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Need help with OTA local HD tv


Thaddeus Smith

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RG-6 coax to TV then SPDIF out to AVR.

 

TV and AVR are 25 linear ft apart, in separate rooms.

 

What you want unless grounded to code and even then. Especially then, I would first terminate dc coax with a pass through dc with plenty of joules and anti- burn materials and put in a non flam. environment

 

understood, BUT.. i have a 100' tower on the properrty -  it gets hit about a dozen times a year and serves as a lovely lightning rod.

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RG-6 coax to TV then SPDIF out to AVR.

 

TV and AVR are 25 linear ft apart, in separate rooms.

 

 

 

What you want unless grounded to code and even then. Especially then, I would first terminate dc coax with a pass through dc with plenty of joules and anti- burn materials and put in a non flam. environment

 

understood, BUT.. i have a 100' tower on the properrty -  it gets hit about a dozen times a year and serves as a lovely lightning rod.

All the more reason then to do precaution. A quick disconnect on coax during lightning would work, as long as unplugged. There is the downside. If you have an old sat dish, try to shield it some with it.
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I use this Clearstream antenna and can pick up channels from 50 miles away with good clarity. Since I used to have cable my house was already wired so I fed that wiring with the signal from the antenna. I have tried many different ways of doing this from Mythbuntu to NextPVR to record OTA broadcasting and found that Windows Media Center works the best for me. I currently have 3 tuners so I can record up to three shows at a time or watch one and record on two.

 

I have several Openelec (Kodi) machines around the house and I can stream the channels to those machines. Works pretty slick.

 

Have fun, its a great adventure.

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It was seriously no big deal when I cut the cord on our Dish Network bill where I live now.  I took the old satellite dish off the pole, installed the new UHF/VHF antenna, ran my single RG6 from the antenna through the attic to the amplifier, then ran 3 coax to the TV's, tuned it in, and done.  I loved that phone call to Dish cancelling their service and love throwing away the offers they send in the mail.  $125/mo x 12 = $1,500 a year saved.  Was already paying for internet plus Netflix so no extra expense.  All I did was switch from DSL to cable internet to triple my speed for about $15 more a month.

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^ avguytx, I am in a similar situation to yours with DirecTV (and am about 30 miles west of St. Louis, and a shorter distance to the NW of the actual broadcast towers), and some other posters in this thread.  Have begun the torturous process of educating myself (slow work!). Though:

  • Wish like heck I knew all the right questions to ask--BEFORE I DO ANYTHING OR BUY ANYTHING;
  • I know that I do want some channels, such as ESPN/ESPN2, Mizzou football, and the channels that broadcast the Cards games (600 something on DTV), and a few others, too;
  • Believe that I could livestream the games from the internet???
  • Need to accommodate at least 3 locations, which on numerous occasions will be wanting different programming.

Guess I need to find someone local--and pay him/her.  Someone who is knowledgeable about home networking, media centers, equipment capabilities and limitations, and so on.

 

Not easy to do on a buck and a half!

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I have this at my Georgia house and it works very well. http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=DB8&d=Terrestrial-Digital-DB8-MultiDirectional-Bowtie-UHF-DTV-Antenna&c=TV Antennas&sku=853748001088

and I added a Channel Master amp to combine the TV antenna with an FM antenna.

All FTA/OTA/digital is UHF Freq, and that means one big bad azz UHF antenna, been using this one for well over 10 years.

USNRET has recommended one great antenna here.

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