Is this for real? https://www.tech-insider24.com/tv-devices/livewave-ad-s.php https://www.getlivewaveantenna.com/en/ I don't see how it could work.
In Oz our TVs have built in digital receivers and here where I live I just use a UHF TV antenna. Not so in the US?
But that’s not all!! Act now and get TWO for only $19.95 that’s right you aren’t hearing things only $19.95 today only!!
That is NOT what is happening. Nothing in those articles say anything about "free cable". Yes, it is the same here - at least for all TVs made in recent years. I think it is important to clarify a few things. That Livewire antenna is not talking about Krusty's OTA (over the air) TV to receive your local TV channels for free. OTA broadcasts of local stations is a requirement (in the US) so those with no cable TV (by choice or necessity) can receive programming from the local affiliates (like ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC) for free. All we need is a newer TV and antenna. If you look at Rainwalker's second link, it clearly says, Get FREE local HD Channels - note the "local" part. And if you look, just to illustrate, at my local Omaha, Nebraska area, we can already get free CBS, NBC, ABC, CW, PBS & FOX in HD from our "local" network affiliates with a standard digital antenna you can find at Walmart or Best Buy then stick in your window (assuming you live close enough to the broadcast stations). So nothing new there. In the olden days of analog TV, we used "rabbit ears" to pick our local stations for free. Today with digital TV, we use those digital antennas. Same difference. Also it must be noted your cable (or DSL) TV providers get many of their channel signals from the big national/international networks (like HBO, CNN, ESPN, MTV, Niclelodeon, etc) via satellite too. Your local Cox, Time Warner, etc. cable providers have local "ground entry points" - ground satellite antenna terminals they use to pick up all the national cable channels. Your cable provider then dumps those channels onto their local cable network for distribution out to our homes. It is those satellite signals this Livewire antenna picks up. But it smells fishy. Picking up those satellite channels with an antenna is the easy part. You can even easily make your own antenna. This is because the satellites simply blanket the Earth underneath with the full RF bands for TV signals. That is, the satellites are not sending a pinpoint "beam" only to each subscriber. The RF signals are bombarding everyone on Earth sitting under that satellite out in space. The problem is, these signals (at least for the premium channels) are typically scrambled (encrypted) either for copy protection by the studios so they can pay their cast and crew, or just to prevent users from stealing services. That's why we need a cable box. The Livewire antenna can NOT descramble those signals. So that really is just a marketing scam... err... campaign for that fancy looking antenna. No doubt many of the signals from space are transmitted "in the clear" (not scrambled/encrypted). But it is likely you could get them through your local affiliates already. But you are not going to be able to watch Game of Thrones on HBO, or Doctor Who on BBC America through it. See satellite TV antenna for free channels. If you read just one link, make it the "HOWTO: Get Free Satellite TV - Ask Bob Rankin" link.
Thought that looked a bit fishy. OTA cord cutter myself and while the local affiliates recently have added some Classic movies! those are still tied in with the local market TV stations. Now FREE satellite, as @Bill_Bright makes mention those signals to my knowledge are specially encrypted. How else could the Satellite/Cable Companies sell subscriptions, right? I'm a far cry from a nearest transmitting tower for OTA such as 45-55miles out so it required picking up not an el cheapo Walmart antenna but the likes of Antenna's Direct Clearstream-Db8e to name a couple. The markets for these products are seeing a recent upsurge since the technology is improved a bit in that area. I would be cautious when someone offers free satellite though-I just don't see how that's possible without a tie-in to those Cable/Sat companies in some form.
I'm just guessing here, but there are probably at least two sorts of these satellite signals. Some are from the satellites that DIRECTV etc operate. And I'm sure that those are encrypted. But maybe not the intermediate satellite feeds. Maybe because those use different frequencies or whatever. Or at least, maybe some of those are accessible. Reminds me of "Videodrome"
