"American Insurgent" wrote in message
ups.com...
Many programs are not yet in full HDTV, including
ABC World News. This results in blank space on the sides. Some
commercials are in standard def, which on HDTV makes additional blank
space on the top and bottom, giving an effect of the signal "floating"
on a sea of darkness.

Some channels will NEVER be "HDTV". The system only ALLOWS for HDTV. The
stations have the choice of either a single HDTV channel, OR up to FIVE
lower resolution channels. I can see most network channels running HD only
during prime time or sporting events for the most part, while leaving the
option open to run other services during the day.


Furthermore, the signal was jerky, like streaming internet video, with
frequent pixelation. I even lost the signal for a few seconds, after
which I checked to see if there was a "trip wire" in the settings that
I could turn down or off. I once had a Panasonic TV that would give
you a blue screen if the signal got too low. That I could turn off;
this I can't. If the signal gets too low with the Samsung STB, it will
give you a "weak signal" screensaver.

You will need an outdoor antenna to get a good usable digital signal. Where
rabbit ears, etc. type indoor antennas can normally get a usable (though
often poor) picture, they will not work well for a digital stream.

My setup at first wouldn't pick up several stations with the slew
buttons; I had to download an HDTV channel list off the net, then
manually enter those stations into memory. Even more confusing, the
Samsung box lists channels not by their HDTV assignment, but by their
standard def channel, a hyphen, and a subchannel, ex. 6-1, 6-2, and
6-3 instead of Channel 53. You can USE the HD channel, but it switches
you right back to this hyphenated system on the display. I suppose
this is to ease the transition, and to allow subchannels, but you are
left not only with two channel numbers for one station but something
less than true HDTV, since stations force two or three services onto
one HD channel. I doubt that was the FCC's intention.

Again, it's not HDTV, it's DIGITAL TV, with the OPTION for the station to
use the entire bandwidth for an HDTV signal.

I suspect that when people realize that they're being forced into HDTV-
with beaucoup dollar amounts required to switch-only to get standard
def, they'll be mad. I'm an electronics geek anyway, so for me it was
worth it. But Joe Sixpack will spend this sort of outlay and find his
HD experience reduced so that his local TV station can bring him 24
hour weather or music videos, and start talking a blue streak.


Joe Sixpack most likely doesn't even notice a difference between HD and
Analog (though there is one, most don't notice or care... after working as a
repair tech for decades, I've seen it more than a few times where a customer
would gripe about how their picture looked worse after I changed a CRT... of
course it did.. with the 3/4 dead CRT that was replaced, they couldn't see
the ghosting or the snow.

On Aug 19, 5:42 am, "Brenda Ann" wrote:
"American Insurgent" wrote in message

ups.com...

Many programs are not yet in full HDTV, including
ABC World News. This results in blank space on the sides. Some
commercials are in standard def, which on HDTV makes additional blank
space on the top and bottom, giving an effect of the signal "floating"
on a sea of darkness.

Some channels will NEVER be "HDTV". The system only ALLOWS for HDTV. The
stations have the choice of either a single HDTV channel, OR up to FIVE
lower resolution channels. I can see most network channels running HD only
during prime time or sporting events for the most part, while leaving the
option open to run other services during the day.

Furthermore, the signal was jerky, like streaming internet video, with

frequent pixelation. I even lost the signal for a few seconds, after
which I checked to see if there was a "trip wire" in the settings that
I could turn down or off. I once had a Panasonic TV that would give
you a blue screen if the signal got too low. That I could turn off;
this I can't. If the signal gets too low with the Samsung STB, it will
give you a "weak signal" screensaver.

- You will need an outdoor antenna to get a good usable digital
signal.
- Where rabbit ears, etc. type indoor antennas can normally get a
- usable (though often poor) picture, they will not work well for a
- digital stream.

A 'passive' 4-Bay UHF TV Antenna will solve most peoples
UHF ANTENNA = http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ260148015644
HDTV Reception problems for HDTV Stations with-in 35 Miles.

Once installed one of the new "HDTV' {UHF} Antennas outside
and pointed-in-the-right-direction you should have trouble-free
"Free" HDTV Reception for 10~25 Years. - imho ~ RHF

My setup at first wouldn't pick up several stations with the slew
buttons; I had to download an HDTV channel list off the net, then
manually enter those stations into memory. Even more confusing, the
Samsung box lists channels not by their HDTV assignment, but by their
standard def channel, a hyphen, and a subchannel, ex. 6-1, 6-2, and
6-3 instead of Channel 53. You can USE the HD channel, but it switches
you right back to this hyphenated system on the display. I suppose
this is to ease the transition, and to allow subchannels, but you are
left not only with two channel numbers for one station but something
less than true HDTV, since stations force two or three services onto
one HD channel. I doubt that was the FCC's intention.

Again, it's not HDTV, it's DIGITAL TV, with the OPTION for the station to
use the entire bandwidth for an HDTV signal.

I suspect that when people realize that they're being forced into HDTV-
with beaucoup dollar amounts required to switch-only to get standard
def, they'll be mad. I'm an electronics geek anyway, so for me it was
worth it. But Joe Sixpack will spend this sort of outlay and find his
HD experience reduced so that his local TV station can bring him 24
hour weather or music videos, and start talking a blue streak.

Joe Sixpack most likely doesn't even notice a difference between HD and
Analog (though there is one, most don't notice or care... after working as a
repair tech for decades, I've seen it more than a few times where a customer
would gripe about how their picture looked worse after I changed a CRT... of
course it did.. with the 3/4 dead CRT that was replaced, they couldn't see
the ghosting or the snow.

Joe Says : Things Always Look Better On TB After A Six Pack...
Burp !

On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 21:42:38 +0900, Brenda Ann wrote:
Some channels will NEVER be "HDTV". The system only ALLOWS for HDTV. The
stations have the choice of either a single HDTV channel, OR up to FIVE
lower resolution channels. I can see most network channels running HD only
during prime time or sporting events for the most part, while leaving the
option open to run other services during the day.

You can have HDTV plus another SDTV (standard-resolution) channel.

Actually, to the best of my knowledge there is no hard limit on how many
channels you can offer - you could in theory have five HDTV channels - but
the necessary compression would probably yield five unintelligible
macroblock-filled channels. I do know of stations running one HDTV and
two SDTVs though one of the SDTVs is usually a weather forecast which can
live with a very small bandwidth allocation.

But the station I work for does run one HDTV and one SDTV (as does one of
our competitors) and it works fine.

A handful of PBS stations are already running multiple subchannels during
the day, then shutting down the subchannels at night in favor of a single
HD channel. That plan works well with PBS' mission, not so much so for
commercial stations. (I don't think you'll see much of it on commercial
operations)

You will need an outdoor antenna to get a good usable digital signal.

Not necessarily true. I live in a typical single-story brick ranch house
25 miles from the transmitters. I get reliable reception from four
stations with rabbit ears.

It does require an outdoor antenna to get the other stations; that said,
the *analog* signals I get from those stations on rabbit ears are
something nobody would watch anyway.

Generally, if a given antenna gives you a stable analog signal that your
mother-in-law would watch without complaining, it'll probably give you
stable DTV reception. Unless the station is skimping on power. (unlikely
in large markets, quite likely in small ones.)

On Aug 19, 6:03 am, Mike wrote:
In article ,
"Brenda Ann" wrote:

You will need an outdoor antenna to get a good usable digital signal. Where
rabbit ears, etc. type indoor antennas can normally get a usable (though
often poor) picture, they will not work well for a digital stream.

Nonsense. I have used 20 year old rabbit ears myself, they work fine
for HDTV. As always, it just depends on how far away you are from the
transmitter. The alignment is critical, of course. You either get a
perfect signal or you get nothing at all by just slightly moving the
antenna.

BUT ! -Why- Always "Fiddle" with a set of Rabbit-Ears Indoors :
When a good 'Fixed" 'passive' HDTV Antenna will produce very
Good Results once it is installed and set-up (pointed-in-the-right-
direction) for many trouble-free Years.

doing it right the frist time saves a lot of 'fiddling'
time and time again over time ~ RHF

"Mike" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Brenda Ann" wrote:

You will need an outdoor antenna to get a good usable digital signal.
Where
rabbit ears, etc. type indoor antennas can normally get a usable (though
often poor) picture, they will not work well for a digital stream.

Nonsense. I have used 20 year old rabbit ears myself, they work fine
for HDTV. As always, it just depends on how far away you are from the
transmitter. The alignment is critical, of course. You either get a
perfect signal or you get nothing at all by just slightly moving the
antenna.

Joe Sixpack most likely doesn't even notice a difference between HD and
Analog (though there is one, most don't notice or care... after working
as a
repair tech for decades,

There is HUGE difference in picture quality, especially on a large TV.
I have a 42" plasma set that I don't even watch unless it's an HD
signal, because analog looks so bad.

That's because analog is not in the native resolution of the set. If it
were, you likely would not notice near as much difference. The convertor (in
the display) must take the (nominally 640x480) a/d conversion and multiply
it it to the native resolution of the display (1028x1660?), resulting in a
very ugly, pixellated display.