Antenna Setup
First, go here and check your address to see what channels you should be able to receive on an antenna from your home -
Then get an antenna, I recommend an outdoor models, but and indoor panel or even old rabbit ears might be all you need. Walmart offers free two day shipping to store and takes returns if the one you picked doesn't work or is not what you like.
A great way to see what actually works in your area is to see what's in stock at your local Walmart.
Here's a pic of the Lexington, VA selection -
Or just pull up walmart.com search and sort by "in stock" and "available today" - some results on local store:
Of these, I'd go with the ClearStream or General Electric models
Amazon is another great source and has lots of reviews on all models. You'll notice some really cheap ones, skip those and stick to name brands like RCA, Clearstream, Channel Master, etc.
More info on antenna selection -
https://www.thefreetvproject.org/how-to-pick-the-best-antenna-to-watch-free-over-the-air-tv/
Antennas Direct has a great selection and some of the best designs - https://www.antennasdirect.com/
Channel Master, a company with a great history in antennas - https://www.channelmaster.com/
Following the compass headings on your TV Fool report, install your antenna, point the small end toward the towers
and then do a channel scan on your tv. Simple, right? If you're missing a few channels, try mounting the antenna higher or trim a few trees. That's all there is too getting free tv! For the cost of the antenna you now have free entertainment in true High Definition.
Internet Streaming
Ok, so you want even more? If you have internet at your house, then you can stream more content! Go here and
check your connection speed and quality Speedtest - you'll want about 10 mbps for the best results. A good way to test and try streaming is give a movie site a trial run, like PlutoTV is a nice one with tv shows or movies, pick one and watch it, it's free
and will show if your connection is good enough for streaming tv.
Now you have fast internet, you need a device to connect the internet to your tv. My favorite is the Roku. There are others, Google Chromecast, Amazon Firetv, but you can also use your Xbox or Playstation - but I find the best results with the Roku Ultra or Premiere. These boxes use wifi to connect, which should be fine, just plugin the hdmi tv cable and turn on, follow the onscreen menu on the tv to setup the network connection and start watching!
Our favorite free apps on the Roku are the Roku Channel, PlutoTv, Tubi, and Youtube. The Roku Channel store can be overwhelming, but click around and see what you can find, that's part of the fun! A big list of the thousands of channel apps is Roku Guide - broken down in different catagories and they offer a weekly email update with new apps.
Streaming Services $$
Now you have lots of free entertainment, but miss ESPN, HGtv, Food Network, AMC, History and others? That's where the streaming services come in. Not free, but no where near the cost of cable or satellite! Most of these providers offer a 7 day trial, so give them a try and pick the one that fits you best. None have the long term contracts like cable, so you can switch them up month to month with no penalty or add extras just for one month.
Sling TV - The most "like cable tv" - Orange or Blue packages, $46 for one, or $60 for both.
Philo - has most channels, but no sports $28 a month
Hulu - $7.99 a month, good way to catch up on tvshows and movies.
There are many others now, some offer Local channels, depends on your location and zip code.
A great website to decide which service is suppose.tv ! You enter your location (upper left) then you can
go down the left side picking with networks/channels you need and it will show you which services carry those and
for what price. Upper right corner you can specify which device you have to narrow down the choices, like a Roku or
Xbox, Chromecast, etc. Or even just pc and ipad if that's what you already have. Takes a bit, but take some time and
try different things to find your best deal! Example, you get the local networks on antenna, but want ESPN for College
sports - no need to pay for all the other stuff you'll never watch.
None of these services have a "contract" so you can change things every month if you like - add NFL Redzone during football season, then cancel it when the season is over saving you money.
Others: I could go on and on about all the services, but that's why I started this page, to help people find what
they need. Below is a pic of our home screen channels on our Roku tv at the present time. Feel free to ask me
anything not outlined here or any other questions you might have!
