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dimme

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Feb 14, 2007
3,584
38,995
SF, CA
Like I said I cut the cord. I subscribe to netflix, amazon prime TV, which covers mostly all my needs. I do want to be able to view network TV for news and other current events information. I was subscribing to YouTube TV but at $60+ a month it was not worth it for my little usage. I picked up a OTA DVR (Tablo dual) and one of the cheap window antennas. The setup works surprising well. But I have to have the Tablo in the bedroom under the antenna. The bedroom faces the transmission towers on the hill about 7 miles away. I would like to upgrade the antenna so I can hook up the living room TV directly to the antenna. I am thinking about another window mount so I don't have to hassle with an outdoor mount. It will require a cable run of about 50 feet to reach the living room. Will I loose too much of the signal at this distance. Also there will be one splitter at the end of the run. I was planing on running RG11 cable with I read is better The antenna I am look at is the ClearStream MAX-V antenna. I am new to all of this so I am looking for advise. Thanks
 
You may not need an OTA at all. Most local news is streamed for free via various apps. Such as Peacock for NBC stations for example.

You've said you've cut the cord but haven't said how you watch streaming content... via the computer? Roku? AppleTV? SmartTV?

Streaming boxes offer the largest selection of apps to watch, so what's available may be limited by your means of accessing the content.

OTA is fine when the weather is fine or when you happen to live close to a tower. It tends to be somewhat unreliable overall... unlike the apps that stream the same content.
 
You may not need an OTA at all. Most local news is streamed for free via various apps. Such as Peacock for NBC stations for example.

You've said you've cut the cord but haven't said how you watch streaming content... via the computer? Roku? AppleTV? SmartTV?

Streaming boxes offer the largest selection of apps to watch, so what's available may be limited by your means of accessing the content.

OTA is fine when the weather is fine or when you happen to live close to a tower. It tends to be somewhat unreliable overall... unlike the apps that stream the same content.
Yes I have a couple of Roku's I checked out the streaming social news and I my area it's not a great experience. I am lucky I have pretty much line of sight to the hill the towers are on from the back corner of my house. I guess I'm cheap I can't see paying for content that's out there for free.
 
The nice thing about Tablo is that you can put the unit wherever you want and it can stream the OTA content to the TVs. At each TV, you need ATV, or Roku, etc to support the Tablo App.

My setup requires a roof mount antenna. I run that about 50 ft down to my basement and have Tablo sitting in my basement, connected via ethernet to my network. I have ATVs connected to both TVs, so both TVs can stream OTA content. I am 30+ miles from the source of signals with hills and trees blocking LOS, so I did get an antenna amplifier that sits in my basement, seems to do the trick. This is the one I got, it has one piece that connects in line to the antenna, then a USB powered amp at the Tablo end. It would probably work for any antenna.

50 ft with a window antenna might lose too much signal, but a signal booster might help.

Why do you want to run antenna directly to the LR TV? Do you not have ATV or Roku there?
 
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Why do you want to run antenna directly to the LR TV? Do you not have ATV or Roku there?
I just wanted a second option for live TV, my wife likes things simple. I am thinking the lag in changing channels with the Tablo may bother her.
 
Check into locast. It’s an app available on just about every platform including App Store. I loaded it through App Store and used it for 6 months. You can try for free.
All your locals through this app, 4.99 per month. But Antenna will be your best A/V quality.
 
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I just wanted a second option for live TV, my wife likes things simple. I am thinking the lag in changing channels with the Tablo may bother her.
My wife hates tech stuff, but she uses our Tablo every day. She has never complained about the lag switching channels.

In fact, she appreciates the simplicity of having one platform (ATV) with one TV input from which she can watch live TV, or Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming services. I have it setup with HDMI-CEC so the ATV remote does everything, no second remote needed for 99%, she has me do the 1% with the other remotes when needed.
 
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