[opendtv] Re: Compare and contrast to MSTV's 1999 position/testing
- From: Albert Manfredi <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 21:24:14 -0400
John Shutt wrote:
> That's because in 1999 MSTV was promised that NxtWave had
> "cracked the code for mobile and indoor reception."
> (Yes, Bert, I know.)
Know what? If you know, why still the hand wringing? ;)
First off, every caveat mentioned in the article is true for any DTV reception
anywhere. And in fact, I posted to the list exactly those same points made in
the UK and in Australia, e.g. as instructions for converting multi-unit
apartment buildings from analog to DTV central antenna systems.
Secondly, what NxtWave did with their 2nd gen receiver showed obviously
improved specs. As I said at the time, it seemed not improved enough, but a
real difference anyway. Lagging echo tolerance went from 15 to 44 usec. Not
bad, as a first step.
Most importantly, though, and this is the reason why I'm still baffled by the
hand wringing of those days, everyone on this list had been informed at the
time, from Frank Eory, Al Limberg, and Doug McDonald, on what the 1st gen
receivers of the day, and even 2nd gen receivers of ~2001 were NOT doing. Such
as, 1st gen receivers used mostly real-only equalizers (did anyone believe that
energy twisted into the imaginary axis does not affect energy remaining in the
real axis?), not using anything but blind equalization. And not being clever
about pre-echo at all, until 1st quarter of 2002. It was so obvious that
matters were going to improve.
And in fact they did. I'm not sure why then, and still now, people are dwelling
on the fact that the first improvement didn't fix all the problems. I mean, are
we supposed to be engineers, or what? Why the emotional outbursts that the
original fixes weren't enough?
As for me, my quadruple bowtie antenna is now safely ensconced in my fireplace,
on the ground floor, happily picking up all the local channels (from 12 to 20
miles away) and usually between 2 and 4 of the Baltimore channels too
(transmitters 46.6 miles away as the crow flies, both of Mark Aitken's stations
are usually present at roll call). It does not get re-aimed ever. I don't see
anything to complain about in that regard, would you? And this at 3.3 b/s/Hz.
The big outdoor antenna is gone. True, I get less signal margin than before,
but hey. If it comes in virtually glitch-free, even with people walking around,
even withn aircraft flying overhead, that's all you need. And man, is it easy
to upgrade my antenna now.
My recommendation to anyone who asks is, if there is no external antenna or
central antenna system available, try first with decent rabbit ear antennas.
Those with built-in amp. And, *unlike* the picture in the article, do not
obsess about keeping the antenna ON TOP OF the TV set. That's plain silly. I'm
picking up stations with my fireplace antenna that Antennaweb claims are not
even possible with a big "purple" outdoor antenna.
Bert
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