Rabbit Ears

Remember back in the days before cable & satellite tv? Television signals were (and still are) transmitted from big antennas to little antennas connected to your crappy black & white TV. Well, the more things change, the more they remain the same.

As I've mentioned many times in this blog, I have no cable or satellite hookup. It's been an important cost-cutting move. I quickly learned that there are many simple alternatives. As I type, I'm watching last night's NBC Nightly News from iTunes.

The lack of TV has it's pluses and minuses. The big plus is I'm amazed at the utter time-sync tv was to my life. I don't just sit there watching whatever crap is on. I read more books. When I am in front of the TV watching a DVD, it's something that I really want to watch. The big downside has been the lack of regular TV to watch sports on the weekend, news programs & the upcoming fall programs. It's also odd when guests come over. I've got a huge TV that no one can watch.

It's an interesting balancing act. One of my larger life objectives is a focus on "simplicity." Getting rid of bloated & expensive cable packages makes sense. But, do the many and creative ways that I now watch programing fit that bill? Actually, yes. The overall path to developing a simple lifestyle is frustratingly complex. This is about keeping costs down and focusing on choices. So, how does this tangent fit with the topic of this post? Glad you asked...

Digital and High Definition TV signals are broadcast over the air. These aren't your old analog signals (which are going away.) Traditional & modern antennas are cropping up all over. The quality of the signals often beat cable & satellite signals. With a digital "terrestrial" receiver & an antenna, anyone can get these signals for free. This enables you to watch all your local & regional television stations (affiliated ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS & independent stations.)

So, what do you do?

The first and most important step is determining your signal quality & appropriate antenna. Setting up an antenna can cost $10 to $150 depending on your needs. If your signal is good, then a simple antenna is perfect. But if you live in a rural area, a large outdoor antenna and cables may be required. So, how do I know what I need? There are two great websites to help do this.

AntennaWeb - This is a site created by CEA (Consumer Electronics Association.) Having their logo on the box of your antenna helps identify an industry agreed-upon level of quality control. It's chart easily and accurately indicated my station choices.

TV Fool - This site rocks! TV Fool takes data and crunches numbers to show you signal strengths at your location. This enabled me to make a reasonable determination of my antenna needs. There's even a GoogleEarth interface to download so you can see color-coded images of a station's broadcast range.

There are tons of antennas to choose from. I'm no expert. The good news is that a lot of big named retailers (Amazon, Circuit City, Buy.com) sell them. Most of their websites include customer opinions. Remember that some companies seed opinions. Your mileage will vary.

The next step is receiver/tuner. If you have a new HDTV w/ Digital receiver, you're set. However, most people fall into one of two categories: Old analog set OR HD-Ready TV. HD-Ready is a cost saving way for most people to buy HDTV's since most people have cable or satellite boxes. You are no longer "most people." You'll need a receiver.

The first and most important thing to know about receivers is to avoid cheap analog only boxes. They will be found on "small company" websites or on ebay. They will be obsolete in a year. You need a DTV ATSC OTA Tuner or Terrestrial DTV tuner. (That's over the air digital TV. ATSC is the standard.) Right at this moment in history, your choices are slim. A few years ago, several companies were making these tuners. You can still find them at 3rd-party retailers. If you want new and current tech, your search will probably turn up the only "big-named" terrestrial tuner in production, the Samsung HDTV Digital Terrestrial Receiver DTB-H260F.

If you don't want this tuner, you have a few options. You can find an online retailer with one of the older Samsung, Phillips or Zenith models. You can buy an off-brand receiver at an online retailer. You can buy a very expensive Sony or Phillips DVD recorder w/ Digital tuner. You can wait to see if manufacturers bring out new models when analog is officially killed.

Anyway, good luck. I've not made my purchase yet. I'm still waiting on a lead to save some money. What am I leaning toward? OK...

I'm leaning toward getting the Samsung HDTV Digital Terrestrial Receiver DTB-H260F & Terk HDTVa Indoor Amplified High-Definition Antenna for Off-Air HDTV Reception. My projected cost will be $200-225 (depending on retailer.) I'm still investigating some slightly more expensive multi-directional and attic antennas. I'll check back when I make the purchase.