|
| Terk HDTVa Indoor Amplified High-Definition Antenna for Off-Air HDTV Reception | 
 enlarge | Brand: Terk
Category: CE
List Price: $60.30
Buy New: $32.50
You Save: $27.80 (46%)
New (55) Refurbished (2) from $21.27
Avg. Customer Rating:  451 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.5
Dimensions (in): 14.5 x 3.5 x 13
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: HDTVA
Model: HDTVA
UPC: 034405002222
EAN: 0034405002222
ASIN: B0007MXZB2
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new, factory packaging. Please let me know if you have any questions!
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Great antenna August 20, 2008
I live in a suburb next to the northwestern part of chicago. In my area I am getting about 26 channels with this antenna pointing straight north out my window with it open. These ones are all in the chicagoland area. All of these channels have very high signal strength. But the real thing that made me suprised was that I am getting channels from Gary, Indiana which is 45 miles away. As well as Milwaukee, Wisconsin which is 85 miles away. Sometimes the signal does drop on these faraway channels but the fact that its picking up tv signals from that far away almost double its advertised range is amazing to me. The channels I am picking up are WTMJ 4.1 and 4.2 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Also PBS Gary, Indiana, 17.3, 17.4, 56.1, 56.2. Bear in mind that I do live in an urban setting but there are no buldings taller than 3 stories where I am.
It Works Well and Looks Way Cool August 20, 2008
This is an excellent HDTV Antenna. It picks up all over the air signals, including HDTV signals, very well. Yes, this was a truly magnificent choice I made when I ordered it. What's hard to see in the photo of the antenna are the traditional telescoping antenna which are on the rear of the unit. You can pull out the telescoping antenna for more control of your signal, if needed. If you look closely at the photo you can see one of the telescoping antenna. What I love about this antenna most is how space age cool it looks on top of my TV. Wow! I'm living in the future! Well, I can pretend can't I?
 Good, not Great. August 18, 2008
Overall, the Terk HDTVa is a pretty good product, and it has generally improved reception and given me more channels, but it has some problems.
Now, I live in a concrete apartment complex that gets absolutely no phone reception (from any carrier) and could probably survive a nuclear explosion, so I wasn't expecting any miracles. I found our nearest tower online and luckily I can position the antenna to point right at it through the window. Right away I figured out that this thing is probably the most awkward shape known to man. It falls over easily and the huge rabbit ears make it cumbersome and unwieldy. Also, we had to buy a whole new rack just for the HDTVa because it needed to be at just the right height to pick up channels efficiently.
A big problem (for now) is that you essentially have to choose between good digital reception or good analog reception. A position that favors digital signal will hamper analog signal, and vice versa. Of course when the signal goes all digital in 2009 it will be a moot point, so I don't think it's a big deal. Anyways, we found the perfect position for the HDTVa, and it indeed picked up every channel I wanted. Of course, when the weather is bad (even if it's just windy) the signal starts to fade, but that's to be expected. However, my biggest concern now is that the HDTVa works best when the window is open. Now that's fine in the summer when the weather is good, but I live in Minnesota and I can't really fathom leaving the window open in February in -20 degree weather to watch The Office.
Overall, I can't fault the HDTVa too much, because really I am at mercy of my surroundings, and I don't think ANY indoor antenna could perform very well in my building. It has its problems but I do get the channels I want and I don't have to fuss with it nearly as much as I did with my old antenna. This product may work wonders for you, it may not.
 Poor performance, fails comparison testing August 16, 2008
This antenna looks like an effective design, with an impressive UHF array and 44-inch VHF elements that collapse nicely into the body when not needed (as with all digital stations prior to Feb 2009). Additionally, the VHF elements should be useful after Feb '09 when some digital channels migrate from UHF to VHF.
But the proof is in received signal strength, and actual measurements with this antenna compared to a basic 7-inch UHF loop (like you find on the cheapest rabbit-ears indoor antenna) were a major disappointment. A channel 35.1 signal that measured 60 (out of 100) with the loop was only 55 with the HDTVa, with its amplifier properly connected and turned off. Turning it on produced no significant improvement. Bypassing the amplifier was far worse, less than 40.
I found it curious that the worst performance resulted from connecting the antenna directly to the TV, bypassing the amplifier module. There must be some major impedance mismatch at the antenna's output that the module corrects, which strikes me as a weird design. You shouldn't have to connect an amplifier to an antenna unless it's needed.
I note that many reviewers here rate it highly, but I wonder if any them did any objective comparison testing. After all, the antenna WILL work to some degree wherever an indoor signal is possible, but is it superior to anything else? My experience suggests that you're better off with a cheap loop antenna at a fraction of the cost.
Great Little Antenna August 16, 2008
This is a great product. I first started out with this in my basement just to see how it would do. I was able to get all the channels with the excetion of NBC (ch4). I then kept it in my basement but moved it to another room and put it on the window sill at ground level. I now get great reception and receive all the channels possible. I am in Windsor, Ontario and I am picking up the towers in Detroit about 20 miles away. I have about 30 degrees of play in the antenna pointing before I see any adverse effects.
I highly recommend this!
|
|
|
Copyright
©
2006 Adminpal LLC | |
