Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have been looking to cut the cord and ditch cable for a little while now. Before finding this antenna, I bought and tested 7 other antennas (5 indoor and 2 outdoor) and wasn’t satisfied with the results of any of the indoor antennas. After buying a basic antenna under $10 and an omnidirectional amplified antenna for $40 at Walmart, I ended up returning both of them and decided to look online and see if I could find a better solution. Consumer Reports says that TV antennas are one of the hardest products to review because of all of the varying factors such as height, location, obstructions, etc. I tried a couple options from 1byone which didn’t fare much better than the previous antennas. Finally, I ordered the Winegard Flatwave Amped which is widely viewed as one of the best indoor antennas available. I got 6 more channels than any other antenna I had tested, but it still wasn’t good enough to completely cut the cord. I found the ViewTV Indoor Amplified Antenna on Amazon and read that it had a stated 65 mile range which was appealing since the Flatwave Amped only had up to a 50 mile range. Unfortunately, a lot of antenna manufacturers selling on Amazon overstate the range of their antennas so the only way to know if it truly has that range is to test it. When I received it, the first thing I noticed was the size. It has the same ultra slim profile as the Flatwave and is about the same size. Other similar antennas I had purchased were significantly smaller, which usually means less reception. I like the look of the antenna and the slim profile since it makes it really easy to mount on a wall or a window. It also comes with an included antenna stand that needs to be spun around to snap into place to use it. Otherwise, the hinge part has no resistance which causes the antenna to fall right over. I didn’t plan to utilize the stand but it is nice to have it if you want to mount the antenna on an entertainment stand or shelf. Unlike the Flatwave Amped, it has a detachable amplifier which is great since you can use it with or without the amplifier or even purchase an upgraded amplifier to use with it. It comes with a USB power adapter for the amplifier, but I just plugged it into a USB port on my TV so it only draws power when the TV is on. There is a power indicator LED light on the amplifier and on the antenna that lets you know the amplifier is working. Since I mounted the antenna on the wall, I used the included double sided adhesive pads to hang it. The material of the antenna is also paintable to blend in with your walls if desired or it can be easily covered with a picture frame that has some space behind it. Before I used this antenna, I had checked with each prior antenna to find the best place to mount it. Each antenna has been mounted in the exact same spot that I have found receives the most channels. To clarify, the built-in coaxial cable is roughly 13 feet long. I was confused when I saw that the title said it comes with a 12 foot coaxial and the description says a 10 foot coaxial. I mounted the antenna and ran a channel scan. To my surprise, I received almost as many channels with this indoor antenna as I did with my outdoor antenna. For reference, I have listed below the antennas I had previously purchased and tested: 1byone Digital Amplified Outdoor / Attic HDTV Antenna, 80 Miles Range with Power Supply Box Extremely High Performance for UHF Band(80 miles range) – 22 channels QFX ANT-106 Outdoor 360 Degree Rotating Antenna (range not stated) – 34 channels Indoor Digital Tv Antenna (Discontinued by Manufacturer) (range not stated) – 11 channels Terk Trinity (TRITVA) Amplified Omnidirectional Indoor Antenna (60 miles range) – 8 channels 1byone Super Thin Omni-directional Indoor HDTV Antenna, 35 Miles Range 10 Feet High Performance Cable (35 miles range) – 12 channels 1byone OUS00-0184 Amplified HDTV Antenna with Stand with 40 Miles Range and 10-Feet High Performance Coaxial Cable (40 Miles Range) – 9 channels Winegard FlatWave Amped FL5500A Amplified Digital Indoor HD TV Antenna (OTA / High-VHF / UHF / Ultra-Thin / Black and White - Reversible / USB Power Supply) - 50 Mile Long Range (50 mile range) – 18 channels ViewTV Flat HD Digital Indoor Amplified TV Antenna - 65 Miles Range - Detachable Amplifier Signal Booster - Antenna Stand - 12ft Coax Cable - Black (65 Miles Range) – 24 channels The ViewTV antenna received the most channels out of all of the antennas I tested except the QFX outdoor antenna which is mounted on my roof. The signal is clear and I rarely have any issues. Sometimes when the weather is really bad, I have trouble picking up channels from the furthest towers but the majority of the stations still come in fine no matter what. One of the stations I am able to pick up using the ViewTV antenna (ION) that I was not able to pick up with any other indoor antenna I tried is coming from a tower that antennaweb.org shows is 59.4 miles from my house and I also live in a valley well out of line of sight of all of the towers surrounding me. I am extremely impressed with the quality of this antenna. The fact that it is able to pick up more channels than an all metal outdoor antenna with a stated 80 mile range is nothing short of awesome. My only minor gripe is that the built-in coaxial cable isn’t longer like the 18.5 foot one included with the Flatwave Amped, but that is easily fixed with a coupler and another coaxial cable. Overall, this is the best indoor antenna I have tested and is a definite keeper for me. It’s one of the few antennas on Amazon that actually has the range it claims. I am able to pick up all of the major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX) as well as local channels and various other stations. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants a powerful antenna without having to install one outdoors. I received this product at a discounted rate in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. However, the price I paid for the item in no way affects my evaluation of the quality of the product and I am not in any way required to write a positive review. I always provide my honest opinion of items I review, whether it’s negative or positive. [...] If you didn’t find it helpful, please feel free to comment and let me know what wasn’t helpful so I can do a better job of writing helpful reviews.