They were long thought to be a thing of the past, but rooftop antennas are making a comeback thanks to high cable and satellite prices and online programming options.
Four decades ago almost every rooftop had a television antenna. Televisions even came with indoor rabbit ears to make sure the signal was there -- piping entertainment, news and sports directly to your home. Then came cable, and after that satellite, and the antennas all but disappeared from our world. That is, until recently.
Ron Season, of Calabasas, California says he's tried cable and satellite, and was paying thousands of dollars a year for the services. With internet services streaming what he wants to watch, Season decided to scale his satellite subscription way back and went back to the old, reliable rooftop antenna. Except these days, it's digital and high definition and cheap. "Now I'm down to about $87 a month," Season said.
The hardware is cheap, too, with some dealers selling the antennas for $60 to $100. Those dealers say their phones ring off the hook whenever the big entertainment companies like Comcast, Disney and NBC announce new services online.
That doesn't necessarily mean the end of satellite and cable though. Before you say goodbye to cable and satellite, keep in mind the FCC said 90 percent of consumers still get television from those sources. But people are always looking for ways to save money.
Would you ditch cable and satellite for an old fashioned antenna? What are you viewing habits like these days? Do you think this is the wave of the future? Leave your thoughts below.
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Information courtesy of NBC News.
