[opendtv] ATSC Receivers Seen Doing Live OTA DTV Demos
- From: "johnwillkie" <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:13:42 -0700
I had a few hours to kill before turning in a rental car this afternoon, and
since it was my birthday, I decided to go shopping.
I was in the 5 y 10 ("nickel and dime") section in what I once thought of as
Tijuana's Eastern end, but it appears to be central Tijuana these days.
First, I visited Dorrian's, which has much the same feel and product
selection as a Macy's. I noticed that Caroline Herrera New York is labeled
"Carolina Herrera New York." Where is Oscar of the Rent when you need him?
Dorrian's had a rather smallish and cramped (for them) TV selection. Every
TV was showing the same HD-looking video feed. Like most Dorriians, they
mostly have Panasonic TVs. Boring.
I needed a pair of white socks (I always need them), so I went a few doors
down the non-airconditioned mall to "Comercial Mexicana." That translates
to Mexican Commerce, but it's nowadays a chain not unlike Wal-Mart. Not
that Mexico is lacking in Wal-Marts; there's only one in this part of the
country, but Wal-mart is the largest private employer in Mexico.
We have food, a bakery, auto parts, housewares, fashion (moda) and clothing
(ropa) all in one large box. Over on one all, I spotted "Electronica."
There was nobody to help me. What a boon! All the illuminated TV sets were
digital. Most showed a murky - appartently analog and badly processed -
live image from analog XHBJ 45 Tijuana. Looked like crap, and this was mass
crap, as all the sets were fed by an RCA connector.
Until I looked at the last two sets, all the sets either lacked any tuner,
or the "F" connector indicated that the set only had a cable tuner.
THIS IS WHERE ALL THE PREDICTED 'tunerless' monitors WENT - to countries
that permit them.
However, the big highlight was the last two sets I looked at. Both were
showing a rather clear signal. I checked the inputs. Both sets not only
had a "F" connector attached to an internal tuner, they were actually
showing live signals. One was SDTV from XETV 8 (Fox) showing the people's
court. SDTV spots. The second set was tuned to one of Tijuana's three DTV
stations, the digital equivalent of 57. I didn't note if the program was in
HDTV, but the spots were, so I was happy.
I tuned both sets to the nearby U.S. DTV stations (blocked by at least two
hounts). I got PSIP, etc, but no usable signal. I thought it interesting
that the sets told me that the programming of PSB's V-me via KPBS-DT was in
English. I'll have to look at their transport stream tonight. It seems to
me that a Spanish-language network should actually tell people the audio is
in Espanol.
Both sets got PSIP from all Tijuana DTV stations and the close-by terrain
blocked U.S. stations. They got rock-solid dtv during my term of watching.
The sets were located inside a cement-block building with rebar in the
walls, in a shopping center with similar construction. It got usable DTV.
Oh, I forgot to mention the receive antennae. They didn't use a Silver
Sensor, nipple clamps, or even a paper clip. In the back of both sets, the
terrestrial "F" connector on each featured a thin strand of wire - with
insulation removed on both ends - stuck in the middle of the "F" connector.
Then, these wires had been bent down to conform to the case of the set. It
was like they were tested in the backroom, then moved to the display floor,
with the wires bent in transit.
Both setw were Samsung plasmas, with prices around $1k U.S.D.
So, in a city that has only been chlorinating it's water for less than 4
months, where it's not uncommon to smell leaking sewage even in nice areas,
there are more working terrestrial TV sets in stores showing ota HDTV than
there is in all of the DVB countries (save Australia.)
I'm sure that the Mexicans enjoy some type of third-world advantage here.
I did buy three pair of socks - cost almost $4.00. Highway robbery!
John Willkie
P.S. It's a shame that I've been seeking this for almost 8 years, and the
FIRST time I saw OTA HDTV in a store, it was in Mexico.
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