HDTV Over the Air for your CarPC!!

**bmo** · 04-04-2008, 01:35 PM

I work at a car audio store, I have tried many antennas. I tried that one too, it did work out that well. The best so far is a ham radio antenna that is a window mount. The thing is that it looks like a old school phone antenna but the whip part was about 26 inches long. Not so good looking on my car. I tried home made, amps, almost everthing.

bmo

**allen9369** · 04-09-2008, 04:24 PM

I am also looking for a car tv antenna and I am not sure if you said that antenna works good or not.
If someone could give me some feedback on an antenna that they are using and works good I would appreciate it.

Thanks

**CraziFuzzy** · 03-05-2009, 05:57 AM

Old topic, I know, but I'd like to point out to the people that are having trouble getting decent reception in their cars, that this will probably change after the official cutover (if/when we ever catch up the constantly slipping timeline). Currently, most broadcasters are using 2 transmitters. For a lot of them, I believe their higher powered transmitter is still devoted to their analog signals, and they are using the weaker (and cheaper licensing) on the digital tranmission. The plan for most stations is to switch their digital feed to their more powerful transmitter when the cutover happens and they can finally drop the analog broadcast. This will make HDTV much easier to tune in fringe areas, and in moving vehicles.

**blk02si** · 03-09-2009, 09:02 PM

I got a spare HDTV tuner for free!

Thanks to the government coupons and ABC warehouse.

I got this:

http://www.accesshd.tv/products/dta1080.html

It runs on 5.5 volts so it can be powered by a DC > DC power supply, (probably even the 5v rail on a ITX power supply)

The good part is it will take 0% CPU to run since it has its own processor/tuner, I was planning on using the RCA video out directly to my new Lilli, bypassing the PC. Ill have to use the remote or relocate the switches on the tuner but I am anxious to see if I can get it to work.

**Chamberlin** · 03-09-2009, 09:27 PM

Looks like a promising tuner, what are you going to use for an antenna? I already have a coax and an extra 12V line going to my back deck for a powered antenna, but would know what to use for this thing... I like the idea of running it off the ITX power supply too.

**blk02si** · 03-09-2009, 10:06 PM

Its uses standard coax hookup for antenna. YOu can see the 5.5v marking too

**Chamberlin** · 03-09-2009, 10:08 PM

cool thanks for posting the pic - but have you figured out what exact antenna to use yet?

**blk02si** · 03-09-2009, 10:13 PM

lol well I built this:

It works better than any digital antenna I purchased and cost me about $10 to make - however a bit large and/or dangerous for the car

I was thinking more along the lines of this:

**warnockm** · 05-08-2009, 03:20 PM

BTW, i found this thread by searching for car antenna and hdtv. I am trying to do the same thing. I ended up converting my car's antenna connector to CATV and plugged it into my HDTV tuner. I get decent results. They are better than the reception using the antenna that came w/ the tuner, but left inside the car on the rear dash, but not as great as using the same antenna stuck to the roof on the outside. I was looking for a solution that kept the car looking good. I'm happy with this compromise.

**chgrec** · 05-15-2009, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by Chamberlin

I would bet a little of both....
I know HDTV OTA is pretty touchy when it comes to signal lock on, as I use it at home on my living room TV... I can imagine being stopped in the car will give best results.

I can't speak about the laws, but I would also guess it violates some law if you can see the moving pictures while you are driving
-C

In 2005, 38 states had laws prohibiting drivers from watching television or having the screen in view of the driver. I can only guess it stemmed from all the van conversions in the 70s

(http://www.ghsa.org/html/media/mediacoverage/2005/032205.html)

Some form of driver inattention was involved in almost 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes within three seconds of the event, according to an April 2006 study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

(http://www.autoinsurance.net/2008/cracking-up-iii-reports-us-automobile-crash-statistics/)

I would be willing to bet that as "In car" media systems (Microsoft/Ford sync, DIY installs, etc) expand, that there will come a point where they will start to pass more specific laws against what can be seen by the driver. Just my opinion of course. Although most states are probably covered by a broader "anything that causes a distration to the driver" law likely already in place.

Either way be careful with using the new technology while driving, for everyone's sake.

Chris