ALL ABOUT HDTV

WHERE ELSE CAN I GO TO GET SOME GOOD OFF-AIR DTV ANTENNA INFORMATION?

I must confess that I don't read the message boards (http://www.avsforum.com/ is one of the leading ones) where members are giving advice and help on how to get the right antenna for their area. I can say they do help, if you look at them for a given market you might get some advice, but everyone has their own opinions.

There are two independent Web sites that I can recommend that can provide some great information. There is a retailer in Michigan who sells TV antennas in his area but also online. The site is http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/ Denny is a fantastic and knowledgeable source for an unbiased opinion because he sells off-air products from both Winegard, where I work, and our leading competitor, Channel Master. His "HDTV Antenna: Fact or Fiction" link is a definite read, and he posted similar truths about HDTV reception to my own. I must confess, however, that he has posted some great comments from himself and his customers on the SharpShooter TV antenna, which I helped design. And I do feel that this indoor TV antenna has an edge because unlike most indoor antennas, this one is directional on both VHF high band (frequency assignments 7-13) as well as UHF, where most HDTV is broadcast, and will be in most markets when the analog broadcasts end in 2009. Denny is also aware of the analog shutdown date, and he notes it on his site. It is so refreshing to see an TV antenna installer and seller who actually knows how TV antennas work!!! Definitely visit this site, and reward him by buying an TV antenna from him!!

Another good site to visit not just for TV antenna information but also information on HDTV home theater equipment is http://www.hdtvexpert.com/, a site managed by Peter Putman, a consultant based in the Philadelphia area. Peter has reviews of HDTV antennas and equipment, and he goes to the trade shows religiously to find out the latest. Peter wrote a review on our SquareShooter antenna, which is primarily a UHF TV antenna that is a very well matched broadband antenna compared to traditional UHF antennas. Unfortunately Peter ended up giving a mixed review of this TV antenna because DTV tuners have become more advanced with bit-error correction circuitry to improve picture streams when the simplest of antennas are used in high-ghosting areas. Early 1st and 2nd generation tuners had problems decoding signals affected by multipath, and a well-matched broadband antenna like the SquareShooter initially seemed like the best solution. But then the 4th and 5th generation DTV tuners came along to work better with traditional antennas. Still, people are enjoying the look of the SquareShooter outdoors, and that has made it a seller. There have been other antennas I have found that are now packaged in attractive plastic packages.

So again after exploring the archives in this blog, go to http://www.hdtvexpert.com/ to check out the home theater equipment, and then to http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/ for an unbiased guide on getting off-air DTV, and then buy that TVantenna!! And if you post on the AVS forums, tell them about the sites, too -- believe me, I'm sure they get at least one or two posts a week saying "where can I get some GOOD TV antenna information??!!!"

 

SO WHY BOTHER PROMOTING GETTING BROADCAST TV WITH AN TV ANTENNA?

I suppose you may be one of those people stumbling across the blog and wondering to yourself, "Why is this guy blogging and making a living working with off-air television antennas? I mean, who isn't get their TV from cable, satellite, or maybe even their phone company which is offering a lot of channels to choose from?" Well, from what I have observed and experimented with lately, I have quite a few arguments that support that there are others like me who still believe in the terrestrial broadcast TV model. I will list these arguments here in this entry.

1) Off-air broadcast television, analog or digital, has NO MONTHLY FEE. You don't need to shell out over $40 per month to a digital cable, satellite, or telco provider for HDTV from your local broadcaster. The right antenna an a DTV tuner is all you need. In addition to the HDTV, you will also get the multicasts from the broadcast stations for no monthly fee. In some major markets, you will get multicasts such as family-friendly channels, live weather and radar information (i.e. from your local news or NBC Weather Plus), and now even music videos. A new music video channel, The Tube Music Network, is available in some markets on a local station's multicast, over the air for free. Let me say that as a fan of quality music, The Tube is a blessing. For the moment, there are no advertisers, and this nationwide network provides nothing but music videos from GREAT TALENT from classic seminal artists like the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, to '80's videos from when we actually wanted our MTV, to great new artists like Beck, Coldplay, Modest Mouse, David Gray, Norah Jones, etc. No reality shows, no gossip, no over-commercialized fluff. Now while The Tube IS available from some digital cable providers, again, this multicast is free over-the-air with an antenna and DTV tuner where available. To see if The Tube is available, visit http://www.thetubetv.com/ and click on the "Where To Watch" link.

2) Because off-air reception is, if anything, a great backup source of information when cable or satellite service goes out. Yes, cable service still goes out once in a while, and with satellite you sometimes have to contend with "rain fade" or even re-adjusting the dish. But if that happens, if your TV antenna is getting the signal, then you can switch to the TV antenna tuner and either see the game you are trying to enjoy, or maybe there is important emergency information from the local news that you may need to know. Recently I looked through a pamphlet published by our local radio station about how to be prepared for weather emergencies, and one recommend is to have an off-air TV antenna should the cable or satellite go out so you can stay informed of developments and the latest information.

3) Off-air HDTV looks better. Cable and satellite providers do need to receive the broadcast signal, but then they need to re-route the data on their bandwidth, and unfortunately, that does result in some bit errors. Like making a copy, it is not quite as good as the original. By getting the digital data over the air, if the antenna is positioned optimally, you are receiving the bitstream broadcast from the station -- think of it as eliminating the middleman and increasing efficiency as a result.

4) Are you actually watching the channels you are paying for? Interestingly enough, with broadband Internet becoming more available, people can now be informed and entertained on their own time with different methods other than getting it from cable and satellite, and just "surfing channels". Here is my personal take -- for now I don't have satellite TV, and the cable video service I'm getting is just a $15 per month basic broadcast package with the broadcast channels, and that is a backup to my free off-air DTV reception. And in reality, I'm paying $5 per month for the backup because I'm getting a $10 discount by combining it with my high-speed Intenet service through my cable system. With my broadband Internet, I have actually been getting news and information that fits me through video podcasts, most of them for no additional charge, through my Media Center PC. I have it hooked up to an analog TV through the S-video, and these podcast vids are of pretty decent video quality, and I am watching the HD shows through the built-in ATSC tuner on my PC, and recording the content to watch later. If I feel like watching something and I'm all caught up with what I got over the air, I can get additional on-demand content that actually interest me with few to no commercials for free to $5 with on-demand content services like iTunes, Akimbo, and Cinemanow. Okay maybe I'm missing out on some original dramas on cable, but I really don't have the time or interest in them personally. Where I live, I'm within a short drive or even bike ride to Fun City (http://www.onefuncity.com/) where I can watch live ESPN and satellite TV sports watchable all over the place because it has over 100 HD monitors. So I can enjoy live NFL action there, listen to the audio with a little receiver, and actually socialize with people. I am single and live alone, so these great methods suit me well and give the time and money for other things. And with the price of gas the way it is, at least I can swing the cost of getting to work or an occasional road trip. By saving on cable bills, I've got my Media Center PC all paid up now, and I'm happy to say I'm living the debt-free lifestyle, and I am able to put a bit of money away for an annual getaway, and for the future.

5) Do you have the time for all those channels? Again, I don't with my lifestyle. I find myself online quite a bit chatting and swapping emails, pictures, and videos with friends and family, even entertainers whom I've become fans of. So broadband Internet and these popular online social sites has actually helped personalize my entertainment, and the time I've spent of it has pretty much denied time to just sit and surf channels. Oh, and of course I'm taking a bit of time blogging about what I do because I do like helping out and being someone instead of being a lazy couch potato. In fact, I read somewhere that in the UK, more people are spending more time online than watching TV. Being online gives people unlimited choices in on-demand video if you know where to look.

6) Off-air DTV is mobile! And now laptop PCs are being made with built-in DTV tuners, so if you bring one out with a small off-air antenna, you can watch live TV anywhere, and for free. Of course as I mentioned in a previous entry you will soon be able to watch live TV on your mobile phone, but those services will likely cost you. Off-air DTV on the right laptop in the right place? No charge.

And one more thing, I mentioned that I am watching digital content on a Media Center PC hooked up to an analog TV set via S-video. That is how I am enjoying off-air DTV. You really don't need an HDTV set to enjoy free DTV, a Media Center PC or even an affordable terrestrial set-top-box with an ATSC tuner will suffice in watching free-to-air TV with incredible digital picture quality. However, you will need an HDTV monitor to experience the true HD resolution, but me personally, I can do without it for now, so I choose to hold out for the monitor prices to continue to drop.

So there you go, this is why I do what I do for a living. Those who have great fulfilling lives are the ones who make a living doing what they love and having a passion for it, and a reason for that passion. And now you have just read my reason for my passion. I do hope that people will become more aware of the DTV transition and the benefits of free off-air DTV. Maybe as 2009 nears this will become a more talked about issue. We shall see, but with broadband Internet connecting a lot of people and producing the ability to unleash do-it-yourself content, and on-demand libraries continuing to grow, a paradigm shift may be happening soon with broadcast media. Maybe soon people will just watch live TV events and breaking news and get the rest of their entertainment on-demand online, and if that is the case, some may just choose to do so for free with an off-air antenna. They just need to be aware that free off-air DTV is here, and the means to get it effectively.

For additional information, visit http://www.myfreehdtv.org/.