Hdtv Antenna Design

DTV? Five Reasons To Replace A Household Antenna With A Rooftop Antenna

A rooftop antenna was recently installed at my residence over Christmas. I spent approximately two years experimenting with two different Phillips household antennas on two separate televisions. I had backed off the idea of purchasing a rooftop antenna as my higher quality household antenna seemed to make negligible difference in reception.

If you're in a similar predicament, my advice is that the rooftop antenna is a massive upgrade over any household antenna. Here are five of the primary reasons that a rooftop antenna should maximize your DTV viewing pleasure and why you might sacrifice your cable or satellite package without much despair if you're budgeting.

Rooftop Antennas for DTV: Reception The biggest advantage of the rooftop antenna was the consistent reception. Despite our whereabouts, I've witnessed very limited infractions. The reception will be sacrificed for a few seconds when aircrafts fly above, but both of my televisions rarely even have a snippet of interference. It's just as if you're watching regular television.

Couldn't say that about the household... antenna... (moves body three inches to left) varieties.

Rooftop Antennas for DTV: Channels A rooftop antenna will maximize the potential for acquiring channels that you wouldn't have otherwise expected. After using household antennas for years, I was baffled when the rooftop antenna sustained a few channels from a very-low power local station. The stations featured two classic movie stations, a "tough guy" channel, and a country music station. Not once had I ever received these channels on either of my HDTVs in either side of the house with the household antennas.

You shouldn't worry too much about channels that are hard to attract with your household antennas. You should get them easily, and you might get a couple surprises along the way.

Rooftop Antennas for DTV: Interference The most agonizing issue with household antennas isn't the complete failure of sustaining a signal, but their partial failure. Some days they'll work at one angle, and other days you'll need to modify it.

Even if you find a permanent location that retrieves the most channels without repositioning, you still have to position yourself. Sometimes, I had to sit or stand right next to the antenna, even having it rest on my body for the channel to stay in. Other times, you couldn't move an inch from a certain position without dead reception.

My household antennas acted as if they wanted to eternally mate. I wanted to remain asexual. What can a guy do?

Purchase the rooftop antenna. Unless you're watching television on the rooftop or flying with penguins, the only temporary interference you should encounter is aircraft. You'll own your living room again, and the household antenna won't dictate your bodily position anymore. Now, you can watch television while lying down with your Bud Light.

Rooftop Antennas for DTV: Room The nuisance of household antennas comes with having to positioning the stems all the way out. This can become a walking hazard and an annoyance when trying to situate your living room, especially an entertainment center. Nothing like walking into Zorro's sword every day.

A rooftop antenna obviously eliminates this hazard and annoyance. Unless you live on the roof, of course.

Brief Testimonial (Household Antennas) I previously mentioned that I had used two household antennas at my residence on two separate televisions (Technically three, as I purchased a HDTV in the last week leading to the rooftop antenna. I tried them on 2 HDTVs and a 27" Symphonic TV).

I had used two versions of Phillips household antennas. One was a cheesy $10 antenna, about as low-quality as you can acquire. The other was a Phillips antenna that cost outside $30 that was supposedly higher quality. I wanted a good one for the living room for where everyone watched television and a dinky one for my bedroom for whenever I wanted to watch something.

The $30 antenna made little difference on either television. It had an easier time getting a few channels... occasionally... but that was it. Both of them had massive complications with interference and finding channels. Overall, I didn't find it worth the extra money with more expensive household antennas.

I was hesitant to acquire a rooftop antenna because of that, thinking it was just an unfavorable location. Well, the rooftop antenna worked wonders in both rooms. If you're hesitant to spend money on a rooftop antenna because of such an experience, I'd suggest backing off those worries. Worst case scenario, you can always return it, but I believe you'll be satisfied.

Remember... When installing a rooftop antenna, the best idea is to situate it toward the direction of where most of the local television stations are at. If there is a very low powered station you're hoping to get, then point it in that direction to maximize the opportunity you'll receive it.

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