Hi,
I have a Sony KV-34XBR800 Widescreen HD ready TV purchased in 2003. http://reviews.cnet.com/direct-view-tvs-crt/sony-wega-kv-34xbr800/4505-6481_7-8879879.html It's mostly be used for kids to watch PBS shows on Comcast basic cable ($14 per month), football games in the fall, and DVDs. I use a JVC XV-SA602SL Progressive Scan DVD Player, Harman Kardon AVR320 A/V Receiver, and Onkyo SKS-HT500 Speaker Set, all bought in 2002-2003.

I finally decide it's time to use the TV's potential and hope to get HDTV quality of the local programing. I haven't followed up on the latest technology at all and find all the information confusing. Things like HDMI - I don't think any of my current products have these. For the converter box, I understand that I need a digital tuner. I found this Coby tuner on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000NW7A2G/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A3SPLR0MSOYZ8O&v=glance Does anyone think I should be getting a more expensive digital tuner (which are mostly unavailable now I think)?

For the antenna, I saw this Terk antenna on Amazon that seems well rated. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0007MXZB2/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance Would this be a suitable product to use? If these work out, I also plan to burn some PBS kids shows to DVDs. Will any DVD recorder do the job? Should I get a DVD recorder that has a HD tuner (again not many options out there, it seems)? Thanks.

I tried that antenna, didn't do squat for me. They carry those at BestBuy. Pick one up and try it out. They have a no-restocking-fee policy on them (at least at my local BB), so it doesn't cost anything if you don't like it.

I can't help on the other questions, sorry.

-- Kevin

Thanks, I'll give that from BB a try.

Whether a given antenna will work for you or not, depends strongly on how far you are from the stations' transmitters, how powerful they are, whether the local terrain blocks your "line of sight" to them, etc.

People here can give you a pretty good idea of what you need if you go to http://www.tvfool.com , enter your address, and get a chart showing the stations in your area and details about their signals at your location. Then either post a link to the results page or save a copy of the table on your computer and attach it to a post here. (The results don't show your exact address or location, to preserve privacy.)

Thanks for the information. I entered my info on TVfool and here's the link to the result:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d7f14e25e0ffdca

I see a lot of red color, and some blue color (not sure what that means), so I guess I can forget about putting a regular antenna on top of the TV?

but again, it seems like some of the major stations (ABC, CBS, PBS) are still reasonable?

I see a lot of red color, and some blue color (not sure what that means), so I guess I can forget about putting a regular antenna on top of the TV?

but again, it seems like some of the major stations (ABC, CBS, PBS) are still reasonable?

Hi there

Don't get greedy, just settle for the stations in green and hope for the the best for the ones in yellow. There's a spread of 197 to 232 degrees (for 9 of the top 10 channels), a 35 degree arc that one antenna w/o a rotor might have problems receiving in just one fixed position. Only experimenting with a VHF+UHF antenna will give an answer.

Regards

Hey I just noticed you're in Mill Creek. I'm in Lynnwood (even though my profile says Seattle). Actually, looking at your TVFool report, you're in better shape than I am. I'm in a little bit of a valley here.

I had really good results once I bought a 4-bay bowtie UHF antenna. I chose the AntennasDirect DB4, but the ChannelMaster 4221HD is supposed to be better. They can be used indoors, you don't need to mount them outside, although if you can, that would be better.

However, since you're most interested in channel 9, right now they are broadcasting their digital signal on UHF 41, but after June 12, they will be moving back to VHF 9. So after that, you will need to switch to a VHF antenna.

Hope this helps!
-- Kevin

Comcast basic cable should include the locals unencrypted and outside the trap so you can just get a QAM tuner.

Thanks for the information. I'll check out these antennas.

Not sure I understand the QAM stuff.

Mostly, I'm wondering - what are the top 3 choices for indoor/on top of the TV antenna? what are the techniques to get it work well? There's too much info on the forum and hard to find the info that I need.

OK after more search, I come down to between Winegard SS 3000 or Terk HDTVa.

Thanks.

Not sure I understand the QAM stuff.
QAM is the modulation system used by cableco's for digital cable channels. In all Comcast service areas, they take the local HD channels they carry and put them on their systems in QAM without encryption, better known as clear QAM. If you have a QAM tuner, either in an HDTV or outboard STB (set-top-box), you can get all the local HD Comcast carries with any cable subscription. No antenna needed, but Comcast may not carry all the OTA (over-the-air) digital channels and subchannels available in your area.


Mostly, I'm wondering - what are the top 3 choices for indoor/on top of the TV antenna? what are the techniques to get it work well?The topic linked below is the best resource for indoor antennas. As far as what it takes to 'make it work', there is no one answer for all locations. Digital TV reception is as much art as science, similar to cell phone reception. With indoor antennas, sometimes a matter of inches of movement up, down, left, right, can make all the difference.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1037779

As indicated by CRT Dude your Comcast basic cable should carry HD digital versions of your local stations in Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). If you get a tuner that will decode QAM you would not need an antenna. Check your local threads to find out what Comcast carries in the clear (not encrypted) in your area. You may still want an antenna to get stations Comcast does not carry.

After more reading, I'm adding the Radioshack 1892 to my list of options. EV's long thread is very useful, but again it's a bit hard to dig out the information without reading page by page of all the details provided.

If the antenna works out, I'm thinking about stopping Comcast basic package and get the DTVpal DVR. The reason I've kept using Comcast is that I used to be able to get ESPN and a local sports channel - not super clear, but good enough to watch sports. Now both are gone.