San Francisco Area Locals in HD?

[TomVo]

Just got my HR10-250 installed yesterday and am confused. Are the Bay Area local stations available in HD via the satellite in MPEG2? For some reason, I though they were but DirecTv
was planning to migrate to MPEG4 "sometime soon." If not, am I elegable to receive CBSW/NBCW/ABCW/FOXW on 81/83/87/89 - possibly with a waiver?

Finally, any recommendation for a roof-top OTA antenna?

Thanks,

TomVo

--------------
HR10-250
HDVR2

[oldskoolboarder]

You can't get HD locals w/ the HR10 and Directv. HD Locals are in MPEG4 and you need a newer receiver. In Menlo Park, I use the Channel Master 4228 w/ good results. I get pretty much every available local OTA HD which is around 20+ channels.

Got mine at the Home Tech Store on De Anza in Cupertino.

[TomVo]

Thanks oldskool,

I guess I saw the big 4 East/West available in HD on channels in the 80s and got
my hopes up. I'll look for the CM 4228. I'm in San Carlos, so I should expect
similar results. Looks like I'm gonna spend next weekend on the roof. Woo hoo!

TomVo

[Sparky]

If you have a clear view of Mt. Sutro there should not be a problem. I can get all but KGO since their ERP is lower than the rest. So I have KABC out of LA, great news all HD. The chopper shots are SUPER!!

[videojanitor]

I can get all but KGO since their ERP is lower than the rest.

Any idea how low their power is?? I was picking it up in Sacramento tonight, with 90+ signal strength!

The evidence:

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/678/kgodtpy4.th.jpg (http://img88.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kgodtpy4.jpg)

[btwyx]

There was a time you could get the LA feed of NBC/ABC and CBS over the satelllite (I've got those), FOX was never available. There was a blanket waiver because these stations are "owned and operated" by the network themselse, so the netwok doesn't mind if you watch from SF or LA. I'm not sure those are available now the MPEG-4 locals are available (but not to the HR10-250). It can't hurt to ring D* and ask them to turn on NBC/ABC/CBS, they can only say no.

These feeds are the LA feeds, not the bay area locals, those are only avialble OTA with the HR10-250.

[annenoe]

TomVo, you might check this out:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=369015

This thread is dedicated to discussion on HD OTA for the Bay Area. It's one huge thread and not the easiest to get around, but it's a must have for those times when reception is flaky - you can check it to see if others are having the same issues - keeps you from going up on your roof and kicking your antenna.

Also, in case you don't know, check out antennaweb.org if you haven't yet. You enter your address and you'll get a pretty nifty list of all the OTA in your area, direction and distance from tower, plus, if you give your exact address, you'll get a nice little map showing exactly where you are in relation to the towers. I found it invaluable when first trying to figure out how to point my antenna (I use a indoor antenna and have been lucky enough to get decent reception).

Just a couple of valuable bookmarks for you to consider.

[richardL]

Depends where in San Carlos. I'm up in the hills and I don't get any OTA, even tried a 4228 with no luck.

I face south/south east and all the transmitters would be a straight shot through the hills! So I get nothing.

I'd need a 200ft tower to get anything.

Richard

[Sparky]

Any idea how low their power is?? I was picking it up in Sacramento tonight, with 90+ signal strength!

The evidence:

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/678/kgodtpy4.th.jpg (http://img88.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kgodtpy4.jpg)
The last time I checked their ERP was 333MW, KTVU is 1GW and the others fall in between. I do not have a direct shot to Sutro so its hit & miss. I am getting the LA HD feeds from D* except for FOX which I can get OTA no problem.

[TomVo]

I just got off the phone with DirecTV. They said no to enabling the LA HD locals claiming that since they now have the HD locals for my area (in MPEG4) the regulators will no longer allow them to deliver the LA feed to me - regardless of whether my equipment can pick up the local feed.

Sparky, how did you manage to get the LA HD feeds? Did you order HD from Directv
before they started broadcasting the SF channels?

Has anyone else in the Bay Area managed to get the LA HD channels?

I plan to pick up a CM 4228 to replace the ancient antenna that was mounted to my chimney when I bought the house 12 years ago. Richard, I'm in the flats down near
Walgreens. Hopefully the Belmont hill won't get in my way. I now know where to
point it from the antennaweb info.

Thanks for all the input,

TomVo

[btwyx]

As I said, I got the LA feeds because I was here before the MPEG-4 locals went up.

[jsirota]

I plan to pick up a CM 4228 to replace the ancient antenna that was mounted to my chimney when I bought the house 12 years ago. Richard, I'm in the flats down near
Walgreens. Hopefully the Belmont hill won't get in my way. I now know where to
point it from the antennaweb info. Have you tried your existing antenna? Aim that puppy and see if it works.

[curbside]

I just got off the phone with DirecTV. They said no to enabling the LA HD locals claiming that since they now have the HD locals for my area (in MPEG4) the regulators will no longer allow them to deliver the LA feed to me - regardless of whether my equipment can pick up the local feed.

...

Has anyone else in the Bay Area managed to get the LA HD channels?

...

Thanks for all the input,

TomVo

I have had the LA HD feeds ever since they came out from Directv. They were even kind enough to give me the SD feed for FOX from NY. I can get the local HD feeds from the Sutro tower, but not channel 11 (NBC) since that comes from the South Bay.

[btwyx]

I can get the local HD feeds from the Sutro tower, but not channel 11 (NBC) since that comes from the South Bay.11 moved to Sutro (or another mountain nearby).

[qdoggg]

I'm in San Carlos as well, in the flatter area... i use the existing antenna mounted on my chimney when i bought the house (pointed in the wrong direction than i'd prefer) and get a lot of the channels just great.

I'm not up to going up there and try to adjusted it, just yet. So for the few channels i wasn't getting (mainly FOX), i use the $20 indoor Silver Sensor (http://www.amazon.com/Zenith-ZHDTV1-HDTV-UHF-Digital-Antenna/dp/B00006FXR9/sr=8-1/qid=1157518475/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-3339395-5831005?ie=UTF8&s=electronics) in combination with a backwards splitter. Both together get me everything.

I also was lucky enough to get the LA HD feeds for ABC and CBS b4 Mpeg4 came out. :D All i had to do was ask "HD Eligibility" dept. Dunno if they still exist

[tnguyenmdc]

11 moved to Sutro (or another mountain nearby).


So I should be able to get 11 on HD now? I'm in Hayward, and have not been able to get NBC in HD forever. I've been watching NBC HD from LA.

[Sparky]

11 moved to Sutro (or another mountain nearby).
Eleven moved to Mt San Bruno, it took KCSM's spot and KCSM moved to Sutro with a digital transmitter only. I can get Mt San Bruno fine but have trouble with Sutro. Like I can not get KGO digital due their lower power, I wish they would turn up the wick.

[TomVo]

Have you tried your existing antenna? Aim that puppy and see if it works.

I tried aiming the antenna that was mounted to the chimney when I bought the house. It gave me signals in the high 70s to mid 80s for Fox/ABC/CBS but no usable signal for NBC. This thing was no puppy. It was a BEAST - a 110" monstrosity complete with a bunch of bent/missing elements. Quite the eyesore.

This weekend my son and I installed a CM 4228. Initially we tried the existing chimney mount location and got semi-decent reception for all of the big four. Our next door neighbors have a second story addition immediately in the path from our chimney to Sutro. After relocating the antenna to a roof mount with clear line-of-sight to Sutro/San Bruno, we now get a signal strenth in the high 80s to low 90s for the ABC/ABC/CBS/PBS/FOX HD locals (12,24,29,30,56).

I'm a happy camper now!

Thanks,

TomVo