switching to satellite, and local channels not available can I use an antenna to watch locals after the switch

Question

I have an amplified FM/TV/HDTV, it picks up the local channels now, on monday I'm switching from cable to satellite and local chanells are not available. Will my antenna still be worth a flip after the switch to digital, I have two HD T.V.'s. Does any one know how to get local chanells when they say there not available. They are available half a mile down the street in a different county

Answer 1

>Yes, you can still watch free over the air (OTA) TV. If your TVs are digital (you said they were HD), they should be able to pick up the digital OTA stations now.



Just put the antenna on the antenna input and the satellite on another input and change inputs as needed. That's what I do at home. The OTA signals look better, anyway.<



If your sets are analog, you can get an inexpensive converter box to convert the digital transmissions for viewing on your existing analog set so you will still have your local stations after February, 2009.





EDIT: Here are some maps of your situation: http://ekb.dbstalk.com/TVMarkets/Maps/georgia.gif and http://ekb.dbstalk.com/TVMarkets/



From the information on this site, it would appear that satellite doesn't have the Columbus locals to give you. If Harris county is getting locals via satellite, they are probably Atlanta local stations. You could request the Atlanta locals or just use your antenna as suggested above.



I hope this helps. Please return and choose a Best Answer from all of those submitted.

Answer 2

In North America, analog and digital TV broadcasts use the same antennas.



If you currently get good analog reception with an antenna, it's probably good enough for digital. On the other hand, if you don't get good analog reception you are probably going to need a better antenna for DTV.



There are two likely explanations for why someone a half mile away can pick up local broadcasts and you can't.



1.

Once your antenna is connected to your HDTV, you have to go into your your HDTV's menu and have it scan for "antenna" or "over the air" channels. Believe it or not, many people don't realize than broadcast channels above 13 are not the same as analog cable channels with the same number.



2.

The TV broadcast signals have to travel from the transmitters to your TV antenna. Is there anything blocking the path between the two? Metal objects tend to refect or bend radio waves and water/dirt and similar stuff tends to absorb them.



Tune your TV to the strongest local station and try moving your antenna around, even hold it out the window in the direction of the transmitter and see what you get.



RT usually gives good answers to questions but I don't know what he was thinking when he started going on about different counties. TV broadcast waves are not effected by political boundaries. Now if there is a big hill between you and the transmitters, that's a different story.



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>The county is muscogee georgia (columbus) no local chanells for satelite. Harris county 1/2 mile away gets local chanells.



Most likely it is because of government rules. The government sets up rules to "protect" over the air broadcast markets. For example, if you live in Chicago they think you should watch the ABC Chicago station. If you wanted to watch ABC's Indianapolis station they say " tough cookies", your eyeballs and the advertising revenue they represent belong to the Chicago station.



The government draws the lines, and if you are on the wrong side of the line and "your" local station isn't carried by the satellite..... Well the government thinks it knows what's best for you.



Now the satellite signals you get are just like the ones that are a 1/2 mile down the road. If the satellite company thought that your satellite dish was on the other side of the line, they would tell your satellite receiver that you could watch the local shows on that side of the line.



A rhetorical question. Why do you think that there are satellite receivers that have paper addresses in the US but are physically located in Canada?

Answer 3

I have disnetwork sometimes our local channels don't come in. most of the time all I have to do is give them a call. You can also reset the box by holding in the power botton.

Answer 4

Yes.