This may be a far off idea, but with all of the technological innovations of antennas, it's surprizing that no one has invented a wireless outdoor/indoor antenna that operates with a remote sensor rather that coax cable, like a wireless network card on a computer. Something like this would eliminate the need for drilling cable through walls, but on the other hand, could cause interference. Any ideas on this? Could it be done?

it's surprizing that no one has invented a wireless outdoor/indoor antenna

An antenna is used to receive (or transmit) 'radio waves', wirelessly. What you suggest has actually been done.

If I understand what the OP is talking about, is an upconverter of sorts whereby the antenna would still receive TV signals, but would convert them to 2.4 or 5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n protocols. Such a product would have some merit and would require a downconverter at each TV set. Power to the antenna would still be required.

Considered another way, it would be an HD Home Run unit on the roof/tower that could be accessed by any computer in range. Interesting concept!

I agree Nate, however you would need power to the antenna/2.4 Ghz converter transmitter. So wires to the antenna will still be necessary.....thus severely limiting its primary purpose. Its only advantage would be in creating a wireless network of access to the antenna....not in not having to run wires to the antenna.

It also competes with the simpler indoor antenna solution, further limiting its potential market.

However it could work as an apartment complex solution.

Hmmm...

I don't think this would be feasible. In order to be compatible with... well, *anything* else (unless it involved a box that tuned a specific channel and forwarded *only* that channel, which would make it incompatible with any digital recording product, TiVos, HDTV tuners, CECB boxes), it would have to forward (potentially) the entire UHF/VHF bandspace. That's a large amount of bandwidth. So no, I don't think what the OP is talking about would be possible in any real way.

convert them to 2.4 or 5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n protocols.

So, you want to take about 1GHz of RF bandwidth, demodulate everything, process and packetise it and then remodulate in the microwave band....still requiring at least 1 GHz of bandwidth?
There's a reason this hasn't been done, it's because it's really not a good idea.

So lets see... run a coaxial, or run a power outlet to where the antenna is, which it probly is not near one, or rig some sort of solar power/battery combo.... know what a coaxial is simpler.

Personally I like the idea.

Make it programmable, so you can program it to recieve channels and rebroadcast them on other channels (low power, tight beam) to a regular, small UHF antenna indoors.

Make it two way and smart-antenna compatible, so it only has to process one channel at a time. As you change channels on your TV, the antenna knows and changes channels too.

Make it ultra efficient, with Li-Ion batteries and a solar recharger so it need no power cables.

Lastly, sell the whole set up for under $30.

Okay, I'm not holding my breath.

This may be a far off idea, but with all of the technological innovations of antennas, it's surprizing that no one has invented a wireless outdoor/indoor antenna that operates with a remote sensor rather that coax cable ...... Could it be done?

No inventing needed; the technology has existed for a long time to make them.... But... There isn't any way to do it without causing interferrence. They don't exist because they would violate FCC regulations designed to prevent interferrence.

What does exist is to put one or more tuners at the antenna and send one or two channels over either a Wi-Fi network (like Slingbox) or a A/V sender.