On Nov 25, 5:40=A0pm, snipped-for-privacy@at.BioStrategist.dot.dot.com wrote: > Since HDTV came out, I basically get one different station in each room I > move the TV to. Someone joked that the reason HDTV was invented was to force > people off of aerial TV. Any anecdotes? I tried some booster antennae and > also a thru the AC antennae to no avail. The best antenna was one from a > computer TV card. =A0My uncle has had some better luck with a roof antenna. > Are people out there silly enough to waste their time and money watching > cable?
There are MILLIONS 'silly' enough (renters with no roof access or behind big hills or tall buildings) to use cable. We've been using digital OTA since 2003 in LA and there is nothing magic about it. When there was analog you could see ghosts (multipath) and adjust the antenna. With digital the ghosts are still there but you _can't_ see them so it's more difficult to align the antenna. If the ghosts are not severe the receiver can equalize them out but he early receivers could not handle dynamic multipath if the wind was blowing the trees around - particularly when raining.
It would be way cool if the TV manufacturers included a 'spectrum analysis' function in the receiver which would consist of displaying the equalizer coefficients. The closer you get to 'minimum processing' the better it works.Signal strength itself is not sufficient. A relatively weak signal with no multipath is much preferred.
I 'cheated' and borrowed a spectrum analyzer to get the antenna system 'tweaked'. I never see pixelation or breakup of any variety in the LA area 35 miles from Mt Wilson but I do have Line Of Sight to the 'towers'. Use a GOOD antenna and downlead and connectors properly attached. I've used Winegard for almost 40 years and have never been disappointed with them. The antenna I usually suggest is the HD7694 for nearly everywhere in the country. It has very good gain and directivity for VHF hi and UHF while being relatively small (65" long,
35" wide 13" high) There are a VERY small number of places with low- band VHF DTV and this antenna would not be good there. Many locations are UHF only so you can use an even smaller antenna.
To find what the stations are this is the official place
formatting link
The 'virtual' channel column is what your old analog channel used to be and is the 'reported' channel number. Example, in LA the channel that calls itself 2 (CBS) is actually on 43. The 'digital' column is the actual channel being transmitted. Most locations have nothing in
2-6 but there are some. Why any TV engineer would WANT to be on low band VHF with DTV has me stumped.
G=B2