7 reasons to buy a smart TV antenna

It’s the never-ending quest to find the best ways to save some cash on your cable bill. There are so many streaming services these days that many people have chosen to cut the cord on cable altogether. The double-edged sword then becomes subscribing to five, ten, or sometimes even more streaming services, all of which have their own monthly fee. In turn, they’re actually paying more for the streaming services than they would cable — talk about adding up fast.

Finding the balance between streaming services, cable, and what’s carrying what you actually want to watch is difficult. Between Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Paramount+, Peacock, Prime Video, and more, there’s so much content out there.

How are you supposed to save money and still be up on the latest shows that are in the zeitgeist? Nobody wants to get stuck in a conversation with their friends and have to say “I don’t watch that,” or “I’m not caught up,” about a show that everyone wants to talk about. There is a way to save money on cable by cutting the cord entirely and still being able to watch HD channels, and that’s by installing a smart TV antenna. These can pick up the broadcast signals from a broadcast tower and transmit them to your TV for free.

If you’re someone who wants to keep up with as much network TV as possible but is also trying to pinch pennies, a smart TV antenna is a no-brainer. It can save you a lot of money and help you stay in the loop, so those conversations with your friends aren’t awkward. Here are five reasons why buying a smart TV antenna has been a game-changer for myself and why it could be for you, too.

1 It saves money

The main reason

Cable packages these days can offer you a little for a lot. Choosing options from Xfinity, Cox Communications, Spectrum, Verizon, and more can be difficult because different packages give you some channels you want and a lot that you don’t. Plus, you may need to bundle them with Internet service to actually see some savings. You can get locked into contracts that are hard to get out of, making you feel trapped.

Cutting the cord on cable and opting for an HD antenna will allow you to get rid of your cable subscription. By relying on the antenna to pick up channels from the nearest broadcast tower, you’re getting channels sent directly to your TV that you didn’t pay for. You won’t get to watch on-demand titles, but for those that just want to watch live sports, events, and the news, this is an ideal situation.

2 It’s easy to set up

Assembly is relatively stress-free

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When you think of a TV antenna, your mind may automatically think of the old rabbit ears on top of boxy sets from the 1960s and 1970s. That isn’t what new age antennae look like. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but are typically flatter and can be placed almost anywhere. They don’t have to be placed on the top of the television. In fact, it’s better if they aren’t.

First off, you need to take the antenna and plug it into your TV using a coaxial cable. That will directly link the two and send the broadcast to your television. Then, depending on the version of antenna you choose, you can see what distance it is built to pick up signals from. That will help you decide where you place it, either inside or outside your home. Most suggest being placed higher up to pick up better signals, but not all are built that way. There are some that you can place below your TV, outside near a window, on the window itself, or just standing somewhere in the room.

3 You get a crisper picture

It may be better than your cable anyway

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Nowadays, everyone wants the best TV they can possibly find. 8K, QLED, Cinema Mode, and other terms are what you’ll find when you’re searching for a TV. But by getting an HD antenna, you’re likely to get a crisper picture than you have had on your current TV. This is because cable, satellite, and streaming services are forced to compress their signals because of the amount of content that is being pushed out.

Broadcast channels, on the other hand, don’t compress their signal. That means that you can get the full signal of the broadcast channel sent directly to your TV. This will deliver a crisp HD picture that you didn’t have to upgrade your TV for. You’re also likely to get a bunch of different channels but the same kind of picture for each of them.

4 It works with any TV

You don’t have to buy a new one

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If you don’t have the money to upgrade your TV to an expensive one, investing in a smart TV antenna is a way to get more out of your current TV. It works with older TVs and newer ones, so what you have will likely work with it. Every TV has a port for a coax cable, which is all you need to set up your antenna.

This will likely save more money, including the money you’re getting back from canceling cable, if you don’t have to change the TV you’re using. So, no matter the level of smart TV you have, or even if you have an older TV that doesn’t have smart capabilities built into it, you can use the antenna to get channels sent to it.

5 It can pick up many channels

There are more opportunities for channels to be picked up in cities

For those that live in urban areas, they are more likely to get more channels on an HD antenna than those that live in rural areas. Broadcast towers are more prevalent in those areas, meaning that there are more signals to pick up. If you live in a rural area, the closest broadcast tower may be many miles away, making it harder for you to pick them up. For those instances, you may need an amplified antenna that will boost the signal.

But if you are picking up the basic cable channels, chances are they have subchannels to help carry their content. Say, if CBS is broadcasting on channel 2, it may also be broadcasting on channel 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, and so on. This gives you more chances to pick up a signal and watch the channels. While this isn’t always the case for every station, the larger networks, such as NBC, ABC, and Fox tend to do this.

6 You can get channels you don’t even get with cable

I didn’t even know about some of the ones the antenna picks up

Ever wanted the Spanish version of a channel you normally get? You may not get that on cable and you may have to watch with the SAP button when applicable. But you may luck out and get one that you didn’t even realize was available through your antenna. Other channels that I’d never known about were made available through the antenna that either I hadn’t noticed in my cable package or my cable package didn’t actually include.

ION Network Plus, Bounce Network, and Grit TV were some of the ones I had never heard of until I plugged in an antenna. It all depends on where you live. But you might be surprised at some of the offerings that your antenna can pull in for you.

7 Some can record shows

You don’t have to pay for a DVR

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Never miss a show or live sporting event that you wanted to watch on a channel you know your antenna gets. There are actually TV antenna that not only can help you stream broadcast shows but also record them if you aren’t able to watch them. You can then go back through and watch an episode or two whenever you want to. Not all of the smart TV antennae offer this feature. So if you do want it, you’re going to have to find one that does. But if you’re able to utilize it, it saves you from not only paying for cable but also the DVR portion of the package.