If your favorite show gets interrupted by a loss of signal now and then, and the news broadcast leaves you confused rather than informed, you know it is the time. The time to fix your TV antenna or upgrade it altogether. Reception of a free-to-air TV signal depends mostly on the device you have and, to a lesser degree, on its positioning on your roof (or indoors). So before you go shopping, let us look at what options you have and how to approach the task of selecting one.
Is there a single ‘perfect’ solution, that is, a TV antenna?
Well, there is no unified solution that will meet the needs of every TV owner in Australia. Indeed, you may opt for pricier offers, but without knowing the particularities of your area, landscape, and TV signal you cannot buy an antenna that will really make watching TV enjoyable activity.
Where to place your new antenna – indoors or on the roof?
Yes, if you did not know, you can locate your device indoors or outdoors. Maybe, for some reason, you decided to swap places and have an indoor antenna instead of a rooftop one, or vice versa. But before you make such an important decision, you need to know exactly why there exist two types of receiving equipment.
Indoor antennas tend to be cheaper and easier to install yourself, but they come with a bunch of reservations. Such antennas are usually low-duty, receiving few channels, and they are the last resort for those who cannot place an antenna on a rooftop. For example, cables are not laid from the roof to apartments, the roof is inaccessible for some reason, or there are other considerations.
If you want good signal reception that ensures uninterrupted picture and sound and crystal-clear image, you need to buy an outdoor antenna and install it properly. That’s the expert advice if you seek one.
Key questions to answer before your purchase
Along with the antenna, several other factors impact the quality of the picture you see on the TV screen, and you need to choose a model of antenna that will level these factors, if necessary.
- Look around: what’s the landscape or cityscape in your location? Are you on the hill or in the lowland? What’s the height of your roof? Are there any significant obstacles around? Is the quality of signal in your area good or poor? The answers to these questions will define if you need your antenna to compensate for the trouble. In this case, your antenna should be bigger than average (with a larger number of receiving ‘legs’), and it should be narrowband. In contrast to a combination or log periodic device, a narrowband antenna filters out noise more efficiently, so the signal transmitted to your TV is clear.
- Do you know what frequency TV signals are broadcast in your area? Do you know the band your transmitter uses for UHF signal?
- High-gain or low-gain antenna?
- Fixed direction antenna or omnidirectional? Directional antennas are just fitted on the roof immovably towards the TV signal source. Omni-directional antennas can receive a signal from all sides and so they can be used on vehicles and caravan homes.
If all the information looks a bit overwhelming, remember that you can always hire a local expert. With our help, TV antenna installation in Albury Wodonga will be easy and fast. Spare yourself this problem and get the antenna that is perfect for your particular needs.