What HD channels can I receive with a digital antenna in Houston? (Stafford: rental, house) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

Thila · 10-10-2010, 02:57 PM

I was thinking about firing Comcast and purchasing a digital antenna I saw on Amazon.com. One of my television sets is under a year old (Vizio) and I have to have the special HD box from Comcast to get a good picture plus their HD channel lineup which is another added cost. What HD channels can I receive in the Houston area? I live in old Katy if that helps. My other television set is seven years old and doesn't require anything special that I know of to watch television besides a good pair or rabbit ears. I didn't want to fire Comcast if I am going to have trouble receiving channels.

I currently live in a two story house that has a walk in attic on the second floor. I could easily set up my antenna inside the attic and wire it to the television that is in my gameroom upstairs. Will an antenna work from the inside of an attic in Houston?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

bluelion_ms3 · 10-10-2010, 03:21 PM

if i'm not mistaken, the only rabbit ears that will work now are the HD antennas. other than that, you would need the digital converter box. and if you don't have a cable provider, you won't get "HD" channels. you'll only get local channels and if they broadcast in HD, THEN you'll be able to see it in HD

davidtk · 10-10-2010, 03:43 PM

If you're TV is HD ready, the local HD channels include ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox. There are a few other stations where the broadcast fills the entire screen, but I'm not sure that it's an HD image. For example KNWS and ion.

I canceled UVerse because I got tired of the high bills. My bill was close to $100 by the time you add in the HD fee, per box rental fees, etc. I miss having a DVR, but now I either watch my shows live or I can find them online. The networks make their most recent shows available on their web sites. If I have to go back farther than that, there's Netflix or iTunes.

astrohip · 10-10-2010, 04:01 PM

I have both Comcast and an antenna feeding my TVs. If you have a decent antenna, and a decent line-of-sight to the antenna farms in SW Houston (near Stafford), you will be able to get all the locals in HD. NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, FOX & CW all broadcast an HD signal. And in general, that signal is excellent in quality. The main determining factor is how well you pick up the signal.

Before you drop Comcast, try it. Hook up an antenna, feed it to your TV, and see how it does. If it's good, you're done. If not, try tweaking the antenna--go higher, aim it, etc. (Side note: The best digital antennas require being aimed. You don't just stick 'em up in the air; you aim them towards the antenna farm.)

All of this is assuming your TVs can handle a digital signal. Almost certainly the Vizio can.

Good luck! Ask away if you have any questions; I spent waaay too much time researching this when I installed my antenna last year.

PS: Great reference & info site:
AntennaWeb

Thila · 10-10-2010, 04:05 PM

Oh thank you Astrohip! This has been a confusing journey. I wouldn't have much to lose by trying it on one of the televisions except the cost of the antenna. So I would just need an antenna for the Vizio television and no digital converter box correct?

rbchamps2 · 10-10-2010, 04:26 PM

You will not know until you try it, sometimes you can pick up quite a few and other times you can only pick up a couple. If you Vizio, has a built in hd tuner you will be all set.

astrohip · 10-10-2010, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thila

Oh thank you Astrohip! This has been a confusing journey. I wouldn't have much to lose by trying it on one of the televisions except the cost of the antenna. So I would just need an antenna for the Vizio television and no digital converter box correct?

You only need a digital converter box if your TV can NOT accept a digital signal input. Most TVs sold in the last year or two CAN handle digital, so your Vizio is almost certainly ok.

A good digital antenna is NOT expensive, so there is little risk in trying. I spent about $50 on one, and decent ones can be even less. Attics can be ok, if it's (the attic) not too shielded. Otherwise, put it on the roof, or on the back of the house facing the antenna farm.

roger004 · 10-11-2010, 03:54 PM

I switched to hd-antenna and it has been great, i keep the antenna behind my tv hidden and still i am able to catch almost all free hd channels if you can manage to keep the antenna out would be perfect.

RVD26 · 10-11-2010, 05:17 PM

Check the antennaweb site posted by astrohip.
A pair of cheap rabbit ear antennas (around $10 or so) may be all you need to pull in the local HD channels.
Of course it all depends on how far out you are from the sticks in Mo City and if there are any tall buildings or trees in your way.

fordlover · 10-12-2010, 07:55 AM

I'm not sure I know what a Digital antenna is, but my new Panasonic plasma pulls in all the local HD channels that have been listed here, and I'm using an antenna that is about 25 years old, no converter of any type, and no amplifier. The signal does chop up a bit occasionally in bad weather. My plasma tells me what signal is coming in, so your Vizio may do the same.