Credit:
Reviewed / Ben Keough
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Credit:
Reviewed / Ben Keough
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While many of the major streaming platforms offer live TV, the feature is often locked behind a steep subscription hike. For people who have cut the cord and ditched their cable or satellite provider, buying an HDTV antenna is the best way to source live sports like the Super Bowl or the Olympics. You can also find news, classic TV, and other programming on your new TV, without any monthly fees.
We tested a handful of the most popular options to find the best indoor TV antennas you can buy. Overall, we found a lot of extremely similar products, but a clear favorite eventually emerged. The Clearstream Eclipse is the best indoor antenna we tried, thanks to its reliable clarity.
When you think of a TV antenna, you might picture the classic rabbit ear design from the 1950s. While those are still around (and still work, though not well), most modern HDTV antennas are made of thin plastic.
Antennas are basically just receivers that are able to tune into signals broadcast by local sources, typically along the UHF (ultra-high frequency) or VHF (very high frequency) bands. Assuming you're located close enough to a broadcast source, your HDTV antenna can receive that signal, free of charge.
An HDTV antenna provides free, live broadcast TV with no need for a recurring subscription. You pay once for the antenna, then you’re free to watch whatever TV signals it can find, all in high definition.
As stated above, though, there are a few caveats to this unlimited TV smorgasbord. Those drawbacks include being limited to the channels that are available in your geographic location. Plus, signal strength can be finicky depending on environmental factors like weather.
Installing most HDTV antennas is very easy. You just attach the antenna to your TV's coaxial input via the included coaxial cable. Most of the time, that’s all you need to do to start receiving local TV stations.
If the antenna has signal amplification, you’ll need to connect it to a power source as well. In either case, you’ll want to mount it to your wall. Ideally, it should be out of the way of foot traffic, since that can interrupt the signal.
Your local TV stations are constantly broadcasting HD signals, typically on the UHF (ultra-high frequency) or VHF (very high frequency) bands. An HDTV antenna basically just tunes into those frequency bands, allowing your TV to pluck programming right out of the air. This is a great way for cable cord-cutters to supplement streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ with live TV.
Of course, this means the available channels will be limited to what's available in your area (if any). Depending on your location, you could get over 100 channels or close to zero. To find out, you can employ a service such as Federal Communications Commission DTV reception map. This can tell you which channels are available in your area based on your zip code.
Also, because the signal is line-of-sight, your placement of the antenna can significantly affect its performance. We recommend testing out a few different locations to find out where the signal is better or worse. We also recommend mounting the higher up, if possible. People walking past the antenna (or other passing objects) can cause the signal to drop out momentarily.
Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.
Ben is an experienced industry journalist who formerly served as Senior Editor of News and Features at Reviewed. He now contributes as a freelance writer and editor. Most recently hailing from the vast wilds of the American southwest, he is an avid photographer who is deeply disturbed by the lack of wide open landscapes in Boston.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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