Anyone using ROKU and HDTV antenna rather than Cable or Satellite??

[dotti105]

I work in San Jose, Ca (the heart of Silicone Valley) and have friends there who have ditched the Cable and Satellite providers and use WiFi to provide their phone and TV.
Magic Jack and Vonage phone service and Then for TV they use the HDTV antenna and ROKU to receive TV. They pay about $7.00 each ,per month for Netflix and Hulu to provide programing. Sounds very tempting. I'm really tired of my $100 cable bill each month.
It sounds like a $200 +/- investment then the $14-$16 per month for HDTV
Anyone there using these or other systems to provide lower cost, HDTV quality viewing?
if so I would love to hear about it!!!!
Thanks

[tommy steam]

Really thinking about it.

[missypie]

Want to check this out!

[DDoug]

I have it only cost 59.95 havent really used it to much but the reception is very good. Hard to get use to but yes there is no other cost except your internet service but you have that any way.

[dotti105]

because all the networks now broadcast in HD, your local programing is free with the HD antenna. The netflix is for Movies, Hulu to watch entire seasons of a series. Both on demand. We never watch anything except news live, we record and come back to watch later so we can zip through the commercials, so this seems like a very viable option for us. Just hoping to find others who have thied and are using this system there in TV.
I also do not know about sports pkgs. My hubby is a NBA fanatic and I am not sure there is a service that will please him. Hockey, Basefall and Football all have a pkg you can buy for ROKU but I have only heard bad reviews on the NBA pkg.
Inpput appreciated!!

[jerseyvillager]

Roku or one of several others (I use GoogleTV) and a HDTV Antenna will work fine. You won't get the hundreds of channels like you do with the providers but you will get the major networks and enough to keep you happy when you couple it with some streaming environments over your Internet connection.

I use DirecTv for only one reason, the NFL package, if it weren't for that I would be satisfied with that environment. If they raise the cost of the NFL package I'm out and will cancel DirecTv.

The HDTV antenna provides a great live picture but I can't get NBC because of my location in TV. The tower I point to is in Deland and the NBC equipment is installed at the bottom of the tower and blocked from my line of reception. If your higher up, say like in Mallory, you would probably get better reception.

More and more people will be turning to this type of set-up in the future. People who don't need 500 channels - 475 of them they don't watch anyway. People like Villagers who are too busy to watch a lot of programming. Much of what you can't view live can be obtained at a later time via streaming.

It's worth playing around with and determining if it will meet your TV needs. Good luck!

P.S. I use Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus

[dude175]

I have the HDTV and Roku along with Magic Jack and get along just fine. I do have Dish also but would like to drop it. To be honest, you will get about 2-3 movie channels (some 24 hours a day) on HDTV antenna along with all the networks which is almost enough. I get about 35 channels (several Spanish and religious). I can get these antennas at a reduced price if interested. On vacation now, but will return around end of June. Dave at 715 415 2838 in Lady
Lake

[Carla B]

So will an HDTV antenna work in The Villages to pick up the network and PBS channels from Orlando?

We're paying for Comcast low-level service and also have ROKU and Netflix streaming. My son gave it to us when I complained that our cable TV/Internet bill was higher than the electric bill. Roku is great for the ability to watch movies without commercials but, in my opinion, Netflix streaming's inventory of movies is disappointing. Amazon Prime may be a better alternative.

Nevertheless, we are thinking of doing away with Comcast TV because, as jerseyvillager says, why pay for channels that we don't watch anyway. The issue with Roku is that the nearest thing to live news that I've found is Al Jazeera. Jeez!

[Hal :-)]

We're in Western New York and cut the cable long ago with a roof antenna. It's a good area for it because we not only get all the networks, we get Canadian broadcast. But when we bought in The Villages, to be snowbirds, it didn't work as well.

We picked up about 35 channels but many spanish, religious, and spanish religious that didn't interest us. Still, we had at least a dozen good. But, the big deal breaker was no NBC. That was with an indoor Terk antenna on the end table. I probably could have done better with a big antenna in the attic (no roof mounts in the Villages). I tried the Terk in the attic and it wasn't much better. I'm in a relatively high, clear area, your results may vary.

Anyway, I ended up getting Dish Network. It's a very cool system. Automatically records all prime time network shows (8pm - 11pm) plus two more tuners for your personal selections. We take the box back and forth. But I signed up for two years and hope to be able to dump it at the end of contract. I'm hoping for most everything to go online by then. I have an Acer Aspire Revo HTPC and use Hulu (free, not Plus). Hulu is great, but limited. I also have Amazon, Netflix, Roku, and GoogleTV. Depending on your needs and interest, there's more available than you can watch in 24 hours.

[justjim]

Deregulation was suppose to bring competition and lower cable bills in the long run. That seems to have worked out well!!

[dotti105]

I just know that I love the picture quality of Direct TV. We have had them for 12 yrs. But I hate the price and the games you have to play to get them to lower your price for a few months, special offers to retain you as a customer, but those run out and you have to call again threatening to leave. Seriously? I am over it.
I would love to go Cable and Satelite free when we our Gilchrist home is finished in Feb. and cut the cord for good. Just don't know how realistic that is.

[Midvale]

What type of HDTV antenna is needed in The Villages? Is it an indoor model? Is it amplified?

[buzzy]

If you go to antennaweb.org and input zip code 32162, it shows only one station, FOX, as strong enough to get on a large directional antenna with a pre-amp. It's not likely that you would get anything on a store-bought antenna.

[SemiMike]

I work in San Jose, Ca (the heart of Silicone Valley) and have friends there who have ditched the Cable and Satellite providers and use WiFi to provide their phone and TV.
Magic Jack and Vonage phone service and Then for TV they use the HDTV antenna and ROKU to receive TV. They pay about $7.00 each ,per month for Netflix and Hulu to provide programing. Sounds very tempting. I'm really tired of my $100 cable bill each month.
It sounds like a $200 +/- investment then the $14-$16 per month for HDTV
Anyone there using these or other systems to provide lower cost, HDTV quality viewing?
if so I would love to hear about it!!!!
Thanks

Small correction: Silicone Valley is down Hollywood way; Silicon Valley is indeed the greater San Jose area. :laugh:

[GreggB]

Check these threads out for info on OTA
https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/i-know-television-antennas-not-allowed-but-how-about-12485/
&
https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/comcast-increases-rates-70060/

[Radioman41]

We were able to get the Fox channel out of Ocala with a directional indoor antenna and two pre-amps. Every so often the picture would freeze up due to atmospheric conditions. Most of the time it worked fine. We broke down and went with Comcast but are still considering a high gain directional to put in the garage crawl space. We are in the Village of St. James.

[jerseyvillager]

Not to trash anyone, but the people who said you will not get any reception are wrong. I broke out my HDTV antenna just to prove it to myself. I will post a list of channels when I can get a chance. But I can tell you ABC, CBS and a bunch of others come in crystal clear.

Below is a site for a state-of-the-art HDTV antenna which I purchased today. I'll let you know how it performs. I don't mind spending a few bucks if it will eventually allow to cut the cable/dish connection.

You need to click on the icon (lower left side to get the URL)

Amazon.com: Mohu Leaf Ultimate Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna: Electronics

[mrdarcy]

JerseyVillager, I'm very interested in hearing how good your reception is with the new antenna you just bought. Orlando is 60 miles away and the range on the antenna you indicted you purchased states the range limit is 50 miles. Please, please post your experience after you test out your new antenna. I live south of 466a on the eastern side, nearest Orlando.

[JP]

I have an Apple TV so my only connection is an internet connection that was recently $19.99/month through Comcast. Through my Apple TV I watch Netflix so I am commercial free which is a HUGE plus. I don't have HULU yet but am considering it. I also piggyback onto my parents Bright House subscription so I can watch Fox News through the internet on my iPads anywhere in my house or linai or I can watch it through my TV through my iPad and Apple TV. I don't have dish or cable anymore which is fantastic and liberating. When I had cable/dish, I hated paying for all the programming I didn't want and I really hated watching the same inane commercials over and over until I felt like throwing the TV out the front door.

[Midvale]

Looks like a great antenna. Please keep us posted with your results.



Not to trash anyone, but the people who said you will not get any reception are wrong. I broke out my HDTV antenna just to prove it to myself. I will post a list of channels when I can get a chance. But I can tell you ABC, CBS and a bunch of others come in crystal clear.

Below is a site for a state-of-the-art HDTV antenna which I purchased today. I'll let you know how it performs. I don't mind spending a few bucks if it will eventually allow to cut the cable/dish connection.

You need to click on the icon (lower left side to get the URL)

Amazon.com: Mohu Leaf Ultimate Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna: Electronics (http://www.amazon.com/Mohu-Ultimate-Amplified-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B00APPDX86/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370979024&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Leaf+Ultimate™+HDTV+Antenna)

[Hal :-)]

I already posted that I was able to pull in over 30 channels. The is the antenna I use the antenna I have.

I don't know why Antennaweb is so sparse, unless I just happen to be in a perfect area. I'm in St James, across St Charles from Southern Star. We do look out over the Villages so maybe we do have good antenna visibility.

Antennapoint.com is a little more realistic and it shows, as I experienced, all major networks except NBC. But I like Tvfool.com, it helps in aiming the antenna.

Digital broadcast is a noticeably better picture. I always assumed that but now that I have Dish I can see the difference. Both Cable and Satellite do compression. It's definitely better on my 60" in New York. I assume it would be equally obvious on my smaller (40" maybe) in The Villages.

I have a Magnavox DVR, similar to this one this one. Nothing like a cable or satellite box, you have to program like the old VCR days, but it does the job. I used a small PC for Hulu, CBS.com, NBC.com, ABC, etc. Worked great. I'm sure all TV will be over the internet in a few short years. Hopefully, two or less, when my Dish contract expires.

If you'd like to see it, I'd be happy to show anyone when we come back down, Oct maybe.

[Midvale]

Has anyone successfully picked up Orlando's WESH-ME, Channel 2.2, in The Villages with an antenna? Believe it's VHF.

[Bavarian]

Has anyone successfully picked up Orlando's WESH-ME, Channel 2.2, in The Villages with an antenna? Believe it's VHF.

There is no longer any VHS television, all moved to UHF with Digital upgrade. They kept old channel numbers to avoid confusion. Remember, you will need a digital to analog converter.

The VHF frequencies are being auctioned off for mobile radio to make money for US Government.