Television

[matt]

Here's one for the crowd: I recently made the switch to satellite tv service. My only complaint is that one cannot order local channels from another region. That is, I'd like to be able to watch RI local channels and the Boston stations as well, but with my current configuration, that won't fly.

My question for the group is, does anyone in Prov still use a roof-top TV antenna? If so, can you pull in Boston stations?

Perhaps I'm pressing my luck here, but I'm wondering if I could get away with putting a roof-top antenna in my attic so as to minimize roof-flair and fulfill my WGBH lust.

[gregw]

Here's one for the crowd: I recently made the switch to satellite tv service. My only complaint is that one cannot order local channels from another region. That is, I'd like to be able to watch RI local channels and the Boston stations as well, but with my current configuration, that won't fly.

My question for the group is, does anyone in Prov still use a roof-top TV antenna? If so, can you pull in Boston stations?

Perhaps I'm pressing my luck here, but I'm wondering if I could get away with putting a roof-top antenna in my attic so as to minimize roof-flair and fulfill my WGBH lust.

[monsoon]

If you have a satellite receiver with a digital tuner, mine has it, then you can pick up the digital local channels. They are much superior over analog versions, and you don't need much of an antenna to pick up the stations.

You can go to this site to see what stations there are, and what antenna that you need to pick them up.

[matt]

If you have a satellite receiver with a digital tuner, mine has it, then you can pick up the digital local channels. They are much superior over analog versions, and you don't need much of an antenna to pick up the stations.

You can go to this site to see what stations there are, and what antenna that you need to pick them up.

[Bil]

I have a Terk Amplified Indoor HDTV/UHF/VHF antenna that I got from ebay for about $40, and I get the Boston digital channels from East Greenwich. It was the only way to get the Pats in HD because the bane of my entertainment existence, Cox Cable, doesn't carry CBS HD.

[Cotuit]

If I didn't have 'GBH I would throw myself off the top of MetroLofts. Thank maude I do have 'GBH and MetroLofts was never built.

[Dan]

So for those who have HDTV and can't get Ch. 12 in HD with cable or satellite tv, Ch. 12 in HD can be pulled in with a digital converter or dish receiver?

You can't get CBS (Ch. 12) in HD with Dish Network or Cox. Dish will give you an L.A. CBS station in HD if you want to pay extra, but why would you? You're not getting Patriots games on CBS in L.A., thats for sure!

Can a Dish customer hook up an antenna to the dish receiver and pull in the usual suspects without having to modify the equipment from the satellite provider? What kind of antenna do you need for this? Local channels with Dish are $10 a month or $5 if you have a phone line connected. If anyone understands why my satellite receiver needs to be connected to an inactive phone jack in my living room for it to work, feel free to chime in.

[monsoon]

If you have a modern dish HD receiver then yes. You simply connect an antenna to the input on the back of the receiver, you can tell it to scan for all of the local digital channels. It will go out and find them, add them to the guide and you can treat them just like the channels that come through the satellite. Dish even provides programming information for them. It will add any digital channel, HD or not. When you change to one of the OTA channels it shows a strength bar at the same time the channel info is briefly shown. It usually locks in on any channel that comes in with 65% or better strength. Lower than that it will lose the lock on the station.

All in all, its a pretty nice system.

[matt]

This is pretty sweet. Last night, I connected a set of amplified rabbit ears to the antenna input of my Dish receiver, and I was able to tune in all the (yellow and red) boston and providence digital tv stations.

Thank you guys. The digital stations come in flawless even when the analog versions of those stations are straight snow. I now not only have WGBH, but all the side channels that come with it, and WGBX.

If I can do this with a set of indoor rabbit ears, I suspect I can do even better with a directional antenna in the attic.

[MikeR]

If I can do this with a set of indoor rabbit ears, I suspect I can do even better with a directional antenna in the attic.

[Jerseyman4]

and on good days...Channel 11 out of NYC.

[MikeR]

People who live in far eastern Long Island cannot even get NYC stations via antenna on a regular basis. They pick up New Haven's WTNH Channel 8, most of the Providence stations and Boston on some days.

[Frankie811]

It was the only way to get the Pats in HD because the bane of my entertainment existence, Cox Cable, doesn't carry CBS HD.

[JJK5]

For whatever reason Ch 12 can't come to terms with Cox Communications. I don't know what the problem is, but it will have to be solved before 2009 when all broadcasts must be in HD.

[Frankie811]

I might be wrong, but i thought the requirement was that all channels be digital by 2009, not necessarily HD. There's a distinction to be made there.

[Frankie811]

Hmmmmmmm Now you have me wondering.

[megk]

If I didn't have 'GBH I would throw myself off the top of MetroLofts. Thank maude I do have 'GBH and MetroLofts was never built.

[matt]

So you need a HDTV to recieve the digital signal, right?

[MikeR]

I might be wrong, but i thought the requirement was that all channels be digital by 2009, not necessarily HD. There's a distinction to be made there.