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How Do You Mostly Receive Broadcast TV? - Page 6

Poll Results: How Do You Mostly Receive Broadcast TV?

 
  • 41% (212)
    Terrestrial OTA
  • 27% (142)
    Cable
  • 22% (113)
    Satellite
  • 4% (22)
    Online
  • 4% (22)
    I don't watch broadcast TV
511 Total Votes  
post #151 of 165
4/19/13 at 9:38am
It's impossible for me to answer the poll.  My viewing of broadcast channels is 0% satellite and <1% on-line, but the rest is about evenly divided between terrestrial OTA (that's oxymoronic, isn't it) and cable, and picking one or the other as the poll requires would be misrepresentative.
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post #152 of 165
4/20/13 at 2:14pm
This is a really interesting thread. My only objection is that I get agitated & jealous of the people who are able to pickup a decent OTA signal. Digital broadcasting really is a terrific opportunity, the PQ is generally better than cable TV, and it is priced right.

As expensive as my Charter digital TV package is compared to years past, I have to admit it delivers a lot of value. You really can't compare high-def digital TV with a DVR with what we were paying for 5 years ago. For me, it's a little too much of a good thing, I only need half a dozen channels.

I have started streaming TV on the internet. Honestly, as badly as I want to cut the cord, I don't see the internet as being quite there yet. The basic cable option, where it exists, is an analog signal that really doesn't cut it on today's TVs, that route is unattractive. I will loudly posture and threaten to cut the cord for a while, and when PBS becomes available in some option other than a full-featured TV package, I will boldly go where plenty of men have gone before.
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post #153 of 165
4/21/13 at 6:02am
It is the higher and higher cost of cable/dish that is driving most to cut the cord. Also, there are more and more shows on cable/dish that are repeats or just not making new ones as fast.
There keep the cost going higher all time mine braking point this year was adding $5.00 for local channels.
The only way to bring down the price is just cut the cord it is free to do in the USA. wink.gif

Today I have a DVR OAT that record two programs at one time and I have a better pitcher that cable gives me

Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Burger View Post

This is a really interesting thread. My only objection is that I get agitated & jealous of the people who are able to pickup a decent OTA signal. Digital broadcasting really is a terrific opportunity, the PQ is generally better than cable TV, and it is priced right.

As expensive as my Charter digital TV package is compared to years past, I have to admit it delivers a lot of value. You really can't compare high-def digital TV with a DVR with what we were paying for 5 years ago. For me, it's a little too much of a good thing, I only need half a dozen channels.

I have started streaming TV on the internet. Honestly, as badly as I want to cut the cord, I don't see the internet as being quite there yet. The basic cable option, where it exists, is an analog signal that really doesn't cut it on today's TVs, that route is unattractive. I will loudly posture and threaten to cut the cord for a while, and when PBS becomes available in some option other than a full-featured TV package, I will boldly go where plenty of men have gone before.
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post #154 of 165
4/22/13 at 2:31pm
OTA - rooftop antenna.
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post #155 of 165
4/23/13 at 8:16am
Satellite Directv.
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post #156 of 165
4/25/13 at 10:39am
I do have an HD Antenna for local free OTA content, but for the most part I dont find much TV in the USA worth watching. I dont find boys running around with no shirts vampires and the walking dead to be worth watching. I find myself watching a lot of Korean Shows with Sub-titles. Korean shows are new and fresh.
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post #157 of 165
4/29/13 at 9:35pm
OTA only for the last 20 years. I am 42 miles from the transmitters and get very good reception with an attic antenna and amplifier. The picture quality and the price are both the best. smile.gif

I hope the FCC doesn't force broadcasters out with the spectrum grab that seems to be consuming more and more of the TV frequencies.
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post #158 of 165
5/2/13 at 8:37am
OTA.
The others are just getting to be super expensive rip offs, contracts and fees that are pure BS.
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post #159 of 165
5/3/13 at 12:00pm
I'm in the process of converting over from cable (Comcast) to satellite (DirecTV) and now to OTA plus some ClearQAM channels off my cable internet cable feed. Rising fees and dropped coverage prompted the move.

Using a dual tuner card in an HTPC running Media Center for the OTA channels and an HDHomeRun box off the cable, combining those two should net about 150 different channels. Had not seen an OTA HD broadcast before and an really amazed at the improved picture quality compared to cable and satellite. I can now flip between all three at the same time on the same set and that comparison really shows up the picture quality degradation on cable/sat. Will be nice when I can drop that $130/mo. satellite bill next January.

Also got fed up with DIrecTV's attempt as "Media Sharing" on the STBs/DVRs. They offer such limited support for media formats and the PC access app is a joke, it was written back in 2009 and they are not even supporting it any more, yet tout it as part of their "DirecTV Everywhere" solution. With a PC at every screen, it only takes a minute to download a codec if you need to view some different media format.
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post #160 of 165
5/4/13 at 1:53pm
Converting over is not hard save a lot cash.
The down side I had was no DVR. Now I that fix ever thin is biggrin.gifbiggrin.gifbiggrin.gifbiggrin.gifbiggrin.gif again even better is play a better video than cable. wink.gif
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4Crawler View Post

I'm in the process of converting over from cable (Comcast) to satellite (DirecTV) and now to OTA plus some ClearQAM channels off my cable internet cable feed. Rising fees and dropped coverage prompted the move.

Using a dual tuner card in an HTPC running Media Center for the OTA channels and an HDHomeRun box off the cable, combining those two should net about 150 different channels. Had not seen an OTA HD broadcast before and an really amazed at the improved picture quality compared to cable and satellite. I can now flip between all three at the same time on the same set and that comparison really shows up the picture quality degradation on cable/sat. Will be nice when I can drop that $130/mo. satellite bill next January.

Also got fed up with DIrecTV's attempt as "Media Sharing" on the STBs/DVRs. They offer such limited support for media formats and the PC access app is a joke, it was written back in 2009 and they are not even supporting it any more, yet tout it as part of their "DirecTV Everywhere" solution. With a PC at every screen, it only takes a minute to download a codec if you need to view some different media format.
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post #161 of 165
5/9/13 at 5:36pm
Dish sat. and also HTPC or PC to TV sometimes .
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post #162 of 165
5/10/13 at 12:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smithdoor View Post

Converting over is not hard save a lot cash.
The down side I had was no DVR. Now I that fix ever thin is biggrin.gifbiggrin.gifbiggrin.gifbiggrin.gifbiggrin.gif again even better is play a better video than cable. wink.gif

Yes, the key to the whole DVR setup is getting accurate EPG/Guide information. That is what is taking me the most time with the ClearQAM channels off of Comcast. They don't broadcast that information on many of the channels and on some it is incorrect. So having to manually correct and map EPG information to the various channels, then merge those with the OTA channels off the antenna feed. So far getting most of that figured out with the DVBLink server feeding Windows 8 Media Center. Earlier this week got the Connect Server set up to send the tuner configs around to my 2nd PC, so once you set up the first PC as a server, all the other PCs just pick up the same set of tuners and Guide information. Took me a few weeks to fumble through the DVBLink setup to get things mostly working, now just working out all the little glitches.
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post #163 of 165
5/10/13 at 3:42pm
I use the PHD VRX has a good for 1 to 2 days out works great for DVR
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post #164 of 165
5/23/13 at 10:31pm
The broadcast channels that are not on cable, that I like to watch, I can see either OTA, or through Roku.

The signal to Roku for some channels is not so good (that is, the problem coming from the source, and not a Roku problem).

The difficulty is not having enough inputs with the flatscreen TV. A lot would be solved if, and when I get a receiver with pass-through HDMI.

I get the OTA channels through an RCA Box, that delviers the signal to my VCR. I send the VCR singals to the TV with RCA cables.

I run cable direct, without a box, to the 75ohm connector with the TV (using the TV's C-QAM tuner) to get cable channels that I would not otherwise get using the cable DTA box (which is free from Time Warner for now). The DTA box is connected to the TV with HDMI, as is the Roku and the BD Player.
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post #165 of 165
5/24/13 at 8:10am
There may be more joining the OTA viewers according to this May 20, 2013 article in Broadcast Engineering...

http://broadcastengineering.com/ott/directv-considers-rf-antennas-challenge-broadcast-retrans-fees

"Due to the high retransmission fees it has to pay to broadcasters, DirecTV will soon test a new set-top box configuration that incorporates an over-the-air broadcast antenna in several to-be-determined markets." (Everything old is new again. That's what they used to do.)

"The scheme could also help DirecTV avoid paying millions of dollars each year to broadcasters for the right to carry (and resell) television programming broadcast by the four major networks and their respective affiliates."

biggrin.gif
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