I must be crazy

[suddenseer]

Well, I dumped my cable company *Time Warner". I am watching the NLCS on my local fox affiliate in 1080i HD ON THE antenna. I am not paying anything for the broadcast signal on the antenna. The free antenna channels look much better than the cable did.
I am watching the Ohio State Buckeyes game @ Wisconsin on ESPNIII for free (720I) on my laptop. I dumped the Time Warner $145.00 cable tv/voip phone/internet. I went ATT DSL for $15.00 month, and Vonage phone $15.00 month (3 months).

I found that 90% of my shows are free broadcast, or online for free. I am now watching game 1 of the NLCS free on broadcast, and ESPN free streaming the Ohio State Wis game for frww via DSL streaming on line. My bill went from $145.00 to $30.00 a month. I still get to watch ALL of my shows. So there.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

When Time Warner and Fox had the little hissy match I gave up and went FTA on both satellite and regular antenna.
140+ free OTA channels keeps me happy.
And that does not include what is on the web.
Both cable and the newspaper are history as far as I am concerned.

[kc7jty]

I only ever watch PBS anyway, and I get 7 PBS channels on the bunny ears here.
I have to pay #@*^! T.W. cable $30/mo for the slowest (I can't even watch youtube without some stops) internet because the fawlkin phone company (now Frontier) doesn't know if I have DSL here yet (been goin on for 8 years), even though they keep sending me adverts to switch over to it.

[ki4itv]

I can take it or leave it.
TV is really not so interesting to me.
My record for hang time on any particular commercial media was viewing a poster of Heather Locklear after cooking mushroom tea.
I still think she's both hot and freaky at the same time. I'm pretty sure she's burned into my retina's.


http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/8007/heatherlocklear.jpg

[WØTKX]

I watch broadcast HDTV a lot here... makes the non-HD cable bill annoying. But bundling with the high speed internet helps a little.

Local broadcast HDTV here is pretty cool... Sunday dinner is timed for the FOX cartoons.

[kc7jty]

I still think she's both hot and freaky at the same time.
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/8007/heatherlocklear.jpg

The hot fits, but I'd also choose healthy looking to describe that pic.

http://janetcharltonshollywood.com/images/spl52443_001_cuthea.jpg
howz she lookin now?

[ki4itv]

'bout like me. Party person around 50.
A little eye bleach...clean her right up.:lol:

edit: She still looks better than some of the worthless bimbo's coming out of holywood right now.
You know, the one's who leave their panties at home whenever they need some face time.

[kc7jty]

seems like everything nowadays is trash.
actually I found a recent pic of her that looked pretty good:

http://www.celebritybeautybuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/heather-locklear-bikini.jpg

according to Wiki she's 49 now

[ki4itv]

I have to admit, Bill. She looks really good for about 50 in the 'now' photo. But seriously, why do west coast females insist on having their faces stretched to the tune of a 18" Timpani once they get past the age of 35? It totally distorts the healthy look and ruins them.
I can't know. They certainly don't need it.

[n6hcm]

the minute i can get BBC America HD on some other lower-cost medium i'm done with dish network. their service has been ok but it's just crazy to pay for tv. i have line-of-sight to the tower which hosts most of sf's tv transmitters and antennae (the one which isn't available there is one i just don't care about).

i use comcast for internet only (cuz i like the speedy bits ... and i also get the benefit of viewing programs on their website even though i don't subscribe to their tv services), and i keep a landline phone because i'm not convinced that cellular networks will endure an earthquake as well as the POTS. the landline costs $25/month, which is as low as i could get it (measured rate service plus about $10 in taxes/fees/crap).

[suddenseer]

I switched last year to the TimeWarner bundle $99.00 per month with Showtime free for a year. The $99 turned into $115 taxes, dvr, etc. After the year long contract, it jumped to $145.99 month. The line has developed severe packet loss. The internet & phone only worked on a sporadic basis. The crack technical staff could not fix it. I was extremely forgiving. After two months of crappy service, I gave them the boot. ATT has brought fiber optic cable to my rural area. I will upgrade to their 12Mbit service when it arrives. So far, the Vonage voip is flawless. I love movies. I have the Netflix $10.00 month plan. Netflix has made many films available via streaming video. They are just as current as the pay channels. I was hooked on HBO series like The Sopranos, Big Love, 6 feet under. Showtime's Dexter, QAF, Bullshit, et al. I will just have to wait when they are released on dvd/netfix. I don't miss the cable because I was paying for hundreds of channels that I never watched.

[kc7jty]

I have to admit, Bill. She looks really good for about 50 in the 'now' photo. But seriously, why do west coast females insist on having their faces stretched to the tune of a 18" Timpani once they get past the age of 35? It totally distorts the healthy look and ruins them.
I can't know. They certainly don't need it.

I can't stand makeup before 40, and very little if any after, so it's not me to supply an answer.

[KA5PIU]

the minute i can get BBC America HD on some other lower-cost medium i'm done with dish network. their service has been ok but it's just crazy to pay for tv. i have line-of-sight to the tower which hosts most of sf's tv transmitters and antennae (the one which isn't available there is one i just don't care about).

i use comcast for internet only (cuz i like the speedy bits ... and i also get the benefit of viewing programs on their website even though i don't subscribe to their tv services), and i keep a landline phone because i'm not convinced that cellular networks will endure an earthquake as well as the POTS. the landline costs $25/month, which is as low as i could get it (measured rate service plus about $10 in taxes/fees/crap).

Hello.

All of BBC is FTA satellite.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-to-air
In no way do I approve of this vendr or not, I have never had any dealings with them, it is just a good youtube reference.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVefERudJGE
If you do your research you will find that if you are a Military Retired you could use something like this to watch AFN.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Yagi-MMDS-ITFS-AFN-High-Gain-Antenna-Downconverter-Used-/120541331846?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c10d2c186
I will in no way help someone with this unless I know for a fact that they are retired or active military and I am there to verify this, I could care less about anything else.
But if you play your cards right you can have over 100 channels free from any subscription fees.

[W4RLR]

Rudy, please do tell how I can get AFN, which is encrypted with Scientific-Atlanta PowerVu on a C-band satellite transponder, with a mere MMDS antenna. THAT would be a mean trick.

Whatever you are watching with it in Texas, it is NOT the AFN bouquet being uplinked out of March ARB, California to AFN-E in Mannheim, Germany.

I'M military retired AND a former AFN staffer, and I can't get it in the U.S. I would have to live in Europe, Southwest Asia, or the Far East, prove I was in country with the permission of the host government, send a copy of my retirement orders, then spend $600 on a Ku band receiver/decoder combo, which would only be authorized for three years at a time.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

We have been through this.
The items are sold as AFN receivers and work as such.
I am not selling them and have no vested interest whatsoever but can tell you this.
If they did not work there would be some upset customers.
To ask me is a total waste of time, I will not help you.
I have no authority whatsoever to disclose anything.
As the saying goes, Schultz, I know nothing! nothing! ;)