Question for those Without Cable TV...

[Mallory]

The USA isn't a cozy little country 100 miles by 100 miles across with a specific geographical component: we are HUGE and have hundreds if not thousands of unique geographical situations to address.

I absolutely agree.

I agree as well. Hell, there are still places in my state without landline OR cell phone service.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

I often just think people from smaller countries don't realize just how frickin big and diverse the US can be sometimes. Hell, only about 10 out of my 50 or so co-workers even own computers!

Perhaps I'm just too geeky -- I can't imagine why anyone would choose to live in a place where there is no cheap high-speed internet. Not only do I hardly watch TV, I depend on the internet for all my information -- including news, the weather forecasts and everything. Doing without would be horrible. Why don't they simply move? There are lots of jobs in the less rural areas.

 

[Plecostomus]

I often just think people from smaller countries don't realize just how frickin big and diverse the US can be sometimes. Hell, only about 10 out of my 50 or so co-workers even own computers!

Perhaps I'm just too geeky -- I can't imagine why anyone would choose to live in a place where there is no cheap high-speed internet. Not only do I hardly watch TV, I depend on the internet for all my information -- including news, the weather forecasts and everything. Doing without would be horrible. Why don't they simply move? There are lots of jobs in the less rural areas.

1) Not everyone has the money to relocate
2) There aren't that many jobs to be had period right now
3) Not everyone WANTS these things.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

1) Not everyone has the money to relocate
2) There aren't that many jobs to be had period right now
3) Not everyone WANTS these things.

As I said, perhaps I'm simply too geeky. If they would stop offering high-speed internet at my location, I'd move in a heartbeat. But that's just me -- and it's a moot point anyway. If there really are areas in America where there is no high-speed internet, then I can't imagine people actually living there -- I surely can't live without the internet -- how would I read up on the news? Newspaper, what's that?

 

[jefferiestubes8]

digital over-the-air tv

The channels that come in well are better now that they're digital.
I get about 10 channels in varying degrees of quality.

i agree. since i installed a digital tuner box i could not receive my PBS channel for 6 months. Since June 12 i can.
rabbit ears in New York City.

 

[Plecostomus]

1) Not everyone has the money to relocate
2) There aren't that many jobs to be had period right now
3) Not everyone WANTS these things.

As I said, perhaps I'm simply too geeky. If they would stop offering high-speed internet at my location, I'd move in a heartbeat. But that's just me -- and it's a moot point anyway. If there really are areas in America where there is no high-speed internet, then I can't imagine people actually living there -- I surely can't live without the internet -- how would I read up on the news? Newspaper, what's that?

They have a twelve-step program for people like you.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

They have a twelve-step program for people like you.

Good. Do they have a website? Youtube Channel? Twitter name perhaps? LinkedIn profile? I can't find them otherwise.

 

[Mallory]

If there really are areas in America where there is no high-speed internet, then I can't imagine people actually living there...

These are typically areas that produce our food or contain remote mining operations, like Harney County in Oregon. Over 10,000 square miles in size with less than 8000 people. There is no economic incentive to distribute services when the population density is that low. Yet they produce a lot of beef, wheat, zinc and tin.

-- I surely can't live without the internet -- how would I read up on the news? Newspaper, what's that?

Which brings us back to the OP. The answer is over the air broadcast television.

 

[Plecostomus]

They have a twelve-step program for people like you.

Good. Do they have a website? Youtube Channel? Twitter name perhaps? LinkedIn profile? I can't find them otherwise.

No but I can ground-mail you the phone-number and you can set up an appointment.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

They have a twelve-step program for people like you.

Good. Do they have a website? Youtube Channel? Twitter name perhaps? LinkedIn profile? I can't find them otherwise.

No but I can ground-mail you the phone-number and you can set up an appointment.

That would be sweet. Unfortunately, I can't find my ground-mail address on the internet.

These are typically areas that produce our food or contain remote mining operations, like Harney County in Oregon. Over 10,000 square miles in size with less than 8000 people. There is no economic incentive to distribute services when the population density is that low. Yet they produce a lot of beef, wheat, zinc and tin.

That does make sense. And if they all have classic jobs, fast internet is probably a low requirement on their priority list.

 

[RoJoHen]

Good. Do they have a website? Youtube Channel? Twitter name perhaps? LinkedIn profile? I can't find them otherwise.

No but I can ground-mail you the phone-number and you can set up an appointment.

That would be sweet. Unfortunately, I can't find my ground-mail address on the internet.

These are typically areas that produce our food or contain remote mining operations, like Harney County in Oregon. Over 10,000 square miles in size with less than 8000 people. There is no economic incentive to distribute services when the population density is that low. Yet they produce a lot of beef, wheat, zinc and tin.

That does make sense. And if they all have classic jobs, fast internet is probably a low requirement on their priority list.

Fast internet is also probably something they've NEVER had in the first place, so it's not like they miss it. And I really think you're not quite grasping how crappy the economy is right now. People don't have money, and there are very few jobs available anywhere (whether they are in rural or urban areas). I know so many people who are unemployed it isn't funny.

As I said, the majority of my coworkers don't even own computers (or cell phones), so they sure don't care about how fast their internet is.

Oh, and just for clarity's sake, I don't live in a rural area. I'm actually right in the middle of some fairly busy urban towns.

 

[Plecostomus]

Good. Do they have a website? Youtube Channel? Twitter name perhaps? LinkedIn profile? I can't find them otherwise.

No but I can ground-mail you the phone-number and you can set up an appointment.

That would be sweet. Unfortunately, I can't find my ground-mail address on the internet.

I'd send it via UPS but I don't want you electrocuting yourself trying to open up your Uninterpretable Power Supply by mistake.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

^^

Fast internet is also probably something they've NEVER had in the first place, so it's not like they miss it. And I really think you're not quite grasping how crappy the economy is right now. People don't have money, and there are very few jobs available anywhere (whether they are in rural or urban areas). I know so many people who are unemployed it isn't funny.

As I said, the majority of my coworkers don't even own computers (or cell phones), so they sure don't care about how fast their internet is.

Oh, and just for clarity's sake, I don't live in a rural area. I'm actually right in the middle of some fairly busy urban towns.

You're probably right; the economy doesn't seem so bad to me, but that's probably because it isn't so bad over here -- unemployment percentages are about 4.4% and of everyone I know only one has lost her job due to the economy -- but that's only because there aren't that much job to be had where she lives in the first place.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I have cable in the living room but our bedrooms have small tvs with just rabbit ears. We got the digital boxes about a year ago so we've been using digitial channels since then.

The picture quality is great, in fact better than my old cable was when I lived in a different location. However, it is much harder to actually get the channels, and I am pretty close to the location the signals come from, with no hills or valleys or anything in the way. So it is irritating that I get so few channels.

And the antenna is extremely sensitive. It took me an hour to find the location that would provide me with the most channels (about 14), but some of them are choppy and PBS won't come in at all. And if you accidentally move the antenna even a millimeter, I suddenly get no channels. The signal strength never goes above 20% for any channel. So annoying when I live so close!

Other areas might have much better success, it depends largely on where you live. Of course if I invested some money in a really nice antenna I'm sure I would have better luck, but I wasn't willing to pay for that when I get cable in the living room.

 

[Frontier]

So... uh...

More than 2 answers to the original question would be greatly appreciated before I go buy myself a new-age portable TV...

 

[ialfan]

You gotta pay for the internet though, and you have to pay for high enough bandwidth to be able to stream a TV show. Over-the-broadcasts are free.

Of course, but these days, an internet subscription is as normal as a tv subscription was a few decades ago; almost everyone has it, and the bandwidth to stream programs has been, in the western world at least, common place for the last 7-10 years, depending on if you live in a rural area or not.

I think a lot of people (pretty much everybody in my area at least) bundle their cable and internet. I don't know a single person who ONLY has the internet. It tends to be more expensive to do that, especially if you want a high speed connection.

I only have the internet. Nor do I own a tv just my computer with a Samsung 24" T240 1080p HD monitor. It's cheaper that way and doesn't waste space like a tv does. My internet is $45 a month by itself. I get all the tv shows I want over the internet. I grew up with 19" tv's at my parent's house and since I sit at the computer desk when I watch things my screen is plenty big.