Good ATSC card for a place with poor reception?

[mahsah]

I can't seem to get the signal strength for PBS in my area above about 50% with my current card (avermedia a180). Is there a card that is exceptionally good for atsc with poor reception? Bonus if it can also do analog.

Thanks

[Zap250]

This is a function of a good antenna more than the capture card. I suggest getting a good directional outdoor antenna designed for fringe areas. Also determine whether the signal you're tuning is VHF or UHF - this will be significant in determining which antenna to get. Digital reception does require a more powerful clear signal than traditional analogue reception. You need 80% or greater for reliable reception.

[ilovejedd]

On that note, any recommendations on good antennae for UHF?

[drbuzz0]

On that note, any recommendations on good antennae for UHF?

That is going to depend greatly on what you are trying to do and how bad the reception is. A rooftop antenna is always going to go miles past any indoor stuff. Amplifiers are good for boosting the signal so it's able to run through the cable without degrading too much, but don't expect amplifiers to do everything. You can't just add more preamps and expect it to pull in stations the antenna won't pick up.

If you go with a rooftop antenna then the next question is whether you want an omni directional or something with higher gain.

An omni with a built-in preamp is the simplest "plug-and-play" but won't get you the best reception for distant stations,

If you want distant stations then you will need a directional antenna and unless they're all coming from the same direction, a rotator too.

Personally, I use this for UHF: http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=AD-DB8

I have it on a small tower on the roof about a total of 45 feet off the ground. It's on a rotator with a preamp on the antenna and another variable amplifier in the attic and then a run of RG-6 to the receiver. I have another antenna for VHF, but that's just a simple stick antenna without a rotator and only a modest preamp.

It is rated for about 75 miles, but I can get stuff from new york city (with is closer to 80 miles away) without a problem. I can get stuff from New Jersey with minimal problem (about 100 miles away). Boston is about 140 miles away and that stuff I can usually get but it's a weak signal.

This stuff is line-of-sight and most of the distance from me to boston and new york is over water, so there's no obstructions except for the curvature of the earth. Thus it's not much of a problem providing both the receiving and transmitting antenna are high up enough.