Hey gents (and ladies) -

I live in Burbank, California and we are saturated with nice, strong, over the air HD signals. I have an only (ie not flat panel) TV I was thinking of doing a little OTA Antenna experiment. Anyone have a recommendation for a cheap OTA (indoor is fine) antenna?

Anyone ever done this before have a suggestion of what I need to think about before diving in?

AC

Just kind of depends on what you are looking for. Most HD TV antennas are limited by size/distance. Think size of the antenna, and the distance that it can receive a signal from. Then you want to keep in mind an amplified antenna to boost your gain, or what it does after receiving the signal and improve the picture that you do receive. If you go with an indoor antenna, most have a limit of approx. 40 miles. After that distance, you will have problems receiving the signal at all. If you go outdoors, some of the antennas can receive signals from 100+ miles away. Another thing about distance, it appears that the more you pay, the farther the signal can be. Lastly, look for an omni-directional antenna...some are directional and you may need to move the antenna to receive a better signal.

Hey Now AC!

I bought a Terk HDTVa Indoor antenna from Amazon and it works pretty well. I have it in a sunroom/enclosed patio, and just recently my mom and grandma have been sitting out there on Saturday afternoons and catching tv while they're napping. It's not worth it to me to install a DVR and full-service so the OTA comes in really handy.

We get all the main broadcast channels except channel 7 I think, plus a whole slew of public broadcasting stuff. I have it indoor, right behind my tv in fact. I think I looked online somewhere to find where to point it for the best reception in my zip code, and then I sort of winged a guess as to where that 'direction' is.

I have an extra RCA multi-directional digital flat antenna still in the box if you want it and can wait a few days for shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT1400R-Mult ... B001GGAIIQ

I went to home depot and purchased the most inexpensive outdoor antenna that I could find. Less than $20.00. Strapped it to the chimney and ran the cable to the TV. It makes a nice back up, (my Dishnetwork went down this weekend). And I was able to find 26 digital OTA channels in our area.

I use the amplified (powered) version of the flat RCA antennae Shad is offering on two of my TVs in the house.
link: http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT1450BM-Ref ... 782&sr=1-3

I have noticed a difference in reception depending on whether or not the antennae are being powered -- since a digital tv signal is all-or-nothing, it means I get more channels when plugged in and less stuttering.

Since your area is OTA-rich territory, Shad's non-powered version might suit you well!

Something that hasn't been mentioned:
HOW are you decoding the digital signals? Does your TV have an ATSC tuner built in? All the antennas in the world won't help you if your TV doesn't know how to decode it

The solution for my home theater projector (no TV tuner built in) is a laptop with a USB TV tuner connected to the above antenna. Software is a little weak but TV is clear as day!

link: http://www.amazon.com/Mygica-Tuner-Clea ... 8-11-spell

edit: Another solution would be a separate set top digital decoder box.

So I assume, Say, that a cable ready TV is not enough?

Also, does my TV have to be 'digital' or 'HD'?

The TV I'm using with the antenna is a 32" lcd purchased a couple years ago. Anything purchased post-analog retirement will most likely have a digital decoder built-in. The TV i'm using is name brand (LG) but it was one of the cheapest I found at the time, and it decodes.

Just read that the TV is not flat panel. In that case, it sounds like the tv is a little older and you might need a decoder box.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

"Digital Ready" should be enough to pick up channels OTA but since most stations (all?) are broadcasting in HD, there are a couple of things to expect:

If the TV isn't widescreen, your picture may be stretched/squished and if it's not HD capable, you're not getting full resolution

If there's still any doubt, reply with the model of the TV you're hoping to hook up!

PS
If this is your TV, it's not going to work, sorry.