Cut your cables, and dump your dishes. HDTV broadcasts are still FREE.

A long, long, LOOOONG time ago, in what seems like a far-away galaxy, people used to have antennae on their rooftops to receive three or four network television broadcasts. It was free, and once you got your antenna situated correctly, you could usually get all the local channels effortlessly. Many folks had a remote control antenna. I still remember the "ca-chunk" sound of the thing rotating on the rooftop. Then, UHF came about. That was a little different, requiring a much smaller antenna that we installed on the top of that huge console television set. In Philadelphia, we had four VHF channels, and then added another four UHF channels for a whopping 8 channels of free, broadcast television. We were in heaven.

Then, sometime in the early 1980s, friends who had moved to the suburbs who were too far away to receive broadcast TV signals from Philadelphia began to brag about cable television. Cable TV had been around since the 1950s, but really began to boom in the 1980s with expanded cable networks like HBO and MTV. Some time in the late 1980s, Philadelphia began to get cable television too. Between that time period and today, generations seem to have forgotten that broadcast television still exists as people willingly pay hundreds of dollars a month for cable packages with hundreds of channels you probably never watch. Unfortunately, cable companies could not offer "a la carte" package where you could pick just the channels you want, because they felt not enough people would subscribe to more expensive channels like ESPN, so they spread the cost out to everyone.

Finally, after the cable companies managed to convince everyone to forget about broadcast, the FCC decided to switch all broadcasters to DTV (digital television) from analog. For full-power TV stations, the transition went into effect on Friday, June 12, 2009, with stations ending regular programming on their analog signals no later than 11:59 pm local time that day. That meant all the old-school antennas and analog-only televisions would no longer work without a conversion box. That made things a little more squirrely for those who live further away from broadcast towers. With a wider analog signal, you could tune in snowy, choppy broadcasts and still sort of watch a program. However, with digital broadcasts, it's a much narrower signal. You either receive it, or you don't. The snowy leeway is now gone. Of course, that further entrenched the cable and satellite providers. Now, if you wanted to receive free broadcast digital television, you had to purchase a new antenna and use an adapter if your television set is older. The cable companies provide their own conversion boxes and charge you a monthly fee to use them.

Then came high-speed internet, and streaming video services like Netflix. Lots of people decided they preferred commercial-free programming they could watch whenever they wanted, bringing on the "binge-watching" thing (where some people watch an entire season of their favorite shows over a weekend). Many folks downgraded cancelled their cable television subscriptions. But the cable companies smartly offer high-speed internet, cleverly getting you away from your older AOL dial-up connections and locking you into an internet contract. Today, a high-speed internet connection is a necessity in most homes, since many people use it for paying bills, banking, or work.

We can't help you dump your cable completely, because you still need internet, and wireless VHF hasn't become a thing -- yet. It's coming. Cellular providers offer "hot spot" connections, but they're pricey and often slow. For now, you can cut your cable television and keep your high-speed internet, still watch the shows you want, and save a bunch of money using a digital television tuner and a HDTV antenna.

Stay tuned for our videos and stories of successful cable-cutters and dish-dumpers coming soon.