My locals are broadcast in HD but Dishnetwork does not offer them. Could I hook up an outside antenna and pick them up. If so what kind of antenna do I need and will the picture be clear .
OTA antenna
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If you doa search you will find several threads. It all depends on your location but most threads will direct you to www.antennaweb.org for specific guidance.
As Geronimo said, start with antennaweb.org. That site will give you all the info you need to determine what antenna you'll need. In my case, I lucked out and I'm actually using a $30 indoor antenna to pull in my local digital signals. Keep this in mind, though... chances are, you will get the best HD picture possible using an old-fashioned antenna. All in all, it is really worth the effort.
I have the Square Shooter with the 622 and it works great. In order to get guide information, though, you need to subscribe to the SD locals for your area. The quality is great with this antenna and it all depends where the towers are. Good luck!
The above responses "assume" that you have equipment capable of decoding the HD signals. You need a Dish receiver that has that capability or a TV with a built in HD receiver.
If you have either of those two, then the reference web sites will lead you to a list of choices as to what type of antenna you may need. IN GENERAL, most local HD broadcasts are in the UHF spectrum, regardless of what it may say on the screen such as Channel 5 xxxx. The Receiver picks up the signal in the proper spectrum (UHF channel 45 for example) and it decodes it and places the channel guide at a place that was predetermined by the broadcast station (for example Ch 5.1
You can try a simple piece of wire inserted into the RF antenna connector (Type F) and do a cannel scan...often you can get a signal...and it will say what the signal level is at present. You usually need a signal of at least 50% to decode the HD. You may be surprised as to how strong the local HD stations are now being used. The picture quality will either be perfect or non decodable with a very narrow range of signals that break up (e.g. pixation)
Hope this helps
If you have either of those two, then the reference web sites will lead you to a list of choices as to what type of antenna you may need. IN GENERAL, most local HD broadcasts are in the UHF spectrum, regardless of what it may say on the screen such as Channel 5 xxxx. The Receiver picks up the signal in the proper spectrum (UHF channel 45 for example) and it decodes it and places the channel guide at a place that was predetermined by the broadcast station (for example Ch 5.1
You can try a simple piece of wire inserted into the RF antenna connector (Type F) and do a cannel scan...often you can get a signal...and it will say what the signal level is at present. You usually need a signal of at least 50% to decode the HD. You may be surprised as to how strong the local HD stations are now being used. The picture quality will either be perfect or non decodable with a very narrow range of signals that break up (e.g. pixation)
Hope this helps
On the ss-2000 that I purchased is tells you to set the skew, azimuth and the elevation. Where do I get these from. Will each station have it's own. Or do I just play around and try to get the best reception??? Help...
As mentioned, antennweb.org will tell you your local stations and the azimuth. There is no skew and el for a terrestrial antenna.
The Squareshooter has a 60% reception cone off the front of the antenna so there is some flexibility in aiming fo multiple stations. Quite often it is a matter of compromise. Antenna web will tell you the information for each station in your area. Then you have to scan them in your Dish receiver. As you do that you can see signal strengths. See your Dish manual for details.
One last question: would it be best to hook the antenna directly to the tv or run it to my dvr622 (my HD receiver). Would either one give me more HD chanells than the other.
If you hook to the 622 then you can use your dish remote to control your locals the same as if they were Dish channels and you don't have to switch outputs on the tv all the time.
I connect OTA to both 622 and TV. That allows me to watch Heroes live on TV and record 24 on 622.
I "guide" and recieve [lock] a lot more channels on my Mits tuner than on the dish recievers. Sensetivity way higher. Than 811,211,or 622
Hook Both if you have PIP or if your tuner is superiour in PQ to the dish rciever.
I watch most important programs "24" NASCAR, FOOTBALL thru the TV tuner because the picture quality is so much better.
Makes no diff if I go into HDMI or componant. Ant is still better PQ.
That was my next question. I have only 1 OTA ( I purchased the wineguard squareshooter) and 1 Satellite dish. What type of splitter do I need to use?
