Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020

[GaryTN]

Go out and get an over the air antennae. They can be very small and unobtrusive. Ours is smaller than our cable thing. Assuming you can get signal. You can pick up the locals that way



You have to switch inputs on your remote to watch the locals OTA. Like doing a Roku. Which confuses Mrs Scrapr. But sometimes there are cable disputes and a station will drop off the cable but be on the OTA channels. So she figures it out

Do you mind identifying the OTA antenna you bought and how far your stations are from your house? According to https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps
I can get 7 local strong signal channels and 1 moderate channel. Not sure an indoor antennae can pull them in. Can I share 1 indoor antenna with a 2nd TV or should I just buy a 2nd indoor antenna if the results are good?

 

[mpeirce]

Do you mind identifying the OTA antenna you bought and how far your stations are from your house? According to https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps
I can get 7 local strong signal channels and 1 moderate channel. Not sure an indoor antennae can pull them in. Can I share 1 indoor antenna with a 2nd TV or should I just buy a 2nd indoor antenna if the results are good?

In my experience, that website is pretty darn optimistic.

For us it shows good coverage. In our family room we get just 1 OTA channel. Up in our second story bedroom we do get good coverage. So we have a TiVo up there and added a TiVo Mini to the family room so we're sharing the upstairs antenna (and DVR functionality).

Even worse, I looked up my DF's place in Florida. Again, it shows promises good coverage, but he barely gets one OTA channel (one story house). So I set him up with Direct TV Now and they provide a bunch of channels and even most of the local ones he wants. He's stills having lots of money over the Comcast Cable TV service he had.

 

[REWahoo]

In my experience, that website is pretty darn optimistic.

May be an apples and oranges thing. You folks are talking indoor antennas an the linked website says this:

Signal strength calculations are based on the traditional TV reception model assuming an outdoor antenna 30 feet above ground level.

 

[W2R]

In my experience, that website is pretty darn optimistic.

For us it shows good coverage. In our family room we get just 1 OTA channel. Up in our second story bedroom we do get good coverage. So we have a TiVo up there and added a TiVo Mini to the family room so we're sharing the upstairs antenna (and DVR functionality).

Even worse, I looked up my DF's place in Florida. Again, it shows promises good coverage, but he barely gets one OTA channel (one story house). So I set him up with Direct TV Now and they provide a bunch of channels and even most of the local ones he wants. He's stills having lots of money over the Comcast Cable TV service he had.

I get in excess of 32 channels, which is more than the 19 channels that that website says I should be getting. My indoor antenna was built from wire and a short section of 2x4 by Frank, who has been into ham radio for 45 years and has a specific interest in antennas. It cost me $6 to reimburse him for the cost but he made me a second one for free from the leftovers, for the TV in my bedroom.

Therefore, my recommendation to those wanting a good antenna is to cozy up close to the best ham radio hobbyist that you know...

 

[omni550]

Therefore, my recommendation to those wanting a good antenna is to cozy up close to the best ham radio hobbyist that you know...

If I tried that, I'm sure their wives would object.

omni

 

[GaryTN]

How about some photos of that good antenna?

 

[Chuckanut]

How about some photos of that good antenna?

Here is one plan for an antenna

http://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/tv/how-to/a6608/build-your-own-digital-tv-antenna/

 

[W2R]

How about some photos of that good antenna?

As I posted, it's not "THAT good antenna", it's A COUPLE of good antennas, one for each of my two TVs. He has a number of great designs and used different ones for his own antennas. So really it's FOUR good antennas, each with its own characteristics. Ask a ham who knows what he is doing - - he will know a few good designs to try and experiment with.

The first one he made for me was of the simplest most common design ever, because he was in a huge hurry and late for an appointment. The photo below shows that one. It got pretty bent up when I moved, but it's straightened up enough now that it is satisfactory for me.

He used a much more complex design for the antenna he built later for the bedroom. But, I really don't think it's that much better and I am not posting a photo of my bedroom.

This isn't a great photo but there is no way I am going to move the antenna for photographic purposes. It works best like this. I used to hide it behind the TV, but lately I just don't care if it shows. I mean, who is going to judge me? Surely not Frank, and I am not exactly a party animal when it comes to inviting people into my home.

 

[Midpack]

May be an apples and oranges thing. You folks are talking indoor antennas an the linked website says this:

Signal strength calculations are based on the traditional TV reception model assuming an outdoor antenna 30 feet above ground level.

I’m repeating myself, but this ^ is crucial. We get 9 channels OTA downstairs and almost 50 upstairs in our house, no matter where on either floor.

 

[W2R]

I’m repeating myself, but this ^ is crucial. We get 9 channels OTA downstairs and almost 50 upstairs in our house, no matter where on either floor.

That's so odd. My indoor antenna is 3-6 feet above the ground (one story house built on a slab, set on a 3' high TV stand), and I still get 32 channels as opposed to their 19. Oh well. My best guess is that they must have goofed or something.

 

[GaryTN]

As I posted, it's not "THAT good antenna", it's A COUPLE of good antennas, one for each of my two TVs. He has a number of great designs and used different ones for his own antennas. So really it's FOUR good antennas, each with its own characteristics. Ask a ham who knows what he is doing - - he will know a few good designs to try and experiment with.

The first one he made for me was of the simplest most common design ever, because he was in a huge hurry and late for an appointment. The photo below shows that one. It got pretty bent up when I moved, but it's straightened up enough now that it is satisfactory for me.

He used a much more complex design for the antenna he built later for the bedroom. But, I really don't think it's that much better and I am not posting a photo of my bedroom.

This isn't a great photo but there is no way I am going to move the antenna for photographic purposes. It works best like this. I used to hide it behind the TV, but lately I just don't care if it shows. I mean, who is going to judge me? Surely not Frank, and I am not exactly a party animal when it comes to inviting people into my home.

Thanks! I say what works is best and if it’s cheaper, it’s better! [emoji41]

 

[GaryTN]

Here is one plan for an antenna

http://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/tv/how-to/a6608/build-your-own-digital-tv-antenna/

Thanks, looks pretty easy to make. [emoji41]

 

[Gotadimple]

They want $20 a month for those channels.

That's true. But if you live in an area with lots of hills, OTA antennas do not work, so $20 is a lot less than $100. Combine it with internet streaming and you can get local channels plus other entertainment. Local news can be made available for no additional cost with a Roku player and OnNews channel. But selection is limited.

Today, though, live feed TV (like You Tube and Hulu) are adding local channels which, if the cost meets your budget, means you can totally cut the cable cord. I consider this part still in development. For me, the live feed needs to be less than $20 a month to make it worthwhile.

-Rita

 

[Rianne]

Our neighborhood is scheduled to get i3 Broadband. I checked online to the offered services, the bundle and our AT&T is way less. We have phone, internet, 3 TV, HD, movie channels, 250 channels with all sports and so on. We record everything. Our monthly bill is $152.00. Not sure why everyone is so excited about i3 broadband.

 

[GaryTN]

That's true. But if you live in an area with lots of hills, OTA antennas do not work, so $20 is a lot less than $100. Combine it with internet streaming and you can get local channels plus other entertainment. Local news can be made available for no additional cost with a Roku player and OnNews channel. But selection is limited.

Today, though, live feed TV (like You Tube and Hulu) are adding local channels which, if the cost meets your budget, means you can totally cut the cable cord. I consider this part still in development. For me, the live feed needs to be less than $20 a month to make it worthwhile.

-Rita

I actually use OnNews to watch 2 News Channels from Tennessee since I moved to Missouri last year. The broadcasts are not live but previously broadcasted recordings which doesn’t really bother me since I just want to see some news from the Nashville area that I use to watch. One channel broadcast is higher picture quality than the other. Either one satisfies my needs and usually I will watch one after the other until they repeat.

 

[ncbill]

I did OTA for years before switching back to a cable triple play.

I found that indoor antennas never worked - needed an outside or attic mounted antenna.

In the end, I bought a large (8-bay) UHF antenna and paid a local installer to install it in the attic and run the antenna cable down into my living room HDTV.

 

[Chuckanut]

I sure wish Aereo had been legal.

 

[aja8888]

I sure wish Aereo had been legal.

Don't we all!

 

[Chuckanut]

Don't we all!

Aereo...

The funny thing is that people like me are simply not willing to pay the high sums needed to fund the modern entertainment industry. So, I put up an antenna (thankfully, I live in range of the transmitters), bought a Tivo and am happy as a clam with more entertainment than I can watch. Netflix and Amazon Prime video also provide some entertainment. But, the total cost to me (including amortizing the equipment and part of the Prime cost) is maybe $20 a month.

Aereo could have tripled their price and I still would have paid it. Now I get more for less. So perhaps I should thank those who killed it.

 

[Just_Steve]

OTA not an option for me.


Signal Legends
Strong Signal
Strong Moderate Signal
Moderate Weak Signal
Weak No Signal
No Signal
Callsign Network Virtual Channel Band
Click on callsign for detail
Strong Signal WTBY TBN 54-1 UHF
Strong Signal WRNN IND 48-1 UHF
No Signal WRGB CBS 6-1 Lo-V
No Signal WPVI ABC 6-1 Lo-V
No Signal WABC ABC 7-1 Hi-V

 

[bUU]

OTA not an option for me.

Where you've decided to live.

 

[Midpack]

That's so odd. My indoor antenna is 3-6 feet above the ground (one story house built on a slab, set on a 3' high TV stand), and I still get 32 channels as opposed to their 19. Oh well. My best guess is that they must have goofed or something.

If your house is elevated, clear line of sight and/or close to sources, your antenna height is less a factor. IIRC you’re in a major city, we’re more than 40 miles from the towers around us.

 

[Perryinva]

As I posted, ....

The first one he made for me was of the simplest most common design ever, because he was in a huge hurry and late for an appointment. The photo below shows that one. It got pretty bent up when I moved, but it's straightened up enough now that it is satisfactory for.

In a million years , DW would never ever allow something that loked like that in a living space. Antennas for specific uses can be seen on Channelmaster. Com. I pre ordered their Stream+ If it lives up to the hype it would be a huge success.

 

[mountainsoft]

I use an outdoor antenna and a four tuner TV recorder in my computer at home. Combined with Netflix and YouTube videos we have more shows to watch than we have time for.

Unfortunately, my mom lives in an assisted living home where an outdoor antenna is not an option. I tried an indoor antenna but only got two stations, neither of which was anything she was interested in. She currently has Comcast cable and it's horrible. Dozens of useless channels, many duplicate channels, and no way to filter out the channels she isn't interested in. The aspect ratio is squashed despite multiple calls to customer support, no HD unless you pay an additional $10 fee, and $14 fees for sports and broadcast shows she never watches. At 71 she finds the cable TV very difficult to use. I hate paying $75 a month for cable that she only watches a few channels on. I've tried Sling, Hulu, Playstation Vue, and DirectTVNow. The menu's were all way to complicated for her to understand, so I ended up cancelling them. Playstation Vue was probably the easiest, but it didn't have PBS or the local stations she wanted. I tried a PBS app on her Roku, but she had difficulty navigating that one too. I wish someone had a simple streaming service, without all the complicated menu's or "on demand" stuff that just confuses her. They all have way too many options for someone with limited technical ability. Right now she's signed up with Netflix and Starz, but I haven't been able to convince her to drop cable. And I haven't found a good streaming Live TV alternative that she can navigate.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

Someday someone will come up with a real alternative to cable and satellite tv. No I don't mean Netflix, or any of the other services. I am talking real choice. Like all the upper tier cable channels along with basic cable and movie channels included for $50 a month. Since I am dreaming I might as well throw high speed internet in that package as well. We are not going to get that from the cable or satellite companies because they are too greedy and unfair.

Now if someone did come up with something like that the cable and satellite companies along with Paramount, Netflix,Disney and all the other big boys will cry foul and try to disrupt the competition. They are making a killing off the public these companies along with providing us with an inferior product.

They know we want and deserve real choice with reasonable prices but they refuse to give it to us. Is it any wonder the mass public is looking for something better?