Vision - May/June 2008 - (Page 28)

CEAnewsline teChnology & standards AntennaWeb.org Helps Consumers Set Up DTV Antennas BY DAVID WIlSON CEA’s AntennaWeb.org website lets consumers input their location and get a list of free over-the-air television signals that they should be able to receive, including recommended antennas for best reception. CEA developed the website to promote digital television. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has joined CEA as a co-sponsor of the site. As the February 17, 2009, digital transition date approaches, use of the site continues to increase. Typically there are about 11,000–12,000 visits per day, and many of these visitors submit questions about antennas, digital television and the DTV transition. To help CE Vision readers answer some of the questions they might receive about DTV antennas, here are some FAQs, along with their answers. Note that most DTV signals are broadcast in the UHF band right now, so you likely will need a UHF antenna if you do not have one. Input your location into AntennaWeb.org to be sure. Also, some DTV stations will be changing channels around the time that analog TV signals are discontinued in February, 2009, so a DTV station that you receive today in the UHF band might be broadcasting in the VHF band a year from now, and vice versa. You can find out what channels stations will be broadcasting on after the transition by inputting your location into AntennaWeb.org. there’s a good chance you can get good digital reception with it, too. Will weather affect DTV reception like it affects digital satellite TV reception? Weather can have an impact on DTV reception, but it is usually not as severe as the impact it can have on satellite TV reception. The frequencies used for DTV are much lower than the frequencies used for satellite TV, and they are not affected as much by rain as the satellite TV frequencies. However, if there are a lot of trees between your DTV receiver and the TV station’s transmitter, the tree leaves can degrade the signal to some extent, and this can be exacerbated if the leaves are wet or the trees are covered with ice. Can I use an indoor antenna to receive DTV signals? Perhaps. Predicting indoor antenna reception is difficult because there are many variables involved, many of which are not easily known. Things that can affect indoor reception include the location of windows, the number of walls between the indoor antenna and the outside, the building material used to construct the walls, and the type of windows in the home, among other things. DTV signals not only become weaker after passing through walls, but they also reflect off walls to some extent, creating interfering signals that can disrupt reception. Usually, if you are getting great analog reception with an indoor antenna, there is a good chance that you will get great digital reception too. Where do I find antennas that use the color-coding scheme described on AntennaWeb.org? Antennas that use the AntennaWeb colorcoding scheme must meet minimum performance criteria spelled out in a CEA technical standard (ANSI/CEA-2028, Color Codes for Outdoor TV Receiving Antennas). There are three companies licensed to use the AntennaWeb outdoor antenna logo: Andrew Corp., Audiovox Corp. and Pro-Brand International. Audiovox and Pro-Brand International have information about their color-coded antennas posted on the Web. To find this information, visit AntennaWeb.org, click on “resources” and look under “program participants.” I have multiple TVs connected to my existing outdoor antenna. Can I connect a DTV converter box to the cable from my antenna and receive DTV signals on all of my TVs? No. You might be able to make this work if the signal coming out of the converter box were strong enough after being split to be useable by each of your TVs. However, even if this were the case, all of the TVs would have to be tuned to the same program at the same time because the output of the converter box is a single channel, similar to the output of a cable box or a VCR. Can I put an antenna in my attic? Generally, antennas do not perform optimally in an attic. Even when an antenna will perform well outdoors, reception of TV signals in an attic can be made difficult by interference from other electrical devices. The building’s construction also can hinder the reception of the TV signal or cause reflection of the signal, which leads to interference. Depending on building construction, you can expect to lose at least 30 percent of the signal. In a house with aluminum siding, signal loss could be 100 percent. Outdoor installation is always best. However, if an antenna in your attic now is getting great analog reception, then Do I need to get a DTV converter box if I have cable or satellite service? No, unless you happen to be in an area where there are local TV channels that are not being carried by your service provider. In this case, if you want to receive these local channels with your existing analog TV set, then you will need to have a DTV converter box (and an antenna) to go with the set. Where can I find an installer to help me set up my antenna? Go to www.TechHome.com and enter your zip code. You will get a list of installers in your area. My existing antenna gets great analog reception. Do I need a new antenna to receive digital signals with my DTV receiver? The same antennas that are used to receive analog signals also can receive digital signals. Can my condo or homeowner’s association prohibit me from installing an antenna? Generally, no, but it can restrict where you can install it. 28 May/June 2008 www.ce.org http://AntennaWeb.org http://AntennaWeb.org http://AntennaWeb.org http://AntennaWeb.org http://AntennaWeb.org http://www.TechHome.com http://www.ce.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Vision - May/June 2008

Vision - May/June 2008 Contents Shapiro's Spectrum In This Issue The Economist C4 Trends Visionary Making the Smartphone Truly Intelligent Shipping Strategies for CE Companies IP in BRIC Countries CEA Newsline Tech Speak Eye on Business Tech Policy Market Insider Just the Stats

Vision - May/June 2008

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