If you love watching TV programs, but the huge electricity bill is restricting you from relishing your favorite shows, then it is time to switch to the TV antenna. Besides helping you to save money, TV antennas provide you with good connectivity even in bad weather conditions.
All these facilities are only possible if you opt for the best one. For that, you need to consider a range of factors like the type of product, its bandwidth, and many others.
In this article, you will get to know the most crucial factors that you ought to check before choosing a TV antenna. Without any delay, let’s check them out.
Type of Antenna
The first and most basic thing to think over is which antenna you need for your television external or internal. Well, the experts will always suggest you opt for the omnidirectional outdoor antenna as the indoor antennas sometimes malfunction.
It is because the interior objects create reflection, and your home walls decrease the signal. Moreover, electrical gadgets and fluorescent lights create much interference. But, indoor antennas work efficiently in high signal areas.
On the other hand, external antennas are way more flexible and catch a better connection. However, similar to its performance, the cost is also high. Therefore, the choice completely relies upon you.
Now, after you have decided whether the outdoor or indoor antennas are suitable for your location, your next priority is to choose the right channel type.
If you pick the simple internal antenna, the green channels will be compatible. In the case of a larger outdoor antenna, incorporating the yellow channels are suggestible.
Terrestrial or Satellite
Just like the type of antenna is essential to pick, the broadcasts for which your chosen TV antenna will be used is also a matter of concern. Generally, there are typically two types of broadcasts terrestrial and satellite.
In the case of the former one, the frequencies of the radio spectrum are handled in the UHP segment. However, some countries still operate the frequencies in the VHP segment.
For satellite transmission, the dish antenna or parabolic reflector is required to be aligned accurately on the chosen antenna to obtain signals.
The signals that are received from the satellite remain around 10.95 to 12.75GHz. You have to select a specific antenna type according to the broadcast.
Style of antenna based on the preferred broadcast
If you choose the Terrestrial broadcast, you might need to pick the Yagi-Uda or Yagi antenna. Apart from the mentioned type, there are several other types as well.
For satellite televisions, parabolic reflectors would be appropriate. When you need a wide frequency range for your TV reception, considering the log-periodic one will be the best.
The Bandwidth of the TV Antenna
The next important thing to ponder at the time of choosing an antenna for your television is its bandwidth.
It refers to the frequency range over which your selected TV antenna can function rightly. If your country provides VHF TV, you would require mounting up the VHF antenna. Though presently, most of the television broadcast avails of UHF antennas.
As there is a wide band-range of UHF antennas, you need to be very careful while choosing the ideal one for your area. However, you might even require picking the antennas with a wide band called log-periodic antennas.
You can also come across the digital antennas where the TV band is utilized more than obtaining the transmissions. In some areas, the different segments of the band are assembled and assist the antenna bandwidth to code properly.
Rotator or signal amplifier
With a rotator, your TV antenna can be moved in all the potential directions to receive signals with just a remote click. The rotators are extraordinarily helpful if you wish to acquire weaker stations from various locations.
However, rotators can add up some additional expenses. So, opt for it only if you need it. Usually, there is a wide range of TV antennas that automatically pulls strong stations from various stations. In such cases, you can skip using a rotator.
Nonetheless, if you reside in a location with the poor signal where it is hard to fetch remote TV stations, a signal amplifier can be your savior.
TV amplifier is the finest way to receive the maximum amount of signal at your TV antenna. Before selecting a signal amplifier, consider its utility as well as public review.
The Gain of the TV Antenna
The antenna gain is a key point that you must prioritize while equipping an antenna for your television. With a higher gain, the ability of your TV antenna to improve the weaker signals increases at a larger rate.
Moreover, the gain of the TV antenna is somewhat proportional to its directivity. The greater the TV antenna gain is, the more directive it becomes.
The gain has to be mounted rightly to the TV transmitter. Moreover, the gain can decrease the interference levels that usually occur while receiving signals from different directions.
The TV antenna gain is classified in decibels (dB). The increment in the decibel number refers to the higher antenna gain. As the logarithm decides, the decibel number 10dB is considered to be an expansion in the 10 fold gain, and similarly, 20dB is the expansion in 100 fold gain.
Being a ratio, dB is to be contrasted with a standard TV antenna gain into two types. The first one is the dipole and the other one is the isotropic source (it maintains the equity of the radiation in all routes).
It is essential to note that the gain of the dipole surpasses the isotropic source by 2.1 dB. That is why 10 dB gains in dipole are equal to 12 dB isotropic source.
Suggesting the right antenna without judging the condition of your location is tough. The presence of buildings, trees, weather conditions, etc, can affect the functionality of the TV antenna.
That is why you should always mull over the drawbacks before selecting a suitable type of antenna. Keeping in mind all the above-mentioned things, make a wise choice, and make sure to avail of strong cable connection along with it.