Thursday, March 14, 2024

What Is The Best Antenna For Free TV

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Q What Is The Deal With The Decimal Points On The Television Stations Received By The Antenna

What Is The Best Antenna For Free TV in 2020?

A. The main number is the broadcast frequency channel. The decimal is the subchannel that links to the same channel frequency. For instance, 5.1 might be an NBC station in your area, while 5.2 is a weather station operated by that NBC station, and 5.3 may be a side-channel like a Stadium network that airs sports-related programming.

What We Look Forward To Testing

Other antennas we hope to try out in coming months include Antop’s HD Smart Antenna SBS-301. This model allows you to connect to two TVs at once and also claims to have a range of up to 80 miles.

There’s also 1byOne’s Indoor/Flat Amplified HDTV antenna, a model that promises reception of channels up to 200 miles away. We also want to test Phillips’ Modern Loop Rabbit Ears Indoor TV antenna. That model takes us back to our childhood with the classic, retro TV antenna design and also features a small size for easy placement.

Q: Whats The Smallest Outdoor TV Antenna

A: This is a question we are getting more and more often as people, rightly, dont want large, garish antennas protruding from their homes, attracting unwanted attention and just making their home look worse. Of the ten outdoor antennas we reviewed, one of the smallest was the Mohu Sky MH-110585 Outdoor Antenna. Not only is it incredibly small and inconspicuous, its also super thin and really light .

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Should I Wait To Buy An Atsc 30

The short answer? No. Even in cities where ATSC 3.0 broadcasts are already happening, the promise of a built-in tuner probably isn’t enough to warrant buying a new TV just yet, and there aren’t that many available. External tuner boxes are just starting to come to market, but there are only a few options, and they run anywhere from $199 to $399 a pretty steep price for free TV, even in 4K.

But if already have a TV that has an ATSC 3.0 tuner built in, like the LG G1 OLED TV and Samsung QN90A Neo QLED TV, and several models in the Sony 2021 TV lineup, then NextGen TV support is icing on the cake, giving you another cool new feature to try, and one that will work with even the best cheap TV antennas.

If you’re already thinking about buying a TV, there’s no reason to wait a whole year just to get on the NextGen TV bandwagon early. However, if the ATSC 3.0 transition moves as quickly as some industry groups want, the likelihood of NextGen TV sets being widespread in the next two or three years is high.

In any case, we’ll be keeping an eye on the situation, and will make recommendations accordingly, whether the new standard flourishes or fizzles.

Why You Should Buy Best Best TV Antenna For TV At Amazon

Best TV Antennas 2020

Apart from being a trusted brand, Amazon also upholds a standard of quality, so you can be sure what you order is what you will receive. Many sites that sell products such as eBay Wish or Etsy may have the right products, but often, the sellers are not verified, so theres no guarantee for their authenticity. Amazon has a large assortment of products and is recognized for its convenience when it comes to shopping.

Amazon also offers a wide variety of goods at pretty competitive prices. Amazon sources its products from several suppliers, so you have various options for a single product. It also offers the option to customize your order with other products for effective shipping.

Another reason for choosing Amazon is because it offers free shipping, which is reliable. Compared to other sites that charge a ton for shipping, you can quickly get your goods delivered to your doorstep in a short period with Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime allows you to save on shipping costs and still access excellent streaming services.

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How To Choose The Best TV Antenna

There are several TV antenna brands on the market. However, what matters isnt the brand. ;Its your location and direction from the towers, and in which band most of your channels are broadcast. Generally, if you live in a city or the suburbs, you can grab a GE Ultra Edge indoor antenna. It will provide free access to the major broadcast networks, and perhaps a bit more.

If the GE antenna doesnt meet your needs, switching to a different brand of the same antenna type likely wont increase the number of channels you can receive. However, knowing when you need a directional antenna, or a VHF antenna, or amplification and which antenna suits your situation can make a world a difference.

Lets go through the steps of picking the perfect antenna for your needs.

What Is The Best Outdoor TV Antenna

The ViewTV Outdoor Amplified Digital HDTV Antenna is our pick for the best outdoor TV antenna. It has a 150-mile range , a low-noise/high-gain amplifier, full HD and UHD support, and a 360-degree rotating base with wireless remote. It also has dual TV outputs and a free mini indoor antennaall for only $36.99.

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The Best Overall: Mohu Releaf

Why you should buy this:;Youre looking for a future-proofed, eco-friendly flat antenna.

Who its for: The eco-minded cord cutter.

Why we picked the Mohu Releaf:

This eco-friendly TV antenna is unlike most other antennas on this list because its made from recycled, post-consumer cardboard and chlorine-free colors, as is the packaging it comes in. There are no paper instructions because theyre printed on the packaging to eliminate excess waste. The cables and minimal plastic components are made with Mohus MohuGrind plastic, composed of crushed and ground-up recycled cable boxes . Just to go the extra mile, all of these components are crafted using renewable energy.

Its great to be earth-conscious, of course, but the Mohu Releaf is also a great antenna. Its also one of the few examples to advertise 4K support, though thats really just marketing-speak. As weve mentioned, this entire list is full of ATSC 3.0-supported antennas. That said, you may need a few other products to be prepared for the new standard.

Ultimate TV Antenna Buying Guide

The Top 3 Outdoor TV Antennas from an Installer

The bunny ears have mostly been left in the past, but TV antennas are still alive and well. These days, theyre pulling in digital signals rather than analog, and they often come in very different designsoften a flat, super-thin sheet of plastic that you can hide behind your TV or attach to a wall near your window.

Why would you need an antenna in the era of streaming services and 4K resolution? Well, for people who have cut the cord and ditched a costly cable or satellite bill, a digital antenna provides an affordable way to access local channels without an ongoing bill, and its an easy way to supplement your streaming subscriptions of choice. Over-the-air television signals are totally free and dont require any sort of membership or plan. And today, the quality can be pretty great, depending on reception: the major networks all stream in HD, and before long, well start seeing 4K broadcasts as well.

Theres a wide array of antenna options: indoor or outdoor, short-range or long, amplified or not, and they come in a surprising number of designs and styles. Even digital antennas can be fickle with reception, however, and choosing an antenna isnt always as simple as going by specs. Heres what you need to know if you plan on buying a digital antenna.

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Best Outdoor TV Antennas Under 30

What is the best free tv antenna. With the Best Buy essentials BE-ANT3020 Compact Ultra-Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna access free channel broadcasts by connecting it to your existing HDTV. 10 Best TV Antennas for Rural Areas. RCA is introducing an updated version of our runner-up the ANT3ME in July.

Best Rabbit Ear-Style Antenna. 1byone 4K Double Panel HDTV Antenna. Installing an over-the-air antenna is one of the easiest ways to get free TV.

Best of the Best. GEs outdoor TV antenna is an affordable and reliable way to get your local over the air channels with crystal-clear reception. It is lightweight enough to be installed on the wall near a window or behind your TV set.

The total size of an antenna has the greatest impact on its effectiveness and the Channel Master CM-4228HD is large enough to capture most channels without the need for rotation. Best TV antenna for 2021. Best Outdoor TV Antennas Under 50.

Sobetter Outdoor Digital TV Antenna. If youre a cord-cutter youll get local news weather sitcoms kids shows sports and major news channels like ABC CBS NBC PBS Fox and others. If you dont want to spend much on a TV antenna but want one with excellent reception this antenna from Five Star TV may be the right one.

Philips Modern Loop Rabbit Ears Indoor TV Antenna 1139 An easy set-up and low price point made this Philips model the favorite among our testers. The Best Outdoor TV Antennas for 2021. About Our Trusted Experts.

Homemade TV Antenna Diy TV Antenna TV Antenna Antenna

Q: Can You Hide An Outdoor TV Antenna

A: You can. But we recommend not hiding it per se, as that would likely reduce the signal quality being received. Instead we recommend you opt for one of the smaller, more compact and more inconspicuous outdoor antennas, such as the Mohu Sky MH-110585 Outdoor Antenna. Once that thing is up you wont have to hide it as its so small and draws so little attention that you will forget its there.

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Antop Hd Smart Bar At

Huge and pricey, but plenty powerful

Specifications
Reasons to avoid

If you live far from a broadcast source and/or you’ve had trouble with other antennas, the Antop HD Smart Bar could solve your issuesif you’re willing to pay a steep price and tolerate the very large size.

The Antop HD Smart Bar is a hard-plastic antenna that measures 2.5 feet wide and can be mounted on your wall like a soundbar, or you can use the included base stand to prop it up vertically. In any case, it’s much more visible than nearly any other indoor antenna on the market, but the trade-off is a much longer promised range of 80 miles. It also has a 4G signal filter, an FM tuner, and the ability to connect to a second TV, plus the reception was excellent in our testing. However, with a $119 price tag, we recommend trying cheaper alternatives first to see if they’ll meet your needs.

Reasons to avoid

Antop’s HD Smart Antenna keeps most of the perks as the Antop model above, but does so with a slimmer design and slightly lower price. It’s a flat plastic design like Amazon’s antenna, but actually looks like two of them merged together. You can stick it to a wall with the included Velcro pads or prop it up using the simple plastic stand. In our testing, it pulled fewer channels on the stand next to the TV than when it was mounted higher up on the wall.

How To Choose The Best TV Antenna For You

150MILES OUTDOOR TV ANTENNA MOTORIZED AMPLIFIED HDTV HIGH ...

If you’re shopping for a TV antenna, you’re in luck, because there’s no better option for getting live TV for the lowest price possible: Free! But before you pick up the first TV antenna you see at the store, you want to make sure that you’re getting one that will work for you.

Location and range: If you’re in or near a city, there’s a good chance you can make do with a small indoor antenna, since you’ll have several stations within a 10 or 20 mile radius that can be pulled in without a big aerial or powered amplifier. If you’re more than 30 miles from your local broadcast tower, you’ll want to step up to an amplified model. Any antenna that’s rated for 50 miles or more will either be a large outdoor unit, or come with an amplifier to boost the signal it gets, if not both.

Indoor or outdoor: Whether or not to get an outdoor antenna will largely depend upon the building you’re in and the surrounding environment, since obstacles like house walls and even trees can prevent signal from getting through to an indoor antenna. Outdoor antennas are larger, and work better when positioned as high up as you can get it â a rooftop mast being the ideal installation.

Non-amplified or amplified: An amplified antenna uses an additional signal strength booster that can help weak signals come in clearly with a little extra juice. But that also means having another device to plug in, and another power outlet to give up. It also means a slightly higher price.

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Where To Install An Indoor Antenna

To figure out if we can use an Indoor Antenna, we will first figure out the available Noise Margin after estimating the dB loss using the information above. ;To do this, locate the NM field and find the lowest number for all the stations you require.

Locate the bulls-eye chart to the left of the table pictured below.; Figure out where your antenna will be mounted. It should be pointed toward that tower when possible.

  • Optimally it will be near the exterior wall closest to the tower.; If this is the case, only subtract 14 dB for home penetration; otherwise, subtract around 34 dB to account for your house shadowing the signal.
  • If there is heavy foliage that could cast a shadow on your antenna from the direction of the tower, subtract 10 dB
  • If the adjacent house is in the direction of the tower and casts a shadow on the antenna, subtract another 20.

If;you are left with about 12 dB or more after subtracting loss estimates, ;you should have enough of a signal to watch OTA TV.; If you are below 12db, try and find a higher area to mount the antenna.; This may be an upper floor or even the attic. You may want to consider the roof if possible.; You can rerun the TV Fool report from a new height to test if it improves the signal.

UHF frequency runs at a higher frequency than VHF or Very High Frequency. ; Truth be told, there is little an indoor commercial antenna will do to pick up VHF that cant be done with just a pair of rabbit ears.

Long Range Rotating Antennas

Long-range rotating antennas are excellent for receiving channels from towers that are in different locations. They come with a motor and will rotate the antenna 360 degrees. Most are HDTV Yagi-style antennas with a pre-amplifier. If you live far away from different broadcast towers, you can dial in your reception by rotating it in the right direction. These long-range antennas come with a wireless remote to control the motor. They work well in the attic or on the roof.

Where to Buy:

Long-range Rotating Antennas are available from these retailers:

eBay:

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Byone Amplified Indoor Hdtv Antenna

Range: 80+ milesChannels received: Over 70 channelsVideo Support: 1080p HDTVCable Length: 16.5 feet cableWeight: 198 grams approx.Warranty: 2 years warranty

Indoor antenna by 1byone supports UHF and VHF in all regular bands of frequencies that are aired by broadcasting stations. It is compatible with the latest ATSC 3.0 as well and therefore supports all major TVs available in the market.

What stands out Better quality coaxial cable is offered in the starter kit. It is a 2.5C 2V cable against the standard 1.5C 2V cable that comes with most of the other antennas. The wire has more copper wiring for added durability, signal reception, and picture clarity. 1byone offers a massive 2-year warranty on their HD antenna, which would clear the doubts of fence-sitting buyers who are concerned regarding the reliability and quality of the indoor TV antenna.

What could be improved Nothing that I could find apart from the usual channels reception problem, which is typical for all the indoor antennas.

TV Fool: A Deeper Look At Signal Strength

GET FREE TV with this AMAZING ANTENNA HACK!

For those that want a bit more information than the FCC signal report, try this TV Fool Signal report. It gives us some numeric data on signal strength we can use to make rough calculations on whether we can receive a channel or not.

  • Path This is a description of the signal path from the tower to the TV antenna. The height placement will affect the type of path the antenna can receive. This is the last column under the Signal heading of the report. Below you will find the values found in the columns and their definition.
  • LOS This means Line of Sight. Basically, there is nothing in the way of the antenna and the tower.
  • 1Edge When the signal leaves the tower, it is cut when it hits a hill, mountain, or other well-defined obstruction.; When this happens, the obstacle acts as a secondary, albeit weaker, source of signal generation. A value of 1Edge in the Path column indicates the antenna is receiving the signal after being cut by this obstruction. The picture below demonstrates this concept.
  • 2Edge This is the same concept as 1Edge, except the signal was cut twice before reaching the antenna. As you may have guessed, this results in a much weaker signal than 1Edge.
  • Tropo This is tropospheric scatter.; Basically, the signal is refracted by the high level of moisture in the upper troposphere.; Lets not worry about these as they wouldnt be cost-effective to capture.
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