What is the best indoor and best outdoor off-air antenna for local HD?

[rpgoblue]

Im in the Detroit area. If you include apporximate prices, brands...thatd be great?
Is outdoor better than indoor?
Will i notice a difference between outdoor and indoor?

Thanks

[Mark Lamutt]

Outdoor is almost always better than indoor, but there are a huge number of variables involved in each situation. I use the Radio Shack UHF only yagi and a Channel Master 3021 antenna myself, but they may or may not work for you. I'd suggest checking the Detroit HDTV thread in the Local HDTV forum over at AVSForums - you should be able to get much more specific information from people in your area that know some of the local issues that you face.

[Nick]

First, outdoor will get you higher gain than indoor. You will probably need to do your own research as to models/prices based on the specifics of your location, terrain, distance (and direction) of broadcast towers. Being in a metro area can be both a blessing and a curse, depending.

For starters, may I suggest you go to www.avsforum.com and do a search in the OTA threads for your specific geographic area - a broad base of experience and a wealth of information there for you to mine.

Here are some other leads

www.antennaweb.org
www.channelmaster.com
www.winegard.com

Also, talk to the experienced installers at some of the tv shops in you area.

Good luck, and let us know what you come up with.

[Paradox-sj]

silver sensor for inside | Channalmaster 4228 outside

[n8dagr8]

(I don't have one but) I hear the silver sensor is a really good antenna.

[Flyboy917]

I have a Channel Master 4 Bay UHF antenna in my attic. I get better HD reception with it than an 80 inch boom traditional TV antenna mounted 15 ft above the peak of my house.

:)

[shankar]

Im in the Detroit area. If you include apporximate prices, brands...thatd be great?
Is outdoor better than indoor?
Will i notice a difference between outdoor and indoor?

Thanks

It depends on where you are. If you live near southfield, get the cheapest indoor UHF antenna. I'm in the ann arbor area. My set up is in the basement.

I started with the radio shack bow tie ($15) in my basement and had decent reception of Detroit and great reception of Toledo channels.

Next, I installed a rooftop (channel master 3228? 4 bow tie, Campus TV in A2 installed), mainly for the detroit stations and I get all of them near 100% strength. I used the bow tie in my basement to merge Toledo stations in my channel list with the Dish 811.

I gave away the bow tie to a friend and got the silver sensor. Amazing. It is very sensitive and directional. I was able to pull in Lansing statios, if pointed in the right direction.

Vist antennaweb.org for recommendations. Also visit TitanTv.com

Email/PM me if you still have questions.

[chinnodu]

I gave away the bow tie to a friend and got the silver sensor. Amazing. It is very sensitive and directional. I was able to pull in Lansing statios, if pointed in the right direction.


Email/PM me if you still have questions.

May be too late to ask a Q on this topi.. but anyway Which brand is Silver Sensor ?
I find 2 of them in Amazon
Zenith ZHDTV1 HDTV/UHF Digital Indoor Antenna (Silver and Black)
Philips PM-HDTV1 Silver Sensor HDTV Indoor Antenna

Which local retailers might have them ? I see only online :(
Thanks In advance
-

[lazaruspup]

May be too late to ask a Q on this topi.. but anyway Which brand is Silver Sensor ?
I find 2 of them in Amazon
Zenith ZHDTV1 HDTV/UHF Digital Indoor Antenna (Silver and Black)
Philips PM-HDTV1 Silver Sensor HDTV Indoor Antenna

Which local retailers might have them ? I see only online :(
Thanks In advance
-

Check Sears for the Zenith brand Silver Sensor.

[kenglish]

Look around a bit at Sears. The Terks and others get the high-profile shelf space...the SS is often on a bottom shelf somewhere away from the others.

[olgeezer]

May be too late to ask a Q on this topi.. but anyway Which brand is Silver Sensor ?
I find 2 of them in Amazon
Zenith ZHDTV1 HDTV/UHF Digital Indoor Antenna (Silver and Black)
Philips PM-HDTV1 Silver Sensor HDTV Indoor Antenna

Which local retailers might have them ? I see only online :(
Thanks In advance
-

The Silver Sensor is made by Gemini and is sold under both the Zenith and the Philips brands. If any of your local HD channels are VHF, remember the Silver Sensor is designed for UHF

[jazzpro8]

I get excellent results with the Zenith silver in the Norfolk and Virginia beach, VA area. It is hooked into a Sony Sat HD200. :hurah:

[Jeff McClellan]

get a channel master 4221, mount it on the roof on a 5 foot mast, get a rotor, get a Channel Master preamp, 7xxx series, use rg-6 quad shielded cable. Ground it. Put a variable attenuator from radio shack and place it between the power supply to the preamp and the receiver, get a male/female dc block to connect to the imput on the receiver, use GE silicon around all your outside rg connections, and sit back and enjoy, Use the attenuator to dial down stronger stations in the direction of Cleveland. It will work.