HDTV Out of Thin Air
Tonight, I effortlessly installed Terk's HDTVa amplified, indoor HDTV antenna to pick up over-the-air HDTV signal. Amazon wanted $45 (free shipping), Best Buy.com wanted $65 (+shipping), and the local Best Buy brick-n-mortar wanted $75.
I've wanted to try this since we got our HD-ready TV last year, and I'm glad I finally did. Our basic channels are now HD, more numerous, and loaded with 16:9 goodness. So far, over-the-air HDTV makes me happy: ABC, CBS, and NBC are 1080i. We get more channels than Comcast's basic cable service, and even the non-HD channels are still digital (which is a tasty improvement).
Even though we've been paying Comcast twelve bucks every month (almost $300 so far!) for the same channels, we mostly depend on Hulu.com and ABC.com for our favorite network TV shows. It makes sense to go HD over-the-air and skip the recurring cost.
Also, with tiered Internet service on the horizon, it doesn't hurt to start reducing our bandwidth usage (because who can afford $75-$150/mo??)…
UPDATE:
We get about 12 useful channels -- not counting the 8-12 religious and foreign language channels or the 7-10 DTV simulcasts of the local HD stations (affiliates of the Big Four). If anyone wants more specific info, feel free to leave a comment.
I've wanted to try this since we got our HD-ready TV last year, and I'm glad I finally did. Our basic channels are now HD, more numerous, and loaded with 16:9 goodness. So far, over-the-air HDTV makes me happy: ABC, CBS, and NBC are 1080i. We get more channels than Comcast's basic cable service, and even the non-HD channels are still digital (which is a tasty improvement).
Even though we've been paying Comcast twelve bucks every month (almost $300 so far!) for the same channels, we mostly depend on Hulu.com and ABC.com for our favorite network TV shows. It makes sense to go HD over-the-air and skip the recurring cost.
Also, with tiered Internet service on the horizon, it doesn't hurt to start reducing our bandwidth usage (because who can afford $75-$150/mo??)…
UPDATE:
We get about 12 useful channels -- not counting the 8-12 religious and foreign language channels or the 7-10 DTV simulcasts of the local HD stations (affiliates of the Big Four). If anyone wants more specific info, feel free to leave a comment.