Diy tv antenna booster6/9/2023 You will always get better results with an outdoor antenna. It’s important to remember than an indoor antenna is always going to be a compromise. The colors will inform you if an indoor antenna will be sufficient, or if you’ll need an attic or roof-mounted model to pull them in. Write down the number in parenthesis, which is the “real channel,” the “Direction (true),” and the color (green, yellow, or red). Once you’ve made your list, examine the Rabbit Ears results to find the channels you want to watch. You’ll probably need to enter your zip code and be sure to choose “antenna” or “over the air” as your TV provider in the online program guide, so you don’t get cable channels mixed in. You can check a TV listing guide to see everything that’s on the air in your local area and make a list of which stations you want to watch. After all, there’s no point wasting time trying to get weak stations if all your favorite shows are on strong ones. Your next step is to figure out which stations you want to watch. If you’re putting up an external antenna, one side of your roof might bring in nothing while the other side provides perfect reception. Moving an antenna just a little to one side or up and down a window can have a big effect on reception. In some areas, especially in cities or areas with lots of hills, signals can bounce off obstacles like buildings and cause interference, trees can grow leaves in the spring and block stations you got fine in the winter, and atmospheric conditions can alter the way signals reach your house. The information garnered from sites like Rabbit Ears will provide a strong indication of what should work, but there are other variables at work. Predicting which antenna will work with certainty is almost impossible. The Winegard Elite 7550 can be installed on a rooftop outdoors or inside your attic, if your home has one. This service pairs the FCC’s broadcast TV database with topographical maps to give you a detailed estimation of which signals will reach your house and how strong those signals will be.Ĭlick “Go” and you’ll get something like this in return: Point your browser to the website Rabbit Ears to find the broadcast channels available where you live. Figure out which type of antenna you needĪs a rule of thumb, indoor antennas are suitable for areas with strong or very strong signals, attic/outdoor antennas work in areas of medium signal strength, and larger outdoor antennas are best for areas surrounded by weak signals. Choose which channels you want to watch.Which channels are available where you live (we’ll show you how to do that shortly).To find the right antenna for you, consider these criteria: Once your house is in the center of the map, click the “Move Pushpin to Center of Map View” button beneath the map.Ĭlick “Go” and you’ll get something like this in return: How to pick the right TV antenna for your needs I have mixed results with the search box so zooming might be better. Select the “Signal Search Map” and either zoom in on the map to your house or try entering the address in the search box. All the major broadcast networks now transmit in high-definition, and in some areas, broadcasts using the new ATSC 3.0 standard–aka NextGen TV–are also available. Over-the-air TV signals are typically compressed less than cable or satellite broadcasts, so pictures will appear either the same quality or better. have access to between 50 and 100 TV stations that broadcast over the air for free.Īs a bonus, they’ll make your big-screen TV shine. Putting up a TV antenna is one of the best steps you can take toward breaking your reliance on pay TV and saving hundreds of dollars a year. Its unique double figure-eight design is sure to look distinctive and it can receive signals from different directions, which is useful if you live in an area with stations in multiple places.Īntennas Direct Clearstream 4 Max review Do I need a TV antenna? The Clearstream 4 Max is a little larger than our top-ranked choice and wasn’t quite as good at pulling in stations but it’s still a solid antenna.
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