Top 5 HD Antennas vs Metal Spoon | U Must Have, Model V8, Amplified & Vansky | Which works best?
Top 5 HD Antennas vs Metal Spoon | U Must Have, Model V8, Amplified & Vansky | Which works best?
What do the top 5 best selling indoor HD antennas on Amazon have in common with a metal spoon? More than you might think!
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See our favorite HD antennas here:
https://www.reviews.org/tv-service/best-indoor-hd-antennas?kbid=123489
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Today we’re talking about the top 5 best selling HD antennas on Amazon, in order. We’ve been talking a lot about streaming services lately, and these fit in nicely if you’re looking to cut the cord.
I plugged each of these antennas into the same TV, in the same location, by the same window, at the same time of day- for a true apples to apples comparison. One caveat here- the results we got were based on our location- about 10 miles from the nearest broadcast tower and near a downtown location. Your results may be better or worse depending on where you live.
Just a heads up- the top 2 antennas on Amazon are actually the same, just in different colors! Congrats U Must Have- you must have great SEO practices.
1. U Must Have Amplified Digital Indoor HDTV Antenna- Ultra Black- https://amzn.to/2VY1lfU
Comes in at a price of $27.96 on Amazon and got us 51 channels. When we opened this antenna after it arrived, the USB plug was broken. Be wary of flimsy construction on the plug!
2. U Must Have Amplified Digital Indoor HDTV Antenna- White- https://amzn.to/2YqAaIh
Same price as the Ultra Black model, $27.96 and performed the exact same. We didn’t see any issues with poor construction on this model.
On both of these you’ll get pretty great picture quality. I was pretty impressed with these (other than poor construction).
3. Digital HDTV Antenna (Model V8) tabletop unit- https://amzn.to/2HedIMA
You can also find it by its picture since its so different. The plastic feels cheap on this one, but I do love the matte black finish. You also get a built-in amplifier with the Model V8 that you can adjust between short-or-long-range. Don’t assume long-range will be better, it could actually distort your amplifier if you’re close to a broadcast tower. This antenna retails for $39.99 on Amazon, and got us 44 channels in short-range mode, and 50 channels in long-range mode. You’ll want to play around with the amplifier a little to see what gets you the most channels.
4.1 by One Amplified Digital Indoor HDTV Antenna- https://amzn.to/30doIkE
This one was probably the most disappointing! Nothing special here. It has a built-in amplifier, but there’s no switch to change between short-and-long range. This could cause a problem for some of you, depending on your location. We paid $22.99 and got 42 channels with the 1 by One. This is the lowest channel count so far, but you also pay less.
5. Vansky Digital HDTV Antenna (#1 in my heart!)- https://amzn.to/2YmY7jk
This one has the same price tag as the 1 by One ($22.99), but you’re getting a little bit more for that price. Nothing different aesthetically here, but you do get a 20-foot coaxal cable- you can decide if that’s good or not!
We got 57 channels with the Vansky! If you’re keeping track, that’s more than any of the previous four best sellers. The Vansky had the best performance as far as channel count and picture quality.
Now the question is… how do these all stack up against a DIY metal spoon antenna? It was shocking to me! I took 60 seconds and grabbed anything metal I could find in my desk- and found a spoon, allen wrench, a headphone jack and a paperclip. Taped all this together and hung it in the coax jack in the back of the TV. AND I GOT 39 CHANNELS, just with this thing!
So is it worth it to buy any of the top 5 antennas on Amazon? They’d be more reliable (and you don’t have to give up a spoon from your kitchen)! You’ll get better performance from an antenna, but if you want a little hack just to get a few channels for free, the spoon wasn’t a bad option.
When I took the spoon out of the coax jack, we got 0 channels, so it definitely worked! How about that?
What’s your favorite hack to get around using an antenna?
No such thing as an HD antenna
There is no such thing as a HD, 4K or digital antenna. No matter what they tell you the antenna is strictly UHF and VHF period
you are not going to get 4K, digital or HD from an antenna.
People need to seriously stop believing everything they are told and actually take the time to research things stop being lazy.
You failed when you said HD antenna…. Do your
homework
Hi, What does HD mean?? I do not believe U get 51 Channels at least not the way I count them, meaning if get Channel 5 lets say,
now whether it has 1 sub channel or 10 sub channels I count that as one (1).. If U get 1 U get them all.. ♠W.G.
No such thing as a HD antenna.
Can we just acknowledge pbs is the best over air channel?
No such thing as a HD antenatal..
The #3 antenna is $10. Even though there’s different ones at different prices, there’s a listing for $10 and it’s the same thing as the $40 one shown.
I heard a paper clip worked as well and even better as any product on this video.
STOP!!!! this is a false advertisement there is no such thing as a DIGITAL antenna. it is a marketing trick and nothing more. if anyone wants an antenna, before the buy check the return policy and be prepared to return it if you are not happy with it.
see this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExymdyE6j9o
No such thing as HD antenna that is just a line used for people to purchase
Amazon review of antennas is just their best sellers & not the best for reception!
Made In China 🇨🇳 news
You can use a paper clip for an antenna in a jam. The larger size paper clips are better because they’re thicker and they fit more snugly into the 750 antenna jack on your TV or FM stereo.
I used a fork and not a spoon😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
You dont need to buy an expensive antenna. I have tried rabbit ears and I have bought $80 antennas with unimpressive results. Now I use a homemade antenna using aluminum foil, cardboard, wood glue and a 75/300 transformer. Just do a search on Google for
DIY Antenna. Best antenna I have ever had. When I had cable installed, the installation tech was so impressed with the picture quality that he took a picture of it
Is was very good to me I am completely new with antenna and streaming I always have cable and nobody told me that things has been changing in tv world I have to learn and become a little bit tech I am 74 years old learning new skills on things so new but I have never closed my mind I need to learn to feel how the world has change. The antenna I bought no for cheaper more no knowledge at all I don’t get 50 channels now I am taking in consideration what you said and looking for a better antenna
HD ?????
Why did you NOT tell everyone that there is NO SUCH THING AS A DIGITAL OR HD ANTENNA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON"T BE FOOLED BY WORDS ON A BOX… IT A PLOY BY THESE COMPANIES..!!!
Does they work in Jamaica
When we had "rabbit ears" it was tin foil!
How long the cables are
They don’t make a HD antenna..This is a BS video..Same as the wave scam..How far away from the Stations were you?
There’s no such thing as a HD TV antenna
Please make a video on how you connected the spoon!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼😂
THERE IS NO SUCH THINK AS AN HD ANETNNA
I’m looking to cut the cord with cable and getting one of these. Only kicker is that my window is pretty far away. Can I hook up coax extenders to extend the reach or will it impact the signal ?
I thought there was no such thing as an "HD" antenna.
1. CRAP. 2. CRAp. 3. CRap. 4. Crap. 5. crap. You can use a paperclip when even if it doesn’t work, it works better than all those 5 Antennas this guy is praising.
Just the fact that something is called an HD antenna means it’s probably bad at picking up vhf signals. And the fcc repack moved more channels into vhf, rf 2-13. Unless you have something long like the rabbit ears, you probably won’t pickup low vhf, 2-6. Even for 7-13 you probably need at least a stubby vhf element like on the clearstream max-v, but that can’t pickup low vhf either. The models featured in this video are a ripoff. These companies are making a lot of money on the confusion.
But what channels do they pick up ?
Do they pick up local channels ? Any cable channels or just generic channels that you can’t understand or foreign cartoons?
Thank you for channel count
Thanks so much
WHAT THE HELL IS AN "HD" ANTENNA? YOU MEAN VHF/UHF RIGHT?
I pay 100 dollars for a clearstream antenna indoor l live in the 6 floor building and l get 84 channels crystal clear in new Jersey,,,, Tyler the anthenna man from YouTube was right about that.thanks
HD Antenna does not exist! VHF OR UHF… It’s all lies! Get educated so you don’t waste your money.
Just ordered the u must have model. Hope it works.
THINGS TO CLARIFY:
1. there is no such thing as digital or HDTV or 4k antenna, anolog tv was shut down years ago leaving digital only and 4k or HD broadcasts do not currently exist and you should be looking for things like vhf/uhf.
2. those hair thin coax cables will kill your signal, you need a realy thick one with a copper middle, this depends on how close you live to a tv station.
3. flat antennas don’t typically work as good since antennas need to be designed a certain way, not by flat sheets of metal, vhf needs longer rods and uhf needs shorter rods, look at rabbit ear antennas and how they are designed along with outdoor antennas.
There is alot more than i can say here so i suggest you look at sevral sources. Antenna man on youtube is a great channel for this.
You do realize there is really no such thing as an HDTV antenna right
Those antennas are all junk where I live those would only get my local NBC station 7 miles away. The rest of the stations and major networks are 25-30 miles away with some terrain to disrupt the signal. An outdoor antenna is really needed in my area. And one other thing is these antennas are very poor at hi-Vhf which most parts of the US have at least one or two stations broadcasting on the hi vhf band 7-13. These tiny antennas are not even capable of low vhf (2-6) at all because of their size. Low vhf needs a long antenna element up to 5 feet long to be efficiently recieved.
From my experience you also need to put the antenna somewhere high at a certain angle and you need to extend the cable for best reception away from any in home interference. For example I put my flat antenna in the attic and I get all major local networks and more like classic tv channels. I live near the city so that helps too…lol
thare is no such thing as hd antennea or digital antenna antennas are designed to pick up vhf and uhf freqs no matter low def standard def 4k
You got more free than what i got on my junk
The spoon would perform better than the Made In China Antennas.
If the spoon is performing comparable to the antennas you tested out – it’s a good indication that those antennas are junk. FYI there’s no such thing as an HD antenna. That’s just a keyword foreign antenna companies use to confuse people into thinking they’re getting a special "HD antenna" when they are likely getting a piece of junk.
I was pretty surprised to see how well the spoon worked as an antenna! Anyone else have any good antenna hacks I should try?
Guys, check out antenna man on youtube, he will say the same thing as other commenters about the myth of "HD Antenna".
What channels do you get?
why would you recommend something you got broken?