Fortunately, it's fairly simple to rescan for channels. The process varies a bit depending on what brand of TV you own, but ultimately you're looking for a control that says Channel Scan or Channel Tuning.
Start by using your TV remote control (or a digital converter box remote if you still have an older analog TV) to press the Menu or Setup button. You may see the Channel Scan control right away, or it could be one layer down, under Antenna, Channels, or Channel List. It might be called "Live TV" (for LG TVs) or "Broadcast" (for Samsung sets).
If you don't see any of those options as soon as you press the Menu button—and that's not unusual—you'll have to go one layer deeper by first choosing Settings or Setup.
Once you find Channel Scan or Channel Tuning, you may have a choice to tune automatically (Autotune or Autoscan) or manually. You want the automatic option, which will make the TV search through all the channels.
If you don't see any of these options, you can usually perform a channel scan by selecting the Input button on the TV remote or in the TV's main menu, then choosing Antenna.
Depending on the number of channels you can receive, it could take a few minutes to complete the rescan. If it doesn’t work the first time, try again. We recommend doing a second channel scan anyway just to see whether you get any stations you missed on the first rescan.
If you're already using an antenna to get free TV, you'll probably only need to rescan your TV—you won't need any new equipment.
The one exception is if a local station moves from UHF (channels 14-51) to VHF (channels 1-13) and your current antenna is either UHF-only or gets poor VHF reception. In those cases, you might want to consider a new antenna. (More on that below.)
Don't Have an Antenna Yet?
If you're just getting started with free over-the-air TV, you're in good company. Even many consumers who have switched to streaming video services, such as DirecTV Now or Sling TV, use an antenna for local stations not included with their package. In fact, 28 percent of all U.S. households with internet service now use a TV antenna to get free TV service, according to Parks Associates, a market research firm.
Having the right antenna can help you get more of your local channels. In 2018, we tested 10 popular models, ranging in price from $10 to $80. Your reception will also depend heavily on your distance from broadcast towers, along with topography—such as mountains or tall buildings—that could interfere with signals. Amplified models can often help pull in more distant stations.
One final reminder if you are shopping for an antenna: Make sure it can receive both VHF and UHF frequencies. Some antennas provide good reception for only VHF or UHF channels, but not both. But you'll need an antenna that can receive both to get all the stations you can receive in your area.
Satellite TV doesn't pop up as an option in many cord-cutting conversations, but a startup called Orby TV is hoping to change that. Taking a page from the prepaid-cellular playbook, the company is offering a satellite-TV service with 40-plus channels for $40 a month, including taxes, with no contract and few add-on fees of the kind that frustrate many cable TV subscribers.
One reason the cost is so low: Orby TV doesn't include local broadcasts from the major networks. Instead, the company bundles an outdoor antenna as part of the package to pull in free over-the-air broadcast channels such as ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, plus PBS, the CW, and Ion Television.
That will work fine for many consumers, but antenna reception depends heavily on where you live.
Additionally, you don't get any dedicated sports channels, such as ESPN, or regional sports networks. And the service right now is missing some popular networks, such as Bravo and Disney (Disney Channel, plus Fox, FX, and National Geographic).
Those factors narrow the range of people who might want to switch to Orby TV. But for the right consumer, the service can be a good alternative to stripped-down cable packages and to cable-replacement streaming services such as SlingTV and Hulu + Live TV.