Digital TV reception in Grafton -- report your findings here...

[D Stewart]

How is everyone making out with their (terrestrial) TV reception?  Do you even bother?  If so, what kind of antenna gain do you find you need to receive which stations?

Given the fact that I knew the transition to digital would be happening within a year of my moving to the area, I never bothered to pursue an array of differently pointed Yagis to try and pick up the various analogue stations.  I figured I would wait for February 17th.

As I understand it, most of the channels are already broadcasting ATSC on temporary frequencies pending the 2/17 transition.  I am led to believe that some stations throughout the US are not operating at full power on their digital transmissions yet, but most are.  As far as I can make out from antennaweb.org, I should be able to receive reasonably strong signals from NHPTV, WMUR9(ABC), WNNE31(NBC)(this is a rebro of WPTZ), VPT and WPXG21(Ion/Paxson) today, although post 2/17 I may lose sight of the WNNE transmitter.  If I cared to add a directional antenna or two, I should be able to receive a couple of channels from Maine out of Portland and Poland Spring, and a spanish channel from Boston out of Merrimack.

Yet, despite installing a phased array antenna with which I expected to be able to see these stations adequately or at least to see most of them marginally, the only one I am getting any kind of signal from is VPT.  It is not a great signal, but good enough to successfully decode the four sub-channels.

So, I am wondering whether it is just me, my antenna, and its positioning, or whether these other stations haven't really turned on their digital broadcasts yet.

It would be nice to know how everyone else has been making out, before I start sprouting an antenna farm in an attempt to resolve this.

[Kat Kanning]

I didn't know you could get TV via antenna anymore.  But we don't watch TV, so can't help you. 

[41mag]

TV?  I think I might remember what that is.     No use for it though.

[D Stewart]

I didn't know you could get TV via antenna anymore.  But we don't watch TV, so can't help you. 

LOL.

Yeah, in fact I think it is fair to say there are rather more channels broadcast terrestrially now than there used to be.  Certainly we have the potential to receive way more than the three I grew up with.  (Although specifically in the case of around this part of New England, there is no CBS affiliate.)

Frankly, I am not that excited about most of the programming, but I did want to gain the ability to receive candidate debates, other local (i.e. New Hampshire) news, and local weather and emergency broadcasts.

I think that tonight I am going to go fish out my old NTSC tuner and see whether I can receive any analogue stations on the same antenna.  Given my antenna, I'm sure any images will be noisy, but it should at least give me an idea of whether I have a reasonable likelihood of getting the digital signals when they finally turn them on.

I can't say I have been keeping current on what the latest noises from the feds have done to the 2/17 date, i.e. whether that date is still real or whether it is effectively pushed back by n months.  I assume it's pending the stimulus bill, like everything else right now.  But I do hope the date doesn't get slipped.  The new standard is much improved, and for that matter is much "greener" and cheaper for the broadcasters (vastly reduced ERP requirements).

[Lumpy]

Can you get streaming tv from your internets?

[PattyLee loves dogs]

You can get plenty 'o Internet if you get a satellite dish or live in range of Bob Hull. Others make do with cell modems and even dialup.

And there is Netflix, of course. But now tell us... how did you become independently wealthy, so that you have the hours to donate to TV?

[OferNave]

TV?  I think I might remember what that is.     No use for it though.

I've heard of TV, but have managed to avoid it by using protection.

/it's an STD, right?

[Lloyd Danforth]

You can get pills for that!