Winegard FlatWave Amped HDTV Antenna Review

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Who's it for?

Video aficionado cord-cutters who, in giving up cable, don't want to give up picture quality. 

Design: Very flexible setup

The 13 x 12-inch flat antenna comes with a generous 18.5-foot cable, all but ensuring you'll be able to position it for the best signal advantage. It uses a power adapter or USB cable for the amplifier, and the company claims its preamp is designed to reduce signal noise. 

Performance: videophile quality

In our tests, that claim rang true. While the FlatWave pulled in a modest 19 channels in our test location, all the stations were clear and uninterrupted. In fact, the picture on most of the channels was crisper and sharper than that of other models we tested, making the Winegard the best choice for discerning cord-cutters.

At $90, the amplified Winegard FlatWave antenna is more expensive (based on list price) than any others we tested, but it also performed better than most.

John R. Quain

John R. Quain has been reviewing and testing video and audio equipment for more than 20 years. For Tom's Guide, he has reviewed televisions, HDTV antennas, electric bikes, electric cars, as well as other outdoor equipment. He is currently a contributor to The New York Times and the CBS News television program.