Best indoor OTA antenna recommendations wanted, Thanks

[EmpireState]

I need a better indoor OTA antenna.

I made the mistake of monkeying with my existing indoor antenna and everything has gone to crap. I have the cheap rabbit ears with the circle loop right now. Before I touched it everything was good, but I tried to make it better. Now it is angry. Even the position of the cable running from the antenna to the 722 receiver is changing the signal strength from bad to worse depending on where I move it.

My TV is right next to the sliding glass doors onto the deck so I'm not that far from the outside. Recommendations would be most welcome.

--THANKS

 

[Jim5506]

Second best indoor antenna is a small outdoor antenna mounted indoors.

Best is to mount it outdoors.

 

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I need a better indoor OTA antenna.

I have the cheap rabbit ears with the circle loop right now.

My TV is right next to the sliding glass doors onto the deck so I'm not that far from the outside. Recommendations would be most welcome.

--THANKS

Jim is right. Outdoor antennas are the best for reception, the higher the better and a small outdoor antenna mounted indoor will also do a good job.

Most TV consumers think of antennas as low-tech devices, but there is more behind some of the newer antenna designs than just bent metal and plastic. Many of the TV antenna designs on the market today, such as the Yagi and your rabbit ears have technology roots going back 30 to 50 years or more.

By the window or not, your rabbit ears are picking up Multi-path (bounced signals). These signals are bouncing off the walls in your home, confusing the ATSC tunner chip in your receiver.

The fact that most designs on the market now were developed prior to the advent of much of the computer technology, software and algorithms in common use today, left open numerous avenues to improve upon tried and true designs and develop new ones. Additionally, recent regulations and standards are opening new doors for antenna engineers to develop smaller antennas with improved performance and aesthetics.

Antennas Direct will have on the market in July a new indoor antenna, the Micron, pictured below. It's small, powerful and cool looking. If you can wait, try it. They offer a no-fault 90 day gaurantee. If it doesn't do the job for you, return it for a full refund or try a DB-2 (indoor/outdoor) antenna.

 

[allargon]

J
Antennas Direct will have on the market in July a new indoor antenna, the Micron, pictured below. It's small, powerful and cool looking. If you can wait, try it. They offer a no-fault 90 day gaurantee. If it doesn't do the job for you, return it for a full refund or try a DB-2 (indoor/outdoor) antenna.

Whoah! Me likey...

The Philips Silver Sensor and the TERK HDTVa/i are eyesores. This one has potential if it's good at reception.

The picture frame antennas cost too much.

Anyone crazy enough to put a bowtie INSIDE?

 

[digiblur]

CM4221 and CM4228 work great inside if you can hide them.

 

[Jim5506]

I prefer the 4228 indoors - it makes more of a statement.

 

[digiblur]

I prefer the 4228 indoors - it makes more of a statement.

I prefer the homemade 4221.

 

[Jim5506]

Sweet!!

 

[jgantert]

Indoor antennas dont work so well with aluminum siding, btw. Some previous owner had an antenna in our attic, and it doesn't pick up any channels. But now we have a nice 4228 on the roof with an amp (long cable run) and rotor, and it does a nice job!

-John

 

[EmpireState]

Is it possible to have the adjustable gain set too high on an indoor antenna so that it causes less sharp reception of the HD channels versus less gain? I solved my originally posted problem receiving the HD locals with a $39 RCA amplified antenna. Not sure if the amplification does much, but the new antenna seems to have raised the signal strength by a few ticks so the reception problem is gone.

However, I think my new antenna is delivering the HD locals slightly less sharply than the old one. The box says that it, "Improves reception of weak signals, combined with low noise amplifier optimizes picture clarity.". I'm guessing my mind is playing tricks on me. Let me know if the "low noise amplifier" is possibly changing the PQ.

I don't think Multipath is a problem as it only affects signal strength, I might be wrong, but I've read a few other posts about ghosting. I thought that a digital signal was a digital signal, either it comes in perfect or it doesn't. I'm only talking about the HD OTA locals. Could I have slight ghosting on my HD OTA channels or am I over analyzing the PQ?


-thanks

 

[dish_in_the_sky]

Antennas, preamp gain and picture distortion

Antennas:

Other posters here are correct. Use the best antenna you can. ALL TV antennas are HD-compatible. More antenna is preferable to a preamp or an amplified antenna. Good high-gain antennas are large, period. However, UHF antennas are smaller than VHF for the same gain.

The amp gain on an amplified antenna won't affect picture quality on a digital signal until obvious blocking/freezing/stuttering occurs.

Set the gain for the lowest setting that gives the highest reading on the receiver's signal meter, which displays mostly bit error rate.

This minimizes the potential for overloading and noise pickup.

 

[roashru]

Is it possible to have the adjustable gain set too high on an indoor antenna so that it causes less sharp reception of the HD channels versus less gain? I solved my originally posted problem receiving the HD locals with a $39 RCA amplified antenna. Not sure if the amplification does much, but the new antenna seems to have raised the signal strength by a few ticks so the reception problem is gone.

However, I think my new antenna is delivering the HD locals slightly less sharply than the old one. The box says that it, "Improves reception of weak signals, combined with low noise amplifier optimizes picture clarity.". I'm guessing my mind is playing tricks on me. Let me know if the "low noise amplifier" is possibly changing the PQ.

I don't think Multipath is a problem as it only affects signal strength, I might be wrong, but I've read a few other posts about ghosting. I thought that a digital signal was a digital signal, either it comes in perfect or it doesn't. I'm only talking about the HD OTA locals. Could I have slight ghosting on my HD OTA channels or am I over analyzing the PQ?


-thanks

EmpireState, The only time signal strength affects picture quality is something like "rain fade" when the video begins to break up. What you are probably seeing is a TV station using an old analog camera then upconverting the video and calling it high definition. To really test ATSC broadcast television for picture quality watch live prime time network programs! your television MUST support at least native 720P to see this.

 

[jgantert]

Antennas:

Other posters here are correct. Use the best antenna you can. ALL TV antennas are HD-compatible. More antenna is preferable to a preamp or an amplified antenna. Good high-gain antennas are large, period. However, UHF antennas are smaller than VHF for the same gain.

The amp gain on an amplified antenna won't affect picture quality on a digital signal until obvious blocking/freezing/stuttering occurs.

Set the gain for the lowest setting that gives the highest reading on the receiver's signal meter, which displays mostly bit error rate.

This minimizes the potential for overloading and noise pickup.

That's some good info right there!

I might add that I used the pre-amp because I have a long cable run from my roof antenna to my TV, and had almost no signal without it. I'm fairly close to the stations as well (farthest is 25mi out), but couldn't pick up anything without a pre-amp, even using the huge 4228 UHF antenna!

-John

 

[EmpireState]

To really test ATSC broadcast television for picture quality watch live prime time network programs! your television MUST support at least native 720P to see this.

I agree. Letterman is still as sharp as ever.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

Hey EmpireState, check out my indoor antenna roundup here. Hope you like it.



EV's Best Top Rated HDTV Indoor Antenna Review Test Round-Up Guide - AVS Forum

 

[digiblur]

Hey EmpireState, check out my indoor antenna roundup here. Hope you like it.



EV's Best Top Rated HDTV Indoor Antenna Review Test Round-Up Guide - AVS Forum

Nice reviews except for the part about the Square CrapShooter. The two I replaced wouldn't even make a blip on RF13. Swapped them to CM4221's and 13 comes in 95%.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

Thanks digiblur. The 4221 is one of the best antennas of all time, IMO. Bit large for the indoors though, for most.

 

[digiblur]

Thanks digiblur. The 4221 is one of the best antennas of all time, IMO. Bit large for the indoors though, for most.

I like the CM4228 better The miracle antenna as I call it. But that's not indoors either, although I've seen one indoors.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

PS - The SquareShooters both the amped and unamped version are the 2 antennas, I have no direct experience with in that list. The HDTVexpert thinks fairly highly of them though.

 

[digiblur]

PS - The SquareShooters both the amped and unamped version are the 2 antennas, I have no direct experience with in that list. The HDTVexpert thinks fairly highly of them though.

This was my exact experience.... it worked ok in the UHF band but wasn't spectacular. My set of cheapo rabbit ears stuck worked better.

The Square Shooter

Comparing some commercially available antennas