stb problem (Samsung)
 

I just got a Samsung SIR T351. I connected my comcast feed
(non-digital) to the air/cable coax input. the info
screen displays 'no signal', as does the on screen menu. Ditto if I
connect a OTA
antenna that pulls in several channels. No matter
what channel I go to, I get zero signal strength.
I assume this stb should register any digital or
conventional channel of sufficient strength, is there
a trick to getting this thing to work? I see no switch,
nothing in the manual to suggest I need to do something
other than connect a signal to the input.
Is this thing broken?

Jeff

"Jeff B" wrote in message
...
I just got a Samsung SIR T351. I connected my comcast feed
(non-digital) to the air/cable coax input. the info
screen displays 'no signal', as does the on screen menu. Ditto if I
connect a OTA
antenna that pulls in several channels. No matter
what channel I go to, I get zero signal strength.
I assume this stb should register any digital or
conventional channel of sufficient strength, is there
a trick to getting this thing to work? I see no switch,
nothing in the manual to suggest I need to do something
other than connect a signal to the input.
Is this thing broken?


It sounds like you are looking for NTSC signals which that unit cannot do.
It is an ATSC receiver (no NTSC) that can also receive and decode digital
cable that is QAM encoded (but not encrypted). Note that it can output NTSC
signals (as 480i) even though it cannot receive them. So you cannot use it
all with just an analog cable source.

Now as to why you cannot register any digital OTA signals with it I cannot
say. That is location dependent... and you did not provide any info on
where you area at. There are a number of considerations including what
digital signals are even available OTA in your area; your location to those
towers (distance; altitude), what kind of antenna you are using, the
station's broadcast signal strength, their tower's height, and what
obstacles lie between the towers and your antenna.

Does that receiver have a channel search feature and is your antenna
positioned towards any available towers? (see www.antennaweb.org or
www.titantv.com for help on channels and antenna requirements). I would
start there and get back to us if your still having problems.

Bruce

It sounds like you are looking for NTSC signals which that unit cannot do.
It is an ATSC receiver (no NTSC) that can also receive and decode digital
cable that is QAM encoded (but not encrypted). Note that it can output NTSC
signals (as 480i) even though it cannot receive them. So you cannot use it
all with just an analog cable source.

On the front of the unit there is an LED indictor which according
to the manual "when a regular signal if received, it lights up green".
It also refers to DTV signals in the same sentence, so it is
making a distinction between DTV and 'regular'. Since the only non-DTV
signal is NTSC, I assume regular=NTSC, so the LED should
light if a NTSC is received.


Now as to why you cannot register any digital OTA signals with it I cannot
say. That is location dependent...

I live in Longmont , Co, and there supposedly is a broadcasting DTV
staion about 5 miles from where I am. My only guess is that
when I searched for stations, it wasn't on at that time. The land is
flat in my area, so seems like I should be able to get it
if it's on. Or, perhaps the unit is dead as is implied from
the LED. Monday I will call the stations to makes sure they
are broadcasting. I don't think it is my antenna since it pulls in
OTA NTSC signals when applied directly to my analog TV set.





Does that receiver have a channel search feature and is your antenna
positioned towards any available towers? (see www.antennaweb.org or
www.titantv.com for help on channels and antenna requirements). I would
start there and get back to us if your still having problems.

Yes, antennaweb.org was my starting point.

Jeff



Bruce

Update, 9/7/03 PM

Apparently there is nothing wrong with this
stb. I tried again at about 9 PM, and I get
FOX just fine (KDVR-DT). Unfortunately, there
appears to be no HD on this channel, only SD.
I think the prob all along was that I tuned in at a time when there
was no
xmission. I also get a reading on the signal strength
meter for KUSA-DT, but it is just under the threshold
for getting a picture. No other station save
these two shows any signal
at all. Perhaps in a couple years when all xmitters on
lookout mountain are in service I'll be able to get
OTA HDTV.

Jeff

"Jeff B" wrote in message
...
Update, 9/7/03 PM

Apparently there is nothing wrong with this
stb. I tried again at about 9 PM, and I get
FOX just fine (KDVR-DT). Unfortunately, there
appears to be no HD on this channel, only SD.
I think the prob all along was that I tuned in at a time when there
was no
xmission. I also get a reading on the signal strength
meter for KUSA-DT, but it is just under the threshold
for getting a picture. No other station save
these two shows any signal
at all. Perhaps in a couple years when all xmitters on
lookout mountain are in service I'll be able to get
OTA HDTV.


Jeff,

Glad you got it working! If your receiver will not lock onto a weak signal
a larger antenna with more gain and/or a preamp might help. I assume you
are tweaking its orientation as necessary for each channel towards their
current tower location.

Regarding FOX, the network is not broadcasting any HD at this time. The
best they do is 480p and they broadcast some series and sports in SD
widescreen. FOX has said they will start broadcasting true HD by fall 2004
using the 720p format. Note some FOX stations do upconvert the 480p to 720p
or 1080i at this time. AVS Forum has a great summary of HDTV programming
available at this time at
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=164671.

Bruce

Anything should work better than a TERK
"Jeff B" wrote in message
...


Bruce wrote:
"Jeff B" wrote in message
...

Update, 9/7/03 PM

Apparently there is nothing wrong with this
stb. I tried again at about 9 PM, and I get
FOX just fine (KDVR-DT). Unfortunately, there
appears to be no HD on this channel, only SD.
I think the prob all along was that I tuned in at a time when there
was no
xmission. I also get a reading on the signal strength
meter for KUSA-DT, but it is just under the threshold
for getting a picture. No other station save
these two shows any signal
at all. Perhaps in a couple years when all xmitters on
lookout mountain are in service I'll be able to get
OTA HDTV.



Jeff,

Glad you got it working! If your receiver will not lock onto a weak
signal
a larger antenna with more gain and/or a preamp might help. I assume
you
are tweaking its orientation as necessary for each channel towards their
current tower location.

My antenna, A Terk amplified model, was choosen strictly because it
is offered from Sears, and Sears has the best return policy, 100%
refund for any reason with no
time limit. Since this is strictly an experiment, getting a full refund
was a requirement. I have no way of knowing if a different
antenna would bring in stations that offer HDTV, and I can't get
my hands on one to experiment since no one that offers a refund
also sells, say, the Channelmaster 4228, for example. If I
could bring in either CBS or abc, I would go for video on
my PC cause my main interest is to get NFL and college games
in HDTV. But since I can't get any games at all in
HDTV (in fact, no HDTV programming of any kind) there is no point
keeping the stb or antenna.

It's kinda cool using this thing. I am sitting at my PC typing
this while listening to FOX through PC headphones.
I have my PC monitor connected to PC/stb through
the DVI/VGA ports. All I do to switch my monitor from
stb to computer is push one button on my monitor which selects either
the VGA or DVI interface. So it's easy to switch from using PC to
watching
TV. Still, as I compare my regular TV to computer monitor, the major
difference is that I get no visible scan lines on my computer screen.
But the image is no sharper, not dramatically better than the TV screen.
De-interlacing is nice, but not a reason for me to spend a bunch of
money since the resolution is no better.

And thanks for the heads up regarding FOX on lookout mountain.
I thought that there were no DTV xmitters on lookout,
this totally explains why I get only FOX, and more importantly,
it tells me that I should be able to get OTA when the rest get
their antennas running two years from now. One major reason
for this experiment was to see if I could pull in DTV from
lookout, so your info completes this test.

Jeff