March 13th, 2011 
Alex J. As someone who’s recently used a variety of cable and satellite TV providers, one of my main complaints was the picture quality. Many of the HD channels have that “compressed” look to them. In fact, the only provider I’ve used that didn’t have compressed video quality for HD channels was Verizon FIOS, and that’s because the operate their service on a brand-new, fiber optic network that’s not available in many locations.
A lot of people may assume that cable or satellite providers are giving them the best possible picture quality, but you know what assumptions make. Many people may be surprised to find out that the best picture quality is available for free, using what’s called over-the-air (OTA), or sometimes free-to-air (FTA), HDTV.
But it’s not just picture quality–there are several benefits of OTA HD. To summarize:
- It’s free–your only costs are the antenna ($100-$400)
- You’ll receive an uncompressed, high-quality picture
- You’ll get programming from networks such as CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and TheCW
- You’ll also get digital sub-channels, which provide more content than old-school OTA TV
- Most new TVs display some programming info
- You’re sticking it to the cable and satellite companies
This post will expand on these benefits and more. Read on to find out how you can enjoy OTA HD at home.
