Goodbye cable TV!!! (I'm gonna buy an HD antenna) San Diego residents: how's your reception with an antenna? (buying, move)

[RD5050]

Originally Posted by Beware_of_Dog

How does any man live without ESPN? Or is there a lot of cable channels that one can get live over the internet now?

Does anyone here yet just use the internet with their TV to watch movies and shows? If so, what all can you get just through you internet connection? Is that the same as WebTV? Or is that something more involved?

Personally, I don't watch a lot of TV. So it's not worth spending $40-50 a month for cable or dish.

And the quality (both sound and video) of the new digital broadcast tv is as good as cable.

There are internet based tv websites.

Here are two I sometimes view:

Tv-Links : Free Movies links, Watch Tv Shows links online, Anime, Documentaries

Hulu - Watch your favorites. Anytime. For free.

[Jenkay]

Originally Posted by RD5050

Personally, I don't watch a lot of TV. So it's not worth spending $40-50 a month for cable or dish.

And the quality (both sound and video) of the new digital broadcast tv is as good as cable.

Yeah, same here. I even cancelled my netflix recently, as I have an awesome local video store nearby. I watch maybe one movie a week and I can keep up with Mad Men and Breaking Bad on itunes, otherwise I mostly read or spend my evenings actually doing stuff

[Daveydoe]

Why not just d/l torrents -- that way all you have to do is pay your monthly internet bill. I have a 1TB hard drive with moves, shows, etc and hook my laptop up to my tv.

[Beware_of_Dog]

It just seems obvious to me right now that within a few years all shows, sports, movies, etc. will be on the internet such as Hula. There is just no reason not to be able to watch anything you want at anytime you want. They could offer it in one of two ways: Commercial free pay per show (like $ 50 cents, $1 or $2 depending on length) or per Month (like all you can "eat"), or for free with commercials like TV always was. That is a win/win for everyone, including the advertisers. The main thing is the consumer will actually consume more by being able to watch anything anytime, thus not missing any game or show they like or want to watch. They will never have to rush home in order not to miss something. And will never again have to arrange their schedule around a station's programming schedule.

[RD5050]

Another new broadcast station added .... 10.2 - Cool TV

It's like MTV. All music videos.

[whiteboyslo]

We just moved back to SD in late October and have been trying the antenna experiment for a few months now, supplemented by a Netflix account. For reference, I live in Scripps Ranch just off Miramar Road. The antenna is an indoor unit I picked up from Best Buy that I leave sitting in a window sill adjacent to the TV. On good days, I can get: Fox (San Diego), CW (San Digeo), NBC (San Diego), CBS (San Diego), ABC (San Diego), KPBS, K-U-S-I (not sure why the filter doesn't like that one), and a variety of Spanish-language channels. On even better days, I can pick up about half of LA's major networks as well.

The key phrase, however, is 'on good days'. It's always hit-or-miss as to what is going to come in and how long the signal will stay strong enough to watch. And even on a good day, I have to move the antenna from one end of the window to the other depending on which channel I want to watch.

When it does come in, though, the picture is super-clear. HD clear.

What I've discovered, however, is that I'm not really a network television guy. Yes, I watch sports and the news, but otherwise my favorite channels are ones you can't get over the air like Comedy Central, FX, SPEED, etc. Yes, I can download these shows via iTunes or through the Playstation, but the problem then is that I like too many. That $1-$2 per show adds up quick. You also lose the benefit of checking out new shows and I also lose out on live stuff like MotoGP races and F1 on SPEED. And yes, I know I can try a million little tricks to live stream shows or download them through the laptop, but it's just too much effort to put in when all I want to do is turn on the TV, channel surf, and veg out.

So, while I am glad we tried this little 'time-out' from cable, I threw in the towel the other day and ordered up U-Verse. I have many friends with the service who rave about it and, from what I've seen, it does seem to offer a better quality of service than you get with Time Warner (which isn't all that hard, sadly).

Mike

[1AngryTaxPayer]

I wouln't use ATT again if it was freaking free.

[RD5050]

Originally Posted by whiteboyslo

We just moved back to SD in late October and have been trying the antenna experiment for a few months now, supplemented by a Netflix account. For reference, I live in Scripps Ranch just off Miramar Road. The antenna is an indoor unit I picked up from Best Buy that I leave sitting in a window sill adjacent to the TV. On good days, I can get: Fox (San Diego), CW (San Digeo), NBC (San Diego), CBS (San Diego), ABC (San Diego), KPBS, K-U-S-I (not sure why the filter doesn't like that one), and a variety of Spanish-language channels. On even better days, I can pick up about half of LA's major networks as well.

The key phrase, however, is 'on good days'. It's always hit-or-miss as to what is going to come in and how long the signal will stay strong enough to watch. And even on a good day, I have to move the antenna from one end of the window to the other depending on which channel I want to watch.

When it does come in, though, the picture is super-clear. HD clear.

What I've discovered, however, is that I'm not really a network television guy. Yes, I watch sports and the news, but otherwise my favorite channels are ones you can't get over the air like Comedy Central, FX, SPEED, etc. Yes, I can download these shows via iTunes or through the Playstation, but the problem then is that I like too many. That $1-$2 per show adds up quick. You also lose the benefit of checking out new shows and I also lose out on live stuff like MotoGP races and F1 on SPEED. And yes, I know I can try a million little tricks to live stream shows or download them through the laptop, but it's just too much effort to put in when all I want to do is turn on the TV, channel surf, and veg out.

So, while I am glad we tried this little 'time-out' from cable, I threw in the towel the other day and ordered up U-Verse. I have many friends with the service who rave about it and, from what I've seen, it does seem to offer a better quality of service than you get with Time Warner (which isn't all that hard, sadly).

Mike

Just for an experiment, try relocating your indoor antenna to outdoors. You will be amazed how much better the reception is. All channels will come in strong all day long.

I did this with my indoor amplified rabbit ears antenna, and it really makes a huge difference. My telescoping rabbit ears aren't even extended. They are fully collapsed, and the reception is great. Cover the antenna with a plastic bag (like a trash bag) to protect it from the weather. The bag doesn't affect the TV signal.

I cut the short a/c power cable which powers the antenna, and then spliced in a long 50' piece of wire, to extend the length this power cable. I used a long coax cable to reach from the antenna outside to inside where my TV is located. And by using a coax splitter, I am currently getting great reception from my outside rabbit ears on two different TVs.

Since you get LA stations, you will probably pick up even more LA channels once your indoor antenna is relocated outside.

[LampLighter]

Originally Posted by RD5050

Personally, I don't watch a lot of TV. So it's not worth spending $40-50 a month for cable or dish.

And the quality (both sound and video) of the new digital broadcast tv is as good as cable.

There are internet based tv websites.

Here are two I sometimes view:

Tv-Links : Free Movies links, Watch Tv Shows links online, Anime, Documentaries

Hulu - Watch your favorites. Anytime. For free.

Hello San Diego,

We have been having a similar discussion on the NJ forum. I understand there is a LOT of free programming available with an outdoor TV Antenna in your area, and most of it has audio and video quality that is even BETTER than cable.

[suzanrush]

I'm loving this free tv! Since 2/2008, 3 years +, I get a ton of channels in crisp uncompressed (cable is compressed and blurry) digital HD! It can't be beat by anything in the pay-tv industry. People who are still paying are fools! Before, in analog, using rabbit ears, I got 2 snow channels - - the equivalent of no tv. I love it love it love it ... can't say enough good things about it. Too bad people believed the lies told. But I can guarantee that once you've experienced it first hand, you'll be happy too and want everyone else to know, too.

There's lots on but I had to get a roof antenna to maximize my results and be careful all antennas are not created equally. It's mind-boggling for anyone who doesn't know about RF and wire. Personally, I've got one of the best out there. It's called a Winegard Square Shooter 2000 and it's amplified with a big catcher's mitt. Plus, I sweetened the deal by putting up a rotor too, where I can move my antenna into 3-5 different city/markets.

Who needs ESPN when you've got lots of sports, classic tv/movies, children's entertainment, diy, news, foreign language, religion, and lots of commercial free channels. Remember when the liars who charge for tv got us to switch by promising no commercials? That didn't last long, did it?