Today’s question comes from Kevin who says, “We’ve been using Tablo with an indoor antenna in our living room window for a year. We recently had new windows installed and when we put the TV antenna back up, the reception was terrible. We moved it to a nearby wall which helped but it’s still not great. Why is this happening and how can we fix it?”
Placing indoor TV antennas in a window facing your local broadcast towers is a common recommendation. In most cases, this will provide an ideal and unobstructed line-of-sight ensuring your TV antenna can capture a strong over-the-air signal.
However, some windows are manufactured or treated with a thin metallic membrane for energy efficiency. Unfortunately, that membrane will also block over-the-air TV signals.
Alternative TV Antenna Placement Options
If you think your window is causing TV antenna reception issues, there are alternative placements you can try, including:
- On a Wall Inside Your Home
If your home’s walls are made of wood, vinyl siding and drywall, over-the-air TV signals may be able to reach your TV antenna at reduced strength. However, walls made of metal, brick, concrete or stucco will block most if not all antenna TV signals, requiring a different approach.
- On a Window Outside of Your Home
If your TV antenna is also rated for outdoor use, you can simply swap your inside mounting position to outside the window. An accessory called a flat coaxial connector makes this super easy, allowing you to pass the antenna’s coaxial cable through a closed window or patio door. No tools required!
- In Your Attic
If your home doesn’t have a metal roof or a radiant heat barrier, your attic is another location to consider. This option keeps your antenna out of sight, safe from the elements and avoids a trip to the roof. However, to make up for the reduction in signal strength caused by your roofing materials and a longer coaxial cable run to your Tablo, an upgrade to a more powerful TV antenna may be necessary.
- Other Outdoor Locations
If a DIY or professional roof-mount installation isn’t in the cards, there are other choices to consider for outdoor-rated TV antenna placement. Balconies, decks or even clothesline poles are easily accessed and may provide excellent line-of-sight to your local broadcast towers. Combined with a flat coaxial connector, installation can be quite simple.
Have a question about watching TV that you’d like answered? Send us a note and you may see your question on the Tablo blog and in an upcoming issue of our newsletter, Stay Tuned!
