leave the question here in case someone has any other ideas.
The local threads are for local topics and are policed to make sure new threads aren't started at random.


This is a good idea as people interested in what is happening in Tampa typically only subscribe to that thread and would never have read your post, linked here since the moderator merged it into your local thread.


I would recommend you visit your post and subscribe to your local thread so you can see if someone answers your post or view other things of interest in your local area.


Actually someone did answer your post and provided a channel list file for you to try both OTA and QAM.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nebneb
I've tried every indoor antenna I can find, and it just won't make a difference.
The best indoor UHF antenna was always the double bow-tie. The rear grid (12" x 12'" approx) blocks reflected signals (ghosts in the analog era, multipath in the digital world) and can be aimed (sits on little legs) as needed. It's a junior version of the four-bay outdoor antenna.


(useless info : my Sinclair HD signal is now in clear QAM - not encrypted)
you need to add your location to your profile, then you'll get better help! Okay, you're in the Tampa Bay area.... guess you didn't know that ALL of the major stations have their antenna in Riverside, just south of Tampa EXCEPT for CBS, which is located in Holiday, which is north-northwest of Tampa.... :D
Anything that will help...


I'm in Safety Harbor, FL- a few miles west of Tampa.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimwhite
you need to add your location to your profile, then you'll get better help! Okay, you're in the Tampa Bay area.... guess you didn't know that ALL of the major stations have their antenna in Riverside, just south of Tampa EXCEPT for CBS, which is located in Holiday, which is north-northwest of Tampa.... :D
How are you handling that?
Quote:
Originally Posted by nebneb
Anything that will help...


I'm in Safety Harbor, FL- a few miles west of Tampa.
did you try the channel list that hdtvfanatic posted for you in response to your post in the local thread?? :


____________________________________




I just checked it with the a MyHD 130.


It coming in fine.


With the cold weather over the last week, its possible you are having a thermal problem somewhere on the line.


HOWEVER, last I checked Channel 10 was on QAM 106 at 687Mhz - MUCH higher than the other Stations you mentioned. However, WEDU is on the same QAM. You did not mention any of the WEDU Channels. Are you getting them?


If you are getting WEDU's 3 channels, then its a MyHD issue.


If you are not getting WEDU's 3 Channels, I would suggest that your high end is probably loosing signal gain and that's why you cannot get CBS or WEDU. You need to call BHN and get them on a service call to check and balance the line.


One more test - I have uploaded the Channel file for a MyHD 130 for Over The Air on Ant1 and BHN on Ant 2. As AVS will only take certain file types, download the file MyHDCHList.txt and save it to your hard drive. Rename the extension from .txt to .mcl.


Then go into MyHD and open up Channel Settings - Hit Load and point to this saved file.


As I have manually editted it, all you have to do is tune to Ant 2 (make sure your BHN Cable is on Ant 2) and hit 610. It should bring in CBS. If it doesn't then it's clearly the cable connection. Also try the same for WEDU on 603, 604 or 605.


Quite Honestly, I don't really use a MyHD with Brighthouse - only OTA so the channel settings might not be complete and some might have been moved since the Summer when I last editted this file - but it will find WEDU and CBS for you if you have the signal.


And for anyone wondering how I got the BNH Channel Mapped numbers instead of the QAM numbers, I did a scan and made sure I had all the information in the MyHD Software - saved the file to disk and manually editted the .mcl file. Then I simply reimported the file with the Channel Mapping in place.


Also, even though the HD Encrypted Channels are noted, they obviously will not come in with the MyHD Card as it cannot decrypt the signal on these.

Attached Files MyHDCHList.txt (35.6 KB, 7 views)
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"How are you handling that? "


2 antennas and a "jointenna" tuned to ch24, the CBS rebel... :D


:cool:
Thanks for the advice. I know it's a late response, but I just wanted to let those that offered some help know what the real issue was. I swapped out my cable splitter, tightened the cables as much as I could, and now I'm getting all the stations I expect to.


Good old user error / bad cable connections.... some day I'll learn....
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