Digital TV Switch

I have heard tales of people who live without cable, but I never dreamed I would be one of them. I was addicted to TLC (come on people, who doesn’t love What Not To Wear?), Style, HGTV and just the general convenience of having 100+ channels.

When Mr. Right moved from his apartment into our new home a couple of months before the wedding, I suggested not getting cable installed right away. He would be painting and I would be organizing the place for the first few months.

Once we got his stuff unpacked, we’d be moving my living type items on over, since I wouldn’t need them at my parents’ house. About 6 months before the wedding I moved out of my apartment and back in with my parents to save money.)

We didn’t go out and buy a TV antennae either because we didn’t think the cable fast would last beyond a few months. We got a decent NB C signal and a weak CBS. That’s it. I knew that something would have to give before LOST came back on the air in early 2009 (less than two weeks to go!).

Our revelation happened about a month ago. My father had purchased two converter boxes for the spare TVs in their house (they “only” have two satellite receivers) and said that the boxes were an “all or nothing” kind of thing. Either you got a great picture or a black screen.

Now don't get me started about how the government has bigger problems in this country to deal and shouldn't have wasted precious time on a digital TV mandate...cause seriously, it irritates me.

Rather than chancing that we would be the “nothing” house, I asked if we could borrow a box to make sure we could get a signal. And for that I will forever be in his debt. The converter box has opened up a whole new world of TV for us, and actually gives us a shot at saving $720 a year by not having cable.

Now instead of 1 ½ channels (CBS didn’t come in well enough to count it as a whole one), we get 8 different channels! We get the standard network stations – NBC, CBS, ABC (thankfully, otherwise I would have to spend Wednesday nights @ my parents’ house), CW, PBS, and Fox.

We also get the remnants of the old UPN station (before it merged with WB to create the CW), as well as an additional PBS station called “Create”. “Create” has a fun mix of cooking, and home & garden shows.

I LOVE my converter box, more than I’ve loved anything in a while (except my husband of course). For only $20 out of pocket (well more like “out of left over wedding gift cards”) I get a variety of TV programming ($10 each TV). It’s a Godsend! Well maybe not the CW channel. I think sometimes God has a hand in Family Guy not coming in well enough to watch.

For more great products, check out the Diaper Diaries Things I love Thursday.