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Here are the main trade-offs when it comes to OTA TV:
For most people, OTA offers some channels that cable/satellite/fiber does not offer (some local stations and most sub-channels are usually missing from the pay TV services) and vice versa (you won't get subscription-only channels like HBO, ESPN, Discovery, etc. via OTA).
OTA service is pretty much a one-time cost, while subscription TV has a monthly recurring cost. Most subscription TV services add up to thousands of dollars over the course of a few years.
The picture quality can be better on OTA channels than on the subscription TV services. That's because the pay TV services usually have to be more aggressive about video compression to pack hundreds of channels into their limited pipe (they often have hundreds of channels when you count all the pay-per-view, video on demand, and other services that eat up their capacity). The difference in quality varies from one channel to the next and from location-to-location, so this may or may not be a difference big enough to matter to you.
Most of the major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS) are actually content providers/producers. They actually spend money making many of the shows that people like to watch (e.g., "Lost", "24", talk shows, dramas, sit coms, game shows, documentaries, etc.). If you look at TV viewing patterns you will find that these networks and the local content providers (e.g., news, sports, community programming, etc.) account for at least about half of the time that people spend watching television. Subscription TV also has a lot of good shows that people love to watch, but they are not free.
The number of broadcast networks has grown significantly since the early days of broadcast television. In some places you may have access to more networks than just the five major ones listed above (e.g., CW, MyNetworkTV, ThisTV, ION, Qubo, Universal Sports, and many more). What you get depends largely on where you live.
One down side about OTA TV is that it does depend on your location and type of antenna installation you have. Not everyone has access to all the channels they want. Many people also choose pay TV because they are not comfortable with or do not know how to deal with antenna setup. The pay TV providers take care of all the installation details for you. For OTA TV, you're on your own (well, actually, TV Fool and many other resources are here for you).
The internet (e.g., Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon) and DVD-by-mail (e.g., Netflix, Blockbuster) services can provide low cost alternatives when OTA programming is not enough. Many TVs, DVRs, and other set-top boxes are increasingly connected devices capable of displaying content from an ever-increasing list of sources.
It's a personal choice whether or not you choose to get pay TV. Even if someone chooses to keep their pay TV service, it might not be a bad idea to use OTA to augment that setup. It might serve as a backup in case the cable/satellite/fiber goes out. For some people, it might double as a source of emergency news/information. It might provide some additional content that your pay TV service was not offering.
Last edited by mtownsend; 9-Sep-2010 at 2:00 AM.
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