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Mike Cruz
05-16-2011, 7:39 PM
Our latest Directv bill came in. $100. Seriously... I don't watch $3.33 worth of TV a day. So, I'm thinking of dropping it and having an external antenna installed. I live in a valley of sorts. Probably 60 miles from DC and the same from Baltimore. I bought a Best Buy "Turk" (indoor model) antenna a few years back and couldn't get diddly on it.

So, I want to hire a company to install an antenna...whether on my house or where the dish is now in the yard...dont' really care. The point is that I want someone who knows what they are doing to do it so I don't have to spend a day researching and buying an antenna, another day putting it in, just to find out I get a beatiful snowy screen. Anyone know of a company in the Hagerstown/Frederick, MD area that does this?

Thanks in advance for any help that comes my way...

Bryan Morgan
05-16-2011, 10:45 PM
Get a WDTV or any other device that gets you streaming Netflix on your TV. 10 bucks a month, no commercials... you'll be a season or two behind on your shows but who cares unless you like to gossip about them by the water cooler... The rest you can pick up with an antenna.

Mike Cruz
05-16-2011, 10:59 PM
Tough to get the news and football games on Netflix...which I do already have btw.

I'm just looking for a company that installs antennas.

Dan Hintz
05-17-2011, 6:49 AM
Mike,

Considering where you are, an antenna will need to be pretty tall... LoS (Line of Sight) for you is somewhere in outer space ;) I'd bet good money you could put up a 30' antenna and still have issues getting a good signal from Balto or D.C.

Time to move the house to the top of a hill?

Mike Cruz
05-17-2011, 7:07 AM
That is kinda what I am afraid of and don't want to waste my money buying equipment, and waste my time installing said equipment, only to find out that I CAN'T get signal. Hence why I'm looking for a company that does this stuff that "knows". I do appreciate your input, though, Dan...knowing that you are aware of my location. I'm told I can get Hagerstown channels. Not sure, though. LOS would still be difficult.

Ken Massingale
05-17-2011, 7:32 AM
Go to antennaweb.org and enter your location. It should help determine the best antenna and height, along with quality of reception.

Ken

Phil Thien
05-17-2011, 8:14 AM
If you look around at your neighbor's houses, do you see any antennas on their roofs? If so, I'd be inclined to go talk to one or two of them about their reception.

I'm right there with you on the monthly costs, BTW. My family watches the damn thing.

Fred Belknap
05-17-2011, 8:30 AM
I am pretty sure most if not all tv stations have switched from analog to digital transmission making it harder to receive a good signal. Better check on reception before investing to much.

Dan Hintz
05-17-2011, 8:58 AM
Just checked Ken's site... WWPX-DT is closest (digital) at 21 miles away. It suggest a large antenna with pre-amp. You're not going to get much, it looks like...

Jeremy Milam
05-17-2011, 11:41 AM
Any chance of getting a lower bill instead? We have Dish with two tvs and a dvr, not HD and it's $50 a month, give or take a couple.

Greg Portland
05-17-2011, 3:19 PM
Call Direct TV about a "local station only" package, it should be < $30/mo.

Derek Gilmer
05-17-2011, 3:35 PM
Any chance of getting a lower bill instead? We have Dish with two tvs and a dvr, not HD and it's $50 a month, give or take a couple.
Yep, you should easily be able to get a non sd, non-dvr package form dish or direct for 30 to 40 a month after referral specials.

Mike Cruz
05-17-2011, 3:57 PM
I suppose that is an option...if I can't get an antenna. Want to find out about the antenna thing first before finding out DTv's lowest rate. If I am going to threaten to leave, it has to be with ammunition in hand.

Chris Padilla
05-17-2011, 5:02 PM
Threatening to leave is plenty of ammo! :)

Scott T Smith
05-17-2011, 5:04 PM
You might want to check out these folks for your new antenna:

http://www.gomohu.com/index.html

Several local members of our woodworking club have "fired" Direct TV and transitioned over to Mohu for an indoor TV antenna. They speak very highly of the product.

Michael Conley
05-21-2011, 6:31 PM
I agree with the suggestion of checking with your neighbors who have antennas on their roofs. Antennaweb says that I should not be able to receive any Baltimore stations but I can get Channel 2 with a homemade 4-bay bow-tie antenna from inside my apartment. According to tvfool.com, that station is located 44 miles away.

Tvfool.com may give you a better idea of what is actually receivable than antennaweb.org. It seems like Antennaweb used to show more channels for my location than it does now.

Mike Cruz
05-21-2011, 9:57 PM
Thanks, Michael. That sight showed a bunch of channels. Unfortunately, to make the switch to antenna only, I had been hoping for the basics (meaning 4, 5, 7, 9)...basically Network TV. Since NBC is the only Network TV station, I have a feeling we won't be going that route. Maybe the most basic service they have. I know I won't be happy with it, but I can think of a lot of other things I could do with the money I'm spending on HD and a million stations I'm not watching. Again, thanks for the link...it did show a lot more stations than other links.

Jim Becker
05-21-2011, 10:13 PM
Why is your DTV bill that high? Consider changing your programming level if you don't watch much... That said, if you can get what you want to watch OTA, then that's a better choice!

Mike Cruz
05-21-2011, 10:34 PM
You know, it started off at about $60. Then we added HD. Then you no longer own your equipment, you have to "rent" it. Then we got a dvr. Before you know it, after all the stupid taxes and extras, we're in the high 90's. As I just posted a few minutes ago in another reply, I'd be happy enough with HD Network stations. But the only Network station I can get OTA is NBC. I don't think that'll cut it. So, I might just go for the basic package...

Larry Edgerton
05-22-2011, 7:00 AM
My wife and I decided at the time they switched to digital that we would try no TV at all. We rent movies on occasion, and we read a lot more books, and have not missed it a bit. And as a bonus, I am not aggrivated by all the stupid things that one sees/hears on TV, from the political commentary to the insulting commercials. I read the news on the internet, so I read what I want and forget the rest.

Works for us........

Larry

Phil Thien
05-22-2011, 9:46 AM
My wife and I decided at the time they switched to digital that we would try no TV at all. We rent movies on occasion, and we read a lot more books, and have not missed it a bit. And as a bonus, I am not aggrivated by all the stupid things that one sees/hears on TV, from the political commentary to the insulting commercials. I read the news on the internet, so I read what I want and forget the rest.

Works for us........

Larry

Until some big news story breaks. Honestly, listening to coverage on a radio just won't be the same. Zombie uprisings are very graphic, I doubt a radio reporter could do a good zombie uprising justice.

Mike Cruz
05-23-2011, 6:15 AM
Classic, Phil, just classic. :) I don't think you could have chosen a better visual for a news cast that needed to be seen rather than heard...

Dustin Brown
05-23-2011, 10:14 AM
Sorry I can't be of any help with an option for you. I would be absolutely ecstatic if I could get my current bill as low as yours. My current cable/internet bill is $257+ a month.

Jamie Buxton
05-23-2011, 10:29 AM
Yeah, Direct and Dish both pull that nonsense. They advertise a low introductory rate, and then jack it up over time hoping that you won't notice. Fortunately, this a situation where competition helps the customer. Cancel your existing service and go to the other company. You'll get their introductory rate for a while, until they price themselves out of your wallet, when you go back to the first company. It's a bit of a hassle, but it'll keep you out of that $100/month territory.

And, as Chris points out, telling your provider that you're going to move to the competitor often makes them match the competitor's low rate.

alan whitehead
05-24-2011, 7:57 AM
I think you are getting a bargain at 100 dollars a month. Folks in the Pittsburgh, Pa area pay in the neighborhood of $ 163.00 a month for cable TV ( HD ). Thats plain cable, no HBO .

Mike Cruz
05-24-2011, 9:34 AM
Holy cow! Are you guys kidding? Granted, at $100, that is for HD service with 3 HD recievers, one being a DVR. But I, too, don't get any pay channels like HBO or Showtime. If I bundled, I would be paying about $150. It kills me to be spending $50 for internet, but we need high speed internet for my wife's work. I truly feel sorry for you, Dustin.

Jamie Buxton
05-24-2011, 9:47 AM
I think you are getting a bargain at 100 dollars a month. Folks in the Pittsburgh, Pa area pay in the neighborhood of $ 163.00 a month for cable TV ( HD ). Thats plain cable, no HBO .

Why do they do that? Satellite costs a lot less.

David Weaver
05-24-2011, 3:32 PM
I think you are getting a bargain at 100 dollars a month. Folks in the Pittsburgh, Pa area pay in the neighborhood of $ 163.00 a month for cable TV ( HD ). Thats plain cable, no HBO .

That's a good reason to not get it. Clark Howard has made remarks before (and he's in atlanta) about how unfriendly PA is for media and communications consumers, and how friendly it is for suppliers.

$163 is crazy money. That's a very large part of a retirement contribution, and in my household, if I sat around enough watching TV to justify that much money, then I would've lost again for wasting that much time watching TV.

Bryan Morgan
05-24-2011, 4:53 PM
I think you are getting a bargain at 100 dollars a month. Folks in the Pittsburgh, Pa area pay in the neighborhood of $ 163.00 a month for cable TV ( HD ). Thats plain cable, no HBO .

Wow that is madness! I spend $92 for all the channels, HD, 2 DVRs, and no HBO but we get all the Showtimes and TMC channels with Directv. I keep saying I'm going to ditch it and just stream everything but, well, I have no excuse really... :)

David Weaver
05-24-2011, 4:59 PM
I'd assume that $163 includes internet.

I hope.

Basic cable (i.e., no expanded anything) and cable internet (not the budget slow kind, the unrestricted kind) is about $58 for me, I think. Even that bothers me.

I know people feel like they can't live without "their programs", but I dumped the cable a long time ago when expanded basic went from $29 to $39 (that bothered me a lot, and I thought it was presumptuous for them to think that was OK), and it took very little time for me to get over not having the expanded channels. Like less than a day.

Brian Elfert
05-24-2011, 7:50 PM
My cable bill from Comcast just went up to $94 for expanded basic service last month. I also have a DVR from them so that pushes the price up a bit. It is starting to get to the point of looking for an alternative or just going back to basic cable.

Comcast pays out a LOT of money to the bigger cable networks to have them on cable. If I could drop all of the sports channels and the $15 or whatever a month I pay just for them I would be happy to. Comcast has also been adding a lot of channels, but I wouldn't pay a penny for any of them. I hope Comcast gets paid by them.

David Weaver
05-24-2011, 9:37 PM
My cable bill from Comcast just went up to $94 for expanded basic service last month. I also have a DVR from them so that pushes the price up a bit. It is starting to get to the point of looking for an alternative or just going back to basic cable.

Comcast pays out a LOT of money to the bigger cable networks to have them on cable. If I could drop all of the sports channels and the $15 or whatever a month I pay just for them I would be happy to. Comcast has also been adding a lot of channels, but I wouldn't pay a penny for any of them. I hope Comcast gets paid by them.

Nutty!! My comment was from around 2002. It's 2 1/2 times as expensive in a period that is mostly record low inflation (except obviously anything that's easy to use to hedge the dollar).

I remember when I was busy dumping expanded basic, mtv and some others were demanding a lot more money and they (comcast) obviously have to pass it along.

when I think of what most people make and how much in after-tax dollars they're willing to spend on new cars, vacations and stuff like cable, I just wonder what everyone is thinking. Might as well just flush it.

My parents have expanded, and every time we visit for the weekend, i swear i still have trouble finding anything to watch, and i see networks playing the same show three times in the same weekend.

As they say, the best solution to high prices is high prices. Internet TV pay services and netflix are starting to eat comcast's lunch, and I suppose all of the ISPs for now are far from practicing net neutrality since streaming media is negative for them twice- it sucks up bandwidth and competes with their offerings.

Bill Cunningham
05-24-2011, 9:54 PM
I bought a HD sat receiver/dvr and the cost was $99.00 incl installation. So now, my Sat.& homephone bill together runs about 162.00 a month including the movie network/HBO, taxes and most are also in HD. So. I guess I'm not getting ripped off too bad.. My business is next door to my house, and my business internet runs $40.00 month, and I can use the wireless network anywhere in my house from the router on the second floor of my shop, so there is no point in having a sep. internet connection. All in all between my home and business, I pay about 375.00 a month for home phone/business phone/800#/fax number/internet/Sat.TV including all taxes, and I get back the taxes on my business phone/internet(13%) .. I don't know how all that compares to the U.S. rate. But as a Canadian, most of the large phone/sat suppliers live by the motto "The customer is always Ripe!" Particularly when it comes to Cellphone service, but we won't go into that now, but:mad:

Brian Elfert
05-24-2011, 10:37 PM
What's wrong with a vacation or a new car? I go on one or two vacation trips a year, but the most I spend on any trip is $400 to $500. Someone has to buy cars new or nobody would have any used cars to drive. I bought my last car new because a late model used car was no less expensive. I got a really good deal because car sales were completely in the tank at the time.

I wonder what ever happened to A La Carte cable pricing? I thought the FCC was going to require this? Other than broadcast networks I probably watch no more than five other channels. I record everything on my DVR and never watch any reruns.

Zach England
05-25-2011, 9:20 AM
I would love to be able to just pay for the channels I watch:
ESPN
ESPN2
ESPNU
NFL network
MLB network
MLB extra innings
Big Ten network

Floyd Cox
05-25-2011, 9:40 AM
Sound like you could cut back on some of the premium channels and save more than half of what your paying, our bill never runs over $45.00

David Weaver
05-25-2011, 9:52 AM
What's wrong with a vacation or a new car? I go on one or two vacation trips a year, but the most I spend on any trip is $400 to $500. Someone has to buy cars new or nobody would have any used cars to drive. I bought my last car new because a late model used car was no less expensive. I got a really good deal because car sales were completely in the tank at the time.

I wonder what ever happened to A La Carte cable pricing? I thought the FCC was going to require this? Other than broadcast networks I probably watch no more than five other channels. I record everything on my DVR and never watch any reruns.

(i've bought my last two cars new, too. And I agree on your pricing policy with vacations, but my wife doesn't seem to).

I also agree on the a la carte pricing. If I could've kept history, discovery and ESPN (back in the day before history and discovery got run over with reality shows), I would've gotten them, but I wasn't able to do it, either.

My comment about the two cars and vacation comes from being a retirement industry person. I see a lot of people who "live better" than I do with half the income, and they are totally shocked when they get to age 40 and you tell them they'll never be able to save enough to retire at 60, or even comfortably at 65.

If you can afford them and be frugal with vacations, etc, no problem, but I think we're in for a shocker in the next 30 years when people think they're going to retire.

Greg Portland
05-25-2011, 11:47 AM
I bought a HD sat receiver/dvr and the cost was $99.00 incl installation. So now, my Sat.& homephone bill together runs about 162.00 a month including the movie network/HBO, taxes and most are also in HD. So. I guess I'm not getting ripped off too bad.. My business is next door to my house, and my business internet runs $40.00 month, and I can use the wireless network anywhere in my house from the router on the second floor of my shop, so there is no point in having a sep. internet connection. All in all between my home and business, I pay about 375.00 a month for home phone/business phone/800#/fax number/internet/Sat.TV including all taxes, and I get back the taxes on my business phone/internet(13%) .. I don't know how all that compares to the U.S. rate. But as a Canadian, most of the large phone/sat suppliers live by the motto "The customer is always Ripe!" Particularly when it comes to Cellphone service, but we won't go into that now, but:mad:Bill, if you are handy with a computer you might think about Asterisk or other home PBX solutions. There are also simple boxes (Vonage box, etc.) that can serve as VoIP endpoints if you don't want to deal with setting up a server & SIP service. Nextiva offers 1 phone number, 1 800 number, and 1 fax number for $35/mo. http://www.voipreview.org/ is a good site to compare services.

Greg Portland
05-25-2011, 11:55 AM
I would love to be able to just pay for the channels I watch:
ESPN
ESPN2
ESPNU
NFL network
MLB network
MLB extra innings
Big Ten networkYou should absolutely look into getting a streaming video client and purchase these services directly from those providers. You can basically view ANY match that going on (no blackouts) for just a few $$$. Read this -->

http://gigaom.com/video/cord-cutters-survival-stories-watching-all-the-leagues/

Don Buck
05-25-2011, 12:19 PM
I went through the same search last year here in Lexington, VA. Our cable bill went from the $59/mth promotion to over $100/mth after the trial period. I tried to find someone in our area who could evaulate and install an antenna system or find someone with a successful antenna with no success. I switched tatics and got the intro special price for Directv (i.e. $39.99/mth) and called the cable company to disconnect. Instead of disconnecting, cable countered with a much better long term deal with several preimum channels for about $60/mth. Bottom line is be prepared to take the other provider if the other doesn't budge. I think the providers would prefer to keep good customers. I still would drop the cable if I could get a antenna system that would get the 4 major networks....

Brian Elfert
05-25-2011, 8:36 PM
I would love to be able to just pay for the channels I watch:
ESPN
ESPN2
ESPNU
NFL network
MLB network
MLB extra innings
Big Ten network
The problem with your list is that these are the most expensive cable channels there are. I believe the Big Ten Network gets around $2 per subscriber and ESPN probably gets even more. You would save something, but not as much as you might think.

I would like to do the exact opposite and drop all of the sports networks. I used to watch Speed, but I quit when I went to HD and Comcast moved Speed HD to a premium sports tier. Speed is the only channel I know that is included in expanded basic for standard definition, but not HD. Every other channel has both SD and HD in expanded basic.

Larry Edgerton
05-26-2011, 6:23 AM
I would love to be able to just pay for the channels I watch:
ESPN
ESPN2
ESPNU
NFL network
MLB network
MLB extra innings
Big Ten network

I would pay for just The History Channel, Discovery, and the Nature Channel, and forget the rest of the junk. Maybe the speed channel, I like that English car program.

What I don't want is 127 channels of stuff no thinking man should watch..........

Mike Cruz
05-26-2011, 7:06 AM
Maybe someday, they'll come up with a list of channels that are offered, and you get to choose what you want. And simply get billed for what you picked. Then, maybe we wouldn't have 10 different shopping channels that we all get, all pay for, and only a few actually use. Only the best programming (or at least the most wanted by the most people) would survive.

Dan Hintz
05-26-2011, 7:19 AM
I think we pay about $175/month give or take for Verizon FiOS. We have phone, HD cable with pretty much every paid channel (including sports for SWMBO) using 1 HD DVR and 1 SD box, and their 2nd-tier internet (15/5Mb down/up?). Price has slowly creeped up, but I've beaten them back a few times due to failed customer service early on. I'm thinking it's about time to cancel what we have (it's in Amy's name, before we got married) and jump back in with a new deal package... no sports this time, drop the phone (that's a good $40 right there!) as I have multiple VoIP lines (and cell phones), and tack on the cell phones for a bit of extra savings.

Mike Cruz
05-26-2011, 9:42 AM
Hehe, I checked into Fios, Dan. They are in Mongomery County right now. Frederick County is scheduled for something like STARTING in the next 3-5 years. They haven't even BEGUN to think about Washington County yet. So, while I'd love the download/upload speeds of Fios, cable internet will do...and generally speaking it is fast enough.

Brian Elfert
05-26-2011, 7:40 PM
Shopping channels actually PAY cable companies to be on cable TV. It is in all cable customers' interests that shopping channels remain on cable. I have no idea what demographic shopping channels appeal to because I wouldn't be caught dead watching a TV program that is trying to pry money out of my wallet.

Mike Cruz
05-27-2011, 12:04 AM
Since my OTA option is just about zero, I'm actually looking into cable. It just may be my cheapest option. Can't believe I'm even considering it. Kinda swore off of it years ago when I felt like I was getting the shaft. But I'm in a different area now, with a different carrier. They've been delivering my high speed internet for 7 years now. Pretty good company. When we first moved here, their HD was almost zilch. Now, it ain't so bad. Looks like we can save about $65 a month...even with HD.

Bill Cunningham
05-28-2011, 11:30 PM
Bill, if you are handy with a computer you might think about Asterisk or other home PBX solutions. There are also simple boxes (Vonage box, etc.) that can serve as VoIP endpoints if you don't want to deal with setting up a server & SIP service. Nextiva offers 1 phone number, 1 800 number, and 1 fax number for $35/mo. http://www.voipreview.org/ is a good site to compare services.

In Canada, we have only a 'fraction' of the choices that would be available in the U.S... Competition is severely lacking in Canada. And that's the way the government seems to want to keep it.. As a result, we pay much more for many products and services than our American neighbors. For example, It I want to stream T.V. through my internet connection, I'm pretty sure it would not be long before I would kiss my 'so called' unlimited service goodbye, as the internet provider started billing me by the gig.. Like I said, "The Customer is always Ripe"... In this country anyway..

Andrew Howe
05-29-2011, 12:39 AM
Hi all. We went naked 2 years ago no cable no dish and only streaming content from Netflix using a roku box. We now have moe channel options including two wood working shows, amazon on demand hulu plus and I finally have one of our flat screens hooked up to rabbit ears. New antenna is in the attic just need to pull Eire down. Total monthly cost is $20. We love it no commercials and just enough ,s
Shows for the kids. It's cheaper than going to the movies

Myk Rian
05-29-2011, 7:45 AM
Build an antenna. I made one of these. Instead of coat hangars, I used some 12ga house wiring stripped down.
That way I could solder the connections.


http://vimeo.com/2931902

John E Wallace
05-29-2011, 11:08 AM
Hi all. We went naked 2 years ago no cable no dish and only streaming content from Netflix using a roku box. We now have moe channel options including two wood working shows, amazon on demand hulu plus and I finally have one of our flat screens hooked up to rabbit ears. New antenna is in the attic just need to pull Eire down. Total monthly cost is $20. We love it no commercials and just enough ,s
Shows for the kids. It's cheaper than going to the movies

We ditched Time Warner and went with Roku and streaming content about the same time. I have an antenna and amplifier in the attic.
Digital broadcast stations tend to be very optimistic about their coverage areas. I live 18 miles from Austin TX and could only get 2 broadcast stations with an indoor antenna. The larger antenna and amp made the difference, we get all of the local stations now. Total investment in hardware was about $300.00 and well worth it.

Mike Cruz
05-29-2011, 4:59 PM
Ok, maybe the last installment for me on this thread.

First of all, thank you everyone for all your suggestions. Boy did I get the spectrum of answers! And even in the subsets, there were subsets. Anyway, a lot of great advice, and the winner is....

Basically, I wanted to be "armed" when calling Directv. So, I did all my research. For where I live, an antenna really isn't the best option. We could get a bunch of channels, but most of them were obscure. Only one Network station. I'm about 50 miles from DC and Baltimore. So, a local NBC was it...still 16 miles away or so. Internet was a possibility, but figuring it out for three tvs was more than I cared to tackle. Cable with locals only would have only run me $6 a month since I already get internet through them. That was the way we were leaning until we called in to Directv to find out if we were under contract and how much it would be to cancel early if we were. Things were in our favor...No, we weren't under contract. We've been with Directv for over 7 years. Always pay on time. We are "special" customers. By the end of the conversation, the outcome was that we kept our same service, but are now paying $60 a month, down from $94. And to be honest, about $60 is what we signed up for when we first got Directv 7 years ago. It has just crept up and up with all the little nickle and diming through the years. One of the major changes was that the receivers used to be owned, now they are leased and that is $6 a month for each receiver (minus the first one). We had also added DVR service since the beginning. Anyway, we're paying $60 a month for one year. At the end of that year, they can either match it again, or we'll go to local channels on cable. So, the winner is "threatening to leave should be ammo enough"...but I am the kind that needs to be armed anyway...so I know if what they are offering is a good deal. Just an FWI, for the same things, comparing apples to apples, cable would have charged right about the same thing as Directv for the same programming etc.

Thanks, all.