HDTV Over The Air?


I am thinking about getting a HDTV tuner to go with my Sony "HD Ready" CRT TV. Does anyone have experience they would like to share regarding tuner brands, antenna problems, etc?

Thanks,

Dave
consttraveler
Elizabeth, are you using a separate HD tuner (external to your TV) and if so, what kind, where did you buy it, etc. They seem to be a "rara avis" at the moment.
Tuner's make a big difference in pulling in the signal as well. I have one of the older rca DTC-100 tuners that sucks and a newer Zenith HD-SAT520 that pulls in the stations great. These are both for use with DirecTv as well but I did install an antenna outside which they both draw from for the couple of stations that DirecTv does not offer.

I would stick with an older Zenith or Sony tuner, in fact I am sure they are basically the same unit.

I bought this antenna from Radio Shack:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103088&cp=&pg=3&kw=antenna&parentPage=search

It is very directional but once you find the right spot it locks on like a mutha. I only have one tower to lock onto but if you have more than one than you would need more of these.

Good luck.
Dave; Iv'e been watching hdtv over the air for about 5 years now and the minimum antenna that worked here in the Sacramento area, about 40-60 miles from cluster of transmitter antennas is the $65.00 Radio Shack mid-level item. Keep in mind the hdtv signals are UHF so actually for HDTV thats all you need. When VHF analog goes awasy in a year or two I'll switch to the flat type with 8 dipoles on it as best compact highest-gain option with reasonable wide coverage, let us know what works for you in what city and how far from transmitters. Iv'e also found that antenna just 3-4 feet from roof works ok most places....good luck, Mike.
For an antenna www.antennasdirect.com. Don't get a Terk antenna. Samsung tuners are decent.
I have had excellent performance from the Samsung SIR-T451. While the earlier models had reliability issues, this one has been flawless for over a year. It also works with standard rabbit ears as far as 25 miles - have not tried at further distances. The only issue I have noted is that the video output is really for a 16:9 screen. If your Sony is a 4:3, it displays gray bars top and bottom, which can be annoying.