Does anyone have good advise on a good outdoor antenna. I am looking for an HD type antenna and one that also does non HD. I have direct tv and the antenna they installed for off network stinks. I want a good antenna that displays all.

 

First, there is no such thing as an HD antenna, it's just marketing hype. Many of the so-called HDTV antennas have very poor performance, expecially for the price. Digital signals are transmitted in the same frequency band as the analog ones - in general if you get good reception of the analog stations with an antenna you will get good digital reception also (unless the digital stations are broadcasting at low power, which many of them are). The type of antenna you need will depend on:
(1) What frequency band your local stations use. In many cities, the digital transmissions are all on UHF. Some stations have chosen to remain on VHF, the problem with this is that good antennas for VHF are much larger than for UHF (it's a matter of physics)
(2) How far away you are from the transmitting towers, what obstructions there are (hills, buildings etc) between you and the transmitters, and what power the stations are using
(3) What direction the TV transmitting towers are from your house

You should start by going to www.antennaweb.org and keying in your address. It will show you where all your local transmitters are located and what type of antenna to buy. It's not perfect but it is a useful guide.

 

Yes, start with antennaweb. Winegard and Channel Master have good reps for their tv equipment. Check their sites.