Do You Need An HDTV Antenna ?

Are you thinking about getting a High definition TV (HDTV). Possibly you have already thought about getting an LCD or plasma and have worked out the pros and cons of each. Perhaps you are still thinking about getting an HDTV. The truth is that the technology has come on in leaps and bounds recently. You can get incredible picture resolution and fantastic sound quality. This is also true of the prices for these appliances. They have steadily dropped to the stage where a good HDTV is within the reach of most families. One draw back recently, however, was that many television stations didn't broadcast in the high definition format. This is also changing as you may notice next time to watch your favorite program. You may notice a small logo at the beginning of the program indicating HD format. Whilst this is all well and good, none of this will be of any use if you don't have an HDTV antenna. Surprisingly this is something that many people overlook in the excitement of getting a new television. This article will explain what it does and doesn't do and why you need one.

So what is an HD antenna ? Well, it simply allows you to receive High definition television signals from TV stations.

To begin with, you don't need an HD antenna to watch High definition discs or blue ray discs. Like an ordinary antenna, it is only needed to pick up broadcast signals. Another point is that unless your television has an inbuilt high definition tuner the antenna will be useless. Modern TV's will have the tuner in but older versions will require an external tuner. This is sometimes referred to as a set top box and is quite cheap to pick up.

The antenna come in two forms – indoor and outdoor. Indoor antennas are made more for convenience than functionality. It is aimed at people that live in accommodation that doesn't have any external land to install an antenna. This might include apartment buildings or rented houses where the landlord isn't keen to have a large antenna attached to the house. The major advantage of this type of antenna is that it is easy to install but it is seriously limited in range. Having said this, if you live in the middle of a large city center then you will have no problems with such a device.

A modification is known as an amplified indoor HDTV antenna. This has an improved gain which means that it has a longer range but this range is narrower. So you will have to point the antenna in a particular direction, this may be very specific but you will be able to pick up signals over a greater distance.

An HDTV outdoor antenna gives the best range and flexibility. They are rated by size and directivity. Omni-directional antennas will receive signals from many directions. Directional antennas are similar to amplified indoor antennas in that they have a greater range of reception but have to be moved into the path of the signal to receive it.

By far, the outdoor HD antenna is the more powerful of the two. It is also more expensive and harder to install. The indoor variety is made for convenience but will work fine in built up areas where the TV signals are good.