Step Five:
Local stations
Adding an antenna to your roof or attic to pick up local network broadcasts, which are free, is one of the best ways to get HDTV, and it’s a great combination with satellite signals. But it’s not easy. For starters, you need to determine what local stations are transmitting terrestrial digital signals. Just because CBS broadcasts CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in HD doesn’t mean that your local CBS affiliate has a digital channel for you to tune in. Go to
www.antennaweb.org. The site will ask for your street address and then list all the TV stations available to you. Oftentimes, the site will also mention when as-yet-inactive stations are expected to go on the air. Stations listed with an asterisk or the letters DT added to the call sign are digital.
| A SATELLITE DISH and a rooftop
antenna is a
great way to get
local and national
HD channels. |
Choose the station that you want to receive, and the site will tell you what type of antenna you’ll need to receive that station, as well as all the stations that are listed above it. The site even has a map that will tell you in which direction to point the antenna. You can tune the signals with either a terrestrial-only HD tuner, or with the off-air ATSC tuner found in most HD satellite receivers. An installer with antenna experience (and a piece of test equipment called an RF spectrum analyzer) should be able to get you set up.
Once you have the signal, you need just the tuner and the TV. While in most cases you’ll likely purchase the TV first, it’s a good idea to know what kinds of HDTV signals you can get and what you need to get them before you start shopping. After all, if you don’t have a rooftop antenna and don’t plan on adding one, you have no need for an integrated HD display unless it accommodates digital cable as well. The tuner is the easier purchase to make; just match the signals you can and want to receive with the appropriate type of tuner, and make sure it has a connection that works with your TV.
If watching HDTV is your goal, you should find enough information here to get you on your way. It may not be the easiest task you’ve ever attempted, but the reward is well worth it.
Illustrations by Kevin Spaulding
Additional Resource
