Cable TV alternatives and HDTV antennas

[ndavies]

Don't pay extra for a "Digital antenna" there is no such thing as a digital antenna. The word digital is just marketing bullshit to get you to pay more. All Antennas capture analog carrier waves. The Digital stuff is encoded onto an Analog carrier frequency.

[Wheels]

Don't pay extra for a "Digital antenna" there is no such thing as a digital antenna. The word digital is just marketing bullshit to get you to pay more. All Antennas capture analog carrier waves. The Digital stuff is encoded onto an Analog carrier frequency.

You can't get the HD signal without a digital antenna.

[ndavies]

You can't get the HD signal without a digital antenna.

Not true. Complete and Total Bullshit. You bought into the marketing. A TV antenna is a TV antenna.

I'm using a 1970s VHF UHF TV top antenna on my HDTVs. Works perfectly. All you need is a TV with an HDTV tuner in it to get HDTV. That old non HDTV antenna will work fine.

[Enduro]

Not true. Complete and Total Bullshit. You bought into the marketing. A TV antenna is a TV antenna.

I'm using a 1970s VHF UHF TV top antenna on my HDTVs. Works perfectly. All you need is a TV with an HDTV tuner in it to get HDTV. That old non HDTV antenna will work fine.

Yep. I actually bought a retro Mad Man looking antenna on eBay because it looked cooler than any modern ones.

[yupislyr]

You can't get the HD signal without a digital antenna.

This is absolutely not true. It makes absolutely no difference as to what antenna you use whether you can get an digital HD signal or not. All you need is to be able to receive the signal somehow [[some kind of antenna) and a tv or a digital converter to connect to said tv that is capable of receiving digital and HD signals.

Do you have an old antenna on your roof from the 70s or 80s? Use it, it will work. Do you have a coat hanger? It may very well work. Years back when I was exploring dumping cable, I wanted to try out my new converter box but did not have an antenna. I simply stuck one end of a coax cable into a POP CAN and I received the majority of the local channels in perfect crystal clear HD [[That are broadcasting in HD anyway. Not all channels are). I live in central Windsor so I get a ton of TV signals with ease. Obviously your mileage may vary.

The only differences really now are:

- the digital signal is less tolerant of degradation. If you have a bad signal, you can't just watch a snowy picture like you can with an old analog signal. You probably won't get anything on your screen, or it will drop out very frequently.
- digital signals are frequently transmitted at lower power than analog used to be. You may need a bigger antenna or raise the antenna higher up to receive the same stations.
- despite the virtual channels that the stations use, most of the digital broadcasting is over UHF. So if you do elect to re-use/build/buy an antenna, you most likely want one that specializes in getting UHF channels. Some local expections still broadcasting on VHF would be FOX2 and CBC.