Just installed the HD Homerun Flex Duo and I couldn't be happier. I am in a mountainous area and well outside of what should be a reception area (57 to 68 miles depending on the channel). My old OTA box, Mediasonic Homeworx, did receive most of my desired channels, but they were often pixelated and sometimes not available at all. The HD Homerun is so much better at getting and holding a weak signal! So far, I have had almost 100% pixelation-free viewing with no complete loss of my 70+ channels. The way Homerun transmits over my local network gives me access on my other TV's and computers in the house with no wiring or fuss. BTW, I'm using a boosted ClearStream antenna on my roof pointing at the mountain across from my house and not at the towers. I'm using the reflection off the mountain to get my signal.
I installed the same antenna at my home a month ago after taking down a satellite dish. It works great for me. The mount was already there, as was coax into my home, so it was a simple do-it-myself sort of thing. However, I noticed that neither the mount nor the coax were grounded, so i hired an electrician to ground them for me. The satellite dish installer had failed to complete the job properly back when I had my satellite dish installed. The electrician noticed that my propane lines weren't grounded, so he tended to that as well. I advise anyone installing an antenna to ensure that their mast and coax are both grounded because some installers cut corners.
@@VsRetro The outdoor antenna is connected to a coaxial cable; the other end of the coaxial cable is inside the house hooked into my Home Run box. The home run box has an ethernet port, which is used to get it on my home network.
you actually paid someone to hook up a simple ground wire? How many HUNDREDS of dollars did you flush down the toilet to get this done? I could have done it in a few minutes for $20 (including the ground wire!)
@jimbritttn Hi Jim, up here in Canada, the ground wires are supposed to go directly to the panel. I don't touch panels except for resetting breakers. The electrician - one of my clients - drilled a hole from outdoors into my panel room. I think he charged me 75 bucks.
Antenna man on you tube is great. I paid for his service, 30.00, and he suggested the antenna, where to point it, the power enhancement. That was a year ago and it has worked great for me. I use his recommended instructions and the HD HomeRun. Working good for a year now.
All AntennaMan has done for me has mouthed off from another account getting Pi$$¥ at the number of posts to his channel, I have a common situation each of +3 towers are 45+ miles away in varied different directions, [E, ENE and NNW] all required different pointing of the antenna to get reception, one of the big channel sets doesn't even bring in a picture but locks in on channel scan, sadly it's 7 broadcasting on 7 meaning High VHF. Living on the second floor of a house now apartments leaves no options besides outdoor antennae, which is unaffordable for our combined incomes currently.
10:20 - it makes sense that your Signal Quality is not really changing, because the amp will boost the noise floor as well, making the signal stronger, but not better. So as you say later at 10:38, an antenna with more gain is required to improve the Signal Quality. Thanks for the greatly detailed video!
Your amplifier can hurt as much as help. Amplifiers add noise to the signal that the receiver can interpret as signal. The signal strength looks higher, but it's just the noise added to the original signal.
Ok ok I'll get a Televes antenna :) . Which one would you like me to try? ERRATA: I mistakenly misidentified the amplifier- it's from Winegard, not Wiregard as stated in the video.
Datboss mix LR. It seems like you need a longer range antenna and this is it. You should try to buy one that works best for your location. The Databoss mix LR at least the hivhf/uhf one for sure has an updated design for the US repack uhf band 14-36.
Start by checking all your channel true radio frequencies in your area then you can pick the appropriate band for your area LO-V 2-6, Hi-V 7-13 and UHF 14-36 like DAT BOSS MIX LR antenna model 148383 that covering LO-V or if only need HI-V then Model 149884 they come with preamplifier but if need Dual Antenna for multiple directions then a BOSS-Tech 560483 is needed and also have distributing amps look under domestic amplifier.
Thanks for this! I'm in the Boston area and we just had the local major network affiliates activated for NextGen. I am a total amateur about this stuff, so i can't get technical at all in this comment. Last year I bought a Sony Bravia TV partly because it's equipped with ATSC 3.0 capability. For antenna I use a very standard RCA flat, black rectangular one that sits in the window of my 2nd floor apartment; it has served me well for over 10 years. I live in a pretty dense urban neighborhood (other houses close by). When I heard that NextGen was finally active, it was disappointing: the TV said it could not play the channels due to some 'security setting'. But on the next day, I found--as you describe- that the channels do come in and it takes 30-40 seconds. When they do appear the image is stable and sharp and looks at least as good as those channels did before (the PBS channel now displays an onscreen console that's basically useless but it goes away if a few seconds). I was interested in your comment about audio. My audio on the NextGen channels comes thru immediately and the display button tells me it's that new codec 4, so that is reassuring. One odd thing about the audio, however: on one channel it sounded like everything was in a cave. But the audio button the remote somehow corrected that, so it's all basically good to go...I enjoy your channel and all your iniformation!
Hey Lon a trick we use in my line of work .. we install a POE injector Trenet model number is TPE - 104GS version two. It will come with a split cable it fits perfectly in the HD home run flex 4K. The POE splitter has a switch you switch it to 12 V works great The reason you would do this is to help with coax cable loss so the flex can be close to the antenna in some cases even in a outdoor box.
Lon, I'd encourage you to reconsider the newer Antennas Direct antenna you're thinking about in favor of one of the Channel Master antennas the Antennaman has reviewed. I bought that same Antennas Direct antenna and it was actually worse than a cheap $35 antenna I'd been using to test with. I got Tyler from The Antennaman to give me a recommendation for antenna/amplifier based on my address and proximity to stations in my market which are about 70 miles away (Pittsburgh, PA). Three stations in that market went online with ATSC 3.0 more than a year ago and I was able to get a HDHomerun Quattro 4K from their Kickstarter. So, I've been through the audio and every other issue with this setup for quite a while now. But, as of now, it's really working pretty well. Even during the summer I'm able to get distant ATSC 3.0 channels at stronger strengths than their sister ATSC 1.0 stations, as NextGen greatly reduces the affects of multipath interference. I have the same Shield you have, and that's my primary viewing device. But, the NextGen stations look pretty stunning, with uncompressed 1080p that's far superior to my DishNetwork receiver. Again, I'd recommend you take a second look at your antenna choice, and maybe even hit Tyler up for a recommendation. Mine was $20 bucks, but I haven't checked his pricing lately. Heck, since you're going to the extent of getting a mast installed, what's another $20 to get a great antenna?? (checked...it's $40 now, but I think it's still worth the professional advice)OH!! And, don't forget grounding!!! Also, if I can be of any help or answer questions, just let me know. Thanks for the great video!! ~Frank C.
I have an HDHomeRun Flex 4K tuner too. A great investment as I retired my HDHomeRun CableCard tuners when cutting the cord. I really loved cable but their price hikes eventually forced my hand.
My experience with the HDHomerun Flex 4K was terrible. I ended up returning it, the stream quality on their app (of which they have a terrible track record on when it comes to addressing bugs) was terrible. You are kind of forced to use their app as other apps don't have the Dolby AC-4 transcoder yet and most TVs don't natively support AC-4. Oddly enough, it actually did stream great through their app on my phone even though it was wireless and everything else was wired. Forget about using their app on Roku, while the channels appear in the guide list, it can't tune to the ATSC 3.0 channels of which they are fully aware of but have not announced any plans to fix it. Also after about the third week it all of the sudden lost all of the ATSC 3.0 channels. I could still receive them on another ATSC 3.0 capable TV but the HDHomerun would not pick them back up.
Good video. I just installed a brand new ZapperBox at my house (I'm located just over the CT/MA boarder) and can receive all the Hartford (and Springfield) OTA stations including the new 3.0 signals from WCCT-TV. ZapperBox has AC4 decoding so the audio for both the existing ATSC 1.0 and the new 3.0 signals comes in perfectly.
So, do you think I'd have any sound problems connecting a ZapperBox directly to my 10 year old LG non-smart TV? I'm not interested in connecting to the internet.
@@jimwoodle2626 check it out. I think the zapper box uses the internet for guide data and firmware updates. I just checked the FAQ. Maybe not guide data. Says it will work without internet.
Yeah I've found that it's not just so much ""local"" channels the abc's (cbs nbc fox abc etc...) it's the sub channels that are really worth the money to invest in a antenna or other do dads that make life great like a slingbox or HD hrs 😀. Gettv ,metv,laff and other fantastic channels. I got roughly 25 total channels minus the home shopping stuff but I got all kinds of stuff to watch
Great stuff Lon. I first found your channel when cutting the cable back in 2017. Your videos on HDHomerun, Plex, NAS devices, etc... were all very helpful for me to plan and implement a solution. I'm glad to say, 5 years without cable and we're happier than ever. I did live in NJ where I get 60 channels out of NYC so didn't have to wait for this development. But I will be looking at the space and upgrading as necessary to keep current with the newest broadcast technology. Also very excited to hear about your entering the world of Ham Radio. I've been a ham since I was 15 and while not very active, definitely enjoyed the hobby and may pick it up again. Looking forward to ham related content from your channel. If only the algorithm were better at notifying me when you drop videos. Just because I don't watch every single one it decides I'm not interested. YT sucks.
I don't know much about how stuff works in the US around broadcasting. But what I know is that the signal quality needs to be good before you even think about signal strenth. Strengthening a bad signal does not make it better good quality. I would recommend you to pin point the cell-tower's GPS position and then see if you can figure out the bearing point number (or whatever it's called).
First, congrats on your amateur license. Second, as a test, would you consider temporarily mounting the receiver right next to the antenna to see how it would perform? Then you'd only have a very short piece of coax (low loss) to eat away signal strength. You could run an Ethernet cable up the mast, and use POE to power the unit (it appears to be 5V, so a simple "POE splitter" should work to carry both data and power on one CAT6 cable. I don't know the temperature ratings, etc. of the unit, but I think this would be a cool test. Very similar to the original C-band dishes that had their LNA at the dish (which were obsoleted, of course, when LNB technology came along) - the closer you have your signal processing to the antenna, the better. The amplifier is certainly an option, but eliminating coax loss might be valuable as well.
Is there anybody in the LA area participating in this conversation?. Lol! Seems like mostly East Coast folks commenting 😁. Anyways, This is a very timely video for me! Thank you Lon! I literally just put up a Channel Master Pro antenna CM-1776, connected it to my HD home run flex 4K and using Plex exclusively on my network for live tv. My only disappointment thus far is that broadcast is in 720p only. There's a couple channels that get 1080p but for some reason they don't come in that way for me. Please keep up the videos on this topic! We really appreciate it! And if anybody lives in the LA area I'd love to hear about your setup and how is performing!
That Winegard preamp does a good job, but it has very poor build quality (the edge mount coax connectors pull off the circuit board) and likely won't last long outdoors. If you can find Channel Master's CM-7777HD preamp in stock somewhere I would get that instead, as it has a solid metal case and works just as well as the Winegard preamp.
One thing I didn't see anyone mention is the height you have the antenna at. Believe it or not, a few feet could make a difference. Before you go spending more money, try adjusting the height up and down to see if that changes anything. Sometimes 5 or 10 feet make a world of difference. Wouldn't hurt to try that first.
A quick word, those 2 Computers were the first Computers I used in my classroom way back in the early 90s! WOW! Also, I would contact The Antenna Guy for more help on this as he isn't too far away from you. Good Luck!
Hi Lon - I am in the same area as you (new britain) and my solution to getting the nextgen stations was to buy two new sony tv's with next gen tuners (bought at bestbuy in w hart). I always had sketchy reception on 3, 61 and 20 and the nextgen version of each station solved that problem.. I also get 8 now.
Excellent update. If your amateur radio activity is listen only, you're all set. If you're transmitting, you may need an interference filter between the TV antenna and preamp. Make sure all antennas and receivers have proper grounding to protect against lightning strikes. Note: when pointing antennas, magnetic and map norths are different.
Does ATSC 3.0 finally work when you have NO line of sight to broadcast towers? The old analog system allowed me to pull in most channels including ones 100+ miles away. I’ve never been able to pull in any digital broadcast so far over all the years it’s been out.
Did those stations also broadcast their ATSC 1.0 signal at the same site? I read that ATSC 3.0 potentially would have less artifacts/glitching at lower signal strengths vs ATSC 1.0, so it'd be interesting to see how the ATSC 3.0 video quality compares to ATSC 1.0 without the pre-amplified signal.
Hartford-New Haven has transmitters all over the place because stations are scattered all over between Hartford and New Haven (there's also Waterbury and New Britian as cities of license), so it is a pretty hit and miss market to begin with. 3.0 transmission is united from the WCCT/WTIC tower in Farmington.
That's the nice thing about ATSC 3. Even at lower signal strength in the 50s, symbol quality is still 100%. I haven't tried that particular pre-amp, but the latest Televes pre-amp is the best. I use the beta Emby server for my AC4 transcoding.
I have never been able to improve a signal with an amplifier. It is also important to get one where you can adjust the amplifier strength. over amping is worse and your signal can completely go away. I put in a big Yagi antenna and had to take two parts off the front because what it was getting was too strong. I know it sounds crazy but it is true. My Yagi was
@@richardremmele8685 my test bed was a 10 foot pole off my back deck. Each of the 3 pre amps I tested brought in more channels than just the antenna alone. Thats whats nice about the Televes. It strengthens weak signals and attenuates strong signals so the signal strength is consistent and doesn't blow out the tuner. the reason I was on the back deck was so I could use the signal meter on my Samsung TV to measure.
Thanks - Great topic and looking forward to updates. I had the HDHOMERUN cable card unit when we had cable, and now have the OTA version, all working with PLEX and ShieldTV after seeing you review them.
Thanks for a great video! After watching your review, I ordered a HD Home Run flex to replace my 10 year old HD Home Run ATSC 1.0 duel. Can't wait to try it out.
Great video Lon. 3.0 isn’t available in my area yet, should be soon. Built a huge multi screen media room this year, and I still have OTA antenna feeding into it. Lots of channels available here. Been thinking about getting HDHomerrun, probably will once 3.0 goes live. A deep dive into OTA standards would be an interesting wrap up topic (old format of course)
I have been using the same HDHR tuner for over a year and receive about 100 channels here midway between Baltimore and Wash. DC when I do a channel scan. This is, of course, dependent upon the direction I have my antennas pointing and, unfortunately, the HDHR tuner does not allow "adding" channels manually so I cannot create a channel manifest of the approx. 115 total channels available with my antenna complement. I opted for separate VHF high and UHF antennas with a dual input amplifier because there are several high VHF channels here. I would suggest that you consider a larger antenna than the one you are using. My UHF antenna is about 6 feet long and I think that its design with directors and a reflector would be a better choice for you, given the signal levels you are seeing currently. Also, the Televes antenna which has recently been redesigned to address the FCC mandated "repack" would be a good choice if you have high VHF channels available. The Televes antenna also has a variable gain amplifier which senses the required amplification and also has a pass-through feature which my amplifier does not have. Just remember to check the noise figure when comparing amplifiers.
I would agree with the recommendation of Televes. The Datboss mix LR is probably what he should try given that he has distance stations he couldn't get before. I believe like many people they try antennas that are too small because 1 no one's wife seems to like antennas 2 the way antennas are sold by "upto miles" that are for the most ideal flat terrain to cover, and don't account for hills and mountain ridges that can make reception difficult
Trying looking at some Televes antennas they have amazing UHF performance. Signal Quality is what your signal is going to be with an amplifier. Antenna Man will run a reception report for you (it only costs a couple of dollars) and he will recommend the best antenna for you.
@@larryhanson6674 well compared to a a few add on fees of cable service or the bimonthly rate of streaming service. It's a pretty sound investment. In the long run between spending too much money for a overpriced antenna and then buying to cheap an antenna and then install times and returns it's a small convenience fee.
The company I work for operates the tower these signals come from on Rattlesnake mountain in Farmington. I had to keep it secret for so long that these signals were coming and couldnt say anything about them until they launched. Be sure to look at CBS programming from WFSB on a big screen from the ATSC 3 bouquet. I have NEVER seen a better looking TV picture from any other place. I wish the other stations on ATSC 3 from there looked as good as CBS Programming on WFSB looks!
@@charlespatrick8650 yes it is but we are seeing the pure signal without more compression being added. The WFSB ATSC 3.0 signal is what real HD should look like all the time.
You may yet have already discovered this, LON, but if you run your HDHomeRun tuners through Plex, your audio will work. I am still watching the video, so you may yet cover this, but I use my two HDHomeRun 4K ATSC 3.0 tuners through both plex, AND Channels DVR, and they work great! ATSC 3.0 channels ONLY work through Plex for me, because of the Codec issues. I am using the Antennas direct 4 "lobe" antennas, one pointing toward one tower, the other pointing to another, each going to the separate tuners, then "combining" the various channels via PLEX and Channels. Works great, and I am in a condo with antennas mounted internally.
Interesting -- when I tested it on Plex earlier it wasn't even giving me the ATSC 3 stations as an option in the channel guide. I'll have to take another look at it.
@@LonSeidman Sorry, you are right. I went back and checked, they show up, but I can't get them set with the "drop down" ID list in Plex. I mis-remembered, it seems. Anyway, I DO have them connected in my Channels DVR app. I just double-checked that, and I have them "favorited" and when I go there in the Channel Guide they play fine through Channels, sound and video both.
Got my best results using the largest UHF yagi and VHF-only and using an amplified UHF/VHF combiner (Channel Master) and running 20-ft to a CM amplified 4 way splitter which then powers my entire house. The antenna you're using is not as directional and more prone to interference from the sides such as jets and ham operators
I love the tech that you display. I think it's amazing what you're able to cobble and put together. Now if only there was anything beinv broadcast that was worth spending a dime on, I might try it. I cut the TV cord 15plus years ago, and Never looked back. But thanks for these odd type tech videos, I learn so much!
Thanks for the update and I'm glad you're getting it working - mostly. FWIW, I am also in CT and I'm using a Channel Master EXTREMEtenna 80 (CM-4228HD) and I'm locking in the ATSC 3.0 channels rock solid! If you don't get the recommendation from AntennaMan - I think it would be a great idea to hire someone locally with expertise in antenna setup - and not go through trial and error like I did!
That is a fine antenna for UHF. The best out there. It's VHF gain though is not that great. Pay close attention to the frequency of the channel you intend to pick up. Some, like WWLP 22 operates on 11, which means you need a good VHF antenna. You can't beat the CM-4228HD for the best UHF gain, but I did some signal measurements using the HD7694P and found it's VHF gain to be superb and it's UHF signal gain came surprisingly close to the CM-4228HD. It's only rated for 45mi. but it pulls in a 70mi. UHF station for me just fine. Worked fine for Antenna Man as well. MOST VHF channels are tough to pick up, so keep that in mind when purchasing your antenna. Most TV stations don't disclose their actual operating freq. Just go to the FCC page for them and you'll find it there. Some antenna apps also shows the actual operating freq. Also, WTNH 8 operates on RF channel 10, so you'll need a good VHF for that station as well. Lon's Antenna is great for UHF, but it's VHF is more for local only.
@@RickPaquin Yes - I got it specifically for the UHF performance! As you may be aware, WCCT is currently serving as the ATSC 3.0 "lighthouse" for all the local stations (ABC (WTNH), CBS (WFSB), CW (WCCT), FOX (WTIC), and NBC (WVIT)) in Connecticut. They are broadcasting on UHF 33, so I no longer need to worry about tuning in WTNH on VHF 10.
A note about a wider antenna: In all normal designs for a given frequency, the wider the antenna, the narrower the beam width. When you get the bigger antenna, tune its aim for maximum signal. On a smaller antenna it doesn't matter so much.
I know it may sound strange but sometimes you can have too much strength on you TV signal(it can be overdriven) but the signal booster you got is the ideal one as it boosts the signal as close as possible to the antenna. A myth about signal boosters is that they are magical but they can only boost what's there but at~75% strength that should not be as issue.
Microsoft store has a Dolby AC4 codec for sale. I have it up and running on three computers using the codec. I have four Rokus doing the cloud decoding and it works real well. My Shields are using the cloud at this time but I am moving away from them now. It is ironic that the HDHR app does not work on the cable card box but does on the Flex but has to use the cloud for audio. All the 1080 and 780 signals work fine. I am using rabbit ears for an antenna as I am only a few miles from the transmitters.
Unless you're really attached to your current cable shows, you'll never miss it. I absolutely hated all the commercials comcast was feeding me along with that cable bill. I just couldn't get past the double billing they were doing. At the end of the day, comcast was just a middleman...a bad one at that too since the video quality was awful. Currently, my antenna is in the attic and I get a healthy serving of channels, weather does have an impact and some nearby trees as well. Overall, My reception is very good......better than my cell phone reception. The rest of my tv needs are well supplemented by streaming....there is just too much to watch. I'm hoping that the new 3.0 will improve reception.
I would be very curious to know what signal strength you get when you connect the HomeRun close to the antenna. Amps generally make up for line losses but amplify noise as well as signal so the quality rarely changes - as you found. But the HomeRun is so small and light it seems you could attach it to the antenna with a short whip and eliminate the losses that way. Might be worth a clear-day experiment.
Next Lon video: Trying to find something worth watching on "TV." I haven't had mine on in over six months. Despite having excellent reception with an antenna I made out of wire coat hangers, scrap wood and aluminum foil. YT vids much more interesting.
Great news for you Lon. With the cable card going the way of the passenger pigeon,an ATSC 3 and Philo/Sling combo might do the trick for you. All of the ala carte services are available HBO plus and others. Cannot wait for ATSC 3 to come to Chicagoland where I live.
Yeah the problem with sling is way too much overlap in channels. Get espn plus and something like Philo you'd probably be better off with more for less.
@@luvdady I use Philo (grandfathered in at $20),I mentioned Sling due to Lon liking sports. I don't follow sports so It works for me.ESPN Plus is a great solution for the sports aficionado.
@@PC4USE1 yeah well that's pretty much the only difference between orange n blue. Unless I'm missing something. But yeah Philo is a great overall product
If you serious about keeping the OTA I would recommend a larger antenna. I am in northern MA by North Andover MA. I can get some CT stations. So I think you should be able to get MA channels.
@@LonSeidman It would be a good idea if we can find a common subject. Your technical knowledge might be a bit better than mine that's more limited to over the air stuff.
for digital broadcasts you need rg-6 or better cable you will have signal loss single/double shielded cable.. Not sure in North America as a whole though dtv if applicable where you live most likely be mainly vhf transmissions, uhf most likely only valid is you are still getting analog reception..
If your looking into getting into radio stuff I 100% recommend looking into a SDR. RTL SDRs are good to see if you want to spend more money on it but it can give you a good idea on what radio waves are out there
Nice! This reminds me that I need to double check if Boston stations have switched to ATSC3.0. They hadn't last year when I got my antenna installed. I have the SiliconDust 4k tuner.
@@generallyhelpfulsoftware646 I rescanned today but couldn't pick that one up. I am < 50 mi from Boston and can get all major stations over the air in HD. Hmm. WBZ comes in the best of any channel. If they switch to ATSC 3.0 and I don't see the HEVC then I'll know something is amiss. Lon's Hartford market is showing as NextGenTv but Boston is listed as coming in the fall; will recheck again later.
NextGen (ATSC 3.0) must be available in one's market, otherwise all the peripherals out there won't deliver in HEVC. My immediate area is in the process of this. The county north of me has a few channels in 3.0. But the HDHomerun Flex 4k is required. I am unaware of any other tuners (besides the ones coming in modern TVs) that can tune NextGen. This is the first time that I learned of that audio problem. Excellent advanced insight there.
This is why I'm leary of upgrading just for screen dimensions, Costco has a wonderful buy out there that one would consider Black Friday prices, but no indication it's 3.0, most likely not for that price. [Not spending $ for 4 gallons of gas just to find out]
Hello Lon, I cut the cord about a year ago. I Iive in in Monroe CT on the wrong side of Barn Hill from Hartford. I have trhree antenna on my roof with a rotor and the top antenna is a televis LR uhf. I also have the wine graud. If you want the maximun gain and best signal look at the Televis LR models I opted not to get ther LR uhf and the mix with vhf becaause only Channel 8 is still broadcasting in the vhf band and all others are uhf. The Televis has the apmplifier built into the anttenna and it has an lte fillter built in. And Antenna man has reviewed all of the Televis and I believe none have ever come close. I am halfway betwix NYC and Hartford and I get all the channels you reprorted but have to adjust direction. That also allow me to get Long Island and NYC channels. RF is kinda magic and integrating the amp and attenna at the antenna maximises the impedance match and the the highest signan to noise. IMHO. I have used the HDhomerun cable box and have plex. I have tested all the lower cost tunners and found the easiest for me was the mediasonic that has hdmi output. It is less than $30, I found though it has the very best and most sensitive tuner by far over all other boxes. The other major plus is that it has a single channel manual mode so you can adjust antenna for each channel and then add them. Every time you do a channel scan you may lose a weaker channel. I have an older LG 720p tv and it's built in attenna is poor. I have considered the hdhomerun 4k. Would love to know how it's tuner compares with the media sonic. Thank you again for your well presented informative vides. Tom Watson
Hi Lon, I have been planning on purchasing one of these HDHomeRun Flex 4k devices soon. I am planning to watch your video a couple more times, but I am unclear on whether or not the audio for the HEVC will work on my Roku devices. I am planning to use the HDHomeRun Roku app. Are you able to provide any clarity on my question? Thanks for the video.
The other thing you might consider is the low pass filter. Silicon Dust makes the LPF-608M. If you have any T-Mobile towers around you it can help on those higher channels.
Try to get your antenna above the tree line by at least 6’ because once the trees bloom again they will block a good portion of the signal. Otherwise the video is very good.
1:03 If Tyler said the antenna is good, it’s good. If he said it’s junk, it’s junk. He’s been in the TV antenna game for years and knows what he’s talking about.
I live in Torrington,Ct. and used the second antenna you showed but I moved it too many times and it didn't hold up. I have a lot of trees in my backyard and now use a Yagi tv antenna that gets 26 channels. But I can't seem to get channel 3 to come in. Channel 8 will come in with a different antenna. I want to get an antenna to pick up the vhf channels and when I find one that works I'll let you know.
Ok..so im looking to do the same. I want to get rid of my cable here new jersey. Looks the solution your are mentioning is the way to go. I want to stream through the house and flex 4k is the solution. Question is. How do I know if my TV supports ac4? I have two smart TVs sony that has android tv 9 built in a Samsung curve TV about 7 years old connected to a 4k firestick and a cheaper Samsung smart TV connected to a Apple TV which I got from optimum tv.
My flex 4K picked up less stations, 48 total, than my Panasonic LCD TV 62 total, using an amplified mounted on a wall near a window. Using the un-amplified version antenna the channels were alike. That attic location of the antenna gave the best signal strength. I’ll mount an outdoor fringe antenna and try again.
I have 3 Flex 4Ks. I use two for 3.0. I’ve learned over the years, that I need higher than 35% Signal Quality to get a symbol lock on QAM256 channels. My Nashville market was one of the first. So I can get all from one channel at 1mW, and only QAM16 from the other at 550kW. I also use a CM3020, Clearstream 4V and Televes 148383.
Interesting video Lon and very informative. I also have a HDHR Prime and can receive around 27 channels here in upstate NY with a small Clearstream inside antenna. I'm also looking into ways to transition away from cable TV. NexGen TV looks promising and waiting for the local stations to flip that switch as well. Like you (and many others) I need to find a solution for the channels my wife watches and is easy to use. I'll be following your progress here.
Ran into your channel today and it seems we have a lot of similar TV reception issues. I too live in CT (Moodus) and have trouble with some channels. CT has a lot more hills than people realize that cause all sorts of problems. For me the channel 3 tower is problematic. My landlord limits me to an antenna in the attic, so antenna location changes are an issue too. So, what town are you located in and do you have the lat & long of the new ATSC 3 tower? I need to check into this new standard. Regarding cablecards... I have an older TiVo that I had loved for years but Comcast screwed that up. About a year ago they closed down their cablecard support group in Arizona. It became apparent that they didn't want to know anything about them any longer when they also sent out a warning letter suggesting that they might not support them in the future. I had to put the TiVo on a UPS where any power outage would render premium channels dead until their system would finally reset the lineup in a day or two. It's somewhat surprising though, where virtually all of the non-X1 equipment still use cablecards. When Comcast refused to offer support for a new TiVo DVR, I got upset and decided to eliminate their TV service entirely. I was able to get a favorable internet deal for $60/month but you probably know about it already and it certainly doesn't have the bandwidth you want. If I had my way, Comcast would have been put out of business years ago. It's not like they care about their customers. BTW, Frontier will also do a direct fiber drop to you location, but get ready to hear that sucking sound on your wallet. I also hear that T-Mobile has 5G modems available in some CT areas that will drastically improve upward throughput. It may be something worth looking at in your case if nothing else than backup connectivity.
This is a very good product but when I record over the air I want to keep it. I'm not sure if you can transcode the audio on 3.0. that's my major concern
I didn't realize there was an audio issue with Nextgen. I am in a large market here and all the big stations have NextGen transmitters in place. Luckily for me I am LOS 6 miles from most of the xmitters. I can actually see most of the towers from my 2 story roof. I was using the Clearstream 4V but it began to have issues. I went to the 4V after using the 2V. All I can figure is the signal combiner on the 4V is failing so went back to the 2V. Not sure one can buy a new Combiner for the 4V.
I follow the Antenna Man also. You may want to upgrade to the only antenna that has been redesigned to better match the requirement of the new ATSC standard. His most recent video reviews the Televes DATBOSS LR Mix Hi-VHF UHF Long Range Antenna with 5G Filter model 149884. You may want to watch his review of this antenna before you upgrade to a new antenna. By the way I enjoyed your video very much. I like to hear about your experiences with your own home technology. Thank for all your efforts!
ok I set mine up so now I can watch WBAL TV even though I cant pick it up with the antenna only, dont know if it was worth over 200 dollars with tax for one channel, but I do get channel wbff 45, sometimes that channel goes out, so I can watch Ravens games, hopefully like if its windy out or rainy, the only time I have problems picking it up with the antenna alone.
Here in Canada I cut the cable 2 yrs ago and do not miss it. I get 3 local OTA channels; all I watch is the local news even though 2 of the channels carry some network programs from the US. I had cut the cable before and went 3 yrs and only reason I got TV again was a sweetheart deal the provider gave me.
Cool experiment. I'm wondering how far you are from the transmitter? ATSC is supposed to be much with multipath interference and better in fringe areas. Silicon Dust needs to upgrade HD Homerun with four tuners capable of ATSC 3.0.
It doesn't have to be anything specific for ham radio. Just ANY tripod will work for you. All you have to do is make sure the hole for the mast to go through fits the diameter of the mast you are going to want to use. Literally any tripod will do it if the mast will fit. Just make sure you bolt it down when you have it where you want it so it doesn't fall over.
are ANY TV stations using ATSC 3.0 / NexGenTV broadcasting anything in 4K? Fox 11 is the only ATSC 3.0 / NexGenTV station here in Los Angeles, and they're still sending out everything in 720p
Hey Lon! We are using an antenna with Philo for all our cable needs. (We also have Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV+, ESPN +, and HBO Max 😂)
I live just across the border from San Diego in Tijuana. I have five TV's in my Condo, all Visio Smart TV's. For the past year all TV's have been going through updates, each time changing many of the features. I also have a network for management of all Ethernet and OTA antennas. Recently the new update on all TV's is something I never anticipated. My TV's now will no longer receive OTA stations from San Diego. Basically the update has giofenced all my TV's to not receive anything from the US. This is the future that corporations will control everything we watch and where you watch.
Hi Lon, Great video. I need to mention that I’ve had better luck with yagi style antennas here in CT. The multi directional ones didn’t seem to be strong enough. Also, I think antenna web was telling you to get a violet grade antenna. They make multi directional violet grade antennas, however I recommend the yagi violet grade. I’ve tested the small multi directional, and 3 yagi style antennas at 3 different properties in CT. The multi directional got the worst results. My small RCA ANT751E yagi style was almost as powerful as my blue (CM-2020, digital advantage 100) and violet grade antenna. My RCA and blue antenna did not get PBS. PBS is the hardest signal to get for me. I only got the PBS channels with my violet grade, channel master, master piece 100 and I had to move the antenna up another 5 feet. Also, im using a preamp about 1 foot from the antenna (channel master CM-7777HD). It works great, it powers the antenna and sends the signal to the house all in one wire, great for roof installations or where the antenna is far from the TV. So this way there’s only one wire coming from the antenna pole. Also, I recommend finding where on your property gets the best signal then try to find a way to mount it in that location, for me it was in the backyard mounted to a tree, hope this helps!
Yagi works great because you can thread the needle if all your channels are in one general area. I had trouble with all the antennas I tried because of, I guess, hidden obstruction or interference. I don't have ATSC 3.0 here yet, but if all implementations are going to be on one tower then the Yagi would be good for everyone
Are any ATSC 3.0 channels in 4k yet? I see in this video you are getting 60 fps so that's better than ATSC 1.0. What about interactive features with internet connection?
Hi This is my feedback on HDHomeRun & it’s app. It kinda works , I get a lot of timeout messages and pixelated signs using this thing, if I switch to an atsc receiver or an fta satellite/atsc receiver it all goes away so if you have really fast internet net it might work better, For what they get for it not worth the money doesn’t work for me.
I'm really hoping that ATSC 3.0 fixes the signal loss issues that we deal with using antennas currently. It makes zero sense that we ever standardized a signal based technology where you'd lose the signal if a cat drove by
Same here. Digital ata TV just doesn't have the same redundancy that HD radio has, so it is not watchable except in ideal conditions. Sure you might get a crystal clear picture farther away at Lower power, but this is not worth investing time into a show that breaks up without warning and the punchline in the show is lost. I am up against several factors including : Cleveland lake Erie TV towers that sway in the wind, trees between me and the towers, and lots of signal multipath due to metal buildings around the antenna. I am hoping that 3.0 solves the spotty UHF and non existing VHF (I use a huge traditional VHF antenna.) however, it looks like a nightmare of compatibility issues with the audio codecs. Even Tablotv tuner can't do a live broadcast supposedly because of the video codecs compatibility and lack of real time transcoding capability. Moreover, the goal is to watch the tuner live on the smart TV, as well the recorded shows. In my case, we need an LG TV app in the play store for any tuner that I decide is worth the upgrade. Lots of issues to overcome. And, I am not sure how many of these can be overcome. This video is probably the best so far at addressing similar issues to what I face. Antenna man has only hinted that 3.0 might work better in woody areas, but the tuner boxes he recommended can't do live 3.0. He never mentioned sound compatibility problems, etc.
Providence and Boston are supposed to be coming online soon so I am very intrigued. I wonder if we'll be able to get the CT signals here in RI as well. I remember in the analog TV days we had a much better chance of getting some of the more distant channels, mostly in the Boston area, though they would be a bit fuzzier. Kinda wild to remember what that looked like compared to the all-or-nothing signals we've become accustomed to.
An RCA yagi antenna might be a better option for you. Im running one in the attic of my 2 story house with a long coax run down to the basement where the HDHomeRun is. I pick up many channels and most of them are in the green.
I am waiting for Plex support. And it is easy to predict that the nextgen four tuner HD homerun will have four ATSC 3.0 tuners, not just two. I have been a fan of HD Home run products since their first generation SD models.
You should try Televes DATBOSS LR Mix Hi-VHF UHF Long Range Antenna with 5G Filter 75 Mile Range 149884 - It has a built in amp, and is designed for the repack.
I think the reason the signal strength increases but the quality does not, is that the amplifier makes the antenna shout louder, but it retains whatever its original signal-to-noise ratio was.
That is true to an extent, but good amplifiers will bump up the actual signal further than the noise, thus providing an advantage. I did a test using a channel master 8-bay, picking up a signal from 70 miles with the TV right at the antenna. Without the amp I had > 50% signal dropouts, thus making it too difficult to watch. With a Televes amp between the antenna and the TV, with only 2ft of coax, it cleared it up completely with rarely, and I do mean rarely a dropout. My old Channel Master amp did the job as well. But depending on where you live, the amp may also amplify signal interference in your area making them ineffective. Preamps don't always provide an advantage, depending on what else they may be amplifying in your location. They don't last long and companies never respond 2 years later when they begin to fail. Probably MORE critical than anything for good reception of a distant station is the position of a decent antenna. A foot up or down, or to the left or the right, and I lose the signal completely, even with an amp. Find the best location first and you may not need an amp!
Just installed the HD Homerun Flex Duo and I couldn't be happier. I am in a mountainous area and well outside of what should be a reception area (57 to 68 miles depending on the channel). My old OTA box, Mediasonic Homeworx, did receive most of my desired channels, but they were often pixelated and sometimes not available at all. The HD Homerun is so much better at getting and holding a weak signal! So far, I have had almost 100% pixelation-free viewing with no complete loss of my 70+ channels. The way Homerun transmits over my local network gives me access on my other TV's and computers in the house with no wiring or fuss. BTW, I'm using a boosted ClearStream antenna on my roof pointing at the mountain across from my house and not at the towers. I'm using the reflection off the mountain to get my signal.
Awesome! Thank you for naming the antenna as well!
I installed the same antenna at my home a month ago after taking down a satellite dish. It works great for me. The mount was already there, as was coax into my home, so it was a simple do-it-myself sort of thing. However, I noticed that neither the mount nor the coax were grounded, so i hired an electrician to ground them for me. The satellite dish installer had failed to complete the job properly back when I had my satellite dish installed. The electrician noticed that my propane lines weren't grounded, so he tended to that as well. I advise anyone installing an antenna to ensure that their mast and coax are both grounded because some installers cut corners.
How do I connect the outside antenna to the home run box ?
@@VsRetro The outdoor antenna is connected to a coaxial cable; the other end of the coaxial cable is inside the house hooked into my Home Run box. The home run box has an ethernet port, which is used to get it on my home network.
you actually paid someone to hook up a simple ground wire? How many HUNDREDS of dollars did you flush down the toilet to get this done? I could have done it in a few minutes for $20 (including the ground wire!)
@jimbritttn Hi Jim, up here in Canada, the ground wires are supposed to go directly to the panel. I don't touch panels except for resetting breakers. The electrician - one of my clients - drilled a hole from outdoors into my panel room. I think he charged me 75 bucks.
Antenna man on you tube is great.
I paid for his service, 30.00, and he suggested the antenna, where to point it, the power enhancement. That was a year ago and it has worked great for me.
I use his recommended instructions and the HD HomeRun. Working good for a year now.
All AntennaMan has done for me has mouthed off from another account getting Pi$$¥ at the number of posts to his channel, I have a common situation each of +3 towers are 45+ miles away in varied different directions, [E, ENE and NNW] all required different pointing of the antenna to get reception, one of the big channel sets doesn't even bring in a picture but locks in on channel scan, sadly it's 7 broadcasting on 7 meaning High VHF. Living on the second floor of a house now apartments leaves no options besides outdoor antennae, which is unaffordable for our combined incomes currently.
@@Stache987 sorry you had a bad experience
10:20 - it makes sense that your Signal Quality is not really changing, because the amp will boost the noise floor as well, making the signal stronger, but not better.
So as you say later at 10:38, an antenna with more gain is required to improve the Signal Quality.
Thanks for the greatly detailed video!
signal quality in the digital domain has nothing to do with signal strength.
@@germanjohn5626 Absolutely
Your amplifier can hurt as much as help. Amplifiers add noise to the signal that the receiver can interpret as signal. The signal strength looks higher, but it's just the noise added to the original signal.
So what do?
Ok ok I'll get a Televes antenna :) . Which one would you like me to try? ERRATA: I mistakenly misidentified the amplifier- it's from Winegard, not Wiregard as stated in the video.
Ellipse Mix 148883
Datboss mix LR. It seems like you need a longer range antenna and this is it. You should try to buy one that works best for your location. The Databoss mix LR at least the hivhf/uhf one for sure has an updated design for the US repack uhf band 14-36.
Start by checking all your channel true radio frequencies in your area then you can pick the appropriate band for your area LO-V 2-6, Hi-V 7-13 and UHF 14-36 like DAT BOSS MIX LR antenna model 148383 that covering LO-V or if only need HI-V then Model 149884 they come with preamplifier but if need Dual Antenna for multiple directions then a BOSS-Tech 560483 is needed and also have distributing amps look under domestic amplifier.
I have the DAT Boss Mix. Was recommended to me by the antenna man.
If you intend amateur radio transmissions I wouldn't buy an antenna with a built in preamplifier because of possible interference.
Thanks for this! I'm in the Boston area and we just had the local major network affiliates activated for NextGen. I am a total amateur about this stuff, so i can't get technical at all in this comment. Last year I bought a Sony Bravia TV partly because it's equipped with ATSC 3.0 capability. For antenna I use a very standard RCA flat, black rectangular one that sits in the window of my 2nd floor apartment; it has served me well for over 10 years. I live in a pretty dense urban neighborhood (other houses close by). When I heard that NextGen was finally active, it was disappointing: the TV said it could not play the channels due to some 'security setting'. But on the next day, I found--as you describe- that the channels do come in and it takes 30-40 seconds. When they do appear the image is stable and sharp and looks at least as good as those channels did before (the PBS channel now displays an onscreen console that's basically useless but it goes away if a few seconds). I was interested in your comment about audio. My audio on the NextGen channels comes thru immediately and the display button tells me it's that new codec 4, so that is reassuring. One odd thing about the audio, however: on one channel it sounded like everything was in a cave. But the audio button the remote somehow corrected that, so it's all basically good to go...I enjoy your channel and all your iniformation!
Hey Lon a trick we use in my line of work .. we install a POE injector Trenet model number is TPE - 104GS version two.
It will come with a split cable it fits perfectly in the HD home run flex 4K.
The POE splitter has a switch you switch it to 12 V works great
The reason you would do this is to help with coax cable loss so the flex can be close to the antenna in some cases even in a outdoor box.
I used to roll my own PoE injectors (it was before there was a spec for it).
BTW my hookup ended up as the spec, Cisco wanted the other polarity ;)
I think the company that made the amp is called wineguard not wire guard
Yes, Winegard, not WireGuard (VPN).
Lon, I'd encourage you to reconsider the newer Antennas Direct antenna you're thinking about in favor of one of the Channel Master antennas the Antennaman has reviewed. I bought that same Antennas Direct antenna and it was actually worse than a cheap $35 antenna I'd been using to test with. I got Tyler from The Antennaman to give me a recommendation for antenna/amplifier based on my address and proximity to stations in my market which are about 70 miles away (Pittsburgh, PA). Three stations in that market went online with ATSC 3.0 more than a year ago and I was able to get a HDHomerun Quattro 4K from their Kickstarter. So, I've been through the audio and every other issue with this setup for quite a while now. But, as of now, it's really working pretty well. Even during the summer I'm able to get distant ATSC 3.0 channels at stronger strengths than their sister ATSC 1.0 stations, as NextGen greatly reduces the affects of multipath interference. I have the same Shield you have, and that's my primary viewing device. But, the NextGen stations look pretty stunning, with uncompressed 1080p that's far superior to my DishNetwork receiver. Again, I'd recommend you take a second look at your antenna choice, and maybe even hit Tyler up for a recommendation. Mine was $20 bucks, but I haven't checked his pricing lately. Heck, since you're going to the extent of getting a mast installed, what's another $20 to get a great antenna?? (checked...it's $40 now, but I think it's still worth the professional advice)OH!! And, don't forget grounding!!! Also, if I can be of any help or answer questions, just let me know. Thanks for the great video!! ~Frank C.
I was waiting for this video because I live in Connecticut and I couldn’t get any good reception but after seeing this I think there is hope.
I have an HDHomeRun Flex 4K tuner too. A great investment as I retired my HDHomeRun CableCard tuners when cutting the cord. I really loved cable but their price hikes eventually forced my hand.
My experience with the HDHomerun Flex 4K was terrible. I ended up returning it, the stream quality on their app (of which they have a terrible track record on when it comes to addressing bugs) was terrible. You are kind of forced to use their app as other apps don't have the Dolby AC-4 transcoder yet and most TVs don't natively support AC-4. Oddly enough, it actually did stream great through their app on my phone even though it was wireless and everything else was wired. Forget about using their app on Roku, while the channels appear in the guide list, it can't tune to the ATSC 3.0 channels of which they are fully aware of but have not announced any plans to fix it. Also after about the third week it all of the sudden lost all of the ATSC 3.0 channels. I could still receive them on another ATSC 3.0 capable TV but the HDHomerun would not pick them back up.
Good video. I just installed a brand new ZapperBox at my house (I'm located just over the CT/MA boarder) and can receive all the Hartford (and Springfield) OTA stations including the new 3.0 signals from WCCT-TV. ZapperBox has AC4 decoding so the audio for both the existing ATSC 1.0 and the new 3.0 signals comes in perfectly.
So, do you think I'd have any sound problems connecting a ZapperBox directly to my 10 year old LG non-smart TV? I'm not interested in connecting to the internet.
@@jimwoodle2626 check it out. I think the zapper box uses the internet for guide data and firmware updates. I just checked the FAQ. Maybe not guide data. Says it will work without internet.
@@wesmckean1443 Thanks. It looks like my best bet.
@@jimwoodle2626 The ZapperBox connects to any TV via HDMI. So no audio issues with older ATSC 1.0 TV's
@@wesmckean1443 Correct, the ZapperBox only uses internet (WiFi) for firmware updates. The guide data is part of the OTA signal.
Yeah I've found that it's not just so much ""local"" channels the abc's (cbs nbc fox abc etc...) it's the sub channels that are really worth the money to invest in a antenna or other do dads that make life great like a slingbox or HD hrs 😀.
Gettv ,metv,laff and other fantastic channels. I got roughly 25 total channels minus the home shopping stuff but I got all kinds of stuff to watch
Great stuff Lon. I first found your channel when cutting the cable back in 2017. Your videos on HDHomerun, Plex, NAS devices, etc... were all very helpful for me to plan and implement a solution. I'm glad to say, 5 years without cable and we're happier than ever. I did live in NJ where I get 60 channels out of NYC so didn't have to wait for this development. But I will be looking at the space and upgrading as necessary to keep current with the newest broadcast technology.
Also very excited to hear about your entering the world of Ham Radio. I've been a ham since I was 15 and while not very active, definitely enjoyed the hobby and may pick it up again. Looking forward to ham related content from your channel.
If only the algorithm were better at notifying me when you drop videos. Just because I don't watch every single one it decides I'm not interested. YT sucks.
Why don’t you just subscribe?
I don't know much about how stuff works in the US around broadcasting. But what I know is that the signal quality needs to be good before you even think about signal strenth. Strengthening a bad signal does not make it better good quality. I would recommend you to pin point the cell-tower's GPS position and then see if you can figure out the bearing point number (or whatever it's called).
First, congrats on your amateur license. Second, as a test, would you consider temporarily mounting the receiver right next to the antenna to see how it would perform? Then you'd only have a very short piece of coax (low loss) to eat away signal strength. You could run an Ethernet cable up the mast, and use POE to power the unit (it appears to be 5V, so a simple "POE splitter" should work to carry both data and power on one CAT6 cable. I don't know the temperature ratings, etc. of the unit, but I think this would be a cool test. Very similar to the original C-band dishes that had their LNA at the dish (which were obsoleted, of course, when LNB technology came along) - the closer you have your signal processing to the antenna, the better. The amplifier is certainly an option, but eliminating coax loss might be valuable as well.
Is there anybody in the LA area participating in this conversation?. Lol! Seems like mostly East Coast folks commenting 😁. Anyways, This is a very timely video for me! Thank you Lon! I literally just put up a Channel Master Pro antenna CM-1776, connected it to my HD home run flex 4K and using Plex exclusively on my network for live tv. My only disappointment thus far is that broadcast is in 720p only. There's a couple channels that get 1080p but for some reason they don't come in that way for me. Please keep up the videos on this topic! We really appreciate it! And if anybody lives in the LA area I'd love to hear about your setup and how is performing!
That Winegard preamp does a good job, but it has very poor build quality (the edge mount coax connectors pull off the circuit board) and likely won't last long outdoors. If you can find Channel Master's CM-7777HD preamp in stock somewhere I would get that instead, as it has a solid metal case and works just as well as the Winegard preamp.
Wineguard used to be a good brand. Been around a long time.
@@KameraShy They made great c-band dishes too.
One thing I didn't see anyone mention is the height you have the antenna at. Believe it or not, a few feet could make a difference. Before you go spending more money, try adjusting the height up and down to see if that changes anything. Sometimes 5 or 10 feet make a world of difference. Wouldn't hurt to try that first.
A quick word, those 2 Computers were the first Computers I used in my classroom way back in the early 90s! WOW!
Also, I would contact The Antenna Guy for more help on this as he isn't too far away from you. Good Luck!
Hi Lon - I am in the same area as you (new britain) and my solution to getting the nextgen stations was to buy two new sony tv's with next gen tuners (bought at bestbuy in w hart). I always had sketchy reception on 3, 61 and 20 and the nextgen version of each station solved that problem.. I also get 8 now.
Where is the Connecticut tower located? I'm wondering if this could work for me.
@@garyabc On Rattlesnake Mt in Farmington near route 6. There are about 40 channels that come from those two towers.
Thanks dankeifer, I should be able to receive signals from that location. Just placed an order for the HD home run flex. Thanks for your help.
Loved the shout-out to Antenna Man
Excellent update. If your amateur radio activity is listen only, you're all set. If you're transmitting, you may need an interference filter between the TV antenna and preamp. Make sure all antennas and receivers have proper grounding to protect against lightning strikes. Note: when pointing antennas, magnetic and map norths are different.
When are they going to come out with a alacart tv where u can pay for your premium tv though a antenna instead of the internet or internet router
Does ATSC 3.0 finally work when you have NO line of sight to broadcast towers? The old analog system allowed me to pull in most channels including ones 100+ miles away. I’ve never been able to pull in any digital broadcast so far over all the years it’s been out.
We have three amplified antennas connected to our TV currently and presently receiving a dozen channels on a 37 inch Panasonic viera set
Did those stations also broadcast their ATSC 1.0 signal at the same site? I read that ATSC 3.0 potentially would have less artifacts/glitching at lower signal strengths vs ATSC 1.0, so it'd be interesting to see how the ATSC 3.0 video quality compares to ATSC 1.0 without the pre-amplified signal.
Hartford-New Haven has transmitters all over the place because stations are scattered all over between Hartford and New Haven (there's also Waterbury and New Britian as cities of license), so it is a pretty hit and miss market to begin with. 3.0 transmission is united from the WCCT/WTIC tower in Farmington.
Once the 3.0 signal is active, 1.0 must remain for five years.
That's the nice thing about ATSC 3. Even at lower signal strength in the 50s, symbol quality is still 100%. I haven't tried that particular pre-amp, but the latest Televes pre-amp is the best. I use the beta Emby server for my AC4 transcoding.
I have never been able to improve a signal with an amplifier. It is also important to get one where you can adjust the amplifier strength. over amping is worse and your signal can completely go away. I put in a big Yagi antenna and had to take two parts off the front because what it was getting was too strong. I know it sounds crazy but it is true. My Yagi was
@@richardremmele8685 my test bed was a 10 foot pole off my back deck. Each of the 3 pre amps I tested brought in more channels than just the antenna alone. Thats whats nice about the Televes. It strengthens weak signals and attenuates strong signals so the signal strength is consistent and doesn't blow out the tuner.
the reason I was on the back deck was so I could use the signal meter on my Samsung TV to measure.
Thanks - Great topic and looking forward to updates. I had the HDHOMERUN cable card unit when we had cable, and now have the OTA version, all working with PLEX and ShieldTV after seeing you review them.
Thanks for a great video! After watching your review, I ordered a HD Home Run flex to replace my 10 year old HD Home Run ATSC 1.0 duel. Can't wait to try it out.
2 stations here in Orlando are broadcasting in HDR and it's fantastic
Great video Lon. 3.0 isn’t available in my area yet, should be soon. Built a huge multi screen media room this year, and I still have OTA antenna feeding into it. Lots of channels available here. Been thinking about getting HDHomerrun, probably will once 3.0 goes live. A deep dive into OTA standards would be an interesting wrap up topic (old format of course)
Tyler The Antenna Man says it is going to take a long time to be implemented.
my family moved to SlingTV a few years ago and my family has loved it for lowering the cable bill
I just started the conversion to RUclips TV, instead, saying goodbye to Directv whose 40% more a month.
I have been using the same HDHR tuner for over a year and receive about 100 channels here midway between Baltimore and Wash. DC when I do a channel scan. This is, of course, dependent upon the direction I have my antennas pointing and, unfortunately, the HDHR tuner does not allow "adding" channels manually so I cannot create a channel manifest of the approx. 115 total channels available with my antenna complement. I opted for separate VHF high and UHF antennas with a dual input amplifier because there are several high VHF channels here. I would suggest that you consider a larger antenna than the one you are using. My UHF antenna is about 6 feet long and I think that its design with directors and a reflector would be a better choice for you, given the signal levels you are seeing currently. Also, the Televes antenna which has recently been redesigned to address the FCC mandated "repack" would be a good choice if you have high VHF channels available. The Televes antenna also has a variable gain amplifier which senses the required amplification and also has a pass-through feature which my amplifier does not have. Just remember to check the noise figure when comparing amplifiers.
I would agree with the recommendation of Televes. The Datboss mix LR is probably what he should try given that he has distance stations he couldn't get before. I believe like many people they try antennas that are too small because 1 no one's wife seems to like antennas 2 the way antennas are sold by "upto miles" that are for the most ideal flat terrain to cover, and don't account for hills and mountain ridges that can make reception difficult
Trying looking at some Televes antennas they have amazing UHF performance. Signal Quality is what your signal is going to be with an amplifier. Antenna Man will run a reception report for you (it only costs a couple of dollars) and he will recommend the best antenna for you.
You mean that guy who flings the ping pong ding ? 😉
Does $20 qualify as a couple dollars?
@@larryhanson6674 well compared to a a few add on fees of cable service or the bimonthly rate of streaming service. It's a pretty sound investment.
In the long run between spending too much money for a overpriced antenna and then buying to cheap an antenna and then install times and returns it's a small convenience fee.
The company I work for operates the tower these signals come from on Rattlesnake mountain in Farmington. I had to keep it secret for so long that these signals were coming and couldnt say anything about them until they launched.
Be sure to look at CBS programming from WFSB on a big screen from the ATSC 3 bouquet. I have NEVER seen a better looking TV picture from any other place. I wish the other stations on ATSC 3 from there looked as good as CBS Programming on WFSB looks!
It really looks great! Are they doing anything special that the other stations aren't doing?
I assume you get an MPEG feed from the network and transmit HEVC. How good is the transcode (artifacts etc)?
CBS programming is still 1080i
@@charlespatrick8650 yes it is but we are seeing the pure signal without more compression being added.
The WFSB ATSC 3.0 signal is what real HD should look like all the time.
So if I understand correctly, all the major networks broadcast atsc3.0 from a single tower on rattlesnake mountain in Farmington?
You may yet have already discovered this, LON, but if you run your HDHomeRun tuners through Plex, your audio will work. I am still watching the video, so you may yet cover this, but I use my two HDHomeRun 4K ATSC 3.0 tuners through both plex, AND Channels DVR, and they work great! ATSC 3.0 channels ONLY work through Plex for me, because of the Codec issues. I am using the Antennas direct 4 "lobe" antennas, one pointing toward one tower, the other pointing to another, each going to the separate tuners, then "combining" the various channels via PLEX and Channels. Works great, and I am in a condo with antennas mounted internally.
Interesting -- when I tested it on Plex earlier it wasn't even giving me the ATSC 3 stations as an option in the channel guide. I'll have to take another look at it.
@@LonSeidman Sorry, you are right. I went back and checked, they show up, but I can't get them set with the "drop down" ID list in Plex. I mis-remembered, it seems. Anyway, I DO have them connected in my Channels DVR app. I just double-checked that, and I have them "favorited" and when I go there in the Channel Guide they play fine through Channels, sound and video both.
Got my best results using the largest UHF yagi and VHF-only and using an amplified UHF/VHF combiner (Channel Master) and running 20-ft to a CM amplified 4 way splitter which then powers my entire house. The antenna you're using is not as directional and more prone to interference from the sides such as jets and ham operators
I love the tech that you display. I think it's amazing what you're able to cobble and put together. Now if only there was anything beinv broadcast that was worth spending a dime on, I might try it. I cut the TV cord 15plus years ago, and Never looked back.
But thanks for these odd type tech videos, I learn so much!
Thanks for the update and I'm glad you're getting it working - mostly. FWIW, I am also in CT and I'm using a Channel Master EXTREMEtenna 80 (CM-4228HD) and I'm locking in the ATSC 3.0 channels rock solid! If you don't get the recommendation from AntennaMan - I think it would be a great idea to hire someone locally with expertise in antenna setup - and not go through trial and error like I did!
That is a fine antenna for UHF. The best out there. It's VHF gain though is not that great. Pay close attention to the frequency of the channel you intend to pick up. Some, like WWLP 22 operates on 11, which means you need a good VHF antenna. You can't beat the CM-4228HD for the best UHF gain, but I did some signal measurements using the HD7694P and found it's VHF gain to be superb and it's UHF signal gain came surprisingly close to the CM-4228HD. It's only rated for 45mi. but it pulls in a 70mi. UHF station for me just fine. Worked fine for Antenna Man as well. MOST VHF channels are tough to pick up, so keep that in mind when purchasing your antenna. Most TV stations don't disclose their actual operating freq. Just go to the FCC page for them and you'll find it there. Some antenna apps also shows the actual operating freq. Also, WTNH 8 operates on RF channel 10, so you'll need a good VHF for that station as well. Lon's Antenna is great for UHF, but it's VHF is more for local only.
@@RickPaquin Yes - I got it specifically for the UHF performance! As you may be aware, WCCT is currently serving as the ATSC 3.0 "lighthouse" for all the local stations (ABC (WTNH), CBS (WFSB), CW (WCCT), FOX (WTIC), and NBC (WVIT)) in Connecticut. They are broadcasting on UHF 33, so I no longer need to worry about tuning in WTNH on VHF 10.
A note about a wider antenna:
In all normal designs for a given frequency, the wider the antenna, the narrower the beam width. When you get the bigger antenna, tune its aim for maximum signal. On a smaller antenna it doesn't matter so much.
Excellent as always! Thanks for taking the risk for the rest of us! :)
I know it may sound strange but sometimes you can have too much strength on you TV signal(it can be overdriven) but the signal booster you got is the ideal one as it boosts the signal as close as possible to the antenna. A myth about signal boosters is that they are magical but they can only boost what's there but at~75% strength that should not be as issue.
Yes! I had this problem with Comcast once - the signal was coming into the house so strong they had to install a little filter to reduce power.
Microsoft store has a Dolby AC4 codec for sale. I have it up and running on three computers using the codec. I have four Rokus doing the cloud decoding and it works real well. My Shields are using the cloud at this time but I am moving away from them now.
It is ironic that the HDHR app does not work on the cable card box but does on the Flex but has to use the cloud for audio. All the 1080 and 780 signals work fine. I am using rabbit ears for an antenna as I am only a few miles from the transmitters.
A lot of 2022 TV's still don't have ATSC 3.0. LG in particular has been very slow to implement it.
Unless you're really attached to your current cable shows, you'll never miss it. I absolutely hated all the commercials comcast was feeding me along with that cable bill. I just couldn't get past the double billing they were doing. At the end of the day, comcast was just a middleman...a bad one at that too since the video quality was awful.
Currently, my antenna is in the attic and I get a healthy serving of channels, weather does have an impact and some nearby trees as well. Overall, My reception is very good......better than my cell phone reception. The rest of my tv needs are well supplemented by streaming....there is just too much to watch. I'm hoping that the new 3.0 will improve reception.
I would be very curious to know what signal strength you get when you connect the HomeRun close to the antenna. Amps generally make up for line losses but amplify noise as well as signal so the quality rarely changes - as you found. But the HomeRun is so small and light it seems you could attach it to the antenna with a short whip and eliminate the losses that way. Might be worth a clear-day experiment.
I can just hear the wife coming home and seeing that antenna in the driveway. I can hear her through RUclips. :)
She took the thumbnail picture :)
Next Lon video: Trying to find something worth watching on "TV." I haven't had mine on in over six months. Despite having excellent reception with an antenna I made out of wire coat hangers, scrap wood and aluminum foil. YT vids much more interesting.
Great news for you Lon. With the cable card going the way of the passenger pigeon,an ATSC 3 and Philo/Sling combo might do the trick for you. All of the ala carte services are available HBO plus and others. Cannot wait for ATSC 3 to come to Chicagoland where I live.
Yeah the problem with sling is way too much overlap in channels.
Get espn plus and something like Philo you'd probably be better off with more for less.
@@luvdady I use Philo (grandfathered in at $20),I mentioned Sling due to Lon liking sports. I don't follow sports so It works for me.ESPN Plus is a great solution for the sports aficionado.
@@PC4USE1 yeah well that's pretty much the only difference between orange n blue.
Unless I'm missing something.
But yeah Philo is a great overall product
If you serious about keeping the OTA I would recommend a larger antenna. I am in northern MA by North Andover MA. I can get some CT stations. So I think you should be able to get MA channels.
Thanks for the mention!
People say we should collab on something !
@@LonSeidman It would be a good idea if we can find a common subject. Your technical knowledge might be a bit better than mine that's more limited to over the air stuff.
for digital broadcasts you need rg-6 or better cable
you will have signal loss single/double shielded cable..
Not sure in North America as a whole though dtv if applicable where you live most likely be mainly vhf transmissions, uhf most likely only valid is you are still getting analog reception..
If your looking into getting into radio stuff I 100% recommend looking into a SDR. RTL SDRs are good to see if you want to spend more money on it but it can give you a good idea on what radio waves are out there
Yes did a whole series on it! lon.tv/sdr
@@LonSeidman Oh wow must have completely slipped my mind! Even shows the first video in the series as watched.
Nice! This reminds me that I need to double check if Boston stations have switched to ATSC3.0. They hadn't last year when I got my antenna installed. I have the SiliconDust 4k tuner.
Digital Channel 30 is ATSC 3 in the Boston area but it doesn’t have much in the way of programming.
@@generallyhelpfulsoftware646 I rescanned today but couldn't pick that one up. I am < 50 mi from Boston and can get all major stations over the air in HD. Hmm. WBZ comes in the best of any channel. If they switch to ATSC 3.0 and I don't see the HEVC then I'll know something is amiss. Lon's Hartford market is showing as NextGenTv but Boston is listed as coming in the fall; will recheck again later.
Is it not supposed to be 4k broadcast for nextgentv/atsc 3.0? Did I miss something? I mean atsc 1 has 1080 broadcast
NextGen (ATSC 3.0) must be available in one's market, otherwise all the peripherals out there won't deliver in HEVC. My immediate area is in the process of this. The county north of me has a few channels in 3.0. But the HDHomerun Flex 4k is required. I am unaware of any other tuners (besides the ones coming in modern TVs) that can tune NextGen.
This is the first time that I learned of that audio problem. Excellent advanced insight there.
This is why I'm leary of upgrading just for screen dimensions, Costco has a wonderful buy out there that one would consider Black Friday prices, but no indication it's 3.0, most likely not for that price. [Not spending $ for 4 gallons of gas just to find out]
Hello Lon, I cut the cord about a year ago. I Iive in in Monroe CT on the wrong side of Barn Hill from Hartford. I have trhree antenna on my roof with a rotor and the top antenna is a televis LR uhf. I also have the wine graud. If you want the maximun gain and best signal look at the Televis LR models I opted not to get ther LR uhf and the mix with vhf becaause only Channel 8 is still broadcasting in the vhf band and all others are uhf. The Televis has the apmplifier built into the anttenna and it has an lte fillter built in. And Antenna man has reviewed all of the Televis and I believe none have ever come close. I am halfway betwix NYC and Hartford and I get all the channels you reprorted but have to adjust direction. That also allow me to get Long Island and NYC channels. RF is kinda magic and integrating the amp and attenna at the antenna maximises the impedance match and the the highest signan to noise. IMHO. I have used the HDhomerun cable box and have plex. I have tested all the lower cost tunners and found the easiest for me was the mediasonic that has hdmi output. It is less than $30, I found though it has the very best and most sensitive tuner by far over all other boxes. The other major plus is that it has a single channel manual mode so you can adjust antenna for each channel and then add them. Every time you do a channel scan you may lose a weaker channel. I have an older LG 720p tv and it's built in attenna is poor. I have considered the hdhomerun 4k. Would love to know how it's tuner compares with the media sonic. Thank you again for your well presented informative vides. Tom Watson
Hi Lon, I have been planning on purchasing one of these HDHomeRun Flex 4k devices soon. I am planning to watch your video a couple more times, but I am unclear on whether or not the audio for the HEVC will work on my Roku devices. I am planning to use the HDHomeRun Roku app. Are you able to provide any clarity on my question? Thanks for the video.
The other thing you might consider is the low pass filter. Silicon Dust makes the LPF-608M. If you have any T-Mobile towers around you it can help on those higher channels.
Try to get your antenna above the tree line by at least 6’ because once the trees bloom again they will block a good portion of the signal. Otherwise the video is very good.
So you can not set this up without wired internet in your home? Right?
1:03
If Tyler said the antenna is good, it’s good. If he said it’s junk, it’s junk. He’s been in the TV antenna game for years and knows what he’s talking about.
I didn't know about the AC4 requirement, hopefully open source solutions will be released for it.
I live in Torrington,Ct. and used the second antenna you showed but I moved it too many times and it didn't hold up. I have a lot of trees in my backyard and now use a Yagi tv antenna that gets 26 channels. But I can't seem to get channel 3 to come in. Channel 8 will come in with a different antenna. I want to get an antenna to pick up the vhf channels and when I find one that works I'll let you know.
Ok..so im looking to do the same. I want to get rid of my cable here new jersey. Looks the solution your are mentioning is the way to go. I want to stream through the house and flex 4k is the solution. Question is. How do I know if my TV supports ac4? I have two smart TVs sony that has android tv 9 built in a Samsung curve TV about 7 years old connected to a 4k firestick and a cheaper Samsung smart TV connected to a Apple TV which I got from optimum tv.
My flex 4K picked up less stations, 48 total, than my Panasonic LCD TV 62 total, using an amplified mounted on a wall near a window. Using the un-amplified version antenna the channels were alike. That attic location of the antenna gave the best signal strength. I’ll mount an outdoor fringe antenna and try again.
I'm very surprised at that because I found the tuna to be very good on the flex.
I have 3 Flex 4Ks. I use two for 3.0. I’ve learned over the years, that I need higher than 35% Signal Quality to get a symbol lock on QAM256 channels. My Nashville market was one of the first. So I can get all from one channel at 1mW, and only QAM16 from the other at 550kW. I also use a CM3020, Clearstream 4V and Televes 148383.
Interesting video Lon and very informative. I also have a HDHR Prime and can receive around 27 channels here in upstate NY with a small Clearstream inside antenna. I'm also looking into ways to transition away from cable TV. NexGen TV looks promising and waiting for the local stations to flip that switch as well. Like you (and many others) I need to find a solution for the channels my wife watches and is easy to use. I'll be following your progress here.
Ran into your channel today and it seems we have a lot of similar TV reception issues. I too live in CT (Moodus) and have trouble with some channels. CT has a lot more hills than people realize that cause all sorts of problems. For me the channel 3 tower is problematic. My landlord limits me to an antenna in the attic, so antenna location changes are an issue too. So, what town are you located in and do you have the lat & long of the new ATSC 3 tower? I need to check into this new standard.
Regarding cablecards... I have an older TiVo that I had loved for years but Comcast screwed that up. About a year ago they closed down their cablecard support group in Arizona. It became apparent that they didn't want to know anything about them any longer when they also sent out a warning letter suggesting that they might not support them in the future. I had to put the TiVo on a UPS where any power outage would render premium channels dead until their system would finally reset the lineup in a day or two. It's somewhat surprising though, where virtually all of the non-X1 equipment still use cablecards. When Comcast refused to offer support for a new TiVo DVR, I got upset and decided to eliminate their TV service entirely. I was able to get a favorable internet deal for $60/month but you probably know about it already and it certainly doesn't have the bandwidth you want. If I had my way, Comcast would have been put out of business years ago. It's not like they care about their customers. BTW, Frontier will also do a direct fiber drop to you location, but get ready to hear that sucking sound on your wallet. I also hear that T-Mobile has 5G modems available in some CT areas that will drastically improve upward throughput. It may be something worth looking at in your case if nothing else than backup connectivity.
This is a very good product but when I record over the air I want to keep it. I'm not sure if you can transcode the audio on 3.0. that's my major concern
I didn't realize there was an audio issue with Nextgen. I am in a large market here and all the big stations have NextGen transmitters in place. Luckily for me I am LOS 6 miles from most of the xmitters. I can actually see most of the towers from my 2 story roof. I was using the Clearstream 4V but it began to have issues. I went to the 4V after using the 2V. All I can figure is the signal combiner on the 4V is failing so went back to the 2V. Not sure one can buy a new Combiner for the 4V.
What new features can we expect w atsc 3 besides that Dolby sound? Hoping more public access programming but doubt the fcc does.
I follow the Antenna Man also. You may want to upgrade to the only antenna that has been redesigned to better match the requirement of the new ATSC standard. His most recent video reviews the Televes DATBOSS LR Mix Hi-VHF UHF Long Range Antenna with 5G Filter model 149884. You may want to watch his review of this antenna before you upgrade to a new antenna. By the way I enjoyed your video very much. I like to hear about your experiences with your own home technology. Thank for all your efforts!
ok I set mine up so now I can watch WBAL TV even though I cant pick it up with the antenna only, dont know if it was worth over 200 dollars with tax for one channel, but I do get channel wbff 45, sometimes that channel goes out, so I can watch Ravens games, hopefully like if its windy out or rainy, the only time I have problems picking it up with the antenna alone.
I haven't really missed cable, but it would be nice to be able to receive some OTA channels where I live.
Here in Canada I cut the cable 2 yrs ago and do not miss it. I get 3 local OTA channels; all I watch is the local news even though 2 of the channels carry some network programs from the US. I had cut the cable before and went 3 yrs and only reason I got TV again was a sweetheart deal the provider gave me.
that chicken sandwich DOES look delicious. You're my favorite RUclips channel, Lon!
Cool experiment. I'm wondering how far you are from the transmitter? ATSC is supposed to be much with multipath interference and better in fringe areas. Silicon Dust needs to upgrade HD Homerun with four tuners capable of ATSC 3.0.
Hey Lon if I have 4K TVS with great upscaling and a good antenna isn't that almost as good as ATSC 3.0 next gen.?
Congrats on your HAM license! It's been a very rewarding hobby for me over the last three decades or so! 73 de AA5SA
Great review of the gear! I am looking into their products again now. Perhaps you deserve their patronage too!
Lon what is the make and model of your amateur radio antenna tripod?
It doesn't have to be anything specific for ham radio. Just ANY tripod will work for you. All you have to do is make sure the hole for the mast to go through fits the diameter of the mast you are going to want to use. Literally any tripod will do it if the mast will fit. Just make sure you bolt it down when you have it where you want it so it doesn't fall over.
I’ve been using the HDHR4K in Charlotte for about a year now with Channels and it’s been solid. Really anxious to start seeing 4K broadcasts.
are ANY TV stations using ATSC 3.0 / NexGenTV broadcasting anything in 4K? Fox 11 is the only ATSC 3.0 / NexGenTV station here in Los Angeles, and they're still sending out everything in 720p
How do we find out if our TV's have the AC 4 standard?.
Hey Lon! We are using an antenna with Philo for all our cable needs. (We also have Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV+, ESPN +, and HBO Max 😂)
I live just across the border from San Diego in Tijuana. I have five TV's in my Condo, all Visio Smart TV's. For the past year all TV's have been going through updates, each time changing many of the features. I also have a network for management of all Ethernet and OTA antennas. Recently the new update on all TV's is something I never anticipated. My TV's now will no longer receive OTA stations from San Diego. Basically the update has giofenced all my TV's to not receive anything from the US. This is the future that corporations will control everything we watch and where you watch.
I love your video it is very useful, my question is, does the network tv tuner allow you to open more than 2 tuners at the same time?
A better choice for an antenna would be one of the televes models appropriate for the distance to the transmitter and frequencies used.
Hi Lon, Great video. I need to mention that I’ve had better luck with yagi style antennas here in CT. The multi directional ones didn’t seem to be strong enough. Also, I think antenna web was telling you to get a violet grade antenna. They make multi directional violet grade antennas, however I recommend the yagi violet grade. I’ve tested the small multi directional, and 3 yagi style antennas at 3 different properties in CT. The multi directional got the worst results. My small RCA ANT751E yagi style was almost as powerful as my blue (CM-2020, digital advantage 100) and violet grade antenna. My RCA and blue antenna did not get PBS. PBS is the hardest signal to get for me. I only got the PBS channels with my violet grade, channel master, master piece 100 and I had to move the antenna up another 5 feet. Also, im using a preamp about 1 foot from the antenna (channel master CM-7777HD). It works great, it powers the antenna and sends the signal to the house all in one wire, great for roof installations or where the antenna is far from the TV. So this way there’s only one wire coming from the antenna pole. Also, I recommend finding where on your property gets the best signal then try to find a way to mount it in that location, for me it was in the backyard mounted to a tree, hope this helps!
Yagi works great because you can thread the needle if all your channels are in one general area. I had trouble with all the antennas I tried because of, I guess, hidden obstruction or interference. I don't have ATSC 3.0 here yet, but if all implementations are going to be on one tower then the Yagi would be good for everyone
Are any ATSC 3.0 channels in 4k yet? I see in this video you are getting 60 fps so that's better than ATSC 1.0. What about interactive features with internet connection?
Hi This is my feedback on HDHomeRun & it’s app. It kinda works , I get a lot of timeout messages and pixelated signs using this thing, if I switch to an atsc receiver or an fta satellite/atsc receiver it all goes away so if you have really fast internet net it might work better, For what they get for it not worth the money doesn’t work for me.
I'm really hoping that ATSC 3.0 fixes the signal loss issues that we deal with using antennas currently. It makes zero sense that we ever standardized a signal based technology where you'd lose the signal if a cat drove by
Same here.
Digital ata TV just doesn't have the same redundancy that HD radio has, so it is not watchable except in ideal conditions. Sure you might get a crystal clear picture farther away at Lower power, but this is not worth investing time into a show that breaks up without warning and the punchline in the show is lost.
I am up against several factors including : Cleveland lake Erie TV towers that sway in the wind, trees between me and the towers, and lots of signal multipath due to metal buildings around the antenna.
I am hoping that 3.0 solves the spotty UHF and non existing VHF (I use a huge traditional VHF antenna.) however, it looks like a nightmare of compatibility issues with the audio codecs. Even Tablotv tuner can't do a live broadcast supposedly because of the video codecs compatibility and lack of real time transcoding capability.
Moreover, the goal is to watch the tuner live on the smart TV, as well the recorded shows. In my case, we need an LG TV app in the play store for any tuner that I decide is worth the upgrade.
Lots of issues to overcome. And, I am not sure how many of these can be overcome.
This video is probably the best so far at addressing similar issues to what I face. Antenna man has only hinted that 3.0 might work better in woody areas, but the tuner boxes he recommended can't do live 3.0. He never mentioned sound compatibility problems, etc.
We should definitely prohibit cats from getting drivers licenses
Providence and Boston are supposed to be coming online soon so I am very intrigued. I wonder if we'll be able to get the CT signals here in RI as well. I remember in the analog TV days we had a much better chance of getting some of the more distant channels, mostly in the Boston area, though they would be a bit fuzzier. Kinda wild to remember what that looked like compared to the all-or-nothing signals we've become accustomed to.
Does ATSC 3 offer better reception than ATSC 1?
An RCA yagi antenna might be a better option for you. Im running one in the attic of my 2 story house with a long coax run down to the basement where the HDHomeRun is. I pick up many channels and most of them are in the green.
I am waiting for Plex support. And it is easy to predict that the nextgen four tuner HD homerun will have four ATSC 3.0 tuners, not just two. I have been a fan of HD Home run products since their first generation SD models.
You should try Televes DATBOSS LR Mix Hi-VHF UHF Long Range Antenna with 5G Filter 75 Mile Range 149884 - It has a built in amp, and is designed for the repack.
I think the reason the signal strength increases but the quality does not, is that the amplifier makes the antenna shout louder, but it retains whatever its original signal-to-noise ratio was.
That is true to an extent, but good amplifiers will bump up the actual signal further than the noise, thus providing an advantage. I did a test using a channel master 8-bay, picking up a signal from 70 miles with the TV right at the antenna. Without the amp I had > 50% signal dropouts, thus making it too difficult to watch. With a Televes amp between the antenna and the TV, with only 2ft of coax, it cleared it up completely with rarely, and I do mean rarely a dropout. My old Channel Master amp did the job as well. But depending on where you live, the amp may also amplify signal interference in your area making them ineffective. Preamps don't always provide an advantage, depending on what else they may be amplifying in your location. They don't last long and companies never respond 2 years later when they begin to fail.
Probably MORE critical than anything for good reception of a distant station is the position of a decent antenna. A foot up or down, or to the left or the right, and I lose the signal completely, even with an amp. Find the best location first and you may not need an amp!