Good Old TV

[cScjhb]

I got rid of my Dish TV and am getting ready to cut off my Streaming TV service. I installed an antenna and started watching stuff coming the old fashioned way. Tonight I watched an episode of the Johnny Cash Show. It was GREAT. Guest appearance from Charley Pride. He and Johnny did several duets which were spectacular. (Stick that in your eye, ANTIFA). Then the Statler Brothers did a couple songs including Flowers on the Wall. Guess I'm ready to tune out the current garbage (IMO) and watch truly entertaining shows from simpler times..... Jim

 

[paws]

How many channels do you get now.... are they consistently the same channels?

Are they sharp and clear or fade in and out?

Which antennae did you buy?

I know...so many questions from someone who relies on cable and hates the big $$ grab they get. I have looked into streaming but by the time I get it all set up and figure out how to use it all...I may as well have stayed with cable.

 

[Sully]

I also set up an antenna to get Free TV in our area. I got the antenna at Home Depot it's a Disk Beam type. Set it up on a 6 foot pole mounted on a tripod on my rear deck which is around 20 feet high. Works as good as cable. Receive all the local channels and a total of 42 channels.

 

[trike lady]

I have a Roku 1 that friends gave me and it works off the wireless signal, they have free stuff and paid. I can also watch programs from Roku on the laptop.

 

[cScjhb]

I have a Samsung TV that came with over 100 TV Plus channels installed. In addition my Antenna gave me about 60 more channels. I have deleted a lot of the channels like shopping, cooking, sales, and non-english speaking. I also have Roku, Tubi, Xumo, Pluto, and Haystack News channels..... All free. All the local channels come in as clear as any I have ever experienced. They are all digital. Some of the old shows and movies are not digital so they are what we saw 20 years ago. The antenna was bought on the internet but I don't remember the brand name. It is supposed to receive signals up to 80 miles away but most local TV towers are 30-40 miles from me. I paid about 50 bucks for the antenna and would do it again.

When installing the antenna I just used the existing cables wired in my home from my old Dish Network. I found out that ALL the Dish Network splitters need to be removed because they act as one way signal blockers. After discovering this, I replaced the Dish Network splitters with inexpensive ones purchased at Walmart.

Fox News is not available to me unless I continue to pay $55 per month for my live HULU subscription. Other than that, I have more than I could ever need or want.... probably 200-300 channels. And, I'm looking at alternatives to HULU..... Jim

 

[trike lady]

I found an indoor antenna that has a 75 mile range and the farthest tower is 39 miles away. The complex wouldn't allow for the installation of an outdoor version. I'll buy it and give it a try.

 

[MDO]

I did the same thing, just make sure it's a digital antenna. I got 1 the size of a picture frame.

You can even paint it to blend in with the wall color.

I also bought a Roku for about $39 & they do not have a monthly fee.

I do pay about $11 a month for Netflix, and $45 a month for high speed internet.

I love saving $90 a month.

 

[MDO]

I found an indoor antenna that has a 75 mile range and the farthest tower is 39 miles away. The complex wouldn't allow for the installation of an outdoor version. I'll buy it and give it a try.

Cool. I bought 1 for my living room & small TV in the kitchen. My bedroom I have a wall mounted 26" flat-screen & I made an antenna out of metal coat hangers & a piece of 2x4 about 30" long. I put it up in my attic. It's ugly as sin, but gets great reception for about $3. For some strange reason I could not get good reception in my bedroom with a store bought antenna. Thank goodness for Google & You Tube. I just made sure the coat hanger was down to bear metal where the washer contacts it and used stainless steel washers & screws. You use a 75 ohm to 300 ohm converter for the connection. I just set mine in the attic and it works. Here is a link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKynS43OCiI

 

[cScjhb]

I just watched the final episode of Barney Miller. It was a 3 part series with Barney doing flash backs of previous characters in the end. I think I missed this when it was originally on. Antenna TV rocks..... Jim

 

[hogcowboy]

I have a Samsung TV that came with over 100 TV Plus channels installed. In addition my Antenna gave me about 60 more channels. I have deleted a lot of the channels like shopping, cooking, sales, and non-english speaking. I also have Roku, Tubi, Xumo, Pluto, and Haystack News channels..... All free. All the local channels come in as clear as any I have ever experienced. They are all digital. Some of the old shows and movies are not digital so they are what we saw 20 years ago. The antenna was bought on the internet but I don't remember the brand name. It is supposed to receive signals up to 80 miles away but most local TV towers are 30-40 miles from me. I paid about 50 bucks for the antenna and would do it again.

When installing the antenna I just used the existing cables wired in my home from my old Dish Network. I found out that ALL the Dish Network splitters need to be removed because they act as one way signal blockers. After discovering this, I replaced the Dish Network splitters with inexpensive ones purchased at Walmart.

Fox News is not available to me unless I continue to pay $55 per month for my live HULU subscription. Other than that, I have more than I could ever need or want.... probably 200-300 channels. And, I'm looking at alternatives to HULU..... Jim

Do you have to do anything special to access those goodies? I have, supposedly, a smart TV but I don't see any of those listed.

 

[cScjhb]

Do you have to do anything special to access those goodies? I have, supposedly, a smart TV but I don't see any of those listed.

I get TV channels three different ways. Now, from my antenna, over the internet, and the channels that were pre-loaded in my TV (TVPlus). I'm not sure about all the technical stuff. I am paying for internet for my laptop and I think, somehow I had to pair the TV up to the internet. That didn't cost any thing extra. Then I looked for free TV apps and just chose the ones that looked interesting and activated them. There are still a lot more available for free and even more, like netflix, that charge. When I hit the "home" button on my remote it brings up all the apps I have installed and each one has a bunch of channels. Hope this helps..... Jim

 

[paws]

Today I looked online at that Samsung tv that has all those channels loaded up...looked at the list of channels it has.... I didn’t recognize but maybe 3 or 4. I am so used to being a prisoner of cable tv that I have tunnel vision....LOL.

 

[retread83]

We went with Roku a while ago. Very satisfied.

 

[cScjhb]

Duplicate

 

[cScjhb]

Today I looked online at that Samsung tv that has all those channels loaded up...looked at the list of channels it has.... I didn’t recognize but maybe 3 or 4. I am so used to being a prisoner of cable tv that I have tunnel vision....LOL.

I know there are a lot of mysterious channels. It takes a bit of time to wade through all the garbage. But I got into a routine of what I like. Right now I'm watching Johnny Carson which comes on every night at 10PM. It used to be that it came on originally at 11. Glad it is an hour earlier because it's hard to stay up that late. Been so long that's it like seeing it for the first time..... Much better than the current late night stuff IMO..... Guests tonight are Erma Bombeck and John Trovolta. John looks like a nervous young kid. Episode from 1981..... Jim

 

[hogcowboy]

Do any of you get TVLAND or TVLND that Dish or DirectTV has on your open air antenna set-up? That and another channel that I can't remember right now, is the only reason I still have Dish. So far I've not found it with my antenna and so called smart TV. I love the old shows that channel has. Far better than the crap they are airing today. Reality TV, give me a break! Contrived TV is more like it.

 

[cScjhb]

Do any of you get TVLAND or TVLND that Dish or DirectTV has on your open air antenna set-up? That and another channel that I can't remember right now, is the only reason I still have Dish. So far I've not found it with my antenna and so called smart TV. I love the old shows that channel has. Far better than the crap they are airing today. Reality TV, give me a break! Contrived TV is more like it.

Over the air programming will be different for each market. I get 11 channels that broadcast primarily older shows.

Those channels are; Comet, COZI, MeTV, Charge, Heroes, Antenna TV, Laff TV, GRIT, GET TV, Buzzr, and Decades.

I'm looking right now at the guide and currently these shows are on.... Bob Newhart, Laramie, Highway to Heaven, Walker, Texas Ranger, That Girl, Numb3rs, Magnum P.I., & Gunsmoke. Almost too much to choose from. I am a knats' eyelash away from cancelling my HULU account. I only use HULU to check the stock market in the mornings and to watch Fox News in the evenings. After about an hour of news, I need to switch channels, take a deep breath, and get myself a cocktail..... Jim

 

[hogcowboy]

Over the air programming will be different for each market. I get 11 channels that broadcast primarily older shows.

Those channels are; Comet, COZI, MeTV, Charge, Heroes, Antenna TV, Laff TV, GRIT, GET TV, Buzzr, and Decades.

I'm looking right now at the guide and currently these shows are on.... Bob Newhart, Laramie, Highway to Heaven, Walker, Texas Ranger, That Girl, Numb3rs, Magnum P.I., & Gunsmoke. Almost too much to choose from. I am a knats' eyelash away from cancelling my HULU account. I only use HULU to check the stock market in the mornings and to watch Fox News in the evenings. After about an hour of news, I need to switch channels, take a deep breath, and get myself a cocktail..... Jim

I believe those are the ones I'm currently getting. GRIT or maybe MEtv is the one that has some Gunsmoke and that's why I still have DISH, to get TVLAND. Gunsmoke there is like a marathon. Can see some Gunsmoke for several hours versus 1 hour and gone. I got hooked on watching for mistakes on that show. It's a blast. Like when have you ever seen a 20 ton rock move when you leaned on it. And there are many many more. I usually don't spot the gaffs until I've seen the same show several times. I get back into watching the show and not watching for gaffs. It's hard believe it or not. That's how they get away with leaving them in. You just miss it watching the show and context. But that's with any show. I just like Gunsmoke so pick on it all the time. I was hoping someone found where TVLAND might be hiding under some of those other free things you can access with a smart TV. I bet it's there, SOMEWHERE.

 

[cScjhb]

I believe those are the ones I'm currently getting. GRIT or maybe MEtv is the one that has some Gunsmoke and that's why I still have DISH, to get TVLAND. Gunsmoke there is like a marathon. Can see some Gunsmoke for several hours versus 1 hour and gone. I got hooked on watching for mistakes on that show. It's a blast. Like when have you ever seen a 20 ton rock move when you leaned on it. And there are many many more. I usually don't spot the gaffs until I've seen the same show several times. I get back into watching the show and not watching for gaffs. It's hard believe it or not. That's how they get away with leaving them in. You just miss it watching the show and context. But that's with any show. I just like Gunsmoke so pick on it all the time. I was hoping someone found where TVLAND might be hiding under some of those other free things you can access with a smart TV. I bet it's there, SOMEWHERE.

I get free TVLAND streaming on both the YouTube and Pluto apps on my TV. On Pluto there are a few channels of TVLAND such as TVLAND Adventure, TVLAND Sitcoms, etc. Both Pluto and YouTube are coming to me over the internet, not my air antenna. I have a difficult time navigating around some of the apps. With internet connection and a smart TV there are literally hundreds of channels. One very interesting series I started watching several months ago on YouTube is called Itchy Boots. About a young lady traveling the world solo on a motorcycle. Her latest trip was interrupted in South America by the Covid lockdown. Her episodes are literally a tour of the world. Very well done. If you take a look, be sure to start from the beginning. It is habit forming..... Jim

 

[hogcowboy]

I've stayed away from the internet stuff because I just don't have a provider that is consistently fast enough. It loses something when you get burst of viewing with what might have been the meat of the story gone, skipped over because of the delay. I just can't deal with that. At least I know where TVLAND is hiding. I was sure hoping the open air stuff had it somewhere that I just haven't been able to look due to need of subscription or something. I might have considered a subscription just the check it out. Oh well.