Is this the end of your faithful analog antenna?
Will you need a new antenna for digital TV?
As the world is embracing digital broadcasting, Australia is also keeping pace by bidding adieu to analog television. This shift translates into new set-top boxes if your faithful telly isn’t capable of transmitting digital signals.
However, it certainly doesn’t boil down to replacing your antenna. It’s common myth that you will need separate antennas for receiving digital and HD channels. Antennas capable of coding analog signals are good to go with high-def or digital signals.
More than Analog or Digital, the channel frequency matters
The debate here isn’t about analog versus digital; it has more to do with channel frequency. If the existing analog signal features a certain frequency, like the VHF band, and the upcoming digital signal is in the UHF band, you may have to go in for antenna replacement. The antenna’s frequency range is in question here, not the signal type.
Antennas work in a similar way. By detecting radio wave vibration in a specific frequency range, electrons present in the antenna accelerate in a back and forth manner, leading to signals that are then transferred via terminals to electrical circuits and thereby, cause voltage changes. The entire process leads to signal reception.
Is Antenna size important?
While antenna technology hasn’t changed, an antenna’s size and shape affects your reception. Larger antennas are able to collect more energy: hence, they are capable of collecting weak signals.
Different shapes are adept at picking up specific frequency signals such as UHF, VHF and HF. The shape is an important determinant of the direction an antenna will pick up signals from.
Specific antenna designs are meant to receive specific range frequencies; but more than that, radio tuner or TV circuits are responsible for fine tuning an individual channel or frequency.
Antennas are region-specific
Also, your area of residence has a lot to do in finalising whether the antenna is mounted vertically or horizontally. Signal polarity or the axis along which waves vibrate is region-dependant.
