Over the Air HDTV – The Free Alternative

By Ben Hardy, copyright Electronic House

Rate increases, HD-Lite, outages – there are plenty of reasons why subscribers get fed up with their HD service providers. What are the alternatives? Switch to another provider? That’s one solution, but it could simply bring its own set of problems unique to that service. There’s always Over-the-Air (OTA) HDTV. Just like your mom and dad (and grandma and grandpa) got their TV for free through the rabbit ears, so can you get your HDTV for free.



OTA HDTV in Brief
Receiving OTA HDTV is in most ways just like receiving the OTA analog signals that have been around since the days of “I Love Lucy.” Broadcast towers transmit a digital signal which is captured by the receiver (antenna), which is sent to the TV (in this case an HDTV, with either a built-in tuner or using a set-top box tuner). The antenna can be of the outdoor or indoor variety, and can include any number of accessories, including a rotor, an amplifier, and other augmenting features. The digital signals can be broadcast as VHF (Very High Frequency) or UHF (Ultra High Frequency). The VHF band covers channels 2-13, and the UHF 14-69. (After the analog to digital transition in February 2009, channels 52-69 will be claimed by the federal government for reallocation elsewhere). Stations broadcasting in digital can choose to broadcast programs in HD, and many do. Just what is broadcast in HD, and when, will vary from station to station.

For more, check out
[Link: electronichouse.com]