In the United States, the number of cord-cutters, or those that have never had cable to start with, has grown to over 50 million. With so much online programming and the ease with which you can start and stop streaming services, this trend will continue.
Some challenges come with quitting cable altogether. One is access to local programming. The other is the growing cost of streaming services.
This is where a digital TV antenna comes in. Regardless of how much or little TV you watch, it can be an added asset that helps save you a lot of money. Keep reading to find out how.
Free Programming
Perhaps the biggest advantage of a digital TV antenna is being able to access free local channels. Depending on your location, you can expect to access some combination of ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS, Univision, and many others.
This is a huge advantage over streaming services that also offer free national channels. That’s because, the ones that do, tend to be more expensive. This allows you to access programming without paying anything.
Also, a lot of people don’t know that a digital antenna may be able to deliver a better quality picture than cable or satellite. That is because these services need to compress signals to accommodate the many channels they offer, and local channels are the low-hanging fruit. This results in overall diminished picture quality.
No Financial Risk
Not only is programming free, but digital antennas are inexpensive. You can find high-quality ones for under $100, and some as low as $20. Either way, this is well below the single monthly cost of many cable packages.
The downside is that it is a matter of trial and error to determine what channels your antenna will pick at from your location. Unlike old analog signals, you must have a consistent digital signal for the antenna to deliver programming.
If you are having difficulties finding the ideal location, there are companies like Install My Antenna that can help. They will position it to optimize the number and quality of channels you can access.
Reliability
One of the biggest reasons people have moved from cable and satellite is unreliability. Weather can impact satellite reception. When cable it out, there is little recourse to fixing it quickly.
Digital antennas will always perform as they are intended. If you get a digital channel, you will always get it.
Some streaming services, like Sling, allow you to pull your digital channels into their online guide. This also means recording local shows and watching TV through their app.
Find the right Digital TV Antenna
Now that you have an idea of the benefits of a digital tv antenna, you can decide if it’s right for your home. You can find online reviews to help you find the best TV antenna for your area.
We hope this information on digital TV antennas was helpful to you. If so, be sure to check out some of our other posts on home, business, marketing, finance, and many other topics.
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