How to Ditch Cable and Not Miss Anything

If you’re tired of waiting for The Cable Guy, you may want to keep reading this. Over the past several years, the advent of a torrent of streaming content has made many homeowners rethink the value of a traditional cable subscription. Cable—used interchangeably here with similar services that might be delivered over a fiber connection—has grown increasingly more costly than on-demand streaming subscriptions from Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Apple, and many others. 

But it’s not just the cost that has homeowners “cutting the cord.” These services have proprietary set-top boxes that you need to access the service on every TV that you own. Some of these are better than others, but many use outdated and unintuitive software for program guides and digital video recording functions. However, many are still hesitant to cut the cord and just go with streaming. The main reasons tend to be access to live sports and local news, which are not easy to get (or sometimes impossible) over streaming. 

There is an alternative. A high-quality over-the-air antenna coupled with an advanced set-top box independent of cable networks can give you much of what you miss with cable programming, and streaming services supplement the rest. Keep reading to learn more about how this solution can help you cut the cord in your Salt Lake City, UT, home.

SEE ALSO: Should You Prepare Your Home for 8K Video Resolution?

Over-the-Air Antennas

For some people that have grown up in the cable era, hearing “over-the-air antenna” brings back images of fuzzy TV from the old days. Today’s over-the-air programming from local stations went digital 15 years ago, and yes, you still need a good antenna. But the little secret that few people know is that with a proper antenna system, the images are amazingly crisp. With cable and even streaming services, the video signal is compressed to fit the available bandwidth or to deliver more content over the wire. Over-the-air TV signals, properly received, are often sharper and more vivid. 

Companies like Channel Master have been offering over-the-air antennas since 1949 and the early analog days of TV. Today they provide antennas for digital TV reception, which cord-cutters can use for excellent TV reception. These antennas can be a boon for more remote homes that are not served at all or don't get the latest cable capabilities and also offer cord-cutters an option for local and broadcast national sports without a subscription. 

There are two main options depending on your needs and distance from a broadcasting station. Flat, compact indoor antennas can be hidden behind a mounted flat-panel TV. For ultimate reception, an outdoor antenna is best; and there are a variety of multi-directional and directional models that can pull in signals from greater distances. Antenna amplifiers can amplify the signal over regular coaxial cable outlets that exist in most homes to supply signals to multiple TVs. 

Tivo Set-Top 

Tivo was one of the early pioneers in set-top boxes, offering a far more user-friendly interface and features for program guides and digital video recordings than other manufacturers. Their over-the-air models offer up to 75 hours of HD program recording and the ability to record two programs simultaneously. One significant benefit is the subscription-free program guide; you pay once for the box you own, unlike the monthly fees for both boxes and guides with cable companies. The Tivo set top also includes all the major streaming apps like Netflix, Prime, HBO, and many more, so you have a one-box solution for all your entertainment needs.

 

Are you ready to cut the cord? Show and Tell TV can set you up with a simple-to-use, subscription-free over-the-air solution to access everything you'll want to watch. Contact us to get started today! We would love to work with you.