Alternatives to Cable/Sat

[6933]

Ph-ck Comcast and DirecTV. Have had it with both. Have an Apple Mac Mini in box that could be used for something.

Does anyone have any experience, good or bad, with other methods of getting "TV?" We watch little, but would like to have the ability to watch when needed. Ditched DirecTV and Comcast this wk. Looking at options.

[Clint]

Get a good reliable internet connection. Should be <$50 per month.

HD antenna for local channels and weekend football.

Roku/AppleTV type streaming appliance for movies and shows from paid services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Sling TV Etc.

[SteveL]

I've been meaning to get a digital antenna but haven't gotten around to it yet. Otherwise we use gaming consoles to stream Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon. We're Amazon Prime members so we get a lot of stuff through them for free. Hulu and Netflix each cost $8/month. We don't watch much TV so paying $100+/month for Dish Network felt like a waste of money.

[Grizz12]

I like watching local and national news channels and they dont show up on the "free" internet things like netflix or hulu, etc...

[Clint]

Digital HD antennas are inexpensive and work amazingly well.

Programming content can be a little thin, but it works great for weekend football.

Most flat screen TVs have the tuners built in.

This is one we've used.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IF70QCW/

[punkey71]

I dropped cable years ago and rely on a Roku, Netflix and Hulu +. I never worry about finding something to watch. Tons of content.

The hardest part is transitioning from a cable provider telling you what's on right now and now YOU deciding what you want to watch. It sounds weird but it's a little overwhelming at first. We've become programmed to turn on cable and settle for the program currently airing that we dislike the least.

Now I get to pick what, where, when and how long. Admittedly, with 2 small kids the lions share of programming on my TV is children's educational.

One word of caution regarding HD antennas. Make sure you actually receive the signal. I'm smack dab between DC and Richmond and because they are both about 50 miles away, I get exactly ZERO channels. Even if I we were to put an antenna 30 ft above my roof I would still receive nothing.

http://www.antennaweb.org. Put your address in and see what you get at your house.

Despite getting zero local OTA channels I still have no regrets.

YMMV


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[6933]

Picked up a digital antennae. When the scan was finished, we had 37 channels in HD to watch. I swear the picture is better than the cable picture.

[SeriousStudent]

This does not belong in Site Questions or Comments. Moving to GD.

[tb-av]

Picked up a digital antennae. When the scan was finished, we had 37 channels in HD to watch. I swear the picture is better than the cable picture.

Yes the cable company grabs that same HD signal and reduces it then sells it to you in SD.

[26 Inf]

Picked up a digital antennae. When the scan was finished, we had 37 channels in HD to watch. I swear the picture is better than the cable picture.

Just hooked my wife's 'den' above the garage up with an antenna and analog converter box for our oldish TV.

Scan popped 33 channels for us, one of the websites told me I couldn't get any channels - I live 6 and 7miles from two 1000 foot antennas. Another site pictured all the towers in the area, according to that I would get 11 signals exceptional and 3 poor.

I just turned the antenna to the azimuth headed towards most of the towers and bingo. Mine is mounted on a second story deck on a 10 foot pole.

I'm going to evaluate a couple weeks or so and maybe get rid of cable for the 3 TV's in the house. Our cable provider (Cox) did some mumbo jumbo and now we have to have decryption boxes for each TV except the one that is hooked to the signal source. Nice little monthly charge for each box.

Anyways, pleasantly surprised.