OTA in Clearwater and antenna

[JoeSchmo]

Hello all,

I am very, very new to the OTA / HDTV scene. Recently, I purchased a TV with HDTV capability and was interested in testing it out. After doing some reading, I was not ready to pay around the minimum of $30 to BHN to receive FEW HD channels! Instead, I want to try the OTA route. I have purchased a US Digital HDTV receiver from Walmart, but I don't know what kind of antenna to purchase. I live in downtown Clearwater. Based on my location, Antenna Web recommended ~ 110 degree on Compass Orientation for all digital stations except CBS which is @ 8 degree! Also, from my location, I am ~ 30 miles from all stations except CBS which is only ~ 15 miles.

Based on the above information, can you recommend few outdoor antennas that will give me the best result ;-)

TIA.

JS

[Dknow]

I live in Clearwater as well. I am running an 8-bay UHF antenna towards Riverview and a smaller yagi-type antenna towards Holiday joined with a channel 24 jointenna. I am receiving all channels with this set-up. The line is amplified from the jointenna to my receiver. Good luck. Email me if you need any further help.

[bdraw]

I would go with a UHF/VHF combo like this.
V21
http://www.antennasdirect.com/VHF%20channel%20listings.htm

If you can't get 10 well, then add a DB4 and a jointenna like dknow suggested.

Ben

[mgd2win]

Hey dknow...is the 8 Bay picking up the VHF with no issues?

[Dknow]

Hey dknow...is the 8 Bay picking up the VHF with no issues?

I have no problems with 8 or 13. I have wondered about the future when DTV channels move back to their original channel numbers but for now all of the Riverview channels come in perfect on the 8-bay including WUSF and now WB38.

[JoeSchmo]

Thanks all.

I did not want to wait for any mail order so I went to RS and bought a VU-90XR antenna.

With US Digital HD receiver, it shows ~ 90 to 95% signal strength on all the channels in the Riverview area. But the signal is very weak for CBS (Holiday). For now, I am just happy to watch some HD TV. Perhaps, I will get another antenna and a jointenna to watch CBS ;-)

I do have one question: from analog cable signal, I am able to stretch the picture to fill my 16:9 WS Plasma TV. However, when I use HD signal, no matter what I do, I cannot stretch the picture to fill my TV. (I have set the correct aspect ratio from US Digital HD receiver). There are always two black vertical bars.

Another question: sometimes, HD signal has a delay. I can use POP (picture on picture; display two inputs side-by-side). When I use analog cable as one of the source (ie WFLA, 8) and HD coming from US Digital receiver as another (ie WFLA-DT, 8-1), sometimes, the HD side is a sec or two behind.

TIA.

JS

[JeffMTV]

I have the same vertical bars on digital stations when it's not a HD broadcast, but HD fills the screen. Even with a HD broadcast do you get the bars?

Yes there is a delay with all digital broadcasts, be it OTA or satelite- it's not just your setup. And by the way, the delay is not the same between systems.

[JoeSchmo]

If it is broadcast in WS (widescreen), there are no vertical bars.

I thought HD means higher resolution and in WS format. However, some programs are in HD resolution, but NOT in WS format. For these programs, there are black veritcal bars.

[Dknow]

that is true but the only program I've run into that was HD and broadcast 4:3 was the original Wizard of Oz and that was only because the movie was originally filmed in the 4:3 ratio because that's how they did it back then. 99.99% of the time if you are seeing bars you are looking at upconverted standard definition content which doesn't look any better than regular TV.

[jmiliz]

I live in clearwater and want to put an antenna in the attic. Anyone had luck with the 8bay or the Tampa bay special that Jersey jims on US19 sells. WIll these even fit in an attic?