[Sydney]Fault finding digital TV setup

[terryc]

The current standard definition digital TV set top box is unable to pick
up the channels associated with the ABC and channel 9.

Aerial has VHF and UHF aerials with a combined powered over the coax.

The analog tuner in the TV has no problems picking up the usual collection
2-ABC(good), 7, 9(hazy-poor), 10(very poor, SBS(clear) and TVS (good). so
I do not think this is a problem in the boxen up the aerial.

Does it mean that I have yet another dud digital set top box?

We had an Orion($43) that lasted less than a month and when we replaced
it, too the offer of going to the Cobat($60) as I could stick an SDcard or
usb dongle in them to record or watch movies.

T.I.A.

 

[Phil Allison]

"terryc"

The current standard definition digital TV set top box is unable to pick
up the channels associated with the ABC and channel 9.

Aerial has VHF and UHF aerials with a combined powered over the coax.

** Block of home units - is it??

What suburb?

The analog tuner in the TV has no problems picking up the usual collection
2-ABC(good), 7, 9(hazy-poor), 10(very poor, SBS(clear) and TVS (good). so
I do not think this is a problem in the boxen up the aerial.

** Ch 9 digital is on VHF ch 8 - where your signal is ratshit.

ABC digital is on VHF ch 12 - where you likely have no signal at
all.

Does it mean that I have yet another dud digital set top box?

** No - your TV signals are TOTAL CRAP.




....... Phil

 

[kreed]

On Feb 6, 1:00 pm, terryc <newssevenspam-s...@woa.com.au> wrote:

The current standard definition digital TV set top box is unable to pick
up the channels associated with the ABC and channel 9.

Aerial has VHF and UHF aerials with a combined powered over the coax.

The analog tuner in the TV has no problems picking up the usual collection
2-ABC(good), 7, 9(hazy-poor), 10(very poor, SBS(clear) and TVS (good). so
I do not think this is a problem in the boxen up the aerial.

Does it mean that I have yet another dud digital set top box?

We had an Orion($43) that lasted less than a month and when we replaced
it, too the offer of going to the Cobat($60) as I could stick an SDcard or
usb dongle in them to record or watch movies.

T.I.A.

While a poor signal on 9 Analog is hardly a good start to getting good
9 digital reception, this shouldn't affect the ABC digital as you say
that Analog ABC has good reception ?

Using a Digital TV card in the PC I found that it was impossible to
get several digital channels here. (no 9, SBS or ABC though 7 and 10
came through perfectly.)

Turned out that when you selected your "city" from the menu, it only
scanned in some of the band. (they all worked on analog)

When I changed the "city" menu to "other" (not to any city name) it
scanned the entire band and pulled in every local Digital TV and
Digital Radio channel (ABC & SBS have 2 radio channels each). I have
heard of this problem with some STB's also, but haven't experienced it
personally. Might be worth checking that it isn't some silly
"settings" based problem like this - IF you were getting all the
digital channels on your old STB in the past.


Only thing is, even now that the "problem" is fixed, I find personally
there isn't much of interest to watch on TV these days and it tends to
sit turned off most of the time .

ABC DIG, or Jazz radio is ok to listen to in the workshop though if
you are in the mood

 

[Phil Allison]

"kreed"


While a poor signal on 9 Analog is hardly a good start to getting good
9 digital reception, this shouldn't affect the ABC digital as you say
that Analog ABC has good reception ?


** Ahhhhhhrrrrrggggghhhhhh !!!!

ABC digital is on ** VHF ch 12 ** !!!!!!!!!

Reception on VHF ch 2 is NO PREDICTOR - at all.



Only thing is, even now that the "problem" is fixed, I find personally
there isn't much of interest to watch on TV these days and it tends to
sit turned off most of the time .

** So it all goes right over your pointy head - pal.


ABC DIG, or Jazz radio is ok to listen to in the workshop though if
you are in the mood


** ABC's digital radio is APPALLING !!

Same boring artists, their sound all processed, compressed and trashed THEN
repeated over and over ad nauseam.



...... Phil

 

[terryc]

On Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:43:12 -0800, kreed wrote:

While a poor signal on 9 Analog is hardly a good start to getting good
9 digital reception, this shouldn't affect the ABC digital as you say
that Analog ABC has good reception ?

Analog is unaffected and the standard of reception is the same as it was
for this TV <hate auto things>

Using a Digital TV card in the PC I found that it was impossible to get
several digital channels here. (no 9, SBS or ABC though 7 and 10 came
through perfectly.)

When the old TV died, i did drag out the old TV capture cards, but I do
not have a running win3.x/win9x system anymore and I remembered they were
only ever used for webcams on linux. so no go.

The new ones only run on winXp and I'm not going that way. In anycase the
CFO said she wants to view things ona TV screen.

Turned out that when you selected your "city" from the menu, it only
scanned in some of the band. (they all worked on analog)

This had something similar, auto, area, or manual. It basically picked up
all the digital channels the first time. Then it started squarking about
no signal for 2, retune and not recovered, then it lost nine and did pick
them up on a retune.

I think I'll just do what I did with the Orion and take it back for a
replacement.

When I changed the "city" menu to "other" (not to any city name) it
scanned the entire band and pulled in every local Digital TV and Digital
Radio channel (ABC & SBS have 2 radio channels each). I have heard of
this problem with some STB's also, but haven't experienced it
personally. Might be worth checking that it isn't some silly "settings"
based problem like this - IF you were getting all the digital channels
on your old STB in the past.


Only thing is, even now that the "problem" is fixed, I find personally
there isn't much of interest to watch on TV these days and it tends to
sit turned off most of the time .

ABC DIG, or Jazz radio is ok to listen to in the workshop though if you
are in the mood

 

[David L. Jones]

On Feb 6, 3:11 pm, terryc <newssevenspam-s...@woa.com.au> wrote:

On Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:43:12 -0800, kreed wrote:
While a poor signal on 9 Analog is hardly a good start to getting good
9 digital reception, this shouldn't affect the ABC digital as you say
that Analog ABC has good reception ?

Analog is unaffected and the standard of reception is the same as it was
for this TV <hate auto things

Using a Digital TV card in the PC I found that it was impossible to get
several digital channels here. (no 9, SBS or ABC though 7 and 10 came
through perfectly.)

When the old TV died, i did drag out the old TV capture cards, but I do
not have a running win3.x/win9x system anymore and I remembered they were
only ever used for webcams on linux. so no go.

The new ones only run on winXp and I'm not going that way. In anycase the
CFO said she wants to view things ona TV screen.

Turned out that when you selected your "city" from the menu, it only
scanned in some of the band. (they all worked on analog)

This had something similar, auto, area, or manual. It basically picked up
all the digital channels the first time. Then it started squarking about
no signal for 2, retune and not recovered, then it lost nine and did pick
them up on a retune.

I think I'll just do what I did with the Orion and take it back for a
replacement.

You are wasting your time, it's not the box at fault. It's your signal
as Phil said re the digital channel allocations, they are different
from your existing analog channels. e.g if your analog 9 and 10 are
crap you can't hope to pick up nine digital.

Dave.

 

[terryc]

On Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:11:58 -0800, David L. Jones wrote:

You are wasting your time, it's not the box at fault. It's your signal
as Phil said re the digital channel allocations, they are different
from your existing analog channels. e.g if your analog 9 and 10 are
crap you can't hope to pick up nine digital.

I've come to the same conclusion as well. I did a retune and it picked
everything up that it had before , and I suspect an extra channels. Still
doesn't pick up TVS, which would support your point.

That raises the question of what aerial(s) to get for Campbelltoen, NSW
and where to point them.

Another question is how close can another Tv aerial be? The neighbours
aerial is only a few degree off line of sight. Might I be best to move it
around to the back of the house? and have it at least 45deg off line of
sight.

<now to look around for a good length of light steel pipe to get it up. ^m
of water pipe tends to be a bit heavy.

 

[you reckon?]

On Thu, 5 Feb 2009 20:43:12 -0800 (PST), kreed <kenreed1999@gmail.com> wrote:

While a poor signal on 9 Analog is hardly a good start to getting good
9 digital reception, this shouldn't affect the ABC digital as you say
that Analog ABC has good reception ?

Why? ABC analog (if the O/P is in a capital city area) is on Ch2, whereas their
digital offering is up at (analog) Ch12. Miles apart, and his high VHF is
reported as "9(hazy-poor), 10(very poor)" so Ch12 may not be at all brilliant.

 

[terryc]

On Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:36:18 +0800, you reckon? wrote:

Why? ABC analog (if the O/P is in a capital city area) is on Ch2,
whereas their digital offering is up at (analog) Ch12. Miles apart, and
his high VHF is reported as "9(hazy-poor), 10(very poor)" so Ch12 may
not be at all brilliant

So on that basis something could be wrong in the high VHF part? Would that
mean a new masthead amp/combiner?

BTW, digital ABC is back tonight, but if you are right, it will flake off
again. I might try lowering the mast tomorrow and renewing the coax
connections on the mast.