How To Get More Channels with Your Indoor Antenna
- Experiment with Different Locations in Your Home.
- Use a Longer Cable To Reach That Window.
- Face it Towards the TV Transmitter Towers.
- Lay Your Antenna Flat Horizontally.
- Move it Higher Up (Highly Recommended)
- Put it in a Skylight (Highly Recommended)
- Use a Better Cable (Highly Recommended)
- Eliminate Electronic Interference.
An antenna is a great way to watch 100% free HD TV from networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. Not only that, but in many areas you will also find networks like PBS, The CW, Comet, Buzzr, MeTV, and so many more.
Try aiming the antenna in a different direction and re-scan for channels. The antenna may not be very good. It's suspicious that an over the air antenna would mention 4k UHD which isn't available over the air. If the antenna is passive an active amplified one might work better.
Before you start, type in your zip code into the Station Finder to see what channels are available in your area. If you got green or yellow channels, you can proceed. If you got only red channels or none, there are no broadcast TV signals in your area, and you won't be able to use an antenna to get TV.
Antenna TV is free with an antenna in all the cities where there is an Antenna TV affiliate. In addition, many cable companies carry the local Antenna TV channel. Click here for cable listings and channel finder. My local stations and my cable provider don't offer Antenna TV.
For the best signal reception from a distance of more than 50 miles, a directional antenna is recommended. If towers are grouped in two locations in the same general direction, such as living in a "border" area in which you want to get stations from two different cities, a multi-directional bay-type antenna is needed.
ANTOP 800SBS
| Station | Network | Channel |
|---|
| KBTX + 1 subchannel | CBS BRYAN | 3 |
| KUHT + 7 subchannels | PBS HOUSTON | 8 |
| KHOU + 3 subchannels | CBS HOUSTON | 11 |
| KTRK | ABC HOUSTON | 13 |
The best TV antennas you can buy today
- Mohu Leaf Metro. Best TV antenna overall.
- Winegard Elite 7550 Outdoor HDTV Antenna. Best outdoor antenna.
- Mohu Arc Pro Indoor HDTV Antenna. Top amplified TV antenna.
- 1byone Amplified HDTV Antenna. Popular Amazon pick.
- ClearStream 2MAX HDTV Antenna. Best indoor/outdoor antenna.
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.
With digital over the air TV, not only will you get NBC, ABC and CBS, but you will likely get the CW Network and many other stations for free. On average, cord cutters who use an over the air antenna get about 48 channels for free.
Also, make sure your TV is set to the "Antenna" or "Off-Air" input and make sure you are set to receive "Antenna" or "Off-Air" signals, not "Cable" signals. If your channel scan does not pick up FOX 8, try tuning us in directly with your remote.
AMC NorthPark 15 - Dallas, Texas 75225 - AMC Theatres.
Follow These Simple Steps to Rescan Your TV
- Make sure you have a VHF/UHF antenna connected to your TV.
- Go to your TV menu.
- Select “Channel Setup” (or similar)
- Choose “Antenna” and/or “Air”
- Run “Auto-program”
- Your TV may take 3 to 15 minutes as it searches for channels in your area.
NBC not working? If you are having an issue with a broadcast received via antenna, please contact your local affiliate. If you are having an issue with your antenna itself, or the television the antenna serves, please contact the retail store where you purchased the antenna or the television.
You can get live FOX, CBS, ABC, and NBC in most U.S. These are the same local affiliate networks you see over the air and on cable.
Make sure you have the amplifier hooked up. Alternatively, try it with the amplifier unhooked. Sometimes, if an antenna is receiving both a relatively weak direct signal and a relatively stronger reflected signal, the amplifier can make things worse.
To watch NBC without cable or satellite, you basically have two options:
- Streaming Services, like fuboTV, offer NBC streaming in many areas, and also come with TONS of other networks to enjoy.
- Digital Antennas, which offer the ability to watch NBC for free.
- For indoor use, we recommend the Mohu Leaf 30.
If you have a subscription to a “skinny bundle” internet TV service, you also get access to NBC.com, and the NBC app for iOS and Android, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, and Android TV. After you do that, you'll be able to watch live streams, on-demand episodes, and exclusive web content on NBC.com, and the NBC app.
Best indoor TV antennas 2020.
- Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse 2. A pricier antenna, but potentially worth it.
- Antop HD Smart Bar AT-500SBS. Huge and pricey, but plenty powerful.
- Antop HD Smart Antenna SBS-301.
- Winegard FlatWave Amped FL5500A.
- Mohu Blade Indoor/Outdoor Bar Antenna.
- Clear TV HDTV Antenna.
How to Get Free TV Channels without Antenna
- Install an HD Antenna.
- Watch local TV online.
- Install major networks' apps.
- Get Sling TV.
- Watch local TV on FuboTV.
- Get regular TV (with local stations' apps)
- Best way to get local channels (YouTube!)
- Subscribe to YouTube TV.
Thankfully, there are some simple tips and tricks that will help you get optimal reception with your indoor antenna.
- Find out where the broadcast towers are in your area. Aiming your antenna at TV transmission towers can improve reception.
- Place the antenna in or near a window.
- Go high.
- Test different antenna placements.
These days, if you live in a large metropolitan area and plug in a digital TV antenna to your TV, you can easily receive anywhere from 70 to more than 100 channels. In some areas, such as Los Angeles, you can get up to 157 channels.
The truth is, there is no such thing as a TV antenna that picks up cable channels…in the literal sense anyway. That said, this doesn't mean you won't be able to pickup these same “cable-like” over-the-air television broadcast channels such as, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and many others.