How will the S3 determine available ATSC channels?

[Dajad]

I have been testing the available OTA-HD channels using the ATSC tuner in my Dell 4200 Plasma. It has been an AGONIZING process. The Dell does NOT allow my to manually input channels I want. Instead it scans the airways and if it sees a channel it makes it availbe. The scan proces takes AT LEAST 5 minutes each time.

The problem is, I have about 17 ATSC channels available but on any given scan it will only SEE 8 or 9 of them. The available channels depend on which way I point the antenna.

What I want, and what I hope the S3 allows, is for me to manualy choose the stations I want it to include rather than the automated scan approach. Then, once I have them all in, I can play with the antenna to find THE best position for the stations I want the S3 to record and then ONLY ask TiVo to record on that channel.

Based on how the DirecTiVo works with ATSC, will the S3 do what I need it to do or will I have to suffer through an automated scan like the Dell?

...Dale

[bkdtv]

We don't know yet.

That said, the OTA tuner in the Series3 should be an improvement over that in your Dell 4200.

[jfh3]

Well, the S3 should allow direct input of the channel (e.g. 18.2).

As for the rest, we'll have to wait and see if a QAM mapping function is available.

I'd be surprised if Tivo implementes a channel scan type function though.

[vman41]

On my LG 3510a, you can add a channel by simply trying to tune in directly the assigned channel on the remote. When it tunes it in and you get the display channel, there is an add button that adds it to the channel list.

[TK421]

How does the S2 handle OTA channels?

[Shawn95GT]

I'd expect it to scan during guided setup, as the S2s do now with their NTSC tuner.

I'm looking forward to being able to record 'all' of my available ATSC stations.

[Dennis Wilkinson]

I'd guess it's a scan during guided setup, as Shawn suggests. That's what the HR10-250 does:

http://www.2000networks.com/manuals/DirecTV_hr10-250.pdf

Look for "Off-Air Channels and Video Setup"

[Dajad]

Thanks Dennis:

This is not looking good. Accrording to the HR10-250 manual it ONLY does automatic scanning. Here's the quote:

===

Scan For Off-Air Channels. On the Off-Air Channel Settings screen, highlight Scan For
Off-Air Channels and press SELECT. To proceed with the off-air channel scan, press
THUMBS DOWN three times, then ENTER. The HD DVR begins its scan for digital
channels in your area. This can take several minutes. If additional digital channels are
found, a list is displayed and those channels are added to the Channels You Receive list.
Program information for channels found with this scan may not be available. Additionally,
the HD DVR may detect frequencies for which no channel number information is
available. In this case, the channel will appear in the guide with its frequency number, not
its actual channel number.
===

There is nothing in the manual about manually adding channels. If this is the case I may not purchase an S3. I guess I'll need to wait until someone purchases and tries it and posts the results here.

...Dale

[btwyx]

I have been testing the available OTA-HD channels using the ATSC tuner in my Dell 4200 Plasma. It has been an AGONIZING process. The Dell does NOT allow my to manually input channels I want. Instead it scans the airways and if it sees a channel it makes it availbe. The scan proces takes AT LEAST 5 minutes each time.

The problem is, I have about 17 ATSC channels available but on any given scan it will only SEE 8 or 9 of them. The available channels depend on which way I point the antenna.As noted, that's the way the HR10-250 does it, and I expect the S3 will work the same way.

The big problem is the TiVo part doesn't really work if it can't see all the available channels at the same time. There's no way to tell you to point you antenna, espeically when you're not there. Antenna rotator support has been suggested, but that doesn't help you if it has to point in 2 directions at once.

[jautor]

IIRC, with my HR10-250, it does a full scan to *ADD* channels to the OTA list. I don't think it will delete channels it can't find. And of course, I can delete channels I don't want to see...

Regardless, you can manually scan around the dial with the signal strength meter. So worst case, you could dial in your antenna so you receive (at least enough to register) the channels you expect, then do a scan...

Jeff

[btwyx]

IIRC, with my HR10-250, it does a full scan to *ADD* channels to the OTA list. I don't think it will delete channels it can't find. Thats correct, it'll continue to add new channels until you delete the entire list (so you can start afresh). You can take channels out of the "Channels I Receive", but it still knows those OTA channels are there.

[phox_mulder]

So, Mr Dajad can scan with his antenna pointing one way,
then move the antenna and scan again,
this will show all the channels he is capable of receiving.

He can then go in and remove duplicates, or channels he knows he can't get well enough to record from.


phox

[Dajad]

Jauter, what does IIRC mean? [Edit: OK, I looked it up, it means "if I recall correctly"]

btwyz, I understand TiVo won't turn the antenna. I have no expectation it will. I want to spend time moving the antenna around my condo, pointing it in various directions and flipping channels to find a place and angle that gives me the best combination of available stations.

phox, NO, I cannot move the antenna again with the Dell and scan again without wiping out the first scan. So, if the first scan gives me, say channels 4.1, 9.1, 21 but scan 2 gives me different channels, then I LOOSE the first three.

If, as jauter suggests I can scan, move the antenna, then scan again and any NEW channels it finds are addedwithout removing those it doesn't see in the second, third etc. scans, then that at will be just fine. I want some way to accumulate all the channels that are available, then once that is done, use all available channels to flip through until I get the best combination of networks - then leave my antenna nailed down where I find the best reception for the best combination for my TiVo recording needs - fully realizing that TiVo will not be able to record the stations it can't pick up from that antenna position.

Can you explain what you mean by "you can scan around the dial with the signal strength meter". What signal strength meter? Is this something built into TiVo or you need to buy a meter somewhere? How does that work?

Thanks all, I'm now hopeful the S3 will get me where I need to go. If I couldn't do this I seriously would have considered NOT purchasing the S3.

...Dale

[jautor]

The signal strength meter is a feature of the HR10-250, and I'd assume it will be in the S3. It shows the received quality (signal strength) of the digital signal (0-100%), along with a rising tone so you can move you antenna around and listen for "warmer" "colder" "perfect!" :D

What makes it different than a scan is that you just move up and down the frequency spectrum looking at the reception of each potential channel, without having to deal with adding channels, etc...

EDIT: Well, since it's been released now, we can see on the PCMAG video clip that not only does the S3 have the meter, but they've got a version that lets you see the image as well as signal strength... So, yes, it's definitely in the product!

Jeff

[Dajad]

Hoo ha. I am just reading the PC Mag article now. I havne't seen what you've seen but I not this quote:

"Critical off-air tuning features such as a signal strength meter and a channel list editor are provided, and my experience scheduling and recording this free source of TV was pleasantly uneventful."

on this page of the review:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2014609,00.asp

So its looking good!

[Edit:]

Here's the link (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2014570,00.asp) to the PC Mag video review jauter mentioned!!! Yahoo!!!!! My prayers were answered.

...Dale

[megazone]

Yep, I mentioned that in the FAQ I posted here too.