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Cablevision, telephone and Internet

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I tried using YouTubeTV last year when I was overseas. It didn’t work.
 
I'm in the suburbs, about 20 miles maybe from the broadcast antennas so outside of bad weather times, reception isn't a problem, and I have rabbit ears inside. Since I only have it on in the evenings generally, just can't justify the expense to myself for something I wouldn't use 90% of the day.
 
Rabbit Ears! I still have mine - hooked up to my radio receiver for FM. Driving around town today, I was amazed to see quite a few TV roof antennas. Shades of 1960. Whether these were holdovers from the old days, either forgotten up there or left by owners who didn't know what to do with them, or...folks who cut cable and went back to antennas.
 
After messing with digital broadcast for a couple weeks now, I'm disappointed at the bulk of the programming available. Home shopping is on three, four or five are Spanish speaking (I'm embarrassingly monolingual), most of the remainder are OLD reruns of shows that even when first run were pretty lame. Local PBS is fairly interesting at times, but unless we check "locast.org" for scheduling, even that's a crap-shoot. Looks like 'net streaming is in our future.
 
Thanks. Never heard of locast until now.

Just went to their site, but can't see how to find channels. Just a big USA map showing some cities. None of the cities can be "clicked". I used Robin the Chat Bot to ask "Is locast available in my zip code?" and got the reply "If you need anything later, just let me know."

Say, you give some examples of what you *can* get with OTA reception. I thought it was supposed to be what the local station is broadcasting per their schedule. Are you saying it's different from their schedule?

blech
 
sail said:
Here's how to see DTV in your area:https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps
Click to expand...

Thanks Richard. I've used that many times; always shows "weak or none" for my location.

I was more interested in Doc's comment about the OTA programming. Sounds like the programs aren't what he expected.

Locast actually gives you local TV stations via internet.

Thanks.
Tom M.
 
I went there and got a pop-up asking me to allow locast to use my location. That brought me to the map with the "watch now" button. The button takes you to the channel listings.
locast.jpg
 
Thanks Greg. Looks like Locast isn't available in my area (eastern CT). I'm midway between Boston and NYC.

Tom M.
 
Tom said:
I was more interested in Doc's comment about the OTA programming. Sounds like the programs aren't what he expected.
Click to expand...


With digital b'cast, most "channels" have "sub-channels" such as 28.1, 28.2, 28.3 etc. each with differing content. But most of the content has been older shows, stuff I've less interest in. Re-runs of "I Love Lucy" or "Knight Rider" and "Cagney & Lacy" don't appeal. "Court TV" and "Mystery" even less so. Local PBS has about four sub-channels, NOVA shows up regularly so that's one I'll pay attention to. And there's a channel broadcasting that's called "Grit", running about every shoot-em-up ever made. Watched a few of the "Tales of Wells Fargo" shows, reminds me of my childhood. But the plot lines don't vary much, so that's boring now, too.

If cable providers would be clever, they'd offer an a la-carte package. Mine would be about four or five "channels".

 
DrEntropy said:
<snip>

If cable providers would be clever, they'd offer an a la-carte package. Mine would be about four or five "channels".
Click to expand...

I hear you there! My Spectrum TV *does* offer a la carte - but ... you have to subscribe to a basic package of 120 channels first, then choose your a la carte stations.

yippee!
 
I'd love to see an ala carte menu from a cable company.
 
Tom, I think I'll stick with my current hodge podge of digital subscriptions.
 
My reason to stay with local cable both at our home and our vacation home is that besides internet, we get local sports for minor league, local college, and high school all produced by the cable companies. I cannot replace them via antenna. At least our family plan with our kids keeps our cell phones low, and we do not have a land line at either home. But it is over $300 combined a month. My wife pays one and I pay the other. We stream with Acorn and BritBox as well, and my new iPhone gave us a free years of AppleTV+. I dropped Netflix as they did not have much of interest. The streaming works at both locations.
 
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