just an asterisk

In my last post, I described how one could ditch cable and rely on a mixture of online programming and an Apple TV for entertainment.  Fun stuff!  However, a helpful commenter mentioned using an HD Antenna to capture the live and free television channels that may be floating around your metro area. I thought it might be nice to explain how this can be done (so that you can watch the Oscars, the super bowl, or any other live event on your standard channels).

Buy an antenna and connect it.

To pick up the free TV signals in your area, you’ll need an antenna.  Often today’s TVs forget their antenna bearing forefathers and mine was no exception.  You should validate that your TV has a connector like the one below.

This is the same connection that I used for my cable television (it’s called Coaxial Cable, if you’re interested).  Once you’ve located this point on the TV, you need an antenna. For those living near a RadioShack, I found this model on sale for $20.

Notice that it says “HDTV” – this means I’ll be able to pickup any free HD (High Definition) channels, as well as the standard definition ones. In most big cities, NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX have free HD channels.

The setup is very easy – just plug it in to the connector in the first picture.

Scan for channels

Your television, if it was purchased in the last 10 years, has a scanning function. Try your settings menu – heck, try any menu. You are looking for “Auto-Program” or “Channel Search” or anything to do with an antenna.  For me, in my settings menu, there was a button that said “Auto-Program”.  With the antenna connected, I let this feature rip and found 52 channels available to the greater NYC area. 52!!!

Bask in your independence!

You’ve done it! You followed 2 insanely easy steps and now you have free LIVE television. Well done you! Enjoy the Olympics!

~ab

Recently, my wife and I purchased a new television.  It was fun to browse and explore all the new acronyms, but in truth my knowledge of televisions is a bit sub-par.  The thing was, I was pretty happy with my CRT (cathode ray tube – the technology behind the pervious generation of TVs and those big clunky monitors).  The problem, as is always the case with technology, was that I wanted more than my old box could deliver – HDTV (High Definition Television) was calling… I am not qualified (even after my shopping research) to give you the full scoop on HDTV.  All I can tell you is that HD TVs use a connector called HDMI and that each of these cables runs about $40 – which is just stupid as you need one for each device you want to attach… (editorial, yes, but does that mean it’s untrue?)