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All About Over-The-Air Antennas (OTA)

by Matthew Torres
for About.com

4 of 7

Indoor Antenna Rating System

Indoor antennas are rated the same by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) but that doesn’t mean they all perform the same. This is because indoor reception can be inconsistent.

So, when an indoor antenna is approved for consumer use by the CEA you should see a CEA ‘checkmark’ logo on the product packaging that CEA’s disclaimer stating that the antenna “meets or exceeds CEA performance specifications for indoor antennas.”

Will An Indoor Antenna Work For You?

An indoor antenna can work for you. I just urge caution when buying an indoor antenna because it might not pick up all the stations in your area or it might require frequent adjusting depending on the station desired.

My advice is to go to AntennaWeb.org to see which type of outdoor antenna they recommend for your specific address. Then you can compare the outdoor antenna recommendations with what’s available in an indoor model or at least get an idea of where the transmission towers exist compared to your residence. This should help you decide if an indoor model is right for you.

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