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An over-the-air antenna setup takes about fifteen minutes: connect the coax, set the tuner to Antenna, and run a channel scan for free local channels.
For the full breakdown, see our best DTV Antenna guide.
Getting free local channels starts with three moves: connect an antenna, switch the TV to the Antenna or Air input, and scan for channels. The trickiest part of a DTV antenna setup is choosing the right hookup for your TV — direct to the set if it has a digital tuner, or through a converter box if it doesn’t. The FCC’s own guidance covers both paths, and either one delivers free broadcast TV.
The FCC recommends running a channel scan before you change any equipment. That scan shows which digital signals already reach your location, so you can tell whether the problem is the antenna, the tuner, or nothing at all.
What You Need Before You Start
You need three things: an antenna that covers both VHF (channels 2–13) and UHF (channels 14–36), a TV with a digital tuner or a separate digital converter box, and a coax cable. Most TVs sold in the last fifteen years have digital tuners built in; older analog sets need the converter box, and that changes the hookup.
One digital broadcast usually carries several program streams, so after the scan you’ll see station numbers like 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3. That’s how a single antenna pulls in far more programs than the number of broadcast towers suggests.
| Hookup Type | Where The Coax Connects | Tuner Setting |
|---|---|---|
| TV with digital tuner | Antenna straight into the TV’s Antenna In port | Antenna or Air, then run the channel scan |
| TV without a digital tuner | Antenna into the converter box’s Antenna In (RF); box’s Out To TV (RF) into the TV | TV on channel 3 or 4; converter box runs the scan |
If you haven’t bought an antenna yet, our tested roundup of the best DTV antennas explains which models handle VHF and UHF across different ranges.
How To Connect The Antenna And Scan For Channels
Connect the coax firmly at both ends, set the tuner to Antenna or Air — never Cable — and run the auto-program, auto-scan, or channel search from the TV’s setup menu. The steps for both hookups are nearly identical.
Direct hookup (TV with digital tuner):
- Connect the antenna’s coax to the TV’s Antenna In port.
- Open the TV’s setup or menu and set the tuner mode to Antenna or Air.
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