Tom Ruff

Over the air high def with Samsung TS160

I am not sure if I am doing this right or not. When I go through and set up my box it lists three diffrent channel 2, 4, and 7's. When I go to them the picture is normal on one, the second is all dark like there is nothing found (says searching for signal), and the third is all fuzzy like the channel is not comming in clear.

I got the best antenna that best buy sold so that I would be able to receive the over the air high def channels but I am not getting any. I am starting to think that the one that says searching for signal is the one tht is suppost to be the high def on, and if there is not a HD signal being sent it willl just say that. Am I right?

If not, what do I need to do so that I can get my OTA channels in HD?

Vincent_S

I might be totally wrong about this but I think the HD receivers are color coded to the area you live in? If this is correct did you buy the right color coded receiver? If you do a search on here about hd receivers I think you will find a link to what I am talking about. You put in your street address and it gives you a map with the different signals you can receive. Hope this helped.

Robert_J

I think that the more expensive antennas at Best Buy are made by Terk. They are the Bose of the antenna world. High prices and nice looks but only marginal performance. With most HD you will need a directional UHF antenna. Radio Shack, Winegard and Channel Master are the preferred brands. If you local towers are in the same area, great. If not, you will need a rotor to move the antenna. It's not good to get an omni-directional because of multi-path. With analog signals, multi-path will cause ghosting on the picture, with digital, you will get a good signal strength but no picture. Try Antennaweb for the proper type of antenna and pointing directions.

Anennaweb color codes the antenna by size. ALL receivers are the same.

-Robert

Tom Ruff

For the love of... can't post link to the antenna that I bought from Best Buy till I have 15 posts. Well, it is the RCA Ant1250 that can be found here. bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051384648397&skuId=4025414&type=product

this is what antennaweb shows for me
* yellow WSMH-DT 16 FOX Flint MI Awaiting FCC Permit 316°
* yellow WDWB-DT 21 WB Detroit MI Nov 1 2003 162°
* yellow WNEM-DT 22 CBS Bay City MI Now Live 341°
* yellow WEYI-DT 30 NBC Saginaw MI Now Live 337°
* yellow WJRT-DT 36 ABC Flint MI Now Live 317°
* yellow WXYZ-DT 41 ABC Detroit MI Now Live 168°
* yellow WDIV-DT 45 NBC Detroit MI Now Live 163°
* yellow WAQP-DT 48 TBN Saginaw MI Awaiting FCC Permit 316°
* yellow WFUM-DT 52 PBS Flint MI Under Review 341°
* yellow WJBK-DT 58 FOX Detroit MI Now Live 165°
* green WKBD-DT 14 UPN Detroit MI Now Live 174°
green WFUM 28 PBS Flint MI 341°
* green WTVS-DT 43 PBS Detroit MI Now Live 162°
* green WWJ-DT 44 CBS Detroit MI Now Live 162°
* lt green WDCP-DT 15 PBS Bad Axe MI Nov 1 2003 353°
lt green WEYI 25 NBC Saginaw MI 337°
* lt green WPXD-DT 33 PAX Ann Arbor MI Awaiting FCC Permit 232°
* lt green WADL-DT 39 IND Mount Clemens MI Now Live 133°
* lt green WLNS-DT 59 CBS Lansing MI Now Live 264°
blue WJBK 2 FOX Detroit MI 165°
blue WDIV 4 NBC Detroit MI 163°
blue WNEM 5 CBS Bay City MI 341°
blue WXYZ 7 ABC Detroit MI 168°
blue WJRT 12 ABC Flint MI 317°
blue WDWB 20 WB Detroit MI 174°
blue WAQP 49 TBN Saginaw MI 316°
blue WKBD 50 UPN Detroit MI 174°
* blue WLAJ-DT 51 ABC Lansing MI Awaiting FCC Permit 249°
* blue WKAR-DT 55 PBS East Lansing MI Nov 1 2003 266°
blue WTVS 56 PBS Detroit MI 174°
blue WWJ 62 CBS Detroit MI 162°
blue WSMH 66 FOX Flint MI 316°
violet WLNS 6 CBS Lansing MI 264°
violet WDCQ 19 PBS University Center MI 337°
violet WPXD 31 PAX Ann Arbor MI 232°
violet WADL 38 IND Mount Clemens MI 133°

Based on do you think that I should be able to get some HD channels over the air? For the most part I am about 50 miles out form detroit, and 20 or so from flint but it is very flat land so I do not think that there would be anything that would block the signal from reaching me.

Robert_J

Not with that antenna. I'm about 25 miles from the Memphis broadcast towers and I'm using a Radio Shack Double Bow Tie on top of my TV. I still get a few drop-outs though. Later this year, I'm upgrading to probably a Channel Master 4228 mounted in the attic.

-Robert

Tom Ruff

well that blows... do you think that I would be able to use the double bowtie and get the HD channels?

Is that what is happening when it say searching for signal? It is looking to find them, but my antenna is not good enough? Argh

Robert_J

Try it. Radio Shack has a very good return policy if you don't lose the receipt.

You can also get the same message when you lose the satellite signal.

Probably.

-Robert