Overview
The promise of a digital antenna really took on a new level when they started broadcasting HD channels for free several years back. This coincided with the need to adapt your TV for the new signals, or upgrade it to an HDTV. It’s always been possible to get channels for free using an antenna connected to your TV, but the quality has been so poor for so long that cable and satellite service has become the norm. Many begrudgingly pay their cable bill each month wishing there was a free or low cost alternative.
The Claim
The makers of the Clear TV say that it provides a better experience than what your satellite dish or cable provider can deliver. This is a tall order as in most cases cable and satellite beams crystal clear HD movies and TV shows non-stop.
The Hype
The hype comes from the idea of “free TV”, something people have been wanting for decades now. It’s along the same principle of paying the cable guy off in order to give you free movie channels. We all just want to watch TV without having to pay to do so. Since TV was originally broadcast and able to be received via an antenna, and the major networks still broadcast a signal for free, there’s the feeling like we’re entitled to free television, and not just PBS.
The Cost
You can get one Clear TV antenna for $28 or two for $36. The way they have this set up, you’d want to opt for the single option if you’re concerned at all that you won’t get the channels you think you will. That’s so if you return it you’ll
The Commitment
They say that you can watch HD channels for free, and hint that you don’t need to pay for cable or satellite in order to do so. In theory this would mean that you wouldn’t have to commit to the long-term contracts or high monthly payments of cable or satellite. Of course, it would really have to shine for this to be a possibility.
Evaluation
The feedback coming in on the Clear TV doesn’t really build a lot of confidence that it would work the way it is depicted in the video promo. The underlying feature being sold here is that you can get TV channels for free that you would otherwise have to pay for, meaning that you would be able to stop paying for shows, meaning that you would be able to discontinue your service for these shows. This is nothing new and not something they invented.
Keep in mind that when they say “hundreds” it’s in quotes, and they are saying you get “hundreds” of shows, not channels. By all accounts this is simply a digital HD antenna, and no better or worse than the kind you can readily buy at places like Radio Shack. They’re alright, but not nearly as good as what you get with cable or satellite, and with those services you can get hundreds of channels, not just hundreds of shows. If you’re counting actual shows it would be in the thousands.
Clear TV is getting our Risky Try rating, as there is no sign that this works well enough to buy it. Gauging from user response
you won’t be able to replace your cable or satellite dish with it, but it’s really important to do your research before buying it. It could happen that you’re in a part of town that picks up plenty of channels and they’re all clear. The more rural you get the more likely you won’t be able to get much of anything with this.Our Recommendation
At this time cable and satellite are still the best options you have for crystal clear viewing of both major networks as well as the premium networks. One way to try to sidestep these services is to get something like Netflix or Hulu Plus, as well as a digital antenna like this one so that you can still watch the most basic of chanels for big sports games. Of course that only works if you live in an area that is able to pick up those broadcasts.
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View Comments
I Have clear tv antenna .How do I scan the tv.What channel I go I use a universal remote control. I don't. have cable no more. what do I do first after I turn the tv on
electronics technician for 54 years here. I find it beyond belief that nobody here started their post with "XX miles to the TV tower hill..."
without this information the reviews are meaningless
no, I don't have one of these. 91.39 miles to the TV tower hill. Radio Shack VHF/UHF antenna at eye height, with a 15 db CATV amplifier inside. 12 channels that I watch; one shows all of the Star Trek series in order, with the episodes in order within the series.
This is a true waste of your hard, earned, money! It only gets 3 channels where I live. The whole commerical is a pack of lies! Don't make them richer, save your money!
I'm trying to find out what channels you get I know like NBC and all that but do u get like USA and stuff like that
i am trying to get in touch with custamer service because i been over charged by 60.95 i just order the 14.99 package i want know why i was charged so much
I use the indoor free TV antenna and it works great Good picture and about 20 channels. I do have to move it around at times because the signal gets weak. I tries two antennas yesterday and it works even better. I am happy with this product.
I cant get any local stations on my tv in my bedroom the one in the living room works fine but I cant get any local news programs or anything I have it in the window I have rescanned and scanned over and over and it still will not pick them up I just want to get my local programs in my room as well
No such thing as a "digital antenna". All antennas simply intercept radio frequency (RF) waves which are analog signals radiated from broadcast stations. Some antennas are better than others - generally speaking, the more complex the antenna, the higher its gain and the greater the RF signal power it will intercept. The ability to receive an acceptable signal level (and therefore a good picture) depends on a number of factors including the broadcast station's effective transmitted power, your distance to the transmitter, the type of terrain between the broadcasting antenna and yours, and the gain of the your receiving antenna. Bottom line - if your reception of television stations (before the change over to a digitally modulated waveform) was poor (snowy picture because the broadcast station may have been too far from you) I doubt things will improve - with the new digital waveform you will likely either get a reasonably good picture or none at all - the days of snowy pictures are over. All of this discussion is an oversimplification, but the bottom line is that, all things being equal, nothing will replace a high gain directional antenna mounted as high above the ground as possible.
Any television antenna will work, including ClearTV's. Using a 50's type outdoor antenna (retrieved from an 80-yr old relative's house) in the attic pointed at the local TV towers, crystal clear uncompressed 5.1 (sound) digital signals are rec'd, about 25 channels in a medium market, some great ones not on cable. Using a matching transformer (cheap, available at hardwares, Lowes, & RadioShack) the existing cable cables are connected to the matching transformer & then the in-house cable jacks are used. So, yes, this should work, tho' it's necessary to get a good signal. Most newer sets will indicate signal strength on an on-screen "page." The NAB website offers some good tips & there are sites that show signal strength & antenna orientation based on an address & Google maps. If you don't absolutely require Disney or ESPN, pretty much everything else is available to stream from Netflix, Amazon, & some others. Will never have cable/Uverse again. Never, saving a small fortune.
well, my mom just got me this and i was very skeptical, so i tried it and i actually got 40 channels! i got mostly digital channels and i got a few HD channels! it works great! i have my area main channels and some worship channels and a few Spanish channels, i really like it because i canceled my cable and now i can watch some channels for free! i would say get this product and get netflix and you are set! no more high bills!