PDA

View Full Version : Help with an OTA Antenna

zimm7778
05-10-09, 03:56 PM
Hello,

I am looking to get rid of my satellite provider and not go with a cable operator. It's not a money issue beyond I just don't want to pay for it anymore. My problem is I have an HDTV, have tried 4 different OTA HD Antennas and am able to get MAYBE 3 channels in if that. I was told by a guy at Best Buy if my digital tuner inside my TV wasn't strong enough, it wouldn't matter what antenna I bought it wasn't going to work well. My question is if this is the case, is there any way to do anything about a digital tuner? Will a Digital Converter Box/Antenna work better?

Thanks for any help you can give.
tcusta00
05-10-09, 04:01 PM
A digital converter box will work but the freebies that the government is giving away with the coupons aren't eligible for HD converters - only SD. The guy at Best Buy may be correct but I wouldn't necessarily count on it without a little legwork...

Here's what I'd try: Get yourself an ATSC converter and try it to see if it makes any difference. Use a store with a liberal return policy like Radio Shack or BestBuy and see if you get any better signals with that versus the one in your TV. If you do then you've got your answer. If not, return it and try a bigger/better antenna.

What kind of antenna are you using? Have you tried a site like antennaweb.org to make sure you've got the correct antenna for the stations you're trying to pull in.
BattleZone
05-10-09, 06:57 PM
Post a plot of your address's signals from http://www.tvfool.com, and we'll have a much better idea of what your next steps should be. It might be as easy as getting the right TYPE of antenna, or aiming in the right direction. It could also be that you have little hope of improving your signals. We have no way to know without information, and a picture really is worth a thousand words here.
scooper
05-10-09, 10:19 PM
Your real problem is like BattleZone said - not having the full picture on what you need to do. The TVfool.com is an EXCELLENT place to get good info - MUCH better than the antennaweb.org site the government says to use.

Go here http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=45 and look for the Tampa forum and get some ideas of what people are finding to work in that area.