For about the past year, I’ve used a small indoor antenna to pick up local HD channels.  It’s always worked pretty well for me – allowing me to pick up Wood, WZZM, and Fox17 without any trouble.  This has served pretty well for me, especially since I downgraded my Comcast cable to the LOWEST possible level which cost 14 dollars and gives me like 15 channels.

However, there’s always been one issue that’s plagued the entire setup: wireless internet.

As soon as Flo, Vanlandw, and/or Vanbergs would boot up their laptops and connect to my WLAN – the HD tv reception just immediately tanks.  I tried changing my wireless to different channels, I tried three different antennas, and overall I messed with the setup WAY too long.

So over the weekend, I decided to try something completely random.  I took my standard Comcast analog cable and plugged directly it into my HD tuner (removing the antenna completely).  I used the HD tuner to rescan the channels…  And, to my sheer surprise, I picked up about 25 channels – and about 6 in pure HD.  I get more HD channels this way than I did with the antenna!

I thought for a minute and tried to figure it out…  But I couldn’t come up with an answer.  How could I possibly be picking up crystal clear HD over an analog cable signal?  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining – but at the same time I absolutely hate when I can’t figure something out.  So, I did the inevitable and consulted the smartest man on the planet:  Mickeyvb.

His statements made perfect sense, and I was almost embarrased that I hadn’t thought of it.  But seems like my cable, connected to the telephone pole outside my house, is acting as an antenna and pulling the signals out of the air.  With miles and miles of cable to pick up the signals, the reception is perfect.  Every channel has a perfect and full signal, even with laptops around. 

Looks like I can ditch my little indoor antenna for good…