Over-the-Air T.V. Reception in Northern Maine (Portland, Bangor: theater, living)

[beltrams]

Originally Posted by NewNorthMainer

I bought a strange-looking antenna at a dollar-mart in Edmunston. It could go in a window, so I got my hopes up. Just as with my state-of-the-art flat antenna, however, I get only TVA and CIMT. BUT IT DETECTED WAGM.

S'all right--I'm watching Robinson Crusoe in French. Why, Lord, can't WAGM go high-def? That will be my Christmas prayer. If WAGM went high def, all my (and other North Mainers) problems would be solved, and I'd have more than one sou en poche pour mon Noel.

Maybe some rich investor can donate the money to WAGM to go high def. Put it on your Christmas list. After all, Santa doesn't have to travel far to get here.

From what I see, WAGM is hi def on 8.1 for network stuff it passes along, but I wish they'd find the $$$ to convert their news studio operation to high def. As it is, they stretch their standard, boxy aspect ratio feed to fit the widescreen format, and it makes all the news folk look fat, never mind what doing this does to Ted's and April's weather maps. Either way, it looks pretty blurry. (How soon HD spoils the eyes for anything less!)

Maybe they figure since they sometimes put the news on 8.2, which for bandwidth reasons, cannot also be a HD channel because 8.1 takes most of the "space" on the main signal carrier, they don't think they need to upgrade the studio equipment.

I wish they'd change their minds, but maybe they can't afford it. After all, I doubt TV ad rates in this part of the world are all that impressive.

[beltrams]

Originally Posted by wordsmith680

I am surprised that there are many areas of N Maine that have over the air TV reception. With the advent of all digital I know of few areas of the UP where any TV even with an additional antenna. A few towns still have a "local" cable but most of us have, if available, Charter with pretty good, but expensive service. I am looking forward to turning off Charter TV after football on Thanksgiving, saving $70+/mo for a basic package. Because some customers turn service on seasonal, they now charge a $30 reconnect charge and $7/mo for the decoder box for each TV. As I type I just thought......the stations from Canada are not digital?

Channel 3 from New Brunswick is definitely analog as sometimes it gets a bit snowy on me (reminds me of my childhood, lol.)

As you all may or may not know, TVs scan for both digital and analog signals and then sort them by the stations' call numbers in ascending order. During the June 2009 digital switch over, most stations changed to a different RF TV channel - most moving higher from the VHF channels (2 to 13) to the UHF band, but the way TVs auto scan now, such messy details are hidden from the viewers. For some reason, channels 8 and 10 elected to remain on their respective RF channels 8 and 10. I do recall that for a while after the switch, channel 8 had reception problems in that their signal did not effectively reach as far as it had previously. I know I didn't get them all that well, but then they changed something about their broadcast equipment on Mars Hill - something they talked about a bit on air - I think they upgraded the broadcasting antenna(s), and then they came in much better.

Back to the analog thing, I was getting Canadian channel 38 as well, but that's since gone dark it would appear. 'Didn't watch it much, so perhaps they said they were moving or shutting down and I missed it.

It's really amazing how many people, mainly younger people, but older people too, don't realize TVs still have RF receivers in them and thus can still receive over the air channels. Set up a contemporary flat screen TV with an antenna, remove the cable or USB computer cord, turn (tune?) the TV to a channel, and you'll amaze the youngings (Heck, kids! Everything else has some kind of radio (Bluetooth, GPS, celluar) built into it. Why not TVs too?)

This all said, again, I seldom watch anything on TV beyond Channel 8's news cast.

[wordsmith680]

Its a long way across lake Superior from here....no analog left for us. Whole new meaning to.....'let it snow'.

[Purplecow]

Originally Posted by beltrams

Back to the analog thing, I was getting Canadian channel 38 as well, but that's since gone dark it would appear. 'Didn't watch it much, so perhaps they said they were moving or shutting down and I missed it.

It seems as if the Canadian channels change their frequencies on a daily basis. I still have that dollar-store antenna on my t.v., and now CIMT comes in on #29 and TVA on #9. With the costlier antenna, one of those two numbers were different.

It's really amazing how many people, mainly younger people, but older people too, don't realize TVs still have RF receivers in them and thus can still receive over the air channels. Set up a contemporary flat screen TV with an antenna, remove the cable or USB computer cord, turn (tune?) the TV to a channel, and you'll amaze the youngings (Heck, kids! Everything else has some kind of radio (Bluetooth, GPS, celluar) built into it. Why not TVs too?)

Yes, it is, but that's probably because most young people from infancy have seen parents fiddling with cable cords.

This all said, again, I seldom watch anything on TV beyond Channel 8's news cast.

Again, this is the one that hurts not having. I'll try to tune the t.v. specifically to 8.1 (rather than simply 8), but I doubt that will help. TVA automatically goes to 9.1, and CIMT to 29.1. The detector on my scanner registers "8," but it is snow.

I don't see how WAGM can be high def at all, though. If I receive the two digital channels from Quebec crystal clear, well, unless there are transmitters in Edmunston, it would seem that a high def broadcast from Presque Isle should be do-able.

[Maineah_For_Life]

It boils down to--ayup---$$$$$

Try WAGM's website for their newscast.

[Purplecow]

Originally Posted by Coaster

On the bright side, you're improving your French for use across the border!

On a more serious note, check with your neighbors to see what they do. I suspect that cable TV is the standard solution. Canadian TV has long been the default OTA programming for your part of the world. And that's an improvement from the days when there was no TV options at all up there.

Well, I'm fit to be tied. On Newegg, the state-of-the-art tech online retail giant, there's a special on--you guessed it--roof-top antennas. $19.99. I'm going to ask (cough, beg) my landlord to let me put one up there, 'cause CBC would be fine by me. The Quebec stations broadcast big national American news and even have a chuckle at the funnier stuff, like "our southern neighbors" getting pounded by a snow storm.

However, I have a question about francophone news. I shielded my eyes when coverage of the latest ISIS beheading began because I don't know if the French-speaking networks adhere to the same levels of onscreen violence. (Please, no one be offended by this. I truly don't know if more onscreen violence is tolerated. Onscreen nudity seems to be, or at least there was lots of male nudity in the great French version of Robinson Crusoe I watched this weekend.)

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by NewNorthMainer

Well, I'm fit to be tied. On Newegg, the state-of-the-art tech online retail giant, there's a special on--you guessed it--roof-top antennas. $19.99. I'm going to ask (cough, beg) my landlord to let me put one up there, 'cause CBC would be fine by me. The Quebec stations broadcast big national American news and even have a chuckle at the funnier stuff, like "our southern neighbors" getting pounded by a snow storm.

However, I have a question about francophone news. I shielded my eyes when coverage of the latest ISIS beheading began because I don't know if the French-speaking networks adhere to the same levels of onscreen violence. (Please, no one be offended by this. I truly don't know if more onscreen violence is tolerated. Onscreen nudity seems to be, or at least there was lots of male nudity in the great French version of Robinson Crusoe I watched this weekend.)

They wouldn't show something like a beheading by ISIS on our TV news. When there is going to be something graphic (though not as extreme as a beheading) there is usually a warning at the start of the report.

[Purplecow]

Originally Posted by Acajack

They wouldn't show something like a beheading by ISIS on our TV news. When there is going to be something graphic (though not as extreme as a beheading) there is usually a warning at the start of the report.

Well, ashamed to say I fell off the wagon, for Dancing with the Stars. Tonight, NCIS. D*mn you, Derek Hough and Mark Harmon . Some thirteen-year-old genius should develop a technology that would slow down foreign-language broadcasts (not that this would solve the Hough or Harmon problem ).

If some technology existed that allowed you to slow down playback (?) speed, then it would conceivably be do-able for people with working knowledge of a language to watch a show. I read subtitles to understand what newscasters say and for some reason generally understand male broadcasters or male interview subjects without the subtitles. Either the men speak more slowly or their lower voices allow for a clearer expression of individual words. But when "ear-words" and subtitles both fly by, you just feel like you're alone on Mars. I couldn't stand it. If only CBC broadcast a strong Edmunston signal...

Anyway, thanks to everyone for the kind and helpful replies.

[Robel]

Originally Posted by beltrams

Channel 3 from New Brunswick is definitely analog as sometimes it gets a bit snowy on me (reminds me of my childhood, lol.)

As you all may or may not know, TVs scan for both digital and analog signals and then sort them by the stations' call numbers in ascending order. During the June 2009 digital switch over, most stations changed to a different RF TV channel - most moving higher from the VHF channels (2 to 13) to the UHF band, but the way TVs auto scan now, such messy details are hidden from the viewers. For some reason, channels 8 and 10 elected to remain on their respective RF channels 8 and 10. I do recall that for a while after the switch, channel 8 had reception problems in that their signal did not effectively reach as far as it had previously. I know I didn't get them all that well, but then they changed something about their broadcast equipment on Mars Hill - something they talked about a bit on air - I think they upgraded the broadcasting antenna(s), and then they came in much better.

Back to the analog thing, I was getting Canadian channel 38 as well, but that's since gone dark it would appear. 'Didn't watch it much, so perhaps they said they were moving or shutting down and I missed it.

It's really amazing how many people, mainly younger people, but older people too, don't realize TVs still have RF receivers in them and thus can still receive over the air channels. Set up a contemporary flat screen TV with an antenna, remove the cable or USB computer cord, turn (tune?) the TV to a channel, and you'll amaze the youngings (Heck, kids! Everything else has some kind of radio (Bluetooth, GPS, celluar) built into it. Why not TVs too?)

This all said, again, I seldom watch anything on TV beyond Channel 8's news cast.

I'm getting Channel 38 (global new brunswick) In HD on 38.1

[beltrams]

Originally Posted by Robel

I'm getting Channel 38 (global new brunswick) In HD on 38.1

Hmmm. Maybe I'll try swinging the antenna a bit more easterly and then rescanning.

I appreciate Canadian news programs more than US national news because the former seems to treat me more like an adult.

Thanks!