WSJ: Millennials discover 'free TV' over the air

soundboy said:
Several years back, I had to put my late father's 1990s 19" Magnavox TV into my garage so that it can entertain my dog while I was away. I hooked up a digital TV converter and a TERK powered TV antenna to the Magnavox and I was shocked at the quality of the picture. I programmed the channels and I got about 30 watchable channels, including a NBC channel dedicated to sports. Unfortunately, I have now moved over the hill and the OTA TV reception just plain sucks.
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When Mom and sister were living out east of Sacramento, sort of in the foothills, it took me 3 tries to find the right model antenna and then a direction for it for their OTA reception. Turns out there's a repeater 35-40 miles from where they lived and because of that it *just* pulled in around 15 stations. AntennaWeb really helped with that.
 
Older end of the spectrum for a millennial here, but I always knew that OTA broadcasts were a thing. From when I was fiddling with metal rabbit ears as a kid up to now where I have a digital antenna that I use maybe twice a year. Young millennials might not have had as much first-hand experience with OTA transmissions as I did though.
 
CT_Ohio said:
When Mom and sister were living out east of Sacramento, sort of in the foothills, it took me 3 tries to find the right model antenna and then a direction for it for their OTA reception. Turns out there's a repeater 35-40 miles from where they lived and because of that it *just* pulled in around 15 stations. AntennaWeb really helped with that.
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AntennaWeb is a great resource especially if you're in a rural area or otherwise far away from the transmitters. The website takes your zip code and plots a map showing where your signals are coming from and how far away they are. In my case, I can practically put a bag of popcorn out side and the microwaves will pop it the transmitters are so close.
 
Haven't paid for cable tv in almost 10yrs. Antenna is the way to go. I do have hi--speed internet that cost me $45 a month but the cheapest cable package that includes internet is $100. I understand some cities now give away free wireless internet. Would love that! I have a Roku attached to the tv which has tons of movies channels available. I have the Roku with a component connection so it would work with an older tv as well.
 
For those saying "OTA is the way to go", you should add "in my area." I'm in a small town (100,000) with 3 networks, Fox and maybe a couple more. Not a huge selection. It's not going to be the same for everyone.

We had to maintain some internet at Mom's when we shut off the cable. She had Verizon broadband for awhile but it dropped out a lot. Got her cable, which she hated, so when we cancelled that, we updated to a new Verizon device. It's like $80/mo with a 5 gb data limit and a wifi modem. I think keeping internet service through the cable was actually more than that. If we could get internet for $45 in Albuquerque I'd be thrilled but there seems to be no way to do it.

Google is going to break up the oligarchy? Great. You mean the way the cell phone companies broke up Ma Bell? and then became the high priced Establishment? Or the way cable companies offered so much, then raised their prices at twice the rate of inflation so they're now The Man that streaming TV is trying to undercut? I'm not confident that when Google owns everything they won't become the monster just like everyone else did.
 
toxcrusadr said:
For those saying "OTA is the way to go", you should add "in my area." I'm in a small town (100,000) with 3 networks, Fox and maybe a couple more. Not a huge selection. It's not going to be the same for everyone.

We had to maintain some internet at Mom's when we shut off the cable. She had Verizon broadband for awhile but it dropped out a lot. Got her cable, which she hated, so when we cancelled that, we updated to a new Verizon device. It's like $80/mo with a 5 gb data limit and a wifi modem. I think keeping internet service through the cable was actually more than that. If we could get internet for $45 in Albuquerque I'd be thrilled but there seems to be no way to do it.

Google is going to break up the oligarchy? Great. You mean the way the cell phone companies broke up Ma Bell? and then became the high priced Establishment? Or the way cable companies offered so much, then raised their prices at twice the rate of inflation so they're now The Man that streaming TV is trying to undercut? I'm not confident that when Google owns everything they won't become the monster just like everyone else did.
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Oh I have absolutely no doubt they will. 100% chance of asshole. I completely agree!

But it will take a while, maybe 10 years. In the meantime, I will enjoy the savings. And then eventually someone else will come along and disrupt Google. OR... and this is my hope, I will have moved to my "analog paradise" in the Basque country where cell phones, internet and digital anything will be banned.
 
If your situation permits it, a nice high-mounted antenna can bring you FM you didn't know you had and optimize the ones you already know. I've got one in my attic and it brings in signals beautifully. We may have to start scrounging big old-fashioned multipurpose antennas from estate sales! See the websites fmfool.com and tvfool.com for detailed information for your area.
 
The article is true. Young women that used to work here thought you needed cable to get the free stations.
 
Reality is FUN!. Anybody remember the era (40's,50's,60's,70's) before cable? I do. All I get OTA is ABC,CBS,NBC,PBS 12-14 channels total from here.
 
All I had growing up in the 50's and 60's was channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 & 13. Or. CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC, ???, WPIX and a PBS channel. ...and they all went off the air at midnight.
 
the skipper said:
All I had growing up in the 50's and 60's was channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 & 13. Or. CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC, ???, WPIX and a PBS channel. ...and they all went off the air at midnight.
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That was the NYC channel lineup. 9 was WWOR and I think 5 was an independent before it became Fox.
 
I'd also be onboard with dropping the Verizon bill. Between the Amazon Prime membership, an antenna, and other online sources I don't see the need to pay whatever it costs. I don't even have a TV myself, so it would basically be my mother that I'd have to convince. I've made antennas to test a TV, and I get around 30 channels with something cobbled together and propped up in a window. An outdoor antenna would probably give me more.
 
I grew up near Detroit in the 60s, used to get channel 55 with wrasslin'. Had a B&W Zenith with a metal cabinet. When that TV got old (in late 70s), on a humid day if you touched the cabinet you'd get a bit of a HV poke. If I knew then what I know now, I coulda recapped it. Wonder what ever happened to that beast. Probably moldering in a landfill somewhere.
 
the skipper said:
I would prefer to depend on OTA but sometimes it just ain't gonna happen. When I lived 9 miles outside of NYC I could picj up 35 useable stations, many HD with a 45 year-old rooftop. antenna.

Now, here in the boonies, I get only five channels, two networks (CW & CBS), two Mexican, the NASA channel. As for a big ass antenna I'm 95 miles from Houston and Waco. 110 from Austin, 170 from San Antonio, and 180 to Dallas, all in different directions.

Dunno how I'd handle setting up the digital tuner in a TV for each direction change, assuming I could get the signals to begin with.
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Amazon has a 150 mile antenna for under $30, that would get you three cities. You should be able to do an "Add to" channel scan that won't wipe out your previous setup. That or add manually. My Dad does this and had no problems setting it up with three directions.
 
150 miles is beyond the line of sight for TV due to the curvature of the Earth, isn't it? Although I suppose you have to take into account the elevation of the broadcast tower. It does work better in flat terrain too. Also have to consider that many stations dropped their broadcast wattage with the switch to HD or for other reasons in recent years.

Probably a good idea to look at data for your address on tvfool.com - the analysis will take all that into consideration in one swell foop.
 
Miss those NY stations. Living in nj till 78. Wpix(11),WOR(9), WNEW (5), WNET PBS(13). Remember when Monty Python's Flying Circus was first broadcast in 73.
 
NAD80 said:
Miss those NY stations. Living in nj till 78. Wpix(11),WOR(9), WNEW (5), WNET PBS(13). Remember when Monty Python's Flying Circus was first broadcast in 73.
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In 1980 I used to get up at 4am to see Monty Python. Someone must have had insomnia back then at the station!
 
Grew up watching Creature Features, ABC (7) put on the Japanese Godzilla movies at 4:30-6:00 during the afternoons. Managed to catch quite a few of the SF,Horror flicks of the 30's thru the 60's growing up. MannyE the 4am timing was a filler spot and then they could get away with showing the show with less cuts. Faulty Towers. Loved the British Comedies.
 
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