HDTV/DTV reception

flynbw01
flynbw01 Posts: 8
edited September 2002 in Basic Hookup/Wiring Questions
Does anyone have much experience with antenna reception of HDTV/DTV?? I've found the compass orientation on www.antennaweb.org and all of the stations in my area are code red. My question is, would a small indoor/outdoor antenna work (like the terk TV55) or do I really need something like the terk HDTV60 on the roof? I have a very large maple tree in my back yard right in the middle of my compass orientation, and I am in a low area (a creek runs across the very back of my property). Does anyone know if there is a way to test my signal before going through the trouble of getting the HDTV/DTV tuner? Is there something I can attach to an antenna to let me know signal strength? Or do I just have to buy everything and return it if it doesn't work for me? Also, will regular TV antenna's work, or do they have to specify that they receive HDTV/DTV signals??
Post edited by flynbw01 on
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  • mrpergo
    mrpergo Posts: 35
    edited September 2002
    Go to the avsforum and post your question.
    There is a area for antenna reception.
    I read that the turks were no good,but you can go read and be the judge.There is a lot of good info there.:)
    Mains:RT800i
    Center:CS400i
    Sides:fx/300i
    Rears:RT35i
    Subwoofer:SVS 20-39 pci
    Receiver: Denon 3802
    DVD: Denon 3800
    HDTV:Hitachi 57swx20b
    Remote:MX-500
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  • flynbw01
    flynbw01 Posts: 8
    edited September 2002
    What/where is the avsforum? I don't use message boards much.
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  • mrpergo
    mrpergo Posts: 35
    edited September 2002
    http://www.avsforum.com

    look under local hdtv and reception:D
    Mains:RT800i
    Center:CS400i
    Sides:fx/300i
    Rears:RT35i
    Subwoofer:SVS 20-39 pci
    Receiver: Denon 3802
    DVD: Denon 3800
    HDTV:Hitachi 57swx20b
    Remote:MX-500
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited September 2002
    If a regular TV Antenna works in your house now for you and the stations you watch are HDTV then you should be OK, if so the external antennas will give you more gain for better demodulation.

    Are you buying a box that can do over the air and direct tv? I think that is the way to go... IMO
    ***WAREMTAE***
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  • liv4fam
    liv4fam Posts: 311
    edited September 2002
    go stand in the driveway with it during a lightning storm
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited September 2002
    What the eff is this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I'm being attacked again? OK here Goes.

    Liv4fam, I run a network that generates more cash in a day than you mentally can count even with a computer. I would not allow you to splice a radio shack cable for me you ****.

    You have no Idea how to handle yourself... and at 28 I was 1 hellava lot more mature than you show. I guess thats why you open boxes and I'm where I am but at this rate we will just call you LIVE4BOXCUTTING!


    Stop the nonsense NOW! Please.

    HBomb
    ***WAREMTAE***
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited September 2002
    Trolls will be trolls Hbomb, don't sweat the small stuff, and trust me, this 'guy' is small stuff....

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited September 2002
    Ya Russ your Right. I guess if we take his BOXCUTTERS away he won't even have friends in the middle east!
    ***WAREMTAE***
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited September 2002
    OH BTW... I wonder if LIVE$BOXCUTTERS even understands this RIP?
    ***WAREMTAE***
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited September 2002
    Guys if you want to insult him..thats fine.
    But leave the job thing out of it ...you attack that, you attack me.

    Don't question the money thing HBombtoo.

    I'm not defending what he's done in here but you need to find a better way of insulting him.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited September 2002
    I can however answer your questions concerning HDTV.

    Getting the signal is like gettiing dss,Its direct line of sight.If you have a big tree in the way,you might not get the signal.

    Going on the roof with a field strength meter can check the signal if you have enough to proceed with the Antenna Install.

    No you can't use a indoor out door,It's alot of work for a gamble....I have been only able to receive the signal that way once out of 50 times.......they just aren't worth the hassle.

    A roof antenna is the way to go and get it up as high as possible, maybe consider triming that tree of yours.

    If any advice I can give you, this is the one you want to take........stay away from the terk tv antenna's,the powered ones like the tv55 and such.We had so many problems it's just not worth it at all.
    Go to Radioshack and buy a nice off air antenna uhf/vhf with enough miles radious to cover the distance to the towers where you live.A rotor is also a great Idea........these things are cheap.

    You know it might be in your best intrest to get an antenna guy out to your house to see if it is worth it and or will you be able to grap good signal from all the local channels.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • flynbw01
    flynbw01 Posts: 8
    edited September 2002
    thanks for the suggestions mantis, I'm actually talking to a guy up the street who works at Hi-Fi buys, and said he wasn't able to pick up OTA signals, he said he could never completely lock on and they would come in and out. So I might see where my compass orientation for Satellite would be. Thanks
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited September 2002
    Mantis, no insult to you intended and your right I did overreact.
    ***********I apologize and Stand Corrected.*************

    It has been a really tough week at work and I'm on edge but why me here is the question. I have never ripped on any1 in this forum even liv4fam, and this is his second whack at me.

    As to your advice on HDTV antennas, the foliage effects on uWave less than 750Mhz is very minimal. Even Cellular @ 850 is very tolerant to clutter. uWave degradation buy foliage and clutter is severe @ 2Gig and gets worse as the freq goes up. You are correct about the field strenght meter but it is a little overkill and a spectrum analyzer is more of what your looking for. The analyzer gives you a direct dBm reading which then could be applied to your link budget. The field strenght meter measures W/cm^^2 and is a pain to convert into a uasble link budget.

    I was only pointing out that an external antenna is not needed for HDTV specifically and if there is reception the only need is the HDTV decoder. For additional margin an outdoor antenna could be used but now the discussion moves to the point of diminishing returns.

    Best Regards
    HBomb
    ***WAREMTAE***
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