Built-in digital tuners became a federal requirement in 2007, so any television built after ’07 is combatable with the new antennas. The new antennas plug directly into the coaxial port in back of your TV. Once plugged in, you simply have your TV scan for available digital signals. Most TVs have a signal meter display that shows just how well each channel’s signal is being received.
The range of these antennas is up to 50 miles for ClearStream2 which sells for around $100 and works both indoors and outdoors. Less expensive but more attractive indoor models such as the Mohu Curve (about $50) will provide less range but should be fine for 20 miles. One thing that hasn’t changed is that some antennas need to be positioned in certain spots to receive the best signal quality and this will necessitate some trial and error. Just hearing this news that you can ditch cable can be so liberating, but before you cut the cable and tell them to shove their coaxial right up their cable box please read on. I would strongly recommend you try an antenna in or on your house before cancel your cable. Sometimes geographic structures can interfere with the signal and you may not be able to get reception in certain areas even if you are within the recommended mileage of the antenna you choose.
That said there are plenty of antennas on the market and worth a few minutes online, or a trip to your local electronics store to compare. Channel availability varies depending upon where you live. In some areas you can receive over 50 channels.
You will likely be pleasantly surprised by the HD broadcast quality of most local stations and many have found it superior to the cable companies HD for the local affiliates. This results from the 2009 FCC mandated that all television transmissions be digital resulting in a higher frequency signal with less noise.
If the reality of cutting the sacred cord with cable is just too harsh to deal with you should examine the possibility of reducing the package you subscribe for down to the minimum package. That was the first step we took and our cable bill dropped from over $140 to under $20 for the basic package.
If you cut the cord or opt for a basic cable package the savings are substantial. If you want or “need” more programming there are so many options currently available and the choices are growing weekly.
On demand programming delivered through your internet connection can be a great savings for anyone seeking a lower cost alternative to cable but it requires a smart TV, a Blu-ray player with built-in Wi-Fi or a gaming console such as Xbox 360, Sony Playstation or Nintindo Wii. In addition to the established methods there are many new offerings entering this space such as Cromecast (from Google) that could emerge as major players in the field.
If you need a set top box the most popular options are Roku and Apple TV. Each has its advantages and Apple TV can fill the void for the sports buff wanting greater coverage of major league sports, some HBO and iTunes music.
For most people wanting to save some serious money and not cut back to the basic cable package or be limited by antenna televisions programming the best way to go is to choose a delivery device and subscribe to Hulu Plus or Netflicks for around $8 a month. For about $100 a year you can get Amazon Prime which includes music, eBooks and other savings and benefits through Amazon. Apple TV is another option for Mac users and they offer various programming packages that can save you money or run as high as cable depending on how much programming you purchase.
If you are a television junkie and insist on the HBO’s range of channels, major league sports packages and all of the other programming of cable so be it. I would encourage your to do some math before you blow off the lower cost alternatives.
Let’s look at the potential savings. Your onetime costs can include an antenna and/or a set top box if you don’t have smart TV, figure $200 total maximum. Once that is in place consider your programming costs and options. On the very low end, TV is FREE again with your antenna. If you want additional programming at very reasonable rates the options above are under $100 a year, not a month, a year. Some packages even stream through mobile devices. WARNING data minutes can add up quickly on your mobile device.
With any of the aforementioned choices you can increase your programming options and cost with “On Demand” and choose the programming you want excepting some of the HBO channels and certain sports packages. The downside of that is you do pay separate subscriptions for add-ons which can add up quickly; but, considering that most people are paying over $1800 a year for cable the savings can be substantial.
Other consideration such as mobile device programming are changing so rapidly that any discussion is outdated as soon as it is written. Apple TV, Netflicks and Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime offer mobile as part of their package but that brings in the added cost of data on your cell bill which is another issue to consider.
I have heard and read discussions of running a cable such as Couch Connect from your computer or mobile crevice to your television but I cannot personally attest to the viability of it (I would appreciate reader input on this matter until I can check it out),
Bottom Line. Like all of life it comes down to choices. You can choose to do what you want with your time and your money. If TV is major priority and the one indulgence you cannot live without; if HBO and major league sports going 24/7 is what makes you get up in the morning,(hopefully not the case) maybe cutting the cord won’t work for you. On the other hand if you would like to save $1,500 to $2,000 a year for purposes other than television, say goodbye to the cable guy.