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Verizon 5G Home Internet Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I’ve compiled all of the questions I’ve received on my blog and YouTube channel about Verizon 5G Home Internet here in one handy place for you to reference! Is it reliable and fast? For most people, including myself, it is reliable and fast. I’m on a plan that maxes out at 300 Mbps and I typically see download speeds of 220 to 280 Mbps, and sometimes even over 300 Mbps! Regarding reliability, I do occasionally have my Internet access go down, maybe once a month. A power cycle of my gateway fixes this in a few minutes. What should I […]
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How to Fix Verizon 5G Home Internet Frequent Loss of Connection and Rebooting

Probably the most common problem I see on the various Verizon 5G Home Internet forums and social platforms is that the gateway cube will lose Internet connection, requiring a reboot to restore, or will reboot itself. For me, this happens a few times a month, max, so not a big deal. But for others, it happens once a week, once a day, or even every few hours, which is completely unacceptable! While I don’t have a magic fix for every situation, here are some tips that have helped folks with this problem. 1. Reposition Your Gateway This is easy to […]
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Verizon 5G Home Internet: The Good and the Bad. My Full Review in 2024

[…]fiber or 5G wireless home Internet. In this article, I’ll talk about my experience with Verizon 5G Home Internet, a wireless solution for home Internet access. Note, this is NOT the same as Verizon FIOS, which is a fiber optic cable solution. I want to stress that THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST! I paid for Verizon’s 5G Home Internet service myself because I wanted to find a cheaper, more reliable alternative to cable Internet and share the experience with y’all! What Is Verizon 5G Home Internet? With Verizon 5G Home Internet, you get your Internet access through an Internet […]
Read more » Verizon 5G Home Internet: The Good and the Bad. My Full Review in 2024

How to Use Your Own Router with the Verizon 5G Home Internet Gateway (and Enable Passthrough Mode)

If the built-in Wi-Fi router on your Verizon 5G Home Internet gateway is not reaching all of the devices in your home, you may need to use your own Wi-Fi router to get better range. In my case, the Verizon Gateway’s built-in Wi-Fi was sufficient for both floors of my condo, but it didn’t reach my outdoor Ring cameras. So, I found it necessary to plug in my trusty Netgear Wi-Fi router into my Verizon 5G Home Internet gateway. The Easy Way Technically, you could simply plug your router into one of your Gateway’s Ethernet ports. As long as the […]
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Use This Hack to See Your Verizon 5G Home Internet Signal Strength (ASK Firmware Version 222656)

You would think that displaying your 5G signal strength would be a necessary feature of any 5G home internet system. Unfortunately, the web portal for Verizon 5G Internet Gateway models that begin with ASK-NCQ1338 (see the bottom of your unit for your model number) with firmware version 222656 do not display signal strength. If you have an ASK unit with version 3.2.0.21 or later, this hack is not necessary. To see signal strength with that firmware, go to Advanced -> System -> System Status, the scroll down to Modem where you can see values for 4G LET Signal Strength and […]
Read more » Use This Hack to See Your Verizon 5G Home Internet Signal Strength (ASK Firmware Version 222656)

How to Save Money on Internet Access in 2024

[…]internet. If you’re paying more than that, keep reading for ways to save. 1. Check out 5G Home Internet It’s only available in a select list of major cities, but if you’re on cable Internet now, you might be able to increase your bandwidth and lower your costs. This service runs wirelessly from your closest 5G cell tower. It’s almost like using a 5G phone as a hotspot, but with unlimited data and insane speed. In 2022, my cable internet cost $80/month. With auto-pay signup, Verizon Home Internet is costing me $50/month. If you already use Verizon for your cell […]

How to Find the Closest Cell Towers Near You

[…]“4G – LTE” or “5G NR”. If you choose “5G NR” for T-Mobile, you’ll see their 5G towers. However, Verizon and AT&T currently do not have a lot of dedicated 5G towers, so you might not see any at all. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have 5G. At this time, all of the carriers are piggybacking 5G ENDC equipment on top of their 4G infrastructure. ENDC is a transitional technology that makes it possible for mobile devices to access both 5G and 4G LTE networks at the same time. To see 4G towers that have 5G transmitters, select “4G […]

Ten Ways To Save Money On Your Cell Phone Bill in 2023

[…]call your current provider to complain about your bill. That’s exactly what my wife did with Verizon. She was paying $71/month and she called them to complain and see if she could get her bill lowered. Here’s what happened. At first, the guy at Verizon said she could get a $6/month discount for one year (later we found out this required a one-year contract). Hmm… not very exciting, but it was a start. Then, he said there was a special deal where she could get $20 off her bill for the next three months. Okay… Finally, they realized that she […]
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If You’re Spending More Than $20/Month on Your Mobile Phone Plan, You’re Paying Too Much

[…]might not have heard of Mint Mobile or Republic Wireless, but everyone has seen TV commercials for Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. In addition, MVNOs generally have fewer retail locations or are online only. That saves a ton of money. MVNOs may not offer some features and perks like international roaming, free anti-spam app, or phone financing. Some plans don’t offer mobile hotspots. Finally, for a lot of these low-cost carriers, you have to pre-pay for up to a year at a time, to get their lowest rates. These issues may or may not be important to you, so research before […]
Read more » If You’re Spending More Than $20/Month on Your Mobile Phone Plan, You’re Paying Too Much

How to Lower Your Cable or Satellite TV Bill

[…]If you can live without these, cut ‘em.  Are you paying to get cable on additional TVs in your home that could be using an antenna? Do you really still need a landline when you are also paying for a cell phone?  See if eliminating it will lower your bill (on the other hand, sometimes keeping services will actually result in a lower bill, see below). With Internet access, there are often unpublicized cheaper plans if you can accept slower download speeds.  I know that doesn’t sound appealing, but going from 30Mbps to 20Mbps is not really noticeable for people […]

Save Thousands of Dollars on Internet, TV, and Cell Phone Service

[…]better service and lower prices! I’ve cut my monthly cable bill from $80 to $50 by switching to 5G Home Internet: Similarly, I was paying $55 per month for my cell phone service. At the time I thought it was a pretty good deal. Then, I found a carrier that got me more monthly data at the insanely low cost of $15/month! My Story I was a loyal cable TV customer for all of my adult life, paying about $34/month for basic cable (which sounds ludicrously cheap now). Then I moved to a different city where the cost was $52/month […]
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My Story: Cable TV Costs Too Much

[…]access (as well as cell phone service). I personally switched from cable Internet to Verizon 5G Home Internet, saving $30 per month! Interestingly, the phrase “Disable My Cable” fits in this context as well! For my mobile phone service, I switched to Mint Mobile, saving $40 per month! About Me I love tinkering with technology and sharing tips on how to spend less money on TV content, Internet access, and cellular plans! I have a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. I worked as an electrical engineer for over twenty years designing industrial […]

Do I Need a Separate Antenna For Each TV?

[…]will require a little detective work. Look in your garage, basement, and outside of your home to see where the cable company’s cable connects to your home.  There should be a junction box where it connects.  If you had satellite, look where the cable from the satellite dish comes into your home.  Note, you might need special tools to disconnect it, and it might be a violation of the cable/satellite company rules to mess with their equipment, just be aware. If you are able to disconnect the signal from the cable company, you can now connect your antenna anywhere you […]

Ten Reasons You Need a DVR If You Watch Broadcast TV

[…]From Home The AirTV is great for watching TV on your mobile device even when you’re AWAY from home (or more specifically, your home Wi-Fi network). This can be great if you want to catch a local sporting event while you’re traveling, for example. Tablo used to have this feature, but unfortunately, with the latest Gen 4 Tablo, you can’t watch your recordings or live TV through your device when away from home. 8. Time Shifting OK, this is probably the use case for a DVR that you were thinking about. There’s a sporting event or movie on TV but […]
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Why a TV Antenna Might Be Your Best Friend During the Next Disaster

[…]vulnerable. All it takes is for the cable or optic fiber to be cut somewhere along the way to your home for you to lose Internet access. Telephone/internet poles go down all of the time during large storms. And I haven’t even mentioned the possibility of a large-scale cyber attack bringing down the Internet, something that is definitely possible. Therefore, I think it’s a good idea for those who have strong TV signals in their area to have a TV antenna, which you can use to get the latest news, as well as important information from the government during disasters […]
Read more » Why a TV Antenna Might Be Your Best Friend During the Next Disaster

You Might Already Own What You Need for Free TV

[…]if I were to say that you might already have everything you need to get free and cheap TV in your home, condo, or apartment? Why buy anything when you might have what you need? Take this inventory and find out! Your Current TV If you have a modern Hi-Def television, you can probably plug an antenna right into it and start getting free broadcast TV.  Most modern TV’s can take either cable TV or broadcast TV input.  They both plug into the same coax jack.  No external box needed to try an antenna. If you have a smart TV, […]
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How to Eliminate TV Interference from Your Amazon Fire TV Stick

[…]mode every time you want to switch to broadcast TV. You can do this by pressing and holding the Home button on the remote. You’ll see this screen on your Stick: Choose “Sleep” and your interference should go away. Of course, this can be a pain to do every time you switch from your Stick to Broadcast TV, but it does work. Conclusion So there you have it, three ways to stop your Amazon Fire TV Stick from interfering with your TV reception. Did any of these work for you? Please comment below! – […]
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Thirty Things You Could Accomplish If You Gave Up TV for Lent

While discovering free and cheap ways to watch TV is a good thing, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. In 2017, the average American spent almost four hours a day watching television! That’s a HUGE amount of time to spend staring at a TV screen! What could you accomplish with that time? When you look back on your life, will you wish you did something else with that time? Giving Up TV for Lent This year, Lent runs from Wednesday, March 2nd to Thursday, April 14th, 2022. That’s 40 days x 4 hours = 160 hours […]
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Why YouTube is My Favorite Free Streaming Service

[…]Don’t You Forget About Me.  There is so much karaoke content that you could probably have a home karaoke party just by using YouTube videos!  No need for a machine and a bunch of expensive CD-G’s. Home and Garden If you like HGTV, check out the Houzz TV YouTube channel. It offers really high-quality commercial-free renovation and home decorating stories. I actually like it more than HGTV now! Another great channel in this genre is the Architectural Digest channel. TV Shows Okay, you are not going to find the latest episodes of “The Walking Dead” on YouTube.  But, you can find […]
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Use the Roku App to Play Videos From Your Phone on Your TV

[…]you might want it anyway to use as a remote.  It’s free. Next, make sure your phone is on your home’s Wi-Fi network – the same one as your Roku.  For most people, it will be.  If it isn’t, you should set up your home Wi-Fi password on your phone, not just for this, but also to minimize your phone’s data usage on your cell phone plan. Next, launch the Roku app on your phone and tap the Photos+ icon.  It will search for devices and your Roku should appear (make sure your Roku is on).  Go ahead and select […]
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Should You Get the Amazon Fire TV Stick?

[…]TV. You can also select some commonly-used apps to install. The Home Screen Amazon re-vamped their home screen layout a while ago, and to me, it’s not as straightforward as, say, the Roku home screen. I also didn’t like having the Sprint ad right in the middle of my app grid! But, that’s not a showstopper and overall, it’s simple to navigate around using the four-way directional buttons on the remote, once you get used to it. Channels There are all of the standard pay channels that you would expect, including Netflix, Hulu, and so forth. However, Amazon content always […]

Amazon Fire TV Recast: a Slick DVR from Amazon (Discontinued)

[…]two programs at once, or watch one live channel while recording another. Or, two people in my home can be watching different live channels on separate TVs or devices. The four-tuner Recast allows you to record up to four programs at once, but it still only allows you to watch two live programs at the same time. Be aware! This has bitten some folks who have more than two TVs in their homes. Fire TV Devices Are Required The Recast has a lot going for it. But, probably the biggest downside for some people will be the fact that it […]
Read more » Amazon Fire TV Recast: a Slick DVR from Amazon (Discontinued)

The Number One Mistake to Avoid When Buying a New TV

[…]what Vizio’s website says about this: The VIZIO SmartCast™ E-Series Ultra HD Home Theater Display is now tuner-free. Most households commonly stream or watch live TV from cable and satellite boxes – neither of which requires a tuner, so you shouldn’t notice any differences in setup. Now if you use an external antenna to watch free local channels, you will need to get a separate tuner adapter to connect your antenna to your display. Everything they say here is true, but this statement is buried way down on their site. If you look on Amazon, it’s really hard to tell […]
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My Personal TV Antenna Setup

[…]good RG6 coax cable with just enough length to do the job. Of course, the TV reception in your home will be different and unique. But, I believe that in most cases it’s best not to spend a bunch of money on different antennas and amplifiers. Instead, use good quality RG6 cable and experiment with different antenna locations in your home until you get the best reception. I hope this has helped. What is your antenna setup like? Please share below. I’d love to hear about your favorite antenna or ideal setup! – […]

How to Mirror Your iPhone or iPad to Your TV Screen Using Apple TV

[…]to make sure that your Apple TV and your iOS device are on the same Wi-Fi network. If you’re at home, and your devices are set up to use Wi-Fi, you’re probably good to go. If you’re in a hotel room or somewhere besides your home, you’ll have to go into the setup of both the Apple TV and your device to set them to use the same Wi-Fi network. Next, if you’ve never used the Airplay feature on your Apple TV before, and you didn’t see the Airplay notification when you turned it on, you might have to enable […]
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My Review of the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Tuner/DVRs (FLEX and SCRIBE)

[…]and this is a biggie, you cannot watch live TV or your recordings when you are away from home. You have to be on your home network! Now, there are some third-party apps that might solve this in your situation, but I’m sticking to the HDHomeRun app in this review. Using Your Own Software You can get around some of the limitations of the HD HomeRun by using third-party software such as Plex, which has a lifetime deal, or NextPVR, which is free. Not only can you save money, but some let you view your recordings remotely. Another alternative is […]
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My Free Broadcast TV Channels in Santa Monica, CA

[…]CA using my indoor antenna.  I’m not including foreign language channels, duplicate channels, home shopping channels, and other stations I’m not interested in. Channel Call Sign HD Description 2.1 CBS Yes CBS network 2.2 Decades Oldies like “Lost in Space” 4.1 NBC Yes NBC network 4.2 COZI Oldies like “Miami Vice” 5.1 KTLA Yes CW network 5.2 Antenna TV Oldies like The Tonight Show 5.3 This Old movies 7.1 ABC Yes ABC network 7.2 LiveWell Yes Food and lifestyle 7.3 LAFF Old comedies 9.1 KCAL Yes Local station owned by CBS 11.1 KTTV Yes Fox network 11.3 Light TV Oldies […]
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Tablo Dual Lite Broadcast TV DVR Review

[…]computers and tablets. It’s much more convenient to set up compared to running coax through your home (unless your home already has it). It’s extremely easy to use and reliable. But, I don’t like paying monthly fees for the guide. Unfortunately, Tablo has eliminated the lifetime subscription option. Now, you have to pay monthly or annually for the channel guide, which is almost a “must” when using the unit. Where to Get It You can get find the Tablo on Amazon: For reviews of other DVRs, some of which do not have recurring fees for the channel guide, check out my […]

Proof That Broadcast TV Picture Quality is Better Than Satellite

I was at my parents’ home with the TV on in the background when I noticed something interesting: their “HD” picture quality was terrible compared to my own TV with a broadcast TV antenna. They had satellite TV from DISH Network. I have always said on my site that cable and satellite dish providers compress their TV signals, resulting in WORSE picture quality than you can get with free broadcast (Over-The-Air) TV. But I thought this picture quality was ridiculously bad! I snapped a photo of the local ABC station’s logo, then went home and did the same on my […]
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Why the Mohu Leaf Is My Favorite Indoor Antenna

[…]#4 17 16 28 30 The Mohu Leaf got more channels than the DB4 in most locations in my home As you can see, there is quite a variation in performance based on signal conditions. In locations 1 and 3, the three antennas performed about the same. Although the Mohu Leaf 50 “won” in two locations, statistically these can be considered a tie. I was blown away that the thin Mohu Leaf 30 found more channels on average than a bulky metal antenna! How could that be? Well, in Providence, RI, where I did this test, the TV signals come from almost […]
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A Comparison of the Best Broadcast TV Recorders (DVRs) in 2024

[…]the many cheap tuner boxes with recording, I recommend the Homeworx DVR Digital Converter: Homeworx Pros Homeworx Cons PlayOn – Requires Subscription, Records Internet Video, Not Live TV This service (not a hardware box) lets you movies and shows from Internet streaming services, as opposed to broadcast TV. For example, say you want to record a TV episode from Hulu, or a movie from Netflix or Disney+. PlayOn lets you do this. Cost starts at $39.99 for 350 cloud recordings or unlimited recordings to your computer. You install the software on your computer and choose from channels to record from. Current channels include […]
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Review: The TiVo Edge for Antenna DVR (DISCONTINUED)

[…]However, I wasn’t able to figure out how to do channel skip on the app. Streaming Away from Home – Inconsistent! As a test, I tried watching a recording on the TiVo app while on 5G walking my dog in my neighborhood. I got this message: But, when I tried watching a different show on a Wi-Fi network away from home, I was able to watch it! I was perplexed until I found this note in the fine print on TiVo’s website: Some recorded content can only be streamed/downloaded to your laptop, tablet or mobile device while you are on […]
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Google Chromecast: Stream Video from Your Computer Browser to Your TV

[…]and go to the URL specified in the instructions. On iOS, you’ll need to download the Google Home app. During setup, the Chromecast acts as its own Wi-Fi network. As part of the setup process, you’ll have to connect to it from your computer or mobile device and to enter your Wi-Fi password. After setup, my Chromecast required a firmware update, which took a few minutes, but was not difficult. Next, install the Chromecast plugin in your desktop Chrome browser and you’ll be ready to go. For mobile, see below. Performance The first thing I tried was to watch video from […]
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30 Amazing Things to Do Instead of Watching TV

[…]for something Few things in life are as rewarding as helping other people. Check with your local homeless shelter, retirement home, or a national volunteer organization like Habitat for Humanity.   6. Have a romantic candle-lit dinner Surprise your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner. It will be something they remember for a long time.   7. Read a book, either at home, or at a local library or bookstore How many unread books do you own? Why not dig into one of them instead of watching TV? Or, visit a local bookstore.   8. Join a church group (or synagogue or..) Because there is […]
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Review: The AirTV 2 Broadcast TV DVR

[…]they’re probably using it without the hard drive). Killer Feature: Watching When Away From Home With the AirTV 2, you can watch your recordings and live TV when away from home using the Sling app! This is actually a pretty important feature now, since the Gen 4 Tablo can’t do it (some previous generation Tablos can do it though). Picture Quality When comparing the AirTV picture to the picture on my Samsung TV connected directly to an antenna, the AirTV picture seems more blurry with the artifacts (which I believe are in the original broadcast signal, not from the viewing […]

Why Did My Broadcast TV Channels Disappear?

[…]all kinds of stories about this from my readers. First, turn off all electronic appliances in your home and see if your reception gets better. This includes fluorescent lights, computers, Wi-Fi routers, cable modems, Bluetooth devices, cell phones, and so on. If your reception improves, turn on each device one by one until you find the culprit. Some users have reported TV interference when their Amazon Fire TV Stick is plugged in. Try unplugging it. If the signal improves, use the HDMI extender cable that came with your Stick and move it around until it goes away. One user wrapped […]

How to Fix Your Sony Bravia TV When It’s Stuck on a Channel or Frozen

[…]on the Sony Bravia TV To remove channel 5.1, or any channel on your Sony Bravia TV, press the Home button on your remote, then the left arrow key to go to the Settings menu. Go down to Show/Hide channels and select it: Next, scroll to the offending channel (5.1 in this case) and click “Shown” in order to change it to “Hidden”. Remember to do all of this while the antenna is unplugged or else your TV will freeze up again! After this, you’ll lose that channel, but at least the rest of the channels will work! The Channel […]
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Tablo Generation 4 Review: My New #1 DVR Pick!

[…]with streaming channels, but I don’t mind the way it’s done on Tablo. No Viewing Away from Home (“Tablo Connect”) Having said all of this, one big minus of the Gen 4 Tablo is that you can’t watch your recordings or live TV when away from home, something that I could do with my Tablo Dual Lite. For some folks, this could be a showstopper for the Gen 4 Tablo! Here’s Tablo’s explanation of why the Gen 4 doesn’t support out-of-home streaming. Basically, they said it’s because of the bandwidth needed for the non-transcoded video stream, meaning they sacrificed this […]
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Roku: My Number One Pick for Cable Cutters

[…]a Roku app that allows you to watch your content using a Roku, but only when connected to your home’s Internet (i.e., you can’t use it in a hotel, for example). So in this case you could use it as a substitute for a cable box. Since this site is about cutting cable and satellite, I don’t subscribe to any paid satellite or cable TV services, so anyone who does, please chime in on the comments below to correct or clarify anything I’ve said about this!  Roku vs. Other Streaming Boxes Roku advantages Has the most channels out of all of the […]

Why I No Longer Recommend the Apple TV Streaming Player

[…]use Apple TV, you need to have Internet access, and you’ll have to connect your Apple TV to your home Wi-Fi network or router via Ethernet cable.  Connection to Wi-Fi is pretty easy as long as you know your Wi-Fi password. Why I Now Recommend Roku Instead For a long time, I used my Apple TV for two exclusive features: the ability to play iTunes-purchased movies, and for AirPlay, the ability to mirror an iOS device’s screen to the TV. Well, with the Apple TV Roku App for the Roku and Amazon Fire TV, you can watch your iTunes content […]
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Use This Free Tool to Lower the Cost of Streaming TV

Back when streaming TV services first came out, they were a great value compared to cable TV. But, just like cable, many streaming TV services started raising their prices. Over the years, some have become just as expensive as cable TV, especially ones that offer live TV. Nowadays, you can still put together a great package of shows to watch but you have to be smart about which services you pick if you want to save. Here are my top tips on how to save on the cost of streaming TV. 1. Use the Streaming Service Finder to find the […]
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Should You Use an Amplified Indoor TV Antenna?

[…]to when you’re using an outdoor or attic antenna, and you’re driving multiple TVs in your home. You’ll probably have a long cable run. That’s when an amplifier can be necessary. You’ll probably want a stand-alone distribution amplifier with several outputs. It should be placed at the end closest to the antenna, NOT at the end closest to the TV. If you put your antenna in the wrong location, you’ll lose most of the benefit of having an amplifier. Channel Master makes a line of high-quality TV antenna distribution amplifiers: I also like the Antop HD Smart Boost Pro preamp […]
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Review: The Antop HD Smart Bar – The Best Indoor Amplified TV Antenna?

[…]coax cables and following instructions. My Testing For my testing, I used the Mediasonic HOMEWORX Digital Converter Box HW130STB as my tuner because it has a handy signal strength meter. The first thing I did was pit the HD Smart Bar against my Mohu Leaf (with RG-6 cable, not the included cable!). I checked the signal strength of my local Los Angeles ABC station, channel 7.1, because it is a Hi-VHF station which is sometimes tricky to pick up. On my signal strength meter, my Mohu Leaf registered 4 purple dots of strength, while the Antop HD Smart Bar got […]
Read more » Review: The Antop HD Smart Bar – The Best Indoor Amplified TV Antenna?

Drastically Improve Your TV Reception with a Small Patio Antenna

[…]that any time you permanently mount an antenna outdoors, you should ground the shield to your home’s earth ground. Here’s some info on how to ground an antenna. Conclusion Before buying any antenna, please check the Station Finder to make sure there are channels in your area. No antenna can pick up stations if you are too far from the transmitter towers. I hope this is helpful to those of you who are not able/allowed to use a roof antenna, but still want better reception than an indoor antenna can offer. I’ve discovered that you can get many of the benefits of […]
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Six Surprising Things Modern TVs Can Do

[…]that it’s much harder to set up and use than an older “dumb” TV. This was really driven home to me during the setup process, where I had to go through lots of menu items, set up Wi-Fi, create an account on Samsung (to access all of the TV’s features), update software, and so on. I also had a problem getting broadcast channels to work. Finally, I rebooted and that solved it. I was wondering how non-techy people would find this process. The Samsung remote is much more minimalistic than old TV remotes. Buttons serve multiple functions and you use […]

Streaming Media Players: Which One Should You Get?

[…]using one of these devices. All of these devices require that you have Internet access at your home. Most require Wi-Fi as well. Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV, have built-in “apps” that give you content from mostly paid services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Sling TV, etc. There are also some channels offering free video like Pluto TV, Crackle and YouTube. Google Chromecast doesn’t have apps. Instead, it will mirror whatever is on your computer’s Chrome browser onto your TV screen, letting you view websites on your TV. But you have to have your computer (or whatever you are mirroring to […]
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How to Transfer Your Videotapes to Your Computer

Do you have a pile of videotapes taking up space in your home? Or, do you want to archive your VHS/Beta videos for posterity or easier viewing on a computer or tablet? There are many reasons why you might want to convert your videotapes to a digital format. Here’s how to do it. Using a Service Since I first wrote this article, many services have cropped up that will convert old media (i.e., VHS tapes) to new (i.e., digital files). Even Costco and Walmart offer these services now. If you’re just converting one VHS tape, these are a good deal. […]
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Frequently Asked Questions About Broadcast and Internet TV

[…]live on cable/satellite. Q: Does a Roku require an antenna? A: No, Roku gets its content from your home Internet connection, not an antenna. You can use either one without the other. Q: I heard about a box that gives you all of the latest TV shows and movies for free. Is that for real? A: There are services that provide the latest movies and TV shows for free or some low cost, but if it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably illegal. For various reasons, I don’t recommend using those services. Q: How can I watch sports without […]
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How to Pick Affordable Streaming TV Services

It used to be that any streaming TV service was a no-brainer better deal than cable or satellite TV. Unfortunately, some streaming services are now just as expensive as cable! Yuck! But, it’s still possible to pay way less than cable if you pick your streaming services wisely (see below) and use an antenna if you need local channels. You can watch these on your computer or phone with an Internet connection or on your smart TV or streaming player like Roku or Amazon Fire TV. If you want a personalized recommendation of what streaming TV services are best for you based on the […]

How to Watch Live Sports Without Cable TV

[…]networks plus local channels with a simple indoor antenna.  This will enable you to get many home games and all of the major sporting events like the Superbowl, World Series, and professional basketball playoffs, as well as some college basketball and football games. Enter your zip code into the Station Finder to see if there are channels in your area.  If you have a modern TV, then you just need to get a good antenna and plug it directly into your TV to get those channels.  If you have an old tube TV, you’ll need a converter box. Note that […]

The Best Indoor TV Antenna – The Great Antenna Shootout

[…]be sure to purchase a good RG6 coax cable with the correct length for it to reach a window in your home. The cable it comes with is not good. Also, I got the Mohu Leaf 30 without amplifier, not the Mohu Leaf 50. Amplifiers only give improvement if all of your TV signals are weak.  Otherwise, they can hinder your reception. I also love the Leaf because it’s easy to mount and can be hidden without much effort. The importance of this is more than just cosmetics. Some of the other bulky antennas were good, but only when hanging […]
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How to Estimate TV Reception in Your Area

[…]to live in one of these valleys, your reception will be poor. Next, let’s take a look at my home town of Los Angeles, CA, which lies in the basin between some fairly large mountains and a really crazy pattern: You can clearly see that the signal is pretty much stopped in its tracks to the north, where the mountains are.  Also, you can see purple “shadows” where the smaller mountains are blocking the signal.  Interestingly, there is a “shadow” just to the south of the transmitter where the mountain itself blocking the signal.  In that area, the people live only a […]

How To Get More Channels with Your Indoor Antenna

[…]get the most channels with your indoor antenna. 1. Experiment with Different Locations in Your Home More than any other factor, the location of your indoor antenna in the room has the biggest impact on the number of channels you can receive. The best locations to put a flat antenna like the Mohu Leaf are often against windows or outwardly facing walls. Start with these locations and run a baseline channel scan on your TV.  I like to use adhesive tape to temporarily position the antenna during my scans. To help determine which direction the TV signals are coming from, go […]
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How to Pick Your TV Antenna

[…]using particular antennas from your NEIGHBORS. So, check with your neighbors! Walk around your home and look for homes and apartments with TV antennas on the roof. Post on Facebook or Nextdoor asking people in your immediate area how many channels they are getting and what kind of antennas they are using. That will get you the most accurate information on what channels YOU can get! Older TVs If you have an old tube-type of TV, you’ll need a converter box in order to use an antenna. Read about my suggested converter boxes here. Rooftop Antennas Are Ideal You will get […]

Free Streaming TV Services

I’ve curated this list of the best FREE streaming services online. Enjoy, and let me know if there’s a free streaming TV service that should be added to this page! Search for Your Favorite Shows Online Search for your favorite TV shows and movies online to find out where they’re playing. You may get lucky and find them playing for free! Powered by My Recommended Free TV and Movie Sites Classics Original Content Broadcast Network Websites Many of the shows on these sites require cable TV login, but there are still some free shows available if you look carefully. Note, […]

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