Sos Roofline Systems

There was a time when television programming was free. The biggest expense was the purchase prices of the television its self. To receive programming, the television was attached to rabbit ears or for rural areas, an outdoor television antenna. Then came cable television. Today, in many areas basic cable costs about 30 dollars per month. Extended basic plus the premium movie channels can easily cost over 100 dollars per month. That means over 1200 dollars per year for a service that you may not need. Here is some good news. If you want the absolute cheapest TV programming, cut the cable.

In the days of analog television, people subscribed to cable television, because distant signals often mean that the television picture was grainy, had shadows and snow. The good news about digital television, which is still broadcast over the airwaves, is that either you will get a great picture or no picture. If you live anywhere near television broadcast areas, you will get a nearly perfect picture with simple rabbit ears. There is no snow, there are no ghosts, and there are no shadows.

Free, local television broadcasts will allow you to see many of your favorite daytime or nighttime shows at no cost. Most local stations also offer local as well as national news.

If you are afraid that you will miss your favorite movie channels, try joining Netflix or Blockbuster online. Membership starts at 5 dollars per month and there is a two to three day turnaround for most movies. You will be able to see more movies than are offered on movie channels and can set your own viewing schedule. In addition, if you are an older movie fan, many of these can be downloaded to your computer for immediate viewing.

If you have missed some of your favorite television shows, these too can be downloaded to your computer for immediate viewing. The cost, once again is free. Just visit the websites of the major networks, and start downloading.

Families are watching less television than they did in previous years. Teens and young adults use personal listening devices for music. Video games have become very popular, and many people are spending much more time in front of a computer than the television.

Once you begin using free local television, the cheapest TV of all, think of what you can do with all the money you save. If you are a real television fan, you may save enough money to buy the big screen television that you have always wanted. Many of the new flat screen televisions can be wall mounted and take up very little space.

What happens if there is one evening when nothing is on the local channels and you just sent the last DVD back to the rental site? You get the privilege of turning off the set and getting to know your family once again. Play a game, got to the park or simply sit and talk. Your children will love hearing stories of when you grew up.