Mohu Leaf Antenna. Goodbye bunny ears.
Mohu Leaf Antenna. Goodbye bunny ears.
Credit: I can
The best part is that companies can’t track what you’re watching with an antenna. As Nielsen said in a January 2024 blog post:
Big Data sources alone cannot provide insight into the behaviors of millions of viewers who watch television using a digital antenna.
Antennas have also become more versatile. For example, in addition to local stations, an antenna can provide access to dozens of digital subchannels. They are similar to the ad-supported free TV channels that are growing in popularity among smart TV users today, in that they often broadcast niche programs or a constant stream of old shows and movies with commercial breaks. You can find a list of channels you’re likely to get with an antenna through this Federal Communications Commission website.
TV and movies watched over an antenna are likely less compressed than what you get with cable, which means you can get excellent picture quality with the right setup.
You can also add DVR features, such as recording and pausing, to live broadcasts through hardware, such as a Tablo OTA DVR device or Plex DVR, a subscription service that allows on-air users to add broadcast TV recordings to their Plex media servers.
A diagram of the ports of the 4th generation Tablo.
A diagram of the ports of the 4th generation Tablo.
Credit: Tableau
Things to keep in mind
You’re unlikely to get 4K or HDR broadcasts with an antenna. ATSC 3.0, also known as Next Gen TV, allows stations to broadcast in 4K HDR but its rollout has been slow. The FCC’s recently proposed legislation could slow things down further.
To watch a 4K or HDR show, you’ll also need an ATSC 3.0 tuner or an ATSC 3.0-equipped TV. The latter is rare. LG, for example, dropped its support in 2023 due to a patent dispute. You can find a list of ATSC 3.0 certified TVs and converters here.
In reality, an antenna does not have enough channels to provide enough entertainment for many modern homes. Sixty percent of antenna owners also subscribe to some sort of streaming service, according to Nielsen.
Additionally, obstacles, such as tall buildings and power lines, could affect an antenna’s performance. Another challenge is getting support for multiple TVs in your home. If you want OTA TV in multiple rooms, you’ll either need to purchase multiple antennas or set up a way to split the signal (such as using old coaxial cable and a splitter, running new coaxial cable, or using an OTA DVR, such as a Tablo or HDHomeRun from SiliconDust).
