TV Antenna Installations Guides & Resources

Do You Need an Antenna for Digital TV?

Digital antennas come with a built-in filter to improve image quality, as well as to reduce blur. The era of digital television in Australia began in 2013. If you do not have cable or satellite services a digital antenna provides the station signals to be transmitted more clearly on your TV, and helps amplify the signal, especially if you are on the edge of the station range. The only drawback is that the reception will not be as good and unless you live in a very flat area, most likely you will need to adjust your antenna after it is installed. Antennas come in all shapes and sizes depending on where they are installed. If they are placed on a roof mount most likely they will look like any other TV antenna with two metal arms. However if they are mounted indoors, such as on a wall or near a window or door, they might look more like an architectural model of the Eiffel Tower than an antenna since most building materials do not allow for proper reception. This can be used to their advantage in some cases since unlike traditional antennas these newer ones designed for interior installation can often incorporate style factors. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to recommend one antenna suitable for all applications; the best thing to do is visit a store and compare products. The most important factors are range and location; if you live very close to the transmitters then your reception will be much better than someone who lives further out and wants especially strong signals. ## How does a digital antenna work? Digital signals work a little differently from analog. With analog, the signal is transmitted directly from your antenna to your TV. So in case of any signal problems, you may experience blurring in the program (sound or image). With digital, the signal needs to be decoded before you can see or hear a program. Digital antennas come with a built-in filter to improve image quality, as well as to reduce blur that may occur because of a blurry signal. This is done through the UHF Band (Ultra High Frequency) and VHF Band (Very High Frequency). HDTV antennas receive electromagnetic signals that convert them into video and audio. An exterior-mounted HDTV antenna also pulls signals from more than one station, which decreases your risk of picking up a weaker signal during an outage at another station along the same line of sight. In fact, many service providers will recommend an exterior installation because it's less likely you'll lose reception during bad weather. The downside to an exterior installation is that your signal may be affected by trees and buildings. The higher your antenna, the further its reach under most circumstances. Some antennas are better at sending signals around objects than others, although a high-quality HDTV antenna will usually outperform a standard model regardless of where it's located. In cases where you live in a rural area or other location where you cannot get a clear line of sight to the broadcast towers, an outdoor HDTV antenna should work best because it can capture very weak signals from long distances away. ## How much will a digital antenna cost me? When installing a digital antenna, specialised equipment may be required, such as additional internal wires and electrical switches. Depending on the complexity of the job, the installation of a digital TV antenna can cost from about $250 to over $600. Various factors that influence the price of the antenna installation are listed below. - Location - Size and quality of the antenna - Time required to install equipment - Experience and workmanship of the technician - If you require a TV booster or amplifier - Complexity of work - Access to the antenna