When TV Was Free

[Jared77]

Look at digital antennas. You can do a search for where the best signals are broadcast and you aim the antenna that direction which gives you almost all of your local channels for free. Its a 1x purchase too just for the antenna then its simply a cable run into the TV. Just like what antennas used to do, except its a digital signal now.

We've recently switched to streaming services with Amazon Fire TV, Netflix and Hulu and cut our costs in half. That includes what we pay for WiFi too.

It takes some research but you can save quite a bit of money if you're willing to be flexible on how you access your shows.

 

[seedcorn]

My problem is always the same-addiction to B1G sports. Almost as bad as crack addiction.

 

[thistlebloom]

My problem is always the same-addiction to B1G sports. Almost as bad as crack addiction.

Have you checked crack prices lately? That might be cheaper after all.

 

[Zeedman]

I grew up watching B & W TV, on a small screen where you had to adjust the 'fine tuning' ring to get the station to come in clearly , and the 'horizontal' to get the picture straight. They played the National Anthem when signing off (about midnight), followed by the test pattern & tone... the tone woke you up if you fell asleep in front of the TV. Yes, I loved getting up at 6:00 AM to watch the Saturday morning cartoons as a kid... hard to believe there was a time when it used to be fun to get up early.

I still have satellite, but am getting ready to cut it off; the once "cheap" satellite has gradually grown to become just as expensive as the cable it replaced (says the satellite company - "sucker!" ). I'm going the route mentioned by @catjac1975 , with a digital antenna for local channels, and streamed programming via internet. I think i watch youtube more than anything else anyway, and that's free (at least for now).

Streaming TV will be cheaper for awhile too, until they getting around to "regulating" it - which I'm pretty sure they will. Because I also remember (I think it was in the 80's) when everyone was buying satellite dishes to get "free" programming. After thousands (perhaps millions?) had put up those antennae at not insignificant personal expense, suddenly they became illegal, and helicopters were literally flying over the countryside, looking for people to fine.

I also remember the argument when cable first came out; it was "do you want to pay by watching commercials, or pay for your programming commercial free?". We all know how that turned out... now you pay for your programming, and still get commercials. Remember when MTV actually played uninterrupted music?

So every advance in entertainment technology seems to come as a "bait & switch", which never turns out to be as good to our wallets as promised. Cable & satellite companies have a lot of political clout, and are losing billion$ as more people cut the cable... I don't expect them to tolerate their loss of business to streaming without putting up a fight.

 

[baymule]

We have satellite TV and internet, 2 different companies. It sucks. I also had black and white TV, we didn't get a color TV until I was in jr high. Rabbit ears with aluminum foil "extenders" bring in a pretty decent picture. LOL

 

[catjac1975]

We have satellite TV and internet, 2 different companies. It sucks. I also had black and white TV, we didn't get a color TV until I was in jr high. Rabbit ears with aluminum foil "extenders" bring in a pretty decent picture. LOL

When I was little my Dad was often up on the roof getting the antennae just right. And always Fixing the TV with new tubes. Of course there was very little e to watch on TV.

 

[canesisters]

3 networks
2 public broadcasting stations
off the air at midnight
rabbit ears on top and a pair of locking plyers where the channel knob would have been
I don't know if I watched black & white TV as a child or not, because out TV only showed black & white. I remember when we got a color TV and EVERYTHING was in color! Like Dorothy walking out into Munchkin Land.

If the next couple of months go as I'm hoping, I will be very likely be dropping satellite and going back to one of those digital antennas and lots of DVDs, books, and maybe writing.

 

[Nyboy]

I don't think antennas work here. A couple of years ago any time you had TV on announcement would be made that has of certain date you would no longer be able to use antennas. While I dont watch a lot of TV I always have it on for background noise. Think it has to do with living alone. I do like netflix its cheap and I get to decide what I will watch.

 

[canesisters]

The rabbit ears don't work anymore. You have to get a digital antenna now. The ones I've seen are flat, plastic with zig-zaggy design on them and stick in a window.

 

[thistlebloom]

We have a digital antennae that sits next to the tv.
There are lots of different types (check Amazon) and I have tried 3 or 4. The one we have now does an ok job, but they are finicky if you live a few dozen miles from the closest transmitter. There can be as little as a micrometer difference in position as to whether the signal comes in or not. This can be frustrating if there is something you're actually interested in watching. There have been times I have fiddled with that darn antennae, slowly rotating it, lifting it up or down, moving it sideways until I get a picture. There is a button on the antennae remote that lets you check for signal strength.
Sometimes I'll be messing around with it, holding the antennae head high and holler for my husband to grab the ladder and we get it positioned just so, sometimes with a book or two underneath to get the perfect picture. Just part of tv's entertainment value I guess.
And the change of the earths angle to the sun seasonally also makes a difference. There are times when a station doesn't show up until summer or winter.