According to a recent FCC survey (released on October 2016) during the past 20 years (1995-2015) average cable cost per month has increased by 208.9% (from $22.35 per month to $69.03). At the same time, satellite TV, monthly subscription starts from $50 and can reach up to $125 depending on the plan you choose. In other words, a household must pay an average of more than $800 per year to watch cable TV or from $600 up to $1500 to watch satellite TV. On the other hand, you have the option to watch hundreds of TV broadcasts including sports, weather, sitcoms, kids, local news absolutely for FREE and in HD quality by switching to Over-The-Air (OTA) television. Why pay to watch channels such as FOX, NBC, CBS, ABC and many more when you can watch them for free? So why keep paying cable or satellite bills and spend a fortune throughout a decade since you can get a good number of channels for FREE?
TV for Free
Can I watch Over-the-Air (OTA) digital TV FOR FREE?
What is digital Over the air Television?
Over-the-air television also known as Terrestrial Television is a type of broadcasting that allows TV channels, such as FOX, NBC, CBS, ABC and many more, to deliver HD programs by radio waves to TV receivers with an antenna. Radio waves are transmitted by Earth based transmitters and then captured by any antenna capable to receive digital signals. Signal is then transferred by a coaxial cable (attached on the antenna) to the TV. This allow users to receive a variety of channels at HD quality without the need of additional equipment. All they need is a digital-ready TV which can receive digital signals and a digital antenna which can pull in over-the-air digital signals.
Since this service is provided free of charge without the need of a subscription, users can have a huge financial benefit and still watch most of their favorite TV programs in HD quality.
Can I watch Over-the-Air HDTV everywhere? – Resolution and Coverage
Digital television transmissions over-the-air (OTA) are now available in most metropolitan areas in the U.S., often carrying both standard- definition and high-definition (HDTV) transmissions of the same stations. Many stations have already used the switch to digital transmission as an opportunity to transition from 480i broadcasts to digital HD OTA broadcasts (either in 720p or 1080i). This transition to digital broadcasts has resulted in most over-the-air (OTA) digital broadcasts being of very high resolution thus offering astonishing picture quality even better than cable and satellite (if signal is picked by a high gain antenna and if stations do not multicast). Reception is nowadays possible countrywide since broadcast towers are disperse all over the country and they usually lay at an average distance of 35 to 60 miles from major urban and rural areas. To put it in numbers there are 1812 broadcast transmitters that provide free OTA transmissions and approximately 90% of US households are within range of at least one of them.
How do I receive HDTV for FREE?
Follow the next 3 simple steps to receive standard and high definition over-the-air broadcasts for free:
1) Check OTA signal coverage in your area so that you know the number of the available channels in your area, the signal strength and your distance from the transmitters. This information is necessary for you to choose the right antenna. HDTV Antennas offer a specific reception range. So, checking signal coverage offers you the information you need to decide which antenna to buy.
2) Make sure you have a digital-ready TV. Given that more than 95% of TV sets are digital ready (i.e. equipped with an ATSC tuner), this should not be a serious concern. However, in case that you have a TV that is not digital ready a digital converter box will be required.
3) Make sure you purchase a high gain HDTV Antenna in accordance with the signal coverage checker results so that it pulls in theavailable over- the-air signals in your area. RGTech with the innovative high gain Monarch HDTV Antenna series is here to ensure that you get the most out of the OTA signal available in terms of reception strenght, signal stability and signal quality through, apart from all others, the Ultra Wideband Technology (UWB) and 4G filter incorporated within.
It is simple as that. Complete the above steps, receive OTA HDTV for free and get rid of cable and satellite subscription bills.
Which Monarch Antenna shall I buy?
The Monarch 40 HDTV Antenna is recommended for customers who live within a 40-mile distance from the nearest major transmitter. It is a discreet flat, paper thin, mini, easy to hide, portable, non-amplified and plug-play antenna which guarantees powerful signal reception. It is available in Black and White. It comes with 3M double coated sticky tapes for mounting on windows, walls and furniture.
The Monarch 50 HDTV Antenna is recommended for customers who live within a 50-mile distance from the nearest major transmitter. It is a discreet flat, paper thin, mini, easy to hide, portable, non-amplified and plug-play antenna which guarantees powerful signal reception. It is available in Black and Transparent. Apart from the 3M double coated sticky tapes for mounting on walls, windows and furniture, it comes with a stand for ease of placing wherever preferred.
If there is strong evidence that your area suffers from weak signal coverage, it is highly recommended that you purchase directly the Monarch 50 Antenna, in order to maximize the chances of strong signal reception.
Checking OTA channels availability in my area – Signal Coverage Checker for U.S.A.
Checking OTA channel availability in your area is simpler than you could ever imagine. Enter your ZIP Code in one of the online coverage checkers available and you will get: a) the number of transmitters that cover your area. b) Distance and direction of nearby transmitters and c) Strength of each transmitter. RGTech could do no less than perform a survey and propose you the most precise Coverage Checker tools that retrieve data from official and accredited sources and have their database updated very often.
Option 1 < click on Option 1 – Since the most reliable source for signal coverage checking is no other than the Federal Communications Commission we propose to visit their website and check for the DTV signals that are available at your location.
Option 2 < click on Option 2 – If you would also like to find out the distance and direction of your nearby transmitters you can perform an analysis through TV Fool TV Signal Locator tool. This tool will also inform you on the expected signal strength of every channel “in the air” at your location, taking into account factors that might affect signal availability such as transmitter power, terrain obstructions, curvature of the Earth, and more. TV Fool TV Signal Locator Tool uses data generated from the FCC’s database of all licensed broadcasters.