Footloose: Use an HD Antenna in Your New Home Instead of Getting Cable.

Guest Author:  Frank Moraes

Are you buying your first home or upgrading to a new home? You’ll have a lot of important choices to make, any of which impact your lifestyle.

Whether to have cable installed or not is one of those important decisions.

Reasons to Opt-Out of Cable

A common complaint with many using cable is that they are paying a lot for channels that they’ll never watch. Content from many of the most popular cable networks is usually available through streaming services like Netflix and Hulu for those who prefer on-demand content.

However, streaming services are somewhat sporadic in whether they offer live local channels. Like Hulu + Live TV, some offer live local channels in select markets; while others, like Netflix, lack local channels altogether.

A closer look at what keeps some subscribing to cable may help.

Many enjoy watching local newscasts that feature anchors they are familiar with. Others may want to get home games for their favorite sports teams. However, the cable is an imperfect solution for a couple of reasons:

1. Paying for channels you don’t watch. Although some companies offer packages with local stations only, many customers don’t consider the price worth the cost for a small number of channels.
2. Equipment costs. Another reason to avoid setting up cable is because of the costs associated with renting the equipment. When something goes wrong, one of the cable technicians has to pay a service call with a possible wait involved.

However, an over-the-air (OTA) antenna can let you watch local newscasts in HD for customers who prefer to avoid cable. An antenna is a lower-cost alternative to subscribing to cable for local stations.

What Channels Can You Get With an OTA Antenna?

Some of the most popular channels that you can get with an OTA antenna include ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and CW. These channels are often the go-to stations for local news, local sports, daytime programming, and some of the most popular primetime programs.

Telemundo and Univision are also usually available with an OTA antenna if you watch Spanish-language content.

Some locations may also have independent stations offering their programming OTA. Programs provided on independent channels that you can access OTA include documentary and educational shows, movies and syndicated TV shows, talk shows, and religious programming.

A high-definition (HD) antenna will solve the problem of paying high prices for cable because you can access these channels for free and the antenna itself costs less than one month of cable.

Buying an antenna will save you money in the long run since you don’t have to pay for a monthly channel package or for renting equipment.

Another advantage of investing in an OTA antenna is that you don’t need to worry about which streaming services have local channels.

One of these antennas is a perfect addition if you rely on streaming services for other programming but want local channels. You don’t need to worry about your streaming service getting into a contract dispute with one of the broadcast networks.

It’s Easy to Install an Indoor OTA Antenna

Installing an indoor OTA antenna is one of the easiest tasks you’ll complete when leaving cable. Indoor antennas have a range of approximately 30-50 miles.

To install the antenna, all you need to do is locate the coaxial point where you’d connect a cable box or satellite receiver. Running a coaxial cable between this input and the antenna puts everything into place.

Ideally, the antenna should be placed in a high location that is not behind the TV. A window close to the TV often makes a great choice.

You can also connect multiple sets to one antenna. Physical splitters or wireless tuners make connecting multiple TVs easier. Every TV in the house will receive these stations, keeping everyone happy.

Summary

If you’re tired of paying high cable costs, an OTA antenna can be the way to go for your favorite local stations. When used with your favorite streaming services, you won’t have to miss anything.

About the Author:  Frank Moraes is a freelance writer specializing in technology, business, and film/television. He combines them all as an editor at the cord-cutter website HotDog.com