Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) 2017 - 2020

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Could I get some help with some specific issues?

- OTA receivers - I have a 70" TV that I was only going to use for cable TV/internet access ... BUT, now that I want to cut the cord, it's lack of an OTA receiver is a problem ... TiVO has boxes that do many things, including receiving the OTA signal with HDMI output to one of the four TV HDMI inputs ... are there other, more basic OTA receivers that can be integrated into a system? (I don't really want to record OTA programming)

- Antennas - my preferred solution is attic mounted due to improved SNR. I can do the install, including running power for the amp and the coax into the wall and down to the A/V equipment - have good location in the attic. The only area I have for a flat indoor antenna is behind the TV on the shelf - and, it would be point almost exactly 90 degrees away from the bearing for all the OTA broadcast locations in our area. Are they other interior solutions? Does this type of antenna have to point at the signal, like most dipole antennas?

- Inputs to the TV - I have the following via HDMI into the TV - an Apple TV box, a Blueray player (have used it twice in a year), cable box ... if I cut the cord, I will lose the cable box, and gain a receiver of some sort for the OTA to TV...same three HDMI inputs to the TV ... is there an easier way to do this? It looks like the TiVO remote could control everything ...better solutions?
 
stephenson said:
Could I get some help with some specific issues?

- OTA receivers - I have a 70" TV that I was only going to use for cable TV/internet access ... BUT, now that I want to cut the cord, it's lack of an OTA receiver is a problem ... TiVO has boxes that do many things, including receiving the OTA signal with HDMI output to one of the four TV HDMI inputs ... are there other, more basic OTA receivers that can be integrated into a system? (I don't really want to record OTA programming)

- Antennas - my preferred solution is attic mounted due to improved SNR. I can do the install, including running power for the amp and the coax into the wall and down to the A/V equipment - have good location in the attic. The only area I have for a flat indoor antenna is behind the TV on the shelf - and, it would be point almost exactly 90 degrees away from the bearing for all the OTA broadcast locations in our area. Are they other interior solutions? Does this type of antenna have to point at the signal, like most dipole antennas?

- Inputs to the TV - I have the following via HDMI into the TV - an Apple TV box, a Blueray player (have used it twice in a year), cable box ... if I cut the cord, I will lose the cable box, and gain a receiver of some sort for the OTA to TV...same three HDMI inputs to the TV ... is there an easier way to do this? It looks like the TiVO remote could control everything ...better solutions?
Click to expand...

I assume this is a 70" digital tv. If so you can simply run the cox from your attic antenna directly into the tv without the need of a separate receiver since you don't wish to record any shows. This is what I do.

I also use 2 Silicon Homerun boxes that each can each get 2 concurrent channels and run them to my HTPC so I can record up to 4 additional OTA programs in addition to the 1 program I am watching directly from the antenna as I have a 4 way amplifier the coax goes into prior to the tv.
 
My digital 70" does not have an OTA receiver ... so, I have to have some version of a box external to the TV.
 
Are you sure? That must be an old TV then.

These days, ATSC 1.0 tuners are probably on a chip.
 
Could i get some help with some specific issues?

- ota receivers - i have a 70" tv that i was only going to use for cable tv/internet access ... But, now that i want to cut the cord, it's lack of an ota receiver is a problem ... Tivo has boxes that do many things, including receiving the ota signal with hdmi output to one of the four tv hdmi inputs ... Are there other, more basic ota receivers that can be integrated into a system? (i don't really want to record ota programming)

Yes. See here: https://www.amazon.com/mediasonic-h...533425140&sr=8-2&keywords=mediasonic+homeworx.

I imagine there are others if you google "atsc tv tuner."


- antennas - my preferred solution is attic mounted due to improved snr. I can do the install, including running power for the amp and the coax into the wall and down to the a/v equipment - have good location in the attic. The only area i have for a flat indoor antenna is behind the tv on the shelf - and, it would be point almost exactly 90 degrees away from the bearing for all the ota broadcast locations in our area. Are they other interior solutions? Does this type of antenna have to point at the signal, like most dipole antennas?

An attic mount antenna will almost always significantly outperform an indoor flat antenna. If you have the ability to install one why not just do that? Check antennaweb here to see what type of antenna will work best, where to aim it and what channels you will get:

https://antennaweb.org/address

I used this antenna because it's relatively compact, has a very good range and includes the mounting mast.

https://www.amazon.com/rca-compact-...8&qid=1533427283&sr=8-3&keywords=yagi+antenna

- inputs to the tv - i have the following via hdmi into the tv - an apple tv box, a blueray player (have used it twice in a year), cable box ... If i cut the cord, i will lose the cable box, and gain a receiver of some sort for the ota to tv...same three hdmi inputs to the tv ... Is there an easier way to do this? It looks like the tivo remote could control everything ...better solutions?

If you're currently using cable you apparently have coax cabling throughout your residence. Just run the coax from the antenna into the current coax cabling system and you'll have access to your antenna at every coax outlet in your house (I just unscrewed my cable at the box on the outside of my house and ran the tv antenna out the soffit and down to the box and screwed it in there).
The coax will then run into your tuner box, tivo or whatever you decide to use.

Personally i use a Tivo ota dvr to bring the signal to my tv and record ota channels which i love. I stream to add other channels, especially sports but ota with a dvr works much better for recording than any streaming cloud dvr. Streaming works great to fill in the programming 'holes' you may have depending on your channel preferences.


Good luck, ota tv is great if you are in an area where broadcasts are readily available!
Click to expand...
[/quote]
 
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We have a 4-tuner Tablo that connects to the antennae and then transmits to all our Rokus over the WiFi. But this may also be more than you want since it allows recording of live TV.
 
Probably does say home theater - at the time didn’t matter 🙂

BIG mattered.
 
stephenson said:
Probably does say home theater - at the time didn’t matter ��

BIG mattered.
Click to expand...
Might help if you shared the make/model of your 70” TV-monitor, but your choice.
 
This from 2016: (https://www.techhive.com/article/30...-vizios-new-smart-tvs-dont-spark-a-trend.html)

Vizio’s website doesn’t really explain why its TVs are better off without built-in tuners, so I asked the company to elaborate.

In response, Vizio cited its own surveys, which found that less than 10 percent of customers were watching over-the-air broadcasts. The company also pointed to a 2013 Consumer Electronics Association study, which found that 7 percent of U.S. households relied on an antenna. (More on these figures later.)

By removing the antenna input, Vizio believes it can make a simpler product, with fewer setup setps and a less-cluttered menu. “As we continually evaluate and focus on designing products that deliver a beautifully simple experience, we felt that removing the tuner would simplify the overall setup and user experience for the vast majority of customers.” a Vizio spokesman said.

If a TV doesn't have an integrated ATSC tuner, the TV's owner will need to purchase an external unit, like such as this $40 MediaSonic HomeWorx.

It’s likely that cost was a consideration as well, though Vizio didn’t say so explicitly. The company has a reputation for offering quality TVs on the cheap, often undercutting rival TV giants like Samsung and LG. Nixing the TV tuner could allow the company to shrink its prices further; alternatively, it could just let the savings fall to its bottom line.

“The removal of the tuner from a television feature set is almost always the result of a cost-saving measure,” Mark Buff, CEO of antenna maker Mohu, said via email.

Buff said that while the tuner itself might not cost much, there are also licensing fees to consider. He further speculated that Vizio’s Cast-enabled sets could have a lower import duty if they defined as monitors rather than televisions. Incidentally, Vizio’s website refers to the new sets as “displays,” not TVs.
Click to expand...

https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HomeWorx-Converter-Recording-HW-150PVR/dp/B00I2ZBD1U
 
I would buy the explanation - BUT - as has been mentioned, the OTA turner capability would cost the manufacturer about $5 to include ...it might even be integratable on another chip.

I think it is an angle and further supports the concept of product differentiation.
 
I use OTA TV as many stations are available to me. I would not think of doing it without a DVR that records shows, allows me to pause shows, rewinds if I miss something, etc. etc. etc. The $200 and $300 I spend on the Tivo Roamio OTA device is the best money I have ever spent on home electronics.

Note: above prices include lifetime guide service on each device.
 
Chuckanut said:
I use OTA TV as many stations are available to me. I would not think of doing it without a DVR that records shows, allows me to pause shows, rewinds if I miss something, etc. etc. etc.
Click to expand...

This is also my philosophy. However, I am finding that my OTA viewing has dwindled considerably in the last year. I spend much more time with streaming services now.

Nevertheless, I still record everything before watching. (Well, the exception being those shows without commercials... eh... and Sports and News) In any event, I use my computer as the DVR. For OTA, I use SageTV to record but SiliconDust's HDHomeRun works pretty well, also. For streaming I use PlayOn to record. I use SageTV tp playback the recordings simply because of the smooth forward/rewind action but PlayOn and HDHomeRun both have fairly decent players.
 
All,

Great info, thanks ... if I could delve a bit further ...

My sense is that devices (actually " media AV computers?") like the TiVo box, sort of serve as an integration hub/point for the various types of data (OTA via coax, internet via ethernet/wireless from the cable modem and then to TV via HDMI) with a capable remote to control all devices - with Blu-Ray connected to a separate HDMI port. So this is the "Integrated Option?" :). Would be able to see integrated programming schedules - OTA based on which channels it "knows" you are receiving, and the various other services?

The "Separate Devices Option" might be a less expensive device to accept OTA via coax and then to TV via HDMI (with perhaps an option to connect a hard drive for storage OTA programming recording), with an ethernet to the TV from the cable modem. The Blu-Ray player would connect to a separate HDMI port. I have a Harmony 650 universal remote that works well, but likely would need a bit more capability.

Cable modem question - Im assuming I should buy one? The TiVo does everything else, I'm surprised it doesn't do this, as well ...
 
stephenson, just my opinion, but I think you should consider a more simplified approach. For starters, ditch the blu-ray. You hardly use it. Physical disks are obsolete. So is the whole concept of "owning" movies and music.

Just use your Apple TV (or Roku or Fire TV) and never switch inputs again. Subscribe to a live TV service that runs on your streaming box like PS Vue. It will also include on-demand, cloud DVR, program guides, the works, including separate profiles for each person in the house. Your tuner-less TV will work just fine.

You don't need a bunch of STBs, tuners, hardware DVRs, and fancy universal remotes to try and control it all. I used to have all that and much more, including two HDHomeRun tuners serving and recording OTA TV on a Win7 PC running WMC. Back then, that was the only way to do what I wanted. But today, it's really just a bunch of needless complexity.

Today, we have Fire TV streaming boxes on all the TVs. The Fire TV platform does an incredible job of integrating all of our video sources (PS Vue, Netflix, Prime, YouTube, and much more). We can do a voice search for a movie or TV show and if it's available on any of our sources, Fire TV will find it and play it. We use one simple, elegant remote, along with voice control via Echo devices (Alexa) and the remote itself.

That's the upside... state-of-the-art integration and simplicity of use. The downside is that you are now subscribing to a service which is remarkably similar to the cable service you want to dump. IMHO however, it is a vastly superior and more flexible system, which will only get better with time.
 
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Cobra - so, you are not using any OTA at all? Coax from ISP to cable modem, then ethernet router, then ethernet to Apple TV box, then HDMI to "TV" ... no ethernet from router to "TV?"

I would like to get some local programming - weather, local news, etc.
 
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stephenson said:
All,

Great info, thanks ... if I could delve a bit further ...

The "Separate Devices Option" might be a less expensive device to accept OTA via coax and then to TV via HDMI (with perhaps an option to connect a hard drive for storage OTA programming recording), with an ethernet to the TV from the cable modem.
Click to expand...

Typically the tuner would connect to the Antennae via Coax and then to device (TV/Computer) via Ethernet (modem; either wired or Wi-Fi). See for instance, https://www.silicondust.com/product/hdhomerun-connect/. You could go from Computer to TV via HDMI if the TV is not ethernet capable
 
stephenson said:
Cobra - so, you are not using any OTA at all?

I would like to get some local programming - weather, local news, etc.
Click to expand...

Not OTA. We get all the local network channels via PS Vue, including everything I mentioned like cloud DVR, on-demand, program guides, etc.. along with 20-25 cable channels that we actually like.

No live PBS however. We get most of what we want on the PBS app that runs on Fire TV.
 
stephenson said:
I would like to get some local programming - weather, local news, etc.
Click to expand...

DirecTV NOW gives me all the Major local programming (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW, etc.). This is Denver and not all localities have this available... ask first.
 
I edited my last post, but just reviewed the link you provided ... wow - turning all the previous knowledge points into jello ...

So, coax from OTA antenna to OTA tuner, then ethernet to the router then wireless to everything. Option could support another ethernet cable to the "TV" and to the Apple TV box, as well, to decrease latency?
 
stephenson said:
I edited my last post, but just reviewed the link you provided ... wow - turning all the previous knowledge points into jello ...

So, coax from OTA antenna to OTA tuner, then ethernet to the router then wireless to everything. Option could support another ethernet cable to the "TV" and to the Apple TV box, as well, to decrease latency?
Click to expand...

You got it. However, you can got either wireless or wired from router to TV. I have it both ways and, TBH, wired is better unless you have a quite strong signal. (You my want to look into a MESH network -- In Depth Look At A Whole Home WiFi Mesh System)

Let me concur with Cobra. Be careful you are not letting it get more complicated than you are willing to spend the time and energy on.
 
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