Puyallup, WA OTA HDTV reception - I want the Superbowl in HD! (1 Viewer)

[Michael D. Bunting]

I already have the Radio Shack Bow Tie Antenna (thanks to another HTF member!) and I already have a HD ready display (Sony 57HW40).

So, now I'm thinking about heading out to Best Buy, Good Guys, or maybe Magnolia Hi Fi this morning and purchasing the Samsung SIR-T151 HDTV receiver.

I already have Cable from AT&T with HD capability, but for now, I only receive 2 channels: HBOHD and Showtime HD. AT&T was supposed to be adding the locals in HD - but nobody knows for sure when this will happen.

Anyone else in the Puyallup, WA (near Tacoma/Seattle area) currently receiving OTA HDTV? If so, care to share your experiences with me?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Jordan_E]

I don't live at the home of The Fair, but I'm up 167 (Auburn) from you, and let me tell you I've been getting a rock solid OTA signal from KOMO for a few weeks now.

 

[Michael D. Bunting]

Thanks for your feedback Jordan. I think I'll give it a whirl here today (as long as I get the wife to go along with my plan!) and see what I can get.

May I ask: Do you use an indoor antenna for your OTA HD reception?

Home of the Fair. Yes indeed. I'm a little further South of Puyallup (pretty much South Hill) and I have only lived here for a couple months. Maybe I'll hit the fair next Summer - but I'm not that big on fairs to be honest.

 

[John Draper]

My parents live on South Hill and have the Samsung unit. They have a roof top antena and can get all of the local HD stations except KING (NBC) for some reason. I have helped them "tweak" the system as much as possible and the reception for KOMO (ABC) is great. Good luck.

 

[Jordan_E]

I have an indoor antenna and have to move it slightly to get KING, although there isn't much there HD-wise to go through the trouble. As far as the Fair, I go for the food! If you get it set up by tomorrow, you may want to check out Mission Impossible, although ABC rarely shows OAR, but their recent showing of The Rock was pretty impressive. And February sweeps hopefully will bring out some good HD material.

 

[Scott Barnhart]

Michael,

Try this link to see what stations you should be able to get from your address.

Unfortunately, living in North Bend, I will never get OTA HD! :frowning: I hope it works for you!

 

[Ric Easton]

I just found out in my area, Time Warner has added an HDTV ABC signal to their line-up, just in time for the Superbowl! I turned to channel 502 last night and sure enough there was Damon Wayons in all his widescreen HDTV glory! Too bad I don't watch much ABC... I guess it's time to give Alias a chance!

Ric

 

[Christopher P]

Cool, got some fellow Highway 167 people here.

Chris

 

[Michael D. Bunting]

Scott

Thanks for the link you provided.

I went to the Puyallup Best Buy and purchased the Samsung T-151 for $399.99

Once I arrived back home, I hooked it up to my Sony 57HW40...then I connected the infamous Radio Shack Bow Tie antenna that I have had stuck in my closet over the past year...and I'm getting HD! I did have to do some playing around with the location of the antenna. But I have it now where it will get most of the HD channels without moving it, so I think I'll keep it where it is until after the Super Bowl HD bash!

This will be a nearly perfect Super Bowl - if only my Colts would have made it this year :frowning:

Thanks again for your help guys!

 

[Jesse Leonard]

That Radio Shack Bow Tie antenna looks REAL familiar :wink: ! It's good to see that you finally put it to use and picked up an HD-reciever.

 

[Michael D. Bunting]

Hahaha! Jesse, I meant to credit you (in name) for providing me the antenna awhile back when you had Gregg Loewen bring it by my place on one of his calibration tours up here to the Pacific Northwest!

If I hadn't already said so - thanks a bunch! I guess these puppies are pretty hard to find nowadays, as Radio Shack may have discontinued them?

Anyways, I'm HD'ing away...but I think I'll probably have to return this Samsung T151 for another one because it has that high-pitched whining sound coming from it when it's powered on. I have read alot of reports here tonight and some of the T151's have the whine and some don't...lucky me, I got one that has it :frowning:

It won't go back until after the Super Bowl though - as I am pretty sure I got the last one at my local Best buy yesterday.

 

[David_Jr]

I just found out in my area, Time Warner has added an HDTV ABC signal to their line-up, just in time for the Superbowl! I turned to channel 502 last night and sure enough there was Damon Wayons in all his widescreen HDTV glory! Too bad I don't watch much ABC... I guess it's time to give Alias a chance!

Ric,
Do you know if it's WTEN and whether it's available OTA? That is pretty exciting news! I thought the Albany, NY area would never see HDTV. Even if it is OTA, I probably won't be able to get it here near Jiminy Peak. Doubt it will come in over these mountains. My parents live in Troy though, maybe I can talk them into buying an HDTV !! Probably not:frowning: !! Thanks for the info though, it keeps hope alive.

 

[Ric Easton]

Yes WTEN Channel 503 with the special cable box. Sorry I didn't respond earlier... been out of town. I work at WTEN and I was pretty surprised myself... It was a last minute deal with Time Warner. They had been working on it for awhile, but weren't sure it was gonna go thru.

Now to see if its gonna be widescreen.

Not sure what you mean by OTA...

Ric

 

[David_Jr]

Ric,
The link provided by Scott B. above shows that WCDC-DT Adams, MA is the only station broadcasting HD locally. Is WTEN also broadcasting OTA or are they simulcasting WCDC just on the cable. Just curious really as I don't yet have the equipment. Are WCDC & WTEN sister stations or something? I live about 10 miles from Adams and can't get channel 19 OTA, so I don't know about 36, the DTV station. These mountains are brutal. Good to know that there is a fellow HTFer so close and also working at a local station. FYI, I searched the WTEN website and the TWC website and could find no mention of them broadcasting HD! Thanks for the info anyway.

 

[Ric Easton]

Dave,

As far as I know,WCDC, Channel 19's signal is an exact duplicate of WTEN Channel 10. It's just another antenna trhat helps widen the viewing area. I did not know that we are broadcasting a Channel 19 HDTV signal Over The Air. Actually, I'm not even sure Channel 10 is. I will check it out though. The only thing I know for sure is, Time Warner Cable in the Albany area is carrying the signal on Channel 503. You need a special cable box though... and of course an HDTV.

My set does not have a built in tuner, so I would not be able to get OTA anyway. So this is a good deal for me. TW does not charge any more for this box than they do for their regular digital cable box.

Ric

 

[David_Jr]

According to that site WCDC-DT is channel 36. Channel 19 is their analog channel. Although I am about 10 miles from the tower on Mt. Greylock, I can't get the analog OTA. I do get WTEN on channel 10 fuzzy but watchable. There is no cable or satellite here but I do get distant analog networks on my DISH. Thanks for the info Ric.

 

[David_Jr]

I will check it out though. The only thing I know for sure is, Time Warner Cable in the Albany area is carrying the signal on Channel 503.

Any Luck with this Ric? Also, any reason why there is absolutely NO mention of HDTV on WTEN's website? That's pretty sad. No one knows they're even broadcasting it.