How to get high definition television programming for free
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. You can get high definition television programming without paying a dime in monthly fees. Think I’m pulling the wool over your eyes? Well, I’m not.
Before you get too excited, what I am about to tell you is not a scam. It is not crooked. And it is not illegal. It does, however, require you to have the following:
- A widescreen television with a built-in digital tuner
- A $15-30 antenna
- Reasonable proximity to local broadcast television towers
How is this possible? Because high definition programming from local television stations is digitally broadcast in high definition over-the-air. The key words I just mentioned are “over-the-air”. That may come as a surprise to some of you. Yes, DIRECTV, DISH, AT&T U-verse, Verizon FIOS and you local cable company have a much larger selection of high definition programming. But if you mainly watch ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS, you can pick up the same digital high definition programming that these companies offer without paying a dime using your television’s digital tuner and a cheap antenna.
Of course, not all high definition programming is free
What you won’t get with this free approach is high definition ESPN, TNT, USA, NFL Network or any of the other channels exclusive to your satellite, fiber-optic or cable provider. This may be a deal breaker to some and a non-issue to others.
For you deal breakers, it won’t be long before I can argue the point that it would still be cheaper to pull in network programming using a cheap pair of rabbit ears and then purchase the rest of your high definition programming a la carte from services such as iTunes, Hulu and a dozen others. Heck, even these sites let you watch a handful of shows for free.
Who will join me in the free high definition television revolution?
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