The choice to use broadcast television is becoming more common. The cost of cable is frequently seen as one place to tighten the budget. Even a high end HDTV antenna is likely less than one month of cable fees. Getting a good antenna can seem like rolling the dice, but that is not the case. The answers to some questions can make your choice much simpler. It all starts with those answers.

Finding out which channels are available in your location is not difficult. However, signal strength will vary. Line of sight is important and the direction of the signal is important too. If there are mountains, houses or buildings blocking the signal, you may need more than the simplest antenna.

There is a nonprofit website where you can input your address and receive a list of stations and their relative signal strength. The list is color coded and will give you the strength and even the direction those signals come from. If one you really want is weak, you can choose the sort of antenna that will pull it in. It is likely your retail dealer can give you this information as well.

The sorts of antennas available are table top or TV top antennas as well as several sorts of roof top antennas. If your location is flat and unimpeded, then set top might work. Your investment could be smaller than the roof top arrays.

However, if one or more of the signals you want to acquire is quite weak, you may want to consider a roof installation. There are at least two types to consider. Directional arrays must point toward the signal. If everyone is broadcasting from the same tower you get them all. But if you want one that comes from another direction you will need to either turn the antenna by hand or get a motorized tuner that will move it mechanically from inside. These may breakdown of course. So, there is yet another option.

Another alternative to directional arrays is the omni-directional antenna. These are circular disks up to several inches thick and installed on the roof. They also have powered amplifiers that can boost weaker signals. They can receive signals from all directions and require no tuning.

Once you know which stations are available and which ones you want, you can begin to choose which HDTV antenna might do the job. You have table top, roof top arrays and omni-directional to choose from. The number and direction of the stations will be a good place to start.

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