How to get FREE TV

We have simplified everything you need to know on how to get free TV so you do not have to spend hours online trying to figure it out yourself. Here are some easy steps on choosing a package for your free TV needs. Let’s look at the 2 ways you can get free TV right away.

1. FTA (Free To Air)
   FTA is full of channels that are satellite based. You have access to about 20 different satellites with a total of approx. 260 channels available. The FTA satellites are satellites other than DIRECTV, Dish Network or Bell TV. FTA does have some English language programming and has many international channels available. An FTA satellite system requires a minimum of a 31 inch dish and a linear (low frequency) LNB. A Dish Network, DIRECTV or Bell TV dish cannot be used because the dish platter is too small and they use a circular (high frequency) LNB’s.

1. OTA (Over The Air)
   OTA signals are sent from a transmitting tower, not a satellite. Think of it like car radio where the antenna on your car picks up certain stations. Here are some key points about using an OTA antenna (also referred to as an HDTV antenna or HD antenna)
   • OTA is used for your local channels (NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, PBS, etc)
   • OTA has AMAZING HD Quality, better than satellite or cable. Satellite or cable providers compress the signal down. When the signal is sent from a transmitter, the signal is uncompressed so that your OTA antenna captures the best possible picture quality.
   • OTA antennas are very low is price and is very easy to set up

AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3!

Now we know the 2 ways of getting free TV for life, we know can go through the 3 easy steps on how to choose a package for FTA and/or OTA.

What do I need for FTA?

STEP 1: The first step is knowing what satellites and channels are available. Once you know this, then it is easy to pick out a package for the satellites you want.

Most of the international channels are on the satellite name Galaxy 19. Its location is 97 degrees West. When making note of what satellites you want, we suggest to go by the degrees of position of the satellite, as the satellite names do change from time to time.

English channels are found on 125 West, 123 West, 101 West, 99 West, 83 West and some other satellites.

To make it nice and simple, pick out the satellites you want from this satellite list.


STEP 2: Now you know what satellites you want, you have 2 options of what kind of satellite dish to use.

Stationary Systems:
For many of our customers who just want one satellite (Galaxy 19 for example for the International channels) then you can just go with a Stationary Dish. The LNB is the feed horn at the end of the arm on the dish. You need 1 LNB per satellite that you want on a stationary dish. If you want to point at more than 1 satellite and they are WITHIN 30 DEGREES of each other (97.0, 101.0, 123.0 for example), then you can use a multi LNB holder to hold each LNB together onto the satellite arm (see picture below)

Motorized Systems:
If you would like to view as many satellites as possible, then a motorized free to air satellite system works best because the dish is going to move from east to west and point to any satellite you choose. The motor is a piece of hardware that connects on the back of the satellite dish. No external power is needed for the motor as the satellite cable will power the motor. This is the best way to get maximum satellites and channels.

STEP 3: Ordering and installation.

Ordering your package is easy. Just select what package you want online, or call us on the number on the top of the website. Be sure to let one of our Customer Care Specialist know which satellites you want, and it will be easy for the to design a package for you.

We always recommend having a qualified satellite installer set up your dish for you, even more importantly on a motorized dish. We can provide a list of installers in your area. Depending on the complexity of your install it can range from $100 - $200 for a professional installation.

Alternatively, if you are willing to read some instructions and enjoy an afternoon off learning, you can install the satellite system yourself. Many customers set up stationary or motorized system with help from our included installation CD and access to our satellite angle calculator that is found in our FTA learning center.

We also recommend going to youtube.com and watching some install videos from actual customers. We also give lifetime tech support to our customers through our online tech support community.

If you do decide to do the install yourself, here are some recommended accessories that will be useful to you

1. Analog Satellite Meter
   This meter is a very basic satellite signal strength finder that will give you an indication of what satellite strength you are getting.
   
   
2. Accutrac 22 Pro
   This digital meter will make it easier to find the satellites and give you a more accurate reading on the satellites you are on to help you tune the dish to the best picture quality.

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How to get Local HD Channels with an OTA Antenna

For over the air HD programming, three things are needed to make it work; the transmitter, the antenna, and the tuner.

(1) Transmitter

Your local broadcast TV stations have powerful transmitters high on towers, usually located in a central area, outputting a DTV signal. These TV towers serve a market within a specific area or "footprint". If you are in the "footprint" of the broadcast tower, you should be able to receive the signal from that tower with the proper antenna.

Broadcast frequencies are broken up into the following categories:

1. VHF (Very High Frequency): 54 Mhz - 216 Mhz, Channels 2 - 13
2. UHF (Ultra High Frequency): 470 Mhz - 698 Mhz, Channels 14 - 69
3. 698 Mhz - 806 Mhz: Formerly used for television and will now be freed up for future 4G services like W-Max. Pay satellite services, cell phone providers and other such companies use these frequencies.

(2) Antenna

The piece of equipment that captures the signal from the transmitter and sends it to your television or converter box is the antenna. The antenna is the most important link in your DTV system. The proximity in which you live to the broadcast towers, the terrain in between and the frequencies (channels) the TV stations are transmitting on determine the type of antenna needed to capture the DTV signal. The signal DTV stations are broadcast on is line of sight, so the flatter the terrain and the fewer obstacles between the transmitter and the antenna the better. Generally, the closer you live to a transmitter, the smaller the antenna you need. As you move father from the transmitter, there is less available signal and you need a larger antenna to capture as much signal as possible. In some cases, trees, buildings or other obstacles degrade signal quality in your area. A larger antenna may be needed to receive the low amount of signal. Since TV stations are transmitting digital stations on both VHF and UHF in 98% of the US and Canada, you will need a VHF/UHF combination antenna to receive all available channels in your area. Make sure the antenna receives both UHF and VHF or you are coupling a VHF antenna to a UHF antenna where needed.

(3) Tuner

The final part of your free DTV and HDTV system is your tuner. Most televisions produced after 2004 have a built-in digital tuner that will take the signal from your antenna and display it on your television. Televisions without a digital tuner will need a digital converter box to decode the digital signal from the antenna. If you are using a converter box you will receive a DVD quality digital picture. You will need an HDTV to display true High Definition on screen. HDTV's automatically display High Definition programming when it is available without any setting changes

Now that you understand what equipments are needed for OTA HD programming, let's go over the steps of how to get these channels:


STEP 1: The first step is knowing what channels are available where you live. Click the link below and enter your zip code or postal code.

Show me what channels are available!

Here is some help understanding what each graph means to you.

On the left hand side, there is a graph that looks like a dart board. This is a direction map of where the channels are located in a true North position from your location. The numbers in this graph are the number of the actual channel (example channel 2,4,6,9, etc..) This is how you can determine what antenna should be used. In most cases, we do always recommend a multi direction antenna. This info will be very useful when mounting your antenna so you know roughly where to begin when mounting your antenna.

The graph on the right hand side will list the channels. What we really like about this list is that it goes in order by color coding so you know the ones at the top in green will have the highest quality reception. You can also click on the channel call letters (WKBW-DT for example) to get the station information (the channel, network, digital or analog, etc). More detail tech info about the signals are also on the graph as well, including the distance in miles of the transmitter to your location. (3rd last column on the right). This is important to note because the antenna we suggest you use has a range of about 70 miles, so if you see the distance of miles is under 70, then you should be able to pick up that channel.

The bar graph at the bottom is a listing of the channels (VHF and UHF). VHF (Very High Frequency): 54 Mhz - 216 Mhz, Channels 2 - 13 UHF (Ultra High Frequency): 470 Mhz - 698 Mhz, Channels 14 - 69


STEP 2: Selecting an antenna and mount. We suggest the DB8, based on customer feedback and 1000’s of completed installations. It’s our most powerful multi-directional HD antenna. In fact, its 15.8 dB gain make it one of the most powerful multi-directional antennas available on the market.

DB8 High Definition Antenna

Antenna Mount

STEP 3: Installation Here is an instructional video to show you how easy it is to set up an OTA antenna: