The antenna won't be obsolete, just the signal
Posted By: it once received. It can receive - sm on 2009-01-22
In Reply to: Odd question about local channels... - sbMT
a digital signal, but the older TV sets won't understand it and won't get a picture unless you buy a converter box. They're inexpensive, and they work like a charm! I do recommend getting a better antenna, though, if possible.
The local channels will be digital, too, if I'm not mistaken. The old analog channels are going to be used for something else.
Even though we the 'big switch' isn't 'til February 17, there are already many channels broadcasting in digital and HD already. Imagine my surprise, when my older, snowy-pictured, hand-me-down TV set that only got 3 fuzzy channels, suddenly got 8-10 crystal-clear channels! I was so amazed at the picture, I sat and stared at it for HOURS. I even watched GOLF... suddenly everything was beautiful!
The digital signal is a little strange, in that it's either on, or it's off. No fuzzy in-between, like before. So if something is in the way of the signal of one of your channels, like a mountain or a tall building, the signal may not come in, or else like me with the ABC network, I get it well during the day, not so well in the evening. Only thing I can figure is, since a live on a steep hill, maybe someone on the street above me is parking a car or a camper or something in a spot that makes my signal break up.
But I'm already so thrilled with the free, digital TV that's already out there, that I CAN'T WAIT 'til they make the switch, because there will probably be even more channels I can get.
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Wow, way back when I was in high school, if a student was doing this, he was probably on a basketball court and wanted a time-out called. What's next....
Antennas will NOT be obsolete
Antennas can and will work with digital TV! This is one of the biggest misunderstandings of this whole situation and one Direct TV and the cable companies love. The converter box WILL work with your antenna. I got a converter box months ago and it works just fine with my antenna. I now get more channels than I ever did before.
On the other hand, if you use rabbit ears and are in a rural area, they usually do not get a strong enough signal to work with digital TV. But if you have a big roof antenna, you're going to be fine.
If this was so, your 'asking ' was completely obsolete,
the doctor would have performed an episiotomy right away, as a necessity.
I don't have an antenna at all yet...
I bet the roof ones are probably expensive, huh?
I logged into directv and put in my zip code for local channels and it said "We do not provide local channels for this area". Hmph. Guess I'll just have to look at it online.
Get yourself an antenna
And watch free TV.
yes, and you need an antenna. I do not
think that yoi need necessarily a roof-top antenna. A good rababit-ear antenna will do the job. I have a digital TV and a rabbitear antenna and it works great.
yes, and you need an antenna. I do not
think that yoi need necessarily a roof-top antenna. A good rabbit-ear antenna that you put next tothe TV will do the job. I have a digital TV and a rabbit-ear antenna and it works great.
Take care to buy a
VHF/UHF antenna,
so that you get a lot of channels, even with free TV.
with a digital TV you need a VHF/UHF antenna.
I can also be a rabbit-ear antenna that you connect to your TV and put next to the digital TV. Not necessarily a roof-top antenna.
The closer to a window and the higher it is positioned, the better it will work.
I'll stick with my antenna!
A lot of people think when TV changes over to digital, they will need to switch to cable or dish TV and I just wanted to point out that isn't true. You can get the converter box and stick with your antenna. That's what I'm doing. Plus I found with the converter box, I get over twice as many channels as I did before.
Best of all, it's free! (Well, the converter box isn't free, but at least I don't pay a monthly fee.)
You definitely need a good rooftop antenna
If your area is anything like where I live, you will need a good rooftop antenna to get any decent kind of signal at all. It used to be with analog I could get some channels in with less than perfect reception - they would be a bit snowy, but definitely watchable. With digital, it's all or nothing - either you have a perfect picture or no picture at all.
Get a good rooftop antenna and I think a handyman would be your best bet to get it put up. There is also a kind of booster you can get for your antenna which, if you're in a marginal area, you may need to do that too.
Good antenna WILL work
I have one! It DOES work! It IS enough!
I know the cable people would like you to believe that cable or satellite is your only option, but it's not. A digital set with a good antenna WILL work.
If you have a digital TV, you need a VHF/UHF antenna, no converter box....sm
If you do not have a digital TV, you need a coverter box and a VHF/UHF antenna.
And in both cases you have to do a channel re-scan.
She's over 100 miles from stations, she prob does need rooftop antenna sm
With digital TV, it's an all or nothing thing. If the signal is not good enough, you will not get anything, but if you have even a little bit of signal, you will get a clear picture. Where I live is probably 50 miles from the stations, and even though I got 80% of the channels before the switch, I now only get one with the converter box and the same rabbit ears I was using before the switch. I went to antennaweb.org and put in my address, and it showed that I need an outside antenna to bring in the signals consistently.
People who keep their signal lights on for miles and miles
Shut them off already. Can't you hear the clicking noise!
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