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Leo and Ashu:<br>
<br>
<br>
One of the problems with digital TV is too much signal can be as
bad as too little signal: both conditions will cause the signal to
drop out. With borderline conditions (back-and-forth with too
much, too little) the tuner will pixelate; with too much or too
little the screen will turn blue or otherwise blank. With
Analog/NTSC the screen went 'snowy'.<br>
<br>
This is why sometimes amplified antennae work and sometimes they
don't. Then there's the length and type of coax, splitters -- and
number (2-way is 3 dB and 4-way is 6 dB).... <br>
<br>
Leo: if the too-much signal is your issue they do make
attenuators. Can be the variable type or the fixed (3 dB, 6 dB,
etc.) type. Sort of getting into a different issue from Ashu's.<br>
<br>
Ashu: <br>
<br>
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<pre wrap="">FIrst - my apologies - i was out of town for the whole week and couldn't reply back. So let me start off by saying that when I put the antenna directly in my TV - i get all the OTA channels (except CBS - channel 2)</pre>
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<br>
Just to drive ya nutz <g>.... The Good News is _any_ antenna
will pick up _any_ signal. Antennae are basically anything that
picks up a signal. They start differentiating themselves with
selectivity. The old 'rabbit ears' antenna was designed to received
the old Channel 2 through Channel 13 VHF TV Band _but_ they will
also pick up the UHF band, just not as efficiently.<br>
<br>
Channel 2 - Chicago is WBBM:<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WBBM-TV">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WBBM-TV</a> ...OK, over in sidebar off to
the right is what I'm talking about: <br>
<br>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_%28broadcasting%29"
title="Channel (broadcasting)">Channels</a>
<table class="infobox">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th scope="row"><br>
</th>
<td><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_terrestrial_television"
title="Digital terrestrial television">Digital</a>: 12 (<a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very_high_frequency"
title="Very high frequency">VHF</a>)<br>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_channel"
title="Virtual channel">Virtual</a>: 2 (<a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Program_and_System_Information_Protocol"
title="Program and System Information Protocol">PSIP</a>)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_subchannel"
title="Digital subchannel">Subchannels</a></th>
<td>
<div class="plainlist">
<ul>
<li><b>.1:</b> <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1080i"
title="1080i">1080i</a> <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16:9"
title="16:9">16:9</a> CBS2-HD</li>
<li><b>.2:</b> <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/480i"
title="480i">480i</a> <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4:3"
class="mw-redirect" title="4:3">4:3</a> Decades</li>
</ul>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row"><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast_relay_station"
title="Broadcast relay station">Translators</a></th>
<td><span style="font-size:85%;">26 (<a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra_high_frequency"
title="Ultra high frequency">UHF</a>) Chicago<br>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WMEU-CD"
title="WMEU-CD">WMEU-CD</a> 32.3 and 32.4 (UHF)/ 48.3
and 48.4 (PSIP) Chicago</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
(I wonder how that's going to upload: as I write this it was
imported as a nice chart.)<br>
<br>
WBBM says they're "Channel 2" because from the Olde Dayz of NTSC
(analog) they were Channel 2 -- at the very bottom of the VHF band.
Now with ATSC (digital) they're at the top of the VHF band. WTTW
used to be analog at Channel 11 so where WBBM is now is one click
higher. The problem in not receiving might be because they (WBBM)
are in the VHF band. Most of the digital stations moved to the UHF
band (Chs 14 to 83 on the old analog sets). [There's a technical
error in the digital interpretation of that statement -- I'm trying
not to confuse you any more than you possibly are.]<br>
<br>
Most "digital TV antennas" are designed to receive the UHF band and
and essentially ignore the VHF band. This might be why your test
connection to your TV did not pick up WBBM. Could also because the
antenna was pointed in the wrong direction, there's a skyscraper in
the way, there's a metal support beam in the signal path, etc.,
etc. You might be able to get around with moving your present
antenna, using a coupler to add a rabbit ear antenna to your present
antenna, or if the coupler creates problems you probably need to get
a UVSJ like I talked about in a previous message.<br>
<br>
OK, back to that chart from WBBM. (Actually it's a pretty good
example of a few other things!)<br>
<br>
Subchannels section. They're all the same main channel, just
different. I sort of think of it as the SCA signal In FM but most
people go 'huh?'. Sloppier example but workable would be the left
and right channels in FM Stereo. The left channel is Channel 2.1
and the right channel is Channel 2.2. (Oh there are so many things
technically wrong!!)<br>
<br>
I'm going to go on to the Translators part. For whatever reason
WBBM has their main signal at Digital Channel 12 (VHF) but they are
also transmitting at Digital Channel 26, which is a UHF frequency.
You might be able to receive them at RF 26 but not RF 12.<br>
<br>
Not trying to confuse the issue but we have a similar translator
issue here in the Quad Cities. (Yes, I'm 180 miles west of you:
Davenport, Bettendorf, Iowa; Rock Island and Moline in Illinois.)
WHBF is Channel 4 and is transmitting on VHF Channel 4 at the
Bettendorf IA antenna farm. They have problems getting that signal
into Rock Island (which is 'funny' because their studios are in Rock
Island) and so have a second transmitter at Channel (RF) 47. We
don't quite have those billion-story skyscrapers <g> but the
reception issues have the same effect. <br>
<br>
Here at the house I pick up Ch 4 with no problems -- the transmitter
is about 2 miles away. I can also usually pick up Ch 47 which
transmits about 4 miles away (lower power, directional). The 'fun'
part is some TVs will see two 4.1's, 4.2, 4.3, and 4.4, some display
as 4.1 (etc.) and 47.1 (etc.), and other TV combine: I have "4.1"
but it could be picking up 47.1. (Good news: in the Backend my
HVR-1600, HVR-2500 and HVR-950Q kept the two separate as 4.x and
47.x.)<br>
<br>
Back to WBBM, I'm also seeing where it appears both of WBBM's
channels are being simulcast on WMEU's 32.3 and 32.4. I'm not quite
sure what station 48.3 and 48.4 are -- WMEU might have a translator.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Somewhere it was stated you have a PVR-150 and other responses said
it was an analog tuner. Won't work because it doesn't know what to
do with digital signals. Hauppauge's HVR-950Q is a pretty good
digital tuner. I'd probably pick up a few, plug them into a powered
USB hub, and plug the hub into a rear panel port.<br>
<br>
I mention I'm using HVR-1600 and HVR-2500. The 1600 is PCI and has
a single tuner. The 2250 is PCIe and has dual tuners (two tuners in
one board). I don't recall what available slots are on your
motherboard. I'm not sure if these would be a good option: they
were really good when I purchased but that was years ago. Tuner
sensitivities have improved since then. Go with the advice of the
others.<br>
<br>
Barry<br>
<br>
<br>
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