One of the most common questions that we get at Terrestrial Digital is "What is the best HDTV antenna for my location?" To help you in making the correct selection, we have analyzed the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. and provided a summary of which Terrestrial Digital antennas work best in which cities.
If you do not live in a major U.S. city, this page will walk you through the process of identifying the type of antenna that will perform the best.
1. Go to the antenna selector page of www.antennaweb.org and fill in your address and other relevent information.
Check the button that says "Show Digital Stations Only" and this will bring up a list like the one to the right assuming you live in close enough proximity to any transmitters.
The CEA site provides this excellent information, but there is one issue that people have with it. For one city, it will often recommend a variety of antennas one should get to receive HDTV signals. Obviously, most people do not want to outfit their home with numerous antennas, so some trade offs are typically made.
2. Check to see if all of the digital channels in your area broadcast on the UHF band.
Look under the columns titled "Antenna Type" and "Frequency Assignment" or refer to our list of digital stations broadcast on the VHF band. If you need to receive low frequency VHF stations (Channels 2-8) you may need a VHF antenna.
3. Determine how far will your antenna be from the transmitters?
Look at the "Miles From" column on the far right side of the chart and then choose from the following:
4. Determine where you need a uni-directional or multi-directional antenna?
In some cites like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, all stations are broadcast from one central area, the Empire State and GE Building in New York City, the Sears Tower or Hancock Building in downtown Chicago, and Mt. Wilson in Los Angeles. In other areas like St. Louis, the transmitters are scattered aroung the city.
Check the "Compass Orientation" and if all of your desired stations are transmitting from the same area or within 20° of each other you can use a uni-directional antenna. If the transmitters are positioned more than 20° apart, it is best to use a multi-directional antenna. It is important to note that most multi-directional antennas, but you may pick up some multi-path distortion.
By clicking on the "View Street Level Map", you can get a graphic representation of your compass orientation.
If you need further assistance with choosing the best HDTV antenna for area, please contact one of our antenna specialists at 1-877-825-5572 between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm EST or by using our Contact Form.
