I'm done with paid tv, and I'm so happy

[Scott Brandstetter]

In the scheme of things, this is not a big deal, but I am finally cutting the cord.....almost 100%. I have been paying over $100 per month for direct tv and finally said no more. I have installed two antenna's, each facing a major market, and now have all of the tv stations I want. I also have slingtv for $20 month so I get my espn, espn2, and a few other "cable" channels. Feels great to be free.

I have to think that "cable tv" is going to go through some major changes over the next few years. People are dropping cable at a staggering rate. I myself, being a huge sports fan with every channel in my lineup possible, have had enough of the high prices. I can't be the only one. I read an article recently about ESPN and the number of layoffs they have had recently and the financial conundrum they are in because of their long term contracts for various sports and the decrease in revenue from cable subscriptions. At the end of the day, we the consumer, should benefit from the changes that are sure to come.

Rant over, thanks for reading.

[Patrick Walsh]

I would throw my TV in the trash and cancle my cable in a minite if not for living with someone whom has the TV on in the background at all times.

Good for you im jealous!

I also foresee big vpchanges down the road for cable and how telivision is viewed. Young people seem to have completwly different habbits when ot comes to how and what they view. Im 37 so when i say yound i mean the 30 and under crowd.




In the scheme of things, this is not a big deal, but I am finally cutting the cord.....almost 100%. I have been paying over $100 per month for direct tv and finally said no more. I have installed two antenna's, each facing a major market, and now have all of the tv stations I want. I also have slingtv for $20 month so I get my espn, espn2, and a few other "cable" channels. Feels great to be free.

I have to think that "cable tv" is going to go through some major changes over the next few years. People are dropping cable at a staggering rate. I myself, being a huge sports fan with every channel in my lineup possible, have had enough of the high prices. I can't be the only one. I read an article recently about ESPN and the number of layoffs they have had recently and the financial conundrum they are in because of their long term contracts for various sports and the decrease in revenue from cable subscriptions. At the end of the day, we the consumer, should benefit from the changes that are sure to come.

Rant over, thanks for reading.

[Keith Outten]

I am in the process of eliminating my cable TV service at home. The huge increases in cost through the years combined with what seems to be a never ending stream of Reality TV shows of no value makes the decision easier. We average about 20 minutes of commercials per hour these days, its an insult to have to pay for so much advertising and channels that don't provide any entertainment.

As soon as I find a suitable antenna that will provide the necessary local free channels my cable bill will be in the rearview mirror.

[George Bokros]

Keith when you find that antenna let us know. The cable companies are making everything packages now with high prices and are not having deals for current subscribers only for new customers. I have so many channels that I do not watch but am paying for it isn't funny. They should offer ala cart and packages so you can choose. If I cut the cable and kept only internet my bill would be almost half fwhat I am paying now if I kept the 50 mbps speed, I could probably be happy with 30 mbps.

[glenn bradley]

I have often been and am still confused why people would pay for the privilege of watching commercials. The very first time pay TV tried to run commercials, everyone should have canceled their service. As it is we have accepted a model that I refuse to participate in. I use a TV set to watch specific things that I have chosen to watch and at the time I choose to watch them. Junk mail and telemarketers are bad enough . . . pay to have someone advertise to me? I'll pass; I have other things to do with my time :).

[Sean Troy]

You don't need anything more than this: http://www.amazon.com/RCA-Compact-Outdoor-Yagi-Antenna/dp/B0024R4B5C/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1453986623&sr=1-4&keywords=outdoor+antenna. In my small country town, I get 22 channels which includes all the major networks in HD. We haven't missed cable in two years.

[Matt Day]

We want to cut the cord too but I haven't researched it all yet. Our cable/internet bill is $150/mo.

So antenna for local channels, and streaming services for the rest.

Suggestions on antennas?
Any links to streaming comparisons? We have Amazon Prime already.

[Sean Troy]

We want to cut the cord too but I haven't researched it all yet. Our cable/internet bill is $150/mo.

So antenna for local channels, and streaming services for the rest.

Suggestions on antennas?
Any links to streaming comparisons? We have Amazon Prime already.
See post above for antenna. We have Netflix which we use a lot and Hulu Plus. I think we will be getting rid of Hulu Plus. Doesn't get much use. The antenna mounted perfectly on our sattelite dish pole.

[Jerome Stanek]

I just have an old over the air antenna that gets about 40 channels but about a third of them are not what I would consider watching IE Spanish, Religious, or shopping with some music channel in there

[Sean Troy]

I just have an old over the air antenna that gets about 40 channels but about a third of them are not what I would consider watching IE Spanish, Religious, or shopping with some music channel in there
Yup, some of the channels will be ones you don't care to watch but at least your not paying for them.

[Scott Brandstetter]

Hello All, for those that are interested, I thought I would provide some info on what I have found. I spent a lot time researching this and it has worked well. I get a total of 49 stations (some I don't watch) including all of the major networks from both cities. It's nice because the different cities show different ballgames so it helps feed my sports addiction.

Here is a website that will show what stations are near you (you can go to advanced and edit the search distance in miles, I did 80 miles) It will also show how far they are (indicates how strong of an antenna you will need to reach them) as well as the compass position you will need to point the antenna.

http://www.antennapoint.com/

I have two markets 70 miles from me, Louisville and Lexington Kentucky. I bought two antennas and pointed them in the correct direction (compass). Here are the two antennas I purchased.

330485for Lousivlle, 30 miles away. 330486for lexington, 70+ miles away

I then added this coupler so both antenna's could go into one cable wire. I read that it's important that both wires, from each antenna, be the same distance to this coupler

330487

I then ran the single cable wire into this booster, splitter, (had it already at the house) and then the individual wires to the various rooms.

330488

I currently have 3 tv's using antenna tv and the picture is amazing. Both antenna's are ground level attached to a 2 inch pipe in the ground. Feel free to ask any questions or PM me and I will help any way I can.

I forgot one more thing, I went to this website and now have a custom tvguide for just the channels I get and want to watch.

[Robert Delhommer Sr]

Scott, curious about your 2 antenna setup. Are you using a switch to switch from one antenna to the other, or did you use a combiner to combine the 2 and use one feed line? Also if a combiner which one and where did you get it? I am about to do the same as soon as I can get my grandson over to help me, I can't get around in the attic anymore lioke I used to.

[Scott Brandstetter]

Keith
You should be able to get channels from both Norfolk and Richmond.

330491



I am in the process of eliminating my cable TV service at home. The huge increases in cost through the years combined with what seems to be a never ending stream of Reality TV shows of no value makes the decision easier. We average about 20 minutes of commercials per hour these days, its an insult to have to pay for so much advertising and channels that don't provide any entertainment.

As soon as I find a suitable antenna that will provide the necessary local free channels my cable bill will be in the rearview mirror.

[Mark Blatter]

We want to cut the cord too but I haven't researched it all yet. Our cable/internet bill is $150/mo.

So antenna for local channels, and streaming services for the rest.

Suggestions on antennas?
Any links to streaming comparisons? We have Amazon Prime already.

I cannot suggest a particular antenna, but the one that was in my house when we bought it four years ago works great. It is just a typical antenna that you see on many rooftops, only mine is in the attic. Heavy snow impacts the signal a bit, but it is still almost always better than the cable picture because it is HD. We cut the cord about two years ago and have not regretted it for a minute. We also canceled our cable internet service and went with a wireless service that is $25 per month. Of course the speed dropped to 5 mbs, but I have not seen that much difference. We also have an internet service that allows us to watch on demand for $10 per month.

It helps that I don't watch sports any more, so we have no need of ESPN, etc. I realized that life is too short to spend it watching sports. If I am not going to spend time with my wife and kids, I will spend it in the shop making things.

[Erik Loza]

We cut the cord about 2 months ago and I don't miss it one bit. Just the Roku box now. We did get an antenna. It's like a plastic pancake that you pin to the wall behind the TV. I'm amazed at how great it works for aerial signal. NFL looks just as good, if not better, than the feed we were getting previously.

Erik

Edit: Our antenna is the "Mohu Leaf"...

http://store.gomohu.com/leaf-30-indoor-hdtv-antenna.html

[Scott Brandstetter]

Robert
I totally understand waiting on the grandson, I use my 25 year old for the tasks that are harder for me. Here is what I did to combine the two antennas. As a reminder, and I can't remember where I read it, but keep both lines from each antenna the same distance going into this box.
330499
The second picture below, is the booster I used after the two antennas were combined



Scott, curious about your 2 antenna setup. Are you using a switch to switch from one antenna to the other, or did you use a combiner to combine the 2 and use one feed line? Also if a combiner which one and where did you get it? I am about to do the same as soon as I can get my grandson over to help me, I can't get around in the attic anymore lioke I used to.

[Steve Peterson]

I would certainly like to cancel our $120 per month satellite bill, but two young kids and a wife won't let me. I have heard that ESPN contracts contribute to around half of the cost and there is no way to get a service without it. There are not many sports fans in my house.

The kids probably watch more Netflix than TV, but my wife seems stuck on channel surfing and watching live TV with commercials. If we had better internet, I would try harder to convert her. We are in a semi-dead zone for internet options. 6mb DSL is the best we can get even though we are close to several large cities. We can only get around 2 Netflix streams before it starts lagging.

Steve

[Judson Green]

some of you might be experiencing this.

http://a.msn.com/r/2/BBoOGVC?ocid=News

id be very bummed if my local provider started throttling or hiking rates on high users, but on the other hand understand.

Ive never had cable (expect for the internet) and have been enjoying Netflix for like 2 years now. also have a antenna on the roof.

[Brian Henderson]

I cut the cord over a year ago when my wife and I realized that the only time we ever had the TV on was for background noise. We don't miss it a bit.

[Chris Padilla]

My 'cable' (AT&T U-Verse, Internet, Landline) bill is just north of $200/month despite the fact that I had it adjusted to $180ish a year or so ago. Somehow it just keeps creeping up or special deals expire or what-have-you. It is getting annoying. We mostly stream Netflix these days and I do like my sports but I really should do something about this stupid bill. Great thread...gonna investigate.

[Brian Henderson]

My 'cable' (AT&T U-Verse, Internet, Landline) bill is just north of $200/month despite the fact that I had it adjusted to $180ish a year or so ago. Somehow it just keeps creeping up or special deals expire or what-have-you. It is getting annoying. We mostly stream Netflix these days and I do like my sports but I really should do something about this stupid bill. Great thread...gonna investigate.

We cut our cable and landline at the same time, we didn't need either and with all the money we saved, we increased our Internet to the maximum speed we could get at the time and still saved a ton of money.

[roger wiegand]

I'd be happy to get rid of the TV part of our service, but it would only save about $10 a month because of the way the services are bundled (internet, TV, and phone together). All I really want is the internet, but the upcharge for the others doesn't seem like enough to worry about too much. DW isn't willing to go without a landline for the phone just yet, though she is switching over to her cell phone pretty rapidly now. Unfortunately I still am willing to pay a fair amount for a very fast, rock solid internet connection.

The bill I really need to work on is the cell phone plan. It seems that no ones children ever drop off the family plan, the price to do so being absurd.

[Tom M King]

I wish we could still use an antenna. When all the stations finally went digital, no one anywhere around us can get anything with an antenna. I even put one on a 50' pole and only got static. We're probably 75 miles in a straight line to the main channels. The only thing we can get is one PBS station that doesn't carry the programs we would watch. We finally got rid of a landline a year or so ago when a cell antenna was put up not too far from us, but DirecTV and fast DSl still cost us about 90 bucks a month, which doesn't include Netflix, or, of course, cell phones.

[Brian Ashton]

There's not many things i find australia does well, but one if yhem is free to air tv. Everyone has an antenna on their house. The only problem is you have to endure 40-50% of the show is commercials

[Jason Roehl]

We just went through a bit of a cable upgrade yesterday. I have a friend who is a tech supervisor with a major cable company (the one everyone loves to hate), so he hooked me up with a salesman he trusts. We ended up adding their security system, which is something I had been considering anyway due to the declining conditions in my area as a whole, including a couple incidents in my neighborhood the last couple years. For whatever reason, the only way we could get a lower bill was to add a service to the overall package. And we have been doing the bill dance with this company every 6 months or so for a number of years. My wife would call them up and see what they would do for us--it never hurts to ask.

At any rate, we consider this our entertainment. We don't go to movies but once in a blue moon (the latest Star Wars still allowed me to count on one hand the number of movie theater trips in the last decade), and with some recent dietary changes in our family, eating out doesn't happen as much, either.

[Paul Lawrence]

Tom, I had the same problem until I got the correct antenna. The old antenna I had was not "cut" for the new HD broadcast frequencies. I also added a small booster on the pole. Works better in winter now than in summer when all the trees are leafed out. I placed it only at about 15 feet high, as I'm planning on a higher tower soon.

I got this antenna rated for over 75 miles, and this booster.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DFS4BI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQN3R9O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00


I wish we could still use an antenna. When all the stations finally went digital, no one anywhere around us can get anything with an antenna. I even put one on a 50' pole and only got static. We're probably 75 miles in a straight line to the main channels.

[Al Launier]

Good topic!

In August of 2014 I made the mistake of signing up for a two year contract for the Comcast bundle package of Phone, TV & Internet. There are supposedly hundreds of TV channels available, yet my wife & I watch only about a dozen. Our main TV interests are the News channels, plus a very few others such as the Alaska reality shows for me & the crazy housewives programs my wife watches. This costs about $185/mo. and will be increasing another $25-$30/mo. when the contract expires, and then another monthly increas the following year - crazy for what we use it for.

I was recently planning on changing to Dish or Direct TV, yet I was informed by a Direct TV installer that is not feasible as the sattelite in synchronous orbit is too low for good reception as it requires the receiver be positioned at
Elevation: 32.3° & Azimuth: 235.533° above the horizon (http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/customer/dishPointer.jsp?_requestid=1615630). This is too low for my home as the trees would block reception.

So now my only remaining option is Dish.

I hate it when one is at the mercy of others for services.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

This costs about $185/mo. and will be increasing another $25-$30/mo. when the contract expires,

I have the same thing for $145/month. I had to downgrade mt channel lineup by one level, but I only lost a handful of channels I don't watch. The last two times my contract expired, my bill went up to $185. Both times I was able to negotiate it back down to the previous price point.
In two years, when they again want to raise it $30/mo, I'll likely go with internet only from comcast, HD antenna, and Hulu and I'll still be under $100/mo.
We watch about a dozen channels, and we're getting tired of paying for the other 200 that we don't watch.