[shroomysoup]

I have a Panasonic TC-26LX60 26 inch LCD TV that has an integrated NTSC, ATSC tuners; QAM tuner compatible with unscrambled HDTV cable reception. So I don't need an antenna to receive HD channels, but it's gets really choppy sometimes even when it's not raining or cloudy. If I hook up an HDTV antenna, will it make any difference or am I just going to have to deal with it?

 

[jtbell]

You shouldn't be getting a "choppy" HD signal from your cable company. That's a sign that your signal level is a bit too low. Have you asked them to send someone out and check it?

 

[shroomysoup]

Well I don't have cable, I have DirecTV, but I didn't subscribe to the DirecTV HD programming. I am getting local HD channels like NBC and ABC.

 

[jtbell]

Oh... when you said you didn't need an antenna, I thought that meant you were using the QAM tuner on your TV. But I guess you meant you already have an antenna.


If you want advice on improving your over-the-air (OTA) HD reception, you'd better go to http://www.antennaweb.org/ , enter your address and get their listing of stations that you should be able to receive. Then paste that listing into a posting and tell us what kind of antenna you have right now. Then people will have a starting point for discussion.

 

[rlj5242]

So your HD channels via satellite are macro-blocking even when there is no rain?Is it cloudy when this happens? Where are you located (city only)? What DirecTV receiver are you using? What satellite dish are you using? What is your satellite signal strength when the channel starts to go out (please list satellite and transponder)? Better yet, post the signal strenth of all the satellite/transponders. That will give us a better idea if your dish is aimed correctly.


-Robert

 

[shroomysoup]



Quote:
Originally Posted by jtbell /forum/post/0


Oh... when you said you didn't need an antenna, I thought that meant you were using the QAM tuner on your TV. But I guess you meant you already have an antenna.


If you want advice on improving your over-the-air (OTA) HD reception, you'd better go to , enter your address and get their listing of stations that you should be able to receive. Then paste that listing into a posting and tell us what kind of antenna you have right now. Then people will have a starting point for discussion.

Ok, I DO NOT have an antenna right now. I think I am using the TV's QAM tuner (don't know what that is) since I am able to receive local HD channels without the antenna. So, I don't have an antenna and I was wondering if getting one would help me get better reception.

 

[Rammitinski]



Quote:
Originally Posted by shroomysoup /forum/post/0


Ok, I DO NOT have an antenna right now. I think I am using the TV's QAM tuner (don't know what that is) since I am able to receive local HD channels without the antenna. So, I don't have an antenna and I was wondering if getting one would help me get better reception.

I believe you get the local HD's free when you subscribe to an HD package, as long as you are already subscribing to the SD versions of them (isn't there anyone who can confirm this?). If so, then you are not seeing them through the set's QAM tuner - just through your Direct TV tuner, along with all the other Direct channels.


Can you be more specific about the picture being choppy? Is it macroblocking, or are you seeing "jaggies" maybe, where quickly moving objects (like basketball players) have broken, jagged edges to them?


And, in answer to your question - yes - you should get a better picture from your over-the-air channels than the same locals through Direct. OTA HD is generally of the best quality, between Direct, Dish, cable and OTA, due to the least amount of compression.


Also, you would be using the TV's ATSC tuner to receive OTA - not the QAM. QAM is just used for cable. And, in order to use QAM OR ATSC, you'd have to be switching to another input from the one that your Direct receiver is running through.

 

[jtbell]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Rammitinski /forum/post/0


I believe you get the local HD's free when you subscribe to an HD package, as long as you are already subscribing to the SD versions of them (isn't there anyone who can confirm this?). If so, then you are not seeing them through the set's QAM tuner - just through your Direct TV tuner, along with all the other Direct channels.

This is the case if he's getting the local HD's via satellite. DirecTV has been rolling out local HD channels via satellite, starting with the top markets and working their way down. The other possibility is that he isn't in one of those markets, and DirecTV installed one of their dinky clip-on OTA antennas so he could get those stations. If that's the case, he should probably look into installing a better antenna, or just wait until DirecTV gets around to putting his locals on the satellite.

 

[Rammitinski]



Quote:
Originally Posted by jtbell /forum/post/0


The other possibility is that he isn't in one of those markets, and DirecTV installed one of their dinky clip-on OTA antennas so he could get those stations. If that's the case, he should probably look into installing a better antenna.

Good catch! I hadn't even thought of that possibility.


I guess the next logical thing he should do is go outside and look.