Join / Sign In CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Best TV antenna to buy in 2021 Installing an over-the-air antenna is one of the easiest ways to get free TV. We tested seven OTA models to find out which is best. Are you old enough to remember the days before streaming video, satellite TV and even cable TV? Those were the antenna years, when "rabbit ears" protruded from the back of bulky TV sets, while Yagi antennas dotted rooftops throughout suburbia. If you're fed up with the high cost of subscription TV -- whether you're getting it online, from a satellite dish or over a coaxial cable -- you may be surprised to learn that those hoary days of free over-the-air TV never left.