[opendtv] Re: Demand for free DTV rising in Australia

I don't mean to suggest that people need to buy a lot of tuners just to
see if they will work, but here is my experience with different ATSC
set-top boxes over the years.  It is "off the top of my head" so I may
be forgetting some points.
 
First Generation Panasonic STB (maybe 0th?)  Poor performance in my
office, but only two stations were on the air in those days. (Midtown
NY, lots of signal and lots of reflections.)
 
ATSC module in Dish satellite receiver (generation unknown, maybe 2nd?)
Better in the office (same two channels, but more successful locations
-- different offices)
 
ATSC module in Dish satellite receiver (different unit of the same
model.)  Same two stations received at my home (NW New Jersey, weak
signal, but amplified, and much fewer reflections.)  Also received
several Philadelphia stations and Allentown, PA.  (Note: In the interest
of full disclosure, I have never used a COFDM STB, but I wonder if a
big-stick approach would work for me in the boonies.  Given my
experience with cell phones by my home, I also wonder if someone would
pay to put a small stick COFDM gap-filler to serve my area.)
 
Built-in tuner in RCA DLP set (DTV411, I think)  More stations, due to
all NY stations being on air.  OK at home, some DTV stations at low
power, never tried it at the office (The set's too big.)
 
Picked up an Acurian on a lark ($89.00 special.)  Much better in the
office, but still not perfect, still good at home.
 
5th generation USB DTV tuner.  Picks up all NY DTV stations at my desk
in the office (except WNYE-DT, broadcasting from Brooklyn I think, and
blocked by many buildings.)  Performance still good at home, but this
tuner's main advantage is performance with echoes, something I don't
have a lot of at home.
 
This 5th generation has worked well in other famous test sites but not
as well as the LG demo unit.  Right now I'm picking up 16 different ATSC
streams at my hotel in LA using a Silver Sensor.  I've used this tuner
in Washington, and it picks up many stations in DC (but not all) and
Baltimore.  There are some notoriously hard-to-tune stations in DC, but
I'll try again next week with the Silver Sensor (the last test was with
a whip antenna.)
 
I know you should never use yourself as the only data point, but here
goes:  At my desk in my office, NTSC is unwatchable.  ATSC works great.
At my home, NTSC is very watchable, but a bit noisy.  ATSC works great,
but I still have transition-related co-channel problems that should go
away next year.  Things have gotten better over the years.
 
Regards, and I apologize if my hasty reply left out any key points
 
Ken

________________________________

From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Stephen W. Long
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 8:41 PM
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Re: Demand for free DTV rising in Australia


I bought an Acurian, it does not solve the large echo problem in my
neighborhood.  My most current Westinghouse flat panel with built in
ATSC tuner is only slightly better.  Some channels continue to freeze
up, and always during touchdowns for football games.  It is so tiresome,
that I just use my satellite/Tivo instead.  If all politics is local,
then I will always judge ATSC by reception in my house, less than 20
miles from all of the DC transmitters.  8VSB does not work as well as
the analog service it is supposed to to replace.
 
Stephen

        -----Original Message-----
        From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Barry Wilkins
        Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 3:36 AM
        To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        Subject: [opendtv] Re: Demand for free DTV rising in Australia
        
        
        Quite right Bert,
        
        I haven't asked John why he has not tried more than a second
generation ATSC receiver so here goes. 
        
        John - why haven't you?
        
        And to the others who have, has it made a significant
difference? 
        
        Can you now cruise along with perfecto reception of ATSC in a
built up area? 
        
        Does the latest ATSC receiver still work until you shut it in a
transmitter cabinet? (Joke)
        
        Yes, I understand there has been improvement. Time will tell and
not much of that left. 
        
        Regards
        Barry 
        
        
        On 6/25/07, Manfredi, Albert E <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote: 

                Barry Wilkins wrote:
                
                > I did find it odd that you did not want to see the
                > "infamous" Bob Millar mobile COFDM demo. I reflect
                > on this in a comparative way.
                
                I find it really nuts that this is being made into some
sort of issue.
                
                More to the point, did you ask John Shutt whether he has
yet tried 
                anything more recent than a 2nd gen ATSC receiver, on
which to base his
                comments on 8-VSB reception?
                
                And if he did, when he did?
                
                As technically obsolete as my 3rd gen Accurian and
Digital Stream boxes 
                are, and already were in 2005, they were very
straightforward to set up
                and get working. With indoor or outdoor antennas. If you
read the
                comments of other people who bought them, they were
better than any of
                the STB competition, when they were first introduced.
                
                Bert
                
                
        
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