How well does an indoor tv antenna work in the South Bay Area?

If you are more than about 5 miles from the transmitters, then an indoor antenna may not give you good results.

Check http://www.antennaweb.org/ and put in your zip code. It will tell you how far away you are and in what direction.

If a roof-top antenna is a possibility for you, that is *always* the best choice. Any indoor antenna is a compromise for what really works. Those outdoor antennas are that size and shape for a reason.

In Santa Clara, you will also want a rotor since your channels arrive from different directions. Several of the prime channels are on the Sutro Tower in S.F. (northwest of you), and you have others in the hills to the northeast and east.

You *might* get by on some of those channels with an indoor antenna. If you decide to go that route, the one in the first link is the top of the line. It's the only one I'd consider if forced to buy an indoor antenna.

If I was where you are and could put up an antenna over the roof, the one in the 2nd link is the one I'd get, plus a rotor. A 10-foot mast would be plenty adequate.