By D J McAdam
When I was young, there was no such thing as cable television, and the idea of paying to receive television never occurred to anyone. You had a TV (black-and-white, for a good bit of my childhood), and you had a television antenna. Some people had antennas on their rooftops, but we never did; we just had indoor antennas of the kind usually referred to as "rabbit ears." Depending on where you lived, you probably got in the three major stations, and there might have been some local stations as well.
Flash forward, to a world where it seems that everyone has cable TV, a product marketers have somehow convinced us we need. When I moved into the house I now reside in a few years back, I didn't even consider whether I needed cable television, I just ordered it, and dutifully paid my monthly charge, which increased over time to about $70 per month. And what was I getting for $70 per month, or $840(!) per year? A bunch of channels I never watched, and my local stations, which I did watch, primarily for the news.
Until about a year ago, when I got smart.
I cancelled cable television. (The cable company tried to "save" the account, made all sorts of wonderful offers, telemarketed and direct-mail marketed me like crazy, but I stood firm.) I bought an HDTV antenna
made by MOHU (the paper-thin one shown below), mounted it unobtrusively on a wall next to my television set, hooked it up via the attached coaxial cable, and was back to watching free television, just like in my youth - but with a much sharper picture. I get ABC, CBS, and NBC, just like you do. The ABC Evening News looks no different to me than it did on cable. I also get some additional local cable television stations, some of which are quite worthwhile (CW in New Mexico), some of which I'm passing on (GOD TV). Reception is great.
Some tips to doing this
First, don't be afraid. I honestly think a lot of people have cable television because of peer pressure, and because they think it's "normal" to pay for television. It isn't. If you're locked into a contract, find out when it ends, and cancel then. Remember - if you give up cable television and really, really miss it, you can always go back.
Second - when you hook up the antenna, you need to hook it up either to a digital-ready television or you need to buy a digital converter box, like the Zinwell ZAT-970A. Most televisions sold after 2007 are digital-ready, and my larger television, which I bought in 2007, was also digital ready.
Third - after you connect the antenna, you have to tell your television to scan for digital stations. Check your television's owner's manual for instructions on this.
Fourth - if you're really into movies, get a Netflix account. I think it's worth the money, but if my budget was really tight, I could easily forego Netflix.
Fifth - figure out something sensible to do with all that money you're no longer paying to the cable company!
Of interest:
© D J McAdam. Please note: all applicable material on this website is protected by law and may not be copied without express written permission.
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