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Originally Posted by dcp12345678
1) Thanks for the detailed info. With your long range antenna, are there any ION affiliates in Charlotte you are able to get? As I said, that's just a really key station for us and one that we typically watch 2 or 3 nights a week with the great syndicated programs they have there. That's really weird that your friend in Rural Hall can get the ION station, since he's farther from Greensboro than we are.
2) It sounds to me like you are saying even a long range antenna isn't likely to be able to pick up ION. Is that correct? I know it depends on area as well, but I just probably don't want to fool with the whole antenna route if I know ahead of time I can't get ION.
3) We currently have the $10 per month broadcast cable service from Time Warner. It gives us the basic channels (including ION). But we have a really old TV. I was told with the newer TVs that this broadcast cable service will look really bad since it's non-HDTV. Do you agree with that?
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If you really want to try over the air, but only with the stipulation that you can have ION, I would keep your cash outlay limited until you find out for sure whether you can get WGPX at your home. Keep in mind, I can't say for sure that you will not get it. However, I can tell you that I live in a very good part of town for over the air reception; and WGPX is the single Triad channel that I cannot get.
As for the person I mentioned in Rural Hall, he would actually be slightly closer to the tower for WGPX. Keep in mind, we are talking as the crow flies with the mileage. And the tower for WGPX is north of Greensboro--not far from Reidsville. So again, Rural Hall would be slightly closer versus an area like SW Winston where I live. At any rate, that signal from WGPX gets very weak as it travels into Winston because the tower in Reidsville is not very high. Plus, their power level is only 95KW.
Here's one suggestion, buy an antenna locally (with a guaranteed return policy). Try to get one of the better ones! Take it home and hook it up to your TV (even if you just try it indoors, or perhaps (very) temporary with a RG-6 coax cable strung outside your window. See if you see any sign of WGPX at all. If you don't, then you will know not to go to the extra time and expense of getting something permanently installed outside or in your attic.
If you decide not to get an antenna (because of your requirement to have WGPX (ION), keep in mind that your broadcast cable subscription for 10-12 bucks a month will give you WGPX. Also, keep in mind, that any new TVs will pull in the HD version of our locals through the TV's built in qam tuner. Yes, this is true. Even without a TWC digital box, if you buy a new TV, you can get our locals, such as WXII, WFMY, WGHP, WGPX, etc, etc, in HD. Basically, when you buy your new TV, you will simply do a 'scan'. This scan will lock in all available channels to include the ones that are available in HD.
Many of HD signals over the TWC system are logical (like overthe air). For example, the true HD version of WXII will map on your new TV to 12-1, WGHP will map to 8-1, WFMY will map to 2-1. However, you will note some of the others will NOT map to their logical (virtual) channel number. You will still get the other locals in HD, but again, not all of them 'map' to their logical channel number. Basically, you have to scroll through your channels (after the auto scan), and find them. Or call TWC and ask them what channel WGPX maps to on their broadcast cable lineup in HD. Or I could easily find out for you.
Believe it or not, the Charlotte market does not have an ION affiliate. So I am not able to pull in that affiliate at all. Like you, I also like ION. I think they have some great movies and other stuff (hate those informericals though). However, for me, it was not a deal breaker. In other words, I was willing to give up ION because I've got plenty of other viewing stations.
One of the cool things I like about over the air is the ability to receive out of market locals (the Charlotte locals). Of course, that would not be true for everyone in Winston. It depends on your location (see your tvfool report). I have ties to that area and appreciate the ability to occasionally watch their local news--and the sub channels their networks have. Through cable and satellite, you are not allowed to watch any out of market local affiliates due to government regulations as it relates to the retransmission of local affiliates over a cable and satellite network.
At any rate, everyone's situation is different. And what is important to me, may be a non-issue for you. Also for me (even though broadcast cable is cheap in comparison to digital cable with a box), it still costs money. And with my setup, I can view all my channels for free OTA.
So just assess what is most important to you and how much the ION station really means to you. Like I said, you might want to try out a antenna (temporarily) without actually having it permanently installed--just to see if your location will grab WGPX (ION). If you can't get it, you could always return the antenna if you buy it locally.
Of course, the other option would be to just keep your broadcast cable, and buy the new TV. At least you would get our Triad locals in HD. Hope my long winded reply helps
PS as to your question about non-HD channels looking bad. Yes, that is true. The new TVs are designed for the new HD signals. So when you tune into a non-HD channel on TWC, it doesn't look too great. But you can always store all the HD channels (which 'map' to your new TV) in your Favorites, using your remote control feature, and forget about the other ones that Time Warner Cable retransmits in standard defintiion (non-HD).