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The latest Tablo news along with tips to maximize your free TV experience. 

HDTV OTA Antenna Buyer’s Guide

One of the first steps in getting free Over-the-Air TV is finding an antenna. Today’s digital HDTV Over-the-Air (OTA) antennas are not like the rabbit ears of old so keep your tinfoil for wrapping last night’s leftovers. Modern antennas deliver perfectly crisp picture quality in full HD and come in a variety of form factors and prices.

*** See an updated version of this post ***

OTA Antenna Style Options:

HDTV antennas cost approximately $20 to $200 and come in several different form factors:

  • Flat antennas – Are placed indoors, usually affixed to windows or walls
  • Table-top antennas – Are small and placed indoors on a flat surface
  • Attic mount antennas – Are mounted within your home’s attic
  • Roof mount/outdoor antennas – Are mounted on the outside of your home, either on the roof or another structure like a pole or tower
  • DIY versions – Some folks are even “MacGyver”-ing their own antennas from plans on the internet like this one and this one

Tablo antenna styles

Indoor antennas are best for those living in urban areas, nearest to the broadcast towers. If you live in the suburbs or the country, further away from the broadcast towers, the more likely it is that you’ll need to move up to an attic or roof mount option which are also more expensive.

Many antenna manufacturers (like Winegard, Mohu and AntennasDirect) offer searchable databases or 1-800 help lines to help you choose which of their products is best for your area.

Amplified or Unamplified?

One way for antennas to overcome size or height disadvantages is to use electronic amplification. Signal amplifiers are either built in (many indoor antennas already include this) or can be separate devices installed between the antenna and your Tablo. If you live in the suburbs or beyond, you should definitely look at an amplified antenna.

Uni-Directional or Multi/Omni-Directional?

A big part of capturing the most channels possible with your antenna is knowing where your local broadcast towers are located. If they’re clustered together you can point a uni-directional antenna at the broadcast tower source and you should receive a strong signal.

However, in some locations there may be multiple broadcast towers in different parts of the city for different broadcasters. For example, those living along the border may try to pick up signals from towers located in the United States and Canada to get the widest channel selection. In order to get both sets of stations, you’d need an omni-directional antenna which can ‘see’ both North and South at the same time.

Now that you know more about antenna styles, next time we’ll cover where to place the antenna within your home. Stay tuned

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How to restart your phone/tablet

Sometimes, just restarting your smartphone or tablet can clear up issues with apps. The links below will provide detailed instructions on how to force close your Tablo app. 

Apple iPhone

Android smartphones 

Most Android smartphones and tablets can be restarted by holding the POWER button and then selecting RESTART or POWER OFF and RESTART from the POWER OPTIONS menu.

NOTE: Newer Samsung devices require you to hold the POWER/SIDE button and VOLUME DOWN to make the POWER OPTIONS menu appear. On the Google Pixel 6, hold the POWER and VOLUME UP buttons.

How to force close your Tablo app?

Sometimes, just restarting the app can fix things. The links below will provide detailed instructions on how to force close your Tablo app. 

Apple iPhone/iPad

Android smartphones/tablets 

Need help with the final steps?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.  Follow the steps in the video below for a full walkthrough of the remaining parts of the Tablo setup process.

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Getting your channels...

You can get channels for free!
( over-the-air channels and streaming channels )

This is an estimate only. Actual broadcast TV channels received may vary based on TV antenna location, reception, topography, and other obstructions. Streaming channels require an internet connection. View the Channel Details Report for specifics of each channel and to help determine what antenna is needed. 

Reception alert:  Based upon the location you entered, you may not get many of the major networks.  As a result, Tablo may not be the best fit for you.  Please enter your full address above for best accuracy. 

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