+ now many others, and the programming they have produced that have been favorites for years is now the extra channels; most market's have now 20+ channels using your air...free to air
Free to Air (Free TV program viewing) is available by owning and operating ::
A Local Antenna Signal Reception System for ATSC digital local channels: NBC, ABC, PBS, FOX, CBS, and Independent channels are your local digital Broadcaster's!
Using a local antenna saves you the $7.00 per month fee (let alone the outrageous 148 i pay for $tv channels, DIRECTV and Dish Network charge, 19.99-39.95 to watch local channels and my listed pay tv practices. After only one year, you save $84.00 (12 months x $7.00 per month=$84.00) plus if you take their minimum (20x12=240); and in 3-4 years (560) or normal 100x12=1200 x4 = 4800; you will have payed for a large antenna and it's Professional Installation (3 years x $84=$252 ][ or 4 years x $84=$336; Average antenna and install cost @ $250.00). Plus you get to watch the other Free ATSC channels they do not offer in their packages. Many new channels and names are available, including the free programming you like and deserve (0 $)! AND THE CHANNELS work on every HDTV! THE ANTENNA HAS VALUE; even if it is just a wire.
Free To Air Local channels are received using an antenna made and designed for "your just a spot on the map GPS on your phone display, your homes location"; compared to where the towers that serve your area are located at that send these digital and analog signals.
The antenna receives the signal, sends it through a coaxial cable to a Digital ATSC tuner, built-in all new TV's made for use in the USA. Diplexer's are used to combine satellite dish signals and the local hdtv atsc signals. Then the wire exiting has a diplexer also to split for STB and hdtv input (and/or cable). And if you want to watch digital television channels on an old TV, you need a External STB (Set-top-box) to tune the digital signals for each old TV you want the pictures on. The STB sends the pictures using a channel 3 output or a video/audio output; and by using a HD ouput for older HDTV's such as Progressive scan. This allows just about anybody to watch a digital local signal, as long as you can receive the signal from the antenna (or just a bare wire at end of cables).
Receiving Free TV programs and channels has been around since they invented a television, as have local antenna's. Today, a local antenna is really no different; what has changed is the tuner required to "tune" in the newly formatted channels and programming. Though the pictures today broadcast by your local channels are digital, their reception using a local antenna require the same design and installation techniques. This is because terrestrial signals are still broadcast from the same places; and with the same type transmitter as before. They are broadcast from towers located on high mountain tops; or from those high spots that send the signal to areas the broadcasters can be assured of the most people able to receive them. Their alloted FCC Frequency and transmit power may have changed (or will change, according to the feedback they receive from their viewer's), to be found on a higher or lower tuning frequency; and you may be needing a different antenna than when you received them before, as most changed directly to the UHF band of frequencies. Some of them recently have chosen to return to the VHF band, because they were not able to serve their rural and suburban area viewers as well as before.
Despite what you may have been told, or may have heard; ALL LOCAL ANTENNA'S ARE DIGITAL READY, EVEN THAT OLD THANG UP ON THE ROOF FROM THE ^60'S! FM is received with them still today. AM is received with the coil outside (inside the coil receive's interference from everything digital. Depending on where you live (your spot on the map) will determine what type or types of local antenna's that are needed to receive your local channels. If you live over 80 miles and more (i live at 100 no line of site from the towers that serve your area (or have mountains or hills between you and your local towers), you will need a "huge" antenna; if you live in the City or an area close to the towers; a small outdoor antenna or rabbit ears inside may be all that is required to receive your channels.
If you only have an old TV, it can receive and record the digital local channels by an added STB; like a Channel Master Digital ATSC SD/HD channel tuner and recorder.
You may need professional help to receive every tower and channel from "you're just a spot on the map". The picture below is of a multi-tower local antenna system designed for FTA digital HDTV local reception to receive three (3) towers at once, and over 5 channels are received without moving the antenna.
If you live 50 miles from a tower, or a large hill or mountain block line of sight to the tower, a larger antenna is required than just a pair of rabbit ears or small antenna. If your area is served by two tower locations or more, two antennas, or a multi-directional antenna may be or is required. A digital signal either works great, or it work intermittently blipping a squaring picture; or does not come in or cannot be received at all. And if you hook the antenna to an analog reception device, like an FM tuner, the channels or programming comes in better using a higher quality antenna located outside.
Using a local antenna saves you the $7.00 per month fee, DIRECTV and Dish Network charge, to watch local channels. After only one year, you save $84.00 (12 months x $7.00 per month=$84.00); and in 3-4 years you will have payed for a large antenna and it's Professional Installation (3 years x $84=$252 ][ or 4 years x $84=$336; Average antenna and install cost @ $250.00).
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The Model 7287 multi-directional/tower UHF/VHF reception local antenna Newest design, 70+ mile range, Metro/Urban/Suburban uses; two directions at once for VHF/UHF reception Info |
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The model 4008 Amplified UHF/VHF antenna Compact design and Amplified, low cost, City, Urban, and Suburban uses.
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Newest design, up to 70 mile range, Urban/Suburban uses |
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For multi-antenna or multi-direction local antenna systems, rural/suburban use, Channel Master brand, the finest Pre-Amplifiers you can buy... |
The Channel Master 4221HD Local UHF/VHF digital reception Antenna for Suburban/Metro Area's Channel Master brand model 4221HD has all it takes to receive Free TV in the new digital world. Made for Metro/suburban areas, this is a HQ Channel Master brand 4-bay UHF antenna for aiming at one tower in your area. With Channel Master, you know it is good... |
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DTV2000 ATSC tuner STB For Older non-HDTV's allowing analog tuning TV's to watch/see SD/HD digital programs, the DTV2000 ATSC tuner box is low cost and feature rich. |
The 2190 UHF digital antenna Older tried and true design, high gain UHF only, single direction, up to 80+ miles, city/urban/suburban/rural use Info |
EVERY CHANNEL YOU RECEIVE IS FREE! NO Subscription or long term contract will be required or payed by you for the channels reception or recording.
FM BROADCAST'S AT LONG RANGE USING AIMING ANTENNA OR ANTENNI
Extra research LINKS
Bend, OR. Digital local channel list and coverage map
NEW Digital Full power stations list @ FCC website
link to the old Digital local channel market list
Antennaweb.org for you're just a spot on the map: online antenna selection app. tool; for list of channels/towers of your zip code (and antenna size selector) or a line of site can be acquired):
Another website, which gives great information for free is just the FCC's website; which has so much information, it is hard to find "everything" on it within a single day.
