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

[capri0mni]

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?

Comments

[uncacreamy.livejournal.com]

I have a lot of experience with dealing with the people who do these installations. Some of them are good, and some of them are very very bad, and it's hard to tell who is going to be who before they do the installation. You would certainly do better with an antenna on the roof, but be careful about who you hire, and making sure that there is someone who can look to see if they've left holes in places, and so forth.

Your other option might be an antenna mounted outside, and not on the roof. I know they can mount a Dtv antenna outside in the yard, on a post.

I wish I still had all my resources.. I used to really be able to give information on this stuff.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It's the drilling of holes through outside walls that's making me nervous, especially in the middle of winter.

Another thing I'm thinking of doing, if I go for the rooftop model, is buy it at some place like Lowe's, or some other place that offers installation service. I figurre that I'm less likely to get a wildcard, that way, than if I looked up a technician in the phone book.

[clamnebula.livejournal.com]

I haven't used this site before, but it's been recommended to me as a way to find reliable service and installation people: Angie's List - http://www.angieslist.com

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Angie's List is a main contributor to the radio show Car Talk on NPR, so I'm familiar with the name, and yes, I've thought about checking there for someone to do the antenna thing.

In any case, I may go with an attic model at the most, considering how often we have nor'easters, and severe thunderstorms, and hurricanes around here (depending on the season). Sticking something up above the roofline in this area means putting it in a very vulnerable position.

[uncacreamy.livejournal.com]

Someplace like Lowe's will farm this out to people that are contracted to Lowe's. I used to work for an installation company that was the control center for other companies that contracted to Best Buy, for instance. So, when people bought things from there that came with installation, Best Buy would farm this out, through us, to various installation companies. So there was still a mixed bag. Actually, that place was starting to contract with Lowes when I left, but it may not have gotten that far.

The good part, is that you have a corporate place to complain to, instead of just some random place.

Do not. Ever. Purchase anything. From Best Buy.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Actually, that makes sense, since the Big Box stores want to keep prices low, so they're probably not going to invest in training their employees in everything they need to know to do whatever installations.

But yeah, I was thinking the corporation would be more of a filter than I could be, and, yeah, there's the central place with more clout than I to complain to.

(and I've heard vague horror stories about Best Buy).

[clamnebula.livejournal.com]

Lowe's does install some appliances and other stuff themselves, but yes, generally they farm out those types of jobs. Unfortunately, I saw the aftermath of many a mangled installation job when I was working in the lumber dept at Lowe's!

I would say your safest bet for an antenna rigger would be someone who's done satellite dish installing for a long time... like since the late 80's, or so. Back then, installing a dish was a bigger, more complicated deal than it is now, and the package often included a regular roof antenna (to pick up local signals), so that person would be well qualified for putting up any sort of outdoor antenna these days.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

The thought that just occurred to me (as soon as I saw another reply to this post), was that I'll buy an anteena that can be used either indoors or outdoors (I've seen at least one). That way, I can try it indoors, first, and if that's still unsatisfactory, I can hire someone to install the thing outdoors, without having to buy a third antenna.

[clamnebula.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking about doing as well. I don't know that I'll ever be able to mount my antenna outdoors, but it's nice to have the option, anyway.