Digital TV Reception....Stutering

[TheCoachPotatoes]

Does anyone know what can be done about the stuttering on your digital TV when staying at campgrounds that don't have Cable? Reception is better picture-wise, but sometimes the stuttering ruins the whole show. We bought the anntena add-on while in Goshen, but it doesn't seem to help.

Al says it's a government conspiracy, LOL!!!

[bncinwv]

It is all a function of signal strength. Our digital TV has a menu option that shows a digital signal meter that can be used to adjust the antenna orientation for the maximum signal. It does make a big difference and I would assume all digital TV's have that capability. Hope this helps,
Bingo

[bw2]

Yes, try to tweak the antenna for the strongest signal you can get, per channel. The trouble with digital signals vs the old analog signal, digital is either there or not, while anlog would give you "snow", blurred pictures, lines, etc....

[mcgiver2]

Yes like bw2 said try and either make a antenna of buy a UHF because the old analog signal was on vhf freq. now the digital signal is on UHF freq.

[hazmic]

I had a problem with TV reception and blamed it on several things, but like others cussing the HDTV and who's stupid idea was it to go to it? Replaced the power supply and it helped some what. Still others could get TV and others could not. I replaced the outside wing that has the booster in it and now I get great reception with the antenna on the roof. The booster was bad. It dose not happen all the time[BOOSTER BAD] but that was my problem.

[mcgiver2]

When it comes to digital television, it's an "all or nothing at all" proposition. Once the signal is acquired, a steady stream of data assures you'll get a perfect picture and great audio. If that bit stream is interrupted, however, there will be nothing - just a blank screen. In areas with lots of buildings or obstacles, multi-path distortion can cause a "cliff effect" to kick in. The fix is to use a higher-gain antenna assuming the multi-path can be tamed.

[scattershot]

Might be as simple as a loose connection. As others have said, with digital, you either have a signal or you don't. Your setup screen should have a signal strength meter, too.

[jimcol]

I stay in a state park in South Missouri where I pick up about 20 stations. I have three different positions I have to put the antenae to view different stations. I have stayed there enough I know what direction to point the antenae for the various stations. Kind of a pain but beats the signal breaking up at a key point in the show. Maybe I should install an electric rotor on the antenae.

[db_engineer]

quote:Originally posted by bncinwv

It is all a function of signal strength. Our digital TV has a menu option that shows a digital signal meter that can be used to adjust the antenna orientation for the maximum signal. It does make a big difference and I would assume all digital TV's have that capability. Hope this helps,
Bingo

Our living room tv has the capability, but the bedroom tv doesn't. Of course that's where the antenna crank is. Go figure

[Waynem]

Wow! This topic has books and volumes written about it in different forms over the many years. It is called "propagation."

Some digital signals are broadcast in the Ultra High Frequency Spectrum, commonly referred to as UHF, and some signals are still broadcast in the Very High Frequency Spectrum, commonly called VHF. The wave length of VHF is greater than the wave length of UHF, so those stations that are broadcast in the VHF spectrum are more easily captured by the present antenna than the UHF, which also are captured by the present antenna (Batwing). The further away you are from the transmitting antenna (tv station) the less signal strength you will received. Wave length is the affect of how far the signal can be transmitted. This is a function of propagation. The lower the wave length, the further the transmission. A fairly common standing rule is that the better the antenna the better the reception will be. Purchasing a small log periodic or yagi antenna from The Shack and putting it on a 20 foot pole will normally result in a better signal input to the television than the small batwing antenna if pointed in the right direction. The part about connections being tight, and boosters working properly are all true.

The reason for the switch to digital tv was to free up the broadcast spectrum for for public safety (police, fire, rescue squads, etc.). Digital television also allows for multicasting so that standard definition and high definition programs can be offered through multicasting. Some areas will have both UHF and VHF broadcasting of digital television.

Because digital television allows for narrower bandwidth broadcasts, the pointing of the antenna is critical in receiving full signal strength.

What I'm also going to do is study a foreign language since I seem to receive all foreign broadcasts and I do not receive the 4 major staions, ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX, very well.

Good luck.

[bncinwv]

After all of this, I think Al is right, even Wayne makes it sound like a government conspiracy!!!!!
Bingo

[TheCoachPotatoes]

Thanks for all the input everyone. Al didn't realize that there was a signal strength meter in the TV itself. He found it and tweeked it, but still has the problem. Maybe it will be better at the next campground. One can only hope!!!

[Bill-N-Donna]

We stay at one place where the strength is low and we will get the broken signal as described. I’ve always called it “pixelizing.” I know this word isn’t in the dictionary but it has to do with the pixels that make up the picture you’re viewing not coming in where they can be watched clearly. Finding the best signal as mentioned is probably the best remedy for it.

[Waynem]

There are so many variables that affect the reception of the signal. Trees, buildings, etc., and not just those that are near you, but anything in the path, including a mountain. We left Perrin, TX where we had no signal at all. Earlene and I actually had to talk to each other, then we remembered we had some old DVD movies. Now we are 70 miles outside Houston and have all kinds of signals - most speaking a foreign language, but the national channels are available also.

Good luck.