# thinking about getting rid of cable TV



## jehb2 (Sep 13, 2013)

I thinking of getting rid of cable TV.  I don't mean replacing it with dish or ATT Uverse.  I mean just getting rid of all of it.  I don't watch regular shows.  I only watch what's on ROKU (Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus, etc.)  My only paranoia is that if there a disaster I won't be able to receive up to date information.

Has anyone doe this?  How did it go?


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## Passepartout (Sep 13, 2013)

So can you get over the air TV, y'know with an ANTENNA? How quaint.


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## Fern Modena (Sep 13, 2013)

Do you/will you have wifi at home, and a tablet or laptop? If so, you will be able to get your info that way. Or how about getting an emergency crank-style flashlight/radio? Remember radios? That would work in an emergency

Fern



jehb2 said:


> I thinking of getting rid of cable TV.  I don't mean replacing it with dish or ATT Uverse.  I mean just getting rid of all of it.  I don't watch regular shows.  I only watch what's on ROKU (Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus, etc.)  My only paranoia is that if there a disaster I won't be able to receive up to date information.
> 
> Has anyone doe this?  How did it go?


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## chellej (Sep 13, 2013)

Neither of my kids have cable or dish and they do just fine.  They bought digital antennas and get 15-20 stations and then do the hulu stuff


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## csxjohn (Sep 14, 2013)

I don't have cable or any of that other stuff, never did never will and I get along just fine.  I use an antenna to get some sports programs on broadcast TV and some PBS shows.

My kids hated the fact that they were so deprived growing up because they didn't have cable.  I think they now understand what a waste of money it is. 

You'll be just fine without it and any disasters that come along will be found right here on the net, on the radio and on broadcast TV.


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## simpsontruckdriver (Sep 14, 2013)

I pay $80 per month for Cable Internet + home phone, $8 per month for Netflix + $8 per month for Hulu. Compare that to $150/month for Cable + Internet + home phone (BrightHouse aka TimeWarner).

TS


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## TSPam (Sep 14, 2013)

Hi,
We got rid of Cable 20 years ago. We watch online shows, get movies from the library, and netflix.


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## am1 (Sep 14, 2013)

After college football season we will be getting rid of cable.  With netflix and online streaming there is not much need.  I have no interest in watching anything with antenna.  My wife and nanny do so we will keep that.

I am hoping that by the time we build our house in a few years cables are not needed as I will not be installing them.  

I do not think it is all for the better.  I use to like the structure of everyone watching a show at the same time.  Now the industry is fractured with so many shows and ways to watch them.


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## presley (Sep 14, 2013)

We didn't have TV for years.  We were fine without it.

I've been wanting to get rid of my DirectV now for a while.  If I didn't have it, I could buy a roundtrip ticket to Hawaii every year.  I'd rather have Hawaii.  My husband wants to keep for a couple weird news channels.


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## SMHarman (Sep 14, 2013)

am1 said:


> After college football season we will be getting rid of cable.  With netflix and online streaming there is not much need.  I have no interest in watching anything with antenna.  My wife and nanny do so we will keep that.
> 
> I am hoping that by the time we build our house in a few years cables are not needed as I will not be installing them.
> 
> I do not think it is all for the better.  I use to like the structure of everyone watching a show at the same time.  Now the industry is fractured with so many shows and ways to watch them.




when you build you will want to be installing at least two cat6 drops to every room.  You can use it to send data and tv and have reliable connections to each Roku or smart tv or whatever. 
It also distributes phone. Get this in before the drywall goes up and you will have great flexibility. 






presley said:


> We didn't have TV for years.  We were fine without it.
> 
> I've been wanting to get rid of my DirectV now for a while.  If I didn't have it, I could buy a roundtrip ticket to Hawaii every year.  I'd rather have Hawaii.  My husband wants to keep for a couple weird news channels.



Can he not stream them or get them over the air?

Sport (which you can get over the air) and kids shows and HBO seem to be the only reasons to keep cable. 

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2


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## Passepartout (Sep 14, 2013)

We travel quite a bit in our 5th wheel RV with just an over-the-air antenna. I continue to be amazed by how much TV is available OTA and in hi-def digital format. Looking at it objectively, absent a couple of specialty cable channels (Comedy Channel comes to mind), We would miss very little by cutting the cable. Of course that would mean finding another means of getting broadband.


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## Joe33426 (Sep 14, 2013)

I buy the cheapest broadcast package from the Cable company and also get the Internet. The bill is around $55/month.  This includes about 20 stations and broadband.  Rather than rent cable boxes for the bedrooms, I bought antennas and get about 10 stations.


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## kwindham (Sep 14, 2013)

presley said:


> We didn't have TV for years.  We were fine without it.
> 
> I've been wanting to get rid of my DirectV now for a while.  If I didn't have it, I could buy a roundtrip ticket to Hawaii every year.  I'd rather have Hawaii.  My husband wants to keep for a couple weird news channels.



I agree.  my husband is gone to work literally over 1/2 the year.  While he is gone, the tv in the living room NEVER gets turned on.  I don't have time to sit around and watch tv.  When he is home however, he likes to watch it.  So we keep it...sigh.  I relent on this because I know he makes a ton of sacrifices to provide us with a comfortable lifestyle. (regularly is across the world for Christmas, thanksgiving, birthdays, graduations etc)  On occasion I will complain when its time to pay what seems to me a ridiculous bill, but I really try to zip my lips :ignore:


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## Elan (Sep 14, 2013)

I'd love to get rid of DirecTV, but there just aren't enough other options for sports viewing, which comprises 90% of my TV time.


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## csxjohn (Sep 14, 2013)

Elan said:


> I'd love to get rid of DirecTV, but there just aren't enough other options for sports viewing, which comprises 90% of my TV time.



I think there may be help for that addiction.:hysterical:


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## Fern Modena (Sep 14, 2013)

Believe it or not, the CC&Rs where I live forbid OTA antennas. Wouldn't do much good here anyway, because we have mountains very close on two sides. So it is no broadcast tv at all, Cox cable, DirecTV,  Dish, or CenturyLink's Prism (FIOS, but doesn't get HD in my area yet due to substation locations).

Fern


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## Passepartout (Sep 14, 2013)

Fern Modena said:


> Believe it or not, the CC&Rs where I live forbid OTA antennas. Fern



I know it won't help if there is no OTA signal, but for others where there is signal, but local rules or aesthetics prohibit antennas, they can often be put inside attic spaces where they work fine and are not visible. I've even seen some that attach to windows like alarm tape.

Funny, Fern, this is the first I recall you ever saying even slightly negative about your neighborhood. Imperfection in paradise? Naaaah.


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## ptlohmysoul (Sep 14, 2013)

jehb2 said:


> I thinking of getting rid of cable TV.  I don't mean replacing it with dish or ATT Uverse.  I mean just getting rid of all of it.  I don't watch regular shows.  I only watch what's on ROKU (Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus, etc.)  My only paranoia is that if there a disaster I won't be able to receive up to date information.
> 
> Has anyone doe this?  How did it go?



Go for it!    We don't have tv, but we have internet.  We have dvds, especially for the kids.  We get netflix for 30 days whenever they offer it to us for free .


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## csxjohn (Sep 14, 2013)

Passepartout said:


> I know it won't help if there is no OTA signal, but for others where there is signal, but local rules or aesthetics prohibit antennas, they can often be put inside attic spaces where they work fine and are not visible. I've even seen some that attach to windows like alarm tape.
> 
> Funny, Fern, this is the first I recall you ever saying even slightly negative about your neighborhood. Imperfection in paradise? Naaaah.



Around here definitely not out doors.  Mine are just the old rabbit ears in the room with the tv.


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## mspeggysue911 (Sep 14, 2013)

We have DirecTv and have never really considered getting rid of it.

We have Amazon Prime, a Roku and Netflix.

We have the package on DirecTv where we get every channel they have. Even the sports channels. And we don't watch sports. But the package without the sports channels is $5 more a month than the one with every channel.

We watch a lot of TV. We DVR stuff every day and most of what we watch are on the cable channels, not regular network TV.

I also agree that we could buy round trip tickets to Hawaii every year if we cut the DirecTv off because our bill is around $175 a month. But that included $25 a month for warranties on our our equipment, TV's, tablets and computers. I have already used the computer warranty once when my laptop fried. 

But I would not like living without DirecTv.


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## Fern Modena (Sep 14, 2013)

Really?  Its *still* better than any other place I've ever lived. The last place we lived before here, fine dining was Applebee's (I've not eaten in one since). We went back once, maybe six years ago, and it had become fast food alley. From one extreme to the other. I wouldn't have liked that, either.

That is what I like about where I live now. It is all residential, although there are supermarkets about three miles away, and ten miles away are some of the best restaurants and shows anywhere. And casinos, but you can't live here and gamble if you want to keep your house.

Fern



Passepartout said:


> Funny, Fern, this is the first I recall you ever saying even slightly negative about your neighborhood. Imperfection in paradise? Naaaah.


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## PigsDad (Sep 14, 2013)

Fern Modena said:


> Believe it or not, the CC&Rs where I live forbid OTA antennas.


The Telecommunications Act of 1996 allows you to have an antenna (within a set of rules), even if your CC&Rs say it is not allowed.  You may have to fight a bit, but the law is on your side.

Kurt


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## b2bailey (Sep 14, 2013)

*My only paranoia is that if there a disaster I won't be able to receive up to date information.*

My first reaction to this comment was -- if there IS A DISASTER...most likely you won't have electricity or cable.

In October 1989 in California I was in the midst of the Earthquake. Leaving work, driving home to check on my family...the WORST part was when I tried to tune in the car radio to any station...and it was all dead space. After all those years of hearing..."This is just a test, if it had been a real emergency you would tune to..." And not hearing anything on the radio -- that was just plain scary.


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## klpca (Sep 14, 2013)

Elan said:


> I'd love to get rid of DirecTV, but there just aren't enough other options for sports viewing, which comprises 90% of my TV time.



Getting rid of paid TV will never fly in our house for the same reason. My husband works his you-know-what off. If he wants to watch football, college basketball, or english premier league when he gets some time to relax, I'll make sure it happens. I am going to look into an alternative to cable though. Our local cable company doesn't carry the Padres or San Diego State athletics. Heresy!


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## MOXJO7282 (Sep 14, 2013)

I'd really like to get rid of cable and our home phone as well. I'm convinced we'd get along just fine. I think the phone will be first though as we just bought a signal booster and now our cell phones work great in our home so I've warned my family its going to happen sometime in 2014.


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## Fern Modena (Sep 15, 2013)

I was at work during The Quake of '89.  If you will look back to reply #3, you will see that I factored in the lack of electricity. 

I worked for Muni Railway at the time. I was a transit controller in the radio room, and my shift began at 2:30 pm. If you are interested, google my name and the words San Francisco Quake 1989 and you should find a report I wrote afterwards. It is part of the City of San Francisco's permanent archives.

Fern




b2bailey said:


> *My only paranoia is that if there a disaster I won't be able to receive up to date information.*
> 
> My first reaction to this comment was -- if there IS A DISASTER...most likely you won't have electricity or cable.
> 
> In October 1989 in California I was in the midst of the Earthquake. Leaving work, driving home to check on my family...the WORST part was when I tried to tune in the car radio to any station...and it was all dead space. After all those years of hearing..."This is just a test, if it had been a real emergency you would tune to..." And not hearing anything on the radio -- that was just plain scary.


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## mtngal (Sep 15, 2013)

I seriously considered getting rid of DirecTV several months ago, but then decided not to.  I don't have the option of streaming video because my Internet connection is too slow.  There is no TV signal where I am, so no point in getting a TV antenna.  The cable company is several states away now and is out for days when there's a problem, which there is often, and it didn't carry what I considered the local fox sports channel when we moved up, they may now.  So it's one of the dishes or nothing and I do watch enough hockey that I decided to keep it.


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## ace2000 (Sep 15, 2013)

I know it's been mentioned several times in the past.  But, tell your cable or satellite company that you want to cancel and give them a chance to make you a better deal.  This has always worked for me in the past and they will offer you significant savings - even if you are still under your contract period.


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## kwindham (Sep 15, 2013)

MOXJO7282 said:


> I'd really like to get rid of cable and our home phone as well. I'm convinced we'd get along just fine. I think the phone will be first though as we just bought a signal booster and now our cell phones work great in our home so I've warned my family its going to happen sometime in 2014.



Can you give me some info on the booster?  who is your carrier etc.  I hate this landline, but service is spotty here.


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## GetawaysRus (Sep 15, 2013)

This thread is therapeutic.  I feel better because I am not alone.  I too am frustrated with the cost of DirectTV.  I'm not a news junkie, but we do watch a number of news channels and it's hard to cut that information cord.

Looking at Hulu Plus, I do find a number of network channels listed.  Here's a link:
http://www.hulu.com/tv/networks

On this page, I find Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNBC, Fox Business, History, H2, MSNBC, WSJ Live and more.  Here's a few questions for anyone who uses Hulu Plus:
1. Are these networks part of the basic Hulu Plus package, or do you have to pay a separate subscription fee to get these channels?  Extra subscription fees would negate the benefit of dropping DirectTV.
2. If you do get NBC, ABC, and CBS (the 3 major networks), does this mean that you'd get national news but not local news?
3. I tried finding information about pricing on the Hulu Plus website, but couldn't.  Anyone with a link?  How much does this cost per month?


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## SMHarman (Sep 15, 2013)

GetawaysRus said:


> This thread is therapeutic.  I feel better because I am not alone.  I too am frustrated with the cost of DirectTV.  I'm not a news junkie, but we do watch a number of news channels and it's hard to cut that information cord.
> 
> Looking at Hulu Plus, I do find a number of network channels listed.  Here's a link:
> http://www.hulu.com/tv/networks
> ...




1. There is only one hulu plus package. 
2. Best thing to do there is try the free trial and see if you get what you want. 
3. $7.99 a month. 

With Roku there are other news channels. 

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2


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## presley (Nov 25, 2013)

We finally canceled our DirecTV.  We are going to do without TV for a while and then maybe get an indoor antenna for at least one local news station.

Directv really has a hard time letting go.  While I would have chosen to do business with them again in the future, they annoyed me so much through the cancellation that I don't want to sign up with them ever again.  

I did think about recording the phone cancellation and posting it on the internet if they were a pain, but didn't do it.  Now, I regret it.  Even when they finally explained returning the equipment, they still called several times the following day trying to talk us into keeping it.  I heard my husband say three times in a row on the phone the day after we cancelled, "This is not negotiable.  You need to close our account."  I really regret not recording the phone calls.


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## rleigh (Nov 25, 2013)

We found we didn't need it either, between the internet and Netflix, etc.

Not even an antenna at this time. HOWEVER, what's really irking me is that now that's it's time to get a new tv I can't find one with antenna built in. 

What's up with that? 

The last thing I want or need is something else to buy, hook up, maintain.


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## SMHarman (Nov 25, 2013)

Do you mean tuner or antenna?

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk


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## Talent312 (Nov 25, 2013)

They make little devices w/GPS antennas. Why not TV's w/TV antennas...
but then its not the 1960's anymore.

.


Sent from my KFJWI using Tapatalk 2


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## buzglyd (Nov 25, 2013)

I bought a digital antenna at Best Buy that's about the size of a paper plate. It pulls in all local stations in crystal clear hd. 

I live on a hill facing south which helps a lot. 

I mostly watch live sports so I'm stuck with cable for now.


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## SMHarman (Nov 25, 2013)

Talent312 said:


> They make little devices w/GPS antennas. Why not TV's w/TV antennas...
> but then its not the 1960's anymore.
> 
> .
> ...



We'll the frequency you are picking up changes the size and design of the antenna

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk


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## glypnirsgirl (Nov 26, 2013)

TSPam said:


> Hi,
> We got rid of Cable 20 years ago. We watch online shows, get movies from the library, and netflix.



This is what we do as well. We watch everything on our computers.

The only thing that we use the TV for is for doing exercise videos. 

elaine


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## SmithOp (Nov 26, 2013)

SMHarman said:


> We'll the frequency you are picking up changes the size and design of the antenna
> 
> Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk



Correct, and propagation of the signal determines the site location of said antenna.  Try getting your true GPS to work sitting in the garage, you'll need to use your cell phone in there. 


Sent from my iPad Gen 4 using Tapatalk HD


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## csxjohn (Nov 26, 2013)

rleigh said:


> ... HOWEVER, what's really irking me is that now that's it's time to get a new tv I can't find one with antenna built in.
> 
> What's up with that?
> 
> The last thing I want or need is something else to buy, hook up, maintain.



Believe it or not, most people today don't need an antenna for their TV, they have cable or satellite, so they don't add to the expense of building a TV with one.

They are cheap, are very easy to hook up and are maintenance free. I use one to pull in the local channels for sports programs only.


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## pedro47 (Nov 26, 2013)

buzglyd said:


> I bought a digital antenna at Best Buy that's about the size of a paper plate. It pulls in all local stations in crystal clear hd.
> 
> I live on a hill facing south which helps a lot.
> 
> I mostly watch live sports so I'm stuck with cable for now.



Can I use this digital antenna on my back porch television ?


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## csxjohn (Nov 26, 2013)

pedro47 said:


> Can I use this digital antenna on my back porch television ?



These antennas are made to pick up local TV broadcast which are all now digital.  If your back porch TV has rabbit ears attached this would probably be a waste of money.

I have an older non-digital TV in my computer room.  It has rabbit ears.  When the switch was made to digital from analog the US govt gave us certificates to use to buy a digital converter.  

So my rabbit ears plug into the converter and that feeds into the TV allowing me to see broadcasts.

My newer TV is digital and did not come with an antenna.  I bought a cheap antenna that looks like a square dinner plate and hooked that to the TV to allow me to receive the broadcasts.

I hope this helps.


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## UWSurfer (Nov 26, 2013)

A couple of things.   The laws of physics & the transmission of TV and radio waves have not changed and there is no such thing as a "digital" antenna.  

The signals are still transmitted over VHF and UHF frequencies depending on where you live in the same manner they did since the 1940's.  The difference is the content of that signal is now digitized and requires the digital tuner to decode the over the air content.

More than 80% of the households in the US receive television with means other than over the air broadcast signals (Cable, Satellite, Internet...) and there is not much incentive for manufacturers to include antennas with the sets.  As noted there are various types of antennas sold and many of them work for picking up over the air signals indoors.  Our traditional VHF/UHF antenna on the roof receives over 120 channels over the air here in Los Angeles.   That's supplemented by various streaming services our Tivo box is able to connect to via internet.

The biggest downside of not having cable or satellite is when a large sporting event (like the Rosebowl) is showing and is exclusively carried over ESPN.   Fortunately we're not huge sports fans in our household.


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## SMHarman (Nov 26, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> Believe it or not, most people today don't need an antenna for their TV, they have cable or satellite, so they don't add to the expense of building a TV with one.
> 
> They are cheap, are very easy to hook up and are maintenance free. I use one to pull in the local channels for sports programs only.



Whatcha talkin bout Willis?

Without an RF input it is not a TV but a 'display panel'.

While the RF input needs an aerial connected to it, the TV has the capabilites to decode and display that.

http://www.samsung.com/us/video/tvs/UN50EH5300FXZA-specs

as a random TV will show RF IN Terestrial / Cable on the input section and DTV Tuner/Digital Cable Tuner/Analog Tuner under the TV Tuner System.


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## SMHarman (Nov 26, 2013)

UWSurfer said:


> A couple of things.   The laws of physics & the transmission of TV and radio waves have not changed and there is no such thing as a "digital" antenna.
> 
> The signals are still transmitted over VHF and UHF frequencies depending on where you live in the same manner they did since the 1940's.  The difference is the content of that signal is now digitized and requires the digital tuner to decode the over the air content.



Yes, but...

With digital transmission the transmission is now packing 5-6 channels into the frequency where one signal used to reside.

So, wheras your old 'analog' signal could only be picking up 80% of the signal (and sending it to a 25in screen) you would get a pretty good picture on that screen.

Now you have 5 channels with the data compressed down so you are only sending the equivilant of 20% of the analog signal.  Now if you are only getting 80% of that you are only getting 80% of 20% which is another 20% degredation and the picture starts falling apart.  

On top of that you are watching on a 40+in screen which suffers bad pictures badly.

Additionally transmitters are also sending lower power signals these days.

So, while an aerial is an aerial, you need one that works harder to pull in a good signal not just the rabbit ears.


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## UWSurfer (Nov 26, 2013)

SMHarman said:


> Yes, but...
> 
> So, while an aerial is an aerial, you need one that works harder to pull in a good signal not just the rabbit ears.



Think of the signal as a chunk of bandwidth that can be sliced into narrower segments.  It's not like there are 5 or 6 separate channels being carried over that signal but rather 5 or 6 segements of that bitstream which make up that signal.  The broadcaster could choose to devote the entire bitstream to one channel and get one hell of a high def signal to the viewer, but it's more profitable to slice up that digital pie.

I generally agree with you regarding the need for a good antenna, and the old maxim "location, location, location" has quite a bit to do with what a pair a rabbit ears can do.


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## csxjohn (Nov 27, 2013)

SMHarman said:


> Whatcha talkin bout Willis?
> 
> Without an RF input it is not a TV but a 'display panel'.
> 
> ...




Help, I'm not sure what you're saying.

Both of my TVs, the analog with the converter box and the digital have an RF input so I'm not sure what you're saying here.

http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,3253,l=225644&a=225644&po=6,00.asp


SMHarman said:


> Yes, but...
> 
> 
> 
> ...So, while an aerial is an aerial, you need one that works harder to pull in a good signal not just the rabbit ears.



I have a "digital antenna" that I bought for my newer TV.  An old set of rabbit ears actually gets a better signal than the new one I bought.

I don't think the antennas "work" at all and are passive by nature but I'm no expert on this matter for sure.  I only know that I get a nice crisp clear no nonsense picture on my newer TV with the older antenna.


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## Ridewithme38 (Nov 27, 2013)

I dont know nothing about these 'digital bandwidths and segments'

But i know, i hooked an old outdated netbook up to my 50" TV and can stream netflix, Hulu, Youtube, any Torrents i download and really anything else, even this forum and i can get actual 1080P video, unlike my cable box that only puts out 720....I hardly every switch between inputs back to regular TV.


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## schiff1997 (Nov 27, 2013)

We have a Raspberry Pi.   It is connected through our internet and then connects to our TV via HDMI cable

You can access pretty much any TV show within an hour after it appears on Cable stations.   We get TV shows from all over the world as well as up to date recently released movie rentals.  No monthly fees at all just purchase the Raspberry Pi


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## isisdave (Nov 27, 2013)

schiff1997 said:


> We have a Raspberry Pi.   It is connected through our internet and then connects to our TV via HDMI cable
> 
> You can access pretty much any TV show within an hour after it appears on Cable stations.   We get TV shows from all over the world as well as up to date recently released movie rentals.  No monthly fees at all just purchase the Raspberry Pi



I think we'd all like to hear more about this! Sorta like "why own a week when you can rent for less -- or free" and very much in the TUG line of thought.

Can you point us to some websites or tell us more about what you do with the Pi to accomplish this?

Thanks.


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## csxjohn (Nov 27, 2013)

schiff1997 said:


> We have a Raspberry Pi.   It is connected through our internet and then connects to our TV via HDMI cable
> 
> You can access pretty much any TV show within an hour after it appears on Cable stations.   We get TV shows from all over the world as well as up to date recently released movie rentals.  No monthly fees at all just purchase the Raspberry Pi



Can you get sports broadcasts from the NBC sports network (hockey) or espn (football) by doing this? If so I'll get serious about looking into it.


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## SMHarman (Nov 27, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> Can you get sports broadcasts from the NBC sports network (hockey) or espn (football) by doing this? If so I'll get serious about looking into it.



http://www.roku.com/now-playing
Shows that MLB, MLS and NHL are easy to obtain after you cut the cord.

ESPN exists
http://www.roku.com/channels/#!details/34376/watchespn
but you need a cable subscription to link it to.

Sports are the hardest to get with cord cutting as they make up a big part of the $$$ you pay to your cable company who forward them on to the channel providers.


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## SMHarman (Nov 27, 2013)

Ridewithme38 said:


> I dont know nothing about these 'digital bandwidths and segments'
> 
> But i know, i hooked an old outdated netbook up to my 50" TV and can stream netflix, Hulu, Youtube, any Torrents i download and really anything else, even this forum and i can get actual 1080P video, unlike my cable box that only puts out 720....I hardly every switch between inputs back to regular TV.


Your outdated netbook is not getting a broadcast signal but a datastream from the internets.
If you have a 1080 TV and a STB only capable of 720 then you should call your cable company and ask for an upgrade.

Now consider that a 720p and 1080i signal require the same bandwidth.  

The p requires every pixel of every frame is refreshed every cycle.  
The i requires that every other line is refreshed each cycle (interlaced).

So 1080i is better for more detail but less movement.  The p is great for sports and lots of movement and results in less stutter.  With high bandwidth (like bluray) you can get 1080p but broadcast can't handle the data requirements.



csxjohn said:


> Help, I'm not sure what you're saying.
> 
> Both of my TVs, the analog with the converter box and the digital have an RF input so I'm not sure what you're saying here.
> 
> ...



True an antenna is passivly picking up a signal.  By work I meant being effectively designed and placed to pick up that signal.  By work I mean to do what you expect of it.

Antenna design is complex (look how Apple screwed it up on a prior gen of iPhone).  It depends on environment and where the signal is coming from and the frequency used (they flip and flop around the country to avoid overlap).

So your rabbit ears may work better as they are better designed for the environment you live in.



UWSurfer said:


> Think of the signal as a chunk of bandwidth that can be sliced into narrower segments.  It's not like there are 5 or 6 separate channels being carried over that signal but rather 5 or 6 segements of that bitstream which make up that signal.  The broadcaster could choose to devote the entire bitstream to one channel and get one hell of a high def signal to the viewer, but it's more profitable to slice up that digital pie.
> 
> I generally agree with you regarding the need for a good antenna, and the old maxim "location, location, location" has quite a bit to do with what a pair a rabbit ears can do.



Exactly, if you cut the cable it is worth finding an aerial specialist in your area and spending a months cable bill to get a quality antenna installed in / on your house to pick up the OTA signal properly.


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## csxjohn (Nov 27, 2013)

SMHarman said:


> http://www.roku.com/now-playing
> Shows that MLB, MLS and NHL are easy to obtain after you cut the cord.
> 
> ESPN exists
> ...



I would pay to see what I want but cable and dish is not set up that way.  They make me pay for so much garbage that I won't do it.

I have XM radio and can hear every NFL, NHL, and MLB game that's out there but sometimes I'd like to see some of it.

I'm hoping someday we can get TV broadcasts as easily as the XM broadcasts, no cables and nothing to mount outside.  Will I live to see it?

Thank you for the other info.  Even though I get nice crystal clear pictures on my TV I sometimes have to move the antennae around when I change channels.  I know that it's entirely my location causing this.  I will look into an antenna specialist to try to alleviate this problem.


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## schiff1997 (Nov 27, 2013)

isisdave said:


> I think we'd all like to hear more about this! Sorta like "why own a week when you can rent for less -- or free" and very much in the TUG line of thought.
> 
> Can you point us to some websites or tell us more about what you do with the Pi to accomplish this?
> 
> Thanks.



I am in no way a techie ...it came preset up for me when I purchased it. It's a small motherboard and all programming is done through an SD card.  If someone can tell me how to add a photo I will add one of the small unit it's about the same size as Apple TV.  

 I watch a lot of shows from ice films, 1 channel,  project free tv etc.  my DH can get some pay per view as well .


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## schiff1997 (Nov 27, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> Can you get sports broadcasts from the NBC sports network (hockey) or espn (football) by doing this? If so I'll get serious about looking into it.



Not sure haven't checked all that yet, just got it only a few days ago .  I can let you know

You also get Sirius satellite radio as well !


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## PigsDad (Nov 27, 2013)

schiff1997 said:


> We have a Raspberry Pi.   It is connected through our internet and then connects to our TV via HDMI cable
> 
> You can access pretty much *any TV show within an hour after it appears on Cable stations.*   We get TV shows from all over the world as well as up to date *recently released movie rentals*.  *No monthly fees* at all just purchase the Raspberry Pi





schiff1997 said:


> I am in no way a techie ...it came preset up for me when I purchased it. It's a small motherboard and all programming is done through an SD card.  If someone can tell me how to add a photo I will add one of the small unit it's about the same size as Apple TV.
> 
> I watch a lot of shows from ice films, 1 channel,  project free tv etc.  my DH *can get some pay per view *as well .





schiff1997 said:


> You also get *Sirius satellite radio *as well !



So you know you are stealing copyrighted material, right?  This device downloads copyrighted material from illegal torrent sites and makes them available to be viewed in your home.

This is the same as making illegal copies of music, or books or movies.

Raspberry Pi is a general-use Linux-based mini-computer, and in itself is a fine product.  However, it can be programmed (via the SD card) to do many sketchy functions.  I doubt most people even realize what is happening behind the scenes.  This reminds me of the unscrupulous outfits that would sell satellite receivers with illegal descrambler cards -- consumers just thought they were buying a box that got "free TV". 

This is a hot button of mine.  I am a huge proponent of copyright protection, so this device is definitely not for me.  And please don't argue that violating copyright laws is "victimless" -- that doesn't hold water in the least.

Kurt


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## schiff1997 (Nov 27, 2013)

PigsDad said:


> So you know you are stealing copyrighted material, right?  This device downloads copyrighted material from illegal torrent sites and makes them available to be viewed in your home.
> 
> This is the same as making illegal copies of music, or books or movies.
> 
> ...



Our laws in Canada are somewhat different....I was only adding to a thread, so I am not about to make this about what you should and shouldn't do !


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## Ridewithme38 (Nov 27, 2013)

PigsDad said:


> This is a hot button of mine.  I am a huge proponent of copyright protection, so this device is definitely not for me.  And please don't argue that violating copyright laws is "victimless" -- that doesn't hold water in the least.
> 
> Kurt



Can we make the arguement that theft like this is 'built into' the costs and even built in as part of the General accounting principles of ANY business...If everyone ALWAYS paid for everything, they would have to write entirely new insurance guidelines and accounting principles....

Essentially, the company expects it and is already charging for it weather you do it or not. If you pay 36 months of bills about 2 weeks of that is just paying for the 'guideline' amount of the unreceivables account.


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## sue1947 (Nov 27, 2013)

Ridewithme38 said:


> Can we make the arguement that theft like this is 'built into' the costs and even built in as part of the General accounting principles of ANY business...If everyone ALWAYS paid for everything, they would have to write entirely new insurance guidelines and accounting principles....
> 
> Essentially, the company expects it and is already charging for it weather you do it or not. If you pay 36 months of bills about 2 weeks of that is just paying for the 'guideline' amount of the unreceivables account.



Translation:  you think it's ok to shoplift because companies build some loss into their budgets?  Theft is theft no matter how you try to pretty it up.


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## PigsDad (Nov 27, 2013)

schiff1997 said:


> Our laws in Canada are somewhat different....I was only adding to a thread, so I am not about to make this about what you should and shouldn't do !



International copyright laws apply to all the content you are saying you could get for free in your earlier threads.  Canada certainly abides by the international copyright laws.

I am not saying what you or anyone else should do on this board -- I am just fully disclosing that using the Raspberry Pi device in this manner results in downloading copyrighted material.  It is up to the individual reader to decide what they want to do with that information.  I shared that I would not use that device in such a manner.

Kurt


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## PigsDad (Nov 27, 2013)

sue1947 said:


> Translation:  you think it's ok to shoplift because companies build some loss into their budgets?  Theft is theft no matter how you try to pretty it up.



Excellent point, Sue!

Kurt


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## csxjohn (Nov 27, 2013)

PigsDad said:


> So you know you are stealing copyrighted material, right?  This device downloads copyrighted material from illegal torrent sites and makes them available to be viewed in your home.
> 
> This is the same as making illegal copies of music, or books or movies.
> 
> ...



I was going to comment but will start a new thread with a question about this.


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## Ridewithme38 (Nov 27, 2013)

sue1947 said:


> Translation:  you think it's ok to shoplift because companies build some loss into their budgets?  Theft is theft no matter how you try to pretty it up.



I see it as preventing corporate theft and helping stop tax fraud, you see, it's not just built into their budget's it's built into their taxes and insurance also....If they claim $500,000 in theft, but only $480,000 is stolen, things like that are why taxes for all of us are so high, corporate tax fraud!

Do you really believe that the owner of walmart should be able to buy another yacht off your taxes, or you should be able to 'pay less' through one 'free' product a month?

You call it theft all you want, but just because there happens to be a current law against something, doesn't make it wrong...You can look just a couple generations back at slavery and womens rights to see that.


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## Ken555 (Nov 27, 2013)

Ridewithme38 said:


> You call it theft all you want, but just because there happens to be a current law against something, doesn't make it wrong...



Dude, you have absolutely no leg to stand on with this argument. Give it up and move on.


Sent from my iPad


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## PigsDad (Nov 27, 2013)

Ride will say anything to stir the pot.  We all know shoplifting is wrong and illegal, so it would be best just to ignore his baiting posts.

Kurt


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## Ridewithme38 (Nov 27, 2013)

PigsDad said:


> Ride will say anything to stir the pot.  We all know shoplifting is wrong and illegal, so it would be best just to ignore his baiting posts.
> 
> Kurt



It is illegal, wrong is a matter of ethics, ethically, it depends on how you feel about corporations and greed.  

In the 80's a very popular term was 'Greed is good!" but, while some of you hit your prime in the 80's, i was born in 1980.  I'm from the generation of hybrid cars and 'health food collectives'....A generation that has seen events from Hurricane Sandy, Katrina and 9/11 and people all forget about money and put other people first. My first memories were of Greed is good, but my fondest were of "Join together" movements.

I'm NOT a fan of Greed or corporate welfare and politically, we'll lets not discuss that.


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## Queen (Dec 3, 2013)

As a fellow Canadian I have Rogers for my cable and internet and have been concerned about the high costs therefore have been looking at a way to cut the cable. I use the PVR to record various programs and watch when I have time.  Is this something that I could still do if I gave up on cable, and would I still get most of the programs that I enjoy?


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## momeason (Dec 3, 2013)

ace2000 said:


> I know it's been mentioned several times in the past.  But, tell your cable or satellite company that you want to cancel and give them a chance to make you a better deal.  This has always worked for me in the past and they will offer you significant savings - even if you are still under your contract period.



Where I live TWC has a win-back department. To get the best deal you must go into the office, tell them you are moving to Direct TV. We got an $80 package with high speed internet and cable TV, DVR and a second box. the deal is for 2 years..no contract. After 2 years, i will go do it again. I got the same deal for my Mom. She lives across the street.


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## Ken555 (Aug 29, 2014)

Thought I'd add to this thread. 

I'm very happy to write that I've decided to cancel Time Warner Cable for TV. I've been very frustrated with TWC lately and this frustration led me to consider options. While I intend to keep Internet access from them I will be canceling my TV subscription in the next few days.

Yesterday I bought an indoor HD antenna from Costco for $30 and am able to receive 108 channels. Many of those channels are not in English and some are not very clear, but I think there are more than enough for general purposes. Interestingly ABC, CBS, and NBC are noticeably clearer using the antenna vs TWC...and I suspect this is due to TWC compressing the stream further than over the air broadcasts. It's also faster to change channels, so far (I connected the antenna direct to the TV, but will test via my Tivo over the weekend). 

There are a few channels I will miss, such as cable news channels, but I can't justify keeping cable for them. And, I have a Slingbox which I'm not currently using so may put that at a relatives home to watch those channels (which is, btw, legal to do so). What's not exactly legal is borrowing another's cable login to watch HBOGo or Showtime Anywhere, though they aren't pursuing anyone it seems for that...ahem...

While at Costco, I also bought a Roku 3 so I could easily stream Amazon Prime content along with various other channels.

My setup at this point is:

Apple TV
Roku
TiVo 

With:

Netflix
Hulu
Amazon Prime
iTunes 
+ various other Roku supported channels
+ Redbox down the street or stream rentals
+ series subscriptions as needed (Game of Thrones or similar)

My current TWC service is normally $142/mth, though I have $25/mth in promos so pay $117/mth, not including Internet access. My monthly base cost moving forward is ~$18/mth for Netflix and Hulu, not counting anything for Amazon Prime (since I pay for that anyway) and any series or rentals I purchase. 

It seems like I can save enough to pay my Westin Kierland annual MFs with this change! 

For those of you who have already made this change, I would welcome any suggestions you might have. Thanks!


Sent from my iPad


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## Dori (Aug 30, 2014)

Ken555, could you elaborate a bit on the Costco HD indoor antenna? 

We have a mobile home in Florida and are there for a total of about 4 months each year. Our park does not offer cable and any of the dish companies that offer great sign-ups have the promos run through the time we are not there. For example, if we signed up when we arrive in January for a  promo, we could enjoy it for the time we are there. When we leave in early April, putting our package on hiatus, the promo offer keeps counting, so when we get back in January, the rates have skyrocketed. 

We have an outdoor antenna, but are limited to a few stations, many of which are religious or Spanish. We get stuff like More and Ion, which play reruns.

Thanks!  Dori


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## presley (Aug 30, 2014)

Ken555 said:


> For those of you who have already made this change, I would welcome any suggestions you might have. Thanks!



I've been TV free for a while now.  There are times when I still miss TV when I am too tired to do anything else useful with my time, but we usually get burned out of TV within a day when we are at a timeshare now.  I can't stand the commercials.

Most regular network shows are available online for free.  Some will have mandatory commercials, some don't.  There were some series I was watching in the spring that came online the next day.  Others had a week or 2 week lag (ABC) if you aren't paying a cable company.  It's been really nice and the one hour shows are about 48 minutes, even with the mandatory commercials.

I only used HuluPlus for a couple days of the free trial, but cancelled it due to the commercials and the fact that any show I wanted to see on there was available for free online through the networks.  We have Netflix and I with they had more recent choices, but between watching an old series there and being able to watch new episodes on nbc.com or similar, it's been okay.  It's certainly better than paying Directv $100./month, which was our last TV provider.  I get the occasional offer from local cable for only $39./month and then read the fine print and see I have to rent equipment and pay taxes and it's really over $50./month.


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## Ken555 (Aug 30, 2014)

Dori said:


> Ken555, could you elaborate a bit on the Costco HD indoor antenna?



I bought this antenna:

http://www.costco.com/Winegard-Flat...ndoor-Antenna-FL5050C-.product.100047906.html

Winegard makes many other antennas, and one of those may be more appropriate for your needs. I suggest you review their site for more info at http://www.winegard.com/ but since you already have an antenna and probably don't need this.



> We have an outdoor antenna, but are limited to a few stations, many of which are religious or Spanish. We get stuff like More and Ion, which play reruns.



I used TVFool (http://www.tvfool.com/) to check on over the air coverage for my area, and it's fairly accurate. You may want to try this site to verify that your current antenna is providing you adequate coverage.


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## deemarket (Aug 30, 2014)

Ken555 said:


> I bought this antenna:
> 
> http://www.costco.com/Winegard-Flat...ndoor-Antenna-FL5050C-.product.100047906.html
> 
> ...



 I bought this Winegard antenna at Costco and it didn't work for me and I live in a big city.  It needed to face south and the bedroom I wanted to use it in faced north.

Thanks for the link to tvfool.com.    Found out I can just use a set top antenna for that bedroom.  Think I will check the thrift store today.


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## persia (Aug 30, 2014)

There's almost nothing on free to air TV that interests me.  Mythbusters, Doctor Who, CNN, Travel Channel, Disney ( I'm not impressed with Disney's free to air channel ABC), are all cable.


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