Re: OTA ATSC - How to?

jlivermore wrote:

I watch regular old analog TV and am looking at upgrading to DTV just
to get the digital over-the-air programming available in my area for
more variety, not necessarily the higher picture quality. Will any
"integrated" SDTV or HDTV television set with an ATSC tuner connect via
coax to my existing roof antenna and decode the digital stations?

I see many warnings at the local Costco saying you MUST call your local
cable or satellite provider if you want to enjoy digital content, but
my understanding is that there is much broadcast content available in
my area. So do I need extra equipment or not? The spec *** for a
certain Philips model shows:

Tuner/Reception/Transmission
· TV system: ATSC, NTSC
· Video Playback: NTSC
· Aerial Input: 75 ohm F-type
· Cable: Unscrambled Digital Cable -QAM

What is your zipcode? The question is how many stations in your area are at full power on their digital broadcast signal. If you are live in a major metropolitan area, then you are likely to have all or most stations at full power. If you live in a distant rural or remote area, then the digital ATSC broadcast coverage can be spotty. Go to www.antennaweb.org, enter your zip, select 2 story building (antennaweb tends to be conservative in what you can get OTA), and then display digital stations only. If you provide us with your zip, we can help you sort through the list.

To start with, if you have a good VHF/UHF antenna, your existing roof antenna should be just fine. Most VHF stations are currently simulcasting their digital signal on UHF channels because the VHF channels are filled with the analog signals. So the UHF antenna is important for ATSC reception.

It may be as simple as connecting your antenna co-axial cable to the ATSC RF port on a HD TV or ATSC receiver box (such as the Samsung SIR-T451, details on the Samsung website), doing a scan and presto you got all your local stations with clear digital pictures and dolby digital 5.1 sound (for the locals that are equipped to send that out and provided you have a 5.1 stereo receiver). As an example. I get 17 different stations OTA with my ATSC receiver, some of which are unwatchable on analog with extremely snowy pictures.

Alan F
.

Loading