Think back, if you will, 25 years. Depending on who you are, that could mean reaching back to your childhood. But, based on what Google tells me about who reads this blog, you were probably an established adult by that time. Chances are your entertainment came from watching pay television. If you were like most people in the late 20th century, that meant traditional cable TV. I know that some of you hardcore fans had already jumped on the satellite TV bandwagon at that point, but let’s be honest: without local channels satellite TV could be a little hard to love.
Now think back 25 years before that, if you can. When you thought about entertainment you had really the one choice: live TV delivered by an antenna. This meant a snowy picture, constantly fiddling with an aerial, and maybe a handful of channels. That’s probably still your impression of getting television over the air. It’s time to rethink that position.
Over-the-air television makes more sense than ever today.
Why do I say that? Because over-the-air television is a great value, perhaps more now than ever before. Here’s what I mean.
It’s free. I mean, FREE FREE.
With over-the-air television, you buy the antenna (if you don’t have one left over from the 1970s that might still be good). You put it up. You scan for channels. And that’s it, you’re watching TV. There’s nothing more to pay, ever. This is a mindblowing idea when you compare it to monthly streaming costs that just go up up up. Over-the-air television will work if you stop paying for cell phone service, it will work if you stop paying for internet. Sure, you need electricity, but it’s getting easier and easier to get solar systems that don’t cost anything past the initial investment.
It’s where you find the TV you actually want to watch.
I don’t know about you but I get a little tired of these “meaningful” TV shows. Sure there’s a place for that. But TV doesn’t have to leave you drained or feeling dirty. It doesn’t have to keep you up at night. And, you shouldn’t have to devote hours to chasing down articles just to try to remember who the characters are. I think it’s great that video storytelling has evolved to become this complex, multilayered thing. But sometimes, especially in the evenings, it’s more than I can take.
I bet you feel the same sometimes. Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. Sometimes you want to feel like there’s a friend who says “I’ll be there for you.” Maybe you just want to watch a show about nothing. Maybe a world where the good guys always win sounds like just what your weary mind needs. Sure, you can find a lot of this stuff on streaming apps… if you pay for them. You’ll find all those shows from the past on over-the-air television.
Most people don’t realize that over-the-air television now offers dozens of channels that you can’t get over cable or satellite. Many of them are devoted to offering the TV shows we all grew up on, in glorious standard definition, with commercials where they’ve always been. It’s ok to want to retreat back into that world every so often, and with over-the-air TV, it’s all waiting for you.
Yes, you can get free streaming TV, but is it the same?
One thing that’s really started dominating the internet lately is “Free Advertiser Supported TV (FAST.) You’ve probably seen apps like Pluto or Tubi, and this same capability is baked into a lot of smart TVs. FAST is really just like over-the-air TV except, you know, that it’s not.
I like apps like Pluto as much as anyone. They’re free and I like they way they’re organized. But they don’t always put the commercials where they need to be and that can ruin the flow of a program. There are sometimes weird quality issues that take you out of the experience. Most importantly, they do tie up your internet bandwidth while you’re using them. That can lead to a lot of complaints from the younger people in your house.
With an over-the-air antenna, you don’t have any of those problems. You get consistent picture quality, commercials where they were always designed to me, and it’s as close to watching old-school TV as you can get. Why? Because it IS old-school TV. Pluto wants to be over-the-air TV… why not just watch over-the-air TV?
Get an antenna from Solid Signal
Sadly, most people think that they have three choices for getting an antenna. They can get a piece of junk from a drug store, they can overpay at a home store, or they can get barraged with questionable products when they shop on Amazon. There’s a fourth option, and it’s better than any of those.
You can shop at Solid Signal for the antenna you need, or you can get a real recommendation from the experts. You can talk to a real trained antenna tech who will evaluate everything about your situation. You’ll get a free estimate of what you’ll need, with no obligation. If you have special requirements like an HOA, or if you just plain don’t want to go up on the roof no matter what, we’ll take that into consideration. You’ll end the call with a plan for getting just what you need.
Call us during East Coast business hours at 888-233-7563. It’s the smart choice. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get right back to you!
