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pettiford
join:2014-02-01
Bolingbrook, IL

pettiford

Member

How to Cut Cable TV Cost

I live in the Chicago, Illinois area and I would like to cut the cost of my Comcast
cable bill. Does anyone have information about an HDTV Roof Antenna that
works well. Since Comcast want to charge so much for cable boxes and redundant
channels and claim that you get 180 channels, to include channels that I don't
want to watch, I have decided to cut them loose.

Any ideas from anyone about a Best HDTV Roof Antenna for the Chicago Area.

ArgMeMatey
join:2001-08-09
Milwaukee, WI

ArgMeMatey

Member

Before I cut the cord, I checked TV Fool. Here's what I see for your area.

»www.tvfool.com/?option=c ··· 3120ee9b

Then I tried rabbit ears inside, on the roof and in the attic for comparison. I couldn't get consistent results so I figured it was easiest to buy an antenna. Plenty of homemade stuff out there, but I'm lazy.

I wasn't sure exactly what I needed so I paid a premium to buy from a local dealer, because he would let me return it and give me full credit toward a bigger one.

Started with the DT-M and ended up with the DT-S in my attic:

»digitenna.com/Products.html
pettiford
join:2014-02-01
Bolingbrook, IL

pettiford

Member

Thanks for responding. I will do some checking on the strengths. pettiford

dib22
join:2002-01-27
Kansas City, MO

dib22 to pettiford

Member

to pettiford
Another good site for mapping distances and what not is

»www.antennaweb.org/

I am around 40 miles out from the tower cluster I aim at and I use one of these »www.radioshack.com/produ ··· =3740640

Currently it is in the attic, but I am considering moving it to an outbuilding that is at a slightly different angle... every now and again some mystery object dilutes my signal.

mattrixx
join:2004-02-18
Orland Park, IL

mattrixx to pettiford

Member

to pettiford
I`m in Orland Park and have been using a 30+yr old Radio Shack VHF/UHF Antenna installed in my attic pointing downtown since day one!

When cable came along, I disconnected the antenna due to the fact that the cable signal at that time was superior to the analog broadcast TV signal I could receive. Over the years, I subsequently installed DISH Sat. because I was tired of my cable`s analog signal (and other reasons) and wanted to try "digital" which was new at the time. The Satellite digital SD signals were superior than that of analog cable.

As time passed I eventually upgraded to a Sat. High Definition Receiver and package. However, the one thing that really bothered me was (at that time) DISH did NOT carry channel 11 WTTW in HD, along with most of the other local digital HD channels and their respective sub channels!

Eventually I decided to RECONNECT my old attic antenna to my HDTV`s provided 75ohm Co-ax "AIR" input! I could now switch between Sat. input and AIR input on my HDTV. Wow what a "clear" difference!

Even though DISH now *does include* WTTW HD and most other HD locals, which are nicely integrated into the DISH program channel`s selection list, I can honestly say that the signal from my 30yr+. old attic antenna delivers a far superior HD signal when I switch it over to "AIR" than that of the DISH HD signal! Not only that, but the attic Antenna delivers ALL local digital channels and sub channels.

I suppose If I wanted to spend money, I could purchase a modern outside rooftop "digital" antenna with a built-in rotor to turn the antenna for even more digital signals, but I`m happily satisfied with my ancient (under $50) Radio Shack (Archer) antenna, which I have never had a problem.
pettiford
join:2014-02-01
Bolingbrook, IL

pettiford

Member

Thank you for your comments. Did you connect your old antenna straight to the
TV or did you need to add a digital box? Trying to find out what antenna to get is the hard part with so many antenna's to choose from. Pettiford

mattrixx
join:2004-02-18
Orland Park, IL

mattrixx

Member

said by pettiford:

Did you connect your old antenna straight to the
TV or did you need to add a digital box? T

Every *new* TV/HDTV does NOT any longer need a "digital box", as it has it`s own digital box tuner built in for today`s digital only OTA broadcasts. Only if you are connecting to an older Analog TV will you need any kind of a "digital box".

Whatever antenna brand or type you eventually purchase, keep in mind it does NOT have to be anything labeled specifically "HDTV" or "Digital" exclusively. Depending on your physical location to the broadcast signal, you could get by with a set of "Rabbit Ears".
pettiford
join:2014-02-01
Bolingbrook, IL

pettiford

Member

thanks greatly for the information.

SoonerAl
MVM
join:2002-07-23
Norman, OK

1 edit

SoonerAl to pettiford

MVM

to pettiford
I use one of these indoors in a front room office for a small 32 inch HDTV I have. It works very well...

»www.homedepot.com/p/Wine ··· 03972854

I have a ChannelMaster 3010 antenna up in my attic that is connected to my living room 50 inch HDTV. That also works well.

»www.homedepot.com/p/Chan ··· 03763041

In my case I am 25 to 30 miles or so south of the antenna farm for the major TV stations in OKC.

ArgMeMatey
join:2001-08-09
Milwaukee, WI

ArgMeMatey to mattrixx

Member

to mattrixx
said by mattrixx:

Only if you are connecting to an older Analog TV will you need any kind of a "digital box".

Correct. The terms used for the different Over The Air (OTA) standards are:
NTSC = Analog
ATSC = Digital

misiek
Premium Member
join:2000-12-25
Round Lake, IL

misiek to pettiford

Premium Member

to pettiford
I use this one:
»www.solidsignal.com/pvie ··· gle_base
Purchased it from Fry's almost 3 years ago, works very well.
Even though it's UHF-only antenna, I am able to pickup CBS-2 reliably, which I THINK broadcasts on a VHF-high physical channel. We get a handful of Milwaukee channels as well.
Located in far NW 'burbs of Chicago, about 55 miles straight line from Sears Tower.