Digital Antenna doesn't work; TV may be old, or need something else?

[BinkerNate]

Okay, I don't know if this belongs here, but if it belongs somewhere else, please move it there and not delete thread.

We are dropping cable, due to the fact that we don't watch it anymore, and instead will be keeping internet instead. Now, using a friend of mine's idea, I want to see if we could just use an antenna to watch TV, and leave the others like Amazon Instant, iTunes, and Netflix to do the rest. We bought an RCA ANT121 Antenna, tried to hook it up on the back of the TV, but it didn't work. I tried it on another TV with the same problem. I don't know if its the antenna itself, or if its the TVs, since they are old. Not really old, but old. Mine is a Sharp 27RS50, the other is a Emerson TV with a VCR (don't know the model number).

Do I need a different antenna?
It did suggest a Band Seperator if it didn't work, do I need that?
Or, and I hope not for this, do I need a Digitial Converter box?

I hope it isn't the last one because those can be pricey, and saving money was another reason why I'm getting rid of cable (along with not watching it, of course).

So...what could it be?

 

[zigzag3143]

In the US, all TV broadcasts are Digital. If your tv is older than a couple of years it is probably analog.

Analog can receive digital with a converter box. The antenna may or may not be an additional problem.

 

[BinkerNate]

Okay, but how does a converter box work (what needs to be hooked up and such)? And yeah, I hope the antenna is okay, because if that turns out to be bad as well, then it'll be like "what's the point" y'know.

 

[seavixen32]

Here in the UK, all analog transmissions have been switched off.

If you intend using Windows Media Center to watch TV on your PC, you will need a digital TV tuner connected to an external aerial by a co-axial cable.

You can either buy a PCI tuner to slot in your motherboard. If you don't have any spare slots you can use a USB tuner instead.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/Watch-TV-in-Windows-Media-Center

 

[Phone Man]

First you need to see if your TV has a source selection on the menu and select ANT, then do a scan if available.

Jim

 

[Phone Man]

Okay, but how does a converter box work (what needs to be hooked up and such)? And yeah, I hope the antenna is okay, because if that turns out to be bad as well, then it'll be like "what's the point" y'know.

You hook the antenna to the input of the converter box and hook the TV to the output. Set the TV and box to same channel (3 or 4) and then use the remote on the box to scan for channels and use the box remote to select the channel you want. I think your TV is analog only, so you need the box.

Jim