HD Antenna for PC

[drawn_inward]

So, woot has this deal today and I am tempted. Anyone tried this or know of something better?

I don't have cable or satellite and I'm not planning to do so anytime soon. However, I'd like to get some local channels. Would I be better off getting a converter box for my t.v.? I do like the idea of being able to record a show.

 

[DarkAudit]

I would go to AntennaWeb first to see what you can expect to receive at your location. That antenna will most likely be completely inadequate for your needs. You mat not need a full-blown aerial mounted to the roof, but you'll probably need a minimum of amplified rabbit ears.

(I put my location in, and I can expect to get *one* station, no matter the antenna. )

The WinTV USB sticks by Hauppauge include ATSC receivers, so you won't need a converter box with those.

 

[figmentPez]

HD Nation did a review of a USB tuner several episodes ago, and they found it actually got better reception than most TVs for OTA broadcasts, and that really surpised them. It wasn't even a brand they were familiar with (looking it up, it was a KWorld they reviewed). If your PC can handle HD video, and you're somewhere that can get OTA signals (Like DarkAudit said, you might need a bigger antenna), and you're running Windows Vista or, preferably, Win 7, then a USB stick should work fine. WinXP might work, but it's media center isn't as good, and you'd probably have to rely on the software that comes with the USB stick.

 

[Thread Necromancer]

I'd recommend taking a read through this thread. It's got a lot of information that probably doesn't apply to you specifically, but it does cover a lot of things you might not realize that you should probably know when recording Hidef ATSC on you comp.
Outside of that, I've always been quite happy with the Hauppauge line of cards.