HD Antenna?

[funked up]

Well, I have a HDTV now, but no HD cable, and prob won't till I move to a different apartment. I was thinking about picking up a cheap HD antenna, so that I can pick up atleast a few HD channels. Does anyone have any experience with these? Do they work good? Any reccomendations on which one to pick up? Thanks.

 

[GlocksRock]

I just use regular rabbit ears since my tv has a built in ATSC tuner and it works great. If your area doesn't have really great reception, you may want to consider an amplified antenna.

 

[Alex2507]

I can't seem to find it but I had a link to a site that would recommend an anteanna based on where you are located, the distance to the HD transmition towers in your area and where you wanted to mount the anteanna. Hopefully somebody else here will post the link.

 

[funked up]

I am most likely going to need a powered antenna, as I don't think reception will be great where I am. Most likely I'll get one from radioshack or bestbuy, just some place easy to return it to, incase it doesn't work where I am.

 

[GlocksRock]

I am most likely going to need a powered antenna, as I don't think reception will be great where I am. Most likely I'll get one from radioshack or bestbuy, just some place easy to return it to, incase it doesn't work where I am.

Terk makes a good antenna, I would look into something made by them.

 

[allargon]

Powered rabbit ears or the Terk indoor will work just fine.

There is an inexpensive +50db gain Philips set sold at Lowes that works wonders.

 

[amanchester]

Well, I have a HDTV now, but no HD cable, and prob won't till I move to a different apartment. I was thinking about picking up a cheap HD antenna, so that I can pick up atleast a few HD channels. Does anyone have any experience with these? Do they work good? Any reccomendations on which one to pick up? Thanks.

Go to antennaweb.org
Once you input some info, they will recommend an antenna and what direction to point it.

 

[m_vanmeter]

finally, "amanchester" gave you the right advice. You must know what is available in your area and how far the TV transmitting antennas are from your location to pick an antenna. Indoor antennas "may" work if the towers are less than 20 miles away and no huge obstacles are in the way.

If you will post just you zip code, we might be able to offer more informed suggetions.

another site for predicting reception is www.tvfool.com - set up a little more for the techie.

And another little hint....there is no requirement for an "HDTV antenna", all current TV antennas work, for both analog and digital TV. The ultimate question is VHF, UHF, or both, and how big the beasty needs to be. "HDTV antennas" are a marketing ploy.

 

[funked up]

I picked up a Phillips amplified antenna from Lowes yesterday. It works good for what I wanted it to, it picks up the main channels, NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX in HD. But now I have another problem. I get regular cable with my apartment for free, no cable box, just plugs straight into the tv. I now have this going to the antenna and then to the tv. The antenna has a switch on in to change back and forth from antenna to cable, but eveytime I do this i have to reprogram the tv to pick up the different channels. Is there any way I can swithc back and forth from regular cable to antenna without having to reprogram the TV everytime?

 

[markw]

Ain't no way around that.

Unless you bite the bullet and blow for a HD Cable box and feed it to your component or HDMI inputs.

I have both connected to my TV but I use the "F" connector (which goes to the antenna) for the antenna and use the component video (and associated audio) connections for my HD cable connection.

 

[funked up]

Unless you bite the bullet and blow for a HD Cable box and feed it to your component or HDMI inputs.

I have both connected to my TV but I use the "F" connector (which goes to the antenna) for the antenna and use the component video (and associated audio) connections for my HD cable connection.

Well that sucks, I think there may be a way to get around this by manually programing the tv, but then again I don't really know a whole lot about this stuff. I'm gonna give it a try tonight, but if it doesn't work I guess the antenna is going back to Lowe's. Its to bad, cause those HD channels look awsome. Its just way to annoying to reprogram the tv everytime. Anybody have any advice(other than getting HD cable)?

 

[Warpdrv]

I picked up a Phillips amplified antenna from Lowes yesterday. It works good for what I wanted it to, it picks up the main channels, NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX in HD. But now I have another problem. I get regular cable with my apartment for free, no cable box, just plugs straight into the tv. I now have this going to the antenna and then to the tv. The antenna has a switch on in to change back and forth from antenna to cable, but eveytime I do this i have to reprogram the tv to pick up the different channels. Is there any way I can swithc back and forth from regular cable to antenna without having to reprogram the TV everytime?

I bought that same antenna and it works excellent...

My dish hd receiver has an input for OTA antenna so I don't have to use that switch... so I can't help you with that problem...

 

[Alex2507]

I picked up a Phillips amplified antenna from Lowes yesterday. It works good for what I wanted it to, it picks up the main channels, NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX in HD. But now I have another problem. I get regular cable with my apartment for free, no cable box, just plugs straight into the tv. I now have this going to the antenna and then to the tv. The antenna has a switch on in to change back and forth from antenna to cable, but eveytime I do this i have to reprogram the tv to pick up the different channels. Is there any way I can swithc back and forth from regular cable to antenna without having to reprogram the TV everytime?

How about running your cable into a vcr or dvd recorder and using the tuner in either of those to change cable channels. Use the composite or component outputs on those devices to connect to your tv. The antenna could then be plugged into F pin connector on the tv. You would then only need to switch sources on the tv to go from viewing one or the other.

If I'm wrong about this somebody should be along shortly to help.

 

[mr-ben]

I use a regular rooftop antenna to pick up signals - there's nothing unique about an HD signal vs any other as far as the antenna is concerned.

Go to this site, click on "Choose An Antenna", and put in your address. It'll tell you what you should be able to pick up, and where to point it: http://www.antennaweb.org

 

[funked up]

Got it to work just fine. Apparently you can program the cable and antenna seperately through the tv. I just have to switch it back and forth when I want to watch one or the other. Only a very minor hassle. Now I'll be able to watch football in HD. Awsome.

 

[Bryce_H]

I have a Terk amplified antenna in my attic that works great. antennaweb was my guide and did not lead me astray. I have it plugged into the back of my Dish HD box.