Dick Smith TV Antennas are offen not suitable for VHF or UHF only reception as they are only combo of both VHF & UHF. In fact they still have an analogue one still on display in the Albury store with the back element that's 2m long for VHF channel 1!!! It is becoming more common to receive a reception of just VHF or UHF especially from black spot transmitters.
There is now going to be a re-shuffle of the UHF Spectrum, so the UHF channels will go from channel 28 to 50 UHF!
Most installations of antennas are usually VHF or UHF.
Usually Dick Smith sells most only Combo VHF/UHF Antennas (and some as old display are outdated doing "band 1 and 2" as well with a 2m long bar on the back for channels 1 and 2 VHF "band 1. Remember the old clunk-clunk-clunk dial)
When you buy a combo antenna, you are buying two antennas. With half of it not needed at an higher cost along with picking up unwanted signal noise, plus they are usually less efficient on a week signal, with separate VHF or UHF Antennas usually being 30% cheaper and more efficient.
Digital TV antennas, that's for DVB TV in Australia, now only uses the "Bands 3" which with channels 6, 7, 8, 9a, 10d 11, 12 used. Then "Band 4" doing channels 28 to 34, so "band 4" plus antennas will be more common doing Channels 28 to 50. So when UHF is cut back from 28 to 69, down to 28 to 50, this will make "band 5" antennas doing 36 to 69 impractical as they are less efficient when doing Wide band 28-69 and pickup unwanted 4G LTE signal. If your Antenna continues to pickup channels 51 to 69, from next year, there is a good chance that you will get mobile 4G LTE interference that is only corrected by upgrading your antenna to the right digital TV signal frequency so that is doesn't pickup some other unwanted signal interference that will pixilate the picture on your TV. If that doesn't fix it you will then need a Patch Filter to block 4G LTE signal from coming in on Your TV Antenna.
Most all TV Transmitters will be UHF or VHF only!!
Achieving the Digital Dividend – the restack of digital television services
http://retune.digitalready.gov.au/
I understand antennas, and digital TV and radio, but not your focus on Dick Smith in particular. Dick Smith are not the sole providers of combo antennas.
Yes, if you buy a combo antenna for a VHF or UHF only area, it might not be optimal. However, any antenna you buy might not be optimal. I live in the Dandenongs in Melbourne, and I can't get a good signal (either from the main transmitters or the translators) no matter what antenna I use. Digital TV has only made things worse for me. The only thing that's going to help me is mass deforestation.
Maybe you were just trying to spread your knowledge out to the OzBargain community. Maybe you have something against Dick Smith in particular. Who can tell?
Check out the retune.digitalready.gov, au for you local area or you can apply for VAST free to air Satellite TV that can be had through a VAST or a VAST PVR recorder box on an existing Austar or Foxtel Dish at digital ready.
So…Whats a good antenna for digital VHS channels + SBS?
The Hills VHF DY6 rated about 8.5dB approx, and if more signal gain is required in a fringe area, the DY10 will give an additional 2dB more gain and the DY16 will give you an additional 2dB more again, approx. The levels depend on what you have to start with as every additional 2dB will add 30% more gain in signal, approx. With digital signal, a stable 35dB + is a minimum to amplify to a max of 65 to 70dB MAX at any TV outlet.
As the analogue signal was a minimum of 45 to 85dB Max approx at the TV outlet. Every dB counts when signal is low.
Don't quote me, though these figures are fairly close!
Most reception areas are VHF or UHF. Your SBS is it VHF?
I'm not sure why you're singling out Dick Smith. In fact, I'm not sure what point you're trying to make at all.