DIRECTV dropping OANN?

@LindyK -

If you're looking for a proper sports package I'd check out ESPN or something. If you live in the area, odds are the local broadcaster carry most games, and for that you can just swing by Wal Mart and get a $30 digital antenna, if you haven't done that yet, DO IT, you'll be stunned. I remember a day when TV was free anyway, but broadcast TV had its limitations. Not any more, all broadcast is digital and the picture quality is unmistakable from the best high def cable or streaming picture, it's stunning, and it's FREE FREE FREE and the quantity of local broadcasting stations may pleasantly surprise you - I'm getting several dozen in the local DC area and that includes a bunch of channels I thought were only on cable - not at all, it's amazing.

Seriously - whatever you do, add a digital antenna to your TV, you will not be sorry, and you'll never pay a dime for it after the one-time antenna purchase.

The days are OVER for paying hundreds per month for TV. Utterly idiotic. 

Digital antennas - one more thing - if you're thinking "rabbit ears" or some giant thing on your roof - dispel that notion, I have two digital antennas and both are the size of a magazine and stand unobtrusively on the mantle next to the TVs, you don't even notice them. 

@Juniper posted "At this point I see that neither @SOH nor @ElmerFudd79 can participate in a discussion like an adult ... the constant schoolyard type of verbal attacks only belittles their position ..."

What? I am the one who THANKED you, I think you have me confused with someone else. I know that as the spokesperson for DirecTV you are juggling a lot, so I can see where it might be an honest mistake. I was thanking you for emphasizing several times that DirectTV had already made up its mind and those of us who want OAN should go somewhere else - as I cited in my post on - what - page 60 maybe - of your many, many, many posts from earlier. 

@SOH 

Thank you!

@Lindyk

As SOH highlighted, there is nothing to lose trying a cheap indoor antenna and if it does not work, easy return.   

There is a great website to see what channels are available in your area (https://www.antennaweb.org ).  I was astonished how much there was in my area in 4K.  The wife an I are not looking into having an antenna installed on the roof given our townhome has aluminum siding and brick which is not very indoor antenna friendly. 

-Mike 

why is OAN getting canceled? 

@ElmerFudd79 - regarding antennas - every geographic region is a bit different, I would try it anyway. After I installed my digital antenna I was so amazed I told friends and installed a few for them as well.

Each I used was flat plastic squarish thing, thin and light, and roughly the size of an iPad or a magazine, but very thin and very light. They come ready to position easily in one of a few ways: you can prop it up like a photo frame on a desktop, or you can easily hang it on a wall with one of those cheap 3m "Command" hanging strips, know what I mean? Those 3M things are just a couple of bucks and are common at pharmacies or grocery stores, definitely the hardware stores. But while we could use those, I didn't - I "installed" by just plugging into the TV and then propped up the digital antenna like a photo frame, easy peasy and voila, instant free access to high def channels, about 60 in one area, about 45 in another. All the local channels, so local news, local sports.  Plus a surprising number of channels I assumed were only on cable - Newsmax, Cozi, etc. In DC we have a PBS affiliate that runs extra stations in broadcast, one of which is UK variant that is all the Britcoms and such, all the time, all digital high def broadcast so its all free.

UPDATE: I just cancelled my DirecTV service, effective in another week. I guess I might have access here until then.

But kudos to DirecTV, they made the cancellation process relatively easy:

• I logged into my account
• I clicked "Manage My Subscription"
• There I found a link to "Cancel My Subscription"
• That led me to a chat room in which a guy came on within about 20 seconds
• He just asked to confirm my email address and contact info
• After another minute he gave me a confirmation number and I made a note of it
• That was it!

He didn't even ask the reason. I provided it anyway - citing the planned intention to drop OAN - but he didn't really seem to care.

My TV is already set up with Roku and my new combination of streaming services.

I might hang out here as long as I'm able but I've set the wheels in motion, so I could get kicked out at any moment.  Before that happens let me just say thank you to everyone here - and @Juniper that includes you as well! I do appreciate the insight and help you provided, were it not for you I wouldn't have cancelled yet, but am already enjoying the broader channel selection, keeping my OAN, and saving money - all at the same time! Thank you!

Good luck to everyone!

@SOH 

Agree.  For most, I think the antenna your talking about will work great.  Unfortunately, not so for our entertainment room in the basement where the TV is mounted on a thick ledger stone wall with a lot of metal holding up the stone, then aluminum siding on the exterior of the home above the TV, with a large deck mounted just above the location.  It’s an uncommon building material issue.  

For 95%+, the cheap indoor antenna will work just fine.  

https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/best-tv-antenna/ 

we live in metro DC area as well… good to know about channels like Newsmax available via RF. 

@ElmerFudd79 -

I see what you mean. You never know ... but I get it!

Thanks for your great posts, I greatly have appreciated and enjoyed them! Good luck!

- Steve

HEY I just got a new badge!

One thing I wanted to mention here. @Juniper is the reason I personally decided to go ahead and cancel. But I have a family and needed to get them on board.

We all watched - as a family - a recent rally live on R S B N in which our former President, speaking live, addressed this ATT / DirecTV decision, and asked everyone to boycott over it. THAT convinced my family. They were Ok with it before, but once our former prez made that announcement, the rest of family went from "supportive" to "leading the charge", and asking daily - when are we going to drop ATT / DirecTV?  When I began to convert to the new system, they were all enthusiastic to use it, and tell me daily they weren't using the ATT / DirecTV app any more, so can we drop it? Is it dropped yet?

So @Juniper sold me by repeatedly posting how I should just go if I cared about OAN, which I do.

But our former president's request ultimately moved it along as far as my family is concerned, and made it easy!

I just saw someone say in another discussion thread that you can get OAN at no charge from P L U T O T V.  But that isn't live OAN, it is something of a "best of" from recent broadcasts.

A GENERAL OBSERVATION.

I think the cable TV providers and major all-channel streamers don't think their industry has a future.  Streaming providers are easy to start and they are popping up everywhere, offering lower and lower prices. 

When I cancelled today with DirecTV they didn't even try to talk me out of it. They didn't even ask the reason. They just said ok, thanks, here's your confirmation number, see ya.

The Wall Street Journal recently published a piece reporting that even Disney is having trouble hanging on to customers to their streaming service, and they are a leading content provider.

I suspect the telecoms are exiting the cable TV / streaming services and are focusing solely on providing broadbrand and mobile services. I don't think they care about the content delivery any more.

@Juniper (or @Juniper, it appears there are two of you) - seriously - what do you think?