question on over-the-air broadcasts

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

In New Jersey, if one has comcast HD cable, is there any advantage of
getting over-the-air HD with an antenna in the attic? Is there more choice?
I'm thinking about a Sony HD set with a built in tuner, for this option.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

All good points. For information on what stations are broadcasting
digitally in your area goto www.antennaweb.org. Info may not be up to
date on digital broadcast power as many stations are still broadcasting
their digital signal at low power, but a good place to start.

Alan Figgatt

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Time Warner only offers a few HD broadcasts over cable. With any antenna, I
can pickup all major networks plus more from two cities. OTA is definitely
a plus for me. Also, you can pickup the subchannels that these stations
broadcast which may not be carried by your cable company.

Jeff


"Dennis Mayer" <Polaris1@execpc.com> wrote in message
news:41C507B6.67B59ED5@execpc.com...
>
>
> LarryLOOK wrote:
>>
>> In New Jersey, if one has comcast HD cable, is there any advantage of
>> getting over-the-air HD with an antenna in the attic? Is there more
>> choice?
>> I'm thinking about a Sony HD set with a built in tuner, for this option.
>
>
> There are many little HDTV decisions that must be made.....
>
> What OTA (over the air antenna) HD channels can you receive?
> What OTA Power level are the channels at?
> IN What direction are the OTA HD Towers located.
> Are they all/most transmitting in HD or in SD Digital?
> Most OTA HD antennas are UHF (chans 14 thru 59)....
> The ChannelMaster 3021 UHF 4 bay bow tie is pretty good...
> ($25)
> using RG-6 (not RG-59) antenna cable...
>
> Which of the 7 Major networks are not on Comcast HD in your area.
> Do you need ESPN-HD for live Sports? This HD chan not on
> OTA...
> Cable requires a QAM tuner & Sony may have one for the
> unscrambled Cable Channels....
> Can you bypass the Comcast Digital offerings & just get HD
> package!!
>
> It sounds like you are looking at a Sony 955 or 960 model...
> Great

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

LarryLOOK wrote:
> "Jeff Durham" <jdurham@outdoorlife.local> wrote in message
> news:UIixd.10385$FE.4008@fe37.usenetserver.com...
>
>>Time Warner only offers a few HD broadcasts over cable. With any antenna,
>>I can pickup all major networks plus more from two cities. OTA is
>>definitely a plus for me. Also, you can pickup the subchannels that these
>>stations broadcast which may not be carried by your cable company.
>
>
> Any special equipment needed to do this? Or just the right antenna in the
> attic and a hd tv with a built in tuner?

You need an ATSC (Advanced Television Standards Committee) tuner to
pick up the Over The Air (OTA) digital stations. ATSC is the digital
broadcast standard which succeeds NTSC, the old analog standard. ATSC
does not mean all HDTV, it can be SD and even when HD, many of the shows
will be upconverted pillar boxed SD. ATSC also provides for
multi-casting, for example ABC in Washington DC has channel 7.1, the
main network feed, and 7.2 is their 24 hour low res news channel. The
CBS station has 9.1 and 9.2 which shows the weather radar 24/7.

The ATSC tuner can either be a set top box such as the new Samsung
SIR-T451 ($249 retail), built into the TV, or incorporated with the HD
satellite receiver box if you have HD satellite. I have the Samsung
SIR-T451 ATSC receiver and can pick up 6 network stations - ABC, CBS,
NBC, two PBS, FOX - all of which broadcast some HD shows, with a $20
table top Radio Shack antenna. Your mileage is likely to vary. Goto
www.antennaweb.org, enter your zip or street address and it will give
you an idea of whether you need a roof or attic antenna. If you have a
TV with a built-in ATSC tuner, try it out with a cheap antenna to see
what you can pick up.

Good luck,
Alan Figgatt