Studies of Correlation between Picture Quality and Field Strength in the United States

The purpose of this paper is to present data which correlate a given level of picture quality with some corresponding level of measured field strength. The data were gathered by actual house-to-house surveys in conjunction with field strength measurements. This procedure was followed rather than making laboratory tests on new receivers because it was desired to evaluate coverage as it actually was, not as it ought to be. Particular attention was paid to differences between UHF and VHF channels with respect to receiver and antenna performance in given field strengths. The ranges of field strengths required for a passable picture quality are fairly well established for each band of television channels.