My experiences with ATSC HDTV

[KingBubba]

I've had a digital receiver for years, a Samsung, and I have found reception as variable as the wind. Night time reception is always better, except sometimes. Digital stations you got last night are always available the next night, except sometimes. Stations you received at night are always available during the days, except sometimes. Reception in town is better than suburban reception with a roof antenna, except sometimes.

I hope you are seeing the trend here. My receiver, when picking up a station, gave a quality picture with a strong signal but there were times when signal strength was strong yet there was nothing but a black screen. With my high powered roof antenna and 20db+ signal amplifier I could get stations all over the central part of Florida, except sometimes. The receiver would scan and memorize stations only to forget them tomorrow and re remember them the day after. This would be irregardless of whether the station was watchable or not, except sometimes.

I think anyone who is limited to watching OATV is going to be very upset and disappointed in what they can watch and when. It will end up being like the old days when all you could get was one or two stations. I have that receiver at work now in the heart of Orlando and at present it is able to watch one or two digital stations at best, except sometimes, and that is with a roof antenna at 30' off the ground. The receiver was a top of the line Samsung from a little over two years ago. It was so undependable that my wife refused to use it. I don't blame her. Receivers will develop and get better with time but I doubt that any of them are much better than the one I have. Digital TV is going to be a flop for the poor and non technical and may be a flop for the rest of us too. I for one am unimpressed, except sometimes. If it is true that the stations are running at less than full power, then maybe this will all change.