What the Tech? Antenna scams

(ABC 6 News) – Browsing Amazon and Walmart for TV antennas I ran across quite a few questionable listings that aren’t 100% true. Here’s what you should know about those claims before adding an antenna to your shopping cart: It’s true that attaching a TV antenna to the cable or coaxial connection will get you free channels in high-definition. It isn’t just HD but a higher definition that you’ll find streaming a local channel. It’s true 1080 HDi while the same channels are only in 720p on cable and streaming. But let’s look at the claims that are flat-out lies.

I saw one ad on Walmart that says the antenna can get ESPN, CNN, HBO, and other cable channels. That isn’t remotely true. An antenna will get network TV stations near you. You’ll likely see those stations’ sub-channels that offer old TV shows. You’ll also see quite a few shopping and religious channels. Most antenna listings claim to get stations hundreds of miles away. Not true. Antennas must be able to “see” the station transmitter. A mountain can be in the way. And the earth’s curvature prevents a line of site over 70 miles or so for any antenna, indoor or outdoor. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to be that close to the TV station itself but to either the main broadcast tower or a repeater.

The smartphone app “Antenna Point” shows where TV transmitters are located which will help you decide where to put the antenna. One close or affixed to a window facing the TV tower is best. Indoor antennas can generally get stations from 20-30 miles away. Outdoor antennas might get stations 70 miles away or so. If you place the antenna on the rooftop, you may get stations that are unavailable to you over cable, satellite or streaming. And again, they’re free.

If you live in an older house check the attic. Back in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, many homeowners put box antennas in the attic and they’re probably still there. You won’t get 4K TV, at least not right now as stations don’t broadcast signals in 4K over the air. You will get full HD which is a much better picture than you’ll get from cable, satellite, or streaming. Free out-of-the-air broadcasts are usually a few seconds ahead of streaming too. I enjoy watching a game show on an antenna and shouting out the answer after it’s given. That drives the rest of my family who’s watching in another room over streaming crazy wondering why I’m so smart.

Why get an antenna? For cord-cutters who only subscribe to Netflix or Hulu, an antenna will allow you to see network programming and, more importantly, local news and weather which is extremely important during storms. How much can you expect to pay? Maybe $30-$40 depending on whether the antenna is for outdoors or indoors and whether it is amplified or not. But if you’ve got an old antenna somewhere, even one your grandparents used, that’ll work just as well. I found a dusty old antenna in my dad’s garage that works great and picks up all of the channels the newer antenna can get. If you have an antenna, it’s a good idea to re-scan for channels every few months. The signal might have improved and you may get a channel you didn’t get the last time.