Sunday, October 30, 2011
Q. I discontinued cable TV and bought an RCA ANT1400R digital antenna. I live in a residential neighborhood, and the broadcast towers are clustered about 6 miles north-northeast of my location. My TV and antenna are located next to a window that faces the broadcasting towers.
I very much like the sharpness of the picture. However, what am I to make of the rather frequent pixilation/freezing? Is it due to shortcomings of the broadcast signal or the antenna?
D.C., Milwaukee
A. The antenna likely is the weak link in the chain. No matter the cause, you are not receiving a consistent, solid signal, and when the television loses signal lock, you see freezing, breakup and pixilation. The signal is what it is, but the antenna is something you can change, and the antenna you have is rated as a marginal performer.
I’d try a Winegard SS-3000 antenna. It sells for around $60 and is reputed to work well in residential and urban areas. Milwaukee has a good mix of HDTV stations on both UHF and VHF, and the SS-3000 can receive both bands, so it should be all you need. Point it out the window toward the towers, and don’t forget to re-scan for channels after you connect the new antenna to your television.
Q. I’m just an average TV viewer interested in getting a new TV. I have read many testimonials on the Panasonic ST30 plasmas and want to buy one. I’m wondering when is the ideal time to buy one? When are the prices the lowest?
G.C., Minneapolis
A. I’d say to go for it now. As for why, see this week’s holiday product highlight, below.
Holiday product highlight
If you need a flat-panel television, the Panasonic ST30 series plasmas represent one of the best values in electronics today.
Earlier this year, I wrote that at $1,100 MSRP and $900 street price, the 42-inch Panasonic ST30 plasma was the TV I had long wished for but never dared dream would become reality. I love it because it allows viewers to experience high-end picture quality at an affordable price, not the many thousands of dollars high-end sets usually command. In addition to a breathtaking picture, it has 3-D capability, an SD card slot for playing pictures and movies from digital cameras and a wireless Internet connection for streaming video from Netflix, YouTube and other online sources. At $900, it is still quite the bargain, but recently the 42-inch TC-P42ST30 has been on sale in stores for only $699. It is impossible to overstate the value this represents.
My favorite $499 TV is the Samsung 720p 43-inch plasma. It is a basic TV with a very nice picture. For only $699, you get the state-of-the-art, full-featured 42-inch ST30. That is like paying an extra $25 to upgrade from coach to first class on a flight from New York to Tokyo. Who wouldn’t take that deal? True, $200 is more than $25, but you are going to have the television a very long time.
Panasonic ST30 series plasma televisions are available in sizes from 42 to 65 inches, and in each size they are class leaders. In today’s economic climate, they represent a unique opportunity to pamper yourself with the best without feeling guilty for spending too much.
Don Lindich writes about consumer electronics. Submit questions to www.soundadviceblog.com.
2011, McClatchy-Tribune News Service Distributed by MCT Information Services
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