Terk Technology HDTVi VHF/UHF HDTV Indoor Antenna
by Terk
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List Price: Our Price: $21.89 You Save: $28.10 (56%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Terk Technology HDTVi VHF/UHF HDTV Indoor Antenna
Customer Review: Great antenna
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently bought a Philips 50 inch plasma TV with built-in HDTV tuner for OTA reception of HD signals. This was my first venture into HD so I had much questions regarding how to get OTA HD signals. I found AVSforum most helpful regarding all my questions. However, I was told that if I live in a large city such as Los Angeles and my non-HD reception was adequate then I would not have to buy any special antenna to receive HD OTA. A coat hanger would suffice. So I hooked my new plasma to my old rabbit ear since I live in a condo complex and cannot put out an outdoor antenna. With it, I was able to pull down 4 HD signals but they were unstable. In fact, I was never able get ABC HD and a couple of the local HD stations. I had two other indoor antennae lying around and one was even amplified that I bought from Radio Shack recently. Even with the amplified one, I got no better result then my initial older rabbit ear.
I bought this plasma TV set hoping I would be able to watch "Super Bowl" HD but instead, I had to settle for a slightly doubled imaged analog "Super Bowl". After trying all three antennae in various positions in my condo and ultimately using a longer coaxial, I pulled it out unto my balcony - no difference. No better.
After reading this site and AVS forum and other reviews, I finally settled on trying Terk HDTVi, an un-amplifited antenna with some skepticism since I had no luck with all my rabbit ears.
The set up was so easy. Through antennaweb.org, I found out where all Los Angeles' TV towers are and I aimed this unit in that general direction and I repeat my new plasma's channel auto-detection programming function and watched as it tallied up all the digital and non-digital channels it was now able to receive. According to antennaweb.org, I should be able to receive 31 digital channels. Well, by the end of autoprogramming cycle, my TV tallied over 45 digital channels and more than 15 non-digitals. I was ecstatic, and for the first time, I was able to get ABC HD and KCOP HD and some other in the high VHF band channels that I never knew existed.
Of course each owners' result will vary from location to location but I am most amazed and pleased with this unit esp. given its very reasonable price. Try it and hopefully your get as good of result as I have. I am very happy.
Customer Review: Terk HDTVi non-amplified indoor antenna
Summary: 5 Stars
After buying a basic RCA rabbit ear/uhf loop antenna and getting it at home from Amazon and tapping out one of the unthreaded base fittings for the rabbit ears I got zilch performance with it. Than I went to [...] and got a listing of the stations supposedly receivable in my home with an external antenna, MOST IF NOT ALL such antenna web sites disclaim that they don't claim to give good ratings for indoor antennas due to all the physical/metal obstructions that can interfere with indoor units. This Terk unit does recommend using it near a window which if it gives access to the angles that antenna web sites will list (usually with a map with your address centered with sight lines radiating out from it at the proper compass angles and compass degrees listed) will make the visit to an antenna website worth while. I should have visited the antenna website BEFORE ordering the basic RCA unit as the website gave distance in miles to local broadcast towers which all the reviews for more capable directional indoor HDTV units like this Terk make clear its got the power for in the 10-30 mile range at my address. A graph on the outside of this Terk's box rates it as good to excellent at 0-36 in urban areas. When I rescanned my Haier HL7 portable I got for power failures I found it good for 17 channels with the "Info" button on its remote showing a "good" or "normal" rating on the signal strength area of the info. window on the screen. Most importantly for power out emergencies 4 of them are for the three major networks, ABC, CBS, NBC and one local that uses FOX local news services which satisfies my emergency needs. Set up was easy, I found the array in the horizontal position worked best for me but it wasn't hard to try it both ways. Yes it is a bit tippy but with the pretty much useless VHF dipoles folded & tucked away it was minimal. The coax stays tucked under better to the rear and that helps stability so do it that way if you can. I'm using it with a 12 ft. coax extension with a male/male connecter to extend the units own coax with no fall off in performance with or without the extension. Given the performance without an ac amplifier and the good quality of construction I'm giving this unit 5 stars.Customer Review: Terk Antenna great for HDTV!
Summary: 5 Stars
I first heard of this antenna from a friend who let me borrow it after telling me how good the reception was. It worked great at picking up over-the-air digital & HD channels. When used on a standard def TV, performance was only average.
I bought this antenna myself for my new Sony BRAVIA HDTV with built-in HD tuner. I still had a std def DirecTV receiver so I couldn't really see the best picture on this set until I upgraded the receiver. While I waited for a HD DirecTV DVR box, I bought the Terk non-amplified antenna and received over 20 digital/HD channels. Some of these channels are not even available on cable or satellite so it was worth it. Depending on where you live, you may get more or less channels. I live 10 miles east of NYC.
The Terk outperformed the amplified Radio Shack HD antenna that cost me more. The Radio Shack unit required frequent adjustment of the rabbit ears as well as the gain adjustment. The Terk just needed to placed in the right spot in order to get the most channels. I did find the "Christmas tree" configuration (the Terk unit on its back while the rabbit ears are extended so that they hold up the antenna) works very well for most channels. You will occasionally have to adjust the position or the length to extend the rabbit ears depending on the channels you prefer.
When I got my DirecTV HD DVR, the picture from the Terk unit was just as good as the satellite channels. I attached the Terk unit to the "off-air" connection on the DTV box and received many of the same channels as I did connected directly to the Sony BRAVIA but some channles were missing. I've heard that cable & satellite companies "filter" the channels - software glitch or intentional? As the TV has its own tuner, I just hooked the Terk unit back into the TV directly. If the satellite signal is lost, I have over 20 channels I can still watch through the Terk.
Highly recommended for the price and for saving me the hassle of mounting an antenna on the roof.
Customer Review: Works great with my Slimfit!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have the Terk HDTVi paired with a 30" Samsung Slimfit (TX-R3079WH), and am very pleased with it.
I wasn't even sure if an indoor antenna would work. You see, our house and subdivision are surrounded by large, mature oak trees and spruces. To boot, our house is down a hill even lower than the rest of the subdivision. Satellite TV has never been an option for us.
According to anntennaweb.com, here are the digital stations in my area, as well as the orientation and distance from the towers...
FOX 95° (4.2 mi)
ABC 90° (3.4 mi)
UPN 147° (1.1 mi) - vhf
WB 74° (36.3 mi)
NBC 74° (38.2 mi)
PBS 243° (30.9 mi)
First, I tried the Jensen TV631. I could receive FOX, ABC, WB, NBC, and PBS HD, but not all at the same time. The antenna had to be adjusted often, especially for PBS HD, which was nearly impossible to receive. I then decided to try the HDTVi. Immediately after the antenna was plugged in, PBS HD came onto the screen before anything had been adjusted. Also, FOX, ABC, WB, and NBC all had strong, steady signals as well.
For me, the antenna works best when the tip is pointed towards the ceiling. I spread the dipoles out to allow the antenna sit in this position. It looks like a little tree this way.
Now, I can flip through the HD channels without fiddling around with the antenna. The Jensen was okay, but the Terk is wonderful. If you plan on using a HDTVi for only analog channels, I don't think that this antenna is anything special. I have cable, so I only use it for the HD channels.
Also, if your TV is "HD-ready," you will need an external tuner to be able to watch OTA HD channels. Unlike other TVs, such as the Samsung Slimfit, already have the tuner built-in. Lastly, for anyone disappointed by their HD picture quality, you're probably looking at an analog channel.
Customer Review: Does what it's supposed to, but can't work miracles
Summary: 5 Stars
This antenna is made for people who are within 35 miles (or have a very clear shot) of the TV station transmitters. If you could not receive standard definition stations well with a rabbit ear anntenna before, then using this Terk antenna won't help you much for off the air HDTV.
Further, it is not going to pull in signals that are obstructed by large buildings or mountains. The best way to tell if this antenna will work for you is to goto the antennaweb dot org website and input your address. If the results come back showing you are within 35 miles of your local TV station transmitters it should work well.
For me, I can get almost all my local TV stations with this antenna because I am next to the San Francisco Bay and have a clear line of site to the transmitters. I wouldn't expect this antenna to work as well if I was in a more remote area or in the middle of a city with skyscrapers all around me.
I am quite happy with this Terk antenna since it does what it's supposed to do as long as you understand if you are a candidate for it in the first place. I do not feel the more expensive amplified versions are worth the money because in my experience, you will see little gain with them. If you want something a bit better, I would instead look to an outdoor (preferrably rooftop mounted) antenna.
Note that this Terk antenna is larger than it looks in the pictures, which could be a deciding factor for some. In my case, it's worth it even though it's a bit unsightly. But when I have guests over and won't be watching off the air HDTV, I put the antenna away so my living room looks a bit neater.