The quality of your over-the-air (OTA) signal reception is highly dependent on location, so it's worth taking the time to discover the best installation spot for your TV antenna.
The ideal location for your antenna within your home may not be near your TV but instead on the roof of your garage, in your attic, in a bedroom window or on a balcony.
Keep These Considerations in Mind
Height
The most critical factor for TV antenna placement is height. The higher you can get the antenna, either inside or outside of your home, the better your TV reception will be.
For outdoor TV antennas, the best locations are on your roof or garage. If your attic is accessible, and you don’t have a radiant heat barrier or metal roof, you can try installing an outdoor TV antenna within your attic.
Alternatively, a balcony or other outdoor space can be a great location to install your TV antenna, especially for those living in condos or apartments.
If you don’t feel comfortable installing an outdoor antenna yourself, do not do so. A quick online search can connect you with a local TV antenna installation expert.
Flat coaxial cable is available for purchase which makes it easy to thread the antenna’s cabling through a window or door.
Indoor TV antennas are easier to position and install and are designed to blend into your decor, such as near a window or patio door. If your home has multiple stories, an upstairs window is preferable. However, be sure to avoid windows or doors with metallic mesh coverings or reflective coatings as these can block the TV signals.
Antenna Direction
Over-the-Air TV antennas perform best when they face the source of the signals - your local broadcast towers.
Choose a window or outdoor location with a view towards the towers, free from obstructions.
Omni-directional or flat-panel TV antennas don’t necessarily need to be precisely aimed, but you may see slight improvements by playing with the positioning by a few inches or a few feet. Using a compass can be helpful when pointing directional TV antennas.
As you make small directional adjustments, remember to use the 'rescan’ option within the SETTINGS screen of the Tablo menu to help find the best spot for the strongest signal for the TV channels you want most.
Distributing OTA TV Antenna Signals
If the best place to put your antenna isn’t near your TV (or DVR), there are a few options to get your TV antenna signal from point A to point B, each with its own benefits and drawbacks.
Option A – Run New Coax Cable
You can get a spool of coaxial cable and run it from your antenna to your TV or DVR. However, this could require drilling holes in walls and the cable could end up being in the way.
The longer the coaxial cable run between your TV antenna and the tuner (either on your TV or your Tablo DVR), the more likely it is that your OTA signal will degrade. There are, however, a number of attachments that can be added to your antenna setup in order to improve reception quality. For example, attenuators, amplifiers, filters, etc. you can read more about these accessories here.
Option B – Reuse Existing Coax Cable
If you’ve recently had satellite or cable TV, you may be able to reuse the existing wiring to connect your antenna and your TV or DVR. However, you’ll still see some signal degradation, especially if you don’t terminate unused endpoints.
Option C – Distribute TV Signals Over Your Wi-Fi Network
With the 4th Generation Tablo DVR, you can put your TV antenna virtually anywhere in your home and use your home Wi-Fi network to distribute the OTA TV signals.
Network-based distribution enables a single antenna to deliver video and audio to every screen in your home while avoiding running a coax cable everywhere. It also provides the option to add services like an on-screen TV guide and DVR, replicating a cable or satellite TV experience without the hefty monthly costs.