I am part of a small group of friends who are gadget enthusiasts. One of us was a cable TV technician for 20 years, before that a TV repairman who installed tower TV antenna systems. We find that the best indoor antennas tend to be inexpensive, about $14 tops. There are a lot of makers and retailers of "Amazing digital" indoor antennas that prove to be garbage and cost up to $130. We have tested dozens and in the end end up still recommending $4 RCA units sold by stores like Family Dollar and Dollar General. My favorite has been a no brand flat antenna made in China, sold by Big Lots for $14. With I pick up 9 to 11 digital & HD channels.
Every $30 plus unit I've found recommended by buyer comments, I've ended up returning as the Big Lots unit
did better. Then, I ordered the Leaf. I did expect some improvement given the many very high buyer ratings.
I was also thinking I may still end up returning it. 1st, I was sceptical. As one buyer here put it "it didn't
look like much". Paper thin and paper light sealed in plastic like my diver license. I thought "what the heck?
I paid $44 for this?" My first placements and tuner scanning I was unimpressed. Then, I read the sheet that
came with it. It says best results from positioning it cable down. Since it is in clear plastic and I recalled one buyer wrote she taped it up, I grabbed a thin tall box and taped the Leaf to the top of it so the cable could be at the bottom and hang down and I could move the box to make adjustments on the top of my entertainment system, which permits me to face the Leaf out a window.
This time when I ran scan channels I was floored. My TV tuner found 14 channels. I was seriously impressed when I actually sampled the channels. I got 19 channels and three more (two of them analog) that do not work well. I cannot wait to connect a low power in line amplifier. With that I am sure I will get 22 channels, all with an indoor antenna and I do not need to reposition it to get them all. I cannot wait to see what happens when I position the Leaf to pick up stations to the North of me. I live in Canton, Michigan, an hour from Toledo, Ohio. I would not have believed it if a neighbor told me he could get one Toledo channel with an indoor antenna. I am getting three! I am also getting Canada's CBC 9, an analogue channel.
NOTE. I find many times buyers blame on an antenna a fault I never see mentioned in "buyer reviews" of antennas. I am surprised neither antenna sellers or makers educated buyers about this very real possibility.
Not all tuners are the same, not all tuners in the same TV work properly. For instance, I bought a Haier 10" portable as a gift recently. When I tested it, the TV worked fine. I bought another one a week later as a gift.
The second Haier has a defective tuner. It finds only 2 to 3 channels with the same antenna and same locations and positions where I tested the first Haier I bought. The first TV found 9-11 channels and play them well, except for one or two. Also, the second tuner came up with different results each time I ran scan.
When you find your results with a high buyer rated antenna is poor, you want to make sure the problem isn't your tuner, not your antenna or your location, your house, etc. I point this out because people mention every possibility beginning with sorry antenna and including where their home is, walls in their home, etc., but NEVER suspect the tuner. Paper Thin Leaf Indoor HDTV Antenna - Made in the USA!
We ditched our cable last year for OTA signals and already had two antennas (purchased at the Blue and Yellow store) when I ordered the Mohu Leaf. The shipping was incredibly fast, the package was very simple, and the product installed in 5 seconds. Instantly, we went from receiving 15 channels with our previous antenna to receiving 23 channels with the Mohu Leaf. I'm glad I took the risk and tried it out...now my wife can be happy we get ABC again :)
Honestly, if you're looking for an antenna, this is the one to go with. It's more affordable than the ones at big retailers and it outperforms them. What else can you ask for? Oh yeah, the customer service is great. I personally spoke with the President of the company when I called to ask about the product before ordering.
Don't waste your time and money (like I did) thinking big retailers have the better option.
I live in the middle of nowhere. About 70 miles either way to the nearest broadcast antenna and between two mountains. Getting any over-the-air stations with an outdoor antenna is challenge enough, let alone an indoor antenna. I was frustrated that my satellite company didn't carry those cool new sub-channels some of the stations now have, like Antenna TV, so, short of climbing on my dangerous roof to give an antenna a whirl only to be probably disappointed, I tried about 5 different amplified indoor antennas that all raved how great they were. Not a single station. Zero. Zip. I had lost all hope that signals even existed in my remote valley. Websites like "antenna web" agreed. "No signals available in my area." That is until I read the reviews about the Mohu. It seemed too good to be true, but I am an electronics geek and like experimenting. Customer service is GREAT and the guy gave me tips for placement of the antenna upstairs near a window, etc. So the antenna comes the other day. I was expecting my usual "ZERO CHANNELS FOUND" message. I walked out of the room while it was scanning and come back in and there's Antenna TV playing. I almost passed out cold on the floor. This little paper-thin thing managed to get the Antenna TV affiliate from 70 miles away at my house between mountains. I moved the thing to the other window and got another 2 channels from another city 70 miles in the "other" direction. If you enjoy Bible stories, you'll appreciate this analogy: this thing can raise Lazarus from the dead! LOL I really thought no signals existed in my valley after trying antenna after antenna. How this thing works, I have no idea, but I'm looking forward to buying a cheap little amplifier and plugging it in and seeing if I get even more channels. Great product which does the unthinkable. Great customer service. And made in the USA. Now that should say something. Every other antenna I tried was of course made in China. - Indoor Antenna - Hdtv Antenna - Television - Made In The Usa'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
