Many people have strayed away from having TV antennas and getting cable subscriptions instead. This is because cable subscriptions mean that you’ll have better signal strength and high picture quality.
However, cable subscriptions can be quite expensive, so getting an HDTV antenna is sometimes the better option. The best outdoor TV antennas are omnidirectional HDTV antennas because they can receive transmissions from broadcast towers in any direction.
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Here are the top 5 picks (keep scrolling for picks 6 – 10).
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This antenna doesn’t need a rotor to receive signal reception from all around. The HD band can receive both UHF and VHF signals from about 35 miles away. It has a very sleek design and comes at about 2.8 pounds, so it’s very easy to install.
Also, it comes with mounting hardware included. There’s an amplified antenna head that will help boost your signal strength. You’ll get free, local TV channels with this antenna, such as ABC, NBC, Fox, PBS, and CBS. It costs about $70 on Amazon, and it comes with a power supply.
If you’re worried about this antenna getting you in trouble with your homeowners’ association, don’t worry! This antenna meets most, if not all, homeowners’ association guidelines because it has a very low profile design.
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All over-the-air channels are free with this antenna, and it doesn’t need a rotor to reach broadcasting towers in any direction. It’s also very easy to set up because it doesn’t require any drilling or installation. It can get UHF, VHF, and FM signals, and it’s meant to be mobile.
It has a sleek, black design that will look good wherever you decide to mount it. It costs about $100 on Amazon, making it one of the most expensive antennas on this list. It comes with a flexible coax cable, and it’s waterproof and UV-resistant.
It doesn’t have the best reception range, but it still is a quality antenna for those who live in a more urban area.
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This antenna is as thin as paper, so you’ll barely notice it. It’s an indoor antenna, so you can mount it on the wall or set it on a table. However, it will work best when mounted on an exterior wall. You can get a large number of channels, such as ABC, CBS, and NBC.
It’s considered short-range when compared to some of the other antennas because it can only reach broadcasting towers that are 40 miles away. One cool thing about this antenna is that it can be painted, so that when you mount it to your wall, you can match the paint to make it blend in.
Your reception quality will vary depending on how far away you are from a broadcasting tower. One of the downsides of this antenna is that it’s very heavy at about 12 pounds. It costs about $32 on Amazon.
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The SeaWatch antenna can give you over-the-air HDTV channels. You don’t have to spend any time at all to assemble it, and it can receive both AM and FM radio transmissions. It only weighs about five pounds, so it’s perfect for those with more of a transient lifestyle.
It has a built-in amplifier that’s silent. It’s slightly more expensive than other omnidirectional antennas on the market. It costs about $120 on Amazon. You don’t have to hire anyone to install it for you, so you shouldn’t worry about spending any more money on it.
It also doesn’t have a rotor; it can receive signals from all directions without needing to spin.
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You’ll never have to pay for a cable subscription with this antenna because it will give you all of the local channels for free. It’s made with ABS plastic to ensure its durability. All of the channels will be in HD with this antenna, and it’s very portable if you live a more transient life.
You can get UHF, VHF, and HDTV signals with this antenna. This antenna can receive signals from a broadcasting tower about 125 miles away, so you don’t have to worry about living super far away. It comes with a 50 foot coaxial cable, and it costs about $35.
It rotates to find the best signal to support your TV. It only weighs about five pounds, and it isn’t very weather-resistant.
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With the help of a splitter, you can give signal to two or more TVs at once with this antenna. It has a 150-mile range, so you can receive signals from very rural areas. You’ll get all of the local channels, including PBS, CBS, NBC, and ABC! It has an anti-UV coating to help protect it from the sun, as well as waterproof materials.
It can receive both VHF and UHF signals. You might need a professional to help you install this antenna, but the installation kit comes with a 40-foot long coaxial cable and a mounting pole. This antenna doesn’t require a rotor to reach broadcasting towers in every direction.
It costs about $95 on Amazon, so it’s very reasonably priced for how much it does. It can support about eight TVs at a time!
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This antenna is considered to be one of the best for those who have a tuner or digital TV converter. It is weather-resistant, has dual TV outputs, and is convenient to install. It has a very long range; it can reach broadcasting towers about 150 miles away!
It boosts amplification and has a 40-foot coaxial cable. You’ll have a one-year warranty with the purchase of this antenna. One of the downsides of this antenna is that it doesn’t come with any mounting equipment. However, it doesn’t need a splitter or adapter to work.
It comes with a rotor to spin the antenna towards whatever broadcasting tower it needs to. It only costs about $40 on Amazon.
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A high gain of definition and digital TV channels is what you’ll get if you buy this Antop antenna. When you purchase it, you’ll receive several different mounting options, a coaxial cable, and a smart switch. In other words, you’ll get everything that you need to power this antenna at the price of purchase. It also has a built-in Smartpass amplifier.
You can get both UHF and VHF signals with this antenna. You can also get 4K ultra-HD channels. It will work with digital TVs or TV converter boxes, and it should be installed in an attic or on a roof. It is waterproof and has an anti-UV coating. It costs about $73 on Amazon.
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This antenna has a very sleek design, which means that it won’t disrupt the flow of your house. It’s an indoor antenna, and it has a built-in amplifier for you to get 1080HD channels. It has high gain HD quality, and it has about a 50-mile range.
It can lay flat, stand up straight, or be mounted to the wall. The built-in amplifier is low-noise, so you don’t have to worry about it being loud. Everything about this antenna will blend in with your modern interior. It can’t be placed outdoors, so don’t place it in the center of your house.
Try to put it closer to an exterior wall so that there aren’t too many obstacles between the antenna and the broadcasting tower. With the purchase of this antenna, you’ll get a six-foot coax cable. It’s about $80, and it’s a great price for everything this antenna does.
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It’s an outdoor antenna because it can’t have too many obstacles between it and the nearest broadcasting tower. It also doesn’t need a rotor to receive signals from every direction. You’ll get all of the free, local channels with this antenna, and they’ll be in HD.
It will receive UHF and VHF signals, and it has a built-in preamplifier to give you the best picture quality. It costs about $70, so the price is fairly average when compared to the rest of the omnidirectional antennas on the market. It’s very friendly to your budget, but the price is a little steep considering that you don’t get a coax cable.
However, you do get a power cable and mounting hardware when you purchase the antenna.
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The best omnidirectional TV antenna is the Winegard MetroStar MS-3005 Digital 360 Outdoor HDTV Antenna. It doesn’t have the most durable design out of all of the other antennas on this list, but it makes up for it with its other great qualities.
It doesn’t require a rotor to spin, so it doesn’t use as much electricity to run. It has a built-in amplifier to help the strength of the signal, and the amplifier doesn’t make any noise. You’ll get all of your favorite local channels like ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and PBS for free, so you’re cutting costs by not having to get a cable subscription. Also, it only weighs about 2.8 pounds.
These antennas don’t need to be weather-resistant because they are meant to be mounted inside your home. You can also put the antenna very close to your TV, which will give you better signal. However, most will come with an installation kit so that you can place it on a wall. They’re very lightweight too.
Outdoor antennas can be very heavy because they need to have great durability. They need to be very durable because you never know what type of weather the antenna will have to endure. These will also come with an installation kit. You will most likely be given a mounting pole, and it should be a very easy installation.
With amplified antennas, the antenna will come with a built-in amplifier or the option of adding an amplifier. As the name implies, an amplifier will amplify the TV signal for better reception and high definition. Amplifiers will also help to prevent signal breaks and interference.
Some qualities are more important than others, and you need to identify your needs to ensure that you’re getting the best antenna for you. All omnidirectional antennas will have the 360 degree reception going for them, but what other qualities will make them stand out?
Here are some things that you should take into consideration when buying an antenna.
Some of the best antennas will come with a built-in amplifier to boost the signal strength. However, the amplifier might make the noise margin a lot higher than you would like. It depends on if you want better picture and sound quality or a quiet antenna.
Omnidirectional antennas shouldn’t have blind zones where they can’t find signals; they should be able to find signals in any direction possible. However, some antennas don’t have very long reception ranges to find signals in every direction.
Depending on where you live, you’ll want to find an antenna that can reach broadcasting towers from reasonably far away.
You’ll want to find an antenna that has a high gain because that means that it will be able to catch signals and hold them better than low gain. This quality is very dependent on the performance of the antenna, and that’s why you want to find antennas with a high gain to ensure that you’re getting one of the best antennas out there.
Every antenna will come with designated radio frequencies, such as AM, FM, UHF, and VHF. This is crucial to receiving over-the-air channels, so you need to make sure that you’re getting an antenna that has the best frequency for you. They each perform in a different way.
Antennas are pretty expensive, so you don’t want to get one that breaks the bank and have to hire someone to come set it up for you. The best antennas can be installed by the average Joe without fancy tools.
If you’re wanting to get an outdoor antenna, you need to make sure that it has the proper weather protection. If you don’t, you might just have to purchase another antenna because the weather might ruin it. And not just rain. Antennas can be ruined by sun exposure.
Indoor antennas will be lightweight, aesthetically pleasing, and compact. Outdoor antennas will be weather-resistant and have a heavy and bulky design. This decision honestly just depends on which antenna fits the rest of the criteria. It’s up to you to decide if you want to get an antenna that’s meant to be inside or outside.
Some antennas will be much louder than others. Many people think that the higher the noise margin, the better the signal will be. However, some antennas are made to be quieter while keeping the same signal strength.
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