what is OTA

[arcade1325]

This may be a dumb question for some of you, but can anyone tell me what OTA is? i have directv and i am getting an hr21 hd dvr. Do i need the OTA feature which this model doesnt have? What do i need it for? I live in Los Angeles, california

 

[KE4EST]

OTA= Over the Air, programing. If you want to hook your existing antenna up to get your locals yes you will want it.

 

[rcbridge]

OTA is over the air, if you can pick up your locals with an antenna. Some choose to do this instead of paying your provider for them.

 

[arcade1325]

Doesn't Directv Already Provide The Locals Channel?

 

[scottie_h]

The average consumer probably has no idea what OTA is, or why anyone would want it if you're paying for a provider like DirecTV.

1. Not all areas can get the local channels in HD via satellite.
2. In many cases, there are HD channels available via OTA that are not available via satellite, even in areas where HD locals are offered via satellite.
3. The signal is more reliable - when we lose satellite signal due to severe thunderstorms, our OTA channels still come in clear as can be.

So the answer is a personal one. If you aren't using an antenna today for any HD channels, then you may not care.

 

[Mr Tony]

yes but in most markets if they carry them in HD they are comkpressed and only the big 4 (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX). Plug in an antenna and you can get all your locals plus the subchannels that some channels are doing. As an example, here in Minneapolis on PBS there are 5 subchannels.

 

[digiblur]

Doesn't Directv Already Provide The Locals Channel?

In some areas, but then sometimes they don't have all the HD locals over the satellite and you can get more with the OTA. Not to mention its better to get it from the source instead of a middle man.

 

[arcade1325]

So If I Have An Hr21 What Can I Do To Get The Ota Channele? Do I Just Need To Purchase A Simple Antenna?

 

[Mdvalenz]

Some receivers have a OTA in port that you would plug the antenna into. If yours doesn't then you might still be ok if your TV has a digital tuner, then just plug the antenna into there. Check antennaweb to see what local HD channels you can get and they also recommend a type of antenna.

 

[arcade1325]

OK MY TV COME WITH THIS DOES THIS COUNT AS OTA?

ATSC/NTSC & QAM Digital Television Tuners Definition: ATSC is the 8VSB (8-level Vestigial Sideband Modulation) system. This is the digital TV broadcast system chosen by the ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) for broadcast TV in the USA. QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) is the digital TV system chosen by the U.S. Cable TV companies for use over digital cable. Toshiba integrated digital TVs have both ATSC and QAM digital tuning capability so that you can receive terrestrial digital broadcasts as well as digital "cable-in-the-clear" broadcasts.

 

[BluegrassGuy1976]

The H21 and HR21 's do not have the OTA tuner built in.

 

[LonghornXP]

OK MY TV COME WITH THIS DOES THIS COUNT AS OTA?

ATSC/NTSC & QAM Digital Television Tuners Definition: ATSC is the 8VSB (8-level Vestigial Sideband Modulation) system. This is the digital TV broadcast system chosen by the ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) for broadcast TV in the USA. QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) is the digital TV system chosen by the U.S. Cable TV companies for use over digital cable. Toshiba integrated digital TVs have both ATSC and QAM digital tuning capability so that you can receive terrestrial digital broadcasts as well as digital "cable-in-the-clear" broadcasts.

Yes you can plug in an antenna into your HDTV set and get HD locals. All of your current local channels can be tuned in using any TV sets NTSC tuner. All digital/HDTV over the air networks use the ATSC tuner. So when using your antenna just check if your TV set as a seperate jack for ATSC because you must use the ATSC connection. Most sets I've seen have one jack for both ATSC and NTSC and you just select what channels you want (ie digital or analog) in the setup menu.

Also if you have standard cable you can run a cable wire directly into this HDTV set and get any in the clear HDTV channels your cable company provides using the QAM tuner as well.

 

[arcade1325]

ok that sounds good so i need to a special ant or any will do to plug into my astsc port?

 

[Jimbo]

ok that sounds good so i need to a special ant or any will do to plug into my astsc port?

ANY decient antenna will work, don't get hooked into the company line of needing an "HD Antenna" as there is NO SUCH THING.

Jimbo

 

[arcade1325]

ok thanks everyone for their feed back but i am just confused isnt directv suppose to provide locals channels in HD anyway?

 

[BluegrassGuy1976]

In most major markets yes DirecTv does offer the "main" HD local feed from the big 4 networks ABC NBC CBS and FOX. What DTV does not currently offer, (as is why you need a OTA antenna if you want to watch them) is the various digital subchannels that are broadcast. whether they are HD or not. Not everything that is being broadcast digital is HD.

Like Cincinnati, say WLWT channel 5. They broadcast a digital signal, OTA, that consists of the primary channel, 5-1, and a subchannel, 5-2, which happens to be their 24 hour weather station. The old analog is just channel 5. No dash, or anything. DirecTv only retransmits the primary channel. As far as I know they have no plans to include the various subchannels.

Lot of people get confused by this when they hear about the 2009 cut-off. They think they have to have an HDTV set. Or that their current DTV box, if it is standard-def, will be turned off. IMO the FCC and the major providers have done a piss poor job of informing the public about what is actually being turned off. or what the whole 2009 thing is all about.

 

[Jimbo]

ok thanks everyone for their feed back but i am just confused isnt directv suppose to provide locals channels in HD anyway?

D* does broadcast a growing number of cities in HD, but they have a long way to go as well.
IF you want them they charge you for them, actually they have decided to charge you for them by including this charge and upping the package price to cover it.

I do not pay D* for my locals as I get it directly from the provider with a nice clean picture, doesn't have nearly the compression that it requires from D*.

I refuse to pay for something that is FREE over the air.

Jimbo

 

[rcbridge]

Look here AntennaWeb
Follow the prompts this will give you a good idea about the type of antenna you may need, I am fortunate because I can use an indoor antenna to pick up my locals.