About 31% of American households still have an antenna hooked up to one of their televisions as of 2019. Clearly, some people still enjoy watching TV the old-fashioned way!
Even people that are huge fans of TV may not know how they actually get the shows that they love to watch.
What is a TV antenna made of? Furthermore, how do TV antennas work? Why do you need one to watch television?
If you’re asking yourself these questions because you need to buy a new antenna or simply because you’re curious, keep reading below to learn everything you should know.
What Is the Anatomy of TV Antenna Technology?
When most people today think of television, they don’t think of televisions that have antennas. Many people have cable or use streaming services to watch their TV shows instead.
Even so, plenty of homes still have an outdoor television antenna that still works well for getting any local channels a home may want.
An outdoor TV antenna is always made of metal so that it can pick up on analog signals. There are different types of antennas that you can choose from for a television.
Antennas also have a boom that is a tall piece directly in the center with a bunch of horizontal metal rods going across it. The rods are what are required to get a signal from the transmission tower, which is usually several miles away.
The boom also will have receptors on it that grab the signal as it reaches the boom. These receptors then send the signal down to the television through an AV cable so that people are able to watch specific programs on their TVs.
How Do TV Antennas Work?
Antennas that are built for televisions are made to grab UHF or VHF signals. Local television stations will put these signals out through transmission towers that are usually in high locations. This way, they will be able to get through to as many homes in the surrounding area as possible.
There is no one way to point your antenna to get all of the signals available to you, however, so you may need to change the orientation manually from time to time. If your antenna gets shifted or pointed in the wrong direction due to inclement weather, you may experience an interruption in signal. It has to point toward the transmission tower in order to pick up that signal that your television needs.
You may want to consider a company that will offer new antenna installation if your antenna is damaged or outdated. You can even upgrade to a larger antenna to pick up signals that are farther away.
The main thing that an antenna does is find and grab the signals that your television needs for programming. Past that, your television is in charge of doing all of the work, including anything related to the audio and video.
Watch Your Favorite TV Shows Thanks to the Antenna
Now you know the answer to the question “how do TV antennas work?” and can watch your preferred programming in peace.
Remember to check on your antenna from time to time to ensure it is facing the right way. Otherwise, you may miss out on your favorite live shows!
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