Antenna television reception

[missydog1]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dave Smith

I'm starting to get the feeling that folks who frequent internet discussion boards may not be typical antenna television users.

Am I wrong, people?

---

I have bad memories of crappy antennae reception from different times in my past, so I associate them with snow. When I was 12, my parents moved up to a foothill location on the other side of a mountain range from all the TV station broadcasts. All we could get was UHF, and there was nothing to speak of on UHF. Still bitter ... ;-)

One of my sons is trying the antennae route and he gets a handful of stations (on the other side).

I didn't watch TV in the 70's and 80's, so I guess I can pay for cable and mentally average it out over those decades if I feel it's too much. At this point, if it's not in HD I get unhappy. I'm spoiled now.

[H22]

@Dave - it's both ends of the spectrum, but not necessarily in the middle.

Lots of senior citizens and older folks who are not that up with technology, and are the legacy TV users, from before cable TV took off.

And lots of the "ultra" tech people, the type that do coding on their smartphones and work for Microsoft. This group is really young, and is combining over-the-air digital TV with broadband video, and getting higher quality HDTV and more of a selection than cable or satellite.

The later is an exploding categorization of users here in Seattle-- but is probably still a few years off in Puna, based on the rural characteristics of the area.

I don't think those 2 groups are huge on the message board scene-- half is way behind technology, and the other half, way ahead.

[H22]

@Kathy - there's no more snow with OTA TV. Different technology now :-) Goes from "full signal" to zero. The technical term is "the cliff effect".

And just a side note-- the highest quality HDTV in the United States is available only by antenna. Cable and satellite have to compress the signal, and as a result, the quality is lower.

[missydog1]

quote:

---

Originally posted by H22

@Kathy - there's no more snow with OTA TV. Different technology now :-) Goes from "full signal" to zero. The technical term is "the cliff effect".

And just a side note-- the highest quality HDTV in the United States is available only by antenna. Cable and satellite have to compress the signal, and as a result, the quality is lower.

---

My son's TV on antennae may not get snow, but it still gets crappy reception such that people have to get up and futz with it and try moving it around ... so the effect is the same whether it's snow or lines or winking in and out.

Does the OTA work with DVR's? The only way I watch TV is pre-recorded. I don't like having to fit my viewing time frame to exact broadcast time, and I like being able to take a break when I feel like it, not when there's a commercial break.

I would certainly be interested in paying less money per month!

[H22]

@Kathy - The one real benefit to the old-fashioned analog television was that you could still watch the signal if it faded slightly. With digital, it goes from perfect to zero with even a slight fade. Reception in Puna requires a rooftop (or better) antenna. Downtown Hilo would probably be much easier.

As for DVR's-- yes, they do work. I use a TiVo.

I think that OTA reception might be difficult or non-existent to the south or south-east of Pahoa due to a ridge blocking most signals (i.e., Kapoho & Kalapana). Engineering maps show the same ridge blocking my company's proposed signal in that area too.