For the past few months or so, I've been using Locast, which streams local TV channels online. Locast is (or, was?) a non-profit service, so it could be used for free, but they took donations. I thought Locast was pretty cool, because I don't have cable TV or any premium TV service, and although I can get local TV over the air, sometimes my over-the-air reception isn't good for some channels. With Locast, I was able to watch all local TV channels without any reception issues, for cheap.

I guess Locast has been the target of a lawsuit recently. Locast sent a notification a couple days ago that there was a court ruling that said they couldn't request donations anymore. I think it may have had something to do with the fact that Locast had a 'free' tier where it would interrupt the stream asking for donations, and people who had donated didn't get interruptions.

https://bit.ly/3DGS6Us
Full article link: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/broadcasters-score-big -legal-win-against-locast-a-popular-app-streaming-network-tv-1235006305/

I feel like this is a bummer. I'm a bit of a cord cutter (I've never had my own cable or premium TV service), as I feel like I don't watch enough TV to feel like it's worth paying for premium TV, though I like watching local news & game shows etc..

Nightfox

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Re: Locast suspends operations
By: Nightfox to All on Thu Sep 02 2021 09:28 am

I feel like this is a bummer. I'm a bit of a cord cutter (I've never had my own cable or premium TV service), as I feel like I don't watch enough TV to feel like it's worth paying for premium TV, though I like watching local news & game shows etc..

looks like they are done. that's too bad.

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Re: Locast suspends operations
By: MRO to Nightfox on Thu Sep 02 2021 01:56 pm

looks like they are done. that's too bad.

Yeah, I'm back to relying on my over-the-air antenna again, and sometimes the signal strength starts to lessen or a channel sometimes doesn't come in at all, which is annoying. Locast was a great way to be able to watch local channels easily, without getting a premium TV service.

Nightfox

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Re: Locast suspends operations
By: Nightfox to All on Thu Sep 02 2021 09:28 am

For the past few months or so, I've been using Locast, which streams local TV channels online. Locast is (or, was?) a non-profit service, so it could reception isn't good for some channels. With Locast, I was able to watch all local TV channels without any reception issues, for cheap.

I've been using Locast for over a year now. It sucks they shut down. A judge didn't agree with their "Philosophy" which was we are a non-prophet so it's OK to take "Donations". I knew what they were doing was too good to be true. Everyone would be doing it if they could. Any way it was good why it lasted. I can't see paying $64 per month to get my local channels using sling or hulu. I'm pricing out antennas as I'm typing this. Anyone have a recommendation on a good indoor antenna? I'm 40 miles from NYC and most networks transmit from the Empire State building or the Tower.

|03 HusTler
Havens BBS
havens.synchro.net

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Re: Locast suspends operations
By: HusTler to Nightfox on Sat Sep 04 2021 03:18 pm

I've been using Locast for over a year now. It sucks they shut down. A judge didn't agree with their "Philosophy" which was we are a non-prophet

*profit

so it's OK to take "Donations". I knew what they were doing was too good to be true. Everyone would be doing it if they could. Any way it was good why it lasted. I can't see paying $64 per month to get my local channels using sling or hulu. I'm pricing out antennas as I'm typing this. Anyone have a recommendation on a good indoor antenna? I'm 40 miles from NYC and most networks transmit from the Empire State building or the Tower.

TV antennas seem fairly hit and miss. One that works well for someone might not work very well for someone else. It seems to depend on location, where you're able to place the antenna, and things between the antenna and the stations' transmitting antennas.

Years ago I bought one of these antennas, and it seemed to work relatively well, though still reception for some channels went in & out sometimes:
https://www.terk.com/indoor-antennas/?sku=LOGTVAZ

More recently, after I moved, I bought one of these, which seems to work alright, though where I'm at, some stations don't come in well:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NQ46FHR/

The other day, I ordered one of these, and I'm hoping it will work better for me:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09BN61J67/

Nightfox

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Hello Nightfox!

** On Saturday 04.09.21 - 13:33, Nightfox wrote to HusTler:

Years ago I bought one of these antennas, and it seemed to
work relatively well, though still reception for some
channels went in & out sometimes: https://www.terk.com/ indoor-antennas/?sku=LOGTVAZ

More recently, after I moved, I bought one of these, which
seems to work alright, though where I'm at, some stations
don't come in well: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
B07NQ46FHR/

The other day, I ordered one of these, and I'm hoping it
will work better for me: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
B09BN61J67/

Wow.. you've gone through the whole gamut of antennas, except
for trying an outdoor one. Hope the later one works for you,
but that one seems pretty small. I understand how the Terk
model works, but I don't understand how the latter one can
isolate the channel frequencies in such a small and "flat"
square area.


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Hello Nightfox!

** On Saturday 04.09.21 - 13:33, Nightfox wrote to HusTler:

The other day, I ordered one of these, and I'm hoping it will work better for me: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09BN61J67/

Any progress?


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Re: Locast suspends operations
By: Ogg to Nightfox on Mon Sep 13 2021 10:19 pm

The other day, I ordered one of these, and I'm hoping it will work
better for me: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09BN61J67/

Any progress?

The new antenna I ordered hasn't arrived yet.. Amazon originally said it was supposed to arrive last Tuesday, but then they said the arrival date was updated and now it says it should arrive this Thursday.

Nightfox

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Hello Nightfox!

** On Tuesday 14.09.21 - 08:41, Nightfox wrote to Ogg:

The other day, I ordered one of these, and I'm hoping it
will work better for me: https://www.amazon.com/gp/
product/B09BN61J67/

The new antenna I ordered hasn't arrived yet.. Amazon
originally said it was supposed to arrive last Tuesday, but
then they said the arrival date was updated and now it says
it should arrive this Thursday.

How did it go?


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Re: Locast suspends operations
By: Ogg to Nightfox on Thu Oct 28 2021 07:41 pm

The other day, I ordered one of these, and I'm hoping it
will work better for me: https://www.amazon.com/gp/
product/B09BN61J67/

The new antenna I ordered hasn't arrived yet.. Amazon
originally said it was supposed to arrive last Tuesday, but
then they said the arrival date was updated and now it says
it should arrive this Thursday.

How did it go?

That URL links to a different item on Amazon now, but if it's the antenna I'm thinking of, it's working fairly well for me. I found that the one I bought only was for UHF though, but they have a VHF antenna add-on that I bought for it. Overall it seems to be working well, and actually may be overkill for where I am.

Nightfox

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Hello Nightfox!

** On Thursday 28.10.21 - 22:06, Nightfox wrote to Ogg:

I'm thinking of, it's working fairly well for me. I found
that the one I bought only was for UHF though, but they
have a VHF antenna add-on that I bought for it.

The digital progs are on UHF, so I suppose you're needing the
VHF for FM radio? I'm glad that radio hasn't gone totally
digital.

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Re: Locast suspends operations
By: Ogg to Nightfox on Fri Oct 29 2021 08:13 am

I'm thinking of, it's working fairly well for me. I found
that the one I bought only was for UHF though, but they
have a VHF antenna add-on that I bought for it.

The digital progs are on UHF, so I suppose you're needing the
VHF for FM radio? I'm glad that radio hasn't gone totally
digital.

No, actually, there's at least one TV station in my area broadcasting on a VHF frequency.

Nightfox

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The digital progs are on UHF, so I suppose you're needing the
VHF for FM radio? I'm glad that radio hasn't gone totally
digital.

No, actually, there's at least one TV station in my area broadcasting on a VHF >requency.

We have ones whose signal "maps" to a former VHF frequency number (i.e. 3
and 11) but, if you look them up, the "real" signal is actually UHF now.
There is something about digital that allows the stations to "fake" their frequency so that they can keep their old station number while transmitting
a signal on a different frequency.

Originally, that was what allowed them to broadcast in analog and digital before the complete changeover deadline. Once the changeover happened,
some of the UHF stations moved their digital broadcasts to their old UHF
analog number, but most of the former VHF stations stayed on the UHF band.


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Re: Locast suspends operation
By: Dumas Walker to NIGHTFOX on Sat Oct 30 2021 10:43 am

No, actually, there's at least one TV station in my area broadcasting
on a VHF requency.

We have ones whose signal "maps" to a former VHF frequency number (i.e. 3 and 11) but, if you look them up, the "real" signal is actually UHF now. There is something about digital that allows the stations to "fake" their frequency so that they can keep their old station number while transmitting a signal on a different frequency.

I looked up their channel information online, and according to the intertubes, they're actually broadcasting on a VHF frequency.

Nightfox

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Re: Locast suspends operation
By: Nightfox to Dumas Walker on Sat Oct 30 2021 11:21 am

We have ones whose signal "maps" to a former VHF frequency number (i.e. 3 and 11) but, if you look them up, the "real" signal is actually UHF now. There is something about digital that allows the stations to "fake" their frequency so that they can keep their old station number while transmitting a signal on a different frequency.

I looked up their channel information online, and according to the intertubes, they're actually broadcasting on a VHF frequency.

here is a website for transmitter locations

https://www.antennasdirect.com/transmitter-locator.html

i have a lot over by me but i dont feel like messing with antennas.

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We have ones whose signal "maps" to a former VHF frequency number (i.e. 3
and 11) but, if you look them up, the "real" signal is actually UHF now. There is something about digital that allows the stations to "fake" their
frequency so that they can keep their old station number while transmitting a signal on a different frequency.

I looked up their channel information online, and according to the intertubes,
hey're actually broadcasting on a VHF frequency.

Interesting!


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