Feb 10, 2009 6:00 pm US/Eastern
3 On Your Side: DTV -- The Right Antenna
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
Are you ready for the switch to digital television? The new transition date is June 12. It's 4 months away, but don't put off any changes you need to make. 3 On Your Side's Jim Donovan explains the type of antenna you may need.
Bowtie, loop, rabbit ears, rooftop. They're antennas used with older television sets that aren't connected to cable or satellite. If you choose to get a digital converter box to prepare for the switch, you'll need an antenna too. But what works best for your house?
"It's important to remember that in the Philadelphia market, you're going to need both UHF and VHF reception capabilities," said Pete Putman of HDTVexpert.com.
So knowing what kind of signal your set top antenna picks up is important. Take your simple V-shaped rabbit ears. They pick up VHF stations or channels 2 through 13. A bowtie antenna picks up UHF stations or channels 14 through 51. Either of those antennas cost around $10.
For $15 you can get a loop antenna that will pick up both VHF and UHF. They come in all sorts of styles such as a picture frame antenna. It's a UHF loop antenna and a pair of rabbit ears but where the loop is, there's a spot for you to put in a photograph.
Some antennas have a built-in amplifier to boost signals. This is a very good antenna to have if you're having marginal reception with conventional rabbit ears and a loop. It costs about $39.
A rooftop antenna will generally give you the best reception but they can run you into the hundreds of dollars. You also need to make sure it's both UHF and VHF capable. Keep in mind, where you live will likely determine whether a set-top antenna or a rooftop antenna will work best for you.
If you're within 10 miles of the station's transmitter, you're probably going to be okay with an indoor antenna. If you live further away or you're surrounded by tall buildings, you might want to consider a rooftop antenna.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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