It comes as no surprise that antennas are popular these days. They offer free local high definition channels at no additional cost, and they don't cost a single penny for service either. Aside from the initial purchase of the antenna, you are free and clear of any monthly payments or obligatory contracts. Cost effective, high definition channels, and the best audio and video quality with over the air signals make the antenna an older technology that you can rely on.

If you are in the market for a new TV antenna for the first time, there are some basics you should know about. First, you need to note that the new antenna you need has to be both UHF and VHF compatible. UHF and VHF are simply the frequencies in which the channels are broadcast, and since the digital broadcast allows channels to be broadcast on both, you will need a combination antenna to pick up all channels.

The single most important factor in your antenna purchase is your location. Take note of your location now. Is your home surrounded by many retail stores and businesses and other homes? If the answer is yes, then chances are you live in or around a major city. Perhaps a suburb? Or is your home surrounded mostly by trees or stretches of land where the nearest store is at least a few minutes' drive? Residents residing in and around a major city can usually fend well with an indoor antenna, which typically has a range up to 40 to 50 miles away from the transmission towers. If the home is in a rural area, however, then an outdoor antenna will definitely be needed. The outdoor antenna's bigger surface area gives it more strength to pull in signals from farther locations.

It is important to note also the locations of transmission towers. Major cities usually broadcast all local channels from a single, central tower, and your antenna will have to pick up signals from that tower. In that case, a uni-directional, which stands for "one direction", will pick up signals from just that general area rather than all around, which is what a multi-directional antenna does. Homes in a rural area could work well with both uni- and multi-directional antennas. It all depends on where the transmission towers are. The locations of these towers can be found on Antenna Web, which will ask you to input your address.

Of course, if you are stuck and need additional help, seek help from a knowledgeable antenna specialist who can give you unbiased recommendations.

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Tags: television, tv, technology, digital, transmission, broadcast, antenna, directional, signal, towers