DTV question - WXII (Charlotte, Greensboro: coupons, credit, house)

[cohaagen]

I'm currently looking into this more in-depth, but I'd appreciate any info from folks on here.

My aunt lives in Thomasville - so most of the TV stations she watches are transmitting from about 15 miles due-east. But WXII transmits from 40 miles due northwest.
My questions are:
-Has anyone in that area had difficulty picking up WXII's digital signal over the air?
-If she drops cable TV and switches to a good indoor antenna, should she be alright without needing to constantly re-adjust her antenna?

I'm no expert in this, so I just recommended a good multi-directional VHF/UHF indoor antenna that costs $15.

[tippster]

On February 17th, all stations will be broadcasting digitally. Because of this, any indoor antennae will not work. You would have to get a converter box in order to get a signal. The good news is that the government is giving out coupons for these boxes, the bad news is that there is a waiting list for these coupons. To apply, go to this website: https://www.dtv2009.gov/

Your aunt may be better off keeping cable tv for now.

[cohaagen]

This is not true, tippster. Do a Google search if you need more information. Any antenna will work fine, as long as the signal from the transmitter is strong enough (and as long as you have some manner of receiving digital signals). The only caveat in this area is that WGHP and perhaps a couple of others will continue transmitting in the VHF spectrum, so a VHF/UHF antenna will be necessary.

[WFW&P]

If your aunt is considering dropping cable because of service reasons I would recommend checking into a satellite provider.

[cohaagen]

Sorry - I made a mistake in the first post...
She did have cable until a couple of years ago, but was unhappy with Time Warner's refusal to credit her account for drops in service, so she switched to Dish Network because of a good introductory price. She was unhappy with the picture quality and so she switched again to Direct TV, which she has now. She is still not pleased with quality, but her primary reason for making the switch now is a financial one. I think she spends at least $40/month for TV, so she's thinking about going back to over-the-air broadcasts to save money.
She gets so stressed discussing it that I'm glad I switched to the internet and Netflix for TV years ago.

[WFW&P]

I've often flirted with both alternatives also.

[Tart Green Apple]

I cannot pick up WXII via antenna in Greensboro either. It's the only local digital channel that I cannot receive. Can anyone else pick up WXII digital with an antenna?

BTW, the other digital channels are just as clear as cable, via antenna, it is a huge improvement from analog.

[cohaagen]

Here's my update:
I found an old, rusty, set-top antenna from the 80s that I had lying in my attic and hooked it up at my aunt's house in Thomasville.
Perfect reception on all local stations and several that she couldn't receive previously (from Charlotte and other areas). Smaller stations have 720p, but I believe the major locals all had 1080i or better. I could also set it and forget it - there was no need to change the VHF or UHF antenna positions once I found the sweet spot.
She's convinced - she already called the cable company and by now is enjoying free TV.

Consequently, at my home in Winston, I plugged my TV straight into the cable jack and can receive at least a dozen unencrypted cable channels free via my TV's QAM tuner. I have Road Runner, so they didn't completely cut the cable to my home as they do sometimes.