I have been quiet a long time on this list, but have to add a comment here.
I just bought an integrated 32 LCDTV, HDTV, ATSC receiver. The digital
reception at my house is AWFUL - I have tried using three different indoor
antennas and I can only receive ONE digital TV channel. I live 20 miles LOS
from the transmitters in DC. I can reliably receive multiple analog signals
(no low band VHF, but the high band and UHF are fine). I have a roof
mounted antenna, which significantly improves my analog reception, but does
nothing to improve digital reception - the reflections kill effective
digital reception. The new TV has power meters which helps one point the
indoor antenna to get a signal. I can get reasonable (green) signal
strength, but the tuner will not lock up the signal - too much echo for this
newest generation receiver chip to handle. This has been the case with
EVERY 8VSB receiver tried in my house.
8VSB remains crap. It has become clearer to me over the years that 8VSB was
chosen to let OTA TV die - the FCC wants people to move over to satellite
and cable so that the OTA frequencies can be sold or used for ground mobile
applications.
It will be delicious to watch the powers that be melt down in the days after
the cut off of analog.
We had a chance to do something right (select COFDM) for the nation, and
vested interests blew it for the rest of us.
When it all melts down and people start having hearings on what went wrong,
I plan to be on the witness list, I will volunteer to head the committee
that drafts a new set of specifications for advanced television for our
nation.
Stephen Long