Television (Cable Networks DeathWatch™)

murdoc online ^ | 20 Dec 2008

[Kevin J waldroup]

Instapundit points out an article about a family that ditched their satellite TV: You don’t need satellite TV when times get tough

After a few Google searches, James said she found a wealth of legitimate sources for TV programming online. Sites such as Hulu, Fancast, Joost, YouTube, and most major TV networks’ Web sites offer TV shows and other video content for free. Using an existing rooftop antenna, James plugged her TV into the hook-up to get more than 50 high-definition TV channels over-the-air. The cost for these HD channels: zero.

And instead of spending an extra $20 a month for HBO or any other premium movie channels, James subscribed to a $17-a-month Netflix service, which allows her to rent three movies at a time and download some movies right to her computer.

They took the exact same route that Murdoc’s family did last spring when we ditched our satellite service for six months.

We actually watched a lot of programming during the summer, including DVDs and video on demand from Netflix (which we already subscribed to), Hulu (which a commenter pointed out for us) and the online offerings at the television network web sites. We watched the Olympics online, and I think I watched more coverage than I ever have before, while also watching only events that I was interested in. How often can you score a quality+quantity double for free? However, our attempt to follow our Detroit Tigers via MLB.TV was an utter failure.

We’ve always watched a lot less television than most people we know. Cutting back even further didn’t really bother us all that much. Sure, we missed a few things that we would have liked to have seen, but overall we saved money and still watched plenty tube.

UPDATE: Welcome, Instapundit readers!

One other thing I forgot to mention was that we also make good use of our public library’s DVD collection. Some libraries charge rental fees for DVDs, though ours doesn’t. We’ve watched a lot of documentaries and classic movies, plus old television series, this way. It’s worth checking out. (Pun unintentional but so bad I left it in…)

[Kevin J waldroup]

SNL Kagan data also indicates that cable penetration of homes passed peaked at 65.5% in 1998. As of yearend 2006, cable subscriptions stood at 65.4 million, or 58.4% of 111.9 million homes passed, according to the data. Due to two recent quarters of declining cable subscriptions, this figure is likely to drop further by the end of 2007, SNL Kagan said.”
http://www.marketingcharts.com/television/snl-kagan-cable-subscription-data-contradicts-fcc-chairman-kevin-martin-2634/

HDTV (High Definition Television)
is here today, and it’s FREE!

See the Public Service Announcement

Don’t be misled…
you don’t have to use a pay service to have “High Definition Television” (HDTV)

http://www.myfreehdtv.org/body.html

According to two recent studies, HDTVs are now in about one-third of all homes, making it increasingly important for pay TV operators to deploy a strong high-definition offering if they wish to retain current customers. And the Consumer Electronics Association predicts that some 27.7 million new HD sets will be sold in 2009.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6620569.html

[CodeToad]

We just got DirectTV. Loads of channels...nothing on.

I am seriously thinking of a good antenna for HD for local channels and ditching the dish.

[x_plus_one]

ping

[T Lady]

I ditched my cable subscription out of financial necessity and loathing of subsidizing Hollywood and MSM Leftists back in 2006. I also subscribe to Netflix and buy classic DVDs. If I want the news, the radio dial or the computer aren't too far out of reach.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Great job, thanks for the post and links.

I'm agonizing over whether to get rid of my cable and just get a converter box and sign up for Netflix. But I'm also dumping my DSL and getting Road Runner, so I'm hoping Time Warner can give me a discount if I have both.

[MrLee]

“Using an existing rooftop antenna, James plugged her TV into the hook-up to get more than 50 high-definition TV channels over-the-air.”

I’d like that explained in more detail.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

****However, our attempt to follow our Detroit Tigers via MLB.TV was an utter failure.****

Why is that. You can watch all the baseball games on MLB.com for about $100.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

I just bought one of those DTV converters and I like how the channels come in. I just might cancel the cable after Christmas. It seems to me alot of people buy cable just for the reception. Now that they have a DTV converter and there are so many other options (for eaxample one can watch hochey games on nhl.com amd baseball games on mlb.com). I went to the fancast site and they are some nice movies there. Pride Of the Yanees for one.

[liberalism is suicide]

Most TV channels, to me, are not worth one cent of a cable bill. Especially disappointing are the “History” Channel(which broadcasts too many shows that have little or nothing to do with history) and TV Land which is changing its format and becoming TV Landfill. I only keep cable because my wife watches a lot of it. As for me, I find it mostly obscene and dreary.

[cva66snipe]

“Using an existing rooftop antenna, James plugged her TV into the hook-up to get more than 50 high-definition TV channels over-the-air.”

I’d like that explained in more detail.

I know of no area with 50 over the air stations. Terrain still has it's signal limitations.

[ken21]

after helping elect comrade obamao

to ruin this country and everything dear to us,

the cable tv nets are dying.

/s

[xkaydet65]

If everyone is watching HULU and AOL who's watching the commercials that pay the production costs and salaries? All the great tecchhies can brag about how they can watch TV on the WEB at their convenience, but in five years there will be little to watch if no one is paying the piper.

Rules of the market don't change because Tech changes.People create and produce to earn wealth. Remove that motive and your entertainment will stagnate and vanish.

[packrat35]

I quit watching over the air TV years ago. First VHS or now DVD. Got the Netflix subscription also.

[theymakemesick]

Late reply but I’ve been using OTA (over the air) HD for five or six years. I probably get 50 HD channels but about half are en espanol so I have them blocked. I have a regular antenna mounted in the attic, probably 30 years old. Point it towards the OTA HD towers and I get an excellent hi def picture. The major broadcasters (ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS) each have a primary channel and a secondary channel or two that they broadcast weather or other programs on. Terrain has nothing to do with it. Freepmail me if you want more info.

[Uhaul]

Considing what is on TV I hope it does stagnate and vanish. There isn’t enough good to outweigh the bad.

[Greysard]

I am seriously thinking of a good antenna for HD for local channels and ditching the dish.

You do not even need a "good antenna". I have a 1" piece of wire twisted onto the center conductor of a 3' TV cable, and that works with both HDTV tuners that I have. Not that I wanted to buy either of them, but one came for free in an LCD monitor (they called it a TV and sold so cheap that it made sense to buy) and another came in a PC that I picked up on sale at Office Depot.

I set them to tune to HDTV signals only, then activated "Scan" and it easily picked up about 20-25 channels. A couple of them are weak (the frames freeze etc.) but the rest are as good as they get (that's how digital modes work - you get all or nothing.)

Another advantage of having a PC TV card is that it allows you to record and replay shows. The computer came with Microsoft thingy that manages the card, so it downloads TV Guide and allows you to select programs for recording. I tried, and it works as advertised.

If I really want I can buy a semi-decent log-periodic antenna and receive all channels, but at the moment I see no value in receiving more of Spanish channels, considering that my Spanish skills are limited :-) unless of course I want to learn it. But as things are going, I'd rather improve my C# skills instead of Spanish.

[cva66snipe]

I can't get the locals on analog due to terrain. Or rather I get mega ghosting being on the north slope of a high ridge and the towers are to the south. I have problems even getting analog radio that direction. TV signal was so bad I was one of the ones in the area who went to C-Band satellite before Dishnet and Direct came along.

I took my old Analog fringe area TV antenna inverted the elements to vertical and made it a scanner antenna years ago :>} Hooked to a 20db gain amp it does nice for that.