[opendtv] How About Portable ATSC Receivers?
- From: "Stephen W. Long" <longsw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2005 21:35:25 -0500
Jay, your brother must be only a mile or so from my house. My HDTV Tivo,
with built in ATSC receiver receives two channels OK, two with drop outs
every 30 seconds or so, and several stations (WDCA DT - UPN) not at all.
WDCA does not answer E-mails, so I can't learn what power, transmitter
location, etc. I use "roof" mounted antenna inside of my attic, with a
pre-amp at the output of the antenna, sending the signal via RG-59 coax to
several spots in the house. I get great analog signal reception from my
antenna, except for low band VHF (terrible). Mid/upper VHF and UHF analog
signals, including WDCA 20, are strong, few if any ghosts, and good picture
quality.
If 8VSB is here for good, and the decision will not be changed, then the
real question becomes how long before the broadcasters just stop sending
signals OTA and just pass their content directly to DirecTV, Dish, and the
local cable companies. OTA could have had some promise for mobile DTV.
Since we are stuck with 8VSB, there will be no mobile TV in our lifetime
(unless from the wireless phone companies). You know when the real fuss
will begin in DC? When the Redskins fans will no longer be able to bring
their portable TVs to watch the game while they sit in the stadium. I bet
at least 1 in 10 folks do this in the stands - little TVs all over the
place. Not so with ATSC. I have not heard of ANYONE thinking about a
portable 8VSB TV set to replace the millions of small LCD TVs sold today
for portable/mobile applications. So consumers should just throw several
hundred million dollars of those investments in the trash can? So much for
a 21st century OTA enterprise for our country. All I can say when it all
implodes is, we told you so.
At 08:43 PM 3/21/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>An aside I found interesting on the generation thing.
>
>My brother bought a Motorola receiver last year for his Sony HD large
>screen. He was in an apartment in Sterling, VA. The guys at circuit city
>told him he should wait a couple of weeks and get the "next generation"
>receiver. Well, he wanted his DTV immediately.
>
>With the Motorola box he received all (ALL - he looked 'em up) available
>digital channels from DC, Baltimore and Richmond - twenty something of them
>- with only a little breakup now and then and mostly with one position of
>his "DTV" set top antenna. Pretty darned good luck I thought, with me
>having trouble receiving DTV signals here from 1000' towers 1-4 miles away.
>Within 30 days, he returned the Motorola box and as per advice I solicited
>from the group, he got a "next generation" Toshiba (I'm guessing that would
>maybe be a fifth gen box late last year, or fourth?).
>
>With the Toshiba, he now receives six channels max with one antenna
>position, and about half of the channels he previously received he can no
>longer receive at all. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. He was unable to watch the
>Super Bowl no matter how much he messed with the antenna. Wish I'd kept my
>mouth shut and gone with the "if it ain't broke..." theory!
>
>Any suggestions for him? He's in the middle of moving, but only a few miles
>away. I wonder if he'll have the same reception results.
>
>Best Regards,
>Jay
>
>
>
>
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