[mythtv-users] [OT, again] digital TV antennae (was Re: OT: Digital signal bands - Was: Horrible Audio Problems on Video Glitch)

[Mitch Gore]

On Dec 20, 2007 1:44 PM, Michael T. Dean <mtdean at thirdcontact.com> wrote:

> On 12/20/2007 02:09 PM, Bill Omer wrote:
> >> Good luck getting a new antenna without having to pay for the
> industry's
> >> deception.
> > Taken from the faq at antennaweb.org
> >
> > Q: Are all digital stations on UHF channels, and do I need a UHF-only
> > antenna to receive them?  What are the VHF and UHF bands anyway, and
> > what do VHF and UHF stand for?
> >
> > A:  The Very High Frequency (VHF) band is the segment of the
> > television broadcast band covering channels 2 through 13. The Ultra
> > High Frequency (UHF) band is the segment of the television broadcast
> > band covering channels 14 through 83.  Currently, the vast majority of
> > TV stations broadcasting in digital are using UHF (14 and up) channels
> > to do so.  This is not due to any technical requirement of digital
> > broadcasting, however. It is mostly because the UHF channels were more
> > likely to be available in most markets.  Eventually, after the digital
> > transition is complete and TV stations no longer need to broadcast in
> > analog, they may switch and use their current analog VHF channels for
> > digital instead.  Antennas that receive UHF stations only and ones
> > that receive both VHF and UHF are available.  If you are fairly
> > certain you won't want to get any lower channels in the VHF 2-13
> > range, you could purchase one that is UHF only.
>
> Uh, yeah.  Show me that paragraph on the box of a "digital TV antenna."
>
> I'm complaining about the fact that the consumer /must/ do this type of
> research to find out that a "digital TV antenna" is not a better
> product.  How many people do you know--who aren't MythTV/video
> junkies--who even know about antennaweb.org?  IMHO, that's the CEA's CYA
> so that the manufacturers of antenna can print whatever deceptive
> marketing statements they desire on their products/product packaging.
> After all, have you looked at how many antenna are labeled "digital"?
>
>
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=tv+antenna&x=0&y=0
>
> When I was buying my antenna, I was told by no less than 3 sales people
> in the local area (i.e. who should know that there is a digital channel
> in the VHF spectrum in my area--funny enough, also channel 2.1, but here
> an NBC affiliate, on frequency 11) that I should buy a "digital" antenna
> because it's smaller and because I'm not planning to use analog
> channels.  Fortunately, I knew enough to know that they were wrong (and,
> of course, I didn't buy from any of the companies where they worked).
>
> Mike
> _______________________________________________
>

My knowledge on  UHF & VHF is slim to null.  I was stating that the bunny
ears are not required because in the two places i have lived when using
digital TV i have not had to use them.  no one sold me somthing.  I just
picked on up, experimented with it.  My findings were that the direction of
the 'base' made dramatic changes in signal strength.  But moving the bunny
ears made little to no changes in strength.

hope this clarifies what i was stating.

Mitchell
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