How to Know if You Have an HD Ready Antenna

Checking if that old rooftop antenna is digital ready is quick.

Digital and high definition broadcasts cover the same VHF/UHF spectrum employed by broadcasters for over 60 years. As a result, there is a very high likelihood that an existing attic or rooftop antenna will serve well when pulling in digital programming. Whether an old or new antenna, or when using a digital TV or decoder box, the test to determine if the antenna is digital-ready is fairly easy.

Things You'll Need

• Antenna
• HDTV or digital decoder

Instructions

1. Connect the existing antenna to the "ANT" in on the HDTV or digital decoder box. This is typically a screw-on coaxial fitting, identical to the connector on an older cable-ready set.

2. Access the user's manual on the set or decoder, to determine the best way into the device's channel search function. Use the remote to begin the channel search process.

3. Inspect the results of the channel scan. Generally speaking, if there are any digital channels that have been programmed, the antenna is ready for them. This does not mean that the antenna's direction is optimized; there are typically at least 12 digital channels available in any given broadcast market.

Tips & Warnings

• If the connector on the antenna is an older-style two wire pigtail, a wire-to-coax adapter is required. These are very inexpensive, and update the connection as needed.

• Use caution if it is necessary to access a rooftop. Never use a ladder around high voltage wires, and on wet or uneven ground.

References

• CEA: Is Your Antenna Ready for the Transition?
• FCC.GOV: All-Digital Television is Coming

Resources

• Antennaweb.org