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I have an hdtv but no cable service and would like to know how to get free local channels . i live in durham. Do i need to get some sort of device? How do i begin?
I also have HDTV and we got rid of our cable last year. We put an antenna in our attic and get excellent reception. We're able to get ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WLFL, MyRDC, WRAL2, 2 local weather stations as well as a couple of other more obscure channels. All channels that are HD come in as HD. If I want to watch cable channels, I watch them for for free on HULU on my computer.
You need an antenna and your location and the channels you want to receive will determine what kind of antenna you need. An indoor(rabbit ears) antenna may get a few stations but for best reception you need an attic or outdoor antenna. Here is a good site about antenna selection. AntennaWeb
If you click on "choose an antenna" and put in your address it will tell you what stations you should be able to receive with various antenna types.
I also have HDTV and we got rid of our cable last year. We put an antenna in our attic and get excellent reception. We're able to get ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WLFL, MyRDC, WRAL2, 2 local weather stations as well as a couple of other more obscure channels. All channels that are HD come in as HD. If I want to watch cable channels, I watch them for for free on HULU on my computer.
I believe you can stream HULU on some blu-ray players so you can watch it on your TV and not have to sit at a computer.
I believe you can stream HULU on some blu-ray players so you can watch it on your TV and not have to sit at a computer.
Also, most PCs can accept a second video card, so you can buy a TV card (for maybe $30?) and run a vid cable from it to your TV.
I don't even own a separate blu-ray player, I have a BD burner on my PC that plays BD disks that I watch on my PC or TV.
If you're at all handy you can easily make a very effective HD antenna with a few bucks worth of parts. I tried the attic, but reception wasn't much better than indoors; I suspect due to the radiant foil we have in the attic, so I mounted it to a wall inside a closet. It isn't the prettiest thing, but it works very well.
Often if you have no cable TV service but have Road Runner for internet you get free TV including digital and analog channels by connecting your cable to your TV directly and letting the built-in tuner find the channels for you. I don't watch much live TV, but last week I ran a channel check and found Food TV, MTV, and all sorts of channels I didn't have last time I ran the channel check about a year ago.
I'm not saying this is normal, but I've always received some amount of channels for free through my cable simply for having Road Runner at the house.
Often if you have no cable TV service but have Road Runner for internet you get free TV including digital and analog channels by connecting your cable to your TV directly and letting the built-in tuner find the channels for you. I don't watch much live TV, but last week I ran a channel check and found Food TV, MTV, and all sorts of channels I didn't have last time I ran the channel check about a year ago.
I'm not saying this is normal, but I've always received some amount of channels for free through my cable simply for having Road Runner at the house.
Nope, this is not normal, and I wouldn't advertise that you are getting it.
I Used to work for TWC (way before I worked at CPI). It's a tier service
Last time I checked it was (roughly)
$49 - internet ONLY
$40 or so more gets you Basic cable (what the tv can tune in without box) and some HD
So roughly $80+ for internet and basic TV...what a rip IMHO
Your Cable tap (thing in the yard or up the pole depending on your neighborhood) is supposed to have what is called a "trap" on your line. This little filter blocks TV, and passes Internet only. Cause thats all you pay for.
Apparently yours is missing....you are lucky, but one day they will do an audit and catch it, and it will be installed then.
You will not get into trouble if you didn't remove it, but one day the free tv may disappear. Meantime Shh!
bad mojo is right, you can build an HD antenna out of some scrap wood, scews, metal clothing hangers and a $6 part from radio shack. I did this for my grandmother.
She never had and didn't want cable but couldn't miss her over the air episodes of Price is Right. We got her a small 32inch plasma and built an antenna like the one you see here using thick rubber washers as standoffs for UHF/VHF. I was shocked that she got all her channels back and the HD picture was really nice.
Anyone advice on how to connect an external HD TV aerial to an 'On Q' system? or is it just not possible to do so?
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