“What the Tech?”: TV Antennas
I had an interesting conversation with a buddy the other night when I mentioned using a TV antenna. He laughed and said “I thought you were serious for a minute.”
I was serious. I have TV antennas connected to several sets in our house for just in case, but it’s more than that.
Can you believe an antenna from the 1930s will still work nearly 100 years later? If you’ve got a pair of old rabbit ears in the attic, you can plug them into a brand new 4K TV, and get a clearer picture without paying a dime.
Modern TV antennas are smarter and sleeker but they work the same way: pulling free broadcast signals right out of the air. And yes, every antenna can receive HD channels even if it doesn’t say “HD Antenna”.
The big difference is that newer models are tuned for digital signals which means stronger reception and more channels.
I tested both. An old model that was practically rabbit ears, picked up 17 TV stations. A newer antenna in the same spot? 66.
It isn’t magic and it’s important to understand how TV signals work. They in straight lines. Reception can be affected by mountains, hills, and even trees. For the best results, place it near a window, or as high up as you can.
Go to AntennasDirect.com and enter your ZIP code. It’ll show you where the towers are and which type of antenna will work best at your address.
But be careful shopping online. Some ads claim their antennas can pick up signals from 500 or even 1000 miles away. That’s physically impossible. Because of the curvature of the earth, even the best antennas top out at around 70 miles.
And no, you won’t get cable channels like ESPN or HBO. If an ad says that, skip it.
Why bother with an antenna? It’s the only way to watch live local TV for free. News, weather, network shows and sports, with no monthly bills.
And this is the biggest reason: if the internet goes out during a storm, your antenna still works to watch our weather coverage and alerts.
And you can grab a solid indoor antenna for around $25-$50 which is less than you’ll pay for just a month of streaming. It’s worth having around.
