off air antenna questions,help please...

[youyou]

Hi,
So I just received the hr10-250 and found out that I can't get my locals in hd.
So i have just learned as well that i need an off air antenna...
Here are my questions... Is this type of antenna hard to find? Can i find it at my local radio shack? Is it a big thing? I mean i have no idea what this thing looks like. Does it look like an actual dish like the direct tv one i have?
Do i connect it directly to my hr10-250 receiver? Is it a complicated process?
I am in Montreal,Canada. Will it work down here? And is it possible that i am receiving the locals in hd already? I can't actually check yet because my dish will only be installed on Monday and so if i have to install an off air antenna i'll just have the guy install everything at the same time.
What's the difference between an indoor or outdoor antenna? Which one is better and which one will give me better reception? Wouldn't it be much simpler to get an indoor antenna if ever i need one?
Forgive me if my questions sound dumb i'm just clueless on this issue...
I thought that by gettingthe hr10-250 and the 3lnb hd dish that direct tv sells i would be all set. But by reading these forums it doesn't look like it, so any help and advice from you wonderful people would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

[JimSpence]

What antenna you need depends on several factors. Distance and direction to the broadcasting towers, frequencies used by the channels (VHF or UHF), and terrain to mention just a few.
If you are close enough then an indoor antenna can work. These are smaller. Many people actually use fairly large outdoor antennas in their attic.

Here's a website that sells all sorts of antennas.
http://www.solidsignal.com/antennas/

[rlj5242]

I thought that by gettingthe hr10-250 and the 3lnb hd dish that direct tv sells i would be all set. But by reading these forums it doesn't look like it, so any help and advice from you wonderful people would be greatly appreciated.
Obivously, you did not do your homework but that is why we are here.

Based on a thread in the parent forum (link (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6523323)), it looks like all of your OTA channels are broadcast in UHF. That means you can narrow your search using Jim's link to antennas. Next you need to find out the distance from your location to each transmitter and their location from you in degrees (due north = zero/due south = 180, etc). With that information, we can help you narrow down the antenna search even more. Unfortunately, all of the sites I normally suggest for this information are US only.

Is this type of antenna hard to find? Can i find it at my local radio shack? I bought both of my UHF antennas at Radio Shack. One was $5 and one was $25.

Is it a big thing? I mean i have no idea what this thing looks like. Big is relative. And they look like an antenna. It's design directly affects its performance. The "stealth" antennas from Terk don't perform as well as the older style antenna designs.

I am in Montreal,Canada. Will it work down here? According to the link above, it should. Whether or not you will get channel guide information is another story.

And is it possible that i am receiving the locals in hd already? If you are getting the NY or LA local feeds, then you may also be authorized for the HD versions.

What's the difference between an indoor or outdoor antenna? Marketing and size. I have my antenna (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103088&cp=&pg=1&origkw=UHF&kw=uhf&numProdsPerPage=20&parentPage=search) installed in the attic. That is indoors to me. It's not practical to install it in the living room though.

Which one is better and which one will give me better reception? Wouldn't it be much simpler to get an indoor antenna if ever i need one? It all depends on your distance to the broadcast towers.

-Robert

[JimSpence]

FYI on antenna size. In my case I'm only 9 miles, as the crow flies, from the towers. However, I have a hill in between. So I ended up with this rather large Winegard antenna mounted on my roof.
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=SHD7084&xzoom=Large#xview
I still get some occasional pixelation, but I may be able to tweak it a little to reduce that. I needed this VHF/UHF because three of the four frequencies in my area are VHF.