[Tfug] tfug Digest, Vol 74, Issue 58

[Bexley Hall]

Hi John,

--- On Mon, 9/28/09, John Daddona <jdaddona at gmail.com> wrote:

> I recently moved to Tucson and bought a $20.00 DTV antenna. It was the
> best $20 I ever spent. Here is the list of channels I get:
> http://tvlistings.aol.com/listings/az/tucson/broadcast?zipcode=85701
> 
> Also, 90% of prime time shows (and 100% of professional
> sports) are in HD.
> 
> I love not paying for cable!

Well, we've *never* paid for cable -- simply because we don't watch
much TV (probably less than an hour per day, average -- PBS news, &c.)

However, we have been quite annoyed with DTV's performance.
We are NE.  I can *see* the broadcast towers from my front door
(I think 12 miles as the crow flies) -- 58, IIRC, is clear in the
opposite direction so we discount it.

However, the one or two trees between us and the signal
source(s) apparently have a *huge* effect on reception.
I.e., on windy days, turn on the radio instead (since you
will get neither video NOR audio from the TV... a huge
problem with DTV, IMO, is that you get all-or-nothing.
At least with analog TV you could chose to live with a
snowy picture and still get sound...).

We've tried three different antennae.  Indoors (in the "attic")
as well as outdoors s=with virtually the same performance (or
lack thereof).

Thankfully, we can always find PBS as it broadcasts on a few
different channels.

A friend often claims the DTV standard was created by the
CABLE COMPANIES (i.e. to ensure crappy performance).  :-/

Read a book.  You'll learn more, anyways!  ;-)

--don