Will I Need a Rooftop Antenna to Receive Local Digital Stations?

Written by Clearly Resolved
Tuesday, 22 May 2007

[Q ] Is a rooftop antenna required to receive local digital broadcasts?

[ A ] You will need an antenna, but depending on how close you are to the transmission towers for your local TV stations, you might be able to get by with either a small antenna designed for indoor use, or an outdoor antenna mounted in the attic.

The first and most important thing to know is that digital TV signals, once received, tend to be highly stable. The sort of artifacts that you may recall from analog reception isn't all that relevant when it comes to receiving digital TV stations.

For example, in the digital realm there's no visual equivalent to the analog artifacts known as "snow," or "ghosting." And in most cases, a digital signal won't slowly fade in and out, as was sometimes the case in fringe analog reception areas. For the most part, with digital broadcasts you either receive the signal and have a stable picture and sound, or you won't get anything at all.

In addition, barring significant topographical or architectural obstacles between your location and the transmission towers, digital signals are generally more robust in terms of distance they can travel without serious degradation. So, even if you've previously had difficulty in your location with OTA analog signals, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be unable to receive digital signals.

In fact, there are few certainties when it comes to receiving local digital broadcasts. The only definitive way to determine if you can receive digital broadcasts in your area is to try it and see how it goes. Your odds for success are generally pretty good, but there can be no guarantees.

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