Terrestrial Digital antenna sales up 100% over last year
Terrestrial Digital is having a solid year. Just as their name implies, they make antennas and should credit their 100% comp to the magic of the ATSC signal. The digital stream riding on ATSCs signals produce crystal clear, snow-free picture. Now that the vast majority of broadcasters are at a 100%, the signals should be easy to pick up and maintain. Many people have found that their 1970-ish relic of an antenna even picks up most of 'em. Sure, Terrestrial Digital is just one manufacturer but we imagine that if they had a stellar year, so did other companies like Terk and Channel Master. If you happen to have an HDTV but don't have a high-def service provider for whatever reason, pick up an antenna and then check out this DIY guide to maximize your free HDTV picture.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ken @ Apr 24th 2007 12:46PM
We tried every fancy and expensive in and out of house antenna (all the hi-end Terk stuff, for example) and they didn't work well.
Tried an old school aluminum one (aka - the 1970's one) and it was wonderful.
Rick Lyon @ Apr 24th 2007 3:17PM
haha, funny. I just ordered my first antenna yesterday. Went with a Channel Master (exterior mast type) because they are cheaper than the tiny crap store bought interior antennas. Can't wait to see what HD channels and digital channels I can pick up.
andy @ Apr 25th 2007 9:25AM
All digital channels are in teh UHF band, so you have to look for an antenna that is more directed to UHF than VHF.
The 80" Radio shack antenna is 60 bucks and works exceptionally well.
The 4 bay channel master UHF only antenna (big flat squares) is recognized as the best.
Don't bother with amplified antennas like all the cool little Terk's. I'm 15 miles from downtown STL (where the tv stations broadcast from) and the little amplified ones have terrible signal dropout. With my Radio shack, I don't lose signal in a thunderstorm.
Free HD is the only way to fly. The only channels Charter has are a couple of local ones and ESPN HD. Why would I pay for ESPNHD and still have to get an antenna to get the rest of the local channels. That means I'd be paying 40/mo JUST for ESPNHD. That math just doesn't work for me. I expect it's the same with a lot of other people.
Ryan Pertusio (AutumnWave Technical Support) @ Apr 26th 2007 3:51PM
andy:
Not all of the Digital TV stations are assigned to UHF (yet?) Anyone purchasing an 'HDTV' antenna should first consult AntennaWeb.org and see if there are any VHF stations broadcasting in the area. If there are VHF+UHF in the area, you'll probably want a VHF+UHF antenna.
The earlier posters are correct. You can try using an old 70's style antenna if you have one.
One benefit of using Over-The-Air signal (rather than over cable) is that the picture can sometimes be compressed (lower quality) on cable. It is strange to think that a channel over an antenna can look better than the same channel on cable!
- Ryan Pertusio
AutumnWave Technical Support
GhostDoggy @ Apr 28th 2007 9:10AM
Channelmaster 4228 in my attic is $50 locally. Worth every penny.
GioHD NY @ May 3rd 2007 4:29PM
I just bought an HD antenna and hooked it to my plasma. All my channels are pure crystal clear HD. The games on Sat and Sunday come in thru CBS/NBC/Fox 5/ABC HD and are super sharp. Now I dont pay a dime to the cable company.
That was the best $60 well spent in my entire lifetime.