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CJT
Guest
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 Posted:
Fri Dec 02, 2005 5:35 pm Post subject:
Re: Which TV's work best with indoor antennas (not cable)? |
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jakdedert wrote:
<snip>
| Quote: | In case the OP is not familiar with ghosting (or Google, he could look
it up); it's a function of a reflected TV signal arriving at the
antenna, some number of milliseconds after the direct signal.
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<snip>
Nit: a millisecond is a long time. You probably meant microsecond.
--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.
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Al Schapira
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Dec 03, 2005 1:35 am Post subject:
Re: Which TV's work best with indoor antennas (not cable)? |
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jakdedert wrote:
| Quote: | Ray L. Volts wrote:
"Michael Kennedy" <Mikek400@remthis.comcast.net> wrote in message
news:e6ednWLJov2bYhLeRVn-gQ@comcast.com...
Channel 2 NBC? Are you in Central Florida?
Houston (KPRC).
I have all kinds of weird problems with channel 2.. doesn't matter
what tv vcr or tuner I use. There is always sort of a double picture.
I've experienced at friends houses also. Some times it seperates so
bad you can't stand to watch it. It is very odd because the audio
will be perfect but the video is awful..
Sounds like ghosting. You might try a variable attenuator; hook it up
to an A-B switch box so you won't have to readjust it everytime you
change from channel 2. Yes, every device you put in the line,
including switch boxes, causes signal loss (exception being in-line
amps) and most introduce noise. But if your ghosting problem is due to
too great a signal strength, perhaps the device-induced losses won't
affect the other channels.
Alternatively, maybe there are nearby objects (e.g., tall, metal
warehouse or shed) which could be delivering a reflected signal,
resulting in the ghosting.
In case the OP is not familiar with ghosting (or Google, he could look
it up); it's a function of a reflected TV signal arriving at the
antenna, some number of milliseconds after the direct signal. IOW, the
exact signal arriving at the antenna, slightly delayed in time from the
direct signal. The 'ghost' is that signal dispayed on your TV screen.
You can actually measure the exact interval of reflected to direct
signal by the percentage of screen real estate between the two, although
that's only of academic interest. What's important is that the display
scans the reflection slightly later than the direct one, causing it to
appear at some distance to the right. In more severe cases, the sound
is also affected, especially on various scenes.
What he needs is some way to either eliminate the reflected (or direct?)
signal...or to make one or the other so much stronger that it is no
longer a problem. A highly directional antenna is usually the only way
to do so (aim the antenna so that the ghost disapears), but in many
applications is still not do-able.
I had a bad ghost on local channels last week which turned out to be
caused by an unterminated output on my distribution system.
jak
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The problem with the Sony was not ghosting. The Sony was generating so
much self interference (probably from its switching supply) that with an
indoor antenna (not cable) every station showed swirly lines AND NEARBY
TV's SHOWED THE SAME INTERFERENCE WHENEVER THE SONY WAS ON!
-Al |
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Al Schapira
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Dec 03, 2005 1:35 am Post subject:
Re: Which TV's work best with indoor antennas (not cable)? |
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Tom MacIntyre wrote:
| Quote: | On Wed, 30 Nov 2005 23:45:30 GMT, Al Schapira
a.d.schapira@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
I need to get a new TV and I don't have (or want) cable. So I'd like to
know which brands/models of 27" to 32" conventional TV's work well with
an indoor antenna. My old TV (with a mechanical tuner) got great
reception. A Sony we tried failed miserably (it generated so much self
interference that most stations were unwatchable. And it affected
nearby TV's also.)
Thanks.
-Al Schapira
In my experience a lot of new TV's don't do well with an inside
antenna.
Tom
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That's why I asked the original question.
-Al
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spudnuty
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Dec 03, 2005 9:35 am Post subject:
Re: Which TV's work best with indoor antennas (not cable)? |
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I was a video engineer for many years. 5 years ago I set up a very
fussy client with a highly directional Yagi on a rotor in her attic.
Ran RG-6 inside her wall and the picture absolutely was the best I've
ever seen outside of of the line monitors at the station. Blew my cable
away completely. We're near Chicago and (also weirdly) get a lot of
ghosting on 2 and 7. She had a 36" Sony.
All of course before HDTV. Actually I have another client with HDTV
that she runs off a rabbit ears! What a wastel! I'm still talking to
her.
Richard |
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WB2MEP
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Dec 03, 2005 5:28 pm Post subject:
Re: Which TV's work best with indoor antennas (not cable)? |
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Michael Kennedy wrote:
| Quote: | Channel 2 NBC? Are you in Central Florida?
I have all kinds of weird problems with channel 2.. doesn't matter what tv
vcr or tuner I use. There is always sort of a double picture. I've
experienced at friends houses also. Some times it seperates so bad you can't
stand to watch it. It is very odd because the audio will be perfect but the
video is awful..
Michael, |
WESH Chan. 2 and WACX Chan. 55 broadcast from a different location
from, the other Orlando channels, in Orange City, due North of Orlando.
Chan. 2 is actually licensed to Daytona Beach, so that location puts a
good signal into both Daytona and Orlando. (It was the only channel
that came in clear with rabbit ears when I lived just north of
Daytona.)
Chan 6, 9, and most of the UHFs and FM stations broadcast from a
tower farm due East of Orlando, along Hwy. 50, halfway to the coast.
If you're in the Orlando area, you have to re-orient your antenna to
get chan. 2 without ghosts (then 6 & 9 will come in poorly). I have
a rotor on my rooftop antenna, but I've seen quite a few older homes
in the metro Orlando area with an "area special" antenna - separate
Chan. 2 Yagi pointed at Chan. 2, and a smaller antenna for 6, 9,
& UHF pointed at the main transmission site. I don't know if the area
specials are available any more. If you live farther out, the spacing
between the transmitter sites becomes inconsequential as far as
aiming your antenna, but you may be nearer or farther from one
site than the other.
All of the DTV channels that claim to be anywhere near central Florida
are/will be broadcasting from the site east of Orlando (several new
towers were added there about 2 years ago) so the multiple-
transmitter-location problems will go away when you upgrade to HDTV.
Mike WB2MEP |
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b
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:04 am Post subject:
Re: Which TV's work best with indoor antennas (not cable)? |
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seems like the majority of the problems/complaints so far in this
thread are related to the vhf channels. I can't believe that these
days, there are still places broadcasting on it, given the greater
susceptibilty to interference and generally crappy performance. AFAIK,
in the UK, VHF for tv was dropped back in the 1950s! Since few places
here in Europe now use VHF bands, most of those aforementioned
complaints hardly come up round here.
In the long term, I'd try and pressure the relevant authorities to
move to UHF or ideally terrestrial digital (dv3/ 'Freeview').
Remember, if they sense there's consumer demand, they're more likely to
start making the effort to upgrade their broadcasting systems.
-B. |
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dkuhajda@locl.net
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:12 am Post subject:
Re: Which TV's work best with indoor antennas (not cable)? |
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Analog tv transmission is soon to be a moot point here in the US.
Even with the delays for the end of analog terrestrial transmission, it
will happen within the next few years.
If the OP is having this much trouble with an indoor antenna, odds are
pretty high that DTV will not be available with the indoor setup. |
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Charles Schuler
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Dec 06, 2005 1:36 am Post subject:
Re: Which TV's work best with indoor antennas (not cable)? |
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"Charles Schuler" <charleschuler@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:o5-dndusH5WrzhPeRVn-gA@comcast.com...
| Quote: | I could be wrong but it seems that modern TV receivers are rather
insensitive as the manufacturers seem to think that all of us have cable.
You might have to invest in a good, low-noise pre-amp. As to sensitivity
specs, I have no idea how you can get them.
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Oh, I forgot to mention that I am using a Motorola Signal Booster Broadband
Drop Amp with good results. I bought it at Circuit City. |
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Joel Kolstad
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Dec 07, 2005 8:24 am Post subject:
Re: Which TV's work best with indoor antennas (not cable)? |
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"b" <reverend_rogers@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1133665491.597457.172230@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | seems like the majority of the problems/complaints so far in this
thread are related to the vhf channels. I can't believe that these
days, there are still places broadcasting on it, given the greater
susceptibilty to interference and generally crappy performance.
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VHF requires far less power to cover a given area; changing a VHF TV station
to UHF serously spikes the power bills -- I don't think you ever find a VHF
station that would voluntarily move to UHF! |
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