OTA = Over The Airwaves
This is the "free" TV that is available to anyone with an antenna. This is the type of TV anyone my age or older grew up watching.
A move is such a great way to re-evaluate lots of things in your life. In addition to evaluating what things we really want to keep (as in, "Do I really want to lug this ratty object to the new place, or is it time to ditch it?"), you also start evaluating services and weighing the costs vs. benefits.
When it came time to order utility hookups at our new house, I really started evaluating our "need" for cable TV. In our apartment, cable is included, so we have not been paying seperately for it for 1-1/2 years. When we lived in the Seattle area, we used to have a semi-expensive cable package, because that was the only way for DH to add channels from his native country. Since his country's channels are not available where we live now, he started looking for other ways to watch TV, and now subscribes to a service where he watches TV from his homeland over the internet.
Other than a bit of CNN & CNBC (with a smattering of Animal Planet), the only TV I watch is major networks. So I started thinking that cable was not really necessary. I did some research, and the more I learned the more I liked the idea of living without cable.
In addition to loving the idea of not having to pay a monthly cable bill on top of the $25 we're paying for DH's internet viewing, I really like the idea of better reception. I learned that picture quality is better if you DON'T have cable, and this will especially be true once the switch is made to digital TV (June 12).
DH has been patiently waiting to buy a big screen flat panel TV. I asked him to wait until we had our new house and prices have come down. Once we're in our place, I'll give him the green light to go ahead and buy his big toy. I'll have him get an integrated HDTV one; that means it will already have an HDTV tuner built in, so we won't have to buy a seperate tuner. All we need is an antenna.
I ordered this antenna today:
With shipping, it came to $68.
DH will be installing it in our attic. According to on-line reviews I read, it is fairly easy to install. (It's an indoor/outdoor antenna. I knew an outdoor antenna would not go over well with the neighbors.) I don't know if we will have to buy any hardware for mounting, or if we have all of the tools we need, but even if we do have to run to Home Depot and buy something small, I figure we'll come in at $75 or less total. With cable at $49+tax, we will have recouped the antenna cost in 1-1/2 months or less!
If anyone else is interested in making the switch to OTA TV (and with the digital conversion coming up, can you think of a better time?), these were the sites I found most helpful in researching:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-IOdgy2Geib8/learn/learningcente...
http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx
Once we're settled in to our new place, I'll let you know how we like our "new" (actually retro) way of watching TV.
May 10th, 2009 at 05:37 pm 1241977034
When we moved to the mountains, we found we could get absolutely NOTHING with an antenna. I can remember sitting and listening to "Dallas" cause we could not get a picture.
I think you are doing a smart thing!!
May 10th, 2009 at 06:05 pm 1241978748
May 10th, 2009 at 07:11 pm 1241982713
May 10th, 2009 at 07:24 pm 1241983479
May 10th, 2009 at 11:10 pm 1241997019
With the antenna, I'll still be able to get ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, and FOX.
May 10th, 2009 at 11:46 pm 1241999181
May 11th, 2009 at 02:33 pm 1242052414
Yeah, I switched a couple of months back, and it's been working out fairly well for me. I've got about 3 channels, with 2 being digital. The digital channels are as good as can be expected, though of course, nothing truly beats real cable or even satellite in terms of image quality.
Still, for someone like me who doesn't watch too much television anyways, it's quite good.
Also, very wise about waiting to buy HDTVs. A modern one should have a digital tuner built-in, but even now, it's something one has to check to be sure....
My HDTV is technically marketed as a computer monitor, but is one of those rare ones that have a built-in digital tuner, and is 1080p to boot. It's only 24", but for one guy, that is plenty good, and after tax, I paid less than $500 for that.
May 17th, 2009 at 02:03 am 1242525820
May 23rd, 2009 at 11:31 pm 1243121482
My roommates had cable in college but I did not participate. I couldn't afford it. Nor did I have any time to WATCH it. I was never around - always working/at school, so it wasn't an issue. Not like they were worried I was cheap and watching it on the sly.
There's nothing wrong with rabbit ears! I think my generation has lost sight of what a luxury cable really is.
August 17th, 2009 at 04:22 pm 1250526163