Best HDTV Antennas of 2017: Reviews & Buying Guide

Technology has become an integral part of life to that point that it would be mystifying to think we could go on without it. Entertainment is no exception to technology’s supremacy because HD technology has completely transformed the way entertainment is presented to us today. It feels surreal that we can achieve such clear images and high sound quality in our houses, yet HDTV antennas enable us to do that. Moreover, they always help refine signal quality and they are quick to install, which is a huge advantage over regular antennas. Location is also not a problem as HDTV antennas can receive signals from very far away, regardless of their configurations, and have a filter to limit any surrounding noise picked up by the signals that may interfere when you are watching TV.

TERK FDT-V2A Omni-Directional Amplified Flat Digital-HDTV Antenna-Black

This is an indoor antenna with many admirable, patented features that TV lovers will enjoy. It is acrylic gloss black and has chrome highlights that go with the digital displays sold today. It can receive signals in all 360 degrees around it, making adjustments almost unnecessary. It provides an unsurpassed UHF and VHF reception, even though it has been designed as a HDTV antenna. The TERK FDT-V2A also gives amazingly clear pictures and increased sound. In fact, it exceeds the CEA-2032-A Section-3.2.1 criterion for digital signals amplification.

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Channel Master CM-4220HD UHF and HDTV Antenna by Channel Master

The Channel Master CM-4220HD is actually comprised of two HDTV antennas that are placed outdoors and already come to you assembled. It can receive HD and UHF signals up to 30 miles away. However, it is optimized to receive HD or local digital signals. The images are filtered in order to maximize your viewing comfort if you use the Channel Master CM-4220HD on an HD TV.

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Channel Master CM2016 HDTV VHF High Band and UHF Antenna

This antenna is also an outdoor antenna, and while it is compact, it can access channels #7 to #51 in HDTV broadcast as far as 35 miles away, minus any extraneous fees. Furthermore, the antenna can pick up HDTV and analog High VHF/UHF signals.You won’t have much trouble installing or using it, and it can last in many environments, whether there be a storm, wind, or anything else.

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Channel Master CM-7777 Titan 2 Antenna Preamplifier

This antenna is a good choice if you live somewhere with poor signal strength. It has a built-in feature that improves poor signals and can operate in extreme temperatures, ranging from -40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want to place it outside, the Channel Master CM-7777 has a FM trap that you can turn on and off.

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Channel Master PCT International CM-3000A HDTV Antenna

In addition to Channel Master’s collection of top quality outdoor and indoor antennas is the PCT International CM-3000A. This antenna may be small, but it can reach local TV signals as far as 35 miles. It has a similar design as the first CM-3000A, but it does not require supplementary amplification. This antenna includes a mounting bracket and table top TV stand, for outdoor and indoor installations respectively.

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Mohu Leaf Paper-Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna

This is an indoor antenna, known for its lightness and simplicity, that is manufactured in the U.S. It includes a mudflap that you can paint to match with your house and an amplifier. It is very hardwearing, and can work at its best when signals are within 30 miles and within 10 ft. high of it.

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Channel Master CM 3020 VHF/UHF/FM HDTV Antenna

The Channel Master CM 3020 can receive HD and UHF signals up to 100 miles away. It’s perfect for regions with poor signal quality since it can clarify unclear signals. It can amplify the distorted signals into a clear one before broadcasting. If you want to buy this one now, you can click below.

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Channel Master CM-4228HD High VHF, UHF and HDTV Antenna

This antenna is an 8 bay outdoor antenna that can access HD and UHF signals as far as 60 miles. Its affordability only makes it even more popular. It already comes assembled so you immediately start enjoying your TV shows with amazing clarity. You can also put this antenna in the attic or roof to access HD and local signals.

 

HDTV Antenna Buyer’s Guide

A trend called “cord cutter” is growing in popularity as the time goes on and as another trend of watching your favorite TV shows via the internet is rising as well. Services such as Netflix are a true hit nowadays but they aren’t perfect. From a rational perspective, it still is the best solution to simply get an HDTV antenna in order to be able to enjoy a huge number of quality channels (both local and global ones). All that on your own TV and for a very cheap monthly fee.

I’ve decided to do some actual testing here. I tested several different HDTV antennas in my own place (New York) and I tried to conclude and find the best solutions. There is a whole range of different parameters that I was considering during this little text – audio and video quality, a total number of available channels, and a number of widely popular channels as well (to name just a few). For more details, I recommend checking out the following page.

The best non-amplified antenna is Mohu ReLeaf while the best amplified antenna turned out to be Mohu curved 50 amplified designer editions. Both of these 2 are hard to install and maintain but they managed to “catch” the biggest number of channels (by far) and the quality proved to be the best one as well. If we look at more budget-friendly solutions, Holisouse 50-Mile HD antenna is a product that stands out. The price doesn’t even reach $30 and yet it is able to receive a solid number of 50 different channels.

The first thing you need to do here is to get yourself an antenna. It is not an easy task but you should definitely avoid using dated antennas as their modern counterparts provide better quality, a support for HD channels, and a bigger total number of channels as well.

Antenna Style Options

The price range of HDTV antennas is between $20 and $200 and there are several different variants included here:

1. Flat antennas – they are placed inside your household, preferably next to a wall and/or a window.
2. Table-top antennas – they are placed inside the household as well but ideally on a flat surface.
3. Attic-mounted antennas – just like the name implies, they are placed in the attic, exclusively.
4. Roof mount/outdoor antennas – These antennas are installed in the outdoors. The most common location is the roof of your house; however, there are some alternatives as well.
5. DIY antennas – These antennas are “hand-made” by the users themselves. You can find the plans either online or in various different pieces of technical literature and/or magazines. You can see the examples of it here and here.

In case you live in a bigger city and/or near the huge broadcasting towers, the best solution is to get one of the indoor types of antennas. However, if that is not the case, and if you live in a smaller place and far away from any broadcasting tower, the chances are – you will need an outdoor solution. They are more expensive as well, but that is the only way you can get a quality service.

Antenna manufacturers such as AntennasDirect, Winegard, and Mohu offer various services to help you choose the best antenna set for yourself.

Unamplified Vs amplified antennas

By using the electronic amplification you can get over the common issues associated with height and/or size. In that regard, we can speak of amplified antennas (the sets that come up with integrated amplifiers) and unamplified antennas (amplifiers are independent devices per se). A general rule is that you should use unamplified antennas if you live in a huge city or any other urban area, while you should aim for amplified antennas if you live in smaller places and suburbs.

Unidirectional Vs multidirectional and omnidirectional antennas

In order to receive as many channels as possible and have a great quality at the same time, you need to know the locations of the (nearby) broadcasting towers. In case there are multiple towers “stacked” to each other, then I highly recommend using a unidirectional antenna as it will give you the biggest number of channels and the best quality as well.

This is not always the case, though, and you will likely need to catch a signal from a tower that is not that near. In that case, I would strongly recommend using the Omni directional antennas. Multidirectional antennas are perfectly viable too but Omni directional solutions are all-around better.

The range

The distance between your antenna and the broadcasting tower is extremely important and that is where the range factor kicks in. You can get a perfect overview of every broadcasting tower within and next to your area by visiting AntennaWeb and NoCable websites.

The range typically varies between 25 and 85 miles. The bigger the range, the bigger the quality as well and also the bigger number of channels is received.

The design

The design itself is pretty standard and it goes for every HDTV antenna out there. It is basically a piece of paper that has rounded corners and it’s meant to be stick either to a wall or a window or between them (if the environment is appropriate).

If we speak about the specific antennas that have a bigger range (1buyOne 85-mile comes to my mind right now), they stick to the traditional design of your everyday roof antennas that were widely used before the modern solutions were implemented. And just like those antennas, they are meant to be placed either on the roof or the attic.

Outdoor or indoor antennas?

Typically, I would advise you to go for an indoor HDTV antenna. Not only that I believe that they are sufficient enough for pretty much everyone’s needs, they are easily installed and maintained as well.

However, if you don’t live in an urban area and if you are far away from any broadcasting tower you would need an outdoor antenna and/or an antenna with a huge range and preferably an amplifier as well. You would also need to think of the way to connect your antenna to your TV.

More things to know

Before going forward, I would like to note some additional things as well.

1. Make sure to determine the signal quality of your antenna. In addition to that, you can also check out and see the signal quality associated with your area as well. That way you can have a fairly good insight of how many channels you will be able to receive with a top notch antenna. Websites like AntennaWeb and TvFool are good ways to do that.
2. In pretty much all cases, a general rule is that the outdoor antennas are superior to their indoor counterparts. They are not as easily installed and maintained but they provide better signal quality and they tend to receive a bigger number of channels as well. You can see that for yourself if you just look out for some practical examples on the websites that I listed above.
3. Ideally, you should also try to determine and find out what networks broadcast the UHF and which ones use the VHF signals instead. While pretty much every model (both the indoor and the outdoor models) should have no issues catching VHF signals, indoor antennas are overall better solutions for receiving the UHF bands. Pretty much every network uses UHF nowadays and they have proven to be better than the classic VHF signals that tend to break up quite often. It is worth checking this out and again, I recommend you use the 2 previously mentioned websites.
4. You should always take the antenna range into consideration. It is a vital parameter to consider but take note that the value that is advertised is often slightly different than the actual value shown in practice. Not to mention that there are many elements that can interfere and cause significant losses in your signal as well. Take note of that as well!

Conclusion

With the constant increase in multimedia development, HD technology became a modern standard. The best and the most practical way to enjoy your favorite movies and/or other TV shows in full HD quality are to get a HDTV antenna. You just need a TV that supports HD format and the right antenna and you’re ready for an awesome enjoyment! You don’t need to pay any subscriptions for this feature; you can have it easily and for a relatively “popular” price as well.

Try to get as much info as you can, look for the offers in some of your local shops, and use the internet as well. I believe (and hope) that the advices that I offered here will help you out as well. I am crossing my fingers for you to choose the best solution for yourself, a solution so good that you will look like a baby staring at all the colorful and delicious candies in a sweets shop. Good luck!