Antenna for NTSC reception on an HDTV ???

I recently bought a 22" 720p TV for the kitchen. It's the only HDTV in the
house and I don't want to subscribe to cable only for it. I can do with
only local stations in normal def, but HD for CBMT and CBFT -- the only
local stations available in HD --would be a plus, but I don't want to
install an antenna outside, at least not in winter.

I thought that a rabbit ears antenna would do the job, but the reception is
extremely poor, mainly on CBFT channel 2. Is this the sign of a very cheap
tuner or is another kind of antenna needed for these new TVs? If so, what
should I get, if possible for less than $30?

Thanks!

Priam wrote:
I recently bought a 22" 720p TV for the kitchen. It's the only HDTV in the
house and I don't want to subscribe to cable only for it. I can do with
only local stations in normal def, but HD for CBMT and CBFT -- the only
local stations available in HD --would be a plus, but I don't want to
install an antenna outside, at least not in winter.

I thought that a rabbit ears antenna would do the job, but the reception is
extremely poor, mainly on CBFT channel 2. Is this the sign of a very cheap
tuner or is another kind of antenna needed for these new TVs? If so, what
should I get, if possible for less than $30?

Thanks!

The antenna you need depends on the distance from the broadcast
towers, the channel bands the local stations are on, and your
surrounding terrain. With CBMT and CBFT as your locals, are you
somewhere in the Montreal area?

According to wiki, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBFT with another
entry for CMBT), CBFT-DT digital broadcast is on UHF 19 and CBMT-DT 6 is
on UHF 20. Rabbit ears are for VHF, the 7.5" loop - if your antenna has
one, is UHF. Depending on your distance to the towers, you might want to
look at a Silver Sensor UHF antenna combined with VHF rabbit ears such
as the Terk HDTVi (i is the unamplified model, a is the grossly
overpriced model with the built-in amp which often makes reception worse).

Alan F

"Priam" wrote in message
...
|I recently bought a 22" 720p TV for the kitchen. It's the only HDTV in the
| house and I don't want to subscribe to cable only for it. I can do with
| only local stations in normal def, but HD for CBMT and CBFT -- the only
| local stations available in HD --would be a plus, but I don't want to
| install an antenna outside, at least not in winter.
|
| I thought that a rabbit ears antenna would do the job, but the reception
is
| extremely poor, mainly on CBFT channel 2. Is this the sign of a very cheap
| tuner or is another kind of antenna needed for these new TVs? If so, what
| should I get, if possible for less than $30?
|
| Thanks!

Well, generally, with over the air HD you either get it or you don't with
only a very narrow range of pixillation and audio interruption between the
two extremes. There is not the usual analog "snow" as reception worsens. Are
you using just "rabbit ears" or is there also a loop for UHF reception? If
your stations are on UHF, you need that loop part of the antenna as well and
just because the station says it's on channel 2 doesn't mean the HD is being
broadcast as VHF. Also, you may have fiddle a bit to get the best reception.
Also, the HD signals are often displayed as decimals e.g. Channel 2 is the
analog while the TV might identify the HD part as 2.1. It is also possible
that your local channels are not that strong and you will have to consider a
more sophisticated antenna in the attic or on the roof. Good luck!

Have you performed a digital channel scan yet? If not, go into your
menu and do so, or try inputting 19.1 or 20.1 to find the digital
signal.

Alan F wrote:

Priam wrote:
I recently bought a 22" 720p TV for the kitchen. It's the only HDTV in
the house and I don't want to subscribe to cable only for it. I can do
with only local stations in normal def, but HD for CBMT and CBFT -- the
only local stations available in HD --would be a plus, but I don't want
to install an antenna outside, at least not in winter.

I thought that a rabbit ears antenna would do the job, but the reception
is extremely poor, mainly on CBFT channel 2. Is this the sign of a very
cheap tuner or is another kind of antenna needed for these new TVs? If
so, what should I get, if possible for less than $30?

Thanks!

The antenna you need depends on the distance from the broadcast
towers, the channel bands the local stations are on, and your
surrounding terrain. With CBMT and CBFT as your locals, are you
somewhere in the Montreal area?

Yes, and I believe the antennas for local broadcast are all on the Mount
Royal, about 6 miles in a straight line from where I live. No high-rise
building or high voltage transmission lines around.

According to wiki, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBFT with another
entry for CMBT), CBFT-DT digital broadcast is on UHF 19 and CBMT-DT 6 is
on UHF 20.

As iws suggested, I get this as 2.1 and 6.1. If I tune in to 19 and 20, the
result is the same: I get at best a single frame and the picture freezes.

Rabbit ears are for VHF, the 7.5" loop - if your antenna has
one, is UHF.

My antenna is a Chateau, paid $12. It doesn't have a loop but there's a
flat, 6" across, 3/4" thick flat disk in the middle to which the ears are
hooked and I suppose the 7.5" loop is inside. UHF reception is very good on
my 26" Sony.

Depending on your distance to the towers, you might want to
look at a Silver Sensor UHF antenna combined with VHF rabbit ears such
as the Terk HDTVi (i is the unamplified model, a is the grossly
overpriced model with the built-in amp which often makes reception worse).

The more I think about it, I believe that the "depends" is the goddamned
TV, a Dynex. The contrast range, the deepness of blacks and so on wasn't
quite as good as more expensive brands but, for watching the news while
eating, it was quite all right for the price.

I now suppose it has next to no tuner, as if it made any sense for anybody
buying a $250 TV to hook it to cable. The Best Buy store where I bought it
hasn't answered the phone for 2 days. Probably too many such problems.

I thought Best Buy was a cut above Future Shop. I'm now wondering if they're
not worst, if that's possible.

I suppose I'll have to return the Dynex scrap. Putting money in an expensive
antenna wouldn't be a sound investment: before all, you need a tuner.

iws wrote:

"Priam" wrote in message
...
|I recently bought a 22" 720p TV for the kitchen. It's the only HDTV in
|the
| house and I don't want to subscribe to cable only for it. I can do with
| only local stations in normal def, but HD for CBMT and CBFT -- the only
| local stations available in HD --would be a plus, but I don't want to
| install an antenna outside, at least not in winter.
|
| I thought that a rabbit ears antenna would do the job, but the reception
is
| extremely poor, mainly on CBFT channel 2. Is this the sign of a very
| cheap tuner or is another kind of antenna needed for these new TVs? If
| so, what should I get, if possible for less than $30?
|
| Thanks!

Well, generally, with over the air HD you either get it or you don't with
only a very narrow range of pixillation and audio interruption between the
two extremes.

I never get more than 1 frame in HD.

See my answer to Alan F for the rest.

Good luck!

I believe my best luck will be returning the scrappy Dynex.

Check your local radio shack or any good electronics dealer in your area
and ask them about an indoor signal booster. I got one at radio shack
and it does help but I have other problems with a weak signal

In article writes:

The more I think about it, I believe that the "depends" is the goddamned
TV, a Dynex. The contrast range, the deepness of blacks and so on wasn't
quite as good as more expensive brands but, for watching the news while
eating, it was quite all right for the price.

I now suppose it has next to no tuner, as if it made any sense for anybody
buying a $250 TV to hook it to cable. The Best Buy store where I bought it
hasn't answered the phone for 2 days. Probably too many such problems.

I thought Best Buy was a cut above Future Shop. I'm now wondering if they're
not worst, if that's possible.

I suppose I'll have to return the Dynex scrap. Putting money in an expensive
antenna wouldn't be a sound investment: before all, you need a tuner.

Actually, first of all, you need a good antenna. This is every bit as
important as the tuner. Without a good signal, no tuner can do a good job.
The difference in performance between a great tuner and a mediocre one is
less than the difference between a good antenna and a poor one.

Rabbit ears are a poor antenna. Get the antenna up, above where you
live. Get an antenna that is good for UHF. Even if you have a good loop
antenna for UHF, it is still bidirectional, so it will pickup cancellation
reflections from the back side as people move around indoors.

The second most important thing is a good feedline. Generally RG6 is
recommended.

The tuner comes in third.

It has been suggested to radio amateurs that one should spend as much
on the antenna as the radio -- otherwise one is wasting money on one end.

Get a better antenna, and put it up properly.

Alan

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:26:01 -0500, Priam
wrote:

I recently bought a 22" 720p TV for the kitchen. It's the only HDTV in the
house and I don't want to subscribe to cable only for it. I can do with
only local stations in normal def, but HD for CBMT and CBFT -- the only
local stations available in HD --would be a plus, but I don't want to
install an antenna outside, at least not in winter.

I thought that a rabbit ears antenna would do the job, but the reception is
extremely poor, mainly on CBFT channel 2. Is this the sign of a very cheap
tuner or is another kind of antenna needed for these new TVs? If so, what
should I get, if possible for less than $30?

Thanks!

Spend the money and get proper antenna and wiring if it is
your own house. Do it in the spring if you want to wait.

I am about 10.25 miles from the antenna farm--and I am well
above the ground (75-80 ft). So, I have a clear sight to
those antennae for broadcast signals, whether digital or
analog. I am running pure digital now--no analog.

I was using an indoor rabbit ears with the VHF loop for a
year-plus to get the digital signal. Reception was good, not
great. Stations ranged from 2 to 62, so everything covered.

After I did some complaining a year ago about the lack of an
antenna source for digital television in the building (and
their engineers confirmed it), the building changed the
rooftop antenna and installed new connectors in all
apartments. Now the digital picture is good almost all the
time--no problems with drop-out or "no signal" (which I got
regularly with my own antenna).

"Priam" wrote in message
...
| Alan F wrote:
|
| Priam wrote:
| I recently bought a 22" 720p TV for the kitchen. It's the only HDTV in
| the house and I don't want to subscribe to cable only for it. I can do
| with only local stations in normal def, but HD for CBMT and CBFT -- the
| only local stations available in HD --would be a plus, but I don't want
| to install an antenna outside, at least not in winter.
|
| I thought that a rabbit ears antenna would do the job, but the
reception
| is extremely poor, mainly on CBFT channel 2. Is this the sign of a very
| cheap tuner or is another kind of antenna needed for these new TVs? If
| so, what should I get, if possible for less than $30?
|
| Thanks!
|
| The antenna you need depends on the distance from the broadcast
| towers, the channel bands the local stations are on, and your
| surrounding terrain. With CBMT and CBFT as your locals, are you
| somewhere in the Montreal area?
|
| Yes, and I believe the antennas for local broadcast are all on the Mount
| Royal, about 6 miles in a straight line from where I live. No high-rise
| building or high voltage transmission lines around.
|
| According to wiki, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBFT with another
| entry for CMBT), CBFT-DT digital broadcast is on UHF 19 and CBMT-DT 6 is
| on UHF 20.
|
| As iws suggested, I get this as 2.1 and 6.1. If I tune in to 19 and 20,
the
| result is the same: I get at best a single frame and the picture freezes.
|
| Rabbit ears are for VHF, the 7.5" loop - if your antenna has
| one, is UHF.
|
| My antenna is a Chateau, paid $12. It doesn't have a loop but there's a
| flat, 6" across, 3/4" thick flat disk in the middle to which the ears are
| hooked and I suppose the 7.5" loop is inside. UHF reception is very good
on
| my 26" Sony.

If your Sony's UHF signal comes in well using this antenna and you're only
six miles line of sight from the towers then you should have no problem with
reception. I live in Phoenix about 12 miles line of sight from the towers
but house is constructed of cinder block. Yet, I have no problem getting HD
reception with a cheap indoor antenna. It may be your set is defective
although you might try moving it to a different part of the house (maybe
next to the Sony) for a side by side comparison of UHF reception. You might
also compare notes with a neighbor to see if they have a similar problem.