HDTV for Free

[amazingdany]

I've had ota hd on my flat screens since October 2008 and it's been awesome. I built the popular coat hanger antenna seen here on YT for less than 20$ and it's the only thing I paid for free HD ever since.

[koz303303]

Cable companies have so many leaks in thier system, they can never give you true HD. Also thier compression will destroy the quality.

[monkeyman1140]

$150 he got ripped off. those 4 bay UHFs go for $50.

[amazingdany]

Can you put the name of that antenna in your description? I'm sure people are curious to know, like me.

[wasntnotwasnt]

If everyone stopped paying for cable, it would force the ABC or whatever affiliate to provide things like ESPN on their sub-channel. For free. Like in the old days remember?

[nypj]

what the hell are you talking about? there are and never were sub channels for analog television.

[wasntnotwasnt]

Did I say anything about analog? Why would I make a comment about something that will be gone in a few months. Digital!!!

[nypj]

excuse me, but the working of your comment is confusing, you say "on their sub-channel. For free. Like in the old days remember? " so my reply is no, I do not remember the sub-channels in the old days, also, i do not remember when pay tv channels were provided OTA for free....

if everyone stopped paying for cable, cable would just cease to exist, it would not become free... would you continue to offer a product or service with out getting paid?

[wasntnotwasnt]

The "old days" comment was only referring to free tv in general. My point is, with digital tv, networks that are currently only offered via cable/sat, could be offered free, over the air, on a digital sub-channel. Such as CNBC on an NBC sub-channel, free. e.g 5-1 is NBC, 5-2 is CNBC, 5-3 is MSNBC. This doesn't happen because people are only too willing to pay for it. Instead, there's a generic weather channel and obscure sports.

[Membrane556]

You also can get a HDTV card for a computer fairly cheap such as the HD5500 or even try a network device like the HDhomerun it even works with VLC and mythtv.

[trutexasgamer86]

will this make all your basic cable channels look better like mtv ,bet, comedy central ,etc ???

[cruc1bl3]

No. It's an antenna, you tool.

Cable sucks. 200 channels of crap.

[michellelynn74]

$150 for an atenna! That is absurd and then you have to buy a converter box or have an hdtv! I want only basic cable; I don't care about HDTV! This is riduclous. I don't see a big difference between hdtv and cable!

[cruc1bl3]

If you can't see a difference between basic standard def cable and HDTV, then you've never seen HDTV.

[gothicjokercro]

I know all about hdtv, the only thing im looking forward too is all the free cable. as for picture qaulity, cable is good enough. 2008, the fcc is forcing all cable channel providers to use hdtv. good for me, bad for them.

[Membrane556]

Good as long as they are also forced to make all basic cable channels unencrypted so I don't have to use a cable box.

[cruc1bl3]

No, you'll still have to use a cable box. But if you get a TV with a cable card slot, you can eliminate the cable box.

[nypj]

not true, unencrypted QAM channels do not require a cable box or cable card.. most HDTVs, and some tuner cards for PCs have QAM tuners built in...

[cruc1bl3]

Actually, the cable companies don't have to do anything. The FCC mandate only effects people who get TV over the air. The whole point of it is to free up frequency space so they can auction it off to mobile and wireless companies.

[brianto12]

@cruc1bl3 are you blind ? ,

[mwarsame]

This is it. I'm getting one. This WEEK.