Getting rid of cable at home?

[WILWRadio]

Originally Posted by CortlandGirl79

My parents bought me an antenna for xmas and i get channel 21 (youngstown) in 1080i. I also get the other 3 Youngstown stations as well as pbs. If i fuss w/the antenna enough i can pick up a couple Cleveland stations. I also have netflix and can stream in through my Wii or computer. I also discovered that the Wii has an internet channel and now i can watch youtube video, browse the web, etc. I usuallly watch hulu on my computer, but now i might try to watch it via my Wii. I don't miss cable at all.

A wise move. I only watch over the air TV these days myself. Cable and Satellite is a waste of money.

The board denizens in Pittsburgh. Now with the new digital TV signals they are able to piggyback one or more sub channels alongside the existing main signal. As a result, you can now watch upwards of two to three times as many local channels than previously with the analog TV service.

Here in KC I watch new networks like Memory Entertainment TV (ME TV),. Antenna TV and Bounce TV. Lots of my favorite old shows are airs on these stations which are sub channels to the local Fox, ABC and CW affiliates. This TV airs a lot of movies and a few old reruns as well. And there is also a channel for women called Lifetime which has a lot of programs that interest women. And the NBC affiliate offers local weather and radar on its sub channel.

I took a look at the Pittsburgh lineup for local TV and they offer many of the same sub channels as the KC area stations. You actually have a few more channels to choose from though since Pittsburgh is a larger and better market than KC.

Visit TitanTV and put in your zip code and check out the listings of local stations and their sub channels for your area. You'll see a lot more free programs than before when analog signals were the only way to watch over the air TV.

[wanderlust76]

I totally support anyone dumping cable let's be honest the majority of shows out now are horrible anyway. The only thing I watch is The Walking Dead...and you don't even need cable to watch it you can watch it online on AMC's website. None of the comedies are all that great. The crime shows are all the same. Even with 200 channels it's a quantity over quality issue. You can watch a ton of stuff online now. Netflix gets new seasons of TV shows all the time. You can stream Netflix to your television. I'm an iPhone hater too though and refuse to give At&T or Verizon 90 bucks a month for a cell phone so hey that's just me. I think a lot of these big companies like Comcast and AT&T are flat out hosing the consumer and riding the wave on all the zombies that will continue to conform. I have a no contract cell phone and will never go back to a contract.

[Ghostrider275452]

Originally Posted by WILWRadio

I ditched cable and satellite services quite some time ago and now I just watch OTA (over the air) television. Currently I live in a rural area and so I use a couple of deep fringe antennas to pick up the channels that are available in my area. The only thing I really miss is NHL hockey but at least I do get one game a week from the NBC Network. I can watch college football on the internet and don't need ESPN via the cable now.

If you need any help in selecting a TV antenna feel free to ask. I have a fair amount of experience with them and I've used and installed quite a few over the years.

I am in a valley, I tried using rabbit ears, zip! for digital signal. when it was analog, I got about 2-3 stations, but not great reception. Any ideas?

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by Ghostrider275452

I am in a valley, I tried using rabbit ears, zip! for digital signal. when it was analog, I got about 2-3 stations, but not great reception. Any ideas?

Well it appears that you have an internet connection so the amount of content you can receive is literally limitless. Check out some of the links posted in this thread (like Clicker for instance).

[WILWRadio]

Originally Posted by Ghostrider275452

I am in a valley, I tried using rabbit ears, zip! for digital signal. when it was analog, I got about 2-3 stations, but not great reception. Any ideas?

Yes. I'll send you a DM.

[Ghostrider275452]

What really pizzes me off is all of the paid proggraming that I have to pay to watch, some how, this crap should be free and it has really gotten bad lately.

[JLeigh2182]

I live in a basement apartment and wasn't having much luck with the good old rabbit ears so I had to find another alternative. Spending over $100 a month for cable wasn't an option for me.

I got basic cable through Comcast. It costs $10 per month. I have all the local channels plus TBS, the Weather Channel, Hallmark, and a few other odds and ends.

I have DSL through Verizon. Speed is relatively low but quick enough for my needs. I pay $20 a month.

For Christmas this year I got a Roku Player which is the best thing ever. I pay $8 a month for unlimited Netfix streaming and it's great. I also access Crackle quite a bit which is free and also has surprisingly good content. I think the Roku was around $40. I don't have a hi-def TV but they do sell more expensive versions that stream 1080p.


So for under $40 a month a have a lot of choices.

[Ghostrider275452]

Originally Posted by JLeigh2182

I live in a basement apartment and wasn't having much luck with the good old rabbit ears so I had to find another alternative. Spending over $100 a month for cable wasn't an option for me.

I got basic cable through Comcast. It costs $10 per month. I have all the local channels plus TBS, the Weather Channel, Hallmark, and a few other odds and ends.

I have DSL through Verizon. Speed is relatively low but quick enough for my needs. I pay $20 a month.

For Christmas this year I got a Roku Player which is the best thing ever. I pay $8 a month for unlimited Netfix streaming and it's great. I also access Crackle quite a bit which is free and also has surprisingly good content. I think the Roku was around $40. I don't have a hi-def TV but they do sell more expensive versions that stream 1080p.


So for under $40 a month a have a lot of choices.

I am in a similar situation and I don't get zhit with rabbit ears, so if I don't go with an out door antenna, I may downgrade to Dish's $15 a month basic. I currently pay about $65 a mo and there really isn't much I want to see.