best free to air satellite system?

[CHARLIEBORG]

I am tired of paying for TV! I have herd of free to air satellite systems, but no nothing about them. Is there anyone on here that does? I don't want to give up my DVR. Am I out of luck?

 

[truckerCLOCK]

I think the FTA market is pretty slim pickins these days. Probably the most your gonna get is foreign or church channels.

Look here for info FTA FAQ Lists

 

[CHARLIEBORG]

I think the FTA market is pretty slim pickins these days. Probably the most your gonna get is foreign or church channels.

Look here for info FTA FAQ Lists

Thanks. I was just hoping to my locals. ABC,CBS,NBC and such.

 

[Binky]

Are you in range of TV broadcast towers?

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Thanks. I was just hoping to my locals. ABC,CBS,NBC and such.

Go see Google. There are sites that tell you what you should get at your location.

In an area of plains, you should get towers up to 50 miles away pretty easily with an indoor antennae.

I live where it is hilly and I can't even get towers from 30 miles away using an indoor antennae. Have not tried a roof mount.

Get rid of cable regardless. You will realize that most TV is crap. You won't miss it.

 

[CHARLIEBORG]

I live around 80 miles from any of them. I guess I need to invest in a good antenna!

 

[Binky]

That's far, but not impossible assuming there are no obstructions in the way, like buildings or mountains. You're going to want something BIG, possibly amplified. Try your address at antennaweb.org and see what it tells you.

Antennas are pretty cheap though...even the big ones.

 

[mmntech]

I briefly worked at a store that sold FTA satellite equipment. Needless to say, the dude didn't stay in business long. Just no demand for that gear in these parts. FTA mostly caters to Asian and eastern European ex-pats. The owner was a scumbag anyway, so I wasn't sad to see him go. Didn't treat his employees very well.

You should be able to pull in all major North American networks that broadcast using terrestrial FTA. So CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, CBC, CTV, Global. You can also watch networks in other countries.

The equipment is mostly identical to what you'd find in a DISH setup. You need a dish, LNB (antenna), multi-dish switch, receiver box, and a signal finder. I've forgotten most of the technical stuff. You'll want to talk to someone who specializes in FTA to make sure you have the right size dish and all the equipment you need. Yes, there are DVRs available.

As for the antenna route, it might be a cheaper option. 80 miles from the transmitter though... You're going to need as much height as you can get. That's probably going to require a mast.