Invelos Forums->General: General Home Theater Discussion |
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HDTV Antenna questions |
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| Registered: March 14, 2007 | Reputation:  |  Posts: 4,245 |
| | Posted: | | | | OK, I need some info on indoor HDTV Antennas.
Everything I currently own is analog, but I am considering dropping cable to save some money so I need an HDTV antenna.
I hope these aren't stupid questions but this is my first dealings with anything related to HDTV.
If I get an Indoor HDTV antenna will it connect directly to my VCR/DVD Recorder?
Or do I need to get one of those HDTV converter boxes that the government was giving out coupons for to hook up the HDTV antenna to my VCR/DVD Recorder?
Thanks for the help. |
| | Registered: June 12, 2007 | Reputation:  | | Posts: 2,665 |
| | Posted: | | | | Whatever antenna you get won't translate the signal from digital to analog by itself, so i believe you will need a converter box to translate things to standard definition from HD. Haven't used it in a while but this site may help in antenna selection: http://www.antennaweb.org | | | | Bad movie? You're soaking in it! |
| | Registered: May 8, 2007 | | Posts: 663 |
| | Posted: | | | | You might not need a HD antenna. I currently live in an apartment and I have my HDTV hooked to the old aerial antenna on the roof. I also use a philips hd antenna with powered amplifer to help and I get great reception. The only downside I don't get my local CBS very well, sometimes not at all, since they decided to use the low end of the VHF spectrum with very little power, but that is another story. | | | We're on a mission from God.
 | | | | Last edited: by Mike D. |
| | Registered: May 25, 2007 | | Posts: 32 |
| | Posted: | | | | There is no such thing as an "HDTV Antenna." An antenna is an antenna.
The main thing you want to look for is that it can pick up both UHF and VHF channels. Most areas have at least one channel in the VHF range even if their "channel number" is not.
An antenna from 1950 will work just as well as an HDTV antenna (all other things being equal). For best digital reception, you will want an outdoor antenna or attic if that isn't possible.
antennaweb.org will give you an idea of which channels you can pick up with an outdoor antenna mounted 30 feet high. |
| | Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Posts: 1,796 |
| | Posted: | | | | I use a Winegard SS-3000 Amplified Indoor UHF/VHF Antenna.
Works fine rrom Glendale, AZ I pick up stations from Prescott, AZ, (driving distance 100 miles), as well as the Phoenix area. | | | We don't need stinkin' IMDB's errors, we make our own.
Ineptocracy, You got to love it.
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." - Abraham Lincoln |
| | Registered: May 27, 2007 | | Posts: 175 |
| | Posted: | | | | Quoting CubbyUps: Quote:
OK, I need some info on indoor HDTV Antennas.
If I get an Indoor HDTV antenna will it connect directly to my VCR/DVD Recorder?
Hi, Very unlikely you will be able to hook it directly up, but there is an easy way to tell. Look up in your manual (or find the manual online) what type of tuner you have in your DVD recorder. Here is the chart to help : NTSC - over-the-air analog, old style, won't pick up anything after analog broadcasts stop ATSC - over-the-air digital, this is what is replacing NTSC. Most HD TVs now have them by default. QAM - over-cable-digital. Unfortunately is not mandated by the FCC. You can get free digital HD content over QAM without a set-top box, so no provider ever advertises it and it varies greatly by region. In summary, you would need an ATSC tuner built in to your recorder to acquire over-the-air digital television. Otherwise, you need a set-top box. Most TV tuner cards these days have all 3, as do most new TVs. If you have either, just plug in your antenna and you are off to the races. As others have said here, if at all possible, go with an outdoor antenna. Indoor antennas CAN work, but are horribly susceptible to the materials used to build your house and the houses around you. DD. |
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