anyone else having problems with reception that is just fine until primetime then signal starts breaking up both audio and video. This seems to happen with the ABC affiliate here. They insist that it is not anything they do, but I notice that the local news at 11 is fine. Seems only to affect the network programming between 8 and 11.

Local Jamming out in the Heartland ? mm?

Maybe your Tinfoil hat is interfereing with the reception.

You might try using a baby monitor and see if you can hear any loud clicking noises.

If all else fails, just grab a baseball bat and "Swing Away".

--- LOL

Not enough info here to even guess... Information such as the real channel that the DTV information is on, distance to the transmitter, type of antenna used, weather conditions might be helpful.

Here's the problem;

The broadcast transmitter can only put out a certain amount of RF power.

Each TV receiver uses a portion of that power that it sucks out of the air.

If too many people turn their TV's on, ALL the RF will be sucked out of the air and the last person to turn their set on won't have any RF.

So therfore it appears that more people are watching the prime time programs and turning their sets off and going to bed when the news comes on.

Ask me about light bulbs dark suckers.

Have you ever noticed that on certain days of the year, usually when kids are out playing, the tar on roads tends to get soft? Tell those kids to stop their shenanigans and go back inside! They are damaging the roads.

no tin foil hat, those are for crazy people. I made a giant tinfoil cover for the roof.

(guess I'm getting back what I usually give)

REAL CHANNEL: 33 HDTV channel 33 DIstance to Transmitter 15 miles line of sight Weather has not been the issue same problems any weather Antenna type???? Tower is a bit too high for me to get up to it can't get higher than the top of the chimney and I need another ten feet of courage!, antenna wire is coaxial cable

Any airports/ low flightpaths between you and the towers? What are the call letters? (I can check the FCC site for anything unusual).
Do you have any sort of signal strength meter on the TV or converter box that you are using? (most do) My guess is that MOST of the time your signal on ch 33 is marginal, with little headroom to give up before dropout occurs.

Hey Roger, Thanks, You helped explain the following:

http://riverdaughter.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/hillary_tinfoil_hat1.jpg

She must be talking about Bill Clinton in that picture!!!

"Information such as the real channel that the DTV information is on, distance to the transmitter, type of antenna used, weather conditions might be helpful."
All these contribute to OTA DTV reception.
It is not the same as analog reception. It is more fussy. And it will change again in June when 8, 10, and 12 return to their old VHF channel.
Also in the mix are obstructions, trees, rain, wind....tests have shown these all affect reception. If you have wet leaves on trees in the path and the wind is blowing, ..... good luck.

"REAL CHANNEL: 33 HDTV channel 33 DIstance to Transmitter 15 miles line of sight"
Are you sure?? Transmitter is not in Silverton as their CH32 is. Their antenna is on the KOIN Sylvan tower.

You can learn a lot from this site:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=45

It has info on aiming, signal strengths, tests, etc. In that forum, look for the thread "Portland - OTA" and go through it. Currently, as I am writing this, it is on Page 3. It could move around. If someone posts to it in the next few minutes or a couple hours, it could be at the top of page 1.

You may pick up some info/pointers there.
Oh, they are up to 243 pages so you might click on Last Page and then go back about 20 pages to start reading.

Jimbo, Roger isn't in Oregon. He's in some Godforsaken place near where Deane lives.

Thanks for pointing that out up Skeptical. I don't know where Deane lives, also.

However, he can still go to that website I linked and look for an OTA entry for the town he is in and see what they say. The potential problems are still the same no matter where you live. Clear line of site with no obstructions and reflective structures is usually the best.

CALLS WYTV

Hey skep, God didn't forsook this place, Business did!

Unfortunate God jacked up the real estate prices in the PNW and left the grandkids "back east"

Note to future grandparents: Don't move just to be closer to the grandkids

adjust the rabbit ears!!!

I would be pissed off too if my Wed nights on HD with ABC were ruining my viewing of LOST and Life on Mars.

Got a couple of those DTV converters here, when Fred Meyer had Philcos on sale for $40. So, they were free with the government monopoly money coupon. We no longer get KPDX (our location is mid-range SE Portland). I could care less.

In my personal opinion, we'd all be better off if everyone turned off the TV and did something else! Or, if every station was required to rebroadcast a civic engagement channel on a digital subchannel, such as CityNet (Portland), CVTV (Clark Co.), or something. Even if not, imagine the props from local authorities a station would get for doing something like this.

It looks like WYTV (33) operates their digital on ch 36 and right now they have "Special Temporary Authority" at only 50 KW... things should get better, as they have requested 1000 KW.


http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?list=0&facid=4693

WYTV is analog on CH33. Their digital is on CH36 with 50KW. That isn't much for upper UHF. They have an app in for 1000KW on CH36.

There is a Youngstown, OH, HDTV thread on AVSforum you might try.
Go to TVfool.com and put in your location and get all kinds of info.

Also, the latest posting on the Portland OTA thread has some info on orientation, plots, directions, etc. Some might find the info and links useful. One person who posts regularly has some interesting info on his testing from out Camas way. JeffinWesternWa. Don't know if there is any connection between him and a certain Jeffrey that posts here.

Thanks for all the help and info.....

And as for Life on Mars, I haven't been able to find out if it was a scheduled short run series, or was cancelled, and they are just doing a quick wrap. too bad either way, I liked it. "no nuts" reminds me of an old H.S. flame. and Half the kids I grew up with were "Rays".

Sadly, Life on Mars was cancelled.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118000748.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

The soundtrack was fun for those of us who grew up in the '70's

BTW

Life on Mars was a remake of a British show (ala The Office)
I got hooked on the original on BBC America.
BBC apparently has done a sequel (Ashes to Ashes) based in the '80s but it hasn't been on BBC America yet.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6542633.stm


Added:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/ashestoashes/, http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/ashestoashes/

Go figure the odds are against me! ARGH!

It seems most of the time I begin to enjoy or "get into" a new show its cancelled.

Shyguy's RIP TV graveyard

Jericho
Jack & Bobby
Deadwood
and now Life on Mars

It was one of the best casts on all of television. Stupid move ABC

Hey Roger, try this converter box:

Smokin' Hot Converter Box

Shyguy,

Did you see that Torchwood season 3 will be on BBC America sometime this year as a 5 part series?

http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/262/s3_about.jsp

That will be good watchin' I almost forgot about Torchwood.

I wish that BBC America would put Skins on ONDemand.

I love "Coupling"! It's a shame it didn't catch on here and also that there aren't more episodes. I think there were only 22 in a 4 year time span.