Smooth Landing After Cutting the Cord

News2u

Botch said:

Congrats, @News2u
I did the same thing about five years ago, and was very happy.  Then two years later the PBS station started having problems, then CBS, then a year later I couldn't pull anything OTA.  I purchased a better antenna (after checking all wiring), still nothing; I've had to go back to Dish just to get the major channels.
 
I've had antenna experts out to adjust, fiddle, try things, no one can figure out why I can't get OTA anymore.  Kind've a pisser that I'm willing to be happy with just the major networks, and then can't get them!  
 
Does your antenna include any kind of amplifier?  

Sounds like transmission woes from the stations, but that would be really weird for all the stations to be having transmitter problems. Our CBS affiliate had been having some problems, but signal would seldom drop under 60%., which in most cases I've discovered that's all we need. Now it's back up roaring.

We are also in a heavily treed subdivision, and I thought when the leaves all filled out this spring we'd be curtains. But didn't affect reception at all.

I tried the flat window antenna, but only 1 viewing room has a window pointed North. Tried in-attic placement; never any good.

News2u

liquidicem said:

We went the same route last year.  The big thing we were missing was the ability to record and fast forward through commercials.  I picked up an OTA DVR called Tablo and couldn't be happier.  We miss a few of the satellite channels but found that most of what we watch was available for free over the air and the Tablo makes it accessable on our schedule.  

I'm in the market for just that kind of system. Thank you.

SoCalTim

Toxarch said:

SoCalTim said:

Nice, you've gone this far ... maybe you could go just a bit farther and get  Amazon's Fire Tv and download Kodi (W/Exodus)  Free EVERYTHING including all the live sports and premium cable channels your eyes can handle.

You know that's not legal, right?
Also, the Wookie build is something you might want to look into.

Toxarch said:

SoCalTim said:

Nice, you've gone this far ... maybe you could go just a bit farther and get  Amazon's Fire Tv and download Kodi (W/Exodus)  Free EVERYTHING including all the live sports and premium cable channels your eyes can handle.

You know that's not legal, right?
Also, the Wookie build is something you might want to look into.

Actually, that's a grey area. The boxes themselves are, effectively, legal .. content is borderline. It's being litigated, so for now ... I'm good.

Botch

News2u said:
I got DirecTVNow when it launched in December with lifetime promotional price of $35/month with no contract. 

The DirecTV folks knocked on my door a couple months ago and said, "I see you have Dish on your roof, how many years? bet you're paying a LOT more than $39/mo, that we offer!"
I told him I'm sick of their business model, raising the rates on their own customers, more and more the longer you stay with them, and having to switch providers every 3 years or so.  I then mentioned that I read on some forum (it may have been you!) that a lifetime guarantee on rates was available, and I'd be very happy to switch to something like that.  
He told me that offer is illegal in the state of Utard (which doesn't surprise me) so that route's out.
 
I picked up the Tablo system when I bought the new antenna, it was easy to set up and worked okay, except the only stations I could get were Shopper's Network and three spanish stations, so it was a very expensive non-starter.  @liquidicem , does your Tablo run extremely hot?  Mine did, I actually took the cover off it and wondered how much my light bill might go up.  

News2u

Botch said:

Congrats, @News2u
I did the same thing about five years ago, and was very happy.  Then two years later the PBS station started having problems, then CBS, then a year later I couldn't pull anything OTA.  I purchased a better antenna (after checking all wiring), still nothing; I've had to go back to Dish just to get the major channels.
 
I've had antenna experts out to adjust, fiddle, try things, no one can figure out why I can't get OTA anymore.  Kind've a pisser that I'm willing to be happy with just the major networks, and then can't get them!  
 
Does your antenna include any kind of amplifier?  

No amplification. I had my wife FaceTime call me when I was on the roof and aim her iPhone camera at the screen. When I saw the max signal register on the screen, I tightened down the nuts on the reflectors. The mast is 3 feet of 2" PVC pipe I spray painted black. It fit perfectly over the DirecTV foot post...where I anchored it with 6 one-inch screws. 

NPHuskerFL

We're considering, and have been for some time, doing this. You're in SJC right? Heavily wooded and how many broadcasts are you pulling in?  Is the antenna avail online or is it a diy style fabrication?  I've also been under the impression you can pay a little cash to get HBO Etc. I'm not sure how that would work exactly but I've been told this more than once.

NPHuskerFL

Disregard part of my above. Just read the thread in its entirety

News2u

NPHuskerFL said:

We're considering, and have been for some time, doing this. You're in SJC right? Heavily wooded and how many broadcasts are you pulling in?  Is the antenna avail online or is it a diy style fabrication?  I've also been under the impression you can pay a little cash to get HBO Etc. I'm not sure how that would work exactly but I've been told this more than once.

I'm in Duval, but practically on the Julington Creek county line with SJC. I'm getting all of the local stations crystal clear, uncompressed, stunning quality video neither cable nor satellite can deliver. It's DIY, but, frankly, there are antennae at Best Buy for around $100 that will deliver almost as good. I've heard about a way to bring in HBO, but I've not persued it. I'm NOT technical, but I know how to build stuff.

Even if DirecTV NOW stopped the free offering of HBO, I piggyback my son's HBO NOW-on-demand-account, and he's in Atlanta. As they say, there's more than 1 way to skin a cat.

News2u

Botch said:

News2u said:
I got DirecTVNow when it launched in December with lifetime promotional price of $35/month with no contract. 

The DirecTV folks knocked on my door a couple months ago and said, "I see you have Dish on your roof, how many years? bet you're paying a LOT more than $39/mo, that we offer!"
I told him I'm sick of their business model, raising the rates on their own customers, more and more the longer you stay with them, and having to switch providers every 3 years or so.  I then mentioned that I read on some forum (it may have been you!) that a lifetime guarantee on rates was available, and I'd be very happy to switch to something like that.  
He told me that offer is illegal in the state of Utard (which doesn't surprise me) so that route's out.
 
I picked up the Tablo system when I bought the new antenna, it was easy to set up and worked okay, except the only stations I could get were Shopper's Network and three spanish stations, so it was a very expensive non-starter.  @liquidicem , does your Tablo run extremely hot?  Mine did, I actually took the cover off it and wondered how much my light bill might go up.  

The system is so greedy, I am still getting calls from DirecTV's satellite arm (you know, the dinosaur division) begging me to come back. It's only when I say I AM your customer -- in the streaming department (you know, the wave of the future) --, they say, "Oh, we're sorry, " and hang up. So they are still preying on the automotons out there. They'll call again this month. With reception like this why would you ever go back?PBS, FOX, local independents all come in as brilliantly. There's nothing like that sense of conquest when you know one of the pounds driving that stake thru the heart of the blood sucker came from you.

liquidicem

Botch said:

I picked up the Tablo system when I bought the new antenna, it was easy to set up and worked okay, except the only stations I could get were Shopper's Network and three spanish stations, so it was a very expensive non-starter.  @liquidicem , does your Tablo run extremely hot?  Mine did, I actually took the cover off it and wondered how much my light bill might go up.  

It runs pretty warm.  I won't call it hot, but a lot of these types of electronics are designed that way these days.
We couldn't be happier with the setup.  We pull in all the major networks and there substations with a better picture than we ever got with DirecTV.  I stream from it to two Roku's, an Xbox One, Android Tablet, iPhone, and a Nexus phone both at home and on the go.

DaveRichardson

Farking internet filters!  I can't youtube here at the clinic!  Might have to check out this antenna guy from Macon; I'm just a little bit north of him on the southside of ATL.  I've been looking to cut the home pone as well which is thru our cable company.  I'd still have to pay someone for internet service; got a teenager.....  Its a must!

News2u

DaveRichardson said:

Farking internet filters!  I can't youtube here at the clinic!  Might have to check out this antenna guy from Macon; I'm just a little bit north of him on the southside of ATL.  I've been looking to cut the home pone as well which is thru our cable company.  I'd still have to pay someone for internet service; got a teenager.....  Its a must!

You won't regret it. First chance I get on my next trip up to Hotlanta to see my son, l'm detouring for a sec to look Danny up.

The_Stache

@News2u, what type of internet service do you have?

News2u

Xfinity, not the upper level-- Blast Tier, believe they call it.

News2u

liquidicem said:

Botch said:

I picked up the Tablo system when I bought the new antenna, it was easy to set up and worked okay, except the only stations I could get were Shopper's Network and three spanish stations, so it was a very expensive non-starter.  @liquidicem , does your Tablo run extremely hot?  Mine did, I actually took the cover off it and wondered how much my light bill might go up.  

It runs pretty warm.  I won't call it hot, but a lot of these types of electronics are designed that way these days.
We couldn't be happier with the setup.  We pull in all the major networks and there substations with a better picture than we ever got with DirecTV.  I stream from it to two Roku's, an Xbox One, Android Tablet, iPhone, and a Nexus phone both at home and on the go.

Don't care how hot it gets, I'm on its website right now. Thanks for the tip.

In Britain (and in other countries in Europe), you can DVR with a thumb drive connected to on the new very Samsung I got. But the flatscreens we get in America are encoded against digitally recording content. Supposedly a Samsung technician can decode that blocker to allow DVR. 

DaveRichardson

 

In Britain (and in other countries in Europe), you can DVR with a thumb drive connected to on the new very Samsung I got. But the flatscreens we get in America are encoded against digitally recording content. Supposedly a Samsung technician can decode that blocker to allow DVR. 

If I could figure that out, it'd be worth it to get a second TV at my folks house to record onto......  Very Interesting!!!!!!!

News2u

DaveRichardson said:

 

In Britain (and in other countries in Europe), you can DVR with a thumb drive connected to on the new very Samsung I got. But the flatscreens we get in America are encoded against digitally recording content. Supposedly a Samsung technician can decode that blocker to allow DVR. 

If I could figure that out, it'd be worth it to get a second TV at my folks house to record onto......  Very Interesting!!!!!!!

 In fact in the operations manual for the 65 inch Samsung that I got, it shows you how to hook the television up to either a thumb drive or external drive for those owners who don't live in America. 

News2u

DaveRichardson said:

 

In Britain (and in other countries in Europe), you can DVR with a thumb drive connected to on the new very Samsung I got. But the flatscreens we get in America are encoded against digitally recording content. Supposedly a Samsung technician can decode that blocker to allow DVR. 

If I could figure that out, it'd be worth it to get a second TV at my folks house to record onto......  Very Interesting!!!!!!!

I found that part of the eManual for the Samsung Smart TV we have where it discusses recording to a USB device:

News2u

HellrodKC said:

What streaming services do you have? Wife and I are investigating dumping Direct TV and have been looking at Sling TV as a replacement to go along with Netflix that we currently have. 

DirecTV Now sent me an email last night saying the HBO TRIAL is for 1 year, and that it hoped I like it. To add it to my pkg is an extra $5/mo, they tell me. Which is fine, but unless it has on-demand capability -- which it doesn't -- it's useless. One thing that is particularly bothersome about DirecTV Now is you can only have 2 devices logged on at 1 time. So if you are going out of town you have to make sure that you have logged out of the devices at your house. By contrast, HBO Now (and some other apps) doesn't put a limit on the number of connected devices. So DirecTV still hasn't shed its monopolistic ways as a streaming service. It needs to get current and serve it's paying customers by making the service more friendly.

55drum

You know that's not legal, right? 

Actually just watching is supposedly ok.....now if you were to download and save, that could get you into trouble

News2u

55drum said:

You know that's not legal, right? 

Actually just watching is supposedly ok.....now if you were to download and save, that could get you into trouble

An interesting observation. I had no idea.