Antenna in SoMd...

[Hessian]

I am getting really fed up with my Comcast bill. I love the channels but the basic is way over 100.00 with my web connection too. I plan on slashing the cable bill and replacing it with an antenna. BUT...Who has walked this road before? Good antenna systems? Too much interference? Lightning hazzard?
How many stations can you get down here witha top antenna system? (I do have decent elevation (180 ft)

Please....I could use some advice on this.

[K_Jo (Premo)]

TV is way too important to mess around with an antenna. Stick with Comcast. Give up food.

[Mikeinsmd]

Antenna is going to limit you pretty much to 4, 5, 7, & 9. Way over $100.00 doesn't sound right. I have GMP and I pay $80.00 for basic with my internet.

[Nickel]

Originally Posted by K_Jo

Stick with Comcast. Give up food.

[K_Jo (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Nickel

[vraiblonde]

Hessian, have you thought about a satellite dish?

[Hessian]

Sorry Vrai...haven't put too much thought to that option. I have memories of ugly 6ft dishes that got feeds of Uruguay Soccer and Sesame Street in Urdu.

Do you have one? Cable networks badmouth them based on tree interference & storm interference...What is the experience of some of our SoMders?
How much does Dish cost???


Now another antenna question: Living near the Bay...wouldn't I get Easton, Baltimore, Fredericksburg,..local programming--so instead of the typical "Big 4"...I'd expect to get 12-15???

[ohstate]

I've had Directv since 1999 here in southern Calvert. Comcast was terrible when we first moved here. The cable would cut out in storms and the selection was terrible. I wanted college football, and I can now get it with Directv and the ESPN Gameplan (costs extra). With Directv, I get the local stations (DC) and several hundred more. Their basic package begins around $40, with about $12 more for the local channels, and I pay more for an HD package. I also pay $5 a month for a second receiver.

When I first got HD, I tried the antenna route, but I live in a little valley with lots of trees. I had Davis antenna come down from Waldorf to do a survey, and they couldn't pick up a signal anywhere at my house, even on the roof with a 10 foot pole. So my only options are the dish or cable, and the dish beat out cable years ago.

I've only lost the signal a few times since 1999 (maybe once a year) due to storms. Typically, it will fade out for 10-20 minutes while the worst of the storm is in the direct line between my dish and the satellite. This usually happens in the summer, but once I had to go wipe off about 10 inches of snow that had accumulated on the dish to clear up reception - but it was still getting a picture, just fuzzy. Compared to cable, which would go out in a storm and stay out for a day, Directv wins this battle.

The dish installers will survey your property to see if you can receive their signal. My (second) dish is now on the roof (the first was not, but adding HD required a different line of sight to the sky, so they moved the dish).

I highly recommend Directv. They run deals all the time, so you should be able to find a sale.

Good luck!

[hwyman3]

I've had Dish network since 2000. Like the earlier post said, I maybe lose signal once a year. I have it on 2 televisions with all the channels except for the premiums (HBO, Cinemax, etc.) and my bill is around $50.00/month.

With the Antenna, you may pull down Baltimore, but about the only stations available from the Eastern Shore would be in Salisbury. Not sure how well those would come in.

[aps45819 (Premo)]

I used an antenna for years and it worked fine. Get the top of the line color antenna from radioshack and add the high gain amp. Pulled in all the DC and Baltimore stations nice and clear. Add a rotor and you might get Norfolk and Richmond.
Only problem was hearing taxi cabs and the aircraft at pax every now and then.