Where to buy digital antennas online:
Are you a cord cutter who has freed yourself from the shackles of paying monthly fees for channels you’ve never watched in your life? It’s a great feeling, but do yourself a favor if you haven’t already: get yourself a digital antenna.
It’s been over a decade since I last got cable. Streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Huluand others have filled my TV screen and filled any voids that cable left behind. Many people have felt the same way.
According to a The Nielsen Report earlier this year, streaming platforms broke records in the past few months, with streaming reaching a new high of 47.5 percent of TV viewing in December. That’s more than cable and broadcast television combined.
However, networks still have a secret weapon that streaming platforms are starting to discover: Live TV, which is sports.
The same Nielsen report found that Christmas Day was the “most streamed event ever,” with more than 55 billion viewing minutes, led by NFL games on Netflix and Prime. However, some live sports are still a network or even cable TV thing. Some games are broadcast on network television and a streaming channel, meaning cord cutters can skip paying for a streaming platform altogether if they’re only interested in one game.
Here is a good example: Winter Olympics on NBC. The NBC-owned Peacock streaming service shows all games as well as the same featured shows broadcast on NBC. But if you’re only interested in those featured episodes, NBC has been airing them on its network every night. All you need is a digital antenna to watch it. No Peacock streaming subscription required.
The same was true for Super Bowl LX earlier this month too. The live game was broadcast on NBC, free to digital antenna, or on Peacock, which requires a subscription.
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Additionally, some internet channels are streamed by paywalls and cable providers. For example, when trying to watch the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) championship game last year, many found that while it was being shown on CBS for free, a premium subscription to the standard Paramount+ plan was required. Having a digital antenna would allow access to that free CBS network feed.
I went years without a digital antenna. Streaming gave access to all my favorite shows and movies. Until, as I mentioned, TV realized that it had a high capacity for live sports. Streaming companies are realizing that with Netflix picking up the weekly WWE Raw and several live action sports specials. Streaming platforms like Apple TV+ carry some MLB games, too, for example. However, there are still many live sports that can be accessed for free with a digital antenna.
So, what should you get?
There are many options for digital antennas. Prices start at $20 or less, even cheaper if you find a sale. Personally, I’ve tried a few options from digital antenna brands Mohu and ClearStream.
Both of them I can lead with reinforcement digital antenna and ClearStream Flex Enhanced worked perfectly for my needs, and they are priced under $50 each.
Digital antennas integrate easily with your Smart TV menus after a quick setup and sync process, so your choice of antenna should not depend on the user interface. Choose a digital antenna based on its range and hardware design. Some digital antennas stand upright, others lie flat. The standard design of the digital antenna allows you to mount it high on your wall or window for the best reception.
Both of the options I mentioned above provide a 50 mile range for pickup channels. There are more expensive options to extend that range, too, like I can Leaf Supreme Prowhich increases that range to 65 miles.
Either way, these are huge money savers. The cost of one digital antenna is a one-time fee for the purchase of equipment. And that cost is only about 2-3 months of monthly subscription of some big streaming service providers.
Plus, you’ll never miss a live webinar event again.
