Feb 2009 all the VHF/UHF TV channels will disappear. All "free" TV signals will move to DTV channels, which are much higher in frequency. This significantly reduces their coverage area. Unless you live within about 10 miles of the TV transmitting tower you will not be receiving free TV signals. If you live in a very large city like New York or Atlanta you will be able to continue to receive free TV. The vast majority of the country will only be able to receive what used to be free TV channels on cable or satellite systems. Nearly all the stations that are going to continue free TV service have already built new DTV transmitter and repeater stations. If you cant receive a DTV signal now you pretty much will never have free TV channels after Feb 2009.
There is a Bill working it's way around Congress that will force cable/satellite providers to allow consumers to purchase only the cable/satellite channels they want to watch. I detest 90% of the crap I had to purchase to get the 10% of the channels I like to watch. My local channels are available on my satellite system for an additional $5 a month. I don’t subscribe to them (ABC, NBC, and CBS) as there don’t worth the extra $5. The FCC is in the process of forcing satellite systems to make the local channels available as a part of the programming package you must accept. That’s just going to make me pay that extra $5 even if I did not want them or watch them. When they show up I'll just block them like CNN and MSNBC.
The landline phone services are required to keep 911 phone services available even if you're not paying for landline phone service. If your cell phone or Internet VOIP quits you can always pickup that old "wired" phone and get help.

Hmmm. My bill is close to $160 per month and I wouldn't think of dropping it (max internet, plus 2 HD-DVRs + premium HBO). There's lots of crap on cable, but there is good stuff too. HD is very cool. Watching my kids totally enthralled by the Planet Earth series in 8ft projection HD made it all worthwhile. They couldn't wait for the next show and waved off all peer and social events just to be with the family to watch it. Very cool. I love the Hist, Discovery, DIY, others. Modern marvels, mythbusters, ooh ooh.

You can put an antennae in your attic. We have one of those too but only have it connected to the big tv. We have a lot of wind here so a lot of people put the antennae in the attic.

If you are interested in the DTV facts look at

https://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/digitaltv.html

I have not had cable TV for over 12 years. A few years ago, my wife expressed some interest in getting cable again. Our then-teenaged kids asked, "Why would you want such a thing?" Big win!

Of course, now that they've moved out, she may well get her way!

-soma5

I gave up the land line three years ago when I got broadband internet service and haven't had a telemarketer call since. With the landline and dial-up internet I was paying about eighty dollars a month. With broadband and cellular I'm paying about sixty-five dollars a month. I'd like to give up the cable TV but, as has been mentioned, I enjoy the History, Discovery, National Geographic Channels, PBS and the sports programs. The only time I ever tune into one of the major networks is when they have a game on.

[QUOTE=n4zou;5463428]Feb 2009 all the VHF/UHF TV channels will disappear. All "free" TV signals will move to DTV channels, which are much higher in frequency.

Digital broadcasts are currently being broadcast in our area (eastern Iowa) on UHF. Most of the broadcasters will convert to VHF when they no longer broadcast analog on VHF. One will still need a tv with a digital tuner, but that is all that will be required to pick up the broadcasts on UHF or VHF. UHF and VHF will not disapppear.

Go to the link
https://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Address.aspx

You can put in phony info if you worry about your privacy. Zip code IS important though.
It'll generate a map showing compass orientation and distance to the various transmitters in your area.
I can get most the "network" stations on my roof antenna and the local translators/UHF stations on my $6 Radio Shack "Rabbit ears/LOOP" antenna.
I can get 10 stations without having to adjust anything and a couple more if I want to "tweak it". Of course, if I "tweak it", I lose good reception on a couple of the first 10.

Amen. It's so en vogue to admonish TV these days. Gimme a break. Of course there is crap on TV. There is crap in the bookstore too, but you don't have to read it! I too am still enthralled my HDTV. The Discovery stuff is literally "out of this world." Watching high def from the space station was really a one of a kind experience.

After all, how many of you have seen the earth from space in high definition? I nearly gave up TV until i discovered DVR's and high def. It is SO nice to be able to watch what you want, when you want. In fact you can record strictly educational television, if you are that elitist. But still it is more fashionable to denounce TV.

Frankly I pity anyone's kids who DON'T have television.

Here's a hot tip. Get thee to the library. Most libraries have a good selection of DVDs and Videotapes.

I've gone through that, disconnecting the cable. And since I moved to Little Rock, I haven't had it connected. The old rabbit ears don't help much here. Surfing the TV spectrum last night, I picked up 3 papparazzi shows, One spanish language network, two religious broadcasters and an informercial. The selections on DVD were much better thanks to the library.

I think the cable companies think that they will lose business, just as railroads thought that the Westinghouse brakes would be too expensive for trains. And like the railroads found that safe brakes brought in business, they will actually find that they make more money when they have individual channels.

Actually I'm waiting for the time when we can order our programming by the program instead of by the channel. That's when it gets decent.

One of the biggest scams on the planet!!!!

What? Cable? DSL? Satellite TV?
I can think of much bigger scams that have been perpetrated in recent years.

I am a slave to cable TV and wish I weren't. I could save alot of money otherwise. My buddy has rabbgit years (but very sophuisticated ones) plus a HD receiver and gets quite a few programs on his set and the reception is good. He also gets a fair share of cooking shows with that HD receiver.

Re dropping a land line. I have done it but have since gotten a land line again. Personally I hate speaking on a cell phone and if I have a land line I prefer ot use it. Reception is better and no "talkover". Plus, and this is a big plus in my area, if there is catastrophic event like an earthquake, fire or landslide,(all possibilities in my area) cell phones would be virtually useless. Plus I also use a plug in phone. If there is a power outrage (and energy runs low here too) the plug in phone still works. So until movile phoen technology inproves, I'm keeping the land line... but cable? The cable company makes me mad every other month. I just need one good reason to drop them and I know I will be happier!!!

Over here we have satellite TV. You still have to pay for it but one option is to get TV-PHONE and BROADBAND INTERNET for an economic price. For Satellite TV- I pay £20 a month. For Broadband Internet I pay £17 a month but this does also give me free Phone calls for Local calls 24 hours a day. So I pay £37 for the 3. But Sky-The TV provider- can provide- TV- & Broadband internet with free Phone for £26 a month. Limited On the channels and the Internet connection is not the best around.

Then again- You can buy the sky box for a one off fee of £150 and get limited TV Free. But without broadband

To be honest- Satellite TV does not offer a great deal. But the programmes are repeated so often- I do not worry if I miss the days TDF coverage live as I can see it this evening or twice tomorrow.

No, the scam is that the phone company makes you keep land line phone service to have DSL... The same phone wires stay connected whether or not you have a land line phone, they never come out to the house to hook you up, but they will not allow DSL unless you have a landline phone.

There is nothing technical that I am aware of that requires voice service to enable DSL...

It is just a way to demand more money for the line, whether you ever hook a voice phone to the line or not...

It would be perfectly reasonable to get DSL only across the line. I assume it is only because the voice company controls the line.

I can't wait, and hopefuilly someday it will happen, when cable and phone companies have to compete with each other. Right now there are no choices so prices are at a premium. I guess I could get satellite but my association CCR states no attachments to the building. Right now I pay $80.00 for cable, $53 for DSL and phone and $49 for cell. That's over $2,000 a year - geez, bike money!!!!

Really what I need to do is stop watching TV and get out and ride more. That would solve alot of problems!

High-speed Internet service in the USA is still expensive. If congress does not extend it's current tax free status before Nov 1 local and federal governments will add additional costs as well even for dial up Internet. If that happens I will be dropping my home based dial-up Internet service. The local library provides high-speed Internet access and since I'm paying for it via Al Gore phone taxes I'll just take my Laptop to the Library. Anytime I need to upload or download large files I end up doing that anyway.

[QUOTE=crazyb;5464526]The FCC has already started auctioning off all VHF and most of the lower frequency UHF TV channels that will not be assigned to government use. DTV frequencies start in the 800Mhz range. The government tried switching police and fire frequencies to the 800Mhz range with disastrous results. They discovered there mistake in the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C. September 11 2001. The TV Broadcasters have been trying to prevent the switch, as they know there coverage areas will be greatly reduced. Unfortunately for them the red line for change over is set for Feb 2009. It will be interesting to see what happens when this takes place. In my area the Birmingham, AL TV stations tried to get a permit to install a DTV repeater so the local population could continue to get "free" TV. The local cable company successfully prevented the permit stating it would be an environmental hazard and would be an eyesore sitting on top of a beautiful mountain range.

I've never had cable TV. I do have broadband internet service through a local cable company, but that's it.
I think CATV companies are going to go nuts to retain customers though, as more and more people check out other options, such as digital TV.

There are some decent shows on network tv, and besides that, I'm a Netflix guy. It's just easier to order up something from Netflix, and have it show up a day or two later.

This thread really needs at least a mention of cycling:

So here it goes, I have cable so I can watch cycling races on VERSUS, it took forever for our cable service to add the station.

I also gave up a land line years ago. Plus a TV antenna as a back up to cable has worked fine with the antenna in the attic.

That's far enough away that I'm not concerned now.

Last year I won a ginormous cable-ready hi-def tv that we use for DVD watching. I suppose if I'm forced to watch broadcast tv on it I'll go back to the great satellite vs. cable debate and actually make a choice.

Meanwhile, it's not perfect, but it works for us.

Yeah, like that cat who claimed he could play the harminica!!!

It's funny, but I actually encourage this, as I have plenty of bandwidth and the Cable Company constantly runs out of IP Addresses. It's sometimes actually a good idea to have someone on your network as long as you've got router protection, excellent firewalls, malware protection and stay completely updated with anti-virus amd anti spyware.

Right now there's about 10 people on my network...

I like to cycle and have Versus available with my satellite service plan. I have tried to watch cycling on TV but just can't enjoy it. Doing it and watching it are two distinctly different types of entertainment. That’s just me, I'm sure a lot of people enjoy watching as well.