RSS FeedThe Day The Music (on Free TV) Died
The Tube, we hardly knew ya.
Until recently (damn Nintendo Wii), Mrs Columbo & I had not had a TV since November of 2006. It wasn’t a holier-than-thou thing, we just didn’t want to move an 200 lb CRT that was nearing the end of it’s useful life to our new home in PQ.
Although we’ve had TVs since we’ve been together, we’ve never had cable. It started as a protest against Comcast, but eventually we found we could live quite comfortably without cable (mostly thanks to Netflix for TV & movies, and bars for football & baseball)
When we bought a new HDTV recent posts on the subject convinced us to keep our cable free ways, and one thing that made it easier was a great HD music video channel we discovered call The Tube. If you were getting your HDTV over the air, it was at 50-2. Mostly classic rock, and sure a little too much Don Henley and Sade. Still, they played music videos all the time! With really short commercial breaks (perhaps a bad sign).
As of Monday night, October 1st, channel 50-2 has gone silent. The OTA HD broadcast options in the PQ just went down the tubes.
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Comments
I’d love to see our building get a master TV antenna so we could get improved over the air (OTA) and free reception (including OTA HD TV). I tried going without cable but only ended up being able to get 3 of 4 out of the dozen or so OTA channels broadcast in DC even though I live on a high floor. So, basic analog cable it is for me.
My building doesn’t have a master antenna either. I use a cheap set of rabbit ears from Radio Shack. Reception of HDTV (about 10 channels) is great, but regular TV is a mess. A master antenna would make a huge difference for me as well.
Seems crazy to have a sleek flat LCD TV, attached to the same antenna I used in 1984. But I’d rather use that setup with netflix than give comcast any of my money.
That’s not to say we don’t miss cable. When Mrs. Columbo & I are on vacation, I have to drag her away from the numerous fashion & design shows that are broadcast all day.
I’m positive we’ll give FIOS a try when/if it arrives in the PQ.
ive blown up three cable boxes in the past two weeks..(a recent sprinkler deployment in my building..i think i may have a tiny short)…
sooo..i happen to know i can get about 4 channels w/out cable… and about 13 if i just plug the coax directly into the tv bypassing the box…and now im wondering why i have cable at all????
im with musicman…. id be more upset without sirius or xm…. i have both…..
and they are great….cable..just kinda stinks…
xoxo
Oh crap!! I loved The Tube! I must be the only person in DC with a flatscreen HDTV but NO cable, and the discovery of The Tube elated me like you wouldn’t believe. As an original early 80s MTV fan embittered by the turn towards inane reality and game shows a few years later, watching The Tube was a nostalgia-inducing treat. Now my day is ruined. 
FIOS doesn’t come cheap. This pricing is for Towson, Maryland.
Verizon is offering the new FiOS two-service and three-service packages with one- and two-year commitments. In a two-service package, customers now can purchase the Freedom Essentials calling plan with FiOS Internet service at 5 Mbps downstream for $74.99 a month for a one-year commitment and $69.99 for a two-year commitment. Customers also can choose to add FiOS TV Premier to the package for $109.99 or $99.99 a month (one- and two-year commitments, respectively).
The problem with most of the buildings in PQ is that when they were built, they were pre-wired for cable by Comcast. Because these buildings and Comcast have an agreement, you won’t be seeing antennas any time soon .
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If you’re looking for a new music option, allow me to give my 2 cents….I am a HUGE Sirius satellite radio fan. It’s not free but it is relatively cheap (about $12/month) for what you get. It is 100% commercial free and I love all the genres of music they offer – over 100 channels. One day I’ll listen to “totally 70’s” (with Barry Williams/a.k.a. Greg Brady as the DJ) and another I’ll settle in for a peaceful day of jazz or classical. Although I do love a little TV now and then, I would sooner go without tv than I would go without my sirius music.