You may wish to search through the OTA forums using terms like "PSIP info" or similar.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/announcement.php?f=81&a=42

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=81

Thanks, I have done quite a bit of searching, I just can't find any info on specific televisions currently on the market that display an EPG.

I did find some discussion in this thread: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=41507&page=11

However, what I was really hoping to generate here is perhaps a discussion on or survey of televisions with ATSC tuners that are capable of displaying a guide from PSIP data. There does not seem to be any info in the forum on what sets are capable of this.

I'm looking for a 32" LCD capable of displaying PSIP program info. I've done a lot of searching here, but haven't been able to find a discussion on which LCD's may support this.
Is PSIP the "info" you get about TV show is playing when you're receiving digital channels OTA?

If that's the case, then my LG 37LC2D-UE displayed that kind of information (Name of channel, Title of show currently playing, and time) when I was receiving certain channels OTA. I assumed that all new TVs with built-in tuners were capable of it. I haven't tested it on my Sony KDL-52W3000 because it's connected to an HD PVR.

Thanks Stargazer, this is exactly the kind of info I'm looking for.

I know that some televisions with ATSC tuners can display the program name, however I haven't been able to find very many reports of TV's capable of this.

Now does anyone else have any additional information on LCD's that can display the program name/guide as obtained from PSIP?

I won't get the LG...my LG plasma has the current program name and that's it...nothing else.

Apparently these PSIP are like EPG and some channels you can get program info for a week in advance. Some even have show detail like who's on Letterman etc.

The LG doesn't have that...the Akai plasma I tried had a good 'Guide' thingie and did all I mentioned.

New Sony HDTVs I've seen display an excellent and informative PSIP EPG.

I bought my father a 42" Hitachi (42HDT79) last Christmas. I have the one year older model (42HDT52). Unfortunately they removed the second RF input on the back of the set, so my father had to get a digital cable box to utilize OTA HD through the RF input (using the internal ATSC tuner).

He finally got around to getting a digital cable box so we could free up the RF input on the television. I hooked up the STB through composite, and connected the antenna to the RF input/internal ATSC tuner. The antenna is just in the basement for now until we have a chance to properly mount it.

The OTA HD channels all come in with good signal strength, yet almost all of them do not look very good. The picture looks slightly fuzzy like a less than perfect cable signal would. The only picture I would consider looking "good" (HD quality) is PBS. I know I am locked on HD channels, but they do not look like HD. The other channels I am looking at are all the network channels (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX etc.)

This makes no sense to me - with an ATSC signal, should it not be crystal clear if the signal is coming in good and not breaking up? With a digital signal, it either works or it doesn't, right? Does this TV perhaps just have a poor tuner?

Are the HD channels you are receiving displaying HD material at the time you are seeing the "fuzzy" pictures? Just because a channel is HD doesn't mean it's programming is 24/7 HD, especially the networks which tend to have HD programming only during primetime hours. PBS-HD also does not show HD content 24/7, but rather the large majority of their programming is actually widescreen upconverted SD.

Also, just for clarity's sake, what digital cable box are you using for OTA? It could be that you have not set up the output resolution to either 720p or 1080i.

the OTA is not going through a set top box - it is being received directly through the internal ATSC tuner in the television. The STB is for the digital (non-HD) cable only. I've clarified my previous post so eliminate the STB confusion - sorry about that!

In response to the post above - yes the channels I was watching were/are displaying the channels in full 16:9 HD.

Your post was very confusing because you stated that your "father had to get a digital cable box to utilize OTA HD" and hence my need for you to clarify this statement. I knew that the digital cable box could not be used for OTA.

The tuner has no effect on your picture quality. The tuner is just a tuner. If it gets a weak sginal then you will experience a lot of pixellation and break ups, but that's due to the signal, not the picture quality.

So give me an example of an HD program that you are watching, on what HD channel, giving the channel PSIP, not the station call letters, please, so I and other forum members can better help.

Yes, sorry about that. The only reason he had to get the STB was to free up the RF input. Thanks for moving to this location :)

The following channels all show the same fuzziness:

29-1 (14-1) "House" on right now for example.
23-1 (32-1) not HD programming at the moment
2-1 (33-1) "Friday Night Lights" on right now for example.
49-1 (34-1) "My Friday Night Movie" on right now for example.
7-1 (38-1) "Womens Murder Club" on right now for example.
4-1 (39-1) "Moonlight" on right now for example.

...and the same channels all look fine on my 42HDT52. I am using a CM4228 and my father is currently using a Wade1483.

43-1 comes in best, and is the only one that looks good compared to my television.

Again, give me an example of a program that you are watching in HD but see a fuzzy picture. Also, what do you mean by "fuzzy"? As in not sharp? Perhaps your father's HDTV is not calibrated properly, i.e.: he has his sharpness set too low (or too high) or his black levels (brightness) are too high giving a cloudy picture.
Just to reiterate, the antenna and the built-in tuner in the TV have no effect on the picture quality, unless you are receiving a weak signal. And a weak signal is not the culprit for giving you a fuzzy picture.

HD programs on at the moment have been added above. It's not so much the sharpness as it is almost like "snow" on an analogue reception (but not white), very similar to a non-so-good cable television reception. Sharpness has no (helpful) effect on the picture - it just worsens the edges when it is set too high.

Thanks for clarifying that the antenna and tuner would/could not cause this. The signals are fairly strong, and like you say a weak signal will result in pixelation rather than the problem I am having. It sounds like it is likely a calibration issue with the television. I'll have to try playing with it more, and may have to rent a calibraton DVD.

Of the shows you've listed above, Moonlight is perhaps the best looking of the bunch. Unwatchable from a pure TV perspective (as in stupid and preposterous) but definitely the best looking from an HD perspective.
Good luck and when you're done anayzing the problem with your father's set, post your results back here to help other members who may be experiencing the same.

Kevin, how old is the cable STB and what brand is it? Is there any way to test run the antenna directly into his TV's RF input instead of that cable box, just to see what would happen?

I'm concerned that the cable box is the weak link, and if you run an OTA antenna into what is normally a cable TV input the box might not be tuning the stations exactly as required, or may be introducing some sort of signal corruption. That's just a guess on my part until you get back to us. I'd really like to know what his TV looks like purely on OTA antenna.

I would not be alarmed at the fox 'fuzziness'. I have seen it at times too, it is their signal (this is WUTV, fox29, right?)
I have watched house/ prison break and it has some fuzziness to it, however I didnt notice it until I had recorded it and was watching it on my laptop (right in front of my face). If you sit back, do you still see it?

Just picked up a Viewsonic 4285p from Costco, get amazing reception, great picture from the 10th floor, Yonge/Eglinton, south facing with an indoor antenna, a cheapy Chateau one.
I think I'm getting all the is possible from here. I get ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, City, Fox, CW, CTV, CBC, Sun...in total autoscan, 16 analog, 19 digital this include sub channels. So i get plenty of duplicates when channel surfing.

So back to the reason for this post....does anyone know where I can get the signal strength from? Is this a menu item or from a separate device?

Thanks.

does anyone know where I can get the signal strength from?OK, we just picked one up today.
Its not exactly obvious.
First, you have to go to the "secret" factory menu.
Menu + 991
you should see some extra options now.
Go to TV->single channel scan (or similar wording)
then when you put in the RF channel # you will get the signal strength in the bar below (and % readout.)

Found this after like 5 mins of playing around (after I read about the menu991 thing online :))
Oh, and turning the backlight down to 40 was another suggestion. Its under the advanced video options.
I'm not sure what most of the acronyms stand for, but I'll look them up another time.

i was wondering, i have my tv set up with an antenna and iam getting the digital channels, but what i what to know is there away to see what is on like a tv guide and can you display the strength of the tv signal coming in. i know you could be able to this this on the rear projo units but they used the wega engine and the d3000 uses the xmedia system thanks

On my V3000 I go into the menu far left and up and choose "Product Support" and in that menu is "Signal Diagnostics."