Even after decades in the service of bringing us entertainment and news, television antennas have not lost their luster. They’re more important than ever in an era when people are trying to cut the cord from cable or satellite subscriptions and supplement their streaming services with live TV.
One potential drawback of using an antenna is that sometimes you don’t get the best reception. You don’t want to rush to reset your antenna right in the middle of a big game when the game is on the line or like a cliffhanger is resolved on your favorite play.
Here are some steps to improve your antenna reception so you can get the most out of your free over-the-air television viewing experience.
find the sweet spot
We’re going to focus on indoor antennas, which are a popular choice for picking up over-the-air television channels. These have changed a lot over the years and most of the new ones don’t look like the old-fashioned loop-and-rabbit-eared varieties. Many of them are flat and feel like a thin sheet of cardboard. Your antenna may already have a stand, or it may come with mounting supplies. You can use double-sided tape, Velcro, suction cups, or other similar methods to mount your antenna to a wall or window if necessary.
Your most important task now is to find the best location for your antenna. It is a science as much as it is an art.
It helps if you know where the main broadcast towers for your area are located, so you can set up the antenna where those towers have a better line of sight. Aim to mount the antenna up on a wall or in a window. Experiment and try to move it around if your reception is unsteady.
If you’re still having trouble, see if you can mount the antenna even higher, such as in your attic (again, near a window is best). The downside of mounting in an attic or your second story is that you’ll need to run a long cable from where your television is located. Not everyone is ready to do this, but if you’re having a hard time getting your favorite stations to come, it can help boost your channel reception.
Here’s how to stop your Smart TV from spying on you.
Finding the best location for your antenna can seem like an exercise in trial and error, but start with our basic guidelines and then move it around as you need it.
Try a New Antenna
If your old antenna isn’t cutting it, it may be time to upgrade to something better. You’ll run into a lot of variables when shopping for a new antenna. You have to choose between an indoor or outdoor antenna.
Indoor antennas are convenient and economical, but may not be powerful enough if you live far from your local TV towers, or if you’re located in a difficult location where landscape features or tall buildings impede the signal. . In those cases, an external antenna, which mounts outside your home, may be worth the investment and installation.
Check out our Komando guide to choosing the best HDTV antenna for your needs.
One Final Step: Rescan for Channels
Television channels do not always stay in the same place. The recent FCC TV spectrum auction means that about 1,000 stations are switching their frequencies. If your favorite channel went missing, it could be the culprit. Open your television settings and rescan for channels. It’s a good idea to do this from time to time, but it’s especially important because so many stations are changing.
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