Watch HD for free
An over-the-air HD (high definition) antenna allows you to get your locals (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, UPN, PBS) in HD for free if you have a HD TV. The picture and sound are great, but to take advantage of the HD digital audio, you need to run an optical audio cable to your home theater audio receiver.
- Get you a HD television with an integrated ATSC tuner. Vizio TVs are a great value.
- Get you a HD antenna. I recommend this Philips Antenna.
- Go to your local, non-Home Depot hardware store and get you a 5′ mast pole, a wall antenna mount kit, enough coaxial cable to run from the antenna to your TV, and the coax connectors for each end.
- Assemble your antenna per the directions included, mount the mast pole using the wall antenna mount kit, and slide the antenna onto the mast. Do not tighten completely.
- Run the coaxial cable from your TV out to where your antenna is and be sure to run the cable through that weather-proof rubber boot that is on the antenna to keep the moisture out of your coax. Twist-on or crimp-on the coax connectors and hook-up the coax to your TV and antenna.
- Point your antenna in the average direction of your local stations. You can find out where to aim your antenna by going to antennaweb.com. Depending on where you live, you may need to install a rotor to rotate your antenna to view all channels.
- Plug in your TV, turn it on, and go to the menu where you can scan for antenna channels. If you don’t get all the channels that you should per antennaweb.com, simply adjust the direction of the antenna and repeat. Tighten all nuts and bolts completely when finished.