HD reception???

[Omega Supreme]

I have an Panasonic 50" plasma tv with built-in HD tuner. I have installed a new antenna and can now pickup all of the major networks in HD & it works great (some of the time). Take for instance, the other night I watched Letterman in HD and it looked great. The next night I turned it over to my local CBS station and it wasn't pulling in the HD signal. It was broadcast in HD but it had black bars on the sides. This weekend I was fired up to watch "The Two Tower" and when it came on it would not pull it in. It had the black bars on the left and the right and then it would go HD for a split second and then no picture. It did this for a while and then it went black and stayed black but you could here the sound (Dolby Digital). I changed stations and could pickup ABC, NBC & PBS in HD. My question is, is the problem on my end our the networks end? Does anyone else have this problem? Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks,
Omega Supreme

 

[soundsfine]

Take a look at this web site: http://www.antennaweb.org

It will list the channels available in your area, as well as the type of antenna you need to receive those channels. It may be that you don't have the right type of antenna for some of them.

 

[Omega Supreme]

Its not that I cant pick that station up in HD. Its just sometimes it will not pull it in correctly. For instance; Letterman was in perfect HD on thursday night but friday night it would pull the station in but it had black bars on the sides. Im not sure if it is my tuner in my tv or the local station screwing up.

 

[jmgillespie]

Weather conditions can make stations not come in. I seem to get 22.1 in no matter what, 33.1 in at night time if its not cloudy and it comes and goes until I move the antenna around a little, 39.1 PBS most of the time with some interference in the picture. It seems when there is something good on 33.1 I don't get the channel in but when connan comes on it comes in perfect (I'd rather watch him on SD he is one ugly goofy looking guy with HD lol). Jay Leno doesn't come in perfect but good enough. 15.1 doesn't come in for me so I don't get to see Letterman and I live in Indiana lol.

 

[Omega Supreme]

I dont think it is weather. Its not that i have a weak signal. ABC & PBS are the weakest signals that i receive (30% - 45%) but CBS, NBC, FOX & WB are all between 75% - 90%. It seem like either my tv or the broadcast station is confused about weather it is an HD program or not. For instance when The Two Towers came on it had a picture and the signal was about 80% but there were black line on the sides making it 4:3 and not 16:9. Then the picture would go out, not the sound, and then it would come back on. It did this for about 5 min. then the picture went out and it was only sound. So then i turned over to ABC because they were showing Pearl Harbor in HD and it came in perfect @ 40%. I think it may be the broadcast station. I am getting my signal from Birmingham, AL. If there is anyone in the B'ham area let me know if you were able to pull in The Two Towers Sunday night on channel 21.1. I may not be expalining this very well but maybe someone can figure this out.

 

[hopjohn]

I can't say for sure if this your problem or not, but there are instances when your receiver can act strangely when the signal is too strong, yes too strong. In order to correct the problem you can use an attenuator which lowers the signal a few db allowing it to be received. I'm not sure where you can buy one, because my STB came with one in the box.

 

[Omega Supreme]

If my signal was too strong would it do that all the time. Some times it pulls it in displays correctly and sometimes it does not. I wish i knew someone in my area that receives HD and I could ask if they were able to see TTT in HD. I just dont know anyone else that is into HT.

 

[Omega Supreme]

Anyone else. Anyone... Anyone... Bueller...Bueller. Oh well i guess there may not be an answer for everything. Thanks for the help though. Any other comments are welcome.