OTA HDTV WOW! And it's Free!

[JoeyGee]

The other day I posted some questions on HDTV and the Dish Network. I decided to try out an Over the Air (OTA) antenna first. I figured it would be grainy and fuzzy. WOW, was I wrong.

Just by hooking up a $30 antenna from Wal*Mart, I get HD quality picture, in full 16:9 (on actual HD broadcasts) on all my local channels, plus all their extra all digital channels. Local channels are 90% of what we watch, so I am not really missing the HD cable channels--at least not until college football starts again--luckily all the BCS games are on broadcast Fox .

I average 13 miles from the towers of all the local channels, which is supposedly on the fringe of signal range (according to antennaweb.com) but the picture is beautiful, no fuzz, snow or anything.

I know this is old news to most, but I was always skeptical when I heard "rabbit ears". I was thinking about hooking up an antenna outside, but I have no reason to.

[Ed62]

Cool! What kind of TV did you get?

Ed

[JoeyGee]

We've had a Samsung Slim Fit 30" widescreen for a couple years. We had local cable HD but were never happy with it. We've gone about a year and a half using the TV mainly for XBOX in the basement.

We got this when it first came out, and since we have read some pretty negative reviews on it, but I am happy as a clam with it now.

[Copper]

Yeah, I too was amazed when I plugged in the skimpy wires that are really meant for the radio into my new HDTV. I had a little coaxial cable adapter and wired the "antenna" into that. Crystal clear picture. Granted, I'm pretty much in the city, but I was still pretty impressed.

[cgallery]

I figured it would be grainy and fuzzy. WOW, was I wrong.

I'm like you, I watch 90% local HD, but I keep the cable because of the 10% I don't want to forgo. Plus the kids like Disney and I like the DVR. And the picture via cable is better somehow. Should be the same, but the scaling and other processing of the box seems to appeal to me over the TV's built-in tuner.

[dkhoward]

If you talk to the techie guys, you learn that the broadcast signal in HDTV is superior to the signal you get over either cable or satelite. THis is due to the fact that both cable and satellite have limited bandwith to work with while the broadcast signal is pure. They tell me that the broadcast signal will always be superior to the cable or satelitte feeds

[RAV2]

Welcome to the new world of HDTV Over The Air (HDTVOTA).

I have a Panasonic 42" plasma that I am enjoying the OTA broadcast of over 17 channels - many in HD and several in 1080i (the best that is broadcast). I am also getting Dolby 5.1 stereo. Fox in this area is amazing with their broadcast quality!

I have been educating many on this subject.

I have a $100 Radioshack (standard TV antenna - no special type required - VHF/UHF/FM - in the attic).

I aimed the antenna using my orienteering compass and the information and guidance found on this site:

http://antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx

Here are a few articles that discuss the wonders of HDTVOTA well:

'Rabbit Ears' Find New Life in HDTV Age:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...042900728.html

Prick Up Your Rabbit Ears:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/68364

I have been without cable for over 10 years and the savings is substantial. Realize also that there is another 'cable scam' involving HD signals (compression by cable companies to save bandwidth) and (the need to purchase $10 per month HD cable boxes for each TV in order to enjoy the full benefits of cable provided HD signals).

Funny thing is - I'm sending this over my Verizon FIOS fiber optic cable internet connection! You should see the look on the door-to-door salesmen's faces when they go around hawking FIOS TV and I tell them I already have fiber optic cable and internet. They can't compute that I don't want the TV option - too much money!

Let's start a migration from cable back to OTA with arrival of digital TV.

I can't wait for the other stations to go to HD as well.

There are other phone company scams that suck money out of your pockets on a monthly basis (phone company supplied voicemail for land lines) but if I continue I'd be rambling.

[JoeyGee]

I've been reading a lot on OTA the past few days, and I am still amazed at how much better it is. I am getting Dolby audio, which is amazing compared to the sound over the Dish.

My kids also need their Disney fix, and I can't miss Mythbusters and my DVR, so the Dish isn't going away, unfortunately.

We were a whisper away from signing up with Dish HD. Man, I am glad we didn't.

[RAV2]

My media center PC has a free guide and performs free DVR functions with OTA broadcasts...............

[LinuxRandal]

My media center PC has a free guide and performs free DVR functions with OTA broadcasts...............

Is its tuner digital? I know the early TV cards are supposed to be dying.

[RAV2]

Media center was purchased about 4 years ago and is not digital (HD). This will be my next project to tackle in 2009

[ironhat]

I wanted to do this in the worst way. I'm sick of being hammered by Comcast and we don't even subscribe to any premium channels. I live in a depression and I'm thinking that OTA will blow right over our heads like non-cable broadcast does. I had a 40' tower, signal amp and antenna rotor and still only received one clear channel and two very cloudy ones. Can anyone confirm my suspicions?

[RAV2]

Go to antennaweb.org and enter your zip code. Further refine your location on the street level map. Then look at what you should be getting with the recommended antennas.

[Garasaki]

You won't ever get "fuzzy" signals with OTA HD. The very defination of digital indicates you will either get a signal, or you wont. There is no in between (fuzziness, etc).

Any fuzziness you are getting is in the signal itself (the broadcast, or source, is fuzzy).

Now you can enjoy the fun of watching half a program in HD and half in standard def as the dingbats at the station forget to throw the switch during a show. Check out avsforum, they have a section dedicated to local HDTV areas (ie there is one for eastern Iowa where I live). This is really helpful in determining wether problems such as sound, signal dropout, not being broadcast in HD, etc are on YOUR end or on the NETWORKs end (in other words, is the idiot at your end of the cable or the other end?)

- John, OTA HD viewer circa 2003

[ironhat]

Go to antennaweb.org and enter your zip code. Further refine your location on the street level map. Then look at what you should be getting with the recommended antennas.

Thanks for the site. Just as I thought, only 8 channels are anticipated at my location. Eight!?! Slightly better than the original analog antenna. Oh well, we tried. Thanks!