How Many Tv Channels Can I Get With An Antenna Birmingham Alabama?

How Many Tv Channels Can I Get With An Antenna Birmingham Alabama
You can watch Alabama Public Television’s four channels over the air for free with an antenna. See what station is closest to you. Most Alabamians receive APT’s broadcasts via cable or satellite, but thousands of others continue to watch our four digital channels over-the-air with an antenna.

How many channels can you get with a regular antenna?

What You Can (and Cannot) Expect From Your Antenna – Imagine yourself standing in the antenna aisle of your local big-box retailer or surfing the Internet comparing antennas. One box says the antenna inside gets stations from 100 miles away. Another product’s description boasts that it’s a 4K antenna.

Or, maybe you saw the one claiming it can deliver cable channels.
We’ve heard it all and seen it all.
There’s no governing body or industry oversight to check the claims being made when it comes to TV antennas.
That means there are many false claims being circulated today.
A recent Texoma’s article even talks about the multitude of “antenna scams” present in the marketplace.

Antennas Direct refuses to play that game, and we always have. Since 2003, we’ve been on a mission to educate the public about the advantages of watching free, over-the-air TV in HD with a TV antenna. Today, our continuing mission is to build upon that education, freeing people not only from their bad relationships (and endlessly increasing bills) with cable and satellite providers but also from the bad information they may be faced with when deciding which antenna to purchase. Scientific fact: The Earth is round. (Sorry, flat-earthers.) The curvature of the Earth will block most over-the-air broadcast signals at roughly 70 miles. According to the current laws of physics, it is generally impossible to deliver the 100 and 150-mile range claims some antenna manufacturers boast.

While you may receive signals from farther away in absolutely ideal conditions (a home atop a hill whose broadcast towers are directly on top of another hill with a clear shot between the two and absolutely no obstacles) or you’re inclined to engineer a unique (and probably dangerously tall) setup, then consistent, reliable reception of anything over 70 miles away should not be expected.

Range can also be impacted by factors such as location, obstructions in the terrain around you, other buildings, the location of transmitters on the broadcast tower, and other variables. Antennas Direct’s founder, Richard Schneider, raised his concerns about these dubious range claims in a TechHive article in 2019.

The Channels You’ll Receive You may be thinking that watching TV with an antenna will bring you back to the old days of antennas when only a handful of stations were available.
Today, most areas in the United States broadcast 50+ channels over the air.
Locations like Los Angeles have as many as 175 channels.

We’re talking about over-the-air broadcast television channels – which are transmitted in Full HD 1080p and with 5.1 surround sound – you receive for FREE once you have a TV antenna. In addition to your local NBC, CBS, ABC, CW, and FOX affiliates, you’ll also find a wide variety of specialty programming available on these stations.

So much content is available over-the-air that we like to call it “the new basic cable”.
Eep in mind, these are network and local channels.
You won’t receive any pay-TV stations via a TV antenna, ever.
We’ve seen antennas claiming this possibility, but it is 100% false.
You will not receive ESPN, CNN, or any other such channel with a TV antenna.

Period. That said, there are many new streaming options becoming available all the time which combine broadcast TV content with packages available for purchase to watch sports channels, pay-TV subscriptions, and more, all from one streamlined platform,

The 4k TV Antenna As of writing this, OTA television is not yet broadcast to the general public in 4K. However, that doesn’t stop unscrupulous antenna companies from claiming that (only) their antennas will allow you to watch broadcast TV in 4K. The truth is, once 4K broadcast television becomes available, any antenna will be able to receive it,

What you, the TV-watcher, will need in order to view OTA television in 4K is a device which will be capable of decoding the transmissions your antenna receives so that you’re able to watch your shows in the new 4K standard. This can be a TV or a designated TV tuner, for example, a set-top box.

We believe that our ClearStream™ HDTV Antennas will deliver the best, most reliable picture quality we’ve always been known for when that day comes, which is why we indicate on our packaging that all our antennas are “4K-Ready”. Until then, 4K-quality picture has become available through mediums such as Blu-Ray® and certain streaming services, but broadcast television viewers will need to wait until the new standard of television arrives on local airwaves in the near future, to view over-the-air television in 4K.

If you’re still unsure or just need guidance choosing the right antenna for your needs, we are here to serve as your beacons of light for all antenna myths you may be grappling with. Our Midwest-based Connection Crew is available 7 days a week to answer questions and help you achieve the best possible over-the-air TV-viewing experience.

They’ll help you pick the right antenna for your location, troubleshoot installation, conduct a free home signal analysis, and more.
They’re a passionate bunch of real antenna enthusiasts who will help you separate fact from fiction and find success with a TV antenna.
More questions? Check out some of our other resources and FAQs here,

Happy cord-cutting!

Can you get all local channels with antenna?

These days, more of us are looking for ways to save money, including on our monthly TV bills. So it’s no surprise that TV antenna s have made a comeback. Once you get an antenna, you can tune in to local broadcast channels, such as ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, as well as PBS and Telemundo.

It’s free TV. For the past few years, we’ve been advising consumers who use antennas to rescan for channels at least once a month. That’s because a number of broadcast networks had been moving their stations to new frequencies. The reason: Congress authorized the Federal Communications Commission to hold a spectrum auction, freeing up some over-the-air broadcast TV frequencies to make room for new high-speed wireless services.

(Those who get TV from a cable company or satellite service aren’t affected.) That station reassignment is now complete, but you still might want to do a channel rescan every once in a while. There are a few reasons. One is that if you originally scanned for channels on a cloudy or rainy day, you might not be receiving all the channels available to you.

Also, most stations now have digital subchannels in addition to the main program you’re tuned to. A rescan will help you capture any new subchannels with programming that often includes a mix of vintage TV shows, nature programs, local news and weather, and foreign-language fare. Rescanning simply means having your TV’s tuner do an automated update to look for new channels.

This will allow your TV to find your favorite channels at their new frequencies. Though the frequency may be new, the channel numbers you use won’t change—Channel 5 will still be Channel 5, and so on. You can check out the FCC’s interactive DTV map for general information about station reassignments, along with guidance about the channels available in your area.

It’s fairly simple to rescan for channels.
The process varies a bit depending on which brand of TV you own, but ultimately you’re looking for a control that says Channel Scan or Channel Tuning.
Start by using your TV remote control (or a digital converter box remote if you still have an older analog TV) to press the Menu or Setup button.

You may see the Channel Scan control right away or it could be one layer down, under Antenna, Channels, or Channel List. It might be called Live TV (on LG TVs) or Broadcast (on Samsung sets). On any brand of TV, if you’re having trouble finding the right option, look under Settings or Setup.

Once you find Channel Scan or Channel Tuning, you may have a choice to tune automatically (Autotune or Autoscan) or manually.
You want the automatic option, which will make the TV search through all the channels.
If you don’t see any of these options, you can usually do a channel scan by selecting the Input button on the TV remote or in the TV’s main menu, then choosing Antenna.

Depending on the number of channels you can receive, it could take a few minutes to complete the rescan. If it doesn’t work the first time, try again. We recommend doing a second channel scan anyway just to see whether you get any stations you missed on the first rescan.

If you’re already using an antenna to get free TV, none of this will take new equipment.
The one exception is if a local station moves from UHF (Channels 14 to 51) to VHF (Channels 1 to 13) and your current antenna is either UHF-only or gets poor VHF reception.
In those cases, you might want to consider a new antenna.

(More on that below.) If you’re just getting started with free over-the-air TV, you’ll be in good company. Even many consumers who have switched to streaming video services, such as Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, or YouTube TV, use an antenna for local stations not included with their package.

In fact, a quarter of all U.S. households with internet service now use a TV antenna to get free TV service, according to the research firm Parks Associates, up from 15 percent in 2018. Having the right antenna can help you get more of your local channels. Our test results cover 19 popular ante nnas, ranging in price from $10 to $80.

Your recept ion will also depend heavily on your distance from broadcast towers, along with topography—such as mountains or tall buildings—that could interfere with signals. Amplified models can often help pull in more distant stations. A final reminder if you’re shopping for an antenna: Make sure it can receive both VHF and UHF frequencies. James K. Willcox I’ve been a tech journalist for more years than I’m willing to admit. My specialties at CR are TVs, streaming media, audio, and TV and broadband services. In my spare time I build and play guitars and bass, ride motorcycles, and like to sail—hobbies I’ve not yet figured out how to safely combine.

Can you run multiple TVs on one antenna?

How to Use a Coaxial Splitter With an Antenna – In this scenario, you will be using a Coaxial Cable Splitter. It will split the signal from your TV antenna then feed that data to multiple TVs. Unlike splitting a cable box, when splitting the signal from a TV antenna you can watch different channels on each TV.

This is just yet another reason you may want to cut your cable and switch over to a TV antenna. Connecting a coaxial splitter to your TV antenna is a simple task. All you need to do is attach the splitter to the coaxial cable from your TV antenna. You can then attach coaxial cables to the splitter and route them to any of your TVs throughout your house.

This allows you to watch TV on any of the TVs in your home. The only consideration you need to make is whether you need a powered splitter or a passive splitter. A powered splitter helps amplify the signal from your TV antenna to your TVs while a passive splitter just acts as a straight pass-through.

Can I watch TV with just an antenna?

Why You Can Trust CNET Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. How we test TVs Streaming TV gets more expensive every day, but antennas start at $20 and the programming is free. Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio. Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004.

Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.

Over-the-air TV has been around for years, and it’s built right into your TV – all you need is an antenna. Local channels broadcast in your area provide sports, news and TV shows from ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS and more with excellent HD image quality. And in the coming years, the cross-compatible NextGen TV standard will be capable of even more, including 4K broadcasts and on-demand! The best part of all of this is the price: basically free. Unlike cable or live TV streaming services, antenna broadcasts don’t require you to pay ongoing fees, and if you live in an area with decent indoor OTA reception you can get TV for less than $20 all told.

Depending on where you live you may need to spend more on an outdoor antenna, but it’s worth experimenting with a cheap model first.
It’s no wonder that OTA is one of the first stops for anyone looking to cut the cord or supplement their streaming package,
Antenna TV is simple to get set up.
Here’s where to start.

Read more: Best streaming deals: Save on Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Paramount Plus, Hulu and more

How many TV channels are free-to-air?

FTA Channels List In India – Approximately 600 FTA television stations and 180 radio channels are transmitted via Ku-band as well as c-band transmitters on the INSAT-4B and GSAT-15 satellites, which covers India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and portions of Afghanistan as well as Myanmar.

In India, the programs are offered as DD Direct Plus/ DD Free Dish by Doordarshan, India’s public broadcaster, as well as other Indian commercial broadcasters. ABS Free Dish from the ABS2 satellite allows one to get free-to-air local TV channels using just a tiny DTH antenna as well as a free-to-air set-top box,

We have provided a collection of free air channels available in India that you may pick from based on your needs, which are categorised based on various service providers.

Which country has most TV channels?

List

Rank	Country/region	Number of television broadcast stations
1	Russia	6,700
2	China	4,900
–	European Union	3,700
3	United States	2,761

How many Freeview channels can I get?

What channels do I get? – With Freeview, you can get over 100 channels, all with no subscription. And with a Freeview Play device you can also watch HD channels. The exact number of channels you’ll get depends on the coverage at your address. Use our Freeview Channel Checker to find out the ones available to you.

What local channels are free with antenna?

How does Over The Air TV work? – Major networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and PBS have affiliates in almost every major US city that insert local programming into the network’s national feed then broadcast TV signals over-the-air from a centrally located broadcast tower.

TV signals travel over the air and can be received several miles away at your home or business with a simple indoor or outdoor TV antenna.
The distance between your home and the broadcast tower will ultimately determine whether you will need an indoor or outdoor antenna.
Channel Master’s easy to use tool on this page was designed to identify channels that are available in your area.

Our antenna recommendation engine can also determine and make a recommendation for the outdoor TV antenna that will work best at your location.

Can I get local channels without satellite?

Recap: How to stream local channels You can get an HD TV antenna. Subscribe to a specific channel’s app. Subscribe to a live TV streaming service. Watch the live stream of your local news station’s newscast on their website.

What is Channel 13 in Birmingham Alabama?

WVTM 13 Birmingham News and Weather.

Why can’t I watch CBS on my antenna?

TV antennas receive over-the-air network TV signals for FREE from major networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, The CW, Univision, and many more, with no subscription or monthly fees. The range of a TV antenna will vary greatly depending on the height, power, and frequency coming from the transmitting tower, as well as the height of the antenna installation, the terrain, and the number of obstacles between your home and the transmitting tower.

Having some problems with reception? Below are some of the most common issues when troubleshooting TV antenna reception, possible causes, and solutions. If you’re still struggling, get in touch with our Connection Crew available 7 days a week. Problem: The TV is not receiving any signals. Possible causes: Once you have properly installed the antenna, changed the input on your TV to ‘ANTENNA’, and run a channel scan, you should be receiving at least some of your local channels.

If this is not the case, the reason could be one of the following: There is not a clear line of sight to the broadcast towers. If hills, trees, buildings, or other geographic features are in between the broadcast towers and the antenna, the signals might not be able to reach your antenna. The signal could be lost in the coaxial cable distribution. It is important to check regularly for corrosion, loose cable fittings, or if a cable has been compromised. If you are using a splitter, this could also weaken signal strength. Try disconnecting the splitter and running the cable directly into the TV/converter box and run a channel scan.

If reception improves, a distribution amplifier is likely to be the solution.
The coaxial cable from the antenna to the tuner could be too long.
When cable lengths reach over 100 feet, as much as 1/3 of the signal can be lost.
If you require a long cable or are using a splitter, you may need a preamplifier.

You are more than 70 miles from the broadcast towers or beyond the range of the antenna. The curvature of the earth limits most antennas to about 70 miles of range. Go to www.antennapoint.com and enter your address or zip code to ensure you are within the range of the broadcast towers in your area.

If you are over 70 miles from the broadcast tower(s), reception is possible if the appropriate equipment is used and the right conditions are present. Faulty Digital Tuner It doesn’t happen often, but it is possible for the tuner to be faulty on a new TV, right out of the box. The ATSC tuner is separate from the HDMI or other inputs, so the tuner would not affect any other portion of the television.

As a second step in troubleshooting, try installing the antenna and cable to a secondary TV. Problem: I’m receiving every channel except for one. Possible causes: The station is broadcasting on a different frequency. While the majority of TV stations transmit on the UHF frequency, there are some that use VHF.

Although some UHF antennas can pick up VHF signals, it is necessary to use an antenna optimized to receive both UHF and VHF frequencies. The transmitter for certain channels could be located at a lower elevation on the broadcast tower, or even behind other broadcast towers. Lower elevation or obstruction by other towers can cause line-of-sight problems.

UHF signals are dependent on line-of-sight for consistent reception. Change the location or elevation of the antenna to see if the problem persists. Problem: The picture isn’t clear or I see snow (fuzz). Possible causes: The TV might not have a built-in ATSC digital tuner.

Digital signals do NOT have snow! If you are seeing snow or fuzz on your TV, you are watching an analog broadcast.
Typically, people with this problem don’t have an ATSC tuner built into their TV.
If you have a TV that was purchased before 2007, this may apply to you.
Consult the TV’s user manual or contact the manufacturer directly to find out if the TV has a built-in ATSC digital tuner.

If it does not have one, an external receiver or converter box can be purchased, so that you can use your existing TV to receive HDTV broadcasts. The auto program or channel scan procedure was not performed correctly. If the TV does have an internal ATSC tuner, make sure the television’s input or source is set to “BROADCAST”, “TV” or “AIR”, not “CABLE”.

Once you have verified this, go into your TV’s setup menu to scan for channels. Each television is different and different brands have varying procedures. If you are not receiving High Definition programming, consult the TV’s manual or contact the manufacturer to make sure these steps are followed correctly.

Problem: I live within 2 miles of the broadcast tower, but the signal is breaking up. Possible cause: Your TV may be receiving interfering signals. A larger/stronger antenna will not necessarily solve this problem. Consider moving the antenna, making sure it is not placed near metal objects or other antennas.

Can I run 3 TVs off 1 aerial?

Multiple TVs on One Aerial – It is possible, and relatively easy, to run multiple TVs from one TV aerial. All you need is the correct equipment. If your aerial is in total working order, there is no reason why you cannot run many TVs through it. Splitting a signal with a passive splitter Using a splitter means you lose signal on each output.

The more ways the signal splits, the more signal you lose.
This means that using a splitter could lead to losing signal, which then requires an amplifier.
Using an Amplifier Amplifiers strengthen signals using electrical currents.
There are several types of amplifier, some with more signal gain than others.

Some amplifiers can run multiple TV points using different outputs. It is important to note that you do not necessarily need an amplifier every time you wish to run a TV through a single aerial. A very long cable run can cause losses due to the resistance.

In this case, an amplifier should be added at the signal’s strongest point How Many TVs? There is no magic number when it comes to how many TVs can run from one aerial. However, the number is high. Many blocks of flats have all TVs using one aerial without issues – that’s a lot of TVs! Reception areas are an important factor when it comes to aerial signals.

Some areas have poor reception, making it a little trickier to run multiple TVs. In this case, a splitter may be a better option than an amplifier. Things to Consider If there is no adequate power supply for an amplifier, a mast head can be an option. This means installing a power supply at a TV point to carry the electrical voltage to the amplifier.

You should only do this if needed, as adding an amplifier can cause interference and increase the risk of costly issues. Higher gain aerials will help you avoid having to use an amplifier. Speak to an aerial specialist, such as Aerials Direct, to find out the best aerial solutions for you. It will depend on your location and circumstances, but there will always be a solution to poor signal and aerial issues.

For TV Aerial Installations in Brentwood and surrounding areas please contact us on 01708 347257.

Can 2 devices use the same antenna?

One antenna for two devices? Hi, I am currently guessing if it makes sense to use one good antenna for two devices with a y-cable. I have a ogn/flarm receiver (RPI+rtlsdr) and a ttn indoor gateway with sma connector. While the ogn-receiver only receives packets the indoor gateway transmitts as well and I am afraid that the rtlsdr-stick will be damaged when the gateway transmitts.

Both uses the same frequency and I don’t want to buy and install two antenna cables and antennas outside if one would be sufficient.1 Like Hi Zodiac, That is not easy.
If you use an “Y”cable the transmitter of the gateway will destroy your flarm-receiver.
Using a splitter, both devices can receive at the same time using the same antenna with a loss of about 3dB.

But when transmitting, the receiver has to be protected against excessive power eg. by an antenna switch or a circulator (isolator). Yes, that sounds reasonable.3dB is quite a lot, maybe too much for me. At least a splitter will cost more than a 2nd antenna Zodiac: Yes, that sounds reasonable.3dB is quite a lot, maybe too much for me.

Can you use TV antenna instead of cable?

Even if you’ve taken the smartest approach, by shopping around to find the best cable or satellite package to suit your needs, you still can benefit tremendously from a TV antenna. If you’ve never hooked your TV up to an antenna, or haven’t in decades, you’ll be glad to know the technology has come a long way in recent years, allowing you to access over-the-air television — in full HD — for free with no monthly fees ever.

OTA TV has been around since the dawn of television and is already accessible with all TVs as long as you use an antenna to grab the signals that are already floating through the air from your local broadcasters.
Antennas are your key to getting free TV legally and without an internet connection, granting you access to dozens of channels.

Getting the antenna is the only cost you’ll face, and the vast majority of them are inexpensive, with good ones to be found for less than $40, With streaming entertainment getting more expensive by the year, having OTA programming in place can be smart. Tapping into OTA TV is great all on its own or as an additional supplement to your regular streaming services. After all, it won’t have an effect on the quality of your streaming signals and won’t add another bill to your budget.

You can easily add an antenna without cutting your cable, satellite or streaming services.
While an OTA antenna won’t give you access to cable networks like HGTV or ESPN, and it won’t let you watch the shows streaming on Netflix and HBO Max, it will give you totally free access to all the content from the four major networks — ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC— and other top ones like PBS and The CW, plus perhaps dozens of extra digital channels, depending on what’s available in your area.

With those networks, you’ll be able to see weekly NFL games, live award shows, games shows, news, home-improvement programs and tons more every week for free. You might think you don’t need an antenna with all the viewing options you’re already paying for, but here’s why we recommend you pick one up, even if you have cable.

Can a smart TV be used as a regular TV with antenna?

Did you know you can get all your local channels on a smart TV without spending money on any monthly subscriptions? With over-the-air TV (OTA), you can catch all your favorite live shows, sports and events — for free! While smart TV manufacturers spend a lot of time showcasing their screen resolution, they often neglect to highlight the built-in features that make OTA reception a breeze. While smart TVs typically come with built-in antennas, they are used for Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity — not for picking up free-to-air channels. You can always try using a less sophisticated analog antenna, but there’s a good chance you’ll experience signal problems,

Can you get Netflix with just an antenna?

Join the thousands of Americans that have cut the cable and dished the dish forever. With the combination of Netflix ($7.99 a month) and the Lava HD-2605 TV Antenna (one time fee $68) you will easily be able to leave cable and satellite tv and never look back.

You will receive all of your favorite TV Shows Live in HD with the TV Antenna and the you will also have access to thousands of TV Shows and Movies Streaming on Demand over the Internet. You do need an Internet connection for Netflix to work. You can Watch Netflix on your smart phone, computer and Your TV.

To Watch Netflix on your TV, you will need to have a media player or gaming device. You can Stream Netflix to Your TV with the XBox360, Wii, WiiU and PS3 Game Consoles. You can Stream Netflix to Your TV with many Blu-Ray Players. ( Look for the NetFlix Logo on Your Blu-Ray) You can Stream Netflix from many existing Smart TV’s.

(Look for the Netflix Logo on your TV) You can also purchase for around $50 a Streaming Media Device. We recommend: Roku.com – 100,000+ Movies & TV Episodes at Your Fingertips! Click here! So, You can always watch Netflix Streaming Directly from the Computer, Tablet, Ipad, Smart Phone, Smart TV, many Blu-Ray Players, and popular game consoles like XBox360, PS3, Wii.

WiiU. Or you can buy a Roku Media Player: Click Here for the Best ROKU Deals NETFLIX + ROKU + LAVA HD 2605 = NO More Hefty Cable or Satellite TV Bills STEP 1. Start your FREE Netflix trial today! TV episodes & movies instantly streaming from Netflix right to your TV STEP 2. NOTE: NETFLIX is the Streaming Service for $7.99 a month and ROKU is a Streaming Media Player that allows you to Stream Netflix to Any TV in the House and the Roku cost as low as $59.99, one time cost.

Why is my antenna not picking up many channels?

Having some problems with reception? Below are some of the most common issues when troubleshooting TV antenna reception, possible causes, and solutions.
If you’re still struggling, get in touch with our Connection Crew available 7 days a week.
Problem: The TV is not receiving any signals.
Possible causes: Once you have properly installed the antenna, changed the input on your TV to ‘ANTENNA’, and run a channel scan, you should be receiving at least some of your local channels.

If reception improves, a distribution amplifier is likely to be the solution. The coaxial cable from the antenna to the tuner could be too long. When cable lengths reach over 100 feet, as much as 1/3 of the signal can be lost. If you require a long cable or are using a splitter, you may need a preamplifier.

If you are over 70 miles from the broadcast tower(s), reception is possible if the appropriate equipment is used and the right conditions are present. Faulty Digital Tuner It doesn’t happen often, but it is possible for the tuner to be faulty on a new TV, right out of the box. The ATSC tuner is separate from the HDMI or other inputs, so the tuner would not affect any other portion of the television.

Although some UHF antennas can pick up VHF signals, it is necessary to use an antenna optimized to receive both UHF and VHF frequencies. The transmitter for certain channels could be located at a lower elevation on the broadcast tower, or even behind other broadcast towers. Lower elevation or obstruction by other towers can cause line-of-sight problems.

Digital signals do NOT have snow! If you are seeing snow or fuzz on your TV, you are watching an analog broadcast.
Typically, people with this problem don’t have an ATSC tuner built into their TV.
If you have a TV that was purchased before 2007, this may apply to you.
Consult the TV’s user manual or contact the manufacturer directly to find out if the TV has a built-in ATSC digital tuner.

Once you have verified this, go into your TV’s setup menu to scan for channels.
Each television is different and different brands have varying procedures.
If you are not receiving High Definition programming, consult the TV’s manual or contact the manufacturer to make sure these steps are followed correctly.

Can 2 devices use the same antenna?

Both uses the same frequency and I don’t want to buy and install two antenna cables and antennas outside if one would be sufficient.1 Like Hi Zodiac, That is not easy.
If you use an “Y”cable the transmitter of the gateway will destroy your flarm-receiver.
Using a splitter, both devices can receive at the same time using the same antenna with a loss of about 3dB.

Will a bigger antenna get more channels?

The larger the surface area of the antenna, the more channels it’s likely to receive. Because outdoor antennas are up high, they are more likely to get long-distance signals.

Do more expensive antennas get more channels?

Last year, cord-cutting boomed, when more than 5 million households cut ties with a traditional TV provider, and the trend is expected to accelerate in 2023, according to Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall. Many cord cutters are switching to free over-the-air television by using an indoor TV antenna,

If you set up an antenna, you may find that the quality of the stations you receive is better than it was with old analog TV broadcasts—and perhaps even better than cable. If you live near a major TV market, there’s a good chance you can receive many local networks, such as ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS, and Telemundo.

You can often get additional digital subchannels that offer everything from old shows and movies to local amateur sports. The next couple of years will be a particularly good time to give an antenna a try, because a new over-the-air standard for broadcasts, called ATSC 3.0, is now rolling out.

Among other enhancements, these new “Next-Gen TV” signals can carry internet content alongside traditional TV broadcasts. That means you may be able to stream some shows right over the air. The new broadcasts will also support 4K video and high dynamic range (HDR) content, Of course, many antenna users supplement over-the-air programming with free streaming services,

People willing to pay for subscriptions can put together an even more robust package of streaming content for as little as $25 a month More on Antennas & Watching TV If you want to use an antenna to get your local channels you’ll need to make sure you can get decent reception.

Outdoor antennas, especially those on a roof or mast, generally offer the best performance, particularly if you’re many miles from the nearest broadcast towers.
But an indoor TV antenna is easier to set up, and for some people, it’s the only practical option.
And just like in real estate, indoor TV antenna reception is all about location, location, location.

That goes for both where you live and where you place your antenna. We can’t help with the geography, but we do have tips on how to get the best reception possible in your home. In some ways, using an antenna is easier than it used to be. Ever since the move to all-digital TV, over-the-air signals tend not to attenuate, or drop off, the way analog signals did.

That means the days of attaching tinfoil to an antenna’s rabbit ears to improve reception on marginal stations are gone. Getting great reception from an indoor antenna can be a mix of science and art. Here’s what you need to do. In our tests of top-selling indoor TV antennas, reception depended mainly on how far we were from broadcast towers, plus the terrain and details of our surroundings, such as buildings, trees, and hills.

Some models worked better than others, but it was hard to predict which antenna would perform best in any particular location. We conducted the tests at 10 homes spread across the New York City metropolitan area. Some indoor antennas are directional, so they need to be oriented toward broadcast towers.

Multidirectional antennas, which receive signals from all directions, could be better for urban locations, but they might not pull in the more distant stations a properly positioned directional antenna could. One surprise was that we found little correlation between price and performance. Cheaper antennas often did as well as—or better than—more expensive models.

So here’s our advice: Try a few antennas to see which one works best. To do that, you need to buy from a retailer that offers a no-hassle return policy and a reasonable warranty. We’ve found that the height of your antenna is a critical factor in getting decent reception.

That’s one reason roof-mounted antennas typically outperform indoor models. It’s also why you probably won’t get good reception using an antenna placed in your basement. If possible, place your indoor TV antenna in an attic or a second-story location, preferably by a window. Sometimes objects in the room or roofing materials will interfere with the signals, so it pays to try a few different attic locations.

Of course, having the antenna in one room and the TV in another requires running a cable through your home because the antenna needs to be connected to the antenna (RF) input on your set. In reality, most people will place the antenna in the same room as the TV.

So try a few higher locations, such as along the wall near the ceiling.
Some of flat antennas, such as the Mohu Leaf, can be painted (using a nonmetallic paint), allowing them to blend in with the décor.
And some flat models, such as the Winegard FL5500A FlatWave Amplified, are reversible, typically black on one side and white on the other.

Directional, aka “unidirectional,” antennas need to be oriented toward a broadcast tower. To find out where the local broadcast towers are in your area, go to the Federal Communications Commission’s DTV Reception Maps page, then click on the station’s call letters to see where the signals are coming from.

You’ll also be able to determine how many stations you should be able to pull in and their relative signal strength. You can also get useful advice and information, including tips on outdoor antennas, from AntennaWeb, If you live in the suburbs of a big city, all the major broadcast towers may lie in the same direction, but you might need to reorient the antenna for different stations.

As noted above, a multidirectional antenna doesn’t need to be aimed, but it might not be as effective at picking up signals from distant towers. When you’re trying out different antennas, be sure to scan through the channels on your TV to see which antenna location pulls in the most stations.

Back in the analog TV signal days, most of your major broadcast channels, say, 2 through 13, were in the lower-frequency VHF band. But since the transition to all-digital broadcasts and the subsequent spectrum auction that saw many stations shift locations, local channels are now on both VHF and UHF (channels 14 to 51) bands.

So you want an antenna that does well with both bands to make sure that you’ll get all the stations you can. Anything that stands between an indoor TV antenna and the broadcast towers can degrade your reception. If possible, try placing the antenna in or near a window, provided you don’t live in an apartment building where your view consists of a neighboring building’s brick wall.

The second best choice is an external wall that faces the broadcast towers. If you live in a house, try to avoid a location that might be obscured by big trees, a shed or garage, or other large obstructions. Try a few different windows and walls to find the best spot. When testing indoor TV antennas in my home, I found that it was handy to have an extra length of RG6 coaxial cable—and a female-to-female coax cable joiner—so that I could freely move the antenna to different locations.

I also used some painter’s tape to temporarily attach the antennas to the various locations before determining the best spot. Many of the models we tested had an amplifier, which can boost signal strength to help pull in more distant stations. An amplifier can also be helpful if you intend to split the signal from one antenna to feed two TVs.

But our tests showed that amplified antennas weren’t always more effective than nonamplified models; they can also amplify noise and distortion, and overload reception from closer stations. If you have an amplified antenna, try it with the amplifier turned off. If reception is good, leave it off. But if that doesn’t work well, turn the amp on and rescan the channels (see below) to test whether reception improves.

One last tip: Rescan for channels periodically. Even though the spectrum auction—and the subsequent shifting of channels to new frequencies—is now complete, it still makes sense to rescan for channels every month or so because you might get some new stations that you couldn’t pick up earlier. James K. Willcox James K. Willcox leads Consumer Reports’ coverage of TVs, streaming media services and devices, and broadband internet service. His focus ranges from the challenges of finding affordable internet service to emerging display technologies.