When searching for a TV antenna to add to your home entertainment setup, you want a product that will give you the best quality for an affordable price. After all, the main benefit of installing a TV antenna is access to as many free TV and movie options as possible.
A TV antenna is a device that allows you to watch free, over-the-air TV channels. It works by picking up the signals broadcast from TV towers and converting them into a format your TV can understand.
But which antenna is best? With growing demand for more affordable viewing options, many TV antennas are available on the market. Maybe you feel you don’t have enough tech savvy to decide which antenna to buy.
Our mission is to help readers make educated decisions to improve their TV programming options without breaking their budgets. That’s why we have broadcast engineers test a range of products to narrow down the overwhelming choices available from retailers.
Finding a powerful antenna can make the difference between a wide-ranging viewing experience and frustration if you live in a rural area. You need something to pick up a signal from towers at least 40 to 50 miles away.
Our experts listed the Marathon Plus TV antenna as one of their top choices for rural TV households.
There are two main types of TV antennas: indoor and outdoor. Indoor antennas are typically smaller and less expensive than outdoor antennas, but they may not be as effective at picking up weak signals. Outdoor antennas are typically larger and more expensive but can provide better reception in areas with weak signals.
According to the packaging, the Marathon Plus antenna can be used indoors or outdoors. Our expert team tested the product in three locations: indoors on the main floor, in the attic, and outdoors.
In all three locations, the Marathon Plus TV antenna exceeded the testers’ predictions for channel reception:
- Indoors (main floor): 96 out of 67 predicted channels
- Indoors (attic): 79 out of 67 predicted channels
- Outdoors: 107 out of 67 predicted channels
The testing data showed the antenna could receive signals from towers up to 110 miles away and still “bring crystal-clear reception throughout [the] whole house, covering multiple TVs with just one antenna.”
The installation process is easy no matter where you decide to set up the Marathon Plus TV antenna. A one-cord connection and simple mounting indoors or outdoors will connect you in no time to many of your favorite programs.
This antenna is one of the more expensive options available on the market. However, because of its power and ability to connect to multiple TVs, our experts believe the one-time investment is worth the higher price. You can get the Marathon One TV antenna from Amazon for $170.10 or FreeSignal TV for $189.
Once you get your new digital TV antenna set up, make sure you don’t miss a single moment of your favorite TV shows by picking up the new Tablo, a smart device that will take your free OTA TV experience to the next level. This plug-and-play technology provides DVR capability to your TV, a unified program guide and free streaming channels that require no subscription.
