Rabbit Ears To Stage a Comeback Thanks To DTV 265
Jeffrey Breen writes "Like Monty Python's Killer Rabbit, cheap indoor antennas seem harmless to satellite and cable providers. But with the digital TV transition in the US, rabbit ears can suddenly provide digital-perfect pictures, many more channels, and even on-screen program guides. Already feeling pressure as suddenly budget-conscious consumers shed premium channels, providers must now get creative to protect their low-end as well."
DIY (Score:2, Interesting)
Using rabbit ears, I picked up several new stations (other cities). But with such weak signal, they cut in and out too much. "Coathanger" antenna to the rescue!
Re:Not rabbit ears (Score:5, Interesting)
Not all DTV is broadcast on UHF and rabbit ears DO pickup UHF on the lower end of the spectrum. There ARE far better designs though and rabbit ears will not make a return.
Didn't work for me (Score:2, Interesting)
We have a small set in the kitchen with rabbit ears, after putting on the converter box I can only pick up two channels. With analog tuning I can get six. I tried the box in another room that has a jack for the outdoor antenna and it picked up everything plus new some new stations I didn't know we could get, so I decided to do a coax drop into the kitchen.
I live about 25mi from the transmitters. Such is the life in rural America I guess.
Better than cable (Score:3, Interesting)
The Olympics last year were what motivated me to attempt to do the TV thing . . . so I found a very small set and got some rabbit ears. It was pleasantly surprising to discover the dual nature of the channel settings available . . . the old analog signal is still full of snow and noise while the digital airwaves really are better than cable. Channels are a little bit longer (e.g. KQED is 09-003, needs to be manually entered with the dash and all. Best of all, no monthly cable bill!
It's likely that the cable / satellite television industry is going to take a hard hit once people figure out that the can get clarity without paying for ridiculous "service contracts" and "package deals" and "bundles".
Waste of time? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Not rabbit ears (Score:5, Interesting)
You're absolutely WRONG.
Rabbit ears are back (at least in my house)! I am one who has realized that me and my family mostly watched "network shows". I am one who canceled my cable service and traded it for rabbit ears.
At this time DTV looks better than cable services. Digital Cable Services look worse then analog TV and tons worse than DTV, the compression is too high.
Rabbit ears are back baby..
stations not broadcasting at full power yet (Score:3, Interesting)
I get NBC, CBS, and PBS and all the crap spanish language channels just fine.
ABC and FOX aren't broadcasting at full power yet.
NBC is 1000kW right now and FOX is 35kW.
Even outside of city proper, you will be able to use rabbit ears once they make the switch and start broadcasting at full power.
Re:Waste of time? (Score:5, Interesting)
In the US, there's this thing called the "OTARD", which is basically a case of a governmental agency (the FCC) telling a bunch of quasi-governmental petty fascists (HOAs) to stay the fuck out of their territory. The OTARD says that if you need an outdoor antenna, homeowner's associations can't prevent you from getting one. They can't even delay you or try to make it hard through bureaucratic BS (the FCC is obviously well-acquainted with red tape).
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html [fcc.gov]
If you don't own or control a spot to mount the antenna, you still may be SOL, but if you own your home, the OTARD lets you tell an HOA to STFU.
Excerpt of an Email from my Brother (Score:5, Interesting)
"It's really not that tough to make. You could make one yourself just as easily in an hour or two. Construction is as follows:
Make eight Vs from 16" lengths of coat hanger, with stripped insulation at the point(EDIT: Guess he means the plastic coated coathangers). The mouths should open about 3.25".
On a 33" or longer stick, about 2" wide and ½" thick, measure off 8" increments on both sides of the ruler. At each of these marks use a wood screw and washer to hold down a V. It should look like four cats stacked head on head when the stick is upright. These V's, now lying flat, should be pulled forward about 20-35. Just pull on one wire at a time to reduce strain on the screw.
Next the Vs need connected with two more coat hangers. Each of these hangers is bowed, connecting to the two center Vs on one side, and the two end Vs of the opposite side. Insulation needs removed at all eight woodscrew junctions, but must be intact where the wires cross over each other between the end and center bows.
Finally, at the center of these two bows (which should be the width of a ruler apart), also strip insulation, insert two additional screws, and attach a UHF-VHF transformer. This is $2 radio shack item which allows one to hook a 300 ohm spade-lug antenna to 75ohm threaded-tube coax cable. The ideal one should be small tube with male threads at one end, and the two spades at the other end which you will screw to the antenna.
Installation. Hook a 75ohm coax cable between the antenna and the 75ohm air-antenna connector of your tuner. A brass hook in one end of the stick, and another in the ceiling is a convenient method of installation. Mounting it to a pole on the roof would provide even better reception, but then would be difficult to aim if not all your TV stations come from the same direction. Here they all come from Mount Wilson which is 41 East of North from me. Directions of your stations from your zip code and signal strengths can be found at tvfool.com. The cat faces aim at the stations. I pick up all stations with a signal strength of 41 Db or more (the ones shaded in green)."
I guess he used a cool piece of driftwood for structure.
Hope this helps.
Re:Waste of time? (Score:3, Interesting)
People who care enough about aesthetics in the UK put the antenna in the roofspace, inside the building. I suspect the real reason is as mentioned below, that the different frequencies used mean rabbit ears are no help in the UK and you need a rooftop antenna (or else a *lot* of patience).
Re:I wonder how long this will last. (Score:1, Interesting)
Feh. I hooked up a box and got 44 channels. However:
All in perfect clarity.
Perfect clarity as long as the signal is strong enough. It's mostly OK now but what happens when the trees around my house leaf out?
Re:Not rabbit ears (Score:2, Interesting)
As an aside, my local NBC station usually comes in so-so where I live. But when they broadcast the Super Bowl a few weeks ago, they really turned up the power. There wasn't a single dropout all game. And when I checked the signal strength app on my HTPC, it was the highest I've ever seen it go. I'm really looking forward to the change, because it means I should be able to get good reception on all of the stations that are iffy at the moment (Fox and PBS primarily).
There's no substitute for the higher bitrates (Score:3, Interesting)
How about a fractal design? (Score:3, Interesting)
Has anyone tried out this design?
Plans for a homemade Sierpinski triangle antenna. [ruckman.net]
Re:If only this was truly a threat to them (Score:3, Interesting)
How much bandwidth do you think is available to broadcast television? Seriously? That little pipe coming into your home is bigger and will *always* have more capabilities... at least for the foreseeable future. So while you have a point, it's not relevant to this thread. More to the point, even wikipedia authors have pointed out that getting real High Definition television (1080p) is not going to happen on DTV. DTV has a number of advantages over analog(ue) television transmissions, but none over catv options. The problems with compression are relevant to both DTV and catv options.
The problem, as we should all know by now, is bandwidth. Digital signal technology surpasses analog(ue) technology in many ways. The troubles of lack of bandwidth remains. Simply switching to digital does not give broadcast television stations *more* bandwidth. Your view of more channels with crummy quality vs fewer of high quality is COMPLETELY misplaced. In fact it is so misplaced as to make you sound like a shill.
Your comment makes it sound like all broadcast television stations will broadcast in 1080i - this is simply not true. In fact it is likely that watching television on your computer via Youtube or Hulu et al will be a better viewing experience than watching broadcast DTV in many if not most cases. Nobody really seems to like references to wikipedia, but even they have got this part right.
There is no math or physics in this universe that makes the current technologies such that broadcast DTV is going to be better than catv options in your life time. Catv systems do not suffer from signal fade. It's a problem you can't get around with any technology currently available. If it takes 10 years to implement DTV, implementing completely new technology will take just as long. Don't hold your breath on DTV being better than catv... on second thought, perhaps you should.
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
Speaking of random wire.... (Score:5, Interesting)
HDTV antenna on the cheap. Coaxial cable adapter, coat hanger, screws & a board. [youtube.com]
The coat hanger antenna out-performed a $40.00 'HDTV' antenna from Philips and another from Radio Shack.
Here is one made with a coffee can... [youtube.com]
Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Waste of time? (Score:2, Interesting)
if you need an outdoor antenna,
Is need the keyword there? I don't need an outdoor antenna because I am required to pay for cable as part of my monthly maintenance. My association refuses to let any of us install an outdoor antenna or even a satellite dish because we already get cable.
Re:Not rabbit ears (Score:3, Interesting)
I had the same experience in NYC. A week beforehand, I had great NBC reception. Then for some retarded reason, reception totally died. The day of the Superbowl, reception was still weak. I figured I'd have to hit a sports bar to see the SB. But then, right about an hour before gametime, the great NBC reception I used to have was restored. Its maintained that great reception since.
I understand that antenna work is going to cause stations to drop in and out. What I don't understand is why they cut transmitting power all week and WAITED until one hour before restoring power. Working like mad on a Sunday and then flipping a switch an hour before the most lucrative TV show seems to me to be poor operations planning.