Clark Howard says don't pay!

[vaylon]

I use to have a setup like this many years ago and got lots of stations.
Today I wouldn't even attempt it because of all the religious stations. For every good station there is 3 religious stations.
Before I would do that, I would rather pull out the cosmic seti dish and start hacking satellites. That use to be fun, just as a hobby.
I would grab the network feeds to the affiliates. Fox was the best because they would give all the details of where to go for the next feed.
This was back when Fox just started broadcasting and the Simpson hadn't even been on a year.
I take that back.
I would never do that again.
That was one of the most expensive hobbies I have ever done.
I'll just download what I want to watch off the net.

 

[SlyFerret]

I just finally broke down and subscribed to Dish (or Pay TV in general, actually). Up until two months ago, I had been using a rooftop antenna to pull in OTA TV for years.

I got the local NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and PBS channels, as well as their digital sub channels. I couldn't quite pull in the CW affiliate, as their tower is too far away. The HD looked great.

It was a hard decision to make... keep getting free OTA TV, or start paying for TV so that I could get to watch more football and hockey games.

For me, this was the real deciding factor: My wife and I decided to move out into the country about 5 years ago. We commute almost an hour every day to and from work (luckily commuting together for now). To watch the games I wanted to watch, I had to make that same commute to get to my buddies houses in the city on the weekends.

We drive so much during the week, that driving into town every weekend too was just getting to be too much. There is some value in being able to stay home and still see the game. Heck, now my buddies can drive up to my place occasionally instead!

In addition to the football games, we're finding a number of shows on other networks that we really enjoy that we wouldn't be able to watch OTA.

As for watching them on the internet... We can't get cable or DSL because it just simply isn't available in our area. My internet connection comes through Verizon Wireless via a USB aircard. It's not a bad broadband connection, but their 5GB monthly bandwidth cap pretty much makes watching TV shows online impossible. I'd spend more in bandwidth overages than I do for Dish.

As for the economy, I really feel for the people who are making really tough choices right now just to make ends meet. My wife and I were there just a few short years ago. Not because the economy was bad then, but because we're young, and just starting out, and being broke just seems to be par for the course at that stage in life. We're lucky enough now to be on the up-swing. We're not raking it in, but we're making more than we ever have before (simply because something is better than nothing). I figured I can afford to pay for TV right now. If my situation changes... It'll probably be one of the first things to get cut.

Everybody makes their decision based on their own circumstances.

-SF

 

[Cyclone]

I get 52 channels via OTA (Balt & DC) on my Dish HD receivers. So I kinda get the best from both worlds. I pretty much watch HD only now but still find that I'm watching mostly the pay Dish channels. It is nice having the OTA option, since there are HD channels that are OTA that DIsh does not carry, plus I get the Baltimore digital channels which are out of market for my Dish account.

I have considered dropping Dish in favor of OTA only, but with F1 on Speed-HD, it will be a long time before I do that.

 

[navychop]

I certainly agree on OTA. I have an outside OTA antenna at my home and RV. And I get three dozen or more OTA signals at home- haven't counted lately. But I watch relatively little OTA.

It seemed that the impression could be given that you could get any, or almost any, program for free via OTA or internet. And I was pointing out that this is not the case. So I pay $101/month for Dish, and get my OTA stations for free via antenna. But if you can be happy with OTA and internet, by all means go that route.

In fact, I am a strong supporter of OTA. I fought (& won) a battle against an HOA to allow antennas. And push others to try OTA. The reactions? Usually, "too much trouble" or "I don't want to fool with moving an antenna" or "it costs too much to put up an antenna" (even when I offered to help put it up). Or the real winner: "I don't want to break the law, there's no such thing as free TV."

 

[AttyWSW]

What was the upfront cost of the equipment you needed for your setup?

I think it was about $500 for the anntenna, mini-tower, amplifier and rotor.

I counted my stations last night and I get 47. Those include a lot of crap channels no one wants to watch - kinda like DISH!

 

[commodore_dude]

Anyone who shoots their mouth off in public about how only an idiot would pass up free OTA TV should be required to donate their real estate to those of us who cannot get it with any reasonable antenna.

F'serious, or those of us who don't have enough land to put up a 30 foot tower, cause that works so well in city limits

 

[HDRoberts]

I think it was about $500 for the anntenna, mini-tower, amplifier and rotor.

Exactly why I don't make the switch. The upfront cost would pay for a lot of programming. I'd want a DTV Pal DVR, a high quality antenna, and a good media center PC for internet viewing. Plus, I don't really have the bandwidth for streaming HD, so I'd need to up my internet connection, adding $20+ monthly cost (and even them it would be iffy).

Yet with Dish I get (almost) all I want for $42/month. I'm probably looking at a 5 year payback on the switch, not to mention losing channels I do watch.

 

[vaylon]

Question for the mods.

If I can go to hulu or tv or one of the other sites, even youtube and download an episode of house, is it against the rules to mention that you can also get it on usenet or torrents?

The reason I mention it is because my local CW station doesn't come in in HD. Its only in SD and I routinely search right after the broadcast for an HD version on the web.

Also many Cannuck sites carry HD downloads of our shows.
That was the only way I got to watch ABC's "defying Gravity" because my local ABC kept replacing it with something else.

So the question is,
Is it against forum rules to mention other sources, such as torrents, if the downloads are legal?.

 

[aquaman67]

From antennaweb.org

"The address you entered was located at the Latitude and Longitude level.

There are no stations predicted to serve this location.
Depending on the specifics of your installation, though, you may be able to receive some signals. "

Now mind you I haven't tried it, but I barely got any analog stations.

Besides, my new 722K is too fun to play with and doesn't come with an OTA tuner.

 

[pabeader]

try changing your height above ground to 100'

 

[HDRoberts]

try changing your height above ground to 100'

I think the point is if you have to spend big bucks on a huge antenna, it can hardly be called "free" TV.

For a lot of you, it is more about sticking it to "the man" than getting anything cheap. You spend hundred or even thousands to get OTA and FTA satellite. Noting wrong with that, but stop pretending your motives are really saving money.

 

[stogie5150]

I think the point is if you have to spend big bucks on a huge antenna, it can hardly be called "free" TV.

For a lot of you, it is more about sticking it to "the man" than getting anything cheap. You spend hundred or even thousands to get OTA and FTA satellite. Noting wrong with that, but stop pretending your motives are really saving money.

I take exception to that. Take me for instance. When I was full boat with D*, I spent...ummm lets see here.... 12 months X 100.00 for D* with two dvr's ( one HR20,One R15) and one regular D12.

1200.00 Times two years, because I had that package for two straight years. so 2400.00. And when I pulled the plug in 2007 I had to send it ALL back to them. It was theirs.


ON THE OTHER HAND....

I have currently 6 FTA boxes, I paid for each one, yes. Vantage,Azbox,Diamond,and three Coolsat 5000's. I have about one thousand dollars in hardware. WHICH IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE, MINE. No sending it back, no contracts, no BS, and best of all, NO BILL every month. I could sell the receivers today and probably get 50 percent of what I paid for them, in total, which reduces the cost even further. My dishes, I may have 300.00 in them ALL. FTA isn't about paying somebody all the time. You HAVE to do it yourself. Which is the beauty of it, really.

NOW, is it for everyone? Of course not. Everyone doesn't have the time, nor the inclination, neigh, even the PERMISSION, because they have abdicated their rights to a HOA, to load up their backyard with dishes, wire them, learn to make coax ends, learn how to aim a dish, you know, be self sufficient. Something, arguably, we need more of nowadays. We FTA/OTA guys do it ourselves and SAVE. Yeah we ain't got Lifetime HD and the same 27 crappy movies every month on HBO, but consider this: if there wasn't anything up there, would we be doing it?

 

[Sileny Jizda]

I tried the antenna pointing sites and they said I couldn't get anything, nothing, diddly squat. On a whim some months back I tried it anyway first by building a scrap antenna from hangers and wood. Then by sticking a $30 Walmart antenna on the top of a basketball goal post and just pointed in the direction I knew the towers were located. I now pull 23-28 digital channels OTA on an antenna rated for 25 miles. I'm about 55-75 miles from the towers.

Don't need to know how to do too much to get them really. Just need to get a VHF/UHF combo tenna now. With what Dish charges for HD and having to recommit to upgrade now just to get 4 'free' hd locals it isn't worth it to pay Dish, upgrade, and recommit to 2 years to help their bottom line.

 

[patmurphey]

...Those include a lot of crap channels no one wants to watch - kinda like DISH!

That is rather stupid and offensive - and inaccurate. Take your OTA discussion to the proper forum.

 

[HDRoberts]

I take exception to that. Take me for instance. When I was full boat with D*, I spent...ummm lets see here.... 12 months X 100.00 for D* with two dvr's ( one HR20,One R15) and one regular D12.

1200.00 Times two years, because I had that package for two straight years. so 2400.00. And when I pulled the plug in 2007 I had to send it ALL back to them. It was theirs.


ON THE OTHER HAND....

I have currently 6 FTA boxes, I paid for each one, yes. Vantage,Azbox,Diamond,and three Coolsat 5000's. I have about one thousand dollars in hardware. WHICH IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE, MINE. No sending it back, no contracts, no BS, and best of all, NO BILL every month. I could sell the receivers today and probably get 50 percent of what I paid for them, in total, which reduces the cost even further. My dishes, I may have 300.00 in them ALL. FTA isn't about paying somebody all the time. You HAVE to do it yourself. Which is the beauty of it, really.

NOW, is it for everyone? Of course not. Everyone doesn't have the time, nor the inclination, neigh, even the PERMISSION, because they have abdicated their rights to a HOA, to load up their backyard with dishes, wire them, learn to make coax ends, learn how to aim a dish, you know, be self sufficient. Something, arguably, we need more of nowadays. We FTA/OTA guys do it ourselves and SAVE. Yeah we ain't got Lifetime HD and the same 27 crappy movies every month on HBO, but consider this: if there wasn't anything up there, would we be doing it?

When your bill is $100/month plus, maybe. Not for most. I pay less than half of what you paid. That totally changes the economics.

I think most people with an expensive pack would not be happy with lesser services. You tired of the same 37 movies on HBO and want to save money? Cancel HBO and other high tier services, rather than canceling all services and dropping $1300 on alternative equipment.

Fact is, if I could get a free DTV Pal DVR and 10mbps internet connection for under $30 a month, I'd be all over saving cash with the internet with OTA. Maybe I'd eventually work on FTA.

 

[CowboyDren]

Fact is, if I could get a free DTV Pal DVR and 10mbps internet connection for under $30 a month, I'd be all over saving cash with the internet with OTA. Maybe I'd eventually work on FTA.

Amen, brother. I just want a single interface for all of my stuff. I think that $13/mo for TiVo + $35/mo for 6Mbit DSL + $14/mo for 2x Netflix is still outclassed by my Classic Silver + HD package, even at a $10/mo premium. Nevermind the fact that I'd need to spring $300 cash for the TiVo before being allowed the privilege of subscription. Plus, I'm already into this season of Sons of Anarchy, so I can't just drop that in the middle...

 

[the mack]

That is rather stupid and offensive - and inaccurate. Take your OTA discussion to the proper forum.

his remark may have offended you, but he is right on the money.
who really watch's more then 10 to 15 % of the channels the receive from any pay provider.

 

[Bobby]

But my 10 to 15% is going to be different than yours, his, or many others. The point is that, just because I don't care for a particular station doesn't mean that the next person doesn't either. Somebody out thee is very happy with some channel that just doesn't seem likely for anyone to enjoy.

 

[sparc]

Clark Howard's advice is to cut the cord and buy a cheapie $30 antenna and get free OTA. Plus watch the rest on the Hulu and the other free sites.

He doesn't want anyone to spend any extra money period. Not on extra equipment...not on monthly fees.

Which means his advice doesn't even apply to anyone who is visiting the satelliteguys forum. As we all have special requirements outside of Clark Howard's advice....

Need certain channels. Need more channels. Live in a very rural area where OTA reception is spotty. Don't want the hassle of an antenna, etc...etc

 

[kb7oeb]

Most people can receive OTA signals for free, so for them pay tv is a luxury. There is nothing wrong with paying for tv if you want the additional content. People are so used to paying for TV they have forgotten about OTA so articles like these turn up every couple months about this mysterious free tv signal in the air.