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Cutting the cord
I am seriously thinking of getting rid of my cable TV and using an outside antenna and the cable Internet for television. The question I have is when I put up an antenna can i just plug it into the coax cable coming into the house? I have my cable internet coming in on the same cable. Is this an issue or will it work.
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Cutting the cord
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Cutting the cord
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Cutting the cord
If you have cable internet (say, Charter) you should be able to split the cable and get basic channels tuned through your HD TV.
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Cutting the cord
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Cutting the cord
" wrote in
message ... I am seriously thinking of getting rid of my cable TV and using an outside antenna and the cable Internet for television. The question I have is when I put up an antenna can i just plug it into the coax cable coming into the house? I have my cable internet coming in on the same cable. Is this an issue or will it work. As people have said, you can't use the same cable, but it's easy enough to just buy a length of coax or antenna cable to run up to your roof. I used to do that. These days I live in a place where I get 20-odd stations with just a UHF antenna sitting beside the TV. I haven't had cable TV since the early 90s. The big question is reception: If you're in a city trapped between high buildings, or out in a remote rural area, what you spend on an antenna and cable could be wasted. |
Cutting the cord
On Saturday, April 19, 2014 8:12:57 AM UTC-7, Stanley wrote:
On 04/19/2014 09:46 AM, wrote: I am seriously thinking of getting rid of my cable TV and using an outside antenna and the cable Internet for television. The question I have is when I put up an antenna can i just plug it into the coax cable coming into the house? I have my cable internet coming in on the same cable. Is this an issue or will it work. Maybe...for about a week...until your cable company disconnects you for cable ingress/egress issues. Yeah, that's what we wee told. These *******s don't give anything away!!!! We stopped the cable few months ago because realized we had been paying more each year for 500+ channels --of which we watched maybe 9-10! We bought an indoor antenna, hung it up high, brought in all the OTA channels it would get, but they were AWFUL. Could not get the one single PBS channel we did want. Returned antenna, Now getting TV on computer screen, several days late, but at least we get it. |
Cutting the cord
I am seriously thinking of getting rid of my cable TV and using an
outside antenna and the cable Internet for television. The question I have is when I put up an antenna can i just plug it into the coax cable coming into the house? I have my cable internet coming in on the same cable. Is this an issue or will it work. As others have said, you will need two separate cables. In fact, I dropped everything but internet from my cable connection and use an antenna for my TV reception (in addition to stuff I get online through Netflix and Youtube). I disconnected the cable line from my splitter and connected it directly to my cable modem. Then I ran a new line from the antenna, and connected it to the splitter where the cable used to connect. This way I still get a TV signal in every room of the house as before. Once everything is connected, you will need to rescan your TV for the antenna frequencies (they're different than cable TV). Unfortunately, my cable internet makes up the majority of my cable cost (I was only subscribed to limited basic service). Comcast also charges a fee if you do not use Cable TV (nearly the same cost as limited basic). My bill only went down $5 a month, but that's still $60 a year I can spend on something else. Good luck, Anthony Watson www.watsondiy.com www.mountainsoftware.com |
Cutting the cord
"Higgs Boson" wrote in message
... We stopped the cable few months ago because realized we had been paying more each year for 500+ channels --of which we watched maybe 9-10! We bought an indoor antenna, hung it up high, brought in all the OTA channels it would get, but they were AWFUL. Could not get the one single PBS channel we did want. Returned antenna, Consider an outdoor antenna (if you can.) Before doing so, on line antenna vendors usually offer maps showing which transmitters ought to give a good signal at your address. Your main choice for outdoor antennas is between (1) Small (folded) antenna, less than 1 ft. square. (2) Traditional UHF antenna, 3 ft to 6 ft. with multiple reflectors. (3) "Mattress" antenna with multiple reflectors (for which several Youtube videos offer to show us how to build our own.) All these connect via coax directly to your TV receiver (not to your PC.) -- Don Phillipson Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada) |
Cutting the cord
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 13:52:38 -0400, "Don Phillipson"
wrote: Consider an outdoor antenna (if you can.) Before doing so, on line antenna vendors usually offer maps showing which transmitters ought to give a good signal at your address. Your main choice for outdoor antennas is between (1) Small (folded) antenna, less than 1 ft. square. (2) Traditional UHF antenna, 3 ft to 6 ft. with multiple reflectors. (3) "Mattress" antenna with multiple reflectors (for which several Youtube videos offer to show us how to build our own.) All these connect via coax directly to your TV receiver (not to your PC.) "The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have created a color-coded labeling standard to classify each of the available outdoor antenna types." Find local stations: http://www.antennaweb.org/Default.aspx |
Cutting the cord
On 4/19/2014 12:45 PM, HerHusband wrote:
Unfortunately, my cable internet makes up the majority of my cable cost (I was only subscribed to limited basic service). Comcast also charges a fee if you do not use Cable TV (nearly the same cost as limited basic). My bill only went down $5 a month, but that's still $60 a year I can spend on something else. Good luck, Anthony Watson Problem I have, most of what we watch aside from the 6 o'clock news are cable channels. History, Travel, Science, Discovery, Nat Geo. Not in a good spot for OTA anyway, so I pay ridiculous amount for DirecTv. |
Cutting the cord
On Saturday, April 19, 2014 12:00:07 PM UTC-7, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 4/19/2014 12:45 PM, HerHusband wrote: Unfortunately, my cable internet makes up the majority of my cable cost (I was only subscribed to limited basic service). Comcast also charges a fee if you do not use Cable TV (nearly the same cost as limited basic). My bill only went down $5 a month, but that's still $60 a year I can spend on something else. Good luck, Anthony Watson Problem I have, most of what we watch aside from the 6 o'clock news are cable channels. History, Travel, Science, Discovery, Nat Geo. Not in a good spot for OTA anyway, so I pay ridiculous amount for DirecTv. EXACTLY our problem! Most of the identical channels!!!! Can catch up on some later on computer, but not the same as big TV! Damn, damn, damn - when is "God" going to do something about these cable co's! The OTA channels we d/l with the indoor antenna were (...censored...)!!! HB |
Cutting the cord
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 08:02:01 -0700 (PDT), Bob_Villa
wrote: If you have cable internet (say, Charter) you should be able to split the cable and get basic channels tuned through your HD TV. And what about a non-HD TV? Do you still need the antenna for one of them? |
Cutting the cord
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 11:34:31 -0700, Oren wrote:
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 13:52:38 -0400, "Don Phillipson" wrote: Consider an outdoor antenna (if you can.) Before doing so, on line antenna vendors usually offer maps showing which transmitters ought to give a good signal at your address. Your main choice for outdoor antennas is between (1) Small (folded) antenna, less than 1 ft. square. (2) Traditional UHF antenna, 3 ft to 6 ft. with multiple reflectors. (3) "Mattress" antenna with multiple reflectors (for which several Youtube videos offer to show us how to build our own.) All these connect via coax directly to your TV receiver (not to your PC.) "The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have created a color-coded labeling standard to classify each of the available outdoor antenna types." Find local stations: http://www.antennaweb.org/Default.aspx All but the biggest of these will fit in an attic, if you have an attic (Well, they will fit even if you don't, but it will be someone else's attic.) It won't be quite as high and won't have quite the range, and might not get as many channels, but no climbing tall ladders or being out in the weather. |
Cutting the cord
On 4/19/2014 9:46 AM, wrote:
I am seriously thinking of getting rid of my cable TV and using an outside antenna and the cable Internet for television. The question I have is when I put up an antenna can i just plug it into the coax cable coming into the house? I have my cable internet coming in on the same cable. Is this an issue or will it work. Issue. Won't work. -- .. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus www.lds.org .. |
Cutting the cord
On 2014-04-19 3:54 PM, micky wrote:
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 11:34:31 -0700, Oren wrote: On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 13:52:38 -0400, "Don Phillipson" wrote: Consider an outdoor antenna (if you can.) Before doing so, on line antenna vendors usually offer maps showing which transmitters ought to give a good signal at your address. Your main choice for outdoor antennas is between (1) Small (folded) antenna, less than 1 ft. square. (2) Traditional UHF antenna, 3 ft to 6 ft. with multiple reflectors. (3) "Mattress" antenna with multiple reflectors (for which several Youtube videos offer to show us how to build our own.) All these connect via coax directly to your TV receiver (not to your PC.) "The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have created a color-coded labeling standard to classify each of the available outdoor antenna types." Find local stations: http://www.antennaweb.org/Default.aspx All but the biggest of these will fit in an attic, if you have an attic (Well, they will fit even if you don't, but it will be someone else's attic.) It won't be quite as high and won't have quite the range, and might not get as many channels, but no climbing tall ladders or being out in the weather. Indoor; even in the attic; is a waste of money. Just go for a proper tower unless you live in a city. |
Cutting the cord
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 16:01:59 -0400, Adam Kubias
wrote: On 2014-04-19 3:54 PM, micky wrote: On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 11:34:31 -0700, Oren wrote: On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 13:52:38 -0400, "Don Phillipson" wrote: Consider an outdoor antenna (if you can.) Before doing so, on line antenna vendors usually offer maps showing which transmitters ought to give a good signal at your address. Your main choice for outdoor antennas is between (1) Small (folded) antenna, less than 1 ft. square. (2) Traditional UHF antenna, 3 ft to 6 ft. with multiple reflectors. (3) "Mattress" antenna with multiple reflectors (for which several Youtube videos offer to show us how to build our own.) All these connect via coax directly to your TV receiver (not to your PC.) "The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have created a color-coded labeling standard to classify each of the available outdoor antenna types." Find local stations: http://www.antennaweb.org/Default.aspx All but the biggest of these will fit in an attic, if you have an attic (Well, they will fit even if you don't, but it will be someone else's attic.) It won't be quite as high and won't have quite the range, and might not get as many channels, but no climbing tall ladders or being out in the weather. Indoor; even in the attic; is a waste of money. Just go for a proper tower unless you live in a city. I'm in the city. If I pick Yes or No on "Will the antenna be installed more than 30' above ground level?", it shows all the same stations. 8-20 miles away. Some of the transmission towers are located on a mountain, some on high rise buildings downtown. This is using the zip code only. I believe the stations would increase using the address or coordinates. Didn't try that this time. |
Cutting the cord
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 16:01:59 -0400, Adam Kubias
wrote: On 2014-04-19 3:54 PM, micky wrote: On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 11:34:31 -0700, Oren wrote: On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 13:52:38 -0400, "Don Phillipson" wrote: Consider an outdoor antenna (if you can.) Before doing so, on line antenna vendors usually offer maps showing which transmitters ought to give a good signal at your address. Your main choice for outdoor antennas is between (1) Small (folded) antenna, less than 1 ft. square. (2) Traditional UHF antenna, 3 ft to 6 ft. with multiple reflectors. (3) "Mattress" antenna with multiple reflectors (for which several Youtube videos offer to show us how to build our own.) All these connect via coax directly to your TV receiver (not to your PC.) "The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have created a color-coded labeling standard to classify each of the available outdoor antenna types." Find local stations: http://www.antennaweb.org/Default.aspx All but the biggest of these will fit in an attic, if you have an attic (Well, they will fit even if you don't, but it will be someone else's attic.) It won't be quite as high and won't have quite the range, and might not get as many channels, but no climbing tall ladders or being out in the weather. Indoor; even in the attic; is a waste of money. Look at the difference between a tv with no antenna and one with rabbit ears. In that case, even a little cheap INDOOR antenna makes a lot of difference. When I first** installed my large attic antenna, it got all the Baltimore stations and most DC stations. 40 miles from here. No rabbit ears had ever gotten more than one or two DC stations, plus the Baltimore stations. So you're wrong. **My $10 antenna amp has failed, so the antenna doesn't do as well now, but I will replace it. Maybe I should have mentioned the value of an antenna amp to the OP, but he would find out about it soon. Anyhow, that's between me and Jimmy. Just go for a proper tower Now that is a lot of money, compared to (buying an antenna amp and) running a cable from the attic. And maybe considered ugly too, and a hazard if not built right or not maintained or in unusually high winds or if the ground shifts, etc. unless you live in a city. Exactly. These days most people do live in a city or the suburbs. Jimmy didn't say where he lived. |
Cutting the cord
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 06:46:08 -0700 (PDT),
" wrote: I am seriously thinking of getting rid of my cable TV and using an outside antenna and the cable Internet for television. The question I have is when I put up an antenna can i just plug it into the coax cable coming into the house? I have my cable internet coming in on the same cable. Is this an issue or will it work. It's not that hard to run a second cable into the house. Part of my house overhangs the house in the back, and it's brown underneath, so some brown cable going up next to the brown downspout and then through an easy to drill hole that goes into the closet and it's barely noticeable. Another cable went in through tthe aluminum basement window frame, in the empty space below the channel. So it didnt' interfere with the operation of the window. For that cable, it's worth using plain cable with no connector on the end yet, because it will go through a smaller hole (small enough to fit in the empty space below the window channel) , and then to add t he F-connector to the end. They make screw-on F-connectors though I've never gotten one to work. They also make normal F-connectors of various designs and fairly cheap pliers to put them on with. F-connector pliers are those which have a hexagon shaped hole between the jaws when the jaws are closed. That's how a hexagonal crimp is put on the round connector sleeve during attaching. There are all kinds of "putty" or sealant to close the small space remaining between the hole and the cable. I think just about anything will work. |
Cutting the cord
On Saturday, April 19, 2014 1:56:09 PM UTC-7, micky wrote:
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 06:46:08 -0700 (PDT), " wrote: I am seriously thinking of getting rid of my cable TV and using an outside antenna and the cable Internet for television. The question I have is when I put up an antenna can i just plug it into the coax cable coming into the house? I have my cable internet coming in on the same cable. Is this an issue or will it work. It's not that hard to run a second cable into the house. Part of my house overhangs the house in the back, and it's brown underneath, so some brown cable going up next to the brown downspout and then through an easy to drill hole that goes into the closet and it's barely noticeable. Another cable went in through tthe aluminum basement window frame, in the empty space below the channel. So it didnt' interfere with the operation of the window. For that cable, it's worth using plain cable with no connector on the end yet, because it will go through a smaller hole (small enough to fit in the empty space below the window channel) , and then to add t he F-connector to the end. They make screw-on F-connectors though I've never gotten one to work. They also make normal F-connectors of various designs and fairly cheap pliers to put them on with. F-connector pliers are those which have a hexagon shaped hole between the jaws when the jaws are closed. That's how a hexagonal crimp is put on the round connector sleeve during attaching. There are all kinds of "putty" or sealant to close the small space remaining between the hole and the cable. I think just about anything will work. I am having a very hard time following the technical discussion on these threads about splitting and connectors, etc. Is anyone addressing the basic question which I THOUGHT this thread was about: CAN I GET CABLE WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT? Earlier in this thread, someone noted succinctly that one could get away with it for maybe a week until the cable company noticed. Am I misunderstanding? If so, what IS this about? HB |
Cutting the cord
On Saturday, April 19, 2014 2:48:58 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 08:02:01 -0700 (PDT), Bob_Villa wrote: If you have cable internet (say, Charter) you should be able to split the cable and get basic channels tuned through your HD TV. And what about a non-HD TV? Do you still need the antenna for one of them? Who on God's Green Earth would want anything that didn't have an HD tuner in it? |
Cutting the cord
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 14:12:42 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote: On Saturday, April 19, 2014 1:56:09 PM UTC-7, micky wrote: On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 06:46:08 -0700 (PDT), " wrote: I am seriously thinking of getting rid of my cable TV and using an outside antenna and the cable Internet for television. The question I have is when I put up an antenna can i just plug it into the coax cable coming into the house? I have my cable internet coming in on the same cable. Is this an issue or will it work. It's not that hard to run a second cable into the house. Part of my house overhangs the house in the back, and it's brown underneath, so some brown cable going up next to the brown downspout and then through an easy to drill hole that goes into the closet and it's barely noticeable. Another cable went in through tthe aluminum basement window frame, in the empty space below the channel. So it didnt' interfere with the operation of the window. For that cable, it's worth using plain cable with no connector on the end yet, because it will go through a smaller hole (small enough to fit in the empty space below the window channel) , and then to add t he F-connector to the end. They make screw-on F-connectors though I've never gotten one to work. They also make normal F-connectors of various designs and fairly cheap pliers to put them on with. F-connector pliers are those which have a hexagon shaped hole between the jaws when the jaws are closed. That's how a hexagonal crimp is put on the round connector sleeve during attaching. There are all kinds of "putty" or sealant to close the small space remaining between the hole and the cable. I think just about anything will work. I am having a very hard time following the technical discussion on these threads about splitting and connectors, etc. Your collider friends should be able to explain it to you. Is anyone addressing the basic question which I THOUGHT this thread was about: CAN I GET CABLE WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT? That's not what the thread was about. Earlier in this thread, someone noted succinctly that one could get away with it for maybe a week until the cable company noticed. Am I misunderstanding? If so, what IS this about? I'm not going to tell you. You should pay for your cable like everyone else. HB |
Cutting the cord
On 04/19/14 03:00 pm, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 4/19/2014 12:45 PM, HerHusband wrote: Unfortunately, my cable internet makes up the majority of my cable cost (I was only subscribed to limited basic service). Comcast also charges a fee if you do not use Cable TV (nearly the same cost as limited basic). My bill only went down $5 a month, but that's still $60 a year I can spend on something else. Good luck, Anthony Watson Problem I have, most of what we watch aside from the 6 o'clock news are cable channels. History, Travel, Science, Discovery, Nat Geo. Not in a good spot for OTA anyway, so I pay ridiculous amount for DirecTv. *Some* of those are available online with something like a ChromeCast dongle or a Roku box to feed them to the TV (both are HDMI only). We may give DirecTV another month while we make sure the Roku 3 lives up to expectations*, but after that, I hope it will be: "We've just figured out how much we've paid you in the last ten years, and it's going to stop." For the amount we'll save, SWMBO is even willing to give up her cooking and home-improvement shows. *So far we haven't been able to get the MHz Networks "channel" working properly, but it seems that MHz is in the process of making some changes, which we hope will solve the problem. Perce |
Cutting the cord
"Higgs Boson" wrote in message ... .. I am having a very hard time following the technical discussion on these threads about splitting and connectors, etc. Is anyone addressing the basic question which I THOUGHT this thread was about: CAN I GET CABLE WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT? Earlier in this thread, someone noted succinctly that one could get away with it for maybe a week until the cable company noticed. Am I misunderstanding? If so, what IS this about? HB YOu have it wrong. The origional question is much differant. The person has cable , he wants to stop the cable TV but keep the internet by cable. When he does this, he wants to know if he puts up an outside antenna, can he just connect it to the same cable that is already there while using that cable for the internet. The answer is NO, he must run a cable from the outside antenna to each TV. --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com |
Cutting the cord
On Saturday, April 19, 2014 4:12:42 PM UTC-5, Higgs Boson wrote:
I am having a very hard time following the technical discussion on these threads about splitting and connectors, etc. Is anyone addressing the basic question which I THOUGHT this thread was about: CAN I GET CABLE WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT? Earlier in this thread, someone noted succinctly that one could get away with it for maybe a week until the cable company noticed. Am I misunderstanding? If so, what IS this about? HB I have Cable TV/Phone/Internet...I have one TV with a cablebox and 2 on splitters that gives you the basic channels (no HD). I would think if you are paying for internet they wouldn't say anything if you hook-up a TV and get basic stuff! My.02 |
Cutting the cord
Ed,
Problem I have, most of what we watch aside from the 6 o'clock news are cable channels. History, Travel, Science, Discovery, Nat Geo. If you're willing to wait, most of the Discovery shows eventually end up on Netflix. I think Hulu carries some of the others. You have to subscribe to these two services, but they're usually cheaper than cable TV subscriptions. Not in a good spot for OTA anyway We live way out in the country, but with a good outdoor antenna I get a decent signal for the local stations (ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS). Thankfully, all of my local stations are in the same general direction. Anthony Watson www.watsondiy.com www.mountainsoftware.com |
Cutting the cord
What are you going to use for internet service?
Usually they will end up charging almost as much for just internet as they charge for internet and basic cable. Last I checked, Comcast charged $12 for the basic local TV channels, or I had to pay a $10 fee if all I wanted was internet. So, getting the local TV stations was a no-brainer. A few months ago Comcast switched to encrypted digital TV. I never watch live TV, I record everything using TV tuners in my computer. Their new encryption scheme was incompatible with my TV tuners, so I dropped the TV service and switched to an antenna. Even with the No-TV fee, my bill went down about $5/month. The only thing I lost in the switch was Discovery channel. I just wait till the shows come to Netflix (which I subscribe to already), or watch a show on the Discovery web site if it's urgent. Anthony Watson www.watsondiy.com www.mountainsoftware.com |
Cutting the cord
wrote in message ... When he does this, he wants to know if he puts up an outside antenna, can he just connect it to the same cable that is already there while using that cable for the internet. The answer is NO, he must run a cable from the outside antenna to each TV. Why wouldn't he hook the antenna to the "cable" and run another coax from the cable Dmark to the cable modem which could be right where it comes in the house. Then WiFi or CAT5 to all of your PCs. I just gave the simple answer. Others gave the more complicated technical version. I know what I would do if I wanted to run a cable modem and an outside antenna. Just did not want to add to the confusion.,but would do something like you said. I mostly do that every time my cable TV goes out and I want to watch some TV. No internet, but if it does come on I know it and have internet and then connect the regular cable back up. I am about 40 miles from each of 2 big cities. Get about 30 channels on the outside antenna. --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com |
Cutting the cord
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Cutting the cord
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 14:15:53 -0700 (PDT), Bob_Villa
wrote: On Saturday, April 19, 2014 2:48:58 PM UTC-5, micky wrote: On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 08:02:01 -0700 (PDT), Bob_Villa wrote: If you have cable internet (say, Charter) you should be able to split the cable and get basic channels tuned through your HD TV. And what about a non-HD TV? Do you still need the antenna for one of them? Who on God's Green Earth would want anything that didn't have an HD tuner in it? People who own one or more already and don't have as much money as you do. And people who have as much money but have large uninsured medical expenses for someone they love or are responsible for. |
Cutting the cord
Thanks everyone. I think I will run a cable just to my internet modem. Then hook up my outside antenna to the cable that feeds the rest of the house.. That way we can get OTA TV in every room. With a 20' pole and antenna (Grounded) I will be able to get about 20 channels OTA where I am located. I will then use my Chromecast to stream video to my television. The Chromecast works great and I can't see paying xtra for a bunch of cable channels that I only watch a few of. THANKS, Jim |
Cutting the cord
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 16:56:09 -0400, micky
wrote: On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 06:46:08 -0700 (PDT), " wrote: I am seriously thinking of getting rid of my cable TV and using an outside antenna and the cable Internet for television. The question I have is when I put up an antenna can i just plug it into the coax cable coming into the house? I have my cable internet coming in on the same cable. Is this an issue or will it work. It's not that hard to run a second cable into the house. Part of my house overhangs the house in the back, and it's brown underneath, so some brown cable going up next to the brown downspout and then through an easy to drill hole that goes into the closet and it's barely noticeable. Another cable went in through tthe aluminum basement window frame, in the empty space below the channel. So it didnt' interfere with the operation of the window. For that cable, it's worth using plain cable with no connector on the end yet, because it will go through a smaller hole (small enough to fit in the empty space below the window channel) , and then to add t he F-connector to the end. They make screw-on F-connectors though I've never gotten one to work. They also make normal F-connectors of various designs and fairly cheap pliers to put them on with. F-connector pliers are those which have a hexagon shaped hole between the jaws when the jaws are closed. That's how a hexagonal crimp is put on the round connector sleeve during attaching. There are all kinds of "putty" or sealant to close the small space remaining between the hole and the cable. I think just about anything will work. With the new digital cable (for TV and Internet) they run 100% sheild, which you cannot crimp a standard "F" connector to. You need the Radial Quad Sheild Co-Ax connectors, which isntall with a compression tool (Look up Zenith ZDS5061 for the tool) Also known as "waterproof connectors" |
Cutting the cord
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 14:12:42 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote: On Saturday, April 19, 2014 1:56:09 PM UTC-7, micky wrote: On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 06:46:08 -0700 (PDT), " wrote: I am seriously thinking of getting rid of my cable TV and using an outside antenna and the cable Internet for television. The question I have is when I put up an antenna can i just plug it into the coax cable coming into the house? I have my cable internet coming in on the same cable. Is this an issue or will it work. It's not that hard to run a second cable into the house. Part of my house overhangs the house in the back, and it's brown underneath, so some brown cable going up next to the brown downspout and then through an easy to drill hole that goes into the closet and it's barely noticeable. Another cable went in through tthe aluminum basement window frame, in the empty space below the channel. So it didnt' interfere with the operation of the window. For that cable, it's worth using plain cable with no connector on the end yet, because it will go through a smaller hole (small enough to fit in the empty space below the window channel) , and then to add t he F-connector to the end. They make screw-on F-connectors though I've never gotten one to work. They also make normal F-connectors of various designs and fairly cheap pliers to put them on with. F-connector pliers are those which have a hexagon shaped hole between the jaws when the jaws are closed. That's how a hexagonal crimp is put on the round connector sleeve during attaching. There are all kinds of "putty" or sealant to close the small space remaining between the hole and the cable. I think just about anything will work. I am having a very hard time following the technical discussion on these threads about splitting and connectors, etc. Is anyone addressing the basic question which I THOUGHT this thread was about: CAN I GET CABLE WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT? Earlier in this thread, someone noted succinctly that one could get away with it for maybe a week until the cable company noticed. Am I misunderstanding? If so, what IS this about? HB The original question was about dropping Cable TV but keeping cable internet, and adding an antenna to the mix for OTA TV. |
Cutting the cord
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 21:52:43 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote: Ed, Problem I have, most of what we watch aside from the 6 o'clock news are cable channels. History, Travel, Science, Discovery, Nat Geo. If you're willing to wait, most of the Discovery shows eventually end up on Netflix. I think Hulu carries some of the others. You have to subscribe to these two services, but they're usually cheaper than cable TV subscriptions. Not in a good spot for OTA anyway We live way out in the country, but with a good outdoor antenna I get a decent signal for the local stations (ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS). Thankfully, all of my local stations are in the same general direction. Anthony Watson www.watsondiy.com www.mountainsoftware.com The other "elephant in the room" is your bandwidth limit. If you do not have "unlimitted internet" you may very well excede your internet bandwidth limit and get hit with significant overage fees...... |
Cutting the cord
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Cutting the cord
On Saturday, April 19, 2014 6:02:22 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 14:15:53 -0700 (PDT), Bob_Villa wrote: On Saturday, April 19, 2014 2:48:58 PM UTC-5, micky wrote: On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 08:02:01 -0700 (PDT), Bob_Villa wrote: If you have cable internet (say, Charter) you should be able to split the cable and get basic channels tuned through your HD TV. And what about a non-HD TV? Do you still need the antenna for one of them? Who on God's Green Earth would want anything that didn't have an HD tuner in it? People who own one or more already and don't have as much money as you do. And people who have as much money but have large uninsured medical expenses for someone they love or are responsible for. To quote Jesus, "We will always have the poor..." Sometimes you have to blow it! I paid $170 for a new 32" and $20 for a used at Goodwill! |
Cutting the cord
On 04/19/2014 05:12 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
Earlier in this thread, someone noted succinctly that one could get away with it for maybe a week until the cable company noticed. Am I misunderstanding? If so, what IS this about? If you combine an antenna feed with a cable TV feed, you will create signal problems that will be detected by the cable company. The cable companies remedy may be to cut the offending subscriber off. |
Cutting the cord
On 2014-04-19 6:51 PM, micky wrote:
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 17:18:15 -0400, wrote: On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 16:47:45 -0400, micky wrote: When I first** installed my large attic antenna, it got all the Baltimore stations and most DC stations. 40 miles from here. No rabbit ears had ever gotten more than one or two DC stations, plus the Baltimore stations. So you're wrong. When I lived in Clinton Md, south of DC an attic antenna got me all of the DC stations (from northwest DC) and a fairly good picture from Baltimore. I went up on a 15' mast on the roof with a rotor so I could swing around south and I could get Richmond fairly well (enough to see a blacked out Redskin game), 100 miles away. DC and Baltimore were crystal clear. I'm not saying that a tower or mast isn't a good thing, but the previous poster went far beyond saying that a tower was better than the attic. He said regarding an antenna: "Indoor; even in the attic; is a waste of money", and that's not true. " Just go for a proper tower unless you live in a city." so I think he was recommending a self-standing tower, wasn't even satisfied with a mast. I'm satisfied with a mast too. A shingled attic will take out about 30% of reception. Why do anything to a maximum of 70% efficiency? |
Cutting the cord
On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 21:03:46 -0400, Adam Kubias
wrote: On 2014-04-19 6:51 PM, micky wrote: On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 17:18:15 -0400, wrote: On Sat, 19 Apr 2014 16:47:45 -0400, micky wrote: When I first** installed my large attic antenna, it got all the Baltimore stations and most DC stations. 40 miles from here. No rabbit ears had ever gotten more than one or two DC stations, plus the Baltimore stations. So you're wrong. When I lived in Clinton Md, south of DC an attic antenna got me all of the DC stations (from northwest DC) and a fairly good picture from Baltimore. I went up on a 15' mast on the roof with a rotor so I could swing around south and I could get Richmond fairly well (enough to see a blacked out Redskin game), 100 miles away. DC and Baltimore were crystal clear. I'm not saying that a tower or mast isn't a good thing, but the previous poster went far beyond saying that a tower was better than the attic. He said regarding an antenna: "Indoor; even in the attic; is a waste of money", and that's not true. " Just go for a proper tower unless you live in a city." so I think he was recommending a self-standing tower, wasn't even satisfied with a mast. I'm satisfied with a mast too. A shingled attic will take out about 30% of reception. Why do anything to a maximum of 70% efficiency? Cheaper, quicker, easier, safer, less maintenance, do-able in a rental house, and in many, most, or maybe almost all cases fully sufficient to get all the stations one wants. Far quicker, easier, and cheaper. If it is insufficient, nothing stops one from installing a mast or tower later. But one has to ask himself if that added 30% will bring in more stations or will it just reach a doughnut shaped area of farmland beyond the city whose stations you get with the attic antenna and 20 miles short of the next city. |
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