HDTV Reception in Big US Cities

November 24, 2007 – 5:49 am, posted by hdtvlabs

Probably the hardest part of setting up your HDTV is where to put the antenna and where to aim it. Here is some info for residents of America’s major metropolitan areas about setting up your antenna to pick up digital TV broadcasts.

New York

All The Big Apple’s digital broadcasts are now on UHF. That means all you need is a small UHF-only antenna. That’s good news! Almost all of New York’s digital broadcasts come from the Empire State Building, so it’s relatively easy for New Yorkers to get the signal, even those that are out in the ‘burbs. In New York, you can probably get away with using an indoor antenna.

Philadelphia

Most of the stations in Philly are located up on the north end. Depending on where you live, you might have some reception issues because of the tall buildings. If you live in Philly, a good directional antenna aimed north will probably do the job.

Boston

Boston’s stations all run on the UHF band. One of the cool things about living in Boston is that you can often pick up stations from Rhode Island as well. If you want to do this, you should get a good multi-directional antenna. Some people get a rotator for their antennas so they can pick up the Providence stations more clearly.

Chicago

Lots of people complain about reception in Chicago. This is because one of the major stations, WBBM, operates on VHF. It has a weird signal pattern and is broadcast at a low level. The rest of Chicago’s stations run on the UHF band. Your best bet is to get a directional antenna and aim it at Sears Tower, where most of the stations are broadcast from. If you want to get WBBM (it’s a CBS affiliate), you’ll have to get an antenna that can pick up both UHF and VHF.

Dallas

Dallas is nice and flat, so most people don’t have any trouble with reception. All the stations except WFAA, an ABC affiliate, broadcast on UHF. Because of the flatness, a regular UHF antenna will often pick up WFAA, even though it’s on the VHF band.

Los Angeles

LA can be tough. All the digital stations run on the UHF band, and all broadcast from nearby Mt. Wilson. This means that you should get a directional UHF antenna and aim it towards the mountain. If you live way down in a canyon, you may have some trouble. But, some residents clear out in the desert, where it’s flat and there aren’t many obstructions, get good digital TV reception.

San Francisco and the Bay Area

The Sutro tower is where most of SF’s stations broadcast. You’re biggest problem in SF is the hills. A variable attenuator can help cut down on multi-path reflection. If that’s not an issue, a regular UHF antenna aimed at Sutro tower will do the trick.

These are just a few of the major metropolitan areas. If you check out antennaweb.org, it will tell you where your digital signal is coming from. That can help you decide what to get and where to put it.