Although I haven't completely cut the cord I've cut back to the bare minimum package from Spectrum and already had an antenna set up in order to get stations that they didn't carry mainly sub channels like Me TV and also Memphis Area stations that aren't on cable in my area.
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What's the point of cheap local TV stations anymore?
- Thread starter ssetta
- Start date
In Jackson TN there is WYJJ-LD 27, which carries several diginets that aren't on any other local TV stations like Decades, Cozi, and H&I, and also Jimmy Swaggart's Son Life Network, and I can't help but Wonder how they're making money in order to stay on the air if they get enough local ads or if they're making money mostly from infomercials and other such junk.
A few comments: 1) The attractive thing for consumers, especially when buying on Amazon, is that there's little to no risk when they buy these kinds of items. Of all the stuff I've purchased from Amazon I only needed to make a few returns, but none have been refused and in 1 case Amazon just gave me my money back and told me to keep the item (a book in that case) as they probably figured the cost of shipping and restock just wasn't worth it. 2) It also shows the amount of reviews that are artificially inflated (i.e. fake) on Amazon (and also restaurant/business reviews on Google). A few years ago (and maybe still) there used to be people on Craig's List and similar, offering to post a certain number of fake 5-star reviews for your business, for a certain price. 3) The people making this crap are the ones who usually win. In the example I showed in my post above, that antenna I saw for $11.99 is selling on the internet for $17.99. It probably costs them less than $3 to make and package these in Asia, and if they sell a ton of them and make a solid profit on each one, considering that most people who buy this junk don't bother returning it when they get it home and it fails, they make bank and then move on to the next crappy product with false claims that they sell.
I'm sure that's true in some areas, especially more rural spots with few local stations, but in larger cities, I'd say a fair amount of people use a combination of both streaming and OTA - Especially those who are interested in local news and programming from the major networks that they can get via an antenna. A handful of my co-workers have cut the cord. They're not necessarily "techies" but have mentioned they view a combination of local OTA programming and use streaming for movies and higher profile sporting events and contests they're interested in.
It was discussed in another thread some months ago, but there is a surprising amount of content available OTA on subchannels and the like, not just NBC, CBS and ABC (again, for those located in an area where they can pick it up).
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It depends on where you live I live in some kind of dead area and get like 12 channels in my area. I have no idea what is wrong. I have bought multiple antennas that just die on me. It's so frustrating I makes me want to cry. I have watched multiple youtube videos and did the tips in them. Nothing works!
Even that's not enough, since there are problems when the signal is too strong.
The 11.99 antenna is unlikely to overload a TV tuner because it has almost no gain, only 1.7 dbi, so it's not much better than using a paper clip or piece of wire. A good antenna should have at least 10 db of gain. Even if you're not that far from the transmitters, it's still best to get an antenna with high gain so that you have the most choice of channels, including the low-powered ones. I use a Stellar Labs 30-2370 that I got from Amazon for $38 to receive around 50 channels from both New Orleans and Gulfport-Biloxi, 45 miles away.
Agreed, in the sense that ATSC 1.0 is the cause of this problem, but with those tiny antennas, they don't really get overloaded the way a larger antenna would.
Agreed with your point.
On the subject of poor DTV signals... try Cle Elum WA (pop. 2000), Roslyn (pop. 900), Naches (pop. 1000 or so), etc. where TV signals are non-existent. People have relied on cable/satellite for many years. There are zero translators in Cle Elum and Ellensburg translators are too far away. Forget an antenna...it pulls in ZERO stations.
They are stuck with satellite contracts and/or cable bills. Decades ago, Seattle stations were available on ten-watt analog translators in the Cle Elum valley. Ch 2 was KING, ch 10 was KOMO, and ch 12 was KIRO. Signal output at times was very poor, as I have a broadcast of Town Meeting (Ken Schram) on VHS that was taped off the ch 10 KOMO translator in Cle Elum in the late '80s. Audio is OK, but the video is a terrible mess, barely any color. Queen Anne Hill was 85 miles away over the Cascades. (VHS was an estate sale find in South Cle Elum last month)
Even here in West Valley, the LPTV stations do poorly on a little rabbit ear antenna line-of-sight 6.5 miles. Cozi TV is full of pixels all day long, as well as Buzzr (both on KYPK-LD, 13.7KW ERP). Too bad, since my mom has rediscovered 3rd Rock from the Sun and John Lithgow for the first time in 20-some years. Maybe I need to hook up the larger metal antenna (3.5 ft. high) that I have. No rooftop antenna allowed at this apartment complex.
They are stuck with satellite contracts and/or cable bills. Decades ago, Seattle stations were available on ten-watt analog translators in the Cle Elum valley. Ch 2 was KING, ch 10 was KOMO, and ch 12 was KIRO. Signal output at times was very poor, as I have a broadcast of Town Meeting (Ken Schram) on VHS that was taped off the ch 10 KOMO translator in Cle Elum in the late '80s. Audio is OK, but the video is a terrible mess, barely any color. Queen Anne Hill was 85 miles away over the Cascades. (VHS was an estate sale find in South Cle Elum last month)
Even here in West Valley, the LPTV stations do poorly on a little rabbit ear antenna line-of-sight 6.5 miles. Cozi TV is full of pixels all day long, as well as Buzzr (both on KYPK-LD, 13.7KW ERP). Too bad, since my mom has rediscovered 3rd Rock from the Sun and John Lithgow for the first time in 20-some years. Maybe I need to hook up the larger metal antenna (3.5 ft. high) that I have. No rooftop antenna allowed at this apartment complex.
KDOC-TV Anaheim/Los Angeles had recently had a flip because the previous management left due to TCT management taking over the station as a religious outlet for DMA 2.
Here is the Bert Ellis Management saying goodbye to KDOC-TV after 4 decades as a general entertainment station.
Lying about the range of antennas is something with a long history. Check out these range claims from a Radio Shack catalog in 1980. But also note the disclaimer -- so I suspect that you might get somewhere close to the claimed ranges if you're in a really flat area where the stations broadcast with maximum power from 600 meter tall towers -- ie, Fargo, ND.
See the disclaimer? What they don't say is that you can seen"something" through the snow at these distances. Certainly not a viewable picture. Con job? You betcha!
I watch over the air TV and I'm quite happy to not be paying for cable TV. I own a TiVo and can stockpile lots of good things to watch on MY schedule!
I used to be able to watch with snow but after I got a really good antenna the signal was so much better. On the station that explained how to watch TV now. The stations that still had real programming? If I got a signal at all, in many cases, it turned into modern art with no sound.
I used to have the RS VU-160 when I was still living with my parents set up at about 30 feet and could get the analog signal from KFVS CBS 12 in Cape Girardeau, MO, which was about 100 miles away from Dyersburg, TN where I lived. Granted the signal was snowy at times, but it was watchable. So it was a pretty good antenna even if it didn't get the 160 mile range. The newer antennas exaggerate their ranges a lot worse, especially with the cheap off brands on Amazon and Ebay.
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The only thing that bugs me is the digital signals even the strong ones drop out and pixelate at times. It could be that my antenna moves in the wind a little.
There is little to no correction for multipath. The wind moving leaves or jiggling the antenna, airplanes in the path between you and the towers (I'm in a flight path, 135 feet above the airport runway. This is a thing here), low clouds, rain, other buildings, these cause multipath. The result was ghosts on NTSC, and dropouts on ATSC.
All I read about NextGen these days is about marketing and additional revenue possibilities for stations, with no real benefit for the viewers. If multipath and other signal-loss issues aren't fixed in NextGen, there is no need for it. I'm certainly not sold yet.
I have the same issue. So i go with what works. I’ll be getting Frndy TV and the new NFL Plus when it comes out. For local news i can just stream it from that station’s website
IF and that's a big IF they do it right, the signal will be more robust. We'll have to wait and see. Something tells me we'll have to wait a long time. Most of what I watch is on the sub channels. The main channels have mostly cheap reality shows that I don't care for. The comedy shows aren't as funny as they used to be.
That's a shame.
TCT is a terrible channel, mostly showing dubious televangelists thaty can be found on other channels anyways.
Has anyone seen the TCT Kids subchannel they have? They show old kiddie shows from the '90 or older, while the evening show is public domain stuff with awful picture and sound quality (the typical westerns and old sitcoms).
TCT is a terrible channel, mostly showing dubious televangelists thaty can be found on other channels anyways.
Has anyone seen the TCT Kids subchannel they have? They show old kiddie shows from the '90 or older, while the evening show is public domain stuff with awful picture and sound quality (the typical westerns and old sitcoms).
All you have to do is look at the video of the transfer, a nice exit, a non existent intro...comes right up in the middle of a preacher. Not a good start.
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