Dozens of millions of TV sets in the US receive local channels via off-air broadcasts. And this number is growing as more and more networks offer free of charge HDTV broadcasts over the air. Over the air HDTV is totally free and can be received with a simple off-air TV antenna.
The proper antenna choice is dictated by numerous factors, most of them are derived from your location. The most important step in HDTV antenna selection process is to find out what broadcasts are available in your area, which frequencies (channels) they are transmitted on, and which CEA color area you are located in with respect to the transmitting towers. Consult HDTV Antenna Labs guide and follow the selection process.
In most cases an outdoor antenna is the way to go. Indoor antenna reception quality is always inferior to the quality obtained with an outdoor antenna, especially in remote areas. However, of you live in a HD signal saturated area in the immediate proximity to the towers, then an indoor HDTV antenna may work great for you.
There are many reasons for using indoors antennas, most of which have to do with the inability of installing an outdoor television antenna. Indoor HDTV antennas are especially popular with individuals living in apartments. Your home may simply not have the space to mount an outdoor antenna, and there are several indoor models that serve as space savers while providing you with reception.
Many individuals choose to purchase an indoor TV antenna instead of its outdoor counterpart for aesthetic reasons. Some housing developments and neighborhoods have gone so far as to ban outdoor TV antennas, especially neighborhoods of historical homes. For this reason, and indoor HDTV antenna still allows you all the fantastic qualities of HDTV while not marring the physical look of your home with an unsightly antenna.
Normally, indoor antennas do not require any maintenance and the troubleshooting is trivial. This is not always the case with outdoor antennas. Strong winds, and stormy weather in general, may cause damages to rooftop antennas. Professional assistance in the roof antenna installation is recommended.
The major issue with indoor TV antennas is a poor reception of weak HD signals. Performance of any particular indoor antenna type or model is hardly predictable because it depends on so many factors - construction materials of the building, the exact placement in the house, other objects located near the antenna. For these reasons, Consumer Electronics Associations (CEA) does not rate indoor antennas by CEA color areas as they do for outdoor antennas. With indoor antennas nothing is guaranteed.
Although an outdoor antenna can potentially pull in more TV channels, its higher cost, bigger size and installation hassle can turn your decision in favor of an indoor antenna. Audiovox, RCA, Samsung these are just a few of many indoor HDTV antenna manufacturers. All of them offer similar products. For VHF TV channels 2 to 13 all you have is the well known rabbit ears antenna. Anything more sophisticated than that in VHF band would be simply too large to place indoors. UHF antennas are smaller and a consumer has many antenna types to choose from. The most basic (and poorly performing) is the UHF loop antenna. More sophisticated UHF antenna types are directional log-periodic and scatter plane antennas.
When considering the particular antenna types and brands, be sure to research a specific model before you buy. Look at customer reviews and compare antenna specifications carefully.
Eric Gov is with HDTV Antenna Labs. HDTV Antenna Labs features HDTV antenna reviews and step-by-step HD antenna selection guide. |
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