Top products from r/cordcutters

• You barely list Kodi because of 3rd party pirate addons, despite it having most of of your requests for Roku already implemented. DTS-passthru, Passworded tv and addons and able to program remotes. The library is extremely robust and can handle searching your media in a bunch of different ways including by network. The Bluetooth headphones is reliant on you STB but kodi can deal with it. As a bonus with the yatse app you can cast youtube and other online services to the Kodi install as long as there is a Kodi addon for that service.
  
  
• Complaining about the Firestick you knew it was WiFi at time of purchase so you can't knock it for that. Also it sounds like you have some networking gear issues if it is truly 3ft away.
  
  
• You can build a HTPC and a few tools on the back end to get your all in one DVR box(https://tvheadend.org/).
  
  
• You can build a HTPC or buy something like the Wetek play for OTA and DVR
  
  
• Volume control is trickier but if you get a CEC enabled HTPC or Set top box you can just use your TV remote. The simpler choice would be just turn the TV all the way up and use the STB remote for volume. There are other Devices like flirc or Harmony remotes that can also solve this.
  
  
• CEC can handle turning the TV on and off. Harmony remotes can also handle this easily.
  
  
• Kodi again can solve your file type problems(http://kodi.wiki/view/Features_and_supported_formats).
  
  
• KODI, Just because 3rd parties have enabled streaming pirated content shouldn't be held against a solid Home Theater software.
  
  
• Keyboards Logitech makes the K400 usb keyboard that will work with HTPCs and some STBs. Also voice search on the Shield TV is pretty solid.
  
  
• Wifi based remotes are nice, if you like them just find a STB that supports them.
  
  In short a solidly built HTPC can fix almost all of your gripes. Also you should really look at kodi again.
  
  >Ok, so you mention my lack of paragraph and sentence structure (although I am hesitant to admit that you are very right) and also not mentioning a universal remote (which I don't want to buy [I wanna say the cheapest harmony is around 80$], rather I want a all in one solution) what are areas you find me to be confused or ill informed?
  
  There are plenty of perfectly capable remotes for much less the $80.
  
  http://www.amazon.com/LYNEC-Wireless-Keyboard-Infrared-Learning/dp/B00U78EKM4/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1459302520&sr=1-3&keywords=HTPC+remote
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Multi-Touch-Touchpad/dp/B005DKZTMG/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1459302520&sr=1-6&keywords=HTPC+remote
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Aerb-Wireless-Keyboard-Multifunctional-3-Gsensor/dp/B00K768DHY/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1459302520&sr=1-2&keywords=HTPC+remote
  

Never, not even once. I have COX, I've offered to pay more... doesn't matter.

I live in Phoenix... I pay for 25 this is what I get. But hey I'm still getting about half of what I pay for... which in my experience with COX should be counted as a win. I say it should be counted as a win because I moved before, terminated service, they acknowledged I'd terminated service by phone.... but, but, but something didn't quite go as planned on their end so I get to pay for an extra 6 months of "service" to an empty apartment that didn't consume a single byte of data during that time.

Anybody from COX who wants to contact me about actually providing me with what I pay for I'd be more than happy to talk with you. 10 service calls to my house has never been able to improve this whatsoever so if you think you're up to fixing it my hat's off to you. For now I'll just say that I feel like I've been financially raped by this corporation & hearing that they are one of the good ones is pretty disheartening.

I'm hoping that the telecom corporations break apart into a million little pieces and that competition drives prices down. To me looking for a good provider is like trying to find an honest Bail Bondsman... I mean there's a certain culture in this industry where looking for the good guys in the mix seems like a fools errand to me, but hey some people weren't fucked over by COX which is great. Glad to hear other people had a better experience.

EDIT: this is the modem I use... just thought I'd throw that out there before anyone pointed out how modems can slow everything down, yeah I know, first thing I tried before I starting asking for outside help.

Btw, imo this antenna site is superior to TV Fool: https://otadtv.com/tvtower/index.html

You've got towers in every direction ranging from 20-25 miles in Lawton to 80 miles in Oklahoma City. If it was me I would go ahead and invest in a rooftop antenna designed with a motor that can rotate its direction 360 degrees with up to 150 mile range. I see a bunch of what look like the same basic design on Amazon but this is the biggest seller: https://www.amazon.com/Amplified-Digital-Motorized-Rotation-Infrared/dp/B004NQMCDK I don't own one, so can't speak to how well this antenna works, though. (I use a RCA YAGI 70+ mile range because in my case all the main towers are 27 miles away in the same direction.)

If you look at Amazon's picture that shows the model I linked mounted on the roof, you will see that it has been mounted on a pole that is inserted into the 'j' pipe for the satellite dish mount. I followed this video https://youtu.be/m9m_p1oNR5A to remove my Directv dish and replace it with an antenna instead. It was easy to do. I did check to make see whether the dish mount was properly grounded, and needed to correct a couple of things that the installer had done. (Check at the OTA sub for help on that.)

(Note: When the weather warms a bit I intend to insert a 6' length of chain-link fence top rail into the j pipe to mount my YAGI antenna on in order to to give it some more height. In your case I think you would need to mount the antenna on a pole to give it freedom of movement for the motor to rotate directions. In any event, I would just make sure that the pole is securely fastened to the j pipe. And personally, I'm wary about making the pole too long because that sort of dish mount angled as it is from the sloping roof probably is not designed for a long pole sticking out of it. My guess is 6' isn't going to offer so much wind resistance that it would stress the connection points where it is bolted to the roof.)

Of course if you're handy enough to mount the antenna next to your chimney at the roof peak, more height and clearer line of sight yields the best results. Or pay a professional installer to do it.

My wife and I have had Sling, Amazon Prime Video (which we've had for years now, although prior to ditching Directv only used occasionally) and OTA for a couple of months now. We love it. We're using mostly Fire Sticks, although for a small TV in the kitchen we have an older model Roku.

One tip to share regarding Sling: use the search function (magnifying glass icon) to find the shows that you regularly watch and favorite them. Then under My TV scroll down to your Favorites row of tiles and open a show. In most cases we find that every season's list of episodes are all available there. And once a new show airs live it gets added to the current season episode list, available to watch on-demand. We have found that at least for this type of viewing it eliminates the need for DVR. You can do this for movies as well. We still pay the $5 per month for DVR but we rarely use it.

> Why do you reccomend the Chromecast and not the Fire Stick or Roku? Is it just because of cost?

Mainly I was thinking about how sharing a device might screw up your Recommended listings unless you logout your account. I also remembered that most (all?) devices that have a builtin Youtube app are capable of casting Youtube from your smartphone/tablet. I know the Roku and my crappy (but free) LG webOS TV with the Youtube app can both receive a Youtube cast.

So I guess it doesn't really matter what device you decide on. But if I were you I would try before buying a bunch of devices for your entire home. You might even find that your family members have different preferences. I bought my mom a Black Friday Rokue Express+ for $25 and she loves it for what she uses it for. It's definitely one of the easiest devices to use. But I'll probably go for AndroidTV devices (Mi Box or Nvidia Shield) for myself if a Chromecast won't cut it anymore. I pretty much stick to free content via OTA TV, Youtube, and occasionally PlutoTV and Crackle.

> You say that the Mini's don't support Wifi. Do the Roamio's work over Wifi? If so, how do they share content with each other.

You know I'm not exactly sure. I would assume they require a wired network for sharing recordings and possibly the apps would work over WiFi. You might look into it. Either way a wired network is going to provide the best experience. See /r/TiVo and the many forums online.

> Depending on weather or not the Roamio's can work over WiFi for Netflix and Sling content, it sounds like I might also have to run some Ethernet cables between the basement where the cable modem is, the family room and 1st floor master bedroom.

The Roamio will be able to use Netflix and Sling over WiFi. It's the TiVo recorded content I'm unsure about. And this is why you might consider skipping Minis and going for all Roamios instead: The Minis carry a monthly fee, but the Roamios with lifetime service subscription don't and are only $50 more. So the Minis will end up costing more in the long-term. You should also be able to find used Roamios with lifetime service subscription pretty easily if their new pricing ever increases. The subscription is attached to the device. Ask the seller for the TiVo Service Number and call TiVo to verify it has a lifetime service subscription before purchasing. If you buy a used one then be sure to blow out any dust with compressed air (air in a can at office supply place) to keep it running well.

> It sounds like this project is going to involve running cables. I'll need at least a new coaxial run from the attic/roof antenna to a coaxial distribution hub in the basement.

Ideally I would run dual RG6 coax and dual Cat6 ethernet to every TV location running to a centralized media/data closet/wall rack or shelf. This would allow you to use one coax "network" for an OTA antenna and another "network" for a future service available from satellite or a cable company (if they get their act together). The dual ethernet will allow you to connect two devices without having to add a network switch at TV location.

They make coax/ethernet bundled cables and at a minimum I would use that. Coax/ethernet combo jack plates and even dual coax/ethernet combo jack plates are available. If you go without jack plates then you can use coax or ethernet coupler/connectors to easily extend the cable if necessary.

EDIT: Consider this distribution amplifier for an OTA antenna. You might also search/ask /r/HomeNetworking and maybe /r/HomeTheater for advice. You'll want to eliminate the possibility of causing congestion on your WiFi network from multiple WiFi devices streaming at once. This won't be an issue with stationary devices connected via ethernet.

Hello fellow projector owner. I myself just inherited one and while it's amazing it has been tricky to get going. There are two popular options that I know of, one mentioned below.

1. Adding a HDHomeRun to your network which can transit OTA signals to your computer, I would recommend using Windows Media Center for this. From here you can watch, pause, and record live TV with a really nice program guide. Personally this sounded awesome and was my first choice but after using it for awhile I'm just not a fan of the whole laptop as HTPC option. Having to turn on my projector, receiver, laptop and then switching audio and then displaying the image on the projector isn't exactly high on the WAF. However it is a nice bonus with the HDHomeRun that you can get live tv on most devices connected to your network like phones, tablets, and bluray players.
   
   
2. This is the new option I am exploring, I haven't received it yet though. I purchased one of these guys from Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00I2ZBD1U/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1410444766&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40. From my research this should be able to transmit the signal from the OTA antenna to HDMI which would then give you these channels on the projector. It has mixed reviews saying the guide is pretty barebones and the recording function isn't the best due to it using EPG data that the stations broadcast. But for me I think this is the best option considering it frees up my laptop and requires less setup each time I want to watch tv. I should note though that this requires a separate hard drive or flash drive in order to access the time shift or recording feature. Personally I just purchased a $10 flash drive from amazon.
   
   Let me know if you have more questions, I would be happy to try and help!

Find out if your local public library uses Hoopla (a Netflix-like service that has movies, TV shows, audio books, etc.) and if it does, get yourself a free library card and you will have a nice library of movies and shows at your disposal. My local library just became a part of this last week so I've only begun exploring it, but it's pretty sweet. And free.


If you have a friend who has Comcast or a similar cable provider, ask nicely for their log-in and you can stream some live cable TV channels and have access to almost-full current TV series. My father was kind enough to lend me his username and password, but I admit that I rarely use this for anything other than watching films that haven't yet arrived on Netflix or Amazon Prime.


And, obviously, get yourself an OTA. I have this one on one TV and this one on another TV. Both are great, and both are inexpensive.

I see that motivational speaker career is paying off!....

You have "line of sight" to the KHOU transmitters (which is good), but you're about 30 miles away. That's probably too far for a consistent signal with a window or attic antenna, especially on a VHF signal.

But a rooftop antenna should easily be able to pull in such a strong signal (and all your other stations). How about a Clearstream 2V or Winegard 7694p or 7698p strapped to your chimney or on a roof mount, with a RCA Preamp 1. A preamp locks in the signal you receive at the antenna so you don't bleed signal on the coaxial run to your television or at the splitters.

Point the antenna at 178 degrees using your iPhone compass app or install an Android compass app. On the roof, it'll pull in all your signals nicely because they all come from the same location.

FYI - the Clearstream is the nicest looking, but remember that federal law protects your right to put up pretty much any OTA antenna you want on your roof -- no matter what your HOA, city, or landlord prefer. FCC link 1 FCC link 2

FYI 2 -- if you previously had DirecTV or Dish Network, you might be able to re-use their rooftop mount and coaxial cable runs, assuming that their pole/mount gives you a clear, unobstructed view toward 178 degrees. You'll just need to swap out any Direct/Dish splitters/amplifiers for your own splitter or connector.

Those flat things, are good for 5-10 miles at best to work the way they are advertised, ie: connect and get 100 channels! Reality, is that they can perform decently at about upto 20 miles or so if you have an amplified one, and stations and conditions. I happen to be 20 +- miles from my local TX farm. With a cheapo flat flimsy plastic thing with an amp. I got 28 of 55 channels in my zone. Some were pixelly some would work at times. Some would come and go depending on placement of the anntena. It was enough to convince me that going full OTA would be worth the investment.

So what you need to get is a nice decent antenna.

This will be a good one for you:

https://www.amazon.com/RCA-Compact-Outdoor-Antenna-Range/dp/B0024R4B5C

I have it and it performs, outstanding! I get 55 channels, out of the 55 in the area. There are few more LPTV's in another direction, which are more jesus freaks so I don't care.

I get one station which I didn't even think would come in regardless of the various sites, at about 50 miles. Mine is located 15 feet up using an old DBS J Pole mount, and a pole extension. No preamp. This antenna includes the mount. I personally would suggest that you also get:

https://www.3starinc.com/satellite-dish-antenna-swaged-ground-pole-mast-166-od.html?filter=%26fd9%3D51

And use it with the mount included with the antenna. Fit the pipe into the mount, use a rubber mallet and drive it in. THEN drill a hole through the mount and pipe. Tighten up. Then mount the antenna to the top.

To point the antenna I'd split the difference and aim it about 30 degrees MAGNETIC. You can get a decent compass application in Google Application Store for your phone.

That should cover the bases for all the major stuff. Big5, and the important subnets like Cozi, Decades, AntennaTV etc..

Be sure to run RG6 cable.

Inf FL I would also strongly suggest this for lighting:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016AIYU6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Along with PROPER GROUNDING rod and grounding of the mount per NEC and local code!

Dang, your signals from the SSE are strong and close. /u/Mr_You recommended bunny ears to me a week or so ago and I tried it but it wasn't quite good enough (I got ABC and FOX but nothing else...most of my signals were 20-30 miles out). I wanted to watch the football games this weekend so I got the best I could find from Walmart: this.



Once I got it hooked up, pointed toward my closest stations and positioned high enough I got a CRYSTAL clear, HD picture. I'm still amazed.



EDIT: It's not the antenna I was planning on getting but it seems to be working fine and is what I will stick with. This RCA and This AntennaCraft were the two I was deciding between. But, honestly, with how close you are to so many stations, I think the bunny ears should do the trick. If you feel like spending $40-$50 to get a solid antenna, by all means do that, but I think you'll be good with something cost-effective (which doesn't mean cheap).

> so I picked up a cheap indoor antenna

This is why you're having trouble picking up local stations.

Cheap antennas are only good in two situations: Either you live right next door to the only television station you want to watch, or you need to hook something up to your TV in an emergency (power outage, moving and haven't set up cable service yet, cable outage, etc).

If you're going to use an antenna as your primary source for television, you need to invest in a good antenna. A $15 indoor antenna might've cut it decades ago back when there were only three channels and no wireless interference from things like cellphones, microwaves and home routers, but they don't cut it anymore.

[This Terk amplified antenna] (http://www.amazon.com/Amplified-High-Definition-Antenna-Off-Air-Reception/dp/B0007MXZB2) remains one of the best on the market. You can pick one up at Fry's or Best Buy for around $80, or on Amazon for $40.

You mentioned you live in an apartment and, unfortunately, this alone could limit your ability to pull in certain channels. Since your apartment tends to face only one or two directions, your line of sight to the broadcast towers for your area could be really limited. The good news is you're well within your right to put an antenna [like this one] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VTXUJ6?psc=1) outdoors. A landlord can only restrict what you attach to the building, so how you put it up is something you'd have to think about.

Last, are you sure your complex doesn't receive basic cable for free? A lot of landlords cut deals with the cable company to provide basic cable to tenants for free, mainly so the landlord doesn't have to deal with antenna and satellite dish issues. If you receive basic cable, it would solve your issue of getting some of the networks. If not, I'd highly recommend the Terk amplified antenna linked above.

ok so you got a ton of stations all coming from the south so its important that your antenna is pointed south.. when you point a flat antenna you want the signal going through the center of the flat side

|<--

if possible put it near an outside wall of the house or better a window and the thin sides would point east and west w--e .. hope you understand that .. anyway

a few people talked about roof antennas and amplifiers .. you shouldn't need either.. but you have one of the lowest end antennas you can get so maybe something a bit better might help

ABC and 3 or 4 others in range are below REAL channel 14 so you will need something that can get VHF as someone else said rabbit ears antennas work good for this if you have signals over 35nmdb

the materials your home is made out of can effect quality a lot.. if you have aluminum siding .. if you have a vapor barrier / heat shield wrap on your home made of aluminum...

Wires in walls.. trying to point through large objects like a refrigerator.. trying to put an antenna on the north side of your house when signals come from the south and then it has to pass through your home and all the stuff...

something simple like an alarm panel or LED light or anything electrical around the antenna can throw it off.

Having bad cables or connectors .. if it is loose or if it wasn't crimped tight at the factory..

having the antenna behind the tv...

Basically everything.. can effect it...

In my home if I move my antenna about 10 feet from one side of the tv to the other side I will get much better reception or pickup stations i normally can't.. I use a large antenna though so that is only during testing..

The higher the antenna the better but putting it on the north side of your home pointing north wont be better

You probably just need a bit of an upgrade on your antenna and then pointing and positioning it right to get your REAL channels that are 14 and higher.. don't confuse that with virtual channels

NBC 5.1 virtual is REAL channel 41 and should come in well.

We had another person ask about signals in your area about a month ago and it seems that some of the towers there do not put out a round shaped signal.. like the tower is in the center of a bullseye and signal just broadcasts out equally in all directions....

Some of the stations there broadcast in different directions to allow people in different directions to at least pick up some broadcasts .. so although the towers are south of you .. that NBC might actually also be pointing its signal south or west and not north in your direction and this can cause dead zones and that high nmdb rating to your area might be false because TVFool is not 100% accurate it is just a good guess based on numbers.. they aren't running tv testing trucks down your street to see the exact signals... so you could put up a big antenna on the roof and maybe still have difficulty with NBC

but I would try a discount set of Rabbit ears that are decent quality

you could try something like this

https://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT111Z-Durable-Antenna-Rabbit/dp/B000HKGK8Y/

or hit the discount store and see if you can find something a little better but this should pickup your ABC 8 on VHF if you have good signal to the area where your current antenna won't

Good Luck

The next upgrade for you would be a larger antenna maybe one like this

https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HOMEWORX-HDTV-Outdoor-Antenna/dp/B01C1YL16Y

this antenna is not horrifically large and you could probably hang it from the ceiling.. it weighs about 2 pounds and its about 25 inches by 30 inches

This is long.. but don't be scared!


Getting local TV over the air is similar to getting a radio station over the air. All TVs sold in the US contain the necessary cards to support broadcast TV. However, TV has all moved to Digital, which means you can't access channels unless a re-scan on your TV to find them all first. Re-scanning is pretty easy to do, just go into your TV menu, usually it's under "Channel" or "Signal" or something like that.


Before even looking into an antenna, you'll need to figure out how close/easy to receive the station you're looking for will be. I've linked the FCC site below, put in your address and see if it's towards the top of the list. There's also TV Fool, which tends to be more detailed but slightly out of date. Check both. Also take into account if you live in a building with thick walls or in a neighborhood with a lot of trees, they will make signals harder to receive. If you're in the green on both TVfool and the FCC sites, it should be possible to get it with an indoor antenna.

I'm assuming you're going to want at least Newschannel 9 (Chattanooga), with the callsign WTVC. TVfool has a callsign lookup with a guide for indoor/outdoor reception. Plug "WTVC" in there and check your neighborhood. It looks like that station still broadcasts on Channel 9, so you're going to want an antenna that supports VHF at least, more on that at the very end.

If you've checked the resources, and getting the stations you want over the air is possible, it's time to get an antenna. You can spend really as much as you want, I've linked to the Winegard flatwave below which is recommended by the sub and fairly cheap. If the rating an TVfool for the station you want is below 50 or so NM (dB) there's an amplified version.





https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps

https://www.tvfool.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-FlatWave-FL-5000-High-VHF-Ultra-Thin/dp/B0063705PE/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1537677684&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=winegard+flatwave&psc=1

Your signal quality leaves something to be desired and is probably the reason for spotty reception. Ideally you would have more than 90% for quality and signal strength (quality being the more important number). It may be time for a new antenna. I'm not exactly an antenna expert, but I've had great luck with this model for long distance stations and it gets great reviews! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001DFTGR4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494198133&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=antenna+winegard&dpPl=1&dpID=31bqzVIwrJL&ref=plSrch

I don't have a "transducer" setting in my app, but it's probably the "transcoder" setting if you happen to own a hdhomerun extend. That will tell your hdhomerun how heavily to compress the live video before sending it over your network to the Apple TV. Higher or heavier transcoding may degrade the quality slightly but works better if your wifi network is slow. If you have a fast 802.11ac or wired network and aren't worried about large file sizes for recoded shows you could turn the transcoding to a lighter setting or off entirely. This setting should not effect how well you are receiving the signal at the antenna or how well the hdhomrun box can pick up channels.

So your TVFool report is way worse than mine, but we are in the same general area (I'm further away in central bucks). As others have mentioned, 6 and 2 are VHF.

I started out with this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NQMCDK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

It's cheap, it looks cheap, it feels cheap. It's been up for a year and a half and it works great. I thought it was just going to be a starting point, but it's totally sufficient for everything other than VHF.

To solve the VHF issue, I got this: https://www.antennasdirect.com/store/ClearStream-2V-UHF-VHF-Long-Range-Indoor-Outdoor-DTV-Antenna.html

Works great for channel 6, kinda shitty for everything else. I mounted it on the pole just below the first antenna.

I figured a combination of the 2 would be perfect. Since the first antenna has a preamp in it, I needed a diplexer that would pass power on the UHF side. This was surprisingly hard to find documented when searching - I suppose it's too "technical" :)

So I ended up with this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008PBTPN4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Mounted it right below the second antenna and everything is working absolutely great.

This is all on the roof of an outbuilding about 20 feet AGL. It goes inside to my office where it hits a splitter. The low side of the splitter goes to an HD Homerun and the high side goes to an underground feed to the house.

It took some time for me to get to this as a solution, but I'm really pleased with it.

Quick edit: the combination of these two antennas is so light that they are mounted in a metal adjustable flag pole holder that is screwed to the roof peak of the barn with a 6 foot piece of black iron pipe in it as a mast. Cheap and simple.

I'm no expert, but being less than 10 miles away from all your major antennas, (you lucky bastard,) I'd be willing to bet that you would be perfectly fine with one of THESE. If that price bothers you, you can always try THIS. I don't know what your DIY antenna is like, but with either one of these you should definitely get most of those nearby stations... at least more than your current 4. Good luck!

Having done this process a few times now I HIGHLY recommend you try bunny ears on top of your TV first. You'll likely get almost every channel you want unless there are some major obstructions. (The Mohu Leaf is another one to try).

If you decide to do a directional antenna I recommend a small yagi antenna. I have a very similar one to this one and it is pretty fantastic:
RCA Antenna

You're probably not gonna need an amplifier at all because you're relatively close to the brodcast tower. The one at 318 looks like it gives you everything you need!!

Good luck!

So, I've never had cable since I was at home with my parents but i'd like to have some access to local channels. The availability of stations is pretty limited, but I'd really like to access them as they do both have worthwhile content (news, weather, etc.).

I'm just trying to figure out if i should go amplified or not. I want to make a good choice as I'll probability have to buy online and returning things that way is a major PITA.

From reading the wiki here I'm pretty disappointed to see that they are 2 edge. Is there hope for me? I live about half way down a big slope towards the ocean.

from my research and needs I have narrowed it down to a couple:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/antennas-direct-antennas-direct-clearstream-indoor-outdoor-digital-tv-antenna-c2-v-cjm-cn-c2-v-cjm-cn/10319740.aspx?path=85260495e5d2bb28aa92898f739fd3d0en02

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/antennas-direct-antennas-direct-clearstream-amplified-indoor-digital-tv-antenna-csm1-xg-cn-csm1-xg-cn/10319742.aspx?path=6af036befea226fff2956a90e4d0f193en02

https://www.amazon.ca/Pictek-Amplified-Ultra-thin-Detachable-Amplifier/dp/B01F88D5AA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1479674085&sr=1-1&keywords=indoor+antenna

https://www.amazon.ca/Winegard-FL5500A-FlatWave-Amplified-Antenna/dp/B00BN5Z2WM/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1479674112&sr=1-1&keywords=indoor+antenna

Buy best I can likely return in store, so I'd like to go that route.

if you have any suggestions for me, let me know.

Two mast-mounted pre-amps come to mind for me:

• ClearStream Juice: Per testing done by enthusiasts on another forum site, it has the best results for avoiding overloading when some signals come in stronger than others. https://www.antennasdirect.com/juice.html
  
• RCA Preamp: These have a great price point for trying, and I've been running one for 1 1/2 years. Others have reported quality problems and short lifespans (a couple of years). One nice feature that I'm liking is that with the separate VHF and UHF inputs, one can use different antennas. Both the antennas you mention are weak for VHF (the 4max has the single dipole, but that still might not be enough for your situation). Adding a small Yagi attached the VHF jack and pointed due south (depending upon your hill), and having the 4max pointed more SE going into the UHF terminal might do the trick. https://www.amazon.com/RCA-TVPRAMP1Z-Preamplifier-Outdoor-Antenna/dp/B003P92D9Y
  
  Here's another wild thought--Is there anything that might be running at those times that could be causing the interference? Like perhaps a yard or porch light that comes on at dusk? Especially if it's near the coax.
  
  Good luck! Cheers, Statmanmi

If you want to test the waters, this is definitely the cheapest option. For an $8 antenna it does an outstanding job. I pick up about 20+ channels outside Charlotte, NC and the quality is impeccable. Looks great on my 60" LCD. I have at least 5 friends who have also used the same antenna and they all rave about it. It's worth the $8-9 to try it out! Good luck.

Yes, your cheapo antenna should work fine. I've got the Leaf version of that same antennae (this one) and it works great. There are occasional issues where I have to change the angle/location a bit in order to pick up a channel, but once I found the sweet spot in my room, that all seemed to go away. Haven't had to move it like a month.

If you're going to upgrade to the $100 antenna, it's really only worth it if you mount it on the roof. Did this at my folks place and it works unbelievably well. The biggest benefit is that we ran a splitter and hooked up three tvs with one antenna.

Tower is always preferable, especially if you're already wired up there, but attics get great results too. Aiming to the transmitter locations on your report is of course encouraged as well, but that can always be adjusted when you're initially installing it and testing your scans.

Yeah, just put it up and do the channel scan. Very plug and play once you've settled on a location to install.

You can read owner reviews as well:

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-FreeVision-FV-30BB-Ultra-HD-High-VHF/dp/B003L76BJS?th=1

Here is the antenna I recommend. It is directional which has the best chance for you to succeed. You can wall mount it or pole mount it. I recommend a pole on your balcony. You can buy it at HomeDepot meaning you can return it easy. Or you can buy it from amazon and save a little.

http://www.amazon.com/Winegard-FreeVision-FV-30BB-HDTV-Antenna/dp/B003L76BJS/ref=sr_1_30?ie=UTF8&qid=1406557876&sr=8-30&keywords=Antenna

I've had 2 antennas that work for me in the suburbs in the range you are looking at.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HQ4BRIG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-FreeVision-FV-30BB-HDTV-Antenna/dp/B003L76BJS/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1481552970&sr=1-9&keywords=wineguard

The Wineguard is extremely directional but gets great reception.

The Clearstream is less directional but almost as good.

I will add that because of the distance between my antenna and my HDHomerun, I have an amplifier. The signal strength is improved but the signal quality is the same.

I like the mohu leaf, its discrete and very cheap. I think its the perfect one if your just outside a city. 5 to 30 miles. I would also recommend find a friend or parent etc that does have cable. Ask them for their cable/sat user name and password. I give my friend access to my Netflix for his password. Then you can use it to log into all the web streaming those channels offer, HBO, Showtime, Stars, FX, AMC, TNT etc. Basically all of them. The account can be used up to 5 different unique locations. So you wouldn't be depriving your benefactor of anything.

Edit: I am in NYC too. Keep in mind if your in Manhattan you will have to experiment with where to put the antenna because the buildings interfere. But my friends in North Jersey and Brooklyn get great reception with no problems with the mohu.

For many years I used an OTA antenna in my attic and then I replaced my roof and got a gradient barrier on the roof (Doh!) and it blocked the OTA signal. I was using https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024R4B5C and it worked great for over 3 years. I installed it in the attic and used the FCC website (https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps) and a compass on my iPhone to point it correctly and get all the stations (all DIY).

Since my roof issue, I figured I would get an outdoor antenna installed. I have a 2 story home so I hired a company named Mr. Antenna (great company, Google them in your area) , it came with a professionally installed very good and hefty antenna. They took care of getting the best signal and installed it completely. Works great and cost me about $375 including labor.

Here is the one I had the best success with, and old school "christmas tree" style:
http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT751R-Outdoor-Optimized-Reception/dp/B0024R4B5C/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1346954473&sr=8-3&keywords=rca+antenna

I have it mounted in the attic, works fantastic. Needs precise aiming. Good luck!

Your situation looks pretty good actually. My signals are similar and I used an RCA ANT751 on my roof and I get all the yellow stations just fine. The only problem I have is the antenna farms at my locale are not all in one direction like yours so aiming is an issue for me. Rerun your TV Fool report at a higher elevation and see how sensitive your report is to that parameter. If you go high enough you might get more green stations.

Another alternative is the Antennacraft HBU line
The lowest ranked antenna is the HBU11 at the bottom which is equivalent to my ANT751 but if you wanted to you could go with the HBU22 or even the HBU33 to guarantee good signals and they aren't that much more expensive. It all depends on how many TVs (or other devices) you plan on connecting and the length of the cable runs and how many $$$. The more metal you have in the air the better signals you'll have and less problems. With a bigger antenna you'll also most likely pickup the stations coming from from the West off the back of the antenna.

That said, I highly recommend that you join the TV Fool forum and post for help. There are some real experts their that can advise you and design a system that will work from the beginning. Its more complicated than just picking an antenna there are other issues such as number of devices, cable lengths and splitters, amps and pre-amps, splitters. Its all pretty complicated but the forum is a great resource most people don't use and pay for it in a badly designed system. At minimum I'd search that site on and learn what the numbers in the TV Fool report mean.

Getting your antenna up to the attic will definitely make a difference. An amp will help too. Though, as I noted in another post, the homemade just didn't cut it compared to a well-made antenna.

But, it's worth noting that I tried a LOT of antennas and found the more expensive antennas didn't perform significantly better than the cheaper ones. The $40 Terk HDTVa blew away some high-end antennas that were like $150. I went to Best Buy and bought all the antennas they had in stock, tested them all, and kept the one that performed the best. The comparison included the homemade one too.

Just a few more things that may improve your experience for minimal cost (if these features matter to you):

1. You mentioned that you have Roku TVs (not separate roku devices). You can add a USB storage stick to most of these Roku TVs and can get pausing/fast forwarding of live antenna tv (needs to be relatively quick write speeds on the usb storage stick, especially for HD). There is no scheduling of recordings using this, to my knowledge, so this won't replace a DVR.
   https://www.cnet.com/news/roku-tvs-can-now-pause-live-over-the-air-tv/
   
   
2. If you want a cheap DVR for antenna channels on a single TV, I've found the Homeworx 180stb works well most of the time (has some hiccups, but for the price it is great):
   https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-Homeworx-HW180STB-Converter-Recording/dp/B00IYETYX8.
   It lets you make manual recordings of antenna channels (once, daily, weekly). It does require plugging in your own usb storage. It will show up to 2 days of guide data (whatever the station is broadcasting over the air), but I just use manual recording times (mostly for recording Jeopardy), so this isn't and issue. Another positive, is that the recordings can be taken right off the USB drive if you want to save them somewhere else (they aren't encrypted or anything).
   
   Hope this help some!

That looks pretty good compared to my report. I used to use a monoprice indoor/outdoor antenna and picked up channels 60 miles away (decent line of sight). This was used indoors and on the first floor. There were a few channels I didn't get, including a VHF one 90 miles away. I put an RCA ANT751 in my attic and pull that channel in now.

For my inlaws I wasn't able to pull in a very good signal with the monoprice because there weren't any broadcast towers that were line of sight. We bought a Clearstream 2V to put on the roof because it looks a lot nicer than the RCA antenna. It ended up working really, and you can use it indoors as well.

So my recommendation is the monoprice antenna, first, and then if you want something better, upgrade to the RCA or Clearstream depending on your decorating style!

If you post your TVFool.com report we can help you pick a good antenna for your area.

But if you want to try an antenna you can either make an antenna or get a Cheap rabbit ears with the loop / flat center thing and see if you can pick any thing up with either of those.. (or you can try a metal uncoated paper clip bent like an L in the antenna port of the TV, If you have any very strong signals very close to you, it should pick it up)

Just a FYI, if you do want an antenna, don't fall for "HD Antenna" marketing. The HD TV is set up by the broadcaster, and picked up by your tv tuner. All antennas are just conductive metal (usually copper or aluminum) shaped to pick up the different Radio Frequencies. Not much more. It's why rabbit ears are moveable, so you can shape them to pick up different VHF signals better.

For some reason I can't expand, view your tv report (I'm sure it's something on my side), but I can say that I have a few of these around my property and I'm truly impressed. Can't beat the price. I bought them at $30, but they're almost half the price this week. This one picked way more channels than what Best buy was selling (the Leaf)

1byone TV Antenna, 50 Mile Range Amplified HDTV Antenna with Detachable Amplifier Signal Booster, USB Power Supply and 10 Feet Highest Performance Coaxial Cable-Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IF70T4M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_3DJIAbHQQCSWZ

Looks like literally every channel is in one direction, southeast of you. My suggestion is to get a directional antenna like the Clearstream 2 (which was recommended on lifehacker recently as the best directional antenna), point it in the direction of all your channels, and hopefully enjoy a bunch of TV.

> bestbuy employee

There's your problem. Also, they are NOT televisions per FCC, they are sold as monitors. And you can get any size you like of a TV. here's a 105 inch for $32,000 USD.

If you just want a tuner, go with iView 3500STBII, or a MediaSonic Homeworkx 180STB. both units are under $35 USD, and you can even use them as a DVR to record whatever you wish.

Plug in a 1TB USB 3.0 HDD, and ($49.95 at Walmart), and you'll have more TV than you could ever possibly want stored locally. You can also us the Iview as an offline media center, it will play almost any format you throw at it, (video, audio only, pictures). I've been using my 3500 for 2 years now, and I'm perfectly happy with it. It also descrambles ClearQAM signals too. :)

At 55 miles you need a roof mounted antenna to get your stations as you found out inside antennas most likely won't work well at all. All of your signals are pretty strong and LOS even at 55 miles all but one in the same direction which is good but as others have said you want a combo antenna that does both VHF(lo-hi) and UHF such as the CM-3020 HD8200XL or the ANT3038Z I believe they sell a very large RCA antenna similar at Menards for $94 the last time I looked but unsure of the the model just look for the largest box and similar price. These antennas are all 12ft long and if you need something more compact with similar performance there is the HD Stacker TV Antenna.

For a pre-amp the LNA-200 would probably work just fine and it is cheaper than the Channel Master 7777 preamp but you may not need it depending on how many tvs you have but if you have like 4-5 then a preamp is a good idea. You should also be able to use the existing cabling before used for direct tv and hook it into the antenna.

I got that in reverse: switching from built-in Sony tuner to HDHomerun Quatro, I got a lot better reception. Appears some tuners are more sensitive or better than others.

With 100 ft coax set up, you were lucky to not have required a pre-amp earlier.

Consider either of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQN3R9O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.channelmaster.com/Amplify_TV_Antenna_Preamplifier_p/cm-7777hd.htm

Regarding signal quality/strength on status page (per other comment), if you fall below 50% on either (esp. quality), expect pixelation/dropped signal.

Also, note that you can use the reported numbers in HDHR tuner status page to re-aim your antenna with a much higher degree of precision (quantative numbers vs. qualatative eye-balling). In my case, I used $3 iOS app Signal GB which gives read-out for multiple concurrent stations (up to your max number of tuners) for HDHR devices - pretty valuable if you are targeting more than one transmitter site.

I recommend an old fashioned Yagi Antenna for maximum gain.

The following Channel Master VHF Hi-Band and UHF Stealth antenna will serve you well, it’s well built, fairly inexpensive and should provide many years of continued usage.

Pixelated Picture? Get your Broadcast Signal Strength as close to 100% as possible add in a Weingard TV 20db gain Preamp.

https://www.amazon.com/Channel-Master-STEALTHtenna-CM3010HD-Antenna/dp/B00PKLOA7I

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-LNA-200-Preamplifier-Antenna-Amplifier/dp/B00DQN3R9O

Here is what is confusing me...

If you look at THIS

It says it has VHF and UHF, but only Channels 7-69.

The one you linked would work, but it's $130, and I was hoping to not have to drop that much out the gate.

I also wondered about something like THIS ONE It says 2-69. Obviously probably not quite as powerful... but based on what I can get with just something like This Cheap Thing I wondered if it might be enough.

What do you think? I need that channel 4 for sure, because... Football!

>Does that mean an indoor antenna would suffice for us?

Probably not, where I live it is hard to pickup stations from 20ish miles away with an indoor antenna.

>It would need to be UHF and VHF?

If you want to watch any of the stations with the "Real" channel number between 2-13 then yes. Below 7, you need to check the specs of the antenna to make sure it does full VHF (2-13) or "Low" and "High" VHF

>We live in a brick single family house, would the brick impact our ability to use an indoor antenna?

Yes, any obstacles will interfere with a signal. The degree depends on the thickness (I'm assuming you are talking about a brick facade house and not a true brick house that would be very thick) and number of walls the signal has to pass through.

>Looking at the 'bullseye' map, South side of our house is the best placement for an antenna? Or does that mean south facing?

You need to "point" your antenna south. An antenna like this RCA Yagi would probably do the job. You could start with it in the attic to see how that worked and move it outside if that didn't work too well.

Thanks! Haha I am lucky w/ that location! Isn't Leaf bad for VHF channels like channel 8 for Cleveland?

I am also looking at this one too http://www.amazon.com/Winegard-FreeVision-FV-30BB-HDTV-Antenna/dp/B003L76BJS/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

And this one as well http://www.amazon.com/Winegard-FL5500A-FlatWave-Amplified-Antenna/dp/B00BN5Z2WM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412477557&sr=8-2&keywords=Winegard+FlatWave+HDTV+Indoor+Digital+Flat+Antenna+amped

I have yet to try it, but supposedly this is the best antenna you can get (and it does the dishes too):

http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Thin-Leaf-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B004QK7HI8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345653956&sr=8-1&keywords=antenna

I'm seriously about 1 good excuse away from purchasing it (even though I won't get any more channels -- just some maybe better reception during the day)

The Prodigy is giant, I chose it because I personally love it, and it's a great case for a beginner to build in. You can also get away with a non-modular PSU for it, which drops the price quite a bit.

Here's my Steambox, which, when coupled with a good Xbox 360 controller, this keyboard, and this headset, it's almost like PC gaming.

Thank you for the suggestion. It is a bit better and gets WNTV, WMYA, WSPA, and WYFF so that is an improvement. I do not get WLOS or WHNS but it is still an improvement.

I ran some cable through the window and placed it outside and the results were the same so it doesn't look like I will get any advantage from putting it outside other than height which I will try when it stops storming this weekend.

In the meantime I have ordered this: https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-FreeVision-FV-30BB-Ultra-HD-High-VHF/dp/B003L76BJS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 and I will see if it gets similar results inside since this current one is huge and got a "That really ties the room together" from my wife when she saw it... haha If it doesn't do any better I will return it.

Buy an Intel NUC, some RAM, some kind of hard drive, that $30 Logitech keyboard + trackpad, and install OpenELEC. It takes all of five seconds to install and setup and it's awesome.

It'll run you about $200 or so total but should play anything you through at it.

Here's a guy using that exact setup to play some Hi10P anime

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZzSscRgyf8

Here's a link to the unit he's using, I believe:

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-DN2820FYKH-Celeron-N2820-support/dp/B00HVKLSVC

EDIT: Looks like my keyboard is more like $25

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Built-In-Multi-Touch/dp/B005DKZTMG

I live in the same general area as you do, and I get excellent OTA reception using this cheap antenna. I get excellent picture on CBS, NBC, ABC, and PHL17 (which had the MNF game on last night, as it was in market).

I have been using this converter box as a DVR to record live OTA tv. The menus are not very pretty but it works well. You have to supply your own storage, and recording takes up a lot of space (about 6 gb per hour). The picture is as good as watching live tv, and probably better than what I got with Comcast cable.

Hello, I am looking at one of these antennas and was hoping to get some opinions on what antenna would be best for me? Any help is greatly appreciated.

https://www.amazon.com/1byone-Amplified-HDTV-Antenna-Detachable/dp/B00IF70T4M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1485833437&sr=8-3&keywords=ota+antenna

Help from the more knowledgeable would be appreciated. I live in zip 23508--here's an AntennaWeb map of the area.

I've got a non-amplified [Mohu Leaf antenna] (http://www.amazon.com/Mohu-Leaf-Paper-Thin-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B004QK7HI8/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1405344490&sr=8-5&keywords=antenna) mounted in a first-floor window facing south. The antenna is connected via a 25-foot good quality coax to a Tivo box.

My reception is terrible. Lots of pixilation and audio dropouts.

My research led me to think that the Mohu Leaf was an adequate device for my situation. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

I've never heard of "ahere" as a manufacturer, so I suspect it's a marketing company rather than a company that actually makes and tests the antennas. You have gotten some nice suggestions for antennas people know to be good.

I had good luck with both my ChannelMaster CM4228, but it's large; probably too large for your attic. This ClearStream 4V didn't work as well for me for a very weak VHF station, but my brother in law is using it and likes it. They make a 60 mile version that is smaller and can probably fit in your attic space.

I think upofadown's suggestion for either a Winegard HD7694 or ChannelMaster CM-2018 are good choices. But they are 78" long, and they can be hard to fit into small spaces.

I put a ClearStream 4V in my attic and I've been pretty happy with it. I use a pre-amp with it since I'm running the cable through my basement, along the side of the house, then into the attic (rather than fishing wires through the attic). If your dish's coax runs through the attic/roof then it'd be even easier to tap into that line.

Obviously it would be ideal to have the least amount of obstructions as possible, so if roof-mounting is an option, you should go for it. Get a bigger oldschool antenna (like one of these) and you can probably mount it to the same pole or receiver as your dish.

You probably can't get everything on your list. WGRB is interesting though. From that reasonably strong transmitter on real ch 24 you could get:

45-1 24.3 1080i DD5.1 WCWN-HD CW "CW 15"
45-3 24.5 480i (w) DD5.1 WRGB-SD CBS "CBS 6" (WRGB 06-1)

So CBS in SD and CW in HD.

That's the easy stuff (you might even be able to use an indoor antenna). Everything else from your list is serious deep fringe reception with no guarantee of success.

Ref:

http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=wrgb

Added: I notice that you asked for an antenna suggestion. Rabbit ears are the time tested indoor solution. Here is an example of some cheap ones:

http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT111F-Basic-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B000HKGK8Y/

-Comcast Performance package. We typically averge around 25 Mbps

-Clearchannel 2 OTA antenna (looking to possibly change that)

-HDHomerun 2

-Apple Airport Express router

-Windows 7 machine running WMC and Plex Client/Server in the family room. Also running MCEBuddy to convert the WMC recordings so that the Plex server can read them

-Sanoxy WMC remote

-Logitech wireless keyboard/touchpad

-Apple TV 3 in the family room for Netflix, iTunes

-Apple TV 2 (jailbroken) with Plex client in my bedroom to watch shows recorded on the Win7 machine in the family room

-Roku in my stepdaughter's room with Plex to watch shows recorded on the Win7 machine in the family room

All in all it works pretty well. My only gripes are that it seems MCEBuddy is unreliable sometimes. Seems like it crashes occasionally and ends up not converting recorded shows. And the HDHomerun2 tuner doesn't appear to be up to snuff. With my current antenna I can get pretty good reception on the upstairs TV in my bedroom with the coax plugged right in to the TV. Downstairs, with the HDHomerun2 tuner the VHF reception is very spotty sometimes. Same antenna, just different tuners. Not sure what to think about.

I only have experience with 2 different antennas that have worked (I've bought a bunch which didn't)

my gf has a fool report similar to yours, I bought her a cheap monoprice antenna and it sits in her office. Works nice. Drives 3 tvs. But with your potential, I'd get a better one to get all the channels you can.


I have a really shitty report, and I use this shitty antenna in my attic, and it works pretty well. Drives 4 TVs. I will probably be upgrading to a roof mount next summer.

an indoor antenna will be subject to a lot of other things, like are you in an apartment with many walls between you and source, are you behind a big building, hills, trees, etc. in any case, I'd definitely try another model before giving up. good luck!

It all depends on how strong your signal is. Each time you split it, you lose power (some lost in the splitter, some goes one way, some goes the other).

They are all home-runs to a single 9-way splitter?

You'll likely need to get an amplifier as the signal from an antenna is usually weaker than than from a cable feed. I can't seem to find 10-way splitters (which makes sense... it's splitting it in half each time 2-4-8) Here's an 8-way that looks reasonable. Here's a slightly more expensive one with a higher gain and a metal case. You could probably use a passive 2-way splitter before this to get your 9th port successfully. Make sure if you have any unused ports that you slap a terminator on the end of it.

If you can mount the antenna on the exterior of the house it will give you much better reception than in an attic. I was able to reuse an old Dish Network mount on my house, but that will all depend on where you have clean line-of-sight to the tower. Higher mounts and bigger antennas equal more signal. If you're marginal you may also be able to use a preamp to help pull the channels in.

That's good information regarding WBKI/WMYO. Definitely solves one of my problems.

Between the HD7694P and CM-2018 which one would be "better" (I know that word is usually subjective) for my situation?

Is the Extreme Broadband BDS104h a decent splitter?

If I do need to add a preamp would one of these two be acceptable?
Winegard LNA-200 Boost XT

Channel Master CM-7778

Thanks again!

Right now I use this in the window of the lowest floor of my house. And this on the main level. They both work pretty well when setup outdoors, but i get nothing if they are inside. This is why I want a dedicated antenna outdoors. I don't think I need a particularly strong antenna for the stations I want to get, and I wanted something that won't be too large. This is my TV fool report. I am only really interested in FOX, NBC, CBS, and ABC.

I suppose it depends on the service provider, but I've always used Motorola Surfboard modems with my Comcast service. I recently purchased this sb6121, but would probably just recommend saving the money and getting a basic one like this sb5101u.

I purchased the former with the hope of future proofing and maximum performance for gaming, but I doubt it will ever make a serious difference. My gain was 1mb as per www.speedtest.net over the one I had been renting. $7 savings a month, it will be paid off in ~1yr.

Just noticed this thread right after I made a post about this. below is my original post:

So I just cancelled my cable after they doubled my cable bill and now I am trying to figure everything out. It took all weekend and part of Monday but I think I have managed to get sickbeard, couch potato and SABnzb all set up and functioning! I have everything streaming to our tv's with Rokus and the PLEX app. Now I need to tackle OTA to prepare for football season.

Here is my TVfool report: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3de1c67178617b76

All I really need to get are ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX.

Do you think I will be ok with an RCA standard indoor antenna (http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT111-Basic-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B000HKGK8Y/) or should I get something else. Is there anything else I will need that I am forgetting? Any advice is welcome. Thanks!

You aren't out of luck with those channels but you will need an outdoor antenna with possibly some height to it. An amp might not be a bad idea either. I pick up several stations like this with an antenna 20 feet in the air, with an amp split to 4 TVs.

This is the antenna I use: Winegard HD7694P High Definition VHF/UHF Antenna https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DFTGR4

But I would go with the bigger model if you can, just make sure it is VHF and UHF.

I can't speak on the DVR too much as I have tried several options from the channel master dvr to the tablo but ended up going with a HTPC with 3 tuners, NextPVR and Plex for viewing anywhere. That's an advanced solution though.

There are a few options out there, Motorola's are consistently rated very highly. I've linked to one here that supports up to a 172 mbps downstream, but doesn't have a built in wireless router (you would have to plug in a wireless router to access the internet wirelessly). There are also a few options to pick from that include wireless routers, and/or support faster speeds if you need it (it won't make your existing connection faster though, it just supports a higher level of bandwidth).

https://smile.amazon.com/SURFboard-SB6121-DOCSIS-Retail-Packaging/dp/B004XC6GJ0

This would be a good option if you want a built-in wifi router:

https://smile.amazon.com/SURFboard-SBG6782AC-DOCSIS-AC1800-Router/dp/B00GJ7Y7MU

You will have to call Comcast to provision the modem (basically just read them the MAC Address on the bottom of the modem and wait a few minutes). I've done this twice, and it's been straightforward. You can always just tell them that you don't like the idea of hosting a public hotspot (which you do if you have a Comcast modem with built in wifi-- it broadcasts on SSID "xfinitywifi" and is accessible by anyone that has a Comcast subscription).

I have Winegard Flatwave antenna:
https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-FlatWave-FL-5000-High-VHF-Ultra-Thin/dp/B0063705PE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1539375572&sr=8-5&keywords=wineguard+flatwave
It works very well.
As the other poster mentioned, get a Roku, it has the most content. Look at the shows you watch most, then check which services offer the best value for you. You have lots of options that will save you money.

This is my report and I'm using this antenna in my attic. KCPQ (Fox) is hit or miss sometimes and Kiro (CBS) doesn't come in for me. I get all the other channels I'm interested in my area. My antenna works pretty good for my setup minus the previous missed channels listed. Hope that points you in a direction that's useful.

I wanted to say thank you for your help and guidance on this. After reading about those antennas you listed, and I found another guide on reddit about what all of the stuff on TV Fool actually means, I decided to try out an RCA Yagi antenna from Amazon. I hooked it up this morning and it brought all of the channels in, including the VHF-High Fox that I couldn't get with the others. I just put it on the floor in my bedroom and the signal quality and % were anywhere from the 70s to 90s. Once I get it installed in the attic I'm sure it will be pretty rock solid. Anyway, thanks a ton. For anyone else that stumbles on this thread, here is the antenna I ended up purchasing and is working for me: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024R4B5C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Agreed. I bought this one on the recommendation of someone in this sub, and I have been pleasantly surprised.

Also, it may just be in my head, but I think the tuner in it is better than the built in tuner in my TV. The Signal Meter is a really nice feature. I know most TVs have it built in, buy mine doesn't.

I have this ant751 .

I pick up two stations without pixelation that are over 50 miles out - 2edge and pretty much everything in between - I believe that is the limit of this antenna but its a pretty good limit. There are only two high vhf stations (12 & 13) in my area and this picks them both up.

I'd say if you are looking for much more than 40 miles of coverage you'll want to invest more.

Don't amplify. This works great for me connected to three tvs at once:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003L76BJS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You're in a pretty good location to get most of the stations available without much trouble.

This is pretty interesting and I haven't seen it before. From what I'm gathering, its like how we used to use VCRs? Plug in channel, start time, end time or just press record.

This look like what you are referring to, right? http://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HW-150PVR-HomeWorx-Converter-Recording/dp/B00I2ZBD1U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1404868855&sr=8-2&keywords=Homeworx

Thanks for the information! I hadn't noticed that ABC was also on that band. Only at 720p, but that's the best I can seem to get for most of the stations in central IL.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KVUAGU - I picked up this Mediasonic Homeworx antenna about 3 years ago as a quick test to see what would be possible, but now I'm looking to get more serious about cutting out Comcast and switching fully to a fiber internet solution with an antenna (and probably a Tablo once I figure out the antenna situation.)

I guess I could pick up something a bit more expensive and see how the stations come in. Right now reception isn't that great, but I'm attributing that to the antenna being on the west side of the house and maybe 2ft above floor level due to mounting issues.

EDIT: I was planning on getting the antenna "just right" then focusing on picking up a 4-channel Tablo around Black Friday. I have a closet with an east-facing window that I could plug in the Tablo and the antenna. It'd all be out of the way and a LOT simpler than trying to route coax from the attic to the basement (where most of my network infrastructure is). I'm liking the indoor antenna option a lot more now!

I have not installed an outdoor antenna yet but plan to in the near future. The two amps I’m looking at are the RCA and Windguard. They seem to get great review. I plan to go with one of the two.

Winegard LNA-200 Boost XT HDTV Preamplifier, TV Antenna Amplifier Signal Booster, HD Digital VHF UHF Amplifier https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DQN3R9O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_uifrDbZRKT87J

RCA TVPRAMP1Z Preamplifier for Outdoor Antenna https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003P92D9Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CkfrDbTS5QNPV

OP here - just letting you all know what I bought and how it's working out...

1. Homeworx HW-150PVR ATSC Digital TV Converter Box with Media Player and Recording PVR Function/HDMI Out
   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I2ZBD1U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   
2. Homeworx HW110AN Super Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna
   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KVUAGU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   
3. Any old USB hard drive -- I had a 500gb one laying around.
   
   Reception great, does exactly what I wanted.
   
   GOODBYE TIME WARNER !!!!
   

Since most channels your parents want are in SF, I'd point that way. Just about any antenna will do. This one is popular and looks reasonably weatherproof. RCA ANT751E

Ideally an antenna that works in two directions would be best. Or two of the above antennas joined with this (or similar). Joiner

Do you have a window that faces north and a line of sight to the horizon through that window? If so, you can place a VHF/UHF antenna in that window and receive most, if not all of the stations in the green except you may not receive 33 (ION) and 42 (Ind, Christian stations) because they come from the east.

Winegard FlatWave

Winegard FreeVision

Both of these antennas are good choices and will receive both VHF-Hi and UHF. I got slightly better reception with the FreeVision antenna but it is thicker and not really easy to mount on a window/wall but you can build a stand for it out of a dowel rod and a small piece of wood. You can purchase these antennas at Home Depot which I find is easier to return items to. You can purchase both, see which gets the better reception and then return the other. You will need a coaxial cable to connect the FreeVision to your TV, the FlatWave comes with a ~15foot long cable attached to the antenna.

Lenovo handheld gets good reviews, and is only ~$40 because it's always on sale. The backlight in the newest version probably helps. The new version also uses an optical trackpad, like newer Blackberrys.

I use a Logitech K400 which is a little smaller than a normal keyboard but much bigger than a remote, but I like the trackpad a lot. Works on PC/Mac/Linux plug and play, even the multimedia buttons.

I got a Winegard atenna and it was much stronger than my old signal. It is just sitting on my window and it doesn't seem nearly as sensitive as the cheaper antennas I was buying. There are a few channels I don't get, but way more than before - and perfect quality. I may try putting it on the roof to increase my signal.

This is the model i got:

http://www.amazon.com/Winegard-FreeVision-FV-30BB-HDTV-Antenna/dp/B003L76BJS/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1463024570&sr=1-9&keywords=winegard

this is ABSOLUTELY the best way to go. I've listed my cable modem and router below. The router is pretty heavy duty, you could absolutely get a cheaper Wireless-N Router without sacraficing much, or any, quality. Just understand that you need to router because the cable modem is JUST a modem.

• ARRIS / Motorola SB6121 SURFboard DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem - $55 refurb
  
• ASUS RT-N66U Dual-Band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router - $125 refurb

If your Cable Modem is not DOCSIS 3.0, look at the following two choices:
http://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-Motorola-SB6121-SURFboard-DOCSIS/dp/B004XC6GJ0/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1404748033&sr=1-2&keywords=sb6141

http://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-Motorola-SurfBoard-SB6141-DOCSIS/dp/B00AJHDZSI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1404748033&sr=1-1&keywords=sb6141

For Wireless Routers, honestly 2.4GHz N150 or N300 is all you need at this time. If you want to have use for Wireless-AC at some point, get the lowest AC wireless router. Something like this would be ok for a need of AC routing: http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Dual-Band-Wireless-Router-RT-AC56U/dp/B00DES2FQW/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1404748171&sr=1-4

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com has excellent resources on wireless routers. The first thing to learn is nearly all devices are 1 steam (i.e., you'll never see 1.9 GB/s speeds). They will explain a lot about N150, N300, AC(1200,1900,etc...). I personally am using a 5+ year old Cisco N150 wireless router and am probably still not hitting max speeds it can produce due to how cellphones/roku's/etc utilize so little of the available bandwidth.

If you have an old "rabbit ears" style antenna (like this one), the loop is for UHF, the two extendable poles are for VHF. The main reason one would get separate ones, is in the case of fringe reception where they want antennas dedicated to the different bands to get the best possible signal. But for your location that is overkill.

If you wanted to try something slightly better than the Mohu, you could try a Winegard FreeVision. It could also be mounted outside (or in the attic) if it doesn't get good enough reception indoors. But isn't too big that it would look out of place if it works indoors.

Thanks for the reply.

I'm going with this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HKGK8Y/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I live like less than 2 miles from Sutro Tower which broadcasts like all the channels so I think it'll get the job done with ease for way less.

This is a tougher question to answer than I expected. Based on Amazon customer Q&A and review information (so take with a grain of salt), you get slightly different and conflicting information. Regardless, it appears the differences have to be subtle. Worse case scenario: order the cheapest one you can mind from a RETURN-FRIENDLY store. If it doesn't work as well as you'd hoped, you can easily return. My favorites are Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot, personally, in terms of return-friendliness, but it might depend on your location.

As a side note, I actually just ordered the 751E from Amazon yesterday, so I can update this if I found out anything useful. But I ordered it via the "no-rush shipping" so it wouldn't be until next week :(.

​

Q: what is 751 or 751r
A: The RCA ANT751 and ANT751R are the same antenna. The additional letter at the end of the model number stands for a packaging design change.

​

Q: how is this 751R compare to the newer 752Z and 751Z?
A: The difference between the ANT751R and ANT751Z is just different packaging. There is no difference in product.
The ANT752Z requires more assembly than the ANT751Z/R.

​

Q: Did your box read ANT751R was this the new model that is tuned up to channel 51?
A: Yes, the ANT751R is the retuned version of the 751, corresponding to the DTV frequency span established after the 2009 analog-to-digital conversion. If you read the description, you will see that this is the newer design.

​

Q: What is a recognizable feature that distinguishes the model RCA751R from the RCA751? There is a history of customers being scammed by other distributors from the sale of this product by being charged for the upgraded version (RCA751R) but receiving the cheaper version (RCA751). Other than assuming price dictates this…
A: 751r comes with a signal booster(amplifier) and coax cable.

I'm not the OP but have the same question. Here's my TVF report:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3de1c62ef3ee4fad

Do I need something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT111F-Basic-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B000HKGK8Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405354053&sr=8-1&keywords=set+top+antenna

...or this:

http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT122F-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B005QCD0GS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405354053&sr=8-2&keywords=set+top+antenna

...or this:

http://www.amazon.com/Homeworx-HW110AN-Super-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B008KVUAGU/ref=pd_cp_e_0

?

Thanks for your help in advance!!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024R4B5C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

I had great success with this antenna. My stations (all 28 available) are spread all around me. This antenna picked them all up, with the farthest away being GPB (PBS) 43 miles.

Purchasing this one and will see how it works out!

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-Platinum-HD7694P-Ultra-HD-High-VHF/dp/B001DFTGR4

Thanks again for your help. Really appreciate it!

Vizio is doing that with some of their units these days. The trick is, instead of labeling them as "televisions", they're "home theater displays". In order to use your OTA TV with them, you'll need a DVR or converter box.

The Mediasonic Homeworx or iView 3500STBII will probably be the cheapest point of entry here. As a bonus, if you attach external storage to them, you'll get some (very basic) DVR functionality. If you don't mind spending more, devices like the Tivo Roamio OTA or Channel Master DVR+ will give you a very robust DVR experience, with multiple tuners, series recordings, etc.

Yeah, I think I might go with the kind that have both the rabbit ears and the loop like this one. Hopefully the rabbit ears will help me pick up the VHF channels.

I have a very old version of this antenna in my attic. Your TvFool looks better than mine. Point it due South. Good luck!

I got this for $6, non-amplified, 25 mile range. Very happy with it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008KVUAGU/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1451193056&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=antenna&dpPl=1&dpID=51prhQ0icML&ref=plSrch


There are a lot of instructions for homemade antennas if you feel crafty.


Tvfool.com is a great resource to figure out exactly what your needs will be based upon your address. (Distance, direction, elevation, ect)

You have a couple of options for that:

1. Build or buy an HTPC. It's basically a computer that you connect to your TV and control with a wireless keyboard and mouse like this. I personally use this setup.
   
   
2. You can also get Android powered set top boxes that work just like Android phones, so you can get all the apps that you can get on Kindle. This is the closest to what you're looking for. The GBox Midnight seems to be the favored device for that.
   

Can confirm that the ClearStream 4 is as good as it gets for an indoor antenna. But, you might want a pre-amp also. Here's what you need:

https://smile.amazon.com/ClearStream-Indoor-Outdoor-HDTV-Antenna/dp/B001BRXW74?sa-no-redirect=1

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003P92D9Y/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The amp helps you pick up a few extra channels, as it does for me in a rural area. You can get some coax and jack into your existing cable system if you want to, or re-wire as you see fit.

I bought a Leaf antenna off of Amazon and that thing has been amazing. It's very subtle and barely notice it if you stick it close to a window or something. I get full HD channels for all the major broadcast channels (and PBS) and a ton of local channels. $40 on Amazon right now.
http://www.amazon.com/Mohu-Leaf-Paper-Thin-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B004QK7HI8

Paired it with a signal booter (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008NC8IB0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and have had zero signal issues. Disclaimer, we do live in the middle of a large city which might help.

I got one of these and it's honestly just as good as my other, powered antenna that I've been using for years. I honestly was not expecting that to be the case.

If you decide to go with an amplifier, here's the one I went with. I'm quite happy with it, and it's made of porcelain or some other robust material that can handle the heat. It's powered with an adapter that delivers through coax, so you can plug it in at a distance from the splitter if necessary. If you get it, or something like it, just remember to get the little terminators for any of the lines you're not going to connect.

Tried removing the amplifier - - got zero channels.

We actually also bought a newer antenna. Do you think if I went through with the hassle of installing on the roof, we might get better reception? Or is it likely to be same result as now?

New antenna model here: https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-FreeVision-FV-30BB-Ultra-HD-High-VHF/dp/B003L76BJS

Barring that, my next step would be to try the lte filter.

Thanks again for your help.

I spent $45 or so for the RCA attic/outdoor antenna and it works great and I get all of the channels you mentioned with perfect quality. Here is the antenna.

You should be looking at the Arris/Motorola SB series.

SB6121 supports up to 172Mbps down 131Mbps up.
SB6141 steps up to 343Mbps max down.

Both are compatible with Comcast.

My recommended router is the Asus RT-N66U because it's pretty much the best bang for the buck router out there. It was a steal at $199 and with the AC routers pushing the price point down, this is the one you want at $120.

> A keyboard/mouse has no place in a living room. Remotes were made for a reason

Agree. But I went this direction for my living room HTPC controller. Logitech K400 Wireless Touch Keyboard, Black. Because I like to surf on my couch also. And it was cheaper then a PC remote. http://lifehacker.com/5501010/enhance-your-xbmc-experience-with-remote-controls-for-any-device

Smartphone users can use an remote app to work with there XBMC setup.

And I agree with your HD opinion.

Thanks for your feedback. To help others to cut the cord.

http://www.antennaweb.org/

It looks like you'll want a multi-directional, but this site will give you a recommendation for what type of antenna to get.

To do it right, you'll also want to just drop the money on the amplifier (like this) and powered splitter (like this) as well. You'll obviously get better reception outside, but mine seems to work just fine in the attic.

Quick edit: By the way, that site gives you the recommendation when you click on the station colored boxes that actually say the color in them.

I bought the Homeworx PVR. Works well, HDMI output, connect an External HD to it and its perfect. Really depends on your antenna though, i had to buy a better one to get more channels to record. Box only cost $50.00

http://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HW-150PVR-HomeWorx-Converter-Recording/dp/B00I2ZBD1U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422039899&sr=8-1&keywords=pvr

Here's mine: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3de1c6b937685bb3

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I haven't purchased an antenna yet as I'm completely new to this. Some background: I live in Manhattan in an apartment building so I'm assuming I can pick up some strong signals?

I've done some research... Will the Leaf Metro suffice or should I get the Leaf 30 (or something else entirely)? http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Thin-Leaf-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B004QK7HI8

I bought [this] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FVVKQM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1) "multi-directional" antenna made by Channel Master last month from Amazon. I live between Milwaukee and Chicago (approx. 42 miles to each city) and the antenna claimed to have a 180 degree span (with an 80 mile reach). It does indeed pull stations from both places...87 channels in fact. Many are repeated, as both cities provide a lot of the same stations, but it's nice to be able to get news from both places. I would highly recommend this antenna.

Okay, so here's the thing. Flat antennas like that Terk and the Mohu leaf are terrible at receiving VHF frequencies. It's not what they're made for.

Back in 2009, when the US made the switch to digital, the majority of broadcast stations switched over to UHF frequencies, while some were allowed to stay in VHF-Hi. This means, that for most people, a flat indoor antenna will get all the channels they want. UHF is easy to receive on small, simple antennae. While for some people, like you, the channel you want is in the VHF-Hi frequency, which requires a completely different design.

If you really want an indoor antenna, you should look at the Winegard Freevision. It is designed to receive both frequencies fairly well and with your proximity, you should have no problem with the channels you want.

I hope this helps!

Facepalm. This antenna...

Yes, all connections are tight and secure. Hasn't moved. Rescanned and all we can get is CBS. Rescanned on both tv and the Roamio, hoping one would do better than the other.

And yeah, Fairpoint. So f'ing sick of them. Cannot wait...$30 a month for gigabit, when I'm over $100 a month for avg 4 down/.75 up.

I recently put this antenna on a shelf in my attic (coupled with an amp) and pointed it towards my local towers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0024R4B5C

Pretty good for the price, has worked well for me. It's not that big (you don't need to attach the big grey mounting rod) and allows me to pick up my local VHF-High and UHF stations.

Those channels are Hi-VHF (channels 7-13 in the "Real" column. Note that for those, a simple rabbit ears antenna will likely be at least as good as the more expensive and less unobtrusive antenna I chose for myself, below.

After going through a series of bad decisions, trying to improve my antenna situation, I "discovered" that basically anything with an amplifier is pure marketing. Aim to get your gain increased through directionality in the antenna, not electronic. My best results, in a small(er) antenna that won't too ridiculous indoors, was the ClearStream 2V:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007RH5GZI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's not as unobtrusive as the Leaf 50, but you should have better results, especially for CW, PBS and Fox, which are in the Hi-VHF band for you.

You need an antenna.

Boston should have some great channels if you're near the city. Enjoy.

I was 45 miles away and got this antenna and it worked perfectly in my attic. I would run a TVFool and see if you really need a tower. I then got a Tivo OTA with lifetime and a couple Tivo mini's and my house is ready to go. No reason to go back to sat unless that is what you want, there are many other options like many have showed here.

https://www.amazon.com/ClearStream-Indoor-Outdoor-Antenna-Mount/dp/B007RH5GZI

With the older version of this antenna and this Preamplifier I get NYC channels most days and mid-NJ and Albany sometimes. NYC is 90 miles from my house in CT. The further afield channels are 100+ miles. And it's not even mounted outdoors. It's in my attic at slightly above sea level elevation. I also run a filter for FM frequencies.

YMMV of course, but that's my experience with it. Not sure if the new version is better or worse than the older one I have. Haven't had a need to try it.

Good luck!

I would opt for a preamplifier over a distribution amplifier. Doing amplification at the antenna generally works better by amplifying when the SNR is best. Then do a single split. Here is the one I use:

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-LNA-200-Boost-Digital-Preamplifier/dp/B00DQN3R9O

It really depends on where you live and whats around your house. I live about 10 miles from most of the major antennas and don't have much elevation to compete with. I get about 20 good signal channels, most of them in HD. I am using this antenna and just put it on some of the beams in my attic:
http://www.amazon.com/Terk-Amplified-High-Definition-Antenna-Reception/dp/B0007MXZB2

Its worth a few hours of your time to give it a try. If it doesnt work as you hoped, just return the antenna to the store or amazon for your money back.

Would something like this work? I only ask because I can pick it up at my nearby radioshack? Thank you for your help, by the way.

This is the amp I bought from amazon last year: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000WDR94U/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got it for $29.90 but it has worked awesome. Our house is pre wired for all rooms so the antenna is outside and feeding inside the house on one line. Plug into splitter and bingo, video on all tvs in the house.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the train track is immediately, almost exactly, to the southwest. The trains are certainly more of an issue than the planes. I was contemplating setting this one up on a roof or a post: http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT751-Durable-Compact-Outdoor/product-reviews/B0024R4B5C/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_summary?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=byRankDescending

most states have laws that require landlords to allow tenants to mount roof antennas on request. Check with yours.

Either that or a Mohu leaf is a pretty good indoor one

This is what I use for that and it's great. Range is good as long as there's nothing in between you and the receiver.

Umm.. a paperclip? Maybe a coat hanger :) You're signals are blazing. I'd say just about any omni-directional low-gain antenna would work for you.

Something like this if you have space for a pole mount.

probably doesn't even have to be that expensive though like this

i use this [amazon] indoor antenna and it works great. and use this [tvfool] to point the antenna in the optimal direction

I live in a brick house and have tried these 3 antennas with varying results
http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Ultra-Thin-Amplified-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B00DIFIP06/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425590560&sr=8-2&keywords=amazon+basic+antenna

http://www.amazon.com/TERK-Amplified-Indoor-HDTV-Antenna/dp/B0007MXZB2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425590646&sr=8-1&keywords=terk+antenna

http://www.amazon.com/RCA-Indoor-FM-HDTV-Antenna/dp/B000HKGK8Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425590674&sr=8-2&keywords=RCA+antenna

I found that the cheap $10 RCA rabbit ears worked just as well as the more expensive ones. All 3 had difficulty bringing in a consistent broadcast of NBC but that probably has to do with where I'm located. If you don't mind the eye sore aesthetics I'd go with the RCA and then work your way up price wise if it doesn't bring in the channels you want. The TERK is an eye sore as well and has balance issues. The feet at the bottom aren't wide enough to balance the thick dipole antennas. And the amazon basics 50 mile high gain model didn't perform any better for the price difference in my circumstances.

Yes, it's a great idea!

1. Yes, you sure can. Just make sure it's compatible with the new ISP. Generally any modem you pick up at a store (Best Buy, WalMart, Amazon, wherever) is gonna be compatible with the giant telecoms like Comcast, ATT, Cox, etc.
   
   
2. That depends on what package you're getting, but generally the Motorola modems are rock solid. The 6121 and 6141 are really highly regarded modems.
   
   
3. The main advantage is that you won't be paying a modem rental fee to your ISP (comcast is horrible about this). And what you mentioned about being able to take it with you when you move.

Thanks for your help guys I'm thinking I need a roof mounted antenna and need to get the DC channels. I see that these are recommended with in the antenna guide Xtreme Signal HDB8X-NI 8-Bay VHF/UHF HDTV Channel Master CM-4228HD High VHF, UHF and HDTV Antenna will one of these work?

Yeah, I think you're over-complicating things. Just get a decent outdoor antenna. Unhook the cable from the dish. Take the dish off the mast. Mount the antenna to the mast. Hook cable up to the antenna. Enjoy your OTA tv.

If you need to amplify it like you said in your title, get one of these

Any recommendations on the attic antenna? Pricing is all over the board (anywhere from $40 - $140). Any main features I need to look for?

Here are a couple of the best reviewed ones on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Antennas-Direct-ClearStream4-HDTV-Antenna/dp/B001BRXW74/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371643822&sr=8-1&keywords=attic+antenna

http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT751R-Outdoor-Optimized-Reception/dp/B0024R4B5C/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1371643822&sr=8-4&keywords=attic+antenna

I bought one of these...

very very happy with the results. It helps I'm withing 15 miles of towers

http://i.imgur.com/CBXemYx.png

Tvfool.com seems to think you should be able to get quite a few OTA channels. You're 30 miles away from your stations, where as I'm only 16 miles or so. But again, tvfool thinks you can get them. This is what I bought and mounted on my roof. I got almost no signal from my living room, but when I ran the coaxial and mounted it on the roof I instantly got 30+ channels. I know it's a pain to do returns, and I definitely wouldn't get one from Amazon, do it at a local store like Wal-Mart so you can easily return it. Do you know any neighbors that can get a signal? Maybe you're in a valley. Put your exact coordinates in tvfool and it will be able to tell you.

It won't be behind the TV if you have it wall mounted, but maybe you could hide it behind the stand below the TV. I've had good luck with the Winegard . Plus it's got VHF and UHF reception. I just built a little base / stand with a dowel and a piece of 2x4 and zip-tied it so it stands on its own.

Logitech K400 is more of a small-sized keyboard rather than mini, but is great for the living room if you need something you can actually type on.

Mounting on the roof has been a thought of mine, as has putting a more powerful antenna up there. I guess my hesitation/confusion is to why it worked so well for 2 months and then suddenly I lost 1 channel. Before I get up to the roof and mount it, I would want to figure out what changed so 2 more months from now I'm not changing out another antenna.
As opposed to putting up a higher performance antenna or even roof mounting it, what about adding a preamp? I'm not 100% clear on their benefits or if my situation would call for one, but I had seen it suggested to others on this sub. It seems I would need to run power up to my attic, but would that create any benefits or would that not really help anything? I've seen this one thrown around on this sub a lot https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-LNA-200-Preamplifier-Antenna-Amplifier/dp/B00DQN3R9O.

Ahh ok. So could I just buy the cheapo rca brand bunny ears that are like $8 from amazon and use them? Also, would it make sense or be helpful if I used a splitter and used both antennas or will the rca ones be able to get it all?

I will probably run out to target or somewhere to get it, but I didn’t know if that worked either. I’ll check google when I get a chance too.

Here is the one I have in my attic: https://www.amazon.com/RCA-Compact-Outdoor-Antenna-Range/dp/B0024R4B5C/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1499785614&sr=8-3&keywords=rca+antenna

Works great. It took me a couple days to figure out the best spot to mount it up there to pick up the most transmissions. I'm in a newer house with radiant barrier applied to the underside of the roof decking so the attic kills most signals because of that barrier. Even with that issue, I can still get about 20 stations from that RCA antenna I linked.

I bought the RCA ANT751 compact outdoor antenna and mounted it to an old dish mount that was on my garage. The bracket that came with it worked perfect. It gets a great signal. I live about 45 miles from the broadcast antenna. $45.98 with Prime. No power needed. Just coax, obviously.

Is this for OTA?

Homeworx has a couple models that are cheap and will tune ATSC. Some even record (although things can get buggy on that front).

I have had a fairly positive experience with this model:

http://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HW-150PVR-HomeWorx-Converter-Recording/dp/B00I2ZBD1U

I bought it to tinker with and ended up permanently lending it to a family member who could put it to better use.

I'm not a huge fan of it streaming OTA to myTV.

I was hoping for something more like this.

Any idea if that one is capable of live tv streaming or if there are similar ones that are?

I got a wireless keyboard with built in touch pad for the mouse. It works great and is slightly smaller than your normal keyboard but still easy to type with. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DKZTMG/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

i've tried a bunch and overall this has worked best. the only downfall is that its an odd piece of equipment to have sitting around, so if you have somewhere to hide it great.

Check this out

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IYETYX8/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bought it, used it, works great! Exactly what you are looking for an only $30!!!!

Thanks!

While looking at Channel Master, found this one.
Channel Master 4228

How does this rank among those other recommendations?

Right now the Clearstream is on first floor behind tv.

If I go with one of these attic ones, will that get me PBS and most of the other channels on that list?

Anything else to recommend? I have to wire out of attic for two TVs.

If it does NOT look like an antenna, then it is not. Sooooo many people get fooled by how the thing "looks pretty" but real antennas don't look pretty. They look like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Channel-Master-CM-4228HD-High-Antenna/dp/B000FVVKQM

And this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007RGG842

BTW hope you returned the antenna to the guy and left a 1-star review. Why? Because this antenna is rated "yellow" which is 10-15 mile range..... NOT 50.