Is anyone else noticing more local pixelation?

[rbpeirce]

I used to just get this on my HD DVR and only once in a while. Now I am getting it on my SD DVR as well. It seems to be limited to local channels. I don't know if it is being uploaded this way or if DTV is causing it. Does anybody know?

[PCampbell]

No, Check your signal levels. On a clear day they should be over 85 to 90

[hdtvfan0001]

Perhaps you dish has become out of alignment...any bad wind or weather recently?

If your signal levels are solid at 85+...then there may be some other hardware or cable issue.

[TigersFanJJ]

I don't think it is your problem but definitely check your signal strengths first. It sounds more like it may be on the stations end. Does it happen on all locals or do you only notice it on one or two channels?

[paulman182]

It could be that DirecTV has switched to receiving the digital versions of your locals (as they have done here) and the signal at the DirecTV receiving site is not quite strong enough.

[rbpeirce]

I don't think it is your problem but definitely check your signal strengths first. It sounds more like it may be on the stations end. Does it happen on all locals or do you only notice it on one or two channels?

Signal strength is good. Problem is random. I'll be watching a previously recorded show and it will suddenly break up for a second or two. This does not happen on the DTV channels. I think it happens on all the locals but I don't know if it is on all of them at once.

[jodyguercio]

It could be a problem on directv's receiving end. Have you tried to watch a local station OTA and see if the problem continues?

[tcusta00]

Yes, I have the same problem lately. My signal strengths are very good too.

[rbpeirce]

It could be a problem on directv's receiving end. Have you tried to watch a local station OTA and see if the problem continues?

No, I have not. However, I would have to record one channel OTA and off DTV for a fairly long period of time and hope it broke up. I sense this might take a lot of work for an annoying but minor problem. I was hoping somebody else might have already figured this out.

[jodyguercio]

No, I have not. However, I would have to record one channel OTA and off DTV for a fairly long period of time and hope it broke up. I sense this might take a lot of work for an annoying but minor problem. I was hoping somebody else might have already figured this out.

If it's happening frequently enough a short recording of say thirty minutes would be more than enough I would think.

[Jhon69]

I would believe we will see this continue until DirecTV and the local stations get their adjustments and the digital changeover is completed.

[neocharles]

I was having this issue with cbs last night... it was annoying. my signals were 89%+...

[BobZ]

I also have been having this problem for the last couple of months. My signal strength is in the 90% range.

[texasbrit]

If it's on CBS, problems have been reported from several cities. It's probably caused by CBS using a new piece of equipment; nothing you can do about it, it needs to be fixed at the broadcast end.

[bonscott87]

I have the problem with my local CBS from time to time. But then again they recently really reduced their power on their transmitter and they are in the process of putting up a new tower to go online with their new channel number come Feb 09. Thus I see the issue OTA and with DirecTV (and other report it on cable as well). Other locals have had little glitches here and there as well as they have been doing the same tower work for the digital transition. And again I see it both OTA and DirecTV.

Could very well be the same in your market.

[islesfan]

Have noticed this problem more on our "local" FOX, KRXI "Reno." (The quotes are there because the "local" feed is just a rebroadcast of the San Francisco FOX affiliate, and they really angered me years ago when they were the only station not to give me a waiver 60 miles from Reno where their signal is not at all available, and they were the only local station that wasn't local. Their owner is a real bas@$@d!).

Oh, and our CW has actually gotten worse. They went from YouTube quality to cheap camera phone quality. That station freezes regularly.

[Jimmy 440]

I also have been having problems with WCBS 2 here in NY especially at night.Last Thursday and Sunday nights were bad.There was quite a bit of pixelation during CSI & Survivor (on both nights).Generally WCBS has been bad for quite awhile.There are other threads here on this topic where I reported the same thing.

[studdad]

Having problems with CBS in Spokane. Pixelation, blocking and green screen is constant. Started two days ago.

[phipps]

I have noticed it happening on my local CBS station as well. I just figured it had something to do with the station's transition to digital.

[khark]

My so-called "locals" from Salt Lake City, over 200 miles away have been virtually unwatchable about half the time over the last week or more. At the same time the national channels I have checked were fine.

It seems to be a problem with the uplink from Salt Lake City.

[ThomasM]

It could be that DirecTV has switched to receiving the digital versions of your locals (as they have done here) and the signal at the DirecTV receiving site is not quite strong enough.

I think you've got it! Lot's of pixelation on the Milwaukee LIL's lately and they HAVE switched all of them to the ATSC OTA feed. How do I know? The locals ran another "digital TV test" last week and viewing them on DirecTV resulted in a "you passed the test" message.

Plus, I think I've found a little secret in the DirecTV ATSC OTA receiving site equipment-when it loses the signal completely, you get a PINK SCREEN. With the NTSC equipment, you got a message saying "we know this channel is having a problem-no need to call customer service" or some such thing.

One recent day, the local ATSC transmitter of a local went off the air. The DirecTV feed was this pink screen. I flipped on my new "digital TV converter" to see if I could pick up the channel OTA and it said "no signal", hence my conclusion.

[JDubbs413]

I had major problems with the Survivor finale on WOIO CBS out of Cleveland, Ohio. It has definitely been on the increase lately.

[n3ntj]

I used to just get this on my HD DVR and only once in a while. Now I am getting it on my SD DVR as well. It seems to be limited to local channels. I don't know if it is being uploaded this way or if DTV is causing it. Does anybody know?

Locally (Harrisburg, PA DMA), we've been having all sorts of problems with our HD local channels from D* for the past month or so. Sometimes, an entire program is unwatchable. You are in Washington, PA, so we're talking about different local channels, but looks like our market isn't alone in having problems.

[mystic7]

Same here in Charlotte, NC. Especially FOX lately. It's more digital breakup than compression caused pixelation, though.

[InSouthPark]

Same here in Charlotte, NC. Especially FOX lately. It's more digital breakup than compression caused pixelation, though.

Thought I was going crazy. Fox is almost unwatchable at times. I get a screen full of green. I do have an OTA in my kitchen and fox has been jumpy there as well.

[sundude90]

It is most likely a problem where your local channels come from. I would call that station and see if they know about it. Most local stations have a Directv receiver to check what they are sending out.

best of luck,

JC

[Ken S]

We are seeing the problem on NBC, Fox and CBS out of West Palm Beach, FL. The problem appears to be limited to DirecTV as both OTA and Comcast are not showing the same video and audio issues.

[jsiebold]

I'm here is Lancaster, PA, and I have had problems with only the local NBC HD channel (SD is working fine). It has gotten real bad in the last month, but only with the local WGAL newscast, nothing else. Their station is right down the street, about only 1 mile from me, so I find this very strange and annoying as well. Signal strengths all over 85....

Locally (Harrisburg, PA DMA), we've been having all sorts of problems with our HD local channels from D* for the past month or so. Sometimes, an entire program is unwatchable. You are in Washington, PA, so we're talking about different local channels, but looks like our market isn't alone in having problems.