Samsung HDTV Indoor Antenna

I have the maxent MX-50X5 50" plasma monitor. Which I think means it's HD ready. I cannot watch any cable (which I knew going in buying this) but i'm confused on what I need to buy in order to make it work.

Do I need a HDTV digital tuner, such as : http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-DTBH260F-H DTV-Terrestrial-Receiver/dp/B000JV6TQY/r ef=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics &qid=1213081576&sr=8-1

and do I need a HD antenna for it to work as well?

Such as : http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Terk-Indo or-HDTV-Antenna-HDTVi-HDTVi/sem/rpsm/oid /91092/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

Please let me know. Thanks!
I plugged in the tuner, put the cable in and nothing. I can't put both the cable and antenna in at the same time because they both need to go into the same input. The picture isn't that great... Help!

Daniel is correct except for one point:

"All digital tuners receive HD signals, so just get one of those and you'd be set."

All digital tuners will receive HD signals, but any tuner bought with the govt coupon will not ouput an HD picture. The Samsung tuner you showed will give you true HDTV. However, you might see if you can find a used one on e-bay for much less money, since many people (including me) have bought newer TVs with built-in tuners and no longer need their HDTV receivers.

2008-06-10 00:11:20 by OnlyBlackG

This is a review of the TERK 1080i indoor antenna, for those who rely on over-the-air broadcasts, or need a better antenna for backup purposes ...

I just bought a 40" Samsung Series 5 530 HDTV (with HD tuner), along with a Phillips Indoor amplified antenna (46 DB Amplification) to replace our old tube tv. We do not have cable/fios but I was told that we could still get HD stations. As it turns out, not only can i not find any HD stations, the picture on regular channels is WORSE than the old tube tv. Does anybody know why this is or if its possible to get a better picture?

Most of the time, being unable to receive channels is because of a poor signal into the converter box. In short, you need a better antenna and/or to re-aim the antenna you have.

Digital works a bit differently than analog. With analog, a poor signal would give you snow and ghosts. With digital, if the signal is not good enough for the box to decode, it will look like you are getting nothing even though you are getting something marginal. Also, many of the older stations on VHF (channels 2-13) have digital assignments in UHF (channels 14-52). And, some may move around after February 17. So, you must have a good quality VHF/UHF antenna. Personally, I would dump the amplified antenna. They can actually limit the channels you can get and make the situation worse.

Visit http://www.antennaweb.org and put in your ZIP code. You will get a list of stations in your area that you could expect to receive, suggestion on antennas for your unique situation and where to aim them.

I hope this helps. Please return and select a Best Answer from all of those submitted.

2008-08-23 18:12:23 by mybrosteve

Price: $69.99

Optimized to receive all HDTV channels (2 to 69) for free local high-definition entertainment when used with a compatible TV or TV/receiver
Amplified indoor HDTV antenna engineered to receive VHF channels 2-13 and UHF channels 14-69.
Exclusive Dual-Drive Amplifier ensures clear reception of both distant and close HDTV and DTV stations
Appealing design with small footprint; easy to install--supplied cable carries video and power
High-gain antenna array can be oriented horizontally or vertically for optimum reception