Some of us remember the “old days” when homes and apartments had skinny poles sitting on the roofs with even skinner aluminum or chrome-colored arms sticking out in all directions, wavering in the wind.
But, along came cable. Antennas came down.
Now, many are going back up – at least in the Quad Cities area.
That’s according to James Todd, founder and owner of Arizona TV Worx, a Prescott-based business that specializes in digital TV antenna installation, home theater installation, home audio and electronic repair, and vintage electronic equipment repair.
Todd said in the past five years, he has installed well over 600 of the highest gain antennas.
The question Todd gets asked the most is, “What’s the cost for an antenna?”
His answer: “Installed and hooked up to the TVs in the house, $500 – out the door, with no monthly fees for the antenna. It belongs to the buyer.”
Another question. “How long does it take to install an antenna”?
Todd’s answer? “If it’s a routine installation, I usually can have the antenna up and TVs working in about three hours.”
Worth noting is that the quality of a TV image is dependent on the number of pixels, 720 or 1080 pixels, the number of lines per square inch. Research shows that if a viewer sits more than 10 feet away from the television screen and the screen is no longer than 50 inches diagonally, most viewers can’t tell the difference in image definition.
Most images delivered via the antenna are high definition.
Todd suggested for those who want sports channels or others not available via antenna, subscriptions to streaming alternatives such as Netflix, Sling TV, Hulu or other combinations are available for a monthly fee. He offers to provide details and assist with initiating the subscription.
Todd has been in the electronics business since his teens. He opened his business almost 14 years ago in Prescott and told the Quad Cities Business News that for the past few years, he has been buried in new business. “Electronic technology, especially improved transmission of TV signals from major stations, has improved to the point that viewers can get better images with a high gain antenna than were ever possible before.”
Before opening his store in the Quad Cities area, Todd owned a television sales and repair shop in Show Low. Before that, he learned about electronics at DeVry University in Phoenix and then spent several years working for major electronic technology firms before he decided to start his own business.
He explained the new high gain antennas provide high definition television reception in most of the greater Prescott area. “Generally, antennas must be in almost line-of-sight from the TV signal repeaters. Repeaters are on Mingus Mountain – Mount Francis. Another is on Mormon Mountain in Flagstaff. If a location is blocked geographically from those signals, then an antenna will not work. I can usually tell almost immediately when people call me, if they tell me their neighborhood, whether an antenna will deliver the signal they need.”
The lanky, sun-tanned Todd sells and installs antennas that are inconspicuous in comparison to ones from 35 or 40 years ago. Only 40” X 32” in size, they are smaller than many “smart” TVs. Further, depending on wiring within a home, multiple TV sets can be linked to them at no extra cost.
Explaining why he thought antennas were gaining popularity, Todd said many viewers were tired of the high costs for other forms of delivery. He also mentioned that consumers were weary of so many commercials and infomercials.
He cited data showing that nationally, people were “cutting the cord” to shift to antennas. In the past year, over-the-air antenna use has gone from 12.3 percent to 12.9 percent – and growing monthly. According to Parks Associates, a market research firm, one-fifth of the households in the U.S. with broadband internet now use an antenna. Closer to home, it’s estimated by Nielsen research in 2017 that 24 percent of viewers in the Phoenix area are now using antennas. Nationally, cable use has dropped from 81 percent to 77 percent.
Todd does say that a disadvantage to antenna use in the region is that fewer channels are available than with other systems. Even so, with the antenna Todd installs, all three major networks – ABC, CBS and NBC – are delivered. So are other popular channels such as KAET public broadcasting, Fox 10, KTVK Arizona Channel 7 and many others. Currently, at least 37 channels are received via antenna in the Prescott area. He said more are likely in the future.
Todd concluded that given the changing viewing habits of the television audiences, especially among younger viewers who have a “wherever, whenever” attitude about the kinds of programs they watch, even bigger and more flexible technological changes are likely in the next few years.
Arizona TV Worx is located at 1450 W. Gurley in Prescott. For more information, contact Todd at jtoddcitilink@gmail.com or 928-445-8442. QCBN
By Ray Newton, QCBN
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