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#1
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Over the air HDTV: report
I recently plunked down $650 to be able to get HDTV. That includes
$290 Polaroid 19" LCD HDTV, $180 Samsung HDTV set top box, $70 for an HDTV indoor antenna, and a whopping $65 for a special cable called an HDMI cable (in addition to tax). I watched some OTA HDTV tonight, and was disappointed. 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. 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. Some stations are squeezing two signals on one HDTV channel. In two cases, the second channel is a 24/7 weather channel with local weather reports; in a third case the Fox station has a music video service called "The Tube" on their second channel. The PBS station has an amazing THREE stations on one channel! One is their regular channel, one is a second channel that is usually available only on cable, and a third is V-me, a PBS service for Latinos in Spanish. The Univision (Spanish language) channel supposedly has an HDTV service, but there's nothing there. Some reports have said that HDTV from different cities is available in Sacramento; my antenna won't pick it up. I suppose that if I had an outdoor antenna on a pole I'd get it. Two channels, including a local weather channel and the HDTV signal of a second tier station, are weak and keep cutting out. If this is HDTV after years of government pressure and millions spent, it's clearly not ready for prime time so to speak. Hopefully by switch time they'll have ironed out the bugs. 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. 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. |
#2
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Over the air HDTV: report
"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. |
#3
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Over the air HDTV: report
On Aug 18, 7:06 pm, American Insurgent wrote:
Furthermore, the signal was jerky, like streaming internet video, with frequent pixelation. I even lost the signal for a few seconds, after Depending on where you live in Sacramento, signals can be very weak and require and outdoor antenna. Most stations broadcast their signal from Walnut Grove. I lived in Sacramento for 23 years and fully understand the reception problems there. If you live in South Sacramento, you are more apt to have a strong enough signal to use an indoor antenna for a digital signal, but even then, what works in one house may not work in the house next door. With a properly installed outdoor antenna, WITH rotor, you should have NO problem getting all the Sacramento stations perfect, AS WELL AS some of the San Francisco stations. This will usually require a large UHF-VHF tv antenna. Note: There is no such thing as an hdtv antenna. ALL television antennas are hdtv-analog compatible. Another factor in Sacramento is antenna height. Look around. You will see THOUSANDS of tv antennas mounted on 20-ft to 40-ft masts with a rotor, on a roof top. I live in Clovis, California (just outside Fresno), 180 miles from Sacramento, and get hdtv on channels 3, 13, and 58 almost every day, using a Channel Master 1160A antenna mounted with rotor on a 20-ft mast. Some days I also get channels 10, 29, and 40 from Sacramento. Reception is usually strong enough in the mornings and at night. I have also, on occasion, received hdtv stations from the bay area, 200 miles from me. Some stations are squeezing two signals on one HDTV channel. In two That's the bonus with hdvt/digital tv. MORE program choices. In future years, you may find that channel 40.1 is regular FOX, 40.2 might be FOX NEWS CHANNEL, 40.3 might be FOX MOVIE CHANNEL, etc. Some reports have said that HDTV from different cities is available in Sacramento; my antenna won't pick it up. I suppose that if I had an Of course your indoor antenna won't pick them up. But with the proper outdoor antenna, the stations you pick up will be perfect - no snow. Generally speaking, whatever worked for analog reception will work for digital reception, AS LONG AS the analog reception was good, not weak. So IF you got, for example, channel 2 in San Francisco, snow- free with an indoor antenna, you would probably also get their hdtv signal using the SAME indoor antenna. Be careful with these out-dated internet lists of hdtv channels. I have found that the stations are still experimenting and have changed channels on me at least once. Most Sacramento and Fresno stations have gone back to using their analog channel numbers instead of the ones posted on the internet. Unlike most cities, both Sacramento and Fresno are using both UHF AND VHF channels for hdtv. In Fresno, our signals are much stronger than you get in Sacramento, yet my mothers new digital tv got no signal using the BEST non- amplified indoor antenna made - a 2-bay bowtie with screen. I got her an amplified antenna, and now all but one of the Fresno hdtv stations come in, but still occasionally she loses a signal for a few seconds. In general, indoor antennas are NOT a good choice for a digital signal. |
#4
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Over the air HDTV: report
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 |
#5
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Over the air HDTV: report
On Aug 19, 7:05 am, Zeke Zzzppt wrote:
American Insurgent wrote: I recently plunked down $650 to be able to get HDTV. That includes $290 Polaroid 19" LCD HDTV, Good luck with the "Polaroid"... I knew 3 people that had a Polaroid VCR/DVD player combo and none of them lasted for more than 6 months. Service and parts were unobtainable. Look, I don't expect a TV from Wal-Mart to be that great anyway. I needed a legit HDTV, and this was the cheapest. Unlike a VCR/DVD machine, an LCD TV doesn't have any moving parts. Besides, once you get below $500 or so, everything is made in China, and it's all pretty much similar quality. |
#6
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Over the air HDTV: report
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 ! |
#7
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Over the air HDTV: report
On Aug 19, 9:05 am, wrote:
On Aug 18, 7:06 pm, American Insurgent wrote: Furthermore, the signal was jerky, like streaming internet video, with frequent pixelation. I even lost the signal for a few seconds, after Depending on where you live in Sacramento, signals can be very weak and require and outdoor antenna. Most stations broadcast their signal from Walnut Grove. I lived in Sacramento for 23 years and fully understand the reception problems there. If you live in South Sacramento, you are more apt to have a strong enough signal to use an indoor antenna for a digital signal, but even then, what works in one house may not work in the house next door. With a properly installed outdoor antenna, WITH rotor, you should have NO problem getting all the Sacramento stations perfect, AS WELL AS some of the San Francisco stations. This will usually require a large UHF-VHF tv antenna. Note: There is no such thing as an hdtv antenna. ALL television antennas are hdtv-analog compatible. Another factor in Sacramento is antenna height. Look around. You will see THOUSANDS of tv antennas mounted on 20-ft to 40-ft masts with a rotor, on a roof top. I live in Clovis, California (just outside Fresno), 180 miles from Sacramento, and get hdtv on channels 3, 13, and 58 almost every day, using a Channel Master 1160A antenna mounted with rotor on a 20-ft mast. Some days I also get channels 10, 29, and 40 from Sacramento. Reception is usually strong enough in the mornings and at night. I have also, on occasion, received hdtv stations from the bay area, 200 miles from me. Some stations are squeezing two signals on one HDTV channel. In two That's the bonus with hdvt/digital tv. MORE program choices. In future years, you may find that channel 40.1 is regular FOX, 40.2 might be FOX NEWS CHANNEL, 40.3 might be FOX MOVIE CHANNEL, etc. Some reports have said that HDTV from different cities is available in Sacramento; my antenna won't pick it up. I suppose that if I had an Of course your indoor antenna won't pick them up. But with the proper outdoor antenna, the stations you pick up will be perfect - no snow. Generally speaking, whatever worked for analog reception will work for digital reception, AS LONG AS the analog reception was good, not weak. So IF you got, for example, channel 2 in San Francisco, snow- free with an indoor antenna, you would probably also get their hdtv signal using the SAME indoor antenna. Be careful with these out-dated internet lists of hdtv channels. I have found that the stations are still experimenting and have changed channels on me at least once. Most Sacramento and Fresno stations have gone back to using their analog channel numbers instead of the ones posted on the internet. Unlike most cities, both Sacramento and Fresno are using both UHF AND VHF channels for hdtv. In Fresno, our signals are much stronger than you get in Sacramento, yet my mothers new digital tv got no signal using the BEST non- amplified indoor antenna made - a 2-bay bowtie with screen. I got her an amplified antenna, and now all but one of the Fresno hdtv stations come in, but still occasionally she loses a signal for a few seconds. In general, indoor antennas are NOT a good choice for a digital signal. TIP - If you buy one of the Amplified (~20dB Gain) HDTV Antennas that has a Built-in-Rotor and a Remote-Control to operate it. - - - Try to find one that also has the Directional Controls on the Controller Box. -IF- You lose or damage the Remote Control at least you will not be UCWP / DIW ~ RHF |
#8
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Over the air HDTV: report
On Aug 19, 11:10 am, American Insurgent wrote:
On Aug 19, 7:05 am, Zeke Zzzppt wrote: American Insurgent wrote: I recently plunked down $650 to be able to get HDTV. That includes $290 Polaroid 19" LCD HDTV, Good luck with the "Polaroid"... I knew 3 people that had a Polaroid VCR/DVD player combo and none of them lasted for more than 6 months. Service and parts were unobtainable. Look, I don't expect a TV from Wal-Mart to be that great anyway. I needed a legit HDTV, and this was the cheapest. Unlike a VCR/DVD machine, an LCD TV doesn't have any moving parts. Besides, once you get below $500 or so, everything is made in China, and it's all pretty much similar quality. AI - Most of the Under-$750-LCD-HDTVs have a Brightness of ~500 cd/m2 with a relatively good Contrast Ratio of 800:1 While the Over-$1250-HDTVs still have a Brightness of ~500 cd/m2 with a relatively much better Contrast Ratio of 2000:1 The 'quality' of the Picture "definition" is usually seen in the Picture Contrast : Black picture background vice off-black -and- relatively Brighter Colors and Color Intensity. Note - Screen Size and Pixel Resolution being equal. hdtv - seeing is believing ~ RHF |
#9
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Over the air HDTV: report
American Insurgent wrote:
I recently plunked down $650 to be able to get HDTV. That includes $290 Polaroid 19" LCD HDTV, $180 Samsung HDTV set top box, $70 for an HDTV indoor antenna, and a whopping $65 for a special cable called an HDMI cable (in addition to tax). I watched some OTA HDTV tonight, and was disappointed. 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. 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. Some stations are squeezing two signals on one HDTV channel. In two cases, the second channel is a 24/7 weather channel with local weather reports; in a third case the Fox station has a music video service called "The Tube" on their second channel. The PBS station has an amazing THREE stations on one channel! One is their regular channel, one is a second channel that is usually available only on cable, and a third is V-me, a PBS service for Latinos in Spanish. The Univision (Spanish language) channel supposedly has an HDTV service, but there's nothing there. Some reports have said that HDTV from different cities is available in Sacramento; my antenna won't pick it up. I suppose that if I had an outdoor antenna on a pole I'd get it. Two channels, including a local weather channel and the HDTV signal of a second tier station, are weak and keep cutting out. If this is HDTV after years of government pressure and millions spent, it's clearly not ready for prime time so to speak. Hopefully by switch time they'll have ironed out the bugs. 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. 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. I use a MAC-Mini attached to my ELGATO EyeTV 500 HD converter with the Samsung 213T 21 inch display. The nearest transmitter is some 30 miles from my house, with most of them 50 miles. Like you, I was initially disappointed that most of the stations broadcast 2 or 3 channels per channel, but I like the fact that the picture comes in crystal clear. On my ABC affiliate "Lost" really comes alive as compared to the analog signal and in 5.1 surround sound. I also use the MAC-Mini to record and burn the DVD of the shows I like. although I don't have Blue-Ray yet, the computer has to convert it back to regular definition which takes some time, but it looks as good as if I bought the regular DVD from the store. I normally work Swing-shift so it comes in handy. I think that if Joe-six-pack where to be shown what is possible with the new system then he wouldn't scream so much. Ken. |
#10
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Over the air HDTV: report
"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. |
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