Off Air HDTV Antenna

I currently have basic cable through TVMAX. I have an HDTV with a built in ATSC tuner. I also have an HDTV antenna. However, my tv only has one port to hook in a cable plug. Either I have to unplug my cable to get the antenna hooked into the tv, which means I don't get my cable channels, or vice versa.

Do I need a splitter, or how do I go about using my analog cable, and hooking up my new antenna for over the air HDTV?

Well, THAT sucks.....You'll have to choose.

You can connect an outdoor antenna using a <<splitter>>, but I'd recommend an electronic <<RF switch>> be used so you don't have to get up and walk over to the mechanical switch....look for something like that....

NOW, here's the bad part.....
You have to AUTOPROGRAM it EACH and EVERY time when you switch from Antenna to Cable and vice versa....
It MAY TAKE 20 to 30 minutes searching for Digital stations....

2007-08-18 22:47:39 by BaLLs oF WonDeR

Cheaply, easily an quickly build an HDTV antenna that outperforms amplified store bought antennas! For more great ideas see metacafe.com

There is NO such thing as an HDTV antenna. It is marketing hype to get you to buy a new one.

A TV antenna captures a signal by frequency (channel) and delivers that to your set. It doesn't care if it is digital or analog, High Definition or regular TV. If the antenna can pick it up it will be delivered to the set.

Some antennas by design work better than others, that is they capture more signal and deliver more signal to the set. This is called an antennas gain.

So to answer your question there is NO difference.

A digital set wants so much signal from an antenna if it gets it you get a picture, marginal signal you get pixelation and freeze ups, low signal NO picture. With analog you get a fuzzy picture with low signal until it finally disappears (white noise)

Most Digital broadcasts are in the UHF band (NOT ALL) so you need a good UHF antenna for good digital reception. If you have a VHF/UHF antenna now you should be fine NO change needed.

A station broadcasting in digital can put up to 4 channels in the space they now use for one, so you should get more channels with digital TV than now.

2008-08-28 20:26:01 by racer13fly

Price: $49.99

On-screen Electronic Program Guide support
Compatible with all 18 ATSC signal formats
Downconverts OTA HDTV signals for use with Standard- and Enhanced- Definition TVs (480i/480p)
Receives free Over-the-Air (OTA) Digital Television signals Downconverts OTA HDTV signals for use with Standard- and Enhanced- Definition TVs (480i/480p)
Receives free Over-the-Air (OTA) Digital Television signals

I want your opinions on how it performed on your HDTVs. I was on the Best Buy website, and it was the only one that got this many great reviews. To me it seems to be an inexpensive way of getting HD broadcasting on my HDTV. Thanks.
I need to know your opinions, I just need a little feedback from owners. My HDTV doesn't nearly look as good as it should because the HD isn't broadcasting, so I would like to that the antenna I've chosen is good for my HDTV.

I just got a new HDTV (Samsung LN40A750) and am using the RCA ANT1250 UHF/VHF Amplified indoor Antenna in conjunction with a TiVo TCD658000 HD XL DVR. I live in Chicago and get perfect reception for most local stations with the exception of CBS (which is on VHF, all of the others are on UHF). Apparently, a lot of people have trouble with CBS HDTV in Chicago. Make sure that you check out the price at Amazon before buying from Best Buy. Amazon almost always has the better price.

2008-11-30 11:07:49 by Shahrooz N

Price: $753.99

Works up to 70 miles or more from transmitters
Range of up to 70 miles or more
Impedance of 300/75 ohm
Very flexible aiming characteristics
Weatherproof construction

Question:
Who benefits more from the switch from Off Air Analogue TV to HD Off Air TV, the people or the cable and satellite companies?

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If you want to watch TV with an antenna called Off Air and you have been using analogue technology all these years now you will have no choice but to use HDTV off air antenna if you want free TV provided you can receive channels in your area.

When using analogue, depending on your location you could get a number of different TV stations free without paying cable or satellite subscriptions. You may have had some far away channels that weren't completely clear, maybe with some with static, snow or ghosting or some without being 100% clear in their sound but that was okay you could live with it. It was free and that is the price you pay or don't pay when you get it free. If you wanted 100% clear clean reception you would pay for it.

WIth Off Air HDTV you don't have the same choices like you did before. You either get the station clearly or you don't get any channel whatsoever, nothing, nada, zip, zero, zilch.

If you can't receive the channels with your HD antenna then you have no choice but either give up TV or pay for satellite or cable TV.

There are many people who either don't want to pay for satellite or cable or cant afford it, when they can get what they want free.

First, you want to note that the switch is simply to Digital Television abbrievated as DTV. HDTV is a transmitting and receiving option on DTV. I suspect the biggest beneficiaries are the cell phone companies, who get to buy the use of the former analog frequencies and the US federal government who is auctioning off the frequencies.
In most locations in the US, you can put up some form of antenna and get a signal from a nearby town or city. You may need to use an outdoor antenna and a signal amplifier but you should be able to get a signal. Even if you have to spend $140 for an antenna and $60 for amplifiers, that is less expensive than a year of cable TV from most of the cable TV companies. If you are in an urban area, a UHF antenna such as the zenith silverbright should work well. You may want to keep some ordinary rabbit ears too because some DTV transmissions are in the VHF band however 90% are on UHF now.
The digital transistion is something we must put up with. I'm disappointed by it too because it renders every battery operated portable TV I have useless after the June 12, 2009 transition for portable use or use during a power outage, although such TV's can be attached to DTV converter boxes. I live in a home that used to have cable and I'm utilizing the former cable lines to send the output of a VCR to televisions throughout my home. I took the former cable line that used to go to the utility pole and wired it to the garage so I can watch my TV in the garage with Video Tapes DVD's or the output of my DTV converter box. You do not have to get cable or satellite to enjoy TV after the transition, just make sure you have your box. If you wish to watch different programs on each
TV, you need a box for every analog
TV you own. The cable TV companies, can take their overpriced fees and can go (expletive- mouth washed out with soap word) themselves!

2009-02-20 23:41:26 by Explorer101

Wal-Mart and a few others have local antennas that attach around a dish. You just have to use a splitter to tie the two together. It worked for me.

DirectTV does offer local channels in various areas. The local channel packet costs around 5 dollars a month.

2006-02-11 21:31:29 by fpweaver