The cable bill is one of the most expensive bills to be paid every month. Hence if you are planning to cut the cord, this is the right time to do so and watch TV absolutely free of cost. But for saving those extra bucks, you would need a good over-the-air digital antenna so that it can assist in watching all of your favorite TV shows. The cable companies do not want their viewers to know that just by installing an over-the-air TV antenna you can get free high-definition channels without paying any additional fees. It is not a complicated process; all you would need is understanding of how the selection has to be done. Note that there is no one size that would fit everyone. There is a lot of research that goes in before the selection of the TV antenna. Let us look at a few of the details on how you can watch all of your favorite HD channels with just a digital TV antenna.
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Digital Television:
The over-the-air digital television is till now considered to be one of the most under-rated technological breakdowns. But slowly it has been gaining recognition with more and more cord-cutters taking the plunge to cut the cable and go in for OTA antennas so that they can view local channels absolutely free of cost. In comparison to the olden times, in digital TV you would not come across any picture degradation or any snowy pictures. Hence the issues regarding the picture quality would rarely come up as an issue. It has been seen that cable and satellite companies would actually compress the HD signals which they would receive from the broadcasters. This, in turn, resulted in lowering picture quality for those who watch cable or satellite TV. Another benefit that comes along with digital TV is that you also get a channel guide feature. The broadcast digital signal is basically encoded with the information regarding the current programs as well as the future ones. When you have a compatible television unit or a converter box, then this guide feature would display for providing the necessary information.
How to get started?
Find out which channels are available in your area. First and foremost, you should be finding out the details on which channels are available in your area. For those who reside in a metropolitan region, there would be multiple choices to select from. Few of the major broadcasting networks include Fox, ABC, NBC, and CBS. To get this information, you can check out the websites such as TVFool.com, Antennaweb.org or FCC. All you would need to do is enter your location details or the area code. The details would pull up information such as some channels, a distance of transmitting tower and your home, number of broadcasters in your area, type of antenna required and so on. With the help of this information, purchasing a digital TV antenna would become easier. You are selecting whether an indoor or outdoor antenna is purely on the resources that you view on the website. Both of them would have their set of pros and cons, but ultimately it is a personal preference. Hence if something works well for your neighbor, then it is not necessary that it should work well for you as well.
Will digital TV antenna work with any TV?
Once you plan to purchase a digital TV antenna, all you would need is a TV set that is compatible with the antenna so that it can receive the digital signals. Most of the older style TV sets which were called as tube television are not compatible hence in such cases there would be a need for a converter box. Either get a new age TV unit or a converter box. Once the antenna connections are done, all you would need to do is check the setup menu and scan for the broadcasted channels. You should be aware of the number of channels available in your area and accordingly check the scan results.
The number of channels received
On average, you can receive around 12 to 50 channels considering the various factors. But this would not include the premium channels since those have to be subscribed separately or viewed through online streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and so on. You also have the option of renting DVDs if there is a need to watch certain premium channels such as HBO. Digital TV antenna provides hosts of local channels and if you are lucky enough then you may also get certain regional channels absolutely free — regional channels such as news, weather, cookery show, entertainment and so on. You may come across certain channels which you were not even aware of earlier.
Hence the digital TV antenna is not a bad bargain
Another important factor that one should be considered for the number of channels received, the placement of the antenna is important. Where you position your antenna and at what height it is placed all matters for receiving strong signals which in turn mean more number of channels. The indoor antenna should be positioned high on the wall or the window so that it can pick maximum signal. An outdoor antenna should also be placed at an appropriate location and pointed towards the broadcasting toward if in case of a directional antenna. Once all the factors are taken care of, you can be assured to receive HDTV channels absolutely free of cost just by setting up the antenna.
Conclusion
Surely cable and satellite were not all that bad if it was not for their outrageous pricing and low picture quality. Getting back the TV antennas from the good old days has done well for the public in general. You would need to just spend the initial purchasing price of the antenna. This is not some huge amount. Take it as an investment which you surely would not regret. Ultimately, you are getting free HD channels for the lifetime. So think no further and join the antenna revolution.
