Do Smart TVs Have Built in Antennas? Complete Guide

If you have a smart TV that allows you to stream without external antennae, you will have the urge to ask, do smart TVs have built in antennas?

Even without an external antenna, your TV will still stream channels and many entertainment programs you love.

Smart TVs have built-in antennas that allow the TV to connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Hence, you can watch channels and other programs from the internet once your TV is connected.

We can dive below to see if your smart TV has an inbuilt antenna and if it needs additional antennae.

Do Smart TVs Have Built In Antennas?

Yes, your smart TV has a built-in antenna. The built-in antenna’s purpose is to connect your TV via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

The antenna allows your TV to connect easily and quickly to the internet or your home network.

The TV cannot stream free-to-air channels. So, you must have separate antennae if you want these channels. An HD Digital TV antenna can be ideal for the role.

What about an analogue antenna?

An analog antenna can also stream free-to-air channels. However, it will not be perfect as a high-definition antenna.

You will always have signal problems. So, you can always go for the HD antenna to avoid such issues.

So, Do Smart TVs Have Built-In Digital Antennas?

Your smart TV’s antenna is not analog. It is digital, and that is why you can get as many channels as you wish over the internet.

Do Antennas Have Any Benefits To My Smart TV?

Yes. An antenna provides various benefits to your TV that a satellite box may not provide. Have a look at some benefits.

1. You Will Save Money

If you use a satellite box or a cable, you must subscribe monthly to receive channels.

However, you do not need to spend anything when using an antenna. Maybe you will only need to buy the HD antenna.

So, you can save some dollars by opting for an antenna and enjoy free channels.

If you do not see some channels when using your antennae, they might have moved to a new broadcast frequency. To find them, you will need to rescan your antennae via your TV settings.

2. You Will Find Some Channels Your Provider Does Not Offer

Satellite boxes, cables or streaming services offer seemingly a large number of channels.

However, your antennae will have at least one sub-channel that your service provider does not have.

So, you can only access it via an antenna. And if it is your favorite channel, then it will be an advantage to you.

These sub-channels are not the same in all locations. But they all include a retro television network, all-weather stations, and public TV stations/channels.

3. You Can Access Out-Of-Market Channels

If you are within multiple TV markets, you will have a chance to receive signals from several areas.

So, your antennae will receive several free stations from these multiple markets. Besides, you will have several sub-channels, more news and sports programming stations.

4. View High-Definition Signals

Without a doubt, broadcast networks offer an uncompressed signal. I know you have seen satellite and cable providers compressing their signals, hence no high-quality view.

Many fans of antennae have confessed that they detect a difference in quality when their devices receive uncompressed high-definition signals.

5. No Effect From The Whether

If you own a satellite, I believe you always know that your viewing will be interrupted anytime the weather is not good.

This concern is more especially in areas with wintry storms or tornado warnings.

You may not need to worry if you use a TV antenna since no storm can disrupt the signals.

Can I Watch Local Channels On My Smart TV With The Built-In Antennae?

Your built-in antenna does not offer free-to-air or local channels. You must have an external antenna if you want to access these channels.

If you choose to connect the antennae to your TV, you may need to consider some factors if you want it to serve you effectively.

The Location

Do not place the antennae on the ground. The ground is quite low, and of course, obstructions like buildings and other taller structures than the antennae will interfere with the signal.

Antennas only work best when placed on areas with few obstructions, such as rooftops.

So, that is why most people would prefer cable TVs because they rely on a wired connection for their signal, unlike the over-the-air (OTA).

Also, if you rent, you should be aware if your landlord allows tenants to erect antennas on top of the apartments. If they do not allow it, you will need to consider an indoor antenna.

Channels

How many channels do you need? If you want only a few, you can consider a directional antenna.

This type of antennae will get signals from one direction. The signals are strong, and the images are clearer, unlike those from omnidirectional antennas.

If you want more channels, you should go for omnidirectional antennas even though their signals are not strong.

Range

You will often find a number listed on digital antennas which shows their range.

This number indicates how far your antennae can pick signals. So, the higher the number, the higher the range of the signal.

However, no matter the range, you cannot have a strong signal if you have too many obstructions around your antennae. Meaning your antennae will not travel far to pick signals.

How Do I Connect The External Antennae To My Smart TV?

Connecting your antennae to your smart TV should not be a big deal to you.

Once you have it, you will need to find the ‘F’ connector behind your TV. It is circular, and you will see it labelled ‘cable in’ or ‘antennae.’

Ensure the threads hold tightly in the ports. If you have an indoor antenna, it might be close to the set, so you will not have difficulties connecting the cable. If it is far from the set, use a good-quality coaxial extension.

The best place to connect your antenna is often at the window that faces the transmitter’s side.

You may need to adjust the antennae until you get a good picture quality. Just a tiny change of the antennae’s angle makes a huge difference.

Your smart TV has a built-in antenna that quickly connects your TV to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi networks. You can only use the antennae to access internet channels but not the local channels. If you want to watch the over-the-air channels, you must have an external antenna, a cable or a satellite.

Read Next: Does My Samsung TV Have a Camera?

Conclusion

I hope that this guide answers your concern on ‘do smart TVs have built-in antennas?’

These antennas only allow easy connection to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. So, you can view channels from the internet with ease.

However, you must have a high-definition external antenna if you want free-to-air or local channels. It also gives you a high-quality image on your set.

Smart TVs have built-in antennas which allow them to connect to the internet and Bluetooth quickly. However, you cannot watch local channels using the built-in antennas. So, you must use an external antenna or a satellite box.