Clueless in Sacramento

[Sac Transplant]

First off here is the map link:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...001bd3bf34fe9c

I am moving to Sacramento to attend med school. I want to save money on TV but my wife obviously will want to watch. I don't have much time to research because I have so many other things to do to get ready for the start of school. Here is my situation. I am planning on buying a new HDTV and want to get us down to no monthly charge.

First plan: somehow get HD for free. I am renting a house. What do I need to get all the local channels? I need everything from scratch. Feel free to list brand names and everything. I probably cannot spend too much time researching between competing antennas or anything. I just need something that will probably work the best and I can buy quality.

Not related necessarily, but can I DVR these shows? If so is it foolproof for someone like my wife who will want it to be as close to Directv as possible? Can I access Hulu or other websites from my TV plus the HD local channels seamlessly or is this asking for too much?

I would prefer some setup that an antenna could be stationary. I was thinking that some setups may require the antenna to move to receive some channels??

Thanks for your time!

[John Candle]

The Tv transmissions are fairly strong at your location , I suggest try one of these indoor antennas , http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=233 . Point the antenna at about 172 degree magnetic compass. Here is how to point Tv antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html

[John Candle]

Here are some recorders , http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=1778

[John Candle]

How many Tv's will be connected??

[GroundUrMast]

Like JC, I'm quite hopeful that an indoor antenna will work well for you. The TERK HDTVi is a non amplified antenna that offers a small amount of gain and directivity on UHF channels. It also offers basic support for reception of VHF channels.

If your wife is comfortable with using a laptop PC, the current version of WIN-7 Home Premium includes Window Media Center, a suite of software that includes DVR/PVR functionality. To make use of this, a TV tuner is needed. There are many to choose from. I'm quite happy with the Silicondust HDHR tuner. It works with Windows, MAC and Linux. It is external to the computer and is designed to be shared if desired.

[Sac Transplant]

Most likely 2 TVs. If those little cheap indoor antennas will really pick up the signal then I may do three tvs (one for guests to be used once every few months).

Thanks for the help so far.

[Sac Transplant]

I saw people mentioning the attic for placement of the antenna. Would this be better or worse? It could be nice to not see the antenna but what are the odds the antenna would have to be readjusted frequently. My wife would not be so happy if it was in the attic and I was gone all day at school.

[GroundUrMast]

Indoor antennas, including attic mounted can be quite successful or may be plagued by problems caused by the materials used in construction. Metal in any significant quantity will cause reflections, other materials may absorb the signals.

All of the major networks are available and at levels that would very likely allow for the antenna to be in the attic.

One antenna aimed slightly west of due south can be shared with three or four receivers.

An Antennacraft HBU-33 can be mounted in the attic, and if you find that you can not receive reliably due to signal reflection or absorption caused by the materials used to build the roof, the antenna can be folded back down and moved outside where there should be more than enough signal strength.

Once aimed, the antenna should not need to be adjusted.