In theory, the time of the aerial should be over.  You don’t, for example, see many mobile phones with them these days.  On the other hand, if you’re old enough to remember the time when mobile phones did have aerials, you’ll probably have noticed that the old “dumbphones” with the aerials tended to do a much better job of making the most of the available reception.

It’s the same with TVs.  You don’t, necessarily, need an indoor TV aerial, not in theory, but you could find your TV viewing time gets a whole lot more enjoyable if you make the small investment getting the best indoor TV aerial for Freeview that you can.

Best indoor TV aerial for Freeview       

1byone 0.5 mm Paper Thin TV Aerial Review

1byone 0.5 mm Paper Thin TV Aerial

The (mostly) transparent design of the 1byone 0.5 mm Paper Thin TV Aerial is great news for people who want to mount their indoor aerial on a window, because it allows the light to flow through and does not interrupt the view, in fact it’s almost invisible.  Of course, you can also mount it on a wall or on a horizontal surface if that’s the best place to pick up the available signal.

Again, it will be very discreet.  Set up is really easy and strength is impressive for an aerial of these dimensions, although it’s probably best kept for areas where the signal is medium strength rather than really weak.  Overall, we’d say this was excellent value for money.

1 by one 0.7 mm Paper Thin HDTV Aerial Review

1 by one 0.7 mm Paper Thin HDTV Aerial

This 1byone Super Thin Indoor HDTV Aerial is a great addition to the list. Powerful for its reduced size, this 'plug and play offering from the well known aerial manufacturer is one of the most popular and well reviewed in the list.

Although it’s a minor point, we do think it’s a plus that this aerial comes with 3M fixings which are both subtle and secure as well as generally reusable.  Set up is straightforward and overall this is a very capable device.  It doesn’t have an amplifier but you can use one with it if you need to.

Having said that, we would see this product being used mostly to boost signal in areas where overall coverage is good but there is a specific issue which needs to be addressed, such as basement flats in cities.

VicTsing 0.5mm Ultra-Thin Indoor Amplified Digital TV Aerial Review

VicTsing 0.5mm Ultra-Thin Indoor Amplified Digital TV Aerial

The classic design and timeless black colouring of this aerial means that it will fit in with almost any form of décor.  In principle, this indoor aerial can be mounted wherever you get the best signal, our one gripe about it, however, is that this aerial only comes with a set of stickers to attach it to whatever you want to put it on.  This can be slightly limiting and mildly annoying if you want to move it from one site to another (e.g. if you move house).

At this price, however, you can easily afford to spend some money on a set of 3M command hooks, which should allow you to attach it anywhere you want.  Leaving that aside, this aerial is easy to set up and it does a very decent job for a very reasonable price.

XBoze HD Digital Aerial Paper Thin HDTV Antenna Review

XBoze HD Digital Aerial Paper Thin HDTV Antenna Review

This aerial comes in two different physical designs.  There is a black version which is very lightly striped with grey and a white/transparent version.  The latter one looks like it was optimized for use on windows, although in principle, you can use both versions interchangeably.  In either case, you get a paper-thin and very effective aerial with its own amplifier for extra power when it’s needed.

Speaking of extra power, this indoor aerial draws electric direction from the TV or satellite/set top box so it doesn’t need its own dedicated socket.  It’s easy to set up and overall offers very solid performance so the extra price as compared to some other options can be justified if you need the extra capability.

RGTech Monarch 50 Black Review

RGTech Monarch 50 Black

In our opinion, the RGTech Monarch 50 Black is literally in a class of its own.  On the one hand, it’s noticeably bigger than the paper/super/ultra-thin aerials we’ve listed so far.  On the other hand, it’s sleeker (and in our opinion chicer) than our two high-performance picks further down.

The RGTech Monarch 50 Black comes in black and transparent versions, either of which we’d be happy to have in public rooms and bedrooms and the transparent version of which is just about invisible, especially if you put it against a window.

Set up is very simple and this is the most powerful indoor aerial of the ones we’ve listed so far and therefore carries a price premium.  Having said that, in the general scale of things, it’s hardly an expensive purchase and if you need an indoor aerial with a bit more power than average but which still looks good, then the RGTech Monarch 50 Black is definitely worth a look.

Best indoor tv aerial for weak signal area

SLx Gold 27769RG High-Performance Indoor Aerial Review

SLx Gold 27769RG High-Performance Indoor

Paper/super/ultra-thin aerials are great if you want a solution which will just slip, unnoticeably into the background, and some of them (such as our picks), will do a very respectable job in many situations.  If, however, you need an indoor aerial with real power to its digital elbow, then you’re probably going to need something a bit bigger and bulkier.

The SLx Gold 27769RG High-Performance Indoor Aerial is nowhere near as discreet as the really thin aerials and it needs its own power source (cable supplied) but it’s certainly not a brick either and it can pull in signals which are too weak for any of its thin counterparts to use.

This extra strength does carry a price premium, but if you are living in an area where signal is really weak, then you may well find it is very much worth paying.

1byone Indoor/Outdoor TV Antenna Review

1byone Indoor/Outdoor TV Antenna

If you need a combination of power and flexibility, then the 1byone Indoor/Outdoor TV Antenna could be the choice for you.  Although it’s probably bought mostly for use as an outdoor aerial, its light weight and resistance to the elements can also come in handy if you’re looking for an indoor aerial for a place like an attic or basement.

It also has to be said that the design of this aerial is actually quite subtle, even attractive, so it would also be a viable option for a family room or bedroom.  The 1byone Indoor/Outdoor TV Antenna is very easy to set up and is great at picking up even weak signals in rural areas.

Understanding TV reception

We’re not going to get overly technical here, but we think it would be a good idea to go over the basics of TV reception so you understand why an indoor TV aerial can make such a difference.

Up until 2007, TV worked on analogue signals.  Between 2007 and 2012, the “digital switchover” was rolled out so that now all televisions work on a digital signal.  Like most of the world, the UK uses the Digital Video Broadcast standard, generally known as the DVB standard, (digital radios use the Digital Audio Broadcast standard and hence are often called DAB radios).  Analogue TVs will still work, but only if they are fitted with a “set-top box” which converts the digital broadcast signal into an analogue signal these older TVs can understand.

There were lots and lots of technical arguments in favour of this change and one of them was that it would eliminate the need for TV broadcasting masts to be sited in particular locations in order to ensure that the whole of the UK could receive a signal from them.  The reason for this is that analogue signals were transmitted in a continuous stream from a transmitter to aerial and hence were restricted in the distance they could travel.

tv signal

Basically, you can think of an old broadcasting mast as being like a pressure hose.  As soon as the button is pressed the water (signal) jumps out and initially it is very powerful but as it continues to travel it loses power and becomes weaker to the point where it can go no further and gives up.

Digital signals, by contrast, are like jigsaws, the transmitter sends the information in single chunks of data and as long as all those pieces of information reach their destination, the jigsaw can be put together (or the TV picture can be seen).

This means that, in theory, as previously mentioned, there is no further need for a TV aerial of any kind.  In practice, however, the reality is a little more complicated.  Digital signals are not degraded by travelling long distances but they can be degraded in other ways.

The four key factors which can negatively impact digital TV signals are: weather, physical barriers, electrical interference and radio interference.  Of these, the weather and physical barriers are by far the most important, electrical and radio interference are, generally, fairly minor issues.

In other words, depending on where you live, you might want to hold on to that old aerial, if you still can, or, better still, invest in a new one designed for the digital world.

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Finding the best indoor TV aerial for Freeview

We’ve divided our selection of picks into two groups.  In the first group, we’ve given you some suggestion to find the best indoor TV aerial for Freeview for your situation.  This group of aerials are for people who live in an area where there is at least a moderately decent signal, but who have challenges in making the most of it.

In the second group, we’ve suggest a couple of options if you’re looking for the best indoor TV aerial for weak signal area.  These are bigger, more powerful aerials for people who don’t even expect to get a good signal most of the time.

One of the great plus points about both kinds of indoor TV aerials (at least the ones we’ve picked) is that they are all very affordable and, what’s more, they’re a one-time purchase.  In other words, invest in one of these indoor TV aerials to deal with any issues you’re having with your digital signal and you may find that you can comfortably get enough Freeview channels to ditch (or at least downsize) your cable or satellite subscription, which can be a real saving for you.

best indoor tv aerial

Final point - make the internet your friend

As we mentioned before, broadcasters can now site their TV masts where they want, rather than being forced to consider geographical realities.  If masts are moved then it may become more of a challenge to get a signal to your set, again, as previously mentioned, distance itself may not be an issue but the further a signal has to travel, the longer it has to be impacted (read degraded) by other factors.

On a similar note, it is not at all out of the question that there will be something of a shake-up in the way the UK uses its broadcasting frequencies.  Basically, the government and relevant industries will be looking for ways for the UK to get maximum value from its digital assets and, in particular, to accommodate the fact that broadband is now seen as a must-have rather than a nice-to-have.

All this means that there is the possibility that your digital TV signal could suffer as a result of technological changes.  For example, there is a known, but a very small-scale, issue with 4G signals (used for some mobile phones) interfering with digital TV signals.

What this means in practice is that if you have bought a high-quality indoor TV aerial and sited it appropriately and you are still not getting the signal you expect, then you might want to check with the internet if there is a known problem in your area and, if so, what advice is given for resolving it.