How to get super clear FREE HD TV - Video

Post by **rspi** » 21 Jan 2014, 22:03

I'm surprised as to the number of people that do not realize that most of use can pick up about 20 free TV stations with our flat panel digital TV's. Also, the HD broadcast stations/programs are much clearer than cable, XFinity, U-Verse, etc. Most of them don't even broadcast the HD sound.

madspeed50 · Post by **madspeed50** » 22 Jan 2014, 13:21

very nice!

Post by **matthew1** » 22 Jan 2014, 15:01

Oh certainly. I'm a huge fan of OTA (over the air) TV. When I lived in Seattle I had an unpowered but directional HDTV antenna in the attic. Small horizontal changes made a dramatic difference in the number of stations I got.

Here in Denver I use an unpowered omnidirectional antenna.

The reason for the quality difference of OTA vs. Cable/Dish/whatever is that OTA stations tend to give the entire channel to the broadcast*, where the others squeeze in as many channels (data) into as small a pipe as their customers will stand. And since most customers aren't discerning videophiles, the bar is set low.

I've compared a OTA NFL broadcast with a Comcast broadcast of the same content at the same time (live), and the difference was substantial enough that anybody could see the difference. No contest, OTA won.

I don't have any paid TV services, just OTA. (Basic non-HD Comcast -- a few dozen channels -- was so awful I had it for years and watched it a handful of times. Basic TV service was bundled with internet, that's why I had it. The majority of the time my HDTV wasn't even attached to the Comcast system.)

* Anyone know if broadcasters are required to serve high-quality, high-bandwidth channels as part of their use of the airwaves?

Post by **Matty Moo** » 22 Jan 2014, 18:46

I watch less than one hour of TV a week with the exception of Thanksgiving. During that week I drink vodka and watch TV all day. The rest of the year I just can't do it, I go crazy sitting and not actually doing anything.