The HD Broadcast Experience

(From The Yahoo Avid User's Group)

HD just came to my neighborhood along with an 80 GB
TIVO-style device.

Can't wait -- but I'll need to get an HD television

What's the HD broadcast experience like so far?

So far, not so good.

I installed the biggest VHF/UHF antenna I could stuff into my attic (I didn't want to put it on the roof for a number of reasons).
This directional antenna is intended for fringe use, up to 60 miles from the source of transmissions.

In a straight line, I'm about 25 miles from THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING in New York CIty.
[This guy lives in the next town over from me in New Jersey.]

I used the best RG-6 cabling and limited the length of it to only what was needed. I distributed the RF using a 4-way splitter with an in-line RF amplifier to compensate for splitter loss.

I got lots of channels, many of which I'd not gotten at all before
I put in the attic antenna. Signals are strong and ghost-free.
But occasionally under windy conditions, I lose the DTV signal entirely (but intermittently) from some of the digital stations.

This seems odd to me because the antenna is not in a windy location (since it's in my attic) and is quite firmly mounted.

I've concluded that the TRANSMITTER antenna elements on ESB must be moving in the wind, affecting my reception
(and everyone else's).

The United States' HDTV is a joke and is seriously inadequate for quality reception in the home. No one I know has an antenna like mine [okay, maybe Beers], yet even my powerful RF system can lose the HDTV channels amazingly easily.

As more viewers add HDTV to their television entertainment, the more disappointed they'll get. Most viewers will get their HDTV either with rabbit ear antennas or from their cable system.

I lose cable DTV signals when it's windy outside too. I guess my cable system (COMCAST) must be getting the DTV channels the same way I am.

I hope your HDTV experience is better than mine.