Newbie questions

[Allegra]

We live in area code 98117, have an older analog JVC brand TV with a converter box and rabbit ears and are looking for good information and of course better reception. We are in the "yellow" triangle, an urban area fairly close to towers (well within 20 mile radius) but we have two big trees in our back yard. We want to get a multidirectional UHF antenna, and preferably have someone install it for us. Our house is one story and our garage would make a good mounting place to circumvent the trees.

Here are my questions: (1) Do we have to have an HD tuner to get good over-the-air HD reception? Where do we get one and where does it go? Will a tuner even be relevant with an analog TV?
(2) Will the HD antenna give us the major network channels we are accustomed to (ABC NBC, CBS, PBS) ?
Will we get more than that?
(3) After investing in the antenna, the tuner (if it is necessary) and the installation, will our reception still be pixilated when the wind blows?
(4) If we buy an HD TV, will we still need an antenna to get good reception?
(5) Whom do I call locally for answers to these questions? The nearest installer is about 50 miles away. They are happy to sell us a Channel Master 4221 and install it for about $250 (they didn' mention an HD tuner) but we'd like to get another opinion (and a better price if we can).
Thank you! The site is great service!

[tigerbangs]

I am concerned about the choice of the 4221HD as an antenna choice: it is primarily a UHf antenna, with only marginal VHF reception, and is not the antenna that I would choose to use for you, since you have 3 major VHF digital TV stations n your area. KCPQ, the FOX station is usually the problem station in the Sea-Tac area, since it's transmitter lies about 20 miles west of the other Sea-Tac transmitters. if I was going to install an antenna system for myself in your location, I would use a small VHF-high-band plus UHF antenna like a Winegard HD-7694P aimed at the spread of transmitters downtown at 135 degrees, as measured by your compass, and add a small VHF high-band yagi like a Winegard YA-6713 mounted 4' above the Winegard on the same mast. Aim that antenna at KCPQ, 235 degrees by your compass. Combine the signals from the two antennas into one coax cable by using a Channel Master channel 13 JoinTenna, which is available through Warren Electronics

if you use the antenna system that I described, you will see all of your major English and Spanish TV networks, and a number of other independent stations, as well. if you add a small distribution amplifier to the cable inside your home, you can power multiple TV sets from the same antenna system.

As for your question about HDTV tuners, what you will need for tuners will depend on why kind o TV set(s) that you own: HDTV ready sets have their own HDTV tuners in them, and should be capable of receiving HDTV signals by simply

connecting an antenna to them. If you own older analog TV sets, you will need to buy digital to analog converters for those TV sets. if you have an older HDTV that does NOT have an HDTV tuner in it, you can buy an HDTV tuner that will allow you to receive digital programming in HD. if you can provide me with TV makes and model numbers, I can advise you as to what type of equipment that you'll need for each TV set.

http://www.winegard.com/kbase/upload/1450290.pdf
http://www.winegard.com/kbase/upload/ya-6713.pdf
http://www.warrenelectronics.com/Antenn ... tennas.htm
http://manuals.solidsignal.com/AntInstallGuide.pdf