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Updated on Mar 28, 2023

Best Antenna for Older TV: Reviews and Top Pick

Best Antenna for Older TV:Reviews and Top Pick

Are you annoyed by the fact that your old TV can only play a few channels? 

There is a product that can help you solve the above problem: TV antenna.
Yes, a TV antenna can achieve the same effect as a network TV, or even better
TV antennas can search for many high-definition channels, which are not affected by the Internet and can be watched for free.

If you want to buy a TV antenna, read this article. We'll recommend 3 great TV antennas for your older TV. Don't miss out!

Will TV Antenna Work on Older TV?

You must be wondering:
Will TV Antenna Work on Older TV?
Yes.
And there is an easy way to check if the TV antenna you buy works on your old TV. Check the back of your TV to see if there is a place to plug in a TV antenna. This port is called "F connector," and it's used to attach a TV antenna.
If you can connect the TV antenna to your old TV successfully, the TV antenna will work to boost your television signal as expected.

What to Consider Before Buying an Antenna for Older TV?

There is one more question to consider: what should you consider before buying a TV antenna? 
The more you know about the product, the more likely you are to buy the product that is right for you. Therefore, we propose 4 key factors to consider to help you understand the TV antenna.
1. Coverage
The coverage of an antenna indicates how far the antenna can receive broadcast tower signals. The farther the acceptable distance for the TV antenna, the more TV programming you can get.
2. Image quality
Older cable TVs struggle to receive programming in HD quality. But a TV antenna can deliver a high-definition picture to your old TV.
3. Channel content
TV Antenna can search most of the well-known TV channels in the United States. Local programming has a lot to do with where you are in the area, and being closer to a big city with more broadcast towers means more channels to see.
4. Quality
TV antennas are divided into indoor and outdoor. If you plan to mount it on a wall or window in your home, a regular indoor antenna will do just fine. But if you are too far away from the broadcast tower and have to install it on the roof or other outdoor places, then you'd better choose a hard outdoor antenna to resist the erosion of bad weather.

3 Best Antenna for Older TV:Reviews and Top Picks

Trying to choose a good TV antenna may bring you a whole new experience of watching TV.
If you are confused by so many TV antennas on the market, you can check out these 3 products:

EX Amplifier Digital Antenna

EX Amplifier Digital Antenna

Free Access To At Least 120 TV Channels: We were surprised to find at least 120 TV Channels on several old TVs using EX Amplifier. These programs include the most mainstream channels in the United States, such as NBC, FOX, ABC, and other popular brands, as well as some local sports and entertainment channels.
80-150 Miles Signal Range: To test the EX amp's ability to pick up signal range, we placed it in several places 120 miles+ from the broadcast tower. The environments in these places are different, but the same thing is that it can still search for the signal of the broadcast tower and is very stable.
1080P HD Crystal-Clear TV: In the test, the programs searched by EX Amplifier are all 1080P. The clarity of the picture is so high that you can see the pores on the faces of people in the TV picture clearly.
Frequently Sell Out: EX Amplifier performed well in the test but only sold for $39.00. So it is often out of stock. If you want to buy it, don't hesitate!

Goxis TV Antenna

Goxis TV Antenna

200 Miles Long Range: Goxis surprised us with its performance in the search range test. A typical TV antenna has a range of 50+ miles, but when we put the Goxis 200 miles away from the broadcast tower, it can still find the signal, which is quite remarkable.
Easy connection to older TVs: Goxis is easy to install without cumbersome steps and also very friendly to old TVs.
Reception power fails unexpectedly: Although it has a large signal search range, the signal will be disconnected from time to time. During the test, you need to constantly search for channels manually.
Overpriced: Goxis is $159.99, which is very expensive among TV antennas. If you don't have enough budget, you can choose other products that are cheaper and perform well enough, such as EX Amplifier.

Winegard FL5500A FlatWave Amped

Winegard FL5500A FlatWave Amped

Stable reception: Winegard's ability to receive signals was very stable during the test period. Even in bad weather, it can still provide a stable signal to the old TV.
Amplified and rated for 50+ miles: In the test, the signal range that Winegard can receive is about 50 miles, which is enough for general urban residents. It may be affected if your family lives far from the broadcast tower.
Difficult instruction manual: When installing Winegard, we found that its manual was more complicated than other products, which caused us to spend more time installing it. This is not very friendly to most seniors.
Fewer TV channels: Winegard can search for less than 30 channels on older TVs. Both mainstream TV and local programs can be watched, but the types are relatively single.

Top Pick: EX Amplifier Digital Antenna

 
EX Amplifier
Goxis
Winegard
Signal Range
80-150 Miles 
200 Miles
50+ miles
Number of searchable channels
At Least 120 TV Channels
80-100 Channels
20-40 Channels
Stability
good 
bad
good
price
$39.00
$159.99
$57.64

According to the above comparative analysis, EX Amplifier became our first recommended product.

In terms of signal coverage, Goxis is the best. Next is EX Amplifier with 80-150 miles of coverage, and Winegard with 50 miles of coverage. But for most users, the coverage of EX Amplifier is more than enough.
In terms of channel count, EX Amplifier can search around 120 channels. Goxis is slightly behind in terms of channel count but adequate. Winegard's channel search ability is not ideal, only 30 or so.
In terms of stability, both EX Amplifier and Winegard performed very well. The stability of Goxis is poor, and there will be irregular disconnections, affecting the user experience.
To sum up, by comparing different aspects, we can see that EX Amplifier is the best TV antenna.

Other FAQs

How to Connect a TV Antenna to an Older TV?

Here are the steps to hooking up an antenna for your older TV:
1. Plug the TV antenna's coaxial cable into the TV's "F-connector" port.
2. Find the TV settings menu for connection settings.
3. Look for the "Wireless" or "AirTV" option in the settings, and then select "Scan Channels".
4. It will take 10 to 15 minutes to scan channels, please wait patiently.
5. After scanning, you will enjoy rich HD TV programs.

What If My TV Doesn't Have a Port for an Antenna?

What if your TV doesn't have an antenna port?
Don't worry. Even without an antenna port, you still have a chance to watch free over-the-air channels.

First, check if your TV has an HDMI port, which can connect a TV tuner OTA DVR. OTA DVRs usually have a digital TV tuner as well as a port for a TV antenna.
You should see red and yellow A/V cable output ports if your TV doesn't have an HDMI port. In this case, you can purchase a digital TV converter box. The converter box has a tuner and a TV antenna port, which solves the problem that your TV cannot be connected to the TV antenna.

Last updated on Mar 28, 2023
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