Larry’s View

Larry’s view on any and everything.

Hdtv antenna

To watch your HDTV and receive your signals, there are only two ways to go about it. The first is to get a cable which will relay all the satellite transmitted HD content and what is also known as the free to air or over the air programming too. The next way to receive the transmission is to get a UHF antenna which will receive all the HD signals.

The HDTV antenna is considered as the most efficient and economical option among the above mentioned two. Like the two faces of a coin this is sometimes faced with problems too. Having an old TV with a HDTV antenna is not going to help you and in the same way a HDTV with old antenna will not suffice. Keen attention must be paid while buying, installing and maintaining the HDTV antenna.

Now the first thing to start with is finding the right place to fix the antenna. This has to be done keeping in mind the location of the transmitters. If the transmitter is too far off, then you will have to place the antenna on the roof top. If are living closer you can even think about placing the antenna on the attic. The best option is to place it outside and high above so that it can receive the signals without any disturbance.

The next step is to fix the antenna in the direction of the transmitter. This will help it receive the signal easily. If you have the bow tie antenna the direction wont matter much but when it comes to other antennas the direction must be kept in mind.

Ensure that the antenna is not just placed there but it should be bolted firmly in its place. U bolts will be good enough. Keep an eye that your antenna shouldn’t be very close to other antennas and there should be no tree or branches that can damage the antenna in a storm or high wind situation.

Thinking about where to buy the antenna; you can find these antennas at a TV shop or a radio shop. Still worried about finding all that you need, sit in front of your computer and search for the antenna parts that you need online. They even deliver it at your doorstep and some companies even help you by installing the antenna for you. You will need rotors to grab the signals of different channels.

Using coax for the lead in, fixing the antenna at the highest point and getting an aperiodic antenna mounted on the rotors is the key to great viewing on HDTVs.

December 29, 2007 - Posted by larry50 | Blogroll, Hdtv | | 2 Comments

2 Comments »

  1. DEMAND FOR FREE HD OVER-THE-AIR BROADCASTS
    SPURRING TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN ANTENNA SALES
    FOR ANTENNAS DIRECT™

    Sales Increased 220% 3Q 2007 Over 3Q 2006
    As Cable TV Looses 1.1 Million Subscribers

    December 3, 2007, St. Louis, MO –The cable industry has lost over one million subscribers this year, suggesting a year ending with a 2 percent loss of market share, as reported recently in several newspapers, trade magazines and Internet newsletters. Some of the declines actually surprised Wall Street. But they didn’t surprise Richard Schneider, President of Antennas Direct, whose new Terrestrial Digital brand of antenna sales tripled during the same period. Schneider said “Because of the tremendous improvements in our Off-Air antenna technology and design that have taken place in the last few years, along with changing customer attitudes and needs in the new and highly competitive digital TV and HD era, we’ve found ourselves right in the middle of a thriving resurgence of Over-The-Air (OTA) antennas. Research projects that 15 percent of TV households and 23 percent of TV sets in U.S. homes don’t receive cable or satellite TV. That represents more than 70 million TV sets that only receive OTA broadcast television. It’s no wonder our phones are ringing off the hook.”

    Schneider continued “Two of the reasons suggested by most business reporters for the decline in cable numbers are TV subscribers switching to Satellite (DBS) and the emergence of telco TV. While partially true, telco numbers are much too small to be a significant factor, but a meaningful percentage of these cable TV losses come from unhappy cable customers switching to OTA antennas and dumping cable’s hundreds of unwatched channels in favor of getting all their favorite local broadcasts FREE. Cable companies are stumbling with penetration percentages hitting a 17-year low. A significant number of cable subscribers are finally getting enough of cable TV’s higher costs, billing add-ons, service outages, contact difficulties, aggravating half-day in-home service waits and no shows, resulting in lost customers, while our business is doubling about every 180 days”

    On November 29, 2007, The Bridge Data Group reported overall “customer satisfaction” with DBS at 72% and cable at only 58% and the “likelihood to switch” for both at 10%. These numbers might have accounted recently for the “attack” on a Comcast payment center in Virginia by a 75 year-old hammer wielding grandmother.

    And it’s not only problems with Cable (and Satellite) providers that have caused this dramatic OTA antenna sales increase. The benefits of Off-Air antennas are compelling and numerous. There is only so much room on cable or satellite bandwidth in which to squeeze signal, so data is compressed to fit, resulting in a somewhat “soft” picture. An OTA signal is the gold standard in digital reception because it’s completely uncompressed and also FREE; good news for the millions of homes not using cable or satellite. But what about those cable or satellite subscribers that want access to all their local broadcasts or all available HD local broadcasts, but can’t get them from their present provider.

    Local digital TV broadcasts are everywhere. And how hot is HD? High Definition Televisions bumped digital cameras out of the top spot for the most desired CE product for 2007. But bandwidth limitations mean that cable and satellite providers may not carry all local channels in many areas, or may not offer all of them in high definition. Contract disagreements between local cable operators and local broadcasters can mean that major networks may not be available via cable TV in several areas. DISH Network® offers local HD coverage to about 47 percent of U.S. markets, while DIRECTV® reaches about 65 percent, but for an additional monthly fee.

    “What about those other millions of viewers who want to see their favorite local shows and in HD” asks Schneider? “The answer is to add an OTA antenna to other signal reception sources”. This not only gives a viewer the ability to receive all their local stations, but, with the right Terrestrial Digital antenna, some viewers may even be able to receive out-of-town channels, which may carry blacked out sports programs or network broadcasts not available in their home town. For lower income families, an OTA antenna may be the only alternative. As an added benefit, an OTA antenna provides back-up reception options for local cable or satellite signal loss due to equipment failure or rain, snow and ice fade and to smaller TVs and second sets in homes not wired for whole-house signal distribution.

    The Consumer Electronics Association, which does not track antenna sales, puts antennas in their accessory category. Accessory? Try getting an OTA broadcast signal without one.

    Comment by Michael Sherman | December 31, 2007

  2. Excellent post. I am planning on passing this site and post along to my readers later today! Keep up the good work!

    Michael

    Find Your Flat Panel HDTV Here!

    Comment by tenro1 | April 8, 2008

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