How to get basic channels on new HDTV without cable

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mrjohnson55

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Apr 16, 2012
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So I was just wondering if it was possible to get the basic cable channels on my new tv without having to get a tv package. By basic cable I'm talking about like channel 5, 7, 13 ect. Just the original channels.
 
Solution
Your new TV has an over the air tuner in it so you just need to find an HDTV antenna that will pull in enough channels. There are many different indoor and outdoor antennas and it can be tricky to find the right one. Make sure you can return what doesn't work. Outdoor will always be better if you can use one either on the roof or in the attic. Unlike analog over the air TV if the signal is weak you will either not get a picture at all or only get it sometimes, there is no noisy or snowy picture.
Your new TV has an over the air tuner in it so you just need to find an HDTV antenna that will pull in enough channels. There are many different indoor and outdoor antennas and it can be tricky to find the right one. Make sure you can return what doesn't work. Outdoor will always be better if you can use one either on the roof or in the attic. Unlike analog over the air TV if the signal is weak you will either not get a picture at all or only get it sometimes, there is no noisy or snowy picture.
 
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internetlad

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Jan 23, 2011
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You wouldn't be getting "channels" per se, but there are many different routes recently for getting television shows. Depending on if your set is a "Smart "tv, you can hook it up to the net and use services like Hulu, Netflix or Amazon Video to watch the shows you want. Only pain is that they won't have all the shows you want on every service, and you might have to utilize 2 or 3 services to get all the shows you like.
 

sonyavirk

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Aug 16, 2012
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Thank You for your answer it does help and i will look for that antenna that will help us get some chennels.

We just moved just down the street from our old place. We used to get basic digital channels at our old place but when we hooked up our TV at the new place for couple of day it gave us the same channels we got at the old place but hen it stopped all the sudden. Would you know why?

The cable guys once told me that there some kind of special cable that we need to hook up to the cable outlet and it will pull the channels automatically because of the kind of TV we got.





 

I think we are so used to having a cable service, we have forgotten perfectly good, FREE, antenna TV.

We just moved just down the street from our old place. We used to get basic digital channels at our old place but when we hooked up our TV at the new place for couple of day it gave us the same channels we got at the old place but hen it stopped all the sudden. Would you know why?
I wager the old tenant moved out a few days before his cable service got disconnected.

The cable guys once told me that there some kind of special cable that we need to hook up to the cable outlet and it will pull the channels automatically because of the kind of TV we got.
No idea.

TV and cable services hasn't changed that much.

The one big change last decade was analog to Digital service. You got a TV bought since 2009, you are good to go.





 
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