Philips High Performance Amplified Indoor Uhf/Vhf/Fm/HDTV Antenna Reviews

• High Perfomance is true.

  
  By A108XABRHAA9E7 on 2007-06-12
  I'm a first timer at getting OTA HDTV. This has been an experiment in progress for the past 5 weeks. I have gone through four antennas (they are all here as I write this) before finding something that's satisfactory (rather than tolerable).
  
  I live around 25 miles from Manhattan, where the towers of most TV stations are located. I am also aware of the directional information from [...], and have experimented accordingly with its effects on reception. My apartment's windows all face north, while the signals all comes from southwest. I cannot get signals from where it comes from, and thus needed to get signals from deflections perhaps off nearby buildings and trees. It's a very poor circumstance for over-the-air reception, maybe just slightly better than being underground. Signals are weak, and are affected by weather. Stormy and windy days have shown effects at disrupting signal reception.
  
  With this said, and without going into much detail, let's talk about the antennas. Now all these antenna have been tested with the same equipment, setup, directional adjustments, location, etc. etc. and have been tested through good an foul weather, day and night, to observe differences.
  
  1.Terk HDTVa Terk HDTVa Indoor Amplified High-Definition Antenna for Off-Air HDTV Reception- After reading some rave reviews and high ratings at [...], log periodic types (looks like a fishbone) seems to be the way to go. I got the Terk HDTVa first, thinking that the amplification and VHF antenna should nail my reception problems at the start. However, after more than two weeks of fidgeting around ad nauseam (directions, locations, amplifications, different devices, etc.), I only managed to pick up two ATSC channels' signals, and even those don't have strong enough signals to display anything. I thought maybe it's just my poor location, and that I should probably give up on the attempt. The included in-line amplifier dongle doesn't work at all. Powering it on makes no difference in signal strength readings, which hovered around 5-10%.
  
  It is well built, looks nice, good concepts, but it just didn't work.
  
  2.Phlips PHDTV1 Philips PHDTV1 Digital HDTV-UHF Indoor Antenna- The venerated "silver sensor" which was previously sold under the Zenith brand also had great ratings and reviews. It's in fact nearly legendary. I decided, in desperation, to try it out, even if it doesn't have amplification. It seems all my local HD channels are in UHF anyway, so I won't miss the VHF dipoles.
  
  The unit has startlingly poorer build quality compared to the Terk. It has paint bubbles, hairs and dusts trappings in the paint, sharp edged cheap plastics and much thinner metal blades that's covered in oil and has some dings and bendings. I wasn't impressed with the quality, and didn't expect much from it as I set it up.
  
  To my surprise, it picked up 9 working channels (note: the terk got two channels' signals, but they didn't work) from the start, even if it's randomly placed. It's thrilling as it was the first time I saw OTA HDTV. After some adjustment and location experiments, I was able to receive 19 channels. However, not all of these channels work well given the same direction.
  
  The directionally sensitive antenna needs to be adjusted as I switch channels. e.g. NBC and CBS seems to work well in one direction, while ABC has its own favorite direction, which works also with FOX. I tried as best as possible to find a compromise point where everything works. I couldn't. It just needs to be adjusted constantly.
  
  The transmission is often dogged by reception fluctuations. Signal quality tend to fluctuate quite a bit, especially affected by weather. That means the TV playback would get choppy at times, with its severity dependent on the direction I point the antenna at. I didn't think fluctuating signals was a characteristic until I tried the latter two antennas later. I also found that I had to constantly play with the directional positioning to get a stable signal from each of the stations.
  
  It works, and I was impressed, but then in retrospect it could only be best described as a "tolerable" HDTV experience as I struggled for a smooth signal delivery.
  
  3.RCA ANT111 Basic Indoor Antenna- While shopping in stores, I saw this basic and classic RCA loop/dipole antenna for less than $[...]. I couldn't resist the temptation to try it out, just for the heck of it. It is also a different type of antenna than the previous two.
  
  Again, I was surprised. This cheap antenna worked well, especially considering how it's only a fraction of the price of the two I'd tried. I ended up getting 17 channels, a few less than the PHDTV1, with the same location and setup. Some channels also don't work, even if signals were detected. The quality of the signals seems to be the key.
  
  So what's so special about it? It strangely had better signal delivery for the channels that worked. It's not as choppy, and quality level is very steady. It is also not as affected by directional positioning. I was for the first time able to view FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC without adjusting the antenna. However, the lack of directionality also makes it ambiguous when I lost the signal. It seems that there's no "favorite direction" for the channels, which also means I can't pull in stronger signals at my choosing. It is also quite susceptible to weather changes, particularly wind (which probably affected signals reflected by trees?)
  
  The signal strength also seems to be a little weaker, though the signal quality tend to be higher in general. That probably contributed to the smoother video delivery. It also tempted me to get a similar design that has amplification.
  
  4.Philips MANT510 Philips High Performance Amplified Indoor Uhf/ Vhf/ Fm Antenna- This unit has a "digital TV optimized, patent pending UHF panel array". I thought I'd try it out just for the slightly different antenna design, if not just for the adjustable amplification.
  
  Well, it works, and works quite well. The antenna doesn't work without power, and with amplification turned off it works a little less than unpowered PHDTV1 and ANT111. Yet with the amplification turned on, I get 24 channels, with strength up to 81% (compared to 3-10% unamplified, and quality consistently above 60 and usually in the 70-90%+. That generates the most reliable video delivery of all the ones tried.
  
  While thunderstorms still managed to distrupt signals, it's much less often and only momentarily. I also don't have to worry about hunting for signals as I just point it in one general direction and I get everything but three NJN channels (they are even further from here.. maybe a good 50 miles).
  
  I finally can just set the antenna and forget it. It lets me focus on the programming rather than antenna adjustment. While it needs to be powered, it gives me the confidence to finally enjoy HDTV, rather than tweaking and tolerating it. It's good enough that I can probably stop searching. I hope it'll be helpful to you who may be going through the same purchasing decision nausea as I have.
  
  

• This is well worth a try (it works for me!).

  
  By A26FTO9SN9PPYW on 2006-10-28
  Since the early nineties, I've bought and owned four "amplified antennas" (i.e., what I myself call "electrified rabbit ears"). One was from Radio Shack; one is by RCA; and my two most recent ones are by Philips. All the aforementioned products worked well enough to satisfy me.
  
  In addition to this "silvery" (and presumably "top-of-the-line") MANT510 model, I have Philips' "bottom-of-the-line" ("basic black") MANT310 model, which functions virtually as well but which is neither as stylish nor (arguably) as operationally convenient due to its single "rotary" knob that doubles as the "power" switch and as the "signal-amplification adjustor". By contrast, this model MANT510 has: two "pushbuttons" for adjusting signal amplification; and a "sliding switch" (located on its rear panel) for switching it on or off.
  
  In addition to adjusting the signal amplification (via two side-by-side pushbuttons in conjunction with five, red LED lights) you can, of course, simply reposition the two VHF dipoles and/or the UHF element. Moreover, you may often find that by simply "rotating" the entire unit (base) at least 90 degrees, you will significantly improve reception of certain channels.
  
  With essentially ANY of these "amplified antenna" products, you can't necessarily or realistically expect "perfect" reception of ALL channels in your particular region. Much will depend on the unique characteristics of your location (i.e., not merely your "street address" but also specifically where you locate the antenna within your home).
  
  Thus, probably the best thing to do is to hang onto your sales receipt while you TRY this (or any comparable) model to see if it actually produces video reception that is substantially better (than via non-amplified "rabbit ears") and, at very least, acceptable to your sensibilities.
  
  For me, the "bottom line" is that, by using such an amplified antenna as this, I'm able to save hundreds of dollars annually (versus paying the cable or satellite people). Thus do I receive all the TV programming I really need, and the money saved can be allocated to sundry other pastimes than that of "playing the couch potato"!
  
  

• An improvement of the PHD TV3

  
  By A2AV7Q95QGPTO0 on 2007-07-07
  At $500 per year for basic cable, the financial argument for buying an antenna is compelling if you're not a cable junkie. So the issue is which one to buy.
  
  We live in a reception hollow about 15 miles from most of the local station antennas. This antenna improved reception for all of the stations in the area when compared with our old PHD TV3, especially major network affiliates, but was weak on independent stations. (Prior to that, we had a Terk, which was the worst of the bunch).
  
  Philips seems to be oblivious to the fact that a lot of people who buy indoor antennas place them in the attic or some other enclosed space. The instructions for this antenna tell you to set the rabbit ears straight vertical for channels 2 - 6, and horizontal for VHF channels above 6. The latter is difficult, if not impossible, in an enclosed space.
  
  So we just set them straight up, which worked fine for all VHF channels except 7, a marked improvement over the PHD TV3.
  
  UHF reception, on the other hand, is somewhat worse. But we don't watch much UHF.
  
  The gain control is useless. On every other antenna I've tried, the gain control has improved reception, but not this one.
  
  I found the other reviews on this page (especially Y. Chang's) very helpful, and recommend reading them.
  
  Update: Several years ago I read an amazon review that described the Winegard SS-3000 as being far and away the best indoor antenna. I couldn't remember the name, but recently tracked it down and bought one. It really is the Gold Standard of indoor TV antennas. Unlike most others, it is compact, has no rabbit ears, and incorporates modern technology in its design. I was able to buy one from Affordable HDTV in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. It's more expensive than the others (costs about 100 bucks), but is significantly better. An identical product is sold by Terk as the TERK HDTVLP Indoor / Outdoor TV and HDTV Antenna.
  
  Winegard also sells an outdoor model SS-2000 "Squareshooter" that looks to me like it could easily be mounted indoors. It too has received excellent reviews, although I have not tried it. It sells for about the same price as the SS-3000. It is also sold by Terk as TERK HD-TVS Slim Profile Outdoor HDtv Antenna.
  
  
  
  

• Don't Waste Your Money

  
  By A3LDPF5FMB782Z on 2007-10-19
  As with all indoor "rabbit ear" type antennas, getting a reliable digital signal with this antenna takes a good deal of "trial and error". Move the TV an inch. Move the antenna two inches right. Move the connecting cable between the TV and the antenna up...down, back.
  
  After hours of "trial and error", I was able to get a good digital signal from every network except one. But, when I changed the channel from NBC to CBS, I needed to slide the antenna two inches to the right, and then back when switching back to NBC.
  
  But, I still need to get an analog "over the air" signal for the stations that I can not get a digital signal for. With this powered antenna, the picture quality on most analog stations was filled with noise and ghosts, no matter how the antenna was adjusted. Most analog stations were simply unwatchable. The amplifier simply amplifies the noise and distortion in an analog signal.
  
  I then used a simple $10 non-powered antenna, the Philips SDV2210/17, which resembles the powered version, but has a manual tuning knob instead of an electronic "booster" button.
  
  After much "trial and error", the $10 Phillips got as good a digital signal as the powered version, but a far, far superior analog signal. I could not get the ABC network digital signal, but the analog ABC signal was strong and almost ghostfree.
  
  I still had to move the $10 antenna back and forth two inches when changing stations. Then, I bought a SECOND $10 Phillips antenna and connected both antennas to the TV using $8 worth of Radio Shack adapters.
  
  With one antenna aimed for NBC and one aimed for CBS, I can now get a perfect digital signal from those networks, plus FOX, and PBS (which is on a VHS frequency...not all indoor antennas include the long "rabbit ears" needed for VHS). And, the best aspect of the "two antenna" approach is that NO "tweeking" or adjustments are necessary when I change channels.
  
  The two manual Philips antennas, plus adapters, cost about $28...providing perfect "over the air" digital TV reception without paying a penny to the cable company.
  
  I'd guess my "install two sets of 'rabbit ears' approach is likely to help anyone who is trying to get signals located in different directions, or channels that are on greatly differing frequences.
  
  Again, it took many hours of trial and error, moving antennas, moving connecting cables, rotating the "fine tuning" knobs, and retuning and retuning the TV's "automatic station selector" to lock in perfect digital TV reception. Because moving something (the TV, either antenna, either set of connecting cables) even ONE inch can miss things up, I've taped everything into place to "lock in" my perfect digital reception.
  
  
  

• Not good...built-in amp is probably fine, but reception is just bad.

  
  By A1CV6OR380A92W on 2006-08-08
  I bought this antenna hoping to pull in digital TV signals from the towers which are 12 miles from my apartment. The built-in variable 50dB amplifier really attracted me.
  
  Problem is, the antenna itself can't grab a signal clean enough to amplify. So basically, the amplifier works very well at making interference and multipath even worse. I should have known better, as the main pickup element on this antenna isn't really big enough (or wide enough) to effectively pick up the UHF wavelength--typically about 30cm to 10cm.
  
  Even in unamplified mode, the signal quality was pretty poor.
  
  If you've got an unobstructed shot at your local tower, this thing MIGHT be fine. But if you're dealing with any multipath problems (like buildings, trees, walls, etc.), forget it. Hate to be blunt, but [...] amplified is just amplified [...]. Conversely, an amplified CLEAN signal can be of great benefit.
  
  I went with an UNamplified Zenith, and it works great. A side-by-side comparison was no contest... the design and performance of the little Zenith was far better.
  
  
• It just depends on your area
  By A25VOG9NPNAL4K on 2007-02-06
  I have tried the Terk, the Winguard straightshooter (horizontal one) and the DB4 antenna. I'm in NW Suburb of chicago and no matter where i put those antennas in my apt i only got fox and nbc. No other channels would work at all.
  
  I bought this on a spur from Walmart with no expectations, i just liked how it looked. Plugged it in and connected it to Vista Media Center and bam all channels worked except the stupid low signal CBS WBBM. Not many people in NW Chicago can get HD CBS its a known issue. I was shocked, i did no adjusting no aiming it just brought it all signals. I was going to give it a 4 but i cant think of any real reason besides it doesnt auto-rotate or adjust. So I'm getting ABC, Fox, PBS, UPN, NBC and my50 i didnt try any others. If i was to guess my antenna is pointing SouthEast towards Navy Pier.
  
  The front plate actually tilts backwards so it looks horizontal to the dipoles. You can do this to fine tune a stutteror you could just turn the base as well. In the instructions it suggests positioning the dipoles out (v shaped) and backwards then tilting the front. I have mine like that and get my channels. Thee are arrows on the front that you press to turn up and down the amplifier, mine is on the third light.
  
  Like i said before, antenna will vary from location to location some works and some dont. I'm glad i finally found one that does for me.
  
  
• works fine along side my direct TV
  By A2HC0UB2X05G6A on 2007-01-22
  I had to get this as my local market does not carry CBS HD broadcasts via Direct TV. A royal pain when trying to watch the football games - and with the Superbowl on CBS, I needed to do something. I used [...] to get some info for my local market. I ran it thru the HD Direct TV tuner/receievr box (HD20). I used the tuner & programming to work with the antenna and probabaly added about 20 extra channels, many HD, that I do not or cannot get from Direct TV. It has merged flawlessly with my guide system after the setup and provides a crystal clear picture of the CBS and many other OTA HD (and other) broacasts that I would otherwise be unable to receive. I have set up 2 of these now, one in my home and one in my parent's home, and it worked perfectly in each location.
  
  
• Really depends on where you are
  By A26CSHDJQG37OC on 2008-08-25
  
  If you are looking to buy an HDTV antenna, you really should be aware that the performance of any given one completely depends on your location, your building, etc, and that these reviews will not reflect your own experiences.
  
  For me, in San Diego in an apartment complex, this antenna has been absolutely terrible. I previously used the cheaper Philips model, (when it was Zenith), and that one worked pretty well, I received all the major channels. This antenna has absolutely sucked, and even after positioning it every which way possible, I can barely pick up anything. Horrible performance is an understatement. Powered, unpowered, facing everywhere, mounted, against the window, etc, it sucks no matter what. Sometimes I can pick up NBC if I get lucky but then it dies.
  
  Bottom line, don't rely on these Amazon reviews. If you can, make sure you can easily return your antenna if it doesn't work well for you. Many people had great experiences with this, but look at where they live, it probably is not the same as you. And likewise, other people (like me) have had terrible experiences with this. So in the end, it will depend on your specific area.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• excellent HDTV indoor antenna
  By A1V3P77NE5ID6Q on 2007-11-27
  When it comes into decision, I choose phillips 50db antenna over the more expensive one. I live in 3rd floor apartment in Dallas and the nearest HD tower is 30 miles away. Most of them facing north-east. I am little bit sceptical at the beginning that this antenna will be able to pick up significant number of channel selection. I was planning to get directv but give it try on with this one first. Guess what. After I plug the antenna to my big screen TV and adjust the direction accordingly, I was able to pick around 8 HD channels off the air. And after playing a bit with the antenna, finally I found the right spot and was able to pick around 15 HD Channels constantly with pre-amp gain turn up to 40db. Signal strength constantly stay above 60 to 67. Pre-amp really helpful to get clear digital signal. If you intend to watch analog signal ex: ABC channel, just turn off the pre-amp gain. Now I am very happy with this. I don't have to spend a penny to watch HD.
  
  update 12/08/07:
  I bought terk HDTVa from the local store to compare with this antenna. On the box said it can deliver up to 45 miles from broadcast tower. Result was very poor compare to phillips. Major channels were not pickup. I did not use the amplifier since it was missing from the box, but I was expected the antenna able to deliver better signal. With Phillips, eventhough I did not turn on the amplification, it still deliver the signal. Now I am 100% sure MAN510 from Phillips is the best!!!
  
  
• Not as good as cheaper non-amplified antenna
  By A22PVH1UOUX5KN on 2008-02-01
  Perhaps there is some sort of manufacture defect for the more recent batches, the latest reviews are mostly negative. The MANT510 also did not pick up any station for me, but a $10 RCA antenna picked up everything. So do yourself a favor, try the cheap antennas out first.
  
  2 stars instead of 1 because I thought it looks nice.
  
  Oh, I live in Queens, NY, the towers are only about 7 miles away.
  
  
• Excellent Antenna
  By A2Z9CSFKY23V09 on 2007-10-28
  Works Well.....We have around 13 free to air HD channels in our area (Seattle) being transmitted from different towers. Using this antenna I am able to get around 10 channels with almost all of them between 80 to 100% signal strength. All these channels are being transmitted by towers around 25 miles from my home. This unit is not catching (poor signal) channels which are being transmitted from a different tower which is 35 miles away.
  All this with no setting or rotations of antenna. Out of box I hooked this unit to TV, scanned the channels and never moved the antenna, infact the antenna is sitting in the back of my TV cabinet with the antennas tucked in (basically no body can see this unit).
  
  Overall I am very pleased with this unit.....strong signal strength upto 25 miles and that too with the antenna sitting in the corner with rabbit ears tucked in.....absolutely recommended.
  
  I am not getting good reception on some analog channels but that does not matter as almost all of them are in HD.
  
  Use antennaweb's website to find about your local HD channels and their orientations.
  
  
• Very Good, but Adjustable Gain Not So Good
  By A2RA3Q2FFVCFQH on 2007-12-22
  This is my second HDTV antenna choice and so far the best performing (for me). My house sits low and surrounded by trees. I don't get good cell phone, FM or TV reception at my location. There must be quite a bit of reflections and multi-path signals because of the surroundings, which is evident in bad windy weather.
  
  But, for me this antenna has performed very well. No video drops or pixelation (although weather has been good lately and not fully tested in bad weather).
  
  The problem with this antenna is that the antenna gain slowly diminishes after several hours. For example, after setting the amplifier about half-way, several hours later it will be at zero. Why? I don't know - design flaw? I tried two and both behaved the same. Someone at an audio forum confirmed theirs also behaved as such.
  
  It's a problem for me because the antenna connects to my Tivo and has to be operational all the time. Tivo can record at any given moment.
  
  If the amplifier gain operated as expected I'd give 5-stars for performance, reception and value. Remember, everyone's situation is different, so your mileage may vary.
  
  *** Update on 1/3/2008 ***
  I since returned the MANT510 and tried the Philips MANT310. The MANT310 for me was very sensitive to indoor location and could not get good reception for digital broadcasts. It also was returned back to the store.
  
  I've now settled on the Philips MANT410, which provides me very good performance for an indoor antenna. It has separate VHF and UHF gain controls for the amplifier. No problems with the gain adjustment changing like the MANT510. It's on the top shelf of my bookcase above the HDTV facing towards the back of the case in the direction of the tower.
  
  So far, little to no video break-ups in high winds and terrible weather. It's stable and a solid performer. Hopefully, it will do well when the leaves are back on the tree's.
  
  Not everyone is having success with the MANT410 and every situation is different, so your mileage may vary.
  
  
• Apartment reception, finally!
  By A12EVK82QUTSA6 on 2007-12-26
  I like in an apartment complex in Des Moines, Iowa and receive all my TV programming via rabbit ear antennas. When I switched to HD, I was amazed at how great I could pick up "most" channels without all the static. I had been using a Radio Shack 15-1878 ($33) amplified antenna on my TiVo in the livingroom and on my Elgato EyeTV Hybrid HDTV receiver in the bedroom. It worked okay, but couldn't pick up "all" the HDTV stations without adjusting the antenna. If I adjusted on a per-channel basis, it worked just fine, but with automated recorders like TiVo, I either couldn't get ABC or another weak station.
  
  After reading an extensive review of this MAST510 antenna, I was about to order one to try out. A Google search revealed it was for sale at Wal Mart as well (an option in case it doesn't work for you; easier to return to a local brick and mortar store).
  
  My results: great! On my new TiVo HD recorder, every channel picks up around 80% signal strenth, and it found about 6 new digital channels I didn't even know we had (informercials, etc.). It also picks up the analog stations (with static) better than my old antenna.
  
  This antenna worked great for me -- and solved my problem of having an antenna I could just "set and forget" and know my TiVo could pick up all teh channels I needed.
  
  I recommend, but am always open to learning of an even better antenna.
  
  
• HDTV antennas are not "one size fits all" (returning this one)
  By A2I4J1INDYAIZL on 2008-04-03
  I was pleased to receive my $40 dollar voucher to purchase a "TV converter box" for my NON-HDTV. I was looking forward to watching some free high quality picture television as I don't find TV worth paying for. I am 10 miles to the broadcast towers that all the local stations use on a mountain top so I'm sort of a best case reception scenario as I'm close and the transmitters are all coming from one direction. My Analog TV used Terk Low-Profile Indoor Antenna (TV5)was a nice inexpensive (non rabbit ear) VHF UHF antenna but needed frequent re-location to receive many of the (very clear) Digital Channels I was able to get. I then tried the Philips PHDTV1 Silver Sensor UHF/HDTV Digital Indoor TV Antenna,, which though also inexpensive,, vastly improved my reception,, meaning stability of signal as these digital channels though astoundingly clear, tend to cut in and out if the signal isn't just right. I was still having to "custom tailor" a couple channels (2 of my stations are using the VHF band for CW and Fox) and some antennas are UHF only such as the one mentioned. So,,, one more try with this Phillips MANT510 which another Amazon reviewer settled on after trial and error similar to mine. (I bought it local to test) Well,, I'm returning it as it doesn't do as nice a job in such an elegant (as in simple, stylish, no rabbit ears or power supplied) manner as the other simpler "directional" Phillips antenna. ("Silver sensor") I advise anyone going through this process to some research online about your local channels and even contact one of your station engineers (That's how I knew about the one I'm settling on) for their advice on your unique street address in your unique TV market. Good luck and be willing to "settle" or you'll go crazy. :-)
  
  
• High Performance not seen.
  By A3E3CKNAETKS8M on 2007-02-22
  I bought the Philips to replace an older powered indoor antenna. I expected some improvement in reception. The older powered antenna is 10 years old and was rated at less than half the db gain. I saw no difference in reception on all channels from 2 to 66 and this was running the Philips at full amplification. I also had to run the Philips at full amplification to match to match the older antenna. Very disappointed.
  
  
• I Entered the HD World with this Antenna
  By A1ZDLXF6YQW2FO on 2008-03-08
  For many years I watched television on a regular analog television with a rabbit ear antenna. This was basically in my bedroom, so I had no need for cable or satellite connections. To be honest I really hated analog television, because for some reason it had to be a lucky day simply to get NBC or CBS on the t.v. in any decent viewable way. So basically after being thrifty all these years I finally splurged on a HDTV. A also bought a dvd recorder with a HDTV tuner. My analog television had to be over ten years old, so I was due for something better.
  
  I heard that the HDTV would catch all these free channels from the networks right out the box. This is not true. Right out the box without an antenna I could not even get the regular stations (just snow). I had to do with my old rabbit ears for the analog channels, but this was not why I bought a HDTV simply to see the same analog broadcasts I had with my old television. I then ordered the Philips High Performance Amplified Indoor Antenna, and when I hooked it up to my HDTV and DVD recorder I could not contain my excitement. It was like I had free cable television with all the HD channels that I received through this antenna.
  
  For example I got channel 2 CBS analog broadcast, but I also got 2-1 CBS DT, which was basically the same channel, but in HD. Wow, what a difference. I can see why analog is going to die in 2009, because it cannot compare to HD. In fact all the main channels from 2-13 (CBS, NBC, FOX, etc.) had free HD broadcasts right next to the analog ones, but some of the networks had more with totally different programming (I felt like I had free cable). NBC has three HD channels, ABC has three HD channels, PBS has four HD broadcasts, Daystar HD is totally free, and there were many other free HD broadcasts to be simply caught out of the air with this antenna.
  
  With my old analog t.v. and rabbit ear antenna I had about ten t.v. channels I could watch with interest, but now I have over 50 with all the channels this antenna is picking up. This antenna is worth buying simply for the extra HD programing ABC offers for free, not to mention what PBS and NBC offers in extra channels. NBC and ABC even have local HD weather channels for my area. I'm so glad I finally gave up my analog t.v. for HDTV. There are HD channels that I get for free simply out of the air with this antenna not even Directv or cable offer. I totally recommend this antenna for those who do not subscribe to satellite or cable if you have a HDTV, because it will bring you into the future with what free HD broadcast television has to offer. Even if you have a regular t.v. the antenna is good for the price, but with HDTV is is truly a bargain! God is Love!
  
  
• Amplifier gain decreases over time
  By A3SMS3KH75BSUG on 2008-03-11
  I'm currently on my second iteration of this model. The first one worked very well, pulling in about 16 channels in the N/E Philly area, about 10 miles away from the towers. Unfortunately, the variable gain controls and LED's would decrease over time, for example, after about 24 hours, if it were set at 40 DB, the next day it dropped to 30 DB, 48 hours to 20 DB etc. I went to Circuit city, and bought another, and this one was worse, with the gain dropping back to zero after 12 hours. I called the Philips customer support line, and after 32 minutes of long distance hold, I was told that this (these) units are defective and I should return them.
  
  The real shame of it all, is that when it worked, it worked well. Back to the drawing board
  
  
• Overrated
  By A193HCZR964WX2 on 2008-08-29
  We do not have cable so the switch to digital signals and an ancient television led us to purchase a new HDTV. The reception on the new television was terrible so I purchased this Philips high performance antenna. The instruction warned in red that I should be sure that the television was not set for cable reception but for antenna reception. The default on the new television was cable, which I had not known, so I corrected that. The antenna brought in all but two stations very well, but the two that were receiving "no signal" were CBS and NBC! I called Philips and the guy at the desk said I should move the antenna two or three feet to improve reception for those stations--not adjust the "ears" but move the unit. I did and picked up signals for CBS and NBC, but the other stations were comprised considerably. Moving the unit back and forth everytime I changed channels did not seem a good solution so I decided to return the unit. I then connected my old antenna back up: Eureka: excellent reception, far better than I received with the Philips designated "high definition antenna." I had not received good reception before with this antenna because the television had been set for cable reception.
  
  The FCC says there is no need to buy an HDTV antenna. I have read there is no difference between HD antennas and traditional ones. My experience would seem to bear this out.
  
  Oh, my old antenna is something called an "antenna enhancer" and does not look like an antenna at all. I bought it about 20 years ago.
  Philips PHDTV1 Silver Sensor UHF/HDTV Digital Indoor TV Antenna
  
  
• Best HDTV antenna on the market at a steal of a price
  By A14Z5WB3DAFQGU on 2007-04-10
  I've bought 2 of these now - gave one to my parents and got another. Works GREAT. Price is amazing for this type of performance from an over the air antenna. Get this one and you won't be dissappointed. Sure you can spend more - but this is a case where more expensive does not equate to better performance.
  
  
• Very Good HD reception!
  By A1YTDZ087AEAMG on 2007-05-02
  I live in New Hartford, CT and was able to receive CBS and NBC in HD with no problem. Definitely worth the try for $34 if you're looking for HD signals. Regular channels were pretty poor, but I had the antenna set up in the basement. I didn't believe that a relatively cheap antenna could receive HD channels, so I bought it to try it out and amazingly it worked.
  
  
• The KISS Priciple wins again
  By ANGJAT8WWI4S9 on 2007-07-10
  For those who don't know, KISS stands for Keep It Simple Stupid (or Silly if you want to be politically correct). Anyhow, before I tell you how lousy the product was for me, you should know that I live in one of the worst places to get OTA TV. My apartment is half basement, with trees all over the place, way up in the hills/mountains of Blacksburg, VA. That said, this thing was outperformed by a $10 set of plain old rabbit ears (no amp., no nothin'). With the old rabbit ears I can get a couple of analog channels with tolerable quality, and sometimes some digital channels (they're a little finicky for me). With the fancy pants $35 MANT-whatever I can get the same two analog channels but a lot fuzzier, and the Digital is non-existent. If you feel like trying it though, I wish you the best of luck. It seems to work well for some people but not me.
  
  
• Excellent Antenna!!!!!
  By A2TB7NCW03K388 on 2007-08-05
  This is by far the best antenna I've owned in years. I live in a basement apartment where I have no reception with anything. Once I purchased this antenna, my HDTV looked like it never has done so before. I keep mine at 50dbi and it brings in all of my channels crystal clear. I couldn't have asked for more. I highly recommend this antenna for anyone anywhere. As always AMAZON customer service is great. Thanks Amazon.com
  
  
• Didn't work for me
  By A1EKLTCKZCUHAT on 2007-08-15
  I tried this antenna and it did not work at all. The antenna expects an input from cable/dish for amplication. I don't think the amplification works for off the air signals. I am going with TERK. I have it on my other television and it works very well.
  
  
• Definitely Improved my OTA UHF Reception
  By A2AT8H01VJPVEC on 2007-10-15
  I have a 26" Toshiba HDTV, live in Los Angeles (Santa Monica), and I get all of my television over the air (OTA). Before I purchased this antenna, I used the RCA - ANT200B (amplified, but pretty old antenna). Immediately before and after switching these out, here were my stats with the RCA ANT200B and the Philips Amplified Indoor (both at full amplification):
  
  Channel & Signal Strenth - in percent (RCA) (Philips)
  02-001 (65) (100)
  04-001 (63) (100)
  05-001 (83) (100)
  07-001 (57) (100)
  09-001 (77) (100)
  11-001 (45) (100)
  28-001 (43) (58)
  30-001 (98) (100)
  50-001 (71) (58)
  58-001 (31) (51)
  
  So, you can see almost all of my signals went up in strength, except for channel 50-001. So I am definitely happy with this product!!
  
  
• Awesome product!
  By A92STG5PHCEA9 on 2007-10-17
  I read lots of reviews on table-top HD antennas before I found a review raving about this one. I decided to give it a try, and I am so glad I did! I can receive nearly every HD station available in Chicago (not CBS, but I don't watch that station, anyway) with this very inexpensive table-top antenna (I live a little over 30 miles from Downtown Chicago and all of the HD towers). I use it with ElGato's EyeTV Hybrid on my iMac to watch and record my favorite TV shows (and convert them for iPod), and it works great! I can also plug cable into the antenna and get basic cable shows, as well. The picture clarity is even better on my iMac with this antenna than it is on my HDTV! I love this antenna, and I am planning on getting a few to give as Christmas gifts! Buy this antenna! You will not be sorry!
  
  
• Great value for HDTV
  By A1SMVI75746Q4E on 2007-11-24
  I was using an old Terk TV50, one of those 6 foot long antennas. It was hanging in the attic and bringing in regular broadcasts much better than conventional rabbit ears (I live in a valley). When I made the switch to HDTV, the Terk was surprisingly poor at pulling in multiple broadcasts. After doing some research, I bought the Philips. Much smaller and did a much better job of pulling in all local HDTV channels. It was also about as good as the Terk for pulling in standard broadcasts on my other tv sets. Good value for the price.
  
  
• nice antenna
  By A2HCE7GZUAGINW on 2007-12-14
  We were getting decent reception from normal indoor antenna / rabbit ears, and this product really "sharpens" up most channels. It also eliminated for us the need to "tweak" settings when we change channels.
  
  Just to note - our reception was already decent with no amplification. This product performed well.
  
  The one thing I don't like about it is the buttons to adjust the gain, and the on/off switch is on the back. Not a big deal, though, and for the price, this is a nice looking antenna as well!
  
  
  
  
• A well engineered HDTV indoor antenna.
  By ANQPWMR2PJMEZ on 2007-12-18
  I purchased this antenna to replace a set of cheap unamplified "rabbit ears" used with a HDTV ATSC(over the air)tuner card in my PC.
  The result was a slight improvement in reception.
  I didn't get any new channels but it seems the reception is more stable and less "stuttering" experienced.
  The advantages of the antenna appear clear though when considering the conveniences in connecting and adjusting it:
  - a stable base tat fits perfectly on a windowsill.
  - the UHF loop rotates freely almost 360 deg and the telescopic "rabbit ears" can be adjusted independently in any direction.Both without moving the base.
  - the amplifier adjusts in five steps via up-down push buttons.The amplifier use is tricky though,it appears each channel needs a different setting for best reception.
  - a separate connector allows bringing in the CATV cable and a selector switch is provided to choose either ATSC or cable reception.
  - a "brick" type power supply is provided and an on-off switch is present on the antenna base.
  - all connections are made at the antenna base; no "hanging" cables used in this design.
  Al in all a decent antenna with a better design than similar items.
  
  
  
• Uhf is great, Vhf is non existant
  By A1RIYC2W82A78Z on 2008-02-03
  I purchased this product because of the 50 dB Amplification. Even on the highest setting I could not get a clear picture with the vhf channels. If you just need it for Uhf then you won't be dissapointed. However if you needed for both like me you are out of luck.
  
  
• looks fancy works like a kick in the pants (badly)
  By AZUAQ0RZWJ9TS on 2008-03-15
  yeah i bought this antenna because some guy in an amazon review said he had tried a bunch of different antennas for hd and he said this was by far the most effective. well now i have bought several antennae and this is a pretty crappy one. the antenna im using now is so basic, straight rabbit ears (terk model #TV1) i picked it up at circuit city for 15 or 20 bucks and it works pretty well id give it 3 stars but it is the most effective antenna of the three i have, im pretty sure hd was not listed on the box but it seems to do a good job at recieving a variety of stations. btw that terk rabbit ear antenna, its not even powered, so thats a plus. i would pay .75 cents for this antenna, and i would still feel a bit ripped.
  
  word.
  
  

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