Now, going back to the safety pin aluminum foil antennaed TV mentioned yesterday. Tuesday night, LB was a little depressed that she wasn’t going to get to see the season premiere of American Idol. Me, being the loving husband that I am, started to work on the this make shift antennae. With a little time, patience and correctly positioned rolled up aluminum foil, it ended up working brilliantly. Fox was coming in at 1080i HD, an even better picture that we had at the old apartment.
This got me to thinking about my fellow blogging friend, Bull, from Beauty and the Bull’s post about sticking it to Comcast. That little safety pin and 18 square feet of aluminum foil has totally caused me to jump onto his Cross Out Comcast Crusade.
I think I may have even talked LB into it. Sure, she will miss her TLC and Home and Garden TV, and I'll miss my Mythbusters and ESPN, but there are going to have to be sacrifices.
In a short email conversation with Bull himself yesterday, he help steer me to a lot of conclusions. When I asked myself, does that really justify an extra $100/mo? I just couldn't do it anymore. We will still get all the major networks, which constitutes most of the shows we watch anyway...House, Biggest Loser, The Office. Not only will we get them, but they will have a better picture than when we were getting hosed each month. When your picture is coming from the cable company, it has to be broken down several times so they can run it to all the suckers households that subscribe and then it is blown up again to fit your screen. (I'm no expert, but I think it works something like that.) When you are picking the signal up through the air, it is like a cool mountain spring running the Alps, pure and untainted, resulting in majestic high definition like you have never seen. If you are worried about when something is not on the major networks, with the money you save you can go buy your favorite series on DVD and not have to sit through any commercial. Or, now days there is always TV on the Internet. This is how I watched shows that I missed before I pulled the trigger on DVR. It works very well. Also if you are worried about not having DVR anymore, with two months worth of saving you can go down to your favorite electronics store and pick up your very own DVR recorder.
On paper, the plan seems foolproof. I am running over to Target to make the purchase this weekend. I encourage everyone else out there to give it a shot as well. It may sound complicated, but isn't no more than a couple hours out of your weekend worth $1200 a year? If it doesn't work out for you, just take the HD antennae back, no harm no foul, but at least you tried.
PS: If this is someone from Comcast, I am just kidding about everything, please don't sue me. Thank you and have a nice day.
Safety Pin Aluminum Foil Antennae To Save Me $1000's
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7 comments:
I really cannot believe the hubs has talked ya'll in to this - but, welcome to the cable-less club! I will admit, I was skeptical, too, but we have NOT missed the TV. We get the networks, and we also joined Netflix (like ya'll). Between those two things, the TV is still on quite a bit. However, I don't waste 3 hours on a Saturday morning glued to Food Network. Instead, we're out running, house hunting, or playing with the dogs. It's kind of freeing, if you ask me.
PS. Ask me in a year...
PSS. I also work 48 hrs a week; LB being at home more could spoil this plan.
Yes! There is a reason Comcastic rhymes with bombastic. Those guys suck, and I'm glad you are joining me in sticking it to them.
answer me this....assuming you cant get it on the radio, what are you going to do when Alabama is playing on ESPN and you cant leave the house because (insert scenario here).
Hen, I used to think I wouldn't able to do it, but I made through a week of just ABC and Fox just fine. Throw NBC in there and I think I would be set. I asked LB about it after a week of being at home and it didn't take much convincing at all. I think we will make it happen, but fingers are continually crossed that she doesn't decide the networks aren't enough.
Bull, you read my revolutionist piece? I tend to be influential to those around me. Maybe Comcast will start paying us to keep our mouths shut once we start converting the masses. I think they are already getting scared, I heard a commercial on the way to work this morning advertiseing cable for $26/mo if you sign a contract year long contract. (Maybe Netflix will start paying us too for the pub we have been giving them.)
And Kyle, this was the one draw back I had about committing to this plan. Not just for Bama games, but ESPN always has a good SEC match up on Saturday nights. I thought long and hard and decided that I would just cross that bridge when I get there, saving $800 while waiting on the situation to arise.
Scott, I'll answer Kyle for you.
The scenario you are proposing will never happen for 3 reasons. 1, Bama either plays on CBS, JP, ESPN, or pay per view. One of those Scott would never get anyway, 2 of them he gets in better HD than you get. No ESPN, which leads to reason 2, because he can always listen over the internet. Or reason 3, because he should have a standing rule with his wife that she can have him do whatever she wants for 353 days per year, but for 12 Saturdays each year he will be somewhere besides home watching football. Also it's hard to justify the spending of an extra $1200 per year just to avoid some random situation that probably won't happen. What's Scott gonna do when a meteorite crashes in his back yard, with the resulting shock wave blowing out all of the electronics within a 10 mile radius, and he has to stay home because the cops won't let him leave, and there is a game he is missing? What's he gonna do when a rampaging donkey comes through the neighborhood mule-kicking all the little cable boxes on the side of houses that it finds, as well as making enough noise that you can't possibly hear things on the radio? I could keep making up asinine situations forever. Bottom line, getting rid of cable requires some minor sacrifices, but we'll see who is laughing in a decade when you cabled folks have seen a few more games than me and Scott have, while we are sitting on a fat wad of cash.
Well versed Mr. Turnbull, well versed....
hey fellas, its only money. its all going to burn in the fiery fury of God's Judgment one day. Besides, aren't the TV companies about to broadcast exclusively in digital starting in Feb per orders of the United States government which would require antenna folk to buy converter boxes?
Long live asinine scenarios
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