141–150 of 254 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
http://antennaweb.org/
Thanks. Seems to be pretty general, though. I just think it would be cool to combine this with anecdotal info from antenna users.
You don't even need a TV to take advantage of this if you have a computer. You can buy a tv tuner card that will connect to your laptop and allow you to plug in an antenna to watch TV. Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Hauppauge-1191-WinTV-HVR-955Q-Tuner-No...
On a home we purchased, the house antenna that was mounted on the chimney picks up clear HD channels of the local stations that look wonderful. Paying for TV doesn't make sense nowadays. If a home doesn't have an antenna on the roof, I would recommend it as an upgrade for anyone interested in the local channels.
Paying for TV can make perfect sense depending on someone's viewing habits and what they watch. If they're into live sports, for instance, an antenna might not meet their needs.
OTA TV is $250 per year in the UK, before equipment. If you get satellite / cable you still have to pay. If you watch live on computer, pay up.
Two years back I decided to make my own antenna. I had no idea what a folded dipole was, but found a website that instructed me to use a metal clothes hanger cut to the proper length for HD US signals, and a block of wood. I had neither so I taped some leftover enamel wire to a piece of cardboard. I still use this antenna today, and get about 50 channels, living 30 miles away from the nearest broadcast antenna. Point…
The article talks about antennas having become an exotic product. That's just not true. WalMart has a good selection of outdoor TV antennas, starting from $20.[1] Home Depot also has a selection, but many of theirs still have the VHF elements, which you don't need and make the antenna much bigger, harder to mount, and more vulnerable to winds.
WalMart's selection indicates that many WalMart customers are getting TV from antennas.
What I'd like is an easy, cheap DVR solution for OTA. Mostly I'd just like to be able to pause and rewind live TV. After cutting the cord, it's like living in the 80s again shouting at family members to be quiet when you need to hear something.
Again, another not super cheap option is Tablo[0]. It's different than most since it doesn't actually have an HDMI plug, but rather it's basically just a back-end box than records off an antenna and then can play back on its app on most of the standard devices, Roku, Chromecast, Apple/Android/Fire TV as well as Android/iOS mobile devices and desktops via Chrome. You'll likely want a subscription at $5/mo or $150/life…
I don't get it. Who's broadcasting the signal? How do they get paid?
Commercials, same as radio.
I don't get it. Who's broadcasting the signal? How do they get paid?
Television stations (e.g. the local NBC affiliate) broadcast the signal; they get paid by advertisers who give them money to air commercials on their station.
1) Is over-the-air broadcast TV widely used anywhere? Very few even know about it where I live, but maybe there are places where it's more common.
2) Is it essential to any group of people?
3) Could we get more beneift from that spectrum by repurposing it for something else?