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Off the TV Grid

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2016 11:32 pm
by TermiteHunter
As most of you know, I am cheap
Always go for FREE (insert OCNA plug here)
After better than 27 years the NCS is on board (she had cable before we met and I had it shortly thereafter)

After some recent frustration with Uverse (2.5 years of service) and much more of TWC previously, we are likely embarking on the free TV market. (OK the newish car purchase helped drive this too)
I watch A LOT of TV and enjoy it. I have purchased and installed an antenna (Ollies $20 amplified rotating version, best deal anywhere, hooked up to the old TWC cable in the house providing all TV's access) Get all the major networks plus others ( looks like about 16+ channels or so with a few of interest)
I have access to Netflix (via WDLive plus) and can chromecast from the desktop. (though I am thinking of adding an old computer for direct access in the same room without obligating another computer)
I have a multitude of saved programming not available in the US on my computer (British and other country shows but the I have seen them)
Most networks that I can't get will put their shows up on their website for streaming which I could view delayed with the extra computer or chromecast. (like The Walking Dead, have to see that)

I find we do usually watch the major networks and access to most other shows I might be interested in are available on their respective websites which I can access. Those few other programs I might be interested in (Game of Thrones etc) that are only shown by cable and the like are available elsewhere but I won't go into that.

Anyone else out there that is Off the TV Grid but actually enjoy TV ?
What do you do?

Re: Off the TV Grid

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2016 11:21 am
by Sabrefan7
Mrs Sabrefan would not allow it! :D She just called TWC to get the bill reduced and we got rid of the land line phone. Everything I watch on tv is for the most part only available on cable. Baseball, Hockey
Science and Smithsonian channel ect. It is surprising how much is available by antenna though. The one in the RV picks up several when we are camping. There is even a channel called Antenna TV That of course is based on the area your in. We camp in finger lakes alot and there is only 1 tv station from Elmira that comes in. I pretty much only watch when its raining,, because Hey We are CAMPING!! :lol:

Re: Off the TV Grid

Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 5:27 pm
by Bon Echo
It's bump an old thread day ;)
Been using OTA now for 6 years. Easy for us since we don't watch a lot of TV anyway. Add netflix for a few months in the winter and an ever-growing number of shows we can stream on the laptop plus an Amazon Fire TV stick and a Roku2 and we have lots more crap to watch than we even care to.
I'm with you TH - cheap! My home phone (VoIP) and internet is $50/mo, cell is $10/mo PAYG, and TV is free. I bet most families are paying between $200-$300 a month for those 4 things!
All I need now to buy another antenna and point it towards Mr.Yuck (seriously) to get some of the US channels (right now I have one aimed at the CN Tower for the Canadian channels - what, you thought they built that great big tower just for kicks?)

Re: Off the TV Grid

Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2016 1:18 am
by TermiteHunter
Bump away...
Just over 5 months now and you know what? Don't miss it (home phone and pay tv).
I did decide to replace the aged main tv (old, blurry, dark areas, horrible blacks) with a new Smart UHDTV of larger proportions. Interestingly it can't read the formats I have most of my saved programs in. I moved the WDLive to the bedroom for use there and damaged the ethernet cable it uses in the process. (still need to replace that one day) Already had a Chromecast for internet stuff. Found an app for OTA TV listings so I'll know whats on.

Still watch most every thing I watched before. Those cable only networks and their can't miss shows pretty much fade away and are forgotten, replaced by other selections. If you don't see the listing, run across it flipping channels or see the ads you don't miss what you don't know exists. There are a few shows that I do miss or access at a time delay but they are rare. That just made me think of Moonshiners, Being a homebrewer I did enjoy that.

Netflix works when you know what you want to watch and order up,(more of a Millenial age style of watching) I generally prefer to be served and select from that buffet.
I have great options for OTA TV here. All the networks, massive PBS options, a few movie channels, a scifi channel, western channels, comedy / sitcoms, METV, Antenna tv, crime / justice channels and several more that I have no interest in.

The budget antenna has finally revealed it's reason for being sold at Ollies, The rotation motor appears to no longer work. Fortunately it stopped in the best possible postion.(since it was there most of the time anyway)

The cost cutting portion was significant but the provider significantly raised the internet price as it is no longer "bundled" with another service. Sure I could have added something like the phone at a minimum cost but that would still be more than internet alone. Ehhh.

Yep, no contract phones here either. I pay $35 for mine and the same for the wife. (used to be sub $10 month years ago but that didn't make the smart phone transition some time ago) We buy the phones so no iphones and S7's for us. We just replaced our phones recently with each being in the $100-150 range which is the most we have spent on phones.