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- First reviewSeptember 18, 2017
- Last reviewSeptember 18, 2017
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JimS's Reviews
Catch your favorite network broadcast shows with this Antennas Direct ClearStream TV over-the-air digital tuner. It connects to an HDTV antenna of your choice, and lets you pause and rewind live programs via the free ClearStream TV companion app. Connect this Antennas Direct ClearStream TV over-the-air digital tuner to your home Wi-Fi network to stream live TV.
Customer Rating
4
Nice way to watch broadcast TV on mobile.
on September 18, 2017
Posted by: JimS
from Notre Dame, IN
I've had the ClearStream TV for a few weeks now, and I've used it several times. Setting up the device is relatively quick and simple (connect to its WiFi hotspot), scanning for channels takes a few minutes, and then you're all set. I actually discovered a few local channels that I didn't know about before, so that was a nice surprise. It also downloads a bit of the guide information to tell you what's on each channel. I was impressed that the ClearStream connected to my home's 5G network. Not many devices like this do that.
The ClearStream is primarily intended for mobile devices like phones and tablets. It doesn't appear to host a desktop web page for laptop/PC viewing, and I didn't find an app for it on our Samsung TV. That's completely fine though, because we really did buy it for TV on our mobile devices, and that's exactly what it does. There is an app in the Apple store, and in Google Play, and I've used both.
I haven't been able to get my iPhone to show ClearStream through our ChromeCast, but it did work quite nicely on my AppleTV. Similarly, my Android tablet didn't do AirPlay, but it easily mirrored on ChromeCast. This is to be expected, and isn't a limitation of the ClearStream app as much as it's a reflection of how Apple and Google coexist in the smartTV world. I don't have a FireStick or a Roku, so I can't comment on how those work other than the fact that the manufacturer's website mentions a Roku integration that sounds like it has more features than the others... If I ever get one, I'll report back on how it works and whether it's noticeably different or not.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the ClearStream TV. I've noticed one or two issues that I'll contact the company about (having to re-scan channels each time you setup a new mobile device, and the setup instructions not mentioning the wifi hotspot) but those don't effect how well it's worked for me since then. I did reboot it once when I couldn't see any channels on my phone, but it was working on Android, so I couldn't say one way or the other whether the reboot fixed the ClearStream itself or the cache on my phone... The convenience of watching TV without having to be stuck in front of a set has definitely been nice. I've also thought about how it'll be nice to watch the weather from the basement during storms, to listen for the end of commercial breaks during the game, and a few other niche applications like that. It's been easy enough to use that I'm thinking about buying one for my parents. We've definitely been putting some miles on ours, and I'm sure they would too. It's been a good purchase and I'm glad that we have ours.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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JimS's Answers
Catch your favorite network broadcast shows with this Antennas Direct ClearStream TV over-the-air digital tuner. It connects to an HDTV antenna of your choice, and lets you pause and rewind live programs via the free ClearStream TV companion app. Connect this Antennas Direct ClearStream TV over-the-air digital tuner to your home Wi-Fi network to stream live TV.
We went on AntennaWeb and it says we would not be able to get OTA reception, even with a good antenna. Since this is connected to our wifi and our Roku, do we have a better chance of getting tv reception with an antenna? We are in a dead zone.
The unit can only tune channels that it picks up with the antenna, the wifi connection and app integrations are just how you watch it. If you don't have local channels on other devices, this will be no different. Whatever you do have you could watch on your mobile devices, but it's not going to change your reception or your broadcast area, no.
6 years, 7 months ago
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JimS