| Fact: To receive free over-the-air digital TV (DTV) signals, there is no such thing as a “HDTV antenna” or “Digital TV antenna”.KAKE Blog Listing | ||||
|
Recent Blog Topics
|
|||
Save
Email
Print|
The only place a “HDTV antenna” or “Digital TV antenna” exists is in the mind of a marketing agency rep. Not that I have anything against marketing people. I married one! I don’t know how many times I’ve overheard the attempted up-sell of one of these to someone that’s just acquired a HDTV. I think it’s due more to ignorance, than the salesperson’s greed, since most of them are hourly, and not commission. But, when a “HDTV antenna” costs more than a TV antenna, both having the same construction and performance, the manufacturer is cashing in on consumer confusion. An antenna, is an antenna, is an antenna. The same channels VHF 2-13 and UHF 14-69 (It was 14-83 until 1982, remember?) that carry analog television (KAKE Channel 10, for example) can also carry digital television (like KAKE-DT Channel 21 – Virtual 10.1). Yes, the SAME EXACT frequencies, or TV channels, are used for either an analog or digital TV signal. An antenna picks up whatever radio waves hit it, within its frequency range, or bandwidth. It’s doesn’t know, nor care, if it’s a digital or analog transmission. So, for example, if you have a VHF antenna that receives a hypothetical local TV channel 11, it will “capture” either an analog or digital signal of equal power, broadcast on that channel, with an equal amount of voltage (in microvolts, you can’t get shocked) or signal level. See…there’s no need for a fancy new “digital” antenna. Blow the dust off of that old aerial and give her a try. Just make sure you have a VHF antenna, for VHF channels, and/or a UHF antenna, for UHF channels, or a combo VHF/UHF if you need both. (…which you just might. That’s more fodder for another blog.) |
| Post Your Comments |
|
|
| Read Comments |
|
Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE
Seth: Are you using a VHF antenna? Is it amplified? If you had clear KAKE analog reception with rabbit ears before 2/17/09 try a non-amplified VHF dipole (<$10 two extendable rods) antenna. Amplified set-tops also amplify the noise floor frequently blocking the tuner's ability to lock onto and decode the digital stream. Posted by: seth winzer Location: Andover I have a new TV and an HD converter and now I don't get KAKE on my TV. When I was using my old TV. With my old TV and no converter box KAKE had the strongest signal of all the channels. Why can't I get KAKE channel 10 now? Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Gail: Please see my reply to Sarah. Also, after 2/17/09 some TV stations will move their digital signal back to the channel that current has analog. So, rescan for digital channels after 2/18/09...you may then be able to get them. If not, an outdoor TV antenna may be the answer to continue to receive free over-the-air digital TV. Posted by: Gail Location: Chester, South Carolina I live in a somewhat remote area on 11 acres surrounded by more farm land. I am ten miles from the nearest small town and 30 miles from the nearest small city. 50 miles from Columbia SC and 70 miles from Charlotte NC. I have always had analog TV with rabbit ears and recieved a fairly good picture on 16 different channels. However, we purchased converter boxes and can only recieve 4 channels rather poorly through the converters. I am being told we are to far from the digital signals to get digital reception and since we have no cable service in this area I will need to pay for a satalite service if I want TV after Feb. 17th. My new TV with a built in converter indicates no digital signals at all when I try to scan for digital signals. I am on a fixed income of Social Security Disability and do not have the money for a satalite dish. I have contacted the FCC with this problem. I talked with a very rude person who gave me only flippen answers. What do I do now? Gail Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Sarah: Go to tvfool.com and input your "winter address". Then you'll see what is available now and after 2/18/09 in over-the-air digtal TV for that location. Posted by: sarah could someone answer a question? We stay out in the desert during the winter and we get good analog tv . We have the right tv for the Feb change but we think we will have to buy a dish because none of the over the air stations we get in the desert are not DTV yet and I dont think they are going to go DTV. Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Shirley: You'll need to contact Dish and ask if, or when, you local channels will be sent via satellite. This blog deals with free over the air digital television (DTV). If you get you local channels now in digital with rabbit ears, you will most likely continue to get them after 2/17/09. You may need to go back to your HDTV's setup menu, however, and "rescan" or "auto-search" for digital signals. Some local TV stations will move the digital signal to a different channel at 12 midnight on 2/18/09. Posted by: Shirley Location: KC I'm still confused. I have Dish but have to have rabbit ears to get local channels. I have an HD TV. After Feb, will I still need rabbit ears to get my local channels on my HD TV? The other alternative is to pay Dish for them or go to Direct which includes then for free. Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Daniel, please look at my blog entry titled: "Fact: All analog over-the-air TV broadcasts will NOT end on February 18, 2009." You need a converter box with "analog pass-through" to allow K30GD to be "seen" by your analog TV's current tuner. Posted by: Daniel Location: Great Bend I have no cable/satellite service, and bought a DTV converter box for my TV with an over the air antenna. I have been able to get a KAKE signal in on channel 30 here in Great Bend, bu t the auto scan on the box did not find KAKE. If I do a manual scan, how can I find KAKE? I would really like to still be able to get the channel in with the converter box. Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Thank you Brandon for the testimonial. There are a very large number of skeptics that have a hard time believing that over-the-air HDTV looks better than cable or satellite. Keep spreading the word! Posted by: Brandon Location: Wichita I bought an HDTV and use cox, but I also have an HD antenna that actually gets a better signal over the air than through the digital feed, when it comes to our local stations. It's great, plus it comes in HD, so the picture is awesome. I realize this means you need an HD tv, but at least you can get local channels without buying cable service. It was great when the other day, Cox went out because of weather, I just switched over to HD air and continued watching local channels. Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE It looks like WINK-TV is currently broadcasting digital at a lower power, making it harder to get. Surf to tvfool.com and use your address for more information. Also, at 30 miles you may want to install a better antenna, either in your attic or outside. You might also call the chief engineer at WINK, and ask if they are working on their digital transmitter/antenna. Posted by: Robert Location: Fort Myers, Florida I am having trouble receiving local cbs channel 11. I am running Vista Ultimate. At one time, I could get it, but about a week ago, I had it set to record a program and at the last minute decided to watch it instead of record it. When I told Media Center "do not record", and that moment, the screen went blank on that channel and I haven't been able to get it back since. I've even re-installed Vista, and it's still no go on channel 11. Their transmitters are about 30 miles away and I am using rabbit ears with a uhf circle. Please help if you can. Thanks Robert Bailey Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Surf to tvfool.com and input your address. It will tell you what channels are available, and which direction, and how far away they are. Good Luck! Posted by: Margaret Gualtieri Location: Long Island New York We are seriously thinking of ditching cable; new scam of charging for channel boxes for every tv has us looking into antenna reception. How do we find out what stations can be received via an antenna? We've always been told only local channels is this true & how do we discover what's available to us? Thanks for any help you can advise MG tired of high and soon to be higher cable bills Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Don't confuse the digital TV formats of SDTV (standard definition), EDTV (enhanced def) and HDTV (high def), with ATSC digital versus NTSC analog. There will still be tons of upconverted from NTSC analog to SD ATSC digital programming after 2/09. Posted by: Shawn Location: Colo Springs Jay I disagree with you on upconversion SD programming. Once Feb 17,2009 aproaches analog SD programming will be no more. Stations all accross America including Kake in Wichita and one of the local stations here in the Springs are currently working on going HD. There is no such thing as upconversion analog tv programming. If upconversion is what you are looking for then there are plenty of upconverting DVD players and recorders for you. Once it becomes digital that's it. I think by then analog will be history. Thanks Jay for sharing your knowledge of tv. Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE KAKE-DT is broadcast on channel 21, now. But, it appears as 10.1 on your HDTV. After the analog cut-off, it will be broadcast on channel 10, and still appear as 10.1 on your screen. This assumes that you are using an antenna. It may appear differently via cable and satellite providers. Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Most live sports and prime-time shows are in HD now, not upconverted SD, on the major networks. With the massive library of existing TV content, we will never be free of standard definition TV, true. But, some shows that were shot on film can be remastered into HD, since the film has a better resolution than HDTV. I don't know when local news will be available in HD in Wichita. The smaller the market, the smaller the cash flow. "Going HD" is very expensive, and there is no compensation from the government for being forced to go digital. BTW...power surges from lightning are just as likely via your cable or satellite coax lines, too. Posted by: Chad Location: Wichita So - What does it mean when they (government) ID's a TV station number as 10 or 21? What happened with KAKE's station number after conversion? Does it stay as 10 or change up to 21? Posted by: FJ Location: Salina I'm so glad to see that we are ADVANCING backwards... yes what I want to do is place a tall lightening rod on my house once again. After growing up in the 50's and 60's and having to make sure the antenna was unplugged during a T-storm. Makes me feel comfortable, specially after spending BIG BUCKS for a HDTV to obtain programming that is mostly nothing more than up-converted Standard TV. Sorry... I do SEE the difference between HD TV and digital TV, and I'm sorry to see the consumers being "scammed" by retail, selling what is going to be the ULTIMATE picture on ur TV screen... ONCE every movie, tv program, local station is sending in high def, will be the time that we can actually enjoy pure HD TV... until that time, we will enjoy upconverted news feeds, movies and tv programs. Until movies are produced in actual High Def and news stations actually produce in High Def we are limited to "digital TV" and digital tv is not the same as High Def TV. People need to realize this. MHO Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE If you do, please share your TV DX successes. Thanks Posted by: Bryce Location: West Wichita I'll just buy a mega antenna and do my best to pull signals from Topeka, Kansas City, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. My HDTV will probably be angry with me, however, since I have a perfect view of the Colwich transmission towers. Might be interesting to see what I can pull in on crazy ionospheric days! Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Wow, I didn't realize that. I guess the marketing firms just dusted off an old "playbook" for the digital TV generation. FWIW...The addition of color to the Black and White analog NTSC signal didn't increase its bandwidth. It was still 6MHz "wide". So, I have no idea where this "sucking out parts of the signal" myth came from, since a TV antenna's bandwidth covers the entire VHF and/or UHF television bands (100s of MHz wide). Posted by: Jeff Location: Wichita This is a sort of "throwback" to 40 years ago, when color TV was making serious inroads to the homes of America, some were conned into believing that their old antenna wasn't good enough for color TV, they needed a "color antenna", unaware that the real issue is whether the antenna has the frequency response to handle all available TV signals without "sucking out" parts of the signal, and resulting in degraded picture or sound quality, or loss of color. |
Stay Connected
 |
KAKE On Your Cell News, weather, sports and more on your cell phone or PDA |
 |
KAKE First Alert Instant access to local news and weather |
 |
KAKEland Daily Local news and weather delivered to your inbox twice a day |
 |
RSS Feeds Get news and updates immediately |
 |
KAKE On Twitter Click here to go to KAKE's Twitter page. |
 |
KAKE On Facebook Click here to join the KAKE Facebook groups. |
