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Cable TV?

Gladiator

Gladiator

PMA Member
I know it's not a deer question, BUT, my wife want to stop getting "raped" by the cable companies and stop paying an arm and a leg for cable. I don't know if they make a TV anymore that isn't HD??? But, if you pay for HD it's like the price goes from 20$ to 55$ just for HD...

So, here are my questions for you:

1. Can you pick up good HD stations over the air?

2. If so, what antenna is the best for it??

3. Has anyone looked into cable over the internet? Is it possible?

4. Since a majority of time I'm watching sportscenter/ESPN, can you watch Sportscenter online??

5. Anything else to add that is cheap??

Maybe someone out there is thinking the same thing....any thoughts?? Very sorry to offend if any of you work for the cable companies - really not trying to bring anyone down. Thanks in advance for the advice... Really just want to save $50.00/month and be a little more practical since we don't watch much TV...(but I don't want to miss the bowl games and such).
 
Hey Matt,.... I know what you are saying..... I cut our dish network channel subscription total back a few months ago to save about $25 a month. We watch little TV but do enjoy a few shows.

You can get HD with a few local stations.... we have one smaller HD TV in the house that we only have a cheap folding antenna hooked to and it gets about 4 stations in HD. Amazing how good the quality is compared to our standard TV's connected to the dishnetwork.

You might also consider a Roku device. ($50 - $99) sold at Best Buy and online... Sort of like wireless on demand.....

I think to watch most live sports online ESPN requires you have service with a local cable provider....not sure why.....

I am thinking of switching to direct TV just to get a new customer incentive of much better pricing for a couple of years....

Not sure how much help any of this is to you....
 
Haven't found any sportcenter airing's on TV, but we just cancelled our cable in my apartment at college. Sick and tired of paying 50 bucks for something I don't use enough. I started watching all of my tv shows online and I have a link to a website that will stream all live sporting events. Everything from soccer to College basketball and football. It works great. Sometimes I miss ESPN, but I can live with that.
As for the antenna's, I do know that Menards sells antenna that can pick up HD channels, and everything I have heard back from people who bought them was good, but no personal experience with them.
 
When I had DirecTV I called them and said I wanted to cancel because the price was too high. My "promotional" rate had run out so the price nearly doubled. They offered to cut my bill by 20-30 per month for a year without re-signing a contract. If you decide to cancel cable and have a HD capable TV, you should be able to pick up all the locals in HD. I pick them up great in with a simple antenna.
 
RutRunner said:
When I had DirecTV I called them and said I wanted to cancel because the price was too high. My "promotional" rate had run out so the price nearly doubled. They offered to cut my bill by 20-30 per month for a year without re-signing a contract. If you decide to cancel cable and have a HD capable TV, you should be able to pick up all the locals in HD. I pick them up great in with a simple antenna.
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Same here, and they threw in a DVR receiver as well. It's pretty reasonable what we pay for satellite tv, which is HD, plus the DVR :grin:
 
Ever since Medicom (aka Mediacrap) switched to digital cable, their signal SUCKS! You have to have this mini-boxes on every tv and you're always getting "signal interruption" errors and have to call the number to have your box reset. Then it seems like every time you want to sit down to watch a movie that channel comes up with all kinds of signal problems until it just goes black.
 
I live clear down in southern Iowa near Ottumwa and have never had any cable service. I have an high gain grid style antenna and get many channels in HD. I pickup both 8 and 13 from DesMoines along with there other affilates. I get an old move channel from there also, THIS, and several PBS stations and 3 different Fox stations and often 2 or 3 stations from Cedar rapids and even Davenport. If the signal comes in much at all the picture is absolutly perfect. As a matter of a fact over New Years with all the wind my tower pulled loose from the house and fell but didn't break anything, but with this antenna laying across my patio on the ground I still picked up the local Fox and KTVO ABC and CBS. Get an antenna!
 
My son lives in Anamosa (no, not the penitentiary). He dumped cable and uses rabbit ears and gets several stations. I think KCRG was problematic but I wonder if that changed when they changed the news set a week or two ago.

I have heard of people watching ESPN for free through their computer. If that is true I’d think there would be a way to hook the computer up to your TV and watch it on a bigger screen. I really don’t know why I have cable. There are a few cable shows we watch and I like a couple of the music channels. I can always listen to the Cubs on the radio or for around 15 bucks a year I can listen through my computer.
 
Who needs cable? In the summer I have a bug zapper and a six pack. In the winter I have bird feeders and bourbon. Problem is the days are kinda short in the winter for bird watching and the nights are kinda short in the summer for zapper watching. So I guess I better keep my cable to fill in the voids.
 
Good stuff - thanks for the advice everyone. Have some things to think about. Now that the Superbowl party is over, it might be gone for awhile! :D
 
If I didn't have the Disney channel I'd have eaten my kids by now. When bad goes to worse I can turn on Mickey Mouse and they go stone cold open mouth drool fest at the drop of a hat and I can get my feet underneath me rather than beat them or crack the scotch... or both.

Side note, is it me or is it creepy that almost every disney princess gets married when she's 16 to some 21+ year old prince? Walt must've had some serious issues.
 
bowmaker said:
I live clear down in southern Iowa near Ottumwa and have never had any cable service. I have an high gain grid style antenna and get many channels in HD. I pickup both 8 and 13 from DesMoines along with there other affilates. I get an old move channel from there also, THIS, and several PBS stations and 3 different Fox stations and often 2 or 3 stations from Cedar rapids and even Davenport. If the signal comes in much at all the picture is absolutly perfect. As a matter of a fact over New Years with all the wind my tower pulled loose from the house and fell but didn't break anything, but with this antenna laying across my patio on the ground I still picked up the local Fox and KTVO ABC and CBS. Get an antenna!
Click to expand...

Ditto.... I have the same set up.. The local attenna channels are awesome! I get about 40 free channels. Surprises me how many folks dont. Now you can buy a dvr for your anntena local channels. The HD is better than any other source. Espn and hunting channels is the only reason i still have dish.
 
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