Floppyhead – Digital Media and Streaming

I frequently talk about how over the air high definition broadcasts of network TV are free. A media center is a great way to watch these broadcasts. Not only can you ditch your cable company, but you can record anything you want in high definition.

All you need is an antenna and a tuner. The Snapstream blog has a list of 10 reasons why they love their antenna. From the post:

A couple of years ago, after another rate hike and a bad customer service experience, I took the plunge and canceled my cable. I was just fed up. It took about two weeks before I got over missing my Food TV, but the withdrawal was truly minimal. Looking back on that decision, I’m very happy I made it.

I use an indoor antenna to receive HD on my Windows XP computer. In total, the hardware costs were just about $100. I use my computer monitor as a second TV set and it looks awesome. It is a great way to watch HD programming, especially without all the drama of CableCards and switched digital video. The indoor antenna is alittle flaky but I have nto been motivated enough to mount the antenna in my attic.

Make sure you check these two HD websites before you invest the money in hardware. With the costs of a Vista Media Center with a digital cable tuner almost over $3,000 (like this Niveus system), the costs savings for using over the air HD can be substantial. You can take the savigns from your cable bill and pit it towards a Drobo for back-up.