Choosing and Installing an Antenna for HDTV (Cable Networks DeathWatch™)

crutchfield ^ | Sep 05, 2008 | Steve Kindig

[Kevin J waldroup]

Choosing & Installing an Antenna for HDTV

TV antennas may seem like relics from the last century, but a growing number of viewers are finding them to be indispensable in getting the best picture from their HDTVs.

In this article, we'll discuss the advantages of over-the-air (OTA) reception and explain how to find digital TV signals in your local TV market and in nearby cities. We'll introduce the different types of TV antennas and tell you which ones perform best under various reception conditions. And we'll offer tips on how to install larger attic- and roof-mount antennas.

To learn about the government-mandated changes coming in February 2009, check out our article about the digital TV changeover.

[Qwackertoo]

Here is a FANTASTIC site I’ve been using for 4-5 years on all my HDTV technical advice needs. Great boards by brand, type of installation. Great wealth of advice and information.

http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/index.php

Deana

[reagan_fanatic]

Best place to get OTA antennas (shameless plug :)

[chickadee]

I got my converter boxes last May and have really been enjoying the expanded channels and the clarity of the picture. I have one for the VCR and one for the TV. My son and his family have decided to give up cable as a cost saving measure and are very happy with the converter box. It’s amazing how many channels there are that I didn’t know about. I got the Zenith model and it is wonderful.

I threw cable out of the house years ago and never looked back.

[UCANSEE2]

bookmark

[Yo-Yo]

Here is another good one, the AVS Forums. They have forums for just about every market in the country, as well as advice on equipment and television reviews.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=6/

[HamiltonJay]

I’ve been down to just the most basic cable option ($12/month) for well over 6 years now, because frankly its overpriced and delivers complete crap into my home.

I mainly kept the base package simply because of reception issues being I lived in a valley for over the air TV. (The cable I have is effectively broadcast TV, a few CSPANS and TBS and WGN.

Two years ago I moved out of the valley and onto the top of a hill, and got much better reception but have kept cable. Now with digital, and being on top of the hill, I am seriously considering just having an old arial antenna put up and dumping cable completely.

I’ll miss “My Boys” on TBS when its on (But I can watch that over the internet), but other than that, can’t think of a single reason to keep it. I watch more TV shows from DVD through NETFLIX when I am actually home than I do broadcast TV or the cable channels.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Great post - I am paying out the ass for cable, $90 a month but I intend on keeping it because I plan on getting Road Runner for my computer (AT & T or Time Warner is only available for me so I’m screwed either way) and I’m hoping Time Warner will cut me a deal. I was thinking about throwing out cable when I get the Road Runner. Is the converter box really better? Because I can go to HeartlandAmerica.com and buy a special HDTV antennae to put on my converter box (assuming I buy one).

[Tarpon]

There is no such thing as a HDTV antenna. Any good VHF-UHF antenna will work fine for HD reception. I built one out of coat hangers to test reception in my area. What I found was the picture was better OTA than it was on cable.

Here is a video of howto do it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw

If you want to buy, a good UHF antenna, the DB4 works for most people and is not expensive. http://www.amazon.com/Antennas-Direct-DB4-Directional-Antenna/dp/B000EHYG9K

The distressing thing was how much better the picture looked off the antenna compared to the cable.

[UB355]

mark

[Alex Murphy]

Ping to read later

[petro45acp]

Until a movie, broadcast OTA, can be shown without breaking for commercial every 12-15 minutes, cable has nothing to fear. Of course the model used by Fox in presenting ‘Fringe,’ with limited commercial interruption is not a bad way to go for episodic television.

[TFMcGuire]

mark

[blackie]

We have DirecTV HD with four flat panel LCD TV’s and two recorders.

We have Comcast basic for two Internet accounts and for the telephone. Which costs less than Qwest with two phone lines and it’s way faster.

[mowowie]

From what i gather over the air HD has a higher bitrate and a far superior picture than what cable has to offer, only you just get the local stations.
Now that i can play streaming movies and tv shows (old and new) from Netflix, Hulu, etc.. on my tv through my Blu-ray playing PS3 i am really considering dropping my outrageously expensive comcast.

[chickadee]

I have DSL for my computer and it is fast. It costs $240 per year over and above my regular phone bill.

I have a regular antenna, I think, because we bought it years ago at Radio Shack when the TV was new (a long time ago). It is rabbit ears with a circle loop and a couple of switches and dial to improve reception. We seldom have to adjust the antenna. The converter box plugs into the antenna, and then plugs into the TV or VCR, I believe. The one weird thing, though, is that the Zenith converter boxes come with remotes. And if you use the remote when both boxes are turned on, you change the channels on both, so if you are planning to record something on the VCR and have it all set to the right channel, it’s best to set the TV channels manually.

It took a little getting used to as I have everything rigged up in an entertainment center to run through a tuner, but I’ve got it down pat now.

[djf]

Frankly I was astounded.

My TV is a 27” Magnavox, I mean not bad. But with the DA converter on, I got twice as many channels, and the picture is almost HDTV quality now!

Is there any truth to the rumor that when the tv broadcasters totally drop the analog side that they will be boosting the signal on the digital side? Might end up getting even more stations.

This might be the beginning of the death knell for Comcast...

[Doc Savage]

Just a tech question. I have a TIVO HD DVR Receiver. Love it. I can’t get just a HD LINE from Verizon (FIOS) or Comcast because they demand I use their DVR and remote. Frankly, compared to TIVO, they BLOW! If I got a FIOS HD line and allowed them to install the DVR, could I simply remove the digital line and run it through my TIVO. Would it work? Would they know?

[smokingfrog]

I made my own HDTV antenna and it works great.

It's easy to do. Mine is sort-of like this, but I used baking cooling racks as a reflector. It doesn't look fancy, but it's up in the attic, so who cares. You just gotta know which direction to aim it.

[chickadee]

I have a 27” Panasonic which has always had a wonderful picture, but now it is outstanding. My son, who hooked up the converter boxes for me, said it was clearer than his digital TV. It really is remarkable.

And, after the initial set up, where the box does a search for all the channels, you should plan to run the search again in 3 months - new channels are springing up all the time. The latest one in our area is ION TV and it is wonderful - reruns of Boston Legal and NCIS and original films.