Local Channel Quality

[ahegedus]

I've noticed that my locals are not nearly as clear as the national channels. I see a fair amount of pixelation. I'm assuming that this is caused from the uplink of the stations, and there's nothing I can do about it. is this correct?

thanks!
A

 

[Trav]

I've noticed that my locals are not nearly as clear as the national channels. I see a fair amount of pixelation. I'm assuming that this is caused from the uplink of the stations, and there's nothing I can do about it. is this correct?

thanks!
A

Hi, I noticed this too after getting Dish installed about 2 weeks ago. The local channel picture quality is poor - high compression is easily visible which results in lack of detail, pixellation, blotchiness, whatever you want to call it. It is quite similar to what you see if you work with MPG2 files on the comptuer and use a lot of compression on them. The rest of the channels look very good, though I can still see a bit of compression even on them once in a while.

It's also easier to see this on larger TV's. For example, my main TV is a 32" Sony Trinitron hooked up via S-Video and I can easily see the compression on the local channels with it - even when viewing from my couch. However, the bedroom TV is quite a bit smaller and I don't really notice it.

At any rate, I did complain about this to the dishquality e-mail address and they wrote back saying "they are working on a solution". Doubtful. As some other have explained (I don't really understand it technically), it basically comes down to fitting too many channels into one pipe (I'll leave it to someone else to explain it thoroughly).

Actually, not only is there the compression/pixellation, but I've actually seen a noticeable amount of "ghosting" of the image and some vertical lines in dark areas as well.... no doubt caused by the way they pick up the local channels (do they use an antenna or what???).

Travis

 

[RJS]

My local reception has been pretty decent. The only channel not up to par is WB. I've seen several posts from members that aren't real happy with their local reception. I guess we've been lucky in our area.

 

[Mr Tony]

I've noticed that my locals are not nearly as clear as the national channels. I see a fair amount of pixelation. I'm assuming that this is caused from the uplink of the stations, and there's nothing I can do about it. is this correct?

thanks!
A

What locals are you getting??? Some Spotbeams have up to 12 or 13 channels on it (which would result in the pixels).

 

[DarrellP]

Dish tends to cram more local channels/transponder than the other channels. My locals have 12 channels crammed up there and they look awful.

 

[ahegedus]

I'm getting the locals from Altoona/Johnstown, PA. The quality is not terrible, but I had better locals with cable.

 

[Stargazer]

I have been noticing more pixellation than I have ever seen before on the locals when there is a bit of movement going on. I saw it on my bigscreen tv (46").

 

[Sky King49]

My 36 in tv actually has better picture quality then my son's 19 in. tv. I have the 522 that runs both tv's.

 

[The Big Wood]

Actually, not only is there the compression/pixellation, but I've actually seen a noticeable amount of "ghosting" of the image and some vertical lines in dark areas as well.... no doubt caused by the way they pick up the local channels (do they use an antenna or what???).

Travis

The company I work for (an electronics contract manufacturer) built a "watchdog" device for Echostar a few years ago. My boss visited their local facility and said that they use an antenna to pull in the local broadcasts. That probably explains the ghosting, like you suspected.

I actually watch SD programs (Survivor) on the CBS-HD channel because it looks so much better. My local CBS on Dish doesn't even compare to VHS quality when the CBS-HD broadcasts the SD content near DVD quality.

 

[Skip Laughlin]

I never got a good PQ on locals with our 301 receiver. Very unhappy about that.

Now that we have the 811, I tune the locals with either the 811 or with the Tivo. SD PQ is really quite nice. HD versions are outstanding.

 

[dlsnyder]

Here in the LA area our locals are spread across three transponders on three satellites with corresponding variances in PQ. To my eyes the best PQ is usually on the local stations on the spotbeam on E*8 (110). Second is usually the LA distant net stations on 119. A distant third are the channels on 148, although that could have something to do with the source material. I live about five miles away from the transmitter for KVCR in San Bernardino and get an excellent OTA picture. The signal I get from Dish is washed-out and filled with static. They are probably receiving it OTA from somewhere in downtown LA (well outside the intended viewing area) where it is fibered to Cheyenne and uplinked.

 

[Stargazer]

I am still glad that Dish has the locals in my area, its better than trying to pick it up OTA in which is mostly static, so hard to pick up around here.

 

[Hall]

Actually, not only is there the compression/pixellation, but I've actually seen a noticeable amount of "ghosting" of the image and some vertical lines in dark areas as well.... no doubt caused by the way they pick up the local channels (do they use an antenna or what???).

I had e-mailed a local channel asking them for information on when Directv would offer local channels (I had DTV at the time). The message was forwarded to the chief engineer and he told me unofficially that they'd worked out an arrangement with both DTV and E* and that his station, they're easily the biggest, would be the one that would "uplink" the other (4) local channels to DTV and E*.

Now, his channel can obviously get a really good, clean signal to uplink. How do the others get their signal to him though ??

 

[AppliedAggression]

Isn't there a lot of open space at 121? I don't understand why Dish has to compress them so much.

 

[Shichonni]

I must say in Denver the PQ for locals is very good. I have a 6000 and getting the picture by running SD signal through the component cables and the SD PQ is very good, even on a 55" projection TV. So, we are pretty lucky in the that the locals here in Denver are very good.

--Shich

 

[Big Bob]

Isn't there a lot of open space at 121? I don't understand why Dish has to compress them so much.

Part of it is the back feed from the local station to the uplink site. I think that the signal is being compressed at the source so they can save on the cost of bandwidth.