Clearview HDTV Antenna

jkwilson wrote:

dougrainer wrote:

rk911 wrote:
pretty much accurate, Doug, except for this:

"...you probably will NOT receive OTA reception unless you have a roof top powerfull Digital type antenna..."

there is no such thing as a 'Digital type antenna'. the OTA antenna, roof, rabbit ears, etc. you were using the day before analog TV went dark is the same antenna you could use the next day to receive digital transmissions. TV antennas are designed for a specific frequency range and not modes of transmissions. the TV receiver (your TV set) decodes the transmissions and displays the picture.

I disagree. Winegard has for years a Wingman add on for better Digital reception. I purchased a RCA specific Antenna(about 24 inches long oval about 4 inches across and 1 inch deep) 10 years ago to the various digital broadcasters in my DFW, Texas area. The reception is fantastic and this antenna was marketed for Digital enhancement. MOST communities restrict (prohibit) roof top VHF/UFH dipole antenna's that everyone had 70 years ago until 2008. Those were large Di pole antenna's and very hard to install in the attic, which I did. The antenna I purchased(RCA) sits in the attic and receives both analog and Digital as well as that large Di pole I had and took down. Doug

As an engineer, I can assure you there is no such thing as a digital antenna or HDTV antenna. The channels used now are the same as channels used before, the numbers just don't translate into frequencies as they used to. What is now Channel 2 in one area may be broadcasting where Channel 63 used to be. A 50 year-old antenna will work just fine for HDTV. Any claims to the contrary are at best misleading.

absolutely agree. a good example is the CBS affiliate in Chicago (WBBM). they operated on VHF channel 2 for years but skyscraper construction made clear reception difficult for many in the area. due to channel spacing requirements and other stations in the city WBBM remained on channel 2. with the change to digital the FCC permitted stations to change their transmission frequency but keep their ‘channel identity’ (something WBBM did not want to relinquish). WBBM now transmits their signal in the lower portion of the UHF band but is still ‘channel 2’.

WBBM’s story is not unusual. with more stations now in the UHF part of the band Winegard developed the Wingman to enhance UHF reception. the attic antenna referenced by the earlier poster receives well because the antenna is engineered to receive those frequencies regardless of mode (analog or digital ).

Lynnmor wrote:
I’m so old that I remember when color tv antennas were marketed.

I'm so old I was on shift in the control room when the first colour television broadcast was made here in Canada. :W

I’m so old that I remember when color tv antennas were marketed.

rk911 wrote:
there is no such thing as a 'Digital type antenna'.

dougrainer wrote:
I disagree. Winegard has for years a Wingman add on for better Digital reception.

Disagree all you want but you're incorrect. :( The Winegard Sensar III was originally developed for longer wavelength VHF reception but during the digital transition a few years ago many stations that had been broadcasting in the VHF band moved to the shorter wavelength UHF band. The Wingman is simply an add-on introduced by Winegard to improve the sensitivity of the Sensar antenna to these shorter wavelength UHF signals. What those signals are - analogue, digital, morse code, or anything else - is irrelevant to the antenna. It doesn't care in the slightest, ergo there is no such thing as a "digital antenna" - it's merely an advertising ploy to fool consumers into believing such a thing exists. :R

no, you’re confusing transmission frequency and transmission mode. the UHF portion of the batwing is relatively small and is located int the head of the antenna (the ‘wings’ are the VHF antenna). the wingman add-on is designed to better detect and focus UHF signals to the antenna amplifier. many OTA VHF stations (ch 2-13) relocated to UHF frequencies (ch 14-72) after the digital switch.

dougrainer wrote:

rk911 wrote:
pretty much accurate, Doug, except for this:

"...you probably will NOT receive OTA reception unless you have a roof top powerfull Digital type antenna..."

there is no such thing as a 'Digital type antenna'. the OTA antenna, roof, rabbit ears, etc. you were using the day before analog TV went dark is the same antenna you could use the next day to receive digital transmissions. TV antennas are designed for a specific frequency range and not modes of transmissions. the TV receiver (your TV set) decodes the transmissions and displays the picture.

I disagree. Winegard has for years a Wingman add on for better Digital reception. I purchased a RCA specific Antenna(about 24 inches long oval about 4 inches across and 1 inch deep) 10 years ago to the various digital broadcasters in my DFW, Texas area. The reception is fantastic and this antenna was marketed for Digital enhancement. MOST communities restrict (prohibit) roof top VHF/UFH dipole antenna's that everyone had 70 years ago until 2008. Those were large Di pole antenna's and very hard to install in the attic, which I did. The antenna I purchased(RCA) sits in the attic and receives both analog and Digital as well as that large Di pole I had and took down. Doug

As an engineer, I can assure you there is no such thing as a digital antenna or HDTV antenna. The channels used now are the same as channels used before, the numbers just don't translate into frequencies as they used to. What is now Channel 2 in one area may be broadcasting where Channel 63 used to be. A 50 year-old antenna will work just fine for HDTV. Any claims to the contrary are at best misleading.

rk911 wrote:
pretty much accurate, Doug, except for this:

"...you probably will NOT receive OTA reception unless you have a roof top powerfull Digital type antenna..."

there is no such thing as a 'Digital type antenna'. the OTA antenna, roof, rabbit ears, etc. you were using the day before analog TV went dark is the same antenna you could use the next day to receive digital transmissions. TV antennas are designed for a specific frequency range and not modes of transmissions. the TV receiver (your TV set) decodes the transmissions and displays the picture.

I disagree. Winegard has for years a Wingman add on for better Digital reception. I purchased a RCA specific Antenna(about 24 inches long oval about 4 inches across and 1 inch deep) 10 years ago to the various digital broadcasters in my DFW, Texas area. The reception is fantastic and this antenna was marketed for Digital enhancement. MOST communities restrict (prohibit) roof top VHF/UFH dipole antenna's that everyone had 70 years ago until 2008. Those were large Di pole antenna's and very hard to install in the attic, which I did. The antenna I purchased(RCA) sits in the attic and receives both analog and Digital as well as that large Di pole I had and took down. Doug

Yes, those ads to receive all your favorite cable channels for free should be outlawed !!!!
In reality, nothing has changed since before sat and cable tv even existed, except that they are amplifying little rabbit ears, to make them perform like bigger rabbit ears. And granted, some do perform quite well, but don't get fooled, they are still rabbit ears, just believe it.
It still takes a 10 ft long + winegard or channel master antenna w/ a preamp to get digital channels 50 to 75 miles away.

Elwoodj wrote:
I just read an article about how great the clearview hdtv antenna is and how it is better than cable or satellite. Further it could be free for seniors. Does anybody know anything this?

To dissect your post:

"Just read an article" - that wasn't an article, it was an advertisement.

"Better than cable or satellite" - if you don't want to pay for tv channels, if you don't want premium channels (including sports channels), and if you are happy with no on screen guide, then it MAY be good for you to drop cable/satellite and go OTA.

"It could be free for seniors" - the channels you may get with clearview are free for EVERYONE. Antennas can be had for as little as $10 depending on your needs.

pretty much accurate, Doug, except for this:

"...you probably will NOT receive OTA reception unless you have a roof top powerfull Digital type antenna..."

there is no such thing as a 'Digital type antenna'. the OTA antenna, roof, rabbit ears, etc. you were using the day before analog TV went dark is the same antenna you could use the next day to receive digital transmissions. TV antennas are designed for a specific frequency range and not modes of transmissions. the TV receiver (your TV set) decodes the transmissions and displays the picture.