I have 3 tv sets in my home. The one in the living room has cable. The other two do not. They are the old rabbit-ears antenna kind and I just get the usual network channels.
If at some point I want or need to replace the old sets but not add cable to them, is it still possible since the new sets don't come with antennas? I have an old Zenith in my bedroom (that still has the dial channel changer) and if it conks out on me at some point, I'm wondering if I'd still be able to have a tv in there since today's models are quite different now. I wouldn't want to get a new one and find out I couldn't view it cuz I don't have the hook-up for it.

It used to be that cable cost more per tv, but most places it doesn't now, sometimes about $25 for them to install cable in the new rooms.

Yeah, if that's the reason for not getting it. I don't think anyone charges for multiple hookups these days. They will often charge for additional drops, but sometimes you can even get them free if you are a long-standing customer or can catch a special going on. Just ask them. If they know you're going to back out because of the cost, they may quickly agree to reduce the cost or even forgo the cost altogether, depending on who you talk to and how helpful they want to be.

If you still want to continue with an antennae, go to RadioShack and either get a cable converter or a new antennae that uses the cable jack to plug into.

We have a newer tv set in our bedroom, which didn't have cable until last month. We bought a $15.00 cable antenna from radio shack when we moved into the apartment. Only about 4 or 5 channels came in decent enough to watch, and ony 3 of them were clear with no static.

My husband was against getting cable, thinking it would be too expensive or the landlord wouldn't let us. Finally, I got tired of arguing over the tv, and we talked to the landlord. He was fine with it as long as the cable installer went through the floor instead of throught the walls, and as it turns out instalation was $9.99 (less than the stupid antenna).

Another thing to remember if you're getting one of those new whiz-bang LCD slim TV's... Some of them are simply a monitor you MUST hook up a cable box to, rather than just the cable coming out of the wall..

My wife and I were shopping for a new TV this weekend and had no idea it had all gotten so complicated.

I would bit the bullet and just get the extra hookups, if the price is right.. But then again, I'm a guy, so that should speak for itself..

If for some reason you can't install cable in your bedroom and just want the basic channels, you can buy newer antennas that will connect to the new tvs.

There are definitely newer antennas. DH and I got rid of cable last year and we went out and bought an HDTV antenna. It works fine but we really don't use it much at all since we only watch DVDs. I'm getting ready to buy a second tv for our exercise room, which I don't plan to buy an antenna for but I might in the future.

Keep in mind that the new FCC regulations took effect at the beginning of March 2007 so now all TVs made after March first have to have digital tuner cards built into them. You might want to wait until nearer the end of the year to get a TV with the turner card built in since all TV must now broadcast in Digital instead of Analog. That way you won't have to buy a supplementary digital box for a pre-March 2007 manufactured TV.