Cord Cutting in Tulsa

[sgrizzle]

Figured it might be good to put this all in one thread.

I've been a cable TV customer essentially since it was a thing that could be purchased. When my cable billed reached $200 about 4 years ago, I decided that was too much. I turned in all of my cable boxes and reduced my TV service to basic cable only, reducing my bill over $100/mo. I have no DVR of any sort. I do have Apple TVs, a PS4 and a couple of Amazon Fire Sticks and I use them in about that order. 

Between Netflix, Hulu, station apps like ABC (which strangely requires a cable subscription to use) and FOX NOW I get most things. If they don't have it, I then go to iTunes and pay like $2 an episode or $20 for a season. That can add up, but it takes a lot to add up to the $100/mo I was paying before.

I am considering Sling and HBO Now but haven't signed up for either yet. Hoping Apple comes out with a service because there are some real gotchas with Sling I don't like.

As mentioned in another thread, Cox is going to require boxes. I tried them and returned them today. They told me that in August you lose all channels Analog and Digital without a box. I am now trying out some antennas and so far am incredibly impressed. I am in Tulsa but get about 2 bars of cell phone reception because I'm in a valley yet I'm getting something like 36 channels with unpowered indoor antennas. That includes NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, ION, CW, MyTV, PBS, MeTV, RetroTV, Escape, HSN, QVC, PBS Kids, Qubo, ThisTV, etc.

The two antennas I've tried so far are:

Mohu Leaf (30mile)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EWEHEL8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Amazon Basics (35 mile)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DIFIO8E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also have an Amazon 25-mile on order to try: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DIFIM36/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Mohu is my favorite so far in build quality, mounting options, etc. The Amazon 35 is significantly larger than the Mohu 30 and has no mounting hardware. Both are flat as paper (except for the connector at the bottom), paintable, and have white and black sides to help hide them.

Am interested in others thoughts and experiences.

[saintnicster]

http://www.reddit.com/r/cordcutters/comments/17ir41/sylver_dragons_quick_newbie_guide_to_a_tv_fool/

Here's the guide thread from the cordcutting sub-reddit. Explains how to get a report of what you should, theoretically, be able to get from a location.

[sgrizzle]

http://www.reddit.com/r/cordcutters/comments/17ir41/sylver_dragons_quick_newbie_guide_to_a_tv_fool/

Here's the guide thread from the cordcutting sub-reddit. Explains how to get a report of what you should, theoretically, be able to get from a location.

I tried a couple of those but most weren't real clear on indoor antennas.

[Breadburner]

Why dont you like sling.....

[Jammie]

Has anyone every tried this?

http://antennaweb.org/Address.aspx

Would this be a decent alternative or wouldn't there be clear reception? Would it work?

[sgrizzle]

Why dont you like sling.....

Single stream (big one for me. I'm regularly doing 2 or 3 on Netflix.)
Limited use of certain channel websites
Price "starts" at $20 and grows pretty quick 
It's still tiered/bundled like cable. Give me all the channels for one price or do it a la carte.

[sgrizzle]

Has anyone every tried this?

http://antennaweb.org/Address.aspx

Would this be a decent alternative or wouldn't there be clear reception? Would it work?

I used that site to see what is available by antenna.

[saintnicster]

I tried a couple of those but most weren't real clear on indoor antennas.

Indoor antennas, while better than they have been, still kinda bad for getting lots of channels.  They're generally passive and omni-directional, so they're the "jack of all trades" type.  You've still got to go through a bunch of walls to get the signal, and they're usually not that high off the ground, so have a disadvantage there.  Any other cables that are near the antenna will become part of the antenna, and you'll have extra interference depending on people walking through/standing in that room.

Since about 2009 or so, I've had this model in various apartments http://www.amazon.com/RCA-Multi-Directional-Digital-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B001GGAIIQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1427053558&sr=1-1&keywords=rca+flat+digital+antenna. 
Worked well enough, but was very susceptible to the wiring around the antenna acting against it.  I'd usually get maybe two of the "big three" local stations and a handful of other religious stuff, but nothing terribly reliable.


When I got my new house in Mayo Meadow, I found out that it had an old-school attic antenna up there. I hooked it into the existing coax cable (minus one jack for internet), and it is glorious.  995 of the channels are crystal clear, minimal digital artifacts (unless it's super cloudy/rainy).  I get basically everything through the red color.
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3df1f010bbd072b1

Really, the only thing I watch on the TV from broadcast is PBS and CreateTV.  The lady will watch some stuff on ABC, but most of the time she'll just watch it on her Hulu account a few days later.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Won't be cutting the cord here anytime soon.........

http://antennaweb.org/Stations.aspx?Address=599+North+Cedar+Street&City=Coquille&State=OR&ZIP=97423&Housing=S&Accuracy=8&Height=6&Obstructed=False&StationList=&Lat=43.1798446&Lon=-124.1926669

[Jammie]

Don't feel bad, Dback. At least you can get six channels. There are two available in my area.

Saintnicster, how many channels were you able to get with the box you got from Amazon? Did you get the three major networks and the weather channel? If so, I'd be good to go!

[saintnicster]

Don't feel bad, Dback. At least you can get six channels. There are two available in my area.

Saintnicster, how many channels were you able to get with the box you got from Amazon? Did you get the three major networks and the weather channel? If so, I'd be good to go!

Actually picked it up from BestBuy, but they don't really carry it anymore.

I don't think that The Weather Channel has any OTA stations.  As far as NBC/ABC/CBS, it just depends on how much junk you've got around you.  Living at University Club, GreenArch, and Westport, I would be able to get NBC and CBS together, but if I wanted to receive ABC, the other two would suffer.

[saintnicster]

Indoor antennas, while better than they have been, still kinda bad for getting lots of channels.  They're generally passive and omni-directional, so they're the "jack of all trades" type.  You've still got to go through a bunch of walls to get the signal, and they're usually not that high off the ground, so have a disadvantage there.  Any other cables that are near the antenna will become part of the antenna, and you'll have extra interference depending on people walking through/standing in that room.

Since about 2009 or so, I've had this model in various apartments http://www.amazon.com/RCA-Multi-Directional-Digital-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B001GGAIIQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1427053558&sr=1-1&keywords=rca+flat+digital+antenna. 
Worked well enough, but was very susceptible to the wiring around the antenna acting against it.  I'd usually get maybe two of the "big three" local stations and a handful of other religious stuff, but nothing terribly reliable.


When I got my new house in Mayo Meadow, I found out that it had an old-school attic antenna up there. I hooked it into the existing coax cable (minus one jack for internet), and it is glorious.  995 of the channels are crystal clear, minimal digital artifacts (unless it's super cloudy/rainy).  I get basically everything through the red color.
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3df1f010bbd072b1

Really, the only thing I watch on the TV from broadcast is PBS and CreateTV.  The lady will watch some stuff on ABC, but most of the time she'll just watch it on her Hulu account a few days later.

Of course because of my hubris, I think something shifted in my optimal wiring situation with the attic antenna.  I've lost the super clear signal to the channel set I care about, and am having zero luck trying to get it back

[TeeDub]

It was my understanding that while Cox is pushing the new boxes, they will continue to offer some digital channels in clearQAM.   (The local ones currently offered today.)

The new boxes are just for those that require subscription (Fox, CNN, HLN, COM, etc.)

I think my Cox bill is only $65 for their 50/5mbps "preferred".   

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Going back to sgrizzle's original post, we have Charter Communications here and they did the same thing last year in discontinuing any analog or digital signal and the only way was to get TV in my dad's bedroom was to get a converter. As it stands right now, we only pay a small fee for two HD boxes (no DVR) and the converter for his 13" analog TV is a no cost. Our bill runs ~$80.00 for a fairly decent package. Trying to convince him to get rid of the DSL line and go to cable modem, and save ~$45.00/month.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Figured it might be good to put this all in one thread.

As mentioned in another thread, Cox is going to require boxes. I tried them and returned them today. They told me that in August you lose all channels Analog and Digital without a box. I am now trying out some antennas and so far am incredibly impressed. I am in Tulsa but get about 2 bars of cell phone reception because I'm in a valley yet I'm getting something like 36 channels with unpowered indoor antennas. That includes NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, ION, CW, MyTV, PBS, MeTV, RetroTV, Escape, HSN, QVC, PBS Kids, Qubo, ThisTV, etc.

The two antennas I've tried so far are:

Mohu Leaf (30mile)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EWEHEL8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Amazon Basics (35 mile)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DIFIO8E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also have an Amazon 25-mile on order to try: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DIFIM36/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Mohu is my favorite so far in build quality, mounting options, etc. The Amazon 35 is significantly larger than the Mohu 30 and has no mounting hardware. Both are flat as paper (except for the connector at the bottom), paintable, and have white and black sides to help hide them.

Am interested in others thoughts and experiences.

Can you do any light woodworking or hobbyist type stuff - DIY things?  There are alternatives that may do even better - the one commercial hdtv antenna I have pretty well sucks.  Attic mount would probably help,too.



https://www.google.com/search?q=homemade+digital+tv+antenna&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ffwSVfTQHoH5ggT1k4GYDg&ved=0CB4QsAQ&biw=1295&bih=631

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRZPsBMItx0