We have an HD antenna in our attic. We get quite a few local/area stations and we are out a good ways from any of them.

ETA: You probably want a tv that is higher than 720p

I've been doing some digging around and I think it may be a no go unless I want to have another DTV box to pay for. When we lost local stations during the switch, we put an antenna in the attic. It was just for the office which didn't have a DTV box. No reception because of the trees.

I don't want an antenna on the roof, so more than likely I'll go without.

We have a Mohu Leaf on our kitchen TV. In near-Neanderthal fashion, it is plugged in to the device converting the digital signal for the analog flatscreen tv.

We like it because it gives not only all the stations but also their secondary channels. We don't like that it doesn't pick up CBS! But we watch France 24, DeutcheWelt, Africa Today, and an Asian news program I can't remember the name of. We used to watch Al Jazeera until a cable company got them. We also share a Netflix subscription, and use our public library for lots of series and movies, too :)

It has taken a while to figure out the best placement. All the stations are to the south, probably 40 miles, and the TV is on the north side of the house.

I got rid of cable tv four years ago but still have a tv in my house. I put rabbit ears on it and I get local channels just fine. It's not a great solution but I only watch on Sunday nights. (Love "Madame Secretary "). Oh, and I'm 20 miles from a city.

Do I need a converter box if I buy a new HDTV?

I haven't bought the tv yet, so I'd hate to buy one and not get a reception, then have to take it back.

Maybe DTV would give me a free box since I already have three? lol

I have Mohu leaf as well. You'd want to get a model that's good for 50 mile distance.

You won't need a digital-to-analog converter box if you buy a new tv. All new TVs are digital.

Does your DTV service allow you to use an ap to watch on an iPad or a computer (ours does). If so, get your TV and then get a device to hook up to the TV that allows you to stream from your computer (like an Apple TV). Then you'll have a one-time cost, not a monthly one, and you can just put your show on your iPad using the ap (assuming you have an iPad) and hit the button to stream it to your kitchen TV.

I don't know your set up, but we have the TV in the family room and put one over the fridge in the kitchen. The kitchen tv is slaved off the family room tv so whatever is on one, is on the other. That way we have only 1 cable box

I talked to a Mohu tech several times yesterday and he told me he did a scan and we can't get a signal. The reasons he gave me were b.s. though. He said the trees would be okay (no, they are a solid structure like a mountain) but it's the "terrain and distance" that interferes. Uh, it's pretty flat here and we're only about 40-50 miles tops away from all the towers. He said we're 90 miles away.

Unfortunately we can't stream because our internet service is too slow for it because we're out in the country. We get good internet speed, but too slow for streaming.

Annie, if DH is watching tv, there is NO way I'll watch what he does! lol. I'm going to call DTV and see what an extra box cost.

If you have wifi in your house, get a smart TV, it hooks up pretty easy to your computer or if you have netflix or something else like that. You just plug it in and scan for your wifi connection

Annie, the satellite boxes are different from cable boxes. When we had Dish tv, we had 2 tv's hooked up to 1 box. Either tv can watch whatever.

We are kind of like in a bowl, surrounded by trees - BIG trees and our antenna works. There is not a single station in our little city - we are are a good distance from the towers and are able to receive signals. Hubby did have to adjust the antenna to get one of our local stations.

Oakley, you might try the Leaf anyway. We periodically have to move the panel from one side to the other (it is, after all, just a rabbit ear of another shape) and maybe once a year DH likes to re-scan. The only thing I don't like about the digital signal is that it's either perfect or not there at all. But nearly all the time it's fine.

Bpat, I was thinking I'd try it. Would you tell me;

1. How far away are you from your local network towers

2. What is the terrain like between your house and the towers

3. Do you have any large trees between your antenna and the towers?

Tina, where is your antenna? I don't want one in the attic or roof, so it has to be in the kitchen near the TV.

Rose, it takes too long to stream tv shows where I live. That's why we pay an arm and a leg to DTV. lol.

Our antenna is in the attic. We like it there - outta sight and we've not had to fool with it other than right at first we adjusted it. bpath, we had one local station we were not getting for some reason, until hubby re-scanned and there it was. We looked at the leaf - where our tv is in the kitchen, the leaf would be too obvious. Would have to go on the backsplash too and I wasn't sure that would work.

I see. Well, for us, it works as the two are essentially in the same room anyway...the FR is open to the kitchen...so we wouldn't want 2 different channels on in the space anyway.

1. How far away are you from your local network towers

We are, I believe, 30+ miles from the towers in Chicago. With the old analog signal, we could sometimes get stations in Milwaukee, but they aren't strong enough to come in crisp on the digital.

2. What is the terrain like between your house and the towers

Flat, but with lots of tall office buildings, densely populated and trees.

3. Do you have any large trees between your antenna and the towers?

Trees, trees, and more trees. Oaks, elms, ashes -- well, fewer ashes now :( Did I mention lots of trees? And buildings?

Our antenna on the side away from the towers (our kitchen one) has to be on the outside wall or, ideally, against the window. Fortunately, our kitchen tv sits on the counter between two windows. The antenna in the room facing the towers (the family room) can be anywhere.

Thanks so much! The towers are east of our house, our kitchen is on the west side. lol.

My husband and I are trying to get away from satellite tv. That will not happen until all teenagers move out!

I purchased a Mohu leaf locally from Best Buy and a smart tv.

I was surprised at what stations we picked up. My leaf is just about 20 feet above ground level. I painted it the wall color and it is less noticeable .

One thing I really like about an antenna is that with satellite tv, strong storms temporarily block out our signal but with antenna reception I can still receive stations with local weather.

There is one station I really want to receive so I will end up doing what tinam61 has done and install an antenna in the attic.

Do not rely on what the Mohu rep stated. I would purchase a Mohu leaf locally and see what stations you get. If you do not receive any stations then you can return the antenna. You may be pleasantly surprised. You also get HDTV with an antenna.

Camden, I'm glad you posted because you brought up something extremely important that I didn't even think of.

I'm in Oklahoma, right smack in the middle of tornado alley, and DTV goes out when it's storming, always at the time we have to be watching TV. I have a weather radio, the type that picks up TV stations, but I'd rather see radar for myself.

I'm going to get the Leaf and a TV and hope it works.

It's ordered. Do I need anything else with it? Mohu Leaf I like the picture they have towards the middle of the page where the Mohu is under the cabinets. It will be easy to send it back if it doesn't work.

We are in a rural area and weather radar is very important to us , too.

We had a major storm in the middle of the night and satellite was out. I switched to antenna and my local station was showing the radar. It helps with peace of mind.

You should not need anything else. You will like the Mohu leaf. Did you order the 50 mile distance one?

You will need to move it around until you get the most stations so the best placement may not be the most inconspicuous. LOL

The higher the antenna placement the more channels you will receive

I have two spots in the kitchen where I can put the tv. If that doesn't work then we're out of luck and would have to get another DTV box which I really don't want to do.

You might want some blue painters tape so you can move the antenna around until you find the best spot.

We find that when it's really really windy out, one or two of the channels cut out, but not all of them. Go figure. I think very broadcast area has to still have one analog signal broadcasting so that it's available in an emergency.

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/antennas-and-digital-television

I can't believe this! I remembered that DH and little DGS found one of our old TV's and put it in their barn. They call it a barn but it's a big metal building DH had built not long ago. I asked him if the TV worked and he said yes. I asked what type of antenna he uses and he said they hooked the rabbit ears to a metal bench he built that hooks onto the barn and they get a LOT of stations. lol.

But, the barn is behind us on a hill with no trees or anything blocking reception.

Can rabbit ears and the like hook up to digital televisions?