db27

Howdy,

We've got the 53" Pioneer HDTV (no built in tuner) and would like to know what is neccessary to receive HD signals for CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBC over the air.

We currently have Dish Networks HD receiver and the HD package and love it, but it's tough being limited to just whats on those few channels.

And every time it says "available in HDTV" during a football game I get sad that I can't take advantage.

So what do I need to do/purchase?

Thanks!

taa455

Don't you have an antenna input on your HD receiver? Just plug an antenna in. You might have to roof-mount the antenna and/or get an amp for it, but some say indoor antennas work also, depending on your location.

SmackDaddy

You need an over the air HD tuner and appropriate antennae. I know some of the DirecTV HD boxes have an OTA tuner built in.

The Dish 811 and 921 HD recievers have an OTA tuner. If you have one of those all you would need to do is connect an antannae to it to recieve the signals. Depending on your location you may only need an indoor one, if you can't get much of a signal you may need to go with an outdoor solution.

D300

Go to AntennaWeb to find the right antenna.

db27

okay, we've got an 811 reciever so it does have the input. yay!

i checked that website, it listed a lot of local channels and told me what size antenna i needed for each station.

should i be looking at stations in digital/analog or both.

just because a national carrier (CBS) has hd feeds, will my local CBS? (wcax in this case)?

thanks!

Hanson

If you don't want to go to the trouble of mounting a rooftop antenna without knowing exactly what you're getting, the absolute hands down best indoor antenna is the Silver Sensor from Antiference, which is rebadged and sold by Magnavox, Zenith, and Gemini and goes for $30 to $40. This a a UHF antenna only, which is fine since 99% of HD channels are UHF. Don't waste money on Terk or Radio Shack antennas.

db27

thanks!

NikePenguin

Go get the antenna before Sunday. The Colt-Pats game will be in 1080i and will look great! Should be a good game too. The Panthers-Eagles will only be in ED (480p widescreen) but still looks much better than SD broadcast.

But if you arent able to get hooked up this weekend, you do have two weeks before the Superbowl.

db27

well, i did pick up the silver sensor, but sadly it's just not good enough.

probably just cause i'm in vermont. but either way, did not get good signals, and don't even think that these were in HD locally.

gonna return it tomorrow.

thanks for the help though!

NikePenguin

Did you go to www.antennaweb.org as suggested above? That site will tell you how far away the transmitting towers are and what direction. It will also tell you which type of antenna you would need.

db27

I did, but I'm not sure what that tells me, bottom line the antenna wasn't strong enough I guess, and a rooftop antenna is not a option.

if you can explain it better to me, my zip code is 05452

NikePenguin

Looks like bad news for you.

db27

thanks for finding this, indeed crud news. but I must say I'm not surprised.

Michael Corvin

So can someone explain all these numbers for me? Do the different compass directions mean the antenna has to be adjusted(moved) to pick up the best quality signal?

(Louisville, KY 40299)

NikePenguin

Compass directions matter most if you are using a directional antenna. As I understand it, VHF antennas are much more directional than UHF ones.

In your case, there is only one station in a different direction than the others and it is VHF (the PAX station). I think the Silver Sensor, as recommended above, might work for you. You could also try an old pair of rabbit ears if you have a set since you seem to be pretty close to the broadcast tower.

Michael Corvin

Thanks for the reply Nike. Yeah, there are no big trees/buildings/antennas anywhere near me. Clear skies. I figured and indoor would suffice just wanted to make sure before purchasing. So my next question is about stand alone tuners.

What is the difference between "on-air" and "off-air."

Any recommendations for a moderately priced one with decent features? I read the Motorola is buggy. I don't have cable or satellite and have no desire, the only things I watch are on the broadcast networks.

NikePenguin

I am not sure what you mean between "on-air" and "off-air" unless you are referring to "over-the-air".

The only OTA STB I am familiar with is the Samsung 351. I bought it online for $350. It changes channels a bit slow but I do not know if that is typical of these tuners.

You may want to browse the hdtv hardware section at www.avsforum.com for feedback and a complete list of available tuners. Ignore the DirecTV/OTA tuners and just look at the tuners for OTA only.

Michael Corvin

Well, when researching on the web (samsung, motorola, sony) tuners various sites list them as 'on-air' or 'off-air' tuners. My guess (and I don't want to base a $300 purchase on a guess) is that 'on-air' is though a provider(cable/satellite) and 'off-air' would be standard broadcast channels though an antenna.

Anyone else have any ideas.

mee2

I was told that OTA (over the air) antennas were what you're referring to as "off-air". As a matter of fact i bought the Zenith Silver Sensor last night, and it just doesn't cut it, and i'm only 16 miles fromt eh broadcast towers. I'm going to try hooking up my rooftop antenna to my HD receiver this weekend.

NikePenguin

If you have a rooftop antenna, you should definitely use it.

Click here for a thread at www.avsforum.com discussing actual performance of the silver sensor.

OldDude

Great link to see the range of opinions. As we say here, YMMV. Or as one guy says:

db27

I'm so bummed that I won't be getting the Super Bowl in HD, I hate Vermont

I'm having people over and such, and am annoyed they'll see a stretch satellite transmission instead of crystal clear HD.

POOP!

Michael Corvin

Alright I just got an OTA receiver, Samsung t165, and Silver Sensor antenna. After 3 hours of playing with both I can receive a grand total of 0 stations worthy of watching. According to antennaweb I am less than 20 miles from every station. I have clear skies, no trees or big buildings around but nada. The analog channels sound fine but are total snow. Complete BS. What am I doing wrong?

gotapex

Are you pointed in the right compass direction? Those silver sensors are pretty directional.

Michael Corvin

It seems to be. I mean I'm not even getting a blip from the DTV led.