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Old 07-10-2013, 04:23 PM
 
30 posts, read 35,563 times
Reputation: 33

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So I dropped comcast a few months ago and just kept their internet service. I get Amazon Prime Instant Video & Netflix anyways, and combined that with an antenna facing north towards DC on my 14th floor and my own local media server, and it's mostly great. My biggest issues have been some wonky wifi with one of my older google tv boxes in my bedroom, but my TV has built in smartapps and works wonderfully. I get about 53 channels (probably 30 in HD) via the OTA, but some of them are repeats of networks from Baltimore. Interestingly enough, even though I'm in Virginia and facing DC, I tend to get better signals from some of the Baltimore stations.. go figure. I have learned that their local crime is worse than ours!
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Old 07-10-2013, 05:04 PM
 
1,256 posts, read 4,194,278 times
Reputation: 791
> ...with an antenna facing north towards DC...

What type of antenna from where?
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Old 07-10-2013, 06:00 PM
 
30 posts, read 35,563 times
Reputation: 33
Quote:
Originally Posted by sullyguy View Post
> ...with an antenna facing north towards DC...

What type of antenna from where?
I ordered these two:
Amazon.com: Terk Technology HDTVi VHF/UHF HDTV Indoor Antenna: Electronics
Amazon.com: Mohu Leaf Paper-Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna - Made in USA: Electronics

with the idea to send the one I didn't like back. I became too lazy and now I use the flat one in my bedroom and the one that takes up more space in my living room. They're both right near the floor, and only one faces a window. I'm up on a pretty high floor (slightly higher than any floor in DC itself) and facing north towards the city, near the king street metro.
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Old 07-10-2013, 06:24 PM
 
262 posts, read 840,924 times
Reputation: 69
Buy a cheap compass (e. g. plastic one at Walmart that might cost a buck or two), and if you don't mind having a long run of RG6 cable in apartment to get better reception, from Monoprice.com Coaxial Cables - Video Cable - Monoprice.com after you've done some preliminary testing with the 10 ft coax cable included with Mohu.

TV Fool and compass can help you start, but it really ends up being trial and error to find best place in apartment to place antenna and direction to point antenna.
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Old 07-11-2013, 05:17 AM
 
1,256 posts, read 4,194,278 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by _Diogenes_ View Post
I ordered these two:...
Thanks - I don't think either of those would work in my house due to that farady cage.


I think your location - that high - is probably just about ideal for reception - sheer envy on my part...
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Old 07-11-2013, 08:19 AM
 
437 posts, read 1,228,634 times
Reputation: 239
Quote:
Originally Posted by sullyguy View Post
Thanks - I don't think either of those would work in my house due to that farady cage.


I think your location - that high - is probably just about ideal for reception - sheer envy on my part...
Sullyguy, it sounds like you just need to get an antenna in your attic. Or two as you suggested. You might find that the position of your neighboring house doesn't matter, the compass direction for close-in suburbs is really more of a starting point to getting your best signal.

I've been using OTA for years and you can't beat the price. I found that a good, amplified bunny-ear unit works about as well as a larger indoor/outdoor, so I'd suggest you test out a simple indoor unit first. This is for close-in, attic use - YMMV of course. And for the record there really aren't any "digital TV"-signal antennas specifically, any TV antenna works if your TV can read digital signals. So the unit you get doesn't need to have "digital" plastered all over it.

I have also found that some Virginia stations, notably WETA, have weaker signals than some Maryland stations. Once you get an antenna up there you'll see that you will get some channels you don't expect and don't get good signals for ones you do, and it takes a bit of tweaking.
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Old 07-11-2013, 10:11 AM
 
1,256 posts, read 4,194,278 times
Reputation: 791
Quote:
Originally Posted by bornindc View Post
Sullyguy, it sounds like you just need to get an antenna in your attic.
Yeah, 'fraid so. There are a lot of antennas out there...and antenna designs. Yesterday I actually copied one of the youtube-shown antennas made with paperclips and a CD case (!) and held it by each TV (cable attached) and was able to get 6 or 7 channels (all WNVT - same transmitter) so that was somewhat humorous. I've begun wire cutting to make one of the more normal (and more powerful relative to the CD case...) DB4-type antennas:



easy to build and apparently very good at reception; I could buy one, of course ($50-$100-ish), but have the idle time to goof off so thought I'd try making one first. It will be tried in the rooms with the TVs but I suspect the house shielding will pretty much require attic mounting. The aiming direction is one computed by TV Fool and, fortunately, actually says aim BETWEEN the two neighboring houses on that side for the channels we're most interested in (yay!).

If I actually need to mount one outside (HOA be damned! (*)) I'd get a presentable commercial one. But in the attic something homegrown is fine (and satisfying if it actually works!).

=========

(*) The FCC has stated in a nice regulatory manner that HOAs cannot stop someone from mounting an external antenna...
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Old 07-11-2013, 10:28 AM
 
262 posts, read 840,924 times
Reputation: 69
Terrestrial Digital also makes a DB-8: Antennas Direct DB8 Satellite TV Receiver - Newegg.com

Don't know much about this outdoor antenna: EZ-HD TV Antenna - Denny's Antenna
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Old 07-11-2013, 01:27 PM
 
158 posts, read 216,495 times
Reputation: 140
At one of my vacation homes we have PS3-Netflix streaming 12.99 a month, Amazon Prime Video 79.99/year, Xbox Live - UFC PPV, HD Attenna for NFL games.

Apple TV has the current cable shows: Food, TNT which you can buy ala carte or the whole season.

Netflix streaming has the best streaming HD picture.
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Old 07-12-2013, 04:15 AM
 
Location: Metro Washington DC
15,427 posts, read 25,795,620 times
Reputation: 10450
Quote:
Originally Posted by mshan242700 View Post
Comments I've read here and there seem to indicate that Direct TV ultimately ends up being most expensive option; Dish Network probably cheapest in terms of mainstream options.
I'd like to see more about that. What makes it more expensive?
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