In a home, one of the things that can bring in an expensive bill for a year is cable. If in case you are looking for a way via which not only you can enjoy your favorite TV shows but can also save the money of your cable bill, then the best way to do so is to get a free TV. But here the question arises is how one can watch TV for free? Well, the answer to this question is by using an over the air or OTA antenna in your house. With the help of this antenna, you can easily get free HD quality e channels on your TV, and the process for installing it is simple.
All the latest televisions come with a digital tuner in them which allows you to use an OTA TV antenna without any hectic. You may think that entertainers are so old-fashioned as they were used earlier when television was introduced, but the reality is that these antennas are back with enhanced technology. Once you have decided that you need to get an over-the-air antenna for your television to watch free channels, this article has the best five OTA TV antennas listed for your help.
Knowing the options isn’t enough because if you don’t have any idea of what are all the features you need to consider while purchasing an antenna, you might have the wrong one. So besides reviews of the best products, you will also find detailed instructions on the factors you need to consider while purchasing.
Table of Contents
5 Best Over The Air TV Antenna Reviews
1. Gesobyte Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna Long 250+ Miles Range – Support 4K 1080p Fire tv Stick and All Older TV’s – Indoor Smart Switch Amplifier Signal Booster – 18ft Coax HDTV Cable/AC Adapter – Best Choice
This indoor antenna allows you to watch HD channels like CBS, Fox, ABC, NBC, and many more for free. You can access news, sitcoms, cartoons, and sports with this antenna. The antenna allows you to have a good viewing experience with its high-quality audio and pictures.
This antenna can transmit signals over 200 miles. You can place this antenna anywhere in your house. The antenna comes with an 18ft coaxial cable. It does not have a USB output. The company has offered technical assistance to the buyers.
Why is it Unique?
This antenna is designed with a new technology that can filter FM and cellular signals. You can watch pictures in more precise quality without any noise disturbances. It has a booster to amplify the strength of the signal to receive signals over a long distance. The Amplifier Signal Booster has a smart chip built within it to improve the efficiency of this antenna.
Buyer’s Experiences
Most customers are satisfied with their experience and found it very easy to install. They were able to access a large number of channels with HD quality. Few customers find that they can access only a few channels from their location.
Best Fit For
People can use this antenna to avoid receiving a massive bill at the end of the month. The indoor antenna can be used in locations within a range of 200 miles. If you are looking for an antenna available at a reasonable price, this is for you.
Pros
Cons
- ✔️FULL HD CHANNELS: With UPGRADED 2022 TV antenna no more need to pay a HUGE bill on TV. Our HD antenna can receive...
- ✔️FULL HD CRYSTAL-CLEAR TV & HD SOUND QUALITY: Our smart tv antenna adopts upgraded with new type Smart Switch...
- ✔️UP TO 200 MILES RANGE: The indoor HDTV antenna can reach up to 200 miles and can be placed almost anywhere in your...
- ✔️18 FT LONG COAXIAL CABLE & USB POWER ADAPTER: Makes amplified antenna easier for you to place it in your house to...
2. U MUST HAVE Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna Long 180 Miles Range – Support 4K 1080p Fire tv Stick and All Older TVs – Indoor Smart Switch Amplifier Signal Booster – 18ft Coax HDTV Cable/AC Adapter – Best Amplied Antenna
This antenna allows you to enjoy HD channels like CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, and many more. With this antenna, you can watch the news, sports, weather reports, and cartoons. You don’t have to pay a monthly cable bill anymore.
It is designed with a new Generation Smart Switch control and an amplifier with a powerful signal booster. This antenna can receive signals over 180 miles. It comes with an 18ft coaxial cable. This antenna can be installed quickly and can be placed anywhere according to your preference.
Why is it Unique?
This antenna is built with Crystal Clear Filter technology to filter all unnecessary signals. With this antenna, you can enjoy good quality pictures, as there are no interferences from FM and cellular signals. It has a Smart IC USB Power Adapter that prevents an increase in voltage and does not have a USB output.
Buyer’s Experiences
The easy to assemble and easy to install features have attracted a lot of customers. This antenna offers good sound quality. Most customers have given good reviews about this antenna, while a few customers found the coaxial cable too thin for their liking.
Best Fit For
If you are looking for an antenna that can be installed quickly, this is the right one for you. With this antenna, you can transmit signals over a distance of 180 miles and offers a good viewing experience. If you have kids at home, they can enjoy cartoons of good quality.
Pros
Cons
- ✔️FULL HD CHANNELS: With Our UPGRADED TV antenna no more need to pay a HUGE bill on TV. Our HD antenna can receive...
- ✔️FULL HD CRYSTAL-CLEAR TV & HD SOUND QUALITY: Our smart tv antenna adopts upgraded with new Generation Smart Switch...
- ✔️UP TO 180 MILES RANGE: The indoor HDTV antenna can reach up to 180 miles and can be placed almost anywhere in your...
- ✔️18 FT LONG COAXIAL CABLE & USB POWER ADAPTER: Makes amplified antenna easier for you to place it in your house to...
3. TV Antenna – 2021 Newest Amplified HD Digital Indoor TV Antenna 250 Miles Long Range – Compatible 4K 1080p Fire tv Stick and All Older TVs with Amplifier Signal Booster for VHF UHF Free Channels – Best Indoor Antenna
This TV antenna from XFtree is one of the best TV antennas available on the market. It has a coaxial cable 17ft in length. The antenna can be carried anywhere as it has a small, compact size. This antenna can be placed anywhere, and you can put it behind a tv, or place it on a table or even near the window. With this TV antenna, you don’t have to pay for cables anymore.
You can enjoy sports, news, sitcoms, and programs for kids without paying anything extra. With this antenna, you can watch pictures in good quality without any pixels and noise interruptions. The Tv antenna receives channels like ABC, NBC, PBS, RTV, Fox, and many more. It can receive FM, UHF, and VHF signals. You can watch high definition and low definition content in standard quality.
Why is it Unique?
This TV antenna can receive signals from all directions as it can rotate at an angle f 260 degrees. It can receive signals over a distance of 250 miles. This antenna has a signal amplifier that comes with a built-in smart IC chip. This chip can filter out all the unnecessary signals like FM and cellular signals.
Buyer’s Experiences
Most buyers have given good reviews and ratings about this TV antenna. This antenna has given them access to an impressive number of channels and has good signal strength for most customers. Plus, it is available at an affordable rate.
Best Fit For
If you’re looking for an antenna with a compact size and can be carried everywhere, then this is the right product for you. The antenna is available at a reasonable price and allows you to watch good quality videos, giving you a good viewing experience.
Pros
Cons
4. 2021 Strongest Amplified Digital HDTV Antenna Support Smart TVs and All Older TVs -320 Miles Range 360° Reception Portable TV Antenna with Signal Booster 36ft Coaxial Cable, Indoor Antenna for 4K 1080p – Best Signal Booster Antenna
This antenna is one of the best antennas available in the market. Forlovv offers durable antennas made using suitable quality materials. The antenna has an amplifier that is built within the antenna. This amplifier is compatible with digital TV and most TV converter boxes. The antenna comes with a 36ft coaxial cable.
You can place this antenna anywhere in the house. With this antenna, you can watch shows of 720P, 1080P, and 1080pi definition. The sturdy built of this antenna allows you to enjoy television during harsh climatic conditions. It can eliminate signal interference and increase the life of the antenna. You can use this antenna while camping outdoor. For better signal transmission, you should place it near the windows. You can watch pictures without getting pixelated.
Why is it Unique?
This TV antenna is designed with a new amplified signal booster equipped with a built-in smart IC chip that can pick up signals over a distance of 320 miles. The antenna offers maximum reception if there is a distance between the antenna and broadcast towers. With this antenna, you can receive signals even while you are traveling.
Buyer’s Experiences
The features offered by the antenna have impressed a lot of customers. This antenna has a sturdy built. You can also place this antenna anywhere you want. Plus, it is easy to install and offers high-quality pictures.
Best Fit For
If you are living in places with harsh climatic conditions, this is a suitable antenna for you. This antenna has a sturdy built that can last for a long time. With this antenna, you can enjoy watching high-quality television in your comfortable space.
Pros
Cons
5. 2021 Upgraded HD Digital TV Antenna Up to 300 Miles Range, Support 4K 1080P & All Old TVs 360° Reception, Indoor/Outdoor Digital Antenna with Smart Amplifier Signal Booster/33ft Coax Cable (Black) – Best Performance
TS-ant is among the popular brands dealing with accessories for television. With this antenna, you can receive more HD channels such as ABC, Fox, NBC, CW, HSN, and many more. This antenna can be placed both indoors and outdoors.
The antenna has a unique design and can be installed in a few minutes. You can hang this antenna on the wall, put it on the table, and even near the windows. The antenna is made using suitable quality material and is waterproof. This antenna comes with a 33ft coaxial cable, and this cable can be detached.
Why is it Unique?
The antenna has a durable construction that can eliminate signal interference and increase the efficiency of this antenna. This antenna is relatively stable and is designed with Advanced smart boost technology that optimizes and protects the signal transmission. You can receive signals from over a distance of 300 miles and can receive receptions from all directions. If the distance between your antenna and the broadcast tower is less than 35 miles, you have to switch on the yellow light, and if it is more than 35 miles, you have to switch on the green light.
Buyer’s Experiences
While most buyers have given positive ratings and reviews about this product, many have complained about this antenna’s durability. Customers have raised concerns about the poor reception they received in hilly areas. It offers a good quality picture to the buyers and can be assembled and installed easily.
Best Fit For
If you are looking for an antenna that can be placed both indoor and outdoor, this is the right one for you. With this antenna, you can watch HD channels, and even your kids can watch their favorite cartoons. The antenna has strong built and can be installed easily.
Pros
Cons
- 🔵Free HDTV Channels—Cut the cord, stop paying huge bills on TVs！TS-ant TV Antenna help you receive more local...
- 🔵Amplified 300 Miles, 360° Signal Reception—HD Digital Antenna comes with Advanced Smart Boost technology optimize...
- 🔵Indoor/Outdoor Antenna Installation in Minutes—Unique design, minutes to easy install. HD antenna made of high...
- 🔵33ft Coaxial Cable with Detachable Extension Line—TV Antenna comes with extra 33ft detachable high performance...
Features And Important Details To Know While Purchasing An OTA Antenna
If this is the first time when you are purchasing an OTA Antenna, you need to be careful while purchasing one. This is so because there are many things that you need to analyze in an antenna. The following features that are mentioned below are important and need to be considered while purchasing an OTA Antenna.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Antenna (Choose on the basis of location)
The location of your house matters a lot when cruising and over the air antenna. If you are living in a country, there are chances that you might not find any nearby local broadcast tower from which the antenna can receive signals very easily. If in case the nearest tower is around 30 miles away from your home, you can easily get an indoor antenna, but if it is more, you might need to consider an outdoor antenna. Also, the antenna should have the capability to easily catch the signals from the nearest tower so that you can have an uninterrupted television session. Moreover, you can purchase an antenna along with an amplifier that will boost signals if the distance between your house and the tower is large.
1. Style Of Antenna
The next thing to determine is the style of antenna that you want for your house. The following are the common three types of antennas that you can purchase:
- Tabletop antennas are being used as indoor antennas that can be placed on any flat surface that is near a window.
- Flat and tennis are also a type of indoor antennas that can be placed near a window so that it can easily catch signals.
- Outdoor antennas are to be fixed either on the roof or on any pole-like structure that is outside your house where there are fewer or no obstructions.
2. UHF And VHF
The television signals for OTA antennas are of two different bands of frequency, including UHF and VHF. Maximum of the OTA antennas are designed in a manner in which they can easily catch both the type of frequency bands. However, the flat antenna types only receive UHF frequency bands. While purchasing an OTA antenna, you need to find out whether the antenna can catch both the type of frequency channels or not. Depending upon your requirements you must go for the one.
3. Amplified Or Non-Amplified
An amplified antenna as compared to a non-amplified one gives better performance because, in an amplified antenna, the signals are cached efficiently as compared to an amplified one. However, depending upon your requirements, you must choose the one. If you are living close to a local broadcast tower, then even a non-amplified antenna will give good performance. In case you are living far away from a tower, then it’s better to purchase an amplified antenna over a non-amplified one.
4. Directional Or Multidirectional Antenna
Another thing that you need to choose between is whether to get a multi-directional antenna for a directional antenna. As the name suggests, a multi-directional antenna can easily receive signals from different directions and are quite flat, just like a sheet.
On the other hand, a directional antenna can only receive signals in one specific direction. These directional antennas include an arrow or troops that are pointed towards the position where the signals are strong. It is better to purchase a multi-directional antenna over a directional one because if you get a directional antenna, then you have to change its direction all the time whenever you need to change a signal. Also, they are suitable for the outdoor purposes only as they need to point in one direction without any obstruction in between it and the station.
5. Durability
Well, this is an obvious factor that you need to look for in an antenna. If you are thinking of buying an outdoor antenna, it is necessary that you purchase the one that can withstand harsh weather conditions and does not get damaged very quickly. So, you need to consider purchasing the one which gives you good durability.
6. Placing of Antenna
The next thing that you need to know is that you need to determine a place where you can place the antenna. If you have purchased an indoor antenna, then you need to place it somewhere where there is no metal nearby or a lot of obstacles. If possible, you can place an indoor antenna near a window. However, if you are going for an outdoor one, you can place it on the roof, attic, or any pole from where it can pick signals without any obstructions in between. So, at the time of installing the antenna, make sure that you choose the right place to keep it.
8. Price
You may think that price is not a feature to consider, but it is definitely a factor to keep in mind. You can easily find some good OTA antennas that are not too expensive. There are many brands available in the market that comes with maximum appropriate features for low prices, so it is not necessary that all good brands will have a high price only. However, money should be one factor, but the features must be considered to have a good antenna for your TV.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How to successfully install an over the air antenna?
A1. It is quite easy to install in an OTA antenna. You can follow these three steps to install:
Connect the cable of the antenna to the back of your TV, finding the correct port to insert the coaxial antenna wire.
Once you have plugged in the wire, you can now place the antenna on the roof window, wall, or any suitable place where you can place it. Make sure that wherever you place the antenna, it is able to catch signals, and there are no obstructions in between.
When you have successfully placed the antenna in an optimal position, you can switch on your TV and select ‘channels search’ to enjoy the free TV channels.
Q2. How to find the optimal position for an antenna to point in the better signal direction?
A2. One of the widely used ways for pointing the OTA antenna in the right direction is by testing different directions. The latest way with the help of which you can point the antenna is by using smartphone applications. There are some useful applications present that you can install on your phone, and you can adjust the antenna as the app can point it in the right direction.
Q3. How to determine whether to choose an indoor or outdoor antenna?
A3. The best way to choose between outdoor and indoor antennas is to find out the distance between your house and the local broadcast towers that are situated near you. If the distance between your house and the tower is not more than 30 miles, you can easily try an indoor antenna. If you live in an area where there is no nearby local broadcast tower, you need to purchase an outdoor antenna that can easily catch the signals. So overall, depending upon the location of your house, you can easily get to know whether you need an indoor antenna or an outdoor antenna.
Final Words
Indeed it is true that entertainers can really enhance your television experience and with the help of over the air antennas you can easily watch channels for free. The entertainers that we have listed in the article are among the best ones that you can purchase. However, while purchasing, you need to take care of the features that we have already discussed.
If the antenna lacks any of the features which are essential to make it efficient, then your experience may not be as good as expected. At the time of purchasing an OTA antenna, make sure that you get the one that is suitable for your house and also falls within your budget.
Last update on 2024-07-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API