With how ubiquitous modern streaming services have become, it’s easy to forget that you can tune into free, live programming across many jurisdictions in the US. Those old-fashioned bunny ear antennas you see caricatured across the media landscape? It turns out that they’re still more than capable of picking up broadcast signals, even in today’s age of high definition (HD) multimedia and internet-powered connectivity.
If you have, say, a Fire TV or another smart TV set from a competing platform provider, then there’s a good chance that it features a coaxial port (also known as a coax port) on its side panel or back section. This port is your gateway to connecting any cheap terrestrial antenna to your flat-screen panel, and it’s also your ticket to free no-strings-attached media consumption.
There are a variety of online resources available for checking signal strength in your area of dwelling. In the past, I’ve used the TV Fool Interactive TV Coverage Browser to check out the location of local TV transmitters in my area. For more information on antenna-based over-the-air broadcasting, check out the official online resource from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
How to connect any HDTV antenna to your Fire TV
Largely a plug and play experience
To get started with watching live, free TV content on your Fire TV Smart TV, you’ll need an antenna and a coaxial cable. A coaxial cable is often included in the box when you purchase an antenna unit, but they can also be purchased separately online for a few dollars a pop. Once you have the necessary equipment, follow these steps to get everything connected:
- Connect your antenna to either side of your coaxial cable.
- Connect the other side of your coaxial cable directly to the back of your Fire TV unit.
Once everything is in place, you’ll want to boot up your Fire TV. Next, follow these steps to scan for available channels:
- Navigate to Settings > Live TV > Channel Scan.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to begin the scanning process.
Once the scan is complete, you can browse through currently-airing content through any one of the following means:
- Via the On Now row on the home screen
- Via the Channel Guide button on your remote
- Via the Live tab on your home screen
Note that channel and content availability will vary based on your geolocation, the placement of your antenna, and the signal reach of your antenna. Additionally, not all Fire TV Smart TV sets support the same live TV sources — you’ll need to dive into Settings to confirm that digital antennas are compatible with your specific make and model.
With everything all set up and in place, you’re now ready to tune into a selection of free terrestrial programming. While not on-demand in the way streaming services are, switching to live broadcasting is an effective way to reduce your subscription bill footprint in today’s era of recurring service fees.
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