HDTV antenna question

[chief4life]

I just got a hdtv and it has a built in hdtuner. What is the best hdtv antenna you guys have used and why. Does it matter if it is directional?

[Rain Man]

I thought the manufacturers were only bluffing when they said you could use an antenna.

[Redrum_69]

You use an antennae? or antenna??


Coathanger does wonders

[NUMBER7]

This is a good indoor antenna. I live in NKC and receive all the stations with or without the amplifier. It is also easy to setup. Terk Technology HDTVi VHF/UHF HDTV Indoor Antenna
http://www.amazon.com/Terk-Technology-HDTVi-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B0001FV36E

[chief4life]

You use an antennae? or antenna??


Coathanger does wonders

What that is how u spell antenna not that first way

[jidar]

An hdtv antenna is the same tech as a regular tv antenna, so if you have one laying around give it a shot.

That said some designs work better than others for HDTV, and if you're going with an internal antenna then these are your best bet:
http://www.amazon.com/Zenith-ZHDTV1-HDTV-UHF-Digital-Antenna/dp/B00006FXR9

If you're not close to the signal and you still can't pick it up reliably (like me) then a large one like you might put on a roof is good. I have one of those that I spent about $80 on at Radioshack, it's in my attic so it's not an eyesore.

[Frazod]

Fair warning - if one of the channels you're trying to pick up is 2, you're SOL. Something about the frequency being too low for a small antenna to pick up the HD signal. Really sucks in the Chicago area where CBS broadcasts on channel 2. :grr:

You shouldn't have any trouble with any of the higher-numbered channels, though. Just point the antenna toward the broadcast source.

[KC Kings]

1st thing I learned was that there is no such thing as an HD antenna. You can pay extra for one that says HD on it, but there is no difference.

2nd thing I learned is that antenna's suck. You can waste your effort and money trying to get good HD signals over antenna, but in the long run it is much better just to pay the $30 more a month (for DVR HD box and HD package) from Time Warner.

Terk antenna's were the highest rated from Consumer Reports a 3 years ago, and I bought one for $99 from Best Buy. It didn't work well so I ended up buying a 60" outdoor antenna from radio shack, and two 10" antenna poles and mounting it on my house. Your location says that you are in OP, so outdoor antennas may not be an option due to HOA.

The thing about HD signals is that the TV stations are required to broadcast them, but there is no rule on the strength that they are broadcasted at. I lived a mile from the stadium, which was 11 miles from the Fox4 HD tower and I could not pick up a signal. Most other stations I had to move the antenna to point towards the station to get an unterupted signal. This was 3 years ago and HD has come a long ways in 3 years, but I was not happy with an antenna.

If you go here, http://www.antennaweb.org , it will walk you through a complete antenna tutorial. You enter your location and it tells you what antenna to buy, where to point it, where all of the HD channels are, etc... It was a lot of help to me 3 years ago.

One more thing, 75% of the "HD" content you will pick up on the regular channels is nothing more than a regular show piped over HD. It doesn't look or sound good. If you go with satalite or cable you get the local channels but with Time Warner I also get Discover HD, HDNET1 and 2, HD movies, ESPN HD, and TNT HD which upconverts all of there shows, so even old movies like the Deer Hunter look a lot better.

[Redrum_69]

What that is how u spell antenna not that first way



all I am saying is that your mom should have used a coat hanger on you

[KC Kings]

Coathanger does wonders

Did your mom teach you that? After the 14th time your mom got knocked up by another desperate unknown father and had to foot the medical expenses by herself, she started preferring the coathanger over the abortion clinic.

[NUMBER7]

This is a good indoor antenna. I live in NKC and receive all the stations with or without the amplifier. It is also easy to setup. Terk Technology HDTVi VHF/UHF HDTV Indoor Antenna
http://www.amazon.com/Terk-Technology-HDTVi-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B0001FV36E (http://www.amazon.com/Terk-Technology-HDTVi-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B0001FV36E)
Im bad...this is the antenna to get if you desire an indoor antenna. I picked mine up at Best Buy.

Terk HDTVa Indoor Amplified High-Definition Antenna for Off-Air HDTV Reception http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0007MXZB2.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V40407464_.jpg

[chiefforlife]

Try wrapping some aluminum foil around the top of it!!






Buy a sattelite, cheap ass...

[Swanman]

I use the Zenith Silver Sensor, here it is:

http://www.amazon.com/Zenith-ZHDTV1-HDTV-UHF-Digital-Antenna/dp/B00006FXR9/ref=pd_bxgy_e_text_b/102-2344825-8107301

I have 2 in my house with each of my HD sets and it easily picks up the UHF HD feeds of the broadcast stations (doesn't pick up CBS because its HD broadcast is in VHF). I highly recommend it.

[theultimatekcchiefsfan]

Go to Radio Shack spend about 5 bucks on a bow tie antennae and you will still get good reception. I did this and it worked great.

[Baby Lee]

Fair warning - if one of the channels you're trying to pick up is 2, you're SOL. Something about the frequency being too low for a small antenna to pick up the HD signal. Really sucks in the Chicago area where CBS broadcasts on channel 2. :grr:

You shouldn't have any trouble with any of the higher-numbered channels, though. Just point the antenna toward the broadcast source.
Most HDTV signals are redirected to their 'assigned' # from the UHF.

ie, Traditional channel 2, might be redirected digitally from, say 18.1 in the actual dial.

[Skip Towne]

Off-air aantennas are a total crapshoot. Every situation is different from every other situation. You may only be 3 miles from the transmitter but if there is a power station between the two you are SOL.

[Eric]

Buy a big dish or BUD(big ugly dish). Better picture quality than those small dishes but the catch is you have to rotate the dish to the desired satellite.http://www.sri.com:8000/esd/dish/photogallery/bigdish.jpg

[redbrian]

1st thing I learned was that there is no such thing as an HD antenna. You can pay extra for one that says HD on it, but there is no difference.

2nd thing I learned is that antenna's suck. You can waste your effort and money trying to get good HD signals over antenna, but in the long run it is much better just to pay the $30 more a month (for DVR HD box and HD package) from Time Warner.

Terk antenna's were the highest rated from Consumer Reports a 3 years ago, and I bought one for $99 from Best Buy. It didn't work well so I ended up buying a 60" outdoor antenna from radio shack, and two 10" antenna poles and mounting it on my house. Your location says that you are in OP, so outdoor antennas may not be an option due to HOA.

The thing about HD signals is that the TV stations are required to broadcast them, but there is no rule on the strength that they are broadcasted at. I lived a mile from the stadium, which was 11 miles from the Fox4 HD tower and I could not pick up a signal. Most other stations I had to move the antenna to point towards the station to get an unterupted signal. This was 3 years ago and HD has come a long ways in 3 years, but I was not happy with an antenna.

If you go here, http://www.antennaweb.org , it will walk you through a complete antenna tutorial. You enter your location and it tells you what antenna to buy, where to point it, where all of the HD channels are, etc... It was a lot of help to me 3 years ago.

One more thing, 75% of the "HD" content you will pick up on the regular channels is nothing more than a regular show piped over HD. It doesn't look or sound good. If you go with satalite or cable you get the local channels but with Time Warner I also get Discover HD, HDNET1 and 2, HD movies, ESPN HD, and TNT HD which upconverts all of there shows, so even old movies like the Deer Hunter look a lot better.


Nice link thanks, I wondered why the hell I could not get NBC, have to go out and get a medium ant. w/pre-amp.

As I have a big dish, the over the air is my only option for broadcast local HD, and since my big dish costs me half of cable or small dish I think I will go that route (also I just paid my yearly subscription for my new package and found out I get NFL network for free).