Whether you are trying to save money, realizing that even though there are 700 channels there is nothing on tv, or just want to be a geek, we all could benefit from dumping the cable and the high price tag that goes with it. I am going to split this up into several different posts (not sure how many yet) covering different aspects of changing how we watch tv.
The first part is simple. Limited geekiness required. Buy/use an antenna. Before you cancel the cable you should check a couple of things. First, go to antennaweb.org and put in your address. This will show you the distance and direction to the towers that send tv signals. This will give you an idea of what kind of antenna you will need. If every station is 50+ miles away, you will probably have to keep your cable or look into exterior/roof antennas. This will be a little pricey at first, so make sure you evaluate the cost situation. Next go to tvguide.com/listings, edit your location and select Broadcast stations. This will allow you to see what channels you will actually get. With the transition to digital tv, which I'm sure you are probably tire of hearing about (I sure am), stations are able to broadcast more than 1 channel. For example, here in Northwest Arkansas channel 29 is ABC. They broadcast ABC on digital channel 29-1 and the CW on digital channel 29-2.
Let's talk about indoor antennas for a minute. This is the cheapest option for free over the air tv if you live in an area with several stations. I currently use my antenna to pick up channels up to 45 miles away using an amplified indoor antenna. The Terk/Audiovox HDTVa is the antenna I am currently using for my tv. Since I am on the outskirts of town I needed an amplified antenna to keep from having to constantly adjust it depending on the station. Also, most of the towers I get signals from are in the same general direction, which helps maximize the number of stations I receive. Before the Terk I had an amplified phillips antenna that I had to adjust to pick up the same stations I get now. If you go shopping for antennas many will say HD antenna. This is usually just marketing. While an antenna may be optimized for digital signals (I'm not really sure how this works) the truth is that digital tv signals are the same UHF and VHF signals that you could pick up on rabbit ears (most stations are UHF). So if you have an antenna lying around, hook it up and see what you get.
This brings us to the next thing to consider when switching to an antenna. The TV. If you have a new flat panel LCD or Plasma tv you may benefit the most from an antenna. First of all, it all ready has a digital tuner (ATSC) built in. Second, it is most likely an HDTV. A major benefit of the digital tv switch is the transmission of HDTV signals. What you may not realize is that over the air HD signals are higher quality (less compression) than HD signals you may or may not get through cable. Also, since part of the HD standard is the 16:9 widescreen resolution, you can watch almost all of your favorite prime time network tv without everything being stretched horizontally. It may be for this very reason that you choose to get an antenna to complement your cable set up. Digital tv signals also broadcast scheduling information so that you can have an onscreen tv guide.
Now lets address the people that don't have flat screens in every room. If your tv is only a couple of years old it may have a digital tuner, even if it isn't a fancy HDTV. Odds are that it doesn't. These are the tvs that need the dreaded converter box. If you know how to hook up a VCR, then you can hook up a converter box (I may cover this in a different post). Once it is hooked up, connect your antenna to it and scan for all of your new channels. The channels you receive will come in clear, but will not be HD. One thing to note about digital broadcasts, it is all or nothing. You either get a crystal clear picture or you get an unwatchable annoyance. This is a good reason to test your antenna before you shut off the cable.
Quick Summary:
- Save $$ by ditching cable
- check antennaweb.org and tvguide.com/listings for stations in your area
- buy the right antenna and converter box if necessary
- hook it up and enjoy HD broadcasts on your big screen or a clear picture on your SDTV
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