WTNH-DT (New Haven) always crappy?

[KML0224]

Quick comment and a question: I'm outside of Hartford and have an issue with WTNH-DT (ABC) channel 10 [analog 8] of New Haven. Whether it's by antenna or on my Sanyo TV's QAM tuner on channel 88-2, their HD always looks like crap when I flip to the HD for CBS (cable 89-1), CW (cable 82-1) FOX (cable 89-2) and NBC (cable 88-3). The antenna signal looks fine for CW, FOX and NBC. I get little if any of CBS with an antenna, since I'm blocked with Avon Mountain.

NOTE: I'm using my TV's QAM tuner. I don't use a converter at all.

 

[Whale]

Dunno I never use HD.

 

[FRM-Yankey]

Sounds like an outside directional VHF antenna is needed.

 

[KML0224]

That wouldn't help WFSB-DT. That's on channel 33.

 

[HD_Ready]

Do they multicast? is there an 88-1? The bandwith taken away from the HD program for the secondary is most likely the culprit. Here in the Boston area ch 7 has NBC weather plus on their secondary and the HD on ch 7 is almost as bad as cable.

 

[KML0224]

If you mean WTNH-DT, they don't put out a subchannel right now. Their radar is seen over on WCTX-DT (MY) channel 39-2, a.k.a. "59-2". WVIT-DT 35-2, a.k.a. "30-2" is NBC Weather Plus. That's a given since WVIT is an NBC O & O.

 

[necrat123]

If you mean WTNH-DT, they don't put out a subchannel right now. Their radar is seen over on WCTX-DT (MY) channel 39-2, a.k.a. "59-2". WVIT-DT 35-2, a.k.a. "30-2" is NBC Weather Plus. That's a given since WVIT is an NBC O & O.

Kevin,
there is no "aka". WCTX-DT's subchannel is only 59-2, WVIT's is only 30-2. The "-2" is part of the virtual channel table program associated with the parent channel in the PSIP programming. WCTX does not program their PSIP 39 and WVIT doesn't program theirs 35. The FCC doesn't allow this. That old set top box or TV you had or viewed which listed the channels as "39-2" or "35-2" was incorrect and a product of bad design. In the DTV real world, "39" and "35" doesn't exist. DTV doesn't use the old 6MHz channel allotments as their original allotments, but rather just as space to place the DTV information within a 6MHz channel space. Trust me on this, I have programmed the encoding equipment for this sort of thing before. As far as WTNH-DT looking "crappy", can you futher clarify by what you mean as "crappy". Is the picture constantly freezing? is it breaking up/pixelating (blocking)? Does it look like low bandwidth MPEG? (Like on a PC on dial up).
Also what are you using to pick it up? Are you using a dual band antenna? Single band? Rooftop, Attic, or set top?
There is a lot more information that is needed other than "crappy". If you can clarify I can pass it along to the engineering staff at WTNH for you and see what they say...

--Mike

 

[azumanga]

WCTX does not program their PSIP 39 and WVIT doesn't program theirs 35. The FCC doesn't allow this. That old set top box or TV you had or viewed which listed the channels as "39-2" or "35-2" was incorrect and a product of bad design. In the DTV real world, "39" and "35" doesn't exist.

Though of course, WCTX doesn't need to program 39 as a PSIP channel, as it's their actual channel that they broadcast on. Tune in 39 or 59 on a digital tuner, and you'll get WCTX. Same for WVIT, whether you dial 35 (actual) or 30 (PSIP).

 

[necrat123]

Though of course, WCTX doesn't need to program 39 as a PSIP channel, as it's their actual channel that they broadcast on. Tune in 39 or 59 on a digital tuner, and you'll get WCTX. Same for WVIT, whether you dial 35 (actual) or 30 (PSIP).

Which is what I said originally, but your statment is not actually 100% true. While some of the older boxes and really "advanced" boxes allow that, that is not the case with most STBs and intergrated tuners. Most require you to do a channel scan and not allow manual tuning until the scan is done. Upon the scan they do see the virtual channels and build a virtual channel lineup based on the PSIP data received on each digital signal. The only thing the common household viewer sees is the box pause for a second on 35 or 39 as it scans. To 95% of the ATSC home viewers, 35 and 39 doesn't mean a thing, and it shouldn't. The only thing the home viewer needs to be concerned about is weither their channel they want to receive's digital is on VHF Low (ouch!), VHF High, or UHF, so they get the right antenna. And even with that, your only talking a very small percentage because of the high amounts of cable & satellite penetration. The point I made originally is that there is no 39-2, as "39" doesn't exsist in the real atsc world. Just on some rare and usually older exception boxes.