The retro $15 TV hack that could save you big bucks as streaming costs soar

With streaming bills ballooning out of control, weary watchers are going back to basics to save money on TV.

An old-fashioned TV antenna picked up from Amazon can get you access to dozens of free channels, for a fraction of the price of streaming or cable.

“People kind of downplay antennas, but they’re insanely underrated,” Tyler Kleinle, who goes by Antenna Man on YouTube, told KTLA.

“Once you spend that amount, you get free channels for life and you don’t have to worry about buffering, reduced picture quality, channel blackouts, which are happening a lot more often.

On his YouTube channel, Kleinle gives recommendations on the best antennas, and how to use them.

According to Kleinle, an indoor antenna should get you plenty of channels if you’re within 30 miles of broadcast towers. If you’re further away, you may need to get an outdoor antenna.

“It’s very important to buy an antenna that not only looks like an antenna, but it’s of a decent size. It doesn’t have to be massive,” said Kleinle.

The antenna aficionado recommends established brands like RCA, Antennas Direct, ClearStream, Channel Master, Winegard and Phillips.

“It’s very important to buy an antenna that not only looks like an antenna, but it’s of a decent size. It doesn’t have to be massive,” said Kleinle. He also recommends the Channel Master FLATenna, which goes for $35 and can be hung on the wall.

An indoor antenna from Phillips will set you back just $15, a steal compared to the climbing month rates charged by popular streaming services.

In August Peacock hitched its price from $10.99 to $12.99 (ad-free), while Apple TV climbed from $12.99 to $14.99.

Back in March, Netflix raised its standard plan with ads to $8.99, while the ad-free standard version prose to $19.99. The service’s premium tier rose to a whopping $26.99 each month.

The price hikes may have hit the streaming service’s pockets. Yesterday, Netflix posted its weakest revenue gains in years.

On local channels, you can pick up most of the major networks, meaning you won’t miss out on football season.

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