mZp’s review of TERK HDTVi directional indoor UHF/VHF HDTV antenna
TERK HDTVi Antenna
A few things to point out for this review. I hooked this antenna up to my Samsung HL-T6176S - 61-inch Slim 1080p DLP Rear Projection HDTV out of frustration with my cable company (Charter Communications) and a need to still be able to watch TV. Why? I was tired of paying over $100 month for 6-7 channels that we watched. I figured I could get a few channels with the ‘rabbit ears’ and not have to pay a monthly bill for a service I wasn’t happy with. Charter’s basic cable has about 14 channels, not broadcast in HD, and it’s close to $30/month. With over 1, 000 stations in more than 200 markets broadcasting digital television, nine out of ten households can now receive free HDTV signals with the right antenna, a set-top box and a high-definition television. So I read a TON of reviews of antenna’s on the market and felt the TERK HDTVi was a solid investment. It is the only indoor HDTV antenna optimized for both UHF and VHF reception (channels 2-69). I justified spending the $26.99 to purchase it as a one month cable bill. I purchased it through Newegg here. With taxes and shipping it totaled $36. 64. About the same after taxes from Charter.
The PROS. It arrived within a week and I was pretty excited to see if it would work as well as I was hoping. I unpacked it and was surprised at the ease of assembly. Insert the ‘wing’ into the base, hook the coaxial cable to it, place it in a desirable location and aim at the TV stations. Where you ask is that? You can find out by going to AntennaWeb and selecting your antenna type. This will then list the options you have for your area.
I set it up behind the TV without the antenna’s telescoped out and aimed towards the southwest. I received one channel. It was being broadcast in 1080i. Not bad. But it was the only one I got. I thought I should be able to get others from the listings on AntennaWeb. Oh well, I was happy with at least one. It did come in crystal clear and true HD. Well after a day, I decided to put the antenna on top of my set and pull the ‘rabbit ears’ out. Money! As soon as I did another scan I came back with 14 channels. All in HD. The lowest being 720p resolution. It’s been great. I now get more than basic cable, and for FREE!
The CONS. Even with it’s elegant look, there is just something about an antenna on top of a 61″ TV that says help my decor. Another thing is the base of the antenna is small which makes it easy to knock it over.
Other thoughts. There is a great deal of, “FUD” being spread about digital TV these days. FUD stands for Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. A tactic of rhetoric and fallacy used in sales, marketing, public relations, politics and propaganda and is generally a strategic attempt to influence public perception by disseminating negative information designed to undermine the credibility of their beliefs. I wasn’t too worried about this and I didn’t check into this, but you may want to call your local TV station’s engineering department and ask their advice on TV reception. You might save a ton of money and see better pictures to boot.
All in all I’m very happy with this product. It’s been a great investment and addition to our living room. Next I’ll work on building a small stand to house it to better ‘decorate’ the room.
matthew Z
