Nowadays, you can get a decent TV reception without the pricey cable services or antennas. Maybe you’ve been wondering how to get TV reception without a cable or antenna to cut off the costs and get freedom from any monthly subscriptions and lengthy contracts. The best thing is there are various ways you can watch your favorite programs and news without paying for expensive cables bills. Therefore, the switch to smart and digital TV has revolutionized greatly on TV reception.
For many years, people have been paying for a hundred channels that they barely watch just a few of them. Cable companies make packages that contain few proper popular channels and folds of useless one. It is a game that has been going on for a long time, and the plans packaged this way to entice users and charge them more. For instance, many people, especially the seniors, only need a few local channels to watch news and weather updates.
However, it is easy to get TV reception independent of antenna or cable since the majority of channels even if the pay channel is going on live streaming. Indeed, you don’t like all the channels in your subscription package; you just go for the popular channels. Henceforth, it is essential and convenient to choose the channels that you prefer and watch according to your priority.
How to get TV Reception
Therefore, you can get TV reception in two ways, they include:
i) Without an Internet Connection
If you don’t have a smart, digital TV or internet connection in your home and you want to watch channels, there is a way to go about it. Also, it is possible to get free TV cable for free in a lifetime as well. You can use a handmade TV antenna or an antenna in the market for signal boosting. There are different antennas with different signal strength available in the market, and the popular channels depend on the antenna quality.
ii) With an Internet Connection
From 2006, a lot of TV manufacturers have incorporated a smart feature that enables the TVs to accept digital signals or allow for internet connection. If you have a high internet speed at your home, you can stream favorite channels live online. It would be a waste of resources subscribing monthly to the cable service providers. Furthermore, you can add an internet connection to your TV by visiting links of different channel service providers. For this to happen, you have to know how to get free internet at home without paying because it’s cheaper than cable subscriptions.
What Are the Factors to Consider When Going for TV Reception Without Cable or Antenna?
a) Will It Save Me Money?
You should calculate well and evaluate for the plans you subscribe to if they have an impact on your financial obligations. After choosing the right one for you, make sure it’s less than your monthly cable subscription.
You have to determine how much the internet will cost you once it’s not in the TV package. If the discount you are getting in the TV package is reasonable, you can just stick to your bundle until it expires.
b) What Are My Favorite TV Shows and Channels?
You have to note that not every show or channel content is available on every cable alternative. Before quitting from cables and antennae, make sure that your favorite programs and channels offered by the streaming service are the ones you prefer.
For instance, if you like watching news and shows from major networks like NBS OR CBS, you might only need an antenna and do away with streaming service. However, knowing your taste of collection will help you identify the best alternative for you.
c) How Often Do I Watch TV?
There is no need for subscribing to an enormous package if you only watch TV erratically. If you want to stay relevant with friends that use cable services, you have to look for an alternative like Hulu that offers new shows immediately after airing on cable.
Not all this alternative provides the greatest and latest programs. For instance, Netflix provides episodes after they have been broadcast over cable services. Therefore, know you’re watching habits and chose your alternative based on that.
d) How Do I Want to Watch TV?
If you chose to switch to streaming services, you need to have a reliable internet connection and a digital device for streaming. Before you cut the cord, you’ll have to think about how and where you want to watch your TV and the methods you can use to stream live.
If you don’t have a smart TV and no way to hook up your old TV to a streaming service, you can get Amazon Fire TV Stick or Roku as a streaming device to watch on your actual TV.
What Are the Ways to Watch TV Reception Without A Cable or Antenna?
1) FUBOTV
Fubo is a live streaming service that mainly offers you NBS, CBS, and FOX for the local market. You can choose this service without paying hefty monthly cable services. Also, there are more popular sports channels that are part of their streaming services that include beLN, NBCSN, BTN, FS1, and FS2. Before subscription, you may check out the channels available where you live and read their reviews.
2) Sling TV
You can stream different channels using Sling TV. The first package is an orange plan whereby you subscribe with $20nper month for 30 live TV programs utilizing this plan. You can also get a blue plan that goes for $25 per month for at least 45 channels. However, Sling TV is a good deal for popular TV content without having monthly cable fees or subscriptions.
3) Amazon Prime Video
First, you have to sign up for an account at Amazon to get a prime video that enables you to stream numerous channels. The initial subscription is $12.99, which makes economic sense when compared with the cable connection services. However, you can pay upfront $119 per year to attain a prime member status. Besides, Amazon Prime Video is another platform to watch TV programs without any cable connection, and one doesn’t need to have a streaming device.
4) Netflix
With Netflix, you can quickly get and stream videos and channels. For streaming live with Netflix, you need to sign up first. The initial plan starts from $7.99. However, it is possible to share this service in case you want to use it with two devices, like a smartphone and TV.
Netflix enables users to access thousands of popular live channels and videos with a premium subscription. It is $13.99, and the number of users can double with this subscription plan. Otherwise, it’s an excellent option for TV reception with no cable or antennae.
5) Hulu
Hulu currently streams live TV like ABC, FOX, CBS, and NBC in many areas. Most of the pay channels give you access to stream live content on a trial basis. However, you just need to pay a $44.99 monthly subscription fee to watch every pay channel. The basic plan starts from $7.99 per month and has unlimited access and stream choices.
Also, you can pay extra for Hulu without commercials, but they are fewer commercials with HULU as compared to cable, but its way much cheaper. Besides, when you subscribe to a higher package plan, you’d still save over $30 per month over cable. When you need to switch off the plans, there is no disconnection fee attached.
How Do TVs Without Cables Or Antenna Work?
From the above information, you have seen various types of platforms that do not require either cable or antenna to operate. Have you asked yourself how these televisions work? Well, in case you do not have a clue about how they work, then here we are explaining to you the mechanisms of these televisions.
These kinds of digital platforms require an internet connection to receive channels. That means that you have to subscribe to internet services to watch your favorite channels. Interestingly, internet TVs are cheaper as compared to ordinary ones that use antenna and coaxial cables.
Once you receive internet packages, you can search your favorite TV channels from the internet using unique URLs and maybe log into your account if it is a paid TV such as Netflix or DSTV. Other companies such as Comcast have gained a lot of popularity in the internet TV sector.
There are various deals you can get from Comcast at the moment. The comcast internet deals 19.99 for 6 months gives you a sufficient package that you can utilize for not only watching internet television but browsing for other content on the internet.
How do You Get Internet Connection for Home?
Getting internet connections for your home is very easy, so long as you have money to pay for the services. You can choose from the various types of internet connections available in the market.
The four main types of internet connections that you can receive for your TV or computer include;
Satellite, cable, DSL, and fiber. Let me give you a detailed explanation of each one of them.
1. Satellite internet
Satellite internet is standard on smartphones and tablets. It can be useful for computers and televisions as well. To get satellite internet, you gave to install a satellite dish facing the southern skies. You also need to install a modem that links to the satellite dish.
Once in place, the satellite dish receives radio frequencies from the associated orbiting satellites in the sky. It then converts the radio frequencies into internet packages of which you can access from your modem in your house or office. Satellite internet is a bit slow since signals travel for long distances before they reach you on earth.
2. Fiber internet
Fiber internet reaches your house via the optic cables. Optic cables are particular kinds of cables where data travels under high speeds by total internal refraction. It is very efficient for high-speed browsing, and this favors your TV watching demands.
Fiber internet is a new way of transmitting data packages to users. Being new, it has not covered many areas of the US. However, very soon, you might even see it in your area.
3. Cable internet
Cable internet transmits moderate speeds of data packages. It is suitable for television streaming as well as normal web browsing.
Cable internet is also suitable for VoIP services. Moreover, it is efficient for HD video and music streaming. Most colleges and homes have cable internet installed in their homes.
4. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
It is almost similar to Cable Internet. However, data packages travel through copper wires to the designated destination. You have often seen wires hovering on posts that resemble the traditional telephone lines. Some of those wires are the Digital Subscriber Lines.
The system offers broadband internet services for your home and office. Digital Subscriber Line requires a DSL modem to receive the packages from where you can tap for your use. The system has high speeds too.
Where can you watch Internet Television from?
You can watch internet-connected TV using different ways. First, you can connect a digital TV or a smart TV to an internet source using an appropriate cable, and you are good to go. Others can connect wirelessly to Wi-Fi.
Again, you can use your computer to watch your favorite channels in the comfort of your office. By visiting a TV website, you can receive live television for your enjoyment.
Your smartphone and tablet can be useful when it comes to watching TV. You can download applications of various TV stations and connect them to satellite internet to watch. Netflix, DSTV, Showmax, and others are available on your mobile phone or tablet. Besides, using YouTube, you can get live TV channels suitable for you.
Bottom Line
Gone are the days when you couldn’t access TV without a cable subscription or an antenna in place. By using the ways mentioned above, you can watch your favorite news, shows, and sports programs with a little cost or for free in some cases. With an internet connection, you can connect to a smart TV or any other digital device to get signals and stream online TV channels at a fair cost as compared to cable services.