How To Install A TV Antenna
The installation will vary depending on the brand and model of the outdoor antenna you purchase, but overall, thankfully, outdoor antennas are really easy to install and set up. Broadly, the steps for most of them are:
1) Connect the main coax cable to the back of your digital-ready TV.
2) Find the perfect placement for the antenna.
3) Scan for available channels.
And that’s it – now you can grab a chair and enjoy the channels!
Those are the three-step instructions for the RCA Compact Outdoor Yagi Antenna , but you will find that most outdoor antennas have a similar installation procedure. The common variations are that some antennas come with specific parts prebuilt and some antennas dont come with all the parts/accessories needed for installation and set-up.
In any case, we recommend you thoroughly read the instructions you’ll get with your antenna and check what you will need to install it.
Antennas Direct Clearstream 2v
As the name indicates, this antenna is responsible for clear and distortion-free streaming all day. If you live in the countryside or a rural area, where the weather is unpredictable, we highly recommend this device to you. It is a trustworthy best outdoor TV antenna for rural areas because it is prone to survive in worst conditions like storms, heavy rainfall, etc. It does not mean that its structure is only durable enough to withstand, but it can perform its functions in such external environments.
The ClearStream 2V HDTV antenna is the best in todays market because of its premium building and layout. It is not a cheap product as it is constructed with high-quality materials. Thats the reason behind the resolution and clarity of its most pleasing 4K display.
Moreover, it can catch signals from 60 miles distance, which is good enough for rural regions. It is a multi-directional antenna, so there will be no difficulty in installation because you can place it anywhere you want. Due to its best signal receiving property, you can also set it inside your house if you want to.
Summarily, this best outdoor TV antenna for rural areas has apparently no disadvantage. It provides a crystal clear HD resolution display without any distortion. It is waterproof and has the ability to cope with external factors, whichs why it is suggested for rural areas or countryside areas.
Our TV Outdoor Antenna Buying Guide
When you decide to purchase an outdoor TV antenna, there are several considerations to take into account. For instance, there are two primary types of outdoor television antennas. Directional antennas must face the transmission tower to receive a signal, while multi-directional or omnidirectional antennas can receive signals even if they are not pointing toward a broadcast tower. Therefore, if you are near multiple towers spread out in different directions, an omnidirectional outdoor digital TV antenna might serve you better than a directional antenna.
Outside TV antennas come in various sizes and can be small, medium or large. You can also choose between an amplified and a non-amplified electrically increase the ability to receive a weak signal. A pre-amp electrically increases the ability to obtain a weak signal on an outdoor antenna. A non-amplified outdoor antenna for local channels can receive signals from nearby broadcasting towers without a connection to a power source but might not work as well if you are not in a strong signal area.
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Outdoor Vs Indoor Antenna
The answer to this question depends on several different variables, but the most important one is your closeness to the broadcasting tower.
If you are close to it, then an indoor antenna is definitely easier to install, more aesthetically pleasing, has a longer lifespan since it is protected inside the house, and may come with a few more options.
While, if youre situated further away from the broadcasting tower, then you have no other option than to go with an outdoor antenna to maintain the quality of the signal that youll be receiving.
How To Choose The Best Outdoor Antenna For Hdtv
Before you go off to Amazon and buy your shiny new HDTV antenna, an important first step is learning what signals you can receive at your home and how strong those signals are.
Ive put together a TV Antenna Station Locator Tool page that can help you identify OTA channels and tower locations in your region.
Check out the YouTube video below that walks you through how to use the tool in a few short minutes.
There are other websites, with more advanced tools that can analyze virtually any address in the U.S., using metrics such as distance to the transmitter to give a very close approximation of what to expect in terms of reception and how powerful an antenna youll need.
One in particular that I recommend is TVFool.com.
Another important aspect is the direction the signals are coming from. In most instances, youll find that the tower seem to be clustered in a general direction, which is why a unidirectional antenna is usually my preferred choice.
If youre in a location where the signal are coming from multiple directions than your choices here become a little more limited so you may want to consider an omnidirectional antenna.
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The Best TV Antennas You Can Buy Today
For the best overall TV antenna, it’s hard to beat the capable Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro. The wide design goes big to pull in more stations. With a bigger and thicker design than most flat antennas, this chunky antenna boasts a built-in amplifier with an integrated signal-strength meter, helping you find the optimal spot for pulling in channels.
And pull in channels it does, leveraging it’s wide surface area to nab more than 40 watchable stations, outperforming some of our favorite indoor antennas. The antenna has a unique detachable coax cable and includes a 3-foot USB power cable for powering the amplifier, but it comes rolled up in the box, and does need to spend some time unfurled before it will lay flat. But all of the quirks are worth it for the solid reception it offers, and the Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro is an excellent indoor antenna for suburban areas that may need a boost to get the most channels.
Sometimes an indoor antenna just won’t cut it. When you need an outdoor antenna with excellent reception, the Winegard Elite 7550 is the smart option, and the best TV antenna for outdoor installation. It may cost a little more, but the Winegard Elite 7550 pays dividends, delivering a whopping 73 channels in our tests. Whether you’re in a crowded city or a rural community, this outdoor HDTV should get the job done, pulling in more channels with better signal than any indoor model can offer.
Read our full Antop HD Smart Antenna SBS-301 review.
Best Outdoor TV Antenna Overall: 1byone Wing Digital Hdtv Antenna
The unique design of the 1byone Wing Digital HDTV Antenna is more compact and weather-resistant than traditional TV antennas while attaining excellent HD signal reception. Its winged design slices through blustering winds and its shell has an anti-UV coating that is also waterproof and features a 4G LTE signal interference blocker. This antenna is durable and prepared to take all that mother nature can throw at it.
Achieving an 80-mile+ anticipated reception is no small feat for such a compact antenna, and users of this antenna have claimed to receive clear transmissions from TV towers as far as 200 miles from their homes. The bi-directional receivers essentially cover all 360-degrees of possible reception. A built-in amplifier conveniently amplifies incoming signals.
UHF, VHF, and HDTV signals come in clear and are displayed on your TV with the vivid resolution and high-fidelity you would expect from modern HD channels. This unit is 4K HDTV and ATSC 3.0 ready for ultra HD resolution and 3D video. Countless users applaud this outdoor TV antenna for performing as well as, if not better than, other much larger and more cumbersome rooftop antennas.
1byone Wing Digital HDTV Antenna Key Features:
- 4K HDTV and ATSC 3.0 compatible
- 80-mile range
Being that it accepts all HD signals and is set up to receive ultra HD signals when they become available, this antenna is the right choice for reliable HD reception and stunning video quality.
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Reception Of Our Outdoor TV Antennas
One For All offers a few different outdoor TV antennas all with different characteristics and varying reception ranges. All of our external TV antennas are suited for crystal clear reception up to 25 kms from the nearest broadcasting tower. We even offer a few antennas which still ensure great reception up to 50 kms from the broadcasting tower.
If you have made your choice for the best-fitting aerial based on the distance between your house and the transmitteryou can also choose if you would like to have an amplified or non-amplified TV antenna. Since, TV signals can be disturbed by mobile phones or Wi-Fi, choosing an amplified outdoor TV antenna could be smart. Especially, if you live in a crowded city with lots of people, the signals from the broadcasting tower can be contaminatedwhich results in poor TV-reception. Amplified TV antennas boost the reception quality of your TV antenna. When your house is located in a quiet area, and if you live closer to a broadcasting tower, you can choose a non-amplified TV antenna. After all, there are less buildings, and therefore a clearer line of sight to the transmitter. Thus, make sure that you choose wisely to create the best television-viewing-experience as possible.
Best Outdoor TV Antenna Reviews In 2022
In case you are experiencing pixelated image quality on your TV, and your current antenna does not have sufficient reception power. Then, its highly essential to replace the outdoor TV antenna with a new one. The modern antennas arent just powerful, but they also come with support for HD channels and offer a better overall experience.
Hence, if you are interested in buying one, you can check out our list of the best outdoor TV antennas that we have created by handpicking the best options from the market. But, before you think of spending your money on an outdoor antenna, make sure to check for a few things like:
In case you want to know more about outdoor TV antennas and are curious to know more such facts, we have mentioned a detailed buying guide later in this article. The buying guide contains all the essential information about outdoor antennas that a new buyer should know about. Thus, if you read the Buying Guide until the end, itll be a lot easier for you to make your final decision and pick the right outdoor antenna from the list.
Outline
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Best Small Outdoor TV Antenna: Winegard Elite 7550
Winegard
Why it made the cut: Winegards Elite 7550 antenna performs extremely well, especially for its size.
Specs
- Expensive
- Plastic construction and roof mount
Winegard has emerged as a big name in TV antennas for good reason, and the Elite 7550 is a great example of what you can get if youre willing to spend more on a contemporary antenna. Although it doesnt match the expansive range of some, it performs extremely well within its listed 70 miles, bringing in more and clearer channels than many other antennas. Much of its special sauce is the built-in mechanisms it has for reducing interference from competing signals, such as an LTE filter to cut out cell phone interference. This makes it great for cities or large towns where the problem is more likely to be an overabundance of signals in the air rather than reaching for distant, quiet ones. The only complaint weve seen consistently is that, despite promises that it is fully weatherized, many people have said the plastic construction and mounting hardware dont feel as sturdy as they would like, which could be a concern if you live somewhere with more serious storms and winters.
Five Star Outdoor Digital Amplified Antenna
When it comes to making outdoor antennas, Five Star is one of the top brands out there as it serves its customers with all the latest technologies and keeps upgrading its products every year.
Speaking of this outdoor antenna from Five Star, its one of the most powerful antennas on this list that comes with a massive signal reception range of up to 200 Miles. With such a good range, youll barely miss out on receiving signals from any TV stations. Not only is the range good, but this antenna can also provide you with high resolution HDTV 4K,1080p,1080i,720p for local channels.
It features up to 6 reflector elements that highly improve the quality of VHF and UHF signals which makes this antenna deliver almost 25% better picture quality than standard antennas. Thanks to the auto-gain control chip present inside this antenna, it can adjust it on its own between the range of 15-35dB. The antenna is completely rotatable and the direction can be adjusted anytime you need. Moreover, if you use a splitter, this antenna can serve up to 5 different TVs at the same time.
Best Features:
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Choosing The Right TV Antenna
When you are buying a TV antenna, you have to choose between an indoor or outdoor TV antenna. You can even choose to buy an amplified or non-amplified TV antenna. If you do not know which one you should choose, there are a few guidelines that could be useful. The best pick for you depends on how far away your house is located from the nearest television transmitter.
So, to make this decision, we often use a few rules. When your house is located 25 kms or less away from the nearest transmitter tower, you should pick an indoor TV antenna. When you live 25 kms or more away from the tower, we recommend choosing an outdoor TV antenna. If you would like to get some advice on which antenna you should choose, you can use our Aerial Wizard to find the right antenna. Also, you can always contact us directly if you find yourself having troubles or if you cannot find the right answer on our website.
Winegard Flatwave Air Fl6550a Outdoor Antenna
For a higher quality TV viewing experience, the Winegard FlatWave Air FL6550A may be just what you were looking for in a moderately priced outdoor antenna, because it features the newest technology with an ultra low noise split band digital amplifier to deliver a signal to rival that from cable TV.
This equipment was designed to be a compact alternative to the bulkier outdoor TV antennas on the market today. Developed by designers and assemblers in the U.S., you can feel pride in buying a system built by local workers instead of distant foreigners with little connection to American consumers.
A FlatWave antenna gives you access to a range of free HDTV programming from stations broadcasting signals in UHF and VHF from as far as 60 miles from your home. In addition to news, weather, live sporting events, sitcoms and dramas, youll be able to enjoy movie channels thanks to multi-cast channels now broadcasting in the free frequency domains.
With the power antenna connected, you can anticipate getting the best range. But even if you dont plug that component in, viewers can count on getting signals from about 35 miles away.
Made by Winegard Company, this antenna weighs 2.92 pounds, indicating its small size, which will not look obtrusive when mounted on your roof. No USB connection is required. You can connect it to your TV using a standard coax cable, just like what you would use to get standard cable television signals when you were paying for that service.
Features
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Important Features To Consider
Before purchasing a wireless charger make sure to think about these important considerations.
- TV tower locations. Before deciding on an outdoor TV antenna you should know where your local transmission towers are located and which ones, in particular, you want to receive transmissions from. Check the TV Broadcast Tower Locator to see what towers surround your home. Now that you know where the towers are, you can purchase an appropriate directional, multi-directional, or 360-degree motorized antenna to best suit your reception needs.
- Weather. If you live in an area that frequently sees strong winds, heavy snows, or powerful storms you will want an outdoor TV antenna that can take a beating. Keep an eye out for models that feature steel mounts and powder-coated metals for supreme weather resistance.
- Size. A vast array of shapes and sizes can be found in the antennas on our list. Those who live in apartments or cannot otherwise mount a large antenna should look at the smaller antennas on this list, particularly the indoor/outdoor varieties. The larger the antenna, though, the better reception it usually can get, so go big if youve got the means to do so.
Should You Get A Cheap TV Antenna
The best cheap TV antennas are a good fit for areas with plenty of TV signal to pull in if you’re in the city or neighboring suburbs, you can usually get a good selection of channels with a small antenna like these. The TV antennas listed above will be a great fit for many readers, but not everyone will be well-served by these inexpensive basic models.
While these non-amplified indoor antennas are great for city dwellers and towns where local stations are broadcast from 20 or 30 miles away, they aren’t well-suited to rural environments that may not have many stations to begin with, and even fewer within that short range. In those cases, we recommend looking at our best TV antennas page and focusing on antennas that offer outdoor mounting or built in amplification, or both. To see what channels are available in your area, check your ZIP code at AntennaWeb.org .
That said, if you aren’t sure you want to spend a lot of money on free local channels, a $20 TV antenna is a great way to dip your toe in the waters without having to spend more or deal with a more involved installation process.
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