ClearStream Flex Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna Review

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In this video I review the Antennas Direct ClearStream Flex amplified indoor TV antenna. It costs about $50 online and comes with an amplifier. How well does it work compared to other flat antennas?

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[craigosterberg]

I livi in Los Angeles and have an indoor antenna. Get over 140 channels with a great picture.

[AntennasDirect]

Thank you Antenna Man for a great review of the ClearStream Flex. We really appreciate your honestly and as always value your opinion.

[danlah]

Thanks for telling it like it is Tyler. Your subjective opinions/tests are more trustworthy because of your honesty and integrity!

[JaxonRamblers]

As a guy who worked in the audio/visual world before retiring I really appreciate your knowledge. I have an ancient Channel Master antenna DVR I still use. The hard drive died a few years back, but I just hooked up a 500gb external hard dive and it works great.

[michaelwyckoff]

I live in New York City and I use RCA indoor antennas and I get over 80 channels. Some of the channels I don't watch but I do get all of the major channels and sub channels as well. Reception and resolution is good and I really don't have any signal problems. RCA antennas work well for me. 😊😊😊

[JoshColletta]

Glad to see at least a couple of flat antennas being built correctly. It's all too easy for someone to slap a cheap metal strip loop inside some plastic and call it an antenna. I've come across more than a few over the years. In my opinion, that's why the form factor gets such a bad rap. It's not that flat antennas CAN'T be good, it's that marketers know they can make a quick buck off of people who don't know any better.

[njlauren]

I live in northern nj, about 25 to 30 miles from the towers. As tyler said jt depends on a lot of factors. I started out with a basic antenna I bought at best buy. It was on a wall above the set, prob like 20' above ground level, facimg north ( antennaa iny area are se, roughly 117 deg)..

I picked up a few local channels like 2.1( cbs) and 5.1 ( fox), bc they are on uhf ( forget abc 7.1 or pbs 13.1 on vhf). I prob could have mounted it on a easterm facing wall on a sliding glass door to improve it but would have been awkward.

I then tried the anteppo bar antenna indoor, same location. Picked up more chamnels, including 9.1, could pick up 43.3 we tv, 21.1 pbs. Scan said 49 channels, but not all worked well. Note that about 15 ft east of the antenna I have sliding foors, so the signal could get in.


I mounted the flat panel in my upstairs bedroom on the wall facing south. Where is there are windows facing east in the room and master bath room. Bout 35 feet up.

It picked up like 54 channels, and for for example 11.1 worked up there. Could pick up 13.1 at least sometimes, could get 33.3 most of the time.

I would definintely get a unit w a removable coax, and mount the antenna where you find the best signal &get a good quad shielded coax cable to run to the tv set. If you look on antennaweb.org, you can see where the towers are so at least you know what direction and find a way to mount the antenma oriented that way, it you have a window oriented close to that line, try that.

Given I live in a medium range area, not surprised the indoor antennas worked the way they did, given I didnt have them in an optimal area really, plus how far I am from the signals. Height makes a difference, the higher the better, bc of trees and other structures. In a city area taller buildings can block access. Satellite radio in urban areas has terrestrial broadcasting bc of that, satellite requires a SW horizon access.

On thing to keep in mind is atmospheric conditions are big w indoor antennas. At night i could get channels I couldn't get in day. Bad weather makes it worse ( not always, sometimes improved channels, weirdly).


To give comtrast, I switched to an attic antenna ( was able to feed it to my old cable end splitter to distribute it) oriented to the south east. I fiddled with it using a small portable tv.

And I am getting 86 channels, and they come in clearly w very rare issues. One of the 3 tvs i have it hooked up to had a poor connection when I had cable (crappy wiring), yet it works great. I dont have a pre amp or inine amp, no filters, just the antenna and good quality coax.

Special thanks to tyler. I cannot recommend his recommendation service enough. He didnt try and oversell the antenna required, which was great bc a bigger antenna would have been a problem in my attic where it needed to go.we actually asked about a more expensive antenna&he said it would just be more expensive ( he recommended the channel master 45, which is well made and easy to install). I followed his other reccomendations on what to use, how to install it, how to orient it and it went without a hitch. I knew a little, but spending the modest fee was more than worth it. I am good at figuring things out but it saved a lot of grief). My SO is great with a lot of things, they contacted Tyler, but I am the handy guru *lol* ( put it this way, they ordered the report, paid for it, and asked the questions I had bc I am stubborn)

One of the big ones is dont skimp on the coax cable, use rg6 shielded coax with pure copper center conductor. The run from my antenna to the tvs is 100' plus, a😮nd the signal is still good to all the tvs ( the splitter is not powered. )

[MrThecroatian]

I really liked your Never Forget t-shirt.

[DebbieJune]

I live in the NYC market less than an hour from the city and I get 78 channel depending on the weather if it’s bad I still get at least 75. I was so thrilled today we got the Oxygen True Crime network on our NBC station lineup. Even when I had cable years ago the Oxygen network was on the higher packages. Thanks again for encouraging me to cut the cord 2 years ago and I am so happy I did!!!! TFS👍🏻✌🏻

[josephrottman]

I just installed this antenna (used the linked from this channel). Everything the Antenna Man said was exactly right. The Amplifier did not make much difference what I looked at the signal meter on my tv. LG G2. This replaced an ugly rabbit ear antenna from Radio Shack I had used for years. Now you don't even see the antenna laying on the top of my table that sits below the TV. Reception is great and more importantly, it disappears. It works perfectly for the ATSC 3.0 channels as well as the digital signals. I am amazed it can pick up signals laying flat on table!!!

[TG-peqg]

Good tip about the amplifier connected to these flat antennas. Will try unplugging amp on mine when watching NBC Sunday night football to avoid pixielation/freezing.

[wesmckean]

I bought one of these off of eBay. I used it to test reception locations in my attic. For a while, I actually had it hanging from the rafters. I would have kept using it if I thought it could stand up to a southern summer. great antenna.

[chrisretired]

Thank You for another awesome video ! I will try this unit, if I can find it here in Anch AK. I’ve been using one I saw on your video a few years ago, works for around 7 ish channels.

[dgblac]

Great video, I really enjoyed watching. Love the t-shirt.

[roguewarr]

I have tried a few flat antennas but none worked great . But when I installed the Clearstream 4MAX on the Roof, I was surprised to get over 60 channels super clear . On my Sony TV with 3.0 next gen .This antenna is a 5 star to me .

[jeffj]

Tyler, you are the best! I'm giving this one a try.

[TCBEngel]

That is a nice antenna, then I'm having outside. My antenna is only UHF i'm buying this right now thank you
And a nice DVR dude

[fieldguy]

I'm kinda surprised usually the flat ones suck but hey if it works it works thanks much

[OLDMANDOM.Dominic]

Woo-hoo! Now we are in a Mint Mobile area!

[tommywalker]

Just ordered both, will update soon on how well it works. Long time subscriber thank you for your advice!
The antenna works great however had to reorder another dvr mine came damaged. Will update after I install the new one.