I ordered the Antennas Direct DB4e (right) from Hookbag.ca for $43.12 + free shipping on Saturday and it arrived on Tuesday.
After taking a minute or two to assemble the antenna (it just involved screwing a few things together) , I hooked it up to our main TV downstairs and it was only able to get about 6-8 channels. I then tried hooking it up to our upstairs TV and it was able to get around 20+ channels (ex: FOX, CBS, PBS, CW, CBC, TVO, ABC). We haven’t installed it on the roof yet but I imagine that when we install it to the proper height/direction, we’d be able to get a few more channels.
In Toronto, most of the stations are broadcasting from the CN Tower so, as long as it’s pointed in the general direction of the CN Tower, you should be able to pick up something. Generally speaking, the higher the antenna is, the better.
One of the features of over-the-air (OTA) television is that the signal either comes in perfectly clear or it doesn’t at all. You’ll either see something that looks amazing or you’ll see a blue/staticy screen, indicating that your antenna couldn’t get a good enough signal. Watching last night’s Red Wings vs. Predators game on CBC was awesome. In addition to watching it in 720p, you also receive 5.1 sound and that definitely adds to the experience (it’s a shame that TSN/Sportsnet doesn’t broadcast OTA). On top of all of that, you also get information about the current show that you’re watching so there’s no need to check the TV guide or anything.
If anyone’s interested in getting their own OTA antenna, here’s a few, simple steps to follow:
- Go to TV Fool’s TV Signal Locator and stick in your address or coordinates.
- Based on the results, you can see what kind of channels you might be able to receive. Green = indoor antenna. Yellow = attic mounted antenna. Red = roof-mounted antenna.
- The next step would be to figure out what kind of antenna best suits your needs/location. There are probably hundreds of models out there and, from what I can tell, there are three major brands that are known for their antennas: Channel Master, Antennas Direct, and Winegard. There are other brand names out there but, based on the reviews that I’ve read, the ones I’ve listed will typically give you better performance than any of the other clones/knock-offs/etc. You could also try out an indoor antenna and then go from there but it all depends on your budget and what you’re willing to spend on free TV. Note that not all channels broadcast OTA so channels like The Weather Network, CP24, or Fairchild won’t be available.
Note that I am, by no means, an expert on any of this stuff. All of the things I’ve learned in the past few days have been from forums and other informative websites. I’ve included a few of them below and, while some websites may be text-heavy, it definitely is worth the read if you want the most optimal results.
Some helpful websites:
Leave a Reply