What is a good open air tv antenna for hdtv?

[BILLVO]

I have just purchased my first HDTV a Sony Wega and we have local stations that broadcast in HD. I am too cheap to get digital satelite due to we are not home enough to justify it. I have an indoor RadioShack amplified antenna that works so so. I need an outdoor antenna to pick up a better signal. The hd signal is hit and miss in the house. I am wondering if there is a real good indoor one or what is a real good outdoor antenna to look for. I just tried a Turk TV5 indoor antenna but it isn't as good as my old RadiaShack one. I am returning it tomorrow it was recommended as a good one by the kid at Best Buy. I live in a small vally so signal strength is mediocer but I am not more than 30-40 miles from the farthest tower.

 

[nickleinonen]

i really would recomend you find a specialty shop that deals in home theater and HDtv stuff. . best buy may carry the same, but the specialty shops know more. . i use to work for a small home theater specality store and at the time, i was up on everything HD and home theater. once i left though, i stopped being up on everything.

there are many home theater and HDtv forums like tdr out there. find one and ask there.

Choosing the Best HDTV Antenna
Watch free HDTV with an outdoor antenna - CNET Weekend Project - CNET reviews
HDTV Antenna Reviews

 

[DPellegrin]

you do not have to buy a special hdtv antenna regular rabbit ears will work for hd and digital signal. Or a regular on the roof antenna will work im not sure about the amplified antennas I bought an rca one and it didnt do any better than the cheap antenna I had.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Don't buy into the marketing hype that would lead you to believe you need a new antenna for terrestrial broadcast digital TV signals. The digital channels (HD or SD) are all within the same frequency range as the analog channels.



Buy a good antenna, good coax cable, good connectors and call it a day. They usually rate them in LOS (line of sight) distance to the transmitting tower. If you don't have a lot of wind - get the biggest one you can and stuff it up on the roof.



I had a decent sized antenna up in the attic in my old house - and it worked great. No worries about wind/lightning damage with this method, but you do drop a bit in signal strength trying to catch signals through the roof. The drop in signal strength was OK since the bigger and more directional (higher gain) antenna made up for it.



Getting your antenna up high (above average terrain) will also net really good results.



Beers,



Matt

 

[BILLVO]

We have tons of high wind here so a stout antenna will be in order. I am having a steel roof put on the house within a few weeks also so I am wondering if it will affect the reception if I were to mount a big antenna in the attic. I have one there now but it is a very old one. the amplified rabbit ears get better reception than that one.



Thanks for the input guys. I am headed to town now to see what I can find.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

BILLVO: I'd venture to guess that your steel roof on the house would absolutely wreak havoc with any plans on putting a TV antenna in the attic.



What did you end up with?



Beers,



Matt

 

[BILLVO]

I got a big directional antenna from Radio Shack. I have it together but don't have it mounted yet. I am going to wall mount it to the outside of my house at the peak of the roof.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Good deal - that should work just fine.



Beers,



Matt