DTV Reception

WFXS, FOX55 - DTV Antenna Reception Helper:

First step is to ditch the Set Top Antenna.DTV reception can be much more difficult to figure out than many people understand. The fact that DTV signals will be clearer and crisper leads people to think the signals are stronger, but that is not the case. In fact, DTV stations have all been allocated less total power for their signals based on the differences between analog and digital signal transmission. It gets pretty technical but in theory it takes less of a digital transmitter to cover the same general area as analog. Remember, this is Theory and may not be true in every TV market.

The homes with a less than perfect signal in analog are the ones most at  risk in digital. If you have a less than a quality antenna you could be in for difficulty. If the signal level drops below a certain threshold, you could get NOTHING in digital where in analog you got a grainy or fuzzy picture. With digital, it's either perfect or nothing.

WFXS has created a map showing the basic coverage contours of all the stations in this market. CLICK HERE To View Map The circles are not meant to show where the signal stops but is more a reference to where the signal should be viewable with various levels of viewer action. Inside the circle requires less intervention (and likely cost) than outside the circles. Keep in mind you will want to be able to receive at least one FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS and PBS signal so there are many directions you may need to be concerned with.

One main misconception is that if a set top antenna worked for analog it will work for digital. Be prepared to be very unhappy with this idea. There is no good set top antenna and the amplified versions just amplify noise and bad signal. They do not help bring in a clearer signal.

The homes with a less than perfect signal in analog are the ones most at risk in digital. If you have a less than a quality antenna you could be in for difficulty. If the signal level drops below a certain threshold, you could get NOTHING in digital where in analog you got a grainy or fuzzy picture. With digital, it’s either perfect or nothing.

After the transition, WFXS will broadcast on UHF channel 31. WJFW will be on UHF 16. WAOW and WSAW have both been temporarily on UHF digital channels but will revert back to VHF channels 7 & 9 on February 18th. Public broadcasters will be on new UHF channels. This means many people will need to add new or improved outdoor antennas to their TV system.

For example look at the map and find "Ogema", then look at each TV station's transmit point. For the absolute best TV reception you COULD need a VHF antenna pointed at tower location #1 and a separate UHF antenna pointed at tower location #2. Then in order to pick up NBC (Rhinelander) you could need another UHF antenna pointed directly at tower location #3. In the past, many people would have used a large combination antenna pointed in between both #1 & #2 to receive the southern stations and if they were lucky channel 12 came in on the side of the antenna so they were fine. Digital and UHF do not perform well on the sides of the antennas so now many people will not be able to "split the difference" between to different locations and get enough signal.

The best advice we can give is that the off the shelf combo VHF/UHF antennas are likely not going to be as effective as you would hope. Indoor set top antennas will for the most part be useless. Rotors will be more difficult for digital and all those fancy batwing or disc shaped “omni” directional antennas will likely become yard art. We have yet to see a good quality TV antenna that is pretty or sleek looking. They tend to border on ugly and the higher above the ground you can mount it the better.For information on antenna models and ranges, check out these two manufacturers websites.

For ChannelMaster go to http://www.channelmasterintl.com/documentation/documentation.html

For Winegard go to http://winegard.com/offair/zone4.htm

As always, you may want to consult a professional installer and have some testing done at your home before committing to any purchase. Click below for more information.

• TV Reception Guide
• HDTV Q&A
• Digital Transition