Mantecore

I just bought a brand new Hdtv today, I have crappy Tvmax for my cable company because i cant get anything else, i cant get HD broadcasts from them, is thier any way to receive them, like if you buy a special kind of antenna or something? Anyone have any ideas please?

Mr. Salty

First, we need to know if any of your local affiliates are broadcasting in HDTV.

mookiemeister

You also need to get a HDTV receiver if your HDTV doesn't come with one.

Icculus

Check www.antennaweb.org to see what you can receive at your address. It'll tell you (in general) which type of antenna you'll need to have (to use along with the HD tuner).

JBabbitt

I would go with the Radio Shack double bowtie. You cannot get one at RS anymore, but they can be had on ebay for about $20. Most people have had great success with that one. Stay away from anything Terk. You can read all about them on other forums. You can also try the Samsung Silver Sensor. That is another great HD antenna, that can be had for about $30.

Icculus

It all depends on where you are... I had a radio shack double bow tie and could only get one station, I tried it at my parents house and had the same results. If you're close wnough to use an indoor antenna then the double bow tie is a good idea, if not then you have to look at roof top options.

JBabbitt

"It all depends on where you are... I had a radio shack double bow tie and could only get one station, I tried it at my parents house and had the same results. If you're close wnough to use an indoor antenna then the double bow tie is a good idea, if not then you have to look at roof top options."

I would say that this is fairly obvious. If you can have a rooftop antenna, you should always go with that. Anything outdoors will work better than indoors, due to the fact that there are no walls in the way. But if you cannot try the two indoors.

Icculus

Yeah, that's what I thought but I figured I would clarify. When someone asks what they need for HDTV and you say "I would go with the double bow tie" without knowing any specifics it sounds like the double bow tie will work in any situation....

Mantecore

So i should get this double bow tie thing then? roof top is not an option, i will go pick one up and see how it goes, if not i can return in, but i should be able to get hd broadcasts from this?

Icculus

You can try it, it might or might not work. I can't have a rooftop antenna so I tried the double bow tie, unfortunately I could only pull in one digital station so I ended up returning all the extra equipment. Like Mookiemeister mentioned, you probably need a HD tuner in addition to the antenna, some TVs have them built in but most do not.

Mantecore

Ok, so i found this Antennacraft AC-9 rooftop antenna which is supposed to be the best to pick up signals, and i would need a hd receiver with ota or oda, forget which its called. Anyone know any sites where i can find out if i will be able to recieve the signal at my zip code?

Patman

Will the Radio Shack double bow antenna also receive the VHF HDTV channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX) in the "channel 2-13" range?

JBabbitt

Mine does!

Patman

Excellent news! Thanks for the confirmation. I will begin my hunt for this antenna in earnest!