[mythtv] pcHDTV status -- was [PATCH] Restore ability to play MPEG-TS streams

[Brandon Beattie]

On Thu, Nov 13, 2003 at 01:46:04PM -0600, Brian Foddy wrote:
> On Thu, 13 Nov 2003, John P. Poet wrote:
> 
> > They are about 30 miles away and I have line-of-sight.
> > 
> > I was hoping to get away with a standard Radio Shack UHF antenna (Catalog #:
> > 15-2160).  Is there something better?
> > 
> > I have also read that the HDTV spec calls for a frequency spectrum up to 3
> > GHz.  I have not been able to find any amps or splitter with that kind of
> > rating.  I assume 2150 MHz splitters are "good enough"?
> 
> I've tried 2 antennas, the Terk something-something-55 model was pretty 
> descent, but I found the Winegard 2000 a little better.  Both are 
> amplified.  Its placed in the
> attic of my garage, above the Al siding.  I'm in MSP about 25-30 miles
> from the towers, and before this antenna had pretty poor recption.
> Now, most days I can get any of my HD signals.  But cold overcast days
> can still be a problem.  I guess, I have about a 66% chance that I can
> watch any given channel in HD on any given day.  Not perfect, but I can
> live with it.  However, I would agree with the suggestion to double
> record any critical program in low-res just in case the weather is not
> in your favor.
> 
> As for splitters, I use a standard unpowered splitter, with 4 foot 
> cables on the end.  My parents had to use a powered splitter, but
> they have 20-50 foot cables after the splitter.  Also, use UG6??
> (something 6) coax cable.
> 
> Brian
> 
> 

Just to add my experience, I'm 7 miles from the tower.  Indoors I would
get 25-84 signal with 50' of rg6 cable.  I moved my antenna outside and
to 100' feet of cable to a wall plate, 50' of cable to a 1-4 splitter,
1' of cable (To each of my 2 pcHDTV cards) and I get 88-95% signal
constant on every channel.  I had bought a 25db gain amplifier but
didn't need it after moving the antenna outside.  

Even indoors with that amplifier I still rarely could get a good/any
signal on 3/11 stations.  Just moving outside, and though adding all those
extra splitters, wall plates and cable gave me a much better signal.  I
highly advice anyone doing HDDTV to keep the antenna outside.  In my
attic, with amplifier I never got a good signal (Had to go through 3
walls before it went outside from where I could get in my attic).  

--Brandon


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