Patrick Lew's love for television. The story behind the rock musician who happens to be a TV lover.

Of course all of you guys know I play guitar, sing and write my own music in a one man band Heavy Sigma. It's your atypical hard rock band and I upload my original music on the social-media. But for those who also didn't know, I'm an enthusiast of television. Particularly, the technology of TV and using the medium as a window to the world and escaping the hardships of reality.

My love for television started as early as the day I was born and stepped into the world. At the time, I didn't subscribe to cable. My parents weren't financially stable enough yet to pay for television before Kindergarden, until my mom finally landed a full-time job at a Holiday Inn here in San Francisco. At the time, we had a mid 70's Mitsubishi CRT TV set in our living room which had only about 13 channels (from channels 2 to 13). This was long before over-the-air television went digital in America, and we were using rabbit ears on top of our television set. The signal wasn't always the best. We had to mess around with the antenna sometimes to get a clear reception on our channels. If the signal wasn't clear, our picture and sound on our TV would start ghosting and having a lot of static noise.

In the 80's, I mostly watched the primetime programming that ABC, FOX, CBS and NBC had to offer. My mom, my older brother and I would tune into a bone chilling suspenseful new episode of 21 Jump Street. On Thursday nights while my father was home from work, we'd tune into Unsolved Mysteries (which scared the bejeezus out of me!) and I would wake up Saturday mornings every week to watch the latest cartoons eating multiple bowls of Corn Pops cereal.

People don't know too much about this known fact about why Americans started subscribing to cable and paying for television in the 70's and 80's. It wasn't because of the "niche" channels like ESPN, HBO, Nickelodeon, MTV and CNN believe it or not. It was because at the time, cable TV gave us the best picture and sound on our television sets and it was the only way we could get a clear signal from the broadcast networks like ABC, CBS and NBC. Around the time I started Kindergarden in 1990, my father purchased a 32 inch Sony Trinitron, which became our living room TV set. That CRT console was huge! My current 32 inch Sharp HDTV set in my bedroom weighs only 15 lbs which is a huge difference compared to that early 90's Sony TV that weighed 250 lbs at least. But around that time, my mother started working and we called the cable guy at Comcast and hooked up our service at our home. This was before high-speed Internet services, and in 1990 or 1991, our cable bill every month was like $24.99 a month if I can remember correctly. At the time, cable wasn't as expensive like is today in the year of 2015 where my parents pay $140 every month.

But once we got cable at our home, I got the experience to enjoy the type of television programming that most people from my generation grew up enjoying. Nickelodeon began putting out their original live-action shows and cartoons during the early 90's, and I grew up escaping from the hardships of elementary school and the death of my grandfather watching shows like Doug, Rugrats and Clarissa Explains It All. I always loved rock music and I'm a very musically inclined person, so I got to watch the latest rock bands and their hit videos like Guns N' Roses, Metallica and Nirvana on MTV. Back when during a time when MTV wasn't about pregnant teens and trashy reality TV. I still kept up with the programming on broadcast networks, like watching family-friendly sitcoms like Full House and Family Matters on ABC. At the time in 1991 with a subscription to Comcast cable services, we had about 54 channels on our lineup in San Francisco. The childhood friends I grew up with who didn't pay for television and were still using rabbit ears basically had their major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX), PBS and maybe a few independent stations. Unlike today in San Francisco where you can get 52 over-the-air TV channels using a well designed television antenna and pay for 300+ channels on a cable package with Comcast. Back then, we didn't have as many channels. But the quality of television programming was simple, straight-forward yet very creative and entertaining. Even educational at the same time.

As some of you know, I didn't have a very easy time growing up. I didn't have a lot of friends in school, I had to deal with a lot of crappy people where ever I went and the situation me and my family were in was very tough. If it weren't for rock and roll music and television, I wouldn't have something I can turn to as a source of comfort. I used television as a way of dealing and coping with hardships I would later face in my life. When DJ Tanner on Full House had to find ways to deal with bullies, gossip and high school crushes, those were things I could relate to emotionally. Whenever MTV played the latest hit video from Blink 182 where the guys were running naked on the streets with that rocking music playing in the background, I fell in love with the music and it became the soundtrack to being 13 years old, angry, rebellious and trying to find your niche in society. I played guitar in a few local bands, and found my calling in life by being this so-called rock musician. But I was interested to know more about the greatest technology that came from the 20th century.

Almost everyone in the world knows who invented the iPhone, but sadly most people in this world doesn't know who actually invented television. When I went to school, they never taught us anything like that in history class except for the wars we fought and the dead guys who used to be our President. Television (or the first working TV set) was invented almost 90 years ago by an inventor by the name of Philo Farnsworth. Bu the man who commercialized television and made it what is today was the CEO of RCA Electronics, David Sarnoff, who was actually the Steve Jobs of his time. We've came a long way since. The technology itself hasn't changed much in a long period since color TV was invented in 1954. Other than a few things like pay TV service, VCRs, DVD players, video game consoles and television sets going from having mono to stereo sound. There hasn't been much of a significant change in TV between the invention of color TV in 1954 to digital high-definition television becoming the standard in 2009.

I think television has gotten better than ever. Not just the quality of the programming with shows like Walking Dead and Sons of Anarchy, but most definitely the technology. Since then, the price of a monthly cable bill risen 2.5 times faster than the cost of living in the States. The transition from analog to digital high-def television given us all new ways to enjoy and experience TV like never before. Because the pay TV services like cable and satellite gotten so expensive in recent years, over-the-air television has experienced a resurgence in popularity since the transition from analog to digital. When we think of antennas, we think of those big funky looking antennas on the top of the roof of our house in the 50's and 60's and the rabbit ears that we painfully had to adjust on the top of our TV set to grab a clear signal. Digital television antennas are 10% the mass of the ones your grandparents had, and they're technically more advanced. Instead of just talking about the advancements in television antennas, the quality of over-the-air TV drastically improved as well. Now we have digital sub-channels which means we get more different kinds of programming in our area like sports, kid's shows, women's interest, African American programming, news, weather, throwback TV shows and movies. Plus we get free HD. Did you hear me guys? Free HD picture and sound! Thanks to the Internet, we can now also catch up on our favorite shows and movies from cable on streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes and Hulu. So we don't necessarily need to splurge big money every month for a ton of channels we don't even watch. With a Netflix subscription, I can access movies and the latest cable shows for $8 a month. And I can catch up with my wresting on WWE Network, an online TV channel for passionate wrestling fans.

I think television is just going to get even better. It helped me through hard times. And the beauty of digital TV gave me an easier way to enjoy my favorite shows any time I want whether it's a stressful day after work or just in general. Television is indeed the window to the world. Most of my friends I know are on social-media like Facebook, but I find television to be more empowering, insightful and entertaining than fishing for more likes on my band's Facebook page from people who just don't see you for who you are deep down. TV is my stress relief, my educator and my window to the world.

How does the Patrick Lew Band make their music?

Patrick was just 13 years old when he found out what he wanted to put his passions and interest towards, whether it made him successful or not. He was a pre-teen rebel at the infamous Rooftop Middle School in the city of San Francisco. Life wasn't easy for the de-facto leader of the band growing up. His beloved grandfather passed away when Patrick was aged four, and spent nearly his whole childhood sheltered and isolated from "the in-crowd." When he was just aged 13, he bought his first electric guitar at a mom-and-pop music store, and painstakingly practiced and procastinated when learning how to play the guitar.

While he wasn't particularly skilled as a musician, at least not yet by conventional standards, Patrick was going to Cumberland Church every Sunday in the Chinatown. It was here! Where he met his soon-to-be high school classmate Tommy and struck a close friendship which lasted since day one. The two friends began establishing themselves with aspirations to become professional - or semi-professional yet amateur - musicians and were damn passionate about playing rock & roll music. Regardless what many critics and haters thought of them since day one, never letting those jeers and poor criticism discourage their passion for playing music in garage bands. Tommy and Patrick formed a garage punk duo called Goldenweasel (which eventually became Band of Asians), and it was the tail end of the 90's as the two were about to graduate from 8th grade with diplomas before luxoriously attending Raoul Wallenberg Traditonal High School as freshmen.

Whilst their freshmen years in high school, Napster and mp3 technology was changing the way the music industry and how bands, musicians, any many other things could be heard and distributed. Computers and Internet, while still in its pre-Facebook days, were becoming more affordable for home office usage and digital music software was replacing the 4-track Tascam! While the Internet didn't virally made Patrick Lew a very successful millionaire rock & roll superstar with millions of "likes" or "fans" on Facebook, it did give him and a million other unsigned bands locally an option to get heard. But realizing the oversaturation of the Net of dozens and dozens of unsigned bands putting themselves out there, Lew had a lesson to learn in later years.

The next step meant! Jamming in their garage, playing their music aimlessly to create instrumental and songwriting ideas, fine tuning their musicianship, and everything else. This took quite a long time, as Lew procrastinated and practiced for years on-and-off to consolidate himself as a guitarist, songwriter, and musician. Plowing through a series of unsuccessful garage bands, and battling his own problems in his life before putting it back together.

In 2008, that dream being a successful musician making money, touring and performing in bands across nightclubs and theaters, and being super publicized and making professional studio recordings, were slowly but surely fading. Even though realizing music wasn't going to pay the utility bills, groceries, and the rent, Lew enrolled into a university in Hayward called CSUEB. Resumed his music as mainly a hobby, but cutting any expensive seriousness that would devour time, money, and effort into making a music career work in the long run. He graduated university in June 2011 with a B.A. in Philosophy and Music. Although music was no longer meant for seriousness for a potential career and benefit. It didn't mean he had to quit doing what he loved doing. He had to make music primarily as a hobby, and play guitar with the friends he chose carefully to play music with as a favorite past-time when everyone isn't busy with school, work, and other important or busy things in life. Flashing back three years prior to graduating college, Lew formed the Patrick Lew Band - later band named the Electric Army or simply, Patrick Lew's Electric Army.

Together, the PLB Army recorded and created music at the expense of their much heavily invested musical gear that Lew spent on with some of his college aid money. Somewhere in Patrick Lew's king-size bedroom inside a house in Antioch, California, that became the band practice room for the PLB Army where they made music. Sometimes, digital and electronic collaboration via Internet was related to the music making priorities. Through Skype and private email messages through social-media website GIANT, Facebook. This led to how Lew created music alone and with the assistance of others as sidemen musicians on record.

How to cut the cable TV cord? Read this article!

So, I don’t have cable or satellite TV at home. I cut the cord about two years ago, and big thanks the switch to digital television in the United States in June 2009, like many other Americans who could no longer afford the triple digital cable bill, I cut the cord and went old school. The rising costs of pay TV providers along with the weak economy, made me give this old technology a second chance. There are millions of Americans now who watch TV over the air using an antenna and supplementing it with on demand programming such as Netflix and Hulu Plus through set-top boxes like Roku. That’s pretty much what I did like a lot of other people, and this is basically the free and cheap alternative to cable and satellite. 

Keep in mind, this does require a high-speed Internet connection in your home, so if you’re looking to sever all ties with your pay TV provider, you will not be capable of streaming the latest movies and shows through on-demand programming when using a set-top box or your smart TV. This also requires running extra cables plugged into your TV set and running additional hardware. If you have a modern television set and broadband Internet connection at home, you’re all set. Before you make your trip to your local “big box” store or shopping for what you will need online, here’s what you should do to cut the cord.

Antenna

Remember when you could watch television over the airwaves for free before cable? (If you’re under 25, ask you parents). These channels are still available to you at no cost…if you have an antenna. The design and performance of antennas have changed substantially over the last several years. Antennas are now 10% the mass they were decades ago. So we’re not talking about the clunky rabbit ears of the old. Antenna manufacturers like Mohu and Antennas Direct are creating high performance long-range units that are pleasing to the eye visually as home decor, resulting in smaller creative and industrial-like designs. Thanks to the transition to digital signals in June 2009, the technologies and performance of free digital TV has also drastically improved.

The thing about OTA (over the air) TV going from analog to digital really set the free TV experience free again. This new technology allowed broadcast stations to add sub-channels on what used to be one analog channel. Which basically increases our choices in programming. Instead of just having the major networks like ABC and CBS, now we have sub-channels that features movies, lifestyle programming, classic TV shows, music videos, and children’s channels depending where you live. Along with Spanish and Chinese language broadcasts. You won’t be getting cable networks like MTV, ESPN or Comedy Central, but OTA TV channels now somewhat duplicate the content of programming you see on cable and satellite. The picture and sound is actually better than what you’re getting on cable and satellite, since most pay television providers have to deliver hundreds of channels, plus broadband and phone service so the TV signal is compressed to conserve bandwidth. All the major networks are broadcast in HD. Outside of a Blu-ray movie, this is the best output I’ve ever seen on my TV set, and did I mention it’s free?

Before cable, watching OTA TV with an antenna had its vulnerable moments, resulting in ghosting and noise. One of the major selling points of cable TV in the analog era was that it was the only reliable way to get a clear signal from the free network channels. Because of the switch from analog to digital signals, we’ve seen improved picture and sound quality. And more channel choices. With improved features and technology, OTA is basically becoming the “new” basic cable. The only thing I pay from Comcast these days is high-speed Internet at home every month.

I highly recommend the Mohu Leaf indoor antenna if you’re planning to cut the cord. It’s currently one of the top indoor HDTV antennas in the market. There are two different types of Mohu Leaf. There is the standard indoor antenna from Mohu, which is good if you are 30 to 35 miles away from broadcast towers. And the amplified version which can also pull in more channels out of reach from the regular antenna and the amplified Mohu works within a 50 mile range. Depending on your location, how far you are from broadcasting towers and the design of your home, you can pull in a surprising number of OTA channels. I pulled in 35 from my Mohu Leaf antenna, and I live in San Francisco. Typically major cities carry more networks and programming choices, but free OTA TV is still expanding. I wouldn’t know too much about outdoor antennas, but they can pull in signals from 70 miles away. But if you (or your significant other) are more into industrial design, and live beyond the reach of broadcast towers in your area, an outdoor antenna is recommended for getting the most out of your free digital TV experience.

I wouldn’t know too much about other indoor antennas. I don’t recommend getting an older rabbit ears antenna on eBay that people used during the analog era, since there’s so many modern antennas on the market today that are better. I do like Antennas Direct’s Clearstream Micron. But I’m more of a Mohu Leaf guy. But it’s all about your preference and people’s first hand experiences with which modern indoor antenna they use. All television sets made since 2007 (when built-in digital tuners became a federal requirement) and if you don’t have one, in order to watch free TV you will need a converter box to receive digital signals from your analog television set.  

Renting DVD’s

Another thing I recommend is checking out your local library. Did you know your library in your town has many movies on DVD that you can borrow for free? The library here in San Francisco carries a countless number of movies and TV shows on DVD and I highly recommend going to your local library to borrow a DVD copy of a movie you want to watch in case they have it. Be sure to check your local library’s website to see the list of DVD’s they do carry that you can borrow and bring home to watch on your DVD player or gaming console. Also try trading DVD’s with your friends and family.

Set-Top Box 

By supplementing your TV experience, the next step is to choose your hardware for on-demand programming delivered via your Internet connection. You may already have this capability in an existing device if you own a gaming console like Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii. Or perhaps you’ve bought a Smart TV or Blu-ray player with built-in Wi-Fi. But if that doesn’t work out, you should get yourself a set-top box. Remember, in order to make this work you have to continue subscribing to high-speed Internet services from your cable provider. If you have to supplement your TV experience by buying yourself a set-top box like Roku or Apple TV on your TV (via HDMI), you should most definitely do it. 

The rise of Internet video also eased the pain of losing your favorite cable channels. Internet video providers such as Hulu and Netflix carry a vast library of movies and TV shows you can choose and watch. And it costs only $8 a month. Although some movies and TV shows you love might not be available to stream, it’s tough to beat the price.

If you own an older analog TV set without an HDMI port, it won’t be possible to turn your older TV into a smart TV with a set-top box. Chromecast and Apple TV will only work for modern TV sets that includes an HDMI port, so I wouldn’t recommend getting any of those. But various models of Roku, from the $50 Roku LT and other mid-tier models contain a composite A/V cable so it will be able to work on an older TV set. The $99 Roku 3 only uses HDMI so I wouldn’t recommend getting it if you own an older TV without HDMI ports. But if you own a television set with built-in digital tuners made since 2007, you should be fine.

Apple TV and various models of Roku are great alternatives from buying yourself a brand new 55 inch Smart TV from Best Buy during the Holiday season. Apple TV and Roku both contain a wide variety on on-demand programming you can stream onto your TV. If you’re a big Apple fanatic yourself and would like that “Designed in Cupertino” finish in the comfort of your own living room, then you would love the Apple TV. Apple TV also contains an iTunes app, something which Roku lacks. But Roku makes up for it by including an Amazon Instant video store, which is unavailable on Apple TV. 

I use Roku and Chromecast on my TV. Chromecast is limited in content, making it more of a curiosity than primary option for mainstream customers. But it’s worth definitely keeping an eye out on. Roku is currently one of the best set-top boxes out there with more than 1,000 channels to choose from to stream video. There’s a lot of free content and some paid subscriptions services like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and Hulu Plus. I personally like the Roku, except my gripes with Roku is that they don’t have a YouTube channel. But there’s a lot of content on Roku even though most of it is of limited appeal. I personally like Chromecast because it has the ability to stream online video from YouTube while using my laptop onto your TV via HDMI, while Roku lacks a YouTube channel currently. But I use both set-top devices through my TV for the most part.

Most of the best stuff on Roku does require a subscription, but it’s far cheaper than paying the triple digital cable bill every month. But please remember to keep in mind on how many channels you subscribe to. Roku even has a PBS and PBS Kids channel. Using just Netflix and Hulu Plus (each require $8 per month subscriptions) gives you a good variety of popular programming. Between the two, you can binge on previous seasons from everything of Downton Abbey and Breaking Bad, watch current episodes of The Daily Show and Parks and Recreation and make a dent in your bucket list of must-see film classics.

There are drawbacks however. Most having to do with content licensing restrictions. Netflix still has a good number of films in its vast library that are unavailable for streaming. With Hulu Plus, TV shows are generally embargoed until at least the day after their original programming network air dates. And there can be some restrictions on which seasons of a show are available. Perhaps most frustrating is that licensing terms for some shows stipulate that they can be viewed through on a computer or mobile phone for free, but are restricted from being viewed on a TV even with a paid Hulu Plus subscription. But remember, you have an antenna and it gives you free OTA network channels. If you’re able to work your schedule around the networks (like the old days) might be able to minimize this inconvenience.

I’ve been using Roku LT to stream the latest recommended movies and binge through the latest episodes of The Walking Dead on Netflix. It’s been quite a traditional TV experience, with the bonus of being able to rewind and pause what I’m watching. The best thing about on-demand programming and streaming videos through a set-top device like Roku is that I get to choose what I watch on my own schedule, juggling the demands of work, friends and family. Other than streaming the latest episodes and seasons I’ve missed from cable network shows on Netflix or Hulu Plus, I enjoy listening to recorded music from my favorite rock bands while using my Roku LT. Roku also has a Facebook and Spotify app, so you can dive into the social-networking experience through the expense of your own TV rather than just using your laptop or smartphone. 

Live Sports

Live sports tends to be a difficult option what many people think about before legitimately dropping their pay TV package. 

Licensing and other restrictions make watching live sports more complicated through a streaming device. Live sports such as professional wrestling mostly gain their revenue through pay TV, and cutting the cord might not yet be a feasible option if you’re a die-hard Wrestlemaniac. It might not even be a reasonable option if you’re as sports junkie who really needs to get the latest updates through ESPN or EPSN 2. But remember, with an antenna, you get OTA broadcasts of big sporting events such as the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, and the Olympics. If you’re able to arrange your schedule just in time to catch the latest New England Patriots game, like the old days, as long as there are no blackout restrictions in case the stadium doesn’t sell out, you should be able to watch your favorite football team play a game on your local OTA channel. 

Thankfully, Apple TV and Roku does offer sports channels for the NBA, MLB, and NHL for streaming. However, they’re not cheap and single season could cost you about $200. But if you can’t get enough of your Boston Red Sox if you live in L.A, and want to keep up with baseball season, I would recommend it. 

Final Words

Since these are my personal recommendations for free and cheap alternatives to cable and satellite TV, what do I personally think about pay TV? I thought it was great personally when my parents first got cable through Comcast back in the early 90’s growing up. But with the growth of new technologies in the digital age, rising prices, weak economy and getting tired of paying $100 a month for 200 channels which 97% of them I would never watch, I cut the cord. Also, there were too many trashy reality shows, repetitive reruns of syndicated sitcoms I could get on The CW or MyNetworkTV and I saw no interest in paying for that every month.

90% of Americans still use pay television services, but a lot of them don’t know that there are legitimate free and cheap alternatives to pay TV. Pay TV is undeniably a richer experience, but it is worth the 330% premium? Not for me. You get better picture quality and sound compared to cable and satellite by just using a modern indoor antenna hooked up on the coaxial port through your TV set. 

You can access movies and cable network shows on the Internet and through streaming video providers such as Netflix and Hulu Plus. And watching it on a TV through a set-top box like Roku is much more satisfying than watching it through a small computer screen or mobile phone. And watching the latest syndicated episode of Big Bang Theory in stunning HD is better than watching the compressed version of the same program I was getting on cable. That makes it nearly impossible for me from going back to a cable TV subscription.

It’s ultimately everyone’s choice whether to cut the cord or not. But thinking of the money you’re saving especially in this tough economy, I pay $96 a year for Netflix to stream the movies and sitcoms I want to watch. Which is saving big time compared to the $1,932 every year I was paying for cable from Comcast. Such as taxes, fees, and set-top rental. I dropped the TV package and I am basically right now using their Internet-only plan for $40 a month. My total spendings from one-time hardware purchase (I spent $54 on Roku LT counting taxes), buying an indoor HDTV antenna, and subscribing to Netflix and Hulu Plus every month, my recurring bills add up to $616 this year. A huge savings! 

Right now in the digital TV age, TV antennas are making a surprising comeback. Supplemented with Internet video such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, and YouTube. Some people don’t cut the cord. But if you don’t want to because you love watching live sports, sometimes you can negotiate with your cable or satellite company in getting your monthly bill lowered. It can happen by threatening to leave your cable or satellite TV provider for a competitor, and sometimes they can give you a reasonable rate on your next cable bill. But cutting the cord can you save you over a thousand dollars every year and with these new technologies they now have in the digital age, there are free and cheap alternatives to pay TV providers.

My journey as a one man band.

I'm a freelance rock musician who began making music in 2009 after several flops with a local band I used to be in. I'm always trying my best to get better when recording and when it comes to playing the guitar.

It was a hot Summer month when I was dabbling and wrestling with finishing college with a BA in Philosophy with a minor in Music. It was over a year since I was playing rhythm guitar in a post-hardcore band in San Francisco which ended on very bad terms. I studied home recording and the art of guitar playing on my own free time at home. I used the Internet and read books on how to do what I could do in my own home recording studio. I had 3 guitars on me, Fender Frontman 25-watt amp, Line6 TonePort DI, and armed with Mixcraft and a shitty laptop. I had a lot of ideas in my head, contemplating making the music. Because that's what I am most passionate about. Writing and recording my original pieces of music. I was listening to lots of Metal, Hard Rock, and House music on my Zune. And despite some of the issues I had with figuring out how to record my music. I still did it no matter what.

Most of my issues when it came to recording were technical difficulties with hardware and software, trying to come up with nice guitar riffs, and producing on my laptop them well enough without sounding so sloppy and lazy. I also got lazy a lot on many other days. Studying for my classes I was taking at CSU East Bay, watching countless hours of cable TV, playing Xbox 360, and getting serious with my on and off again relationship with my girlfriend Faith. I remained persistent however, giving a fuck less about the haters and the people who were saying and doing negative things to my music career and band, and let my own brand of Hard Rock and EDM come out. I was in a band before and after I graduated from college called P and G, busking a bunch of popular cover songs from bands we loved across Brentwood and Antioch in the San Francisco East Bay. My musical ideas were better suited for a solo project than being a sidemen in a band. So with the advantage of having the musical gear I had in my house to make music digitally, that's how I got my ideas on hard disk and mp3. I can be quite anal with how I want my music to be before I upload it onto my webpage. I was never good at mixing tracks, but I tried my best. I wanted to create the right sounds in the studio and make sure that my music has originality and some creativity that separates me from all those shitty metalcore bands in the Bay Area music scene. I finally did it during these last four years as a solo musician.

With 40 tracks completed of my one man band's original music as of April 2013. I continue to make awesome music without caring so much about popularity, fame and fortune, and all the negative people and obstacles from destroying my passion for being a sporadic freelance musician. I go online to get my music out there on websites like this. And even with things that prevent me from recording such as settling down with my girlfriend Faith, my part-time job as a merchandiser for American Greetings, and among other things. I persevere. And I create some awesome rocktronic music.

Free and cheap alternatives after cutting the cord.

So, I don’t have cable or satellite TV at home. I cut the cord about two years ago, and big thanks the switch to digital television in the United States in June 2009, like many other Americans who could no longer afford the triple digital cable bill, I cut the cord and went old school. The rising costs of pay TV providers along with the weak economy, made me give this old technology a second chance. There are millions of Americans now who watch TV over the air using an antenna and supplementing it with on demand programming such as Netflix and Hulu Plus through set-top boxes like Roku. That’s pretty much what I did like a lot of other people, and this is basically the free and cheap alternative to cable and satellite. Here’s what you should do to cut the cord.

Antenna

The thing about OTA (over the air) TV going from analog to digital really set the free TV experience free again. This new technology allowed broadcast stations to add sub-channels on what used to be one analog channel. Which basically increases our choices in programming. Instead of just having the major networks like ABC, now we have sub-channels that features movies, lifestyle programming, classic TV shows, music videos, and children’s channels depending where you live. Along with Spanish and Chinese language broadcasts. The picture and sound is actually better than what you’re getting on cable and satellite, since most pay television providers have to deliver hundreds of channels, plus broadband and phone service so the TV signal is compressed to conserve bandwidth. All the major networks are broadcast in HD. Outside of a Blu-ray movie, this is the best output I’ve ever seen on my TV set, and did I mention it’s free?

Before cable, watching OTA TV with an antenna had its vulnerable moments, resulting in ghosting and noise. One of the major selling points of cable TV in the analog era was that it was the only reliable way to get a clear signal from the free network channels. Because of the switch from analog to digital signals, we’ve seen improved picture and sound quality. And more channel choices. With improved features and technology, OTA is basically becoming the “new” basic cable. The only thing I pay from Comcast these days is high-speed Internet at home every month.

I highly recommend the Mohu Leaf indoor antenna if you’re planning to cut the cord. It’s currently one of the top indoor HDTV antennas in the market. There are two different types of Mohu Leaf. There is the standard indoor antenna from Mohu, which is good if you are 30 to 35 miles away from broadcast towers. And the amplified version which can also pull in more channels out of reach from the regular antenna and the amplified Mohu works within a 50 mile range. Depending on your location, how far you are from broadcasting towers and the design of your home, you can pull in a surprising number of OTA channels. I pulled in 35 from my Mohu Leaf antenna, and I live in San Francisco. Typically major cities carry more networks and programming choices, but free OTA TV is still expanding. I wouldn’t know too much about outdoor antennas, but they can pull in signals from 70 miles away.

I don’t know too much about other HDTV antennas. I don’t recommend getting an older rabbit ears antenna on eBay that people used during the analog era, since there’s so many modern antennas on the market today that are even better. I do like Antennas Direct’s Clearstream Micron. But I’m more of a Mohu Leaf guy. But it’s all about your preference and people’s first hand experiences with which modern HDTV antenna they use. All television sets made since 2007 (when built-in digital tuners became a federal requirement) and if you don’t have one, in order to watch free TV you will need a converter box to receive digital signals from your analog television set.  

Renting DVD's

Another thing I recommend is checking out your local library. Did you know your library in your town has many movies on DVD that you can borrow for free? The library here in San Francisco carries a countless number of movies and TV shows on DVD and I highly recommend going to your local library to borrow a DVD copy of a movie you want to watch in case they have it. Be sure to check your local library’s website to see the list of DVD’s they do carry that you can borrow and bring home to watch on your DVD player or gaming console. Also try trading DVD’s with your friends and family.

Set-Top Box

By supplementing your TV experience, the next step is to choose your hardware for on-demand programming delivered via your Internet connection. You may already have this capability in an existing device if you own a gaming console like Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii. Or perhaps you’ve bought a Smart TV or Blu-ray player with built-in Wi-Fi. But if that doesn’t work out, you should get yourself a set-top box. Remember, in order to make this work you have to continue subscribing to high-speed Internet services from your cable provider. If you have to supplement your TV experience by buying yourself a set-top box like Roku or Apple TV on your TV (via HDMI), you should most definitely do it. 

The rise of Internet video also eased the pain of losing your favorite cable channels. Internet video providers such as Hulu and Netflix carry a vast library of movies and TV shows you can choose and watch. And it costs only $8 a month. Although some movies and TV shows you love might not be available to stream, it’s tough to beat the price.

I use Roku and Chromecast on my TV. Chromecast is limited in content, making it more of a curiosity than primary option for mainstream customers. But it’s worth definitely keeping an eye out on. Roku is currently one of the best set-top boxes out there with more than 1,000 channels to choose from to stream video. There’s a lot of free content and some paid subscriptions services like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and Hulu Plus. I personally like the Roku, except my gripes with Roku is that they don’t have a YouTube channel. But there’s a lot of content on Roku even if its of limited appeal. I personally like Chromecast because it has the ability to stream online video from YouTube onto your TV via HDMI while Roku lacks a YouTube channel currently. But I use both set-top devices for the most part and I do not regret spending my hard earned money for it at Best Buy.

Most of the best stuff on Roku does require a subscription, but it’s far cheaper than paying the triple digital cable bill every month. But please remember to keep in mind on how many channels you subscribe to. Roku even has a PBS and PBS Kids channel. Using just Netflix and Hulu Plus (each require $8 per month subscriptions) gives you a good variety of popular programming. Between the two, you can binge on previous seasons from everything of Downton Abbey and Breaking Bad, watch current episodes of The Daily Show and Parks and Recreation and make a dent in your bucket list of must-see film classics.

There are drawbacks however. Most having to do with content licensing restrictions. Netflix still has a good number of films in its vast library that are unavailable for streaming. With Hulu Plus, TV shows are generally embargoed until at least the day after their original programming network air dates. And there can be some restrictions on which seasons of a show are available. Perhaps most frustrating is that licensing terms for some shows stipulate that they can be viewed through on a computer or mobile phone for free, but are restricted from being viewed on a TV even with a paid Hulu Plus subscription. But remember, you have an antenna and it gives you free OTA network channels. If you’re able to work your schedule around the networks (like the old days) might be able to minimize this inconvenience.

Final Words

Since these are my personal recommendations for free and cheap alternatives to cable and satellite TV, what do I personally think about pay TV? I thought it was great personally when I first got cable through Comcast back in the early 90’s. But with new technologies in the digital TV era, rising prices, weak economy and getting tired of paying $100 a month for 300 channels which 97% of them I would never watch. I cut the cord. Also, there were too many trashy reality shows, repetitive reruns of syndicated sitcoms I could get on The CW and I saw no interest in paying for that every month.

Having cable and satellite is also like having a bad relationship with somebody. Poor customer service, rate increases and seeing no value in paying for hundreds of channels of filler. And that can be pretty bad for a lot of people. 90% of Americans still use pay television services, but a lot of them don’t realize that there are legitimate free and cheap alternatives to pay TV. Pay TV is undeniably a richer experience, but it is worth the 330% premium? Not for me. You get better picture quality and sound compared to cable and satellite by just using a modern indoor antenna hooked up on the coaxial port through your TV set. 

You can access movies and cable network shows on the Internet and through streaming video providers such as Netflix and Hulu Plus. And watching it on a TV through a set-top box like Roku is much more satisfying than watching it through a small computer screen or mobile phone. That makes it nearly impossible for me from going back to a cable TV subscription.

It’s ultimately everyone’s choice whether to cut the cord or not. But thinking of the money you’re saving especially in this tough economy, I pay $96 a year for Netflix to stream the movies, sitcoms, and cartoons I like. Which is saving big time compared to the $1,932 every year I was paying for cable from Comcast. Such as taxes, fees, and set-top rental. I dropped the TV package and I am basically right now using their Internet-only plan for $40 a month. My total spendings from one-time hardware purchase (I spent $54 on Roku LT counting taxes), buying an indoor HDTV antenna, and subscribing to Netflix and Hulu Plus every month, my recurring bills add up to $290 this year. A huge savings! 

Right now in the digital TV age, TV antennas are making a surprising comeback. Supplemented with Internet video such as Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube. Some people don’t cut the cord. But if you don’t want to because you love watching live sports, sometimes you can negotiate with your cable or satellite company in getting your monthly bill lowered. It can happen by threatening to leave your cable or satellite TV provider for a competitor, and sometimes they can give you a reasonable rate on your next cable bill. But cutting the cord can you save you over a thousand dollars every year and with these new technologies they now have in the digital age, there are free and cheap alternatives to pay TV providers.

Heavy Sigma EPK

Born: November 15, 1985
Ethnicity: Chinese, Taiwanese
Birthplace: San Francisco, California (billed from Taipei, Taiwan)
Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Hobbies: Writing music, watching TV and movies, going to sporting events, sightseeing, education, spending time with his girlfriend Faith and friends.

Patrick started playing guitar and attempting to write his own songs at 13 years of age and grew up in San Francisco, California. His musical influences are Pearl Jam, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, The White Stripes, Tesla, AFI, The Faces, and Green Day. Living in the SF Bay Area, Patrick attended CSU East Bay as a Philosophy major, graduating in 2011 while continuing his passion for making music locally. As it turns out, music wasn't Patrick's first serious passion as a child. He was into skateboarding and playing basketball until putting that all aside for playing guitar and writing his own music. His first rock concert was the Australian grunge band Silverchair while he was in middle school. It was watching that live musical performance that partially influenced Patrick to become a rock musician. He would go to Guitar Center, and buy him that "Hot Wheels" Epiphone Les Paul that would become his trademark instrument.

Patrick played in a nu metal band with friends from high school and college called the Band of Asians around the San Francisco bar scene, before deciding the problems he had with being in a band made him realize his music was better suited for a solo project. He started the solo hard rock group aptly called the Patrick Lew Band as a teenager, recording a countless number of musical ideas at home and uploading them online, alongside a revolving door of sidemen collaborating with him in the studio. In 2009, after nearly a whole decade of flops and attempts to get recognition and respect, the Patrick Lew Band began attracting a cult following on the Internet and in the SF Bay Area. Mostly comfortable as a home recording musician as opposed to playing guitar and singing onstage, Patrick feels most delighted whenever he writes a song on his guitar and records them on his laptop running Acoustica Mixcraft. Putting the finishing touches on every rocking new record he attempts before posting them online.

In 2011, Patrick accomplished a few small things with the Patrick Lew Band. His name was mentioned in an electronic music magazine and the underground media. He played bass in a side project with his college friend Greg Lynch called the P&G and made YouTube videos through Patrick's digital camera of their live musical performances as buskers in Antioch, California. His album "Let It Rise And Against" brought Patrick the critical moderate success he needed as an independent musician. Aside from his talent in music, Patrick has acted in a few school plays and is an avid video blogger and amateur comedian on YouTube.

Patrick is passionate about creating music and playing his guitar. Without focusing or dwelling on fame and fortune, Patrick is a determined hard working young man who makes his success in his music on his own terms. He loves and cares about the few fans who come out on his Facebook page and support him, and takes extra time to make qualitative rock and roll music while taking care of adult responsibilities. His own bedroom is his rock star playground, with musical equipment and the latest electronics. Patrick currently resides in the Excelsior District in San Francisco. Some of his interests outside of music include watching TV and movies, traveling, going to sporting events, reading, and spending time with his long-time girlfriend Faith Marie and his friends. 

Why this name?

Well, I typed "Heavy" on a band name generator online and got the name Heavy Sigma when I saw it on the computer screen, liked it, and declared my one-man band under that moniker.

UPDATE: I changed the moniker to Riot 92 so I can sound more punk rock as a one man band.

Do you play live?

Not really. I'm more into producing my own original music at home. I have too many limitations and things that hold me back from playing live. I like recording more.

How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry?

I came during a generation, where bands and musicians didn't need to sucker themselves into signing with a major record label, getting on TV and radio, and doing mass live performing as a way of bigger exposure. I came during a time where the computers and social-media made it more possible for the little or middle fish in the pond to get themselves heard. Despite my love for 90's rock, I highly doubt I would have been recognized back then like I am now supposedly, and it's not a money thing either. It's recognition and making an audience.

Would you sign a record contract with a major label?

Maybe. Who knows. If someone really appreciates what I do musically and gives me a chance to grow bigger as an artist. I would certainly do it.

Band History:

I'm a freelance rock musician who began making music in 2009 after several flops with a local band I used to be in. I'm always trying my best to get better when recording and when it comes to playing the guitar.

Your influences?

Silverchair, Nirvana, Green Day, Dead Kennedys, Pearl Jam, The Rolling Stones, Guns N' Roses, Oasis, AFI, Box Car Racer, Sum 41, Nobuo Uematsu, The Donnas, Nine Inch Nails, The Raveonettes, The Black Keys, The White Stripes, The Beatles, American Hi-Fi, Foo Fighters, Slash

Favorite spot?

San Francisco, Seattle, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

Equipment used:

My musical gear. I use this equipment as a Bay Area musician...

GUITARS:
- Epiphone HotWheels Les Paul
- Excel Stratocaster
- Excel Les Paul (NEEDS REPAIR)

BASSES:
- Rogue LX205B Bass Guitar

AMPS:
- Fender 25R Frontman
- Marshall MG10

PEDALS:
- Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion
- Digitech RP50 Multi-Effects
- Digitech Death Metal Distortion

RECORDING GEAR:
- Line6 TonePort Silver DI
- Peavey XPort DI
- Line6 POD Farm
- Acoustica Mixcraft 4
- REAPER (x64)
- Toshiba PC Laptop

INSPIRATION:
- 8GB Zune MP3 Player
- My BIG CD collection (mostly ROCK)

HOME THEATER:
- Insignia 19' HDTV Set
- Roku LT
- Mohu Leaf Indoor HDTV Antenna
- Xbox 360
- HUGE collection of DVD's (movies & TV shows) 

I cut the cord. Rabbit ears antenna is making a comeback!

I've been a loyal cable TV customer most of my life. From the time I was 6 years old, my parents subscribed to cable and I enjoyed watching the latest cartoons and live action shows on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. I enjoyed watching the latest music videos from my favorite rock bands and rap artists on MTV. Most of all, I thought cable TV was pretty cool at the time. Before I had cable, I had an old 13 channel analog TV set with rabbit ears in the living room. But once my dad bought the latest Sony TV set circa 1990 from a Costco, that's when we jumped on the cable bandwagon. And we never looked back at our grandfather's old rabbit ears antenna.

I enjoyed cable for the most part up until right before the switchover from analog to digital broadcasts from the FCC in June 2009. As I got older, I was constantly surfing to watch something good on TV, whether it be dramas, children's programming, or movies. I was getting fed up with the trashy reality shows I was getting. What I was watching on cable was getting less interesting, trashier, and obviously getting more expensive. I remembered in the 90's when I first had cable, I thought it was cool and I got great video and sound off of it. I was losing interest with the programming that was being aired on MTV, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and VH1. The quality of the entertainment wasn't there anymore.

Plus, I wasn't even watching the 200 channels my parents were paying for.  I was barely even watching cable anymore since I went off to college. On my days where I'm not studying or taking final exams, I was busy having a night out with friends or surfing the Internet. When over-the-air broadcast television went from analog to digital, the monthly fees and rates for cable and satellite services tripled.

While my parents kept the cable TV and Internet access at their East Bay home for the most part, when I moved back into my childhood house in San Francisco, I was without cable or satellite. When I moved back into the house I grew up in, I didn't think about calling Comcast and setting up a 120 digital cable channel package. I didn't want to spend my hard earned money from my job to do that, but I did sign up for Comcast Xfinity high-speed Internet service at my house. I was thinking of signing up for Dish Network when I moved back into my childhood home, but my girlfriend Faith and her mom had bad experiences with the rate increase when their 12 month introductory rate ended. They have since went back to watching free over-the-air TV through an antenna and converter box on their analog TV set.

For the next year and a half, I bought a sleek 19-inch Insignia HDTV set from Best Buy but yet I couldn't watch any programming. My TV watching habits were putting in a DVD copy in my movie and TV show collection onto my Xbox 360. I borrowed DVD's from the library and a Red Box kiosk at the Walgreens I previously worked at, or bought DVD's online or at the record store Rasputin. I didn't want to subscribe to cable or satellite, because for the most part, I couldn't afford it and I thought it was pointless to pay $80 a month for 200 channels with nothing good on and that I wouldn't be watching most of them anyways. I wasn't necessarily unemployed, but I wanted to save money and I didn't want to spend over a thousand bucks a year for a couple hundred channels of filler. For the most part, I watch on average 10 to 12 channels on my TV set when channel surfing or when I sit down to watch.

So basically I cut the cord. My HDTV set was in my bedroom, but I wanted to find the free and cheap alternative to cable and satellite. I totally missed out on the whole analog-to-digital transition, but I went on the Internet to find out how I can watch DTV without cable or satellite. I was getting tired of watching the same ol' DVD's on my Xbox 360 of movies I already own. So I went to a Target store and bought me a non-amplified Mohu Leaf HDTV antenna. I set up the indoor antenna onto my TV set and wallah! I get to watch daytime and primetime shows for free on ABC, FOX, and CW. I didn't have to pay for watching TV anymore!

One thing I really loved about the transition from analog to digital broadcasting was before this even happened, the old rabbit ears antenna that my grandfather used to watch I Love Lucy could only pull in a handful of over-the-air programming. Now broadcast over-the-air television through an antenna can fit multiple channels onto what used to could only fit one analog channel. Before the digital switch over, we could only get one analog channel. After the digital transition, our over-the-air programming choices tripled since we now get subchannels transmitted from the broadcasting towers.When I installed the Mohu Leaf indoor antenna onto my 19 inch Insignia HDTV set, since I live in a big city, I was able to receive 36 over-the-air digital channels on my Leaf! Personally, I consider over-the-air programming the new basic cable. As it turns out, major cities in America tend to pull in a surprising number of free broadcast channels. Los Angeles receives 40 or more channels, according to Nielsen.

Heck, the picture of what I'm receiving on my TV set through the antenna was definitely crisper and of higher quality, than what I was getting on cable or satellite, because the cable and satellite providers often compress the video data. During the old school days of analog broadcasts, they occasionally showed static and a snowy picture on the TV screen once we lose our signal whether it be heavy rain or other distractions. Digital broadcasts were for the most part better, but less forgiving of interference, as what you're watching would most likely blank out all together. But it was way better than paying $1,200 a year for cable and satellite TV.

These days, Americans are not only thinking of cutting the cord, heck, they're actually doing it. While 90% of households in America still pay for cable and satellite services. Some people who are no longer able to pay for cable or satellite, whether they are affected by the economy or not, including younger people like me, are buying antennas and tuning into a surprising number of broadcast channels. These often become a part of the video diet that includes a fast growing menu of options available. In fact, in 2013 alone, nearly 6 million people have cut the cord. Here are some interesting statistics about people ditching cable and satellite, and going back to the antenna or giving it a second chance.

• 19.3% of all U.S. households with TVs rely solely on OTA signals — up from 17.8% from last year.
• GFK estimates 22.4 million households representing 59.7 million consumers receive television exclusively through broadcast signals and aren’t subscribing to a Pay TV cable or satellite service.
• Nearly 6% of TV households cut the cord in their current home at some point in the past, doing so to cut monthly costs from budgets and citing there isn’t enough value for the cost. Those responses were also the top answers in the 2012 survey.
• Minorities make up 41% of broadcast-only homes.
• 49% of Latino households that prefer speaking Spanish home have a Pay TV service — down from 67% in 2010.
• 28% of TV households where the head of the house is 18-34 in age, exclusively watch TV via broadcast signals, up from 18% in 2010.
• 19% of TV households where the head of the household is 35-49 relies on OTA signals; 17% in which the head of household is 50 years or older.
• Two out of 10 younger OTA households have never purchased a pay TV service.
• 30% of TV homes with an annual income less than $30,000 rely solely on OTA TV — up from 22% in 2010.
• 11% of TV households with incomes of $75,000 or greater rely solely on OTA TV

Even though we rediscover the frustration of weak or spotty receptions on our TV set, it's tough to beat the price. Antennas Direct, a maker of TV antennas, had sold 500,000 of their antennas in 2010 and 385,000 in 2009, according to its President, Richard Schneider. The sales have been over the roof since the conversion to digital, that Schneider added another assembly line in the factory to meet the demands. Antennas Direct even staged a 45-city tour to give away its most popular antenna -- the $99 Clearstream 2 -- to unemployed people who could no longer afford cable or satellite TV services.

In recent years, cable and satellite lost hundreds of thousands of subscribers. The rabbit ears antenna is making a surprising comeback in the digital age. Another big change in cutting the cord, is the rise of Internet video and streaming media players such as Apple TV and Roku. These boxes allow TV lovers to stream movies and TV shows on Netflix and Hulu along with other large content. Which is steadily on the rise. Cable companies thinks they will rebound once the economy improves in the future, only time will tell.

In San Francisco where I live, I get the big networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, and CW. I also get an independent over-the-air station called KOFY, which shows reruns of popular sitcoms such as Community and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia alongside airings of older movies on the weekends. I also get local news and weather, two PBS channels, a few Spanish and Asian language networks, a Korean music video channel, Qubo, and MeTV and Antenna TV. Two retro programming subchannels that shows sitcoms and dramas from the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, and even the early 90's.

Even if cable companies are offering a lower cost package that might appeal to people feeling the economic recession where we get a slimmed down set of channels. Comcast offers it here in San Francisco for about $35 but I think it's useless. I personally feel that TV should be free. Before cable and satellite became common, watching TV through our old rabbit ears for free is what everyone did. I mean, why would you want to subscribe to cable and satellite when there's 200 or 300 set of channels you will never watch? Think of the money you're saving by cutting the cord. People can use pay TV services through Hulu and Netflix to stream the latest hit movies, while supplement it with over-the-air broadcasting through an antenna. Looking at it, over-the-air is the new basic cable.

 For me, I don't miss cable at all. Instead, I got a Mohu Leaf indoor antenna and I now watch over-the-air news and local sports. I also watch primetime shows on FOX and ABC, and I stream the latest movies on Roku. I now pay $96 a year for Hulu, which is a huge improvement from spending $1,200 on Comcast digital cable every year. Free TV is something that should be embraced. I personally think cable will become a dinosaur within the next 5 years, and the rabbit ears antenna revival in the digital age along with streaming media players and Internet video, will be a big part of that all happening.