You should get something that’s ready for the 4K transition, even if you don’t have a 4K TV right this moment. I’m ISF-certified for video calibration and have completed THX Level II home theater design courses.

It’s rated to pull in UHF/VHF HDTV channels within a 35-mile radius and can be purchased with a 20 dB active amplifier if you need more reach. review process here. In other words, as with most HDTV antennas, you don't have to point the Terk in a specific direction to get a TV signal. carousel. However, longer-range options are typically “amplified,” which means they require a power source to boost the range. It pulled in more stations, including distant and hard-to-lock-in stations, than any of the other antennas, and the sticky “Sure Grip” pads make it easy to attach to a wall without making holes. Thank you for signing up to Tom's Guide. It comes with a 12-foot removable cable. Most antennas today advertise a range between about 30 and 65 miles, although we’ve seen them go as high as 80 miles. Grant Clauser is the senior editor for the smart-home and audio/video categories. If you live in a rural location 50 miles or more from the broadcast towers, you’ll probably need an outdoor antenna mounted on a large mast, not one of the antennas recommended here.

A unique design with some interesting features, the Terk Multi-Directional antenna is not the best performer if you're trying to tune in as many stations as possible. For example, the NBC channel in Chicago shows up as channel 5 on your TV, but the real broadcast channel is 29. The ClearStream line includes multiple models that add a VHF antenna element, such as the new ClearStream Max-V, the ClearStream Flex, and the ClearStream 2Max. Style isn't everything, but it counts for a lot. If, on the other hand, you want some super cheap and ridiculously simple to set up, the AmazonBasics Ultra-Thin offers surprising quality for the price. The plastic clamshell where the cable meets the antenna is made from what the company calls Mohu Grind—crushed and remolded cable and satellite TV boxes. It performed decently in Pennsylvania, with the exception of The CW and Fox. Both pulled in the same number of channels, including the same problem channels—although the ReLeaf had a little more trouble maintaining a solid connection with a few long-distance channels. Mohu is a name you’re familiar with if you're serious about antennas. The Mohu Curve 50 is a tabletop antenna with a powered amplifier integrated into the cable. The Premium model, which I tried, comes with a large indoor/outdoor curved antenna with a stated 60-mile range. It also means you can’t attach it to a window, which is often the best location for a flat antenna. It comes with a table stand, or you can hang it on a wall or window. TechHive helps you find your tech sweet spot. Even better, Mohu tossed in a built-in kickstand for table-top placement, and you can even mount the thing outside. A toggle on the amplifier allows you to choose from among three settings: a "dual" position that uses an amplifier to deliver a 10-db signal boost and a preamp that's built into the antenna, a "preamp-only" setting (for situations in which full amplification is unnecessary), and a "bypass" setting that turns both amplifier and preamp off. All TV antennas are passively amplified, to different degrees, by the size and design of the antenna elements. The 4K-ready ANTOP AT-127 is just half a millimeter thin, and there’s decent power in that petiteness with an advertised 40-mile range that should be enough to cover most urban areas.