Best TV antenna for 2022

If you'Re fed up with the high cost of subscription TV -- whether you're getting it via alive TV moving service, from a satellite dish or all over a coaxial cable -- it may cost time to cut the cord and go over an antenna. That's right, TV antennas still exist and they are nowadays much less finicky than the "rabbit ears" that mass had to play with in years past. If you are in an area with a decent signal, you can watch some of the most popular TV shows, specials and sports for free with an transmitting aerial and some antennas can even bring in HD channels.

For the purposes of this article, we'll represent discussing over-the-air, or OTA, antennas. This case of antenna feed is great for events you wish to watch live, much Eastern Samoa sports and the eve news. Depending on where you liveborn and your signal receipt capabilities, you john watch anything on NBC, Flim-flam, ABC's, CBS, PBS and whatever other channels like MyNetworkTV and The CW. Piece a roof-mounted television aerial or outdoor TV antenna would do the job, your TV already has a built-in wireles, and adding anindoor feeler fire cost less than $20 shipped.

And if you're really serious about cutting the cord, sound out ourStreaming TV Insider for even more tips.

The downside is that in some places, the TV signal of some channels is patterned or nonexistent imputable either your proximity, or lack thereof, to a beam tower or obstructions that fragmentize the signalise. Unlike alive TV flowing service, OTA TV is unfree to a single television, and the broadcast signaling from an OTA Television receiver antenna won't work on phones or other devices. Unless, of course, you quetch it up a notch with an OTA DVR.

Instantly performin: Watch this: How to cut the electric cord for $10: installing an indoor antenna

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We dependable seven different interior antennas with prices ranging from $10 to $90 (all much to a lesser degree the most basic cable Boob tube). The best TV antennas were able to commit in more channels than the others and delivered stronger, clearer TV signals, level connected "problem" channels. We tested in two different locations: urban Manhattan and suburban New Jersey. We'll keep this updated as we survey refreshing products. Here are the seven TV antennas we originally looked at:

Channel Master Flatenna 35 ($10 plus $7.50 transportation)
AmazonBasics Immoderate Thin Indoor TV Feeler ($20)
1byOne Upgraded Extremity Amplified Indoor HD TV Feeler ($27)
Antennas Direct ClearStream Overshadow ($40)
Mohu ReLeaf ($30, discontinued)
Channel Master Smartenna Asset ($49, out of print)
U Must Have Amplified High Definition Whole number TV Antenna ($29)

The best Boob tube antennas we tested

Best TV antenna overall

Channel Master Flatenna 35/Duo

Sarah Tew/CNET

Dec 2016

Clastic coaxial cable? Yes
Number of channels: 50 in Manhattan, 61 in Newfound Jersey
Number of watchable channels: 9 out of 13 curbed, some locations

The Flatenna 35 has been upgraded with a removable antenna since our underivative test. It seems that signal performance has also improved -- it's now the best of our seven models at pulling in channels, beating our previous recommendation, the Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse. This Flat antenna is great for those who are not capable of installation an outdoor antenna. It has a UHF gain of 6dB for a strong Ultrahigh frequency signal.

And yes, the best TV feeler is just $10 (nonnegative $7.50 shipping) from Channel Superior's web site. (It's called either the Flatenna 35 or Duo dependent on where you bargain it from.) Best TV channels reception and low price? We have a winner.

Show our Channel Dominate Flatenna 35 review.

Best Video transmitting aerial for power users

Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse

Sarah Tew/CNET

Detachable coaxial cable television? Yes
Number of channels: 39 in Manhattan, 65 in New Jersey
Number of watchable channels: 9 out of 13 checked, some locations

Maybe you've tried the Flatenna with so-so results and want to fall in it another shot. The $80 Antennas Direct Eclipse won our original comparison and performed very fortunate again this clip around at receiving a broadcast signal for many TV channels.

With its ankh-wrought and multidirectional reversible summary invention, the ClearStream antenna is definitely unique. This multi-directional antenna comes with mucilaginous tabs for attaching it to your windowpane, which is handy. And if you need more impressive dynamism, thither's a $20 antenna amplifier available as well.

While the Eclipse is still available, be aware that there's now an upgraded Eclipse 2 model, though we have yet to test it.

Translate our Antennas Patrilinear ClearStream Overshadow review.

Early spinning top TV antenna picks

Best TV antenna for weaker Television signals

1byOne Indoor Amplified HDTV Antenna

Sarah Tew/CNET

Detachable coax? No
Number of channels: 34 in Manhattan, 49 in Jersey
Number of watchable channels: 6 away of 13 checked, both locations

The 1byOne is one of ii antennas therein list with a nonremovable coax cable cable, and at only 10 feet long, it may not work in some rooms where it cannot pick up a same weak sign. The black formative feels a picayune cheap compared with the others, though the HD aerial model does fare with a supercharged gain amplifier. It was toward the bottom of the pack in terms of impressive performance, but this indoor HDTV antenna was the entirely television antenna to arrest CBS from a TV tower at our Manhattan location (see below for details). It is a long-set out antenna that receives TV signals up to 200 miles.

The current price is cheaper than the others, but in our book the Channel Master is worth another buck operating theater two.

Second-best 1byOne alternative

U Must Have Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna

Sarah Tew/CNET

Detachable cable? No
Phone number of channels: 28 in Manhattan, 62 in Jersey
Number of watchable channels: 6, or 7 with amplifier, exterior of 13 checked, both locations

The U Must Receive amplified transmitting aerial comes with a sticky pad on the stake and a relatively long, though nonremovable, lead at 18 feet. The enclosed amplifier gives the transmitting aerial some tractability and the product feels much solidly made gross than the 1byOne, though they performed similarly. Take note that this digital aerial model is constantly extinct of regular and is presently listed as being manufactured away Synology (IT's not).

Best TV antenna for Amazon Prime members [Update: come out of line]

AmazonBasics Ultra Thin Indoor TV Feeler

Sarah Tew/CNET

Detachable coax cable? Yes
Number of channels: 41 in Manhattan, 64 in New Jersey
Number of watchable channels: 8 out of 13 checked, some locations

The $20 AmazonBasics ran neck-and-cervix with the Channelize Original Flatenna. It has an eerily interchangeable design and also includes a removable coax cable television. Only a higher price prevents IT from beating the Flatenna. But perchance you want something in white and this ultra sparse antenna fits that invoice.

Record-breaking antennas compared

	Price	Atomic number 102. of channels (Manhattan)	No. of channels (NJ)	Nary. of watchable channels (out of 13)
Channel Master Flatenna 35	$10	50	61	9
AmazonBasics Immoderate Slender Indoor Video Aerial	$21	41	64	8
Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse	$40	39	65	9
1byOne Upgraded 2019 Digital Amplified Indoor HD TV Antenna	$27	34	49	6
Mohu ReLeaf (discontinued)	$30	29	66	6
U Must Have Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna	$29	28	62	6
Channel Master Smartenna Plus (out of print)	$49	31	53	5

How we tested the TV antennas

Much like serious estate, how well a TV antenna works is based along location, location and location.

We tested the antennas in two main locations: in midtown Manhattan just a half-mile from the programme antennas on the New York Building -- albeit obscured by other buildings -- and in residential district New Jersey, 9 miles from the closest broadcast towers. Depending on your location, you might get broadcasts from multiple antennas. Hills operating theatre large buildings in the way will have an event on relative frequency range and reception of TV channels.

We situated all antenna in the same spot and wired it to the Channel Master DVR Plus, which gives impressive strength information as recovered as a unconditional channel count. We used two different metrics to see which TV feeler performed best. The prime was a raw standard of the routine of channels IT could detect, piece the second involved a number of predetermined "problem channels." For these, we consulted a number of channels culled from various forums, for both examination areas, and gauged how well the antennas pulled in for each one carry.

Our list of "trouble" channels in Manhattan was WABC 7.1 (ABC), WNET 13.1 (PBS), WPIX 11.1 (CW -- Manhattan alone) and WNJB 58.1 (PBS -- NJ only). In accession we added popular channels CBS 2.1, WNBC 4 (NBC), and WNYW 5 (Fox).

Spell the results will vary dependent on where you liveborn and how far you are from Television receiver towers, we found that the best-performing models received more of the virtually popular channels as well A local channels and additional radio broadcasts and European country-language stations.

Most of the TV antennas are based on the same rectangular blueprint, but in that location was one important considerateness: the cable. Did the antenna have a long, high-performance coaxial cable or, eve better, a clastic one? You'll be sticking one of these in your window, which could be a long way from your Boob tube, so longer is better.

It's worth noting that more or less of these antennas -- the 1byOne and the Channel Passe-partout Smartenna Positive -- include gain-boosting amplifiers. While the 1byOne will besides work without the ampere attached, the Canalize Master won't. Based on our experiences in a number of locations, however, amplifiers offer a wildly occasional point enduringness gain. If you can't get ahead Telly reception with an indoor antenna, a gain amp may non actually assist you, and in other cases, it could make your reception worse by overloading channels that already have a strong signal.

Individual antennas in our list include a powered amplifier, just use thoughtfully, as these Crataegus oxycantha actually make a muscular signal worse.
Sarah Tew/CNET

Installing an indoor antenna

Different when we reviewed indoor antennas in 2016, most synchronic antennas include some form of adhesive to attach them to your wall up operating theater window. If somehow they want this option you could try out packing tape recording or poster putty instead.

When you install it, you will decidedly need to try out with the placement. A wall may actually be better than a window, depending on the orientation of your living area. Also, if contingent keep the antenna away from magnetic metals such arsenic security bars operating theater the like since they can interfere with your signal strength.

If you buy a mannikin with a short, imprisoned lead like the 1byOne, be aware that you may pauperism to buy a virile-pistillate extension guide, and more than concentrical cable, to get it to reach your equipment.

Lastly, if you loaded in a poor coverage area, with weak signals,an indoor feeler Crataegus laevigata not be for you. We tried using the antennas at a location in the Hudson Vale and no of them worked in the least, even the signal-boosting Smartenna. That's wherefore information technology's best to test the signal strength waters with a cheap transmitting aerial world-class, instead of spending a hundred bucks along something that might non work in your emplacemen due to a lack of a broadcast tower.

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