A digital television receiver and antenna control method in the digital television receiver are disclosed. The digital television receiver includes and antenna having directivity according to a control signal for switching patterns of the antenna. A receiving section receives and processes channel signals for digital television broadcasting through the antenna. An antenna control section generates the control signal for switching the patterns of the antenna based on channel information according to the received channel signal. An antenna switching control section switches the patterns of the antenna during a sync signal period of the received channel signal when the control signal is generated.