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Well, I had purchased an antenna from Terrestrial Digital last week, but it was missing a core component (a circuit board with the coax attachment on it). This is an unpowered “dipole” antenna, the DB2. It runs like 40 bucks. It looks like a fence with some wierd magnetized crossed poles on it.

I affixed the aforementioned coax attachment and plugged the thing into my TV, and had it search for some channels.

Here’s what I got, in Meriden, CT:

Digital
DTV 3-1: WFSB-HD (CBS)
DTV 3-2: WFSB-D2 (CBS)
DTV 3-3: WFSB-NOW (CBS Weather)
DTV 8-1: WTNH-DT (ABC)
DTV 30-1: NBC-DT (NBC – WVIT)
DTV 30-2: NBC WX+ (NBC Weather)
DTV 31-3: FOX 61
DTV 59-1: WCTX-DT (MNT)
DTV 59-2: WCTX-SD (Weather / Radar)

So I’m getting Digital: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, MNT. I’m missing PBS.

Analog:
8: ABC
18: Spanish UNIvision
20: CW (unclear)
22: NBC (snowy)
24: CPTV/PBS clear, non-HD though…
30: WVIT NBC
40: ABC 40 (snowy)
59: WCTX (MNT) – a little unclear
61: Fox 61

Right now, I’m paying minimal amounts of money to keep a cable connection. I had tried to cut it before because I didn’t watch much TV like that, but the channels that did come in with the cheapo antenna from Wal-Mart were weak sauce. I’m pleased with the DB2 (anyone else think IBM database when they see that?).

I’m not finished with my “what will I give up if I lose cable entirely” analysis, but I think it’s negligible. HD CPTV. Channel leaching off of On-Demand and PPV (which is a double edged sword – sometimes you see clear, nice stuff, and other times it’s clear, nasty S&M porn – unencrypted!). FX (never watch it).

I watch CW sometimes, but not a lot. Mostly the main channels I’m getting OTA HD anyway.

I think it’s time to cut the cable! Maybe I’ll juice down my cable modem as well. That should save me about 25 bucks a month. Like $300 a year. A new cheap laptop; a nice MP3/media player; part of a trip for my daughter to visit; an HD-DVD player; a netflix subscription with ducats to spare!