Indianapolis area tv

[radiorob2.0]

Then there is quality. Evansville, for instance......

WNIN's HD channel looks wonderful but the SD channel (9.2) is a reminder of their analog signal's shortcomings. Sometimes the picture looks like a VHS tape recorded at SLP. WEHT is a situation that boggles the mind, their audio is all over the place. Also, it appears WEHT doesn't have a wide screen monitor in their master control since they constantly forget to return to 16:9 after a local break. WTVW stretches all of their local origination to 16:9 so everything looks short and fat. WEVV drives me crazy when they add a CG for an ID, they go to 4:3 for the ID and return to 16:9. Channel 19 is suppose to have an HD channel. Can anyone pick it up? WFIE and KET are the only ones that actually understand the concept.

So remind me again why are we going to HDTV?

 

[1bignobody]

fyi.. The US is not switching to HDTV, we are switching from an analog to digital brodcasting standard. HDTV is just a bonus.

 

[radiorob2.0]

fyi.. The US is not switching to HDTV, we are switching from an analog to digital brodcasting standard. HDTV is just a bonus.

You're right. But then again, when people hear digital they believe it is a magic wand that creates quality. Remember garbage in-garbage out.

 

[justalurker]

fyi.. The US is not switching to HDTV, we are switching from an analog to digital brodcasting standard. HDTV is just a bonus.

You're right. But then again, when people hear digital they believe it is a magic wand that creates quality. Remember garbage in-garbage out.

Repeating garbage doesn't help. ;D

On February 17th, 2009, most full power licensed TV stations will cease broadcasting in analog and broadcast only in digital. On that day MANY stations plan on completing construction of their digital facilities by moving to their final digital channels and power levels. What we have been seeing up to this point in time is only a suggestion of what will be after February 17th, 2009. The biggest problem with Digital TV through February 17th is interference from analog broadcasting. That interference will end. The second biggest problem is lower power to prevent interference with analog broadcasters. That conflict will also end.

Digital TV on February 18th will be better. Even that SD stuff that people don't think of as digital.

 

[radiorob2.0]

fyi.. The US is not switching to HDTV, we are switching from an analog to digital brodcasting standard. HDTV is just a bonus.

You're right. But then again, when people hear digital they believe it is a magic wand that creates quality. Remember garbage in-garbage out.

Repeating garbage doesn't help. ;D

On February 17th, 2009, most full power licensed TV stations will cease broadcasting in analog and broadcast only in digital. On that day MANY stations plan on completing construction of their digital facilities by moving to their final digital channels and power levels. What we have been seeing up to this point in time is only a suggestion of what will be after February 17th, 2009. The biggest problem with Digital TV through February 17th is interference from analog broadcasting. That interference will end. The second biggest problem is lower power to prevent interference with analog broadcasters. That conflict will also end.

Digital TV on February 18th will be better. Even that SD stuff that people don't think of as digital.

About 90 percent of viewers utilize cable and satellite and plenty of those watch on 4:3 screens. So there isn't a motivation to improve by February 18th. Plus, I've come across plenty of folks who purchase these monster 16:9 monitors hooked up to basic cable and convinced it's high definition. Then there are the cable companies who promote digital cable. Though they offer programming that is digitally delivered, the basic package is very analog; noise and all. But the customer is convinced it is teh digital because they believe the hype and as long as it fills the screen they are happy.

Broadcasters are mandated to purchase digital transmitters and have it in place by February 18th. The bottom line is mangled because of this investment so I won't hold my breath to see any 16:9 local programming, unless it's WTVW's stretch and squash.

 

[justalurker]

Once again confusing Digital Television with High-Definition television...

 

[ChiefEngineer]

Leave this where due.

Broadcasters are promoting better picture and new aspect ratio. When WZPL moved from Greenfield studios to Indianapolis a whole month was spent on how much better it would sound. Snake Oil.

People ARE buying new tv's and expect none of what we are seeing.

Don't get me started on cable. Cable companies are using the digital switch to scam their suckers, er, viewers.

Someone had a great idea to get people to spend stupid money all the way around. The money spent on HD should jump start our economy. Like mandated 8 track.

 

[radiorob2.0]

Leave this where due.

Broadcasters are promoting better picture and new aspect ratio. When WZPL moved from Greenfield studios to Indianapolis a whole month was spent on how much better it would sound. Snake Oil.

People ARE buying new tv's and expect none of what we are seeing.

Don't get me started on cable. Cable companies are using the digital switch to scam their suckers, er, viewers.

Someone had a great idea to get people to spend stupid money all the way around. The money spent on HD should jump start our economy. Like mandated 8 track.

Exactly!

 

[jegrant]

OTA DTV here in Kokomo:
So far, no CBS at all on DTV. Very occasionally, I can pick up WLFI-DT 11. (Granted, I'm using an indoor UHF loop, but it does pick up the TV 18 analog in a watchable way - so is the typical viewer going to know they need to change/upgrade the same antenna they've always used?) WISH-DT 9 has never come in, not once. I'm hoping if WISH can get their requested power increase, that might help.
ABC WRTV DT 25 is possibly the most reliable of them all. It comes in much, much better, a 100% improvement, over the fuzzy analog 6 signal that I do remember receiving pre DTV (when they presumably had a much better analog transmitting antenna for 6).
WNDY DT 32 is rock solid stable. I could probably pick it up on the fillings in my teeth. Probably has the best signal quality of anything I get. I think it would be worthwhile to add an SD subchannel broadcasting WISH-CBS, for those who are not in range of the main WISH DT signal.
NBC WTHR DT 46 does well, coming in just about as reliably as WRTV 25.
WTTK DT 54 is just so-so. It's very touchy and only comes in with careful antenna positioning. I'm hoping that when they move back to 29 and up the power (per the STA on file), it will help. I realize that eventually they plan to move the xmtr further away, and I'm not nuts about that. A Kokomo-licensed station transmitting from the same tower as a Indy-licensed station???
WFYI DT 21 came in much better when I originally got my DTV box, and now it's worse than the so-so reception I get from WTTK 54. I really hope they can get a power increase.
WIPB 49 I used to be able to get in analog. I have given up on ever receiving them on their DTV channel 52. I do however look forward to their new signal on DTV 23, after WNDY analog is retired.
I have pulled in WHMB DT 16 once or twice, and I wish they would use their available space to add more subchannels, such as the Dot 2 network, or perhaps TBN would be interested to lease space for some of their networks to gain additional coverage in the northern half of the metro. Also I certainly hope WHMB is able to get a power increase and move to DTV 20 as they have requested.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

My understanding is that WFYI-DT 21 is already at maximum theoretical DTV facilities.

I'm amazed that you can get any Indy DTV stations on an Indoor antenna in Kokomo!

 

[w9wi]

So far, no CBS at all on DTV. Very occasionally, I can pick up WLFI-DT 11. (Granted, I'm using an indoor UHF loop, but it does pick up the TV 18 analog in a watchable way - so is the typical viewer going to know they need to change/upgrade the same antenna they've always used?) WISH-DT 9 has never come in, not once. I'm hoping if WISH can get their requested power increase, that might help.

WISH's requested power increase is essentially trivial. Probably they're only doing it to guarantee the maximum protection from interference from any possible future stations on channel 9. I would be surprised if you notice any improvement.

To be honest it's difficult for me to imagine more than a trivial number of OTA viewers in Kokomo don't already have a VHF antenna. Surely almost nobody was watching *only* WLFI and WTTK?

You're going to have to have a VHF antenna to get CBS. If a loop is enough for UHF, then rabbit ears may well be enough for VHF, but you're going to have to have *something*.

WTTK DT 54 is just so-so. It's very touchy and only comes in with careful antenna positioning. I'm hoping that when they move back to 29 and up the power (per the STA on file), it will help. I realize that eventually they plan to move the xmtr further away, and I'm not nuts about that. A Kokomo-licensed station transmitting from the same tower as a Indy-licensed station???

Obviously WTTK has no plans to build out channel 54 to more than trivial power. The channel 29 permit puts them pretty much in the same league as WXIN (whose tower they're going on). I wonder if they'll still simulcast WTTV after moving?

WFYI DT 21 came in much better when I originally got my DTV box, and now it's worse than the so-so reception I get from WTTK 54. I really hope they can get a power increase.

WFYI has an application on file for a power increase, but like WISH's, it's trivial.

WIPB 49 I used to be able to get in analog. I have given up on ever receiving them on their DTV channel 52. I do however look forward to their new signal on DTV 23, after WNDY analog is retired.

They are of course in the same situation as WTTK -- not going to spend money to build a full signal on an outside-core channel that will be gone forever next month.

 

[Timewarp]

I was wondering if some could give me a reception report on Dish TV with an inside dish? Bet
not, that would be stupid!

If your antenna is indoors you lose 10 Db on VHF and 20 Db on UHF. That means you get one
tenth the signal on VHF and 1 100th on UHF.

It's not hard or expensive to put an antenna outside.

Where I live, I get Chicago, Indianapolis, South Bend, and Champaign quite well.

The problem is not reception. It is programming and lack of. After 3 days of watching off my new
antenna, I called the cable company to hook me back up.

 

[1bignobody]

You're right. But then again, when people hear digital they believe it is a magic wand that creates quality. Remember garbage in-garbage out.

yeah.. but at least on my tv.. i noticed an increase of quality when the cable co made the change from analog to dig on the headend. but hey, i'm in the biz.. so i notice that kind of stuff.

 

[jegrant]

So far, no CBS at all on DTV. Very occasionally, I can pick up WLFI-DT 11. (Granted, I'm using an indoor UHF loop, but it does pick up the TV 18 analog in a watchable way - so is the typical viewer going to know they need to change/upgrade the same antenna they've always used?) WISH-DT 9 has never come in, not once. I'm hoping if WISH can get their requested power increase, that might help.

WISH's requested power increase is essentially trivial. Probably they're only doing it to guarantee the maximum protection from interference from any possible future stations on channel 9. I would be surprised if you notice any improvement.

To be honest it's difficult for me to imagine more than a trivial number of OTA viewers in Kokomo don't already have a VHF antenna. Surely almost nobody was watching *only* WLFI and WTTK?

You're going to have to have a VHF antenna to get CBS. If a loop is enough for UHF, then rabbit ears may well be enough for VHF, but you're going to have to have *something*.

WTTK DT 54 is just so-so. It's very touchy and only comes in with careful antenna positioning. I'm hoping that when they move back to 29 and up the power (per the STA on file), it will help. I realize that eventually they plan to move the xmtr further away, and I'm not nuts about that. A Kokomo-licensed station transmitting from the same tower as a Indy-licensed station???

Obviously WTTK has no plans to build out channel 54 to more than trivial power. The channel 29 permit puts them pretty much in the same league as WXIN (whose tower they're going on). I wonder if they'll still simulcast WTTV after moving?

WFYI DT 21 came in much better when I originally got my DTV box, and now it's worse than the so-so reception I get from WTTK 54. I really hope they can get a power increase.

WFYI has an application on file for a power increase, but like WISH's, it's trivial.

WIPB 49 I used to be able to get in analog. I have given up on ever receiving them on their DTV channel 52. I do however look forward to their new signal on DTV 23, after WNDY analog is retired.

They are of course in the same situation as WTTK -- not going to spend money to build a full signal on an outside-core channel that will be gone forever next month.

I understand that WTTK & WIPB are not going to invest a lot in current facilities when they'll just be moving after the transition.
And I understand I can't expect perfect (or any) reception from an indoor antenna in Kokomo. I wasn't born yesterday. I was just throwing this info out as a data point. I fully and well realize that if I want quality reliable DTV reception, I'll need a decent rooftop antenna. I'm just experimenting right now, to see what I can get, with what I've got.
If they don't simulcast WTTK with WTTV anymore, I'll be very interested to see what exactly they do with their "new" signal. One thought would be to make WTTV "Indiana's 4" a full independent, and move CW to WTTK. Or they might decide that WTTK could be the home of Indiana's 4, and keep CW on WTTV. Hopefully they would at least simulcast an SD version of WTTV onto WTTK and vice versa.

 

[radiorob2.0]

You're right. But then again, when people hear digital they believe it is a magic wand that creates quality. Remember garbage in-garbage out.

yeah.. but at least on my tv.. i noticed an increase of quality when the cable co made the change from analog to dig on the headend. but hey, i'm in the biz.. so i notice that kind of stuff.

I wish that was case here. My former neighborhood was the first to go fiber and was less than a mile from the headend, the quality didn't improve. For the record I used to work for that very cable company (on the radio side). When I would confront the techs, they would blame my television. When I pointed out the $2 modulator inside my VCR created a better picture, they would get upset. After leaving the company I subscribed to Dish and never looked back. For several days I had both services and the satellite picture was amazing compared to the noisy cable picture, true digital delivery has advantages.

Later I did contract work for a hotel/convention center who commissioned Lodgenet to redo the whole system with new amps and coax. The PPV and info channels were crisp clear pictures in each room, the cable service (same system cited above) that was injected into Lodgenet had noise. Their techs made it clear the cable company wasn't providing adequate signal voltage. When the cable company was confronted, they blamed Lodgenet because their cable system is perfect...(sigh). This is why I hate cable companies

Remember, you can pour cheap beer in the finest glassware and it will still be cheap beer.