Best Outdoor HDTV Antennas [2024 Buying Guide]

With advanced technology and better designs, outdoor HDTV antennas have come a long way in the last 50 years. If you’re looking to get rid of the monthly cable bills, this buying guide will cover everything you need to know.

An outdoor HDTV antenna is the best option to free yourself of cable and satellite subscriptions.

The only real “challenge”, is finding the right outdoor HDTV antenna that suits your needs. We’ve tested almost every antenna on the market and have ranked the best for you here.

At the end of this article I’ll give you some additional tips and suggestions that will prove useful as well.

So without further adieu here is our list of the Best Outdoor HDTV Antennas available right now.

Best Outdoor HDTV Antennas:

#8. MATIS Outdoor Long Range Outdoor Antenna

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Features:

• Durable ABS material construction and water-proof design of antenna
• Builtin rotor, controller and Infrared remote controller
• Full 360 degrees rotation of the rotor
• Upto 125 miles of coverage
• 1 year limited warranty
• Easy and quick to install

BoostWaves Outdoor Amplified HDTV Antenna uses robust materials and is well constructed to withstand even the harshest of weather conditions.

It comes complete with a rotor builtin that provides a full 360 degrees of rotation, therefore, you should have no trouble dialing in channels inside of 125 miles provided there is a clear line of site to the tower.

This antenna is designed to receive HDTV via UHF and VHF broadcasts and also boasts FM radio reception.

#7. Five Star Outdoor Amplified HDTV Antenna

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Features:

• 200 miles of coverage range
• Offers full HD (1080p), ultra HD (4K) and 3D channels support
• Easily picks up UHF channels (470~862MHz)
• Cross-phase design with multiple-elements withstands bad weather conditions
• 1 year of Manufacturer’s warranty, 30 days money-back guarantee
• Compact in size and good value for money

The Five Star HDTV Antenna is a high-performance antenna from 1Byone and can receive signals from as far as 200 miles. You can install it outdoors, in an attic, or on a rooftop.

You can receive VHF and UHF band signals using it. Installation is a snap with the provided mounting hardware and pole.

To get up and running quickly with, just connect it to your TV or OTA Tuner Box using the provided coax cable.

Once you’ve completed the required connections perform a channel scan and you should be picking up all local broadcasts from networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, etc. with HD programming of channels for kids, news, weather, sports, etc.

#6. ClearStream 2MAX HDTV Antenna with Mount

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Features:

• 60-mile range
• Receives UHF and VHF signal
• Comes with mounting hardware
• Supports 1080p HD video
• Patented loop design gives exceptional reception with minimum interference

The ClearStream 2MAX Antenna is suitable for indoor and outdoor installation. This antenna can pick up HD channels from your local broadcasters although its range is limited to 60 miles.  That said this compact antenna outperforms many of its competitors in this range.

With this Cleartream 2MAX Antenna, expect to pull in stations such as ABC, CBS, PBS, FOX and the like. You can also watch local channels, both HD or regular transmissions.

Since it picks up both VHF and UHF signals, you can receive many local channels without a problem.

ClearStream’s patented antenna design gives excellent signal strength and actively cancels interference that could weaken signals.

If you want to learn more about this antenna, check out our comprehensive review of the ClearStream 2MAX Antenna.

#5. RCA Yagi Long Range OTA Antenna

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Features:

• Pre-assembled design; snap-lock elements and easy-lock fold-out reflector
• Supports 1080p and 4K HD signal format
• Range of 60 miles; VHF/UHF reception
• Cross-phase, multi-element design for top-notch reception
• 1 year warranty period
• Built with high quality materials
• Mounting hardware included

RCA Outdoor Yagi antenna picks up signals from broadcasts tower that are 60 miles away and is one of the best outdoor antennas ever.

Built for high durability, this antenna survives all bad weather conditions without compromising its performance. Its fold-out design and included mast and mounting hardware provides a high degree of flexibility when it comes to installation.

#4. Five Star [Newest] Outdoor HDTV Antenna

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Features:

• Attic or Roof Mount picks up all UHF channels
• HDTV compatible; DirecTV-approved
• Digital as well as analog reception
• Quick and easy to assemble and install
• 90 Day Warranty period

The newest Five Star HDTV Antenna is classically designed long range antenna and is touted as being one of the most powerful antennas in its class. It is fully HDTV compatible and will receive all UHF channels in the 14-69 range.

Once you’ve completed the required connections perform a channel scan and you should be picking up all local broadcasts from networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, etc. with HD programming of channels for kids, news, weather, sports, etc.

#3. Channel Master CM-4228HD HDTV Antenna

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Key Features

• Bowtie design with 8-bay, outstanding gain of 12 dB
• Built-in 75 ohm PC balun for reducing impedance
• Multi-Directional (180 Degree Reception Span) with 80+ Mile Range
• Compact size for easy installation, including for attic installation
• Comes pre-assembled with mounting Hardware and an installation Guide (mast and coax cable sold separately)

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Optimized for reception of UHF frequencies
• Sturdy, weatherproof design
• High antenna gain (~12 dB)
• Comes pre-assembled for easy set-up

Cons:

• No reception of low VHF frequencies (RF channels 2-6)
• Relatively expensive

#2. ClearStream 4MAX HDTV Antenna

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Features:

• Unique Quad-Loop design picks up UHF channels from 70 miles of range
• Wide Beam angle of antenna does not need rotation
• Patented design offers great reception without interference
• Antennas Direct Lifetime Warranty on parts
• Mounting hardware included for easy installation
• Multi-directional elements for top-notch reception

The big brother to the ClearStream 2MAX reviewed above this antenna will receive all UHF signals from broadcast towers 70 miles away.

Its patented design provides the highest quality of reception and stable range, under the harshest weather conditions and even under areas surrounded by trees.

This antenna comes with full mounting hardware, is multi-directional and receives full HD 1080p broadcasts and is UHD 4K ready.

If you want to learn more about this antenna, check out our comprehensive review of the ClearStream 4MAX Antenna.

#1. Antennas Direct DB8e Antenna

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Features:

• 8-Element Bowtie design for picking up TV signals from 70 miles of range
• Flexible brackets design- Receives signals from towers in different directions
• High gain of 17.4dBi
• Easy to install; Compact in size
• Reflector avoids any sort of multipath interference
• Lifetime warranty on parts

Touted as the most powerful 8-Element Bowtie Antenna on the market it is capable of picking up HDTV signal from towers 70 miles away. This makes receiving UHF frequency ranges, 470 MHz to 698 MHz, US Channels 14 – 69 a breeze.

It is one of the easiest antennas to mount if you follow our detailed guide below and the provided instructions.

It is a very flexible product so you can install it indoors or outdoors, depending on your needs, however, for best results it is highly recommended that you install this antenna outdoors.

Buying Guide for Outdoor HDTV Antennas

It’s important to understand that no one antenna or antenna type will deliver excellent TV reception in every location. The main factors determining reception are the distance and direction from the TV station transmitters to your home. The transmitter’s power and the height of its tower also matter.

Careful antenna selection is needed if you live greater than 40 miles away from the broadcast tower or towers which you’re trying to receive your signal.

Ideally, you are situated on a signal path that is largely unobstructed, however, if this is not the case be sure to read the reviews above carefully in order to select an antenna that is suitable for your geographic location.

1. Unidirectional versus Omnidirectional Antennas:

Unidirectional antennas that have a narrow beam width, typically between 25 and 35 degrees. These types of antennas are much more resilient to noise and are ideal when your broadcast towers are clustered together in one general direction or area. It is important to note that TV signal transmission is “line of sight.”

Getting reliable reception beyond the curvature of the earth (roughly 70 miles) is difficult. Mountains or tall buildings between the broadcast tower(s) and your home can also cause reception problems. So, the first step is to locate the transmitters for your local stations and point your antenna that way.

Omnidirectional are antennas that will receive a signal from all directions because they offer a 360 degree field. So if you have one of these types of antennas there is really no need to “point it” in any specific direction.

In this case if you are not getting the results you think you should be getting your only option is going to be to find a better location on your house or property.

2. Indoor versus Outdoor TV Antennas:

Indoor Antennas are compactly designed and are designed to be mounted on your wall in close proximity to your television set. The are typically cheaper, however, reception can be difficult depending on your location.

Outdoor Antennas are often larger in size and are typically well suited for rooftop or side of house mounting. These antennas deliver high performance and whenever possible should be chosen over the indoor variety.

3. Amplified versus Non-Amplified Antennas:

TV signals from you antenna generally become weaker as it travels through your coax cable to your TV or network tuner. If the cable runs are too far or you are splitting the signal in one or more locations, then the signal at you TV may become too weak and you may need to install a amplifier.

Many of the Outdoor Antennas available in the market today come equipped with built-in amplification for enhanced picture and sound quality.

The problem with over amplification is that it may sometimes worsen the condition of poor reception as they will also amplify any noise on the incoming signal.

For this reason, amplified antennas are generally recommended for those users who live a distance of 40 miles or greater from the transmission tower.

4. VHF versus UHF Antennas:

Digital TV signals are transmitted over two frequency ranges – VHF or Very High Frequency and UHF or Ultra High Frequency.

The VHF band covers “physical channels” 2-13 where the UHF spectrum cover channels 14-83.

If channels in your area are transmitting in the local frequency band (channels 2-13) I would recommend you get a VHF/UHF combination antenna.

How To Choose The Best Outdoor Antenna for HDTV

Before you go off to Amazon and buy your shiny new HDTV antenna, an important first step is learning what signals you can receive at your home and how strong those signals are.

I’ve put together a TV Antenna Station Locator Tool page that can help you identify OTA channels and tower locations in your region.

Check out the YouTube video below that walks you through how to use the tool in a few short minutes.

There are other websites, with more advanced tools that can analyze virtually any address in the U.S., using metrics such as distance to the transmitter to give a very close approximation of what to expect in terms of reception and how powerful an antenna you’ll need.

One in particular that I recommend is TVFool.com.

Another important aspect is the direction the signals are coming from. In most instances, you’ll find that the tower(s) seem to be clustered in a general direction, which is why a unidirectional antenna is usually my preferred choice.

If you’re in a location where the signal are coming from multiple directions than your choices here become a little more limited so you may want to consider an omnidirectional antenna.

How To Install Your Shiny New Outdoor Antenna

Prep your location for installation:

Once you have checked out TV Antenna Station Locator Tool page, you should have a good idea of the channels available in your geographic area and what direction they are being broadcast from.

Using a compass or compass app (there are many free ones for your smartphone) locate the direction from your antenna demarcation point.

Unbox your new antenna:

Unbox your new antenna and confirm that all the pieces are there. Most antennas will come with their own mounting hardware.

Follow the instruction guide for mounting the antenna to your roof, fascia or other location uses screws to fasten the brackets. I recommend using roof sealant for the screws if you are going to mount to your roof-top.

Assemble the antenna:

Depending on your antenna it may come preassembled or may require some assembly. If assembly is required follow the provided instructions.

Affix the mounting pole:

Some antenna providers supply a mounting pole with your antenna. If this is the case, generally you will need to loosen the bolts on the sleeve of the bracket and insert the pole hardware into it.

If no pole assembly came included, I’ve had good luck with 1.5 inch conduit, horseshoe bolts and uni-strut.

Install your antenna to the mounting pole:

As instructed in step 4, ensure your antenna is securely fastened to your mounting pole. Now it is time to check the direction of your antenna using your compass or your smartphone app.

Rotate the antenna toward the the broadcast tower(s) that you will receive a signal from.

Once in position, loosely tighten your bolts so your position is not likely to move, however, you can still turn the antenna if needed.

Make the necessary coax terminations:

Use a high quality F-connector to link one end of the cable to your antenna. On the opposite end of the cable connect another F-connect and link this to either your TV or other tuner box.

Scan for channels using your TV or Tuner hardware:

Turn your television set on and scan for digital channels. You may at this point need to tweak antenna position. If you are using a network tuner most have a signal app that can be installed on your smartphone, if not, ask someone to help you.

Finish your antenna setup:

Once you are satisfied with the number of channels you are receiving and the position of your antenna go back and firmly tighten up all the screws on your antenna and/or mounting pole.

Be sure to securely fasten your coax cables using u-clamps or other fastening hardware to your house.

Lastly, don’t forget to ground your antenna (using appropriately sized ground wire and a grounding block) for assured safety and to mitigate damage caused by a lightning strike.

Conclusion

Many factors will impact your signal quality and reliability. If you are 40 miles or further away from your broadcast towers make sure you buy an antenna that will give you the depth and coverage you need.

Furthermore, and this can’t be overstated, the importance of properly sealing any rooftop mounted TV Antenna is an essential part of any installation to provide for better security and weather-proof design.

And of course, make sure to ground the coax cable connection and any metal parts, to provide that low impedance path back to the earth in the event of lightning strikes.

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out some of my other articles today:

• 10 Best Attic Antennas [Buying Guide]
• Antenna Preamplifier vs Distribution Amplifier
• Best Outdoor TV Antennas for Rural Areas
• 10 Best Indoor HDTV Antennas