Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsAMAZING PICTURE! AMAZING PERFORMANCE! AMAZING PRICE!
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2015
I bought two of these because they were so cheap and I figured I'd take a chance on them since they were so inexpensive. Guess what....TOTAL WIN!!!
Let's start off by explaining the TV conditions in my area. I live just outside of the Atlanta city limits, so there are plenty of strong tower signals within 25 miles of just about every tower in my area. I have an antenna on two different tv's, one upstairs, one downstairs. On the second floor, the antenna has an unobstructed "view" of the direction of the towers. On the ground floor, it is on the opposite side of the house with other buildings close by. Both antennas are connected directly to the tv's without extensions and attached to windows.
So what's the story? FANTASTIC RECEPTION, that's what! Both of the tv's are locking into local broadcast signals, though with different levels of success. Predictably, the tv upstairs is getting the best reception. The combination of height and lack of obstruction has resulted in 23 channels being picked up with the big three and minor networks coming in without a hitch. Some glitchy behavior shows up on lower powered local stations, but that is of no concern to me.
Downstairs, the number of clear channels is 17. I lost a couple of the minor network stations and some of the networks occasionally show interference, but overall the pictures are clear, solid and watchable.
These antennas MUST be put in a window for best reception. I tried them inside hanging on the wall and found that constant readjustment was the necessary to lock in a signal. Once placed in the window, however, ZERO adjustment was necessary to bring in all the channels! Luckily, both of my tv's are next to windows, so the short cable wasn't an issue.
Some quibbles about the antenna though. The included mounting stand is a joke. Send it to the recycling bin. Attaching the antenna to a window is the preferable option. I just used some clear packing tape to attach it. No, it's not exactly pretty, but the tv channels it's tuning sure are!!!
The antenna has a tacky pattern printed on both sides of it. No matter what, your window is going to feature scenery from "Lost In Space" on it. I wouldn't mind if the opposite side was plain white so I could face it inward. I tucked it in behind some blinds to avoid the eyesore.
The cable to attach it to your tv is short. I think you could extend it, but since the antenna isn't amplified, the signal may degrade. I never tested that because my tv's are next to windows. On a wall, the signal will degrade, but stronger signals still come in without a problem. So simply put, tv proximity to windows = greater reception.
SUMMARY:
Pros:
1) THEY WORK WELL! These antennas really bring in the channels loud and clear!
2) Incredible value! The best bang for your buck on the planet if you are looking for an indoor tv antenna!
3) Small and easy to hide.
Cons:
1) Pathetic mounting stand. Jettison it.
2) Cheesy pattern on the antenna. You WILL find a place to hide it.
3) Short connection cable requires placement near a window. Running an extension cable may degrade non-amplified signal.
You cannot go wrong giving these a try. The cost to performance ratio cannot be topped! As a matter of fact, these antennas are replacing two others that cost north of $30 apiece! I only wish I had them sooner!
