Help in tosa (lots of OTA questions)

[hikerak]

Hello,

I just purchased my first HDTV (Samsung TXP 3275).  It has a built-in tuner and I am in the process I attempting to tune it in with an indoor antenna.  I am having some luck but also have been very random in my success.  I am using an unamplified Radio shack cheapy, I live just north of 70th and north and have been attempting to point it in the NE direction but I have my neighbor's house in the way.  I am picking up 4-1,12-1,58-1,10-1-7,36-1,1-1-2.  Of course I am also attempting to pick up FOX(Packer games) which I even have a problem doing for the analog signal. Last night I got 6-1 to show up as a channel the the signal never came in.

On a side note why do all of the stations have two designations 33(6-1) or what ever, what does 33 mean?  

I bought an amplified RS cheapy becauuase the guy at RS told me they didn't have the DBT.  The amplified one didn't really help much.  So I am taking it back and I am going to get the ever popular DBT which I have read about...  My big question is will it work???   Anyone live around me and have success with it or any other indoor antenna?  

The antenna is in my living room, I have also fed the cable to the basement and atempted to aim it out the window in the basement because it had a better angle so I thought.  I was trying all kinds of combinations last night.  Then I thought why reinvent the wheel, why not ask.  I have been lurking here for about a year... Help!!!

Will the RS DBT be my savior? Will I just plug it in and everything will be clear?  

Thanks for the help..

Matt

[Gregg Lengling]

Matt first off because you are in a location blocked by your neighbor, would it be possible to install an outside antenna or even one in your attic.  Either would be an improvement for what you have.  There are of course a large number of different options for set-top antennas and I'm sure those on this board using them will chime in.

In response to your question about why channels have 2 numbers......ie:  6-1(33).  In this case 33 is the actual channel the signal is transmitted on Radio Frequency Wise...however in the digital signal is a PSIP stream, which is basically a data stream that includes a number of possible items, including but not limited to programming guide information and most importantly "Remap Channel Assignments".  The remap makes your tuner think that you are tuning channel 6-1, thereby linking the digital channel assignment to the analog assigment.  Basically it's "Branding" the signal so it's easy to know that you are watching the digital version of Fox 6.  Hope this helps.

[borghe]

the two most successful indoors are the RSDBT and the Zenith Silver Sensor. I know nothing about where these might be available locally however.

Anyone else able to tell him where he can get the Zenith one?

[hikerak]

I will not ever be able to put up a rooftop antenna(per wife regulation, they supercide FCC regs)

I might be able to get something in the attic.  I am assuming at that point I would want it as close to the end of the house that points to the east north east???  That would be more problematic...  

Should I be able to get fox now?  Have they increased their power or moved their antenna?  

Also I tried to use the "gain" on my cheapy RS powered antenna and it would wipe out(make very fuzzy) the regular analog channels???  Should that happen?   Then it would make the digital strength go way up but it would then flash and I would lose the picture until I turned it down and over all it seemed just as easy not to use the gain..
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The RSDBT antenna was ordered today and won't be delivered for about a week or two?  

But I do get 12-1 so I will be watching tonights game in HDTV also I noticed that CBS 1-1 is showing games in HD.  I can get that occasionally...  Wahooooo

Thanks,

Matt

[RainDog]

Matt,

I hooked up my system last week.

42" ED panny plasma
DirecTV HD Tivo receiver

Appx 60th and Vilet/Milwaukee area of Tosa.

I added a small attic UHF antenna on a temporary mount, eyeballed it to appx NNW direction and was able to get Fox 6.1 with a 90-92 signal.  All of the other digital channels were found with good signals (88-96).  

I used the Schneider DB2 - $50 with shipping.
http://www.antennasdirect.com/IndoorAntennas.htm

It is working well to date.

-Steve

[hikerak]

Thank you for the info, I thought it was supposed to be NNE?  Maybe that's my problem  : )

[RainDog]

Yes, of course, NNE :rolleyes:

[dlhoppe]

You can always try the Radio Shack UHF-Only outdoor antenna in your attic.  I have one in my attic here in West Bend and it works very well.  Especially given that the cost is only $23.99.  It's a normal store stock item and I'm sure you could return it if it didn't work for you.