Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 108
Default 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.
  #4   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,577
Default 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.
  #6   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,033
Default 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.


  #8   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 87
Default Cutting the cord

On 4/19/2014 8:46 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.


You can not connect your cable to an antenna unless you block the signal
to the antenna. How I do it, (or did it) I run only one cable to the
cable modem and then another cable off the antenna to the TVs. I have a
signal booster near an outdoor directional antenna since it's a long
run, but a couple of years ago some cable guy showed up and said they'd
lower the internet bill and give me free basic TV so I told them to
climb the pole and get'er done. The bill has creeped up since then
eventually at some point I'll be back to plan A and cut the cord again.
When I'm not watching broadcast TV I use a computer with wireless
keyboard/mouse to stream to the big screen TV and tend to watch
something streaming from the internet most of the time with that. If
your internet is capped you'll have to watch your bandwidth usage.
don't let the URL fool you, it's a valid useful site.
https://tvfool.com/
and google "cutting the cord"
For what it's worth the over the air broadcasts are better quality than
cable or satellite because of less compression.
  #9   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,270
Default 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
  #10   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 618
Default 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)




  #11   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 22,192
Default 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
  #12   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,640
Default 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.

  #13   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,261
Default 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

  #14   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,582
Default 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?

  #15   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,582
Default 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.


  #17   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 64
Default 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.
  #18   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 22,192
Default 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.
  #19   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,582
Default 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.
  #20   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,582
Default 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.


  #21   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,261
Default 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
  #22   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,577
Default 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?
  #23   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,582
Default 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


  #24   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,143
Default 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
  #25   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,228
Default 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



  #26   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,577
Default 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
  #27   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,270
Default 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
  #28   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,270
Default 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
  #29   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,228
Default 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

  #31   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,582
Default 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.

  #32   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 108
Default 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
  #33   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 18,538
Default 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"
  #34   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 18,538
Default 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.
  #35   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 18,538
Default 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......


  #37   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,577
Default 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!
  #38   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default 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.
  #40   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8,582
Default 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.

Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Old English B22 (bayonet) cord plugs and cord sockets Jim Hawkins[_2_] UK diy 2 January 29th 14 09:38 PM
Why is electric cord thicker than it used to be, and do they make little switches for thick cord. micky Home Repair 23 September 3rd 12 04:00 AM
Need advice on cutting firewire cord - 4pin to 6pin - help please David D Electronics Repair 1 July 24th 07 01:07 AM
Anyone know the name of the shower head that you have to pull a cord to turn it on, and releaseing the cord turns it off? Brett Miller Home Repair 5 March 9th 06 06:14 AM
Cutting aluminum with carbide wood cutting blade on tablesaw mc Metalworking 16 March 1st 06 06:20 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:27 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 DIYbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about DIY & home improvement"