Mohu Gateway Plus HDTV Indoor Antenna Review

Mohu Gateway Plus HDTV Indoor Antenna Review

The Mohu Gateway Plus is one of the latest amplified indoor HDTV antennas from the biggest name in the game. Like our favorite indoor antenna, the Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro, the Gateway Plus can pull in dozens of channels with a 60-mile range and uses four front LEDs to indicate the strength of the signal it is receiving.

We found that the Mohu Gateway Plus performed a little better in our tests than the Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro - but the results were very similar. We expect reception to vary depending on proximity to broadcast stations, but suburban and urban residents can expect decent reception of local networks.

No antenna can guarantee clear reception, but if you need an indoor HDTV antenna, the Gateway Plus is one of the best available. It comes with a stand so that it can be propped up on a high shelf (see photo for example), but the stand can be removed if you prefer to hang it flat in a window for optimal reception.

When it comes to reception, the Gateway Plus is designed to be multi-directional and should be able to receive signals even when placed forward or backward. Nevertheless, there is an LED signal indicator light on the front of the antenna, so it is best to face inward so that it can be seen.

Connected to the antenna is a 10-foot high-performance coaxial cable and a USB-powered power injector to help amplify reception. The two drawbacks are that the cable is not detachable, meaning that the entire antenna will have to be replaced unless you don't accidentally break it, and the in-line power injector can actually worsen reception: "Over-amplification can occur in the short distance to the tower can and may very well worsen your reception"

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In short, you may need to try the Gateway Plus with and without the amplifier installed to see if the signal improves.

Thankfully, antenna installation is one of the easiest technology projects. Simply connect the antenna's coaxial cable to the in-line amplifier and connect the amplifier to the TV's RF port. Connect the amplifier's USB cord to the TV port and you are done.

To find new channels, click "scan for channels" in the TV's menu settings. Every smart platform has a different location, but if your TV has a tuner, you should find this option somewhere in the menu.

Of course, if you want the best reception, we recommend downloading Mohu's free "Antenna Point" app to help you find the nearest broadcast station and point your antenna in the right direction. Since the Gateway Plus is multi-directional, there is no need for super-precise positioning, but it is worth using the app.

Unlike a TV or laptop, an antenna's performance depends on its location rather than its own specifications. That said, we recommend testing two different antennas one at a time to see which one provides the best reception in your neighborhood.

In our case, the Mohu Gateway Plus was incredibly solid, picking up 41 channels, of which 34 appeared perfect. On a clear day, however, the Mohu Gateway Plus was able to outperform our top of the line TV antenna, the Mohu Reef Supreme Pro.

For comparison, the Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro received 39 channels, 22 of which played fine on a cloudy but rainy day. Channel 2 (NBC here in Buffalo, NY) was particularly choppy on the Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro, with three signals showing solidly on the Mohu Gateway Plus, while the Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro only showed two signals at most. The Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro displayed only two signals at most, while the Mohu Gateway Plus displayed three signals well.

Like the Supreme Pro, the first-stage amplification in the Gateway Plus is designed to reduce pixelation and image distortion. For the most part, this has been the case with Gateway Plus. Broadcast stations that had previously had problems seemed clearer and more stable with the Gateway Plus.

Mohu developed a winner with the Gateway Plus; although more expensive than the Leaf Supreme Pro, the Gateway Plus had better reception in our area. However, when it comes to indoor HDTV antennas, the Gateway Plus seems to work better than 99% of similar products, so it's worth a try in your home.

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