User Guide

114
Connecting an Over-the-Air Antenna
Chapter 12
DISH to deliver superb picture quality and CD-quality sound. However, digital over-the-air
signal reception (like analog over-the-air signal reception) depends on several things:
• The distance between the broadcast station and your home (the farther away the
station, the weaker the signal).
• The broadcast station's power (the lower the power, the weaker the signal).
• Obstacles between the station and your home, such as mountains, buildings, trees, or
other objects (these may block or reflect the signal before it reaches you).
• Multiple broadcast stations (to receive good signals from several stations, you may
need to compromise in how you aim the antenna or you may need more than one
antenna).
The effects of poor digital reception are different from the effects of poor analog reception:
• Poor analog reception usually causes the TV picture to be “snowy” or to include
“ghosts,” that is, multiple images caused by receiving reflected signals along with the
direct signal from a station.
• Poor digital reception may cause the TV picture to be “pixelized,” that is, broken up
into small squares of various colors, or to be lost completely (the TV screen is all black
or all blue).
• Digital broadcasts often provide either a very good picture or no picture at all.
• In a particular location, you may be able to receive a poor analog signal but not be
able to receive a digital signal at all.
To get the best possible digital signal reception, make sure you use the best over-the-air
antenna for where you live:
• You can receive a limited number of channels using a rabbit ears-type antenna on top
of the TV set, or a much larger number via a large UHF/VHF indoor/outdoor antenna.
• The higher the quality of the antenna you use, the greater its range and the better its
reception will be.
Digital OTA Broadcasts are Still Developing
• Broadcasters may still be testing digital signals and their strength, and may vary
power output, or turn even turn off some signals, without notice.
• Some broadcasters do not yet have a permanent transmitter tower in place.
• Broadcasters may choose to multicast, which allows them to provide multiple
standard-definition channels in the same bandwidth used to provide a single high-
definition channel.
These factors are outside of any control by DISH.
Additional Installation Considerations