HDTV indoor antenna

[r0lsen]

First time poster
I was wondering if anyone knew of a good HDTV antenna, I just purchased a HDTV and antenna, and I only get 5 stations 3 of the station are all snowy and look like crap. The other two look awsume. Any help would be great.
Thank in advance

Rob

[jeskibuff]

If your HDTV reception is "all snowy and looks like crap", I would imagine that you're really not getting HDTV reception, but tuning in to the over-the-air analog signals. With digital TV, you either get a beautiful clear picture or nothing at all. Sometimes the beautiful picture will experience pixellation which is the transition between the two states.

Snow is an artifact of analog broadcasts. I would imagine that you're not setup properly for HDTV reception or your antenna is either too weak or just improperly oriented.

When I first got my receiver, I experimented with many indoor antennas. The most expensive one was an amplified one from Radio Shack for about $50. Not only were they ugly and cumbersome, but I didn't have consistently good reception from any of them.

After a decent amount of research, I ended up getting a Channel Master 4228, sticking it up in my attic, putting a line amplifier on it and running coax to my receiver. I bought a compass just to make sure the antenna was pointed directly at the transmitters in my area. Fortunately, most are directly south of me.

Occasionally I'll still get a dropout where the receiver can't capture a good signal. I almost never get pixellation. I'd recommend using both the antenna AND the line amplifier (available at Loew's, Home Depot, Radio Shack, online, etc.). Avoid "good looking" antennas like the ones that Terk makes. Message boards are almost unanimous in recognizing that beautiful streamlined antennas aren't nearly as effective as the tried-and-true ugly designs like the 4228. Go with function over form if you want the best reception.

[r0lsen]

Thanks for the info.

Rob