The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Non-Tulsa Discussions => Chat and Advice => Topic started by: Neptune on February 11, 2009, 09:35:29 AM

Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Neptune on February 11, 2009, 09:35:29 AM
Anyone using a digital tuner?  Are you using a regular or digital antennae?  If so, what kind of (or how many) channels you getting?  Problems, complaints?

Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: DolfanBob on February 11, 2009, 12:46:38 PM
I have been in the Cable TV/Satellite Dish bussiness for eighteen years. I have installed local antenna's numerous times.
The best antenna for this new digital technology is the old standard flared out antennas that have been around since broadcast television began. Aim it out toward Coweta where the largest amount of towers are stacked. ie 2,6,8,11,23,41,47. channels 19,35 and 53 are in different directions and a seperate antenna and splitter are needed to pick them up.
Avoid the gimmick round antenna's, stick antenna, square or the like.
Also avoid putting them in the attic. I know, I know it does not look very good outside of your high dollar home but believe me when it starts pixellating during your favorite show you will want it outside. Digital signal travels farther but unlike analog it does not penetrate structures as well.
I hope this helps. If not contact me for DirecTV or DishNet. I do both.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Hoss on February 11, 2009, 12:58:34 PM
I made this:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/762088/coat_hanger_hdtv_antenna_better_than_store_bought_amazing/

Works great.  Point it to Coweta and it works great.  My SNR is good (my TV has the AT&T 5 bar system; major station never get less than 4 using this).

Took me 20 minutes to build.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: TheTed on February 11, 2009, 01:57:43 PM
I have a coaxial cable that I stripped the last three feet down to the inner wire. I draped that out the window and I get all the major channels in HD except channel 8. Hopefully that will change in June when they finally turn off their analog transmitter.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: sauerkraut on February 11, 2009, 02:02:37 PM
Last week I bought a new TV at Wal-Mart, it's a CRT type by RCA for only $138.00 with a 20" picture. It has a digital & analog tuner, and I like the analog better- The digital picture keeps breaking up so I guess I need a better antenna for digital. The TV has a switch to change from analog to digital signals. The TV is not progressive scan, it's just a regular interlaced set with SDTV displays. It shows digital but only at about 500 lines, it's not High def. It's not a bad TV for the money the picture is very clear and it does not have all the bugs like those expensive flat screens have.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: patric on February 11, 2009, 02:27:43 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Neptune

Anyone using a digital tuner?  Are you using a regular or digital antennae?  If so, what kind of (or how many) channels you getting?  Problems, complaints?


Really no such thing as a "digital antenna" regardless of what a box might say.
Good advice to get the UHF-VHF rooftop antennas described above, and I strongly suggest you ground it if it is on your roof.  It wont necessarily help you survive a direct lightning strike but help bleed off the energy from near strikes that can fry your TV (and everything connected to it).

Converter boxes are cheaply made and will likely need a bigger antenna and/or amplifier to get enough signal for a reliable picture.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: BKDotCom on February 11, 2009, 02:42:39 PM
quote:
Originally posted by TheTed

Hopefully that will change in June when they finally turn off their analog transmitter.

When is KTUL turning off their analog signal?  They're allowed to do it anytime between the 17th and June 12th.   I'm really suprised KOTV (Channel 6) is the only local network sticking with Feb 17th.  Unless you also count PBS/OETA Chan 11.  
This whole extension thing is government at it's finest.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: TheTed on February 11, 2009, 03:30:15 PM
I assume they'll wait 'til June. They seem to be happy with being the least technologically advanced station in the market. Half the NBA Finals weren't shown in HD because they can't show weather crawls on an HD broadcast.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: patric on February 11, 2009, 11:48:31 PM
quote:
Originally posted by BKDotCom

When is KTUL turning off their analog signal?  They're allowed to do it anytime between the 17th and June 12th.   I'm really suprised KOTV (Channel 6) is the only local network sticking with Feb 17th.  Unless you also count PBS/OETA Chan 11.  



KTUL wont be able to go to full power until Ch 10 in Ada Okla shuts down their analog signal.  (I think I may have said a Kansas station earlier).
The reason is, KTUL will actually be occupying the space that is channel 10, but your tuner/converter will be able to figure it out.
My41 is also shutting down analog this month.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Neptune on February 12, 2009, 01:10:06 AM
I understand having to have KTEN shut it's analog off.  But, if you're in a location that can recieve both KTEN and KTUL when digital comes up what happens?  Is the signal not that powerful?  Or will you be able to recieve either or both?  Apparently KTEN is still going to be on channel 10.

Just a hypothetical, I don't live in the boonies.  Kind of wondering what the odds are on the number of channels expanding in the future, and also the possibility of overlap.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: sauerkraut on February 12, 2009, 09:16:10 AM
I dunno why any station would want to shut off it's analog before June 12th, they will be losing alot of analog viewers and viewers are ratings and ratings are money.... "Analog Forever"[:)]
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: BKDotCom on February 12, 2009, 11:32:12 AM
quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

I dunno why any station would want to shut off it's analog befor June 12th, they will be losing alot of analog viewers and viewers are ratings and ratings are money.... "Analog Forever"[:)]

Operating costs of the analog towers = aprox $12000 / month.  OETA has 5 or so towers and hadn't budgeted past Feb 17th.  The analog folks should have their converter boxes by now...
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: BKDotCom on February 12, 2009, 11:43:16 AM
quote:
they will be losing alot of analog viewers and viewers are ratings and ratings are money

Lets see... these remaining analog folk have been repeatedly and increasingly told (via commercials, scrolling text, etc) for the last couple years that they must invest $20 to continue watching their precious television..   Yet, they have not done so..   Something tells me these people are hard to sell to..  

Can advertisers specify if they want their adds broadcast over analog and/or digital?  If so.. I expect a surge of loan-shark type adverts on the analog airwaves...
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: patric on February 12, 2009, 03:49:25 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Neptune

I understand having to have KTEN shut it's analog off.  But, if you're in a location that can recieve both KTEN and KTUL when digital comes up what happens?


From what I have read, KTEN in Ada/Sherman is delaying its termination of analog, which in turn forces KTUL to do the same until KTEN gets it's act together.

KTEN is supposed to use channel 26 for their digital signal.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Steve on February 12, 2009, 09:58:05 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Neptune

Anyone using a digital tuner?  Are you using a regular or digital antennae?  If so, what kind of (or how many) channels you getting?  Problems, complaints?



I get all my TV via free broadcast and have been using converter boxes with my still perfectly fine analog TV's for the past 10 months.  I live in midtown Tulsa, 26th & Yale area and can currently receive the following digital stations:

2.1, 2.2
6.1, 6.2
8.1, 8.2, 8.3
11.1, 11.2
23.1
35.1, 35.2
41.1, 41.2
44.1, 44.2, 44.3, 44.4
47.1
51.1
53.1
73.1, 73.2, 73.3, 73.4

I will rescan after 2-17 and in the future for possible changes.

I use conventional indoor rabbit ear antennas, the same ones I used for analog reception.  So called "digital antennas" are a fraud.  My reception is very good in normal weather, but in periods of high winds or storms, I have reception problems, just like good old analog.  The only difference is with analog, I could still generally watch the picture with snowy interferrence, but with digital the station becomes totally unwatchable with pixellation and the sound cutting out.  So much for "progress."
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Hoss on February 12, 2009, 10:36:30 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Steve

quote:
Originally posted by Neptune

Anyone using a digital tuner?  Are you using a regular or digital antennae?  If so, what kind of (or how many) channels you getting?  Problems, complaints?



I get all my TV via free broadcast and have been using converter boxes with my still perfectly fine analog TV's for the past 10 months.  I live in midtown Tulsa, 26th & Yale area and can currently receive the following digital stations:

2.1, 2.2
6.1, 6.2
8.1, 8.2, 8.3
11.1, 11.2
23.1
35.1, 35.2
41.1, 41.2
44.1, 44.2, 44.3, 44.4
47.1
51.1
53.1
73.1, 73.2, 73.3, 73.4

I will rescan after 2-17 and in the future for possible changes.

I use conventional indoor rabbit ear antennas, the same ones I used for analog reception.  So called "digital antennas" are a fraud.  My reception is very good in normal weather, but in periods of high winds or storms, I have reception problems, just like good old analog.  The only difference is with analog, I could still generally watch the picture with snowy interferrence, but with digital the station becomes totally unwatchable with pixellation and the sound cutting out.  So much for "progress."



You ought to rescan now; KOTV has 6-3 and KTUL has 8-3, 17 goes from 1-5; I just scanned tonight using that same antenna setup I linked to in my previous post.  I'm uploading images I took tonight of all channels I can receive over the air on my Toshiba 42 inch HDTV, including the remaining analog channels.

Here's a link to the slideshow; the last two are of the setup I have mounted to the corner of my awning in the back yard, pointed to the SE.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oilerfan/sets/72157613713749429/show/

For those who want to view them manually, visit at the following link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oilerfan/sets/72157613713749429/detail/
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Steve on February 12, 2009, 11:00:48 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Hoss

quote:
Originally posted by Steve

quote:
Originally posted by Neptune

Anyone using a digital tuner?  Are you using a regular or digital antennae?  If so, what kind of (or how many) channels you getting?  Problems, complaints?



I get all my TV via free broadcast and have been using converter boxes with my still perfectly fine analog TV's for the past 10 months.  I live in midtown Tulsa, 26th & Yale area and can currently receive the following digital stations:

2.1, 2.2
6.1, 6.2
8.1, 8.2, 8.3
11.1, 11.2
23.1
35.1, 35.2
41.1, 41.2
44.1, 44.2, 44.3, 44.4
47.1
51.1
53.1
73.1, 73.2, 73.3, 73.4

I will rescan after 2-17 and in the future for possible changes.

I use conventional indoor rabbit ear antennas, the same ones I used for analog reception.  So called "digital antennas" are a fraud.  My reception is very good in normal weather, but in periods of high winds or storms, I have reception problems, just like good old analog.  The only difference is with analog, I could still generally watch the picture with snowy interferrence, but with digital the station becomes totally unwatchable with pixellation and the sound cutting out.  So much for "progress."



You ought to rescan now; KOTV has 6-3 and KTUL has 8-3, 17 goes from 1-5; I just scanned tonight using that same antenna setup I linked to in my previous post.  I'm uploading images I took tonight of all channels I can receive over the air on my Toshiba 42 inch HDTV, including the remaining analog channels.

Here's a link to the slideshow; the last two are of the setup I have mounted to the corner of my awning in the back yard, pointed to the SE.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oilerfan/sets/72157613713749429/show/

For those who want to view them manually, visit at the following link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oilerfan/sets/72157613713749429/detail/



Thanks Hoss.  I just rescanned and picked up was 6.3 on both my TV's but only picked up 17 on my little bedroom TV.  At least now I can watch "The Patty Duke Show" at 4:00 AM on 6.3.  Which brings up another point, now that broadcast stations have triple the broadcast ability.  It certainly doesn't translate to triple the content quality.  Although I will admit I enjoy watching "Leave It To Beaver" on 8.3!

If you have 30 free channels or 500 channels that you waste money on, TV is still largely a "vast wasteland."  It will be interesting to see in the coming years how broadcast stations take advantage of their additional channels.  So far, I am not impressed.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: rwarn17588 on February 12, 2009, 11:44:15 PM
I don't have cable, but am picking up 18 to 20 digital stations with my $40 converter box and a nice set of $25 rabbit ears I bought about a year ago at Radio Shack.

I have a five-year-old Sanyo 19-inch TV, and honestly, I couldn't be happier with the picture quality. I think you'll see a lot of people dumping their cable or scaling it back.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: sgrizzle on February 13, 2009, 08:50:51 AM
quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

Last week I bought a new TV at Wal-Mart, it's a CRT type by RCA for only $138.00 with a 20" picture. It has a digital & analog tuner, and I like the analog better- The digital picture keeps breaking up so I guess I need a better antenna for digital. The TV has a switch to change from analog to digital signals. The TV is not progressive scan, it's just a regular interlaced set with SDTV displays. It shows digital but only at about 500 lines, it's not High def. It's not a bad TV for the money the picture is very clear and it does not have all the bugs like those expensive flat screens have.



If it had 500 scan lines it would be an EDTV, not an SDTV.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: sauerkraut on February 13, 2009, 11:18:47 AM
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

Last week I bought a new TV at Wal-Mart, it's a CRT type by RCA for only $138.00 with a 20" picture. It has a digital & analog tuner, and I like the analog better- The digital picture keeps breaking up so I guess I need a better antenna for digital. The TV has a switch to change from analog to digital signals. The TV is not progressive scan, it's just a regular interlaced set with SDTV displays. It shows digital but only at about 500 lines, it's not High def. It's not a bad TV for the money the picture is very clear and it does not have all the bugs like those expensive flat screens have.



If it had 500 scan lines it would be an EDTV, not an SDTV.

The carton the set came in says it's a SDTV, I think it's really like 485 lines or so interlaced, but that's close enough to round it off to 500 lines. The set is at Wal Mart, a RCA 20" CRT for $138.00 I'm very happy with it. It also has tons of jacks for the VCR & DVD player. That's all the TV I need, not many good shows  are  on TV any how. I have a converter box for my 13" TV/VCR combo unit it makes recording TV shows a snap. I still like to watch in analog.[B)]
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: sauerkraut on February 13, 2009, 11:23:38 AM
quote:
Originally posted by BKDotCom

quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

I dunno why any station would want to shut off it's analog befor June 12th, they will be losing alot of analog viewers and viewers are ratings and ratings are money.... "Analog Forever"[:)]

Operating costs of the analog towers = aprox $12000 / month.  OETA has 5 or so towers and hadn't budgeted past Feb 17th.  The analog folks should have their converter boxes by now...


I know that's what they say, but I can't how it can cost that much.-Even so, That is still not really alot of money for a TV station, the stations make alot of money on commericals. The company I work for spends about $10,000+ a month on it's electric bill.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: nathanm on February 13, 2009, 03:13:27 PM
quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

I know that's what they say, but I can't how it can cost that much.


Analog TV signals are often broadcasted at a million watts. That's probably at least 1.2 million watts after accounting for thermal losses in the transmitter, wire, and antenna. That's over 28 thousand kilowatt hours per day.

On digital, stations won't be broadcasting at more than a couple hundred thousand watts. (you don't need as high of a signal to noise ratio in the receiver to successfully decode the digital signal)
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: patric on February 15, 2009, 11:14:50 PM
Now I understand the FCC is asking at least one major broadcaster in each market to continue broadcasting in analog in the event there is a disaster.
That makes a lot of sense, but it really shouldnt have been an afterthought.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: sgrizzle on February 16, 2009, 06:28:24 AM
quote:
Originally posted by patric

Now I understand the FCC is asking at least one major broadcaster in each market to continue broadcasting in analog in the event there is a disaster.
That makes a lot of sense, but it really shouldnt have been an afterthought.



What of this process wasn't an afterthought.

Now if only the TV manufacturers had done what they were supposed to and quit selling TVs without a digital tuner 5 years ago, this wouldn't have been that much of an issue.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: sauerkraut on February 16, 2009, 01:18:09 PM
What good is a June 12th date if many stations are changing over Feb. 17th? The FCC should require all stations keep analog to June 12th.. The TV makers should of put in digital tuners back in 1996 when they first knew that digital TV was coming, the same goes for the VCR's. The government only required digital tuners be put in TV sets around 2003 or so and only for the big TV sets.[xx(]
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Townsend on February 17, 2009, 08:00:52 AM
quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

What good is a June 12th date if many stations are changing over Feb. 17th? The FCC should require all stations keep analog to June 12th.. The TV makers should of put in digital tuners back in 1996 when they first knew that digital TV was coming, the same goes for the VCR's. The government only required digital tuners be put in TV sets around 2003 or so and only for the big TV sets.[xx(]



We've known about it for years.  There will still be people asking for a delay in June because they're still not ready.  I procrastinate but damn.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: sauerkraut on February 17, 2009, 09:22:58 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Townsend

quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

What good is a June 12th date if many stations are changing over Feb. 17th? The FCC should require all stations keep analog to June 12th.. The TV makers should of put in digital tuners back in 1996 when they first knew that digital TV was coming, the same goes for the VCR's. The government only required digital tuners be put in TV sets around 2003 or so and only for the big TV sets.[xx(]



We've known about it for years.  There will still be people asking for a delay in June because they're still not ready.  I procrastinate but damn.

We have known about it for years but TV makers kept building analog tuners in their TV sets and converter boxes were not sold until about  two years ago, now suddenly everyone has to jump on the digital bandwagon. I wonder if any other nations have gone to digital TV? Japan was using high def analog TV I guess they still are. Europe has "PAL" TV..
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: swake on February 17, 2009, 09:54:29 AM
quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

What good is a June 12th date if many stations are changing over Feb. 17th? The FCC should require all stations keep analog to June 12th.. The TV makers should of put in digital tuners back in 1996 when they first knew that digital TV was coming, the same goes for the VCR's. The government only required digital tuners be put in TV sets around 2003 or so and only for the big TV sets.[xx(]



you still have a VCR?
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Hoss on February 17, 2009, 10:10:00 AM
quote:
Originally posted by swake

quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

What good is a June 12th date if many stations are changing over Feb. 17th? The FCC should require all stations keep analog to June 12th.. The TV makers should of put in digital tuners back in 1996 when they first knew that digital TV was coming, the same goes for the VCR's. The government only required digital tuners be put in TV sets around 2003 or so and only for the big TV sets.[xx(]



you still have a VCR?




Hell, I thought they quit making tapes!  [;)]
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Neptune on February 17, 2009, 10:35:41 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Hoss

quote:
Originally posted by swake

quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

What good is a June 12th date if many stations are changing over Feb. 17th? The FCC should require all stations keep analog to June 12th.. The TV makers should of put in digital tuners back in 1996 when they first knew that digital TV was coming, the same goes for the VCR's. The government only required digital tuners be put in TV sets around 2003 or so and only for the big TV sets.[xx(]



you still have a VCR?




Hell, I thought they quit making tapes!  [;)]



What's a VCR?
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: sauerkraut on February 17, 2009, 01:26:47 PM
quote:
Originally posted by swake

quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

What good is a June 12th date if many stations are changing over Feb. 17th? The FCC should require all stations keep analog to June 12th.. The TV makers should of put in digital tuners back in 1996 when they first knew that digital TV was coming, the same goes for the VCR's. The government only required digital tuners be put in TV sets around 2003 or so and only for the big TV sets.[xx(]



you still have a VCR?


Yep I have 3 VCR's, one is from 1984 and it still works.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: sauerkraut on February 17, 2009, 01:30:02 PM
Hey gang, I was wondering since those new VCR's have no tuners in them, will they work  with getting a signal thru a converter box, or do they only work with cable TV? The cartons the new VCR's come in say they have no tuners and require a in-line feed to record, it says nothing about taking a signal from a digital converter box? Just wondering.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: nathanm on February 17, 2009, 02:08:08 PM
quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

Europe has "PAL" TV..


Most of Europe is getting rid of analog TV as we speak. They've had SD digital TV for years now. Not so much on the over-the-air HD, though.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: swake on February 17, 2009, 02:22:22 PM
quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

Hey gang, I was wondering since those new VCR's have no tuners in them, will they work  with getting a signal thru a converter box, or do they only work with cable TV? The cartons the new VCR's come in say they have no tuners and require a in-line feed to record, it says nothing about taking a signal from a digital converter box? Just wondering.



New VCRs? Do they really still manufacture VCRs?

I think you mean DVR.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Neptune on February 17, 2009, 02:33:19 PM
Just make sure your TV gets no where near your 8-track, or your Victrola.  

Supposedly it'll cause a rip in the fabric of space-time.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Steve on February 17, 2009, 06:52:19 PM
quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

Hey gang, I was wondering since those new VCR's have no tuners in them, will they work  with getting a signal thru a converter box, or do they only work with cable TV? The cartons the new VCR's come in say they have no tuners and require a in-line feed to record, it says nothing about taking a signal from a digital converter box? Just wondering.



Ignore all the smarmy, smug comments from other posters.  Yes, your old VCR will work fine with the digital converter boxes, as the box output is standard 480 line analog, That means that to record a program on a timer, you have to leave the converter box on and tuned in to the station you want to record.  Set your VCR timer for the proper time but to record "line in" rather than an analog station, and connect your converter box to the VCR via composite line in cables.  The VCR will come on and record the program being fed from the converter box via the cables.  The capability lost is to record shows over more than one channel without having to manually reset the converter box to the proper station, but that is not a hassle for me.

I have done this many times since I started using digital converter boxes about 10 months ago, mostly to record classic old sitcoms over the new digital channels I now receive.  Just make sure to check your converter box for a "power off" function and make sure this is turned off or set so the box does not automatically turn off before the program starts to record.  I learned this the hard way.  Ain't new technology "advancements" wonderful?

Oh Neptune, as I sit here typing, I am listening to the original 1975 Broadway cast vinyl album of "Chicago" via my turntable.  It never sounded more wonderful.  Not to mention the cover artwork and all that has been lost to "progress."
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: sgrizzle on February 17, 2009, 07:39:06 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Steve

quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

Hey gang, I was wondering since those new VCR's have no tuners in them, will they work  with getting a signal thru a converter box, or do they only work with cable TV? The cartons the new VCR's come in say they have no tuners and require a in-line feed to record, it says nothing about taking a signal from a digital converter box? Just wondering.



Ignore all the smarmy, smug comments from other posters.  Yes, your old VCR will work fine with the digital converter boxes, as the box output is standard 480 line analog, That means that to record a program on a timer, you have to leave the converter box on and tuned in to the station you want to record.  Set your VCR timer for the proper time but to record "line in" rather than an analog station, and connect your converter box to the VCR via composite line in cables.  The VCR will come on and record the program being fed from the converter box via the cables.  The capability lost is to record shows over more than one channel without having to manually reset the converter box to the proper station, but that is not a hassle for me.

I have done this many times since I started using digital converter boxes about 10 months ago, mostly to record classic old sitcoms over the new digital channels I now receive.  Just make sure to check your converter box for a "power off" function and make sure this is turned off or set so the box does not automatically turn off before the program starts to record.  I learned this the hard way.  Ain't new technology "advancements" wonderful?

Oh Neptune, as I sit here typing, I am listening to the original 1975 Broadway cast vinyl album of "Chicago" via my turntable.  It never sounded more wonderful.  Not to mention the cover artwork and all that has been lost to "progress."



My reply to this post will arrive in the mail in 2-3 business days.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Steve on February 17, 2009, 07:57:29 PM
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:
Originally posted by Steve

quote:
Originally posted by sauerkraut

Hey gang, I was wondering since those new VCR's have no tuners in them, will they work  with getting a signal thru a converter box, or do they only work with cable TV? The cartons the new VCR's come in say they have no tuners and require a in-line feed to record, it says nothing about taking a signal from a digital converter box? Just wondering.



Ignore all the smarmy, smug comments from other posters.  Yes, your old VCR will work fine with the digital converter boxes, as the box output is standard 480 line analog, That means that to record a program on a timer, you have to leave the converter box on and tuned in to the station you want to record.  Set your VCR timer for the proper time but to record "line in" rather than an analog station, and connect your converter box to the VCR via composite line in cables.  The VCR will come on and record the program being fed from the converter box via the cables.  The capability lost is to record shows over more than one channel without having to manually reset the converter box to the proper station, but that is not a hassle for me.

I have done this many times since I started using digital converter boxes about 10 months ago, mostly to record classic old sitcoms over the new digital channels I now receive.  Just make sure to check your converter box for a "power off" function and make sure this is turned off or set so the box does not automatically turn off before the program starts to record.  I learned this the hard way.  Ain't new technology "advancements" wonderful?

Oh Neptune, as I sit here typing, I am listening to the original 1975 Broadway cast vinyl album of "Chicago" via my turntable.  It never sounded more wonderful.  Not to mention the cover artwork and all that has been lost to "progress."



My reply to this post will arrive in the mail in 2-3 business days.



Then your reply is not worth the wait.  Digital communication has made so much ephemeral and lost.  Pity for true artistry, but not so bad for crap.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: sgrizzle on February 18, 2009, 06:54:04 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Steve

quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle


My reply to this post will arrive in the mail in 2-3 business days.



Then your reply is not worth the wait.  Digital communication has made so much ephemeral and lost.  Pity for true artistry, but not so bad for crap.



So wait, new technologies are good? Let me hang up my party line phone and try to understand this. Seems like I was pretty sure you've been complaining about every new technology made including cell phones, DVR's, etc. Strangely enough, all this complaining occurs on the internet.
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Hoss on February 18, 2009, 07:35:46 AM
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:
Originally posted by Steve

quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle


My reply to this post will arrive in the mail in 2-3 business days.



Then your reply is not worth the wait.  Digital communication has made so much ephemeral and lost.  Pity for true artistry, but not so bad for crap.



So wait, new technologies are good? Let me hang up my party line phone and try to understand this. Seems like I was pretty sure you've been complaining about every new technology made including cell phones, DVR's, etc. Strangely enough, all this complaining occurs on the internet.



Yeah, you know, that series of tubes....
Title: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: sauerkraut on February 18, 2009, 09:11:52 AM
Thanks for the info. about the VCR hook up- In Columbus, Ohio we lost two TV stations.. channel 28 & channel 53 on Feb. 17th went digital. Channel 53's screen says "If you can see this your TV is not DTV- you need to convert" and Channel 28 is running a show over & over about how to install a converter box and scan in the TV stations, They do it in English & in Spanish switching back & forth. The rest of our TV stations will keep beaming analog until June. The local newspaper had a story about other nations that went digital and they say the big mistake we did in the USA was to have congress end analog in day. The other nations did the change over slowly a few stations at a time. Places like Norway just get cable TV.
Title: Re: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Neptune on March 18, 2009, 10:01:55 PM
Quote from: Hoss on February 11, 2009, 12:58:34 PM
I made this:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/762088/coat_hanger_hdtv_antenna_better_than_store_bought_amazing/

Works great.  Point it to Coweta and it works great.  My SNR is good (my TV has the AT&T 5 bar system; major station never get less than 4 using this).

Took me 20 minutes to build.

Thinking about building this.

Do you pick up Channel 8 as well?  Or do you have to direct the antennae to pick it up?
Title: Re: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: Hoss on March 18, 2009, 11:40:00 PM
Quote from: Neptune on March 18, 2009, 10:01:55 PM
Thinking about building this.

Do you pick up Channel 8 as well?  Or do you have to direct the antennae to pick it up?

You have to direct the antenna anyway towards the SE (Coweta), but as that shows, it won't pick up VHF real well.  Add another row at the top and use a V shape to it, and it works for Channel 8.
Title: Re: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: DolfanBob on March 19, 2009, 09:29:12 AM
Quote from: sgrizzle on February 17, 2009, 07:39:06 PM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Steve</i>

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by sauerkraut</i>

Hey gang, I was wondering since those new VCR's have no tuners in them, will they work  with getting a signal thru a converter box, or do they only work with cable TV? The cartons the new VCR's come in say they have no tuners and require a in-line feed to record, it says nothing about taking a signal from a digital converter box? Just wondering.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Ignore all the smarmy, smug comments from other posters.  Yes, your old VCR will work fine with the digital converter boxes, as the box output is standard 480 line analog, That means that to record a program on a timer, you have to leave the converter box on and tuned in to the station you want to record.  Set your VCR timer for the proper time but to record "line in" rather than an analog station, and connect your converter box to the VCR via composite line in cables.  The VCR will come on and record the program being fed from the converter box via the cables.  The capability lost is to record shows over more than one channel without having to manually reset the converter box to the proper station, but that is not a hassle for me.

I have done this many times since I started using digital converter boxes about 10 months ago, mostly to record classic old sitcoms over the new digital channels I now receive.  Just make sure to check your converter box for a "power off" function and make sure this is turned off or set so the box does not automatically turn off before the program starts to record.  I learned this the hard way.  Ain't new technology "advancements" wonderful?

Oh Neptune, as I sit here typing, I am listening to the original 1975 Broadway cast vinyl album of "Chicago" via my turntable.  It never sounded more wonderful.  Not to mention the cover artwork and all that has been lost to "progress."
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

My reply to this post will arrive in the mail in 2-3 business days.

2-3 business day's seems blazing fast compared to that wonderful Pony Express thing. Not quite as good as the Telegraph or morris code.
Still much better than figuring out those darn smoke signals.
Ahh progress at it's best.
Title: Re: Broadcast Digital TV
Post by: jadenn on November 12, 2009, 02:20:16 AM
Quote from: Neptune on February 11, 2009, 09:35:29 AM
Anyone using a digital tuner?  Are you using a regular or digital antennae?  If so, what kind of (or how many) channels you getting?  Problems, complaints?


Hi! I've been using a regular tv antenna and it's working great! So far, no problem at all and all the channels are very clear. I think, it's just a matter of choosing the best antenna for your location. And it would be helpful if you will choose one with provided detailed instruction.  :)