DTV Coupons

[scooterodell]

I've had good luck with the DigitalStream converters at Radio Shack.  I've also heard good things about the Zenith converters.

[umtrr-author]

It may be a toss-up since they may all come from the same factory in China (or a few factories).   I did some research and didn't discern any material advantages or disadvantages of any particular brand or model, other than "pass-through" which I would recommend.

I have one from Best Buy and one from Radio Shack, the latter allows pass-through of analog signals (while they're still available). 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I got both my cards/coupons in a reasonable amount of time.  I ordered separately...got the one, decided I'd go ahead and get the other.  The second - in the past couple of months - arrived sooner than I expected.

As for what kind...there's only one, if you're interested in the best reception.

It's the Zenith DTT901, or its Best Buy-sold equivalent, the Insignia NS-DXA1-APT.  (The boxes are identical except for the branding.)

I have two of 'em.  I bought the older model with no analog pass through, then when I got the second coupon, decided to get another one instead of some other model (I briefly considered the DigitalStream, but couldn't find one actually working, to play with, at a RS).

I think that box has an S-video output, but neither of the analog TVs I'm using the box on have S-video input.

The 901/APT model has the analog pass through.  If your stores still carry the 900 or the Insignia without APT at the end, that model doesn't.

[umtrr-author]

Interesting... that Insignia model is the one that I have and even with a souped up antenna there is still difficulty getting a signal at times.  (See my website installment shamelessly plugged above.)  If that's the best box, I think I'm in trouble.  Or perhaps the batteries need to be changed at the transmitter site... or the squirrels or hamsters...

...or perhaps I didn't get the memo that I really should be Paying For What Was Once Free, i.e. if you want reception, cough up for cable or dish since we don't care about over the air.  One wonders if that was the plan all along (cue conspiracy music).

At least the main topic of this board is still free.

[OhioMediaWatch]

Interesting... that Insignia model is the one that I have and even with a souped up antenna there is still difficulty getting a signal at times.  (See my website installment shamelessly plugged above.)  If that's the best box, I think I'm in trouble.  Or perhaps the batteries need to be changed at the transmitter site... or the squirrels or hamsters...

The Insignia/Zenith box is widely considered the best at reception, and it's been proven in my own personal use of the thing.  For example, I can have it sitting with a small rabbit ears unamplified antenna in my kitchen, near no window, and get our low-ish power digital VHF CBS affiliate WOIO (analog 19, DT 10).  I can't get that station reliably with any other tuner, anywhere in the house, even pointing out the second floor loft window.

Digital TV reception is more of an inexact science.  Where are you in relation to the local DT transmitters?  What kind of antenna are you using?  Are their hills/obstructions/terrain issues between you and the local DT sites?

[scooterodell]

Here in Rochester, I'm within ten miles of Pinnacle Hill where the DTV towers are.  I have two DigitalStream boxes.  For the TV upstairs, I use a tunable antenna from Wal Mart, no amplification.  For the downstairs TV (with plenty of electronics around it), I have to use an amplified antenna.  The rabbit ears are basically useless in either location; it's the loop UHF antenna that I have to tweak for optimal reception.  One position will get something for every station, but I find I have to fine-tune that occasionally.   Later in the evening there are usually reception issues, though they are resolvable. Cell phone calls in the same room are a disaster for the TV downstairs.

[OhioMediaWatch]

I think our biggest problem here is a reliance on indoor antennas.

You can get away with 'em relatively close to the transmitter site.  I'm 20 miles out from our local "antenna farm", and get all of the local DTs with a strong signal aside from our two problem children, WKYC-DT and WVIZ-DT, which are getting new facilities.   Oh, and the flaky lower-ish power WOIO-DT (CBS), which will eventually at least increase that power post-transition.

Even with that, at times I have to move the antenna to keep a station from breaking up.

If I were able to put an antenna on the roof, I would probably not have to do that.

Unlike Pinnacle Hill, our antenna farm doesn't have all the towers in the same place...they're spread out a bit between the suburbs of Parma, Seven Hills and North Royalton.  But the directional nature of picking up DT signals means that it's hard to find a "sweet spot" that doesn't require an indoor antenna nudge.

Of course, there are cases like that of one Mr. Fybush, who not only has a roof antenna, but is so close to Pinnacle Hill that the stations could almost send him a short fiber feed...that works against him, in at least one case, as he can't pick up at least one out of town DTer because of an LPTV up on Pinnacle Hill...

[umtrr-author]

The antenna in use is a Radio Shack 15-1892 Amplified VHF/UHF/HDTV Antenna:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2131034&cp=

(Hopefully that link will work.) 

I do some adjustments for different channels.  The good news is that most of the time, I can get the four PBS channels, which is the main thing I want, except perhaps on certain Sunday afternoons in the Autumn.

I'm located about four miles northeast of Pinnacle Hill (or put another way, I'm diagonally across Ellison Park from Legends). 

Perhaps Cobbs Hill is in the way, but I don't think so.  I don't know of any other terrain issues.  What is weirdest is that if a car passes the house behind where we live, the signal pixellates.  That shouldn't be in the path between the tower and the house!

You may be spot on with respect to outdoor antennas.  But if I have to go there, I'm going to seriously consider either pay-for-TV, or more likely, doing without TV.

[aaronread]

I live in Canandaigua, close to the Lake, and - with the Zenith converter box - for some reason I can get Syracuse DTV generally better than Rochester DTV.  Ditto for the WEOS house in Geneva - can't get any Rochester stations at all, but I can get two or three Syracuse ones.

Overall I'm highly unimpressed at how few DTV channels I can get at all, actually.  Of course, I'm a little spoiled after having TWC Digital Cable.  The channels I do get have nice-looking picture quality, though.

[OhioMediaWatch]

I'm located about four miles northeast of Pinnacle Hill (or put another way, I'm diagonally across Ellison Park from Legends).

OK, silly thought here...can you turn off the amplifier on that Radio Shack antenna?  Or have you tried the box with the other antenna that's hooked to the TV?

I ask because at four miles away, I presume you should be able to get full powered DT stations in your teeth, and the amplification may be disrupting the signal with too much noise. 

Perhaps Cobbs Hill is in the way, but I don't think so.  I don't know of any other terrain issues.  What is weirdest is that if a car passes the house behind where we live, the signal pixellates.  That shouldn't be in the path between the tower and the house!

OK, maybe you're getting some reflected signal somehow.  When our PBS affiliate out of Cleveland lit up a slightly-more-powerful temporary signal, my box finally started seeing SOMETHING on DT 26, but only if I pointed the antenna AWAY from the logical place that gets all the other DTs out my loft window.

Others locally will have to help you with the terrain issues (ditto Aaron down in Canandaigua and Geneva), if any, but bottom line...if you CAN go outdoors, it's pretty much the only thing that's likely to clear up all of your OTA issues.

I can understand if you don't wish to do so, though.