Cable TV and how to avoid the high costs

Plumber1

Plumber1

Tito's, Tacos and Trails
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Looking for an update on some old questions. What are you watching on TV w/o paying the high costs of cable TV. I have smart TV's so I can watch Netflicks and Amazon Prime and a few other options. What I am missing is some of the local channels and Live news local and nation wide such as FOX.
 
I use fubo tv . I think it $80 for up to 3 T.V's . had enough of direct raising my bill to $140 for basic and told them to STICK IT after being a customer since 1993
 
Plumber1 said:
Looking for an update on some old questions. What are you watching on TV w/o paying the high costs of cable TV. I have smart TV's so I can watch Netflicks and Amazon Prime and a few other options. What I am missing is some of the local channels and Live news local and nation wide such as FOX.
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I looked into this in August because I don't have a good way to watch my football teams without local channels. Seems like everything to stream them, like Hulu live TV, Fubo, etc is $75 a month. I'm gonna try my luck with an antenna when I get around to it.
 
freedom_in_4low said:
I looked into this in August because I don't have a good way to watch my football teams without local channels. Seems like everything to stream them, like Hulu live TV, Fubo, etc is $75 a month. I'm gonna try my luck with an antenna when I get around to it.
Click to expand...

I get my local channels.
 
For local TV just use an antenna. The old UHF designs work well for close stations, and digital antennas are available in many forms and price ranges.
 
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Plumber1 said:
Looking for an update on some old questions. What are you watching on TV w/o paying the high costs of cable TV. I have smart TV's so I can watch Netflicks and Amazon Prime and a few other options. What I am missing is some of the local channels and Live news local and nation wide such as FOX.
Click to expand...

If you live in a house or the top floor of an apartment, get an old-fashioned TV antenna. You should be able to pick up all of the SF and Oakland stations, at no cost, less the price of the antenna. Get a balun to convert the 300 ohm to 75 ohm impedance at the antenna, then run high quality rg-59 or rg-6 coax to your TV. Ground your antenna mast to a pipe or something metal. If you have a lot of lighting in your area, you can get a lighting protector for your tv on the internet. If you are not technically minded, get cable with the connectors already installed (they are called F-connectors); otherwise, buy some connectors and a crimper. I found the cable, connectors, and crimper all at home depot and bought the antenna at a local electrical supply house. Find the channel programmer app on your TV and select broadcast or 'over the air' channels. You might be surprised at how many it finds.
I live in San Antonio, TX and get over 50 broadcast stations using a small, cheap roof antenna.
Most of the content on broadcast TV is junk, but it is nice to get the weather and occasionally, the news. All of the Cowboys and Texans games are broadcast locally.
Good Luck!
 
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Been using Directv Stream and we're around $100 for one of their better bells and whistles packages including local and national channels with unlimited DVR, and several premium subscriptions.

Have a number of free service apps downloaded such as Tubi, Pluto and Freevee which offer quite a bit of free programming.
 
tr21triton said:
I get my local channels.
Click to expand...

I've done it before, but wasn't sure it would work as far out as I am. As it turns out, all the channels I care to get are on the close side of town, within 15 miles and all in roughly the same direction, so now the only unknown is whether my foil backed radiant barrier roof deck blocks the signal. Roof is 12/12 pitch so I'm not thrilled at the prospect of getting up there to mount one outside.
 
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IPerkWVU said:
Is there a streaming box that pipes in the antenna channels and streaming services?
Click to expand...

Here's one option ...don't know what else is out there.

https://www.channelmaster.com/colle...ntenna-dvr-500gb-with-all-in-service-rd6f50ls

A smart TV will do it without the box, but you also won't have the DVR capability you would with the channel Master tivo box linked above.

for some reason I feel like my Xbox one S either had a built in antenna tuner or the ability to add one but I never used it.
 
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IPerkWVU said:
Is there a streaming box that pipes in the antenna channels and streaming services?
Click to expand...

Just need internet and a smart TV, if no smart TV then a Roku or Firestick. My garage Roku TV just shit the bed and I pulled out my old Sharp 55" which is dumb so I just added a Roku box and it's working fine.
 
freedom_in_4low said:
I've done it before, but wasn't sure it would work as far out as I am. As it turns out, all the channels I care to get are on the close side of town, within 15 miles and all in roughly the same direction, so now the only unknown is whether my foil backed radiant barrier roof deck blocks the signal. Roof is 12/12 pitch so I'm not thrilled at the prospect of getting up there to mount one outside.
Click to expand...
I put a digital flat antenna in the window near the TV, with a sheet of aluminum foil behind it as a reflector. Works great.
 
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Dr. Internet said:
If you live in a house or the top floor of an apartment, get an old-fashioned TV antenna. You should be able to pick up all of the SF and Oakland stations, at no cost, less the price of the antenna. Get a balun to convert the 300 ohm to 75 ohm impedance at the antenna, then run high quality rg-59 or rg-6 coax to your TV. Ground your antenna mast to a pipe or something metal. If you have a lot of lighting in your area, you can get a lighting protector for your tv on the internet. If you are not technically minded, get cable with the connectors already installed (they are called F-connectors); otherwise, buy some connectors and a crimper. I found the cable, connectors, and crimper all at home depot and bought the antenna at a local electrical supply house. Find the channel programmer app on your TV and select broadcast or 'over the air' channels. You might be surprised at how many it finds.
I live in San Antonio, TX and get over 50 broadcast stations using a small, cheap roof antenna.
Most of the content on broadcast TV is junk, but it is nice to get the weather and occasionally, the news. All of the Cowboys and Texans games are broadcast locally.
Good Luck!
Click to expand...

I am looking to do this in two different homes, one in the Bay Area and the other in the Mountains, and I am not looking to climb up on the roof and install a antenna, Plus my home in the Bay is in a HOA and they do not allow antennas. But thanks for the reply
 
freedom_in_4low said:
Here's one option ...don't know what else is out there.

https://www.channelmaster.com/colle...ntenna-dvr-500gb-with-all-in-service-rd6f50ls

A smart TV will do it without the box, but you also won't have the DVR capability you would with the channel Master tivo box linked above.

for some reason I feel like my Xbox one S either had a built in antenna tuner or the ability to add one but I never used it.
Click to expand...

This looks to be just a fancy DVR unless I am missing something
 
Zorba said:
Is DVR even a thing anymore?
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DVR function is very much still a thing for people who still have cable or satellite subscriptions.

Standalone DVR box like a TiVo would only be a thing if you want to record local channels through an antenna tuner like what I talked about. I refuse to pay $75/mo to stream something that's broadcast for free through the air. My uses (sports, which I only watch live) don't require a DVR so I'm not compelled to buy a box just to do that.
 
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Plumber1 said:
This looks to be just a fancy DVR unless I am missing something
Click to expand...

That's exactly what it is. I was responding to this question by providing an antenna tuner box that also has streaming apps. And it also has a DVR.

IPerkWVU said:
Is there a streaming box that pipes in the antenna channels and streaming services?
Click to expand...
 
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VSeeBox or Superbox. Purchase box up front ($250-350), no monthly cost. Pays for itself in a few months depending on your current monthly bill.

It has built-in TV app and movie app that lets you stream most available channels (cable, locals, PPV) and movies (even those in theaters). You’re essentially paying for the apps not the streaming box as it is basic at best. I have yet to not find a channel or movie not available on either app.

People have been saying for years that these boxes will get cut off at some point but Superbox has been around for 8 or so years and still around. Still using mine. I’ll never pay another cable, satellite, or streaming bill until they shut these boxes down.
 
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