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Best HDTV Antennas

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Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Best Buy Essentials  Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna
Best Buy Essentials
Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna
Best for Everyday Use

This straightforward antenna is quick and easy to set up.

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Best for Everyday Use
Bottom Line

This straightforward antenna is quick and easy to set up.

Pros

It has a 10-foot cable so you can more easily reach a good location without having to move your TV, plus two-sided tape to help you wall-mount it. It can receive VHF and UHF signals. The thin profile combined with the variable colors on both sides blends into the wall well.

Cons

Its range is a little short at 35 miles but it’s enough for city and suburb dwellers.

Best Bang for the Buck
Gesobyte Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna
Gesobyte
Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna
Robust Range

This indoor antenna with amplifier boasts an impressive range and comes with a long cable.

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Robust Range
Bottom Line

This indoor antenna with amplifier boasts an impressive range and comes with a long cable.

Pros

We can easily place this indoor antenna almost anywhere in the home. It has an impressive 250-mile range, an integrated power-signal amplifier that filters out interference and great reception quality. An 18-foot coaxial cable is included.

Cons

The real-life range may be lower than what is specified.

Antennas Direct ClearStream 4MAX Indoor/Outdoor HDTV Antenna
Antennas Direct
ClearStream 4MAX Indoor/Outdoor HDTV Antenna
Durable & Rugged

This sturdy, powerful HDTV antenna serves its purpose in rural areas.

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Durable & Rugged
Bottom Line

This sturdy, powerful HDTV antenna serves its purpose in rural areas.

Pros

We like the omnidirectional design that picks up signals within a 70-mile range and works in rural areas and dense foliage. It's easy to install with the included mounting kit and is weatherproof. The antenna is optimized for crystal-clear UHD 4K and 1080p channels.

Cons

It is somewhat pricey and not the most aesthetically pleasing choice.

pingbingding Outdoor Digital Amplified HDTV Antenna
pingbingding
Outdoor Digital Amplified HDTV Antenna
Motorized Option

To maximize effectiveness, this outdoor antenna comes with a rotational motor and a remote control.

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Motorized Option
Bottom Line

To maximize effectiveness, this outdoor antenna comes with a rotational motor and a remote control.

Pros

The motorized outdoor antenna rotates to give us optimum signal reception, and the 150-mile maximum signal distance is impressive. In addition to the remote, it has a receiver with an amplifier box. A 59-foot coaxial cable and grounding block are also included.

Cons

The recommended height is 30 feet above the ground.

Winegard FlatWave FL-5000 Digital Indoor HDTV Antenna
Winegard
FlatWave FL-5000 Digital Indoor HDTV Antenna
Simple Yet Solid

This ultra-thin antenna picks up signals well when positioned correctly.

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Simple Yet Solid
Bottom Line

This ultra-thin antenna picks up signals well when positioned correctly.

Pros

With no line-of-sight obstacles, we can use it to pick up HD signals from 35 to 40 miles away. It's lightweight and easy to mount on a wall or window, and a long coaxial cable is included. The straightforward look is great for those worried about visual clutter.

Cons

The included adhesive stickers don’t work well on window glass.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

First Reviewed
August 17, 2021
57
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26
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Buying guide for HDTV antennas

laura
Written by laura

Updated June 2024

While most of us think of our cable box or streaming service as the primary source for our favorite TV shows and movies, there’s a growing trend that’s disrupting the entertainment delivery market: more and more people are hooking up over-the-air TV antennas for picking up free live broadcasts in high definition.

Luckily, today’s HDTV antennas are a far cry from the rabbit ears of yesteryear. The days of constantly fidgeting for perfect reception are gone, and modern antennas are capable of delivering crisp, clear digital signals, complete with 5.1-channel surround sound. While antennas still rely on being near local broadcast towers, digital signals are much easier to receive than the original analog broadcasts, a part of the previous broadcast standards.

The bottom line: if your memories of TV antennas include snowy reception and having to hold specific positions just to get a picture, prepare to be happily surprised.

Broadcast tower between two large buildings
Before you begin shopping for a new HDTV antenna, you’ll need to know two things: how far you are from local broadcast towers, and where you plan to put your antenna in (or outside of) your home.

Cutting the cord

While the idea of needing an antenna to watch TV may feel like a retro throwback to our shared pre-technological past, over-the-air TV is a significant part of the cultural trend known as cord-cutting.

"A 2016 survey found that 17% of American households use HDTV antennas, instead of subscribing to paid cable TV."
STAFF
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Cord-cutting — the act of abandoning your cable TV subscription in favor of streaming TV over the internet and receiving local broadcasts with an HD antenna — is fast becoming a phenomenon. Cord-cutters rely on streaming services to deliver their favorite shows and movies, then supplement those services with local broadcasts to deliver local news and programming from the major networks. The practice is becoming so popular that cable companies often attempt to provide customers with incentives to bundle cable TV with internet service.

But despite the cable industry’s best efforts, cord-cutting is on the rise, and that’s good news for HD antenna shoppers — because the demand means antennas are getting more affordable and more capable each day.

Types of antennas

Most HDTV antennas are basically the same, but there are three categories that are useful to understand when shopping:

  • Outdoor or attic antennas are perfect for situations where one antenna will be receiving TV signals for multiple TVs, or instances where broadcast towers are particularly far away. Outdoor antennas are best for getting strong reception, but can be unsightly, and they’re more susceptible to weather problems. Attic antennas don’t have a direct sky view, but are typically large enough to receive a strong signal. If you plan on installing one HDTV antenna and connecting it to your in-home coaxial wiring, so you can watch broadcasts from multiple locations, an outdoor or attic antenna is your best option.

  • Desktop antennas are typically smaller units meant to sit on a flat surface. They’re usually about the size of half a loaf of bread and frequently feature built-in amplifiers. Desktop antennas typically only pick up content from closer broadcast towers and are only meant to provide a TV signal to one TV.

  • Flat antennas are popular because they take little to no space at all, yet still deliver strong HDTV signals. Flat antennas are typically made to attach to window panes and are the most affordable kind of antenna available. Similar to desktop antennas, flat antennas are only intended to supply signals to one TV at a time.

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Did you know?
In the U.S., all over-the-air broadcast programming is free. Most of the major non-cable networks broadcast in full HD, or 1080p.
STAFF
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Antenna signal amplifiers

If you live far from broadcast towers, your HDTV antenna may not get a very strong signal. If you get a good, but not great, signal from your antenna — for example, if the picture looks good, but cuts out regularly — you may benefit from an antenna signal amplifier.

Antenna signal amplifiers are small devices that are connected between your antenna and your TV. Once plugged in, an antenna signal amplifier boosts the incoming signal, resulting in fewer playback glitches and a clearer picture. Signal amplifiers come in many shapes and sizes, and some desktop antennas include built-in amplifiers.

Not every setup requires a signal amplifier, but if you do run into reception difficulties, a signal amplifier should be the first thing you try.

"Most television broadcast stations feature one channel while airing additional content on sub-channels. For example, if you receive ABC as channel 2.1, you’ll likely also get channels 2.2 and 2.3 broadcasting reruns, public access programming, or other community-based content."
STAFF
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Modern gadgets for antennas

One of the best things about HDTV antennas is that they can be integrated into high-tech setups easily, and many modern solutions exist to help bring broadcast TV into today’s culture of tech. Unlock the potential of your HDTV antenna with these gadgets!

  • Networked video tuners connect to an antenna, then translate the over-the-air TV signal to become a network video source, so other devices on your home network can access TV. For example, with a networked video tuner and the right software, you can stream from your HDTV antenna to your smartphone, tablet, or media player.

  • Game console adapters are USB dongles that connect your over-the-air TV signal and integrate it with the console’s native entertainment features. For example, Microsoft offers an antenna adapter that adds local TV to their Xbox One console, and even lets you use it as a DVR.

  • DVR systems are designed to act as a set-top box DVR with your free over-the-air TV. With a focus on simplicity, these DVR systems are perfect for those looking to have the cable TV experience without those pesky subscription fees.

Tips

As you’re shopping for your HDTV antenna, consider these tips.

  • Before deciding where to place your antenna, check AntennaWeb.org for information about where your closest broadcast towers are. Your antenna should be oriented in the direction of those towers, ideally as high up as possible.

  • Signal amplifiers are terrific, but in certain instances, they can be counterproductive. It’s possible to over-amplify a signal from your antenna. Before using a signal amplifier, test your antenna’s reception on its own — if it already gets a clear picture, adding an amplifier may distort the video, making it unwatchable.

  • Use shielded coaxial cable to connect your HDTV antenna. Shielded cable delivers a stronger signal by reducing interference.

FAQ

Q. Can I buy a DVR to record broadcasts from my HDTV antenna?
A.
Yes! Several off-the-shelf DVRs are designed to record over-the-air broadcasts. Most antenna DVRs also include additional streaming video features, like Netflix and Hulu. Just be aware that broadcasters can set a “do not record” flag on certain programs, which will disable your ability to record those shows, although this is a fairly uncommon practice.

"The United States updated its broadcast television standards in 2009, requiring all stations to transition from transmitting analog signals to sending digital signals. As a result, over-the-air broadcasts are now available in full high definition (HD) and digital audio."
STAFF
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Q. Are any over-the-air broadcasts in 4K?
A.
Over-the-air broadcast standards aren’t yet caught up to delivering 4K content. However, in the United States, a new 4K-based broadcast standard (ATSC 3.0) is currently being developed and tested for future deployment. The current 1080p broadcast standard is likely to live on for several years because the costs of upgrading for content providers are significant.

Q. Can I get closed-captioned TV with an HDTV antenna?
A.
Absolutely. Most over-the-air broadcasts include closed-captioning for the hearing impaired. Closed captions can typically be accessed with your TV’s remote.

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