Isn’t it about time to ditch your dual-monitor setup and get yourself a proper ultrawide OLED display? Like this 49-inch monster of an OLED monitor that’s only $800 on Amazon. That’s 20% off and down to the best price we’ve ever seen for it. Both ultrawide and curved, this Innocn display will dazzle your eyes while offering strain-free comfort for long sessions. With its 5120×1440 resolution on 49 glorious inches of screen real estate, you’ll be immersed like never before—and with its 1800R curvature, it’ll wrap around your vision so you can effortlessly see all from edge to edge. The cutting-edge OLED panel guarantees vibrant colors and deep contrast for picture-perfect streaming, and the 144Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time are ideal for gaming. If all of your entertainment happens on your PC, then this is an upgrade you won’t regret. Connectivity is no issue here, either. You get three full-size HDMI (two 2.1 and one 1.4), a 90W USB-C for charging your laptop, two USB-A for peripherals, a USB-B, an Ethernet, and 3.5mm audio ports. All in all, this massive ultrawide OLED monitor is a steal for $800 compared to similar OLED displays from other brands. Go ahead and save 20% right now while this deal lasts! Note that this is a Prime-exclusive deal, so if you aren’t a subscriber, start a 30-day free trial of Prime to score this special price. And while you’re here, you might as well check out the amazing early deals we found ahead of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale event! $800 for a 49-inch ultrawide 1440p OLED display is a stealBuy now at Amazon Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros 26.5-inch 4K OLED panel looks sharp Great contrast and color performance Strong motion clarity Respectable HDR performance Lots of connectivity including USB-C Cons Design is a bit bland Gamma, color temperature slightly off-target 4K OLED panel carries a premium price Our Verdict The MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED isn’t just a superb 4K gaming monitor. It’s a great all-around display for office productivity, HDR movies, and creative work. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: MSI MPG 272URX Retailer Price MSI $1099.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket OLED monitors had a great 2024, but this year might be even better. The first 27-inch 4K OLED displays based on Samsung’s third-gen QD-OLED have arrived. That’s important for two reasons: 27-inch 4K monitors are popular, and QD-OLED’s pricing will undercut the rare few 27-inch 4K OLED displays that were available before. MSI’s MPG 272URX QD-OLED is the first of this new breed to land on my desk, and it’s impressive. MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED specs and features The MSI MPG 272URX’s most important feature is its resolution. 27-inch 4K monitors were available prior to this year, but they were rare. The new MSI also has a 240Hz refresh rate, while prior 4K OLED monitors were stuck at 60Hz. Display size: 26.5-inch 16:9 widescreen Native resolution: 3840×2160 Panel type: QD-OLED 10-bit panel Refresh rate: 240Hz Adaptive sync: Yes HDR: Yes, HDR 10, DisplayHDR 400 True Black Certified Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 2.1 (UHBR20), 1x USB-C with DisplayPort and 98 watts USB Power Delivery, 1x USB-B 5Gbps upstream, 2x USB-A 5Gbps downstream, 1x 3.5mm audio-out VESA mount: 100x100mm Speakers: None Price: $1,099.99 While the 4K QD-OLED panel is the headliner, MSI hasn’t skimped on the extras. The MPG 272URX has a DisplayPort 2.1a port that can handle up to 80Gbps of bandwidth, a USB-C port with 98 watts of Power Delivery, and a pair of downstream USB-A ports. A KVM switch is included, as well. Read on to learn more, then check out our roundup of the best 4K monitors for comparison. MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED design The MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED doesn’t make a strong first impression. From the front, it features slim bezels on the sides and top, while a matte-black plastic chin lines the bottom of the display. Around back you’ll find a mixture of matte-black metals and plastics with some attractive but subtle MSI branding. Thankfully, the monitor includes RGB LED lighting to provide much-needed flair. Matthew Smith / Foundry Its sturdy and functional stand follows the same understated approach, using matte-black materials that avoid drawing attention. While the stand’s base is large, its flat design means the desk space it occupies remains usable. The stand includes a generous cable management cutout and provides typical ergonomic adjustments: tilt, swivel, and height. It can also pivot 90 degrees for portrait orientation. A 100x100mm VESA mount is available for third-party monitor stands and arms. The MPG 272URX QD-OLED has an internal power supply instead of an external power brick. This slightly increases the monitor’s thickness but eliminates the hassle of finding space for an awkward power brick on your power strip. Personally, I prefer an internal power supply and appreciate MSI’s decision. MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED connectivity MSI doesn’t hold back on connectivity with the MPG 272URX QD-OLED. The monitor has two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 2.1a port, and a USB-C port with DisplayPort mode, totaling four video input options. The DisplayPort 2.1a connection supports up to 80Gbps of bandwidth, the maximum this version of the standard can provide. The monitor’s USB connectivity is equally impressive. The USB-C port delivers up to 90W of power delivery, making it suitable for charging connected tablets or laptops. The monitor also includes two USB downstream ports and a USB-B upstream port, providing connectivity for devices without USB-C. A KVM switch function rounds out the feature set. While the MSI’s connectivity is excellent, it’s largely matched by what’s available on competing 27-inch 4K OLED monitors entering the market, such as the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM. However, the specifications for the upcoming Alienware AW2725Q and Samsung G81SF show they won’t offer USB-C with DisplayPort, which gives MSI and Asus an advantage in connectivity. MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED features Matthew Smith / Foundry An easy-to-use joystick, centered on the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED’s chin, provides access to the monitor’s on-screen menus. It offers a comprehensive range of quality adjustments including gamma, color temperature, and color settings, as well as color calibration. Competitors usually offer these options too. However, the MSI notably lacks a uniform brightness mode. This is an option provided by some competitors, such as Asus, which restricts the OLED monitor’s maximum SDR brightness to reduce fluctuations when switching between dark and bright content. The monitor also lacks brightness adjustment in HDR mode. I think both Uniform Brightness and adjustable HDR brightness should be standard for any premium OLED monitor. MSI provides the standard array of gaming-centric features, including an on-screen crosshair, timer, refresh rate readout, black equalizer for boosting visibility in dark areas, and a scope mode for zooming in to take more precise shots. While these features don’t provide an edge over the competition, gamers who use them will appreciate their presence. The MPG 272URX QD-OLED takes a pass on audio. The monitor doesn’t include built-in speakers, so owners need to rely on a headset or external desktop speakers. That isn’t unusual for a gaming monitor, and since most people would likely use a headset anyway, the lack of audio output isn’t a significant drawback. The MPG 272URX’s 4K OLED panel delivers a big boost to sharpness over last year’s 1440p OLED panels. MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED image quality The MSI MPG 272URX has a 26.5-inch third-generation Samsung QD-OLED panel with 3840×2160 resolution and a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz. 4K resolution is the headliner for this monitor and, indeed, its overall performance is otherwise in line with prior QD-OLED monitors (in SDR, at least). Jon L. Jacobi / Foundry We start off with brightness, where the MPG 272URX QD-OLED provides a modest maximum SDR brightness of 269 nits. That’s right in line with most QD-OLED monitors we’ve tested. The Asus ROG Swift PG27QDP, which has an LG WOLED panel, was a bit brighter in this test. A glossy finish coats the QD-OLED panel. Though it has a good anti-glare finish, reflections will be obvious when a bright light source is opposite the monitor, and in any brightly lit room. The monitor is more than bright enough to use in most settings, but glare could become an issue if your room has large, sunlit windows or bright lights sitting opposite the monitor’s position in the room. Jon L. Jacobi / Foundry Contrast is a strength for all OLED monitors. An OLED panel’s ability to activate each pixel individually makes it possible to achieve a minimum brightness of zero nits. That’s important, as it provides a better sense of realism in depth, as well as more convincing detail in dark scenes. The MPG 272URX does well here, though it also has no advantage, as all its competitors offer the same contrast performance. Jon L. Jacobi / Foundry The MPG 272URX produced a color gamut that spans 100 percent of sRGB, 98 percent of DCI-P3, and 92 percent of AdobeRGB. These figures aren’t much different from prior QD-OLED monitors, but they’re excellent results and show the monitor can provide a vibrant and hyper-saturated image that many people will enjoy. They also make the monitor a good choice for creative work, and the monitor even includes preset modes for sRGB, DCI-P3, and AdobeRGB. Jon L. Jacobi / Foundry Color accuracy is more mid-pack, but the MPG 272URX’s color error remains slight and is unlikely to stand out to most viewers. The color error reading was highest in blue and cyan but, even knowing this, the image looked accurate to my eyes. This level of color accuracy is good for gaming, entertainment, and most creative work. To be frank, shoppers who need better accuracy than this should be looking at a display for creative professionals, like the BenQ SW272U. The MSI MPG 272URX varied from our gamma and color temperature targets. I measured a gamma of 2.3, off our target of 2.2, which indicates the image is a bit darker than it should be. That is common for an OLED gaming monitor. I also measured a default color temperature of 6100K, which is a bit warmer than our target of 6500K. Personally, I like a warm image, so this didn’t trouble me. The monitor also has several color temperature presets for further adjustment, though they target vague labels like “Warm” and “Cool” instead of specific color temperature values. The MPG 272URX’s 4K OLED panel delivers a big boost to sharpness over last year’s 1440p OLED panels. More importantly, 4K resolution greatly reduces the sub-pixel oddities that OLED panels can suffer. While 1440p QD-OLED monitors are great, they show unsightly aliasing around small fonts and some high-contrast edges. The new 4K QD-OLED panel doesn’t entirely remove this but, due to the higher pixel density, it’s much more difficult to notice the effect. The MPG 272URX looks about as sharp as any other 4K monitor when viewed from two to three feet away. That’s good news for the MPG 272URX. Sharpness is the big reason to buy a more expensive 4K QD-OLED monitor over a cheaper 1440p QD-OLED monitor. Whether the improvement is worth the money will depend on your preferences, but there’s no disputing 4K QD-OLED delivers a dramatic boost to sharpness.    MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED HDR image quality Samsung’s third-gen QD-OLED panels are excellent in SDR, much like the prior generation. But what about HDR? Here, QD-OLED has something to prove as LG’s latest WOLED panels, which entered the market in the second half of 2024, generally served up better HDR brightness. Jon L. Jacobi / Foundry The MPG 272URX delivers solid HDR performance. Like most OLED monitors, it performs best when only a small portion of the display is brightly lit. I measured a maximum brightness of 934 nits when just 10 percent of the display panel showed a bright white HDR image, but that was reduced to 263 nits when that image is shown full screen. Still, the MSI’s peak brightness beats most OLED monitors. Subjectively, I was incredibly impressed by the monitor’s HDR performance. The lightning strikes that crackle through the “Into the Storm” scene from Mad Max: Fury Road felt eye-searingly bright. The monitor also teased out subtle gradients of luminance around the black hole in Interstellar’s “Gargantua” scene. While I wouldn’t say the MPG 272URX redefines the standard for the best HDR monitors I’ve reviewed, it certainly ranks near the top of its class, and I found HDR content enjoyable on the display. MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED motion performance The MSI MPG 272URX excels in motion clarity, boasting a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz and Adaptive Sync support (with official G-Sync compatibility and unofficial FreeSync support). The result is stunningly smooth motion. A 240Hz refresh rate strikes a practical balance, as it’s the highest rate that mid-range to high-end GPUs can realistically achieve at 4K resolution in modern games (as you need a consistent 240 FPS to fully benefit from the refresh rate). The monitor’s motion clarity is further enhanced by OLED’s rapid pixel response times, which reduce motion blur during fast-paced action. In practice, the motion clarity is crisp, though not without limitations. Scrolling test images from DOTA 2 and League of Legends revealed that terrain, character silhouettes, and spell effects were discernible, though some character names and hitpoint bar details were hard to make out. Still, this is a high standard of performance. In titles that ask less of a monitor’s motion clarity, like World of Warcraft, the image approaches perfection in motion. It’s worth noting that 27-inch OLED monitors with 1440p resolution and a 360Hz refresh rate are available, providing a minor but noticeable improvement in clarity that competitive players will appreciate. However, for most people, the MPG 272URX’s 4K 240Hz strikes an ideal balance between sharpness and motion clarity. Should you buy the MSI MPG 272URX? The MSI MPG 272URX is a remarkable 27-inch 4K OLED monitor. It retains the stunning contrast, rich colors, and pinpoint accuracy of previous OLED displays while stepping up with a sharper image and improved peak HDR brightness. The design, though not flashy, is functional and well-equipped, offering a good selection of video and USB connectivity. However, the $1099.99 price tag might make some hesitate. With older 27-inch 1440p OLED monitors now dipping below $800, the MPG 272URX’s value proposition rests squarely on its 4K resolution. For those who crave extra sharpness and detail, though, the premium is certainly justified. Read...

Brackets—not baseball—herald the arrival of spring for millions of sports fans. The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship’s big upsets, Cinderella stories, and weird mascots, has transcended sports to become a cultural event. You can count on some amazing upsets up to and including Final Four. For cord-cutters, however, it’s a bittersweet time. If the logistics of following more than 60 teams through a month-long tournament aren’t arduous enough, most of the games are televised on cable channels. The first round kicks off March 20, and games will be aired across four networks: CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. CBS and TBS broadcast the Championship Game on alternate years—this year CBS airs the final games. Based on the NCAA tournament schedule at press time, we’ve put together a strategy that will allow you to watch every minute of March Madness live without a cable subscription. Shopping for a new device? Check out our top picks in media streamers. Catch CBS games over the air or over the top TechHive has in-depth reviews of all the latest TV antennas. Rob Schultz / IDG CBS’s March Madness coverage starts on March 20 with the First Round. The easiest—and only free—way to watch all the CBS action is with a good antenna. If you’re purchasing one for the first time, remember to first check to see which stations you can receive in your area, and which antenna type you’ll need to pull in your CBS affiliate. Given the challenging logistics of catching so many games, you might also want to invest in an over-the-air DVR to time-shift some of your viewing. If you can’t access CBS over the air, consider subscribing to Paramount+, which bundles ViacomCBS brands including CBS, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Network into a single subscription. The app will give you live streaming access to every game broadcast on the network. To stream your local CBS station live, you’ll need the Paramount+ with Showtime plan, priced at $12.99 per month or $119.99 per year. This plan also provides ad-free viewing of on-demand content and access to Showtime’s original series and movies. Paramount+ offers a standard 7-day free trial for new subscribers; however, this trial is limited to first-time users and cannot be repeatedly claimed by canceling and re-subscribing. Find out how you can get Paramount+ for free. Sling is the thing for Turner telecasts As in previous years, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will be aired across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. Sling TV’s Blue package includes TBS, TNT, and truTV, making it a viable option for accessing the majority of the tournament games. The Sling Blue package is currently priced at $46 per month, with a promotional offer of 50 percent off for the first month. Additionally, Sling TV often provides incentives for new subscribers, such as free streaming devices or discounts when prepaying for multiple months. For the most current promotions, visit Sling TV’s website. Sling TV continues to dangle attractive incentives in front of new subscribers. Sling TV Read our review Best Prices Today: $40 at Sling TV DirectTV Stream steps onto the court DirecTV’s streaming service, DirecTV Stream, offers several packages that include channels such as TBS, TNT, and truTV. The Entertainment package, which includes more than 65 channels, is currently priced at $86.99 per month. This package also includes ESPN and ESPN2, providing comprehensive sports coverage. To determine if a live CBS feed is available in your area, you can use DirecTV Stream’s channel lookup tool. New subscribers who sign up online receive unlimited cloud DVR storage, allowing you to record and watch shows at your convenience. ? Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV Unlike their competitors, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV each offer a single, flat-fee package that includes the four channels you need to catch all of March Madness. They’re priced comparably—$82.99 per month for YouTube TV and $82.99 per month for Hulu + Live TV with ads, but YouTube TV is currently offering a 10-day free trial and a discounted price of $69.99 per month for the first six months before the standard rate kicks in. Hulu + Live TV also offers a no-ads plan for $95.99 per month. Pricing aside, you’ll need to check with each service to see which offers the required live channel streams in your area before making your decision. Hulu + Live TV Read our review Best Prices Today: $82.99 at Hulu.com The NCAA March Madness Live app The NCAA’s own March Madness app offers lots of specialized content that revolves around the championship series.NCAA The NCAA continues to offer all tournament games through the NCAA March Madness Live app, which provides features such as live scores, stats, an interactive bracket, classic March Madness videos, game notifications, and curated social content. ? The app offers a three-hour preview period; however, full access to all games requires authentication with a pay TV provider. Without such authentication, viewing time is limited. ?Nevertheless, it’s still a valuable tool for keeping up with other tournament-related content. Time for tip-off The options for streaming live sports have never been better, so don’t let cutting the cord make you miss the NCAA champs cutting the net. Grab a beer and your bracket and take advantage of these cable alternatives for courtside seats for one the greatest sporting events of the year. Read...

Baseball fans have more ways than ever to stream Major League Baseball games, but keeping track of where to watch can be a challenge. National broadcasts remain spread across multiple networks and streaming services, while local games are increasingly shifting away from traditional regional sports networks. Add in exclusive streaming deals and blackout restrictions, and figuring out how to watch your favorite team can feel feel as challenging as deciphering Tarik Skubal’s pitch arsenal. The 2025 MLB season is set to begin with the Tokyo Series on March 18 and 19, featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome. Following this international opener, Opening Day for the remaining teams is scheduled for March 27. Major networks such as Fox, ESPN, TBS, and Apple TV+ will continue their coverage, with ESPN set to air a doubleheader on Opening Day and TBS maintaining its Tuesday-night broadcasts. The Roku Channel has taken over MLB Sunday Leadoff, and Apple TV+ continues to offer Friday Night Baseball. Meanwhile, MLB.tv remains the go-to service for out-of-market games, and local media rights are changing as MLB takes over broadcasts for teams including the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Cleveland Guardians. The postseason lineup remains largely the same, with ESPN networks airing the Wild Card Series, TBS handling the National League playoffs, and Fox carrying the American League playoffs and the World Series. And with the upcoming end of ESPN’s MLB contract after 2025, this season could mark a turning point for baseball’s media landscape. To help you navigate all the options, we’ve broken down the best ways to watch Major League Baseball in 2025. This story has been updated for the 2025 season. Sling TV includes ESPN in its channel lineup as well as NBC Sports regional content in select markets, allowing some fans to watch their hometown teams. Over the air a great amplified indoor Tv antenna Televes Bexia Read our review Since broadcast baseball has largely gone the way of the Sunday doubleheader, there are few options for watching any game without a subscription of one kind or another. The Fox network, however, can still be had for free with a good TV antenna. That will give you access to a bunch of nationally broadcast Saturday-afternoon games. If you’re purchasing an antenna for the first time, remember to first check to see which stations you can receive in your area and which type of antenna you’ll need to pull in your local Fox affiliate. You should also check our recommendations for the best TV antennas. Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+ the only source for friday night baseball Apple TV+ Read our review Best Prices Today: $6.99 at Apple Apart from buying a TV antenna, your least-expensive option—and the only way to get Friday-night games—is to sign up for a subscription to Apple TV+. That costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, but it gets you a wide array of other streaming entertainment, including hit shows such as the Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks-produced Masters of the Air, a series about WWII bomber pilots in Europe, and the mind-bending Severance. Apple TV+ is probably an option only for fans who need to see every single game, but at least it doesn’t cost a lot, and there’s lots of other entertainment to be had. T-Mobile customers on a Go5G Next plan, meanwhile, should take advantage of the opportunity to get both Apple TV+ (available now) and MLB.TV (starting March 25) for free. MLB Sunday Leadoff on The Roku Channel For fans looking for more free ways to watch some live baseball, The Roku Channel has taken over MLB Sunday Leadoff, offering one exclusive Sunday-afternoon game each week from May through August. Unlike other streaming-exclusive games, these matchups are available to watch without a subscription on The Roku Channel app, which is accessible on Roku devices, web browsers, smart TVs, and mobile devices. DirecTV Stream most sports channels of any service DirecTV Stream Read our review Best Prices Today: $101.98 at DirecTV Stream If you have Fox broadcast covered via an antenna, DirecTV’s MySports package is an excellent option for accessing the rest of the MLB action. Launched earlier this year, MySports offers a comprehensive selection of sports channels, including ESPN, FS1, TBS, MLB Network, and regional sports networks like Bally Sports and NBC Sports regional networks. Priced at $69.99 per month, this package ensures coverage of both national and local MLB games without the need for larger, more expensive TV bundles. Fubo a sports-centric streaming service Fubo Read our review Best Prices Today: $79.99 at Fubo The once soccer-centric streaming service offers a fair amount of baseball-broadcasting channels including ESPN, Fox, FS1, and the MLB Network. It also includes a selection of RSNs including the NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California networks and Marquee Sports Network. To get them all. you’ll need the Pro package for $84.99 a month (there’s a 7-day free trial for new customers) and the Sports Plus channel add-on for an additional $10.99 a month. Hulu + Live TV includes some regional sports networks Hulu + Live TV Read our review Best Prices Today: $82.99 at Hulu.com Hulu offers a single, flat-fee package that includes more than 90 live and on demand channels—including the ESPN, Fox, FS1, and TBS—plus regional sports networks in select areas. You get them all, in addition to Hulu’s original content and its streaming library, for $82.99 a month with ads or $95.99 a month without. Sling TV least-expensive streaming service Sling TV Read our review Best Prices Today: $40 at Sling TV Sling TV offers ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, Fox, and FS1, as well as NBC Sports for local-team broadcasts. If you want them all in one package, though, you’ll need to step up to the top-tier Sling Orange + Blue option (basically Sling’s two individual packages combined and offered at a discount) for $65.99 a month, with half off of your first month. Major League Baseball is making it a little easier for cord cutters to catch their favorite team’s games. YouTube TV our favorite tv streaming service YouTube TV Read our review Best Prices Today: $82.99 at YouTube TV Like Hulu, YouTube offers a flat-fee package of more than 100 channels for $82.99 per month ($69.99 per month for your first six months). The channel lineup includes Fox, FS1, ESPN, and TBS, but not the MLB network. MLB.TV the official source, but for out-of-market games only MLB.TV Best Prices Today: $29.99 at MLB.TV An MLB.tv subscription can get you a lot of baseball, but blackout rules still apply. The league’s official streaming service offers live streams of every regular season out-of-market game, with perks like multi-game viewing (up to four games at once), in-game highlights, and a free subscription to the At Bat Premium app. Note the phrase “out-of-market:” MLB.TV is not a true cord-cutting resource. It was really designed as way for transplants—a Red Sox fan living in Seattle, for example—to watch their former home teams. Local broadcasts remain subject to blackout rules, so you won’t be able to watch your hometown ball club live on TV this way. That said, MLB.TV remains a valuable option for dyed-in-the-wool seamheads to catch virtually every out-of-market game broadcast—home or away—throughout the regular season. And if you’re not particular about real-time viewing and can avoid social media and other potential spoiler sources, you can watch replays of your local team’s games on demand 90 minutes after the game’s conclusion. A full MLB.TV subscription, which gives you access to all 30 teams’ games—minus those of your local club’s—is $29.99 per month or $149.99 for the year. (We can show you how to score a $50 discount.) There’s also a single-team option that lets you follow a non-local squad of your choice for $129.99 per year. And once again, many T-Mobile subscribers can get MLB.TV for free. Play ball! Major League Baseball is finally stepping up the plate and giving cord-cutters more options to watch the Grand Old Game. We’d still like to see it offer more free streaming options of marquee matchups; until it does, you can take advantage of these cable alternatives, along with our guide to second-screen baseball apps, to make sure you catch all the action on the diamond. Read...

I’ve decided to test a radical change to my living room streaming setup. For years, I’ve used an Apple TV 4K for streaming, and while it’s been a great device overall, I’ve always wanted to try swapping it for a home theater PC. In my early cord-cutting years (circa 2010), I used a cheap Intel Atom-powered Lenovo nettop (now obsolete) to access Hulu’s website (still free at the time) and avoid its subscription fees on connected TV devices. Plugging a cheap desktop PC into your TV today could yield similar advantages. This experiment could fail for a variety of reasons, and I’ve already hit some snags in my initial setup. But if it works, it could offer a lot more control over the streaming experience along with some potential cost savings over time. The case for a home theater PC (in 2025) I’m going into this HTPC experiment with a bunch of use cases in mind: Ad-skipping powers: With a desktop web browser, I can use MultiSkipper to fast-forward through commercials on Hulu, Peacock, Tubi, and other ad-supported streaming services, and I can use uBlock Origin to avoid ads on YouTube. This could save a lot of money as ad-free streaming subscriptions get more expensive. The MultiSkipper browser extension.Jared Newman / Foundry Password sharing: Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing doesn’t apply to website or mobile app use, presumably because it’d be tricky to block out-of-home use on portable devices. Watching on a PC could make account-splitting easier, especially as more services follow Netflix’s lead. Unrestricted multiview: Picture-in-picture is a mess on streaming platforms, with inconsistent support across apps and devices. That’s not an issue on PCs, where you can just open up more browser windows or use the handy picture-in-picture Chrome extension. This could really come in handy during March Madness. Watching two videos at a time is no problem on desktop web browsers.Jared Newman / Foundry Unlocked playback speeds: Some videos just don’t need to be watched at regular speed, but with the exception of YouTube, most video services don’t let you speed up playback on smart TVs and streaming devices. By contrast, Netflix’s web version has built-in speed controls, while the Video Speed Controller extension works across a broad range of sites. Streaming guides galore: While most streaming platforms offer guide features for tracking shows and finding new things to watch, they don’t work with every streaming service and they tend to be loaded with ads and upsells. On a PC, you can take your pick of streaming guide sites such as Reelgood, JustWatch, Trakt, and Plex Discover. More entertainment options: With an HTPC setup, I’m looking forward to using some apps that aren’t available on an Apple TV, such as Nvidia GeForce Now and Plexamp. The hardware The Beelink Mini S12 Pro’s HDMI outputs connect direclty to the TV.Jared Newman / Foundry I didn’t want to spend a lot on this endeavor, nor did I want a noisy desktop PC that takes up a lot of space. That led me to Beelink’s Mini S12 Pro, whose $169 street price is only a little higher than the nicest streaming players, and its footprint isn’t much larger either. While its Intel N100 processor is lightweight, it supports 4K HDR video, comes with Windows 11, and includes a fairly generous 16GB of RAM and 500GB of storage. Similar products abound from other mini PC vendors, but I’ve had a positive experience using a slightly pricier Beelink SER5 Ryzen-based PC as my everyday computer and decided to stick with a brand that I know. One caveat: The Mini S12 Pro doesn’t support HDCP 2.2, which Netflix requires for 4K HDR video. The SER5 doesn’t have that limitation, but I stuck with the cheaper model for reasons I’ll explain below. The trade-offs While I’ve barely started using this new setup, I’ve already encountered a few issues. The biggest problem is inconsistent 4K HDR video support on streaming sites. Netflix technically supports 4K HDR in Microsoft’s Edge browser, but even on Beelink’s higher-end SER5, it refused to budge beyond 1080p. Amazon Prime and Max don’t support 4K or HDR on PCs at all. That said, I only upgraded to Netflix’s Premium tier with 4K HDR (which costs $25 per month, instead of $18) for testing purposes. Max charges extra for 4K HDR as well, and vast swaths of other streamers’ catalogs are limited to 1080p anyway. Surround sound can also be an issue on streaming sites, but my living room setup is stereo-only anyway. The other obvious issue is usability. Keeping a mouse and keyboard in the living room is out of the question, and while I’m looking into air mouses with small built-in keyboards, like this one, navigating a desktop interface will be less ideal than clicking around on a real remote. This will take some finagling, and the rest of my family will likely need to switch over to the Apple TV or the Google TV software built into our television. Using an air mouse may be as close to the remote control experience as it gets. Wechip In other words, this won’t be an ideal solution for everyone, and it might not even work out in the Newman household. If this whole TV experiment fails, I’ll likely repurpose the little Beelink PC as a cheap way to play with some Linux distributions; if it succeeds, it could be much a more liberating way to access streaming content. I plan to report back soon with new tips and findings either way. Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more streaming TV advice. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Solid build quality with ergonomic stand, tripod mount Good image quality for the price Easy-to-read menu system with plenty of options 120Hz refresh rate with adaptive sync Cons Lackluster cable management Only one HDMI and one DisplayPort No USB ports Our Verdict The Acer Vero B247Y G looks boring at a glance, but it delivers good image quality and motion clarity for about $150. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Acer Vero B247Y G Retailer Price CDW $139.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Shoppers looking for a 24-inch 1080p monitor may be tempted by budget options that dip below $100. If you extend your budget to about $150, however, you can afford a more capable display like the Vero B247Y G. Though still basic, it delivers extras like an ergonomic stand and a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes it a good choice for both productivity and entertainment, including PC games. Acer Vero B247Y G specs and features The Acer Vero B247Y G’s basic specifications are nothing to get excited about. It’s a simple 24-inch, 1080p widescreen monitor with an IPS LCD panel. Dozens of competitors provide similar specifications, and quite a few are less expensive. Display size: 23.8-inch 16:9 widescreen Native resolution: 1920×1080 Panel type: 8-bit IPS LCD Refresh rate: 120Hz Adaptive sync: Adaptive Sync HDR: No Ports: 1x VGA, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, 1x 3.5mm audio-in, 1x 3.5mm audio-out VESA mount: 100x100mm Audio: 2x 2-watt speakers Price: $154.99 MSRP ($139.99 typical retail) However, the Vero B247Y G offers a few extras. It has a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and supports Adaptive Sync. Budget gaming monitors offer this but monitors that target office and productivity usually skip it. The monitor also has a VGA port, which again speaks to its target demographic: This is a monitor Acer expects will be used alongside older, less capable PCs. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best monitors for comparison. Acer Vero B247Y G design It’s hard to imagine how the Acer Vero B247Y G could look more generic. The panel is surrounded by slim bezels, while the rear of the display and stand are clad in matte-black plastic. Nothing about the monitor stands out. Of course, that’s the point. The Vero B247Y G is meant for a basic home or small business office, so it’s not supposed to stand out. While it doesn’t look like much, the Vero B247Y G provides good build quality for the price. The monitor’s plastics feel reasonably thick and sturdy, which makes the monitor seem more premium than expected. Foundry Cable management is a bit of miss, as the monitor only provides a plastic clip. It more-or-less does the job, but it’s thin and the cables can bind up if you frequently adjust the monitor’s position. Speaking of which, the included ergonomic stand is a big perk. It easily clips onto the monitor with a quick-release mechanism. The stand adjusts for height, tilt, swivel, and pivot. While this isn’t unheard of for a monitor priced around $150 or less, it’s far from guaranteed. The stand’s support for pivot into portrait mode is especially uncommon. A 100x100mm VESA mount is also available for use with third-party monitor stands and arms. The last design trait worth mention is the 1/4-inch tripod mount on the top of the stand. It can be used to attach all sorts of peripherals, such as cameras or ring lights. I’m not aware of any price-competitive alternative with a tripod mount, and while it’s certainly a niche feature, it will rocket the Vero B247Y G to the top of some shopping lists. Acer Vero B247Y G connectivity The Acer Vero B247Y G’s connectivity is extremely basic. It has one VGA port, one HDMI port, and one DisplayPort. The HDMI and DisplayPort connections support the monitor’s full refresh rate and resolution, but the VGA port is limited to 1080p at 75Hz. VGA’s presence might seem old-fashioned, but it’s still common on budget monitors that target office and productivity use, since older PCs are common in these settings. However, providing VGA means the monitor is effectively limited to two video inputs when it’s paired with newer PCs that don’t support VGA. The audio connectivity is also a bit unique, as the monitor includes both a 3.5mm audio input and an audio output. I assume the audio input is included because the monitor has a VGA input. HDMI and DisplayPort can carry audio, but VGA can’t. USB connectivity is absent and arguably the monitor’s most significant downside. While it’s true that many budget monitors skip USB-A ports, it remains sorely missed. The lack of USB-A also means the monitor doesn’t have a KVM switch function, which is found on a fair number of budget and mid-range productivity monitors. A 1/4-inch tripod mount on the top of the Vero B247Y G’s stand can be used to attach all sorts of peripherals, such as cameras or ring lights. Acer Vero B247Y G menu and features I was pleasantly surprised by the Acer Vero B247Y G’s on-screen menu system. It’s controlled by a quick, responsive joystick. The on-screen menu system includes clear feature descriptions and uses relatively large, easy-to-read text. This is an area where many budget monitors fall short, as they often have tiny, confusing menu systems. The range of image quality adjustment is quite limited, but it’s fine for the price. There’s a wide variety of preset modes and adjustments for adaptive sync and response times, among other things. It covers the basics. Foundry I did notice one oddity. The monitor has a Max Brightness setting that must be turned on to reach the full monitor brightness; the monitor ships with this setting turned off, which restricts its brightness to about 115 nits. I expect this has to do with energy consumption certifications. A pair of 2-watt speakers round out the monitor’s features. They’re thin and tinny but do provide enough volume for basic use, like video calls or podcasts. Still, external speakers or a headset is highly recommended.  Acer Vero B247Y G SDR image quality The Acer Vero B247Y G is a budget monitor, so expectations about its image quality should be kept in check. However, while it’s obviously no threat to more expensive monitors, the Vero B247 G scores well overall. Foundry I measured a maximum sustained SDR brightness of 305 nits, which is great for a budget display. The Gigabyte M27QA ICE is the only similar, recently reviewed monitor that’s brighter, but it’s also starting the creep outside of budget territory at a price of $279.99 The Vero B247Y G’s brightness, along with the monitor’s matte coat, will make the monitor easy to view in most rooms. A higher level of brightness is only required in very bright, sunlit rooms, or in a very bright office. But you’ll typically need to up your budget to $300 or more if you want an LCD monitor that reaches above 400 nits. Foundry The Vero B247 G’s contrast is surprisingly good. I measured a maximum contrast ratio of 1530:1 which, as the graph shows, is much better than usual for an IPS LCD monitor. This level of contrast helps the monitor deliver a deeper, more immersive image. It doesn’t make much difference in office productivity, but it’s appreciated when viewing photos, videos, and games. Foundry Color gamut, on the other hand, is a minor weakness. The Vero B247 G spanned 99 percent of sRGB, 84 percent of DCI-P3, and 77 percent of AdobeRGB. These results aren’t bad, and they’re good enough to provide a vivid and colorful image. They’re also in line with some budget competitors, such as the Pixio Wave. Still, it’s possible to find similar monitors with superior color, such as the KTC H24T09P. Foundry Color accuracy is a bit of a wash. While these numbers appear to differ greatly on the graph, in truth, numbers clustered this tightly tend to look rather similar, and the Vero B247 G lands right in the middle of the pack. Though its color accuracy is far from the best monitor, which can achieve an average error of around 0.5 (lower is better), the overall color accuracy is solid. It’s a similar story with the monitor’s gamma and color temperature. I measured a gamma curve of 2.3, which is slightly off the target of 2.2. This means the image looks a tad darker than it should. I also measured a color temperature of 6600K, only a hair off the target of 6500K. This technically means the image is a bit cooler than preferred, but I found the difference hard to appreciate in real-world use. The monitor’s 1080p resolution works out to 92 pixels per inch across the 23.8-inch panel. That’s not particularly sharp for a monitor in 2025. The image is crisp at a glance, but small fonts and high-contrast edges can reveal some aliasing or pixelation, while video can look a bit soft. This is typical for a budget monitor, however; it’s difficult to find a feature-comparable 1440p display. Overall, the Acer Vero B247Y G has good image quality for a monitor in its price bracket. It does best in brightness and contrast, where it outperforms many similar monitors. While the monitor’s budget price means shoppers should keep expectations in check, it’s generally a vivid, sharp monitor that looks good in a wide range of content. Acer Vero B247Y G HDR image quality The Acer Vero B247Y G doesn’t support HDR. That’s preferable for a budget monitor, as displays in this price bracket lack the image quality to make HDR pop. Some budget monitors technically support HDR, but the quality of the HDR image makes it pointless. Acer Vero B247Y G motion performance The Acer Vero B247Y G has a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and supports Adaptive Sync (including FreeSync and G-Sync) for smooth frame pacing. These features aren’t hard to come by even among budget monitors, but monitors meant for office use tend to skip them, so these features give the Vero B247Y G an edge. Motion clarity is decent. Fast-moving objects present with good clarity, though some small details remain easy to miss. Scrolling through text also reveals better clarity, which makes it easier to flip through documents, and generally makes the monitor feel more responsive than competitors stuck at 60- to 75Hz. And wait — there’s more! The Vero B247Y G also has Acer VRB, a black frame insertion feature. It inserts blank frames between real frames which, due to a trick of human perception, improves motion clarity. While it does lead to a “double image” effect and reduces brightness, it’s successful in improving clarity, which can be useful in competitive games. Keep in mind, however, that VRB doesn’t work alongside Adaptive Sync (you can’t have both turned on at the same time). The Vero B247Y G’s combination of a 120Hz refresh rate, Adaptive Sync, and black frame insertion is odd for an office monitor. These features are more likely to be found in a gaming monitor, and their inclusion makes the Vero a good choice if you need one budget monitor that can handle both productivity and gaming. Should you buy the Acer Vero B247Y G? The Acer Vero B247Y G is a good choice for shoppers looking to buy a capable, versatile monitor for a home office or small business. Its retail price of $154.99, sometimes discounted to $139.99, is towards the high end for a 24-inch 1080p monitor. However, it’s justified by the monitor’s build quality, ergonomic stand, image quality, and improved refresh rate. In fact, I’d really urge most shoppers to buy the Vero B247Y G over the least expensive 1080p alternatives. It’s possible to buy a 24-inch 1080p monitor for as little as $80, but pricing that low forces a monitor to compromise on build and image quality. The Vero monitor’s slightly higher pricing helps it avoid mistakes and allows it to offer extra features, like a 120Hz refresh rate and Adaptive Sync, that competitors may lack. Read...

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TV antennas aren’t just for cord-cutters looking to cut back on the cost of TV entertainment. A good TV antenna will bring in anywhere from 20 to more than 100 channels, depending on where you live. The stations are free, don’t require a broadband connection (with the exception of some ATSC 3.0 channels using encryption), and boast higher resolution and picture quality than cable or streaming options like Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV. But not all antennas are created equal, and there are big differences between indoor and outdoor models. Indoor antennas are supremely convenient, if not always aesthetically pleasing, but a rooftop antenna is always better than one in your home’s attic, which is always better than one that’s installed indoors. Need more guidance on how to choose the right TV antenna for your needs? Follow the in-depth guide at the preceding link before you shop. Why you should trust us TechHive’s editors and writers have been using and testing TV antennas for decades. Martyn Williams has relied on broadcast TV since he cut pay TV more than 12 years ago. He is a licensed amateur radio operator and understands the principles of antenna design, reception, and interference. Our antenna evaluations are performed in a real-world location and rely on signal level and quality measurements across all TV stations. Each time we test a new antenna, we retest a competitor to ensure our comparison takes current reception conditions into consideration. #id67cb43695861c .jw-wrapper::before { content: `` !important; } What is the best TV antenna – Top picks in indoor and outdoor TV antennas Channel Master Flatenna 35 — Best budget-priced indoor TV antenna Pros Very low price Well made U.S.-based customer support Cons Won’t do much for your living-room décor Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Channel Master $20 View Deal $35 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $20 at Channel Master$35 at Amazon Why we like the Channel Master Flatenna 35 The Channel Master Flatenna 35 TV antenna delivers good performance at a low price, provided you live in an area with good local TV signals. It’s a simple matter to install and connect it, so the only thing you need to do is find a good location for it. Who should buy the Channel Master Flatenna 35 If you live close to TV broadcast towers, want to watch the major networks, and don’t want to spend a lot of money, the Channel Master Flatenna 35 TV antenna is a good choice. Read our full Channel Master Flatenna 35 (model No. CM-4001HDBW) review Winegard FlatWave Amped — Best flexible amplified indoor TV antenna Pros Strong reception, clear picture quality Amplifier contributes to good range Amplifier can be powered by a wall wart or your TV’s USB port Cons Not the best-looking thing to have on your wall or window Excess cable can get messy quick Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $59.99 at Amazon Why we like the Winegard FlatWave Amped Winegard’s FlatWave Amped delivers great performance for an indoor antenna. It’s small, lightweight, and includes an amplifier, so should work well in areas that enjoy good local TV signals. Who should buy the Winegard FlatWave Amped If you live in an urban area with TV broadcast towers nearby, the Winegard FlatWave Amped is a good choice for indoor TV reception. Read our full Winegard FlatWave Amplified (model FL-5500A) review Televes Bexia — Best rigid amplified indoor TV antenna Pros Internal amplifier boosts signal level Stable reception Amplifier can be powered from one of your TV’s USB ports Cons Lower performance with VHF frequencies Larger design could make it difficult to hide Why we like the Televes Bexia The Televes Bexia is one the best indoor TV antennas we’ve tested, capable of pulling in signals from medium-power broadcast towers whether resting on its fold-out stand on a piece of furniture or mounted to a wall. Its onboard antenna can be powered by one of the USB ports on your TV or with a USB wall wart if your TV doesn’t have a free port. Who should buy the Televes Bexia If you live in an apartment or just don’t want to install a TV antenna on your roof, the Televes Bexia will do an excellent job of pulling in live TV signals. You won’t even need to aim it as it will automatically adjust its level of amplification for each channel as needed. Read our full Televes Bexia review RCA Multi-Directional TV Antenna (model ANTD8E) — Best rigid indoor TV antenna, runner-up Pros Good reception of most local channels Inline amplifier to boost reception Attractive industrial design for indoor use Cons The antenna’s wide base gives it a large footprint (the stand can be removed if you prefer to hang the antenna) Poor reception of low-power and distant channels Best Prices Today: Retailer Price RCA $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $59.99 at RCA Why we like the RCA ANTD8E Multi-Directional TV Antenna Here’s more proof that indoor TV antennas don’t need to look hideous. The RCA ANTD8E features an inline amplifier that helps it pull in strong broadcast signals, and its cloth-covered form factor will help it blend with your home’s furniture. Who should buy the RCA ANTD8E Multi-Directional TV Antenna If you don’t like the plastic design of the Televes Bexia, RCA’ fabric-wrapped device is an excellent alternative. And it can be placed on an entertainment credenza or mounted to a wall. Read our full RCA Multi-Directional TV Antenna (model ANTD8E) review Ultra-Vizion Transparent — Least visually intrusive indoor antenna Pros Less-intrusive see-through design Reliable reception of local TV channels Long antenna cable Cons Not effective for weaker signals, even with its amplifier Older design could suffer interference from 5G signals Why we like the Ultra-Vizion Transparent Indoor Amplified antenna The Ultra-Vizion Transparent Indoor Amplified antenna works well for local TV reception in areas of strong signals, and its transparent design is much more pleasing to the eye than the competition. Who should buy the Ultra-Vizion Transparent Indoor Amplified antenna The Ultra-Vizion Transparent will work well in areas with strong signals, but it’s mostly for people who want to watch over-the-air broadcasts without don’t seeing a TV antenna taped to their wall or window. Read our full Ultra-Vizion Transparent Indoor Amplified TV Antenna review Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) — Best roof-mount TV antenna Pros Strong, sensitive reception Built-in 5G filter Built-in amplifier and indoor distribution amp Cons Large physical size Assembly can be confusing Not designed to tune in low-VHF signals Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $179.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $179.95 at Amazon Why we like the Televes Dat Boss Mix LR The Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) is the best outdoor TV antenna we’ve tested, and a year after our initial test, it remains on my house thanks to its consistently reliable and strong performance. It delivered an excellent performance, pulling in strong signals from local and distant TV towers where reception ranges from good to poor. Who should buy the Televes Dat Boss Mix LR If you’re able to install an antenna on your roof, the Televes Dat Boss Mix LR is an excellent choice. It should provide strong, interference-free reception for years to come. Read our full Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) review Antennas Direct DB8e — Best roof-mount TV antenna, runner-up Pros Good reception of weak signals Antennas can be pointed in two different directions Easy to assemble Cons Large size requires a strong mount Not designed to receive VHF TV stations Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $123.61 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $123.61 at Amazon Why we like the Antennas Direct DB8e The Antennas Direct DB8e’s reception is as impressive as its looks. This is a large, heavy antenna that’s cleverly designed to receive weak signals with two antenna arrays. In areas of better reception, in can point to towers located in different directions. Who Should Buy the Antennas Direct DB8e The Antennas Direct DB8e is particularly suited for people in areas where TV stations are available from two locations far apart, as each reception array can be pointed in a different direction. Read our full Antennas Direct DB8e review Winegard Elite 7550 — Best attic/outdoor TV antenna Pros Good reception of strong to medium level signals on UHF and VHF-High Inline amplifier helps boost signals Suitable for attic or outdoor mounting Cons Plastic mounting bracket feels a little cheap Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $139.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $139.95 at Amazon Why we like the Winegard Elite 7550 Despite its smaller size, the Winegard Elite 7550 immediately impressed with its ability to pick up more broadcast channels than most of the competition at higher signal levels. It has a built-in amplifier and performed well on both VHF-High and UHF broadcast bands. Who Should Buy the Winegard Elite 7550 The Winegard Elite 7550 is a good choice for anyone who cannot have a rooftop antenna but wants to pull in the maximum number of channels in their area. It will work well mounted on the side of a house, on a balcony, or in an attic. Read our full Winegard Elite 7550 review Antennas Direct Clearstream 4 Max — Best attic/outdoor TV antenna, runner-up Pros Good reception of strong to medium level signals on UHF and VHF-High Multidirectional reception for areas with transmitters in different locations Sturdy mount with mounting hardware for attic or outdoor installation Cons No built-in amplifier, so you might need one for weaker channels Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $149.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $149.99 at Amazon Why We Like the Antennas Direct Clearstream 4 Max The Clearstream 4 Max is a little larger than our top-ranked choice and wasn’t quite as good at pulling in stations, but it’s still a solid antenna. We liked its distinctive double figure-eight design and that it can receive signals from different directions, which is useful if you live in an area with broadcast towers in multiple locations. Who Should Buy the Antennas Direct Clearstream 4 Max The Antennas Direct Clearstream 4 Max will work well in areas where TV signals are strong to moderate and come from more than one direction. Read our full Antennas Direct Clearstream 4 Max review How TechHive tests TV antennas TechHive tests TV antennas in a location in Northern Viriginia, in the Washington, D.C. metro area. (Until 2020, we tested in the San Francisco Bay Area, so you might see references to that location in older reviews). This location receives strong signals from local TV stations, but presents several challenges: There are a large number of trees around to influence reception; some of the independent D.C. TV stations are weak and difficult to receive; and channels from the distant Baltimore market can only be received with good antennas. Indoor antennas are tested indoors, and outdoor antennas are tested mounted out of doors. Each time we test a new antenna, we retest our current top pick to ensure a fair benchmark based on current reception conditions. We use a HD HomeRun set-top box to scan for channels and record the number of RF channels received by each antenna, their strength, and quality. Each RF channel carries a number of digital stations, but the number is different per channel and can change, so just counting the number of stations received isn’t a reliable measurement. We scan several times and adjust the direction of the antenna on some rescans. Our top picks are the antennas that receive the largest number of stations with the highest signal level in both the UHF (channels 14 through 51) and VHF-High (channels 7 through 13) bands, which are the primary TV broadcast bands. A word about NextGen TV All the antennas we test are suitable for reception of NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) signals. In fact, the new broadcast standard promises more reliable reception, which should help antenna users. In our Northern Virginia location, there are three NextGen TV transmitters within reach at differing power levels, so these add to the depth of our tests. The new format also promises some interactive and streaming functionality, and many channels employ digital rights management (DRM) encryption, so you’ll also need an broadband connection if you want to enjoy many of the channels. Most TVs and some set-top boxes support encryption and interactive functions; verify the one you’re considering has that feature before you buy it. Other notable TV antennas we’ve reviewed Antennas Direct 91XG: This UHF-only rooftop antenna is great at pulling in weak signals. Televes Ellipse Mix: This is a great choice for areas with medium strength signal reception. In our tests it brought in TV stations with a strong, stable signal and is a good choice for anyone looking for a smaller antenna. Channel Master Pro-Model CM-1776: Here’s a very well-made device that will look good on any house or apartment and is suitable for use in areas of high to medium signal strength. Channel Master Smartenna+: This in-home TV antenna features a built-in tuner that adjusts to pull in the maximum number of channels possible. Clearstream Horizon: A good-looking indoor TV antenna with a companion signal amplifier. It performed well in our tests and should work in areas of good to moderate signals. GE Enlighten HD Antenna with Bias LED Lighting: This antenna neatly combines an indoor antenna and bias lighting in a single package, but one feature limits the utility of the other. Mohu Curve: This antenna is prettier than many, and it’s very inexpensive; unfortunately, it’s just not very powerful. Read...

DirecTV is trying to break up the pay TV bundle this year with cheaper, genre-based packages, but one genre in particular is standing in the way. When you look at DirecTV Stream’s new MySports, MyEntertainment, and MyNews packages, they all have one thing in common: Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC are included whether you want them or not. Those mandatory cable news offerings are likely adding around $5 per month to each package based on reported per-subscriber carriage fees. Cable news is still a lucrative part of the pay TV ecosystem, so programmers may be unwilling to break them off from any TV package. But the result for DirecTV is a trio of bundles that still feel a bit bloated. Breaking down DirecTV’s new bundles DirecTV has a web page showing all its new bundles, with channel lists for each one, but here’s the gist: MyEntertainment ($35 per month) includes a broad mix of entertainment channels and cable news, but no local or sports channels. Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) are also included, and Max will be added soon at no extra charge. Notable channels include HGTV, History, Discovery, and Bravo. MyNews ($40 per month) has the big three major cable news networks along with local NBC and Fox stations, plus CNBC, CNBC World, Fox Business, CNN International, i24, and Newsmax. MySports ($70 per month) has local ABC, Fox, and NBC channels; plus, ESPN channels, Fox Sports channels, Turner channels (TNT, TBS, and TruTV), all four league-specific channels, and USA, along with cable news. ESPN+ is included as well. DirecTV is also selling a $35-per-month MiEspañol package and some optional add-ons, including a $10-per-month MyCinema package and a $13-per-month MySports Extra package with NFL RedZone. You’re allowed to mix and match different genre packs, but DirecTV also still offers larger channel bundles (which it now calls “Signature Packages”) that start at $90 per month. Because cable news is included in each of the three main packages listed above, you’re paying for them even if you never watch them. Fox News was seeking per-subscriber fees of around $3 per month as of 2023 according to Vanity Fair, while CNN’s carriage fees were $1.01 in 2020 according to Variety and have surely increased since then. Assuming similar fees for MSNBC, the three channels combined likely add around $5 per month to every pay TV package. Who are DirecTV’s new bundles for? It’s hard to imagine the ideal customer for DirecTV’s MyNews pack at $40 per month when its three most popular cable news channels are included in every other DirecTV English-language package. DirecTV’s MyEntertainment package, for instance, is $5 per month cheaper, yet it includes Disney+, Hulu, and Max (a $17-per-month value on their own); plus, a bunch of entertainment channels. Compared to MyNews, it’s only missing some less popular cable news channels, such as CNBC and Fox Business. While MyNews does include local Fox and NBC stations, it’s missing ABC and CBS, so it’s not a complete replacement for basic cable. You might be better off trying to get local channels with an antenna, signing up for a bigger bundle, or looking at other ways to get broadcast TV programming. DirecTV’s $70 per month MySports package is more compelling for sports fans, or at least it will be if DirecTV manages to add CBS stations. An option to add regional sports—the package’s other big missing piece—will come to select markets by the time baseball season starts. Still, it’d be a stronger package if sports fans didn’t have to pay a cable news tax as well. Everyone gets cable news DirecTV isn’t alone in having to carry cable news. In January, Comcast launched its own “Sports and News” package for $70 per month, the same price as DirecTV MySports. Though it omits sports programming from Warner Bros. Discovery (including TBS and TNT), it still includes Warner’s CNN along with Fox News and MSNBC. Meanwhile, Fubo is planning its own “Sports & Broadcast” bundle, with sources telling TheDesk’s Matthew Keys that it will cost between $50 and $60 per month. That package will reportedly include Fox News and Fox Business as well, because Fox is still requiring distributors to bundle its sports and news channels together, one source said. (Fox, for that matter, plans to include both sports and news in its forthcoming standalone streaming service.) Cable news still represents some of the most popular programming on cable, with MSNBC and Fox News routinely landing in the top 10 for total annual viewers, so some folks might appreciate that it’s part of every emerging skinny bundle. But for those who get their news elsewhere—be it via free streaming news channels or, dare I say it, print journalism—cable news is an unnecessary expense that stands in the way of more flexible and more affordable packaging. Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more streaming TV advice. Read...