Tag Archives: over the air TV

Cutting the Cord Starts with an Antenna: Antennas Direct Featured on KUSI San Diego

The good people of San Diego woke this morning to the gospel of free broadcast television. In this below segment on KUSI, The Muscleman of Television, Bruce Pechman, points out that cutting the cord starts with an antenna from Antennas Direct. Check it out:

KUSI News – San Diego, CA, Video Part 1

In the follow up “more info segment,” Bruce says that using an antenna is “like hitting the lottery!” Who doesn’t want to hit the lottery?! Watch the second part here: 

KUSI News – San Diego, CA, Video Part 2

In addition to the never-ending sunshine, we know that Southern California will now bask in the glow of free, over-the-air television. Many thanks to Bruce and to KUSI News for their attention to cord-cutting – no longer a trend, but a reality. Stay classy, San Diego!

photo credit: buckofive via photopin cc

Have you ever struggled with installing a TV antenna and wish you had something to help you make the process a little easier? We had a customer who felt exactly this way, so he created an excellent install video where he takes you along each step of mounting, installing and running a channel scan with his Antennas Direct ClearStream 5 and DB8e antennas. His video does a great job showing how easy the install process really is and the excellent picture quality, even when splitting the signal between multiple televisions. Check out the video and big thanks to Robert for taking the time to share his video! Feel free to film your own install or review videos and share them with us on Twitter or Facebook, we would love to hear your thoughts.

 

 

Congratulations to Linda Levine, the winner of our Christmas Sweepstakes!

A huge thank you to all who entered our Christmas Sweepstakes this year! We saw massive interest from you budding cord cutters out there, filling our hearts with joy this holiday season.

While many of you may be disappointed not to take home the top prize, your 25% discount code received when entering is our way of saying thank you for helping us share our message: TV is Free!

We have been busy liberating people of their cable bills this week. In total we gave away over $150,000 worth of TV antennas as part of our TV Liberation tour in Toledo and Washington DC. You can find out more about the tour and where the bus is stopping next here.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Antennas Direct!

Cord cutting as a trend is exploding. According to the National Association of Broadcasters, there are over 59.7 million viewers broadcast TV-reliant as of last year. Here at Antennas Direct, we have seen an increase of 60% in unit sales. That’s record growth for us – a company on the Inc. 5000 for many years.

But maybe you are afraid to take the leap. All the cool kids seem to be doing it, but you’re not sure you can live the liberated life. You’re not alone. Our customer feedback suggests that ‘poor signal strength in an area’ and ‘lack of understanding antennas’ are the main reasons people are  still paying for cable and satellite. But, in over 70% of the cases brought to our attention, these reasons prove to be untrue.

Selecting the right antenna may be a daunting task, with so many products and variations to choose from. That is why we put together this handy infographic to highlight the most important factors to consider when determining which antenna is right for you.

Remember, your neighbors’ antenna may not receive all the available channels in your area; however it does not mean you won’t! We have an extensive database from over 10 years of direct one-to-one discussions with you the customer. If there is a signal, we will get it for you.

To be certain you select the best possible antenna for your home, call your antenna expert now. We have been liberating TV since 2003, with over 5 million antennas in happy homes across America, you can rely on us.

All of our antennas come with a 90-day money-back guarantee and a lifetime warranty!

Toll-Free 1-877-825-5572 | Live-Chat antennasdirect.com | info@antennasdirect.com

Read More: Do I Need an Indoor or Outdoor Antenna?

The decision is made. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of innovation, the freedom of the American people and the sacredness of over-the-air television. Aereo, a non-moneymaking hobby backed by bloated investors, is dead. Finally.

There is reason to rejoice at their demise:

1. Stealing is bad. It turns out you can’t sell something you don’t own. This is good for innovative companies such as – ahem – antenna manufacturers.
2. Over-the-air is free right now and that is the way that it should be. If Aereo had won, broadcasters had threatened to pull their over-the-air signal and charge consumers for their content.

For some time, Aereo has cast itself as a star in its own underdog drama. It wanted to be the proverbial David. The fatal error Aereo made was thinking the American people were too stupid to see through their little myth. All along, there have been loopholes in this story:

1. The technology is not real. It boils down to this: you cannot break the laws of physics with antenna technology or by calling them “microantennas.” As much as we would like to, you just cannot. It’s that simple.
2. There is nothing innovative about stealing. If you are going to charge money to rebroadcast something, then the creator of the content should get a cut. It is called copyright, and it exists to protect innovations – not harm them.
3. It was charging people for free content. Over-the-air is free. Not a subscription. You can receive it in full HD with an antenna. Millions of Americans have realized this and millions more will follow.
4. Aereo is not actually a company. It has not actually sustained itself and made money. It took large amounts of cash and blew them on legal fees. For the millions they have invested in lawyers, Antennas Direct could have supplied scores of Americans with the ability to start watching television right now for free.

Aereo investors say they have no plan B. And we are so grateful for their arrogance, poor planning and illegal business model. We invite you to join us today in dancing on Aereo’s grave. Three cheers for free TV!

photo credit: Chad McDonald via photopin cc

So he may not be pulling children from wreckage or curing disease, but, each day, Mr. Antenna tangibly improves the financial, mental and spiritual well-being of his neighbors – he installs an antenna on their home. We would like to take this moment to recognize a true American hero: the Mr. Antenna guy in Bakersfield.

See him in action thanks to ABC 23:

Keep fighting the good fight, comrade. We are honored to have you on the frontlines of the cable liberation front.

See more coverage of our hero here  and here.

Brazil. Home to Samba, the Amazon Rainforest and, of course football (the non-American version). Starting today, the country plays host to the World Cup. As you read this, soccer fans the world over are plotting ways they will not miss out on any of the action. Those who do not have cable may feel they face a disadvantage (54 of the games are on ESPN), but, fear not, we have created a cord-cutters guide to watching the world’s largest sporting event-over-the-air.

Here is everything a cord-cutter needs to know to make sure you don’t miss a game:

1. Don’t panic. Every game is on television, radio (find your local affiliate here and online. This is good news, because, if you miss a game, you can catch the repeat online later. You can check out the official Fifa website for match scheduling here, and put them in your local time too. (A special note, if you’re outside of the US, you have other options—so check in with the stations in your country to find out who’s broadcasting and streaming.)
2. The best games are over-the-air for free. Each ABC game is broadcast over-the-air for free. And it includes the FINAL, woohoo! All you need is an antenna from Antennas Direct to get the most-watched game!
3. Dust off the Spanish phrase book and watch the games for free on Univision. Spanish language station, Univision, will broadcast all of the games for free, over-the-air via local Univision affiliates, and so all you need is an antenna. Fifty-six games, including the ones with stream restrictions to pay-TV customers, will be available via Univision. The station also has options via its free Android and iOS app for viewing the first two rounds. The commentary is better anyway: Gooooaaaaallllll!

PROTIP: Watch the games live and free over-the-air via Univision and tune into your local ESPN radio affiliate / listen to the ESPN radio online for English commentary.

4. Stream the pay-television broadcasts online. Online users can access the live stream through the WatchESPN website as well as through dedicated apps for set-top streaming devices (Amazon’s Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Xbox One and Xbox 360, and Google Chromecast). A benefit of the streaming apps is you have access to two alternate feeds for each telecast bringing multiple camera angles on ‘ESPN3 Surround.’
5. Make some new friends or go to the bar. With ESPN and ESPN2 broadcasting 54 of the matches, you can easily use this as an excuse to find conviviality with other fans.
6. Catch up on the action with the ESPN website for all of the coverage. There is a new version of the ESPN FC website for soccer fans, and new free ESPN FC app with robust news, scores, highlights and commentary.

Here is a breakdown of what you can get!

(All times Eastern)

First Round                                                  PayTV                        FREE TV (Over the Air)

Thursday, June 12

Brazil vs. Croatia                                           (ESPN)                           (Univision)

 

Friday, June 13

Mexico vs. Cameroon                                   (ESPN2)                         (Univision)

Spain vs. Netherlands                                  (ESPN)                          (Univision)

Chile vs. Australia                                         (ESPN2)                        (Univision)

 

Saturday, June 14

Colombia vs. Greece                                                                          (ABC) /(Univision)

Uruguay vs. Costa Rica                                                                      (ABC) /(Univision)

England vs. Italy                                             (ESPN)                         (Univision)

Ivory Coast vs. Japan                                     (ESPN)                        (Univision)

 

Sunday, June 15

Switzerland vs. Ecuador                                                                   (ABC) /(Univision)

France vs. Honduras                                                                        (ABC) /(Univision)

Argentina vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina                (ESPN)                        (Univision)

 

Monday, June 16

Germany vs. Portugal                                     (ESPN)                        (Univision)

Iran vs. Nigeria                                                (ESPN)                        (Univision)

Ghana vs. United States                                (ESPN)                        (Univision)

 

Tuesday, June 17

Belgium vs. Algeria                                           (ESPN)                        (Univision)

Brazil vs. Mexico                                                (ESPN)                        (Univision)

Russia vs. South Korea                                    (ESPN)                        (Univision)

 

Wednesday, June 18

Australia vs. Netherlands                                 (ESPN)                        (Univision)

Spain vs. Chile                                                   (ESPN)                       (Univision)

Cameroon vs. Croatia                                       (ESPN)                        (Univision)

 

Thursday, June 19

Colombia vs. Ivory Coast                                  (ESPN)                       (Univision)

Uruguay vs. England                                         (ESPN)                        (Univision)

Japan vs. Greece                                               (ESPN)                       (Univision)

 

Friday, June 20

Italy vs. Costa Rica                                              (ESPN)                        (Univision)

Switzerland vs. France                                         (ESPN)                       (Univision)

Honduras vs. Ecuador                                          (ESPN)                       (Univision)

 

Saturday, June 21

Argentina vs. Iran                                                   (ESPN)                       (Univision)

Germany vs. Ghana                                               (ESPN)                       (Univision)

Nigeria vs. Bosnia Herzegovina                           (ESPN)                       (Univision)

 

Sunday, June 22

Belgium vs. Russia                                                                                      (ABC) /(Univision)

South Korea vs. Algeria                                                                               (ABC) /(Univision)

United States vs. Portugal                                        (ESPN)                        (Univision)

 

Monday, June 23

Netherlands vs. Chile                                               (ESPN2)                     (Univision)

Australia vs. Spain                                                    (ESPN)                       (UniMas / Galavision)

Croatia vs. Mexico                                                     (ESPN)                       (Univision)

Cameroon vs. Brazil                                                 (ESPN2)                     (UniMas / Galavision)

 

Tuesday, June 24

Italy vs. Uruguay                                                         (ESPN)                       (Univision)

Costa Rica vs. England                                            (ESPN2)                     (UniMas / Galavision)

Japan vs. Colombia                                                  (ESPN)                       (Univision)

Greece vs. Ivory Coast                                              (ESPN2)                     (UniMas / Galavision)

 

Wednesday, June 25

Nigeria vs. Argentina                                                   (ESPN)                       (Univision)

Bosnia Herzegovina vs. Iran                                      (ESPN2)                     (UniMas / Galavision)

Ecuador vs. France                                                     (ESPN2)                     (Univision)

Honduras vs. Switzerland                                          (ESPN)                       (UniMas / Galavision)

 

Thursday, June 26

United States vs. Germany                                        (ESPN)                       (Univision)

Portugal vs. Ghana                                                    (ESPN2)                     (UniMas / Galavision)

South Korea vs. Belgium                                           (ESPN)                       (Univision)

Algeria vs. Russia                                                      (ESPN2)                     (UniMas / Galavision)

 

Round of 16

Saturday, June 28

1A vs. 2B                                                                                                      (ABC) / (Univision)

1C vs. 2D                                                                                                     (ABC) / (Univision)

 

Sunday, June 29

1B vs. 2A                                                                    (ESPN)                       (Univision)

1D vs. 2C                                                                   (ESPN)                       (Univision)

 

Monday, June 30

1E vs. 2F                                                                    (ESPN)                       (Univision)

1G vs. 2H                                                                   (ESPN)                       (Univision)

Tuesday, July 1

1F vs. 2E                                                                   (ESPN)                        (Univision)

1H vs. 2G                                                                  (ESPN)                        (Univision)

 

Quarterfinals

 

Friday, July 4

Round of 16 winners                                                 (ESPN2)                     (Univision)

Round of 16 winners                                                 (ESPN)                       (Univision)

 

Saturday, July 5

Round of 16 winners                                                                                    (ABC) /(Univision)

Round of 16 winners                                                 (ESPN)                        (Univision)

 

 

Semifinals

 

Tuesday, July 8

Quarterfinal winners                                                   (ESPN)                       (Univision)

 

Wednesday, July 9

Quarterfinal winners                                                   (ESPN)                       (Univision)

 

Third-Place Game

 

Saturday, July 12

Semifinal losers                                                        (ESPN)                        (Univision)

 

Final

 

Sunday, July 13

Semifinal winners                                                                                         (ABC) /(Univision)

 

The cacophony of rising ire against pay television’s backward business practices has reached such a volume, the folks in Washington DC are waking up to the cord cutting revolution. While high paid cable company lobbyists have taken to bending consumer statistics, we, at Antennas Direct, know more Americans than ever are liberating themselves and watching over-the-air broadcast. Recently, our president and founder, Richard Schneider, wrote an opinion piece in the influential Washington DC publication, Roll Call, about the renaissance of over-the-air.

From the article:

“It is clear that the sea change against pay-TV is directly translating to market disruption for Big Cable, and the massive upwelling of support for antennas is evidence of the over-the-air revolution that has been building for years. Cable, satellite and telecom companies have to find a way to be responsive to the consumer. If not, the American people might just put them out of their misery.”

Read the full article here.

When you say, “Thank you,” it’s important to really mean it.

So we mean it, when we thank the executives at Time Warner Cable. They, once again, are raising prices to rebroadcast free, over-the-air content. Thanks to their backward practices, we just keep getting more and more customers. It’s truly so generous of them.Rather than use lofty language as praise for cable’s growing irrelevance, we decided to show a tangible sign of our appreciation. We delivered a cake right to their front door in New York.

Our own president took it upon himself to pen some grateful, heartfelt prose.

—

From the Desk of Richard Schneider, President of Antennas Direct.

Dear Time Warner Cable,

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to you and your executives. You truly are an inspiration.

We at Antennas Direct are only a humble concern. So we do not have the marketing budget that you and the other big cable companies have. So on behalf of me and our employees, we want to applaud your 6.4 percent rate increase for your cable subscribers. It is decisions such as those that drive new customers to our site and flood our retail partners in search of some relief from your tyrannical rule.

So thank you. Sincerely. Just when we thought we would need to pour more into an advertising campaign, you help to convert your customers into cord cutters at a rate that is astounding.

Stay the course –

Richard Schneider, president, Antennas Direct

PS – I truly hope you enjoyed the cake. Vanilla whipped frosting? It doesn’t get any sweeter.

—

Stay the course, Time Warner executives. Please do not deviate from your dastardly ways. You help to show more television viewers that there is a better way.

At Antennas Direct, it is our mission to help make this holiday season merry for you and your family. Our HDTV antennas offer superior high-definition picture quality—minus the monthly fees, making it the perfect holiday gift for anyone in your life!

Instead of hooking up that new flat panel to your cable box, why not experience HD in its truest form?

If you aren’t sure which one of our HDTV antennas to select, here is a basic rundown of our most popular antenna bundles.

#1 ClearStream 2V Bundle – $195.96: The C2V, our most popular antenna, has the power to pick up signals from more than 50 miles, allowing it to hold up well in bad weather. This bundle comes equipped with:
• Coax Cable
• Pre-Amp Kit
• ClearStream J-Mount

#2 DB8e Bundle – $277.56: For those that live in challenging environments, the DB8e multi-directional antenna is the ideal choice. Its superior signal range, which extends over 70 miles, is powerful enough to not only pick up a transmitter from a great distance, but offers the flexibility to turn in a 360-degree loop to target towers from multiple directions. This bundle comes equipped with:
• Coax Cable
• Pre-Amp Kit
• ClearStream J-Mount

#3 ClearStream 1 Bundle – $147.96: For those in search of an indoor antenna, look no further than CS1. Its tapered loop design receives core UHF channels with a range of more than 35 miles. Additionally, it has a wide 70-degree beam width, making it much easier to receive reception from widely spaced stations.
This bundle comes equipped with:
• Coax Cable
• Pre-Amp Kit
• ClearStream J-Mount

This holiday season treat yourself to an HDTV antenna from Antennas Direct. You deserve it.