Multimedia Answers | A good antenna can help even HDTV reception

[Gregg Lengling]

By Don Lindich

Q: I recently bought a Hughes Platinum HDTV satellite receiver and everything works fine. I also installed a Terk TV55 antenna to be able to receive local over-the-air HDTV. That's when my problems started.

I know my local stations sometimes have HDTV programming, but when I try to watch an over-the-air HDTV program, it doesn't come in very well. Any ideas? -- Bert, South Broward County, Fla.

A: I strongly suspect the problem lies in the antenna you are using. I have personal experience with the Terk TV55, and it was unable to tune HDTV stations when I tried it. Several other home-theater enthusiasts have posted similar complaints regarding this antenna.

When receiving an over-the-air transmission, be it a television, FM radio or any other kind of radio signal, the antenna is of absolutely critical importance. A good antenna will provide stronger signals from local transmitters and may allow you to tune distant stations you were unable to receive before.

The kind of antenna required is determined largely by the area in which you live and how far you are from the transmitting towers. If you live in an area surrounded by hills or large buildings, or are far from the transmitting stations, you may need a large outdoor antenna to receive strong signals.

If you are close to the transmitting stations, or live in flat terrain, a set-top antenna may be all you need. Your south Florida location meets both of the latter requirements, so I recommend a high-quality set-top antenna. You can always return it if it does not work for you. At that point, you will have to consider an outdoor antenna.

The best set-top HDTV antenna I know of is the Zenith Silver Sensor, available for between $30 and $40. It has received outstanding reviews from those who have tried it and is designed specifically for HDTV reception. You can see it at //www.zenith.com.

The Silver Sensor is a directional antenna, which means you must manually point it in the general direction of the station you are trying to receive.

I am confident it will easily outperform the Terk TV55, though it is less than half the price.

HDTV signals run on the UHF band, so any antenna you buy should be a UHF antenna or have UHF capabilities. That means that if you have a set-top antenna with both VHF and UHF connections, the UHF connection is the one you should connect to your HDTV receiver.

If you enjoy listening to FM radio on a stereo system, an ordinary $10 pair of VHF rabbit ears makes an outstanding antenna -- try it! You will tune distant stations you never received before.

Visit Don Lindich's Web site, //www.multimediaanswers.com, for product recommendations, to read past columns and to learn more about audio, video and photography.