Posted on 01/15/2019 2:40:05 PM PST by Openurmind
About one in seven American households is watching old-fashioned, over-the-air television broadcasts, an increasingly appealing choice for former cable customers who have “cut the cord” but still want to catch up with their local news and network stations.
The new data from market research firm Nielsen shows that over-the-air viewing increased to 14% of all homes last year from 9% in 2010. At the same time, the percentage of households subscribing to cable or satellite TV peaked at 88% in 2010 and has since sunk to 79%, according to surveys by the Leichtman Research Group. Catching free over-the-air broadcasts simply by adding an antenna that cost $50 or less likely appeals to many cord cutters who dropped cable TV because it was too expensive.
“It’s free!”
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What I like is that not only can I catch up on the current network broadcast offerings (not much I care for,tho), there’s a tons of classic and “recent classic” TV programs to zone out on.
Besides being free, how are the programs on broadcast television any better than cable?
I took down my damaged antenna and am waiting for my Daughter’s birthday present to order a new one (she always gives me an Amazon gift card).
So I can watch a few channels in the mean time, I laid the old one on a scuppernong vine. It is maybe 5 feet off the ground and I still get 14 channels. Panama City is maybe 50 miles away in line of sight.
Analog and digital antennas are different and non-compatible...
“We had a huge antenna in the muddle of nowhere and used to get stations from about 150 miles away when it was analog. As soon as it went digital not zip.”
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Yup, digital TV may provide a better picture but it is harder to get in than analog. Though much of what I like is older stuff, which wasn’t shot in HDTV format.
My only real beef is that back in the day, if the reception was bad you still got usually at least got sound. With digital, the signal just does a freeze frame on one image until you change something or other.
Sports OTA is HIGH-DEF!
‘Everything on the main channels is.
Critical mass media implosion
That’s pretty GOOD! 50 miles is quite a way for digital!
Must be the vine? :)
We live over 50 miles from the big sticks. Got one of those very directional antennas (like from ole Radio Shack). Pull in about 48 off air channels. Like 3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.5,3.6,8.1, etc
All digital, only xx.1 is the HD channel, the others are low bandwidth 4x3 programming, but hey that’s when TV was 1000% better anyway !!!
Zipcode 33523 is not exactly near any towers.
A free FM wire taped to the window works for our TV.
I did the same. My probably 40 year old rooftop antenna worked far better.
Beware — the big boys always market and piss off the people they have no intention of serving or servicing.
I get cable TV flyers in the mail — they stop 5 miles away and won’t bring me nothin.
I use a pair of old rabbit ears set to a straight line about 36” long, running E-W at my cabin. It’s a few miles from a local tower to the west, and about 45 from Denver to the south. I can always get Fox on the local rebroadcast antennae, about 10 other stations I don’t know where they are, and can sometimes get a network station from Denver. I think it’s all digital, but I don’t know.
Read up well on Amazon’s antenna offerings. Especially the customer ratings.
It’s funny how something that’s cheap can outperforming something that’s more hyped & expensive. That goes for most any product.
Generally, the old rule about if something sounds “too good to be true” applies.
Without going in another whole direction with this. It was Properly adjusted to match. I’m an old hammer and understand antennas fairly well. :)
...as far as distance,it depends on signal strength and relay towers...it helps to have attennas with like the old radio shack 1500 series ( rabbit ears and directional circle thingy..
Thanks. I have already been looking at them.
I didn’t mind that the picture was a little snowy either. It was better than nothing and you could still hear it. :)
I would urge all FREEPers to use the power of social media to influence the bias they see in local news stories. Who are the sponsors? What side is the local news sharing?
Most of what I see is regurgitation of MSNBC or CNN...and there is little to zero criticism of the political left.
Local viewers can speak to local news organizations, or point out the TRUTH on social media. Challenge this type of stuff. Let them know viewers aren’t sheep.
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