as I said previously, be happy you have at least an option to see MeTV
Big Shake-up to Happen on 99w and 101w C-band
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I think what some people here are forgetting and should remember, especially if they have been at this hobby for a while is that nothing on FTA lasts forever. We all get spoiled by what we can receive for free and then get pissed when its taken away. Some will say its not free, it costs me money to buy and maintain the equipment. To those people I say, you knew the "risks" of FTA when you got into this hobby. So enough of the whining. I've been at this hobby since 1991. Imagine all the great stuff I've seen come and go and I'm not bellyaching. C'mon people grow up. This is a hobby not a life or death situation.
Here one minute and gone the next is the mantra of FTA.
Here one minute and gone the next is the mantra of FTA.
I would agree, I have been reading lately from a number of people about just throwing in the towel to give up over a handful of TV channels. Another person won't spend the money to buy a brand new receiver because he thinks it's older than rocks. That person would much rather get a brand new $250 reciever for free and still piss and moan about how useless it is; while still wanting suggestions from others. Granted Satellite TV and FTA isn't what it used to be in the glory days of the '70's, '80's and '90's. But TV has always been a quickly changing medium since the 1950's. Like JFOK mentioned, we all quickly get spoiled with our favorite free channels really meant for cable companies and other satellite providers, I know I do with NHK World. We didn't have to spend the money on equipment, but we chose to with the understanding that most free channels are just temporary to watch. We know all or most channels could simply scramble, move to another satellite, or just go off the air due to money issues. Still, some of us, I know one guy in particular, that believes firmly that we have the absolute right to own by any means necessary, all FTA channels we like and watch for free; even if it means contacting the uplink facility or broadcaster to tell them so. We tend to bring it on ourselves, we either love FTA for its very unpredictable nature, or we get irritated and quit when it does as intended. I for one am not giving up, I want to see about putting up another 1.2M dish on the roof to get more C-band channels to surf, it's an enjoyment to me, a semi-healthy addiction if you will.
I much rather enjoy FTA for what it is before it's all gone for good under government control, encryption or some other distribution method. We are watching TV channels that are not meant for us as a privilage, the broadcasters and other facilities would much rather make a profit from it. I really love the wild feeds when I find those, it reminds me of my intern days at the TV station in 1990! :-D On Monday morning I watched the network feed of the Ellen Degenerate show well before anyone else could, that's what's magical about FTA. So stick with it and love it while you still can.
Chris,
I used to like watching the Tonight Show With Johnny Carson in the late afternoon as the commercial free, unedited live feed was being sent from Burbank to NYC where commercials were later added. Instead of commercials you would see the "More To Come" slide and hear Doc Severinson's band
Sometimes during Johnny's interviews you'd hear a few "choice" words which were later edited out before the network broadcast.
I used to like watching the Tonight Show With Johnny Carson in the late afternoon as the commercial free, unedited live feed was being sent from Burbank to NYC where commercials were later added. Instead of commercials you would see the "More To Come" slide and hear Doc Severinson's band
Sometimes during Johnny's interviews you'd hear a few "choice" words which were later edited out before the network broadcast.
It all started with me with vhf/uhf in the mid 80's with channel 17 wphl out of Philadelphia receiving it from Brooklyn after that I bought a ,5 ft dish with a uniden receiver still have receiver from radio shack about 30 years later 17 receivers 8 dishes im still watching something I love this hobby.
I first knew about FTA sometime in the very late '80's to early '90's when some people had those large shaped Skybird dishes in their backyards. Back then, I was very interested to know more, but figured it would be way out of my price range and no place to put such a large item where I lived. In those days, I thought 'those guys are so lucky to have such a large dish and receiver to get every single TV channel in the world with no interference at all! Just a crisp clear picture everytime!'. I eventually forgot all about it over the years until 2013, I kind of stumbled over FTA again on Google search about space satellites and I haven't looked back since. I know I long missed the glory days, but FTA is still a wonderful hobby and C-Band continues to be where all the action is.
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If you absolutely gotta have your favorite channels and consistency then your going to have to belly up to the bar and pay for it. Either Dish or DirecTv will be more than glad to take your money and the second year of your contract after the teaser wears off you'll be paying $70 or more a month for it. Except for some sports feeds I enjoy the pecking and hunting more than I do the watching for the most part and occasionally we do get some nice channels that come and go.
I have to make a correction.
Johnny's Tonight Show feed actually aired unedited in my area (Connecticut) at 8:30 PM not 5:30 PM for a short time in the spring/summer of 1991. I remember this feed didn't last too long and I think it was on Satcom C-1 if memory still serves me correctly.
According to my list of BetaMax Tape recordings...yes they're old...the Tonight Show I recorded for posterity was a wild feed which aired at 8:30 PM on Friday, May 31, 1991. Don Rickles was Johnny's guest. BTW...these unedited wild feeds were often close to an hour and a half long.
Might just crank up the old Beta and watch Johnny again this weekend.
Johnny's Tonight Show feed actually aired unedited in my area (Connecticut) at 8:30 PM not 5:30 PM for a short time in the spring/summer of 1991. I remember this feed didn't last too long and I think it was on Satcom C-1 if memory still serves me correctly.
According to my list of BetaMax Tape recordings...yes they're old...the Tonight Show I recorded for posterity was a wild feed which aired at 8:30 PM on Friday, May 31, 1991. Don Rickles was Johnny's guest. BTW...these unedited wild feeds were often close to an hour and a half long.
Might just crank up the old Beta and watch Johnny again this weekend.
I can only imagine all of the really cool TV you could watch in those days. In 1991, I was lucky to have cable with only 35 channels.
I first knew about FTA sometime in the very late '80's to early '90's when some people had those large shaped Skybird dishes in their backyards. Back then, I was very interested to know more, but figured it would be way out of my price range and no place to put such a large item where I lived. In those days, I thought 'those guys are so lucky to have such a large dish and receiver to get every single TV channel in the world with no interference at all! Just a crisp clear picture everytime!'. I eventually forgot all about it over the years until 2013, I kind of stumbled over FTA again on Google search about space satellites and I haven't looked back since. I know I long missed the glory days, but FTA is still a wonderful hobby and C-Band continues to be where all the action is.
pretty much the same story for me!
Since most of these channels appear to still be playing, does this mean they're perhaps having second thoughts about this, or does it mean it's taking them a bit longer than they were anticipating? Anyone know? It would be nice if it were the former, but somehow I don't see us getting that lucky.
I did notice 2 or 3 channels from Puerto Rico, that have been gone for awhile. (I could be wrong.) Everything else appears to remain, as long as the Wyoming station, FOX, MeTV and all the rest remain, I'm not complaining. I still get LATV and Telemista from Mexico, I haven't seen the Deportes channel for awhile now, not sure if that's gone too.
I still get LATV and Telemista from Mexico, I haven't seen the Deportes channel for awhile now, not sure if that's gone too.I did notice 2 or 3 channels from Puerto Rico, that have been gone for awhile. (I could be wrong.) Everything else appears to remain, as long as the Wyoming station, FOX, MeTV and all the rest remain, I'm not complaining.
If there was an option that only one channel could remain, I myself would pick the FOX channel as the one to remain. Of course though, rather not lose any of them period, since I'm too far away to get anything on OTA without putting up a major outdoor antenna, nor do I have extra money to spend on a cable or satellite bill every month.
highskies;
I am not familiar with your OTA reception situation, but I also live in a difficult area - mountains of SW Virginia, with no Line-Of-Sight. I have tried several really expensive outdoor antennas. The best performing one that I found was similar to the antenna that you will see if you search ebay for 221278916096. Cost under $34, including shipping. I thought it was a gamble when I ordered it, but thought "Why Not? - It's only $34!" That gamble paid off good! I've been using it for about 2 years now, and if the electronics fail, I will quickly order another one...
I am not familiar with your OTA reception situation, but I also live in a difficult area - mountains of SW Virginia, with no Line-Of-Sight. I have tried several really expensive outdoor antennas. The best performing one that I found was similar to the antenna that you will see if you search ebay for 221278916096. Cost under $34, including shipping. I thought it was a gamble when I ordered it, but thought "Why Not? - It's only $34!" That gamble paid off good! I've been using it for about 2 years now, and if the electronics fail, I will quickly order another one...
I would go with Fox too, it's the best channel on the lineup I watch alot. It's great to see how you use FTA when you don't want to bow down to the cable or satellite companies prices. Granted you can't get everything, but you can usually find something on 900+ channels with the equipment you have.
Off topic, my choice would be to get Japan TV at the house, but not sure if I would be able to do it without signing up for Dish again. It's pretty complicated to get Japan TV going around Dish Network.
Fox PR WSJX is still on and WSJP CW and LATV and WVXF THIS are still their WPRU ABC is gone
I live in Texarkana, Tx, and am pretty much taking someone's word for this, since I never checked to see if it might be so. But there was an Electronics store just down the street, Maybe Rex? It's no longer there. Acpl of years ago I was inquiring what I might be able to pick up with one of the indoor antennas they had. The salesman I was talking to said the way Texarkana is situated geographically, whatever that meant, I wouldn't be able to pull in anything. I think Shreveport is the closest area as far as OTA. I'm thinking that's like 60 or 70 miles from here. So I never did bother with it after that, plus I wasn't interested in putting up an outdoor antenna. Now I have to wonder what I really could or could not get, and what would be needed to get it? While I seem to know a little about satellite dishes, how to set them up and track them, though I'm hardly a pro, I pretty much know zero about OTA antennas.
Try TVFool.com for information on what reception might be possible. However, the only way to know for sure is to try...
Have not been on here for a while and hate to hear this news. Only FTA I've been watching the last several months is MeTV for my Perry Mason fix before bedtime. Oh well, was good while it lasted.
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