Overview
As many cord cutters live in heavily populated areas, this has led to tough competition in the market for mid-range indoor antennas. For a while now, Mohu has been a favorite brand, especially with its Leaf product. With the ReLeaf, the company has decided to improve upon the original Leaf by making an environmentally friendly version. In other words, the ReLeaf is essentially a Leaf made entirely out of recycled materials.
Appearance
The rectangular shape of the Mohu Releaf, along with the connection to a coaxial cable, makes this device look like any other antenna. However, it’s different in that it’s made of recycled materials – even the plastic on its bottom comes from the plastic in cable set-top boxes. The flat part of the antenna is made of recycled cardboard, and to avoid wasting additional materials by producing an instruction booklet, the instructions have been printed on the inside of the box. One feature that cable cutters may consider to be a downside is the fact that this device only comes in grey, and one side is darker than the other. However, if you can get past the color scheme and focus on the environmental plus point, this is a small price to pay. Besides, another good feature involves the 10 foot coaxial cable not being permanently attached to the device, as is the case with the majority of antennas. In other words, you can swap it out for a shorter or longer one if you so desire. You can also easily hang up the antenna if you want to, as there are built-in pinholes in the corners of the device, and the product comes with pins included. Many consider the pins to be a more effective measure than the adhesive strips which come with lots of other antenna models. When you’ve removed the antenna from the box, you’ll notice a set of solid and dotted lines printed along the bottom, and if you visit the Mohu site, you’ll see there are instructions on how to turn the box into a stand for your device.
Reception
As the ReLeaf is a multi-directional antenna, this means you can place it on a wall or window without worrying about finding the right direction to point it in so it’s facing your local broadcast towers. However, having an idea of where these towers are can be helpful, so one way you can do this is by visiting AntennaWeb.org and entering your zip code to see a list of the stations which are available in your area, plus the locations of your nearest broadcast towers – including direction and distance. Once your ReLeaf is set up, you should be able to pick up a range of over the air (OTA) channels, and these may come in a higher quality than those seen with a cable subscription. This is because most signals aired by a cable provider are in 720p, but with many popular shows available on local networks, these are often broadcast over the air in 1080p HD. In other words, you can gain higher quality television for free! You can find out how many over the air TV stations are available to you in the location in which you reside. Visit the site GoMohu.com and enter your zip code into the ‘find the right antenna’ box, which is located near the top of the page. From here, you will be able to see a full list of channels which should be on offer in your location. Additionally, you will receive recommendations on which antenna could work best for your address. The ReLeaf states in its advertising and promotional material that it has a 30 mile range, so you should definitely be able to use this device if you live in a densely populated area, or a rural area which is still fairly close to a broadcast tower.
Technical features and setup
The Mohu ReLeaf has a range of up to 30 miles, and features high VHF and UHF. It is a multidirectional antenna with the capability of streaming 1080 HD television. In addition, it is 4K Ultra HD ready. It has a 75 ohm F connector, and its dimensions are 9” by 11.5”. To set up the antenna, you only need to set aside a few minutes of your time:
- Remove the various parts from the box.
- Assemble the antenna by screwing the coaxial cable to the input.
- Hook up the antenna to your TV, OTA DVR or other device.
- Place the antenna in the right position for your setup and/or location.
- Go into your TV’s setup menu to scan for channels.
Eco-friendly features
As more and more people are making the effort to reduce their environmental footprint and purchase products which are both sustainable and eco-friendly, the Mohu ReLeaf is an antenna which serves both cord cutters and those who don’t want to buy materials which have been sourced in a non-sustainable way. In fact, most of the device is made from recycled components. One of the biggest parts of the antenna is the ‘clamshell’, which is where you connect the coaxial cable, and this is made completely from crushed cable boxes. Mohu states on their website that there are over 224 million cable TV set-top boxes in US households. Clearly, this huge figure plays a similarly huge part in the e-waste problem, and so Mohu has found a way to make use of the discarded material from these boxes by crushing the plastic, creating pellets from this substance and creating the clamshell part of their product, which bridges the antenna and the coaxial cable. As if that wasn’t enough, the ReLeaf antenna bears a number of environmental certifications, as detailed below:
- FSC Certified – ensures that all environment papers are a product of responsible forestry
- Carbon Neutral Plus – ensures a reduction in carbon emissions and demonstrates a commitment to environmental conservation
- Green Seal Certified – ensures that all environmental papers feature at least 30% post consumer fiber. Also ensures that mill processes are environmentally preferable
- Green-e Certified – ensures that all environment papers are produced using electricity which is 100% renewable and green
Summary
Mohu has produced what is possibly the most environmentally friendly product on the mid-range antenna market, meaning that cord-cutters can combine their love of live TV with a green mindset. Made from recycled products and featuring multiple green certifications, it’s clear that Mohu has really gone the extra mile in the creation of this Leaf revamp. If you want to cut down on cable costs and your carbon footprint all at once, then check out the Mohu ReLeaf.
