Best short-range antenna?

[GO-NAD!]

Now that I have a Roku and a Netflix account, I'm seriously considering cutting the cable and going with OTA TV. Since I have a projector, I would still need a HD TV tuner, so this looks good to me - Channel Master DVR+ review - CNET

Then there's the question of what kind of antenna would be suitable. There are only 3 OTA broadcasters (CBC, CTV and Global) in my area, all within 5 - 10 miles. I'm also at the top of one of the highest points in my area. So, since the channels available to me are so close, do I need to spend much on an antenna?

The next nearest tower for a different broadcaster would probably be in Bangor, which is about 300 miles away.

 

[markw]

Hopefully, all three stations are in the same direction from you.

In such case, since it sounds like you have an unobstructed line-of-site shot at them, a MUCH less expensive passive antenna should suffice.

Any decent UHF antenna should suffice, particularly if it' mounted outside.

As for that station 300 miles away? As we say here in Joisey, fugeddabout it

 

[GO-NAD!]

Hopefully, all three stations are in the same direction from you.

In such case, since it sounds like you have an unobstructed line-of-site shot at them, a MUCH less expensive passive antenna should suffice.

Any decent UHF antenna should suffice, particularly if it' mounted outside.

As for that station 300 miles away? As we say here in Joisey, fugeddabout it

I think 2 of them are pretty close to each other, south of me, but the third is east of me. I just remembered - a friend of mine needed an antenna amp to get that third station. I guess I should see what kind he has...

And yeah, I just mentioned Bangor, in case somebody recommended a super-duper expensive antenna that would be of no use to me.

 

[Swerd]

Now that I have a Roku and a Netflix account, I'm seriously considering cutting the cable and going with OTA TV. Since I have a projector, I would still need a HD TV tuner, so this looks good to me - Channel Master DVR+ review - CNET

Then there's the question of what kind of antenna would be suitable. There are only 3 OTA broadcasters (CBC, CTV and Global) in my area, all within 5 - 10 miles. I'm also at the top of one of the highest points in my area. So, since the channels available to me are so close, do I need to spend much on an antenna?

The next nearest tower for a different broadcaster would probably be in Bangor, which is about 300 miles away.

Mark has it right.

5 to 10 miles is close, and you're in a high location, so even the smallest, low gain, antenna might do. You shouldn't need an antenna amp, and if you can avoid one, that's good.

I use a passive antenna with low to medium gain. In the Washington DC/Baltimore area, I can pick up dozens of stations as far away as 50 miles. I have a rotor, but only use it rarely for Baltimore stations.

The question remains, do you need to rotate your antenna to pick up those 3 local stations? Or can you aim the antenna in one direction that will work for all 3? If you're lucky, you might do fine with an indoor antenna, that you can aim manually. Low gain antennas tend to be less directional than those with high gain, so aiming should be less critical.

You also need to know what TV broadcast bands are involved. In the USA, there are 3 bands, Low VHF (channels 2-6), High VHF (channels 7-13), and UHF (channels 14 and up). In the USA, most HDTV broadcast channels are in the UHF band, but I don't know what is done in Canada. UHF signals tend to need more precise antenna aiming than either of the VHF bands. But I'm talking about about ±30°. Maybe you could aim an antenna to the SE and pick up all 3 stations.

A cheap way to find out what works in your location, is to buy an inexpensive rabbit ear antenna, and test it.

I know a web site (http://www.antennaweb.org/Address.aspx) where you can enter your location, and find out what TV broadcast stations are available for you, their distances, and compass bearings relative to you. But it is only for the USA.

Here is a useful online vendor:
TV Antennas & SuppliesÂ* -Â*TV Antennas - Shop at SolidSignal.com - Page 1

 

[GO-NAD!]

I just double-checked and I was mistaken about that third transmitter - they are actually all within a couple of degrees apart, from my direction. That'll make it easier.

 

[Adam]

Hey, GN, sorry for not responding sooner.

For an ATSC tuner with DVR capability, you may want to check out the Mediasonic HW-150PVR that is quite a bit cheaper than the Channel Master. Some of us on the forum own that one, and it works pretty well for me.

As the other guys have said, you shouldn't need anything special to pick up stations 5-10 miles away if they aren't obstructed. An indoor antenna should work pretty well. I was quite impressed by a Monoprice antenna that I tried out years ago, except that the mounting arm wasn't adhered to the antenna body very well. Outdoors that matters because of wind, but indoors it shouldn't be an issue at all.

 

[GO-NAD!]

That DVR is quite a bit cheaper, but being a single tuner, it could be a deal breaker. I did some digging around on it, but a couple of things aren't clear to me:
Is the recording function program- or day/time- based?
If it's program-based, can you record a program series?
I get the impression that the program guide only looks ahead a few hours. Is that accurate?

 

[Adam]

The recording is time based. You can set it up to record the same time slot every day or every week, but it won't catch if a show's time has been shifted. Also, yes, the program guide only looks ahead a few hours. You can set up a recording farther in the future by manually changing the date/time of a recording, though.

Limited, yes...but I'm cheap.

 

[GO-NAD!]

I'm cheap too, but sometimes I'm willing to pay more if I figure it's worth the extra cash. We'll see.

 

[Adam]

Darn you. Now I'm considering the Channel Master.

There's a $400 model that comes with an internal hard drive, which makes me wonder if the $250 model can have a hard drive added internally.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Darn you. Now I'm considering the Channel Master.

There's a $400 model that comes with an internal hard drive, which makes me wonder if the $250 model can have a hard drive added internally.

Tee-hee!!

 

[Adam]

I just saw a video on it that said that the hard drive has to be formatted for the DVR and can't be shared with a computer. That's a plus with the Homeworx in that it uses standard formatting on drives. I can watch programs recorded on it on my Mac using XBMC or even on my Sony blu-ray player.

 

[GO-NAD!]

I just saw a video on it that said that the hard drive has to be formatted for the DVR and can't be shared with a computer. That's a plus with the Homeworx in that it uses standard formatting on drives. I can watch programs recorded on it on my Mac using XBMC or even on my Sony blu-ray player.

Well! Aren't you special!?

 

[Adam]

Well! Aren't you special!?

That's what the nice bus driver always told me. I liked that bus. She didn't have to speak up even if I was in the back row.

 

[GO-NAD!]

That's what the nice bus driver always told me. I liked that bus. She didn't have to speak up even if I was in the back row.

The helmet didn't impede your hearing?

 

[Adam]

The helmet didn't impede your hearing?

You're just jealous that you didn't get to ride on that bus, too!

*eyes well up*

It was my magic helmet. It kept me safe from mean people like you...

*begins to sob*

 

[GO-NAD!]

You're just jealous that you didn't get to ride on that bus, too!

*eyes well up*

It was my magic helmet. It kept me safe from mean people like you...

*begins to sob*

You're not drinking right now, are you? Wouldn't want it to impede your performance with your twister date...

Just finished watching the first couple of episodes of "Sherlock" on Netflix. Me like. Now, me tired. Go beddy-bye.

 

[Adam]

You're not drinking right now, are you?

Then, no. Now, yes.

Just finished watching the first couple of episodes of "Sherlock" on Netflix. Me like.

I really quite liked the first season. I haven't been able to get into the second season, yet, but I'm going to give it another go.

 

[fbov]

Antennaweb is a nice site, but there's a better one... TVFool. I know, funny name, but great data and it covers Canada, too. And FM.
Have fun,
Frank

 

[KEW]

I'm on a hill and about 30 linear miles from Atlanta. This does the job for me.
Mohu MH-110583 Leaf 30 Indoor HDTV Antenna - Walmart.com
I'd recommend testing it if you have a Wal-mart to return it to, if you don't like. The big advantage is installation is stupid simple!
All I did was connect it and using painters tape mounted it to the side wall (it comes with 2 push pins and is black on one side and white on the other), then to the front wall to compare reception. For me the wall behind the system gave me all of the stations I cared about, you can't see the antenna, so it is still hanging by the painters tape. Installation time 5 minutes!

You are not asking for much from it and I suspect that it will pickup your 3 stations fine. What more do you need?

Look up Mohu leaf antenna to find more info.

Edit: this is the exact one I bought - Only failure an antenna could have was for cable or connector to get damaged, so refurb seems safe.

http://www.amazon.com/Mohu-Indoor-Antenna-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B009RPDP2Y/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1412723014&sr=1-6&keywords=mohu+leaf