capri0mni | Moral of this story: Do not ask for product advice from a poor shmuck at the end of his job (Reply)

So, last Wednesday, my local PBS station aired a show all about choosing the right antenna so you can handle the DTV switch (a little late, wouldn't you say? Especially since for most of the past year, all the PSA's basically said: "You'll probably be okay with the antenna you have now, if you get good reception with your current rabbit ears, but just check to be sure).

Turns out:

The digital TVs were designed with the assumption that everybody would be using them with rooftop antennas.

But if you really need an indoor antenna, they make good ones, now. Will never be as much of a sure thing as a rooftop, but if you need an indoor one, get the best quality.

"Rabbit Ears" are the worst possible design, ever, for antennas, as they pick up every rebound of the incoming signal off the ceiling, walls, furniture, etc. (the only people who can use rabbit ears are rabbits -- near quote).

The new antenna that the Circuit City employee recommended as "best," is a set of rabbit ears.

They said to be careful of amplified antennas -- because the amplification boosts everthing, including unwanted noise in the signal. Don't go for anything more than 3 or 4 decibels.

The one recommended to me (through Audrey)? 55 decibels.

They explained and demonstrated the "Digital Cliff;" analog TVs get 25% fuzzy when the the signal strength drops by 25%, 50% fuzzy when the signal drops by 50%, etc., but digital pictures stay at 100% until the signal drops by about 70%, and then, they plummet into black screens of death.

I'm right at the edge of that cliff. The signal comes through more often than it breaks up, freezes and goes black, but it freezes up and goes black enough to be annoying.

Though I also notice the same thing happening with the analog signal (the picture freezes, and/or I lose color and sound -- with analog), and that never happened with my old set. I barely even had snow on my old set (the picture was squunching, but I never had snow). So I'm apt to blame my new Worst-possible-design-OMG-what-were-they-thinking antenna.

So I now have decisions to make:

Do I buy a rooftop antenna, which would require also hiring a technician to install it for me (It may be called a DYI project for most people, but not for me -- heh)? If so, do I buy the antenna first? Or do I contact a technician first, to come look at my house and decide the best way to do the wiring, etc (the only real place I can have my TV is in the center of the house, far away from external walls, so I'd need extra cable at least)?

If I go this route, I doubt I'll be able to get it done in time for the switch, especially if lots of other people in the area are having the same work done at the same time.

Or do I do research for the Best-Possible-Design indoor antenna, and trust that it will be a Vast Improvement over what I have now, and since what I have now is almost Good Enough, Vast Improvement will be close to perfection?

If I go this route, I could buy via the Internets, and have it shipped in plenty of time for February 17th?