This $6 antenna changed how I watched TV

With the rising costs of streaming services, it’s led me down a different path to look for savings where I can find them. It’s not easy as plenty of channels are locked behind specific platforms, so there’s been a lot of research trying to figure out what I need and what I don’t need.

My research eventually led me to consider picking up an indoor antenna. I was under the impression that indoor antennas couldn’t possibly work, but I decided to roll the dice on a Best Buy Essentials antenna for $6 thanks to an open-box deal and a $10 coupon. Even at full price, it’s $20, so it’s not like it’s anything that would break the bank. Once it arrived, I got it placed high up on my wall and hoped for the best. As it turns out, it works far better than I could’ve imagined, and it could end up saving me a good amount of money in the long run.

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Best Buy Essentials Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna

The Best Buy Essentials Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna lets you access free channel broadcasts without having to pay for a cable package.

Pros

Affordable
Good coverage and range
Not an eyesore

Cons

Cord isn’t detachable
No DVR

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Price, availability, and specs

Very affordable for anyone

Though I got it on sale for $6, even at $20 at full price, the Best Buy Essentials indoor antenna is a good pick up for anybody looking to cut the cord and get some free channels. Any modern HDTV should have a way to connect to the antenna, but make sure you double-check and see if you have a coaxial cable port — this isn’t a set of rabbit ears.

The range varies by model, so while 35 miles is fine for me, you need to make sure it’s fine for you before spending money. It varies by where you live and how far away the towers are from you. If you’re in a major city, you’re probably fine, but that’s not how it works for rural folks.

This antenna comes in weighing less than a pound, and it’s held up by double-sided tape, and you could likely use command strips if you want. The device itself is a flimsy piece of plastic, but it’s not a huge deal since it’s going to stick on your wall and be out of the way of anything else. It comes with a coaxial cable, but it’s annoyingly permanently attached, so you’re limited to wherever your 10-foot cord takes you.

Best Buy Essentials Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna

Dimensions: 11.7″ x 8.3″
Connectivity Technology: Coaxial Cable
Brand: Best Buy Essentials
Weight: 0.6 pounds
Maximum Range: 35 miles

What I like about the Best Buy Essentials Indoor Antenna

A bigger selection of channels than I thought

Admittedly, I’m in a great market for an indoor antenna considering I live in a big city. The one I picked up claimed to have a 35-mile range, but the towers are far closer to me than that, so it’s a lot of overkill. However, I’d rather be safe than sorry. It also picks up both VHF and UHF signals, very high frequency and ultra high frequency respectively, so no station is off limits.

I have no problem picking up local stations like NBC and FOX, but what surprised me was how much extra came with the antenna. I have access to Cozi TV, Court TV, a movie channel, and HSN if I’m ever in the mood to sit around and watch some products being sold. As somebody who just expected local TV stations, this was a lot more than I expected.

A cool part of it being an indoor antenna is the fact I can place it in my living room and not have to worry about it a whole lot. It’s just a square-shaped piece of plastic, and while you might think that could become an eyesore, it hasn’t been my experience, especially in a dark room. It’s reversible too, so you can pick between white or black for your wall.

For many antennas, you want to experiment with the best location and get near a window if you can. That’s not going to be possible for many people who pick up this particular Best Buy Essentials antenna, but it hasn’t been a dealbreaker for me.

The package came with a few sets of double-sided tape that made it easy to stick on the back of the antenna and place it where I wanted it to. Make sure you put it in a spot you don’t plan on moving it from because it might mean you have to get more tape as it’s never as sticky as it was on the first use. You don’t have extras, and my open-box antenna came with just two pieces as it is, so it was important for me to set it and forget it. Unfortunately, moving the antenna around might be something you have to do anyway, because you want your antenna in a spot where your TV can scan for the most channels possible at the best signal quality.

My Sony Bravia X90J had no issues scanning for channels, and the entire process only took a matter of minutes. It’s so foolproof that people of all ages shouldn’t have an issue getting anything set up, provided your TV has the built-in capabilities. Since I’m in an urban area, it’s less of a problem, but you’ll want to check out the FCC website to find out what stations you can get before you buy the antenna. If you live somewhere rural, you’ll likely have far less coverage.

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What I don’t like about the Best Essentials Indoor Antenna

This won’t replace cable

While having local stations is nice, there are still some clear downsides. The big one is many of the stations don’t broadcast in HD, and a good chunk are in 480p. ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX have 1080p broadcasts, and there’s even surround sound included with some of the channels, but outside that, it’s mostly low-quality viewing. If you’re picking up an antenna to watch football each week, it’s a big money-saver since you’ll get good picture quality, but it’s not very helpful outside of that, unless you want crystal-clear local news.

I touched on it earlier, but connection problems could end up being a big head-scratcher. Although I’m well within the range of CBS, I often get a choppy connection to the channel, so if I want to catch the NFL game being aired or catch up on Survivor, it’s a difficult task. The results vary from person to person, but this isn’t a problem that YouTube TV, Fubo, or regular cable has.

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Should you buy the Best Buy Essentials Indoor Antenna?

Different strokes for different folks

Pocket-lint / Google / YouTube

While the antenna hasn’t replaced the need for YouTube TV, Fubo, or whatever service you’re using, it’s been nice to have it around. I haven’t gotten around to trying it out, but having a service such as Sling TV, a streaming service that keeps its price lower than the competition by omitting local stations, would be a nice complement to an antenna. Sling with all of its channels costs $61 since the price hike, and since the antenna is a one-time purchase, there’s a lot of money that can be saved over the long run. It’s something I plan on trying out for a month soon, and if the quality of Sling is acceptable, I’ll be a happy camper.

Somebody who doesn’t have any sort of cable access can benefit greatly from an antenna, whether it’s a Best Buy Essentials one or not. It’s not something you’d use to keep up with House of the Dragon or Stranger Things, but it doesn’t set out to do that. If you want a cheap and effective way to stay up to date on your local stations, and you live in an area with solid coverage, then you’ll get a lot of value out of an antenna. You’ll get even more bang for your buck if you can snag one for $6 like I was able to do. The important thing is grabbing one with the appropriate amount of range. In my case, 35 miles is plenty, but that won’t be the same for everyone.

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