I just bought & installed a Digital converter box & the shows skip or freeze why?

Question

I've tried using two different antennas and neither one really worked. The instructions recommended a smart antenna but I've called several stores and nobody carries or knows what one is. Please help,I'm beganing to hate Digital Tv already.

Answer 1

Try changing the location and orientation of the antenna.  Sometimes only a foot or so makes a big difference.

Answer 2

OK, you are on the right track.  Skips and freezes are usually a sign of a poor signal into the box.  They can also be caused by problems in the transmission system, however that would be limited to one channel.

So, the first thing I would do is check what you are supposed to be getting. Go to http://www.antennaweb.org and put in your ZIP code. That will give you a list of the stations in your area, suggest suitable antennas and where to aim them.  You may need an outdoor antenna.

"Smart" antennas are supposed to adjust the signal level going into the box automatically, however I've gotten excellent results with an old school VHF/UHF antenna.  If antenna web says all of the digital stations in your are are UHF (and none of them are going back to VHF after February), I would suggest a Bow Tie antenna like these ( http://www.channelmasterintl.com/pdfs/CM... and http://www.antennasdirect.com/DB2_Indoor... ).  If you have VHF digital stations in your area, try a standard VHF/UHF outdoor antenna and I think you will be fine.