In the age of streaming, broadcast television can seem like a relic. However, with just a simple antenna attached to your TV, you can stream live content in HD from popular networks entirely for free. If crystal-clear programming is what you’re after, though, you’ll need to find the right antenna for you.
From sports to local news to primetime shows, it’s all free in HD with an antenna. Depending on where you live and what signals you have access to, the right antenna can be the difference between grainy, inconsistent viewing and pristine quality. Here are seven of the best antennas on the market.
When free TV is the goal, the price of your antenna is a major factor, but an antenna that can’t properly connect won’t be worth much. TV antennas come in three classes: unamplified antennas, amplified antennas, and large outdoor antennas.
All of these antenna classes correspond directly to an antenna’s range. Amplified antennas come with integrated amps that boost the signal range of the antenna, whereas unamplified antennas have a shorter range.
Unamplified antennas are the simplest and cheapest around, meant for indoor use where there’s a strong signal. Amplified antennas are larger and more powerful, usually meant for use inside when there’s a medium-strength signal. Large outdoor antennas, which can be amplified or unamplified, are best for areas with a weak signal.
Finding out what channels at what strength are available to your local area is easy. Simply go to the FCC’s digital TV reception maps site and enter your ZIP code.
Antennas Direct’s ClearStream TV antenna is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to antennas. Though unamplified, the ClearStream antenna comes in a variety of ranges, from 35 to 70 miles. The ClearStream supports both 1080p and 4K, but the quality of content you get will depend on the channel.
If you’re not sure whether to mount your antenna indoors or outdoors, the ClearStream has you covered with all-weather mounting hardware, which means it’s suitable for placement both indoors and outdoors.
If you want the best of the best, Mohu is the way to go. You can use this model inside or outside to get all the major networks, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and PBS. It’s multidirectional so aiming is necessary but simple to do, and it’s easy to install.
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Millions of people have ditched overpriced TV plans and are turning to streaming options. The number of Americans that have said “so long” to cable” is estimated to triple in the next three years, from 25.3 million to 76 million.
Years ago, consumers dropped cable in droves for cheaper streaming options. Now, streaming companies are capitalizing and prices are creeping up. Could going back to cable actually save you money?
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It’s truly an exciting time for people who love streaming TV, and not just because of being at home more often. New streaming services are popping up all the time, which gives us a great selection of programming.
On the other hand, signing up for all of these services means a much bigger cost each month. That’s why it’s a good idea to look for deals that give you access to streaming services for free. For example, there’s a way to get a free year of Disney+. Tap or click here to find out how.
Forget baseball — binge watching is the new American pastime, quarantine or not. And with so much media at our disposal these days, why not curl up on the couch and watch some of our favorite TV shows back-to-back? It’s not like we have to wait days and days between episodes anymore.
Most of us have a love-hate relationship with cable. We like television. We love a handful of stations. But we don’t need hundreds of useless channels, many of them boring, some of them in languages we don’t understand.
Open/download audioA decade ago, we started saying “no more” to expensive cable and satellite service. Now, there are more streaming services than ever to fill the void. And they’ll put a dent in your wallet as much as, say, a traditional cable bill.
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Watch anywhere on any device, that’s the promise of streaming services these days. But what can you stream when your Wi-Fi goes down or your data runs out? The answer might surprise you, as many streaming services offer users the option to download content for later viewing.
When pro sports organizations canceled games for the foreseeable future, players packed up and went home. But the Phoenix Suns carried on the season in an unconventional way: Streaming virtual games through NBA 2K20 on Twitch. They got the stream up and running overnight, and millions and millions of viewers tuned in. Kim talks with Suns Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Dean Stoyer about how they pulled it all together.
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It’s tricky to keep ourselves entertained during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can easily blow through all your favorite TV series and then some over streaming, and the lack of new movies and shows only adds to the frustration.
Cable subscriptions can be a drag. The rates are bad, the companies are hard to deal with, and rarely do you get every channel you want with your package (unless you bundle it together with a phone line you’ll never use, of course.)
Open/download audioAn estimated 37% of the world’s internet users use Netflix. Think about that number. The big television networks certainly are. Can anything compete with the streaming giant?
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Watching TV, looking through photos or streaming videos on your phone is convenient, but why stick to that little screen?
This is where screen mirroring comes in. The screen mirroring or casting options on Android phones and tablets let you enjoy movies, TV shows, pictures or slideshows on the larger, more enhanced displays of our televisions.
Those of us in quarantine have plenty of free time to kill. Some folks are spending it keeping up with the news, while others are focusing on the finer things in life: streaming Netflix and binge-watching shows.
Despite the sharp uptick in users, Netflix is still charging existing customers a monthly fee. This flies in the face of other services that are extending freebies during the coronavirus outbreak. Tap or click to see what you can get for free right now.
Finding yourself with more free time than you’re used to? Not sure what to do with yourself? Whether you’re working from home or just relaxing, there’s only so little a person can do before they start to get a little stir-crazy.
Do you know off the top of your head just how many subscription services you’re signed up for? Everyone has a favorite platform they rely on for entertainment or news, but if you check your bank statement, you might be surprised at how much they all add up. And they probably aren’t all worth the money.
The coronavirus pandemic has shocked the world economy. To prevent the spread of infection, companies across America are urging workers to stay indoors and work from home as much as possible.
It’s a sudden, drastic change. But social distancing is shown to prevent the spread of the virus. Plus, there are plenty of tools that make working from home easier than ever. Tap or click to find out how to prepare your business.
We’re only a few months into the year and the streaming wars are already in full swing. Right now, platforms like Disney + are throwing members of the old guard like Netflix and Hulu for a loop. Meanwhile, platforms like Amazon continue to dominate the digital rental space.
You have your popcorn and you’ve got your movie picked out on your favorite streaming service. You’re cuddled up on the couch ready to go, but five minutes in, the video starts buffering.
Frustrated, you check your router, and it’s definitely working. What’s wrong? The answer might be your internet speed. Tap or click here to learn how to check your internet speed.
While most desktops and laptops come with built-in Wi-Fi these days, some models lack wireless capability, leaving their users connected to a router via ethernet cable.
Is your system located near a network router? If so, this cable setup isn’t much of an issue, but if you have trouble accessing the ethernet wire or need Wi-Fi’s flexibility, you need a new plan. Tap or click to get better Wi-Fi by using these features on your router.
