And if you want, you can mount it in an attic or even outside. But that style comes with frustrations. We struggled mightily to attach a coaxial cable or degree coaxial adapter to the back of the antenna, because its coaxial connector is wedged so tight to the backing. Ultimately, we used a screwdriver to remove the spongey support ring on the back to give our hands a bit more room, and then had to use pliers to tighten the adapter because it wouldn't budge using our fingers.
It was a real pain. None of the omissions were crucial, but it was still a difference. The Blade is sleek and stylish, but the smaller size brings a couple of frustrations along with it. But if you're thinking that a design like this is too good to be true, then you're on to something: While we experienced good reception in one location that we've used to test many antennas , we struggled to pull as many channels or as consistent of reception in another area that has been fine with larger, more powerful rivals.
We saw very different results on two floors of a house about 15 miles north of downtown Chicago. On the top floor, the antenna performed similarly to many others that we have tested in the location, picking up 55 channels and providing strong reception on most of them. We tested the antenna both directly behind the TV and a couple feet away from it on the same surface, and the results were similar in both instances.
Downstairs in the living room, the Clear TV was much less successful. We ran multiple channel scans with the antenna behind the TV, both resting on the stand and on the back of the set itself, and only pulled in about 20 channels. Those channels looked clear and were stable, but it was a fraction of what we had pulled one floor higher. If you have experienced troubles with interference or live farther away from a source, then you'll probably want to invest in something more powerful.
That depends! TV antennas receive content rather differently than the Wi-Fi or Ethernet enabled streaming apps on most smart TVs these days.
An antenna picks up broadcast signals from local channels, such as local news — or national programming from local broadcasting stations. Anything you get over your TV antenna in the US is free, too, so if you don't want to cough up for a Netflix subscription — or if your internet connection isn't super reliable — it may be a good shout. There's technically no such thing as an HD or 4K antenna — so you don't necessarily need an upgraded model to make the most of improved broadcast quality over the past few years.
For this piece, we tested indoor antennas that remain near your TV, both standard antennas that connect solely via coaxial cable, and amplified ones that add a USB connection or must be plugged into a wall outlet for a powered-up range boost.
We tested several current indoor TV antennas from the top makers in the business, watching to see how many channels each antenna could find, how easy it was to set up, how crisp the signal looked, the style and size of the device, and the price and overall value.
Our testing environment was a two-story house just outside of Chicago, less than 15 miles from downtown. Each antenna was tested on two televisions: one on the first floor, and another upstairs on the second floor. Even if modern antennas are more reliable than the old versions, they can still be fickle: your distance from broadcast towers is important, but so too is where you place the antenna, where you are in your home, and what's around it.
The FCC website has full details. TV Fool ranks stations in order of predicted signal power, with the easiest to receive at the top. The green channels can probably be received with a simple indoor antenna, yellow ones will probably require a larger antenna in an attic space or on the roof, and the red ones will require a good roof-mounted antenna.
You will always get better results with an outdoor antenna. Some look different but the principle is the same: Install them in a favorable location.
Indoor antennas are typically fine for all the strong local channels, but if you want channels that are weaker or further away, you might need to go larger and put an antenna in your attic space or on your roof.
There are several excellent options including our current top pick for attic installation, the Winegard Elite , and for a roof-mount, the Antennas Direct DB8e. See our full TV antennas roundup for more information about these models and how we tested. If you hate the look of an outdoor antenna, then experiment. An attic-mounted antenna will also be easier to maintain. The direction of the TV transmitter tower is also important.
As signals get weaker, going from green to yellow to red, the direction becomes more important. Knowing the real channel number will help you select an antenna. Because of the different frequencies in use, antennas are designed to cover one, two, or three bands. Not every antenna covers them all. The real channel number helps you figure this out.
After TV stations went digital, some shifted channels but kept announcing the channel number everyone knew. For example, channel 5 in San Francisco is actually broadcasting on channel Some outdoor antennas for roof mounting only cover a single band. Antennas for VHF-Low stations are harder to come by, but those frequencies are generally used by smaller stations that may transmit at lower power. Be prepared to put up with a lot of marketing speak when checking out antennas.
No manufacturer can guarantee their antenna will pull in a signal from a given number of miles because too much depends on local topology, signal strength, interference, and other factors unique to your location. Having said that, those range claims are useful in evaluating antennas from the same manufacturer. In the example above, an indoor antenna will probably pull in all the green channels coming from the transmitter at degrees, and the same antenna will also likely work for the third channel in the list, which comes from a different transmitter at degrees, but has a strong signal.
If the wave is large and more spread out, it will suffer less disruption when it hits the boulder, and more water is able to make it over or around the obstacle.
When a smaller wave hits the boulder, its short length means that it is much more disrupted by the obstacle and less water will make its way over or around the boulder. This is how UHF signals are affected by obstacles and it is much easier for these signals to degrade over long distances.
You need a different type of antenna to receive larger or smaller waves, based on what's available in your area.
Some stations mistakenly thought they could save money by cutting their power while reaching the same number of viewers. In other cases, the FCC imposed reduced power limits to stations that reverted to their old VHF assignments in order to prevent interference with adjacent markets. There has been a misperception among some station owners that while dramatically lowering DTV transmitter power, they could serve the same coverage area as analog, and this has turned out to be incorrect.
Many stations that have reverted back to VHF are now finding themselves with significantly reduced coverage areas and fewer viewers after switching to VHF. Low VHF digital broadcasts are particularly prone to interference and are often hard to receive reliably, regardless of what model of antenna is used.
A: When using an indoor TV antenna, building materials such as brick, metal siding, radiant barrier, or stucco can greatly reduce the incoming signal. Our indoor antennas are engineered to offer the best reception while taking those obstacles into account, which is why several of our antennas have consistently been featured in many "Best Indoor TV Antennas" publications throughout the years.
Place your antenna as high up as possible, or near a window or wall facing the broadcast towers. If you have an attic antenna, try moving the antenna outdoors. If outdoors, make certain the antenna is not aimed at physical obstacles such as a roof, buildings, trees, or a hill. Important : Remember to rescan for channels on your TV every time you move your antenna. Call our Connection Crew , available 7 days a week, if you are having further difficulty receiving signals.
A: When it comes to digital television, it's an "all or nothing at all" proposition. Once the signal is acquired, a steady stream of data assures you'll get a perfect picture and great audio. If that bitstream is interrupted, however, there will be nothing - just a blank screen. In areas with lots of buildings or obstacles, multi-path distortion can cause a "cliff effect" to kick in.
The fix is to use a higher-gain antenna assuming the multi-path can be tamed. Work is being done to determine the optimal designs for improving error correction in set-top receivers.
As far as distance is concerned, getting reliable UHF DTV reception beyond the curvature of the earth approximately 70 miles is difficult. Terrain has a major impact on reception. Going over water is the best-case-scenario since water is generally flat and has positive impacts on temperature for sending the signal along. That being said, beyond 70 miles, unless you can get direct line-of-sight to the transmitters, obstacles which impact reception negatively are inevitable.
A: This could be due to several different issues. Click here to consult our dedicated Troubleshooting Reception page. We are available 7 days a week. A: While most Antennas Direct antennas are multi-directional and will receive TV signals from several directions, aiming the front of your antenna towards the largest cluster of towers is a critical step in receiving the most TV channels available in your area, and this is true for all TV antennas.
Our ClearStream and Bowtie antennas are engineered to receive signals at a degree beam angle, meaning our antennas are best suited to provide TV signals from widely-spaced broadcast towers. Even with the best multi-directional antennas, facing the front of the antenna towards the largest cluster of towers optimizes your chances of achieving the best line-of-sight between your antenna and the transmitting towers, which will ensure you receive the most available TV channels for your location.
This simply means that in an ideal scenario, there is a direct, straight line between your TV antenna and the broadcast towers it is receiving signals from. The goal in practical applications is to achieve the most unobstructed path to the broadcast towers as possible. Make certain the antenna is not aimed at physical obstacles such as a roof, building, or trees. You should also determine what type of antenna you need based on the terrain around your home, your location in relation to the local broadcast towers, and what channels are available in your area.
Go to www. Remember to rescan for channels every time you move your antenna. Give our Connection Crew a call or chat with us right here on our website if you need further assistance with a new or existing TV antenna installation.
A: A bowtie antenna is another name for a UHF fan dipole antenna. By using triangular elements instead of rods, the bandwidth is greatly increased, to cover the entire UHF band. Additionally, the mesh reflector of the bowtie is more efficient than the rod reflector.
It is also lighter in weight and has less wind resistance. The Yagi was designed to improve the gain of the antenna concentrated in one direction. The directivity is accomplished with added elements called directors and reflectors.
The Yagi has high Gain, is very directional, and has a narrow bandwidth. In simple unidirectional antennas like the Yagi, frequency bandwidth is inversely proportional to antenna gain. One way to increase the frequency bandwidth of a simple antenna like a Yagi is to increase the diameter of the antenna conductors. The greater the conductor diameter, the wider the band with increased conductor diameter also has a second benefit, it increases the physical strength of the antennas.
A: Whenever you design an antenna for a narrower range of frequencies, you can expect dramatic improvements in performance. We are so confident our antennas will ensure the best possible signal reception, we back them with the best lifetime warranty in the antenna category.
A: Every installation is different, which is why we ask that you contact our Connection Crew to provide you with individualized support. Connecting an antenna to multiple TVs is easier than it sounds. Think of it like this: if your residence ever had satellite or cable TV service, the coaxial cable needed to distribute an antenna's signal throughout your home is already installed, you just need to find the right location to install your antenna.
If you didn't have satellite service and are setting up an antenna for the first time, you will need a signal splitter, some coaxial cable, and probably an antenna mast. Take a look at our illustration below for a visual guide. To cut the cord from satellite service, you can disconnect the coaxial cable from the dish that is sitting on your rooftop and remove the dish - throw it away, you won't need it anymore!
Using the antenna's mounting hardware all our attic and outdoor antennas include universal mounting hardware , install the antenna on the satellite's mast.
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