is it possible to watch tv using indoor antenna (rabbit ears)

Hello,

For a variety of reasons, my elderly parents can not get cheap statellite or cable in their residental complex in Kolkata. Cable is very expensive (monopoly) and comes with many many unneeded channels which they have no wish to pay for. They have good reception using an outdoor antenna to DDI and BTV channels, but it is quite windy at times and it is not possible for them to get the antenna reoriented easily. Accessing the roof is a laborious process. I was wondering if it is possible to watch tv using an indoor antenna. If so, what is needed? Where can I get some helpful advice. I searched on google, but it appears to be all talking on antenna connections in the US.

Many thanks for any help and advice!

Best wishes,
Aarem

Well, there are many factors to consider including reception location, the channel's transmission point, corresponding signal strength and whether it is of digital or analog form.

Thanks! I understand but assuming that all these factors are ok, how does one go around finding the necessary equipment? TV shopowners seem to have no clue -- they all want to sell you cable service (for a commission, perhaps). I understand that this is quite unusual in India (to not want cable) so was wondering if anyone had any suggestions/experience.

I don't know about Kolkata, but here I don't think there is any "terestial" TV transmission. It is all cable to satellite.

That is interesting! Chennai does not have terrestrial TV transmission? Not even Doordarshan? Kolkata does, on channels 1, national and DD news. Also, there is Bangladesh TV.

Anyway, back to the answer to my question? Does anyone have any suggestions/experience assuming that terrestrial tv signals are available to be captured?

Many thanks!

I've never seen an antenna or heard of anyone using one here. It might be possible.

Yes, it is possible. I get local TV without TV antenna and then I get satellite TV using dishnetwork. All you need is an indoor antenna (if you have digital tv). If you have analog TV then you need a converter box and indoor antenna. The second option may not work that well. A lot depends on signal strength.

Are you talking about India, or PA? If the former, what indoor antenna do you use?

Many thanks!

I am talking about PA. I am using an RCA antenna, but there are many other powerful antennas that are available in the market that you can buy. Here is one example: http://www.walmart.com/ip/RCA-Digita...tenna/10983718.

Also, I remember my dad used a TV without an antenna in India and it worked but that was 2007.

Thanks! I agree: in the past some small TVs even used to have an in-built antenna which you pulled out just as in a transistor.

I don't know if the antenna you reference will work because of the voltage/frequency issue. The voltage one can get around using a stepdown transformer, but not the frequency (60 Hz in the US, 50 in India).

There is a Terrestrial Transmission Nick, just that no body uses it any more. And its available in practically almost all towns over 2 lakh. Not so long ago we used to find tall H shaped antennae on top of homes. With the govt making it mandatory for cable companies to carry DD channels as well, now no one uses them.

As to the OP's question, even back then not many people used those indoor antennae because the signal reception was not that good.

And because cable was unregulated, dirt cheap, and easily pirated.

It is certainly not dirt cheap. It makes a nice sideline business for politicians: especially those who give away TVs!

Cable was cheap when it first came to India -- hundreds of different providers and very little regulation. Cable was everywhere, even in the villages in the 1990s, no set-top boxes. It has been credited with helping lay the foundations of the consumer-economy boom by showing the poor how the other half lived (so to speak) and creating demand for things like cell phones, which started to boom at the same time.

Well cable's [a lot] cheaper than TataSky - and I think that's cheap!

AndyD 8-)₹