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Fresno: Help with OTA Antenna and TV Capture

post #1 of 9
10/28/12 at 12:29pm
Thread Starter 
Hello everyone,

I'm not a tech noob but I am an OTA noob. I haven't used broadcast in years. I'm cutting the cord with satellite/cable. I hardly watch TV and my son generally wants to see things on PBS. There's no reason to keep paying for this. I live in Fresno, so my towers are pretty close except for Fox. Here's my TV fool profile:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3dcc49a5769e58bd

I think I really only need what is in the green zone which is all east-northeast and east-southeast. I think I only need digital, I can't see any reason for the others. I can mount the antenna on the roof no problem. I have stucco walls, so that's probably the best option anyway right? Should I point my antenna due east? Which antenna seems best for this application?

Last question, which may be too much in one thread. What pci-e cards work best to capture these signals? I want to re-create the ability to record all the shows my son likes to watch. I figure I can set them on a timer and record the shows like I do today on the dvr. Is there a card and software suite that's recommended? I haven't captured TV in many years and times have changed... I looked around and the Avermedia Duet seems good. However, I am a total noob in this area too, so I'm confused at this point.

Any other advice is greatly appreciated.

Peter
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post #2 of 9
10/28/12 at 3:39pm
i would put the antenna as high up as is possible (ideally 30' from ground) and use a rotor. That way it won't make any difference which way you point the antenna initially because you can always rotate it for fine tuning. The rotor is also useful when high winds may move your antenna a bit and you need to tune back a specific station. I hate getting on the roof so my rotor makes adjustment when necessary easy and safe. There are a number of good, high gain VHF-UHF antennas on the market. I have a 28 year old Winegard on my roof so I haven't kept up on what's good but I hear ChannelMaster makes good antennas. Maybe somebody more current can point out a specific model or two for you to consider. I mounted mine on the apex of my roof line with a mast and three sets of guy wires. it's been rock solid for years. Use RG-6 cabling.

Depending on the age of your tv, I'd use the ATSC tuner to tune in the OTA signals. I believe there are a number options available for OTA DVRs but again, hopefully someone who has more experience will chime in.
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post #3 of 9
10/30/12 at 6:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Delacroix333 View Post

Hello everyone,
I'm not a tech noob but I am an OTA noob. I haven't used broadcast in years. I'm cutting the cord with satellite/cable. I hardly watch TV and my son generally wants to see things on PBS. There's no reason to keep paying for this.

......What pci-e cards work best to capture these signals? I want to re-create the ability to record all the shows my son likes to watch. I figure I can set them on a timer and record the shows like I do today on the dvr. Is there a card and software suite that's recommended? I haven't captured TV in many years and times have changed... I looked around and the Avermedia Duet seems good. However, I am a total noob in this area too, so I'm confused at this point.

Check out the HTPC forum (especially the Sticky Threads near the top) as there are lots of helpful threads there:

http://www.avsforum.com/f/26/home-theater-computers


If i were to build a Home Theater PC DVR, it would have the Ceton Tuner Card:

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1336614/latest-ceton-infinitv-4-info-thread
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post #4 of 9
10/30/12 at 12:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RandyWalters View Post

If i were to build a Home Theater PC DVR, it would have the Ceton Tuner Card:
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1336614/latest-ceton-infinitv-4-info-thread
The things are extremely cranky to get running and keep running.. But, once tweaked, they DO accomplish what they're supposed to. The only bugaboo for me is that my cableco has the copy-once flag set to everything but broadcast making it impossible to play anywhere else in the house the way I have things set up.

That said, the OP says he's going OTA only and the Ceton doesn't do OTA. Best to grab one of the Hauppauge ATSC tuner cards or something similar. I have a pair of 2250s in my other HTPC and Windows Media Center records 4 at a time, all with DVR-style guides and settings. It ain't TiVo, but it works.
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post #5 of 9
10/30/12 at 10:49pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks Otto,

A rotor would be cool but I am not sure if I need one. With the towers so close to me do you think that is really needed? I also rent, so the less questions my landlord needs to ask the better. With that said, I will do a rotor if needed. However, I prefer minimal moving parts in a system unless there is a true need. I guess I'll test this without a rotor first and then upgrade if needed. Thanks Otto
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post #6 of 9
10/30/12 at 10:52pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks Randy, I'll take a look.
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post #7 of 9
10/30/12 at 10:57pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks DrDon. It seems like a pretty small field of contenders with the hauppauge 2250 and the hd homerun being the top choices. For me, I think the 2250 is a better choice since I'd like it internal. last thing I need is more hardware laying around. Quality seems pretty much comparable between the 2. Does anyone have a compelling contender for the 2250 strictly for OTA?
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post #8 of 9
10/31/12 at 6:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Delacroix333 View Post

Thanks DrDon. It seems like a pretty small field of contenders with the hauppauge 2250 and the hd homerun being the top choices. For me, I think the 2250 is a better choice since I'd like it internal. last thing I need is more hardware laying around. Quality seems pretty much comparable between the 2. Does anyone have a compelling contender for the 2250 strictly for OTA?
I'd suggest taking a look at the AverMedia Duet A188. It's recently back in stock at Newegg, and IMHO does a much better job at handling marginal signals than the 2250. I had one of each and eBay'd the 2250 in favor of another A188.
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post #9 of 9
11/1/12 at 10:17pm
Thread Starter 
Cabal0, the A188 is a really good option, especially since I don't need analog. I think that with NPVR will have the capture question settled. Now, to work out this antenna question...
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