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New member Username: HartwChevy Chase, Maryland USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-06 | Good morning, and I apologize in advance for what might seem like a simple question. I recently purchased a Samsung HDTV with a built-in HD tuner. I love it and the picture is great. I've found that most of what I watch in HD is network television. I am tired of paying Comcast (my local cable provider) the huge fees they charge for digital cable with HD. I am considering dropping down to basic cable (Channels 1-100) and using an antenna to recieve the network HD channels. Do I need a special antenna for this? How much does one cost? Can I use regular old bunny ears? Many, many thanks for any replies. FYI, the TV I have is here: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7045397&type=product&productCatego ryId=pcmcat31800050030&id=1099396990967 |
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New member Username: Formerly_fxPost Number: 3 Registered: Mar-06 | Go to www.antennaweb.org Plug in the requested information, it will answer all your questions. xvxvxvx |
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Bronze Member Username: MvanmeterKY USA Post Number: 27 Registered: Jan-06 | if you are lucky enough to live close, less than 10 or 15 miles from a broadcast tower, than most indoor antennas will work. The antennaweb.org site will tell you what the distance is from each tower in your area and which are analog and who is broadcasting in digital. The "best" way to receive digital over-the-air TV is with an enternal antenna, just like the ones your parents had back in the 60's and 70's....before cable took over and convienced everyone they needed to spend $20 to $80 a month just to watch TV. And don't let anyone tell you you need a "special HDTV antenna". ANY UHF or VHF/UHF TV antenna will work, you just need to know whether the digital channels are on stations 2-13 (VHF) or 14-69 (UHF). For the next few years, until the broadcasters are forced to change to digital in 2009, most are not using high power for their digital broadcasts and still putting most of their power into standard definition analog TV. That is why an external TV antenna may be required in your area. A good source of basic info on external antennas is here http://www.hdbeat.com/2006/01/30/ota-hd-demystified/ I am using a $25 Radio Shack UHF antenna outside and it works great for stations about 25 miles away. By the time you get coax cable, 300 ohm to 75 ohm balum and mounting hardware, you could easily have $50 to $75 in an external antenna. If you need to rotate the antenna to get signals from different directions, add another $100 for a Channel Master rotor and cable. Sounds expensive, but consider that once in place, you should receive all the networks in your area and PBS if it is available....for less than 6 or 7 months of extra costs for digital cable. try this experiment, hook up rabbit ears or the little bow tie UHF antennas to your TV and let the digital ATSC tuner scan for signals. You will then know what you can receive with very low cost antennas and antennaweb.org will tell you what signals you should receive but can't without a better antenna setup. good luck |
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New member Username: EhdmiPost Number: 1 Registered: Mar-06 | I went to Wal-Mart and bot one for about $35 and it works great. You can save around $5 a month by not paying for the networks and using the antenna. I would strongly recc. going to antennaweb.org first. This not the exact antenna, mines actually stronger per antennaweb.org, but hope this helps. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2153142&cat=4536&type=19&de pt=3944&path=0%3A3944%3A3964%3A133270%3A4536 Keith Http://www.eHDMI.com |
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New member Username: Europa760Post Number: 9 Registered: Feb-06 | wow, i didnt know you can use a regular "non HD" antenna. both best buy and sears said you needed an "HD" antenna. I didnt have a regular antenna, but i also spent 50 bucks on an HD one. Oh well. i also noticed that extending the rabbit ears didnt help at all. It works better when the rabbit ears arent extended. i just found the best placement last night, its in room next to where the tv is, facing the other side of the apt. I can get all the HD broadcast in my area: cbs, fox, abc, nbc, WB, and two PBS channels. Before, when i had the antenna in the tv room, facing the other side of the apt, i couldnt get nbc or fox. pretty nice. |
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New member Username: Tld61672Siloam, NC USA Post Number: 2 Registered: Mar-06 | I have Directv DVR (not HD). My Sony HDTV has a built in tuner. I want to purchase a DB8 multi-directional OTA. Can I connect the DB8 antenna cable to the Directv (non HD) DVR and receive HD broadcast thru my Sony tuner or should I connect directly to the Sony UHF/VHF cable? If I can receive HD thru the Directv DVR (because my HDTV has a tuner) is it then possible to use the DVR to record? Thanks for any response! |
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New member Username: EhdmiPost Number: 8 Registered: Mar-06 | I plugged mine directly to the TV....Never tried connecting it through the tuner. Might be easier to just connect it directly. The antenna I have works pretty well. Keith Http://www.eHDMI.com |
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New member Username: Tld61672Siloam, NC USA Post Number: 3 Registered: Mar-06 | What kind of antenna are you using? Thanks! |
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New member Username: HartwChevy Chase, Maryland USA Post Number: 2 Registered: Mar-06 | Thanks for all of these great replies. I decided to start cheap and work my way up. I went to Radio Shack and bought a $10 bunny ears uhf/vhf antenna. I am amazed by the reception - it looks great. Unfortunately, it only picks up my local PBS station's digital broadcast. It picks up the other networks but in analog and with a little interference. I am inspired now, however, and I am going to return these bunny ears and get something a little more powerful and move it a better spot in the apartment. I'll keep you posted. |
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New member Username: Jthans80Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-06 | Do any of you get a small line on the left side of the display during 4:3 broadcasts using an antenna? I have a small, verticle, white or blue line that is everpresent during some 4:3 HD broadcasts. I have a Samsung DLP. Thanks. |
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Bronze Member Username: SeanpennPost Number: 15 Registered: Jan-06 | Nice ... after reading this post, i no longer have to buy a HDTV antenna, I just hooked up my antenna that came with the house and it works very well |