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Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts?

Cross-posted to 5 groups.

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"Ant" <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote in message
news:AqCdnU9HloT6K6PSnZ2dnUVZ_g6dnZ2d@earthlink.com...
> I don't know if this is the proper newsgroups to ask this. In a few
> months, my family and I (three people) will be relocating/moving to
> another house. We won't be able to get free over the air (OTA) due to a
> small mountain/giant hill blocking transmitters for Los Angeles/L.A.
> broadcasts. It is impossible to get a very high antenna (would require a
> high rise building height with twenty floors -- 193 or more feet for the
> local English stations in green color according to TVFool.com!). So that
> means we will have to order cable or satellite TV for TV feeds. Since we
> don't watch many movies and stuff (we just rent or stream), we will
> still keep it simple and basic. Hopefully, cheap/low cost. Basically, we
> want all local broadcast channels including foreign ones (asian like
> Chinese).
>
> We are definitely ordering Time Warner Cable (TWC)'s Road Runner
> Internet service since that is the only fastest and cheapest ($52.99 per
> month for standard package) since nothing else and/or good is available
> (no DSL, no FIOS, satellite and dial-up sucks and are too slow).
>
> TWC sales said for monthly payments as of Christmas break of 2011:
> $24.50 (basic/local broadcast TV)
> $52.99 (regular Internet package)
> $10 DVR rental (heard cable DVRs suck? Or should we get our own
> [however, I can't find one that doesn't require subscriptions like
> DTVPal and ChannelMaster DVRs]
> $49.99 for installation charge
>
> Total = $84.79 per month for service (without $49.99 for installation
> charge).
>
> Bundled packages and a single bill would be nice too if it is cheap/not
> much different, but if satellite TV service is a lot cheaper than we
> will get it. However, it will suck if the whole cable goes out/down,
> then no Internet and TV. :(
>
> I read and heard that satellite TV services for TV stuff can be cheaper
> and better quality. We will also need to get a new DVR (we still have
> VCRs, but why?) to replace DTVPal DVR (only for OTA). There are several
> satellite TV services like EchoStar, DishTV, DirecTV, etc. Which ones to
> get? We have never owned satellite TV services before so this will be
> new to us. Also, we still use old CRT TVs but we will get HDTV ones
> later on when they break/die.

For Dish Network, adding one's local stations is only an additional
$5/month beyond other programming.  However, you'll only get the primary
digital channel.  The secondary OTA streams are not covered.  However,
depending on where you are, you might be able to receive them OTA
nonetheless due to their signal strength -- or receive a similar feed from
San Diego.

In my opinion, you should be ready to go with your choice when you move in
BUT first be able to survey what you can actually see OTA before actually
ordering any service (unless you want more than just OTA plus basic).  The
minidishes are currently cheaper than cable TV.

I'm in the shadow of the Santa Monica Mountains/Hollywood Hills from the
transmitters on Mounts Wilson and Lukens, but I do receive about half of
the OTA stations over the air.  I also see San Diego more than 50% of the
time (i.e. good weather) and sometimes can see Ensenada, BC, Mexico
stations (about 15 days/year).  The furthest I ever saw (before the digital
conversion) was WCCV 54 in Arecibo, PR during troposphere ducting about 15
years ago.

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Thread

Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-02-17 12:19 -0800
  Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Patty Winter <patty1@wintertime.com> - 2012-02-17 20:29 +0000
    Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-02-17 12:30 -0800
  Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Bill M. <wbillups@hotmail.com> - 2012-02-17 15:12 -0600
    Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-02-17 15:50 -0800
      Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? "Elmo P. Shagnasty" <elmop@nastydesigns.com> - 2012-02-17 19:17 -0500
  Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? "D. Stussy" <spam+newsgroups@bde-arc.ampr.org> - 2012-02-17 16:39 -0800
    Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-02-17 17:35 -0800
      Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Bill M. <wbillups@hotmail.com> - 2012-02-18 00:30 -0600
        Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-02-18 08:55 -0800
          Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Bill M. <wbillups@hotmail.com> - 2012-02-18 12:03 -0600
            Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-02-18 10:07 -0800
      Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? "D. Stussy" <spam+newsgroups@bde-arc.ampr.org> - 2012-02-17 23:39 -0800
        Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-02-18 08:59 -0800
        Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-02-18 09:21 -0800
  Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Justice Gustine <justicegustine@aol.com> - 2012-02-17 17:02 -0800
    Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-02-17 17:39 -0800
      Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Bill M. <wbillups@hotmail.com> - 2012-02-17 23:21 -0600
        Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-02-18 09:02 -0800
          Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Patty Winter <patty1@wintertime.com> - 2012-02-18 17:53 +0000
            Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-02-18 10:09 -0800
              Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Bill M. <wbillups@hotmail.com> - 2012-02-18 13:08 -0600
            Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Bill M. <wbillups@hotmail.com> - 2012-02-18 13:10 -0600
          Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Bill M. <wbillups@hotmail.com> - 2012-02-18 11:54 -0600
            Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-02-18 10:08 -0800
              Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Bill M. <wbillups@hotmail.com> - 2012-02-18 13:09 -0600
                Re: Satellite or cable service for local TV broadcasts? Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2012-02-18 11:25 -0800
  Re: Satellite or cable service... Part 2 "Alan Justice" <spam@spamspamspam.spam> - 2012-07-19 10:25 -0700

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