Are You Better Off With An Indoor Or Outdoor Antenna?

Do you need an indoor or an outdoor antenna to receive TV service? Well, the answer to that question is quite simple but will require some additional research as not all antennas function the same way. The biggest determining factor in what kind of antenna you will need to purchase depends on your location.

Take a look at where you plan on using your new digital TV antenna. Will it be for your home or business located in a major metropolitan city, such as New York, Philadelphia, or Los Angeles? Is your home not located in a major city but on the outskirts of it, perhaps a suburb? If the answer is yes, then you will probably fare well with an indoor antenna, which typically can reach up to 30 to 40 miles away and sometimes up to 50, depending on the model. You can still, however, use an outdoor antenna for improved reception quality because it can be used for both metropolitan and rural areas.

When searching for an antenna, you might also come across some new terminology. You might come across words such as omni-directional, uni-directional, multi-directional, or just plain directional. In a place that is close to or in the city, you will most likely need a uni-directional antenna, which means that it is picking up its signal from one location. In major cities, all stations are typically broadcast from a central tower, so your antenna can very well pick up the transmission emitted from that single tower.

If, however, you do not plan on using your new antenna in a home or business that is located near the city, then you will definitely need an outdoor antenna. Unless the site is located less than 50 miles from the broadcast towers, then the outdoor antenna is what you will need to receive good reception. In order to determine if you will need a uni- or multi-directional antenna, you will first have to find out where you want the antenna to pick up the signals from.

By looking on Antenna Web, the location of the nearest broadcast towers will be listed for you. If your antenna is capable of reaching a single broadcast tower in a metropolitan city many miles away, then you can use a uni-directional type. If you find, however, that the site is located at somewhat of a crossroads and has several towers at about the same distance, then a multi-directional antenna will allow you to sort through and choose the exact stations you want. Of course, a multi-directional antenna can be used in a major city, and it can pick up signals from towers in other areas as well.