Free Over-the-Air TV Is Going to Get Better
- Thread starter Lurker
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 19
- Views 3K
But if more stations move to VHF, we will need bigger antennas and have more trouble receiving the signal.
"We're here from Washington, and we're here to HELP you!"
"I promise I won't....."
"I promise I won't....."
With yet another converter box perhaps lol....Or you can just buy another Tv to replace the 4K you haven't bought yet
Seems like a fairly good summary of what most of us already know.
I think the ideas of UHD and mobile device support are being entirely oversold. There's a huge gap between supported and widely available and all the while, the broadcasters are going to have to accomplish the repack on a fairly tight deadline.
I think the ideas of UHD and mobile device support are being entirely oversold. There's a huge gap between supported and widely available and all the while, the broadcasters are going to have to accomplish the repack on a fairly tight deadline.
Bigger antennas yes, but lower frequency channels are actually easier to receive and travel farther and through walls easier.
Will a lower frequency within the UHF band help any? I have a channel now at 44 with marginal reception. It is moving to 16, might this improve my reception?
Possibly but not much44 is around 650 Mhz and 16 is about 480 I believe. Still UHF but if you get a marginal signal you may pick up enough to lock it. Also transmitting power has alot to do with it. If they move to 16 but lower their power you are SOL.
You meant to say "but lower their effective power". A move from RF44 to RF16 would almost certainly involve a decrease in transmitter wattage simply because the lower radio frequency requires less watts to maintain the same coverage.
I wonder if the issue may be more a factor of the receiving antenna system (including cable and connectors) rather than the station's ability to get out.
For OTA, solid copper isn't typically required. Copper coated steel works just as well unless you're using a high-power preamp.
The better dual-shield cables perform as well or better than cheaply made quad shield cables. That's the magic of modern marketing on based on construction specifications rather than performance.
Well, I generally agree, except he asked for the BEST. Since we don't know a single thing about his antenna system, I gave him what's IMO close to the very best without going to Rg-11.
If he's going to buy a 500ft or 1000ft spool, and ever do any upgrades OR satellite install, he might as well go for top of the line specs.
But there are low-quality versions of each and the classification doesn't tell you what the actual performance will be. The best cable is the one with the best transmission quality for the frequencies specified, not the one that requires odd-sized connectors, careful handling or is the most expensive.
It doesn't really follow that someone with a DISH Hopper system is likely to buy in bulk and rewire the whole house. Part of the attraction of the client-server system is that you can get away with not very good cable for all but the server's satellite down-leads. A spool of good quad shield cable is likely to cost 50% more than its dual shield equivalent. Bend radii have improved in most all coax cables over the last few years but it is still a consideration. The bendier cables often have less shielding which makes them more vulnerable than a dual-shield.
It's also going to get better and more entertaining for the children of cordcutters/cordnevers:
Saturday/Sunday morning/weekday morning cartoons will return in a block syndicated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, called KidsClick on July 1st, 2017: Sinclair Wants Back in on Kids' TV
(E/I compliant programs (like Litton, for example) and KidsClick's entire schedule of non-E/I entertainment programs (like Sonic X and Pac-Man, for example) will coexist on each network that syndicates the KidsClick TV programs from Sinclair.)
Saturday/Sunday morning/weekday morning cartoons will return in a block syndicated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, called KidsClick on July 1st, 2017: Sinclair Wants Back in on Kids' TV
(E/I compliant programs (like Litton, for example) and KidsClick's entire schedule of non-E/I entertainment programs (like Sonic X and Pac-Man, for example) will coexist on each network that syndicates the KidsClick TV programs from Sinclair.)
I guess I am not normal. I go through a 1000 foot spool of Perfect vision solid copper quad shield every three years between sat and radio.
I'm not normal either. I bought the same spool last year from SolidSignal, as my last one finally ran out. $118.70 SHIPPED. Perfect Vision Single RG6 Quad-Shield Coax Cable-1000ft Black (ULPVRG6SCQUAD)
I've been working of the same spool of cable for about 12 years. The only reason I bought a spool is that I have an OTA antenna run that is longer than 100'.
Swaging on compression connectors doesn't give me a lot of satisfaction (not that assembling other types of connectors did).
My situation may not be normal as my nearest major broadcast interference (two 15KW mid-UHF TV stations) is around two miles away so interference isn't an issue. If I had a TV or radio station next door, I'd probably be all over quad shield but as it is, it isn't worth the extra money and effort. I expect that the bulk of the OTA-receiving population is more likely in my situation.
Swaging on compression connectors doesn't give me a lot of satisfaction (not that assembling other types of connectors did).
My situation may not be normal as my nearest major broadcast interference (two 15KW mid-UHF TV stations) is around two miles away so interference isn't an issue. If I had a TV or radio station next door, I'd probably be all over quad shield but as it is, it isn't worth the extra money and effort. I expect that the bulk of the OTA-receiving population is more likely in my situation.
Similar threads
