PhotonStopper

The way an antenna should be installed: displayed proudly under clear blue skies.

So far the “cut the cable” experiment has gone pretty well. Special thanks go to the digital television conversion — local broadcasters now transmit HD content but have taken advantage of digital technologies (and new regulations) to add channels.

On the “up” side: we don’t pay high cable fees for gobs of content we never watch. And HD content looks better when it comes straight to your antenna rather than through anyone’s cable system.

On the “down” side: we live in a condominium and reception sucks! We’re only a few miles from the primary TV broadcast towers for this region. Since the condo association forbids exterior antennas, our modern signal-catcher is mounted in the attic. The attic wasn’t too awful except that now the roof over it is carrying about a foot of ice and snow which, it turns out, is pretty effective in blocking TV signals. Formerly sufficient reception is now unreliable and signals that once were strong are now only adequate. {sigh}

Now I’m told FCC regulations say condo associations may not forbid installation of TV antennas outdoors. But the FCC doesn’t live here and they don’t have to deal with the formidable (being polite) woman who rules the board. So we’ll wait for the thaw to return our signal strength. (And wish we had our own single-family house.)

In the mean time we’ve a new favorite program in the wonderful 1960s series Mr. Ed being shown on one of those “secondary” channels. We also enjoy a number of new shows on the big commercial networks and are rediscovering the joys of PBS. Fortunately or not “Downton Abbey” on Masterpiece Classic has us watching every week. Yeah, it’s a high-class soap opera but engrosses us with its characters, acting, story, and amazing sets all shown in glorious HD.

We haven’t yet felt the need to attach a computer to the TV to view content from the Web. She Who Must Be Obeyed does regularly watch some of her favorite shows on her big notebook especially when the TV signal is too weak.

A recent ice storm-related power outage made for an interesting experience. The electricity went out for about two hours one evening. We lit candles, used flashlights, and when the house began to cool we pressed the wood-burning stove into its ultimately practical use. So in our cozy living room by candlelight, She and I fired up our respective notebook computers –She with on online TV show, me with my Web and Twitter activities– and spent an enjoyable evening. Er, computers and Internet when the power’s out? Easy… the notebooks ran on their own high-capacity internal batteries and our wireless Internet router was running on its big external “UPS” battery.

What an odd thing… sitting there in our living room in a darkened neighborhood using technologies colonial settlers would recognize and use –candles for light and wood stove for heat– alongside our 21st century wireless Internet with its movies, email, and global instant messages! Yeah, they’d have burned us at the stake!