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Really dumb question re: tv reception

M

mwade

New member
I'm broke so going to downgrade to just the free stations. Comcast will charge me $11/month plus $10 charge to downgrade. Trying to figure out if I can get channels w/o cable. I tried just unplugging the cable box (it's electrical plug) and got nothing. When I plugged it back in, but left it off, I had channels (as in changed away from "3" and got pbs/network on other numbers). Is there something I need to change about my tv so it doesn't have to be plugged in? Bought it w/in the last 18 months and it is a HDTV (have never bothered paying for HD channels) flat screen so I assume it is up to date w/ digital whatever.

Thanks.
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

If you're looking at completely ditching cable, you need an antenna. You can use a coat hanger (not really reccommended, but it will pull in a signal) or go to radio shack and buy one, or get something like this. Once you get that, and follow the directions, you can watch whatever you get over the air for free.

Here's Monoprice's video on what you need to do:

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As an aside, I need to buy an antenna myself. Bemidji State just signed a contract to air its hockey games on the local PBS station, and while I get it on the dish, it's not HD. If I spend the $20 (or even less, since the tower is less than a mile away and I could get away with rabbit ears), I can watch BSU hockey in HD every home weekend...
 
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Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

Thanks. The youtube video doesn't play - says it is private and you have to accept a friend request??

Does it have to mount on something? Not sure I can do that in this apartment. I know I'm not allowed to put anything outside. Only people with balconies are allowed to have dishes.
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

mwade said:
I'm broke so going to downgrade to just the free stations. Comcast will charge me $11/month plus $10 charge to downgrade. Trying to figure out if I can get channels w/o cable. I tried just unplugging the cable box (it's electrical plug) and got nothing. When I plugged it back in, but left it off, I had channels (as in changed away from "3" and got pbs/network on other numbers). Is there something I need to change about my tv so it doesn't have to be plugged in? Bought it w/in the last 18 months and it is a HDTV (have never bothered paying for HD channels) flat screen so I assume it is up to date w/ digital whatever.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong... IIRC, if you are not a cable subscriber you can pick up local channels without an antenna by running the cable directly to your tv from the wall jack if your tv has a QAM tuner (most newer tv's do).

If you enter your zip code here this site will tell you what channels are available. http://www.silicondust.com/support/channels/

As for your tv settings, you may have to change your source or input settings.
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

mwade said:
Thanks. The youtube video doesn't play - says it is private and you have to accept a friend request??

Does it have to mount on something? Not sure I can do that in this apartment. I know I'm not allowed to put anything outside. Only people with balconies are allowed to have dishes.
Click to expand...
You can get free-standing, internal use antennas. Just look around at any electronics stores' websites, or walk into the stores to see what they have. It's all quite simple.
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

mwade said:
Thanks. The youtube video doesn't play - says it is private and you have to accept a friend request??

Does it have to mount on something? Not sure I can do that in this apartment. I know I'm not allowed to put anything outside. Only people with balconies are allowed to have dishes.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I noticed that so I embedded it for you. Monoprice also sells free-standing indoor versons too. Like I said, you can also get something simelar at radio shack. There's no guarantee that you can pick up a signal through your cable wall jack. You could always try it (remove the cable box first and just run the cable to the TV like the old days) and run the scan like the video shows. If that doesn't work, then look into an indoor antenna.
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

mwade said:
I'm broke so going to downgrade to just the free stations. Comcast will charge me $11/month plus $10 charge to downgrade. Trying to figure out if I can get channels w/o cable. I tried just unplugging the cable box (it's electrical plug) and got nothing. When I plugged it back in, but left it off, I had channels (as in changed away from "3" and got pbs/network on other numbers). Is there something I need to change about my tv so it doesn't have to be plugged in? Bought it w/in the last 18 months and it is a HDTV (have never bothered paying for HD channels) flat screen so I assume it is up to date w/ digital whatever.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Certainly for that $11 Comcast is offering you something other than your local off-the-air channels? If not, it is hardly worth it. It may be hardly worth it if they are offering just a handful of channels other than what you can get off-the-air.

Most anything left plugged into your RF inputs (for instance, a cable box or as Moose indicates an old coat hanger) will act as an "antenna" and draw in your locals. As has been suggested, Radio Shack (and plenty of other places) can sell you a fairly cheap antenna. I have not seen a lot of difference in any of them as long as you are in an area that has fairly decent reception to begin with.

Consult your guide to see the steps to run a channel scan once you hook up an actual antenna. It will probably offer steps to run them for different set-ups (including looking for all your local off-the-airs) and that will program into the TVs memory all the channels you can get. In many areas this is more than you may realize. Here in South Bend even I get 13 different channels (including all the national networks) off the air.

Be forewarned that reception issues abound. An antenna "aimed" in one direction may work fine at 4:00 p.m for a channel but not at 8:00 a.m. Or it may work for most but not all. I have a devil of a time with my PBS stations off the air, but everything else comes in fine. SO to watch PBS I have to re-position the antenna most of the time. Where I live, DirecTV is unable to provide me a dish than can actually get the locals (and they actually only carry 5 of the locals anyway) so I have to watch my locals off the air.
 
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Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

Leasing office person said she'd ask about what the jack in the wall does so I'm going to postpone Comcast until I get that answer. Couldn't get the cable to unscrew off the box to try it otherwise. Thanks.
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

mwade said:
I'm broke so going to downgrade to just the free stations. Comcast will charge me $11/month plus $10 charge to downgrade. Trying to figure out if I can get channels w/o cable. I tried just unplugging the cable box (it's electrical plug) and got nothing. When I plugged it back in, but left it off, I had channels (as in changed away from "3" and got pbs/network on other numbers). Is there something I need to change about my tv so it doesn't have to be plugged in? Bought it w/in the last 18 months and it is a HDTV (have never bothered paying for HD channels) flat screen so I assume it is up to date w/ digital whatever.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Certainly for that $11 Comcast is offering you something other than your local off-the-air channels? If not, it is hardly worth it. It may be hardly worth it if they are offering just a handful of channels other than what you can get off-the-air.

Most anything left plugged into your RF inputs (for instance, a cable box or as Moose indicates an old coat hanger) will act as an "antenna" and draw in your locals. As has been suggested, Radio Shack (and plenty of other places) can sell you a fairly cheap antenna. I have not seen a lot of difference in any of them as long as you are in an area that has fairly decent reception to begin with.

Consult your guide to see the steps to run a channel scan once you hook up an actual antenna. It will probably offer steps to run them for different set-ups (including looking for all your local off-the-airs) and that will program into the TVs memory all the channels you can get. In many areas this is more than you may realize. Here in South Bend even I get 13 different channels (including all the national networks) off the air.
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

WeAreNDHockey said:
Certainly for that $11 Comcast is offering you something other than your local off-the-air channels? If not, it is hardly worth it. It may be hardly worth it if they are offering just a handful of channels other than what you can get off-the-air.
Click to expand...

IIRC high speed internet via Comcast is cheaper per month if you have some sort of cable TV hookup too, even if it's the $11/month plan.
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

I'm basically doing the same thing, going to a basic cable package and getting rid of hundreds of practically useless "premium"(?) channels. I don't watch the "Soap" channel, so I doubt I'll miss it. I also bought a BluRay player with WiFi capabilities to stream movies, shows, etc. from my Netflix account to the TV. Amazon is working on a subscription package too, so I may access their libraries in the future.
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

Greyeagle is right. Was waiting until I received the antenna to kill off completely and when I just called my choices were:

basic tv + internet = 60.58
just internet = 64.99

Hate them. Now I have to return the antenna as I'm not prepared to have internet access only when in downstairs "library" of my building, plus too slow to upload images.
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

mwade said:
Greyeagle is right. Was waiting until I received the antenna to kill off completely and when I just called my choices were:

basic tv + internet = 60.58
just internet = 64.99

Hate them. Now I have to return the antenna as I'm not prepared to have internet access only when in downstairs "library" of my building, plus too slow to upload images.
Click to expand...

Keep the antenna if you want the locals in HD in case the basic TV doesn't offer the locals in HD.
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

I never switched my Comcast subscription to HD and would rather have the $40 back.
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

mwade said:
I never switched my Comcast subscription to HD and would rather have the $40 back.
Click to expand...

Wait, what? You paid $40 for an antenna? After I/we told you a coat-hanger would work just as well? Was it made of gold? Surely you could have found one for ~ $10 somewhere (don't you have a Radio Shack near by? They've got those everywhere)... Maybe a garage sale?
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

Don't have a clue how a coathanger would work w/ my tv. I don't live in a house. I live in an apartment building. From the descriptions of the various antennas as well as the sites that were given here to know what channels might be out there, it didn't sound as though I'd have that easy a time getting signals. Get ZERO w/ it just unplugged from cable box which was weird because usually if cable was down I'd get this crazy Spanish-speaking evangelist going off on me. The one I bought sounded as though it would work for someone like me who doesn't have the patience to move **** around to try and get a signal. Doesn't matter now.
 
Re: Really dumb question re: tv reception

mwade said:
Don't have a clue how a coathanger would work w/ my tv.
Click to expand...

:D

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