![]() Sites such as AntennaWeb can show you that based on your Zip code (in the US), or you could use the Winegard TV signal finder for iPad. The first thing to do is identify where your local TV stations' transmitters are. You might also encounter issues if you live near mountains or in heavily built-up areas. There are lots of factors that can affect your TV reception, such as the construction of your home and the position of outdoor obstacles – buildings, trees and so on – that may block the signal. Get it right and you're in TV heaven get it wrong and you'll be teaching the neighbours some brand new swear words. ![]() But for others, finding the right position can be tricky. How should I position an indoor antenna?įor some of us, indoor antennas just work: you stick it on the wall, run your TV's channel search and you're good to go. If your TV doesn't have a built-in ATSC 3.0 tuner, external tuners that connect to a set using HDMI are available, though these currently are priced even higher than expensive indoor TV antennas. This feature can be found in select sets sold in the US dating back to 2020, with models from LG, Samsung, Sony, and Hisense all providing it. However, for your TV to receive ATSC 3.0 broadcasts, it needs to have a built-in ATSC 3.0 tuner. There's technically no such thing as an ATSC 3.0 antenna – any antenna capable of receiving digital broadcasts in the existing ATSC 1.0 standard will also be able to pick up ATSC 3.0 broadcasts.Ī key difference between ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 is that the latter supports 4K resolution and Dolby Atmos audio, while the former is limited to HD resolution and 5.1-channel audio. Do I need a special antenna to receive ATSC 3.0 broadcasts? Keep in mind though that many smart TVs also offer free TV, as with Roku TV Channels or Samsung TV Plus. An antenna picks up broadcast signals from local channels, such as local news – or national programming from local broadcasting stations.Īnything you get over your TV antenna in the US is free, too, so if you don't want to cough up for a Netflix subscription – or if your internet connection isn't super reliable – it will be a great option. TV antennas receive content rather differently than the Wi-Fi or Ethernet enabled streaming apps on most smart TVs. Read more: Antop HD Smart Bar AT-500SBS review Best indoor TV antennas: FAQ Do I need an antenna with a smart TV? However, with a $119 price tag, we recommend trying cheaper alternatives first to see if they'll meet your needs. ![]() It also has a 4G signal filter, an FM tuner, and the ability to connect to a second TV, plus the reception was excellent in our testing. In any case, it's much more visible than nearly any other indoor antenna on the market, but the trade-off is a much longer promised range of 80 miles. The Antop HD Smart Bar is a hard-plastic antenna that measures 2.5 feet wide and can be mounted on your wall like a soundbar, or you can use the included base stand to prop it up vertically. If you live far from a broadcast source and/or you've had trouble with other antennas, the Antop HD Smart Bar (AT-500SBS) could solve your issues-if you're willing to pay a steep price and tolerate the very large size. For an antenna to appear on this list it needs to hit its distance spec during testing, and to also meet our standards for design and usability. We test antennas at a semi-rural location with broadcast TV stations located from 15 miles to 70 miles away – an average range for indoor antenna use. For now, all stations making the transition to ATSC 3.0 are required to simulcast in ATSC 1.0, though that situation could change in the near future. Even so, only select recent model TVs feature an ATSC 3.0 tuner, so if your set lacks that feature it will instead receive signals using the older ATSC 1.0 broadcast standard. The good news for anyone shopping for an indoor TV antenna is that all models are compatible with the new standard. This is sometimes labeled as "NextGenTV" and is the next generation digital broadcast TV standard in the US. ![]() Depending on how fussy you are about interior design, the look of the antenna may be a factor in your buying decision, so that’s another aspect we’ll cover.īroadcast TV viewers should know about ATSC 3.0. Most indoor antennas have a compact form and are intended to be installed either on a flat surface next to your TV or on a wall behind it.
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