Paying for something I don’t use very often irks me. I’m starting to get annoyed by my cable package, as many people have over the past five to 10 years. I am ensured channels that I do care about (NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, YES, Food Network, and whatever other channels I can get major sports on.) But I’m also ensured channels I definitely don’t care about (there’s too many to count.) Cutting the cord is something I’ve been considering for myself and my family as the prices of packages are outrageous. So I decided to look into a digital TV antenna, which many swear by as the way to get TV channels without paying for a cable package.

One that I’d heard positive things about is the Gesobyte Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna. It has a flat design, so you can place it in many different places to see where it fits best. Plus, it has an amplified tuner built in to help boost the signal to pick up channels more easily. I was eager to get my hands on it to see if the HD TV antenna would be the right device to help me cut the cord on cable. What I found was that this might not be the device to help me do it. While I’m still optimistic about finding a smart TV antenna that works well in my home, I either need to try a lot of them or I need to cut down some trees. Here’s what I found when I checked out the Gesobyte digital TV antenna.

Price, specs, and availability

It won’t cost you much

The 2024 version of the Gesobyte Amplified Digital HD TV Antenna costs just shy of $30, so it’s not a massive investment for anyone looking to give it a try. It is available on Amazon for you to purchase. It comes with an antenna that is connected to a coaxial cable and an USB-C cable. Those two are connected into the digital amplifier, which you can switch from short term to long term to boost the signal. If your TV doesn’t have a USB port, that means it doesn’t have a digital tuner in it. You will need to purchase a digital converter box to be able to plug the antenna into the TV. This includes a wall plug with a USB-C port in it for you to power the device.

The signal is said to be able to reach over 200 miles, and the antenna is supposed to filter out cellular and FM signals that could potentially block your broadcast signals coming from a broadcast tower. Gesobyte does recommend checking out dtv.gov/maps and typing in your address so you can understand what kind of channels you are able to get where you live. Here is the list I found for my location.

Seeing if the channel list is worth your while is the first step towards deciding whether or not a TV antenna is right for you. If it’s a lineup of channels you don’t want, it’s probably not worth it. But the fact that it had some of the channels I frequently watch listed made me want to try this.

What I liked about the Gesobyte Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna

Some channels came in well

I wanted to try out the antenna in my office as it has a TV that is not connected to a cable box. I connected the coaxial cable and the USB-C cable to the TV without any problems, as my TV had a built-in tuner. I wasn’t sure if I lived near a broadcast tower, so I kept the amplifier on short range initially. I followed the directions that Gesobyte provided to set your TV to Antenna and then Air.

The directions also said to place the antenna near a window, as it is the best place for reception. I tried it on the window and found not much but static and a message that said “weak or no signal.” I moved the antenna around the room, going higher on the windows, lower on the windows, above the windows, but nothing really changed. Eventually, I just held the antenna in the middle of the room and a channel started to come through.

Holding in the middle of the room — while not sustainable — helped me realize that the antenna does work and the settings I had the TV on were correct. Now I just had to find the best place for the antenna to sit. I tried it all over the room, including over the closet door, on my desk, and near the bed. Strangely, I got more channels to come in over the closet door than I did when it was on the window. But ultimately, I found the best place was on the picture ledge above my desk.

I placed it there and about 16 channels came in clearly. It was cool to be able to flip the channels and see clear images looking back at me, knowing I was getting TV for free.

What I didn’t like About the Gesobyte Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna

The channels you may want don’t come in

What was tough to see was that, of those 16 channels, some of the ones I really wanted didn’t come in. What was supposed to be NBC greeted me with the above message. CBS and Fox were the same way. I figured when I chose a digital antenna, getting basic network channels would be the minimum of what I got. Alas, that wasn’t the case, no matter where I placed the antenna in the room.

I did, however, receive a few foreign language audio-only channels that came in crystal clear. I’m not sure why I’m only able to get some of the channels clear and others not at all. Gesobyte does mention that objects such as trees and mountains can affect signals and I do live in a place with a lot of trees. So that might be the reason. But I’m excited to watch the NBA Finals on ABC, because that is a channel that does come in.

Should You Buy the Gesobyte Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna?

If the situation works for you, it might be a good buy

The Gesobyte Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna wasn’t the home run I hoped it would be. Some channels, such as MeTV and Charge came in incredibly clear once I found where to put the antenna. But other basic channels never even came in at all. It may be partly because of where I live and it might be partly because of the room I was trying the antenna in. But to see that many of the channels I wanted to watch didn’t come in was disheartening. If you live in an area without many trees or mountains, this may work better for you. The Gesobyte Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna didn’t convince me that cutting the cord on cable was the right choice.