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Do you need your TV Aerial?
Don’t feel like scaling a ladder to install your TV aerial? Well, you’re in luck, you probably don’t need one – let’s find out why.
With so much of our day-to-day viewing coming from streaming apps, you might have to rack your brain to figure out when you last watched live TV. If that's the case, you probably don't need one. But they're not completely useless either. We’ll break down the tech-y parts and help you figure out whether you can give it a miss or not.
And if you’re thinking about upgrading your setup, take a look at our TV and Entertainment hub for more inspiration.
What you don’t need a TV aerial for
Streaming services
Since most smart tellys come with all the most popular streaming services built-in, you can watch tons of shows and films without ever having an aerial plugged in.
Live TV
Still want to tune into the latest soaps as they happen? Free services like Freely or paid ones like Sky Stream let you watch live TV over Wi-Fi. This means you can still flick through all the top channels when you’re not sure what to watch without needing any rooftop tech. You’ll just need to check whether the service you’re after is compatible with your smart TV or needs any extra setup.
Sports
Catch-up might work for most programs, but when it comes to the footy match everyone’ll be talking about, you’ll want to watch it live. To keep up with every goal, penalty, and VAR call, you’ve got plenty of places to stream sports events over the internet. Free apps like BBC iPlayer or ITVX show their fair share of fixtures. But to catch every last match, you’ll need paid subscriptions to services like Sky Sports and Prime Video.
What you still need a TV aerial for
When your internet's playing up
Picture it – you’re on the final episode of the latest series everyone’s talking about, the tension’s rising, and just as the culprit is about to be revealed… your Wi-Fi cuts out. Nothing like a bit of buffering to kill the stakes.
It’s moments like this you’ll be thankful you’ve got a TV aerial. It doesn’t rely on the internet, so you’ll be able to watch live TV without it.
You still need to it to watch Freeview
If you use a Freeview box, you’ll still need an aerial. Freeview channels are broadcast traditionally, not over the internet. If you're looking for a Freeview box alternative, Freely gives you more or less the same channels over Wi-Fi instead. For a little more info on how it works, take a look at our handy page going through all the features.
Pros of having a TV aerial |
Pros of going aerial-free |
| Reliable backup If your Wi-Fi cuts out, your TV isn’t out of action |
Watch whatever you want, whenever you want Don’t let the TV guide tell you what to watch, just load up a streaming app and choose anything you want. |
| Doesn’t use data If you’re on a capped internet plan, watching through an aerial doesn’t eat into your usage |
Coverage even in poor-signal areas Aerial reception isn’t the same everywhere, if it’s patchy in your area, streaming is the more reliable option. |
| No extra costs Ever looked at your bank account and wondered how you ended up paying for 10 different streaming services? Well with a TV aerial and Freeview box, there are no subscriptions needed. |
Not affected by weather Strong winds can interfere with your aerial’s signal. With streaming, you can keep watching come rain or shine. |
Some things to think about
Before you go ahead and ditch the aerial completely, here are a couple things to keep in mind.
Your broadband speed matters
To keep streaming smooth, you'll need to make sure you've got a stable internet connection. If not, you'll be stuck with annoying buffering ruining all your favourite shows.
New homes might not have an aerial.
Some new-build homes aren't fitted with aerial sockets at all, since its all your favourite shows.
So, do you still need a TV aerial?
Nowadays, for most of us, the answer is no. With more streaming apps than you could even name off the top of your head, it’s easier than ever to watch whatever you want without one. It’s best to think of them as a handy backup that you’ll be glad you’ve got if the internet conks out – but you’ll probably forget about the rest of the time.
So, if you’ve got one already, it’s worth keeping. But if not, it’s probably not worth getting one installed – as long as you trust in your stable Wi-Fi connection.
