hdtv antenna

[Nithin]

I got an the sceptre hdtv from costco with atsc/qam tuners.
i want to give OTA channels a shot before i subscribe to cable.

any recommendations on which antenna to buy?

thanks,
Nithin.

 

[Heisenberg]

Indoor or outdoor?

 

[xtknight]

Regular UHF antenna? Yagi?

 

[nakedfrog]

Use antennaweb.org to figure out if you need an amplified antenna, and if so, how much amplification you need.

 

[mattg1981]

I use a terk tv5 and it works amazing ... I get channels that even antennaweb.org says I shouldnt get. It doesnt look as nice in person as it does in pictures though ... the thing is fugly and hard hide

 

[Nithin]

looking for indoor. i can't put an antenna outside my apt.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: mattg1981
I use a terk tv5 and it works amazing ... I get channels that even antennaweb.org says I shouldnt get. It doesnt look as nice in person as it does in pictures though ... the thing is fugly and hard hide

Yeah, antennaweb does seem a little pessimistic, it said I should use a medium outdoor antenna (I forget the color).

I bought a Philips "HDTV" indoor antenna with a 50 dB amp, and get all the channels antennaweb shows, most of the time. The NBC and PBS signals are a little tricky.

 

[Ramma2]

I picked up a channel master 4228 I think, it hangs in the rafters in my garage. Very good signal strength from 27 miles out, ranges from 88% to 95%.

 

[FreshPrince]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: mattg1981
I use a terk tv5 and it works amazing ... I get channels that even antennaweb.org says I shouldnt get. It doesnt look as nice in person as it does in pictures though ... the thing is fugly and hard hide

Yeah, antennaweb does seem a little pessimistic, it said I should use a medium outdoor antenna (I forget the color).

I bought a Philips "HDTV" indoor antenna with a 50 dB amp, and get all the channels antennaweb shows, most of the time. The NBC and PBS signals are a little tricky.

how do you get PBS to work?

I have not figured that part out yet... 🙁

 

[HN]

I have a Terk HDTVi. It is similar to the zenith/phillips silver sensor except the terk also has telescoping antennas for VHF. works very well.

HD gear so far:
OnAir HDTV GT (usb hd tuner)
Terk HDTVi antenna for OTA and cable for unencrypted QAM (but the OTA stuff is MUCH better for me)
dell 2405 fpw monitor

I need a bigger hdd now 😱

 

[Nithin]

how far are you guys from the transmitters? according to antennaweb i'm about 30 miles away. can i expect a good signal?

my zip is 91304, canoga park, california

 

[mattg1981]

Originally posted by: Nithin
how far are you guys from the transmitters? according to antennaweb i'm about 30 miles away. can i expect a good signal?

my zip is 91304, canoga park, california

I think 30 miles is right on the edge of how far the signal will travel ... it may be real hit and miss for ya

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: FreshPrince

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: mattg1981
I use a terk tv5 and it works amazing ... I get channels that even antennaweb.org says I shouldnt get. It doesnt look as nice in person as it does in pictures though ... the thing is fugly and hard hide

Yeah, antennaweb does seem a little pessimistic, it said I should use a medium outdoor antenna (I forget the color).

I bought a Philips "HDTV" indoor antenna with a 50 dB amp, and get all the channels antennaweb shows, most of the time. The NBC and PBS signals are a little tricky.

how do you get PBS to work?

I have not figured that part out yet... 🙁

I just have to have the antenna pointed just right... even then it's kinda spotty. I did get to watch part of the New York Dolls on Soundstage in HD a few weeks ago, though.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: Nithin
how far are you guys from the transmitters? according to antennaweb i'm about 30 miles away. can i expect a good signal?

my zip is 91304, canoga park, california

I'm about 22 miles away, but I'm also at the top of a hill.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: mattg1981

Originally posted by: Nithin
how far are you guys from the transmitters? according to antennaweb i'm about 30 miles away. can i expect a good signal?

my zip is 91304, canoga park, california

I think 30 miles is right on the edge of how far the signal will travel ... it may be real hit and miss for ya

Yep. Even at 15-22 miles with an outdoor roof-mounted antenna, I'm still hit and miss. Especially with NBC for some reason.

 

[edro]

I got a Philips $10 silver one and it works great. I am in the city though.