An antenna so thin, you just stick it on your wall

I’m always surprised at how many people don’t realize you can pick up your local channels (think ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, FOX) in full high definition (when broadcasted) with nothing more than an antenna. The only requirements are that you have a television with a digital tuner—which almost any television sold in the past 5-10 years does—and you have to be within a reasonable distance of the television station’s broadcast towers.

The only hard part about the whole setup is figuring out which antenna to get. Well, after using the 1byone HDTV antenna for a few weeks now, I can tell you it’s a no-brainer.

The 1byone HDTV antenna comes in several flavors, based mainly on its range. They offer antennas with 25, 35, 45 and 50 mile ranges each increasing slightly in price. I tested the 50 mile range version which runs right around $37 on Amazon as of this writing.

Before and after

The television I connected the 1byone HDTV antenna to is in my basement so I figured if it works in my basement, it will work anywhere else in my house. Here’s a shot of my television setup when I tried to scan over the air (OTA) channels before I connected the antenna.

And here’s the same shot after I connected the 1byone HDTV antenna.

Thin to win

Besides being ridiculously simple to set up (connect cable to television and plug in the power adapter), I love the design of the 1byone HDTV antenna. It’s only 0.03″ thick which allows you to just stick it to a window or wall with the included 3M adhesives. But you’re not limited to a wall. You can set it flat on a table or lean it against something. Or, you can buy a version of it that comes with a stand. Your choice. I just stuck it to the wall and called it a day.

If having a thin black rectangle on your wall isn’t your thing, 1byone claims you can just draw write on the antenna itself to make a design that more closely matches your decor. I didn’t do this but they clearly show this being done on the side of the box.

Recommendation

I found absolutely nothing I didn’t like about this antenna. And honestly, if you had asked me to guess the price before I saw it, I would have guessed over $100. And at just $37, I don’t see any reason not to go with the 50 mile range 1byone HDTV antenna.

Note: The 1byone HDTV antenna mentioned above was provided to me at no cost or a discounted cost in exchange for my unbiased review. It can be purchased on Amazon.com.