7/10/2011

Type Of HDTV Antenna To Purchase

By George Binder


It is not necessary to purchase cable or satellite service to view high definition television (HDTV). With an HDTV antenna there is no need to spend money on these expensive services. The way you watch television has been revolutionized. Congress enacted a law, the Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005, which changed everything. This law made the Federal Communication Commission force full-power television stations to no longer use analog television broadcasting by February 17, 2009. Later this date was pushed back to June 12, 2009.

People who own older analog models of television have to use a digital-to-analog converter box to be able to use the older technology. So congress also directed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to develop and manufacture these converter boxes. Congress also provided coupons that consumers could use to pay for the converter boxes.

Most people choose to subscribe to a cable or satellite subscription, but it is not necessary to do so. With a regular TV antenna you can receive the high definition signals from television broadcasters. There is not anything special about these antennas. They are just like the ones you used for analog television. They cost around fifty to one hundred dollars. Considering that cable television charges you at least that much every month, this seems to be a good deal.

You can purchase one for between fifty and one hundred dollars. Some are indoor and some are outdoor. Experts suggest you use an outdoor type. This is particularly true if you do not live close to the broadcast towers. If you are lucky enough to live in a city where there is a heavy saturation of broadcast signals then the indoor type will probably work just as good. The indoor type will last longer because it is not exposed to the weather. You might not want to climb up onto your roof to install the outside type.

Sometimes a homeowner association will ban the outside type. However, there is a Federal Communication Commission rule that makes it illegal to ban the outside types. If you experience this type of ban, you should show the governing board this FCC regulation.

There are two bands of high definition television broadcasting. There is UHF and VHF. The majority of high definition TV broadcasters use the UHF band. Only about 10% are on the VHF band. The ones for VHF are a lot bigger, cost more money and are more difficult to install. There are combination VHF/UHF but the problems with these is they take away bandwidth from both bands.

There are also two types regarding direction. A directional antenna receives signals from all directions. An omni-directional only receive a signal from one direction. An omni-directional may be alright in an urban area where signals are strong. In a rural area where the signals are weaker you will want to use an omni-directional.

The clear vivid picture of high definition TV can be enjoyed with a HDTV antenna. They are low priced and easy to install. There is no good reason to spend money on a cable or satellite TV subscription. You and your family can enjoy the pleasure of great HDTV viewing without purchasing cable or satellite service.




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