Losing Aereo, need help!

Mr. Tibbs · 27-Feb-2014, 6:22 PM

Well, thanks to a brilliant judge it looks like I will be losing Aereo in a couple of weeks. I would love to set up an OTA antenna, but the report I just generated looks pretty bleak (hence the reason I was using Aereo in the first place). Any ideas on how to pull in channels OTA??!!

Below is the report for my location:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...5b948c89cee346

dmfdmf · 27-Feb-2014, 6:44 PM

Looks bad. What elevation did you enter on the Fool report? I'd keep raising it and see when you get 1Edge or even LOS. This will give some idea of the difficulty. Are you behind a mountain? 48 miles doesn't seem far but something is blocking the signal.

GroundUrMast · 27-Feb-2014, 6:46 PM

West Mountain is a major obstruction.

Do you have a friend or family member in the area with better reception conditions?

Consider a SlingBox or remote tuner connected via VPN over the internet... Or http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=1286 (Be your own Aereo network)

Mr. Tibbs · 27-Feb-2014, 6:49 PM

Yep, behind a mountain. I was hoping there was a way use an amplifier to pull in some better signal but maybe not? This is the exact reason I was using the Aereo service.

I do have some family in Sandy, UT that I might be able to set something up with. I guess I might have to research that out. I don't even know where to begin! Lol

GroundUrMast · 27-Feb-2014, 6:53 PM

I'd start by determining if they would be willing to let you place an antenna and related hardware there... And do they have internet access that can support the upstream rate required to stream video.

I'd be happy to look at t TV Fool report for that location...

Mr. Tibbs · 27-Feb-2014, 6:58 PM

Here is a report for my parents house:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...5b9482ce02cdc3

And here is a report for my in laws closer to the big city:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...5b94e737ab11dc

GroundUrMast · 28-Feb-2014, 5:06 AM

You could have success at either site. The in-laws location is clearly the easiest to work with insofar as signal strength and number of available channels is concerned.

This is a link to the SlingBox FAQ page, http://support.slingbox.com/get/KB-2000571
This is a link to some of the hardware that can connect to a SlingBox, http://www.slingbox.com/go/spcd
http://support.slingbox.com/get/KB-2000463

A Channel Master tuner such as the CM-7001, http://www.channelmasterstore.com/HD..._p/cm-7001.htm would do quite well connected to an Antennas Direct DB2E antenna.

So one solution would be

At the receiving site:

An Antennas Direct DB2E antenna
A Channel Master CM-7001 set top HD tuner
A SlingBox 500

Internet connections capable of 2 Mb/s or better.

At the viewing site:

A Sony NSZ-GS7 GTV

(If you are comfortable with IP routing and setting up a VPN link between the two sites, a SiliconDust HDHR tuner and a PC would be the main components, supported by the VPN routers.)

28-Feb-2014, 7:41 PM

+=>
-----
As the situation is now with Aereo and the Tv Station Broadcasters.

Aereo is receiving and retransmitting the broadcast tv signals with out paying the broadcasters for the signals.

Some Tv broadcasters object to this saying it is theft of the Tv broadcasters service because Aereo is a business that makes a profit.

One solution is that Aereo pays the Tv broadcasters for retransmission rights.

Another solution is the Tv broadcasters pay Aereo to retransmit the Tv broadcasters signals.

Another solution is the Supreme Court rules that Aereo can continue with no changes.

I do not think that Aereo will just give up and go away.

I think it is in the Tv broadcasters best interest to have a business deal with Aereo.

Mr. Tibbs · 21-Jan-2015, 6:40 PM

Well, as the months have passed I find myself still without OTA channels. I could set up a VPN, but my parents, my in laws, and myself are on data plans with the internet services. I would still love to get OTA channels if there is another solution?

Also, who would I have to get a hold of to get some new towers installed to cover the shadow of the mountain that is blocking the OTA signals? I thought the local county commissioners were in charge of this, but I emailed them a while ago with no response. Any ideas?

Jake V · 21-Jan-2015, 7:17 PM

Who is your internet provider? Mine does not scramble the local channels and even throws in some of the cable networks unscrambled (you don't need to buy television from them, it seems to just be there with the internet subscription). Most cable providers do scramble local channels but it's always worth taking a few minutes to check. In your situation I'd investigate the 'broadcast basic' plans from your local cable company and the various satellite providers. I know it's hard to pay for something that is free to most people but you're in a no man's land for OTA.

GroundUrMast · 21-Jan-2015, 7:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Tibbs

...

Also, who would I have to get a hold of to get some new towers installed to cover the shadow of the mountain that is blocking the OTA signals? I thought the local county commissioners were in charge of this, but I emailed them a while ago with no response. Any ideas?

It's up to each broadcaster to decide if there is a need for a translator. The cost of construction would be on the broadcaster. The county commissioner is just there to take a cut of the action by imposing taxes and charging for permits.

GroundUrMast · 21-Jan-2015, 7:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Tibbs

Well, as the months have passed I find myself still without OTA channels. I could set up a VPN, but my parents, my in laws, and myself are on data plans with the internet services. I would still love to get OTA channels if there is another solution?

...

Take a look at the SiliconDust HDTC-2US: http://www.silicondust.com/products/models/hdtc-2us/ It includes the ability to trans-code in hardware (Convert high bandwidth MPEG-2 into lower bandwidth MPEG-4), so that the demands on a VPN/Internet link are significantly lower.

To make use of this will require a layer-2 capable VPN tunnel connection (bridging two Ethernet LAN segments so that they behave as one LAN). The LAN addresses at each end need to be in the same range. Example: If the IP address range at you location is 192.168.0.0/24 (192.168.0.0 255.255.255.0) the tuner at the receiving sight needed to have an address in that range... SiliconDust has chosen to limit the IP stack in this way so that it can not communicate over the internet by sending data through one or more IP routers. I suspect this is to avoid the same legal issues that Aereo ran into.

GroundUrMast · 21-Jan-2015, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Tibbs

Yep, behind a mountain. I was hoping there was a way use an amplifier to pull in some better signal but maybe not? This is the exact reason I was using the Aereo service.

I do have some family in Sandy, UT that I might be able to set something up with. I guess I might have to research that out. I don't even know where to begin! Lol

When the antenna is only receiving noise, an amplifier is only going to amplify the noise. Amplifiers 'push' signal through loss on the output side of the amp. Amplifiers do not / can not 'pull' signal from the antenna or air.

rickbb · 23-Jan-2015, 7:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Tibbs

I do have some family in Sandy, UT that I might be able to set something up with. I guess I might have to research that out. I don't even know where to begin! Lol

I would look at a PC based tuner. I installed a Hauppauge 2255 dual tuner PCI card in a computer 2 days ago. The software than comes with it also has a server that will serve the OTA signals over the internet.

I can watch OTA TV from my home antenna here at work. Or at home on my home WiFi on my phone, or tablet.

You could put in something like that at a relatives house and watch from it. Just a thought.