Best Bang for the Buck! The performance of digital receivers is difficult to review or recommend. The same receiver in different locations in and around the house can yield significantly different results. These items are not “plug and play” like other electronics, they are “plug and fiddle around until you get the best results” items. I must have researched and read reviews for at least 20 different receivers, and reviews for the SAME receiver ranged from “no joy!” to “best ever!” – so much depends on where you are located and where you put the receiver and it seems your zodiac sign may have some affect as well. The best method seems to be “buy it and try it” to find out what will work best in your particular environment. Reading several hundred reviews left me with the impression that a lot of folks expect to hook up their receiver and immediately have great reception for every channel within 100 miles. That is not a realistic expectation, and the manufacturers and installers agree that “your mileage may vary” because of the many variables that affect signal reception. The ANTOP is the 5th receiver I have tried (all from Best Buy), and here are the results going from least expensive to most expensive: *Least expensive > cute little indoor desktop receiver – got about 6 channels moving around to different INDOOR locations, some smearing and pixelating from time to time, otherwise picture quality OK. *A bit more expensive > (indoor/outdoor-ish) “small” leaf and “large” leaf models – got about 8 channels trying different INDOOR locations including attached to inside of window, some smearing and pixelating from time to time, otherwise picture quality OK. *ANTOP (indoor/outdoor) > got 8 channels trying different INDOOR locations, picture quality excellent. *Most expensive available (indoor/outdoor) > included in-line signal amplifier thingie > got 8 channels trying different INDOOR locations, picture quality excellent. So, with the ANTOP getting as many channels and as good a picture as the receiver that was 50% more expensive, the ANTOP was the best choice. Now that the ANTOP was chosen, time to take it OUTDOORS and run it up a pole to see if there is any improvement. Once outside, the ANTOP reception almost doubled, picking up all 13 channels that are available within 80 miles, so it doesn’t get any better than that. Picture quality on all the channels was excellent – meaning I can’t tell the difference between the channels coming in over the internet connection compared to the channel coming in over the ANTOP receiver. The receiver is mounted lower than the top of the roof (stations are all in an “over the top of the roof” direction) and in the middle of a heavily wooded lot with very tall trees. Not an ideal location but all channels available are coming in crystal clear, so no need to raise the height or cut down any trees. Other considerations are cosmetic appearance of the receiver, and mounting options for attic or outdoor installation. In both areas, the ANTOP comes out ahead. Appearance of the receiver is compact and stylish – there are pictures from several reviewers that show and comment on the appearance. The receiver is about the size of two shoeboxes, and not very heavy at 7-ish pounds. For use inside it is OK for me, kind of looks like some modernistic pottery or a jumbo-sized air freshener. For outside the house, I personally don’t care too much if an outdoor antenna looks like a traditional “forky” antenna or not, but I must admit the appearance of the ANTOP is streamlined and modern. For mounting, the ANTOP really has a lot of options. There is a mounting plate on the back that allows you to mount it on a wall with 4 “slide and lock” keyholes that make it easy to hang and remove from standing screws on an inside/outside wall. The mounting plate has a heavy-duty swivel mechanism, allowing for some adjustment in the angle of the receiver for tweaking the reception. In an attic, 4 screws in a 2x4 would provide all you need to mount the receiver. I chose to mount mine on a mast, and the included heavy-duty mounting bracket makes this very easy to install. Being old and brittle (me, not the receiver), I did not want to get involved with trying to set up a roof-mounted location, also considering the additional issues from attaching a lightning-rod to my roof in the middle of a heavily wooded lot. Instead, a $12 set of heavy-duty mounting brackets and a $20 chain link fence top-rail from the local home repair outlet were all that were needed for a functional receiver set-up (see pictures). All total took less than an hour to set the whole thing up and connect to the TV. It’s not the nicest-looking rig, but for $30 it works just fine for me. Thrifty? YES. Bottom line for me is always “bang for the buck” and the ANTOP provides the best reception and picture at the lowest priced of all the receivers I tried. Looks good, mounts easily, and that about covers it. Of course, there is always the chance that buying a very expensive receiver and putting it on top of a 30’ tower would pull in more channels, but “cutting the cable” is supposed to save money – what’s the point if it ends up costing as much as a new car just to watch the 6:00 news from the local channel?

Pros: * Excellent reception. * Relatively small for such a long-range antenna. * Designed for all-weather outdoor use. Cons: * A bit large for indoor/tabletop use. * Slightly yellowed plastic color doesn’t blend in very well for indoor use. This antenna is advertised for both indoor (tabletop) and outdoor (mounting) use. Based on its size and appearance, you’re best off finding somewhere outside to attach and aim it. The signal reception, however; is amazing. I connected it to my Vizio P-Series 65” UHD TV (photo size comparison included) and the TV’s channel scan found 65 digital TV stations (most rock-solid) with the antenna sitting on a nearby table and not necessary aimed properly. I live about halfway between two major broadcast cities (Miami Beach and West Palm Beach, FL) and without any attempt at proper aiming, my TV was able to tune in just about every channel transmission from both of those cities even though they are in opposite directions. The term “flat panel” implies “thin” to me, but in the case of this antenna, it merely means that the antenna is not the ungainly tiers of metal that one might be used to with other outdoor antennas. Setup is as easy as you’d expect with the most difficult part being the aiming and cable routing to your TV. Overall, I’m very much impressed with this antenna’s signal reception and basic design. Provided you can mount it outside somewhere, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with the results.

Picking up stations of up to 65 miles away appears to be correct, as I indeed was able to pick a UHF station from 68 miles away, wow! The AT-400 cannot pick up VHF signals, though, as it does not include VHF dipoles. Typically, the majority of TV stations are on UHF, but, depending on where you live, one or the other TV network station (such as CBS in Providence, RI) could be on VHF, and as such, you most likely will not be able to receive that station. The AT-400 does not include a Smartpass amplifier either, which means, if you want to provide the TV signal to multiple TVs in your house via a Coax splitter, you would need to purchase an antenna amplifier to get that going, which ANTOP offers through their web site. Any antenna signal amplifier will do, though. I ended up installing the AT-400 in the attic via supplied mounting kit (see picture; installed in 2 minutes, truly!) - From there I am running a coax cable to the basement, about 100 ft in length, first to a 3rd party antenna signal amplifier, and from there to a 10-way splitter. I can attest that this antenna picks up a total of 42 multiplexed TV stations (I live 25 miles southeast of Boston) in absolutely awesome quality. There are no 4K TV stations in my area, but up the typical 720p/1080i TV stations come in beautifully and strong, so far so good. I yet have see the results in various weather patterns, though. Also a big plus: Once installed, it allows for pivoting a bit, to the left, or to the right, which helps greatly pointing the antenna to best reception. The AT-400 also beautifully supplies FM radio signals to my Denon receiver, and I am receiving lots and lots of HD Radio and other stations in strong quality, even radio stations I had no idea existed, wow! In summary, I am very happy to have had the chance to test this antenna, and I will continue to use it. It just works right out of the box. The only reason I gave 4 stars is its lack of support for VHF signals. That said, you may not need it. Best check if VHF signals are used where you live (at least for the network channels, such as ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, etc.)

I believe that this ANTOP AT-400 antenna does deliver on all of its reception claims (up to 65 miles), but it is so surprisingly oversized that it is hard to imagine too many customers deciding to use it in-doors. The good news is that the antenna does NOT need to be plugged into any power source. Also helpful is the fact that the included coaxial cable is 40 feet and disconnects from the antenna - making it easier to adjust or feed the cable through the wall or attic before attaching the main unit. Or, you can replace the cable without having to purchase a new antenna. ***IMPORTANT*** Before purchasing this (or any) antenna, make sure to use one of the following websites to search for channels that are broadcast near your address. These sites will indicate how many channels you should receive and what range of antenna you may want to select: https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps https://www.antennaweb.org/ This antenna works well indoors as long as it has an unobstructed path to a window. The product description states that the antenna blocks 3G & 4G signals to ensure uninterrupted digital signals, but don’t worry – I have not noticed this feature interrupting or interfering with the T-Mobile or Verizon 4G signal strength on my cell phones. Ultimately, this is a great antenna if you are okay with its gargantuan size. See my pictures to see how large it is next to a 32 inch TV and a 65 inch TV.

Getting it out of the box it comes with a decent amount of cable (with a preterminated weatherproof connection) and a few mounting options (including a pole mount). The antenna is packaged with an indoor stand which snaps in easily, but the wall mount is preattached and must be removed first. The mounting hardware is beefy, but the bolt on the wall mount I received was cross threaded and required a wrench to remove; adjusting it with a screw driver as shown in the instructions would be very difficult. It is large for an indoor antenna and not a pure white, which might be an issue for some. I care more about reception than looks, but this too has a few issues. I located the antenna in a window above the TV, which is about 14ft off the ground. I got great results and even gained a few UHF stations, but two of my key VHF stations became spotty after switching to this antenna (they are only 25 miles away, but this is an urban area). I would still recommend this antenna, but with reservations due to its VHF performance.