RCA SLIVR XL review: Cut the cord with this HD antenna

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Techaeris Rated 9.4/10

Cord cutting is on the rise, as people are tired of getting gouged by their cable companies. Some people may have forgotten, but depending on where you live, you can pull in plenty of HD channels over the air (OTA) for free. To do so you’ll need an antenna. The RCA SLIVR XL is one such antenna that can fit your needs. Keep reading to see how it works in this full RCA SLIVR XL review.

Specifications

  • 360º multi-directional design eliminates need for constant adjustments
  • Receives TV broadcasts including 4K and 1080P HDTV, both UHF and VHF stations – up to 50+ miles from the tower
  • Super thin, sleek design blends into homes
  • Great complement to streaming players
  • Dependable backup television source when storms knock out cable or satellite television
  • Designed and engineered in the USA
  • Meets or exceeds CEA performance specifications for indoor antennas

What’s in the Box

RCA SLIVR XL Review WITB
  • 1 x Antenna
  • 1 x Removable Amplifier w/Power Supply
  • 1 x Coax Cable
  • 2x Mounting Screws

Design

The RCA SLIVR antenna isn’t necessarily much on looks, but looks aren’t particularly important for an antenna where you’re going to basically set it and forget it. The antenna is a black plastic square, roughly 11” X 10.5” X .5”, where the top is just slightly larger than the bottom, and a small slope fills the space between one and the other. The top of the antenna has the RCA logo in the middle, with four diagonal slashing lines coming from each of the corners, meeting at the logo. The bottom has rubber feet, in case you plan to leave the antenna sitting on a surface of some kind, as well as eyelets which will allow you to hang the antenna from a hook or screw. The sides are relatively ordinary, save for the coaxial cable that comes out from the back of the device.

Ease of Use

Setup for your SLIVR antenna really couldn’t be much easier. Attach the removable amplifier/power supply to the antenna. Attach the coaxial cable to your TV (or perhaps to your Tablo, if you want even more features to go with your OTA channels). And finally, plug in the power for the antenna.

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You’ll want to place your antenna in an appropriate spot. You’ll have the best luck if you’re able to place it in a window, though you should still be able to pull in channels if you hang it on a wall, or even on a shelf underneath your TV. A window is still probably the best though if you’re able to make that happen.

RCA SLIVR XL Review back
The back of the antenna offers mounting options if desired.

Turn on your TV, and there should be an “Antenna” input setting that you can use. You should also then be able to scan for channels. Depending on where you live, where the nearest broadcast towers are, and where you’re able to set up your antenna, you should get at the very least the major network TV stations.

Performance

Living in the suburbs of Chicago, I was able to get 14 channels pretty regularly, though curiously a couple of channels that came through when I had the antenna in a less-than-ideal location did not come through when I placed it in the window (where significantly more channels are picked up). You’ll want to play around with the location to find out where you’re able to get the best signal for the most channels. Based on some of the tools available to show what channels I should be receiving, my placement could probably be better as there are a lot more channels available in my area.

Depending again on your location and antenna placement, the SLIVR XL antenna will be able to pull HD signal without any issue. You’ll want to be sure and secure your antenna wherever it is set up, using either the included screws or some other variety of anchor. Movement of the antenna can affect your connection, causing static or blurred/lost video.

Price/Value

At $69.99, the RCA SLIVR XL antenna is a much better value than your standard Cable TV contract. The main caveats will be whether or not you live close enough to your regional broadcast towers to get the most out of an OTA antenna.

RCA SLIVR XL Review Front

Wrap Up

If you’re ready to cut the cord, and live in an area where you can take advantage of HD programming over the air, the RCA SLIVR XL will help you get the most out of your experience. Be sure to check out our Tablo review if you want to ramp up your OTA TV experience even further.

[button link=”http://www.rcaantennas.net/indoor-hd-antenna/?sku=ANT1660F” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from RCA[/button]
*We were sent a review sample of the RCA SLIVR XL for the purposes of this review.

Last Updated on February 20, 2020.

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