OK, for the technologically simple minded of us that want to watch the local news occasionally, what do we need to do? The antenna website says I am about 50 miles from the San Francisco transmitters. I have internet and a landline through the Evil Empire (Comcast). I have an inexpensive Panasonic flat screen from Costco that is less than a year old. I am NOT climbing on the roof. What's the solution?
Some stations will actually live stream their newscasts on their websites these days, start there.
Beyond that, you could try a couple bigger, beefier directional indoor VHF/UHF antennas in the DB4 style (we had an
interesting thread on that back in March). You can also mount directionals in the attic crawlspace. At your distance if you want to do an OTA antenna, it's just going to be a little technologically messy.
All other things aside, there's always buying your own barebones Dish equipment and signing up for the locals only pack ($10+tax) or the Welcome Pack with locals ($15+tax), but I don't know how competitive or not it is to Comcast's minimal TV service anymore. Also (unrelated), I can pretty much guarantee the price you're paying for your home phone service through Comcast is more expensive than VOIPo or Future Nine per month.
Finally, I stand corrected about the FCC mandate regarding locals being left unencrypted and QAM service through cable providers (I brushed up and refreshed my knowledge). So you are aware, most DTV sets made after 2006 can tune both ATSC and Clear QAM by just hooking the cable up to the television, but that's beside the point. Even though cable companies are (typically) only relaying free local OTA stations in Clear QAM on their wires, most cable companies will argue the "piracy" angle if you're not paying for service as per their lobbied
47 U.S.C. 553. Stupid but true, so full disclaimer:
don't do what I had suggested in my last post, it's apparently illegal. Sorry about that. Despite the fact that you wouldn't be watching or likely even able to receive anything that isn't already being given away for free all around you with an antenna, it's against the law. Yay lawyerball. Even without the knowledge of that specific law, it still was a tertiary reason why I just went OTA rabbit ears myself beyond the broader selection and higher quality. I just didn't want to deal with "j'accuse pirate!" saber rattling if caught watching
free local broadcast stations through their wire. I refuse to piss in my cable provider's muesli no matter how irrational the logic because I've noone but Ma Vader and her Death Star to run to as an alternative. I'm sure your mileage and jurisdictional laws may vary.