Once you've mounted the antenna, plug it into the coaxial port on your TV, open your TV's menu and find the option to scan for over-the-air channels. It'll take a bit more work, but you're basically guaranteed better reception. If you can mount a larger antenna in the attic or on the roof instead of on the living room wall, all the better. If you have an indoor antenna, place it as high up as you can, near a window if you can, and on the side of the house facing the most broadcast towers.
So when you buy an antenna, buy from a store with a good return policy - preferably one without a hefty restocking fee - and try it out at home. The best way to find the right antenna is to test it yourself. Beyond all of the above characteristics, buildings, trees and terrain can make a big difference. The unfortunate reality of TV antennas is that it's difficult to know which models will work for your specific location. Once you find an antenna with the right combination of features, you're ready to try it out.Įxchange it if you don't get the channels you want Most of these categories should have options between $20 and $60, with amplified versions on the higher end of that range. You shouldn't have to spend too much to find a good antenna. The amplified version will usually cost a tad more, but it's worth trying if the non-amplified version isn't getting the stations you want. This can be good if you're far away from all of your stations (or if you have to use a coaxial cable longer than 50 feet), but it can also cause problems. Amplifiers plug the antenna into a wall outlet, boosting its signal so they can reach farther. You can get a signal from your antenna by plugging it directly into your TV, but many antennas also come with amplifiers. 1byone makes both directional and multi-directional outdoor antennas that work well in my experience.Īmplified. However, directional antennas tend to be more powerful and can grab stations from farther away - as long as all the channels you're interested in come from one direction (which is likely if you're in the suburbs). If you're in a city, you'll probably get more channels with an antenna that can receive signals from multiple directions, known as a multi-directional or omni-directional antenna. Here are the Wirecutter's picks for the best indoor antennas to get you started.ĭirectional vs. If you're close to the broadcast towers in your area - 20 miles or less - and don't have too many obstructions, you may be able to get by with an indoor antenna that mounts to the wall near your TV. You can also note the distance of each channel from your location and compare it to the range offered by the antenna (though the antenna's range is probably lower than the specs state, thanks to buildings and other obstructions - so always overestimate how much range you'll need). Yellow and green channels on that list should work with smaller antennas while red and blue channels may need something bigger and more powerful. Pick the right kind of antennaįrom the AntennaWeb list, pick the channels that are important to you and note their colors and where they come from.Īrmed with that information, you can start searching for antennas. And unfortunately, if you live in a rural area, you may not find that you have any channels available at all.
Here, almost all the channels came from one direction, so it'd be best served by a different antenna than the San Diego location. You'll notice that all the channels come from different directions and have different signal strengths (as noted by their colors).įor contrast, here's where I used to live in Los Angeles:
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