Perhaps High Definition Television (HDTV) will have been the legacy of satellite positioning, and those people who are unable to get satellite TV can enjoy an HDTV Antenna. They are designed for both indoor and outdoor use by applying digital TV reception, which is free, and represents a new way of watching television while being easy to install.
Gone are the days of hoping to get a good picture instead of a snowy screen or ghost images, or both. That is not the case with HDTV antennas where you either get a good picture or absolutely no picture at all. Most daytime and local broadcasts are not in high definition, yet. This means Primetime is about the only programming that currently uses this technology.
Due to the majority of digital TV broadcasts being in big metropolitan areas, they have more selection of channels, with more than 99% of American households having access to one local digital broadcast station. Eighty-nine percent are able to receive five or more channels. This makes it possible for almost everyone to receive HDTV antenna signals, with no charge for the service.
Cable and satellite providers may offer hundreds of channels, but the data compression they use distorts the picture quality. You get artifacts and soft mushy images, or both. To get full resolution the off-air HDTV antenna reception is the best means of watching HDTV programs, and it is free of monthly charges.
In order to sit on your television, or nearby it, indoor antennas are reasonably small. Larger antennas are mounted on the roof or in the attic, and larger antenna surface means a stronger signal. What you need to know is, the relative power, or strength, of a signal is known as “gain”, and it is measured by decibels (dB). Of course, the higher the dB, it means the higher the gain it will provide.
Digital broadcast still uses the same types of frequencies as the old technology. VHF (Very High Frequency) and UHF(Ultra High Frequency) ranges, with VHF low band being channels 2-6, and high band VHF is channels 7-13. UHF channels are 14-51. These channel numbers may be assigned to different stations as a result of the recent switch over to digital transmission.
If you are considering amplifying the signal with a signal booster, that is a good thing because a stronger signal means better quality picture. These amplifiers can be either internal (built into the unit you bought) or larger ones that go on the roof. There is less distance involved with an internal amp that helps reduce interference. Outdoor models are often called pre-amps, and can gather stray signals.
As with any type of antenna, during the installation process it will have to be positioned to get the best results. It might even help if someone else is there to keep track of the TV and report when the picture is coming in clear. However, most of the newer televisions have onscreen navigation menus that provide for adjusting signal strength. If you are planning to install HDTV Antenna, you just might be glad you did because it is also free.
Get more details and information about TV antenna installation and how you can get your antenna up fast! You can learn the advantages of the HDTV antenna and find the antenna that will meet all your needs today!