What's Wrong With This Picture?
- Thread starter danemodsandy
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Depends on the location. People in metropolitan areas likely got a good signal. Folks like us in a fringe area had less-than-nice reception.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
TV in NYC:
Um, guys, New York City was one of the most goshawful places on the planet for reception in the days when terrestrial broadcasting was the only game in town for end-users.
Lots of very tall, very large buildings, largely made of steel, with street-wide canyons between them.
Signals bounced, got obstructed, slithered, slid and did the Bunny Hop. Central antennae on large buildings could provide decent reception, but many people just had to accept iffy reception as a way of life.
I feel that the reception effects in Mad Men are a bit exaggerated, but it's also true that it was not easy to get good, clean signal in the Manhattan of the time.
Um, guys, New York City was one of the most goshawful places on the planet for reception in the days when terrestrial broadcasting was the only game in town for end-users.
Lots of very tall, very large buildings, largely made of steel, with street-wide canyons between them.
Signals bounced, got obstructed, slithered, slid and did the Bunny Hop. Central antennae on large buildings could provide decent reception, but many people just had to accept iffy reception as a way of life.
I feel that the reception effects in Mad Men are a bit exaggerated, but it's also true that it was not easy to get good, clean signal in the Manhattan of the time.
Yeah, but the exaggeration is almost comical- and while I don't expect anyone on the crew to know how a TV works (you don't get that kind of a picture 'failure' due to poor reception), I'd hope at least someone grew up with a b&w set with rabbit ears.
I mean, we're not just talking about reception in NY, every time a TV is shown, whether in the 'burbs, a bar, or on vacation, it's the same thing. A quick search to try to find an example pic reveals I'm not the only one with a gripe about that. I think it bugs me more than that Servel ; )
(We'll also ignore this little faux pas from season 6)
I mean, we're not just talking about reception in NY, every time a TV is shown, whether in the 'burbs, a bar, or on vacation, it's the same thing. A quick search to try to find an example pic reveals I'm not the only one with a gripe about that. I think it bugs me more than that Servel ; )
(We'll also ignore this little faux pas from season 6)
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Cory:
I don't disagree.
While we're at it, what about that Harvest Gold MM series Mixmaster seen in Season Two, which depicts 1962? And the side marker lights seen on every Checker cab I've seen in the series so far? Those were a safety feature mandated for the 1968 model year. That'd be okay for the last two seasons, but not the first five.
[this post was last edited: 11/24/2014-11:57]
I don't disagree.
While we're at it, what about that Harvest Gold MM series Mixmaster seen in Season Two, which depicts 1962? And the side marker lights seen on every Checker cab I've seen in the series so far? Those were a safety feature mandated for the 1968 model year. That'd be okay for the last two seasons, but not the first five.
[this post was last edited: 11/24/2014-11:57]
brib68
Well-known member
Brady Excess!
OK, I was able to defend Betty Draper's 2 coffee pots, but watched a season 2 ep of The Brady Bunch with THREE visible coffee pots: one electric percolator, the aforementioned Corning cornflower, and a smallish avocado-green painted or enameled stove-top one. Plus, one would assume that the large, patterned pot I mentioned earlier must have been lurking somewhere! That's just excessive...or one of our members' collections!
Unrelated, just watched the ghost town episode (start of season 3)...Mike paid $6.50 to fill up the tank on the full-size Plymouth station wagon--including all the kids' sodas. (The attendant asked him to pay in cash.) I just about cried.
OK, I was able to defend Betty Draper's 2 coffee pots, but watched a season 2 ep of The Brady Bunch with THREE visible coffee pots: one electric percolator, the aforementioned Corning cornflower, and a smallish avocado-green painted or enameled stove-top one. Plus, one would assume that the large, patterned pot I mentioned earlier must have been lurking somewhere! That's just excessive...or one of our members' collections!
Unrelated, just watched the ghost town episode (start of season 3)...Mike paid $6.50 to fill up the tank on the full-size Plymouth station wagon--including all the kids' sodas. (The attendant asked him to pay in cash.) I just about cried.
TV Reception ...
"Um, guys, New York City was one of the most goshawful places on the planet for reception in the days when terrestrial broadcasting was the only game in town for end-users."
Well, then NOBODY in America must have gotten this fabled crystal-clear reception.
I grew up in a "metropolitan" area, and at best you got one REALLY good channel (with a tiny bit of snow) ... maybe two ... but you pretty much lived with ghost images and fuzz as part of the television experience until cable came to town.
"Um, guys, New York City was one of the most goshawful places on the planet for reception in the days when terrestrial broadcasting was the only game in town for end-users."
Well, then NOBODY in America must have gotten this fabled crystal-clear reception.
I grew up in a "metropolitan" area, and at best you got one REALLY good channel (with a tiny bit of snow) ... maybe two ... but you pretty much lived with ghost images and fuzz as part of the television experience until cable came to town.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Matt:
No, in less built-up areas, you could get very good reception indeed if you had the right antenna for conditions.
I grew up in Atlanta, on the southernmost edge of town. Not a "fringe" area, but not close-in, either. We had a rooftop antenna with a rotator, and got absolutely wonderful reception for our 1955 RCA Seville 21 color set - a "roundie" with the CTC-4 chassis.
The small, much more modern 1967 RCA 12-inch B & W portable shared by my brother and me was a whole different story - it had a single rabbit ear, plus a loop antenna for UHF. Reception was iffy on it, with weather having a huge bearing on the situation. We got ghosting and snow a fair amount of the time.
But the big color set was clear as a bell, on all channels, with the correct rotation of the antenna.
No, in less built-up areas, you could get very good reception indeed if you had the right antenna for conditions.
I grew up in Atlanta, on the southernmost edge of town. Not a "fringe" area, but not close-in, either. We had a rooftop antenna with a rotator, and got absolutely wonderful reception for our 1955 RCA Seville 21 color set - a "roundie" with the CTC-4 chassis.
The small, much more modern 1967 RCA 12-inch B & W portable shared by my brother and me was a whole different story - it had a single rabbit ear, plus a loop antenna for UHF. Reception was iffy on it, with weather having a huge bearing on the situation. We got ghosting and snow a fair amount of the time.
But the big color set was clear as a bell, on all channels, with the correct rotation of the antenna.
Gee. I guess my post was missed by some. I grew up in Brooklyn and we had FINE reception. In fact, at my relatives homes the channels came in great. And they lived in 2nd or 3rd floor apartments. Granted, we were only 2 miles or so from the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center, but we never experienced the bad reception being portrayed on MM. I guess we all must had been lucky.
I second that, her in Mid MI we always had excellent reception. Clear, sharp and solid, plus with a rotor we had the choice of 3 separate markets, I still do. With digital I get 40+ OTA channels depending on how I aim my antenna - yes I still do have one but it’s rarely used.
We also had fun with the skip, I recall watching a Florida station here in Michigan one summer, but that is another topic.
We also had fun with the skip, I recall watching a Florida station here in Michigan one summer, but that is another topic.
Back in 1973, my parents bought a vacation home in a small town in Puerto Rico. My dad went out to Western Auto and got their top antenna and rotor (I remember the selector made a loud clicking sound as it rotated). Anyway most of the broadcast channels were a good 50 miles away, and they all came in crystal clear while many neighbors got snow. And yes, while distance and terrain can effect reception, it also all really depends on the equipment you have.
I installed cable 20 years ago at the vacation house and disconnected the old antenna. But turning the service on and off every time we were here was a PIA. Not to mention being raped every month by the cable company. So I bought a Winegard HD7689P with a new rotor. I manage to pull in 32 channels. I should had done this long ago.
vintagekitchen
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kentucky reception left something to be desired..
With all the hills and valleys, central Kentucky was and still is a reception nightmare.
In the 80s, we you got 3 channels in this area, 4 if you were lucky about where your house was and the height of your antenna. Everyone could get 29 (PBS), and 34 (Local Station), even with rabbit ears.
An outdoor antenna got you channel 13 (ABC). A tall outdoor antenna got you channel 56 (FOX).
People with a bit of extra cash had 50 foot antenna towers, and could get a few additional stations, such as NBC and CBS.
All of the channels except 29 and 34 were snowy and had ghosting at times, some of them wouldn't come in during bad weather, and this was with powered antenna boosters and rotors to turn the antenna. But it was at least free.
Since digital, I lost access to ABC and FOX. Before they were snowy, but watchable. Now, they are gone. Channel 34 is no longer a local, it is the CW, and its reception lags and stutters. But 29 (PBS) and its 2 subchannels come in fine, and by some magic I also get 22, and its 2 subchannels (also PBS, but one subchannel is CREATE) and channel 20, another CW.
I say give me back analog, snowy reception and more networks. Not loving digital.
With all the hills and valleys, central Kentucky was and still is a reception nightmare.
In the 80s, we you got 3 channels in this area, 4 if you were lucky about where your house was and the height of your antenna. Everyone could get 29 (PBS), and 34 (Local Station), even with rabbit ears.
An outdoor antenna got you channel 13 (ABC). A tall outdoor antenna got you channel 56 (FOX).
People with a bit of extra cash had 50 foot antenna towers, and could get a few additional stations, such as NBC and CBS.
All of the channels except 29 and 34 were snowy and had ghosting at times, some of them wouldn't come in during bad weather, and this was with powered antenna boosters and rotors to turn the antenna. But it was at least free.
Since digital, I lost access to ABC and FOX. Before they were snowy, but watchable. Now, they are gone. Channel 34 is no longer a local, it is the CW, and its reception lags and stutters. But 29 (PBS) and its 2 subchannels come in fine, and by some magic I also get 22, and its 2 subchannels (also PBS, but one subchannel is CREATE) and channel 20, another CW.
I say give me back analog, snowy reception and more networks. Not loving digital.
Here in northern New Jersey the New York City TV stations came in perfect with our roof antenna. When we got cable I noticed the picture was not quite as good as it was from the antenna.
Ken D.
Ken D.
I don't remember any of our TVs having bad reception, except in the case of something wrong with that particular set.
We had a roof top antenna that was mounted to the chimney (no rotor), and we received all three Cincinnati (30+ miles SW) VHF stations (5, 9 & 12), and a couple UHF stations (19 & 48) when we got a set equiped for it. In addition we would get a couple Dayton (45+ miles NW) VHF stations from (2 & 7), though 2 sometimes was not as clear depending on weather conditions. Occasionally we would also get stations from Columbus, Louisville and Indianapolis.
Sometime in the early 80's my parents decided to get cable, so the antenna was removed.
We had a roof top antenna that was mounted to the chimney (no rotor), and we received all three Cincinnati (30+ miles SW) VHF stations (5, 9 & 12), and a couple UHF stations (19 & 48) when we got a set equiped for it. In addition we would get a couple Dayton (45+ miles NW) VHF stations from (2 & 7), though 2 sometimes was not as clear depending on weather conditions. Occasionally we would also get stations from Columbus, Louisville and Indianapolis.
Sometime in the early 80's my parents decided to get cable, so the antenna was removed.
