ATSC Tuners In HDTVs (see Samsung Poll)

[rob50312]

My 2 Samsung 151 ASTC boxes from 2003 do not get a guide or even station ID from 19.1.

[tgf]

I was searching for similar "stutter" or "jerky" issues on google with LN32A450 TV's to see if a similar issue had happened somewhere else.

I came across a number of posts about a station in Chicago (WCIU 26.1) from 2008-2009 having "a softwarefirmware problem with our encoding system that affects certain tuners". They had to upgrade their equipment to fix the problem.

The search terms I used on Google were:

WCIU 26.1 Jerky Video
WCIU 26.1 stutter

The reported issues are the same as what we are seeing with CBLT on selected tuners. The matching tuner for me is the LN32A450.

[Bman72s]

Interesting find tgf. I too have a Samsung LN32A450 that has all the stuttering problems. My Sony KDL40D3000 is fine. It is apparent through this thread that only certain tuners are having these problems. It seems to me that someone at CBC should be able to confirm that there was a change made and at least then we will know the probable cause of the problem. Getting it fixed may be more difficult since it is not an across the board issue. I am in the market for a new TV and I would hate to base my purchase purely on whether the tuner can receive CBC properly but that may be the case.

[HWP]

tgf

Good detective work! Maybe someone at the CBC can consult the Chicago TV station to hopefully identify the problem.

[VE4PER_Andy]

I also use Samsung DTV OTA. I also thought it had to rescann to recover lost staions as well. But once I got all OTS stations scanned in the one time, I added them all to the favourites list, then delete the ones I don't watch, but only from the favourites list. They still remain on the channels overall list.

When I initially set up scanning it was auto for BOTH Analog and Digital. So once the favourites list is established I use the favourites list to step through channels; however there have been numerous occasions where stations have dropped off the favourites list but still are in the all channels list; simply using the CH index button on thr remote instead will access the missing channel, then using tools button can be re-added to the FAV lists. If it gets lost from the all channels list as well, then one has to manually select the "actual radiating channel # " from the keypad once the signal is back and available, this will remap to the normal virtual channel and give you the DTV info data; you will have to add to favourites again, and it will again re-appear on the all channels list.

It also appears that once setup, one can manually select a new "actual radiating CH #" and the TV goes there and does a check for DTV or analog and locks in; also remaps to virtual channel if info available and ch is DTV. Use Tools to Add to favourites again, and again the new station gets added without having to rescan all channels again.

Also check carefully when you are scanning for new stations, I detected Computer flatscreen video and it was clearly identifiable on the TV coming from someone's computer flatscreen as an RF radiated signal. Business and government are big on deregulating and doing little to protect against RFI/EMI intereference problesm so beware your flatscreen PC monitor may be monitored on someone elses normal LR flatscreen TV if they happen to scan onto the right channel number when looking for a new DTV OTA station.

I have one station I seem to detect but it doesn't give me full DTV data or analog, it simply puts an asterisk beside the CH number info on the TV screen then seems to drop to display analog snow. But the asterisk stays assigned to the CH Number info. Anyone have a explanation for that???

I also noticed that tuner sensitivities vary widely between TV's and Converters depending on MFR design.

[BOUVAL]

Also check carefully when you are scanning for new stations, I detected Computer flatscreen video and it was clearly identifiable on the TV coming from someone's computer flatscreen as an RF radiated signal

VE4PER_Andy,

Was that on RF channels 3 or 4 ?
.

[VE4PER_Andy]

No it was in the higher channels in the high 20's and 30's

I recognized the wallpaper being displayed and could see other details of the person doing programs on the display.

This wasn't something like a rabbit or VCR analog retransmission; it was actual Rf coming from the supposedly RFI suppressed SAMSUNG 23 inch monitors.

Just like baby monitors will pick up and amplify echoes of LR conversations echoed through hallways of a house and retransmit them to anyone in the outside world with a cheap scanner.

[allenabc]

I had a conversion box and just got an RCA digital tv, 40". I found that I have to run a program to scan in channels. However since the aerial is pointed one way some channels do not appear. I do not believe I can manually add a channel or delete an unwanted channel.(that is what the RCA support people said) To get a channel not picked up I have to turn the aerial and rescan which then deletes the first scan. This takes several minutes each time. Is this normal for a tv? What specs would tell me about these features? Should I get another tv?

[ProjectSHO89]

Return that TV and get a more capable TV set. Some manufacturers cheap out.

[JamesK]

What happens if you manually enter the RF channel number for a missing channel?

[allenabc]

Yes that worked once but then on another channel it didn't work. When I scanned it brought in the channel so I would have to say that sometimes it works! I am thinking maybe the tv doesn't work properly so i might exchange it and try again as the sound is not synchronized to the lips which is noticeable on some channels more than others. I also noticed that sometimes a channel disappears.

[Bman72s]

I have a Samsung LN32A450 LCD TV. For 5 years my OTA reception has been quite stable. For the last 6 months not so. I have a CM 4221 with a cm 7778 preamp. My Sony set is performing as always but the Samsung is hit or miss. I can check reception and signal strength on the Sony and be as usual. Check on the Samsung and some stations are there and some are not. I have checked all connectors and even reversed outputs on the splitter with no difference. It is as if this tuner is no longer as powerful as it once was and it is getting worse.I live in Markham Ontario. All CDN. stations except for CFTO are fine on both sets. I appear to now have problems with it due to a change to VHF. NBC is hit or miss as always but ABC and CBS are now a problem and never were before. The Sony seems to perform as it always has. Any ideas what is going on?

[ScaryBob]

It's possible that the Samsung tuner was always a little weaker. Other things could be going on like antenna corrosion or water leakage into the lines or balun. An increase in local noise or signal blockage by growing trees or new buildings are also possible. I wouldn't rule out preamp damage either. The only way to know for sure is with a reliable signal meter.

[Bman72s]

ScaryBob Thanks for the reply. All of the things you suggest are quite viable but would they not affect the Sony the same way, as it is a single antenna and preamp feeding both sets? Or could the Samsung tuner be that much weaker and now with a minor degradation in signal strength it can't cope but the Sony can? My signal strength on the Sony seems as it always was but the Samsung shows much less. They use to run in sync with each other. I have tried re-peaking the antenna and as I said checked all the connections and balun. Everything seems fine but I don't have an external signal meter to verify completely. Getting a little frustrated. LOL

[JamesK]

It is possible that something in that Samsung set is failing. If it worked well before and no longer is, something has changed somewhere. However, without test equipment, it'd be difficult to check that.