Get local TV stations without cable?
Hello,
This is Dennis.We live on McKinley Ave in Berkeley just behind City Hall. We would like to get local TV stations such as channel 7 and channel 9 with a simple digital TV and antenna. Does anyone know if this is doable?: We would like to get rid of our Comcast.
Thanks--Dennis
Apr 13, 2017
Parent Replies
Yes, you can. We have one and we live near you. It works well. Just google indoor digital TV antenna. Places like Best Buy have them.
Hi Dennis! We live in North Oakland and have never had cable. For years, we have used a simple and cheap antenna that I think we got from Radio Shack for regular TV. We keep it in a nearby window for the best reception and get all local stations without any problems.
The TV signals mostly come from SF (I think) and you are far up enough the hill that you should get a pretty decent signal. I did living in near you recently although it was in a high rise. Main thing is patience with fine-tuning where you put your antenna. Expect to spend a little time putting it somewhere, running the channel scan on your TV, putting it there and running it again, etc. etc. Surprisingly small movements can change the results considerably. We've had good results with a Mohu Leaf antenna. Good set of trust-able reviews here http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-indoor-hdtv-antenna/ You'll also ve stunned at how may over the air channels there are out there. Still not much good on, but we get @60 channels.
There's no "cable" vs no monthly bill. To not have a bill from any service you will need an indoor antenna. They are inexpensive and will do what rabbit ears did for our older analog TV sets. Here is a link to help get the best reception: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/10/5-tips-for-getting-the-…
Hello Dennis, I live closer to Gilman and San Pablo (so reception might be different in your neighborhood) and got rid of cable years ago. We use an indoor digital antenna (ClearStream Eclipse™ Amplified Sure Grip Indoor HDTV Antenna) with the optional booster. We get channels 4,5,7,9, plus a whole bunch more we do not usually watch and use a Roku for Netflix and Amazon streaming. Best of luck!
Yes. With a digital TV and antenna (or analog TV and converter box) you can get all the major broadcast stations (PBS, ABC, NBC...and more).
Very doable. You can buy antennas off of Amazon - definitely read the reviews first, some are better than others. We live in Albany, have used an antenna for years, and get about 60 channels. The downside is that reception can be a bit unpredictable - once in a while, we'll have to shift the antenna a bit and re-scan around for better reception. But, generally speaking, totally meets our needs.
If the indoor antenna doesn't work as well as you hope, get a preamplifier (sold as a digital signal booster). We did that when we had trouble getting KNTV (Channel 11) in your neighborhood and it helped. (KNTV has since moved their transmitter, so I don't know if it's still an issue).