[opendtv] Re: It's Not Just The Antenna

These are probably not RF problems.  They are problems upstream of the 8VSB DTV 
transmitter.  There is no separate color subcarrier in DTV to drop out while 
luma continues to be received.  Nor is there a separate sound subcarrier.  If 
the station is compression coding NTSC source material, it's probably their 
encoding equipment that is the problem.  However, there are problems on the 
satellite digital distribution system to the stations.  the macroblocking shows 
up on occasion even on NTSC reception.

Al Limberg
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: dan.grimes@xxxxxxxx 
  To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 12:23 PM
  Subject: [opendtv] It's Not Just The Antenna



  "Set-top boxes are only part of the equation. "It's the antenna!" as
  consumer groups, the FCC, NAB, and other alphabet-soup groups are
  finally acknowledging. Stations have begun airing "Psst, bet you're
  gonna need a new antenna too!" PSAs." 

  The antenna is not the miracle fix for ATSC reception.  I installed a high 
quality outdoor antenna (Winegard, Belden cable, and all high quality 
components in between) and I'm in a part of the Las Vegas valley that is quite 
clean of tall buildings (with the exception of the airport behind me) and in 
direct view to the transmitting antenna.  My analog reception is near perfect 
and the meter on the Digital Stream box shows a solid green, 92 to 96 percent, 
for almost all DTV stations.  However, my Philips 3575H (no meter that I can 
find) locks up once in a while when changing channels, I often get 
macroblocking, audio drops occasionally and sometimes the color drops out.  And 
one of the sub-channels (NBC 3.2, Weather) doesn't display at all. 

  I have not put a spectrum analyzer or other equipment on it yet to see what 
RF issues I might be experiencing. 

  So a perfect antenna and RF path doesn't solve all the problems. 

  Dan

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