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OTA HDTV ANTENNA

Hc714

Active Member
Apr 6, 2005
249
19
28
peanut state
Ok, just got a 32 inch LCD TV with built in hd tuner. Local cable sucks so going to go direct tv but will not get locals. So whats a good OTA antenna? Am about 40 to 80 miles from local hd broadcast stations. Anyboy using one?
 

Its a Polaroid FLM-3232. I have also been told that most hd signals will be in the uhf range to start with, and that if you could get uhf stations at whatever distance, the same old antenna would pull in the hd signals. Just the hd would be less likely to get what were weak stations to start with. Seems to be what I'm reading at the AV forums. Anyone getting OTA at 70 miles or more?
 
Hold on before you go to over the air local broadcasts..
yes...direct tv does not offer locals..

right now Dish Network offers 25 or 26 HD channels (if you get their HD set up with MPEG 4 box......not Mpeg 2) and it includes all locals..

also Cablevision offeres all locals in HD (from 720 to 1080)

to use over the air antenna..
it is not the best way to get HD..

Just my opionion..
but then it is also my business....lol

Later
 
KingCobra_CDX882 said:
also Cablevision offeres all locals in HD (from 720 to 1080)

to use over the air antenna..
it is not the best way to get HD..

That's if he's in Optimum Tv's area. What he said, over the air isn't the best way to go.

What cable company services your area???
 
to use over the air antenna..
it is not the best way to get HD..

Thats strange I was told that OTA is much better than cable or dish.

My current cable company is Charter, been with them for about 13 years. Am told the system is 400meghertz and until they update to 800 no computer connection. Again 13 years of rate increases only to be paying for the other guys to get better service. KingCobra, I did go look at the dishnetwork plan. The wife's son is just getting into the business with direct, thats why i choose them. Hope he can show me all the little tricks and mods.
 
400mhz?? damn!! Your only two choices are dish or OTA... OTA will work but you won't find a lot of HD programing. The down side to Dishnetwork or Direct tv is that you have to purchase the reciever and thier not cheap. Most Cable companies provide the reciever. From the sounds of it at 400mhz cable is out the question..

Check this out for your antenna, OTA....
 
I get DirecTV locals...but I'm in the L.A. market :) I also have an OTA antenna that I was using before DirecTV started carrying them. It's the one that DirecTV sells that mounts over the dish. It looks to me like basically just a horizontal folded dipole, but it's hard to tell exactly without opening it up. I don't notice any difference in quality between the satellite and the air antennas.
 
Moleculo said:
I get DirecTV locals...but I'm in the L.A. market :) I also have an OTA antenna that I was using before DirecTV started carrying them. It's the one that DirecTV sells that mounts over the dish. It looks to me like basically just a horizontal folded dipole, but it's hard to tell exactly without opening it up. I don't notice any difference in quality between the satellite and the air antennas.

Yeah but he saaid he's about 40 to 80 miles out of the nearest HD signal. I doubt that will work for him. He needs a better aireal.
 
one more time my friend..

especilly with you 40-80 miles out of local service

forget cable (i have cablevision cable..it only gets 13 hd channels)

i have also Direct TV (still not enough channels for HD)

i also have Dish Network
currantly it has 25 or 26 channels (including locals)
all you need is a clear south by south west view
with no trees or buildings hindering reception

by far i perfer dish network
they also are upgrading many channels to HD very soon
(but then direct tv is also supposed to be upgrading very shortly......but you can get the new MPEG 4 HD boxes NOW from dish network and those will support all future HD channels)

Later
 
Will be looking at Dish Network too. Think I found what I was looking for at a little cellphone , everything else store and radioshack combanation. They have the large RS yagi 160 inch length 57 elements I think. RS (RadioShack) lists this antenna for 99.00 dollars and I can get it for 10 less. Lowes has a Channel Master that is very similar at the 99 dollar price but it only has 50 elements. The RS antenna had better milage ratings. Its like antennas I used years ago and got rid of after getting cable. Was able tto get most of the stations I will be looking for with it. Hope it works. Mole, have a friend in town who has a dish with the wrap around for locals , works very well for him.
 
I've got a Channelmaster 4228. It is doing about 50 miles in a hilly area. All my local channels are now HDTV. Hope this helps.
 

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