Apr 27 Podcast #528: Mohu Leaf Plus Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna
Podcast, Review Tags: Antenna, Automation, Dolby, Surround Sound 
We reviewed the Mohu Leaf Indoor HDTV Antenna back in July (Podcast #489) and thought it was the best indoor HDTV antenna we have ever tested. We’re here to tell you that is no longer the case. Enter the Mohu Leaf Plus Amplified Indoor Antenna (Buy Now $73.99). The Plus retains everything we loved about the original and adds amplification to help you pull in more channels.
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Mohu Leaf Plus Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna
We reviewed the Mohu Leaf Indoor HDTV Antenna back in July (Podcast #489) and thought it was the best indoor HDTV antenna we have ever tested. We’re here to tell you that is no longer the case. Enter the Mohu Leaf Plus Amplified Indoor Antenna (Buy Now $73.99)
The Mohu Plus antenna still looks like a laminated piece of paper with cable connected to it. Only now, there is a USB connection to add power via the included USB cable. You can connect the cable to a USB port on the TV if one exists or you can use the included power adapter to plug it directly into the wall.
Like its predecessor the Leaf Plus is designed for indoor use only. If you use it outdoors it will eventually deteriorate.
Specifications:
- Dimensions 9 X 11.5 (inches)
- Cable Length 6 feet
- Connector 75 ohm F connector
- Pattern omnidirectional reception
Since the HT Guys live about 70 miles away from the TV towers for Los Angeles our tests we performed in Fresno CA. Ara’s in-laws live 20 miles from the TV towers which is well within the antenna’s performance range of 50 miles. That’s about 10 more miles than the standard Leaf Antenna.
Performance
We placed the directly behind the TV even though this limits the reception. We really wanted to give the antenna a difficult test. Some listeners didn’t like the look of the antenna on the wall above the TV so having the antenna behind the TV may be a good thing. We first scanned for channels with the original antenna.
The scan took about three minutes and found 31 digital channels.
It even found 4 analog channels which surprised us.
Next up was the Leaf Plus!
Again the scan took about three minutes but this time it found 38 digital channels!
The Plus found an additional analog channel as well.
The other thing we noticed is that the Plus had a more reliable picture on channels that would drop lock with original antenna. With the Plus you get better signal reception with more channels for an increase in price of about $40.
Conclusion
The Mohu plus takes an already great product and makes it even better! At $74 it starts approaching the same price as some outdoor antennas so it may not be for everyone. HT Guys advice - If you live within 30 miles of your TV transmitters go for the standard leaf (Buy Now $35.99). If you don’t want to put your antenna on the wall in public view or if you live between 31 and 50 miles of the transmitters then pay the $74 and get the amplified version. The Mohu Leaf and Leaf Plus are simply the best indoor antennas the HT Guys have ever used.
Reader Comments (9)
I did the ABX test and I have to admit I was shocked at how difficult it can be to tell the difference between CD-quality .wav and even 128kbps .mp3. But rather than impressing me with the quality of the .mp3 compression algorithm, instead this test really raised some doubts in my mind about whether 44.1 kHz 16-bit digital audio is truly "lossless".
I can definitely tell the difference between PCM stereo and lossless DTS-HD Master Audio or Dolby TrueHD on Blu-rays...makes me think that we need better quality stereo audio sources too.
Pretty darn funny. I went to Amazon through the HTGuys link to order the original leaf, figuring that even at 32mi. to Mt Wilson here in the West Valley it was worth a shot due to us being almost line of sight. There I saw the Leaf Plus so I went to the Mohu site to check it out. Just decided to order it and came to follow the Amazon link again and saw the review here, which wasn't here last time I came. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Well the bad news for me is that staring July 1 Amazon will start charging sales Tax in Texas.
I will not be renewing my Prime membership and I wanna know if anyone will happen to know any other websites like Amazon that will not charge Taxes and that are safe.
Thanks guys!
That's a bummer, George - I'm in the same situation in Kentucky. Amazon has to charge sales tax in any state where they have physical operations. Even with sales tax included, Amazon very often beats pricing anywhere else. Also, the free shipping with Amazon Prime becomes even more important/valuable when sales tax is brought into the picture. Don't forget that a lot of sellers on Amazon Marketplace will not charge sales tax in your state, and several of them offer free shipping as well.
As far as alternatives, definitely check out newegg.com. Be sure to sign up for their email promotions - they send out sale items every day and also send out promo codes that can be extremely worthwhile. I once had a promo code to buy a 32" JVC Black Crystal LCD HDTV for about $279 with free shipping!
ebay.com is another place I use a lot. It' surprising how many new and refurb products are available on eBay and you can get Buyer Protection with your purchases. I usually buy only from eBay Top Rated Sellers and have never had an issue.
Walmart.com will also charge sales tax, but sometimes the prices are so good it's still the best deal. Plus you can use site-to-store or in some cases free home delivery to save on shipping.
Staples.com is good for some kinds of electronics as well and they also offer free home delivery on many items.
Yeah but none of those alternatives help out your favorite HT Guys :-)
When "Digital" only transmission finally happened many local TV stations reverted back to their old VHF analog frequencies for their digital transmissions. With a UHF only antenna like this, even mounted externally, the signal constantly drops out on rainy days. Coupled with the fact that many new homes are built with metalized radiant barriers, an indoor antenna is just not going to work even for UHF. This is the reason we see so many people standing outside their front doors to use their cell phones!
Hey, Guys! I tried the Super Leaf all over the wall behind the TV and ceiling audio cabinet and couldn't get all three of the major nets to come in, even though according to the Mohu site I am only 34 miles west of the transmission towers. NBC wasn't the problem, I could only receive either CBS or ABC depending on where I placed the antenna. So I put it in the east-facing window, something I didn't want to do out of fear of the sun causing the antenna to deteriorate, and all the channels came in.
I'll contact Mohu to see how they feel about this but it leads me to part two of the problem. What you guys have been talking about recently about "cutting the cord" is not what I picture. I'd like to not have to rely on the internet far any aspect of my TV viewing. With that in mind, are there any devices that can take the place of the old VCR for me? I'd like to find an OTA-centric DVR but the only two I find at Amazon seems to be a little iffy, according to the reviews. They are the Brite View and the Channel Master, if my memory is correct. Any ideas on what to do without building A Windows computer with tuners? I'm all Mac and would prefer not to deal with these things.
Thanks! You got me half way there!
Rick I'm not a Mac guy but maybe you'd do well with a Silicon Dust HDHomeRun and Elgato EyeTV:
http://www.silicondust.com/products/hdhomerun/atsc/
I installed a similar product to the Leaf, the Winegard FlatWave indoor antenna, and picked up a few extra channels over my old Yagi thats been on the roof for decades. Seems to be a little better built and always try to buy products made in the U.S. if possible.