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Question

How to Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day without cable?

Nov 7, 2013 2:33PM PST

Is there any way to access the 3 major networks anymore, without cable??? Or perhaps a way to catch the NBC broadcast of the parade somehow and stream it from a computer or phone to the big screen tv? What about through Amazon Prime, or XBox Live? It seems like there must be some way to get a regular network tv broadcast without cable. There must be oodles of Americans living overseas, or living in the US without cable, who would love to see the parade. WHY doesn't NBC do a webcast? (Sorry, that's a lot of questions in one).

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
I have to wonder why you think that the major networks
Nov 8, 2013 10:18PM PST

are only broadcasting on cable.

All the majors are still broadcasting over the air as they have been doing since they came into being.
The only difference is that when the FCC mandated that all TV Broadcasts would be Digital, the broadcasters had to shift their transmitter frequencies from the VHF band up to the UHF band. (this usually meant changing out the transmitter, but that's another story)

Some affiliates, notably FOX, were already using the UHF band prior to this mandate, but not digitally. You don't remember the fuss about Monday Night Football?

Anyway, UHF antenna's are available just about anywhere TV's are sold. Some are referred to as HD antenna's, some are not, but there is no difference between a regular UHF antenna and a so-called HD antenna.
UHF is far more directional than VHF so the antenna should be pointing at the transmitter tower.

FWIW, all the majors transmit HD at 1080 over the air. This results in a much better HD picture than those transmitted by Cable or Satellite and certainly much better than any webcast.

Just saying

P

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Well it's just that we've never owned an antenna before
Nov 9, 2013 7:34AM PST

We just always had cable before it got prohibitively expensive. And never having dealt with antennae, I don't really know anything about them - I honestly didn't even know the differnece between VHF and UHF (I'm only slightly techy - and only with computers - that's why I hang around this website - to learn from real techy folks!) We live pretty close to a lot of towers, but for some reason our tv doesn't pick up any signals without a cable box, and I had just assumed that after everything went digital, that analog broadcasting (if that's what it was called - this is SO not my area of expertise), and therefore, antennae, would not work. I didn't know there was a such thing as digital ones.

I did start looking around online at antennae today, and see that there's a wide array of them. I found a website where you plug in your zip code and it tells you what type of antenna you need for each of the stations near you. I found out I need a small, multidirectional, indoor antenna. I found several on Amazon ranging from $5-$35. Not bad, compared to the price of cable, for even the most expensive. Doing some research on those now, and we'll order one and try it out.

Oh, and I didn't know about the football fuss - what was that about?

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before you go down the antenna road,
Nov 9, 2013 11:03PM PST

you may want to confirm that your TV is not an Analog one.

If you TV has a Cathode Ray Tube, a glass screen, then it is almost certainly analog, but if it is one of the Flat Screen variety then it is probably digital.

The antenna will plug into the same place as the cable used to, it has the same connector, and using the built-in menus, you get the TV to tune itself to all the digital station that it can find.

See your TV manual for details on how to do this.

Most FOX affiliates were broadcasting in the UHF band before the other major affiliates were and when they won the NFL contract for Monday Night Football, from viewers who had TV's that were not so good in that frequency band.

P

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To add
Nov 10, 2013 4:02AM PST

If analog, you might still be able to find a converter. These were available at a discount during the transition period from analog to digital and the cost was about 50 bucks. Personally, if you can't find one free from a person who has but no longer needs it, I'd not spend the money but get a digital TV.

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Answer
How close do you live to broadcast towers?
Nov 7, 2013 5:59PM PST

I don't have cable but can get the 3 major networks as well as several from the old UHF system. I live in a large city. I have a regular rabbit ears and an old UHF-VHF antenna in the attic. Commercial TV is still available to those who live near enough to the towers. I can't give a good estimate of range because topology is a factor. I'd say that 20-30 miles might be a good average distance for these signals to travel reliably with some going farther.

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Hmm... Really close as it happens...
Nov 8, 2013 7:39AM PST

That could work... But, we don't have any rabbit ears or old antennae. I don't suppose they're widely available in regular stores, but perhaps one could find them at a thrift shop somewhere? But then, DH says he doesn't think our tv has a way to connect one of those... I don't really know what kind of connection you need for them, but here's what we've got available for input to our tv:
4 HDMI
2 Video
2 Component
1 PC

Ideas?

And seriously, does anyone have any clue why NBC doesn't get in the current century and webcast the parade???

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Standard coax input 72/75 ohm type
Nov 8, 2013 8:54PM PST
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Look closely at the back of your TV
Nov 8, 2013 10:19PM PST

it almost certainly has a coax connector.

Brand and Model info would be handy

P

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I bought my TV antenna at Radio Shack
Nov 10, 2013 4:20AM PST

It uses a coax connector. I've seen them at Target, Kmart, and Best Buy. I'm sure there're other places. It's no big deal really.