Today’s question comes from Kathy who asks, “Do people still use TV antennas? A friend of mine told me about Tablo when I was complaining about my expensive TV bill but I’m skeptical because I thought antenna TV was obsolete, had limited channels and bad picture quality. What should I expect?”
Around 20% of American households still use an antenna to watch over-the-air TV. Those who haven’t been enjoying antenna TV lately, like Kathy, may believe these myths and misconceptions. They’re also missing out on one of the best ways to watch their favorite shows without bloated monthly fees.
Let’s debunk some of these antenna TV myths and misconceptions…
- Antenna TV Is Old and Obsolete Technology
While antenna TV has been around for almost 100 years, in the late 1990s, over-the-air TV transitioned to fully digital, high-definition broadcasts. Innovations have improved the performance and aesthetics of antennas. Products like Tablo even allow you to watch, record and stream over-the-air broadcasts from antennas via apps on smart TVs, streaming and mobile devices, just like modern internet-based TV services.
- Antenna TV Has Limited Channels
In the early days of over-the-air TV, most consumers were only able to get 3-4 channels. Today, average antenna TV users can expect to receive 40-60 channels, while some can watch almost 200 different networks, all for free. These include major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW and PBS, as well as a wide variety of ‘subchannels’ showing specialty content like movies, sci-fi, westerns, sitcoms, cartoons and much more. You can see what channels are available in your area here.
- Antenna TV Has Bad Picture Quality
Today’s fully digital broadcasts are delivered in either 720p or 1080i HD quality. This results in a crisp and clear picture that may even be sharper than cable and satellite as the video is generally less compressed. Reception is also greatly improved thanks to fully digital delivery.
If you haven’t tried watching TV with an antenna in the last few decades, it’s past time that you make the switch! With modern digital broadcast technology and devices like Tablo that provide an app-based interface to browse, record and stream programming from your TV antenna, you’ll be surprised at how great your free TV experience can be.
Have a question about watching TV that you’d like answered? Send us a note and you may see your question on the Tablo blog and in an upcoming issue of our newsletter, Stay Tuned!
