Channel 5 Reception bad. Please help me fix it.

[bigdessert]

My channel 5 is really fussy and bad looking. If i open up wintv and use the fine tuner for the channel and put it at a -3 it looks great.

Now i have tried to use the freqshifter program to change the frequency, but it turns out either worse or no signal at all. So i guess what i am looking for is some help.

If i have to put at -3 on wintv, what frequency should i use for freqshifter.

So base frequency for channel 5 per microsofts site is
77250000L,

to my understanding that means 77.250 mhz. I have tried 77.150, 77.190, 77.210 etc. and all of them look either worse or no signal at all. Please help me if you can.....i have until next weeks lost episode before my wife goes ballistic.
Thanks!

[bigdessert]

please someone help me...i have literally tried everything.

[SPHurley]

What is your ch5 source? Cable TV locks the channels on 6mhz splits in a HRC system. Or is your ch5 of air analog?
2nd what area are you in?

[bigdessert]

It is channel 5 analog charter cable in northern minnesota.

[SPHurley]

OK here you go 77.25 is the visual carrier on Standard Carrier Assignment such as on off air tv antenna.
79.25 would be the VC on a Incrementally Related Carrier system (early cable)
78.00 would be the VC on a Harmonically Related Carrier system (most current cable) Every channel phase locked.
Try these and let us know how it works out.

[gilded07]

Similar problem for me. My local CBS affiliate here in Phoenix, AZ is channel 5. This is for analog, expanded cable (NTSC). I'm using a PVR-150 that has worked great with Directv and a serial tuning cable. Now, w/ cable, the signal on channel 5 is so bad, comskip won't even mark the commercials. I believe the local CBS affiliate, KPHO actually uses 5.1. I know that channel 5 is 77.25 mhz. If this is the case, then what mhz would 5.1 be so I can override using FreqShifter.

Thanx.

Edit: based on the post immediately above, using FreqShifter, I changed channel 5 to 78.000 mhz, tuning space = USA, frequency type = cable, and saved, exited, and restarted. Channel 5 is now snowy with no picture at all. What am I doing wrong?

[SPHurley]

By 5.1 assume you mean digital (ATSC). Ch 5 in Phoenix is using ch17 for the DTV channel. You can't receive it with your PVR150 tuner. If you have anyone that can tune in over the air channel 5 analog have them see if it is clear on their TV. Many of the analog channels have been slow to fix any analog problems and concentrating on the Feb 2009 cutoff date. You may not have a problem they might.

[gilded07]

Originally Posted by SPHurley

By 5.1 assume you mean digital (ATSC). Ch 5 in Phoenix is using ch17 for the DTV channel. You can't receive it with your PVR150 tuner. If you have anyone that can tune in over the air channel 5 analog have them see if it is clear on their TV. Many of the analog channels have been slow to fix any analog problems and concentrating on the Feb 2009 cutoff date. You may not have a problem they might.

I was confused on the first paragraph of my post. See my edit:

Edit: based on the post immediately above, using FreqShifter, I changed channel 5 to 78.000 mhz, tuning space = USA, frequency type = cable, and saved, exited, and restarted. Channel 5 is now snowy with no picture at all. What am I doing wrong?

I've since went back into FreqShifter and reset everything to default I can get the low quality channel 5 picture again. If it is a tuning problem, can you assist in helping me tune it? (NTSC)

I believe my problem is either signal loss or a frequency tuning problem. I've eliminated splitters so that now from the signal coming into my home, it is only split once. One feed goes directly to my cable modem (downstream: SNR=33.7, power level=-2.2, upstream power = 46.3) and the other feed goes directly into my SageTV server with the PVR-150. Using the WinTV software AND watching channel 5 on live TV via the extender the picture is not bad but watching it live via the placeshifter / PC it is not good and comskip doesn't consistently detect the commercials (it does on the other stations).

[gilded07]

I added a 12db amp and ran a line straight from the amp to the SageTV server (eliminating the splitters) and the signal has improved. Comskip marks and skips the commercials and the picture is noticeably improved.

One thing that is interesting is that the picture quality on the SD extender on a 36" CRT TV is better than on a placeshifter PC. The PC has a dedicated CPU and video card so one would think that the PQ would be as good or better than on the SD extender. Not a big deal as I watch most of my live TV and recordings on the TVs.