General Discussion

NutmegYankee

(16,199 posts)

31. There really is no such thing as a HD antenna.

Sat Dec 29, 2018, 01:03 AM

Dec 2018

I know many are marketed as such, but I can pick up digital stations with a half wave wire or rabbit ears. The only feature of modern "HD" antennas is that since almost all digital TV stations were moved to the UHF frequency bands, these antennas are designed to work best at those frequencies. Rabbit ears worked best on VHF frequencies.

My antenna of choice right now is the DB8e.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

66 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

TV antennas are making a comeback in the age of digital streaming [View all] Zorro Dec 2018 OP

I gave up cable this year manor321 Dec 2018 #1

Isn't YouTube TV $40/month? Might I ask what you are doing for internet access? hlthe2b Dec 2018 #4

Comcast. See my comment below. manor321 Dec 2018 #13

Who provides your internet service that you can use Roku? TexasProgresive Dec 2018 #5

I have Comcast internet manor321 Dec 2018 #10

I haven't had cable for years and use Roku for janx Dec 2018 #56

I'm think you are still connected to a cable company for internet. TexasProgresive Dec 2018 #57

Oh, I misunderstood you. I pay $35 a month for internet from Century Link. janx Dec 2018 #58

Nope- only satellite from ViaSat or Hughsnet. TexasProgresive Dec 2018 #65

How did virtually every piece of technology in our lives go from wired to wireless EXCEPT television EffieBlack Dec 2018 #7

How many channels did you have back in the day? onenote Dec 2018 #18

90% of my available cable channels are junk. Shopping, religious, and I don't watch sports. SharonAnn Dec 2018 #29

What is bothersome LiberalFighter Dec 2018 #60

ads only cover a portion of ota stations' costs these days onenote Dec 2018 #63

you CAN still use those rabbit ears and get the same old broadcast channels. uncle ray Dec 2018 #19

I do too. llmart Dec 2018 #27

I lost that functionality when they switched from analog to digital OTB thesquanderer Dec 2018 #38

you must have an ancient tv and no converter box. uncle ray Dec 2018 #39

It was a distance thing. But that's not the only possible problem. thesquanderer Dec 2018 #40

Only if you live close enough to broadcast stations. pangaia Dec 2018 #51

Me too. Stuck with DU. Sigh..... erronis Dec 2018 #53

i get about 38 channels Hermit-The-Prog Dec 2018 #22

Me too. Dumped DirecTV last month when my bill went from $75 to $136 a month stopbush Dec 2018 #8

Sling is cheaper than what you say you pay for YouTube TV csziggy Dec 2018 #32

Sling also has an extra $5 charge for the DVR. And I believe another charge to get all locals manor321 Dec 2018 #36

I don't use their DVR service csziggy Dec 2018 #41

Also a Sling user NickB79 Dec 2018 #49

Because of my health problems I watch a lot of TV a day csziggy Dec 2018 #52

I'm thinking about trying this. Plus, I might finally ditch my land phone line... brush Dec 2018 #2

I ditched my landline as well. :) manor321 Dec 2018 #11

I get 1-2/day spam calls on my Verizon Wireless account erronis Dec 2018 #54

isnt broadcast tv going to end soon? Mosby Dec 2018 #3

No, not digital terrestrial broadcast. In fact the ATSC standard is being updated to v3.0 CaptainTruth Dec 2018 #15

Question, Cap'n: moondust Dec 2018 #61

I did this several years ago, and have saved a bundle. subterranean Dec 2018 #6

i gave up cable three years ago after an apartment remod . AllaN01Bear Dec 2018 #9

I have never had cable or dish yankeepants Dec 2018 #12

If you have Dish and you can get the local channels on an antenna doc03 Dec 2018 #14

We have one. HD antenna underpants Dec 2018 #16

There really is no such thing as a HD antenna. NutmegYankee Dec 2018 #31

Never got rid of our rooftop antenna pintobean Dec 2018 #17

I got an antenna for Christmas LeftInTX Dec 2018 #20

You can find websites that will tell you exactly where the closest broadcast antennas are. WeekiWater Dec 2018 #44

At the end of the day, how much time TexasBushwhacker Dec 2018 #21

Got rid of it about a month ago CountAllVotes Dec 2018 #23

Try this... TeeYiYi Dec 2018 #50

Some DIY plans for the crafty- LunaSea Dec 2018 #24

Cut the cord summer of 2010 Roland99 Dec 2018 #25

Antenna plus sling dembotoz Dec 2018 #26

Never had cable or dish. StarryNite Dec 2018 #28

I get just about everything streamed for $15 per month Jersey Devil Dec 2018 #30

$300 a month for internet and TV? Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Dec 2018 #33

I think that $300 was the sum of what he'd have to pay for cable in two separate locations. n/t royable Dec 2018 #34

I had to go back to cable Revanchist Dec 2018 #35

That's all we have way out where we are. akraven Dec 2018 #37

Poor quality Wrz Dec 2018 #42

Providers like Comcrap are pushing their internet services for business. roamer65 Dec 2018 #46

I've been rocking an antenna for years. WeekiWater Dec 2018 #43

Have never subscribed to cable. Have always had just a plain old antenna. nt in2herbs Dec 2018 #45

I've built antennas. Last I checked we got more than twenty channels, but why? hunter Dec 2018 #47

$128.16 a month for landline & cell phone, internet, Netflix, Hulu and Great Courses Plus Kaleva Dec 2018 #48

I have the digital antenna too. tammywammy Dec 2018 #55

This message was self-deleted by its author elocs Dec 2018 #59

Kick dalton99a Dec 2018 #62

Cable in 2018 is like the telephone company in 1993 Polybius Dec 2018 #64

Kick Polybius Dec 2018 #66