Videokarma.org

Go Back   Videokarma.org TV - Video - Vintage Television & Radio Forums > Early Color Television

We appreciate your help

in keeping this site going.
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #76  
Old 06-28-2007, 04:49 PM
Gianni's Avatar
Gianni Gianni is offline
Slave to a blue dog
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Pescara - ITALIA
Posts: 73
Quote:
Originally Posted by wa2ise View Post
Speaking of digital TV and CRT displays, I'm using a VGA monitor with a screen with viewable area that measures 19" diagional, and an ATSC Samsung tuner. Looks really good. I might house all this in that empty CTC19 cabinet I have around here.... To create a console HDTV set
I do NOT like empty cabinets (Why mister Harry Poster kills his TVs?)
Actually, your idea for the CTC19 is good; in my opinion my Irradio set ("Per tritwi") has an ideal cabinet for an "Apple" Philco TV set (or "proto Apple TV") from the 50s (except for 70 degrees deflection).
My Irradio TV will never be cannibalized until my death, of course.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiwick View Post
Yes, there's a high voltage generator (the inverter) to feed about 2kv to a cold cathode fluorescent lamp, that's basically a tiny neon sign tube...

Laptop computers usually have just one lamp, monitors and TVs usually have two.

LED backlights are used only in smaller LCD screens such as cellphones or digital cameras

Francesco
Nonlosapeeeeeeeeevoooooooooo!
Thank you!
Do you like my recent posts in "Per tritwi", Francesco?
What TVs have you picked up with tritwi in Florence, as you wrote to me in your e-mail?
__________________
<< Hi Gianni!

By the way, no need to apologize for your English, you speak 3 languages!
__________________
John Folsom >>
Reply With Quote
  #77  
Old 06-28-2007, 05:49 PM
Kiwick's Avatar
Kiwick Kiwick is offline
slave to 3 equines
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Italy
Posts: 448
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gianni View Post
Thank you!
Do you like my recent posts in "Per tritwi", Francesco?
What TVs have you picked up with tritwi in Florence, as you wrote to me in your e-mail?
Yes, i enjoyed reading your posts, nice to know another Italian TV nut

Tritwi's TVs were a 26" 1976 Philco Magicolor w/delta CRT, a 23" 1963 Emerson tube B/W set and a 26" 1992 Philips "Match Line" W/built in subwoofer.

Francesco.
Reply With Quote
  #78  
Old 06-30-2007, 01:10 PM
peverett peverett is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 883
I just purchased one of the RjTECH RJ 1000ATSC tuners mentioned by ChrisW6ATV and below has been my experience so far. (I already have a modulator.)

I had two small 1960s vintage B&W analog TVs in the same general location., one connected to the ATSC tuner and one tuned to the same station's analog signal(UHF channel 36). The ATSC was connected to new amplified rabbit ears (claiming to be HDTV compliant). The other TV just has a loop antenna across the UHF terminals. I am about 30 miles from the transmitter.

The picture on the analog TV is somewhat snowy, but watchable. The snow level varies somewhat. I can vary it somewhat by walking between the TV and the transmitter. The ATSC picture is perfect when it works. However, the reception seems to be on the edge. The picture frequently pixelates and the sound stops, then it comes back. Walking between the rabbit ears and the transmitter direction also seems to make this worse. To me this is more irritating than the snow(for one thing, none of the dialog is missed on the analog connected TV). I am sure that if I had a taller antennal on the ATSC tuner, this could be reduced or elminated since I am only 30 miles from the transmitter. This re-inforces my concern about people in rural areas. If HDTV does not work better than this, a lot of these people will be screaming.

Another unknown in my situation is the relative strength of the UHF vs HDTV transmitted signals from the station. As this station has been advertising their HDTV transmissions, I would think that they would use a fairly strong transmitter.

One more note-If you buy one of these, be sure and follow the directions in the manual and not sit anything on top of it. It runs quite warm.
Reply With Quote
  #79  
Old 06-30-2007, 02:06 PM
dr.ido's Avatar
dr.ido dr.ido is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SE Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 550
Reception around here can be quite patchy, but digital is affected far more than analog.

I've recently moved. At my old location I could get perfect analog reception of all channels except the low power community station with a pair of rabbit ears. Digital was non existant with the rabbit ears or glitchy reception of 2 out of 5 channels with the roof top antenna.

My new location is no more than 5km from the old one. My analog reception here isn't as good. With a roof top antenna I get some slight ghosting and 1 out of 5 channels is slightly snowy, but still watchable. Digital reception here is much better, perfect reception of all channels.

Even with perfect reception I find the picture quality varies a lot between programs and the variations are a lot more noticable than when watching the analog signal. I'll make some direct comparisons when I set up my Sony VTX-100EC analog tuner.

With the RGB output from a Thomson DT1500AU standard definition set top box going into my Sony PVM2130QM monitor the picture is amazing on some programs, but others are plagued by digital artifacts (particularly locally produced programs).

I've tried 3 different set top boxes so far, but I'm not completely satisfied with any of them. A Teac that was prone to glitches even when it was getting full signal strength. A Centrex that was frustratingly slow to change channels (but was the only one so far with a built in RF modulator). The Thomson has a noisy analog audio output. All run hot (even the Thomson which has an external power supply). When I find a box I'm happy with I will be modifying it to improve cooling.
Reply With Quote
  #80  
Old 06-30-2007, 10:19 PM
peverett peverett is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 883
I have not noticed any variations in picture between programs. Could be the TV that I am watching.

I have done some more experimentation with the other stations in my area. All of the HTDV transmitters are about in the same location(the tallest hill in the area, about 30 miles away). I have found that the CBS(analog 42) channel is better than NBC (analog 36). The ABC(analog 24) channel is quite a bit worse than NBC(hard to even watch).

Although the HDTV receiver indicates a channel where FOX is supposed to be located, no picture shows up, just a blank screen. I have heard that the FOX HDTV transmitter is weak(Supprising as they are one of the strongest analog channels(analog 7) in the area). Also got a channel indication for a local independent channel(analog 54), but no picture(Not supprising as I have a hard gettiing their analog signal as well). The PBS(analog 18) channel did not show up on the HTDV converter search. I am aware that the national PBS organization has HDTV shows, but I am not sure if they are broadcasting them in this format locally yet.


If you are wondering why there is only one analog VHF channel, thank LBJ. I live near Austin, Texas and he owned the only TV station in town in the 1960s. Did not like competition.
Reply With Quote
Audiokarma
  #81  
Old 07-01-2007, 01:26 AM
dr.ido's Avatar
dr.ido dr.ido is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SE Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 550
I think the picture quality variations here are due to the way the channels manage their bandwidth. Each channels broadcasts both an analog signal (to be switched off in 2010?), a SD digital signal, a HD digital signal (our cheap SD boxes won't down convert a HD signal to SD) and an EPG.

This leads to the channels having to cut down to bandwidth of the SD signal to provide more bandwidth for the HD signal. Some channels (particularly the 7 network) are more aggressive at this than others. The 7 network jumps all over the place sometimes changing the signal between programs and even in ad breaks at times. Every so often the aspect ratio gets broken leaving you with a distorted image regardless of whether you are watching on a 4:3 or 16:9 set. Their EPG looks like a bad youtube video. I have to laugh at them sometimes, but I'll be less amused if they ever get some programs I want to watch. Once they actually did something that switched by box to SECAM mode.

The two government run stations actually have the best SD picture quality. They broadcast 576p as HD, so the SD doesn't get squeezed as much.
Reply With Quote
  #82  
Old 07-03-2007, 09:51 PM
NowhereMan 1966's Avatar
NowhereMan 1966 NowhereMan 1966 is offline
Slave to 1 Cat
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Tiltonsville, OH
Posts: 884
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisW6ATV View Post
US$80 ATSC tuner:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16882107049

US$9 RF modulator:

http://www.beachaudio.com/Video/Acce...r-p-17759.html

US$95 complete digital TV:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5691091

If a person is lucky enough to have a home big enough to have seven or eight separate places/rooms to watch TV, then I cannot imagine how $300 is going to be a big financial problem.
Hmmm, well, one good thing, if they have RCA output jacks, I can use the convertor box with my 1984 vintage Commodore 64 Monitor. B-) Would be kind of tough with my 1982 Zenith console we have as the main set though, unless I use a video modulator since it has no AV inputs.
__________________
Mom (1938 - 2013) - RIP, I miss you
Spunky, (1999 - 2016) - RIP, pretty girl!
Rascal, (2007 - 2021) RIP, miss you very much
Reply With Quote
  #83  
Old 07-03-2007, 10:10 PM
NowhereMan 1966's Avatar
NowhereMan 1966 NowhereMan 1966 is offline
Slave to 1 Cat
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Tiltonsville, OH
Posts: 884
Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Video View Post
While countries like the USA and Germany are still far behind their original schedules for full implementation of digital TV, the brazilian government, led by the drunk-in-charge Mister Lula da Silva seems to be in a very strange hurry to make Brazil jump quicly in the digital bandwagon. Digital transmissions will begin in December, but it seems that very few people will be able to receive the signals. The gang called "brazilian government" set a few years ago a completely irrealistic goal of having digital converters for sale for US$ 100.00 by the time of the beggining of the transmissions. Now it's clear that, at least on the beggining, those converters will not cost less than US$ 800.00 . The answer of the idiots that run this country is simple: the brazilian industry must be "punished" for it's "incompetence" , and the way to "punish" the industry is by massive imports of converters ... made in China.

I hate to have to say it about my own country, but, it seems that Charles De Gaulle once said: "Brazil is not a serious country" , and I have to agree. The government told us that the brazilian standard of digital TV was unique in the world, so how the hell the chinese have the know-how to produce millions of converters on that standard? I thought that this information was very well kept under secrecy by the government and the brazilian industry. If this were a serious country, a press and congressional investigation would be under way to find out how the chinese know something that only the brazilians and the japanese ( who helped us creating that standard ) were supposed to know.

Today the chinese will produce converters, tomorrow...they will produce TV sets on that standard, and that will be the end of the almost 70-year History of the brazilian electronic industry. We will disappear in the same way the american electronic industry disapeared - crushed by cheap, low quality Asian imports.

Welcome to the 21ist Century.

I remember George Carlin said that the "two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity." Stupid is as stupid does, stupidy is a common trait, it is not unique to the United States or Brazil. I still watch a "made in USA" TV set as my main one but it was made in 1982 by Zenith when it was still known as "Zenith Radio Corporation" at the Chicago plant. It's been our daily watcher since we bought it new in early 1983, just think, I'll be 41 on Sunday (July 8th) and I'm watching the same TV I did when I was 16 years old in high school.

I'm getting a little OT on this one, but it seems like Red China will dominate the world with consumer items and otherwise, they already dominate here in the US and it seems like they are going to do the same for Brazil. Along with stupidity, I thin politicians do have two chips in their minds, a stupidity chip and a "sellout to the highest bidder" chip. They don't really care if they serve the interests of Brazil, the U.S. or wherever they come from and should serve the people therof but they worship the "almighty Dollar" instead. It seems like your politicians need the same "wake up call" as ours do.

I have a cartoon somewhere that was made in 1953 on how the Red Chinese will dominate the US and later the world, it seems like it is coming true.

BTW, getting back to the subject, which standard will Brazil use, ATSC or some other standard? I'm not a big fan on how they are ramming HDTV down our throats but it would make a good opportunity for have a one world standard although from what I hear, Europe will be different from us. Looks like we got another "Tower of Babel" on our hands.
__________________
Mom (1938 - 2013) - RIP, I miss you
Spunky, (1999 - 2016) - RIP, pretty girl!
Rascal, (2007 - 2021) RIP, miss you very much
Reply With Quote
  #84  
Old 07-03-2007, 10:50 PM
NowhereMan 1966's Avatar
NowhereMan 1966 NowhereMan 1966 is offline
Slave to 1 Cat
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Tiltonsville, OH
Posts: 884
Quote:
Originally Posted by peverett View Post
I just purchased one of the RjTECH RJ 1000ATSC tuners mentioned by ChrisW6ATV and below has been my experience so far. (I already have a modulator.)

I had two small 1960s vintage B&W analog TVs in the same general location., one connected to the ATSC tuner and one tuned to the same station's analog signal(UHF channel 36). The ATSC was connected to new amplified rabbit ears (claiming to be HDTV compliant). The other TV just has a loop antenna across the UHF terminals. I am about 30 miles from the transmitter.

The picture on the analog TV is somewhat snowy, but watchable. The snow level varies somewhat. I can vary it somewhat by walking between the TV and the transmitter. The ATSC picture is perfect when it works. However, the reception seems to be on the edge. The picture frequently pixelates and the sound stops, then it comes back. Walking between the rabbit ears and the transmitter direction also seems to make this worse. To me this is more irritating than the snow(for one thing, none of the dialog is missed on the analog connected TV). I am sure that if I had a taller antennal on the ATSC tuner, this could be reduced or elminated since I am only 30 miles from the transmitter. This re-inforces my concern about people in rural areas. If HDTV does not work better than this, a lot of these people will be screaming.

Another unknown in my situation is the relative strength of the UHF vs HDTV transmitted signals from the station. As this station has been advertising their HDTV transmissions, I would think that they would use a fairly strong transmitter.

One more note-If you buy one of these, be sure and follow the directions in the manual and not sit anything on top of it. It runs quite warm.
True, either people in rural areas will have to get their TV from satellite or build a huge tower with a TV antenna, then again, depending on the antenna line, the longer the antenna line, you will get some loss of signal. Maybe there will be a need for translation stations in those areas, that's the only thing I can think up.

I once joked that someone ought to write Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton a letter explaining how the HDTV switch can affect the poor in the inner city as well as rural areas, maybe if they get in the act, we will have analogue NTSC TV until the year 2200 or so.
__________________
Mom (1938 - 2013) - RIP, I miss you
Spunky, (1999 - 2016) - RIP, pretty girl!
Rascal, (2007 - 2021) RIP, miss you very much
Reply With Quote
  #85  
Old 07-04-2007, 06:23 PM
Captain Video's Avatar
Captain Video Captain Video is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Brazil.
Posts: 997
Quote:
Originally Posted by NowhereMan 1966 View Post
BTW, getting back to the subject, which standard will Brazil use, ATSC or some other standard? I'm not a big fan on how they are ramming HDTV down our throats but it would make a good opportunity for have a one world standard although from what I hear, Europe will be different from us. Looks like we got another "Tower of Babel" on our hands.
It's a hybrid system, half japanese and half local, a system specifically created for the peculiar characteristics of the brazilian TV market - a market in which the vast majority still don't have cable or other types of subscription-TV and on which the very complicated topography of the country makes TV transmission tricky. They say this system will allow for a greater number of TV channels and for mobile reception. I am no expert on digital TV, so I will have to wait for the beggining of the transmissions ( in my part of the country it will only happen in 2009 ) to see if it is really the wonder they are trying to convince us. What really irritates me is the sellout behavior of the politicians toward the chinese interests.
Reply With Quote
Audiokarma
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:41 AM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
©Copyright 2012 VideoKarma.org, All rights reserved.