Most people assume you need either cable or DirecTV to get high definition television channels. In every major city in the U.S., the major television networks broadcast in high definition (1080i or 720p). Reception of this high definition signal is free and requires two things: an ASTC HD tuner and an antenna. A tuner can either be built into a TV, be a separate tuner box, or, in the case of a computer, a separate PCI tuner card or USB tuner. The antenna can be either an indoor or outdoor antenna.
My current set-up is for a second TV in my house. I am using a Dell 24″ computer monitor, a VBox’s Cat’s Eye DTA-150, and a Silver Sensor indoor antenna. I am about 14 miles away from the broadcast towers. I can get most of the major networks with the indoor antenna, though at times the reception is spotty. With broadcast HD, bad reception is like watching a choppy internet video. Digital broadcasts are an all or nothing endeavor, there is no “snow” as with analog reception.
So is broadcast HD reception for you? That depends. For computers and laptops, I think it is a great alternative, especially since most computer monitors are close to being high definition in terms of resolution. For less than $100, you can turn your computer into a HDTV. For a large screen TV in a basement or a living room, I would be more hesitant of using an indoor antenna. If you are over 10 miles from a broadcast tower, I would highly recommend an outdoor antenna. Installation is more difficult (i.e. how do you get the antenna connection indoors) but the cost of the antenna is fairly cheap (under $60). Antennaweb.org is a good site to find out how far you are from your local broadcast towers. Antennasdirect.com has a wide selection of outdoor antennas.
I have written several posts about over the air high definition reception. These articles should answer many questions you may have about HD reception.
- 6 Tips to receive HDTV over-the-air on a PC - Learn more about the steps needed to get HD reception for a computer.
- 5 tips on watching broadcast HDTV on your laptop - An overview of USB tuners and portable antennas.
- Two websites for over-the-air high definition television broadcasts in your zipcode - Two tools to see if broadcast HD is for you.
- Vista HTPC with CableCard: What does it really get you? - Overview of HD cable.
- Picture frame antenna for high definition reception - Make your antenna blend into your home office.
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