Will my existing outdoor antenna work with my new digital tv tuner ?

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Lisa asks…

will my existing outdoor antenna work with my new digital tv tuner?

i have a outdoor antenna that is about 10 years old but in good condition. i was wondering if digital tv tuners can get a signal using it

admin answers:

Yes, antenna does not change, just the tuner in the receiver.

David asks…

Will old outdoor antenna work to get digital tv?

Moving to a house that has the old school antenna on the roof, the kind that has a pole going all the way to the ground from the roof. It has the old split connection that use to be used before coaxial started being used. Is there any way of making it work as the antenna to be hooked to my digital converter box or should we just tear it down?

admin answers:

The antenna should work fine. Go to RadioShack & buy a 300 ohm to 75 ohm balun converter & you should be set.

Daniel asks…

how to build a outdoor tv antenna vhf uhf digital analog?

how to build a outdoor tv antenna vhf uhf digital analog

admin answers:

Search the web for “build gray hoverman”.

Can I use a indoor TV aerial to set up my digital box ?

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Charles asks…

can i use a indoor SV9310 DVB-T Aerial for watching freeview through my ps3 using play tv (digital Tv Receiver?

I want to buy ps3 but wanted to know if i could use a indoor digital tv aerial to watch freeview through my ps3 using a ps3 go play freeview digital tv Receiver

THIS IS THE LINK FOR THE AERIAL CLICK ON IT IT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE MAPLIN SHOP SITE: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=97986

admin answers:

As far as im aware, play tv works thru your internet connection not a tv ariel, if you have a decent internet connection, you’ll gte a decent amount of channels

William asks…

Will I still receive TV when digital switchover happens (UK only)?

I have a 12 year old TV of the bulky crt type. All my TV is received via cable (Virgin, with digibox). When the analogue broadcasts stop as part of the switchover to digital will I be affected?

As I get my TV from a digital cable box I guessing & hoping I’ll be ok. I don’t know whether my TV is analogue or not. (If so, the digibox must be converting to analogue before feeding the signal to my TV.) Perhaps I won’t be able to pick up TV via an aerial, but I don’t do that anyway.

I’m confused about all this digital switchover stuff. Please help.

admin answers:

Hi,
You will be fine and you don’t need to change a thing.

You are absolutely correct – the digibox takes the digital signal and converts it to analogue which then goes to your TV.

I’m in a similar position, I’ve got a Sky digibox and an old crt analogue TV and although I still have an aerial I don’t use it, just the Sky box. So the switch over won’t affect either of us.

Bill

John asks…

can i use a indoor TV aerial to set up my digital box?

i have a Bush digital set top box and i was wondering if i could set it up with a indoor TV aerial instead of an out side one.
this i the box i have ( http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5322611.htm )
any help would be appreciated.

admin answers:

Yes you can, if the signal strength is high enough. It’s worth a try; you’ve got nothing to lose.

Cable TV Antenna question ?

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arol asks…

I am cancelling my satellite dish service. Anyway I can use the dish antenna for regular tv reception?

admin answers:

No, you won’t be able use it. You will need a regular outdoor antenna or an indoor antenna for you signal. The dish will be useless.
George

Michael asks…

Cable tv antenna question?

My antenna broke on the back of my tv. To get cable tv, I have to use RCA cables. Presently I have a cable box that I can hook the cable going from the wall into and then I connect the rca cable from the cable box into my television.
I plan on downgrading my cable service from digital to analog and for that I’d only have the cable without the cable box. With the antenna broken off my tv, I have no place to put the cable into coming from the wall. Is there a cable that I can buy to fix this or will I have to get a new tv?

admin answers:

The common way to do this is to get an old VCR with a built in analog tuner. Just connect the cable line to the VCR’s tuner & the RCA cables from the VCR’s outputs to the TV.

You use the tuner on the VCR to change channels.

Some DVD recorders have the same capability.

>Is there a cable that I can buy to fix this

No. You could get a TV repair guy to repair the cable jack, but an old VCR can be had a lot cheaper.

Ruth asks…

What’s the Cheapest Cable TV service currently being offered in NJ?

Right now, we only get the local NYC channels through the rabbit ear antenna. Unfortunately, we can’t get anything in which you have to install an outdoor satellite because it goes against the lease rules. Are there any indoor cable TV satellite providers for NJ? I would think with all the technology out there, someone has invented an indoor satellite for cable by now. But maybe not?? I appreciate all friendly input.

admin answers:

Unfortunately, Satellite signals aren’t strong enough to penetrate buildings. If you have a south facing window, you could try a satellite dish, but the results would be marginal.

Cable is about your only option, if you want more channels.

TV Aerials ? Can I get a long cable?

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Betty asks…

i need to fit aerials for 5 tv with free view help?

i have main tv aerial that works well but need to add more and need help

admin answers:

If you go to a reputable TV specialist shop,they can install an amplifier to feed several TV sets from the main TV aerial assuming that the current TV aerial is fit to receive freeview. As to cost,I have one amplifer fitted from my main TV aerial by a professional at £75.00.

I would urge you to contact a TV aerial specialist company and make sure you get at least three quotes. It will not be cheap,but if done properly,and by a professional,it will provide your tvs with a lasting and proper link.

If you live in the Spalding area,I recommend TV Aerials in WInsover Road who did mine.Outstanding job.

All the very best.

Chris asks…

TV Aerials??? Can i get a long cable?

I need to buy a TV Aerial cable for a tv in my room but the tv has to go on the opposite side to the aerial connection, can you buy longer cables than the usually? and where can you in the UK?

admin answers:

You should go to the electronics store to see what options you have. They usually carry cables of varying lengths.

If there is no such product available then you should get in touch with the cable service provider or someone with the tech support of the TV that you own to get a clear-cut answer.

Mark asks…

Anybody know anything about TV aerials?

We have just moved house and can not understand the setup, there are two aerials on the roof, with two co-axels coming in to the house, both to the same room and it runs though the house to each of the bedrooms. still the old analogue aerials and we are in a poor signal area. I purchased a booster box but still not tv. Any ideas?
Both aerials are pointing in the same direction

admin answers:

Apparently one antenna was pointed at one set of transmitters and the other antenna was pointed at another set. There is no difference between an “analogue” and a “digital” antenna, the antennas are the same. Since there are two sets of coax to each room, they probably used a switch to switch between the antennas. Being in a poor signal area, this type of arrangement is plausible.

I would check the antennas for condition, corrosion, etc. And to see if they are still aimed in the proper directions. If you are not getting enough signal for your receiver to decode, you may need better antennas. Amplifiers don’t always work with digital because they amplify noise along with the signal. If you amplify noise, you just get louder noise and don’t really solve the problem. If you do use an amplifier, it needs to be as close to the antenna as you can get it.

how to make a strong signal for digital antenna TV ?

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Chris asks…

My digital TV antenna doesn’t show Telemundo?

I live in an apartment in nj (08902) and my digital antenna (Philips SDV5119/27) picks up tv channels very well (ironically, except for telemundo) which showed before when i used analog. My antenna has HDTV/UHF/VHF/FM capability and ive tried moving it all around the room and nothing. What should I do?

admin answers:

According to tvfool.com and antennaweb.org, the Telemundo stations are about 35 miles away from your 08902 area code. That’s pretty far for using an indoor antenna.

The link below shows a map of the signal strength for the tel station

http://rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=1319207&map=Y

If you’re in the green or yellow area, you should be good, otherwise it’s iffy. Note that the plot assumes a rooftop antenna. It will be much more restricted with an indoor antenna.

Susan asks…

how to make a strong signal for digital antenna tv?

from the time I switch to digital, I was able to watch only one channel and now I can watch a few and some say weak signal. What do you do to have strong signal?

admin answers:

Have an outdoor antenna with higher gain than what you presently have.

People tend to go buy their antennas without any research of knowldge of what they need to get the stations they want to view.

Put your address in here:

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx

it will give you color coded information as to the type of antenna you need for each station in your area. Decide what stations you want to see and then go to the bottom station on the list and note the color and antenna type. Write it down and pass that info along to where ever you buy an antenna from.

Indoor antennas suck.

Steven asks…

What’s a good digital tv antenna for under $100?

we dont have cable or dish or any of that stuff… so whats a good tv antenna for under $100 that picks up channels well and stuff

admin answers:

If you’re within about 50 miles from transmitter(s), this should do the trick.

Http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=HD7697P&d=Winegard-HD7697-High-Definition-VHFUHF-Series-TV-Antenna-(HD7697P)&c=TV%20Antennas&sku=

How to get a good freeview signal with my TV aerial ?

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John asks…

How to get a good freeview signal with my TV aerial?

Been trying to get a good signal for freeview but does not work! Bought a new 32 elements aerial it seems to work fine at the begining but once we touched the aerial to adjust it we lose all signals and it seems impossible to get it back!
When adjusting the aerial do you need to reset the box every time?

admin answers:

If everything was working when you installed the new aerial then touching it shouldn’t cause complete loss of signal. This symptom suggests a wobbly something and you moving it has caused the wobbly bit to fail.

Have a look at the junction box where the cable is connected. It’s more than likely that one of the wires has come loose, or that they’re intermittently shorting.
Check the co-axial plug at the tv end for securty of connection too. Take care that the cable briad isn’t shorting against the core conductor.

Charles asks…

i have recently bought a flatscreen tv with built in freeview, can i use a portable tv aerial with it?

i bought it for my daughters bedroom but there isnt a tv aerial on the roof, can i use a portable tv aerial and still get the freeview channels? thanks

admin answers:

You certainly can use a portable aerial with it-depending on how strong your Area’s tv signal is…

Sandra asks…

What sort of tv aerial cable is recommended for freeview?

My reception on freeview is pretty awful since the re-organisation of channels a couple of months back. I have replaced the coaxial male plug which goes into the signal booster several times but it does not help. Do you think I need to get a new cable and if so, are there different specifications of tv cables? What would be the best type? The distance is about 25 metres from the junction box.

admin answers:

Believe it or not, check the cable end at the plug part and feel for any dampness or water. Rain, especially, within the last few months, could have entered the aerial box on the roof, and if water ingestion gets into the cable, WILL cause distortion and bad signal, and if it goes direct to your television can cause damage. If you have it going directly into the power splitter box first, check this aerial lead socket for water.
If there is no water present, it is likely your rooftop aerial has shifted from the very narrow signal pathway, (that digital has), and may need resetting.
The fixings on the rooftop aerial or brackets may have corroded or the aerial box itself and will need replacing. If your aerial is attached to the chimney, the smoke and heat form this can cause damage to the aerial also, over a period of time.
In my opinion, THE AERIAL out of alignment or corrosion is at fault here.

How to ground a TV antenna ?

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Laura asks…

How to ground a TV antenna?

I’m putting up an outdoor hdvt antenna. My current service grounding rod is more than 20 feet away.
Do I have to install a grounding rod every 20’ and connect those rods to my service ground?.
OR
Can I put a separate rod in the ground?
OR
Can I run 50 plus feet of #10 wire to the service ground?
Which of these options is the correct way to ground my antenna?
There is no way to run ground wire to my indoor plumbing..

admin answers:

According to the laws of physics,electricity always takes the shortest path to ground and most grounding for antennas is for lightning discharge,you want to use the shortest length of the heaviest gauge wire possible,in your case you have #10 wire,if this is aluminum wire,I would suggest using a larger diameter such as #6 or #4 AWG.

Thomas asks…

Is there any device which let me add 2 cables to a TV so that I can swtich b/w satellite free TV & Paid cable?

I am using satelitte antenna connected to my TV. I am planning to get foxtel (paid cable services) connected at home. Is there any device which lets me connect both services to same TV so that I can switch between two without much hassale?

admin answers:

You could connect the satellite receiver to the A/V jacks on the TV and cable or antenna to the antenna input. Then you just have to change inputs on the TV to switch between the two.

If your TV does not have the A/V jacks, then you will need to install a coax A/B switch.

Http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3595556

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049619

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049643

Nancy asks…

We get tv from an antenna, will a TIVO work for us?

We receive television programming directly from an antenna and would like to have a digital video recorder that would work without subscribing to satellite service or cable. Can this be done?

admin answers:

Yes, a Tivo can record whatever video is passed through it if set up properly.

TV antenna and Onkyo TX-SR608?

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Mark asks…

TV antenna and Onkyo TX-SR608?

I have Sony Bravia KDL 55NX810 (has 1.4 HDMI Audio Return channel) and Onkyo TX-SR608 receiver (1.4 HDMI Audio Return channel capable).

Currently I attach my HDTV antenna coaxial cable directly to TV instead of Onkyo Receiver. The only connection from receiver : 1.4 HDMI brings the audio signal to receiver. I have not taken cable / satellite service, only free on-air HD channels from HDTV antenna (which does not have HDMI output)

I am not sure why the Coaxial Antenna threaded plug is given on the receiver’s back panel. I tried to connect the coaxial TV antenna there and expecting the TV to recognize the antenna connection to receiver which is connected to TV via 1.4 HDMI , but TV DID NOT recognize any antenna existence.

The official manual does not speak about TV antenna signal from the threaded coaxial plug input, all it talks about is FM/AM tuner.

1] Is it NOT EXPECTED at all to connect HDTV coaxial antenna to receiver ?

2] If thats not the case, how can I connect HDTV antenna to receiver and get recognized by TV ?

3] If thats not doable, are there any HDTV antenna‘s (with tuner box) which gives out HDMI output ? If I buy a used Satellite Tuner box (no Satellite service), will it give me free HDTV channels converted to HDMI output ?

admin answers:

You should be using RG6 cable running directly from the antenna to the coax in of the HDTV you may not be using the proper cable there are various types of Coax…the older…RG59 cable will not carry an HD signal over longer distances, this could be your problem you are using the wrong cable use RG6 cable all the way from antenna to TV….also a newer cable you can use indoors is RG60 which would be fine and may produce a better signal…but RG6 will work. You can use splitter to run another lead to the Receiver for FM reception. Run the splitter near to the TV connection for best results. HD signals come from the TV station if they are not broadcasting in HD then there is nothing you can do about it.

Daniel asks…

Can my old DTV satellite dish be used as an antenna?

I had to cancel my Direct TV satellite service (too expensive). The dish is still on my rooftop and I was wondering…I am currently just using rabbit ear antenna‘s for tv (analog) reception. Could the co-axial cable from the dish be hooked up to my tv to provide better reception? When I was young we used to use coat hangers for antenna‘s so I thought maybe you still could use makeshift antenna‘s for better reception.

admin answers:

No it will not work.
Hey coat hangers still work well and will with DTV as well.
Google “coat hanger tv antennas” you will get thousands in returns.
EDIT!!!!!!!!!!

In
US dish will not work.
Wildman, you are US?
India? Not my concern

Mandy asks…

Is this the end of free TV?

Have other senior citizens heard about this already and I just now caught up? I’ve been hearing that our old televisions will not work to receive over-the-air broadcasts beginning February 2009. If you don’t have a digital TV then you have to buy a converter box. Does that mean we can no longer use a TV antenna? Will we be forced to hook up to the cable or satellite TV services? I have old televisions at my house. Neither one is the digital type.
I’m sorry about all those Thumbs Down that are showing up. I am not doing it. I do appreciate each one of you who have answered my question.

admin answers:

It’s not the end of free tv…it’s the end of the outdated poor resolution quality tv signal. Yes you would have to buy a converter box to use a dinosaur tv….unless you sign up and get the free $40 dollar coupon from the government.

Https://www.dtv2009.gov/

This is a step in the right direction. As was the transition from black and white to color tv…

how can I watch national channels on TV without antenna?

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Mary asks…

how can I watch national channels on TV without antenna?

I have Samsung HDTV and I do not have cable connection. I am interested in national channels only. Is there any in-built antenna or something with new TV sets? How can I see only DD channels without investing money in cable or antenna– please help-If its not possible then please let me know where should I approach for antenna installation.

admin answers:

I’m sorry but all TVs require an antenna of some sort if you want to receive over the air broadcasts.

If you are in a city, you may be able to get away with rabbit ears. If you are further out, you will need a larger antenna. As far as who to contact, look in your yellow pages.

Sandy asks…

Power Antenna not Working after cd player installation?

So I installed a Kenwood KDC-Mp205 into my 96 Mazda 626 and everything works fine EXCEPT the power antenna will not go up. I cannot find any information on this.
I used a wire harness and there is a blue wire from the cd player that hooks to a blue wire to the harness. They both say power antenna.

admin answers:

In many Kenwood decks, the blue wire isn’t functional–it’s present in the wiring plug, but it doesn’t work. I have no idea why they still include the wire, but usually it’s listed as non-functioning in the installation diagram. In this case, you should use the blue/white remote output in place of the blue power antenna wire. Just connect the blue/white wire from the Kenwood deck to the blue wire in the adapter harness.

Richard asks…

Is $200 – $600 too much for roof top antenna installation?

I was given a rough estimate over the phone. The guy said they range from $200 – $600 depending on the house.

admin answers:

If the install is professionally done to specification (See Below), then $200 – $600 is not out of reason.

—

Welcome to AntennaWeb.org

CEA’s antenna mapping program, AntennaWeb.org, will help you determine the proper outdoor* antenna to use in order to receive your local television broadcast channels.

Whether the antenna you want is for use with a home satellite system, high-definition television (HDTV) or a traditional analog set, this site, based on geographical maps and signal strengths, will show you what you need to know to buy the right antenna.

Let’s get started!

Http://antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx

Is there any genuine satellite dish I can get from the Internet to receive hundreds of tv channels worldwide ?

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David asks…

How come my old B&W (Black & White) TV works better when I am at my friend’s cabin then at home?

WHen I go to a friend’s cabin, which is about 110 miles north of me. I bring along a Black & White TV up there (I picked it up at a garage sale for only $2.00) and it doesn’t work to well here even though I have it by a window in my house, and all I have to use for it is rabbit ears, and a special antenna that does fine tuning, by turning a know to pull in stations better. When I bring it up to my friend’s cabin, which is out in the country, and kind of our in the boondocks, I get stations very clear, and some of them are even out of state, and I use the same antennas as described above. I can get both VHF, and UHF stations clear, and I don’t get the stations as clear as I can get them here. Why is that, is it the conditions or is it just the location of my old TV?
This is a Samsung TV, 13 inch Black & White set, and it was manufactured in 1988, and has two dials (one for the UHF, and the other for VHF, and it also has a knob to turn it on, and adjust the volume. This set is almost 20 years old.

admin answers:

The cabin i bet is high in elevation… So your rabbit ear antenna is higher than any bulidings and likely other hills and mountains around, so it can pick up the signal better because the signal is not getting blocked by bulidings, mountains, etc…

Susan asks…

bought an old sanyo tv don’t know how to work it…?

So i bought this old tv (sanyo) from a tax sale.itslike a 50′s tv. it has one antennae on top and then this weird circular metal ring in the back… theres only one plug and thats the chord for the wall.. theres 2 knobs in the front.. one has numbers from 14-82 and the other has numbers from U to 13…..
Wehn I turn it on its just a fuzzy screen and no matter which way I point the antennae it doesn’t get any better… can someone please help??? theres also a V-hold and H-hold knob in the back.. whatever that means haha…. so yeah can someone please help me figure this out?

admin answers:

Since broadcast stations all transmit digital signals rather than analog, you’ll need a converter box between the TV and its antenna. It also sounds like it may have screw terminals for 300 ohm antenna cable rather than coax, so you’ll need a couple 300 ohm to coax adapters to connect the antenna to the converter box and the box to the TV. You may need a better antenna as well, depending on where you are with respect to the broadcast transmitters. Rabbit ears and the circular UHF antenna work OK if you’re close in, but if you’re 20 miles or more away, you’re going to need a better antenna setup, probably something in the attic, or even up on the roof.

All this stuff is still pretty easy to find at electronics stores, or even Walmart, so you should be able to make it work if you really want to.
—–
Edit: Now that I think about it, you’ll also need an RF modulator to convert the line outputs from the converter box back to analog RF before connecting to the TV. Another $20 there……

Daniel asks…

Is there any genuine satellite dish I can get from the Internet to receive hundreds of tv channels worldwide?

Subscribing to Cable TV services has become more expensive in my country in Singapore! It costs about US$50 a month for the full package! No kidding!
Therefore, I decide it was not worth paying for it anymore and decide to install a satellite dish instead in order to watch hundreds of tv channels worldwide.
I saw several satellite dishes on sale from ebay but I’m not sure if it will work if I purchase a satellite dish from ebay! I’m afraid it will not allow me to receive hundreds of channels worldwide and just act like an ordinary local antenna!
Is there any genuine satellite dish I can get from the Internet to receive hundreds of tv channels worldwide? I don’t really mind about the price if I’m able to watch Satellite TV for life after a one-time payment!
I was not looking for any Satellite PC software! I just want it live on my television!
Your recommendations are greatly appreciated!

admin answers:

Buy a FTA satellite system. Here is a list of free channels available on ASIASAT 3S at 105.5 E.

Http://www.lyngsat.com/asia3s.html