We have DirecTV with the basic box. There's a connection for an OTA antenna. IS it necessary to buy a "digital" antenna to receive OTA signals? OR will an old tried & true amped antenna work? We're about 25 miles from the local station and on a hill. I'd prefer an indoor unit or possibly something I could piggy back onto the dish. Thanks.
Since most analog transmission are a thing of the past you can get a digital signal from transmitters using a digital antenna. However the signal isn't all that hot and the audio is two channel. No HD audio. Forget about the antenna and use DTV satellite input with multiple Sat boxes unless you want to try an antenna. You have to use a digital antenna if that's what you want to do. Analog stuff like you want to do uses different size elements. The long ones were used for VHF. The mid sized ones are for UHF and the small elements are for FM. Analog stuff is dependent on wave length. Jeff
DirecTV doesn't carry several of the local channels and has no plans to. Therefore using their service won't work. HD audio doesn't matter nor is it needed as we'll be pumping the video thru 24" Toshiba combo LCD.
Then, you will have to purchase a digital antennae, An analog setup won't work for your needs. Complete incompatibility between a digital antennae vs. an analog antennae which is what you are trying to do. http://www.google.com/search?q=digi...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a Edit: Interesting.... I stand corrected. Seems if your ant is able to receive VHF and UHF it just may work. Give it a try. If you were using 300 Ohm twin lead cable, you will need to purchase a 300 Ohm > 75 Ohm coax converter to run RG-xx cable to the DTV box.. Jeff
I'm using the same VHF/UHF antenna for 20+ years. Most of the VHF stations migrated to the UHF frequencies when the cut happened, but the antenna didn't care. The 'digital' antenna is just an antenna for picking up the UHF end of the band. Depending on how far you are from the signal source decides the type you get. http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29
I noticed our LED TV has a digital tuner built in. (My daughter gave it to us for Christmas.) Maybe I'll try that connection first.
i live in australia (Not sure where you are). here the old antennas (roof mounted analog ones) work fine for picking up clear tv signals (freeview channels).pay tv requires a different antenna that looks like a dish on the roof. not sure what you mean by directtv basic box here we have digital set top boxes that pick up digital freeview channels and run them on an analog tv, im assuming its the same type of thing. hd tvs here pick up all channels without a set top box (thats what the digital tuner does)
A bit late to the show here but, just in case anyone has the same question, there is NO SUCH THING as a "digital antenna". All antennas are the same - they work with (now non-existent) analog transmissions as well as digital transmissions - the same antenna. There are short range antennas, medium range antennas and long range antennas; directional and non-directional antennas; UHF and VHF antennas; amplified and non-amplified antennas; bowtie and dipole antennas. NOT "analog" or "digital" antennas! Don't fall victim to sales/marketing puff!
