Six months ago I cancelled my cable service and invested $175 in an antenna and related gear to pull down nearly 30 channels of high definition TV with no monthly fee.

Since April, I’ve saved about $245 in cable bills, leaving me $70 in the black with another $35 a month accruing every month. I’m happy to report that I have no regrets.

At the time of cancellation, I wondered whether I’d miss the channels only available on cable, such as Sportsnet or the Weather Network. I haven’t. In fact, I still get most of the channels that were in my basic cable package — including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and PBS directly from the U.S. — and it doesn’t cost a cent.

Would the signal quality be any good? Well, it’s better than most stations on cable or satellite because there’s less compression. Can you record shows from an antenna? It turns out there are plenty of options.

The original story was one of the best read online Moneyville stories of the past year and generated plenty of emails and phone calls from readers. Many readers asked themselves the same kinds of questions I had asked. Would it work? How many channels would I get? Could I do it on my own? And it wasn’t just that people were keen to save money. Many readers were fed up with Rogers and Bell, which — in the eyes of readers — were charging a lot of money and providing marginal service.

You might think that an antenna would be a no-brainer for a lot of people. But based on the reader feedback, there are many people who are interested in over-the-air HDTV (OTA) and yet are still on the fence. This is consistent with the experience of antenna installer Eric Skura of Stanley Communications (formerly V&E).

Skura says he’s seen a huge increase in the number of people calling to inquire about an antenna installation over the past year or so. And while there’s a steady flow of installations, “it’s not quite the surge we have been hoping for,” he says.

Geoff Tebbutt of The Antenna Guys echoes this sentiment. Tebbutt says he’s getting a lot of inquiries and a steady stream of installations, but not the flood he had expected. Still, he’s confident this will change.

“Once the word gets out, it’s going to go gangbusters,” he said recently.

So with all the interest, why haven’t more people dropped their TV services in favour of an antenna? Here are a few of the more common reasons I’ve come across.

“I might lose my favourite shows.”

If you’re a serious Blue Jays or Raptors fan (assuming the NBA ever returns to normal), you won’t be able to see a lot of games over the air. (On the other hand, the World Series looked fantastic on Fox.) But if your taste runs more toward reality TV for example, you might find you can watch a lot of your favourite shows online. Can’t get enough Holmes Inspection? You can watch full episodes on HGTV’s website. And there are other ways to watch TV shows.

Star reader Nel Marshall opted for a Netflix subscription as a supplemental service. Marshall and her husband live in Newmarket and receive about 14 channels over the air.

The Netflix subscription gives them other options when there’s nothing on. And for $7.99 a month, it’s still considerably less expensive than a basic cable or satellite package.

What about recording?

Some people have said they’re holding out because their current service gives them the option of a personal video recorder (PVR). In fact, there are plenty of PVR options with over the air TV.

Mal McKenna reports that he is very happy with his Channel Master CM-7000PAL. This device will record two shows at the same time, assuming your TV is tuned to one of them and can store up to 30 hours of HD programming. At about $370, it isn’t cheap, but at least there are no rental fees. (McKenna also pointed me to a terrific listings page, where you can see all the upcoming shows on the channels that are available in the Golden Horseshoe.

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There are other options, too. Do you have a computer plugged into the TV? A TV tuner card can turn the computer into a PVR for about $150. I used a TV tuner card for years with my Rogers cable service. You’ll likely need to purchase some software to program show recordings, which could add up to $100. But again, it’s a one-time purchase.

“Installation is complicated.”

Balancing at the top of a ladder while trying to strap an antenna around your chimney may seem like an intimidating process, but it’s manageable for a handy person. And there are plenty of how-to’s and videos online that take you through the process.

There are a number of installers in the GTA as well. They typically charge between about $300 and $700 for everything.

“I’m in a bad spot.”

Some readers have said they are holding off on an antenna because they live on the northeast corner of a downtown condo, say, east of the CN Tower, where most of the Toronto HD broadcasts originate. Geoff Tebbutt of the Antenna Guys says he has encountered this problem before. The solution? Aim an antenna at a building to the northwest. The signals will bounce off nearby buildings and hit your antenna. Buffalo signals could be trickier in a case like this, but it might be worth spending $30 to see what you can get.

This brings me to the price of antennas. I heard from many readers that they have been able to pick up as many stations as I do with antennas that cost half as much. To this I can only say, “Good on you.” But for what it’s worth, both installers — perhaps not surprisingly — recommend spending more for a quality antenna. They say the issue is really one of longevity; a less expensive antenna has cheaper parts and is more likely to break. According to Skura, a quality antenna will last at least 10 years and up to 20 if it’s not damaged by birds, branches or other hazards.

People who have installed antennas like them a lot. And the main reason isn’t just cost; there’s a lot of hostility towards Rogers and Bell. Marshall explained her decision to get an antenna this way: “We did not feel we wanted to deal with Rogers or Bell.” Peter Mayor in Maple, among many others, felt the same way.

I’m not trying to pick on these companies, but judging by the popularity and comments on some of Ellen Roseman’s columns, complaining about our telecom giants could practically qualify as a national pastime.

So when people are able to get superior picture quality without a Rogers or Bell bill, it stands to reason they’d be happy about it.

And with a minimum of $420 a year in savings, you could buy a new TV every two years.

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