Anyone use an Indoor HDTV antenna in the raleigh area? Not looking for one of those big ones you put in your attic even though I know they are better and also the outdoor ones too.

12/13/2006 11:07:17 AM

I have one that I don't use but I'm in Charlotte

12/13/2006 11:54:10 AM

I have an indoor (Terk HDTVa) antenna that picks up pretty much all of the HD transmissions except UNC-TV. In Northwest Raleigh about 16 miles from the tower complex in Garner. I can turn the antenna towards Chapel Hill and pick up UNC. MyRDC also comes in weak but that's because it's running on half-power.


and

/message_topic.aspx?topic=439179 2 pages of information on antennas.



[Edited on December 13, 2006 at 12:47 PM. Reason : ]

12/13/2006 12:45:44 PM

WRAL gives antennas to people, if you write in with a copy of an HDTV receipt.
http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6711&d=1165263001 - links to word doc.

The Silver Sensor antenna, by Zenith I think, is supposed to be one of the best indoor antennas out there. I've also seen them listed as being made by Philips.

12/13/2006 12:55:56 PM

speaking of antennae complexes

what is that huge one in cary/morrisville

12/13/2006 12:58:01 PM

from what i can find online:

there's one in Apex that carries WLFL's analog transmission.. I believe this is the tall tower you can see in the distance from Edward's Mill Road near the RBC Center looking south obviously.

680AM WPTF is just south of 54 on East Chatham St in Cary.. (3 tower array)

850AM is on 54 west of the 680 towers. (5 tower array)

UNCTV tower is in SW Chapel Hill

3 towers in Garner..
one closest to White Oak/Garner is WTVD's antenna (analog and DTV)

the taller tower in the middle with all the microwaves going up the side is the one that replaced both the WPTF-TV and WRAL towers that fell in the 1989 ice storm and holds WRAL, WRAZ, WRALFM, WRDC 28 (former WPTF-TV), and WQDR94.7..

the shorter one with the candelabra top closer to Clayton holds CWHD, WRALHD, WRAZHD, NBC17 analog and digital.


[Edited on December 13, 2006 at 5:14 PM. Reason : ]

12/13/2006 5:03:53 PM

Quote :

"except UNC-TV."

Yeah, the HDTV antennae I had was directional to some extent and the UNC-TV station is in the opposite direction of pretty much all the other transmission towers. Luckily discovery HD is far cooler.

12/13/2006 6:15:20 PM

unc hd only broadcasts after 8pm anyway i have not watched anything on it. I just use an indoor antenna

12/14/2006 10:45:39 AM

I live out by the airport. I got every HD channel in the area with a $5 radioshack 1950's looking bowtie antenna.

-- Dave

12/14/2006 12:29:40 PM

bttt.

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

red - vhf WUNC 4 PBS CHAPEL HILL NC 265° 14.9 4
red - vhf WRAL 5 CBS RALEIGH NC 136° 26.5 5
red - uhf WRAZ 50 FOX RALEIGH NC 136° 26.5 50
red - uhf WRDC 28 MNT DURHAM NC 136° 26.5 28
red - uhf WUVC 40 UNI FAYETTEVILLE NC 196° 28.0
red - uhf WLFL 22 CW RALEIGH NC 168° 14.7 22
red - vhf WTVD 11 ABC DURHAM NC 137° 27.0 11
red - uhf WNCN 17 NBC GOLDSBORO NC 136° 27.0 17


Does this mean that if I were to purchase an HDTV Antenna like this:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7367896&type=product&productCategoryId=cat08084&id=1122653825071

that I would be able to watch the super bowl in HD, assuming I get my HDTV this weekend that has the built in tuner?

plz advise

2/1/2007 2:46:44 PM

If your TV has an OTA tuner you should be fine. You might even try just some rabbit ears of any kind you might have lying around.

2/1/2007 2:53:28 PM

what is an OTA?

2/1/2007 5:16:30 PM

Over the air.....

WRAL sent me the free antenna, I told them I live in an apartment and they sent me an outdoor/attic antenna.......whole lot of good that thing does me.

2/1/2007 5:49:45 PM

^^^^ those are analog stations.. i can tell b/c WLFL and WRAL are at different degrees, which is true for analog but they both share a tower for digital transmission.

It looks like you're 26.5 miles from the digital towers.. i'm guessing up by the airport..

you may or may not get OTA HD with that kind of antenna at that distance. During the winter with the trees absorbing a lot of the moisture out of the air, you'll have a hard time picking up signals through trees.

if you have standard cable and OTA doesn't work.. just hook some coax directly from the outlet into the tv and you should be able to pick up CBS-HD/WRAL-HD over QAM

[Edited on February 1, 2007 at 6:03 PM. Reason : ]

2/1/2007 6:02:14 PM

You can get the WRAL antenna. The one I got is rated at 30 miles, but it is an outdoor antenna. and I'm not using it right now. I'm only 10 miles from the Raleigh tower and can get everything with an indoor antenna.

2/1/2007 7:16:19 PM

I HAVE DIRECT TV, AND I LIVE IN THE WOODCROFT AREA BY SOUTHPOINT MALL.

Are you saying that I need a stronger antenna? I need to know because I dont want to risk getting the wrong one right before I have a Super Bowl Party.

I need suggestions that are within reason.

Again...Direct TV, Built in HD Tuner, and now I need an Antenna that will help me get CBS HD reception for the Super Bowl.

any help would be awesome.

thanks

^^ you are right. Here are the digital stations.

*blue - uhf WNCN-DT 17.1 NBC GOLDSBORO NC 136° 27.0 55
* blue - uhf WTVD-DT 11.1 ABC DURHAM NC 137° 27.0 52
* blue - uhf WUVC-DT 40.1 UNI FAYETTEVILLE NC 196° 28.0 38
* blue - uhf WRAZ-DT 50.1 FOX RALEIGH NC 136° 27.0 49
* blue - uhf WRAL-DT 5.1 CBS RALEIGH NC 136° 27.0 53
* blue - uhf WUNC-DT 4.1 PBS CHAPEL HILL NC 265° 14.9 59

Basically, fuck PBS for now, and fuck WB or whatever the hell that is FOREVER.

I WANT CBS in HD. HELP!
Note:



[Edited on February 1, 2007 at 9:02 PM. Reason : asdf]

2/1/2007 8:38:52 PM

get your ass down to radio shack and buy an antenna already. damn

2/1/2007 9:21:27 PM

I'm going Saturday.

The same day I will buy the TV

2/1/2007 9:24:45 PM

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1185822/

if you have a DirecTV HD box...

if you're going to use the built in tuner in the TV just buy a normal amplified antenna, I got mine at Wal-Mart for 20 bucks and it works just fine. I live near the Harnett/Wake line and pick up everything OTA without using the amplifier, except UNCTV... I also have the DirecTV HD box and get all but CBS and Fox through that. It's similar to the one you linked... you'll be fine

2/1/2007 10:36:26 PM

http://www.antennasdirect.com/DB2_Indoor_antenna.html

if you can get your hands on one of those by sunday you should be set.. probably the best indoor antenna you can get without having to do attic/roof installations. and you can combine two of those for even stronger signals.

the one from best buy you linked to may work, but with HD/digital transmissions, it's a hit or miss. Unlike analog, you need a strong signal with no reflections or you will get nothing.

also, don't the new mpeg4 directv satellites have OTA antenna built into the dish??

i wish i could help you more.. but the only way to know if you can pick up OTA with an indoor antenna is to try it and see what happens.

^ the harnett/wake line is near the CBS transmission tower, so you're within 10 miles likely.. he lives in NW wake/SE durham county about 27-30 miles from the tower.

[Edited on February 1, 2007 at 10:41 PM. Reason : ]

2/1/2007 10:38:26 PM

The new channels from WRAL and WRAZ are already showing up on my direct tv box. I had been using an OTA antenna before that. Just remember though that using the OTA will get you the best signal although some people cant see the difference.

2/2/2007 8:55:51 AM

ok...I'm heading to Best Buy in a little while.

I'll be on the lookout for an indoor HD antenna that picks up stations 30 miles away.

2/2/2007 3:28:47 PM

http://wral.com/news/local/story/1185822/

You might not need an antenna

2/2/2007 4:03:46 PM

WTF?

I dont have the HD-DVR though. I just have the standard Direct TV DVR and Dish.

That article doesnt say if you already have to be a subscriber to the HD service.

Would I just put it on channel 5 on the normal Direct TV and it would be in HD for the Super Bowl in 16:9?

....

What a fucking day. Please someone tell me this is the case. I need a bit of good news.

thx.

2/2/2007 5:11:53 PM

Quote :

"would I just put it on channel 5 on the normal Direct TV and it would be in HD for the Super Bowl in 16:9? .... What a fucking day. Please someone tell me this is the case. I need a bit of good news."

no you have to have a HD receiver or OTA antenna to watch HD.

2/2/2007 5:45:22 PM

AWESOME.

I got the TV, Accessories, and the OTA Antenna.

one question though...

the signal is good/great for all of the stations, but only CBS comes in at 1080i, all of the other HD stations come in at 780p. Why is that? Is there something I can do about this? The towers are all the smae distance form my house. For today, fuck it. The Superbowl will be in 1080i, but I do want the other stations to eventually come in at 1080i.

Any ideas?

2/4/2007 1:41:56 PM

Its their broadcast format of chocie. Call them up and see if they will change it (hahhaahah).

2/4/2007 1:47:51 PM

AFAIK, there is nothing special about the antenna. What is different is how the signal is encoded, and you will need a tv with a digital decoder to decode HD content. But regular rabbit ear antennas should have no problems picking up HD content as long as the remote broadcast is being sent over the airwaves in digital.

2/4/2007 2:38:16 PM

^^^ CBS, NBC, CW are broadcasted in 1080i.. FOX, ABC are 720p..

2/4/2007 10:21:45 PM

now that makes sense.



thanks though.

that does explain alot.

2/5/2007 9:25:48 AM