NE Minneapolis - 2 things: Probs w/Antenna on TV#2, Probs w/VCR on TV#1

[jillnadine]

Greetings!

I dumped Comcast last week and only care about getting the main network stations, which are all in the "green" zone on my map. (My new Qwest DSL for internet at the 6-month bribery rate is working great and less than half the price!) Here's the link:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d3cf4360e761200
I am NOT that good at hooking up these types of things.

I have two TV's:

1) A larger, older one for which I bought a Zinwell ZAT-970A converter box plus an RCA ANT-121R rabbit-ear-plus-loop antenna from Amazon.com after doing some research. I got this hooked up and get great picture quality and more stations than I really ever want; in fact, I deleted a bunch of them. The problem here is the VCR (a Daewoo DV-T30N) - can't get it to work. I believe I lost it on the final instructions on how to connect a VCR - it says to "switch the CH3/CH4 on the rear of the VCR/DVD Recorder to the same channel the Converter Box is set to", then "Tune your TV to the same channel the Converter box is set to (Channel 3 or 4)" -- There is no switch on the rear of my VCR, and I had the program channels recorded on the timer on the converter box - otherwise how would it know what to record? Also, still have the "timer recordings" set the same old way on the VCR - is that what I should be doing? I am ready to just junk the VCR and just watch the few shows I would record through Ch131.com, but I really don't like watching TV on the tiny computer screen.

2) Smaller, more modern TV w/DTV Logo in the bedroom - Durabrand CR130DR8. I bought a cheap rabbit-ear-plus-loop antenna at Menard's, an RCA ANT-111R, just because I could buy it off the shelf rather than wait for an order from Amazon. It only picks up 3 stations, all of them useless and/or creepy. I've moved it around, tried various things but still won't pick up more than those same stations. I'm wondering if perhaps the internal converter isn't as good as the add-on I bought for the other TV, or is it the antenna itself? I'm ready to just give that TV away rather than mess with it or invest more time & money, unless of course I can find an inexpensive and simple solution.

I live on the top floor (2nd floor) of an early-1900's brick 4-plex right in the middle of a city neighborhood.

THANKS IN ADVANCE for any assistance you might offer on these two situations!

Jill in NE Mpls

[mtownsend]

For TV #1)

I think you need to program your VCR to record channel 3 or 4, depending on the channel your converter box is set to. The output of the converter box should go to the VCR's input, and then the VCR's output should go to the TV.

Keep in mind that your VCR has an old analog TV tuner built into it that does not understand the new digital signals. The VCR must rely on the converter box to tune to the digital TV channel and convert it into an analog signal your VCR understands.

You will need to program the converter box to auto-tune to the shows you want at the dates/times they come on. You then also need to program the VCR to record channel 3 (or 4) at those same dates/times. With both devices working together, you can get your favorite show to record correctly.



For TV #2)

Could you check to see if the tuner is set for "Air" or "OTA" mode as opposed to "Cable" mode? The frequency assignments for over-the-air TV channels is different than the ones used by cable systems, so if it's accidentally set to CATV mode, it might be scanning the wrong frequencies. In the "Channel Setup" menu, there should be an option to do an "Auto Preset Ch(TV/DTV)".

It is possible that the tuner chip in this TV is not as good as the one used in the Zinwell converter box. After all, this TV was built to be as cheap as possible for its product niche, and it was also built using slightly older technology (circa 2006, compared to Zinwell's 2008 technology). Your TV signals appear to be very strong, but you probably live in an area where buildings bounce the signals around a lot. This can create a condition known as multipath (seen as "ghosts" in the days of analog television), which can make it difficult to lock on to a digital station. Newer tuner chips do a better job of coping with multipath than older tuner chips, so that might explain the difference that you are seeing between the two tuners.

If you plan on keeping this TV, you might be able to reduce the severity of the multipath by using a different antenna. A more directional antenna like the Philips PHDTV3 or Terk HDTVi (do not use the HDTVa amplified version) is more selective about which directions it picks up signals from. This can help clean up some of the multipath that makes it to the tuner because the antenna can screen out some of the reflected signals coming from unwanted directions. If the signal is sufficiently cleaned up, the tuner in the TV has a better chance of locking on to your channels.

Another way to reduce multipath is to get an antenna on the roof, if possible. A roof-mounted antenna is usually going to be out in the open and above most of the objects that cause multipath reflections. This is a much better way to get a clean TV signal, but might not be a viable option for everyone.

If you are willing to consider an antenna on the roof, you may want to familiarize yourself with the FCC's over-the-air reception devices rule (OTARD (http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html)), which basically grants everyone the right to install a reasonable outdoor antenna for TV reception. Since it is a federal rule, it carries the legal weight to override any landlord, HOA, city, county, or state rule (with only minor exceptions) that might otherwise restrict you from exercising this right.

[jillnadine]

Wow, thank you SO MUCH for the quick response! I will try programming the VCR hooked to TV #1 to Ch 3 - after all, I have nothing to lose! :) I already have the converter box set to turn on to the appropriate channels at the right time - that is the main reason I bought the Zinwell, as it seemed to be one of the few where you could do that.

As for TV #2, I did choose the non-cable "Auto Preset TV/DTV" when I did the channel scan - it could just be the combination of a super-cheap TV and a super-cheap antenna. I really don't watch that TV very much anyway; really just watch 3 shows on network and the occasional special broadcast, all of which I can watch online (just on my teeny laptop screen is the problem there). I think I'll try one of the antennas you suggested, and if that doesn't work I'll just get rid of the stupid TV - give somebody a cheap thrill by putting it out on the boulevard with a sign that says "free - great picture!" and they can go home & hook it up to cable and feel good about their find :)

Once again, thank you so much for your clearly stated advice! Technotards like me appreciate it.

[jillnadine]

IT WORKED to set the VCR programming and the TV to Ch 3 -- excellent! I get a great video recording, but the audio has a really loud machine-gun-like sound clicking throughout its entirety -- you can hear the regular soundtrack softly in the background, but this rapid clicking sound is much louder and doesn't stop. Any ideas?

Thank you!