We Are Pulling The Plug......Finally ATSC Box

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When I called DirecTV today to disconnect, they tried to offer me the same package for $45 less and then just tried to talk me into keeping a basic service package for about $30-35/mo. I still declined, I told them that I'm just not turning on the TV anymore so I don't want to pay for service that I'm not going to use. The only complaint I ever had with DirecTV is the fact that they changed their music channel provider - I liked Sirius/XM's programming better: the oldies and swing stations had period accurate news breaks that, as a history enthusiast, I found very fun and interesting.
 
What's "Micro SD" on the Roku box you pointed ou

The SD card is mainly for games and such, it keeps some content readily available.  The unit operates fine without it.  I have sd cards in all of mine mainly because I had them laying around after I pulled the 2G cards out of my phones.
 
the composite inputs on my Sony TV would be analog, correct?

Yes, if all you want is internet streamed video than you wouldn't need a broadcast ATSC to NTSC converter box. But since converter boxes are relatively cheap (and you might be able to get one very cheap off Craigslist) I can't see doing without broadcast digital via a converter box. But maybe that's just me. I depend upon digital broadcasts, and really don't miss having cable.

Just keep in mind that composite and component video signals/cables are two very different things. All you have is composite so the BOL Roku box would fit your current needs just fine.
 
Yesterday I completed my research, and thanks for all the recommendations here.

I ended up with the Homeworx PVR150 digital to analog box. What made that most attractive is that I can connect a external hard disk to it and it'll act like a VCR.

Then I bought a Winegard HD7694P antenna that I'll start with by installing it in the attic. I also bought some Belden RG6 (50 ft) cable to run from the antenna to he box.

I also bought a Netgear N600 router and a Roku XS.

So this should be enough to get me going. According to DTV.gov I'm 34-38 miles from the television transmitter sites. The antenna has a range of 50 miles. So I should be ok.

I mentioned what I was doing to a few of our friends and they were kind of shocked. The most often comment I heard was "Since everything went digital I thought you HAD to subscribe to some kind of cable or satellite company". I told them there is a growing movement to "cut the cable" and in the end they'll be watching more content that is something that they really want to watch.

Did I forget anything?

What do you think about this editorial?

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/20/editorial-cutting-the-cable-cord-a-la-carte-trend/
 
Antenna web

I ditched cable long ago in favor of Netflix, but have missed having local stations for news, weather, etc, and this thread inspired me to see what stations I could pick up.

According to antennaweb.org, my area requires a violet code antenna, which would be a large directional antenna with an electric booster, and even with that set up, I was supposed to only pick up 2 channels, channel 34.1, WB, which is 31 miles away, and channel 29.1, KET (PBS), and its 2 sub stations, 23 miles away.

I made a homemade 4 bay antenna with a peice of scrap wood, 2 wire coat hangers, and a 24 inch oven rack as a reflector, using instructions I found online. Once it was mounted on a 12 foot mast, I was able to pick up not just only 2 broadcast stations listed on antenna web, but also channel 20.1, another WB, 100 miles away in Knoxville, and channel 22.1, another PBS, also with 2 substations, 90 miles away in Cookeville.

Seems antenna web gives a very moderate estimate of what sort of channels a person can receive, compared to what one can really expect. Keep in mind, antenna web said I would need a violet antenna with a booster, mounted on a 20 to 30 foot mast. I am picking up more channels than they said using a homemade antenna on a 12 foot mast, with no booster.

I tried swapping my homemade antenna for a 40 dollar one from Walmart, with built in electric booster, and actually lost channel 34.1, which is only 30 miles away, and my signal level on all the other channels went from 75 percent to 45 percent. I put my homemade antenna back on the mast, and am returning the one from Walmart in the morning.

I think I will try using a good antenna booster from radio shack or the like, and see if I can receive any more channels, I would like to at least get channel 13.1, and it's 2 substations, from bowling green, which is 70 miles away, since it broadcasts ABC on one station, and if I understand correctly, fox on one of its substations. I will let you guys know how it works out..
 
Now that we have all of our equipment, I'm thinking about hiring someone to install the rooftop antenna for us. Our roof is very steep. Maybe a 45 degree angle.

Two years ago I went up there to paint the chimney surround. I needed to sand the area before painting. So I took up with me a brand new $125. sander. Just as I got to the peak of the roof I lost my grip on the sander. Within 10 seconds it slid down the roof, landed on the driveway and exploded into a jillion pieces. I was really pissed off about that one.

Right now with our outside temps hovering around 100F(40C) it's way too hot to even think about going up there. I'll wait till fall and cooler temps.
 
 
I got rid of cable TV summer of 2006 after I ran the mower over the part of the line that wasn't buried near the pole and figured I wasn't watching it enough to justify keeping the service active.
 
There is a new service coming to town soon, it's called Aereo. It provides local channels using a dime sized antenna that sits on your television for $8.00 per month. You can add a DVR for $12.00 per month.

One of my friends suggest this so "you won't have to spend money on an antenna."
After reviewing this, in 8 months I am ahead with my antenna than with Aereo. The cost of the antenna and RG6 was about $80.00. With Aereo I'd just continue paying.

Does anyone remember the service called "On-TV"? They provided you with a very strange looking indoor antenna and If I remember it was about $29.95 per month in 1985 or so. It's main feature was that after 10pm they showed soft core porn.
 
Close, but not quite...  Aero does use small dime sized antennas, but at their location.  They send the signal over the Internet.  There is a big brouhaha over this, with lots of law suits.  Read all about it if you wish.  Not sure where I sand on the subject.  Both sides have some valid points.  Seems the networks could wipe out Aero quite easily if they just streamed their content like many other things are streamed -- but they like to live in the dark ages and have to be dragged into the 1990's.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1467819/official-aereo-discussion-thread
 
Move Over Girls & Boys

We've just been "zapped" by Time Warner Cable here in NYC.

Apparently they have been fooling around (upgrading) all their signals from analog to digital and now you can no longer simply "plug in" your television to get over the air signals (read basic cable). Now you must contact TWC and get a digital box that will be free for at least 2014, thereafter a few dollars per month.

Let me make this perfectly clear, one would rather eat dirt than get into bed with TWC.

Tomorrow am off to Best Buy and or Radio Shack to investigate "HD" antennae options. Am told these are a hot commodity at the moment in NYC due to the ongoing TWC and CBS spat.

http://www.cedmagazine.com/news/2013/08/twc’s-all-digital-migration-takes-manhattan
 
Look at the Winegard Flatwave antenna. It is highly rated and is multi directional. HD sells it for $29.95, but you can get a new one on Ebay for about $17.00 or so, new.

I bought one to get me buy until I can get up on the roof to install the large antenna.
 
A friend of ours gave us a demo of his Roku box. We were definitely impressed with it. Some of my findings.

Picture quality = Outstanding

Programming - You could easily get lost in the choices for a week or more. Not all of it is free. There are movies upon movies, every television show you could imagine, and even language courses. Plus there is international television. Some of those have a subscription fee of $0.99 per month.

And you also can get radio stations world wide. We were listening to a progressive rock station from Moscow. Perfectly clear.

And instead of The Weather Channel, you get The Weather Underground which is far better. You have access to all the weather graphs as you want to see them, including hydro trending, pressure trending, etc. And it's free.

And if you are a gamer type, there are tons of free games. On some models the remote acts like a WII controller.

I can see after a few days of having this thing we'll be looking for a HDTV.

The only negative thing I didn't like was that on a few stations the screen seems to freeze and the word "Buffering" pops up on the bottom of the screen. This can lst up to 5 minutes for a movie or so, but once done it doesn't do it again for the rest of that show. A minor inconvenience.
 
Cool

The reason for my purchase of the Roku was the ability to mirror my laptop screen to the TV wirelessly. Everything else is just a Bonus!

Malcolm
 
Roku & Weather Underground

I've been a loyal Wunderground user for years, they are kind of an "open source" weather service and their subscriber rate has always been a mere $5 a year. As a weather geek they are my source.

Unlike The Weather Channel they don't go sticking their finger into NOAA's eye by deciding to needlessly name winter storms and other such silliness!

I may buy a Roku even though I'm currently hitched to an Apple TV at the moment.

And once again a reminder to Launderess and others buying an over the air antenna, AVOID all models that claim to be HD antennas because the only difference with those is the "HD" pricing. All you need is a UHF antenna, the fact that its now a digital signal in many cases actually makes a smaller antenna viable. Depending on your market you might get buy fine with one of the old back-of-set 7" UHF loops!
 
Thanks for the tips guys!

We are in a double bind as with Whirlcool are still using an old CRT monitor (JVC) thus also require a digital converter box as well.

Have been looking through Crutchfield (my FAV online audio/electronic source) and a few nice LG and Samsung LED TVs can be had at a good price. Really want plasma but just rejigged our entertainment setup and there simply isn't room for something 42" wide. Even 32" or so is going to be pushing it so that's me for you.

Obvious solution would be to mount the thing on wall, but then you have to consider viewing angles.
 
The old tube will still work fine with the digital converter box. I have a 27" Sony I have yet to toss, although it hasn't been turned on in 6 months... The biggest problem with the old TV's is that you don't have an HDMI input so interfacing with modern streaming boxes can be an issue. I set up a system for a friend using a Denon AV receiver and it would actually do a backwards conversation, it will take HDMI and output S-Video or component video which could be handy.

I've been looking at the upper end Samsung LED LCD's. They are pretty impressive TV's and they use so little power. The 60" I tested averages just over 100 watts, amazing. They run almost cool to the touch. At this point in time I can't imagine buying a Plasma. The LCD's with the dynamic back lighting are so good. I wouldn't put up with the power consumption and possible RFI and longevity problems Plasma displays sometimes have. I predict Plasma displays will be gone within 10 years, but then again 25 years ago I said non-synthetic oil would be gone by 2000 too.

Consider Vann's & B&H as possible retailers too. I have ordered from Crutchfield many times since the 80's. Somehow I am getting less enamored with lately though.

Finally my advice for mounting a panel is to get a floor standing mount. The VASA mounting standard used on all panel displays does make for very easy and flexible mounting. I have installed a number of TV's on walls and I'm pretty much over that now. I like the floor stands that often contain an equipment cabinet under them. This way its easy to move the TV to clean or if you change your mind etc. Most aren't very tall though so if you want the TV to be high this could be an issue. Personally I don't want the bottom of the display to be higher then my eye level, but of course this is a preference thing.
 
Have Been A Fan of Crutchfield's For Years

Purchased first major electronic (read *adult) television, receiver, CD player et al from them some fifteen years ago. One item arrived defective and when contacted C sent a replacement ASAP. Also instructed me to send back the previous unit via return UPS label mentioned was going through a bad family event (father's mortal illness and death), said "No Problem", just sent the unit back when you get the time.

It was several weeks later after much of one's mourning was out before got around to getting that box to UPS, all the while Crutchfield never bothered us at all on the matter.

B&H is located here in NYC so one would loose the tax and free shipping advantage of Crutchfield, still may wonder do their shop this weekend or next to see what there is.
 

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