You may think of TV antennas as relics of a less digital time when cable companies and Netflix did not exist. Still, today’s TV antennas are a great way to access local networks and save money if you don’t want to subscribe to Netflix or do not want to get a higher internet connection or get a cable subscription.
There are many reasons why you should choose a TV antenna over getting a satellite or subscribing to cable. One reason is that antennas save money. Antennas’ job is to receive reception from local networks for free, so it is automatically a money saver. Cable companies require you to pay a monthly local service fee to be able to watch local channels. Satellite services also need you to pay a monthly fee as well. So when you install a TV antenna, you don’t need to pay costly service fees. The antenna gives you free reception, and you can enjoy local programming at no extra cost! Although you may need to rescan your antenna through your TV settings to see if some of your local channels have moved to a new broadcast frequency, rescanning takes a few minutes, so it isn’t so bad.
Another advantage would be the antenna’s ability to boost your signal and improve signal quality. So if you don’t want to stop your cable or satellite subscriptions, get an antenna to enhance your reception! In addition, the added antenna is ideal for users with many local broadcast stations.
You can find channels your provider doesn’t offer with the help of your antennas. Although your cable, satellite, or streaming services provide a vast selection of channels and entertainment options, many broadcast stations offer at least one subchannel. Unfortunately, you can’t find these subchannels through your cable or satellite services. Instead, you would need an antenna to access them; thus, your antenna is here to save the day AGAIN!
Subchannels vary depending on location; they often include public television, weather, lifestyle, local news channels or even your favourite sports programming.
Another advantage of an antenna is that it gives you access to free stations in multiple markets if you live near numerous TV markets. Again, being in a strategic spot, you will be able to receive signals from more than one area, thus more subchannels and a wider range of news and sports programming! And again, using the antenna gives you all that for FREE!
An antenna will also give you the peace of mind that you will not lose your favourite show when bad weather comes. Can you imagine watching an exciting game on TV, and suddenly all you can see on your TV is static because the rain affects your satellite? How do you think you would feel? Satellite subscribers understand that their satellite signal may disappear during stormy weather, a common problem in places that experience winter storms or tornado warnings. So what do we suggest you do? Get an antenna, and you won’t have any problem with your show getting cut off in the middle of the climax!
You can view uncompressed high-definition signals with an antenna that cable and satellite companies cannot. It is not a secret that cable and satellite providers compress their signals, decreasing the reception quality. However, if you are an antenna fan, you can spot the difference between the receptions!
Using an antenna helps reduce power wastage. Because the antenna does not require electricity to power it up, it saves you money in electricity costs. In addition, antennas will give you signals automatically when you turn on your TV.
An antenna will give you a high signal-to-noise ratio that cable companies or satellites cannot. We can express the signal-to-noise ratio as a single numeric value in decibels (dB). A signal-to-noise ratio over 0 decibels indicates that the signal level is greater than the noise level. The higher the signal-to-noise ratio, the better the signal quality, and you can achieve that best using an antenna.
Using an antenna reduces minor lobes. In antenna engineering, sidelobes are the lobes of an antenna’s far-field radiation pattern or other radiation sources, and the elimination of these minor lobes determines the antenna’s efficiency. Therefore adds to another reason why antennas are an advantage over cables and satellites.
Using an antenna gives the user a high directivity. We can express directivity in decibels. The higher the directivity, the more concentrated or focused the beam radiated by an antenna. A higher directivity also means that the beam will travel further, giving out better receptions on the TV.
Are you still having second thoughts on whether to get an antenna or not? These advantages will make you think otherwise. Don’t get me wrong. Of course, you can still have your cable subscription and get an antenna simultaneously! Your antenna will even give your subscription the boost it needs. But if you want to save those costly monthly bills, the antenna is ideal.
If you have second thoughts about antennas because you are unsure of their installation and live in the Greater Sydney area, contact Sydney Cabling. Specializing in residential and commercial TV antenna installation, Sydney Cabling offers an unmatched quality of installations and repairs for your antennas. And if you are worried about costly installation fees, Sydney Cabling provides a free quote and gives you th