Myth: I can’t install an outdoor TV antenna for free over-the-air digital television (DTV) because of my homeowners or condo association, rental or lease agreement, etc.

Myth: I can’t install an outdoor TV antenna for free over-the-air digital television (DTV) because of my homeowners or condo association, rental or lease agreement, etc.

Topic Author: Jay Prater

Posted: 11:31 PM Feb 22, 2008

Replies Posted: 2 comments

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Fact: All analog over-the-air TV broadcasts will NOT end on February 18, 2009.

Myth: I can’t install an outdoor TV antenna for free over-the-air digital television (DTV) because of my homeowners or condo association, rental or lease agreement, etc.

Myth: I only need a UHF antenna, since all digital television (DTV) stations only broadcast on UHF channels.

Fact: To receive free over-the-air digital TV (DTV) signals, there is no such thing as a “HDTV antenna” or “Digital TV antenna”.

It may only be semantics. But it’s NOT a “switch” in February, 2009. It’s a cut-off.

Fact: “Digital Cable” and “Digital Satellite” doesn’t mean DTV.

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Myth: I can’t install an outdoor TV antenna for free over-the-air digital television (DTV) because of my homeowners or condo association, rental or lease agreement, etc.

Thanks to Uncle Sam, via the FCC, yes, you probably can.

A little known part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was drafted with the specific intent of allowing the installation of antennas to receive broadcasts, intended for direct reception by the public.

So your outdoor TV antenna is now “federally protected”. Nice, huh?

As always, there are a few "ifs", "ands", or "buts". Please read the FCC’s information sheet thoroughly.

FCC Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule information sheet: December, 2007

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Your neighbors may not be impressed with your perfectly legal erection to capture DTV. I installed mine in the attic, to eliminate potential ill-will. There are other stealth options, too. But, if an outdoor TV antenna is your only option or simply the one you prefer, in most cases, you can’t be denied.

Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE
Chris (excuse me...Jombi), if it picked up analog TV, it will pick up digital, too. It's that simple.

Posted by: Jombi Location: Texas
Hey Jay Prater, When I was a boy... my daddy use to put some ole aluminum foil at the end of a clothes hanger tied together by a twistie tie and hung from the chimney using a bungee cord and he got all the channels including PBS. You think he would be able to pick up DTV this day in age?