HDTV Reception Question

[Skynet74]

  I live in Rhode Island and just purchased my first HDTV yesterday. I love it! While setting it up I experimented to see if I could pull in some HDTV Boston signals with the rooftop antenna. It's not the greatest antenna though. It pulls in analog signals of Boston stations with some static. I thought that having HDTV would clear that up and I would get those stations crystal clear. But it looks like I was wrong. It seems that the analog signal has to be fairly strong for you to pick up it's digital counterpart. The only HDTV signal from Boston that I think I got was WSBK and WGBH. So I'm assuming that a snowy analog signal is a bad sign that will result in the TV not even picking up that stations HDTV signal. How good does reception have to be before you can get the HDTV signal? Is this possible with a good set of Rabbit ears if I am 40 or 50 miles away?

[HD Ready]

You should be able to get the Boston signals if you can see the analogs.  Try a decent (non Radioshack) amplifier on your antenna.  I get the Providance HDTV signals up here where I can't even watch their analogs.

[KML-224]

Digital television can be very tricky. Keep in mind that most of these stations are on UHF channels between 14 and 51 (with some higher for now). As for me, I live in New Britain, CT near Hartford. WFSB-DT (CBS) channel 33 broadcasts from Avon Mountain with 1 million watts visual ERP. However, I still can't get an effective signal from them. I'm at the bottom of Walnut Hill, which is in the same direction as the mountain (north-northwest). Even a roof antenna won't help me with that (I've tried). However, my line-of-sight to New Haven is better, seeing as I get WTNH-DT (ABC) channel 10 from Madmere Mountain in Hamden with little trouble.

Also, please keep in mind that HDTV is simply another level of digital broadcasting. You need to have XXXX-DT, or digital television, available first...THEN we can talk about HDTV or multicasting.

[vibe]

Most older TV antennas are combo's and most DTV is on UHF. I'm not a reception pro but I think U lose something on the UHF stations with the combo antennas.  Maybe a UHF only antenna may do the trick for fringe UHF DTV reception.  But as KML indicates, it's all about the topography.  I would think if U can get the weaker Boston FM's at your location, you'll have no problem that can't be overcome.

[Skynet74]

 I pick up 6 analog stations from Boston with my TV, but only one HDTV signal from Boston (WSBK 38). I've tried for hours tonight and my TV just isn't locking onto many HDTV signals over the air even when the analog signal looks OK. The TV is an Olevia. Perhaps these televisions have tuners that just plain suck. For some reason it seems like the analog station has to be near perfect reception for you to even get the HDTV signal.

 I've heard some people say that they were able to pick up HDTV signals that their other TV's wouldn't. So it's looking to me like some tuners are just plain better than others. Some work when others don't.

[ssetta]

Just wondering, is your HDTV Plasma, or LCD? And how big is the screen size, and how much did you pay for it? Olevia is supposed to be a very cheap brand.

[dhett]

Most older TV antennas are combo's and most DTV is on UHF.

For now. After Feb. 17, 2009, you'll see a lot of stations, especially those with high-VHF analog assignments, go back to the high-VHF location for their digital. In Texas, there are 30 high-VHF stations. Of those, one, KTRG 10 Del Rio, has no companion channel and will flash cut on channel 10. One station, KLST 8 San Angelo, is going with its DTV companion channel, but since that's channel 11, it is staying in high-VHF. Three other stations, KERA 13 Dallas, KLBK 13 Lubbock and KRBC 9 Abilene, are switching to their UHF DTV companion channels. The other 25 are all going back to their old high-VHF analog assignments.

[Nizam]

Are all the Boston stations broadcasting the Digital signal from the same location as the Analog is? I'm pretty sure that WLNE-TV's analog broadcasts from Tiverton, while the Digital is in Rehobeth, with the other TV stations there.

[Skynet74]

Just wondering, is your HDTV Plasma, or LCD? And how big is the screen size, and how much did you pay for it? Olevia is supposed to be a very cheap brand.

 It's an LCD. 37 inches. Black Friday sale at Target. Only $549. How could I pass up such a great deal. The HDTV picture really is beautiful! I don't know about Olevia being a cheap brand. I know that they are a new brand. I read an article that said ESPN has all Olevia monitors in their studio now. After reading many reviews people have said that this TV has a better picture than TV's costing twice as much. So I don't have an issue with the picture. My issue is that I can't pick up most Boston HDTV signals.

[necrat123]

If you are getting WSBK-DT, you should be easily getting most of the other Boston digitals.
WSBK-DT transmits from a common antenna with WBZ-DT, WCVB-DT, and WGBX-DT.
All four use the exact same antenna and are very close in DT channel assignments
(39, 30, 20, 43 respectivley). So I'm curious is something else is causing your lack of reception.
(Front end overload, bad tuner section, local interference... ?)

How about the Providence and nearby stations?