Cheerful Frugality Adjusts The Antenna
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I'm trying not to be disappointed by the digital TV conversion box. For some reason, I thought we'd be ditching the rabbit ears for good.
Now I have a box, the aforementioned rabbit ears, and an additional remote control.
Will the inconvenience nudge me to cable TV? Nope, but I'd like to put a positive spin on some issues:
All these "new" channels.
CON: Qubo cartoons. Though the programming seems decent, the commercials and 24/7 availability could be a big distraction. You can program the remote to skip unwanted channels.
PRO: PBS Documentary channel and a local weather station. Enough said.
Yet another thing to plug in.
CON: one more electrical power suck.
PRO: motivation to click off the power strip altogether.
Adjusting to new technology.
CON: requires 2 remotes with inadequate volume moderation.
PRO: an opportunity to visit and help others.
If fiddling with the box has been trouble for my tech-savvy family, how much more overwhelming is it for our older friends and neighbors? My own mother tried to pay someone to plug it in for her!
Don't just adjust the antenna. Let's adjust our attitudes and see whom we can help through this transition.
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6 Responses to “Cheerful Frugality Adjusts The Antenna”
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:36 am
I love the Qubo programming! That was one thing that my husband and I had discussed about having kids, we liked the availability of cartoon programming on cable but didn’t like the prices. We haven’t had cable but for a 3 month period since we moved into our first apartment (3.5 years ago). We are not pregnant with our first and I am excited that when the baby is old enough for tv programming, this will give us and our dvd player a little break from time to time!
I also love all the arts stations that we now get. We actually found an article online to make an antennae for the digital conversion and it works great! Only needed some screws, washers, pice of wood, and metal hangers.
Also we bought an all-in-one remote that runs the converter box, tv, and dvd player off one remote (and we got it for $5 at wal-mart)…not the best option for everyone but it has worked great for us! I do agree that it is difficult for less tech savvy people and the elderly (especially trying to program the remote). We have tried to help as many friends and family as we can
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:53 pm
I keep hoping that the cost and inconvenience will move people away from t.v. viewing. I’ve ditched mine, as have several of my friends. The radio suffices for emergencies, and the Internet fills the t.v. gap if I’m jonesing for some visual entertainment.
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I feel your DTV conversion pain. The remote that came with my box only operates the channel portion so the original remote does the volume. It is a real pain, and all I want to do is be able to watch the local news.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:10 am
I don’t know what is available in your area, but I have basic cable for only around $14 per month. I get the networks, PBS, Fox and some other channels, which is enough for me. I would rather pay such a small amount than have rabbit ears, the box and remote cluttering the room. I know that basic cable is more expensive in some areas, though and the cost may be in everyone’s budget.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Ever since leaving home, I have never opted to pay for cable. The rabbit ears and fuzzy stations where enough to annoy me away from the TV. Now that I have the converter box, which wasn’t any more difficult to set up than a vcr or dvd, I pick up a few channels (half of which are duplicates because of neighboring cities).
I see it as good because we were renting family videos at the local rental place ($1 per video for a week isn’t bad but it does add up). Now, with only a few shows on worth watching, we are opting for an earlier bed time, more time for things that matter, and more time for communication with each other.
The box is a good alternate to renting videos AND paying for cable).
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:33 pm
I live at the end of a 1 mile dirt road so my only option is sat which is pretty spendy plus you have the equipment.
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