Over The Air Installations
“Answers to Common Questions ...”
Q1: I'm not a computer wiz. I can hardly type my name on a keyboard! Can someone like me easily use this without getting frustrated?
Q2: Can you just sell me some parts, and let me install everything myself?
Q3a: I live in the Greater Toronto Area. I don't have Internet, and I only want to watch the local news, weather, and maybe some TVOntario or PBS. Is there a solution for me so I don't have to waste money every month on cable or satellite?
Q3b: I live in North Bay. I have Internet, AND cable, but my cable bill is way too expensive for me. I'm looking at your installation as an alternative to save money. To get the channels that have stuff that interests me (like Discovery, A & E, Food Channel, History Channel, etc) I pay a fortune with cable! Satellite is no better. Can WatchItFree.TV offer me a solution that's any better? Or even just cheaper?
Q4: Is this legal?
Q5: Can I still keep my cable / satellite service, even if I have an OTA system installed?
Q6: Do I need a separate controller for every TV in my house?
Q7: Can your OTA system provide any TV shows or programming in foreign languages?
Q8: My TV screen is small. Does your system have a control to make the picture bigger?
Q9: How long does the installation take?
Q10: Do I need one of those big TV towers or something like that in my yard?
Q11: Does this installation disconnect anything that's already plugged in to my TV or home entertainment system?
Q12: Can I get support if I have a problem using your system after it gets installed?
Q13: I have a very high quality, very expensive big-screen TV. Is your system going to cause damage to my TV, or harm it in any way?
Q14: My "big-screen TV" is a puny little 24" wide-screen TV. Will it still work with your system?
Q15: What's the difference between one of these "OTA" systems you install, and one of your "digital systems"?
ANSWERS
Q1: I'm not a computer wiz. I can hardly type my name on a keyboard! Can someone like me easily use this without getting frustrated?
ANSWER: Sure! For most OTA installations, you can use just 1 remote control (for your TV) to control everything. You control On/Off, the volume, and the channel. Easier than cable or satellite.
Q2: Can you just sell me the parts, and let me install everything myself?
Answer: If that was the case, you wouldn't be reading this. We do the complete installation, which includes selecting the correct quality parts, and installing and calibrating them properly. We don't sell "parts" to DIY's.
Q3a: I live in the Greater Toronto Area. I don't have Internet, and I only want to watch the local news, weather, and maybe some TVOntario or PBS. Is there a solution for me so I don't have to waste money every month on a cable or satellite bill?
Answer: Yes, in most cases there is. We have several flavours of our "Over The Air" package. It's intended for people in the GTA with the same situation as yours (no Internet, and very basic viewing requirements). Depending on a few more details, we can probably provide you with reception of 9 or more digital English HD channels. In ideal locations, we've even been able to get stations as far away as Jamestown NY. This solution is NOT available in the area beyond an arc running from Pickering to Markham to Brampton to Oakville. Exceptions may exist because of your height above sea level or local obstructions (buildings, trees, etc).
Q3b: I live in North Bay. I have Internet, AND cable, but my cable bill is way too expensive for me. I'm looking at your installation as an alternative to save money. To get the channels that have stuff that interests me (like Discovery, A & E, Food Channel, History Channel, etc) I pay a fortune with cable! Satellite is no better. Can WatchItFree.TV offer me a solution that's any better? Or even just cheaper?
Answer: Perfect Question! You're our ideal customer ... but NOT for an Over The Air (OTA) installation! There aren't enough "local" stations for you to enjoy much choice in North Bay. Certainly, you WON'T find any OTA content that will be anything like those specialty channels you'd like to watch. Right now, there are only 3 Over The Air channels in North Bay, and none of them are digital stations. If you only want to see local content (news, weather,etc) then OTA would provide that content and let you end your payments to your cable operator. However, for about the same price, you could get a digital WatchItFree.tv system installed. It would NOT provide you with that local content, but it WOULD give you access to national news content and TV shows and movies from the rest of the world. Your choice. In either case, we'd be happy to install the system of your choice.
Q4: Is this legal?
Answer: Yes. For more than 60 years, this has been a method of television reception in Canada. In the past 3 decades many people were told that cable or satellite provided a better-quality picture and more channels. Well, the "quality" issue may have only been true in a few cases, but there were certainly more channels. But today, with better electronics, it's rare when OTA quality isn't at least as good as cable, and unlike satellite reception, your sources don't disappear in a snowstorm. OTA will never be able to provide the same number of channels as cable or satellite - but if you don't need or want anything except local sources, why should you have to pay every month just to watch TV? Some people would rather save their money and view fewer channels. With a WatchItFree.tv OTA system, there is no monthly fee. Ever. How does that compare to your present cable service?
Q5: Can I still keep my cable / satellite service, even if I have an OTA system installed?
A: Sure! Keep them for as long as you like! Just remember that you're paying for them every month, and one of the many features of this improved method of watching content is that this new model is free. But, suit yourself. You're the one who has to pay the bills.
Q6: Do I need a separate controller for every TV in my house?
Answer: No you don't. In fact, unless you have a REALLY old TV, you won't need ANY controllers. But for every TV in your house, you will need a separate signal feed, which we will install. You can use all your TV's at once, and they can all be on different stations without affecting the others.
Q7: Can your OTA system provide any TV shows or programming in foreign languages?
We can only provide what is being broadcast into the air by local TV broadcasters. If there's a French TV station in your local area, you'll be able to enjoy their broadcasts in French (the language that's being broadcast). But, there aren't any full-time Italian stations in your area, and we don't provide anything that will allow you to enjoy your local broadcaster in Italian ... yet! (By the way ... if you live in North Bay, a TV station in Rouyn isn't what we call "local"
Q8: My TV screen is small. Does your system have a control to make the picture bigger?
Answer: That's one of the more interesting questions we've had. First, our OTA systems provide any way for you to enlarge the picture on your TV. However, newer wide-screen TV's frequently have a built-in ZOOM feature, so you CAN make the center part of the image bigger. Use your remote control for your wide-screen TV and use the MENU choice to search for PICTURE or DISPLAY for that option, or consult the manual for your TV.
Q9: How long does the installation take?
ANSWER: Once you provide us with the address where you want us to install, we employ satellite imagery to determine whether you're a suitable OTA candidate. (Nothing to do with your personality! Just your location! Ha!) Some locations may have obstructions in the way, and some are too far away. If you ARE a suitable candidate, we'll determine what equipment you may require as a minimum. The further away you are from the transmitter(s), the more powerful the equipment we need to install. We've been successful in getting sufficient signals even from a weak transmitter more than 100 km away, but these conditions aren't common. If you draw an arc that joins Pickering, Markham, Brampton, and Oakville on a map of the GTA, our experience is that most people on the Toronto side of that arc are reasonable candidates for OTA reception. For Toronto-only stations (for example), an installation should take about 90 minutes. For Toronto AND Buffalo/ Niagara/ Hamilton station reception, the installation might take 2 hrs. For other reception targets, we'll have to advise you an a case-by-case basis. As you can see, there is a lot of expertise that's required for EACH installation, so times can vary.
Q10: Do I need one of those big TV towers or something like that in my yard?
ANSWER: Good question. If you live in a house, and you already have a TV antenna tower, great! If you want to climb it and install the antenna, even better. We aren't allowed to climb higher than 6 ft above ground, so if you can't climb, the tower won't help, unless we call in our "contract installers". If you have a multi-story house, your attic is an easy (although not ideal) substitute for a tower. If you live in an apartment, especially on a higher floor, your balcony is your tower. If you don't have a balcony (or your balcony faces north), the results are highly variable.
Q11: Does this installation disconnect anything that's already plugged in to my TV or home entertainment system?
ANSWER; Ninety-nine percent of the time, NO. But you WILL have to provide us with clear access to the connectors on the back of your TV set. If we need to change or disconnect anything, we'll get your permission first.
Q12: Can I get support if I have a problem using your system after it gets installed?
ANSWER: Of course! We warranty our installations against defects in material and workmanship. But just to be clear, disconnecting cables, moving devices, water damage to electrified components, and breaking components by mechanical force, fire, lightning, or abuse AREN'T defects in material or workmanship. We'll still repair items you accidentally break, but they aren't covered by any warranty.
Q13: I have a very high quality, very expensive big-screen TV. Is your system going to cause damage to my TV, or harm it in any way?
ANSWER: HA! Well, OUR equipment won't damage your TV ... but you might "wear it out" a lot sooner! You'll probably find that you'll be watching a LOT more TV than before (and getting a lot more enjoyment out of it). Or, you might just prefer to look at it as getting 20 years of entertainment out of your TV, in just 10 years! Other than that, our hardware conforms to the same display standards as the people who make big-screen TVs, DVD players, etc.
Q14: My "big-screen TV" is actually only a puny little 24" wide-screen TV. Will it still work with your system?
ANSWER: Of course! If you have any of the wide-screen TV's (Plasma, LCD, LED) or TV projectors or rear-screen TV projectors made since the late 1990's, it would be very rare that we wouldn't be able to install one of our digital systems to work with your display. For our OTA (Over The Air) system installations, the requirements are quite different. You'll need a display with a built-in (or external) ATSC tuner, so it can tune in all those new digital channels you'll be able to receive. Any video display with NO tuner is called a "monitor", and any video display WITH a tuner is called a "receiver". If you have a "monitor" for your OTA system, we can add an external tuner, but you won't be happy about the cost! Today, you can buy a small HDTV with the tuner built in, for the same cost as the outboard tuner alone!
Q15: What's the difference between one of these OTA systems you install, and one of your Digital systems?
ANSWER: Good question! Digital and OTA systems are completely different products. OTA systems are designed for people who live in large metropolitan areas and their immediate suburbs (like the GTA). Our OTA systems allow customers to view locally-transmitted signals without having to pay any monthly cable bill. Our OTA systems provide monthly TV viewing for FREE. OTA systems don't have that same great value in smaller centers (such as Sudbury, or North Bay, or Orillia) though, because there aren't many local channels to watch. (We can still install an OTA system even if there's only 1 channel to watch). In contrast, the digital systems we install are designed to provide content from all over the world, not just your local environment. If you live in Toronto, you could choose either system. The OTA is cheaper, but the Digital system provide much more content. If you live in North Bay, the OTA system has very little value, because there are few local stations to watch. That's where the Digital system has all of the benefits. Neither system requires any monthly payments. You buy it, we install it, and that's it. Regardless of what you watch, there are no more fees. That's why both types of systems are so much more attractive than cable or satellite. By the way, if you're set on watching some really special ethnic satellite channel that's on a satellite channel that's not encrypted, we can also install the appropriate satellite dish for you. We've been working with TV satellite reception since 1980. We have experience.
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