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 in the room, such as along the wall near the ceiling. Most antennas are directional these are also called "unidirectional" antennas , which means they need to be oriented toward a broadcast tower.
You can also get useful advice and information, including tips on outdoor antennas, from antennaweb. Once you know where the towers are, you can point the antenna in that direction. If you live in the suburbs of a big city, all the major broadcast towers may lie in the same direction, but you may need to reorient the antenna for different stations. Back in the analog TV signal days, most of your major broadcast channels, say, 2 through 13, were located in the lower-frequency VHF band.
But ever since the transition to all-digital broadcasts, and the subsequent spectrum auction that saw many stations shift locations, local channels are now on both UHF channels and VHF bands. Anything that stands between an indoor TV antenna and the broadcast towers can degrade your reception. 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 large 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.
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 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 to see whether reception improves.
While signals pass through walls and other surfaces, the more obstructions the signal encounters, the weaker the signal and this causes signal disruption. The clearest, most unobstructed view to the broadcast towers will allow the antenna to perform at the highest level.
Antennas come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each designed for a specific situation. Some are narrow focused directional antennas; while others are multidirectional both with various range capacities.
Well-designed antennas, such as our patented Tapered Loop, are tuned for specific frequency ranges and geographical challenges, which will increase your chances for success. To help you choose the right antenna, view our Antenna Selection Page or Live Chat with an expert now.
You must be logged in to post a comment. Skip to content Search Account Cart. Antenna Selector. Broadcast signals are superior to cable and satellite. Unlock new local channels. All the major networks transmit signals free over-the-air. There are channels, and then there are sub-channels. Antennas are a great compliment to any cable or satellite subscription.
Find the broadcast towers before you choose an antenna. Overall, placing the antenna as physically high as possible and near a window to prevent interference will yield the best signal.
If signal strength is weaker around your home, you should consider an outdoor antenna that you can place on the roof or against the side of your home. If you live in a major TV market e. Websites like AntennaWeb. You can experiment with different antenna placements with just an extra length of coax cable.
And you could also use an amplifier to boost signal strength and pull in more distant stations.
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