Hey guys, right now I pay $11 a month to get basic cable (local channels and few extra) from my cable provider. Do you guys think it is worth it to install an Antenna in my attic and get rid of this monthly cost? I don't plan on getting cable until I have kids, which won't be for another 4-5 years most likely. I was curious as to how the quality of OTA compares to cable, and how easy it is to install an attic antenna and route the cable? Thanks guys.
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Attic Antenna worth it?
- Thread starter coder_t2
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Gorankar
[H]F Junkie
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The quality of OTA channels varies, A LOT. It also varies from show to show. In my experience, with my cable provider, digital OTA is as good or better than digital cable. Due to the constraints of copper cable, there can be a bit more compression in the TV signal for digital cable than there is for OTA.
YMMV, some cable operators manage better than others.
YMMV, some cable operators manage better than others.
BillParrish
Supreme [H]ardness
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its DIGITAL either you get a signal or you dont. (well basically) and for OTA they transmit in the same resolution as they carry on cable 1080 or 760 or both. I am trying to say the cable provider just feeds you the OTA channel they do not make it any better or worse. It is what it is.
Question is if there are enough OTA channels to keep you happy.
Do it yourself plans for one of the best antennas you can have regardless of cost.
http://www.digitalhome.ca/ota/superantenna/design.htm
I live in a depression about 45 miles from the tower that transmists almot all the local channles for Raleigh NC. On rabbit ears - nothing, not one channel. Built one of the antennas above (single bay model) and placed in attic I now get 19+ channels (if you count the .1 .2 etc. ) Cost was about $25 and I used a wire mesh reflector as it was easiest.
Will not cure the "nothing on worth watching issue". /shrug.
Running the wire from the attic to a couple of rooms is not hard. splitter, find the top plate of the wall below in the attic and taking careful measurements based on where in the room below you want to have the wire come out drill a 1/2 hole in the plate which will give you access to the stud bay (hollow area between wall studs) below. Cut your hole in the wall (making darn sure you are in the right stud bay) drop the antenna wire down and fish it through. Normally a hole the size for an electical box gives plenty of room for you to stick you hand in and easly find/grab the wire. Install a "old work" box or just a faceplate whatever.
(thats just the basics, it is not hard but you just need to make sure you are where you think you are when drilling the hole in the top plate in the attic. Actually a mistake there is not bad, just fill the hole with insulation. Cutting a hole in the wall for the TV connection in the wrong place is the real bummer. You can check by dropping the wire down and wiggleing it around making it tap against the lower wall while a helper listens for it hitting the wall below to make sure you are where you think you are. then make the opening in the wall drywall for the box/cover plate whatever. )
Question is if there are enough OTA channels to keep you happy.
Do it yourself plans for one of the best antennas you can have regardless of cost.
http://www.digitalhome.ca/ota/superantenna/design.htm
I live in a depression about 45 miles from the tower that transmists almot all the local channles for Raleigh NC. On rabbit ears - nothing, not one channel. Built one of the antennas above (single bay model) and placed in attic I now get 19+ channels (if you count the .1 .2 etc. ) Cost was about $25 and I used a wire mesh reflector as it was easiest.
Will not cure the "nothing on worth watching issue". /shrug.
Running the wire from the attic to a couple of rooms is not hard. splitter, find the top plate of the wall below in the attic and taking careful measurements based on where in the room below you want to have the wire come out drill a 1/2 hole in the plate which will give you access to the stud bay (hollow area between wall studs) below. Cut your hole in the wall (making darn sure you are in the right stud bay) drop the antenna wire down and fish it through. Normally a hole the size for an electical box gives plenty of room for you to stick you hand in and easly find/grab the wire. Install a "old work" box or just a faceplate whatever.
(thats just the basics, it is not hard but you just need to make sure you are where you think you are when drilling the hole in the top plate in the attic. Actually a mistake there is not bad, just fill the hole with insulation. Cutting a hole in the wall for the TV connection in the wrong place is the real bummer. You can check by dropping the wire down and wiggleing it around making it tap against the lower wall while a helper listens for it hitting the wall below to make sure you are where you think you are. then make the opening in the wall drywall for the box/cover plate whatever. )
In short, fuck yes it's worth it! I ran mine up in the attic at my old house, worked great.
Go check out www.antennaweb.org and tvfool.com to see what you'll get and what kind of antenna you'll need.
Go check out www.antennaweb.org and tvfool.com to see what you'll get and what kind of antenna you'll need.
TheResidentEvil
[H]ard|Gawd
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The OTA is going to be loads better than cable. OTA is the highest quality you can get
Gorankar
[H]F Junkie
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How a Cable operator or OTA station manages their bit budget can have a huge effect on picture quality. Where I live OTA is quite a bit better than cable, even for the same channels and programs on those channels. Cable operators don't always just feed you the OTA channel, or the HD content, often they compress it first. Which usualy leads to artifacts that reduce picture quality.
But the reverse can also be true. OTA can put some over compressed crap out as well.
It really varies, depending on provider, channel, and even the show.
SJetski71
Fully [H]
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- Sep 6, 2002
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- 18,483
RG6 only, which is a step above RG59 (RG59 is the stuff the cable companies used on home installs a long time ago). Check the quote below:
It sounds like you'll be installing them inside/inbetween/behind walls, or crossing thru floors, if so then make sure they are "CL 2 rated" cables (insurance + regulations etc etc).
And since this will be an indoor setup then you don't need the mega-fancy stuff built to withstand UV rays + rain etc, that would be overkill in your case.
Avoid sharp bends and kinks in the cable, make sure all cable turns are rounded and very gradual.
Some CL2 rated RG6 here: http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10216
Make sure you use high quality splitters, can't think of any brands off the top of my head. Edit: Both Antronix and Regal make quality splitters, there are many more decent brands but those came up on a simple search and are familiar to me (i've used both).
Last edited:
SJetski71
Fully [H]
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Oh yea, about the antenna...
If you purchase a better antenna, and more importantly, an antenna suited specifically for your location, you'll get MORE channels. An easy way to figure that out:
- Go to TV Fool and type in your address and approximate antenna height from the ground.
- Click "Find Local Channels"
- Register at AVS forums here and start a request thread in this subforum, provide them some details and post a link to your TV fool results page. Your TV Fool information is 100% anonymous btw, and other forum members will never see your entire address.
- AVS forum members will then begin recommending the best antenna(s) for your specific location using your TV Fool results.
- Sometimes, depending on how separated the transmission towers are, you can get more channels by using two antennas and a combiner. But let AVS forum members figure that out for you (you can ask them if you want to be 100% sure)
- Good antennas can be dirt cheap, especially on Amazon or Ebay.
If you purchase a better antenna, and more importantly, an antenna suited specifically for your location, you'll get MORE channels. An easy way to figure that out:
- Go to TV Fool and type in your address and approximate antenna height from the ground.
- Click "Find Local Channels"
- Register at AVS forums here and start a request thread in this subforum, provide them some details and post a link to your TV fool results page. Your TV Fool information is 100% anonymous btw, and other forum members will never see your entire address.
- AVS forum members will then begin recommending the best antenna(s) for your specific location using your TV Fool results.
- Sometimes, depending on how separated the transmission towers are, you can get more channels by using two antennas and a combiner. But let AVS forum members figure that out for you (you can ask them if you want to be 100% sure)
- Good antennas can be dirt cheap, especially on Amazon or Ebay.
I use an attic antenna and it picks up all my local channels perfectly. It was trail and error on placement and I got lucky where I placed it. Quality is way better for me OTA than cable. Really obvious when watching, say, golf or football and you can see detail of the grass much better. Also, a tip for finding the place you drill through the wall studs. I use a somewhat thin, stiff wire and stick it right through the ceiling next to the wall the wire is going in. Then you'll see the wire sticking up in the attic. The wire hole is so small you can't really see it, but if it bugs you you can use your fingernail to scratch some ceiling plaster texture into the hole.