TV's Dirty Little Secret

Some may say we are de-evolving, but I say we are simply cutting the chains of cable slavery.

To make a very long explanation short, we now get all the TV programming we need for free. That's right, completely and utterly free. Yesterday we bought a new 32" LCD HDTV. The picture is absolutely pristine, and the price is even better. We get all the network stations (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, WB, KJZZ, KBYU and KUED) in HD and don't have to pay one red cent.

Michelle and I are pretty simple folk when it comes to TV programming. We never miss and episode of The Office or ER and we'll sit down for a good episode of American Idol or Saturday Night Live, but other than that, there isn't anything we really care enough about to have to pay to see it. For the last five years we haven't ever paid more than $17/month for the basic cable access, and that was only to get access to basic network programming and to watch the news. The basic package did have its perks, but nothing we won't miss. The Discovery Channel has Survivorman and Dirty Jobs, which I love, and Michelle would watch some stuff on E! and the Style Network. Now we don't even have that choice, and it doesn't even matter. Plus, we can rent or buy practicalliy anything we want on DVD.

So here's the dirty secret... The broadcast stations and cable companies are doing a horrible job of explaining the veritable television armageddon scheduled to cripple the world on February 17, 2009. You may have heard that your old TV is going to be completely useless unless you convert to cable or satellite or buy a digital conversion box for your old tube. The thing they don't tell you is that while your old analog TV may become a pile of rubbish, new flat panel HDTVs are now more useful than ever. When connected to a set of old-fashioned rabbit ears they pick up digital HD signals with perfect clarity, and will continue to do so forever. Here is a site that explains it all (plus tons of other useful techie stuff) in very simple terms. This deal won't work for everyone, especially those who can't live without ESPN, MTV or AMC. But with prices falling like crazy on HDTVs (I recommend a Vizio from Costco), I'm feeling pretty good knowing the money I was spending on cable will practically pay for the TV in just 28 months.