$39.99

Dual-band HDTV indoor antenna captures over-the-air broadcast signals up to 35 miles.

A couple of years ago I joined a growing number of people who “cut the cord” and ditched my cable TV subscription. I was tired of the hassle of dealing with poor-quality equipment from Comcast/Xfinity, but more importantly I did not think I was getting my money’s worth. So I cancelled my cable and have been relying on Netflix and Amazon Prime ever since to satisfy my TV and movie cravings.

One thing I did miss, however, was local broadcasting, especially around pro and college football season. I live in a duplex-down condo and only have TVs in the basement. I refused to pay to activate my cable outlets to pull local broadcasting, but any HDTV antennas I tried could not pull a signal from my basement. Given my previous success, or lack thereof, I was more than skeptical when I received a FlatWave Indoor HDTV antenna from Winegard. However, the product proved me completely wrong!

Out of the Box & Setup

The FlatWave is unlike any antenna I have ever seen, which may be the reason why it works so well. The antenna is a paper-thin mat measuring 13 inches by 12 inches and has a 15-foot coaxial cable attached to it. In addition, the antenna weighs roughly a third of a pound, so hanging it is very easy as well.

Installation took almost no time at all. I simply attached the coax cable of the antenna to the cable antenna port on my Samsung Smart TV (keep in mind that you need to have a high-definition TV to receive HD over-the-air, or OTA, signals).

Winegard FlatWave Indoor HDTV Antenna (non-amped)

 

The most time-consuming element of installation was finding the best position for the antenna to maximize its performance. Winegard likens the reception of its antennas to that of a cell phone—only a few feet can make a huge difference. Winegard also suggests positioning the antenna as high off the ground as possible, but at basement level, I was only able to get it about a foot off the ground.

After hooking up the antenna to my TV and positioning it in one of my basement windows, I then went into the channel setup of my TV and did a channel scan. After a few minutes, the TV had identified over 50 channels that the antenna picked up. I started flipping through the channels and was impressed by the crystal-clear picture quality of the local ABS, CBS, FOX, NBC and PBS affiliates.

Before buying an HDTV antenna, it is important to know if you have any transmitters in your area. Otherwise, you could be wasting money. Living on the north side of Chicago, I was not worried about picking up OTA HD signals. But using the TVFool.com website, I was surprise to see how many transmitters there were. By entering your address, as well as the approximate height of your HD antenna, the site offers a list of transmitters, their distance from you and their compass direction relative to you, and an estimated signal strength. According to the site, there are 50 transmitters in my area, the farthest one being over 81 miles away. Winegard rates the non-amped FlatWave model as being able to capture signals from as far as 35 miles away, butI was able to connect with 54 channels after my initial scan, many of which were much farther than 35 miles away. However, it appears that atmospheric conditions can impact the HDTV signals. On the day I set up the FlatWave, all of the 50-plus channels my TV identified came through. A couple of days later, however, when it was cloudy and rainy, fewer than half of the channels came through. However, my local affiliates still came through perfectly.

The FlatWave model I tested did not have a built-in signal amplifier, but Winegard does offer an “amped” model as well as a signal booster for non-amped antennas. Both of these are on their way to me so I am curious to see the impact they have on my overall reception. Stay tuned for future reviews.

Overall

If you are considering cutting the cord and dropping your cable or satellite subscription but still want over-the-air broadcasts, an HDTV antenna is a must. The Winegard FlatWave Indoor HDTV achieved something no other HDTV antenna had been able to do in my basement—capture OTA HDTV signals. That alone makes it tops in my book. Add to that its value—less than $40—and its ease of use and this is one product I highly recommend.

Pros

• Easy set up
• Window-mounting very useful, especially in basements
• Non-amped model captures signals from over 50 miles away
• One-time fee instead of paying for broadcast TV

Cons

• None

Winegard FlatWave Indoor HDTV Antenna (non-amped)

$39.99 (Currently $29.83 from Amazon.com)