regular old antenna

[Paul45c]

I had to replace a TV in my salon and went with a new LCD HDTV (Sylvania 32). Great set. But what the big surprise to me was how amazing the reception was on all the digital broadcast channels. I've just got a regular 14" flat dish VHF/UHF antenna mounted up on my half-tower hardtop, and it used to bring in analog broadcasts reasonably well on the 4 or 5 local stations. S Florida is pretty flat, and the stations are no more than 30 miles, so it's about the best you can hope for with an antenna rig like that. Signal strength is good, but you still get some colors ghosting and a little static, right?

Well, I remember my brother-in-law (real electronic egghead) telling me that digital broadcasts TV signals way better than analog, and that you either get it or you don't -- no static and picture distortions. MAN, was he right! Amazing. Not only is the image clarity as good as what I get in the house off the HD satellite receiver, but I get about 25 channels now. And my first chance to test it was during a really heavy rainstorm.

Forget the TracVision sat antenna! FWIW.

 

[(Nobody You Know)]

Very interesting, and good timing.

We don't like to pay for monthly cable TV because we are generally away from the boat for long stretches at a time (and then we cruise). Not being big TV couch potatoes we only us the thing occasionally. And then it's with the cheapie flat antannae which struggles to pick up analog singnals which are - in our boating area - never near the marinas.

If this is the case with HDTV then I'm getting a new set.

Maybe we'll get into "American Idle".

 

[Avenger]

Good information Paul, Thanks.

I was going to rip that frisbee off the hardtop, but I think I'll leave it there for the TV upgrade. Finally, something that I don't have to replace!

 

[garyd]

I'm going to Go with a home theatre. Have Direct TV at my slip. Does anyone know of just a plain HD reciever that would make sense for a boat? Then I can go buy a frisbee.LOL

garyd

 

[Paul45c]

Gary, you can get your HD receiver from either DirecTV (or whoever) or one of the electronics shops. Should dun you about $100.

If I didn't already need to replace my set, I probably would have struggled along with crappy analog over-air reception a while longer because we're not big couch potatoes, either. And I really was having a hard time to rationalize the $5k for an auto-tracking sat antenna. This was a really nice surprise...I mean, the picture is outstanding. It takes full advantage of the HD resolution.

True, you don't get all the cable channels and pay-per-views, etc., but that's no big loss to us. We can use this for reg tv and news (including those all-important forecasts), and then just tote movies.