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We all know signals are beamed through the skies all over the place. Some of this signals are used for radio, cell phones, satellites and also OTA (Over The Air) reception. Lets take a look at the 3 things needed to make OTA reception available to you.

The Transmitter

Just like on your AM/FM radio, there is a selection of frequencies that are used for OTA reception.
1.VHF (Very High Frequency): 54 Mhz - 216 Mhz, Channels 2 - 13
2.UHF (Ultra High Frequency): 470 Mhz - 698 Mhz, Channels 14 - 69
3.698 Mhz - 806 Mhz: Formerly used for television and will now be freed up for future 4G services like W-Max. Pay satellite services, cell phone providers and other such companies use these frequencies

These transmitters are the basis to what channels are going to be provided for you. For example, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS, etc...

You generally will be able to pick up these signals is you are in a 65 mile radius of the transmitter. To improve the quality of these signals, make sure you have no large structures that are blocking the way of where the transmitter is located to you or if you live in a valley where the signal will bounce over you.


Antenna

Now that we know these signals are available to watch free tv, the antenna will capture this signals being send from the transmitters. You have may have noticed old style towers in your neighbours backyard. Antennas have drastically improved in reception preformance. We all remember the days of "rabbit ears" just to get your 3 main network stations. You can also look at our online community to decide what antenna will work best.

Tuner
Once we are able to capture the signals from the transmitter with a antenna, you will need a tuner to be able to be able to display the signal you are getting. Most televisions built after 2004 have a built in ATSC tuner. This will allow you to display the signals you are retreiving. If your tv does not have a ATSC tuner, you can still get a digital converter box.