# Cable, satellite, . . . or nothing - what do you have? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 7, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766 "2003-07-07T14:10:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/1 "2003-07-07T14:10:14Z")
Curiosity - do most people have some type of cable (including satellite, direct TV, or any variations), or do most still have basic, free, broadcast TV? ---
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/2 "2003-07-07T14:32:03Z")
We have Dish Network, which I hate. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/3 "2003-07-07T14:43:45Z")
Basic cable and Direct TV. Living in a valley we don’t get much in with free TV except a lot of fuzz. I can’t remember why we have basic cable too, something about sports programming, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/4 "2003-07-07T14:45:54Z")
I don’t have anything other than the five terrestrial broadcast channels - which are not free in the UK - (plus one local crappy one) - I have cable _installed_, but only for my broadband connection. I’m thinking about getting a digital decoder to receive the dozen or so freeview channels, but I’m waiting for the price to drop. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/5 "2003-07-07T14:57:02Z")
I have digital cable brought to me by Comcast. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/6 "2003-07-07T15:01:55Z")
Just an old pair of rabbit ears for me. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/7 "2003-07-07T15:18:03Z")
Another “rabbit ear” checking in. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/8 "2003-07-07T15:40:46Z")
Dish Satellite, and I absolutely loathe the local stations. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/9 "2003-07-07T15:51:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JuanitaTech \* > \*\*I have digital cable brought to me by Comcast. \*\* Same here. 80% satisfied. Randomly, and for no obvious reason, it will just cut itself off (no storms or obvious outside cause) and then it takes anywhere from 5-30 minutes for all those geegaws to regenerate. Things like the upcoming programs and the “info” about them. Annoying if there’s supposed to be some great show(s) coming up. Service has been good. Had to replace the box twice and the remote once, but sometimes the fix can be done over the phone with minimal hassle. ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/10 "2003-07-07T15:53:28Z")
Just got rid of digital cable with all the movie stations last month. I love it. We just get the networks and two PBS stations. In just a couple of weeks I’ve read a ton of books, I started getting the paper again, and my SO and I actually talk to each other when we get home. It’s terrific. Um, sorry about my soap box. Just rabbit ears for me, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/11 "2003-07-07T15:57:47Z")
Rabbit ears here. Neither cable or satellite service is available, leaving me stuck with only one FOX channel on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/12 "2003-07-07T16:08:10Z")
DirecTV. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/13 "2003-07-07T16:29:58Z")
Comcast cable, but mainly for the broadband Internet connection. We hardly ever watch television. I think that if you could just get the net without the TV channels for a lower price, we’d do that in a heartbeat. ---
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/14 "2003-07-07T16:41:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lightingtool \* > \*\*Just got rid of digital cable with all the movie stations last month. I love it. We just get the networks and two PBS stations. In just a couple of weeks I’ve read a ton of books, I started getting the paper again, and my SO and I actually talk to each other when we get home. It’s terrific. > > Um, sorry about my soap box. Just rabbit ears for me, thanks. \*\* I don’t blame you. We just visited my in-laws in Pittsburgh, and they have cable. My kids are watching Cartoon Network within 1/2 hour of arrival, and I can sit and watch The History Channel all day. It’s better that we don’t have it at home, or we’d all be zombies in front of the tube. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/15 "2003-07-07T16:42:12Z")
Comcast cable with internet, but not digital cable. Apart from the cost, I wasn’t at all impressed with what was provided. They claimed to have a gazillion channels, but they neglected to point out the number of duplicates. I believe HBO-East ran on at least 4 of the channels simultaneously. To me, that’s one channel, but they counted it as 4. Then there was the issue of it cutting out periodically, or temporary freezes in the middle of programs. So now I have extended basic with one HBO. And if it wasn’t for Six Feet Under, the HBO would go too. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/16 "2003-07-07T16:48:29Z")
Dish Network, which I’m all but in love with. We’re about half a mile from the main TV and radio transmitter tower in San Francisco, so the ambient RF is intense. It leaks into and overpowers pretty much everything. Off-air reception is impossible, and cable TV has more ghosts than Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Happily, Dish is unaffected by all this, so everything’s clear. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/17 "2003-07-07T17:01:07Z")
Nuthin. We get three channels, right in the middle of the city, for some reason we can’t recieve UHF where we are and we can’t be bothered setting it up. We don’t even get TVO which I’m sure is a violation of my human rights. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything, really, except nature shows. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/18 "2003-07-07T17:14:46Z")
Rabbit ears here too… Although I _do have_ Comcast cable internet… they keep calling me offering a free year of basic cable and I keep turning them down. It’s almost gotten to be a test of wills between Comcast and myself… “But the cable would be freeeeee…” “No, thank you…” “But…” ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/19 "2003-07-07T17:16:40Z")
Rooftop antenna. What a bunch of luddites! Bonus points for anyone who has aluminum foil on their rabbit ears. Double bonus points if you call it tinfoil. ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766/20 "2003-07-07T17:48:19Z")
Warner Cable Considering going with the cheap network, non-cable deal they offer. For around $10.00 I can get clear reception from the major networks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-satellite-or-nothing-what-do-you-have/186766.md?page=2)