The results of the top antenna test
| Price | Number of stations (NYC) | Number of channels (LA) | No. watchable test stations (out of 14) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antennas Direct Clearstream Eclipse | 40 | 104 | 70 | 11 |
| Btfdreem Smart TV Antenna — Expanded | 29 | 81 | 104 | 11 |
| Channel Master Flatenna | 29 | 98 | 86 | 11 |
| Gesobyte Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna — Bottom | 30 | 92 | 116 | 13 |
| Mohu Gateway | 35 | 104 | 128 | 11 |
| Mohu Leaf | 35 | 102 | 131 | 12 |
| Ultra Vizion HD Digital TV Antenna | 44 | 104 | 69 | 10 |
We’ve tested dozens of rods over the past 10 years with the goal of finding the best performance and ease of installation for the least amount of money. Compared to a live TV streaming serviceOTA TV has some limitations, that is, it is usually limited to one television, and the broadcast signal from the OTA TV box will not work on phones or other devices. Thankfully, you can kick it up a notch with OTA DVR with communication skills and dedicated applications. Our current favorite is the Tablo 4th Gen.
When buying a TV antenna, the two main things you want are: i more number of available channels, and better reception or picture quality. In our tests, we wanted to find antennas that could pick up more channels than others, and that delivered stronger, clearer TV signals, even on “problem” channels. Using the TiVo Edge as our test device, we connected each antenna in turn and tested how many perfect channels we could get in our LA and New York locations. The Edge calculates the signal strength of each channel, and while a signal strength reading of 70% usually means that it is watched we watch all the predetermined test channels (below) to determine the quality of the signal. In deciding the winner, we tried to find the antenna that performs best both in line of sight and outdoors.
Test the antenna by searching for channels using TiVo Edge
With that in mind, we tested seven indoor antennas for prices ranging from $29 to $50 (all of which are significantly less than basic cable TV service). Here are seven TV antennas we looked at:
Although many antennas are made by “name” manufacturers, Gesobyte and Btfdreem were chosen specifically because they were the two best-selling antennas on Amazon, although the latter is currently unavailable.
From my vantage point in Upper Manhattan, I have a direct line of sight to the broadcast tower on the Empire State Building.
Like real estate, how well a TV antenna works is based on location, location, location. We tested the antennas in two main locations: above midtown Manhattan, New York with line of sight to a broadcast tower six miles away, and in Reseda, California, at least 10 miles from the nearest tower (though no line of sight). Depending on your location, for example, you may receive broadcasts from multiple antennas. In addition, hills or large buildings on the road will affect the frequency range and reception of TV channels.
We placed each antenna in the same location each time and connected it to the TiVo Edge, which provided signal strength data and a total channel count. We used two metrics to determine which TV antenna performed best. The first was a crude estimate of the number of channels the antenna could see, while the second involved a few predetermined “problem channels”. In this case, we looked at the list of channels collected from various platforms, in both test areas, and checked how well the antennas pulled in each channel.
TiVo Edge is the now defunct OTA recorder for cord cutters.
Our list of “problem” stations in Manhattan were WABC 7.1 (ABC), WNET 13.1 (PBS), WPIX 11.1 (CW — Manhattan only) and WNJB 58.1 (PBS — New Jersey only). In addition, we have added popular stations CBS 2.1, WNBC 4 (NBC), and WNYW 5 (Fox). Meanwhile, we’ve compiled a list of LA stations including KCBS 2.1 (CBS), KNBC 4.1 (NBC), KTLA 5.1 (CW), KABC 7.1 (ABC), KTTV 11.1 (FOX), KCOP 13.1 (MyNetwork) and KCET 28.1 (PBS).
Although the result will vary depending on where you live and how far you are from the TV towers, in our tests the best performing models received a large number of popular channels and local channels, radio broadcasts and Spanish language channels.
Most TV antennas were based on the same rectangular design, but there was one important consideration: the cable. Does the antenna have a long, high-performance coaxial cable or, even better, a detachable one? You’ll be sticking one of these on your window, which would be far from your TV, so it’s best.
It’s worth noting that some of these antennas — Btfdreem, Gesobyte and Ultra Vizion Plus — include gain-enhancing amplifiers. Based on our experience in several areas over the years, amplifiers can affect signal strength in unexpected ways. The Ultra Vizion wouldn’t work at all with an attached amp, while others did. The numbers printed above are the best results with or without magnification. If you can’t get TV reception with an indoor antenna, a gain amp may not really help you, and in some cases, it may make your reception. even worse by overloading channels that already have a strong signal.
Several of the antennas on our list include a powerful amplifier, but use with caution, as these can actually make a strong signal worse.
