PowerQ POWERHD-100 Indoor Portable Pop-Up Digital HDTV Antenna - Get FREE TV Broadcasts!
by PowerQ Technologies
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List Price: Our Price: $56.77 You Save: $23.22 (29%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $20.00 (click here) Category: Home Theater See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of PowerQ POWERHD-100 Indoor Portable Pop-Up Digital HDTV Antenna - Get FREE TV Broadcasts!
Customer Review: Really Cool Laptop Antenna Too!
Summary: 5 Stars
I originally bought this antenna for my Panasonic 50" HDTV. I wanted to axe my cable service, since it seems I am paying for 300 channels I don't really watch, plus they want to charge me extra for HD programs. Since HD is available for free over the air, it makes sense. My homeowner's association doesn't allow roof antennas, so my only option was to find a good indoor antenna. The PowerQ antenna worked very well, after a little experimentation with positioning, I was able to get 29 channels with a good signal.
Taking it one step further, I thought I would buy one of those USB tuners to watch tv on my laptop and see how well the PowerQ antenna would work with it. I got the Hauppauge WinTV 950Q from Costco for $50 on sale. Using the feeble antenna that comes with the tuner, I could only get 3 stations that I considered 'watchable' without the picture breaking up. I swapped the PowerQ antenna, did a scan, and it got 20 channels! Since then, I bought a second one and use it to watch TV while I am waiting at the airport. Reception can vary a bit from location to location, but my investment has more than paid for itself. I highly recommend this product. The HDTV quality available for free is amazing.
Customer Review: Cheap design, mediocre reception.
Summary: 1 Stars
I was excited to receive this antenna because I had previously bought a portable TV (with poor reception) and liked the different options of the antenna (USB, batteries, and USB wall charger) that all came included, plus it has been on sale for $30, so I thought why not?
Well, let's see.. when I opened the box and took out the unit and started putting in the batteries, it fell apart in my hands and likely came like that as I was using minimal force to load the batteries. There are 4 screws, one on each corner, that hold the unit together and all 4 casings that held the screws were cracked. The unit felt very cheap even before breaking in my hands.
Then I tested it out, gets the same channels that my non-amplified old rabbit ears do (which is a shame because I was ready to pitch them!) I have no use for this product other than a paperweight, which is why it will be in the mail back to Amazon tomorrow... I have returned through Amazon before and they have been great, they are paying the return shipping also. Overall, a waste of time- even if it got more channels and didn't break, the unit itself just seems cheap and a waste of $30.
Customer Review: Great Antenna BUT...
Summary: 5 Stars
Even the best antenna can't as the old saying goes, make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
I tested this at home and work using a Pinnacle HD mini stick 80e (ATSC and ClearQAM USB tuner for Mac and Windows.)
The antenna is rather small and compact, runs on 2 AA batteries, USB or USB with included AC to USB converter.
It has a simple slide switch for the power that even a dummy can use. However this dummy can't seem to remember to move the other slide switch to pop the antenna up. I keep forcing it, luckily the construction is very solid and seems slightly forgiving.
Without the PowerHD antenna, at work I could get 2 stations, at home 8. However the signals weren't strong enough to actually WATCH HD TV. Adding the antenna doubled the number of stations I could get.
However, the Pinnacle device is a worthless bit of junk and will going back to TigerDirect. I paid as much for it as I did the antenna but I'm keeping the antenna as I'm sure it'll be useful when I find a USB device that actually works well.
Customer Review: It looks great!!! it blends in and you wont even notice is there!!
Summary: 4 Stars
First off, this little one looks great! Why? Because you can hardly see it!! except for a little green light in the front, but other than that is practically invisible; About performance the first time I tried, it only pick 22 HD Channels ( in my area I suppose to pick up to 44 HD Channels) but you have to move it around and keep scanning channels again and again every time you move it; and this procedure goes for every single antenna out here no only for this one, In other words you need to find the sweet spot, after few minutes of scanning and moving the antenna I found the sweet spot with in inches from where I started, So yes; even inches in where you place the antenna matters to get a good reception or bad; At the end I end up picking up 42 out of 44 HD channels that are available in my area so that's great and plus the two missing channels I don't even need them as long as I get the channels I watch the most I am happy. Well is a little pricey; that's why I rate 4 starts but if it was like 29 bucks this baby would be a big winner.Customer Review: Even A Geek Like Me Could Not Get This To Work
Summary: 1 Stars
I had high hopes for this to work with my computer's USB tuner and my two HDTVs - so we had TV news in case of emergencies. But no cigar = and no signals at all from this expensive gizmo. I am a self-admitted geek and was determined to get this thing to work - but it was all wasted time and effort. Zero. Nada.
The first clue should have been the battery compartment - there was no end metal piece on one side so the batteries didn't even fit. It appeared to power fine with both the transformer and the USB connector to computer. But no signals whatsoever.
I wrote the company a week ago, asking for a replacement - but zero answers. Also, not a good sign.
So, two days ago I returned it to Amazon...with their great return policy, it only wasted my time. For me, it might have just been a bad unit...but my strong intuition is that this company does not yet have its act together.
Choose wisely.