Quote:
Originally Posted by
DERG 
Probably a dumb question but is there an over the air broadcast of FSN Detroit or any ESPN, CNN or FNC?
With our DirecTV bill above $70 per month, we're looking for other options. We live about 50 miles from the Southfield broadcast towers so I know reception could be poor, especially during bad weather. Out here it's either Dish or DirecTV. Cable Companies are not, nor will they ever be, an option (population in the thumb area is too thin). But, some of our neighbors have digital converters now & seem to do okay.
As for FSN, ESPN, CNN of FNC without cable or satellite, the answer is NO, very rarely, NO and NO (OTA stations infrequently simulcast popular events from ESPN).
You could get a bare-bones SD package from Dish far cheaper than $70/mo., (but you may have to enter a contract), then use OTA for HD programs from the big five.
As for HD reception: My experience in the analog days, with relatives near Berville, was that the I-69 area was mostly wide open, and signals travelled very well. A 50 mile distance could work very well, but just a few more miles, or any depression of terrain in your immediate area, could sink you. If you are fortunate enough to have a tall TV tower on your house from the pre-cable days, use it.
TV Fool (tvfool.com) could give you a good idea of how DTV might work where you are. Just make sure to put in your exact address or coordinates. If the stations you want to see are in the yellow, a modest outdoor antenna should work fine.
