How To Get Cable TV For Free
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Are you wanting to give up your cable subscription (because you want to save money, or you think the quality of programming is c–p, or you just can’t stand the constant plague of commercial advertisements), but have a few shows that you can’t live without?
If so, there are several options for you. Some of them are free, some are not, but importantly they are all alternative and legal ways to enjoy TV.
Right now the key point to remember is that if it’s free and has no advertising, the programming content is likely only to be average at best, total piffle at worst.
Advertising ensures that content creators and video artists can make money and thus make more content. But hey, if the service is free, I’m happy to watch a few ads.
Often the free services collect demographic data from you when you register and use a Google type model to serve you with contextually and demographically relevant ads. e.g. if you’re a vegan Democrat voter they won’t try to serve you ads for a bacon burger fundraiser, where the profits go to the Republican party.
Free TV Options:
This is a free TV site paid for by advertising and will soon be bringing you shows from several major networks. You can’t skip the ads, but you’ll see a lot less of them than on television.
This site provides streaming video stations from around the world, although the selection is somewhat limited at this point.
This claims to have over 3000 internet TV channels. Again, lots of them you probably won’t want to watch.
Fancast.
This site offers full-length TV shows, movie clips, and trailers.
Surf The Channel
This website acts as a search engine for internet content.
Network TV websites.
If you check out their websites, you’ll find many networks offer online versions of their first-run shows right after they air on TV.
Cable TV Alternatives
Netflix is the stand out here, but you have to pay. The benefit though is that their services are affordable and reliable and you don’t have to watch ads. They now also provide streaming video from their site.
So on Feb 18 2009 the world as we know it comes to an end!
The changeover from the system of analog broadcasting to a digital TV system is scheduled for next year.
On D-Day (aka Digital Day) Feb. 18, 2009, if you have an old-style, analogue televisions and receive programming “over-the-air” i.e. via an antenna, you will no longer receive a picture.
You will need to buy a converter box to sit between your antenna and your TV to convert the new digital signal into an analogue signal your old TV can understand.
If you have an over-the-air antennas but have already purchased a digital-ready television set or adapter boxes, then you don’t need to do anything, you are ready for the switch.
If you are on cable television or a satellite system, you will have the digital conversions handled through by the cable or satellite companies.
Note: The government is offering two $40 coupons per household to be used toward converter boxes for those who do not have televisions with cable TV or satellite dishes. The coupons may be obtained online by going to www.dtv.gov or by calling the 24-hour hotline at 1-888-388-2009.
P.S. The $40 government coupons for converter boxes are intended to defray the costs of the converters, not cover the full price which is probably goin gto be around $50 to $70.