INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Yes, the rumors are true: there are actually more than a dozen over-the-air channels that you can get for free with an indoor TV antenna
These are the evolution of the rabbit-ear antennas you remember growing up but with the added bonus that they can pick up 1080p HD
broadcasts. Unfortunately the fact that TVs can receive these channels is a fact that has largely been obscured by cable companies that are
all-too-eager to sign you up for an expensive cable plan
That said, while over-the-air broadcasts are much more limited than any cable package out there, they're totally free and still usually
carry the biggest sports match-ups (the NFL on Sunday, the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup), plus sitcoms, dramas and comedy shows from NBC,
ABC, CBS and more. How do you get access to this treasure trove of content? Well, you buy an antenna obviously, and for both better and
worse, there are dozens of options that can make the process harder than it needs to be
You've got a lot of different types of antennas to pick from – those that sit (or stick) near your TV, those meant for an attic, and
others that can be mounted to the side of your building.With that in mind, knowing the right one to buy can be challenging, but we're here
We've done the research to find the best indoor TV antennas to suit every budget
Keep an eye out this Black Friday and Cyber Monday too for any last-minute sales, or how to nab a new TV in the best Black Friday TV
deals.Best indoor TV antennas at a glanceAmazonBasics Ultra-Thin Antenna (50-Mile Range)TERK MTVGLS Indoor Plate AntennaAntop AT-127 Paper
Thin Indoor AntennaAntop Flat-Panel Indoor/Outdoor Antenna AT-402Winegard FlatWave Amped FL5500AMohu Blade Indoor/Outdoor Bar AntennaBest
indoor TV antennas 2019Best indoor TV antenna: AmazonBasics Ultra-Thin Antenna 1
AmazonBasics Ultra-Thin Antenna (50-Mile Range)Cheap and effective – an excellent valueRange: 50 miles | Amplified: Yes | Dimensions: 11.6
x 10.5 inches | Cable length: 16ftAmplified for longer range Easy to set up and use Great value No major flawsAmazon hardware is usually
cheaper than the competition and lacking some flash, but when it comes to an indoor TV antenna, most people don't need anything fancy. The
AmazonBasics Ultra-Thin Antenna is boosted via USB cable or power adapter to provide a strong 50-mile range, and it works just as well as
any other flat antenna we tried
We pulled in more than 50 channels in crisp 1080p HD with supported content.It's no-frills from start to finish: it comes in a plain brown
box and is a simple sheet of plastic with white on one side and black on the other
It comes with pins and Velcro dots for affixing it to a wall (if you want t), and it only takes a couple of minutes to get it set up and
plugged into your TV.At $25 for this 50-mile range version, it's easily the best value of the antennas we've tested
There are cheaper 35-mile and 25-mile versions that aren't amplified, so you might save a few bucks if you live close to a downtown area
But even at $25, this is a steal.Best indoor TV antenna: TERK MTVGLS Indoor Plate Antenna 2
TERK MTVGLS Indoor Plate AntennaLarger and pricier, but also more powerfulRange: 65 miles | Amplified: Yes | Dimensions: 12 x 11.3 x 1.2
inches | Cable length: 6ftFound the most channels Multiple setup options Pricier than the competitionTERK's MTVGLS model indoor antenna is
flat like some of the others on this list, but it's not paper-thin – instead, it's just over an inch thick and runs about a foot in either
It comes with a little stand that can be screwed in on the bottom if you want to lay it flat, or on a side if you wish to stand it up, or
you can opt to mount the antenna to a wall.No matter how you choose to arrange it, TERK's amplified plate antenna should satisfy: it proved
to be the most consistently powerful antenna of the bunch of TV antennas we tested, yielding 58 channels with the ground-floor TV and 60
The 1080p channels looked sharp, plus it's capable of 4K signals once that becomes a reality.Also, the 65-mile range of this omnidirectional
antenna could come in handy if you're further out from the towers
At a regular price of $80, though, you'll pay for that extra power and range: it's quite a bit pricier than some other nicely-capable
devices on our best indoor TV antennas list.Best indoor TV antennas: Antop AT-127 Paper Thin Indoor Antenna 3
Antop AT-127 Paper Thin Indoor AntennaPut a little wood grain on your antennaRange: 40 miles | Amplified: No | Dimensions: 13 x 9 inches |
Cable length: 10ftAdds a bit of style Works great without amp AffordableNot as powerful as the AmazonIt's obvious from a glance that the
Antop AT-127 is different than the flat competition
It's sturdier than Amazon's antenna, but the faux wood grain – dark walnut on one side and light oak on the other – is also an
Antop has plenty of plain-looking antennas, but we can't help but dig the look
It feels certifiably retro, like the casing of a decades-old TV.The AT-127 isn't amplified, so it just connects via a coaxial cable
Still, we found more than 50 channels in both locations, and everything looks crisp and clear in 1080p
Antop says it's 4K ready, but we'll have to test that whenever American networks begin broadcasting in Ultra HD resolution (probably not any
You can mount this one to a wall or window, but Antop also provides a little black, plastic stand that you can slot the antenna into, in
case you want to tuck it behind your TV.Best indoor TV antenna: Antop Flat-Panel Indoor/Outdoor Antenna AT-402 4
Antop Flat-Panel Indoor/Outdoor Antenna AT-402Huge and pricey, but plenty powerfulRange: 60 miles | Amplified: No | Dimensions: 4.53 x 5.12
x 23.82 inches | Cable length: 40ftStrong signal pull Extended range Bulky and hard to hide Antop's AT-402 antenna isn't like any other
on our best indoor TV antennas list
It's two feet tall and stands on its own with a removable stand, looking almost like a shrunken tower fan – and it can also be mounted
In fact, the "indoor" part of the description seems like an afterthought
Between the large size and 40-foot cable, it almost seems silly to set something this large next to your TV.But it sure is powerful
The AT-402 doesn't require an amplifier, yet it still offers a 60-mile range, making it an ideal option if you're a fair distance from the
In our testing, it pulled a few more channels on the ground floor than the paper-thin antennas we tried, comparable to the TERK antenna on
that front (although the TERK antenna found a couple more upstairs)
Also, the AT-402 and TERK antennas were the only ones to pull a clear CBS signal on the ground floor.We've seen the AT-402 routinely sold
for just under $70 recently, which makes it pricier than some other antennas on this list
But the extra range and seemingly stronger pull might make this a good option for anyone worried about signal issues, or anyone who hopes to
snag a few extra fringe channels in the lineup.Best indoor TV antenna: Winegard FlatWave Amped FL5500A 5
Winegard FlatWave Amped FL5500AStrong, amplified flat antenna for a bit more cashRange: 50 miles | Amplified: Yes | Dimensions: 12 x 13
inches | Cable length: 18.5ft50-mile range Easy to set up Pricier than Amazon model Winegard's amplified FlatWave FL5500A antenna checks
all of the same boxes as the AmazonBasics model listed above
It offers a 50-mile range, is flat and nearly paper-thin with black and white sides, and delivers a strong 1080p signal
In our testing, it found just over 50 channels in both locations
We have no complaints about the device itself.Really, our only issue that the FlatWave FL5500A costs more than double the price of the
AmazonBasics 50-mile option, and truth be told, we couldn't tell a difference between them in use
They are nearly identical across the board, but based on current pricing, you'll save more than $25 with Amazon's model
It's great, but there's no clear reason to pay extra that we could see.Best indoor TV antenna: Mohu Blade Indoor/Outdoor Bar Antenna 6
Mohu Blade Indoor/Outdoor Bar AntennaSleek and appealing, but frustratingly finickyRange: 40 miles | Amplified: Yes | Dimensions: 18 x 5 x
0.7 inches | Cable length: 10ftVery attractive antenna Frustrating setup Found fewer channels Mohu's new Blade antenna is a one-of-a-kind
– instead of a floppy sheet, it's a thicker, rectangular plastic panel that you might not be compelled to hide
You could mount it on the wall below the TV like a soundbar, or there's a little attachable kickstand if you'd rather put it on a TV stand
In any case, it's stylish in a way that most antennas simply don't strive to be
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 90-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.Once it was finally up and running, we searched multiple times and found fewer channels with the ground-floor TV – just
44 max, compared to 50+ with the others
None of the omissions were crucial, but it was still a difference
Upstairs, we had to play around with the location before hitting the same 50+ mark as the other antennas
The Blade is sleek and stylish, but the smaller size brings a couple of frustrations along with it.Antenna scams you should know
aboutRecently there have been a number of misleading product pages on Amazon that have promised customers outrageous features like a
120-mile range and 4K resolution
Do not take them at their word
These claims are misleading and, with our current technology, impossible. You can read a great breakdown of lies antenna manufacturers tell
you over on TechHive, but suffice it to say that the curvature of the Earth prevents more than an 80-mile range for broadcasts and no
broadcast station in America currently puts out a 4K OTA signal
That is going to be part of the next set of ATSC standards that's currently in development, but it's still a long way from adoption.Best
indoor TV antenna: how we testedFor 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 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
Your experience may vary to ours, as a result, and you may need to experiment with location to yield the most channels to watch.These are
the best indoor TV antennas that we've tested so far, and we'll be adding more to the list once we try more
models. AaoTvuhQVbaJoa2QkYkfxD.jpg?#
