I had an old ON TV box in my basement until a couple of years ago when I decided (reluctantly) to give it a proper burial in a dumpster after a massive bottom to top housecleaning. There were a few tears as I bid a wonderful part of my childhood goodbye. I miss the days of ON TV.
Cool. It was really sad when they made me remove the music that was orginally aired, Touchdown from Bob James. I could see if I was profiting from this, they would want me to remove it. Anyhow... :(
Thank you for mentioning that particular song, as I have been trying to find out what it was that played on channel 44 when it when to on tv for about the last twenty years.
When my family first got it in Caalifornia in mid 1982,we were able to watch adults only programming without a extra fee for quite some. I saw titles like "Garage Girls" & "Easy". They eventually did charge extra for it.
I LOVED ONTV back in the day - my sister had ONTV in Los Angeles, CA - in Albuquerque, NM, where I lived, the OTA "Subscription" system was called Limelight. In LA, ONTV would NOT install their system in any home that owned a VCR! It was a flat out rule of theirs - if you owned a VCR, NO ONTV FOR YOU!
BTW, in LA, ONTV's movies were played via Sony U-Matic's. Limelight in Abq also used U-Matic. No full NTSC color resolution for anyone! :(
Sorry gang. The original song from Bob James Touchdown had to be removed because of copyright infringement. I could understand if I was profiting from this that I would be infringing, but since I was only trying to preserve history and play the music that ONTV used well i guess I am a criminal. Who knows maybe someone went out and bought the CD because they liked the song. After this infringement thing I would return it. :)
I remember this! My godfather's son had it and I was watching "Stripes" with Bill Murray. It's amazing how far cable has come. Personally, I think it's TOO MANY cable channels these days. Lot od channels with nothing really worth watching IMHO.
Did you use a "homebrew" decoder like I used in those days? I watched ON TV when Preview in Worcester broadcasted it in 1984-1985 on my rigged Zenith SSAVI. BEST/StarCase/Star was seen on my totally homebrew "Channel 68" box based on the infamous LM1800 demodulator IC.
Yes I built a decoder from a kit. One thing I notice though is that most of the people that had ONTV had a lot of ghosting. I didnt have any ghosting at all on my reception. It must have been because I lived so far away.
Antenna pointing had a lot to do with it. I used a "hot-wired" Zenith SSAVI-1 decoder. i also got a hold of the coveted Zenith decoder service manual so that reverse-engineering was a snap. The decoder used the exact same tuner & IF section that were used in Zenith System 3 TV sets made during that time...just munus the VHF receiver components (known as part number 9-151-03C). I still have many parts of that scrambling system memorized. pins shorted on 2 chips, jumper on diode, PROM removed...
SSAVI was the acronym of "Sync Suppression and Active Video Inversion" Zenith's decoder used that combanation of scrambling to make it difficult to build a descrambler so that the "economics of the system was not in jeopardy" I read this in my official Zenith SSAVI-1 technical service manual (which I acquired a bootleg copy back when I used to work at Sanders in New Hampshire...which I got from "some guy" who got a copy from "some guy" (you know how that works)
SSAVI signals contained a 26 bit datastream in the vertical blanking bar that contained video codes (sync or inverted video commands), tier codes and service area codes. That controlled the bilateral switches that controlled sync, normal/inverted video and on/off. the main receiver in the box was identical to the one used in Zenith System 3 TVs minus VHF receiver circuitry. Varactor tuner controlled the received UHF channel, the other board had the decoder circuitry. RF Modulator output @ ch. 3
Antenna pointing has LOTS to do with ghosting. I pulled a whopping signal from WSMW Channel 27 so my Preview signal was pretty good. My StarCase decoder - which most likely used the similar scrambling as Chicago's ONTV had some video noise in the audio - most likely because the sync pilot signal was detected from the audio outpit along with the program audio subcarrier...still it worked well. I had a lot of fun with that setup. I built that decoder from scratch while I was still in high school.
Looking at your "scrambled" video, I noticed that you did not have SSAVI (lack if 26 white squares in the vertical blanking pulse). You probably had the "WQTV Channel 68" style signal (extracting the horizontal syunc from a 31.5 KHz subcarrier as well as the "program" audio - filtering out the "barker" audio. That was a much simpler design. I "modded" turned-off SSAVI decoders for my "Preview" programming (we had 2 STV stations here in New England). Got the porn programming as well.
hey bud, if you can't convert your Preview Clips to digital...maybe you can use a camera and film it off your tv like a lot of people do in here. Would love to see any StarCase or Preview stuff you have!
we had s service like this in cleveland it was on channel 61. the audio was scrambled and the video was too. i remember my whole neighbourhood had these boxes on their doorsteps when cablevision came along (now time warner) and it became debunked.
i was a weeeeeeeeee lad during this time but i will miss our house. we had a community pool and a basement! i tried watching this service by playing with the fine tuning on my ZENITH tv we had downstairs.
The scrambled video is the oak sinewave scrambling that ONTV used. If you want to see the SSAVI (Sync Suppressed and Video Inversion)thats what Spectrum used. See Drripco's videos of Spectrum and you'll see that on there when they scramble at the end of the videos.
I remember the sinewave method. That's relatively simple method. WQTV 68 used "gated sync suppression" using a pilot subcarrier in the audio. Blonder-Tongue labs developed that system. The program audio came from a speaker in the box. My homebrew decoder utilized the TV's speaker (I hardwired into the TV at the audio output so I incorporated 2 jacks onto the back of the set and the switch on the decoder transferred the audio leads between normal tv/scrambled tv. the TV stayed on UHF 68. not ch.3
I have some but I need a video card to convert my stuff to digital. I have Preview intros, signoff, WSMW Channel 27 Worcester MA slides and some technical announcements...including NiteView...Music ON Video and On the Air with Roger and Roger.
Fantastic job, boomer. And Fuzzy approves so that's also a good sign. The music was a very nice touch to the video. RIP WSNS-TV 44(1970-1980) & WSNS/ONTV 44(1980-1985)
I really appreciate the comments guys! I really wanted to put something together that reflected how i felt about this. This was a part of my childhood and was really cool to have. Another thing was the fact that I lived out here in the sticks of Rockford. I actually called ONTV to subscribe and they told me I couldn't so I went out and got the "box" and had it then. I was 16 at the time and just having the signal from Chicago was from a 70ft tower.
I painted houses and save my money and got the tower. Then actually having the service was very cool. You just couldn't get it here otherwise. It made you feel like an elitist.
I also wanted to have the original signon music, The Signon that Fuzzy has was later 84-85. It's great that you can keep things on here alive from your childhood. Thanks guys once again, and as usual any ONTV video is appreciated. More Please!!!!! :) Eric
My area was beyond their subscription territory. I had a Winegard UHF translator antenna with the Winegard cartridge high gain low noise preamp on 30 feet of mast poking up above a 50 foot tree. My receptioon was awesome. I then amplified the signal once again before going into the decoder. Dumpster diving Warner Cable gave me an endless supply of coax, connectors, splitters and impedance transformers (I had twinlead antenna inputs on the TV)
I had an old ON TV box in my basement until a couple of years ago when I decided (reluctantly) to give it a proper burial in a dumpster after a massive bottom to top housecleaning. There were a few tears as I bid a wonderful part of my childhood goodbye. I miss the days of ON TV.
MsSissiePooh 2 weeks ago
my Uncle still has his old On tv box
batwayne62 1 year ago
Cable TV has come a long way.
atworkstation 1 year ago
I still have the original if anyone wants it. in flv format. good thing I downloaded it when I did.
Binfordman 2 years ago
i downloaded the video before it got nuked.
kargaroc386 2 years ago
Cool. It was really sad when they made me remove the music that was orginally aired, Touchdown from Bob James. I could see if I was profiting from this, they would want me to remove it. Anyhow... :(
boomer933 2 years ago
Thank you for mentioning that particular song, as I have been trying to find out what it was that played on channel 44 when it when to on tv for about the last twenty years.
DarkestLord 2 years ago
Yeah, see I knew I wasn't nuts. That was the music I remembered then using when I was a kid....
averypack13 2 years ago
ONTV was awesome! One thing,though.
When my family first got it in Caalifornia in mid 1982,we were able to watch adults only programming without a extra fee for quite some. I saw titles like "Garage Girls" & "Easy". They eventually did charge extra for it.
rickjr37 2 years ago
Wow - clips from DC CAB!
VideoNitekatt 2 years ago
I LOVED ONTV back in the day - my sister had ONTV in Los Angeles, CA - in Albuquerque, NM, where I lived, the OTA "Subscription" system was called Limelight. In LA, ONTV would NOT install their system in any home that owned a VCR! It was a flat out rule of theirs - if you owned a VCR, NO ONTV FOR YOU!
BTW, in LA, ONTV's movies were played via Sony U-Matic's. Limelight in Abq also used U-Matic. No full NTSC color resolution for anyone! :(
lovemylogics 3 years ago
Thanks for the comment. I just wish i could have kept the original music. thanks for the history also for ONTV in LA.
Eric
boomer933 3 years ago
Sorry gang. The original song from Bob James Touchdown had to be removed because of copyright infringement. I could understand if I was profiting from this that I would be infringing, but since I was only trying to preserve history and play the music that ONTV used well i guess I am a criminal. Who knows maybe someone went out and bought the CD because they liked the song. After this infringement thing I would return it. :)
boomer933 3 years ago
That's OK...Like Preview, I 'Limewired" the song and I can dub it over and listen to that while watc hing the video.
skiggley 2 years ago
lol...i remember this!
djlahawk 3 years ago
Yes, The ALBUM is on CD now, this brings back memories, but then again, i was a weeeeeeee lad back then. (rob under another nick)
I hope ON makes a comeback 'cause tv today sucks! and I wouldn't mind getting an antenna and a digital decoder that unscrambled the signals.
"this is ontv..chicago"
"this is prevue.. cleveland's pay tv service"
or something like that.
-Rob
Binfordman 3 years ago
Bravo! What memories this brings. I was quite young, but I so remember OnTv!
lilmizmoore1127 3 years ago 2
Thank You! I am very proud of this!
Eric
boomer933 3 years ago
Does anyone know if this music is available on CD,it's cool.
OpenArmsRoxxAgain 4 years ago
yeah it is.
Kargaroc286 3 years ago
I remember this! My godfather's son had it and I was watching "Stripes" with Bill Murray. It's amazing how far cable has come. Personally, I think it's TOO MANY cable channels these days. Lot od channels with nothing really worth watching IMHO.
jericho4004 4 years ago 3
this song is by Bob James-Touchdown
rays130226 4 years ago
can u please send me the music?
Kargaroc286 4 years ago
Did you use a "homebrew" decoder like I used in those days? I watched ON TV when Preview in Worcester broadcasted it in 1984-1985 on my rigged Zenith SSAVI. BEST/StarCase/Star was seen on my totally homebrew "Channel 68" box based on the infamous LM1800 demodulator IC.
skiggley 4 years ago
Yes I built a decoder from a kit. One thing I notice though is that most of the people that had ONTV had a lot of ghosting. I didnt have any ghosting at all on my reception. It must have been because I lived so far away.
Eric
boomer933 4 years ago
Antenna pointing had a lot to do with it. I used a "hot-wired" Zenith SSAVI-1 decoder. i also got a hold of the coveted Zenith decoder service manual so that reverse-engineering was a snap. The decoder used the exact same tuner & IF section that were used in Zenith System 3 TV sets made during that time...just munus the VHF receiver components (known as part number 9-151-03C). I still have many parts of that scrambling system memorized. pins shorted on 2 chips, jumper on diode, PROM removed...
skiggley 4 years ago
What's "SSAVI" mean?
Kargaroc286 4 years ago
SSAVI was the acronym of "Sync Suppression and Active Video Inversion" Zenith's decoder used that combanation of scrambling to make it difficult to build a descrambler so that the "economics of the system was not in jeopardy" I read this in my official Zenith SSAVI-1 technical service manual (which I acquired a bootleg copy back when I used to work at Sanders in New Hampshire...which I got from "some guy" who got a copy from "some guy" (you know how that works)
skiggley 4 years ago
SSAVI signals contained a 26 bit datastream in the vertical blanking bar that contained video codes (sync or inverted video commands), tier codes and service area codes. That controlled the bilateral switches that controlled sync, normal/inverted video and on/off. the main receiver in the box was identical to the one used in Zenith System 3 TVs minus VHF receiver circuitry. Varactor tuner controlled the received UHF channel, the other board had the decoder circuitry. RF Modulator output @ ch. 3
skiggley 4 years ago
Antenna pointing has LOTS to do with ghosting. I pulled a whopping signal from WSMW Channel 27 so my Preview signal was pretty good. My StarCase decoder - which most likely used the similar scrambling as Chicago's ONTV had some video noise in the audio - most likely because the sync pilot signal was detected from the audio outpit along with the program audio subcarrier...still it worked well. I had a lot of fun with that setup. I built that decoder from scratch while I was still in high school.
skiggley 4 years ago
Looking at your "scrambled" video, I noticed that you did not have SSAVI (lack if 26 white squares in the vertical blanking pulse). You probably had the "WQTV Channel 68" style signal (extracting the horizontal syunc from a 31.5 KHz subcarrier as well as the "program" audio - filtering out the "barker" audio. That was a much simpler design. I "modded" turned-off SSAVI decoders for my "Preview" programming (we had 2 STV stations here in New England). Got the porn programming as well.
skiggley 4 years ago
hey bud, if you can't convert your Preview Clips to digital...maybe you can use a camera and film it off your tv like a lot of people do in here. Would love to see any StarCase or Preview stuff you have!
hothogalex 4 years ago
we had s service like this in cleveland it was on channel 61. the audio was scrambled and the video was too. i remember my whole neighbourhood had these boxes on their doorsteps when cablevision came along (now time warner) and it became debunked.
i was a weeeeeeeeee lad during this time but i will miss our house. we had a community pool and a basement! i tried watching this service by playing with the fine tuning on my ZENITH tv we had downstairs.
robl27 3 years ago
The scrambled video is the oak sinewave scrambling that ONTV used. If you want to see the SSAVI (Sync Suppressed and Video Inversion)thats what Spectrum used. See Drripco's videos of Spectrum and you'll see that on there when they scramble at the end of the videos.
Eric
boomer933 4 years ago
I remember the sinewave method. That's relatively simple method. WQTV 68 used "gated sync suppression" using a pilot subcarrier in the audio. Blonder-Tongue labs developed that system. The program audio came from a speaker in the box. My homebrew decoder utilized the TV's speaker (I hardwired into the TV at the audio output so I incorporated 2 jacks onto the back of the set and the switch on the decoder transferred the audio leads between normal tv/scrambled tv. the TV stayed on UHF 68. not ch.3
skiggley 4 years ago
That music is Awesome,cool 80's synthesizer and sax!
SweetLemon2008 4 years ago
Remember it like yesterday, same music (Bob James "Touchdown")from scrabble board when ontv was signing on.
bellydancer1970 4 years ago
scrabble bord!!!???
Kargaroc286 4 years ago
Wonderful..... kind of bummed there is no new material tho, otherwise excellent...
I hope this inspires people on YouTube to post more ONTV stuff....... I loved this channel maybe even more than you
Wildcock23 4 years ago
I have some but I need a video card to convert my stuff to digital. I have Preview intros, signoff, WSMW Channel 27 Worcester MA slides and some technical announcements...including NiteView...Music ON Video and On the Air with Roger and Roger.
skiggley 4 years ago 2
Dude you have preview stuuff,please post man,I'd love to see it.
PreviewStarcaseOnTv 4 years ago
Fantastic job, boomer. And Fuzzy approves so that's also a good sign. The music was a very nice touch to the video. RIP WSNS-TV 44(1970-1980) & WSNS/ONTV 44(1980-1985)
harps251 4 years ago
I really appreciate the comments guys! I really wanted to put something together that reflected how i felt about this. This was a part of my childhood and was really cool to have. Another thing was the fact that I lived out here in the sticks of Rockford. I actually called ONTV to subscribe and they told me I couldn't so I went out and got the "box" and had it then. I was 16 at the time and just having the signal from Chicago was from a 70ft tower.
boomer933 4 years ago
I painted houses and save my money and got the tower. Then actually having the service was very cool. You just couldn't get it here otherwise. It made you feel like an elitist.
boomer933 4 years ago
I also wanted to have the original signon music, The Signon that Fuzzy has was later 84-85. It's great that you can keep things on here alive from your childhood. Thanks guys once again, and as usual any ONTV video is appreciated. More Please!!!!! :) Eric
boomer933 4 years ago
My area was beyond their subscription territory. I had a Winegard UHF translator antenna with the Winegard cartridge high gain low noise preamp on 30 feet of mast poking up above a 50 foot tree. My receptioon was awesome. I then amplified the signal once again before going into the decoder. Dumpster diving Warner Cable gave me an endless supply of coax, connectors, splitters and impedance transformers (I had twinlead antenna inputs on the TV)
skiggley 4 years ago
Very nice! Soothing, in a way. :-)
FuzzyMemoriesTV 4 years ago