some dumb newbie ota antenna questions

[edugamer]

hey guys
So I would like to add a antenna to the mix. I have a boat load of possibly stupid or laughably dumb questions. I last had a antenna like this in use some time in 2006 when you could still use one of those potatovisions from the 70s to get local channels. I would be forced to use one of those things whenever I got grounded lol. You know the ones with the woodgrain plastic, the 10" black and white screen, the rabbet ears and the two big knobs and one mono speaker to the right. The kind from a time that televisions resembled more or less that of a microwave oven.
Anyway I recently discovered most modern TVs have a digital tuner built in to them and you can get local digital channels without that stupid box! And I been thinking all along you needed the thing even on flat screen TVs! So, I would like to know:
is the standard for digital tv over UHF or VHF all ATSC or cqam?
Why do some rabbet ear table top antennae have a dish loop thingy Ive seen some with loops or a solid plastic disk or a combination of both on some.
If I go with an indoor antenna like the ones mensioned above, will I do better with one that comes with a transformer as apose to using a passive one indoors?
Can I connect these antennas to my HiFi for radio too?
Can outdoor motorized antennas be connected to my AVR for radio and to my television set at the same time?
I have already bought some cheap antenna and will be setting it up.
One of it's elements got bent and dented will this make it unopperable?
On the rotor I see two sets of wires at each end, does it matter what side they go to? the side to the bigger elements or the side with all the smaller ones?
What points on the element junction do these go to? I am guessing to the first set of screws holding the horseshoe element in place, but it looks like it wont be making a circuit, it is open and floting circuit, does magnetism just take care of the rest or what?
This is my atena:
Signal Amplified HD Digital Outdoor HDTV Antenna with Motorized 360° Rotation BE

 

[edugamer]

so it came with a bar you put together and affix it to the rotor table forming a (T) shape. One side of the T has a pair of short thin cables, the other side of the T has a pair of metallic wire strips with holes in them! What is the risk of frying anything if even possible lol.
If I put them on backwords will my signal be inferior or not?
Will the antenna work low to the ground E.G in my back yard on a tripod?

 

[Tower Guy]

If you live in an area with a major network low band VHF transmitter, that's the wrong antenna for you. This includes Philly and Pittsburgh.

 

[907TECH]

You get what you pay for. Indoor antennas may be OK if your towers are fairly close, and you do not have a lot of obstructions. It is always best to check your location with an online database website to see what you may expect to receive. There are quite a fewe sites than can help.

 

[edugamer]

You get what you pay for. Indoor antennas may be OK if your towers are fairly close, and you do not have a lot of obstructions. It is always best to check your location with an online database website to see what you may expect to receive. There are quite a fewe sites than can help.

I tested it indoor on a DJ tripod stand yesterday and it performed well.
Have used nonamplified cheap standard rabbet ear on digital and they sucked. They worked better on analog though. I without a dout think an amplified version would work though agree?
IMO I think all three of these will smoke the new suction cup lick-and-stick window flat antennas though. I hear a lot of mixed opinions about those mostly saying how bad they suck lol literally!

 

[edugamer]

If you live in an area with a major network low band VHF transmitter, that's the wrong antenna for you. This includes Philly and Pittsburgh.

why?
wouldn't it maintain a better signal integrity?

 

[907TECH]

I tested it indoor on a DJ tripod stand yesterday and it performed well.
Have used nonamplified cheap standard rabbet ear on digital and they sucked. They worked better on analog though. I without a dout think an amplified version would work though agree?
IMO I think all three of these will smoke the new suction cup lick-and-stick window flat antennas though. I hear a lot of mixed opinions about those mostly saying how bad they suck lol literally!

You are expecting too much from indoor antennas. Standard rabbit ears are a VHF antenna, made in a day when almost every TV station was on VHF. Today most are on UHF, so it is not accurate to say that they worked better on analog. There is no difference in antennas between analog and digital. Adding an amplifier to rabbit ears in an effort to receive UHF signals will only drain your wallet. The new Mudflap antennas are designed to receive UHF and will do so better than rabbit ears, however they do not receive VHF well, if at all. If you want the UHF equivalent of rabbit ears get one of the small loop antennas.

 

[edugamer]

You are expecting too much from indoor antennas. Standard rabbit ears are a VHF antenna, made in a day when almost every TV station was on VHF. Today most are on UHF, so it is not accurate to say that they worked better on analog. There is no difference in antennas between analog and digital. Adding an amplifier to rabbit ears in an effort to receive UHF signals will only drain your wallet. The new Mudflap antennas are designed to receive UHF and will do so better than rabbit ears, however they do not receive VHF well, if at all. If you want the UHF equivalent of rabbit ears get one of the small loop antennas.

ok gotcha.
Now I can better understand what you mean and what to look for in future! I am glad I was able to get some channels out of what I got for now and at least not felling completely ripped of.

thanks!