George Graves, November 1, 2005 HDTV Solutions People receive their HDTV signals in a number of different ways. Many use one of several satellite services offering HD content, but as the law now stands, it is illegal for satellite services to carry local HD services or network HD feeds. Many more HDTV customers use cable to provide their HD programming. Cable has the advantage of being able to carry both satellite sourced HD content and local over the Air (OTA) HD programming. The third way for HDTV viewers to receive their signals is OTA via a regular UHF TV antenna. This third method, while the cheapest and easiest is also fraught with pitfalls and problems that can make HD very frustrating. 8VSB vs. COFDM
Everything is a trade-off in technology, and which of these two broadcast methodologies is best is largely a matter of what you consider important. In fact, what you might think imperative for a good HDTV system, a broadcaster might not find important at all. COFDM, for instance, is much more tolerant of multipath interference and in-band interference than is 8VSB and is easier to receive, while 8VSB has the advantage of utilizing the available spectrum more efficiently. If you were a broadcaster, you'd likely find efficient use of allocated resources much more important than being able to get a decent picture with a cheaper, less sophisticated antenna. And this brings us to the topic at hand. 8VSB Is Chosen Although 8VSB was sold on its ability to reject multipath interference, the reality is that this aspect of 8VSB simply doesn't work very well. Unless you have a very strong, very directional signal, the results you get over the air will vary between different stations, according to the time of day, outside temperature, moving objects like aircraft and sometimes even cars and trucks. In analog, the signal might fade a bit or get multiple images from some of these obstacles, but little more. With DTV, the signal breaks-up into a mosaic tile pattern or "pixelizes" and a condition lasting more than a few video frames will cause total picture and sound loss often for many seconds. It is imperative, therefore, for those contemplating using a new HDTV set in conjunction with a home antenna (as opposed to satellite or cable) to buy the correct antenna and to install it correctly. Outside is Best, but Directional is Crucial Multi- element UHF antennas are easy to find. Any TV shop or even Radio Shack should be able to supply one with everything you need. If you live close to the broadcasting facility, you can mount the antenna in the attic, but more than say, 15 miles from the broadcast tower is going to require an outdoor antenna. Either way, one thing will be common to both. Highly directional antennas need to be adjustable. In the "old days" rotors were only needed if you lived in an area where the different TV channels were coming from different directions. DTV needs a rotor because the multipath problems of 8VSB may require you to tweak the antenna's position occasionally to maintain decent reception. Rotors can be mounted either outdoors or in the attic. Attic mounts are actually very easy. A pair of 'U' bolts bolted around a length of standard antenna mast and anchored in the roof peak stringer will generally work fine. If you are mounting on the roof, mount the antenna at as high a point as you can find. Use coaxial cable for lead-in. DTV is quite susceptible to in-band interference, and we don't want the lead-in cable to act as an antenna for this interference. Conclusion |
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