[mythtv-users] Switching from cable to OTA?

E. Westbrook mythtv-users at westbrook.com
Sat Sep 10 00:48:40 UTC 2011


On Fri, Sep 9, 2011 at 16:57, Batshua bat Yehonatan <batshua at gmail.com>wrote:

> Let me rephrase.  I live in the same building as my landlord and I
> don't know what is permitted yet.  I am going to assume he's not gonna
> be cool with me modifying the crap out of his house, which is why I'm
> aiming for an indoor setup for starters.
>

You're wise to respect that.  Definitely do have a friendly conversation
with him, and work hard to be accommodating to his concerns, and hopefully
he'll trust you (or the professional you might hire) to install an outdoor
antenna wherever it would work best for you.

However, even if he is completely disagreeable, your landlord is required by
law (since you live in the US) to allow you to erect an antenna for TV
reception, subject to a few reasonable limitations.

See:  http://www.fcc.gov/guides/over-air-reception-devices-rule

As for indoor...  Well, for me, indoor ATSC antennas suck.  I've tried a
variety of them, and while they've worked fine when connected directly to a
TV, all have been serious disappointments when connected to my pcHDTV3000.
No matter how I amplify or aim, I have to choose at least one station I can
live without.  Very annoying, especially since all of my local stations
broadcast from the same mountaintop; but, apparently, seemingly small
positioning differences between them are enough to make a difference.  A
very, very tiny antenna rotation in one direction, and I can get channel A
but not B, and in the other direction, I get B but not A.  I do get best
results by positioning the antenna very far away from the rest of the
equipment (but still indoors), using a 25' coax cable, as it seems my
antenna reception is indeed sensitive to interference from the PC itself.

For you, an indoor antenna might work fine, but for me, I can't wait to
replace it with an outdoor unit.

I'm currently using this one, which seems the best (i.e. the least sucky)
out of what I've tried:

http://www.amazon.com/Terk-Amplified-High-Definition-Antenna-Reception/dp/B0007MXZB2

But long term, I'm making plans for this bad boy on the rooftop:

http://www.amazon.com/Channelmaster-CM-3020-Fringe-Advantage-Antenna/dp/B000BSGCSA

Related to your landlord concerns, I do expect the HOA here to give me
grief.  To be courteous, I do plan to mount it away from the street on the
roof toward the rear of the house, at the least.  And I absolutely do plan
to be ready with the FCC documents if they come knocking. :)

If anyone can recommend a better ATSC antenna than that, though, I would
certainly be all ears and appreciation.

$0.02 and thanks,
Eric
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