On the average HDTV antenna in Canada, you have the potential to get anywhere from 4 to more than 20 channels. Some of what you can expect to find in channels over-the-air from an antenna include Canadian favourites like CTV and Global, and the big six American networks which are ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS, and The CW.

PrimeCables’ HDTV antenna selection guide hopes to give some insight into what channels are accessible and what’s possible using your antenna. Now, if you live in a metropolitan area, you’re going to be able to access more channels than if you are living in a rural area. That’s because you will be closer to local broadcast towers. Similarly, if you’re located closer to the US-Canada border, you’re likely to pick up more American stations as well compared to residents further up north.

Now there are indoor and outdoor TV antennas. Indoor antennas work well and can have pretty good range however they are usually not as powerful as outdoor HDTV antennas can be. Depending on what your budget is and whether you want to install something on the outside of your home, one of these options may appeal more than the other.

After you have your antenna in hand and it’s ready to set up, you need to locate where the nearest broadcast tower is. This is where your antenna is going to need to be pointed towards. Thankfully, this information is easily found online. If you have a single tower near you, it’s easy to angle your HDTV antenna in accordance with it. If you have multiple towers and you want to capture stations from both, you may need a multi-directional bay-type antenna. These multi-directional antennas are usually strictly manufactured for outdoor use – another reason why outdoor HDTV antennas often come recommended.

In browsing different antennas, you may see terms like UHF, VHF, etc. In North America, over 75 percent of all over-the-air TV signals are broadcast using UHF signals while 23 percent use high-VHF and the remaining 2 percent uses low-VHF. Keep this in mind when examining the channels which are possible to receive in your area as they will oftentimes indicate what frequency the channel is using.

After you have the right HDTV antenna for the frequencies you want and you know where the broadcast tower, all that’s left to do is install it in an appropriate location and scan your TV for channels. Shop your HDTV antenna with PrimeCables today.