TV "converters" to watch regular tv ?

[tercel89]

We currently have Direct TV . We have had them for 9 years and never had a problem. I called about a problem and I am getting some very negative feedback from them. So I want to know if any of you guys/gals have the "converter" box or whatever it is called that allows you to watch the normal "free channels" that we used to get before a few years ago before antennas went out the door ? If you have them, where do I get one and how much does it cost ? Thanks in advance . I am getting ready to cancel satellite TV and save about $70 .

[UncleJak]

I had one and it sucks. I used to have Direct TV and it sucks too. I used to have Comcast, and it was so-so. I cancelled my comcast and left the line plugged in and get the "free" channels and am satisfied with that. Nothing good comes on anyways. I would rather watch an old western...

[tercel89]

How was the picture or signal on the converter box ? Where did you get it at ?

[mcurrier]

I have an in-attic Digital HD antenna and a digital converter box and get 27 channels here in Nashville, all digital, ALL FREE, many in HD. It looks better than Comcassed too because it is uncompressed.

Check out digital antennas at Solid Signal

http://www.solidsignal.com

They have a forum than can help you get set up.

http://forums.solidsignal.com

[gjohnsoniv]

You can get them at Radio Shack for between about 15 and 30 dollars. They aren't that hard to set up either. That's what's at the house because we have no need for cable/satellite and they're just another expense. That and we're rarely at home.

[Guest uofmeet]

If you already have an HD TV with a digital tuner in it, you will not need a converter box. and you will still need an antenna to get over the air channels. They didn't go away, just changed the delivery method. Also, depending on where you live, you may or may not need one of them fancy antennas they try to sell you.

Edited May 3, 2012 by uofmeet

[UncleJak]

I paid $40 for mine. When it worked the picture was great, but when it didn't it was horrid/fuzzy. It worked about 60% of the time.

I think the antenna is probably important on these. The box I got had a short one.

[Guest bluecanary25]

Go to webantenna.org learn basics of TV antennas.

On the Maximize your TV Reception, click the buton and play along.

Some useful info.

[enfield]

Anyone who tries to sell you a "Digital TV Antenna" is a crook.

Anyone who tries to sell you an "HD Antenna" is a crook.

Edited May 3, 2012 by enfield

[Motasyco]

Anyone who tries to sell you a "Digital TV Antenna" is a crook.

Anyone who tries to sell you an "HD Antenna" is a crook.

This.

The old antenna on your roof that was used to pick up the analog broadcasts will work fine for today's digital broadcasts. The antenna is about the frequency of the broadcast signal, not the format. You must have a digital tuner, whether in your TV, or a "converter", in order to get today's digital broadcasts. All off air broadcasts switched to digital in 2009.

With analog, if you had a weak signal, you would get a snowy picture but you would still have a picture. With digital, if the signal is not strong enough for your tuner to make out the bits or 1s and 0s, you will have no picture. If it can make out the 1s and 0s, your picture will be as broadcast. There's very little margin in between. The days of ghosts and snowy pictures are gone.

Yes. I am an engineer and I have recently stayed in a Holiday Inn Express.

Edited May 3, 2012 by Motasyco

[mcurrier]

Yeah, I didn't want to get into a whole technical thing in replying to the OP, just tried to post a KISS basic info post, but every time you do that...

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Am woefully ignorant of finer points of RF, but MAYBE it isn't a complete crock calling a TV or FM antenna HD or Digital? Devils advocate position-- For one thing, lots of people who might decide to snip the cable never had an old style roof rotor TV antenna and may be too young to realize that roof TV antennas were once common-place? IOW, they've got to buy SOMETHING regardless of what that SOMETHING is named?

It might be useful to tell em it will work with digital TV or FM sub-channels so a fella who doesn't know electronics doesn't have to study up on it to discover that it is all analog at that stage of the game? How many people will go looking for an analog TV antenna now that nobody transmits analog TV anymore? What percentage of TV watchers even know the meaning of the terms analog and digital?

IOW, if the name is parsed-- [digital tv] + [antenna] it would make sense and not be deceptive. IOW, "I'm a lookin fer a antenna fer my new-fangled digital TV." Parsing-- [digital] + [tv antenna] might be nonsensical, though perhaps one really could whomp up a digital antenna system even if it might not offer advantage for TV? Wouldn't be surprised if there are digital antenna designs but don't have time to research and it won't hurt my feelings to be wrong as is so often the case. Maybe something along the lines of a tuned array of hall effect sensor chips with comparator digital outputs? Dunno. The high-freq digital short-range comm for such as bluetooth and RFID is so simplified that it might be reasonably called "digital radio"? Basically just pulses of rf rather than classically modulated rf?

An antenna preamp might be helpful if it and the antenna can boost the S/N rather than boosting the Signal and Noise equally? I have what comcast claims is a solid feed to the house and only a single lossy splitter in the house coax feed, but have to use a line amp inserted ahead of the splitter to get enough dB to be recognized by the cable boxes. Same deal might apply to an antenna hookup, dunno.

Had a pretty nice Sangean FM tuner with good selectivity and tone, which picked up the sub-channels great, assuming the correct antenna. It didn't do too good on the sub-channels without a decent antenna. In my case it wasn't an external antenna, just a better laid out interior wire antenna. Have had a few Sangean radios with good tone, quality and durability but the digital FM tuner went belly-up after about a year, so I replaced it with a conventional cheap FM receiver without the digital features. Wasn't worth the bucks to "try again" buying a fancy tuner because the FM sub-channels in my area are no more interesting than the main channels. Just more channels of crap. Anyway, for use with a digital FM tuner, maybe a "HD antenna" would be fair phraseology for product name, rather than "high gain FM antenna"? Maybe it is deceptive, maybe not-- "I'm a lookin fer a antenna fer my new-fangled HD FM tuner." "Well now here ya go, buy this here thang cause it am a HD FM Antenna."

That solidsignal.com site is interesting because I don't pay attention to antennas. For somebody living in the boonies, they offer 10 element directional UHF antennas tuned to specific channels. That might be real useful for certain customers? Assuming it works?

[10-Ring]

Go to webantenna.org learn basics of TV antennas.

On the Maximize your TV Reception, click the buton and play along.

Some useful info.

Link doesn't work, I think this is what you were talking about though.

http://www.antennaweb.org/

[Guest bluecanary25]

I was hoping to help get basic antenna info to the OP. Not trying to sell the hype of "Digital Antennas".

Drawback to this ATSC stuff is the signal can be easily blocked.... Need as clear a pathway in the direction of the broadcat towers.

During this past fall (no leaves on trees) I easily picked up Nashville and Lebanon with Rat Shack U-75. I live in Monkey county close to Cheatham Co line. I usually watch DISH, this reminds me to check OTA (over the air) again as the trees have leaves.....

Weekend project!

[Guest bluecanary25]

Link doesn't work, I think this is what you were talking about though.

http://www.antennaweb.org/

Yeah! that's it!

Thanks for the correction.

[10-Ring]

I had thought about getting an antenna before, I only have time to watch a significant amount of TV about 2 months out of the year so I refuse to pay for satellite. Unfortunately I live in a very remote area. The antennaweb site had this to say about my location.

Due to factors such as terrain and distance to broadcasting towers, signal strength calculations have predicted no television stations may be reliably received at this location.

Sucks, I clicked the mountain top right behind my house that is about 1/2 mile away (the way the crow flies, probably a 3 day hike, LOL) there's about 10 stations available up there.

[tercel89]

Anyone who tries to sell you a "Digital TV Antenna" is a crook.

Anyone who tries to sell you an "HD Antenna" is a crook.

Then what should I but and where ?

[enfield]

Then what should I but and where ?

Just buy a big TV antenna and mount it as high as possible - there are no guarantees of reception.

[Motasyco]

Here's a link to see what is available in your area and the expected signal strength. As mentioned above, there's no guarantees but this is pretty handy. If you live in the bottom of a hollow you'll need a real high antenna. Enter your location in the "Enter Location" block.

http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/

[Motasyco]

Generally speaking, the length of the elements has to do with the wavelength of the signal. Longer elements = lower frequencies. Shorter elements = higher frequencies. You need various lengths of elements to pick up multiple frequencies. A wide band roof top antenna will have multiple elements of varying lengths to pick up a wide band of frequencies. In other words, it's made to pick up all the different channels that may be broadcast in any particular area. Look for the gain of the antenna. More elements = more gain. More gain = more distant channels. More gain also means more money. Often antenna specs will just give a "range". More "range" is more "gain". A good antenna will cost over $100. Get a "VHF/UHF" antenna.

Be careful with an amplified antenna. If the antenna is only picking up crap, the amplifier will just amplify crap.

I'm not much of a fan of Radio Shack but they can probably fix you up with what you need and there's one just about everywhere.

[Guest bluecanary25]

I'm not much of a fan of Radio Shack but they can probably fix you up with what you need and there's one just about everywhere.

I agree with you in general about Rat Shack.... but it's hard to FU a TV anatenna. Look up the U-75.

Not a bad antenna, relatively small (no VHF elements)... best part IS CHEAP!! About $8 at Consumer Depot, close to 100 Oaks in Nashville.

They have a website.

You will also need to run coax from the transformer (300 ohm [twin lead] to 75 ohm[TVcoax]) directly to your converter/TV.

Just get the antenna as high as is practical and avoid obstructions between you and the transmitters, Depending on distance/terrain/obstructions/wind/rain/karma........ your signal strength will vary.

[Motasyco]

I agree with you in general about Rat Shack.... but it's hard to FU a TV anatenna. Look up the U-75.

Not a bad antenna, relatively small (no VHF elements)... best part IS CHEAP!! About $8 at Consumer Depot, close to 100 Oaks in Nashville.

I took your advice and did a search for the U-75 antenna and found it, like you said, at Consumer Depot. They don't even list specifications. That's a red flag to me. I'm assuming the model name translates to U = UHF only, and 75 = the characteristic impedance, 75 ohms, the standard RF input impedance for a TV today. If it works for you, perfect. I would never criticize someones choice if it delivers what they need.

I don't believe most people would want a UHF only antenna (no VHF elements). Unless you only have UHF channels in your area (unlikely). Or price is a major concern (possibly). Or the VHF channels are so strong the UHF antenna gets them anyway (you live under the VHF transmitting tower). I ran a check on Clarksville and there are no strong signals in the air and of the moderate strength signals, half of them were UHF and half VHF. Of the four major broadcast networks in the area, CBS and NBC are VHF and Fox and ABC are UHF. Most people will want to receive the VHF channels (2 - 13) as well.

If you live in an area with lots of strong off air signals, you could probably get by with a wire coat hanger. About 25 cents.

[hornett22]

there is NOTHING on TV worth paying any amount of money to watch.

[Motasyco]

there is NOTHING on TV worth paying any amount of money to watch.

And that, my friend, is why we spend so much time on TGO.

[hornett22]

And that, my friend, is why we spend so much time on TGO.

Pretty much.