HDTV television signals are superior to the old analog broadcasts with one exception. The signals can be harder to pick up because they don't carry as far as an analog signal. To get good reception you need a good indoor antenna with an amplifier or a properly connected outside antenna.

Indoors
Connect HDTV antennas with 75 Ohm coaxial cable.

    If you live in a city or within 30 miles of the stations you can get good digital television reception using an indoor antenna. According to WNED, New York Public Television, people who live more than 15 miles away from the broadcast station might need an amplified antenna to receive UHF channels clearly.

    To connect an amplified indoor HDTV antenna to your television, first connect the coaxial cable to the input plug on the back of your television. It will be labeled "Antenna In" or something similar.

    Now connect the other end of the coaxial cable to the plug on the signal amplifier. This will have a separate coaxial cable that you will need to attach to the antenna. Plug the small end of the amplifier power supply into the amplifier and plug the power supply into the wall outlet to finish the installation. All that is left to do is run your TV Auto-Scan to detect the channels.

Rooftop

Outdoor antennas work best for picking up weak HDTV signals.

    Better television reception is often achieved by using a rooftop or pole mounted outdoor antenna. Because most HDTV signals are broadcast as UHF a Yagi type antenna will work to receive the HDTV television signals. Mount the antenna in a place where the signals will not be obstructed by trees or buildings and attach a ground wire to the post to draw lightning to the ground instead of to your electronics.

    Crutchfield Electronics recommends using high quality UL-rated dual- or quad-shield RG-6 cable to connect the antenna to your television. It will last longer and provide a better signal strength. Keep the cable between the antenna and the TV as straight and short as possible to ensure better reception. (See reference 2)

Splitting the Signal
One signal can be sent to more than one TV.

    Most homes have more than one television and the solution to connecting multiple televisions to one antenna is to use a signal splitter. The splitter has one line in which the antenna cable is connected and multiple F-type connectors for sending the signal to more than one television or cable box.

    According to Snap Stream Media, you should use an HDTV compliant signal splitter. Be observant when purchasing a signal splitter because signal splitters and signal combiners look very much alike but the combiner will not split the signal.

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