Digital reception in Ocean County, NJ

[JerseyShor]

Being on the outer-edge of both the NYC and Philly markets here's what I'm getting with just a simple Zenith Silver Sensor.

(1/4 = very weak, 4/4 = very strong)

WWSI-DT 49 (4/4) Atlantic City, NJ
WMGM-DT 35 (3/4) Wildwood, NJ
WNJS-DT 22 (2/4) Camden, NJ
WMCN-DT 44 (1/4) Atlantic City, NJ
KYW-DT 26 (barely detectable) Philadelphia, PA
WYBE-DT 34 (barely detectable) Philadelphia, PA

 

[JayR]

Being on the outer-edge of both the NYC and Philly markets here's what I'm getting with just a simple Zenith Silver Sensor.

(1/4 = very weak, 4/4 = very strong)

<snip>

WMGM-DT 35 (3/4) Wildwood, NJ

That's pretty good. At least you get news relevant to the Jersey Shore.

 

[8638]

Being on the outer-edge of both the NYC and Philly markets here's what I'm getting with just a simple Zenith Silver Sensor.

(1/4 = very weak, 4/4 = very strong)

WWSI-DT 49 (4/4) Atlantic City, NJ
WMGM-DT 35 (3/4) Wildwood, NJ
WNJS-DT 22 (2/4) Camden, NJ
WMCN-DT 44 (1/4) Atlantic City, NJ
KYW-DT 26 (barely detectable) Philadelphia, PA
WYBE-DT 34 (barely detectable) Philadelphia, PA

This DTV conversion pisses me off. I get adequate analog reception OTA from all Philadelphia stations, and from a few NYC stations. Thank you liberal congressmen, now, I'll get damned near NOTHING!

 

[MikeD]

"This DTV conversion pisses me off. I get adequate analog reception OTA from all Philadelphia stations, and from a few NYC stations. Thank you liberal congressmen, now, I'll get damned near NOTHING!"

The OTA situation in New Jersey SHOULD improve once the analog signals are shut off. Many of the DTV signals are on adjacent or co-channels for nearby cities. For example, WHYY is on DT-50, which is the same channel as WNJN in Newark. Once the Analog shuts off, I imagine WHYY will have greater reach.

 

[MikeD]

"This DTV conversion pisses me off. I get adequate analog reception OTA from all Philadelphia stations, and from a few NYC stations. Thank you liberal congressmen, now, I'll get damned near NOTHING!"

The OTA situation in New Jersey SHOULD improve once the analog signals are shut off. Many of the DTV signals are on adjacent or co-channels for nearby cities. For example, WHYY is on DT-50, which is the same channel as WNJN in Newark. Once the Analog shuts off, I imagine WHYY will have greater reach.

 

[8638]

"This DTV conversion pisses me off. I get adequate analog reception OTA from all Philadelphia stations, and from a few NYC stations. Thank you liberal congressmen, now, I'll get damned near NOTHING!"

The OTA situation in New Jersey SHOULD improve once the analog signals are shut off. Many of the DTV signals are on adjacent or co-channels for nearby cities. For example, WHYY is on DT-50, which is the same channel as WNJN in Newark. Once the Analog shuts off, I imagine WHYY will have greater reach.

I don't have an HDTV, yet, nor do I have a converter box (when will they be marketed?). But antennaweb predicts NO digital reception at my location. I have a pretty decent antenna/rotor installation, with antenna mounted Channel Master preamp and a good distribution amp indoors, so I'm hoping they are wrong. Still, I have to go and buy 5 converter boxes. And, while I'm no tree hugger, the environmental impact of all those analog sets that will be hitting the landfills can't be ignored.

 

[tripinva]

I don't have an HDTV, yet, nor do I have a converter box (when will they be marketed?). But antennaweb predicts NO digital reception at my location. I have a pretty decent antenna/rotor installation, with antenna mounted Channel Master preamp and a good distribution amp indoors, so I'm hoping they are wrong. Still, I have to go and buy 5 converter boxes. And, while I'm no tree hugger, the environmental impact of all those analog sets that will be hitting the landfills can't be ignored.

Don't trust Antennaweb, it's extremely conservative with digitals (where I live in Virginia, I get every digital station in my market, AntennaWeb lists just one of them) while it lists analogs up to 100 miles away that I have no chance of ever receiving (300w LP stations BEHIND MOUNTAINS). Try tvfool.com instead, it has a much more reliable method of calculation.

- Trip

 

[cawasinnj]

I don't have an HDTV, yet, nor do I have a converter box (when will they be marketed?).

The NTIA says end of Feb or beginning of Mar.

And, while I'm no tree hugger, the environmental impact of all those analog sets that will be hitting the landfills can't be ignored.

I think it's pretty unlikely that people will throw out a perfectly good set just because of DTV. It's still going to be cheaper to get a converter, nevermind that more than half the viewers won't have to change anything because they have cable or satellite.

 

[8638]

I don't have an HDTV, yet, nor do I have a converter box (when will they be marketed?). But antennaweb predicts NO digital reception at my location. I have a pretty decent antenna/rotor installation, with antenna mounted Channel Master preamp and a good distribution amp indoors, so I'm hoping they are wrong. Still, I have to go and buy 5 converter boxes. And, while I'm no tree hugger, the environmental impact of all those analog sets that will be hitting the landfills can't be ignored.

Don't trust Antennaweb, it's extremely conservative with digitals (where I live in Virginia, I get every digital station in my market, AntennaWeb lists just one of them) while it lists analogs up to 100 miles away that I have no chance of ever receiving (300w LP stations BEHIND MOUNTAINS). Try tvfool.com instead, it has a much more reliable method of calculation.

- Trip

Thanks, Trip! I used tvfool, and I'm feeling a bit better about the possibilities now.

Don

 

[8638]

And, while I'm no tree hugger, the environmental impact of all those analog sets that will be hitting the landfills can't be ignored.

I think it's pretty unlikely that people will throw out a perfectly good set just because of DTV. It's still going to be cheaper to get a converter, nevermind that more than half the viewers won't have to change anything because they have cable or satellite.

[/quote]

What about the little handheld sets, and the little 5" sets, both of which don't usually get connected to CATV? Are they going to make miniature converters for them?

 

[cawasinnj]

What about the little handheld sets, and the little 5" sets, both of which don't usually get connected to CATV? Are they going to make miniature converters for them?

Possible. It's technically feasible at least. Remember the FM to AM converters from the 60's?

I'm not saying nobody will throw out any sets. I'm just saying the number won't be that big relative to the number of sets in use. If it were left up to me, I'd just allow broadcasters to run analog and digital both for up to another 10 years to allow the analog only sets to naturally age and die on their own. Not looking like that's going to happen.

 

[dhett]

The broadcasters don't want that. They've been saddled with the expense of running two stations already, mandated by the gov't. Of course if Uncle Sam would pay for the DTV conversion, then the broadcasters would be happy to.

 

[ansky212]

If it were left up to me, I'd just allow broadcasters to run analog and digital both for up to another 10 years to allow the analog only sets to naturally age and die on their own. Not looking like that's going to happen.

Definitely not going to happen. The whole point of the conversion is to free up radio spectrum for other uses. They are certainly not going to sit on this for another 10 years.

 

[cawasinnj]

I said I'd allow it. Not force it.

Does anyone happen to know how many stations are currently in the non-core band, and of those how many couldn't be squeezed into core without shutting off existing signals?

And no, I don't expect this to happen, even if it's better for the consumer.

 

[dhett]

All full-service out-of-core stations should have elected their final in-core DTV channel by now, whether or not they received a companion channel for DTV. If there were any that had not elected a channel, the FCC would have assigned a "best fit" channel.

 

[8638]

What about the little handheld sets, and the little 5" sets, both of which don't usually get connected to CATV? Are they going to make miniature converters for them?

Possible. It's technically feasible at least. Remember the FM to AM converters from the 60's?

I'm not saying nobody will throw out any sets. I'm just saying the number won't be that big relative to the number of sets in use. If it were left up to me, I'd just allow broadcasters to run analog and digital both for up to another 10 years to allow the analog only sets to naturally age and die on their own. Not looking like that's going to happen.

I remember FM converters, very well! Owned a couple of them, one of which was the most sensitive/selective mobile tuner I've ever owned.

I wonder if, once consumers realize what this whole thing means, there won't be some noise made politically to extend the deadline. I know over half the country is on cable or satellite, but you can't hand carry a set to the game on CATV. I know I'm in the minority here, but I don't mind that at all.

 

[wtmuradio]

And, while I'm no tree hugger, the environmental impact of all those analog sets that will be hitting the landfills can't be ignored.

I think it's pretty unlikely that people will throw out a perfectly good set just because of DTV. It's still going to be cheaper to get a converter, nevermind that more than half the viewers won't have to change anything because they have cable or satellite.

What about the little handheld sets, and the little 5" sets, both of which don't usually get connected to CATV? Are they going to make miniature converters for them?
[/quote]

Goes to prove that digital tv and radio is heading for a nitemare ..... Keep those tv sets .....

 

[8638]

"This DTV conversion pisses me off. I get adequate analog reception OTA from all Philadelphia stations, and from a few NYC stations. Thank you liberal congressmen, now, I'll get damned near NOTHING!"

The OTA situation in New Jersey SHOULD improve once the analog signals are shut off. Many of the DTV signals are on adjacent or co-channels for nearby cities. For example, WHYY is on DT-50, which is the same channel as WNJN in Newark. Once the Analog shuts off, I imagine WHYY will have greater reach.

I don't have an HDTV, yet, nor do I have a converter box (when will they be marketed?). But antennaweb predicts NO digital reception at my location. I have a pretty decent antenna/rotor installation, with antenna mounted Channel Master preamp and a good distribution amp indoors, so I'm hoping they are wrong. Still, I have to go and buy 5 converter boxes. And, while I'm no tree hugger, the environmental impact of all those analog sets that will be hitting the landfills can't be ignored.

Well, I have to eat a little crow here. I have acquired two DTV converter boxes (Zenith/Goldstar DTT900). The results are amazing! There are a few stations in Philly that aren't emitting a consistently good signal, and they are WCAU-DT, WTXF-DT, and one that emits a signal I can rarely see, WHYY-DT (I know why their signal doesn't hit here well, it's directional away from me and only 50 Kw). But the rest...incredible! Rock solid pictures, better than CATV quality. I especially enjoy the subchannels on NJN, WPHL (WCSN), and WPPX (ION). I assume that NBC and FOX will get it together with a consistently viewable signal by transition time. WHYY concerns me, though.

As for the New York stations, I can receive WCBS-DT and WLNY-DT consistently. WMBC-DT can be seen on occasion. I've spotted WWOR-DT a couple of times, but a very weak signal (one morning when there was a touch of tropo, I saw WJZ-DT on ch. 38, WWOR's temporary DT home). WLIW-DT comes in sometimes, too.

Verdict: I like DTV! I think there will be some bugs to shake out, and the power levels on most of these stations will probably need to go up some for equivalent coverage to the existing analogs. But it really is an improvement!

 

[w9wi]

I assume that NBC and FOX will get it together with a consistently viewable signal by transition time. WHYY concerns me, though.

NBC has a permit to take over WYBE (channel 35)'s transmitter. (WYBE is returning to channel 35) The power will decrease slightly but I don't think you'll notice the difference between 500kw and 480.

Fox has a permit to decrease power slightly (from 305kw to 260) but greatly increase antenna height. (from 161m to 343m) It should come in better.

WHYY shouldn't concern you. (yet) My understanding is it's highly directional to protect a NJN station in north-central New Jersey, and it's limited in power. That will go away Transition Day when they move back to channel 12, using their existing analog antenna. They'll be running a fair amount of power and should do fairly well.

 

[murcuryvapor]

I don't have an HDTV, yet, nor do I have a converter box (when will they be marketed?). But antennaweb predicts NO digital reception at my location. I have a pretty decent antenna/rotor installation, with antenna mounted Channel Master preamp and a good distribution amp indoors, so I'm hoping they are wrong. Still, I have to go and buy 5 converter boxes. And, while I'm no tree hugger, the environmental impact of all those analog sets that will be hitting the landfills can't be ignored.

You can donate the sets, or take them to an appropriate recycler.