Problems with ABC HD in Dallas and dish 811

[boba]

I just gave up and ordered basic local channel Comcast with their HD tuner for approx $16 per month... I am not happy having two HD receivers now, but it was that or give up on WFAA and NBC in HD. @#%$^ multi-path near downtown. Tried about six outdoor antennas - none of them did any better than the one I started with...

If you really want OTA you can buy cut to channel antennas designed to receive that particular frequency, they ain't cheap but they will help in getting rid of unwanted signals.

 

[boba]

when did WFAA switch from UHF to VHF? But I don't think it matter since my antenna is both UHF and VHF. It has to be the damn interference.

This is bad. I'm watching ABC Monday Night football right now, and the sound just got shut off completely by itself after a few minutes viewing the game. However, when that happened, the picture is less jerky.

I also added the 8-00 analog station , and the picture came in very good for an analog station (which means the signal is strong).

Man, the whole season without ABC HD mondy night sucks.

They have never broadcast in UHF. They were the first broadcaster in Dallas to do HDTV if you were here when they started there was a Dallas Morning News article about them interferring with heart monitors in a hospital due to the frequency they were using.

 

[Kevin_Texas]

MY WFAA reception has always been stable up until about 2 months ago. I've got a 110" VHF/UHF antenna in my first storey attic. Again, no problems until 2 months ago and now I can't sit through any HD broadcast without pixelization, dropouts, picture freezing and intermittent random digital glitches appearing the the picture. I've been in touch with WFAA on several occasions regarding this problem, and they have no answers for these problems. Strangely, WFAA's digital signal seems to be working perfectly fine all day until the prime time hours. Never a problem during the day, but serious problems at night. This all happens with a signal strength of 68 - 80 on my 942.

So, ABC, my favourite channel right now for prime time content, is becoming almost unwatchable and it is getting rapidly worse. Something HAS to be going on with their broadcasts. This week was definitely their worst week ever in my experience... did anyone else notice this? I lost sound and picture about every 10 minutes during LOST and Night Stalker was just plain terrible.

I live in Coppell and have had the same problem. Everything was just fine until about too months ago.

I am to receive a 942 in the next couple of days. I will let everyone know if I get the same problem. At least we will
know if it's the receiver or not.

 

[RandallA]

Last Saturday I got an 811 receiver and began experimenting with OTA. I get all the channels except for ABC's channel 7.1 (KGO) here in the SF Bay Area. I get a signal strength of 80% to 85% but there is so much pixelation and the audio is all broken. I have a Radio Shack antenna that looks like the Terk55 and I get good reception on all the other channels but ABC is giving me problems.

I'm wondering if the 811s and ABCs equipment just don't get along or is it just coincidence that ABC doesn't work in two markets with the 811s. :-(

 

[jbryant789]

I'm in Frisco and pick up WFAA quite well with the TERK antenna that bolts onto my dish. However, the sound drops out for a few seconds every 10-15 minutes. And of course it's while I'm watching Lost or Invasion, where everything said is important!

What I can't pick up is 33 ota anymore. It's like they did something to their signal, because last year I was able to watch all of their HD shows, and now I can't even get a lock on them, so I'm back to SD with them (which sucks, of course).

 

[StevenD]

I'm in Frisco and pick up WFAA quite well with the TERK antenna that bolts onto my dish. However, the sound drops out for a few seconds every 10-15 minutes. And of course it's while I'm watching Lost or Invasion, where everything said is important!

What I can't pick up is 33 ota anymore. It's like they did something to their signal, because last year I was able to watch all of their HD shows, and now I can't even get a lock on them, so I'm back to SD with them (which sucks, of course).

Get a better (directional) antenna. Im really surprised you are picking up anything with that antenna as far away from the towers as you are.

 

[jbryant789]

Get a better (directional) antenna. Im really surprised you are picking up anything with that antenna as far away from the towers as you are.

I've had this one for a long time now, and it's worked like a charm. I'm in an apartment, and my dish is hanging out so far right now just to get the sat signal, i'm happy with what I've got.

With limited space, I'm not sure what I'd change to, anyhoo... perhaps something I could screw into the fixture holding my dish? I tried the Terk indoor directional one, and it worked when I lived in Plano, but in Frisco I had to change to the sat mounted version.

 

[i_sifton]

Frisco OTa

I am in Frisco and with a Yaggie I am getting close to 80% on the WFAA. I also noticed some discussing 33, but that one is even stronger at 85. I used to have a lot of problems when I was in DC, but possibly getting a better antenna may help. I should have mentioned that I am using an 811.

 

[bjersing]

942 & WFAA-DT

I am using a 942 and 510. I live in Valley Ranch (North Irving) and have used a Terk HDTV-S antenna mounted on the 2nd story of my house for about 6 months. Most neighbors think it is a satellite dish (though it is square). I have the non-amplified version with RG6 diplexed into the house. I have the most trouble with WFAA. Their signal sucks and is borderline most of the time. My TV has a HDTV tuner and it drops out as well. Only once have I a had trouble with the other stations -- that was during a bad storm. I heard that WFAA is the only VHF DT station in the country. Most stations have the insight to use the more powerful UHF frequencies. BELO (parent company) needs to fire the techincal management for WFAA. What a bunch of idiots.

 

[Barry Erick]

Digital will also lock up if the signal is too strong. If you have a preamp, try bypassing that. We have to tell many that, even with our signal being low power vhf. We will have many problems with strong signals in a week when we go to high power.