At tvfool.com you can get an analysis of what OTA signals are available at your address. Here's what the output looks like:

TVFool for Rob's House

I only recently learned about the site so I don't have deep understanding of the chart yet, but there are directions on the site. The circle is directional for the channels in the table and the colors are the type of antenna you are likely to need to pick up said signal. I think Green equates to the paper clip shown above.

At a high level I think it means my attic antenna is orthogonal to optimal orientation... figures.

-Rob
-visit http://www.kahr.us to get my daughterboard that helps fix WPC pinball resets or my replacement LED display boards for model H & model S Skee Ball

this... although there is some techie mucking around with it sometimes, you can get/find whatever you want. just google, PLEX, Sonarr, and Couch Potato.

as for OTA, from where I am located, I would need a LONG RANGE" hd antenna to get local channels, the only thing I really wanted local for was the NFL. but with all of their shenanigans the last couple of years, I basically quit watching. even bailed on the last two super bowls.

Thought I would miss it, but like others have said, it has allowed me to get more stuff done with my PB collection! WINNING!!

A good compromise to cutting the cord completely is Spectrum's streaming service if it's available in your area. It's basically a Spectrum TV streaming app that has around 25 channels including locals and ESPN and also gives you all the HBO's or Showtime channels for $20/month. I've been using it for a few years' and between that, Netflix and Amazon Prime feel that it covers almost all of my entertainment needs. the only thing I wish it had was Big10 network and Fox Sports for Brewers games. It seems like a good value, especially since it includedes HBO GO which is usually $15 by itself. And when I ordered they even sent me a free Roku device. It doesn't seem like Spectrum likes to advertise that this is available.. probably because they make a lot less off of it than their regular TV packages.

https://www.spectrum.net/support/tv/spectrum-tv-stream/

Is there any simple solution for live tv besides local OTA? If it was just me I could easily cut the cord. I've had a HTPC for years and recently just got a nvidia shield for all my streaming apps. However my wife likes to watch shows on the history channel, bravo, food network, discovery channel, etc. I don't want to make it complicated for her to watch these channels and it's why I haven't really considered cutting the cord yet. But paying $250 a month for fios gets old.

Here's my setup:

Comcast Gigabit (1-Gbps down/35-Mbps up)

OTA antenna connected to Tablo allows me to stream OTA to any TV in the house. Tablo connects via WiFi, HDHomeRun over Ethernet. Just keep that in mind. 1-TB USB drive connected to Tablo for DVR.

Roku attached to all TVs in the house.

Plex Media Server running on a Western Digital NAS. I use it mainly for streaming music but I also ripped my entire DVD collection of movies and TV shows for streaming.

Hulu Live TV for cable channels

NetFlix. Although I would cancel it if it weren't for the wife and kids.

Amazon Prime

There's a ton of channels and a ton of content available for streaming on Roku. Some of my favorite free channels are YouTube, PlutoTV and CBS Sports HQ.

It feels so good to cut the cord! Did so many years ago and life is much better! Enjoy

You really just need to look at the channels available on streaming services like Hulu, Sling, YouTube TV, Philo, Playstation Vue, Fubo etc and pick the one that has the best package.

Do any of them allow you to watch weekly shows? For example watching something like TWD or Gold Rush. Don't really want to wait till the end of the season for them to all becomes available.

Yes. It's just like having cable.

Very nice setup. and yes, if this stuff was just for us nerds, no reason to keep the big boys around, however sometimes for other family members you need the turnkey solutions that simply work with no fuss....

That's the key -- you can get maximum savings and flexibility going the Usnet route, but for many of us it's worth paying a bit more for a slick UI and trouble-free operation for the whole family.

Just cut the cord.

In a month, you will not even worry about missing a few boring games.

Use the money you save to buy a new 4K TV. They all have Roku and Netflix built in, so you just have a single remote for everything.

Internet + OTA = Win

instructions unclear. new born son is now a daughter... would NOT recommend vid's home-birth tutorial...

I'll post my U-Verse Bill because it's crazy cheap for internet and cable. I'm not sure WHY it's this cheap or how I managed to get it to where it is, but this has saved me SO much money over the past year and half or so.

I talked AT&T into giving me the following plan forever. No contracts or "yearly discount" bullshit where I have to call and "threaten to cancel" to get my deal back. It's been this price for well over 18 months now.

I also have a 6TB drive with all my movies and shows and a Plex network setup in my house.

We also sub to Netflix and Amazon Prime. We grab Hulu during the Olympics so we can stream that, but otherwise, it's Netflix and Prime (which we don't really watch anything on, just use the free shipping).

UVerse Bill (resized).JPG

Having made this leap, I'm amazed at how much I don't miss any of the 'important' things and in hindsight how vapid and passive my tube time had become. Now I just hypnotize myself with machining videos on YouTube and pour a few dollars to actual people via patreon. BTW Add free YouTube premier is a dream. I never have to see the same idiot adverts between interesting points of what ever I'm watching ever again.

I use a Tablo with a usb hard drive as a DVR. Connect it to my antenna and router and install the program on my Roku stick and I got OTA channels wireless. It works very well.

Agreed. We bought a Roku TV last year and use the internet streaming stations combined with OTA. A little trouble with one particular desired channel that gives us a little trouble because of interference from our neighbors to the north (CAN) although I have to say our expectations our probably too great for the indoor antenna - I really should use an outdoor roof antenna for that. My wife has found new joy in many of the local OTA stations as well. Despite the small issues, there's a heck of a lot of TV out there with the cord cut, at about 1/3 of what our cable bill cost.

Hulu.

I just recently bought a 55" 4K TV from Costco for a few hundred dollars. I don't watch anything in 4K though.

I have Dish Network with 3 of their DVR’s (the best UI in the biz, IMO). Trialed both TiVo and Amazon’s new Fire DVR, both paled in comparison to Dish’s DVR’s.
The included Dish Anywhere App also allows streaming and DVR control anywhere I have internet.

So my current line up is:
Dish top 200 $75/month including taxes. Which includes 3 STB’s w/DVR, no locals through Dish (you save $12/month).
Blonder Tongue OTA yagi antenna for locals, I can record all locals on my DVR’s with all guide info.
Century Link GPON Fiber internet 40MB down/ 5MB up $40/month price for life, taxes included.
Netflix 4K, $13/month (May choose to prune this now with their new price increase to $16 coming in 3 months).
Amazon Prime Video 4K free (included with Prime). 3ea 4K Amazon Fire Sticks.

Total Monthy cost for TV/Content/Internet only $128 ($1536/year). i can live with that for the value I get...

So what's the price breakdown for the Spectrum streaming service and internet? I'm paying Spectrum ~$150/month for 100/10 internet, mid-tier channel package + HBO, Showtime and Cinemax. I also use Tivo so no hardware fees other than ~$3 for a cable card.

4K OTA broadcasts are still years away. Netflix and Amazon Prime have some 4K streaming content if you have decent internet. Otherwise you'd be looking at 4K Bluray or video games.

Even with 4K source material the bigger visual impact probably comes from the HDR color processing on newer TVs (which of course requires source material with an HDR component) rather than from the increased resolution.

FWIW, I find that the 4K offerings on Netflix and Amazon definitely look better than lower resolution content (or streaming from HBO, which doesn't offer 4K).

I have Internet/Cable/Phone bundled right now for about 85 total. Same thing, I have a cable card, and premiums (at least HBO, I had the others but never watched anything on them).

Edit - nevermind.. I guess I'm paying 130 after further review. 30 of it is phone (my wife insists on it, and I use it for work), and 16 is other charges and taxes. My other charges is also higher than I thought. I'm gonna need to check into this.

Lived in 2 houses and also 30 years later and $60K in savings , I have never paid for one single day of cable , OTA is great , get about 25 plus channels all in high def , and use internet on the smart TV to watch documentaries

Since you are close by- check out metronet. They just laid cable last year in the area- they were (and might still be) running some great pricing- I'm on a gigabit connection for $50. I don't watch tv, so I don't know about that side of things. They have been rock solid so far with no issues.

Roku has lots of free 4K content, and of course Netflix and Amazon Prime has it too.

Phone is the biggest scam of the entire cable bill.

It looks like it's only $33 a month, but then at the bottom of the bill there are $18 in **taxes** .

All for a phone line that nobody ever calls except for telemarketers that got the number from the Facebook app.

If your landline is sacred for some reason ("I've had the same # for over 30 years....I can't get rid of it, my 80 year old aunt won't be able to call at Easter"), pay a one time $20 to have it transferred to Google Voice - then it's forever free as a 2nd number on your cell.

I'm only aware of Roku's "4K Theater" channel (or whatever it's called) and there's not much there and it's just links to 4K YouTube videos. NetFlix charges extra for 4K and I don't use Prime much to be aware of what they're offering.

I just remembered that NASA has a 4K channel.

I get about 15 channels OTA. And I watch sports more than anything on TV. And in that regard OTA doesn't cut it.

https://channelstore.roku.com/browse/4k-uhd-content-available?utm_source=organic_social&utm_medium=rokublog

I am in the process of switching over. What are you guys doing for over the air antennas? If using them outside, how high is a good height?

Higher the better, but at least higher than the garage roof, so you have a clear shot at the where the towers are.

A great antenna that goes on sale all the time for $50, is the Channel Master CM-4228

Super lightweight, almost invisible, and of course guys have made tons of mods to it already.

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I'm probably going to be in the minority here, but I cut the cord for about a year and re-connected. Here's why. I live with a family of 4. My wife loves to have the news on during the day like a radio (channels not available over-the-air). My son loves his Xbox and Netflix. My daughter loves Netflix and social media. I'm retired and watch a lot of TV including the Tennis Channel. My kids and I are avid tennis players, train almost daily and compete in USTA tournaments. My son also does MMA, so someone please don't advise me to get my kids out more and away from the TV

Anyways, the problem for me was Comcast caps internet usage and we would occasionally surpass the limit causing additional charges. This along with having occasional stuttering on PlayStation Vue while watching the Tennis Channel was annoying ( I have very fast internet service too). Having to click the remote a few more time to watch a program was somewhat annoying too (I know first world problems). I used over the air with Tivo, but let's be honest, you're viewing is very limited with local channels.

So, I'm back with Directv calling them every year, cancelling their service to be escalated to their retention dept for a better price. Yes, it's annoying, but I only have to do it once a year. It's nice to turn on the TV and instantly watch what I want to watch. My internet usage cut in half and no more penalty charges.

Also note, that your old **fishbone** antenna from the 70s will still work for HDTV

If it's still up on your chimney, you can just use that.

you guys not got "Sky" over there? prices seem crazy what your paying for tv/internet.

Try one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Magnavox-MDR865H-Recorder-Digital-Tuner/dp/B015FOZCUS/ref=pd_sbs_504_1/147-4996599-9585009
There are also 1 Tb and 2 Tb versions.
Record on either the internal Hard disk, or onto a DVD. You can also record from the HD to the DVD drive to save recordings. ATSC tuner built in. HDMI output
I have two. One is an (used) older model that had a 160 Gb drive that I upgraded to a 1Tb drive.

Magnavox also made until recently a DVD recorder / VHS VCR that also had ATSC tuners that was the only VHS recorder that could record digital televisionoff the air onto a video tape. It's not as good as a recorder control wise, but it's great for copying your old video tapes to DVD.

i have considered an outdoor antenna for years but then have to install it and ground it properly. Seems like way too much work for me to do myself...

Yeah you are in the minority. I've got 100MBbs that actually tests higher, from Spectrum, at less than $50 a month. My son is a die hard gamer with the die hard gaming equipment- multiple PCs and game systems. My daughter talks live to her girlfriends and plays games, and my wife and I will stream a movie with my wife playing on her phone or tablet with all this happening, including running home control and security cameras. No data cap and no additional charges, and no glitches. Believe me, I get a screaming 17 year old boy on my hands if his games lag, even a little.

Your carrier may be mostly to blame, but don't overlook internal wiring and router. We have some top of the line gear on the inside of the house, because the first thing a carrier wants to do when you get a technical problem is to blame your home equipment and wiring.

For recording OTA and streaming to any TV in the house:

Tablo 4 tuner
https://www.amazon.com/Tablo-4-Tuner-Digital-Recorder-Streaming/dp/B00MWLZR0I/ref=sr_1_3

1-TB USB drive for under $50
https://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-HDTB410XK3AA-Canvio-Portable-External/dp/B079D359S6/ref=sr_1_4

Of course you can get a larger drive if need be. But for me, 1-TB is sufficient.

They still get you on Internet and taxes/fees but it still saves you some money. Internet is 200mb down. I should probably call and threaten to cancel to get my rate knocked down.

Screenshot_20190214-160614 (resized).png

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I bought a OTA antenna off Amazon and then hung it on the equipment from my old dish. Easy as pie and all the cables and everything was right there.

I cut the cord 7 years ago and don't regret it a bit. I don't miss any of the crap on cable a bit and it feels great knowing I'm saving over $120 a month, which was my bill when I cut.

If you can fix a pinball machine, you can certainly install an antenna.

They don't weigh anything.

You ground it to the grounding rod abandoned from the old phone service, or the grounding rods from the electrical panel.

Once you ground it, your chimney will never get hit by lightning, as all the static is constantly dissipated to ground.

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Don’t have cable internet which basically means I’m screwed. No problem with local OTA channels but that can get boring pretty quick. Will not subscribe to satellite internet. They punish you if they catch you using it with slower speeds.
Directv (Ugh) customer with unlimited Att cellular data. Fiber cable is 6 miles away.

I live in the woods and somehow att uverse works but it isnt cheap. Not sure I could get any OTA channels or not. Im surrounded by trees but also about 175ft higher than everyo e else being on a large outcropping.

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Only the best round here!