<p>I understand what you are saying, but HDTV is certainly no improvement if one could receive free tv over the air before and now gets absolutely nothing…nada. I was disagreeing with your statement that one wouldn’t need a different antenna than they needed before. </p>
<p>Federal and state govts cr*p on the rural populations time and time again, in a lot of different ways…the affected population will understand exactly what I am saying; others, not so much.</p>
<p>The challenge is that with analog - you could get a signal, sometimes snowy or degraded, and with digital - it’s more or less all or nothing. </p>
<p>It is true that for many, small in house antenna’s will, the same one that worked with analog. YOu can also try moving it toward a window. Lots of new digital flat tv’s came with rectangular antenna’s … which will not allow you to receive UHF channels. What a joke. YOu must have both the circle/square AND the rabbit ears to get both UHF and VHF channels. On outdoor antennas that is the long prongs, and the short prongs that come off of them. Sometimes the short prongs fall off - and that will also impair your reception. For many - putting an antenna on the Tv, near a windor or in the attic will work. Some will need an outside antenna. Most, and I am saying most, should be able to pick up over-the-air broadcast stations with an outdoor antenna. It may cost a couple hundred dollars, but it will be paid off if you are saving cable bills.</p>
<p>Also - just a note - most of the full-power stations in your area (CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, PBS) are also in HD - and you can get free HD using an antenna. If they are multicasting with secondary channels, you will also get those.</p>
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I’m just saying it’s not a given that a different antenna would be needed. Some people think one is absolutely needed no matter what but that’s not the case. People should try the least expensive and simplest method first and then if that doesn’t work well for them, go from there. This can include tweaking their existing antennna directionally to see if it works for them.</p>
<p>Absolutely right - also - most people do not how to “point” an antenna …and realize that stations can have their antenna’s in different areas. So you may actually have to point them in different directions to get different channels. On the “rabbit ears” that you might use in your house - you actually have to “point” the face of the rabbit ears to the tower. They should usually not be extended all the way - but about 3/4 … and spread apart - not lying flat, but more like a peace sign. It’s then the face - or the area between the two areas - that must “face” the tower to get the best signal. So find out what direction the towers are for the channels you want to watch. You can call the stations to find out where they are located or use the website above. Then experiment, and experiment moving the antenna to a window or even the attic.</p>
<p>Antenna’s have not worked for me in the past as I pretty much live in the woods. But, if it did work, I would need a high quality antenna for about $200. Or, I could just stream Hulu plus, and watch what I want when I want (I’ll miss sporting events and water cooler talk) for about $8 per month.</p>
<p>Yea- and if you buy the antenna, you would have cash in your pocket with an ROI of 25 months … plus sporting events, water cooler talk, local news … etc.</p>
<p>Paying $8 a month for me is worth not having to keep track of what time/station a show is on & being able to watch tv on my laptop in bed ;)</p>
<p>Yea - I hear ya, they do make DVR’s and recorders though … but I hear ya. I would miss local news and sports too much. I also like tv for severe weather.</p>
<p>I get text news/sports updates on my phone & I can always access news tv/radio stations either on my phone or laptop.
I haven’t watched TV since last fall when Pearl Jam was the musical guest on SNL.
( & I might as well went to bed early & just caught them on youtube)</p>