I just got a TV tuner card for my new computer so I can record OTA programs while I take night classes. I don't have cable because most of the shows that we watch are local channels, and the ones we like on cable channels we buy the season used, then sell it back on eBay for minimal cost per season. This is MUCH cheaper that cable. I bought 2 different amplified DTV antennas. 1 from Best Buy the other from Wally World (Wal-Mart) I tried them both out and I got measly results from analog uhf and vhf and Digital uhf. My tuner card (Hauppauge 1800) has separate tuners for analog and digital. The main channel I want is Fox and it doesn't come in at all on the tuner card. I tried the antenna used in the living room in the computer room on the tuner card and got the same results. The higher the channel the better the reception on analog TV, with no video reception on anything below channel 29. It is almost the opposite in the living room, with the exception of getting all the channels, just the reception is better on the lower channels 2-38. So I'm guessing there is interference in the computer room. So I ordered a Antennas Direct Clearstream 2. It says it has a range of 50 miles and all the channels in my area are within 20 miles. Ok now for my questions 1: Will the Clearstream 2 pickup analog channels too? A: If so, would I need a DTV converter box (set-top box) to receive reception on it with my analog TV? Guessing not. B: If not, would I need a DTV converter box (set-top box) to receive reception on it with my analog TV? Guessing so.
2: If the Clearstream 2 does pickup analog channels, could I use a splitter to run 2 lines to my tuner card (one for the analog connection, and one for digital)?
3: I have new UPS that has a coaxial connection for surge protection. Will that reduce my signal as much as a splitter or more? I don't want my brand spanking new comp to get a surge that passes though my TV (older surge suppresser) across the coaxial to my computer. I had something similar happen few years ago but across a s-video cable from my TV to my computer. S-video cable exploded, TV was smoking video card pan blew and my motherboard had a crater were some diode or something was? All because I didn't have the TV on a surge suppress.
Sorry for such a long post, I just like ppl to know what I'm dealing with.