Saturday, May 2, 2009

Antennas Direct PF7 Picture Frame HDTV Antenna

For those looking for a powerful but discreet digital antenna, the PF7 is the answer. This antenna utilizes powerful UHF elements hidden in an attractive cherry wood picture frame that holds an 8" x 10" photo. The frame includes both a wall hanger and table mount and installs in seconds. Like most indoor antennas, it performs best in strong signal areas (usually within 15 miles of the transmitter).
Customer Review: Surprisingly powerful for an unamplified antenna
Before buying the Antennas Direct PF7 picture frame antenna, I had owned the Terk HDTVa, Winegard SS-3000, and Philips MANT510. Of these four antennae, the Terk got the best reception for me, but its awkward shape didn't fit anywhere in my small apartment. I bought the Winegard and Philips antennae in hopes that their unique shapes would let them fit better in my home theater. Unfortunately, they didn't get very good reception unless I precariously balanced them in odd locations. Finally, I discovered the Antennas Direct PF7 and it's ALMOST perfect. Unlike my three previous antennae, the PF7 does not have its own amplifier. However, because of its unique design, I'm able to mount it on a north-facing wall so it gets me almost as good of reception as the previous three amplified antennae. I believe that if I just buy a third-party amplifier, I'll get perfect reception with this thing. The cherry wood frame looks great from a distance, but it's just made of particle board material and it feels a little flimsy. Fortunately, the actual antenna is the picture frame backing, which is held on by four pivoting pins located on the wooden frame. Most picture frames share this design so you can probably find another 8x10 frame that suits your decor and just swap the cardboard back for the PF7 antenna. The mounting hole is a protruding plastic piece that sticks out of the back of the antenna plate. This is different than most picture frames which have the mount attached to the frame. The mount sticks out a bit to allow room for the permanently attached coaxial cable to dangle down behind the antenna. This means that the picture frame can't be mounted flush against your wall, but it's really not that noticeable. Pros: - Amazing reception for an unamplified antenna. It almost matches the performance of my Terk, Philips, and Winegard antennae. - Looks great mounted above my HDTV. - The wooden frame can be replaced with any standard 8x10 picture frame that uses pivoting pins to hold the frame backing in place. Cons: - The coaxial cable is permanently attached to the antenna. - Because of the thick coaxial cable, the picture frame cannot mount flush against the wall, but it's not that noticeable. - The wooden frame could be a little higher quality, but it's really not bad. Overall, I'm extremely happy with this purchase because it provides an ingenious and elegant alternative to having a giant HDTV antenna in my living room. My only other complaint isn't really against the PF7. I just wish Antennas Direct offered a larger, more powerful version! A 16x10 picture frame antenna would be awesome.
Customer Review: Did Not Live Up To Expectations
The antenna performed worse than my existing antenna & I was very disappointed by it.


One of the essential components you will need for an HDTV system is an antenna. You will see many advertisements for HDTV antennas but be aware that in many cases the same antenna would work for any digital television system; the most important features of an antenna is that gain, F/B ratio and directivity. These are the specifications that are most important to ensure clear reception on both digital and analog broadcasts.

Making the decision to purchase an HDTV system is becoming increasingly more difficult to postpone as broadcasters prepare to make the transition to the analog signal broadcasting behind to deliver their programming in high definition resolution. Owners of analog television sets can convert them to be able to receive digital signals but the cathode ray tube technology have a hard time competing with the resolution of an plasma or LCD monitor.

Surprisingly, Over The Air (OTA) antennas provide reception quality equal to and in some cases better than satellite or cable.

The first step in purchasing an antenna for your HDTV system is to make sure that you have a built in tuner. Many digital television sets on the market are being sold under the labels of "HDTV-ready". These DTV sets are able to receive high-definition video from a satellite or cable receiver but are not able to receive the signals from over the air broadcasting because they do not have a tuner. On a DTV set without a tuner the OTA HDTV broadcasts cannot be decoded into visual images and sound.

To determine whether or not the DTV has a built-in tuner simply look to see if there is an RF antenna connector at the back of the television set. A DTV set with a built -in tuner must have a connector to plug in an off air high-definition antenna.

There are outdoor and indoor antennas you can use:

An outdoor directional antenna receives high-definition signals from a longer range and must be aimed in a particular direction. This type of antenna is ideal if the source of your broadcasting signal is in the same direction from your location.

An indoor directional antennas but the reception is not as stable as the outdoor models. An amplified indoor antenna may give you better reception but in most cases an outdoor HDTV antenna is your best option for reliable reception. Make sure the cables are connected properly and the antenna is aimed in the right direction.

Many times the reception problem with the antenna is that the directivity or gain is too low to pick up the signal. The antenna is the least expensive component for your HDTV system, but it plays a crucial role in its enjoyment. In most cases you will be able to purchase a good-quality antenna for under $100.

Consumers need to be aware of how the various components of the HDTV system work and what their capabilities need for the best performance. Shopping for an HD TV system with factual information will prevent confusion and will make you resistant to the HDTV hype that surrounds this technology and electronics being manufactured for it. Make sure to discuss the features of the antenna for your HDTV system with a salesperson and compare the directivity and gain of the best models before you buy.

HDTV Antenna is one of the things you should look at when upgrading your television system, learn more about High Definition Television at http://hdtvmainhub.com

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