Latest Software Release Creates Havoc with my 811!

[JoeSp]

Good Golly Miss Molly!!! With the latest release my 811 hangs up 5 times as much as before!!! Sometimes the menu works and sometimes it does not. And after reading several different post here I am beginning to believe that ABC OTA digital stations have their own inherent problems. Seems like alot of people around the country are having problems locking onto and staying locked to ABC!

Let's all pray, "Dear Software god--please allow the next upgrade for my 811 to actually do something visable and not hurt my 811 anymore. Please, let the Great Programmers at Dish Betwork check out the other functions of the 811 before saying that they have fixed another problem while creating a new one! And please, give the Omnipotent Charlie eyes with which to see -- that there indeed is other viable HD programming out there that we -- the lowly providers of his immense wealth are worthy of watching and would be greatful for new HD programing. Oh, and just one more thing-- Great Software god -- please give those of us who purchase a HD receiver intending to watch analog OTA better eyesight so that they can see brighter pictures on their TV's -- if even for only two more years as you have determined that analog must go! Amen!!

 

[OKCrew]

I too think ABC must have something inherent that leads to breakups. I get all my digitals great except for ABC. I thought it may be that they were the only local OTA broadcast on VHF and 720. But I too, have read many posts about ABC problems around the country.

 

[Kevinw]

Not wanting to argue but, I believe from my experiences of receiving Digital OTA for over 3 years and using different types of boxes. I feel what most of you are experiencing is seasonal multipath.
First the 49% issue is not limited to ABC. I have it with UPN and it is UHF. I have no problems with my one VHF station. It has been an issue from the beginning. If the problem was with the new software release, everyone should have been affected some.

Some causes of multipath are trees specifiaclly pinetrees. Between springtime when leaves start coming out and Fall when leaves fall can alter signals. Temperature. changes from warm days to cool nights can all be problematic.
Since multipath is more apt to be happening at this time of the year and the 811's
inability to lock mariginal channels we are seeing more instances of the 811's "49%"
issue now.

Read some of these articles
http://pub1.ezboard.com/fdigitaltel...vreceptionforum.showMessage?topicID=389.topic
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/ind_groups/ind_info/broadcasting_br/tv_radio_recpn_guide.pdf

 

[JoeSp]

Kevinw -- First, I agree with you that the weather can have an affect on multipath interferance. I cannot agree with the VHF analogy as there are no digital VHF tv stations in this country. All digital stations are UHF. After reading in multiple posts and on multiple boards I am deducing that ABC is having the problem

Seems like constant here is not only the ABC station not locking in but also not mapping correctly. Too many post and complaints around the country with ABC always being meantioned-- and not just with the 811.

I am hoping that as more people purchase digital sets and HD sets that the stations start cranking up their signal strengths. I believe that this will go a long way in solving most multipath problems. Anyway--that is my take on the ABC issue.

 

[GaryPen]

Kevinw -- First, I agree with you that the weather can have an affect on multipath interferance. I cannot agree with the VHF analogy as there are no digital VHF tv stations in this country. All digital stations are UHF.

In this country, the United States, there are digital VHF stations. Here in San Jose, KNTV broadcasts digitally on channel 12 (analog on 11). The last I checked, channel 12 was in the VHF band.

What country are you in?

 

[snathanb]

In Dallas-Forth Worth, our analog 8 broadcasts on digital 9.

Of course, Texas is "a whole other country".

 

[JoeSp]

You might be receiving that on a VHF channel but it is being broadcast on a UHF channel and their PSIP is remapping it to a VHF location. The bandwith for all VHF transmissions will be turned off in 2006 and that bandwith will be returned to Congress who has already started the process for bidding for that bandwith for other communication. If you go onto 'www.antennaweb.org' and put in the call sign for your station it will list the UHF channel that the station is using to broadcast the digital signal.

 

[snathanb]

You might be receiving that on a VHF channel but it is being broadcast on a UHF channel and their PSIP is remapping it to a VHF location. The bandwith for all VHF transmissions will be turned off in 2006 and that bandwith will be returned to Congress who has already started the process for bidding for that bandwith for other communication. If you go onto 'www.antennaweb.org' and put in the call sign for your station it will list the UHF channel that the station is using to broadcast the digital signal.

How about your go to www.antennaweb.org, punch in 75166 as the zip code and see what channel pops up first....

WFAA-DT 8.1 ABC Dallas TX 221° 43.9 9

Analog 8 broadcasting on VHF frequency 9.

 

[snathanb]

You might be receiving that on a VHF channel but it is being broadcast on a UHF channel and their PSIP is remapping it to a VHF location. The bandwith for all VHF transmissions will be turned off in 2006 and that bandwith will be returned to Congress who has already started the process for bidding for that bandwith for other communication. If you go onto 'www.antennaweb.org' and put in the call sign for your station it will list the UHF channel that the station is using to broadcast the digital signal.

How about you go to www.antennaweb.org, punch in 75166 as the zip code and see what channel pops up first....

WFAA-DT 8.1 ABC Dallas TX 221° 43.9 9

Digital 8.1/8.2 broadcasting on VHF Frequency 9

 

[beast37799]

there are a few vhf dtv channels

 

[snathanb]

You might be receiving that on a VHF channel but it is being broadcast on a UHF channel and their PSIP is remapping it to a VHF location. The bandwith for all VHF transmissions will be turned off in 2006 and that bandwith will be returned to Congress who has already started the process for bidding for that bandwith for other communication. If you go onto 'www.antennaweb.org' and put in the call sign for your station it will list the UHF channel that the station is using to broadcast the digital signal.

My understanding is... that once the analogs are cut off, the Digitals will be moved from their current temporary locations in UHF, back to their original analog frequencies... maybe I have it wrong?

 

[gpflepsen]

My understanding is... that once the analogs are cut off, the Digitals will be moved from their current temporary locations in UHF, back to their original analog frequencies... maybe I have it wrong?

I don't know what the plan is, but to have all the broadcasters build out their DTV capability with many getting UHF frequencies then to get reassigned to another VHF frequency is an unnecessary expense. When they switch back to VHF they will need to replace their UHF antennas with VHF antennas. Last I checked those antennas weren't cheap.

 

[snathanb]

Wouldn't they already have VHF antennas they are currently using to broadcast their analog programming?

 

[gpflepsen]

Wouldn't they already have VHF antennas they are currently using to broadcast their analog programming?

I guess so. But what a waste of resources to buy a million dollar antenna for a few years use. Not that I'm complaining, I like my HDTV.

 

[Bobby]

there are a few vhf dtv channels

There are at least 46 VHF digital TV channels in the United States. That was as of June, 2003. I'm sure there are more.

http://www.hdpictures.com/stations.htm

 

[jerryez]

Our local Fox is analog channel 10 and digital channel 9, which remaps to 10-1.

 

[Kevinw]

You might be receiving that on a VHF channel but it is being broadcast on a UHF channel and their PSIP is remapping it to a VHF location. The bandwith for all VHF transmissions will be turned off in 2006 and that bandwith will be returned to Congress who has already started the process for bidding for that bandwith for other communication. If you go onto 'www.antennaweb.org' and put in the call sign for your station it will list the UHF channel that the station is using to broadcast the digital signal.

Channel 11- Wxia in Atlanta is VHF and Maps to channel 11.
Even though the FCC has called for ANALOG not VHF to be shut off in 2006. it is not likely to happen because of the slow transition. Most stations will revert back to a DIGITAL VHF when the Analog is shut off freeing up the UHF spectrum which will then be sold.

The 49% issue is not just an ABC problem. UPN for me is the culprit. It is also the channel I have had problems with before.

The biggest problem is that there are now a lot of new HD users. People who have no historical data to comapre with. They got there first HD tuner and it happens to be a 811. The 811 has issues with multipath.
Say what you want about ABC but I do not have any problems with ABC. So it can not be everyone.
What I will go with is the low power broadcasting can help make the problem worse.

 

[GaryPen]

You might be receiving that on a VHF channel but it is being broadcast on a UHF channel and their PSIP is remapping it to a VHF location. The bandwith for all VHF transmissions will be turned off in 2006 and that bandwith will be returned to Congress who has already started the process for bidding for that bandwith for other communication. If you go onto 'www.antennaweb.org' and put in the call sign for your station it will list the UHF channel that the station is using to broadcast the digital signal.

You are so wrong about so many things:

A. Many DTV broadcasts ARE VHF. Not only the PSIP virtual channel number, but the actual broadcast frequency is VHF. I gave you the example of KNTV in San Jose, and others have given you many examples in their local DMA's.

B. The entire VHF band IS NOT being turned off. Portions of both bands will be made available for other use.

C. Antennaweb shows many DTV broadcasts in VHF. You should take your own advice, and go there.

 

[JoeSp]

Glad to see so many people correct me!! Hey I'm wrong! My bad!! I decided to do a little research and came up with a better site for information on the HDTV OTA signals. Go here for the true scoop 'www.fcc.gov/oet/faqs/dtvfaqs.htm ' . This will explain how the 2 thru 13 stations will be used after 2006 and the analog signals are ended. Sorry about the mis-infor -- hope this infro is more usefull -- at least it is correct.

 

[gpflepsen]

http://www.fcc.gov/oet/faqs/dtvfaqs.html