Reddit mentions of Winegard LNA-200 Boost XT HDTV Preamplifier, TV Antenna Amplifier Signal Booster, HD Digital VHF UHF Amplifier

The Winegard Pre-Amp is what made the biggest difference for me.
https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-LNA-200-Preamplifier-Antenna-Amplifier/dp/B00DQN3R9O/
I use the RCA Yagi for my antenna, and it has been solid.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024R4B5C
This site can help you aim and know what you should get pretty easily as well.
https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps

Good Luck!

With the older version of this antenna and this Preamplifier I get NYC channels most days and mid-NJ and Albany sometimes. NYC is 90 miles from my house in CT. The further afield channels are 100+ miles. And it's not even mounted outdoors. It's in my attic at slightly above sea level elevation. I also run a filter for FM frequencies.

YMMV of course, but that's my experience with it. Not sure if the new version is better or worse than the older one I have. Haven't had a need to try it.

Good luck!

I got that in reverse: switching from built-in Sony tuner to HDHomerun Quatro, I got a lot better reception. Appears some tuners are more sensitive or better than others.

With 100 ft coax set up, you were lucky to not have required a pre-amp earlier.

Consider either of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQN3R9O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.channelmaster.com/Amplify_TV_Antenna_Preamplifier_p/cm-7777hd.htm

Regarding signal quality/strength on status page (per other comment), if you fall below 50% on either (esp. quality), expect pixelation/dropped signal.

Also, note that you can use the reported numbers in HDHR tuner status page to re-aim your antenna with a much higher degree of precision (quantative numbers vs. qualatative eye-balling). In my case, I used $3 iOS app Signal GB which gives read-out for multiple concurrent stations (up to your max number of tuners) for HDHR devices - pretty valuable if you are targeting more than one transmitter site.

I have that same antenna in my attic and a similar TV fool report. I used the Winegard LNA-200 Preamplifier which really helped.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DQN3R9O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_8arKzbPR699EF

At 55 miles you need a roof mounted antenna to get your stations as you found out inside antennas most likely won't work well at all. All of your signals are pretty strong and LOS even at 55 miles all but one in the same direction which is good but as others have said you want a combo antenna that does both VHF(lo-hi) and UHF such as the CM-3020 HD8200XL or the ANT3038Z I believe they sell a very large RCA antenna similar at Menards for $94 the last time I looked but unsure of the the model just look for the largest box and similar price. These antennas are all 12ft long and if you need something more compact with similar performance there is the HD Stacker TV Antenna.

For a pre-amp the LNA-200 would probably work just fine and it is cheaper than the Channel Master 7777 preamp but you may not need it depending on how many tvs you have but if you have like 4-5 then a preamp is a good idea. You should also be able to use the existing cabling before used for direct tv and hook it into the antenna.

You need an antenna, tuner, and DVR. Since you use a ChromeCast, the Plex DVR is out (it only does time shifting for Android and AppleTV at the moment).

Tablo has a combined tuner (with 2-tuner and 4-tuner models i.e. you can watch/record 2 or 4 things at once) and DVR combo. Although you will need to purchase an external USB hard drive for some models.

Antenna wise, you could go with a Mohu Leaf if you're relatively close to Fox and CBS. Otherwise, go with this bad boy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DFTGR4/ and this bad boy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DQN3R9O/.

None of those antennas suggested would work in a purely Philly setup due to the presence of WPVI (ABC) and KJWP (MeTV). In this situation, I would recommend a Winegard HD8200U (https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-HD8200U-Platinum-Antenna-High-Def/dp/B001DFS4BI) paired with a Winegard LNA-200 preamp (https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-LNA-200-Boost-Digital-Preamplifier/dp/B00DQN3R9O). Be warned, though, it's quite a large antenna-- but it's a real powerhouse!

I'm not too concerned about any of the UHF channels from Phila. Your weakest target station, WPPX-DT (5.7dB) would come in with a NM of 18.4dB, more than enough for a watchable signal, stronger stations like KYW and WCAU coming in at 30dB or so.

The problem here really lies with WPVI. Low VHF (and high VHF to a lesser extent) deals with the issue of manmade interference. Putting in 15dB of interference loss, and accounting for gains and losses, you're left with 9.3dB noise margin-- which, certainly is viewable but slightly less than the 10dB recommended minimum to account for dropouts.

If you were to get a separate antenna for WABC instead of WPVI, the HD7694P or a 91XG/UHF only antenna with decent gain would definitely be enough for Philadelphia's stations. Then, I would get a VHF high antenna (send link if you have one) and use a diplexer to combine the signals. That way, you're only losing 0.5dB insertion rather than 3.5dB. In the case you go with the HD7694P, you would lose WHYY (PBS) from Philadelphia due to it being on VHF high, but at the same time you would get WNET (PBS) from NYC due to it also being on VHF high. Finally, after the diplexer, I would again put in a LNA-200.

This is what I use...no splitters for me though

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-LNA-200-Preamplifier-Antenna-Amplifier/dp/B00DQN3R9O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1535898513&sr=8-3&keywords=Winegard+LNA-200

The problem is that those sub channels have separate agreements.

Some are only SD/HD and move channels from time to time.

In addition to the local carrier anyway.

Worse, sometimes the guide is slow to adjust to where the channels are.

-edit-

While this isn't the answer you want - depending on your area - you could get a simple HDTV antenna and enjoy them for free in high quality.

I don't even have TV service and I get about 30 channels by the time you get all of the multicast channels and the rest I supplement with Netflix/Hulu.

-edit 2-

I actually made my own....

http://uhfhdtvantenna.blogspot.com/

And i added this bad boy:

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-LNA-200-Boost-Digital-Preamplifier/dp/B00DQN3R9O/

I can get a couple of Canadian channels from here. Obviously no luck in Tampa but who knows!

In the world of antennas... the uglier the better. Doesn't get much uglier than that!

The one linked below is fairly close to what we have. I think you can find them cheaper at Home Depot or Lowes. You hook up the antenna to it. The run another cable from the amp to the tv. Once you plug it in, it boosts the signal. Cable length can greatly affect signal. If you have a great line of sight to the transmitters it won't matter if you're running more than 15 feet of cable.

Winegard LNA-200 Boost XT Digital HDTV Preamplifier https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DQN3R9O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_F3BAyb27JTA31

Hello to all! I need a little help with Live TV....

I've been running Plex for about 4 years now but only as a bit of a lightweight. Nothing fancy at first just some basic media serving. I run an @home server only, no remote access. Plex is v 1.15.3.876-ad6e39743 and running on a Synology 918+ with three 8TB drives running a redundant BTFS configuration with about 14TB of usable space. My Radarr and Sonarr integrations are great and don't cause any problem. I own three TCL branded Roku TV sets. I don't typically have any issues watching any movies or TV shows. Little to no CPU and fairly small bandwidth (10-20Mbps). Almost nothing needed to transcode until I got to the TV stream from an HDHomerun. I started with a two tuner connect. It was having lots of problems including a wonky power connection. I replaced it initially with a quatro but I had the same performance issues. I read a few more posts and swapped it out yesterday for an Extend. I thought things would be great but when I installed the extend, the synology CPU goes to about 50% with hardware encoding enabled. On the dashboard screen it says it's transcoding from 1080i to 1080p for the video and the audio is direct stream. The stream buffers a lot and in the course of about an hour will be 15 minutes behind because of the buffer time.

I want to cut my cable so this is a pivotal component of that transition. Any help that anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.

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Antenna is in the attic with a pre-amp on the mast and a power component inside.

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Amp is - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQN3R9O/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Antenna is - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MYMVPVX/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Thanks!

I am using a Pre-amp. I went with this. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQN3R9O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am primarily looking for channel 8 as it gives the most local news for this area.

I used an antenna mounted Amplifier. I see many indoor amps but if you live in a weak(er) signal area, you should amplify the signal as soon as it leaves the antenna. I installed this one several years ago and its been working really well.

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQN3R9O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I had similar problems so I picked this up http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQN3R9O?keywords=winegard%20boost%20xt%20lna%20200&qid=1456926328&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1 You just add it inline, and rescan for channels

I will be trying this out because I see that Amazon Warehouse Deals has it on sale for $16.97 link

It it doesn't work out, I will be sending this back.

U want to use a pre amp right out of the antenna then in that closet u want to use an amplified splitter

Winegard LNA-200 Boost XT HDTV Preamplifier, TV Antenna Amplifier Signal Booster, HD Digital VHF UHF Amplifier https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DQN3R9O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_aIOUCb8Y0P3Z7

Channel Master CM3414 4-Port Distribution Amplifier for Cable and Antenna Signal https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PI09SE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_5IOUCbA1M57E5

That's good information regarding WBKI/WMYO. Definitely solves one of my problems.

Between the HD7694P and CM-2018 which one would be "better" (I know that word is usually subjective) for my situation?

Is the Extreme Broadband BDS104h a decent splitter?

If I do need to add a preamp would one of these two be acceptable?
Winegard LNA-200 Boost XT

Channel Master CM-7778

Thanks again!

Appreciate the info!

I've got an Xbox one and can use that as a DVR/Guide once I get my OTA issues settled.

I live in a condo so I won't be going on the roof -- I'm going to most likely get this and put it up on the wall next to a window (which happens to be facing west).

My new internet is going to be installed today -- I'll have him fix the line in the room upstairs and "tone" it down so I know which one to use.

That's nothing. Have you got a TV Fool analysis already? If not, do an analysis to figure out the best azimuth for reception.

Get yourself a Clearstream 2V (or even a 4V if you're serious about it) and a Winegard digital signal booster and you should be able to get most, if not all, channels clear and solid.

That's the exact setup I have, and I'm anywhere between 35 and 45 miles from all of my stations. I get all but one in as if I was living in the city.

http://www.amazon.com/Winegard-LNA-200-Boost-Digital-Preamplifier/dp/B00DQN3R9O/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1414943818&sr=1-1&keywords=outdoor+amplifier+for+antenna

I put a ClearStream 4V in my attic and I've been pretty happy with it. I use a pre-amp with it since I'm running the cable through my basement, along the side of the house, then into the attic (rather than fishing wires through the attic). If your dish's coax runs through the attic/roof then it'd be even easier to tap into that line.

Obviously it would be ideal to have the least amount of obstructions as possible, so if roof-mounting is an option, you should go for it. Get a bigger oldschool antenna (like one of these) and you can probably mount it to the same pole or receiver as your dish.

I recommend an old fashioned Yagi Antenna for maximum gain.

The following Channel Master VHF Hi-Band and UHF Stealth antenna will serve you well, it’s well built, fairly inexpensive and should provide many years of continued usage.

Pixelated Picture? Get your Broadcast Signal Strength as close to 100% as possible add in a Weingard TV 20db gain Preamp.

https://www.amazon.com/Channel-Master-STEALTHtenna-CM3010HD-Antenna/dp/B00PKLOA7I

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-LNA-200-Preamplifier-Antenna-Amplifier/dp/B00DQN3R9O

I would opt for a preamplifier over a distribution amplifier. Doing amplification at the antenna generally works better by amplifying when the SNR is best. Then do a single split. Here is the one I use:

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-LNA-200-Boost-Digital-Preamplifier/dp/B00DQN3R9O

OTA antennas take only a small bit of skill. After realizing those flat HD antenna rectangles will not work for me, I got a decent OTA inside attic directional:
Antenna

But that wasn’t perfect so I added a booster which made everything clear.

Use a compass app on your phone to point the antenna to the Manayunk broadcast antenna cluster and you are set.

http://www.antennaweb.org/

It looks like you'll want a multi-directional, but this site will give you a recommendation for what type of antenna to get.

To do it right, you'll also want to just drop the money on the amplifier (like this) and powered splitter (like this) as well. You'll obviously get better reception outside, but mine seems to work just fine in the attic.

Quick edit: By the way, that site gives you the recommendation when you click on the station colored boxes that actually say the color in them.

I have not installed an outdoor antenna yet but plan to in the near future. The two amps I’m looking at are the RCA and Windguard. They seem to get great review. I plan to go with one of the two.

Winegard LNA-200 Boost XT HDTV Preamplifier, TV Antenna Amplifier Signal Booster, HD Digital VHF UHF Amplifier https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DQN3R9O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_uifrDbZRKT87J

RCA TVPRAMP1Z Preamplifier for Outdoor Antenna https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003P92D9Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CkfrDbTS5QNPV

Mounting on the roof has been a thought of mine, as has putting a more powerful antenna up there. I guess my hesitation/confusion is to why it worked so well for 2 months and then suddenly I lost 1 channel. Before I get up to the roof and mount it, I would want to figure out what changed so 2 more months from now I'm not changing out another antenna.
As opposed to putting up a higher performance antenna or even roof mounting it, what about adding a preamp? I'm not 100% clear on their benefits or if my situation would call for one, but I had seen it suggested to others on this sub. It seems I would need to run power up to my attic, but would that create any benefits or would that not really help anything? I've seen this one thrown around on this sub a lot https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-LNA-200-Preamplifier-Antenna-Amplifier/dp/B00DQN3R9O.

yeah here is the thing.. often tvfool just sucks

you are correct to feel some confusion about that distance

anything over 50-60 miles is considered fringe .. meaning good luck

the thing about distance is there are so many things between you and the signal that can cause problems.. is there a city between you .. well all of the electrical disturbance in the city will shut down most of your signals during the day and it won't get extremely better at night.. trees, mountains.. water from lakes is a big one

honestly you are most likely going to need a large antenna

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First thing I would do if I was you is drive around your area and look for roof antennas.

So i looked up KAIL which is 70miles east of you in Fresno

that land is reasonably flat and not extremely populated .. but it is a distance

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so your best bet right now ..

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0027VST0I

Get the Used Like New $35

hopefully they are telling the truth and you can stick this on your roof if you have a chimney it comes with a straight pole and you will need a strap kit

if not then maybe in your attic.

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but you are not going to beat this price .. its like a $100+ antenna from any other manufacturer and also its on high discount even from its regular price.

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if it is actually like new heh .. and then you should add grounding to it

that on your roof should get everything

if you put a preamplifier on it you should get all your green and also at least half your yellows

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this wineguard for $28 used from amazon also a good price and strong enough for you

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00DQN3R9O/

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i would get both of them

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now someone else is going to tell you to use a much smaller antenna

but you are 70 miles out so yes a smaller antenna might get you a few channels some of the time really crappy

or you can get what I suggest .. mount it on your roof..

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if you are wiring a bunch of TVs you need to use a powered Distribution amplifier not splitters

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and you will get an amazing amount of stations most likely

https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?mktid=69

press expand all on the top right of that table