Improve DTV Reception - Ways to Get The Best Picture From Your Set...
NOTICE!! Many manufactures have restarted production to meet ongoing demand for DTA Converter boxes. Read all about it in the blog entry entitled:
TV Converter Boxes Make a Come-Back.
TV Converter Boxes Make a Come-Back.
STILL Available!! The Zinwell ZAT-970A Digital to Analog TV Converter Box is still in stock and available for immediate delivery. This box has garnered great reviews and continues to be a customer "Favorite" since it was first introduced. If you are looking for a new box, luck is with you. Better hurry though as these boxes are in high demand and are gonna run out fast!.
Choices in converter boxs were once limited but now a number of manufacturers restarted production. See what's again on the shelves. Find what's available for purchase by visiting Current DTV Converter Boxes still Available!. You can also try eBay - visit the Converter Box page to see what's available there.
Improve your reception with an HD TV antenna. A good signal STARTS with the antenna. Find the best DTV Antennas and HDTV Antenna accessories by visiting the Smart Antenna Choices page.
How about a new digital television? I have some great recommendations for those too - just drop down the page a little further to HDTV Selections
IT'S TIME TO THINK ABOUT UPGRADING YOUR ANTENNA...
Most of America has their converter box and now needs to concentrate on UPGRADING to a better antenna. The antenna is THE MOST IMPORTANT part of a television setup. If you can't get a good signal, it doesn't matter how good your converter box is. Find the BEST DTV ANTENNA PICKS available. Every situation is different so look for features that matter to you and meet your needs.
Digital Signal Reception Challenges...
Digital Television Broadcasting is pretty amazing. You’ll likely receive many more stations than ever before. Your old TV will deliver clear sharp picture quality like you never experienced! You’ll get more bang for your buck with additional features like Multicast and Electronic Program Guides...
You're gonna LOVE digital reception - and then again maybe you won’t.
Digital TV is great when it works but when it doesn’t it will frustrate you beyond belief. You see, digital television is an ALL or NOTHING technology. In the old days, if your signal wasn’t the best or there was some sort of interference, your picture and/or sound quality diminished. You got snow and static. Not an enjoyable experience, but you did get something.
Digital, on the other hand is less forgiving. You will either get a great picture, or none at all. DTV can compensate for some errors. It has the ability to guess as what it needs to fill in the gaps when there are small pieces of digital information missing because of interference, etc. As the signal coming to your TV starts to degrade, you will see the picture pause, or jump, or even pixelate.
However, once a certain threshold has been reached where the set can no longer guess at what is missing, the picture goes blank and sound goes dead. You see this banner scroll across your set saying “No Signal”. This will be especially true for viewers in outlying and rural areas where the broadcast tower is far away and signal strength is weak. This may also be true for folks living in an urban area where there are lots of obstructions and electro magnetic interference.
There’s actually a pretty simple solution to FIX this though. Once you make a small investment, there’s nothing more to buy. A couple month’s cable or satellite subscription fees should cover it and then you’ll be watching FREE TV.
True, you won’t have your Pay-Per-View, or Sports-Net, but you’ll be saving HUGE money. In a tight economy like the one we’re in now, this is a small tradeoff to make in order to save some precious greenbacks. Those subscription fees add up quick and no doubt, you have better places to put that hard earned cash.
To make all this work, all you really need to do is increase your signal strength. Start from the TV set and work backwards towards the antenna. As soon as you reach a level of reception you’re satisfied with, stop and savor your efforts. If the last step you did wasn’t quite enough, move to the next until you’re content.
The following chart steps you through the process.
You're gonna LOVE digital reception - and then again maybe you won’t.
Digital TV is great when it works but when it doesn’t it will frustrate you beyond belief. You see, digital television is an ALL or NOTHING technology. In the old days, if your signal wasn’t the best or there was some sort of interference, your picture and/or sound quality diminished. You got snow and static. Not an enjoyable experience, but you did get something.
Digital, on the other hand is less forgiving. You will either get a great picture, or none at all. DTV can compensate for some errors. It has the ability to guess as what it needs to fill in the gaps when there are small pieces of digital information missing because of interference, etc. As the signal coming to your TV starts to degrade, you will see the picture pause, or jump, or even pixelate.
However, once a certain threshold has been reached where the set can no longer guess at what is missing, the picture goes blank and sound goes dead. You see this banner scroll across your set saying “No Signal”. This will be especially true for viewers in outlying and rural areas where the broadcast tower is far away and signal strength is weak. This may also be true for folks living in an urban area where there are lots of obstructions and electro magnetic interference.
There’s actually a pretty simple solution to FIX this though. Once you make a small investment, there’s nothing more to buy. A couple month’s cable or satellite subscription fees should cover it and then you’ll be watching FREE TV.
True, you won’t have your Pay-Per-View, or Sports-Net, but you’ll be saving HUGE money. In a tight economy like the one we’re in now, this is a small tradeoff to make in order to save some precious greenbacks. Those subscription fees add up quick and no doubt, you have better places to put that hard earned cash.
To make all this work, all you really need to do is increase your signal strength. Start from the TV set and work backwards towards the antenna. As soon as you reach a level of reception you’re satisfied with, stop and savor your efforts. If the last step you did wasn’t quite enough, move to the next until you’re content.
The following chart steps you through the process.
Signal Amplifier
Step 1
Install a TV Signal Amplifier.
4 PORT HDTV DIGITAL AMPLIFIER
- Sometimes the signal coming into your home is just below the digital threshold I talked about earlier. A boost, or amplified signal may be all that is needed to bring your set back to life. This device is a high-performance 7dB amplifier designed specifically to improve the signal strength needed for UHF/VHF/FM/HDTV antenna reception.
For the best results, and to prevent signal degradation, the amp should be installed where the antenna cable first enters the home. If this step is not quite good enough, proceed to step 2. Also note that this is not money thrown away. Step 2 involves getting a new antenna and this amplifier will help that do a better job so nothing is lost here.
High Gain Antenna
Step 2
Buy the BEST TV Antenna available.
Channel Master Long-Range Antenna
- Without a doubt, the best and wisest thing you can do to improve your television reception is to buy the BEST antenna you can possibly afford. No other piece of equipment has more impact on your reception than the quality and calibre of your antenna.
The difference between the best and cheapest is maybe $50. You don’t want to have to buy another cause the first didn’t do the trick, or work as good as you would like - costing you more than if you’d gotten the best right from the start. I’ve never been sorry for buying the best I could afford, but many times I’ve kicked myself in the keyster cause I skimped and got the cheap unit. Trust me, you won’t be sorry you got the best.
Antenna Rotor
Step 3
Add an Antenna Rotor.
Magnavox M61415 Outdoor Antenna Rotor
- While the old fashioned analog signals could bounce off objects and make their way to your set, the new digital signals are a “line of sight” signal. They tend to travel in straight lines and don’t take detours. Therefore there’s one last trick left up your sleeve for getting good DTV reception - add an antenna rotor to your setup so that you can aim your antenna at the broadcast tower.
This piece of equipment is one that you can shop around for and buy based on features and construction grade. If you live in an area that doesn’t get snow and ice, then a little lighter duty unit may work just fine. In addition, if you don’t need a lot of features such as location storage, remote control, or lit buttons, you can save yourself a few dollars here as well.
The unit shown here is a middle of the road device that should work for most people. However, if you happen to live in a hostile area with brutal winters, be sure to get a unit capable of standing up to that abuse. You don’t want to get up on the roof in the middle of winter risking life and limb to freeze your fingers off as you replace a bum unit. Shop wisely - buy right.
Are You Ready For A New HD Television?...
Maybe this is a good time to consider migrating to the new technology. Let’s face it, the new broadcasting technology is great and provides a lot of new features, but one thing it can’t do is produce Hi-Def pictures ON an older, low resolution set. You get the new signal, you’ll see the picture, but in standard resolution because your older set isn’t capable of displaying a hi-res picture. If you’re considering a new television, forgo this conversion process and take this opportunity to get a new HI-DEF (HD) set. Here is a small sample of some great sets now available. Keep in mind that some of these televisions qualify for free shipping and no sales tax which sweetens the pot even more. Save gas. Save time. Save money.
BEST CHOICE - RIGHT BUY!!
BEST CHOICE - RIGHT BUY!!
Toshiba 19AV600U 19-Inch 720p Portable LCD HDTV, Black
PC Computer Input
- 19 Inch 720p HD LCD TV
- 2 HDMI Inputs
- High Gloss Black Finish
- Dynamic Backlight Control
Samsung LN26C450 26-Inch 720p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
Sony Bravia L-Series KDL-32L5000 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV, Black
32" widescreen HDTV (16:9 aspect ratio)
Semigloss black finish with chrome accents
Built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts
QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box
1366 x 768 pixels
2 component video (accepts signals up to 1080i)
