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OTA ("Free") TV Update

July 17th, 2009 at 12:40 am

Back in May I posted about how we were switching to OTA (over the airwaves) TV:

Text is http://scfr.savingadvice.com/2009/05/10/we-are-switching-to-ota-free-tv_50912/ and Link is
http://scfr.savingadvice.com/2009/05/10/we-are-switching-to-...

Wanted to do a quick update for anyone interested in doing the same.

While the process of installing the antennae was harder than expected (ended up hiring an installer), we are VERY happy with the switch.

We get 14 channels. 2 are Spanish language channels, 1 is geared towards people in the military (Pentagon channel or something like that), and 1 is just a weather map with recorded weather updates, so really 10 channels that we actually will watch.

Picture quality is crystal-clear. We are extremely happy with the reception. I'm sure the recent conversion to digital helps.

This is what we spent:
$68 for the antenna
$215 for professional antenna installation
$11 for the digital converter box ($50 - $40 government coupon + tax) ... the purchase of a big flat screen that is digital ready is still in the works, but on hold for a bit, so we went ahead and got a converter box.
TOTAL: $294
In addition, the digital converter box has to be plugged in to an electrical outlet, so we are using a bit more electricity that we would be with cable ... I think ... unless cable jacks also use electricity ... I don't know if they do.

If anyone's interested and wants more info, feel free to ask.

No more monthly cable bills ... Yippee!

6 Responses to “OTA ("Free") TV Update”

  1. dmontngrey Says:
    1247791661

    Interesting! I'm curious to see what sort of channels we get here, but hooking up the converter box has not been high on our "to do" list. We do still get a dozen channels or so since we have cable internet. I just got rid of the "fluff". I just don't tend to watch tv anymore! I have it on right now because there are tornado warnings near my mom's house - in NH!!!

  2. Ima saver Says:
    1247842018

    Until we moved to the mountains, I never had anything but an antenna for watching tv. I only got 3 channels, but that was ok! Here in the mountain you have to have a dish or cable to get anything!

  3. milehighgal Says:
    1247846305

    Sounds interesting! How do you go about recording shows? I'm never there when anything good is on, and hate commercials.

  4. scfr Says:
    1247889152

    We don't record shows. I suppose I'm what you'd call a light to moderate TV viewer.
    I'll put the news on in the morning and evening, and a couple times a month Oprah (if I'm home), but that's when I'm doing dishes, laundry, cooking, ironing, cleaning, filing paperwork, etc. Sometimes I watch Lost, 24, and Numbers. When we had cable, I did enjoy seeing Suze on MSNBC sometimes. The only show I always make a point of sitting down to watch is Amazing Race.

  5. Broken Arrow Says:
    1248097144

    My antenna now picks up next to nothing. Frown

  6. scfr Says:
    1248106972

    BA - Have you tried getting a converter box? Our TV was not digital-conversion-ready so we had to order the government coupon and get the converter box. We now get more channels and have better reception than we did pre-conversion. (While we were waiting for the coupon to arrive, we had several days where we got nothing post-conversion.)

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