Do you live in an area with good over the air reception?
This is key to going OTA, but, there are some examples where streaming video alone is a good option. For instance, you're attending college away from home and don't really care about local news or sports and just want to see your favorite broadcast shows and movies. In this case streaming TV shows through Hulu and movies through Netflix, to your PC, may be all you need. Most people do want some local programming though, so this is not a typical case...
So how can you find out what channels you can get in your area?
A good way is to check this web site for a reception map of your area:
http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx
Click the "choose and antenna" button and enter your address to see what stations you should (theoretically) receive. I say theoretically, because your tuner and antenna need to be up to the task. You also may need to mount your antenna on the roof of your building or nearby ridgetop to get the best reception.
A better way is to plug an antenna in to your TV and see what you get. This is of course more realistic (since it is *real*) but you will be limited by your tuner and antenna's capabilities. A cheap way to do this test is to get a pair or rabbit ears and plug them in to your TV input. You will probably need a 2 wire to coax converter (the cable your cable TV uses), since most current TVs have don't have a 2 wire input, only coax. The good news, is that even if you're reception is limited, you can probably do better with a proper external antenna.
Say you checked the map and hooked up a good antenna and do get some local channels OTA but not all the major networks - do you give up and stick with cable or satellite? You don't have to.... consider supplementing your OTA reception with Hulu (or Hulu Plus) to fill in the gaps.
More on this later...
Friday, July 8, 2011
Is OTA for right for you?
The first thing you need to do before considering going OTA, is get a clear picture of how you use your TV.
Chances are you and your family members are going to have to change some of your viewing habits to go OTA. You'll have to say goodbye to the Disney Channel, Bill Maher or Sports Center for instance, but you will find alternatives. The key here is to be flexible.
Are there shows you simply can't live without? (That's pretty strong statement, by the way. So challenge yourself - do you *really* need a TV show?). If so, they may be found on Hulu or Netflix, or other streaming video providers. If not, like Sports Center, then you are hooked. Close your browser and walk away. No OTA for you my friend.
If not, then ask yourself the following - and make sure your answer covers ALL the members of your household:
If 4 or 5 are yes, then we are in a danger zone. We may need to bring in a subscription sports service or do some PC streaming...
If 6 or 7 are yes, then streaming video is needed
If 8 or 9 are yes, then we need a OTA capable DVR as part of our solution.
Chances are you and your family members are going to have to change some of your viewing habits to go OTA. You'll have to say goodbye to the Disney Channel, Bill Maher or Sports Center for instance, but you will find alternatives. The key here is to be flexible.
Are there shows you simply can't live without? (That's pretty strong statement, by the way. So challenge yourself - do you *really* need a TV show?). If so, they may be found on Hulu or Netflix, or other streaming video providers. If not, like Sports Center, then you are hooked. Close your browser and walk away. No OTA for you my friend.
If not, then ask yourself the following - and make sure your answer covers ALL the members of your household:
- Do you watch mainly broadcast channels?
- Do you watch local sports?
- Do you watch local news?
- Do you watch national (out of area) sports?
- Do you watch cable news (CNN, MSNBC, etc.)?
- Do you watch movies on demand?
- Do you watch TV shows on demand?
- Do you use a DVR to record shows?
- Do you use a DVR to auto record shows by keywords (wishlists)?
If 4 or 5 are yes, then we are in a danger zone. We may need to bring in a subscription sports service or do some PC streaming...
If 6 or 7 are yes, then streaming video is needed
If 8 or 9 are yes, then we need a OTA capable DVR as part of our solution.
OTA, Baby!
Thinking of cutting the cord, pulling the plug on cable, disconnecting from the mothership?
Want FREE HD to feed your new HD TV?
Tired of paying for 300 some odd stations when you only really watch a handful?
You came to the right place.
Here we discuss the options for alternatives to cable and satellite TV - notably, Over The Air, or OTA. All opinions in the blog are my own, I don't work for an equipment manufacturer, retailer or content provider. I'm just a guy who got fed up and after a lot of research, pulled the plug. Maybe you can learn something or share thoughts of your own so that others can learn how they can GO OTA, baby.
Want FREE HD to feed your new HD TV?
Tired of paying for 300 some odd stations when you only really watch a handful?
You came to the right place.
Here we discuss the options for alternatives to cable and satellite TV - notably, Over The Air, or OTA. All opinions in the blog are my own, I don't work for an equipment manufacturer, retailer or content provider. I'm just a guy who got fed up and after a lot of research, pulled the plug. Maybe you can learn something or share thoughts of your own so that others can learn how they can GO OTA, baby.
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