I'm a EE and know a thing or two about antennas. Never had a need for an indoor antenna until a friend moved to the city and had terrible problems with ghosting in the analog channels and pixelation plus stuttering in the digitals. After testing seven indoor models ranging from simple $10 rabbit ears to fancy $150 models I have to say that this is by far the best. Note that this is a very specialized antenna. It's meant for use in areas of strong signals but without a clear path to the transmission towers. It will not work well if you are far (lets say more than 25 miles) from your source, at which point I would recommend the Winegard HD-1080, which is also sold in Amazon. Not really an indoor antenna but small enough for a balcony or to hide behind plants, etc.
This beauty can also pickup high end VHF (ch 7-13) fairly well in my friend's area. It can get channels 2-6 but not as well as bigger rabbit ears antennas (this is not a flaw, but a physical limitation since the antenna is only 27" wide). This is important b/s after the 2/18/09 digital switch, some stations will switch back from transmitting in UHF to their original VHF channels. Check antennaweb.org to see if that will affect your city. Some stations have not announced that yet so it will not show in their list, but you might be affected in the future if you have a local station which is currently transmitting analog in the VHF and digital in the UHF. It's up to the station to decide if they want to switch back or not. The reason for this switch is that since they have to keep transmitting in analog until 2/17/09, they can't use their VHF channel for digital and are just using a free UHF channel until they stop analog transmissions. In my friend's case one local station which is currently transmitting digital in UHF is going to switch back to channel 7. So keep in mind that unlike what many people think, OTA HDTV is not UHF only.
Bottom line, best indoor antenna with very good UHF and good VHF reception in areas with strong signals but with multipath problems and lack of clear line of sight to the transmitting towers. Not my first choice for medium to distant stations. Winegard SS-3000 Amplified Indoor UHF/VHF Antenna
Gary hit the nail right on the head in his review. As with so many other things, you get what you pay for--there is good equipment, so-so, and then there is junk. On a whim, I decided to try the Winegard SS-3000. It outperforms everything I have ever tried, and, in recent years, I have tried several. I am very pleased; so pleased, in fact, that I ordered a second one. Although I haven't had them very long, yet, it appears that I won't have to move them around or adjust them in any way due to weather changes and other types of interference (as I have had to do with all the other antennas I have used). Both of mine are being used on digital and high-def televisions. Great value for the buck.
I've always had spotty reception (I live in a city in a concrete & brick building), and the move to digital hasn't been kind. After struggling for 4 months trying to get my favorite shows with the digital tuner I thought I'd give one more shot with one more new antenna before giving up and paying for cable (I've already had 3 previous antennas - none with very good results). You've turned a skeptic into a believer. It works brilliantly! All of the channels that didn't show up now show up with perfect reception. I'm a fan.
I've come to realize how much I really value the customer reviews that are posted on Amazon, therefore I am writing this review. When I first bought the Winegard SS-3000 I was a little skeptical as there were only two reviews at the time (both 5-star) and it was a manufacturer I hadn't heard of before. I did some more research on different websites and, at the time, found very few other recommendations...but the ones I did find were always with a very positive rating.
Now, I am no technical expert. I've been using rabbit ears for years and years, but after buying a digital-to-analog converter box I got really terrible reception of the digital signals. I live in a densely populated city with many buildings and lots of interference and one of the things that sold me on this antenna was that it works very well in these types of areas.
And boy does it! This antenna is amazing. I am now getting crystal clear reception on every channel...even channels that I could barely get on my rabbit ears. I can't recommend this product enough. It's like having cable-quality reception for free. And the best thing of all...unlike my old rabbit ears, I never need to get up off the couch to readjust the antenna whenever I change to a different channel. Highly recommended.
I was skeptical after reading the reviews by Gary and William, but decided to try the antenna. I have used 3 other amplified antennas with a converter with disappointing results. I set the SS-3000 up and aimed it in the general direction of the "antenna farm". What a difference. I now have a clear digital signal that rivals my neighbor's cable. I also am getting stations that are 30 miles away with a ridge-line between me and the station that used to come in snowy, at best. I plan to order a second one for the upstairs set. - Hdtv Antenna - Amplified Antenna - Tv Antenna - Hd Antenna'
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