Thom, go on youtube and search for coathangar antenna, or homemade antenna, something like that. You can make an antenna that will give you surprisingly good reception. That Cowboys v Chargers game is on Fox. You will get channel 40 in HD, for free.

Worthless. Then again television in general is pretty worthless but dealing with a rip-off company that uses underhanded tactics to attack it's customers is even more worthless.

I've been pay-TV-free for several years. I don't miss it one bit. Go outside and play.

I did have direct TV for a few years about 8-10 years ago but they stunk. I just went with them so I wouldn't have to get Comcast (the only company I know of that's worse). They've got the same customer service model as the IRS, Blockbuster Video, Sprint or Verizon - basically provide as little as possible in as confusing a way as possible, overcharge routinely and then hide behind pages of legalese and fine print to enforce your access to people's money.

Yep, alienating ones customer base is a great corporate business model, isn't it? Ask blockbuster video how that one worked out for them...

You're preaching to the choir here. I never had pay-TV until I got married.

Normally I don't rejoice when a business goes under, but the local Blockbuster is closing its door, and I really want to go in there and yell "How about them late fees, ********? BWAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

Since going OTA, I've also discovered that all antennas aren't created equal, and what works great for one location, might not work so great just a few miles away. I can get "local" stations just fine with no antenna at all, while I have a couple of stations that a friend can receive but I can't using his antenna. All that being said, for my difficult stations that "come and go", I've got a directional antenna with an amplifier to boost the signal that points in the direction of the weak transmitters that are probably 40 miles from my house (hilly terrain). Don't remember how much (not expensive). Antenna placement and height will also have an effect...takes a bit of "trial and error" but worth looking into for marginal stations some distance away that you want to watch. As usual, the "distance claims" seem to be bogus, but an amplified signal (even on a non-directional) antenna sure helps. I don't ever change the direction of my antenna....it stays pointed in the direction of the weak tower. Hope this helps...

Seriously, this works well, better than the antenna from Radio Shack by a lot
coat hanger antenna - YouTube

That I have no doubt...I tried an antenna from RS and also one from BestBuy, and neither would receive the stations (all transmitted from the same tower) that I was having an issue with. It's certainly worth trying, but I figure Thom already has a carbon fiber/fiberglass version in the works :D

you need to find out the location of your stations and which band they transmit on

there are web sites which will give you a map

where I live they use different bands on different hills and no single antenna gives reception in storms

Well, despite calling and cancelling, a tech still showed up today to install the stuff. The doorbell rings and there's this character standing there with a clipboard. He's missing a few teeth, smells like he hasn't showed during this lunar cycle, and he's rolling a dirty, beat-to-hell late 70's/early 80's Econoline panel van with a "DirecTV" magnet upside down on the hood. If I'd seen this van in front of any of my neighbors houses I would have figured they were either getting raped or robbed. He was polite and understanding when I explained the situation to him, and he wen on his way. Some poor soul in Granite Bay gets him next.